• Authors:
    • Zhou, Y.
    • Zhang, X.
    • Chen, X.
    • Zhao, Q.
    • Lei, J.
    • Zhang, H.
    • Qiao, X.
  • Source: Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 10
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Objective: The purpose of this project was to clarify shade condition's effect on the formation of kernel number per spike and analyze yield components of wheat under shade condition so as to take an effective growth measurement on fruit tree-crop intercropping models (Jujube-wheat, Apricot-wheat and Walnut-wheat intercropping). Method: In the present paper, the effects of shading on kernel number per spike were studied and analysis of yield components of wheat under the artificial shade condition was carried out. Result: The results showed that, under the artificial shade condition, the fertile florets, plant weight, grains per spike, grains weight per spike, spike number per hectare and yield were obviously reduced in the course of the wheat growth period. Conclusion: The results indicated that improving the kernel number per spike should be focused on the differentiation, growth and development, degeneration and grain courses of florets. Improving the yield should be focused on the growth and development, spike number per hectare and grain-filling characteristic courses of plants.
  • Authors:
    • Robles, A. B.
    • Garcia, P. A.
    • Altieri, M. A.
    • Ramos, M. E.
  • Source: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: We evaluate the forage yield and quality, species composition, and carrying capacity of oats and oat-vetch as fodder-cover crops, grown in almond orchards, under mineral or organic fertilizer and three harvesting regimes ("grazing," "hay," and "grain plus straw"). Also, we show preliminary results of almond yield. Differences in yield due to mineral and organic fertilization were only 9%. The carrying capacity was similar for all treatments. The almond yield was greater when the cover crop was removed early as "grazing." Therefore, oats and oat-vetch could be used as cover crops in almond orchards if removed early by livestock grazing.
  • Authors:
    • Dube, R. K.
    • Dhyani, S. K.
    • Sharma, A. R.
    • Ratan, S.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 81
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted at Selakui, Dehradun during 2001-04 to study the effect of tillage (conventional and minimum) and mulching practices (no mulching and live mulching) under artificially created varying land slopes (0.5, 2.5, 4.5 and 9.5%) on soil-moisture conservation, productivity and nutrient uptake in maize ( Zea mays L.)-wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. emend Fiori & Paol.) cropping system. Sunnhemp ( Crotalaria juncea L.) intercropped with maize gave 0.87-1.09 tonnes biomass (dry weight) and accumulated 24.8-31.4 kg N/ha at 30 days of growth when it was mulched. Biomass and N accumulation generally decreased with increasing land slope and under minimum tillage. Maize performed better on moderate slopes (2.5-4.5%) than on the relatively flat (0.5%) and highly sloping land (9.5%). However, the yield of wheat decreased linearly and significantly with increasing slope due to less conservation of soil moisture on sloping lands during the previous rainy season. Conventional tillage gave significantly higher productivity of both maize and wheat than the minimum tillage. Intercropping of maize with sunnhemp and spreading the cut biomass as mulch at 30 days (live mulching) improved soil moisture conservation at maize harvest (+1.63 to 1.94%), and yield of maize (12.0%) as well as of following wheat (13.8%) compared with the no mulching.
  • Authors:
    • Wang, R.
    • CHEN-Zhi
    • Sun, Y.
    • Zhao, Y.
  • Source: Journal of Northwest A & F University - Natural Science Edition
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Objective: The paper uncovered the wheat and potato strip intercropping farmland's resistance effects to wind erosion in the agro-pastoral ectone in order to provide theoretical foundation and techonological direction. Method: Based on agro-pastoral mixed areas of Yinshan Mountain in Inner Mongolia, soil-erosion testing experiments were conducted on three stubble coverage farmland (wheat stubble coverage, coverage 65% and 76%, stubble height 20 cm and 30 cm; naked oats stubble coverage, coverage 90%, stubble height 30 cm) under 5 scheduled velocities (6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 m/s) by means of the movable wind tunnel and its suited velocity and sand sampling equipments. The author analyzed the change disciplinarian of the surfaces' aerodynamic roughness and wind erosion amount with the increasing distance of tested points (3, 3.75, 4.5, 5.25 and 6 m) from wind tunnel experiment section entrance (Simulating conservation tillage farmland's stubble widths). Result: The roughness of three kinds of surface showed early increasing and subsequent decreasing trend with the increasing distance of tested points from wind tunnel experiment section entrance under different velocities and the majority reached the max when the distance was 5.25 m; The wind erosion amount revealed rapid decreasing trend with the increasing distance of tested points from wind tunnel experiment section entrance under different velocities, the decreasing trend of wind erosion amount was gentle when the distance reached 5.25 m. Conclusion: Conservation tillage farmland's stubble height and vegetation coverage increase anti-wind erosion significantly. Anti-wind erosion effect of conservation tillage farmland tends to be more steady and significant when conservation tillage farmland effective width reaches 5.25 m.
  • Authors:
    • [Anonymous]
  • Source: Soils Newsletter
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Through an IAEA technical cooperation project, the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency, in cooperation with the Nigde Potato Research Institute and the Soil and Fertilizer Research Institute, an innovative drip fertigation technology was implemented to improve water and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency in potato production in the Nigde-Nevsehir Region. This technology reduced the amount of irrigation water needed by 50% and nitrogen fertilizer use by 40%, from 1000 to 600 kg N/ha. Drip fertigation technology increased water and nitrogen use efficiency by applying water and nitrogen directly to the immediate vicinity of the plant roots through a network of pipes and water emitters. Considering the magnitude and importance of potato production in the arid and semiarid areas of Turkey, the 50% reduction in crop water requirements through drip fertigation has a major impact on agricultural production and water management strategies in these areas. It was calculated that a transition from sprinkler irrigation to drip fertigation requires an initial investment cost of up to US $200/ha, depending on the sophistication of the drip fertigation system. This investment can be balanced against projected savings in time, energy, fertilizer and labour costs amounting to an estimated US $2000/ha/year. As a consequence, interest in drip fertigation has been remarkable among potato farmers in the region, so that in only three years the area under drip fertigation has increased from humble beginnings of 500 ha in 2005 to 4000 ha in 2007 and to nearly 7000 ha in 2010.
  • Authors:
    • Jadhav, A.
    • Alse, U.
  • Source: Journal of Cotton Research and Development
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Performance of four Bt and non Bt cotton hybrids with three irrigation levels and two water saving practices were studied during summer, 2007 and 2008 on clayey soils. The application of irrigation at 75 mm CPE significantly increased the number of sympodia and green bolls/plant. However, the monopodia and plant height was found significantly more under 50 mm CPE irrigation than 100 mm CPE. Water saving practices did not show any significant effect on morphological traits and quality parameters. Bt and non Bt cotton hybrids expressed their genetical potential. The height was significantly more in Kashinath Bt than all other cotton hybrids owing to its genetical character, while green bolls, sympodia and boll weight were significantly more in Dhroov Bt than other cotton hybrids. The maximum seed cotton was obtained in Dhroov Bt (31.46 q/ha) than Dhroov non Bt (27.48 q/ha) followed by Kashinath Bt (20.21 q/ha) and Nathbaba non Bt (24.61 q/ha). Kashinath Bt found significantly superior in quality parameters than other cotton hybrids.
  • Authors:
    • Tadesse, D.
    • Sisay, F.
    • Mitiku, H.
    • Solomon, H.
    • Araya, A.
  • Source: Momona Ethiopian Journal of Science
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: An experiment was carried out in 2010 at Mekelle, in northern Ethiopia, to measure the evapotranspiration, to estimate barley crop coefficient ( kc), and to evaluate the water productivity taking into account the major crops grown under the present pond irrigation system. Four locally made lysimeters were installed in the middle of barley field to measure barley evapotranspiration. The single crop coefficient approach was used to estimate barley crop coefficient. The average seasonal evapotranspiration of barley was 375 mm which is similar to many other cereal crops in the region. The single crop coefficient values for early, vegetative, mid and late crop stages were 0.6-0.8, 0.6-1.0; 1.0-1.05 and 0.3-0.4 respectively. The result showed that these crop coefficient values obtained in this experiment were similar to the crop coefficient values obtained in the past except for kc initial. Therefore, the assumption that local barley crop coefficient values differ from that of the documented values was incorrect. Furthermore, the major reason for mismanagement of irrigation water in barley fields was not due to use of wrong crop coefficient values but could be due to inadequate irrigation technical skill and knowledge of the farmer. The average economic water productivity (EWP) of barley for the very wet, wet, normal, dry and very dry seasons scenario were 0.99, 0.7, 0.65, 0.57, and 0.44 USD m -3, respectively, whereas the corresponding crop water productivity (CWP) values for grain were 1.53, 1.08, 1.0, 0.88 and 0.68 kg m -3, respectively. The EWP and CWP of barley were compared with onion and tomato under pond water irrigation at the five climatic scenarios. The crop water productivity for tomato and onion were 85-87% and 76-78% higher than that of barley, respectively. The corresponding economic water productivity for tomato and onion were 87-89% and 81-82% higher than that of barley, respectively. We concluded that growing tomato and onion would bring more income or yield per m 3 of pond water supplied than growing barley. The implication is that as supply and demand determines the price of products, farmers and extension workers need to balance the crop area coverage per irrigation scheme so that undesirable price falls and rises could be avoided. Evaluation of crops based on their water productivity would improve the productivity of irrigation schemes and ultimately improve food security in the arid and semi-arid areas where water scarcity is critical problem and irrigation is a necessity for crop production.
  • Authors:
    • Latif, M.
    • Azhar, A.
  • Source: Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: This study was conducted during 2001-04 in which four subsurface drainage projects viz; Mardan SCARP Project (MSP), Fourth Drainage Project, Faisalabad (FDP), Chashma Command Area Development Project (CCADP) and Mirpurkhas Tile Drainage Project (MTDP) were assessed for their impact on crop yield in irrigated areas of Pakistan. Quantitative comparison made on the change in pre- and post-project conditions revealed that crop yield significantly improved due to project implementation at all sites. The yield increased from 13 to 94% for most crops. The exception was rice, where it decreased by 23% at MTDP due to shortage of irrigation supplies. Maximum yield increase was observed in CCADP for cotton (80%), sugarcane (94%), wheat (67%); and at MSP for rice (46%). For chilli the maximum increase (147%) was observed at MTDP study site. Low increase in the yield was attributed to the shortage of irrigation supplies during the post-project periods. Limited sub-irrigation resulting from the operation of subsurface drainage systems was also observed to be another factor for low crop yields. Overall quantitative comparison indicated a positive impact of drainage system installation in terms of crop yield improvements.
  • Authors:
    • Sanjani, S.
    • Bannayan, M.
  • Source: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
  • Volume: 151
  • Issue: 12
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Climate variability and weather extremes are principal sources of fluctuations of annual productivity of many crops in arid and semi-arid environments. Temperature and precipitation are the major weather variables that determine the variability of crop yields. In this study, the relationship between weather descriptors and major irrigated crops yield were assessed for Khorasan province in northeast of Iran. Long term daily weather (1984-2007) and crop yield (wheat, barley, sugarbeet, cotton, potato, chickpea, alfalfa) data were analyzed with simple correlation analysis and also the iterative chi-square analysis identified relationships of low and high wheat yield years to maximum and minimum air temperatures within each region. Our results indicated that association between various crop yield and descriptors varied in different study location. As in Bojnourd located in the north of Khorasan yields of the crops studied did not correlate with temperature indicators, whereas in Birjand the relationship between temperature descriptors and crop yields were strong. Correlation between growing season precipitation and wheat, barley, chickpea and sugarbeet yields was positive while cotton yield decreased with increasing precipitation during the growing season. The results of chi-square analysis for wheat yield demonstrated that the critical time in which extreme temperature led to yield loss differed among regions. In Bojnourd, in late April to early May, and excess days (high or low yield years have more days meeting a cardinal value than normal years) with maximum temperature higher than 30 degrees C, wheat yield decreased while in Birjand, cooler maximum temperature (
  • Authors:
    • Chidankumar, C.
    • Siddappa
    • Chandraju, S.
  • Source: Current Botany
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Germination of Cotton and Ground nut seeds was made by irrigated with distillery spentwash of different concentration. The spentwash i.e. primary treated spentwash [PTSW] 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 spentwash were analyzed for their plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and physical & chemical characteristics. Experimental soil was tested for its chemical physical parameters. Cotton and Ground nut seeds were sowed in the prepared land and irrigated with raw water (RW), 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 (SW: RW) spentwash. The nature of germination of seeds was studied. It was found that, the germination was good (100%) in 1:3 SW irrigation, while very poor in 1:1 SW (25%), moderate in 1:2 SW (80%) and 95% in RW irrigations.