• Authors:
    • Kumar, S.
    • Thakral, S. K.
    • Kadian, V. S.
  • Source: Haryana Journal of Agronomy
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: A field experiment was carried out from 2003-04 to 2005-06 at Agronomy Research Area of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar to find out the profitable crop rotation in south-west Haryana. In the rotation the different kharif season crops i. e. cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merrill], mungbean [ Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek], pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) Emend. Stuntz] and sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] were grown with rotation in rabi season crops i. e. wheat [ Triticum aestivum (L.) Emend. Fiori & Paol.], barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) and raya ( Brassica juncea L.). Based on the mean of three-year rotation, cotton-based rotation registered maximum land use efficiency, whereas it was lowest in sorghum-based rotations. Among the different crop rotations, cotton-barley and soybean-wheat were found profitable based on the net returns and B:C ratio. Pearl millet-based crop rotations were found remunerative as compared to other kharif season crops.
  • Authors:
    • Jajoo, S. B.
    • Kamble, P. O.
    • Shinde, K. J.
  • Source: Green Farming
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 1 (Special 1)
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: A study was conducted to suggest optimal resources allocation for crop plan to net benefit maximization using linear programming model for Akola district in Maharashtra state. Resources management plan was developed with allocation of land and water for different crop activities to maximize the net return taking into account land capability classification, availability of water in different season, crop water requirements, food requirement and affinity towards the crops of the peoples in district. In existing crop plan during kharif season major area is under cotton (43.45%) followed by jowar (17%) whereas in proposed optimal crop plan without capital constraints major area was allocated under soybean (30%), cotton+tur (20%) of the total cultivable area of the district. In rabi major area in existing is under gram (5.2%) whereas in proposed plan area is allocated to wheat (20%), gram (20%). In existing summer area is 0.18% and annual was nil whereas in proposed plan is 3% and 4.13% respectively. In existing gross investment and net return per hectare was 10341 and 5203 Rs/ha whereas in proposed plan is 14864 and 8833 Rs/ha. In proposed plan net return per hectare increases by Rs. 3630.
  • Authors:
    • Aiken, R. M.
    • Currie, R. S.
    • Klocke, N. L.
  • Source: Transactions of the ASABE
  • Volume: 52
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Crop residues have value when left in the field and also when removed from the field and sold as a commodity. Reducing soil water evaporation (E) is one of the benefits of leaving crop residues in place. E was measured beneath a maize canopy at the soil surface with nearly full coverage by maize stover or standing wheat stubble. E was also measured from a soil surface that was partially covered with corn stover without crop shading. E was measured with mini-lysimeters that were 300 mm in diameter and 140 mm deep. Surface coverage and amount of dry matter of crop residues influenced E. E was reduced nearly 50% compared with bare soil E when maize stover and wheat stubble nearly covered the surface under a maize canopy during the growing season. Partial surface coverage, from 25 to 75%, with corn stover caused small reductions in E compared with bare soil when there was no crop canopy. Full surface coverage reduced energy limited E 50 to 65% compared with E from bare soil with no shading. No-till management, using crop residues to significantly reduce E, required soil surfaces to be nearly covered. Economic benefits of crop residues for E suppression during the growing season can be as much as $365 ha -1.
  • Authors:
    • Kushwaha, S. S.
    • Gajja, B. L.
  • Source: Current Agriculture
  • Volume: 33
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: An attempt has been made to document the change in the cropping pattern in Rajasthan, India. The study was based on the secondary data from 1980-81 to 2006-07. There was no major change in the cropping pattern, but in some crops such as rape, mustard and soyabean a shift was recorded. The increase in irrigation facilities in the state had observed increase in irrigated crops such as cotton, groundnut in some parts, wheat, soyabean, rape and mustard while some crops had witnessed the reduction in area. This indicated some minor change in the cropping pattern. However, the cropping pattern was mainly influenced by physical, economic, technological and institutional factors such as capital and market location and price of the crop at harvest time had definite temporal changes. The crop diversification had been witnessed in favour of oilseed crops.
  • Authors:
    • Monteiro, J. E. B. A.
  • Source: Agrometeorologia dos cultivos: o fator meteorológico na produção agrícola
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: This book brings together a broad base of information on 32 major Brazilian agricultural crops and their relations with climate. The focus of the book is not on the methodologies and applications of agrometeorology per se, but rather restricts its focus to crops and traits that determine yield as a function of the environment. The crops included are rice, castor oil, sunflowers, pineapples, soyabeans, triticale, maize, potatoes, barley, peanuts, oats, onions, canola, wheat, cotton, beans, sugarcane, Pinus, black wattle ( Acacia mearnsii), tropical and temperate grapes, coconuts, citrus, bananas, sisal, cocoa, coffee, apples, Jatropha, Eucalyptus and the fodder plants Cynodon, Brachiaria and Panicum. The contents of the book are divided into three main parts, I. Introduction, II. Temporary crops and III. Permanent crops, with each chapter within parts II and III dedicated to a particular crop, and covering: (1) the main features of farming and phenology; (2) agrometeorological productivity constraints - water availability, temperature, solar radiation, photoperiod and wind; and (3) adverse events - hail and rainstorms, droughts and dry spells, winds and gales, frost, and too much rain and over-prolonged drought. The book was organized by the National Institute of Meteorology and had the collaboration of 105 researchers from 37 Brazilian institutions (federal and state), research centres, institutes and universities.
  • Authors:
    • Ghanbari, A.
    • Daneshiyan, J.
    • Galavi, M.
    • Mousavi, S. M. P.
    • Basirani, N.
    • Jonoobi, P.
  • Source: Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: In order to investigate the effect of animal manure application, in drought stress conditions, on soybean (Glycine max L.) quantitative and qualitative characters, an experiment in the form of split plot and based on randomized complete block design of four replications was conducted at Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, in 2004. Irrigation treatments as the main factor were in three levels of 50 (control), 100 (medium stress) and 150 mm (severe stress) water evaporation from Class A Pan, and manure application as sub plot at four levels of 0, 15, 30 and 45 t/ha. Plants were irrigated at 50 mm evaporation from pan of class A, from V3 germinative stage (trifoliate exposed). Drought stress decreased plant height, number of nodes, internode length, number of branches, number of pods and seed weight per m 2 as well as 1000 seed weight. Animal manure application reduced drought stress effects. The yield decreased with when drought stress intensity increasing. Increase in animal manure application increased seed yield. The highest yield was obtained in control with 2511 kg/h. Water stress reduced grain yield in medium and severe stress treatments by 22% and 39%, respectively. Application of 45t/h of animal manure produced the highest yield of 2244 kg/h. Increase in animal manure application increase caused in number of pods per m 2 and in 1000 seed weight. Seed oil content decreased while protein content increasing, when drought stress intensity increased. Animal manure exerted a significant effect on seed protein content, the lowest seed protein content being obtained at 45 t/ha of manure application.
  • Authors:
    • Suryawanshi, J. S.
    • Bhondave, T. S.
    • Ranshur, N. J.
    • Talathi, M. S.
    • Pinjari, S. S.
  • Source: International Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Present investigation was carried out at Pulses Research Unit, DnPDKV, Akola (M.S.) during kharif and rabi season in wilt sick plot, in which fungi population was observed more in rhizosphere of sunflower, soybean, and groundnut as compared with sorghum, mung and udid. There was a gradual increase in the propagules of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri from sowing to harvesting of chickpea. In correlation study the inoculum range of 10.11 to 14.00 per cent was recorded and there was positive but non-significant correlation between the inoculum available and the wilt incidence in chickpea.
  • Authors:
    • Hou, S. Y.
    • Riley, I. T.
    • Chen, S. L.
  • Source: Cereal Cyst Nematodes: Status, Research and Outlook: Proceedings of the First Workshop of the Cereal Cyst Nematode Initiative, 21-23 October, 2009, CIMMYT, Ankara, Turkey
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae) population densities were determined in spring cereals at harvest in two high-altitude villages in Qinghai, China in order to examine the effect of crop rotations. The two rotational systems sampled were wheat with rapeseed, broad bean and/or potato, and barley with rapeseed and/or oat. The previous season's crop, including fields where two host crops had been grown in succession, did not appear to influence the final nematode density. A high degree of variation in population density appeared to be strongly influenced by the occurrence of hyperparasites, thus masking any possible crop rotation effects. Nevertheless, a third of the fields had final egg densities greater than 10 eggs/g soil, creating a risk of yield loss if an intolerant host was to be grown in the next year. From the findings, it is suggested that future research should focus on developing locally adapted resistant cultivars and examining factors that determine the efficacy of natural biocontrol.
  • Authors:
    • Ciesiolka, C. A. A.
    • Ghadiri, H.
    • Yu, B.
    • Sanjari, G.
    • Rose, C. W.
  • Source: Soil Research
  • Volume: 47
  • Issue: 8
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: The time-controlled rotational grazing (TC grazing) has become popular in Australia and elsewhere in the world to provide graziers and ranchers with improved productivity over traditional practices. However, this grazing system, which involves short periods of intensive grazing, has raised concerns about sustainability and environmental impacts on water and soil resources, and ecosystem health generally. A runoff experiment at the catchment scale was established on the grazing property 'Currajong' in the south-east region of Queensland, Australia, to investigate the effects of continuous and TC grazing on runoff and sediment generation from 2001 to 2006. Sediment loss was reduced significantly under TC grazing compared with continuous grazing irrespective of the size of runoff events. This effect was more pronounced in the catchments with soils of gentler slopes and greater depths. The reduction in soil erosion was achieved despite the fact that the increase in ground cover under TC grazing had little effect on runoff coefficient or runoff depth. Decrease in runoff in relation to the increase in surface cover only occurred for small events, whereas for large rainfall events, runoff generated irrespective of the level of ground cover. This study showed that ground cover is a key driver in reducing sediment concentration, resulting in a significantly lower sediment loss under TC grazing. In the study area a minimum of 70% of surface cover as a threshold appeared to be needed to efficiently protect the soil surface from erosive forces of rain and runoff and to control soil erosion. The results also indicate that TC grazing has a superior capability to produce and maintain a higher level of ground cover (up to 90%) than continuous grazing (up to 65%). The long rest periods in TC grazing are seen as the major contributor to soil and pasture recovery after intensive defoliations by grazing animals, leading to an increase in above-ground organic material and thus surface cover over time.
  • Authors:
    • Pieterse, P. J.
    • Zhou, M.
    • Tagwira, F.
    • Shoko, M. D.
  • Source: World Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: The use of non-destructive devices like Delta-T-Leaf-Area-Meter and Canegro Models can help farmers to manage their cane crops and have an understanding of the importance of measurement of physiological parameters so as to maximize cane and sugar yields. This study was conducted on sandy clay loams of the lithosol group under the Zimbabwe soil classification system at The Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station (ZSAES). The main aim of this study was to establish the most economic rate of N fertilizer when vegetable and grain soybean are used as fallow crops in sugarcane production systems. The following cane parameters were measured: LAI, biomass, N in leaves and sugarcane and sugar yields. Sugarcane variety N14 was used in the experiment. Post vegetable soybean cane topdressed with 80 kg Nha 1 had the greatest LAI at 150 DAE. The highest biomass was realized on sugarcane topdressed with 80 and 120 kg Nha 1. At final tiller stability post vegetable cane top dresses with 80 kg Nha 1 had the most tiller population. N in leaves and cane and sugar yields were also highest on post vegetable soybean cane and topdressed with kg Nha 1. Tiller density or population and biomass production are important crop variables that are used to estimate the final cane stalk population and sucrose yields. So farmers can top-dress their cane with 80 kg Nha 1 when vegetable soybean are used as fallow crops. This will help them save about 40 kg Nha 1.