• Authors:
    • Taylor, J. R. N.
    • Somani, R. B.
  • Source: Alternative uses of sorghum and pearl millet in Asia. Proceedings of an expert meeting, ICRISAT, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India, 1-4 July, 2003; CFC Technical Paper No.34
  • Year: 2004
  • Summary: Adaptation to poor habitats, poor resource base and production and consumption by poorer sections of the society have made sorghum crop an indispensable component of dryland agriculture. It is a drought hardy crop, can withstand waterlogging and thus excels over maize; it is also ecologically sound and environment friendly, demanding little pesticide use for crop management. Notwithstanding the moderate contribution of sorghum to the national food basket, this crop offers enormous advantages such as early maturity, wide adaptation, ease of cultivation and good nutritive value of both grain and fodder. With the green revolution and availability of fine cereals in remote places, proper disposition by value addition and establishing food, feed, beverages, sugars and alcohol industries will not only generate employment potential but also improve the regional economy. Sorghum is a valuable food grain for many of the world's most food insecure people. Much of Africa and India is characterized by semi-arid tropical climatic conditions. Sorghum is undoubtedly and uniquely adapted in the Afro-Asian regions. Sorghum in Africa and Asia is processed into a very wide variety of nutritive food products. Documentation, standardization, popularization and commercial exploitation of traditional products need attention. A large number of accessions are available. Proper selection for the requirements of the end users is necessary. Use of new biotechnological tools such as anti-sense gene technology to incorporate desired traits is now possible. Continuing focused fundamental and applied research is essential to unleash sorghum's capacity to be the cornerstone in food, feed, fuel and fibre sectors in Afro-Asian countries. Sorghum types of both continents are different; in Africa it is 'milo' based whereas in the Indian subcontinent it is 'caudatum' type. More attention on dehulling and debranning of red sorghum and mold resistance in white sorghum is anticipated. The future for sweet sorghum or high energy sorghum is also bright. Combined efforts of research institutions, private seed sector, industry and the government are necessary for its commercial exploitation. So far, there is a concept of developing an agro-based industry. However, we now have to think of industry-based agriculture.
  • Authors:
    • Harrington, L.
    • Jain, M. C.
    • Robertson, G. P.
    • Grace, P. R.
  • Source: Improving the Productivity and Sustainability of Rice-Wheat Systems: Issues and Impacts
  • Volume: ASA Special Publ
  • Year: 2003
  • Summary: Arable lands in the Indo-Gangetic Plains are already intensively cropped with little scope for expansion because of the competing end uses of land for urbanization and industry. Evidence from long-term experiments in the region indicates that cereal yields are declining, which is in stark contrast to the needed increases in production to meet population demands in the future. The intensification of rice-wheat rotations has resulted in a heavy reliance on irrigation, increased fertilizer usage, and crop residue burning, which all have a direct effect on the variable that most affects global climate change - emissions of greenhouse gases. We estimate that the CO 2 equivalent emissions from a high-input conventionally tilled cropping system with residue burning and organic amendments would equal 8 mg C or 29 mg CO 2 per year if applied to 1 million hectares of the Indo-Gangetic Plains. In a no-till, residue-retained system, with 50% of the recommended NPK application, the total emissions would equal 3.7 mg C or 14 mg CO 2 per year, an effective halving of emissions as we move from a high- to low-input system with improved nutrient use and environmental efficiency. The transition to intensified no-tillage systems, with recommended fertilizer levels, can be both productive and environmentally sound in a world that is rapidly becoming aware of the significant effects of global climate change in both the short and long term.
  • Authors:
    • Hegde, M.
    • Kulkarni, K. A.
    • Lingappa, S.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Plant Protection
  • Volume: 31
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2003
  • Summary: A study was conducted during the 1997 and 1998 kharif seasons in Karnataka, India, to evaluate the impact of intercrops on the conservation of Chrysoperla carnea and other natural enemies in the cotton ecosystem. Cotton hybrid (DCH-32) was grown alone (monocrop) or intercropped with cowpea, soyabean, groundnut, sorghum, chilli and lucerne. The average population of C. carnea and spiders were significantly high on cotton intercropped with lucerne, cowpea, and groundnut. The parasitization of bollworm egg and larvae were significantly high on cotton intercropped with sorghum and lucerne. Among the intercrops tested, lucerne conserved overall high natural enemy populations, while the natural enemy populations were least on cotton intercropped with soyabean. Similarly, the pest load was low on cotton grown in intercropping systems except with soyabean. Significantly higher number of good opened bolls (GOB) and seed cotton yield were harvested from cotton intercropped with lucerne. Cotton intercropped with groundnut and cowpea performed equally better and was at par with cotton intercropped with lucerne. However, intercropping with sorghum recorded the least number of GOB and seed cotton yield.
  • Authors:
    • Mundra, M. C.
    • Singh, B. P.
    • Gupta, S. C.
  • Source: Crop Research (Hisar)
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2003
  • Summary: Field experiments were conducted in Haryana, India, on sandy loam soil to investigate the suitability of various cropping systems under irrigated conditions in an semi-arid environment. Thirteen kharif-rabi-summer cropping systems were tested and recommended rates of NPK fertilizers were applied to each crop. Among the cropping systems, pearl millet-potato-tomato, pearl millet-potato-green gram, cotton-wheat and soyabean-wheat-fodder cowpea produced yields of 13 948, 10 374, 8965 and 8316 kg/ha, respectively, on an equivalent basis. The lowest yield (6065 kg/ha) was obtained in the pearl millet-Indian mustard system. The maximum net return of Rs. 42 462/ha, benefit:cost ratio of 2.43, system productivity of 42.26 kg/ha per day, land use efficiency of 90.41% and total energy of 48 521 Cal * 100 calories were obtained from the pearl millet-potato-tomato system. The maximum stability indices of 0.98, 0.96 and 0.79 for kharif, rabi and summer seasons, respectively, were obtained in the pearl millet-mustard and pearl millet-mustard-fodder maize systems. The maximum system index of 0.90 was obtained in the fodder sorghum-wheat system followed by soyabean-wheat-fodder cowpea with 0.83. Pearl millet-potato-greengram showed the maximum risk of Rs. 10 915/ha, while the lowest risk of Rs. 3847/ha was obtained in the pigeon pea-wheat system.
  • Authors:
    • Anand, K. V.
    • Katyal, V.
    • Gangwar, B.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Volume: 73
  • Issue: 9
  • Year: 2003
  • Summary: An experiment was conducted in Akola, Parbhani and Rahuri, Maharashtra, India to evaluate the productivity of various cropping sequences. In Akola (1987-88 to 1997-98) representing Vidharbha zone, the cropping sequence involving upland cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum)-groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) was the most suitable and efficient, resulting in the highest grain-equivalent yield (10 079 kg ha -1 year -1), productivity (43.82 kg day -1 ha -1 wheat grain equivalent), profitability (49 539 rupees ha -1 year -1), economic efficiency (135.7 rupees day -1 ha -1) and land use efficiency (90.0%), and good benefit:cost ratio (16.57) and stability (0.68). However, in terms of energetics, soyabean ( Glycine max)-groundnut sequence was superior. In Central Maharashtra Plateaux Zone, cotton-groundnut sequence was also identified as the most efficient based on an 8-year study at Parbhani (1990-91 to 1997-98). This sequence gave the highest yield (12 060 kg ha -1 year -1 wheat grain equivalent), productivity (50.04 kg day -1 ha -1), profitability (62 053 rupees ha -1 year -1), economic efficiency (170.0 rupees day -1 ha -1) and land use efficiency (85%), with moderate system stability (0.59). In terms of energetics, soyabean-Indian mustard ( Brassica juncea) was superior. At Rahuri, representing western Maharashtra scarcity zone, sole sugarcane recorded the highest net return (93 429 rupees ha -1 year -1), economic efficiency (255.9 rupees ha -1 day -1) and benefit:cost ratio (19.96). Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor)-cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var. capitata)-cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata) was equally profitable for fodder, resulting in a wheat grain yield equivalent of 22 793 kg ha -1 year -1, productivity of 94.2 kg day -1 ha -1, profitability of 81 733 rupees ha -1 year -1, economic efficiency of 223.9 rupees day -1 ha -1, and carbohydrate production of 4.69 g 10 6/ha.
  • Authors:
    • FAO
    • FAO
  • Year: 2002
  • Authors:
    • Ball, A.
    • Pretty, J.
  • Year: 2001
  • Authors:
    • Johnson, D. E.
    • Minami, K.
    • Heinemeyer, O.
    • Freney, J. R.
    • Duxbury, J. M.
    • Mosier, A. R.
  • Source: Climatic Change
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 1998
  • Summary: Agricultural crop and animal production systems are important sources and sinks for atmospheric methane (CH4). The major CH4 sources from this sector are ruminant animals, flooded rice fields, animal waste and biomass burning which total about one third of all global emissions. This paper discusses the factors that influence CH4 production and emission from these sources and the aerobic soil sink for atmospheric CH4 and assesses the magnitude of each source. Potential methods of mitigating CH4 emissions from the major sources could lead to improved crop and animal productivity. The global impact of using the mitigation options suggested could potentially decrease agricultural CH4 emissions by about 30%.
  • Authors:
    • Papendick, R.
    • Parr, J.
  • Source: Annals of Arid Zone
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 1997
  • Summary: Most dryland fanning systems depend an tillage to grow crops. There is overwhelming evidence that repeated tillage is destroying the soil resource base and causing adverse environmental impacts. Tillage degrades the fertility of soils, causes air and water pollution, intensifies drought stress, destroys wildlife habitat, wastes fuel energy, and contributes to global warming. Consequently, most tillage-based systems in a dryland environment are not sustainable in the long-term. Today, dryland farmers are expected to produce food in ever greater quantities. This is becoming more difficult to do in view of declining soil quality, most of which is caused by soil tillage. It is becoming well documented scientifically that continuous no-till is the most effective, and practical approach for restoring and improving soil quality which is vital for sustained food production and a healthy environment. With this way of farming crop, residues or other organic amendments are retained on the soil surface and sowing/fertilizing is done with minimal soil disturbance. Research and farmers' experience indicate that with continuous no-till soil organic matter increases, soil structure improves, soil erosion is controlled, and in time crop yields increase substantially from what they were under tillage management, due to improved water relations and nutrient availability. These changes help to promote a cleaner and healthier environment and a more sustainable agriculture. A major obstacle that farmers often face with change to continuous no-till is overcoming yield-limiting factors during the transition years, that is, the first years of no-till following a history of intensive conventional tillage. These factors are often poorly understood and may be biologically-driven. Some of the problems involve residue management and increased weed and disease infestations. Farmer experience seems to indicate that many problems during the transition are temporary and become less important as the no-till system matures and equilibrates. The judicious use of crop rotations, cover crops and same soil disturbance may help reduce agronomic risks during the transition years. Farmers switching to continuous no-till must often seek new knowledge and develop new skills and techniques in order to achieve success with this new and different way of farming. Answers to their questions are urgently needed to provide strategies far promoting no-till as a way to enhance agricultural sustainability for future generations.