• Authors:
    • Pepo, P.
  • Source: Analele Universităţii din Oradea, Fascicula: Protecţia Mediului
  • Volume: 14
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: In non-irrigated treatment the maximum yields of winter wheat were 5590 kg ha -1 in biculture (maize-wheat) and 7279 kg ha -1 in triculture (peas-wheat-maize) in 2007 year characterized by water-deficit stress. In 2008 (optimum rain amount and distribution) the maximum yields were 7065 kg ha -1 (biculture) and 8112 kg ha -1 (triculture) in non irrigated conditions. The fertilization surpluses of wheat were 2853-3698 kg ha -1 (non-irrigated) and 3164-5505 kg ha -1 (irrigated) in a dry cropyear (2007) and 884-4050 kg ha -1 (non-irrigated) and 524-3990 kg ha -1 (irrigated) in an optimum cropyear (2008). The optimum fertilizer doses varied N 150-200+PK in biculture and N 50-150+PK in triculture depending on cropyear and irrigation. The optimalization of agrotechnical elements provides 7,8-8,5 t ha -1 yields in dry cropyear and 7,1-8,1 t ha -1 yields of wheat in good cropyear, respectively. Our scientific results proved that in water stress cropyear (2007) the maximum yields of maize were 4316 kg ha -1 (monoculture), 7706 kg ha -1 (biculture), 7998 kg ha -1 (triculture) in non irrigated circumstances and 8586 kg ha -1, 10 970 kg ha -1, 10 679 kg ha -1 in irrigated treatment, respectively. In dry cropyear (2007) the yield-surpluses of irrigation were 4270 kg ha -1 (mono), 3264 kg ha -1 (bi), 2681 kg ha -1 (tri), respectively. In optimum water supply cropyear (2008) the maximum yields of maize were 13 729-13 787 (mono), 14 137-14 152 kg ha -1 (bi), 13 987-14 180 kg ha -1 (tri) so there was no crop-rotation effect. We obtained 8,6-11,0 t ha -1 maximum yields of maize in water stress cropyear and 13,7-14,2 t ha -1 in optimum cropyear on chernozem soil with using appropriate agrotechnical elements.
  • Authors:
    • McNeill, A.
    • Sommer, R.
    • Ibrikci, H.
    • Ryan, J.
  • Source: Advances in Agronomy
  • Volume: 104
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: This review examines the varied aspects of N in the soils and cropping systems as reflected by research at The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Syria in collaboration with other countries of the West Asia-North Africa region, especially in Morocco and other countries north and south of the Mediterranean. The synthesis, therefore, reflects a broad overview of conditions that impinge an N nutrition of crops and the evolution of N research achievements since the advent of commercial fertilization over three decades ago. With few exceptions, the soils of the Mediterranean region are low in organic matter and consequently in the reserves of total N, thus posing a limit of growing crops without fertilizer N or biological N fixation (BNF) through legumes. Soil calibration studies established the value of the soil nitrate test as a predictor of crop response with field trials to establish application rates for the main crops. Applicability is influenced by depth of sampling and the extent of mineralization. Dryland crop responses to N varied widely throughout the region from 30 to 150 kg N ha -1, being dependent on soil N status and seasonal rainfall as the major determinant of yields. Splitting the N application was only advantageous in higher rainfall areas. Residual N from BNF by food and forage legumes influenced soil N supply for cereals and relative responses to N fertilizer. The contribution of rhizobia fixation to all the major legumes was quantified using 15N along with management factors that influenced BNF by legumes. Where legumes were newly introduced to a region, rhizobial inoculation was considered necessary. With cereal responses to fertilizer N, differences between varieties were highlighted. Where urea or ammonium-N fertilizers were used, volatilization was the main loss mechanisms rather than leaching or denitrification. Considerable work was done on N use within crop rotation systems and components of the N cycle defined along with inputs from urine and feces from grazing animals. Forage legumes were shown to enhance total soil N and both labile and biomass N, with the least influence from fallow. These N forms were shown to fluctuate during the year as moisture and temperature conditions changed. Fertilizer N use had a positive effect on grain quality with increased protein, as well as soil organic matter (SOM) and thus soil quality. The significant change of the gradual introduction of supplemental irrigation in traditional rainfed cropping areas and its implications for use of models to describe the complex nature of N in dryland cropping systems was described. With the likelihood of a continuation of intensification of the dryland cropping systems in the Mediterranean region, N fertilizer use will inevitably increase and along with it the need for greater use efficiency in the interest of production economics and the environment. While limited use has been made of modeling of N, this approach is likely to be of more significance in integrating the varied facets of N under Mediterranean cropping conditions.
  • Authors:
    • O'Leary, G.
    • Fisher, P.
    • Abuzar, M.
    • Rab, M.
    • Fitzpatrick, J.
    • Armstrong, R.
  • Source: Crop & Pasture Science
  • Volume: 60
  • Issue: 9
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: A major barrier to the adoption of precision agriculture in dryland cropping systems is our current inability to reliably predict spatial patterns of grain yield for future crops for a specific paddock. An experiment was undertaken to develop a better understanding of how edaphic and climatic factors interact to influence the spatial variation in the growth, water use, and grain yield of different crops in a single paddock so as to improve predictions of the likely spatial pattern of grain yields in future crops. Changes in a range of crop and soil properties were monitored over 3 consecutive seasons (barley in 2005 and 2007 and lentils in 2006) in the southern section of a 167-ha paddock in the Mallee region of Victoria, which had been classified into 3 different yield (low, moderate, and high) and seasonal variability (stable and variable) zones using normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and historic yield maps. The different management zones reflected marked differences in a range of soil properties including both texture in the topsoil and potential chemical-physical constraints in the subsoil (SSCs) to root growth and water use. Dry matter production, grain yield, and quality differed significantly between the yield zones but the relative difference between zones was reduced when supplementary irrigation was applied to barley in 2005, suggesting that some other factor, e.g. nitrogen (N), may have become limiting in that year. There was a strong relationship between crop growth and the use of soil water and nitrate across the management zones, with most water use by the crop occurring in the pre-anthesis/flowering period, but the nature of this relationship appeared to vary with year and/or crop type. In 2006, lentil yield was strongly related to crop establishment, which varied with soil texture and differences in plant-available water. In 2007 the presence of soil water following a good break to the season permitted root growth into the subsoil where there was evidence that SSCs may have adversely affected crop growth. Because of potential residual effects of one crop on another, e.g. through differential N supply and use, we conclude that the utility of the NDVI methodology for developing zone management maps could be improved by using historical records and data for a range of crop types rather than pooling data from a range of seasons.
  • Authors:
    • Aghaalikhani, M.
    • Chaichi, M.
    • Daryaei, F.
  • Source: Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: To study the mixing rates effects of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) and chickpea (desi type) ( Cicer ariethinum L.) on forage production under dryland conditions, a field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station of University of Tehran (Karaj campus) during the 2003-2004 growing season. The 11 Treatments of this experiment were statistically compared based on a Randomized Complete Block Design of three replications. Experimental treatments were arranged as a factorial of sowing density levels of chickpea (100%, 75% and 50% of pure stand) and barley (100%, 75% and 50% of pure stand). Also two additional treatments of chickpea and barley sole cropping were established as control. Barley grain (Valfajr cultivar) and chickpea (4322 ecotype) were simultaneously planted on 20th December, green forage being harvested on 10th May (next year). No manure or irrigation was applied in this experiment (dryland system adopted). Forage was harvested taking into account chickpea phenology (early flowering stage). Barley was the dominant plant in all the mixed treatments. Results showed that forage yield of chickpea and barley was significantly affected by mixing rate (P
  • Authors:
    • Gentry, T.
    • Aitkenhead-Peterson, J.
    • Gonzalez-Chavez, M.
    • Zuberer, D.
    • Hons, F.
    • Loeppert, R.
  • Source: Soil & Tillage Research
  • Volume: 106
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Tillage and crop rotation/intensity can influence soil biological properties and relevant soil processes including C sequestration. This study determined the effects of long-term (25 years) no till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) management and cropping sequence [continuous wheat (CW; Triticum aestivum L.) and a rotation of sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), wheat and soybean (RW; Glycine max L. Merr)] on soil microbial community structure and labile and recalcitrant microbial bio-products in central Texas. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles, microbial biomass (MB-C, -N and -P), hot water extractable soil carbohydrates (HWE-SC) and easily extracted- (EE-) and total-glomalin-related soil proteins (T-GRSP) were analyzed. Principal component analysis of the FAME data indicated that crop management modified and selected microbial populations. In general, NT-RW resulted in the greatest richness and biodiversity of the total microbial community, soil organic C, MB-P, HWE-SC, EE- and T-GRSP. No tillage increased labile and more recalcitrant bio-products, soil organic C and total N compared to CT. The soil microbial biomass C:N:P ratio, an indicator of ecosystem nutrient limitation, suggested that the CT-RW treatment may have a soil P limitation, which was not observed in the other treatments. The treatments preferentially selected for different microbial communities, which generated microbial products that significantly influenced soil C and N retention. Our results suggested that NT in conjunction with crop rotation (RW) can be recommended for increased soil C sequestration.
  • Authors:
    • Hosseinpour, T.
    • Vaezi, B.
    • Karimizadeh, R.
    • Mehraban, A.
    • Ghojogh, H.
  • Source: Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 48(B)
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Multi-environment trial data are required to obtain stability performance parameters as selection tools for effective cultivar evaluation. The interrelationship among several stability parameters and their associations with mean yield, along with the repeatability of these parameters in consecutive years was the objective of this study. Barley yield data of 18 cultivars, proprietary of Dryland Agricultural Research Institute, evaluated in 12 locations over 2005-2007 in three locations of Iran was used for the combined analysis of variance in three datasets. I: Across locations in a single evaluation year (dataset A), II: Across locations in each of two single evaluation year (dataset B), III: Across all locations in three years (dataset C). For each dataset, cultivar phenotypic variance and other statistics were appropriately partitioned in its components. The interrelationship among the parameters and their associations with mean yield based on Spearman rank correlation was studied in each of the three single evaluation years (dataset A). Rank correlation coefficients were also used as estimates of the repeatability of these stability parameters across two year combinations (dataset B). The parameters sigma i2 Shukla and W i2 were consistently highly correlated with each other but not with mean yield in all single and pair evaluation years. The parameters b i, S i2 and CV were consistently highly correlated with each other but not with mean yield in all single and pair evaluation years. Result showed that Shukla variance, Wricke ecovalence, SIPC1 and ASV AMMI stability statistics have high repeatability. Thus it is suggested that more stability statistics especially nonparametric methods be used for determination of repeatability methods.
  • Authors:
    • Kumpawat, B.
  • Source: Haryana Journal of Agronomy
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) and winter (rabi) seasons of 2004-05 to 2007-08 on clay loam soils at the Dryland Farming Research Station, Arjia, Bhilwara under alkali water irrigation conditions, to find out effect of soil ameliorates viz., control (fallow), green manuring of dhaincha [ Sesbania aculeata (L.) Pers.], application of gypsum @ 50% gypsum requirement (G. R.) and green manuring alongwith gypsum 50% GR and nitrogen levels viz., 50, 75 and 100% RDN on growth, yield and economics of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.). The study revealed that soil ameliorates improved yield and yield attributes, nutrient uptake, protein content, net return and sustainable yield index (SYI). Green manuring alongwith gypsum 50% GR resulted in the highest grain and straw yield, N and P uptake, crude protein content, net return and sustainable yield index (SYI), wile maximum benefit:cost ratio (3.4) was recorded from green manuring treatment. Increasing dose of nitrogen upto 100% RDN improved significantly yield and yield attributes, crude protein, N and P uptake and recorded highest net return (Rs. 30208/ha), benefit:cost ratio (3.4) and sustainable yield index (0.83).
  • Authors:
    • Patpour, M.
    • Dehghan, M.
    • Pouralibaba, H.
    • Pashapour, H.
    • Abediasl, G.
    • Soleymani, K.
    • Hesami, A.
    • Roohi, E.
    • Azimzadeh, S.
    • Nadermahmoodi, K.
    • Moayed, F.
    • Maleki, Y.
    • Eskandari, I.
    • Salekzanani, A.
  • Source: Seed and Plant
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Line Yesevi-93 (cultivar Abidar) was first introduced to Dryland Agricultural Research Institute (DARI) through the International Winter Preliminary Barley Yield Trials (IWPBYT) in 1994. It was selected as one the most high yielding lines based on observational and statistical trails (Regional Barley Yield Trials) carried out in different locations during 1997-2000. The average yield of Abidar cultivar in advanced trails was 2138 kgha -1 which was 5% and 34% higher than those of Sahand and local check cultivars, respectively. Yield stability analysis of data from grain yield of Abidar and other advanced lines of barley, using different methods, proved its high stability in different locations. It is a cold tolerant, early maturity, facultative type, drought tolerant and resistant to shattering cultivar. Its average height was 57 cm with 1000 kernel weight of 40-50 g. In on-farm yield trails, Abidar cultivar performed most better than the check cultivars. It is resistant to scald and powdery mildew diseases but susceptible to barley stripe. As this disease is seed-borne, it can easily be controlled through seed treatment by appropriate fungicides. Based on the advanced regional barley yield trials carried out in different cold and moderately cold regions of Iran, Abidar can be recommended for cultivation in moderate cold areas of Azarbaijan, Hamedan, Kurdistan, Zanjan, Ardebil, Ilam, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Chaharmahal-e-Bakhtiari, Markazi, Kohgilloyeh and Boyerahmad and Khorasan provinces in dryland conditions.
  • Authors:
    • Elliott, N.
    • Michels, J.
    • Ansley, J.
    • Mirik, M.
  • Source: Southwestern Entomologist
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), is a severe pest of wheat, Triticum aestivum L.; barley, Hordeum vulgare L.; other small grains; and grasses. Although the Russian wheat aphid is a significant pest of small grains, its feeding effects on grain yield and vegetative biomass in large-scale wheat fields have not been well documented. Data were collected for 3 years in dryland and irrigated wheat fields in Texas and Oklahoma. The insect reduced grain yield 50.2 to 82.9% and biomass by 55.4 to 76.5%. These results suggested that winter wheat suffers significant economic loss from Russian wheat aphid.
  • Authors:
    • Torabi, M.
    • Hosni, M.
    • Vaezi, B.
    • Khanzadeh, H.
    • Khalilzadeh, G.
    • Hosseinpour, T.
    • Nourinia, A.
    • Roustaei, M.
    • Mohammadi, M.
    • Patpour, M.
    • Dehghan, M.
  • Source: Seed and Plant Improvement Journal
  • Volume: 25-1
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Some parts of semitropical regions in Khouzestan, Fars, Kohgiloyieh-va-Boyrahmad, Lorestan, Golestan, Ardabil, Kermanshah and Boushehr provinces specified to spring barley cultivation which local or a few improved cultivars are grown there. Barley breeding activities in Dryland Agricultural Research Institute(DARI) are continuously undertaken in Gachsaran, Kouhdasht, Gonbad and Moghan to introduce new cultivars for these regions. Obtained results during 11 years (1993-2003) showed that genotype Wi2291/Wi2269//Er/Apm originated from ICARDA, had good adaptation, yield stability and good agronomic traits in dryland areas with semitropical climate. The average yield of this genotype in all locations was 3.556 tha -1 which was 12 percent more than the yield of Izeh as improved check. Higher thousand kernel weight (more than 10 gram in some locations) is a remarkable trait of this genotype. The new genotype is a spring type barley with an average plant height of 72 cm and resistant to lodging. This genotype was introduced through Agricultural Extension, Education and Research Organization under the name of Mahoor in 2008.