• Authors:
    • Jansirani, R.
  • Source: Journal of Cotton Research and Development
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The study was conducted at Kovilpatti block of Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu with the specific objective of studying extent of adoption of production technologies in Bt cotton by the growers. The area was selected based on the major cultivation of Bt areas and production of Bt cotton under irrigated condition. The selected respondents for this study were 90, who have adopted Bt cotton and non Bt cotton i.e 45 growers in each category by using simple random sampling method. The collected data were analyzed using percentage analysis. All the growers adopted Bt varieties and 95.55 per cent of the growers adopted appropriate time of planting. About 80.00 per cent of the growers adopted spacing. Three fourths (77.77%) of the growers adopted regular plucking intervals during harvest and 75.55 per cent of the growers adopted proper irrigation management followed by pest and diseases management (73.33%). More than fifty (66.66%) of the growers adopted preparation of fields to required tilth and formation of trenches followed by manures and fertilizers (62.22%) and number of split doses (57.77%). Out of ten technologies nine technologies were adopted more than fifty per cent by the growers due to the reasons that private firms have agreed to buy the produce from the farmers offering a minimum support prices. State Department of Agriculture has also introduced contract farming to assure remunerative prices to farmers.
  • Authors:
    • Grant, C.
    • Cai, D.
    • Wu, X.
    • Sun, Y.
    • Feng, Z.
    • Zhang, D.
    • Zhang, X.
    • Zhao, Q.
    • Meng, C.
    • Dai, K.
    • Yang, Y.
    • Wang, X.
    • Jia, S.
  • Source: Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems
  • Volume: 90
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A field micro-plot experiment for winter wheat was conducted in an irrigated winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum)-summer maize ( Zea mays L.) rotation system in Mazhuang, Xinji of Hebei province in the North China Plain, using the 15N isotope method to determine the effects of N application (rates and timing), and irrigation frequency on urea- 15N fate, residual-N and N recovery efficiency (NRE) of wheat. The experiment was conducted under two irrigation treatments (I2 and I3, representing for two and three irrigations, respectively), at three N rates (150, 210, and 270, kg ha -1), divided between two 15N-labeled applications of basal- 15N (90 kg ha -1) and topdress- 15N (60, 120, and 180, kg N ha -1, respectively). The total N uptake by wheat (ranging from 186 to 238 kg ha -1) and the fertilizer-derived N (Ndff, about 34-55%) were measured. The Ndff from labeled basal- 15N and from labeled topdress- 15N were about 15-22% and 16-40%, respectively. The NRE (measured either as recovery in grain or as the total N recovery in the plant) was higher with I3 (39-41 or 47-49%) than with I2 (35-40 or 42-47%), showing maximum NRE in grain of about 40% both at N210 with I2 and at N150 with I3 treatment. The NRE by the first wheat crop (in grain or the total N recovery in plant) was higher with labeled topdress- 15N (39-48 or 45-56%) as compared to that with labeled basal- 15N (30-37 or 36-45%), while the unaccounted N losses were lower with labeled basal- 15N (14-22%) relative to labeled topdress- 15N (14-35%). Higher residual N in soils was found with labeled basal- 15N (41-51%), as compared to labeled topdress- 15N (18-35%). Residual N in the 0- to 150-cm soil depth ranged from 26 to 44% while the unaccounted N losses ranged from 14 to 30%. Recovery of residual N by the 2nd and 3rd crops in the rotation was 5-10% in the maize crop and a further 1.7-3.5% in the subsequent wheat crop. The accumulated N recovery and the unaccounted N losses in continuous wheat-maize-wheat rotations derived from labeled topdress- 15N were 54-64% and 16-37%, respectively while they were 47-53% and 16-28%, respectively from labeled basal- 15N. This study also suggested that an N rate of 210 kg ha -1 (with a ratio of basal-N to topdress-N of 1:1.3) with two irrigation applications could optimize wheat grain yields and NRE, under the water limited conditions in North China Plain.
  • Authors:
    • Castel, J. R.
    • Ballester, C.
    • JimĂ©nez-Bello, M. A.
    • Intrigliolo, D. S.
  • Source: Agricultural Water Management
  • Volume: 98
  • Issue: 10
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Leaf temperature is a physiological trait that can be used for monitoring plant water status. Nowadays, by means of thermography, canopy temperature can be remotely determined. In this sense, it is crucial to automatically process the images. In the present work, a methodology for the automatic analysis of frontal images taken on individual trees was developed. The procedure can be used when cameras take at the same time thermal and visible scenes, so it is not necessary to reference the images. In this way, during the processing in batch, no operator participated. The procedure was developed by means of a non supervised classification of the visible image from which the presence of sky and soil could be detected. In case of existence, a mask was performed for the extraction of intermediate pixels to calculate canopy temperature by means of the thermal image. At the same time, sunlit and shady leaves could be detected and isolated. Thus, the procedure allowed to separately determine canopy temperature either of the more exposed part of the canopy or of the shaded portion. The methodology developed was validated using images taken in several regulated deficit irrigation trials in Persimmon and two citrus cultivars (Clementina de Nules and Navel Lane-Late). Overall, results indicated that similar canopy temperatures were calculated either by means of the automatic process or the manual procedure. The procedure developed allows to drastically reduce the time needed for image analysis also considering that no operator participation was required. This tool will facilitate further investigations in course for assessing the feasibility of thermography for detecting plant water status in woody perennial crops with discontinuous canopies. Preliminary results reported indicate that the type of crop evaluated has an important influence in the results obtained from thermographic imagery. Thus, in Persimmon trees there were good correlations between canopy temperature and plant water status while, in Clementina de Nules and Navel Lane-Late citrus cultivars canopy temperature differences among trees could not be related with tree-to-tree variations in plant water status.
  • Authors:
    • Dalgliesh, N. P.
    • Nelson, R.
    • Khan,I. A.
    • Carberry, P. S.
    • Kabir, M. J.
    • Poulton, P. L.
  • Source: ACIAR Technical Reporst No.78, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, H. Rawson (ed), Canberra, ACT[Research Book Chapter]
  • Issue: 78
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Increased Rabi-season crop production in southern Bangladesh could help meet the country's growing food demand. This paper reports on an assessment of the economic viability of wheat and other Rabi-season crops based on farmer surveys of crop yields and economic performance. In addition, it considers the agroeconomic and socioeconomic factors that influence farmers' choice of Rabi-season crops. Current Rabi-season crops in southern Bangladesh include boro rice and vegetable production on lands with irrigation facilities. A range of other crops are grown, with and without irrigation, including chilli, potato, grasspea, chickpea, mungbean and soybean. Although farmers in some southern regions had grown wheat in the past, wheat is not a significant crop across the region. The recent increased interest in wheat in some villages corresponded to project activities of a development project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and specifically to the availability of newly released varieties with higher yield potential and disease resistance. In those villages where project trials were conducted, irrespective of seasonal conditions, wheat-based rotations provided higher gross margins than the alternative crops of chilli and cowpea. Even in a relatively poor season, wheat offered a significantly higher gross margin and thus lower risk than the other crops. However, the crop establishment costs of wheat are high and wheat requires at least one irrigation when many farmers lack any irrigation facilities. Formal education, off-farm income and farming experience are the socioeconomic factors that displayed significant positive correlation to the surveyed farmers' decision to adopt wheat production. This study confirmed the economic viability of Rabi cropping in southern Bangladesh. While the crops currently grown in the Rabi season are profitable under most seasonal conditions, this study confirmed that wheat offers farmers a profitable and low-risk option.
  • Authors:
    • Arpaia, M. L.
    • Sanden, B.
    • Kallsen, C. E.
  • Source: HortScience
  • Volume: 46
  • Issue: 8
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The objective of this study was to measure effects of late-season water stress on fruit yield, size, quality, and color of an early-maturing navel orange cultivar, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck 'Beck-Earli'. Three irrigation regimes were initiated in August in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Increasing levels of water stress resulted in decreasing midday shaded leaf water potential (SLWP) ranging from -1.4 MPa in early September to a minimum of -2.5 MPa at harvest. Generally, over the course of the 3 years, late-season water stress decreased fruit grade and increased soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), the BrimA index, and orange color. Fruit juiciness and SSC:TA ratios were unaffected by late-season water stress. The intensity of the water stress in 2007 decreased fruit yield by number and weight and decreased the percentage of large fruit. When trees exposed to 2 years of late-season water stress were fully irrigated the next year, fruit yield and quality were similar to trees that had not experienced late-season water stress for the 3 years of the study.
  • Authors:
    • Shimazu, H.
    • Yagyu, H.
    • Numano, N.
    • Kamiya, T.
  • Source: Agricultural Information Research
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: We developed a mobile phone-based field datalogger system for mandarin orange production. The system focuses on collecting data that can be used to determine the watering schedule for cultivation using multi combined with drip irrigation. In the study area at Kumano, in Japan's Mie Prefecture, automated field monitoring was performed using Field Server, a server computer installed in the field and a sensor network to collect weather information. However, indicators such as fruit size, fruit hardness, leaf roll, and soil or tree volumetric water content are still collected by visual inspection, creating a burden for the field workers. The system we developed lets them input measurements of these indicators directly in the field. The data is then stored by Field Server along with data from other users and environmental data measured by Field Server or Japan's AMeDAS system. The results can be visualized as a timeline using a Web-based system, and the users can compare their results with data from other users, and can then consult with experts in their area.
  • Authors:
    • Sharief, A. E.
    • Badawi, M. A.
    • Attia, A. N.
    • Kandil, A. A.
    • Abido, W. A. E.
  • Source: Journal of Applied Sciences Research
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue: March
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt during 2007 and 2008 seasons. The objectives of this investigation is aimed to study the effect of water tension treatments, organic and inorganic fertilizer combinations and their interactions on quality, storability and chemical analysis of potato Spunta cultivar. Each irrigation treatments were conducted in a separate experiment. Every separate experiment laid-out in randomized complete block design with four replicates. Results indicated that highest averages of tuber length and diameter, nitrogen content in foliage and protein content in tubers were recorded with irrigation at irrigation at 26cb (5360.17 m 3 water/ha) i.e. 54.1% from field capacity in both seasons. Application of 60% mineral nitrogen fertilizer (238 Kg N/ha) plus 40% organic chicken manure (158 Kg N/ha) produced the highest averages of tuber length, tuber diameter, nitrogen content in foliage and protein content in tubers in both seasons. Adding 80% mineral nitrogen fertilizer (317 Kg N/ha) plus 20% organic chicken manure (79 Kg N/ha) recorded the highest averages of dry matter content after storage in Newalla & refrigerator. Results indicated that irrigation at 34cb (3449.62 m 3 water/ha) i.e. 45.8% from field capacity and adding 20% mineral nitrogen fertilizer (79 Kg N/ha) plus 80% organic chicken manure (317 Kg N/ha) produced the maximum values of dry matter content. It could be accomplished that irrigation at 26cb (5360.17 m 3 water/ha) i.e. 54.1% from field capacity as well as application of 60% mineral nitrogen fertilizer (238 Kg N/ha) plus 40% organic chicken manure (158 Kg N/ha) maximized averages of tuber length, diameter, nitrogen content in plant foliage and protein content in tubers.
  • Authors:
    • Sharief, A. E.
    • Badawi, M. A.
    • Attia, A. N.
    • Kandil, A. A.
    • Abido, W. A. H.
  • Source: Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue: 9
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Water irrigation and reducing mineral nitrogen fertilizer are critical factors to regional development. The objectives was to study the effect of water tension treatments, mineral of nitrogen and organic fertilizers combinations and their interactions on yield and its components of potato. Each irrigation treatments were conducted in a separate experiment. Every separate experiment laid-out in randomized complete block design with four replicates then combined analysis was done between irrigation treatments. Irrigation at 26cb i.e. 54.1% moisture from field capacity produced maximum values of all studied traits, except unmarketable tuber yield, tuber less than 30 mm and water use efficiency, which resulted from irrigation at 34cb i.e. 45.8% moisture from field capacity. Application of 60% inorganic nitrogen (238 kg/ha)+40% organic chicken manure (158 kg N/ha) resulted in highest values of number of tubers/plant, total tuber yield/ha, marketable tuber yield/ha, tuber grades 30-60 mm (%), tuber grades more than 60 mm (%) and WUE (kg/m 3). The interaction between both studied factors had a significant effect on all studied character, with exception un-marketable tuber yield, tuber grades less than 30 mm and more than 60 mm (%). Highest WUE were obtained as a result of irrigation at 34cb i.e. 45.8% moisture from field capacity and using 100% N inorganic and or 60% inorganic nitrogen (238 kg N/ha)+40% organic chicken manure (158 kg N/ha). It could be concluded that highest averages of WUE was recorded with irrigation at 34cb and application of 100% inorganic fertilization and /or irrigation at 34cb and application of 60% inorganic nitrogen+40% organic chicken manure.
  • Authors:
    • Behzad, M.
    • Naseri, A. A.
    • Karimi, G. H.
    • Meskarbashi, M.
  • Source: RESEARCH ON CROPS
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A lysimeter experiment was conducted to study the shallow groundwater contribution in supplying maize water requirement. Twenty-four lysimeters, each consisting of a 1.2 m deep, 0.8 m diameter polyethylene pipe, were installed. Summer maize was planted in the lysimeters. The depth of groundwater table in the lysimeters was set to 0.6 m using Marriotte bottles. Three groundwater salinity levels (2.5, 5 and 7.5 dS/m) with two irrigation levels (at rates of 0.7 and 1 times of evaporation from pan class A at the before irrigation period) which replenished soil water on a weekly basis were used in the experiment. Factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was established. In an individual treatment, maize was planted with full irrigation and No Ground Water (NGW) as the control treatment, replicated three times. The results indicated that groundwater contribution per cent at full irrigation level for each three salinity treatments (above mentioned) was 5.28, 4.61 and 3.76, and at deficit irrigation level was 25, 22.09 and 19.71, respectively. All differences were significant at the 0.05 Duncan's multiple ranges test. At deficit irrigation level, the grain yield reduction compared to control treatment was 23.57, 28.17 and 30.16% for three salinity treatments, respectively, and the dry matter reduction was also 37.50, 38.96 and 39.20%. At full irrigation level, the grain yield reduction was 19.42, 25.48 and 21.90% and the dry matter reduction was also 28.08, 33.60 and 25.78%. At full irrigation mode, the groundwater contribution decreased when the groundwater salinity increased and may be less evaporation from the soil surface causing less salt rising in the root zone and more relative yield.
  • Authors:
    • Nogueira, J. M. F.
    • Smiti, S.
    • Neffati, M.
    • Khadhri, A.
    • Araujo, M. E. M.
  • Source: Natural Product Research: Formerly Natural Product Letters
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Cymbopogon is an aromatic plant valued for its citrus scent aroma. In this article, the effect of saline irrigation water on yield and quality of Cymbopogon schoenanthus L. was evaluated. Compounds of essential oils were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and/or 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Results showed that the growth of the aerial part was not affected at a concentration of 50 mmol NaCl. Under salt stress, the content of major chemical compounds was affected differently by the treatment level.