• Authors:
    • Ebert, W.
    • Olson, R.
    • Demchik, M.
  • Source: Agroforestry: A Profitable Land Use. Proceedings of the 12th North American Agroforestry Conference, Athens, Georgia, USA, 4-9 June 2011
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: In fall of 2006, a 2-acre hayfield on a tree farm in central Wisconsin was laid out into 10-foot wide terraces/swales along contour lines. The beds were strip sprayed with glyphosate and a two-bottom plow was used to create swales. A total of 2400 linear feet of planting bed were created. Each terrace was planted to 2-3 rows of plants, with trees on 20-ft spacing and shrubs interplanted at 5-8 foot spacing. This will create a multi-layer canopy with crops from each layer. Over 40 species/varieties were planted on the site in the spring of 2007 (240 trees, 480 shrubs, and 250 perennials). The entire site was electrically fenced. Plants were mulched with either wood chips or fabric mulch and treatments of drip-irrigation or no irrigation were applied to the plants. After three growing seasons, no difference was found between treatments. The swales and mulching was adequate to ensure survival and growth without the need of supplemental irrigation. Growth and fruiting of individual species as well as other observations will be discussed in this presentation.
  • Authors:
    • Tarkalson, D. D.
    • Shapiro, C. A.
    • Hergert, G. W.
    • Ferguson, R. B.
    • Wortmann, C. S.
    • Dobermann, A.
    • Walters, D. T.
  • Source: Agronomy Journal
  • Volume: 103
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Nitrogen management recommendations may change as yield levels and efficiency of crop production increase. The mean yield with nutrients applied in 32 irrigated corn ( Zea mays L.) trials conducted across Nebraska from 2002 to 2004 to evaluate crop response to split-applied N was 14.8 Mg ha -1 The mean economically optimal nitrogen rates (EONR) for irrigated corn varied with the fertilizer N/grain price ratio. At a fertilizer N/corn price ratio of 7 the EONR was 171, 122, and 93 kg ha -1, respectively, for cropping systems with corn following corn (CC), soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (CS), and drybean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (CD). At this price ratio the present University of Nebraska (UNL) recommendation procedure gave mean N recommendations that were 17.2 and 68.1 kg ha -1 higher than the mean EONR determined in this study for CC and CD, respectively, but essentially equal to mean EONR for CS. The UNL algorithm, adjusted for mean cropping system EONR gave more accurate prediction of site-year EONR than alternative N rate predictions for CC and CD with returns to applied nitrogen (RTN) of -$22 and -$13 ha -1 compared with measured site-year EONR. Prediction of site-year EONR using mean EONR adjusted for soil organic matter was more accurate for CS than other methods with an RTN of -$6 ha -1 compared with measured site-year EONR. Further research is needed to extend the results to: lower yield situations, alternatives to split application of N, and adjustment of EONR to protect against inadequate N in atypical seasons or for environmental protection.
  • Authors:
    • Muthukrishnan, P.
    • Fanish, S. A.
  • Source: Madras Agricultural Journal
  • Volume: 98
  • Issue: 10/12
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Field experiments were conducted at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during kharif 2008 and 2009 to study the effect of different fertigation levels and intercrops in intensive maize based intercropping system. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design with three replications. The experiment comprised of nine fertigation levels in main plot, viz M 1, Surface irrigation with soil application of 100% RDF; M 2, Drip irrigation with soil application of 100% RDF; M 3, Drip fertigation of 75% RDF; M 4, Drip fertigation of 100% RDF; M 5, Drip fertigation of 125% RDF; M 6, Drip fertigation of 150% RDF; M 7, Drip fertigation of 50% RDF (50% P and K as Water Soluble Fertilizer (WSF)); M8, Drip fertigation of 75% RDF (50% P and K as WSF); M 9, Drip fertigation of 100% RDF (50% P and K as WSF) and four intercrops in sub plot viz, S 1, Vegetable coriander; S 2, Radish; S 3, Beet root; S 4, Onion. Drip fertigation at 100 per cent RDF with 50 per cent P and K as WSF in maize+radish intercropping system recorded a higher gross income of Rs. 83438/ha whereas, higher net return and benefit cost ratio of Rs. 56858 and 3.24, respectively, were recorded by drip fertigation at 150 per cent RDF with radish as intercrop system.
  • Authors:
    • Manoharan, S.
    • Muthukrishnan, P.
    • Fanish, S. A.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Agricultural Research
  • Volume: 45
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Field experiments were conducted during kharif 2008-2009 at Tamil Nadu agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the effect of drip fertigation on growth, yield and economics of intensive maize based intercropping system. Drip fertigated maize with 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) with 50 per cent P and K as water soluble fertilizer recorded significantly higher grain yield followed by 150 per cent RDF. Among the different intercropping systems, radish intercropped with maize registered higher maize grain equivalent yield of 11153 kg ha -1. Drip irrigation saved water upto 43 per cent, besides enhancing the water use efficiency. Higher net returns (Rs. 56858) and B:C ratio (3.24) were obtained under dripfertigation with 150 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer and radish as intercrop.
  • Authors:
    • Muthukrishnan, P.
    • Fanish, S. A.
    • Sekar, S. P.
  • Source: Crop Research (Hisar)
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue: 1/2/3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Field experiments were conducted during kharif 2008 and 2009 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the effect of drip fertigation on growth, yield and economics in intensive maize based intercropping system. During kharif 2008, drip fertigated maize at 150% RDF recorded significantly higher grain yield of 7338 kg/ha. Whereas during kharif 2009, higher grain yield of 7464 kg/ha was recorded under drip fertigation of 100% RDF with 50% P and K as water soluble fertilizer (WSF). Among the different intercropping systems, radish intercropped with maize registered a higher maize grain equivalent yield (MEY) of 11153 kg/ha. Drip irrigation helped to save the water upto 43% compared to surface irrigation besides enhancing the water use efficiency. A higher net return (Rs. 56858) and B:C ratio (3.24) were obtained under drip fertigation of 150% RDF+radish as intercrop combination.
  • Authors:
    • Bueno, O. de C.
    • Frigo, E. P.
    • Frigo, M. S.
    • Esperancini, M. S. T.
    • Klar, A. E.
  • Source: Energia na Agricultura
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The knowledge production and energy expenditure in agriculture is crucial due to strategic importance which occupies as a producer of energy inputs to other economic sectors, such as biodiesel produced from oilseed crops, so this study was attempt to determine the energy cost of partial deployment and conduct of corn intercropping agroecosystem with physic nut, under the steering and without irrigation, in an experiment conducted in accordance with the productive system of family farming in the west of Parana State. Such a study is justified due to the scarcity of energy data of the culture of physic nut under brazilian conditions, as well as in intercropping system under technological conditions of the family farm west of Parana, and especially environmental issues involved in this study as the rational use of energy sources nonrenewable. The experiment was conducted in accordance with the techniques employed by family farmers in western Parana, from February 2008 to May 2008 for corn and from February 2008 to November 2009 for the cultivation of physic nut in the Experimental Center of Agricultural Engineering (NEEA), belonging to the State University of Western Parana (UNIOESTE), campus of Cascavel/PR, in the area of tillage. The final product was assessed only corn. The technical coefficients, the workload, performance, identification of the tractor, implements and equipment, their specifications and their consumption of fuel, lubricants and greases, as well as quantification of manpower used were derived from primary data and secondary. The methodology consisted of determining the "Efficiency Cultural Partial" and "Energy Efficiency Partial". Regarding the energy balance in part, cultural and energy efficiency partial there were no major differences between the systems studied. We conclude that the conditions of the experiment the conduction system assessed in terms of energy both systems have the same performance.
  • Authors:
    • Gabriel, J. L.
    • Quemada, M.
  • Source: European Journal of Agronomy
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Cover crops in dry regions have been often limited by low nutrient and water-use efficiency. This study was conducted during 3.5 years to determine the effect of replacing bare fallow by a cover crop on yield, N uptake, and fate of labeled fertiliser in an intensive maize production system. Three treatments were studied: barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), vetch ( Vicia villosa L.) and bare fallow during the intercropping period of maize ( Zea mays L.). All treatments were irrigated and fertilised following the same procedure, and a microplot in each plot was established with 210 kg N ha -1 of double labeled ammonium nitrate. Crop yield and N uptake, soil mineral N (N min), and recovery of 15N in plant and soil were determined after maize harvest and killing the cover crop. Replacing bare fallow with cover crops did not affect subsequent maize yield but affected N uptake. Vetch increased N supply by legume residues after the second year, and the N content in grain by the third. Nitrogen recover from fertiliser was not affected by treatment and averaged 46%. Barley recovered more 15N during the autumn-winter period than vetch or fallow. Under representative conditions, average barley N content was 47, vetch 51, and spontaneous vegetation content 0.8 kg N ha -1. Recovery of 15N in barley comprised 19% of total N content in aerial biomass, while only 4% in vetch. Vetch enhanced soil 15N recovery more than other treatments, suggesting its presence in a fairly stable organic fraction unavailable for maize uptake or lost. Replacing bare fallow by a cover crop only reduced fertiliser losses in a year with abundant precipitation. Nevertheless, reduction in soil N min in vetch and bare fallow treatments was similar, showing that N losses can be reduced in this cropping system, either by replace bare fallow with barley or smaller N fertiliser application to maize.
  • Authors:
    • Lawn, . J.
    • Gaynor, L. G.
    • James, A. T.
  • Source: Crop and Pasture Science
  • Volume: 62
  • Issue: 12
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Serial sowing date studies were used to examine the response of a diverse range of soybean genotypes to sowing date in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA). The aim was to explore the scope to improve the flexibility for rotating irrigated summer soybean crops with winter cereals by broadening the range of potential sowing dates. Serial sowings of diverse genotypes were made in small plots at intervals of ~7 days (2006-07) or 10 days (2007-08) from late November to late January (2006-07) or mid-February (2007-08) and the dates of flowering and maturity recorded. Simple linear models relating rate of development towards flowering to photo-thermal variables indicated that large differences in time to flowering between genotypes, sowing dates, and years could be explained in terms of differences in genotype sensitivity to mean photoperiod and/or mean daily temperature between sowing and flowering. In general, warmer temperatures hastened and longer days delayed flowering, consistent with quantitative short-day photoperiodic response. The earliest flowering genotypes were insensitive to the prevailing photoperiods, and their smaller variations in time to flower over sowing dates and years were related to temperature. Conversely, later flowering genotypes were progressively more sensitive to photoperiod, with flowering occurring later and being more responsive to sowing date. In both seasons, late maturing genotype * sowing date combinations suffered cold temperature damage and frosting. For those genotype * sowing date combinations that were physiologically mature before the first frost, crop duration was a linear function ( r2=0.86**) of time to flowering. In 2007-08, measurements were also made at maturity of total standing dry matter (TDM), seed yield, and seed size. For those genotype * sowing date combinations that matured before the first frost, TDM was largely a linear function ( r2=0.83**) of crop duration, while seed yield was strongly related ( r2=0.86**) to TDM. Exposure to cold temperatures before physiological maturity reduced seed size and harvest index. Using the generalised relations developed in these studies, it was concluded that commercial yields may be possible for irrigated soybean crops in the MIA sown in December or possibly later. These options are evaluated in greater detail in the companion paper, using large-scale agronomic trials of a subset of adapted genotypes.
  • Authors:
    • Perri, E.
    • Ayadi, M.
    • Benincasa, C.
    • Gharsallaoui, M.
    • Khlif, M.
    • Gabsi, S.
  • Source: Scientia Horticulturae
  • Volume: 128
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Nowadays, lots of efforts are made in Tunisia for the exploitation of wastewater in agriculture in order to face a very elevated mobilization of resources in water (90%). At Sfax, a Governorate placed in the South of Tunisia, the annual rainfall rarely exceeds 200 mm, so the climate is fairly arid. The significant water deficit can be reduced with the reuse of treated wastewater (TWW). The Sfax wastewater originated from the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) localized at 5 km in the south of Sfax, Tunisia. This WWTP is an aerated lagoon process receiving industrial wastewaters. Its treatment capacity is 24,000 m 3/day. Part of TWW is sent to the olive crops of El Hajeb, as part of a proposed wastewater use in agriculture. Already the wastewater is used to irrigate olive trees and intercrops such as cotton, oats and sorghum silage (Charfi et al., 1999). The aim of the present work was to determine the impact of the irrigation utilizing wastewater on the quality of the oil. The oils analysed were extracted from olives hand-picked directly from the tree and from olives that have fallen under the trees. Moreover, a study on the olive storage has been made in order to evaluate in which way the collection of the fruit could influence the quality of the oil. The results obtained showed that: - Olive trees benefit from this contribution of water; - irrigation by wastewater has a significant effect in the fatty acid composition; - oils relative to olive trees irrigated with wastewaters are more sensible to the oxidization especially after olive storage; - oils coming from olive trees irrigated with wastewaters are richer in polyphenols; - oils extracted from fallen olives are of poor quality essentially after olives storage and when olive trees are irrigated by wastewater.
  • Authors:
    • Gill, B. S.
    • Singh, D.
    • Singh, G.
    • Salaria, A.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Arecanut Spices and Medicinal Plants
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: This paper briefly discusses the agronomic requirements of onion-mint (Mentha arvensis, M. piperita, M. spicata and M. citrata [M. piperita var. citrata]) intercropping systems in India (mainly in semi-temperate regions of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar). Optimum cultivation conditions in terms of climate and soil type, field preparation, sowing rate and seed treatment, planting date and method, fertilizer application, irrigation, weed control (cultural and chemical methods) and harvesting are presented.