• Authors:
    • Burr, C.
    • Thorburn, J.
    • Irmak, S.
    • Yang, H. S.
    • Grassini, P.
    • Cassman, K. G.
  • Source: Field Crops Research
  • Volume: 120
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Appropriate benchmarks for water productivity (WP), defined here as the amount of grain yield produced per unit of water supply, are needed to help identify and diagnose inefficiencies in crop production and water management in irrigated systems. Such analysis is lacking for maize in the Western U.S. Corn Belt where irrigated production represents 58% of total maize output. The objective of this paper was to quantify WP and identify opportunities to increase it in irrigated maize systems of central Nebraska. In the present study, a benchmark for maize WP was (i) developed from relationships between simulated yield and seasonal water supply (stored soil water and sowing-to-maturity rainfall plus irrigation) documented in a previous study; (ii) validated against actual data from crops grown with good management over a wide range of environments and water supply regimes ( n=123); and (iii) used to evaluate WP of farmer's fields in central Nebraska using a 3-y database (2005-2007) that included field-specific values for yield and applied irrigation ( n=777). The database was also used to quantify applied irrigation, irrigation water-use efficiency (IWUE; amount of yield produced per unit of applied irrigation), and the impact of agronomic practices on both parameters. Opportunities to improve irrigation management were evaluated using a maize simulation model in combination with actual weather records and detailed data on soil properties and crop management collected from a subset of fields ( n=123). The linear function derived from the relationship between simulated grain yield and seasonal water supply, namely the mean WP function (slope=19.3 kg ha -1 mm -1; x-intercept=100 mm), proved to be a robust benchmark for maize WP when compared with actual yield and water supply data. Average farmer's WP in central Nebraska was ~73% of the WP derived from the slope of the mean WP function. A substantial number of fields (55% of total) had water supply in excess of that required to achieve yield potential (900 mm). Pivot irrigation (instead of surface irrigation) and conservation tillage in fields under soybean-maize rotation had the greatest IWUE and yield. Applied irrigation was 41 and 20% less under pivot and conservation tillage than under surface irrigation and conventional tillage, respectively. Simulation analysis showed that up to 32% of the annual water volume allocated to irrigated maize in the region could be saved with little yield penalty, by switching current surface systems to pivot, improving irrigation schedules to be more synchronous with crop water requirements and, as a fine-tune option, adopting limited irrigation.
  • Authors:
    • Gupta, U. S.
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: This volume looks at the use of crops for a myriad of purposes, including the prevention and/or mitigation of various diseases, vaccine and antigen production, biofuel production, and the the suppression of weeds. It explores new emnphasis on medicinal properties of crops and examines the use of genetic engineering in crop production. The crops discussed include: rice, wheat, barley, oat, rye, maize, sorghum, potato, sweet potato, cassava, Phaseolus beans, Vigna sp., broad bean, chickpea, tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bitter gourd, pumpkin, spinach, onion, soyabean, groundnut, oilseed Brassica, sunflower, sugarcane, cotton, and tobacco.
  • Authors:
    • Akmal, M.
    • Hassan, M. F.
    • Habib, G.
    • Ghufranullah
    • Ahmad, S.
  • Source: Pakistan Journal of Botany
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The experiment was conducted to compare Pigeon pea (PP) and Sesbania gentia (SG) legumes as catch crop in a permanent cereal based (Wheat-maize) rotation. The residual effect of legumes with or without added fertilizer (N) was studies on subsequent maize crop grown as fodder. The study aimed to evaluate catch crop response as manure or fodder on the following maize. The results showed that SG was higher in crude protein (p
  • Authors:
    • Jalli, M.
    • Huusela-Veistola, E.
    • Hannukkala, A. O.
    • Hakala, K.
    • Peltonen-Sainio, P.
  • Source: Agricultural and Food Science
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A longer growing season and higher accumulated effective temperature sum (ETS) will improve crop production potential in Finland. The production potential of new or at present underutilised crops (e. g. maize (Zea mays L.), oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)) will improve and it will be possible to grow more productive varieties of the currently grown crops (spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oats (Avena sativa L.)). Also cultivation of autumn sown crops could increase if winters become milder and shorter, promoting overwintering success. Climatic conditions may on the other hand become restrictive in many ways. For example, early season droughts could intensify because of higher temperatures and consequent higher evaporation rates. Current low winter temperatures and short growing season help restrict the development and spread of pests and pathogens, but this could change in the future. Longer growing seasons, warmer autumns and milder winters may initiate new problems with higher occurrences of weeds, pests and pathogens, including new types of viruses and virus vectors. Anoxia of overwintering crops caused by ice encasement, and physical damage caused by freezing and melting of water over the fields may also increase. In this study we identify the most likely changes in crop species and varieties in Finland and the pest and pathogen species that are most likely to create production problems as a result of climate change during this century.
  • Authors:
    • Butts, C. L.
    • Sorensen, R. B.
    • Nuti, R. C.
  • Source: The Journal of Cotton Science
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Long-term cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield with various irrigation rates and crop rotations, irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI) is not known for the US Southeast. A SSDI system was installed in Southwest GA (1998) and maintained for 10 years. The soil is a Tifton loamy sand (Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults) and treatments consisted of three crop rotations, two drip tube lateral spacings, and three irrigation levels. Crop rotations were alternate year cotton (cotton-peanut; Arachis hypogeae L), two years (cotton-maize ( Zea mays L.) -peanut), and three years between cotton (cotton-maize-maize-peanut). Drip tube laterals were installed underneath each crop row and alternate crop row furrows. Cotton was not grown in 1999 and 2006. Crops were irrigated daily at 100, 75 and 50% of estimated crop water use. No lint yield difference resulted from crop rotation. Lint yield differences were attributed to irrigation treatments in 4 of 8 years. Lint yields were greatest at the 75% irrigation level compared to 50%, and in 3 out of 4 years compared to the 100% irrigation treatment. Higher lint yield with irrigation also coincided with lower seasonal rainfall totals. Drip tube lateral spacing affected lint yield 4 out of 8 years. Across all years, yield data indicates that alternate row furrow lateral spacing is as effective as every-row lateral spacing. Some fiber qualities were affected by irrigation, lateral, and rotation treatments, but these effects were small and inconsistent. Subsurface drip irrigation in the Southeast is optimal at the 75% irrigation level with tubing in alternate row furrows.
  • Authors:
    • Wang, H. L.
    • Niu, J. Y.
    • Lv, X. D.
    • Wang, R. Y.
  • Source: Acta Prataculturae Sinica
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The crop water requirement is one of the most important factors in farmland water circulation system, study the effects of climate warming on water requirement of major crops in irrigated oasis in Hexi corridor when 1-4degreesC temperature rise in the future scenarios. The results show that climate change will have great impact on water requirement of cotton and corn, followed by spring wheat, when the temperature rises 1-4degreesC during the growth period, cotton, water requirement of cotton will increase by 2.17%-12.66%, equivalent to 15.00-83.00 mm; corn will increase by 1.90%-11.49%, equivalent to 14.60-82.50 mm; wheat will be increase by 1.80%-10.03%, equivalent to 9.70-50.70 mm. There are certain regional differences which the impact of climate change on crop water requirements. When the temperature increases 1degreesC, the crop water requirement of Wuwei in arid regions slightly larger than Dunhuang in extreme arid region; When increases 2degreesC, the demand almost equivalent. Dunhuang is greater than the Wuwei if increased 3 and 4degreesC. According to the current planting planning in Hexi Oasis, the given temperature scenario will cause an additional water requirement of 0.11, 0.21, 0.37, 0.62 million m 3 for cotton, 0.16, 0.33, 0.56, 0.93 million m 3 for corn; and 0.14, 0.26, 0.45, 0.71 million m 3 for spring wheat. The total irrigation water increase 0.41, 0.80, 1.38, 2.25 billion m 3. Climate warming will make the situation of water shortage more severe.
  • Authors:
    • Costa Crusciol, C. A.
    • Calonego, J. C.
    • Amaral Castro, G. S.
  • Source: Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira
  • Volume: 46
  • Issue: 12
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation systems and liming materials on soil physical properties. The experiment was carried out from October 2006 to July 2008, in Botucatu, SP, Brazil, in a completely randomized block design in a split-plot arrangement with eight replicates. Main plots consisted of four crop rotation systems: soybean/fallow/maize/fallow, soybean/white-oat/maize/bean, soybean/millet/maize/pigeon pea and soybean/signal grass/maize/signal grass. Subplots consisted of the control treatment, without soil correction, and of the application of 3.8 Mg ha(-1) of dolomitic lime (ECC = 90%) or 4.1 Mg ha(-1) of calcium-magnesium silicate (ECC = 80%), on the surface of a clayed Rhodic Ferralsol. Aggregate stability, soil bulk density, total porosity, macro and microporosity, soil penetration resistance and moisture content were evaluated. Superficial application of the lime materials does not reduce soil aggregation and increases macroporosity down to 0.20 m, with calcium-magnesium silicate application, and to 0.10 m, when lime is applied. Soil under fallow in off-season decreases aggregate stability and increases soil penetration resistance in upper layers. The cultivation of Congo signal grass, between summer crops, increases aggregate stability down to 0.10-m depth.
  • Authors:
    • Akram, M.
    • Sahota, A. W.
    • Anjum, M. A.
    • Ali, I.
  • Source: Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences (JAPS)
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A total of 100 samples, 50 each of layer starter and broiler starter feeds manufactured by 10 different commercial feed mills were collected to assess contamination of aflatoxin B 2 and Ochratoxin A in poultry feeds and feed ingredients in Punjab. 440 samples of different poultry feed ingredients including cereal grains and animal and vegetable protein sources were also collected from all over Punjab and were analyzed for Ochratoxin A (OA) content. The mean concentration of aflatoxin B 2 in layer and broiler starter rations was observed to range from 10.80 (2.16) to 39.20 (3.67) g Kg 1. Out of 100 feed samples tested, 40 contained higher than the maximum tolerance level of 20 gKg -1 aflatoxin B 2. Out of the 440, 19.32 percent (n=85) were contaminated with OA. The occurrence of OA was found to be higher in maize (40%), sun flower (30%), wheat (28%), corn gluten (25%) and barley (24%). OA detected in rice, sorghum, peanut meal, soybean meal, guar meal, corn gluten and rice polish was found to be 20 percent. The findings further showed that maize had maximum mean OA concentration of 112.20 (22.69) gKg -1, followed by 59.43 (22.32) gKg -1 in wheat, 50.33 (13.79) gKg -1 in sunflower meal, 49.20 (10.23) gKg -1 in peanut meal and 39.14 (15.06) gKg -1 in rice polishing. Corn gluten meal, sorghum, barley, cotton seed meal and rapeseed meal contained mean OA concentration ranging from 30 to 36 gKg -1. The OA content ranging from 10 to16.67 gKg -1 was detected in samples of wheat bran, fish meal, blood meal and meat meal. The aflatoxin B 2 and OA contamination of poultry feeds and feed ingredients having deleterious effects seems to pose a serious threat for local poultry farming sector which calls for regular testing and surveillance of poultry feeds and adoption of necessary remedial measures.
  • Authors:
    • Lima, N. R. C. de B.
    • Mendonca, F. C.
    • Santos, P. M.
    • Araujo, L. C. de
  • Source: Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The objective of this work was to evaluate the development and productive traits of palisadegrass single cultivated or intercropped with corn, in addition to corn intercropped with pasture, under water deficit at different development stages of the plants. It was used a complete block experimental design with split plots and three replicates. Periods of water deficit were placed in the plots and types of cultivation were placed in the subplots. Irrigation was stopped at germination and initial tillering of palisadegrass and at V4 and V15 stages of corn and returned when soil moisture was 40% of available water capacity. Tiller density and palisadegrass height were evaluated weekly. Dry matter (DM) of fractions of herbage mass as well as leaf area of the plants were evaluated at corn tasseling and when grains reached physiological maturity. Components of corn production were determined in the second sampling. In palisadegrass, water influenced only tillering, which was reduced in the plots in which water defict was forced at the moment of germination or at the beginning of tilering, in both cultivation systems. Plant height and DM production were affected only by cultivation, reducing when intercropped with corn. Evaluated production components did not influence corn grain productivity, which was similar in all treatments (average of 10,145 kg/ha). Palisadegrass plants produce more DM in single cultivation than intercropped with corn. Water deficit during germination and initial tillering reduces tillering of palisadegrass during establishment phase. Water deficit, applied in this trial, does not reduce DM yield in palisadegrass or corn.
  • Authors:
    • Bandici, G. E.
    • Ardelean, I.
  • Source: Analele Universităţii din Oradea, Fascicula ProtecÅ£ia Mediului
  • Volume: 17
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The paper based on the research carried out during 2008-2010 in the long term trial placed in 1990 on the preluvosoil from Oradea. Three kind of crop rotation (wheat - monocrop; wheat - maize; wheat - maize - soybean) were studied in unirrigated and irrigated conditions. The smallest content of the protein from wheat grains were registered in the wheat monocrop both nonirrigated and irrigated variant. In the wheat-maize and wheat-maize-soybean crop rotation the values registered were significant statistically bigger than in wheat monocrop. Irrigation determined the decrease of the protein content.