- Authors:
- Evans, K.
- Deliopoulos, T.
- Haydock, P. P. J.
- Minnis, S. T.
- Source: Crop Protection
- Volume: 29
- Issue: 10
- Year: 2010
- Summary: The soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) has been used in the UK for the control of potato cyst nematodes (PCN), Globodera pallida (Stone) and Globodera rostochiensis (Wollenweber), but its potential herbicidal activity has not been extensively investigated in this country. Field and glasshouse studies were therefore conducted to evaluate the potential of 1,3-D for the control of weeds in potatoes, and observations were made on the severity of potato stem canker, caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn [teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris (Frank) Donk]. Autumn application of 1,3-D at 211.5 L active substance (as.) ha(-1) significantly suppressed the number of germinating weeds and the percentage of weed ground cover by 83% and 79%, respectively, relative to controls. There were also species-specific significant decreases (field pansy, Viola arvensis, in particular) in the number of weed seeds germinating in field soil in the glasshouse post-1,3-D treatment. The effect of 1,3-D declined in time and single (autumn or spring) or combined application produced a slight, but not significant, reduction in the number of weeds germinated on potato ridges relative to those recorded in untreated soil. The severity of stem canker on potato plants was not significantly reduced by 1,3-D but both mean number and weight of stems per plant were significantly increased compared with plants from untreated plots. These studies demonstrated that 1,3-D, in addition to giving PCN control, has efficacy against weeds; implications are the potential for reduced herbicide input in the crop rotation with accompanying economic and environmental benefits. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Authors:
- Huang, W.
- Xiao, L.
- Wang, H.
- Pan, G.
- Zheng, Y.
- Source: Guizhou Agricultural Sciences
- Issue: 1
- Year: 2009
- Summary: The intercropping and interplanting between maize and potato were studied in Guizhou, China, to investigate the application rates and cultivation measures for balance high yield in the dry land with middle and lower yield. The maximum profit of the dry land with middle and lower yield in Nayong county with middle and high elevation was 1336.55 yuan/667 m 2 under the application ratio of 1:0.53:0.83 of N:P 2O:K 2O, and the comprehensive utilization rate of N, P 2O and K 2O was 33.52, 17.51 and 44.71%. The maximum profit of the dry land with middle and lower yield in Weining county with high elevation was 1349.09 yuan/667 m 2 under the application ratio of 1:0.69:1.10 of N:P 2O:K 2O, and the comprehensive utilization rate of N, P 2O and K 2O was 29.68, 10.58 and 26.80%, respectively.
- Authors:
- Santos, V. P.
- Antedomenico, S. R.
- Borges, D. C.
- Inomoto, M. M.
- Source: Tropical Plant Pathology
- Volume: 34
- Issue: 1
- Year: 2009
- Summary: The black oat ( Avena strigosa), the white oat ( A. sativa) and the Algerian oat ( A. byzantina) have been widely used as cover crops under succession with soybean, cotton, bean, potato and carrot, which are crops highly damaged by Meloidogyne incognita. The management of M. incognita may have as a component the use of oat genotypes that reduce the nematode population density. Three greenhouse experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the host suitability of five genotypes of black oat ('CPAO 0010', 'Common', 'Embrapa 29', 'Embrapa 140' and 'IPFA 99006'), one of white oat ('UFRGS 17') and one of Algerian oat ('Sao Carlos') to three isolates of M. incognita race 4 (BA, SP and MT). The black oats increased the population density of the nematode. The oats 'UFRGS 17' and 'Sao Carlos' reduced or caused a small increase in the population of M. incognita race 4, and neither differentiated from Crotalaria spectabilis. Therefore, the white oat 'UFRGS 17' and the Algerian oat 'Sao Carlos' should be used in preference to black oats as cover crops in areas infested with M. incognita race 4.
- Authors:
- Zhu, C.
- He, K.
- Pan, M.
- Mao, G.
- Pan, G.
- Zheng, Y.
- Source: Guizhou Agricultural Sciences
- Issue: 1
- Year: 2009
- Summary: This study investigated the effects of different intercropping and interplanting patterns of green manure on soil fertility in Guizhou, China. The results showed that maize yield in improved soil fertility areas under 1:1 application ratio between organic and inorganic fertilizer averagely increased by 23.05% (102.5 kg/667m 2) compared with the conventional application pattern. The yields of the potato-green manure-maize pattern, rape-green manure-maize pattern and wheat-green manure-maize pattern increased by 51.2-66.0 kg/667m 2, 146.1 kg/667 m 2 and 146.7 kg/667 m 2, respectively compared with the conventional application pattern. The soil organic matter, total nitrogen, alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen, active P and active K content in improved soil fertility areas averagely increased by 0.23%, 0.033%, 23.23 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg and 17.75 mg/kg respectively and the soil fertility was increased to varying degrees. The high maize yield depends on its strong and high plants and better economic characters.
- Authors:
- Grau, R.
- Baptista, S.
- Birkenholtz, T.
- Lambin, E. F.
- Ickowitz, A.
- Hecht, S.
- Geoghegan, J.
- Lawrence, D.
- DeFries, R. S.
- Turner, B. L.
- Uriarte ,M.
- Schneider ,L.
- Rudel, T. K.
- Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Volume: 106
- Issue: 49
- Year: 2009
- Summary: Does the intensification of agriculture reduce cultivated areas and, in so doing, spare some lands by concentrating production on other lands? Such sparing is important for many reasons, among them the enhanced abilities of released lands to sequester carbon and provide other environmental services. Difficulties measuring the extent of spared land make it impossible to investigate fully the hypothesized causal chain from agricultural intensification to declines in cultivated areas and then to increases in spared land. We analyze the historical circumstances in which rising yields have been accompanied by declines in cultivated areas, thereby leading to land-sparing. We use national-level United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization data on trends in cropland from 1970-2005, with particular emphasis on the 1990-2005 period, for 10 major crop types. Cropland has increased more slowly than population during this period, but paired increases in yields and declines in cropland occurred infrequently, both globally and nationally. Agricultural intensification was not generally accompanied by decline or stasis in cropland area at a national scale during this time period, except in countries with grain imports and conservation set-aside programs. Future projections of cropland abandonment and ensuing environmental services cannot be assumed without explicit policy intervention.
- Authors:
- Reider, C.
- Seidel, R.
- Ulsh, C. Z.
- Lotter, D.
- Hepperly, P.
- Source: Compost Science & Utilization
- Volume: 17
- Issue: 2
- Year: 2009
- Authors:
- Source: Agricultural Journal
- Volume: 4
- Issue: 3
- Year: 2009
- Summary: This research was carried out during two growing seasons of 2006/2007-2007/2008 in order to determine the effect of intercropping of zea maize ( Miert cultivar) with potato ( Marfona cultivar) on potato growth and on the productivity and Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) of potato and maize. The results of this research showed that intercropping of maize with potato in the case of equal plant densities (4.76 plant m -2) of both crops caused an increase in the mean length of potato stems, which reached 27.45 cm. Moreover, intercropping of maize of 2.38 plant m -2 led into the increase of the mean weight of potato shoots (fresh and dry) to 227 and 21.28 g plant -1 for fresh and dry weight, respectively, besides the increase of the mean weight of potato tubers, which reached 101 g tuber -1. Results also, showed that the number of potato stems and formed tubers were not affected by intercropping of maize with potato. As for productivity, results indicated that the total productivity of each unit area using intercropping system was higher than the productivity of the sole crop, with superiority of treatments with 2.38 plant m -2 of maize and 4.76 plant m -2 of potato where mean yield of 44 ton ha -1, while, the productivity in the other treatments were 36 and 37.8 ton ha -1. LER showed positive influence using the intercropping system compared to the sole cropping, as it shown in the LER values, which were higher (1.43-1.55) in intercropping compared to (1) in the sole cropping.
- Authors:
- Meera, P.
- Pandey, A.
- Amarnath, S.
- Source: Environment and Ecology
- Volume: 27
- Issue: 3A
- Year: 2009
- Summary: A field experiment was conducted during three consecutive years of 2000-01 to 2002-03 to study the nutrient management on yield, quality and fertility status in tobacco based intercropping system in North Bihar. Results revealed that significantly highest cured and first grade leaf yield of tobacco was obtained in tobacco+garlic than other intercropping systems. Highest net and gross return and cost: benefit ratio were realized in tobacco+garlic followed by tobacco+rajmash and tobacco+potato intercropping systems. Application of 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) produced significantly highest cured and first grade leaf yield of tobacco as compared to rest of the fertility levels. Application of 100% RDF registered more gross and net returns and cost: benefit ratio. The physical parameters of maturity score was recorded more in tobacco+garlic intercropping and application of 100% RDF. Physical and chemical compositions of soil after harvest of tobacco was restored more in 100% RDF along with tobacco+garlic intercropping.
- Authors:
- Source: Journal of Bamboo and Rattan
- Volume: 8
- Issue: 1/2
- Year: 2009
- Summary: The feasibility of cultivation of winter vegetables under bamboo was assessed on the basis of their growth and yield. Recently Dendrocalamus asper, an edible and exotic bamboo species has been introduced in India. In the present study four-years-old plantation of D. asper raised through tissue culture was intercropped with potato ( Solanum tuberosum), tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum) and pea ( Pisum sativum). Vegetable crops showed variable performance under bamboo as compared to control. Among three winter vegetable crops, pea was found most compatible with D. asper.
