- Authors:
- Mozny, M.
- Zalud, Z.
- Dubrovsky, M.
- Semeradova, D.
- Trnka, M.
- Hlavinka, P.
- Source: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
- Volume: 149
- Issue: 3-4
- Year: 2009
- Summary: The relationship between seasonal agricultural drought and detrended yields (within a period from 1961 to 2000) of selected crops was assessed in the conditions of the Czech Republic, which are to some extent representative of a wider area of Central Europe. Impact of water stress was analyzed using time series of yields for 8 crops (spring barley, winter wheat, grain maize, potato, winter rape, oats, winter rye and hay from permanent meadows) for 77 districts in the Czech Republic (average district area is 1025 km(2)). Relative version of Palmer's Z-index (rZ-index or rZ-i) was used as a tool for quantification of agricultural drought. The monthly values of the rZ-index for each individual district were calculated as the spatial average (only for the grids of arable land). The study showed that severe droughts (e.g., in 1981 and 2000) are linked with significant reduction in yields of the main cereals and majority of other crops through the most drought prone regions. We found a statistically significant correlation (p
- Authors:
- Source: Soil & Tillage Research
- Volume: 104
- Issue: 1
- Year: 2009
- Summary: This proceedings contains 9 papers providing information on the potential of conservation tillage in a wide-range of geographical, climatological and socioeconomical situations. Results from studies in China, Australia, Iran and Ethiopia are presented. Topics covered include: sustainable tillage methods for irrigated wheat production in different regions of Iran; conservation tillage models for small-scale farming; functional relationships between soil water infiltration and wheeling and rainfall energy; controlled traffic farming in restoring soil structure; short-term effects of tillage and manure on some soil physical properties and maize root growth in a sandy loam soil in western Iran; the impact of 14 years of conventional and no-till cultivation on the physical properties and crop yields of a loam soil at Grafton NSW, Australia; conservation tillage implements and systems for smallholder farmers in semi-arid Ethiopia; controlled traffic farming with no tillage for improved fallow water storage and crop yield on the Chinese Loess Plateau; the effect of alternative tillage and residue cover on yield and water use efficiency in annual double cropping system in North China Plain.
- Authors:
- Celep, H.
- Tosun, S.
- Tiryaki, I.
- Idikut, L.
- Source: African Journal of Biotechnology
- Volume: 8
- Issue: 19
- Year: 2009
- Summary: A 2-year field study was conducted to evaluate effects of nitrogen (0, 12.5, 25 kg/da N) rates and previous crops on 2 hybrid corn cv Maverik and Bora varieties planted as second crop following either chickpea or wheat during 2004 and 2005. Split-split plot experimental design was used with 4 replications. Tasseling period, ear silk period, first ear height, plant height, stem diameter, ear length, 1000 seed weight, seed weight of each ear and seed yield parameters were evaluated. Results indicated that effects of previous crops for ear silk period, 1000 seed weight, seed weight of each ear and seed yield of corn varieties were highly significant during both years, while first ear height and ear length were significantly different during 2004, only. The N rates significantly affected tasseling period, ear silk period, first ear height, plant height and seed yield during both years. Effect of N rates was also significant for stem diameter and ear length during 2004 while 1000 seed weight was significant during 2005, only. There were significant differences between 2 corn varieties for tasseling period, ear silk period, first ear height, ear length, seed weight of each ear during both years whereas 1000 seed weight and seed yield showed significant differences during 2004 and stem diameter showed a significant difference during 2005, only. There was a previous crop x N rate interaction for seed yield during both years while significant previous crop x N rate interactions were determined for 1000 seed weight and seed weight of each ear in 2005. This study suggested that N rates and corn cultivars might result significant differences on tasseling period, ear silk period, first ear height, ear length and seed weight of each ear. The results also indicated that species of previous crops significantly affect corn seed yield and yield parameters and winter legumes such as chickpea might help to maximize corn yield in a crop rotation system.
- Authors:
- Kumar, S.
- Thakral, S. K.
- Kadian, V. S.
- Source: Haryana Journal of Agronomy
- Volume: 25
- Issue: 1/2
- Year: 2009
- Summary: A field experiment was carried out from 2003-04 to 2005-06 at Agronomy Research Area of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar to find out the profitable crop rotation in south-west Haryana. In the rotation the different kharif season crops i. e. cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merrill], mungbean [ Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek], pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) Emend. Stuntz] and sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] were grown with rotation in rabi season crops i. e. wheat [ Triticum aestivum (L.) Emend. Fiori & Paol.], barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) and raya ( Brassica juncea L.). Based on the mean of three-year rotation, cotton-based rotation registered maximum land use efficiency, whereas it was lowest in sorghum-based rotations. Among the different crop rotations, cotton-barley and soybean-wheat were found profitable based on the net returns and B:C ratio. Pearl millet-based crop rotations were found remunerative as compared to other kharif season crops.
- Authors:
- Jajoo, S. B.
- Kamble, P. O.
- Shinde, K. J.
- Source: Green Farming
- Volume: 13
- Issue: 1 (Special 1)
- Year: 2009
- Summary: A study was conducted to suggest optimal resources allocation for crop plan to net benefit maximization using linear programming model for Akola district in Maharashtra state. Resources management plan was developed with allocation of land and water for different crop activities to maximize the net return taking into account land capability classification, availability of water in different season, crop water requirements, food requirement and affinity towards the crops of the peoples in district. In existing crop plan during kharif season major area is under cotton (43.45%) followed by jowar (17%) whereas in proposed optimal crop plan without capital constraints major area was allocated under soybean (30%), cotton+tur (20%) of the total cultivable area of the district. In rabi major area in existing is under gram (5.2%) whereas in proposed plan area is allocated to wheat (20%), gram (20%). In existing summer area is 0.18% and annual was nil whereas in proposed plan is 3% and 4.13% respectively. In existing gross investment and net return per hectare was 10341 and 5203 Rs/ha whereas in proposed plan is 14864 and 8833 Rs/ha. In proposed plan net return per hectare increases by Rs. 3630.
- Authors:
- Source: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
- Volume: 33
- Issue: 5
- Year: 2009
- Summary: Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) crop residue can negatively affect the growth and development of no-till corn ( Zea mays L.). The objective of this study was to determine whether nitrogen management practices including legume cover crops and manure applications used in conjunction with a pre-sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) could be used to overcome the observed wheat residue antagonism of no-till corn growth and development. A PSNT nitrogen strategy was effective in maintaining no-till corn grain yield in wheat residue systems equivalent to no-till corn grain yield in no-wheat residue systems in 4 of 6 site years. Similar results were obtained for PSNT plus clover cover crop and PSNT plus manure plus clover cover crop nitrogen management systems. Utilization of a PSNT with manure application equalized no-till corn grain yield in high wheat residue treatments with no-till corn grain yield in treatments without wheat residue in all site years. This can be a recommended practice in the Michigan eco-region.
- Authors:
- Takle, S. R.
- Kunte, A. P.
- Bhise, V. B.
- Source: Resource-use efficiency in irrigated Indian agriculture 2009
- Year: 2009
- Summary: The present study was conducted on irrigated farms to study the resource use efficiency and returns to scale in the command area of Penganga irrigation project. A sample of 310 farmers was scientifically chosen out of which 94 were from head-reach, 100 from middle reach and 116 belonged the tail reach location of the command area and the study was conducted during the agricultural year 2004-05. The study was confined to three foodgrains, i.e. green gram, kharif Jowar and Wheat, and four cash crops, viz., cotton, sugarcane, banana and soyabean. A Cobb-Douglas production function was fitted to estimate the resource-use efficiency and returns to scale in the crop production in irrigated Indian agriculture. The study observed that some of the resources have been either under-utilised or over-utilised; hence to increase the agricultural production all the resources should be used efficiently. Along with the efficient use of all the resources, new technology should also be adopted for increasing productivity. The ratio of marginal value product to factor cost for some resources (human labour, bullock labour, fertilisers and seeds) was found to be more than one, indicating the operation of increasing factors returns. In general for cash crops, the study suggests to increase the use of resources viz. bullock labour, working capital, seeds and irrigation so as to increase the production of the cultivated cash crops.
- Authors:
- Kushwaha, S. S.
- Gajja, B. L.
- Source: Current Agriculture
- Volume: 33
- Issue: 1/2
- Year: 2009
- Summary: An attempt has been made to document the change in the cropping pattern in Rajasthan, India. The study was based on the secondary data from 1980-81 to 2006-07. There was no major change in the cropping pattern, but in some crops such as rape, mustard and soyabean a shift was recorded. The increase in irrigation facilities in the state had observed increase in irrigated crops such as cotton, groundnut in some parts, wheat, soyabean, rape and mustard while some crops had witnessed the reduction in area. This indicated some minor change in the cropping pattern. However, the cropping pattern was mainly influenced by physical, economic, technological and institutional factors such as capital and market location and price of the crop at harvest time had definite temporal changes. The crop diversification had been witnessed in favour of oilseed crops.
- Authors:
- Németh, T.
- Kismányoky, A.
- Lehoczkya, É.
- Source: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
- Volume: 40
- Issue: 1/6
- Year: 2009
- Summary: The study was carried out in 2006 in Keszthely, on the soil tillage portion of a long-term experiment. In this experiment, a combination of three cultivation methods [no-till drill, disk tillage, conventional tillage (plowed)] and five nitrogen (N) rates (N 0: 0, N 1: 120, N 2:180, N 3: 240, and N 4: 300 kg N ha -1) were assessed. The trial was arranged in a split-plot design with four replications, and it was carried out during the first occurrence of maize in winter wheat-winter wheat-maize-maize rotation. Maize was sown on 10 May 2006; the weed survey was carried out using Balazs-Ujvarosi coenological method on 5 June 2006, after which weed control was implemented. Maize biomass of plants at the three to four leaf stage was determined at the same time. Sixteen weed species were identified in the no-till treatment, and 14 each in the in the conventional and the disk tillage treatments. Cultivation systems had a profound effect on the weediness of maize, with the lowest weediness occurring in the conventional tillage treatment. There was a strong interaction between N application and weed biomass that favored increased yield of maize over all cultivation treatments at higher N rates. The N content of weeds decreased as follows: conventional tillage < disc tillage < no-till.
- Authors:
- Rizzo, I.
- Sarandón, S. J.
- Sisterna, M. N.
- Lori, G. A.
- Chidichimo, H.
- Source: Crop Protection
- Volume: 28
- Issue: 6
- Year: 2009
- Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a destructive disease of the world's wheat-growing areas. In Argentina, the area under reduced tillage has increased due to soil erosion that threatened productivity. The effect of conventional and no tillage systems on FHB combined with other agronomic practices such as nitrogen fertilization, and the influence of the environmental conditions was analysed under natural infection on different cultivars. Wheat trials were conducted in three consecutive years; maize was the previous crop in the first and wheat the previous crop in the subsequent two years of the study. The experimental design was a split plot, with tillage treatments (conventional tillage and no-till) as the main plots. Fertilizer treatments were applied as a range of urea concentrations. Fusarium head blight was observed in all three experimental years. Differences of disease expression among trials were associated with the environmental factors prevailing during the experiments. In the first year, with moderate weather conditions, the only interactions for FHB incidence were between no-till and urea split doses. Seedling emergence, seed health, thousand kernel weight and deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration did not differ suggesting that the fertilizers and genotypes did not affect disease susceptibility. Climatic conditions prevailing in the second year were more conducive to disease development and severe FHB infection was observed. Tillage and fertilization treatments did not affect the variables analysed. Only cultivars showed significant differences and DON values were high. In the third year, unfavourable conditions for disease development resulted in low disease levels and no effect or interaction among variables was observed. The results obtained would suggest that favourable weather conditions are likely to be more important than tillage practice and fertilizer treatments. Since soil conservation practices have been widely adopted in most areas of Argentina, an integrated used of all the available strategies should be considered to decrease FHB damage.
