• Authors:
    • Karmakar, R.
    • Das, S. K.
    • Das, I.
  • Source: SATSA Mukhaptra Annual Technical Issue
  • Volume: 14
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: In India, rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) has contributed and will continue to contribute largely towards food security. Well-planned steps are necessary to make it sustainable and more productive without any adverse effects on the natural resources and the environment. Past studies indicate that sustainability of RWCS in the Indo-Gangetic Plains is at risk mainly due to decline in groundwater levels, soil organic matter content and nutrient availability, increased soil salinization and pest incidence. Practices for sustainable management diversified crop rotations that enhance soil cover and fertility, and accelarated adoption of resource conserving technologies like zero-tillage, bed planting, laser leveling, surface seeding, intercropping of high value crops, furrow irrigated raised bed planting technique, etc., all of which have been briefed in the present paper.
  • Authors:
    • Eskandari, H.
    • Ghanbari, A.
  • Source: Notulae Scientia Biologicae
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: An experiment was conducted in University of London, Kent, UK during the year 2003. The aim of experiment was to investigate the effects of planting pattern on performance of wheat and bean intercrops. A complete randomized block design with four replications was employed to compare the treatments. Treatments included wheat sole crop (W), Bean sole crop (B), within row intercropping (M 1), row intercropping (M 2) and mix cropping (M 3). The density of intercropping was according to replacement design (one wheat replaced by three bean plants). The results showed that total dry matter achieved by intercrops was significantly higher than those achieved by either wheat or bean sole crop. Regarding to weed control, intercrops were more effective than sole crops, especially bean sole crop. Crops performance in terms dry weight, height and percentage of leaf, stem pod and ear was affected by cropping systems depending on crop species, where wheat showed more changes compared to bean. Grain yield, harvest index and thousand grain weights of wheat were decreased in intercropping while bean had reduction only in grain yield.
  • Authors:
    • Eskandari, H.
    • Ghanbari, A.
  • Source: Notulae Scientia Biologicae
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Wheat ( Triticum aestivum) and bean ( Vicia faba L.) sole crops and their mixture in three planting pattern (M 1: alternate-row intercrop, M 2: within-row intercrop, M 3: mixed intercrop) were used to investigate the amount of resource consumption in terms of PAR interception and nutrient uptake. The experiment was carried out as randomized complete block design with four replications. The results showed that intercropping systems had a significant effect on environmental resources consumption, where intercropping systems had more nutrient uptake and light interception compared to sole crops, suggesting the complementarity effect of intercropping components in resources consumption. The ability of wheat and bean was different in intercropping systems in absorbing nutrients because of their differences in root morphology and cation exchange capacity.
  • Authors:
    • Chen, L.
    • Sun, Q.
    • Li, H.
    • Fang, S.
  • Source: Agroforestry Systems
  • Volume: 79
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: The importance of agroforestry systems in CO 2 mitigation has become recognized worldwide in recent years. However, little is known about carbon (C) sequestered in poplar intercropping systems. This study aims compare the effects of three poplar intercropping designs (configuration A: 250 trees ha -1; configuration B: 167 trees ha -1 and configuration C: 94 trees ha -1) and two intercropping systems (wheat-maize cropping system and wheat-soybean cropping system) on biomass production and C stocks in poplar intercropping systems. The experiment was conducted at Suqian Ecological Demonstration Garden of fast-growing poplar plantations in northwestern Jiangsu, China. A significant difference in C concentration was observed among the poplar biomass components investigated ( P≤0.05), with the highest value in stemwood and the lowest in fine roots, ranging from 459.9 to 526.7 g kg -1. There was also a significant difference in C concentration among the different crop components ( P≤0.05), and the highest concentration was observed in the maize ear. Over the 5-year period, the total poplar biomass increased with increasing tree density, ranging from 8.77 to 15.12 tonnes ha -1, while annual biomass production among the crops ranged from 4.69 to 16.58 tonnes ha -1 in the three configurations. Overall, total C stock in the poplar intercropping system was affected by configurations and cropping systems, and configuration A obtained the largest total C stock, reaching 16.7 tonnes C ha -1 for the wheat-soybean cropping system and 18.9 tonnes C ha -1 for the wheat-maize cropping system. Results from this case study suggest that configuration A was a relative optimum poplar intercropping system both for economic benefits and for C sequestration.
  • Authors:
    • Amri, M.
    • Fernandez-Aparicio, M.
    • Kharrat, M.
    • Rubiales, D.
  • Source: Crop Protection
  • Volume: 29
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Mycosphaerella pinodes is a serious pea disease of worldwide distribution. The increasing interest of sustainable tools for disease control, together with the lack of sufficient levels of genetic resistance has brought our interest in the use of intercropping as a tool for management of this disease. Effect of intercropping on M. pinodes severity was studied in field experiments performed in Spain and Tunisia, in which a susceptible pea cultivar was grown as monocrop and as two species mixed intercrop with either faba bean, barley, oat, triticale or wheat. Disease was significantly reduced in terms of both percent of diseased tissue per plant and vertical progress of lesions when pea was intercropped. Faba bean and triticale intercropped with pea showed the highest suppressive ability with above 60% of disease reduction. Oat, barley and wheat showed low to moderate M. pinodes suppressive effects. Suppressive effects can be ascribed to a combined reduction of host biomass, altered microclimate and physical barrier to spore dispersal.
  • Authors:
    • Miao, G.
    • Gao, Z.
    • Guo, C.
  • Source: Acta Agronomica Sinica
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Shading post flowering, caused by cloudy weather and the surrounding protective trees, often occurs in some wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) area in north China. In general, wheat yield is negatively influenced by shading post flowering, but the effect on grain quality is reported discrepantly. This study aimed at disclosing the effects of post-flowering shading on photosynthesis of leaf and yield and quality of grain in wheat, accordingly, giving suggestions to wheat production. Three treatments were designed with shading of 20%, 50%, and 80% for 30 d, respectively. The normal condition was taken as the control. The results showed that shading treatments had significant influences on photosynthetic characteristics of flag leaf. The shading treatments increased the number of sterile spikelet and reduced the grain weight per spike and the 1000-grain weight. As a result, the grain yield of the three shading treatments significantly decreased by 27.6%, 49.0%, and 60.2% compared with the control. In the shading treatments, the contents of the chlorophylls a and b increased, whereas the ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b decreased. Moreover, the net photosynthetic rate, the stomatal conductance, and the transpiration rate were also significantly reduced, but the intercellular CO 2 concentration was promoted. The shading depression on net photosynthetic rate became smaller in the process of grain filling, with the largest effect at early stage of grain filling and the smallest effect at late stage of grain filling stage. The contents of protein, wet gluten, glutenin, gliadin and the ratio of glutenin to gliadin in grains increased significantly with the increase of shading. The shading influence on glutenin was greater than that on gliadin. Although the shading treatments decreased grain yield obviously, it raised some quality parameters, such as extensibility, development time, stability time, and water absorption of dough. The responses of yield and quality of wheat grain to shading were different because of the discrepant synthesis mechanisms of starch and protein under weak light condition. In wheat protective areas, yield is a priority factor and the tree-wheat intercropping mode should be avoided.
  • Authors:
    • O'Donovan, J.
    • Harker, K.
    • Clayton, G.
    • Dosdall, L.
    • Hummel, J.
  • Source: Biological Control
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Several natural enemies regulate populations of root maggots ( Delia spp.) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) in canola ( Brassica napus L.) in western Canada, among them the rove beetles Aleochara bilineata Gyllenhal and Aleochara verna Say (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) and the hymenopteran Trybliographa rapae Westwood (Hymenoptera: Figitidae). Intercrops of canola and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) can be part of an integrated pest management strategy to reduce damage by Delia spp. to canola. We investigated several intercropping regimes of canola and wheat to determine effects on parasitism of Delia radicum (L.) and activity densities of adult A. bilineata and A. verna. Studies were conducted over four site-years in central Alberta, Canada in 2005 and 2006. Mean parasitism rates of D. radicum puparia by A. bilineata ranged from 7.27% to 81.69%. Increasing proportions of wheat in intercrops significantly reduced parasitism by A. bilineata in one site-year. Parasitism of D. radicum by T. rapae was not affected by intercropping; mean parasitism rates were between 2.17% and 14.55%. In one site-year combined parasitism by all parasitoids significantly increased with increasing canola as a proportion of total crop plant populations. Pitfall trap collections of adult A. bilineata increased with increasing proportions of canola in some site-years. Collections of A. verna adults were low relative to A. bilineata and were largely unaffected by intercropping. Although canola-wheat intercrops do not appear to favour parasitism of D. radicum, reductions in canola root damage by Delia larvae in intercrops, reported previously, suggest that canola-wheat intercrops may nevertheless be favourable as a crop protection strategy.
  • Authors:
    • Shiva, D.
    • Ashok, K.
    • Jat, N.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Agronomy
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Meager information is available on the use of Sesbania in conjunction with-crop residue and N-dose in maize-wheat cropping system. Therefore, an attempt was made to substitute the fertilizer N through organic sources in maize-wheat cropping sequence. Hence a field experiment was conducted for 2 year from 2006-2008, on maize ( Zea mays L)-wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol) system to evaluate the influence of four organic sources (control, Sesbania green manure (SGM), wheat straw; and the combination of SGM and wheat straw), and three fertilizer N levels (0, 60 and 120 kg/ha) on maize. The residual effect of above treatments and response of wheat to direct N application (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg/ha) were also assessed. The highest plant height, dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, yield attributes, yield (4.48 and 4.86 t/ha during each year) and N uptake by maize were recorded with the application of SGM in combination with wheat straw closely followed by SGM alone. Maize responded significantly to fertilizer N up to 120 kg/ha (4.63 and 4.96 t/ha grain yield during each year) and the residual effect of that also affected significantly the growth and yields of succeeding wheat. Statistically higher plant height, dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, effective tillers, test weight, yields and N uptake by wheat were recorded under residual fertility of organic sources. Under the influence of residual fertility of N, wheat growth and yield parameters responded significantly up to 120 kg N/ha. Wheat also responded significantly to direct N application with respect to all growth and yield parameters and N uptake by wheat. SGM and SGM+wheat straw treatments resulted in gain of N content. Regarding the effect of N levels, N gain was found with all N levels. It was concluded that conjoin use of organic and inorganic sources of N was essential for higher productivity of maize-wheat cropping sequence.
  • Authors:
    • Khan, A.
    • Khan, Q.
    • Saif-ur-Rehman
    • Sanaullah
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural Research (Lahore)
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: In a field experiment conducted at Agricultural Research Institute, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan during 2004-06 effect of bio-chemical amendments {FYM, gypsum, press mud and dhaincha (green manure)} on phosphate availability and wheat yield was studied under rice-wheat cropping pattern in salt affected soil. The result showed that all treatments significantly (P
  • Authors:
    • Koocheki, A.
    • Rostami, L.
    • Khorramdel, S.
    • Shabahang, J.
  • Source: Proceedings of 3rd Iranian Weed Science Congress, Volume 1: Weed biology and ecophysiology, Babolsar, Iran, 17-18 February 2010
  • Volume: 1
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: In order to investigate the effects of row intercropping wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) with canola ( Brassica napus L.) on weed populations an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during fall growing season in 2009. For this purpose a randomized complete block design with three replications and six treatments was used. The treatments included canola and wheat alone, one row of canola + one row of wheat (1:1), two rows of canola+two rows of wheat (2:2), three rows of canola+three rows of wheat (3:3) and four rows of canola+four rows of wheat (4:4). Weed samplings were done in two stages (early and late of growing season). Then, weeds were counted and measured their dry matter. The results revealed that the highest and lowest amounts of relative frequency were obtained for ryegrass ( Lolium rigidum) and wild spinach ( Chenopodium album) with 2.27-6.82% and 36.36-62.79%, respectively. The maximum and minimum values of weeds dry matter were observed in wheat alone and 4:4, respectively. These findings suggest that intercropping increased diversity and it decreased weed number, density and population.