• Authors:
    • Tomasiewicz, D. J.
    • Mohr, R. M.
  • Source: Canadian Journal of Plant Science
  • Volume: 92
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Potassium is frequently applied to irrigated potato in Manitoba. Field experiments were conducted at two sites in each of 2006, 2007 and 2008 to assess effects of rate and timing of potassium chloride (KCl) application on the yield, quality, and nutrient status of irrigated potato ( Solanum tuberosum 'Russet Burbank') in southern Manitoba. Preplant application of KCl increased total and marketable yield at one site, and tended (0.05
  • Authors:
    • Boguszewska-Mankowska, D.
    • Pietraszko, M.
  • Source: BIULETYN INSTYTUTU HODOWLI I AKLIMATYZACJI ROŚLIN
  • Issue: 263
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: We present here the results of the field experiments set up on microplots in 2008 at Jadwisin Division of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute. The aim of this study was to assess impact of irrigation on symptomatic and latent ring rot infection of potato progeny tubers. Seed potatoes were inoculated with bacterial suspension of two different concentrations of Cms cells: 10 6 cfu/ml and 10 8 cfu/ml. The most progeny tubers with symptoms of ring rot (1.96%) were found in non-irrigated combination. The share of samples with Cms cells detected using IF test for non-irrigated objects was 76.5%, while for irrigated objects was 89.2%. The latent infection was most intensive in progeny tubers derived from irrigated objects when seed tubers were inoculated with bacterial suspension of concentrations Cms of 10 8 cfu/ml. Irrigation had no significant effect on the degree of progeny tubers infection with ring rot symptoms. The significantly higher degree of progeny tubers infection was determined for samples in which potato seed tubers were inoculated with bacterial suspension of concentration Cms of 10 8 cfu/ml.
  • Authors:
    • Ghahderijani, M.
    • Pishgar-Komleh, S. H.
    • Sefeedpari, P.
  • Source: Journal of Cleaner Production
  • Volume: 33
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The aim of this research was to examine the energy consumption and CO 2 emission of potato production in three different farm size sin Esfahan province of Iran. For this purpose, data were collected from 300 farmers by a face to face questionnaire. The results revealed total energy consumption and GHG emission of 47 GJ ha -1 and 992.88 kg CO 2eq ha -1, respectively. The most significant energy consumer was chemical fertilizers (49%), especially nitrogen (40%) and followed by seed with share of 24%. The energy use efficiency, specific energy and energy productivity were determined to be 1.71, 2.12 MJ kg -1 and 0.47 kg MJ -1. The different cultivated area levels analysis revealed that, large farms used the least amount of energy input significantly. It was found that the contribution of indirect energy was higher than that of direct energy and also the proportion of non-renewable energy was more than renewable resources. The results of econometric model estimation revealed that the impact of seed, water for irrigation, diesel fuel and chemical fertilizer energy inputs were significantly positive on potato yield. The sensitivity analysis illustrated that the marginal physical productivity (MPP) value of chemical fertilizer, diesel fuel and seed energy were -1.78 and -1.63 and 1.54, respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Nicolae, I.
    • Dima, M.
    • Diaconu, A.
    • Ploae, M.
  • Source: Cercetări Agronomice în Moldova
  • Volume: 45
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Less favorable conditions on sandy soils in southern Oltenia (Romania) limited number of species and varieties grown in the area. Drought and high temperatures in recent years have acted as forces dehydrated plants, disturbing their metabolism. Very high air temperature, relative humidity decreased to 25%, high surface temperature and lack of rainfall during the growing season, producing an imbalance of fluid balance in plante. Excessive foliar transpiration level can dehydrate plants, close osteoles and diminuted gas exchange in the process of photosynthesis. Irrigation plants can remove the stress factor action in the area, maintaining a positive fluid balance, that evaporated water is replaced by water traspiration administered by irrigation. On the sandy soils plant photosynthesis shows a depression at noon when the action is the maximum stress factors. Research early require selection of species with short growing season, to avoid atmospheric and soil drought in July and August. Potatoes meet these requirements, and research in the present study we aimed directing agrotechnical factors (variety, irrigation, fertilization) in order to obtain high yields and efficient, in economic terms.
  • Authors:
    • Sukanta, P.
    • Aparajita, M.
    • Rajib, K.
  • Source: Potato Journal
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A field experiment was undertaken to evaluate the varietal tolerance and accumulation of arsenic by different potato cultivars at village Nonaghata in Nadia district of West Bengal during winter season of 2008-09 and 2009-10. Arsenic content in the irrigation water was 0.094 to 0.108 mg/l. Arsenic accumulation of different plant parts was in the following sequence: root > stem > leaf > tuber, irrespective of all cultivars. After harvesting, the least arsenic loading was observed in cultivar Kufri Jyoti (0.05 mg/kg) which also showed the highest productivity (32.32 t/ha). Cultivar Kufri Chandramukhi and locally grown variety Lal alu accumulated a lesser amount of arsenic and had also a higher yield compared with the other entries.
  • Authors:
    • Hussein, M. S.
    • Elsebai, M. N.
    • Rihan, M. K.
  • Source: Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Egypt depends on the Nile River as a major source of water, it provides about 76.3% of its water requirements, other water sources provides about 23.7% of total water requirements. Agriculture sector is the main consumer of water in Egypt as it consumed about 85.9% of the total actual consumption of water in 2009. The main problem of the present paper is the decrease in the efficiency of water use in Egyptian agriculture. The objective of paper is to assess the efficiency of water use in agriculture in the old and new land Egypt through the use of partial efficiency measures. Results showed that in average of the cost of irrigation per feddan during the period (1998-2009), that was for winter crops in the old lands as follows: 85.3, 105.8, 119.3, 127.3 pounds/feddan for faba bean, sugar beet, alfalfa sustained, wheat at a cost of irrigation per feddan of which respectively. For summer crops in old land cost was about 114.7, 129.5, 139.8, 156.2, 217.8, 606.1 pounds/feddan at a cost of, sesame, soybean, peanut, corn, rice, sugar cane, respectively. For the winter crops in the new lands irrigation cost per feddan was about L.E 99.3, 169.0 for garlic and onion respectively. Summer crops in the new lands irrigation costs for watermelon, cucumber, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes were as follows: L.E 92.4, 133, 138.7, 139.8, 157.7, 194.3 pounds/feddan respectively. The results of the statistical analysis of partial-efficiency measures showed that, according to the criterion of net revenue from the water unit - winter crops on the old land as follows: alfalfa, wheat, faba bean, and sugar beet. As for the summer crops of old land the results showed of the statistical estimate of the partial-efficiency measures that peanuts, corn, sesame, sugar cane, rice, soybeans respectively. In the new lands the results of statistical analysis for the partial-efficiency measures, according to the standard net return of the water unit for winter crops were garlic followed by the first crop of onions. As for the summer crops, the results of statistical analysis of partial-efficiency measures, according to the standard net return of the water unit came summer crops in the new lands, were as follows: potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, eggplant, pepper. The results in general indicated the necessaries of reconsidering the present structure of cropping pattern to increase the efficiency of irrigation water use.
  • Authors:
    • Rodriguez-Delfin, A.
  • Source: Acta Horticulturae
  • Issue: 947
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Hydroponics has been used during years for research in the field of plant mineral nutrition and related topics. Today the soilless culture method is the most intensive horticulture production and is being applied with success in developed countries for commercial purposes. The growing and future of hydroponics in Latin America will much depend of the developing and adaptation of less sophisticated commercial systems. These have to be cost competitive with respect to the high sophisticated technology generated and used in developed countries, using natural and local substrates, developing native or endemic crops of the Region with economical potential for its high feed or medicinal value, among others. Meanwhile, as there is a considerable decreasing of agricultural soils in the world, soilless culture would be an important production alternative in urban and peri-urban areas, mainly in undeveloped countries. Inside the context of urban agriculture, hydroponics could be applied in the cities with more simple and low cost of technologies, mainly in extreme poverty areas, as a way to spread vegetables for self-consumption and to support the family or community income. Also to create micro-companies that will generate employments. There are no official statistics on the evolution of the state of the hydroponic cultures in Latin America. The main hydroponic systems used are the drip irrigation and NFT system. According with their profits, the main hydroponic crops are lettuce, tomato, pepper and strawberry. In Andean countries like Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador, aeroponics is being developing to obtain basic potato tuber seed, free of virus. In relation to the media used in soilless culture, there is no ideal or optimum substrate, because a great diversity in media could be used, as pure or as mix form. Among the inorganic substrates it is possible to use quarry, river and quartz sand, gravel, pumice and tezontle. Husk rice, coco fiber, peat moss and sawdust are used as organic media. The use of rock wool is not generalized in the Region, but in countries like Mexico and Chile it is mainly used in tomato crop with drip irrigation system. Brazil and Mexico are the more representative hydroponic countries in Latin America. The area of soilless culture is increasing in the Region and every day there is much interest to learn and to dominate this technique of plants production without using soil. A great number of international courses, seminaries, congresses and symposia organized in countries like Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica and Chile demonstrate this affirmation. Finally, it is necessary to obtain a hydroponic certification, as well as the organic products, to support the hydroponic growers in our countries.
  • Authors:
    • Hekmat, M.
    • Sahebi, F. G.
    • Pourkhiz, E.
  • Source: International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development (IJAMAD)
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: To evaluate the effect of water, tape drip and furrow irrigation methods on the performance components and features of Agria cultivar potato, an experiment was carried out in the agriculture faculty of Kermanshah. Repeated three times, this study was carried out in the form of full random blocks with the main factor of different amounts of irrigation water in three levels (50, 75, and100 percent of cumulative evaporation from an A-class evaporation pan) and the secondary factor of irrigation method (including drip and furrow irrigations). At 3 repetitions, results showed that the minimum performance (19.168 tons per hectare) was related to the drip irrigation method with 50 percent evaporation from the A-class pan and the maximum one (34.455 tons per hectare) was related to the drip irrigation method with 100 percent evaporation from the A-class pan. The rate of irrigation and effectiveness of method on the number of the main stem per square meter and number of the main stem in the bush were not significant. The minimum percent (number of tubers) of tubers smaller than 35 mm (26.47 percent) and the maximum tuber production (37.17 percent) in the size of food and market-friendly (tuber bigger than 55 mm) were attained by drip irrigation method with 100 percent evaporation from the A-class pan. The impact of Irrigation method on and the specific gravity of tubers and starch (dry matter) was and was not significant, respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Kumari, S.
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This study critically assessed the influence of frequent availability of water i. e. drip irrigation and mulch on optimum leaf area development of potato that control light interception and soil moisture conservation. Crop growth was stimulated in terms of early pick up of leaf areas that quickly covered the ground and improved transpiration efficiency. Drip irrigation increased water use efficiency three times as compared with furrow irrigation (conventional method of irrigation). Black Polyethylene mulch (25 m) conserved soil moisture, raised soil temperature by 9degreesC, stimulated shoot, solon and root growth, increased the total tuber number and yield but reduced the grade of tubers. Drip irrigation may prove a viable tool for source-sink alteration; stimulating early stolon initiation combined with ability to quick ground cover and sustained leaf growth for new tuber initiation for seed production as well as extended tuber bulking of early formed tubers for obtaining maximum yield with 50% saving of irrigation water and efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer.
  • Authors:
    • Lillo, C.
    • Eggen, T.
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
  • Volume: 60
  • Issue: 28
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Residues of pharmaceuticals present in wastewater and sewage sludge are of concern due to their transfer to aquatic and terrestrial food chains and possible adverse effects on nontargeted organisms. In the present work, uptake and translocation of metformin, an antidiabetic II medicine, by edible plant species cultivated in agricultural soil have been investigated in greenhouse experiment. Metformin demonstrated a high uptake and translocation to oily seeds of rape ( Brassica napus cv. Sheik and Brassica rapa cv. Valo); expressed as an average bioconcentration factor (BCF, plant concentration over initial concentration in soil, both in dry weight), BCF values as high as 21.72 were measured. In comparison, BCFs for grains of the cereals wheat, barley, and oat were in the range of 0.29-1.35. Uptake and translocation to fruits and vegetables of tomato (BCFs 0.02-0.06), squash (BCFs 0.12-0.18), and bean (BCF 0.88) were also low compared to rape. BCFs for carrot, potato, and leaf forage B. napus cv. Sola were similar (BCF 1-4). Guanylurea, a known degradation product of metformin by microorganisms in activated sludge, was found in barley grains, bean pods, potato peel, and small potatoes. The mechanisms for transport of metformin and guanidine in plants are still unknown, whereas organic cation transporters (OCTs) in mammals are known to actively transport such compounds and may guide the way for further understanding of mechanisms also in plants.