Field Bean Research Articles

Co-benefits from tree planting in a typical English agricultural landscape: Comparing the relative effectiveness of hedgerows, agroforestry and woodland creation for improving crop pollination services

Land use policy in England is encouraging tree planting on farms to meet decarbonisation targets. This could be delivered through woodland creation, hedgerow planting or agroforestry. All three approaches could provide co-benefits for wild bee populations and crop pollination services, by increasing nesting and floral resources, but their relative effectiveness has not been studied at a landscape scale. We simulated six tree planting scenarios and used a validated process-based model to predict their effect on bumblebee abundance and pollination service to two common mass-flowering crops (oilseed rape and field beans) in a representative 10x10km agricultural landscape in England, UK. Two levels of planting intensity were studied: one representing the tree cover that would be achieved by 2035 if the 2020 woodland creation rate continues and another reflecting UK Government ambitions (threefold increase in planting rate). Hedgerow planting and woodland were predicted to give the biggest increase bumblebee abundance. Silvoarable agroforestry using fruit trees or willow was predicted, on average, to give the biggest increase in crop pollination service. However, the magnitude of increase was highly variable and hedgerow creation (which is more dispersed across the landscape) provided a more consistent increase in crop pollination services. Agroforestry with poplar (which offers less floral resource) and woodland creation (which concentrates tree planting in fewer locations) were only effective at enhancing landscape-level crop pollination at high planting intensity. Future land management policy should promote fruit tree and willow-based agroforestry as multifunctional tree planting measures in arable contexts, whilst continuing to encourage hedgerow planting and woodland creation for their role in promoting abundance and diversity of pollinators. Hedgerow planting may be needed alongside agroforestry to help stabilise pollination service through a crop rotation cycle.

Technology of high-yield cultivation by planting a new variety of mung bean to improve land reclamation condition, increase its productivity, and ensure ecological stability

It is important to plant new early varieties of mung bean from leguminous crops in irrigated lands. These crops create very favorable conditions for the crops that will be planted after them. In the year following the planting of the new “Charos” variety of intensive mung bean, an additional yield of 5-7 q/ha of cotton and 7-9 quintals of grain was achieved. Therefore, when mung bean is planted as a repeated crop, the weeds in the field are reduced by 70-80 percent, while ensuring the enrichment of the soil with nutrients. In the autumn, when mung bean fields are plowed up by roots, soil fertility increases and the structure improves, as a result of raising the level of underground water to the optimal level, i.e. 2.5-3.0 meters, it was found that water-saving technologies can be widely used in planting agricultural crops. In the soil and climatic conditions of the Bukhara region, when the intensive type of mung bean “Charos” is planted, the full germination period is 5 days earlier than the Local (control) variety, 4 days compared to the Radost variety, and 3 days earlier than the Navruz variety and ripened 10-15 days earlier than Local (control), Radost, Navruz varieties. Productivity was on average 28-30 quintals per hectare, which was 6-9 q/ha more than other varieties. When this variety is planted, the stem is resistant to lying down, and until harvesting, the pods do not crack and the grain does not spill, it is very convenient to harvest with combines. For 2-3 years after planting mung bean, the use of chemical fertilizers is reduced by 25-30%, which ensures the stability of the environment and production of a clean product.

Effect of temperature on productivity of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) sown during the fall in southern Sonora, Mexico

During the last ten years, the agricultural area in southern Sonora, Mexico, has had greater hourly temperature oscillation associated to the growth cycle of common bean sown during the fall. The objective of this work was to evaluate the thermal impact caused by the high frequency of extreme temperatures on production of commercial bean during the fall-winter season 2021-2022. Four commercial fields were selected based on the irrigation system used (drip and gravity), two in each of the Yaqui and Mayo Valleys. Weather data were recorded by the automated weather station network of Sonora closest to each field and also from digital sensors installed within the crop. The results obtained indicated that the temperature recorded with the digital sensor, provided better relationship with the data taken in the commercial bean fields than the temperature recorded by the weather stations. The periods of extreme temperature ≥ 33 °C affected production of trifoliates, flowers, and pods in both cultivars evaluated Pinto Saltillo and Azufrado Higuera. The highest grain yield 3,860 kg ha-1 was obtained in the drip irrigated field in the Mayo Valley with a total water sheet of 42 cm, followed by the gravity irrigated field in the Yaqui Valley with 3,560 kg ha-1 and a total water sheet of 62 cm.

Which interventions contribute most to the net effect of England’s agri-environment schemes on pollination services?

ContextAgri-environment schemes support land management interventions that benefit biodiversity, environmental objectives, and other public goods. Process-based model simulations suggest the English scheme, as implemented in 2016, increased wild bee pollination services to pollinator-dependent crops and non-crop areas in a geographically heterogeneous manner.ObjectivesWe investigated which interventions drove the scheme-wide predicted pollination service increase to oilseed rape, field beans and non-cropped areas. We determined whether the relative contribution of each intervention was related to floral and/or nesting resource quality of the intervention, area of uptake, or placement in the landscape.MethodsWe categorised interventions into functional groups and used linear regression to determine the relationship between predicted visitation rate increase and each category’s area within a 10 km grid tile. We compared the magnitude of the regression coefficients to measures of resource quality, area of uptake nationally, and placement to infer the factors underpinning this relationship.ResultsHedgerow/woodland edge management had the largest positive effect on pollination service change, due to high resource quality. Fallow areas were also strong drivers, despite lower resource quality, implying effective placement. Floral margins had limited benefit due to later resource phenology. Interventions had stronger effects where there was less pre-existing semi-natural habitat.ConclusionsFuture schemes could support greater and more resilient pollination service in arable landscapes by promoting hedgerow/woodland edge management and fallow interventions. Including early-flowering species and increasing uptake would improve the effect of floral margins. Spatial targeting of interventions should consider landscape context and pairing complimentary interventions to maximise whole-scheme effectiveness.

First Report of Root and Hypocotyl Rot of Dry Bean Caused by Aphanomyces euteiches in Alberta, Canada.

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a high-value crop grown under irrigation on 45,000 ha in southern Alberta, Canada. In 2019, one field of red beans showed premature yellowing and stunting of shoots in mid-July near Bow Island, AB. Roots had brown lesions along the length of hypocotyl and tap root, and decay and sloughing of the root cortex of lateral roots (Fig. 1). Roots were washed for 10 min under running tap water, and portions of the lesions were excised for DNA extractions using the Plant DNeasy kit (Qiagen) and multiplex PCR assays for an array of pathogens, which included Aphanomyces euteiches (Chatterton et al. 2019). Lesion pieces were also surface sterilized and plated onto PDA or cornmeal agar amended with metalaxyl, benomyl and vancomycin (CMBV) and visualized microscopically for oospores. The roots were PCR positive for A. euteiches, Rhizoctonia solani, and Pythium ultimum. Isolations yielded R. solani, and Fusarium spp. on PDA, but cultures on CMBV were over-grown with Rhizopus. Oospores measuring 24.7 +/- 1.08 m, consistent with the expected size of A. euteiches oospores of 18 - 25 m (Papavizas and Ayers, 1974), were visible in some of the root pieces. To obtain an A. euteiches isolate, soil was collected from three areas of the red bean field and used in a bait assay. Tests were performed using pea (cv. CDC Meadow) and dry bean (cv. Redbond) seeds treated with metalaxyl. Five seeds per pot were planted into field soils in 10-cm pots with 4 replicate pots/field. Soils were watered as needed until the 2nd node stage and then kept at saturation for 14 days, at which time roots were washed. Roots from the dry bean, but not the pea, plants showed severe root rot, including honey-brown discolouration of the lateral roots and extending to the hypocotyl, degradation of the root cortex, and presence of oospores. Diseased root pieces were plated onto CMBV without surface sterilization. Cultures with fast growing, white, aerial mycelia characteristic of A. euteiches on CMBV were recovered from dry bean roots from the three soil samples, considered as three isolates, and were transferred to PDATo confirm identity, total DNA was extracted from 7-day old cultures of the three isolates growing on PDA using the Qiagen DNeasy Plant Kit. The ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified using the primer pair ITS1 and ITS4, and sequenced (White et al. 1990). The sequences, deposited in GenBank with accession numbers OM976770, OM976771, and OM976772, were 100% identical to the ITS rDNA sequence of several isolates of A. euteiches (e.g. KM486066.1; 669/669 bp; 670/670 bp; 670/670 bp) using a BLASTn query and 99.7% identical to the CBS15773 voucher specimen (HQ643116.1, 661/663 bp; 662/664 bp; 662/664 bp). To confirm pathogenicity of these three isolates, cultures were used to produce zoospores for inoculating 14-day old red bean and pea seedlings (Chatterton et al. 2015). Control plants received minimal salt media solution and did not develop symptoms. Dry bean, but not pea, seedlings displayed root rot symptoms (Fig. 2). A. euteiches was re-isolated from dry bean seedlings by plating onto CMBV, and identity confirmed as described above. Although a previous survey detected A. euteiches in a small number of dry bean fields in southern Alberta (Chatterton et al. 2019), tests to confirm Koch's postulates were not performed. Aphanomyces root rot can be a devastating pathogen of pulse crops. Precautionary measures should be taken to prevent spread of this pathogen in the small dry bean growing area of southern Alberta by encouraging producers to use rotation intervals, monitoring movement of the pathogen, and evaluating cultivars for resistance to this pathogen.

Effect of Sowing Date and Plant Spacing on Yield and Yield Components of Dry Field Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Under Normal Irrigation at Dry lands. South Omdurman Region, Sudan

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive winter seasons (2015/2016 and 2016/2017) at the Demonstration Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture – Omdurman Islamic University (Fetahab), to study effect of sowing date and plant spacing on yield and yield components of Dry Field Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) at South Omdurman Region. Three sowing dates were investigated (3rd wk of October, 1st and 14th November). Also three plant spacing were used (10, 15 and 20cm) between plants. The treatments of two factors arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Yield and yield components studied were days to start and to 50% flowering, number of pods/ plant, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, seed yield per plant and seed yield per unit area. Results showed that, days to start and to 50% flowering were significantly reduced for November sowing date (beginning and mid-November) compared with October sowing date for both seasons. Also these sowing dates reported a significantly higher mean of number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and seed yield per plant in the first season. On the other hand, plant spacing did not significantly affect for any yield components attribute; however, the wide space (20 and 15cm) achieved the higher values for these parameters than the narrow one. Also, it was observed that, the interaction between sowing date and plant spacing did not significantly affect neither growth attribute nor yield and yield components for both seasons. However, number of branches per plant during 12th wk of the 2nd season was affected by this interaction.

Interactive effects of ozone and carbon dioxide on plant-pollinator interactions and yields in a legume crop

• Increasing greenhouse gas emissions is linked to disruption of ecosystem services. • How ozone and carbon dioxide impact pollination services is not well understood. • We report on the effects of elevated ozone and carbon dioxide on field bean plants. • Elevated ozone reversed the positive effects of enhanced carbon dioxide on yield. Recent studies link increased levels of ozone and carbon dioxide to plant performance and plant-herbivore interactions, but the interactive effects on plant-pollinator interactions and ecosystem services have rarely been studied. Here we experimentally tested whether elevated levels of these two gases alter plant growth, flower visitation, and yield in field bean crop ( Vicia faba : Fabaceae or Leguminosae) using a full-factorial experimental set-up. Plants were exposed to (i) clean air (control), (ii) carbon dioxide-enriched (900 ppm), (iii) ozone-enriched (120 ppb) or (iv) carbon dioxide (900 ppm) + ozone (120 ppb) - enriched treatments. We examined how flower visitation by two widespread bee pollinators, Bombus terrestris and Osmia cornuta , and consequent yields responded to the treatments. Increased carbon dioxide levels enhanced flower visitation by B. terrestris and O. cornuta, while an increase in ozone led to a decline in visitation rates. The seed set of field beans generally increased with flower visitation rates of pollinators, revealing a pollination-mediated effect of the increased greenhouse gas concentrations on plant reproduction. In addition to the pollinator-mediated effect, we found an interactive effect of ozone and carbon dioxide on the seeds set in plants visited by B. terrestris: while increases in carbon dioxide enhanced seed set, increases in ozone generally decreased seed set - overruling the effect of increased carbon dioxide. Our results suggest that negative impacts of high ozone levels on flower visitation and fruit set counteract potential increases of legume crop yields with enhanced carbon dioxide concentrations under future climates.

Legacy of landscape crop diversity enhances carabid beetle species richness and promotes granivores

It is well understood that agricultural expansion and associated loss of semi-natural habitat in the landscape are major drivers for the marked decline in biodiversity. While conserving remaining semi-natural habitat patches is essential to reverse ongoing biodiversity declines, increasing focus has also been put on diversifying cropland itself by increasing landscape crop diversity as a measure of compositional heterogeneity, and reducing field sizes as a measure of configurational heterogeneity. Both these cropland diversification approaches have shown promise to enhance biodiversity in the year of sampling, but it is unknown whether legacies of crop diversity in the landscape promote biodiversity by building up arthropod communities over time. We selected 14 faba bean fields in landscapes dominated by cropland. The fields were chosen along three gradients: landscape crop diversity of the year of sampling (2017), landscape crop diversity of the previous year (2016) and mean field size in landscapes. Using pitfall traps, we show that the carabid beetle species richness is higher in landscapes with higher crop diversity in the previous year. Especially, granivorous carabid beetles benefitted from legacies of crop diversity. Rove beetles were more abundant and genus rich in landscapes with larger field sizes, while spiders were not responding to any of the landscape variables. A diversity of crops in the landscape and their associated weed communities could provide more diverse food resources and shelter habitats, which build populations of carabid beetle species over time. There is a need to explore the effects of agri-environmental schemes across multiple years to better understand legacy effects, and to structure sustainable agricultural landscapes.

Gender and Legume Production in a Changing Climate Context: Experiences from Chipata, Eastern Zambia

This study explored legume production by female and men smallholder farmers in Chipata, in a changing climate context. The study objectives were to (i) find out how men and women smallholder legume farmers in Chipata understand climate variability, (ii) investigate how climate variability affects smallholder legume farmers and (iii) identify the different challenges faced by womenfemale and men legume farmers in Chipata. Interviews were conducted with 86 male and 86 female legume farmers selected using stratified random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to select nine key informants and focus group discussants. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis, while quantitative data were analysed through statistical tests. About half the men and women perceived that climate change in Chipata manifested through a shorter rainy season, late start of rainy season, intra-seasonal droughts and heavy downpours. Some men (34.9%) and women (23.3%) reported that heavy downpours caused common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) flowers to drop off. About 41% of the men farmers interviewed and 23.3% of the women reported witch weed (Striga asiaticapa) on their groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) fields after periods of heavy rainfall. The men discussants complained that soya bean (Glycine max) fields became waterlogged after prolonged heavy rains, which delayed weeding. Women farmers had challenges accessing hybrid legume seed, inoculants and marketing legumes. Men’s challenges were low market prices for soya beans. The study recommends agricultural interventions should focus on climate-smart legume seed multiplication and certification among legume farmers and promotion of local seed-sharing networks to enhance seed diversity.

Viral metatranscriptomic approach to study the diversity of virus(es) associated with Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in the North-Western Himalayan region of India.

Plant viruses are a major threat to legume production worldwide. In recent years, new virus strains have emerged with increasing frequencies in various legume cropping systems, which demands the development of cutting-edge virus surveillance techniques. In this study, we surveyed the common bean fields of Kashmir valley for virus infection using a total of 140 symptomatic and non-symptomatic leaf samples collected from different locations. The genetic diversity of viruses was examined by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) with three viruses being identified, namely, Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV), Bean Common Mosaic Necrosis Virus (BCMNV), and Clover Yellow Vein Virus (ClYVV). BCMNV and ClYVV are new reports from India. De novo assembly of transcriptome constructed near-complete genomes of these viruses. RT-PCR results confirmed the presence of these viruses with an emerge incidence of 56. 4% for BCMV, 27.1% for BCMNV and 16.4 for ClYVV in the valley. Several samples were found to contain multiple virus infections with BCMV being the most predominant. Recombination events were detected in the genomes of BCMV and ClYVV, but not BCMNV. Phylogenetic and pairwise identity matrix evidence suggests viral import from multiple countries. Our results demonstrate that HTS followed by multiplex PCR assay is a simple, rapid, and reliable approach for simultaneous diagnosis of plant viruses.

Growth, yield and economics of amla (Emblica officinalis L.) based agri-horticultural system in Alfisols of semi-arid tropic

An intercropping trial conducted during 2011 to 2017 using five year old amla (Emblica officinalis L.) orchard planted at 4 X 4 m spacing and grown under rainfed condition to identify the suitable and profitable intercrops. The intercrops viz, finger millet, fodder maize, field bean, grain amaranth, cowpea, horsegram were considered in the study besides their pure stand. Growth parameter of amla such as plant height (369 cm), number of branches/tree (2.73), stem diameter (35.31 cm), canopy spread (279 cm) and biomass yield (296 kg/ha ) was found to be statistically significant with Amla intercropped with field bean compared with sole amla. The higher amla equivalent yield was recorded in intercropping with finger millet (1517 kg/ha) and was at par with cowpea (1298 kg/ha). Finger millet proved to be better intercrop in amla and registered 57.11 per cent higher net returns and Benefit cost ratio than sole amla. Overall, Amla + finger millet cropping system was found to be more sustainable both interms of benefit cost ratio (2.43) and improving system productivity (104.44 %) followed by pulse crop such as cowpea and field bean. The higher sustainable yield index (0.83) was with amla + finger millet intercropping system while Land Equivalent Ratio and Area Time Equivalent Ratio were higher with amla + field bean intercropping system.

Mycorrhiza, Charcoal, and Rocket Salad Powder as Eco-friendly Methods for Controlling Broomrape Weed in Inter-planted Faba Bean with Flax

Till now, there is no complete program that could be implemented to eradicate the parasitic weeds such as broomrape because of their complex life cycle. Therefore, the current research aimed to find new and safe agricultural practices to solve, partially at least, the issues of broomrape in faba bean fields. The experiment was conducted for two winter seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 in naturally infested field with broomrape. Treatments involved application of mycorrhiza, charcoal and rocket salad powder, glyphosate–isopropylammonium herbicide, and weedy check applied whether with sole planting of faba bean and interplanting with flax. The experiment was designed in a strip plot based on completely randomized block arrangement with six replicates. Broomrape number and weight, infested faba bean plants, faba bean agronomic traits, and seed nutrient uptake were estimated. In both seasons, glyphosate whether with sole or interplanting patterns recorded the lowest values of broomrape number plot‒1 and broomrape weight plot‒1 without significant variation with charcoal and rocket salad applied in interplanted plots. The maximum increases in faba bean seed yield were observed with application of charcoal × sole or interplanting pattern and rocket salad × interplanting pattern in the 2018/2019 season as well as charcoal, mycorrhiza, and rocket salad with sole pattern in the 2019/2020 season. Charcoal, mycorrhiza, and rocket salad were effective practices whether under sole or interplanting patterns for improving nutrient uptake, especially in the first season. In the second season, rocket salad with sole or interplanting pattern was the stable interaction for enhancing all nutrient uptake. Reducing broomrape hazards expressed in low number and weight with less infested faba bean plants was confined by application of mycorrhiza, charcoal, and rocket salad powder whether with sole planting of faba bean and interplanting with flax. Hence, faba bean farmers are advised to apply such promising safe practices for sustaining faba bean cultivation in lands infested by broomrape.

The Physiological and Biochemical Response of Field Bean (Vicia faba L. (partim)) to Electromagnetic Field Exposure Is Influenced by Seed Age, Light Conditions, and Growth Media

Research interest into the exposure of plants to magnetic fields (MF), including electromagnetic fields (EMF), has increased recently but results often vary depending on factors such as plant species and treatment dose. In this study, we exposed young (one year) and old (four years) field bean (Vicia faba L. (partim)) seeds to EMF (50 Hz, 7 mT) and observed seed germination and seedling growth under different conditions (growth media and light). The results indicated a stimulation by EMF of germination and early root growth of Petri dish-sown old seeds in continuous darkness and inhibition of germination of the pot-sown young seeds under long-day conditions. Root growth of two-week-old seedlings from pot-sown young seeds was stimulated by EMF treatment while their stem growth was inhibited. Some selected biochemical traits were examined, showing specific changes in membrane integrity, amylase activity, H2O2 levels, photosynthetic pigments, and content of the main groups of phytohormones, depending on seed age. The results indicate that priming of field bean seeds with EMF (50 Hz, 7 mT) could be a eustress factor that influences germination, early growth, and cellular activities and could positively influence the ability of field bean plants to grow and develop in more stressful conditions at later stages.

Insect pest management with sex pheromone precursors from engineered oilseed plants

Pheromones have become an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional insecticides for pest control. Most current pheromone-based pest control products target lepidopteran pests of high-value crops, as today’s manufacturing processes cannot yet produce pheromones at low enough costs to enable their use for lower-value crops, especially commodity crops. Camelina sativa seeds genetically modified to express (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid, a sex pheromone precursor of several moth species, provided the oil from which the precursor was isolated, purified and transformed into the final pheromone. Trap lures containing this pheromone were then assessed for their capacity to manage moth pests in the field. Plant-derived pheromone lures proved equally effective as synthetic pheromone lures in monitoring the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, in cabbage and disrupting mating of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, in common bean fields. Our study demonstrates the biological efficacy and economic feasibility of pheromone production in plant factories by metabolic engineering of an oilseed crop.

Survey for Virus Diversity in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Fields and the Detection of a Novel Strain of Cowpea polerovirus 1 in Zambia.

The production of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is adversely affected by virus-like diseases globally, but little is known about the occurrence, distribution, and diversity of common bean-infecting viruses in Zambia. Consequently, field surveys were conducted during the 2018 season in 128 fields across six provinces of Zambia and 640 common bean leaf tissue samples were collected with (n = 585) or without (n = 55) symptoms. The prevalence of symptomatic fields was 100%, but incidence of symptomatic plants ranged from 32 to 67.5%. Metagenomic analyses of nine composite samples and a single plant sample of interest revealed the occurrence of isolates of Bean common mosaic necrosis virus, Bean common mosaic virus, Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus, Peanut mottle virus, Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV), Cucumber mosaic virus, Phaseolus vulgaris alphaendornavirus 1 (PvEV-1), PvEV-2, Ethiopian tobacco bushy top virus (ETBTV), and a novel strain of Cowpea polerovirus 1 (CPPV1-Pv) of 5,902 nt in length. While CPPV1-Pv was consistently detected in mixed infection with ETBTV and its satellite RNA molecule, based on results of mechanical transmission assays it does not appear to be involved in disease etiology, suggesting that its role may be limited to being a helper virus for the umbravirus. Screening of the survey samples by real-time PCR for the viruses detected by high-throughput sequencing revealed the prevalence of single (65.2% or 417/640) over mixed (1.9% or 12/640) infections in the samples. SBMV was the most frequently detected virus, occurring in ∼29.4% (188/640) of the samples and at a prevalence rate of 58.6% (75/128) across fields. The results showed that diverse virus species are present in Zambian common bean fields and the information will be useful for the management of common bean viral diseases.

Responses to dietary supplementation with field bean (Vicia faba var. minor) in production indices, mohair growth and hormonal parameters in transition Angora goats

Twenty-two pluriparous single-foetus-bearing Angora goats, housed 3 weeks pre-partum in mid-December, and in transition from pregnancy to lactation were used to test the efficacy of post-partum supplementation (Group S: 11 goats) or not (Group C: 11 goats) with 300 g/head/day of whole field bean seeds (WFBS) to a diet based on mixed hay ad libitum and natural pasture. The goats were maintained with the suckling of their kids for 90 days. Significant decreases in liveweight (LW) and body condition score (BCS), were documented post-parturition in both groups and were then maintained throughout. These suggest a mobilisation in body tissue that was not mitigated by WFBS supplementation. However, the faster growth of the suckled kids and greater elongation of mohair fibre recorded (Group S > Group C), suggested improvement in partition towards production indices of lactation and hair fibre deposition, respectively. Greater concentrations of total thyroid hormones, T3 and T4 in supplemented does were recorded. Overall mean (pre-prandial) plasma insulin concentrations, not different between treatments, decreased (p < 0.5) from pre-partum concentration, and showed a pattern in time, similar to that of LW and BCS. Insulin appeared not to contribute to the suggested lactational and hair growth effects and possibly contributed to transition by a homeorhetic-type reduction in concentration post-partum. Mean plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations trended lower due to supplementation from 3 weeks after kidding. It is concluded that WFBS supplementation was efficacious in improving production indices of the transition Angora goats. The feeding of different quantities of WFBS should be investigated. HIGHLIGHTS Supplementation of transition Angora goats with field bean did not affect the loss of body weight or body condition score occurring after kidding. Supplementation with field bean induced higher concentrations of blood thyroid hormones, without affecting post-partum reductions in insulin. Supplemented dams had a greater mohair elongation rate and their kids grew more, by likely preferential partition to hair growth and lactation, rather than other body tissues.

Stability of crop pollinator occurrence is influenced by bee community composition

Bees provide a vital ecosystem service to agriculture by contributing to the pollination of many leading global crops. Human wellbeing depends not only on the quantity of agricultural yields, but also on the stability and resilience of crop production. Yet a broad understanding of how the diversity and composition of pollinator communities may influence crop pollination service has previously been hindered by a scarcity of standardized data. We used outputs from Bayesian occupancy detection models to examine patterns in the inter-annual occupancy dynamics of the bee pollinator communities of four contrasting crops (apples, field bean, oilseed and strawberries) in Great Britain between 1985 and 2015. We compared how the composition and species richness of different crop pollinator communities may affect the stability of crop pollinator occurrence. Across the four crops, we found that the inter-annual occupancy dynamics of the associated pollinator communities tended to be more similar in smaller communities with closely related pollinator species. Our results indicate that crop pollinator communities composed of a small number of closely related bee species show greater variance in mean occupancy compared to crops with more diverse pollinator communities. Lower variance in the occurrence of crop pollinating bee species may lead to more stable crop pollination services. Finally, whilst our results initially indicated some redundancy within most crop pollinator communities, with no, or little, increase in the variance of overall mean occupancy when species were initially removed, this was followed by a rapid acceleration in the variance of crop pollinator occurrence as each crop's bee pollinator community was increasingly depreciated. High inter-annual variations in pollination services have negative implications for crop production and food security. High bee diversity could ensure more stable and resilient crop pollination services, yet current agri-environment schemes predominantly benefit a limited suite of common species. Management may therefore benefit from targeting a wider diversity of solitary species in order to safeguard crop pollination service in the face of increasing environmental change.

Pathogenic variability of the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum on dry bean in South Africa

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) anthracnose is an economically important seed-borne fungal disease caused by the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. The pathogenic variability of C. lindemuthianum was evaluated in a glasshouse study. A total of 32 isolates were collected in three provinces, namely KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and North-West. The isolates were collected from different fields of dry bean at research stations and also from small-scale farmers’ fields. Inoculum developed from the different isolates was sprayed onto 12 CIAT differential dry bean cultivars that were used to identify pathogen races. The inoculation was carried out during the trifoliate developmental stage of the dry bean seedlings raised in pots 14 days post-sowing. Using the CIAT binomial system, eight pathogenic races of C. lindemuthianum were identified, namely, 3, 6, 7, 81, 83, 89, 263 and 323 out of the 32 isolates evaluated. Only pathogenic races 7, 81, 83 and 89 were found in the more humid locations of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Races 7, 81 and 89 are internationally recognized and show characteristics reported of races in Brazil. Race 6 was identified in Mpumalanga and North west provinces and this was important as it has been reported in other Southern African countries. The races populations were distinct between locations as they infected both the Andean and the Meso-American bean landraces. The most important dry bean landraces were AB 136, G 2333, Kaboon, TU and PI 207262 as they showed complete resistance from the isolates. The study findings suggests that these six landraces can be successfully used to improve anthracnose resistance, especially G 2333 because of its horizontal resistance that can be used to improve the current cultivars used for the control of anthracnose in South Africa. Additionally, Cornell 49242 was one of the landraces of importance, as it showed glimpses of anthracnose that faded overtime under controlled suitable environmental conditions. Use of these landraces will ensure stability in the long-term control of dry bean anthracnose since the pathogen C. lindemuthianum is highly variable and widely distributed in South Africa. Key words: Anthracnose, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, dry bean, disease, pathogenic races, seed, differential cultivars, resistance

Productivity and Quality of Fodder Crops under Late-sown Conditions in Semi-arid Tropics of India

Background: In India, agriculture and animal husbandry are inextricably linked and are essential for livelihood security. Despite the fact that India has the world’s largest livestock population, feed and fodder supply is under huge strain, especially as area accessible for fodder cultivation has been shrinking. During the months of March-May and November-February are known as lean periods of fodder production, the supply of green fodder is limited throughout the year in a rainfed condition. Fodder crops develop swiftly and cover the ground surface quickly, even in low-rainfall conditions, producing a significant amount of green fodder while also providing vegetative cover over the land, resulting in resource conserving as well as increased productivity. In this context, the current study was conducted to evaluate various fodder crops, assess their productivity and quality and make appropriate recommendations for semi-arid tropics of India. Methods: Field experiments were carried out for three years from 2015-16 to 2017-18 at the Agricultural Research Station, Ananthapuramu andhra Pradesh, India, which is located between 14°41'N Latitude and 77°40'E Longitude and an altitude of 350 m. above mean sea level, which falls under the Semi-Arid Tropics. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with nine treatments (fodder crops) and three replications. The treatments comprised of different fodder crops viz., fodder sorghum, fodder maize, fodder bajra, clusterbean, fodder cowpea, field bean, brown top millet, horse gram and sunhemp. Result: The current study concludes that fodder bajra, fodder sorghum and fodder maize are potential forage cereals because they can produce more quantity and quality fodder while also ensuring net monetary returns and fodder cowpea and sunhemp are the next best suitable forage legumes under late-sown conditions in the semi-arid tropics of India.

The effects of traffic management systems on the yield and economics of crops grown in deep, shallow and zero tilled sandy loam soil over eight years.

This paper reports on a 3 × 3 factorial study to consider the effects of controlled traffic (CTF), low tyre inflation pressure (high flexion) tyres (LTP) and standard tyre inflation pressure (STP) farming systems for deep, shallow and zero tillage practices on the yield of wheat, barley, oats and field beans grown in a sandy loam soil in the UK. The main effect of tillage showed that the zero tillage option significantly (***P < 0.001) reduced crop yields in four out of the five of the first crop years, with no significant effect in years two, six and eight and exceeded the yield of the other tillage treatments in year seven. The specific costs of the alternative tillage systems were estimated, from which the cost saving for zero tillage compared to deep tillage was c. £ 60 ha−1 (US$ 80 ha−1), which compensated for the overall loss in yield. There were no significant differences between the crop yields from the deep and shallow tillage treatments, with shallow tillage offering savings in operational costs of c. £ 30 ha−1 (US$ 40 ha−1). Overall, the controlled traffic farming system, where 30% of the field was trafficked, produced 4% greater crop yields (*P < 0.05), worth £ 39 ha−1 (US$ 53 ha−1) than standard tyre inflation pressures (STP). The estimated effect of reducing the trafficked area to 15% resulted in a further 3% increase in mean yield with a corresponding total increase in crop value of 7% worth £ 74 ha−1 (US$ 100 ha−1) compared to the STP system. The beneficial effect of low inflation pressure tyres (70 kPa and 80 kPa) on crop yields, for the deep tillage treatment, was significantly greater (*P < 0.05) than those of the standard tyre pressure system (100 kPa to 150 kPa) returning an average 3.9% additional crop yield over the period of the experiment worth £ 39 ha−1 (US$ 53 ha−1).