Cereal Harvest Research Articles

Evidence of a twofold ecological trap driven by agricultural change causing a priority farmland bird population crash

AbstractExtensive farmland in Europe hosts high biodiversity levels but is threatened by land use changes associated with market and agricultural policy drivers. We show that a nationwide replacement of rainfed cereals in favor of beef production in Portugal has coincided with a nearly 80% decline in the population of a ground‐nesting raptor, the Montagu's harrier Circus pygargus, since 2002. Reduced cereal crop cover led to nesting attempts occurring mostly in fodder crops, the predominant habitat with suitable sward structure at the onset of breeding. This results in a twofold ecological trap: early hay harvesting destroys first nesting attempts, whereas late cereal harvesting destroys replacement clutches. This double phenological mismatch prevents any breeding success and likely explains the country's observed population decline of Montagu's harriers and other key farmland birds. Reforming current agroenvironmental schemes to promote practices compatible with wild population phenology is paramount to revert these changes.

Contextualizing wild cereal harvesting at Middle Palaeolithic Ghar-e Boof in the southern Zagros

A stratigraphic sequence from Ghar-e Boof, a cave site in Iran, covering a period of c. 80,000–30,000 BP and containing more than 20,000 seed and chaff remains, allows a detailed study of the use of annual seed species of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer groups and its evolution under the influence of changing environmental conditions. Taxonomic changes in the archaeobotanical assemblage and the stable carbon isotope data of pistachio support a considerable change in environmental conditions over the sequence from MIS 5a to MIS 3. The exceptional dominance of wild ancestors of modern crop species, including glume wheat and large-seeded legumes from Middle Palaeolithic layers AH VI (OSL ranges 72–81 ka BP), coincides broadly with the transition from MIS 5a to MIS 4. With the beginning of MIS 4 these taxa are strongly reduced, corresponding with a strong decrease in global CO2 concentrations and in the Δ13C values of Pistacia khinjuk/atlantica from the site. Wild glume wheat completely disappears after Middle Palaeolithic AH Vb and never reappears at the site. We hypothesize that the Middle Palaeolithic niche that allowed the harvesting and consumption of wild cereals and legumes ended with a destabilization of the vegetation in early MIS 4.

Comparative Efficacy of Weed Management Practices on Grain and Straw Yields of Wheat

Wheat is central to Afghanistan's food security. It accounts for 76 percent of the annual grain cereal harvest and 57 percent of the country's total food crop production. Several factors, such as low-yielding varieties, low soil fertility, low-quality agrochemicals, widespread pest and disease infestations, and widespread distribution of weeds, are the leading causes of low wheat productivity in the country. The current study was conducted at the Student Research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture at Kabul University to determine the overall effects of weeds on wheat grain and straw yields and to evaluate and compare different weed management practices in the wheat field. After applying the weed management practices, among the treatments, T1, T3, and T4 showed only 8.3, 5, and 2.3 percent weed populations, respectively, compared to the untreated control. Regarding grain and straw yields, mechanical control (hand weeding) ranked first with a grain yield of 4,867 kg/ha, followed by T1 (4,580 kg/ha), T3 (4,513 kg/ha), T2 (4,133 kg/ha), and T5 (3,416 kg/ha), respectively. The difference in straw yield among the treatments was not significant; however, mechanical control ranked first (7,103 kg/ha), followed by T1 (6,783 kg/ha), T3 (6,700 kg/ha), T2 (6,207 kg/ha), and T5 (5,280 kg/ha), respectively. The study findings concluded that by eliminating weeds, wheat grain and straw yields could be increased by an average of 30 and 26 percent, respectively. As broad-leaved weeds are widely distributed in the wheat fields, applying relative herbicides such as 2,4-D is more effective and recommended for all cultivation methods.

Biology of Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) on Maize under Laboratory Conditions

Maize is a important cereal harvests developed for food, fodder and raw material throughout the country. It is rich source of proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins. Corn production is decreasing day by day due to attack of more than 353 insect species and mites. Among insect pests, Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda is best destructive pest for corn production. The rearing of Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda was conducted under laboratory conditions in Department of Entomology, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, U. P. during 2023. The complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa and adult) was certified in Spodoptera frugiperda. The average fecundity was 2.59 ± 0.40 days. There were 6th instar larval of Spodoptera frugiperda and total larval period was 15-20 days. The growth period of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th larval instar was 2-3, 2.5-3, 2.2-3, 2-2.5, 2.5-3, 4-6 days respectively on corn leaves. The average period of pupa was 10.33 ± 1.07 days. The female was long lived than male. The total evolved period from egg to adult was 45-47 days.

Improvement of cereal harvest programming methods using computer simulation information technology

The paper is dedicated to a topical scientific and applied problem – the development of information technology of computer modelling intended for programming the yield of agricultural crops. The paper describes information technology of computer modelling of the yield of agricultural crops (on the example of Avena sativa subsp. nudisativa), which is based on the application of Bayesian methods to modelling and prediction in conditions of statistical, parametric and structural uncertainty. The study was based on the materials of laboratory experiments carried out in conditions close to natural, on the prediction of physiological processes occurring in plants under the influence of regulated and unregulated factors. Proposed approach described the change in the productivity of grain crops, in particular Avena sativa subsp. nudisativa, depending on the parameters of plant growth and development, photosynthetic apparatus and duration of its functioning. Scientific novelty of the work was application of probabilistic and statistical models in the form of Bayesian networks in the system of programming the yield of agricultural crops. The paper considered several scenarios of the combined effect of growth regulators and herbicides on the productivity of Avena sativa subsp. nudisativa. Net productivity of photosynthesis was chosen as the target variable of the studied process. Mathematical models in the form of Bayesian network turned out to be adequate for the process chosen for modelling. Achieved error of model classification was about 20%. The model structure was built in Genie 2.0 modelling system. It was found that by researching and simulating potential opportunities of ecological features of plants, it was possible to achieve an increase in yield by reducing the doses of herbicides and growth regulators by their combined use, which significantly increased the crop quality. Proposed information technology uses methods of intelligent data analysis, has a modular structure and can be used separately and as part of other information and analytical systems.

Two aspects of earthworm bioturbation: Crop residue burial by foraging and surface casting in no-till management

In no-till agroecosystems, presence of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. can be a key driver in the replenishment of soil organic matter stocks post-harvest, through surface residue foraging and incorporation. The impact on such systems under different climatic conditions is, however, still unquantified. A field experiment was designed to determine incorporation of cereal harvest residues at three no-till agricultural sites in boreal conditions (SW Finland) focusing on L. terrestris impacts over the period from autumn harvest to spring sowing. Either spring barley, wheat or oats were cultivated at the sites. Following the harvests, representative masses of residues were applied on small experimental plots (0.25 m2) with cleaned soil surfaces in areas of inherently high (LT+: 10.6 ± 2.1 ind. 0.25 m-2) and low (LT-: 1.8 ± 0.7 ind. 0.25 m-2) L. terrestris density within the fields. Residues were covered with metal mesh caging and left until spring sowing, when changes in residue mass were recorded and plots sampled for earthworms. The reduction of straw residue mass varied between sites, from no difference between the LT+ and LT- treatments to 19 % and 59 % higher mass reduction in LT+. Amount of earthworm castings on the residues was also quantified and findings indicated a positive correlation with earthworm (also endogeic) density. For L.terrestris, earthworm species abundance relationships indicated competitive interaction with epigeics and positive interaction with endogeics. Results showed that L. terrestris foraging can enhance the incorporation of cereal surface residues outside of the boreal growing season and that earthworm surface casting also has a role in residue burial. However, the increase of incorporation by L. terrestris activity, interrupted by winter conditions, was moderate and did not lead to marked exposition of the soil surface by experimental end, even at those plots with the highest L. terrestris foraging. The incorporation rate estimates may have been unrepresentative due to the exceptionally late harvest during the study period. Investigations covering the whole year from multiple growing seasons are needed for a comprehensive assessment of earthworm impacts on crop surface residue dynamics.

THE BRONZE HARVESTER: RAVAGING AND PLUNDERING IN GREEK WARFARE

AbstractThis article argues that the purpose of ravaging in Greek warfare was not to goad the enemy into fighting or to cause systematic economic harm but to facilitate plundering. The cereal harvest was commonly chosen as a time for invasion, because it maximized the amount of plunder an invading force could expect to find in the enemy countryside. While ravagers were unlikely to cause permanent economic harm to a community as a whole, they could imperil the livelihoods of individual farmers, both directly through theft and destruction and indirectly by preventing farmers from processing the harvest in a timely fashion. This explains the consistent fear of plundering and ravaging present in our sources.

Soil potassium depletion in global cereal croplands and its implications

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are of the most essential nutrients for crop production, and inputs of their fertilizers have been a direct and effective way to replenish their removal from crop harvest. However, the global soil K status is scarcely documented. This study attempts to evaluate the soil K deficit in global cereal croplands and potential effects of better K fertilizer management. We hypothesized that historical records of cereal yield and K fertilizer use rate (K-FUR) can be used to understand how soil K deficit is related to the cumulative insufficient K replenishment. Evidently, the cereal production has been depleting soil K at a rate much higher than its replenishment, resulting in soil K deficit across 61 % of the global cereal harvest area with an average K-FUR (kg ha−1) of 7.1 which is much lower than the ∼27 required to balance N and P supply for an optimal grain yield. Replenishing K for all K-deficit areas based on current K-FUR classes could potentially add about 601 Mt. grains to the global food production: 386 Mt. from 153 M ha croplands with K-FUR class 10–20 kg ha−1; 90 Mt. from 131 M ha with K-FUR class 3–10 kg ha−1; and 126 Mt. from 158 M ha with K-FUR class <3 kg ha−1. Global soil K deficit is a long-standing and ubiquitous issue, and to replenish K for all K-deficit areas as proposed herein can be a feasible way for improving cereal yield by about 49 %. Increasing awareness of public and policy-makers about this threat and potential will help lead to a judicious allocation of limited potash resources and to a better return on any financial and humanitarian aids for eradicating poverty and hunger worldwide while also advancing global food security and agricultural sustainability.

Agricultural expansion dominates rapid increases in cropland fires in Asia

Asia contains 58 % of the global population and approximately 39 % of the world’s cropland, making evaluation of the spatiotemporal variability patterns in cropland fire critical for understanding the interplay between crop residue burning and human activity in Asia. Although agricultural expansion and intensification have contributed to an overall decline in vegetation fires worldwide since the late 1990s, burned area by cropland fires in Asia has expanded by more than 19 % over the past two decades. India accounts for about 32 % of cropland fires in Asia, and the burned area has increased by more than two-thirds since 2003, particularly increased around 80 % during the two major cereal harvest seasons of March-May and October-November. In comparison, cropland fires have increased by <6 % in China since 2003, and there has been a marked downward trend in burned area in June due to the intensive implementation of the nationwide bans on open-land crop straw burning. The expansion of agricultural harvests is primarily responsible for the rapid increase in cropland fires in Asia, notably in India, where agricultural intensification is occurring with population growth and economic development in recent years, and crop straw burning should be strictly controlled in the future.

Zearalenone in feed, urine and meat from three pig farms in Croatia

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin of the genus Fusarium which belongs to the group of macrocyclic lactones. ZEN contamination occurs during cereal harvest or in the early phase of storage if drying was insufficient. The aim of this study was to determine the level of ZEN in feed mixtures given to pigs during the fattening period at three different farms in the Republic of Croatia, as also to determine ZEN levels in urine and meat taken from the same animals. The study also examined correlation between ZEN concentrations in urine and meat with the estimation of ZEN intake in the human body through meat consumption, expressed as a percentage of the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI). In total, 9 feed mixtures (3 samples per farm), 45 urine and 45 meat samples (from 15 animals per farm) were taken during 2021 from three pig farms located in eastern and central Croatia. ZEN concentrations were determined by the competitive enzyme ELISA method. All values in feed from all three farms were within maximum recommended limit (MRL) given in EU Recommendation, i.e., 250 μg/kg, though at one far, the levels recorded were just under the MRL. Monitoring of ZEN levels in urine can be used as an indicator for the detection of feed contamination with this mycotoxin. Although pigs were fed with feed with near the MRL level of contamination, a negligible percentage of TDI value was obtained for this mycotoxin for humans through meat consumption. However, since meat is just one component of the human diet, and in view of the fact that ZEN can be present in a number of foodstuffs, especially cereals, its total intake could be significantly higher than estimated herein.

CONSIDERAŢII PRIVIND VIBRAŢIILE TRANSMISE OPERATORULUI DE O COMBINĂ CU FLUX AXIAL

Vibrations are dynamic phenomena occurring in elastic or quasi-elastic media after a local excitation and becoming manifested by propagating the excitation within the medium in the form of some elastic oscillations. Thus, depending on the phenomenon dynamics, there can be met vibrations with low variation frequencies, characteristic to the mechanical structures, structures in constructions and earthquake waves, as well as vibrations with high variation frequencies. The vibration measuring is performed on a straw cereal harvesting machine with an axial threshing apparatus ("CASE IH") in two conditions: in a stationary position and during work, by using transducers for each of the main working parts of the harvester: thresher, header (stripper), chassis and operator's chair. On the basis of the values of longitudinal, cross and vertical accelerations, measured at various frequencies in the two operating conditions of the harvester (at stationary and during work), the effect of the vibrations is established on each of these parts and, finally, cumulated, the vibrations sent to the operator's chair, the nomograms following to be traced and to be established the range with the limits up to which these are not dangerous for the operator's health.

Challenges and resilience of an indigenous farming system during wartime (Tigray, North Ethiopia)

Due to war conditions, the local farmers had to largely rely on their own crop production, mainly by subsistence farming, in Tigray, North Ethiopia. We assessed the crop stands in 2021 and evaluated the level of resilience of the indigenous farming system. Quantitative data were collected from 161 farm parcels in various ecoregions of this tropical mountain region, in order to detect the share of sown land, crop types, and their status. This participatory monitoring was accompanied by semi-structured interviews. Farmers cultivated their farms late, left it uncultivated or marginally sowed oil crops as improved fallow (28%), due to lack of farming tools, oxen, fertilizer, seeds, or manpower. As compared to peace years, only few lands were sown with sorghum as there was active warfare in the sorghum planting period. The relatively good stands of wheat and barley (47%) are in line with the farmers’ priority given to cereals. Teff got a large land share because it could be sown up to the middle of the main rainy season and because farmers had consumed the seeds of their major cereal crops (wheat and barley) when hiding for warfare. Seeds left from consumption were only sown by late June, when troops had retreated, and the communities could revive. With almost no external support, the local farming system has proven to be remarkably resilient, relying on indigenous knowledge and local practices, block rotation, manure, improved fallow, changes in relative importance of crops, seed exchange, and support for one another. This is the first analysis of the socio-agronomic roots of the 2021–2022 Tigray hunger crisis, with a cereal harvest that could not at all sustain the local population as the planting season had been largely missed. The ability of the indigenous farming system to partially rebounce in times of autarky is another novel finding.

The short-term effects of an existing channel, a single pass of tillage and their interaction on the generation of runoff and sediment

A critical time for both water and tillage erosion is the period between growing seasons when the field is tilled and thus bare or nearly bare. During this period, there is a high risk for water erosion, leading to water eroded channels. The existing channels, tillage operations and the combination of these two may strongly affect runoff and sediment generations in the following water erosion events. However, knowledge on this is limited. In this study, plot experiments were conducted to quantify the short-term effects of an existing channel, a single pass of tillage and their interaction on the generation of runoff and sediment. Four treatments: no channel, no tillage (NN, as the control); with a channel, no tillage (CN); no channel, with tillage (NT); and with a channel, with tillage (CT) were examined. Plots under the four treatments were placed under simulated rainfall for at least one hour. Runoff and sediment samples were collected every 5-minutes after runoff initiation. The effects of treatments on the amounts of runoff and sediment were analyzed with ANOVA and ANCOVA. We found that with an existing channel, runoff initiation has accelerated and runoff discharge and sediment export have increased whereas with a single pass of tillage, runoff initiation was delayed and runoff discharge and sediment export have decreased. When an existing channel was tilled, the effects of tillage dominated while the existing channel only demonstrated some minor impacts. Applying this knowledge to a cereal-potato crop rotation common in Atlantic Canada, we recommend spring primary tillage after cereal harvesting and late fall primary tillage after potato harvesting to reduce the overall soil erosion.

Reuse of Barley Straw for Handmade Paper Production

The main objective of this work is supporting the use of sustainable solutions for the management and reuse of agricultural waste from the cereal harvest, such as oats, barley, and triticale, making sheets of artisan paper, innovating the process with the use of different proportions of cellulose obtained from straw residues. The physical and mechanical properties of the obtained sheets showed that basis weight (66–96 g/m2), thickness (19–300 μm), burst strength (68.9–103.4 kPa), burst index (0.81–1.35 kPam2/g) and bulk (2.52–3.12 cm3/g), were adequate. Based on what can be observed in the SEM images, it is possible to infer that straw has the function of supporting the sheets using combinations of barley straw and recycled paper. The result of the IR analysis indicated that the sheet with an increase in hydroxyl groups was that obtained with barley straw. Therefore, the treatment was efficient. These results were corroborated by X-ray diffraction analysis, in which the percentage of crystallinity of the barley straw paper was 37.1%. Finally, the results obtained indicated that the crystallinity is better in the sheets containing large amounts of barley straw. The sheet with the highest percentage of crystallinity was that which was made using 100% of barley straw, showing a 37.1 percentage of crystallinity, followed by the sheet made of 100% recycled paper, having a value of 34.4%.

Sentinel-2 satellite and HYSPLIT model suggest that local cereal harvesting substantially contribute to peak Alternaria spore concentrations

Alternaria is a human/animal allergen and plant/animal pathogen. Cereal harvesting emits a large amount of Alternaria spores into the atmosphere. However, estimating the peak spore periods and source areas from large areas is often a challenge because of insufficient observation stations. The purpose of this study was to examine, using remote sensing and an atmospheric transport and dispersion model, the contribution of cereal harvesting to peak Alternaria spore concentrations. Daily Alternaria spores were collected using Hirst-type traps in 12 sites in Europe for the period 2016-2018. Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) back-trajectory and dispersion model was integrated with Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, Corine Land Cover 2018 (CLC2018) and Eurostat cereal data 2016 to map the Alternaria spore peaks and source areas in the 12 sites. Ground truth harvest data, collected at Worcester, UK, in 2018, and meteorological data were used to determine any effect of cereal harvesting and weather on peak spore concentrations. The results showed that the Sentinel-2 satellite detected agricultural areas that underwent intensive harvesting and this coincided with a rapid increase of Alternaria spore concentrations. Furthermore, local agricultural areas cultivated with cereals were the main sources of the peak Alternaria spore concentrations in all the study sites. Remote agricultural and non-agricultural sources, to a lesser extent, contributed to the peak spore concentrations at some sites, e.g. Borstel, Leicester and Worcester. Temperature during the harvesting periods (July and August) was found to significantly contribute to the peak spore concentrations. Overall, the study showed that it is possible to use Sentinel-2 satellite data alongside atmospheric transport and dispersion models to estimate periods of peak Alternaria spore concentrations and sources at a continental scale. This approach can be replicated for other bioaerosols that affect human health, agriculture and forestry.

Facilitation of weed seed predation by living mulch and cover crops

Weed seed predation (WSP) is an important agro-ecosystem service that naturally suppresses weed populations. Disturbances directly interfere with the activity of the seed predators, for example, harvest and soil tillage during a peak in weed seed availability (around cereal harvest). Plant soil cover and reduced soil tillage are factors that might positively affect WSP. We investigated cover crops and living mulch along with soil disturbance (no-till and conventional seeding) in comparison to a fallow and repeated stubble tillage with a chisel plough in terms of WSP, activity-density of carabid beetles and soil cover. A field experiment with a randomised complete block design and four replications was conducted at two sites from 2017 until 2019. WSP rates were assessed with seed cards and exclosure cages from July until November during a period of eight consecutive days each month. Living mulch exhibited the highest WSP rates of 72% with a maximum of 95% immediately following cereal harvest in August and September of 2017 and 2019, while the remainder of the treatments ranged from 2% to 5% WSP. In October and November mustard showed on average twice as high WSP rates compared to the other treatments (50% vs. 10%–25%). Seeding and soil tillage did not significantly influence carabid beetle activity-density and WSP, except for living mulch. Predator groups (invertebrates and vertebrates) were not influenced by the various treatments, rather year and month determined the predator groups dominance. Besides their weed suppressive effects, living mulches and cover crops also facilitate WSP.

Analysis of cereal production in Algeria

Analysis of cereal production allows one to make decisions about the importance of certain products and the water resources. Improving cereal production is crucial in developing the standard of living in Algeria. Actually, it should be part of any future strategy for the country. Most of the arable land in Algeria is in a Mediterranean climate, where droughts are common and rainfall is distributed unevenly throughout the year. Research on the impact of climate variability and irrigation on cereal production is necessary due to the effects on the uneven performance of crops in Algeria. The study considered here is based on statistical methods to model the production of durum wheat, bread wheat, barley and oats. The first method used is principal component analysis. It was applied to classify the data in order to determine the relative importance of the various regions for the evaluation of cereal production. The results exhibit an increasing trend in the cereal production on the period from 2009 to 2012. The 2012 cereal harvest in Algeria proved to be the second highest ever recorded, after that of 2009, despite an unusual period of snow in February. It appears that durum wheat production was explained jointly by precipitation and irrigation. However, the variations in the production of the common wheat, oat and barley can only be explained by precipitation. Agriculture currently depends mainly on precipitation rather than irrigation. Modern irrigation systems could increase production. Therefore, if agricultural production is to be improved, important agricultural irrigation methods are needed to mitigate the impact of climate variability in each agricultural area, mainly in the southern regions of the country. Key words: cereal, irrigation, rainfall, regression, production, wheat, oat, barley

Conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction of rice bran oil with isopropanol as solvent

After cereal harvesting, rice is subjected to several milling processes to remove hull, germ, and bran and produce the final white rice. The bran represents around 10% of total grain weight and is usually considered as waste material. One of the most common rice bran applications is the extraction of rice bran oil, rich in γ-oryzanol, which has shown many health benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypercholesterolemic properties. Rice bran oil is usually extracted by organic solvents, which are toxic for health and the environment. In this work, rice bran oil was extracted through isopropanol extraction, and the best-operating temperature and bran to solvent ratio have been identified. After that, an ultrasound-assisted extraction was conducted at room temperature and with the same rice bran to solvent ratio of the isopropanol extraction.The kinetics evaluation through Peleg's model showed that the solvent extraction reaches the steady-state after 15 min while the ultrasound-assisted extraction reaches the steady-state after only 1 min producing very similar yields in rice bran oil and γ-oryzanol. Comparing these two green extraction techniques through a life cycle assessment, it has emerged that with the same amount of rice bran oil produced, the ultrasound-assisted extraction is the less environmentally impacting process. The room temperature ultrasound-assisted extraction allows minimizing the energy and time consumption demonstrating to be a sustainable process in line with the principles of green chemistry.

Isolation and identification of aflatoxin producing fungi from different foodstuffs at Shuwarin Market, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Aflatoxin is a word derived from Aspergillus spp toxin which is naturally occurring mycotoxins that is produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus species of fungi. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify aflatoxin producing fungi from four different grains (maize, rice, cowpea, and groundnut). During the research, four (4) different grain samples were obtained from Shuwarin market (Kiyawa L.G.A), Jigawa state. The samples were analyzed for microbial examination through serial dilution, inoculation, incubation, subculture and microscopy. Six (6), fungal species were isolated which included Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus sp, Penicillium sp, Fusarium sp, Cladosporium sp and Aspergillus niger, where A. niger has the highest number of isolates (16; 40%), Rhizopus sp with 12 (30%) isolates, and A. flavus having 8 isolates (20%), Penicillium sp, 2 (5%), Cladosporium sp has and Fusarium sp has 1(2.5%) having 1 (2.5%), each, having the lowest number of isolate. Furthermore, the samples were also used to detect the presence of aflatoxin using thin layer chromatography technique (TLC). The contamination levels found ranged from the relative factor value (Rf) for maize, the Rf 0.94 registering the highest level of aflatoxin content and groundnut with Rf value of 0.08 registering the lowest level of aflatoxin content. This is due to improper harvesting, handling, processing, storage, and poor hygiene of the farmers and vendors. Therefore, the farmers and vendors have to be trained and enlightened on the method of harvesting, storage, handling, processing, transportation and selling of cereals and legumes so as to reduce the risk of causing health problems to the consumers.

Evaluation of Growing Some Legume Forage Crops as Second Crop

Aim of the present research was evaluation of growing some legume forage crops as second crop following to cereal harvest under irrigated conditions. Field trial was realized under Seydişehir Town – Konya City / Turkey ecological conditions for 2 years during the both vegetation periods of 2019-2020 years by 4 replications according to randomized blocks design. As material; forage pea (Pisum sativum L.), soybean (Glycine max. L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), common vetch (Vicia sativum L.), and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) were used. According to the results of the research, statistically significant differences were found for plant height and green herbage yield as mean of the years. The obtained data also showed that the highest plant height and green herbage yield were taken from forage pea and common vetch. Additionally, plant height was between 126.76-117.94 cm values for pea and common vetch, while green herbage yield was 3085.50-1 and 2788.63 kg da-1 for pea and common vetch, respectively. Consequently, legume forage crops as second crop following to the harvest of cereals may be successfully grown under irrigated conditions.