Conventional Planting System Research Articles

Effects of direct and conventional planting systems on mycorrhizal activity in wheat grown in the Cerrado

Direct planting systems offer several benefits to the soil and plants, as reflected in soil organisms. The Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are extremely sensitive to environmental changes and can be used as indicators of soil quality. This study focused on the native diversity of mycorrhizae in the region. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate mycorrhizal colonization, spore density, soil glomalin content and species diversity in five wheat genotypes under direct and conventional planting systems. This work was carried out in the experimental area of Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, DF, Brazil. The rates of mycorrhizal colonization, spore density and easily extractable glomalin were evaluated, and species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were identified in five wheat genotypes under direct and conventional planting. For all the genotypes under conventional planting, there was a decrease in mycorrhizal colonization, the number of spores in the rhizosphere and the amount of easily extractable glomalin. The composition of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community differed among the wheat genotypes and management systems. The richness of morphospecies of AMF in the direct planting system was similar to that in the conventional system, with twelve species each, but the conventional system reduced root colonization and spore density. The most common species were A. scrobiculata, Si. tortuosum and G. macrocarpum, which were found in all the genotypes in both cultivation systems.

Mycorrhizal fungi arbuscular in organic and conventional sugarcane systems

Organic production systems are increasingly gaining market share; however, there are still few studies on their influence on the activity of soil microorganisms in sugarcane. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are extremely sensitive to environmental changes, and their activity can be used as a parameter of comparison and quality between organic and conventional systems. The objective of this work was to evaluate mycorrhizal activity in different varieties of sugarcane under two production systems. This work was carried out in a commercial plantation of the Jalles Machado plant in the municipality of Goianésia in Goiás, Brazil. The values of spore density in the soil, mycorrhizal colonization rate in the roots and easily extractable glomalin were evaluated, and the associated fungal species were identified. There was no effect of sugarcane variety on the number of spores or the glomalin content in the soil. The conventional system presented significantly lower mycorrhizal colonization rates than did the organic system. The varieties cultivated under the conventional planting system showed a greater diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, where 12 of the 13 different species of mycorrhizal fungi found in both cultivation systems occurred.

KOMPARASI SISTEM TANAM JAJAR LEGOWO DAN KONVENSIONAL PADA PRODUKSI DAN PENDAPATAN USAHA TANI PADI SAWAH DI DESA KUIMASI KECAMATAN FATULEU KABUPATEN KUPANG

The Jajar Legowo planting system is a new innovation which in its application aims to increase production and income in lowland rice farming businesses when compared with Conventional planting systems, so this study aims to determine production and income and the magnitude of the difference in productivity and income from lowland rice farming using the Jajar Legowo and Conventional planting systems in Kuimasi Village, Fatuleu District, Kupang Regency. To find out the production and income of rice farming, it is necessary to calculate the farmer's income level using farming income analysis calculations. The results of this study (1) The total production cost of lowland rice farming in Kuimasi Village, Fatuleu District, Kupang Regency using the Jajar Legowo planting system is IDR. 8,420,754.3/Ha, total revenue of Rp. 41,250,000/Ha with an average income of Rp. 32,829,245.7/Ha and the total cost of lowland rice production using a conventional planting system is Rp. 7,258,456.3/Ha, total revenue of Rp. 52,500,000/Ha with an average income of Rp. 45,241,543.7/Ha. (2) The total production costs of lowland rice farming using the Jajar Legowo planting system and the conventional planting system have a difference of Rp. 1,162,289/Ha. The total revenue from rice farming using the Jajar Legowo planting system and the conventional planting system has a difference of Rp. 11,250,000/Ha. The average income using the Jajar Legowo planting system and the conventional planting system has a difference in income of Rp. 12,412,298/Ha in one planting season. Based on these calculations, it can be concluded that the total production costs using the Jajar Legowo planting system are greater than the total production costs using the Conventional planting system, but the total revenue and income using the Conventional planting system is greater than the total revenue and income using the Jajar Legowo planting system.

Soybean plantability in different operating conditions

Many crops of global importance, such as soybeans (Glycine max), come from the sowing process. This stage in the production cycle is the most important since the deposition of the seed in the soil will directly impact final productivity. Therefore, it must be carried out correctly to guarantee a better uniformity of seed distribution. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the interference of operating speed and different furrow closing pressures on the longitudinal distribution of seeds, productivity, soil mobilization, and sowing depth in direct and conventional planting systems. The experimental treatment units had an area of 10 m² distributed in a randomized block design and arranged in a system of sub-subdivided plots, with four replications, being: two types of soil preparation (direct planting and conventional system), and, in each one, two operating speeds (3.42 and 6.82 km h-1) and three pressures in the furrow closing system (12.57; 14.94 and 16.52 kfg). The type of soil preparation system influenced the depth and spacing between seeds. The operating speed of 3.42 km h-1 determined the better longitudinal distribution of the seeds. Soil mobilization and blistering were significantly changed with increasing pressure from the compacting wheels, having the most significant effect at a pressure of 16.52 kgf.

Farmer income and farm risk of jajar legowo and conventional planting system

Farmer income and farm risk of <i>jajar legowo</i> and conventional planting system

Rice Growth Response and Yield to Different Planting Systems in Merauke Regency, South Papua

Technological use potentially serves as the main factor in increasing production and productivity. One of the cultivation technologies that could be used to increase rice productivity through Legowo cultivation system and tegel system. Previous studies report that jajar legowo planting system could increase productivity by 1-1.5 tonnes/ha, or by more than 30% when compared to conventional planting systems. The study was conducted in Kamangi Village, Tanah Miring District, Merauke Regency from April to July 2019. This study applied a factorial randomized design, with the first being four rice varieties: Inpari 35, Inpari 36, Inpari 37 and Inpari 43. The second factor was the cultivation approaches, including jajar legogo and tegel planting systems. The rice field used in the study was owned by farmers and covered an area of 3 hectares, with 1.5 hectares using the jajar legowo 4:1 planting system and the remaining 1.5 hectares using the tegel planting system. The parameters observed included plant height, number of productive tillers, number of panicles per hill, and dry grain yield per plot. The data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), If the results of the analysis of variance show a real effect, then proceed with the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at the 5% level. The research results indicate that the productivity of the Inpari 37 variety using the jajar legowo 4:1 cultivation technique shows better results compared to the tegel system.

Atrazine selectivity for Panicum maximum cv. Massai under no-till and conventional tillage

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of atrazine applied in pre-emergence in the control of weeds and its selectivity for forage Panicum maximum cv. Massai in no-till and conventional tillage systems. The experiment was installed in a stripped experimental design, in an 8 x 2 factorial scheme (8 doses of atrazine in 2 planting systems) with three replicates for each treatment. The variables were analyzed and being the presence of phytotoxicity, dry matter accumulation (DM), height of Massai grass plants, and visual evaluation of control effectiveness on weeds. The data were submitted to analysis of variance with the application of the F test, where the control values of 50% of weeds (C50) and a reduction of 50% in the growth of weeds and Massai grass (GR50) were defined. In the no-tillage system the doses for C50 and GR50 of weeds were 944.83 g a.i. ha-1 and 556.39 g a.i. ha-1, respectively. For the conventional planting system, the doses for C50 and GR50 of weeds were 329.52 g a.i. ha-1 and 301.77 g a.i. ha-1, respectively. In both systems, doses below the recommended were able to perform efficient weed control, where the GR50 values of the crop were higher than those of weeds, requiring doses of 1,184.51 g ai ha-1 for no-tillage and 1,632.92 g ia ha-1 for conventional planting.

Weed-Hoeing Periods in Cowpea Cultivation under Direct and Conventional Systems.

Weed coexistence with an agricultural crop can negatively affect its growth, development, and yield. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate weed management strategies and their effect on the agronomic parameters of cowpea cultivation in direct (SPD) and conventional (SPC) planting systems. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized block design with a split-plot arrangement with four replications. The plots received a source of variation referring to the planting systems (direct and conventional planting), and the subplots corresponded to ten weed management strategies (manual hoeing 18 days after planting (DAP); at 36 DAP; at 54 DAP; at 18 and 36 DAP; at 18 and 54 DAP; at 18 and 72 DAP; at 36 and 54 DAP; at 36-72 DAP; at 18, 36, and 54 DAP; and a control with no hoeing). Density and dry mass evaluations of the cowpea plants were performed at harvest (72 DAP) by determining the number of pods per plant, pod length, number of grains per pod, 1000-grain mass, and yield. A total of 28 species distributed in 12 botanical families were identified in the two cultivation systems. The family Poaceae showed the highest frequency, with 25% of the species identified. At the end of the assay, treatment 20 had the highest positive influence and provided significant quantitative gains to the complex of traits related to cowpea production (SPD and hoeing at 18, 36, and 54 DAP). UPGMA cluster analysis and canonical discriminant analysis were performed and allowed a better classification of the evaluated treatments. It was observed that the first two canonical variables explained 90.8% of the total variance contained in the original variables. The use of SPD with weeding at 18, 36, and 54 days after planting provides greater weed control and significant quantitative gains for the complex of characteristics related to cowpea production. The results underscore the importance of choosing the correct cropping system and implementing effective weeding practices to optimize weed control and improve crop performance.

Population and damage intensity of the yellow rice stem borer and its natural enemies in the jajar legowo rice planting system

Jajar legowo (Jarwo) is a rice planting system that is widely practiced by farmers, but information regarding its effects on pests and natural enemies is limited. This study aimed to identify how the Jarwo planting system affects the population and damage intensity of the yellow rice stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas) and its predators. The research was conducted in Wonosari-Klaten, Central Java, during the dry season of 2020. The Jarwo 2:1 planting system was used in this study. The variables of the research were population of S. incertulas, its damage intensity, and its natural enemies. Observations by field inspection were carried out every week from 14 to 94 days after transplanting (DAT). The results showed that the population of egg clusters and damage intensity of the rice stem borer in the Jarwo planting system were lower than in the conventional planting system (control plot). However, this planting system did not affect the kinds of predators and parasitoids. The predators found were generalists, which were dominated by spiders, namely Atypena sp. (Araneae), Araneus sp. (Araneae), Lycosa sp. (Araneae), Plexippus sp. (Araneae), and Oxyopes sp. (Araneae), Paederus sp. (Coleoptera) was recorded as predatory insects. Meanwhile, the main egg parasitoid found was Telenomus sp. (Hymenoptera) with 31.2% parasitization.

Identification of microclimate in jajar legowo planting system and its effect on brown plant hopper and Lycosa sp.

Rice was an important food crop that one of the cultivation was the jajar legowo planting system. However, the effect of the planting system on brown planthopper and predatory Lycosa has not been well studied, related to microclimate changes. This study aims to identify microclimate factors in the jajar legowo and their effects on brown leafhopper populations and Lycosa. This research was designed through field experiments in rice fields with the treatment of legowo planting system (2: 1) and conventional system as a check. The research variables consisted of temperature, humidity, light intensity, brown leafhopper population, and Lycosa population. The results of this study showed the highest humidity was at the end of the planting period. The temperature and light intensity recorded in jajar legowo planting systems tends higher. The population of Lycosa in the Jajar legowo planting system was highest in the 2 week after transplanting (WAT), while in the conventional planting, the system was found in the 1 WAT The highest brown plant hopper population was recorded at 3 WAT, while in jajar legowo at 2 WAT. The results of this study showed no significant effect of microclimate factors on the Lycosa population and brown leafhopper populations. The benefit of this research is knowing the effect of microclimate on lycosa and WBC populations in Jajar Legowo and Conventional rice planting systems.

Change of Some Soil Physical Properties in Newly Reclaimed Soils Following Poor Soil Management: A Case Study in Al-Qasasin, Egypt

Background: In newly reclaimed areas, some improper farming practices like using heavy machines in tillage, adding excessive quantity of fertilizers, irrigation by flooding method and intensity cultivation could affect the soil physical properties.&#x0D; Objective‎: Therefore, eighty soil samples were collected from the twenty-seven profiles to evaluate the change of soils' physical properties at four locations (A, B, C and D) after different improper soil managements.&#x0D; Methods‎: The study area is located in Al-Qasasin, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt northern tip of it extended between latitudes 30° 33' 1.147" N and 30° 28' 16.096" N, and longitudes 32° 4' 12.984" E and 32° 4' 15.696" E, with total area of 144.25 km2 (34345.1 Feddan) which falls in the semi-arid zone. Profile depth, soil texture, total porosity (TP), bulk density (BD), hydraulic conductivity (HC) and infiltration rate (IR) were determined according to the standard procedures.&#x0D; Results: According to the values of general mean of the studied properties in the four locations, BD takes the order: C&gt;B&gt;A&gt;D. While the TP take the opposite trend of BD (D&gt;A&gt;B&gt;C), on the other hand, both HC and IR follow the same order: C&gt;A&gt;B&gt;D. These results attributed to that the locations B and D using surface flooding irrigation system, while A and C locations using sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, respectively. In addition to the intensive cultivation and the conventional tillage planting system are used in the B and D locations. Where the tillage tools like heavy plows, disks or chisels are used seasonally. While in A and C sites light tillage and orchards planting only are used commonly.&#x0D; Conclusion: These findings should be considered in future research to improve the soil management programs in these examined areas particularly the fourth location that should stop flooding technique and terns to the drip or sprinkler method.

Corn yield components in function of the regulation of the seeder-fertilizer in a conventional planting system in amazon biome

The correct seeder-fertilizer adjustment is responsible for increasing the efficiency of corn cultivation's implementation process. This work aimed to evaluate transmission system regulation of seeder-fertilizer seed deposition unit in maize crop implantation in the Eastern Amazon. The experiment was carried out after the sowing process with a seeder-fertilizer for conventional planting with a mechanical seed distributor. The treatments resulted in five size combinations of driven gears (8, 10, 12, 15, 17) with the motor gear of size 7, which resulted in the respective corn sowing densities, 64.978, 62.311, 52.444, 44.977, 38.665 plants ha-1. Each treatment consisted of a 200 m seeding strip divided into 20 plots per strip (treatment). The agronomic variables analyzed were: average Number of Days to Emergence (NDE), longitudinal distribution of plants in the standard (N), Fault (F) and Double (D) fields, Initial Plant population (IP), Final Plant population (FP), Stem Diameter (SD), Plant Height (PH), Number of Leaves (NL), Number of Ears (NE), Mass of one hundred grains (MG), Number of Grains per row (GR), Number of Ear rows (ER), Ear Length (EL), Ear Diameter (ED) and Productivity (P). Data were submitted to statistical analysis, correlation test and decision tree analysis. The decision tree showed which initial population was more important to classify the most relevant agronomic variables in corn planting. The initial stand of 62.442 plants ha-1 was the most suitable for corn in the Amazon region. There is potential to reach corn productivity of 5.14 to 5.33 t ha-1 when combined with a drive gear 12 and driven gear 7 seeder-fertilizer machine transmission system

PENGARUH SISTEM TANAM JAJAR LEGOWO TERHADAP PRODUKTIVITAS DAN PENDAPATAN PETANI PADI SAWAH (ORYZA SATIVA L.) DI KOTA SUKABUMI (Suatu kasus pada petani padi sawah program LP2B)

This study aims to analyze the differences in production costs, productivity, revenue and income used in lowland rice (Oriza lativa L.) farming with conventional planting systems and jajar legowo planting systems for farmers who participate in the LP2B program in Sukabumi City. The data analysis method used in this study is to use a statistical test t-test. The results showed that there were significant differences in the number of workers, namely the number of farm workers using the conventional planting system of 63.43 HOK/Ha and the farming using the jajar legowo planting system of 76.53 HOK/Ha; there is a difference in production costs, the conventional planting system is lower, namely Rp. 7,860,558,-/Ha, and the total cost of production in the jajar legowo planting system is higher, namely Rp. 8.810.753,-/Ha; there is a difference in productivity, which uses the conventional planting system, namely the productivity of 5,484 Kg/Ha; while the productivity with the jajar legowo planting system is 6,827 kg/ha; there is a significant difference in farm income, with a conventional planting system of Rp 23,580,930,-/Ha, with a row planting system of Rp 29,355,101/Ha. There is a significant difference in farm income with conventional cropping systems, which is Rp 15,720,372/Ha/MT, and the jajar legowo planting system of Rp 20,544,348/Ha/MT.

Single bud transplanting technique of turmeric to reduce production cost

Turmeric is one of the most important spice crops of Tamenglong district of Manipur. Due to high seed requirement (15- 20 q/ha) of turmeric the cost of production increases rapidly. Around 40-45% of total cost of cultivation is incurred for procurement of seed and this is one of the major constraints for large scale cultivation of Turmeric. To overcome the disadvantages of conventional planting system of seed rhizomes and to produce good quality planting material with reduced cost, rapid multiplication of turmeric, single bud transplanting technology was introduced to the farmers of Noney/ Tamenglong district. ICAR – KVK Tamenglong organized different capacity building programmes on single bud transplanting of turmeric.Disease-free seed rhizomes of turmeric (variety Lakadong) were cut into small pieces of 5-6 g containing a single bud and treated with Trichoderma viridae @ 2g/litre and sown in pro-trays using suitable growing media prepared by mixing coco peat: FYM @ 1:1 during March. After 30- 40 days, the germinated and well-developed seedlings were transplanted in main field.Single bud transplanting technique of turmeric produced healthy crop.Single bud transplanting technique of turmeric was recorded to have reduced number of days required for tillering (52 days) and rhizome development (207 days) whereas in conventional planting method it took 85 days for tillering and 237 days for rhizome development. Single bud transplanting technique of turmeric recorded a higher yield of 220 q/ ha within a shorter period as compare to 170q/ha in conventional planting method.An average cost of production of Rs.45,600/ hawas obtained underSingle bud transplanting methodas compare to Rs. 61000/ha under conventional planting method. Higher average net returns of Rs. 217200/ha and benefit cost ratio of4.8:1was recorded with single bud transplanting method. However, relatively lower average net returns of Rs. 143200/ha and benefit cost ratio of 2.3:1 was recorded with conventional planting method. An average cost saving of 34.2% was recorded with single bud transplanting method over conventional planting method.

The Influence of Conventional and Ratoon Planting System on the Presence of Main Pests Growth and Rice Production (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice is an important commodity in Indonesia because it is the main food source consumed daily by people in Indonesia. Farmers often fail in cultivation of rice plant thereby affecting availability of foodstuffs. One factor of the rice production failure and the decreasing cultivation is the pests attack on the land plantation. Affecting factors of the pests existence is cropping system. This research was conducted to find out the presence of pest in ratoon and conventional cropping systems. Observations on this research used random sampling technique on the diagonal line with conventional and ratoon cropping systems. The variety used was Sertani 13 with planting distance 25 x 25 on 50 m x 20 m acres. The observation parameters are plant height, pest population, pest attack intensity, number of shoots and results of production. The data obtained will be analysed descriptively by comparing Conventional and Ratoon cropping systems. The results showed that conventional cropping systems and ratoon has good effect on pest growth and populations however both system have bad effect on rice production.

Investigating the relationships between soil and sugarcane attributes under different row spacing configurations and crop cycles using the state-space approach

The adoption of different row spacing configurations has been advocated as a possible solution to mitigate the problems related to soil compaction in sugarcane areas due to the frequent use of heavy agricultural machines. This study aimed to (i) identify factors that influence the relationships of biometric attributes of sugarcane and attributes of an Oxisol soil under different scenarios in Southern Brazil and (ii) describe the distribution of the biometric attributes of sugarcane through state-space analysis under all the evaluated scenarios. Sugarcane was planted using conventional planting systems. The total experimental area of 200 m × 20 m consisted of three row spacing configurations: (i) single-row spacing; (ii) double-row spacing; and (iii) triple-row spacing. In each row spacing configuration, a transect was established, and fifty soil sampling points were distributed at equal distances. At each point and transect, disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected in the 0.00–0.10 m soil layer to determine soil bulk density, total porosity, macro- and – microporosity, soil penetration resistance and water content at field capacity in three sugarcane crop cycles. At the end of each crop cycle and each transect, stalk height, number of stalks per square meter, stalk mass and tons of stalks per hectare were determined at each sampling point. All the data sets were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. In addition, using the Tukey test, the mean values of each attribute were compared to assess the effects of each row spacing configuration and sugarcane crop cycle on all the soil and crop attributes. Spatial relationships of the biometric attributes of sugarcane and co-regionalized soil attributes under each row spacing and crop cycle were evaluated using the auto- and cross-correlation functions and the state-space approach. There were no statistically significant differences between the crop and soil attributes measured under the single- and double-row spacing configurations. In addition, it is expected that with the advance in the age of the sugarcane crop, a superiority of the performance of the double-row spacing, compared with the single-row spacing, will be observed, due to the possibility of monitoring the traffic control under the double-row spacing configuration. On the other hand, the adoption of the triple-row spacing configuration caused negative effects on all the crop and soil attributes, compared with the other two row spacing configurations. Future studies of sugarcane crop and soil attributes should be developed to validate the state-space approach in other environmental conditions.

Water‐saving techniques for restoring desertified lands: Some lessons from the field

AbstractNature‐based solutions can significantly contribute to restoration projects in areas affected by desertification processes, where they are necessary for reversing land degradation. Currently, one innovative solution is The Cocoon™, which has been designed as a new ecotechnology for improving seedling establishment. The Cocoon consists of a doughnut‐shaped container made of recycled cardboard that provides water and shelter at least during the first year of a seedling, which is the most critical for plant establishment. To determine the effectiveness of this ecotechnology under different conditions, the Cocoon was tested on a variety of soils, climates, vegetation, and land uses. Six planting trials were performed in Spain and Greece, which covered a range from humid to arid climates. With the objective of studying its functionality, the survival of the seedlings, their vigor, and growth were monitored for 2 years. Compared with conventional planting systems, the Cocoon has effectively increased seedling survival, especially under dry growing conditions (low rainfall, soils with low water holding capacity). The Cocoon also allowed for higher growth of some species (olive trees, holm oaks, and Aleppo pines). Moreover, a positive correlation between the rainfall on the site and the biodegradation degree of the Cocoon device was observed. Overall, the Cocoon becomes more efficient in arid climates or adverse growing conditions.

Weed diversity in rice (Oryza sativa) fields with different cultivation technologies in Garut Regency, Indonesia

The presence of weeds in lowland rice cultivation will result in reduced growth and yield of rice plants, so the presence of weeds in cultivated crops must be controlled. Weed control applied to lowland rice cultivation will run effectively and efficiently after knowing the diversity of dominant weeds present in lowland rice cultivation. This study was conducted during 2017–18 at Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia to determine the diversity of weeds in lowland rice cultivation, both on conventional and SRI technology. The research was conducted on rice fields owned by farmers in four sub-districts in Garut Regency. The method used in this research is non-experimental through the survey method. Sampling was carried out on paddy fields using conventional planting system technology and SRI, each of 42 plots with a quadrant of 0.5 m x 0.5 m spread over four districts. The results showed that the types of weeds found in the conventional system were 20 types of weeds with the dominant weed Ludwigia hyssopifolia, in the SRI system there were 17 types of weeds with the dominant weed of Echinocloa crus-galli. The value of the diversity index (diversity) of weed species found in lowland rice cultivation in the Garut Regency area both in the conventional system and the SRI system is classified as moderate. The distribution pattern of all types of spatial weeds in lowland rice cultivation in the Garut Regency area, both in the conventional system and the SRI system, is included in the group distribution pattern.

ANALISIS PERBANDINGAN EFISIENSI PRODUKSI PADI SAWAH SISTEM TANAM JAJAR LEGOWO DAN SISTEM TANAM KONENSIONAL DI KABUPATEN KAMPAR

This study aims to analyze tecnically the cultivation of paddy jajar legowo planting systems and conventional planting systems, to analyze of farming and production efficency and to compare the effiinecy of the production of jajar legowo planting systems and conventional planting systems. This study was conducted by survey method and determination of the sample was carried out by multistage sampling with 72 respondents of lawland rice farmers in Kampar Regency. Analysis data used desriptive analysis, farm analysis, DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis), and independent samples t test analysis. The result of the study showed that technically the pady cultivaiton with the standart that was given by expert. For farming, the paddy of jajar legowo planitng systems has an RCR 0f 1,60 and a conventional planting systems of 1,31. Technical, allocative and economic efficeincy of lawland paddy with jajar legowo planting systems and convenitonal planting systems had no significantly different.

Title: Selective limb removal pruning and reflective ground covers improve light and crop distributions in the lower zone of ‘Nonpareil’ almond trees but not total yield

Conventional planting and management systems for almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb) orchards involve trees trained from an early age to produce multiple large scaffold branches, which in mature orchards form closed light inefficient canopies. Treatments included a single round of selective limb removal pruning applied at the start of the research to remove the large scaffold branches that cause shading between trees. Treatments were applied to two groups of 5-year-old ‘Nonpareil’ trees on ‘Nemaguard’ rootstock planted at 6 × 3 m spacing (556 trees/ha) in the Riverland region of South Australia. Each year, reflective ground covers were installed beneath one group of pruned trees to reflect light back into the lower canopy zones. A third group of control trees were left unpruned without reflective ground covers. Yield, kernel quality and light transmission within canopy zones were monitored for 3 subsequent years. Results demonstrated that in control trees, less than 10% of incoming sunlight was transmitted to lower canopy zones. This was insufficient to ensure cropping in these zones. Although pruning selected limbs and using reflective ground covers increased the amount of light and thus yields in the lower canopy zones, this was not sufficient to increase total tree yield nor improve kernel quality. Furthermore, the fruit in these lower zones were not ready for harvest until 2–3 weeks after the main crop.