Crop Dry Weight Research Articles

Uptake of technetium-99 by food crops under field conditions

Long-term field experiments have been carried out in the Chornobyl Exclusion zone to determine parameters describing technetium (99Tc) transfer into five food plants (Lettuce, Radish, Wheat, Bean, and Potato) from four types of soil, namely Podzoluvisol, Greyzem, Phaeozem, and Chernozem. Technetium was added to the soils under field conditions in a pertechnetate form. In the first two years, soil type had little effect on Tc uptake by plants. In the first and second years after contamination, the concentration ratios (CR), defined as 99Tc activity concentration in the crop (dry weight) divided by that in the soil (dry weight), for radish roots and lettuce leaves ranged from 60 to 210. For potato tubers, the CR was d 0.4–2.3, i.e., two orders of magnitude lower than for radish and lettuce, and for summer wheat grain it was lower at 0.6 ± 0.1. After 8–9 years, root uptake of 99Tc by wheat decreased by 3–7 fold (CR from 0.016 ± 0.005 to 0.12 ± 0.034) and only 13–22 % of the total 99Tc added remained in the upper 20 cm soil layers. The time taken for half of the added 99Tc to be removed from the 20-cm arable soil layer due to vertical migration and transfer to plants was short at c. 2–3 years.

Effect of Tillage and Weed Management Practices on Dry Matter, Yield and Nutrient Uptake by Plant and Depletion by Weed in Lentil Crop (Lens culinaris M.)

Aims: To evaluate the impact of tillage and weed management techniques on Plant dry weight, Yield, nutrient uptake by plant and depletion by weed in lentil crop (Lens culinaris M.).
 Place and Duration of Study: A field study was conducted at Research Farm of Tirhut College of Agriculture, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, India, from Oct 2020 to Mar 2021.
 Methodology: The experiment followed a split-plot design with three replications. The main plots consisted of three tillage practices (M1: Zero tillage, M2: Minimum tillage, and M3: Conventional tillage), while subplots included five weed management practices [T1: control, T2: 1 hand weeding at 20 DAS, T3: chlorimuron-ethyl 4 g/ha (pre-emergence) + paddy straw mulching (5.0 t/ha), T4: quizalofop-ethyl 40 g/ha at 20 DAS (post-emergence) and T5: chlorimuron-ethyl 4 g/ha (pre-emergence) + quizalofop-ethyl 40 g/ha at 20 DAS (post-emergence)].
 Results: Among the tillage practices conventional found most effective in term of increasing plant dry weight, grain yield, straw yield, nutrient uptake by crop while effectively reduce the weed dry matter and nutrient depletion by the weed. Among the weed management practices hand weeding proved to be the most effective weed management practice, leading to higher plant dry matter, grain yield, straw yield and nutrient uptake by crop and least weed dry matter weight and nutrient depletion by weeds. Among the chemical weeding chlorimuron ethyl (PE) + paddy straw mulching showed comparable effectiveness to hand weeding in all the parameters. These results highlight the importance of tillage practices and effective weed management techniques in optimizing plant growth, yield, nutrient uptake, and weed control.

The Effect of Organic Manure and Days of Incorporation on the Growth and Yield of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Grown in Jos Plateau State. Nigeria

The experiment aimed to evaluate effect of organic manure on the growth and yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in Jos Plateau State, Nigeria. The treatments used are organic manure source (Poultry dropping, Cow dung, goat manure, dung site and control) and time of inclusion (5, 10 and 15 days before transplanting) was adopted for the experiment. The experiment is laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications, with 12 plots in a block and 45 plots for the whole experiment. Data were collected from the following parameters, plant height, plant diameter, number of leaves, leaf area (LA), net assimilation rate (NAR), crop growth rate (CGR), fresh weight, and dry weight. All the study parameters of lettuce were significantly different (P<0.05) on both organic manure, days of inclusion and season. Poultry droppings produce plant height (25.73), plant diameter (8.42), number of leaves (32.02), leaf area index (16.75), net assimilation rate (4.67), crop growth rate (3.20), fresh weight (6.65 ha-1), and dry weight (4.23 ha-1) when compared with other sources of nutrient. Similarly maximum plant height (23.32), plant diameter (6.66), number of leaves (31.86), leaf area (15.19), net assimilation rate (3.32), crop growth rate (3.54), fresh weight (5.79 ha-1), and dry weight (4.00 ha-1) was recorded in lettuce plant treated with organic manure of 5 days of inclusion. On seasons, higher plant height (25.83), plant diameter (8.23), number of leaves (31.34), leaf area (15.32), net assimilation rate (4.00), crop growth rate (3.61), fresh weight (7.01 ha-1), and dry weight (5.99 ha-1)  was obtained in 2021 as against 2020 season. Based on the results obtained, it can be recommended to lettuce farmers in the locality the use of poultry manure and 5 days of inclusion for optimum growth and yield of lettuce.

Plant protein-based self-assembling core–shell nanocarrier for effectively controlling plant viruses: Evidence for nanoparticle delivery behavior, plant growth promotion, and plant resistance induction

The excessive use of non-renewable formulations, low utilization efficiency, and eco-unfriendly behavior are serious disadvantages of traditional pesticide formulations. Herein, a scalable and sustainable biopolymer-based core–shell (CS) nanocarrier loaded with an anti-viral candidate agent, Bingqingxiao (BQX), was investigated for plant disease management. Preliminary BQX@PyPHEMA@SWP nanoparticles (BQX@PP@S NPs) were manufactured through the noncovalent self-assembly of pyridine-grafted poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PyPHEMA) and natural soy whey protein (SWP), and exhibited a stable spherical morphology with a diameter of approximately 130 nm. Notably, encapsulation of BQX into the NPs increased the ultra-violet (UV) resistance of the compound by 8.7-fold, and the nanocarrier PyPHEMA@SWP (PP@S) enhanced the BQX foliar surface wettability, resulting in a slow, urea-responsive release. In vivo studies revealed that the protective activity of BQX@PP@S NPs was 1.4-fold higher than that of BQX against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), and the antiviral efficiency was further improved by stimulation with 0.2 M urea. Furthermore, foliar application of BQX@PP@S NPs activated host plant defense responses by upregulating the expression of salicylic acid (SA)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-related genes. Interestingly, the developed BQX@PP@S NPs act as plant nutrition to enhance the crop fresh and dry weight by 24.7% and 19.9%, respectively. Consequently, PP@S is a promising biocompatible carrier that can enhance the potency of various pesticides, synergistically improve plant disease resistance, and simultaneously act as a fertilizer for crop growth.

Effect of Compost Derived from Urban Waste on Chard (Beta vulgaris L., var cycla) Yield and Soil GHG Fluxes in a Mediterranean Agricultural System

The use of recycled materials as soil amendments and fertilizers is an important priority in the agronomic sector to valorize waste from a circular economic perspective and reduce waste disposal, reduce dependence on external inputs, and provide better climate change mitigation options. In this study, we evaluated the agroecological performance of compost derived from recycled organic matrices of urban waste (mixed composted amendment, MCA) of the metropolitan area of Rome. MCA is available in big quantities and might represent an interesting option to substitute conventional mineral nitrogen fertilizer (CF). The effect of MCA, CF, and a combination of both (MIX 1:1) was tested on crop yield and greenhouse gas emissions in a field trial on a common Mediterranean crop (Swiss chart, one season, two crop cycles). The MCA effect on crop yield was positive and comparable to CF and MIX treatments, while MCA treatment showed the lower soil mineral nitrogen (N) content. GHG emissions in the MCA treatment were comparable to those observed in CF and MIX, being overall quite low. The soil acted as a weak net CH4 sink in all treatments (−12.6 ± 6.1 μg CH4 m−2 h−1); no differences in CO2 emissions between MCA and CF or MIX treatments were observed (range 0.1−0.2 g m−2 h−1). The N2O emission intensity of MCA was slightly lower than MIX and CF treatments (0.09, 0.011, and 0.011 g N2O kg−1 crop dry weight, respectively). Overall, MCA seemed a valid alternative to CF for the tested agro-environmental indicators in the spring/summer Mediterranean conditions.

Plantio direto de repolho sobre resíduos de diferentes plantas de cobertura e fontes de fósforo no cerrado

ABSTRACT No-till planting and the use of organomineral fertilizers are crop management practices that increase soil organic matter, thereby mitigating leaching and cycling a considerable amount of nutrients, with the potential to improve crop yield. This study aimed to assess the agronomic performance of cabbage grown under a no-till system, using different cover crops and phosphorus sources. A randomized block design was used, with the main plot consisting of eight split plots for different cover crop treatments: 1) Signal grass (SG); 2) Sunn hemp (SH); 3) Pearl millet (PM); 4) SG+SH; 5) SG+PM; 6) SH+PM; 7) SG+SH+PM; 8) conventional tillage (soil preparation with no cover crop), and phosphorus (P) sources in the sub-plots: 1) mineral fertilizer (FM); 2) organomineral fertilizer (OF); 3) no P, with four repetitions. The following characteristics were assessed: cover crop fresh (FW) and dry weight (DW) (t/ha), residue decomposition and nutrient cycling; and cabbage head FW and DW (HFW and HDW) (g/plant) and yield (YLD) (t/ha). The highest FW and DW were recorded in the intercropped cover plant treatments; PM+SH and SG+SH residue exhibited the highest decomposition rate and P cycling into the soil. The highest cabbage HFW and YLD occurred in the SG+SH treatment, regardless of the fertilizer used. The MF used as P source produced a greater cabbage YLD when grown in PM residue. Under conventional tillage, YLD was higher when OF was used as P source.

Produção de brócolis em plantio direto com diferentes coberturas vegetais e doses de nitrogênio

ABSTRACT No-till vegetable farming is a feasible alternative to reduce erosion-induced losses and to increase soil nutrient availability, because cover crop residue protects the soil and its decomposition promotes nutrient cycling, which can improve the yield of the subsequent crop. The present study assessed the production and decomposition of cover crops and the agronomic performance of broccoli grown on this residue using different nitrogen doses in a no-till system. A randomized block design was used, in a split-split plot arrangement of main plots (cover crops), sub-plots (N doses) and sub-sub plots (decomposition times), with four repetitions. Seven cover crops were studied, as follows: [1) signal grass (SG); 2) sunn hemp (SH); 3) pearl millet (PM): 4) SG+SH; 5) SG+PM; 6) SH+PM and 7) SG+SH+PM]; in addition to four doses of nitrogen topdressing [T1) no N application (control); T2) 60 kg/ha N; T3) 90 kg/ha N and T4) 120 kg/ha N]; and five cover crop residue decomposition times: zero (cutting), 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after transplanting (DAT) the broccoli seedlings. Cover crop dry weight (DW) production, residue decomposition, and the head fresh (HFW) and dry weight (HDW) and yield (YLD) of broccoli were assessed. Among the cover crops, sunn hemp and the intercropped SG+SH treatment exhibited the lowest DW production and, along with signal grass, the shortest half-life (T½) and highest residue decomposition rate. The best-performing broccoli plants were those grown using PM, SH and a combination of both as cover crops. The highest broccoli production was obtained using sunn hemp residue, regardless of nitrogen topdressing, with HFW of 788 g/plant and YLD of 30 t/ha.

Determining the Effect of Zinc Fortification on Growth, Yield and Economics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Under Irrigated Condition

The present study propose to explore the possibility of agronomic biofortification for enhancing the Zn content of wheat through ferti-fortification of wheat crops with Zn at appropriate dose and time during its growth. The productivity and nutritional value of wheat, as well as human health, are seriously hampered by zinc (Zn) deficiency in soil. A popular technological remedy for the issue is Zn fertilisation to increase its uptake in grains. Accordingly, the present field study was undertaken to assess the impacts of different Zn fertilization on growth, yield and economics returns of wheat at Regional Research Sub Center NARP, Saini, Kaushambi, UP during Rabi season of 2020-21. Five Zn treatments (control, 5 kg zinc/ha, 7 kg zinc/ha, 10 kg zinc/ha and 5 kg zinc/ha+2 two foliar spray @5%of Zn So4 at tillering and before flowering) were taken in randomized complete block design with three replication. Results showed that relative effectiveness of different Zn fertilization was varied for the crop attributes studied. Soil + foliar fertilization was superior in increasing grain yield (9.88% over the control). Moreover, for an optimum balance among all the tested attributes including Plant height, crop dry weight, yield attributes, yield, HI and returns and Zn content in grain were significantly higher under soil fertilization combined with foliar Zn fertilization (T5) over other treatments. The findings of this study can serve as guidelines for high-quality, sustainable wheat production, which will aid in the fight against malnutrition.

Effects of Harvest Time on the Yield and Forage Value of Winter Forage Crops in Reclaimed Lands of Korea

This research was conducted to select the most suitable winter forage crop varieties for silage in reclaimed land located in the Midwest of Korea by investigating the soil environment, crop growth characteristics, dry weight, and forage value according to growth stage. The slightly alkalescent soil was characterized by a pH of 7.41–7.84, by an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1–2.5 dS/m, and by 440–934 mg/kg of available phosphate. Barley showed the highest chlorophyll content in the heading stage and milk stages, while oats and triticale reached the highest content in the milk and dough stage. In both years, triticale achieved the highest leaf area index (LAI), reaching 4.3–4.8. In addition, triticale showed the highest percentage of dry matter and the highest dry weight in the milk stage. Forage value was the best in the heading stage for all cereal crops; however, its quality decreased as the growth stage proceeded. This study suggests cultivating triticale, which showed high adaptability to reclaimed soil and climatic conditions, as well as good growth and dry weight when harvested between the milk and dough stages. These results indicate that triticale can be cultivated all year round in salty soil and these data can be useful to increase forage production in reclaimed soil.

Application of Secondary Metabolites of Two Pseudomonas fluorescens Isolates to Control Bacterial Wilt of Potato

The focus of this research was to determine how secondary metabolites from two isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens (P8 and P60) affected potato plant resistance to bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) as well as potato growth and productivity. For four months, this experiment was carried out at Serang Village’s potato field, in Karangreja District, Purbalingga Regency, at an altitude of 1285 m above sea level, with Andisol soils, an average temperature of 22.31 C, and relative humidity of 84.09%. A randomized block design was used with a control treatment, drenching with 1.5 g/L bactericide (20% streptomicin sulphate) administered six times, and drenching with secondary metabolites of P. fluorescens P8 or P. fluorescens P60 administered three, six, nine, and 12 times. Each treatment was carried out five times. Each treatment resulted in a different incubation period, disease intensity, infection rate, plant height, number of tubers, tuber weight per plant, wet and dry weight of crop, fresh and dry weight of root, number of branches, and phenolic compound analysis. The results showed that applying P. fluorescens P8 and P. fluorescens P60 secondary metabolites to potato plants can induce resistance by increasing the content of phenolic compounds in the plants. Drenching with secondary metabolites from P. fluorescens P8 or P. fluorescens P60 12 times can reduce the incubation period by 9.23%, the intensity of disease by 75%, and the incidence of disease by 53.57%. Plant height, crop dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, number of tubers, and tuber weight per plant can all be increased by using secondary metabolites.
 Keywords: bacterial wilt, potato, Pseudomonas fluorescens, secondary metabolites.

Green Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Malva parviflora Extract for Improving a New Nutrition Formula of a Hydroponic System.

There are increasing needs for developing nontoxic, low-cost, high-yield, and eco-friendly procedures for manufacturing nanoparticles. Nanobiotechnology can be used in food security for improving crop production; nanoparticles could enhance the growth and yield of different crop plants; therefore, this work aimed to improve a new nutrition formula of a hydroponic system using green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and Malva parviflora aqueous extract. Results shown that AFM image of AgNP surface morphology provides good indicator for biosynthesizing AgNPs. UV-vis spectroscopy showed the presence of silver elements that proved the reduction of silver ion to an element in the presence of plant extract functional groups which act as a reduction reaction capping agent. AgNPs formation from 1 mM of AgNo3 and Malva parviflora filtrate can easily be characterized through visual observations by the change in the color of the reaction mixture from green to yellowish-brown. SEM showed that most of the Ag nanoparticles were spherical in shape, well dispersed, and were either arranged in clusters of particles with each other, or as small particles, and have been identified in a size range of 12–63 nm. The EDX characterization exhibited that the highest proportion of the element composition was for silver weighting (34.11%) in nanoparticle. Other elements such as aluminum (12.28%), carbon (8.62%), hafnium (18.12%), nitrogen (9.34%), sodium (10.01%), and oxygen (7.52%) may arise from Malva parviflora extract. Also, peroxidase and catalase enzyme activity, cabbage crop seedlings, fresh and dry weights, and proline and carbohydrate concentrations were significantly increased with the increase of biosynthesized AgNP concentrations but up to limit.

Nonlinear Observability Analysis and Joint State and Parameter Estimation in a Lettuce Greenhouse using Ensemble Kalman Filtering

Estimating crop states accurately and reliably through climate sensing is a promising alternative for high tech crop sensing investments. This paper explores and demonstrates the applicability of joint crop parameter and crop state estimation through indoor climate monitoring in a lettuce greenhouse system via Ensemble Kalman filtering combined with a nonlinear observability analysis via the empirical observability Gramian. The observability analysis indicated that crop dry-weight can be estimated from the indoor CO2 concentration, temperature and humidity, while simultaneously the parameter that represents the light use efficiency can be estimated and even corrected for. These outcomes were confirmed by a simulation study. This showed that the method is robust against one level of process and measurement noise, and a 50 % error in the model parameter that represents the light use efficiency. More precisely, it has been shown that improvements of 50 % of the dry-weight estimation in terms of average root mean squared error can be achieved with respect to the case where no Ensemble Kalman filtering and parameter update is used.

Bioefficacy, Phytotoxicity and Economics of Post-emergence Herbicides in Moth Bean (Vigna aconitifolia) in Hot Arid Regions

Background: Weed infestation is the major cause of yield loss to Kharif pulses in arid regions. Post-emergence herbicide application is a promising weed management option for pulses in these areas. Therefore, the current study was aimed to find an effective and economic post-emergence herbicide molecule for weed control in moth bean. Methods: A field experiment was conducted during 2017-2019 with different herbicides, hand weeding, weed-free and unweededs in Kharif mung bean in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Result: Among the herbicide treatments, post-emergence application of propaquizafop + imazethapyr @ 125 g a.i. ha-1 being statistically at par with clodinafop-propargyl + sodium acifluorfen @ 312.5 g a.i. ha-1 and hand weeding recorded the highest reduction in total weed dry matter (73.9%), highest weed control efficiency (73.8%) and lowest weed persistence index (1.03) compared to the unweeded. The reduction in seed yield in unweeded compared to weed-free and hand weeding was 50.8% and 42.1%, respectively. As the imazethapyr-containing herbicides caused crop phytotoxicity, significantly higher crop dry weight (513 g m-2), seed yield (5.53 q ha-1), stover yield (18.0 q ha-1), gross returns and net benefits of moth bean were recorded with clodinafop-propargyl + sodium acifluorfen (312.5 g a.i. ha-1) over other herbicide treatments. Clodinafop-propargyl + sodium acifluorfen (@312.5 g a.i. ha-1) registered the minimum value of weed index (20) and highest values of herbicide efficiency index (3.9) and crop resistance index (4.70).

Do corm seeding rate and planting depth influence growth indicators of saffron (Crocus sativus L.)?

Saffron, the primary in the market now, is a food spice by far the world’s most expensive. In order to study the effects of different corm seeding rates and sowing depth on physiological indices of saffron, an experiment was conducted as a factorial layout based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during 2015–2017 years. The experimental treatments were all combinations of different corms seeding rates in four levels (7, 8, 9, and 10 Mg ha−1) and sowing depth in three levels (10, 15, and 20 cm). The studied traits were the dry weight of mother and daughter corms, cumulative dry matter, and some growth indices such as leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rates (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), and Leaf Area Ratio (LAR). The results showed 8 Mg ha−1 corm seeding rate and 10 cm sowing depth increased total crop dry weight, CGR, and RGR in saffron. Based on obtained results at the beginning of the vegetative growth period, CGR declined for a short time. So that by continuing the vegetative growth, the plant reached on growth compensation point, and then CGR increased. From 180 days after the sowing date and in the late stages of vegetative growth, the growth rates trend decreased again. The results also showed that the LAR trend decreased from the early vegetative growth period, which can be explained by the faster growth of the daughter corms and other underground parts of the plant than the leaves during the early vegetative growth period. According to the results and the natural trend of mother corm breakup during the growing season, increasing density due to increasing competition between mother corms caused intensification in a weight reduction of mother corms in the late stages of the growing season. Also, in the first three months after sowing, daughter corms did not grow anymore, and the beginning of their growth coincided with the end of the saffron flowering period.

The effect of biofertilizer, chicken manure and dolomite on chemical soil and the growth of soybean at potential acid sulphate soils

The combination of Biotara bio fertilizer and dolomite is known to improve the potential acid sulphate soil fertility. This research has been carried out to examine the effect of Biotara as bio fertilizer, chicken manure, and dolomite on several soil chemical properties and soybean growth in potential acid sulphate soil from May 2018 to January 2019 at greenhouse of Agricultural Faculty, Universitas Sumatera Utara Medan. This research has been carried out using factorial randomized block design with 2 (two) factors and 3 (three) replications and analysed using ANOVA. The first factor is biofertilizer consist such as P0 (without biofertilizer), P1 (50 kg/Ha), P2 (50 kg/Ha with 1 ton/Ha of chicken manure). The second factor is the consist of dolomite, such as K0 (without dolomite), K1 (2 ton/Ha), and K2 (4 ton/Ha). The results showed that the combination of biofertilizer (50 kg/Ha) with chicken manure (1 ton/Ha) can increase pH, organic carbon, total-N, and available phosphate, height and dry weight of crop, N and P uptake of soybean. Interaction between biofertilizer (50 kg/Ha), chicken manure (1 ton/Ha) and dolomite (4 ton/Ha) showed the best yield on total-N and available phosphate, height, and dry weight, N and P uptake of soybean.

Metal-organic framework nanohybrid carrier for precise pesticide delivery and pest management

Smart core–shell nanocarriers can release pesticides in response to stimuli from the microenvironment associated with pests and the physiological behaviors of protected crops. In this work, a smart nanocarrier (MIL-101(Fe)@silica) with dual functions of site-specific delivery and plant nutrition was fabricated to deliver chlorantraniliprole (CAP) for sustainable pest management. The results showed that the developed CAP@MIL-101(Fe)@silica with a size of approximately 270 nm had a stable core–shell nanostructure with a highly crystallized regular octahedron. The photostability of the drug loaded in the carrier under UV-light irradiation was 16.5 times higher than that of technical CAP. The introduction of the silica shell prevented the premature escape of CAP from the MIL-101(Fe) core in the environment and endowed the developed nanohybrid carrier with base-triggered release properties. In a laboratory bioassay, CAP@MIL-101(Fe)@silica had favorable insecticidal activity (LC50 = 0.389 mg/L) in controlling Plutella xylostella larvae. After fourteen days of spraying in the greenhouse experiment, the mortality of the CAP@MIL-101(Fe)@silica treatment (86%) against P. xylostella larvae was significantly higher than that of the CAP suspension concentration treatment (36.7%). In addition, MIL-101(Fe)@silica was safe for crops and could enhance the crop fresh weight and dry weight by 18.6–19.6% and 4.8–17.7%, respectively. Therefore, MIL-101(Fe)@silica could be used as a biocompatible carrier for site-specific pesticide delivery and simultaneously as a fertilizer for crop growth, which would be a novel route for the development of a precise pesticide delivery nanoplatform.

Effect of spacing on growth and yield of several black soybean varieties (Glycine max L Merril)

This research aims to determine the growth response and yield of several Black Soybean varieties in several variations of spacing. The experiment is a factorial experiment using a randomized block design (RBD) consisting of two treatment factors, the first factor is the variety consisting of 3 levels: V1 = Detam 1, V2 = Detam 3 Prida, V3 = Detam 4 Prida. The second factor is spacing which consists of 3 levels: J1 = 20 cm x 20 cm, J2 = 20 cm x 30 cm, J3 = 20 cm x 40 cm. The interaction of varieties with plant spacing has a very significant effect on crop dry weight and seed oven per planting hole. The significant effect the yield seeds of dried and oven per hectare. The weight of oven-dry seeds per planting hole and the highest yield of oven-dried seeds per hectare was obtained in the interaction of Detam 1 varieties with the spacing of 20 cm x 40 cm with was 33.79 g and 2.53 tons per hectare which increased 138.79% and 42.93% compared with the interaction of Detam 4 Prida varieties with a spacing of 20 cm x 20 cm with was 14.15 g and 1.77 tons per hectare.

Performance of the CSM–MANIHOT–Cassava model for simulating planting date response of cassava genotypes

Selecting the appropriate genotypes for particular planting dates may help increase cassava productivity. The CSM–MANIHOT–Cassava model is a new tool to support decision making for crop management. However, it is important to explore the potential of a model prior to any application. The objective of this study was to evaluate the CSM–MANIHOT–Cassava model in simulating the performance of cassava genotypes for different planting dates. An experiment with four cassava genotypes and eight planting dates was conducted on the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture at Khon Kaen University, Thailand, under optimum conditions. The data for soil and weather conditions, crop management, and crop traits were recorded. The cultivar parameters were determined using experimental data for three planting dates, while the remaining five planting dates were used for model evaluation. A scenario analysis for different planting dates using historical weather data from 2003 to 2018 was also conducted. The calibration results showed a good agreement between simulated and observed phenology and crop traits. Model evaluation based on the d-index showed a good agreement between simulated and observed total crop, stem, and storage root dry weights with values above 0.8 for almost all four genotypes and five planting dates. The model provided acceptable outputs for final total crop dry matter and storage root yield. The results from both the scenario analysis with the CSM–MANIHOT–Cassava model and the actual experiment classified Kasetsart 50 and CMR38–125–77 as one out of the top two genotypes based on final total crop biomass, demonstrating the potential of the model to help identify promising cassava genotypes.

Improved Corn Yields When Humic Acid Extracted from Composted Manure Is Applied to Acid Soils with Phosphorus Fertilizer

Most corn planted on tropical acidic soils suffers substantial yield loss caused by low crop phosphorus (P) uptake. Humic acid is recommended to increase crop P uptake since it is capable of competing with P to be bound to soil adsorption complexes. Humic acid extracted from composted manure (MHA) is a good alternative to humic acid because it is more reactive and has a higher complexation ability compared with leonardite. Therefore, the effectiveness of soil-applied MHA combined with P was evaluated to improve corn yields in acidic soils from the aspect of crop nutrient uptake efficiency and crop physiological performance. Two high-yielding corn cultivars that are highly accepted by Indonesian farmers and resistant to downy mildew disease were subjected to five different types of MHA and P combinations. The amount of P fertilizer was equivalent to 120 mg P2O5 kg−1 soil. The H10P1 produced the most significant result p < 0.05 in terms of total crop dry weight, grain dry weight, and corn yield. The highest efficiency for P uptake in the leaves and grains was found with H10P1 and H5P1, respectively. Although chlorophyll content was not substantially improved, the stomatal apertures 7 weeks after planting (WAP) were significantly increased p < 0.05 with H10P1 and H15P1. The photosynthetic rate and nitrate reductase (NR) activity at 10 WAP were significantly increased p < 0.05 with H5P1 and H10P1, respectively. The results clearly indicated significant increases in the efficiency of crop P uptake and physiological performance for stomatal aperture, photosynthetic rate, and NR activity can highly contribute to higher corn yields.

Herbicide combinations for management of resistance in Phalaris minor

Littleseed canarygrass (Phalaris minor Retz.) is a problematic weed of wheat under irrigated rice-wheat cropping system of Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of India. Due to its morphological similarity with wheat, herbicides are the best-suited method for its control. However, continuous use of same herbicide along with monocropping leads to development of multiple-herbicide resistance. To tackle this problem, an experiment was conducted at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during 2016-17 and 2019-20 to find out the suitable herbicide combinations for management of resistance Phalaris minor, its regression and correlation studies with wheat. The finding revealed that increase in weed density and dry weight displayed a strong negative linear relationship with grain yield. Linear regression equation represented that increase in every one unit of density and dry weight of P. minor led to reduction in wheat yield by 0.027 and 0.0102 times, respectively. Among the herbicidal treatments, sequential application of pendimethalin + pyroxasulfone (tank-mix, TM) fb mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron (ready-mix, RM) (1500 + 102 g/ha) pre-emergence, (PE) fb 14.4 g/ha post-emergence, (PoE) or pendimethalin + metribuzin (TM) fb mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron (RM) (1000 + 175 g/ha) PE fb 14.4 g/ha PoE led to significantly control of P minor, broad-leaved weeds (BLWs) and total weeds. This resulted in better crop growth, higher yield attributes, 37.6-51.9% higher grain yield and 80-81% higher net return as compared to unweeded control. However, PE or PoE herbicide applied alone recorded poor efficacy towards P. minor and other weeds and resulted in poor yield. Correlation studies indicated strong positive association of grain yield with visual weed control, crop dry weight and its height and negative association with weed density and dry weight. Therefore, for effective management of resistant P. minor along with other weed flora, herbicide combination with its sequential application is of prime importance for optimum yield in wheat.