Greater Biomass Yield Research Articles

Effect of Height and Cutting Intervals on the Yield (Kg/Ha) of Green Biomass And Nutritional Quality of Cuba 22 Elephant Grass

Objectives: This study investigates the effects of two cutting heights and three cutting intervals on the green biomass yield and nutritional quality of Elephant Grass, Cuba 22 variety, in Victoria, Cabañas, El Salvador. Theoretical Framework: Proper management of Elephant Grass is essential for optimizing forage production. Cutting height and interval impact biomass yield and nutritional quality, influencing livestock feeding efficiency and contributing to sustainable agriculture, aligned with SDG 2: Zero Hunger. Method: A factorial A2xB3 design was used to analyze the effect of two cutting heights (0.1 m and 0.2 m) and three cutting intervals (40, 50, and 60 days) on the yield and quality of Elephant Grass. The main effects and interactions between these variables were evaluated. Results and Discussion: The combination of a low cutting height (0.1 m) and a 50-day interval maximizes biomass yield and preserves nutritional quality, while 60-day intervals increase biomass but reduce its nutritional value, affecting livestock feed. Implications: The study provides recommendations to optimize forage production and contribute to food security, enhancing agricultural productivity and animal nutrition in line with SDG 2. Originality: This is an original study in El Salvador that evaluates how cutting height and interval influence the yield and quality of Elephant Grass, promoting sustainable practices.

Plant Growth-promoting Potential of Oil Palm Boiler Ash-based Organomineral Fertilizer for Green Mustard Cultivation Under Reduced Urea Dose in Ultisols

This study aims to demonstrate the capability of Oil Palm Boiler Ash (OPBA)-based organomineral fertilizer (OMF) to maintain the growth, green biomass yield, and N uptake of green mustard under a reduced N application rate. This research was carried out from March to May 2021 in a research area in Bengkulu City with a Randomly Complete Block Design scheme and three replications. The treatment consisted of P0 = control (without OMF or urea), P1 = 200 kg urea ha−1, P2 = 325 kg OMF ha−−1 + 50 kg urea ha−−1, P3 = 650 kg OMF ha−−1 + 50 kg urea ha−−1, P4 = 975 kg OMF ha−−1 + 50 kg urea ha−−1, and P5 = 1300 kg OMF ha−−1 + 50 kg urea ha−−1. The results showed that the growth and green biomass yield increased as the application rate of OMF increased. Treatment of P5 produced the highest growth, green biomass yield, and N uptake, equivalent to P2 treatment. The green biomass yield at P5 was 161% higher than that at P0. Therefore, OMF has the potential to promote the agronomic performances of green mustard under 50% reduced N dose in Ultisols. Keywords: slow release fertilizer, nutrient management, oil palm waste, organic pellet fertilizer, green mustard

Biotechnological and economic assessment of the productivity of Chlorella vulgaris IBSS-19 microalgae under different cultivation regimes

The production of microalgae biomass and the management of productivity plays an important role in global biotechnology. This research aimed to study the kinetic characteristics of C. vulgaris growth, conduct an economic analysis of biomass production, and develop a simple optimization model for choosing the optimal cultivation regime. The results showed that the additional CO2 supply increased the specific growth rate of C. vulgaris by 35 % and increased productivity by 47 %. Analysis of the batch growth curve of microalgae revealed potentially effective cultivation cycles, which were two, four, and six days. Economic analysis revealed that the greatest biomass yield can be obtained using a two-day cultivation period. Depending on the biomass yield, the cost of production, net income, and profitability of production were calculated according to the cultivation cycles.

Yield and content of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in medicinal cannabis (Cannabis sativa) grown in the Ecuadorian highlands

Cannabis is an herbaceous species of the Cannabaceae family and is native to the Himalayas. It contains hundreds of metabolites with potential bioactivity, including cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the yield and the cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of medicinal cannabis (variety Cherry Oregon) in two localities of the Ecuadorian highlands. A Randomized Complete Block Design with four treatments and four replications was carried out. Treatment 1 was maintained with natural light, treatment 2 received 16/8 photoperiod (16 hours light, 8 hours dark) for one week, treatment 3 received 16/8 photoperiod for two weeks, and treatment 4 received 16/8 photoperiod for 3 weeks. In the locality 1, treatment 4 showed better values of plant height, dry biomass, biomass yield per plant and greater biomass yield per m2, in both cycles. In the locality 2, the treatments were statistically similar in all variables in both cycles, but a trend where treatment 4 presented higher values compared to the rest of the treatments was observed. The THC and CBD contents for the treatments and cycles ranged between 0.06% and 0.51%, and between 13.76% and 15.29% respectively in both localities. Finally, the results obtained agree with what is reported in the variety's technical sheet, and the THC content does not exceed the maximum value allowed by Ecuadorian regulations.

Effectiveness of wood ash and paper sludge as liming and nutrient sources for annual ryegrass grown in podzolic soils of Newfoundland

AbstractThe acidic soils of western Newfoundland require liming for successful production of most crops. Locally sourced paper mill waste wood ash (WA) and paper sludge (SL) have potential as cheaper alternatives to limestone (LIME). Two greenhouse experiments evaluated WA and SL as liming and soil conditioning amendments for annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) production. At 55 days after seeding, soil pH in WA (6.2 and 6.3) and wood ash and paper sludge (WASL) (6.0 and 6.3) were not different from that in LIME (6.0 and 6.5) for Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. However, pH in SL was 0.4 and 0.3 points lower than in LIME. Compared to LIME, WA, SL, and WASL produced 31%–52% and 57%–74% greater biomass yield in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. N uptake was greater in WA (60 and 129 kg N ha−1) and WASL (51 and 97 kg N ha−1) compared to LIME (40 and 85 kg N ha−1), in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. SL did not differ from LIME in Experiment 1, but reduced N uptake by 57% in Experiment 2. The results show significant potential of WA as an alternative amendment for liming and yield improvement of annual ryegrass grown in NL podzolic soils. However, SL has limited potential due to the risk of increasing N immobilization and residual soil mineral N when growing conditions are limiting. Combining SL with WA or biochar seemed to alleviate these risks. Overall, the adoption of these amendments for field production systems warrants serious consideration, following supplemental field studies to determine optimal application rates and timing.

Интродукция российских сортов люцерны в лесостепной зоне Монголии

There are two of commercial varieties of alfalfa (Medicago varia Mart.) ‘Vega 87’ and ‘Nakhodka’ originated from Russia, it are cultivated for introducing in Mongolian climate and ecological condition. Growth development of those varieties required from 136 to 143 days between regrowth in spring and the seed mature in the autumn. Wintering rate was 92.6% in ‘Nakhodka’ and 88.5% in ‘Vega 87’ in the first year and increased by 5.8 and 7.3% in the second year, respectively. Green biomass and hay yield of ‘Nakhodka’ were higher than ‘Vega 87’ and average green biomass of two years in ‘Nakhodka’ was 13.5 t/ha and 10.9 t/ha in ‘Vega 87’, the hay yield was 5.4 t/ha in ‘Nakhodka’ and 3.6 t/ha in ‘Vega 87’ at flowering stage. Moreover, humus content, phosphorus, potassium content and texture were determined in the depth of 0–10, 10–20, 20–30 cm in control and alfalfa cultivated areas. Humus content ranged between 3.1–3.6% in the depth of alfalfa cultivated areas while 2.8% in control area in the depth of 0–20 cm and humus content was increased by 9.36–14.5% (in relative terms) in alfalfa cultivated areas compared to the control. Then phosphorus content was 4.93 mg/100 g in ‘Nakhodka’ cultivated area, 4.11 mg/100 g in ‘Vega 87’ cultivated area and 3.70 mg/100 g in control area in the depth of 0–10 cm. Potassium content was ranged between 23.4–23.9 mg/100 g in alfalfa cultivated areas while it was 20.6 mg/100 g in 0–10 cm of depth. According to the soil survey result, there is no difference in soil texture between treatments (alfalfa cultivated areas and control area), but humus content and content of phosphorus, potassium had increased in alfalfa cultivated areas.

COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF PEARL MILLET GENOTYPES UNDER ARID CONDITIONS OF SOUTHEAST KAZAKHSTAN

A comparative assessment of 14 pearl millet genotypes transpired for growth and yield traits under arid conditions of Southeast Kazakhstan. In this study, the green and dry plant biomass and grain yield of 14 pearl millet genotypes’ assessment ensued under rainfed conditions in Southeast Kazakhstan. For green biomass yield, the three pearl millet genotypes Bair Bajsa, HHVBC tall, and J-6 performed better and were high yielders ranging from 39.07 to 39.94 t/ha. The accumulation of dry biomass (as hay) was different and varied widely from 3.17 to 17.36 t/ha; however, the maximum dry biomass appeared in the genotype HHVBC tall. Genotype HHVBC tall was leading for green and dry plant biomass formation and has the potential for grain yield under rainfed conditions of Southeast Kazakhstan. Drought always negatively impacted the production of fodder and grains; however, genotype HHVBC tall assures a stable plant biomass and seed production under arid conditions. In dry Southeast Kazakhstan, pearl millet, a drought-resistant crop, is a highly productive, valuable fodder and grain crop based on quality yields of biomass and grains. Subject to the cultivation technology and according to weather conditions, on average, the pearl millet genotypes form a green mass biomass yield of 40 t/ha and grain yield of 2.2 t/ha under rainfed conditions of Southeast Kazakhstan. For cultivation in the Republic, it is necessary to expand pearl millet as an annual crop, most adapted to extreme agroecological conditions.

Dynamic Studies of Nodulation and Morphological Characterization of Dhaincha (Sesbania aculeate L.) Accessions

Sesbania aculeate is a quick growing, succulent, easily decomposable and produces maximum amount of organic matter and nitrogen in the soil. Sesbania green manure after decomposition, increases humus, available nitrogen and lower down the C:N ratio of soil, aeration, permeability, enhance the boron and iron content in soil and also protect the soil from leaching of nutrients. Besides this significance, current study was carried out during rabi 2022 at ADAC&RI, Trichy to characterize the explored Daincha germplasms for their morpho biometric triats, green biomass yield and nodulation. Daincha germplasm Sivagangai local recorded more green biomass yield (19.8t / ha) and superior contributing biometrical traits. The number of Rhizobium colonies was higher in Sivagangai local as compared to Villupuram local, Vellore local & Pant variety. This could further be utilized for their symbiotic effectiveness determination under field condition and can be effectively utilized in hybridization programs for improving more green biomass yield.

Assessment of DSSAT and AquaCrop models to simulate soybean and maize yield under water stress conditions

Aim of study: To evaluate the performance of DSSAT and AquaCrop models in the estimation of soybean and grain maize yield under water stress conditions in a semi-arid region. Area of study: Kermanshah, Iran. Material and methods: AquaCrop and DSSAT were assessed to simulate soybean and maize. Both models were calibrated using field data. Field experiments were performed in a randomized complete block design with eight and four irrigation treatments for soybeans and maize, respectively with three replications. Measures of Normalized Root Mean Square Error (nRMSE) and Nash-Sutcliffe Model Efficiency were used to evaluate the accuracy of the models. For this purpose, simulated values of leaf area index / green crop canopy, grain yield, biomass, and soil moisture were compared with measured data. Main results: Results indicated that the CROPGRO-Soybean in DSSAT software simulated more accurate crop growth of soybean than AquaCrop. The average nRMSE of the DSSAT model for estimating soil moisture, leaf area index, grain yield, and biomass were 6%, 14%, 16% and 20%, respectively. For maize, AquaCrop simulated crop growth more reliably than CERES-maize. The average nRMSE of 3%, 10%, 13% and 27% of the Aquacrop model in simulating the parameters of soil moisture, green crop canopy, biomass, and grain yield. Research highlights: Considering the better performance of AquaCrop for maize and DSSAT for soybean in the study area, it is not possible to propose a specific model to simulate the growth of all crops in a region.

Sweet potato ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase small subunit affects vegetative growth, starch content and storage root yield

The development of storage roots is a key factor determining the yields of crop plants, including sweet potato. Here, using combined bioinformatic and genomic approaches, we identified a sweet potato yield-related gene, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) small subunit (IbAPS). We found that IbAPS positively affects AGP activity, transitory starch biosynthesis, leaf development, chlorophyll metabolism, and photosynthesis, ultimately affecting the source strength. IbAPS overexpression in sweet potato led to increased vegetative biomass and storage root yield. RNAi of IbAPS resulted in reduced vegetative biomass, accompanied with a slender stature and stunted root development. In addition to the effects on root starch metabolism, we found that IbAPS affects other storage root development-associated events, including lignification, cell expansion, transcriptional regulation, and production of the storage protein sporamins. A combinatorial analysis based on transcriptomes, as well as morphological and physiological data, revealed that IbAPS affects several pathways that determine development of vegetative tissues and storage roots. Our work establishes an important role of IbAPS in concurrent control of carbohydrate metabolism, plant growth, and storage root yield. We showed that upregulation of IbAPS results in superior sweet potato with increased green biomass, starch content, and storage root yield. The findings expand our understanding of the functions of AGP enzymes and advances our ability to increase the yield of sweet potato and, perhaps, other crop plants.

Adaptability and stability of corn hybrids for silage via genotype and genotype × environment interaction biplot

AbstractThe occurrence of the genotype × environment (G × E) interaction is one of the main factors that hinder the selection of adapted and stable genotypes. The genotype and G × E interaction (GGE) biplot methodology is an efficient process to detect corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids for silage and, consequently, will help in the recommendation of new and more stable hybrids in different environments in breeding programs. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate and select corn hybrids for silage that simultaneously combine high yield and stability in different environments in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, via GGE biplot. Eleven corn hybrids, eight precommercial topcrosses and three commercial controls, were evaluated at three sites (Campos dos Goytacazes, Cambuci, and Itaocara, Rio de Janeiro) during two seasons: the 2017–2018 season and 2018–2018 off‐season. The experiments were designed in completely randomized blocks with three replications. Individual and joint analyses of variance were performed and, after detecting significant interaction between genotype and environment, the adaptability and phenotypic stability of corn genotypes for silage were analyzed using the GGE biplot methodology. The GGE biplot analysis was efficient in interpreting the data and represented 83.68% of the total variation in the first two principal components. The use of the GGE biplot method allowed the recommendation of more productive, stable, and responsive hybrids for the state of Rio de Janeiro. The hybrid UENF MS2208 is indicated for cultivation in the state of Rio de Janeiro for combining high green biomass yield and stability.

Morphological and Productive Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Grasses in Degraded Areas Subjected to Pasture Recovery Methods

The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological characteristics, yield and chemical composition of grasses in degraded areas subjected to pasture recovery methods. The randomized block design in a factorial scheme (4 × 5) with four replications (blocks) was used. The first factor was composed of four methods of pasture recovery: Closed pasture (CLP); Weed control (WC); Soil fertilization (SF); and Weed control + Soil fertilization (WC + SF). The second factor was composed of five species used for pasture recovery: Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG5, Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG4, Andropogon gayanus cv. Planaltina and Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça. The structural characteristics of green biomass yield, dry biomass yield and chemical composition were assessed in those grasses. An effect of the interaction (p < 0.05) between forage species and recovery methods on number of clumps, plant height and clump diameter, with superiority for cultivar MG4 in the WC + SF method. The green biomass yield was low in the evaluated grasses because of the advanced stage of the degradation of the pastures. Dry biomass yields increased (p < 0.05) when the WC + SF method was adopted, with a good response of grass MG4. There was an interaction (p < 0.05) between species and recovery methods on dry matter, mineral matter and neutral detergent fiber contents of the grasses, especially Marandu grass. The different types of grasses responded positively to the methods of pasture recovery with increased biomass and nutritional quality.

Комплексна оцінка впливу основного обробітку ґрунту та удобрення на елементи структури, урожайність зерна і зеленої маси кукурудзи

Purpose of the study: To investigate the impact of primary soil tillage practices and fertilization variants on the yield of maize hybrids grown for grain and silage production in a grain-legume crop rotation, aiming to achieve high grain yield and green biomass for silage under the conditions of the central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Research methods: field, laboratory, comparative, analysis, summarization, mathematical-statistical. Results. The article presents the research results on the cultivation of maize hybrids for grain and silage production, employing various primary soil tillage techniques and different fertilization methods. The impact of these agronomic practices on grain yield and green biomass intended for silage has been examined. The conducted studies revealed that for the maize hybrid «Monica 350 MV», the optimal approach involved plowing to a depth of 25-27 cm with the application of 40 t/ha of manure + N100P110K100 fertilizers. This method achieved a grain yield of 9.18 t/ha. Conversely, utilizing the disc harrow «AG-2.4» at a depth of 15-17 cm with the same fertilizer variant resulted in a lower yield of 8.64 t/ha. Regarding the cultivation of the S3825 hybrid for green biomass intended for silage, the most effective method was plowing to a depth of 25-27 cm along with N120P130K120 fertilization. Under these conditions, the yield of green biomass during the milk-waxy – early waxy ripeness phase reached 45.9 t/ha. Using the disc harrow «AG-2.4» at a depth of 15-17 cm with the maximum amount of fertilizers in our research led to a yield of 43.4 t/ha. Conclusion. The influence of the tillage method on the elements of the corn yield structure was established. Strong changes in the size of the elements of the corn yield structure, are observed depending on the fertilization options. It was noted that with the growth of fertilizer rates, their effectiveness decreases. Tillage had a less effect than fertilization on the level of yield of green mass of corn per silage. However, cultural plowing to a depth of 25-27 cm had a significant advantage in terms of the yield of green mass of corn per silage, compared to cultivation with a disc unit «AG 2.4» to a depth of 15-17 cm. Thus, it can be assumed that an increase in the depth of soil cultivation contributes to an increase in productivity green mass of corn for silage. Application of high rates of mineral fertilizers led to an increase in the yield of green mass of corn per silage. A trend has been established to increase the efficiency of fertilizer use on variants with soil cultivation by the «AG 2.4» disk unit. The highest efficiency of fertilizers was observed on the variant with the application of N90P100K90. Key words: maize, soil tillage, fertilization, productivity elements, grain yield, green biomass yield.

Metabolic engineering of energycane to hyperaccumulate lipids in vegetative biomass

BackgroundThe metabolic engineering of high-biomass crops for lipid production in their vegetative biomass has recently been proposed as a strategy to elevate energy density and lipid yields for biodiesel production. Energycane and sugarcane are highly polyploid, interspecific hybrids between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum that differ in the amount of ancestral contribution to their genomes. This results in greater biomass yield and persistence in energycane, which makes it the preferred target crop for biofuel production.ResultsHere, we report on the hyperaccumulation of triacylglycerol (TAG) in energycane following the overexpression of the lipogenic factors Diacylglycerol acyltransferase1-2 (DGAT1-2) and Oleosin1 (OLE1) in combination with RNAi suppression of SUGAR-DEPENDENT1 (SDP1) and Trigalactosyl diacylglycerol1 (TGD1). TAG accumulated up to 1.52% of leaf dry weight (DW,) a rate that was 30-fold that of non-modified energycane, in addition to almost doubling the total fatty acid content in leaves to 4.42% of its DW. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the accumulation of TAG had the highest correlation with the expression level of ZmDGAT1-2, followed by the level of RNAi suppression for SDP1.ConclusionsThis is the first report on the metabolic engineering of energycane and demonstrates that this resilient, high-biomass crop is an excellent target for the further optimization of the production of lipids from vegetative tissues.

Phytoremediation, eco-restoration, and adaptive response of lemongrass (C. flexuosus Wats) grown on fly ash and vermicompost improved quality essential oil yield

This study aimed to see how fly ash (FA) and vermicompost (VC) proportions affected lemongrass growth characteristics, essential oil yield, and quality. The application of 10% Fly ash with 90% vermicompost produced considerably greater biomass yield (69.7t/ha) and essential oil yield (429.3 kg/ha) than the rest of the cultivar, followed by 20% FA + 80% VC (68.5 t/ha and 401.2 kg/ha), respectively and 100% VC (68.3 t/ha and 371.0 kg/ha), respectively. Citral content, a combination of isomeric aldehydes such as neral and geranial, was used to determine lemongrass oil's quality. Geranial and neral concentrations of more than 75% are considered high-grade essential oils. Geranial and neral were our research's most important essential oil components. All treatments except zero fertilizer, i.e., control, had higher geranial and neral content (%). However, the concentration of geranial and geranyl acetate in lemongrass is unaffected by treatment among these many treatments. 10% FA + 90% VC had greater gross return, the net return, and B: C ratios than the remainder of the treatment, followed by 20% FA + 80% VC and 100% VC). In the meantime, there was no discernible variation in bulk density (mg m−3) or infiltration rate (cm hr−1). However, a considerable difference was seen concerning porosity, with 100% VC recorded significantly higher porosity (52.8%) than the rest of the treatment.

Additional N application and ecotype affect yield and quality of ratoon harvested sorghum x sudangrass hybrid for temperate regions

Sorghum x sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) has excellent biomass yield and requires low maintenance. It can be harvested multiple times during the growing season. It has great potential to be used for cellulosic biofuel production in the temperate regions, including the Korean peninsula. However, N requirements during the regrowth have not been evaluated yet. Three years of the study with two ecotypes (early-flowering vs. late-flowering) were compared. After summer harvest, additional N (0, 50, 100, 150 kg N ha−1) were applied. Early-middle-late ratoon harvest treatments were executed to evaluate the ideal period for biomass yield and Theoretical Ethanol Yield (TEY). The late-flowering ecotype had greater biomass yield, TEY, and N-Agronomic Efficiency (NAE) due to longer vegetative growth. Maximum biomass yield was 7.44 Mg D.W. ha−1 (equivalent to TEY of 2657 L ha−1) at the additional 100 N kg ha−1 of middle ratoon harvest in 2018 when weather condition was unfavorable. However, with the favorable weather condition in 2019, additional 150 N kg ha−1 of late ratoon harvest outyielded (10.66 Mg ha−1; TEY of 4081 L ha−1). NAE was highest at 50 N kg ha−1 and then decreased with higher N rates. It indicates that additional N application is essential to achieve biomass yield and TEY under multiple harvest conditions. The appropriate harvest window for the ratooning crop was up to 14 weeks. Thus, additional N application and decision-making for harvest window are crucial factors affecting biomass yield and quality for biofuel with a choice of late-flowering ecotype.

Cell Wall Composition Impacts Structural Characteristics of the Stems and Thereby the Biomass Yield.

Maize stalks support leaves and reproductive structures and functionally support water and nutrient transport; besides, their anatomical and biochemical characteristics have been described as a plant defense against stress, also impacting economically important applications. In this study, we evaluated agronomical and stem description traits in a subset of maize inbred lines that showed variability for cell wall composition in the internodes. Overall, a great proportion of lignin subunit G and a low concentration of p-coumaric acid and lignin subunit S are beneficial for greater rind puncture resistance and taller plants, with a greater biomass yield. Also, the greater the proportions of subunit H, the longer the internode. Finally, the lower the total hemicellulose content, the greater the rind puncture resistance. Our results confirmed the effect of the cell wall on agronomic and stalk traits, which would be useful in applied breeding programs focused on biomass yield improvement.

Remote sensing based crop insurance for jute (Corchorus olitorius) crop in India

Jute (Corchorus olitorius) is an eco-friendly commercial crop largely grown in the West Bengal state of India and is often exposed to weather risks. The existing area-yield crop insurance scheme guarantees a certain per cent of normal green biomass yield of the crop over an insured area. Lack of reliable yield data has diminished the effectiveness of this scheme. Therefore, an alternate basis for jute yield loss assessment using satellite-derived crop performance index called ‘Crop Health Factor (CHF)’ was developed and implemented as documented in this paper. Both optical and microwave data of Sentinels along with weather and field data sets were analysed to map the jute crop fields and to generate crop condition indices such as NDVI, LSWI, VH backscatter, FAPAR and rainfall derivatives for the current (2020) and past years (2017, 2018 and 2019). The metrics derived from these indices were subjected to entropy analysis to produce the CHF values for different insurance units, which were found to be well correlated with yield. CHF data was used in place of yield for assessing crop loss and insurance pay-outs. This project has implications for developing transformative and parametric crop insurance solutions harnessing the potential of remote sensing data.

Effects of Spacing on Growth and Green Cob Yield of Maize Under Supplementary Irrigation in Eastern Ethiopia

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important grain crop of the world and it ranks second, after wheat in area cultivated and first in total production and productivity. In Ethiopia, maize has increasingly become a popular crop with steady growth in production area and yield. However, green cob maize production packages, including its appropriate spacing, are not yet determined. Evidences on effects of inter and intra-row spacing on growth and green cob yield of maize are not well explored. Therefore, this study was conducted at 9° 26' N latitude and 42° 03' E longitude, at an altitude of 1980 m a. s. l), Ethiopia from October 2020 to January 2021 to determine the effects of inter and intra-row spacing on growth, green cob number and biomass yield of maize (melkesa-II maize variety) under supplementary irrigation. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with factorial combination of four inter-row (55 cm, 65 cm, 75 cm, and 85 cm) spacing and three intra-row spacing (20 cm, 25 cm and 30 cm) with three replications. Data were collected on growth, green cob number and biomass yield and analyzed using SAS, (2002). The experiment result revealed that leaf area index, number of cobs per plant, cob length, number of cobs harvested per hectare and above ground fresh biomass yield and their interactions were highly significantly (P<0.01) affected by inter and intra-row spacing while cob diameter was significantly (P<0.05) affected by inter and intra-row spacing. The highest cob number harvested (90313 ha^-1) was recorded at narrowest inter and intra-row spacing of 55 cm x 20 cm while the lowest cob number harvested p (45098 ha^-1) was recorded from at widest inter and intra-row spacing of 85 cm x 30 cm (Table 8). Similarly, the highest fresh biomass yield of 31.27 and 28.66 ton ha^-1 was obtained at 55 cm and 65 cm inter-row spacing respectively. In general, significantly higher number of marketable green cobs and above ground fresh biomass yield were obtained at closer inter-and intra-row spacing for melkesa-II maize variety tested in the study area. Therefore, it can be concluded that spacing combination of 55 cm x 20 cm favored attaining of higher green cob number and above ground fresh biomass yield of melkesa-II maize variety in the area under irrigation.

Genotype × year interaction on rye productivity parameters cultivated on sandy chernozem soil

Rye is a dual-purpose crop, for nutrition but also for bioenergy. The selection of rye is aimed at its improvement as a plant for human and animal consumption, but also it is interesting for bioenergy production as it combines high biomass production with low environmental impact. There is a growing demand for sustainable sources of biomass worldwide. Directions for achieving rye selection for energy purposes include selection to increase biomass yield and corresponding physiological properties. During three years (2019-2021), four rye genotypes were examined. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of genotype (G), year (Y) and their interaction (G?Y) on rye productivity parameters: plant height (PH), spike length (SL), 1000-grain weight (TGW), hectoliter mass (HM), green biomass yield (GBY), biogas yield (BGY) as well as the possibility of using rye as an alternative fuel. Rye is an excellent raw material for the production of healthy food, but also for the production of biofuels. The study discussed the potential use of four high yielding genotypes for biofuel production. Genotype G1 (25.29 t ha-1) had a statistically significantly higher average green biomass yield compared to genotypes G2, G3 and G4 (22.98 t ha-1, 23.56 t ha-1 and 23.76 t ha-1). Significant G?Y interactions demonstrate differences between rye genotypes in response to environmental conditions. Plant height was directly proportional to biomass yield. As one of the targets in breeding programs, to develop taller cultivars as biofuel feedstock. Screening and selection of appropriate rye varieties for each region is critical for optimum results.