I2 Treatments Research Articles

Glycine betaine application improved seed cotton yield and economic returns under deficit irrigation

BackgroundDeficit irrigation exerts devastating effects on the productivity and economic returns of cotton crop, as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) emission form soil. Osmolytes play a significant role in facilitating the adaptation of cotton plants to abiotic stresses and improve productivity. MethodsThis study investigated the effects of different osmolytes (glycine betaine, ascorbic acid, salicylic acid 100 mg L−1 each) and deficit irrigation (50 %-I50, 75 %-I75, 100 %-I100) on seed cotton yield, greenhouse gas emission (CO2-C), emission factor (EFs) and economic returns of cotton in Southern Anatolia, Türkiye. ResultsDeficit irrigation and osmolyte treatment, both separately and in combination, had a substantial impact on seed cotton yield, CO2-C emission and EFs. The lowest (3800 kg ha−1) and the highest (4746 kg ha−1) seed cotton yield was noted under I50, and I100 treatments, respectively. Similarly, no osmolyte application and application of glycine betaine resulted in the lowest (4097 kg ha−1) and the highest (4545 kg ha−1) seed cotton yield, respectively. The interactive effect indicated that application of glycine betaine and salicylic acid produced better yield than control treatment under all irrigation treatments. The lowest (1.55) and the highest (1.94 mg) CO2-C emission (mg CO2-C m−2 h−1) was recorded for I50, and I100 treatments respectively. Likewise, the lowest (1.52) and the highest (2.19) daily carbon emission were recorded for salicylic acid and glycine betaine application, respectively. The lowest and the highest EFs values were observed for glycine betaine and ascorbic acid application, respectively. Application of glycine betaine resulted in the highest economic returns under all irrigation treatments which was comparable to salicylic acid, whereas the lower economic returns were recorded for control treatment. ConclusionIt is concluded that application of glycine betaine can be used to improve seed cotton yield and economic returns under deficit irrigation. Similarly, glycine betaine proved helpful in reducing CO2-C emission under deficit irrigation compared to normal irrigation.

Water volumes and mulches affect plant growth, leaf nutrient status and orchard soil mineral content of sweet orange cv. Mosambi

Day-by-day increasing irrigation water scarcity requires the application of water-saving irrigation techniques to sustain agriculture production. A two-year field investigation was conducted during 2018 to 2020 to determine the effects of various mulches and irrigation volumes on the growth, leaf chemicals and soil properties of one-year-old sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) cv. Mosambi. The study included three irrigation schedules, viz.100% ETc (I1), 80% ETc (I2), and 60% ETc (I3), and five different mulches were used, viz. without mulch, white polythene, coriander straw, dry grass and black polythene mulches, replicated thrice. Results demonstrated that drip irrigation with 100% ETc and mulching with black polythene mulch significantly increase the plant growth attributes like height of the plant (28.64%) (30.31%), rootstock girth (36.61%) (37.90%), plant canopy spread (E-W and N-S) (EW- 63.82%, NS- 63.87%) (EW- 67.56%, NS- 67.90%) and leaf area (2.4%) (2.34%). Furthermore, plant leaf chlorophyll content (2.41 mg g-1) (2.41 mg g-1) and leaf mineral content such as N (2.39%) (2.40%), P (0.16%) (0.165%), K (1.57%) (1.59%), Ca (47.34 g kg-1) (47.80 g kg-1), Mg (4.54 g kg-1) (4.57 g kg-1), Fe (120.51 g kg-1) (123.15 g kg-1) and Zn (39.00 g kg-1) (37.84 g kg-1) were noted to be significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in plants that received 100% (were ETc (I1) and mulching with black polythene mulch (M1) treatment. Taken together, the results suggested that treatments I1 and M1 have the potential to maximize plant growth, leaf chemicals and soil nutrients of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) cv. Mosambi plants.

Water stress combining weather condition shapes wheat yield and inter-annual yield variability: Field observations from a six-year study

Irrigation has played a pivotal role in Chinese wheat production and is becoming increasingly crucial in adapting to the changing climate. However, the benefits of water-saving wheat production in the long-term period and its response to climate change have received limited attention. In this study, a 6-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the grain yield and water use with three treatments such as Irrigation three times (I3), Irrigation two times (I2), and disposable pre-sowing irrigation (I0), and their sensitivity to weather conditions. The average yield over six years for the I2 treatment is 8.3 Mg ha−1, similar to I3 treatment while using 10.2 % less irrigation water and improving 8.0 % water use efficiency. In contrast, the grain yield in I0 treatment is 28.4 % lower than I3 treatment while consuming 36.9 % less irrigation water. Furthermore, 90.2 % of the yield decrease in I0 treatment results from the lower ear number. Water stress from jointing to flowering accounts for 58.8 % of ear number decrease. Although interannual yield variation is similar among the three treatments, the source of the variation is very different. Kernel weight explains the yield variation by 92.3 % in I3 treatment and 66.1 % in I2 treatment, while ear number accounts for 60.7 % of the variation in I0 treatment. Minimum temperature for kernel weight in both I3 and I2 treatments and rainfall for ear number in I0 treatment is the most important weather factor, respectively. In summary, this study provides valuable insights into the delicate balance between water conservation and food security while adapting to varying weather conditions.

The Effect of Napier Grass+Cowpea Intercropping and Different Fertilizer Levels on Soil Characteristics and Economics

Background: The field experiment was conducted to check the optimization of fertilizer requirement for napier grass and cowpea intercropping system at the farm of Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab during kharif season (2022). Methods: Three replications of factorial RBD design with 4 cropping patterns (I1, I2, I3 and I4) and 3 fertilizer levels (F1, F2 and F3) were set up. Study was conducted on total twelve treatment combinations, I1 (Sole napier with 100, 75 and 125% RDF), I2 (Sole Cowpea with 100, 75 and 125% RDF), I3 (Napier grass+cowpea intercropping in 1:2 ratio with 100, 75 and 125% RDF) and I4 (Napier grass+cowpea intercropping in 1:3 ratio with 100, 75 and 125% RDF). Result: The results showed that in the interaction effect of intercropping and fertilizer levels the the highest value of pH and EC was found to be in I1F2- Sole Napier+75% RDF (8.04 and 0.42 mhos cm-1, respectively). Higher OC was found in I4F3- Napier+cowpea (1:3)+125% RDF (18.23%) as compared to sole napier. However, sole cowpea plots recorded highest OC (18.60 %) in I2F3- Sole Cowpea+125% RDF but lowest pH and EC. The lowest N, Pand K in soil were seen in I1F2- Napier grass+75% RDF (90.00, 10.93 and 124.4 kg ha-1, respectively) in interaction of intercropping and fertilizer levels among treatment combinations of napier grass. I2F3- Sole cowpea+125% RDF recorded (225, 20.68 and 214.93 kg ha-1) N, P and K, respectively, which was highest among all the treatment combinations. Highest net returns and B: C ratio of 3.37 was recorded from intercropping ratio 1:3 and 125% RDF which was followed by 100% RDF (3.13) and 75% RDF (2.77).

Evaluating the Influence of Different Agronomic Strategies on the Growth and Development of Maize (Zea mays L.) Grown in Rice Fallows of Northern Telangana Zone

Aims: To study the changes in plant height, dry matter production, leaf area and plant population under different tillage practices, irrigation and nitrogen levels in rice fallow maize. Study Design: Split- split plot design. Place and Duration of Study: Regional Agricultural Research Station farm, Polasa, Jagtial during rabi 2022-23 and 2023-24. Methodology: The experiment was laid out in split- split plot design with twelve treatment combinations that includes 2 main plot, 3 sub plot and 2 sub-sub plot treatments which are replicated thrice. The treatments are as follows: Main plots: T1- Zero tillage, T2- Conventional tillage (tillage with cultivator twice fb rotovator twice); Sub plots: I1- Irrigation at 60% ASM, I2- Irrigation at 40% ASM and I3- Irrigation at six critical stages; and Sub-sub plot treatments: N1- 100% RDN (240 kg ha-1) and N2- 120% RDN (288 kg ha-1). Results: Results indicated that highest mean plant height was recorded in conventional tillage (65.8, 204.4 & 210.9 cm) and in N2 treatment (64.6, 201.3 & 207.6 cm) during sixth leaf, silking and physiological maturity respectively. Irrigations showed non-significant effect during sixth leaf and during other two stages I3 treatment has recorded higher plant height (200.1 & 206.6 cm). Similar results were obtained in case of leaf area. The mean dry weight was also higher in conventional tillage (17915 kg ha-1), I3 treatment (16789 kg ha-1) and N2 (16418 kg ha-1). The initial plant population was higher in conventional tillage (7.2 plants m-2) than that of zero tillage and irrigation & nitrogen levels has no effect on population. Conclusion: All the growth parameters were significantly affected by tillage, irrigation and nitrogen levels at all the stages except the influence of irrigation on plant height at sixth leaf stage. Plant population was significantly affected by tillage but non-significant effect was recorded by irrigation an nitrogen levels. Interaction was found between irrigation and nitrogen levels in-case of dry matter production.

Influence of drip Fertigation on Maize Growth Parameters

Field experiment was conducted during kharif 2018, rabi 2018-19 and kharif 2019 at Dr. NTR College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh to study the influence of drip fertigation on maize growth parameters. The experiment was laid out in split plot design consisting of three irrigation levels (0.6 ETc (I1), 0.8 ETc (I2) and 1.0 ETc (I3)) and four nitrogen levels consisting of fertigation levels (80% RDN (N1), 100% RDN (N2), 120% RDN (N3) and Manual application (N4) on sandy clay loam soil. A drip fertigation system with venturi assembly was designed and fertigation date and quantity of nitrogen in each fertigation were calculated and applied. The results shown that, in all the seasons, the plant height at all the stages of observation, drip fertigation at 120% RDN (N3) recorded tallest plant height followed by N2, N4 and N1. The lowest days for maturity was observed in I1 treatment followed by I2 and I3 during kharif 2018. During rabi 2018-19, the lowest days for maturity was observed in I1 treatment followed by I2 and I3. During kharif 2019, the lowest days for maturity was observed in I1 treatment followed by I2 and I3.

The Impact of Deficit Irrigation on the Agronomic Performance and Chemical Composition of Scolymus hispanicus L.

In the current study, the effects of drought stress on the growth and phytochemical profile of Scolymus hispanicus L. (a.k.a. golden thistle) were evaluated. Plants were treated with three irrigation regimes, e.g., plants that received only rainwater (Control; C), deficit irrigation (I1; 50% of field capacity (FC)), and full irrigation (Ι2; 100% of FC). The fresh weight of the rosette of leaves was not negatively impacted by deficit irrigation, whereas root development was severely restrained compared to control and I2 treatments. Drought stress conditions had a positive effect on the nutritional properties of the golden thistle since the treatments of control and deficit irrigation showed the highest content of macronutrients and energy. Oxalic acid was the richest organic acid, especially under the I1 regime. Similarly, α-tocopherol was the only identified vitamin E isoform, whose content was also doubled in I1 treatment. Raffinose, glucose, and sucrose were the most abundant free sugars in amounts that varied among the irrigation treatments, while the total and distinct free sugar content was the highest for the I1 treatment. The most abundant detected fatty acid compounds were α-linolenic acid, followed by palmitic and linoleic acid, with the highest amount being detected in C, I1, and I2 treatments, respectively. Flavonoids were the only class of polyphenols detected in golden thistle leaves, including mostly kaempferol and quercetin derivatives. The greatest antioxidant potency was shown for the control and I1 treatments (for OxHLIA and TBARS methods, respectively). The evaluated leaf samples recorded a varied antimicrobial effect for the different bacterial strains and fungi, whereas no cytotoxic, hepatotoxic, and anti-inflammatory effects against the tested cell lines were recorded. Finally, the mineral content of leaves was significantly affected by the irrigation regime, with Ca, Mg, Cu, and Zn being the highest for the I1 treatment, while the I2 treatment had the highest content of K, Fe, and Mn and the lowest Na content. In conclusion, deficit irrigation showed promising results since it improved the phytochemical content without compromising the fresh weight of leaves, and thus it could be suggested as a sustainable agronomic practice for producing high-added value products without significant constraints in growth development and yield parameters of golden thistle.

Potential use of crop water stress index (CWSI) and spectral vegetation indices for black cumin under deficit irrigation

This study was carried out in 2022 to examine the yield, yield components and changes in crop water stress index (CWSI) and vegetation index in black cumin with deficit irrigation. Five different irrigation water levels (I0, I25, I50, I75, I100) were used. The amount of irrigation water applied changed between 20 and 276 mm. Plant water consumption (ET) values varied between 182 and 425 mm. The highest seed yields were obtained from I100 treatments (692 t ha−1) and the lowest from I0 treatments (25 t ha−1). Biological yield, plant height, stem diameter, first capsule height, number of capsules per plant, number of branches per plant, number of seeds per capsule and 1000-seed weight of black cumin were affected by deficit irrigation. CWSI lower limit equation to be used in irrigation scheduling was identified Tc−Ta = − 1.7524 × VPD + 0.7698 (R2 = 0.54) and the upper limit 10.9 ℃. For black cumin plants, irrigation is recommended when the CWSI value is between 0.08 and 0.12. 9 different spectral vegetation indices were evaluated in this study. It has been determined that there are significant correlations between yield, yield components and CWSI and spectral vegetation indices.

Response of grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) to irrigation schedules under sprinkler irrigation

A field experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) seasons of 2019–20 and 2020–21 at the Centre for Crop Improvement, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Banaskantha, Gujarat to study the response of grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacs L.) to irrigation schedules under sprinkler irrigation system. The experiment was conducted in a randomised block design (RBD) comprised of 6 irrigation treatments, viz. I0 , Surface irrigation; I1 , Control (only pre-sowing irrigation); I2 , Sprinkler irrigation at 0.2 IW: CPE; I3 , Sprinkler irrigation at 0.4 IW: CPE; I4 ,Sprinkler irrigation at 0.6 IW: CPE; and I5 ,Sprinkler irrigation at 0.8 IW:CPE with 4 replications. The results revealed that application of irrigation at IW: CPE ratio of 0.8 had significant effect on plant height, inflorescence length (83.4 cm), grain yield (1,625 kg/ha) and straw yield (7,497 kg/ha) compared with control treatment (surface irrigation). Treatment 0.8 IW: CPE resulted in the 28.15% higher grain yield than the control. The highest water-use efficiency (WUE) (12.8 kg/ha-mm) was achieved by the treatment I1 (only pre-sowing irrigation). Consumptive use (mm) was found increased with increase in irrigation scheduling from I0 to I5 . The highest consumptive use of 179.3 mm was recorded under the treatment of 0.8 IW: CPE ratio. Irrigation at 0.8 IW: CPE ratio fetched highest net returns of `54,701/ha, with benefit: cost (B:C) ratio 3.06 during both the years in pooled analysis.

Effect of Drought Stress on Yield and Some Morphological Characteristics in Wheat

This study aimed to determine the impact of different irrigation levels as a drought factor on the water productivity and yield of Tosunbey variety wheat. Conducted between 2018 and 2020 at the Sarayköy Research and Application Station in Ankara Province, the experiment employed a randomized block design with three irrigation levels and three replications. Significant effects of irrigation levels on the yield and various morphological parameters of wheat plants were observed. The I100 treatment, which was irrigated up to field capacity, achieved the highest yield with an average of 6.55 tons ha-1 over the two growing seasons. In contrast, the rainfed treatment (I0) showed a yield reduction of approximately 80.99% and 77.77% compared to the I100 treatment across the two years, respectively. Water productivity analyses (IWP) revealed average values of 1.74 kg m-3 and 1.55 kg m-3 for the I100 and I50 treatments, respectively. The highest outcomes, both in terms of yield and water productivity, were obtained under the I100 irrigation management where irrigation was applied up to field capacity. Correlation analyses conducted during the study identified significant relationships between different drought stress applications and morphological parameters in wheat. These findings are expected to contribute to the understanding of optimal irrigation strategies to maximize water efficiency and enhance crop performance in wheat cultivation.

Water Use Strategies and Shoot and Root Traits of High-Yielding Winter Wheat Cultivars under Different Water Supply Conditions

Drought is the most important factor limiting winter wheat yield in the North China Plain (NCP). Choosing high-yielding cultivars is an important measure to minimize the negative effects of drought stress. Field studies were conducted with 10 cultivars in the 2020–2022 seasons under three irrigation treatments (I0, without irrigation; I1, irrigated at jointing stage; I2, irrigated at jointing and anthesis stages) in the NCP to examine the water use strategies and root and shoot traits of high-yielding cultivars under different water supply conditions. The results showed that yield variation among cultivars was 21.2–24.6%, 23.7–25.9% and 11.6–15.3% for the I0, I1 and I2 treatments, respectively. Under water deficit conditions (I0 and I1), high-yielding cultivars reduced water use during vegetative stages and increased soil water use during reproductive stages, especially water use from deeper soil layers. Those cultivars with higher root length density (RLD) in deep soil layers exhibited higher water uptake. Each additional millimeter of water used after anthesis from the 100–200 cm soil layers increased grain yield by 23.6–29.6 kg/ha and 16.4–28.5 kg/ha under I0 and I1, respectively. This water use strategy enhanced dry matter accumulation after anthesis, decreased canopy temperature (CT) and increased relative leaf water contents (RLWC), which ultimately improved grain yield. For winter wheat grown under I2, cultivars that decreased water use after anthesis had higher water productivity (WP). Root length (RL), root weight (RW) and root:shoot ratio were each negatively correlated with grain yield, while above-ground biomass was positively correlated with grain yield. Therefore, higher dry matter accumulation and smaller root systems are two important traits of high-yielding cultivars under sufficient water supply conditions (I2) in the NCP.

Field and simulation studies on yield, water and nitrogen dynamics and use efficiency in rice-wheat crops in sequence

ContextThe dominant rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic plain faces challenges of water depletion and nitrogen pollution of groundwater as well as declining productivity caused by over irrigation and nitrogen fertilization by the farmers. To appreciate the apt use of irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer in rice and wheat crops it is essential to explore the water and nitrogen balances as well as dynamics in these crops, involving complex interaction between weather, soil, irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer management. ObjectiveThe objective of the study is to quantify yield, field water balance components, water use efficiency, water productivity, water footprint, and water and nitrogen dynamics of rice and wheat crops in relation to season, varieties, irrigation regimes and nitrogen levels. MethodsField experimentations were conducted in double split plot design along with calibrated and validated HYDRUS 1D model use for two years comprising of treatments in rice i.e. two varieties (PR122-V1 and PR126-V2), two irrigation regimes (2-days drainage period-I1 and soil water suction 16 kPa-I2) and two nitrogen levels (120-N1 and 90-N2 kg N ha−1); and in wheat, two varieties (Unnat PBW343-V1 and Unnat PBW550-V2), two irrigation (1.2 IW/CPE-I1 and 0.9 IW/CPE-I2) regimes and two nitrogen levels (120-N1 and 90-N2 kg N ha−1). ResultsThe highest grain yield recorded was 7.6 t ha−1 in treatment combination of V1I2N1 in rice and 5.4 t ha−1 in V1I1N1 in wheat owing to better plant growth and yield attributes (biomass production, number of effective tillers, panicle length, and 1000 grain weight). Total water footprints were lower in the treatment combination of V1I1N1 in rice and V1I2N1 in wheat. The water budget revealed a higher percent contribution of the total water input to drainage (62 %) in rice ensuing restoration of water in the soil profile; and to evapotranspiration (ET) (100 %) in wheat ensuing water depletion. Modeling water and nitrogen dynamics showed higher root water uptake in I2 treatment in rice and with I1 treatment in wheat; and leaching losses of NO3-N under rice than wheat; and under I2 treatment than I1 as well as in N1 than N2. ConclusionsThe V1I2N1 treatment in rice and V1I1N1 treatment in wheat demonstrated superior grain yield, soil water storage, and root water uptake. Conversely, V1I1N1 treatment in rice and V1I2N1 treatment in wheat showed higher water use efficiency and lower water footprint. SignificanceIt helps to evaluate the effectiveness of irrigation and nitrogen management strategies in maximizing crop productivity while minimizing environmental impacts.

Evaluation of the Effects of Drip Irrigation and Fertigation scheduling on Tomato Yield under Polyhouse

In Northwestern Himalayas, there is scarcity of water owing to rugged terrain which results in lower tomato yield. Therefore to enhance the productivity of tomato, the experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of drip irrigation and nutrient schedules on soil water dynamics and productivity of tomato under polyhouse. The treatments consisted of three drip irrigation levels viz., I1 (Daily drip irrigation 2.0 litre/m2 once in a day during first two months and 4.0 litre/m2 thereafter), I2 (Daily drip irrigation 1.0 litre/m2 once in a day during first two months and 2.0 litre/m2 thereafter) and I3 (Daily drip irrigation twice a day with 6 hours interval at 1.0 litre/m2) and three nutrient schedules viz., NPK75 (75% of RDF, 25% applied as basal and 75% through fertigation at 15 days interval), NPK100 (100% of RDF, 25% applied as basal and 75% through fertigation at 7 days interval) and NPK150 (150% of RDF, 25% applied as basal and 75% through fertigation twice a week). The results showed that the soil moisture content and soil water stock was higher under I3 and I1 and lower under I2 treatments. The marketable yield (6.31 kg m-2), water use efficiency (WUE) (1.94 g m-2 mm-1) and NPK uptake was significantly higher in I2 than I1 and I3. Among nutrient schedules, marketable yield (6.53 kg m-2), WUE (1.94 g m-2 mm-1) and NPK uptake were significantly higher under NPK150 nutrient schedule than NPK100 and NPK75. The net returns (Rs. 230) and benefit:cost (B:C) (4.62) ratio was highest under I2NPK150 followed by I1NPK150 and lowest under I3NPK75. The study concluded that I2 (Daily drip irrigation 1.0 litre/m2 once in a day during first two months and 2.0 litre/m2 thereafter) and NPK150 (150% of RDF, 25% applied as basal and 75% through fertigation twice a week) was most remunerative combination due to higher marketable yield and water use efficiency under polyhouse.

Calibration and evaluation of the FAO AquaCrop model for canola (Brassicanapus) under full and deficit irrigation in a semi-arid region

Field experiments were conducted in the cropping years 2012 and 2013 with four irrigation treatments, I1, I2, I3, and I4, respectively, corresponding to full irrigation, 20, 35, and 50% less than the crop water requirement in a semi-arid region of Iran. Data were used for calibration (2012) and validation (2013) of biomass (B), grain yield (GY), soil water content (SWC), canopy cover (CC), and evapotranspiration (ET) of canola by the AquaCrop model. Model coefficients were calibrated for I1 treatment in 2012, and the calibrated parameters were used for other treatments in both years. Based on the results, the NRMSE value for SWC ranged from 10 to 20%. Simulated and measured SWC for the four water treatments showed that AquaCrop has good accuracy. Overall, the results of the model in simulating SWC for both years were satisfactory. AquaCrop provided overestimation in the calibration phase of ET and underestimation in the ET validation phase. The results also showed that AquaCrop is overestimated in the simulation and prediction of CC and is less satisfactory under water stress. The model evaluation showed that AquaCrop can simulate B and GY with high accuracy. In general, AquaCrop was identified as a good tool for studying irrigation management, crop B and GY, CC, SWC, and other factors affecting the canola growth in the studied fields and climate.

The Effect of Cowpea Intercropping and Different Fertilizer Levels on Growth and Yield of Napier Grass

Background: The field experiment was conducted to check the optimization of fertilizer requirement for napier grass and cowpea intercropping system at the farm of Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab during kharif season 2022. Methods: Study was conduct on total twelve treatment combinations, I1 (Sole napier with 100, 75 and 125% RDF), I2 (Sole Cowpea with 100, 75 and 125% RDF), I3 (Napier grass + cowpea intercropping in 1:2 ratio with 100, 75 and 125% RDF) and I4 (Napier grass + cowpea intercropping in 1:3 ratio with 100, 75 and 125% RDF) replicated thrice in Factorial RBD design. Result: All the growth parameters and yield in intercropping with cowpea were found significantly superior over sole napier grass. Maximum plant height (253.6 cm) and number of leaves (16.13) of napier were seen in intercropping with cowpea I4F3 (1:3 ratio + 125% RDF) which were at par with I3F1 (1:3 ratio + 100% RDF) and I3F2 (intercropping in 1:2 ratio + 125% RDF). There was a significant main effect of intercropping on green fodder yield of Napier grass with a higher yield in (75.69 t ha-1 in mixture and 60.65 t ha-1 sole) recorded in the intercropping ratio of 1:3 with 125% RDF (I4F3). The minimum yield of 24.41 t ha-1 was found in I1F2 (sole napier with 75% RDF) followed by 29.41 t ha-1 in I1F1 (Sole napier + 100% RDF) in 1st cutting. Intercropping napier with cowpea enhanced the overall growth and green fodder yield as compared to sole napier.

Increasing cotton lint yield and water use efficiency for subsurface drip irrigation without mulching.

Planting without mulching can eliminate the residual film pollution caused by the long-term use of plastic film covers, but it will increase soil moisture evaporation and heat loss and severely reduce water use efficiency and cotton productivity in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fields in arid regions. It is unclear whether the advantages of subsurface drip irrigation and nighttime irrigation can be leveraged to reduce the amount of irrigation applied in fields, improve the soil and leaf hydrothermal environments, and increase the synchronicity of yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Therefore, in a two-year field experiment (2019-2020), cotton was grown under different irrigation treatments (I5, 3753 m3 ha-1; I4, 3477 m3 ha-1; I3, 3201 m3 ha-1; I2, 2925 m3 ha-1; and I1, 2649 m3 ha-1). The soil volumetric moisture content, soil temperature, leaf relative water content (RWC), daily changes in gas exchange parameters, lint yield, and WUE were evaluated. The results showed that reducing irrigation can reduce the soil volumetric moisture content (0-40cm soil layer), increase the soil temperature and soil temperature conductivity, and increase the leaf temperature, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), and WUE; however, reducing irrigation is not conducive to increasing the leaf RWC, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), or transpiration rate (Tr). There was no significant difference in WUE between the I3 and I4 treatments from 8:00 to 20:00, but the lint yield in these treatments increased by 2.8-12.2% compared to that in the I5 treatment, with no significant difference between the I3 and I4 treatments. In addition, a related analysis revealed that the positive effects of the leaf hydrothermal environment on the Pn and soil temperature on the WUE occurs during the same period (10:00-16:00). Overall, an irrigation amount of 3201-3477 m3 ha-1 applied with a subsurface nighttime irrigation system without mulching can enhance the soil moisture content and soil temperature, maintain a high photosynthetic capacity, and increase the lint yield and WUE. These results revealed that the negative impacts of plastic film contamination in arid areas can be alleviated.

Water productivity and growth parameters of Fawn-tall fescue and Tekapo-orchard grass under deficit irrigation in arid zones.

This study aimed to determine the drought stress response of Fawn-tall fescue and Tekapo-orchard grass and investigate a drought stress resistance marker. Grass genotypes were grown under four Irrigation treatments I1 equivalent to 0.3 standard crop evapotranspiration (ETc), I2 equivalent to 0.65 ETc, I3 equivalent to 0.75 ETc, and I4 equivalent to 1.2 ETc. Plant height, fresh weight, dry weight were measured and the Water productivity (WP) were calculated. The results showed a reduction in the growth of both grass genotypes as the drought stress increased as indicated by the shorter plants and reduction in fresh and dry weight. However, the WP results showed that the Fawn-tall fescue endured the drought stress better than the Tekapo-orchard grass as indicated by the constant values of the plant WP across the tested irrigation treatments. The results was confirmed by the amplification of dehydrin genes where Fawn-tall fescue was found to be homozygous for dehydrin genes.

Hedonic test of Lombok Island palm sugar candy formulated with Multi-Purpose Tree Species (MPTS) leaves infusion

The purpose of this research is to conduct a hedonic test of palm sugar candy mix with multi-purpose tree species (MPTS) leaves infusion using various statistical approaches. This research used Arenga pinata sap water as raw material. MPTS leaves infusion is the treatment that was added to a palm sugar candy, including I1= Addition of cacao (Theobroma cacao) leaves infusion, I2 = addition of agarwood (Gyrinops versteegii) leaves infusion, I3 = addition of coffee (Coffea robusta) leaves infusion, I4 = addition of soursop (Annona muricata) leaves infusion. Respondents gave evaluations using a 5-scale hedonic score for the treatments in 3 parameters, including appearance, aroma, and taste. Evaluation scores were analyzed using four statistical approaches: Kruskal-Wallis, Freidman, ANOVA-CRD, and ANOVA-RCBD. The results show that different treatments resulted in significantly different respondent evaluation scores. Treatment I1 has the highest score, while I3 has the lowest score. However, respondents give evaluation scores higher than the threshold value (numeric score >3) in all parameters. This shows that the Addition of MPTS leaf infusion has promising prospects for developing palm sugar candy products. Adding cacao leaves infusion to palm sugar candy can give the highest hedonic score from respondents in all parameters, including appearance, aroma, and taste.

Water management, planting slope indicators, and economic benefit analysis for Panax notoginseng production decision under shaded and rain-shelter cultivation: A three-year sloping fields experiment

Panax notoginseng cultivation planting conditions are harsh and require high soil moisture and slope of cultivated land, plus it takes 3–7 years from planting to harvesting. At present, the continuous crop barrier of Panax notoginseng has not been solved, which makes the arable land suitable for planting significantly reduced. And yet, there is almost no report on the impact of coupling water and slope on the growth of Panax notoginseng. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of different irrigation levels and slopes on soil water content (SWC) in the root zone, soil nutrient content, root characteristics, yield, water use efficiency (WUE), partial fertilizer productivity (PFP) and economic benefits of Panax notoginseng. During 2018–2020, a field experiment was conducted in the Panax notoginseng growing seasons with three irrigation levels (I1: 70–75% θFC, I2: 75–80% θFC, I3: 80–85% θFC) and three slopes (S1: 2.43°, S2: 6.38°, S3: 16.38°). The results evidenced that soil water and nutrient content increased with increasing irrigation and decreased with increasing slope. The yield of Panax notoginseng, root morphological characteristics, WUE, PFP, and economic benefits showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing with the increase of irrigation amount and slope, which increased with the increase of planting years. These parameters reached their maximum at the irrigation I2 (75–80% θFC) and slope S2 (6.38°) treatments. Thus, based on the results of this study, medium irrigation I2 (75–80% θFC) and slope S2 (6.38°) should be considered as the best slope and water management strategy to obtain both high Panax notoginseng yield and economic benefits. Through establishing a multi-objective optimization model with binary quadratic regression analysis. It was indicated that Panax notoginseng yield, WUE, PFP, and economic benefits simultaneously reached ≥ 98% of their maximum values when irrigation interval was 152–193 mm and slope interval was 5.4–9°. In summary, the results obtained in this study have important practical significance for the water management of Panax notoginseng cultivation in slope farmland in Yunnan Province, China.

Role of Irrigation Scheduling and Potassium Levels on the Growth and Yield of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Anbar 33 cultivar

A field experiment was carried out in the Agricultural Research Office fields / Al Diwaniyah Research Station in 2019 to study the role of irrigation scheduling and potassium levels in the Growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) Anbar 33 cultivar. A Factorial experiment Design in order of split plot with three replicates was used, the main plots occupied with irrigation factor (I) with four levels I1, I2, I3 and I4 representing irrigation every (1,2,3 and 4 days respectively), while the subplots occupied with potassium fertilizer factor (K) with four levels K1, K2, K3 and K4 representing (0, 60, 120 and 180 Kg k ha-1 respectively). The Results indicated that the Irrigation scheduling affected Growth and yield traits where I2 treatment was significantly superior in plant height, panicle length, panicle number, the weight of 1000 grains, grain yield and biological yield, which gave 97.3cm, 23.42cm, 100.8m2, 17.77gm, 2.86Meg ha-1 and 10.00 Meg ha-1 respectively, which did not different significantly of I1 treatment on plant height, panicle length, panicles number, grain yield and biological yield. The addition of potassium fertilizer significantly affected the studied traits, as K2 was significantly superior on panicle number, grain number/panicle, grain yield and biological yield, which gave 101.9m2, 60.58, 2.94 Mgh-1 and 9.69 Mgh-1, respectively, which did not different significantly than K4 treatment on panicles number, grain number/panicle and grain yield. The interaction indicated that there were significant differences among treatments, as I2K2 was significantly superior on panicle number, grain number/panicle, grain yield and biological yield, which gave 160.0m2, 55.00, 4.20Meg ha-1 and 13.63Meg ha-1, respectively. Keywords. Potassium fertilizer; Irrigation role; Drought tolerance Rice.