Increase Maize Production Research Articles

Climate-smart agriculture: A review of sustainability, resilience, and food security

This paper investigates Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving agricultural efficiency and sustainability while addressing the challenges of climate change. It examines the economic advantages of CSA for adopters compared to traditional farming methods and assesses CSA's role in mitigating climate change, adapting to its impacts, and enhancing food security. The study reviews essential CSA practices, including agroforestry, conservation agriculture, water-efficient irrigation technologies, crop diversification, improved livestock management, and soil carbon sequestration, as well as the barriers to adoption, such as limited funding, arable land, land tenure issues, and insufficient expertise. Agroforestry and crop rotation have shown encouraging results, with agroforestry serving as a cost-effective solution for food production and environmental preservation. Dairy companies boosted milk consumption from 529,000 to 3 million liters, while farmer profits grew from $0.2 to $0.3 per liter. Rice yields have increased, from 3-4 tons to 7.5 tons per hectare. In cotton farming, CSA adopters cut input costs compared to traditional methods, resulting in long-term economic gains. Crop rotation increased maize productivity by 5–10%, while new irrigation techniques improved water efficiency by 5–35%. However, regions without CSA methods experienced significant livestock losses, highlighting the importance of widespread adoption to ensure resilience. Despite CSA’s advantages, its widespread adoption is hindered by financial and knowledge barriers. Future research should focus on optimizing multiple cropping systems, crop diversification, and no-till agriculture. CSA, particularly when integrated with technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), offers a promising path toward more adaptive and resilient agricultural practices. Broader adoption will require investments in research and resources to effectively scale CSA innovations.

Effect of Mini-Doses of Compost on Maize Development and Yield at the Refugee Site in Maro in the Greater Sido Region of Chad

Chemical fertilizers are polluting for the environment, they are expensive and sometimes inaccessible to producers. With the arrival of refugees from the Central African Republic in Maro in southern Chad, arable land is reduced and soils have become impoverished. An alternative use of locally available organic fertilizers is possible to improve agricultural productivity. The Refugees do not have enough livestock to produce the 5 to 10 t/ha of manure that is recommended for maize cultivation. The objective of the study is to determine the minimum dose of compost that can increase corn productivity. The plant material is composed of 2009 TZEE-W-STR corn variety, with a 90-day cycle. The trial is conducted according to an experimental Fisher block design with 5 treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T0) with 4 replicates. The mini-compost doses (20 g, 40 g, 60 g, 80 g and NPK dose equivalent to 100 kg/ha) correspond respectively to the T1, T2, T3, T4 and T0 control treatments. The results revealed that T0 (16.80 cm ± 0.106) had the longest cob, T1 (14.52 cm ± 0.29) had the lowest cob length. The best biomasses were obtained on T0 (5.14 kgm-2 ± 0.098) and T4 (5.13 kgm-2 ± 0.12), while T2 and T1 recorded the low biomasses. T4 (3.02 tha-1 ± 0.035) and T3 (3.02 tha-1 ± 0.087) obtained better yields, the low yield was observed on T1 (2.33 tha-1 ± 0.055). The T0 (0.253 kg ± 0.005) recorded the best grain weight. T3 and T1 obtained the low grain weights. T2 gave the same results as T4 and T3, which are the high rates of compost and the T0 control. The T2 treatment corresponding to 40 g compost/pocket would be recommended to refugees to increase maize production.

Ammonium Polyphosphate Promotes Maize Growth and Phosphorus Uptake by Altering Root Properties.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for maize growth, significantly affecting both yield and quality. Despite the typically high concentration of available P in black soils, the efficiency of crop uptake and utilization remains relatively low. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different P fertilizers on maize yield, root growth parameters, and P use efficiency to identify strategies for optimizing P management in black soil regions. Field experiment results indicated that the combination of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) with other P fertilizers led to variations in yield and P fertilizer absorption efficiency. Various P fertilizers were tested, including diammonium phosphate (DAP), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), fused calcium magnesium phosphate (FCMP), a combination of DAP and FCMP (DAP+FCMP), and a control with no phosphate (CK). The results indicated that P application significantly increased maize yield, with APP (171.8 g/plant) outperforming other P application treatments. Different P fertilizer types significantly affect soil P content and the composition of P fractions. APP significantly increased both the total P (TP) and the proportion of inorganic P (Pi). Furthermore, APP application significantly improved root length (RL), surface area (SAR), and root activity (RA) compared to CK, leading to enhanced nutrient absorption. APP also significantly increased P uptake and utilization (REp, FPp, AEp, PHI, and PAC). In summary, by optimizing plant biomass and P uptake, APP can directly and indirectly influence maize yield. Improving rhizosphere properties through the selection of suitable fertilizer types can enhance fertilizer use efficiency and increase maize production.

Integration of Grain Legumes and Mbeya Manure Improves Maize Productivity on Smallholder Farms in Central Malawi

Legumes are integrated in maize-based systems to improve soil fertility and crop productivity. However, the ecosystem services from legumes vary. Crop rotation on-farm studies were conducted over two cropping seasons (2018/19 and 2019/20) in Mkanakhoti and Kaluluma Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in Kasungu district, central Malawi. The main objective of this study was to evaluate maize response to legume cropping systems and mbeya manure. In the first season (2018/19), five treatments including sole groundnut (Gn), sole soybean (soy), sole pigeon pea (PP), and doubled-up legumes (legume + legume intercrop) - pigeon pea intercropped with groundnut (Gn+PP), and pigeon pea intercropped with soybean (Soy+PP) were grown. In the second season (2019/20), maize was planted on plots that had either sole or doubled-up legumes. These plots were split into two, one half was top dressed with 23kg N ha-1 only and the other half received 23kg N ha-1+1000kg ha-1 mbeya manure. The experiments were replicated in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons. Soil fertility was low and highly variable between farms in the study sites. Soil pH, total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), organic matter (SOM) and active carbon in topsoil (0-15cm) averaged 5.1±0.5, 0.19±0.18%, 31±19.6 ppm, 1.4±0.34 %, and 193±74 mg kg-1, respectively. Application of mbeya manure to maize increased leaf chlorophyll and plant height (p<0.05). There were variations in maize yield responses to legumes with higher benefits obtained from maize rotated with doubled-up legumes than sole legumes. The results also showed that on non-responsive soils, overall, the use of mbeya manure in combination with legume systems increased the rotational maize grain yield by 88% over maize following legumes only (p<0.05), with highest yields from doubled up legumes/maize rotations followed by groundnut/maize rotations. It is therefore recommended that on highly degraded soils, farmers can increase maize productivity through integrated soil fertility management involving a combination of 23kg N/ha and 1000kg/ha of mbeya manure applied to maize rotated with doubled-up legumes (Gn+PP or Soy+PP) and sole groundnut (Gn). Key words: Doubled-up legumes, crop rotation, groundnut, pigeon pea, soybean, maize, mbeya manure

Agribusiness System and Maize Agriculture Development Strategy in Palolo District Sigi Regency

Maize productivity in Palolo District only reaches 4.8 tons/ha, far below the national average. Suboptimal cultivation techniques, limited access to superior seeds, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides that are not in accordance with the recommendations. Farmers' limited knowledge of modern agricultural practices and lack of access to technology and training also affect production yields. A synergistic agribusiness system ensures integration between the upstream and downstream sectors. The purpose of this study is to analyze the success of the maize agribusiness system and formulate a strategy for the development of the maize agribusiness system. The sampling technique is purposive sampling. The analysis method uses agribusiness index, SWOT analysis and AHP. As a result of the calculation of the agribusiness system index, the value obtained is 11.4 from the maximum value of 17.4 or 65.5%. It shows that the maize agribusiness system is running well, in a good value interval (8.71-17.40). As a result of the SWOT and AHP analysis, there are four main strategies for the development of maize agribusiness: Improving farmers' skills through training and mentoring the latest agricultural technology (weight 0.225), optimizing land use and maximizing production (weight 0.219), increasing maize productivity with active extension and technological innovation (weight 0.137), increasing productivity and availability of facilities through the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and environmentally friendly technology (weight 0.106).

Is seed aid distribution still justified in South Sudan?

Seed aid—or free distribution of seeds to farmers—is a popular intervention to simultaneously reduce food insecurity and dependency on food aid in fragile countries. However, seed aid distribution also has the potential to hinder or distort the development of local seed markets. In this study we analyze the targeting and impact of seed aid across the green belt (cutting across the southern/equatorial states) of South Sudan. Using a primary and unique dataset on 1,990 farm households, we find that seed aid is widely rather than selectively distributed. Almost a third of farm households receive seed aid despite the general availability of locally recycled seed varieties. Seed aid distribution does not seem to favor particularly poor, vulnerable and food insecure households, but those that are embedded in community networks, organizations and institutions. Using a double robust methodology based on Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA), we also find that the adoption of seed aid by farm households does not result in increased maize production, as it is neither associated with agricultural intensification nor with the expansion of cultivated land. Seed aid seems to substitute rather than supplement local seed varieties. These findings emphasize a lack of intentionality in seed aid distribution. Still, it must be noted that the effectiveness of seed aid distribution may be greater outside our study area, above the green belt, where conflicts and natural disasters remain more frequent and intense, and where farmers are more likely to be seed insecure. But overall, this study supports the widespread perception that South Sudan is ready for a transition towards a market-based seed distribution system.

PRODUCCIÓN Y RENTABILIDAD DE MAÍCES NATIVOS AZULES BAJO DIFERENTES DENSIDADES DE POBLACIÓN Y RÉGIMENES HÍDRICOS

<p><strong>Background:</strong> It is necessary to increase maize production due to the increase in global food demand. Producers in Mexico prefer to grow native varieties of maize, which have a wide genetic diversity that has not been fully studied. These native maize are being lost due in part to their low yields, as well as their low or no profitability. Despite this, in this germplasm it is possible the presence of genotypes that show high grain production and economic gains. Increasing plant density can be a viable strategy that contributes to improving the production systems of these native maize. <strong>Objective</strong>: To analyze the agronomic behavior and profitability of blue native maize genotypes in two population densities and two water regimes. <strong>Methodology</strong>: The study was carried out in the spring summer 2022 cycle in Nuevo León, Mexico (24°19'11.4"N, 99°56'34.8"W, 1980 m.a.s.l.). The treatments were the combination of four genotypes (Mimbres, Ascensión, Siberia and a Hybrid as a control), two water regimes (irrigated and rainfed) and two population densities (62,500 and 83,333 plants ha<sup>-1</sup>), which were distributed in a random complete block design with split-split plot design. Analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and principal components were carried out to understand the behavior and relationship between variables. <strong>Results</strong>: Grain yield was 38% higher in irrigation compared to rainfed. Increasing the density to 83,333 plants ha<sup>-1</sup> also contributed to increasing grain yield and economic profitability, only in native maize. The number of grains per m<sup>2</sup> and grain weight per ear were the components that were mostly associated with the benefit-cost ratio and grain yield. <strong>Implications</strong>: The native maize studied are important genetic resources with a favorable response to high plant density, therefore, increasing the density to 83,333 plants ha<sup>-1</sup> is a strategy that could be explored to increase grain production and profitability of native maize, in addition, this proposal could be more easily adopted by producers, since it would not significantly affect their production cost. <strong>Conclusions</strong>: It was feasible to cultivate native maize at a density of 83,333 plants ha<sup>-1</sup> both under irrigation and rainfed conditions, since only with this density and such maize genotypes was it possible to obtain the highest grain yield and economic gains.</p>

Performance evaluation of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) in Burkina Faso, sub-Saharan region of Africa

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food for many people in Burkina Faso. The cultivation of maize hybrid genotypes plays a crucial role in increasing maize production and productivity. Feeding the growing population of the country, expected to reach thirty million by 2035, using hybrid genotypes of maize is a challenge. The objective of this study was to identify the hybrid maize genotypes having a best adaptability in the agro-ecological context of Burkina Faso. Nine (09) hybrid maize genotypes were evaluated during the 2018/2019 cropping season, in nine locations of the country characterized by a rainfall varying between 800 and 1200 mm. The experimental design was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that grain yield of the hybrids varied depending on the genotype nature and the cropping environment. The use of hybrid maize significantly increased the grain yield per hectare in maize production. Among the tested hybrid maize genotypes, SD1 (9.054 tons ha−1), SD3 (7.683 tons ha−1), and SD6 (9.385 tons ha−1) significantly presented higher yields. Based on the grain yield, the best growing environments of hybrid maize are NEBOUM1, BAMA and SOUNGALODAGO. The best genotypes for most of the environments are the hybrids of pure line varieties. The heritability was more than 80 % for all the studied yield traits.

Marketing Information System for Maize Commodities in Soppeng Regency to Increase Agricultural Productivity and National Food Security

Maize in Soppeng Regency is a strategic commodity and has bright marketing prospects. Therefore, efforts to increase maize production need to receive great attention, because with sufficient availability, maize is one of the main food needs in the world after rice. It is expected that the community's need for maize can be met and the selling price remains stable. This research aims to increase the productivity of corn commodity marketing in Soppeng Regency based on the application of online marketing information systems, so that the market world can be wider and make it easier for farmers to sell their corn commodity products and become corn crop production centers, in order to increase the productivity of food crops, especially in Soppeng Regency. This study uses preliminary data on corn production from villages and sub-districts sourced from the Office of Food Crops, Horticulture, Plantations, and Food Security of Soppeng Regency which consists of 49 villages, 21 sub-districts and 8 sub-districts. The system development method uses the SDLC (System Development Life Cycle) system development technique, the application of this method starts from the field condition analysis stage, the system design stage, the system creation stage, the system testing stage, the system usage stage in the field. In addition, to meet the sustainability of the program, technical guidance on the use of the system will be provided to each user at the sub-district level. The results of this research are in the form of using an online-based corn commodity marketing information system

The Effectiveness of Development Performance in Gorontalo Province Over Two Cycles of RPJMD (2012-2022)

This research aims to: 1) analyze the effectiveness of development performance achievements in Gorontalo Province over two cycles: RPJMD in 2012-2017 and RPJMD in 2017-2022; and 2) formulate recommendations for the effective achievement of development targets. The method employed was a survey utilizing secondary data in the form of time series with documentation data collection instruments. The effectiveness of development achievements was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and data were presented in tables, figures, and graphs. The effectiveness of development achievements was examined based on the trend of main development indicators in the two RPJMD cycles of Gorontalo Province from 2012-2017 and 2017-2022 and compared with the set targets. The research findings indicate that the development performance of Gorontalo Province during the period 2012-2022 reflects diverse dynamics. Economic growth experienced fluctuations with an initial surge in 2012 and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Human Development Index showed improvement, indicating efforts to enhance social conditions and the population's welfare, although it remains within the moderate category. The agricultural sector changed with increased maize production due to the Agropolitan program, but further efforts are needed to improve farmers' income and rural economic diversification. Surveys on community satisfaction revealed improvements in the quality of public services and governance and accountability enhancements. Despite positive achievements, Gorontalo Province still faces challenges in achieving better and sustainable performance in improving community welfare.

Optimizing water relations, gas exchange parameters, biochemical attributes and yield of water-stressed maize plants through seed priming with iron oxide nanoparticles

Drought poses significant risks to maize cultivation by impairing plant growth, water uptake and yield; nano priming offers a promising avenue to mitigate these effects by enhancing plant water relations, stress tolerance and overall productivity. In the current experiment, we tested a hypothesis that seed priming with iron oxide nanoparticles (n-Fe2O3) can improve maize performance under water stress by improving its growth, water relations, yield and biochemical attributes. The experiment was conducted on a one main plot bisected into two subplots corresponding to the water and drought environments. Within each subplot, maize plants were raised from n-Fe2O3 primed seeds corresponding to 0 mg. L− 1 (as control treatment), 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg. L− 1 (as trial treatments). Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 at a concentration of 75 mg. L− 1 improved the leaf relative water content, water potential, photosynthetic water use efficiency, and leaf intrinsic water use efficiency of maize plants by 13%, 44%, 64% and 17%, respectively compared to control under drought stress. The same treatments improved plant biochemical attributes such as total chlorophyll content, total flavonoids and ascorbic acid by 37%, 22%, and 36%, respectively. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 accelerated the functioning of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and POD and depressed the levels of leaf malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide significantly. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 at a concentration of 75 mg. L− 1 improved cob length, number of kernel rows per cob, and 100 kernel weight by 59%, 27% and 33%, respectively, under drought stress. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 can be used to increase maize production under limited water scenarios.

Do rotations and intercrops matter? Opportunities for intensification and diversification of maize-based cropping systems in Zambia

ContextRealizing the double-edged goals of food security and crop diversification require knowledge of crop yield response to different agricultural practices and the extent to which such response is context dependent. This is particularly important in Southern Africa where cropping systems are dominated by maize and smallholders use few external inputs. ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the performance of cropping systems with different levels of legume diversification and intensification on maize productivity across the main agroecological zones and farming systems of Zambia, and (2) to establish the minimum land required to reach maize self-sufficiency at household level with the different cropping systems tested. MethodsSix maize-based cropping systems, comprising maize monocropping, maize-legume rotations and intercrops under ‘conventional’ tillage and conservation agriculture, were evaluated across 40 farms in contrasting agro-ecological zones and farming systems of Zambia. A household survey was conducted in the same communities hosting the on-farm trials to quantify the share of households with enough maize cultivated area to benefit from the tested cropping systems. ResultsMaize yield measured in the on-farm trials ranged, on average, between 3.6 and 5.4 t ha−1, which was greater than mean maize yields reported by farmers not hosting on-farm trials during the same growing seasons and in the same sites. Our results showed a clear positive effect of legume rotation on maize yield in Eastern province only, where cropping systems including groundnut as rotation crop yielded between 1.0 and 2.0 t ha−1 more maize than other cropping systems. Pigeon pea intercrops and Gliricidia hedgerows, crop residue management, and tillage practice had no significant effect on maize yield in any of the provinces. Finally, nearly 35, 50, and 70% of surveyed farms in Northern, Eastern, and Southern province would have enough land to achieve the same level of maize production obtained on their farm with the yields, and associated area requirements, of the maize-legume rotations tested in the on-farm trials. ConclusionLegume rotations can increase maize productivity on land abundant farms in high potential maize production areas of Southern Africa, whereas legume intercrops have benefits at cropping systems level and should be targeted to land constrained farms. SignificanceThe study contributes to better understand the niche for diversified maize-based cropping systems with legume rotations and intercrops in Southern Africa, along with their impacts on maize productivity at the field level and their land requirements at the farm level.

Application of Machine Learning in Clustering Maize Producing Regions in Indonesia

Maize is considered an important commodity with promising market prospects. Given the importance of maize, there is a need to increase maize production to meet people's needs and maintain price stability. This study aims to group maize production in Indonesia by region, with the hope of finding areas that have the potential to become maize production centers to reduce dependence on imports. The data used in this research was obtained from the Central Statistics Agency, covering information from 34 provinces during the 2017-2021 period. This analysis uses the K-Means method with the Python programming language. The number of groups is determined using the Elbow Method. The results of this research show that there are three categories of maize production regions: regions with low maize production (below average), regions with medium maize production, and regions with high maize production. A total of 25 provinces are in the low production category, eight provinces are in the medium category, and only East Java is in the high production category.

Policy-driven food security: investigating the impact of China’s maize subsidy policy reform on farmer’ productivity

IntroductionChina is the largest producer, consumer, and trader of grain. Changes in China’s agricultural policies will affect global food trade and thus impact food security. In this paper, we use China’s maize subsidy system reform (MSSR) as a quasi-natural experiment to investigate the impact of market-oriented reforms in price support policy on the productivity of grain.MethodsWe use official Chinese government panel data on farm households and a PSM-DID model to overcome the endogeneity problem of policy change.Results and discussionThe empirical results show that MSSR can increase maize productivity. The MSSR is divided into two phases: eliminating the maize purchase price and implementing maize producer subsidies. The policy effect of eliminating the purchase price exceeds the implementation of producer subsidies. Further analysis reveals that for farmers with a larger scale of cultivation, higher level of specialization, and higher degree of part-time employment, the MSSR enhances their productivity more significantly. In the high quartile, the MSSR reduces farmers’ productivity. In the low quartile, the MSSR raises farmers’ productivity, suggesting that the MSSR reduces the productivity differences among farmers. The results of our study suggest that market-based reform of price subsidies is an effective institutional arrangement to mitigate resource mismatch and increase food productivity, and point to the need to continue to improve the MSSR, explore diversified maize producer subsidy policies, and take into account the impact of other subsidies on farmers’ maize production behavior.

The effect of different levels of liquid organic compost of Chromolaena odorata on production, nutrient composition, and In Vitro digestibility of hydroponic maize fodder

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the addition of different levels of liquid organic compost of Chromolaena odorata (CO) in hydroponic media on production, nutrient composition, and in vitro digestibility of hydroponic maize fodder. Maize grains were obtained from the local market and grown hydroponically in the media. The study was design following a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments were: CR 0 = without liquid organic compost; and with liquid organic compost of 25 ml (CR 1); 50 ml (CR 2); 75 ml (CR 3); 100 ml (CR 4). The liquid organic compost of Chromolaena odorata used was fermented for 21 days before application into the fodder. Maize fodder was grown hydroponically for 7 days before being harvested. Data obtained from this study were analyzed using ANOVA of SPSS 25. Addition of liquid organic compost of Chromolaena odorata had a significant effect on increasing (P<0.05) fodder height, leaf length, leaf width, fresh weight, and dry weight. Similarly increasing the level of liquid organic compost of Chromolaena odorata significantly improved In vitro dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility, VFA, and NH3. However, there was no different between treatments (P>0.05) on root length. In conclusion, the addition of different levels of liquid organic compost of Chromolaena odorata increased maize production, nutrient composition and in vitro digestibility of hydroponic maize fodder.

Return to Traditional Wisdom in Controlling Maize Pests in Molamahu, Gorontalo, Indonesia

Government programs in agriculture, such as extension and seed and fertilizer assistance, have increased maize production, but also threaten the preservation of traditional wisdom. This article discusses intractable pest infestations as a major problem in maize farming in Molamahu Village, Gorontalo Regency, Gorontalo Province. Although many agricultural technologies have been developed, they have not been able to effectively control these pests. This study aims to explore the use of traditional methods by farmers in overcoming pest problems, as well as to demonstrate the effectiveness of local wisdom in this context. A qualitative approach was used by interviewing senior farmers and observing the practices of young farmers. The results of this study present clear and structured findings regarding the effectiveness of traditional methods in controlling maize pests. This study found that some traditional methods previously considered irrational turned out to have a robust scientific basis. These results confirm that local knowledge has great potential to strengthen eco-friendly pest control strategies in maize farming. The finding in this research underscores the importance of recognizing and utilizing local wisdom in the development of sustainable agricultural technology.

Influence of the Depth of Nitrogen-Phosphorus Fertilizer Placement in Soil on Maize Yielding and Carbon Footprint in the Loess Plateau of China

Deep fertilization is a beneficial approach for reducing nitrogen losses. However, the effects of various fertilization depths on maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and environmental footprints have not been thoroughly understood. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different fertilization depths of 5 cm (D5), 15 cm (D15), 25 cm (D25), and 35 cm (D35) on maize productivity and environmental footprints. Reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were assessed using life cycle analysis. We hypothesized that deep fertilization can obtain lower carbon and nitrogen footprint. The results indicated that deep fertilization decreased the N2O and NH3 emissions while increasing the CH4 uptake. Compared with D5, D15 resulted in an increase in total GHG emissions and carbon footprint (CF), whereas D25 decreased by 13.0% and 23.6%, respectively. Compared with D5, the Nr losses under D15, D25, and D35 conditions was reduced by 11.3%, 17.3%, and 21.0%, respectively, and the nitrogen footprint (NF) was reduced by 16.0%, 27.4%, and 19.0%, respectively. The maize yield under D15 and D25 increased by 5.7% and 13.8%, respectively, compared with the D5 treatment, and the net economic benefits of the ecosystem increased by 7.1% and 17.1%, respectively. In summary, applying fertilizer at a depth of 25 cm can significantly reduce the environmental footprints and increase maize productivity, making it an effective fertilization strategy in the Loess Plateau region of China.

Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Maize (Zea Mays L.) As Influenced by Cropping Systems and Different Npk20:10:10 Compound Fertilizer Rates

Field trials were conducted during the 2022 and 2023 cropping seasons at Prince Abubakar Audu University Research and Students Demonstration farm, Anyigba, to evaluate and compare the growth and yield performance of maize under three cropping systems and four NPK20:10:10 compound fertilizer rates. A sole crop of maize was initially established at the four fertilizer rates tested, using the randomized complete block design, and replicated three times. For the purpose of double cropping, maize seeds were replanted after the harvest of the sole crop maize, while a second crop of maize, also grown for the harvest of dry grains, was sown in between the rows of the sole crop maize in relay cropping, as soon as tasselling began. Maize data collected included plant height, days to first tasseling, days to 50 % tasseling, cob length at harvest, number of grains per cob, 1000-grain weight and grain yield per hectare. Results showed non-significant interactions (P˃0.05) of cropping system and fertilizer rate for most parameters measured, except plant height at 3, 6 and 9 WAP and 1000-grain weight. Averaged over two years, grain yield was higher under mono-cropping but was different (P˂0.05) only under relay cropping, where the lowest grain yield was obtained. The higher land equivalent ratio values of double cropping over relay intercropping across the fertilizer rates tested suggest that it is a better system for increasing maize production in the zone.

The causal-effect model of input factor allocation on maize production: Using binary logistic regression in search for ways to be more productive

This study delved into the impact of input factor allocation on maize production, seeking to identify strategies for enhancing productivity. The primary data for this study were collected from maize farmer households and analyzed using the binary logistic regression model (BLRM). Consequently, the simultaneous examination of the twelve independent variables using the BLRM yielded a noteworthy impact on maize production. Meanwhile, five of the twelve variables examined in part revealed a significant and positive impact on maize production. The variables that demonstrated statistically significant positive relationships consisted of land area, labor, urea fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and labor. Then, seed application and NPK fertilizer variables had a negative and significant influence, whereas the other variables did not. The results of this study indicate that some production factors employed by farmers significantly affected maize yield. This information may be used to develop a practical strategy for enhancing productivity in maize farming. Some practical implications in immediately oriented recommended: the expansion of maize farming area managed by farmers and the increase in the volume of application of urea fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides, as well as the increase in the number of workers in maize farming, are expected to encourage an increase in maize production. The results of this research also contribute to the existing knowledge by providing empirical evidence that clarifies the positive and significant impact of various production inputs, which include land area, urea fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and labor, on maize production and productivity. It also supports the objective of promoting more efficient farming practices.

Sustainable intensification of climate-resilient maize–chickpea system in semi-arid tropics through assessing factor productivity

Global trends show that the rapid increase in maize production is associated more with the expansion of maize growing areas than with rapid increases in yield. This is possible through achieving possible higher productivity through maize production practices intensification to meet the sustainable production. Therefore, a field experiment on “Ecological intensification of climate-resilient maize–chickpea cropping system” was conducted during consecutive three years from 2017–2018 to 2019–2020 at Main Agricultural Research Station, Dharwad, Karnataka, India. Results of three years pooled data revealed that ecological intensification (EI) treatment which comprises of all best management practices resulted in higher grain yield (7560 kg/ha) and stover yield compared to farmers’ practice (FP) and all other treatments which were deficit in one or other crop management practices. Similarly, in the succeeding winter season, significantly higher chickpea yield (797 kg/ha) was recorded in EI. Further EI practice recorded significant amount of soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and iron after completion of third cycle of experimentation (0.60%, 235.3 kg/ha,21.0 kg/ha,363.2 kg/ha,0.52 ppm and 5.2 ppm respectively). Soil enzymatic activity was also improved in EI practice over the years and improvement in each year was significant. Lower input energy use was in FP (17,855.2 MJ/ha). Whereas total output energy produced was the highest in EI practice (220,590 MJ ha−1) and lower output energy was recorded in EI–integrated nutrient management (INM) (149,255 MJ/ha). Lower energy productivity was noticed in EI-INM. Lower specific energy was recorded in FP and was followed by EI practice. Whereas higher specific energy was noticed is EI–INM. Each individual year and pooled data showed that EI practice recorded higher net return and benefit–cost ratio. The lower net returns were obtained in EI-integrated weed management (Rs. 51354.7/ha), EI-recommended irrigation management (Rs. 56,015.3/ha), integrated pest management (Rs. 59,569.7/ha) and farmers’ practice (Rs. 67,357.7/ha) which were on par with others.