Major Agro-climatic Zones Research Articles

High density banana/rubber intercrops have no negative effects on component crops under the smallholder conditions

<p class="Default">To test high density banana/rubber intercropping systems under more extensive management conditions, on-farm studies were undertaken in the two major agro-climatic zones of Sri Lanka where rubber is grown; the wet and intermediate zones. Two high density banana planting systems comprising two (RBB) and three (RBBB) rows of banana planted between the rows of rubber, were tested against the recommended intercrop planting system of one row of banana to one row of rubber (RB). In addition, two fertiliser regimes for banana were used in which fertiliser was either (i) added at the recommended rate (urea 2: super phosphate 1: muriate of potash 3; 450 g per plant at 4 month intervals) or (ii) no fertiliser was added. Depending on the quality of field management (level of weeding, damage by animals, personal interest and record maintenance) by farmers, well and poorly managed sites were identified. <p class="Default"> Irrespective of climatic conditions, crop performance showed that intercropping had no detrimental effect on growth of either crop, even in the RBBB system. Instead, growth of rubber in all intercrops was superior to that of the sole crop (R). Application of fertiliser to the banana crop in the intercrops significantly improved the growth of banana but had no significant effect on rubber growth. There was no evidence of any nutrient deficiencies in banana, as measured by foliar nutrient concentration, in treatments where no fertiliser was added to banana in the intercrop indicating that banana is suitable crop for intercropping under low input conditions typical of that found on smallholdings.

Study on Plot Pattern and Farm Power Utilization for Major Crops in two Agro-climatic Zones of Hill Agriculture

A study was conducted in two major agro-climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh, namely Sub-montaneous Low Hills Sub-tropical (Zone-I) and Mid Hills Sub-humid (zone-II), to know the plot pattern and power utilization for major crops i.e. maize, paddy and wheat in hill farming. Average percentage of plots was 9.1, 14.8,20.5, 25.3 and 30.3 in zone-I and 32.5, 26.4, 19.4, 14.2 and 7.6 in zone-II for the size less than 100, 100-00,200300, 300-400 and more than 400 m2, respectively. The vertical interval was observed to be 40-50 % higher in zone-II as compared to zone-I. The average plot width was 7.7, 10.5, 14.2, 16.8 and 25.3 min zone-I and 4.7, 8.6, 10.6, 13.4 and 20.5 m in zone-II with the plot size as stated above, which was 10-15% higher in zone-I as compared to zone-II. The shape of plots was 69 and 87% irregular and 31 and 13% regular with fragmented holding in zone-I and II, respectively. Overall animate power (481-619 man-h/ha and 104-138 animal-h/ha) was the major source of power for all the crops under different farm groups in the region. Source wise power utilization per unit area f-Jr major crops was 12-22, 10-12 and 5-14% higher in case of man, animal and tractor, respectively in zone-II as compared to zone-I. Overall tractor power utilization was 2.5-17.3 h/ha (65.0-451.9 kWh/ha) and 2.0-20.20 h/ha (54.6-527.4 kWh/ha) for zone-I and zone-II, respectively with maximum in wheat and minimum in paddy crop. Tractor was not utilized by the farmers of zone-II for puddling due to small sized plots.

Profitability of intensification technologies among smallholder maize farmers in the forest-savanna transition zone of Nigeria

Sustaining the productive capacity of the land resource under the existing land-use system and increasing population pressure requires the use of appropriate technologies that will enhance farm productivity and income levels. This paper examines the effect on farm profitability of smallholder maize farmers’ use of intensification technologies in tropical agriculture. The survey was conducted in southwest Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 300 respondents from two major agroclimatic zones in Osun State. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and complemented with focus group discussions (FGDs), while the State’s Ministry of Agriculture provided secondary data. Pressure on land was found high because farmland was continuously cropped for an average of 10 years with a mean fallow period of 2 years only. Technologies used to intensify agriculture included inorganic fertilizer, organic manure, alley cropping, and tree planting. Results from costs and returns analysis showed that average net returns to inorganic fertilizer use ranked highest in the two zones, while tree planting ranked lowest. There was a significant ecoregional difference on the average net returns/year earned by users of mineral fertilizer. While organic manure use earned higher net returns than alley cropping practice in the rain forest, the reverse was the case for the derived savanna. FGDs revealed that respondents’ preferred to use inorganic fertilizer despite its inadequate supply because, apart from enhancing higher returns and net gains, it also improved output level and provided an opportunity for the continuous use of the scarce land. These results imply that economic returns play a critical role in farmers’ use of intensification technologies and consequently affect their resource management decisions. Policy measures aimed at promoting research on appropriate technologies that are profitable on farmers’ fields will be more effective in enhancing farmers’ use of intensification technologies.