Greater Number Of Pods Research Articles

Strategic cultivar and sowing time selection for weed management and higher redgram productivity in semi-arid Indian regions

IntroductionRedgram (Cajanus cajan L. Mill sp.), a leguminous crop commonly grown in tropical and subtropical climates, is highly valued for its high protein content (21%), which contributes significantly to food and nutritional security. However, its production faces challenges primarily due to terminal dryness experienced during critical growth stages because of changing rainfall patterns. To overcome this, adaptive techniques become imperative as the productivity of this crop is intricately linked to environmental factors and the crop’s growth cycle.MethodsHence, the field experiment was conducted at the National Pulses Research Centre, Vamban, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, in South India under rainfed condition, during the kharif (monsoon) seasons of 2017–18 and 2018–19. The primary objectives were to determine the optimal sowing time and identify suitable redgram cultivars, especially in the context of the late onset of the monsoon in Tamil Nadu, a common issue under changing climate conditions. The experiments tested six different sowing dates with three redgram cultivars.Results and discussionThe findings highlighted the substantial influence of different redgram cultivars and sowing times on the crop’s growth characteristics and yield. Among the six sowing dates tested, planting in later half of June (S6) resulted in notably higher plant height (201 cm), a greater number of pods per plant (287), a seed yield of 1,112 kg ha−1, and a benefit-cost ratio of 2.61 Notably, this sowing period (S6) demonstrated comparable performance with the treatment of redgram sowing in the latter part of September (S4). CO 6 (V1) is the most productive of the three redgram cultivars, with the highest mean pant height (200 cm), number of pods per plant (237), grain yield (1,017 kg ha−1), and benefit cost ratio (2.38). Extended phenological phases along with extra days to reach phenological stages could account for the increased yield in comparison to the other cultivars. Among the two short-duration cultivars, VBN (Rg) 3 (V3) had a significantly higher mean grain yield of 958 kg ha−1 with the benefit-cost ratio of 2.24. Even though CO 6 (V1) obtained a higher yield due to its long duration nature, it matured in 187 days whereas VBN (Rg) 3 (V3) matured within 129 days. Consequently, the short-duration redgram cultivars emerge as highly suitable choices for integrating into crop sequences, thereby augmenting farm cropping intensity.

Impact of Different Sowing Dates on Growth and Pod Yield of Vegetable Pea under Sub-Himalayan Foothills Region of India

Background: The optimum sowing date is crucial among the different agronomic procedures for maximizing output. Optimizing a crop's planting time may be one of the most significant climate resilient tactics for increasing production and hence it becomes necessary to study the crop growth behaviors in changing climatic conditions. The proposed field investigations were undertaken to study the influence of different sowing dates on yield of vegetable pea. Methods: Field investigations were undertaken during Rabi seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22 at the Vegetable Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (85.67oE - 25.98oN.), which comes under sub-Himalayan foothills region of India. The research study was performed in Randomized Block Design with three replications consisting of eight different sowing dates of vegetable pea. cv. Azad Pea-3 at 10 days interval between each sowing dates. Observations were made on various growth and yield attributing parameters. Result: Results revealed that the parameters under study were substantially affected by various sowing dates. Second week of sowing in November in the years produced maximum plant height at 60 DAS (83.77cm), number of branches per plant (3.97), number of nodules per plant at flowering (26.13), number of green pods per plant (20.80), 10 pods weight (75.67g) and pod yield (52.06q/ha).

Evaluation of Planting Dates and Varieties of Pole Type French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Southern Odisha

For any crop production, the time for sowing seeds and different promising varieties is important for economical yield. Suitable varieties availability is a major lacking factor as a pole type French bean cultivation in Odisha during off-time. Very little information is available on different aspects of pole type cultivation of French bean cultivation in the Southern part of Odisha. The present investigation was conducted at Post Graduate Research Farm, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Odisha during early rabi 2022. The experiment was carried out the for the performance study of four different planting dates (3rd September, 18th September, 2nd October and 17th October) and five French bean varieties (Ayoka-427, Gloria, Akamsha, Raikia Bean, Moraleda) in Split Plot Design with three replications. The result of the experiment revealed the effect of planting dates in the highest plant height, minimum days took to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, maximum primary branch number, number of green pods per cluster, number of green pods per plant, average green pod weight, green pod length, pod width, pod yield per plant and green pod yield per hectare was observed on 17th October which was noted statistically similar or followed by the planting date 2nd October. Among the varieties, Ayoka-427 and Raikia Bean excelled in other varieties in different growth parameters, flowering, yield and yield attributes. Hence it can be concluded that Ayoka-427 and Raikia Bean may be suggested to the farmers to cultivate in October month under the Southern part of Odisha.

Twice Applications of Laying Hens Manure Produced the Highest Yield of Organic Okra Pods (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench.)

The optimal okra cultivation using organic fertilizers remains a subject of limited information. This study aimed to assess the impact of applying 18 t.ha-1 of laying hens' organic fertilizer on the morphological and physiological traits of the "Naila IPB" green okra variety. The study was conducted between September and December 2022 at the IPB organic experimental field at Cikarawang, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. A randomized complete block design with a single factor namely frequency of organic fertilizer application, was employed. The factor consisted of four levels: no organic fertilization, 1-, 2-, and 3-times applications. The results demonstrated that a single application of organic fertilizer led to an increase in plant height at 5, 7, and 9 weeks after planting (WAP), leaf number at 5 WAP, root dry weight at 4 WAP, stem dry weight at 10 WAP, and an acceleration in the onset of flowering. This resulted in a flowering period lasting 29.6 days, with a total flowering duration of 69.33 days. In contrast, a two-times application of organic fertilizer resulted in elevated plant height at 11 WAP, an increased leaf number at 11 WAP, heightened leaf potassium content, a greater number of pods per plant, and a higher yield of young pod okra. These findings contribute to our understanding of the effects of organic fertilizer application frequency on the growth and yield of young pod okra, aiding in the formulation of improved cultivation strategies.

Foliar application of gibberellic acid in combination with cowdung enhances growth and yield attributes of okra(Abelmoschus esculentus)

A field experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during March to July 2020 to investigate the results of various amount of cowdung and gibberellic acid (GA3) on okra growth and production. The experiment comprised of Factor A: three doses of cowdung such as C0= 0 ton (Control), C1= 5 t ha-1, C2= 10 t ha-1and Factor B: four variable concentrations of GA3such as G0= Control (with no gibberellic acid), G1= 50 ppm gibberellic acid, G2= 100 ppm gibberellic acid and G3= 150 ppm gibberellic acid. Three replications ofthe experiment were set up using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Most of the developmental and yield-contributing parameters of the okra tested significantly varied when various quantities of cowdung and varying amounts of gibberellic acid wereused. The 10 t ha-1cowdung (C2) had the maximum yield (11.34 t/ha) as well as the amount of green pods(13.77)per plant. From a 0 t ha-1cowdung (C0) treatment, the fewest green pods (14.18), and lowest green pod production (5.98 t/ha), were produced. On the other hand, gibberellic acid with 100 ppm (G2) showed the best performance on number of green pods (13.77), green pod output (10.51 t/ha) and the lowest performance on number of green pods (10.05), green pod produce (6.47 t/ha) from control (G0) treatment (without gibberellin). Okra's development and yield-contributing characteristics were greatly impacted by the interaction of cowdung and gibberellic acid. The integration of 10 t ha-1 cowdung (C2) and 100 ppm gibberellic acid performed the best on the number of green pods (15.91), green pod yield (13.47 t/ha) tremendously non-identical from the combination of treatment of 0 t ha-1(C0) with no gibberellic acid applied plants in the same parameters viz. number of green pods (7.72), green pod yield (4.13 t/ha). The finding of this study suggested that application of 10 tons cowdung per hectare combine with 100 ppm gibberellic acid to be recommended for okra cultivation.

Variability for pod yield and its components in germplasm of tree bean (Parkia timoriana DC)

Variability for pod yield and its components was estimated among seventeen germplasm lines of tree bean (Parkia timoriana DC). Wide range of variations was recorded for the traits indicating diverse genetic nature of the base population. The days to mature immature pods varied from 108.9 to 132.5 but there were no statistical differences among the lines for this trait. Plant height varied from 260.9 to 389.6 cm, pod length from 12.5 to 24.1 cm, number of green pods from 6 to 9, 100-seed weight from 91.5 g to 140.8 g and green pod yield from 113.0 to 291.5 g/plant. A wide range of variations indicated that there was better scope for selection of these traits and identification of promising lines in tree bean.

Performance of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) varieties under cowpea- maize strip intercropping and phosphorus fertilization in Limpopo Province, South Africa

A field experiment was conducted during summer cropping seasons of 2017- 2018 and 2018-2019 at the Experimental farm University of Limpopo, South Africa to assess the effect of phosphorus fertilization levels (0, 15, 30, 45 kg P/ha) on two cowpea varieties (PAN311 and TVu13464) planted in a strip intercropping with maize using splitsplit plot design wit three replications. Some of the variables measured include day to maturity, number of pods per plant grain yield, root mass, land equivalent ratio, profit and benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Application of 30-45 kg P/ha significantly increased th root biomass, the number of pods per plant and the overall grain yield. Across the two seasons, PAN311 performed better than in TVu13464 in all measured agronomic variables. It flowered and matured earlier, had high canopy height and root mass, a greater number of pods per plant and high pod length, which subsequently led to increased grain yield. Strip intercropping was better over monocropping in root mass and the grain yield. The strip intercropping system was advantageou over monocropping in BCR and land utilisation because the land equivalent ratio (LER) values were greater than 1.00. Th optimum P level for cowpea-maize strip intercropping was 30 kg P/ha based on yield and financial return. The study showed that P application enhanced the productivity of the cowpea varieties in cowpea-maize strip intercropping in the semi-arid environment of Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Weed control and soybean agronomic performance in response to application of sulfentrazone + diuron in pre-emergence

The use of pre-emergent herbicides is an important tool in weedmanagement. Sulfentrazone + diuron mixture was recently launched ontothe market. The objectiveof this work was to evaluate the weed control and the agronomic performance of soybean in response to application of sulfentrazone + diurondoses in pre-emergence. The experiment was conducted in Londrina PR, in an oxisol. The treatments were doses ofsulfentrazone + diuron (62 + 123, 123 + 245, 184 + 368, 245 + 490, 306 + 613 e 368 + 735 g a.i.ha-1). In addition to these treatments, isolated applications of sulfentrazone (245 g a.i.ha-1) and diuron (490 g a.i.ha-1) were evaluated, as well as a weedyand aweed-freecontrol. For the weed control, the wild radish(Raphanus raphanistrum)and itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis) emergencewere evaluated. In soybean, photosystem II (PSII)activity, stand, plant height, number of podsper plant, height of insertion of the first pod, number of nodes per plant, mass of a thousand grains and grain yield were evaluated. Results show that the mixture of sulfentrazone + diuron resulted in less than 50% wild radish control, regardless of the dose evaluated. However, for itchgrass, the control was greater than 90% in doses from 123 g sulfentrazone + 245g diurona.i.ha-1. Regarding thesoybeancrop, in doses from 245 g sulfentrazone + 490 g diuron a.i. ha-1 there was a greater number of pods per plant and higher grain yield, of about3,000 kg ha-1. The application of herbicides led to a transient inhibition of PSIIactivity, which did not result in a reduction in crop grainyield, indicating plant recovery. Therefore, the mixture of sulfentrazone + diuron is a good alternative for the weed management in pre-emergence of soybean, and should be positioned according to the history of fieldinfestation.

Effect of integrated nutrient management on growth and yield of vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)

The experiment entitled “Integrated nutrient management in vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)” was carried out during summer season of 2018 at the Horticulture Farm, College of Horticulture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Jagudan, Gujarat. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. Total fourteen treatments were evaluated in the present study viz., T1: 100% RDF (25: 50: 00: NPK kg/ha); T2: 100% RDN through urea; T3: 75% RDN through FYM + 25% N through urea; T4: 50% RDN through FYM + 50% N through urea; T5: 75% RDN through vermicompost + 25% N through urea; T6: 50% RDN through vermicompost + 50% N through urea; T7: 75% RDN through neem cake + 25% N through urea; T8: 50% RDN through neem cake + 50% N through urea; T9: T3+ Rhizobium @ 10 ml / kg + PSB @ 2.5 lit / ha; T10: T4+ Rhizobium @ 10 ml / kg + PSB @ 2.5 lit /ha; T11: T5+ Rhizobium @ 10 ml / kg + PSB @ 2.5 lit /ha; T12: T6+ Rhizobium @ 10 ml / kg+ PSB @ 2.5 lit /ha; T13: T7+ Rhizobium @ 10 ml / kg + PSB @ 2.5 lit /ha; T14: T8+ Rhizobium @ 10 ml / kg + PSB @ 2.5 lit /ha. Among various treatments, treatment T11 (T5+ Rhizobium @ 10 ml / kg + PSB @ 2.5 lit /ha) was significantly superior over all other treatments with respect to growth and yield parameters. The growth parameters viz., plant height at 30 DAS (23.72 cm) and 60 DAS (60.67 cm), number of branches (9.07) at 60 DAS and nodules per plant (19.87) and yield parameters viz., number of green pods per plant (58.65), yield per plant (117.24 g/plant), yield per plot (2.30 kg/plot) and yield per hectare (85.06 q/ha) were recorded maximum with treatment T11.

Genetic variability, heritability and character association among yield and yield attributing traits in oats (Avena sativa L)

Thirty eight of diverse genotypes oat (Avena sativa L.) were evaluated to examine the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation, path coefficient analysis and genetic divergence during rabi 2015-16. Observations were recorded for days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of leaves per plant, flag leaf area, number of tillers per plant, stem girth, number of green pods per spike, length of spike, leaf stem ratio, dry fodder yield and green fodder yield per plant. Analysis of variance revealed substantial amount of variability among the genotypes for all the characters under study, indicated wide spectrum of variability among the genotypes. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance were revealed number of leaves per plant, stem girth, number of green pods per spike, leaf stem ratio, dry fodder yield per plant and green fodder yield per plant, indicating the preponderance of additive gene effects for these traits and hence may prove useful for effective selection. Green fodder yield showed significant and strong positive correlation with plant height, flag leaf area, stem girth and dry fodder yield per plant at both genotypic and phenotypic level. Therefore, these characters are useful to the breeders in selecting suitable plant type. Path coefficient analysis exhibited high positive and direct influence of number of leaves per plant, dry fodder yield per plant, stem girth and flag leaf area towards green fodder yield. By improving number of leaves per plant, flag leaf area, stem girth and dry fodder yield per plant, the green fodder yield in oats might be improved. Those traits were influenced green fodder yield via other traits, should also be given importance while improving the green fodder yield in oats. The inter cluster distances were higher than intra cluster distances suggesting presence of high genetic diversity between lines of any two cluster than the lines present within the cluster. Cluster II is characterized by line having maximum number of prominent traits studied and contributed more towards divergence, so the direct selection for these would be helpful. The study provided the opportunity to identify genotypes to be used in future breeding programme.

Modes of application with Cobalt and Molybdenum fertilizations in different stages of soybean development and yield of soybean

The elements cobalt (Co) and molybdenum (Mo) are micronutrients of great importance for legumes, since they play a fundamental role in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen assimilated by bacteria of the genus Bradyrhizobium. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the yield components of soybean as a function of different doses and time of application of cobalt and molybdenum via leaf. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Vera - Mato Grosso. The treatments consisted of the combination of five doses of the micronutrient (0, 50, 100, 150 and 300 mL ha-1) with two phenologicals stages of application periods (V5, fifth node and fourth trifoliate flower and R2, full flowering)). The characteristics evaluated: dry mass of the nodules, number of nodules, number of pods per plant, grains per pod, mass of 100 grains and productivity. It is concluded that under the conditions of this experiment, the application of cobalt and molybdenum via leaf in V5 and R2 does not alter soybean nodulation. The application in the reproductive period (R2) provides a greater number of pods per plant and number of grains per pod, but does not affect productivity

Evalution of Indian bean (Lablab purpureus L. var. typicus) seeds’ inoculation with Rhizobium phaseoli and Pseudomonas fluorescens on growth, yield and nutritional quality

The field experiment was conducted at Horticulture Farm, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner (Jaipur) during kharif season 2016-2017. The experiment consisting four plant growth promoting bacteria like viz. P0 (control), P1 (Rhizobium phaseoli), P2 (Pseudomonas fluorescens) and P3 (Rhizobium phaseoli + Pseudomonas fluorescens) with three replications. The seeds of Indian bean inoculated with Rhizobium phaseoli + Pseudomonas fluorescens significantly increased the plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, dry matter accumulation, CGR at 45-60 and 60-75 days after sowing, chlorophyll content in leaves, leaf area, number of green pods per plant, average pod weight (g), green pod length (cm), number of pickings per plant, green pod yield per plant, green pod yield per plot, green pod yield (74.28 q/ha), protein content, net returns (₹ 67875/ha) and B:C ratio (2.56) than control (no inoculation) as compared to control. Whereas, crude fibre content was recorded minimum in treatment inoculation with Rhizobium phaseoli + Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Phenotypic characters and genetic variations of lurik peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L. var. lurikensis) with Inter Simple Sequence Repeat

Abstract. Rosyidi IN, Daryono BS. 2020. Phenotypic characters and genetic variations of lurik peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L. var. lurikensis) with Inter Simple Sequence Repeat. Biodiversitas 21: 629-635. Agriculture is a sector that supports national development, one of its commodities is peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). The needs and demand for peanuts from the food industry sector increased throughout time. However, the current national production level is unable to fulfill the demand, so the number of peanut imports increased sharply. Based on this condition, researches to improve peanuts production using Lurik peanuts should be held as a solution to fulfill the need for national consumption because lurik peanuts have a greater number of pods and seeds. This research was aimed to improve the quality and quantity of Lurik peanuts phenotype and analyze the successes through the variations and its molecular character. This research was done in May - July 2018 in Mutihan, Madurejo, Prambanan, Sleman, Yogyakarta and in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding of Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In this research, Lurik peanuts improvement was conducted by selection and induction with colchicine. The Data was collected qualitatively using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) with ISSR 8, ISSR 9, UBC 825, UBC 841 primers and electrophoresis while the quantitative method was done using plant phenotype measurement and spectrophotometry, then followed by data analysis using one-way ANOVA and MVSP 3.1 program. The results of this research showed that the characters of Lurik peanuts were different from common peanuts such as in having higher plants, different numbers of seeds per pod, and pattern on the seed coat. These data were supported by the molecular results, with similarity index at 84% meaning that the Lurik peanuts and common peanuts are classified as one same species.

Agronomic and economic feasibility indicators for cowpea-vegetable under green manure in a semiarid environment

Two experiments were conducted at the Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm, from June to September 2015 and 2016 with the objective of evaluating and estimating sustainability indicators of cowpea-vegetable as a function of the amounts of hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil in two crops. Treatments consisted of the following amounts of hairy woodrose biomass: 20, 35, 50 and 65 t ha -1 on a dry basis. The cultivar of cowpea-vegetable planted was BRS Itaim. The evaluated characteristics were: length of green pods, number of green pods per m 2 , productivity and dry mass of green pods, weight of 100 green grains, yield and dry mass of green grains. In addition, the economic indicators of sustainability were evaluated: gross income, net income, rate of return and profitability index. The optimization of the agronomic efficiency of the cowpea-vegetable was obtained in the amount of 45 t ha -1 of hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil and the optimization of the agroeconomic viability of the cowpea-vegetable cultivation was reached in the quantity of hairy woodrose biomass of 37.70 t ha -1 added to the ground. The first growing crop yielded better agroeconomic efficiency of cowpea-vegetable than the second crop. The use of hairy woodrose as green manure is economically feasible and recommended to the farmer in the production of cowpea-vegetable.

Nitrogen management in okra through neem coated urea

A two-year investigation was carried out to examine the effect of nitrogen on growth and yield of okra with fourteen treatments containing different combinations of organic (vermicompost and farm yard manure) and inorganic (urea and neem coated urea) sources of nitrogen replicated thrice at Vegetable Research Centre of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand in summer seasons of year 2016 and 2017. Observations for plant height, stem diameter, per plant number of leaves, primary branches and nodes at 45 days after sowing (DAS), leaf area at 60 DAS, green pod length and diameter, average weight of green pod, number of green pods and green pod yield plant-1 were recorded. The findings revealed that among all others, treatments T10 (Recommended dose of nitrogen, RDN- 100% through neem coated urea + 2.5 t ha-1 vermicompost) and T6 (RDN- 75% through neem coated urea + 25% through vermicompost) were found best with respect to improvement in plant growthand yield characters. The highest number and yield of green pods per plant were recorded under treatments T6 (25.8 and 293.3 g plant-1) and T10 (23.3 and 294.7 g plant-1) as compared to other treatments. Hence, it can be concluded that application of neem coated urea along with vermicompost could be recommended for obtaining higher yield of okra in summer season under lowland regions of India.

Effects of different roostertree (Calotropis procera) amounts and spatial arrangements on the performance of the beet-cowpea intercropping system

Intercropping of beet with cowpea-vegetable is increasing in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. However, its management requires scientific information and technologies pertaining to space arrangement and adequate fertilization with roostertree. The present study evaluated the agronomic/biological performance of the beet and cowpea-vegetable intercropping system with different amounts of roostertree and spatial arrangements of the component cultures. We established a 4 × 3 factorial completely randomized design with four blocks. The first factor was the amount of roostertree biomass incorporated into the soil (20, 35, 50, and 65 t ha-1 in dry matter), while the second was the spatial arrangement of beet rows alternated with cowpea rows (2:2, 3:3, and 4:4). We evaluated the total, commercial, and classified productivities of beet roots, as well as the number of green pods per m2, green and dry pod productivities, the number of green grains per pod, the weight of 100 green grains, and green and dry grain productive of cowpea. The agronomic efficiency of the intercropping system was evaluated by the land equivalent ratio, productive efficiency index, and score of the canonical variable z. The results showed no significant interactions among the amounts of roostertree biomass and spatial arrangements for any evaluated trait or agronomic index. The highest agronomic efficiency of the intercropping system was obtained with 65 t ha-1 of roostertree biomass and the 2:2 spatial arrangements.

Agronomic performance of soybean genotypes submitted to different population densities in the city of Uberlândia - MG

Sowing density is widely studied in the soybean crop in order to define the best plant population for each cultivar available on the market. The objective of this work was to evaluate the agronomic traits of three soybean geno­types (UFUS LVR, UFUS 7910, and UFUS 8301) in four population densities (12; 14; 16; 18 pl m -1 ), in Uberlândia-MG. The design was a randomized complete block with four replicates, with sowing performed on February 12, 2016. The following were evaluated: plant height at flowering (PHF) and maturity (PHM); number of branched nodes (NBN); lateral branch inclination (LBI); first pod insertion height (FPIH); number of pods per plant (NPP); number of seeds per pod (NSP); hundred-grain weight (HGW); and grain yield (kg ha -1 ). There were sig­nificant interactions between genotypes and densities for all characters, except for LBI and NSP. When increasing the sowing density from 14 to 18 pl m -1 , cultivar UFUS 7910 showed a reduction in plant height at maturity, and strain UFUS LRV had the first pod insertion height increased. The hundred-grain weight was not altered for culti­vars UFUS LRV and UFUS 7910 when increasing the density from 12 to 18 pl m -1 . For the three genotypes, there was a reduction in grain yield when sown in a higher sowing density (density of 18 pl m -1 ). The densities of 16 pl m -1 and 12 pl m -1 provided better grain yields for genotypes UFUS LVR and UFU 7910, respectively. The densi­ties of 12 pl m -1 and 14 pl m -1 allowed a greater number of pods and higher yield for cultivar UFUS 8301.

TECHNICAL-ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF THE YIELD OF GREEN GRAINS OF COWPEA FERTILIZED WITH ROOSTERTREE

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the doses of maximum agronomic and economic efficiency as a function of different amounts of roostertree [Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br.] biomass added to the soil, that results in the maximum yield of green grains of cowpea in the semi-arid of Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil. The experiment was conducted at the “Rafael Fernandes” Experimental Farm of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Alagoinha, RN, from August to November 2013. In the experiment was used a randomized completely block design with 5 replicates. The treatments consisted of 20, 35, 50, and 65 t ha-1 (on a dry matter basis) of roostertree biomass added to the soil. The evaluated characteristics were: number of green pods per m2, productivity and dry mass of green pods, number of green grains per pod, weight of 100 green grains, and dry mass of green grains. The following economic indicators were determined: gross and net incomes, production operational costs, rate of return, and profit margin. The maximum agronomic efficiency of the yield of cowpea green grain was reached at the yield of 3.05 t ha-1, using 61.0 t ha-1 of roostertree biomass in the soil. The maximum economic efficiency yielded a net income of R$ 8,701.42, at the production of 3.02 t ha-1 green grains with 53.57 t ha-1 of roostertree biomass added to the soil. The use of roostertree as a green manure presents technical-economic feasibility in cowpea cultivation for green grains in the semi-arid conditions of Rio Grande do Norte.

Diferencias fenológicas, morfológicas y de componentes del rendimiento entre una forma silvestre y una domesticada de frijol común

En 2014 se cultivaron en invernadero dos formas de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), una silvestre y otra domesticada, ambas de hábito de crecimiento indeterminado tipo IV, trepador. El cultivo se realizó en hidroponía permitiendo la máxima expresión de su potencial genético. La forma silvestre y la domesticada de P. vulgaris son importante reservorio de genes para el fitomejoramiento. El objetivo fue realizar una comparación mutua de caracteres fenológicos, morfológicos y de los componentes del rendimiento, así como de algunas variables fisiológicas como duración del área foliar, tasa de asimilación neta, índice de llenado de la vaina e índice de cosecha. La forma silvestre presenta un ciclo de cultivo más largo que la domesticada y un mayor número de vainas desde la etapa de llenado de la vaina hasta la de madurez de cosecha y en esta última un mayor número de semillas por planta, aunque las semillas de un menor tamaño y peso individual; asimismo, el porcentaje de germinación fue similar en ambas formas sin necesidad de escarificar la semilla. En la forma silvestre, la producción total de materia seca por planta y la duración del área foliar son mayores, esta última característica debido a que su follaje permanece funcional más tiempo en comparación con la domesticada. La tasa de asimilación neta es mayor en la domesticada, lo cual indica su precocidad. El índice de cosecha tradicional y modificado (incluyendo y excluyendo la raíz en ambos casos) es mayor en la forma domesticada debido a la selección bajo domesticación.
 

INTERCROPPING OF CARROT X COWPEA-VEGETABLES: EVALUATION OF CULTIVAR COMBINATIONS FERTILIZED WITH ROOSTERTREE

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate combinations of cowpea-vegetable cultivars with carrot cultivars in a strip-intercropping system fertilized with roostertree. The work was conducted at the Experimental Farm "Rafael Fernandes" of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA) during September 2013 to March 2014. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications and treatments arranged in a factorial 4 x 2 scheme, resulting from the combination of four cowpea -vegetable cultivars (BRS Tumucumaque, BRS Cauamé, BRS Guariba and BRS Itaim) with two carrot cultivars (Brasilia and Alvorada). The characteristics evaluated in cowpea-vegetables were: number of green pods per area, productivity and dry weight of green pods, number of grains per pod, productivity of grains, weight of 100 grains, and dry weight of green grains. In the carrot cultivars, we evaluated total, commercial, and classified productivity of roots. The cultivar combinations were evaluated in terms of land equivalent ratio, productive efficiency index, score of the canonical variable, as well as indicators of gross and net income, rate of return, profit margin, and modified monetary advantage. The intercropping system using the cultivars BRS Guariba (cowpea) and Alvorada (carrot) achieved highest agronomic/biological efficiency. Highest economic efficiency was achieved with the combination BRS Tumucumaque (cowpea) and Brasilia (carrot).