November Planting Research Articles

Winter Expansion and Emergence Time Effects on the Phenology, Growth, and Fecundity of Feathertop Rhodes Grass (Chloris virgata)

Feathertop Rhodes grass (Chloris virgata Sw.) is a problematic weed in Australian summer crop fields that has recently expanded its presence into colder seasons. In this study, the phenology, growth, and seed production of four C. virgata populations were investigated across six different planting dates every other month from May to March between 2021 and 2022 and between 2022 and 2023. In both years, the shortest time (3 to 6 days) for C. virgata emergence was observed for January planting, while the longest time (10 to 17 days) was observed for July planting. In both years, C. virgata populations showed variations in growth and seed production in response to planting time. The highest aboveground biomass production in the first year was observed in November planting, and in the second year, it was observed in both November and January plantings. In the first year, all four populations produced the highest number of seeds when planted in January, averaging 133,000 seeds plant−1. In the second year, among the different planting dates, the March planting with two populations resulted in the highest seed production, averaging 148,000 seeds plant−1. In both years, there was a positive and significant correlation between aboveground biomass and seed production. The ability of this species to emerge, establish, survive, and consistently produce seeds year-round indicates its successful adaptation to the Queensland climate. Failure to manage this weed will result in its further spread to new areas.

Introduction and Agrotechnology of Greek Chambala (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum L.) in Surkhondaryo Region

This research explores the introduction and agrotechnology of Greek Chambala (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan. The study focuses on the growth development and medicinal properties of this leguminous herb, with particular emphasis on agrotechnological factors such as planting dates, row spacing, and chemical protection measures that influence productivity. Greek Chambala is valued for its bioactive compounds, known for medicinal benefits like managing diabetes and obesity. The experiment was conducted at the "Jonchekka Sarhadlari" farm using different planting configurations and fertilization methods. The results showed that planting in November yielded optimal seed development and contributed to soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. The findings provide practical insights for enhancing the cultivation of Greek Chambala in Surkhandarya's climatic conditions, making it a promising crop for both agricultural and medicinal purposes.

Effect of Different Planting Times on Yields and Agricultural Characters of Different Mint (Mentha spp.) Varieties Under the Çanakkale Plain Conditions

This study investigated the effects of different planting times (October 18, November 18, April 5 and May 5) on the yield and some agricultural characteristics of different mint species and types (Mentha × piperita L. var Mitcham, M. piperita and M. spicata). It was carried out in Sarıcaeli Village of Çanakkale province in 2019-2020 in Çanakkale conditions. In the 3 mint species and types tested, much higher drug herb and essential oil yields were obtained in October and November plantings (October 18 and November 18) than in April and May plantings (April 5 and May 5). Among the mints included in the experiment, the highest total fresh and drug herb, drug leaf and essential oil yields were determined in M. spicata type mint. Afterwards, the highest values were observed in M. piperita Mitcham type mint. In Mentha × piperita L. var Mitcham type mint, higher total essential oil yield was determined in October and November plantings due to the high essential oil content, although the total drug leaf yield was low. In Çanakkale conditions, M. spicata type mint generally ranked first in terms of the examined characteristics. It has been revealed that the M. spicata mint type showed good results in both 2019 and 2020 and that planting will be more suitable in the ecological conditions of the region, especially in October and November, and production can be easily done in these areas.

Intraspecific competition in row spacings in soybean

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of various row spacings on the morphology, components of grain yield, and overall grain yield of soybean. The experiments were conducted over two planting seasons (2014/2015 and 2015/2016) using two planting dates (November and December) and two cultivars, FPS Urano RR and BMX Tornado RR. The row spacings tested were: 45 cm (wide row), 45 × 45 cm (cross row), 22.5 × 45 cm (twin row), and 22.5 cm (narrow row). Measurements included leaf area index and sunlight interception at R2 stage, as well as grain yield components and overall grain yield. Narrow rows, in addition to achieving canopy closure, also demonstrated enhanced sunlight interception at the R2 stage. However, the positive effect of increased sunlight interception on grain yield was only significant for the December planting date, with no notable difference observed for the November planting date. These findings imply that while narrow rows may offer advantages, particularly in later planting dates, their implementation should be carefully considered and may not consistently lead to increased grain yield, reinforcing the continued preference for conventional row spacing.

In‐field climatic factors driving Sclerotinia head rot progression across different sunflower planting dates

AbstractSclerotinia head rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a major disease limiting sunflower production in tropical and subtropical agroecological zones. Sporadic outbreaks across South Africa have resulted in major losses, yet little is known about the in‐field climatic factors driving this infection. Short‐interval, staggered plantings have been proposed as a control method for Sclerotinia head rot, which help to limit the number of plants in a susceptible developmental stage during conducive environmental conditions. However, this complicates field management practices, especially if working at the fringes of a planting window due to delayed rains. This study aimed to investigate the effect of planting date on Sclerotinia head rot progression in monthly plantings across the summer period. Artificial mycelial plug inoculations were performed at the R5.9 flowering stage in an open field. Disease establishment, progression and severity were monitored at 3‐day intervals for 30 days. We show that disease establishment was delayed by low relative humidity or extreme low temperatures in the January and March planting dates where the first lesions were only observed 6 days post‐inoculation. Consistently high temperatures above 27°C also suppressed disease progression and produced low area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) scores of 75.15 and 29.4 for the October and November planting dates, respectively. These findings suggest that regardless of season or location, selecting a planting date that ensures the sunflower bloom period aligns with the hottest, driest part of the season will probably suppress Sclerotinia head rot in regions with average summer highs above 27°C.

Cultivar variability and stability of vegetable-type soybean for seed yield and pod shattering

Vegetable-type soybean, also known as “edamame”, was introduced to South Africa in 2009 to serve as an alternative high-protein cash crop for production by small-scale growers. Since their introduction, cultivars have been evaluated and morphologically characterised to identify suitable cultivars for production in specific environments and also to gather data for future breeding programmes. The objective of this study was to investigate genotype by environment interaction and cultivar stability through additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) as well as genotype plus genotype by environment biplot analysis across seven environments and two growing seasons in 15 vegetable-type soybean cultivars for seed yield and pod shattering. Based on AMMI stability values and genotype stability index scores, cultivars AGS418, AGS457 and AGS458 were the most desirable in terms of stability and performance for both seed yield and pod shattering resistance and could be considered for commercial release. Of all vegetable-type soybean cultivars studied, cultivar AGS354 had the best pod shattering resistance and it showed specific adaptation to the Winterton, and Mariannhill October and Mariannhill November planting dates mega-environment in terms of seed yield. This cultivar should be considered for production in these environments. Ladysmith was identified as the most suitable environment for selecting and breeding cultivars with wider adaptability.

Effect of Irrigation Scheduling and Different Sowing Dates on Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The study was conducted at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya (U.P.) Agronomy Research Farm in rabi season 2021-22. Twelve main plot treatments included 15th November, 25th November, and 5th December sowing dates, while four sub plot treatments included irrigation at 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 IW/CPE ratios. Split plot design was used for three replications. Under 15th November sowing, all growth, yield, and characteristics rose dramatically. Irrigating at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio increased wheat shoot m-2, plant height (cm), dry matter accumulation (g m-2), yield characteristics, grain and straw yield (q ha-1) considerably. Wheat yields were highest when sown on November 15. Under 15th November planting, water use efficiency was highest (9.85 kg ha-1mm-1). Out of all treatments, 15th Nov planting had the highest biological (128.21 q ha-1) and seed yield (51.43 q ha-1) and irrigation on 1.0 IW/CPE had the highest biological (127.18 q ha-1) and seed yield (50.83 Maximum Harvest Index was 40.11 percent with 15th November planting and 1.0 IW/CPE ratio irrigation (39.96%).

Effect of Irrigation Scheduling and Different Sowing Dates on Water Productivity and Economics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

“Effect of moisture regime under different sowing dates of wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.)” was investigated at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Ayodhya (U.P.) Agronomy Research Farm in rabi season 2021-22. Twelve main plot treatments included 15th November, 25th November, and 5th December sowing dates, while four sub plot treatments included irrigation at 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 IW/CPE ratios. Split plot design was used for three replications. Under 15th November sowing, all growth, yield, and characteristics rose dramatically. Irrigation at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio increased wheat shoot m-2, plant height (cm), dry matter accumulation (g m-2), yield characteristics, grain and straw yield (q ha-1) considerably. D113 (15 November planting with irrigation at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio) had the best net return and D1I2 (15 November sowing with irrigation at 0.8 IW/CPE proportion) the highest B:C ratio (2.54). Wheat yields were highest when sown on November 15. Under 15th November planting, water use efficiency was highest (9.85 kg ha-1mm-1). Irrigation with 1.0 IW/CPE ratio had the maximum water usage efficiency (9.34 kg ha-1 mm-1). The 15 November seeding with irrigation at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio yielded the highest net return (1,17,124.00), making wheat farming profitable. Maximum B:C ratio (2.54) with I1D2 therapy.

First report of stem rot of Adenium obesum and leaf spot of Persea americana caused by Aspergillus niger in Kazakhstan.

Adenium (Adenium obesum) and avocado (Persea americana) are commonly grown as exotic houseplants in city apartments of Kazakhstan. In April-May 2020, the wilting symptom was observed on the young stems of five 2-year-old A. obesum plants in a city apartment in Saryarqa District, Astana, Kazakhstan (71°25'E, 51°11'N). Leaves turned yellow and then dried up. Plants were completely wilted within 10 days (Fig. 1A). Similar symptoms were observed in newly grown A. obesum plants in November, 2021. At the same time, lesions were found on the leaves of three 3-month-old P. americana plants. Infected leaves displayed dry, dark-brown lesions and fell off easily (Fig. 2A). Both plants were cultivated side by side. The incidence of affected A. obesum was 80% out of 5 plants and P. americana was 100% out of 3 plants. To isolate the causal agent, the infected tissues from different leaves and stems of A. obesum and P. americana plants were cut into small pieces (5 × 5 mm), washed in 70% ethanol for 5 min, and then rinsed three times with sterile distilled water. Cut pieces were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) (Laboratorios Conda S.A., Spain) and incubated at 28°C for 7 days. Ten isolates were obtained from leaves and stems of the A. obesum and P. americana symptomatic samples. All fungal colonies were white initially, turned black gradually, reverse side light yellow (Fig. 1B and Fig. 2B), conidiophores biseriate with globose vesicles, conidia were spherical vesicles, light tan to black color, smooth-walled to roughened, and sizes ranged from 3.0 to 3.5 μm (n = 15) (Fig. 1C and Fig. 2C). These observations indicated that all the isolates resembled Aspergillus spp. (Bryan and Fennell 1965). DNA was extracted using the liquid nitrogen and phenol-chloroform extraction method (Butler 2012). A 526 bp product of the ITS region on rDNA and 568 bp product of the calmodulin protein-coding gene was amplified using following primer pairs ITS4/ITS5 (Abliz et al. 2003) and cmd5/cmd6, respectively (Hong et al. 2005). The PCR reaction was done under the following conditions: initial denaturation at 94°C for 5 min, 35 cycles at 95°C for 30 s to denature, 52°C for 40 s for annealing, and 72°C for 50 s for extension. A final extension step at 72°C for 7 min was also included. The sequencing was done using BigDye® Terminator v3.1 Cycle Sequencing Kit (Applied Biosystems) and the sequence was deposited in GenBank with accession nos. ON519078 (A. obesum ITS), ON519079 (P. americana ITS), OQ358173 (A. obesum calmodulin) and OQ358174 (P. americana calmodulin). These sequences were compared with other sequences of A. niger in GenBank using BLAST analysis (MG569619.1, MT588793.1, MH478660.1, MZ787576.1 and MW086485.1). The results showed that the sequences of ten isolates were identical and had 98-100% identity with those of Aspergillus niger (Fig. 3). The phylogenetic analysis was carried out with MEGA 11 (Tamura et al. 2021). To confirm the pathogenicity, three asymptomatic plants of each were inoculated with a suspension of conidia via pin-prick inoculation (1.0×106 conidia/ml; obtained from 2-week-old cultures). Control plants were inoculated with sterile distilled water. The inoculated plants were placed in climate chamber (BINDER, Germany) and incubated for 10 days at 28°C. Symptoms were developed in leaves of inoculated plants after 2 days in P. americana and after 5 days in A. obesum. Affected leaves turned yellow and their stems started drying. Symptoms of leaves were similar to those observed on naturally infected plants, while control plants remained asymptomatic. Re-isolation of the pathogen confirmed the presence of the A. niger pathogen. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. niger causing stem rot of A. obesum and leaf spot of P. americana in Kazakhstan. Since different ornamentals are often planted together in gardens and nurseries, growers should be aware of potential transmission of A. niger among them. This finding provides a foundation to further investigate the biology and epidemiology of this disease so the developmentf diagnostic tools and management measures against it.

Production of disease free seed potato tuber through optimization of planting and haulm pulling time

The time for planting and haulm pulling is very crucial for production of quality of seed potato tuber. Thus, the different planting times i.e., 15th October, 4th November, 24th November, and 14th December, and haulm pulling (HP) at 68, 75, 82, and 89 days after planting (DAP) were evaluated to find out the suitable planting time and haulm pulling time for disease-free potato seed production. This study was conducted in the research field of the Plant Pathology Department, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur during 2016-2017. The maximum seed potato tuber yield (23.9 ton/ha) was recorded from 4th November planting time with haulm pulling at 82 days after planting. The findings also exhibited that the minimum disease infestation was observed in the same treatment combinations which enhanced the maximum photosynthesis and growth for the plants resulting in higher seed potato yield. Farmers of subtropical regions would be benefitted if they practice these methods. Bangladesh J. Agri. 2023, 48(1): 19-39

Inter-monthly Variability of Pineapple (Ananas comosus, MD2) Plant Water Requirement in Ghana: Implications for Planting Period Adjustment Field Experience Program

CROPWAT 8.0 model was used to estimate the water requirement of pineapple for the 2021/22 cropping period, considering all the months in the year. This was done to ascertain which months in the year have lower irrigation water requirements and where water savings can be made. For the months of December to August, irrigation requirement (mm) of 140, 145.1, 113.3, 110.8, 110.9, 145.9, 107.6 and 114, respectively was determined at the study site. However, sucker planting in September, October and November has shown requirements (mm) of 72.8, 61.3, 61.4 respectively, and adjusting the planting calendar to accommodate these months is recommended.

Incidence and Intensity of Early Blight in Potato under Different Dates of Planting

Aim: The study aims to the progression of the early blight of potato in relation to weather parameters such as maximum temperature, minimum temperature, maximum relative humidity, minimum relative humidity, and rainfall.
 Place and Duration of Study: Epidemiological investigation was conducted during rabi season of 2021-22 at the research field of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on potato, OUAT, Bhubaneswar.
 Methodology: The trial was laid out in Split Plot Design with different dates of planting (26 November and 16 December), as the main plots and four varieties (Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Khyati, Kufri Surya, and Kufri Jyoti) as the subplots.
 Results: The initial infection of early blight occurred during 52 Standard Meteorological Week (SMW). The highest percentage of disease intensity and incidence occurred in the variety Kufri Pukhraj followed by Kufri Khyati, Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Surya under 26 November planting.
 Conclusion: Minimum and maximum temperatures and minimum relative humidity had a significantly positive correlation with the incidence and intensity of early blight. Stepwise multiple linear regression equations revealed that maximum temperature, maximum and minimum relative humidity, and rainfall was responsible for early blight in potatoes.

Evaluation of PhenoGlad model on phenological development of gladiolus varieties under subtropical conditions of Punjab

Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus Hort.) is a commercially important open field crop, cultivated for elegant spikes. The development rate is dependent upon temperature so planting date is crucial factor to regulate flower production around the specific days. The present investigation was to validate the application of PhenoGlad model on different varieties grown in Punjab, India so that it could be used as a management tool for meeting market requirements. Five varieties of gladiolus with different developmental cycles were procured from Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, PAU, Ludhiana and planted at monthly interval from September to December at the research farm of Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, PAU, Ludhiana. Punjab Lemon Delight and Punjab Glance took minimum days to reach phenostages whereas Punjab Glad 3 and CPG took maximum days and White Prosperity took intermediate days under all planting dates. Observed days to reach a particular phenostage in our results was close to simulated days under October planting for Punjab Lemon Delight, Punjab Glance and White Prosperity and November planting for Punjab Glad 3 and CPG. Thus, these results validated the use of PhenoGlad model to simulate flowering time of different varieties to regulate the market demand.

Phenology, growth, and seed production of junglerice (Echinochloa colona) in response to its emergence time and populations

AbstractJunglerice [Echinochloa colona (L.) Link.] is the most important grass weed species in Australian summer cropping systems. Although it is mainly a spring- and summer-emerging weed species, field observations suggest that E. colona is expanding its seasonality. A common garden experiment was conducted at the University of Queensland farm to examine the effect of planting dates on phenology, growth, and fecundity of eight populations of E. colona. All populations were planted every second month from September to July in 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021. Echinochloa colona took the shortest time (4 to 6 d) to emerge when planted in November or January. However, the November population took the longest number of growing degree days to exhibit panicle emergence. In both years, populations differed in height and leaf, tiller, panicle, and seed production in response to planting times. Plants produced significantly greater biomass for the November planting (123 to 147 g plant−1) followed by the January planting and then the September planting. The March planting produced the lowest biomass. In the first year, the lowest number of seeds (3,500 seeds plant−1) was produced by the March planting; however, in the second year, similar numbers of seeds were produced by the March and July plantings. In the first year, seed production (51,000 seeds plant−1) was greatest for the November planting; however, some populations also produced a similar number of seeds for the January planting. In the second year, significantly greater seed production (111,000 seeds plant−1) was observed for the January planting compared with other planting dates. The aboveground biomass and seed production of E. colona were positively correlated. This study reveals variations among E. colona populations and suggests that although greater emphasis must be placed on controlling spring- and summer-emerging plants, management practices need to be extended throughout the year to control E. colona in southeastern Australia.

A daylength-neutral winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) for Southern Australian latitudes

Abstract. Eagleton GE. 2022. A daylength-neutral winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) for Southern Australian latitudes. Asian J Agric 6: 68-78. In the summer of 2019, on the central coast of NSW, Australia (at Latitude 34°S), an early-maturing genotype of the tropical legume crop, winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.), was detected among a range of late-maturing accessions. The performance of this accession, MY0-01 from Bago in Myanmar, was evaluated in staked plots alongside one other accession from Myanmar and two from the island of New Guinea planted on three successive occasions between October and late November 2020 in a split-plot experiment. Across the three planting dates, the mean number of days from planting to the first open flower for MYO-01 ranged from 68 to 82 + s.e. 3.2 compared with a range of 119 to 167 for the other three accessions. The mean accumulated seed yield of MYO-01 obtained from the October planting equated to 3.1 t ha-1, but by the third planting in late November, the yield was only half as much. Among the four accessions, MYO-01 was second in the amount of lower stem branching and tuber yield, with the smallest pods and hardest seeds. Hard seededness creates difficulties for germination and plant establishment and is a limitation in MYO-01, as are its small pods, which lowers its potential for vegetable production. Investigating genetic control of photoperiod insensitivity in MYO-01 and combining the ability for pod and seed characteristics is relevant to sub-tropical latitudes and for developing stable early maturity cultivars for the tropics.

Effect of Planting Date on Phenotypic Characters, Harvested Leaves and Seed Yield of Mustard Green (Lai Shak) In Sylhet Region

A field trial was conducted at farming system research and development (FSRD) site, South SurmainSylhet under AEZ-20 during two consecutive years of 2017- 18 and 2018-19 to find out the suitable planting date for successful and economic production of leaves and seed yield of mustard green (Brassica juncea). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design having five different dates of seedling transplant viz. 15 October, 30 October, 15 November, 30 November and 15 December with four dispersed replications.The seedlings transplanted on 15 November recorded significantly the highestnumber of harvested leaves plant-1, weight of single leaf, harvested leaf yield (35.07 t ha-1), siliqua plant -1 and weight of 1000-seed and seed yield (1.38 t ha-1) of mustard green. The highest gross return (Tk. 862800 ha-1) and net return (Tk. 627300 ha-1) with benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 3.66 was obtained from 15 November planting followed by 30 October planting. Conversely, the lowest gross return (Tk.611620 ha-1), net return (Tk. 376120 ha-1) and BCR (2.59) were recorded from 15 December planting. So, last October to mid-November planting would be suitable for economic production of leaves and seed yield of brown mustard in Sylhet region of Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 45(2): 165-174, June 2020

Light Interception and Radiation Use Efficiency of Cassava under Irrigated and Rainfed Conditions and Seasonal Variations

Determining the effect of irrigated and rainfed conditions on light interception, light extinction coefficient (k), radiation use efficiency (RUE), biomass, and storage root accumulation of cassava was the objective of this study. The field experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. The effect of irrigated and rainfed water conditions in cassava were evaluated under two planting dates for two years. Light interception depended on k and LAI which affected solar radiation accumulation and thus biomass production for cassava. The k values ranged from 0.49 to 0.93 a nd 0.46 to 0.86 for irrigated and rainfed crops, respectively. The RUEbi and RUEsr depended on water conditions and crop growth stages and seasons, whereas rainfed crops in the May planting were slightly lower in RUEbi than irrigated crops. RUEbi of the crop planted in November was not significantly different for irrigated and rainfed crops. Irrigation at the late growth stage could maintain higher LAI, light interception, and RUE for the crop planted in May, whereas those in November planting were not significantly different.

Effects of Planting Dates on Growth, Yield And Quality of Newly Released Sugarcane Varieties

The experiment was conducted at farmer’s field of Kapasia, Gazipur during November, 2011 to March, 2013under the AEZ 28 (Modhupur Tract).The experiment was carried out to find the effects of varieties and planting dates on growth, yield and quality of sugarcane. Two varieties (viz; Isd 38 and Isd 39) and five planting datesfrommid-November to mid-Marchwere laid out in a Factorial Randomized Complete Block (RCB) design with three replications. Among the varieties, there was no significant difference; however Isd 38 performed better than Isd 39 in all aspect of yield contributing characters. Growth characters viz., tillers and millable cane stalks were significantly influenced by different planting dates. The highest germination (72.17%), tiller (111.03×103 ha-1), millable cane (91.12×103 ha-1), pol % cane (14.91%)and cane yield (75.47 t ha-1) were obtained from mid- November planting and gradually decreased with the advancement of planting times where all the lowest values were recorded from mid-March planting. Interaction between variety and planting date, mid-November planting with Isd 38 produced the highest germination (73.67%), tiller (115.39 ×103 ha-1), millable cane (98.16 ×103 ha-1), pol % cane (14.95%) and cane yield (93.64 t ha-1). The overall results revealed that variety Isd 38 in mid-November planting is optimum for sugarcane production under the Modhupur tract soils of Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh Agron. J. 2021, 24(2): 73-81

Simulation of wheat yield using CERES-Wheat under rainfed and supplemental irrigation conditions in a semi-arid environment

Wheat-fallow rotation is the major land-use system in the rainfed cropping system of Pakistan. Crop production in rainfed cropping systems is often jeopardized due to the scare and erratic seasonal patterns of rainfall. Climate change is further threatening the extent and productivity of rainfed agriculture in Pakistan. Climatic risk reduction strategies such as supplemental irrigation (SI) can assist in sustaining the productivity of rainfed agriculture. However, little has been done to investigate the potential of SI in sustaining the productivity of the rainfed cropping system of Pakistan despite the recent water resource developments in the rainfed regions of the country. For this purpose, a four-year (2010–2014) study was conducted to assess wheat yield and water productivity under rainfed and SI using a crop modeling approach. Calibrated CERES-Wheat was evaluated for its ability to simulate soil moisture dynamics, water productivity, canopy growth, in-season biomass, phenology, grain yield, and biomass at harvest based on soil water balance. Results showed a good to excellent performance of CERES-Wheat during evaluation. For example, combined values of soil moisture content between different layers, root zone soil moisture, seasonal crop evapotranspiration, in-season biomass growth, and canopy cover showed NRMSE values ranging from 13%–89%, 5–11%, 2–17%, 12–26%, and 13–22%, respectively. The NRMSE values of rainfall productivity of biomass and grain yield and water productivity of biomass and grain yield ranged from 18%, 16%, and 17%, 6%, respectively. The model was also applied to determine favorable management practices (appropriate planting dates from 15 October to 15 December at 15-day intervals and SI of 50 mm either at planting or 30 days after planting) as their determination under actual field conditions is laborious. Simulations for the best combination of planting date and SI suggested that higher crop yield and water productivity can be achieved with planting in November with irrigation applied 30 days after planting.

Effect of planting dates on the growth and yield of five varieties of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.)

An experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, from November 2014 to April 2015, to study the effect of planting dates on the growth and yield of five varieties of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.). The experiment consisted of two planting dates such as 16 November and 30 November and five varieties, viz., Serenada, Aranka, Belleza, Danicia, and Natura. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Observations were made on yield and different plant characters, e.g., plant height, number of leaves/plants, root length, fresh weight of root/plant, root yield/plot, root yield/ha, fresh weight of leaves/plant, leaf yield/plot, leaf yield/ha, dry weight of root/plant, dry weight of leaves/plant, root diameter and total soluble solids (TSS). The results showed that planting dates significantly affected yield and all the plant characters of sugarbeet under study. The higher root yield (27.69, 32.10 and 32.71 t ha-1) and the higher leaf yield (13.61, 25.728 and 26.93 t ha-1) were recorded from 16 November planting at 90, 120 and 150 DAP, respectively. The root yield and leaf yield decreased gradually after planting on 16 November. The effect of varieties significantly influenced the growth and yield of sugarbeet. The higher root yield (25.14, 39.68 and 41.96 t ha-1) and leaf yield (17.56, 30.12 and 31.64 t ha-1) were found in the variety Serenada at 90, 120 and 150 DAP, respectively. The lower root yield (17.20, 21.24 and 24.81 t ha-1) and leaf yield (4.74, 17.83 and 18.73 t ha-1) were obtained from the variety Danicia at 90, 120, and 150 DAP, respectively. The combined effect of planting dates and variety significantly affected growth and yield. Serenada variety gave the maximum root yield (31.63, 41.43 and 45.14 t ha-1) and leaf yield (21.6, 30.20, and 31.94 t ha-1) with 16 November planting at 90, 120, 150 DAP, respectively. The minimum root yield (10.24, 20.36 and 24.08 t ha-1) and leaf yield (2.4, 17.41 and 18.07 t ha-1) with 30 November planting at 90, 120 and 150 DAP, respectively were obtained from the variety Danicia. The results indicated that all the varieties gave a higher yield on 16 November planting than the planting on 30 November and the Serenada variety gave the highest yield among the varieties.