Profitable Crop Production Research Articles

ОЦЕНКА ВЛИЯНИЯ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ПРЕПАРАТОВ ЦИТОДЕФ-100 И ГИБЕРЕЛОНА НА ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ РАСТЕНИЙ НУТА В УСЛОВИЯХ РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАТАРСТАН

The studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of chemical regulators of plant growth and development (preparations Cytodef-100, Giberelon) on the features of the formation of the yield of chickpea plants. The experiments were carried out in 2021-2022 on the gray forest soil of Agrobiotechnopark of Kazan State Agrarian University. Experimental design: control (without the use of growth regulators); seed treatment with the growth regulator Cytodef-100 (60 g/t); seed treatment with Cytodef-100 (60 g/t) and two-fold spraying with Giberelon (70 g/ha) in the phases of 3-5 true leaves and full flowering. The object of the study was the chickpea variety Privo1. The soil is gray forest, heavy loamy. Humus content is 4.4% (according to Tyurin), mobile phosphorus 378 mg/kg and exchangeable potassium - 125 mg/kg (according to Kirsanov), pHsol - 5.2. The experiment was repeated four times, the plots were placed sequentially, the area of each plot was 25 m2. The system of primary and pre-sowing soil preparation included stubble cultivation, plowing, cultivation, pre-sowing and post-sowing harrowing, pre-sowing application of azophoska at a rate of 150 kg/ha. The weather conditions in the studied years were relatively favorable, but 2021 was extremely dry. The number of plants surviving for harvesting in the variant of complex treatment of seeds and plants with plant growth regulators increases by 10.0 pcs/m2, the number of beans by 14.0 and 4.45 pieces and the number of seeds by 16.0 and 8.7 pieces per plant, respectively, compared to the study years. In this variant, the damage to chickpea by root rot was 16% and 10% less, and the number of nodules was 2 and 5 pieces more per plant compared to the control variant. The use of the complex processing system led to an increase in chickpea yield to 2.02 and 1.7 t/ha and the profitability of crop production by 106.8 and 106.0%, the protein content in grain by 1.5% compared to the control variant.

Evaluation on the Influence of Cropping Systems and Nutrient Management Practices in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) Growth, Crop Nutrient Uptake and Soil Fertility Status

Background: At the present situations, sole croppingand generalized fertilization recommendations could not produce advantageous results for neither profitable crop production nor for a sustainable environment. Therefore, the study focuses on evaluating the response of pearl millet to various cropping systems and different nutrient management techniques for enhancing crop productivity and sustaining soil fertility. Methods: The field trial took place at the instructional farm of Karunya Institute of Technology and Science in the Coimbatore district of western Tamil Nadu, India. The trial spanned over two growing seasons and followed a factorial randomized block design, with 2 factors: cropping systems and nutrient management, replicated three times. The design resulted in a total of 12 treatment combinations, comprising 3 levels of cropping system viz., sole cropping of pearl millet, pearl millet with black gram and cowpea intercropping systems; and 4 levels of nutrient management comprising different doses of fertilizer levels in combination with biofertilizers such as Azospirillum and PSB and foliar sprays of 2% Urea and 3% Panchagavya. Result: The experimental findings indicated that intercropping treatment, Pearl millet + Black gram at a 1:1 ratio, exhibited superior results in enhancing plant growth, improving the crop nutrient uptakeand enriching soil fertility. In the case of nutrient management treatments, application of 75% of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) + Azospirillum and phosphate solubilizing bacteria + foliar application of 2% urea at 15 and 35 days after transplanting (DAT) resulted in producing higher plant height, enhanced dry matter production, efficient crop nutrient uptake, improved soil fertility status for sustainable agriculture.

Experience in implementation of the No-till farming system in the Belgorod region

The research was conducted in a forest-steppe zone of the municipality of “Korochan district” (Belgorod region). Typical and leached chernozem constituted the two types of soils, that were studied. The goal was to evaluate the main results of introduction of the No-till farming system, following the example of LLC “Meat Farms – Iskra”. It was found out that on average, throughout the years of 2018-2022, winter wheat was the most regular (24.5%), alongside sunflower (23.2%). Legumes prevalence was at 32.5% with soy (20.0%). Organic fertilizer wasn’t used in the process; however, the average dose of mineral fertilizers was 66 kg of the substance/ha, which is 42.4% lower than the average for Belgorod region. The usage of the system No-till yield the sunflower, soy and corn-beans, as well as winter wheat plantings corresponded to 2.21, 1.65, 6.35 and 4.43 t/ha, which is lower by 23.5, 20.7, 11.2,10.9% when compared with the average throughout Belgorod region. The quantity of organic substances in the arable layer of the soil underwent an increase of 0, 14%, the quantity of mobile forms of phosphorus and potassium went down by 12 and 28 mg/kg accordingly, the dose of acidic soils decreased by 8,7%. The amount of mobile forms of sulfur and microelements didn’t particularly change. The profitability of crop production using the No-till system was 82.3%, which is 1.29 times higher than the average of the Belgorod region.

Prospects for the crop production development and the government support impact

Crop growing is the main branch of agriculture in the Samara region, forming 73.8% of production. Therefore, from a developmental perspective, it is necessary to identify the most important factors influencing its development. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of government support on the performance of the crop production industry. As part of this, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: - analyze the state of crop production in 2018-2022; - identify the main directions of government support and reveal the degree of influence on the development of crop production; - calculate the effectiveness of individual government support measures for the development of the industry. The significant profitability of crop production, which is the result of countersanctions introduced in 2014, and significant export potential, has led to the fact that the modern system of state support for the industry is a system aimed at financing potential areas of development: the introduction of new technologies, digitalization and automation of production processes, etc. Therefore, despite the decrease in the relative size of state support (PSE) to 1.3%, the industry is experiencing sustainable development. The main source of funding is the federal budget (about 51% of industry funding). Among the most important areas in the period 2018-2024 can be distinguished: land reclamation (2.1 billion rubles), development of crop production (1.8 billion rubles), modernization and technical re-equipment (1.8 billion rubles), insurance (1.2 billion rubles) , purchase of elite seeds (1.0 billion rubles), etc.

Coffee Growing with Remotely Piloted Aircraft System: Bibliometric Review

Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) have gained prominence in recent decades primarily due to their versatility of application in various sectors of the economy. In the agricultural sector, they stand out for optimizing processes, contributing to improved sampling, measurements, and operational efficiency, ultimately leading to increased profitability in crop production. This technology is becoming a reality in coffee farming, an essential commodity in the global economic balance, mainly due to academic attention and applicability. This study presents a bibliometric analysis focused on using RPASs in coffee farming to structure the existing academic literature and reveal trends and insights into the research topic. For this purpose, searches were conducted over the last 20 years (2002 to 2022) in the Web of Science and Scopus scientific databases. Subsequently, bibliometric analysis was applied using Biblioshiny for Bibliometrix software in R (version 2022.07.1), with emphasis on the temporal evolution of research on the topic, performance analysis highlighting key publications, journals, researchers, institutions, countries, and the scientific mapping of co-authorship, keywords, and future trends/possibilities. The results revealed 42 publications on the topic, with the pioneering studies being the most cited. Brazilian researchers and institutions (Federal University of Lavras) have a strong presence in publications on the subject and in journals focusing on technological applications. As future trends and possibilities, the employment of technology optimizes the productivity and profitability studies of coffee farming for the timely and efficient application of aerial imaging.

Cross and multiple herbicide resistance across Ukraine

Goal. Identify resistance to herbicides in weed species on the crops of leading agricultural companies in the regions of Ukraine and identify ways to counteract the emergence of resistant weed biotypes.
 Methods. The research of herbicide effectiveness was carried out in production and vegetation experiments. Control plants were collected on non-arable land. Statistical analysis was performed using StatPlus software from AnalystSoft Inc.
 Results. Field and greenhouse studies in 2014—2023 identified herbicide resistance in highly damaging biotypes of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weed species in Ukraine. In 2022—2023, herbicide-resistant ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) affected sunflower crops, the main crop that ensures the profitability of crop production in the country. Imidazolinone resistance in Ambrosia was identified in 2015. In 2023, multiply resistance to herbicides — acetolactate synthase inhibitors and protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors (ALS+PРO) — was identified in A. artemisiifolia in large areas of sunflower in central and southern Ukraine. In previous years, resistant to the action of herbicides — acetolactate synthase inhibitors of the imidazolinone class ‒ imazapyr and imazamox biotypes of monocot Echinochloa crus-galli var. crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., and dicot Amaranthus retroflexus L., and Chenopodium album L. have been identified. Cross-resistance to herbicides: monocot to sulfonylurea (nicosulfuron), and triazole pyrimidines (penoxsulam); dicots to sulfonylurea foramsulfuron, iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, thifensulfuron-methyl, tribenuron-methyl; to sulfonylaminocarbonyl triazolinone derivative — thiencarbazone-methyl; to triazole pyrimidine derivatives — florasulam, and flumetsulam were established. The multiple resistance of Echinochloa crus-galli, Amaranthus retroflexus, and Chenopodium album to herbicides of the classes of glycine derivatives — glyphosate, monocot to graminicide pinoxaden, and dicot species to phenoxy carboxylic derivatives — 2.4-D, benzoic acid — dicamba; triketones — topramezone; diphenyl ethers — aclonifen have not been established. It was shown that herbicide compositions under the influence of the ammonium pool can increase the level of controlling resistant weed biotypes effectiveness. In 2018—2021, in rice crop rotations in the South of Kherson region, the emergence and spread of a cereal multiply resistant (ALS + ACC) species, Eragrostis spp. was detected.
 Conclusions. The identification of highly harmful resistant Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Echinochloa crus-galli, Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, and Eragrostis spp. in the South and Central part of the «grain belt» of Ukraine shows the limited effectiveness of weed control exclusively with herbicides with one mechanism of action and requires a significant revision of the principles of crop rotation formation and methods of weed control in the state to maintain high levels of profitability and productivity of agrophytocenoses. Solving these issues is urgent in order to preserve Ukraine’s potential as one of the guarantors of world food security.

Water-energy-food linkages in community smallholder irrigation schemes: Center pivot irrigation in Rwanda

Water, energy, and food are linked in intricate ways in irrigated agriculture and understanding the interplay of these components is crucial for sustainable and profitable crop production, particularly in smallholder setting such as in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluates water-energy-food linkages, engineering and economic performance, irrigation decision making, and challenges faced around water management in a community-based mechanized irrigation scheme in Rwanda. The research is the first to analyze such as scheme, which uses technology typically used by large farmers in a smallholder setting. The study investigates the variation in water requirements and the relationship and impacts of this variability on crop yield for the crops grown in the scheme: maize, French beans, and dry beans. Observed irrigation decision-making analyses demonstrate a lack of irrigation planning during growth stages and significant field-to-field variation in irrigation; this is linked to yield reduction in major crops. Results suggest that farmers irrigated only 31% of modeled irrigation water in dry beans and 27% of modeled irrigation water in maize. An econometric model assessment is used to understand the relationship between yield and energy inputs. A related policy analysis considers the impacts of changes in crop and water management on field-level profits and system-level financial sustainability. This study has implications for understanding irrigation policies in the context of the water-energy-food nexus and decision-making in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Evaluation of Mulching Methods and Legume Intercropping on Weed Control Efficiency and Agronomic Traits of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum)

Aim: To evaluate the weed control efficiencies of different mulching practices and legume intercropping in transplanted pearl millet.
 Study Design: Randomized Complete Block Design (RBD).
 Place and Duration of Study: The field trial was conducted during the Rabi season of 2022 at the school of agricultural sciences in Karunya Institute of technology and sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
 Methodology: The field trial consists of 8 treatments viz., T1 - PE of Atrazine 0.5kg/ ha +1 Hand Weeding at 30 DAT, T2 - Two Hand Weeding at 15 and 30 DAT, T3 - Paddy straw mulching at 5t/ ha 3 DAT, T4 - Black polythene mulching at 3 DAT, T5 - Black silver polythene mulching at 3 DAT, T6 - Intercropping of pulses (cowpea) (1:1), T7 - Intercropping of pulses (cowpea) (1:1) + PE Pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ ha, T8 - Un weeded check.
 Results: Results of the experiment proves that the intercropping of cowpea in pearl millet along with the pre-emergence application of pendimethalin proves to be beneficial and advantageous in terms of returns per rupee invested for profitable crop production, rather than going for polythene mulches. Hence adoption of legume intercropping in pearl millet, along with the usage of mild herbicides like pendimethalin, will be an economically viable and environmentally sustainable weed management practice for improving the yield of pearl millet.

Certain aspects of efficiency of crop production digitalization in the Republic of Belarus

Digitalization, or digital transformation, is an innovative approach to solving the key task of agricultural production in the Republic of Belarus – increasing / maintaining the profitability of crop production. Digitalization makes it possible to bring crop production to a new level of development, providing a fundamental restructuring of the decision-making and implementation of agro-technological operations, reducing risks and expanding possibilities of sustainable and efficient crop production. Efficiency of digitalization of crop production is considered in relation to certain aspects of an average agricultural organization in the Republic of Belarus. The following main interrelated areas of digitalization in crop production have been identified: soil-and-agrochemical analysis, precision arable farming, prediction of the diseases and pests of crops. Due to significant growth of energy prices nowadays (basic elements in the formation of the final cost of crop production), efficiency of digitalization was assessed not directly in terms of value, but in reducing the costs of growing products and in saved crops. The greatest effect, according to the results of the assessment, is expected from such areas of digitalization as soiland-agrochemical analysis, as well as prediction of the diseases and pests of agricultural crops. The results of soil-and-agrochemical analysis can be used to improve the soil fertility – a vital condition for long-term increase of crop yields. Prediction of the diseases and pests of crops is one of the main elements of comprehensive protection of crops – a large reserve for increasing crop production. At the same time, despite the positive aspect of digitalization in agricultural branch of the Republic of Belarus, it is rather a labor-intensive process together with the high cost of necessary equipment and software, as well as the use complexity.

DETERMINATION OF SELECTED PARAMETERS THAT INFLUENCE PLANTING SPACE UNIFORMITY ON MAIZE SEED

In order to realize optimum plant population for profitable maize production, there is to obtain uniform plant spacing. The objective of this study was, therefore, to determine certain planting parameters that influence uniformity in plant-to-plant and row-to-row spacing. To achieve this, a 4-row animal-drawn planter was used to plant SAMMAZ 14 maize variety in the Experimental Farm of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Treatment factors varied were hopper seed quantity with three levels: 25, 50 and 100 %, three levels of ground speed: 0.6, 0.8, and 1 m/s, and two levels of planting depth: 1.5 and 2.5 cm. Results obtained shows that the multiple index, miss index, feed index and precision index were seen to be affected by planting speed with the best multiple, miss and precision index were achieved at planting speed of 0.8 m/s except for feed index whose best value was achieved at 1 m/s. Similarly, multiple and precision index were both affected by seed hopper quantity but no effect on Miss and Feed index. It was also observed that the best mean values were obtained at 100 % seed hopper quantity. All the indexes were never affected by planting depth while the performance of the planter on seed uniformity indexes improve with moderate planting speed and increasing seed quantity in the hopper. Therefore, planting at 0.8 m/s planting speed and 100 % seed hopper full result in uniform crop establishment for a profitable crop production.

AquaCrop Model Performance in Yield, Biomass, and Water Requirement Simulations of Common Bean Grown under Different Irrigation Treatments and Sowing Periods

The application of crop growth simulation and water management models will become increasingly important in the future. They can be used to predict yield reductions due to water scarcity and allocate water to ensure profitable crop production. The objective of this research was to calibrate the AquaCrop model for common bean (Faseolus vulgaris L.) grown in temperate climates and to test whether the model can be used for different irrigation strategies to achieve high yield productivity. The model was calibrated using data obtained from two years of experimental research in the Serbian territory of the Syrmia region. There were three sowing periods/plots: I—mid April, II—end of May/beginning of June, and III—third decade of June/beginning of July; and three levels of irrigation/subplots: full irrigation (F) providing 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), mild deficit irrigation (R) at 80% of ETc, and moderate deficit irrigation (S) at 60% of ETc. The results show that the AquaCrop model accurately predicts common bean yield, biomass, canopy cover, and water requirements. The statistical indices of the calibrated dataset, coefficient of determination (R2), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), mean bias error (MBE), and Willmott agreement index (d) for yield and biomass were: 0.91, 0.99; 6.9%, 11.4%; −0.046, 1.186 and 0.9, 0.89, respectively. When testing three irrigation strategies, the model accurately predicted irrigation requirements for the full and two deficit irrigation strategies, with only 29 mm, 32 mm, and 34 mm more water than was applied for the Fs, Rs, and Ss irrigation strategy, respectively. The AquaCrop model performed well in predicting irrigated yield and can be used to estimate the yield of common bean for different sowing periods and irrigation strategies.

Agronomic approach to evaluate the nitrogen use efficiency of liquid, solid, and composted swine manures in corn–soybean rotation

Evaluating the nitrogen (N) use efficiency of animal manure is essential to optimize its application for profitable crop production without impairing the environment. A four-year field study was conducted under corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation in a Brookston clay loam soil using the yield control approach. Treatments included inorganic fertilizer (IN), and liquid (LM), solid (SM), and composted (CM) swine manure applied at the rate equivalent to an available N of 200 kg ha−1 and a non-fertilization control (CT). Seven N use indices were employed to evaluate N use efficiency. LM obtained comparable corn yields relative to IN. Corn yield in SM was inconsistent from one year to another, and CM had minimal agronomical value in our study. Soybeans with IN posed the highest grain yields of 3,468 and 3,761 kg ha−1 in 2005 and 2007, respectively. In contrast to grain yield and total N uptake, the gain N removal of either corn or soybeans was comparable between the two alternative years. The distinctions between N supply dynamics of manures and their influences on yield, grain N removal, and total above-ground plant N uptake of corn were well discriminated by N use efficiency (NUE), N uptake efficiency (NUpE), N utilization efficiency (NUtE), N agronomic efficiency (NAE), and N recovery efficiency (NRE), but not by N physiological efficiency (NPE) and N harvest index (NHI). Legacy effects on soybean yield from the preceding corn were detected by NAE and NRE. Based on grain yield in conjunction with N use efficiency parameters, the IN performed the best, followed by LM. The NUE, NUpE, NUtE, NAE, and NRE parameters used to evaluate chemical fertilizer N were also applicable to evaluate manure N efficiency.

EFFECT OF LAND FRAGMENTATION ON SMALLHOLDER FOOD PRODUCTION IN IBANDA DISTRICT

Innovative and sustainable use of land for agricultural production is one of the strongest contributors to food systems across the globe. Access to enough land is of paramount importance to enhancing the welfare and household food security. Land fragmentation is a universal trait of all agricultural systems which affects agricultural productivity and no one has documented a rural society where there is no land fragmentation. This study of the effects of land fragmentation on smallholder food production in Rukiri Sub-County Ibanda District. The specific objectives were to; determine the land size, nature of fragmentation and production status of households, assess the causes and effect of land fragmentation on household food production and explore the current household adaptive mechanisms to fragmented parcels and propose innovative measures of enhancing production on small sized parcels. The study was a cross sectional survey employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches for data collection and analysis. Information was collected from a sample of 288 farming households and other key informants using questionnaire and interviews. Data was analyzed using Microsoft EXCEL and SPSS Version 21.0 to generate both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established 2.3 acres as the average household land holding size. Land fragmentation in Rukiri Sub-County was as a result of population increase, poverty, family wrangles, communal land conflicts and legal provision based on inheritance divisions. The study established that land fragmentation had effects on over all farm productivity by escalating soil exhaustion, wetland and forest degradation, limiting agricultural mechanization, production of large space profitable crops like banana and coffee, reducing per unit area of production and increasing travelling time and cost of traveling between plots. Farmers had adapted and enhanced food production on small sized parcels by improving soil fertility with organic and inorganic fertilizers, crop diversification, practicing agrosilvipastoral, integrating soil and land management approaches, growing shorter cycle crops and hiring land from neighbors. The study concluded that land fragmentation had a significant effect on smallholder food production in the area. It therefore recommends that Government through relevant Ministries, Ibanda District Local Government and community leadership should come up with mechanisms to address house hold land conflicts, review the land use decree to grant genuine access to contagious land holdings, strengthen population growth control programs and mechanisms of improving productivity on small sized plots like, growing of low space requiring crops, improved high yielding crop varieties, agrosilvipastoral, integrated soil and land management approaches.

IDENTIFICATION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIGITALIZATION OF MANAGEMENT PROCESSES IN SUNFLOWER PRODUCTION

The current complex geopolitical and economic situation leads to increased competitive pressure on producers of agrarian products, especially in crop production. The optimization of management processes can help to improve the profitability of crop production and, accordingly, the competitiveness of the offered products. The application of digital models for this optimization will continue to increase in importance in the future. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the possibilities of digitization of management processes in sunflower production. In order to achieve the goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: to assess the level of competitiveness of the Bulgarian sunflower production; to analyze the factors determining the level of competitiveness; to analyze the levels of digitalization of management processes in sunflower production and offer future pathways for development.

Suitable Models for Describing Sulphate Desorption Kinetics in Selected Bauchi North Soils of Varying Parent Materials in the Nigerian Sudan Savanna

The modelling of sulphate desorption data is critical for a proper S diagnosis and fertilizer formulation to ensure profitable crop production. Five (5) models such as first-order, second-order, Elovich, fractional power, and parabolic diffusion were used to test the best model describing sulphate desorption kinetics in some soils from Bauchi-north, Sudan Savanna, Nigeria. To achieve this, soil samples were collected from three different parent materials namely Basement complex rock and two sedimentary rocks (Kerri-Kerri Formation and Chad Formation). The study showed that the parabolic diffusion and first-order models were found to describe S desorption data satisfactorily, characterized by relatively high R2 values and lowest S.E values by soil parent materials, respectively. While, the second-order, Elovich and Fractional power equations failed to describe the kinetics desorption of sulphate in all the studied soils, as judged by their high SE values. Therefore, the better fit of S desorption data to the first-order equation is an indication of probable ligand exchange of sulphate ion during the desorption process, and to parabolic diffusion equation suggests that diffusion-controlled phenomena are rate-limiting steps. Based on the findings, we concluded that the rate of sulphate desorption kinetics in these soils is mainly controlled by diffusion-controlled phenomena, which is critical for sulphate-based fertilizer formulations and applications.

Smart Farming-Crop Recommendation System

Evolution leads to innovation to achieve a sustainable environment we need to build a safe ecosystem. Agriculture is an important sector of any economy. Artificial intelligence has been proven to solve many problems that prevent crop failure. The production of any crop depends on various parameters that may be affected by sudden changes in climatic conditions. Unpredictable natural changes result in variations in production yield. Natural parameters such as wind, temperature, climate as well as humidity and more factors affect a lot of farming. Machine learning is used for many purposes to measure the risk factors involved before sowing any crop. The machine helps in decision-making and analysing factors. The Internet of things executed with embedded systems and sensors helps with the evaluation of trends based on real-time data and real-time monitoring. Historical trends combined with technology and real-time analysis helps farmers in choosing suitable crop for maximum and profitable crop production and yield. Technological development is also resulting in increasing agribusiness and modern agriculture. Keywords— Machine Learning; Artificial Intelligence; Internet of things

Changes in the Microbial Structure of the Root Soil and the Yield of Chinese Baby Cabbage by Chemical Fertilizer Reduction with Bio-Organic Fertilizer Application.

Using high-throughput sequencing, this study aimed to explore the response of soil microbial community and Chinese baby cabbage yield to the reduction of chemical fertilizers combined with bio-organic fertilizer. Our experiments consisted of conventional fertilizer (CK), 30% chemical fertilizer reduction + 6,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T1), 30% chemical fertilizer reduction + 9,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T2), 40% chemical fertilizer reduction + 6,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T3), and 40% chemical fertilizer reduction + 9,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T4). Compared with CK, soil microbial diversity and richness were higher for all treatments with added bio-organic fertilizer. Principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that the bacterial and fungal communities in T2 and T4 were similar to each other. Redundancy and Spearman's correlation analyses of microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties revealed that reductions in chemical fertilizer rate combined with bio-organic fertilizer had a stronger impact on the fungal than the bacterial community. They also increased the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial and fungal phyla. Chinese baby cabbage yield was relatively higher under the combined bio-organic fertilizer plus reduced chemical fertilizer rate with T2 showing the highest yield. Therefore, this approach is feasible for sustainable agricultural, cost-effective and profitable crop production. IMPORTANCE Chemical fertilizers are commonly used for agriculture, though bio-organic fertilizers may be more efficient. We found that a mixture of bio-organic and moderately reduced chemical fertilizer was more effective than chemical fertilizer alone, as it raised the Chinese baby cabbage yield. Further, the presence of bio-organic fertilizer enhanced overall soil physicochemistry, as well as improved the beneficial bacterial and fungal abundance and diversity. Thus, we found that fertilizer combination sustainably & cost-effectively improves crop & soil quality.

Status of Soil Acidity under Different Land Use Types and Soil Depths: The Case of Hojje Watershed of Gomibora District, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

In the humid regions of Ethiopia, soil productivity and fertility are significantly affected by soil acidity, which is connected to infertility and mineral toxicity. The study aimed to assess the status of soil acidity under different land use types and soil depths in Hojje watershed of Gomibora district, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia, in November 1, 2020. Soil samples (24 nos.) were collected using X-design format from four different land use typeshome garden, cultivated land, grazing land, and Eucalyptus plantation at two soil depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm). The soil samples were prepared, their physiochemical characteristics were examined, and statistical analysis was performed. The results indicated that the soil under cultivated land and Eucalyptus plantation were strongly acidic (pH 5.15 and 5.32) with mean values of exchangeable acidity (4.6, 4.59 cmol(+) kg−1) and acid saturation percentage (47.85, 46.96%), respectively. The grazing land was moderately acidic (pH 5.63) and home garden soil was slightly acidic (pH 6.67). The home garden soils had statistically significant ( p < 0.01 ) lower exchangeable acidity (0.64 cmol(+) kg−1) and acid saturation percentage (2.61%). Although, soil pH (H2O and KCl), exchangeable acidity, acid saturation percentage, exchangeable base, CEC, and base saturation are significantly ( p < 0.01 ) affected by both the main effect and interaction effects of the two factors. As a result, it is advised to apply lime to the cultivated land to reduce the acidity of the soil for profitable crop production as the amount of acidity is above the tolerance limit for the area’s locally produced crops.

Sulphur and its significance in higher pulse production

Sulphur is one of the emerging plant nutrients, required for pulse crops. After nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, it is forth key nutrient for plant nutrition. It is taken up by the plants in the form of sulphates form from the soil. The factors that are responsible for the wide spread deficiency of sulphur are excess use of high analysis fertilizers, inadequate use of crop residue, high yielding varieties of crops and its removal of sulphur by the crops. Sulphur plays a pivotal role in overall pulse production, by synthesis of sulphur containing amino acids, enhancing protein content, nodule formation and plant biomass. However, the requirement of sulphur for effective crop production is not showing promising trend. Comparing the sources of sulphur fertilizers, gypsum showed its superiority by producing high grain and straw yield in pulses. In some of the field experiments on pulses, addition of sulphur @30kg and 40kgof S/ha along with the recommended dose, increased the growth (plant height and number of branches) and yield and quality parameters (grain yield and protein content). This review highlights the different response of crops to Sulphur application, sources, uptake and its interactions with other nutrients for profitable crop production. Moreover, it provides new insights to revisit the significance of sulphur in higher pulse production.

Confirmation of glufosinate-resistant Palmer amaranth and response to other herbicides

AbstractThe ability of weed populations to evolve resistance to herbicides affects management strategies and the profitability of crop production. The objective of this research was to screen Palmer amaranth accessions from Arkansas for glufosinate resistance. Additional efforts focused on the effectiveness of various herbicides, across multiple sites of action (SOAs), on each putative-resistant accession. The three putative accessions were selected from 60 Palmer amaranth accessions collected in 2019 and 2020 and screened with to 0.5× and 1× rates of glufosinate. A dose-response experiment was conducted for glufosinate on accessions A2019, A2020, and B2020. The effectiveness of various preemergence- and postemergence-applied herbicides were evaluated on each accession. Resistance ratios of A2019, A2020, and B2020 to glufosinate ranged from 5.1 to 27.4 when comparing LD50 values to two susceptible accessions, thus all three accessions were resistant to glufosinate. All three accessions (A2019, A2020, and B2020) were found to have a reduction equal to or greater than 20 percentage points in mortality to at least one herbicide from five different SOAs equal to or greater than five sites of action. Herbicides from nine different SOAs controlled A2019 at least 20 percentage points less than the susceptible accessions, which points to a need for additional research to characterize the response of this accession.