Ridges And Furrows Research Articles

Participatory Demonstration of Durum Wheat Production Blending Vertisols Management Technologies in Lume District, East Shewa, Ethiopia

Durum wheat production on Vertisols is constrained by waterlogging, where excessive soil moisture limits nutrient availability, resulting in lower yields and higher input demand. Aybar broad bed maker (BBM) was recommended to make broad beds and furrows (BBF) and drain the excess water although it is not widely adopted by farmers. Therefore, this demonstration activity was conducted to create awareness about the importance of BBF along with the recommended fertilizer rates in Lume district during the 2021 and 2022 main cropping seasons. Nine target farmers were purposefully selected based on the ground that their farms are waterlogged Vertisols. Aybar BBM to make the BBF with an 80 cm bed and 20 cm furrow width, while recommended fertilizers at a rate of 92 kg ha<sup>-1</sup> nitrogen (N) and 10 kg ha<sup>-1 </sup>phosphorous (P) were used. The yield data and farmers’ perception were analyzed using t-test, descriptive statistics, and narration, while partial budget analysis was conducted to examine the economic feasibility of the technologies. Results showed that growing durum wheat on BBF by applying the recommended N and P rates resulted in significantly higher grain yield (3474 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>) <i>with a 65.4% yield advantage </i>compared to ridge and furrow (RF) (2100 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>) with the blanket fertilizer rates. The partial budget analysis revealed that land preparation using Aybar BBM, alongside the recommended fertilizer rates, brought a net benefit of 48,563 ETB ha<sup>-1</sup> over the farmers' practice. Likewise, the marginal rate of return for changing from the local plow to Aybar BBM is 901.7%. The farmers also witnessed that the Aybar BBM even takes less plowing time and energy, and they want to continue to use it. <i>In light of these results, the study concludes that the use of Aybar BBM and recommended N and P rates, as a production package on waterlogged Vertisols, is profitable for farmers and recommends promoting and scaling up these technologies in the study area and other waterlogged Vertisols regions of the country.</i>

Optimization of Crop Establishment Methods and Phosphorus Fertilizer Levels on Growth and Economic Efficiency of Groundnut under Semi-Arid Region of Afghanistan

An experiment was conducted at the farm of Afghanistan National Agricultural Science and Technology University (ANASTU), Kandahar Province, Afghanistan in cropping season of 2020 to investigate the Optimization of Crop Establishment methods and Phosphorus Fertilizer levels on Growth and Economic Efficiency of Groundnut under Semi-arid region of Afghanistan. The experimentation was conducted in split-plot design with 15 treatment combinations and replicated thrice. main-plot consisted of crop establishment methods, viz. ridge and furrow (RF), broad bed and furrow (BBF) and flatbed (FB), while the sub-plots comprised of phosphorus levels, viz. absolute control, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg P2O5/ ha. The results of the investigation revealed that the growth parameters in terms of plant height in and leave area were highest in BBF, followed by FB and minimum was in RF. Adoption of BBF recorded significantly higher gross return (238928 AFN/ha), net return (202728 AFN/ha) and net benefit cost of ratio (5.2) were in Broad Bed and Furrow, followed in ridged and furrow and the minimum was in flat bed method. It can be concluded, cultivating of groundnut with Broad Bed and Furrow with application of 60 kg P2O5/ha was found beneficial for reaching higher productivity and profitability under semi-arid region of Afghanistan.

Optimization of phosphorus levels for enhancing groundnut productivity under different land configuration in semi-arid ecologies of Afghanistan

The present investigation entitled “Optimization of phosphorus levels for groundnut under different land configuration in Afghanistan” was carried out at Afghanistan National Agricultural Science and Technology University (ANASTU), Kandahar Province, Afghanistan during spring season of 2020. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with 15 treatment combinations and three replications. The main-plot consised of land configurations, viz. ridge and furrow (RF), broad bed and furrow (BBF) and flatbed (FB), while the sub-plots comprised of phosphorus levels, viz. absolute control, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg P2 O5 / ha. The results revealed that the plant growth in terms of dry matter accumulation (above ground and below ground) and number of branches/plant were maximum in BBF, followed by FB and minimum in RF. Adoption of BBF also recorded significantly higher pod yield (2,987 kg/ha) and harvest index (31.0). With respect to P levels, application of 60 kg P2O5 /ha produced significantly higher pod yield (3,363 kg/ha), biological yield (13,157 kg/ha) than other P2 O5 levels. Therefore, growing of groundnut on BBF with application of 60 kg P2 O5 / ha was found beneficial for achieving higher production and productivity under Afghanistan conditions.

Environmental and Economic Impacts of Biodegradable Plastic Film Mulching on Rainfed Maize: Evaluations on Sustainability and Productivity

Fully biodegradable (Bio) plastic film is an alternative option to replace widely used polythene film in semiarid rainfed regions. However, its productivity and environmental friendliness remain unclear. Field observations were conducted using maize variety Pioneer 335 to evaluate the effects of Bio film mulching on soil hydrothermal status, carbon sequestration, and water productivity in a semiarid site of northwest China from 2016 to 2017. Six treatments were designed as (1) CK-1, ridge and furrow (RF) without mulching, (2) CK-2, conventional flat planting without mulching, (3) RFT, RF with transparent polyethylene film mulching, (4) RFB, RF with black polyethylene mulching, (5) RFS, RF with wheat straw mulching, and (6) RFBIO, RF with Bio film mulching. The results indicated the growth prophase of maize from sowing to silking stage received 160 mm of rainfall in cool and wet 2016, but decreased to 119.8 mm in warm and dry 2017. Bio film degradation was advanced at the mid stages of maize growth by 10 days in 2017 compared with 2016. Similarly to RFT, RFBIO significantly improved soil hydrothermal conditions compared with RFS, CK-1, and CK-2; however, its magnitude decreased at the maturity stage (P < 0.05). Both RFT and RFB had significantly higher grain yields, economic benefits and water use efficiencies than RFBIO and RFS did across two growing seasons (P < 0.05). RFBIO led to a steady improvement in soil organic carbon, light fraction organic carbon, and carbon to nitrogen ratio, which were better than those of RFT. Therefore, Bio film mulching might be environmentally friendly but not highly productive.

Role of In-situ Moisture Conservation and Cropping Systems on Maize Intercropping with Pigeonpea under Rainfed Conditions at Telangana State

The study was conducted with an objective of assessing best practice of moisture conservation and profitability of the cropping system. The experiment was executed at Agricultural Research Station, Tornala, Siddipet (Dt), Telangana State for three years (kharif, 2016 - kharif, 2018). The trial was laid out in split plot design with three cropping systems as main plots Viz., sole maize (SM), maize + pigeon pea in 4: 1 ratio (MP) and sole pigeon pea (SP) and three sub plots were allotted with moisture conservation practices viz., ridge and furrow (RF), flatbed followed by making ridge at 25DAS (FBR) and flatbed followed by making conservation furrow at 25 DAS (FBCF) along with regular farmers practice, flatbed method (FB).The results revealed that, among different cropping systems sole pigeon pea (SP) recorded significantly higher maize equivalent yields and net returns (4340 kg ha-1and Rs.33926 ha-1) compared to sole maize (SM) (3268 kg ha-1 and Rs.15366 ha-1) and maize+ pigeon pea intercropping in1:4 ratio (MP) (4080 kg ha-1and Rs.25786 ha-1), whereas in case of moisture conservation methods ridge and furrow method (RF) recorded significantly higher maize equivalent yields in kg ha-1 (4253 kg ha-1and1Rs.26752 ha-1) followed by flatbed fb making conservation furrow at 25 DAS (FBCF) (4247 kg ha-1and Rs.30,042 ha-1) compared flatbed fb making ridges at 25 DAS (FBR) and flat bed. Ridge and furrow method could save more (26%) soil moisture among all the methods followed in the study.

Automated detection of former field systems from airborne laser scanning data: a new approach for Historical Ecology

Former field systems (FFS) are the most widespread traces of ancient activities in present European landscapes and represent significant perturbations to ecosystems. Through its ability to penetrate forest canopies and detect microlandforms, Airborne Laser Scanning data reveal archaeological relics over large areas, from periods older than the first available Historical Topographic Maps. Mapping these traces from ALS-derived data (e.g. Digital Elevation Model (DEM)) thus allows for a determination of a new temporal baseline in order to evaluate the effects of a longer history on current patterns of biodiversity. Here, we evaluate the ability of traditional machine learning (Random Forest-RF) and deep learning (Fully Connected Networks-FCN) models to detect Medieval Terraced slopes and Ridges and Furrows (RaF) from an ALS-derived DEM in the southern Vosges (1462 km2). We used a combination of Local Binary Patterns and topographical metrics to measure properties of FFS and to train detection models. We then assessed the relative performance of each model semantically and spatially. Our results demonstrated the high suitability of our approach for reproducing major trends in the landscape with a high level of similarity between the predicted and reference spatial patterns (Structural Similarity Index - SSIM > 0.75). RF outperformed FCN for Terraced Slopes, whilst minimizing the false positive rate. FCN slightly outperformed RF for the RaF dataset but showed promising abilities to survey unseen data with a low sensitivity to annotation errors. We suggest that this approach has the potential to offer new spatio-temporal possibilities in Historical Ecology studies as a means of automatically detecting past archaeological ecosystems from a landscape to a regional scale.

Integrated Effect of Deficit Irrigation and Sowing Methods on Weed Dynamics and System Productivity of Maize–Cowpea Sequence on Vertisols

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of sowing methods and deficit irrigation on weed dynamics, yield and water-use efficiency (WUE) of the maize–cowpea system during the summer and monsoon seasons, respectively. The field experiment was carried out for two years (2015 and 2016) using a split design with three replicates under irrigated (maize) and rainfed (cowpea) conditions on vertisols of a semi-arid region. Treatments included three sowing methods [i.e., broad bed and furrow (BBF), corrugated furrow (CF) and ridges and furrow (RF)] and four irrigation levels [i.e., irrigation once in 10 days (I10D), irrigation at 40% (I40), at 50% (I50) and at 60% (I60) depletion]. The results indicated that, regardless of weed flora (monocots, dicots and sedges), the RF method produced higher weed density (2.09–2.98 No. m−2) compared to CF (2.00–2.80 No. m−2) and BBF (1.85–2.64 No. m−2) in maize at 30 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). The RF method with irrigation at I40 and I50 recorded significantly higher weed density, followed by the CF and BBF method. A similar trend was also observed with dry weight of weeds (monocot; 24.19%, dicot; 25.52%, and sedges; 29.80%) in maize at 30 and 60 DAS. Higher weed density and dry weight of weeds in the RF method with I40 was due to higher soil moisture availability and higher nutrient uptake due to larger lateral wetting of the soil and greater water use (29.27%). However, the BBF method favoured the growth of weeds (9.33–16.60%) in cowpea at 55 DAS and coped under rain-fed situation over CF and RF. The CF with moderate depletion (I50) method produced significantly higher maize equivalent yield (MEY) of cowpea (10,000 kg ha−1) with considerable reduction in the total water usage (19.33%). Therefore, under a water scarcity situation, growers can practice CF and I50 for higher yield and WUE of maize–cowpea sequence cropping.

Intensifying cropping systems through doubled-up legumes in Eastern Zambia

Declining soil fertility and negative impacts of climate effects threaten the food security of millions in Africa. Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a promising strategy to address these challenges. However, lack of viable economic entry points and short-term benefits for smallholders limit its adoption. Legume intensification can possibly increase the output per unit area, thus making the system more attractive. Rotations of maize with intensified legume systems were tested for three consecutive years under ridge and furrow (RF) tillage and CA to investigate: (a) increases in productivity of legumes and the subsequent maize crop; (b) changes in land equivalent ratios (LERs) and; (c) improved total system productivity. Results showed an increase in legume yields when growing two legumes simultaneously, leading to greater LERs (ranging between 1.13 and 1.29). However, there was only a significant season and not a main treatment effect as CA did not outperform RF in both phases of the rotation. Full populations of companion legumes improved overall system productivity, yielding 76.8 GJ ha−1 in a more conducive season while sole cropping of pigeonpea yielded only 4.4 GJ ha−1. We conclude that the doubled-up legumes systems have great potential to improve household food security when integrated into current smallholder farming.

Numerical simulation and analysis of mechanized suppression process of seedbed with whole plastic film mulching on double ridges

In order to achieve the construction standard of high mechanized performance of the seedbed with whole plastic-film mulching on double ridges, in this study, the forms of suppression failure were analyzed, and the key factors influencing the suppression performance were determined based on the structure of the seedbed suppression device and its working principles. The discrete element method was adopted for numerical simulation on the suppression process of the seedbed with whole plastic film mulching on double ridges; the parameters during the interaction between the suppression device and seedbed soil were extracted and analyzed, such as contact area, sinkage and horizontal traction resistance trend of press wheels on big ridges and furrows of small ridge. Taking the suppression load on big ridges, suppression load on furrows of small ridge, and advancing velocity of the combined operation machine as the independent variables, qualified rate of suppression as the response value, a mathematical model between the test factors and qualified rate of suppression was established, to explore the influence sequence of the factors on suppression qualified rate. The optimal working parameters of the suppression device were finally obtained: the suppression load on big ridges was 40 N, suppression load on furrows of small ridge was 69.8 N and the machine advancing velocity was 0.98 m/s, and the achieved mean value of suppression qualified rate was 92.6%. Field verification test showed that the mean value of suppression qualified rate was 90.3%, a mere difference of 2.3% compared with the simulation result. The actual operation of the sample machine was basically consistent with the simulation process and could reveal the mechanized suppression operation mechanism of the seedbed with whole plastic film mulching on double ridges, indicating that the established DEM model and its parameter setting were relatively accurate and reasonable. Keywords: seedbed, whole plastic film mulching, double ridges, mechanized suppression, discrete element method, numerical simulation, parameter optimization DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20211401.5866 Citation: Dai F, Song X F, Zhao W Y, Sun B G, Shi R J, Zhang Y. Numerical simulation and analysis of mechanized suppression process of seedbed with whole plastic film mulching on double ridges. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2021; 14(1): 142–150.

Pedological properties related to formation and functions of ancient ridge and furrow cultivation in Central and Northern Germany

Ridge and furrow cultivation is an example for a historic agriculture technique that has been very common in Germany, especially during medieval times. It seemed to be well-known how the ridge and furrows (RIFUs) were used and formed but previous studies came to contradictory conclusions which raised additional questions concerning their formation. Furthermore, the RIFUs’ morphological and physicochemical soil properties and their influence on current soils that developed after the RIFUs had been abandoned are not fully understood. In order to answer these questions, morphological and physicochemical analyses (pH, EC, TOC, TN, δ15N, C:N ratios, “Olsen P”, soil texture) were conducted on 11 preserved RIFUs in forested areas of Northern and Central Germany. The results showed that the studied RIFUs occur on sites with different properties (e.g. soil texture, inclination, vegetation) and presented various morphological shapes. They are also characterised by differences in the formation of soil horizons and general low TN (<1.5 g kg−1) and TOC (<10 g kg−1) contents. However, higher contents at some sites comparing to their references, indicated that the RIFU cultivation promoted a slight long-lasting soil improvement if not induced by secondary soil processes after RIFU use. Moreover, for some sites, high P and δ15N values may suggest the application of manure. Recent morphological changes also had a significant influence on some study sites. In summary, neither the formation and agricultural strategies of RIFU cultivation nor their function and any influences on the current soil and woodland characteristics can be regarded as identical for all RIFU sites.

Influence of land configuration and fertilization techniques on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill.) productivity, soil moisture and fertility

An experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of flatbed (FB), ridges and furrows (RF) and broad bed furrows (BBF) combined with recommended fertilizer dose N30P60K30 kg ha−1 (F1), 75 % NPK (F2), 125 % NPK (F3), 75 % NPK + 25 % N through farm yard manure (FYM)-F4, 75 % NPK + 2 sprays of micro nutrient mixture (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, B and Mo) - 0.5 % at 35 and 60 days after sowing (DAS)-F5 and 75 % NPK + 2 sprays of KNO3 - 0.5 % at 35 and 1.0 % at 60 DAS (F6) on the productivity of soybean in a split plot design. BBF stored 14.15 % more soil water and produced 1058.97 kg ha−1 more yield than FB. A significant 3.76 kg ha−1-mm rain water use efficiency was notice in BBF compared to FB. The yield increment recorded under F6 was 15.6 % higher than F1. Grain nitrogen and oil contents were highest in F3. The residual soil fertility was much improve by F3 and F5. Our result demonstrated that the combination of BBF and F6 were the best technique to increase soybean yield in the Vertisol soil.

Distinguishing Oblacinska sour cherry clones (Prunus cerasus L.) by pollen morphology

Morphology and ultrastructure of pollen grains were studied in 13 Obla?inska sour cherry clones in three years using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All studied clones had isopolar, radially symmetric and tricolpate pollen grains. Length and width of pollen grains varied in a range of 50.03-55.97 ?m and 25.16-28.37 ?m respectively. Pollen shape in all the studied clones was identified as prolate. The smallest colpus length was found in the clone 8 (43.73 ?m), and the highest in the clone 3 (49.16 ?m). The highest colpus and mesocolpium width had the clone 3 (1.73 ?m; 14.87 ?m) and the lowest had the clone 7 (1.46 ?m; 13.78 ?m). All studied clones had striate exine ornamentation. Number of ridges per 100 ?m2 of the exine surface was the highest in the clone 11 (16.7) and lowest in the clone 2 (14.1). Ridge and furrow width ranged from 0.46 to 0.61 ?m and from 0.45 to 0.59 ?m, respectively. The clones have been classified into three clusters based on all studied properties. Pollen grains examination by SEM indicated that several morphological parameters (pollen size and exine characteristics) can be used to distinguish Obla?inska sour cherry clones.

Maximizing blue water use efficiency of wheat (Triticum aestivum) through irrigation and mulching

A field study was conducted in sub-humid Eastern Ghats region of India to investigate the effect of different soil moisture conservation practices, viz. no-mulch (NM) as a control, ridge and furrow (RF), Gliricidia mulch (GM) and Lantana mulch (LM) on water productivity, and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under three levels of irrigation (CPE100 = 100%, CPE80 = 80% and CPE60 = 60% ). Total water use by wheat was 270.1–365.6 mm during 2016–17 and 210.4–302.5 mm during 2015–16. Averaging both years, wheat used was 88.35 mm (26.8%) and 44.9 mm (13.6%) more water at CPE100 over CPE60 and CPE80, respectively. Among the irrigation levels, higher water productivity (WP) was observed in CPE60 (13.6, 9.8 kg/m3) compared to CPE80 (12.8, 9.3 kg/m3) and CPE100 (11.3, 8.9 kg/m3) for both years, respectively. CPE60 resulted in 5.9 and 15.8% greater WP over CPE80 and CPE100, respectively. Mulching increased WP by 27.8% in GM and 23.3% in LM treatments compared to NM. Irrigation with mulching treatments, CPE60 + GM exhibited WP of 15.9 and 14.7 kg/m3, and CPE60 + LM WP of 11.0 and 10.6 kg/m3 during 2015–16 and 2016–17, respectively. On an average, mulching treatment produced additional total WP of 2.2–2.6 kg/m3, green WP of 0.5–0.7 kg/m3 and blue WP of 1.7–2.0 kg/m3 over NM. Thus CPE80+ GM could be successfully applied during post-monsoon (Rabi) season in wheat production allowing a water savings of 20% without any yield loss.

Photosynthetic characteristics and grain yield of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in response to fertilizer, precipitation, and soil water storage before sowing under the ridge and furrow system: A path analysis

The ridge and furrow (RF) system can improve the soil moisture and temperature conditions, as well as increasing the grain yield and water use efficiency. However, the combined effects of the fertilizer amount, precipitation during the growing season (PGS), and soil water storage before sowing (SWSS) on the photosynthetic characteristics and yield under this system are still unclear in winter wheat. Thus, in this study, we used path analysis to determine the effects of these three factors based on a field experiment conducted for five years in a semiarid region of Northwest China. Path analysis showed that precipitation during the sowing to filling stage (PSF) in winter wheat had the greatest influence on the photosynthesis gas exchange characteristics of flag leaves in the filling stage, followed by the fertilizer amount. And the determination coefficients of PSF on the photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate, stomatal conductance (Gs), leaf instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE) and relative chlorophyll content (SPAD value) were 0.331, 0.868, 0.864, 0.820, and 0.414, respectively. The most important factor for the grain yield was SWSS, where the coefficient of determination was 0.838, followed by the fertilizer amount and PGS, and the indirect effect of the fertilizer amount on SWSS was negative. Therefore, our results suggest that SWSS has an important effect on the grain yield in winter wheat under the RF system in semiarid regions, and thus improving the SWSS can obtain better increases in the grain yield compared with fertilizer amount.

Weed suppression, nutrient leaching, water use and yield of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) under different land configurations and mulches

Alteration in micro-topography and mulching are important agronomic practices to conserve the resources in situ. Turmeric is sensitive to weed infestation and soil loss. Studies were conducted during 2011–12 and 2012–13 in a silt loam soil to evaluate the weed suppression, nutrient leaching, water use and yield of turmeric under varying land configurations [broad bed and furrow (BBF), ridge and furrow (RF), and flat bed (FB)] and mulch materials [paddy straw followed by weed biomass (PS), thatch grass (Imperata cylendrica; IC), pine needle (PN) and no mulch (NM)]. Results revealed reduced weed density, dry biomass and superior weed suppression with BBF and either of mulch. Weed suppression followed the trend from higher to lower with PN > IC > PS > NM. The soil and nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) losses under BBF and PN mulch were the lowest, indicating better conservation of the soils. Besides, the rhizome yield, water use efficiency, economic and energy parameters were improved by following higher to lower with BBF > RF > FB and PN > IC > PS > NM. Land configuration and mulch suppress the weed growth, reduce the soil and nutrient losses, leading to higher rhizome yield, enhanced water use, superior economics and improves energy values.

Tillage and residue retention effect on crop and water productivity of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) under rainfed conditions

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2014-15 and 2015-16 to study the effect of moisture conservation techniques and tillage management practices on growth, productivity and economics of Indian mustard[Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj and Coss.]. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three replications in cropping system mode. The main plot treatments consisted of four moisture conservation practices adopted inkharif season cropviz. ridges and furrows (RF), RF + crop residue (CR) 4 tonnes/ha, RF + CR 2 tonnes/ha + vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) and flat sowing (FS) and in sub plots;five zero tillage management techniques, viz. zero tillage (ZT), ZT + seed priming, ZT + CR 4 tonnes/ha, ZT + CR 2 tonnes/ha + Hydrogel and conventional tillage (CT) were executed in mustard. Results revealed that moisture conservation technique,RF + CR 4 tonnes/ha in main plot and tillage management practice ZT + CR 4 tonnes/ha in sub plot recorded significantly superior growth parameters, physiological indices, yield attributes and yield values over rest of the treatments. Sowing in furrows under RF + CR 4 tonnes/ha recorded highest values for seeds/siliqua and siliqua length to the tune of 13.16 and 4.17 cm, seed yield (2.12 tonnes/ha) and stover yield (7.46 tonnes/ha), respectively. Furthermore under RF +CR 4 tonnes/ha treatment registered significantly higherWUE (21.63 kg/ha/mm) as well as maximumN, P and K uptake values of 102.7, 21.02 and 97.15 kg/ha, respectively. Highest net returns of ` 54100/ha as well as B:C ratio (2.88) were obtained under RF + CR 4 tonnes/ha. In sub-plots, ZT + CR 4 tonnes/ha gave significantly higher values of siliquae/plant, seeds/siliqua and siliqua length to the tune of 342, 13.18 and 4.05 cm, respectively. ZT + CR 4 tonnes/ha recorded maximum seed yield (2.05 tonnes/ha) closely followed by ZT + CR 2 tonnes/ha + Hydrogel (1.94 tonnes/ha) and both the treatments were statistically at par. Water use efficiency under ZT sowing with CR 4 tonnes/ha and ZT + CR 2 tonnes/ha + Hydrogel, gave statistically at par values of 20.93 and 19.72 kg/ha/mm, respectively. In spite of higher cost of cultivation, significantly maximum net returns (` 49500/ha) were obtained under ZT + CR 4 tonnes/ha. Thus on the basis research findings, it can be established that under rainfed conditions after kharif crop harvest planting of Indian mustard can be done in left over furrows without any tillage with application of ex-situ CR 4 tonnes/ha or with CR 2 tonnes/ha + Hydrogel to save time, reduce cost and capitalize of residual moisture.

Soil Drainage and Nutrient Management to Improve Productivity of Waterlogged Vertisols for Small-scale Farmers

Vertisols cover large part of the high rainfall areas of Ethiopia. However, the potential of these soils is not well exploited because of heavy water logging during the main rain season. A study was conducted to investigate the interactive effects of soil drainage and fertilizer application on the productivity of Vertisols. Factorial combinations of four planting beds (Broadbed and furrow (BBF) with 100 cm bed size, broadbed and furrow with 80 cm bed size, ridge and furrow (RF) with 30 cm bed size, and flatbed) and two fertilizer levels (unfertilized and fertilized with 64 kg N ha-1 & 46 kg P2O5 ha-1) in RCBD were experimented for the sustainable use and improved productivity of Vertisols in Northeastern Ethiopia in the 2006/2007 cropping season. Results revealed that ridge and furrow bed (RF) drained more excess water than the broadbed and furrow beds (BBF) and the flatbed (F), but with yield penalties. Soil drainage using broadbed and furrows (BBF) and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization reduced days to heading and maturity by 12 and 15%, respectively. The broadbed and furrow and the nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization package increased grain yield by 90%, grain nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes by 183 and 252%, and stover nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes by 152 and 121%. Thus, planting in broadbed and furrows (BBF), disregard of the bed size, with fertilizer application is recommended for bread wheat production on vertisols in Northeastern Ethiopia.

Response of tillage and in situ moisture conservation on alteration of soil and morpho-physiological differences in maize under Eastern Himalayan region of India

Better root growth helps the plant for more uptakes of nutrient and water and positively influence the growth and yield attributes. Tillage alters the physicochemical and biological properties of soil and provides the congenial condition for better growth of maize. Four different till system, viz., conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage (ZT), raised bed (RB) and ridge and furrow (RF) were tried with two mulch viz. no mulch (NM) and paddy straw mulch (PSM at 4.0tha−1). RF recorded 18.0% higher seed yield followed by RB (14.5%) and CT (7.5%) over ZT. However, stover yield was 10.1, 8.6 and 5.1% respectively higher for RF, RB and CT over ZT. Mulches also favoured the soil against degradative force and conserved the soil moisture and maintained the soil temperature. Grain and stover yield were 11.1 and 6.5% respectively higher with PSM over NM. Root length, root dry weight and root volume were higher on RF followed by RB over ZT. However, root numbers was higher on ZT but comparable to CT. Root density did not differ with different types of tillage. Similarly, PSM recorded all the root attributes better than NM. Maximum water holding capacity (MWHC), water filled pore space (WFPS) and water content at field capacity and permanent wilting point were higher on RF followed by RB over ZT. Similarly, bulk density of soil at different soil depths were lower in RF followed by RB. Soil temperature was maintained on PSM and it was relatively hotter at early morning (8.00h) and relatively cooler during mid day (12.00h) and evening (16.00h) over NM. Soil organic carbon (SOC) changed with tillage and higher SOC was recorded on ZT at top 0–10 and 10–20cm soil depths but below 20cm there was no significant difference. Consequently, all the physical and chemical parameters were better with PSM over NM. The measured growth and yield attributes of maize depended on soil properties like bulk density, porosity, water potential, texture, aggregation and soil organic carbon.

Soil Drainage and Nutrient Management to Improve Productivity of Waterlogged Vertisols for Small-scale Farmers

Vertisols cover large part of the high rainfall areas of Ethiopia. However, the potential of these soils is not well exploited because of heavy water logging during the main rain season. A study was conducted to investigate the interactive effects of soil drainage and fertilizer application on the productivity of Vertisols. Factorial combinations of four planting beds (Broadbed and furrow (BBF) with 100 cm bed size, broadbed and furrow with 80 cm bed size, ridge and furrow (RF) with 30 cm bed size, and flatbed) and two fertilizer levels (unfertilized and fertilized with 64 kg N ha-1 & 46 kg P2O5 ha-1) in RCBD were experimented for the sustainable use and improved productivity of Vertisols in Northeastern Ethiopia in the 2006/2007 cropping season. Results revealed that ridge and furrow bed (RF) drained more excess water than the broadbed and furrow beds (BBF) and the flatbed (F), but with yield penalties. Soil drainage using broadbed and furrows (BBF) and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization reduced days to heading and maturity by 12 and 15%, respectively. The broadbed and furrow and the nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization package increased grain yield by 90%, grain nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes by 183 and 252%, and stover nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes by 152 and 121%. Thus, planting in broadbed and furrows (BBF), disregard of the bed size, with fertilizer application is recommended for bread wheat production on vertisols in Northeastern Ethiopia.

Effects of ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system on soil hydrothermal condition and yields of Elymus sibiricus L. in arid and semiarid regions

Effects of ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system on soil hydrothermal condition and yields of Elymus sibiricus L. in arid and semiarid regions