Sole Wheat Research Articles

Productivity improvement of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through crop rotation and organic matter application in degraded crop farms of Ethiopian highlands

AbstractBread wheat is one of the most important staple crops in Ethiopia and it is largely produced by smallholder farmers in the highlands of the country. Its productivity is, however, very low below the world average mainly due to the dwindling of soil productivity and depletion of soil fertility as the result of complete removal of crop residues as well as abandoning of crop rotation and organic matter application. Hence, a 3 years experiment was conducted to study the productivity improvement of bread wheat through crop rotation and organic manure application in degraded crop fields of Ethiopian highlands. Both at station and on-farm sites, factorial combinations of five crop rotations (R1+ = bread wheat–clover–potato, R2+ = clover–bread wheat undersowing lupine–potato, R3+ = potato–clover–bread wheat, R4+ = bread wheat undersowing lupine–potato undersowing lupine–bread wheat and R5+ = lupine–potato undersowing lupine–bread wheat) and four manure application rates [M1 = control/without manure, M2 = 2.5 t ha−1 Sesbania green manure (SGM), M3 = 5 t ha−1 fresh cattle manure (FCM) and M4 = 2.5 t ha−1 SGM + 5 t ha−1 FCM] were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Crop rotation treatments with plus sign (+) indicated that crop residues and/or green manure of preceding crops were incorporated into the soil. Sole bread wheat crop (R1) without manure application (M1) in the first year (2013) was considered as the control and baseline of the study. Results of the study clearly showed that the interaction of R3+ and M4 in 3 years period (2013–2015) enabled to recover the highest grain productivity of bread wheat from 0.95 and 0.69 to 4.83 and 4.14 t ha−1 with the percentile increments of 408.42 and 500.00% at station and on-farm sites, respectively. Thus, long-term application of organic manure with moderate quantity and incorporation of crop residues in pragmatic crop rotation of a vigorous legume before wheat have great potentials for recovering the productivity of bread wheat in degraded crop fields.

Intercropping of Faba Bean and Bread Wheat at Kulumsa, South-Eastern Ethiopia

The increasing price of inputs increased cost of production of wheat in Arsi zone which leads to minimum net income. This forced few farmers to use crop rotation in the area. They do this to minimize the amount of fertilizer required and break pest cycle (disease, weed and insect) for cereal especially wheat. However most farmers do not use this rotation as required because of land shortage. They do not want to loss wheat every year. Because of this, alternative cropping system is needed to solve this problem. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the compatibility of faba bean/wheat inter cropping, to select suitable variety of faba bean under different spatial patterns of intercropping, and to assess the economic feasibility of intercropping faba bean with bread wheat in the area. A field experiment was conducted in 2019 main cropping season at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center, Southeastern Ethiopia to select suitable varieties of faba bean in intercropping and to assess the economic profitability of intercropping faba bean with bread wheat in the area. The treatments were three faba bean varieties (Ashebeka, Hachalu and Tumsa) intercropped with bread wheat (variety Hulluka) in three different planting ratios (1W:1FB, 1W:2FB, 2W:1FB) and sole planting of the three faba bean varieties and wheat. Randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Planting ratio of 1W:2FB, sole cropped faba bean and planting ratio of 1W:1FB with variety Hachalu gave highest grain yield (3426.3 kgha^-1), above ground biomass (11257.3 kgha^-1) and harvest index of faba bean (36%), respectively. Planting ratio of 2W:1FB gave the highest wheat yield (1896.6 kgha^-1). The highest (8057.13 kgha^-1) above ground biomass yield of wheat was recorded at 2W:1FB. Highest gross monetary value of 100,591ETB/ha was obtained with planting ratio of 1W:2FB with variety Tumsa. Sole wheat gave the lowest gross monetary value of 59,752 ETB/ha. This could be due to high price and better competition ability of faba bean with good rainfall distribution in the growing season.

Relay cropping of cucurbits in furrows under bed planted wheat for higher profitability

A field experiment was condcuted for four consecutive seasons from 2016-17 to 2019-20 at ICAR- Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana with an objective to increase the profitability through relay crops of cucurbits under bed planted wheat crop. Eight relay crops namely musk melon, water melon, bottle guard, ridge guard, bitter guard, cucumber (kheera), cucumber (tarkakari) were planted under bed planting system with wheat. All the cucurbits were relayed in furrows at milk stage of wheat. Combined over four years analysis revealed that wheat + bottle guard produced maximum and signifiantly higher wheat equivalent yield (WEY), gross return, net return and B: C ratio, which was 80.5%, 80.5%, 227.1% and 80.0% higher than sole wheat crop, respectively. Next best profitable treatment was wheat + cucumber (tarkakari), which also produced 39.8%, 112.3% and 40.0% higher WEY, net return and B: C ratio as compared to sole wheat crop, respectively. All the relayed cucurbits were profitable than sole wheat crop and there was no adverse effect on yield attributes and wheat yield . Thus, small and marginal farmers can adopt this relayed cropping sytem to maximise their profit per unit time and space.

Potential of Melia dubia agroforestry system in soil improvement and environmental sustainability

The current study intended to understand the influence of Melia dubia based agroforestry system on soil properties. The research was carried out at Gillan Khera in district Fatehabad, situated in the semi-arid region of Haryana. Analysis of soil samples were done for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon, soil moisture and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The soil pH and EC decreased more under trees than under control (sole wheat crop) i.e, 8.09 to 7.89 and 0.46 to 0.44 dSm-1 respectively. However, the amount of N, P, K, organic carbon (131.38, 16.00, 301.10 (kg/ha) and 0.46 % respectively) and soil moisture content was found higher in intercropped conditions at both soil depths. Extra moisture in shaded conditions resulting in the breakdown of litter, mineralization and nitrogen gain at a faster rate compared to full sunlight conditions justifies the increased amount of nutrients, organic carbon and other favorable changes in the soil under trees. The current study recommends Melia dubia based agroforestry system as an excellent opportunity in order to enhance soil fertility and for environmental sustainability.

Breast meat yield, muscle linear measurements and meat composition of turkeys fed 2 diet containing wheat or sorghum as sole cereal source

Breast meat yield, chemical composition, mineral profile and linear measurement of the resultant breast meat Supracoracoides and Pectoralis thoracicus of one hundred and eighty (28 days old BUT) male turkeys fed diet containing wheat or sorghum as sole cereal source were studied. One hundred and eighty 28-days old male turkeys (British United Turkeys, BUT) were randomly allotted into 18 pens with 10 poults housed in each pen (of dimension 3.0× 2.0 m). Three experimental diets were formulated for the starter (29-56 days), grower (57-84) and finisher phase (85-112 days) such that ground maize (control), wheat or sorghum (light brown coat variety) was used as the only cereal source. The turkeys were randomly allotted to 18 pens (each housing 10 turkeys) with each pen allocated to one of the experimental diets. Growth response, breast meat yield, chemical composition, mineral profile and linear measurement of the resultant breast meat yield were measured at the end of finishing phase. Turkeys fed with wheat and sorghum had similar dressing percentage values. Turkeys fed with sorghum recorded lower (P<0.05) final live weight (10,002.10 g), weight gain (9084.90 g), feed intake (19,942.67 g), dressed weight (8099.94 g), breast meat yield (2691g) and higher relative BMY (269.05 g/kg LWT) than those fed with wheat. However, turkeys fed with wheat had higher (P<0.05) Supracoccoides weight (672.15 g) and length (26.9 g) than those fed with sorghum which recorded higher relative Supracoccoides weight (58.81 g) than those fed with sole wheat (53.76 19 g). Crude protein, ether extract, ash content, gross energy and mineral content of the BMY were not affected by dietary inclusion of wheat or sorghum as sole cereal source. However, the breast meat of turkeys fed with sorghum had lower (P<0.05) moisture (60.12%), cholesterol (19.05 mg/100g) and LDL (2.01 mg/100g) values than other corresponding values obtained for turkeys fed with wheat or control diet

Development of Fiber-Rich Biscuit by Incorporating Dragon Fruit Powder

ABSTRACT Dragon fruit powder (DFP) is a rich source of fiber (15.7%) and phytochemicals (Gallic acid). Commercial dragon fruit use is limited to ready to serve and other fruit products. Because of the large-scale consumption of biscuits on a global level, there is a need for the development of high fiber biscuits enriched with nutraceuticals. In the present study, an attempt was made to develop biscuit from DFP. Four formulations of biscuits were prepared by mixing DFP in the ratio 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% (w/w) with wheat flour, and they were considered as DFB30 (Dragon Fruit Biscuit 30%), DFB40 (Dragon Fruit Biscuit 40%), DFB50 (Dragon Fruit Biscuits 50%), and DFB60 (Dragon Fruit Biscuits 60%), respectively. Biscuits were prepared by using the traditional creaming method. Prepared biscuits were compared with sole wheat flour biscuit (B0) as a plain/control sample. As per sensory evaluation, DFB50 is acceptable formulation of wheat flour to DFP. Biscuit (DFB50) showed increased fiber content by about fivefold (7.81 g %), minerals (0.91 g %), and improved spread ratio (8.76) when compared with wheat flour biscuit (B0). Biscuit also reported being enriched with 0.0092 mg % Gallic acid with no significant change noticed in protein, fat, calcium, and iron content as from wheat biscuit (B0). It may be mentioned that 100 g daily consumption of fortified biscuit may alone fulfill 20% recommended daily intake requirement for dietary fiber.

Recovery growth and water use of intercropped maize following wheat harvest in wheat/maize relay strip intercropping

Recovery growth is common in relay intercropping systems and is a feasible practice for increasing total productivity of these systems. Previous studies have focused on the description of recovery growth, but the physiological changes and water use assessment during the recovery growth period remain unclear. A field experiment was conducted in Yangling, Shaanxi province, China during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 growing seasons to investigate maize physiological characteristics, root morphology, and transpiration efficiency during the recovery growth period. Three cropping systems (sole wheat, sole maize, wheat/maize intercropping) and two water treatments (supplementary irrigation and rainfed) were evaluated. Wheat was more competitive than maize during the intercropping co-growth period. During the co-growth period, the aboveground dry matter of intercropped wheat was 20.1 %–37.8 % greater than for sole wheat and water consumption was 14.9 %–15.9 % greater than for sole wheat. However, plant height and aboveground dry matter of intercropped maize during the co-growth period were less than for sole maize. Total root length of intercropped maize under supplementary irrigation initially exhibited rapid growth after wheat harvest, especially in the border rows. Subsequently, aboveground dry matter showed recovery growth, with final aboveground dry matter (2-yr average) of border rows and inner rows being 1 % and 4.5 %, respectively, greater than sole maize dry matter. Relative chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate of intercropped maize were 4.3 %–19.2 % and 1.7 %–15.9 %, respectively, higher than observed for sole maize under irrigated conditions. Transpiration efficiency of intercropped maize during the recovery period was 10 % and 50.9 % greater than observed for sole maize under irrigated conditions in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Some recovery growth did occur under rainfed conditions, but it did not completely compensate for the growth reduction that occurred during the co-growth period. Supplementary irrigation promoted recovery growth of intercropped maize. Recovery growth improves intercropped maize grain yield and efficient use of water resources.

Production Potential and Competitive Indices of Mustard Based Intercropping With Wheat Under Different Row Ratios

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy research field, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka from November, 2015 to March, 2016 to study the performance of wheat-mustard intercropping as influenced by different row ratios. Ten treatments were included in the study as, T1 (sole wheat), T2 (sole mustard), T3 (wheatmustard in 2:1 rows), T4 (wheat-mustard in 3:1 rows), T5 (wheat-mustard in 4:1 rows), T6 (wheat-mustard in 5:1 rows), T7 (wheat-mustard in 2:2 rows), T8 (wheat-mustard in 3:2 rows), T9 (wheat-mustard in 4:2 rows) and T10 (wheat-mustard in 5:2 rows). The experimental result indicatedthe significant variations of wheat yield by the wheatmustard intercropping system. The highest seed yield of wheat (3.4 t ha-1) was obtained from T1 (sole wheat) that identical with T4 (wheat-mustard in 3:1 rows) and similar with T9 (wheat-mustard in 4:2 rows). Wheat yield gradually decreased with increasing mustard rows. The lowest seed yield (1.87 t ha-1) was obtained from T7 (wheat-mustard in 2:2 rows) which was statistically similar to T8 (wheat-mustard in 3:2 rows). The highest wheat equivalent yield (5.03 t ha-1) was obtained from T4 (wheat-mustard in 3:1 rows). Treatment T4 (wheat-mustard in 3:1 rows) produced the highest LER (1.45). Economic analysis of the different treatments showed that the highest gross return (Tk. 120250.0 ha- 1), the highest net return (Tk. 61178.0 ha-1) and BCR (2.04) from T4 (wheat-mustard in 3:1 rows). Therefore, present study suggest that wheat and mustard intercropped in 3:1 rows showed the most compatible in respect of yield advantage and economic gain.
 Bangladesh Agron. J. 2019, 22(2): 161-169

Coupling evapotranspiration partitioning with water migration to identify the water consumption characteristics of wheat and maize in an intercropping system

Climate change will likely intensify water shortages, so more attention should be given to the efficient use of agricultural water in agricultural production, especially under rainfed conditions. Therefore, studying and understanding crop water consumption amounts and patterns is of great importance. However, the amount of water consumed by the component crops in strip intercropping systems has received little attention. To close this knowledge gap, a two-year field experiment of sole wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), sole maize (Zea mays L.), and wheat/maize strip intercropping was carried out under rainfed conditions. Soil water content, sap flow, soil water evaporation, and evaporation of canopy interception were measured both in intercrops and sole crops. Soil water movement between strips, evapotranspiration components, and water use efficiency were calculated. Compared with corresponding sole crops, intercropping increased water consumption of wheat and maize during the growing period of each crop. Intercropped wheat obtained soil water from the adjacent maize strip during the co-growth period, while intercropped maize obtained soil water from the adjacent wheat strip after wheat harvest. The amount of water obtained by maize was much less than the amount of water obtained by wheat. The transpiration of intercropped wheat was greater than that of sole wheat, but the transpiration of intercropped maize was lower than that of sole maize. Compared with sole cropping, intercropping increased the sap flow rate of wheat in border rows but reduced sap flow rate of maize in border rows, and this phenomenon was pronounced in the case of drought. After wheat harvest, soil water evaporation from the intercropped wheat strip was less than that from sole wheat, and evaporation from the intercropped maize strip was significantly higher than that of sole maize. The two-year average water use efficiency of intercropped wheat was 32% more than that of sole wheat, and water use efficiency of intercropped maize was 10% less than that of sole maize. These results can improve the understanding of water consumption in wheat and maize of intercropping from the point of evapotranspiration partitioning, and provide implications for water management of intercropping system under rainfed conditions.

Effect of Planting Methods and Intercropping Green and Full Mature Onion with Wheat

Two field experiments were conducted at Etay El-Baroud Experiment station of El-Behira Governorate, Egypt during 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons to examine three planting methods of intercropping green and full mature onion with wheat i.e. 1-planting in flat soil (without ridges), wheat was planted in rows 20cm apart and onion was transplanted among the rows of wheat, 2-growing wheat on ridges (60cm apart) in 2 rows on top and northern side of the ridge and onion was transplanted on southern side of the same ridge and 3-growing wheat on the wide ridges (120cm apart) in 4rows and onion was transplanted on both sides of the same ridge and two intercropping systems (100% wheat + 50% green onion and 100% wheat +50% full mature onion as well as sole wheat, sole green and full mature onion. Results show that, planting methods had no significant effect on yield and its components of wheat, except spike length and number of spikes/m2 were significantly affected by planting methods in the two growing seasons while, 1000 grain weight was significantly affected by planting methods in 2018/2019 season only. The tallest spikes length were recorded under planting method {120cm (M3)} while, the highest number of spikes/m2and 1000 grain weight were recorded under planting method {without ridges (M1)}.On the other hand, green and full mature onion per feddan were significantly affected by planting methods, the highest main values were recorded by growing onion on the two sides of ridges {120cm apart (M3)}. Intercropping green and full mature onion had no significant effect on yield of wheat, while the sole onion achieved the highest yield/fed compared to intercropping systems. Generally, growing green onion on the two sides of wide ridges {120cm apart (M3)} with wheat recorded the highest Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), Relative Crowding Coefficient (K) and net returns compared to sole wheat. In all intercropping treatments, wheat was the dominant whereas, onion was the dominated.

Dynamic process-based modelling of crop growth and competitive water extraction in relay strip intercropping: Model development and application to wheat-maize intercropping

Strip intercropping increases land use efficiency but the effect on water use efficiency is less well-known. Here we develop a modelling method to simulate the growth of an intercrop taking into account the acquisition of light and water by the component species in order to calculate the efficacy of light and water acquisition in an intercropping system as compared to sole crops. The model is parameterized, calibrated and validated using data on wheat-maize intercropping in Gansu province, Northwest China. Observed above-ground biomass was 1630 g m−2 for sole wheat and 1334 g m−2 for intercropped wheat while it was 3023 g m−2 for sole maize and 2259 g m−2 for intercropped maize. The average water use was 405 mm in sole wheat, 595 mm in sole maize and 711 mm in wheat-maize intercropping. Based on observed yields, the land equivalent ratio (LER) was 1.59 and the water equivalent ratio (WER) was 1.14, where LER and WER express the relative amounts of land and water needed to achieve the yields obtained in a unit area of intercrop using sole crops. These results indicate that relay strip intercropping of wheat and maize achieves an increase of land use efficiency of 59% and of water use efficiency of 14%. Overall the intercrop model gave satisfactory predictions, with coefficients of efficiency (CE) in validation of 0.86–0.97, 0.90–0.95, 0.85–0.91 and 0.98 for biomass of sole wheat, sole maize, intercropped wheat, and intercropped maize, respectively. Overall CE of water use was 0.95. Simulated LER and WER were similar to observed LER and WER. The results show that intercropping could be used to obtain more yield on less land with less water. Policies that limit water use per unit land and prohibit the use of intercropping on the basis of its high water use per unit area may therefore be counter-productive. The model for intercrop growth and development under water limitation may be used for exploring production possibilities under land and water constraints.

Yield, yield attributes and photosynthetic physiological characteristics of dryland wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) strip intercropping

Intercropping has been widely adopted by farmers for higher yield compared to monoculture, and the border effect was responsible for the yield advantage in irrigated areas. However, few studies have investigated the border effect based on photosynthesis, especially under rainfed conditions. Here, we evaluated the yield in rainfed wheat/maize strip relay intercropping, and explored the associated differences in yield components and physiological process compared to sole crops. A two-year field experiments was conducted including three treatments (sole wheat, sole maize and wheat/maize intercropping) in Yangling, located in the semi-humid region of northwest China. Grain yield, yield components, chlorophyll relative content (SPAD) and photosynthetic parameters in different rows were measured for wheat and maize. Results showed that wheat/maize intercropping increased the land use efficiency and total yield of wheat and maize under rainfed conditions. The yield of intercropped wheat was significantly (p < 0.05) increased by 35% on average over two years, resulting not only from the first border rows but also from the second border rows. The yield improvement in the first border rows relative to sole wheat was attributed to the increase of ear number (56%, p < 0.05), kernel number per ear (14%, p < 0.05) and thousand kernel weight (12%, p < 0.05), but the yield improvement in the second border rows was only attributed to the ear number (22%, p < 0.05). The yield of intercropped maize was not significantly (p > 0.05) decreased (6%), mainly attributed to the border rows (19% lower than in sole maize), in which the kernel number per cob and thousand kernel weight were 14% and 8% (p < 0.05) lower than that in sole maize. This was because that the SPAD and photosynthetic rate of maize in intercropping was suppressed during the co-growth period (about 62 days). Although the two had a partly growth recovery after wheat harvest, the growth recovery was not complete, and this was responsible for the reduction of maize yield in intercropping. This study demonstrates that the importance of yield components and the photosynthesis basis for yield advantage in intercropping systems, and reducing the adverse effect of dominate crop on subordinate crops could better exert the advantages of intercropping.

Productivity of Intercropped Wheat with Faba Bean under Crop Sequences and Foliar Application of Humic Acid

INTERCROPPING cereal-legume (wheat + faba bean) is essential to enhance productivity per unit area, land use efficiency and decreasing the gap between production and consumption in Egypt. Furthermore, we are trying to find the best concentration of humic acid foliar application which could improve the production of wheat and faba bean. A field experiment was set with a combination of five crop sequences and intercropping systems (clover/wheat; wheat + faba bean; clover/wheat + faba bean; sole wheat; sole faba bean) in addition to, three foliar application treatments of humic acid at the rate of control (0.0), 2.0 and 4.0g/L. Results show that foliar application of humic acid and intercropping systems affected significantly all traits of wheat and faba bean except number of branches/plant and plant height in the first season for faba bean. The highest mean values of yield and its components of wheat were obtained when wheat was sown after clover under foliar application with 4g/L humic acid as compared with sole wheat with no foliar application in both seasons. The 2g/L humic acid and wheat + faba bean give higher land equivalent ratio and the lowest values of aggressivity. whereas the highest mean values of area time equivalent ratio and monetary advantage index were obtained from 4g/L humic acid foliar application with clover/wheat + faba bean in both seasons.

Evaluation on the Effects of Different Feed Supplementation on Nutrient Intake, Milk Yield and Economic Feasibility of Holstein Frisian Cross Breed Dairy Cow under Small Holder Farmer：Wondo Genet Woreda, SNNPRS, Ethiopia

The study was undertaken on farm at Wondo Genet woreda Southern Nations National People Regional State (SNNPRS) Ethiopia, to evaluate the effect of different feed supplements on feed intake, milk yield and economic feasibility of Holstein Frisian cross breed dairy cows under small holder farmers. Twenty four cross breed dairy cows with early lactation mean initial milk yield of 10±1.34 (mean ±SE) lit per cow per day and average initial body weight 388.75 ± 2.41 kg (mean ±SE) was used for this research work. The experiment had four treatments with six replications by using a randomized complete block design to which villages was used for blocking. The treatments were; T1, Harvested fresh natural pasture and sole wheat bran 100 %. T2, Harvested fresh natural pasture and concentrate mix comprised with wheat bran 66%, noug seed cake33% and salt 1%. T3, Harvested fresh natural pasture and concentrate mix comprised with cotton seed cake 33%, wheat bran 66% and 1% salt and .T4, harvested fresh natural pasture and Urea molasses block. There was significant (P&lt;0.05) differences on average crude protein and acid detergent fiber intakes among treatment groups. The average daily Milk yield have significant difference (P&lt;0.05) among treatment diets. The daily average milk yield increment among treatments liter per cow per day was 3.00± 0.47, 2.89± 0.38 , 2.66± 0.38, and 0.42± 0.38; for T4, T2, T3 and T1 correspondingly. The partial budget analysis describes monthly gross profit obtained from milk sale among the treatments was for T4= 1038.75 birr, T2=956.40 birr, T3= 844.20 birr and T1=-190.80 birr was observed. Thus, it was concluded that Holstein Frisian cross breed dairy cows at early stage of lactation fed a basal diet of fresh natural grass supplemented with 3 kg wheat bran and 500 gm UMB per day per cow could be a better strategy to improve the milk yield and income under small hold farmers’ management. Keywords : Block; supplement; partial budget; nutrient composition. DOI : 10.7176/JNSR/9-11-05 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

Intercropping cereals with faba bean reduces plant disease incidence regardless of fertilizer input; a meta-analysis

Ecological intensification of agriculture calls for ecological mechanisms to replace anthropogenic inputs. Cereal/legume intercropping increases yields due to species complementarities, it produces high protein food and feed, and it reduces the need for artificial N fertilizer because legumes fix N biologically. In addition, intercropping has the potential to suppress plant diseases, but its efficacy for disease suppression in cereal/legume mixtures has not been well characterized quantitatively. Here we conducted meta-analysis to quantify the disease suppressive effect of intercropping cereals with legumes at different levels of N fertilizer. Intercropping reduced disease incidence (measured by the odds ratio of disease occurrence) by 45% on average. This reduction was significant (P < 0.01) for four out of six studied pathogens: yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici) and mildew (Blumeria graminis) in wheat (Triticum aestivum), and chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae) and Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) in faba bean (Vicia faba). Disease reduction was marginally significant for yellow rust in barley (Puccinia striiformis f.sp. hordei) (P < 0.10) and not significant for bean rust (Uromyces fabae). The reduction in disease incidence was greatest during the early stages of epidemics. N fertilizer strongly increased the incidence of powdery mildew of wheat, but it did not affect the incidence of the other diseases and it did not affect the effectiveness of intercropping as a management strategy for disease control. While nitrogen input increased powdery mildew incidence in both sole and intercropped wheat, the incidence was lower in the intercropped than sole wheat at all levels of N input. The disease suppressive effect of intercropping on wheat powdery mildew or any other disease was not affected by the amount of nitrogen fertilizer. The results show that intercropping has a substantial and consistent effect on disease incidence in cereal/faba bean mixtures across studies, but is not sufficient to provide complete disease control. Intercropping is therefore best used as a component in an integrated approach for managing plant diseases.

Production of wheat bread with spray-dried potato juice: Influence on dough and bread characteristics

Spray-dried potato juice, a raw material with pro-health properties that have already been described in recent literature, was used to substitute a part of wheat flour in bread. Bread was chosen based on its popularity. This paper is a report on the results of this substitution. Three levels of flour replacement were chosen - 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5% (with respect to the mass of flour). The influence of potato juice addition on some of the most important characteristics of wheat bread was determined. Mixes of wheat flour and spray-dried potato juice were analyzed for fermentative and pasting properties. Baked bread samples were analyzed for their texture, color, consumer acceptance and antioxidant activity. The substitution influenced the volume of the loaf as gasses were not retained by the underdeveloped gluten network. Spray-dried potato juice was also found to influence the pasting properties. The viscosity values (peak viscosity, trough and final viscosity) determined with the RVA device were increased in pastes obtained from raw material mixtures with spray-dried potato juice. These crumb also showed increased firmness and chewiness as well as decreased springiness in the performed texture profile analyses. Spray-dried potato juice was also found to impact the color of bread crumb to an extent noticeable to the human eye. The bread that contained spray-dried potato juice was darker than bread produced with sole wheat bread. The color components (CIE L*a*b*) were shifted toward red and yellow. The bread containing spray-dried potato juice was also significantly richer in antioxidant compounds than the control wheat bread. From the perspective of consumer acceptance, the introduction of larger amounts of spray-dried potato juice resulted in deterioration of the sensory quality. Nonetheless, the acceptance of bread with 2.5% of flour substituted with spray-dried potato juice did not differ significantly from the control.

Effects of varied water regimes on root development and its relations with soil water under wheat/maize intercropping system

Understanding the characteristics of root system is important for optimization of intercropping systems and increased utilization efficiency of limited resources. However, few studies have examined root development and water uptake in wheat/maize intercropping system under different water conditions. A two-year field experiment of sole wheat, sole maize, and intercropped wheat/maize was carried out under rainfed conditions and supplementary irrigation. Roots of wheat and maize were sampled seven times over the two growing seasons (2014–2015 and 2015–2016) using auger and monolith methods. Root growth and distribution were promoted in intercropped wheat, while in intercropped maize roots both were suppressed. The maximum lateral extension distance of intercropped wheat under rainfed conditions varied from 40 to 50 cm during the co-growth period, which was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that under supplementary irrigation conditions (25–30 cm), allowing intercropped wheat to access soil water in the area between the wheat and maize strips. Meanwhile, after wheat harvest, intercropped maize roots grown under supplementary irrigation showed growth recovery mainly in a horizontal direction with maximum lateral distance of 50 cm. Intercropping boosted the capacity of wheat roots but suppressed root growth in maize, and rainfed conditions encouraged the lateral distribution of intercropped wheat roots.

Mixed Intercropping of Wheat and White Clover to Enhance the Sustainability of the Conventional Cropping System: Effects on Biomass Production and Leaching of Mineral Nitrogen

The main goal of our research was to compare the mixed intercropping (MC) of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) and white clover (Trifolium repens) with the sole cropping of Triticum aestivum, during two growing seasons (2012–2014), in a lysimetric experiment. We aimed to investigate the effect of the above growing system on total biomass production, grain yield and leaching of mineral nitrogen (Nmin). Four variants of intercropping (0 kg N/ha; 112 kg N/ha; 112 kg N/ha + 1.25 L of humic acids/ha; 70 kg N + 0.65 L of humic acids/ha) and two variants of sole cropping (0 kg N/ha; 140 kg N/ha) were used. Research results showed a good potential for growing wheat in the mixed cropping system without any negative effect on grain and total biomass production. No significant differences were found between the variants where winter wheat was grown with white clover (70 and 112 kg N/ha), and variants with sole wheat (140 kg N/ha), in both years of the experiment. The loss of Nmin from the soil was affected by the application of N fertilizer and mixed intercropping system. During the experiment, the loss of Nmin was higher by 20% in the variant using the sole winter wheat (140 kg N/ha), than in the MC variants.

Intercropping of maize, millet, mustard, wheat and ginger increased land productivity and potential economic returns for smallholder terrace farmers in Nepal

Low nitrogen inputs, low crop yield, and low land productivity are major challenges associated with cereal-based sole cropping systems in Nepal. Crop intensification and diversification by introducing legumes as intercrops could help alleviate these challenges. With the presence of diverse crops and cropping systems, particularly in hilly topographies, a range of intercrop options is required. We compared 10 intercrop combinations to native sole cropping systems in the mid-hills of Nepal for two cropping seasons (2015–2017) to identify the most productive and economic intercrop combinations for smallholder terrace agriculture. In the spring-summer season (i.e., mid-March to mid-July), cowpea (var. Makaibodi and Suryabodi) and bean were intercropped with maize in 1:1 rows, whereas soybean, blackgram, and horsegram were broadcast with millet (30:70 ratios) during the rainy-autumn season (i.e., mid-July to mid-November). Pea and lentil were used as pre-winter/winter intercrops (i.e., mid-November to mid-March) in mustard (30:70 ratios), while wheat was planted with pea. Ginger was planted with maize in 1:1 rows during the spring-summer season in which the maize rows were replaced by soybean and lentil during the rainy-autumn and pre-winter/winter season, respectively. Plots were analyzed for yields of individual crops as well as other agronomic indicators including land equivalent ratio (LER), total land output (TLO), harvest index (HI), and potential economic return.Maize + cowpea var. Makaibodi appeared to be the most productive and economic intercrop combination for the spring-summer season (LER – 1.58 and TLO – 4.26 t ha−1, 21% higher than the maize sole crop with an increase in potential economic return by 67%) whereas millet + soybean appeared to be the best combination for the rainy-autumn season (LER – 1.40 and TLO – 2.21 t ha−1, 26% higher than the millet sole crop with a 288% increase in potential income). For the pre-winter/winter season, wheat + pea and mustard + pea combinations appeared to be productive (wheat + pea: LER – 1.31 and TLO – 2.90 t ha-1 i.e., 16% higher than sole wheat with a 54% increase in potential income; mustard + pea: LER – 1.36 and TLO – 2.14 t ha−1 i.e., 30% higher than sole mustard with a 15% increase in potential income). The year round intercrop system (i.e., ginger + maize-soybean) displayed a LER value of 2.45 with increased TLO (21.8 t ha−1 i.e., 2% higher compared to sole ginger) which increased potential economic return by 6%. We conclude that legume intercropping was a robust option across seasons and locations confirming that it could be a promising ecological practice for intensification of cereal-based sole cropping systems on smallholder terraces. Also, it is important to note that soybean and pea provided higher potential net income to farmers as sole crops compared to when they were grown with millet and wheat as intercrops, respectively. It is important that we promote these options to smallholder farmers and disseminate the advantages of legume integration on land productivity, soil fertility management, and income.

Bread enriched with cricket powder (Acheta domesticus): A technological, microbiological and nutritional evaluation

Abstract Recently, the high nutritional value of edible insects attracted the attention of researchers and food industry for their potential use in foods with enhanced nutritional characteristics. In this study cricket (Acheta domesticus) powder was added to wheat flour to obtain bread with enhanced nutritional value. Bread loaves were obtained from doughs produced using different blends of wheat flour and cricket powder added in amounts of 10 or 30% (based on wheat flour) and baker's yeast and/or sourdough. Raw materials, doughs and breads were subjected to technological, microbiological, chemical and sensory analyses. Overall, a negative linear correlation between the amount of added cricket powder and the dough technological parameters was seen. However, compared to control breads produced with the sole wheat flour, breads containing cricket powder showed a higher nutritional profile in terms of fatty acid composition, high protein content and occurrence of essential amino acids. Finally, bread enriched with 10% cricket powder showed a discrete global liking by untrained panelists. Data overall collected highlighted a good suitability of cricket powder for the production of enriched bread. Of note, the presence of spore-forming bacteria in cricket-based bread loaves, thus highlighting potential safety issues to be deepened. Industrial relevance The present study demonstrated that edible insects powder can successfully be included in leavened baked goods to enhance their protein content. The present research also responds to the growing awareness of consumers towards innovative and wholesome leavened goods, proving that edible insects can constitute a novel source of innovative ingredients to be used in bread making.