Sowing Time Research Articles

Analysis of spring drought in Northeast China from the perspective of atmosphere, snow cover, and soil

Northeast China is an important grain-producing area, and spring is the sowing time for crops. Drought hinders crop germination and leads to crop failure. Spring drought analysis helps to understand the characteristics of regional spring drought and provides a reference for formulating disaster prevention and reduction measures. Considering the characteristics of seasonally frozen soil regions in northeastern China, sampling at a resolution of 0.5 degrees, accounting for the snow cover factors in the early spring, as well as precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture during the spring planting period, and uses the projection pursuit information entropy model to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of spring drought in Northeast China. In the model, a new method was proposed to calculate the cutoff radius by adjusting the radius size with the parameter. The optimal parameters were ultimately determined using the Shapiro-Wilk test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Epps-Pulley test. The results are as follows: drought is relatively severe in the eastern parts of Inner Mongolia, as well as in the northwest of Liaoning. The central and northern parts of Inner Mongolia, the northern and northeastern parts of Heilongjiang, the southeastern parts of Jilin, and the eastern parts of Liaoning are relatively humid, while the drought situation in other regions is relatively moderate. Regional spring drought shows an increasing trend, and most regions show statistical significance. Areas with high temperatures and low precipitation, as well as low snow cover in the early spring, are prone to spring drought. Moist regions are characterized by high precipitation, low evapotranspiration, and abundant snow resources.

Effect of Varying Thermal Regimes on Yield and Yield Attributes of Mustard Varieties (Brassica juncea L.)

A field experiment was conducted at Agro-meteorological Research Farm, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, India during 2019-20. The experiment was conducted with Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design and replicated four times with nine treatment combinations consisting of three different sowing time D1 (31st October/23.5oC), D2 (10th November/23oC) and D3 (20th November/21oC) and three varieties V1 (Bio-902), V2 (NDR-8501) and V3 (Varuna). Results showed that higher growth and yield was observed when crop was sown on 31st October than other sowing times. Different thermal regimes were found to have a substantial impact on the yield attributes. Among the varieties Varuna gave highest growth and maximum yield as compared to other varieties due to fulfillment of congenial thermal Regime. Maximum utilization of heat from sowing to maturity was obtained when crop was sown on 31st October while minimum utilization of heat was obtained when the crop was sown on 20th November. Hence it can be concluded that the best sowing date of mustard is on 31st October in the early sowing. This study may help to select suitable sowing time under climatic condition of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Agroforestry: An Inspirational Case of Diversified Farmers Income and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in the Mid-hills of Central Nepal

Agroforestry (AF) plays an important role in food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and environmental resources preservation and restoration. This study was carried out in Raksirang rural municipality of Makwanpur district, Nepal aiming at assessing existing AF practices, their contribution to climate change adaptation, household income and livelihood improvement of the indigenous Chepang Community. Mixed methodological approaches including key informant interviews, group discussions, household surveys were employed for data collection. The data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics (percentage, mean, frequency distribution, graphics) and F-test. Local communities have been found practicing various AF systems including Agri-silviculture, Silvo-pasture, Horti-silviculture, Apiculture and Silvo-fishery. Adoption of AF practices contributed 72.82% of total Household’s income, in which income from livestock was highest (32.88%). The strategies followed by the local communities in response to climate change included planting of trees and grasses, improved farming practices by growing commercial fruits; replacing farm activities with non-farm activities; use of farm yard manure, chemical fertilizer, pesticides and planting crop earlier than actual sowing time. Trees and grass plantation should be done periodically and promotion of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in their AF practices should be encouraged. It will finally contribute in the improvement of local adaptation.

Can agronomic options alleviate the risk of compound drought-heat events during the wheat flowering period in southeastern Australia?

The impacts of compound drought-heat (DH) events on crops are more devastating than a single extreme event of drought or heat. Previous studies mainly assessed the change of individual extreme climate events. However, studies quantifying the characteristics of DH events during crop growth periods are still lacking. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study that has quantified the potential of adjusting sowing time and changing cultivars to reduce the risk of DH events for wheat in Australia. We aimed to (1) develop a combined index to capture the DH events occurring during the wheat flowering period at six study sites in southeastern Australia’s wheat belt; (2) quantify the changes in the frequency (DHF), duration (DHD), and intensity (DHI) of DH events under future climate; and (3) identify feasible agronomic options to reduce the risk of DH events. We used the APSIM model driven by climate projections from 27 GCMs for the period of 1981–2100 to simulate the wheat flowering time and daily plant available water (PAW) at 0–100 cm soil layer. The wheat sensitive period (WSP) was defined as the period from 2 weeks before flowering to 2 weeks after flowering time. A DH event occurs when the daily maximum temperature is higher than 28 ℃ and daily PAW is less than 40% of plant available water capacity for three consecutive days or more. Then, we assessed the DHF, DHD, and DHI under projected climate change. Finally, we investigated the potential of changing sowing time and cultivars to alleviate DHF, DHD, and DHI under different climate scenarios. According to the average values across six sites, the DHF, DHD, and DHI during the WSP increased by 15%, 12%, and 0.9% in 2040 s, and 49%, 44%, and 5% in 2080 s, respectively, compared to 2000 s. Such increases in DH events were mainly due to enhanced heat events. Early sowing and planting better-performing wheat cultivars with early flowering had great potential to lower the risk of future DH events. They could reduce the DHF, DHD, and DHI by 15%− 100%, 18%− 100%, and 16%− 100%, respectively, compared to without adaptation options. However, the strategy may introduce an increased frost risk across six sites, especially in regions with climates that are less dry and hot, such as Mudgee and Wagga Wagga. We expect our modelling work can provide useful information for developing effective agronomic management practices to help Australian wheat growers better prepare for DH events under climate change. The newly proposed DH framework can be applied to other dryland wheat growing regions globally.

Optimum Sowing Window and Suitable Varieties for Cultivation Soybean (Glycine max L.) During Off-Season in Northern Telangana Zone

Aims: To identify the optimum sowing time and suitable varieties of soybean for profitable cultivation during the off-season in the Northern Telangana Agroclimatic zone of Telangana state in India.
 Study Design: Strip plot design with three replications.
 Place and Duration of Study: The Regional Sugarcane and Rice Research Station, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Rudrur, Nizamabad District, Telangana state, India, between October 2022 and June 2023.
 Methodology: The field experiment was conducted in medium clay loam soil under irrigated condition. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design with three varieties viz., JS 335 (V1), ASB 22 (V2) and KDS 726 (V3) as horizontal strips and nine dates of sowings viz., 3 Oct (D1), 19 Oct (D2), 3 Nov (D3), 19 Nov (D4), 3 Dec (D5) 19 Dec (D6), 3 Jan (D7), 19 Jan (D8) and 3 Feb (D9) as vertical strips, replicated thrice. The seeds were sown by dibbling at 5 cm apart within the row and rows were space at 45 cm apart. Standard recommended package of practice of kharif season suggested by PJTSAU was followed. The data on growth yield attributes was recorded on selected 5 plant, averaged/ plant and grain yield was recorded from net plot, converted to one hectare and analyzed statistically using OP Stat.
 Results: The results of the experiment revealed that, the cv. KDS 726 recorded the maximum plant height (35.2 cm) and biomass accumulation (8.93 g plant-1) which was significantly more over the cv. JS 335 and cv. ASB 22 in 3 Nov and 19 Oct sowings, respectively. The cultivars the cv. JS 335 (V1) recorded more number of pods over cv. ASB 22 (V2) and cv. KDS 726 (V3) in 19 Oct (D2), 3 Nov (D3), 19 Nov (D4), 3 Dec (D5) and 3 Jan (D7) sowings. The cv. KDS 726 (V3) was found superior in terms of seeds pod -1 (3.0) which was comparable to cv. JS 335 (V1) and significantly more over cv. ASB 22 (V2) when it was sown on 19 Oct (D2). The cv. KDS 726 (V3) recorded significantly more test weight (g) over cv. JS 335 (V1) and cv. ASB 22 (V2) from 19 Oct (D2) to 3 Jan (D7) sowings. The cv. ASB 22 sown on 3 Oct produced significantly more seed yield (753 kg ha-1) and haulm yield (1599 kg ha-1) over cv. JS 335 and cv. (KDS 726). 
 Conclusion: The soybean cv. ASB 22 with sowing first week of Oct was found to be suitable for cultivation during the off season.

Long-term response of rainfed sorghum to diverse growing environments and optimal sowing window at Coimbatore

Rainfed sorghum production is profoundly vulnerable to climate variability. Sowing the crop at an appropriate time could be one of the most crucial climate-resilient options to improve the yield. The well-calibrated and validated CERES-Sorghum model was employed to study the rainfed sorghum response to varied environments over the long term (1983–2021) and to determine the optimum sowing window at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The CERES-Sorghum model was used for automatic-planting with a different minimum threshold of 50,60,70 and 80 percent soil water content at 15 cm soil depth under various sowing windows from 1stSeptember to 13th October at a 7-day interval. The model results of automatic planting event indicated the best performance of 1st September sowing window at 50 percent soil water content over 39 years under semi-arid environment. The temperature rise of 1˚C exhibited no significant influence on sorghum grain yields at all sowing windows and a slight reduction in yield was observed at an elevated 2˚C temperature. A further rise in temperature reduced the yield drastically on September month sowings. Across the sowing window, first week sowing window (1st to 7th September) yield was higher under current climatic conditions. The yield of 1st September sowing window remained higher in the elevated temperature conditions as well as in both deficit and excess rainfall conditions than other sowings. In current and future climatic conditions, 1st September sowing window would be the best sowing time to mitigate climate risk in rainfed sorghum.

Effects of Temperature on Growth and Grain Maturity of Spring Maize in Northeast China: A Study of Different Sowing Dates

Situated at middle-to-high latitudes with limited thermal resources, Northeast China is the primary maize-producing region in China. It is also one of the regions most significantly impacted by climate change. Given the persistent impact of climate change, it is crucial to elucidate the effects of the varying thermal conditions and low temperatures for different sowing dates on the growth, development, and grain maturity of spring maize. To ensure secure maize production and disaster prevention, choosing the optimal sowing time for spring maize holds significant implications for the judicious utilization of climatic resources, risk mitigation, and the provision of meteorological guidance. Moreover, it can serve as a technical reference for relevant departments to conduct climate evaluation, disaster monitoring, prediction, and assessment, as well as impact analysis of corn production safety. Additionally, it can provide meteorological evidence to ensure food security and promote the sustainable development of modern agriculture. An interval sowing experiment of spring maize was conducted in Harbin in the north of Northeast China. Two varieties were used in the experiment. Four sowing dates were set, and the interval between adjacent sowing dates was 10 days. The local perennial sowing time, 5 May, was set as the second sowing date, with one date set later and two dates set earlier. During the experiment, the growth process, grain dry matter, seed moisture content, yield components, and temperature of spring maize were observed. The impact of temperature conditions on maize growth and yield formation was analyzed in this paper through mathematical statistics, which further led to the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation model for assessing the effect of thermal conditions and temperature on maize. The results showed that the growth rate of spring maize was closely related to temperature. When the average temperature, minimum temperature, and maximum temperature increased by 1 °C, the average emergence rate increased by 1.05%, 0.99%, and 1.07%, respectively, and the average vegetative growth rate increased by 0.16%, 0.16%, and 0.09%, respectively. The change rate of ≥10 °C active accumulated temperature was significantly correlated with the change rate of the dry weight of the grain kernel, which conformed to the quadratic equation of one variable. The temperature influence coefficients of different sowing dates varied from 1.0% to 1.7%. The relationship between the accumulated values of 10 ℃ active accumulated temperature and the grain moisture content of spring maize was a logarithmic function. From 10 to 50 days after anthesis, the effect of temperature can explain about 95% of the change in grain moisture content. After physiological maturity, the effect of thermal conditions can only explain 56–83%. The temperature influence coefficient ranges from 1.3% to 13.8%. Comparatively speaking, the second sowing date is the most suitable sowing date. Early sowing is prone to encounter low temperatures, resulting in underutilization of the early heat, while late sowing is prone to less heat. Both conditions are not conducive to better improve the yield of spring maize.

The Decreased Availability of Soil Moisture and Canopy Conductance Dominate Evapotranspiration in a Rain-Fed Maize Ecosystem in Northeastern China

Evapotranspiration (ET) determines the crop productivity in rain-fed agriculture. Global climate change alters the trade-off between soil water supply and atmospheric demand, energy partitioning, and community biophysical and structural properties; however, the interactive effects of these biotic and abiotic factors on ET and its components remain unclear. ET was measured in 2005–2020 in a rain-fed maize ecosystem in northeastern China using the eddy covariance method. By decomposing ET into transpiration (T) and evaporation (E) with the Shuttleworth–Wallace model, we investigated the abiotic and biotic interactive effects on ET and its components at annual levels. Results showed that available energy and albedo exhibited no significant time-series trends, but the Bowen ratio exhibited an increasing trend. Precipitation exhibited no significant trends; however, soil water content (SWC) decreased with time, accompanied by significantly increased air temperature (Ta) and a vapor pressure deficit (VPD). The ET decline was controlled by T, rather than E. The T decline was mainly controlled by canopy conductance and SWC. CO2 concentrations and the VPD exhibited indirect effects on T by reducing canopy conductance, while Ta and precipitation had indirect effects on T by reducing SWC. Our results indicated that decreasing ET may be more severe with crop physiological adaptability for a decreased SWC. Aiming to enhance water resource efficiency, the practice of returning crop residues to the field to reduce soil evaporation, coupled with adjusting the sowing time to mitigate the risk of seasonal droughts during critical growth stages, represents an effective strategy in agricultural water resource management.

CROPGRO-Cotton Model Application for Predicting Cotton Sowing Time in Nagarkurnool District of Telangana State, India

CROPGRO-Cotton Model Application for Predicting Cotton Sowing Time in Nagarkurnool District of Telangana State, India

Influence of sowing dates on the biometric parameters formation of cold-resistant plants of sugar beet seeds using the direct method (no-planting method)

The influence of sowing dates on the formation of biometric indicators of cold-resistant sugar beet seed plants in the autumn-winter period was studied using the direct method (non-planting method) under conditions of unstable moisture in the Right Bank Forest-Steppe. The purpose of the study was to determine the biometric indicators of the root crops of sugar beet seeds, which contribute to the formation of cold-resistant plants and their preservation in the autumn-winter period using the direct method (no-seeding method) of growing at different sowing times. The research was conducted during 2021–2023 at the Bila Tserkva Research and Selection Station, Bila Tserkva District, Kyiv region, in conditions of unstable moisture in the Right Bank Forest Steppe. The experiment was carried out in accordance with the methodological requirements for field assessment of seed crops of sugar, fodder beets, methods of field experiment and the methods of the Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beet of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. It was found out that the formation of biometric indicators of roots of sugar beet seeds, which correspond to the indicators of cold-resistant plants, were optimal during the first period of sowing and had higher preservation. In 2021–2022, the preservation of non-emergent seeds of the first sowing period was 71.7 % of the emergency component, 38.0 % of the multi-seeded pollinator, which is quite enough to obtain seeds of the second season, respectively, 64.9 and 35.8 %. In 2022–2023 the survival rate of non-emergent seed plants of the first sowing period was 76.4 % of the component emergency, multi-seeded pollinators – 73.9 %, the second term – the component emergency was 71 %, of the multi-seeded pollinator – 38.4 %. The research results show the prospects of using the direct method (no-planting method) of growing sugar beet seeds in the conditions of the Right Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Key words: biometric indicators, cold resistance parameters, plant growth and development, sugar beet seeds, plant preservation.

Standardized agronomic practices for mechanical harvesting of the single-harvest garden pea in India

The field investigations were conducted at Vegetable Research Farm, Department of vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana with the objective to standarize the agronomic practices for mechical harvesting of garden pea. Therefore, effect of different agronomic traits including time of sowing, spacing and sowing method on yield and its attributing traits were studied on single-harvest garden pea. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with 30 treatments comprising five dates of sowing in main plots and 2 different planting methods (flat and bed) sown at three different spacing in subplots and replicated three times. The bed size was standardized according to front-loading width of the pea combine. Significant interactions were observed between the date of sowing and spacing for a number of pods per plant, green seeds per pod, green pod yield per plant, green pod yield per plot; date of sowing and sowing method for pod length; spacing and sowing method for plant height. However, for all the traits, there was non-significant 3-way interaction. The late sown (20th December) crop resulted in the least number of pods per plant, green seeds per pod, green pod yield per plant and green pod yield per plot which was due to high temperature and low relative humidity conditions at pod development and filling stage. It is concluded that the garden pea cultivar Punjab-89 sown on 5th November at the spacing of 20 × 7.5 cm on beds (bed width of 1.0 m) resulted in significantly highest green pod yield of 12.75 kg/9 m2 in the single harvest. Therefore, the 3 beds of 1 m width can be harvested together with pea combine (because combine has working front width of 3.1 m) results into maximum yield when pea crops is sown on 5th November @ 20 × 7.5 cm spacing.

Agroclimatic Indices, Phenology and Growth Response of Clusterbean to Different Dates of Sowing and Varieties

A field experiment was performed to study the effect of different sowing times and varieties on agroclimatic indices, phenology and growth of clusterbean at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar (Haryana). Experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications. Treatments consists of two factors i.e. sowing time and varieties. Three clusterbean varieties i.e. HG 365 (V1), HG 563 (V2) and HG 2-20 (V3) with each sown at three different dates of sowing i.e first (D1), third (D2) and fourth (D3) week of July. Clusterbean variety HG 563(V2), sown in first week of July (D1) resulted in significantly higher accumulation of agroclimatic indices i.e. growing degree days, photo thermal units, heliothermal units and heat use efficiency because the early sown crop had a fully developed normal reproductive phase and took longer time to attain maturity. Similarly, more number of days were taken for emergence, days to 50% flowering, days to 50% pod formation and days to maturity in variety HG 563, sown in first week of July. Significantly higher leaf area index and dry matter accumulation were observed in HG 563 sown on 1st week of July than rest of the varieties and date of sowings.

Agro-Climatic Indices, Plant Growth and Yield of Bt Cotton as Influenced by Planting Time and Spacing

A field experiment was conducted in kharif season 2020 to study the effect of sowing time and row spacing on growth, yield and agro-climatic indices of Cotton at Research Farm, Department of Agricultural Meteorology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The experiment was performed in split-plot design and replicated thrice. The experiment included nine treatment combinations with three sowing dates and row spacings. Among different sowing times, cotton sown on 19th April had significantly higher plant height (176.3 cm), dry matter accumulation (453.39 g plant-1), LAI (1.92), GDD (Growing Degree Days), HTU (Heliothermal Units), PTU (Photothermal Units) and seed cotton yield (3057 kg ha-1) in comparison to sowing in May i.e. May 8th and May 28th. Among various row spacings, cotton planted with a row spacing of 67.5 cm x 60 cm produced significantly higher seed cotton (2657 kg ha-1) and plant height (156.40 cm), although growth parameters i.e. LAI (2.26) and dry matter accumulation (397.92 g plant-1) alongwith Agro-climatic indices (GDD, HTU, PTU) were observed to be greater with a row spacing of 100 x 60 cm.

Influence of Sowing Time on Plant Growth and Production for some Varieties of Chard, in Western Part of Romania

In Romania, chard is a less cultivated species, being present in some areas of Transylvania, on small areas. This research followed the results regarding chard growth and quantitative and qualitative production, obtained by growing plants in the specific conditions Western Romania. Experiment was bifactorial (5x2 type), with ten experimental variants. Comparative crops were carried out in summer and autumn, respectively, with differences in chard plants development (diameter of leaf rosette, length of leaves and petiole) and in the production achieved by varieties used in this research. For some experimental variants, the yields obtained were over 40 t/ha, being comparable to those obtained and mentioned in literature. Chard leaves content in dry matter as well as vitamin C was also monitored, results being comparable to those obtained in other growing conditions in Europe. Sowing time influenced chard total production, in summer crop being higher compared to autumn one. Also, dry matter and vitamin C content was influenced, crops harvested in autumn registered higher results regarding these traits.

Influence of Irrigation Scheduling on Physiological Growth Parameters and Yield of Wheat under Different Sowing Dates

Sowing time and irrigation play an important role to ensure higher production. Delay in sowing affects the growth and development of crop. Studying the effect of irrigation scheduling and sowing dates can provide a knowledge for improving production in late sowing conditions. A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2020-21 at Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh to study the influence of irrigation scheduling on physiological growth parameters and yield of wheat under different sowing dates. The experiment comprised of 12 treatment combinations having three sowing dates, 3rd December, 18th December and 2nd January in the main-plot and four Irrigation Water/ Cumulative Pan Evaporation (IW/CPE) based irrigation scheduling, viz. 1.0, 0.9, 0.8 and 0.7 in the sub-plot was analyzed in split-plot design with three replications. The findings of present investigation revealed that the physiological growth parameters and yield were higher in 3rd December sown date. Among the irrigation scheduling, IW/CPE ratio 1.0 recorded significantly higher growth parameters and yield. The results of the present study conclude that adjusting sowing date with irrigation scheduling could assist in enhancing yield.

Co-Cultivation and Matching of Early- and Late-Maturing Pearl Millet Varieties to Sowing Windows Can Enhance Climate-Change Adaptation in Semi-Arid Sub-Saharan Agroecosystems

In semi-arid regions, climate change has affected crop growing season length and sowing time, potentially causing low yield of the rainfed staple crop pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and food insecurity among smallholder farmers. In this study, we used 1994–2023 rainfall data from Namibia’s semi-arid North-Central Region (NCR), receiving November–April summer rainfall, to analyze rainfall patterns and trends and their implications on the growing season to propose climate adaptation options for the region. The results revealed high annual and monthly rainfall variabilities, with nonsignificant negative trends for November–February rainfalls, implying a shortening growing season. Furthermore, we determined the effects of sowing date on grain yields of the early-maturing Okashana-2 and local landrace Kantana pearl millet varieties and the optimal sowing window for the region, using data from a two-year split-plot field experiment conducted at the University of Namibia—Ogongo Campus, NCR, during the rainy season. Cubic polynomial regression models were applied to grain-yield data sets to predict grain production for any sowing date between January and March. Both varieties produced the highest grain yields under January sowings, with Kantana exhibiting a higher yield potential than Okashana-2. Kantana, sown by 14 January, had a yield advantage of up to 36% over Okashana-2, but its yield gradually reduced with delays in sowing. Okashana-2 exhibited higher yield stability across January sowings, surpassing Kantana’s yields by up to 9.4% following the 14 January sowing. We determined the pearl millet optimal sowing window for the NCR to be from 1–7 and 1–21 January for Kantana and Okashana-2, respectively. These results suggest that co-cultivation of early and late pearl millet varieties and growing early-maturing varieties under delayed seasons could stabilize grain production in northern Namibia and enhance farmers’ climate adaptation. Policymakers for semi-arid agricultural regions could utilize this information to adjust local seed systems and extension strategies.

Reserves of productive water in the soil for growing winter wheat

An analysis of the productive water reserves in the soil at the time of sowing and harvesting of winter wheat cultivated after different preceding crops was carried out. The worst conditions for the water accumulation in the 0–30 cm, 0–50 cm, and 0–100 cm soil layers were created after pea for grain — 5.3 mm, 8.7 mm, and 21.6 mm, respectively, in the soil layers; after soybean — 6.0 mm, 11.7 mm and 28.1 mm, respectively; corn for silage — 4.5 mm, 7.4 mm and 13.3 mm, respectively. Earthing the rye and oat mix and green manure made it possible to accumulate 32.9 mm and 29.9 mm of productive water reserve in the 0–100 cm layer, which can be explained by the earlier clearance of the field before the time of sowing winter wheat. In the link of crop rotation with bare fallow, the reserve of productive water in the 0–100 cm soil layer were the highest and amounted to 74.4 mm, which exceeded the link with corn for silage 5.6 times, with pea for grain and perennial grasses 2.6 and 3.4 times. In the link with soybean, the reserve of productive water in the 0–100 cm soil layer amounted to 28.1 mm, which can be explained by the low yield of this crop in this zone. It should also be taken into account that of all the studied preceding crops, soybean is harvested the latest; therefore, it is not always possible to prepare the soil well for sowing winter wheat. During the period of harvesting winter wheat, the reserve of productive water in the soil depended less on preceding crop. At the same time, in the 0–100 cm soil layer, the highest reserves of productive water were formed in the of crop rotation links with bare fallow — 41.1 mm, perennial grasses — 33.6 mm, vetch and oat mix for green manure and green fodder — 29.3 and 31.4 mm, respectively; the lowest — in the links with pea for grain, soybean and corn for silage: 26.5, 26.9, and 24.9 mm, respectively. The yield of winter wheat in the link with bare fallow was 6.52 t/ha, which by 0.80–0.99 t/ha exceeded the other links of crop rotation.

FEATURES OF GROWING VEGETABLE BEANS IN THE OPEN GROUND

The cultivation of green beans is restrained, first of all, by the lack of adapted elements of cultivation technology. In order to realize the biological potential of green beans in the soil and climatic conditions of the Right Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine, the varietal characteristics of the plant and compliance with the elements of technology are important, namely: pre-sowing preparation of seed material, the timing of sowing in open ground, and the fight against pests. In the State register of plant varieties suitable for distribution in Ukraine, 68 varieties suitable for cultivation in open and closed soil are registered. All varieties are characterized by a high content of important biochemical compounds and are divided by the degree of ripeness into early, medium and late. Modern farms are interested in the use of promising varieties, and therefore there is a need for their brief detailing. In the forest-steppe zone of the right bank of Ukraine, the varieties Ros, Slavia, Galactica, Lastivka, and White Yas should be considered the most promising for growing green beans. The specified varieties contain a high protein content, and therefore their introduction into production can ensure the collection of protein at the level of 0.57-1.11 t/ha with a total yield of 2.0-4.0 t/ha, provided that the main elements of the technology are observed. Sowing dates are determined, first of all, by the temperature and humidity of the soil. The first term is established after the end of spring frosts, when the temperature of +10...+12 ºС is reached at a depth of 8-10 cm in the soil. In the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine, beans are approximately sown on May 5-15, in Polissia - on May 5-20, in the steppe zone - on April 20-May 15. For rapid seed germination and intensive plant growth and development, the best soil moisture is 75-80% RH. With a lack of moisture, the seeds germinate slowly, seedlings will be uneven, the growth and development of plants slows down, and in dry weather, dwarf plants are formed. Obtaining high-quality products is possible with proper control of weeds, pests and diseases. The most common diseases of beans are anthracnose, root rot, fusarium, alternaria, and bacteriosis. The primary element in the fight against diseases is to observe crop rotation and sowing with high-quality seeds. If necessary, spraying is carried out during the growing season with preparations based on azoxystrobin or tebuconazole. Among the biofungicides, you can use FitoHelp or MycoHelp. The main pest of green beans is considered to be bean weevil, to prevent the spread of which crops should be treated with insecticides with the active substances lambda-cyhalothrin or bifenthrin at the beginning of flowering and after 8-10 days, or use bioinsecticides Actoverm formula or Actoverm 1.8%.

Transforming food insecure farmers from climate variability and land degradation susceptibility to resilient livelihoods

This study sought to evaluate the food security status of climate variability and land degradation-susceptible farmers, and measures used to transform to resilient livelihood. A Mixed approach was used to sample respondents and discussants. In the study, 342 household heads were interviewed for quantitative data whereas 12 focused group discussions and 20 key informant interviewees were made to collect qualitative data. While semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data, guiding questions were employed to gather qualitative data. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the binary logit model, whereas qualitative data were presented using thematic procedures. The results show that farmers have demonstrated experience with the changing patterns of climate change-persuaded episodes and its impacts on their food production. In the study area, according to the respondents, low yield (98 %), land degradation (97 %), food shortage (96 %), reduced income (95 %), food insecurity (95 %), and prevalence of disease and pest (85 %) were the major direct and indirect impacts posed by climate change. Besides, based on the calorie intake, 73 % of the households were found food insecure with an average of 1,790 kca, which is below from country and global minimum average that is 2200 and 2100, respectively. To improve food security and the impacts of climatic extremes and increase the ability to either cope or adapt to climate-related problems, farmers were employing strategies including sowing time adjustment, and soil and water conservation. The results of the binary logit regression model showed that repeated drought, farmland size, credit access, the unpredictability of rain, fertilizers usage, amount of rainfall, and social assistance significantly (P < 0.05) affect the food security status of the households. Strengthening integrated land rehabilitation to improve yield could transform the food insecure and land degradation-susceptible households to climate-resilient means of livelihood in semi-arid northern Ethiopia. Policymakers and development planners should emphasis on how to widen the practice of organic and inorganic fertilizers, soil and water conservation, tree planting, income diversification, access to credit services, and water harvesting to transform and sustain the livelihood of food insecure and vulnerable farmers towards resilient status.

Seaweed Extract's Effect on Carrot (Daucus carota. L) Growth. Super Kuroda

A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2022 on carrot variety ‘Super kuroda’ in sandy loam soil at Horticultural Garden, Professor Jaya Shankar Telangana State Agriculture University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. To study the effect of seaweed extract on the growth parameters of carrots. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with eight treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments include various sources of biostimulants viz., Seaweed extract liquid, seaweed granules, vermicompost and vermiwash given as foliar application on three stages viz., first spray on 2-3 leaves stage and thereafter at every 20 days interval and as soil application twice at the time of sowing as well as 30 DAS.The various growth parameters were recorded. The results revealed that on application of RDF + soil application of seaweed extract twice at the time of sowing and at 30 DAS + foliar spray thrice 2.5 ml l-1 of water significantly increased the growth parameters viz., plant height, number of leaves per plant, chlorophyll content.