Manure for Cropping: A Case Study from Central Nigeria

1986 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mark Powell
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Traditional Management ◽  
Weed Growth ◽  
Full Benefit ◽  
Maize Grain ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Savanna Zone

SUMMARYThe traditional management of cattle manure in a cropping system in the savanna zone of central Nigeria is discussed in conjunction with the agronomic benefits and problems of manure use. Nitrogen and phosphorus contents of the manure varied seasonally. On-farm trials showed that maize grain yields were about 1 t ha−1 more and weed growth 90% greater in manured than in non-manured areas. It is important to reduce the competition between crops and weeds if grain crops are to obtain the full benefit of manure in such cropping systems.

Nitrate Leaching to a Shallow Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer as Influenced by Conventional No-Till and Low-Input Sustainable Grain Production Systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Craig ◽  
R. R. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Low Input ◽  
No Till

In December, 1987, the states in the Chesapeake Bay region, along with the federal government, signed an agreement which called for a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the Bay by the year 2000. To accomplish this goal, major reductions in nutrient loadings associated with agricultural management practices were deemed necessary. The objective of this study was to determine if reducing fertilizer inputs to the NT system would result in a reduction in nitrogen contamination of groundwater. In this study, groundwater, soil, and percolate samples were collected from two cropping systems. The first system was a conventional no-till (NT) grain production system with a two-year rotation of corn/winter wheat/double crop soybean. The second system, denoted low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA), produced the same crops using a winter legume and relay-cropped soybeans into standing wheat to reduce nitrogen and herbicide inputs. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in groundwater were significantly lower under the LISA system. Over 80% of the NT groundwater samples had NO3-N concentrations greater than 10 mgl-1, compared to only 4% for the LISA cropping system. Significantly lower soil mineral N to a depth of 180 cm was also observed. The NT soil had nearly twice as much mineral N present in the 90-180 cm portion than the LISA cropping system.

Participatory research in dryland cropping systems — monitoring and simulation of soil water and nitrogen in farmers' paddocks in Central Queensland

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Foale ◽  
M. E. Probert ◽  
P. S. Carberry ◽  
D. Lack ◽  
S. Yeates ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Mineral Nitrogen ◽  
Soil Behaviour ◽  
On Farm

Collaboration of researchers and service-providers with farmers in addressing crop and soil management, using on-farm experiments and cropping system simulation, was negotiated in 2 districts in Central Queensland, Australia. The 2 most influential variables affecting crop productivity in this region (soil water and mineral nitrogen contents) and the growth of sown crops, were monitored and simulated for 3 years beginning in December 1992. Periodic soil sampling of large experimental strips on 3 farms, from paddocks that differed in cropping history and soil properties, provided robust datasets of change, over time, of soil water and mineral nitrogen status. Farmers participated in twice-yearly discussions with researchers, informed by the accumulating data, which influenced thinking about soil behaviour and possible new management strategies. As the study period coincided with a prolonged drought, so that cropping opportunities were few, the objectives of the work were modified to concentrate almost exclusively on the soil variables.The contribution of the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator, which was used to simulate the measured changes in soil water and mineral nitrogen, was found by all participants to be useful. The APSIM output generally demonstrated close correspondence with field observations, which raised confidence in its applicability to local cropping systems. Exploration of hypothetical situations of interest to farmer participants, in the form of what-if scenarios, provided insights into the behaviour of the production system for a range of soil and seasonal conditions. The informed speculation of the simulator became a substitute for the farmers' own, more tentative, efforts.The regular participative review sessions proved to be highly effective in stimulating the learning of both farmers and researchers. The farmers were able to feel comfortable as owners of the collaborative experiments and custodians of the learning environment. Clear evidence for the ongoing learning of these farmers appeared in post-collaboration practices and experiences.

Evaluating a Crop Circle active sensor-based in-season nitrogen management algorithm in different winter wheat cropping systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 364-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Zhou ◽  
G. Chen ◽  
Y. Miao ◽  
H. Zhang ◽  
Z. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Management Algorithm ◽  
Active Sensor ◽  
Partial Factor Productivity ◽  
N Management ◽  
Partial Factor ◽  
On Farm

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a Crop Circle sensor-based precision nitrogen (N) management (PNM) strategy in different winter wheat cropping systems under on-farm conditions in North China Plain (NCP). Four farmer’s fields were selected for on-farm experiments in Laoling County, Shandong Province of NCP in 2015-2016. In each field, the PNM strategy was evaluated in two winter wheat cropping systems: farmer’s conventional management (FCM) and regional optimum crop management (ROCM). In each cropping system, there were two N management strategies: 1) FCM or ROCM; 2) PNM. The results indicated that the PNM strategy significantly increased partial factor productivity (PFP) by 29% in the FCM system, but did not have any significant improvement in the ROCM system. The ROCM system, using either regional optimum N management or PNM, significantly increased both grain yield and PFP than the FCM system.

scholarly journals A Comparative Techno-Economic Analysis of Organic and Conventional Nigella sativa L. Crop Production in Greece

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 150
Author(s):  
Evangelia STEFANOPOULOU ◽  
Ioannis ROUSSIS ◽  
Konstantinos TSIMPOUKAS ◽  
Stella KARIDOGIANNI ◽  
Ioanna KAKABOUKI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Nigella Sativa ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Alternative Crop ◽  
Net Profit ◽  
The Cost

Nigella sativa L. is considered to be an alternative crop offering innovative and high-quality products. A case study was implemented on an existing farm to determine the prospects of N. sativa production in Greece and to assess the economic outcomes of the cultivation of this crop under organic and conventional cropping systems. The total production cost of organic N. sativa seeds was 6.09 €/kg, while the cost of conventional seeds was 4.77 €/kg. The organic and conventional N. sativa seed selling prices were 17.04 and 12.01 €/kg, respectively. Moreover, the financial performance of farm is better after the introduction of N. sativa crop under organic cropping system, where the net profit increased by 63.8% compared to the initial profit of the farm, while the increase in the conventional was less at 49.2%. N

scholarly journals Increased Crop Yield Affected the Improved Cropping System in Agriculture Dry Land

2020 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
. Rohit ◽  
Jitendra Singh
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Chick Pea ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Horizontal Spread ◽  
On Farm

The present study evaluate and disseminate the improved rainfed cropping systems, on farm trials and demonstration was conducted at National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) village Nagla Dulhe Khan. Yield of dry land crops is very low due to various reasons. Farm trials were conducted to evaluate different cropping system practices at village Nagla Dulhe Khan. Trials and demonstrations were carried out at farmer’s field to show the worth of improved cropping system practices for horizontal spread of improved agro-technologies. 54.5 percent increased in the yield was found by adopting intercropping of chick pea and mustard (5:1). Improved cropping system practiced resulted in higher yield, higher net returns and higher B: C ratio over farmers practice.

Evaluation of a new cropping option using a participatory approach with on-farm monitoring and simulation: a case study of spring-sown mungbeans

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Robertson ◽  
P. S. Carberry ◽  
M. Lucy
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Winter Cereal ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Systems Simulation ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Winter Fallow

In the northern Australian cropping region, mungbean is commonly sown as an opportunity crop, usually on low soil water after a winter cereal, and consequently has a reputation for being a low yielding, high risk crop. Yield prospects could be improved and risks reduced if it was sown on soils with a higher soil water content, for instance in spring after a winter fallow. However, there is a lack of experience and confidence in alternative roles for mungbean in the farming system. This paper describes a research approach involving researchers, farmers, advisers, and grain traders in which on-farm monitoring of spring-sown commercial crops and cropping systems simulation with APSIM were used to explore yield prospects for a spring-sown crop after a winter fallow. The key elements of the approach are: (1) identification of possible options through simulation of scenarios, (2) testing the new practice with innovative farmers, and (3) monitoring of the management and performance of commercial crops and comparing yields with benchmarks estimated with a model. In this case, after 2 years of on-farm testing, spring-sown mungbean has been shown to have a potential for high returns in the northern cropping systems.

scholarly journals SOCIOECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF NO-TILL IN WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY IN ALGERIA

New Medit ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amar Rouabhi ◽  
Abdelmalek Laouar ◽  
Abdelhamid Mekhlouk ◽  
Boubaker Dhehibi
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Work Time ◽  
System A ◽  
No Till

This paper aimed at the socioeconomic appraisal of two cropping systems namely no-till and tilled wheat in Sétif region (Algeria). The study based on a sample of 28 adherent farms in an international project of Conservation Agriculture adoption for smallholders in North Africa. Economic diagnosis showed that no-till system performed best with a gross margin difference of $ 84/ha in comparison with conventional tilled wheat. Moreover, no-till recorded less work time and fuel consumption, with 241minutes/ha and 42 liters/ha against 624 minutes/ha and 99 liters/ha for conventional tillage. Though, no-till still faced some local social and technical constraints that are relatively easy to overcome. If Algeria put forward its best efforts through increasing no-till in the suitable zones, many objectives could be achieved in the context of preserving natural resources and building up farming sustainability. It could be also a key solution for “Intended Nationally Determined Contribution” (INDCs) schemes to meet Algerian commitments regarding “Paris Agreement” on climate change.

scholarly journals Content of some antioxidants in intercropped maize and soybean grain

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40
Author(s):  
Vesna Dragicevic ◽  
Snezana Oljaca ◽  
Milena Simic ◽  
Zeljko Dolijanovic ◽  
Branka Kresovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Yellow Pigment ◽  
Black Soybean ◽  
Antioxidant Content ◽  
Maize Grain ◽  
And Control

Intercropping, as a combination of different crops at the same time and the same field, enables interaction of their roots, improving plant growth and stress tolerance, thus improving nutritional quality of produced grains. The investigation was aimed to examine the effect of different cropping systems: intercropping in combination with alternating rows and alternating strips of maize and soybean, as well as single cropping, combined with different fertilization regimes (conventional, application of organic fertilizer, bio-fertilizer and control) on the antioxidant content (glutathione [GSH], phenolics and yellow pigment [YP]) in red maize and black soybean grain. Black soybean is richer in antioxidants than red maize. Season expressed the highest influence on the level of GSH, phenolics and YP in maize and soybean, while cropping system and fertilization regime influenced GSH and phenolics. The antioxidant level in grains with greater weight corresponded with an increased GSH level for maize, as well as an increased GSH and phenolic level for soybean, while smaller grains were characterised by the increased YP content. Generally, antioxidant content was increased mainly by alternating strips in maize grain and by alternating rows in soybean grain. Bio-fertilizer had the highest impact on an increase in GSH in maize grain and YP in soybean grain, while organic fertilizer was important for acquiring of GSH and phenolics in soybean grain.

scholarly journals Designing innovative productive cropping systems with quantified and ambitious environmental goals

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 487-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Colnenne-David ◽  
Thierry Doré
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Free System ◽  
Major Constraint ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Environmental Criteria ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractAgriculture must face a number of very pressing environmental issues. We used the prototyping method to design three innovative cropping systems, each satisfying three ambitious goals simultaneously: (1) overcoming a major environmental constraint, which represents a major break regarding objectives to be reached in current cropping systems (differing between systems: a ban on all pesticides but with chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer permitted; reducing fossil energy consumption by 50%; or decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50%), (2) meeting a wide range of environmental criteria and (3) maximizing yields, given the major constraint and environmental targets. A fourth cropping system was designed, in which the environmental and yield targets were achieved with no major constraint (the productive high environmental performance cropping system (PHEP) system). The performances of these innovative cropping systems were compared to a conventional system in the Ile-de-France region. We used a three-step prototyping method: (1) new cropping systems were designed on the basis of scientific and expert knowledge, (2) these system prototypes were assessed with tools and a model (ex ante assessment) adjusted to the set of constraints and targets, with optimization by an iterative process until the criteria were satisfied and (3) evaluation in a long-term field experiment (ex post assessment), which is currently underway. We describe only the first two steps here, together with the results of the prototypes assessment with tools and a model. The pesticide, energy and GHG constraints were fulfilled. All these innovative systems satisfied environmental criteria in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus management, pesticide use, energy consumption and crop diversity. For the pesticide-free system, the soil organic matter indicator was lower than expected due to frequent plowing (every 2 years) and yields were 20–50% lower than for the PHEP system, depending on the crop considered. We focus our discussions on the design methodology and the availability of scientific knowledge and tools for projects of this type.

On-farm Experiments as a Diagnostic Method: Constraints to Nitrogen Fertilizer Use on Sorghum in Semi-arid Tropical India

1992 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-164
Author(s):  
Karen Ann Dvořák
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Rainfall Region ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Soil Groups

SUMMARYOn-farm diagnostic experiments were used to study constraints to nitrogen fertilizer use, define recommendation domains, and test fertilizer management techniques for two sorghum cropping systems in semi-arid tropical India. In the post-rainy season sorghum cropping system, nitrogen fertilizer use remains negligible because crop response is poor when sorghum is planted after the end of the monsoon, as is traditional. An earlier planting date would introduce high risks. In the dependable rainfall region, nitrogen fertilizer use on hybrid sorghum could be enhanced by tailoring recommendations to broad farmer-designated soil groups, and by educational programmes on the use of complex fertilizers. Additional research on fertilizer efficiencies on shallow Vertisols is needed. Diagnostic experiments proved a useful, relatively rapid and low cost method of research when complemented by farm management and on-station research data.

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