ADOPTION POTENTIAL OF HEDGEROW INTERCROPPING IN MAIZE-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF WESTERN KENYA. 1. BACKGROUND AND AGRONOMIC EVALUATION

The biophysical performance of hedgerow intercropping for soil fertility inprovement was assessed in a farmer-participatory trial in western Kenya over three years. Farmers successfully established dense hedgerows (median 6680 trees ha−1 on plots of 790 m2, but annual yields of hedgerow prunings of Leucaena leucocephala and Calliandra calothyrsus (1–4 t ha−1), were low compared to potentials in the region (4–8 t ha−1). The hedgerows reduced slopes from 7.2 to 4.5% within alleys (p < 0.01) but had no effect on grain yield over five seasons. Little of the variation in grain yield between hedgerow plots and control plots without hedgerows (adjusted r2 = 11%) and among control plots (adjusted r2 = 29%) could be accounted for by linear regression with measured agronomic and socio-economic variables. Fully researcher-managed trials are recommended for agronomic evaluation of complex agroforestry technologies.

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ADOPTION POTENTIAL OF HEDGEROW INTERCROPPING IN MAIZE-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF WESTERN KENYA 2. ECONOMIC AND FARMERS' EVALUATION

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479797000094 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 211-223 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

R. SWINKELS ◽

S. FRANZEL

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Maize Yield ◽

Yield Response ◽

Test Plot ◽

Hedgerow Intercropping ◽

Western Kenya ◽

Returns To Labour ◽

And Control

Hedgerow intercropping is evaluated both economically and from the farmers' viewpoint, based on four years of experience of 45 farmers in western Kenya. Farmers were able to establish and prune the hedges; however, both activities considerably increased labour use during the busiest period of the year. Women did not generally prune the hedges. The average extra maize yield required each year, beginning in the second year, to cover the added cost of hedgerow intercropping was 10.5% (s.d. 5.5) when based on returns to land and 17.5% (s.d. 6.5) based on returns to labour. Although about half the farmers claimed that hedges improved crop yields, after three years of experimentation only about one-fifth planted additional hedges and only 14% did so to improve soil fertility. It thus appears that the potential for its adoption as a soil fertility practice in this area is low. Control plots were of little use as farmers were more interested in contrasting test-plot yields with past yields than comparing the test and control plots. Different types of trials may be required to obtain reliable biophysical data on yield response and socio-economic data on farmer assessment of complex agroforestry technologies.

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Influence of Organic and Conventional Farming on Grain Yield and Protein Composition of Chickpea Genotypes

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11020191 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 191

Author(s):

Michele Andrea De Santis ◽

Michele Rinaldi ◽

Valeria Menga ◽

Pasquale Codianni ◽

Luigia Giuzio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Cropping System ◽

Protein Composition ◽

2S Albumin ◽

Sds Page ◽

Health Quality ◽

Water Holding

Chickpea is a key crop in sustainable cropping systems and for its nutritional value. Studies on agronomic and genetic influences on chickpea protein composition are missing. In order to obtain a deep insight into the genetic response of chickpeas to management in relation to agronomic and quality traits, a two-year field trial was carried out with eight chickpea genotypes under an organic and conventional cropping system. Protein composition was assessed by SDS-PAGE in relation to the main fractions (vicilin, convicilin, legumin, lectin, 2s-albumin). Crop response was highly influenced by year and presumably also by management, with a −50% decrease in grain yield under organic farming, mainly due to a reduction in seed number per m2. No effect of crop management was observed on protein content, despite significant differences in terms of protein composition. The ratio between the major globulins, 7s vicilin and 11s legumin, showed a negative relationship with grain yield and was found to be higher under organic farming. Among genotypes, black-seed Nero Senise was characterized by the highest productivity and water-holding capacity, associated with low lectin content. These findings highlight the importance of the choice of chickpea genotypes for cultivation under organic farming in relation to both agronomic performance and technological and health quality.

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Effects of conservation agriculture on productivity and Economics of maize-wheat based cropping systems in midwestern Nepal

SAARC Journal of Agriculture ◽

10.3329/sja.v17i1.42761 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 49-63

Author(s):

K Pariyar ◽

A Chaudhary ◽

P Sapkota ◽

S Sharma ◽

CB Rana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Net Income ◽

Zero Tillage ◽

Higher Plant ◽

Equivalent Yield

The effects of two tillage methods (zero tillage and conventional tillage), two residue managements (residue kept and residue removed) and two levels of cropping system (maize + soybean and sole maize) were studied over 3 years (2015-2017) at Dailekh district of Nepal. Arun-2 and Puja were the varieties of maize and soybean used respectively, followed by winter wheat. The results revealed that the maize + soybean system had significantly higher plant population and ear population (34.83 thousands ha-1 and 34.35 thousands ha-1, respectively), grains per row (37.1), ear length (16.6 cm) and 20.5% higher grain yield as compared to sole maize. The highest maize equivalent yield (7.92 t ha-1) was recorded in maize + soybean as compared to the lower grain yield equivalent (7.06 t ha-1) in sole maize. Zero tillage accounted relatively higher benefits (high net income and B:C ratio) as compared to conventional tillage. The residue kept plot resulted significantly higher B:C ratio (2.41) than the residue removed (2.11) and the maize + soybean recorded 82.5% greater B:C ratio compared to sole maize. Net annual income was significantly higher in zero tillage, residue kept and maize + soybean system (NRs. 223072.00, 222958.00 and 269016.00 ha-1 respectively). Such combinations are recommended for Dailekh district of Nepal to have profitable crop productivity. SAARC J. Agri., 17(1): 49-63 (2019)

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Does the inverse farm size productivity hypothesis hold for perennial monocrop systems in developing countries? Evidence from Kenya

African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics ◽

10.53936/afjare.2021.16(3).15 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 237-252

Author(s):

Josiah Ateka ◽

◽

Perez Ayieko Onono-Okelo ◽

Martin Etyang ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Survey Data ◽

Agricultural Policy ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Household Survey ◽

Farm Size ◽

Mixed Cropping ◽

Western Kenya ◽

Household Survey Data ◽

Robust Measures

The inverse farm size and productivity relationship (IR) is a recurring theme in the literature. However, most previous studies were undertaken within a setting of mixed cropping systems. In this article, we investigate the effect of farm size on productivity within the context of a perennial monocropping system, acute competition for farmland, frequent subdivision of farms and declining yields. We apply household survey data of smallholder tea farms in western Kenya and consider both technical efficiency (TE) and the yield per hectare as indicators of productivity. The findings show that the effect of farm size on productivity is nonlinear, with TE initially declining and then rising with farm size. The findings also demonstrate that the farm size and productivity relationship is important for perennial monocrops and that the use of robust measures of productivity is important for the IR. The findings have important implications for agricultural policy in developing countries.

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Effect of Nitrogen and Seeding Rate on β-Glucan, Protein, and Grain Yield of Naked Food Barley in No-Till Cropping Systems in the Palouse Region of the Pacific Northwest

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems ◽

10.3389/fsufs.2021.663445 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

Author(s):

Cedric Habiyaremye ◽

Kurtis L. Schroeder ◽

John P. Reganold ◽

David White ◽

Daniel Packer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Pacific Northwest ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Test Weight ◽

Seeding Rate ◽

No Till ◽

The Pacific ◽

Days To Heading

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has a storied history as a food crop, and it has long been a dietary staple of peoples in temperate climates. Contemporary research studies have focused mostly on hulled barley for malt and animal feed. As such, nitrogen (N) and seeding rate agronomic data for naked food barley are lacking. In this study, we evaluated the effects of N on ß-glucan and protein content, and N and seeding rate on phenotypic characteristics of naked food barley, including grain yield, emergence, plant height, days to heading, days to maturity, test weight, percent plump kernels, and percent thin kernels. Experiments were conducted at two no-till farms, located in Almota, WA, and Genesee, ID, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest from 2016 to 2018. The experiment comprised two varieties (“Havener” and “Julie”), employed N rates of 0, 62, 95, 129, and 162 kg N ha−1, and seeding rates of 250, 310, and 375 seeds/m−2. Increased N fertilization rate was shown to significantly increase all response variables, except β-glucan content of the variety Julie, days to heading, test weight, and percent plump and thin kernels. Increased N fertilization resulted in higher mean grain yield of Havener and Julie in both Almota and Genesee up to 95 kg N ha−1. Havener had higher yields (3,908 kg N ha−1) than Julie (3,099 kg N ha−1) across locations and years. Julie had higher β-glucan (8.2%) and protein (12.6%) content compared to Havener (β-glucan = 6.6%; protein = 9.1%). Our results indicate that β-glucan content is associated with genotype, environmental, and agronomic factors in dryland cropping systems of the Palouse.

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Assessing the adoption potential of hedgerow intercropping for improving soil fertility, Western Kenya.

Trees on the farm: assessing the adoption potential of agroforestry practices in Africa ◽

10.1079/9780851995618.0089 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 89-110 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

R. A. Swinkels ◽

K. D. Shepherd ◽

S. Franzel ◽

J. K. Ndufa ◽

E. Ohlsson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Hedgerow Intercropping ◽

Western Kenya

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Long-Term Green Manure Rotations Improve Soil Biochemical Properties, Yield Sustainability and Nutrient Balances in Acidic Paddy Soil under a Rice-Based Cropping System

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9120780 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 780

Author(s):

Muhammad Qaswar ◽

Jing Huang ◽

Waqas Ahmed ◽

Dongchu Li ◽

Shujun Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Green Manure ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Biochemical Properties ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Yield Sustainability ◽

Double Rice ◽

Winter Fallow

Cultivation of green manure (GM) crops in intensive cropping systems is important for enhancing crop productivity through soil quality improvement. We investigated yield sustainability, nutrient stocks, nutrient balances and enzyme activities affected by different long-term (1982–2016) green manure rotations in acidic paddy soil in a double-rice cropping system. We selected four treatments from a long-term experiment, including (1) rice-rice-winter fallow as a control treatment (R-R-F), (2) rice-rice-milkvetch (R-R-M), (3) rice-rice-rapeseed (R-R-R), and (4) rice-rice-ryegrass (R-R-G). The results showed that different GM rotations increased grain yield and the sustainable yield index compared with those of the R-R-F treatment. Compared with those of R-R-F, the average grain yield of early rice in R-R-M, R-R-R, and R-R-G increased by 45%, 29%, and 27%, respectively and that of late rice increased by 46%, 28%, and 26%, respectively. Over the years, grain yield increased in all treatments except R-R-F. Green manure also improved the soil chemical properties (SOM and total and available N and P), except soil pH, compared to those of the control treatment. During the 1983–1990 cultivation period, the soil pH of the R-R-M treatment was lower than that of the R-R-F treatment. The addition of green manure did not mitigate the soil acidification caused by the use of inorganic fertilizers. The soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents and stocks of C, N and P increased over the years. Furthermore, GM significantly increased phosphatase and urease activities and decreased the apparent N and P balances compared with those in the winter fallow treatment. Variance partitioning analysis revealed that soil properties, cropping systems, and climatic factors significantly influenced annual grain yield. Aggregated boosted tree (ABT) analysis quantified the relative influences of the different soil properties on annual grain yield and showed that the relative influences of TN content, SOM, pH, and TP content on annual crop yield were 27.8%, 25.7%, 22.9%, and 20.7%, respectively. In conclusion, GM rotation is beneficial for sustaining high crop yields by improving soil biochemical properties and reducing N and P balances in acidic soil under double- rice cropping systems.

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Soil nitrate accumulation and leaching in conventional, optimized and organic cropping systems

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/768/2017-pse ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 64 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 156-163

Author(s):

Wang Dapeng ◽

Zheng Liang ◽

Gu Songdong ◽

Shi Yuefeng ◽

Liang Long ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Water Consumption ◽

Root Zone ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

N Leaching ◽

N Accumulation ◽

Organic System ◽

Grain Yields

Excessive nitrogen (N) and water input, which are threatening the sustainability of conventional agriculture in the North China Plain (NCP), can lead to serious leaching of nitrate-N (NO3–-N). This study evaluates grain yield, N and water consumption, NO3–-N accumulation and leaching in conventional and two optimized winter wheat-summer maize double-cropping systems and an organic alfalfa-winter wheat cropping system. The results showed that compared to the conventional cropping system, the optimized systems could reduce N, water consumption and NO3–-N leaching by 33, 35 and 67–74%, respectively, while producing nearly identical grain yields. In optimized systems, soil NO3–-N accumulation within the root zone was about 80 kg N/ha most of the time. In the organic system, N input, water consumption and NO3–-N leaching was reduced even more (by 71, 43 and 92%, respectively, compared to the conventional system). However, grain yield also declined by 46%. In the organic system, NO3–-N accumulation within the root zone was generally less than 30 kg N/ha. The optimized systems showed a considerable potential to reduce N and water consumption and NO3–-N leaching while maintaining high grain yields, and thus should be considered for sustainable agricultural development in the NCP.

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Influence of Seed Hardening Techniques on Vigor, Growth and Yield of Wheat under Drought Conditions

Journal of Agricultural Studies ◽

10.5296/jas.v4i3.9955 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 121

Author(s):

Amir Zaman Khan

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Sowing Seed ◽

And Control ◽

Peg 8000 ◽

1000 Grain Weight

Exploring ways to improve stand establishment and crop productivity under abiotic stresses like drought is important. Two years experiments were conducted at University of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan to examine the efficacy of six pre-sowing seed hardening agents. Seeds of wheat cultivar Uqab-2000 were hardened in six different chemicals of various concentration viz; PEG-8000 (10%), CaCl2 (4%), KNO3, (3%), Mannital (4%), NaCl (5%), Na2SO4 (2%) along with water soaking and dry seeds as control for 24 hours and drying back to original moisture content at room temperature. The soaking and drying of seeds was repeated twice for 12 hours. The results showed that pre-sowing hardening of seed with PEG-8000, CaCl2 and KNO3 gave higher germination, decreased days to 50% germination, increased shoot length, root length, seedling fresh and dry weight in laboratory experiment as compared with other hardening and control treatment. Under field conditions, maximum plant height (93.53cm), spikelet’s spike-1 (17.16), grains spike-1 (50.82), 1000 grain weight (39.97 g), grain yield (3482 kg ha-1) and maximum harvest index (32.5%) were observed in PEG-8000 hardened seed than control treatment (2872 kg ha-1). Seed hardened in PEG-8000, CaCl2 and KNO3 gave 30% increase in grain yield as compared to Mannital, NaCl and Na2SO4 which gave 15% increase in grain yield over control treatment.

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