Nitrogen fixation by lablab (Lablab purpureus) and lucerne (Medicago sativa) rotation crops in an irrigated cotton farming system

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. McDonald ◽  
P. Wright ◽  
D. A. MacLeod

Cotton producers in Australia are interested in including legume green manure crops in their farming systems. Lablab and lucerne are 2 crops that have been considered for this role. The object of this study was to determine their biomass production, nitrogen fixation, water use and water-use efficiency within a 1-year out-of-cotton rotation. Both species were grown under full irrigation, and partial irrigation, where periods of moisture stress occurred. During the period of the rotation, lablab produced more biomass and fixed more nitrogen than lucerne. Its biomass production was increased (from 9655 to 16 024 kg/ha) by full irrigation compared with partial irrigation, while lucerne biomass similarly increased (from 6563 to 8040 kg/ha). Lablab also fixed more nitrogen (177 kg N/ha) than lucerne (111 kg N/ha). Lucerne used more water than lablab and thus lablab had higher water-use efficiency of biomass production and nitrogen fixation. The study indicates that lablab produces more green manure with greater water-use efficiency than lucerne within a 1-year out-of-cotton rotation.

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kröbel ◽  
R. Lemke ◽  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
R. Zentner ◽  
B. McConkey ◽  
...  

Kröbel, R., Lemke, R., Campbell, C. A., Zentner, R., McConkey, B., Steppuhn, H., De Jong, R. and Wang, H. 2014. Water use efficiency of spring wheat in the semi-arid Canadian prairies: Effect of legume green manure, type of spring wheat, and cropping frequency. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 223–235. In the semi-arid Canadian prairie, water is the main determinant of crop production; thus its efficient use is of major agronomic interest. Previous research in this region has demonstrated that the most meaningful way to measure water use efficiency (WUE) is to use either precipitation use efficiency (PUE) or a modified WUE that accounts for the inefficient use of water in cropping systems that include summer fallow. In this paper, we use these efficiency measures to determine how cropping frequency, inclusion of a legume green manure, and the type of spring wheat [high-yielding Canada Prairie Spring (CPS) vs. Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS)] influence WUE using 25 yr of data (1987–2011) from the “New Rotation” experiment conducted at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. This is a well-fertilized study that uses minimum and no-tillage techniques and snow management to enhance soil water capture. We compare these results to those from a 39-yr “Old Rotation” experiment, also at Swift Current, which uses conventional tillage management. Our results confirmed the positive effect on WUE of cropping intensity, and of CPS wheat compared with CWRS wheat, while demonstrating the negative effect on WUE of a green manure crop in wheat-based rotations in semiarid conditions. Furthermore, we identified a likely advantage of using reduced tillage coupled with water conserving snow management techniques for enhancing the efficiency of water use.


Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 659 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ French

This paper reviews changes in farming practices that helped farmers to reduce soil erosion, and increase water-use efficiency and yield on their specific soils and climate. The program initially involved working with Soil Conservation Boards and conducting research on farmers' properties and on research stations. This work then extended from evaluating single factor effects to assessing the combined factors limiting yield in specific crop and pasture rotations. Benchmarks were established for different soils and climates as guides for farmers to measure their success. These included yield and water use efficiency, adequate and lower limit levels of soil organic nitrogen, and the need to maintain a nutrient input-output balance to provide a sustainable agriculture. The paper highlights the need for future research to adopt an integrated systems approach to overcome the major limitations to growth. This will require a cooperative effort between farmer groups and teams of soil scientists and agronomists to conduct multifactor research in farmers' paddocks.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 65-77
Author(s):  
Dipendra Pokhrel ◽  
Kiran Baral ◽  
Bishnu R Ojha ◽  
Surya K Ghimirey ◽  
Madhav P Pandey

Wheat crop in developing world including Nepal is grown under rainfed condition and thus face moisture stress at one or more growth stages limiting grain yield. An experiment was conducted at Greenhouse to screen the 60 different genotypes of wheat including Nepalese landraces, commercial cultivars CIMMYT derived advanced lines, NWRP derived advanced lines, and three international drought tolerant check cultivars. The wheat genotypes were grown in pots (single plant) arranged in a replicated split plot design under two contrasting moisture regimes, optimum and moisture stressed. The genotypes were evaluated for water use, water use efficiency, plant height, number of tillers and biomass production. The analysis revealed significant variance between environments and among the wheat genotypes for most of these traits. A wide range of variability was observed for water use, water use efficiency, days to anthesis, plant height, number of tillers and biomass yield in both moisture stressed and non stressed environments. Gautam showed superiority than Bhrikuti and Vijaya among Nepalese cultivar for drought adaptive physiological traits. Landrace NPGR 7504 showed high level of water use efficiency and other positive traits for drought adaptation.


Author(s):  
R. Naveen Kumar ◽  
R.H. Patil ◽  
B.S. Yenagi ◽  
S. Sagar Dhage

Background: During rabi / summer irrigation water is a scarce resource, but crop needs more water due to non-rainy season and warmer climate. Hence, a field experiment was conducted during rabi / summer season of 2016-17 to study the effect of irrigation water regimes on water use efficiency (WUE) of groundnut genotypes in Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka. Methods: This field study comprised of four main plots as water regimes viz. I1: (control) seven irrigations at 15 days interval from sowing to 105 DAS, I2: Stress at pegging stage; withdrawal of one irrigation between 45 - 60 DAS, I3: Stress at pegging and pod filling stage; withdrawal of two irrigations between 45-75 DAS, I4: Stress at pegging, pod filling and kernel development stage; withdrawal of four irrigations from 45-105 DAS and four genotypes as sub plots viz. G1: Dh-86, G2: Dh-101, G3: K-9 and G4: G2-52. Treatments were replicated thrice and laid out in split plot design. Result: Among the water regime, I2 recorded significantly higher WUE (6.2 kg ha-1 mm-1) followed by I1 (control; 5.5 kg ha-1 mm-1). Water regime I2 also recorded significantly higher pod yield and haulm yield (2,857 kg ha-1 4,648 kg ha-1, respectively) along with other yield attributes, but was found at par with control (I1). This study showed that WUE as well as yield of rabi / summer groundnut can be enhanced if crop was exposed only to mild stress by skipping an irrigation at pegging stage out of total seven irrigations. Among the genotypes, Dh-86 with 2,375 kg ha-1 of pod yield performed significantly better over others like Dh-101 (2,215 kg ha-1), K-9 (2,048 kg ha-1) and G2-52 (1,880kg ha-1) suggesting differential response to moisture stress, thus choice of moisture stress tolerant genotypes is equally important to enhance WUE. Interaction between irrigation regime and genotypes showed that Dh-86 (G1) with I2 irrigation regime recorded significantly higher WUE (6.9 kg ha-1 mm-1), pod yield (3,168 kg ha-1) and net return (Rs. 95,655 ha-1) and was found at par with full irrigation regime (I1). 


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