Economic and yield comparisons of different crop and crop-pasture production systems.

2022 ◽  
pp. 206-214
Author(s):  
Johann A. Strauss
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Gross Margins

Abstract Over the past 15 years the adoption rate of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in southern South Africa has increased at a fast rate, although the adoption of the three pillars of CA was to varying degrees. The adoption of CA happened in the absence of any policy support framework directed to CA. The market drove the adaptation rate with a handful of local producers being the first to adopt no-till (NT) strategies. Long-term field experiments demonstrate that the effects of crop rotation include increased yields from the main wheat crop so that two-thirds of the present total wheat production may be achieved with only half the cropped area under the main crop, and gross margins are better - and dramatically better - with integration of cropping and livestock. This chapter presents an overview of the benefits to yield and economic sustainability of including alternative cash and pasture crops into CA farming systems in the winter rainfall region of southern South Africa.

scholarly journals Methane emissions of extensive grazing breeding herds in relation to the weaning and yearling stages in the Eastern Plains of Colombia

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Alberto Ramírez-Restrepo ◽  
Raúl Ramón Vera-Infanzón
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Ch4 Emissions ◽  
Uncertain Future ◽  
Animal Sciences

A substantial proportion of beef production in Colombia originates in its extensiveEastern Plains. However, in this scenario and in a global context, demand for cattleproduction increasingly requests that it satisfies social and environmental expectationsin addition to being economically efficient. A dataset containing five-year long recordsof cow-calf production systems collected at Carimagua Research Centre located in theMeta Department was retrospectively interrogated to understand the liveweight (LW)-derived flux matrix dynamics of methane (CH4) emissions. Estimated total CH4 (kg)emissions during the gestation period, were similar between conventional weaned (CW;37.86 ± 0.506 kg) and early weaned (EW; 37.47 ± 0.476 kg) cows. However, averagedover two lactations, total CH4 emissions were larger (p < 0.0001) in CW cows (38.67± 0.456 kg) than in their EW (14.40 ± 0.435 kg) counterparts. Total gas emissionsfrom birth to comparable commercial yearlings age were higher (p < 0.0001) for CW(43.11 ± 0.498 kg) calves than for EW (40.27 ± 0.472 kg) calves. It was concluded thatmid and long-term pastoral datasets and new concerns are well suited to understanddifferent contexts and adaptations to the contemporary weather conditions. Nevertheless,conventional farming systems will be less environmentally vulnerable if EWmanagement practices involve the strategic and temporal use of improved pastures. Theroles of veterinary medicine and animal sciences are briefly discussed in the context ofunprecedented climate variability to provide a guide to the uncertain future.

scholarly journals Sustaining productivity of a Vertosol at Warra, Queensland, with fertilisers, no-tillage or legumes. 9. Production and nitrogen benefits from mixed grass and legume pastures in rotation with wheat

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 375 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. Strong ◽  
R. C. Dalal ◽  
E. J. Weston ◽  
K. J. Lehane ◽  
J. E. Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Depth ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Grain Protein ◽  
Total Rainfall ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Rhodes Grass ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
N Yield ◽  
Mixed Grass

Reduced supplies of nitrogen (N) in many soils of southern Queensland that were cropped exhaustively with cereals over many decades have been the focus of much research to avoid declines in profitability and sustainability of farming systems. A 45-month period of mixed grass (purple pigeon grass, Setaria incrassata Stapf; Rhodes grass, Chloris gayana Kunth.) and legume (lucerne, Medicago sativa L.; annual medics, M. scutellata L. Mill. and M. truncatula Gaertn.) pasture was one of several options that were compared at a fertility-depleted Vertosol at Warra, southern Queensland, to improve grain yields or increase grain protein concentration of subsequent wheat crops. Objectives of the study were to measure the productivity of a mixed grass and legume pasture grown over 45 months (cut and removed over 36 months) and its effects on yield and protein concentrations of the following wheat crops. Pasture production (DM t/ha) and aboveground plant N yield (kg/ha) for grass, legume (including a small amount of weeds) and total components of pasture responded linearly to total rainfall over the duration of each of 3 pastures sown in 1986, 1987 and 1988. Averaged over the 3 pastures, each 100 mm of rainfall resulted in 0.52 t/ha of grass, 0.44 t/ha of legume and 0.97 t/ha of total pasture DM, there being little variation between the 3 pastures. Aboveground plant N yield of the 3 pastures ranged from 17.2 to 20.5 kg/ha per 100 mm rainfall. Aboveground legume N in response to total rainfall was similar (10.6–13.2 kg/ha per 100 mm rainfall) across the 3 pastures in spite of very different populations of legumes and grasses at establishment. Aboveground grass N yield was 5.2–7.0 kg/ha per 100 mm rainfall. In most wheat crops following pasture, wheat yields were similar to that of unfertilised wheat except in 1990 and 1994, when grain yields were significantly higher but similar to that for continuous wheat fertilised with 75 kg N/ha. In contrast, grain protein concentrations of most wheat crops following pasture responded positively, being substantially higher than unfertilised wheat but similar to that of wheat fertilised with 75 kg N/ha. Grain protein averaged over all years of assay was increased by 25–40% compared with that of unfertilised wheat. Stored water supplies after pasture were <134 mm (<55% of plant available water capacity); for most assay crops water storages were 67–110 mm, an equivalent wet soil depth of only 0.3–0.45 m. Thus, the crop assays of pasture benefits were limited by low water supply to wheat crops. Moreover, the severity of common root rot in wheat crop was not reduced by pasture–wheat rotation.

Comparative soil water, pasture production, and crop yields in phase farming systems with lucerne and annual pasture in Western Australia

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Latta ◽  
L. J. Blacklow ◽  
P. S. Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Oil Content ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Grain Protein ◽  
Pasture Production

Two field experiments in the Great Southern region of Western Australia compared the soil water content under lucerne (Medicago sativa) with subterranean clover (Trifolium subterranean) and annual medic (Medicago polymorpha) over a 2-year period. Lucerne depleted soil water (10–150 cm) between 40 and 100 mm at Borden and 20 and 60 mm at Pingrup compared with annual pasture. There was also less stored soil water after wheat (Triticum aestivum) and canola (Brassica napus) phases which followed the lucerne and annual pasture treatments, 30 and 48 mm after wheat, 49 and 29 mm after canola at Borden and Pingrup, respectively. Lucerne plant densities declined over 2 seasons from 35 to 25 plants/m2 (Borden) and from 56 to 42 plants/m2 (Pingrup), although it produced herbage quantities similar to or greater than clover/medic pastures. The lucerne pasture also had a reduced weed component. Wheat yield at Borden was higher after lucerne (4.7 t/ha) than after annual pasture (4.0 t/ha), whereas at Pingrup yields were similar (2 t/ha) but grain protein was higher (13.7% compared with 12.6%) . There was no yield response to applied nitrogen after lucerne or annual pasture at either site, but it increased grain protein at both sites. There was no pasture treatment effect on canola yield or oil content at Borden (2 t/ha, 46% oil). However, at Pingrup yield was higher (1.5 t/ha compared to 1.3 t/ha) and oil content was similar (41%) following lucerne–wheat. The results show that lucerne provides an opportunity to develop farming systems with greater water-use in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, and that at least 2 crops can be grown after 3 years of lucerne before soil water returns to the level found after annual pasture.

scholarly journals Bacterivorous nematodes correlate with soil fertility and improved crop production in an organic minimum tillage system

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan H. Schmidt ◽  
Johannes Hallmann ◽  
Maria R. Finckh
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Organic Farming Systems

AbstractOrganic farming systems are generally based on intensive soil tillage for seed bed preparation and weed control, which in the long-term often leads to reduced soil fertility. To avoid this, organic farming systems need to adopt conservation agriculture practices, such as minimum tillage and diligent crop rotations. However, minimum tillage generally delays soil warming in spring causing reduced nitrogen mineralization and thus poor plant growth. This negative effect needs to be compensated. We hypothesize that, in a diverse crop rotation, organic minimum tillage based on frequent cover cropping and application of dead mulch will improve soil fertility and thus crop production as confirmed by a number of chemical and biological soil indicators.We made use of two long-term field experiments that compare typical organic plough-based systems (25 cm) with minimum tillage systems (<15 cm) including application of transfer mulch to potatoes. Both tillage systems were either fertilized with compost or equivalent amounts of mineral potassium and phosphate. In 2019, soil samples from both fields were collected and analyzed for soil pH, organic carbon, macro-, micronutrients, microbial biomass, microbial activity and total nematode abundance. In addition, performance of pea in the same soils was determined under greenhouse conditions.Results from the field experiments showed an increase of macronutrients (+52%), micronutrients (+11%), microbial biomass (+51%), microbial activity (+86%), and bacterivorous nematodes (+112%) in minimum tillage compared with the plough-based system. In the accompanying greenhouse bioassay, pea biomass was 45% higher under minimum than under plough tillage. In conclusion, the study showed that under organic conditions, soil fertility can be improved in minimum tillage systems by intensive cover cropping and application of dead mulch to levels higher than in a plough-based system. Furthermore, the abundance of bacterivorous nematodes can be used as a reliable indicator for the soil fertility status.

scholarly journals Profitability of no-till grain production systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Fuentes-Llanillo ◽  
Tiago Santos Telles ◽  
Bruno Volsi ◽  
Dimas Soares Júnior ◽  
Sérgio Luiz Carneiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
No Till ◽  
Gross Margins

In general, the technical and agronomic benefits of no-till farming are widely known and well documented in the literature. However, studies focusing on the economics of no-tillage are scarce. In this context, the objective of this study is to determine whether no-till grain production systems that follow the principles of conservation agriculture are economically profitable by analyzing gross margins per hectare per year over six harvests for the agricultural years 1998/1999 to 2003/2004. In addition, a possible link between profitability and different no-till methods in terms of degree of soil turnover, crop rotation, and whether machinery used in agricultural operations is owned or rented is investigated. For this purpose, the multi-case analytical method was applied to thirteen grain producing family farms in Northern Paraná state, Brazil. Based on the results, two ranges of agricultural production variable costs and gross margins were identified. Higher gross margins were associated with longer use of the no-till system, ownership of machinery and equipment, specialization in grains, rotation of the commercial crops used, and higher variable costs. Lower gross margins were associated with outsourcing of sowing, small-scale cropping, and lack of crop rotation. It is concluded that family mechanized no-till systems of grain production in north Paraná are profitable.

Historical review and future opportunities for wider scaling of conservation agriculture in Tunisia.

2022 ◽  
pp. 137-150
Author(s):  
Hatem Cheikh M'hamed ◽  
Haithem Bahri ◽  
Mohamed Annabi ◽  
Aymen Frija ◽  
Zied Idoudi
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Management Paradigms ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Livestock Systems

Abstract In Tunisia, rainfed agriculture is facing the major challenges of low and irregular rainfall, as well as natural resources degradation. These are further accentuated by climate change. Changes in technical and management paradigms are needed to boost agricultural productivity. Since the early 1990s in Tunisia, a Conservation Agriculture (CA) system has been proposed as an adapted set of management principles to ensure more efficient and resilient agricultural production systems. In the last 20 years several research and development (R&D) projects have been implemented. Research findings in Tunisia show that the long-term adoption of CA allows increased crop yields and water use efficiency of cereals, enhanced soil biological life and soil organic carbon and reduced energy costs at farm level. Despite promising research results, adoption and up-scaling of CA in Tunisia has been rather modest (currently some 16,000 ha are managed under CA systems). The purpose of this book chapter is to summarize the previous R&D projects dealing with CA in Tunisia. It also aims to provide better insights into the complexity and potential ongoing solutions for integrating crops and livestock into CA systems. Crop-livestock systems dominate a large part of northern and central Tunisia where most of the rainfed field crops are produced.

scholarly journals Feed-Based Multi-Mycotoxin Occurrence in Smallholder Dairy Farming Systems of South Africa: The Case of Limpopo and Free State

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Rumbidzai Changwa ◽  
Marthe De Boevre ◽  
Sarah De Saeger ◽  
Patrick Berka Njobeh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
Fumonisin B1 ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Free State ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Smallholder Dairy

Mycotoxin contamination of feed does not only cut across food and feed value chains but compromises animal productivity and health, affecting farmers, traders and consumers alike. To aid in the development of a sustainable strategy for mycotoxin control in animal-based food production systems, this study focused on smallholder farming systems where 77 dairy cattle feed samples were collected from 28 smallholder dairy establishments in the Limpopo and Free State provinces of South Africa between 2018 and 2019. Samples were analyzed using a confirmatory UHPLC–MS/MS (Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) method validated for simultaneous detection of 23 mycotoxins in feeds. Overall, mycotoxins assessed were detected across samples with 86% of samples containing at least one mycotoxin above respective decision limits; up to 66% of samples were found to be contaminated with at least three mycotoxins. Findings demonstrated that deoxynivalenol, sterigmatocystin, alternariol and enniatin B were the most common mycotoxins, while low to marginal detection rates were observed for all other mycotoxins with none of the samples containing fusarenon-X, HT-2-toxin and neosolaniol. Isolated cases of deoxynivalenol (maximum: 2385 µg/kg), aflatoxins (AFB1 (maximum: 30.2 µg/kg)/AFG1 (maximum: 23.1 µg/kg)), and zearalenone (maximum: 1793 µg/kg) in excess of local and European regulatory limits were found. Kruskal–Wallis testing for pairwise comparisons showed commercial feed had significantly higher contamination for deoxynivalenol and its acylated derivatives, ochratoxin A and fumonisins (FB1 and FB2), whereas forages had significantly higher alternariol; in addition to significantly higher fumonisin B1 contamination for Limpopo coupled with significantly higher enniatin B and sterigmatocystin for Free State. Statistically significant Spearman correlations (p < 0.01) were also apparent for ratios for deoxynivalenol/fumonisin B1 (rs = 0.587) and zearalenone/alternariol methylether (rs = 0.544).

Modelling the comparative growth, water use and productivity of the perennial legumes, tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata) and lucerne (Medicago sativa) in dryland mixed farming systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Chen ◽  
Andrew Smith ◽  
Phil Ward ◽  
Andrew Fletcher ◽  
Roger Lawes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
Bituminaria Bituminosa

Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata) has been proposed as an alternative perennial forage legume to lucerne in the mixed farming zone of Australia. Simulation of growth and production of tedera would be a useful tool for assessing its integration into Australian farming systems and agronomic and management options. This paper describes the development and testing of a model of the growth and development of tedera in Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM). The existing APSIM-Lucerne was modified to develop APSIM-Tedera. The key physiological parameters for tedera were obtained from the literature or by measuring and comparing the phenology and growth characteristics of tedera and lucerne in glasshouse experiments and partially from field experiments. The model was tested using data from a diverse range of soil and climatic conditions. Using the modelling approach, the production of tedera and lucerne was also assessed with long-term (1951–2015) weather data at Arthur River, Western Australia. Biomass simulations of tedera (n = 26, observed mean = 510 kg dry mass ha–1) explained 66% of the observed variation in field experiments (root mean square deviation = 212 kg dry mass ha–1). Long-term simulations of a 4-year pasture phase showed that more total annual biomass (5600 kg ha–1) would be obtained from lucerne than tedera if the pasture forage was harvested four times a year. Less biomass (400 kg ha–1) was also simulated for tedera in summer under this management. When the pasture forage was harvested when biomass was more than 2000 kg ha–1, tedera and lucerne produced similar accumulated biomass in the second (8000 kg ha–1), third (12 000 kg ha–1) and fourth (15 000 kg ha–1) years, but much less in the first 2 years for tedera. The model can be used for assessing tedera production, agronomic and management options in the Mediterranean climate of Australia. The present preliminary study indicates that tedera is not as effective as lucerne for total biomass production, but it may provide useful feed in situations where the summer-autumn feed gap is a major constraint to production. Further research is also necessary to determine the potential role of tedera in areas where lucerne is not well adapted.

Importance of long-term experiments in studying the effects of climate change

2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 83-88
Author(s):  
N. Harnos ◽  
É. Erdélyi ◽  
T. Árendás
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Crop Growth Models ◽  
The Impact

Nowadays, studying the impact of climate change on agricultural crops is of great importance in national and international projects. Research on the effects of climate change on agricultural cultivars is supported by crop growth models. Simulations provide facilities for the low cost investigation of the effects of many factors, both independently of each other and in combination. These models require parameterisation and testing, which can be done using data measurements. In order to test the correctness of the simulations of meteorological and nutrient supply effects, it is necessary to use the results of long-term field experiments with many replicates.In the present study, the Ceres Wheat and AFRCWHEAT2 winter wheat crop growth models were tested, utilizing the data of a five-year sowing date experiment and the relevant meteorological data. An analysis was made of whether changes in the sowing date were able to influence or eliminate the negative effects of the changing climate. It was found that choosing the optimum sowing date could be the key to adapting to changing conditions.

Trends in key soil parameters under conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification farming practices in the Eastern Ganga Alluvial Plains

Soil Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 883 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Sinha ◽  
A. Ghosh ◽  
T. Dhar ◽  
P. M. Bhattacharya ◽  
B. Mitra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Ph ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Sustainable Intensification ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C

Key soil parameters, organic matter, soil pH and plant nutrients determine the capacity of a soil to sustain plant and animal productivity. Conservation agriculture (CA) and crop diversification or intensification may change these soil parameters positively or negatively, which eventually affect long-term sustainability. We monitored these key soil properties (at depths of 0–15 and 15–30 cm) under CA-based sustainable intensification practices: zero-till (ZT), and crop residue retention, and crop rotations on Inceptisols and Entisols in the Eastern Ganga Alluvial Plains from 2014 to 2017. The rainfall of this sub-tropical region is 1273–3201 mm. Soil organic carbon (C) ranged within 0.46–1.13% and generally followed (positive) rainfall gradients. At all sites, the soil under ZT tended to have higher organic C than conventional tillage (CT). Soil pHH2O ranged within 5.7–7.8 across the region. At all sites, soil pH generally decreased under ZT compared to CT. This was most marked at some acidic soil sites where pH decreased by up to 0.4 units; the lower the initial soil pH, the higher was the decrease in pH under ZT practice. In contrast, the reverse trend was observed for soil organic C. Partial nutrient balances for N, P and K in rice–wheat and rice–maize systems were positive for N and P (&lt;50 kg ha–1) but negative for K (up to 90 kg ha–1) under both tillage practices; more so under ZT practice even though crop residues were retained. Changes under ZT provide an opportunity to maintain soil organic C. However, remediation measures such as liming and efficient use of fertilisers are required for long-term sustainability of the farming systems in this agriculturally important region of South Asia.

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