scholarly journals A minute P application contributes to a better establishment of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) seedling in P deficient soils

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Valluru ◽  
V. Vadez ◽  
C. T. Hash ◽  
P. Karanam
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
P Application

Effects of mycorrhizae and phosphorus on growth and nutrient uptake of millet, cowpea and sorghum on a West African soil

2000 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. BAGAYOKO ◽  
E. GEORGE ◽  
V. RÖMHELD ◽  
A. BUERKERT
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizae ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
West African ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
P Application ◽  
Phosphorus Application

Despite numerous reports on the positive effects of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) on plant growth in temperate soils, surprisingly little data exist on the importance of VAM for crop growth on acid sandy soils of West Africa. A pot experiment conducted with local genotypes of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) with and without phosphorus (P) application in a sterilized sandy soil from a farmer's field in Niger showed large growth-enhancing effects of VAM. Phosphorus application led to 18- and 24-fold increases in pearl millet root and shoot dry matter independently of VAM, whereas the shoot and root dry matter of sorghum and cowpea depended largely on the interaction between P application and VAM. With P, VAM increased total uptake of P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn by 2·5- to 6-fold in sorghum and cowpea. On severely P deficient West African soils P application can lead to large increases in early root growth, a prerequisite for early mycorrhizal infection and a subsequent significant contribution of VAM to enhanced plant growth and nutrient uptake.

scholarly journals Pearl Millet and Sorghum Yield Response to Fertilizer in the Sahel of Burkina Faso

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idriss Serme ◽  
Korodjouma Ouattara ◽  
Alimata Arzouma Bandaogo ◽  
Charles Wortmann
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Nutrient Deficiencies ◽  
P Application ◽  
Yield Responses ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Profit Potential

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) were domesticated in Africa for human consumption and are often the dominant cereals in semi-arid areas where yield is constrained by soil water deficits, nutrient deficiencies, and other constraints. Research was conducted to quantify yield responses and profitability of sorghum and pearl millet produced in the Sahel of Burkina Faso to fertilizer N, P, K, and a Mg-S-Zn-B diagnostic treatment. Mean yields across trials were 1.2 and 0.9 Mg ha-1 for pearl millet and sorghum, respectively. The effects of N, K, the diagnostic treatment, and interactions were not significant for both pearl millet and sorghum. There was a mean curvilinear to plateau response to P for pearl millet and a linear response to P for sorghum. The economical optimal P rates for pearl millet were modest, ranging from 6 to 33 kg ha–1 at 100% of the rate to maximize net returns per ha to P application when the cost of using fertilizer P was high and low, respectively, relative to the grain price (Table 4). The application of P for pearl millet had high profit potential even with a high cost P use scenario. For sorghum production, P application was not profitable if the cost per kg of fertilizer P use exceeded the value of 9 kg of sorghum grain. The results, therefore, indicate a high and low profit potential for P applied for pearl millet and sorghum, respectively, in the Sahel of Burkina Faso.

scholarly journals Constraints to Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) Production and Farmers’ Approaches to Striga hermonthica Management in Burkina Faso

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8460
Author(s):  
Armel Rouamba ◽  
Hussein Shimelis ◽  
Inoussa Drabo ◽  
Mark Laing ◽  
Prakash Gangashetty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
South Central

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a staple food crop in Burkina Faso that is widely grown in the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian zones, characterised by poor soil conditions and erratic rainfall, and high temperatures. The objective of this study was to document farmers’ perceptions of the prevailing constraints affecting pearl millet production and related approaches to manage the parasitic weeds S. hermonthica. The study was conducted in the Sahel, Sudano-Sahelian zones in the North, North Central, West Central, Central Plateau, and South Central of Burkina Faso. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions involving 492 participant farmers. Recurrent drought, S. hermonthica infestation, shortage of labour, lack of fertilisers, lack of cash, and the use of low-yielding varieties were the main challenges hindering pearl millet production in the study areas. The majority of the respondents (40%) ranked S. hermonthica infestation as the primary constraint affecting pearl millet production. Respondent farmers reported yield losses of up to 80% due to S. hermonthica infestation. 61.4% of the respondents in the study areas had achieved a mean pearl millet yields of <1 t/ha. Poor access and the high cost of introduced seed, and a lack of farmers preferred traits in the existing introduced pearl millet varieties were the main reasons for their low adoption, as reported by 32% of respondents. S. hermonthica management options in pearl millet production fields included moisture conservation using terraces, manual hoeing, hand weeding, use of microplots locally referred to as ‘zaï’, crop rotation and mulching. These management techniques were ineffective because they do not suppress the below ground S. hermonthica seed, and they are difficult to implement. Integrated management practices employing breeding for S. hermonthica resistant varieties with the aforementioned control measures could offer a sustainable solution for S. hermonthica management and improved pearl millet productivity in Burkina Faso.

scholarly journals Effects of Cover Crops, Compost, and Vermicompost on Strawberry Yields and Nitrogen Availability in North Carolina

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 604-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Beck ◽  
Michelle S. Schroeder-Moreno ◽  
Gina E. Fernandez ◽  
Julie M. Grossman ◽  
Nancy G. Creamer
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Organic N ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Soil N

Summer cover crop rotations, compost, and vermicompost additions can be important strategies for transition to organic production that can provide various benefits to crop yields, nitrogen (N) availability, and overall soil health, yet are underused in strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) production in North Carolina. This study was aimed at evaluating six summer cover crop treatments including pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), soybean (Glycine max), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), pearl millet/soybean combination, pearl millet/cowpea combination, and a no cover crop control, with and without vermicompost additions for their effects on strawberry growth, yields, nutrient uptake, weeds, and soil inorganic nitrate-nitrogen and ammonium-nitrogen in a 2-year field experiment. Compost was additionally applied before seeding cover crops and preplant N fertilizer was reduced by 67% to account for organic N additions. Although all cover crops (with compost) increased soil N levels during strawberry growth compared with the no cover crop treatment, cover crops did not impact strawberry yields in the first year of the study. In the 2nd year, pearl millet cover crop treatments reduced total and marketable strawberry yields, and soybean treatments reduced marketable strawberry yields when compared with the no cover crop treatment, whereas vermicompost additions increased strawberry biomass and yields. Results from this study suggest that vermicompost additions can be important sustainable soil management strategies for transitional and certified organic strawberry production. Summer cover crops integrated with composts can provide considerable soil N, reducing fertilizer needs, but have variable responses on strawberry depending on the specific cover crop species or combination. Moreover, these practices are suitable for both organic and conventional strawberry growers and will benefit from longer-term studies that assess these practices individually and in combination and other benefits in addition to yields.

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