scholarly journals Survival of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L] Lam) vines in cultivars subjected to long dry spells after the growing season in Mozambique

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria I. Andrade ◽  
Godwill S. Makunde ◽  
Jose Ricardo ◽  
Joana Menomussanga ◽  
Abilio Alvaro ◽  
...  

AbstractOptimisation of sweetpotato production potential is not realized in sub-Saharan Africa where dry spells are common after the growing season. Lack of seed cultivars at the beginning of the rainy season is the challenge and identifying those cultivars with the ability to survive a 4 to 7-month dry spell is an important objective in these regions. To this end, the purpose of the present study was to estimate survival of vines of different cultivars under drought stress. Three harvesting times set as 5, 9 and 11 months after planting were established at Umbeluzi, Nwallate and Gurue in 2015. For each harvesting time, 37 clones were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with two replications. Data collected on yield, vine length and number of sprouts were analysed using SAS 1996. Resisto had long stems but no vines after 9 months at any of the sites. The ability of some clones to reach 9 months and 11 months with few vines at Umbeluzi and Nwallate offer sources of planting material for the subsequent season. Sprouting had broad sense heritability above 50%. Sprouting is known to be an important aspect of cultivar survival. While we show that vine length and thickness could be traits responsible for sweet potato drought tolerance

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiseha Baraki ◽  
Muez Berhe

Ethiopia is one of the famous and major producers of sesame in sub-Saharan Africa, and Ethiopian sesame is among the highest quality in the world. The experiment was conducted in Northern Ethiopia for three growing seasons (2013–2015) under a rain fed condition with the objective of identifying high-yielding genotypes and their agronomic traits. The experiment consisted of twelve genotypes laid down in randomized complete block design with three replications. The genotype, year, and genotype × year interaction components showed statistically highly significant variation (p<0.001) for most of the agronomic traits which clearly confirms the presence of genotype × year interaction in this study. The highest combined mean grain yield (906.3 kg/ha) was obtained from Hirhir followed by Serkamo white (756.5 kg/ha), and from the three growing seasons, the highest grain yield (1161.5 kg/ha) was recorded from Hirhir grown in the second growing season (2014). The growing seasons were different from one another in allowing the genotypes to have a different performance, and all of the agronomic traits, except thousand seed weight, were statistically different across the three growing seasons. In the ordination of the genotypes and agronomic traits, PCA1, which accounted for 38.3% of the variation, was positively associated with grain yield, branches per plant, length of the pod-bearing zone, plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and thousand seed weight. On the contrary, PCA2, which accounted for 19.7% of the variation, was positively associated with days to 50% flowering and days to 50% maturity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godwill S. Makunde ◽  
Maria I. Andrade ◽  
Joana Menomussanga ◽  
Wolfgang Grüneberg

Abstract Vines are the major source of planting material in sweetpotato. Extended dry spells hinder conservation of vines and in turn affect the availability of planting material at the onset of rains in southern Africa. In some cases, improved sweetpotato germplasm has been lost by smallholder farmers in Mozambique due to prolonged dry spells. Small to medium roots provide an opportunity to conserve germplasm and get planting material at the beginning of the rainy season. The objectives of the study were to (i) measure sprouting ability of diverse germplasm of sweetpotato - farmer varieties, improved clones and released varieties and (ii) estimate their ability to provide planting material for the next crop in southern Mozambique. Trials with 29 genotypes were established in a randomized complete block design with two replications at Umbeluzi Research Station and Nwalate Farm in 2015, 2016 and 2017. At harvest, 14 small to medium roots were selected and stored in small plastic dishes filled with dry sand at Nwalate Farm. After four months in storage, 10 similar roots were taken and planted in 1 m row plots arranged in a randomized complete block design with two replications. The trials were irrigated to initiate sprouting and support plant growth during the first four weeks. Data collected were analysed using SAS 1996. All the tested genotypes sprouted after sowing. The number of sprouts per root were significantly affected by the genotype, location and genotype x location x year interactions. Caelan had the most sprouts per root. Sprout length measured at six weeks after sprouting was also significantly affected by genotype, location, year and genotype x location x year interactions. Caelan had vines each long enough to provide 10 cuttings of 10 cm length for rapid multiplication. The number of cuttings depended on the growth habit of the variety. Irene, a popular variety in Mozambique, is erect and bushy and could only provide four cuttings over the same period. Growth habit especially under a changing climate should be considered in breeding programs as an option of facilitating a sustainable and easy seed system.


2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rockström

Coping with climatic variability for livelihood security is part of everyday life for rural communities in semi-arid and dry sub-humid savannas. Water scarcity caused by rainfall fluctuations is common, causing meteorological droughts and dry spells. However, this paper indicates, based on experiences in sub-Saharan Africa and India, that the social impact on rural societies of climatically induced droughts is exaggerated. Instead, water scarcity causing food deficits is more often caused by management induced droughts and dry spells. A conceptual framework to distinguish between manageable and unmanageable droughts is presented. It is suggested that climatic droughts require focus on social resilience building instead of land and water resource management. Focus is then set on the manageable part of climatic variability, namely the almost annual occurrence of dry spells, short 2–4 week periods of no rainfall, affecting farmer yields. On-farm experiences in savannas of sub-Saharan Africa of water harvesting systems for dry spell mitigation are presented. It is shown that bridging dry spells combined with soil fertility management can double and even triple on-farm yield levels. Combined with innovative systems to ensure maximum plant water availability and water uptake capacity, through adoption of soil fertility improvement and conservation tillage systems, there is a clear opportunity to upgrade rainfed farming systems in vulnerable savanna environments, through appropriate local management of climatic variability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (1) ◽  
pp. 012015
Author(s):  
N Gunadi ◽  
A Pronk ◽  
A A Kartasih ◽  
L Prabaningrum ◽  
T K Moekasan ◽  
...  

Abstract Most potato farmers in Indonesia select the small tubers at harvest for planting in the following season, the so-called farmers’ practice (FP). This propagation method is cheap, but the small tubers may come from less healthy plants, which increases the build-up of diseases with accelerated yield decreases over the seasons. Alternatively, farmers may identify healthy plants within the growing season and select those for propagation, the so-called positive plant selection method (PPSM). An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of PPSM compared to FP on yields in the following season in the two main potato growing areas of West Java, i.e., Pangalengan and Garut. Generations G2 and G3 of cv. Granola and one generation of the imported cv. Atlantic were used. Selected seeds using PPSM and FP were planted in the second season in a randomized complete block design. Results show that yields of seeds selected through PPSM were significantly higher compared to seeds selected through FP, over both locations, on average, 7.4, 5.5 and 1.2 ton ha−1 for Granola G2 and G3, and the Atlantic, respectively. These yield increases represent an increase in the gross revenue of 30.8 to 51.8 million IDR ha−1 for Granola and 1.9 to 7.8 million IDR ha−1 for Atlantic at a farm gate price of 7,000 and 6,500 IDR kg−1, respectively. This study confirms that PPSM is superior to FP and improves the quality of the farms saved seeds.


Author(s):  
Beza Shewangizaw Woldearegay ◽  
Anteneh Argaw ◽  
Tesfaye Feyisa ◽  
Birhan Abdulkadir ◽  
Endalkachew Wold-Meskel

In sub-Saharan Africa, multiple plant nutrients deficiency besides nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is a major growth-limiting factor for crop production. As a result, some soils become non-responsive for Rhizobium inoculation besides P application. Based on the soil test result, the soil of Experimental sites had low organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulphur (S) and zinc (Zn)[xy1]. Hence, an experiment was carried out on-farm at Gondar Zuria woreda in Tsion and Denzaz Kebeles to evaluate the effect of Rhizobium inoculation, S and Zn application on yield, nodulation, N and P uptake of chickpea. The experiment included twelve treatments developed via factorial combination of two level of inoculation (Rhizobium inoculated, un-inoculated), three level of S (0, 15, 30 kg Sulphur ha-1) and two levels of Zn (0, 1.5 kg Zinc ha-1). The treatment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that the highest mean nodule number (15.3) and nodule volume (1.3 ml plant-1) over locations were obtained with Rhizobium inoculation integrated with 15 kg S and 1.5 kg Zn ha-1 which resulted in 37.8% and 116.7% increment over the control check, respectively. It was also observed that combined application of Rhizobium and 30 kg S ha-1 caused the highest (6.7) mean nodulation rating and seed yield (1775.5 kg ha-1) over locations which resulted in 86.1% and 28 % increase over the control check, respectively. Moreover, this treatment improved P use efficiency of chickpea. On the bases of observed result, it can be concluded that the response of chickpea to Rhizobium and P application can be improved by S application and Rhizobium inoculation with application of 30 kg S ha-1 with recommended rate of P and starter N is recommended for chickpea production at the experimental locations in Gonder Zuria Woreda.


Author(s):  
Beza Shewangizaw ◽  
Anteneh Argaw ◽  
Tesfaye Feyisa ◽  
Endalkachew Wold-Meskel ◽  
Birhan Abdulkadir

Abstract In sub-Saharan Africa, multiple plant nutrients deficiency besides N and P is a major growth-limiting factor for crop production. As a result, some soils become non-responsive for Rhizobium inoculation besides P application. Based on the soil test result, the soil of experimental sites had low OM, N, P, S and Zn. Hence, an experiment was carried out on-farm, during 2016/17 growing season, at Gondar Zuria woreda in Tsion and Denzaz Kebeles to evaluate the effect of Rhizobium inoculation, S and Zn application on yield, nodulation, N and P uptake of chickpea. The experiment included twelve treatments developed via factorial combination of two level of inoculation (Rhizobium inoculated, un-inoculated), three level of S (0, 15, 30 kg Sulphur ha-1) and two levels of Zn (0, 1.5 kg Zinc ha-1). The treatment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that the highest mean nodule number (15.3) and nodule volume (1.3 ml plant-1) over locations were obtained with Rhizobium inoculation integrated with 15 kg S and 1.5 kg Zn ha-1 which resulted in 37.8% and 116.7% increment over the control check, respectively. It was also observed that combined application of Rhizobium and 30 kg S ha-1 caused the highest (6.7) mean nodulation rating and seed yield (1775.5 kg ha-1) over locations which resulted in 86.1% and 28 % increase over the control check, respectively. Moreover, this treatment improved P use efficiency of chickpea. On the bases of observed result, it can be concluded that the response of chickpea to Rhizobium and P application can be improved by S application and Rhizobium inoculation with application of 30 kg S ha-1 with recommended rate of P and starter N is recommended for chickpea production at the experimental locations in Gonder Zuria Woreda.


Author(s):  
W Naba ◽  
A Moges ◽  
A Gebremichael

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of different in-situ water harvesting structures as soil moisture conservation techniques under maize crop production in Abela Sippa kebele Wolaita zone, Ethiopia where rainfall variation is affecting agriculture with prolonged dry spells during critical crop growth stages. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with three replications and four treatments. The four treatments used in the study were; Control, Targa, Tie-ridge and Zai pits. Findings from this study revealed that maize grain yield and yield components, such as, grain yield, dry matter biomass, and cob length were highly significant (p<0.05) on Targa. Soil-moisture content over the crop growing season at dry spell periods was significantly higher in Targa and Tie ridges than the control. Maize yield of (7150 kg ha-1), (6190 kg ha-1), (4500 kg ha-1) and (4900 kg ha-1) was obtained from Targa, Tie ridge, Zai pits and Control, respectively. Targa and Tie ridge treatments recorded higher net returns (29712 and 25164 kg ha-1) than Control (20370 kg ha-1) and Zai (14350 kg ha-1) treatments. The results revealed that the in-situ rainwater harvesting techniques could play great role in improving crop yield in dry periods. However, the utilization of the technology is surrounded by various constraints. The major constraints include labour, cost, lack of knowledge and crops planted on bunds. The findings suggest that Targa structure improved water availability during the growing season, thereby protecting crops from dry periods and it needs minimum cost, less labor power ,and easily constructed by local farmers (not require complicated knowledge). Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 10(1): 71-79, June 2020


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Wafula Nelson Wekha ◽  
Nicholas Kibet Korir ◽  
Moses Siambi ◽  
Henry F. Ojulong ◽  
Joseph P. Gweyi-Onyango

Finger millet production on more than 30% of world arable land is limited by P availability and more than 70% in the semi-arid and marginalized areas which covers most of the Sub-Saharan Africa. Phosphorus is one of the most important elements significantly affecting plant growth and metabolism. Three finger millet varieties (U-15, P-224 and Ikhulule) were evaluated under four P fertilizer levels (0, 12.5, 25 and 37.5 kg ha-1 P2O5) at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Station, Alupe and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization Station, Kakamega during the long and short rainy seasons of 2015 with the aim of determining their agromorphological response and trait associations. The on-station experiments were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design in factorial arrangement with three replications. The statistical analysis of phosphorus levels and variety exhibited significant differences (P<0.05) to stand vigor, plant height, leaf blade length, number of leaves and lodging. The results revealed that application of 25 kg ha-1 P2O5 rate led to the tallest plants (65.0 cm), longest leaf blades (58.0 cm) and highest number of leaves per plant (16) at Alupe site while 37.5 kg ha-1 P2O5 rate eliciting the tallest plants (58.79 cm), longest leaf blades (51.44 cm) and highest number of leaves per plant (13) at Kakamega site. The highest rate led to the greatest vigor in both sites for both seasons while the control had the poorest vigor. Variety P-224 showed the highest lodging count with 32 out of 246 plants per experimental unit during the rainy season at Kakamega. The unit increase in grain yield was positively and significantly correlated with increased values of the harvest index (r=0.375), number of leaves (r=0.393) and plant height (r=0.431) but negatively and significantly correlated to the 1000-grain mass (r=-0.578) and lodging (r=-0.233). The best phosphorus treatment for most of the parameters was 25 kg ha-1 P2O5 at Alupe while maximum levels of the study parameters were realized under the 37.5 kg ha-1 P2O5 rate at Kakamega.


1988 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Jena ◽  
C. Misra

SUMMARYRice, pigeonpea and rice + pigeonpea systems (in the row proportions of 1:2 and 2:5) were compared. Soil water depletion and percolation were determined during selected dry spells and yields ascertained after harvest. The mean evapotranspiration rates of rice, pigeonpea, rice + pigeonpea (1:2) and rice + pigeonpea (2:5) were 0.28, 0.79, 0.40 and 0.35 cm d−1, respectively, during a dry spell around 60 days after sowing. In general low rainfall intensity and frequent dry spells in the growing season increased pigeonpea yield but depressed that of rice. Intercropping thus ensured yield stability and hence the profitability of the system as a whole.


Author(s):  
Abuelgasim I. I. Musa ◽  
Mitsuru Tsubo ◽  
Imad-Eldin A. Ali-Babiker ◽  
Toshichika Iizumi ◽  
Yasunori Kurosaki ◽  
...  

AbstractA negative effect of increasing temperature on wheat production in the coming decades has been projected for Sudan, which is a major wheat producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Wheat is susceptible to high temperature, so trend analysis of historical yields together with observed temperature is critical for understanding the effect of climate change. The objective of this study was to determine the association between yield of irrigated wheat in hot drylands of Sudan and temperature during the growing season (November–February). Regional-scale yield data in three major wheat-producing areas (Northern State, Gezira State, and Kassala State) in 48 crop seasons (1970/71–2017/18) were used to determine the correlation of yield with maximum (TMAX) and minimum temperatures (TMIN) at representative meteorological stations (Dongola, Wad Medani, and New Halfa, respectively). Frequencies of days with maximum temperature above 35 °C (THD) and minimum temperature above 20 °C (THN) were also used for correlation analysis. In all three areas, regression analysis detected upward trends in the growing-season temperature. The increase in temperature was particularly evident at Dongola, although no such trend has been reported previously. The yields were negatively correlated with the growing-season temperature, particularly THN in Northern State, TMAX in Gezira State, and TMIN in Kassala State. These results confirm that the recent increase in the growing-season temperature might have reduced the yield to some extent in the breadbasket of Sudan.


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