Managing pluvial resources and improving soil hydrology: Survival questions for cotton farming systems. The case study of the Mouhoun (Burkina Faso)

Biologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Hauchart
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Hydrological Processes ◽  
Erosion Processes

AbstractCotton cropping has been developing for more than 40 years in the western part of Burkina Faso. It has made a definite modernization of the traditional farming system. Modernization is illustrated by adoption of specific agricultural practices like monoculture, tillage, straight sowing and slope ridge planting. Misuse and non-adaptable local pedologic and climatic context of these new practices perturb soil hydrological processes. Outcomes are water loss by runoff, erosion and changes in the soils physical and physiochemical properties.Besides, we can notice in this area for more than 30 years climatic changes which require us to ask ourselves what are the resulting consequences. In fact, these climatic changes generate an extension of the rainy season, an increase in the frequency of high intensity spells but also recurrence of dry spells during the rainy season. Do these new climatic conditions exacerbate the consequences of cotton practices on hydrological processes and induce an aggravation of flow and erosion processes?These evolutions have direct consequences on crop production whereas needs are highly increasing. The improvement of the prevailing agricultural practices and innovative practices might provide improved pluvial resources in critical moments such as rainfall excess at the beginning and the end of the rainy season and short drought conditions after sowing or germination and during flowering. However two questions arise. In the rainfed agriculture, which cultural practices (to reduce runoff and to favour infiltration) are, in regard to pedologic, climatic or socio-economic context, able to allow improved water efficiency and, as a result, an increase of the food grains production? Might selected practices and production addition satisfy requirements of the coming population?

scholarly journals Benefits and Limitations of Decision Support Systems (DSS) with a Special Emphasis on Weeds

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Kanatas ◽  
Ilias S. Travlos ◽  
Ioannis Gazoulis ◽  
Alexandros Tataridas ◽  
Anastasia Tsekoura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Decision Support Systems ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Management Options ◽  
The Right

Decision support systems (DSS) have the potential to support farmers to make the right decisions in weed management. DSSs can select the appropriate herbicides for a given field and suggest the minimum dose rates for an herbicide application that can result in optimum weed control. Given that the adoption of DSSs may lead to decreased herbicide inputs in crop production, their potential for creating eco-friendly and profitable weed management strategies is obvious and desirable for the re-designing of farming systems on a more sustainable basis. Nevertheless, it is difficult to stimulate farmers to use DSSs as it has been noticed that farmers have different expectations of decision-making tools depending on their farming styles and usual practices. The function of DSSs requires accurate assessments of weeds within a field as input data; however, capturing the data can be problematic. The development of future DSSs should target to enhance weed management tactics which are less reliant on herbicides. DSSs should also provide information regarding weed seedbank dynamics in the soil in order to suggest management options not only within a single period but also in a rotational view. More aspects ought to be taken into account and further research is needed in order to optimize the practical use of DSSs for supporting farmers regarding weed management issues in various crops and under various soil and climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Utilization in a Cereal-Legume Rotation Managed with Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariangela Diacono ◽  
Paola Baldivieso-Freitas ◽  
Francisco Sans Serra
Keyword(s):  
Green Manure ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Residual Effect ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
N Use

Optimization of the nitrogen (N) inputs and minimization of nutrient losses strongly affect yields in crop rotations. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of agricultural practices on yield and N use in a 4-year cereal-legume rotation in organic farming and to identify the best combination of these practices. The following treatments were compared: conventional plough (P) vs. reduced chisel (RC) tillage; composted farmyard manure (F) vs. unfertilized control (NF); and green manure (GM) vs. no green manure (NoM). No significant differences were found for N use efficiency between P and RC in each crop. The results suggested that legumes in the tested rotation do not need supplemental N fertilization, particularly if combining GM and F. The use of composted farmyard manure should be considered in a long-term fertilization plan for cereals, to allow a higher efficiency in N use. The residual effect of fertilization over time, along with the site-specific pedo-climatic conditions, should also be considered. In both tested tillage approaches, soil N surplus was the highest in plots combining GM and F (i.e., more than 680 kg N ha−1 in combination with RC vs. about 140 kg N ha−1 for RC without fertilization), with a risk of N losses by leaching. The N deficit in NoM–NF both combined with P and RC would indicate that these treatment combinations are not sustainable for the utilized crops in the field experiment. Therefore, the combination of the tested practices should be carefully assessed to sustain soil fertility and crop production.

scholarly journals Underutilized Fruits of Assam for Livelihood and Nutritional Security

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
U Barua ◽  
R P Das ◽  
B Gogoi ◽  
S R Baruah
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Fruit Crops ◽  
Marginal Lands

India is endowed with a rich genetic diversity of fruits. The Hindustani centre represents 344 species of fruits. Northeast India, meeting ground of Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese bio-geographical areas is one of the 18 mega-biodiversity centers of the World, has contributed the fruit genera like Citrus, Musa, Mangifera, Docynia, Elaeocarpus, Myrica, Morus, Artocarpus, etc. There are a quite large number of indigenous and underutilized fruit crops, which are being used by the local inhabitants in rural areas. These underutilized fruits are fairly rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidant properties and are serving as protective food. Because of their curative properties, different parts of these fruit and plants have been used in ethno-medicines. Apart from their nutritive and medicinal values quite a few of these underutilized fruits have good flavor, colour and juice content and can be used for value additions. Several underutilized fruit species which have potential for commercial exploitation are yet to be utilized to their potential. These fruit crops have not undergone any conscious phase of domestication and selection. Their cultivation is very restricted and they grow in wild and semi wild condition and adapted to local climatic conditions. Hence they can thrive even under most adverse situation. Their adoption on a commercial scale, with crop improvement, standardization of cultural practices and popularization in diverse farming systems and value additions are warranted to achieve stability in farm production and food security. Many underutilized species, well adapted to marginal lands and with low cost inputs, may thus be of great benefit for the survival of poor communities, employment generation and sustainability of agricultural ecosystems.

scholarly journals Agriculture Data Analytics in Crop Yield Estimation: A Critical Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.M. Sagar ◽  
Cauvery N K
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Yield Prediction ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Crop Health

<p>Agriculture is important for human survival because it serves the basic need. A well-known fact that the majority of population (≥55%) in India is into agriculture. Due to variations in climatic conditions, there exist bottlenecks for increasing the crop production in India. It has become challenging task to achieve desired targets in Agri based crop yield. Factors like climate, geographical conditions, economic and political conditions are to be considered which have direct impact on the production, productivity of the crops. Crop yield prediction is one of the important factors in agriculture practices. Farmers need information regarding crop yield before sowing seeds in their fields to achieve enhanced crop yield. The use of technology in agriculture has increased in recent year and data analytics is one such trend that has penetrated into the agriculture field being used for management of crop yield and monitoring crop health. The recent trends in the domain of agriculture have made the people to understand the significance of          Big data. The main challenge using big data in agriculture is identification of impact and effectiveness of big data analytics.  Efforts are going on to understand how big data analytics can be used to improve the productivity in agricultural practices. The analysis of data related to agriculture helps in crop yield prediction, crop health monitoring and other such related activities. In literature, there exist several studies related to the use of data analytics in the agriculture domain. The present study gives insights on various data analytics methods applied to crop yield prediction. The work also signifies the important lacunae points’ in the proposed area of research.</p>

Carbon Transformations of Biochar Based Co-Composting - A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balaganesh Pandiyan ◽  
Vasudevan Mangottiri ◽  
Natarajan Narayanan
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Morphological Transformations

Abstract:: Biochar-Amended Composting (BAC) plays an integral role in sustainable agricultural practices due to its multiple benefits in crop production, soil nutrient retention, carbon sequestration and environmental protection. Although accepted as a traditional method, there is lack of understanding in defining its suitability and efficiency on various base-materials and conditions. Being two carbon-based entities with plentiful nutrients and surface activity, biochar and compost find application in agricultural fields together or separately for improving the soil properties and crop productivity. Recent studies focus on defining the optimum conditions for their preparation, mixing, application and monitoring under various feed, soil, crop and climatic conditions. However, due to the complexity and specificity of the system, many influencing aspects of their interaction are yet unknown in detail. In this review, we analyze the recent advancements in the selection and preparation of new materials for BAC, and explain the mechanisms of Organic Matter (OM) degradation/sequestration happening in soil based on possible chemical/morphological transformations of organic carbon. Most of the performance results are in agreement with the previous records, but a few contradictions observed under diverse experimental conditions. In general, BAC enhanced the mineralization of carbon and sequestration of heavy metals, and stabilized labile fraction of OM due to the development of carbonyl, phenolic and aromatic functional groups on its surface. In addition, aging of biochar resulted in stable N-C=O and amino groups for the adsorption of nitrogen compounds thus decreasing the potential greenhouse gas emissions. The study further identifies potential future research gaps in this area.

Can 14C-10Be detect transient patterns of denudation ? Application to the French Massif Central.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastien J.P. Lenard ◽  
Maarten Lupker ◽  
Irene Schimmelpfennig ◽  
Vincent Godard ◽  
Clement Desormeaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Integration Time ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
River Sand ◽  
Massif Central ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Denudation Rates ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events

&lt;p&gt;Denudation rates are routinely derived from concentrations of terrestrial in situ produced cosmogenic nuclides (TCN), particularly from &lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be concentrations in river sand. Denudation rates are calculated assuming that they remain steady throughout the integration time scale of the TCN. However, such an assumption is possibly unverified in settings with negligible tectonics, where rates typically range from 10 to 100 mm/ky. In those settings, the TCN conveys a signal that integrates denudation over a time span longer than a few thousand years. The signal may include periods when anthropogenic and climatic forcing on denudation was distinct from modern times. For instance, agricultural practices were limited before 6,000 years B.P. and climatic conditions were colder and drier before 10,000 years B.P. A variable forcing may produce variable and transient denudation rates. In that case, the assumption of steady denudation rates is invalid, and their derivation may introduce a bias.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To detect transient landscapes and resolve such a bias, we can take advantage of the different sensitivity of the &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C and &lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be TCNs to recent and short-term changes in surface denudation. In situ &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C is more sensitive than &lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be to such changes, because of a shorter half-life (5,700 y compared to 1.4 My). This potential application of coupled &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C - &lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be measurements has recently been discussed in several theoretical studies (Hippe, 2017; Mudd, 2017; Skov et al., 2019). Despite the improvement of &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C extraction lines and measurement facilities (Hippe et al., 2009; Lupker et al., 2019), sensitivity tests remain limited on natural cases (Hippe et al., 2012).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here, we propose assessing this new application by in situ &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C - &lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be measurements on river sand from the Cevennes and the Monts Margeride within the Variscan Massif Central in France. With an average elevation of ~700 m, this mountain range presents an asymmetrical topography, composed of a low-relief surface reaching 1,700 m, and bordered by a gently sloping flank to the west and a steep escarpment to the southeast, along the Cevennes fault. This escarpment receives frequent and seasonal extreme precipitation events (300-700 mm in 48h) on its southeast flank.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The range is subject to very limited seismic activity and appears relevant for an application of the &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C-&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be couple. Basins are rich in quartz and have homogeneous lithology. The recent paleoclimatic context is well constrained, with substantial climatic variations but with limited Pleistocene glaciations (e.g. Fauquette et al., 1999; Magny et al., 2003; Mayewski et al., 2004). The Massif Central is subject to active erosion processes, without major contribution from stochastic events such as landslides. Denudation rates are in the range of the theoretical study of Skov et al. 2019 (Schaller et al. 2001; Molliex et al. 2016; Olivetti et al. 2016; Desormeaux et al., 2021) and several studies have suggested transient denudation patterns (Schaller et al. 2001; Olivetti et al. 2016). With our new measurements, we will verify whether the &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C-&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be couple has sufficient resolution to detect such transience in natural cases.&lt;/p&gt;

Agriculture in the Oasis of the Manga Grasslands of Semi-Arid North-East Nigeria

2003 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.B. Alhassan ◽  
R.C. Carter ◽  
I. Audu
Keyword(s):  
Rural Economy ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Confined Water ◽  
Acid Sulphate ◽  
North East ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Semi Arid

Peasant farmers in the Manga Grasslands of semi-arid north-east Nigeria depend largely on agriculture for their livelihood. However, recurrent drought since the early 1970s has disrupted the traditional farming systems of the region, and hence the agriculture-based rural economy of the Grasslands. There is evidence that farmers in the Grasslands are obliged to intensify crop production in areas with ‘good’ soils and ‘adequate’ water supply, that is, the oases. The rich organic soils and the shallow, semi-confined water table beneath the oases are precious natural resources for intensive agriculture. These do not come without a price, however, as the rich, organic soils have the potential to be contaminated by acid sulphate and salt. It is expected that future soil creation, particularly under dry climatic conditions, will lead to the formation of true acid sulphate soils, and consequently, the twin processes of soil acidification and salinization will present real management problems for sustainable agriculture. It is concluded however, that under the prevailing soil, hydrological and climatic conditions of the oasis, sustainable agricultural production remains elusive.

Farmer-Researcher Collaboration in Developing Cropping Practices that Involve the Complementary Use of Mechanical Tied Ridge and Fertilizer Technology for Sorghum in Burkina Faso

1990 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Nagy ◽  
H. W. Ohm ◽  
S. Sawadogo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farmer Participation ◽  
Cropping Practices ◽  
Farmer Surveys ◽  
Fertilizer Technology

SUMMARYSpecific soil fertility and water retention constraints limit increased crop production in the subsistence-oriented farming systems of Burkina Faso. Previous attempts to introduce apparently promising technologies based on research that had not directly involved the fanner and that had not benefited from farmer-feedback have been largely unsuccessful. Active farmer involvement can help to identify relevant constraints to production and to identify and modify technologies to make them viable. Formal and informal farmer surveys and farmer participation in field experiments have led to the development of potentially useful cropping practices involving the complementary use of mechanical tied ridge and fertilizer-based technology.

Optimization of the irrigation regime of agricultural crops for different areas of the Saratov region

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (6) ◽  
pp. 4-9
Author(s):  
Vladimir Shadskikh ◽  
Vera Kizhaeva ◽  
Olga Rasskazova
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Irrigation Regime ◽  
Resource Saving ◽  
Saratov Region ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Environmentally Sound ◽  
The Stability

In the conditions of the Volga region, the zone of risky agriculture, the stability of crop production directly depends on the degree of moisture supply of crops [1, 2, 12]. The article presents the results of many years of research on the study of irrigation regime on crops with differentiated irrigation. Studies of irrigation regimes of agricultural crops on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of agro-climatic conditions allowed to establish environmentally sound differentiated irrigation rates of major crops for different natural areas of the Saratov region, depending on the degree of aridity of the year. Recommended irrigation norms were 300–350 m3/ha at the beginning of vegetation and no more than 450–500 m3/ha during the period of maximum water consumption. The use of differentiated irrigation norms for the main crops will allow to control the development of erosion processes on irrigated lands and provide resource saving in irrigated agriculture.

scholarly journals PRODUCTION STRATEGIES FOR EARLINESS IN GLOBE ARTICHOKE

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 509A-509
Author(s):  
Smiljana Goreta ◽  
Lovre Bucan ◽  
Gvozden Dumicic ◽  
Daniel I. Leskovar
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Late Spring ◽  
Globe Artichoke ◽  
Planting Dates ◽  
Fiber Concentration ◽  
Worldwide Production ◽  
Production Strategies

Globe artichoke is a native crop of the Mediterranean region with about 80% worldwide production. It is estimated that about 3,000 ha are grown in the U.S., mostly in California. Artichoke crop can be grown as a perennial, by vegetative cuttings, or as annual by seeds. Crop production can be limited by freezing winter temperatures leading to irreversible plant damage or by high summer temperatures causing poor head quality. Successful artichokes production, particularly in areas with constraining climatic conditions, requires proper selection of cultivars and planting dates. Cultivars with low vernalization requirements are more prone to a short growing season. The application of GA3 to overcome the lack of low temperatures and fulfill the vernalization requirements of early cultivars is well known. The goal of this multi-year project is to select production strategies contributing to earliness, extension of harvesting period, and improved yield and head quality under a variety of environmental conditions in Croatia and Texas. Selecting cultivars with different maturity groups and planting dates enabled harvesting period from autumn to late spring depending on locations. When GA3 was applied (12.5 to 125 ppm) on a naturally vernalized crop from autumn planting, early yield was substantially increased without affecting earliness. Conversely, application of GA3 (30 or 45 ppm) on nonvernalized plants established during late spring or summer was necessary for fall harvest in the Croatian locations. Head quality evaluated as head weight and size, or crude protein and total fiber concentration, progressively decreased during late spring harvest in Texas. Shifting the harvesting period towards early spring may be essential for improving head quality and for increasing the market share. To achieve adequate yields, longer harvesting period, and superior head quality, it is necessary to develop and adjust cultural practices for the specific growing area.

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