Large Scale Demo Plot Trial Project of Potash Fertilization for Increased Yield and Profitability for Smallholder Soybean Fields in India

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, in spite of concerned efforts towards industrialization in the last three decades. Therefore, the soil quality and fertility are the major factors in crop production. Declining soil fertility is one of the primary factors that directly affect crop productivity, and fertilizer-use is a key factor in order to keep soil fertility and productivity. A major factor in declining soil fertility is potassium (K) depletion, especially on smallholder farms where fertilization decisions are not based on regular soil testing. Most of the smallholder soybean producers do not have access and investment capacity to soil testing services. Therefore, there is a need to create K fertilizer recommendations based on empirically verified knowledge at India-specific scale. Such large-scale studies, in local filed conditions, are currently lacking. In order to bridge this gap, and generate proven set of directly applicable recommendations, a large-scale plot trial was launched; the Potash for Life (PFL) project. The study evaluated the K response in soybean when fertilizing with potash on K depleted soils in local variable field conditions. The aim was to (1) evaluate the effect and response consistency of K application on soybean yield, (2) to demonstrate to farmers the increased yield and profitability from K-inclusive fertilization regimes for this crop and give recommendations for transient yield increase, and (3) to raise the awareness among smallholder farmers about the importance of K fertilization. A comprehensive experiment was carried out in Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) and Maharashtra. The methodology was straight-forward; two identical plots side by side, with the only difference that one of them was fertilized with additional potash. The results showed a significant yield increase response from the potash application; the average yield increase was 244 kg ha-1 or 26 % in M.P., and 105 kg ha-1 or 36 % in Maharashtra. This entailed an average additional net profit of ₹ 6,681 INR ha-1 and ₹ 2,544 INR ha-1, in M.P. and Maharashtra respectively. It was concluded that the soil status of plant available K is significantly lower than the plant demand for soybean production in the two states, Consequently, K fertilization is necessary in order to improve agricultural practices and optimizing yields. Ultimately, following recommendations given in this study would allow farmers to generate additional profit, which could further allow them to invest in fine-tuning fertilizer practices through the means of soil testing.

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Agricultural Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

Land ◽

10.3390/land10030246 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 246

Author(s):

Markose Chekol Zewdie ◽

Michele Moretti ◽

Daregot Berihun Tenessa ◽

Zemen Ayalew Ayele ◽

Jan Nyssen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Technical Efficiency ◽

Crop Production ◽

Large Scale ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Stochastic Frontier ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Small Scale ◽

Stochastic Frontier Approach ◽

Small Scale Irrigation

In the past decade, to improve crop production and productivity, Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious irrigation farming expansion program and has introduced new large- and small-scale irrigation initiatives. However, in Ethiopia, poverty remains a challenge, and crop productivity per unit area of land is very low. Literature on the technical efficiency (TE) of large-scale and small-scale irrigation user farmers as compared to the non-user farmers in Ethiopia is also limited. Investigating smallholder farmers’ TE level and its principal determinants is very important to increase crop production and productivity and to improve smallholder farmers’ livelihood and food security. Using 1026 household-level cross-section data, this study adopts a technology flexible stochastic frontier approach to examine agricultural TE of large-scale irrigation users, small-scale irrigation users and non-user farmers in Ethiopia. The results indicate that, due to poor extension services and old-style agronomic practices, the mean TE of farmers is very low (44.33%), implying that there is a wider room for increasing crop production in the study areas through increasing the TE of smallholder farmers without additional investment in novel agricultural technologies. Results also show that large-scale irrigation user farmers (21.05%) are less technically efficient than small-scale irrigation user farmers (60.29%). However, improving irrigation infrastructure shifts the frontier up and has a positive impact on smallholder farmers’ output.

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Biochar Role in the Sustainability of Agriculture and Environment

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031330 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1330

Author(s):

Muhammad Ayaz ◽

Dalia Feizienė ◽

Vita Tilvikienė ◽

Kashif Akhtar ◽

Urte Stulpinaitė ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Agriculture ◽

Soil Fertility ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Crop Production ◽

Large Scale ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Small Scale ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Agriculture And Environment

The exercise of biochar in agribusiness has increased proportionally in recent years. It has been indicated that biochar application could strengthen soil fertility benefits, such as improvement in soil microbial activity, abatement of bulk density, amelioration of nutrient and water-holding capacity and immutability of soil organic matter. Additionally, biochar amendment could also improve nutrient availability such as phosphorus and nitrogen in different types of soil. Most interestingly, the locally available wastes are pyrolyzed to biochar to improve the relationship among plants, soil and the environment. This can also be of higher importance to small-scale farming, and the biochar produced can be utilized in farms for the improvement of crop productivity. Thus, biochar could be a potential amendment to a soil that could help in achieving sustainable agriculture and environment. However, before mainstream formulation and renowned biochar use, several challenges must be taken into consideration, as the beneficial impacts and potential use of biochar seem highly appealing. This review is based on confined knowledge taken from different field-, laboratory- and greenhouse-based studies. It is well known that the properties of biochar vary with feedstock, pyrolysis temperature (300, 350, 400, 500, and 600 °C) and methodology of preparation. It is of high concern to further investigate the negative consequences: hydrophobicity; large scale application in farmland; production cost, primarily energy demand; and environmental threat, as well as affordability of feedstock. Nonetheless, the current literature reflects that biochar could be a significant amendment to the agroecosystem in order to tackle the challenges and threats observed in sustainable agriculture (crop production and soil fertility) and the environment (reducing greenhouse gas emission).

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Comparative Advantage of Using Biopesticides in Ukrainian Agroecosystems

European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences ◽

10.24018/ejfood.2020.2.6.183 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Hasrat Arjjumend ◽

Konstantia Koutouki ◽

Olga Donets

Keyword(s):

Shelf Life ◽

Crop Production ◽

Plant Protection ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Soil Biology ◽

Chemical Contamination ◽

High Concentration ◽

Irreversible Damage

The use of unsustainable levels of chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals has resulted in a steady decline in soil and crop productivity the world over. Soil biology has undergone irreversible damage, coupled with a high concentration of toxic chemical residues in plant tissues and human bodies. Agricultural practices must evolve to sustainably meet the growing global demand for food without irreversibly damaging soil. Microbial biocontrol agents have tremendous potential to bring sustainability to agriculture in a way that is safe for the environment. Biopesticides do not kill non-target insects, and biosafety is ensured because biopesticides act as antidotes and do not lead to chemical contamination in the soil. This article is part of a larger study conducted in Ukraine by researchers at the Université de Montréal with the support of Mitacs and Earth Alive Clean Technologies. The responses of farmers who use biofertilizers (“user farmers”) and those who do not (“non-user farmers”), along with the responses of manufacturers or suppliers of biofertilizers, and research and development (R&D) scientists are captured to demonstrate the advantages of applying microbial biopesticides to field crops. Participants reported a 15-30% increase in yields and crop production after the application of biopesticides. With the use of biopesticides, farmers cultivated better quality fruits, grains, and tubers with a longer shelf life. Moreover, while the risk of crop loss remains high (60-70%) with chemically grown crops, this risk is reduced to 33% on average if crops are grown using biopesticides. The findings indicate that a large proportion of farmers would prefer to use biopesticides if they are effective and high quality products. In this context, the quality and effectiveness of products is therefore very important. Despite their benefits to soil, human health, and ecosystems, biopesticides face significant challenges and competition vis-à-vis synthetic pesticides for a variety of reasons. Therefore, the development of biopesticides must overcome the problems of poor quality products, short shelf life, delayed action, high market costs, and legal/registration issues.

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CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE: FARMER PERCEPTIONS AND UNDERSTANDING OF INTRA-SEASONAL VARIABILITY IN RAINFALL AND ASSOCIATED RISK IN SEMI-ARID KENYA

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479710000918 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 267-291 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

K. P. C. RAO ◽

W. G. NDEGWA ◽

K. KIZITO ◽

A. OYOO

Keyword(s):

Climate Variability ◽

Crop Production ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

General Tendency ◽

Climate Variability And Change ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Probabilistic Nature ◽

Semi Arid

SUMMARYThis study examines farmers’ perceptions of short- and long-term variability in climate, their ability to discern trends in climate and how the perceived trends converge with actual weather observations in five districts of Eastern Province in Kenya where the climate is semi-arid with high intra- and inter-annual variability in rainfall. Field surveys to elicit farmers’ perceptions about climate variability and change were conducted in Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Mwingi and Mutomo districts. Long-term rainfall records from five meteorological stations within a 10 km radius from the survey locations were obtained from the Kenya Meteorological Department and were analysed to compare with farmers’ observations. Farmers’ responses indicate that they are well aware of the general climate in their location, its variability, the probabilistic nature of the variability and the impacts of this variability on crop production. However, their ability to synthesize the knowledge they have gained from their observations and discern long-term trends in the probabilistic distribution of seasonal conditions is more subjective, mainly due to the compounding interactions between climate and other factors such as soil fertility, soil water and land use change that determine the climate's overall influence on crop productivity. There is a general tendency among the farmers to give greater weight to negative impacts leading to higher risk perception. In relation to long-term changes in the climate, farmer observations in our study that rainfall patterns are changing corroborated well with reported perceptions from other places across the African continent but were not supported by the observed trends in rainfall data from the five study locations. The main implication of our findings is the need to be aware of and account for the risk during the development and promotion of technologies involving significant investments by smallholder farmers and exercise caution in interpreting farmers’ perceptions about long-term climate variability and change.

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Potential Impacts of Agriculture on Nepal Birds

Our Nature ◽

10.3126/on.v8i1.4339 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 270-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

C. Inskipp ◽

H.S. Baral

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Best Practice ◽

Bird Species ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

System Of Rice Intensification ◽

Cereal Crops ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Effective Microorganisms ◽

Cash Crops

This paper is a review of the potential impacts of agriculture on Nepal birds. It includes an overview of agriculture in Nepal and the changes that have taken place between the early 1950s and 2007. Agricultural development has been sluggish, and has failed to keep pace with population growth. In recent years the yields of major food crops in Nepal have been lower than other South Asian countries and Nepal is now dependent on food imports. Land holding size per family and field sizes have both decreased markedly during the period. If hill regions are considered independently, all cereal crops yields have stagnated in the last 30 years and gains in production that have been made, have been due to increases in area of cultivation, at the expense of natural habitats: forests, wetlands and grasslands. Crop productivity in the hills has declined due to land degradation. Of the 28% of Nepal land that is degraded, 10% is poorly managed sloping agriculture terraces. As yields and production of cereal crops have fallen, many farmers have shifted to growing cash crops, to meet the demands of the increasing urban population and encouraged by government agricultural policies. Cultivation area, production and yields of some cash crops have significantly increased since 1964/65. Nepal’s livestock population is one of the highest in Asia and nearly every rural household keeps domestic animals resulting in widespread and serious problems of livestock overgrazing. The importance of agricultural habitats for Nepal birds is reviewed: 21% of bird species recorded in Nepal utilizes agricultural habitats for foraging at some season. The many ecological benefits of birds to agriculture and the damage caused by birds to agriculture are described: the former far outweigh the latter. Changes in agricultural practices (including changes in crops and crop production, impacts of livestock overgrazing) are having major and far-reaching impacts on natural habitats - grasslands wetlands and forests and their bird species; these changes and impacts are detailed and analysed. The increasing use of pesticides in Nepal, which is especially high on vegetable cash crops, the serious impacts of pesticides on birds and the environment and alternatives to pesticides are reviewed. Fertilizer use in Nepal and the damaging impacts of fertilizer over-use on birds and the environment are also reviewed. Recommendations to improve farming methods for the benefit of the environment are given. These include government measures to promote organic agriculture; government measures to expand the System of Rice Intensification and to encourage further use of Effective Microorganisms, both of which have significant benefits for environment, birds and farmers; field surveys to monitor bird populations and bird distribution on agricultural lands, and outreach and awareness-raising for farmers to apply best practice for sustainable environmentally friendly farming.DOI: 10.3126/on.v8i1.4339

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Soil Fertility Management for Better Crop Production

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10091349 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1349

Author(s):

John Havlin ◽

Ron Heiniger

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Root Zone ◽

Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Soil Fertility Management ◽

Fertility Management

Increasing crop productivity per unit of land area to meet future food and fiber demand increases both soil nutrient removal and the importance of replenishing soil fertility through efficient nutrient management practices. Significant progress in enhancing nutrient-use efficiency in production agriculture requires improved estimates of plant-available nutrients in the root zone, enhanced crop response to applied nutrients, and reduced offsite nutrient transport. This special issue, Soil Fertility Management for Better Crop Production, presents 15 manuscripts that advance our knowledge of interrelated soil, plant, and management factors important to increasing the nutrient availability and crop recovery of applied nutrients.

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Social Innovation through Precision Farming: An IoT Based Precision Farming System for Examining and Improving Soil Fertility and Soil Health

International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering - Special Issue ◽

10.35940/ijitee.k2421.0981119 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 2877-2881

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Social Innovation ◽

Soil Health ◽

Farming System ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Precision Farming ◽

Technological Advancement ◽

Agriculture Sector

Agriculture is the most important sector of Indian Economy. Indian agriculture sector provides employment to 50% of the countries workforce. India is the world's largest producer of pulses, rice, wheat, sugarcane, pomegranates etc. The current scenario of agriculture business in India is not up to the mark as expected. There are number of reasons which causes less yield in the agriculture such as unpredictable environmental conditions, excess use of fertilizers (cost is increasing day by day), increased draught frequency and its severity, increasing labor rate, less difference between the income and expenditure, ripeness of soil, influenced suspensions, non-appropriate water management, diseases on crops, invasion of animals and so on. There is need to find the ways which makes the use of Information Technology (IT) concepts and tools wherever possible for increasing automation in the agriculture business, which results in the efficient and effective outcome of agriculture i.e. higher yields. The production efficiency can be increased significantly with technological advancement in agriculture. Internet of Things (IoT) is a novel design approach for precision farming. Farming has seen number of technological transformations in the last decade. By using various smart agriculture gadgets, farmers have gained better control over the process of raising the growing crops and livestocks. One of the major issues which cause fewer yields is the soil health. This paper mainly analyses/reviews the problems related to the soil health (soil fertility), which is a main obstacle in the crop production. Also this study focuses on the use of IoT applications in precision farming. It gives an overview of the relation between crop productivity and soil health

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Effects of Organic Fertilization and Cover Crops on an Organic Pepper System

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.18.2.215 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 215-226 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

K. Delate ◽

C. Cambardella ◽

A. McKern

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Crop Production ◽

Large Scale ◽

Soil Analysis ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

The United States ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Organic Farm

With the continuing 20% growth rate in the organic industry, organic vegetable crop production has increased to 98,525 acres in the United States. The requirement for certified organic vegetable producers to implement a soil-building plan has led to the development of soil fertility systems based on combinations of organic fertilizers and cover crops. To determine optimal soil fertility combinations, conventional and organic bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) production was evaluated from 2001 to 2003 in Iowa, comparing combinations of two synthetic fertilizers and three compost-based organic fertilizers, and a cover crop treatment of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) and rye (Secale cereale) in a strip-tilled or fully incorporated cover crop system. Organic pepper growth and yields equaled or surpassed conventional production when nitrogen (N) was provided at 56 or 112 kg·ha−1 from compost-based organic fertilizer. Soil analysis revealed higher N in plots where cover crops were tilled compared with strip-tilled plots, leading to recommendations for sidedressing N in strip-tilled organic pepper production. Increased incidence of disease was also detected in strip-tilled plots. Postharvest weight loss after 6 weeks in storage was similar in organic and conventional peppers. The addition of calcium and sulfur products in conventional or organic fertilizer regimes did not increase pepper production or postharvest storage potential. Despite application challenges, cover crops will remain as critical components of the organic farm plan for their soil-building benefits, but supplementation with approved N sources may be required for optimal pepper production. Organic growers should conduct their own tests of organic-compliant soil amendments to determine cost effectiveness and value for their site before large-scale application.

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Incorporating Water Harvesting into Plasticulture Production of Muskmelon

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.9.1.78 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 78-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Frank J. Dainello ◽

Larry Stein ◽

Guy Fipps ◽

Kenneth White

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Large Scale ◽

Production Systems ◽

Water Harvesting ◽

Vegetable Crops ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Dry Land ◽

Yield Increase ◽

Harvesting Technique ◽

Marketable Fruit

Competition for limited water supplies is increasing world wide. Especially hard hit are the irrigated crop production regions, such as the Lower Rio Grande Valley and the Winter Garden areas of south Texas. To develop production techniques for reducing supplemental water needs of vegetable crops, an ancient water harvesting technique called rainfall capture was adapted to contemporary, large scale irrigated muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus L.) production systems. The rainfall capture system developed consisted of plastic mulched miniature water catchments located on raised seed beds. This system was compared with conventional dry land and irrigated melon production. Rainfall capture resulted in 108% average yield increase over the conventional dry land technique. When compared with conventional furrow irrigation, rainfall capture increased marketable muskmelon yield as much as 5355 lb/acre (6000 kg·ha-1). As anticipated,the drip irrigation/plastic mulch system exceeded rainfall capture in total and marketable fruit yield. The results of this study suggest that rainfall capture can reduce total supplemental water use in muskmelon production. The major benefit of the rainfall capture system is believed to be in its ability to eliminate or decrease irrigation water needed to fill the soil profile before planting.

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Comparative Advantage of Using Bio-pesticides in Indian Agro-ecosystems

American Research Journal of Agriculture ◽

10.21694/2378-9018.21001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Hasrat Arjjumend ◽

Konstantia Koutouki ◽

Simon Neufeld

Keyword(s):

Shelf Life ◽

Crop Production ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Plant Protection ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Field Crops ◽

Soil Ecosystems ◽

Global Demand ◽

Synthetic Pesticides

The use of unsustainable levels of plant protection chemicals and fertilizershas resulted in a steady decline in soil quality and crop productivity the world over. To combat this decline, agricultural practices must evolve to meet the growing global demand for food without irreversibly damaging the world’s natural resources.Biopesticides have tremendous potential to bring sustainability to agriculture and environmental safety.This article is part of a larger study conducted in India by the authors at theUniversité de Montréal with the support of Mitacs and Earth Alive Clean Technologies. In this research, farmers, manufacturers or suppliers of biopesticides, and R&D scientistswere interviewed, and their responses demonstratethe advantages of applyingmicrobial biopesticidesto field crops. Participants reported a15-30% increase in yields and crop production after the application ofbiopesticides, with better quality and quantity of fruits, grains, and tubers with a longer shelf life. Moreover, while the risk of croploss is high (60-70%) with chemicallygrown crops, this risk is reduced to 33% on average when crops are grown using biopesticides. The risk of crop loss is thus considerably reducedby the use ofbiopesticides.Yet, despite their positive impact on the health of humans, soil,ecosystems, andfriendly invertebrates,biopesticides face significant challenges and competition vis-à-vis synthetic pesticides for a variety of reasons. The development of biopesticides must overcome the problems of improper formulations, short shelf life, delayed action, and high market costs, as well as a variety oflegal/registration issues.

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