Dietary habits of lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota Bengalensis) in an agro-ecosystem, Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan

Dietary habits of bandicoot rats (bandicota bengalensis) were investigated in the agricultural crops of the Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan by analysing stomach contents. The research activities were conducted in major field crops including wheat-groundnut and in the fallow lands during non-crop season at the field boundaries. The specimens were captured from the fields using kill/snap traps, and dissected to collect their stomach samples for laboratory analysis. Light microscopic slides of the plant material were recovered from stomach samples and the reference materials were collected from the field. Results revealed that the bandicoot rat predominantly fed upon cultivated crops during cropping season but consumed wild vegetation during non-cropping season. There was no significance difference between summer and winter diets. Most frequently consumed crop food items were wheat (Triticum aestivum; 28.57%), groundnut (Arachis hypogea; 11.26%), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor; 10.17%), chickpea (Cicer arietinum; 9.52%), maize (Zea mays; 6.49%), millet (Pennisetum glaucum; 5.84%), barley (Hordeum vulgare; 4.98%) and mustard (Brassica campestris; 4.98%). Among wild vegetation were consumed khbal gha (Cynodon dactylon; 7.79%), baron dhab (Demostachya bipinnata; 7.36%) and Prickly flower (Achyranthes aspera; 3.03%). The study concludes that, in addition to consuming wheat and groundnut crops, the Lesser bandicoot rat also subsists on grasses, weeds, and some fodder crops, as important component of its diet in agro-ecosystem of the Pothwar Plateau.

Yield Reductions of Wheat Cultivar Obora (UTIQUE96/FLAG-1) due to Russian Wheat Aphid (Diuraphis noxia) Infestation under Field Conditions at Selected Districts of West Showa Zone, Ethiopia

Background: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important cereal crop as being consumed as staple food in the world as well as in Ethiopia. The production of wheat in Ethiopia decreased due to the incidence of insect pests. Out of insects’ pests the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) is the recent one that causes yield loss either directly or indirectly. Methods: The experiment was carried out at selected districts of West Showa zone, Ethiopia during off cropping season 2019 to evaluate the yield reduction in wheat crop due to the invasion of Russian wheat aphids. Malamar, Dimethoate, neem seeds, leaves, Beaveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were used in form of spray. Result: However, Malamar and Dimethoate highly significantly lowered the population of Diuraphis noxia. The combination of Beaveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopleae significantly lowered the population of Russian wheat aphid. The combination of Neem leaf and Neem seeds, as well as Beaveria bassiana, proved to be effective against Russian wheat aphid yet they were protected and sound against the environments. Malamar showed the maximum decrease in Diuraphis noxia populations followed by Dimethoate, the combination of Beaveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopleae.

Evaluation of blended fertilizer rates for improving production of food barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in Semen Ari District, Southwestern Ethiopia

Depletion of soil fertility, depletion of macro- and micro-nutrients and soil organic matter and inappropriate and imbalanced fertilizer application are among the most important factors that reduces the food barley production in Ethiopia. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to evaluate NPSB blended fertilizer rate effect on improving production of food barley in Semen Ari District, Southwestern Ethiopia during main cropping season. Control, (142 NPS + 159 Urea) kg ha-1, (150 NPSB + 41 Urea) kg ha-1, (200 NPSB + 72 Urea) kg ha-1, (250 NPSB + 102 Urea) kg ha-1 and (100 NPSB + 161 Urea) kg ha-1 treatments were used for the experiment which laid out in RCBD following three replication with spacing of 20 cm between rows; and HB 1307 improved food barley seeds were drilled on prepared rows. Full dose of blended and potassium fertilizers were applied at planting time and urea was applied in two split. The result revealed that food barley responded well to application of N, P, S and B than the unfertilized one. Application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea resulted in highest grain yield of 3806.3 kg ha-1, while the lowest grain yield of 1939.2 kg ha-1 was recorded from the nil. Moreover, the highest net benefit of 32124.56 ETB ha-1 and economic returns of 942.2% was recorded in response to application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea. Application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea gave 49.05% yield increment and 40.24% increment in economic return over the control. Therefore, we recommend application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea for farmers and investor’s in study area and similar agro-ecologies as it was optimum for improving food barley production. Further studies and investigation should be done on plant nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency and over location. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 11(2): 10-17, Dec 2021

Salt Tolerant Gossypium hirsutum L. Cultivars are Mostly Long-Staple Length Cultivars

Background: Cotton is a major cash crop in the global and, in particular, the Indian markets, playing an important economic role in the textile and oil industries. The cotton plant is one of the highly bred plants that is highly sensitive to salt stress. As cotton is a non-food crop, the availability of non-saline terrain and water for the cultivation of cotton plants is only next to other food crops, thereby posing a need to better understand the salt tolerance of this plant. Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivars MCU 5, LRA 5166, and SVPR 2 were selected based on exomorphic traits like staple length and cropping season so that the genotypic responses to salt stress and salt shock can be compared for interpreting the effects of salinity on in vitro germination. Thus, this study aims to establish genotypic dependence on salinity tolerance. Results: The results affirmed genotypic variation in salinity tolerance, with MCU 5 tolerating salt stress better than LRA 5166 and SVPR 2 in all the observed stages of growth of the plant and the parameters measured. Further salt-tolerant cotton varieties were observed to be long-staple length varieties; staple length is the fiber character of the cotton lint. Moreover, salt tolerance in the vegetative growth stage of cotton plants is not independent of the germination stage of the plant.Conclusion: Nevertheless, the correlation of genotypic dependence to morphological characteristics, in particular, staple length (and cropping season), is of agronomic and commercial significance. Further research by screening and investigating a greater number of cultivars using biochemical and molecular techniques will provide a better understanding of this observed phenotypical relationship to the genotypes of cotton cultivars under salt stress.

Improved representation of agricultural land use and crop management for large-scale hydrological impact simulation in Africa using SWAT+

To date, most regional and global hydrological models either ignore the representation of cropland or consider crop cultivation in a simplistic way or in abstract terms without any management practices. Yet, the water balance of cultivated areas is strongly influenced by applied management practices (e.g. planting, irrigation, fertilization, and harvesting). The SWAT+ (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model represents agricultural land by default in a generic way, where the start of the cropping season is driven by accumulated heat units. However, this approach does not work for tropical and subtropical regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, where crop growth dynamics are mainly controlled by rainfall rather than temperature. In this study, we present an approach on how to incorporate crop phenology using decision tables and global datasets of rainfed and irrigated croplands with the associated cropping calendar and fertilizer applications in a regional SWAT+ model for northeastern Africa. We evaluate the influence of the crop phenology representation on simulations of leaf area index (LAI) and evapotranspiration (ET) using LAI remote sensing data from Copernicus Global Land Service (CGLS) and WaPOR (Water Productivity through Open access of Remotely sensed derived data) ET data, respectively. Results show that a representation of crop phenology using global datasets leads to improved temporal patterns of LAI and ET simulations, especially for regions with a single cropping cycle. However, for regions with multiple cropping seasons, global phenology datasets need to be complemented with local data or remote sensing data to capture additional cropping seasons. In addition, the improvement of the cropping season also helps to improve soil erosion estimates, as the timing of crop cover controls erosion rates in the model. With more realistic growing seasons, soil erosion is largely reduced for most agricultural hydrologic response units (HRUs), which can be considered as a move towards substantial improvements over previous estimates. We conclude that regional and global hydrological models can benefit from improved representations of crop phenology and the associated management practices. Future work regarding the incorporation of multiple cropping seasons in global phenology data is needed to better represent cropping cycles in areas where they occur using regional to global hydrological models.

Effect of intercropping of maize and cowpea on the yield, land productivity and profitability of components crops in Bena- Tsemay Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

Field experiment was carried out during the 2017-18 cropping season at Kako, Bena-Ttsemay woreda, South Omo zone, Southern Ethiopia to determine the effect of intercropping of maize and cowpea on the yield, land use efficiency and profitability of both crops. The experiment consisted of 4 treatments (sole maize, sole cowpea, one row maize to one row cowpea and one row maize to two-row cowpea) and laid in RCBD in four replications. Intercropping of one row maize to one row cowpea and one row maize to two-row cowpea, resulted in 55.8% and 27.9% greater land use efficiency than for either crop grown alone. The highest MAI was obtained by growing one row of maize to one row of cowpea (11563.17) followed by one row maize to two-rows of cowpea (6783.50).Based on the present finding, intercropping of one row maize and one row cowpea more economic advantage than the other crop combination or grown alone. Therefore, intercropping of one row maize to one row cowpea is an advantageous to farmers in the study area since it would provide additional crop yield with the same piece of land and more profitable related to cost benefit. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 11(2): 147-150, Dec 2021

Effect of Ethephon Application on Seed Yield and Yield Components of Two Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Cultivars

The aim of present study was to determine the effects of different ethephon doses on grain yield and yield components of two faba bean cultivars. The experiment was established in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 cropping season at Research Area of Field Crops Department, Agriculture of Faculty, Cukurova University Adana, Turkey. The field experiment was laid out in randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) with three replications on the basis split plot design with cultivars (Luz de Otono and Histal) in main plots and ethephon doses (0, 500, 1000, 1500 g ha-1) in sub plots. Plant height (cm), branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per plant, seed yield per plant (g), 100 grain weight (g), seed yield (kg ha-1) were investigated. Differences among the cultivars and ethephon applications were significant for seed yield and it varied from 1782 to 3388 kg ha-1 in the mean of the years. Seed yield also decreased with increasing ethephon doses. Seed yield was higher in 2019/2020 (3355 kg ha) than 2020/2021 (1841 kg ha-1) where low rainfed and high temperature. The present results suggested that ethephon applications at inititation of flowering were not useful for seed production of faba bean.

Monitoring and Modeling of Saline-Sodic Vertisol Reclamation by Echinochloa stagnina

Soil salinity due to irrigation is a major constraint to agriculture, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones, due to water scarcity and high evaporation rates. Reducing salinity is a fundamental objective for protecting the soil and supporting agricultural production. The present study aimed to empirically measure and simulate with a model, the reduction in soil salinity in a Vertisol by the cultivation and irrigation of Echinochloa stagnina. Laboratory soil column experiments were conducted to test three treatments: (i) ponded bare soil without crops, (ii) ponded soil cultivated with E. stagnina in two successive cropping seasons and (iii) ponded soil permanently cultivated with E. stagnina with a staggered harvest. After 11 months of E. stagnina growth, the electrical conductivity of soil saturated paste (ECe) decreased by 79–88% in the topsoil layer (0–8 cm) in both soils cultivated with E. stagnina and in bare soil. In contrast, in the deepest soil layer (18–25 cm), the ECe decreased more in soil cultivated with E. stagnina (41–83%) than in bare soil (32–58%). Salt stocks, which were initially similar in the columns, decreased more in soil cultivated with E. stagnina (65–87%) than in bare soil (34–45%). The simulation model Hydrus-1D was used to predict the general trends in soil salinity and compare them to measurements. Both the measurements and model predictions highlighted the contrast between the two cropping seasons: soil salinity decreased slowly during the first cropping season and rapidly during the second cropping season following the intercropping season. Our results also suggested that planting E. stagnina was a promising option for controlling the salinity of saline-sodic Vertisols.

Pruning harvesting with modular towed chipper: Little effect of the machine setting and configuration on performance despite strong impact on wood chip quality

Pruning residues can have a high quality as feedstock for energy purposes and are largely available in Europe. However, it is still an untapped resource. Such scarce use is due to the need to optimize their supply chain in term of collection machines and the associate cost of collection. A modular chipper (prototype PC50) for pruning harvest was developed. Such prototype is adaptable to various harvesting logistics and may produce a higher quality woodchip compared with the one produced by shredders available in the market. In this work, we tested the performance and quality of the product delivered by the prototype PC50 in various conditions and plant species, after a modulation of the machine settings (counter-rotating toothed rollers [CRR] speed), loading systems ([LS], either big bag or container), and knife types ([KT], either discontinuous hoe shaped knives or continuous helicoidal knives). To take into account of the covariates in the experiment (Cropping season and plant species), LSmeans were computed to have an unbiased estimate of the treatments means. The modulation of LS and KT scarcely affected the performance of the machine. In particular, the choice of the KT affected the field efficiency when the LS was a Tilting box but not a Big Bag. Whereas the continuous knife resulted in a 97% higher material capacity compared to hoe shape knives, the last of which the amount of short sized (<16 mm) fractions compared to helicoidal knives. No role of the CCR was found on the machine performance, but increasing CRR speed reduced the chip apparent bulk density and the fraction chips with a size <8 mm.

Determination of Kolgrace bio-fertilizer rate for optimum greengram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) production in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria

Greengram productivity has been improved by application of farmyard manures in the last two decades; however, these manures are not readily available as at when needed. In some cases, they are available but in limited supply. Kolgrace bio-fertilizer, a novel commercial product of the Association of Organic Agricultural Practitioners could serve as a superior alternative to farmyard manures. Hence, a field experiment was carried out at the Teaching & Research Farm of the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria during the 2015 cropping season to evaluate the effects of five rates (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00 t ha–1) of Kolgrace bio-fertilizer on the performance of greengram. The aim was to determine the optimum rate of application of this biofertilizer for greengram production. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications. Data were collected on growth and yield traits, and were subjected to analysis of variance. Results showed that Kolgrace rates significantly (p < 0.01) influenced all the traits measured with exception of fresh pod yield (FPY). Plant height (112 cm), number of leaves (87), stem girth (1.43 mm) and number of flowers (10) at 8 weeks after planting (WAP) were significantly highest with the application of 0.5 t ha–1 whereas, 0.25 t ha–1 gave best results for number of pods (42) and pod yield (3.85 t ha –1). The application of 0.5 t ha–1 is, therefore, recommended if the interest of the farmer is sprout, fodder or green manure, and 0.25 t ha–1 if the interest is for seed production.