Implications of Manuring and Crop Rotation on Crop Productivity and Soil Properties in the Highlands of Ethiopia | Book Publisher International

Soil nutrient depletion has been the greatest concern for decades for Ethiopian agriculture. The most important soil physico-chemical properties are below the critical level to support crop growth. Inappropriate crop and soil management practices are the causes of soil depletion. Overlaying of synthetic fertilizer, removal of crop residue, continuous cropping and low levels of organic manure use are the deep-rooted challenges of the agro-ecosystem of the highlands of Ethiopia. Hence experiments were initiated with the aim of investigation of the effect of long-term organic fertilizer application and sound rotation pattern on the productivity of crops and soil quality parameters. Four levels of organic treatments and five levels of crop rotations were arranged factorially and laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The organic treatments include V1 = 0 t/ha farmyard manure (FYM); V2 = 2.5 t/ha fresh sesbania biomass (FSB); V3 = 5 t/ha FYM and V4 = 5 t/ha FYM + 2.5 t/ha FSB. Whereas the crop rotations were R1 = wheat-clover-potato; R2 = clover-wheat under sown lupine-potato; R3 = potato-clover-wheat; R4 = wheat under sown lupine-potato under sown lupine-wheat and R5 = lupine-potato under sown lupine-wheat. The rotation pattern of wheat-faba bean-potato and 1 t/ha FYM was also used as farmers' practice without the factorial combination. Data of plant height and grain yield of wheat; marketable and unmarketable yield of potato and fresh and dry biomass yield of clover were recorded to measure the agronomic performance of each crop. In addition, the cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil reaction (pH), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), soil organic carbon (SOC) and bulk density of experimental soil were analyzed and recorded following the standard methods before commencing and at the end of the experiment. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using General Linear Model (GLM) procedures. The experimental results showed that the types of preceding crops and the levels of organic treatments greatly influenced the performance of each crop and physico-chemical properties of experimental soil. The productivity of potato, wheat and clover showed incredible variation in response to the variation of the organic treatments and crop rotation patterns. The yields of potato, wheat, and clover increased three to four times in response to effective crop rotation patterns and organic treatments compared to their respective untreated controls. Similarly, the organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH, and bulk density of the experimental soil showed significant improvements with organic matter application and crop rotation. In general, maximum crop yield and soil quality improvement are obtained at the maximum level of organic treatments and sound rotation patterns. Hence it could be concluded that organic matter applications of 5 t/ha FYM + 2.5 t/ha FSB and the respective sound rotation pattern of each crop be viewed as alternative soil fertility management options at Awi climatic and soil conditions.

 

Author (s) Details

Agegnehu Shibabaw
Adet Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia.

 

Getachew Alemayehu
Bahir Dar University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Ethiopia.

 

Enyew Adgo
Bahir Dar University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Ethiopia.

 

Folkard Asch
University of Hohenheim, Germany.

 

Bernhard Freyer
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-48119-36-0

Recommended Carrot Production and Handling Practices| Chapter 10 | Emerging Issues in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 6

 The aim concerning this book chapter is to climax salient reward production and handling practices to supply some relevant news to farmers, land-service providers and other players along the carrot profit chain. The chapter is an profit of research that examined the contribution and bettering of cowpea-based Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) in carrot result in the Ashanti Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to propel reward production to sustainable levels. Carrot result is a widespread financial activity within the Municipality that supplies vegetables particularly carrot to additional urban centres such as Kumasi inside the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Carrot is a valued exotic salad in Ghana, mostly secondhand in combination with different vegetables in preparing soups, stews, salads and drinks. Demand for carrots thus, remains extreme especially in urban centres. A bigger constraint to carrot result is poor soil potency. Carrot farmers generally knowledge high production costs on account of inorganic manure application. The use of legumes such as cowpea for nitrogen obsession leading to soil fertility augmentation provides a practicable alternative for sustainable crop production. It is imagined that this book chapter will serve as a valuable citation material for actors near the carrot value chain in Ghana and different parts of the world.

Author(s) Details:

Listowell Aditwin Akologo,
Gbewaa College of Education, Box 157, Pusiga-Bawku, UE/R, Ghana.

Harrison Kwame Dapaah,
Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), Mampong Campus, A/R, Ghana.

Julius Yirzagla,
CSIR-SARI, Nyankpala, Ghana.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/EIAS-V6/article/view/11426

Determination of Adoption of Organic & AMP; Conventional Farming and Climatic Smart Agricultural Practises among Smallholder Farmers in NyaribariChache Sub-County, Kisii County, Kenya| Chapter 7 | Recent Progress in Plant and Soil Research Vol. 2

 Smallholder farmers are frequently affected by climatic changes. In NyaribariChache Sub-County, Kisii County, this study sought to determine the extent of adoption of various organic and conventional crop and soil management practises in farms, as well as assess the contribution of Climate Smart Agricultural strategies on adaptation to climate change among small holder farmers. A transect was established through each of the eight randomly selected sub-locations in the sub county and ten farms were sampled at an equidistance of one kilometre. A total of 80 farms were chosen at random from the Sub-County. The eighty farms were divided into two categories: organic and conventional.statistical tests and descriptive statistics In conventional methods, pesticide use accounted for the maximum percentage (60%) whereas mulching accounted for a reasonably high percentage (42%) in organic approaches. In conventional methods, the use of plastic covers was reported at the lowest percentage of 4%, while vermicomposting was not included. Organic methods were 3.33 points higher than conventional methods (95 percent CI [-9.37596, 16.04263]). Organic and conventional agricultural methods had a strong and unfavourable relationship (r = -0.069, p > 0.05). Appendix 1[(iii)] shows that there was no statistically significant difference between conventional and organic procedures (t5 = 0.674, p > 0.05). CSAPAppendix 1 [iv (b)] shows that Smallholder Farmers adopted was statistically significant (p0.005). Appendix 1 [v (b)] shows that determinants of smallholder farmers' choice of CSAP on adaptability to climatic fluctuations had a substantial impact on CSAP adoption (p0.005). Access to credit, insufficient extension services, poor education levels, and a lack of weather and climate statistics were the main roadblocks to CSAP adoption. These insights will help farmers and other stakeholders throughout the world enhance agricultural productivity. Farmers will be able to search for resources using this information.innovative solutions to the problem of extensive pesticide use in order to embrace organic farming for the agricultural sector's long-term sustainability Farmers should also be exposed to extension services, and data on climatic variations should be distributed quickly so that educated decisions can be made.

Author (s) Details

Nyamwamu N. Charles
Department of Agriculture, Mawego Technical Training Institute, P.O.Box 289 Oyugis, Kenya.



Onkundi, B. Elizabeth
Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Egerton University, P.O.Box 536, Njoro, Kenya.


View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/RPPSR-V2/article/view/2668

Research on the Resources Management and Risk Efficiency for Crop Rotation Systems in Sudan Gezira Scheme | Chapter 17 | Research and Development in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 3

 

Risk is an important factor in crop rotation systems and cropping system management studies. The
study uses stochastic simulation techniques and Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to Function
(SERF) to evaluate five crop rotations risk-efficiency and economic sustainability in Sudan Gezira
Scheme. Price and yield risk for five crops were simulated to calculate whole-scheme net return. The
analysis shows with the present irrigation system capacity 4 course rotation deal with potential at
upside level and is the most preferred at lower (ARAC). The 5 Course rotations (A) with 72% is most
risk efficiency followed by (B) with 53% land use intensity and mitigate risk at downside level. The 5
course rotations achieve water distribution equity and is the most risk efficient crop rotation at upper
(ARAC). The area allocated in 5 Course rotations (A) for cotton crop is 11%, wheat 34%, sorghum
41%, groundnut 11% and fodder crops 3%. Fodder can be grown two times in summer and winter
season without creating water shortage problems and add value to livestock products. However, this
will increase net return and increase soil fertilities within the selected crop rotation. The result also
shows that return pack to night storage irrigation system needs a risk premium of 36 Million (SDG)
and reduce return loss for farmers at tail end canals. The techniques used in this study could be used
with any distribution estimates for evaluation uncertain variables incorporated in crop rotation such as
new crop varieties and research recommendation packages. They also could be modified to account
for new information contribution during the decision process and account for dynamic effects and
policy adjustment and modification. In order to utilize stochastic simulation techniques the study use
data from farmer’s field, it is critical that there is enough information to characterize the distributions of
the uncertain variables. The distributions of uncertain variables in this analysis were estimated based
on historical data; however historical data distributions may not be the best representation of potential
outcomes. As a result, the techniques used in this study could be used with any distribution estimates
for the uncertain variables incorporating new crop varieties and research recommendation packages.

Author (s) Details

Kheiry Hassan M. Ishag
Dhofar Cattle Feed Company, P.O. Box 1220, PC 211, Sultanate of Oman.

View Book :- http://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/266