Broadleaved weed management in wheat with post-emergence herbicides under strip tillage system

Conventionally wheat is grown in well prepared land followed by 3-4 full tillage which carry out degradation of natural resources and contribute to an increased cost of cultivation. Adopting strip tillage (single shallow pass) technology in wheat reduces the expenditure on field preparation and saves more than 30-60% fuel and time as well as advances the sowing time compared to conventional tillage practices (Mahal et al., 2009). But, early season weed control is critical for successful strip-till production (Mitchell et al., 2009). Moreover, weed can cause grain yield reduction in wheat by 50-80% (Montazeri et al., 2005). Both grass and broadleaved weeds infest wheat, but heavy broadleaved weed infestation causes significant wheat yield reduction (Zand et al., 2007), deteriorates the quality of wheat resulting low market value and also causes obstruction in harvesting. Broadleaved weed control in wheat could be easy and convenient if appropriate post-emergence herbicide can apply. Therefore, the study had taken to evaluate the efficacy of available post-emergence herbicides to control broadleaved weeds and to select a number of efficient post-emergence herbicides under strip tillage system

Feasibility and financial viability study of an intensive mustard-mungbean-transplanted Aus Rice-transplanted Aman Rice cropping system in a non-saline ecosystem of Bangladeh

Even as Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress in food production, especially rice production, there is growing concern about how to feed its increasing population in the future since natural resources such as agricultural land and water are shrinking and undergoing degradation due to climate change. With the country’s limited agricultural land area, horizontal expansion from crop production is hardly possible; on the contrary’s vertical expansion is possible through increaser in crop yield per unit area and reduction of production losses. Such expansion is only possible in the non-saline coastal areas where overall cropping intensity is lower compared with other parts of the country. To test this hypothesis, an experiment was conducted in a non-saline coastal ecosystem of Bangladesh on 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 to evaluate the feasibility and financial viability of a four-crop-based cropping pattern, i.e., Mustard-Mungbean-T. Aus-T. Aman against the farmers’ three-crop-based pattern ‘Mustad-Dibbling Aus-T. Aman’. After 2 yr, it was observed that the improved cropping pattern produced 19.4 t ha-1 of rice equivalent yield compared to only 10.7 t ha-1 in the farmers’ cropping pattern. Land use efficiency and production efficiency in the improved cropping patterns were 94.3% and 36.8 kg ha-1 d-1, respectively, compared to only 79.7% and 28.3 kg ha-1 d-1 in the farmers; cropping pattern. Gross margin in the improved cropping pattern was 1914 US$ha-1 whereas it was 924 US$ ha-1 in the farmers’ cropping pattern. The marginal benefit cost ration of the four-crop-based cropping pattern was 2.38 over the farmers’ cropping pattern. In both patterns, there was negative apparent nutrient balance for K but positive balances for N and P. Based on productivity and economic returns, the study suggests that the improved four-crop-based cropping pattern is feasible and financially viable in the non-saline coastal zone of Bangladesh. These results will also have implications for the adjacent coastal ecosystems in India

Evaluation of the APSIM modeling cropping systems of Asia

Not AvailableResource shortages, driven by climatic, institutional and social changes in many regions of Asia, combined with growing imperatives to increase food production whilst ensuring environmental sustainability, are driving research into modified agricultural practices. Well-tested cropping systems Models that capture interactions between soil water and nutrient dynamics, crop growth, climate and farmer management can assist in the evaluation of such new agricultural practices. One such cropping systems model is the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM). We evaluated APSIM’s ability to simulate the performance of cropping systems in Asia from several perspectives: crop phenology, production, water use, soil dynamics (water and organic carbon) and crop CO2 response, as well as its ability to simulate cropping sequences without reset of soil variables. The evaluation was conducted over a diverse range of environments (12 countries, numerous soils), crops and management practices throughout the region. APSIM’s performance was statisticallyNot Availabl

Evaluation of the APSIM model in cropping systems of Asia

Resource shortages, driven by climatic, institutional and social changes in many regions of Asia, combined with growing imperatives to increase food production whilst ensuring environmental sustainability, are driving research into modified agricultural practices. Well-tested cropping systems models that capture interactions between soil water and nutrient dynamics, crop growth, climate and farmer management can assist in the evaluation of such new agricultural practices. One such cropping systems model is the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM). We evaluated APSIM's ability to simulate the performance of cropping systems in Asia from several perspectives: crop phenology, production, water use, soil dynamics (water and organic carbon) and crop CO response, as well as its ability to simulate cropping sequences without reset of soil variables. The evaluation was conducted over a diverse range of environments (12 countries, numerous soils), crops and management practices throughout the region. APSIM's performance was statistically assessed against assembled replicated experimental datasets. Once properly parameterised, the model performed well in simulating the diversity of cropping systems to which it was applied with RMSEs generally less than observed experimental standard deviations (indicating robust model performance), and with particular strength in simulation of multi-crop sequences. Input parameter estimation challenges were encountered, and although ‘work-arounds’ were developed and described, in some cases these actually represent model deficiencies which need to be addressed. Desirable future improvements have been identified to better position APSIM as a useful tool for Asian cropping systems research into the future. These include aspects related to harsh environments (high temperatures, diffuse light conditions, salinity, and submergence), conservation agriculture, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as aspects more specific to Southern Asia and low input systems (such as deficiencies in soil micro-nutrients)