Biomass yield - final

Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 2021

The present work aims to determine the effect of land configurations and Pongamia pinnata mulch on soil moisture content and yield of yellow sorghum during kharif, 2018-19 on sandy clay loam soils of Hyderabad. The experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. The treatments included land configurations (Flatbed, Ridge and furrow, Broad bed and furrow, Flatbed + Mulch, Ridge and Furrow + Mulch, Broad bed and furrow + Mulch) and yellow sorghum genotypes (PYPS 101, PYPS 102, PYPS 103 and PYPS 104). Mulch used in this investigation was Pongamia leaf mulch applied @ 6 t ha-1 uniformly at 20 DAS. Soil moisture played a vital role in increasing crop yields in the rainfed regions of the semi-arid tropics. During most crop growth stages, the availability of soil water was increased by Broad bed and furrow + mulch, resulting in increased grain yield by 37 % (1701 kg ha-1) of yellow sorghum over...

Research, Society and Development, 2020

Sorghum culture highlighted in animal nutrition because it allows its cultivation of green conservation as silage. This study aimed to evaluate the divergence of agronomic and productive characteristics of 32 sorghum cultivars in the semiarid region. The randomized block design with three replications was used. It was evaluated the dry matter percentage (DM), fresh matter production (FMP) and dry matter production (DMP); stem proportion, panicle, and leaf blade in the plant DM; plant height, nº plants ha-1, stem diameter, leaf number, leaves and panicles length; rain use efficiency (RUE) in kg MS ha-1 mm-1, and water accumulation (WA) in kg ha-1 and kg ha-1 mm-1. The data were analyzed using the Scott-Knott procedure at a 5% significance level. The FMP and DMP showed the formation of two distinct groups, which may be crucial in choosing a more productive cultivar. Moreover, cultivar 17 stood out for presenting high leaf blade participation while cultivars 9, 19, 23, 24, and 32 in pa...

Heliyon

Rainwater harvesting practices are increasingly gaining recognition as viable adaptation strategies to overcome rainfall variability caused by climate change in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe. A meta-analysis was conducted to provide a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of biophysical conditions (rainfall, soil texture, N fertility, mulch) under which basins, rippers, and tied ridges affected sorghum yields in semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe. Rainfall amount (<600 mm, 600-1000 mm), soil texture (20 % clay, 20-35 % clay), mulch (basin þ mulch, ripper þ mulch, tied ridges þ mulch), and fertility (0-30 kg N/ha, 30-100 kg N/ha) were used to evaluate the response of sorghum grain yield to rainwater harvesting practices. Grain yield response was compared to the control (conventional practice) using the weighted mean yield difference approach. The results showed comparable sorghum grain yields in all the rainwater harvesting practices across the biophysical conditions, except under rainfall and soil textural classes. Tied ridges had a significant (p < 0.05) negative sorghum grain yield response (À0.25 t/ha) under <600 mm of rainfall, while ripper planting resulted in a substantial negative grain yield response (À0.32 t/ ha) under 600-1000 mm of rainfall. Ripper planting reduced grain yield significantly (p < 0.05) (À1.06 t/ha) in soils with 20-35% clay. The results suggest that basins, rippers, and tied ridges did not improve sorghum grain yield across all agronomic conditions.

Revista Caatinga

Researches evaluating the use of mulch has contributing to optimize soil management towards sustainability, and improving soil quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of mulching on the reduction of erosion in a soil with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) crops subjected to simulated rainfall and increased soil organic carbon. The experiment was carried out from August to December 2013 under field conditions, using a randomized block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of sorghum with mulch, using the local vegetation available in the area; and sorghum without mulch. Simulated rainfalls were performed in three different periods of the crop cycle (initial, intermediate, and final), using a rainfall simulator. The use of mulch in soils with sorghum crops was efficient in improving soil water retention in all phases of the crop, and maintaining soil moisture during the rainfall intervals used, resulting in the absence of plant water lo...

1997

Water and nutrients are the main limiting factors to sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) production in the Sahel. Our objective was to quantify the interactions of irrigation, mulch and N on sorghum yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in Sahelian agroecosystems. Sorghum was grown in eight management systems as a factorial arrangement of irrigation (none and 125 mm), mulch (none and 12 Mg ha 1) and N (none and 50 kg ha 1) on an Ustifluvent in Niger (13 17 0 N, 7 3 0 E). Rainfall during the growth period of sorghum was 283 mm with an unfavorable distribution causing three dry spells. Irrigation and mulch induced more intensive root growth at the soil surface. Irrigation increased root density by 52% when N was applied. Few and small differences in sorghum height and leaf area index (LAI) among sorghum management systems indicated little influence of these crop properties on the water balance. Irrigation, mulch and nitrogen as sole amendments increased biomass by 55%, 20% and 30%, respectively. Averaged across the sorghum management systems, grain yield was increased by 41%, 17% and 20% by irrigation, mulch and N, respectively. This study showed that in a Sahelian agroecosystem, nitrogen as a sole amendment increased water use efficiency of sorghum by 21%. Mulch reduced evaporation from soil by 28% in both dryland and irrigated treatments, but not all of the saved water was subsequently transpired by the crop. Irrigation improved water use efficiency by 9 to 40% but did not greatly increase the total transpired water.

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 1991

A comparison of moistureconserving practices for the traditional sorghum-based cropping system of the Bay Region, in Somalia. Agric. Ecosystems Environ., 36: 87-99. Four practices for conserving and better utilising soil moisture were examined in the principal sorghum-growing region of Somalia. Even in an above-average wet season, the practice ofbunding (a temporary network of earth banks) raised the total dry matter yield of the local sorghum cultivar from 4412 to 6007 kg ha-~ and its grain yield from 898 to 1103 kgha-~. Another traditional practice, intercropping sorghum with a low density of cowpea, increased the land equivalent ratio by 10-30% despite marginal reductions in the yields of the component crops. Incorporating sorghum stover into the soil at the end of one season raised the next season's seed yield of sorghum from 403 to 551 kg ha-~ and of mungbean from 247 to 343 kg ha-~. When compared with continuous sorghum cropping, a clean fallow break in one season-storing moisture for the next-did not increase the subsequent yield of local sorghum, but increased peanut nut-in-shell yields from 333 to 604 kg ha-~ at an unfertilised farm site and from 562 to 973 kg ha-~ when phosphorus was applied. New systems that increase the availability of moisture and of the principal limiting nutrient, phosphorus, would lead to substantial human benefits.

Scientific reports, 2017

Yield-phenology relation is a critical issue affecting rainfed maize field productivity in semiarid east African Plateau (EAP). We first introduced Chinese ridge-furrow mulching (RFM) system to EAP, using three maize cultivars with early-, mid- and late-maturing traits as test materials. A two-year field experiment was conducted in a semiarid farm of Kenya from 2012 to 2013. Three treatments were designed: alternative ridge and furrow with transparent plastic mulching (FT), with black plastic mulching (FB) and without mulching (CK). We found that FT and FB significantly increased soil moisture and accelerated crop maturity across two growing seasons. Leaf area and shoot biomass were increased by 30.2% and 67.5% in FT, 35.2% and 73.5% in FB, respectively, compared with CK. Grain yield, water use efficiency and economic output were increased by 55.6%, 57.5% and 26.7% in FT, and 50.8%, 53.3% and 19.8% in FB, respectively. Optimal yield and economic benefit were observed in late-maturin...

Water, 2021

Water scarcity and changing rainfall distribution have caused uncertainties in relation to agricultural production in semiarid areas. In this context, water reuse for irrigation is a promising alternative, although requiring irrigation and agricultural management. Production of forage plants is strategic for semiarid areas due to their high tolerance to stresses and use as animal fodder. The objective of this work was to evaluate the combined performance of treated wastewater irrigation and mulching on forage sorghum and on soil attributes in Northeast Brazil. Sorghum was cropped in November 2018, three months before the beginning of the hydrologic year, and cultivated over three cycles until April 2019. The experiment was designed with five irrigation depths (60%, 80%, 100%, 120%, and 140% of crop evapotranspiration), and with four soil cover conditions (0% (witness), soil covered with native vegetation, with coconut coir, and with macerated moringa seeds), adopting four replicatio...

A field trail was carried out to evaluate the effect of different tillage and mulching practices on grain yield of sorghum and soil fertility. The experiment was comprised of three tillage practices i.e.T1= zero tillage (ZT) (direct seed sowing with manual drill), T2= reduced tillage (RT) (one cultivation followed by planking) and T3= conventional tillage(CT) (three cultivation followed by planking) in main plots and three mulching practices i.e.no mulch application (control) (M1), poultry manure mulch (M2) and wheat straw mulch (M3) at the rates of 0,10 and 7.5 tones ha -1 respectively in sub-plots. Tillage affected all physiochemical soil properties except soil pH and organic matter. Mulch had a significant on soil ph, EC, organic matter, bulk density and soil NPK.. Among all mulching practices poultry manure mulch was found superior in improving soil fertility and grain yield.Tillage affected grain yield and maximum grain yield was recorded in conventional tillage (2.75 t ha -1 ) followed by minimum tillage (2.62 t ha -1 ) and zero tillage (2.11 t ha -1 ). Mulch also affected grain yield, maximum was recorded in poultry manure (2.50 t ha -1 ) and minimum where no mulch (2.48 t ha -1 ) was applied. It can be concluded that reduced tillage operations and poultry manure mulching is suitable for improving soil properties and grain yield of sorghum.

A field experiment was carried out in Maiduguri in the semi-arid region of North eastern Nigeria during the 2007 cropping season. The aim of the experiment was to compare the performance of some sorghum cultivars ('Masakwa', 'BOSADP', 'Kilburi', 'Chakalare white', 'Chakalare brown', 'Jigari' and 'Kafimoro') under rainfall conditions. Treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications each. Significant difference existed among the cultivars with respect to most of their quantitative traits evaluated. 'Chakalare white' and 'Chakalare brown' resulted in the highest grain yield, although they matured late. 'Masakwa' yield the least and also matured late. However, cultivars 'BOSADP' and 'Jigari' matured early and resulted in relatively higher grain yields even though not as high as 'Chakalare brown and Chakalare white'. Our study indicates that 'Masakwa' sorghum, which is predominantly grown only during dry periods under residual moisture on vertisols can in fact be grown on sandy soils under rainfall conditions. This is a preliminary study and a continuous and broader evaluation will be undertaken before a particular breeding strategy is undertaken.