Heterogeneous and conditional returns from DT maize for farmers in Southern Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A Paul
Keyword(s):  
Maize Yield ◽  
Relative Advantage ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Precipitation Data ◽  
Conditional Quantile ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Moderate Drought ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Yield Trials

Abstract This paper assesses the relative advantage of drought-tolerant (DT) maize, conditional on drought severity, using an unbalanced panel of 4 years of on-farm yield trials and high-resolution precipitation data (10-day measurements at a 0.05° resolution) in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Under rain-fed conditions, DT maize yield exceeds that of other varieties: 7 per cent higher yields on average and 15 per cent higher yields under moderate drought stress. While this contrasts with higher estimates measured in controlled trials, it nonetheless represents an economically significant advantage. This study further measures heterogeneity in the relative advantage conditional using conditional quantile analysis.

scholarly journals Binamasur-10, the first drought tolerant lentil variety registered in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-262
Author(s):  
Snigdha Roy ◽  
Dinesh Chandra Roy ◽  
Md Mahmud Al Noor ◽  
Shampa Rani Ghosh ◽  
Farid Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Exotic Germplasm ◽  
Seed Setting ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Yield Trial ◽  
Check Variety ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Yield Trials

from International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) including some advanced lines from Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture in 2006. During Preliminary Yield Trial, the genotype LG-208 produced 18.62% and 29.47% higher seed yield than the check variety BARI Masur-5 at Ishurdi and Magura respectively. Through advanced yield trials, regional yield trials, on-station and on-farm trials from 2010-11 to 2015-16, it was found that exotic germplasm LG-208 showed better performance than check (BARI Masur-5). Genotype LG-208 had significantly highest seed setting and harvest index under 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) induced drought and considered as the drought tolerant which showed similar performance with field trials in drought-prone areas (Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi). Based on the superior performance of exotic germplasm LG-208 line, BINA has decided with the National Seed Board (NSB) of Bangladesh to register this line as a high yielding drought tolerant lentil variety, named as Binamasur-10 in 2016. Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.6(2): 253-262, August 2019

scholarly journals Identifying maize yield and precipitation gaps in Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Epule Epule ◽  
Driss Dhiba ◽  
Daniel Etongo ◽  
Changhui Peng ◽  
Laurent Lepage
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Maize Yield ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Bank Group ◽  
Precipitation Data ◽  
Yield Data ◽  
Yield Gaps ◽  
Maize Yields ◽  
Growing Season Precipitation

AbstractIn sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), precipitation is an important driver of agricultural production. In Uganda, maize production is essentially rain-fed. However, due to changes in climate, projected maize yield targets have not often been met as actual observed maize yields are often below simulated/projected yields. This outcome has often been attributed to parallel gaps in precipitation. This study aims at identifying maize yield and precipitation gaps in Uganda for the period 1998–2017. Time series historical actual observed maize yield data (hg/ha/year) for the period 1998–2017 were collected from FAOSTAT. Actual observed maize growing season precipitation data were also collected from the climate portal of World Bank Group for the period 1998–2017. The simulated or projected maize yield data and the simulated or projected growing season precipitation data were simulated using a simple linear regression approach. The actual maize yield and actual growing season precipitation data were now compared with the simulated maize yield data and simulated growing season precipitation to establish the yield gaps. The results show that three key periods of maize yield gaps were observed (period one: 1998, period two: 2004–2007 and period three: 2015–2017) with parallel precipitation gaps. However, in the entire series (1998–2017), the years 2008–2009 had no yield gaps yet, precipitation gaps were observed. This implies that precipitation is not the only driver of maize yields in Uganda. In fact, this is supported by a low correlation between precipitation gaps and maize yield gaps of about 6.3%. For a better understanding of cropping systems in SSA, other potential drivers of maize yield gaps in Uganda such as soils, farm inputs, crop pests and diseases, high yielding varieties, literacy, and poverty levels should be considered.

scholarly journals Mitigating Striga hermonthica parasitism and damage in maize using soybean rotation, nitrogen application, and Striga-resistant varieties in the Nigerian savannas

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 620-632
Author(s):  
Alpha Y. Kamara ◽  
Abebe Menkir ◽  
David Chikoye ◽  
Abdullahi I. Tofa ◽  
Aminu A. Fagge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Management ◽  
Maize Yield ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Nitrogen Application ◽  
N Application ◽  
Resistant Varieties ◽  
Moisture Deficit ◽  
Maize Varieties ◽  
Control Technologies ◽  
On Farm

AbstractStriga hermonthica infestation causes significant losses of maize yield in the Nigerian savannas and several technologies have been developed and promoted to control Striga in maize. However, since no single technology has been found to be effective against Striga, integrated management is needed to achieve satisfactory and sustainable Striga control. Both on-station and on-farm trials were undertaken from 2013 to 2015 in Bauchi and Kano States of Nigeria to evaluate the performance of integrated Striga control technologies. In the on-station trials, a soybean–maize rotation did not suppress Striga in maize in either location. However, nitrogen application suppressed and reduced Striga infection, except in Bauchi in 2014. The soybean–maize rotation accompanied by N application reduced Striga damage in both locations. On farmers’ fields, rotating soybean with maize significantly reduced Striga infection. At the same time, the use of maize varieties with a combined tolerance to drought and resistance to Striga parasitism also increased maize grain yield on farmers’ fields, probably due to three factors: a reduction in Striga infection, reduced effects of a mid-season moisture deficit, and increased uptake of nutrients from the soil. We concluded that the use of Striga-resistant maize varieties in combination with the application of N fertilizer and rotation with soybean could increase the productivity of maize in Striga-infested fields in the Nigerian savannas.

scholarly journals Monitoring Hydrometeorological Droughts Using a Simplified Precipitation Index

Climate ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah A. Alsumaiei
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Precipitation Index ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Data Normalization ◽  
Precipitation Data ◽  
Hydrological Data ◽  
Groundwater Drought ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Water Management Plans ◽  
The Impact

Efficient water management plans should rely on quantitative metrics for assessing water resource shortage scenarios. This study develops a simplified precipitation index (PI) requiring precipitation data only in order to assess hydrometeorological droughts affecting various hydrological systems. The PI index is inspired by the famous Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and it aims to provide the same indication for drought severity and duration while overcoming the disadvantage of needing hydrological data normalization. Avoiding hydrological data normalization overcomes the non-satisfactory results of this procedure that were reported in previous studies. Analysis of groundwater drought drivers in the arid region of Kuwait is presented to test the index applicability at timescales 12 and 24 months using available historical precipitation data from 1958 to 2017. A bivariate joint probability analysis was conducted by Clayton copula to assess the occurrence of certain drought severities and durations. The results showed that PI is comparable to the original SPI and provides drought severity linearly propagating with respect to time. This index constitutes a simple means to help water managers assess and describe the impact of droughts in precipitation-controlled systems and establish appropriate water management plans.

Real-time on-farm yield trials powered by open-source: connecting ISOBlue, OADA, and the Trials Tracker App

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Noel ◽  
Aaron Ault ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Alex Layton ◽  
Andrew Balmos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Real Time ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Yield Trials

Large contribution from anthropogenic warming to an emerging North American megadrought

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 368 (6488) ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Park Williams ◽  
Edward R. Cook ◽  
Jason E. Smerdon ◽  
Benjamin I. Cook ◽  
John T. Abatzoglou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
North America ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Hydrological Modeling ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Large Contribution ◽  
Moderate Drought

Severe and persistent 21st-century drought in southwestern North America (SWNA) motivates comparisons to medieval megadroughts and questions about the role of anthropogenic climate change. We use hydrological modeling and new 1200-year tree-ring reconstructions of summer soil moisture to demonstrate that the 2000–2018 SWNA drought was the second driest 19-year period since 800 CE, exceeded only by a late-1500s megadrought. The megadrought-like trajectory of 2000–2018 soil moisture was driven by natural variability superimposed on drying due to anthropogenic warming. Anthropogenic trends in temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation estimated from 31 climate models account for 46% (model interquartiles of 34 to 103%) of the 2000–2018 drought severity, pushing an otherwise moderate drought onto a trajectory comparable to the worst SWNA megadroughts since 800 CE.

Spatio-temporal changes of drought in Romania (1961-2015), according to atmospheric circulation types and teleconnection indices

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radu-Vlad Dobri ◽  
Liviu Apostol ◽  
Lucian Sfîcă ◽  
Simona Țîmpu ◽  
Ion-Andrei Niță
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Standardized Precipitation Index ◽  
Atmospheric Precipitation ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Extreme Drought ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Circulation Types ◽  
Teleconnection Indices ◽  
Moderate Drought

<p>Drought can be determined by climatic conditions (atmospheric precipitation, water supply from soil accessible to the plant, moisture and air temperature and wind speed) but is also induced by environmental aspects some of them related to anthropogenic influences.</p><p>In order to monitor the drought and its impact for Romania, four indices were analyzed in the present study (SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index), PNI (Percent of Normal Index), DI (Deciles index), and ZSI (Z-score Index)), through Meteorological Drought Monitoring software, using the total daily amount of precipitation for 27 weather stations in Romania, of which 22 stations for the period 1961-2015, 4 stations for the period 1961-2000 and one station for the period 1964-2015.</p><p>Preliminary analyzes resulting from the use of these indices were correlated with 18 GWT (Großwettertypen) atmospheric circulation types of daily mean sea level pressure (SLP). This was done using COST733 class software to evaluate the influence of large-scale mechanisms of atmospheric circulation. Also, four teleconnection indices were used, more exactly AO (Arctic Oscillation), NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation), PNA (Pacific-North American Pattern) and AAO (Antarctic Oscillation) that are recognized for their effect on climatic conditions at European scale,  <br>provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Climate Prediction Center.</p><p>Therefore, according to the types of circulation, the amount of precipitation produced in certain areas and implicitly the degree of drought severity is influenced. The types of anticyclonal circulation 13, 16 or 18, for example, which occur on average in 46 (12.7%), 14 (3.9%) , respectively 20 (5.4%) days a year, cause less precipitation as known, compared to the types of cyclonal circulation 1, 2 or 17 for example with an average of 12 (3.2%), 12 (3.2%), respectively 19 (4.3%) days a year.</p><p>In terms of drought analysis indices, according to SPI, the entire analysis interval for Iasi, located in the northeast region of Romania, was 6 years of "moderately dry", 5 years of "severely dry", and one year of "extremely dry", unlike Cluj, located in the central western region, with two years of "moderately dry", 3 years of "severely dry" and two years of "extremely dry". In Bucharest, located in the southern region of Romania there were 4 "moderately dry" years and 5 "severely dry" years. In Iasi, according to the ZSI index with the same classifications as the SPI index, there were 3 "moderately drought" years, 7 "severely drought" years and 7 "extreme drought" years, while in Cluj there were 9, 3 and respectively 6 years and in Bucharest 7, 5 and respectively 6 years with the above classification.</p><p>According to the PNI index, there were 5 "moderate drought" years in Iasi and Cluj and 6 "moderate drought" years in Bucharest. Also, there were 9 "weak drought" years in Iasi, 3 in Cluj and 5 in Bucharest.</p><p>And last but not least, according to the DI index, at all 3 stations there were 5 "extreme drought" years, 6 "severe drought" years and 5 "moderate drought" years.</p>

Profitability of On-Farm Precipitation Data for Nitrogen Management Based on Crop Simulation

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monte O'Neal ◽  
Jane R. Frankenberger ◽  
Daniel R. Ess ◽  
James M. Lowenberg-Deboer
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Management ◽  
Precipitation Data ◽  
Crop Simulation ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals Development and Release of Two Mid-Late Maturing Maize Hybrids for the Highland Agro-Ecologies of Uganda

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-124
Author(s):  
Frank Kagoda ◽  
Daniel B. Kwemoi ◽  
Lawrence Owere ◽  
Mildred Ochwo-Ssemakula ◽  
Godfrey Asea
Keyword(s):  
Maize Yield ◽  
Inbred Lines ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Input Use ◽  
Cropping Season ◽  
Maize Genotypes ◽  
Single Cross ◽  
Highland Maize ◽  
Yield Trials ◽  
Single Cross Hybrids

The maize yield in the highland areas of Uganda (1500 to 3000 masl), rarely exceeding 2 t ha-1. The use of unimproved maize genotypes, the prevalence of pests and diseases, and low levels of input use has tremendously contributed to the low grain yields.  Accordingly, we obtained 100 maize inbred lines majorly from CIMMYT in the year 2013. The inbred lines were evaluated for adaptability and those selected were intercrossed to generate 80 single cross hybrids by January 2015. The 80 single cross hybrids were evaluated in preliminary yield trials in three sites namely, Kachwekano, Kalengyere and Buginyanya in 2015a season. The best combiners were crossed with the selected males to obtain 122 three-way cross hybrids. These were evaluated for adaptability in advanced yield trials in 2016a in Kachwekano, Kalengyere and Bukwo, from where the best five hybrids (BH33, BH31, BH27, BH104 and BH38) were selected for National Performance Trials (NPT)  in 2016b and 2017a seasons in Bukwo, Buginyanya, Zombo, Fort portal and Kalengere. Two candidate varieties namely BH31 and BH33 exhibited good agronomic qualities such as earlier maturity, tolerance to MLN and other diseases. The selected hybrids yielded 8.2 t ha-1 and 7.2 t ha-1 for BH31 and BH33, respectively. The two varieties are appropriate for cultivation in major highland and transitional maize growing regions in Uganda and were subsequently released as NAROMAIZE 731 and NAROMAIZE 733, respectively. The newly released varieties are expected to reduce the highland maize cropping season from over six months to five months.

scholarly journals Effects of Soil Amendment With Wood Ash on Transpiration, Growth, and Metal Uptake in Two Contrasting Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids to Drought Tolerance

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Romdhane ◽  
Leonard Barnabas Ebinezer ◽  
Anna Panozzo ◽  
Giuseppe Barion ◽  
Cristian Dal Cortivo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Root Growth ◽  
Soil Amendment ◽  
Mineral Elements ◽  
Wood Ash ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Leaf Transpiration ◽  
Top Soil

Wood ash as a soil amendment has gained wide spread acceptance in the recent years as a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, although information regarding the effects of its application on maize growth and yield in the context of climate change and increasing drought severity is lacking till date. In the present study, field and pot trials were carried out at the experimental farm of the University of Padova at Legnaro (NE Italy) in a silty-loam soil in order to investigate the effects of soil amendment with wood ash (0.1% w/w, incorporated into the 0.2-m top soil) on the bioavailability of mineral elements and their uptake by maize. Characteristics analyzed included plant growth, leaf transpiration dynamics, and productivity in two contrasting hybrids, P1921 (drought sensitive) and D24 (drought tolerant). Wood ash contained relevant amounts of Ca, K, Mg, P, and S, and hazardous levels of Zn (732 mg kg−1), Pb (527 mg kg−1), and Cu (129 mg kg−1), although no significant changes in total soil element concentration, pH, and electrical conductivity were detected in open field. Ash application led to a general increasing trend of diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA)-extractable of various elements, bringing to higher grain P in D24 hybrid, and Zn and Ni reductions in P1921 hybrid. Here, the results demonstrated that ash amendment enhanced shoot growth and the number of leaves, causing a reduction of harvest index, without affecting grain yield in both hybrids. The most relevant result was a retarded inhibition of leaf transpiration under artificial progressive water stress, particularly in the drought-tolerant D24 hybrid that could be sustained by root growth improvements in the field across the whole 0–1.5 m soil profile in D24, and in the amended top soil in P1921. It is concluded that woody ash can be profitably exploited in maize fertilization for enhancing shoot and root growth and drought tolerance, thanks to morphological and physiological improvements, although major benefits are expected to be achieved in drought tolerant hybrids. Attention should be payed when using ash derived by metal contaminated wood stocks to avoid any health risk in food uses.

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