scholarly journals Incorporating Water Harvesting into Plasticulture Production of Muskmelon

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank J. Dainello ◽  
Larry Stein ◽  
Guy Fipps ◽  
Kenneth White
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
Harvesting Technique ◽  
Marketable Fruit

Competition for limited water supplies is increasing world wide. Especially hard hit are the irrigated crop production regions, such as the Lower Rio Grande Valley and the Winter Garden areas of south Texas. To develop production techniques for reducing supplemental water needs of vegetable crops, an ancient water harvesting technique called rainfall capture was adapted to contemporary, large scale irrigated muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus L.) production systems. The rainfall capture system developed consisted of plastic mulched miniature water catchments located on raised seed beds. This system was compared with conventional dry land and irrigated melon production. Rainfall capture resulted in 108% average yield increase over the conventional dry land technique. When compared with conventional furrow irrigation, rainfall capture increased marketable muskmelon yield as much as 5355 lb/acre (6000 kg·ha-1). As anticipated,the drip irrigation/plastic mulch system exceeded rainfall capture in total and marketable fruit yield. The results of this study suggest that rainfall capture can reduce total supplemental water use in muskmelon production. The major benefit of the rainfall capture system is believed to be in its ability to eliminate or decrease irrigation water needed to fill the soil profile before planting.

scholarly journals Barriers and bridges to the adoption of biodegradable plastic mulches for US specialty crop production

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Goldberger ◽  
Robert Emmet Jones ◽  
Carol A. Miles ◽  
Russell W. Wallace ◽  
Debra A. Inglis
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Biodegradable Plastic ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Polyethylene Mulch

AbstractCommercial farmers have been using polyethylene plastic mulch since the 1950s. Despite the affordability and effectiveness of polyethylene mulch, the disposal process is financially and environmentally costly. Biodegradable plastic mulches, an ecologically sustainable alternative to polyethylene mulch films, were introduced in the 1980s. Biodegradable plastic mulches can be tilled into the soil or composted at the end of the season, reducing the labor and environmental costs associated with plastic removal and disposal. However, research results are mixed as to the effectiveness, degradability and ease-of-use of biodegradable plastic mulches. In 2008–2012, researchers, funded by a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant, conducted surveys and focus groups in three different agricultural regions of the USA to better understand the barriers and bridges to the adoption of biodegradable plastic mulches for specialty crop production systems. Data on the experiences and views of specialty crop growers, agricultural extension agents, agricultural input suppliers, mulch manufacturers and other stakeholders showed that the major adoption barriers were insufficient knowledge, high cost and unpredictable breakdown. The major bridges to adoption were reduced waste, environmental benefits and interest in further learning. These findings are discussed with reference to the classic innovation diffusion model, specifically work on the innovation–decision process and the attributes of innovations. The study results can be used to guide the activities of those involved in the design, development and promotion of biodegradable plastic mulches for US specialty crop production systems.

scholarly journals Determination of critical pH and Al concentration of acidic Ultisols for wheat and canola crops

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaha-Al Baquy ◽  
Jiu-Yu Li ◽  
Chen-Yang Xu ◽  
Khalid Mehmood ◽  
Ren-Kou Xu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Ph ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Hydrated Lime ◽  
Dry Land

Abstract. Soil acidity has become a serious constraint in dry land crop production systems of acidic Ultisols in tropical and subtropical regions of southern China, where winter wheat and canola are cultivated as important rotational crops. Regardless of other common existing concerns in acidic Ultisols of southern China, it needs to be investigated whether soil acidity has any effect on wheat and canola growth. There is little information on the determination of critical soil pH as well as aluminium (Al) concentration for wheat and canola crops. The objective of this study was to determine the critical soil pH and exchangeable aluminium concentration (AlKCl) for wheat and canola production. Two pot cultures with two Ultisols from Hunan and Anhui were conducted for wheat and canola crops in a controlled growth chamber, with a completely randomized design. A soil pH gradient ranging from 3.7 (Hunan) and 3.97 (Anhui) to 6.5, with three replications, was used as a treatment. Aluminium sulfate (Al2(SO4)3) and hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) were used to obtain the target soil pH levels. Plant height, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, and chlorophyll content (SPAD value) of wheat and canola were adversely affected by soil acidity in both locations. The critical soil pH and AlKCl of the Ultisol from Hunan for wheat were 5.29 and 0.56 cmol kg−1, respectively. At Anhui, the threshold soil pH and AlKCl for wheat were 4.66 and 2.36 cmol kg−1, respectively. On the other hand, the critical soil pH for canola was 5.65 and 4.87 for the Ultisols from Hunan and Anhui, respectively. The critical soil exchangeable Al for canola cannot be determined from the experiment of this study. The results suggested that the critical soil pH and AlKCl varied between different locations for the same variety of crop, due to the different soil types and their other soil chemical properties. The critical soil pH for canola was higher than that for wheat for both Ultisols, thus canola was more sensitive to soil acidity. Therefore, we recommend that liming should be undertaken to increase soil pH if it falls below these critical soil pH levels for wheat and canola production.

Herbicide Inputs for a New Agronomic Crop, Annual Wormwood (Artemisia annua)

1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles T. Bryson ◽  
Edward M. Croom
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Artemisia Annua ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Herbicide Treatments ◽  
Large Scale Cultivation

Annual wormwood has been cultivated on a small scale for production of the artemisinin class of antimalarial drugs in sufficient quantities for preclinical and clinical trials. Large scale cultivation will require a reliable, efficient crop production system. Production systems using 32 herbicides alone or in combinations were evaluated in growth chamber, greenhouse, and field experiments at Stoneville, MS from 1985 through 1988. The herbicide treatments that provided the best weed control were (A) metolachlor at 2.2 kg ai ha-1preemergence (PRE), (B) chloramben at 2.2 kg ai ha-1(PRE), or (C) trifluralin at 0.6 kg ai ha-1preplant soil incorporated (PPI) followed by fluazifop at 0.2 + 0.2 kg ai ha-1postemergence broadcast (POST) and acifluorfen at 0.6 kg ai ha-1(POST). These herbicide production systems provided excellent weed control (≥85%) and minimal crop injury (≤10%) with no effect on crop height or weight at harvest. Production of artemisinin was not reduced by herbicide treatments A, B, and C in 1987 and treatments B and C in 1988 when compared with the hand-weeded plots.

scholarly journals Large Scale Demo Plot Trial Project of Potash Fertilization for Increased Yield and Profitability for Smallholder Soybean Fields in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-170
Author(s):  
Joachim B. Nachmansohn ◽  
Patricia Imas ◽  
Surinder K. Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Soil Testing ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
K Fertilization

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, in spite of concerned efforts towards industrialization in the last three decades. Therefore, the soil quality and fertility are the major factors in crop production. Declining soil fertility is one of the primary factors that directly affect crop productivity, and fertilizer-use is a key factor in order to keep soil fertility and productivity. A major factor in declining soil fertility is potassium (K) depletion, especially on smallholder farms where fertilization decisions are not based on regular soil testing. Most of the smallholder soybean producers do not have access and investment capacity to soil testing services. Therefore, there is a need to create K fertilizer recommendations based on empirically verified knowledge at India-specific scale. Such large-scale studies, in local filed conditions, are currently lacking. In order to bridge this gap, and generate proven set of directly applicable recommendations, a large-scale plot trial was launched; the Potash for Life (PFL) project. The study evaluated the K response in soybean when fertilizing with potash on K depleted soils in local variable field conditions. The aim was to (1) evaluate the effect and response consistency of K application on soybean yield, (2) to demonstrate to farmers the increased yield and profitability from K-inclusive fertilization regimes for this crop and give recommendations for transient yield increase, and (3) to raise the awareness among smallholder farmers about the importance of K fertilization. A comprehensive experiment was carried out in Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) and Maharashtra. The methodology was straight-forward; two identical plots side by side, with the only difference that one of them was fertilized with additional potash. The results showed a significant yield increase response from the potash application; the average yield increase was 244 kg ha-1 or 26 % in M.P., and 105 kg ha-1 or 36 % in Maharashtra. This entailed an average additional net profit of ₹ 6,681 INR ha-1 and ₹ 2,544 INR ha-1, in M.P. and Maharashtra respectively. It was concluded that the soil status of plant available K is significantly lower than the plant demand for soybean production in the two states, Consequently, K fertilization is necessary in order to improve agricultural practices and optimizing yields. Ultimately, following recommendations given in this study would allow farmers to generate additional profit, which could further allow them to invest in fine-tuning fertilizer practices through the means of soil testing.

scholarly journals Switching to nanonutrients for sustaining agroecosystems and environment: the challenges and benefits in moving up from ionic to particle feeding

2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj ◽  
Geeta Arya ◽  
Raj Kumar ◽  
Lamy Hamed ◽  
Hadi Pirasteh-Anosheh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Agricultural Enterprise

AbstractThe worldwide agricultural enterprise is facing immense pressure to intensify to feed the world’s increasing population while the resources are dwindling. Fertilizers which are deemed as indispensable inputs for food, fodder, and fuel production now also represent the dark side of the intensive food production system. With most crop production systems focused on increasing the quantity of produce, indiscriminate use of fertilizers has created havoc for the environment and damaged the fiber of the biogeosphere. Deteriorated nutritional quality of food and contribution to impaired ecosystem services are the major limiting factors in the further growth of the fertilizer sector. Nanotechnology in agriculture has come up as a better and seemingly sustainable solution to meet production targets as well as maintaining the environmental quality by use of less quantity of raw materials and active ingredients, increased nutrient use-efficiency by plants, and decreased environmental losses of nutrients. However, the use of nanofertilizers has so far been limited largely to controlled environments of laboratories, greenhouses, and institutional research experiments; production and availability on large scale are still lagging yet catching up fast. Despite perceivable advantages, the use of nanofertilizers is many times debated for adoption at a large scale. The scenario is gradually changing, worldwide, towards the use of nanofertilizers, especially macronutrients like nitrogen (e.g. market release of nano-urea to replace conventional urea in South Asia), to arrest environmental degradation and uphold vital ecosystem services which are in critical condition. This review offers a discussion on the purpose with which the nanofertilizers took shape, the benefits which can be achieved, and the challenges which nanofertilizers face for further development and real-world use, substantiated with the significant pieces of scientific evidence available so far. Graphical Abstract

SPECIALIZED VEGETABLE GROWING IN KOREA

HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 699d-699
Author(s):  
Jung-Myung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Hydroponic Culture ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Specialized Production ◽  
Fresh State ◽  
Vegetable Seed ◽  
Per Capita

Similar to many Asian countries, the production and utilization of vegetables in Korea are quite different as compared to western countries. Koreans were used to favor easy-to-grow leafy and root vegetables, but this preference is gradually shifting to other vegetables, due partially to the recent surge in per capita income and westernization of cultures. In Korea, most vegetables are being utilized in fresh state with only a few exceptions, such as Kimchi, spicy vegetables, etc. Growing technics as well as the specialized production systems of several selected vegetable crops will be introduced. These include commercial production of vegetable seed and seedlings of special kinds (grafted or plug-grown), use of virus-free garlic cloves and potato mini-tubers, hydroponic culture of lettuce and other vegetables, automation of greenhouse crop production, off-season growing, and specific growing systems for minor vegetables.

scholarly journals Influence of Colored Plastic Mulches on Soil Temperature and Muskmelon Root Respiration

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 802A-802
Author(s):  
John Jifon*
Keyword(s):  
Root Respiration ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Clear Plastic ◽  
Black Plastic ◽  
Marketable Fruit

Use of plastic mulch to increase rhizosphere temperatures is a common practice in spring production of vegetable crops. However, supraoptimal soil temperatures during the fruit maturation period in early summer can impair root function and reduce produce quality. The effects of colored plastic mulch on rhizosphere temperature and `Primo' muskmelon root respiration were investigated in the field during Fall (Aug.-Nov. 2002) and Spring (Mar.-May 2003) seasons. Rhizosphere temperatures (measured at 0.1 m below the soil surface with thermo-couples) and respiration under four plastic mulches (black, silver, white, and clear), and a bare ground control were studied. The soil warming properties of the different mulches differed between Spring and Fall. Bare ground rhizosphere temperatures declined from ≈33 to 21°C in the Fall and increased from 14 to 26 °C in Spring. In both studies, black and clear plastic mulches had the highest rhizosphere warming effects (3-8 °C) compared to bare ground. In the Fall, average midday soil temperatures under the white and silver mulches were 2-3 °C cooler than the bare ground treatment. Canopy establishment was accelerated by plastic mulches in Spring but not in Fall. Root + soil respiration was positively correlated with measured rhizosphere temperatures (r = 0.69), with the highest respiration rates recorded under the clear and black plastic mulches. More than 80% of fruits from the clear plastic treatment were deformed and unmarketable. The number of marketable fruit was similar among the black, white and silver mulch treatments and significantly greater (32% in Spring & 12% in Fall) than in the bare ground treatments.

scholarly journals Heirloom Tomato Production in Conventional and Transitional-organic Managed Systems

HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 1034-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul B. Francis ◽  
C. Robert Stark,
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Conventional Culture ◽  
Cloudy Weather ◽  
Main Plot ◽  
Black Plastic ◽  
Marketable Fruit

Demand for heirloom tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and organically grown produce is increasing. The objective of this research was to compare heirloom tomato production in conventional (CS) and organic-transitional (OS) production systems. Heirloom cultivars Arkansas Traveler–the original, Cherokee Purple, Kentucky Beefsteak, Manulucie, and Persimmon Orange were grown in 2007 and 2008 on a raised bed, microirrigated, black plastic mulch culture in a split-plot design with production system as the main plot. Inorganic fertilizer at 160N–13P–50K kg·ha−1 [NH4NO3, Ca(H2PO4)2, KCl] or poultry litter (PL) at 5600 kg·ha−1 was applied in March and soil-incorporated. Transplanting occurred on 12 Apr. 2007 and 22 Apr. 2008. PL supplied 194N–133P–183K and 145N–83P–171K kg·ha−1 potential in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Overall, there were no system effects on total marketable fruit weight, marketable fruit numbers, average fruit weights, total cull weights, or percent marketable yields. Marketable yields averaged across systems ranged from 8,457 to 13,550 kg·ha−1 in 2007 and 1,224 to 5,974 kg·ha−1 in 2008. Weather-delayed transplanting followed by wet and cloudy weather in April and May and greater incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were suspected for lower yields in 2008. Petiole sap nitrate-N of whole plot treatments were considered within sufficiency levels for both systems when checked at pre- and early harvest. Soil pH of the CS dropped from 7.2 to 5.6 after two seasons but did not change in the OS. Organic production of heirloom tomatoes using PL yielded equivalently to conventional culture for 2 years after transition from conventional management.

scholarly journals An Analysis of the Impact of a Ban of Methyl Bromide on the U.S. Winter Fresh Vegetable Market

1996 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 433-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. Deepak ◽  
Thomas H. Spreen ◽  
John J. VanSickle
Keyword(s):  
Methyl Bromide ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Demand Functions ◽  
Fresh Vegetable ◽  
Price Increases ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

AbstractThis study evaluates the economic impact of a ban on methyl bromide on the U.S. winter fresh vegetable market for six major crops: tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, and watermelons. Florida is the primary domestic supplier of these products. Mexico and Texas are the competing suppliers of the five vegetable crops and peppers, respectively. Leontief technologies represent both monocrop and double-crop production systems; linear inverse demand functions represent four demand regions in the U.S. and Canada. By increasing production costs and reducing yields, a ban on methyl bromide decreases Florida's FOB revenues by 54% and increases those of Mexico by 65%. Price increases to U.S. fresh vegetable consumers range from near zero to over 10%, depending upon the commodity and location.

scholarly journals Soil and Crop management relation with water use efficiency in Dryland agriculture

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (01) ◽  
pp. 75-89
Author(s):  
Attia El Gayar
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Use Efficiency

The problem of shortage of water to crops can be resolved by increasing total water supply available to plants, increasing water use relative to other losses and efficient management of scarce water. Biophysically, solutions to many of the problems will require the improvement of soil, water, and crop management at the field, plot, and farm level: first, to increase the capture and retention of incoming (rain) water; and second, to maximize the proportion of that water productively transpired by the crop. Dry land agriculture under rain fed conditions is found mainly in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. In the harsh environments of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and West Asia and North Africa (WANA), water is the principal factor limiting crop yield. A review has been carried out on soil and crop management research that can increase the water use efficiency. The WANA production systems are dominated by cereals, primarily wheat in the wetter and barley in the drier areas, in rotation with mainly food legumes such as chickpea, lentil and forage legumes. The SSA production systems are generally characterized by cereal/legume mixed-cropping dominated by maize, millet, sorghum, and wheat. The major constraints in both regions to crop production are low soil fertility, insecure rainfall, and low-productive genotypes, low adoption of improved soil and crop management practices, and lack of appropriate institutional support. Different cropping systems and accompanying technologies are discussed. Results indicate that there is an advantage to apply these technologies but being function of socio-economic and bio-physical conditions. It is recommended that future research focuses on integrated technology development while taking into account also different levels of scale such as field, village, and watershed.

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