On-farm evaluation of an active optical sensor performance for variable nitrogen application in winter wheat

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) represents almost 50% of total cereal production in the European Union, accounting for approximately 25% of total mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer applied to all crops. Currently, several active optical sensor (AOS) based systems for optimizing variable N fertilization are commercially available for a variety of crops, including wheat. To ensure successful adoption of these systems, definitive measurable benefits must be demonstrated. Nitrogen management strategies developed based on small-scale plot research are not always meaningful for large-scale farm conditions. In 2010–2012 (5 site-years) on-farm study was implemented in northern Poland utilizing a strip-trial design. The objective was to evaluate the performance of AOS in combination with a built-in algorithm for variable N rate fertilization. In this study, the reference uniform N rates (farmer’s practice) were comparable to optimum variable N rate recommendations. Side-by-side comparisons of uniform and variable N application revealed inconsistent benefits in terms of grain yield, grain protein content (GPC), N use and N use efficiency (NUE). Anticipated yield increases and/or reduced N rates are typical drivers for AOS adoption. Significant yield increases are not easily attained on farms with winter wheat yields already close to maximum yield potential. Thus, sensor-based variable N rate recommendations for fields previously fertilized with relatively low uniform N rates would often entail more appropriate allocation (redistribution) of the same amount of total N. This would minimize N surplus in areas of lower productivity and to improve the sustainability of N management overall.     

Evaluation of smallholder pig production systems in North Vietnam: Pig production management and pig performances

This study investigated the productive adaptability of pig breeds under different smallholder production conditions in Vietnam, comparing an indigenous with a Vietnamese improved breed. Fieldwork was conducted in four villages with different remoteness in North Vietnam from 2001 to 2002, in 64 households keeping the improved Mong Cai or indigenous Ban as sow breeds and progeny for fattening. Four visits per farm yielded 234 structured interviews. Reproductive performances were derived from 135 litters. Individual weights of pigs (n = 755) were obtained. Data were analysed by regression, linear and generalised linear, especially loglinear models.

Two distinct pig production systems were identified, that differed in remoteness, market access, resource availability, distribution of pig breeds and pig production intensity. Higher performances of 1.4 and 1.5 litters year^− 1, 8.4 and 8.4 piglets weaned litter^− 1, 66.6 and 93.0 kg piglets weaned sow^− 1 year^− 1, and 136 and 177 g day^− 1 ADG were found in two villages near town with semi-intensive production conditions and a high rate of improved Mong Cai sows and MC and LW × MC offspring in the observed population. Lower performances of 1.1 and 1.1 litters year^− 1, 4.6 and 5.5 piglets weaned litter^− 1, 20.5 and 30.9 kg piglets weaned sow^− 1 year^− 1, and 66 and 85 g day^− 1 ADG were observed in parallel to higher incidences of indigenous Ban pigs away from town under extensive conditions. Total live weight offtake per household per year was higher near town and in one village distant to town. MC and LW × MC remained even under demand-driven conditions below the performance potential reported for improved genotypes. Under resource-driven conditions with a saving-oriented production pattern, the higher-yielding but more demanding Mong Cai might not be an efficient production alternative as a further performance reduction can be assumed. A considerable live weight output was observed under resource-driven conditions and with a higher percentage of crossbred LW × Ban offspring in the population, possibly representing a promising production alternative. Factors influencing the performance expression of pigs, and the suitability of different methods for the assessment of performance parameters on-farm are discussed.     

Biomass production of Eucalyptus boundary plantations and their effect on crop productivity on Ethiopian highland Vertisols

In recent years, Eucalyptus globulus planted along field boundaries has come to dominate the central highland landscape of Ethiopia. Although evidence is scanty, there is a perception that this practice adversely affects crop productivity. An on-farm trial was conducted on Pellic Vertisol at Ginchi to determine the production potential of eucalypt boundaries and their effect on the productivity of adjacent crops of tef (Eragrostis tef) and wheat (Triticum sp.). The experiment comprised three stand ages, four field aspects and six distances from the tree-crop interface, using a split-split plot design with three replicates. Wood production rates ranged between 168 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (four years old) and 2901 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (twelve years). Thus eucalypt boundaries planted on a hectare of land would satisfy 50 to 75% of the annual biomass energy requirement of a rural household of five persons. Significant depression of tef and wheat yields occurred over the first 12m from the tree line: the reduction was 20 to 73% for tef and 20 to 51% for wheat, equivalent to yield losses of 4.4 to 26% and 4.5 to 10% per hectare respectively. Nevertheless, in financial terms, the tree component adequately compensated for crop yield reduction and even generated additional income. Therefore, eucalypt boundaries have great potential to satisfy the rising demand for wood, without requiring a major change in land use on the highland Vertisols. The greater availability of wood will reduce the demand for dung and crop residues for fuel, and thus may contribute to improved soil management on croplands while relieving the increasing pressure on indigenous forest and woodlands.     

Cover crop effect on soil carbon fractions under conservation tillage cotton

Cover crops may influence soil carbon (C) sequestration and microbial biomass and activities by providing additional residue C to soil. We examined the influence of legume [crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.)], nonlegume [rye (Secale cereale L.)], blend [a mixture of legumes containing balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum Savi), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), and crimson clover], and rye + blend mixture cover crops on soil C fractions at the 0–150 mm depth from 2001 to 2003. Active fractions of soil C included potential C mineralization (PCM) and microbial biomass C (MBC) and slow fraction as soil organic C (SOC). Experiments were conducted in Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Plinthic Kandiudults) under dryland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in central Georgia and in Tifton loamy sand (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic, Plinthic Kandiudults) under irrigated cotton in southern Georgia, USA. Both dryland and irrigated cotton were planted in strip tillage system where planting rows were tilled, thereby leaving the areas between rows untilled. Total aboveground cover crop and cotton C in dryland and irrigated conditions were 0.72–2.90 Mg C ha⁻¹ greater in rye + blend than in other cover crops in 2001 but was 1.15–2.24 Mg C ha⁻¹ greater in rye than in blend and rye + blend in 2002. In dryland cotton, PCM at 50–150 mm was greater in June 2001 and 2002 than in January 2003 but MBC at 0–150 mm was greater in January 2003 than in June 2001. In irrigated cotton, SOC at 0–150 mm was greater with rye + blend than with crimson clover and at 0–50 mm was greater in March than in December 2002. The PCM at 0–50 and 0–150 mm was greater with blend and crimson clover than with rye in April 2001 and was greater with crimson clover than with rye and rye + blend in March 2002. The MBC at 0–50 mm was greater with rye than with blend and crimson clover in April 2001 and was greater with rye, blend, and rye + blend than with crimson clover in March 2002. As a result, PCM decreased by 21–24 g CO₂–C ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ but MBC increased by 90–224 g CO₂–C ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ from June 2001 to January 2003 in dryland cotton. In irrigated cotton, SOC decreased by 0.1–1.1 kg C ha⁻¹ d⁻¹, and PCM decreased by 10 g CO₂–C ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ with rye to 79 g CO₂–C ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ with blend, but MBC increased by 13 g CO₂–C ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ with blend to 120 g CO₂–C ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ with crimson clover from April 2001 to December 2002. Soil active C fractions varied between seasons due to differences in temperature, water content, and substrate availability in dryland cotton, regardless of cover crops. In irrigated cotton, increase in crop C input with legume + nonlegume treatment increased soil C storage and microbial biomass but lower C/N ratio of legume cover crops increased C mineralization and microbial activities in the spring.     

Participatory landrace selection for on-farm conservation: An example from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico

On-farm conservation is recognized as a key component of a comprehensive strategy to conserve crop genetic resources. A fundamental problem faced by any on-farm conservation project is the identification of crop populations on which efforts should be focused. This paper describes a method to identify a subset of landraces for further conservation efforts from a larger collection representing the diversity found in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mexico is a center of origin and diversity for maize (Zea mays L.). The 17 landraces selected from an initial collection of 152 satisfy two criteria. First, they represent the diversity present in the larger collection. Second, they appear to serve the interests of farmers in the region. Data for applying the method were elicited through participatory as well as conventional techniques. They incorporate the complementary perspectives of both men and women members of farm households, and of plant breeders and social scientists.     

Morphological biodiversity and local use of the Himalayan pear (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyrus pashia</Emphasis>) in Central Bhutan

A survey was undertaken in two valleys of the Bumthang area in Central Bhutan to study the morphological diversity, farmers’ knowledge, management practices, yield and income generation potential of the neglected Himalayan Pear (Pyrus pashia Hamilton ex D. Don). For this study a total of 148 Pyrus pashia accessions were collected and 103 households interviewed. Three quantitative and 14 qualitative traits such as colour, size, shape and texture of fruits and tree habit were used for morphological characterization of the accessions. The results demonstrated a high morphological diversity within the P. pashia trees. Fruit shape varied widely from globose to pyriform, fruit skin colour from light yellow and glossy to brown and dull. The observed diversity is likely due to the fact that under farmers’ conditions trees are propagated through seedlings rather than by grafting. None of the characters were specific and correlated with region or altitude. Distinct local cultivars with specific characters were absent making it impossible to group the pears morphologically. Interviews revealed low numbers of trees per farmers, lacking marketability of the fruits and farmers’ subsequent preference for improved varieties as major obstacles for the in situ preservation of biodiversity in P. pashia in this area.     

Effect of dairy slurry application on soil compaction and corn (Zea mays L.) yield in Southern Wisconsin

As stocking rates on Wisconsin dairy farms continue to increase, one possible nutrient management solution is to haul slurry to nearby grain farmer's fields. Although the nutrient and soil building benefits of manure are well known, many grain farmers are hesitant to apply manure on their fields due to potential soil compaction. Studies were initiated to evaluate the effects of tanker-applied slurry on soil compaction and corn (Zea mays L.) yield. An on-station trial was established to address the issues of compaction caused by manure tankers, repeated traffic associated with field headlands, and the possible ameliorating effect of manure itself on corn yield. In addition, 15 replicated on-farm trials were established to evaluate the impact of single pass manure applications on soil compaction and yield. These predominately fall applications were conducted when the host farmer felt that the soil would support tanker traffic. Due to its portability and instrument sensitivity, compactness was evaluated with a data-logging hand held penetrometer.Results from the on-station trial indicate that multiple passes did increase compactness above single-pass traffic and the check. The slurry itself did not attenuate the effect of traffic on soil compaction, nor on yield. Despite yield reductions estimated from in-track samples in both years of 6% (one-pass traffic) and 22% (six-pass traffic) in this study, whole plot corn yields were not reduced due to compaction. The on-farm trials indicated that manure application technique does affect compaction patterns; with broadcast application resulting in less area trafficked by the tanker than injection application, and therefore less area compacted. The narrower gauge truck tires used at some sites led to significantly higher penetrometer readings compared to the control, but this was not the case at sites with wider tractor tires. As in the on-station work, although compaction led to higher penetrometer readings, whole plot corn yields in compacted plots were not adversely affected compared to the control. These results suggest that, in the first year after slurry application, on predominantly prairie derived soils; well-timed applications of dairy slurry do not cause extensive soil compaction nor a reduction in corn yields. This study did not look at the potential residual effects that may positively (>soil organic matter) or negatively (residual soil compaction) impact subsequent crops.     

Effect of banding or burdizzo castration on plasma testosterone, acute-phase proteins, scrotal circumference, growth, and health of bulls

The objective was to assess the effect of banding or burdizzo castration performed on farms on plasma testosterone, acute-phase proteins, scrotal circumferences, growth, and well-being of bulls. 243 Continental bulls (12 months; 399.2 ± 5.72 kg) from three different farms were allocated at random, after stratification on weight within breed type, to one of three treatment groups: banding castration (BAND; n = 80), burdizzo castration (BURD; n = 83), or controls (CON; n = 80). The castration methods were conducted under local anaesthesia, and tetanus toxoid vaccine and antibiotic were also injected at castration. BAND and BURD castrates had lower (P < 0.001) plasma testosterone concentration than control bulls, with no difference between BAND and BURD castrates on 28 d post-castration. From days 0 to 14 post-castration, BAND (P = 0.0002) and BURD (P < 0.0001) castrates had lower average daily gain (ADG) than CON bulls, no difference (P = 0.46) was found between BAND and BURD castrates. From days 15 to 28, BAND castrates had lower ADG compared with BURD castrates (P = 0.03) and CON bulls (P = 0.01), while no difference (P = 0.76) was found between BURD and CON. From days 29 to 56, BAND (P = 0.01) and BURD (P = 0.002) castrates had lower ADG than CON bulls, no difference (P = 0.55) was found between BAND and BURD. From days 57 to 84, the ADG of BAND castrates was not different compared with BURD castrates (P = 0.12) and CON bulls (P = 0.38), while BURD had lower (P = 0.02) ADG compared with CON. The integrated ADG from day 0 to 112 of BAND (P = 0.0001) and BURD (P = 0.02) groups were lower compared with CON, while there was no difference (P = 0.09) between BAND and BURD castrates. On d 14 post-castration, BAND castrates had lower scrotal temperature than BURD (P < 0.0001) and CON (P < 0.0001), and BURD castrates had greater (P < 0.006) scrotal temperature than CON; BAND castrates had lower scrotal latitudinal and longitudinal circumferences than BURD castrates (P < 0.001) and CON bulls (P < 0.001), and BURD castrates had greater (P < 0.001) scrotal latitudinal and longitudinal circumferences than CON bulls. BAND (P < 0.0001) and BURD (P = 0.01) castrates had greater glucose concentration than CON bulls, and BAND castrates had greater (P = 0.04) glucose concentration than BURD. In conclusion, BAND or BURD castration significantly reduced plasma testosterone concentration; reduced average daily weight gain mainly during the first 2 weeks, which was not compensated during the subsequent 16 weeks; increased withdrawal of stored energy and increased plasma protein concentration. BURD showed an advantage over BAND in growth during days 15 to 28 following castration.     

Local chicken production system in Malawi: Household flock structure,dynamics, management and health

Household flocks of scavenging chickens were monitored from August 2002 to August 2003 in 27 villages in Lilongwe, Malawi. The objective was to evaluate the local chicken production system by investigating flock structure, utilization, management and constraints. Farmers and researchers jointly obtained data on household flocks. Mean flock size was 12.9, with a range of 1–61 chickens. The flock dynamics of chickens over 8 weeks old constituted 91% migrating out of flocks and 9% into the flocks. Primary functions based on flock dynamics were, in order of importance, household consumption, participation in socio-cultural ceremonies, selling, exchanging breeding stock and gifts. Of the flock exits, 43.9% were due to losses from diseases, predation and theft. Most flocks (85%) were housed in human dwelling units. Scavenging was the main source of feed. The majority (77.6%) of farmers supplemented their chickens erratically with energy-rich feeds, mostly maize bran. Most supplementation took place during the cold-dry season. Village chicken production offers diverse functional outputs but faces animal health (diseases, parasites, predation) and management (feeding) constraints, which require an integrated intervention approach at community and household level.