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A study was conducted during the kharif (June-September) season of 2018 at G.B.P.U.A.&T., Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India to calibrate and validate the CROPGRO-soybean model for Terai region and determine the optimal management practices for soybean variety PS1347. The experiment followed a Two Factorial Randomized Block Design, involving two fertilizer treatments with three sowing dates replicated thrice. The CROPGRO model was calibrated and validated using the field data of 2018 and 2017, respectively. The RMSE% between the observed and simulated values of different crop stages and yield indicators were between 3.24% and 14.22%. Subsequently, the crop yield for different management practices was also simulated. The model encompassed yield simulations for various management practices viz., six tillage methods, five fertilizer treatments, nine sowing dates, and six irrigation levels. To achieve error minimization, soybean yield was simulated for four consecutive years (2015-2018) under various management practices, and the data was averaged. The simulation results indicated that the optimal management practices for achieving the highest soybean yield include sowing the seeds on the 20th June after implementing a tillage regimen involving three ploughings and two harrowing operations and further nourishing the crop with fertilizer dose of N:P:K:S::25:60:40:20 and applying 90 mm of irrigation. These findings will aid in optimizing management practices and developing sustainable and efficient approaches to achieve higher soybean yields with minimal inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production in Ethiopia is exclusively rainfed. The average national yield remains low comparing to the potentially attainable yield because of the common notion among producers that the crop does not need any nutrient inputs. The newly developed high-yielding cultivars have brought significant yield gains. However, their genetic potentials are still hampered by the traditional crop management practices used and the problematic Vertisol growing conditions. Yields of chickpea grown on Vertisols are limited by poor drainage when sown early and by drought when sown late. This calls for optimization of the balance with minimum tradeoffs in key economic traits. Here, we review research progress on chickpea over the past five decades in Ethiopia, with particular emphasis on crop management practices. The paper gives a comprehensive overview of research findings and information generated on the Vertisol cropping systems, where chickpea is the principal rotational crop under cereal-legume cultivation entailing substantial role in cropping system intensification. It has been noted that the productivity of Vertisol-grown chickpea is largely constrained more by lack of the use of best bet crop management practices than the genetics of a given cultivar. For instance, raised-bed method as compared to the conventional flatbed increased grain and biomass yields by about 74% and 58%, respectively. The current average farm yield of chickpea in Ethiopia is about 55% of the yield potential of the crop, suggesting that farmers can still have rooms to substantially increase yield using improved practices. Based on the cumulative evidences, it can be concluded that the yield potentials of genetically elite cultivars may not be realized without synergistic combination of improved management practices and adequate nutrient use. We, therefore, recommend the integrated use of improved crop management strategies, while the soil physical properties still deserve utmost research attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Oil of conventional oilseed rape (OSR) varieties with 7–10% alpha-linolenic acid content (LAC) might oxidize when heated, resulting into an unpleasant odor. Varieties with low (around 3%) LAC have been bred to provide industries with a new raw material for frying media production. However, high-oleic low-linolenic (HOLL) OSR quality could be compromised by conventional OSR through pollen flow or volunteers. Both nearby fields and volunteers of conventional OSR growing in the HOLL field or in its margins could thus be the cause of a reduced quality. Crop management practices such as regional field pattern, crop rotation, weed control and soil tillage might be decisive. The GeneSys model was initially developed to quantify the effects of cropping systems on gene flow between genetically-modified (GM) and non-GM crops. In this work, it was improved and then used to predict LAC of OSR harvests, particularly HOLL ones, in different situations. Field experiments carried out at the experimental station in Changins (VD), Switzerland, in 2005–2006 showed that LAC was controlled by two additive quantitative genes. Consequently, an additive model was used for calculations with GeneSys. Results also showed that beyond a 20m distance, a field of conventional OSR caused only a minor increase in LAC in a neighbouring HOLL OSR field, meaning that it is highly unlikely that pollen dispersal will compromise HOLL OSR quality under farmers’ conditions. These data were also used to evaluate the prediction quality of GeneSys. Briefly, the final LAC was slightly underestimated by the model, especially in the case of a high amount of conventional OSR volunteers leading to high LAC. Both experiments and simulations showed that the presence of volunteers of conventional OSR in the HOLL field had the most dramatic effect. In a short crop rotation, an important amount of volunteers significantly increased the LAC, but this can be controlled by adequate tillage and weed control in other crops of the rotation. Furthermore, in Switzerland, OSR is usually grown with an interval of at least 4 years in normal crop rotations, which is usually enough to prevent major contamination by volunteers if they are correctly managed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Feeding the world in 2050 requires us to find ways to boost yields of the main local crops. Among those crops, cowpea is one of the grain legumes that is playing an important role in the livelihood of millions of people in West Africa, especially in Benin. Unfortunately, cowpea on-farm yields are very low. In order to understand the main factors explaining cowpea yield gaps, we collected and analyzed detailed survey data from 298 cowpea fields in Benin during the 2017, 2018 and 2019′s rainy seasons, respectively. Composite soil samples were collected from cowpea fields and analyzed in the laboratory. Data on farm field management practices and field conditions were recorded through interviews with 606 farmers. Average cowpea grain yields were low and seldom surpassed 700 kg ha−1 on farmer's fields. Significant differences were observed between cowpea grain yields from northern to southern Benin (p < 0.05), and the lowest yields were observed in northern Benin. These low yields are related to crop management practices, soil nutrient contents, and the interaction of both. According to the model of regression tree from northern to southern Benin, the use of mineral fertilizer, insecticide sprays to control pests, and the improvement of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium (P, N, K) and cation sum content in the topsoil would increase cowpea grain yields. Insect pests, diseases, and soil fertility decline are the largest constraints limiting grain yield in Benin. Future research should focus on formulating site-specific fertilizer recommendations for effective cowpea cultivation in Benin, as well as the control of insect pests and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]