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Knowing the primary maize production constraints that could lead to poor productivity which in turn lower farm income is essential to close the gap between desire and actual yield. As a result, this survey was conducted to assess the constraints on maize production across West Gojjam Zone in three districts: Jabi Tehnan, Bahir Dar Zuriya, and Mecha. Based on maize production potential, coverage, and the importance of maize in the livelihood of farmers in the study area, 10 km by 10 km X and Y geographical coordinate points as the main grid, and a quadrangle 1 km by 1km square grid was generated. Data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. We used both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques to gather primary data. A structured questionnaire was administered to 252 randomly selected sample farmers and their farms as part of the qualitative data collection. According to the findings, farmers in all three districts were dominantly married, of working age and with extensive farming experience. The smallest and most fragmented production land was located away from the house. The most common fertilizers were urea, DAP and NPS, from which a large proportion of the farmers used urea more than others and there was difficulty in getting fertilizers from regular sources and at the right time at all of the research sites. The majority of farmers in the research area utilized local seeds than improved seeds. Weed and insect pest attack in the maize field were very low. Furthermore, the largest portion of farmers had a very small production area which they plowed repeatedly. As a result of this study, it is possible to conclude that socioeconomic, fertilizer, seed and land preparation factors impact farmers in all three maize production systems. In this regard, it is suggested that more attention should be paid to these yield-limiting factors. Key words: Maize production, input, farming experience, Zea mays, land distributions, productivity, Ethiopia, INTRODUCTION In Ethiopia, 25.5% of the population is food insecure, and around 18 million people live through emergency food assistance and productive safety net program [1]. Agriculture is the backbone [...]

The continuous monitoring of soil health and irrigation water quality influences the crop yield and the quality of agricultural produce. In this study, various physicochemical parameters were measured to monitor the soil profile, irrigation water and maize quality harvested from the Buhle farm located in Howick in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa to ensure steady high quality food supply for the consumer. The maize crop was sampled from the maize stalk, the corresponding soil samples were collected from the upper surface of the soil (0-15 cm surface layer) using the soil auger and the irrigation water sample was taken from the irrigation tanks using polyethylene sample bottles. The physicochemical parameters considered for irrigation water were pH, electrical conductivity, alkalinity and chloride due to their ability to affect water quality which consequently affect crop growth and quality. The soil physicochemical parameters considered were moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, texture, total nitrogen and nutrients (protein, fat, fibre, starch, total mineral matter and elements). These parameters determine the soil quality, water content, the ratio of absorbed and lost energy, concentration of ions and elements present which in turn affect or promote the yield and quality of crops. Maize was analysed for nutritional content and medicinal health-promoting compounds to assess the influence of soil and irrigation water on the maize quality and consequently the health of the consumers. The concentrations of total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in soil, which were translated into high soil fertility were 2700, 19 and 222 mg k[g.sup.-1], respectively. The results obtained were within the required specification for high quality maize production. The levels of sodium, sodium adsorption ratio and electrical conductivity in the irrigation water were 0.05 mg [L.sup.-1], 2 and 1.81 [micro]S [m.sup.-1], respectively, indicating safe water of low salinity. Maize was high in starch (58.6%) while fibre, protein and fat contents in the maize were 23.4, 9.01 and 4.55%, respectively, indicating suitability for consumption. Furthermore, the total anthocyanin, total flavonoids and total phenolic acid content of the maize were 8.5, 49.5 and 100 mg [L.sup.-1], respectively. Overall, this study showed the presence of health-promoting compounds in the maize crop which is associated with its high quality for consumption. The validity of the analysis methods was tested using certified reference materials. The concentrations of the reference materials were not statistically different from the certified values, attesting to the validity of the analysis methods. Key words: Soil profile, water quality, soil fertility, nutrition, antioxidants, INTRODUCTION Soil is an important natural resource that living things depend on for growth to meet their daily needs. As a growth medium for crop production, the soil has the [...]

Context. No-tillage (NT) has been gaining popularity over the conventional tillage (CT) for agricultural sustainability. Field experiments conducted worldwide to compare crop production under NT vs CT systems are generally site specific and expensive to maintain over longer duration. To overcome this gap, process-based models have been used to simulate the potential impact and benefits of various management practices on crop yield and soil properties under different environmental conditions. Aims. (1) We evaluated the Cropping System Model (CSM)-CERES-Maize and CSM-CROPGRO-Soybean model for NT and CT systems; and (2) compared the long-term impacts of NT and CT on crop yield and soil organic carbon (SOC). Methods. Two crop models, available in the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT), were calibrated and evaluated using maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) yield data from 2006 through 2011 under CT and NT treatments. Key results. For crop yield, we showed that the coefficient of determination ([R.sup.2]) for the calibration and evaluation phases of CERES-Maize model were 0.94 and 0.94, respectively, while the index of agreement (d) for these phases were 0.93 and 0.86. Similarly, the [R.sup.2] values for the calibration and evaluation phases of CROPGRO-Soybean model were 1.00 and 0.65, respectively, with d-values of 0.99 and 0.85. Conclusions. The results from these long-term (30-year) simulations suggest that compared to CT, the NT system enhanced SOC over time and, hence, crop yield and biomass production. Implications. Application of NT can be beneficial for enhancing the soils and crop production in the long-term as compared to the CT system. Keywords: CERES-Maize, CROPGRO-Soybean, crop modelling, DSSAT, soil conservation, soil organic carbon, soil tillage, sustainability., Introduction The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that currently more than 820 million humans across the world face the problem of food shortage (FAOSTAT, https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FS). To address the [...]

Synchronising nitrogen (N) fertiliser inputs and crop N demand is a major goal in intensive agriculture. However, assessing how much and in which form N arrives at the root surfaces remains a major challenge. Microdialysis has been introduced as a suitable technique to face this challenge and, in this study, we applied microdialysis to assess in situ diffusive N fluxes in a temperate agricultural field. Additionally, soil N concentrations were estimated by water extractions to compare different approaches for measuring plant-available N. Concentrations and diffusive fluxes of N did not correlate and differed significantly regarding the relative contribution of different N forms to total N. Nitrate was the dominant N form (~80%) in water extracts while diffusive fluxes of N[O.sub.3.sup.-], N[H.sub.4.sup.+] and free amino acids were similar (38%, 34% and 28%, respectively). Extractable N and diffusive N fluxes varied strongly across the entire field, with a higher variability at smaller scales. Our results suggest that diffusive N fluxes are affected by a complex network of abiotic and biotic factors, either directly controlling diffusion or indirectly by affecting soil N production and consumption rates. We therefore recommend that future efforts should be directed into including such factors in more complex modelling approaches to assess plant-available N in agricultural fields. Keywords: agriculture, amino acids, corn (Zea mays), inorganic nitrogen, microdialysis, nitrogen fertiliser, soil diffusive fluxes, soil extraction., Introduction In agricultural ecosystems, a key objective for improving the nutrient use efficiency of crops is to closely match soil nitrogen (N) supply with the plants' N demand (Matson et [...]

Improved maize seeds are one of the main factors that can contribute to improving maize productivity. This paper was carried out with the aim of identifying the determinants of adoption and improved maize seeds' intensity use on households in all areas favourable to maize production in Benin using pooled data on 490 producers. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, percentage, frequency distribution, t and chi-square tests were used to summarize the characteristics of the sampled producers. Cragg's Double Hurdle model was also used to categorize producers who adopted or who did not adopt improved maize seed and those who intensified the use of improved maize seed. The results showed that literacy, easy access to improved seed, specific training received on the use of improved varieties and gender, affected the adoption of improved maize seed while easy access to improved seed, maize yield, relationship with extension services, total household size, age squared, number of experience years in maize production, and distance from the producer to where the seed was purchased had a significant influence on the decision to intensify the use of improved maize seed. The fact that the variable easy access to improved seeds affected not only the adoption of improved seeds but also the intensification of their use, confirmed that access to improved seeds was an indisputable success factor for the intensification of improved seed use. Giving producers the capacity to obtain improved maize seed that was financially and geographically improved was a very important aspect to be considered by policy makers in the definition of agricultural policies. Predisposing factors for access (perception of varieties, attitudes towards the choice of new varieties, knowledge and management of these varieties) and capacity factors for access (income, availability of seeds in the environment, and seed prices) must be considered. The establishment of a wide seed distribution network through government and non-governmental organizations or private actors could, therefore, be important to reduce transaction costs and improve access to improved maize seed, and then increase the rate of adoption and continued use of improved seed. Key words: improved seed, adoption, use intensity, Double-Hurdle Approach, Modeling, INTRODUCTION Improving agricultural productivity in Africa is a growing concern in view of population growth and increasing climate variability. Therefore, meeting the needs of the rapidly growing population, increasing agricultural [...]

Addressing the problem of low crop productivity and food insecurity can be accelerated through community-centered implementation of good agricultural management practices. This study was conducted in Babati, Northern Tanzania. The objective of the study was to determine nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) application requirements for maize, and demonstrate economically viable best bet yield-improving management technologies under three ecozones namely; 'low elevation low rainfall', 'medium elevation high rainfall' and 'medium elevation low rainfall' ecozone. Two sets of trials were conducted: N (0, 45, 90, 120 and 150 kg [ha.sup.-1]) and P (0, 15, 30, 40 kg [ha.sup.-1]) response trials in 16 representative fields in three seasons of 2013/14, 2014/205 and 2015/16 and; demonstrations trials in 8 farmer-selected fields in 2015/16 season. Combined N and P application increased maize yields by 32 to 62% over single nutrient applications. In the medium elevation low rainfall ecozone, 60-86% yield response to nitrogen was observed. Largely, modest applications of 50 kg N [ha.sup.-1] and 20 kg P [ha.sup.-1] resulted in profitable (marginal rate of return (MRR) of 2.4 to 3.0) yield increases of up to 214% over the farmers practice (unfertilized), varying with variety and ecozone. The source of P (DAP or Minjingu Mazao) had little influence on maize productivity except under low altitude low rainfall where Minjingu Mazao is unprofitable. Farmer rankings and agronomic indices showed new maize hybrids namely Meru H513, Meru H515 and SC627 as priority across the ecozones; Mams H913 is suitable mainly in medium elevation low rainfall ecozone. The conclusion is that use of new maize hybrids and appropriate rates of locally available N and P nutrient sources can bridge existing yield gaps and reduce food insecurity. Technologies from community-driven research in development are easily adopted by a large number of farmers and could result in a quick, yet lasting productivity gains. Key words: Phosphorus sources, ecozones, profitability, farmer preferences, innovation, INTRODUCTION To achieve food security, increasing crop yield per unit area, production intensification through soil fertility management and appropriate varieties under good agronomic practices is needed [1, 2]. Current production [...]

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most widely cultivated staple food crop in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its production is severely constrained by abiotic and biotic factors of which declining soil fertility is a major contributor. A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of fecal matter based organic fertilizers on growth, nutrient uptake, yield and yield components of maize, in two distinct agro-ecological zones. Five fertilizer treatments (control, Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), cow manure, struvite, compost from fecal matter) were tested in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications per site. Data were collected on crop emergence (%), plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area index (LAI), tasseling (%), nutrient uptake and grain yield and yield components. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means separated using Tukey's HSD test. Results showed that crop emergence in the control treatment, except for struvite, was significantly higher than DAP and fecal matter based organic fertilizer plots in Bahati and Lanet sites. The end-point plant height (9 WAP), LAI and tasseling were significantly (PKey words: Zea mays, fecal compost, struvite, nutrient uptake, manure, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, INTRODUCTIONMaize is the main staple in the diet of over 85 percent of the population in Kenya and a per capita consumption of 98-103 kg, which translates to at least [...]