Pub Date : 2022-07-25DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000278
Huan Yu, B. Kong, Yuting Hou, Xiaoyu Xu, Tao Chen, Xiangmeng Liu
Summary Numerous technologies have contributed to the recent development of agriculture, especially the advancement in hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) constituted a revolution in crop monitoring. The widespread use of HRS to obtain crop parameters suggests the need for a review of research advances in this area. HRS offers new theories and methods for studying crop parameters, but much work needs to be done both experimentally and theoretically before we can truly understand the physical and chemical processes that predict these crop parameters. The study focuses on the following elements: 1) The article provides a relatively comprehensive introduction to HRS and how it can be applied to crop monitoring; 2) Current state-of-the-art techniques are summarized and analyzed to inform further advances in crop monitoring; 3) Opportunities and challenges for crop monitoring applications using HRS are discussed, and future research is summarized. Finally, through a comprehensive discussion and analysis, the article proposes new directions for using HRS to study crop characteristics, such as new data mining techniques including deep learning provide opportunities for efficient processing of large amounts of HRS data; combining the temporal and dynamic characteristics of crop parameters and vegetation growth processes will greatly improve the accuracy of crop parameter detection and monitoring; multidata fusion and multiscale data assimilation will become HRS monitoring. Multidata fusion and multiscale data assimilation will become another research hotspot for HRS monitoring of crop parameters.
{"title":"A critical review on applications of hyperspectral remote sensing in crop monitoring","authors":"Huan Yu, B. Kong, Yuting Hou, Xiaoyu Xu, Tao Chen, Xiangmeng Liu","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000278","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000278","url":null,"abstract":"Summary Numerous technologies have contributed to the recent development of agriculture, especially the advancement in hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) constituted a revolution in crop monitoring. The widespread use of HRS to obtain crop parameters suggests the need for a review of research advances in this area. HRS offers new theories and methods for studying crop parameters, but much work needs to be done both experimentally and theoretically before we can truly understand the physical and chemical processes that predict these crop parameters. The study focuses on the following elements: 1) The article provides a relatively comprehensive introduction to HRS and how it can be applied to crop monitoring; 2) Current state-of-the-art techniques are summarized and analyzed to inform further advances in crop monitoring; 3) Opportunities and challenges for crop monitoring applications using HRS are discussed, and future research is summarized. Finally, through a comprehensive discussion and analysis, the article proposes new directions for using HRS to study crop characteristics, such as new data mining techniques including deep learning provide opportunities for efficient processing of large amounts of HRS data; combining the temporal and dynamic characteristics of crop parameters and vegetation growth processes will greatly improve the accuracy of crop parameter detection and monitoring; multidata fusion and multiscale data assimilation will become HRS monitoring. Multidata fusion and multiscale data assimilation will become another research hotspot for HRS monitoring of crop parameters.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49497336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-13DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000151
Sofonyas Dargie, T. Girma, T. Chibsa, S. Kassa, Shiferaw Boke, Abate Abera, Bereket Haileselassie, Samuel Addisie, Sosina Amsalu, M. Haileselassie, S. Soboka, W. Abera, S. G. Weldesemayat
Abstract The response of wheat to the application of different rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) under balanced fertilization on different soil types and agroecologies has not been well studied in Ethiopia. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) determine soil-specific responses of wheat to N, P, K, and S under balanced fertilization; (2) quantify agroecology-specific N, P, K, and S response of wheat under balanced fertilization; and (3) determine nutrient use efficiency of wheat on different soil types under balanced fertilization. Trials were conducted on farmers’ fields across 24 locations covering 4 soil types and 5 agroecological zones (AEZs) from 2013 to 2017. The mean grain yields of wheat significantly varied with applied N and P fertilizer rates with soil types and AEZs. With balanced application of other nutrients, the optimum N rates for wheat were 138 kg N ha−1 on Cambisols and Luvisols, 92 kg N ha−1 on Vertisols, and 176 kg N ha−1 on Nitisols, while the optimum P rate was 20 kg P ha−1 on Cambisols and Vertisols. The nutrient dose–response curve did not reveal consistent pattern for K and S applications on all soil types. The agronomic efficiency of wheat decreased with increasing rates N and P on all soil types. The highest agronomic efficiency of N (15.8 kg grain kg−1 applied N) was recorded with application of 92 kg N ha−1 on Vertisols, while the highest agronomic efficiency of P (49 kg grain kg−1 applied P) was achieved with application of 10 kg P ha−1 on Cambisols. We conclude that applications of 92–138 kg N ha−1, 20 kg P ha−1, 18 kg K ha−1, and 10 kg S ha−1 under balanced application of zinc and boron could be recommended depending on soil type for wheat production in the study areas.
摘要在埃塞俄比亚，在不同土壤类型和农业生态条件下，平衡施肥对小麦对不同氮、磷、钾和硫施用率的反应尚未得到很好的研究。因此，本研究的目的是：（1）确定平衡施肥条件下小麦对N、P、K和S的土壤特异性反应；（2） 量化平衡施肥条件下小麦对N、P、K和S的农业生态响应；（3）测定平衡施肥条件下不同土壤类型小麦的养分利用效率。2013年至2017年，在24个地点的农民田里进行了试验，覆盖4种土壤类型和5个农业生态区。小麦的平均粮食产量随施氮磷量、土壤类型和AEZ的变化而显著。在平衡施用其他养分的情况下，小麦的最适施氮量为：黄土和黄土138 kg N ha−1，黄土92 kg N ha–1，黄土176 kg N ha-1，而黄土和黄土20 kg P ha−1。养分剂量-反应曲线并没有显示出在所有土壤类型上施用K和S的一致模式。在所有土壤类型上，小麦的农艺效率都随着氮磷含量的增加而降低。在垂直土上施用92 kg N ha−1可获得最高的N农艺效率（15.8 kg谷物kg−1施用N），而在寒地土上施用10 kg P ha−1则可达到最高的P农艺效率（49 kg谷物kg–1施用P）。我们得出的结论是，根据研究地区小麦生产的土壤类型，在平衡施用锌和硼的情况下，可以推荐施用92–138 kg N ha−1、20 kg P ha−1，18 kg K ha−1和10 kg S ha−1。
{"title":"Balanced fertilization increases wheat yield response on different soils and agroecological zones in Ethiopia","authors":"Sofonyas Dargie, T. Girma, T. Chibsa, S. Kassa, Shiferaw Boke, Abate Abera, Bereket Haileselassie, Samuel Addisie, Sosina Amsalu, M. Haileselassie, S. Soboka, W. Abera, S. G. Weldesemayat","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000151","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The response of wheat to the application of different rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) under balanced fertilization on different soil types and agroecologies has not been well studied in Ethiopia. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) determine soil-specific responses of wheat to N, P, K, and S under balanced fertilization; (2) quantify agroecology-specific N, P, K, and S response of wheat under balanced fertilization; and (3) determine nutrient use efficiency of wheat on different soil types under balanced fertilization. Trials were conducted on farmers’ fields across 24 locations covering 4 soil types and 5 agroecological zones (AEZs) from 2013 to 2017. The mean grain yields of wheat significantly varied with applied N and P fertilizer rates with soil types and AEZs. With balanced application of other nutrients, the optimum N rates for wheat were 138 kg N ha−1 on Cambisols and Luvisols, 92 kg N ha−1 on Vertisols, and 176 kg N ha−1 on Nitisols, while the optimum P rate was 20 kg P ha−1 on Cambisols and Vertisols. The nutrient dose–response curve did not reveal consistent pattern for K and S applications on all soil types. The agronomic efficiency of wheat decreased with increasing rates N and P on all soil types. The highest agronomic efficiency of N (15.8 kg grain kg−1 applied N) was recorded with application of 92 kg N ha−1 on Vertisols, while the highest agronomic efficiency of P (49 kg grain kg−1 applied P) was achieved with application of 10 kg P ha−1 on Cambisols. We conclude that applications of 92–138 kg N ha−1, 20 kg P ha−1, 18 kg K ha−1, and 10 kg S ha−1 under balanced application of zinc and boron could be recommended depending on soil type for wheat production in the study areas.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45523181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-13DOI: 10.1017/S001447972200014X
A. Kiwia, D. Kimani, Rebbie Harawa, B. Jama, G. Sileshi
Abstract The use of fertilisers in maize production has been the focus for many years of agronomic studies on research stations in East Africa. However, information on production risks and profitability of fertiliser use on smallholder farms is generally lacking because most of the early studies have focused on mean yields and yield components on research stations. This study applied rigorous analyses to determine conditions under which (1) production risks are low; (2) the recommended nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertiliser rates achieve a yield target of ≥3 t ha−1 believed to be a necessary condition to kick start a smallholder-led ‘green revolution’ in Africa and (3) N and P fertiliser use is profitable on smallholder farms in East Africa. Analysis of data from 464 on-farm trials in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda revealed significant variations in production risks and nutrient use efficiency with season and soil type. On most sites, except in Uganda, production risks were lower with the recommended N and P fertilisers than the control during both the short and long rains. Production risks were three to four times higher with N and P fertiliser relative to the control on Lixisols and Ferralsols, but such risks were much lower on Nitisols, Leptosols, Vertisols, Plinthosols and Cambisols. The probability of exceeding grain yields of 3 t ha−1 with the recommended N and P rates was over 0.60 on Nitisols and Leptosols, but less than 0.20 on Lixisols and Plinthosols. The agronomic use efficiencies of N (AEN), P (AEP) and value cost ratios (VCR) were highest on Cambisols and lowest on Plinthosols. The VCR increased linearly with increase in AEN (R2 = 0.92) and AEP (R2 = 0.87) and less so with increase in grain yields (R2 = 0.47–0.60). Net present values indicated profitably of N and P fertiliser over the long term in only 30% of the site by season combinations in Uganda compared with 69% in Kenya, 81% in Rwanda and 84% in Tanzania. Patterns of N use efficiencies were different from P use efficiencies across soil types. Therefore, we recommend that N and P fertilisers should be appropriately targeted to soils where applied nutrients are used efficiently by maize crops.
{"title":"Fertiliser use efficiency, production risks and profitability of maize on smallholder farms in East Africa","authors":"A. Kiwia, D. Kimani, Rebbie Harawa, B. Jama, G. Sileshi","doi":"10.1017/S001447972200014X","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447972200014X","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The use of fertilisers in maize production has been the focus for many years of agronomic studies on research stations in East Africa. However, information on production risks and profitability of fertiliser use on smallholder farms is generally lacking because most of the early studies have focused on mean yields and yield components on research stations. This study applied rigorous analyses to determine conditions under which (1) production risks are low; (2) the recommended nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertiliser rates achieve a yield target of ≥3 t ha−1 believed to be a necessary condition to kick start a smallholder-led ‘green revolution’ in Africa and (3) N and P fertiliser use is profitable on smallholder farms in East Africa. Analysis of data from 464 on-farm trials in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda revealed significant variations in production risks and nutrient use efficiency with season and soil type. On most sites, except in Uganda, production risks were lower with the recommended N and P fertilisers than the control during both the short and long rains. Production risks were three to four times higher with N and P fertiliser relative to the control on Lixisols and Ferralsols, but such risks were much lower on Nitisols, Leptosols, Vertisols, Plinthosols and Cambisols. The probability of exceeding grain yields of 3 t ha−1 with the recommended N and P rates was over 0.60 on Nitisols and Leptosols, but less than 0.20 on Lixisols and Plinthosols. The agronomic use efficiencies of N (AEN), P (AEP) and value cost ratios (VCR) were highest on Cambisols and lowest on Plinthosols. The VCR increased linearly with increase in AEN (R2 = 0.92) and AEP (R2 = 0.87) and less so with increase in grain yields (R2 = 0.47–0.60). Net present values indicated profitably of N and P fertiliser over the long term in only 30% of the site by season combinations in Uganda compared with 69% in Kenya, 81% in Rwanda and 84% in Tanzania. Patterns of N use efficiencies were different from P use efficiencies across soil types. Therefore, we recommend that N and P fertilisers should be appropriately targeted to soils where applied nutrients are used efficiently by maize crops.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45527756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-11DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000230
Min Huang, Tao Lei, Jialin Cao, Zui Tao, Fangbo Cao, Jiana Chen, Xiaohong Yin, Y. Zou
Abstract Improving grain yield and lodging resistance are two important targets for improving rice production. The aim of this study was to link grain yield and lodging resistance with growth patterns in rice. A nitrogen (N) fertilization experiment was conducted in 2020 and 2021, which consisted of two N rates (150 and 225 kg ha–1) and three N split-application ratios among the basal, early tillering, and panicle initiation stages (6:3:1, 5:3:2, and 4:3:3). The results demonstrated that increasing the N rate from 150 to 225 kg ha–1 did not affect grain yield but increased the plant lodging index by 16%. This increase in the plant lodging index was attributable to a higher plant fresh weight resulting from improved post-heading growth and a lower plant lodging load, which was partially due to a higher leaf area index. Altering the N split-application ratio from 6:3:1 to 4:3:3 increased grain yield by 4% but did not affect the plant lodging index in rice. The increase in grain yield was due to improved post-heading growth mainly resulting from increased radiation use efficiency during the post-heading period, which was partially attributable to increased specific leaf weight. An improvement in pre-heading growth in 2021 did not affect grain yield but increased the plant lodging load and decreased the plant lodging index by 36% compared to 2020. The improvement in pre-heading growth was due to a higher intercepted solar radiation resulting from higher leaf area index and incident solar radiation during the pre-heading period. The results of this study indicate that improving pre-heading growth can maintain grain yield and increase lodging resistance, while improving post-heading growth by increasing canopy radiation use efficiency (but not the leaf area index) can increase grain yield and maintain lodging resistance.
提高粮食产量和抗倒伏能力是提高水稻产量的两个重要目标。本研究的目的是将水稻的产量和抗倒伏性与生长模式联系起来。在2020年和2021年进行了一项氮（N）施肥试验，该试验包括两种施氮率（150和225 kg ha–1）和三种在基部、分蘖早期和穗部起始阶段的氮分配施用比例（6:3:1、5:3:2和4:3:3）。结果表明，将施氮量从150公斤增加到225公斤ha–1不会影响粮食产量，但会使植株倒伏指数增加16%。植物倒伏指数的增加是由于抽穗后生长改善导致的植物鲜重增加，以及植物倒伏负荷减少，部分原因是叶面积指数增加。将施氮比例从6:3:1改为4:3:3，可使水稻产量提高4%，但不影响植株倒伏指数。粮食产量的增加是由于抽穗后生长的改善，这主要是由于抽穗期辐射利用效率的提高，部分原因是比叶重的增加。2021年抽穗前生长的改善没有影响粮食产量，但与2020年相比，增加了植物倒伏负荷，使植物倒伏指数下降了36%。抽穗前生长的改善是由于抽穗前叶面积指数和入射太阳辐射较高，导致截获的太阳辐射较高。研究结果表明，改善穗前生长可以维持粮食产量和抗倒伏性，而通过提高冠层辐射利用效率（而不是叶面积指数）来改善穗后生长可以提高粮食产量和保持抗倒伏能力。
{"title":"Linking grain yield and lodging resistance with growth patterns in rice","authors":"Min Huang, Tao Lei, Jialin Cao, Zui Tao, Fangbo Cao, Jiana Chen, Xiaohong Yin, Y. Zou","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000230","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Improving grain yield and lodging resistance are two important targets for improving rice production. The aim of this study was to link grain yield and lodging resistance with growth patterns in rice. A nitrogen (N) fertilization experiment was conducted in 2020 and 2021, which consisted of two N rates (150 and 225 kg ha–1) and three N split-application ratios among the basal, early tillering, and panicle initiation stages (6:3:1, 5:3:2, and 4:3:3). The results demonstrated that increasing the N rate from 150 to 225 kg ha–1 did not affect grain yield but increased the plant lodging index by 16%. This increase in the plant lodging index was attributable to a higher plant fresh weight resulting from improved post-heading growth and a lower plant lodging load, which was partially due to a higher leaf area index. Altering the N split-application ratio from 6:3:1 to 4:3:3 increased grain yield by 4% but did not affect the plant lodging index in rice. The increase in grain yield was due to improved post-heading growth mainly resulting from increased radiation use efficiency during the post-heading period, which was partially attributable to increased specific leaf weight. An improvement in pre-heading growth in 2021 did not affect grain yield but increased the plant lodging load and decreased the plant lodging index by 36% compared to 2020. The improvement in pre-heading growth was due to a higher intercepted solar radiation resulting from higher leaf area index and incident solar radiation during the pre-heading period. The results of this study indicate that improving pre-heading growth can maintain grain yield and increase lodging resistance, while improving post-heading growth by increasing canopy radiation use efficiency (but not the leaf area index) can increase grain yield and maintain lodging resistance.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49246103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-23DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000217
Lucas Pinto de Faria, S. Silva, R. Lollato
Summary Nitrogen (N) fertilization affects wheat yield and grain protein concentration; however, its mismanagement can increase plant lodging. While the use of plant growth regulators such as trinexapac-ethyl (TE) can mitigate plant lodging, their effects on seed physiological quality are not well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of N fertilization and TE on wheat yield, lodging and seed quality of spring wheat varieties. It was carried out in the 2018 growing season in the environments of Londrina and Ponta Grossa, Brazil. A randomized complete block design was used with a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial arrangement to evaluate two wheat genotypes (WT 15008 and WT 15025), three top-dressing N rates (0, 40 and 120 kg ha−1), and three TE rates (0, 50 and 100 g ha−1). Agronomic characteristics related to wheat productivity (hectolitre weight, thousand-grain weight, density of fertile spikes, plant height, lodging and grain yield) and seed physiological quality (seed germination and vigour; length and dry matter of normal seedlings) were evaluated. Increasing N rates up to 120 kg ha−1 increased plant lodging up to 26.4 percentage points for WT 15025 in Londrina. TE impaired some traits of seed physiological quality. Spraying 100 g ha−1 TE on the plants reduced seedling length by 9.4% in the seeds of WT 15008 harvested in Ponta Grossa compared to the TE control (0 g ha−1). The dry matter of the seedlings from the seeds harvested in Londrina declined by 7.2% due to the application of 100 g ha−1 TE, compared to the control. However, a lower rate of TE (50 g ha−1) might be enough to minimize plant lodging without impairing the physiological quality of the seeds, depending on the rate of N fertilization. This study is the first step in providing empirical evidence for the detrimental effects of TE in combination with N on wheat seed quality, suggesting that seed producers should exercise caution in managing TE and N fertilization.
施氮影响小麦产量和籽粒蛋白质浓度；然而，其管理不善可能会增加植物倒伏。虽然使用植物生长调节剂，如乙基三内六胺（TE）可以减轻植物倒伏，但其对种子生理质量的影响尚不清楚。本研究旨在评价施氮和施TE对春小麦产量、倒伏和种子品质的影响。它于2018年生长季节在巴西隆德里纳和蓬塔格罗萨的环境中进行。采用2×3×3因子排列的随机完全区组设计来评估两种小麦基因型（WT 15008和WT 15025）、三种追肥氮率（0、40和120 kg ha−1）和三种TE率（0，50和100 g ha−1。评估了与小麦生产力（百升重、千粒重、可育穗密度、株高、倒伏和籽粒产量）和种子生理质量（种子发芽率和活力；正常幼苗的长度和干物质）相关的农艺特征。将施氮量增加到120 kg ha−1可使龙德里纳WT 15025的植物倒伏增加26.4个百分点。TE损害了种子某些生理品质性状。与TE对照（0 g ha−1）相比，在蓬塔格罗萨收获的WT 15008种子中，向植物喷洒100 g ha−2 TE使幼苗长度减少了9.4%。与对照相比，由于施用100 g ha−1 TE，在龙舌兰收获的种子的幼苗干物质下降了7.2%。然而，较低的TE率（50 g ha−1）可能足以在不损害种子生理质量的情况下最大限度地减少植物倒伏，这取决于N施肥率。这项研究是为TE与N结合对小麦种子质量的有害影响提供经验证据的第一步，表明种子生产者在管理TE和N施肥时应谨慎。
{"title":"Nitrogen and trinexapac-ethyl effects on wheat grain yield, lodging and seed physiological quality in southern Brazil","authors":"Lucas Pinto de Faria, S. Silva, R. Lollato","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000217","url":null,"abstract":"Summary Nitrogen (N) fertilization affects wheat yield and grain protein concentration; however, its mismanagement can increase plant lodging. While the use of plant growth regulators such as trinexapac-ethyl (TE) can mitigate plant lodging, their effects on seed physiological quality are not well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of N fertilization and TE on wheat yield, lodging and seed quality of spring wheat varieties. It was carried out in the 2018 growing season in the environments of Londrina and Ponta Grossa, Brazil. A randomized complete block design was used with a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial arrangement to evaluate two wheat genotypes (WT 15008 and WT 15025), three top-dressing N rates (0, 40 and 120 kg ha−1), and three TE rates (0, 50 and 100 g ha−1). Agronomic characteristics related to wheat productivity (hectolitre weight, thousand-grain weight, density of fertile spikes, plant height, lodging and grain yield) and seed physiological quality (seed germination and vigour; length and dry matter of normal seedlings) were evaluated. Increasing N rates up to 120 kg ha−1 increased plant lodging up to 26.4 percentage points for WT 15025 in Londrina. TE impaired some traits of seed physiological quality. Spraying 100 g ha−1 TE on the plants reduced seedling length by 9.4% in the seeds of WT 15008 harvested in Ponta Grossa compared to the TE control (0 g ha−1). The dry matter of the seedlings from the seeds harvested in Londrina declined by 7.2% due to the application of 100 g ha−1 TE, compared to the control. However, a lower rate of TE (50 g ha−1) might be enough to minimize plant lodging without impairing the physiological quality of the seeds, depending on the rate of N fertilization. This study is the first step in providing empirical evidence for the detrimental effects of TE in combination with N on wheat seed quality, suggesting that seed producers should exercise caution in managing TE and N fertilization.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49251519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-22DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000096
A. Cyamweshi, N. L. Nabahungu, Jackson Cirhuza Mirali, J. Kihara, G. Oduor, H. Rware, G. Sileshi
Abstract The productivity of wheat is low on smallholder farms in Rwanda. Although mineral fertiliser use is being promoted as a sustainable intensification (SI) pathway, little is known about the nutrient use efficiency and profitability of various fertiliser inputs in Burera, Musanze and Nyamagabe districts of Rwanda. The objective of this study was to assess the use of combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and boron (B) in wheat production in terms of nutrients management specifically, crop yield, production risk, input use efficiency and economic returns on smallholder farms. The study was conducted in three wheat-growing regions of Rwanda (i.e., Nyamagabe, Musanze and Burera districts) with contrasting soil conditions. The treatments included combinations of different levels of N (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha−1) with P (0, 7.5, 15 and 22.5 kg ha−1) and K (10, 20 and 30 kg ha−1) and the control with no applied nutrients. A diagnostic treatment composed of 90 kg N, 15 kg P, 20 kg K, 10 kg Mg, 2.5 kg Zn and 0.5 kg B ha−1 was also included. Mean grain yield and its variability, rainfall use efficiency (RUE), agronomic use efficiency (AE) of N and P and the value cost ratios (VCRs) were calculated to assess the sustainability of the nutrient rates. Across all sites, wheat grain yield and RUE increased with increase in N rates up to 90 kg N ha−1, beyond which no further increase was observed. The highest wheat yield (5.5 t ha−1) and RUE (6.6 kg ha−1 mm−1) with the lowest production risk (coefficient of variation [CV] = 20%) were recorded in the diagnostic treatment. Although the highest AEN and AEP were recorded at lower N and P levels, the CVs of VCR were high (>64%), indicating higher production risk to wheat farmers. In all cases, an optimum VCR (5.6), with the lowest CV (44.4%), was recorded in the diagnostic treatment. We conclude that application of 90 kg N, 15 kg P, 20 kg K, 10 kg Mg, 2.5 kg Zn and 0.1 kg B can guarantee a more SI of wheat production in Burera, Musanze and Nyamagabe districts of Rwanda.
摘要卢旺达小农户的小麦产量很低。尽管矿物肥料的使用被宣传为一种可持续集约化（SI）途径，但在卢旺达的Burera、Musanze和Nyamagabe地区，人们对各种肥料投入的营养利用效率和盈利能力知之甚少。本研究的目的是评估氮（N）、磷（P）、钾（K）、镁（Mg）、锌（Zn）和硼（B）组合在小麦生产中的使用情况，特别是从养分管理、作物产量、生产风险、投入使用效率和小农户农场的经济回报等方面。这项研究在卢旺达的三个小麦种植区（即尼亚马加贝、穆桑泽和布拉区）进行，土壤条件不同。处理包括不同水平的N（0、30、60、90和120 kg ha−1）与P（0、7.5、15和22.5 kg ha−2）和K（10、20和30 kg ha−3）的组合，以及不施用营养素的对照。还包括由90 kg N、15 kg P、20 kg K、10 kg Mg、2.5 kg Zn和0.5 kg B ha−1组成的诊断性治疗。计算了平均粮食产量及其变异性、降雨利用效率（RUE）、N和P的农艺利用效率（AE）以及价值成本比（VCRs），以评估营养率的可持续性。在所有地点，小麦产量和RUE随着施氮量的增加而增加，最高可达90 kg N ha−1，超过这一水平，没有观察到进一步的增加。诊断处理中记录了最高的小麦产量（5.5 t ha−1）和生产风险最低的RUE（6.6 kg ha−1 mm−1）（变异系数[CV]=20%）。尽管在较低的氮和磷水平下记录到最高的AEN和AEP，但VCR的CV较高（>64%），表明小麦农民的生产风险较高。在所有病例中，诊断治疗中记录了最佳VCR（5.6），最低CV（44.4%）。我们得出的结论是，在卢旺达的Burera、Musanze和Nyamagabe地区，施用90 kg N、15 kg P、20 kg K、10 kg Mg、2.5 kg Zn和0.1 kg B可以保证小麦产量的更多SI。
{"title":"Sustainable intensification of wheat production under smallholder farming systems in Burera, Musanze and Nyamagabe districts of Rwanda","authors":"A. Cyamweshi, N. L. Nabahungu, Jackson Cirhuza Mirali, J. Kihara, G. Oduor, H. Rware, G. Sileshi","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000096","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The productivity of wheat is low on smallholder farms in Rwanda. Although mineral fertiliser use is being promoted as a sustainable intensification (SI) pathway, little is known about the nutrient use efficiency and profitability of various fertiliser inputs in Burera, Musanze and Nyamagabe districts of Rwanda. The objective of this study was to assess the use of combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and boron (B) in wheat production in terms of nutrients management specifically, crop yield, production risk, input use efficiency and economic returns on smallholder farms. The study was conducted in three wheat-growing regions of Rwanda (i.e., Nyamagabe, Musanze and Burera districts) with contrasting soil conditions. The treatments included combinations of different levels of N (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha−1) with P (0, 7.5, 15 and 22.5 kg ha−1) and K (10, 20 and 30 kg ha−1) and the control with no applied nutrients. A diagnostic treatment composed of 90 kg N, 15 kg P, 20 kg K, 10 kg Mg, 2.5 kg Zn and 0.5 kg B ha−1 was also included. Mean grain yield and its variability, rainfall use efficiency (RUE), agronomic use efficiency (AE) of N and P and the value cost ratios (VCRs) were calculated to assess the sustainability of the nutrient rates. Across all sites, wheat grain yield and RUE increased with increase in N rates up to 90 kg N ha−1, beyond which no further increase was observed. The highest wheat yield (5.5 t ha−1) and RUE (6.6 kg ha−1 mm−1) with the lowest production risk (coefficient of variation [CV] = 20%) were recorded in the diagnostic treatment. Although the highest AEN and AEP were recorded at lower N and P levels, the CVs of VCR were high (>64%), indicating higher production risk to wheat farmers. In all cases, an optimum VCR (5.6), with the lowest CV (44.4%), was recorded in the diagnostic treatment. We conclude that application of 90 kg N, 15 kg P, 20 kg K, 10 kg Mg, 2.5 kg Zn and 0.1 kg B can guarantee a more SI of wheat production in Burera, Musanze and Nyamagabe districts of Rwanda.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43334356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-03DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000205
C. Quiloango-Chimarro, R. D. Coelho, A. Heinemann, Rafael Gómez Arrieta, Alice da Silva Gundim, Ana Carolina Ferreira França
Summary Water scarcity due to global warming can increase the water demand for upland rice at critical stages of crop development. However, there is little research on cultivar responses to this scenario and technologies that enhance water use efficiency (WUE). To determine the influence of water stress at and after flowering stages of drip-irrigated upland rice cultivars on physiology, yield, and WUE, a shelter experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with a split-plot arrangement of treatments. Three modern and one traditional cultivar were subjected to five irrigation managements: 100% of the field capacity considered the reference management (RM), 70 and 40% of the RM at the flowering stage, and 70 and 40% of the RM at the grain-filling stage. In general, the modern cultivars tended to maintain higher photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, leaf water potential, and lower crop water stress index compared to the traditional cultivar under water stress. The WUE decreased for all cultivars under severe stress, averaging 0.55 and 0.62 kg m−3 when stress occurred at flowering and grain-filling, respectively, whereas moderate stress imposed at grain-filling maintained WUE for all cultivars, averaging 1.21 kg m−3. In addition, grain yield (GY) showed a similar variation trend under drought stress as WUE, and its reduction was mainly associated with low filled grain percentage. Among the five irrigation treatments, both GY and WUE were the highest in the RM; the best cultivar recorded 9.3 Mg ha−1 and 1.62 kg m−3, respectively. Findings suggest that attending to the full water demand under precision drip irrigation and appropriate cultivar selection can enhance upland rice production at significant levels.
全球变暖导致的缺水会在作物发展的关键阶段增加旱稻的用水需求。然而，关于品种对这种情况的反应以及提高水分利用效率的技术研究很少。为了确定滴灌陆稻品种开花期和开花后的水分胁迫对生理、产量和水分利用效率的影响，采用分块处理的随机区组设计进行了遮蔽试验。三个现代品种和一个传统品种接受了五种灌溉管理：100%的田间容量考虑参考管理（RM），开花期70%和40%的RM，灌浆期70%和40%的RM。总的来说，与传统品种相比，现代品种在水分胁迫下往往保持较高的光合速率、气孔导度、蒸腾作用、叶片水势和较低的作物水分胁迫指数。在严重胁迫下，所有品种的水分利用效率均下降，当开花和灌浆胁迫发生时，平均分别为0.55和0.62 kg m−3，而灌浆时施加的中等胁迫使所有品种的水利用效率保持不变，平均为1.21 kg m–3。此外，在干旱胁迫下，粮食产量（GY）表现出与WUE相似的变化趋势，其下降主要与低灌浆率有关。在5个灌溉处理中，GY和WUE均以RM最高；最佳栽培品种分别为9.3 Mg ha−1和1.62 kg m−3。研究结果表明，在精确滴灌和适当的品种选择下，注意充分的需水量可以显著提高陆稻产量。
{"title":"Physiology, yield, and water use efficiency of drip-irrigated upland rice cultivars subjected to water stress at and after flowering","authors":"C. Quiloango-Chimarro, R. D. Coelho, A. Heinemann, Rafael Gómez Arrieta, Alice da Silva Gundim, Ana Carolina Ferreira França","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000205","url":null,"abstract":"Summary Water scarcity due to global warming can increase the water demand for upland rice at critical stages of crop development. However, there is little research on cultivar responses to this scenario and technologies that enhance water use efficiency (WUE). To determine the influence of water stress at and after flowering stages of drip-irrigated upland rice cultivars on physiology, yield, and WUE, a shelter experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with a split-plot arrangement of treatments. Three modern and one traditional cultivar were subjected to five irrigation managements: 100% of the field capacity considered the reference management (RM), 70 and 40% of the RM at the flowering stage, and 70 and 40% of the RM at the grain-filling stage. In general, the modern cultivars tended to maintain higher photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, leaf water potential, and lower crop water stress index compared to the traditional cultivar under water stress. The WUE decreased for all cultivars under severe stress, averaging 0.55 and 0.62 kg m−3 when stress occurred at flowering and grain-filling, respectively, whereas moderate stress imposed at grain-filling maintained WUE for all cultivars, averaging 1.21 kg m−3. In addition, grain yield (GY) showed a similar variation trend under drought stress as WUE, and its reduction was mainly associated with low filled grain percentage. Among the five irrigation treatments, both GY and WUE were the highest in the RM; the best cultivar recorded 9.3 Mg ha−1 and 1.62 kg m−3, respectively. Findings suggest that attending to the full water demand under precision drip irrigation and appropriate cultivar selection can enhance upland rice production at significant levels.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46064120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-26DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000199
Jialin Cao, Maoyan Tang, Ruichun Zhang, Jiana Chen, Fangbo Cao, Longsheng Liu, Shengliang Fang, Ming Zhang, Min Huang
Summary The occurrence of chalkiness has decreased in new hybrid rice cultivars in China. As both chalkiness occurrence and starch granule size are associated with the biosynthesis of starch, we hypothesized that there may be a correlation between chalkiness occurrence and starch granule size, and this may partially explain the decreased chalkiness occurrence in the new hybrid rice cultivars. To test this hypothesis, a field experiment was conducted over eight environments (two years × four sowing dates) with two hybrid rice cultivars: one recently developed with low chalkiness occurrence, Jingliangyou 1468 (JLY1468) and a relatively older cultivar with high chalkiness occurrence, Liangyoupeijiu (LYPJ). Results showed that JLY1468 had a higher cumulative distribution of large-diameter (7.51–19.50 μm) starch granules and a lower grain weight of milled rice compared to LYPJ. As a consequence, mean and relative starch granule diameters were 6% and 21% higher in JLY1468 than in LYPJ, respectively. Although both the chalky grain rate and chalkiness degree were negatively correlated with mean and relative starch granule diameter, they were more closely correlated with the relative granule diameter. These results support our hypothesis regarding the relationship between chalkiness occurrence and starch granule size and suggest that the relative starch granule diameter is a relevant parameter in understanding the occurrence of chalkiness in hybrid rice.
{"title":"Starch granule size in grains of hybrid rice with low chalkiness occurrence","authors":"Jialin Cao, Maoyan Tang, Ruichun Zhang, Jiana Chen, Fangbo Cao, Longsheng Liu, Shengliang Fang, Ming Zhang, Min Huang","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000199","url":null,"abstract":"Summary The occurrence of chalkiness has decreased in new hybrid rice cultivars in China. As both chalkiness occurrence and starch granule size are associated with the biosynthesis of starch, we hypothesized that there may be a correlation between chalkiness occurrence and starch granule size, and this may partially explain the decreased chalkiness occurrence in the new hybrid rice cultivars. To test this hypothesis, a field experiment was conducted over eight environments (two years × four sowing dates) with two hybrid rice cultivars: one recently developed with low chalkiness occurrence, Jingliangyou 1468 (JLY1468) and a relatively older cultivar with high chalkiness occurrence, Liangyoupeijiu (LYPJ). Results showed that JLY1468 had a higher cumulative distribution of large-diameter (7.51–19.50 μm) starch granules and a lower grain weight of milled rice compared to LYPJ. As a consequence, mean and relative starch granule diameters were 6% and 21% higher in JLY1468 than in LYPJ, respectively. Although both the chalky grain rate and chalkiness degree were negatively correlated with mean and relative starch granule diameter, they were more closely correlated with the relative granule diameter. These results support our hypothesis regarding the relationship between chalkiness occurrence and starch granule size and suggest that the relative starch granule diameter is a relevant parameter in understanding the occurrence of chalkiness in hybrid rice.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45135668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-26DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000187
Panneerselvam Peramaiyan, A. J. Mcdonald, Virender Kumar, P. Craufurd, Iftikar Wasim, N. Parida, S. Pattnaik, Balwinder Singh, A. Yadav, Anurag Ajay, Sudhanshu Singh, R. Malik
Abstract Maize is the primary staple crop cultivated during the monsoon season in eastern India. However, yield gaps are large because of multiple factors, including low adoption rates of good agronomic management practices. This study aimed to narrow the maize yield gap using diverse agronomic and varietal interventions through field experiments over 2 years (2013–2014) in the rainfed plateau region of Odisha. As a result, maize yield increased by 0.9, 0.74, and 0.17 Mg ha−1 under optimum plant population, fertilizer management, and herbicide-based weed management, respectively, over farmers’ current practices (Check). Moreover, when all three interventions were combined (‘best’ management practice), grain yields increased by 1.7 Mg ha−1 in conservation tillage and 2.2 Mg ha−1 in conventional tillage. We also observed that the combination of long-duration hybrids and best management practices (BMPs) increased grain yield by 4.0 Mg ha−1 and profitability by $888 ha−1 over farmers’ current practices. In addition, Nutrient Expert decision support tool-based fertilizer management along with BMPs increased grain yield by 1.7 Mg ha−1 and profitability by $314 ha−1 over farmers’ fertilizer practices (Check). These results suggest that the combination of maize hybrids and BMPs can improve the productivity and profitability of rainfed maize in the plateau region of Odisha. However, these entry points for intensification need to be placed in the context of varying investment requirements, input and output market conditions, and matched with farmer preferences and risk.
{"title":"Narrowing maize yield gaps in the rainfed plateau region of Odisha","authors":"Panneerselvam Peramaiyan, A. J. Mcdonald, Virender Kumar, P. Craufurd, Iftikar Wasim, N. Parida, S. Pattnaik, Balwinder Singh, A. Yadav, Anurag Ajay, Sudhanshu Singh, R. Malik","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000187","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Maize is the primary staple crop cultivated during the monsoon season in eastern India. However, yield gaps are large because of multiple factors, including low adoption rates of good agronomic management practices. This study aimed to narrow the maize yield gap using diverse agronomic and varietal interventions through field experiments over 2 years (2013–2014) in the rainfed plateau region of Odisha. As a result, maize yield increased by 0.9, 0.74, and 0.17 Mg ha−1 under optimum plant population, fertilizer management, and herbicide-based weed management, respectively, over farmers’ current practices (Check). Moreover, when all three interventions were combined (‘best’ management practice), grain yields increased by 1.7 Mg ha−1 in conservation tillage and 2.2 Mg ha−1 in conventional tillage. We also observed that the combination of long-duration hybrids and best management practices (BMPs) increased grain yield by 4.0 Mg ha−1 and profitability by $888 ha−1 over farmers’ current practices. In addition, Nutrient Expert decision support tool-based fertilizer management along with BMPs increased grain yield by 1.7 Mg ha−1 and profitability by $314 ha−1 over farmers’ fertilizer practices (Check). These results suggest that the combination of maize hybrids and BMPs can improve the productivity and profitability of rainfed maize in the plateau region of Odisha. However, these entry points for intensification need to be placed in the context of varying investment requirements, input and output market conditions, and matched with farmer preferences and risk.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42519743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-16DOI: 10.1017/S0014479722000163
K. Hughes, Decolius Kulomo, B. Nyoka
Abstract While dairy production has the potential to diversify smallholder agriculture and increase incomes, there are multiple constraints. One is the consistent provision of quality feed. High protein, leguminous fodder shrubs – also referred to as Fodder Tree Technology (FTT) – can help address this constraint, yet adoption levels are generally low. Implemented in Kenya and Malawi, the Shrubs for Change (S4C) project is employing several approaches to address this situation, including those informed by behavioral science. Given that approximately 500 shrubs per cow are needed to generate enough leaf matter to bolster milk production, promoting FTT at scale necessitates the production, distribution, and successful planting of large numbers of shrub seedlings. We implemented a field experiment in Malawi’s Southern Region in late 2021 to test the effectiveness of a social learning intervention intended to motivate dairy farmers to significantly scale up the production of FTT seedlings. This intervention involved meeting with dairy farmers in 39 randomly selected milk production zones to review the numbers of seedlings being produced vis-à-vis local demand, coupled with the development of action plans to address identified production gaps. While we find that this intervention increased the setting up of private nurseries by 10% (p < 0.05), it only increased overall seedling production by an average of 20 additional seedlings per dairy farmer (p > 0.1). We offer several explanations for this lower than expected and statistically insignificant result, which point to the need for iterative rounds of engagement with farmers when supporting them to take up FTT and other complex agronomic and sustainable land management innovations.
{"title":"Mind the adoption gap: Findings from a field experiment designed to scale up the availability of fodder shrub seedlings in Malawi","authors":"K. Hughes, Decolius Kulomo, B. Nyoka","doi":"10.1017/S0014479722000163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479722000163","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract While dairy production has the potential to diversify smallholder agriculture and increase incomes, there are multiple constraints. One is the consistent provision of quality feed. High protein, leguminous fodder shrubs – also referred to as Fodder Tree Technology (FTT) – can help address this constraint, yet adoption levels are generally low. Implemented in Kenya and Malawi, the Shrubs for Change (S4C) project is employing several approaches to address this situation, including those informed by behavioral science. Given that approximately 500 shrubs per cow are needed to generate enough leaf matter to bolster milk production, promoting FTT at scale necessitates the production, distribution, and successful planting of large numbers of shrub seedlings. We implemented a field experiment in Malawi’s Southern Region in late 2021 to test the effectiveness of a social learning intervention intended to motivate dairy farmers to significantly scale up the production of FTT seedlings. This intervention involved meeting with dairy farmers in 39 randomly selected milk production zones to review the numbers of seedlings being produced vis-à-vis local demand, coupled with the development of action plans to address identified production gaps. While we find that this intervention increased the setting up of private nurseries by 10% (p < 0.05), it only increased overall seedling production by an average of 20 additional seedlings per dairy farmer (p > 0.1). We offer several explanations for this lower than expected and statistically insignificant result, which point to the need for iterative rounds of engagement with farmers when supporting them to take up FTT and other complex agronomic and sustainable land management innovations.","PeriodicalId":12245,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45079706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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