bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of foliar application of different nutrients on growth, yield, and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in Sankhu, Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Duwadi A. , Shrestha A. K. , Pudasainy D. P.
Published: December 2022

A study was conducted from January to June 2021 in the farmer’s field at Shankharapur-7, Sankhu, Kathmandu, Nepal to assess the effectiveness of the foliar application of different nutrients for potato production. The field experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with six treatments, T1: zinc at 560 ppm, T2: magnesium at 0.4 %, T3: boron at 100 ppm, T4: calcium at 0.8 %, T5: copper at 1 %, and T6: control and were replicated four times. The chemicals were sprayed 30 and 40 days after planting until runoff. The highest tuber yield was obtained with the application of calcium at 0.8 % (38.57 Mtha-1) while the lowest marketable tuber yield was obtained with copper at 1 %. The highest calcium and zinc content in potato tuber was observed with the application of calcium at 0.8 % and zinc at 560 ppm respectively. Likewise, the application of zinc increased the protein percentage in tuber by 23 % compared to the control. Thus, it can be concluded that the foliar application of calcium at 0.8 % is the most economical resulting in the highest plant growth, yield, and producing the best quality potatoes under the climatic condition of Sankhu, Nepal.
Evaluation of reproductive performance and litter traits of Khari, Jamunapari and Sirohi crossbred goats in Surkhet district of Karnali province, Nepal
Authors: Bhattarai N. , Poudel J. , Kolakshyapati M. R. , Sharma M. P. , Gorkhali N. A. , Sigdel A. , Upadhayaya S. , Sapkota S.
Published: December 2022

Goat produces 20.36% of meat, ranking in second position after buffalo meat production in Nepal and contributes 4% in agriculture GDP. Making out the influence of non-genetic factors on the phenotypic expression of reproductive and litter traits of goat is important to develop selection/evaluation criteria with healthier precision. Khari, Jamunapari and Sirohi crosses were considered for the comparative study of their reproductive and litter traits. Data obtained from the study of different reproductive and litter traits were firstly entered into the computer via excel package programs. The data were analyzed by Mixed Model Least-square and Maximum Likelihood Computer Program PC-2statistical package developed by Walter R. Harvey and the means were compared by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results revealed that the pooled means for AFC, AFK, PPE, GL, and KI were 344.31, 493.69, 173.42, 148.93, 319.58 days respectively. Similarly, pooled means for LSB, LWB, LSW, and LWW were 1.43, 5.16 kg, 1.37 and 28 kg respectively. Production system and breed were important nongenetic factor affecting reproductive traits significantly whereas parity is the most important non genetic factor affecting litter traits of goat. Almost all of the reproductive traits (except PPE) were observed better under the grazing system in Khari breed. Winter kidding goat had better PPE. Likewise, all the litter traits were significantly better in later parities with almost similar performance in all the breeds. To summarize, Khari was explored as a high potential goat regarding its reproductive traits with a massive scope of improvement in its litter weight trait through effective selection measures within the population.
Laboratory bioassay of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) larva using various insecticides
Authors: Sharma S. , Tiwari S. , Thapa R. B. , Pokhrel S. , Neupane S.
Published: December 2022

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith, is a polyphagous invasive pest that seriously affects the maize crop. Various insecticides such as Spinosad, Chlorantraniliprole, Imidacloprid, Emamectin benzoate, Spinetoram and Neem-based insecticides are recommended to control this pest. However, their efficacy is not well studied in Nepal. Hence, a study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of the above-mentioned insecticides for FAW management in laboratory experiments. Seven different treatments (six insecticides such as Spinosad 45% SC, Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC, Imidacloprid 17.8% SL, Emamectin benzoate 5% SC, Spinetoram 11.7% SC, Neem-based pesticide (Azadirachtin 1500 ppm) and control (water spray) were evaluated in three replicated CRD design. Spinosad and Spinetoram were found effective for the FAW mortality in which > 50% mortality of the larva was obtained in twelve hours and > 90 % mortality in twenty-four hours. Likewise, Emamectin benzoate and Chlorantraniliprole also caused > 90% mortality within twenty-four hours. Azadirachtin and Imidacloprid were not as effective as other pesticides that caused only 17% larval mortality in the first twelve hours and 68% mortality in sixty hours. Similarly, Imidacloprid caused 8% larval mortality in twelve hours and 59% mortality in sixty hours. There was no mortality in water spray (control). This information gives an idea of all pesticides are not equally effective and efficient. Such information’s are important to the farmers to select the right insecticides for the control of FAW in maize crops.
Effectiveness of different measures to control red bloom in carp ponds
Authors: Mandal R. B. , Rai S. , Shrestha M. K. , Jha D. K. , Pandit N. P.
Published: December 2022

Red blooms caused by Euglena sanguinea (Ehrenberg, 1832) might cause severe depletion of dissolved oxygen significantly in the pond. An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of measures for controlling E. sanguinea on water quality, growth and yield of carp polyculture. The experiment included four treatments: without mitigation measure (T1), skimming using net skimmer (T2), fertilization with urea and diammonium phosphate (T3) and liming using agriculture lime (T4) with three replications. The experiment was carried out for 120 days. The results showed that abundance of E. sanguinea was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in urea and diammonium phosphate treated ponds (270 ± 10 cells L-1) than control ponds (1650 ± 90 cells L-1). Water quality parameter such as nitrite, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in control ponds (T1) than in treatment ponds. The net fish yield of rohu was significantly higher (0.19 ± 0.0 t ha-1) in T3 ponds than T2 ponds (0.07 ± 0.0 t ha-1). The present experiment effectively controlled abundance of E. sanguinea but admixture of urea and diammonium phosphate application appeared to be better control measures because dissolved oxygen content was at acceptable level in the ponds.
Contribution of marginal land and indigenous crops on food security: A case of eastern Chitwan, Nepal
Authors: Timilsina R. H. , Ojha G. P. , Nepali P. B. , Tiwari U.
Published: December 2022

People have utilized indigenous and underutilized crops available in the marginal land for their food. However, little is known about the contribution of these crops to food security. To assess the contribution of these crops to food security of local people, a survey was done with 107 respondents selected from community forest users of the eastern Chitwan of Nepal in 2020. The findings revealed that fiddle head fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris L.), air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera L.), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), and white yam (Dioscorea alata L.) were consumed mostly compared to other indigenous and underutilized crops. Community forest was a major source of underutilized crops followed by marginal land. Though air potato was available only for four months, its contribution to food security was higher than the other crops. Indigenous crops were found gradually disappearing due to producers' poor access to land to cultivate, misuse of land, and ineffective implementation of the Land Use Act. Further, local people’s engagement on off-farm employment had increased marginal land fallow. The study found that the prices of indigenous and underutilized crops offer income-generating opportunities. Thus, a marginal land use plan considering indigenous and underutilized crops is needed for both food security and income of local people.
Effects of coated and briquette urea on yield and nitrogen use efficiency of rice at Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal
Authors: Marahatta S.
Published: December 2022

Nitrogen is one of the most limiting element for the growth and yield of rice. However, the imbalance use of conventional urea leads to loss of nitrogen from rice field, decrease nitrogen use efficiency, increase environmental pollution and cost of cultivation. This study was done to evaluate the response of polymer coated urea (PCU) and urea briquette (UB) on the yield and nitrogen use efficiencies (NUE) of rice on a sandy loam soil. The experiment was conducted at the agronomy research farm of Agriculture and Forestry University during the rainy season of 2018 in a randomized complete block design with three replications for each treatment (T1 - control, 0 kg N ha-1; T2- Prilled urea, 150 kg N ha-1 single application at basal; T3- Prilled urea, 150 kg N ha-1 standard split application; T4-PCU, 150 kg N ha-1 single application at basal; T5-UB, 150 kg N ha-1 single application at basal). The data on yield, and NUE were recorded and analyzed by using R studio. The physical and economic maximum dose of Nitrogen for these different types of urea were also calculated. Compared with single application of Prilled urea (3698 kg ha-1), rice fertilized with Prilled urea with standard split application (4747 kg ha-1), single application of PCU (5183 kg ha-1) and BU (4787 kg ha-1) had significantly higher grain yield and NUE. Economic maximum dose of nitrogen was reduced greatly for the single application of PCU (124 kg N ha-1) compared to Prilled urea with standard split application (167 kg N ha-1). Single application of PCU and UB can be considered as an alternative nitrogen fertilizer for rice even in the sandy loam soil.
Determining factors and impact of household income on dairy cattle insurance in Nepal
Authors: Subedi S. , Kattel R. R.
Published: December 2022

Nepalese agriculture insurance market is dominated by livestock sector and cattle are the most popular class of animal in livestock production system. This study was conducted to identify the determining factors and impact of household income on dairy cattle insurance. This study was based on the field survey conducted in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of Nepal. A total of 160 households were sampled using a stratified simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-tested interview schedule and focus group discussion (FGD) in 2017. The result of t-test showed annual household income, income from milk sell, and average cattle holding significantly higher in cattle insurer farmers than that of non-insurers. A probit model was used to assess the factors affecting the decision for the adoption of cattle insurance. The probit model revealed that cattle breed, access to loan, income from livestock, and number of cattle had a positive and significant relationship with the adoption of cattle insurance whereas, household size and district dummy had a negative and significant relationship with the adoption of cattle insurance. Income regression function revealed that the adoption of insurance, the number of cattle, and the district of the respondents had a positive and significant relation with income from livestock. The instrumental variable model adopted to combat endogeneity bias showed that adoption of insurance and district of the respondents had a positive and significant relation with income from livestock. Although the results are farmers specific, findings have implications for policymakers regarding promotion of improved breeds and facilitation of farm credit.
Understanding the role of key determinants towards realizing food insecurity amongst the rural households: A case from Bajhang and Morang districts of Nepal
Authors: Bastakoti N. , Bhattarai S.
Published: December 2022

Food insecurity is one of the single largest determinants to challenge Nepal from realizing its ambition of graduating to a developing country. In line with the imminent national challenge, this study has tried to delve into the real-time findings from the rural part of the country to understand the crucial determinants of food insecurity. A household (HH) level survey with a sample size of 502 was adjudged using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) method. Semi-structured HH survey was administered to collect the socio-economic status of the respondent. Household Food Insecurity Access scale (HFIAS) was used to assess HHs food insecurity, whereas poverty status was assessed using the multidimensional poverty index (MPI). Finally, to identify the determinants of food security binary logistic regression technique was used. The MPI adjudges the aggregate status as 21%, 30.6% in Bajhang, and 14% for Morang. HFIAS tool unveiled that 47% HH were food secure. The disaggregated figure stands as 46% and 48% of households being food secure in Bajhang and Morang districts, respectively. Among the surveyed households, half of the households expressed food insecurity as the greatest concern and the consequential uncertainty ahead. The assessment further found that the Per Capita Income score (p<.01), access to financial institutions (cooperative) (p<0.01), holding livestock (p<.05), and expenditure on food (p<0.01) have a positive relationship in the case of Bajhang household. On the other hand, wage labor (p<0.01) earning members in the village (only for Morang), MPI poor (p<0.05) HHs and abroad migration (p<0.05) (only for Bajhang), ethnic cast Dalit (for both) (p<.05) had a significant negative relationship on household food security.
Effect of Trichoderma isolates on Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.
Authors: Adhikari P. , Shrestha S. M. , Manandhar H. K. , Marahatta S.
Published: December 2022

Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is one of the most important plant pathogens commonly causing root rot, stem rot, wilt and foot rot in various crop species. A wide range of host, profuse mycelial growth, and ability to produce persistent sclerotia makes them difficult to control. Biological control using Trichoderma could provide a sustainable tool for the management of diseases caused by S. rolfsii. One hundred four Trichoderma isolates were evaluated against S. rolfsii in vitro by dual culture. Of them, 30 Trichoderma isolates found effective were selected to study parasitization of sclerotia of S. rolfsii in vitro. Similarly, four Trichoderma isolates found effective in vitro were used to study their ability to parasitize sclerotia of the pathogen in soil. Trichoderma isolates varied significantly (p<0.001) for both the inhibition percentage and biocontrol index. However, they showed a differential effect as Trichoderma isolate T73, Forest soil had highest inhibition (96.96%), while Trichoderma isolate T49, Bhaktapur showed the highest bio-control index (99) against S. rolfsii. Trichoderma isolates T49, Bhaktapur and T87, Forest soil showed promising results in controlling S. rolfsii in vitro. Both isolates were also able to parasitize and reduce the germination of sclerotia in the soil. The present study demonstrated that selected Trichoderma had potential in controlling Sclerotium rolfsii.
Perencanaan Instalasi Pengolahan Lumpur Tinja (IPLT) Kabupaten Nganjuk dengan Menggunakan Sistem Kolam
Authors: Rosydah Elfida , Hidayah Euis Nurul
Published: December 2022

Kabupaten Nganjuk merupakan salah satu kabupaten di Provinsi Jawa Timur dengan jumlah penduduk yang cukup tinggi yaitu 1.103.491  jiwa. Tingginya jumlah penduduk mempengaruhi laju produksi air limbah di suatu Kabupaten/Kota. Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk merencanakan instalasi bangunan pengolahan limbah tinja (IPLT) serta pelayanan yang akan diterapkan pada IPLT. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan metode analisis data. Hasil penelitian ini didapat dimensi bangunan pengolahan bak ekualisasi panjang 1,4 m, lebar 0,7 m, dengan tinggi bangunan 1,8 m. Tangki imhoff panjang 40 m, lebar 9,5 m, dengan tinggi bangunan 9,5 m. Bak anaerobik panjang 33 m, lebar 11 m, dengan tinggi bangunan 4,5 m. Bak Aerasi fakultatif panjang 34,5 m, lebar 11,5 m, dengan tinggi bangunan 2,5 m. Bak maturasi panjang 28,5 m, lebar 9,5 m, dengan tinggi bangunan 1,5 m. Sludge Drying Bed panjang 32 m, lebar 8 m, dengan tinggi bangunan 1,2 m. Untuk lumpur dikeringkan pada unit sludge drying bed. Skema pelayanan berupa penyedotan pola transportasi pengangkutan secara langsung.
Reference Crop Evapotranspiration (ETo) for Irrigation Equipments design in Uruguay
Authors: García Petillo M. , Puppo L.
Published: December 2022

During the last decade, national irrigation systems have expanded to summer field crops and grass, in adition to intensive traditionally irrigated crops. The maximum reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) is the starting point for their design. Nowadays the value widely used among designers, is the maximum monthly averaged ETo, usually January. This could lead to under-sized equipments which could generate water-deficits during the critical growth stages. The maximum ETo is not a single value as would be the absolute maximum, it varies according to the period considered (daily, weekly, decadic, monthly) and the probability of non-exceedence. In this study daily ETo time series, between 28 and 35 years, recorded in January at the five experimental stations of National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) were analyzed. Daily ETo values with 80%probability of non-exeedence were significantly higher than those calculated based on decadic or monthly data. The latter two were quite similar, ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 mm d-1 in the different experimental stations. The aim of this paper is to recommend ETo values to design irrigation systems in Uruguay allowing maximum productive response. The maximum yield does not necessarily correspond with the maximum economic return. Thus is necessary to continue research to evaluate the productive response to different maximum irrigation doses for the different design flows. As a result, a map of Uruguay with ETo isolines based on decadic data with 80% probability of non-exeedence is presented. The equipments designed with this method meet the crop water requirements with a 80% non-exceedence probability (four over five yeas), irrigating 20 hours a day. However, if watering times are increased to 24 hours a day the historical maximum of crop water requirements is covered, except in Salto and Tacuarembó, in which crop demand is covered with a 96 and 97% non-exceedence probability respectively.
How Irrigation Affects Soil Erosion Estimates of RUSLE2
Authors: Dabney S. , Yoder D.
Published: December 2022

RUSLE2 is a robust and computationally efficient conservation planning tool that estimates soil, climate, and land management effects on sheet and rill erosion and sediment delivery from hillslopes, and also estimates the size distribution and clay enrichment of sediment delivered to the channel system. In the U.S.A., RUSLE2 is supported by extensive databases maintained by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. Examples are presented of how input climate, soil and management descriptions might be built outside the U.S.A. using data from Uruguay. In addition to average annual erosion and sediment delivery, recent enhancements give RUSLE2 the ability to predict a representative runoff event sequence for a particular location, soil, management, and user-specified return period that can be coupled with a channel erosion and routing model.
Soils Degradation and Kind of Producer for Sustainable Cultivation of Quinoa in the InterSalar of Oruro'S Department, Bolivia
Authors: Cárdenas J. E. , Urquizo O. V. , Cárdenas M. I. , Fernández R. , Orzag V.
Published: December 2022

The last decade it's distinguished by a growing demand of quinoa grain, extending the cultivated surface; a cattle breeding of camelidos has reduced, accelerating the soils degradation and the appearance of different kinds of producers. From the year 2013 to 2014 this research has been developed and the principal target was to evaluate soils degradation, identify the kinds of producers and the sustainable cultivation of quinoa. The soils degradation has been evaluated through soils analysis of the 2007 and 2014 years and microbiological activity too. For the kinds of producers, was done survey and interview in 63 producers to evaluate the biophysics and economics, the information was evaluated through descriptive statistics and the multivariate analysis. Also the sustainability of cultivation quinoa was evaluated using indexes of soils quality and culture health with a rate of 0 to 5. The results show that in the period of 7 years these soils has been reduced organic matter and total N, K+ and Mg++ interchangeable, variations that are statistical significant, microbiological activity it's reduced to long time production plot. Depending of land tenancy were identified three kind of producers: The kind I, who are the actually landowner with 21 to 50 or more hectare; the medians from six to 20.9 hectare and the small who have less than six hectare, the monoculture sustainability depending of soil and health soil is minor when the producing land is bigger. It's quite urgent to start public politics actions to national, local government and municipality level that can regulate the seeded land not "to live good" then "to live without degrading" .
Farm Wastewater Treatment with Microalgae: A Living-lab Experimental Unit
Authors: Duarte I. M. , Amador M. P. , Dias S. , Vasconcelos T. , Gonçalves J. M.
Published: December 2022

Wastewaters from farms, agro-industrial activities and urban grey waters are residues that can be valued, through their reuse for several purposes within the farm, for example, irrigation or facilities washing. This practice saves conventional water and preserves the environment from contaminations, namely the water resources. This paper presents a research project planning an experimental study to be carry out in a wine farm aiming, through the settlement of a microalgae reactor, the wastewater treatment and the microalgae production. The farm has a vineyard, a winery and a rural tourism unit. Wastewaters are mainly generated from washing the equipment and the fermentation tanks and from the house (grey waters, with low organic loads). According to their characteristics a wastewaters pre-treatment might be required. The outdoor bioreactor uses those wastewaters, solar radiation and is supplied with CO2 conducted from wine fermentation and from the composting unit, reducing the emission of this greenhouse gas. Prokaryotic cyanobacteria, as well as mono- and oligocellular species of eukaryotic algae species will be tested and applied. The performance of the outdoor cultivation systems will be assessed with respect to their light utilization (photosynthetic efficiency), growth yields (productivity), the economic aspects for the cultivation of phototrophs and the quality of treated wastewater.The biomass produced will be used as animal feed, for example for aquaculture, or as soil fertilizer. Treated wastewater will be temporarily stored, for later use, particularly for vineyard drip irrigation.The experimental unit of this project will be set in a living-laboratory to revitalise the environmental education, benefits for knowledge extension to other farmers of the Region. It will also provide deeper knowledge of this type of units to enable its optimization for a larger scale application and extension.
Soil Use Intensity Effects on Soil Organic Carbon in No-till Crop-pasture Rotations Systems
Authors: Macedo I. , Cantou G. , Terra J. A.
Published: December 2022

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key soil quality indicator for cropping systems sustainability. We evaluated 20 yrs. soil use intensity effects on SOC (0-5 cm and 5-15 cm depth) in a 72 ha no-till crop-pasture rotation experiment (33°:15’36"S, 54°:29’26"W, 60-m elevation) in Treinta y Tres, Uruguay (Abruptic Argiaquolls and Oxiaquic Vertic Argiudolls). Treatments between 1995-2005 were: Continuous cropping (CC) of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. or oat Avena sp. in winter and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) or foxtail millet (Setaria italica) in summer; 2) Short Rotation (SR): two years idem CC and two years pasture of red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) and Holcus lanatus L.; 3) Long Rotation (LR) two years idem CC and four years pasture of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.); 4) Permanent Pasture (PP): natural pasture overseeded with legumes used in RL. Since 2005 until now, grain crops substituted forage crops in the «cropping phase» of all rotations (CC, SR, LR), maintaining without modifications the pasture phase of them. Grain cropping sequence was: Oat (Avena sativa L.), Sorghum bicolor (L.), black oat (Avena sp., as a winter cover crop), soybean (Glycine max L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). After 20 years, significant SOC differences (0-5 cm) were found between rotations. Continuous cropping decreased SOC by 16%, 18%, 31% compared to SR (25.55 g kg-1), LR (26.17 g kg-1) and PP (31.32 g kg-1), respectively. Although no SOC differences were found between rotations that include perennial pastures (SR and LR), both had 18% lower SOC than PP. A trend of SOC decrease (12%) was observed also in PP compared to the original situation that existed at the beginning of the experiment (natural pasture 35.25 g kg-1). No SOC differences were found in the 5-15 cm depth between treatments that included pastures. However, there was an average SOC increase of 14% in these treatments (13.34 g kg-1) compared to CC. The aggregate of data suggest that, even under no-till, continuous cropping reduced SOC compared with cropping systems that include some proportion of pastures in the rotation. For undisturbed fragile soils incorporated to grain production, like those prevalent in 1 million ha in Eastern Uruguay, the inclusion of perennial pastures in the rotations is critical for soil conservation and mitigation of SOC losses in cropping systems.
Soil Organic Sequestration in Irrigations Farm of Black River Valley, Argentina
Authors: Mendía J. , González Terán D. , Sheridan M.
Published: December 2022

Larger water application by irrigation increases biomass productivity and consequently soil C input through residues and roots, changes mineralization rates, and alters the carbonate balance. Most irrigation is in areas with low levels of Soil Organic Matter (SOC) in the native state. Therefore, there is a large potential for carbon sequestration by the use of gravitational irrigation. Irrigated crops are grown on about 50.000 ha in the upper Valley with gravitational border and furrow irrigation system. For this work 29 farms located in Cipolletti Irrigation District, with crops pear and gravitational furrow irrigation. The edaphic variables selected: organic carbon, plantation age, soil texture, soil depth, soil drainage, pH and electrical conductivity. By using statistical programs multiple regressions equations, simulations of different scenarios allow to relate the stock of C ha-1 yr-1, according to variations in clay, the permanents years of irrigation and soil pH. The stock of t C ha-1 yr-1 have average values ranging from 0.50 t C ha-1 yr-1 the first 15 years, to 0.17 t C ha-1 in the next 30 years. The average carbon stock values are 0.28 t C ha-1 yr-1. Excessive irrigation, lack of proper drainage, and use of poor-quality irrigation water accentuate the risks of soil salinization. Use of proper irrigation methods and improved cropping systems is therefore essential to reap the benefits of irrigation in enhancing productivity and soil carbon sequestration. The gravitational irrigation border and furrow System minimizes the emission of CO2 and enhances carbon sequestration in the fight against global warming.
Challenges for Sustainable Food Systems in Metropolitan Landscapes
Authors: Carsjens G. J.
Published: December 2022

Metropolitan landscapes are facing the challenge to find a balance between urban development on the one hand and the preservation of farmland and natural resources on the other. Conventional land use planning approaches are often not up to this complex challenge and many regions are in need for innovative knowledge and approaches. This paper discusses the role of scenario methodology in the search for innovative solutions, with special emphasis on the challenges related to the sustainability of the food system. An example of application of scenario tools is presented for the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Irrigation Water Effect In Soybean Crop In Uruguay
Authors: Otero A. , Montoya F. , Ferreira A. , Canepa P.
Published: December 2022

In the last 10 years, soybean crop area has increased strongly, being 309x103 ha in 2005 to over 106 ha in 2015. Uruguayan climate conditions allow the soybean sowing between October to December according to crop cycle, and its cycle is completed between March to April. However, the irregular rainfall throughout the crop cycle causes short periods droughts that may trigger an important yield decrease, depending on the stage crop. The supplemental irrigation allows to reduce the water deficit in particular crop periods, given to farmer a high and stability yield. The need to have a good farm irrigation strategy according to the different soybean cycle length is the main reason for soybean yield response studies under supplemental irrigation. The experiment was conducted at Salto (Northwest of Uruguay) during 2013-2014 crop season. Four soybean crop length cultivars (4990, 5500, 6.2i, 8000) were used. Two treatments were applied, rainfed and irrigation, with three replications randomized block design. Irrigation treatment received the 100% of maximum crop evapotranspiration according to FAO56. Crop cycle length was 140 days with a total rainfall of 575 mm. Sprinkler irrigation system was used with an average rainfall of 6.6 mm hour-1. The average water depth was 232 mm distributed in 7 irrigation events between December and January. Regardless of crop cycle, irrigation treatment showed a higher yield than rainfed treatment (differences about 80%). Long cycles soybean cultivars, irrespective of the irrigation treatments, reached a higher yield than the shorter ones (differences over 50% and 20% in rainfed and irrigation treatments, respectively). Therefore, in the North of Uruguay, soybean crop with long cycle, and under supplemental irrigation, should allow a greater yield to the farmers with the aim to reach a high profit margin.
Soil and Water Conservation Technologies for Implementing Climate Change Adaptation Measures: Local Scale Proposal of Basal Project in Cuba
Authors: López Seijas T. , Duarte Diaz C. , Calero B. , Cisneros Zayas E. , Martinez Cañizares J. A. , Hernández O. , Pérez N. , Pozo J. L. , Cruz M.
Published: December 2022

This paper presents an actions proposal for implementing adaptation measures to variability and climate change at local scale, based on integral diagnoses developed on the framework the international collaboration project Environmental Basis for Local Food Sustainable Production (Basal for its spanish abbreviation) in three intervention municipalities in Cuba. The crop systems diagnosed were related to: rice (Los Palacios municipality in east region of the country); beans, vegetables, fruits, roots and tubers (Güira de Melena municipality in central-east region) and pasture and forage for milk production in livestock (Jimaguayú municipality in west region). The measures adopted are related to soil and water management and also include actions for introduction of sustainable management practices for conservation and soil improvement, new irrigation technologies or improve those already in use, for increasing water use efficiency. Among the most important actions are the introduction of technologies for land leveling and maintenance and rectification of channels net for increasing water application and conduction efficiency in surface irrigation systems and the modernization in demonstrative areas with the introduction of pulse or non continues surface irrigation technologies and flexible pipes for third channels. Other remarkable the actions are linked to the implementation of Use and Quality Brigade (BUCA, for its spanish abbreviation) and the Advisory Irrigation Service (SAR, for its spanish abbreviation) for monitoring water availability, quality and use efficiency for irrigation and technical training for technicians and farmers involved in the exploitation of irrigation systems. The proposal of specifics and integral indicators for monitoring effectiveness of measures in the variability and climate change adaptation and support its performance in planning and management of agricultural sector.
The Modernization of a Large Irrigation Perimeter to Support Rural Sustainable Development - study Case of Matala (South of Angola)
Authors: Silva V. A. , Gonçalves J. M.
Published: December 2022

Matala Irrigation Perimeter (MIP), located in the Cunene river basin, Huíla Province, South of Angola, is under a modernization process, managed by the Angola government. It aims a sustainable rural development, focusing on the socioeconomically aspects and the reduction of poverty of the local populations. This paper describes the MIP and presents the main results of a research study carried out to evaluate this process to establish actions for its improvement. It includes procedures for better water use at conveyance network and on-farm levels, and for higher land productivity through the improvement of crop systems. MIP has an area of 10,732 ha, being the water diverted from the Matala dam, in Cunene River. The irrigated perimeter was built in the 1960s, with a gravity canal distribution system, designed for traditional surface irrigation methods. Since 2002, the MIP was deeply rehabilitated, through the recovery of the main canal and water control structures, the enlargement of the irrigated area and the implementation of agro industrial and animal production units. MIP has several constraints, related with the maintenance of hydraulic structures, the effectiveness of water distribution, and shortage water supply. The main crops grown are potato, tomato, maize, pasture, horticultural and fruit trees, being their irrigation scheduling analysed. The development of on-farm irrigation has been set as an important priority, because the majority of the area applies low effective traditional methods. The modernization of the surface irrigation is a key crucial option, particularly in the flat soils with topographic conditions for gravity supply. The micro irrigation, particularly the drip irrigation, is applied in tomato crop and fruit tree, and the fixed or centre pivot systems used for maize and pastures. The research presented in this paper evaluated those systems, the performance indicators and the main difficulties found, including the requirements of farmer's technical support.
Description and Quantification of Wet Bulbs in Soils with Contrasting Textures with Different Patterns of Water Application under Drip Irrigation
Authors: Hayashi R. , Morales P. , Puppo L.
Published: December 2022

The objective of this work is to obtain one first approach in the determination of the size of wetted bulbs, and to analyze the effects of different ways of water application on the patterns of the size and shape of the wetted bulb. Irrigation experiment were installed on two soils with a silty clay loam superficial horizon of 0,40 m depth, followed by a clay horizon of low permeability. Measurements were taken to determine the size of the bulb, applying irrigation with dripper of different flow, different distances, with one or two lines and different applied volumes. In addition a field test was carry out using a portable device assessed different flows and irrigation times in a sandy and a clay loam soils. The gravimetric method was used to evaluate the water content of the samples to determine the dimensions of the obtained wetted bulb of in each case. The data were introduced in a computer program (SURFER8), to plot these results and obtain the different wet bulb. The first results show important differences between observed values and the models proposed in the bibliography and there are aspects of the irrigation management, for example irrigation time, that produce deep percolation of the irrigation water.
Irrigation Management and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Uruguayan Rice Production Systems
Authors: Capurro Ma. C. , Riccetto S. , Tarlera S. , Irisarri P. , Fernandez A. , Cantou G. , Roel A.
Published: December 2022

Environmental impact and sustainability of agricultural systems and management practices leading to climate change mitigation are one of the most relevant issues to agricultural production nowadays. Mitigation is the process of reducing emissions or enhancing sinks of greenhouse gases (GHG), to limit global warming potential and restrict future climate change. The most relevant GHG are Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O). The steady increase of its concentrations in the atmosphere over several decades has led to enhance global warming. CH4 and N2O are the most relevant GHG emitted mainly in the agricultural sector. It is well known that water management has great impact on GHG emissions from rice paddy fields. One of the most important tools for rice crop production and mitigation of CH4 emission is the controlled irrigation. However, it could result in a N2O emission increase and reduced rice yields. For these reasons, it is remarkably important to assess the tradeoff relationship between both GHG and the effect on rice productivity. A 3 year field experiment with two different irrigation systems was set at southeast of Uruguay. Conventional water management (continuous flooding after 30 days of emergence, CF30) and an alternative irrigation system (controlled deficit irrigation allowing wetting and drying, AWDI) were compared. The objective was to study the effect of water management on GHG emission, water productivity and rice yields in order to identify strategies for further progress in sustainable intensification of Uruguayan rice. Results showed that mean cumulative CH4 emission values for AWDI were 55% lower than CF30 systems; on the other hand, there were no significant differences in N2O emission among systems. Significant yield differences were not observed in two of the rice seasons, while AWDI recorded a significant yield reduction in one of them. Total irrigation water applied and irrigation water productivity did not showed differences in two of the rice seasons, while CF30 reported a higher amount of water applied and lower water productivity in one of the seasons. It can be concluded that AWDI could be an option to enhance water productivity and GHG emission mitigation. However, grain yield can be compromised in AWDI systems. The adoption of these technology is based on the indispensable assess of an overall tradeoff between the risk of possible yield losses, total water used and GHG emissions.
A Model for Developing Reservoir Operation Rules for Irrigation Projects
Authors: Tinoco V. , Cordero P. , Cisneros F. , Cisneros P.
Published: December 2022

At a basin scale the criteria for designing reservoirs for irrigation projects are based in three aspects: i) Storage required for supplying crop water requirements at an irrigated area, which are calculated for critical drought conditions. ii) Storage required for releasing the minimum ecological river flow under the described weather condition. iii) Spillway dimensions to evacuate high peak flow events. Those aspects are fundamental for designing a reservoir, however, designing reservoir operation rules is also an important aspect and normally it is a big uncertainty for project managers. This study focuses on developing a mathematical model for operating reservoirs for irrigation projects into an integrated basin context. The crop cycle is simulated for several year based on long term historical hydro-meteorological time series in a daily basis. Irrigation requirements are obtained from those simulations. Those results are clustered in 10-day periods during the crop cycle. Frequency analyses of the irrigation requirements are performed. Those results are applied for building irrigation schedules for dry, normal, and rainy conditions. Furthermore, frequency analyses are performed to the distributed rainfall for determining similar weather thresholds. The reservoir operation consists in first routing the inflow thorough the reservoir to the different outlets. A conceptual hydrological routing model is applied for this purpose. Second, the amount of water to release from the reservoir to the irrigation scheme depends on amount of rainfall measured during the precedent 10-days and on the irrigation schedule for that weather condition. The model was developed for a case study in the Ecuadorian Coast, which is a large irrigation project, called PACALORI. The reservoir operation rules were obtained by modeling the system for 42 years of hydro-meteorological data. The model would be implemented in a real time operation, depending on the monitoring implementation for measuring rainfall, flow, and meteorological variables.
Irrigation Management Alternatives that Mantain High Productivity While Using Less Water in Uruguayan Rice
Authors: Riccetto S. , Capurro M. C. , Roel A.
Published: December 2022

Improvement of water use efficiency in rice crop systems has gained importance over the last decades as it is a limiting factor for the expansion of rice crop in Uruguay. The current scenario has encouraged the adoption of efficient water use technologies to enhance water productivity and contribute to the rational use of this resource. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different water managements during the vegetative stage of the crop on yield (kg ha-1), total water use (m3 ha-1), irrigation water use (m3 ha-1), and water productivity (kg m-3). The experiments were conducted during three consecutive seasons from 2010/2011 through 2012/2013 at Paso de la Laguna Experimental Station (INIA Treinta y Tres, Uruguay). A complete randomized block design with 5 irrigation treatments and four replications was used. An overall three year analysis was done using a linear mixed model. Treatments consisted of a set of three conventional water managements and a set of two controlled deficit irrigations (CDI). Conventional treatments consisted of three different flooding moments: 15, 30 and 45 days after emergence (CF15, CF30 and CF45); and the CDI treatments were intermittent irrigation (II) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Results showed that CF15, CF30 and II treatments reached higher yields (10592, 10454 and 10189 kg ha-1, respectively) followed by CF45 and AWD (9653 and 9287 kg ha-1, respectively). Mean total water use reached 11508 m3 ha-1, while mean irrigation water use was 8044 m3 ha-1. AWD significantly reduces mean total water use and mean irrigation water use. Mean total water productivity was 0.89 kg m-3 while mean irrigation water productivity was 1.31 kg m-3. The study demonstrated that controlled deficit irrigation alternatives were effective to maintain high values of water productivity. However, AWD treatment can compromise yield; therefore the overall tradeoffs between crop productivity and water use should be thoroughly assessed before stimulating farmers the adoption of these technologies.
Early Estimate of Wheat Yield in Irrigation District Nº 38, Rio Mayo, Sonora, Mexico
Authors: Palacios-Vélez E. , Palacios-Sánchez L. A. , Espinosa J. L.
Published: December 2022

At the irrigation district No 38, Rio Mayo, in Sonora State, Mexico, crop wheat accounts for about 70% of the area under irrigation (about 68,000 ha). Whereby, water users have requested studies aimed to find a method to obtain early crop yield estimation for wheat, using vegetation indices. These values have been obtained from Landsat 7, Landsat 8, and Deimos satellites images. Other studies have been done to estimates crop evapotranspiration (ETc), assessed by two methods, by the relationship: ETc = Kcb * ETr, (ETr reference evapotranspiration) where Kcb is evaluated as a function of NDVI, and by the method of moisture balance (MATRIC algorithm). Specifically, for early crop yield estimate it has been considered a relationship with the value of the index NDVI at heading of the crop, time when usually achieves its maximum value. There is sufficient background in literature about this kind of relationships among them, the works carried out by the International Water Management Institute in India. Moreover, to assure farmers know their crop conditions, there have built a couple of viewers, accessible in the WEB page of the district. So, as part of the PLEIADeS and SIRIUS projects funded by the European Commission, in which the authors’ collaborated, the SPIDER viewer where developed and used for shows values of NDVI on each farm in this district; in addition there is other viewer developed by one of the authors which is available for transfer information to water users. To calibrate the proposed methodology to calculate relationship between the NDVI and the crop yield, the staff of the extension service has been working in measuring yields in many plots within the district, results are presenting in this work.
Geographic Information System to Support Irrigation Management Strategies
Authors: Bariani Cassiane J. M. Victoria , Bariani Nelson M. Victoria , Petry M. T. , Carlesso R. , Kersten D. S. , Awe G. O.
Published: December 2022

Meteorological variables, phenology, plant health and crop management, soil physical and chemical properties, water and energy balances as well as variables related to economics, logistics and monitoring processes, among others, create complexity in the management of irrigation, which make it difficult to be administered conceptual or empirical models. Also, physico-mathematical modelsdescribing isolated phenomena cannot cover the overall complexity of the problem. This can be seen, in practice, by the gradual growth of factors which threaten the sustainability of irrigation enterprise. Currently, the advent of geotechnology application in agriculture and its integration with weather information in Geographic Information System (GIS) environments has make possible a more detailed support for irrigation management and planning. The objective of this study therefore was to organize and develop a geo-relational database with information from 30 pivots located in Cruz Alta, RS, Brazil, to further establish the usefulness of GIS in irrigation management. Data base preparation took place in two stages: (i) acquisition, georeferencing, image vectorization, snipping and calculation of vegetation indices relating to 107 images from Landsat5/TM satellite; and (2) creation of geo-related tables for each pivot containing information obtained from fieldsand weather stations in the region. Besides statistical analysis of NDVI values of pixels (picture elements) from each pivot, informationon crop type, planting date, phenological stages, soil type, evapotranspiration and weather data were also included in the database. Image processing, calculations and statistical analyzes, as well as mapping were done using SPRING software. Thus, a geographical database capable of integrating field information with those obtained by remote sensing was created and mapping of the distribution of key crop variables enabled better visualization of the dynamics of processes in progress, thus enabling comprehensive technical background for decision making with respect to planning and management of production systems in irrigated agriculture.