Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2006. / Vita. Appendices: leaves 83-122. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-136).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-186). Also available via the Internet.

The degradation of soil quality due to undesirable farming practices has reached alarming scales in the Eastern Cape and this has had negative repercussions on soil productivity and the environment in general. There is growing evidence that conservation agriculture (CA) practices involving minimal mechanical disturbance, maintaining permanent surface cover and embracing diverse crop rotations increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and therefore has potential to mitigate soil quality deterioration. A study was carried out at two sites located in two ecotopes to investigate the effects of crop residue retention and crop rotations in a no till system on overall soil quality using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) as the soil quality assessment tool. The CA study trials were laid out in 2012 at two different locations, one at the Phandulwazi Agricultural High school within the Phandulwazi Jozini ecotope and the other one at University of Fort Hare Research Farm within the Alice Jozini ecotope. The experiment was laid out as a split-split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Tillage treatments were applied on the main plots while crop rotation treatments were applied as subplots. Crop residue retention treatments were applied as sub-sub plots. The rotational treatments were maize-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-fallow-soybean (MFS), maize-wheat-maize (MWM) and maize-wheat-soybean (MWS). The initial assessment of the overall soil quality of the two ecotopes using the SMAF soil quality index (SQI) revealed that the soils at the Alice site were functioning at 80% while the soils at the Phandulwazi site were functioning at 79 percent of their optimum capacity. The slight difference in the soil quality of the two ecotopes could be attributed to their different soil organic C contents where the Alice Jozini ecotope had significantly higher soil organic C contents than the Phandulwazi Jozini ecotope. After 3 years of continuous treatment application, crop residue retention significantly improved most of the measured soil quality parameters. Generally across the sites, more soil organic C, microbial biomass C (MBC), ß-glucosidase (BG) activity, mineral N, extractable P and K, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, and macro-aggregates were recorded in treatments where crop residues were retained. Crop rotations alone did not have a significant impact on most of the measured soil quality indicators. The crop rotations influenced significantly the availability of mineral N across the two sites, highlighting the importance of using a legume in rotations on available N for the subsequent crops. Most of the measured soil attributes were not significantly influenced after 3 years of continuously applying combined treatment of CA components. Mineral N (NO3 + NH4), K, Zn and Fe were significantly impacted on by the interactions of CA components at the Phandulwazi site, while N, Cu, Zn and Mn were significantly increased at the Alice site. Low response of SOC to combined CA treatments in the short-term prompted the need to examine treatment effects on individual soil carbon fractions. The interaction of crop rotation and residue management techniques were significant on the fine particulate organic matter – C fractions and microbially respired C. These soil C fractions were more sensitive to short-term treatments of combined CA components than SOC and MBC, therefore they can be used as short-term indicators of CA effects on SOM. Soil organic carbon, MBC, extractable P and K, soil pH, EC, b, AGS (aggregate stability) and BG activity were measured and the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) used to calculate soil quality index (SQI) values for each treatment. The combination of the crop rotations with crop residue retention showed the potential to significantly improve SQI values in the long term. The highest soil quality improvement at both sites was achieved by the maize-wheat-soybean (MWS) rotation with crop residue retention.

Low maize yields in the midst of abundant arable land, favourable climatic conditions, input and financial support programs, plagues smallholder maize farming in Eastern Cape Province. These scenarios have led the province to be a net importer of maize. In essence, low production may signify a mis-match between maize varieties being promoted amongst smallholder farmers and their farming system. Thus, the main objective of the study was to investigate the productivity and profitability of different maize varieties and cropping system under smallholder agriculture in selected villages of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa as well as, the implications posed on the household food security. The study sought to assess: (i) the productivity of different maize varieties and cropping systems, (ii) the effect of GM maize adoption on food security among smallholder farmers, (iii) the profitability of GM, conventional hybrids and OPV maize varieties produced by farmers under different agro-ecological conditions and (iv) the impact of different maize varieties and cropping systems on food security in the smallholder agriculture. A cross sectional quantitative-based survey study was carried out to obtain information from a total of 650 small holder farmers. The study was conducted in three local municipalities in Oliver Reginald (OR) Tambo District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Descriptive statistics, partial factor productivity, gross margin analysis, household food insecurity access score (HFIAS), ordinal logistic and linear regression were the analytical techniques used in establishing correlations among variables. Results obtained from the survey indicated that under mono-cropping system, Genetically Modified (GM) maize variety was highly productive with an average yield of 1.9 t/ha whilst, improved OPV maize variety was productive (with an average yield of 1.6 t/ha) under mixed cropping system. Furthermore, GM maize (GM = -R418.10), and landrace (GM = -R1 140.29) maize varieties had negative gross margins whilst, conventional hybrids (GM = R5 181.21) and improved OPV (GM = R1 457.41) were profitable. There was a significant and negative correlation between use of GM maize variety and reduction of household food insecurity. GM maize varieties, improved OPV, white maize, white as well as yellow GM maize varieties had a significant impact in reducing household food insecurity; whilst using more than one variety of maize (landraces and GMO) positively influenced household food insecurity. In light of these research findings, it is recommended that, there is need to address household food security by growing improved OPVs under a mixed cropping system and GM maize under monocropping system.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-20T17:09:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-02-24. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-20T17:26:26Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000843763.pdf: 3771507 bytes, checksum: 95075b8d207831c0a64fbf7c2f3c81e0 (MD5) / No Brasil e no mundo, a cultura do milho é uma das mais importantes, por ser a base da alimentação animal e utilizado também na alimentação humana. Técnicas sustentáveis de manejo na cultura do milho são necessárias, visando aumento de produtividade, minimizando custos e impactos ambientais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar diferentes coberturas vegetais (milheto, crotalária, guandu, milheto + crotalária, milheto + guandu e pousio), doses de N (0, 40, 80 e 120 kg ha -1 ) com e sem a inoculação de sementes com Azospirillum brasilense na cultura do milho, cultivado em sistema plantio direto no crescimento e produtividade na região do Cerrado. Foi utilizado delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 6x4x2, constituindo 48 tratamentos, com 4 repetições. O estudo foi realizado na Fazenda Experimental pertencente à Faculdade de Engenharia - UNESP - Campus de Ilha Solteira, localizada no município de Selvíria - MS. O solo do local é do tipo LATOSSOLO VERMELHO Distrófico típico argiloso. A precipitação média anual é de 1.330 mm, a temperatura média anual é de 25 oC e a umidade relativa do ar entre 70 e 80%. Durante a condução do experimento, foram realizadas as seguintes avaliações: massa seca, teores e quantidades acumuladas de N, P e K nas plantas de cobertura; no milho: população inicial e final de plantas, produção de massa seca da parte aérea das plantas, teor de N foliar, índice de clorofila foliar, teores e valores acumulados de N, P e K na planta, altura de plantas e de inserção de espiga, diâmetro de colmo, comprimento de espiga, diâmetro de espiga, massa de mil grãos e produtividade de grãos. As coberturas vegetais, exceto o guandu no primeiro ano e pousio no segundo, produziram quantidade adequada de resíduo para manter o sistema plantio direto na região de Cerrado de baixa altitude. O consórcio milheto + crotalária possibilita quantidades acumuladas de N e K.. / In Brazil and in the world, maize crop is one of the most important because it is the basis of animal feed and also used in human feed. Sustainable techniques of management in maize crop are needed, aiming at increasing yield, reducing costs and environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to evaluate different cover crops (millet, sunn hemp, pigeonpea, millet + sunn hemp, millet + pigeonpea and fallow), N rates (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha -1 ) with and without inoculation of seeds with Azospirillum brasilense in maize crop, cultivated in no- tillage system on growth and yield in the Cerrado region. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks in a factorial scheme 6x4x2, constituting 48 treatments, with 4 replications. The study was conducted at the Experimental Farm belonging to the Faculty of Engineering - UNESP (Ilha Solteira), located in Selviria - MS. The soil of the place is a Typical Dystrophic Red Latosol clayey texture. The average annual rainfall is 1.330 mm, the average annual temperature is 25°C and the relative humidity between 70 and 80%. During the experiment, the following evaluations were performed: dry matter, content and accumulated values of N, P and K in cover crops; in maize: initial and final population of plants, production of dry matter of the shoots, leaf nitrogen content, leaf chlorophyll index, content and accumulated values of N, P and K in the whole plant, plant height and of ear insertion, stem diameter, ear length, ear diameter, thousand grain weight and grain yield. The cover crops except the pigeonpea in 2012/13 and fallow in 2013/14 produced adequate amount of residue to keep the no-tillage system in the Cerrado region. The consortium of millet + sunn hemp provided the greater accumulated amount of N and K for both years of cultivation. The great yield of maize grains under pigeonpea residue was due to increase in ear diameter and thousand-grain weight. Thus, the great maize yield ...

Orientador: Orivaldo Arf / Banca: Salatier Buzetti / Banca: Domingos Fornasieri Filho / Resumo: No Brasil e no mundo, a cultura do milho é uma das mais importantes, por ser a base da alimentação animal e utilizado também na alimentação humana. Técnicas sustentáveis de manejo na cultura do milho são necessárias, visando aumento de produtividade, minimizando custos e impactos ambientais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar diferentes coberturas vegetais (milheto, crotalária, guandu, milheto + crotalária, milheto + guandu e pousio), doses de N (0, 40, 80 e 120 kg ha -1 ) com e sem a inoculação de sementes com Azospirillum brasilense na cultura do milho, cultivado em sistema plantio direto no crescimento e produtividade na região do Cerrado. Foi utilizado delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 6x4x2, constituindo 48 tratamentos, com 4 repetições. O estudo foi realizado na Fazenda Experimental pertencente à Faculdade de Engenharia - UNESP - Campus de Ilha Solteira, localizada no município de Selvíria - MS. O solo do local é do tipo LATOSSOLO VERMELHO Distrófico típico argiloso. A precipitação média anual é de 1.330 mm, a temperatura média anual é de 25 oC e a umidade relativa do ar entre 70 e 80%. Durante a condução do experimento, foram realizadas as seguintes avaliações: massa seca, teores e quantidades acumuladas de N, P e K nas plantas de cobertura; no milho: população inicial e final de plantas, produção de massa seca da parte aérea das plantas, teor de N foliar, índice de clorofila foliar, teores e valores acumulados de N, P e K na planta, altura de plantas e de inserção de espiga, diâmetro de colmo, comprimento de espiga, diâmetro de espiga, massa de mil grãos e produtividade de grãos. As coberturas vegetais, exceto o guandu no primeiro ano e pousio no segundo, produziram quantidade adequada de resíduo para manter o sistema plantio direto na região de Cerrado de baixa altitude. O consórcio milheto + crotalária possibilita quantidades acumuladas de N e K.. / Abstract: In Brazil and in the world, maize crop is one of the most important because it is the basis of animal feed and also used in human feed. Sustainable techniques of management in maize crop are needed, aiming at increasing yield, reducing costs and environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to evaluate different cover crops (millet, sunn hemp, pigeonpea, millet + sunn hemp, millet + pigeonpea and fallow), N rates (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha -1 ) with and without inoculation of seeds with Azospirillum brasilense in maize crop, cultivated in no- tillage system on growth and yield in the Cerrado region. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks in a factorial scheme 6x4x2, constituting 48 treatments, with 4 replications. The study was conducted at the Experimental Farm belonging to the Faculty of Engineering - UNESP (Ilha Solteira), located in Selviria - MS. The soil of the place is a Typical Dystrophic Red Latosol clayey texture. The average annual rainfall is 1.330 mm, the average annual temperature is 25°C and the relative humidity between 70 and 80%. During the experiment, the following evaluations were performed: dry matter, content and accumulated values of N, P and K in cover crops; in maize: initial and final population of plants, production of dry matter of the shoots, leaf nitrogen content, leaf chlorophyll index, content and accumulated values of N, P and K in the whole plant, plant height and of ear insertion, stem diameter, ear length, ear diameter, thousand grain weight and grain yield. The cover crops except the pigeonpea in 2012/13 and fallow in 2013/14 produced adequate amount of residue to keep the no-tillage system in the Cerrado region. The consortium of millet + sunn hemp provided the greater accumulated amount of N and K for both years of cultivation. The great yield of maize grains under pigeonpea residue was due to increase in ear diameter and thousand-grain weight. Thus, the great maize yield ... / Mestre

The objective of the thesis is proposing types of crops suitable for the production of phytomass for power purposes in low favourite areas (LFA). The assignment was summarising the source data for a broader set of power crops obtained from multiple authors primarily from the Czech Republic, and assessing their suitability for growing in LFA in areas sorted by environment requirements (soil, pH, weather conditions, vegetation period, resistance to frost, resistance to pests and diseases,{\dots}) and by production capability and energy parameters (yield, height of plants, combustion heat, caloric value, humidity, ash content, {\dots}) Field tests with suitable power crops were established and economic models were generated based on the results of the cultivation to demonstrate the possibilities of utilisation in reality

Aflatoxins are cancer-causing, immuno-suppressive mycotoxins that frequently contaminate important staples in Zambia including maize and groundnut. Managing aflatoxins begins with understanding the distribution of aflatoxins across the target region. Seventeen percent of crops from markets contained aflatoxin concentrations above allowable levels in Zambia, with the frequency of contamination in groundnut and maize highest in warmest regions of the country. Proper management of aflatoxin contamination requires a clear understanding of the etiologic agents of the observed contamination. Several species within Aspergillus section Flavi have been implicated as causal agents of aflatoxin contamination in Africa. In Zambia, A. parasiticus was the main etiologic agent of aflatoxin contamination of maize and groundnut, although fungi with S morphology also caused contamination. Aspergillus flavus L morphotype fungi were associated with reduced aflatoxins, suggesting natural biological control by atoxigenic strains may reduce aflatoxin contamination in Zambia. In addition to maize and groundnut, wild insects, fruits and fish are important sources of food and incomes in Zambia. Unfortunately, both insects and wild plants are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. To evaluate the safety of wild insects and fruit, concentrations of aflatoxins and presence of aflatoxin-producers were assessed. Some species of wild fruits and insects were found to have unsafe levels of aflatoxins suggesting mitigation efforts should target these important foods of Zambia in addition to crops such as groundnut and maize. New lineages of aflatoxin-producing fungi have been described, and found associated with cases of aflatoxicoses in Kenya and elsewhere. Although A. parasiticus is highly frequent and an important etiologic agent of aflatoxin contamination, it is not known how this fungus is related to similar fungi elsewhere. A multigene phylogenetic analysis revealed at least two new groups divergent from known fungal species whose frequencies need to be modified if aflatoxin contamination of crops is to be reduced.

PhD. (Environmental Management) / Climate change and variability has rapidly emerged as one of the most serious threats to sustainable development especially for developing African countries such as Rwanda. Since most of the agricultural activities in African countries are rain-fed, any adverse change in climate is likely to have a devastating effect on output and the livelihood of the majority of the population in the affected countries. Therefore, there should be continuous and regular preparedness to on-going climate variability. Climate change and variability derived information, are most likely to improve the agricultural outcomes when it is integrated into a framework for decision making to mitigate specific risks. It is in that regard, this research aims at analyzing climate change and variability and their impacts on the yields of major food crops in Rwanda. The raw climatic data (temperatures and precipitations) used in this study were obtained from the Rwandan Meteorological Center based in Kigali and Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) while the agricultural records were collected from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI). Length and completeness of records were the basic criteria used to select weather stations in order to have the most complete dataset. Five major crops, namely beans, cassava, Irish potatoes, maize, and sweet potatoes were selected for investigation because they are grown over large areas in most parts of the country during the two agricultural seasons i.e. season A (September-January) and season B (February-June). This research uses a number of statistical techniques in an attempt to quantify the magnitude and significance in temperature, rainfall, number of rainy days, aridity index and rainfall erosivity changes and variability taking place over Rwanda. The same techniques were applied in determining the magnitude and significance of inter-annual variations in food crop yields over Rwanda. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to present spatially the results on maps...

Cover crops not only improve soil conditions, but can also suppress weed growth. In a field experiment the influence of two cover crops, Secale cereale (stooling rye), and Lolium multiflorum (annual ryegrass), on the growth of Zea mays (maize) and C. esculentus (yellow nutsedge) was compared to the latter crop and weed’s growth at three control treatments which involved weed residues left on the soil surface, application of herbicides and weed control by hoeing. Maize emergence and growth were delayed in the presence of residues of both cover crop species, especially in annual ryegrass residues. C. esculentus growth was significantly inhibited in the area between the maize planting rows by the cover crops for the first 14 days after maize emergence, but this growth suppressing effect diminished after 28 days. In a controlled environment study, the influence of the same cover crops, together with Avena sativa (oats) and three cultivars of annual ryegrass were evaluated. Maize and C. esculentus growth were suppressed, especially by the root residues of the cover crops with the annual ryegrass cultivar ‘Midmar’ being the most suppressive. Chemical analysis of the leachate of root residues indicated the presence of phenolic acids and benzoxazolin-2(3 H)-one (BOA). It is suggested that weed growth could be reduced by the allelochemicals leached from cover crop residues but in order to achieve prolonged, effective weed control the combination of mulch retained on the soil surface and the application of herbicides will required. In an integrated weed management approach a possible reduction in the type and number of herbicide applications required for effective weed control, could be implemented. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted