Browsing by Subject "crop rotation"
Now showing items 1-3 of 3
-
(2024)Climate change poses a significant threat to agricultural production worldwide (FAO, 2017; IPCC, 2021), and Uganda is particularly vulnerable to these changes. This research aims to study preferences (crops and practices) and transition costs for adopting more climate resilient agriculture methodologies in Uganda's West Nile Region. To ensure the reliability and validity of the results, a triangulation approach was implemented, employing a mix of methodologies and data sources. An extensive literature review, survey, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were adopted. Key findings underline cassava as the most cultivated food crop, potatoes as one of the most cultivated cash crops, and crop rotation and agroforestry as the most climate-resilient practices adopted. High investment costs and lack of labour represented critical barriers to the adoption of innovative practices, in particular apiculture and plant nurseries. Farmers recognised the important role of including different crops and different strategies to implement climate resilience and improve yields. Further studies are necessary to assess the long-term efficiency of these strategies, including their impacts on pest and disease management and soil fertility. Overall, this research provides valuable insights for further development of an ongoing climate-resilient project in the region.
-
(2013)The aim of this study was to find out how crop rotations with legumes in comparison to monocultures affect nutrient runoff from cultivation and profitability. We looked at five period monocultures of wheat, barley and oats. In the rotations considered two periods were replaced by red clover-grass or pea-horse bean mixtures. Results from rotations were compared with the ones from monocultures. Rotations were studied in private and social optimum and the case of common agricultural policy. According to the results it is possible to reduce nitrogen runoff with the use of legumes in crop rotations. Reductions were achieved by two means: lower average nitrogen runoff of legumes and residual effect from biologically fixed nitrogen which allows reducing fertilization in the next period. The average reductions in nitrogen runoff were higher in rotations based on pea-horse bean due to its lower optimal fertilization rate compared to red clover-grass. However, average per grain runoff was reduced more with red clover-grass due to its greater residual effect. Average nitrogen runoff was reduced in all cases expect for red clovergrass based rotations in social optimum where the variation in buffer strips made the difference. Private and social profitability were the highest for red clover-grass and adding it to grain monocultures increased both private and social profits. If the demand as fodder was too low cultivation of red clover-grass was unprofitable. Pea-horse bean had the lowest profitability and adding it to grain monocultures reduced profits.
-
(2013)A field experiment was conducted at Potato Reseach Institute during 1997-2002 in Lammi, Finland. The first aim of the work was to find out the suitability of three- and four-year crop rotation on potato production. The second aim was to investigate the effect of three different tilling methods and four different preceding crops on yield and quality of potato. The tilling methods were autumn and spring ploughing and light cultivation. The preceding crops were barley with straw left in the plots, barley with straw harvested, oat with straw harvested and two-year-grass. There were no differences on yield or quality of tubers between the studied crop rotations. The tuber yield did not differ between the tilling methods or the preciding crops. There was an interaction between all studied rotation and tilling methods. Three-year rotation resulted in approximately 5 % higher tuber yield and 14 % higher marketable yield following spring ploughing and light cultivation in comparison to autumn ploughing. However, four-year rotation resulted in an opposite result, since the tuber yield was 7 % and marketable yield 17 % higher following autumn ploughing in comparison to both spring ploughing and light cultivation. The most effecting factor on tuber quality was the two-year-grass as a preceding crop. Starch content was a little less than one percentage point higher following grass in comparison to all other preceding crops studied. Plant stand was also slightly sparser and tubers were slightly larger following grass in comparison to other preceding crops studied. This was due to grass lumps which caused problems in planting and resulted in uneven plant stand density. There were more green tubers following grass in comparison to other preceding crops studied. The starch content was a little less than one percentage point lower following spring ploughing in comparison to other tilling methods. Common scab was observed somewhat more following spring ploughing. The light cultivation resulted in the highest number of green tubers. Three- and four-year crop rotations seem to fit for potato cultivation, and oat and barley are suitable as preceding crops for potato. Yield is not affected when spring ploughing- and light cultivation is applied with cereals as preceding crops. The two-year-grass is also suitable preceding crop for potato. It increases the tuber starch content, even tough it can decrease the quality. Thus, autumn ploughing is the best option as a tilling method to be used for grass as a preceding crop in potato cultivation.
Now showing items 1-3 of 3