No abstract

To make more intensive use of increasingly‐scarce and expensive farmland, farmers in the North‐Central region of the United States are developing considerable interest in double‐cropping systems involving feed production. Therefore, forage production and quality were evaluated in double‐cropping systems involving corn (Zea maysL.), soybeans [Glycine max(L.) Merr.], and grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench] no‐till planted following conventionally‐planted spring oats (Avena sativaL.) for forage. The 2‐year field studies were undertaken on two soil types, Plano silt loam [fine‐silty, mixed, mesic Typic Argiudoll (Exp. I)] and Fayette silt loam [fine‐silty, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalf (Exp. II)] at two separate locations in Wisconsin. The effects of irrigation and weed control practices (chemical and cultural) on the second crops were investigated. The 2‐year average forage yields of corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum were 5820, 2660, and 3890 kg ha−1, respectively. Cultivation generally resulted in better weed control than herbicides. Irrigation increased forage yields of corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum by 31, 38, and 32%, respectively. Soybeans produced the highest crude protein (CP) ha−1but the lowest quantity of digestible dry matter (DM), estimated by the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) technique. Corn produced the highest amount of digestible DM ha−1but had the lowest CP percentage. Grain sorghum had thelowest IVDMD and produced the lowest CP ha−1. Based on 2‐year averages, the oats‐corn double‐cropping system produced the most forage, CP and digestible DM. Double‐cropping yields show considerable promise, when compared with present yields under a one crop system.

Effect of poultry manure and organic fertilizer (NPK 20:10:10) on the growth and quality of cucumber fruits was studied at the experimental site of the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam campus. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four levels of treatments consisting of 4tha -1 poultry manure (PM), 900 kgha -1 NPK in a ratio of 20:10:10 (NPK), 2 tha -1 poultry manure + 450 kgha -1 NPK fertilizer (PM + NPK) and 0 tha -1 control (CO), where no treatment was applied. Data collected were tested using analysis of variance and significant differences among treatment means were separated using LSD at 0.05 probability level. The results obtained from the study indicated that the numbers of leaves of cucumber increased as weeks after planting (WAP) increased. The highest leaves numbers was observed in the plots treated by PM. The order of leaves increases from 2 to 6 weeks were PM > PM+NPK > NPK > CO. The length of fruits, number of fruits, the quality of marketable fruits and weight of fruits increased proportionately in PM treated plots and were significantly (P=0.05) different among the other treatments except for quality of marketable fruits. The highest value of 171.25cm (length of fruits), 10.75 (number of fruits) and 2.38kgha -1 (weight of fruits) were obtained in PM treated plots. Based on the results obtained it is evident that poultry manure as organic manure and its mixture (PM + NPK) is a good source of soil amendment, since it influenced the growth and yield components of cucumber.