Tillage and sowing options for enhancing productivity and profitability of teff in a sub-tropical highland environment

Mihretie, Fekremariam Asargew; Tsunekawa, Atsushi; Haregeweyn, Nigussie; Adgo, Enyew; Tsubo, Mitsuru; Masunaga, Tsugiyuki; Meshesha, Derege Tsegaye; Tsuji, Wataru; Ebabu, Kindiye; Tassew, Asamenew

doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2020.108050

Cited by 28 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The study was performed in the Aba Gerima watershed (11 • 38 40.65 N, 37 • 29 30.02 E), which was selected as an area representative of the midland agro-ecological zone in the northwestern Ethiopia [4]. Based on long-term observations (Figure 1), the study area receives an average annual rainfall ranging from 900 to 2000 mm and an average monthly maximum temperature of 26 C. The main rainy season (growing season) falls from June to September.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, teff production there is constrained by lodging, drought, reduced soil fertility, and the need for continuous cropping [3]. These problems are worsened by traditional crop cultivation practices such as plant residue removal; frequent tillage and soil compaction; and a lack of knowledge and access to inputs such as improved seed, fertilizers, and irrigation technologies [4]. Usually, teff is cultivated using local cultivars and a high seeding rate (>25 kg ha −1 ); plowing is usually performed with oxen, and broadcast sowing, harvesting, and threshing are usually performed by hand [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Usually, teff is cultivated using local cultivars and a high seeding rate (>25 kg ha −1 ); plowing is usually performed with oxen, and broadcast sowing, harvesting, and threshing are usually performed by hand [5]. Although smallholder farmers have their own reasons for using this approach, these practices are considered to be the inherent cause of low crop productivity and the degradation of natural resources [4]. Thus, cost-effective crop management practices for increasing teff productivity are needed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Compacting the soil is also known to aggravate soil loss via runoff by reducing rainwater infiltration [21]. Recently, [4] have reported that trampling has little or no impact on economic yield in teff.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Agro-Economic Evaluation of Alternative Crop Management Options for Teff Production in Midland Agro-Ecology, Ethiopia

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Teff is an important crop for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Improved crop management practices are needed to increase teff productivity and decrease production costs. Here, we used a split–split plot design to evaluate the impacts of different tillage, sowing, and soil compaction practices, and their combinations, on agronomic performance, weed population, lodging, and cost in teff production in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia in 2018–2020. Reduced tillage (RT) improved soil moisture, resulting in increased agronomic performance and decreased production costs compared with conventional tillage (CT); however, the weed population was substantially larger with RT than with CT. Row planting (RP) reduced seed cost and lodging but increased sowing and weeding costs compared with broadcast planting (BP). Plant population and leaf area index were substantially greater with BP than with RP during early-stage growth, but this reversed during late-stage growth. Despite labor costs being significantly greater with (WC) compaction than without (NC), little to no differences were observed in the weed population or in agronomic performance. Partial cost–benefit analysis revealed that RT–RP–WC followed by RT–RP–NC was the most economical treatment combination, suggesting that RT–RP–NC could be a labor-effective means of increasing teff production by smallholder farms in Ethiopia.

show abstract

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Agro-Economic Evaluation of Alternative Crop Management Options for Teff Production in Midland Agro-Ecology, Ethiopia

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, studies have been performed on how mechanical stimulation, including trampling, rolling, and roll chopping, can sustainably suppress weeds' growth [4,11]. Moreover, studies on the effects of human [12,13], animal [14], and machine trampling [11] on weed control, soil compaction, and vegetation composition have indicated that light treading pressure possesses more desirable impacts on both weed suppression and soil health than intense treading pressure [13,15]. This can be linked to the fact that mechanical stimulation (i.e., touching, cutting, and pressuring), herbivory, and some environmental factors (such as drought and nutrient availability) induce the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as ethylene, which, depending on its concentration, stimulates or suppresses both growth and senescence in plants [16][17][18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Mowing and Trampling on the Allelopathy and Weed Suppression Potential of Digitaria ciliaris and Cyperus microiria

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A long-term, sustainable solution to weed infestation is extremely desirable because weeds have the potential to reduce crop productivity and the aesthetic appeal of the environment. In this study, the impacts of mowing and varying degrees of trampling pressure on the suppression of weeds, alongside wound-induced changes in the allelopathic potential, of the rhizosphere soil and the root exudates of southern crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris) and Asian flatsedge (Cyperus microiria) were evaluated under both field and greenhouse conditions. The field study results showed that all trampling treatments induced the relative suppression of weed growth. Grass weeds showed higher resistance to trampling than broad-leaved weeds. However, laboratory bioassays showed that light trampling caused a significant increase in the growth-inhibitory effects of southern crabgrass rhizosphere soil on lettuce. Moreover, mowing (9.11% of control) and trampling (16.4% of control) resulted in a marginal increase in the growth-inhibitory effects of root exudates released from southern crabgrass. Furthermore, the growth-inhibitory activities of the Asian flatsedge rhizosphere soil were significantly reduced after heavy trampling pressure. Moreover, mowing and trampling resulted in marginal reductions in the growth-inhibitory activities of root exudates released from Asian flatsedge against lettuce (i.e., 18.7% and 28.5%, respectively). In general, mowing and varying degrees of trampling induced contrasting and integrated impacts on weed suppression as well as the allelopathic potential of both southern crabgrass and Asian flatsedge.

show abstract

Crop production in northwestern Ethiopian highlands under changing climate

Misganaw,

Addisu,

Alemayhu

et al. 2023

Intl Journal of Climatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climate change is the most serious threat to agricultural productivity. Ethiopia's agricultural sector is affected by climate change. The northern part of Ethiopia is among the drought prone and topographically diversified areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of climate change on crop yields, assess the pattern of rainfall maximum and lowest temperatures and assess the trajectory of selected crop yields. Historical weather station and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) power data were collected from 1981 to 2020. The Mann–Kendall (MK) trend test and Sen's slope (SS) method estimator were employed to estimate the trends and the direction of the trend. RClimDex package is used for climate extreme analysis. Nine rainfall and 11 temperature indices from a list of 27 extreme rainfall and temperature indices were used. The study found that the rainfall showed a significant decreasing and insignificant decreasing trend in Farta and Yilmana Densa districts, respectively. Maximum and minimum temperatures in both sites showed increasing trends. Rainfall happenings become more unanticipated, owing to the precipitation concentration index and anomaly trends. The majority of the indicators for extreme rainfall at both sites showed a downward trend. With the exception of the duration of cold spells, the annual lowest value of the daily minimum temperature, cold days and cold nights, the majority of the extreme temperature indices at both sites showed an increasing trend. The principal crop yields were connected with rainfall and temperature fluctuation, according to Pearson's product–moment correlation results, although the effects varied by crop and region. In summary, rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation may have a negative influence on agricultural activities, especially crop productivity.

show abstract

Tillage and sowing options for enhancing productivity and profitability of teff in a sub-tropical highland environment

Cited by 28 publications

References 29 publications

Agro-Economic Evaluation of Alternative Crop Management Options for Teff Production in Midland Agro-Ecology, Ethiopia

Agro-Economic Evaluation of Alternative Crop Management Options for Teff Production in Midland Agro-Ecology, Ethiopia

Influence of Mowing and Trampling on the Allelopathy and Weed Suppression Potential of Digitaria ciliaris and Cyperus microiria

Crop production in northwestern Ethiopian highlands under changing climate

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About