Download or read book Understanding the Current Role of Legumes and Their Significance for Biological Nitrogen Fixation BNF in Smallholder Farming Systems of Zimbabwe written by B.T. Manenji and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the major challenges faced by small holder farmers in Southern Africa and Zimbabwe in particular is poor soil fertility. Use of synthetic fertilizers is limited due to its high costs and this has led to a drastic decrease in productivity. Alternatively, farmers can incorporate legumes in their cropping systems thus improving soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. However, legumes are still grown at a very low scale. In order to understand the cropping patterns of legumes relative to cereals a study was carried out in Murehwa and Mudzi districts. The two areas are located in two contrasting agro ecological regions. In each district, twenty farmers were selected and based on their resource endowment, they were divided into four resource groups (RG); RG1 being the richest and RG4 being the poorest farmers. Data was collected through structured questionnaires. Comparisons of legume productivity in the different resource groups were made by evaluating areas under legumes and yields attained. These results were compared with those for maize, the major cereal crop in Zimbabwe. Constraints faced by farmers in legume production were also evaluated. In the research, analysis was also made of the agronomic practices used by farmers in different RGs to grow legumes compared to maize. The agronomic practices included labour and input allocation to different fields within the farms and legume residue use. Soil structure and fertility status for the different fields of the target farmers were determined. Total nitrogen content in different legumes was also analyzed. The marketing of the different legumes was evaluated. Results indicated that groundnut, cowpea and Bambara nut were commonly grown in the two districts while common bean and soybean were exclusively grown in Murehwa. Larger proportions of land, fertilizers and labour were allocated to maize relative to legumes. Mudzi had average areas of 0.89 ha per farm under maize, 0.09 ha per farm under Bambara nut and 0.25 ha per farm under groundnut while Murehwa had on average 1.84 ha per farm, 0.19 ha per farm and 0.15 ha per farm under the respective crops. Higher yields of both legumes and cereals were attained in Murehwa compared to Mudzi. Cereals were mostly grown in the fertile home fields while legumes were grown in mid and outfields by most farmers. The majority of the farmers applied more fertilizers to the home fields while outfields are given less attention. There were no significant differences in the quantities of fertilizers used by farmers in different resource groups in both districts. Farmers indicated that they get more profits from selling legumes than from cereals. There were no significant differences in soil structure among the different farms in the different resource groups within each district. There were no significant differences in pH, soil available N, Ca, organic carbon between the different plot types. However, the proportions of most cations decreased in the pattern; Plot type 1 >Plot type 2 > Plot type 3. There is need to promote optimal agronomic practices so as increase productivity of legumes by smallholder farmers in the two districts. Differences in input resource management on the various fields within a farm result in variation in fertility and hence differences in productivity within the fields.

Download or read book Legume Nitrogen Fixation in a Changing Environment written by Saad Sulieman and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-04-24 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world population will grow more rapidly during the few coming years. This must be accompanied by a parallel increase in the agricultural production to secure adequate food. Sustainability considerations mandate that alternatives to chemical nitrogen fertilizers must be urgently sought. Biological nitrogen (N2) fixation, a microbiological process which converts atmospheric N2 into a plant-usable form, offers this alternative. Among these renewable sources, N2-fixing legumes offer an economically attractive and ecologically sound means of reducing external inputs and improving internal resources. Environmental factors such as drought, elevated temperature, salinity, soil acidity and rising CO2 are known to dramatically affect the symbiotic process and thus play a part in determining the actual amount of nitrogen fixed by a given legume in the field. Understanding how nodule N2 fixation responds to the environment is crucial for improving legume production and maintaining sustainability in the context of global change. In this thoughtful and provocative new Brief, we provide critical information on how current and projected future changes in the environment will affect legume growth and their symbiotic N2 fixing capabilities. Each section reviews the main drivers of environmental change on the legume performance that include drought, elevated temperature, salinity and rising CO2, and soil acidity. Importantly we discuss the molecular approaches to the analysis of the stress response in legumes and the possible biotechnological strategies to overcome their detrimental effects.

Download or read book Legume Nitrogen Fixation in Soils with Low Phosphorus Availability written by Saad Sulieman and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-06-10 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thoughtful and provocative book provides a concise, up-to-date presentation of how current and projected future phosphorus scarcity will affect legume growth and their symbiotic nitrogen-fixing capabilities. It is a timely examination of the physiological and molecular responses of nodules to phosphorous deficiency in attempt to identify common principles. Students and researchers in the many disciplines related to crop productivity will find this title an exciting contribution in the area of plant stress physiology. The knowledge in this volume can also aid plant breeders, particularly through new methods of genetic engineering, in developing unique and adaptive cultivars with higher symbiotic efficiency. The awareness of the rapidly rising world population must translate into a parallel increase in agricultural production in order to sustain the growing population both now and in the future. Hence, the demand for food crops to produce proteins and vegetable oil for human consumption is going to increase considerably during the coming years. The essential role of legumes in agriculture is well-recognized, given the abundant levels of proteins and oils found in plants along with their enormous contribution to the sustainability of agricultural systems and human health. The capacity of legumes to fix nitrogen (N2) in partnership with rhizobia provides an input-saving and resource-conserving alternative, thereby reducing the need for chemical fertilizers while enhancing overall crop productivity. The use of N2-fixing legumes to produce plant proteins results in a substantial decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels and therefore also in the agricultural effects to global warming. However, a major constraint to legume production is low soil phosphorus (P) availability, considering that an overwhelming majority of the world’s soils are classified as P-deficient. Low-P availability is especially problematic for legumes, since legume nodules responsible for N2 fixation have a high P requirement. Therefore, this book explains how nodule N2 fixation responds to low P availability, which is crucial for improving legume production and maintaining agricultural sustainability in the context of the global P crisis.

Download or read book Legumes for Soil Health and Sustainable Management written by Ram Swaroop Meena and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-06 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable management of soils is an important global issue of the 21st century. Feeding roughly 8 billion people with an environmentally sustainable production system is a major challenge, especially considering the fact that 10% of the world’s population at risk of hunger and 25% at risk of malnutrition. Accordingly, the 68th United Nations (UN) general assembly declared 2016 the “International Year of Pulses” to raise awareness and to celebrate the role of pulses in human nutrition and welfare. Likewise, the assembly declared the year 2015 as the “International Year of Soils” to promote awareness of the role of “healthy soils for a healthy life” and the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS) has declared 2015-2024 as the International Decade of Soils. Including legumes in cropping systems is an important toward advancing soil sustainability, food and nutritional security without compromising soil quality or its production potential. Several textbooks and edited volumes are currently available on general soil fertility or on legumes but‚ to date‚ none have been dedicated to the study of “Legumes for Soil Health and Sustainable Management”. This is important aspect, as the soil, the epidermis of the Earth (geoderma)‚ is the major component of the terrestrial biosphere. This book explores the impacts of legumes on soil health and sustainability, structure and functioning of agro-ecosystems, agronomic productivity and food security, BNF, microbial transformation of soil N and P, plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria, biofertilizers, etc. With the advent of fertilizers, legumes have been sidelined since World War II, which has produced serious consequences for soils and the environment alike. Therefore, legume-based rational cropping/soil management practices must support environmentally and economically sustainable agroecosystems based on (sequential) rotation and intercropping considerations to restore soil health and sustainability. All chapters are amply illustrated with appropriately placed data, tables, figures, and photographs, and supported with extensive and cutting-edge references. The editors have provided a roadmap for the sustainable development of legumes for food and nutritional security and soil sustainability in agricultural systems, offering a unique resource for teachers, researchers, and policymakers, as well as undergraduate and graduate students of soil science, agronomy, ecology, and the environmental sciences.

Download or read book Sustainable Intensification written by Jules N. Pretty and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-06-25 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Continued population growth, rapidly changing consumption patterns and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are driving limited resources of food, energy, water and materials towards critical thresholds worldwide. These pressures are likely to be substantial across Africa, where countries will have to find innovative ways to boost crop and livestock production to avoid becoming more reliant on imports and food aid. Sustainable agricultural intensification - producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts - represents a solution for millions of African farmers. This volume presents the lessons learned from 40 sustainable agricultural intensification programmes in 20 countries across Africa, commissioned as part of the UK Government's Foresight project. Through detailed case studies, the authors of each chapter examine how to develop productive and sustainable agricultural systems and how to scale up these systems to reach many more millions of people in the future. Themes covered include crop improvements, agroforestry and soil conservation, conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, horticulture, livestock and fodder crops, aquaculture, and novel policies and partnerships.

Download or read book Maximizing Nitrogen Fixation in Legumes as a Tool for Sustainable Agriculture Intensification written by Pilar Irisarri and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-01-17 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Grain Legumes and Green Manures for Soil Fertility in Southern Africa written by Stephen R. Waddington and published by CIMMYT. This book was released on 2003 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Symbiotic N2 Fixation of Crop Legumes written by Alexander P. Hansen and published by Balogh Scientific Books. This book was released on 1994 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Atmospheric N2. Non-Biological forms of N2 fixation. Biological forms of N2 fixation. N2 fixation in natural ecosystems. N2 fixation in forestry and recultivation.Fixation in agriculture. N2 fixation the leguminosae. The Microsymbiont. Nodulation. Different forms of nodules. Metabolism of N2 fixation. Influence of the environment. Assessment techniques for N2 fixation. Direct methods. Indirect methods. Supernodulating legumes. General characteristcs. symbiotic performance and the effect of nitrate. Carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Means to improve N2 fixation. Current approaches. Potential for future benefits.

Download or read book Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Africa written by Nteranya Sanginga and published by CIAT. This book was released on 2009 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forward. A call for integrated soil fertility management in Africa. Introduction. ISFM and the African farmer. Part I. The principles of ISFM: ISFM as a strategic goal, Fertilizer management within ISFM, Agro-minerals in ISFM, Organic resource management, ISFM, soil biota and soil health. Part II. ISFM practices: ISFM products and fields practices, ISFM practice in drylands, ISFM practice in savannas and woodlands, ISFM practice in the humid forest zone, Conservation Agriculture. Part III. The process of implementing ISFM: soil fertility diagnosis, soil fertility management advice, Dissemination of ISFM technologies, Designing an ISFM adoption project, ISFM at farm and landscape scales. Part IV. The social dimensions of ISFM: The role of ISFM in gender empowerment, ISFM and household nutrition, Capacity building in ISFM, ISFM in the policy arena, Marketing support for ISFM, Advancing ISFM in Africa. Appendices: Mineral nutrient contents of some common organic resources.

Download or read book Nitrogen fixing Leguminous Symbioses written by Michael J. Dilworth and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-01-18 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nodules produced on legume roots by root-nodule bacteria provide the major nitrogenous input into natural and agricultural systems worldwide. This book provides an in-depth and up-to-the-minute analysis of what is known about this symbiosis, its origins, the process of nodule formation and development, and the biochemistry and genetics of nodular nitrogen fixation. It also reviews the physiology of the root-nodule bacteria themselves, their ecology in both natural and agricultural systems, and how we can introduce new legumes along with the bacteria they require. This book is recommended for scientists working with root nodule bacteria or host legumes, agronomists, forestry scientists, and soil scientists.

Download or read book Pulse crops for sustainable farms in sub Saharan Africa written by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2018-05-22 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pulses have a long history in sub-Saharan Africa due to their multiple benefits. Pulses, and legumes in general, can play an important role in agriculture because of their ability to biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen and to enhance the biological turnover of phosphorus; thus they could become the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture in Africa. In this sense, there is a body of literature that points to diversification of existing production systems – particularly legumes species, which provide critical environmental services, including soil erosion control and soil nutrient recapitalization. This publication is a review of some of the promising strategies to support the cultivation and utilization of pulses on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa. The review is part of the legacy of the International Year of Pulses (IYP), which sought to recognize the contribution that pulses make to human well-being and the environment.

Download or read book The Role of Grain Legume N2 Fixation in the Nitrogen Cycling of Temperate Cropping Systems written by Erik Steen Jensen and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Management of Biological Nitrogen Fixation for the Development of More Productive and Sustainable Agricultural Systems written by J.K. Ladha and published by Int. Rice Res. Inst.. This book was released on 1995-09-30 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reprinted from Plant and Soil, v.174, nos.1-2 (1995), this volume is devoted to discussions on the role of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in agricultural sustainability. Papers presented on BNF in crop forage and tree legumes are augmented with discussion of integrated farming systems involving BNF, soil and N management, and recycling of legume residues. BNF by non-legumes is discussed and attempts to transform cereals into nodulating plants are critically reviewed. Also described are advances in the development of new methodologies to understand symbiotic interactions and to assess N-2 fixation in the field; means of enhancing BNF through plant and soil management; breeding and selection; problems encountered in exploiting BNF under farmers' field conditions; and promising approaches to improve BNF exploitation. Lacks a subject index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Download or read book Climate Change and Management of Cool Season Grain Legume Crops written by Shyam Singh Yadav and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-06-03 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book covers all aspect of legume production management technologies, plant ecological response, nutrients management, biological nitrogen fixation, molecular approaches, potential cultivars, biodiversity management under climate change. Also covered are various aspects of legume management under climate change such as, production management technology, ecology & adaptation, diseases, and international trade; physiology and crops response to nutrients, drought, salinity, and water use efficiency; Biodiversity management, molecular approaches and biological Nitrogen fixation; climate change and strategies. This book presents the most comprehensive and up to date review of research on different cool season grain legume crops, nutrients management, biotic and abiotic stresses management, agronomical approaches for drought management, salinity, drought, weed management and water use efficiency, impact on international trade around the world.

Download or read book Properties and Management of Soils in the Tropics written by Pedro A. Sanchez and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-10 with total page 685 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long-awaited second edition of classic textbook, brought completely up to date, for courses on tropical soils, and reference for scientists and professionals.

Download or read book Enhancement of Biological Nitrogen Fixation of Common Bean in Latin America written by Fredrick A. Bliss and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1993 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. is the most important pulse crop in Latin America, as well as in large parts of Asia and Africa. It is particularly important due to its ability, in symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria, to fix atmospheric nitrogen and due to its high nutrient value.

Download or read book Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 45 written by Praveen Guleria and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-09-07 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legumes are a major constituent of vegetarian diets and alleviate malnutrition because they are protein-rich and easily digestible. Moreover, a legume-based diet is much more sustainable than a meat-based diet. Recent research has disclosed major advances in legume agriculture and biotechnology, leading to improved health benefits from nutrients, antioxidants, polyphenolic phytochemicals, phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins. This book reviews bioactive compounds and their applications, and conventional breeding and biotechnology for legume sustainability and nutritional enhancement.