Basic concepts in crop production

AGRONOMY

Scientific crop production is called Agronomy.

CROP

Community of plants to produce yield, which are economically important, called Crop.

OBJECTIVES OF CROP

To provide the food to the human beings and also useful to animals.

GENOTYPE

Genotype are the new varieties and cultivars.

• Poor yield    =      poor genotype +         good environment
• Poor yield    =      poor genotype +         poor environment
• Poor yield    =      good genotype +         poor environment
• Good yield   =      good genotype +         good environment

FACTORS EFFECTING GENOTYPE

These are the factors effecting genotype

• Vulnerability of seed.
• Viability of seed.
• Poor storability.

SOIL

It is a layer of lithosphere. Soil is composed of aluminium and silica is 1:1 or 1:2 ratio.

Soil is the basic medium for plant growth.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

Physical properties of soil are

• Bulk density
• Porosity
• Soil texture and structure.

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

Chemical properties of soil are

• Cation (-), Anion (+) exchange capacity
• Soil ph.
• Soil salts or electrical conductivity
• Soil types.

CROPING SEASONS

We have two cropping seasons

• Rabi
• Kharif.

RABI CROPS

Those crops which growing season starts in winter

For example; Wheat, Barley etc.

KHARIF CROPS

Those crops which growing season starts in summer

For example; Cotton, Rice etc.

TYPES OF PLANTS ON THE BASIS OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC SYSTEMS

There are two types of plants on the basis of photosynthetic systems

• C₃ Plants (Mesophyllous photosynthetic system)
• C₄ Plants (PEP carboxyl’s photosynthetic system)

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF C₃ AND C₄ PLANTS

• C₄ are tropical plants.
• C₄ plants productivity is greater than C₃ plants.
• C₄ plants are Sugar cane, Sorghum, Milit, Maize, and Weeds.
• C₄ plants does not utilize its own chloroplast whether C₃ plants does use it.

SOIL COMPOSITION

Soil is the basic medium for plant growth.

Soil contain

• 25% moisture
• 25% Airspace
• 5% Organic matter
• 45% Minerals.

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF COMMON MICROORGANISMS PER GRAM OF SOIL.

• Bacteria                           3,000,000 to 500,000,000
• Actinomycetes                  1,000,000 to 20,000,000
• Fungi                               5,000 to 1000,000
• Protozoa                          1,000 to 500,000
• Algae                               1,000 to 500,000

CN RATIO (CARBON TO NITROGEN RATIO)

CN ratio indicates the decomposition of organic matter. Number of carbon units utilizes to produce nitrogen unit.

Crop Name	C	:	N
· Green Legumes	12	:	1
· Compost (decompose form of O.matter)	15	:	1
· Garbage	25	:	1
· Sugar Cane thrash	50	:	1
· Weeds	80	:	1
· Rice straw	80	:	1
· Saw dust	500	:	1

Rabi crops: IRSA increases water supply by seven percent

The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has downgraded projected water shortage for Rabi crops 2013-14 from 15 percent to 7 percent during the months of February and March as water availability in the dams and the rivers has improved considerably.

Punjab Canal Regulator and Consultant, M.H.Siddiqui, told Business Recorder here on Friday that in addition to the running water in the four live rivers of the country, 4.6 million acre ft water was still available in Tarbela and Mangla dams and Chashma reservoir for growing and maturing crops including wheat, grams, lentils, oilseeds, vegetables, fodder and orchards etc in February and March.
2.434 MAF water is available in Tarbela dam on river Indus, 2.094 MAF in Mangla dam on river Jhelum and 0.079 MAF in Chashma barrage, he added. Siddiqui said Punjab Irrigation department has been running canals in central Punjab by drawing 20,000 cusecs water from the Mangla dam and 7,300 cusecs run of the river Chenab water, yet it will open canals emanating from river Indus on 5th February 2014.

He said since the repairs work of the Qadirabad Barrage on the river Chenab and Balloki headwork on the river Ravi is still going on, the irrigation canals taking off from these water regulators would be opened on 5th February to supply water to the districts of Okara, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar to water the crops.

According to January 31 rivers flows and reservoirs level report of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), IRSA is releasing about 70,000 cusecs water in the water ways across the country against the inflow of 36,000 cusecs at the rim stations of the river Indus 14,300 cusecs, river Kabul 8600 cusecs, Jhelum 7,000 and Chenab 7,300 cusecs.

Meanwhile Meteorological department has said that 3 to 4 spells of winter rain/ snowfall are expected during the month of February 2014.The first spell is likely to occur during the first week of February, barani areas of wheat crop may receive good rain during the period.

Source: Business Recorder

Met Office issues advisory for farmers

The farmers of rain-fed areas should sow Rabi crops from November 1 to November 10 to get an optimum yield, the Met Office said on Monday in its 10-day advisory for growers. "After this time the yield of wheat crop will decreases gradually," it warned, urging the farmers to sow wheat crop during November 1 to November 10 span to get a maximum yield. "Farmers of wheat growing areas are advised to sow their crops in time to get the optimum yield," it said. It said the recent rains have improved the soil moisture in rain-fed areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), asking the farmers to complete sowing during the month for an optimum produce. Meanwhile, whether in most parts of Punjab is expected to remain mainly dry during the 10-day period. However, the Met Office said, rain was likely at isolated places in upper parts of the province during the last few days of the period.
It said weather in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also likely to remain mainly dry. However, a rainfall is expected at isolated places in the upper parts of the province during the end days of the period. In Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), mainly dry/partly cloudy weather is expected. However, rainfall is expected at isolated places in GB by end of the period. In Kashmir, dry/partly cloudy weather is expected with chances of rains at isolated places by end of the period.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

List of Crops of Pakistan and their Agronomic Use

S/N	Vernacular name	Botanical name		Family	Agronomic use	Sowing season
A.      CEREAL CROPS
1.	Ghandum / Kanak / Wheat		Triticum aestivum	Poaceae	Cereals	Rabi
2.	Juo / Barley		Hordeum vulgare	Poaceae	Cereals/ Fodder	Rabi
3.	Dhaan / Rice / Paddy		Oryza sativa	Poaceae	Cereals	Kharif
4.	Makkai / Corn / Maize		Zea mays	Poaceae	Cereals / Fodder / Oilseeds	Kharif
5.	Jowar / Chari / Great Millet / Sorghum		Sorghum bicolor	Poaceae	Cereals / Fodder	Kharif (Grain purpose) Rabi (Fodder purpose)
6.	Bajra / Pearl Millet		Pennisetum typhoides	Poaceae	Cereals / Fodder	Kharif
B.      FOOD LEGUMES
1.	Kalay Channay / Chickpea / Gram		Cicer arietinum	Fabaceae	Pulses	Rabi
2.	Kabuli Channay / Chickpea / White Gram		Cicer arietinum	Fabaceae	Pulses	Rabi
3.	Field pea		Pisum sativum	Fabaceae	Pulses	Rabi
4.	Masur / Lentil		Lens culnaris	Fabaceae	Pulses	Rabi
5.	Mung bean / Oregon Pea / Green Gram		Vigna radiata	Fabaceae	Pulses	Kharif
6.	Mash / Urd Bean / Black Gram		Vigna mungo	Fabaceae	Pulses	Kharif
7.	Pigeon pea / Red Gram / Arhar		Cajanus cajan	Fabaceae	Pulses	Kharif
8.	Lobia / Cowpea / Black-eyed Pea		Vigna unguiculata	Fabaceae	Pulses	Kharif
9.	Rawan / Cowpea		Vigna unguiculata	Fabaceae	Pulses	Kharif
C.      OILSEED CROPS
1.	Toria / Brown or Yellow Sarsoon / Rapeseed		Brassica campestris	Cruiferae	Oilseeds	Rabi
2.	Gohbi Sarsoon / Rapeseed		Brassica napus	Cruiferae	Oilseeds	Rabi
3.	Raya / Indian Mustard		Brassica juncea	Cruiferae	Oilseeds	Rabi
4.	Taramera / Mustard		Eruca sativa	Cruiferae	Oilseeds	Rabi
5.	Canola / Rapeseed		Brassica napus	Cruiferae	Oilseeds	Rabi
6.	Moongphali / Ground nut / Peanuts		Arachis hypogea	Fabaceae	Oilseeds	Kharif
7.	Suraj Mukkhi / Sunflower		Helianthus annus	Compositae	Oilseeds	Rabi
8.	Makkai / Corn / Maize		Zea mays	Poaceae	Cereals / Fodder / Oilseeds	Kharif
9.	Zeatoon / Olive		Olera europeae	Oleaceae	Oilseeds
10.	Kala Til / Niger		Guizotia abyssinica	Compositae	Oilseeds	Kharif
11.	Sufaid Til / Sesame		Sesamum indicum	Pedaliacea	Oilseeds	Kharif
12.	Alsi / Linseed		Linum ustitatissimum	Linaceae	Oilseeds	Rabi
13.	Guar / Cluster bean		Cyamopsis tetragonolba	Fabaceae	Fodder / Oilseeds	Kharif
14.	Kappas / Cotton		Gossypium arboretum & G. hirsutum	Malvaceae	Oilseeds  / Fiber	Kharif
D.      FIBER CROPS
1.	Kappas / Cotton		Gossypium arboretum & G. hirsutum	Malvaceae	Oilseeds  / Fiber	Kharif
2.	Patsun / Jute		Corchorus capsularis / C. olitorius	Tilliaceae	Fibre	Kharif
E.       SUGAR CROPS
1.	Kammad / Ganna / Sugarcane		Saccharum officinarum	Poaceae	Sugar	Perennial
2.	Chuqandar / Sugarbeet		Beta vulgaris	Chenopodiaceae	Sugar	Rabi
F.       FORAGE CROPS
1.	Berseem / Egyptian Clover		Trifolium alexanderinum	Fabaceae	Fodder / Green Manure	Rabi
2.	Shaftal / Persian Clover		Trifolium resupinatum	Fabaceae	Fodder	Rabi
3.	Lucern / Alfalfa		Medicago sativa	Fabaceae	Fodder	Rabi
4.	Guar / Cluster bean		Cyamopsis tetragonolba	Fabaceae	Fodder / Oilseeds	Kharif
5.	Jowar / Chari / Great Millet / Sorghum		Sorghum bicolor	Poaceae	Cereals / Fodder	Kharif (Grain purpose) Rabi (Fodder purpose)
6.	Jai / Oat		Avena sativa	Poaceae	Fodder / Cereals	Rabi
7.	Makkai / Corn / Maize		Zea mays	Poaceae	Cereals / Fodder / Oilseeds	Kharif
8.	Juo / Barley		Hordeum vulgare	Poaceae	Cereals/ Fodder	Rabi
9.	Kangani				Fodder
10.	Haloon				Fodder
11.	Cheena				Fodder
12.	Jantar				Fodder
13.	Mott. Grass				Fodder