Liberica coffee as an alternative cropping system for sustainable farming on Indonesian Peatlands

Indonesian peatlands are a fragile ecosystem,and to protect it,growing Liberica coffee is a promising way for both the environment and the economy.This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the liberica coffee on peatland with different water tables and develop an improved cultivation system in this ecosystem.The study area was in Tanjung Jabung Barat District,Jambi Province,Indonesia.The plant age is greater than 15 years and the average plant density was about 1000 trees/hm2.The study was conducted in two stages.The 1st stage was a survey to identify and characterize smallholder liberica coffee farming at three peatland zones,namely 0-100 m,200-300 m,and>400 m from the principal drainage canal,and the 2nd stage was a field experiment to test the effectiveness of amendments in improving liberica coffee growth and improving degraded peatland.The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications,including manure(M),at the rate of 10 t/hm^(2);lime(L),3 t/hm^(2);peat surface elevation(P),and a farmer’s practice(Control)without manure and/or lime as a control.This research revealed that liberica coffee can not tolerate high water table as it may stimulate disease incidence and cause low-quality yield.However,recycling of organic C of about 17.14 t/(hm^(2)·a)through cherry residue application and litter compensated part of the loss of organic C through CO_(2)emissions,coffee bean removal,and maintaining peat fertility for sustainable farming.The low yield of(0.70±0.12)t/(hm^(2)∙a)coffee bean could be increased to(0.87±0.24)and(0.94±0.14)t/(hm^(2)∙a)by adding 3 t/(hm^(2)∙3a)of lime or 10 t/(hm^(2)∙a)of manure,respectively.This research revealed that water table management and amendments are two main factors in liberica coffee farming on peatlands.It is of great significance to study the cultivation technology of coffee in peatland.

Effects of Planting Date on Winter Canola Growth and Yield in the Southwestern U.S.

Canola (Brassica napus L.) has potential to become alternative cash crop (healthy oil for human and meals for animal uses) with tremendous rotational benefits in the Southwestern U.S., a region dominated by cereal-fallow cropping systems. However, information on optimum planting date for its successful production is limited. Field experiments were conducted in 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons under irrigation condition to study the response of canola growth and yield to planting dates at Clovis, NM. Three planting dates (mid-September, late-September and early-October) and four canola varieties (early flowering: DKW41-10 and DKW46-15;medium flowering: Riley and Wichita) are studied. Fall plant stand density is significantly higher for early-October than mid- and late-September plantings. However, a ratio of fall to spring plant stand density indicates a greater reduction in spring plant stand density with early-October (25%) and mid-September (19%) than late-September (7%). Vegetative (by 13 days) and flowering (by 7 days) duration phases are significantly shortened with delay in planting. The decline in aboveground dry matter (DM) due to delayed planting resulted in significant seed yield reduction in both 2011-12 (26%) and in 2012-13 (8%) when early-October and mid-September plantings were compared. There was a positive relationship between final DM and canola seed yield, accounting for 84 and 34% variation for 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, respectively with the 2011-12 environmental conditions being conducive for genetically controlled variation in DM production to be more apparent and strong in explaining the variation in seed yield among varieties. Medium-flowering varieties produced higher DM (9741 vs. 8371 Kg•ha-1) and seed yield (2785 vs. 2035 Kg•ha-1) than early-flowering varieties. In addition to seed yield, DM can be used as an indirect selection criterion for seed yield in variety selection and appropriate planting dates including a guarantee for high crop residues (~75% of the total aboveground biomass) production to make canola a potential alternative cash and rotational break crop in the Southwestern U.S.

Double-Cropping Pinto Bean after Winter Barley in Western Colorado USA

A double-cropping field study was conducted at the Colorado State University, Fruita. Colorado USA to evaluate an irrigated, double-cropping system of winter barley （Hordeum vulgare L.） followed by pinto bean （Phaseolus vutgaris L.） for the valley areas of western Colorado USA and other similar environments. Double-cropping pinto bean after winter barley was successful, but to use our double-cropping technology in commercial agriculture in adapted locations will likely require identifying or developing a winter barley cultivar that matures earlier than current cultivars but does not head and flower so early that it is susceptible to freeze damage. Double-cropping was more profitable in all three years than growing either pinto bean or winter barley as a sole crop.

AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF CONVENTIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE BIOENERGY CROPPING SYSTEMS PROMOTING BIOMASS PRODUCTIVITY

Bioenergy,currently the largest renewable energy source in the EU(64%of the total renewable energy consumption),has sparked great interest to meet the32%renewable resources for the 2030 bioeconomy goal.The design of innovative cropping systems informed by bioeconomy imperatives requires the evaluate of the effects of introducing crops for bioenergy into conventional crop rotations.This study aimed to assess the impacts of changes in conventional cropping systems in mixed dairy cattle farms redesigned to introduce bioenergy crops either by increasing the biomass production through an increase of cover crops,while keeping main feed/food crops,or by substituting food crops with an increase of the crop rotation length.The assessment is based on the comparison between conventional and innovative systems oriented to feed and biogas production,with and without tillage,to evaluate their agri-environmental performances(biomass production,nitrogen fertilization autonomy,greenhouse gas emissions and biogas production).The result showed higher values in the biogas cropping system than in the conventional and feed ones for all indicators,biomass productivity(27%and20%higher,respectively),nitrogen fertilization autonomy(26%and 73%higher,respectively),methanogenic potential(77%and 41%higher,respectively)and greenhouse gas emissions(15%and 3%higher,respectively).There were no negative impacts of no-till compared to the tillage practice,for all tested variables.The biogas cropping system showed a better potential in terms of agri-environmental performance,although its greenhouse gas emissions were higher.Consequently,it would be appropriate to undertake a multicriteria assessment integrating agri-environmental,economic and social performances.