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Background: Optimum planting date and appropriate fertilizer module are essential facets of chrysanthemum cultivation, to enhance quality yield, and improve soil health. A field-based study was undertaken over multiple growing seasons in 2022 and 2023, where six different planting dates, viz., P 1 :June 15, P 2 :June 30, P 3 :July 15, P 4 :July 30, P 5 :August 15 and P 6 :August 30 and two fertilizer modules, FM 1 :Jeevamrit @ 30 ml plant -1 and FM 2 :NPK @ 30 g m -2 were systematically examined using a Randomized Block Design (factorial), replicated thrice., Results: P 6 planting resulted in early bud formation (44.03 days) and harvesting stage (90.78 days). Maximum plant height (79.44 cm), plant spread (34.04 cm), cut stem length (68.40 cm), flower diameter (7.83 cm), stem strength (19.38˚), vase life (14.90 days), flowering duration (24.08 days), available soil N (314 kg ha -1 ), available P (37 kg ha -1 ), available K (347 kg ha -1 ), bacterial count (124.87 × 10 7  cfu g -1 soil), actinomycetes count (60.72 × 10 2  cfu g -1 soil), fungal count (30.95 × 10 2  cfu g -1 soil), microbial biomass (48.79 µg g -1 soil), dehydrogenase enzyme (3.64 mg TPF h -1  g -1 soil) and phosphatase enzyme (23.79 mol PNP h -1  g -1 soil) was recorded in P 1 planting. Among the fertilization module, minimum days to bud formation (74.94 days) and days to reach the harvesting stage (120.95 days) were recorded with the application of NPK @30 g m -2 . However, maximum plant height (60.62 cm), plant spread (23.10 cm), number of cut stems m -2 (43.88), cut stem length (51.34 cm), flower diameter (6.92 cm), stem strength (21.24˚), flowering duration (21.75 days), available soil N (317 kg ha -1 ), available P (37 kg ha -1 ) and available K (349 kg ha -1 ) were also recorded with the application of NPK @300 kg ha -1 . Maximum vase life (13.87 days), OC (1.13%), bacterial count (131.65 × 10 7  cfu g -1 soil), actinomycetes count (60.89 × 10 2  cfu g -1 soil), fungal count (31.11 × 10 2  cfu g -1 soil), microbial biomass (51.27 µg g -1 soil), dehydrogenase enzyme (3.77 mg TPF h -1  g -1 soil) and phosphatase enzyme (21.72 mol PNP h -1  g -1 soil) were observed with the application of Jeevamrit @ 30 ml plant -1 ., Conclusion: Early planting (P 1 ) and inorganic fertilization (NPK @ 30 g m -2 ) resulted in improved yield and soil macronutrient content. The soil microbial population and enzymatic activity were improved with the jeevamrit application. This approach highlights the potential for improved yield and soil health in chrysanthemum cultivation, promoting a more eco-friendly and economically viable agricultural model., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Maize is one of the most important staple food crops for most low-income households in the Southern African region. Erratic and inconsistent rainfall distribution across maize-growing areas is a major threat to maize production. Late rains in recent years have forced farmers to plant later than the optimal planting dates, leading to poor maize quality being reported by industry, which raised the question of the influence of later planting dates on grain yield and quality traits of maize. Three yellow and three white maize hybrids were evaluated at three planting dates in three different production environments for three consecutive seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The second and third planting dates caused a significant yield decrease of 23.37 % and 53.73 % from the first planting date across environments, respectively. Planting date three was associated with decreased grain yield, starch content, and increased protein but no significant change in fat and fiber content. Some hybrids yielded relatively well at all planting dates. In conclusion, the early planting date was the most suitable for maize grain yield and starch production in the maize-growing areas of the country. However, planting in January should be avoided at all costs, as it leads to very low yield and poor grain quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Florida ranks first among US states in fresh-market tomato production with annual production exceeding one-third of the total annual production in the country. Although tomato is a signature crop in Florida, current and future ambient temperatures could impose a major production challenge, especially during the fall growing season. This problem is increasingly becoming an important concern among tomato growers in south Florida, but studies addressing these concerns have not been conducted until now. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the impacts of the present ambient temperature conditions and planting dates on tomato productivity in south Florida. The study was conducted using crop simulation model CROPGRO-Tomato of DSSAT (Decision Support System for Agricultural Transfer) version 4.7. Five treatments were evaluated, and included AT (simulated treatment using 14 years of actual daily weather conditions at the study location) while other treatments were conducted based on a percentage (-20%, -10%, +10%, +20%) of AT to simulate cooler and warmer temperature regimes. The results suggested that under the current temperature conditions during the fall growing season in south Florida, average tomato yield was up to 29% lower compared to the cooler temperature regimes. Tomato yield further decreased by 52% to 85% at air temperatures above the current condition. Yield reduction under high temperature was primarily due to lower fruit production. Contrary to yield, both tomato biomass accumulation and leaf area index increased with increase in temperature. Results also indicated that due to changes in air temperature pattern, tomato yield increased as planting date increased from July to December. Therefore, planting date modification during the fall season from the current July-September to dates between November and December will reduce the impacts of heat stress and increase tomato productivity in south Florida.

Climate change coupled with increasing demands for water necessitates an improved understanding of the water-food nexus at a scale local enough to inform farmer adaptations. Such assessments are particularly important for nations with significant small-scale farming and high spatial variability in climate, such as Sri Lanka. By comparing historical patterns of irrigation water requirements (IWRs) to rice planting records, we estimate that shifting rice planting dates to earlier in the season could yield water savings of up to 6%. Our findings demonstrate the potential of low-cost adaptation strategies to help meet crop production demands in water-scarce environments. This local-scale assessment of IWRs in Sri Lanka highlights the value of using historical data to inform agricultural management of water resources when high-skilled forecasts are not available. Given national policies prioritizing in-country production and farmers' sensitivities to water stress, decision-makers should consider local degrees of climate variability in institutional design of irrigation management structures.

Five soybean cultivars, one each from Maturity Groups (MG) III, IV, V, VI, and VII, all susceptible to Heterodera glycines, were planted in H. glycines-infested soil in April, May, June, and July at multiple locations in Arkansas and Missouri. The purpose of the study was to determine whether planting early reduces yield losses due to H. glycines. The population levels of cysts, eggs, and secondstage juveniles of H. glycines were determined from soil samples collected at planting and harvest. Yields were measured from the two middle rows of 4.9 or 6.1-m four-row plots. The population dynamics of the nematode varied with planting date, cultivar, MG, and initial nematode population. Generally, the lowest reproductive factor (Rf = final population/initial population) for any year was on the MG III cultivar, regardless of planting date or field location. Also, the Rf was generally lower on each cultivar planted in April than in June or July. The highest Rf values were on cultivars in MG VI or VII planted in June or July. Yields were not consistently correlated with initial nematode population level. Early planting of late-maturing soybean cultivars may be profitable, but early planting of MG III cultivars, though supporting little if any increase in nematode numbers, did not result in high yields.