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Minimizing Lentil Harvest Loss through Improved Agronomic Practices in Sustainable Agro-Systems
- Source :
- Sustainability, Volume 13, Issue 4, Sustainability, Vol 13, Iss 1896, p 1896 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Lentils are one of the most common legume crops used to diversify the cereal-oilseed cropping system in semi-arid environments. Lentils are a major source of protein and fiber for human consumption worldwide. However, the morphological characteristics of lentil plants—such as a short stem and low pod positioning—and complicated combine harvesting methods often result in yield loss. This also increases the susceptibility of a lentil crop to disease and render it less competitive against weeds. As a result, producers have resorted to using pesticides in order to mitigate the effects of weeds and disease. As a consequence, there have been undesirable negative environmental impacts on sustainable agroecosystems. Although land rolling, stubble management, and pesticide usage are common agronomic practices used to increase lentil yield and mitigate the issues associated with its morphology, their comprehensive effects on lentil growth and harvest loss are still not fully understood. In this study, we examined the impact of stubble management, the timing of land rolling, and the application of common fungicides and herbicides on lentil growth and yield. We found that stubble management and the timing of rolling modified lentil morphological structures, and thus impacted lentil yield and seed loss. These results were influenced by environmental factors, such as precipitation during the growing season. Although the results did not show significant interaction between fungicide application and lentil growth and yield, herbicide applications, stubble management, and the timing of rolling, along with common pesticide application strategies tested in our study, showed effects that were dependent on environmental conditions. Based on our results, we concluded that stubble management and the timing of rolling, combined with pesticide applications, can affect lentil seed loss and yield by modifying plant morphology. This was largely influenced by environmental conditions such as precipitation.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Agroecosystem
Geography, Planning and Development
Pesticide application
TJ807-830
Growing season
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Biology
TD194-195
01 natural sciences
Renewable energy sources
lentil
pesticide strategy
Crop
Yield (wine)
GE1-350
Cropping system
Environmental effects of industries and plants
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
food and beverages
land rolling
stubble management
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
Pesticide
Environmental sciences
Fungicide
Agronomy
yield lost
040103 agronomy & agriculture
0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
010606 plant biology & botany
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20711050
- Volume :
- 13
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Sustainability
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....d8fd3c00737398f76a58990917985a55
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041896