Agriculture is the predominant livelihood for 70 % of the population living in rural India, and food expenses occupy a major proportion of their household budget. Rural household diets suggest that agricultural growth has contributed to increasing calorie intake with very minimal effect on the intake of protein and micronutrients. This in turn causes weak positive impact of agriculture on household dietary diversity and nutrient adequacy. Given the prevalence of high levels of under-nutrition and a large population dependent on agriculture, recent thinking globally on leveraging agriculture for nutrition security has encouraged the agricultural sector to realign its focus not only to increase food production, but also to address under-nutrition. Against this background, an exploratory study was conducted in resource poor villages of Wardha and Koraput districts in the states of Maharashtra and Odisha in India, to investigate how location-specific Farming System for Nutrition (FSN) interventions can potentially improve the diversity of household diets and nutrition outcomes. A detailed baseline study was undertaken to identify the existing disconnect between agriculturenutrition linkages. In the study locations, the proportion of all forms of under-nutrition, vitamin A deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia among children <5-years of age appeared unacceptably high. A high prevalence rate of chronic energy deficient (CED) women and anaemic pregnant women was also observed. A higher risk of under-nutrition and micronutrient deficiency among household members was associated with substandard living conditions of the surveyed households. Cropping systems in Wardha were primarily dominated by rain-fed commercial cash crops while rain-fed subsistence farming predominated in Koraput. Households in both study locations were found to have cereal-dominated diets with average daily consumption of pulses, fruits and vegetables, and milk and milk products well below the recommended daily intake level, indicating low dietary diversity. In both Wardha and Koraput, CED in adults (>18 years) significantly increased as the dietary diversity score (DDS) decreased from high to low. In Koraput, the prevalence rate of anaemia in adolescent girls and women significantly increased, as the DDS decreased. We conclude that food and diets lacking diversity and without nutrition-sensitive farming systems (either commercial-or subsistence-based) may not be appropriate to improve household nutrition and health status. Our findings provide a basis for structuring integrated agriculture-nutrition programmes or a FSN approach to diversifying household food and diets, for improving nutrition and health in India.
Early vigour traits of wheat composite cross populations (CCPs) based on high yielding (Y) or high quality (Q) or Y*Q varietal intercross evolving under organic or conventional conditions in parallel populations were studied hydroponically. To eliminate storage and year effects, frozen F 6 , F 10 , F 11 and F 15 seeds were multiplied in one field, resulting in the respective F x.1 generations. This eliminated generation and growing system effects on seed size for the F 6.1 F 10.1 and F 15.1. Due to a severe winter kill affecting the F 11 , the generation effect persisted, leading to larger seeds and markedly different seedling traits in the F 11.1 compared to the F 10.1 and F 15.1 . Seedling traits were similar among parallel populations. Shoot length and weight increased in both systems until the F 11.1 across farming systems and remained constant thereafter. Over time , seminal root length and root weight of organic CCPs increased and total- and specific- root length decreased significantly compared to the conventional CCPs. Rooting patterns under organic conditions suggests better ability to reach deeper soil nutrients. In both systems, Q and YQ CCPs were more vigorous than Y CCPs, confirming genetic differences among populations. Overall, heterogeneous populations appear very plastic and selection pressure was stronger in organic systems.
were conducted at the Royal Agricultural University's organic Harnhill Manor Farm near Cirencester, UK to explore tillage and legume undersowing effects on dry matter (DM) of broadleaf and grass weed infestation in organic winter and spring wheat. The experiments were designed using a randomized complete block with split plot arrangements. Tillage treatments involved conventional tillage (CT), low residue non-inversion tillage (LRNiT) and high residue non-inversion tillage (HRNiT) as main plots with undersowing white clover (WC), black medic (BM) or non-undersown (N us ) as subplots. In both cropping seasons, among tillage treatments, HRNiT had significantly higher total weed DM than CT or LRNiT. The mid-season assessments for weed species indicated HRNiT as having significantly higher grass weed DM than CT or LRNiT for both the wheat types. Broadleaf weed DM was significantly higher under CT than under LRNiT or HRNiT for winter wheat after GS61, whereas for spring wheat, broadleaf weed DM was significantly higher under CT than under HRNiT throughout the growing season. Undersowing had a significant effect only in spring wheat. Among undersowing treatments, WC had significantly lower total weed DM than BM. The broadleaf weed DM was significantly lower under WC than under BM or N us . On the basis of these results, increasing the levels of tillage intensity with complete (0%) or minimal (30%) dispersion of soil cover appears to have decreased grass weed and total weed DM. Among undersowing treatments, WC seems to be a more reliable option than BM for spring wheat.
Following growers’ reports of herbicide control problems, populations of 30 wild oats, Avena fatua, were collected from the south-east main arable counties of Ireland in 2016 and investigated for the occurrence and potential for herbicide resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors pinoxaden, propaquizafop and cycloxydim, as well as acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron. Plant survival ≥20% was considered as the discriminating threshold between resistant and susceptible populations, when plants were treated with full recommended field rates of ACCase/ALS inhibitors. Glasshouse sensitivity screens revealed 2 out of 30 populations were cross-resistant to all three ACCase inhibitors. While three populations were cross-resistant to both pinoxaden and propaquizafop, and additionally, two populations were resistant to propaquizafop only. Different degree of resistance and cross-resistance between resistant populations suggest the involvement of either different point mutations or more than one resistance mechanism. Nevertheless, all populations including the seven ACCase-resistant populations were equally susceptible to ALS inhibitor. An integrated weed management (cultural/non-chemical control tactics and judicious use of herbicides) approach is strongly recommended to minimize the risk of herbicide resistance evolution.
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