Performance of Sorghum Varieties under Variable Rainfall in Central Tanzania

Msongaleli, Barnabas M.; Tumbo, Siza D.; Kihupi, Nganga I.; Rwehumbiza, F. B. R.

doi:10.1155/2017/2506946

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…For sorghum, our results showed that the climatic variables were responsible for 70% of the variation in its yield. This finding is in agreement with several studies, which revealed that climatic variables are the most important factors affecting sorghum yield, particularly rainfall [65,66]. Indeed, our model showed that an increase in rainfall amount by 1 mm led to an increase in sorghum yield by 0.11 kg ha −1 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Climate Variability and Change Affect Crops Yield under Rainfed Conditions: A Case Study in Gedaref State, Sudan

et al. 2021

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It is projected that, on average, annual temperature will increase between 2 °C to 6 °C under high emission scenarios by the end of the 21st century, with serious consequences in food and nutrition security, especially within semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to investigate the impact of historical long-term climate (temperature and rainfall) variables on the yield of five major crops viz., sorghum, sesame, cotton, sunflower, and millet in Gedaref state, Sudan over the last 35 years. Mann–Kendall trend analysis was used to determine the existing positive or negative trends in temperature and rainfall, while simple linear regression was used to assess trends in crop yield over time. The first difference approach was used to remove the effect of non-climatic factors on crop yield. On the other hand, the standardized anomaly index was calculated to assess the variability in both rainfall and temperature over the study period (i.e., 35 years). Correlation and multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses were employed to determine the relationships between climatic variables and crops yield. Similarly, a simple linear regression was used to determine the relationship between the length of the rainy season and crop yield. The results showed that the annual maximum temperature (Tmax) increased by 0.03 °C per year between the years 1984 and 2018, while the minimum temperature (Tmin) increased by 0.05 °C per year, leading to a narrow range in diurnal temperature (DTR). In contrast, annual rainfall fluctuated with no evidence of a significant (p > 0.05) increasing or decreasing trend. The yields for all selected crops were negatively correlated with Tmin, Tmax (r ranged between −0.09 and −0.76), and DTR (r ranged between −0.10 and −0.70). However, the annual rainfall had a strong positive correlation with yield of sorghum (r = 0.64), sesame (r = 0.58), and sunflower (r = 0.75). Furthermore, the results showed that a longer rainy season had significant (p < 0.05) direct relationships with the yield of most crops, while Tmax, Tmin, DTR, and amount of rainfall explained more than 50% of the variability in the yield of sorghum (R2 = 0.70), sunflower (R2 = 0.61), and millet (R2 = 0.54). Our results call for increased awareness among different stakeholders and policymakers on the impact of climate change on crop yield, and the need to upscale adaptation measures to mitigate the negative impacts of climate variability and change.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Climate Variability and Change Affect Crops Yield under Rainfed Conditions: A Case Study in Gedaref State, Sudan

et al. 2021

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“…The trial was located in a semi-arid climate with a 30-year annual rainfall average of 635 mm (cropping season average of 425 mm) with a unimodal pattern with most rainfall between December and April and a dry period of 6-7 months (Shemsanga et al, 2016) (Figure 1A). Long-term historic (1988Long-term historic ( -2018 rainfall estimates for Manyusi village were downloaded from the Early Warning eXplorer (EWX) Lite time series database and web-based mapping tool (United States Geological Survey, 2020), and are similar to but slightly higher than average annual rainfall for the Dodoma region (589 mm) (Msongaleli et al, 2017).…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Maize-Pigeonpea Intercropping Outperforms Monocultures Under Drought

Renwick

Kimaro

Hafner

et al. 2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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There is an urgent need to develop resilient agroecosystems capable of helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change, particularly drought. In East Africa, diversification of maize-based cropping systems by intercropping with grain and tree legumes may foster productivity and resilience to adverse weather conditions. We tested whether intercropping enhances drought resistance and crop and whole-system yields by imposing drought in monocultures and additive intercrops along a crop diversity gradient—sole maize (Zea mays), sole pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan), maize-pigeonpea, maize-gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium, a woody perennial), and maize-pigeonpea-gliricidia—with and without fertilizer application. We developed and tested a novel low-cost, above-canopy rainout shelter design for drought experiments made with locally-sourced materials that successfully reduced soil moisture without creating sizeable artifacts for the crop microenvironment. Drought reduced maize grain yield under fertilized conditions in some cropping systems but did not impact pigeonpea grain yield. Whole-system grain yield and theoretical caloric and protein yields in two intercropping systems, maize-pigeonpea and maize-gliricidia, were similar to the standard sole maize system. Maize-pigeonepea performed most strongly compared to other systems in terms of protein yield. Maize-pigeonpea was the only intercrop that consistently required less land than its corresponding monocultures to produce the same yield (Land Equivalent Ratio >1), particularly under drought. Despite intercropping systems having greater planting density than sole maize and theoretically greater competition for water, they were not more prone to yield loss with drought. Our results show that maize-pigeonpea intercropping provides opportunities to produce the same food on less land under drought and non-drought conditions, without compromising drought resistance of low-input smallholder maize systems.

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“…However, rather than simply the amount of rainfall being significant, rainfall variability during the growing season may be more important. For example, Msongaleli et al [4], using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator, APSIM [28] model, showed that the length and timing of dry spells during the growing season determined sorghum grain yields in semiarid central Tanzania. Our field experiment and AquaCrop-simulated grain yield results are somewhat contradictory in this respect, with the field experiment grain yield for 2012 being greater than that for 2011, while AquaCrop-simulated grain yields showed the opposite result.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The impact is particularly great for rainfed agricultural systems such as in SSA, where rainfall anomalies causes crop failure and food insecurity [2]. Climate change projections for SSA indicate increases in temperature and a reduction, but increased variability, in rainfall, which will have important negative implications for agriculture and livelihoods [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

AquaCrop-Simulated Response of Sorghum Biomass and Grain Yield to Biochar Amendment in South Sudan

2020

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The dependency on rainfed agriculture and weak adaptability of the agricultural sector to climate change threaten food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Biochar has widely been touted as a relatively easy means of increasing the soil water storage capacity of soils and thereby improving or maintaining crop yields. In this study we simulated the effect of biochar amendment on sorghum aboveground biomass and grain yield at a site in South Sudan. We used the model AquaCrop parameterized using site, soil, and cropping management data from a field experiment carried out at the site in 2011 and 2012, which were both wet years. Changes in soil hydraulic properties due to biochar were based on a published meta-analysis study. In order to investigate whether the response to biochar differed in dry years, simulations were also carried out for 1990, which was the driest year during the period 1979–2014. Measured and modelled biomass and yields with and without biochar for 2011 and 2012 were compared. Simulated and measured yields depended on growing season rainfall and distribution. The simulations showed that biochar amendment had an effect on rooting zone soil water content and sorghum biomass and grain yield in 1990, but not in 2011 and 2012. In view of expected climate change, the results have important implications for sorghum production and the potential use of biochar in SSA. Given the limited response of grain yield to biochar shown in our simulations, careful selection of sorghum variety and cultivar and consideration of planting date may be a more effective means of improving yields than applying biochar.

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Performance of Sorghum Varieties under Variable Rainfall in Central Tanzania

Cited by 21 publications

References 31 publications

Climate Variability and Change Affect Crops Yield under Rainfed Conditions: A Case Study in Gedaref State, Sudan

Climate Variability and Change Affect Crops Yield under Rainfed Conditions: A Case Study in Gedaref State, Sudan

Maize-Pigeonpea Intercropping Outperforms Monocultures Under Drought

AquaCrop-Simulated Response of Sorghum Biomass and Grain Yield to Biochar Amendment in South Sudan

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