Basil is a very important medicinal plant and culinary spice, and is marketed fresh, dried or frozen. In crop nutrition, nitrogen is essential for plant growth and as a macro-element, is part of the proteins’ structure and participates in the metabolic processes involved in the synthesis and energy transfer. It has been shown that a balance between ammonium and nitrate favors plant growth and that the degree of benefit varies among crops. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth of two varieties of basil in function of four nutrient solutions containing different NH4+/NO3- ratios. Results showed that different variety response differently to nutrient solution. Although the highest yield in both varieties (sweet and purple) was obtained when fed by nutrient solution without ammonium but their response on quality indices were different due to nitrate ammonium ratio in nutrient solutions. The highest total phenol content of sweet and purple basil was 92 and 100 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram of dry weight respectively, while the highest antioxidant capacity was obtained in purple variety grown in nutrient solution 2 (NH4+:1/NO3:4) and the lowest value were related to sweet variety with the same nutrient solution. Moderate content of total nitrogen can be suitable for sweet variety while for purple variety nutrient solution with low amount of ammonium can be more suitable.

Quantifying short-rotation coppice (SRC) willow leaf litter dynamics will improve our understanding of carbon (C) sequestration and nutrient cycling potentials within these biomass energy plantations and provide valuable data for model validation. The objective of this study was to quantify the decomposition rate constants (k Bᵢₒₘₐₛₛ) and decomposition limit values (LVBᵢₒₘₐₛₛ), along with associated release rates (k Nᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ) and release limits (LVNᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ) of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) of leaf litter from several native and exotic willow varieties during an initial 4-year rotation at four sites within Saskatchewan, Canada. The k Bᵢₒₘₐₛₛ, LVBᵢₒₘₐₛₛ, k Nᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ, and LVNᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ values varied among the willow varieties, sites, and nutrients, with average values of 1.7 year⁻¹, 79 %, 0.9 year⁻¹, and 83 %, respectively. Tissue N had the smallest k Nᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ and LVNᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ values, whereas tissue K and Mg had the largest k Nᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ and LVNᵤₜᵣᵢₑₙₜ values, respectively. The leaf litter production varied among willow varieties and sites with an average biomass accumulation of 7.4 Mg ha⁻¹ after the 4-year rotation and associated C sequestration rate of 0.2 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The average contribution of nutrients released from leaf litter decomposition during the 4-year rotation to the plant available soil nutrient pool across varieties and sites was 22, 4, 47, 10, 112, and 18 kg ha⁻¹ of N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg, respectively. Principal component analysis identified numerous key relationships between the measured soil, plant tissue, climate, and microclimate variables and observed willow leaf litter decomposition and nutrient-release characteristics. Our findings support the contention that SRC willow leaf litter is capable of enhancing both soil organic C levels and supplementing soil nutrient availability over time.

Using a competitive crop like oats is essential for integrated management of weed problems. Oats can compete well with weeds through efficient nutrient uptake, allelopathy and canopy cover shading. Weeds are suppressed by the crops tillering ability and varieties with good canopy cover. Some varieties can tolerate weeds better by having both good canopy cover and height.

S Kuyah, 'Diversity and nutrient contents of mango varieties along an altitudinal and a latitude gradient in Malawi', p.1, 2014

The fungal root endophytes Chaetomium globosum, Epicoccum nigrum and Piriformospora indica have value as biocontrol and biofertilising organisms in barley, but have not been well tested at low temperatures. This study assessed the efficacy of the endophytes on barley varieties grown under low temperature stress with variable nutrient input. Seed from three cultivars of spring barley were inoculated with one of the three fungal root endophyte isolates – C. globosum, E. nigrum or P. indica - and grown in low temperature under higher and lower nutrient input regimes. Compared with the control, for P.indica-inoculated plants with the higher nutrient input, flowering was earlier and grain dry weight significantly greater for all barley varieties by a mean of 22 %. The nitrogen and carbon content of the grains did not differ significantly between treatments. Chaetomium globosum and Epicoccum nigrum conferred no significant benefits under either nutrient regime. Piriformospora indica is amenable to axenic culture, sporulates readily and can be multiplied rapidly, suggesting that it could be developed as an effective crop treatment in low temperature stressed barley and may have the potential to increase crop yield in colder growing conditions provided that adequate nutrients are supplied.

A field experiment was conducted at Udaipur during the rainy (kharif) season of 2011, to work out optimum fertilizer dose and to evaluate production potential of sweet corn [Zea mays (L.) spp. Saccharata] varieties. The treatment consisted of combinations of 4 sweet corn varieties (‘Sugar 75’, ‘Win-Orange’, ‘Madhuri’ and ‘Bright Jean’) and 4 fertility levels (70 + 30, 90 + 40, 110 + 50 and 130 + 60 kg N + P₂O₅/ha). The highest nutrient uptake by green grain and green fodder, protein, moisture and total soluble solids (TSS) content of green grain, protein content and total digestible nutrient content (TDN) of green fodder, green cobs yield (12.66 t/ha), green fodder (26.54 t/ha), net returns (127.8 × 10³ /ha) and benefit:cost ratio (6.0), ‘Sugar 75’ proved best and economically profitable compared to rest of varieties. Application of 90 kg N + 40 kg P₂O₅/ha significantly increased quality of green fodder and grain, green cobs (9.97 t/ha), green fodder (19.97 t/ha) yields and proved economically beneficial compared to 70 kg N + 30 kg P₂O₅/ha.

Sweet sorghum was investigated to an alternate feedstock for fuel ethanol production. juices from 4 sorghum varieties (BRS 506, BRS 508, BRS 509, BRS 511 and BRS); all developed by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) Maize and Sorghum) were evaluated for sugar, starch and nutrient contents and theoretical ethanol yields. The levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, starch and sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) were measured weekly over a period of 70 days. Fermentations were performed using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BRS 508, BRS 509 and BRS 511 showed potential to be useful for industrial applications for maturities exceeding 30 days. BRS 511 showed the highest sugar production, with levels higher than 140 g/L during the majority of the experiment and reaching a maximum of 191 g/L. All varieties showed similar behaviors with respect to nutrient content, which was characterized by a decrease in nutrient concentrations over the period analyzed. Juice from BRS 508 was successfully fermented within 8 h with a productivity (9.0 g/L h) and yield (90.5% of theoretical) similar to those observed for sugar cane juice.

Sweet sorghum was investigated to an alternate feedstock for fuel ethanol production. juices from 4 sorghum varieties (BRS 506, BRS 508, BRS 509, BRS 511 and BRS); all developed by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) Maize and Sorghum) were evaluated for sugar, starch and nutrient contents and theoretical ethanol yields. The levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, starchand sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) were measured weekly over a period of 70 days. Fermentations were performed using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BRS 508, BRS 509 and BRS 511 showed potential to be useful for industrial applications for maturities exceeding 30 days. BRS 511 showed the highest sugar production, with levels higher than 140 g/L during the majority of the experiment and reaching a maximum of 191 g/L. All varieties showed similar behaviors with respect to nutrient content, which was characterized by a decrease in nutrient concentrations over the period analyzed. Juice from BRS 508 was successfully fermented within 8 h with a productivity (9.0 g/L h) and yield (90.5% of theoretical) similar to those observed for sugar cane juice.

A field investigation on response of rice varieties to different establishment methods under system of aerobic rice production was carried out at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar during wet season of 2012. Among the varieties, aerobic rice Pyari, proved superior with higher yield of grain and straw, and net return compared to other two varieties. With regards to methods of establishment, the yield of grain and straw and net returns were higher under aerobic transplanting with crop geometry of 20 cm x 20 cm. It also recorded higher values of yield attributing characters, leaf area index, nutrient uptake and field water use efficiency.

This publication covers the main aspects of organic sunflower growing, including general characteristics, selection of varieties, soil and climate requirements, nutrient supply, weed control and control of weeds and pests, the most common diseases and harvesting.