Dataset Information

Climate and landscape mediate patterns of low lentil productivity in Nepal.

ABSTRACT: Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a cool-season pulse grown in winter cropping cycle in South Asia and provides a major source of nutrition for many low-income households. Lentil productivity is perceived to be sensitive to high rainfall, but few studies document spatial and temporal patterns of yield variation across climate, soil, and agronomic gradients. Using farm survey data from Nepal, this study characterizes patterns of lentil productivity and efficiency for two cropping seasons. Additional insights were derived from on-farm trials conducted over a 5-year period that assess agronomic, drainage, and cultivar interventions. To contextualize the inferences derived from farm surveys and trials, the Stempedia model was used to simulate the severity of Stemphylium blight (Stemphylium botryosum) risk-the principal fungal disease in lentil-with 30 years of historical climate data. Although development efforts in Nepal have prioritized pulse intensification, results confirm that lentil remains a risky enterprise highlighting the prevalence of crop failures (16%), modest yields (353 kg ha-1), and low levels of profitability (US$ 33 ha-1) in wet winters. Nevertheless, site factors such as drainage class influence responses with upland sites performing well in wet winters and lowland sites performing well in dry winters. In wet winters, a phenomena perceived to be increasing, 76% of surveyed farmers reported significant disease pressure and simulations with Stempedia predict that conditions favoring Stemphylium occur in >60% of all years. Nevertheless, simulation results also suggest that these risks can be addressed through earlier planting. Based on the combined results, gains in yield, yield stability, and technical efficiency can be enhanced in western Nepal by: 1) ensuring timely lentil planting to mitigate climate-mediated disease risk, 2) evaluating new lentil lines that may provide enhanced resistance to diseases and waterlogging, and 3) encouraging the emergence of mechanization solutions to overcome labor bottlenecks.

SUBMITTER: Paudel GP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7162466 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Climate and landscape mediate patterns of low lentil productivity in Nepal.

Paudel Gokul P GP Devkota Mina M Keil Alwin A McDonald Andrew J AJ

PloS one 20200416 4

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a cool-season pulse grown in winter cropping cycle in South Asia and provides a major source of nutrition for many low-income households. Lentil productivity is perceived to be sensitive to high rainfall, but few studies document spatial and temporal patterns of yield variation across climate, soil, and agronomic gradients. Using farm survey data from Nepal, this study characterizes patterns of lentil productivity and efficiency for two cropping seasons. Additio ...[more]

PMID: 32298316

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Project description:Lentil is one of the essential legume crops, which provides protein for humans and animals. This legume can improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, which is imperative in low-fertility soils. The growth and productivity of lentil could be enhanced through improving nutrition and root revitalization. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of root activator (RA) and phosphorus (P) application on morphological, physiological, agronomic, and quality traits of lentil under newly reclaimed low-fertility sandy soil in an arid environment. The RA was applied at four levels of 0 (RA0-untreated control), 1.25 (RA1), 2.5 (RA2), and 3.75 (RA3) l ha-1. RA contained 9% potassium humate, 1,600 ppm indole butyric acid, 200 ppm gibberellic acid, and 200 ppm naphthalene acetic acid. The recommended rate of phosphorus (P) fertilization in the newly reclaimed low-fertility sandy soil (75 kg P2O5 ha-1) was applied, and its amount was increased and decreased by 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 vs. non-added control. Thus, P rates were applied at four rates 0 (P0; control), 50 (P1), 75 (P2), and 100 (P3) kg phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) ha-1. Our results revealed that treated lentil plants with the high levels of both treatments (RA3 and P3) exhibited superiority in root measurements (root length, total number of nodules plant-1, number of active nodules plant-1, dry weights of active nodules, and total root), nitrogenase activity, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, yield traits, and seed proteins and carbohydrates. However, the recommended P level (75 kg P2O5 ha-1, P2) under the high level of RA (3.75 l ha-1, RA3) displayed non-significant differences in yield traits (plant height, 1,000-seed weight, seed yield ha-1) and quality traits (protein and carbohydrate) with the high P level (100 kg P2O5 ha-1, P3). Accordingly, its recommended economically and environmentally to use this coapplication of RA3 and P3 in low-fertility soil for better lentil growth, and seed yield and quality.

Dataset Information

Climate and landscape mediate patterns of low lentil productivity in Nepal.

Publications

Climate and landscape mediate patterns of low lentil productivity in Nepal.

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