How to increase the productivity and profitability of smallholder rainfed wheat in the Eastern African highlands? Northern Rwanda as a case study.|农业研究数据集|作物生产数据集

Study site The study area is located in Musanze district, Gataraga sector, in the cells of Mudakama, Rungu, Murago and Rubindi in North of Rwanda in the Birunga agricultural zone, between 1° 31′ and 1° 55′ latitude South, and 29° 31′ and 29° 56′ longitude East. The elevation ranges from 2,230 to 2,700 m above sea level. The area receives annual rainfall varying between 1,300 and 1,600 mm (Verdoodt and Ranst, 2003), distributed over two cropping seasons, namely the long rainy season, also known as ‘Season B’, ranging from February to July, and the short rainy season, also known as ‘Season A’, ranging from September to January, with most of the precipitation received in the months of April and November. During the season 2017A and the season 2018A (period under observation in the study), 541.2 mm and 508.9 mm were received, respectively (although the weather station of Ruhengeri failed to record 11 days during the season 2018A). During the season 2017B (between March 2017 and July 2017), 428.5 mm were received. The soils in this area are typically Andosols (Verdoodt and Ranst, 2003) which are formed on volcanic deposits. Cropping systems in the study site are mainly based on rotating wheat – planted mainly in Season A – with irish potatoes – planted mainly in Season B. Farm survey A total of 130 farmers were interviewed during the season 2017A and during the season 2018A, using a standardized questionnaire that addressed the characteristics of the main wheat plot (soil type, slope, previous crop), fertilization practices (mineral fertilizer and organic amendments applied to wheat and to the previous crop), the seeds utilised (variety, source, seed rate), the dates of the major operations (planting, first weeding), crop protection practices (number of weeding operations, number of insecticide applications, number of fungicide applications, number of herbicide applications), and the cost of the major inputs (seeds, mineral fertilizers, organic amendments, agro-chemicals, hired labour). Yield assessment During both seasons, the area of the main wheat field was measured using a handheld GPS Garmin Etrek 10. During the season 2017A, crop cuts from each field were taken for yield determination. Fresh wheat straw and grain weights were recorded in the field and dry weights of wheat grain and straw were determined after oven-drying sub-samples at 60 °C for one week.