• Authors:
    • Duke, J. M.
    • Borchers, A. M.
    • Johnston, R. J.
    • Absetz, S.
  • Source: Ecological Economics
  • Volume: 74
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This paper describes the results of a choice experiment measuring social benefits for sustainable management practices and agricultural land preservation. Sustainable management is conceptualized with three illustrative practices that impact water quality, carbon sequestration, and soil erosion: fertilizing with a broiler litter product, expanding riparian buffers, and no-till cropping. Data for a choice experiment are collected using a mail survey of residents living near a large, unpreserved agricultural parcel in an urban-influenced area of Delaware. Results identify substantial benefits for land preservation, the use of broiler litter, and riparian buffers but not for conservation tillage. Results also suggest that the estimated household benefits of all three sustainable management practices combined are similar in magnitude to the benefits from land preservation alone. Based on model results, policy and future research may wish to examine possibilities for subsidizing sustainable management practices in urban-influenced areas as a more cost-effective means of providing benefits similar to those realized through land preservation.
  • Authors:
    • Grace, P. R.
    • Ogle, S.
    • Paustian, K.
    • Antle, J.
    • Basso, B.
    • Aggarwal, P. K.
  • Source: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
  • Volume: 146
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Soil organic carbon sequestration rates over 20 years based on the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) methodology were combined with local economic data to determine the potential for soil C sequestration in wheat-based production systems on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The C sequestration potential of rice-wheat systems of India on conversion to no-tillage is estimated to be 44.1 Mt C over 20 years. Implementing no-tillage practices in maize-wheat and cotton-wheat production systems would yield an additional 6.6 Mt C. This offset is equivalent to 9.6% of India's annual greenhouse gas emissions (519 Mt C) from all sectors (excluding land use change and forestry), or less than one percent per annum. The economic analysis was summarized as carbon supply curves expressing the total additional C accumulated over 20 year for a price per tonne of carbon sequestered ranging from zero to USD 200. At a carbon price of USD 25 Mg C -1, 3 Mt C (7% of the soil C sequestration potential) could be sequestered over 20 years through the implementation of no-till cropping practices in rice-wheat systems of the Indian States of the IGP, increasing to 7.3 Mt C (17% of the soil C sequestration potential) at USD 50 Mg C -1. Maximum levels of sequestration could be attained with carbon prices approaching USD 200 Mg C -1 for the States of Bihar and Punjab. At this carbon price, a total of 34.7 Mt C (79% of the estimated C sequestration potential) could be sequestered over 20 years across the rice-wheat region of India, with Uttar Pradesh contributing 13.9 Mt C.
  • Authors:
    • Avares Filho, J. T.
    • Feltran, C. T. M.
    • Oliveira, J. F. de
    • Almeida, E. de
  • Source: Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Soil penetration resistance is an important property that affects root growth and elongation and water movement in the soil. Since no-till systems tend to increase organic matter in the soil, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency with which soil penetration resistance is estimated using a proposed model based on moisture content, density and organic matter content in an Oxisol containing 665, 221 and 114 g kg -1 of clay, silt and sand respectively under annual no-till cropping, located in Londrina, Parana State, Brazil. Penetration resistance was evaluated at random locations continually from May 2008 to February 2011, using an impact penetrometer to obtain a total of 960 replications. For the measurements, soil was sampled at depths of 0 to 20 cm to determine gravimetric moisture (G), bulk density (D) and organic matter content (M). The penetration resistance curve (PR) was adjusted using two non-linear models (PR= a D b G c and PR′= a D b G c M d), where a, b, c and d are coefficients of the adjusted model. It was found that the model that included M was the most efficient for estimating PR, explaining 91% of PR variability, compared to 82% of the other model.
  • Authors:
    • Misra, R. K.
    • Padhi, J.
    • Payero, J. O.
  • Source: Field Crops Research
  • Volume: 126
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Plant growth and soil water deficit can vary spatially and temporally in crop fields due to variation in soil properties and/or irrigation and crop management factors. We conducted field experiments with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) over two seasons during 2007-2009 to test if infrared thermography can distinguish systematic variation in deficit irrigation applied to various parts of the field over time. Soil water content was measured with a neutron probe and thermal images of crop plants were taken with a thermal infrared camera. Leaf water potential and stomatal conductance were also measured on selected occasions. All measurements were made at fixed locations within three replicate plots of an irrigation experiment consisting of four soil-water deficit treatments. Canopy temperature related as well with soil water within the root zone of cotton as the stomatal conductance index derived from canopy temperature, but it neglected the effect of local and seasonal variation in environmental conditions. Similarities in the pattern of spatial variation in canopy temperature and soil water over the experimental field indicates that thermography can be used with stomatal conductance index to assess soil water deficit in cotton fields for scheduling of irrigation and to apply water in areas within the field where it is most needed to reduce water deficit stress to the crop. Further confidence with application of infrared thermography can be gained by testing our measurement approach and analysis with irrigation scheduling of other crops. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Kumari, S.
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This study critically assessed the influence of frequent availability of water i. e. drip irrigation and mulch on optimum leaf area development of potato that control light interception and soil moisture conservation. Crop growth was stimulated in terms of early pick up of leaf areas that quickly covered the ground and improved transpiration efficiency. Drip irrigation increased water use efficiency three times as compared with furrow irrigation (conventional method of irrigation). Black Polyethylene mulch (25 m) conserved soil moisture, raised soil temperature by 9degreesC, stimulated shoot, solon and root growth, increased the total tuber number and yield but reduced the grade of tubers. Drip irrigation may prove a viable tool for source-sink alteration; stimulating early stolon initiation combined with ability to quick ground cover and sustained leaf growth for new tuber initiation for seed production as well as extended tuber bulking of early formed tubers for obtaining maximum yield with 50% saving of irrigation water and efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer.
  • Authors:
    • Shi, H.
    • Luo, Y.
    • Xue, J.
    • Wu, D.
  • Source: Journal of Nanjing Forestry University (Natural Sciences Edition)
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: By using in situ leaching device, a field experiment was conducted to study the nitrate leaching amount and density at 60 cm soil depth, nitrate accumulation in soil profile (0-80 cm) of poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem. Four treatments were installed, no fertilization (N 0, 0 kg/hm 2) conventional fertilization (N 140, 140 kg/hm 2), reduced N application (N 70, 70 kg/hm 2), increased N application (N 210, 210 kg/hm 2). The results indicated a positive correlation between quantity of leachate water and precipitation, the poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem can reduce the quantity of eluviate solution. The nitrate leaching loss increased according to the increasing N fertilization rate. In treatment spot N 210, the nitrate nitrogen loss from N fertilization at 60 cm soil depth was the greatest (13.89 kg/hm 2), it declined by 60.27% and 50.11% in poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem away from the poplar row 0.5 m and 1.5 m, respectively. The nitrogen leaching and accumulation were significantly lower in poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem, and variances of the distribution for soil nitrate nitrogen were significant.
  • Authors:
    • Li, Y.
    • Liu, G.
    • Yang, L.
    • Ma, L.
    • Xia, L.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 28
  • Issue: 14
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Protective management of arable slope land plays an important role in protection of land resource and aquatic environment in Three Gorges region, China. Base on the regional natural conditions and the utilization of the arable slope land, four tillage modes with H1 (rotation of wheat and maize, wheat intercropped with horse bean, less tillage and ridge cultivation), H2 (rotation of wheat and maize, with Vetiveria ziz anioides contour hedges intercropped at slop length interval of 5 m), H3 (rotation of wheat and maize, with alfalfa contour hedges intercropped at slop length interval of 5 m), H4 (rotation of wheat and maize, conventional management) were conducted from Oct. 2009 to Oct. 2011. The differences of apparent recovery efficiency and Agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen and phosphorus between treatments were discussed, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus losses through slope land surface runoff were analyzed. The results showed that compared with H4, H1 increased phosphorus use efficiency by 0.06 kg/kg. No significant difference of biological and economic production, apparent recovery efficiency and agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen and phosphorus was observed among H2, H3 and H4, which showed intercropping with Vetiveria ziz anioides or alfalfa contour hedges wouldn't lead to the reduction of production. Furthermore significant effects on reducing soil erosion and sediment phosphorus loss were observed for H1, H2 and H3. Compared with H4, and sediment losses for H1, H2 and H3 decreased by 48.46%, 52.26% and 58.59% respectively, and sediment phosphorus losses decreased by 30.58%, 47.70% and 44.58% respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Albuquerque, J.
    • Picolla, C.
    • Mafra, A.
    • Andrade, A.
    • Bertol, I.
  • Source: Ciencia Rural
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Suitable soil management is one of the bases for sustainability in agricultural systems. The study aimed to evaluate chemical properties of a Humic Dystrudept for 12 years under two tillage systems, with crops rotation and succession. The experiment was carried out in Lages, SC, under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT), with rotation (r) and succession (s) cropping systems, using crop sequences of beans-fallow-maize-fallow-soybean in CTr; maize-fallow in CTs; beans-oats-maize-fodder radish-soybean-vetch in NTr; and maize-vetch in NTs. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replicates. The soil samples were collected in the layers 0-2.5, 2.5-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm. The variables assessed were total organic carbon (TOC), calcium, magnesium, exchangeable aluminum, phosphorus, potassium, total nitrogen (TN) and water pH. The no-tillage system increased TOC and nutrient levels in comparison with conventional tillage, especially in the surface soil layer. Maize and vetch crop succession had higher TOC and TN contents in the surface soil layer compared to crop rotation under no-tillage.
  • Authors:
    • Hanisch, A.
    • Balbinot Junior, A.
    • Vogt, G.
  • Source: Revista de Ciencias Agroveterinarias
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The objectives of this work were to evaluate the forage yield of three pearl millet genotypes under different chicken manure rates and to verify the residual effect of this organic fertilizer on soil. An experiment was carried out in Papanduva, Santa Catarina, Brazil, during the 2008/09 and 2009/10 crop seasons. In the first crop season, three pearl millet genotypes were evaluated: a common genotype and two hybrids (ADR 500 and LAB 733), which were cultivated under four chicken manure rates (0, 4, 8 and 12 t ha -1). In succession, the multicropping (black oat+common vetch) and pearl millet were cultivated to evaluated the residual effect of this organic fertilizer. The experimental design was a randomized blocks, with four replications. The pearl millet production was evaluated by cuts, while in multicropping between black oat+common vetch was evaluated the total dry mass. There was interaction between pearl millet genotypes and manure rates in relation to total shoot dry mass. The hybrid genotypes showed the higher performance due to increase manure rate. There was residual effect of this organic fertilizer on the multicroping of black oat+common vetch and pearl millet.
  • Authors:
    • Matos, M.
    • Machineski, O.
    • Balota, E.
  • Source: REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE ENGENHARIA AGRICOLA E AMBIENTAL
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The objective of this work was to evaluate the changes in microbial biomass C, N and P due to the application of pig slurry under different soil tillage systems. The experiment was established in a clayey Oxisol, Eutrophic Red Latossol in Palotina, PR. Different quantities of pig slurry (0, 30, 60 and 120 m 3 ha -1 year -1) were applied to the soil prior to the summer and winter crop season under conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT), in three replicates. The area was cultivated with soybean ( Glycine max L.) or maize ( Zea mays L.) in the summer and wheat ( Triticum sativum Lam.) or oat ( Avena sativa L.) in the winter. The soil samples were collected in March and October of 1998 and 1999 at depths of 0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm. The soil tillage and pig slurry application influenced the microbial biomass C, N and P. The microbial biomass and the microbial activity presented high sensibility to detect changes in the soil due to tillage and the application of pig slurry. The soil microbial biomass and C mic/C org relation increased as the quantity of applied pig slurry increased. The metabolic quotient under CT increased with depth while under NT it decreased. The soil microbial biomass was enriched in N and P under NT and as the quantity of applied pig slurry increased.