• Authors:
    • Patil, S. G.
    • Ralevic, P.
    • Loon, G. van
  • Source: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 8
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Agriculture including crop production and animal husbandry provides for the food, fodder, and fuel needs in rural regions of many countries such as India. Using the knowledge pertinent to complex mixed cropping-livestock systems at the village level, the goal of this study is to develop a rational method for crop selection, such that the capacity for production of food, fodder and biomass fuel can be examined under various cropping patterns. An agricultural survey is carried out in November 2007 for three villages located in the dryland agro-ecozone of Karnataka State, India. Various demands, including human food energy and protein requirements, and constraints, including land area, are modeled for optimal cropping pattern. A clear recommendation of the study is that a substantial shift in village-wide area planted to cereal crops, in all cases over 50%, is necessary to satisfy human and livestock demands. Additionally, there are visible and growing population pressures on the resources in the dryland, semi-arid regions of India, and these strategies will need to be supplemented by improved agronomic practices directed toward increased productivity.
  • Authors:
    • Huang, G.
    • Chai, Q.
    • Yang, C.
  • Source: Zhongguo Shengtai Nongye Xuebao / Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of alternative irrigation on water consumption, yield and water use efficiency ( WUE) under wheat-maize intercropping in the oasis region of Shiyang River Basin, Gansu Province. The results indicate that evaporation for alternative irrigated intercropping system (AI) decreases by 44.0 mm compared to conventional irrigated intercropping system (CI). Water consumption under AI also increases by 15.4 mm while yield and WUE are respectively enhanced by 13.92% and 9.21% compared to CI. All these results show that alternative irrigation is an effective and practicable way to improve yield and WUE of wheat-maize intercropping. Although evaporation and water consumption in alternative irrigated intercropping system increase with increasing irrigation quota, overall WUE actually decreases.
  • Authors:
    • Yang,C. H.
    • Chai,Q.
    • Huang,G. B.
  • Source: Plant Soil and Environment
  • Volume: 56
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of alternate irrigation (AI) on root distribution and yield of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) intercropping system during the period of 2007-2009 in an oasis of arid north-west China. Five treatments, i.e. sole wheat with conventional irrigation (W), sole maize with alternate irrigation (AM), sole maize with conventional irrigation (CM), wheat/maize intercropping with alternate irrigation (AW/M), and wheat/maize intercropping with conventional irrigation (CW/M). The results showed that root growth was significantly enhanced by alternate irrigation (AI), root weight density (RWD), root length density (RLD) and root-shoot ratios (R/S) in AI treatments were all higher than those in conventional irrigation (CI) treatments. Moreover, intercropped wheat and maize also had a greater root development at a majority of soil depths than wheat and maize in monoculture. In three years, AW/M always achieved the highest total seed yield under different treatments. Higher yield and reduced irrigation resulted in higher water use efficiency (WUE) for the AW/M treatment. Our results suggest that AI should be a useful water-saving irrigation method on wheat/maize intercropping in arid oasis field where intercropping planting is decreased because of limited water resource.
  • Authors:
    • Sun, Y.
    • Dowd, S.
    • Acosta-Martinez, V.
    • Wester, D.
    • Allen, V.
  • Source: Applied Soil Ecology
  • Volume: 45
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing of the 16S rDNA gene was used to evaluate bacterial diversity of a clay loam soil (fine, mixed, thermic Torrertic Paleustolls) after 10 years under an integrated livestock (beef)-cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) production system compared to continuous cotton in a semiarid region. In the integrated system, cattle alternatively grazed a perennial warm-season grass [ Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz) S.T. Blake] paddock and small grains grown in two paddocks of a wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow-rye ( Secale cereal L.)-cotton rotation. Areas excluded from grazing in the integrated system were also evaluated. Maximum observed number of unique sequences operational taxonomic units (OTU) at 3% dissimilarity level (roughly corresponding to the species level) corresponded to 1200 and 1100 at 0-5 and 5-15 cm depths, respectively. Predominant phyla (up to 65% of abundance) at 0-5 and 5-15 cm in this soil were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes. Proteobacteria were predominant in soil under all components of the integrated livestock-cotton system compared to continuous cotton whereas Bacteroidetes were predominant under continuous cotton. Firmicutes (i.e., Clostridia) and Chlorofexi (i.e., Thermomicrobia) were more abundant in soil under fallow periods of the rotation compared to under cotton (Rye- Cotton-Wheat-Fallow or continuous cotton) or grass (i.e., pasture). The lowest OTUs were detected in soil under fallow periods of the rotation (Wheat- Fallow-Rye-Cotton) compared to the other treatments. Grazing effects were significant for Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Chlorofexi. Compared to the continuous cotton system, this study revealed significant changes in bacterial phyla distribution under integrated livestock-cotton systems for a semiarid soil after 10 years. Positive correlations were found between certain bacteria ( Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Verrucomicrobiae and Fibrobacteres) and the activities of alkaline phosphatase and beta-glucosidase or beta-glucosaminidase.
  • Authors:
    • Evansf, R.
    • Lartey, R.
    • Caesar, T.
    • Sainju, U.
    • Lenssen ,A.
    • Allen, B.
  • Source: Proceedings of the 19th World Congress of Soil Science: Soil solutions for a changing world, Brisbane, Australia, 1-6 August 2010. Division Symposium 3.2 Nutrient best management practices
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Available water and N fertility are primary constraints to crop production in the northern Great Plains of the USA. A field trial was initiated in 2004 to compare four crop rotations in a complete factorial of two tillage and two management systems. Rotations were continuous spring wheat (SW), pea-SW, barley hay-pea-SW, and barley hay-corn-pea-SW. Tillage systems were no till and field cultivator tillage, while management systems were conventional and ecological. Conventional management included broadcast nitrogen fertilizer, standard seeding rates, and short stubble height. Ecological management practices varied by crop, and included banded nitrogen fertilizer for cereals, increased seeding rate, delayed planting date for SW, and taller stubble height. Continuous SW grain yield was 26% lower than SW in more diverse rotations. Pea grain yield was 18% lower in 2-yr rotations than in more diverse rotations. Ecologically managed SW yielded 29% less than conventionally managed SW, presumably due to the delayed planting date. Ecological management of pea resulted in 12% greater yield compared to conventional management. Tillage system rarely impacted crop yield. Yield increases in SW were related to increased N use efficiency.
  • Authors:
    • Bosede, A.
  • Source: African Journal of Agricultural Research
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: An assessment of fertilizer use and other integrated practices was carried out with two hundred farmers selected by stratified random sampling from twenty villages in Kano and Katsina States of Nigeria. The farming system was mixed farming (legume-cereal-livestock mixture), as a strategy both to address nutrient management as well as their livelihoods (both food and income security). The major crops comprised maize, sorghum, millet, rice, soybean, groundnut and cowpea. The average farm size was 7.4 ha and livestock comprised an average of 14 goats, 15 poultry birds, 7 sheep and 9 cattle. An average of 63 kg fertilizer was applied per ha of land relative to about 649 kg of fertilizer requirement per hectare of the crops grown, very low relative to Asia and some other African countries such as South Africa, Malawi, Benin and Ethiopia. The livestock mix provided substantial farmyard manure for fertilizing the soils and supplemented farm drought animals/animal traction while the crop residues (legumes and cereals) provided feeds for the livestock. It was found that fertilizer use multiplies the returns on farmers' output by a factor of 2.1-14.6, which was relatively higher than previous findings (IFDC, 2002) for the same crops in Nigeria, but crop yields were comparatively less for other Sub-Saharan and Asian countries. The observed higher response coefficient could be explained by the use of organic/farmyard manures and other soil conservation practices. Farmers exploit land and the natural fertility of the soil through continuous cropping and poor fertilization (organic and inorganic). Critical environmental issues emanating from these are soil nutrient depletion, soil degradation by erosion, weed and pest invasion, all culminating in sustained low productivity. It was therefore concluded that sustained growth in agricultural productivity without environmental exploitation and degradation cannot be achieved unless efforts to enhance farmers' fertilizer use and organic fertilization are taken seriously. Efforts should be put in place to correct fertilizer market inadequacies, particularly to monitor the quality standard and guarantee farmers' access to fertilizers, as well as encourage National research and extension programs to emphasize economic use of basic local materials for effective fertilization of farmers' fields, reduced vulnerability to nutrient loss and drought, and increased agricultural productivity.
  • Authors:
    • Sun, Y.
    • Zhao, Y.
    • Wu, P.
    • Cui, H.
    • Chen, Z.
  • Source: Soil & Tillage Research
  • Volume: 110
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Wind erosion near soil surface is one of the major causes of farmland degradation and desertification in arid and semiarid areas. Intercropping wheat and potato can effectively reduce wind erosion, soil desertification and degradation. In this paper, a quantitative research on effective resistance width to wind erosion for the wheat and potato intercropping farmland was performed using several 8-channel wind speed samplers and a movable wind tunnel. As can be seen from the test results, the effective width to control wind erosion for conventional tillage strips on wheat and potato intercropping farmland was lower than or equal to 5 m as the wind speed at 2 m height was 6-7 m.s -1. Moreover, the effective width to control wind erosion of conservation tillage strips on wheat and potato intercropping farmland should be greater than or equal to 5.5 m. Therefore, wheat and potato intercropping with suitable strip width is a cropping mode that not only protects farmland soil from wind erosion to the utmost but also satisfies the requirements of regional planting structure.
  • Authors:
    • Eslami, S.
    • Ebranimi ,E.
    • Mahmoodi, S.
  • Source: Proceedings of 3rd Iranian Weed Science Congress, Volume 1: Weed biology and ecophysiology, Babolsar, Iran, 17-18 February 2010
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Ceratocarpus arenarius is one of the problematic and noxious weeds in dryland farming of wheat, barley, lentil and peas in North Khorasan. Laboratory experiments were conducted on germination and seedling emergence of ceratocarpus. Germination ability of this weed species was similar in light/dark and continuous dark conditions, therefore seeds of this weed species are non-photoblastic. Seeds germinated over 80% in the range of alternating day/night temperatures (20/10, 25/15 and 30/20C) and the maximum germinability (96%) was observed at 25/15C. Seed of this weed species retained their germination ability until high salinity levels and even at 800 mM NaCl 20% of seeds germinated. Seeds of this weed species could tolerate high level of drought stress, so that 25% of seeds germinated at osmotic potential of -1 MPa. Seedlings could emerge from a range of burial depths from 0 (without covering with filter paper) to 8 cm and maximum emergence (94%) was observed in seeds planted on the soil surface covered with 3 layers of filter paper.
  • Authors:
    • Nouroozi, A.
    • Yazdian, U.
    • Hajimirrahimi, S.
    • Gholifar, E.
  • Source: American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: This research, of survey type, aimed at investigation of effective individual, social and economic factors on innovation adoption of "soil test" by cereal planters in Qom province. The population of the study consisted of 2455 cereal planters which were under guiding and technical services coverage. The statistical sample was determined to be 188 using Cochran's formula. Then these people were selected in four areas by sampling. Data were collected by a questionnaire whose face validity was confirmed utilizing opinion of experts and its reliability by Alfa Cronbach test. The results showed, this innovation has not completely been accepted by 67/4% of cereal planters. The knowledge level variables concerning "soil test", the degree of relation with information resources and renewability, participation levels in improving and reclamation projects, social position, motivation degree for farming and job satisfaction, access degree to institutes, degree of positive relationship credit utilizing and significance of comprehensive acceptance behavior of "soil test". According to the results obtained, the following recommendations are suggested: vast spread of "soil test" conducting knowledge and plant nutrition principle among cereal planters through applying Extensional various methods such as distribution of Extensional publications in a continuous and extensive level, schematization for increasing the presence of promoters in cereal planting units, offering useful promotional services to cereal planters by Promotional centers, reconsideration of promotional programs to attract the contribution of the cereal planters and establishing a close relationship among the promoters and the cereal planters.
  • Authors:
    • Armstrong, R.
    • Nuttall, J.
  • Source: Australian Journal of Soil Research
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Subsoil physicochemical constraints can limit crop production on alkaline soils of south-eastern Australia. Fifteen farmer paddocks sown to a range of crops including canola, lentil, wheat, and barley in the Wimmera and Mallee of Victoria and the mid-north and Eyre Peninsula of South Australia were monitored from 2003 to 2006 to define the relationship between key abiotic/edaphic factors and crop growth. The soils were a combination of Calcarosol and Vertosol profiles, most of which had saline and sodic subsoils. There were significant correlations between EC e and Cl - ( r=0.90), ESP and B ( r=0.82), ESP and EC e ( r=0.79), and ESP and Cl - ( r=0.73). The seasons monitored had dry pre-cropping conditions and large variations in spring rainfall in the period around flowering. At sowing, the available soil water to a depth of 1.2 m (theta a) averaged 3 mm for paddocks sown to lentils, 28 mm for barley, 44 mm for wheat, and 92 mm for canola. Subsoil constraints affected canola and lentil crops but not wheat or barley. For lentil crops, yield variation was largely explained by growing season rainfall (GSR) and theta a in the shallow subsoil (0.10-0.60 m). Salinity in this soil layer affected lentil crops through reduced water extraction and decreased yields where EC e exceeded 2.2 dS/m. For canola crops, GSR and theta a in the shallow (0.10-0.60 m) and deep (0.60-1.20 m) layers were important factors explaining yield variation. Sodicity (measured as ESP) in the deep subsoil (0.80-1.00 m) reduced canola growth where ESP exceeded 16%, corresponding to a 500 kg/ha yield penalty. For cereal crops, rainfall in the month around anthesis was the most important factor explaining grain yield, due to the large variation in rainfall during October combined with the determinant nature of these crops. For wheat, theta a in the shallow subsoil (0.10-0.60 m) at sowing was also an important factor explaining yield variation. Subsoil constraints had no impact on cereal yield in this study, which is attributed to the lack of available soil water at depth, and the crops' tolerance of the physicochemical conditions encountered in the shallow subsoil, where plant-available water was more likely to occur. Continuing dry seasonal conditions may mean that the opportunity to recharge soil water in the deeper subsoil, under continuous cropping systems, is increasingly remote. Constraints in the deep subsoil are therefore likely to have reduced impact on cereals under these conditions, and it is the management of water supply, from GSR and accrued soil water, in the shallow subsoil that will be increasingly critical in determining crop yields in the future.