301. Reducing uncertainties in estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from sub-tropical land use systems of Queensland

• Authors:
  • Grace, P.
  • Rowlings, D.
  • Peterson, N.
  • Weier, K.
  • Kiese, R.
  • Butterbach-Bahl, K.
• Source: Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Australian-New Zealand Landscapes
• Year: 2007

302. Implications of climate change for tillage practice in Australia

• Authors:
  • McGregor, A.
  • Slattery, B.
  • Ugalde, D.
  • Brungs, A.
  • Kaebernick, M.
• Source: Soil & Tillage Research
• Volume: 97
• Issue: 2
• Year: 2007

303. Modelled impact of future climate change on the phenology of winegrapes in Australia

• Authors:
  • Barlow, E. W. R.
  • Whetton, P. H.
  • Webb, L. B.
• Source: Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 3
• Year: 2007

304. On-farm crop performances and water use efficiency of zero till wheat in low land rice ecosystem.

• Authors:
  • Goswami, S. B.
  • Saha, S.
  • Dutta, S.
• Source: National Seminar on Ecorestoration of Soil and Water Resources Towards Efficient Crop Production
• Year: 2007
• Summary: On-farm field experiments were undertaken in Chakdah Block, West Bengal, India, to study the impact of surface sowing, sowing by zero till seed drill (ZT) and conventional sowing with normal tillage (CT) in lowland rice fields on the growth and yield performances of wheat cv. 'UP 262', sown in the 1st, 3rd and 4th weeks of November during 2005-06 and 2006-07. For sowing under zero till, the seed rate was high (150 kg/ha). The depth of irrigation for ZT was 4 cm (3 h/bigha) compared to CT of 6 cm (4.5 h/bigha). Three irrigations were applied at crown root initiation, maximum tillering and flowering stages. The wheat plant height, tillering, panicle length, grains per spike and test weight were significantly affected by ZT and surface sowing compared to CT. Effective tiller production was higher under ZT with 3 irrigations than ZT with 2 irrigations or surface sowing. ZT with 3 irrigations (226 mm total water use) recorded the highest grain yield of 24.6 q/ha, which was a 21.8% yield increase over CT with 3 irrigations (243 mm total water use). ZT with 2 irrigations (189 mm total water use) decreased the grain yield by 111.8% over ZT with 3 irrigations. The water use efficiency was higher (8.5-8.71 kg ha -1 mma -1) under ZT with 3 irrigations over ZT with 2 irrigations or CT with 3 irrigations.

305. Opportunities for avoided deforestation with sustainable benefits: An interim report by the ASB partnership for the tropical forest margins

• Authors:
  • Hairiah, K.
  • Weise, S.
  • Sonwa, D.
  • Mbile, P.
  • Agus, F.
  • Edadinata, A.
  • Meadu, V.
  • Robiglio, V.
  • Budidarsono, S.
  • Hyman, G.
  • Gockowski, J.
  • White, D.
  • Murdiyarso, D.
  • Dewi, S.
  • Van Noordwijk, M.
  • Swallow, B.
• Year: 2007

306. C and N mineralization as influenced by irrigated and rainfed cropping systems.

• Authors:
  • Thakare, R.
  • Gupta, V. R.
• Source: Indian Journal of Agricultural Research
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 4
• Year: 2007
• Summary: Effect of irrigated and rainfed cropping systems on carbon and nitrogen mineralization was studied. Maximum C and N mineralization observed under irrigated cropping systems than rainfed. Sorghum-chickpea-groundnut showed highest mineralization under irrigated condition. While monocropping and intercropping with legumes enhances the rate of mineralization under rainfed situation. Mineralization was found to be highest during grand growth period of crops. Application of integrated nutrient supply increased C and N mineralization as compared to their individual application. The FYM+wheat straw+green manuring application augmented the mineralization under soybean-wheat crop sequence.

307. The potential of fruit trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico

• Authors:
  • Foster, Mercedes S.
• Source: Bird Conservation International
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 1
• Year: 2007
• Summary: Migration routes used by Nearctic migrant birds can cover great distances; they also differ among species, within species, and between years and seasons. As a result, migration routes for an entire migratory avifauna can encompass broad geographic areas, making it impossible to protect continuous stretches of habitat sufficient to connect the wintering and breeding grounds for most species. Consequently, ways to enhance habitats converted for human use (i.e. for pasture, crop cultivation, human settlement) as stopover sites for migrants are especially important. Shelterbelts around pastures and fields, if planted with species targeted to support migrant (and resident) bird species that naturally occupy mature forest habitats and that are at least partially frugivorous, could be a powerful enhancement tool for such species, if the birds will enter the converted areas to feed. I tested this approach for Nearctic migrant birds during the spring migration through an area in Chiapas, Mexico. Mature forest tree species whose fruits are eaten by birds were surveyed. Based on life form, crop size and fruit characteristics, I selected three tree species for study: Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae), Bursera simaruba (Burseraceae) and Trophis racemosa (Moraceae). I compared the use of fruits of these species by migrants and residents in forest with their use of the fruits of isolated individuals of the same species in pasture and cropland. All three plant species Were useful for enhancing converted habitats for forest-occupying spring migrants, although species differed in the degree to which they entered disturbed areas to feed on the fruits. These tree species could probably enhance habitats for migrants at sites throughout the natural geographic ranges of the plants; in other geographic areas for other target bird groups, other tree Species might be more appropriate.

308. Determinants of farmer's use of sustainable soil conservation practices in Osun State, Nigeria.

• Authors:
  • Odebode, S. O.
  • Akinbile, L. A.
• Source: American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 1
• Year: 2007
• Summary: Sustainability, which involves the ability to use a resource in ways that ensure little or no damage to guarantee continuous use of the resources, was the focus of the study. A focus group discussion was employed using farms to take inventory of the soil conservation practices they consider to be sustainable, from which 15 practices were validated. The study identified the determinants of the farmers' use of the practices in the study area. Quantitative data were gathered from 112 respondents sampled though systematic technique from five communities with the use of questionnaire. The results of the study shows that the farmers are aware of most of the practices. The soil conversation practices they often make use of multiple cropping, use of cover crops, crop rotation and the use of fallow system. They also plant multipurpose tree species for erosion control, and use organic manure with inorganic fertilizer at varying degrees to enhance productivity and ensure sustainability. Correlation test at P<0.05 shows that farm size, income, labour use, their other income generating activities and there level of awareness had significant relationship with respondents use of the sustainable soil conservation practices. Multiple regression analysis shows that factors that determine farmers use of those soil conservation practices are their level of awareness of the practices, farm size, income, labour use of their income generating activities in which they are involved. The factors determined 72% of the variation in respondents' use of conservation practices. Farmers should therefore be assisted with respect to those factors to ensure the sustainable use of the soil, which is very important in their income generating activities as farmers.

309. The potential impact of climate change on Australia’s soil organic carbon resources

• Authors:
  • Grace, P. R.
  • Post, W. M.
  • Hennessy, K.
• Source: Carbon Balance and Management
• Volume: 1
• Year: 2006

310. Development of land quality indices from edaphological data - a case study in shrink-swell soils of central India.

• Authors:
  • Prasad, J.
  • Challa, O.
  • Mandal, C.
  • Mandal, D. K.
• Source: Agropedology
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 2
• Year: 2006
• Summary: The present study used water use efficiency (WUE) as an indicator of land quality index (LQI), through a composite Water Use Efficiency (GMWUE), on the line of land evaluation index of Food and Agriculture Organization. The GMWUE is a multiplicative function of WUE of individual crop/cropping system raised within a micro agro-edaphic environment (AEE). A relative LQI scale has been developed considering LQI for the most productive land as 100 and accordingly the LQI of other land has been fixed. The experimental cropping systems were cotton (sole), sorghum-wheat, soyabean-wheat, sorghum-gram and soyabean-gram for two years under normal rainfall in typical shrink-swell soils of Nagpur district of Maharashtra, India. The soyabean-wheat system had highest water use (WU) of 586.8 to 755.9 mm followed by sorghum-wheat, soyabean-gram, sorghum-gram and sole cotton. The WUE was highest for sole cotton (4.8-11.5 kg ha -1 mm -1) followed by soyabean-gram (3.7-10.16 kg ha -1 mm -1). The LQI in terms of GMWUE was 100 for Vertic Haplustepts occurring in the lower piedmont plain whereas it was 51 for Typic Haplustepts and 48 for Typic Haplusterts representing the upper piedmont and valley plain, respectively.