• Authors:
    • Dopieraa, U.
    • Rosada, J.
    • ukaszyk, J.
  • Source: Progress in Plant Protection
  • Volume: 51
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Total concentration of copper was determined by means of AAS in soil and cereal samples collected from the region influenced by air and dust emission from Copper Smelter GOGOW. Studies covered the agricultural area of 6 600 hectares (former protective zone + external belt). The studies revealed that copper, either accumulated in the soils or coming from the current emission, did not cause the phytotoxic effect on cultivated cereals. The obtained results revealed the effectiveness of eco-friendly activities taken by the Smelter for the safety's sake of the neighboring agricultural environment.
  • Authors:
    • Macak, M.
    • Smatana, J.
  • Source: Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The research of crop rotation pattern and field homogenization was carrying out during 2000-2010 at company Agrokarpaty Plavnica Ltd in Slovakia. The average temperature of the site during growing period is 14.9degreesC and a sum of precipitation 438 mm. The fields are situated at 300-450 m above the see level. Total acreage of arable land is 380 ha. Share of medicinal plants varied from 85 ha to 145 ha during evaluated period. The main growing medicinal and spices plants are as follows: Galega officinalis L, Medicago sativa L, Hypericum perforation L, Mentha piperita L, Melissa officinalis L, Calendula officinalis L, Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, Carum carvi L., Achilea milefolium L, Agrimonia eupatoria L, Matricaria recutita L, Plantago lanceolata L, Malva mauritiana L. As a forecrop red clover ( Trifolium pratense L), winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L), spring barley ( Hordeum sativum L.) and oat ( Avena sativa L.) have been growing. The management practices of "Agrokarpaty Plavnica" are in full compliance with the good agricultural practices (GAP). The high priority is maintenance of soil fertility and sustain of nutrients, mainly nitrogen. The green manure, cover crop, growing of legumes and compost from own productions are used. Two steps for designing have been suggested (i) Field consolidation and homogenisation of field for crop rotations area, (ii) Proposal of crop rotation pattern. The interested area is characterized by low production potential of 8 classes of soil production categories. We have proposed new cropping pattern of 14 fields with total acreage of 180.11 ha with average field 12.87 ha. Share of medicinal and spices plants is 68.27%, share of red clover 14.29% and spring cereals 17.46%. The design of propose crop rotation allows to use organic manure mainly before medicinal plants growing for leaves drug, and incorporation of cover crops for maintenance of soil fertility. Supposed crop rotation pattern complies with basic principles of crop rotation and sustainable agriculture.
  • Authors:
    • Ichiyama, K.
    • Jitsuyama, Y.
    • Iwama, K.
    • Uchino, H.
    • Sugiura, E.
    • Yudate, T.
  • Source: Plant Production Science
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The use of cover crops is an effective technique to control weeds, which are one of the most serious problems for crop production without using herbicides. This study investigated the characteristics of cover crops for weed suppression at an organic farming field in a snowy-cold region, Hokkaido. Nine, three and two species of cover crops comprising both Poaceae and Leguminosae were grown in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively, at different sowing densities from 50 to approximately 4000 seeds m -2. The relationships between weed dry matter production and characteristics of cover crops, such as plant height and coverage, were investigated at 4 and 10 weeks after cover crop sowing (WAS). Correlation analysis of the weed dry weight with characteristics of cover crops revealed that the cover crop coverage at 4 WAS had a strong and stable effect on weed suppression. The cover crop coverage at 4 WAS was affected primarily by their seed weight when cover crops with a large variation in seed weight were used, and by the sowing density when cover crops with a small variation in seed weight were used. These results suggest that to achieve high weed suppression it is important to obtain higher coverage at the early growth stage of the cover crops with a heavy seed weight and high sowing density.
  • Authors:
    • Hallikainen, A.
    • Kostiainen, E.
    • Turtiainen, T.
  • Source: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
  • Volume: 102
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A survey was carried out on the activity concentrations of 210Pb and 210Po in cereal grains produced in Finland. The cereal species were wheat ( Triticum aestivum), rye ( Secale cereale), oats ( Avena sativa) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare), which account for 90% of the Finnish consumption of cereal products. The survey consisted of 18 flour and 13 unprocessed cereal samples and one hulled grain sample from 22 flour mills. According to the results, the mean 210Pb/ 210Po concentrations in wheat grains, wheat flour, rye flour, oat grains and barley grains were 0.29, 0.12, 0.29, 0.36 and 0.36 Bq kg -1, respectively. Combined with the consumption rates of the products, we assess that the mean effective doses from 210Pb and 210Po in cereal products for the adult male and female population are 22 and 17 Sv per year, respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Rychcik, B.
    • Wachowska, U.
    • Kurek, K.
  • Source: Progress in Plant Protection
  • Volume: 51
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The health status of flag leaves and stem bases of hulled oats cv. Chwat grown in the ecological and conventional systems was determined in a field experiment conducted in 2008-2010. The soccurrence of leaf diseases was low. Leaf spots caused by Pyrenophora avenae and Stagonospora avenae covered up to 6% flag leaf area. The applied farming systems had no significant effect on the health status of the flag leaves and stem bases of hulled oat. More numerous colonies communities of Azotobacter and Pseudomonas bacteria and yeast-like fungi were isolated from the grain of hulled oat grown in the conventional system, as compared with the ecological system. Alternaria alternata was the predominant species among the of filamentous fungi. Colonies of pathogens of the genus Fusarium and the species Bipolaris sorokiniana were also isolated. Filamentous fungi, including B. sorokiniana, tended to colonize oats kernels in the ecological farming system.
  • Authors:
    • Oberforster, M.
    • Hammerl, S.
    • Zechner, E.
  • Source: Tagungsband der 61. Jahrestagung der Vereinigung der Pflanzenzuchter und Saatgutkaufleute Osterreichs, 23-25 November 2010, Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Osterreich. Ertrag vs. Qualitat bei Getreide, Ol und Eiweisspflanzen. Wheat stress
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Since 1903 cereal breeding takes place at Edelhof near Zwettl, Lower Austria. The main focus lies on the breeding of top-quality wheat for Europe, high-yielding wheat with medium quality, two-rowed winter barley, spring barley with a high percentage of plump seeds, early maturing quality oats, open-pollinating rye and varieties for organic farming. With the directive 2009/28/EG and the installation of a bio-ethanol plant in Austria, breeders interest in selecting cereals for ethanol production awaked. This means in particular field selection, investments in quality analyses and targeted projects, and furthermore the implementation of a new breeding programme (parallel to bread cereal breeding). From crossing to variety release several years pass by. Meanwhile, cereal breeders had to realize that from the bio-ethanol market there is no special interest in varieties specific for this purpose.
  • Authors:
    • O'Donovan, J.
    • Harker, K.
    • Clayton, G.
    • Brandt, R.
    • Hao, X.
    • Blackshaw, R.
    • Johnson, E.
    • Vera, C.
  • Source: Agronomy Journal
  • Volume: 103
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Nitrogen fertilizer is a major input cost in canola ( Brassica napus L.) production and farmers are interested in improving N use efficiencies. A multi-site study in western Canada was conducted to determine the merits of polymer-coated urea (Environmentally Smart Nitrogen, ESN) compared with urea on weed management and yield of hybrid and open-pollinated (OP) canola. Treatments included a hybrid and OP canola cultivar, ESN and urea, 100 and 150% of soil test N fertilizer rates, and 50 and 100% of registered in-crop herbicide rates. Canola was grown in rotation with barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) in a no-till system and both crops of the rotation were present each year. Fertilizer and herbicide rate treatments were applied to the same plots in four consecutive years to determine annual and cumulative effects. Hybrid compared with OP canola reduced weed tissue N concentration in 40% of the cases and reduced weed biomass in 80% of the cases. Additionally, weed tissue N concentration was lower with ESN than with urea in 70% of the cases, indicating that crop-weed competition for soil N might be reduced if ESN were used. Canola yield was greater for the hybrid cultivar in 15 of 20 site-years. Both cultivars expressed a positive yield response to the 150% N fertilizer rate in 10 of 20 site-years. This yield response occurred in three additional site-years with hybrid canola, indicating that hybrid cultivars have a higher N demand under favorable growing conditions. Canola yield was similar with ESN and urea in 14 of 20 site-years. The ESN compared with urea increased canola yield in 4 site-years and in one additional site-year for hybrid canola, indicating that ESN may be advantageous in some situations. Canola seed oil concentration was similar with ESN and urea in 19 of 20 site-years. Information gained in this study will be used to develop improved fertilization strategies for canola production on the semiarid Canadian prairies.
  • Authors:
    • Dalgliesh, N. P.
    • Nelson, R.
    • Khan,I. A.
    • Carberry, P. S.
    • Kabir, M. J.
    • Poulton, P. L.
  • Source: ACIAR Technical Reporst No.78, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, H. Rawson (ed), Canberra, ACT[Research Book Chapter]
  • Issue: 78
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Increased Rabi-season crop production in southern Bangladesh could help meet the country's growing food demand. This paper reports on an assessment of the economic viability of wheat and other Rabi-season crops based on farmer surveys of crop yields and economic performance. In addition, it considers the agroeconomic and socioeconomic factors that influence farmers' choice of Rabi-season crops. Current Rabi-season crops in southern Bangladesh include boro rice and vegetable production on lands with irrigation facilities. A range of other crops are grown, with and without irrigation, including chilli, potato, grasspea, chickpea, mungbean and soybean. Although farmers in some southern regions had grown wheat in the past, wheat is not a significant crop across the region. The recent increased interest in wheat in some villages corresponded to project activities of a development project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and specifically to the availability of newly released varieties with higher yield potential and disease resistance. In those villages where project trials were conducted, irrespective of seasonal conditions, wheat-based rotations provided higher gross margins than the alternative crops of chilli and cowpea. Even in a relatively poor season, wheat offered a significantly higher gross margin and thus lower risk than the other crops. However, the crop establishment costs of wheat are high and wheat requires at least one irrigation when many farmers lack any irrigation facilities. Formal education, off-farm income and farming experience are the socioeconomic factors that displayed significant positive correlation to the surveyed farmers' decision to adopt wheat production. This study confirmed the economic viability of Rabi cropping in southern Bangladesh. While the crops currently grown in the Rabi season are profitable under most seasonal conditions, this study confirmed that wheat offers farmers a profitable and low-risk option.
  • Authors:
    • Askegaard, M.
    • Olesen, J. E.
    • Kristensen, K.
    • Rasmussen, I. A.
  • Source: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
  • Volume: 142
  • Issue: 3-4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Two main challenges facing organic arable farming are the supply of nitrogen (N) to the crop and the control of perennial weeds. Nitrate leaching from different organic arable crop rotations was investigated over three consecutive four-year crop rotations in a field experiment at three locations in Denmark (12 years in total). The experimental treatments were: (i) crop rotation, (ii) catch crop and (iii) animal manure. Nitrate leaching was estimated from measured soil nitrate concentration in ceramic suction cells and modelled drainage. There were significant effects on annual N leaching of location (coarse sand > loamy sand > sandy loam) and catch crops (without > with). Including a grass-clover green manure on 25% of the area did not increase N leaching compared with crop rotations without green manure. Also the application of animal manure did not influence N leaching, probably because even in the manured treatments the application rate was lower than crop demand. The results identify management of crop and soil during autumn as the main determinant of N leaching. Nitrate leaching was lowest for a catch crop soil cover during autumn and winter (avg. 20 kg N ha -1), a soil cover of weeds/volunteers had on avg. 30 kg N ha -1, and the largest N leaching losses were found after stubble cultivation (avg. 55 kg N ha -1). The N leaching losses increased with increasing number of autumn soil cultivations.
  • Authors:
    • Jitareanu, G.
    • Bucur, D.
    • Ailincai, D.
    • Ailincai, C.
  • Source: Cercetări Agronomice în Moldova
  • Volume: 44
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The goal of the experiments carried out at the Podu-Iloaiei Agricultural Research Station, Iași County, was the study of water runoff and soil losses, caused by erosion, in different crops and the influence of water and soil erosion on the losses of organic matter and mineral elements from soil. The results on water runoff and soil losses in different crops from the Moldavian Plateau have shown that in the last seven years, of the total amount of 608.4 mm rainfall, 387.5 mm (63.7%) produced water runoff, which was between 8.5 mm in perennial grasses, in the second year of vegetation, and 34.9 - 36.8 mm, in maize and sunflower crops. The annual soil losses due to erosion, recorded at the same period, were between 0.190 t/ha/year in perennial grasses, and 4.079 - 4.451 t/ha/year in maize and sunflower crops. Erosion has affected soil fertility by removing once with eroded soil, high amounts of organic carbon and mineral elements, which reached 10.71 - 11.26 kg/ha nitrogen, 0.56 – 0.64 kg/ha phosphorus and 0.98 - 1.11 kg/ha potassium, in maize and sunflower crops. The crop structure, which determined the diminution in mean soil losses by erosion until 1.383 t/ha included 20 % straw cereals, 20% annual legumes, 20% row crops and 40 % perennial grasses and legumes. On land with a slope of 16%, lowering the percentage of weeding plants from 60% to 20% has reduced the amount of eroded soil by 49%.