• Authors:
    • Paltridge, N.
    • Tao, J.
    • Unkovich, M.
    • Gason, A.
    • Grover, S.
    • Wilkins, J.
    • Coventry, D.
    • Tashi, N.
    • Bonamano, A.
  • Source: Crop & Pasture Science
  • Volume: 60
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: In the south of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China there is a network of valleys where intensive agriculture is practiced. Although considered highly productive by Tibetans, farm incomes in the region are low, leading to a range of government initiatives to boost grain and fodder production. However, there is limited information available on current farming practices, yields, and likely yield constraints. The present paper uses available data and farmer interviews to describe the agro-climate and current systems of crop and livestock production, and considers possible strategies to boost production. Although winters in Tibet are cold and dry, summer and autumn provide ideal conditions for crop growth. Cropping systems are characterised by heavy tillage, frequent irrigation, high seeding rates and fertiliser applications, some use of herbicides, and little stubble retention or mechanisation. Spring barley and winter wheat are the predominant crops, followed by rapeseed, winter barley, and minor fodder and vegetable crops. Average yields for the main grain crops are around 4.0 t/ha for spring barley and 4.5 t/ha for winter wheat, significantly lower than should be possible in the environment. Farmers typically keep five or six cattle tethered near the household. Cattle are fed diets based on crop residues but are generally malnourished and rarely produce beyond the needs of the family. It is suggested that research and extension in the areas of crop nutrition, weed control, irrigation, seeding technology, and crop varieties should enable significant increases in grain yield. Increases in cattle production will require increases in the supply of good quality fodder. Cereal/fodder intercrops or double crops sown using no-till seed drills might enable the production of useful amounts of fodder in many areas without jeopardising food grain supply, and allow more crop residues to be retained in fields for improved soil health.
  • Authors:
    • [Anonymous]
  • Source: XIIIeme Colloque International sur la Biologie des Mauvaises Herbes
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: These proceedings contain 61 papers classified under sections on agroecology, ecology of weed communities, integrated weed management, herbicide resistance, and invasive plants. Specific topics covered include the following: reduction of weed growth by cutting and competition; evaluation of weed diversity; biodiversity of medicinal plant species in the segetal communities in the Opole region (Poland); simulation of insect resistance in gene flow study between Brassica napus and wild B. juncea; effects of the harvesting season of sugarcane on weed growth dynamic in La Reunion Island; impact of volunteer rape on the productivity of barley; relationship between biomass and seed production by Alopecurus myosuroides after herbicide treatment; weed emergence patterns in winter cereals under zero tillage in dry land areas; size and composition of the weed seed bank after 12 years of continuous application of different fertilizer systems; multi-criteria evaluation of cropping systems prototypes based on integrated weed management; a rapid test of glyphosate resistance in ryegrass; cross resistance in Sinapis alba to ALS-inhibiting herbicides; resistance to glyphosate in Europe; and herbicide-resistant weeds in Iran.
  • Authors:
    • Liatukas, Z.
    • Leistrumaite, A.
    • Razbadauskiene, K.
  • Source: Agronomy Research
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue: Special Issue
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Investigation on 12 spring barley and 7 oat genotypes under organic growing system during 2007-2008 revealed that mean yield of oats was 3.3 t ha -1, whereas barley yielded on average 2.3 t ha -1. Also, oats were found to be more resistant to leaf diseases. Oats were severely infected by leaf rust in 2007, but the disease did not correlate ( r=-0.17) with yield. The majority of barley genotypes were infected with powdery mildew in both years and with leaf spotting diseases in 2007. Leaf spotting diseases negatively influenced ( r=-0.53*) yield. Oats possessing higher vegetative growth rate, higher plant height, large and prostrate leaves, and larger stems were superior to barley by canopy traits during the growing season.
  • Authors:
    • Migliorini, P.
    • Mazzoncini, M.
    • Bigongiali, F.
    • Antichi, D.
    • Lenzi, A.
    • Tesi, R.
  • Source: Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
  • Volume: 24
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: When animal husbandry is not included in organic farming systems, green manure may be crucial to preserve or increase soil organic matter content and to ensure an adequate N supply to crops. Different species, both legumes and nonlegumes, may be used as cover crops. The present research was carried out to investigate the effect of different green manure crops [oats and barley mixture ( Avena sativa L. and Hordeum vulgare L.), rye ( Secale cereale L.), brown mustard ( Brassica juncea L.), flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.), pigeon bean ( Vicia faba L. var. minor)] on the production of the following tomato crop. A field trial was conducted for two cropping seasons (2003-2004 and 2004-2005) in a commercial organic farm. The yield of tomato crop was positively affected by pigeon bean, although statistically significant differences in comparison with the other treatments were observed only in 2004-2005, when the experiment was conducted in a less fertile soil. This was probably due mainly to the effect of the pigeon bean cover crop on N availability. In fact, this species, in spite of a lower biomass production than the other cover crops considered in the study, provided the highest N supply and a more evident increase of soil N-NO 3. Also, cover crop efficiency, evaluated using the N recovery index, reached higher values in pigeon bean, especially in the second year. The quality of tomato fruits was little influenced by the preceding cover crops. Nevertheless, when tomato followed pigeon bean, fruits showed a lower firmness compared to other cover crops, and in the second year this was associated with a higher fruit N content.
  • Authors:
    • Logsdon, G.
  • Source: Small-scale grain raising
  • Issue: Ed.2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: This book (12 chapters) discusses the basics of the organic farming and processing of whole grains (specifically maize, wheat, sorghum, oats, dry beans, rye and barley, buckwheat and millet, rice, some uncommon grains, and legumes) for home gardeners and small-scale farmers. Topics covered include planting; pest, weed and disease management; harvesting; and processing, storing and using whole grains. Some recipes are also included.
  • Authors:
    • Ben-Hammouda, M.
    • Errouissi, F.
    • Moussa-Machraoui, S.
    • Nouira, S.
  • Source: Soil & Tillage Research
  • Volume: 106
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: No-tillage (NT) is becoming increasingly attractive to farmers worldwide because it clearly reduces production costs relative to conventional tillage (CT) and improves soil properties and crop yield. Currently, under semi-arid conditions in North Africa, modern no-tillage techniques are being practiced on several hectares of land. The effect of NT and CT management and crop rotation on soil properties under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions was studied, over a 4-year period at two locations in northern Tunisia. Data from a short-term (2000-2004) use of both no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) at the ESAK (Tunisia) were used to evaluate the influence of the tillage systems on the physicochemical properties of soil at the 0-20 cm depth layers. Trial was set up in 2000, where the two tillage systems (CT and NT), and four crop types (durum wheat, barley, pea and oats) were implemented in two distinct sites close to two governorates: Kef (silt/clayey) and Siliana (sand/clay) in northwestern Tunisia. Four years after implementing the two different tillage systems, soil parameters (N, NO 32-, NH 4+ P, P 2O 5, K, K 2O, SOC, SOM and CEC) were determined and comparison between the two tillage systems was made. Our results showed that after 4 years the contents of some parameters for most crop types were greater under NT than under CT at 0-20 cm depth layers, the results varied depending on crop type and site. NT significantly improved soil content especially for K, K 2O, P 2O 5 and N. Under NT system SOM and SOC were enhanced, but without significant results. These enhancements were accompanied by the enhancement of the CEC and the decrease of the C/N ratio. Thus the mineralization process was slightly quicker under NT. Our results also indicate that residue cover combined with no-tillage appears to improve some agronomic parameters and biomass production (grain yield). Multivariate analyses indicate that the improvement of soil properties was dependant on tillage management, sites (climate and soil type) and crop succession (species and cover residue). It must be pointed out that a 4-year period was not sufficient to clearly establish some parameters used in the effects of the NT system on soil properties under semi-arid conditions in northwestern Tunisia.
  • Authors:
    • Gundersen, H.
    • Nielsen, H. H.
    • Rasmussen, J.
  • Source: WEED SCIENCE
  • Volume: 57
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: POST weed harrowing and other cultivation methods to control weeds in early crop growth stages may result in crop damage due to low selectivity between crop and weeds. Crop tolerance to cultivation plays an important role but it has not been clearly defined and analyzed. We introduce a procedure for analyzing crop tolerance on the basis of digital image analysis. Crop tolerance is defined as the ability of the crop to avoid yield loss from cultivation in the absence of weeds, and it has two components: resistance and recovery. Resistance is the ability of the crop to resist soil covering and recovery is the ability to recover from it. Soil covering is the percentage of the crop that has been buried because of cultivation. We analyzed data from six field experiments, four experiments with species of small grains, barley, oat, wheat, and triticale, and two experiments with barley cultivars with different abilities to suppress weeds. The order of species' tolerance to weed harrowing was triticale > wheat > barley > oat and the differences were mainly caused by different abilities to recover from soil covering. At 25% soil covering, grain yield loss in triticale was 0.5%, in wheat 2.5%, in barley 3.7%, and in oat 6.5%. Tolerance, resistance, and recovery, however, were influenced by year, especially for oat and barley. There was no evidence of differences between barley cultivars in terms of tolerance indicating that differences among species are more important than differences among cultivars. Selectivity analysis made it possible to calculate the crop yield loss due to crop damage associated with a certain percentage of weed control. In triticale, 80% weed control was associated with 22% crop soil cover on average, which reduced grain yield 0.4% on average in the absence of weeds. Corresponding values for wheat, barley, and oat were 23, 21, and 20% crop soil cover and 2.3, 3.6, and 5.1% grain yield loss.
  • Authors:
    • Wise, M.
    • Schmitt, M.
  • Source: Cereal Chemistry
  • Volume: 86
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: beta-Glucan from cereal (barley and oat) grain and malt is easily determined using Calcofluor fluorescence in a microplate fluorimetre. The method is sensitive and scalable to cover a wide range of beta-glucan concentrations by simply adjusting the aliquot size used in the 96-well microplates. The microplate assay uses inexpensive reagents and commonly available instrumentation, obviating the need for investment in flow injection analysis instrumentation or commercial reagent kits, providing an attractive alternative to enzymatic kits or flow injection analysis systems.
  • Authors:
    • Kindred, D. R.
    • Wiltshire, J. J. J.
    • Sylvester-Bradley, R.
    • Hatley, D. L. J.
    • Clarke, S.
  • Source: HGCA Project Report
  • Volume: i + 47 pp.
  • Issue: 460
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: This report describes a second year of research that tested whether soil nitrogen supplies to cereal crops can be detected using canopy sensors; the first season was reported in HGCA Project Report No. 427. Nitrogen fertiliser experiments on cereals were established at four sites in 2006-7. In the following year, commercial cereal crops (wheat, oats or barley) were grown and, at each site, plot positions as used in the previous year were marked out for testing with a reflectance sensor. Reflectance was measured four times during tillering, between December and May (dependant on site), using a Crop Circle instrument (provided by Soilessentials Ltd) which measured reflectance at 880 nm (near-infrared, NIR) and 590 nm (orange). A Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated to give a measure of vegetation cover. Soil mineral N (SMN) data were obtained for the sites. No fertiliser N was applied in 2008 and total N uptake at harvest was taken to represent the 'soil N supply' (SNS). Data were interpreted for relationships between canopy reflectance and soil N. The best level of tillering and ground cover was achieved at High Mowthorpe, which was sown early. Boxworth and Terrington crops were smaller, and the crop at Rosemaund was very small. High levels of N applied in 2007 had large effects on SMN at Boxworth and Terrington, but maximum amounts were smaller at High Mowthorpe or Rosemaund and maximum SMN and SNS levels were small. Use of the sensor successfully detected the differences in SMN residues at Boxworth and Terrington, especially below 120-140 kg/ha, as was found in the previous year's experiments. The relationships improved with later assessment of NDVI. Change in NDVI between assessment dates showed that canopies always grew during the 2007/08 winter but change in NDVI was less useful for predicting SNS than absolute values of NDVI. Merged data from both seasons of the study showed that NDVI signals overwinter could be interpreted according to their differences from the theoretical NDVI of an unlimited crop. It was concluded that young canopies can signal soil N status where SMN is less than 120-140 kg/ha. Effects were more certain as crops grew, so canopy sensing for soil N supplies should prove more useful as the season progresses.
  • Authors:
    • Baldock, J.
    • Unkovich, M.
    • Marvanek, S.
  • Source: Crop & Pasture Science
  • Volume: 60
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Dryland agriculture is both a potential source and potential sink for CO 2 and other greenhouse gases. Many carbon accounting systems apply simple emissions factors to production units to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. However, in Australia, substantial variation in climate, soils, and management across >20 Mha of field crop sowings and >30 Mha of sown pastures in the intensive land use zone, provides substantial challenges for a national carbon accounting system, and simple emission factors are unlikely to apply across the region. In Australia a model framework has been developed that requires estimates of crop dry matter production and harvested yield as the first step to obtain carbon (residue) inputs. We use Australian Bureau of Statistics data to identify which crops would need to be included in such a carbon accounting system. Wheat, barley, lupin, and canola accounted for >80% of field crop sowings in Australia in 2006, and a total of 22 crops account for >99% of the sowing area in all States. In some States, only four or six crops can account for 99% of the cropping area. We provide a ranking of these crops for Australia and for each Australian State as a focus for the establishment of a comprehensive carbon accounting framework. Horticultural crops, although diverse, are less important in terms of total area and thus C balances for generic viticulture, vegetables, and orchard fruit crops should suffice. The dataset of crop areas presented here is the most comprehensive account of crop sowings presented in the literature and provides a useful resource for those interested in Australian agriculture. The field crop rankings presented represent only the area of crop sowings and should not be taken as rankings of importance in terms of the magnitude of all GHG fluxes. This awaits a more detailed analysis of climate, soils, and management practices across each of the regions where the crops are grown and their relationships to CO 2, nitrous oxide and methane fluxes. For pastures, there is a need for more detailed, up to date, spatially explicit information on the predominant sown pasture types across the Australian cropping belt before C balances for these can be more reliably modelled at the desired spatial scale.