• Authors:
    • Kumar, S.
    • Bishnoi, U. R.
    • Cebert, E.
  • Source: American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
  • Volume: 1
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: In southeastern USA, winter wheat as a double crop has proved to be economically profitable and beneficial for soil management to the farmers. Winter rape ( Brassica napus) also has similar potential but its suitability as a double crop and in rotation with summer crops has not been evaluated. Therefore, performance of winter rape in rotation and as a double crop with soyabean, maize, sorghum, and cotton were evaluated for two years. Results showed that the effect of rotation on plant density during both years was significant. Rotational effects on number of pods per plant were non-significant than rape grown as fallow in 2003 but not in 2004. Rape grown after soyabean produced significantly higher seed yield in 2003 (2739 kg ha -1) and 2004 (3129 kg ha -1) than after other crops except maize (2938 kg ha -1) and fallow (2876 kg ha -1). Planting rape after fallow gave significantly the lowest economic returns during both years. Rape gave significantly higher economic returns when planted after maize ($1237) and cotton ($1169) than soyabean-rape and sorghum-rape and fallow-rape rotations in 2003. Similarly, cotton-rape ($1442) and soyabean-rape ($1393) gave significantly higher economic returns per hectare than maize-rape, sorghum-rape, and fallow-rape cropping systems.
  • Authors:
    • Emel'yanov, A. M.
  • Source: Kormoproizvodstvo
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: Increasing fodder crop productivity is a research priority due to the cattle raising type of agriculture practised in Buryatia. Productivity of oats in different crop rotation schemes in the dry steppe zone during 2001-05 is tabulated. The highest oat grain-haylage yield (11.3 t/ha) was achieved in the following scheme: naked fallow - wheat + oats - oat for grain-haylage. Usage of multispecies cropping system for increasing hay cutting yield is described. Melilotus, oil radish and spring rape are highly recommended for cultivation in single and mixed forage sowing. Fodder crops productivity and additional yield depending on sowing time and fertilization in 5-years period are summarised in 2 tables. Optimum sowing time for using June-August precipitation is the last ten-day period of June. Nutritional quality of oat and barley hay according to degree of their ripeness is discussed.
  • Authors:
    • Liebig, M. A.
    • Merrill, S. D.
    • Krupinsky, J. M.
    • Tanaka, D. L.
    • Hanson, J. D.
  • Source: Agronomy Journal
  • Volume: 99
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: Producers need to know how to sequence crops to develop sustainable dynamic cropping systems that take advantage of inherent internal resources, such as crop synergism, nutrient cycling, and soil water, and capitalize on external resources, such as weather, markets, and government programs. The objective of our research was to determine influences of previous crop and crop residues (crop sequence) on relative seed and residue yield and precipitation-use efficiency (PUE) for the no-till production of buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), canola ( Brassica napus L.), chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.), corn ( Zea mays L.), dry pea ( Pisum sativum L.), grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.), lentil ( Lens culinaris Medik.), proso millet ( Panicum miliaceum L.), sunflower ( Helianthus annus L.), and spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) grown in the northern Great Plains. Relative seed yield in 2003 for eight of the 10 crops resulted in synergistic effects when the previous crop was dry pea or lentil, compared with each crop grown on its own residue. Buckwheat, corn, and sunflower residues were antagonistic to chickpea relative seed yield. In 2004, highest relative seed yield for eight of the 10 crops occurred when dry pea was the previous crop. Relative residue yield followed a pattern similar to relative seed yield. The PUE overall means fluctuated for seven of the 10 crops both years, but those of dry pea, sunflower, and spring wheat remained somewhat constant, suggesting these crops may have mechanisms for consistent PUE and were not as dependent on growing season precipitation distribution as the other seven crops. Sustainable cropping systems in the northern Great Plains will approach an optimal scheme of crop sequencing by taking advantage of synergisms and avoiding antagonisms that occur among crops and previous crop residues.
  • Authors:
    • listed as anonymous
  • Source: Egyptian Journal of Plant Breeding
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: These proceedings contain 30 papers on the various aspects of plant breeding including heterosis, combining ability and inheritance studies, characterization of cultivars, performance evaluation and genetic improvement of field crops (including wheat, cotton, soyabean, maize, rice, barley, rape, sorghum and faba bean) and horticultural crops (e.g. mango, tomato, pepper and grape).
  • Authors:
    • Anderson, R. L.
  • Source: Weed Technology
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: Weed management is evolving to include cultural tactics that reduce weed populations. This study near Brookings, SD, evaluated the effect of crop sequence and tillage on seedling emergence of common sunflower across years. In the third and fourth years of the study, seedling density was sevenfold greater after 2 yr of soyabean with tillage compared with a 2-yr sequence of canola and winter wheat with no-till. Apparently, canola and winter wheat enhanced the natural decline of common sunflower seed density in soil, leading to fewer seedlings in following years. In the first year of the study, tillage increased seedling emergence of common sunflower compared with no-till; seedlings rarely emerged in canola or winter wheat. Most seedlings of common sunflower emerged in May, with more than 90% of seedlings emerging between May 7 and June 4. Cool-season crops grown with no-till may affect weed seed survival in soil in the western Corn Belt.
  • Authors:
    • Mentreddy, R. S.
    • Cebert, E.
    • Kumar, S.
    • Bishnoi, U. R.
  • Source: World Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: In the southeastern USA, winter rape in addition to winter wheat can become another commercial crop with benefits such as breaking of disease and insect cycles caused by continuous wheat cropping. Information on agronomic production practices and comparative profitability of rape and wheat for the southeastern USA is lacking. Therefore, from 1998 to 2005, a series of field experiments were conducted on rape to determine the optimum planting date, seeding, nitrogen and sulfur rates, rotation suitability with summer crops and comparative economic value to winter wheat. Results from three planting dates, three seeding rates and four nitrogen rates experiments showed that rape planted in early October produced significantly higher seed yield (3204 kg/ha) than from mid to late October 10-15 (2362 and 2058 kg/ha) plantings. The seeding rate of 6.0 kg/ha and 180 kg N/ha gave the highest (3779 kg/ha) seed yield. Rape response to sulfur application was significant and highest seed yield (3259 kg/ha) was obtained with 30 kg S/ha along with 228 kg N/ha. As a rotation crop after soyabean and maize, rape gave significantly higher yields of 3129 and 2938 kg/ha, respectively, than when planted after cotton (2521 kg/ha) or grain sorghum (2650 kg/ha). Both winter rape and wheat produced similar yields of 2.6 and 2.9 t/ha, respectively. As grain crop, canola with its higher price fetched $220/ha compared to $109/ha from wheat, however, this profitability is almost equal when income from wheat straw was added to that from grain.
  • Authors:
    • Merrill, S. D.
    • Krupinsky, J. M.
    • Tanaka, D. L.
    • Anderson, R. L.
  • Source: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
  • Volume: 61
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Soil coverage by residue protects soil and land resources from erosion, conserves soil water, and maintains soil quality. No-till and chemical weed control are management practices that increase soil coverage by residue. On the other hand, crop diversification in dryland agriculture in the northern Great Plains promotes the use of crops that produce significantly less soil coverage by residue than small cereal grains. Within a 10 x 10 crop sequence project under no-till in south-central North Dakota [409 mm (16.1 in) mean annual precipitation], all two-year crop sequence combinations of ten crops (barley, canola, crambe, dry bean, dry pea, flax, safflower, soybean, spring wheat, and sunflower) were evaluated at two adjacent sites. Soil coverage by residue was measured by transect and photographic techniques following spring wheat seeding. Soil coverage ranged from 98 to 89 percent following crop sequences that included spring wheat and barley. Soil coverage values were intermediate for spring wheat-alternative crop sequences, 97 to 62 percent. Crop sequences not including spring wheat with alternative crops for two years had values ranging from 86 to 35 percent. Soil coverage values after two consecutive years of sunflower or dry pea (two years of data) and two years of dry bean or safflower (single year of data) were in a lower range, 48 to 35 percent. Soil erosion hazards were evaluated with equations based on residue effects alone that were taken from the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) water erosion and Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) wind erosion models: calculated soil loss ratio values (SLR = 1 with no residue protection) for 35 percent coverage following a sunflower-sunflower sequence were 0.29 for water erosion and 0.21 for wind erosion. Even with use of no-till, especially on more fragile soils, producers should consider planting a higher residue-producing crop (e.g., wheat, flax) the year before seeding lower residue-producing crops in order to assure adequate protection of soil and land resources.
  • Authors:
    • Chhabra, B. S.
    • Wang, Z. H.
    • Lemke, R.
    • Malhi, S. S.
  • Source: Soil & Tillage Research
  • Volume: 90
  • Issue: 1-2
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Management practices that simultaneously improve soil properties and yield are crucial to sustain high crop production and minimize detrimental impact on the environment. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of tillage and crop residue management on crop yield, N uptake and C removal in crop, soil organic C and N, inorganic N and aggregation, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions on a Gray Luvisol (Boralf) soil near Star City, Saskatchewan, Canada. The 4-year (1998-2001) field experiment was conducted with two tillage systems: no tillage (NT), and conventional tillage (CT); two levels of straw: straw retained (S), and straw removed (NS); and four rates of fertilizer N: 0, 40, 80, and 120 kg N ha-1, except no N to pea phase of the rotation. The plots were seeded to barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in 1998, pea (Pisum sativum L.) in 1999, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in 2000 and canola (Brassica napus L.) in 2001. Tillage and straw treatments generally had no effect on crop yield during the first three years. But in 2001, NT produced 55, 32, and 20% greater canola seed, straw and chaff than CT, respectively, whereas straw retention increased seed and straw yield by 33 and 19% compared to straw removal. Seed, straw and chaff yield of canola increased with N rate up to 40 kg N ha-1, and root mass (0-15 cm depth) with N rate to 80 kg N ha-1. Amount of N uptake and C removed in wheat and canola generally increased with N rate, but tillage and straw management had no consistent effect. After four crop seasons, total organic C (TOC) and N (TN), light fraction organic matter (LFOM), C (LFC), and N (LFN) were generally greater with S than NS treatments. Tillage did not affect TOC and TN in soil, but LFOM, LFC, and LFN were greater or tended to be greater under NT than CT. There was no effect of tillage, straw and N fertilization on NH4-N in soil, but CT and S tended to have higher NO3-N concentration in 0-15 cm soil than NT and NS, respectively. Concentration of NO3-N increased substantially with N rate >=80 kg ha-1. The NT + S treatment had the lowest proportion (34%) of wind-erodible (12.7 mm) dry aggregates, compared to highest (50%) and lowest (18%) proportion of corresponding aggregates in CT + NS, indicating less potential for soil erosion when tillage was omitted and crop residues were retained. Amount of N lost as N2O was higher from N-fertilized than from zero-N plots, and it was substantially higher from N-applied CT plots than from N-applied NT plots. Retaining crop residues along with no-tillage improved soil properties and may also be better for the environment.
  • Authors:
    • Derksen, D.
    • May, W.
    • Johnston, A.
    • Clayton, G.
    • Lafond, G.
    • Stevenson, F.
  • Source: Canadian Journal of Plant Science
  • Volume: 86
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Surface residues and standing stubble protect soil against erosion and mitigate against crop water deficits by conserving additional moisture. However, residues and stubble can also present a dilemma for producers practising no-till in terms of nitrogen (N) fertilizer management and row spacing. The objective of this research was to determine how row spacing, N management using urea and two rates of post-emergent herbicide (66 and 100% of recommended) affect spring wheat establishment and plant development. The study was conducted using a no-till system and a canola-spring wheat cropping system at three locations over a 3-yr period. The N management and row spacing treatments were (1) 23-cm row spacing with fall banded N on 30 cm; (2) 23-cm row spacing with spring banded N on 30 cm; (3) 30-cm row spacing with the N side-banded; (4) 23-cm row spacing with the N side-banded; and (5) sweep on 23-cm spacing with seed and fertilizer scattered over a 20-cm width. Herbicide rates did not affect wheat development. Planting depth was greater for the sweep treatment, but only by 6 mm. Plant densities were at the low end of the optimal range of 200-250 plants m -2 for all treatments and were least for the 30 cm row spacing. Average frequencies for tillers T0, T1, T2 and T3 were 20, 81 61 and 10%, respectively. Fall and spring band treatments resulted in lower tiller frequencies than the sweep treatment, with intermediate levels for the side-band treatments. Tiller frequencies were identical between the 23-cm and 30-cm row spacings with N side-banded. Greater tiller frequencies for the sweep treatment likely resulted from the greater spread of seed, reducing inter-plant competition and closer proximity of the seed to fertilizer N. Spike density was not affected by N management. Expected spike density, calculated from tiller frequency and plant density data, was within 1% of the actual spikes recorded, when averaged over treatments. This means that tiller frequencies at the 5 to 5.5 leaf stage are a good predictor of expected spike density. Wider row spacings did not affect plant and tiller development but applying N fertilizer at time of seeding provided better spring wheat tiller development.
  • Authors:
    • Spiridon, C.
    • Rotarescu, M.
    • Raranciuc, S.
    • Guran, M.
    • Popov, C.
    • Vasilescu, S.
    • Gogu, F.
  • Source: Probleme de Protectia Plantelor
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: This paper summarizes the harmful pests and pathogens infecting cereals and legumes (grown for grain, industrial purposes and fodder production) in Romania in 2005. The soil and seed pathogens include: Tilletia spp. and Fusarium spp. in wheat; Ustilago nuda [ U. segetum var. nuda] and Pyrenophora graminea in barley; Pythium spp. and Fusarium spp. in maize; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, Plasmopara helianthi [ Plasmopara halstedii] and Orobanche cumana in sunflower; and Fusarium spp. and Pythium spp. in pea, bean and soyabean. Foliar and ear diseases include: Erysiphe spp., Septoria spp., Pyrenophora graminea, Puccinia spp. and Fusarium spp. in wheat and barley; U. maydis [ U. zeae], Helminthosporium turcicum [ Setosphaeria turcica], Fusarium spp. and Nigrospora oryzae [ Khuskia oryzae] in maize; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria spp. and Phomopsis spp. in sunflower; and Erysiphe spp. and Septoria spp. in rape. Soil pests included: Zabrus tenebrioides and Agriotes spp. in spiked cereals; Tanymecus dilaticollis and Agriotes spp. in maize and sunflower; Delia platura in beans; Phyllotreta atra in rape and mustard; Aphthona euphorbiae in linseed; and Sitona spp. and Agriotes spp. in lucerne and clover. Pests that attack aerial parts and seeds include: Eurygaster integriceps, Lema melanopa [ Oulema melanopus] and Anisoplia spp. in wheat, barley and oats; Ostrinia nubilalis and Diabrotica virgifera virgifera in maize; Thrips linarius in linseed; Athalia rosae, Meligethes aeneus and Brevicoryne brassicae in rape and mustard; Hypera variabilis [ H. postica], Semiothisa clathrata, Bruchophagus roddi and Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata in lucerne and clover.