• Authors:
    • Jauhiainen, L.
    • Peltonen-Sainio, P.
    • Sadras, V. O.
  • Source: Field Crops Research
  • Volume: 124
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: In the northernmost European environments of Finland, large variability in the yield and quality of crops is a critical source of uncertainty for growers and end-users of grain. The aims of this study were (i) to quantify and compare the plasticity, i.e., cultivar responsiveness to environment, in yield of spring oat, spring wheat, six-row barley, two-row barley, winter rye, winter wheat, turnip rape and oilseed rape, (ii) to explore the existence of hierarchies or positive correlations in the plasticity of agronomic, yield and quality traits and (iii) to probe for trends in yield plasticity associated with different eras of breeding for yield potential and agronomic traits. Plasticities of yield, agronomic and quality traits were derived as slopes of norms of reaction using MTT Agrifood Research Finland data sets combining long-term (1970-2008 for cereals and 1976-2008 for rapeseed) results from 15 to 26 locations. Plasticity of yield ranged typically between 0.8 and 1.2, was smallest for six-row barley (0.84-1.11) and largest for winter rye (0.72-1.36). We found two types of associations between plasticity of yield and yield under stressful or favourable conditions for cereals but none for rape. In spring wheat, oat and six-row barley, high yield plasticity was associated with crop responsiveness to favourable conditions rather than yield reductions under stressful conditions. Modern spring wheat cultivars had higher maximum grain yields compared to older ones at the same level of plasticity. In winter wheat and rye, high yield plasticity resulted from the combination of high yield in favourable conditions and low yield in stressful environments. Many associations between yield plasticity and other traits were identified in cereals: e.g., high yield plasticity was often associated with higher grain weight, more grains per square meter, later maturity (contrary to turnip rape), shorter plants, less lodging and lower grain protein content and in winter cereals with higher winter damage. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Isla, R.
    • Salmeron, M.
    • Cavero, J.
  • Source: Field Crops Research
  • Volume: 123
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Under semiarid Mediterranean conditions irrigated maize has been associated to diffuse nitrate pollution of surface and groundwater. Cover crops grown during winter combined with reduced N fertilization to maize could reduce N leaching risks while maintaining maize productivity. A field experiment was conducted testing two different cover crop planting methods (direct seeding versus seeding after conventional tillage operations) and four different cover crops species (barley, oilseed rape, winter rape, and common vetch), and a control (bare soil). The experiment started in November 2006 after a maize crop fertilized with 300 kg N ha(-1) and included two complete cover crop-maize rotations. Maize was fertilized with 300 kg N ha(-1) at the control treatment, and this amount was reduced to 250 kg N ha(-1) in maize after a cover crop. Direct seeding of the cover crops allowed earlier planting dates than seeding after conventional tillage, producing greater cover crop biomass and N uptake of all species in the first year. In the following year, direct seeding did not increase cover crop biomass due to a poorer plant establishment. Barley produced more biomass than the other species but its N concentration was much lower than in the other cover crops, resulting in higher C:N ratio (> 26). Cover crops reduced the N leaching risks as soil N content in spring and at maize harvest was reduced compared to the control treatment. Maize yield was reduced by 4 Mg ha(-1) after barley in 2007 and by 1 Mg ha(-1) after barley and oilseed rape in 2008. The maize yield reduction was due to an N deficiency caused by insufficient N mineralization from the cover crops due to a high C:N ratio (barley) or low biomass N content (oilseed rape) and/or lack of synchronization with maize N uptake. Indirect chlorophyll measurements in maize leaves were useful to detect N deficiency in maize after cover crops. The use of vetch, winter rape and oilseed rape cover crops combined with a reduced N fertilization to maize was efficient for reducing N leaching risks while maintaining maize productivity. However, the reduction of maize yield after barley makes difficult its use as cover crop. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Jain, K.
    • Kudrat, M.
    • Singh, N. J.
    • Pandey, K.
  • Source: International Journal of Remote Sensing
  • Volume: 32
  • Issue: 16
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The cropping pattern (rotation) of a region depends on the soil, water availability, economic conditions and climatic factors. Remote sensing is one of the effective tools that can provide precise and up-to-date information on the performance of agricultural systems. Four seasons data from the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS)-P6 Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) were used for the generation of the cropping pattern of Uttar Pradesh by geographic information system (GIS)-aided integration of digitally classified crop and land use inventories of the kharif, rabi and zaid crop seasons. Twelve different cropping patterns were delineated and mapped in the Indo-Gangetic plain of Uttar Pradesh. The forests covered about 6.32% of the total geographical area. The net cropped area was 20 282 159.46 ha (84.18% of the total geographical area) and the non-agricultural area observed was 3 437 376.00 ha (14.26% of the total geographical area). Rice was the single most dominant crop of the state, occupying about 32.94% of the total geographical area during the kharif season. Maize/jowar was the second major cereal crop, accounting for 13.77% of the total geographical area of the state. The major crops grown during the rabi season were wheat and pulses/oilseed, covering areas of 7 979 267.71 ha (33.12%) and 5 974 742.58 ha (24.80%), respectively. Rice-wheat, sugarcane and rice-pulses were the major cropping patterns, occupying about 3 958 739.85 ha (16.43%), 3 609 939.74 ha (14.98%) and 2 511 298.24 ha (10.42%), respectively. The areas under pulses/oilseed were significantly higher in the rabi season. Sugarcane-wheat and pulses shared an almost equal area (6.49%). The maize/jowar-wheat cropping pattern occupied 6.14% of the total geographical area of the state. Single cropping patterns (i.e. rice-fallow, fallow-pulses, fallow-wheat, maize-fallow and sugarcane-fallow) were minor, occupying 6.08, 2.94, 4.06, 2.69 and 2.51%, respectively. Waste land, including gulley, salt-affected, waterlogged and rock land, accounted for 3.80% of the total geographical area. The results of this study indicate that temporal IRS-P6 (AWiFS) data are very useful for studying spatial cropping patterns. The values of the Multiple Cropping Index (MCI) and the Cultivated Land Utilization Index (CLUI) show that the study area has a high cropping intensity.
  • Authors:
    • Vinnichek, L.
    • Ivanov, A.
  • Source: Mezhdunarodnyi Sel'skokhozyaistvennyi Zhurnal
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: In Russia's Penza Oblast', cereal grain crops account for 58.1% of receipts from crop sales, sugarbeets account for 26.9%, and oil bearing crops 5.8%. Penza Oblast' can be divided into four different zones, each of which is characterized by different patterns of crop production. These zones are: (1) Vadinskii-Mokshanskii, comprising 12 raiony (administrative districts) in the Central and North Western parts of the oblast'; (2) Belinskii-Serdobskii, comprising seven raiony in the South and South West of the oblast'; (3) Nikol'skii-Gorodishchenskii, comprising three raiony in the North East of the oblast'; and (4) Kuznetskii-Lopatinskii, comprising five raiony in the South East and East of the oblast'. Zone (1) is characterized by average productivity soils, and includes 48.8% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast', 50.6% of land used for sugarbeet production, and 23.6% of land used for sunflower cultivation. Zone (2) has the highest productivity soils in the oblast', and accounts for 35.0% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast' and 49.4% of land used for sugarbeet cultivation in the oblast'. The fertility of most soils in zone (3) is poor, resulting in low productivity. Zone (3) accounts for just 4.0% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast', and technical crop production in this zone is almost nonexistent. Zone (4) accounts for 12.1% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast' and 31.5% of land used for sunflower cultivation. Sugarbeets are not grown in zone (4) because of the distance from sugar refineries. The zones in which crop production is most profitable are zones (1) and (2), which are also characterized by the highest degree of diversification. Overall, the most economically efficient crop types produced in the Oblast' are potatoes and sunflowers. Recommendations for the future development of different types of crop production in have been formulated on the basis of analysis of natural and economic factors existing in different parts of the oblast'. The recommendations relate to the cultivation of different cereal grain crops (including winter and summer wheat, barley, buckwheat, maize, rye and oats), legume crops (peas and lentils), sugarbeets, oil bearing crops (sunflowers, rape and camelina), potatoes, and other vegetables in the four different zones.
  • Authors:
    • Linden, B.
    • Aronsson, H.
    • Stenberg, M.
    • Engstrom, L.
  • Source: Agronomy for Sustainable Development
  • Volume: 31
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Nitrate leaching after winter oilseed rape and peas has not been studied at the most northern limits of oilseed rape cultivation where winters vary between being mild, with continuous drainage, and cold, with periods of frozen soil. Here, we studied the effect of N fertilisation to oilseed rape, catch crops after oilseed rape and peas and dired drilling of winter wheat after oilseed rape on N leaching in south-west Sweden. Nitrate leaching was determined in two field experiments, dated 2004-2006 and 2005-2007, respectively, on a sandy loam. Our results show that under oilseed rape nitrate leaching was low, at 16-23 kg N ha(-1), in a mild winter with drainage from October to March. In the subsequent mild winter nitrate leaching under wheat was higher, amounting to 35-94 kg N ha(-1). Nitrate leaching levels were similar, 32-58 kg N ha(-1), for all crops in a cold winter with a long-lasting snow cover and main drainage occurring after snowmelt in March and April. Application of fertiliser N to oilseed rape at the optimum N rate, rather than 50 kg N ha(-1) above optimum, reduced leaching in a following winter wheat crop by 25 and 27 kg N ha(-1) in a cold and a mild winter, respectively. Spring undersowing of perennial ryegrass as a catch crop reduced leaching by 12 kg N ha(-1) after optimally fertilised oilseed rape in a mild winter, despite only growing until mid-September when winter wheat was sown. An undersown catch crop of peas, then grown until November, reduced leaching by 15 kg N ha(-1). Direct drilling of winter wheat after oilseed rape had no effect. These findings show that there are risks of enhanced leaching in early spring after a cold winter with a snow cover and superficially frozen soil. Optimising the spring N rate for oilseed rape was the most effective measure to decrease leaching in both mild and cold winters, and this effect was improved by an undersown catch crop in a mild winter.
  • Authors:
    • Jalli, M.
    • Huusela-Veistola, E.
    • Hannukkala, A. O.
    • Hakala, K.
    • Peltonen-Sainio, P.
  • Source: Agricultural and Food Science
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A longer growing season and higher accumulated effective temperature sum (ETS) will improve crop production potential in Finland. The production potential of new or at present underutilised crops (e. g. maize (Zea mays L.), oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)) will improve and it will be possible to grow more productive varieties of the currently grown crops (spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oats (Avena sativa L.)). Also cultivation of autumn sown crops could increase if winters become milder and shorter, promoting overwintering success. Climatic conditions may on the other hand become restrictive in many ways. For example, early season droughts could intensify because of higher temperatures and consequent higher evaporation rates. Current low winter temperatures and short growing season help restrict the development and spread of pests and pathogens, but this could change in the future. Longer growing seasons, warmer autumns and milder winters may initiate new problems with higher occurrences of weeds, pests and pathogens, including new types of viruses and virus vectors. Anoxia of overwintering crops caused by ice encasement, and physical damage caused by freezing and melting of water over the fields may also increase. In this study we identify the most likely changes in crop species and varieties in Finland and the pest and pathogen species that are most likely to create production problems as a result of climate change during this century.
  • Authors:
    • Rydberg, T.
    • Keller, T.
    • Arvidsson, J.
    • Håkansson, I.
  • Source: Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil & Plant Science
  • Volume: 61
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Rapid and uniform crop establishment is a prerequisite for efficient crop production and minimal environmental impact. Experiments were carried out in shallow plastic boxes placed directly on the ground in the field for studies of the effects of seedbed properties on emergence of various crops. This paper presents an analysis of the time required for germination and emergence under near-optimal seedbed conditions. The crops studied were barley, oats, wheat, pea, rape seed, white mustard, sugar beet, red clover and timothy. The time required for germination generally increased with size of the seeds, presumably because larger seeds needed more water to initiate germination. This applied both when comparing different crops and different seed sizes of the same crop. However, considerable differences occurred between seed lots of the same crop and there were greater differences between seed lots of the same crop than between the three small grain crops studied. Growth rate of the seedlings generally increased with seed size, presumably because of increased energy content in the seed. Consequently, the most rapid emergence was obtained from small seeds at shallow sowing and from large seeds at deep sowing. The crops studied had a minimum temperature for germination and seedling growth close to 0 degrees C. Under optimal seedbed conditions, thermal time required for 50% germination of barley was typically about 65 degrees C days over this base temperature and for seedling growth about 6 degrees C days cm(-1). From 4 cm sowing depth, about 80 degrees C days were required for emergence but with considerable variations between seed lots. For rape seed or white mustard about 40 degrees C days were required for germination and about 8 degrees C days cm(-1) for the seedling growth.
  • Authors:
    • Holm, F. A.
    • Johnson, E. N.
    • Blackshaw, R. E.
    • O'Donovan, J. T.
    • Harker, K. N.
    • Clayton, G. W.
  • Source: Weed Science
  • Volume: 59
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Growing crops that exhibit a high level of competition with weeds increases opportunities to practice integrated weed management and reduce herbicide inputs. The recent development and market dominance of hybrid canola cultivars provides an opportunity to reassess the relative competitive ability of canola cultivars with small-grain cereals. Direct-seeded (no-till) experiments were conducted at five western Canada locations from 2006 to 2008 to compare the competitive ability of canola cultivars vs. small-grain cereals. The relative competitive ability of the species and cultivars was determined by assessing monocot and dicot weed biomass at different times throughout the growing season as well as oat (simulated weed) seed production. Under most conditions, but especially under warm and relatively dry environments, barley cultivars had the greatest relative competitive ability. Rye and triticale were also highly competitive species under most environmental conditions. Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat and Canada Western Red Spring wheat cultivars usually were the least competitive cereal crops, but there were exceptions in some environments. Canola hybrids were more competitive than open-pollinated canola cultivars. More importantly, under cool, low growing degree day conditions, canola hybrids were as competitive as barley, especially with dicot weeds. Under most conditions, hybrid canola growers on the Canadian Prairies are well advised to avoid the additional selection pressure inherent with a second in-crop herbicide application. Combining competitive cultivars of any species with optimal agronomic practices that facilitate crop health will enhance cropping system sustainability and allow growers to extend the life of their valuable herbicide tools.
  • Authors:
    • Schoenau, G.
    • Tabil, L.
    • Adapa, P.
  • Source: Biomass and Bioenergy
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Grinding experiments were conducted on non-treated and steam exploded barley, canola, oat and wheat straw using a forage chopper and a hammer mill (screen sizes of 30, 6.4, 3.2 and 1.6 mm) to determine specific energy requirements, and geometric mean particle size and distribution of ground material. The bulk density of non-treated biomass was significantly higher than bulk density of steam exploded agricultural biomass. For non-treated agricultural straw, the particle density of canola and oat straw significantly increased with a decrease in hammer mill screen size from 30 to 1.6 mm. The particle density of steam exploded barley and oat straw was significantly higher than non-treated straw, except for barley at 6.4 mm hammer mill screen size. The particle density of steam exploded canola straw was not statistically different from non-treated straw. The chopper consumed highest (3.15 +/- 0.09 kWh t(-1)) and lowest (1.96 +/- 0.33 kWh t(-1)) specific energy to chop barley and canola straw, respectively. The highest and lowest specific energy was consumed by wheat (42.57 +/- 2.04 kWh t(-1)) at 1.6 mm and canola (1.46 +/- 0.30 kWh t(-1)) straws ground using 30 mm hammer mill screen size, respectively. For steam exploded agricultural biomass, the highest and lowest specific energy was consumed by oat (33.18 +/- 3.10 kWh t(-1)) at 1.6 mm and canola (2.69 +/- 0.26 kWh t(-1)) straws ground using 6.4 mm hammer mill screen size, respectively. Specific energy required by hammer mill to grind non-treated and steam exploded barley, canola, oat and wheat straw showed a negative power correlation with hammer mill screen sizes. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Puig, R.
    • Rius, A.
    • Riba, J.-R.
    • Esteban, B.
    • Baquero, G.
  • Source: Biomass and Bioenergy
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue: 8
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The use of straight vegetable oil (SVO) as biofuel has been recognized as a valid substitute of diesel fuel in the agricultural sector under specific circumstances. Its direct use reduces most of the chemical processes involved when converting it into biodiesel, thus lowering harmful emissions. This study presents the economic analysis of a self-supply farming model that uses rapeseed as its fuel base. This model addresses agricultural environmental concerns and can even minimize dependence on the fluctuating costs of diesel fuel. The use of SVO in agriculture can help reduce farmers' vulnerability to fossil fuel prices. The economic evaluation of the model proposed in this study shows clear economic benefits of introducing rapeseed to the traditional crop rotation of wheat and barley. The key factors analyzed in this model are diesel fuel price, diesel fuel grants and crop aids. The current situation in Spain favors the use of diesel fuel in agriculture rather than rapeseed SVO due to an 8% profit difference. However, results show that changes in key factors slightly affect the profit margin, calculating a difference of only 3.7% for particular factor combinations. Combined environmental-friendly agriculture supporting policies are necessary to cover this slight profit difference to promote this biofuel. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.