• Authors:
    • Naeem, M.
    • Khan, F.
    • Ahmad, W.
  • Source: Soil and Environment
  • Volume: 29
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: This study was undertaken as a part of soil fertility management of eroded soils in NWFP, Pakistan. The study was started in summer 2006 and continued for four consecutive crop seasons till winter 2007, in District Swabi, NWFP, Pakistan. Soil fertility status of the experimental site was determined before the start of the experiment. The experiment was laid out in a factorial split plot design using two factors viz cropping patterns and fertilizer treatments. The cropping patterns included maize-wheat-maize rotation, maize-lentil-maize rotation and maize-wheat+lentil intercrop-maize rotation and these were kept in main plots whereas the fertilizer treatments included control, 50% NP, 100% NPK and 20 t ha -1 farmyard manure integrated with 50% N and 100% PK as mineral fertilizers which were placed in sub plots. Fertilizers were applied for four seasons continuously. At the end of winter 2007, soil samples from two depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) were collected from each plot and analyzed for microbial biomass carbon (MBC) at day 3, day 6 and day 10 incubation periods, total nitrogen (TN), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and mineralizable nitrogen (MN). Results showed significant improvement in organic fertility of soil with fertilizer addition and cropping patterns. Combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers (20 t ha -1 farmyard manure integrated with 50% N and 100% PK) showed 55, 25, 18 and 61% increase in total N, MBN, MN, and MBC after 10 days incubation period over the control, respectively, in the surface soil whilst 100% NPK showed 44, 15, 6 and 45% improvement over the control treatment for the same parameters in surface soil. Data further showed 43, 23, 19 and 60% increase in the corresponding microbial parameters in combined organic and inorganic fertilizer treatment over the control treatment in sub soil whilst 100% NPK showed 39, 20, 10 and 54% increase in TN, MBN, MN and MBC over the control in sub soil. The cropping patterns having cereal-legume rotation also improved organic soil fertility and showed 27 and 13% more total N and MBC after 10 days incubation period over the cereal-cereal rotation respectively and the improvement in MBN and MN in cereal-legume rotation over cereal-cereal rotation was non significant in surface soil. In the sub-surface soil cereal-legume rotation improved TN, MBN, MN and MBC by 9, 6, 8 and 28% over the cereal-cereal rotation. It was concluded that there is sufficient potential to improve soil organic fertility in Pirsabak soil series, the restoration of which on sustained basis would require at least 50% N from the organic sources. Moreover legumes must be included in the traditional cereal-cereal cropping pattern to further improve the N input and organic fertility of these soils.
  • Authors:
    • Bagwan, N.
  • Source: International Journal of Plant Protection
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Crop root exudates of 20 crops like groundnut, soybean, pigeonpea, green gram, black gram, chickpea, pea, cowpea, mustard, cotton, castor, sunflower, safflower, sesamum, sorghum, pearl millet, maize, wheat, onion, and garlic were used in this study. Large variations of inhibitory effect of root exudates on S. rolfsii were observed. Low concentrations of root exudates (5% and 10%) had no effect on inhibition of mycelial growth and germination of sclerotia while, at high concentration (20%) inhibited the mycelial growth and germination of sclerotia. Mycelial growth, dry mycelium weight and sclerotial germination were recorded lowest in root exudates of sunflower, maize, pearl millet, sorghum, safflower, garlic, and onion. Mycelial growth, dry mycelium weight and sclerotial germination was recorded highest in root exudates of soybean, groundnut, green gram, black gram, pigeonpea, chickpea, pea and cowpea. It was observed that the root exudates of maize, sunflower and pearl millet showed a highest percentage of inhibition of mycelial growth and sclerotial germination. Another interesting of thing was observed that root exudates of groundnut, soybean and pea stimulate the mycelial growth and germination of sclerotia as compared to control. The results of this study suggested that the intercropping or crop rotation of safflower, maize, pearl millet, sorghum, sunflower, garlic, and onion with groundnut may be useful for the management of stem rot of groundnut and also for reduction of soil population of S. rolfsii in groundnut field. Similarly intercropping or crop rotation of soybean, green gram, black gram, chickpea, pea and cowpea with groundnut should be avoided. Based on these findings, it is hypothesized that root exudates of some crops contain antifungal compounds, while other stimulate the growth of fungal pathogens. Cultivation of safflower, maize, pearl millet and sorghum with groundnut could lead to a reduction in the occurrence of stem rot disease, especially when chemical control is not effective and economically costly. However, further investigation is necessary for isolation and identification of antifungal compounds in root exudates related to host-pathogen interaction.
  • Authors:
    • Mal'tsev, N.
    • Tsybikov, B.
    • Korshunov, V.
    • Batudaev, A.
  • Source: Russian Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: The performance of the following rotation systems with various types of fallow was evaluated at the steppe zone of Transbaikalia, Russia, during 1997-2007: clean fallow [fallow without ground cover]-wheat-oat-oat for biomass (T1); fallow with yellow sweet clover [ Melilotus officinalis]-wheat-clean fallow-yellow sweet clover (T2); fallow with yellow sweet clover-wheat-clean fallow-wheat + yellow sweet clover (T3); fallow with yellow sweet clover-wheat-oat-oat + yellow sweet clover for biomass (T4); fallow with oilseed radish-wheat-oat-oat for biomass (T5); oat for biomass-wheat-oat-oat for biomass (T6); and wheat-wheat-oat-clean fallow (T7). Spring wheat yields and productivity values recorded for fallow with yellow sweet clover (T2, T3 and T4) were as high as those registered for clean fallow (T1). The highest profitability values were obtained with T2 (172.0%) and T4 (170.0%).
  • Authors:
    • Cogo, N. P.
    • Paz Gonzalez, A.
    • Vidal Vazquez, E.
    • Bertol, I.
    • Luciano, R. V.
    • Fabian, E. L.
  • Source: REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIA DO SOLO
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Quantity and size distribution of sediments transported by runoff are influenced by soil management, cover and crop systems, and by rainfall, among other factors, representing an important aspect in soil conservation planning. The objective of this study was to quantify runoff sediments and relate them with runoff velocity, during soybean growth, in a simulated rainfall experiment initiated in 1998 on a typical Hapludox, under the following soil management systems: conventional tillage with one plowing plus two diskings (CT) and no-tillage on a never tilled soil with burned residues (NT). In these treatments, the rotation crop systems consisted of oat, soybean, vetch, corn, oats, bean, fodder radish, soybean, vetch, corn, and soybean. An additional treatment with bare soil with one plowing plus two diskings (BS) was also studied. Five simulated rainfall tests were applied to the treatments in the last soybean crop cycle, with an intensity of 63-67 mm h -1 for one hour, 24 h after a pre-wetting rainfall, with an intensity of 65 mm h -1 and long enough to initiate runoff. The sediments were quantified in runoff samples collected 10 minutes before the end of each simulated rainfall test, and were related with the runoff velocity. The sediment size in the runoff was influenced by soil management systems and the rainfall quantity. In the treatment without soil cover (BS), the quantity of coarse sediments was higher than in the treatments with cultivated soil, whereas in CT and NT treatments the quantity of fine-sized sediments was higher than in the BS treatment. More sediments tended to be transported in the runoff with the application of more rainfall events. The sediment quantity transported by runoff was related with the sediment size, fitting to a positive exponential model, while runoff velocity decreased exponentially with increased soil cover. The D 50 index was related with other variables, fitting to the potential model and increasing with runoff velocity.
  • Authors:
    • Inomoto, M. M.
    • Machado, A. C. Z.
    • Borges, D. C.
  • Source: Tropical Plant Pathology
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Black oat ( Avena strigosa), white oat ( A. sativa) and Algerian oat ( A. byzantina) are extensively cultivated in the south of Brazil for grain, forage, hay and silage production, or as cover crop in no-tillage and crop-pasture integration systems. In both systems, the genotypes of oat used as cover crop must be nonhosts or poor hosts of damaging nematodes for summer cash crops. Taking into account the relevance of Pratylenchus brachyurus as a pathogen for many cash crops in Brazil, two experiments were carried out in a glasshouse in order to evaluate the host suitability of selected oat cultivars to this nematode. The initial population inoculated (Pi) were 92 specimens/plot in experiment 1, and 270 in experiment 2. At the end of experimental periods (86 days after inoculation in experiment 1 and 67 days in experiment 2), the final population (Pf) of P. brachyurus was estimated and the reproductive factor (RF=Pf/Pi) was calculated. The results demonstrated that black oat (RF=0.04-1.03) is more valuable than Algerian oat (RF=2.63-2.88) or white oat (RF=1.37-1.93) for the management of P. brachyurus.
  • Authors:
    • Alda, L.
    • Baluta, D.
    • Manea, D.
    • Alda, S.
    • Lazureanu, A.
    • Caciu, G.
    • Circiu, L.
  • Source: Journal of Horticulture, Forestry and Biotechnology
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: The research was conducted in 2008-2009 and followed the influence of six plants run on the cover of plants with weeds plants culture and production of winter wheat. Predominant weeds were Veronica hederifolia, Viola arvensis, Polygonum Convolvulus, Convolvulus arvensis and Stellaria media. The degree of reduction of weeds, depending on pre-plant fluctuated between 17,84 and 28%, 43% in 2008 and between 20.49% and 29.58% in 2009. Production is directly proportional to the absolute level of covering plants with weeds plants, beings from 38.05 q/ha and 43.26 q/ha in 2008 and between 44.72 q/ha and 52.08 q/ha in 2009.
  • Authors:
    • Karmakar, R.
    • Das, S. K.
    • Das, I.
  • Source: SATSA Mukhaptra Annual Technical Issue
  • Volume: 14
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: In India, rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) has contributed and will continue to contribute largely towards food security. Well-planned steps are necessary to make it sustainable and more productive without any adverse effects on the natural resources and the environment. Past studies indicate that sustainability of RWCS in the Indo-Gangetic Plains is at risk mainly due to decline in groundwater levels, soil organic matter content and nutrient availability, increased soil salinization and pest incidence. Practices for sustainable management diversified crop rotations that enhance soil cover and fertility, and accelarated adoption of resource conserving technologies like zero-tillage, bed planting, laser leveling, surface seeding, intercropping of high value crops, furrow irrigated raised bed planting technique, etc., all of which have been briefed in the present paper.
  • Authors:
    • Dimitrova-Doneva, M.
    • Petkova, R.
  • Source: Agricultural Science and Technology
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: A study has been conducted at the Experimental Station of Agriculture, Sredets to establish the effect of predecessor and mineral fertilization on chemical composition and energy value of wintering oats grain. The object of this study was wintering oat ( Avena sativa L) variety Jubile cultivated after predecessors (A): stubble (A 1), sorghum ( Sorghum vulgare Pers) - (A 2) and rape ( Brassica napus var. oleifera L) - (A 3) and fertilization, kg/ha - (B): N 40P 100K 50-B 1; N 80P 100K 50-B 2; N 120P 100K 50-B 3 and B 0-control N 0P 100K 50. The study covers chemical analysis of wintering oats grain made by Weende method. Calculations for the nutritive value of feed grain based on data obtained from chemical analysis were made (for ruminants) expressed in gross energy (GE) - MJ/kg dry substance, metabolizable energy (ME) - MJ/kg dry substance, feed units for milk (FUM, kg) and feed units for growth (FUG, kg) of dry substance - by using empirical equations. It was found that the predecessors stubble and rape increase the content of crude protein, crude fat and crude fibers in oats by 10.5 and 12.1%, 5.2 and 3.9%, 5.6 and 1.2%. The content of minerals and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) was the highest after predecessor sorghum. Increasing the doses of nitrogen fertilizer led to increasing the content of crude protein and fibers in grains on average by 14.4% and decreases the content of crude fats, ash and NFE by 7.0%, 3.2% and 3.4%, respectively. The differences in chemical composition of oat grains did not have a significant impact on its energy value expressed by GE, ME, (FUM) and (FUG).
  • Authors:
    • Carbonell, R.
    • Rodriguez-Lizana, A.
    • Gonzalez, P.
    • Ordonez, R.
  • Source: NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGROECOSYSTEMS
  • Volume: 87
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: A common agricultural policy rule has banned the burning of wheat stubble. It might gradually increase the surface under no-till in Europe. The release dynamics of nutrients from the crop residues left on the soil surface has rarely been studied under Mediterranean climate conditions. As part of a long-term experiment started in 1982, a field study was carried out during the agricultural seasons 2001/2, 2002/3 and 2003/4, to determine the decomposition and nutrient release of above-ground residues deposited on a clayey soil in the south of Spain, in which a legume-cereal-sunflower rotation was followed. At the end of its decomposition cycle, the pea residue ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Ideal) had lost 60% of its initial mass, durum wheat ( Triticum durum L. cv. Amilcar) 35%, and sunflower ( Helianthus annus L. cv. Sanbro) 39%. The N release by the pea residue, wheat and sunflower was of 13.5, 6.7 and 8.5 kg ha -1, respectively. The P release was of 2.9 kg ha -1 (pea) and of 0.7 kg ha -1 (sunflower), and the highest content of released K was noted in the sunflower residue, 78 kg ha -1, compared to 22.5 kg ha -1 in wheat and 2.4 kg ha -1 in pea. In pea and sunflower, residue loss and N and P release in most cases followed simple linear and exponential functions, from which the specific decay rates were calculated. The decomposition rates of the different nutrients were higher than those of the residue in pea and sunflower, and the residue semi-decomposition periods, of 138 d in sunflower, and 191 d in pea, indicated a great persistence of the remains. The soil protection was acceptable in the case of wheat and sunflower, but not in pea. The application of the Douglas-Rickman model and the knowledge of the variation in the concentration of the nutrient in the crop remains permitted the estimation of the amount of N and P remaining in them over the intercropping period. In any case, in our climate and with soils rich in K, the release of nutrients from the residue, mainly N, is fairly scant and, in principle, does not seem to be of any interest in the fertilization programmes followed by the farmers in the area.
  • Authors:
    • Trawczynski, C.
  • Source: Journal of Research and Applications in Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: The aim of this investigation was to determine balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in organic crop rotation system on light soil. The crop rotation comprised following agricultural plant species: potato, oat, yellow lupine, rye, phacelia. Apart from these main species 3 plants were cultivated as intercrop: field pea, white mustard, serradella. Before potato cultivation the manure in dose of 25 t.ha -1 was applied. The calculations were based on real data of obtained yields and nutrients content in the yields. The "on surface of field" method was used in this investigation. In the crop rotation positive balance of nitrogen (+20,4 kg N.ha -1 per year -1) and slightly negative one for phosphorus (-3,1 kg P.ha -1 per year -1) and potassium (-4,5 kg K.ha -1 per year -1) were noted.