• Authors:
    • Alletto, L.
    • Coquet, Y.
    • Justes, E.
  • Source: Agricultural Water Management
  • Volume: 102
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Effects of two tillage treatments and two fallow period managements under continuous maize cropping on soil temperature, soil water dynamics and maize development were evaluated over a 4-year period (2005–2008). Tillage treatments were conventional tillage with mouldboard ploughing and conservation tillage with disk harrowing. The fallow period managements were bare soil or soil sown with a cover crop after maize harvest. For each year, topsoil temperature (0–20 cm-depth) was lower under conservation tillage systems at sowing, from 0.8 to 2.8 °C. This difference persisted several weeks after sowing, and disappeared afterwards. Under conservation tillage, higher soil water content was generally measured at sowing and during the growing season strong fluctuations were observed at 40 cm-depth. Under conventional tillage, soil water content varied mainly in the tilled layer (20 cm-depth). Tillage and fallow period management affected water flow rate at 40 cm-depth. During the maize growing season, the lowest drainage volumes were measured in 2006 and 2008 under conservation tillage in cover cropped plots. No effect of fallow period management on maize development and yield was observed but significantly higher yields were measured under conservation tillage in 2005 and 2007. From this 4-year experiment under continuous maize cropping, using cover crop and reducing tillage intensity enhanced water use efficiency while maintaining or increasing maize yields.
  • 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%.
  • Authors:
    • ZhiKuan, J.
    • Lei, M.
    • FangQian, G.
    • BaoPing, Y.
    • YaoWei, H.
    • XiaoLong, R.
    • TaiYi, C.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 27
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A field experiment (2008-2009) was conducted at the Heyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in Shaanxi Province of China to determine the effects of straw mulch rates on soil moisture and spring maize ( Zea mays L.) yield. Maize straw at rates of 0 (CK), 4 500, 9 000 and 13 500 kg/hm 2 was placed on field plots. The results indicated that the average soil water storage in the 0-200 cm soil layers under the three different rates of straw mulch were 16.52, 25.52 and 34.04 mm, respectively, significantly ( P<0.05) higher than that of CK, and the average field evapotranspiration (ET) in the 0-200 cm soil layers were 4.43, 8.23 and 6.96 mm, respectively, significantly ( P<0.05) lower than that of CK during 0-60 days after sowing. Besides, the average grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of the treatment with 9 000 kg/hm 2 of straw mulch were optimal among the treatments, its grain yield and WUE increased by 11.03% ( P<0.05) and 9.25% ( P<0.05) compared with the CK, while it was medium with the treatment of 13 000 kg/hm 2, and lowest with the treatment with 4 500 kg/hm 2. It is suggested that the treatment with 9 000 kg/hm 2 of straw mulch is preferable for Weibei highland area in China, as the precipitation is below than 390 mm during the maize growing season.
  • Authors:
    • Caires, E. F.
    • Garbuio, F. J.
    • Churka, S.
    • Joris, H. A. W.
  • Source: Agronomy Journal
  • Volume: 103
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Gypsum has been used in tropical and subtropical agriculture when subsoil acidity is an important yield-limiting factor. However, the conditions that promote increased crop yield as a result of gypsum addition in no-till (NT) systems still remain unclear. A field trial examined the effects of newly and previously surface-applied gypsum in a long-term NT system on the soil chemical properties and nutrition and yield of corn ( Zea mays L.), wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] on a clayey Rhodic Hapludox in Parana State, Brazil. Gypsum was surface-applied at 0 and 6 Mg ha -1 in 2004 on plots that had received gypsum previously at 0, 3, 6, and 9 Mg ha -1 in 1998. Surface-applied gypsum newly and previously improved exchangeable Ca and SO 4-S availability throughout the soil profile, and increased the cumulative grain yield of the crops. Exchangeable K losses through leaching caused by gypsum application were low, and a larger mobility of exchangeable Mg as compared with exchangeable K in soil was found as a result of gypsum addition. An increase in Ca content in the corn, wheat, and soybean leaves, and in S content in the corn and wheat leaves occurred following the gypsum application. The use of gypsum showed economic viability to maximize crop grain production in a long-term NT soil with a sufficient level of exchangeable Ca (≥8 mmol c dm -3) and low levels of exchangeable Al (≤4 mmol c dm -3) and Al saturation (≤15%) in the subsoil layers (20-60 cm).
  • Authors:
    • Campos-Magana, S. G.
    • Cadena-Zapata, M.
  • Source: Campos-Magana, SG
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A five year field experiment was conducted to assess the interaction between soil tillage levels, maize-sorghum-legume rotation and two levels of chemical fertilization at the rain feed tropical region of southeast Mexico. The purpose of this research work was to asses this interaction over the variation of some soil quality indices and the effect on the productivity of the soil-grain yield. The treatments for soil tillage were zero till and the intensive traditional soil tillage of the region. Crop rotations employed were five years maize (mmmmm), five years sorghum (sssss), two rotations; (smsms) and (msmsm) and two intercropping of legumes (f)-cereals, (fsfsf) and (fmsmf). Ninety two and 136 units of nitrogen were the two levels of fertilization and were applied only to the cereals. The evaluated soil index in the first and fifth year were organic matter (mo), water infiltration rate (ir), aggregate stability (as), ph, biomass microbiana (mb), nitrogen soluble nitrogen, soil density (sd), soil depth (sd), electrical conductivity (ec) and availability of nutrients. In general terms, the best grain yield for both sorghum and maize were obtained with the no till treatment although no big differences were observed between them. The five year sorghum mean yield under no till with fertilization levels 1 and 2 were 3.6 and 4.5 Mg/ha, whereas, with conventional tillage these were just 3.1 and 4.1 Mg/ha, respectively. The grain yield of maize with level 2 of nitrogen, with zero and traditional till were 5.1 and 4.6 Mg/ha; however, with nitrogen level 1 there were no apparent advantages of the first treatment (3.8 Mg/ha in both cases). The type of crop rotation and soil tillage level mainly affected the chemical soil index at 0 to 5 cm depth. However, no effect occurred with the way of handling crop residues and with the levels of chemical fertilization. The main values of electrical conductivity were attributed to an increase in the solubility of some elements. It was also observed that, under no till, there was an increase of the levels of soluble carbon.
  • Authors:
    • Chen, G.
    • Weil, R. R.
  • Source: Soil & Tillage Research
  • Volume: 117
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The yield of rainfed crops is commonly limited by the availability of soil water during the summer growing season. Channels produced by cover crop roots in fall/winter when soils are relatively moist may facilitate the penetration of compacted soils by subsequent crop roots in summer when soils are relatively dry and hard. Our objective was to determine the effects of fall cover crops on maize (Zea mays) growth and soil water status under three levels (high, medium, and no) of imposed traffic compaction. The study was conducted on coastal plain soils (fine-loamy Typic/Aquic hapludults and siliceous, Psammentic hapludults) in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States from 2006 to 2008. Cover crop treatments were FR (forage radish: Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, cv. 'Daikon'), rapeseed (Brassica napus, cv. 'Essex'), rye (cereal rye: Secale cereale L, cv. 'Wheeler') and NCC (no cover crop). Maize under high compaction achieved more deep-roots following FR and rapeseed than following rye or NCC. However, maize had greater yield following all cover crops than NCC control regardless of compaction levels and soil texture. Compaction reduced maize yield only under the high compaction in the lightly textured soils. During 24 June-24 July 2008, soils at 15 and 50 cm depths were drier under no compaction than high compaction and drier following FR than other cover crop treatments. Our results suggest that FR benefited maize root penetration in compacted soils while rye provided the best availability of surface soil water; rapeseed tended to provide both benefits. However, as rapeseed is relatively difficult to kill in spring, a mixture of FR and rye cover crops might be most practical and beneficial for rainfed summer crops under no-till systems in regions with cool to temperate, humid climates.
  • Authors:
    • Cociu, A. I.
    • Alionte, E.
  • Source: Analele Institutului National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Agricola Fundulea
  • Volume: 79
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Grain yields of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize ( Zea mays L.), and soybean [ Glycine max. (L.) Merr], in rotation were significantly influenced by soil deep loosening and tillage system, depending on water supply (irrigation application). Scientific literature regarding the influence of these agronomic factors on the yield quality of the respective three crops, in rotation, is quite limited. For this study, a field experiment was carried out at Fundulea, which is located in the eastern part of the Danube Plain, on a cambic chernozem soil type. One of the main objectives was to determine how the grain yield quality of winter wheat, maize and soybean is influenced by different reduced tillage systems, in comparison with the traditional (conventional) one, as well as by the direct seeding in non-worked ground, or in strip till, with and without soil deep loosing, under different irrigations. Regarding the maize, the water provisioning * tillage system interaction was very significant (P0.05). Under the three water provisions applied, protein content had values between 40.0%, recorded when the normal irrigation rate was used, at no till system, and 41.5%, recorded for the dry conditions, also at no till system. The 1,000 kernel weight varied between 120 g, registered for the dry conditions at no till variant, and 159 g, registered for normal irrigation rate, also at no till system. The results of this research do not make evident a certain tendency of protein content, but show clearly that the fat content increases concomitantly with grain yield growing. As concerns the winter wheat crop, the water provisioning * tillage system interaction was not significant (P>0.05). Protein content was comprised between 13.2%, registered when the normal irrigation rate was applied at no till system variant, and 15.7%, under dry conditions, at the traditional tillage system. The minimum value of 1,000 kernel weight was 37 g, recorded for dry conditions at chisel tillage variant, and the highest value, of 47 g, was obtained when normal irrigation rate was applied to no till variant.
  • Authors:
    • Crusciol, C. A. C.
    • Garcia, . A.
    • Castro, G. S. A.
    • Rosolem, C. A.
  • Source: Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Especially under no-tillage, subsuface soil acidity has been a problem, because it depends on base leaching, which has been associated with the presence of low molecular weigth organic acids and companion anions. The objective of this study was to evaluate exchangeable base cation leaching as affected by surface liming along with annual urea side-dressing of maize and upland rice. Treatments consisted of four lime rates (0, 1500, 3000, and 6000 kg ha -1) combined with four nitrogen rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha -1) applied to maize ( Zea mays) and upland rice ( Oryza sativa), in two consecutive years. Maize was planted in December, three months after liming. In September of the following year, pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) was planted without fertilization and desiccated 86 days after plant emergence. Afterwards, upland rice was grown. Immediately after upland rice harvest, 18 months after surface liming, pH and N-NO 3-, N-NH 4+, K, Ca, and Mg levels were evaluated in soil samples taken from the layers 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm. Higher maize yields were obtained at higher N rates and 3000 kg ha -1lime. Better results for upland rice and pearl millet yields were also obtained with this lime rate, irrespective of N levels. The vertical mobility of K, Ca and Mg was higher in the soil profiles with N fertilization. Surface liming increased pH in the upper soil layers causing intense nitrate production, which was leached along with the base cations.
  • Authors:
    • Bustamante, M. M. da C.
    • Cruvinel, E. B. F.
    • Kozovits, A. R.
    • Zepp, R. G.
  • Source: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
  • Volume: 144
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: In the last 40 years, a large area of savanna vegetation in Central Brazil (Cerrado) has been converted to agriculture, with intensive use of fertilizers, irrigation and management practices. Currently, the Cerrado is the main region for beef and grain production in Brazil. However, the consequences of these agricultural practices on NO, N 2O and CO 2 emissions from soil to atmosphere are still poorly investigated. The objectives of this study were to quantify soil emissions of NO-N, N 2O-N and CO 2-C in different no-till cultivation systems in comparison with native savanna vegetation. The agricultural areas included: (a) the maize and Brachiaria ruzizienses intercropping system followed by irrigated bean in rotation; (b) soybean followed by natural fallow; and (c) cotton planting over B. ruzizienses straw. The study was performed from August 2003 to October 2005 and fluxes were measured before and after planting, after fertilizations, during the growing season, before and after harvesting. NO-N fluxes in the soybean field were similar to those measured in the native vegetation. In the cornfield, higher NO-N fluxes were measured before planting than after planting and pulses were observed after broadcast fertilizations. During Brachiaria cultivation NO-N fluxes were lower than in native vegetation. In the irrigated area (bean cultivation), NO-N fluxes were also significantly higher after broadcast fertilizations. Most of the soil N 2O-N fluxes measured under cultivated and native vegetation were very low (<0.6 ng N 2O-N cm -2 h -1) except during bean cultivation when N 2O-N fluxes increased after the first and second broadcast fertilization with irrigation and during nodule senescence in the soybean field. Soil respiration values from the soybean field were similar to those in native vegetation. The CO 2-C fluxes during cultivation of maize and irrigated bean were twice as high as in the native vegetation. During bean cultivation with irrigation, an increase in CO 2-C fluxes was observed after broadcast fertilization followed by a decrease after the harvest. Significantly lower soil C stocks (0-30 cm depth) were determined under no-tillage agricultural systems in comparison with the stocks under savanna vegetation. Fertilizer-induced emission factors of N oxides calculated from the data were lower than those indicated by the IPCC as default.
  • Authors:
    • Kuai, D.
    • DianXiong, C.
    • XiaoMing, Z.
    • Yan, W.
    • QuanSheng, Z.
    • DingChen, Z.
    • ZongHui, F.
    • XiaoHong, X.
    • XiaoBin, W.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 27
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A six-year experiment (2003 to 2008) was conducted in Shouyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in Shanxi Province to study the effect of different tillage practices (no-tillage, reduced tillage and conventional tillage) with three nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P 2O 5) fertilizer rates (105, 179 and 210 kg/hm2; N:P 2O 5=1:1) on spring corn yield and water use efficiency. The results showed that at the recommended fertilizer rate of 105 kg/hm 2, the average yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were about 5 234 kg/hm 2 and 12.4 kg/(hm 2.mm), respectively, under conventional tillage (CT), and about 5 751 kg/hm 2 and 13.6 kg/(hm 2.mm), respectively, under reduced tillage (RT). The average yield and WUE under RT increased by about 9.9% and 9.7%, respectively, compared to CT. Under no-tillage (NT), the average yield and WUE, at the fertilizer rate of 179 kg/hm 2, were highest, about 5 336 kg/hm 2 and 13.2 kg/(hm 2.mm), respectively, which were about 6.1% and 9.7% higher than those under CT. The NT increased soil water contents, resulting in higher yields in dry years, compared to CT. Among three tillage practices, the average yield and WUE were ranked as RT >NT >CT.