• Authors:
    • Schindler, U.
    • Muller, L.
  • Source: Proceedings of the 10th International Agricultural Engineering Conference
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Land management practice is a decisive factor for the quantities of seepage flow and solute leaching, which constitute two fundamental aspects of land use characterised by potentially conflictive ecologic implications. Efficient water use and intelligent water management are essential for Northeast Germany as a sub-humid region marked by an annual water balance deficit between 80 and 250 mm. Throughout that region, measures are in demand to support groundwater recharge. To meet this claim, knowledge is required about suitable land management systems providing drainage flow sustainable in quantity and quality. Long-term soil hydrological measurements were used to quantify deep drainage and nitrate leaching insitu under undisturbed soil conditions. Deep drainage rates and nitrate losses from arable land managed under various farming regimes (integrated, integrated with irrigation, ecologic and low input) and tillage systems (plough and no till) were quantified in the Pleistocene region of Northeast Germany from 1994 to 2007. Soil water content and tension measurements down to 3 m depth and soil water sampling were used to determine deep drainage dynamics and loss of nitrogen by leaching. As dependent on the management system, the nitrate concentration varied between 40 and 150 mg l -1. In connection with annual deep drainage rates between 100 mm and 200 mm during the study period, the annual nitrogen loss varied between 14 and 41 kg ha -1. Differences in nitrogen loss observed between the farming systems were low, but yields increased and nitrogen losses decreased as a result of irrigation throughout the variants. No-till treatment resulted in reduced nitrate leaching (18 kg ha -1) as compared with the tillage system with plough and tooth cultivator (27 kg ha -1). The suitability of long-term soil hydrological in-situ measurements for quantifying arable management effects on ecological processes - deep drainage dynamics and solute leaching - was confirmed. The trend of decreasing deep drainage was low and not significant. However, due to no significance and quite short investigation period it is not allowed to suggest on climate change effects.
  • Authors:
    • Raper, R. L.
    • Siri-Prieto, G.
    • Reeves, D. W.
  • Source: Agronomy Journal
  • Volume: 101
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: The use of crop rotation systems involving winter-annual grazing can help peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) producers increase profitability, although winter-annual grazing could result in excessive soil compaction, which can severely limit yields. We conducted a 3-yr field study on a Dothan loamy sand in southeastern Alabama to develop a conservation tillage system for integrating peanut with winter-annual grazing of stocker cattle under dryland conditions. Winter-annual forages and tillage systems were evaluated in a strip-plot design, where winter forages were oat (Avena sativa L.) and annual ryegrass (Lolium mutiflorum L.). Tillage systems included moldboard and chisel plowing, and combinations of noninversion deep tillage (none, in-row subsoil, or paratill) with/without disking. We evaluated soil water content, peanut leaf stomatal conductance, plant density, peanut yield, peanut net return, and total system annual net return. Peanut following oat increased soil water extraction (15%), stands (12%), and yields (21%) compared with peanut following ryegrass. Strict no-till resulted in the lowest yields (2.29 Mg ha(-1), 42% less than the mean) and noninversion deep tillage (especially in-row subsoil) was required to maximize water use and yields with conservation tillage. Net return from annual grazing ($185 ha(-1), USD) represented 40% of the total return for the best treatment (no-tillage with in-row subsoil following oat = $462 ha(-1)). Integrating winter-annual grazing in this region using noninversion deep tillage following oat in a conservation tillage system can benefit peanut growers, allowing extra income without sacrificing peanut yields.
  • Authors:
    • Sousa, D. M. G. de
    • Rein, T. A.
  • Source: Informações Agronômicas
  • Issue: 126
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Soyabean monoculture with inadequate agricultural practices has resulted in losses of soil organic matter in the Brazilian cerrado, especially in sandy soils. This has led to erosion, reduced cation exchange capacity and water storage, and diminished fertilizer use efficiency. One of the ways of avoiding the loss of soil organic matter is to reduce tillage, as in the system of direct (as opposed to conventional) planting, and the use of this system is growing in the cerrado region. This paper reviews work that has been done on the correction of soil acidity and fertilizing with macronutrients in the direct planting system, both before and after crop establishment. The section on soil acidity discusses both surface (0-20 cm) and subsurface (20-60 cm) acidity, and the effects of correction with limestone or gypsum under conventional and no tillage systems, and on cotton and soyabean yields under a direct planting system. The section on fertilizers looks at the effects of liming, conventional and no tillage systems and dry farming on soil macronutrient content (with particular reference to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and crop yield (with data for maize). Soil organic matter content is also compared under conventional and no tillage systems.
  • Authors:
    • Catania, C. D.
    • Parera, C. A.
    • Monte, R. F. del
    • Uliarte, E. M.
    • Monte, M. S. A. de del
  • Source: Bulletin de l'OIV
  • Volume: 82
  • Issue: 938/939/940
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: The aim of this work was to assess the effects of a cover crop, on the vegetative growth and production of grapevine. Three permanent cover crops: Agropyron elongatum (Host) Beauv. (tall wheatgrass), Trifolium pratense L. (red clover), the association Secale cereale L. - Bromus catharticus Vahl (cereal rye-rescuegrass) and two annual species: Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf (Sudangrass), X Triticosecale Wittmack (triticosecale) were compared, with respect to no till soil management by herbicides application. The study was developed in a cv. Malbec vineyard with surface irrigation and in a vertical shoot positioning trellis system, located in Mendoza, Argentina. Parameters related to vegetative expression, grape production and its oenological potential were determined. Permanent covers of red clover, tall wheatgrass and the mixture cereal rye-rescuegrass restricted grapevine vigour compared to open soil (control), diminishing shoot growth, size of leaves and pruning weight. A lower yield production was also observed, with smaller clusters and a reduction of clusters per vine; with greater amounts of total anthocyanins and polyphenols. Permanent cover crops decreased titratable acidity and free amino nitrogen in the must; which slightly delayed alcoholic fermentation, although without stuck fermentation. In the wine tasting evaluation, wines coming from the three treatments with permanent cover crops were preferred by tasters and they appear with greater varietals authenticity. The introduction of a permanent cover crop reduced vegetative growth and yields of the grapevine, modifying the balance vigour/production of the vineyard, and therefore the composition of grapes and wine, without the need to conduct specific cultural operations.
  • Authors:
    • Gomes, A. da S.
    • Vernetti Junior, F. de J.
    • Schuch, L. O. B.
  • Source: Revista Brasileira de Agrociencia
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue: 1/4
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, there are 5,5 million ha of tilled plain soils that have been partly cropped with irrigated rice ( Oryza sativa L.), the remainder area lodging extensive beef cattle raising. This research was undertaken aiming chiefly to identify one or more technical solutions to the agribusiness associated with the agro-ecosystem of the "Temperate Climate region". The work was carried out at experimental area of Lowland Agricultural Research Station of Embrapa Temperate Climate (31degrees 52′S; 52degrees 21′24W), Brazil. The experiment was planned in a split-plot randomized blocks design with three replications and performed along ten years. The treatments were successive winter and spring-summer crops growing during five years, followed by two years of no-cropping and then three years of irrigated rice crop growing. The spring-summer crops were corn and soybean, besides rice; the winter crops were poaceae (Ps), fabaceae (Fs), species mixtures (Ms), turnip (T) and native grass species (NG). Seeding was performed either by no-ploughing (PD) or conventional (SC). Grain and dry-matter yields were estimated and evaluated. The evaluations were performed by analysis of variance (F and Duncan tests). The results allowed the following conclusions: (1) Ps and Fs had the highest yields; (2) corn yields were higher when its crop followed Fs species and/or Ms; (3) corn crop in tiled plains shows better performance when planted in no-plow; (4) soybean crop following Ps performed better than following Fs; (5) no-plough favors the soybean crop in tilled plains; (6) irrigated rice yields are higher succeeding the corn crop.
  • Authors:
    • Wuest, S. B.
    • Siemens, M. C.
    • Gollany, H. T.
    • Williams, J. D.
    • Long, D. S.
  • Source: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
  • Volume: 64
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Conservation tillage systems that reduce Soil erosion and maintain or increase soil carbon offer long-term benefits for producers in the inland Pacific Northwestern United States but Could result in reduced grain yields due to increased pressure from weeds, disease, and insect pests. Our objective was to compare runoff, soil erosion, and crop yields from a conventional tillage, wheat-fallow two-year rotation and a no-till four-year rotation. The experiment was undertaken within a small,watershed to provide results that would be representative of conservation effectiveness at the field scale. Two neighboring drainages, 5.8 and 10.7 ha (14 and 26 ac), in the 340 mm y(-1) (13.4 in yr(-1)) precipitation zone of northeastern Oregon, were instrumented to record rainfall, runoff, and erosion over a four-year period (2001 through 2004). One drainage was cropped to a winter wheat-fallow rotation and received inversion tillage (tillage fallow). The second drainage was cropped in a four-year no-till rotation: winter wheat-chemical fallow-winter wheat-chickpea (no-till Fallow). We recorded 13 runoff events from the inversion tillage system and 3 from the no-till system. Total runoff and erosion values from inversion tillage drainage were 5.1 mm (0.20 in) and 0.42 Mg ha(-1) (0.19 tn ac(-1)) versus 0.7 mm (0.03 in) and 0.01 Mg ha(-1) (<0.005 in ac(-1)) from no-till drainage. The no-till rotation was substantially more effective in conserving soil and water in this field-scale comparison. Soil erosion observed in this research is a fraction of that reported for similar tillage practices outside of the Pacific Northwestern. Mean wheat yields did not significantly differ between inversion tillage and no-till treatment despite intensifying the rotation by replacing one year of fallow with a chickpea crop in the four-year rotation. Because of high year-to-year variability in yield and limited sample size, more study is needed to compare winter wheat yields in no-till production systems with inversion tillage. The no-till cropping system was more e effective in reducing runoff and soil erosion and provides producers with an ability to protect soil and water resources in the dryland Pacific Northwest.
  • 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:
    • Dieckow, J.
    • Pelissari, A.
    • Veiga, M.
    • Moraes, A.
    • Balbinot Junior, A.
    • Carvalho, P.
  • Source: Ciencia Rural
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 8
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: Soil use and management during the winter can affect soil physical properties, reminiscent straw and performance of the crop cultivated in succession. The effect of winter soil use on these variables, cultivating black bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris) under no tillage system in summer, was investigated. Three experiments were carried out in the North Plateau of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, during 2007/08 crop season, with five strategies of soil use during the winter: (1) multicropping with black oat+ryegrass+commom vetch+arrow leaf clover ( Trifolium vesiculosum) without grazing and N application (multicropping cover); (2) the same multicropping, with grazing and 100 kg N ha -1 application (pasture with N); (3) the same multicropping, with grazing and without N application (pasture without N); (4) oil seed radish, without grazing and N application (oil seed radish); and (5) natural vegetation, without grazing and N application (fallow). The highest straw dry mass was verified in multicropping cover, but the strategies of winter soil use did not affect significantly the soil bulk density and macroporosity. The soil use with winter annual pasture in crop-livestock system, cover crops and fallow did not affect the black bean performance in succession, under no tillage system.
  • Authors:
    • Comin, J. J.
    • Lovato, P. E.
    • Bittencourt, H. von H.
    • Lana, M. A.
    • Altieri, M. A.
  • Source: ACTA SCIENTIARUM-AGRONOMY
  • Volume: 31
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: The effect of the winter cover crops rye, oat, ryegrass, vetch and fodder radish (and their mixtures) in no-tillage systems was investigated on soil cover, cover crop biomass and summer weed biomass during the critical competition stage with common bean. Bean yield was also evaluated. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks and four repetitions. The highest soil cover during winter was observed in the treatments rye+vetch, rye+vetch+fodder radish and oat+vetch. The highest values of cover crops biomass production were observed in the treatments rye+vetch+fodder radish. Weed suppression was higher in the ryegrass monoculture and in the rye+vetch+fodder radish association, and there was no correlation between cover crop biomass and summer weed suppression; the best bean yields were achieved with the following treatments: ryegrass in monoculture, oat in monoculture and rye+vetch, producing 1,950, 1,730 e 1,790 kg ha -1 respectively. The monocultures of ryegrass and oat showed the lowest costs with seeds and the highest economic returns.
  • Authors:
    • Mazurana, M.
    • Debiasi, H.
    • Trein, C.
    • Levien, R.
    • Conte, O.
  • Source: Ciencia Rural
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: This study evaluates the effect of machine traffic, soil mobilization, soil cover by crop residues and water supply on corn under no tillage on a Paleudult. Machine traffic intensity, working depth of driller shank furrow opener for fertilizer deposition and amount of residues covering the soil surface, with and without irrigation, were evaluated. The experimental design used was split plot, with 36 plots being 18 with irrigation and 18 without irrigation. The treatments were quantities (0, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 Mg ha -1) of black oats ( Avena strigosa) and vetch ( Vicia sativa) residues, two driller shank depths for fertilizer deposition (6 and 12 cm) and traffic machine conditions (tractor and combine) in a triple factorial design with three replicates. Corn was sowed in 12/10/2005, using 62.000 seeds per hectare. A basal dressing of NPK 5-20-20 was applied at a rate of 400 kg ha -1. Two top dressing nitrogen applications were performed, totalizing 180 kg ha -1 of N. Corn grain yield, plant population and root dry matter were evaluated. Corn yield and plant population were influenced by presence or absence of irrigation. None of the above parameters were modified by working depth of driller shank furrow opener for fertilizer deposition. Wheel traffic conditions affected corn yield and plant population.