Long-term effects of lime and phosphogypsum application on tropical no-till soybean–oat–sorghum rotation and soil chemical properties

Root growth, nutrition and crop yield can be affected by soil chemical modifications caused by superficial limestone and phosphogypsum application in a no-till system. Using this approach, this study was conducted in southeastern Brazil, continuing an experiment that has been on-going since 2002 with the objective of evaluating the residual effects of the surface application of lime and phosphogypsum on the soil chemical characteristics and the root growth, nutrition and yield of soybean, black oat and sorghum in a dry winter region cultivated in 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. The experimental design was a randomized block with 4 replications. The treatments were applied in November 2004 and were as follows: original conditions, limestone application (2000 kg ha⁻¹), phosphogypsum application (2100 kg ha⁻¹), and limestone (2000 kg ha⁻¹) + phosphogypsum (2100 kg ha⁻¹) application. Superficial liming with or without phosphogypsum reduced the surface and subsurface soil acidity 5 years after application in the no-till system. The movement of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ from the surface layer into the subsoil over time was evident. The phosphogypsum application associated with liming increased the Ca²⁺ levels throughout the soil profile. Liming maintained high levels of Mg²⁺ throughout the soil profile with or without phosphogypsum application. The organic matter content increased with liming with or without phosphogypsum, indicating that in the long term, these practices can increase the C accumulation. Phosphogypsum application had a residual effect on the SO₄-S levels, and high sulphate concentrations were observed in the subsoil after 5 years. Superficial liming improved crop nutrition and, when associated with phosphogypsum, increased Ca absorption by soybean and sorghum, as reflected in the increased yields of these crops.     

Intercropping soybean and palisade grass for enhanced land use efficiency and revenue in a no till system

Integrated no-till crop and livestock production systems may help rejuvenate degraded pastures, increase land use efficiency (LUE), and increase enterprise revenue. Our objectives were to evaluate: (1) planting date effects on seed yield and nutrient concentration of an early-maturing, no-till system (NTS) soybean (Glycine max) when intercropped with palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha); (2) dry matter production and protein concentration of the grass pasture after soybean harvest; and (3) overall revenue and LUE for the intercrop system. Experiments were performed during two growing seasons in Botucatu, Brazil using a randomized complete block experimental design. When palisade grass and soybean were sown simultaneously, soybean yield averaged 3.28 Mg ha⁻¹. Similar seed yields were observed when palisade grass was planted either 30 d after soybean emergence (DAE) (3.29 Mg ha⁻¹) or at the soybean reproductive stage R6 (full seed) (3.50 Mg ha⁻¹). Monocrop soybean yield averaged 3.50 Mg ha⁻¹. First cut dry matter forage production was greater when palisade grass was sown at the same time as soybean or 30 DAE of soybean. This indicates that interseeding palisade grass with soybean does not significantly affect soybean nutrition or yield. Intercropping did increase LUE and resulted in 1.6 times more revenue than soybean alone. However, sowing palisade grass at the soybean reproductive stage R6 (full seed) significantly reduced the forage yield compared to early planting.     

White lupine as a beneficial crop in Southern Europe. II. Nitrogen recovery in a legume–oat rotation and a continuous oat–oat

One experiment lasting for two years was carried out at Pegões (central Portugal) to estimate the impact of mature white lupine residue (Lupinus albus L.) on yield of fodder oat (Avena sativa L. cv. Sta. Eulalia) as the next crop in rotation, comparing with the continuous cultivation of cereal, under two tillage practices (conventional tillage and no-till) and fertilized with five mineral nitrogen (N) rates, with three replicates. Oat as a first crop in the rotation provided more N to the agro-ecosystem (63 kg N ha⁻¹) than did lupine (30–59 kg N ha⁻¹). This was at a cost of 100 kg of mineral N ha⁻¹, whereas lupine was grown without addition of N. A positive response of oat as a second crop was obtained per kg of lupine-N added to the system when compared with the continuous oat–oat. The cereal also responded positively to mineral N in the legume amended soil in contrast with the oat–oat sequence where no response was observed, partly due to the fast mineralization rate of lupine residue and a greater soil N immobilization in the continuous oat system. Each kg N ha⁻¹ added to the soil through the application of 73 kg DM ha⁻¹ mature lupine residue (above- and belowground material) increased by 72 kg DM ha⁻¹ the oat biomass produced as the second crop in rotation when 150 kg mineral N ha⁻¹ were split in the season, independent of tillage practice. Mature legume residue conserved in the no-tilled soil depressed the yield of succeeding cereal but less than the continuous oat–oat for both tillage practices, where the application of mineral N did not improve the crop response.     

The intercropping common bean with maize improves the rhizobial efficiency,resource use and grain yield under low phosphorus availability

In order to better understand how mixed crop cultures mitigate stressful conditions, this study aims to highlight the beneficial effect of the intercropping legume-cereal in enhancing soil phosphorus (P) availability for plant growth and productivity in a P-deficient soil of a northern Algerian agroecosystem. To address this question, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. El Djadida) and maize (Zea mays L. cv. Filou), were grown as sole- and inter-crops in two experimental sites; S1 (P-deficient) and S2 (P-sufficient) during two growing seasons (2011 and 2012). Growth, nodulation and grain yield were assessed and correlated with the rhizosphere soil P availability. Results showed that P availability significantly increased in the rhizosphere of both species, especially in intercropping under the P-deficient soil conditions. This increase was associated with high efficiency in use of the rhizobial symbiosis (high correlation between plant biomass and nodulation), plant growth and resource (nitrogen (N) and P) use efficiency as indicated by higher land equivalent ratio (LER > 1) and N nutrition index (for maize) in intercropping over sole cropping treatments. Moreover, the rhizosphere P availability and nodule biomass were positively correlated (r² = 0.71, p < 0.01 and r² = 0.62, p < 0.01) in the intercropped common bean grown in the P-deficient soil during 2011 and 2012. The increased P availability presumably improved biomass and grain yield in intercropping, though it mainly enhanced grain yield in intercropped maize. Our findings suggest that modification in the intercropped common bean rhizosphere-induced parameters facilitated P uptake, plant biomass and grain yield for the intercropped maize under P-deficiency conditions.     

Tillage,cover crops,and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil nitrogen and cotton and sorghum yields

Sustainable soil and crop management practices that reduce soil erosion and nitrogen (N) leaching, conserve soil organic matter, and optimize cotton and sorghum yields still remain a challenge. We examined the influence of three tillage practices (no-till, strip till and chisel till), four cover crops {legume [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth)], nonlegume [rye (Secaele cereale L.)], vetch/rye biculture and winter weeds or no cover crop}, and three N fertilization rates (0, 60–65 and 120–130 kg N ha⁻¹) on soil inorganic N content at the 0–30 cm depth and yields and N uptake of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. A field experiment was conducted on Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic, Plinthic Paleudults) from 1999 to 2002 in Georgia, USA. Nitrogen supplied by cover crops was greater with vetch and vetch/rye biculture than with rye and weeds. Soil inorganic N at the 0–10 and 10–30 cm depths increased with increasing N rate and were greater with vetch than with rye and weeds in April 2000 and 2002. Inorganic N at 0–10 cm was also greater with vetch than with rye in no-till, greater with vetch/rye than with rye and weeds in strip till, and greater with vetch than with rye and weeds in chisel till. In 2000, cotton lint yield and N uptake were greater in no-till with rye or 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in other treatments, but biomass (stems + leaves) yield and N uptake were greater with vetch and vetch/rye than with rye or weeds, and greater with 60 and 120 than with 0 kg N ha⁻¹. In 2001, sorghum grain yield, biomass yield, and N uptake were greater in strip till and chisel till than in no-till, and greater in vetch and vetch/rye with or without N than in rye and weeds with 0 or 65 kg N ha⁻¹. In 2002, cotton lint yield and N uptake were greater in chisel till, rye and weeds with 0 or 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in other treatments, but biomass N uptake was greater in vetch/rye with 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in rye and weeds with 0 or 60 kg N ha⁻¹. Increased N supplied by hairy vetch or 120–130 kg N ha⁻¹ increased soil N availability, sorghum grain yield, cotton and sorghum biomass yields, and N uptake but decreased cotton lint yield and lint N uptake compared with rye, weeds or 0 kg N ha⁻¹. Cotton and sorghum yields and N uptake can be optimized and potentials for soil erosion and N leaching can be reduced by using conservation tillage, such as no-till or strip till, with vetch/rye biculture cover crop and 60–65 kg N ha⁻¹. The results can be applied in regions where cover crops can be grown in the winter to reduce soil erosion and N leaching and where tillage intensity and N fertilization rates can be minimized to reduce the costs of energy requirement for tillage and N fertilization while optimizing crop production.     

Sorghum grain yield,forage biomass production and revenue as affected by intercropping time

Sorghum is an excellent alternative to other grains in poor soil where corn does not develop very well, as well as in regions with warm and dry winters. Intercropping sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] with forage crops, such as palisade grass [Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich) Stapf] or guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.), provides large amounts of biomass for use as straw in no-tillage systems or as pasture. However, it is important to determine the appropriate time at which these forage crops have to be sown into sorghum systems to avoid reductions in both sorghum and forage production and to maximize the revenue of the cropping system. This study, conducted for three growing seasons at Botucatu in the State of São Paulo in Brazil, evaluated how nutrient concentration, yield components, sorghum grain yield, revenue, and forage crop dry matter production were affected by the timing of forage intercropping. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design. Intercropping systems were not found to cause reductions in the nutrient concentration in sorghum plants. The number of panicles per unit area of sorghum alone (133,600), intercropped sorghum and palisade grass (133,300) and intercropped sorghum and guinea grass (134,300) corresponded to sorghum grain yields of 5439, 5436 and 5566 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. However, the number of panicles per unit area of intercropped sorghum and palisade grass (144,700) and intercropped sorghum and guinea grass (145,000) with topdressing of fertilizers for the sorghum resulted in the highest sorghum grain yields (6238 and 6127 kg ha⁻¹ for intercropping with palisade grass and guinea grass, respectively). Forage production (8112, 10,972 and 13,193 Mg ha⁻¹ for the first, second and third cuts, respectively) was highest when sorghum and guinea grass were intercropped. The timing of intercropping is an important factor in sorghum grain yield and forage production. Palisade grass or guinea grass must be intercropped with sorghum with topdressing fertilization to achieve the highest sorghum grain yield, but this significantly reduces the forage production. Intercropping sorghum with guinea grass sown simultaneously yielded the highest revenue per ha (€ 1074.4), which was 2.4 times greater than the revenue achieved by sowing sorghum only.     

Management targets for continuously stocked mixed oat × annual ryegrass pasture in a no-till integrated crop–livestock system

Feeding livestock with cover crops can improve the efficiency and sustainability of integrated crop–livestock systems under no-till. However, no-till systems are based on permanent soil cover by organic material, so grazing livestock can compete for soil cover. Hence, managing stocking rates during the grazing period of the cultivated forage species is a key factor to assure enough herbage mass for maintaining long-term sustainable no-till systems. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine sward management targets for a continuously stocked mixed oat (Avena strigosa) × annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) pasture in rotation with soybean in a no-till integrated crop–livestock system to determine the optimum balance between animal production and herbage mass for soil cover. The effects of sward height management on animal performance and herbage mass covers were evaluated. Treatments corresponded to four sward heights: 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm, maintained throughout the experimental period through continuous stocking and variable stocking rate, plus a no-grazing control area. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Herbage mass and animal performance increased linearly with sward height, but weight gain per hectare decreased. Grazing efficiency fitted to a quadratic regression and conversion efficiency a logarithmic model. Equilibrium between grazing and conversion efficiencies was reached on swards managed at 20 cm, indicating that this sward height provided enough herbage mass to allow both animal performance and no-till crop demand for soil cover.     

Winter cereal yields as affected by animal manure and green manure in organic arable farming

The effect of nitrogen (N) supply through animal and green manures on grain yield of winter wheat and winter rye was investigated from 1997 to 2004 in an organic farming crop rotation experiment in Denmark on three different soil types varying from coarse sand to sandy loam. Two experimental factors were included in the experiment in a factorial design: (1) catch crop (with and without), and (2) manure (with and without). The four-course crop rotation was spring barley undersown with grass/clover – grass/clover – winter wheat or wheat rye – pulse crop. All cuttings of the grass–clover were left on the soil as mulch. Animal manure was applied as slurry to the cereal crops in the rotation in rates corresponding to 40% of the N demand of the cereal crops.Application of 50 kg NH₄–N ha^?1 in manure increased average wheat grain yield by 0.4–0.9 Mg DM ha^?1, whereas the use of catch crops did not significantly affect yield. The use of catch crops interacts with other management factors, including row spacing and weed control, and this may have contributed to the negligible effects of catch crops. There was considerable variation in the amount of N (100–600 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) accumulated in the mulched grass–clover cuttings prior to ploughing and sowing of the winter wheat. This was reflected in grain yield and grain N uptake. Manure application to the cereals in the rotation reduced N accumulation in grass–clover at two of the locations, and this was estimated to have reduced grain yields by 0.1–0.2 Mg DM ha^?1 depending on site. Model estimations showed that the average yield reduction from weeds varied from 0.1 to 0.2 Mg DM ha^?1. The weed infestation was larger in the manure treatments, and this was estimated to have reduced the yield benefit of manure application by up to 0.1 Mg DM ha^?1. Adjusting for these model-estimated side-effects resulted in wheat grain yields gains from manure application of 0.7–1.1 Mg DM ha^?1.The apparent recovery efficiency of N in grains (N use efficiency, NUE) from NH₄–N in applied manure varied from 23% to 44%. The NUE in the winter cereals of N accumulated in grass–clover cuttings varied from 14% to 39% with the lowest value on the coarse sandy soil, most likely due to high rates of N leaching at this location. Both NUE and grain yield benefit in the winter cereals declined with increasing amounts of N accumulated in the grass–clover cuttings. The model-estimated benefit of increasing N input in grass–clover from 100 to 500 kg N ha^?1 varied from 0.8 to 2.0 Mg DM ha^?1 between locations. This is a considerably smaller yield increase than obtained for manure application, and it suggests that the productivity in this system may be improved by removing the cuttings and applying the material to the cereals in the rotation, possibly after digestion in a biogas reactor.Cereal grain protein content was increased more by the N in the grass–clover than from manure application, probably due to different timing of N availability. Green-manure crops or manures with a relatively wide C:N ratio may therefore be critical for ensuring sufficiently high protein contents in high yielding winter wheat for bread making.     

Long term effects of tillage practices and N fertilization in rainfed Mediterranean cropping systems: durum wheat,sunflower and maize grain yield

Long term investigations on the combined effects of tillage systems and other agronomic practices such as mineral N fertilization under Mediterranean conditions on durum wheat are very scanty and findings are often contradictory. Moreover, no studies are available on the long term effect of the adoption of conservation tillage on grain yield of maize and sunflower grown in rotation with durum wheat under rainfed Mediterranean conditions. This paper reports the results of a 20-years experiment on a durum wheat-sunflower (7 years) and durum wheat–maize (13 years) two-year rotation, whose main objective was to quantify the long term effects of different tillage practices (CT = conventional tillage; MT = minimum tillage; NT = no tillage) combined with different nitrogen fertilizer rates (N0, N1, N2 corresponding to 0, 45 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ for sunflower, and 0, 90 and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ for wheat and maize) on grain yield, yield components and yield stability for the three crops. In addition, the influence of meteorological factors on the interannual variability of studied variables was also assessed. For durum wheat, NT did not allow substantial yield benefits leading to comparable yields with respect to CT in ten out of twenty years. For both sunflower and maize, NT under rainfed conditions was not a viable options, because of the unsuitable (i.e., too wet) soil conditions of the clayish soil at sowing. Both spring crops performed well with MT. No significant N × tillage interaction was found for the three crops. As expected, the response of durum wheat and maize grain yield to N was remarkable, while sunflower grain yield was not significantly influenced by N rate. Wheat yield was constrained by high temperatures in January during tillering and drought in April during heading. The interannual yield variability of sunflower was mainly associated to soil water deficit at flowering and air temperature during seed filling. Heavy rains during this latter phase strongly constrained sunflower grain yield. Maize grain yield was negatively affected by high temperatures in June and drought in July, this latter factor was particularly important in the fertilized maize. Considering both yield and yield stability, durum wheat and sunflower performed better under MT and N1 while maize performed better under both CT and MT and with N2 rates. The results of this long term study are suitable for supporting policies on sustainable Mediterranean rainfed cropping systems and also for cropping system modelling.     

Maize response to broadcast flaming at different growth stages: Effects on growth,yield and yield components

Weed management is a major constraint in organic crop production. Propane flaming could be an additional tool for weed control in organic maize (Zea mays L.) production. However, tolerance of maize to broadcast flaming must be determined first to optimize the use of propane. Field experiments were conducted at the Haskell Agricultural Laboratory of the University of Nebraska, Concord, NE in 2008 and 2009 to determine maize response to five propane doses applied at three growth stages of V2 (2-leaf), V5 (5-leaf) and V7 (7-leaf). The propane doses tested were 0, 13, 24, 44 and 85 kg ha^?1. Flaming treatments were applied utilizing a custom built research flamer mounted on the back of a four-wheeler moving at a constant speed of 6.4 km h^?1. The response of maize to propane flaming was evaluated in terms of visual crop injury (1, 7, 14 and 28 days after treatment—DAT), effects on dry matter (14 DAT), yield components (plants m^?2, ears plant^?1, kernels cob^?1 and 1000-kernel weight) and grain yield. The response of different growth stages of maize to propane doses was described by log–logistic models. Overall, maize response to broadcast flaming varied among growth stages and propane doses. In general, maize at V5 was the most tolerant stage for broadcast flaming, whereas V2 stage was the most susceptible to flaming resulting in the highest visual crop injury ratings, dry matter reductions and the largest loss of yield and its components. At 28 DAT, the maximum visual crop injury rating of 7% was estimated for flaming done at V5 stage compared to significantly higher injuries of 43% and 12% for V2 and V7 growth stages, respectively. An arbitrarily assigned 2.5% yield reduction was evident with 33, 16 and 11 kg ha^?1 of propane for V5, V2 and V7 growth stages, respectively, suggesting that maize flamed at V5 stage can tolerate higher dose of propane for the same yield reduction compared to other growth stages. Moreover, the maximum yield reductions with the highest propane dose of 85 kg ha^?1 were 3% for V5, 11% for V7 and 17% for V2 stage. Based on these results, flaming has a potential to be used effectively in organic maize production when conducted properly at V5 stage. However, there are both benefits and concerns associated with the use of flame weeding. The preservation of the soil from erosion and the protection of the surface and underground water from chemical pollution can be seen as benefits, while the concerns include higher energy use, and the release of greenhouse gasses.     

Effect of tire rubber ash and zinc sulfate on yield and grain zinc and cadmium concentrations of different zinc-deficiency tolerance wheat cultivars under field conditions

The aims of these field experiments were to investigate the effectiveness of soil application of rubber tire ash in comparison with soil and foliar applications of zinc (Zn) sulfate to increase Zn and decrease cadmium (Cd) concentrations in wheat grain. A two-year field experiment was conducted during the 2007–2008 and 2007–2008 growing seasons at Isfahan research field, Iran. Ten different Zn-efficiency bread wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) commonly cultivated in different parts of Iran were subjected to no Zn fertilizer addition (control), soil application of 40 kg ha⁻¹ ZnSO₄, soil application of 100 (for the first year) and 250 (for the second year) kg ha⁻¹ waste rubber tire ash, foliar application of Zn at the mid tillering stage, and foliar application of Zn at the early anthesis stage. In the foliar application, ZnSO₄ was sprayed at a rate of 0.66 kg Zn/ha. Foliar spray of zinc sulfate at early anthesis, in general, had no significant effect on the yield and grain Cd while significantly increased grain Zn concentrations of most cultivars. On average, the foliar Zn treatment at the mid tillering stage (0.66 kg Zn/ha), decreased the mean grain Cd concentration from 0.032 mg kg⁻¹ in the control treatment to 0.024 mg kg⁻¹. While the grain Zn concentrations of some cultivars increased with soil application of Zn sulfate, they were not affected or even decreased in other cultivars. For most studied wheat cultivars, pre-planting application of rubber tire ash in soil resulted in a significant decrease of grain Cd concentrations. The results show that the effectiveness of soil and foliar application of Zn on yield and grain Zn and Cd concentrations greatly depends on the cultivar. The currently recommended rates of soil applications of Zn to ameliorate Zn deficiency are sufficient to increase grain Zn and decrease grain Cd concentrations in some wheat cultivars, while they do not in the others. In this study, soil application of 250 kg rubber tire ash/ha and foliar spray of 0.66 kg Zn/ha at tillering stage were the most effective treatments to ameliorate Zn deficiency and to increase Zn and decrease Cd concentration in grains of most wheat cultivars.     

Performance and application of the APSIM Nwheat model in the Netherlands

APSIM Nwheat is a crop system simulation model, consisting of modules that incorporate aspects of soil water, nitrogen (N), crop residues, and crop growth and development. The model was applied to simulate above- and below-ground growth, grain yield, water and N uptake, and soil water and soil N of wheat crops in the Netherlands. Model outputs were compared with detailed measurements of field experiments from three locations with two different soil types. The experiments covered two seasons and a range of N-fertiliser applications. The overall APSIM Nwheat model simulations of soil mineral N, N uptake, shoot growth, phenology, kernels m⁻², specific grain weight and grain N were acceptable. Grain yields (dry weight) and grain protein concentrations were well simulated with a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.8 t ha⁻¹ and 1.6 protein%, respectively. Additionally, the model simulations were compared with grain yields from a long-term winter wheat experiment with different N applications, two additional N experiments and regional grain yield records. The model reproduced the general effects of N treatments on yields. Simulations showed a good consistency with the higher yields of the long-term experiment, but overpredicted the lower yields. Simulations and earlier regional yields differed, but they showed uniformity for the last decade.In a simulation experiment, the APSIM Nwheat model was used with historical weather data to study the relationship between rate and timing of N fertiliser and grain yield, grain protein and soil residual N. A median grain yield of 4.5 t ha⁻¹ was achieved without applying fertiliser, utilising mineral soil N from previous seasons, from mineralisation and N deposition. Application of N fertiliser in February to increase soil mineral N to 140 kg N ha⁻¹ improved the median yield to 7.8 t ha⁻¹ but had little effect on grain protein concentration with a range of 8–10%. Nitrogen applications at tillering and the beginning of stem elongation further increased grain yield and in particular grain protein, but did not affect soil residual N, except in a year with low rainfall during stem elongation. A late N application at flag leaf stage increased grain protein content by several per cent. This increase had only a small effect on grain yield and did not increase soil residual N with up to 40 kg N ha⁻¹ applied, except when N uptake was limited by low rainfall in the period after the flag leaf stage. The economic and environmental optima in winter wheat were identified with up to 140 kg N ha⁻¹ in February, 90 kg N ha⁻¹ between tillering and beginning of stem elongation and 40 kg N ha⁻¹ at flag leaf stage resulting in a median of 8.5 t ha⁻¹ grain yield, 14.0% grain protein and 13 kg N ha⁻¹ soil residual N after the harvest. The maximum simulated yield with maximum N input from two locations in the Netherlands was 9.9 t ha⁻¹.     

Attainable yield achieved for plastic film-mulched maize in response to nitrogen deficit

Nitrogen (N) stress limits the yields of maize (Zea mays L.) that have been plastic film-mulched in northwest China. Using the tested Hybrid-Maize simulation model, which was combined with field experiments using four levels of N fertilisers (0, 100, 250 and 400 kg N ha⁻¹), we aimed to understand the variability of the attainable yield in response to N stress under plastic film mulching. We show that the application of N250 or N400 results in 100% simulated potential LAI, which is, thus, close to 100% of the simulated potential of both biomass and grain yield. However, N stress treatments significantly decreased the biomass and grain yields, achieving only 40–50% of the simulated potential (N0 treatment) and 70–80% of the simulated potential (N100 treatment). Growth dynamic measurements showed that N stress significantly decreased the LAI, delaying the source capacity growth (canopies) around the silking stage and resulting in lower final kernel numbers. The lower LAI resulted in decreased dry matter accumulation and allocation during the reproductive stage; this decrease led to a decrease in the kernel growth rate and in the grain filling duration, which resulted in a significantly lower kernel weight. This knowledge could be helpful for the optimisation of N management to close the yield gaps of dryland maize in semi-arid monsoon climate regions.     

Organic fertilizer effects on growth,crop yield,and soil microbial biomass indices in sole and intercropped peas and oats under organic farming conditions

In a field experiment, peas (Pisum sativum L.) and oats (Avena sativa L.) were grown as sole crops and intercrops, fertilized with horse manure and yard-waste compost derived from shrub and garden cuttings at 10 t C ha⁻¹ each. The objectives were to compare the effects of these organic fertilizer and cropping system in organic farming on (a) yield of peas and oats, grown as the sole crop or intercropped, as well as N₂ fixation and photosynthetic rates, (b) the yield of wheat as a succeeding crop, (c) microbial biomass indices in soil and roots, and (d) microbial activity estimated by the CO₂ evolution rate in the field and the amount of organic fertilizers, recovered as particulate organic matter (POM). In general, organic fertilizer application improved nodule dry weight (DW), photosynthetic rates, N₂ fixation, and N accumulation of peas as well as N concentration in oat grain. Averaged across fertilizer treatments, pea/oat intercropping significantly decreased nodule DW, N₂ fixation and photosynthetic rate of peas by 14, 17, and 12%, respectively, and significantly increased the photosynthetic rate of oats by 20%. However, the land equivalent ratio (LER) of intercropped peas and oats exceeded 1.0, indicating a yield advantage over sole cropping. Soil microbial biomass was positively correlated with pea dry matter yields both in sole and intercropped systems. Organic fertilizers increased the contents of microbial biomass C, N, P, and fungal ergosterol in soil and CO₂ production, whereas the cropping system had no effects on these microbial indices. According to the organic fertilizer recovered as POM, 70% (manure) and 64% (compost) of added C were decomposed, but only 39% (manure) and 13% (compost) could be attributed to CO₂–C during a 101-day period. This indicated that horse manure was more readily available to soil microorganisms than compost, leading to increased grain yields of the succeeding winter wheat.     

Interaction of deep placed controlled-release urea and water retention agent on nitrogen and water use and maize yield

Controlled-release urea has been widely adopted to increase nitrogen (N) use efficiency and crop production, and these effects can range widely depending on water availability in soil. However, limited information is available on the interaction of controlled-release urea placement depth with water retention agent (WRA) on N and water use and the yield of crops. The objectives of this study were to assess the consequences of this interaction on N and water use and the maize (Zea mays L.) yield by a split-plot design with WRA as the main plots and five application methods of urea as sub-plots. The five application methods consisted of inter-row side dressing of conventional urea at 5 cm and 10 cm depths, inter-row side dressing of controlled-release urea at 5 cm and 10 cm depths, and deep placement of the controlled-release urea at a 15 cm depth. Soil water stocks, dry matter accumulation, 1000-grain weight, grain-filling rate, N and water use efficiencies, and economic benefits were evaluated. The results revealed that the year, WRA, urea, and their interactions had significant effects on N and water use efficiencies, yield and benefits. When controlled-release urea was placed deep, soil water stocks were higher from the male tetrad stage to maturity and evapotranspiration (ETα) increased. Deep placement of controlled-release urea at a 15 cm depth without WRA enhanced the agronomic efficiency of N and water. The yield and net income were increased compared with controlled-release urea at a 5 cm depth. The combination of WRA and deep placement of controlled-release urea at a 15 cm depth had a significant effect on water use efficiency. However, this combination had no significant effects on N use efficiency, yield and benefits. WRA used with conventional urea can maintain higher soil water stocks, and increase the dry matter production, grain-filling rate, N and water use efficiencies. The differences were more significant during the dry season. Conventional urea at a 10 cm depth with WRA enhanced N and water use efficiencies, yield and net income by 6.5, 3.2, 6.5 and 4.2% respectively when compared with conventional urea without WRA. Thus, the best solution to obtain higher yield, water and N use efficiencies, and net income is placing controlled-release urea at 15-cm depth without WRA. When controlled-release urea is not available, placing conventional urea at a 10-cm depth combined with WRA is an interesting alternative for farmers.     

Evaluation of monocropped and intercropped grain legumes for cover cropping in no-tillage and reduced tillage organic agriculture

Intensive tillage by means of mouldboard ploughing can be highly effective for weed control in organic farming, but it also carries an elevated risk for rapid humus decomposition and soil erosion. To develop organic systems that are less dependent on tillage, a two-year study at Reinhardtsgrimma and Köllitsch, Germany was conducted to determine whether certain legume cover crops could be equally successfully grown in a no-till compared with a reduced tillage system. The summer annual legumes faba bean (Vicia faba L.), normal leafed field pea (Pisum sativum L.), narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) were examined with and without sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a companion crop for biomass and nitrogen accumulation, symbiotic nitrogen fixation (N₂ fixation) and weed suppression. Total cover crop biomass, shoot N accumulation and N₂ fixation differed with year, location, tillage system and species due to variations in weather, inorganic soil N resources and weed competition. Biomass production reached up to 1.65 and 2.19 Mg ha⁻¹ (both intercropped field peas), and N₂ fixation up to 53.7 and 60.5 kg ha⁻¹ (both common vetches) in the no-till and reduced tillage system, respectively. In the no-till system consistently low sunflower performance compared with the legumes prevented significant intercropping effects. Under central European conditions no-till cover cropping appears to be practicable if weed density is low at seeding. The interactions between year, location, tillage system and species demonstrate the difficulties in cover crop species selection for organic conservation tillage systems.     

Does intercropping enhance yield stability in arable crop production? A meta-analysis

The adverse effects of climate change are significantly decreasing yield levels and yield stability over time in current monocropping systems. Intercropping (IC), i.e. growing more than one species simultaneously in the same field, often increases resource use efficiency and agricultural productivity compared with growing the component crops solely and can enhance yield stability. This meta-analysis of published IC literature quantified and analysed yield stability in IC compared with the respective sole crops, focusing on the effect of intercrop components (e.g. cereal-grain legume, non-cereal-grain legume), experimental patterns (e.g. experiment over years, experiment over locations), IC design (e.g. additive and replacement) and climatic zone (e.g. tropical, subtropical, and temperate). In total, 33 articles were analysed. The coefficient of variation (%CV) of yields was used for assessing yield stability, with lower CV value indicating higher yield stability. The analysis showed that cereal-grain legume IC (CV = 22.1) significantly increased yield stability compared with the respective grain legume sole crops (CV = 31.7). Moreover, compared with the respective cereal and legume sole crops, IC in the cereal-grain legume systems gave higher yield stability than IC in the non-cereal-grain legume systems. Compared with the respective cereal (CV = 25.3) and legume (CV = 30.3) sole crops, IC (CV = 19.1) in a replacement design had significantly (P < 0.05) higher yield stability. Also intercropping in replacement design gave more stable yields than IC in an additive design. In tropical regions, cereal sole crops (CV = 26.3) showed lower yield stability than IC (CV = 17.7) and legume sole crops (CV = 21.7). However, IC in all climatic zones showed higher yield stability than both sole crops. Moreover in our analysis, it was found that a higher yield level provided higher yield stability in crop production. Thus, increasing crop diversification through IC of cereals and grain legumes can enhance yield stability and food security, making an important contribution to eco-functional, ecological or sustainable intensification of global food production.     

Ridge-furrow mulching system in semiarid Kenya: A promising solution to improve soil water availability and maize productivity

In semiarid Kenya, field productivity of maize has been at a low integrity level due to insufficient use of rainwater use. From 2012 to 2013, an innovative ridge-furrow mulching system (RFMs) was tested using local maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid, KCB in KARI-Katumani Farm, Kenya in long and short rainy seasons. Field experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four treatments: 1) RFMs with transparent polyethylene film (RFT), 2) RFMs with black polyethylene film (RFB), 3) RFMs with grass straw mulching (RFS), and 4) RFMs without mulching (CK). Soil moisture & temperature, grain yield, water use and economic benefit were determined and analyzed. The results indicated that both RFT and RFB treatments significantly increased soil water storage amount in the depth of 0–60 cm. Grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in both treatments were increased by 66.5–349.9% and 72.9–382% respectively, compared with those of CK over two growing seasons. In addition, grain yield and WUE in RFS treatment were only increased by from 4.2–127.1% compared with those of CK. Particularly, two types of plastic films displayed different effects on modifying topsoil temperature. Transparent film mulching significantly increased topsoil temperature by 1.3 °C (p < 0.05) higher than CK, to facilitate growth and grain formation in long (but cool) growing season. In contrast, black film mulching lowered soil temperature by 0.3 °C lower than CK in short (but warm) growing season, which led to better soil thermal balance. Overall, RFMs with film mulching could serve as an effective solution to increase maize productivity, and hence a promising strategy to cope with food security under climate change in semiarid Kenya.     

Rice dry matter and nitrogen accumulation,soil mineral N around root and N leaching,with increasing application rates of fertilizer

Rice morphology and N leaching, together with mineral N in the soil and soil solution around root, were determined at different growth stages in a 3-year experiment located in the Taihu Lake region, China. The results showed that the N application rates had little impact on the soil mineral N around root, but increased the dry matter and N accumulation aboveground in the high fertility soil (55.3 mg kg⁻¹ of soil mineral N before rice season in 2008). However, no significant difference in grain yield was observed in all N treatments in these 3 years. Path analysis showed that spikelet per panicle made the greatest direct contribution (0.781) and total contribution (0.309) to grain yield compared to other yield components. And a higher panicle per m² and dry matter accumulation resulted in yield decline later in the season due to a decline in the percentage of filled grains.No significant increases in plant N uptake, regardless of N application rates, were observed at the seedling stage, which indicated that lower N application rates could suffice during the rice early growing stages. Nitrate contents, in spite of high N rates input, in the percolation water were all below 1.0 mg L⁻¹ throughout the rice growing season. The increased N rates showed an increment of total N leaching through the percolation water, but not significant. The cumulative total N leaching only accounted for 1.86–4.96% of N fertilizer input, which suggested the N leaching should not be considered as main pollution resources in paddy filed in summer rice season. However, the evaluation of N leaching in different stages indicated that N leaching at seedling stage was larger in dominant (averaged 39.8% of total N leaching) than other stages. For the lower absorbing ability of rice seedling and more N leaching risk, suggestions on N fertilizer reduction should be made at rice early growing stage in this region.     

Fourteen years of applying zero and conventional tillage,crop rotation and residue management systems and its effect on physical and chemical soil quality

Soil management systems may negatively affect the quality of the soil. Policymakers and farmers need scientific information to make appropriate land management decisions. Conventional (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) are two common soil management systems. Comparative field studies under controlled conditions are required to determine the impact of these systems on soil quality and yields. The research presented studied plant and soil physical and chemical characteristics as affected by different agricultural management practices, i.e. ZT and CT, cropped with continuous wheat or maize in monoculture (M) or in a yearly rotation (R) of these two crops, either with residue retention (+r) or without residues retention (?r), in an experimental field in the Transvolcanic Belt of Mexico after 14 years. The dominant factors defining soil quality were organic C, total N, moisture, aggregate stability, mechanical resistance, pH and EC. The principal component combining the variables organic C, total N, aggregate stability and moisture content showed the highest correlations with final yield (R = 0.85 for wheat and 0.87 for maize).After 14 years of continuous practice, ZTM + r and ZTR + r had the best soil quality and produced the highest wheat and maize yields of average 2001–2004 (6683 and 7672 kg ha^?1 and 5085 and 5667 kg ha^?1, respectively). Removing the residues, i.e. treatments ZTM ? r with maize (average 2001–2004: 1388 kg ha^?1) and ZTR ? r and CTR ? r with wheat (average 2001–2004: 3949 and 5121 kg ha^?1), gave the lowest yields and less favourable soil physical and chemical characteristics compared to the other practices. It was found that zero tillage with residue retention is a feasible management technology for farmers producing maize and wheat in the agro-ecological zone studied, resulting in a better soil quality and higher yields than with the conventional farmer practice (maize monoculture, conventional tillage and residue removal).