Crop stand density enhances competitive ability of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

The aim of the research was to establish weediness, competitive ability and productivity of the crop. The experimental object was agrophytocenoses of spring barley – Hordeum vulgare L. – crop of spring barley ‘Aura’ and unsown soil, and weeds growing in them. The crop was formed sowing 0, 120, 200 and 280 kg ha^?1 (0, 2.7, 4.5 and 6.2 million seeds per ha^?1 respectively) seeds of spring barley ‘Aura’. Spring barley crop was not harrowed and herbicides were not applied. In the field experiment estimates were made of changes of weeds and spring barley inter- and within- species competition optimizing crop density. During three years of field experiment in the crop of spring barley annual weeds prevailed at 88–99%, such as Chenopodium album, Stellaria media, Erysimum cheiranthoides. Perennial weeds formed 1–12% of the crop weeds, such as Sonchus arvensis, Cirsium arvense, Equisetum arvense. General number of weed species in spring barley crops varied from 13 to 21. Weed abundance proportionally declined in the crops of higher density, hence, higher seed rate should be recommended for organic agriculture where weeds are controlled in non-chemical ways. Consistently increasing barley stand density, the competition between species (spring barley with weeds) gradually turned into competition within species (between barley plants) when a higher number of weaker and non-productive stems started forming. Spring barley yield did not significantly depend on the stand density. Increasing stand density enhanced cultivated crop yield to a certain level (200 kg ha^?1), since an increase in spring barley plant number resulted in the reduction in weight per plant and 1000 grain weight, which was compensated by an increase in the number of spring barley plants. Different spring barley density had an essential influence on the chemical composition of weeds which was similar to that of spring barley. Weeds accumulated the greatest amount of crude proteins, crude fat and crude fibre growing without spring barley.     

自生固氮菌的固氮能力及其对春小麦生长发育的影响

为挑选具有高固氮能力的自生固氮菌菌株, 用乙炔还原法对甘肃省春小麦和玉米等非豆科作物根际土壤中分离所得的13株菌进行固氮酶活性测定, 并通过盆栽试验对其进行春小麦肥效试验.结果表明:供试13株自生固氮菌对春小麦籽粒、生物产量及其构成因素均有一定促进作用, N6、N10、N13、N14、N27和N42 6株菌对春小麦产量的促进作用相对较高, 具有一定的应用前景, 有望成为微生物肥料研制的菌种.其中N13对春小麦的增产效果最为明显, 与施同量肥料(1/3N)的对照相比, 籽粒增产66.04%, 生物产量增产54.19%, 穗重增加47.65%, 穗粒数增多37.91%, 千粒重增加20.42%, 株高增加5.16%, 穗长增加21.89%, 且具有较强的固氮能力, 每盆固氮量为212.55 mg, 固氮酶活性也显著高于其他菌株, 达到139.79 nmol(C2H4)·h-1·mL-1.     

Placement of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium fertilizers by drilling in spring barley grown for malt without use of pesticides

Abstract

The increasing consumer demand for food products that are produced without the use of pesticides are reflected in action plans to reduce the use of pesticides in agriculture. Most of the barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) produced is used for pig feed but some is used for malting – the primary step in the production of beer. The effects of fertilizer application method, type and rate on yield and grain quality were investigated in a malting barley crop without the use of pesticides. Twelve treatments where single and multiple nutrient fertilizers were either broadcast or placed in bands by drilling, were compared in a field experiment at two sites in Denmark during 1993–96. Weeds were controlled mechanically in all treatments, and chemical control of foliar fungal diseases and insects was only carried out in two treatments.

The placement of a compound NPK-fertilizer increased the grain yield and the quality parameters grain size and grading when weeds are controlled mechanically by harrowing. The effect of fertilizer placement on grain yield and quality decreased in the order NPK > NP > N>P. Herbicide-free growing of malting barley may be possible using fertilizer placement, but the use of chemical control of foliar fungal diseases and insects may be critical when pests exceed certain thresholds as they significantly reduce grain yield, grain size and grading. The aim of growing malting barley satisfactorily without the use of pesticides was only partly met.     

Starter fertilizer to spring barley and spring wheat in south-east Norway: Effects on growth and nutrient uptake

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out on three representative soils, to evaluate the effect of various starter fertilizers, together with different rates of band placed phosphorus (P), on nutrient uptake and yield of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The starter fertilizers were placed in the immediate vicinity of the seed, while the band placed P was placed at about 5 cm below the seeds and spaced at 25 cm between alternate seed rows. As starter fertilizer, monoammonium phosphate (MAP), calcium nitrate (CAN), ammonium nitrate (AN) and triple superphosphate (P20) were compared. In both species, effects of starter fertilizer on P uptake were most marked early in the growing season. At GS 13 application of 20 kg P ha^?1 as MAP increased the P uptake by 50% in barley and by 35% in wheat, compared to no seed-placed nutrients. For grain, the increase in P content was 8% for both species. The higher P uptake at GS 13 was supported by observations of higher plant vigour in the treatments with either P20 or MAP as starter fertilizer. The use of N only as starter fertilizer did not increase the vigour of the plants. Band placement of P also gave more vigorous plants in spring barley. The grain yield increased on the silty clay loam and on the silt soil when starter fertilizer was applied, especially with the use of MAP. Smaller and non-significant yield differences were found when starter fertilizer was used on the loam soil. No delay or reduction of emergence was observed with starter fertilizer. Therefore, on soils where root growth or nutrient uptake becomes limited during the first weeks after sowing, application of starter fertilizer is recommended in Norway for both spring barley and spring wheat. Crops grown on silty soils seem to have an especially high demand for easily available P given as starter fertilizer.     

Changes in N leaching and crop production as a result of measures to reduce N losses to water in a 6‐yr crop rotation

The effects of various measures introduced to increase nitrogen (N)‐use efficiency and reduce N losses to water in a 6‐yr crop rotation (winter wheat, spring barley, green manure, winter wheat, spring barley, spring oilseed rape) were examined with respect to N leaching, soil mineral N (SMN) accumulation and grain yield. An N‐use efficient system (NUE) with delayed tillage until late autumn and spring, direct drilling of winter wheat, earlier sowing of winter and spring crops and use of a catch crop in winter wheat was compared with a conventional system (CON) in a field experiment with six separately tile‐drained plots in south‐western Sweden during the period 1999–2011 (two crop rotation cycles). Total leaching of NO₃‐N from the NUE system was significantly 46 and 33% lower than in the CON system during the first and second crop rotation cycle, respectively, with the most pronounced differences apparently related to management strategies for winter wheat. Differences in NO₃‐N leaching largely reflected differences in SMN during autumn and winter. There was a tendency for lower yields in the NUE system, probably due to problems with couch grass. Overall, the measures for conserving N, when frequently used within a crop rotation, effectively reduced NO₃ concentrations in drainage water and NO₃‐N leaching losses, without severely affecting yield.     

Cover crop and plant density in seed production of white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

Seed crops of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) are usually established with a cover crop. Provided sufficient light, white clover may compensate for low plant density by stoloniferous growth. Our objectives were (1) to compare spring barley or spring wheat used as cover crops for white clover and (2) to find the optimal seeding rate/row distance for white clover. Seven field trials were conducted in Southeast Norway from 2000 to 2003. Barley was seeded at 360 and 240 seeds m^?2 and wheat at 525 and 350 seeds m^?2. White clover was seeded perpendicularly to the cover crop at 400 seeds m^?2/13 cm row distance or 200 seeds m^?2/26 cm. Results showed that light penetration in spring and early summer was better in wheat than in barley. On average for seven trials, this resulted in 11% higher seed yield after establishment in wheat than in barley. The 33% reduction in cover crop seeding rate had no effect on white clover seed yield for any of the cover crops. Reducing the seeding rate/doubling the row distance of white clover had no effect on seed yield but resulted in slightly earlier maturation of the seed crop.     

Late spring nitrogen applications on wheat on a poorly drained soil

Many of the poorly drained clayey soils of the Mississippi River delta region in Arkansas are used for soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. Oftentimes, excessive rainfall occurs between the last N application and physiological maturity, resulting in soil conditions conducive to denitrification. Studies were conducted in 1989 and 1990 to evaluate late N applications on five wheat cultivars on a Sharkey silty clay (very fine, montmorillonitic, nonacid, thermic, Vertic Haplaquepts) at Keiser, AR. A linear‐move irrigation system was used to maintain excessive soil moisture conditions throughout the spring growing season to best insure denitrification conditions. After the recommended spring N was applied, N as urea was applied at rates of 0, 34, and 68 kg ha^‐1 at growth stage (GS) 9 in 1989 and GS 10 in 1990. Ammonium nitrate was also evaluated at the 34 kg N ha^‐1 rate. Grain yield, yield components, whole‐plant N concentration, grain N content, and whole‐plant N uptake were evaluated. Grain yield increased each year with late N applications. The optimum N rate was 34 kg ha^‐1 with no difference between the N sources, urea and ammonium nitrate. The yield component accounting for this grain yield increase were kernels per spike in 1989 and kernel weight and kernels per spike in 1990. Whole plant N concentration increased each year and grain N content increased in 1990 with the late N application. The N sources affected N nutrition similarly.     

Performance of spring barley varieties and variety mixtures as affected by manure application and their order in an organic crop rotation

Abstract

In order to obtain a high and stable yield of organic spring barley, production should be optimized according to the specific environment. To test the performance of spring barley varieties under varying cropping conditions, a field experiment was carried out in 2003 and 2004 in a six-field mixed organic crop rotation. We investigated the choice of variety, the order in a rotation, and the application of manure (slurry and farmyard manure; 0 to 120 total-N ha^?1) on grain yields of six selected varieties with different characteristics grown in either pure stands or in two spring barley mixtures, each consisting of three varieties.

Average grain yield of the barley varieties varied between 3.3 t DM ha^?1 and 4.1 t DM ha^?1. Grain yields of the two mixtures were 4.0 and 3.6 t DM ha^?1, respectively. The varieties/mixtures interacted with crop order and year. Foliar diseases were more severe in the barley following grass-clover with large annual differences in the individual diseases. Despite different rooting depths and nutrient uptake patterns, there was no interaction between variety/mixture and the manure input regarding grain yield.

In the 1^st year after grass-clover, one of the two mixtures gave higher grain yield than the average yield of the individual varieties in the mixture. This was not the case in the 4^th year after grass-clover and for the second variety mixture. Thus, although the present results did not indicate that some barley varieties were better adapted to conditions with low manure input than others, variety mixtures that give a robust and stable organic production may potentially be developed.     

Crop yield forecasting on the Canadian Prairies using MODIS NDVI data

Although Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) sensor have been extensively used to assess crop condition and yield on the Canadian Prairies and elsewhere, NDVI data derived from the new moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor have so far not been used for crop yield prediction on the Canadian Prairies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using MODIS-NDVI to forecast crop yield on the Canadian Prairies and also to identify the best time for making a reliable crop yield forecast. Growing season (May-August) MODIS 10-day composite NDVI data for the years 2000-2006 were obtained from the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS). Crop yield data (i.e., barley, canola, field peas and spring wheat) for each Census Agricultural Region (CAR) were obtained from Statistics Canada. Correlation and regression analyses were performed using 10-day composite NDVI and running average NDVI for 2, 3 and 4 dekads with the highest correlation coefficients (r) as the independent variables and crop grain yield as the dependent variable. To test the robustness and the ability of the generated regression models to forecast crops grain yield, one year at a time was removed and new regression models were developed, which were then used to predict the grain yield for the missing year. Results showed that MODIS-NDVI data can be used effectively to predict crop yield on the Canadian Prairies. Depending on the agro-climatic zone, the power function models developed for each crop accounted for 48 to 90%, 32 to 82%, 53 to 89% and 47 to 80% of the grain yield variability for barley, canola, field peas and spring wheat, respectively, with the best prediction in the semi-arid zone. Overall (54 out of 84), the % difference of the predicted from the actual grain yield was within ±10%. On the whole, RMSE values ranged from 150 to 654, 108 to 475, 204 to 677 and 104 to 714 kg ha⁻¹ for barley, canola, field peas and spring wheat, respectively. When expressed as percentages of actual yield, the RMSE values ranged from 8 to 25% for barley, 10 to 58% for canola, 10 to 38% for field peas and 6 to 34% for spring wheat. The MAE values followed a similar trend but were slightly lower than the RMSE values. For all the crops, the best time for making grain yield predictions was found to be from the third dekad of June through the third dekad of July in the sub-humid zone and from the first dekad of July through the first dekad of August in both the semi-arid and arid zones. This means that accurate crop grain yield forecasts using the developed regression models can be made one to two months before harvest.     

The influence of variations in soil copper on the yield and nutrition of spinach grown in microplots on two organic soils

Abstract

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Symphony) was grown in spring 1982 in field microplots of an organic soil (site I a mucky peat) containing 81 to 1063 μg Cu.g^‐1 soil, and cv. America of the same crop taken in summer 1982 on a peaty organic soil (site II) varying in Cu content from 13 to 1659 μg.g^‐1. The variations in soil Cu were mainly due to three rates of Cu applications in 1978 at site II and in 1979 at site I. At site I, the diversity in soil‐Cu had no effect on yield or foliar‐Cu levels in the crop. At site II soil‐Cu was positively correlated with yield and foliar Cu; and negatively with leaf Fe due to a dilution effect. Neither soil Cu nor foliar Cu had any significant effect on Mo in leaves at both sites, except that the increase in yield due to the highest level of Cu at site II was accompanied by an increased plant uptake of Mo. Also, foliar Cu was positively correlated with P, Mg and Mn levels in leaves at site I; and foliar Ca, Mg and Mn at site II.

Residual soil Cu up to 1063 μg.g^‐1 in a mucky peat and 16 59 μg.g^‐1 in a peat showed no signs of causing phytotoxocity or significant nutritional imbalance.     

Leaching and plant offtake of N in field pea/cereal cropping sequences with incorporation of 15N-labelled pea harvest residues

Abstract. Field peas (Pisum sativum L.) were grown in sequence with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in large outdoor lysimeters. The pea crop was harvested either in a green immature state or at physiological maturity and residues returned to the lysimeters after pea harvest. After harvest of the pea crop in 1993, pea crop residues (pods and straw) were replaced with corresponding amounts of ¹⁵N‐labelled pea residues grown in an adjacent field plot. Reference lysimeters grew sequences of cereals (spring barley/spring barley and spring barley/winter wheat) with the straw removed. Leaching and crop offtake of ¹⁵N and total N were measured for the following two years. These treatments were tested on two soils: a coarse sand and a sandy loam. Nitrate concentrations were greatest in percolate from lysimeters with immature peas. Peas harvested at maturity also raised the nitrate concentrations above those recorded for continuous cereal growing. The cumulative nitrate loss was 9–12 g NO₃‐N m^–2 after immature peas and 5–7 g NO₃‐N m^–2 after mature peas. Autumn sown winter wheat did not significantly reduce leaching losses after field peas compared with spring sown barley. ¹⁵N derived from above‐ground pea residues accounted for 18–25% of the total nitrate leaching losses after immature peas and 12–17% after mature peas. When compared with leaching losses from the cereals, the extra leaching loss of N from roots and rhizodeposits of mature peas were estimated to be similar to losses of ¹⁵N from the above‐ground pea residues. Only winter wheat yield on the coarse sand was increased by a previous crop of peas compared to wheat following barley. Differences between barley grown after peas and after barley were not statistically significant. ¹⁵N lost by leaching in the first winter after incorporation accounted for 11–19% of ¹⁵N applied in immature pea residues and 10–15% of ¹⁵N in mature residues. Another 2–5% were lost in the second winter. The ¹⁵N recovery in the two crops succeeding the peas was 3–6% in the first crop and 1–3% in the second crop. The winter wheat did not significantly improve the utilization of ¹⁵N from the pea residues compared with spring barley.     

Yields of wheat and soil carbon and nitrogen contents following long-term incorporation of barley straw and ryegrass catch crops

Abstract. Three successive crops of winter wheat were grown on a sandy loam to test the residual effect of long‐term annual incorporation of spring barley straw at rates of 0, 4, 8 and 12 t ha^?1, and ryegrass catch crops with or without additions of pig slurry. Soil receiving 4, 8 and 12 t ha^?1 of straw annually for 18 years contained 12, 21 and 30% more carbon (C), respectively, than soil with straw removal, and soil C and nitrogen (N) contents increased linearly with straw rate. The soil retained 14% of the straw C and 37% of the straw N. Ryegrass catch‐cropping for 10 years also increased soil C and N concentrations, whereas the effect of pig slurry was insignificant. Grain yield in the first wheat crop showed an average dry matter (DM) increase of 0.7 t ha^?1 after treatment with 8 and 12 t straw ha^?1. In the two subsequent wheat crops, grain yield increased by 0.2–0.3 t DM ha^?1 after 8 and 12 t straw ha^?1. No grain yield increases were found after 4 t straw ha^?1 in any of the three years. Previous ryegrass catch crops increased yields of wheat grain, but effects in the third wheat crop were significant only where ryegrass had been combined with pig slurry. Straw incorporation increased the N offtake in the first wheat crop. In the second crop, only 8 and 12 t straw ha^?1 improved wheat N offtake, while the N offtake in the third wheat crop was unaffected. Ryegrass catch crops increased N offtake in the first and second wheat crop. Again, a positive effect in the third crop was seen only when ryegrass was combined with slurry. Long‐term, annual incorporation of straw and ryegrass catch crops provided a clear and relatively persistent increase in soil organic matter levels, whereas the positive effects on the yield of subsequent wheat crops were modest and transient.     

Changes in Grain Production,Mechanisms for Sale of Grain and Possible Effects on Grain Quality in Lithuania in the Period 1990-1999

The main objective was to compare the response of grain yield to fertiliser N in a winter wheat-white clover intercropping system with the response in wheat alone. Clover was undersown in spring barley and remained established in two consecutive crops of wheat in two field experiments. Clover reduced grain yield in the first crop of wheat and increased it in the second. There was more inorganic N in the soil and a higher concentration of N in the grains in the intercropping system. The grain and N yield response to fertiliser N was equal or less with intercropped than with wheat alone. The reduction of clover biomass with a herbicide increased grain yield of the first crop of wheat without reducing the clover biomass or the positive residual effect in the second wheat crop. It was concluded that in order to produce large grain yields, competition from clover needs to be kept small when wheat is at the tillering stage.     

The effects of pure and undersowing green manures on yields of succeeding spring cereals

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in 2004–2006 to investigate the effect of green manure treatments on the yield of oats and spring barley. In the experiment, different green manure crops with undersowing and pure sowing were compared for amounts of N, C, and organic matter driven into soil and their effect on cereal yield. The spring barley field had a total of 41.7–62.4 kg N ha^?1 and 1.75–2.81 Mg C ha^?1 added to the soil with straw, weed, and roots, depending on the level of fertilisation; with red clover, and both common and hybrid lucerne undersowing, with barley straw and roots, the values were 3.45–3.96 Mg C ha^?1 and 139.9–184.9 kg N ha^?1. Pure sowings of these three leguminous green manure crops had total applications of 3.37–4.14 Mg C ha^?1 and 219.7–236.8 kg N ha^?1. The mixed and pure sowing of bird's-foot trefoil provided considerably less nitrogen and carbon to the soil with the biomass than with the other leguminous crops. Application of biomass with a high C/N ratio reduced the yield of the succeeding spring cereals. Of the green manures, the most effective were red clover and both common and hybrid lucerne, either as undersowing or as pure sowing. Undersowings with barley significantly increased the N supply for the succeeding crop without yield loss of the main crop compared with the unfertilised variant. Compared with ploughing-in of green manure in autumn, spring ploughing gave a 0.2–0.57 Mg ha^?1 larger grain yield.     

Response of Hard Red Spring Wheat to Copper Fertilization

To achieve optimum production of hard red spring wheat, growers should know if use of copper (Cu) in a fertilizer program is necessary. For this study, copper was broadcast and incorporated before planting in the sulfate or chelate form to supply both 6.7 and 13.4 kg Cu ha^?1 at six sites. The soils at the majority of the sites had a loamy fine sand texture with low organic‐matter content. Application of Cu increased grain yield at one site. Grain yield response, however, could not be predicted by amount of Cu extracted from soil by the diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) procedure. Concentrations of Cu in whole plant tissue did not match those reported in the literature. The results of this study do not support the addition of Cu to a fertilizer program for production of hard red spring wheat on mineral soils in the northern Great Plains.     

Contributions from carbon and nitrogen in roots to closing the yield gap between conventional and organic cropping systems

This study investigates the effect of different crop rotation systems on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in root biomass as well as on soil organic carbon (SOC ). Soils under spring barley and spring barley/pea mixture were sampled both in organic and conventional crop rotations. The amounts of root biomass and SOC in fine (250–253 μ m), medium (425–250 μ m) and coarse (>425 μ m) soil particulate organic matter (POM ) were determined. Grain dry matter (DM ) and the amount of N in harvested grain were also quantified. Organic systems with varying use of manure and catch crops had lower spring barley grain DM yield compared to those in conventional systems, whereas barley/pea showed no differences. The largest benefits were observed for grain N yields and grain DM yields for spring barley, where grain N yield was positively correlated with root N. The inclusion of catch crops in organic rotations resulted in higher root N and SOC (g C/m²) in fine POM in soils under barley/pea. Our results suggest that manure application and inclusion of catch crops improve crop N supply and reduce the yield gap between conventional and organic rotations. The observed positive correlation between root N and grain N imply that management practices aimed at increasing grain N could also increase root N and thus enhance N supply for subsequent crops.     

Nitrogen physiological efficiency index in some selected spring barley cultivars

Abstract

The efficient use of nitrogen is one of the most important goals in crop and soil management. The physiological efficiency index of absorbed nitrogen (PEN) is defined as the ratio of kg grain production to kg of nitrogen absorbed in the above‐ground (grain and straw) dry matter production at maturity. If the grain yields of cultivars are related to the PEN, which is a genetic trait of the genotype, than this index can be used in the breeding program to detect the high yielding potential genotypes. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic variation in nitrogen physiological efficiency and its relation with grain yield in spring barley (Hordeum vulRare. L.) cultivars. Seven cultivars were used in greenhouse conditions with two nitrogen fertility levels: unfertilized (check) and fertilized with 160 mg of N kg^‐1 of dry soil. The results showed that there was a highly significant variation among cultivars in both yield (F=23.1???) and PEN (F=20.5???) values. The EEN varied from 54.6 to 66.2 and from 44.9 to 57.4 g grain g^‐1 of absorbed nitrogen in the check and in the fertilized treatment respectively. Furthermore, the grain yield was significantly related to PEN (r=0.81? and r=0.98??? for the two fertility levels respectively). The absorbed nitrogen varied much less among the cultivars (F=2.9?) and was also less related to grain yield. These results suggest that the FEN can be successfully used in the breeding program to detect the potentially high yielding cultivars.     

Crop rotation effects on yield of oilseed rape,wheat and barley and residual effects on the subsequent wheat

Economic conditions are forcing farmers to grow crops with high revenue leading to cereal-dominated crop rotations with increasing risk due to unfavourable preceding crops or preceding crop combinations. Based on a long-term field trial (1988–2001) with 15 different rotations including winter oilseed rape (OSR), winter wheat, winter barley, spring peas and spring oats, the effects of different preceding crops, pre-preceding crops and crop rotations on the grain yield of mainly OSR, winter wheat and winter barley were quantified. In the subsequent 2 years (2001/2002 and 2002/2003), winter wheat was grown on all plots in order to test the residual effects of the former crops (as preceding crops in 2002 and as pre-preceding crops in 2003) and crop rotations on growth, grain yield and yield components.

Unfavourable preceding crops significantly decreased yield of OSR, wheat and barley by 10% on average, however, with a large year-to-year variation. In addition, break-crop benefits in both crops, wheat and OSR, persisted to the second year. Wheat as preceding crop mainly decreased the thousand grain weight, and to a lesser extent, the ear density of the subsequent wheat crop. The amount of wheat yield decrease negatively correlated with the simple water balance (rainfall minus evapotranspiration) in May–July. In 2001/2002 and 2002/2003, the preceding crop superimposed the crop rotation effects, thus resulting in similar effects as observed in 1988–2001.

Our results clearly reveal the importance of a favourable preceding crop for the yield performance of a crop, especially wheat and OSR.     

Phosphorus relationships in no‐till small grains

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) fertilizer recommendations for no‐till small grain production are poorly defined. These studies were conducted to determine small grain‐P response relative to the Olsen‐P soil test and compare P‐fertilizer placements with the seed and banded below and to the side of the seed under no‐till field conditions. Phosphorus rates of 0 to 26 kg P/ha were evaluated on seven spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), 11 spring wheat, and six winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) locations in central and northcentral Montana between 1986 and 1990. Grain yield, grain protein, test weight, above‐ground crop yield, plant P concentration at maturity, and P uptake were measured. One winter wheat location had a significant yield response to P; all other locations had non‐significant yield responses. Grain protein, test weight, P concentration, and P uptake were all unaffected by P rate or P placement. Both the ANOVA and paired t‐test were used to analyze the P‐placement data and were all nonsignificant. Slopes of grain yield response (grain yield for each P rate minus the grain yield without P), P concentration, and P uptake versus P rate were analyzed with the t‐test; none of the P‐response slopes were greater than zero. The P responses by individual crop were regressed against P rate, Olsen‐P soil test, available soil water at planting, and pH. Phosphorus rate was not a significant factor in any of the equations. Significant and useful predictive equations for grain yield response could not be generated; however, equations predicting P concentration and P uptake were developed. The Cate‐Nelson graphical analysis was unsuccessful in estimating an Olsen‐P soil test critical level. All attempts failed to relate grain yield or grain yield response to the Olsen‐P soil test and/or P rate. When P soil tests are higher than 12 mg/kg, no‐till grain growers should consider applying a maintenance level of P fertilizer, about 5 to 10 kg P/ha either banded below or with the seed, to maintain soil P levels.     

Economic and environmental optimization of nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for cereals in Norway

Abstract

Results of 240 annual N fertilizer trials in 1991–2007 in spring and winter cereals are presented. On average, spring barley and oat yields increased little beyond 120 kg N ha^?1 in fertilizer. Somewhat higher figures were found for spring and winter wheat. Regression equations for yield and N uptakes in grain and straw were derived, related to N fertilizer input and the yield level in individual trials (indicator of yield expectancy). These equations accounted for 90% of the variation in yield and 80% of that in N uptake. Quadratic N responses were significant in all cases, as were interactions between N responses and yield level. They were verified with data from 27 separate trials performed in 2008–2010. The yield equations were used to calculate economically optimum N fertilizer levels with varying ratios of product price to fertilizer cost at contrasting levels of yield. The optimum N fertilizer level for barley and oats was found to increase by 8.3 kg N ha^?1 per Mg increase in expected yield. The equivalent figure in wheat was 16.3 kg N ha^?1. Optimum N fertilizer levels decreased by 4.1 and 6.7 kg N ha^?1, for barley/oats and wheat respectively, per unit increase in the cost/price ratio. The equations for N uptake were used to calculate simple N balances between fertilizer input and removal in crop products. Large N surpluses were indicated at low levels of yield expectancy, but the surplus declined markedly with increasing yield level, despite greater N fertilizer inputs at high yield. Calculations made for national average yield levels in recent years showed N surpluses of 50–60 kg N ha^?1 when only grain is removed and 25–40 kg N ha^?1 when straw is removed also. Limiting N input to obtain zero balance reduces yields considerably at average levels of yield expectancy.