Contribution of green manure legumes to nitrogen dynamics in traditional winter wheat cropping system in the Loess Plateau of China

Excessive application of N fertilizer in pursuit of higher yields is common due to poor soil fertility and low crop productivity. However, this practice causes serious soil depletion and N loss in the traditional wheat cropping system in the Loess Plateau of China. Growing summer legumes as the green manure (GM) crop is a viable solution because of its unique ability to fix atmospheric N₂. Actually, little is known about the contribution of GM N to grain and N utilization in the subsequent crop. Therefore, we conducted a four-year field experiment with four winter wheat-based rotations (summer fallow-wheat, Huai bean–wheat, soybean–wheat, and mung bean–wheat) and four nitrogen fertilizer rates applied to wheat (0, 108, 135, and 162 kg N/ha) to investigate the fate of GM nitrogen via decomposition, utilization by wheat, and contribution to grain production and nitrogen economy through GM legumes. Here we showed that GM legumes accumulated 53–76 kg N/ha per year. After decomposing for approximately one year, more than 32 kg N/ha was released from GM legumes. The amount of nitrogen released via GM decomposition that was subsequently utilized by wheat was 7–27 kg N/ha. Incorporation of GM legumes effectively replaced 13–48% (average 31%) of the applied mineral nitrogen fertilizer. Additionally, the GM approach during the fallow period reduced the risk of nitrate-N leaching to depths of 0–100 cm and 100–200 cm by 4.8 and 19.6 kg N/ha, respectively. The soil nitrogen pool was effectively improved by incorporation of GM legumes at the times of wheat sowing. Cultivation of leguminous GM during summer is a better option than bare fallow to maintain the soil nitrogen pool, and decrease the rates required for N fertilization not only in the Loess Plateau of China but also in other similar dryland regions worldwide.     

Detecting interactive effects of N fertilization and heat stress on maize productivity by remote sensing techniques

The objective of this study was to compare the performance of two different remotely sensed techniques in detecting the effects of terminal heat stress and N fertilization on final maize aerial biomass (AB) and grain yield (GY). The study was conducted under field conditions for two consecutive growing seasons. Six N treatments combining three doses [0, 100, 200 Kg N ha⁻¹] and two timings [at V4 and at 15 days before silking] were applied. Within each N treatment three heat treatments were applied (pre-flowering, post-flowering and the control treatment at ambient air temperature). Remote sensing measurements were taken with a multispectral band camera to measure the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and a digital Red/Green/Blue (RGB) camera to measure the normalized green red difference index (NGRDI). Both indices failed to predict the GY of pre-flowering heat-treated plants due to grain set establishment problems that could not be detected by vegetation indices which are designed to capture differences in green canopy area. In contrast, both the NGRDI and the NDVI correlated positively with GY and AB in the control heat treatment and to a lesser extent in the post-flowering heat treatment. Under the control heat treatment, the NGRDI exhibited higher correlations with AB and GY than the NDVI across the N fertilization treatments. Since the NGRDI is formulated based only on the reflectance in the visible regions (VIS) of the spectrum (Green and Red) without dependence on the near infrared regions (NIR), it performs better than the NDVI. This is because it overcame the reported saturation patterns at high leaf area index and was more efficient at capturing even small differences in leaf colour (chlorophyll content) due to the different applied N treatments. Also, the NGRDI seemed to be a more seasonally independent parameter than the NDVI, which is more affected by temporal variability within the field, and thus the NGRDI predicted AB and GY better than the NDVI when combining the data of the two growing seasons.     

Trickle and sprinkler irrigation of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the Middle Anatolian Region in Turkey

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is widely planted in the Middle Anatolian Region, especially in the Nigde-Nevsehir district where 25% of the total potato growing area is located and produces 44% of the total yield. In recent years, the farmers in the Nigde-Nevsehir district have been applying high amounts of nitrogen (N) fertilizers (sometimes more than 900 kg N ha⁻¹) and frequent irrigation at high rates in order to get a much higher yield. This situation results in increased irrigation and fertilization costs as well as polluted ground water resources and soil. Thus, it is critical to know the water and nitrogen requirements of the crop, as well as how to improve irrigation efficiency. Field experiments were conducted in the Nigde-Nevsehir (arid) region on a Fluvents (Entisols) soil to determine water and nitrogen requirements of potato crops under sprinkler and trickle irrigation methods. Irrigation treatments were based on Class A pan evaporation and nitrogen levels were formed with different nitrogen concentrations.The highest yield, averaging 47,505 kg ha⁻¹, was measured in sprinkler-irrigated plots at the 60 g m⁻³ nitrogen concentration level in the irrigation treatment with limited irrigation (480 mm). Statistically higher tuber yields were obtained at the 45 and 60 g m⁻³ nitrogen concentration levels in irrigation treatments with full and limited irrigation. Maximum yields were obtained with about 17% less water in the sprinkler method as compared to the trickle method (not statistically significant). On the loam and sandy loam soils, tuber yields were reduced by deficit irrigation corresponding to 70% and 74% of evapotranspiration in sprinkler and trickle irrigations, respectively. Water use of the potato crop ranged from 490 to 760 mm for sprinkler-irrigated plots and 565–830 mm for trickle-irrigated treatments. The highest water use efficiency (WUE) levels of 7.37 and 4.79 kg m⁻³ were obtained in sprinkle and trickle irrigated plots, respectively. There were inverse effects of irrigation and nitrogen levels on the WUE of the potato crops. Significant linear relationships were found between tuber yield and water use for both irrigation methods. Yield response factors were calculated at 1.05 for sprinkler methods and 0.68 for trickle methods. There were statistically significant linear and polynomial relationships between tuber yield and nitrogen amounts used in trickle and sprinkler-irrigated treatments, respectively. In sprinkler-irrigated treatments, the maximum tuber yield was obtained with 199 kg N ha⁻¹. The tuber cumulative nitrogen use efficiency (NUE_cu) and incremental nitrogen use efficiency (NUE_in) were affected quite differently by water, nitrogen levels and years. NUE_cu varied from 16 to 472 g kg⁻¹ and NUE_in varied from 75 to 1035 g kg⁻¹ depending on the irrigation method. In both years, the NH₄-N concentrations were lower than NO₃-N, and thus the removed nitrogen and nitrogen losses were found to be 19–87 kg ha⁻¹ for sprinkler methods and 25–89 kg ha⁻¹ for trickle methods. Nitrogen losses in sprinkler methods reached 76%, which were higher than losses in trickle methods.     

延河流域自然与人工植被地上生物量差异及其土壤水分效应的比较

【目的】针对延河流域人工植被建造存在植被退化的问题,比较了自然植被与人工植被地上生物量的差异及其土壤水分效应,探寻人工植被退化的原因,为延河流域植被恢复重建提供理论支持。【方法】共采集57个气象站点1980-2000年的气候数据,并根据降雨和温度变化,将延河流域划分为17个环境梯度单元,测定了自然植被地上生物量及0～500cm土层土壤含水量,分析自然植被的空间变化及其影响因素,对自然植被与人工植被地上生物量及相应的土壤水分变化进行比较分析。【结果】延河流域自然植被地上生物量在空间上存在明显差异,从西北向东南呈现逐渐递增的变化趋势。自然植被地上生物量与年均总降雨量呈正相关关系,与年均生长季温度呈负相关关系;相同气候区的自然植被地上生物量随坡位和坡向的变化差异均很大。以自然植被为参照,人工植被地上生物量最大超载可达30 425.83g/m2,最小超载为118.93g/m2,平均为6 668.00g/m2,说明人工植被地上生物量明显超出了自然状态下所能承载的范围。与自然植被相比,人工植被土壤水分最大亏缺量可达80.5g/kg,说明人工植被地上生物量的超载引起平均土壤含水量显著低于自然植被,出现了不同程度的土壤干层,进而导致人工植被群落的衰退或死亡。【结论】生物量超载是引起土壤水分耗竭、植被退化的主要原因。植被恢复重建规划时,必须充分考虑特定立地环境条件下潜在生物量的制约,而不是盲目地选择不适宜的物种。     

对间隙淋洗长期通气培养条件下黄土高原土壤供氮能力的评价

采用间隙淋洗长期通气培养法,通过对黄土高原物理化学性质差异较大的10种农田土样起始矿质氮、起始提取态总氮、起始可溶性有机氮,以及培养期间淋洗矿质氮、淋洗总氮、可溶性有机氮含量及其与作物吸氮量关系的研究,分析并评价黄土高原主要农田土壤氮素矿化能力以及包括和不包括培养淋洗可溶性有机氮对土壤供氮能力的影响。结果表明,供试土样起始可溶性有机氮平均为N 23.9 mg/kg,是起始提取态总氮的28.8%,土壤全氮的2.4%。在通气培养淋洗总氮中,可溶性有机氮所占比例不高,经过217 d通气培养,淋洗出的可溶性有机氮平均为N 28.8mg/kg,占淋洗总氮量的19.8%。相关分析表明,淋洗可溶性有机氮量与第1季作物吸氮量相关不显著,但与连续2季作物总吸氮量显著相关。淋洗矿质氮、淋洗总氮与两季作物总吸氮量的相关系数明显高于与第一季作物吸氮量的相关系数;与第一季作物吸氮量达显著相关水平,与连续两季作物吸氮量达极显著相关水平。总体上看,可溶性有机氮和土壤全氮、土壤微生物氮不能作为反映短期可矿化氮的指标;间隙淋洗通气培养淋洗液中淋洗矿质氮、淋洗总氮是评价可矿化氮的较好指标,不仅适宜于第一季作物,而且也适用于对连续两季作物土壤供氮能力的评价。     

Interrelations of yield,evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency from marginal analysis of water production functions

The study uses the concepts of marginal water use efficiency (MWUE), and elasticity of water production (EWP) to reveal the dynamic interrelations of crop yield (Y), seasonal evapotranspiration (ET), and water use efficiency (WUE) based on the functional relation of an ET production function (ETPF). When the ETPF is linear, the changing trend of WUE with ET is directly affected by the intercept of the function, and the EWP will be numerically equivalent to a yield response factor (K_Y) when ET reaches maximum ET (ET_m). When the ETPF is quadratic, the ET needed to maximise WUE is less than the ET for maximum yield (Y_m), and the ET value that occurs at maximum WUE equals the arithmetic square root of the ratio of the intercept of the function to the coefficient of function quadratic term. The interrelationships of Y, ET, and WUE are demonstrated using a quadratic ETPF developed for maize from data obtained in a field experiment.     

A comparison of soil-water distribution under ridge and bed cultivated potatoes

Data is presented comparing infiltration of irrigation and rain water to potato crops planted in ridges and beds in East Anglia, UK. An automatic soil water station (ASWS) was used to monitor soil water content and potential in the two cultivation systems. The ASWS data indicated that most of the water bypassed the potatoes planted in ridges as irrigation water applied to the crop from a boom irrigator was shed off the ridges infiltrating in the furrows. This was due to the water repellent nature of the sandy soil and meant that the irrigation water bypassed the potatoes. A soil water deficit built up in the core of the ridge as the crop grew and was not replenished by irrigations. A second early potato crop planted in beds was more successful at capturing water as the flat bed increased water infiltration around the crop. This has major implications for cultivation practice, scab control and crop water management. Instruments measuring soil water potential, content, temperature and rainfall were connected to a data logger powered by a solar panel and proved a successful way of monitoring infiltration. Hourly data was collected so that a high temporal resolution data set could be constructed in order to increase conceptual understanding of hydrological processes at a scale appropriate to the crop.     

Emergence date mediation of rice yield responses to equidistant spacing

The objectives of this study were to assess the importance and interrelationships of emergence date and equidistant spacing to rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant and crop yields and yield variation. Field experiments were conducted in microplots at Keiser, Arkansas, in 1988 and 1989. The treatments were equidistant spacings of 40, 50, 60, and 80 mm. Emergence dates were recorded for plants in the center of each plot. Individual plant grain yields (Y_G) were recorded at maturity. Relative emergence times (t_R, differences in days) were computed between neighboring plants (t_RN and between each plant and the first-emerging plant in the plot (t_RC). Both expressions of t_R revealed that later-emerging plants yielded less than earlier-emerging plants. The negative effect of later emergence was more pronounced at the closer spacings and for t_RC than t_RN. Thus, t_RC was more meaningful than t_RN as expression of emergence time. At close spacings, increased t_RC decreased to a few days the length of time over which plants could emerge and still produce grain i.e., only the earlier emerging plants were productive. The results also indicated that more uniform crop maturity might result from increasing plant density.     

不同倍性冬小麦根系生长对水分和密度的响应

为探讨不同倍性冬小麦根系生长对水分和密度的响应,利用3个倍性小麦材料（二倍体栽培一粒、四倍体栽培二粒、六倍体现代品种‘长武134’）通过在不同水分条件下进行密度试验,研究其拔节期和开花期的根系生长和水分消耗特征,结果表明,在拔节期密度的增加显著提高了小麦根系干物质累积量和根长总量,而竞争加剧使得高密度处理的根量优势到花期显著减弱;拔节期四倍体和六倍体的根重和根长均表现出高于二倍体的趋势,花期各倍性材料之间的根重无显著差异,但是高倍性材料仍保持显著的根长优势;干旱和高密度处理均减少了花期根系在表层的分布,增加了深层根系的分布量,利于深层水分的利用。最终得到结论,六倍体现代小麦根系在不同生育期的根系干物质分配更利于产量增长,而在水分亏缺地区构建合理的群体有益于根系下扎,从而促进土壤深层水分的利用,并提升产量。     

黄土丘陵区不同植被类型根际微生物群落功能多样性研究

为了解生态恢复过程中土壤微生物功能特征,采用Biolog-Eco微平板法分析了黄土丘陵区人工灌木(柠条 Caragana korshinskii、沙棘 Hippophaer rhamnoides)、人工草地(沙打旺 Astragalus adsurgens、柳枝稷 Panicum virgatum)和天然草地(阿尔泰狗哇花 Heteropappus altaicus、茵陈蒿 Artemisia capillaries)的根际微生物碳源代谢多样性特征。结果表明:柠条、阿尔泰狗哇花和茵陈蒿的根际微生物对糖类的代谢能力显著高于沙棘、沙打旺和柳枝稷;阿尔泰狗哇花和茵陈蒿对氨基酸类、酚酸类和聚合物类的代谢能力较高。茵陈蒿和阿尔泰狗哇花的微生物代谢功能多样性高于其他4种植物。柠条、阿尔泰狗哇花和茵陈蒿具有相似的根际微生物代谢功能。黄土丘陵区植被类型显著影响微生物群落碳源利用能力,天然草地根际微生物群落代谢功能多样性优于人工灌木和人工草地。