Residue management for reducing evaporation in relation to soil type and evaporativity1

Abstract. Usual residue-management options are to remove the residue, use it as mulch with or without undercutting or to incorporate it into the soil. While the role of surface mulch in evaporation has been widely studied, the information on the effect on evaporation of mulch with undercutting or residue incorporated into soil, particularly in relation to soil type and evaporativity (E_o) is lacking. We studied the effect of wheat straw used in various ways on the course of evaporation loss from soil columns with three soils at Ludhiana, India and one soil at Bushland, Texas, USA, under two E_o's Energy-limited evaporation rates under mulch (E_om) followed the soil-specific relation E_om/E_o= a e^(bRes+cEo), where Res is residue rate t/ha and a, b and c are constants; E_o, is expressed in mm/d. In an effort to model the total evaporation (CE) during the energy-limited stage ‘U’ was obtained from appropriate CE versus time curves and (CE-U) was regressed over (t - ti)^0.5 to obtain the slope ‘α’ (Ritchie 1972) for the soil-limited evaporation stage. The observed ‘U’ was independent of mulch rate and E_o but was strongly affected by soil type, Values of ‘α’ decreased with increase in mulch rate and decrease in E_o and coarseness of soil. The otherwise short lived benefit of evaporation reduction with mulch per se, which peaked after a few days was maintained when residue was mixed with soil at the stage when evaporation reduction reached a maximum; this benefit continued for several weeks. Cumulative evaporation values computed from ‘U’ and ‘α’ agreed closely with the observed values under straw mulch for loamy sand and clay loam soils and for ‘undercut’ and ‘residue mixed’ treatments on all soils regardless of E_o, and for all situations under small E_o. However, for sandy loam and silt loam soils under E_o of 10 mm/d, the modified square root of the time function of Jalota et al. (1988) gave a better fit.     

Effect of Lentil Residues on the Yield and Response of Succeeding Rice to Nitrogen

A field experiment was conducted at the Division of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during 1983-84 and 1984-85 to study the effect of lentil residues on the yield and response of succeeding rice to nitrogen. Lentil residues benefitted the succeeding rice and gave longer and heavier panicles, more grains per panicle, higher 1000-grain weight and higher grain and straw yield of rice as compared to fallow. Rice responded well to applied nitrogen both in the absence and presence of lentil residues. The effect of lentil root residues and root residues plus incorporation of lentil straw was equivalent to 11 and 33 kg N ha⁻¹ when 60 kg N ha⁻¹ was applied to rice; the corresponding values being 54 and 60 kg N ha⁻¹ when 120 kg N ha⁻¹ was applied to rice.     

黄芪多糖对雏鸡外周血T淋巴细胞转化功能的影响

将１０８只１日龄伊莎系蛋用公雏均分为３组：一组为对照,其余２组在３日龄时,于背侧颈部皮下分别注射０．２、０．４ｍＬ黄芪多糖注射液（０．０１ｇ／ｍＬ）１次,再分别于７、２１、３５、４９日龄时采用ＭＴＴ比色法及微量全血培养３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ掺入法检测外周血Ｔ淋巴细胞转化率的动态变化。结果表明,黄芪多糖对２１、３５日龄雏鸡Ｔ淋巴细胞转化功能有增强作用,且与剂量有相关性,而对７、４９日龄雏鸡的作用不明显。ＭＴＴ比色法与３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ掺入法的检测结果无显著差异（Ｐ＜０．０５）。     

Quantitative structure—activity studies of insect growth regulators. XI. Stimulation and inhibition of N-acetylglucosamine incorporation in a cultured integument system by substituted N-tert-butyl-N,N′-dibenzoylhydrazines

The ability to stimulate N-acetylglucosamine (GluNAc) incorporation in-vitro of a number of N-tert-butyl-N,N′-dibenzoylhydrazines having various substituents on both phenyl rings was measured in cultured integument excised from the rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker). The relationship between in-vitro and larvicidal potency was approximately linear. The substituent effects on variations in the potency were similar between in-vitro and larvicidal activities. An inhibitor of oxidative detoxication, piperonyl butoxide, had no synergistic effects on the in-vitro potency. The ability of some dibenzoylhydrazines to inhibit GluNAc incorporation at exposure periods longer than the optimum for stimulation was also measured in a similar cultured integument system. The relationship between the inhibitory and stimulatory potency indices was linear, indicating that the larvicidal activity of dibenzoylhydrazines is closely related to its ability to stimulate as well as to inhibit GluNAc incorporation into the larval cuticle.     

秸秆还田对麦粱两熟农田土壤团聚体特征的短期效应

冬小麦—夏高粱种植系统作为一种新型农业两熟制系统,是山西省杂粮可持续发展的一项有效措施。为阐明该种植系统农田土壤团聚体粒级分布及稳定性对秸秆还田量的短期响应,试验基于麦粱种植系统,分析了不还田（CK）、半量还田（HR）和全量还田（WR）对土壤团聚体粒级分布特征和稳定指数的影响。结果表明:秸秆还田后,能够显著降低0—30 cm土层 > 10 mm和 < 0.25 mm粒级机械稳定性团聚体含量,增加0.25～2 mm各亚粒级水稳性大团聚体含量,同时显著降低了土壤团聚体破坏率和不稳定团粒指数（p < 0.05）;全量秸秆还田后较半量秸秆还田对农田土壤团聚体特征改善效果更为明显,但对10—20,20—30 cm土层改善效果逐渐减弱;全量还田相比半量还田,土壤机械稳定性团聚体平均重量直径、几何平均直径和大团聚体（> 0.25 mm）含量分别显著降低了12.2%,23.0%和5.3%,并显著提升了水稳性团聚体几何平均直径和大团聚体（> 0.25 mm）含量,降低了水稳性团聚体分形维数（p < 0.05）。此外,土壤团聚体稳定性与有机碳含量、孔隙度、含水量和作物产量呈显著正相关（p < 0.05）。综合表明,全量还田在短期年限内能够显著提高土壤团聚体稳定性,是改善晋中区麦粱两熟农田土壤团粒结构和增加作物产量的有效措施。     

The effects of straw return on potassium fertilization rate and time in the rice–wheat rotation

In order to investigate the effects of straw return on potassium (K) fertilizer application rate and time in the rice–wheat rotation, field experiments were conducted at three sites. The results showed that when the K rate was decreased to 70% of the recommended K dosage, crop yields showed no significant decrease. With K fertilization only at rice phase, crop yields showed no marked difference compared with that provided K fertilizer both at wheat and rice seasons. Though the NH₄OAc-extracted K and HNO₃-extracted K differed slightly among the treatments, the soil apparent K balance was negative without K fertilization. With crop straw fully incorporated, the recommended K dosage could be at least reduced by 30% at the experimental sites and the K fertilizer could be applied only at rice phase. A further hypothesis can be made that the best K rate was the amount of K took away by crop grain. In the long run, straw return combined with K fertilization would be an effective method to maintain soil K fertility and productivity.     

秸秆“富集深还”新模式及工程技术

针对长期浅耕造成的土壤亚表层缺乏有机质和过于紧实以及目前秸秆还田成本高或效果差的实际问题,提出了一种简单而有效的快速松土培肥的秸秆还田新模式及相应机具创新和田间工程技术。该技术模式是基于优先快速培肥土壤亚表层的新理念,在条带轮耕深松土壤的同时,将秸秆富集深埋于指定条带的土壤亚表层。将这种秸秆还田新模式称为秸秆富集深埋还田(简称"富集深还"),其主要工程技术是发明研制了秸秆深还筒式犁新机具,通过机械化手段将秸秆富集、粉碎、埋入土壤。具体步骤包括:(1)用指盘式搂草机将玉米秸秆按4∶1~8∶1富集归行;(2)用秸秆还田筒式犁一体机将秸秆粉碎、风力注入指定条带土壤20~40 cm;(3)用免耕播种机在非埋秸秆条带正常免耕播种,实现种还分离,即种植条带(窄行)与埋秸秆条带(宽行)分离。该模式具有秸秆翻压还田与覆盖还田的优点,而克服二者各自的缺点,是秸秆还田与条带少免耕的完美结合,能够实现玉米秸秆连年、机械化全量还田,且不打乱土层顺序、不影响第二年种植。秸秆富集深埋还田,理念新颖,技术可行,对土壤尤其是亚表层有很好的培肥效果。有助于彻底解决秸秆还田成本高或效果差的瓶颈问题,为旱田秸秆田间处理与深厚肥沃耕层构建提供切实可行的机械化工程手段。     

秸秆旋埋还田后空间分布效果仿真与试验

对传统旋耕机(TR)、秸秆旋埋还田机(SR)和深松+秸秆旋埋还田机(SSR)进行了秸秆还田离散元仿真和田间试验对比。通过设计的秸秆三维坐标测量装置对秸秆在土壤中的空间坐标进行了测量,并在三维绘图软件中还原了秸秆在土壤中的空间状态,及秸秆在三维图中量化及可视化显示。对取样立方体进行分层、横向及纵向划分等探究了秸秆在土壤中垂直分布及水平分布的均匀性。利用离散元软件建立了相应的仿真模型,并与田间试验设定了相同的作业参数,在仿真作业完成后,通过设置不同尺寸的Geometry Bin计算区域内秸秆数量,并分别对应实际田间作业的分层、横向和纵向划分。在分层处理中,仿真与实测结果表明,SR和SSR埋入土壤中的秸秆量都明显大于TR,尤其是埋入土壤下层的秸秆量均是TR的数倍。TR、SR和SSR作业后各层秸秆占比仿真值和实测值的变异系数均呈递减趋势,其中SSR的变异系数最小,分别为28. 8%和28. 7%。3种耕作装备下仿真值与实测值的变异系数相差不大,平均误差为9. 6%。横向和纵向划分中,TR、SR和SSR的各区域秸秆占比仿真值和实测值的变异系数无绝对规律,SSR的变异系数均最小。离散元仿真和田间试验结果表明,SSR秸秆还田后,秸秆在土壤中垂直分布和水平分布的均匀性均最优。离散元仿真较好地拟合了实际田间作业后秸秆的空间分布状态,相对误差在可接受范围内。     

Microbial use of organic amendments in saline soils monitored by changes in the C/C ratio

An incubation experiment was carried out to investigate whether salinity at high pH has negative effects on microbial substrate use, i.e. the mineralization of the amendment to CO₂ and inorganic N and the incorporation of amendment C into microbial biomass C. In order to exploit natural differences in the ¹³C/¹²C ratio, substrate from two C₄ plants, i.e. highly decomposed and N-rich sugarcane filter cake and less decomposed N-poor maize leaf straw, were added to two alkaline Pakistani soils differing in salinity, which had previously been cultivated with C₃ plants. In soil 1, the additional CO₂ evolution was equivalent to 65% of the added amount in the maize straw treatment and to 35% in the filter cake treatment. In the more saline soil 2, the respective figures were 56% and 32%. The maize straw amendment led to an identical immobilization of approximately 48 μg N g⁻¹ soil over the 56-day incubation in both soils compared with the control soils. In the filter cake treatment, the amount of inorganic N immobilized was 8.5 μg N g⁻¹ higher in soil 1 than in soil 2 compared with the control soils. In the control treatment, the content of microbial biomass C₃-C in soil 1 was twice that in soil 2 throughout the incubation. This fraction declined by about 30% during the incubation in both soils. The two amendments replaced initially similar absolute amounts of the autochthonous microbial biomass C, i.e. 50% of the original microbial biomass C in soil 1 and almost 90% in soil 2. The highest contents of microbial biomass C₄-C were equivalent to 7% (filter cake) and 11% (maize straw) of the added C. In soil 2, the corresponding values were 14% lower. Increasing salinity had no direct negative effects on microbial substrate use in the present two soils. Consequently, the differences in soil microbial biomass contents are most likely caused indirectly by salinity-induced reduction in plant growth rather than directly by negative effects of salinity on soil microorganisms.     

Optimizing nitrogen management strategy under wheat straw incorporation for higher rice production and nitrogen use efficiency

Nitrogen (N) application plays an important role in rice production. Limited attention has already been paid to optimizing N fertilizer management strategy for higher grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice with crop residue incorporation. Field experiments were conducted with the objective to determine the response of several N application methods to rice production and to evaluate their NUE. Three N fertilizer application methods, i.e., local farmers' N fertilizer practice (FNP), modified farmers' N fertilizer practice (MNP), and increased the amount of N fertilizer practice (INP), were adopted with zero N application as control (CK). The results showed that, compared with that under FNP, grain yield was significantly higher under MFP, owing to signficantly enhanced total spikelets as a result of more panicles per unit area. Relative to FNP, MNP markedly increased nitrogen agronomic efficiency (AE_N), nitrogen recovery efficiency (RE_N), nitrogen physiological efficiency (PE_N) and nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFP_N), but AE_N, PE_N and PFP_N of INP were significantly lower. Further analysis showed that the number of tiller, leaf area index, aboveground biomass, SPAD value, plant N content and N uptake at the early vegetative stage were improved significantly under MNP compared to those under FNP, contributing to higher total aboveground biomass and total N uptake.