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.     

滴灌灌水均匀系数与灌水量对土壤水分分布及温室番茄产量的影响

为探索灌水均匀系数与灌水量对温室番茄产量和土壤水分变化的影响,确定合理的滴灌灌水均匀系数,本研究设置65%、75%和85%3个灌水均匀度水平, 190 mm、220 mm和250 mm 3个灌水量水平,测量番茄生育期内土壤含水率及番茄产量,计算土壤含水率均匀系数和番茄灌溉水利用效率。结果表明,当灌水均匀系数为65%～85%时,土壤水分均匀系数均值(82.57%～93.76%)接近或高于设置的滴灌灌水均匀系数的最大值(85%)。滴灌灌水均匀系数对土壤含水率均匀系数影响权重最大,灌水量、灌水均匀系数、土壤初始含水率均值3个影响因素与土壤含水率均匀系数均值之间呈线性关系(P0.05),决定系数为0.918。当土壤初始含水率占田间持水量比重60%,灌水量低于15mm时,灌水均匀系数与灌水量二者的交互作用与土壤含水率均匀系数为显著线性关系(P0.05),其他情况下均无显著性关系。灌水量对产量为显著影响(P0.05),灌水均匀系数及二者的交互作用对番茄产量无显著影响,考虑产量及灌溉水分利用效率,灌水量220 mm、灌水均匀系数75%组合为最优组合。因此在西北地区,综合考虑经济性和系统的可靠性,建议下调现行滴灌灌水均匀系数标准。     

水分胁迫对紫花苜蓿根系吸水与光合特性的影响

变水条件下(利用PEG-6000模拟水分胁迫48 h,ψs=0.2MPa,之后复水48 h),测定紫花苜蓿(Medicago sattva L,品种阿尔冈金和陇东苜蓿)幼苗根系水力学导度与光合参数变化规律,旨在研究变水条件下紫花苜蓿光合作用的响应机制、植株水分吸收能力的变化规律及地上与地下部可能的相关关系.结果表明:干旱胁迫使得紫花苜蓿根系水力学导度(Lpr)受到显著影响.随着水分胁迫时间的延长,根系吸水能力呈现快速--缓慢下降趋势,即根系水力学导度逐渐下降,气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr)、净光合速率(Pn)和叶片水势亦随之而显著降低,胞间二氧化碳浓度(Ci)先随之降低但最终上升而累积.复水后,根系水导呈现缓慢--慢速的恢复趋势,Pn、Gs、Tr、叶片水势随着根系水导速率的增加而逐渐恢复;Ci则随复水时间的延长而逐渐下降.但各参数除Ci外,均没有恢复到胁迫前水平.紫花苜蓿根系水导与光合参数在复水后的恢复程度说明,紫花苜蓿对干旱逆境的抵御与适应能力相对较弱,但陇东苜蓿对水分胁迫的忍耐能力强于阿尔冈金.     

Estimation irrigation water requirements with derived crop coefficients for upland and paddy crops in ChiaNan Irrigation Association,Taiwan

Field experiments were performed at the HsuehChia Experimental Station from 1993 to 2001 to calculate the reference and actual crop evapotranspiration, derived the crop coefficient, and collected requirements input data for the CROPWAT irrigation management model to estimate the irrigation water requirements of paddy and upland crops at the ChiaNan Irrigation Association, Taiwan. For corn, the estimated crop coefficients were 0.40, 0.78, 0.89 and 0.71 in the initial, crop development, mid-season and late-season stages, respectively. Meanwhile, the estimated crop coefficients for sorghum were 0.44, 0.71, 0.87 and 0.62 in the four stages, respectively. Finally, for soybean, the estimated crop coefficients were 0.45, 0.89, 0.92 and 0.58 in the four stages, respectively. With implementation of REF-ET model and FAO 56 Penman–Monteith method, the annual reference evapotranspiration was 1268 mm for ChiaNan Irrigation Association.In the paddy fields, the irrigation water requirements and deep percolation are 962 and 295 mm, respectively, for the first rice crop, and 1114 and 296 mm for the second rice crop. Regarding the upland crops, the irrigation water requirements for spring and autumn corn are 358 and 273 mm, respectively, compared to 332 and 366 mm for sorghum, and 350 and 264 mm for soybean. For the irrigated scheme with single and double rice cropping patterns in the ChiaNan Irrigation Association, the CROPWAT model simulated results indicate that the annual crop water demands are 507 and 1019 mm, respectively, and the monthly water requirements peaked in October at 126 mm and in January at 192 mm, respectively.     

Parsimoniously modelling perennial vegetation suitability and identifying priority areas to support China's re-vegetation program in the Loess Plateau: Matching model complexity to data availability

The Chinese Central government's policy to re-vegetate large areas of the Loess Plateau is currently being rapidly implemented at the provincial, prefecture, county, township, and village levels of government. Managers at these five levels of government need access to information to assist them to plan the land use change prior to performing on-ground activities. To this end, the suitability of 38 predominately native species in the 113,000 km² Coarse Sandy Hilly Catchments (CSHC) has been mapped at a 100 m resolution. In this data-sparse region, this was achieved by using a five-variable spatial overlay approach as we were able to readily access the required environmental variables and rule-set defining the species’ requirements (or tolerances). As the rules did not consider optimal growth they were possibly ‘too inclusive’, so the spatial extent of areas suggested for re-planting was refined by defining ‘target areas’ for trees, shrubs and grasses based on precipitation, aspect, landform, and slope. In the land-use planning criteria developed here we suggest that hill-slopes and gullies with slopes greater than or equal to 15° (defined from a 100 m resolution DEM) be left for natural succession. Due to lateral flow of water, sediment and nutrients from these steep slope and gullies, further prioritising re-vegetation target areas to the zone adjacent to and down slope from these steep portions of the landscape reduces sediment entering the river network with a minimal decrease of regional stream flow. These two functions (mapping species suitability and locating where priority and target re-vegetation activities should be undertaken) are available at a 100 m resolution for the entire CSHC by accessing a bilingual decision support tool called ReVegIH (Re-Vegetation Impacts on Hydrology). Finally, an ecohydrological model was used to simulate changes in average annual stream flow originating from the CSHC based on implementing the ‘target’ and ‘priority’ area re-vegetation activities within the constraints of two land limits.     

The Common Modelling Protocol: A hierarchical framework for simulation of agricultural and environmental systems

A modular approach to simulation modelling offers significant advantages for its application to agricultural and environmental questions, including re-use of model equations in different contexts and with different user-interfaces; configuration of model structures that are most appropriate to a given problem; and facilitation of collaboration between modelling teams. This paper describes the Common Modelling Protocol (CMP), a generic, open and platform-independent framework for modular simulation modelling that is in widespread use. The CMP is distinguished from existing simulation frameworks by taking an explicitly hierarchical view of the biophysical system being simulated and by representing continuous and discontinuous processes equally naturally. Modules of model logic are represented in the CMP by entities known as “components”. Each component may possess “properties” that convey the value of the quantities in its equations and “event handlers” that compute model logic. Low-level information-transfers in the CMP are carried out by means of a message-passing system. Co-ordinated sequences of messages carry out tasks such as initialization, exchange of variable values and the control of computation order. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is used in the protocol for tasks such as denoting data types, submitting simulations for execution and describing components to user-interface software. Examples are presented showing how the CMP can be used to couple modules developed by different teams and to configure a complex model structure. The choices and trade-offs encountered when building a framework for modular simulation are analyzed, using the CMP and other simulation frameworks as examples. The kinds of scientific issues that arise when the CMP is used to realize collaboration between modelling groups are discussed.     

Yield and water consumption characteristics of wheat/maize intercropping with reduced tillage in an Oasis region

Higher irrigation quota for conventional farming causes substantial conflicts between water supply and demand in agriculture, and wind erosion near soil surface is one of the major causes of farmland degradation and desertification in arid areas. This research investigated the effect of the amounts of irrigation in combination with tillage practices on soil evaporation (E), water consumption (ET) characteristics, and grain yield performance and water use efficiency (WUE) for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.) in strip planting in an Oasis region. The field experiment, conducted at Wuwei station during 2008–2010, had two tillage systems (reduced tillage with wheat stubble retention vs. conventional tillage without stubble retention), and three (low, medium, and high) levels of irrigation, in a randomized complete block design. Averaged across three years, soil evaporation with medium and high levels of irrigation was 6.8% and 5.4% greater than that with low level of irrigation, respectively. Total water consumption of wheat/maize crops under the medium and high irrigation levels was 8.5% and 18.5% greater, respectively, than that under low irrigation. However, grain yields were similar under the medium and high levels of irrigation, so was WUE. The effect of tillage on the wheat/maize intercropping was inconsistent across years or among treatments: soil moisture at harvest was 3.0–7.6% greater in the fields with reduced tillage compared with those with conventional tillage in 2008 and 2009, but no difference was found in 2010; the E/ET ratio of reduced tillage was 9% lower than the ratio under conventional tillage in 2008, 3% higher in 2010, but no difference between the two tillage systems in 2009. Across three years, there was a general trend that the WUE of the wheat/maize intercropping system with reduced tillage was greater (by 4–11%) than that with conventional tillage. We conclude that a medium level of irrigation is sufficient to achieve crop yields and WUE equivalent to those under high level of irrigation, provided that a reduced tillage practice is applied to the wheat/maize intercropping in Oasis areas.     

设施番茄土壤温室气体排放对水氮管理的响应

[目的]探讨不同水、氮管理设施番茄产量和土壤温室气体排放的相互关系,构建最适水、氮组合模式,以期达到"节水、减氮、高产"的目的.[方法]设置4种氮肥梯度(F0:0 kg/hm2、F1:150 kg/hm2、F2:300 kg/hm2、F3:450 kg/hm2)与3种灌水定额(W1:0.5 Epan、W2:0.7Epa...     

基于电导率和结构稳定性阳离子比的微咸水灌溉水质评估方法

电导率（Electrical Conductivity,EC）和结构稳定性阳离子比（Cation Ratio of Soil Structural Stability,CROSS）是评估微咸水对土壤渗透性能影响的重要指标。虽然CROSS全面地考虑了Na+、K+、Ca2+和Mg2+对土壤结构稳定性的复杂影响,但CROSS的离子浓度系数在不同地区的适用性存在差异,有必要根据当地的水质条件确定基于EC和CROSS评估方法的分类标准。该研究旨在分析CROSS替代钠吸附比（Sodium Adsorption Ratio,SAR）评估水质危害的合理性以及其在河套灌区的适用性。在河套灌区不同区域采集73份地下水水样,并采用EC和SAR、EC和CROSS对其进行评估。结果表明,基于2种方法的地下水分类结果中,仅有34.25%的水样分类结果相同,并且不同的CROSS计算方法（基于阳离子相对絮凝能力（Flocculation）的CROSSf、相对分散能力（Dispersion）的CROSSd和优化的（Optimal）CROSSopt）在河套灌区的适用性也不相同。建议采用CROSSd或CROSSopt,并结合土壤盐分和离子浓度评估河套灌区地下水水质。该评估方法更全面地考虑了地下水和土壤中的离子组成对土壤渗透性能的影响,有效避免了不合理的微咸水利用导致的土壤结构恶化等问题,可为微咸水的安全可持续利用提供理论支撑。     

侵蚀地貌中土壤团聚体碳、氮、磷含量变化及其环境风险

为明确侵蚀环境中长期施用化肥条件下农田土壤养分积累特征及其对流域面源污染的潜在威胁。在高塬沟壑区,分别采集塬面—坡地—沟道和川地—河漫滩—河道中土壤及泥沙样品,分析不同侵蚀地貌单元中团聚体粒级分布特征和不同团聚体中C、N、P含量变化及其潜在环境风险。结果表明:(1)沟道和河道等低洼地带＜63 μm粒级团聚体占比最高,川地—河漫滩—河道系统中＜63 μm粒径含量显著高于塬面—坡地—沟道系统;(2)塬面有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)、有效磷(Olsen—P)含量分别为8.49,1.19,1.23 g/kg和51.80 mg/kg,是80年代初的1.39,1.49,1.76,16.27倍;川地分别为6.80,1.00,1.07 g/kg和27.40 mg/kg,是80年代初的1.12,1.25,1.52,8.13倍,磷素积累最为明显。各粒级团聚体中SOC、TN、TP、Olsen—P含量由高到低依次为＞250 μm粒级,63~250 μm粒级,＜63 μm粒级;(3)无论是从塬面到沟道,还是从川地到河道,不同粒级团聚体中SOC、TN、TP、Olsen—P都呈现了显著降低趋势,但沟道和河道＜63 μm粒级团聚体中有效磷素含量已升高到塬面上世纪80年代初水平。易侵蚀迁移的团聚体(＜250 μm)分布特征和CaCl₂—P的突变点问题突出,成为塬面和川地农田土壤养分积累影响水体环境的潜在风险源。因此,防治水土流失和改善施肥措施是确保黄河流域高质量发展的基础。