Nitrogen efficiency in long-term wheat–maize cropping systems under diverse field sites in China

Efficiency of fertilizer N is becoming increasingly important in modern agricultural production owing to increasing food requirement and growing concern about environments. However, there is almost no study regarding its long-term efficiency in wheat and maize cropping systems. Long-term (15 years) experiments involving wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) rotations at five field sites with various soil and climate characteristics in China were used to determine the nitrogen (N) efficiency, including the physiological efficiency, recovery efficiency and N mass balance of soil–plant systems in response to different fertilization treatments. The present study consisted of nine treatments: unfertilized, N, phosphorus, potassium, straw and manure or their combinations. The contribution of N fertilizers to wheat yield was higher than to maize and suggested that wheat could be given priority over maize when determining N application rates. Uptake of 1 kg N produced 35.6 kg of wheat grain and 39.5 kg of maize grain. The deficit of N in soils without applied N ranged from 40 to 103 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, while N surpluses in soils with applied N fertilizers ranged from 35 to 350 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The apparent accumulated N recovery efficiency (NRE_ac) varied widely from 4% to 90%: unbalanced fertilization and other soil limiting factors (such as aluminium toxicity) were associated with low NRE_ac. In the treatments of combination of N, phosphorus and potassium with normal application rates, the average of NRE_ac in four out of five sites reached 80%, which suggested that best management of N fertilizers could recover most of N fertilizers applied to soils. The results will be helpful to understand the long-term fate of N fertilizers and to optimize the N fertilization for agricultural practices and environment protection.     

Productivity and sustainability of a spring wheat–field pea rotation in a semi-arid environment under conventional and conservation tillage systems

A long-term rotation experiment was established in 2001 to compare conservation tillage techniques with conventional tillage in a semi-arid environment in the western Loess Plateau of China. We examined resource use efficiencies and crop productivity in a spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–field pea (Pisum arvense L.) rotation. The experimental design included a factorial combination of tillage with different ground covers (complete stubble removal, stubble retained and plastic film mulch). Results showed that there was more soil water in 0–30 cm at sowing under the no-till with stubble retained treatment than the conventional tillage with stubble removed treatment for both field pea (60 mm vs. 55 mm) and spring wheat (60 mm vs. 53 mm). The fallow rainfall efficiency was up to 18% on the no-till with stubble retained treatment compared to only 8% for the conventional tillage with stubble removed treatment. The water use efficiency was the highest in the no-till with stubble retained treatment for both field pea (10.2 kg/ha mm) and spring wheat (8.0 kg/ha mm), but the lowest on the no-till with stubble removed treatment for both crops (8.4 kg/ha mm vs. 6.9 kg/ha mm). Spring wheat also had the highest nitrogen use efficiency on the no-till with stubble retained treatment (24.5%) and the lowest on the no-till with stubble removed treatment (15.5%). As a result, grain yields were the highest under no-till with stubble retained treatment, but the lowest under no-till with no ground cover treatment for both spring wheat (2.4 t/ha vs. 1.9 t/ha) and field pea (1.8 t/ha vs. 1.4 t/ha). The important finding from this study is that conservation tillage has to be adopted as a system, combining both no-tillage and retention of crop residues. Adoption of a no-till system with stubble removal will result in reductions in grain yields and a combination of soil degradation and erosion. Plastic film mulch increased crop yields in the short-term compared with the conventional tillage practice. However, use of non-biodegradable plastic film creates a disposal problem and contamination risk for soil and water resources. It was concluded that no-till with stubble retained treatment was the best option in terms of higher and more efficient use of water and nutrient resources and would result in increased crop productivity and sustainability for the semi-arid region in the Loess Plateau. The prospects for adoption of conservation tillage under local conditions were also discussed.     

Effects of rice or wheat residue retention on the quality of milled japonica rice in a rice–wheat rotation system in China

In rice–wheat rotation systems, crop straw is usually retained in the field at land preparation in every, or every other, season. We conducted a 3-year-6-season experiment in the middle–lower Yangtze River Valley to compare the grain qualities of rice under straw retained after single or double seasons per year. Four treatments were designed as: both wheat and rice straw retained(WR), only rice straw retained(R), only wheat straw retained(W), and no straw retained(CK). The varieties were Yangmai 16 wheat and Wuyunjing 23 japonica rice. The results showed contrasting effects of W and R on rice quality. Amylopectin content, peak viscosity, cool viscosity, and breakdown viscosity of rice grain were significantly increased in W compared to the CK, whereas gelatinization temperature,setback viscosity, and protein content significantly decreased. In addition, the effect of WR on rice grain quality was similar to that of W, although soil fertility was enhanced in WR due to straw being retained in two cycles. The differences in protein and starch contents among the treatments might result from soil nitrogen supply. These results indicate that wheat straw retained in the field is more important for high rice quality than rice straw return, and straw from both seasons is recommended for positive effects on soil fertility.     

Relative abundance and damage of some insect pests of wheat under different tillage practices in rice–wheat cropping in India

Tillage changes the physical and chemical properties of soil and can also inhibit or enhance useful and harmful fauna. In agriculture, different tillage technologies are being tried to enhance crop productivity, but little concrete information seems to exist on their effects on pest abundance and damage. To address this lack of information, sowing of wheat was investigated under different tillage systems. In order to monitor pest abundance and damage in altered tillage systems, the present studies on the relative abundance and damage due to insect pests viz. pink stem borer (PSB, Sesamia inferens Walker), termites (Microtermes obesi Holmgren and Odontotermes obesus Rambur) and root aphid (Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis Sasaki) were undertaken in a rice–wheat cropping system during 2010–11 and 2011–12. Pest abundance and damage was monitored in four tillage systems i.e. conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage (ZT), ZT + mulch and rotary tillage (RT) under insecticide protected and unprotected conditions. The application of insecticide did not affect root aphid incidence or termite damage. However, significant differences in PSB damage in insecticide protected (0.9%) and unprotected (1.2%) conditions were observed. The investigations demonstrated that in CT, damage by PSB (0.6%) was minimum; however termite damage (2.2%) was maximum as compared to all other tillage conditions. In ZT, PSB damage (1.4%) was maximum and root aphid incidence (3.1 aphids/tiller) was minimum in comparison to other tillage conditions. ZT + mulch resulted in inter-mediate insect pest incidence/damage; however, RT was the least effective practice which showed relatively high incidence/damage of these three insects (1.2% PSB damage, 1.9% termite damage and 5.1 aphids/tiller). The insecticide × tillage interaction indicated that insecticide application is needed only in ZT and RT for PSB management.     

Phosphorus efficiency in long-term (15 years) wheat–maize cropping systems with various soil and climate conditions

Long-term (over 15 years) winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize (Zea mays L.) crop rotation experiments were conducted to investigate phosphorus (P) fertilizer utilization efficiency, including the physiological efficiency, recovery efficiency and the mass (the input–output) balance, at five sites across different soil types and climate zones in China. The five treatments used were control, N, NP, NK and NPK, representing various combinations of N, P and K fertilizer applications. Phosphorus fertilization increased average crop yield over 15 years and the increases were greater with wheat (206%) than maize (85%) across all five sites. The wheat yield also significantly increased over time for the NPK treatments at two sites (Xinjiang and Shanxi), but decreased at one site (Hunan). The P content in wheat was less than 3.00 g kg⁻¹ (and 2.10 g kg⁻¹ for maize) for the N and NK treatments with higher values for the Control, NP and NPK treatments. To produce 1 t of grain, crops require 4.2 kg P for wheat and 3.1 kg P for maize. The P physiological use efficiency was 214 kg grain kg⁻¹ P for wheat and 240 kg grain kg⁻¹ P for maize with over 62% of the P from P fertilizer. Applying P fertilizer at 60–80 kg P ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ could maintain 3–4 t ha⁻¹ yields for wheat and 5–6 t ha⁻¹ yields for maize for the five study sites across China. The P recovery efficiency and fertilizer use efficiency averaged 47% and 29%, respectively. For every 100 kg P ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ P surplus (amount of fertilizer applied in excess of crop removal), Olsen-P in soil was increased by 3.4 mg P kg⁻¹. Our study suggests that in order to achieve higher crop yields, the long-term P input–output balance, soil P supplying capacity and yield targets should be considered when making P fertilizer recommendations and developing strategies for intensively managed wheat–maize cropping systems.     

Evaluation of alternative tillage and crop establishment methods in a rice–wheat rotation in North Western IGP

The rice–wheat rotation covering 13.5 million ha in the Indo-Gangetic Plains is vital for food security. Its sustainability is at risk as the current production practices are inadequate resulting in high cost of cultivation and inefficient use of inputs (i.e. water, labor and energy). In a field study, we evaluated resource conserving and cost-saving alternative tillage and crop establishment options with an aim to improve system productivity and efficiency. Treatments included transplanting and direct-seeding of rice after reduced and no-tillage, followed by wheat after no-tillage. Conventional-tilled (puddled) transplanted rice followed by conventional-tilled wheat was included as a current practice. Rice yields of transplanted rice were similar irrespective of tillage/puddling. However, both dry and wet direct-seeded rice yielded 0.45–0.61 Mg ha⁻¹ lower than puddled transplanted rice. Wheat yield after no-tillage was either higher or equivalent to conventional practice. Wheat provided more economic return (US $35 ha⁻¹) than rice. No-till wheat was 6% more profitable than the conventional practice (T1). Rice transplanting with or without puddling had similar water application but dry direct-seeded rice had 10–12% lower and wet direct-seeded rice 20–24% higher. Machine labor without tillage was lower by maximum of 51 and 43% in rice and wheat, respectively. Similarly, human labor was also 9–16% lower in no-till rice compared to other practices. Two years results consistently showed $35 more net income when rice was transplanted without puddling than that of conventional practice. Direct-seeded/un-tilled rice had variable response in 2 years; US $16 more in year 1 and similar in year 2 to the puddled transplanted rice. Direct-seeded or transplanted rice after no-tillage can be more efficient and profitable alternatives to current practice (puddled transplanted rice), however, require further refinement in areas of cultivar development for no-till direct-seeding condition, nutrient, water and weed management to harness maximal potential.     

Tillage and straw mulching impacts on grain yield and water use efficiency of spring maize in Northern Huang–Huai–Hai Valley

A two-year field experiment(2012–2013) was conducted to investigate the effects of two tillage methods and five maize straw mulching patterns on the yield, water consumption,and water use efficiency(WUE) of spring maize(Zea mays L.) in the northern Huang–Huai–Hai valley of China. Compared to rotary tillage, subsoil tillage resulted in decreases in water consumption by 6.3–7.8% and increases in maize yield by 644.5–673.9 kg ha-1, soil water content by 2.9–3.0%, and WUE by 12.7–15.2%. Chopped straw mulching led to higher yield,soil water content, and WUE as well as lower water consumption than prostrate whole straw mulching. Mulching with 50% chopped straw had the largest positive effects on maize yield, soil water content, and WUE among the five mulching treatments. Tillage had greater influence on maize yield than straw mulching, whereas straw mulching had greater influence on soil water content, water consumption, and WUE than tillage. These results suggest that 50% chopped straw mulching with subsoil tillage is beneficial in spring maize production aiming at high yield and high WUE in the Huang–Huai–Hai valley.     

Effect of narrow-row planting patterns on crop competitive and economic advantage in maize–soybean relay strip intercropping system

Narrow-row planting patterns directly affect crop yield and competition in intercropping systems. A two-year (2012 and 2013) field experiment was conducted to determine the interactive behavior between intercrops in a maize–soybean relay strip intercropping system. Maize plants were planted in different narrow-wide row planting patterns, whereas soybean was planted in wide rows. The total biomass and grain yield of maize increased with increasing maize narrow-row spacing, but the opposite trend was observed for soybean. The aggressivity, competitive ratio, and partial relative crowding advantage values for maize were greater than those for soybean. Moreover, the competitive interaction of the intercrops was affected by the distance between maize and soybean rows. The highest intercrop land equivalent ratio (LER) 1.61 and 1.59 was found in the 40:160 planting pattern (i.e. 40 cm narrow-row spacing and 160 cm wide-row spacing of maize) during 2012 and 2013, respectively. Combined with actual yield loss and LER, the intense intra-specific competition of maize plants reduced the depression for the associated soybeans when the maize narrow-row spacing was less than 30 cm. When the narrow-row spacing was wider than 50 cm, soybean growth was seriously depressed by maize because of the stronger inter-specific competition between maize and soybean. The maximum yield and economic advantage appeared in the 40:160 narrow-wide row planting pattern. Therefore, intercropping advantage may be achieved by changing the row spacing and distance between intercrop rows to coordinate the inter-specific competition between maize and soybean.     

Influence of growth temperature on content,viscosity and relative molecular weight of water-soluble β-glucans in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

β-Glucan content and viscosity of water-soluble β-glucans have a considerable impact on the digestion of barley. Eight different 2-row barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars were grown in controlled environment chambers at five different temperatures until maturity. The samples were pearled, milled and analysed for their content of total, insoluble and soluble β-glucan. The water-soluble fraction was extracted at 37 °C, subjected to amylase treatment and freeze-dried. Water-soluble crude β-glucans were solubilised in distilled water, analysed for viscosity and their purity was checked by nuclear magnetic resonance. Molecular weights were profiled by size exclusion chromatography with RI detection. The content of total β-glucan varied from 4.0% to 7.4%, and was significantly affected by the growth temperature. An interaction between cultivar and growth temperature was observed for the total β-glucan content. The extractability was significantly affected by growth temperature, as there was recorded an increasing amount of water-soluble β-glucan with increasing growth temperature. Both the viscosity and the molecular weight of the water-soluble β-glucans increased with the growth temperature.     

Influence of field re-ponding pattern and plant spacing on rice root–shoot characteristics,yield, and water productivity of two modern cultivars under SRI management in Indian Mollisols

A 2-year field experiment was conducted during the wet seasons (July–October) of 2008 and 2009 on a Typic Hapludoll Mollisol in Indo-Gangetic Plains Region (IGPR) to: (i) investigate the effects of field water re-ponding intervals and plant spacing on the growth, yield, and water productivity (WP) of two rice cultivars under system of rice intensification (SRI) management, and (ii) assess comparative performance of SRI versus ‘best management practices’(BMP) of rice cultivation. This experiment was designed with 14 treatments, 12 under SRI, and 2 BMP (controls). SRI treatments comprised of 3 irrigation regimes viz, irrigation at 1, 3, and 5 day(s) after disappearance of ponded water (DADPW), 2 plant spacings (20 × 20, 25 × 25 cm), and 2 rice cultivars (Pant Dhan 4 and Hybrid 6444). Two BMP (control) treatments comprised of standard cultivation recommendations for flooding and spacing. The experiment was laid-out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. Statistical analysis of data revealed significant variations in root–shoot characteristics and rice yield under SRI between years, reflecting different rainfall patterns. During 2009, a low rainfall year, the panicle numbers m^?2, dry root weight m^?2, root volume m^?2, filled spikelet number panicle^?1, and filled spikelet weight panicle^?1 were significantly higher, which resulted in a rice grain yield enhancement by 5.1 % over 2008, when there was unusually heavy rainfall. Climate × irrigation regime interaction revealed a non-significant influence of irrigation regimes on growth and yield during 2008, whereas in 2009, irrigation at 1 DADPW and 3 DADPW increased grain yield by 12.8 and 8 %, respectively over 5 DADPW. Better root–zone soil moisture regimes, balancing water, and oxygen availability were responsible for higher yields under irrigation at 1 and 3 DADPW. In 2008, soil moisture content (SMC) in 0–15 cm layer was 91, 86, and 82 % of field capacity (FC) at panicle initiation, and 88, 80, and 77 % at panicle emergence stage when irrigation was at 1, 3, and 5 DADPW, respectively; the lower layers (15–30, 30–45 cm) retained their SMC between 87 and 94 % of FC at both stages. During 2009, SMC in all the three layers at both stages was more than 85 % of FC when irrigating at 1 DADPW, and a little more than 70 % for the 0–15 cm layer and >80 % for the other two layers when irrigation was done at 3 DADPW. SMC dropped to below 60 % of FC in the 0–15 cm layer and remained between 67 and 77 % of FC in the other two layers, with lower yield resulting when irrigations were applied at 5 DADPW. However, WP was the highest with irrigation at 5 DADPW (38.5 kg ha cm^?1). Wider plant spacing (25 × 25 cm) resulted in generally and significantly higher grain yield and WP. On an average, SRI (6.1 t ha^?1) resulted in yield advantage of 0.9 t ha^?1 over BMP (5.2 t ha^?1). Overall, it is inferred that in SRI, wider planting (25 × 25 cm) with field re-ponding at 3 DADPW if there is adequate water availability and at 5 DADPW under limited water supply conditions, may lead to higher rice yields and WP in sub-humid tarai Mollisols of IGPR and comparable agro-climatic conditions in Indian sub-continent.     

On-farm evaluation of the ‘push–pull’ technology for the control of stemborers and striga weed on maize in western Kenya

The ‘push–pull’ technology is a novel pest management strategy developed for control of stemborers and striga weed, Striga hermonthica, in maize-based farming systems in eastern Africa, where maize is intercropped with desmodium, a forage legume, and Napier grass is planted as a border crop. Desmodium repels stemborer moths while Napier grass attracts them. Desmodium also suppresses the parasitic striga weed through a series of mechanisms ranging from shading to allelopathy through the root system. The technology is currently being disseminated among smallholder farmers in eastern Africa and adoption rates are rising. Our on-station studies have reported efficacy of this technology against the two pests resulting in increased grain yields. The current study was conducted between 2003 and 2006 in 14 districts in western Kenya to assess effectiveness of the technology under farmers’ own conditions. Twenty farmers from each district, who had adopted the technology, were randomly selected for the study. Each farmer had a set of two plots, a ‘push–pull’ and a maize monocrop. Seasonal data were collected on percentage of maize plants damaged by stemborers, the number of emerged striga, plant height and grain yields. Similarly, farmers’ perceptions on the benefits of the technology were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Stemborer damage and striga counts to maize plants were significantly lower in the ‘push–pull’ plots than in the maize monocrop plots. Similarly, maize plant height and grain yields were significantly higher in the former. Farmers rated the ‘push–pull’ technology significantly superior in having reduced stemborers and striga infestation rates and increased soil fertility and grain yields. These results demonstrate that the technology is equally effective in controlling both pests with concomitant yield increases under farmers’ conditions in the districts studied.