Extent and Implications of Weed Spatial Variability in Arable Crop Fields

Summary

The integration of technologies and principles to assess, manage, and evaluate spatial and temporal variability has enabled the site-specific application of variable rates of agrochemicals. It is referred to as precision management. This article concerns with the potential of precision management for weed control. Weeds are heter-ogeneously distributed and show different levels of spatial aggregation. A better understanding of weed patchiness is necessary for precision weed management. Studies reviewed in this article showed that significant reduction in the amount of herbicide can be achieved when the spatial variability of weeds is taken into account. It is often difficult, however, to obtain information on the spatial distribution of weeds with accuracy because it depends on monitoring techniques, scales of observation, and statistical methods applied. We conclude that the precision application of herbicides is one approach to managing weeds and it will be possible to achieve a drastic reduction in herbicide applications by using a combination of several different types of weed control strategies. Not only farmers with large fields but also those with small fields should have better access to information on spatial variability to make decisions for weed control.     

轮耕对冬小麦田土壤酶活性时空变化的影响

为了解轮耕对土壤酶活性的影响,采用田间定位试验,比较和分析了秸秆还田和不还田条件下,连续3年常规耕作(3C)、1年深翻+2年常规耕作(DP2C)、2年深翻+1年常规耕作(2DPC)和连续3年深翻(3DP)处理的冬小麦田土壤酶活性时空变化特点。结果表明,秸秆还田和深翻均可提高0~40cm土层土壤蔗糖酶、脲酶、碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶的活性,其中秸秆还田后平均增幅分别为24.92%、9.20%、6.66%和11.04%,经深翻处理后平均增幅分别为5.33%、6.26%、2.02%和3.43%。随着土层深度增加,各处理土壤酶活性逐渐降低,2DPC和3DP处理相对3C处理20~40cm土层4种土壤酶活性降低幅度较小。秸秆还田配合2DPC、3DP土壤耕作处理不仅能提高酶活性,也有利于酶在土壤中均匀分布。     

轮耕对麦田土壤容重和小麦根系发育的影响

为给小麦生产中的合理轮耕提供参考依据,通过田间定位试验,研究了轮耕麦田土壤容重及小麦根系发育的变化。结果表明,与连续旋耕3年相比,旋耕2年后深耕处理降低了15～25cm土层土壤容重,对表层土壤容重影响相对较小,增加了不同层次土壤根量、生育中后期15～20cm土壤单株次生根数和根系活力。说明在黄淮平原当前普遍采用一年两熟种植制度和作物秸秆通过旋耕还田的耕作方式下,采取旋耕2年后深耕对于改善麦田土壤条件、促进小麦根系生长发育更为有利。     

豫北小麦籽粒质量性状空间变异特征

为探索区域小麦籽粒质量性状空间变异特征,给小麦收贮和加工企业提供区域小麦籽粒质量信息,筛选可用于优质小麦生态区域划分的参考性状,以2008-2012年豫北地区新乡市、鹤壁市和安阳市9个县(区)27个乡镇定点采集的405份农户大田小麦样品为材料,采用GS+9.0软件分析小麦籽粒质量性状半方差函数,以ArcGis9.3软件地统计分析模块绘制研究区域小麦籽粒质量性状空间分布图。结果表明,豫北小麦籽粒蛋白质含量和面团稳定时间较高,湿面筋含量和沉淀值较低。小麦千粒重、容重空间分布呈现由东北至西南方向递减的趋势;籽粒蛋白质含量、湿面筋含量、沉淀值和面团稳定时间呈现由东北至西南方向递增趋势。小麦千粒重、籽粒蛋白质含量、沉淀值和面团稳定时间年际间表现为强或中等程度空间相关性;容重和面粉湿面筋含量空间相关性年际间变化较大。由以上分析可知,豫北地区具有生产强筋小麦的潜在优势。新乡市的小麦籽粒质量优于鹤壁市和安阳市。面团稳定时间、千粒重和沉淀值可以作为优质强筋小麦生态区划的重要参考性状。     

红壤蔗区土壤有效态氮、磷、钾的空间变异

在面积约24km^2的低丘红壤蔗区中,测定了土壤表层175个土样的土壤有效态氮、磷、钾的含量,结果表明其平均含量都较高,变异系数都为中等变异强度.地统计学分析表明,各养分项目都存在中等到极强程度的空间相关性.Kriging方法生成的养分含量分布图显示,各养分项目在研究区域的空间分布上存在较大的差异,反映了局部空间的养分分布状况,可为甘蔗的精准施肥管理提供依据.     

Effect of Chinese Milk Vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) as a Cover Crop on Weed Control,Growth and Yield of Wheat under Different Tillage Systems

Abstract

Reduced tillage systems are gaining popularity but weed control is often a limiting factor in the adoption of such systems. Cover crops have become a viable option for sustainable agriculture because of its contribution to soil fertility and improved crop performance. However, the contribution of cover crops to weed management is not clearly defined. We compared minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT) with conventional tillage (CT) for their effects on wheat growth in an original paddy land clay soil in the presence of Chinese milk vetch as a cover crop. Cover crop biomass, weed emergence, main crop growth and yield and soil penetration resistance were examined. Chinese milk vetch was successfully established under MT and CT but not under NT, which retarded its growth resulting in a significantly large biomass of all weed species. Weed suppression was more effective when the cover crop was broadcasted than row seeded. The presence of milk vetch as a cover crop significantly suppressed weed growth under MT especially at the late stage of growth and resulted in a comparable grain yield to that under CT. Although soil penetration resistance under MT remained high throughout the period of wheat growth, milk vetch could be effectively utilized as a cover crop under MT and wheat grain yield under MT was comparable to that under CT without mulch treatment.     

Geostatistical Analysis of Yield,Soil Properties and Crop Management Practices in Paddy Rice Fields

Abstract

We examined the possible benefit of rational site-specific crop management practices in 17 paddy fields located in an area of 2.0 ha for the prevalence of precision agriculture methods on a cooperatively managed large-scale farm in Sakurai, Nara Japan. Data on grain yield, soil physicochemical properties and farmer's crop management practices were collected in each paddy field. Unhulled rice yield was estimated at a resolution of 5m ? 5m in an area of 1.2 ha using a yield-monitoring combine. The spatial distribution of the variations for the collected data was characterized using geostatistical procedures. The kriged map of the unhulled rice yield drawn from the results of geostatistical analysis indicated the potential value of rational site-specific crop management using the yield-monitoring combine. The ratio of spatially structured variation to the total variation of brown rice yield, that is, the controllable proportion to total variation, was 75.4%. Each yield component i.e., the number of spikelets per square meter, filled-spikelet percentage and 1000-grain weight contributed 33.7%, 54.7% and 11.6%, respectively, to brown rice yield. These three yield components combined contributed to 96.5% of the brown rice yield variation. The agronomic factors (soil fertility factor, early growth factor, N dressing and uptake factor) contributed 79.7%, 52.1% and 41.8%, respectively, to the variation of these three yield components. Therefore these agronomic factors accounted for 58.1% of the total variation of the brown rice yield and 77.1% (i.e. 58.1% out of 75.4%) of the spatially structured variation of the brown rice yield. This controllable proportion may be a criterion for the prevalence of site-specific crop management in large-scale farm management in general, although only one case study was conducted.     

区域尺度冬小麦叶绿素含量的高光谱预测和空间变异研究

为从区域尺度探讨小麦SPAD的近地高光谱遥感监测技术,采用ASDField Spec 3.0型便携式高光谱仪获取的冬小麦冠层高光谱数据,利用相关分析和偏最小二乘法(PLSR)对SPAD进行建模预测,并采用地统计学方法进行空间变异制图。结果表明,冬小麦叶片SPAD值在不同生长阶段存在一定的差异,但在不同区域之间差异不显著。基于PLSR建立模型,并利用原始光谱和二阶导数光谱进行预测,R~2分别为0.653和0.995,均方根误差分别为2.622和0.327,相对析误差分别为1.549和13.66。综合来看,二阶导数光谱所建立的模型预测能力比原始光谱好。选择拔节期和成熟期进行区域化表达,与实测得到的SPAD空间分布图相比,采用全光谱数据和二阶导数光谱数据预测的SPAD均表现出了较高的空间相似性,其中二阶导数接近实测值。     

土壤水分下限对固定道垄作小麦生长及产量的影响

为确定固定道垄作小麦生长和高产的适宜土壤水分下限,通过田间裂区试验,设置了4个土壤水分下限水平(分别为计划湿润层土壤田间持水量的40%、55%、70%和85%),研究了传统耕作和固定道垄作方式下土壤水分下限对小麦叶面积系数、干物质积累、产量和水分利用效率的影响。结果表明,固定道垄作栽培能够明显提高小麦的叶面积指数和促进干物质积累,增加产量和水分利用效率。在土壤水分下限为田间持水量的70%时,固定道垄作栽培的小麦叶面积指数和干物质积累量较大,穗数、穗粒数、千粒重和产量最大,水分利用效率也较高。综合来看,在河西绿洲灌区,固定道垄作小麦的适宜土壤水分下限为田间持水量的70%。     

A Comparison of Intensive Rice Production in Japan and Wheat Production in Europe: The Contribution of Minimum Tillage to Sustainability

Abstract

This review paper examines some of the issues concerned with sustainable production of two major cereal crops – wheat and rice. We compare the perceived threats to sustainability in intensive production of rice in Japan and wheat in Europe, and evaluate the contrasting experiences with minimum tillage as a possible technique for greater sustainability. The contrasts which are presented reveal how perceptions about environmental threats vary widely, and how social and economic factors, as well as purely environmental issues, greatly influence the conclusions reached about sustainability. Before drawing these comparisons, however, we present a brief outline of the two crop systems as practised in Japan and Europe, and describe the experiences in both regions of using minimum tillage.

The comparison presented has shown that there are no simple solutions to the problem of sustainability. Management techniques which work well in one situation, for example minimum tillage for wheat, may be inappropriate for another crop. Furthermore, the search for sustainability is strongly constrained by social and economic circumstances which ultimately determine which management options are viable. Indeed, although awareness of the need for more sustainable agricultural practices is growing, both in Japan and Europe, short-term economic considerations continue to be the dominant influence affecting agricultural practice in both regions.     

The Distribution of Wheat and Maize Roots as Influenced by Biopores in a Subsoil of the Kanto Loam Type

Abstract

Biopores are tubular soil macropores left by plant roots after their decay or burrowed by soil animals, which provide channels for deep rooting and improve crop access to water and nutrients. The density oi biopores, number of biopores per unit area, and proportion of biopores occupied by roots were measured on horizontal soil profiles at 30, 50, and 70 cm in depth in a fine-texture subsoil of Andosol (Light clay, a volcanic ash of the Kanto loam type) at the mature stage of wheat and maize. Images of 0,1 mm resolution from the pictures of cleaned profile surfaces were examined on a computer display. Dark spots with a circular and smooth boundary were regarded as biopores. The density of biopores larger than 1 mm in diameter ranged from 500 to 2,000 m^–2. The percentage of biopores occupied by roots was more than 30% of biopores larger than 1 mm and increased with depth. Roots were accumulated in biopores. The proportion of biopores (> 1 mm) with roots increased with depth. It was 28-35% in the wheat plot and 14-20% in the maize plot. This suggested that thinner wheat roots easily entered a biopore and remained in it. The possible influence of biopores on the spatial distribution of roots was discussed.