Nutrient Dynamics

Summary

Environmental concerns currently trigger the development of more sustainable soil fertility management strategies. It appears that effective sustainable practices are those that enhance natural soil processes. Soil processes include the decomposition of residues and mineralization of organic matter, nitrogen fixation, nitrification, nitrate leaching, denitrification and sulfur reduction. Natural soil processes also include less well-understood interactions, namely, those leading to the dissolution of minerals by organic acids, as well as rhizospheric and mycorrhizospheric interactions. Plants, associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal symbionts, supply and distribute carbon and energy, sustaining most of the biotic mechanisms responsible for nutrient release from soil, and maintaining organic pools of nutrients. Among these pools, the microbial biomass and fine roots pools, with their very fast turnover time, are particularly important as they can maintain large amounts of nutrients in very labile form and, therefore, increase soil fertility. Agricultural soil systems are very dynamic and are characterized by large spatial and temporal variations, which are largely driven by plant development. In addition, nutrient dynamics in agricultural soil systems seem particularly influenced by temperature, moisture, and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization. Nitrogen losses from soil are reduced in systems where nitrogen release corresponds to plant demand. Biological nitrogen fixation is a sound way to input nitrogen in cropping systems. Phosphorus losses can be reduced through increased reliance on the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis of crops. Soils are diverse and complex systems, which, furthermore, respond to increasingly unpredictable climatic variations. Optimal agricultural soil management is a moving target and, hence, a challenging goal that will never be totally reached.     

Biological Practices and Soil Conservation in Southern China

Summary

Southern China has abundant natural resources and is a major region of agricultural production. However, soil erosion is increasingly threatening the agricultural productivity of this region. Increases in soil erosion are caused by improper land use practices with soils of high rainfall erosivity. Much of the area prone to accelerated erosion was previously forested and subsequently logged four times since the 1920s. This paper discusses the effects of biological control practices on soil erosion according to erosion types, soil properties, and terrain.     

Effects of Key Soil Organisms on Nutrient Dynamics in Temperate Agroecosystems

Summary

Soil organisms are a diverse group that can influence the nutrient dynamics in temperate agroecosystems profoundly. Many organisms interact in a symbiotic or mutualistic way with plants, and these relationships have co-evolved, permitting plants and soil organisms to flourish in the soil environment. Numerous controlled lab or small plot-scale studies have demonstrated that soil organisms can mobilize or transfer substantial quantities of nutrients to crops, in relationship to crop requirements. However, the simple scaling up of such results to explain conditions on a large field scale is very much constrained by a lack of information on the spatio-temporal distribution of soil organisms in temperate agroecosystems. The numbers, diversity and activity of soil organisms in temperate agroecosystems are affected by agricultural management practices such as tillage operations, but our knowledge of the key organisms or groups of organisms that contribute to nutrient cycling and crop production under different sets of management practices is limited. Better management of nutrients in temperate agroecosystems requires better knowledge of soil biota, their effects on nutrient cycling and their contribution to crop production.     

东北玉米耕作制度存在的主要问题与新型耕作制度展望

东北是中国重要的商品粮生产基地，对确保国家粮食安全具有重要的战略意义。长期“重用轻养”的利用方式导致土壤严重退化，生产能力下降，如何实现东北黑土保护性利用是当前农业领域研究热点。玉米是东北第一大粮食作物，长期传统耕作制度不仅加速土壤退化，同时导致玉米秸秆“过剩”。因此，如何通过耕作制度改革来解决东北现行耕作制度中存在的主要问题已迫在眉睫。本文从土壤结构、土壤肥力、土壤侵蚀和秸秆还田4个方面总结传统耕作制度存在的主要问题，分析主要新型耕作制度模式的优缺点，最后展望东北耕作制度发展方向，为黑土地保护和国家粮食安全提供借鉴。     

Toposequential Variation in Soil Fertility and Rice Productivity of Rainfed Lowland Paddy Fields in Mini-Watershed (Nong)in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Mini-watersheds called Nongin Thai are geographical components of rainfed lowland rice culture in Northeast Thailand, and constitute distinct units in understanding environmental constraints for low and unstable rainfed rice production there. The toposequential variation of soil fertility and its relation to rice productivity within mini-watersheds, was examined by phytometry of sampled soils and field measurements of rice growth and yield. The phytometry experiment with irrigated potted rice using soils sampled from various rice fields within each mini-watershed, revealed that soil fertility as evaluated by rice dry matter production showed a 5 times difference among the fields at most. The difference in the soil fertility was ascribed primarily to that in nitrogen (N) supply capacity, which itself had a strong correlation with soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Accordingly, the biomass production of pot-grown rice was proportional to SOC. content, which suggested the usefulness of SOC as an index for soil fertility evaluation. The effect of clay on the soil fertility was much less than that of SOC. The actual rice yield in each field also showed quite large field-to-field variation, most of which was explained by the SOC content, rice growth duration and fertilizer application rate even though water availability also affected the yield. The yield positively correlated with growth duration and hence with earlier transplanting. Both SOC and clay contents of fields showed steep gradients with ascending field elevation within mini-watersheds, resulting in a marked toposequential distribution of rice yield. The toposequential distributions of SOC and clay contents imply that rice culture after deforestation accelerated soil erosion from upper to lower fields. The large toposequential gradient in soil fertility requires different resource and crop management for each toposequential position, in order to improve rice productivity of the mini-watershed as a whole.     

Cropping Systems and Soil Quality

SUMMARY

Cropping system refers to temporal and spatial arrangements of crops, and management of soil, water and vegetation in order to optimize the biomass/agronomic production per unit area, per unit time and per unit input. Soil quality refers to its intrinsic attributes that govern biomass productivity and environment moderating capacity. It is the ability of soil to perform specific functions of interest to humans. Three components of soil quality (e.g., physical, chemical and biological) are determined by inherent soil characteristics, some of which can be altered by management. Soil quality and soil resilience are inter-related but dissimilar attributes. Resilient soils, which have the ability to restore their quality following a perturbation, have high soil quality and vice versa. Decline in soil quality sets-in-motion degradative processes, which are also of three types, namely physical (e.g., compaction, erosion), chemical (e.g., acidification, salinization) and biological (e.g., depletion of soil organic matter content). Soil degradation, a biophysical process but driven by socioeconomic and political causes, adversely affects biomass productivity and environment quality. Determinants of soil quality are influenced by cropping systems and related components. Dramatic increases in crop yields during the 20th century are attributed to genetic improvements in crops, fertilizer use, and improved cropping systems. Dependence on fertilizers and other input, however, need to be reduced by adopting cropping systems to enhance biological nitrogen fixation and use efficiency of water and nutrients through conservation tillage, cover crops, and improved methods of soil structure and nutrient management.     

Limited Increase of Agricultural Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks Due to Increased Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations

SUMMARY

Increased atmospheric concentrations of CO₂ may lead to increases in agricultural soil carbon and nitrogen storage, but the impact is likely to be small and is uncertain due to limitations in other resources (e.g., nutrients, water) and interactions with climatic changes. Since only a small percentage of carbon added to the soil becomes stabilised, the impact of CO₂ fertilisation of crops is considered to be very small compared to deliberate efforts to increase soil carbon by improved agricultural management. Even if agricultural soil carbon stocks are increased, carbon credits cannot be claimed under the Kyoto Protocol since the increases are not directly human-induced, a condition which must be met in order for any carbon sink to be included in emission reduction targets.     

Influence of paddy rice terraces on soil erosion of a small watershed in a hilly area of Northern Vietnam

Soil erosion is the main cause of soil degradation in northern Vietnam. In this study, soil erosion was measured in 2 m² field plots, a 19.1-ha sub-watershed, and a 248.9-ha main watershed in Tam Quan commune, Tam Duong district, northern Vietnam during 2 years, i.e., 2004–2005. The main watershed includes lowland paddy fields, and is representative for watersheds in the northern Vietnamese landscape. Soil erosion was measured for eight events, at all the three scales to increase our understanding of erosional processes and to assess the effects of paddy fields within the main watershed. The results show that total discharge and sediment yield in both sub-watershed and main watershed were much lower than those in the field plots. Total discharge per unit area in the main watershed was higher than in the sub-watershed, because during the growing season, the paddies are filled with water and any rainfall on them therefore becomes runoff. Sediment yield in the main watershed fluctuated, depending on the soil erosion contribution from many sub-watersheds. Annual rainfalls in 2004 and 2005 were 1,172 and 1,560 mm, respectively, resulting in corresponding total discharges of 54 and 332 mm and total soil losses of 163 and 1,722 kg ha^?1 year^?1. High runoff volumes occurred in July, August, and September, but April, June, the last 10 days of September and October, were the susceptible periods for soil erosion in the study area because of low plant cover and many agricultural activities during these periods.     

The Role of Cover Crops in North American Cropping Systems

SUMMARY

The benefits of cover crops in cropping systems have long been recognized. Legumes have historically been used lo provide biologically fixed nitrogen to cash crops, and it has been shown that soil erosion can be slowed significantly with even minimal amounts of soil cover during vulnerable times of year. The role of cover crops in North American farming systems is expanding to include management of weeds, disease and pests, and overall enhancement of soil quality through organic matter enrichment, improved nutrient cycling and reduction of soil compaction. While the predominant temporal niche for cover crops in North America remains the winter, other opportunities in diverse cropping systems exist for cover crop inclusion, such as summer fallow, living mulches or full-year fallow crops. To date, the use of cover crops is constrained by economic, biological, and farm operational factors, but farmer education, continued research, and government policy changes can aid in overcoming existing barriers to adoption.     

Towards the partial resumption of agriculture with buckwheat cultivation in fields physically decontaminated of radioactive cesium after the nuclear power plant accident in 2011: a case study in Yamakiya District,Fukushima

ABSTRACT

Yamakiya District in the town of Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture, was evacuated after the nuclear accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in 2011. Since then, nuclear decontamination procedures have been applied to the surrounding environment, including agricultural fields. The decontamination procedure for agricultural fields consists of the removal of radiation-contaminated surface soil, followed by soil dressing and plowing. However, radioactive cesium (RCs) remains in the soil even after decontamination. In this study, we investigated the effect of applying nitrogen, potassium fertilizers, and cattle manure compost on buckwheat growth and the concentration of RCs in the grain of buckwheat cultivated in a decontaminated field from 2014 to 2016. Applications of potassium fertilizer and cattle manure compost increased the soil exchangeable potassium content and decreased the RCs concentration in the grain of buckwheat cultivated in the decontaminated field. Before the cultivation of the first buckwheat crop, the RCs concentration in soil varied widely and there were ‘hot spots’ with high RCs concentrations because of insufficient mixing of the original and the dressed soils. Therefore, soil had to be adequately mixed to avoid producing grain with a high RCs concentration. Buckwheat grew better when supplied with more nitrogen fertilizer than the conventional amount at the first cultivation, indicating that the dressed soil had low fertility. We also monitored buckwheat cultivation by local farmers in decontaminated fields from 2015 to 2017. By using potassium fertilizer, the farmers produced buckwheat grain with low RCs concentrations from 2015 to 2017.     

Population Growth,Food Production and Nutrient Requirements

Summary

World population has risen at a rate of 1.9% per year since 1960, but food production has grown at 2.8% per year due to the application of better crop production techniques. Most of the future population growth will occur in developing countries, those with limited ability to feed their growing populations or import food. Fertilizer use to increase production and maintain soil fertility has been essential to increasing food production, and will be essential in the future. World food grain reserves in 1996 were at their lowest levels since the early 1970s, and the rate of increase of food production has slowed. By the year 2020, the population is expected to be 8 billion people. To feed this population, the food grain production will have to increase from the current level of about 2 billion tonnes per year to over 3 billion tonnes. To achieve this level of crop output, intensification of the output on existing land must account for most of the growth, and the amount of fertilizer use will need to increase from 123 million tonnes of nutrients in 1994/95 to over 300 million tonnes in 2020. This requires substantial increase in fertilizer production capacity, which will only occur if relatively stable agricultural markets are established in the countries with expanding populations. The situation in Africa is particularly difficult, with poor input and output markets, declining yield levels due to the lack of nutrients, and continued population growth; there are few indications that fertilizer use will soon increase to reduce the rate of soil degradation and to produce the needed food.     

Soil Ecosystem Changes During the Transition to No-Till Cropping

Summary

Growers in the United States and worldwide are adopting no-tillage (no-till) cropping to reduce soil erosion, improve soil quality, increase water infiltration, and reduce number of passes with farm equipment over their fields. Soil erosion from dry farmed (i.e., non-irrigated) cropland in most regions of the United States exceeds the tolerable rate. An understanding of the changes in the soil ecosystem with changing tillage practices is needed to minimize the impact of agriculture on the environment and foster the use of sustainable agricultural practices. The soil biota is critical to the functioning of any agro-ecosystem, but studying the soil biota is difficult due to the diversity and the challenges associated with isolating and identifying these organisms. Soil disturbance or lack of disturbance can have a profound effect on biotic populations, processes and community structure. This contribution examines changes that occur in soil during the transition to no-till cropping, interrelations among organisms in the soil food web, and the relationships between organisms and their environment. As interest grows in sustainable cropping systems that mimic processes and soil organic matter turnover of native, undisturbed systems, it is imperative to understand how the transition to no-till affects an organism's niche, or functional role within the soil environment. Ecosystem investigations will enhance the understanding of changes that occur with the adoption of reduced tillage and no-till cropping systems so that these systems become increasingly viable.     

Application of USLE for the prediction of nutrient losses in soil erosion processes

Soil erosion in agricultural fields affects not only land productivity but also water environment down stream. Many investigations have been made for the prediction of soil erosion processes. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) has been applied broadly for the prediction of average annual soil loss from upland fields. However, there are few reports concerning the prediction of nutrient (N, P) losses based on the USLE. Thus, the objective of this study is to propose the prediction equation of nitrogen and phosphorus losses during soil erosion processes on the basis of the USLE. In order to predict total nitrogen and phosphorus losses, the coefficients for total nitrogen or phosphorus transfer are derived on the basis of results from experimental field plots. Three bare-cover USLE plots with different amounts of granular chemical fertilizer were installed in an experimental upland field. There was a tendency for the coefficient of total nitrogen or phosphorus transfer to increase with the average concentration of total nitrogen or phosphorus in the soils. It follows that the more granular chemical fertilizer applied caused a higher coefficient of total nitrogen or phosphorus transfer in the calculations. Moreover, the coefficients in heavily fertilized plots were higher than 1.0. Through this investigation, it became clear that the nutrient losses during soil erosion could be predicted on the basis of the coefficient of total nitrogen or phosphorus transfer along with other soil erosion parameters.     

Brazilian Agriculture: The Transition to Sustainability

SUMMARY

Brazil has a total area of 850 million ha, of which 90% is within the tropics. Historically, the system of exploitation of the land for agriculture and forestry was based on land clearing, cultivation for some years and then moving on to new areas. This process often left degraded areas behind, especially in the mountainous areas of the country. With modern agricultural technology, crops can be successfully grown in virtually any region of the country. The current challenge for Brazil is to feed its population and provide agricultural surpluses for the growing export markets, while preserving its rich and biologically-diverse native vegetation which still covers almost half of the country. The objective of this review is to trace the history of agricultural activity in this country, and to assess the sustainability of the cropping and pasture systems which today occupy the largest areas. At present approximately 50 million ha are under annual and perennial crops, while almost twice this area is under pastures. These pastures, predominately Brachiaria spp., are mostly in a degraded state due to lack of fertilization and over grazing. The various options available to recover these pastures or convert these areas for sustainable cropping are explained. In recent years, increasing proportions of soybean, wheat, and corn are produced under zero tillage which favors the conservation of soil organic matter. This not only radically reduces the risk of erosion but also increases the capacity of the soils to retain nutrients and water. Small holders who represent a considerable fraction of Brazil's food crop production, generally do not have access to fertilizers or other agricultural chemicals. They obtain very low yields and their farming practices exhaust the soil of nutrients. The Brazilian sugarcane industry is the largest in the world and recent changes in the management of this crop and its impact upon sustainability issues are also discussed. Brazil also has vast areas of degraded pastures and abandoned hillsides that can be used for agricultural expansion. This would prevent further destruction of native vegetation and its accompanying biological diversity for agriculture.     

Sustainability of the Rice-Wheat Cropping System

Abstract

The rice-wheat cropping system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) has contributed tremendously to food security of the region. However, of late there has been a significant slowdown in yield growth rate of this system and the sustainability of this important cropping system is at stake. A decline in soil productivity, particularly of organic C and N, a deterioration in soil physical characteristics, a delay in sowing of wheat, and decreasing water availability are often suggested as the causes of this slowdown in productivity. Therefore, a paradigm shift is required for enhancing the system's productivity and sustainability. Resource-conserving technologies involving zero-or minimum tillage with direct seeding, improved water-use efficiency, innovations in residue management to avoid straw burning, and crop diversification should assist in achieving sustainable productivity and allow farmers to minimize inputs, maximize yields, conserve the natural resource base, reduce risk due to both environmental and economic factors, and increase profitability.     

Phosphorus Balance and Soil Phosphorus Status in Paddy Rice Fields with Various Fertilizer Practices

Abstract

Excess phosphorus (P) has accumulated in Japanese paddy soils, due to fertilizer P inputs over crop requirement for several decades, and improvement of the excess of P is necessary in view of environmental conservation. This study aimed to evaluate the input/output balance of P related to soil P status in paddy rice systems, and to obtain a practical indication. Irrigated rice (Oryza sative L.) was cultivated on a gley soil from 1997 to 2006. Six field plots fertilized with commercial fertilizer, animal waste composts, green manure and none were included. Phosphorus input varied among plots from 0 to 73 kg ha-¹ yr-¹. Rice P uptake was approximately 20 kg ha-¹, indicating no response to the P input. This was attributed to a large amount of plant-available Bray- and Truog-P in our soils. In our fields, paddy rice could be cultivated with no P-containing fertilizer or amendment. As a result, increase in the P input led to an increase in partial P balance (PPB). Cumulative increase in PPB resulted in the increase in soil total P, whereas cumulative decrease of PPB tended to decrease it. Excess accumulation of the soil P results in a loss of P into the environment. We concluded that P fertilization should be restricted to 20 kg ha-¹ yr-¹ (corresponding to 46 kg ha-¹ yr-¹ as P₂O₅), based on evenly balanced P input with the rice P uptake. It is also important to include all of the P-containing fertilizers and amendments when determining the amount of application.     

Impacts of soil erosion in the upper Manupali watershed on irrigated lowlands in the Philippines

With concerns about possible environmental degradation associated with agricultural production, the impacts of soil erosion in the upper Manupali watershed and the consequent sedimentation in the plains on the productivity of the Manupali River Irrigation System's (ManRIS) service area of 4,422 ha were assessed. Land-use changes in the watershed for the past 2 decades caused soil erosion and the consequent increasing trend of canal siltation at ManRIS. This resulted in a significant decline in the productivity and income of the farmers. Rice yields in farms that were heavily affected by siltation had decreased by 27% from 1990 to 1995. Furthermore, in addition to the regular Operation and Maintenance (O and M) costs, the ManRIS management incurred desilting costs in its operation. To cope with the siltation problem, the ManRIS management and farmers made adjustments in the water delivery schedule, cropping pattern and land allocation to various crops. However, it is expected that the siltation in the ManRIS canal network and the consequent decline in crop yield and income will continue in the coming years. Drastic measures are needed to remedy the soil erosion problem in the upper Manupali watershed. Electronic Publication     

Mycorrhizal Associations and Their Manipulation for Long-Term Agricultural Stability and Productivity

Summary

Mycorrhizae refer to an association (largely symbiotic) between plants and fungi that colonize the cortical root tissue of most agricultural crops during the period of active plant growth. The contribution of these symbioses to plant growth and soil fertility maintenance has been well-recognized for past several years. In spite of these benefits to agriculture, at present, the realization of the full potential of these fungi has not yet been reached. It must also be recognized that recent research on the possible application of the mycorrhizal symbiosis in agriculture has revealed many gaps in knowledge of fungal biology and ecology. Scientific knowledge on the role of these fungi in plant development and protection, soil stabilization, aggregate formation and creation of nutrient reserves is still limited. For efficient use and manipulation of these fungal symbioses for long-term agricultural stability and productivity, our understanding of their physiology, function and interactions with existing crops and environmental conditions should be improved. Besides, effects of different agronomic practices, application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on their ecology and function should be elucidated before their successful utilization in agriculture.

This paper presents information on the morphology of different my-corrhizal fungi, their physiology and functions. Methods presently used to produce mycorrhizal inocula, their application in the field, problems to be resolved for their massive exploitation and future research needs have also been described. References have been selected to explain the recent advances in our understanding on these beneficial fungi.     

橡胶幼龄林下间作菠萝对水土流失的影响

本实验旨在探讨橡胶幼龄林下间作菠萝对水土流失的影响。采用单因素随机区组设计的方法,测定了顺坡种植菠萝,横坡种植菠萝和不间作(对照)条件下的径流量及土壤侵蚀量。结果表明：西双版纳雨季时,5～10月间,横坡和顺坡种植菠萝径流量均低于不间作菠萝,顺坡种植在6～9月间的径流量都高于横坡种植;6～10月间,顺坡种植和横坡种植菠萝能显著降低林间侵蚀量,横坡种植在6～9月间侵蚀量均低于顺坡种植;径流量、侵蚀量和降雨量的变化趋势基本相同;顺坡和横坡种植的总径流和总侵蚀量均显著减少。说明橡胶幼龄林下横坡种植菠萝可以有效减轻林地水土流失。     

海南岛桉林土壤肥力的研究

海南岛主要植枝区的土壤肥力状况差异极大,其中大部分桉林分布在贫瘠的褐色砖红壤、燥红土和滨海砂土上,这些土壤有效肥力和潜在肥力都不高。在热带地区营造桉林后,林地土壤肥力下降,土壤明显酸化。初步拟定了桉树速生丰产的土壤肥力指标,供桉树配方平衡施肥参考。