Nitrate leaching as influenced by soil tillage and catch crop

Because of public and political concern for the quality of surface and ground water, leaching of nitrate is of special concern in many countries. To evaluate the effects of tillage and growth of a catch crop on nitrate leaching, two field trials were conducted in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under temperate coastal climate conditions. On a coarse sand (1987–1992), ploughing in autumn or in spring in combination with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) as a catch crop was evaluated. Furthermore, rotovating and direct drilling were included. The experiment was conducted on a 19-year-old field trial with continuous production of spring barley. On a sandy loam (1988–1992), ploughing in autumn or in spring in combination with stubble cultivation and perennial ryegrass, in addition to minimum tillage, was evaluated in a newly established field trial. For calculation of nitrate leaching, soil water isolates from depths of 0.8 or 1.0 m were taken using ceramic cups. No significant effect of tillage was found on the coarse sand; however, a significant effect of tillage was found on the sandy loam, where leaching from autumn ploughed plots without stubble cultivation was 16 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ higher than leaching from spring ploughed plots. Leaching was significantly less when stubble cultivation in autumn was omitted. Leaching on both soil types was significantly reduced by the growth of a catch crop which was ploughed under in autumn or in spring. It was concluded that soil cultivation increased leaching on the sandy loam but not on the coarse sand, and that the growth of perennial ryegrass as a catch crop reduced leaching on both soil types, particularly when ryegrass was ploughed under in spring.     

Sufficiency ranges and crop nutrient removals for peppermint (Mentha X piperita L.) established from field and pot fertilizer experiments

Peppermint is an important aromatic and medicinal plant used across the world in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. However, there is a lack of agronomic research on this crop which hinders the implementation of best agricultural practice at farm level. Plant analysis, for instance, cannot be used as a tool to implement a suitable fertilizer recommendation program, since sufficiency ranges and crop nutrient removals have not yet been established. Thus, the main objectives of the present work were to assess the response of peppermint to varying nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and boron (B) rates, to establish sufficiency ranges from macro, micronutrients and SPAD-readings and to estimate crop nutrient removals in the aboveground biomass. Field trials and pot experiments were conducted from 2013 to 2015 in a wide range of conditions involving 12 N, P, K or B fertilizer trials and a total of 48 cuts of biomass. Nitrogen fertilization increased dry matter yield of peppermint on the vast majority of sampling dates. In contrast, P, K, or B did not produce a significant effect on dry matter yield in any of the experiments. The sufficiency ranges set for macronutrients N, P, K, Ca and Mg are respectively 32.0 – 42.0, 1.2 – 4.5, 10.0 – 30.0, 7.0 – 23.0, and 4.0 – 10.0 g kg^?1. Those for micronutrients B, copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) are respectively 20 – 200, 5 – 25, 100 – 600, 25 – 300, and 30 – 200 mg kg^?1. Sufficiency range for SPAD-readings is 45 – 50 SPAD units. All these ranges were established for the commercial harvesting date. The amounts of N, P, K, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) removed in aboveground biomass are respectively 22.7, 1.6, 26.4, 16.4 and 4.8 kg Mg^?1 of dry biomass.     

填闲与减少施肥措施提高华北温室种植体系中的番茄产量及土壤养分

Overuse of fertilizers and the resultant pollution and eutrophication of surface and groundwater is a growing issue in China. Consequently, improved management strategies are needed to optimize crop production with reduced nutrient inputs. Conventional fertilization (CF), reduced fertilization (RF), and reduced fertilization with maize (Zea mays L.) as a summer catch crop (RF+C) treatments were evaluated in 2008 and 2009 by quantifying tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruit yield and soil nutrient balance in a greenhouse tomato double-cropping system. Fertilizer nitrogen (N) application was reduced by 37% in the RF and RF+C treatments compared to the CF treatment with no significant reduction in fruit yield. Mean soil mineral N (N_min) content to a depth of 180 cm following tomato and maize harvest was lower in the RF and RF+C treatments than in the CF treatment. Residual soil Nmin content was reduced by 21% and 55% in the RF and RF+C treatments, respectively, compared to the CF treatment. Surplus phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents in the RF+C treatment were significantly lower than those in the RF treatment, mainly due to additional P and K uptake by the catch crop. We concluded that for intensive greenhouse production systems, the RF and RF+C treatments could maintain tomato fruit yield, reduce the potential for nitrate (NO₃^--N) leaching, and with a catch crop, provide additional benefits through increased biomass production.     

Nitrate leaching from organic arable crop rotations: effects of location, manure and catch crop

Abstract. Nitrate leaching from crop rotations supporting organic grain production was investigated from 1997 to 2000 in a field experiment at three locations in Denmark on different soil types. Three experimental factors were included in the experiment in a factorial design: (1) proportion of N₂-fixing crops in the rotation (crop rotation), (2) catch crop (with and without), and (3) manure (with and without). Three, four-course rotations were compared, two at each location. The nitrate leaching was measured using ceramic suction cells. Leaching losses from the crop rotation with grass–clover green manure and without catch crops were 104, 54 and 35 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ on the coarse sand, the loamy sand, and the sandy loam, respectively. There was no effect of manure application or time of ploughing-in the grass–clover green manure crop on the accumulated nitrate leaching from the entire rotation. Catch crops reduced nitrate leaching significantly, by 30–38%, on the sandy soils. At all locations catch crops reduced the annual averaged nitrate concentration to meet drinking water quality standards in the crop rotation with green manure. On the coarse sand there was a time lag between the onset of drainage and the start of N-uptake by the catch crop.     

Yield and N uptake as affected by soil tillage and catch crop

Two field trials with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were conducted at two locations in Denmark in order to evaluate the effects of tillage and growth of a catch crop on yield parameters under temperate coastal climate conditions. Ploughing in autumn or spring in combination with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) as a catch crop was evaluated on a coarse sand (Orthic Haplohumod) from 1987 to 1992 at three rates of N fertiliser application (60, 90 and 120 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). Rotovating and direct drilling were also included as additional tillage practices. The experiment was conducted on a 19-year-old field trial with continuous production of spring barley. Ploughing in autumn or spring in combination with stubble cultivation and a catch crop, in addition to minimum tillage, was evaluated in a newly established field trial on a sandy loam (Typic Agrudalf) from 1988 to 1992. Yield parameters and N concentrations in grain and straw were determined. On the coarse sand, N uptake in the grain in ploughed plots without a catch crop was significantly greater when spring ploughed as opposed to autumn ploughed, but grain and straw yields did not differ significantly. Grain yield, straw yield and total N uptake did not differ significantly between direct drilled and autumn ploughed plots, but the trend was for grain yield to be lower with direct drilling. After 19 years of catch crop use, yield parameters in ploughed plots were greater than in plots without catch crops. This was most pronounced in the autumn ploughed plots. Rotovating the catch crop in the spring decreased grain yield compared with underploughing the catch crop in autumn or spring. No significant interactions were found between tillage and N rates. On the sandy loam, grain as well as straw yield and total N uptake were not significantly affected by catch crop or time of ploughing. Grain yield was significantly lower with reduced tillage (stubble cultivation in autumn) than in all other treatments.     

Influences of past application rates of nitrogen and a catch crop on soil microbial communities between an intensive rotation

The aim of this study was to investigate influences of six-year past application rates of nitrogen and a catch crop, sweet corn (Zea mays L. ssp. Saccharata Sturt), on soil microbial community and diversity in a greenhouse-based intensive vegetable soil in eastern China. Soil electrical conductivity, pH, mineral nitrogen, phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) profiles and carbon source utilization patterns under five annually past nitrogen rates (0, 348, 522, 696 and 870?kg?nitrogen?ha^?1) were evaluated after the establishment of sweet corn during 1–1.5-month fallow period over three-year tomato/cucumber/celery rotations. The past nitrogen application rates exerted significant effects on soil electrical conductivity, pH, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen and carbon source utilization patterns, but not on PLFAs profiles. The sweet corn had a significant effect on soil chemical properties, total and actinobacterial PLFAs, but not on carbon source utilization patterns. Soil electrical conductivity, nitrate-nitrogen and the total PLFAs decreased whilst soil organic carbon, pH and the actinobacterial PLFAs increased after the establishment of sweet corn. Soil microbial functional diversity from carbon source utilization patterns and actinobacterial PLFAs were greatest after the establishment of sweet corn at a 60% of the conventional nitrogen rate (i.e. 522?kg?nitrogen?ha^?1). Soil electrical conductivity and ammonium-nitrogen were two key factors to determine carbon source utilization patterns, whilst soil pH was the key factor to determine PLFAs profiles. A combination of the catch crop sweet corn during summer fallow and a 60% of the conventional nitrogen rate is a sustainable pathway of utilizing greenhouse-based intensive vegetable soils in eastern China.     

间作作物及其还田时间对土壤碳素状况和相关酶活性的影响

Catch crops that are cultivated for green manure play an important role in improving soil properties. A 3-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of catch crop(pea, Pisum sativum L.) management, i.e., incorporation of catch crop in October/November(autumn) and March(spring), and without catch crop(control), on soil organic carbon(SOC), microbial biomass carbon(MBC) and the activities of carbon(C)-cycle enzymes, including cellulase(Cel), β-glucosidase(Glu) and invertase(Inv). Additionally, soil total nitrogen(TN) and p HKClwere investigated. The catch crop was cultivated from August to October each year during 2008–2010. Soil samples were collected from the field of spring barley(Hordeum vulgare L.) that had been grown after the catch crop. Soil samples for microbial activity determination were taken in March, May, June and August in 2009, 2010 and2011, while SOC and TN contents as well as p HKClwere determined in March and August. The chemical properties studied did not show significant changes as influenced by the experimental factors. The use of catch crop significantly increased the MBC content and the activities of C-cycle enzymes compared to the control. When the catch crop was incorporated in spring, a significantly higher MBC content was noted in March and May compared to autumn incorporation. Moreover, the spring incorporation of the catch crop significantly increased the Glu activity(except March), while the activities of Cel and Inv as well as the rate of soil basal respiration were usually unaffected by the time of catch crop incorporation. Greater microbial biomass and higher enzyme activities in the catch crop-treated soil, compared to the control, indicated that the application of the catch crop as a green manure could be recommended as a promising technique to increase the biological activity of the soil. Since there was no significant effect or no consistent results were obtained related to the time of catch crop incorporation, both spring and autumn applications can be recommended as a management tool to improve the status of soil properties during the growth of a subsequent crop.     

Artificial pores attract barley roots and can reduce artifacts of pot experiments

Soil compaction is a severe agricultural problem. It is characterized by an increased resistance to root penetration and by a decreased amount of porosity in the soil. Until today it is not clear whether crop roots are able to actively detect remaining pores in compacted soil. Moreover, little is known about the capability of roots to leave pores again if the mechanical resistance of the bulk soil allows so. The aim of this study was to investigate the root growth response of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Ascona) in different configurations of a compacted loamy soil containing pores. The three‐dimensional configurations of the root systems from three well watered and fertilized treatments were analyzed with X‐ray computed tomography. All soil‐filled cylindrical plastic pots (diameter: 60 mm, height: 210 mm) contained loose topsoil but differed in subsoil structure. In treatment ‘Loose' [L] the pots were entirely filled with loose soil. Treatment ‘Lower part compacted' [C] contained compacted soil in the lower part of the pots. Likewise, treatment ‘Pores' [P] contained compacted soil in the lower part too, but here 16 artificial pores (1 mm diameter) were generated in the central part of the compacted subsoil zone. Comparison of the two treatments with compacted soil [C] and [P] showed that the roots were able to detect pores. However, the roots frequently grew across the pores or left the pores again after having grown into them, leading to a significantly higher fraction of roots exploring the compacted soil in the treatment with pores compared to the treatment without pores. These findings are useful for designing controlled experiments in pots of limited size that can mimic root growth in relatively complex soil structures which are more similar to field situations than usual pot experiments.     

基于遥感和地面试验的水分指数与土壤湿度及生理指标关系

为研究作物生长发育早期受干旱影响的作物水分光谱特征,对冬小麦返青期进行水分控制试验。利用野外光谱辐射仪在河北固城试验区测量冬小麦的光谱并分别计算归一化水分指数（NDWI）和简单比值水分指数（SRWI）,同时测定冬小麦的叶绿素浓度（Chl）、叶面积指数（LAI）、株高（H）和叶片相对含水率（LRWC）等冠层生理指标和土壤湿度（SM）。分析结果表明：冬小麦生理指标与土壤湿度之间有着显著的正相关,最大相关系数为0.657,表明土壤水分状况直接影响作物发育早期的光合和生长状况。NDWI/SRWI与SM相关系数均为 0.545,呈现弱的正相关;相反,水分指数与冬小麦生理指标之间的相关不明显,特别是,NDWI/SRWI与LRWC的相关系数仅为0.175。据此得出在作物低覆盖生长阶段,水分指数更多反映的是土壤水分状况而不是作物水分。     

Carbon and water footprints of major crop production in India

Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint (CF) and water footprint (WF) of crop production can help to mitigate the environmental hazards that stem from GHG emissions and water scarcity.The CFs and WFs of three major cereal crops,rice,wheat,and maize,were estimated for the year 2014 under the environmental conditions in India,based on national statistics and other data sources.To...     

摇臂式喷头与全射流喷头水滴分布对比试验

摇臂式喷头(impact sprinkler,PY)出口流体为单相水,全射流喷头(complete fluidic sprinkler,PXH)出口流体为气液两相流,为了深入探索2种类型喷头水滴分布的存在规律及差别,该文采用激光雨滴谱仪测量技术对PY及PXH喷头的水滴分布进行试验研究,采用体积加权法分析了这2种喷头在工作压力为150、200、250、300和350 k Pa情况下,距喷头不同距离处的水滴频率分布、水滴累计频率及中数直径的变化规律。结果表明:1)PXH喷头水滴频率普遍小于PY喷头。PXH喷头和PY喷头水滴频率分布分别符合对数正态分布和正态分布;2)PXH喷头水滴累计频率变化更加均匀,2种喷头的水滴直径分布均符合指数函数分布规律,在距离喷头距离较小时,PXH喷头比PY喷头的拟合精度更高,在距喷头距离为4 m下,PXH喷头拟合函数的R2值较PY喷头高3.5%;3)在低压条件下距喷头不同距离时,PXH喷头的水滴分布更加连续及均匀。建立了2种喷头中数直径与工作压力及距喷头距离的函数。该结果完善了多类型喷头喷洒水力学特性,对研究射流运动模型及喷洒的外特性提供了参考。     

Soil sustainability changes in organic crop rotations with diverse crop species and the share of legumes

There have been few long-term field studies on greenhouse gases measurement in organic crop rotations under temperate climatic conditions. Little is known about the extent to which the share of legumes in a crop rotation of organic farming affects the potentials for CO₂ emission and soil organic carbon sequestration. The current study was aimed to investigate soil physicochemical state and soil net CO₂ exchange rate in diverse organic crop rotations with different crop species and proportions of legumes. Four 5-year duration crop rotations were investigated. The best soil sustainability of the arable layer was found in a crop rotation enriched with red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). This rotation resulted in the highest soil mesoporosity and the lowest microporosity, ensured the best supply of plant-available water and revealed high soil resistance to dry conditions. Red clover secured the highest soil organic C sequestration, caused the increase in reserves of total N and available K, and slackened the decrease of soil-available P sources. Red clover-based cropping system exhibited the highest soil net CO₂ exchange rate during five experimental years. The effect of crop rotation, consisting of phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.), peas (Pisum sativum L.) and yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.), on soil sustainability was weaker than the effect of rotation with red clover. Non-legume rotations, i.e. binary (two-crop) rotation and the crop rotation involving four spring and one winter species, can be regarded as miners of soil nutrient resources rather than contributors. These rotations did not promote soil sustainability because the soil lost large amounts of macronutrients and caused 26–33% lower soil net CO₂ exchange rate, compared with leguminous rotations. For future, it could be recommended for ecological farming to rely more on crop rotations with red clover to improve ecosystems functioning.     

Lowest effective and optimum poultry manure dose for reclaiming burnt soils: pot experiments

 Poultry manure (PM) efficacy to improve burnt soil revegetation was evaluated to determine the lowest effective and the optimum dose for burnt soil reclamation. A ¹⁵N-labelled forest soil (LS) was used to set up six treatments: LS, laboratory burnt LS (BLS) and BLS with PM dose equivalent to 1 (BLS+PM1), 2 (BLS+PM2), 4 (BLS+PM4) and 8 Mg dry PM ha^–1 (BLS+PM8). Ryegrass was sown in all treatments and grown for 3 months in a greenhouse. At harvesting, in the BLS treatment: (1) ryegrass yield was very low and the shoot:root ratio was high; (2) ryegrass-N content was closer to that of metabolic tissues or young plants than to structural tissues or mature plants; (3) most of the available endogenous N still remained in the soil inorganic N pool. These results suggested that, although seed germinated normally, ryegrass growth was stopped at an early developmental stage, producing small and weak plants unable to protect the burnt soil against erosion and to exploit the post-fire pulse of available N which, consequently, could be lost. The addition of PM to BLS increased the ryegrass yield from the lowest dose (BLS≈LS<BLS+PM1< BLS+PM2<BLS+PM4<BLS+PM8;P<0.05), the increase of the phytomass yield per Mg of added PM varying as follows: PM8<PM1≤PM4<PM2. The uptake of soil-available N by the ryegrass was greatly enhanced in all manured treatments, but the contribution of PM-N to plant nutrition was only significant in BLS+PM4 and BLS+PM8 treatments. The lowest effective PM dose was PM1 and the optimum cost-to-benefit ratio treatments were PM2 and PM4. Received: 31 January 2000     

京郊乡村有机废弃物资源及养分供需关系时空分异特征

为准确掌握不同地区、不同阶段农业农村有机废弃物资源及还田情况,探明作物养分供需关系的动态变化,该研究以北京郊区为研究区域,基于统计年鉴和文献资料,估算2010-2019年京郊秸秆、尾菜、林果枝条、畜禽粪污和厨余垃圾资源总量和还田量,根据作物需求和有机养分当季释放率,量化养分供给与需求的时空差异。结果表明,京郊有机废弃物及其养分量10 a间持续下降,2010年分别为1.30×107、2.18×105 t,至2019年分别下降了62.3%和71.8%。有机废弃物资源空间分布呈动态变化,2010年大兴区有机废弃物资源最多,2019年平谷有机废弃物资源最多。京郊乡村有机废弃物还田利用重点分布在东南部,各区有机废弃物还田养分量10 a间持续降低,2019年较2010年减少53.5%～86.6%。在50%化肥配施条件下,有机废弃物有效养分供给与作物需求的匹配程度呈交错变化趋势,2010-2015年昌平、房山等区的废弃物养分过剩情况加剧,而2019年怀柔、密云等地出现养分亏缺;从养分类型看,门头沟氮、钾养分超载最严重,昌平区磷量过载严重。建议养分过剩区应结合区域需求,合理控制产业规模,或采用有机废弃物的高值多元利用、有机肥外运等方式进行养分调控;养分亏缺区则可适当扩大生产规模,提高废弃物的养分利用率。研究结果可为区域农业产业合理布局和废弃物资源化利用提供科学依据。     

夹茎式非圆齿轮玉米钵苗移栽机构设计与试验

为了更好地满足玉米钵苗机械化移栽的要求,该研究提出了一种夹茎式非圆齿轮五杆玉米钵苗移栽机构。以玉米钵苗为对象,分析了钵苗的物理力学特性,为移栽机构的设计提供理论依据;分析了非圆齿轮五杆机构的工作原理,建立了机构的运动学模型;建立了精确四位姿非圆齿轮五杆机构的数学模型;结合玉米钵苗的物理力学特性和移栽农艺要求,确定了移栽机构设计的优化目标;基于Matlab平台编写了辅助优化设计软件并优化出一组合适的机构参数;对非圆齿轮五杆玉米钵苗移栽机构进行了三维结构设计、仿真分析和试验验证。结果表明：移栽机构实际轨迹、仿真轨迹和理论设计轨迹基本一致;台架试验在移栽株距为300mm,频率60株/min时,取苗成功率为95.04%,栽植合格率为90.08%;移栽株距符合要求,钵苗直立度高,移栽效果好,满足玉米钵苗的移栽要求,验证了所提理论方法的正确性和移栽机构的可行性。     

Carbon turnover and sequestration potential of fodder radish cover crop

We studied fodder radish carbon turnover as affected by soil tillage in Foulum, Denmark. Actively growing fodder radish monoliths from direct‐drilled (DD) and conventionally tilled (CT) plots were extracted and labelled regularly with ¹⁴C isotope across their entire growth period. At the end of the fodder radish growth cycle, labelled biomass was harvested and incorporated into the same monolith. These monoliths were destructively sampled at biomass incorporation, 4, 8 and 18 months after incorporation. For each sampling period, soil and root samples were taken at 0‐ to 10‐, 10‐ to 25‐, and 25‐ to 45‐cm‐depth increments for determination of ¹⁴C distribution and retention. Carbon‐14 declined significantly with increasing soil depth at each sampling for the two tillage practices (P < 0.05). We further observed significantly higher ¹⁴C at 0–10 cm for DD than for CT at 4 and 8 months after biomass incorporation. For the 10–25 cm depth, ¹⁴C was significantly higher for CT than for DD, 4 and 8 months after incorporation. However, despite these depth‐specific differences, cumulative (0–45 cm soil depth) ¹⁴C retention was similar for DD and CT treatments for all the sampling periods. On the basis of a CN‐SIM model forecast, we estimated that over a 30‐yr period of continuous autumn fodder radish establishment, at least 4.9 t C/ha fodder radish C with a residence time of more than 20 yr could be stored in the soil.     

蔬菜穴盘育苗播种漏播检测及智能补种装置设计与试验

为保证植物工厂蔬菜穴盘育苗高质量作业要求,该研究在气吸滚筒式蔬菜穴盘育苗精密播种器的基础上,优化设计了在线漏播检测与智能补种装置,以可编程逻辑控制器（programmable logic controller, PLC）为控制核心,实时进行播种器吸孔漏吸检测及穴盘穴孔漏播位置预报,并完成漏播穴孔的定点定穴补种。采用光电检测技术检测播种器吸孔漏吸位置,构建漏吸吸孔与育苗穴盘穴孔的对应动态补种矩阵,实现穴盘穴孔漏播位置精准预报;优化设计了智能补种装置,根据预报的穴盘穴孔漏播位置实现定点定穴精准补种。以中双11号菜心种子为对象,开展播种器吸孔漏吸检测与穴孔漏播位置预报试验,得到吸孔漏吸平均检测准确率为98.82%,穴孔漏播位置预报准确率为100%。采用Box-Behnken试验设计方法,对智能补种装置开展作业性能试验,构建主要性能指标（单粒合格指数、重播指数和漏播指数）与主要影响因素（吸针负压、吸针孔径和种室振动压力）的关系,并进行多目标优化,确定智能补种装置最优工作参数组合为吸针负压10.19 kPa、吸针孔径0.67 mm、种室振动压力0.07 MPa,此时补种装置播种的平均单粒合格指数...     

Soil strength and crop emergence in direct drilled and ploughed cereal seedbeds in seven field experiments

Cone resistance and vane shear strength were measured in the top 50–100 mm of seven soils. Bulk density and water content were also measured in the same layer by coring. At each site cone resistance and vane shear strength tended to decrease with increasing water content and decreasing bulk density down to 1300 kg m-3, but at lower densities they were not related to bulk density. Cone resistance and vane shear strength tended to decrease with increasing coarseness of texture but also depended on soil structure and organic matter content. Plant populations, mainly spring barley, were reduced in soils with cone resistances and vane shear strengths greater than 2500 kPa and 65 kPa respectively. Such high strengths in undisturbed soils were associated with wheeling during harvesting, were apparently independent of soil type and, at the only site of measurement, apparently decreased during weathering in the subsequent season. In contrast to the cone penetrometer, the vane shear tester has minimal shaft friction in undisturbed soils and is more sensitive to soil differences and less sensitive to water content differences than the penetrometer. It is apparently more suitable for indexing the suitability of undisturbed soils for the penetration of direct drill coulters and for subsequent plant establishment.     

Incorporation of catch crop residues does not increase phosphorus leaching: a soil column experiment in unsaturated conditions

Some studies suggest that incorporation of catch crop residues leads to increased availability of P to plants. However, little information is available on how this affects P leaching in soils with a high P load. We tested the effect of catch‐crop residue incorporation at the end of winter on the P leaching potential in a soil column experiment under unsaturated conditions using a typical sandy loam soil of NW Europe characterized by a high P load. We sampled the catch crops white mustard (Sinapis alba L.), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), black oats (Avena strigosa L.) and a perennial ryegrass‐white clover mix (Lolium perenne L.‐Trifolium repens L.) from a field trial on catch crops and soil from the plots where they were grown. Plant biomass was incorporated taking account of the differences in conditions of the plant material at the end of winter and the biomass yield of each catch crop. Incorporation of catch‐crop residues decreased P leaching compared to the fallow treatment probably through immobilization of soil P during catch crop residue decomposition. The exception was black oats, where the leaching of P was the same as for fallow soil. We observed clear differences in C/N, C/P, water soluble and total P concentration, and biodegradability between the tested catch crops, which seemed to affect the P leaching. We conclude that the incorporation of catch crop residues under typical soil and weather conditions and agricultural practices of NW Europe does not increase the potential P leaching losses.