Crop phenology modifies wheat responses to increased UV-B radiation

Ozone layer depletion increases the level of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth's surface affecting both natural and agricultural ecosystems, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. Considering the harmful effects UV-B radiation has on plant growth the future productivity of wheat crops in Southern Chile could be challenged by both (i) the forthcoming level of UV-B increase and (ii) the sensitivity of this crop to higher UV-B radiation. In this study the effect of increased UV-B radiation at different phenophases on a spring wheat cultivar (Pandora) was investigated in two experiments at plant and crop levels under out-door conditions. The experiments consisted of controls, increased UV-B radiation at specific phenophases (from 3 leaf stage to booting 3L-Bo, and from booting to maturity Bo-PM), and increased UV-B radiation for the majority of the crop cycle (from 3 leaf stage to maturity). UV-B radiation was increased by Q panel UV-313 lamps set in plastic framed structures. Control plants were grown either without frames or below the same framed structures as those which received increased UV-B treatments. Phenology, above-ground biomass, grain yield, components, grain protein concentration, leaf area index (LAI), Fv/Fm and pigments were measured at booting and/or at harvest. Above-ground biomass and yield decreased by 11–19 and 12–20%, respectively, when UV-B radiation was increased at the 3L-Bo phase, while no effect was observed when irradiation was applied later in the crop cycle (Bo-PM). No additional UV-B effects to those observed at booting were detected in plants irradiated during the majority of the entire crop cycle (3L-PM). Biomass variation was strongly associated (r = 0.99; P < 0.01) with UV-B/PAR ratio in the sensitive treatments to UV-B increases (3 L-Bo) of both experiments. Flour protein was not affected by UV-B increases at any phenophase evaluated in this study. In both experiments, leaf green area and weight were negatively affected by increased UV-B radiation and no effect on specific leaf area (SLA) was found. Lower Fv/Fm, chlorophyll, carotenoid concentration and carotenoid:chlorophyll ratio were found at crop level (experiment 2) under higher UV-B in the 3L-Bo and 3L-PM treatments. The flavonoid concentration responded differently in the two experiments, probably due to the optimum responses these pigments had to expose UV-B doses.     

Cotton responses to ultraviolet-B radiation: experimentation and algorithm development

The potential impact of an increase in solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation due to human activity on higher plants has been the subject of many studies. Little work has been carried out so far on cotton responses to enhanced UV-B radiation. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not the current and projected increases in UV-B levels affect cotton growth and development, and to quantify and develop UV-B radiation functional algorithms that can be used in simulation models. Two experiments were conducted during the summer of 2001 using sunlit plant growth chambers in a wide range of UV-B radiations under optimal growing conditions. Leaves exposed to UV-B radiation developed chlorotic and necrotic patches depending on the intensity and length of exposure. Along with changes in visible morphology, cotton canopy photosynthesis declined with increased UV-B radiation. The decline in canopy photosynthesis was partly due to loss of photosynthetic pigments and UV-B-induced decay of leaf-level photosynthetic efficiency (maximum photosynthesis) and capacity (quantum yield) as the leaves aged. The total leaf area was less due to smaller leaves and fewer leaves per plant. Less plant height was closely related to a shorter average internode length rather than a fewer mainstem nodes. The UV-B did not affect cotton major developmental events such as time taken to square, time to flower, and leaf addition rates on the mainstem. Lower biomass was closely related to both smaller leaf area and lower photosynthesis. The critical limit, defined as 90% of optimum or the control, for stem elongation was lower (8.7 kJ m⁻² per day UV-B) than the critical limit for leaf expansion (11.2 kJ m⁻² per day UV-B), indicating that stem elongation was more sensitive to UV-B than leaf expansion. The critical limits for canopy photosynthesis and total dry weight were 7 and 7.3 kJ m⁻² per day, respectively. The identified UV-B-specific indices for stem and leaf growth and photosynthesis parameters may be incorporated into cotton simulation models such as GOSSYM to predict yields under present and future climatic conditions.     

Impact of enhanced ultraviolet-B irradiance on cotton growth, development, yield, and qualities under field conditions

The stratospheric ozone depletion and enhanced solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiance may have adverse impacts on the productivity of agricultural crops. The effect of UV-B enhancements on agricultural crops includes reduction in yield, alteration in species competition, decrease in photosynthetic activity, susceptibility to disease, and changes in structure and pigmentation. Many studies have examined the influence of supplemental UV-B irradiance on different crops, but the effect of UV-B irradiance on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) crops has received little attention. Cotton is one of the most versatile of all the crops. It is a major fiber crop of the world and a major source of trade and economy in many countries. In this study, we provide quantitative examination of the effects of elevated UV-B irradiance on cotton plant (Sukang 103). The tested cotton crop was grown under natural and four regimes of supplemental UV-B irradiance in the field. With UV-B irradiance increased 9.5% throughout the growing season, the negative impacts on cotton growth included reductions in height of 14%, in leaf area of 29%, and in total biomass of 34%. Fiber quality was reduced and economic yield dropped 72%; an economic coefficient was reduced 58%. A brief discussion is included on how the impacts on cotton contrast with impacts that have been observed in other studies on other plants, including trees.     

Changes in ultraviolet-B and visible optical properties and absorbing pigment concentrations in pecan leaves during a growing season

UV-B (280–320 nm) and visible (400–760 nm) spectral reflectance, transmittance, and absorptance; chlorophyll content; UV-B absorbing compound concentration; and leaf thickness were measured for pecan (Carya illinoensis) leaves over a growing season (April–October). Leaf samples were collected monthly from a pecan plantation located on the Southern University Horticultural Farm, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The leaf spectral reflectance and transmittance were measured from 280 to 760 nm using a high-accuracy UV-Vis spectroradiometer with an integrating sphere. The spectral absorptance was calculated based on the reflectance and transmittance percentages. Total UV-B absorbing compounds concentration (A_{280–320 nm} (cm⁻²)), chlorophyll content, and leaf thickness were related to the leaf optical properties. The patterns of the spectral distributions of optical properties over the growing season, effects of leaf age on the measured parameters, and their relationships were determined. Leaf optical properties were significantly affected by leaf age and the effects were more dramatic in the visible spectral region than in the UV-B region. Within the UV-B spectral region, leaf reflectance ranged between 4.27% (April) and 8.29% (July), transmittance between 0.01% (June) and 0.05% (April), and absorptance between 91.70% (July) and 95.68% (April). Within the visible spectral region, leaf optical properties changed significantly with the wavelength and leaf development. The visible spectral reflectance and transmittance had maxima at 555 nm and minima at 680 nm, and increased sharply afterwards. The highest visible spectral reflectance and transmittance occurred in the newly developed leaves, whereas the visible spectral absorptance increased with leaf maturation. Leaf chlorophyll content, thickness, and UV-B absorbing compound concentration significantly increased during leaf development (April–July). Correlation and regression analyses indicated that leaf chlorophyll content was a strong predictor of the green light reflectance, transmittance, and absorptance. The strongest predictors of UV-B reflectance were leaf thickness and leaf UV-B absorbing compound concentrations.     

UV-B辐射的增强对作物形态及生理功能的影响

通过综述UV-B辐射增强对作物产生的影响,为进一步揭示作物对UV-B辐射增强的响应机制、适应变化和寻找相应的解决方法提供参考.分析发现UV-B辐射增强能对作物的形态在根、茎、叶营养器官和生殖器官方面产生负面影响,从而进一步影响作物的生物量和产量;UV-B辐射增强对植物生理的影响主要通过影响作物的叶绿体、光合作用及矿质代谢而起作用,并且这些影响具有品种间和生育期的差异.因此研究紫外辐射对作物的影响具有重要的生态学意义.     

The combined effects of enhanced UV-B radiation and selenium on growth, chlorophyll fluorescence and ultrastructure in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) treated in the field

The possible ameliorative effects of selenium (Se) addition to soil on the detrimental effects of enhanced UV-B radiation were tested on strawberry and barley during 4 months of field experiment in Kuopio, Central Finland. Control plants were exposed to ambient levels of UV radiation, using arrays of unenergized lamps. A control for UV-A radiation was also included in the experiment. Added Se, applied as H₂SeO₄, at the level of 0.1 mg kg⁻¹ soil (low dosage) and 1 mg kg⁻¹ soil (high dosage) increased Se concentrations in plants more than 10 and 100 times, respectively. After 4 months of exposure, strawberry and barley plants were harvested for biomass analysis. Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured using the Hansatech FMS2 fluorescence monitoring system. Leaf anatomy and ultrastructure were observed by light and transmission electron microscope. Several effects of UV and Se as well as their interaction were found, mostly for strawberry, but not for barley, indicating species-specific responses. Our results provided evidence that the high Se concentration in soil had no ameliorative effect but increased the sensitivity of strawberry to enhanced UV-B radiation in the field. Under ambient radiation, Se did not alter leaf growth of strawberry, whereas under UV-B radiation, the high Se addition significantly decreased leaf growth. Strawberry runner biomass was affected by the interaction of Se and UV. Under ambient radiation Se did not change dry weight of runners, but in combination with UV-A or UV-B radiation the high Se dosage decreased dry weight of runners by about 30%. Although the high Se concentration positively influenced on quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) in strawberry leaves, it reduced runner biomass, leaf number and ratio of starch to chloroplast area. This suggests that the harmful effects of the high Se dosage on photosynthetic processes occurred as a result of changes in activity or/and biosynthesis of enzymes, rather than alteration of PSII. At the low concentration, Se effects were slight and variable.Although barley leaves accumulated higher Se concentrations than strawberry, there were no apparent changes in their growth, biomass or chlorophyll fluorescence due to Se effect either alone or in combination with UV-B. However, at the ultrastructural level, an enlargement in the peroxisome area was found due to combination of UV radiation with Se, suggesting the activation of antioxidative enzymes, possibly catalase. Decrease in mitochondrial density in barley cells in response to Se might be attributed to alteration of mitochondrial division. Increase in the proportion of cells with cytoplasmic lipid bodies due to combined effect of UV-B and Se indicated the alteration of lipid metabolism and the acceleration of cell senescence in barley. Main UV-B effects were found, mostly at the tissue and ultrastructural level in strawberry, but not in barley, indicating species-specific susceptibility to enhanced UV-B radiation. UV-B-treated strawberry plants developed marginally thinner leaves with reduced ratio of starch to chloroplast area in their cells, suggesting negative influence of UV-B on photosynthetic processes.     

Ultraviolet-B radiation in a row-crop canopy: an extended 1-D model

A decrease in stratospheric ozone may result in a serious threat to plants, since biologically active short-wavelength ultraviolet-B (UV-B 280–320 nm) radiation will increase even with a relatively small decrease in ozone. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that the effect of UV-B enhancements on plants includes reduction in grain yield, alteration in species competition, susceptibility to disease, and changes in plant structure and pigmentation. To determine the physiological effects on plants of any increases in UV-B radiation, the irradiances at the potential sensitive plant surface need to be known. A number of radiative transfer models exist but because of the importance of sky diffuse radiation to the global UV-B irradiance, models designed to estimate photosynthetically active radiation or total solar radiation may not accurately model the UV-B. This paper compares spatially and temporally averaged measurements of the UV-B canopy transmittance of a relatively dense maize canopy (sky view: 0.27°) to the estimations of two one-dimensional models differing mainly in the handling of sky radiance. The model that considered the distribution of sky radiance tended to underestimate the canopy transmittance, the model that assumed an isotropic sky radiance distribution tended to overestimate the canopy transmittance. However, the assumption concerning the sky radiance distribution accounted for only about 0.01 of the model error. Consequently, the sky radiance distribution is probably not important in modeling such dense crop canopies. The model that overestimated transmittance and had the generally larger errors, a modified Meyers model, used the assumption of uniform leaf angle distribution, whereas in the other model, designated the UVRT model, leaf angle distributions were estimated by sample measurements. Generally this model would be satisfactory in describing the statistically average UV-B irradiance conditions in the canopy. This model may also be applied to other dense plant canopies including forests.     

增强紫外线-B辐射冬小麦产量和光合特性的影响

为了研究紫外线-B（ultraviolet-B UV-B, 280-320nm）辐射增强20%对保护性耕作冬小麦产量及光合特性的影响,在中国南京开展了2 a的田间试验研究。试验采用常规耕作（耕深25 cm）、少耕（耕深10 cm）和免耕（土壤不耕作）3种耕作处理种植冬小麦,采用人工增加紫外辐射的方法模拟UV-B辐射增强。试验测定了冬小麦旗叶的光合速率、光合-光响应曲线、叶绿素质量分数、超氧化物歧化酶（superoxide dismutase, SOD）活性、丙二醛（malonaldehyde, MDA）质量分数和可溶性蛋白质量分数等指标。结果表明：在UV-B辐射增强20%条件下,与常规耕作相比,少耕和免耕2种保护性耕作处理可显著提高冬小麦的产量,分别比常规耕处理作高1632.12和952.15 kg/hm2。从叶片光合生理特性来看,在UV-B辐射增强20%条件下,从冬小麦籽粒灌浆中期开始,少耕和免耕处理旗叶的光合速率、表观量子效率（apparent quantum yield, AQY）、最大净光合速率（Pmax）、叶绿素质量分数、SOD活性、可溶性蛋白质的质量分数显著高于常规耕作处理,MDA质量分数显著低于常规耕作处理,2种处理冬小麦的叶片衰老显著低于常规耕作处理。在UV-B辐射增强20%条件下,少耕和免耕2种保护性耕作处理冬小麦旗叶在籽粒灌浆中期及以后保持高的光合能力和低的衰老程度,是其产量高于常规耕作处理的原因。该文可为制定UV-B辐射增强条件下的冬小麦栽培措施提供参考。     

全生育期UV-B辐射增强对棉花生长及光合作用的影响

植物光合系统是UV-B辐射最初和最重要的作用靶标。本文在大田条件下进行紫外灯照射处理,研究全生育期UV-B辐射增强(高于环境20%和40%)对棉花形态、干物质积累、光合色素和产量的影响,并通过分析棉花主茎功能叶片的气体交换参数和叶绿素荧光参数,探讨UV-B辐射增强影响棉花光合作用的机制。结果表明,UV-B辐射增强抑制了棉花生长和干物质积累,籽棉产量显著降低,且UV-B辐射越强,抑制作用越明显。随UV-B辐射的增强,棉花主茎功能叶的净光合速率(P_n)在各生育期均显著降低,叶绿素含量呈先升高后降低趋势,气孔导度(Gs)和蒸腾速率(Tr)未发生变化,胞间CO_2浓度(Ci)反而升高,说明P_n下降主要由非气孔限制因素造成。对叶绿素荧光参数的分析表明,PSⅡ的最大光化学量子产率(F_v/F_m)、实际光化学量子效率(ΦPSII)、线性电子传递速率(ETR)和光化学淬灭系数(qP)随着UV-B辐射的增强而降低,非光化学猝灭系数(NPQ)则显著升高,且各叶绿素荧光参数与Pn变化均显著相关;慢速弛豫NPQ(NPQS)及其在NPQ中的比例均随UV-B辐射的增强而显著提高,表明PSⅡ反应中心受损,光化学效率降低。以上结果证明,全生育期UV-B辐射增强降低了棉花的光合叶面积、叶绿素含量和净光合速率,引起棉花生长与物质积累受抑,产量降低。UV-B辐射增强引起的光合速率下降与PSⅡ反应中心遭到破坏密切相关。     

Long-term effects of tillage, cover crops, and nitrogen fertilization on organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations in sandy loam soils in Georgia, USA

Maintaining and/or conserving organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in the soil using management practices can improve its fertility and productivity and help to reduce global warming by sequestration of atmospheric CO₂ and N₂. We examined the influence of 6 years of tillage (no-till, NT; chisel plowing, CP; and moldboard plowing, MP), cover crop (hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) vs. winter weeds), and N fertilization (0, 90, and 180 kg N ha⁻¹) on soil organic C and N concentrations in a Norfolk sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic, Typic Kandiudults) under tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and silage corn (Zea mays L.). In a second experiment, we compared the effects of 7 years of non-legume (rye (Secale cereale L.)) and legume (hairy vetch and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.)) cover crops and N fertilization (HN (90 kg N ha⁻¹ for tomato and 80 kg N ha⁻¹ for eggplant)) and FN (180 kg N ha⁻¹ for tomato and 160 kg N ha⁻¹ for eggplant)) on soil organic C and N in a Greenville fine sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Rhodic Kandiudults) under tomato and eggplant (Solanum melogena L.). Both experiments were conducted from 1994 to 2000 in Fort Valley, GA. Carbon concentration in cover crops ranged from 704 kg ha⁻¹ in hairy vetch to 3704 kg ha⁻¹ in rye in 1999 and N concentration ranged from 77 kg ha⁻¹ in rye in 1996 to 299 kg ha⁻¹ in crimson clover in 1997. With or without N fertilization, concentrations of soil organic C and N were greater in NT with hairy vetch than in MP with or without hairy vetch (23.5–24.9 vs. 19.9–21.4 Mg ha⁻¹ and 1.92–2.05 vs. 1.58–1.76 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively). Concentrations of organic C and N were also greater with rye, hairy vetch, crimson clover, and FN than with the control without a cover crop or N fertilization (17.5–18.4 vs. 16.5 Mg ha⁻¹ and 1.33–1.43 vs. 1.31 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively). From 1994 to 1999, concentrations of soil organic C and N decreased by 8–16% in NT and 15–25% in CP and MP. From 1994 to 2000, concentrations of organic C and N decreased by 1% with hairy vetch and crimson clover, 2–6% with HN and FN, and 6–18% with the control. With rye, organic C and N increased by 3–4%. Soil organic C and N concentrations can be conserved and/or maintained by reducing their loss through mineralization and erosion, and by sequestering atmospheric CO₂ and N₂ in the soil using NT with cover crops and N fertilization. These changes in soil management improved soil quality and productivity. Non-legume (rye) was better than legumes (hairy vetch and crimson clover) and N fertilization in increasing concentrations of soil organic C and N.     

Effects of seed priming, aggregate size and soil matric potential on emergence of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.)

Poor crop establishment, due to poor land preparation methods and inadequate soil moisture, continues to be a major constraint to crop production for smallholder farmers in the semi-arid tropics. On-farm seed priming (soaking seed in water) has been offered as a solution to this problem, but the ways in which this technology interacts with soil conditions are not well understood. The interactions between seed priming and soil physical conditions on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) emergence and seedling growth were determined in laboratory pot experiments. The treatments included seed treatment (primed and non-primed), initial soil matric potential (−10, −50, −100, −200 and −1500 kPa) and aggregate size (<1, 1–2, 2–4.75 and 4.75–16 mm). Non-sieved soil was used as a control. The soil used (a Chromic Cambisol) was collected from Save Valley Experiment Station in the southeastern lowveld of Zimbabwe. The pots of soil were allowed to dry out after planting, to simulate a deteriorating seedbed. Emergence was subsequently monitored, and plant growth measured 8 days after planting. Final percent emergence and seedling growth decreased with initial matric potential but increased with priming in both crops. Large aggregate sizes generally had an adverse effect on emergence and growth. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that on-farm seed priming can partly compensate for the negative effects of low soil matric potential and large aggregate sizes on crop establishment.     

Cover crop and tillage effects on soil enzyme activities following tomato

Increasing numbers of vegetable growers are adopting conservation tillage practices and including cover crops into crop rotations. The practice helps to increase or maintain an adequate level of soil organic matter and improves vegetable yields. The effects of the practices, however, on enzyme activities in southeastern soils of the United States have not been well documented. Thus, the objectives of the study were to investigate the effects of cover crops and two tillage systems on soil enzyme activity profiles following tomato and to establish relationships between enzyme activities and soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). The cover crops planted late in fall 2005 included black oat (Avena strigosa), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), or crimson clover–black oat mixed. A weed control (no cover crop) was also included. Early in spring 2006, the plots were disk plowed and incorporated into soil (conventional tillage) or mowed and left on the soil surface (no-till). Broiler litter as source of N fertilizer was applied at a rate of 4.6 Mg ha⁻¹, triple super phosphate at 79.0 kg P ha⁻¹, and potassium chloride at 100 kg K ha⁻¹ were also applied according to soil testing recommendations. Tomato seedlings were transplanted and grown for 60 days on a Marvyn sandy loam soil (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults). Ninety-six core soil samples were collected at incremental depths (0–5, 5–10, and 10–15 cm) and passed through a 2-mm sieve and kept moist to study arylamidase (EC 3.4.11.2), l-asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1), l-glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2), and urease (EC 3.5.1.5) activities. Tillage systems affected only l-glutaminase activity in soil while cover crops affected activities of all the enzymes studied with the exception of urease. The research clearly demonstrated that in till and no-till systems, l-asparaginase activity is greater (P ≤ 0.05) in plots preceded by crimson clover than in those preceded by black oat or their mixture. Activity of the enzyme decreased from 11.7 mg NH₄⁺–N kg⁻¹ 2 h⁻¹ at 0–5 cm depth to 8.73 mg NH₄⁺–N kg⁻¹ 2 h⁻¹ at 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm depths in the no-till crimson clover plots. Arylamidase activity significantly correlated with soil organic C (r = 0.699**) and soil organic N (r = 0.764***). Amidohydrolases activities significantly correlated with soil organic N but only urease significantly correlated with soil organic C (r = 0.481*). These results indicated that incorporation of cover crops into rotations may increase enzyme activities in soils.     

Soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration following the conversion of cropland to alfalfa forage land in northwest China

Soil C and N contents play a crucial role in sustaining soil quality and environmental quality. The conversion of annually cultivated land to forage grasses has potential to increase C and N sequestration. The objective of this study was to investigate the short-term changes in soil organic C (SOC) and N pools after annual crops were converted to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. Algonguin) forage for 4 years. Soil from 24 sets of paired sites, alfalfa field versus adjacent cropland, were sampled at depths of 0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm. Total soil organic C and N, particulate organic matter (POM) C and N were determined. Organic C, total N, POM-C, and POM-N contents in the 0–5 cm layer were significantly greater in alfalfa field than in adjacent cropland. However, when the entire 0–20 cm layer was considered, there were significant differences in SOC, POM-C and POM-N but not in total N between alfalfa and crop soils. Also, greater differences in POM-C and POM-N were between the two land-use treatments than in SOC and total N were found. Across all sites, SOC and total N in the 0–20 cm profile averaged 22.1 Mg C ha⁻¹ and 2.3 Mg N ha⁻¹ for alfalfa soils, and 19.8 Mg C ha⁻¹and 2.2 Mg N ha⁻¹ for adjacent crop soils. Estimated C sequestration rate (0–20 cm) following crops to alfalfa conversions averaged 0.57 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Sandy soils have more significant C accumulation than silt loam soils after conversion. The result of this suggests that the soils studied have great C sequestration potential, and the conversion of crops to alfalfa should be widely used to sequester C and improve soil quality in this region.     

Tillage and cropping effects on soil quality indicators in the northern Great Plains

The extreme climate of the northern Great Plains of North America requires cropping systems to possess a resilient soil resource in order to be sustainable. This paper summarizes the interactive effects of tillage, crop sequence, and cropping intensity on soil quality indicators for two long-term cropping system experiments in the northern Great Plains. The experiments, located in central North Dakota, were established in 1984 and 1993 on a Wilton silt loam (FAO: Calcic Siltic Chernozem; USDA¹: fine-silty, mixed, superactive frigid Pachic Haplustoll). Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties considered as indicators of soil quality were evaluated in spring 2001 in both experiments at depths of 0–7.5, 7.5–15, and 15–30 cm. Management effects on soil properties were largely limited to the surface 7.5 cm in both experiments. For the experiment established in 1984, differences in soil condition between a continuous crop, no-till system and a crop–fallow, conventional tillage system were substantial. Within the surface 7.5 cm, the continuous crop, no-till system possessed significantly more soil organic C (by 7.28 Mg ha⁻¹), particulate organic matter C (POM-C) (by 4.98 Mg ha⁻¹), potentially mineralizable N (PMN) (by 32.4 kg ha⁻¹), and microbial biomass C (by 586 kg ha⁻¹), as well as greater aggregate stability (by 33.4%) and faster infiltration rates (by 55.6 cm h⁻¹) relative to the crop–fallow, conventional tillage system. Thus, soil from the continuous crop, no-till system was improved with respect to its ability to provide a source for plant nutrients, withstand erosion, and facilitate water transfer. Soil properties were affected less by management practices in the experiment established in 1993, although organic matter related properties tended to be greater under continuous cropping or minimum tillage than crop sequences with fallow or no-till. In particular, PMN and microbial biomass C were greatest in continuous spring wheat (with residue removed) (22.5 kg ha⁻¹ for PMN; 792 kg ha⁻¹ for microbial biomass C) as compared with sequences with fallow (SW–S–F and SW–F) (Average=15.9 kg ha⁻¹ for PMN; 577 kg ha⁻¹ for microbial biomass C). Results from both experiments confirm that farmers in the northern Great Plains of North America can improve soil quality and agricultural sustainability by adopting production systems that employ intensive cropping practices with reduced tillage management.     

Yield and yield formation of field winter wheat in response to supplemental solar ultraviolet-B radiation

The stratospheric ozone decrease has heightened concern over the ecological implications of increasing solar UV-B radiation on agricultural production and natural plant ecosystems. UV-B is absorbed, and can damage many important plant species through a variety of interacting mechanisms. The effects of enhanced UV-B exposure on yield and yield formation of winter wheat associated with photosynthetic activity and total biomass development were investigated in this study. The overall experimental design included three UV-B treatments (two supplemental UV-B treatments and an ambient level) with three replicates of each treatment. Results suggested that the supplemental UV-B can cause the decrease of yield of winter wheat up to 24% with 11.4% increased UV-B. Supplemental UVB decreased dry matter accumulation most during the jointing–booting stage when the leaf area index (LAI) was the greatest. In addition, the supplemental U-VB appeared to effect the distribution of dry matter but did not effect the net assimilation ratio of the wheat.     

Carbon and nitrogen stocks in a Brazilian clayey Oxisol: 13-year effects of integrated crop–livestock management systems

Integrated crop–livestock management systems (ICLS) have been increasingly recommended in Brazilian agroecosystems. However, knowledge of their effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and stocks is still limited. The study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of ICLS under two tillage and fertilization regimes on SOC and TN concentrations and stocks in the 0–30 cm soil layer, in comparison with continuous crops or pasture. The following soil management systems were studied: continuous pasture; continuous crop; 4 years’ crop followed by 4 years’ pasture and vice-versa. The adjacent native Cerrado area was used as a control. Under the rotation and continuous crop systems there were two levels of soil tillage (conventional and no-tillage) and fertility (maintenance and corrective fertility). The stock calculations were done using the equivalent soil mass approach. The land use systems had a significant effect on the concentrations of SOC and TN in the soil, but no effect was observed for the soil tillage and fertilizer regimes. For these two latter, some significant discrepancies appeared in the distribution of SOC and TN concentrations in the 0–30 cm layer. Carbon storage was 60.87 Mg ha⁻¹ under Cerrado, and ranged from 52.21 Mg ha⁻¹ under the ICLS rotation to 59.89 Mg ha⁻¹ with continuous cropping. The decrease in SOC stocks was approximately 8.5 and 7.5 Mg ha⁻¹, or 14 and 12%, for continuous pasture and ICLS respectively. No-tillage for 10 years after the conversion of conventional tillage to no-tillage under the continuous crop system, and 13 years of conventional tillage in continuous cropping did not result in significant changes in SOC stocks. The SOC and TN stocks in surface layers, using the equivalent soil mass approach rather than the equivalent depth, stress the differences induced by the calculation method. As soil compaction is the principal feature of variability of stocks determinations, the thickness should be avoid in these types of studies.     

Tillage and cropping sequence impacts on nitrogen cycling in dryland farming in eastern Montana, USA

Information on N cycling in dryland crops and soils as influenced by long-term tillage and cropping sequence is needed to quantify soil N sequestration, mineralization, and N balance to reduce N fertilization rate and N losses through soil processes. The 21-yr effects of the combinations of tillage and cropping sequences was evaluated on dryland crop grain and biomass (stems + leaves) N, soil surface residue N, soil N fractions, and N balance at the 0–20 cm depth in Dooley sandy loam (fine-loamy, mixed, frigid, Typic Argiboroll) in eastern Montana, USA. Treatments were no-tilled continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (NTCW), spring-tilled continuous spring wheat (STCW), fall- and spring-tilled continuous spring wheat (FSTCW), fall- and spring-tilled spring wheat–barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (1984–1999) followed by spring wheat–pea (Pisum sativum L.) (2000–2004) (FSTW-B/P), and spring-tilled spring wheat–fallow (STW-F). Nitrogen fractions were soil total N (STN), particulate organic N (PON), microbial biomass N (MBN), potential N mineralization (PNM), NH₄-N, and NO₃-N. Annualized crop grain and biomass N varied with treatments and years and mean grain and biomass N from 1984 to 2004 were 14.3–21.2 kg N ha⁻¹ greater in NTCW, STCW, FSTCW, and FSTW-B/P than in STW-F. Soil surface residue N was 9.1–15.2 kg N ha⁻¹ greater in other treatments than in STW-F in 2004. The STN at 0–20 cm was 0.39–0.96 Mg N ha⁻¹, PON 0.10–0.30 Mg N ha⁻¹, and PNM 4.6–9.4 kg N ha⁻¹ greater in other treatments than in STW-F. At 0–5 cm, STN, PON, and MBN were greater in STCW than in FSTW-B/P and STW-F. At 5–20 cm, STN and PON were greater in NTCW and STCW than in STW-F, PNM and MBN were greater in STCW than in NTCW and STW-F, and NO₃-N was greater in FSTW-B/P than in NTCW and FSTCW. Estimated N loss through leaching, volatilization, or denitrification at 0–20 cm depth increased with increasing tillage frequency or greater with fallow than with continuous cropping and ranged from 9 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in NTCW to 46 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in STW-F. Long-term no-till or spring till with continuous cropping increased dryland crop grain and biomass N, soil surface residue N, N storage, and potential N mineralization, and reduced N loss compared with the conventional system, such as STW-F, at the surface 20 cm layer. Greater tillage frequency, followed by pea inclusion in the last 5 out of 21 yr in FSTW-B/P, however, increased N availability at the subsurface layer in 2004.     

Dosimetric measurement of the visible and UV exposures on field grown soybean plants

This paper describes a dosimeter system for measuring both the PAP (photosynthetically active photons) (400–700 nm) and ultraviolet-B (UVB) (280–320 nm) exposures in the supplemental UVB irradiation of field grown soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) plants. At the V2 growth stage, the dosimeters positioned at the same position and orientation as the trifoliate leaves of the plants that were measured received 12–38% more PAP and 5–82% more UVB than the unifoliate leaves. For the crop maturity stage, the plants exposed to high levels of UV irradiance (high UV treatment) received approximately 40% more UVB on a horizontal plane at the top of the plant canopy compared to the control group of plants (control treatments). For the other measurement sites over the plants that were orientated at 45° to the vertical in the north, south, east and west directions, the additional amount of UVB for the supplemental treatment compared to the corresponding sites for the plants in the control treatments varied between −39 and 37%, due predominantly to the shading provided by the other plants. Furthermore, the supplemental UVB changed the natural partitioning of UVB and PAP and the ratio of PAP to UVB over the plants. All these variations to the UVB and PAP over the plant canopy cannot be predicted by exposure measurement in the wavebands on a horizontal plane. Consequently, for the case of the complex topography of plants, the dosimeters described in this paper have the advantage of allowing the exposures to be measured simultaneously at multiple sites that are at any orientation.     

Ecosystem UV-B experiments in terrestrial communities: a review of recent findings and methodologies

Ecosystem-level UV-B experiments have revealed a variety of responses in terrestrial communities. These include decreases in the growth of some plant species (usually small changes but occasionally >25%), both decreases and increases in herbivory, occasional altered decomposition patterns, changes in populations of fungi and invertebrates, and morphological changes in the growth patterns of mosses. These field experiments have been pursued both with solar UV-B exclusion using selective filters and with supplementation of UV-B using lamps. For UV-B-exclusion studies it is critical that the UV-B-excluding and UV-B-transmitting filters pass the same amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) and also infrared. Canopy photosynthesis models indicate that even small differences in PAR transmittance can, under many circumstances, have significant effects on plant carbon gain. It is also important that filters in UV-B-exclusion studies allow precipitation to pass uniformly to the plots unless there is some form of irrigation underneath the filters. For UV-B-supplementation studies with lamps, many factors are involved in the realism of the ozone depletion simulation. We believe the major lamp-system error is excessive supplementation of UV-B by timer-controlled lamps when weather conditions (primarily clouds) decrease ambient solar UV-B irradiance. The choice of biological spectral weighting functions (BSWF) used in adjusting lamp flux is also critical in determining the level of ozone depletion simulated. In addition, shading by the lamp arrays influences plant growth and becomes particularly important when BSWF with substantial weighting in the UV-A are employed.     

Reduced tillage effects on physical properties of silt loam soils growing root crops

In the scope of the increasing concern for soil conservation, reduced tillage (RT) agriculture is growing more important in today's agriculture in Western Europe. However, crop rotations often include beets and potatoes, crops that are generally assumed to be less suitable under RT agriculture because they result in a high disturbance of the soil at the formation of the ridges and at harvest. Therefore, the short- and long-term effect of RT agriculture on bulk density (BD), water retention curve (WRC), aggregate stability and field-saturated hydraulic conductivity of silt loam soils with crop rotations including root crops was evaluated. Ten fields at seven locations representing the important RT types, applied for a different number of years, and eight fields under conventional tillage (CT) agriculture with similar soil type and crop rotation were selected. At each location, BD of the 5–10 cm layer was mostly lower in the RT fields (1.42 ± 0.05 Mg m⁻³ [average with standard deviation]) compared to the CT fields (1.44 ± 0.09 Mg m⁻³) and the water content at saturation was mostly higher (0.394 ± 0.027 m³ m⁻³ and 0.382 ± 0.021 m³ m⁻³ for RT and CT fields, respectively). No differences in BD (1.53 ± 0.03 Mg m⁻³) or WRC could be found in the 25–30 cm soil layer when comparing the RT with the CT fields. The stability index of the 0–10 cm layer measured by ‘dry and wet sieving’ [De Leenheer, L., De Boodt, M., 1959. Determination of aggregate stability by the change in mean weight diameter. Mededelingen van landbouwhogeschool en de opzoekingstations van de staat te Gent 24, 290–300] was 40% higher under RT than CT agriculture. The mean weight diameter (MWD) [Le Bissonnais, Y., 1996. Aggregate stability and assessment of soil crustability and erodibility: I. Theory and methodology. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 47, 425–437] was significantly higher even after short-term RT compared to CT agriculture. The MWD after a heavy shower, a slow wetting of the soil and stirring the soil after prewetting was 19%, 38% and 34% higher for RT than CT fields, respectively. The field-saturated hydraulic conductivity tended to be higher under RT compared to the CT fields. Despite the high disturbance of the soil every 2 or 3 years of crop rotations including sugar beets or potatoes, RT agriculture had a positive effect on the investigated physical soil properties.