Effects of cover crops on soil mineral nitrogen and on the yield and nitrogen content of maize

Current agricultural practice favours winter cover crops, which can not only optimize N management in field crop rotation; but also affect subsequent crops. Three field experiments were carried out in Eastern Slovenia to examine the effects of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), winter rape (Brassica napus ssp.oleifera (Metzg.) Sinsk), subclover (Trifolium subterraneum L.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) as winter cover crops on the mineral N (N_min) content of soil and on the yield and N content of subsequent maize (Zea mays L.), fertilized with 120 kg N ha⁻¹. Italian ryegrass and winter rape decreased soil N_min contents before winter and in spring more than both clovers. In contrast, clovers accumulated significantly higher amounts of N in organic matter and had lower C/N ratios than winter rape and especially Italian ryegrass. In comparison to the control (bare fallow without cover crop), clovers increased the whole above ground maize dry matter yield, maize grain yield and N contents in whole above ground plants and in grain. The yields and N contents of maize following winter rape were on the same level as the control, while yields and N contents of maize following Italian ryegrass were, in two of the experiments, at the same level as the control. The effects of Italian ryegrass on the maize as subsequent crop in the third experiment were markedly negative. Maize in the control treatment exploited N much more efficiently than in treatments with cover crops. Therefore, cover crop N management should be improved, especially with a view to optimizing the timing of net N mineralization in accordance with the N demands of the subsequent crop.     

Fertilisation of irrigated maize with pig slurry combined with mineral nitrogen

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a very important crop in many of the irrigated areas of the Ebro Valley (NE Spain). Intensive pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) production is also an important economic activity in these areas, and the use of pig slurry (PS) as a fertiliser for maize is a common practise. From 2002 to 2005, we conducted a field trial with maize in which we compared the application of 0, 30 and 60 m³ ha⁻¹ of PS combined with 0, 100 and 200 kg ha⁻¹ of mineral N at sidedress. Yield, biomass and other related yield parameters differed from year to year and all of them were greatly influenced by soil NO₃⁻-N content before planting and by N (organic and/or mineral) fertilisation. All years average grain yield and biomass at maturity ranged from 9.3 and 18.9 Mg ha⁻¹ (0 PS, 0 mineral N) to 14.4 and 29.6 Mg ha⁻¹ (60 m³ ha⁻¹ of PS, 200 kg ha⁻¹of mineral N), respectively. Grain and total N biomass uptake average of the studied period ranged from 101 and 155 kg ha⁻¹ (0 PS, 0 mineral N) to 180 and 308 kg ha⁻¹ (60 m³ ha⁻¹ of PS, 200 kg ha⁻¹of mineral N), respectively. All years average soil NO₃⁻-N content before planting and after harvest were very high, and ranged from 138 and 75 kg ha⁻¹ (0 PS, 0 mineral N) to 367 and 457 kg ha⁻¹ (60 m³ ha⁻¹ of PS, 200 kg ha⁻¹of mineral N), respectively. The optimal N (organic and/or mineral) rate varied depending on the year and was influenced by the soil NO₃⁻-N content before planting. For this reason, soil NO₃⁻-N content before planting should be taken into account in order to improve N fertilisation recommendations. Moreover, the annual optimal N rates also gave the lowest soil NO₃⁻-N contents after harvest and the lowest N losses, as a consequence they also could be considered as the most environmentally friendly N rates.     

Nitrogen fertilizer application rates on cereal crops according to available mineral and organic soil nitrogen

From all plant nutrients N fertilizer rates deserve highest attention as too high rates may result in nitrate leaching, volatilisation of N₂O (greenhouse gas) and affect the farmers’ profit. Too low rates will also depress the profit. The problem is accentuated by the fact that crops not only feed from soil inorganic but also from organic soil N. Most soil N tests do not consider the available organic soil N. The Electro-Ultra-Filtration (EUF) method applied by us takes into account the EUF extractable inorganic and organic soil N for calculating the N fertilizer rate. This method developed at the Liebig University Giessen is called Giessen model (sampling in autumn out of the upper soil layer, 0–30 cm). We compared it with the standard soil N test the “Nmin method” recommended by German officials which method does not consider the available organic soil N (sampling in spring out of three or two soil layers, depending on soil depth). The investigation was carried out on farmers’ fields on five different sites with winter cereals (wheat, barley) in 1989/1990, 1990/1991 and 1991/1992. Recommended fertilizer application rates differed somewhat for both methods. Of the 23 cases, significantly higher grain yields were obtained five times by Nmin and four times by EUF; otherwise grain yields did not differ significantly between both methods. Grain yield and crude protein concentration were increased by fertilizer N compared with the plots without N fertilizer. On the site Giessen, however, there were some cases in which the N fertilizer did not increase grain yield. The soil of the Giessen site was rich in interlayer NH₄⁺ which is not recovered by the EUF and Nmin method, but which obviously contributed to the N supply of the crop, and therefore the N rates were too high. Grain crude protein concentration were higher with Nmin for Wernborn and Bruchkobel sites because of higher N fertilizer rates. For the Giessen site in 1989/1990 the reverse was true. Nitrogen agronomic efficiency (AE) ranged from 0 to 35.6. Apparent N recovery (ANR) ranged from 0 to 111. The gross profit differed from −88 to 489 Euro/ha. Negative values (three cases out of 23) were found on the Giessen site where no yield increase was obtained by the N fertilizer because of interlayer NH₄⁺. This interpretation is supported by the finding that interlayer NH₄⁺ significantly decreased from autumn to spring. Apart from the results found in 1 year on the Giessen site, the gross profit calculation showed that a precise N fertilizer application based on soil analysis yields a high profitability of cereal production.     

The effect of a sandy soil amendment with municipal solid waste (MSW) compost on nitrogen uptake efficiency by plants

The purpose of this work was to determine the influence of municipal solid waste (MSW) compost application on soil properties, nitrogen availability to plants and its uptake efficiency. The paper deals with results of a three-year field experiment where two different MSW composts were non-recurrently applied to sandy soil at rates of 18, 36 and 72 t ha⁻¹ (dry mass). Plots without fertilisation as well as plots fertilised each year with mineral forms of NPK were the controls, and spring triticale was cultivated in a monoculture on all plots as a test plant. Soil properties, plant yield and nitrogen content in grain and straw were determined at harvest, and on this basis the applied nitrogen uptake efficiency was calculated. During the first year, only the plots with the highest dose of the better-quality compost had yields similar to the plots fertilised with mineral NPK. Following the years of the experiment, all the plots treated with compost had distinctly lower yields than the plots fertilised with mineral NPK. That decrease was accompanied by a decrease in the nitrogen content in straw and grain, in spite of the fact that the soil material indicated a similar content of total nitrogen to those fertilised with NPK. This indicates that organic matter brought into the soil with MSW compost was intensively mineralised, releasing a considerable amount of nitrogen. However, the plant response indicated a shortage of the plant-available forms of this element. The efficiency of compost-originated nitrogen uptake by plants was very low, at less than 7% of the applied nitrogen. This indicates that plants can take up only a limited amount of nitrogen released from the compost, while considerable amounts are emitted into the atmosphere.     

节水减氮对土壤硝态氮分布和冬小麦水氮利用效率的影响

针对当前关中平原冬小麦生产中氮肥投入过量、灌溉水资源不足的问题,研究节水减氮栽培模式下冬小麦籽粒产量、水氮利用及硝态氮淋失情况,能为确定冬小麦节水减肥环保增效的生产模式提供理论依据。于2017—2019年在陕西杨凌开展冬小麦节水减氮田间栽培试验,采用二因素裂区设计,施氮量为主处理,灌水量为副处理,设施氮量处理N300 (300 kg hm^–2)、N225 (225 kg hm^–2)、N150 (150 kg hm^–2)、N75 (75 kg hm^–2)、N0 (不施氮)和灌水量处理W2 (1200 m³ hm^–2)、W1 (600 m³ hm^–2)、W0 (0),分析小麦产量、水氮利用效率及土壤硝态氮淋失情况。结果表明,2017—2018年和2018—2019年小麦季灌水处理较不灌水处理分别增产14.88%～15.01%和4.11～4.16倍,但处理间差异不显著,而越冬期灌水600 m³ h...     

The effects of dairy cattle manure and mineral N fertilizer on irrigated maize and soil N and organic C

This work was aimed at providing a sustainable approach in the use of manure in irrigated maize crop under Mediterranean climatic conditions. To this end, the effect of continuous annual applications of dairy cattle manure, combined or not with mineral N fertilizer, on the following parameters was studied: grain yield, grain and plant N concentration, N uptake by plant, N use efficiency, and soil N and organic carbon. The experiment was conducted in a furrow-irrigated sandy soil under dry Mediterranean conditions during seven years. Three different rates of cattle manure (CM): 0, 30 and 60 Mg ha⁻¹, were applied each year before sowing. These CM rates were combined with four mineral N rates (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg N ha⁻¹) applied at sidedress.On average, the highest grain yields during the 7 years were obtained with the combination of CM at 30 Mg ha⁻¹ and mineral fertilizer and with CM at 60 Mg ha⁻¹ without mineral fertilizer. With CM at 30 Mg ha⁻¹, mineral fertilizer increased yields during most of the growing seasons, meanwhile with CM at 60 Mg ha⁻¹, there was not any significant effect of the joint application of mineral fertilizer on yields. Overall, best results were obtained exceeding maximum rates according to present legislation. The mean apparent nitrogen recovery (ANR) fraction during the 7 seasons was 29% for N exclusively applied as CM. Overall, increased N rates applied as CM resulted in decreased ANRs. However, ANR with CM at 30 and 60 Mg ha⁻¹ increased during the first two seasons. This increased ANR ascribed to mineralization of residual organic N applied in previous seasons explained the increasing yields observed in the treatments along the study.The application of CM during 7 years increased the soil organic carbon in the first 30 cm by 5.7 and 9.9 Mg ha⁻¹ with CM at 30 and 60 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively, when compared to the initial stock. Thus, manure-based fertilization could be an alternative to mineral fertilizer in order to achieve high maize yields while improving soil quality under dry Mediterranean conditions.     

Nitrogen use efficiency and residual effect of fertilizers with nitrification inhibitors

Blending fertilizers with nitrification inhibitors (NI) is a technology to reduce nitrogen (N) losses. The application of NI could increase the soil N supply capacity over time and contribute to an enhancement of N use efficiency (NUE) in some cropping systems. The objectives were to determine in a field experiment located in Central Spain (i) the effect of NI-fertilizers applied to maize (Zea mays L.) during two seasons on yield, N content and NUE compared to conventional fertilizers, (ii) the soil residual effect of NI-fertilizers in a non-fertilized sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) planted during a third season, and (iii) the possible sources of residual N via laboratory determinations. The maize was fertilized with ammonium sulfate nitrate (ASN) and DMPP (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) blended ASN (ENTEC^®) at two levels (130 and 170 kg N ha⁻¹). A control treatment with no added N fertilizer was included to calculate NUE. The second year, DMPP application allowed a 23% reduction of the fertilizer rate without decreasing crop yield or grain quality. In addition, the sunflower planted after the maize scavenged more N in treatments previously treated with ENTEC^® than with traditional fertilizers, increasing NUE in the cropping systems. After DMPP application, N was conserved in non-ready soil available forms during at least one year and subsequently released to meet the sunflower crop demand. The potential N mineralization obtained from aerobic incubation under controlled conditions of soil samples collected before sunflower sowing was higher for ENTEC^® than ASN or control treatments. A higher δ¹⁵N in the soil indicated larger non-exchangeable NH₄⁺ fixation in soils from the plots treated with ENTEC^® or ASN-170 than from the ASN-130 or the control. These results open the opportunity to increase NUE by designing crop rotations able to profit from the effect of NI on the soil residual N.     

Rice dry matter and nitrogen accumulation,soil mineral N around root and N leaching,with increasing application rates of fertilizer

Rice morphology and N leaching, together with mineral N in the soil and soil solution around root, were determined at different growth stages in a 3-year experiment located in the Taihu Lake region, China. The results showed that the N application rates had little impact on the soil mineral N around root, but increased the dry matter and N accumulation aboveground in the high fertility soil (55.3 mg kg⁻¹ of soil mineral N before rice season in 2008). However, no significant difference in grain yield was observed in all N treatments in these 3 years. Path analysis showed that spikelet per panicle made the greatest direct contribution (0.781) and total contribution (0.309) to grain yield compared to other yield components. And a higher panicle per m² and dry matter accumulation resulted in yield decline later in the season due to a decline in the percentage of filled grains.No significant increases in plant N uptake, regardless of N application rates, were observed at the seedling stage, which indicated that lower N application rates could suffice during the rice early growing stages. Nitrate contents, in spite of high N rates input, in the percolation water were all below 1.0 mg L⁻¹ throughout the rice growing season. The increased N rates showed an increment of total N leaching through the percolation water, but not significant. The cumulative total N leaching only accounted for 1.86–4.96% of N fertilizer input, which suggested the N leaching should not be considered as main pollution resources in paddy filed in summer rice season. However, the evaluation of N leaching in different stages indicated that N leaching at seedling stage was larger in dominant (averaged 39.8% of total N leaching) than other stages. For the lower absorbing ability of rice seedling and more N leaching risk, suggestions on N fertilizer reduction should be made at rice early growing stage in this region.     

水氮配置对华北冬小麦-夏玉米种植体系氮素利用及土壤硝态氮残留的影响

针对华北平原冬小麦-夏玉米轮作体系存在过量的水、氮投入问题,本研究于2008 -2010年在河北吴桥设置了传统水氮、传统水氮调整、节水减氮和最少水氮4个水氮模式,以分析减少水氮投入后冬小麦-夏玉米体系的产量、氮素利用和土壤氮残留情况.结果表明:与传统水氮相比,节水减氮模式的氮肥投入量下降55％,水分投入量下降36.6％...     

Nitrogen balance and losses through drainage waters in an agricultural watershed of the Po Valley (Italy)

Sustainable agriculture requires assessments of nitrogen fluxes and monitoring of potential nitrate losses. Watershed studies are particularly valuable to calculate nitrogen balances and quantify the relative importance of different sources of inputs and outputs. A nitrogen balance was calculated from September 2004 to October 2006 in an agricultural watershed named Valle Volta (Northern Italy) located in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone. The area, consisting of 17.4 km² of arable land, with limited presence of urban areas and roads, is entirely below the sea level (3 m b.s.l. in average). Soils are typically Vertic Cambisols and Thionic Fulvisols with fine texture (silty clay or silty clay loam). About 45% of the agricultural soil is pipe-drained. The ground water level is maintained at 4.6 m b.s.l. by the activity of pumps that raise excess waters into a river. Water fluxes in and out from the basin were daily registered, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration (N–NO₃ + N–NH₄) analyzed periodically. Data about fertilizers applications, seeds and crop yield were obtained from farmers’ interviews. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) was estimated on the base of dry matter yield. Major N inputs derived from fertilizers (174–188 Mg watershed⁻¹ year⁻¹), followed by BNF (126–131 Mg watershed⁻¹ year⁻¹). Maize was the crop receiving the highest fertilization rates, accounting for more than 40% of total fertilizer inputs. Saleable products were the main form of N leaving the watershed (317–338 Mg watershed⁻¹ year⁻¹). Nitrate was the main N form in irrigation and efflux water; its concentration was higher from autumn to spring, with peaks of 10–20 mg N L⁻¹ in efflux water, while it was low in summer. Nitrogen losses with efflux water were higher in spring and in autumn. Overall, losses of nitrate by efflux water were limited if compared with literature data. Water balance in the area remained near zero at the beginning and the end of the first year, confirming the suitability of the area for this kind of study. The potential net contribution of each hectare of agricultural soil of Valle Volta basin to the N load toward the Adriatic sea is about 5.5 kg N. Our study demonstrated that in the Valle Volta watershed, total N outputs and inputs are of similar magnitude, indicating that crop management and especially N fertilization techniques has reached good levels of ecological sustainability.     

Tillage, cover crops, and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil nitrogen and cotton and sorghum yields

Sustainable soil and crop management practices that reduce soil erosion and nitrogen (N) leaching, conserve soil organic matter, and optimize cotton and sorghum yields still remain a challenge. We examined the influence of three tillage practices (no-till, strip till and chisel till), four cover crops {legume [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth)], nonlegume [rye (Secaele cereale L.)], vetch/rye biculture and winter weeds or no cover crop}, and three N fertilization rates (0, 60–65 and 120–130 kg N ha⁻¹) on soil inorganic N content at the 0–30 cm depth and yields and N uptake of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. A field experiment was conducted on Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic, Plinthic Paleudults) from 1999 to 2002 in Georgia, USA. Nitrogen supplied by cover crops was greater with vetch and vetch/rye biculture than with rye and weeds. Soil inorganic N at the 0–10 and 10–30 cm depths increased with increasing N rate and were greater with vetch than with rye and weeds in April 2000 and 2002. Inorganic N at 0–10 cm was also greater with vetch than with rye in no-till, greater with vetch/rye than with rye and weeds in strip till, and greater with vetch than with rye and weeds in chisel till. In 2000, cotton lint yield and N uptake were greater in no-till with rye or 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in other treatments, but biomass (stems + leaves) yield and N uptake were greater with vetch and vetch/rye than with rye or weeds, and greater with 60 and 120 than with 0 kg N ha⁻¹. In 2001, sorghum grain yield, biomass yield, and N uptake were greater in strip till and chisel till than in no-till, and greater in vetch and vetch/rye with or without N than in rye and weeds with 0 or 65 kg N ha⁻¹. In 2002, cotton lint yield and N uptake were greater in chisel till, rye and weeds with 0 or 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in other treatments, but biomass N uptake was greater in vetch/rye with 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in rye and weeds with 0 or 60 kg N ha⁻¹. Increased N supplied by hairy vetch or 120–130 kg N ha⁻¹ increased soil N availability, sorghum grain yield, cotton and sorghum biomass yields, and N uptake but decreased cotton lint yield and lint N uptake compared with rye, weeds or 0 kg N ha⁻¹. Cotton and sorghum yields and N uptake can be optimized and potentials for soil erosion and N leaching can be reduced by using conservation tillage, such as no-till or strip till, with vetch/rye biculture cover crop and 60–65 kg N ha⁻¹. The results can be applied in regions where cover crops can be grown in the winter to reduce soil erosion and N leaching and where tillage intensity and N fertilization rates can be minimized to reduce the costs of energy requirement for tillage and N fertilization while optimizing crop production.     

Relationship between the amount of reduced nitrogen accumulated in winter wheat shoots and the activity of nitrate reductase measured in situ

Nitrate reductase activity measured in shoots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Apollo and Soissons) was assessed as an indicator of the nitrate assimilation rate in plants grown in the field and subjected to various nitrogen nutrition treatments. In N-deficient plants, the nitrate reductase activity was lower than in well fertilized plants and was an early indicator of nitrogen deficiency. At each stage of stem elongation, there was a constant relationship between the nitrate reductase activity in the shoots and the quantity of reduced nitrogen accumulated daily in these organs. This relationship was not affected by the level of nitrogen fertilization.     

The effect of tillage system and residue management on grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in winter wheat in a cool Atlantic climate

The effects of soil tillage and straw management systems on the grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) were evaluated in a cool Atlantic climate, in central Ireland between 2009 and 2011. Two tillage systems, conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT) each with and without incorporation of the straw of the preceding crop, were compared at five levels of fertiliser N (0, 140, 180, 220 and 260 kg N ha⁻¹).CT had a significantly higher mean grain yield over the three years but the effect of tillage varied between years. Yields did not differ in 2009 (Year 1), while CT produced significantly higher grain yields in 2010 (Year 2), while RT produced the highest yields in 2011 (Year 3). Straw incorporation had no significant effect in any year.Nitrogen application significantly increased the grain yields of all establishment treatment combinations. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) ranged from 14.6 to 62.4 kg grain (85% DM) kg N ha⁻¹ and decreased as N fertiliser rate was increased.The CT system had a significantly higher mean NUE over the three years but the effect of tillage varied with years. While there was no tillage effect in years 1 and 3, CT had a significantly higher NUE than RT in year 2. Straw management system had minimal effect on NUE in any year.The effect of tillage and N rate on soil mineral N content also varied between years. While there was no tillage effect in years 1 and 3, RT had significantly larger soil N contents than CT in the spring before N application, and post-harvest in year 2. N application rates had no effect on soil N in year 1, increased residual N content in year 2 and had an inconsistent effect in year 3. Straw management had no significant effect on soil mineral N content.These results indicate that RT establishment systems can be used to produce similar winter wheat yields to CT systems in a cool Atlantic climate, providing weather conditions at establishment are favourable. The response to nitrogen is similar with both tillage systems where the crop is successfully established. Straw management system has very little effect on crop performance or nitrogen uptake.     

施氮对不同基因型玉米籽粒发育和氮效率的影响

为解决生产中氮肥过度施用造成的资源浪费和环境污染问题,选择适宜的玉米氮高效品种至关重要。在不同施氮水平下,对不同基因型玉米籽粒发育及氮效率的差异进行了比较,采用田间试验,对屯玉99(TY)、潞玉19(LY)、先玉335(XY)3个玉米品种在4个施氮水平N0、N1、N2、N3(0,80,160,240 kg/hm2)条件下的籽粒发育和氮效率进行对比分析。结果表明,各品种玉米的籽粒干质量与氮含量差异在N3水平下最大,依次表现为N3N2N0N1;随着施氮量的增加,双高效型先玉335和高氮高效型屯玉99籽粒发育速率加快,籽粒干质量和籽粒氮含量在各生长时期都有明显增加,增施氮肥可以有效提高其氮肥利用率,促进氮在玉米植物体内的转移;低氮高效型潞玉19在低氮(N0、N1)水平下保持较高的产量,但随施氮量的增加,其籽粒干质量和氮含量无明显变化,产量甚至有所降低,导致氮利用效率降低。双高效型先玉335在低氮和高氮条件下都有较好的产量,是适合广泛种植的玉米品种;低氮高效型潞玉19适合在贫瘠土壤和施氮条件不良的条件下种植。     

Wild wheat adaptation in different soil ecosystems as expressed in the mineral concentration of the seeds

Wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, grows naturally in several habitats in northern Israel. The assumption that a genotype is better adapted to the `native' soil from which it was collected than to other soils, was tested. Each of nine T. dicoccoides accessions from nine different habitats and three wheat cultivars was sown in soils taken from all habitats, and grown in a greenhouse over 3 years. To enhance the biological nutrition absorption forces from the soil, three common wheat cultivars were added to the wild genotypes. No interaction in grain yield between wild wheat genotype and soil type was found within experiments. Soil type was the main factor that affected development and yield. Seed nutrient ability (SNA) of each soil was defined as the mineral element content in the seeds, averaged over all genotypes. Multiple regression analysis revealed diversity between the SNA related to growth and yield of the genotypes. Total seed yield per plant of each accession was related to several SNAs, and mainly to S and K, R² = 0.5–0.85. The spikelet number per spike was determined by N and Na in five accessions and by Ca in the other four (R² = 0.39–0.93).Heading date was affected mainly by the genotype, and the soil effect exhibited Fe and P dependence. A genotype-habitat adaptation exhibited by yield components was related to yield quality rather than to yield quantity. When a mineral nutrient is deficient in a natural soil, natural selection leads to establishment of plants that store a higher concentration of that nutrient in the seed, for the benefit of the succeeding generation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The role of soil characteristics,soil tillage and drip irrigation in the timber production of a wild cherry orchard under Mediterranean conditions

Over the last decade high-quality timber plantations have increased in Europe because of the constant high market price of timber and economical incentives from the EU. These latter are mainly due to timber plantations’ role in CO₂ capture. Noble wood plantations have also been established in Mediterranean areas, but many of them suffer from low growth rates due to deficient plantation management and/or non-optimal environmental conditions. Furthermore, little information exists about soil and water management in these plantations and how different soil characteristics may affect management results. In this study, a trial was established in a pure wild cherry plantation under Mediterranean conditions. The trial evaluated the effects that soil type (low soil quality versus good performance for woody crops), soil management (soil tillage versus no tillage), irrigation regime (drip irrigation versus no irrigation) and their interactions may have on wood production. Soil water content and the spontaneous vegetation that appeared in the alleys of the no-tillage treatments were also measured.The results showed that sandy-clay-loam soil with a water-holding capacity of 101.5 ± 5.2 mm had 65% more wood volume increase during the study period than sandy-loam soil with a water-holding capacity of 37.9 ± 8.0 mm. Conventional tillage or zero tillage with the presence of spontaneous vegetation did not differ significantly in wood volume increment, regardless of the type of soil. Although soil water content was significantly increased by tillage in sandy-loam soil, this effect was not enough to increase tree wood volume. On the other hand, the application of drip irrigation did increase wood production by up to 50%. Therefore, 10 years less on the plantation's rotation length can be anticipated when applying irrigation: from 40 to 30 years (sandy–clay–loam soil) and from 56 to 46 years (sandy-loam soil).In conclusion, deep soil characterization of the site is essential before deciding whether to develop a plantation of this type in areas under soil water content limitations caused by deficient soil structure and texture. In addition, our results show important savings can be made by reducing soil tillage, as less tillage leads to greater ground cover and biodiversity. Further investigations are required to examine how long-lasting the effects are and what other benefits can be expected when this type of plantation is managed in a more sustainable way.     

Agronomic performance,carbon storage and nitrogen utilisation of long-term organic and conventional stockless arable systems in Mediterranean area

The Montepaldi Long Term Experiment (MOLTE) trial in central Italy has been comparing three agroecosystems with different management: two organic (Old Organic since 1992 and Young Organic since 2001) and one conventional. After sixteen years of comparison, the agronomic performance and environmental sustainability of the three agro-ecosystems were assessed. Crops grain yield, total C inputs and N budget at field level were evaluated. N use efficiency (NUE) at micro-agroecosystem level was determined. Soil samples were collected from the three agroecosystems in order to quantify soil C and N pools.Results showed comparable grain yields in the three agro-ecosystems. The conventional system showed a larger N surplus and a lower crop N use efficiency in comparison with the organic ones. Moreover, the organic systems presented a lower potential risk of N losses with respect to the conventional one. The Young Organic agro-ecosystem was the most effective in terms of long term soil C (13% higher than conventional) and the oldest organic agro-ecosystem was the most effective in terms of soil N storage (9% higher than conventional).The results obtained demonstrated that the application of the organic farming method could increase the environmental sustainability in stockless arable systems under Mediterranean type of climate.     

Response of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) to nitrogen fertilization and soil water availability in semi-arid Mediterranean environment

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of soil water availability and nitrogen fertilization on yield, water use efficiency and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) over four-year field experiment.After the year of establishment, three levels for each factor were studied in the following three years: I₀ (irrigation only during the year of establishment), I₁ (50% ETm restitution) and I₂ (100% ETm restitution); N₀ (0 kg N ha⁻¹), N₁ (60 kg N ha⁻¹) and N₂ (120 kg N ha⁻¹).Irrigation and nitrogen effects resulted significant for stem height and leaf area index (LAI) before senescence, while no differences were observed for stem density and LAI at harvest.Aboveground biomass dry matter (DM) yield increased following the year of establishment in all irrigation and N fertilization treatments. It was always the highest in I₂N₂ (18.3, 28.8 and 28.9 t DM ha⁻¹ at second, third and fourth year growing season, respectively). The lowest values were observed in I₀N₀ (11.0, 13.4 and 12.9 t DM ha⁻¹, respectively).Water use efficiency (WUE) was significantly higher in the most stressed irrigation treatment (I₀), decreasing in the intermediate (I₁) and further in the highest irrigation treatment (I₂). N fertilization lead to greater values of WUE in all irrigation treatment.The effect of N fertilization on agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was significant only at the first and second growing season.Giant reed was able to uptake water at 160–180 cm soil depth when irrigation was applied, while up to 140–160 cm under water stress condition.Giant reed appeared to be particularly suited to semi-arid Mediterranean environments, showing high yields even in absence of agro-input supply.     

“三定”栽培对双季超级稻养分吸收积累及氮肥利用率的影响

为探讨南方双季超级稻对氮、磷、钾养分的吸收积累及利用规律,于2008—2010年在湖南长沙和浏阳以超级早稻陆两优996、陵两优268和超级晚稻丰源优299、天优华占为材料进行大田定位试验,比较了“三定”栽培、免耕摆栽和传统栽培条件下双季超级稻不同生育期植株体内氮、磷、钾吸收积累特点及氮肥利用率。与传统栽培相比,“三定”栽培双季超级稻生长前期(分蘖中期)氮、磷、钾的吸收量较低,幼穗分化期差异甚小,而齐穗期(早季平均为10.71、2.23和11.82 g m^-2,晚季平均为12.25、2.69和16.37 g m^-2)和成熟期(早季平均为13.61、3.01和13.71 g m^-2,晚季平均为17.16、3.31和18.31 g m^-2)较高;氮肥的偏生产力(平均为53.40 kg kg^-1)、吸收利用率(平均为55.98%)、农学利用率(平均为22.27 kg kg^-1)较高,分别提高29.00%、88.92%和46.67%。免耕摆栽双季超级稻不同生育时期氮、磷、钾的吸收特点与“三定”栽培相似,但其氮肥的偏生产力、吸收利用率和农学利用率(平均为50.24 kg kg^-1、52.75%、19.33 kg kg^-1)分别比“三定”栽培降低6.29%、6.12%和15.19%。由此可见,双季超级稻生产采用“三定”栽培技术有利于提高氮肥利用率。     

施氮量对垄作小麦氮肥利用率和土壤硝态氮含量的影响

以平作为对照,研究了垄作种植方式下施氮量对冬小麦氮肥吸收利用、0~100 cm土层土壤硝态氮含量以及产量的影响。在一定范围内增加施氮量,小麦的氮肥利用率降低,土壤氮的贡献率降低,小麦植株内的氮素积累量增加,收获指数提高,产量增加。低氮(0~66 kg hm^-2)条件下,小麦生育期间土壤硝态氮淋洗损失的可能小,小麦收获后0~100 cm土体内不会累积大量硝态氮。施氮量在165~264 kg hm^-2时,60~100 cm土体内土壤硝态氮含量增加,出现硝态氮下移趋势。种植方式影响小麦的氮肥利用效率,垄作种植小麦氮肥利用率和产量均高于平作小麦。垄作种植麦田60~80 cm土体内土壤硝态氮含量相对较高,而平作种植麦田80~100 cm土层硝态氮含量相对较高。种植方式对氮肥利用率的影响大于施氮量的影响, 但施氮量对氮素收获指数、籽粒产量以及经济系数的影响大于种植方式的影响。本试验条件下,2种种植方式在施氮量为纯氮165 kg hm^-2时可以获得较高的氮肥利用率和氮素收获指数,平作小麦氮肥利用率为35.75%~36.41%,而垄作小麦为45.32%~47.25%; 但2种种植方式的小麦都是施氮量为纯氮264 kg hm^-2时获得最高产量, 平作和垄作小麦的最高产量分别达8 078.31 kg hm^-2和
8 212.27 kg hm^-2。