南方稻田保护性耕作的研究进展与研究对策

就保护性耕作的由来和内涵、国内外发展现状作一综述,在指出我国稻田传统耕作方式存在的主要问题后,着重介绍了南方稻田保护性耕作的主要技术模式:即以免(少)耕、秸秆还田为主的保护性耕作技术和休闲期保护性耕作技术。稻田免(少)耕保护性耕作技术主要包括水稻免耕直播、免耕抛秧、免耕套播和免耕小苗移栽技术;秸秆还田为主的保护性耕作技术主要包括秸秆覆盖免耕栽培水稻和秸秆覆盖免耕旱作技术;休闲期保护性耕作技术主要包括冬春休闲和休闲期绿色覆盖技术。指出这些保护性耕作技术不仅具有传统栽培同样或更高的产量潜力,而且省工、节本、能减少水土流失,保持和改善地力,经济、生态效益显著。分析稻田保护性耕作存在的不足之处,提出发展对策。     

Effects of tillage systems on soil characteristics, glomalin and mycorrhizal propagules in a Chilean Ultisol

Tillage affects the soil physical and chemical environment in which soil microorganisms live, thereby affecting their number, diversity and activity. However, soil disturbance generally has the greatest impact on biological properties, including both free and symbiotic fungal populations. Interest in more ecologically sustainable agricultural systems is rising with increasing recognition that agricultural intensification can adversely affect environmental quality. This paper discusses the effect of tillage system on some soil characteristics, such as pH, C, N and S levels, total and Olsen-P contents including some P forms associated with organic matter, glomalin contents and arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) parameters, such as root colonization, spore number and total and active hyphal length. Measurements were in the sixth year of an on-going tillage-rotation experiment conducted on an Ultisol under no-till (NT), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage with stubble mixed into the soil (CTS) or stubble burnt (CTB). Soil was sampled at two dates; after wheat (Triticum aestivum) harvest (autumn) and 6 months after subsequent grassland seeding (spring). Higher C, N, S, total P and fulvic acid-P concentrations and pH occurred under NT and RT than under CTS and CTB after wheat harvest. However, results at the second sampling were not consistent. AM spore number and active hyphal length were highest under NT having the greatest incidence on AM root colonization and P concentration in shoots of the pasture. Glomalin concentration was higher under NT and RT than under CTS and CTB but no differences in calculated glomalin to total C (ca. 5%) were found. It is concluded that a less disruptive effect of NT influences positively all soil characteristics and also increases P acquisition by the following crop in the rotation system.     

Tillage choices affect biochemical properties in the soil profile

Intensive conventional farming and continuous use of land resources can lead to agro-ecosystem decline and increased releases of CO₂ to the atmosphere as soil organic matter (OM) decays. The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of varying types and depths of tillage on microbial biomass, C content, and humification in the profile of a loamy-sandy soil in the Mugello valley, close to the Apennine Mountains, in Italy. Soil samples were collected to depths of 0–10, 10–20, 20–30 and 30–40 cm, in the ninth year following introduction of tillage practices. Highest content of all C forms examined (total, extractable and humified) was found at the 0–10 cm depth with minimum tillage (MT) and ripper subsoiling (RS) and at the 30–40 cm depth with conventional tillage (CT). Humified C decreased with depth in soils under MT and RS. None of the tillage systems showed any difference in total N and microbial biomass C in the upper depths, but concentrations were greater below 20 cm in soils subjected to CT, than other tillage systems. Crop production was similar in all tillage systems. Stratification and redistribution of nutrients were consistent with the well known effects of tillage reduction. Total organic C and its distribution in the profile depended on the tillage system employed. MT and RS can be regarded as excellent conservation tillage systems, because they also sequester C.     

Tillage and land use effects on soil microporosity in Ohio, USA and Kolombangara, Solomon Islands

Micropores are important to soil moisture retention and plant growth. Microporosity and pore size distribution were evaluated using mercury intrusion porosimetery on aggregates from 35-year-old experiments started in 1962 at Wooster (40.5 °N, 82 °W) and South Charleston (39.8 °N, 84 °W) in Ohio, USA and from three land use practices on Kolombangara (8 °S, 157 °E) in Solomon Islands. Tillage treatments in Ohio included: moldboard plowing (MP), chisel plowing (CP), and no-till (NT) with continuous corn. The land use treatments in Kolombangara included: natural forest (NF), traditional farming (TF) and topsoil removal (TR). Pore size measured in aggregates ranged from 0.2 to 100 μm in diameter. Median pore radius was significantly (P < 0.05) larger for NT than for MP and CP treatments at Wooster, but not at South Charleston. Tillage treatments had significant effect on the volume of both storage and residual pores for both sites in Ohio. Volume of storage and residual pores were higher for Wooster than South Charleston soil. At Kolombangara, the NF treatment had significantly larger median and peak pore radii, and microporosity than TF and TR treatments. There was, however, no significant difference among treatments in the volume of pore size distribution. These data support a recommendation for adoption of no-till or conservation tillage in soils of the temperate region, and of minimal disturbance and effective erosion control in soils of the tropics.     

Crop management effects on soil carbon sequestration on selected farmers’ fields in northeastern Ohio

Soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is the largest among terrestrial pools. The restoration of SOC pool in arable lands represents a potential sink for atmospheric CO₂. Restorative management of SOC includes using organic manures, adopting legume-based crop rotations, and converting plow till to a conservation till system. A field study was conducted to analyze soil properties on two farms located in Geauga and Stark Counties in northeastern Ohio, USA. Soil bulk density decreased with increase in SOC pool for a wide range of management systems. In comparison with wooded control, agricultural fields had a lower SOC pool in the 0–30 cm depth. In Geauga County, the SOC pool decreased by 34% in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown in a complex rotation with manuring and 51% in unmanured continuous corn (Zea mays L.). In Stark County, the SOC pool decreased by 32% in a field systematically amended with poultry manure and 40% in the field receiving only chemical fertilizers. In comparison with continuous corn, the rate of SOC sequestration in Geauga County was 379 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in no-till corn (2 years) previously in hay (12 years), 760 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in a complex crop rotation receiving manure and chemical fertilizers, and 355 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ without manuring. The rate of SOC sequestration was 392 kg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ on manured field in Stark County.     

Effects of alternative tillage systems on soil quality and yield of spring cereals on silty clay loam and sandy loam soils in the cool, wet climate of central Norway

Tillage trials were established on a poorly drained silty loam overlying silty clay loam and on a freely drained sandy loam overlying medium sand, in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Autumn and spring ploughing and two ploughless systems were compared for 12–13 years, with three replications at each site. The ploughless treatments comprised deep versus shallow spring harrowing until 1999, and thereafter autumn plus spring harrowing versus spring harrowing only. In 6 years, treatments with and without fungal spraying of the cereal crops were included. In other years, fungicides were not used. Perennial weeds were controlled by herbicides as necessary, on nine occasions up until 2001. Average spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and spring oat (Avena sativa L.) yields were similar with spring ploughing as with autumn ploughing at both sites. In treatments without ploughing, average yields on the silty loam over clay were 93% of those obtained with ploughing, and on the sandy loam over sand they were 81%. Smaller and non-significant yield differences were found between spring harrowing versus deep spring harrowing, and between autumn plus spring harrowing versus spring harrowing only. Fungal spraying increased yields markedly at both sites (25%), but there was no significant interaction between this treatment and tillage system. Oat was compared with barley in 2 years, with oat performing better under ploughless tillage. At both sites increases in penetrometer resistance occurred in the topsoil of unploughed treatments. These were considered particularly limiting on the sandy loam. On the silty loam there was an increase in surface horizon porosity in the absence of ploughing, which was associated with an increase in topsoil organic matter content. On this soil there was also a tendency toward lower penetrometer resistance at >30 cm depth on autumn plus spring harrowed soil than on ploughed soil, indicating that the plough pan may have diminished. This was supported by observations of greater earthworm activity on unploughed soil. Soil chemical analyses revealed that mineral N and plant-available P and K accumulated in the upper horizon under ploughless tillage. The percentage yields obtained in individual years with autumn as opposed to spring ploughing, were positively correlated with air temperature during 0–4 weeks after planting on the silty loam, and with precipitation during 0–12 weeks after planting on the sandy loam. In the case of yields obtained with spring harrowing only, relative to spring ploughing, positive correlations were found with 0–4 week temperature on both soil types, suggesting that low early season temperatures may limit yields under ploughless tillage.     

Diesel and glyphosate price changes benefit the economics of conservation tillage versus traditional tillage

Recent increases in diesel price and decreases in glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] price should favor the profitability and farmer acceptance of herbicide-intensive conservation tillage systems versus fuel-intensive traditional tillage (TT) systems. Profitability results from a long-term field experiment that compared TT, minimum tillage (MT), and delayed minimum tillage (DMT) systems for winter wheat–(Triticum aestivum L.)summer fallow in eastern Washington, USA were calculated using both 1998 and 2005 input prices. Net returns for the MT and DMT systems increased by US$ 6.37 and 6.30 (rotational ha)⁻¹, respectively, and net returns to the TT system decreased by US$ 2.36 (rotational ha)⁻¹ when 2005 versus 1998 prices were used. Here, rotational ha equals 0.5 ha fallow and 0.5 ha wheat. Focusing on the dominant crop of soft white winter wheat (SWWW), the 2005 price hikes pushed diesel costs up for all systems, from US$ 6.81 (rotational ha)⁻¹ for DMT to US$ 9.00 (rotational ha)⁻¹ for TT. The cost of diesel for the conservation tillage systems, relative to the cost for TT, decreased by US$ 1.50–2.20 (rotational ha)⁻¹. The conservation tillage systems accrue greater savings from the price reduction in glyphosate because they consume more of this herbicide. An unanticipated result was that relative cost savings from price changes in N fertilizer rivaled those from diesel and glyphosate because anhydrous NH₃–N was exclusively used in the experiment for TT and aqueous NH₃–N for MT and DMT. The price of anhydrous NH₃–N increased from US$ 0.55 kg⁻¹ in 1998 to 0.85 kg⁻¹ in 2005, a 56% increase. Aqueous NH₃–N only increased from $0.75 kg⁻¹ in 1998 to 0.85 kg⁻¹ in 2005, a 15% increase. The greater price increase for anhydrous NH₃–N penalized the TT system because of its use of this fertilizer. If the same source of N fertilizer were used on all three tillage systems, this fertilizer cost effect would disappear. Nonetheless, the conservation tillage systems still retained a statistically significant profitability advantage over TT even if the same fertilizer was used throughout. The sharp price increase for diesel and the concurrent price decrease for glyphosate herbicide favored the conservation tillage systems over TT in this study. Results provide strong evidence for the superior profitability of conservation tillage winter wheat–summer fallow under current economic conditions.     

The adoption of annual subsoiling as conservation tillage in dryland maize and wheat cultivation in northern China

Soil compaction caused by random traffic or repetitive tillage has been shown to reduce water use efficiency, and thus crop yield due to reduced porosity, decreased water infiltration and availability of nutrients. Conservation tillage coupled with subsoiling in northern China is widely believed to reduce soil compaction, which was created after many years of no-till. However, limited research has been conducted on the most effective time interval for subsoiling, under conservation tillage. Data from conservation tillage demonstration sites operating for 10 years in northern China were used to conduct a comparative study of subsoiling interval under conservation tillage. Three modes of traditional tillage, subsoiling with soil cover and no-till with soil cover were compared using 10 years of soil bulk density, water content, yield and water use efficiency data. Cost benefit analysis was conducted on subsoiling time interval under conservation tillage. Yield and power consumption were assessed by based on the use of a single pass combine subsoiler and planter. Annual subsoiling was effective in reducing bulk density by only 4.9% compared with no-till treatments on the silty loam soils of the Loess plateau, but provided no extra benefit in terms of soil water loss, yield increase or water utilization. With the exception of bulk density, no-till and subsoiling with cover were vastly superior in increasing water use (+10.5%) efficiency and yield (+12.9%) compared to traditional tillage methods. Four years of no-till followed by one subsoiling reduced mechanical inputs by 62%, providing an economic benefit of 49% for maize and 209% for wheat production compared to traditional tillage. Annual subsoiling reduced inputs by 25% with an increased economic benefit of 23% for maize and 135% for wheat production. Yield and power consumption was improved by 5% and 20%, respectively, by combining subsoiling with the planting operation in one pass compared with multipass operations of subsoiling and planting. A key conclusion from this is that annual subsoiling in dryland areas of northern China is uneconomical and unwarranted. Four years of no-till operations followed by 1 year subsoiling provided some relief from accumulated soil compaction. However, minimum soil disturbance and maximum soil cover are key elements of no-till for saving water and improving yields. Improved yields and reduced farm power consumption could provide a significant base on which to promote combined planter and subsoiling operations throughout northern China. Further research is required to develop a better understanding of the linkages between conservation tillage, soil quality and yield, aimed at designing most appropriate conservation tillage schemes.     

Soil fertility properties on Agave angustifolia Haw. plantations

This study examined the variations in soil physical, chemical and biological properties from Agave angustifolia fields in three sites with different topographic conditions (valley, hill and mountain), in Oaxaca, Mexico, associated with the tillage systems, disk ploughing (DP), animal drawn ploughing (ADP) and minimum tillage (MT), respectively. Plant ages were 1.5–3.5 years (class 1), 3.6–5.5 years (class 2) and 5.6–7.5 years (class 3). Soil samples were taken at two soil depths (0–20 and 21–40 cm) from plots of 4000 m² within each site and plant age classes, during the spring of 2005. The main changes in soil properties were found in the mountain site. Soil bulk density (2.0 g cm⁻³), cone penetration resistance (CPR) (3.96 MPa), 0.7 and 1.0 mm water stable aggregates (WSA) (28.3 g kg⁻¹ and 102.2 g kg⁻¹, respectively) were higher in the mountain site than in the hill and valley fields. This result is consistent with the rocky substrate beneath the shallow soil. Soil organic carbon (SOC) (23.9 g kg⁻¹), available N (23.1 mg kg⁻¹) and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) (969.6 μg g⁻¹) at the mountain site showed the highest values, suggesting that MT practiced in this topographic condition favours the organic matter accumulation and biological activity. Soil microbial biomass carbon and SOC seem to be the soil properties that were mainly affected by the sites and soil management associated with them. For the three sites, SOC, P_Olsen, available N, exchangeable Na⁺ and SMBC were higher at 0–20 cm depth than at 21–40 cm depth within each site. Exchangeable Ca²⁺ and K⁺, P_Olsen and CPR increased with plant age. In contrast, available N decreased. Soil chemical properties were more affected by the age of the plant than physical and biological properties. Results reported here represent a reference of the fertility properties of soils cultivated with A. angustifolia, which could be used in further studies focused on management and tillage systems.     

Distribution of light and heavy fractions of soil organic carbon as related to land use and tillage practice

Mass distributions of different soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions are influenced by land use and management. Concentrations of C and N in light- and heavy fractions of bulk soils and aggregates in 0–20 cm were determined to evaluate the role of aggregation in SOC sequestration under conventional tillage (CT), no-till (NT), and forest treatments. Light- and heavy fractions of SOC were separated using 1.85 g mL⁻¹ sodium polytungstate solution. Soils under forest and NT preserved, respectively, 167% and 94% more light fraction than those under CT. The mass of light fraction decreased with an increase in soil depth, but significantly increased with an increase in aggregate size. C concentrations of light fraction in all aggregate classes were significantly higher under NT and forest than under CT. C concentrations in heavy fraction averaged 20, 10, and 8 g kg⁻¹ under forest, NT, and CT, respectively. Of the total SOC pool, heavy fraction C accounted for 76% in CT soils and 63% in forest and NT soils. These data suggest that there is a greater protection of SOC by aggregates in the light fraction of minimally disturbed soils than that of disturbed soil, and the SOC loss following conversion from forest to agriculture is attributed to reduction in C concentrations in both heavy and light fractions. In contrast, the SOC gain upon conversion from CT to NT is primarily attributed to an increase in C concentration in the light fraction.