Soil translocation resulting from multiple passes of tillage under normal field operating conditions

Until now, most tillage erosion experiments were conducted under controlled soil and operating conditions. However, soil condition, tillage depth, speed and direction generally show substantial within-field variation. In this study, a series of tillage experiments were set up to investigate the erosivity of tillage under normal operating conditions. The effect of a typical tillage sequence, including multiple mouldboard, chisel and harrow passes, on soil translocation and tillage erosion was studied during a period of 3 years. Soil translocation in excess of 10 m was observed while the average net translocation rates ranged between 0 and 0.9 m. The results suggest that the annual tillage transport coefficient, associated with mechanized agriculture, is in the order of 781 kg m⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The experimental results also show that the tillage transport coefficient of a sequence of tillage operations can be reasonably well predicted from information provided by the farmer and by summing the transport coefficients obtained from controlled, single pass experiments. However, a Monte Carlo simulation showed that a relatively high number of tillage operations are required to obtain accurate estimates of the tillage transport coefficients in multiple pass experiments.     

Influence of spring preparation date and soil water content on seedbed physical conditions of a clayey soil in Sweden

Secondary tillage performed under inadequate soil water contents usually leads to a poor seedbed. Under normal Swedish weather conditions, clayey soils ploughed during autumn form a very dry top layer in spring, which acts as an evaporation barrier so that deeper layers remain wet. Thus, the conventional approach considering soil workability in relation to a single value of soil water content is difficult to apply. Hence, a field experiment was carried out to study the effect of seedbed preparation date, the associated soil water contents and traffic consequences on the physical properties of a spring seedbed. The field was autumn ploughed and the experiment started as soon as the field was trafficable after winter thawing. The seedbed preparation consisted of three harrowing operations on plots 8 m×8 m (three replications) with a spring tined harrow and a tractor mounted with dual tyres and was performed on 10 occasions from the beginning of April to the middle of May. With the exception of some short periods after rain, the soil had a clear water stratification during the experiment, with a very dry superficial layer (5–20 mm thick) contrasting to water contents over 300 g kg⁻¹ from only 40 mm depth. After the harrowing operation, the seedbed aggregate fraction less than 2 mm increased from about 40% at the beginning of April to about 60% for the last four treatments in May. Contributing factors to the rise were attributed to the lower water contents of the top layer (<40 mm) and the drying–wetting and freezing–thawing cycles that occurred in the surface layer during April. There were no significant differences in bulk density after harrowing between the treatments but an increase in penetration resistance up to a depth of 180 mm in the harrowed plots was statistically significant (P<0.001). In the non-harrowed soil, penetration resistance also increased, including in those soil layers where water contents kept nearly constant.

In conclusion, the seedbed preparation dates had only a minor effect on soil compaction, as measured by bulk density and penetration resistance, due to the slow drying beneath the dry top layer. The fraction of fine aggregates in the seedbed increased with time. Thus, the optimal time for seedbed preparation depended mainly on soil friability and not on the risk of compaction.     

Enzyme activities and microbial community structure in semiarid agricultural soils

This study investigated the effect of management on -glucosidase, -glucosaminidase, alkaline phosphatase, and arylsulfatase activities and the microbial community structure in semiarid soils from West Texas, USA. Surface samples (0–5 cm) were taken from a fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and loam that were under continuous cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) or in cotton rotated with peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.), sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.), rye ( Secale cereale) or wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), and had different water management (irrigated or dryland), and tillage (conservation or conventional). The enzyme activities were higher in the loam and sandy clay loam than in the fine sandy loam. Soil pH was not affected by management, but the soil organic C and total N contents were generally affected by the different crop rotations and tillage practices studied. The trends of the enzyme activities as affected by management depended on the soil, but in general crop rotations and conservation tillage increased the enzyme activities in comparison to continuous cotton and conventional tillage. The soil enzyme activities were significantly correlated with the soil organic C ( r -values up to 0.90, P< 0.001), and were correlated among each other ( r -values up to 0.90, P <0.001). There were differences in the fatty acid methyl ester profiles between the fine sandy loam and the sandy clay loam and loam, and they reflected the differences in the enzyme activities found among the soils. For example, a 15:0 ranged from 1.61±0.25% in cotton-peanut/irrigated/no-till in the fine sandy loam to 3.86±0.48% in cotton-sorghum/dryland/conservation tillage in the sandy clay loam. There were no differences due to management within the same soil.Trade names and company names are included for the benefit of the reader and do not infer any endorsement or preferential treatment of the product by USDA-ARS     

耕作方式对冬小麦内源激素含量及产量的影响

为探讨耕作方式对冬小麦不同生育时期内源激素含量及产量的影响,在大田条件下,设3种耕作方式(耕翻+镇压,旋耕+镇压和旋耕),在小麦各生育时期定期取样,用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)分离、测定小麦5种植物内源激素的含量,并测定各处理小麦的产量及其构成因素。结果表明,在小麦越冬至抽穗期,耕翻+镇压处理下小麦叶片及根的IAA、SA、GA3、ZT含量较高;在抽穗灌浆期,耕翻+镇压处理下小麦叶片及根的IAA、GA3、ZT含量最高,进入灌浆期,耕翻+镇压处理下小麦叶片及根的IAA、SA、GA3、ZT含量下降缓慢,且ABA含量较低。耕翻+镇压处理下的小麦产量较旋耕+镇压及旋耕处理分别提高了3.74%和9.41%,且与旋耕处理的差异达到极显著水平。因此,3种耕作方式处理下,耕翻+镇压有利于提高小麦促生长类激素含量,降低小麦促衰老类激素含量,增加小麦有效穗数,促进籽粒灌浆,提高小麦千粒重,有利于实现小麦的高产优质。     

The use of remote sensing to detect the consequences of erosion in gypsiferous soils

Tillage practices on sloping ground often result in unsustainable soil losses impairing soil functions such as crop productivity, water and nutrients storage, and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. A sloping olive grove (10%) was planted in shallow gypsiferous soils in 2004. It was managed by minimum tillage; the most frequent management practice in central Spain. The consequences of erosion were studied in soil samples (at 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm depths) by analyzing SOC, available water and gypsum content, and by detecting spectral signatures using an ASD FieldSpecPro® VIS/NIR-spectroradiometer. The Brightness index (BI), Shape index (FI), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were derived from the ASD spectral signatures and from remote sensing (Sentinel-2 image) data. The development of these young olive trees was estimated from the measured diameter of the trunks (17 ± 18 cm diameter). In 20–30 cm of the soil, the carbon stock (38 ± 18 Mg ha⁻¹) as well as the available water content (12 ± 6%) was scarce, affecting the productivity of the olive grove. The above-mentioned indices obtained from the laboratory samples and the pixels of the Sentinel-2 image were significantly (p < 0.01) correlated, with a correlation coefficient of around 0.4. The BI was related to the gypsum content and the slope of the plot. The FI was related to the carbon and water contents. The NDVI derived from the satellite image identified the influence of soil degradation on the trees and the carbon content. The spatial-temporal changes of the indices might help in tracking soil changes over time.     

残茬覆盖与耕作方式对夏玉米光合产物生产与分配的影响

通过大田试验,对小麦机械收获后残茬覆盖与不覆盖2种条件下,免耕、翻耕和间隔深松3种土壤耕作方式夏玉米光合产物的生产、积累和分配特性进行了研究,结果表明：残茬覆盖比不覆盖全生育期平均叶面积系数增加7．02％,总光合势增加7．07％,全生育期平均净同化率增加2．97％,单株干物质积累量增加9．36％,经济系数增加1．57％,最终单位面积子粒产量增加10．4％,达极显著水平。深松分别比翻耕和免耕全生育期平均面积系数高3．43％和5．70％,总光合势高2．73％和5．66％,单株干物质积累量高2．94％和6．74％,经济系数高0．90％和1．53％,最终子粒产量增加3．92％和5．95％,差异极显著。覆盖加深松产量比不覆盖免耕高15．9％。     

林地转变为耕地对紫色土N2O排放的影响

土地利用方式变化是造成大气中温室气体浓度变化的主要原因之一,但土地利用方式转变,如林地转变为耕地过程对土壤氧化亚氮(N_2O)排放的影响还缺乏系统研究。本研究于2016年7月中旬在四川盆地丘陵区将林地转变为耕地,并按照耕地冬小麦-夏玉米轮作方式,采用静态暗箱-气相色谱法,对比分析了耕地翻耕不施肥(CL-T)、翻耕施肥(CL-TF)和邻近林地(CK)的土壤N_2O排放过程特征。结果表明,试验期间CL-T、CL-TF土壤N_2O排放通量较CK均显著增加(P0.01),且二者的N_2O排放通量在林地转变为耕地初期均有明显的排放峰。小麦季和玉米季土壤N_2O排放通量[μg(N)·m-2·h-1]均值CK分别为2.52和4.60,CL-T分别为3.55和11.63,CL-TF分别为6.26和22.16,N_2O排放通量玉米季显著高于小麦季。CK、CL-T和CL-TF的土壤N_2O全年累积排放量[mg(N)·hm-2]分别为0.271、0.515和0.957,CL-T、CL-TF较CK分别显著增长89.8%、253.0%,说明林地转变为耕地,紫色土N_2O排放迅速增加。首先翻耕改变土壤结构并显著增加土壤无机氮含量(P0.05),其次施肥大幅增加土壤无机氮含量导致土壤N_2O的激发排放。而土壤温度和水分未发生显著改变(P0.05),种植作物短时间内也未显著改变土壤的N_2O排放。结果表明,林地转变为耕地激发土壤N_2O排放的根本机制可能是提高了土壤有机氮矿化速率。但土地利用转变对土壤氮转化过程的影响以及进而改变土壤N_2O的排放特征的机理有待进一步研究。     

耕作方式和施氮量对稻茬小麦产量构成和群体质量的影响

以苏麦188为材料,在水稻秸秆全量还田条件下研究板茬、旋耕、耕翻等耕作方式和施氮量210kg/hm2、240 kg/hm2、270 kg/hm2对小麦群体质量和产量及其结构的影响,为稻茬小麦大面积机械化栽培提供参考。结果表明：板茬方式产量显著高于旋耕和耕翻;随施氮量增加,产量逐渐提高。产量在不同耕作方式与施氮量间存在显著的互作效应。相比其他耕作方式,板茬方式每穗粒数和千粒重较高;群体茎蘖数多,但分蘖成穗率不高、源库协调水平偏低,花后具有较高的光合生产能力。随施氮量增加,穗数和每穗粒数、群体茎蘖数和分蘖成穗率、花后光合生产能力以及源库协调性均呈提高趋势。说明,通过合理增施氮肥可以进一步改善板茬方式下小麦群体质量,协同提升产量构成因素,实现增产。本试验条件下采用板茬方式配以施氮量270 kg/hm2或240 kg/hm2处理产量最高。     

耕作方式对土壤理化性状及夏玉米生长发育和产量的影响

研究耕作方式对土壤理化性状、夏玉米生长发育及籽粒产量的影响,为黄淮海北部地区土壤结构改善和籽粒产量提高提出有利的科学依据。试验设夏玉米前茬深松、翻耕、隔年深松和传统耕作旋耕4个处理。研究结果表明,深松、隔年深松、翻耕能够显著降低10 cm以下土层的土壤紧实度;提高各生育时期土壤含水量,尤其以20～40 cm土层表现最为明显;增加20～60 cm土层速效钾含量;有利于维持夏玉米灌浆中后期叶面积指数,干物质的积累量增加7．79％～18．09％;提高籽粒最大灌浆速率、平均灌浆速率,每公顷产量提高4．1％～9．3％。各处理间以深松和隔年深松处理表现最好,且两处理无显著差异。本试验条件下,隔年深松是兼顾高产节能高效的耕作方式。     

耕作模式对土壤生物活性与养分有效性及冬小麦产量的影响

为探讨长期玉米秸秆还田下不同耕作模式对土壤生化性状及冬小麦产量的影响,从2011年10月至2016年6月连续5个冬小麦生长季进行田间定位试验。设4个耕作处理,分别是连续旋耕秸秆不还田(RT)、连续旋耕秸秆还田(RS)、连续深耕秸秆还田(DS)及前2年旋耕秸秆还田第3年深耕秸秆还田(TS)。与RT相比,连续5年秸秆还田显著提高0~10、10~20和20~30 cm土层土壤有机碳、无机氮、速效磷、速效钾含量;土壤脲酶、蛋白酶、硝酸还原酶和蔗糖酶活性及土壤微生物多样性分别提高23.1%~59.3%、13.2%~40.7%、14.1%~28.8%、10.9%~19.5%和31.9%~42.5%。秸秆还田使各土层变形菌门、硝化螺旋菌门及放线菌门的相对丰度显著提高,而酸杆菌门相对丰度则显著降低。与DS及TS相比,RS显著提高0~10 cm土层土壤养分状况及生物活性,10~30 cm土层则显著降低。连续旋耕至第3年,无论秸秆还田与否,小麦均表现减产;DS与TS处理则表现持续增产,平均年增产3.2%和3.9%。本研究表明在黄淮海东部地区,秸秆还田条件下,2年旋耕后接1年深耕的耕作模式有助于改善耕层土壤质量和提高冬小麦生产力。