Sugar beet rotation effects on soil organic matter and calculated humus balance in Central Germany

In order to quantify the influence of land use systems on the level of soil organic matter (SOM) to develop recommendations, long-term field studies are essential. Based on a crop rotation experiment which commenced in 1970, this paper investigated the impact of crop rotations involving increased proportions of sugar beet on SOM content. To this end, soil samples were taken in 2010 and 2012 from the following crop rotation sequences: sugar beet–sugar beet–winter wheat–winter wheat (SB–SB–WW–WW = 50%), sugar beet–sugar beet–sugar beet–winter wheat (SB–SB–SB–WW = 75%), sugar beet–grain maize (SB–GM = 50%) and sugar beet-monoculture (SB = 100%); these were analysed in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content, MBC/TOC ratio and the TOC stocks per hectare. In addition, humus balances were created (using the software REPRO, reference period 12 years) in order to calculate how well the soil was supplied with organic matter. In the field experiment, harvest by-products (WW and GM straw as well as SB leaves) were removed. After 41 years, no statistically significant differences were measured between the crop rotations for the parameters TOC, MBC, MBC/TOC ratio and the TOC stock per hectare. However, the calculated humus balance was significantly affected by the crop rotation. The calculated humus balance became increasingly negative in the order SB–SB–WW–WW, SB–SB–SB–WW, SB monoculture and SB–GM, and correlated with the soil parameters. The calculated humus balances for the reference period did not reflect the actual demand for organic matter by the crop rotations, but instead overestimated it.     

Estimation of phenotypic variability in symbiotic nitrogen fixation ability of common bean under drought stress using 15N natural abundance in grain

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important food legume, cultivated by small farmers and is usually exposed to unfavorable conditions with minimum use of inputs. Drought and low soil fertility, especially phosphorus and nitrogen (N) deficiencies, are major limitations to bean yield in smallholder systems. Beans can derive part of their required N from the atmosphere through symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). Drought stress severely limits SNF ability of plants. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) test and validate the use of ¹⁵N natural abundance in grain to quantify phenotypic differences in SNF ability for its implementation in breeding programs of common bean with bush growth habit aiming to improve SNF, and (ii) quantify phenotypic differences in SNF under drought to identify superior genotypes that could serve as parents. Field studies were conducted at CIAT-Palmira, Colombia using a set of 36 bean genotypes belonging to the Middle American gene pool for evaluation in two seasons with two levels of water supply (irrigated and drought stress). We used ¹⁵N natural abundance method to compare SNF ability estimated from shoot tissue sampled at mid-pod filling growth stage vs. grain tissue sampled at harvest. Our results showed positive and significant correlation between nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) estimated using shoot tissue at mid-pod filling and %Ndfa estimated using grain tissue at harvest. Both methods showed phenotypic variability in SNF ability under both drought and irrigated conditions and a significant reduction in SNF ability was observed under drought stress. We suggest that the method of estimating Ndfa using grain tissue (Ndfa-G) could be applied in bean breeding programs to improve SNF ability. Using this method of Ndfa-G, we identified four bean lines (RCB 593, SEA 15, NCB 226 and BFS 29) that combine greater SNF ability with greater grain yield under drought stress and these could serve as potential parents to further improve SNF ability of common bean.     

Soil CO2 emission in sugarcane management systems

Sugarcane management systems affect soil attributes such as the carbon cycle. This fact has stimulated the sugar and alcohol industry to refine the sugarcane production systems by replacing the pre-harvest burning (PB) and manual harvest with mechanized harvesting followed by residue deposition. The aim of this study was to evaluate different management systems with respect to C cycling carbon dioxide and soil parameters (chemical, physical and biological) which were determined over the season. Three sugarcane cultivation systems were evaluated at the following periods: (a) PB, (b) 5-year green harvest and (c) 10-year green harvest. The results indicated that CO₂ emission was 36% greater in the 10-year sugarcane green harvest system than in the PB system. The bulk density and macroporosity were the factors that were most affected by the different sugarcane management systems and that significantly influenced soil CO₂ emissions. The principal component analysis showed that soil CO₂ emission was 18% influenced by base saturation (V%) and 14% by pH, especially in the PB area. Additionally, 19% was affected by carbon and macroporosity in the 5- and 10-year green harvest areas, respectively. From our results, it can be concluded that the most CO₂ emissions are in the areas of sugarcane green, this is due to the higher carbon concentration when compared with the area of burning sugarcane. The parameters that most influenced the CO₂ emissions were bulk density, porosity, macroporosity, pH and V%.     

柠条枝条覆盖对宁夏荒漠草原土壤水热及补播牧草生物量的影响

干旱是影响宁夏东部沙化区荒漠草地退化的主要自然因素,也是天然草地补播成功率低的主要原因,该地区大面积种植的柠条是土壤覆盖保水的丰富资源,但是缺乏相关研究。选择平坦的、未生长柠条的退化天然补播草地作为研究对象,在临近有柠条生长的草地平茬其柠条枝条用于试验覆盖,研究不同柠条覆盖厚度（TSM₀,覆盖0 cm;TSM₁,覆盖1 cm;TSM₂,覆盖2 cm;TSM₃,覆盖3 cm）对该地区荒漠草地0~40 cm土壤水热以及补播牧草地上生物量的影响。结果表明,柠条枝条覆盖显著提高了土壤含水量,并且随着覆盖厚度的增加逐渐增大,但2018和2019年间所有覆盖处理下0~20 cm土壤水分平均值与TSM₀之间差异不显著（P>0.05）;在20~40 cm土层,3种柠条枝条覆盖厚度明显较对照提高了土壤水分含量,表现出TSM₃>TSM₂>TSM₁>TSM₀的趋势。结果还表明,柠条枝条覆盖还具有降低草地0~10 cm温度的作用,生长季8：00、14：00和18：00的土壤温度总体均随着柠条枝条覆盖厚度的增加出现降低趋势,且2019年土壤温度随着覆盖厚度的增加,变异系数也在减小,依次为4.6%、2.3%、1.7%,表明覆盖对土壤温度的变化具有缓冲作用。补播牧草地上生物量亦随着覆盖厚度的增加而增大,蒙古冰草、沙打旺及补播的3种牧草的总生物量均与草地20~40 cm土壤水分呈显著正相关（P<0.05）。本研究表明,柠条枝条覆盖有效地改善了荒漠草地土壤的水热,提高了土壤墒情,为牧草种植提供了良好的生长环境,可为该地区及类似地区退化草地的补播改良提供技术借鉴。     

新疆草地优势种植物相对生物量沿海拔梯度变化特征

优势种作为草地生态系统中地上生物量的主要贡献者,其生物量既受到环境因素的影响,也受到共存种种间关系的影响。然而,由于物种的不同和环境梯度的差异,目前有关优势种生物量与环境因素关系的研究,尚未获得一致性的结论。基于此,本研究以2011-2013年对新疆9种草地类型397个样地中优势种相对生物量的调查数据为基础,首先统计了不同草地类型中优势种组成,其次通过一般线性模型分析了优势种相对生物量随海拔梯度变化特征,以及共存优势种相对生物量之间的关系。结果显示：1）新疆草地共有169个优势种,隶属31科120属。这些优势种主要以禾本科植物为主,占据了优势种的19.53%。其中,高寒草原、温性草甸草原、温性草原、温性荒漠草原和温性草原化荒漠中,最主要的优势种均为针茅。而在高寒草甸、山地草甸和温性荒漠中,最主要的优势种则分别为珠芽蓼、千叶蓍和角果藜;2）优势种相对生物量与海拔的关系可以归为5类,分别呈现无显著关系、先降低后升高的U型变化趋势、显著正相关关系、显著负相关关系和先增加后降低的单峰型关系。这5类关系所对应的优势种数量分别为50、9、8、6和4个,分别占优势种总数的64.9%、11.7%、10.4%、7.8%和5.2%;3）24个共存优势种之间,其相对生物量共存在19对显著关系,且大多数共存优势种相对生物量之间主要表现为负相关关系。本研究表明,优势种相对生物量与海拔的关系,因物种不同呈多种变化格局且受到共存优势种的影响,结果可对未来新疆草地地上生物量的维持和管理,提供一定的参考依据。     

基于随机森林的高寒草地地上生物量高光谱估算

草地地上生物量（Aboveground biomass,AGB）是衡量草地生产力的关键因素,准确测定草地AGB具有重要意义。高光谱因具有时效性强、不破坏草地等特点被广泛用于草地生理生态指标的测定。本研究提取和计算了海北试验站高寒草地冠层的原始光谱（Original spectrum,OR）反射率、一阶微分光谱（First derivative spectrum,FD）反射率、光谱位置面积参数（Spectral parameters of spectral position and area,PA）和植被指数（Vegetation indices,VI）4种不同类型的特征变量,使用连续投影算法（Successive projections algorithm,SPA）和递归特征消除算法（Recursive feature elimination,RFE）进行特征选择,采用随机森林算法（Random forest,RF）构建草地AGB估测模型。结果表明：在由4种特征变量分别构建的草地AGB估测模型中,基于VI的RF模型精度最高（测试集R²=0.70,RMSE=557.87 kg·ha^-1）,实测AGB与估测AGB的线性R²达到0.72;不同类型特征变量组合构建的草地AGB估测模型中,PA+VI组合的RF模型精度最高（R²=0.71,RMSE=548.97 kg·ha^-1）,实测AGB和估测AGB的线性R²达到0.73。     

Long‐Term Tillage and Cropping System Effects on Chemical and Biochemical Characteristics of Soil Organic Matter in a Mediterranean Semiarid Environment

Several studies have reported how tillage and cropping systems affect quantity, quality, and distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) along the profile. However, the effect of soil management on the chemical structure of SOM and on its hydrophobic and hydrophilic components has been little investigated. In this work, the long‐term (19 years) effects of two cropping systems (wheat monoculture and wheat/faba bean rotation) and three tillage managements (conventional, reduced, and no tillage) on some chemical characteristics of SOM and their relationships with labile carbon (C) pools were evaluated. Soil samples were taken from the topsoil (0–15 cm) of a Chromic Haploxerert (central Sicily, Italy). After 19 years of different tillage and cropping systems management, total organic C significantly differed among treatments with the labile organic C pools showing the greater amount in no till and in wheat/faba bean plots. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic components of SOM, determined by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, were mainly affected by cropping system, whereas aromatic components of SOM by tillage. Soil organic matter components and characteristics showed significant correlations with the soil biochemical parameters, confirming the expected synergism between chemical and biochemical properties. This study demonstrated that (i) no tillage and crop rotation improve the chemical and biochemical properties of SOM of Vertisols under semiarid environment; and (ii) tillage management and cropping systems have affected, after 19 years, more the chemical and biochemical properties of SOM than its quantity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon Depletion by Plowing and its Restoration by No‐Till Cropping Systems in Oxisols of Subtropical and Tropical Agro‐Ecoregions in Brazil

The continuous use of plowing for grain production has been the principal cause of soil degradation. This project was formulated on the hypothesis that the intensification of cropping systems by increasing biomass‐C input and its biodiversity under no‐till (NT) drives soil restoration of degraded agro‐ecosystem. The present study conducted at subtropical [Ponta Grossa (PG) site] and tropical regions [Lucas do Rio Verde, MT (LRV) site] in Brazil aimed to (i) assess the impact of the continuous plow‐based conventional tillage (CT) on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock vis‐à‐vis native vegetation (NV) as baseline; (ii) compare SOC balance among CT, NT cropping systems, and NV; and (iii) evaluate the redistribution of SOC stock in soil profile in relation to soil resilience. The continuous CT decreased the SOC stock by 0·58 and 0·67 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in the 0‐ to 20‐cm depth at the PG and LRV sites, respectively, and the rate of SOC sequestration was 0·59 for the PG site and ranged from 0·48 to 1·30 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for the LRV site. The fraction of C input by crop residues converted into SOC stock was ~14·2% at the PG site and ~20·5% at the LRV site. The SOC resilience index ranged from 0·29 to 0·79, and it increased with the increase in the C input among the NT systems and the SOC sequestration rates at the LRV site. These data support the hypothesis that NT cropping systems with high C input have a large potential to reverse the process of soil degradation and SOC decline. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

平原丘陵地区水土资源联合优化配置

通过对区域水资源和土地资源概况进行研究,利用大系统递阶优化思想,以供水对象相对缺水率最小和农业经济效益最大为目标,建立了区域水土资源联合优化配置模型,并以句容市为例,对平原丘陵地区的水资源在时间和区域上进行了合理安排、设计、组合和布局,对农业种植结构进行了调整。研究结果表明:水资源是土地资源发挥最大优势的基本条件,水资源利用合理与否,直接影响到土地资源的生产效率;而土地资源的利用程度也影响着水资源的变化,土地资源利用效率高,则为水资源的合理开发利用创造条件。     

小型生物质直燃炉结构设计

基于目前现有生物质燃烧炉的燃烧效率低,且燃烧过程中焦油生成过多等问题。以高效率燃烧方式的薄层燃烧为该小型生物质直燃炉的主要燃烧方式,大大提高燃烧效率的同时,有效较低焦油与烟尘的产生,并且采用螺杆输送装置对炉膛进行持续供料,实现稳定的不间断燃烧,为成功解决农村生物质燃料浪费及环境污染起到积极作用,为新形势下的能源可持续发展提供思路。