Biological soil amelioration as the basis of sustainable agriculture and forestry

Before the discovery of plant nutrients, soil amelioration and fertilization was by force of circumstance biological, i.e. done with substances taken from nature. After the discovery of plant nutrients, the chemical concept of fertility displaced the biological one. The defects of chemical cultivation — inefficiency, deterioration in product quality, diminishing productivity of soils and negative effects on the environment — have created an urgent need for the study of fertility as a result of the activity of the biocycles of the ecosystem. With the aid of the advances of modern science, we can understand the defects and deficiencies of the chemical concept of fertility and return the biological concept of fertility to its proper place. This in turn is a good starting point for productive research and developmental work towards an ecologically sustainable agriculture and forestry.     

作物气候生产潜力估算中的地形因子订正方法探讨

采用皖西大别山区岳西县的常年和临时测站资料，并参考文献［２］给出的获取不同高度水平地表面上用于计算作物气候生产潜力的光温水三要素的订正方法，建立了适用于大别山区不同高度水平地表面和不同坡向坡度上的作物生产潜力计算仪式。     

Land degradation assessment by farmers in Bolivian mountain valleys

A methodology is presented for assessing the seriousness and impact of land degradation, from a historical and a farmer perspective, in regions where data are not available. Farmers have been directly involved in the assessment of soil, productivity and vegetation cover loss over the past decades, both on cropland and on rangeland. The results for the Bolivian mountain valleys in north Chuquisaca show that the intensive use of small cropland fields has increased soil degradation and consequently led to less water and nutrient availability. Due to the subsequent productivity loss many cropland fields have been abandoned. Rangeland is also severely degraded as a result of the excessive removal of vegetation and subsequent soil loss. Farmers are very concerned, but consider the impact of changed rainfall and less available cropland beyond their control. Consequently, no serious initiatives are taken to solve the land degradation problem. This research adduces evidence of increased land degradation in the Bolivian mountain valleys over recent decades, and stresses the need for urgent (integrated) action with regard to soil and water conservation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

岩石裸露与水土流失关系研究现状及石漠化因子研究存在的问题

基岩裸露是喀斯特地区的常见现象,形成了类似荒漠景观的石漠化,而石漠化的发生发展影响了区域土壤侵蚀机理和结果,故需加大石漠化因子(D)与水土流失定量关系研究,以便修正土壤流失方程.因此,在中外文献查阅的基础上,总结了岩石裸露对坡面水土流失的影响相关研究现状.结果表明,岩石裸露对坡面水土流失的影响研究结论较为离散,主要...     

Determination of the quality index of a Paleudult under sunflower culture and different management systems

Soil is an essential resource for life and its properties are susceptible to be modified by tillage systems. The impact of management practices on soil functions can be assessed through a soil quality index. It is interesting to assess soil quality in different soil types. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the soil quality index of a Paleudult under different management conditions and sunflower culture. The experiment was carried out in Botucatu (SP, Brazil), in an 11-year non-tilled area used for growing soybean and maize during summer and black oat or triticale in winter. Four management systems were considered: no-tillage with a hoe planter (NTh), no-tillage with a double-disk planter (NTd), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT). Soil samples were taken from the planting lines at harvest time. To determine the soil quality indices, following the methodology proposed by Karlen and Stott (1994), three main soil functions were assessed: soil capacity for root development, water storage capacity of the soil and nutrient supply capacity of the soil. The studied Paleudult was considered a soil with good quality under all the observed management systems. However, the soil quality indices varied between treatments being 0.64, 0.68, 0.86 and 0.79 under NTh, NTd, RT and CT, respectively. Physical attributes such as resistance to penetration and macroporosity increased the soil quality index in RT and CT compared to NTh and NTd. The soil quality indices obtained suggested that the evaluated soil is adequate for sunflower production under our study conditions. In view of the SQI values, RT is the most suitable management for this site since it preserves soil quality and provides an acceptable sunflower yield.     

Stratified vegetation cover index: A new way to assess vegetation impact on soil erosion

Vegetation cover is an important parameter used in assessing the relationship between vegetation and soil erosion. However, the intensity of soil erosion actually changes not only with vegetation cover but also with differences in vegetation type and structure. How to integrate the cumulative effect of the different growth forms making up a vegetation community into one index for inclusion in soil loss predictive equations is an open research question. This paper proposes a method to separately measure the cover of different vegetation strata, estimate their contribution to reducing soil loss, and then to integrate this into a single vegetation index called the stratified vegetation cover index (C_s). The results show that C_s is more effective than projected vegetation cover for the assessment of soil erosion and also can overcome the disadvantages of vegetation indices such as NDVI. This means that C_s is a good substitute for vegetation cover or cover-related vegetation indices in studies on the relationship between vegetation and soil erosion. The concept of Cs may help the local governors or forest department understand the importance of vegetation structure and make right management decisions.     

An overview of soil loss tolerance

As the criterion for judging whether a soil has potential risks of erosion, productivity loss and whether a river has downstream over-sedimentation as well as the ultimate criterion for erosion control for the preservation of soil productivity and environmental security in the long term, the level of soil loss tolerance (T value) must be determined in a scientific manner. This overview summarized the development of T value. The factors influencing T value were then discussed, and the calculation methods for T value were also presented and evaluated. Finally, it was proposed that the evaluation of T value should be based on three criteria (referred to as T₁, T₂ and T₃, respectively) with respective definitions and research fields involved. Two key issues, which can prevent the damage by soil erosion, i.e. tolerance for agrochemicals and self-restoration capacity of ecological environments should be addressed in the near future.     

The Tolerance Index and Translocation Factor were Used to Identify the Barley Genotypes with High Arsenic Stress Tolerance

Ninety-four barley genotypes were used to investigate the genotypic differences in arsenic (As) uptake and translocation and their relationships with As tolerance index (TI) and translocation factor (TF). Two As treatments (300 µM and 500 µM) were applied in the initial screening and the confirmatory experiments, respectively. The results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in tissue biomass, shoot height, root length, As TI and TF among genotypes. Based on As TI, 11 barley genotypes were selected and divided into 3 groups, i.e. tolerant, mildly tolerant and sensitive. There was more As uptake in the roots of the As tolerant genotypes, while the As sensitive genotypes contained more As in shoots, which was further proved by the greater TF. Significantly negative correlation was observed between shoot and root As concentration. The results showed that As tolerant genotypes are able to restrict the upward movement of As, thus developing their tolerance.     

Influence of summer legume residue recycling and varietal diversification on productivity,energetics, and nutrient dynamics in basmati rice–wheat cropping system of western Indo-Gangetic Plains

A field experiment was conducted on summer mungbean residue recycling (SMBRR) and basmati rice–wheat cropping system (BRWCS) at New Delhi, India. The SMBRR enhanced the system productivity and net returns by ～19.1% and 22.1% compared to summer fallow (SF) with highest magnitude under genotypic sequence of P 2511/HD 2967. Two genotypes each in basmati rice (PB 1 and P 2511) and wheat (HD 2967 and HD 2733) responded well to SMBRR with respect to grain yield efficiency index (GYEI) ≥ 1.0. SMBRR also registered ～13.5% higher microbial biomass carbon (MBC) than SF. Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage also increased by ～6.8% in 0–30 cm soil layer. The rice–wheat–summer mungbean system produced significantly highest energy efficiency compared to the rice–wheat–summer fallow system with highest values under genotypic sequence of P 2511/HD 2967 as a result of better yield expression. Overall, SMBRR with suitable genotypic sequence improved the system productivity, profitability, and nutrient dynamics in BRWCS, which are vital for long-term sustainability of this system.