Soil physical changes and maize growth in a structurally fragile tropical soil due to mulching and duration between irrigation intervals

Under tropical meteorological conditions, the volume of soil explored by plant roots is crucial for crop growth as it allows increased water and nutrient use efficiency. We hypothesized that, under different irrigation intervals, leguminous mulch can extend the duration between irrigation events but maintain crop performance, because decreased evaporative fluxes also reduce constraints to root exploration imposed by mechanical stress. We evaluated the combined effects of leguminous mulch and irrigation intervals on soil physical properties to determine whether the growth and productivity of maize were modified in a structurally fragile tropical soil. The experiment involved the following treatments: 4‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (4C) or bare (4S), 6‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (6C) or bare (6S), 8‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (8C) or bare (8S) and 10‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (10C) or bare (10S). Mulch decreased soil penetration resistance and increased to 4 days the favourable time for root development in drying soil. Relative to bare soil, mulch with a 6‐day irrigation interval almost doubled nitrogen uptake post‐tasselling, which decreased nitrogen remobilization and increased the crop growth rate during this stage. These conditions had a positive effect on the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance as well as on the growth and yield of maize. A 6‐day irrigation interval with mulch compared to 4 days with bare soil resulted in similar conditions for root development, but greater uptake of nitrogen (102.73–78.70 kg/ha) and better yield (6.2–5.3 t/ha), which means greater efficiency in nitrogen and water use.     

Biochar has little effect on soil dissolved organic carbon pool 5 years after biochar application under field condition

Biochar application can improve soil properties, such as increasing soil organic carbon content, soil pH and water content. These properties are important to soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC); however, the effects of biochar on DOC concentration and composition have received little research attention, especially several years after biochar application under field conditions. This study was conducted in a long‐term experimental field where the biochar was only applied once in 2009. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of different biochar application rates (0, 30, 60 and 90 t ha^?1) on the dynamics of soil water content, DOC concentration and DOC compositions (reducing sugar, soluble phenol and aromatics) over nine samplings during a 12‐month period in 2014. Our results showed that soil water content and DOC concentration varied from 7.1% to 14.5% and 59 to 230 mg C kg^?1 soil during the 12 months, respectively. However, the biochar application rates did not significantly (p > 0.05) affect soil water content, DOC concentration and DOC composition at the same sampling period. The DOC concentration across the biochar treatments was positively correlated to soil water content. Moreover, the DOC composition (reducing sugar, soluble phenol or aromatics) and their concentrations were positively correlated to the total DOC concentration. In addition, biochar did not affect soil bulk density, pH, saturated hydraulic conductivity and crop yields. The results indicated that some benefits of biochar to soil may not persist 5 years after the application of biochar under a field condition.     

Maize harvest index and water use efficiency can be improved by inhibition of gibberellin biosynthesis

Possibilities to improve maize harvest index and nutrient utilization efficiency by application of plant growth regulators were investigated. In container experiments, the effects of different growth regulators on the development of the maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars Pioneer 3906 and Fabregas were tested. Paclobutrazol (PAC) and chlorocholine chloride (CCC), two inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis, as well as gibberellic acid (GA₃) were applied at growth stage V5. Three weeks after application of PAC, shoot growth of both maize cultivars was strongly affected with a significant decrease in plant height in the PAC treatment by 44% and 36% for Pioneer 3906 and Fabregas, respectively. The growth‐retarded plants had higher leaf areas and reduced transpiration rates. The higher shoot growth after GA₃ application was accompanied by a reduction in leaf area and an increase in transpiration rate during 1 week before anthesis. CCC treatment showed no significant effects on plant height, leaf area and transpiration rate. The PAC‐treated cultivar Pioneer 3906 produced several cobs per plant, which were mainly barren at maturity. However, PAC application to Fabregas resulted in just one cob per plant with good kernel development and a grain yield, which was not significantly reduced in comparison with the control. With this similar grain yield in combination with a straw yield decrease of 32%, the harvest index was significantly improved by 12%. In addition, with PAC‐treated Fabregas plants, a 19% increased water use efficiency of the grain (WUE_grain) during the critical period of kernel setting was achieved. In this maize cultivar, CCC application also improved harvest index by 5%, but no effect on WUE_grain occurred. GA₃ treatment decreased harvest index of both maize cultivars, and it either reduced WUE_grain (Pioneer 3906) or showed no effect (Fabregas). Utilization efficiencies of N, P and K were not increased with growth regulator application, even in the PAC‐treated Fabregas plants with a significantly improved allocation of assimilates to the grain, mirrored by the higher harvest index. The results indicate that fertilizer applications must be adjusted to the reduced demand of growth‐retarded plants, most likely leading to higher nutrient utilization efficiencies.     

Optimisation of fertiliser rates in crop production against energy use indicators

Optimising mineral nitrogen (N) use in crop production is inevitable target as mineral fertilisers reflect one of the highest inputs both in terms of economy and energy. The aim of the study was to compare the relationship between the rate of N fertiliser application and different measures of energy parameters exemplary data for spring-wheat in boreal climate condition in Estonia in 2006–2010. The effect of mineral N with rates 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg N ha⁻¹ was studied on the background of composted cow manure and without organic fertilisers. Univalent parameters, energy gain (EG) (energy output − energy input) and energy ratio (ER) (energy output/energy input) were calculated. To aggregate parameters with different units (ER and EG) we proposed two standardisation approaches for combined indices. ER maximisation gave both organic fertilisation background optimum N norms significantly lower than EG (p < 0.05) optimisation. Both the new combined indices gave optimum N norms in between the rate of ER an EG. Composted cow manure background did not affect mineral N optimisation significantly. We suggest optimisation of mineral N according to bi-dimensional parameters as they capture important features of production efficiency and are more objective using as advisory tool for sustainable production systems.     

Phosphorus bioavailability in ash from straw and sewage sludge processed by low‐temperature biomass gasification

Reuse of phosphorus (P) from waste streams used for bioenergy conversion is desirable to reduce dependence on nonrenewable P resources. Two different ash materials from low‐temperature biomass gasification of wheat straw and sewage sludge, respectively, were investigated with regard to their P bioavailability. A set of pot experiments with spring barley was carried out to compare the ash P fertiliser value with mineral P fertiliser and the sewage sludge feedstock. An indirect radioactive labelling approach with ³³P was used to determine the amount of P taken up from the fertiliser materials. Depending on the application rate, straw gasification ash produced a fertiliser response comparable to mineral P. However, P uptake from the ash was generally less than uptake from equivalent amounts of mineral P, and the calculated relative effectiveness was 44% after 6 weeks of plant growth. In contrast, the P fertiliser value of Fe‐rich sewage sludge after low‐temperature gasification was practically zero. These results suggest that ash from low‐temperature gasification could be developed into alternative P fertilisers; however, as the P bioavailability depends greatly on the feedstock used, a greater emphasis on feedstock composition is required.     

不同施肥措施对灰枣园土壤速效养分含量的影响

为了探讨灰枣生长期内不同施肥处理措施对枣园土壤速效养分含量的影响情况,于2014年3月采用不施肥、常规施肥和施用不同种类生物肥共3大类9种处理进行田间试验,并于同年7~10月在灰枣不同生长期测定了各处理区域土壤中的碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾、有机质这4种养分的含量,研究了不同施肥处理下灰枣不同成熟期土壤各养分的动态变化情况。结果表明,不同处理、不同成熟期土壤各养分含量间均有差异,施用生物肥可以显著提高土壤中各养分的含量。     

Interactions between crop biomass and development of foliar diseases in winter wheat and the potential to graduate the fungicide dose according to crop biomass

Foliar pathogens such as Zymoseptoria tritici and Puccinia striiformis causing septoria leaf blotch and yellow rust respectively can cause serious yield reduction in winter wheat production, and control of the diseases often requires several fungicide applications during the growing season. Control is typically carried out using a constant fungicide dose in the entire field although there may be large differences in crop development and biomass across the field. The objective of the study reported in this paper was to test whether the fungicide dose response curve controlling septoria leaf blotch and other foliar diseases in winter wheat was dependent on crop development and biomass level. If such a biomass dependent dose response was found it was further the purpose to evaluate the potential to optimize fungicide inputs in winter wheat crops applying a site-specific crop density dependent fungicide dose. The study was carried out investigating fungicide dose response controlling foliar diseases in winter wheat at three biomass densities obtained growing the crop at three nitrogen levels and using variable seed rates. Further the field experiments included three fungicide dose rates at each biomass level, an untreated control, and 75%, 50% and 33% of the recommended fungicide dose rate and the experiments were replicated for three years. Crop biomass had a significant influence on occurrence of septoria and yellow rust with greater disease severity at increasing crop biomass. In two of three years, the interaction of crop biomass and fungicide dose rate had a significant influence on disease severity indicating a biomass-dependent dose response. The interaction occurred in the two years with high yield potential in combination with severe disease attack. If the variation in crop density and biomass level obtained in the study is representative of the variation found cultivating winter wheat in heterogeneous fields, then there seems to be scope for optimizing fungicide input against foliar diseases site-specific adapting the dose according to crop density/biomass.     

Effect of conservation agriculture on soil organic and inorganic carbon sequestration and lability: A study from a rice–wheat cropping system on a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

Increasing soil carbon (C) in arable soils is an important strategy to achieve sustainable yields and mitigate climate change. We investigated changes in soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) under conservation agriculture (CA) in a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The treatments were as follows: conventional-till rice and wheat (CT-CT), CT rice and zero-till wheat (CT-ZT), ZT direct seeded rice (DSR) and CT wheat (ZT-CT), ZTDSR and ZT wheat without crop residue retention (ZT-ZT), ZT-ZT with residue (ZT-ZT+R), and DSR and wheat both on permanent beds with residue (PB-PB+R). The ZT-ZT+R had the highest total SOC in both 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layers (20% and 40% higher (p < .05) than CT-CT, respectively), whereas total SIC decreased by 11% and 15% in the respective layers under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. Non-labile SOC was the largest pool, followed by very labile, labile and less labile SOC. The benefits of ZT and residue retention were greatest for very labile SOC, which showed a significant (p < .05) increase (~50%) under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. The ZT-ZT+R sequestered ~2 Mg ha⁻¹ total SOC in the 0–15 cm soil layer in 6 years, where CT registered significant losses. Thus, the adoption of CA should be recommended in calcareous soils, for C sequestration, and also as a reclamation technique.     

固态发酵醋糟饲料对育肥猪生长性能、养分表观消化率、血清指标及粪便中挥发性脂肪酸含量的影响

本试验旨在研究固态发酵醋糟饲料(SFVD)对育肥猪生长性能、养分表观消化率、血清指标及粪便中挥发性脂肪酸(VFA)含量的影响。选择体况相近[(59.04±0.33)kg]的健康“杜×长×大”三元杂交生长育肥猪60头,随机分为2个组,每组3个重复,每个重复10头猪。对照组饲喂基础饲粮+150 mg/kg土霉素钙,试验组饲喂基础饲粮+5%的SFVD。预试期6 d,正试期35 d。结果表明:与对照组相比,基础饲粮中添加5%的SFVD对育肥猪平均日采食量(ADFI)具有一定的促进趋势(P=0.056);显著降低了育肥猪饲粮中干物质(DM)、粗蛋白质(CP)、有机物(OM)和总能(GE)的表观消化率(P<0.05),对粗脂肪(EE)表观消化率有一定的促进趋势(P=0.052);显著提高了育肥猪血清谷草转氨酶(AST)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)活性(P<0.05),血清高密度脂蛋白(HDL)和免疫球蛋白A(IgA)含量也呈现出一定的升高趋势(P=0.055和P=0.077);显著提高了育肥猪粪便中丙酸含量(P<0.05),粪便中甲酸和总挥发性脂肪酸(TVFA)含量也呈现出一定的升高趋势(P=0.071和P=0.054)。由此可见,基础饲粮中添加5%的SFVD对育肥猪生长性能、肠道健康及免疫性能的提高具有潜在的促进作用。     

‘马来西亚1号’菠萝蜜叶片氮磷钾动态的研究

通过对海南省文昌市南阳镇、琼海市大路镇、乐东县黄流镇3个地区‘马来西亚1号’菠萝蜜叶片氮、磷、钾3种营养元素的周年变化规律跟踪调查分析,结果表明：3个地区菠萝蜜叶片营养元素变化规律相似。元素年平均含量表现为氮>钾>磷。根据实际生产中的生育期调研分析,将菠萝蜜的生长周期大致划分为2个批次3个时期：第一批次养树期（11—12月）、花芽分化期（1—2月）、结果期（3—4月）;第二批次养树期（5—6月）、花芽分化期（7—8月）、结果期（9—10月）。生长周期内,氮元素含量年变化呈现“N”字型变化趋势;磷含量在1—4月呈先上升后下降的趋势,随后呈缓慢上升趋势;钾含量变化趋势与氮含量变化相似,但钾元素含量变化没有氮元素变化明显。菠萝蜜叶片中大量元素含量的适宜范围为：全氮21.03~22.15 g/kg,全磷2.86~3.40 g/kg,全钾13.49~14.47 g/kg。在生长发育过程中,菠萝蜜需氮、钾元素较多,特别是在花芽分化期和结果期,应注意增施氮肥与钾肥,磷肥应于养树期施足。