晋北半干旱区免耕对玉米光合和蒸腾特性的影响

采用田间小区试验,对覆盖免耕、留茬免耕和传统翻耕三种耕作方式下玉米不同生育期土壤温度、土壤含水量以及玉米蒸腾速率和净光合速率进行观测。结果表明:与翻耕相比,免耕可降低0-20cm土层的土壤温度;覆盖免耕玉米地土壤温度的降低幅度较大,而留茬免耕地则较小;免耕对土壤温度的降低作用随着玉米的生长发育而减弱。免耕能够提高土壤含水量,尤其是0-60cm土层。免耕与翻耕相比,在玉米苗期,叶片的蒸腾和光合速率降低,其中覆盖免耕玉米日平均蒸腾与光合速率比翻耕分别降低了8.5%和9.7%,差异显著;留茬免耕略有降低,但差异不显著。在拔节前期,免耕与翻耕田玉米的蒸腾和光合速率无显著差异;在拔节后期、抽穗期和灌浆期,覆盖免耕玉米蒸腾和光合速率均比翻耕显著提高;留茬免耕在灌浆期玉米的蒸腾与光合速率均比翻耕显著提高,其它时期与翻耕差异不显著。     

驱动圆盘刀切断玉米秸秆和根茬的土槽试验

通过动力驱动的平圆盘和缺口圆盘切断玉米秸秆和根茬的土槽试验研究表明，随着刀轴转速和机器前进速度增加驱动圆盘刀功率消耗随之增加。当刀轴转速为350r／min、机器前进速度为0．65m／s时，在有秸秆和根茬土壤地表上缺口圆盘刀消耗的功率是平圆盘刀的45％。当刀轴转速大于350r／min即圆盘圆周速度大于7．4m／s时，缺口圆盘刀秸秆切断率和根茬切断率达到97％以上。     

基于压电薄膜的免耕播种机播种深度控制系统

为使免耕播种机在秸秆覆盖地作业时自动保证播种深度的一致性和稳定性,设计了一种主动作用式播种深度自动控制系统。采用聚偏二氟乙烯(Polyvinylidence fluoride,PVDF)压电薄膜传感器将免耕播种机限深轮的胎面形变量转换为电压信号,信号处理电路对传感器产生的信号放大滤波,提取信号峰值,系统根据峰值信号实时监测播种单体对地表的压力,控制信号形成电路在压力不足时发出控制信号,控制安装在播种机机架与播种单体四连杆间的空气弹簧产生推力,使播种单体能够产生对地表的压力,从而保证播种深度的一致性。试验结果表明,所设计的主动作用式播种深度自动控制系统能够精确控制开沟深度,仿形性能可靠,作业速度为5~8 km/h时,播深合格率达到90%,作业速度大于8 km/h时,播深合格率明显高于被动作用式播种深度控制装置。     

稻茬地双轴驱动防堵式小麦免耕播种机

针对稻茬地土壤粘重、根茬量大韧性强的特点和免耕播种作业的要求,基于旋转部件的铣切、冲击、破碎和抛撒原理,应用带状旋耕和粉碎技术,设计了稻茬地双轴驱动防堵式小麦免耕播种机,一次完成切茬、开沟、防堵、主动覆土和镇压等功能.田间播种性能试验表明,带状旋耕能较好地完成切茬、开沟作业,粉碎装置将收集到的土壤进行了有效的二次粉碎和抛撒,实现了均匀覆土的功能,播种深度和施肥深度变异系数分别为4.33％和2.73％,机具的通过性满足农艺要求.     

Microbial activity affected by lime in a long-term no-till soil

Under conventional farming practices, lime is usually applied on the soil surface and then incorporated into the soil to correct soil acidity. In no-till (NT) systems, where lime is surface applied or only incorporated into the soil to very shallow depth, lime will likely not move to where it is required within reasonable time. Consequently, lime may have to be incorporated into the soil by mechanical means. The objective of this laboratory study was to characterize the effect of lime, incorporated to different depths, on chemical and biological soil properties in a long-term NT soil. Soil samples taken from the 0–5, 0–10, and 0–20 cm depths were analyzed in incubation studies for soil pH, nitrate, CO₂ respiration, and microbial biomass-C (MBC). Lime (CaCO₃) was applied at rates equivalent to 0, 4.4, 8.8, and 17.6 Mg ha⁻¹. Application of lime to both 0–10 and 0–20 cm depths increased soil pH from about 4.9 by 1, 1.7, and 2.8 units for the low, medium, and high liming rates, respectively. Soil nitrate increased over time and in proportion to liming rate, suggesting that conditions were favorable for N-mineralization and nitrification. Greater respiration rates and greater MBC found in lime-treated than in non-limed soils were attributed to higher soil pH. Faster turnover rates and increased mineralization of organic matter were found in lime-treated than in non-limed soils. These studies show that below-surface lime placement is effective for correcting soil acidity under NT and that microbial activity and nitrification can be enhanced.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Dinitrogen and N2O emissions in arable soils: Effect of tillage, N source and soil moisture

A laboratory investigation was performed to compare the fluxes of dinitrogen (N₂), N₂O and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from no-till (NT) and conventional till (CT) soils under the same water, mineral nitrogen and temperature status. Intact soil cores (0-10 cm) were incubated for 2 weeks at 25 °C at either 75% or 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS) with ¹⁵N-labeled fertilizers (100 mg N kg⁻¹ soil). Gas and soil samples were collected at 1-4 day intervals during the incubation period. The N₂O and CO₂ fluxes were measured by a gas chromatography (GC) system while total N₂ and N₂O losses and their ¹⁵N mole fractions in the soil mineral N pool were determined by a mass spectrometer. The daily accumulative fluxes of N₂ and N₂O were significantly affected by tillage, N source and soil moisture. We observed higher (P<0.05) fluxes of N₂+N₂O, N₂O and CO₂ from the NT soils than from the CT soils. Compared with the addition of nitrate (NO₃⁻), the addition of ammonium (NH₄⁺) enhanced the emissions of these N and C gases in the CT and NT soils, but the effect of NH₄⁺ on the N₂ and/or N₂O fluxes was evident only at 60% WFPS, indicating that nitrification and subsequent denitrification contributed largely to the gaseous N losses and N₂O emission under the lower moisture condition. Total and fertilizer-induced emissions of N₂ and/or N₂O were higher (P<0.05) at 75% WFPS than with 60% WFPS, while CO₂ fluxes were not influenced by the two moisture levels. These laboratory results indicate that there is greater potential for N₂O loss from NT soils than CT soils. Avoiding wet soil conditions (>60% WFPS) and applying a NO₃⁻ form of N fertilizer would reduce potential N₂O emissions from arable soils.     

Water Availability for Winter Wheat Affected by Summer Fallow Tillage Practices in Slope Dryland

The tillage experiments for winter wheat were conducted on the slope farmland in Luoyang,Henan Province in the semihumid to arid loess plateau areas of North China. Different tillage methods inclu-ding reduced tillage (RT), no-till (NT), 2 crops/year (2C), subsoiling(SS), and conventional tillage (CT)were compared to determine the effects of tillage methods on soil water conservation, water availability, andwheat yields in a search for better farming systems in the areas. The NT and SS showed good effects on waterconservation. The soil water storage increased 12 - 33 mm with NT and 9 - 24 mm with SS at the end of sum-mer fallow periods. The soil evaporation with NT and SS decreased 7 - 8 mm and 34 - 36 mm during the fallowperiods of 1999 and 2001, respectively. Evapotranspiration (ET) with NT and SS increased about 47 mm dur-ing wheat growth periods of 2000 to 2001. Treatment RT and 2C had low water storage and high water lossesduring the fallow periods. The winter wheat yields with conservation tillage practices were improved in the 2ndyear, increased by 3, 5 and 8 % with RT, NT and SS, respectively, compared with CT. The highest wheatyields were obtained with subsoiling, and the maximum economic benefits from no-till. All conservation tillagepractices provided great benefits to saving energy and labors, reducing operation inputs, and increasing eco-nomic returns. No-till and subsoiling have shown promise in increasing water storage, reducing water loss, en-hancing water availability, and saving energy, as well as increasing wheat yield.