Bean Rotation Research Articles

Effect of conservation tillage on crop yields, soil erosion, and soil properties under furrow irrigation in western Colorado

AbstractConservation tillage (CS) is used widely in rainfed and sprinkler-irrigated production systems but adoption of CS on furrow-irrigated cropland has been limited. Some crops and crop rotations are more conducive to conservation tillage under furrow irrigation than others. The objective of this research was to evaluate CS in a furrowirrigated crop rotation of corn, soybean, winter barley, and dry bean at Fruita, Colorado in 1991 and 1992. Infiltration rates were 24 and 50% higher and advance times were 37 and 25% longer in the CS treatment during 1991 and 1992, respectively, compared with conventional tillage (CV). Furrows in the CV treatment were 8 and 25% wider than those in the CS treatment after the first and sixth irrigations, respectively. This indicates more soil movement with CV than with CS. In 1992, soil water content in the CS treatment was 17, 17, and 27% higher than with CV throughout the growing season for corn, soybean, and dry bean, respectively. Grain yields of winter barley, soybean, dry bean, and corn were not affected significantly by tillage treatment. Profitability of CS and CV was quite similar when all four crops in the rotation were considered together. This research was conducted under conditions expected to be similar to those that could be used by growers and indicates that corn, soybean, winter barley, and dry bean can be grown successfully in rotation using conservation tillage under furrowirrigated conditions. Successful adoption of conservation tillage under furrow irrigation will require growers to adopt encompassing new production management practices and possibly purchase new equipment such as planters and cultivators that will operate in high residue conditions, and growers must overcome any psychological barriers they may have to maintaining high amounts of surface crop residue when furrow irrigating.

SOIL NITROGEN RESPONSE TO COVER CROPS IN A TOMATO–BEAN ROTATION

A 5-year study using winter cover crops (wheat or rye, crimson clover, and fallow) in a tomato and bean rotation indicated several soil responses to the cover crops. Advantages of crimson clover winter cover crop to the soil in a tomato-bean rotation included adding organic matter to the soil, which resulted in an increase in the amount of inorganic nitrogen in the upper levels of the soil profile and an increase in the soil's water-holding capacity. An additional benefit of winter cover crops to the soil was the potential of reduced nitrogen leaching.

Dry bean production with various tillage and residue management systems

Limited information is available on the influence of high surface residue tillag systems and the interaction of weed control methods, cultivar maturity, and phosphorus fertilizer placement on yield parameters of dry bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) A 3-year field study was conducted on a Fargo clay (fine, frigid, montmorillonitic Vertic Haplaquoll) to evaluate the influence of surface or deep band placed phosphorus fertilizer, tillage systems (PLOW, SWEEP, STRIP, NOTILL) and weed control methods on harvest plant populations, seed yield and seed weight of ‘Upland’ (early maturity) and ‘C-20’ (late maturity) dry bean cultivars. Yield variables were influenced by cultivar planted and climatic conditions. Zinc deficient plants and decreased yield were observed with the ‘C-20’ cultivar when grown on PLOW system plots where phosphorus fertilizer was surface applied. Zinc deficient plants were not present when the phosphorus fertilizer was deep banded or none was applied. No zinc deficient plants were observed on NOTILL, STRIP and SWEEP system plots. Both cultivars matured 7 to 10 days earlier with NOTILL, STRIP and SWEEP systems when compared with the PLOW system. Dry bean yields were reduced 180 to 310 kg ha −1 by cultivation for weed control. Little difference in yields occurred among tillage systems when climatic conditions were normal. During a cool wet season, seed yields on PLOW system plots were 150 to 400 kg ha −1 higher than on plots of systems with surface residue. Seed weight, although lower on the late maturity cultivar, was not greatly changed by tillage or weed control method. Results from this study indicate that dry beans can be successfully grown with small grain surface residue systems in northern climatic areas where growing degree days exceed 1200 and growing season precipitation does not exceed 400 mm. Further, deep band placement of phosphorus fertilizer is essential in dry bean rotations to eliminate potential zinc deficiency on soils low in zinc. Switching to a high residue management system may require a special cultivator design to eliminate yield loss due to pruning of shallow roots present with high surface residue.

DRAINMOD-S: Water management model for irrigated arid lands, crop yield and applications

The primary objective of an agriculture water management system is to provide crop needs to sustain high yields. Another objective of equal or greater importance in some regions is to reduce agriculture impacts on surface and groundwater quality. Kandil et al. (1992) modified the water management model DRAINMOD to predict soil salinity as affected by irrigation water quality and drainage system design. The objectives of this study are to incorporate an algorithm to quantify the effects of stresses due to soil salinity on crop yields and to demonstrate the applications of the model. DRAINMOD-S, is capable of predicting the long-term effects of different irrigation and drainage practices on crop yields. The overall crop function in the model includes the effects of stresses caused by excessive soil water conditions (waterlogging), soil water-deficits, salinity, and planting delays. Three irrigation strategies and six drain spacings were considered for all crops. In the first irrigation strategy, the irrigation amounts were equal to evapotranspiration requirements by the crops, with the addition of a 10 cm depth of water for leaching applied during each growing season. In the second strategy, the leaching depth (10 cm) was applied before the growing season. In the third strategy, a leaching depth of 15 cm was applied before the growing season for each crop. Another strategy (4th) with more leaching was considered for bean which is the crop most sensitive to salinity. In the fourth strategy, 14 days intervals were used instead of 7 and leaching irrigations were applied: 15 cm before the growing season and 10 cm at the middle of the growing season for bean. The objective function for these simulations was crop yield. Soil water conditions and soil salinity were continuously simulated for a crop rotation of bean, cotton, maize, soybean, and wheat over a 19 years period. Yields of individual crops were predicted for each growing season. Results showed that the third irrigation strategy resulted in the highest yields for cotton, maize, soybean and wheat. Highest yields for bean were obtained by the fourth irrigation strategy. Results are also presented on the effects of drain depth and spacing on yields. DRAINMOD-S is written in Fortran and requires a PC with math-coprocessor. It was concluded that DRAINMOD-S is a useful tool for design and evaluation of irrigation and drainage systems in irrigated arid lands.

Root‐Zone Mineral Nitrogen Changes as Affected by Crop Sequence and Tillage

AbstractCrop sequence and tillage affect soil mineral N (NH4 plus NO3) and NO3 leaching below the root zone following alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). A 2‐yr field experiment was conducted in south‐central Idaho to determine the effect on soil NO3 levels of a corn (Zea mays L.)‐wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation compared with a bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)‐bean rotation and to demonstrate improved N utilization with a corn‐wheat rotation. Alfalfa, growing on an irrigated Portneuf silt loam (coarse‐silty, mixed, mesic Durixerollic Calciorthid), was killed in October 1989 with herbicide. Treatments were: (i) BT‐BT: conventional tilled bean grown in 1990 and 1991; (ii) CNT‐WNT: no‐till silage corn grown in 1990, and no‐till winter wheat grown in 1990–1991; and (iii) CT‐WT: same as CNT‐WNT but under conventional tillage. Similar amounts of soil N were mineralized the first (275 kg N ha−1) and second (213 kg N ha−1) year after killing the alfalfa in all treatments. The BT‐BT treatment had the highest growing‐season soil mineral N (up to 251 kg ha−1, 0–0.45‐m depth) because the N uptake by bean was lower (187 kg N ha−1) than corn (252 kg N ha−1, average of CT‐WT and CNT‐WNT treatments) in 1990 and later than winter wheat uptake in 1991. Most wheat N uptake had occurred by late June when bean uptake was just starting. A rotation that follows alfalfa with corn or a crop with a similar N uptake pattern, instead of bean, will save N fertilizer, lower soil NO3 levels, and reduce NO3 leaching potential.

Sample unit sizes and shapes for quantitative sampling of earthworm populations in crop lands

Quantitative study of earthworm (Oligochaeta) populations involves time consuming excavation and sorting of large volumes of soil. Although sampling efficiency has been shown to vary widely between sample unit sizes and shapes for other organisms (Clapham, The Journal of Ecology 20, 192–197, 1932), no statistical evaluation of sample units for earthworm sampling has been made. During April and May 1987, soil pits along 42 m transects at two unfilled sites under a corn ( Zea mays) and soya bean ( Glycine max) rotation were divided horizontally into four unequal parts (sub-pits) and excavated. Earthworms ( Aporrectodea tobercolata and Lumbricus rubellus) present in each sub-pit were sorted from the soil and counted. By adding the sub-pit counts together in various combinations, counts from a total of nine sample unit size-shapes were obtained. All count distributions appeared to be Poisson and spatial distribution was frequently non-random (patchy). After suitable transformation, row and interrow counts were compared and requisite sample sizes were calculated using the t distribution. There was no systematic difference in counts due to row position. Distribution symmetry and total requistie sampling area were the criteria used to compare the various sample unit size-shapes. As much as a 3-fold difference in the efficiency of sampling existed within the range of sample unit size-shapes examined. The pattern of relative efficiencies for sampling of adults and juveniles together was consistent between sites. The most efficient, acceptable sample unit size-shape was 10 cm along the row (the shortest increment in the experiment) by 45 cm across the row (slightly over one-half of the row spacing). The least efficient size-shape was also the largest, 30 cm along the row by 75 cm across the row (equivalent to the row spacing). Cocoon counts were made concurrently at one site. The most efficient size-shape for cocoon population estimation was square (30 cm along and across the row), and the least efficient was the most elongated (10 cm along the row and 75 cm across the row).

Buchbesprechung

Little is known about the effects of inoculation with beneficial microorganisms under diversified crop rotations on agronomic performance of the high-value vegetable crop tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the interactive effect of crop precession with two native species, faba bean (Leguminosae) and barley (Graminaceae), and inoculations with commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and phosphate solubilizing Streptomyces roseocinereus MS1B15 on tomato plant growth, yield, fruit quality and the contents of various mineral nutrients. The overall results revealed that crop inoculation with S. roseocinereus MS1B15 significantly increased tomato growth and yield while crop precession showed no differences among tested treatments. Plant nutrient assimilation was significantly increased by both inoculations and was differentially modulated under faba bean and barley rotations. Furthermore, fruit quality demonstrated significant variations between treatments: whereas the inoculations significantly increased tomato vitamin C, crop rotations increased antioxidant compounds and organic acids. Overall, faba bean rotation combined with S. roseocinereus MS1B15 inoculation showed the best benefits for tomato plants, increasing most of the biometric variables evaluated in this study. Such combinations could be recommended as a sustainable and feasible model for tomato production.

Predicting and Correcting Helicopter Counts of Moose with Observations made from Fixed-Wing Aircraft in Southern Quebec

Farmland soil carbon and nitrogen contents under intensive agricultural production are the important indices for the assessment of the soil fertility sustainability. This paper measured the soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and delta13C and delta15N isotope abundances of four types of farmland, i.e., conventional rice-broad bean rotation field, open vegetable field, 3-year plastic covered greenhouse field, and > 10-year plastic covered greenhouse field, aimed to understand the effects of intensive agricultural production degree on soil properties. In the open vegetable field, 3-year plastic covered greenhouse field, and > 10-year plastic covered greenhouse field, the soil (0-20 cm) pH decreased by 1.1, 0.8, and 0.7, and the soil EC was 4.2, 4.9, and 5.2 folds of that in conventional rice-broad bean rotation field, respectively. With the increasing year of plastic covered greenhouse production, the soil SOC and TN contents decreased after an initial increase. Comparing with those under rice-broad bean rotation, the SOC content in 0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80 and 80-100 cm soil layers in >10-year plastic covered greenhouse decreased by 54%, 46%, 60%, 63%, and 59%, and the TN content decreased by 53%, 53%, 71%, 82%, and 85%, respectively. Intensive agricultural production degree had significant effects on the soil SOC and TN contents and delta13C and delta15N abundances. The delta13C abundance was significantly negatively correlated with the soil SOC, suggesting that the soil delta13C abundance could be regarded as an index for the assessment of carbon cycle in farmland soils under effects of human activities.

Involvement of nematodes in the soil sickness of a dryland rice-based cropping system

Abstract The population dynamics of nematodes in relation to the soil sickness problem were examined in a dryland rice-based cropping system under field conditions for 3 consecutive croppings, and in pot culture for 2 cropping seasons. Dryland rice suppressed the root-infecting nematodes and, therefore, nematodes may not be considered a factor in dryland rice soil sickness. In the dryland rice-mung bean rotation, there was a tendency for the nematode genus Rotylenchulus to increase in number during mung bean cropping. This may have led to a pathologic effect at later stages of mung bean growth. Continuous cropping of mung bean encouraged a high population of root-infecting Rotylenchulus, and may be related to the poor growth of young plants, which is the common but non-specific observed symptom of mung bean soil sickness. There are indications of a similarity in nematode involvement in the soil sickness of mung bean and cowpea. The pot experiments suggested involvement of nematodes in the inhibition of mu...

Plantio Direto in Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Plantio Direto is the name for direct-drilling in Brasil. With a continuous and highly profitable wheat/soya bean rotation giving two crops a year sowing dates are highly critical. Plantio Direto, by materially reducing seed-bed preparation time, permits optimum sowing with resulting increased yields. In the long term, by maintaining crop residues on the soil surface and reducing the need for heavy equipment cultivations, soil structure is improved and erosion is controlled.

Efeito da mucuna e amendoim em rotação com algodoeiro

O efeito da rotação de mucuna (Stizolobium atterrimum Piper & Tracy) e amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L.) e de duas variedades comerciais de algodoeiro, IAC RM3 e IAC 12-2 (Gossypium hirsutum L.) foi estudado nos anos agrícolas de 1967/68 a 1972/73. Foram instalados dois ensaios, um em Presidente Bernardes, com fusariose, em solo podzolizado de Lins e Marília var. Lins naturalmente infectado por Fusarium oxysporumf. vasinfectum e o nematóide causador de galhas Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood, e outro em Presidente Venceslau, sem fusariose, em latossolo vermelho-escuro f. arenosa não infectado. A variedade comercial IAC RM3 é resistente e a IAC 12-2 é suscetível à fusariose. Para a análise estatística dos dados adotou-se o esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com seis repetições, tendo sido consideradas como parcelas as variedades de algodoeiro IAC RM3 e IAC 12-2, plantadas em 1968/69, 1970/71, 1971/72 e 1972/73, e como subparcelas as culturas em rotação, mucuna, amendoim e as variedades de algodoeiro IAC RM3 e IAC 12-2, plantadas nos anos-agrícolas de 1967/68 e 1969/70. Em solos com fusariose, em 1968/69, e em solos sem fusariose, no ano agrícola de 1970/71, destacou-se o efeito da rotação com mucuna, seguida da rotação com amendoim. Depois do plantio consecutivo de algodoeiro durante três anos (1970/71 a 1972/73), cessaram praticamente os efeitos da rotação para os dois casos. Houve aumento do teor de potássio após o primeiro ano de rotação, sendo maior para a mucuna.