Conventional Agricultural Fields Research Articles

Quantification of the Carbon Sequestration Potential of a 31-year-old Tree-based Intercropping System in Southern Ontario, Canada

Carbon (C) storage potential was quantified for four tree species which are commonly incorporated into tree-based intercropping (TBI) systems and compared with conventional agricultural systems in southern Ontario, Canada. In the 31-year-old TBI system at the University of Guelph’s Agroforestry Research Station, Norway spruce (<em>Picea abies</em>), white cedar (<em>Thuja occidentalis</em>), black walnut (<em>Juglans nigra</em>) and red oak (<em>Quercus rubra</em>) were planted in tree rows, intercropped with soybean (<em>Glycine max</em>). In the conventional agricultural field, soybean was grown in a monocropping system. Above and belowground tree and crop C content, soil organic C (SOC) and system level C was quantified for each tree species as well as the conventional agricultural system. Red oak TBI systems had the highest SOC followed by black walnut, Norway spruce and white cedar with values of 93.2, 83.9, 78.1, and 72.2 t C ha<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. Red oak TBI systems also had the highest mean tree C content, followed by black walnut, Norway spruce and white cedar, with values of 299.7, 285.8, 255.4 and 70.1 kg C tree<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. Total system level C, which incorporated SOC, tree C content and tree planting densities was 134.8, 126.4, 115.7, 95.6 and 75.6 t C ha<sup>-1</sup> respectively for spruce, oak, walnut and cedar TBI systems and the agricultural field. TBI systems provide higher C sequestration potentials than conventional agricultural fields, and Norway spruce and red oak should be included into TBI systems in southern Ontario to maximize C sequestration benefits.

Identifying and characterizing pesticide use on 9,000 fields of organic agriculture

Notwithstanding popular perception, the environmental impacts of organic agriculture, particularly with respect to pesticide use, are not well established. Fueling the impasse is the general lack of data on comparable organic and conventional agricultural fields. We identify the location of ~9,000 organic fields from 2013 to 2019 using field-level crop and pesticide use data, along with state certification data, for Kern County, CA, one of the US’ most valuable crop producing counties. We parse apart how being organic relative to conventional affects decisions to spray pesticides and, if spraying, how much to spray using both raw and yield gap-adjusted pesticide application rates, based on a global meta-analysis. We show the expected probability of spraying any pesticides is reduced by about 30 percentage points for organic relative to conventional fields, across different metrics of pesticide use including overall weight applied and coarse ecotoxicity metrics. We report little difference, on average, in pesticide use for organic and conventional fields that do spray, though observe substantial crop-specific heterogeneity.

Landscape composition mediates suppression of major pests by natural enemies in conventional cruciferous vegetables

BackgroundConservation biological control provides an environment-friendly approach to improve the efficacy of natural enemies. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of semi-natural habitats in promoting biological control in organic or unsprayed agroecosystems, few studies were conducted in conventional agricultural fields. In this study, we investigated the effects of landscape composition on the major pests of cruciferous vegetables and on the assemblages of their natural enemies in southeastern China. ResultsHabitat diversity, particularly increasing grassland proportion in the landscape, had a positive impact in controlling both small-sized pests (aphids, leaf miners, thrips and flea beetles) and Plutella xylostella. This increasing proportion also promoted greater abundance and diversity of canopy-dwelling predators, more forests supported a higher diversity of airborne enemies (parasitoids and canopy-dwelling predators) as well as a higher abundance of ground-dwelling predators. A general increase in habitat diversity was beneficial to parasitoids and ground-dwelling predators. Additionally, the proportion of forest, grassland, and non-cruciferous vegetable area, as well as habitat diversity, affected the compositions of natural enemy communities. Moreover, inconsistent effects of non-cruciferous and grassland habitats were found between sampling locations for small-sized pests and canopy-dwelling predators. Moreover, the scale at which pests' and natural enemies’ abundance and richness responded most to landscape composition varied with their feeding range and dispersal ability. ConclusionOur study provides evidence that increasing the amount of semi-natural habitats and habitat diversity can result in lower pest and higher natural enemy abundance in conventional cruciferous agroecosystems. Regional conditions and spatial scales also should be considered in designing the agricultural landscape mosaic.

Review of recent developments (2018–2020) on acetylcholinesterase inhibition based biosensors for organophosphorus pesticides detection

Organophosphorus (OPs) pesticides have been widely used for crop protection in conventional agricultural fields. The OPs residues in the soil, food, and surface- and ground-water can reach humans and irreversibly inhibit the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) via phosphorylation causing brain dysfunction and cholinergic crisis, which finally leads to death. Even the low concentration of OPs induces lymphoma in the human system. Traditional analytical methods for sensing OPs possess significant limitations such as prolonged responses, expensive, and required complicated detection procedures. Recently, the development of AChE inhibition based biosensors provided a simple platform for the quick and feasible detection of the OPs and its metabolites in the actual (food, agro, and water) samples. In the current review, we aim to present the overview of the recent advancements and novel findings in various AChE inhibition based sensing strategies especially, optical, electrochemical, lab-on-paper sensors, microfluidic, and other devices for the rapid detection of OPs pesticides within the period of Jan. 2018 to Aug. 2020. Additionally, the significant achievements of nanotechnology in AChE inhibition based sensing strategies, recent patents, and commercially available OPs detection kits have also been reviewed. Further, the working mechanisms, sensing parameters, analytical performances, advantages, and drawbacks of different AChE based OPs sensors have been compared and discussed. Finally, the present challenges, research gaps, and future outlooks in AChE inhibition based OPs detection are highlighted. This profound investigation on AChE based OPs detection techniques will offer knowledge for further improvements towards the commercial development of a novel biosensor for the detection of a wide range of OPs compounds.

Different wheat cultivars exhibit variable responses to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from organic and conventional farms.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities originating from organic and conventional agriculture on wheat growth and yield. Six different spring wheat cultivars released in different years in north and central European countries were considered. We hypothesised that AM fungal inoculum collected from organic agricultural fields would elicit a greater positive growth response than inoculum collected from conventional agricultural fields; and that older cultivars, which were developed under conditions of low fertilizer input, would exhibit overall greater growth responses to the presence of AM fungi, compared with more recent cultivars, and that AM fungal inoculum from conventional fields might have the most beneficial effect on the growth and yield of recent cultivars. The results showed that the overall effects on the growth and yield of spring wheat grown with organic and conventional AM fungal inocula did not differ greatly. However, the inoculation growth response, showing the difference of the effects of organic and conventional inocula, varied between particular wheat cultivars. Inoculation growth response of the cultivar Pikker (released in 1959) was the most positive, while that of the cultivar Arabella (released in 2012) was the most negative. The use of AM fungal inoculum from organic fields resulted in slightly taller plant individuals. Pikker showed relatively higher yield and stronger growth when the organic AM fungal inoculum was used. Arabella exhibited relatively lower yield and weaker growth when the organic inoculum was used. Whether the positive response of Pikker to Estonian organic inoculation reflects adaptation to the locally occurring AM fungal community needs to be established by further studies of the communities of AM fungi colonizing wheat roots.

Floral Strips Attract Beneficial Insects but Do Not Enhance Yield in Cucumber Fields.

Natural enemies and pollinators require nutritional and habitat resources that are often not found in conventional agricultural fields. The addition of flowering plants within agroecosystems may provide the resources necessary to support beneficial insects at the local scale. We hypothesized that insect pollinator and natural enemy abundance would increase in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plots containing flower strips and that the effect would be greatest in the crop rows closest to the flower strips. Three flower treatments were tested: 1) buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), 2) yellow mustard (Brassica hirta), 3) sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), and cucumbers as a control. Flowers were planted within a commercial cucumber field in 20-m-long strips in a randomized complete block design with six replications in the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. Some floral treatments successfully attracted more beneficial insects than others, but the beneficials did not disperse out to the cucumber plants. Cucumber yield was unaffected by flowers with one exception: in 2015, cucumber yield in the sweet alyssum plots were greater than those in plots with no flowers. Our research indicates that adding flowers to cucumber fields to increase services from beneficial insects needs to be further investigated to better understand the effect of factors such as relative flowering strip size.

Substantial dust loss of bioavailable phosphorus from agricultural soils.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element in terrestrial ecosystems. Knowledge on the role of dust in the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus is very limited with no quantitative information on aeolian (by wind) P fluxes from soils. The aim of this study is to focus on P cycling via dust emissions under common land-use practices in an arid environment by integration of sample analyses and aeolian experiments. The experiments indicate significant P fluxes by PM10 dust due to agricultural land use. Even in a single wind-dust event at moderate velocity (7.0 m s−1), P flux in conventional agricultural fields can reach 1.83 kg km−2, that accumulates to a considerable amount per year at a regional scale. The results highlight a negative yearly balance in P content (up to hundreds kg km−2) in all agricultural soils, and thus more P nutrition is required to maintain efficient yield production. In grazing areas where no P nutrition is applied, the soil degradation process can lead to desertification. Emission of P from soil dust sources has significant implications for soil nutrient resources and management strategies in agricultural regions as well as for loading to the atmosphere and global biogeochemical cycles.

프랙탈 차원 해석을 통한 인위토양과 자연토양 비교

In general, fractal analysis which is based on self-similarity as a basic theory has been mainly used to define the characteristics of complex mathematical figures, however, considering its basic theory, it can be also used to analyze the surface ununiformity of unknown materials. In this study, the soil samples were collected from the reclaimed (remodelled) agricultural fields which mean that the external soil is artificially piled up (mainly up to 1m) on the lands, Naju, Jellanam-do and Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and the conventional agricultural fields, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do and Hwasoon, Jellanam-do, and compared using fractal dimension analysis on the basis of the results of chemical properties. The score of fractal dimension (<TEX>$D_0$</TEX>) for organic matter was lower in Hwasoon (1.46) and Naju (1.58) than Anseong (1.86) and Gumi (1.96), and this trend showed similarly in soil pH. On the basis of the results of chemical properties, fine textured-soils (Hwasoon and Naju) and conventional agricultural fields were chemically uniform compared to coarse textured-soils (Anseong and Gumi) and the reclaimed. Therefore, it is required to develop technical methods for integrated soil management to the reclaimed lands.

Differences in Spatial Variation of Soil Chemistry Between Natural and Anthropogenic Soils

The Agricultural Land Remodeling Project was launched for agricultural fields with potential risk of flooding which were placed in low-lying area as a part of agricultural sectors of the National 4 River Project. It induced of the reclaimed agricultural fields on a national scale. The arable lands reestablished by reclamation have caused several big problems such as destruction of soil physicochemical properties, and thus the techniques to solve disadvantages were urgently required. In this study, we collected experimental samples from top soils in three agricultural areas, one from conventional agricultural fields (Hwasun, Jeollanam-do) and the others from reclaimed (remodelled) agricultural fields (Naju, Jeollanam-do and Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do), The soil chemistry data were analyzed using statistic tools such as semi-variance and kriging, and differences between natural and reconstructed soils were examined. The score, R (Ao) which indicates a dependence distance between each chemical element, was as follows; 21.8~43.5 (Conventional, Hwasoon), 4.4~70.6 (Remodelled, Naju) and 5.3~43.6 (Remodelled, Gumi). These results suggested that chemical properties of the reclaimed agricultural fields had a huge variation. Moreover, the result of kiriging maps also represented a ununiform pattern in the reclaimed lands. As a result of this study, it is strongly required to build up the soil type-specific management techniques for the reclaimed agricultural lands.

Provisioning ecosystem services income extend comparison between organic and conventional agricultural fields in Puducherry-India

Agriculture supplies provisioning services- food, fodder, fuel, timber, medicine and ornamental in ecosystem service parlance. Management of ecosystem services is vital to maintain and improve the productivity of agricultural systems in order to meet the food demands of the growing human population. However, conventional management practices can severely reduce the ecological and financial contribution of agriculture, which in the longer term can offset the ability of farming to produce large amounts of commodities for more economic return. In the current work, a novel bottom-up experimental approach is used to quantify the economic value of provisioning ecosystem services between conventional and organic agriculture fields inKuruvinatham and Soriankuppam villages of Bahour commune, Puducherry during September 2008 to October 2010; we investigated 30 farms - 15 Organic and 15 Conventional agricultural fields with varying species composition and degree of commercialization. Data were gathered through interviews among selected farmers and we identified 51 species utilized a food, fodder, fuel, timber and medicine. Species retention is governed by species relative importance. Conventional fields were found to be less diverse with reduced density resulting in low annual gross income. Thus it has less ecological and socioeconomic advantages, as compared to organic fields. Practice of traditional organic agriculture systems plays significant roles in both ecological and economic terms by livelihood improvement, biodiversity conservation, soil fertility enhancement and poverty reduction. Therefore it is important to conserve and promote organic agriculture to achieve sustainable production and economic terms. Key words: Organic agriculture, conventional agriculture, provisioning services, sustainability, Income generation.

Ecological benefits provided by alley cropping systems for production of woody biomass in the temperate region: a review

In temperate Europe alley cropping systems which integrate strips of short rotation coppices into conventional agricultural fields (ACS) are receiving increasing attention. These systems can be used for crops and woody biomass production at the same time, enabling farmers to diversify the provision of market goods. Adding trees into the agricultural land creates various additional benefits for the farmer and society, also known as ecosystem services. However, tree-crop interactions in the temperate region have not been adequately substantiated which is identified as a drawback to the practical implementation of such systems. In order to bridge this gap, the current paper aims to present a comprehensive overview of selected ecosystem services provided by agroforestry with focus on ACS in the temperate region. The literature indicates that compared with conventional agriculture ACS have the potential to increase carbon sequestration, improve soil fertility and generally optimize the utilization of resources. Furthermore, due to their structural flexibility, ACS may help to regulate water quality, enhance biodiversity, and increase the overall productivity. ACS are shown as suitable land use systems especially for marginal sites. Based on the available data collected, we conclude that ACS are advantageous compared to conventional agriculture in many aspects, and therefore suggest that they should be implemented at a larger scale in temperate regions.

Ecology of tree intercropping systems in the North temperate region: Experiences from southern Ontario, Canada

Agroforestry practices in northern latitudes, although less diverse than those in warmer regions, have unique advantages over conventional land-use systems in the region in terms of water-quality enhancement, carbon se-questration, and biodiversity conservation. Tree intercropping, especially, is a potentially promising agroforestry option in the region. Understanding the ecological interactions between trees and crops in such intercropped systems provides the basis for designing efficient systems with potential for wider applicability. With this objective, the experience from several years of research on this aspect at the University of Guelph, in southern Ontario, Canada are presented. Yields of C3 crops intercropped with trees, as well as growth of trees, did not differ from those in corresponding sole-stand (conventional) systems of crops and trees. But, soil organic carbon content and bird and insect diversity increased in the intercropped area. The abundance and distribution of earthworms were higher closer to the tree rows indicating improved soil health. The C sequestration potential in fast-growing tree (hybrid-poplar)-based intercropping systems was four times more than that reported for conventional agricultural fields in the region. Because of reduced fertilizer use and more efficient N-cycling, the tree-intercropping systems could also lead to the reduction of nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural fields by about 0.7 kg ha−1 yr−1. Marginal or degraded land that is suitable for agroforestry is estimated to be 57 million ha in Canada. Tree/crop intercropping is one agroforestry system that shows great potential for this region. We suggest that this land-management option can be placed above conventional agriculture in terms of long term-productivity and sustainability.

Nitrate Leaching Depending on Cropping Systems

ABSTRACT The soil content of mineral nitrogen to 1 m depth has been measured several times in the leaching period on 600 conventional agricultural fields in a SQUARE GRID with a side length of 7 km. The measurements were also carried out in 26 ecological fields. Information on management practice was collected every year and soil physical parameters were determined. The soil content of mineral nitrogen in autumn was compared. Furthermore the nitrate leaching values were calculated in most of the conventional fields and in nine of the ecological fields by means of the DAISY nitrogen model.