Effects Of Different Management Practices Research Articles

Effects of different management practices on the growth and yield of corn

In Indonesia, corn is an important commodity that serves as the second source of carbohydrates after rice, whose productivity is influenced by management practices applied during cultivation. This research aimed to determine the effects of different management practices on the growth and yield of corn. This research was arranged in a single-factor Randomized Complete Block Design, with different agriculture management practices as treatments, consisting of TI1 = Best Practices (Drip Irrigation + Rice Husk + Mycorrhiza), TI2 = Farmers’ Practices (Furrow Irrigation) + Mycorrhiza, and TI3 = Farmers’ practices (Furrow Irrigation). The data observed were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and followed by the Post Hoc Tukey’s HSD at α= 5%. The results showed that the TI1 produced significantly higher plant height, stem diameter, leaf dry weight, weight of cob with cornhusk and kernel dry weight, and effectively suppressed weed growth compared to TI2 and TI3. TI1 produced a significantly higher number of leaves, root dry weight, and total dry weight compared to TI3, but not significantly different compared to TI2. TI1 produced not significantly different stem dry weight and harvest index compared to TI2 and TI3. The kernel dry weight per plant observed in TI1 was 157.63 g, which was 14.22% and 22.91% higher than in TI2 and TI3, respectively. Based on the coefficient correlation and path analysis, the number of leaves, plant height, and total dry weight should be considered as important plant growth variables to produce high kernel dry weight.

Straw Addition Enhances Crop Yield, Soil Aggregation, and Soil Microorganisms in a 14-Year Wheat-Rice Rotation System in Central China.

Straw return utilizes waste resources to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers worldwide. However, information is still lacking on the relative impact of straw return on soil fertility, the nutrient composition of different soil aggregates, and soil microbial communities. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the effects of different management practices on the crop yield, soil fertility, and soil community composition in a 14-year wheat-rice rotation system. The treatments included a control (without fertilizer and straw addition), chemical fertilization (NPK), straw return without fertilizer (S), and straw addition with chemical fertilizer (NPKS). The results showed that NPKS improved the wheat and rice yield by 185.12% and 88.02%, respectively, compared to the CK treatment. Additionally, compared to the CK treatment, the N, P, and K contents of the wheat stem were increased by 39.02%, 125%, and 20.23% under the NPKS treatment. Compared to the CK treatment, SOM, TN, TP, AN, AP, AK, CEC, AFe, AMn, ACu, and AZn were increased by 49.12%, 32.62%, 35.06%, 22.89%, 129.36%, 48.34%, 13.40%, 133.95%, 58.98%, 18.26% and 33.33% under the NPKS treatment, respectively. Moreover, straw addition promoted the creation and stabilization of macro-aggregates in crop soils. The relative abundance of macro-aggregates (0.25-2 mm) increased from 37.49% to 52.97%. Straw addition was associated with a higher proportion of aromatic and carbonyl carbon groups in the soil, which, in turn, promoted the formation of macro-aggregates. Redundancy analysis showed that straw return significantly increased the microbial community diversity. These findings demonstrate that straw addition together with chemical fertilizer could increase the crop yield by improving soil fertility, soil aggregate stability, and the diversity of fungi.

Management practices regulate the response of canopy and ecosystem water use efficiency in cropland ecosystems

ContextWith rising global temperature and frequent drought events, water resource supply is facing to great challenge. Understanding the effects of different management practices on cropland water use efficiency (WUE) is crucial to promote effective allocation of water resources and food security. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to reveal the contrasting effects of different farm management practices including continuous and rotational, tillage and no-till, irrigated and rainfed on cropland water use efficiency from canopy (WUET) to ecosystem (WUEET) scales, respectively. MethodsOn the basis of 26 site-years eddy covariance-based carbon and water flux observations, this study used the underlying WUE (uWUE) model to partition evapotranspiration (ET) across maize and soybean ecosystems. Three control groups were used to compare the effects of different management practices on the coupling relationships between terrestrial carbon and water cycles, respectively. ResultsCompared with the rotational maize-soybean site, both WUET and WUEET at the continuous maize site were larger, which was mainly ascribed to stronger gross primary productivity (GPP) for the C4 crop. But over the maize-planting years, both WUET and WUEET at the rotational site were higher than the continuous site owing to the nitrogen fixation by rhizobia for preceding year, especially for WUET. Under conventional tillage and no-till management, multi-year mean WUEET and WUET were contrasting. WUEET under no-till was apparently larger than WUEET under till, because of similar GPP but relatively lower ET. Meanwhile, more water was consumed by crop transpiration (T) under no-till, which led to lower WUET in comparison with WUET under till. In comparison with the rainfed farming, GPP, ET and T all increased apparently after irrigation. However, both WUET and WUEET at the irrigated site were not improved owing to more water lost with relatively fewer GPP increase. ConclusionsThe study suggested that the crop rotation system can improve both WUEET and WUET apparently. Meanwhile, fewer water resource was consumed by cropland under no-till management. Finally, irrigation farming improved the cropland GPP but reduced WUEET and WUET. ImplicationsOur results provide valuable management implications for understanding the mechanisms that can enhance water use efficiency and result in significant water savings and high yield.

Response of Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) to Different Management Practice under North Eastern Transition Zone of Karnataka

Background: With the advancement of green revolution over 3-4 decades, the production and productivity of crop is decreasing with reduction in soil productivity in terms of nutritional disorders, micronutrient deficiencies, poor soil physical condition, and livelihood supporting systems. In view of this, natural and organic agriculture systems emerged as an alternative to the chemical oriented agriculture systems. Organic farming and organically produced food products are gaining popularity very rapidly in India and world. To trounce the reliance on chemical fertilizers for crop production and to reduce cost of production experiments were conducted to know the effect of different management practices on Blackgram. Methods: The field experiments were conducted with randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Effects of these different crop management practices were evaluated on growth, yield parameters, yield and nutrient status of blackgram (TAU-1) was carried out during kharif 2019, 2020 and 2021. Results: Results showed that package of practice recorded significantly higher growth, yield attributes and yields in blackgram followed by organic farming and farmers practice over three years. It can be concluded that practicing organic farming and natural farming over the years there will be sustainability in food production compared to initial years.

Interactive effects of agricultural management on soil organic carbon accrual: A synthesis of long-term field experiments in Germany

Crop production often leads to soil organic carbon (SOC) losses. However, under good management practice it is possible to maintain and even re-accumulate SOC. We evaluated how different cropland management techniques affected SOC stocks in the topsoil (0–30 cm depth) of 10 long-term experiments (LTE) in Germany. We found that SOC stocks were particularly enhanced by mineral fertilization and organic amendments like straw incorporation and to a smaller degree by irrigation, but only slightly affected by the choice of preceding crops. In agreement with global meta-analyses, liming and reduced tillage had little or even negative effects on SOC storage, but effects also depended on fertilization. Management effects on SOC stocks were dependent on soil texture: sandy soils showed the lowest SOC stocks of 20.9 ± 2.3 (standard error of the mean) Mg ha−1, but exhibited the largest relative response to different management options. Annual changes in SOC stocks ranged from −3.0 ‰ with no mineral N fertilization, to + 6.1 ‰ with farmyard manure application, using the mineral-fertilized and limed treatment as reference. Even higher rates of up to + 10.6 ‰ yr−1 were reached with the combination of irrigation and straw incorporation. Note that the contribution of organic amendments to SOC accrual and thus to climate change mitigation must be adjusted for reduction in SOC at sites from which straw was removed. Overall, the potential of agricultural management to influence and enhance SOC stocks is significant. This potential is controlled by soil type and land-use duration, is largest for sandy soils with overall lowest SOC stocks, and is characterized by antagonistic and synergistic effects of different management practices.

Effects of different management practices of organic uphill grasslands on the abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna

Effects of different management practices of organic uphill grasslands on the abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna

Linking management practices with survival to improve outcomes for a red wolf population

AbstractEx situ breeding programs serve as an important conservation tool for threatened and endangered species. Such programs must strike a balance among the immediate welfare needs of individual animals, growing the population, maintaining genetic diversity, and ensuring a successful release. While several carnivores have been successfully reintroduced into the wild from ex situ populations, little is known regarding the long‐term effects of management practices on animals within such reintroduction programs. We evaluated the effects of different management practices on survival for red wolves (Canis rufus), an endangered species in North America for which >95% of the population remains under human care and destined for release, as of 2020. We combined studbook records and survey information on the population of red wolves under managed care in Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions. We aimed to assess age‐specific survival probabilities and causes of mortality as outcomes of various management practices within the red wolf breeding program. Large enclosures significantly reduced the risk of death by parental trauma for neonates and transferring wolves away from their natal group improved overall survival probabilities. In addition, exposure to the public positively correlated with survival. We recommend large enclosures (>929 m2) for breeding pairs, consistent transfer plans away from natal groups, and the incorporation of flexible approaches to management based on strategic planning of releases. Improving ex situ breeding programs is important to the welfare and survival of animals under human care and plays an important role in the management and recovery of endangered and threatened species.

Quality assessment of meta-analyses on soil organic carbon

Abstract. Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle and is a potential sink for carbon dioxide. Agricultural management practices can support carbon sequestration and, therefore, offer potential removal strategies whilst also improving overall soil quality. Meta-analysis allows one to summarize results from primary articles by calculating an overall effect size and to reveal the source of variation across studies. The number of meta-analyses published in the field of agriculture is continuously rising. At the same time, more and more articles refer to their synthesis work as a meta-analysis, despite applying less than rigorous methodologies. As a result, poor-quality meta-analyses are published and may lead to questionable conclusions and recommendations to scientists, policymakers, and farmers. This study aims at quantitatively analyzing 31 meta-analyses, published between the years of 2005 and 2020, studying the effects of different management practices on SOC. We compiled a set of quality criteria suitable for soil and agricultural sciences by adapting existing meta-analytical guidelines from other disciplines. The set is supported by a scoring scheme that allows for a quantitative analysis. The retrieved meta-analyses were structured according to 11 management categories, such as tillage, cover crops, crop residue management, and biochar application, which allowed us to assess the state of knowledge on these categories. Major deficiencies were found in the use of standard metrics for effect size calculation, independence of effect sizes, standard deviation extraction for each study, and study weighting by the inverse of variance. Only 1 out of 31 SOC meta-analyses, which studied the effects of no tillage/reduced tillage compared with conventional tillage, was found to be of high quality. Therefore, improved meta-analyses on the effects of organic agriculture, biochar, fertilization, or crop diversification on SOC are urgently needed. We conclude that, despite efforts over the last 15 years, the quality of meta-analyses on SOC research is still low. Thus, in order for the scientific community to provide high-quality synthesis work and to make advancements in the sustainable management of agricultural soils, we need to adapt rigorous methodologies of meta-analysis as quickly as possible.

Analysis of Carbon Sequestration within Forest Management Practices by the CO2FIX Model

Climate problems are becoming more and more frequent. Without forests to regulate the climate, human race will not be able to survive. In this paper, a mathematical model was proposed to calculate various values of forests, classify forests, and determine how forests should be managed. In order to determine how forests should be managed, this paper uses the CO₂FIX model to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide that can be sequestered over time in the Greater Khingan Range of China forest by calculating the amount of carbon sequestered by organisms, soil, and wood products respectively. To study the effects of different management practices, this paper makes a comparison between anthropogenic management and natural growth of the forest and that the proposed model is most effective for CO₂ sequestration when used the upper layer thinning method.

Identifying and Comparing Easily Accessible Frameworks for Assessing Soil Organic Matter Functioning

Soil organic matter (SOM) stocks are crucial for soil fertility and food provision and also contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. However, assessing SOM changes in cropping systems is difficult due to the varying quantity and quality of input data. SOM processes have been described by several models, but these are complex and require high amounts of input data. In this work, we identified and selected frameworks that simulate SOM pools and stocks as well as the effects of different management practices. We also required that the frameworks be easily accessible for farm-related end users and require limited and accessible amounts of input data. In all, six frameworks met our inclusion criteria: SOCRATES (Soil Organic Carbon Reserves and Transformations in EcoSystems), CCB (CANDY and-Carbon Balance), AMG, CENTURY, CQESTR, and RothC (Rothamsted Carbon Model). We collected information on these frameworks and compared them in terms of their accessibility, the model time steps used, the nutrient cycles included in the simulation, the number of SOM pools, and the agricultural management options included. Our results showed that CCB was the most robust of the frameworks considered, while AMG, CQESTR, and RothC performed the least well. However, all frameworks have strengths which may match the specific requirements and abilities of individual users.

Climate change impacts on long-term field experiments in Germany

CONTEXTLong-Term Field Experiments (LTEs) were implemented to study the long-term effects of different management practices, including tillage, fertilization and crop rotation under otherwise constant conditions. Climate change is expected to change these conditions, challenging interpretation of LTE data with regard to the distinction between climate change and management effects. OBJECTIVEThe objective of the study was to quantify the expected, spatially differentiated changes of agroclimatic conditions for the German LTE sites as a precondition for modelling and LTE data interpretation. METHODSWe developed a framework combining spatially distributed climate data and LTE metadata to identify the possible climatic changes at 247 LTE sites with experiments running for 20 years or more. The LTEs were classified using the following categories: fertilization, tillage, crop rotation, field crops or grassland, conventional or organic. We utilized climate variables (temperature, precipitation) and agroclimatic indicators (aridity, growing degree days, etc.) to compare a baseline (1971–2000) with future periods (2021−2100) under the IPCC's Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP). A comprehensive LTE risk assessment was conducted, based on changes in climate variables and agroclimatic indicators between baseline and future scenarios. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSUnder the most extreme scenario (SSP585), 150 LTEs are expected to shift from humid and dry sub-humid to semi-arid conditions. Frost days in LTE areas are expected to decline by 81%, and the growing season to lengthen by up to 92%. The spatial differentiation of expected climate change also facilitates the identification of suitable sites for future agricultural practices and may inform the design of new LTEs. SIGNIFICANCEOur results may guide the interpretation of LTE data regarding the effect of climate change, facilitating future soil crop modelling studies with LTE data and providing information for planning new LTE sites to support future agricultural research and/or adapting management on existing LTE sites. The framework we developed can easily be transferred to LTE sites in agricultural regions worldwide to support LTE research on climate change impacts and adaptation.

Soil activity behaviors after farming techniques application in The Chammak olive tree field

The olive tree arranges no more water reserve that can be exploited during extremely dry periods. A failure of the olive yields observed during the last two decades. The annual production decreased from 150 000 tons to 50 000 tons of olives in the south of Tunisia. This degradation results, in fact from an obvious reduction in the biological activity of the ground. A new Strategy was employed to improve the organic status and restore the biological activity of the soil ground of the long-term. We have evaluated the effect of the of different plot treatment. A plot of olive tree speeded with 200 m3/ha dose of OMW during 10 years, P4; a plot of olive tree treated with tillage accompanied by 50 m3/ha dose OMW spreading lasting only a one year, P5 and a plot of olive tree cultivated with the introduction of the fig tree in parallel, P3. Untouched ground was used as control plot, P0. A comparison of these plots with a degraded ground of olive tree implanted since 1900, P2 and other ground degraded during 10 years, P1. The plot treated with OMW showed an OM value close to the value founded with P0 (Control Plot). The Phytotoxcity measured via germination index GI (percentage) was determined; an important increment ranged from 200% to 230% was obtained in the P3 and P5, respectively. Correlation analyses, among physiochemical parameters of soil and microbial biomass indicated several positive significant trends. The highest significant correlation was found between OM and TAMF (r=0.999, p<0.001). These results corroborate the notion that the microbial community structure is a good indicator of soil quality and the effects of different management practices, because the microorganisms respond against changes in soil management more rapidly than chemical or physical soil properties. However, in this work we found a negative correlation between respiration soil activity (Resp) and with OM (r=-0.533, p<0.05). In fact, CO2 sequestration took place. Indeed, increasing soil OM enhances the sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Effects of different management practices on soil microbial community structure and function in alpine grassland

Management practices, such as grazing exclusion and reseeding, have been implemented to mitigate the degradation of grassland. Low grazing intensities and reseeding increase grass production. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the effects of these measures on the soil microbial community structure and function in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau (QTP). To reveal the effects of management practices on soil microbes and give a reference to assess and improve ecosystems functions, we here evaluated the impact of various types of grazing (exclusion, seasonal, and traditional), reseeding (annual oat (Avena fatua) grassland (RO) and perennial artificial grassland cultivated >10 y), and integrated restoration (weed control and no-tillage reseeding) measures on soil microbial community structure and function in the QTP. The Shannon-Wiener diversity indices were highest for prokaryotes under RO and for fungi under integrated grassland restoration. Relative Actinobacteria abundance was higher under seasonal grazing than that under integrated grassland restoration. The latter had relatively higher abundances of Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria and comparatively lower abundance of Thermoleophilia. There were significantly higher abundances of plant pathogens under seasonal grazing than those under other managements. There were significantly high proportions of pathotrophs and saprotrophs (10.0%) under seasonal and traditional grazing, respectively. The proportion of pathotrophs under integrated restoration (10.0%) was about seven-fold greater than that under grazing exclusion (1.5%). The relative differences among treatments in terms of soil water content, plant biomass, and soil C:N partially explained the differences in their prokaryotic community compositions. Increases in soil organic carbon and C:N may explain the observed changes in the soil fungal communities. The management practices affected soil microorganisms mainly by altering the soil nutrient profile. Grazing attracted specific pathotrophs and saprotrophs while repelling certain plant pathogens. Hence, modulations in soil microbial community structure and function must be considered in the process of planning for the implementation of grassland degradation management measures.

Identifying effective agricultural management practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation: A win-win strategy in South-Eastern Australia

CONTEXTFarming systems face dual pressures of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to mitigate climate change and safeguarding food security to adapt to climate change. Building soil organic carbon (SOC) is proposed as a key strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, practices that increase SOC may also increase nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and impact crop yields and on-farm income. A comprehensive assessment of the effects of different management practices on trade-offs between GHG emissions and agricultural systems profitability under climate change is needed. OBJECTIVEWe aimed to: (1) analyze the long-term trends of SOC and N2O emissions, and ascertain whether the croplands of the study region are net GHG sources or sinks under climate change; (2) quantify the GHG abatement on a gross margin basis; (3) identify effective management practices that could achieve a win-win strategy; and (4) investigate sources of uncertainty in estimates of GHG emissions and gross margins under climate change. METHODSAPSIM was used to simulate the effects of three crop residue retention rates (10%, 50% and 100%), and six representative crop rotations (wheat-canola, wheat-field pea-wheat-canola, wheat-field pea-wheat-oats, wheat-wheat-barley, wheat-wheat-canola, and wheat-wheat-oats) under two Shared Socio-economic Pathways scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585) using climate projections from 27 GCMs. GHG emissions and gross margins from 1961 to 2092 were assessed across 204 study sites in southeastern Australia. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOur results showed that residue retention can turn the soil from a carbon source (10% retention, 304–450 kg CO2-eq ha−1 yr−1) to a carbon sink (100% retention, −269 ∼ −57 kg CO2-eq ha−1 yr−1), and the potential of carbon sequestration was partly offset by concomitantly increased N2O emissions. The wheat-wheat-canola rotation with full residue retention was shown to be a win-win solution with both large potential of GHG abatement and high gross margin compared with other rotations. Spatial analysis showed that the southeastern part of the study region, with higher rainfall, had higher gross margins, while the drier northwestern part had greater GHG emission reduction potentials. Although climate change led to increased GHG emissions and decreased yields for some crops, these adverse effects were overweighed by the higher SOC and yield advantages from full residue retention. SIGNIFICANCEThis study emphasizes the significant potential for agronomic management to maximize gross margin and reduce GHG emissions under climate change in southeast Australia. Results from this study could be used by farmers and policymakers to mitigate climate change without compromising agroecosystem profitability.

Light thinning can improve soil water availability and water holding capacity of plantations in alpine mountains.

The establishment of large-scale forest plantations in the arid and semi-arid area of the Qilian Mountains in China has effectively protected water and soil resources and enhanced carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems. However, the effects of different management practices in these plantations on soil water holding capacity (SWHC) and soil water availability (SWA) are uncertain in this fragile ecosystem. Here, we investigated the effects of no thinning (NT), light thinning (LT, 20% thinning intensity), and heavy thinning (HT, 40% thinning intensity) on SWHC and SWA in different soil depths of a forest plantation, and compared them to those in a natural Picea crassifolia forest (NF). Our results revealed that at low soil water suction stage, SWHC in the plantations (LT, HT, and NT) was greater in the topsoil layer (0-40 cm) than that in the NF site, while SWHC in the subsoil layer (40-80 cm) in NF was significantly greater than that in the thinning stands. At medium and high-water suction stage, SWHC in LT and NF stands was greater than that in HT and NT. Soil water characteristic curves fitted by VG model showed that the relative change in soil water content in LT topsoil layer was the smallest and SWHC was greatest. Changes in soil physicochemical properties included higher bulk density and lower total porosity, which reduced the number of macropores in the soil and affected SWHC. The bulk density, total porosity, silt content, and field capacity were the main factors jointly affecting SWA. High planting density was the main reason for the low SWA and SWHC in NT, but this can be alleviated by stand thinning. Overall, 20% thinning intensity (light intensity thinning) may be an effective forest management practice to optimize SWHC and SWA in P. crassifolia plantations to alleviate soil water deficits.

Cropland Reference Ecological Unit: A land classification unit for comparative soil studies

There is a growing consensus on a need for measuring the dynamic soil properties of croplands and even comparisons with a reference state or native land. These measurements and paired comparisons will create the capacity to determine soil health management effects and targets. However, the complex soil heterogeneity and climate variations make soil health potential variable and confound the effects of land-use and management practices and comparisons between soils from different sites. Identifying a discrete landmass unit where all soils have similar health potential will be critical in conducting meaningful comparative studies and measuring the impact of conservation practices. This methodological paper proposes and discusses a land unit, Cropland Reference Ecological Unit (CREU), that accounts for soil genoform and climate variabilities and covers an area with a presumably similar soil health potential. An example CREU has been developed, for one Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) in Nebraska, which is an area delineated based on the standard United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) hierarchical land classification system. This example portrays an actual difference in soil health for different land use and agronomic management practices can be determined by comparing sites under the framework of CREU. Evaluation of management effects on soil health indicators in a CREU will adequately illustrate the beneficial impact of such practices without being confounded by agroecological variations. This proposed framework addresses researchers' current interest in comparing soil health parameters among croplands and reference sites to benchmark soil health measurements, set soil health targets, and determine the effects of different management practices.

Effects of key forest management practices and climatic factors on the growth of Populus tomentosa plantations in the North China Plain

This study aimed to provide sustainable management recommendations for long-term poplar plantations in the North China Plain (NCP) within the context of climate change. Within the NCP, through primary literature and field surveys, we collected tree growth data of 2515 individual trees from monoculture stands of Populus tomentosa with different stand ages (1–40 years). Using linear mixed effects models, we examined the effects of different management practices (planting density, irrigation, and fertilization) and climatic factors (mean air temperature and climate moisture index) on tree growth at different stand ages. Results showed significant effects of all management practices on tree growth across stand ages. Also, the relative importance of management practices was higher than climatic factors. The effects of planting density and growing season climate moisture index (CMI) on tree growth gradually increased with stand ages. In contrast, no significant effect of growing season mean air temperature on tree growth was observed regardless of stand ages. Irrigation was the most important factor impacting tree growth in young stands. In addition, we found that irrigation and fertilization reduced the effect of CMI on tree growth in young stands. The relative importance of planting density and CMI did not differ for younger trees. However, the relative importance of planting density was higher than CMI in middle-aged and mature stands. We also found that the biologically mature age of unmanaged P. tomentosa stands in the NCP was about 15 years. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of forest management practices and climatic factors for long-term poplar plantations in the NCP. Especially, planting density and moisture were critical factors for managing poplar plantations. The findings of this study can be relevant for intensively managing fast-growing tree plantations in other water-limited areas.

Effects of Different Management Practices on Plant Community and Soil Properties in a Restored Grassland

Effects of Different Management Practices on Plant Community and Soil Properties in a Restored Grassland

The Impact of Soil-Improving Cropping Practices on Erosion Rates: A Stakeholder-Oriented Field Experiment Assessment

The risk of erosion is particularly high in Mediterranean areas, especially in areas that are subject to a not so effective agricultural management–or with some omissions–, land abandonment or wildfires. Soils on Crete are under imminent threat of desertification, characterized by loss of vegetation, water erosion, and subsequently, loss of soil. Several large-scale studies have estimated average soil erosion on the island between 6 and 8 Mg/ha/year, but more localized investigations assess soil losses one order of magnitude higher. An experiment initiated in 2017, under the framework of the SoilCare H2020 EU project, aimed to evaluate the effect of different management practices on the soil erosion. The experiment was set up in control versus treatment experimental design including different sets of treatments, targeting the most important cultivations on Crete (olive orchards, vineyards, fruit orchards). The minimum-to-no tillage practice was adopted as an erosion mitigation practice for the olive orchard study site, while for the vineyard site, the cover crop practice was used. For the fruit orchard field, the crop-type change procedure (orange to avocado) was used. The experiment demonstrated that soil-improving cropping techniques have an important impact on soil erosion, and as a result, on soil water conservation that is of primary importance, especially for the Mediterranean dry regions. The demonstration of the findings is of practical use to most stakeholders, especially those that live and work with the local land.

How biochar, horizontal ridge, and grass affect runoff phosphorus fractions and possible tradeoffs under consecutive rainstorms in loessial sloping land?

Agricultural interventions such as biochar, grassing, and different planting modes affect the migration and transformation of soil phosphorus (P). However, the effect of different management practices on the mechanism of runoff P fractions and possible tradeoffs associated with consecutive rainstorms is not well understood. This study aggregated management practices (biochar, grassing, and planting modes) to evaluate the surface pathways of P loss from loessial bare and grassed slopes with different slope angles (10°, 15°, and 20°) and consecutive rainstorms (60, 90, and 120 mm·h−1). Results indicated that: (i) The highest sediment yield rate and total phosphorus loss concentrations were registered during the first rainstorm event (10° slope and 60 mm·h−1). Soil erosion and P loss under different rainfall intensities could be effectively reduced by 0–3% biochar grassed slope with horizontal ridge but were aggravated under bare slope with 3–6% biochar or grassed slope with 6% biochar. (ii) Planting grass on bare slope could effectively mitigate erosion and runoff P at different rainfall intensities, and the reduction rate increased with increased rainfall intensity. The sediment reduction effect of bare slope with horizontal ridge decreased with increased rainfall intensity and was liable to fail in the 90 and 120 mm·h−1 rainfall intensities. (iii) The particulate phosphorus (PP) was the primary loss fraction of soil P from loessial sloping land (> 80%), and PP increased with increased biochar content and rainfall intensity but reduced by grass and horizontal ridge interventions. Integrating grass with horizontal ridge was considered to be the most effective way to control erosion and protect soil fertility. These outcomes provide underlying insights for employing appropriate best management practices (BMPs) to decrease runoff P on sloping soils, which can be highlighted through a reasonable allocation of biochar, ridge, growing plants, and other BMPs.