Fallow Fields Research Articles

Extrapolating potential crop damage by insect pests based on land use data: examining inter-regional generality in agricultural landscapes

BackgroundInter-regional relationships between landscape factors and biological responses in natural conditions are important but difficult to predict because of the differences in each landscape context and local environment. To examine the inter-regional variability in relation to landscape factors and the biological response of an insect pest of rice, Stenotus rubrovittatus, we extrapolated a damage prediction model (the ‘original model’ of our previous study) for rice using land-use data. The ‘original model’ comprised as fixed factors the area of source habitat (i.e. pastures and graminoid-dominated fallow fields), soybean fields, and rice paddies within 300-m radii with research years as the random intercept. We hypothesized that the original model would be applicable to new regions, but the predictive accuracy would be reduced. We predicted that fitting a new extended model, adjusting the parameter coefficients of identical fixed factors of the ‘original model,’ and adding regional random intercepts would improve model performance (the ‘extended model’). A field experiment was conducted in two regions that had a similar landscape context with the original region, each in a different year of four years in total. The proportion of rice damage and surrounding land use within a 300-m radius was investigated, and the data were applied to the models and the applicability and accuracy of the models were examined.ResultsWhen the ‘original model’ was assigned to the combined data from the original and extrapolated regions, the relationship between the observed and the predicted values was statistically significant, suggesting that there was an inter-regional common relationship. The relationship was not statistically significant if the model was applied only to the new regions. The extended model accuracy improved by 14% compared with the original model and was applicable for unknown data within the examined regions as demonstrated by three-fold cross validation.ConclusionsThese results imply that in this pest–crop system, there is likely to be a common inter-regional biological response of arthropods because of landscape factors, although we need to consider local environmental factors. We should be able to apply such relationships to identify or prevent pest hazards by offering region-wide management options.

Farming practice affects rice field animal biota during cultivation but not fallow periods in Taiwan

AbstractRice is one of the most important staple foods in the world, with irrigated rice paddies largely converted from natural wetlands. The effectiveness of rice fields in preserving species depends partially on management practices, including the usage of pesticides. Previous studies have focused predominantly on the cultivation period, leaving the potential effects of soil pesticide residues on organisms during the fallow periods underexplored. Other animals, such as waterbirds, also rely on aquatic invertebrates in flooded fallow fields for their survival. We investigated vertebrates and macroinvertebrates during cultivation and fallow periods in organic and conventional rice fields in Taiwan. The association of environmental factors with terrestrial and aquatic organisms was also analyzed. In total, 32,880 individuals from 144 invertebrate families and 381 individuals from 15 vertebrate families were recorded after nine samplings each in six organic and six conventional rice fields. The family richness and abundance of all invertebrates were higher in organic than in conventional fields during the cultivation period but were similar in fields under either agricultural practice during the fallow period. The differences in richness and abundance of terrestrial invertebrates between the two practices increased with progression of rice cultivation, while there was no difference in abundance of aquatic invertebrates during the fallow period. The richness and abundance of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and migratory waterbirds were not statistically different between the two practices. Our study suggested accumulative effects of pesticides on suppressing terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates during the cultivation period, but no negative effects of soil pesticide residues on aquatic invertebrates during the fallow period. This comprehensive study provided a holistic picture of macroinvertebrate and vertebrate fauna, as well as the potential ramifications of pesticide usage, in a representative Southeast Asian rice paddy ecosystem. Future studies should compare rice fields with natural wetlands to better assess how to capitalize on agroecosystems for biodiversity conservation.

Short‐distance nocturnal migration in an island endemic bustard

Migratory birds typically fly long distances in response to large‐scale seasonal climate variation. However, most migratory species are partial migrants, and some fly only short distances, for example to take advantage of suitable feeding conditions during the non‐breeding season. In spite of their short distance, such migrations may also be fixed in populations as a result of evolutionarily adaptive responses to local habitat conditions, but the causes and details of these partial, short‐distance migrations have been scarcely investigated. Here we analyse the migratory patterns of the insular endemic subspecies of Houbara BustardChlamydotis undulata fuertaventuraein a small island of the Canary archipelago. We tagged 41 individuals with GSM/GPRS loggers and tracked them over two annual cycles (2017–2019). We found that Canarian Houbara Bustards are short‐distance, partial migrants. Once the mating season was over, more than one‐third of all males and females moved from their breeding territories to non‐breeding areas where they spent the hottest months of the year. No bird changed its migratory status between years, and most individuals showed interannual fidelity to their breeding and non‐breeding areas. There were differences in the productivity of green vegetation between breeding and non‐breeding areas, as estimated from remote‐sensing‐based indicators of vegetation productivity (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Soil‐Adjusted Vegetation Index). During the non‐breeding period, values of both indices were higher at the non‐breeding than at the breeding areas in migratory birds, providing a plausible explanation of why these individuals moved to non‐breeding areas rather than remaining in their territories. Moreover, during the non‐breeding period, Soil‐Adjusted Vegetation Index values were lower at breeding areas abandoned by migratory birds than at breeding areas occupied year‐round, although values at the latter did not differ from those at non‐breeding areas, suggesting that partial migration arises from variability in food availability during summer across different areas. One of the four non‐breeding areas was selected by over half of migrant individuals. This area had a mosaic of cultivated and non‐cultivated patches, with more fallow fields and irrigated farmland than the other areas. Finally, most migratory flights were performed at night. The Houbara Bustard is globally threatened, and given its vulnerability to collision with electric and telephone lines during migration, we recommend burying electric and telephone lines in high‐traffic areas underground. Finally, we urge protection of the known non‐breeding areas, and recommend that current farming condition practices and natural shrubland at these areas continue to provide suitable habitat for Houbara Bustards.

Weed Warden: A low-cost weed detection device implemented with spectral triad sensor for agricultural applications

Controlling weeds is essential for farmers to protect resources and maximize crop yield. Between crops, weeds are typically controlled by applying herbicides or tillage to the entire field. However, these control methods are expensive and can pose environmental risks. Robotic weeding systems are a good solution to minimize environmental impact and save money on herbicides, but they are expensive (>$100,000). The Weed Warden is a low-cost (<$200) plant detection sensor that can be mounted on rovers or tractors. The Weed Warden uses an open source multispectral sensor to detect live vegetation and sends a logic signal that could trigger a weed removal system such as a sprayer or mechanical tillage when vegetation is detected. We evaluate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (ENDVI), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), for producing a value that, combined with a calibrated threshold, will indicate if there is plant life under the sensor. The Weed Warden system using ENDVI is most consistent at detection, with the ability to discriminate 7.6x7.6 cm vegetation samples from bare soil at sensor heights of 30 and 41 cm from the ground. The Weed Warden is a proof-of-concept component of an alternative system to robotic weeders of fallow fields that could help reduce costs, improve environmental outcomes in agricultural settings, and advance research into fallow field management practices.

Orychophragmus violaceus-maize rotation increases maize productivity by improving soil chemical properties and plant nutrient uptake

Appropriate use of cover crops and crop rotation in agriculture can contribute to food security and sustainable production. However, the impacts of Orychophragmus violaceus ( O. violaceus ) as rotation cover crop in maize on soil physicochemical properties and crop nutrient uptake have rarely been verified and quantified via field studies. With a conventional wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)-maize ( Zea mays L.) rotation used as a control, a field experiment was conducted on the North China Plain in 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 to evaluate the dynamic variations in soil chemical properties and maize agronomic indexes and the impacts on maize nutrient uptake and yield under continuous maize and O. violaceus -maize rotation. We observed that rotation of O. violaceus with maize positively impacts soil chemical properties and subsequent maize productivity. Compared to those in the wheat-maize rotation, the mean contents of soil organic matter (SOM), soil alkali–hydrolyzable nitrogen (SAN), soil available phosphorus (SAP), and soil available potassium (SAK) in the O. violaceus -maize rotation increased by 8%, 11%, 13% and 18%, respectively, within the 0–60 cm soil layer, thereby increasing the maize N and P uptake and yield at maturity. According to correlation analysis and path model results, the most powerful direct factor affecting the maize yield was plant nutrient uptake rather than biomass accumulation. The O. violaceus -maize rotation was superior to the wheat-maize rotation and continuous maize in term of SOM, SAN, plant agronomic indexes, and maize nutrient uptake and yield. Overall, O. violaceus -maize is a reasonable rotation system for use on the North China Plain and provides new insight into the mechanisms and processes underlying crop yield and nutrient uptake. • O. violaceus -maize greatly increased soil organic matter and soil available nitrogen. • The maize nutrients uptake was increased at maturity in O. violaceus -maize system. • Replacing wheat or fallow field with O. violaceus increased maize yield by 8%−12%. • The relationship between soil chemical property and maize yield was quantified.

Effectiveness of moisture-saving systems for treatment black fallow in steppe zone of South Urals

Article presents results of a comparative assessment of non-moldboard methods of basic tillage in a fallow field for winter wheat after various predecessors. Effectiveness of moisture-saving systems for the care of the fallow field: mechanical, combined and chemical has been studied. Bare fallow treatment systems effective for arid conditions of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals have been developed. As a fall basic tillage of a bare fallow for winter wheat after stubble predecessors, it is advisable to use deep non-moldboard loosening or deep flat-cut tillage, and after the sunflower - shallow loosening in autumn or disking tillage in spring. For the care of the black fallow, a shallow flat-cut tillage system at a depth of 6-8 cm is recommended.

Changes in Soil Chemical Properties Due to Long-Term Compost Fertilization Regulate Methane Turnover Related Gene Abundances in Rice Paddy

Maintaining rice yield, soil function, and fertility are essential components of long-term compost fertilization. However, paddy fields are major sources of anthropogenic methane emissions. The aim of the study is to evaluate the changes in soil chemical properties and their concurrent impact on the abundance of methanogenesis (mcrA) and methane oxidation (pmoA) related genes among compost (Com), NPK+Compost (NPKCom), and unfertilized (NF) fallow paddy fields under long-term compost fertilization. Results showed that compost and NPK+Compost fertilization altered the soil chemical properties of paddy fields with a significant increase in the functional gene abundance potentially associated with Methanobacteriaceae for mcrA (1.23 × 106 to 3.84 × 106 copy number g−1 dry soil) and methane oxidizing bacteria such as Methylomonas and Methylobacter for pmoA (1.65 × 106 to 4.3 × 106 copy number g−1 dry soil). Ordination plots visualized these changes, where treatments clustered distinctly indicating that Com and NPKCom treatments were characterized by paddy soils with elevated OM, TN, K and P content and higher abundances of methanogenesis and methane oxidation related genes. The study showed that long-term compost fertilization resulted in paddy fields with high nutrient content and high gene abundance, attributed to methanogens and methane oxidizing bacteria that responded well with compost fertilization. These results indicated the potential of these fallow paddy fields for methane emission and methane oxidation and that they are ‘primed’, potentially influencing subsequent paddy field responses to long-term compost application.

Influence of Crop and Land Management on Wind Erosion from Sandy Soils in Dryland Agriculture

Minimizing wind erosion on agricultural fields is of great interest to farmers. There is a general understanding that vegetation can greatly minimize the wind erosion taking place. However, after harvest, a low vegetation cover can be inevitable, whereby the amount of stubble that remains on a field is dependent on the crop type and land management. This study aims at quantifying the vulnerability to wind erosion of different crops, and the possibility to predict the vulnerability based on high precision aerial images. The study area was the semi-arid Free State, which holds large intensive agriculture on sandy soils. These croplands have been identified as the largest emitter of dust in South Africa. The main crop in the region is maize, but also sunflower, peanut and fallow fields are common land-use types. On these fields, the horizontal sediment flux, the saltation threshold, and aerodynamic roughness length were measured, and the soil cover was assessed using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery. The results showed a strong relationship between the soil cover and the sediment flux, whereby fallow and groundnut fields have the highest wind erosion risk. These results emphasize the great importance of soil cover management to prevent wind erosion.

Mapping fallow fields using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 archives over farming-pastoral ecotone of Northern China with Google Earth Engine

ABSTRACT The cropland in the farming-pastoral ecotone of Northern China is highly unstable owing to environmental restoration projects, poor soil fertility, poverty, and rural labor loss, and it is characterized by a large number of fallow fields. Mapping fallow fields in a farming-pastoral ecotone can help in evaluating the impact of complex cropland landscapes on the environment and food security. To map the fallow fields using the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 archives, a multi-metric dataset of vertical transmit–vertical receive + vertical transmit–horizontal receive polarization was established. Moreover, spectral bands and vegetation index datasets were established using Google Earth Engine to classify cropped and fallow fields using the Random Forest classifier. The overall accuracies and Kappa coefficients of different datasets were assessed to examine the dataset with the highest overall accuracy in the main growing season. A 10 m resolution fallow map for 2020 was then generated based on the combined Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 datasets with the highest overall accuracy and Kappa coefficients were 95.82% and 0.92, respectively. In addition, the time-series characteristics of the entropy eigenvalues generated via dual-polarization decomposition were quantitatively evaluated to clarify the contribution of the Sentinel-1 synthetic-aperture radar archive to the fallow field mapping. The eigenvalues were more sensitive to the phenological characteristics of cropped and fallow fields than the original backscatter signal of the Sentinel-1 data. Moreover, the mapping method was tested at different time intervals by gradually aggregating the results across an increasing number of months to optimize the fallow field monitoring using the minimum number of observations possible within a short period. Data aggregated over August achieved the highest one-month accuracy; it was also very close to the observations from the whole growing season. The results further emphasize the influence of Sentinel-1 archives on fallow field mapping. Overall, this study clarifies the potential applicability of Sentinel archives for monitoring and mapping managing patterns of agricultural land in a region.

Evaluation of surface soil moisture models over heterogeneous agricultural plots using L-band SAR observations

The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of surface soil moisture models based on L-band SAR data at two different crop stages in typical Indian agricultural plots. Agricultural fields examined include paddy, tomato, sugarcane, at two distinct crop stages, and a reference fallow field. Among the evaluated models, X-Bragg model underestimates soil moisture in all agricultural fields, whereas the Oh 2004 model fits into three agricultural plots for two crop stages without any necessity of auxiliary field information. All models underperformed in the case of sugarcane at the grand growth stage. Although WCM gave best result, it came at the cost of field data utilized to calibrate model parameters. Overall, the Oh 2004 model outperforms other models across crop types and growth stages. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only study that deals with soil moisture estimations at the plot scale across different crops.

Classification of Daily Crop Phenology in PhenoCams Using Deep Learning and Hidden Markov Models

Near-surface cameras, such as those in the PhenoCam network, are a common source of ground truth data in modelling and remote sensing studies. Despite having locations across numerous agricultural sites, few studies have used near-surface cameras to track the unique phenology of croplands. Due to management activities, crops do not have a natural vegetation cycle which many phenological extraction methods are based on. For example, a field may experience abrupt changes due to harvesting and tillage throughout the year. A single camera can also record several different plants due to crop rotations, fallow fields, and cover crops. Current methods to estimate phenology metrics from image time series compress all image information into a relative greenness metric, which discards a large amount of contextual information. This can include the type of crop present, whether snow or water is present on the field, the crop phenology, or whether a field lacking green plants consists of bare soil, fully senesced plants, or plant residue. Here, we developed a modelling workflow to create a daily time series of crop type and phenology, while also accounting for other factors such as obstructed images and snow covered fields. We used a mainstream deep learning image classification model, VGG16. Deep learning classification models do not have a temporal component, so to account for temporal correlation among images, our workflow incorporates a hidden Markov model in the post-processing. The initial image classification model had out of sample F1 scores of 0.83–0.85, which improved to 0.86–0.91 after all post-processing steps. The resulting time series show the progression of crops from emergence to harvest, and can serve as a daily, local-scale dataset of field states and phenological stages for agricultural research.

OpenWeedLocator (OWL): an open-source, low-cost device for fallow weed detection

The use of a fallow phase is an important tool for maximizing crop yield potential in moisture limited agricultural environments, with a focus on removing weeds to optimize fallow efficiency. Repeated whole field herbicide treatments to control low-density weed populations is expensive and wasteful. Site-specific herbicide applications to low-density fallow weed populations is currently facilitated by proprietary, sensor-based spray booms. The use of image analysis for fallow weed detection is an opportunity to develop a system with potential for in-crop weed recognition. Here we present OpenWeedLocator (OWL), an open-source, low-cost and image-based device for fallow weed detection that improves accessibility to this technology for the weed control community. A comprehensive GitHub repository was developed, promoting community engagement with site-specific weed control methods. Validation of OWL as a low-cost tool was achieved using four, existing colour-based algorithms over seven fallow fields in New South Wales, Australia. The four algorithms were similarly effective in detecting weeds with average precision of 79% and recall of 52%. In individual transects up to 92% precision and 74% recall indicate the performance potential of OWL in fallow fields. OWL represents an opportunity to redefine the approach to weed detection by enabling community-driven technology development in agriculture.

Eksperimentalno proučavanje različitih metoda tretmana zemljišta u cilju maksimalnog očuvanja strništa i orezivanja korova

In Northern Kazakhstan, the main task of agrarians is to accumulate and retain the maximum amount of moisture. In this regard, effective agrotechnical moisture conservation methods are high-quality autumn non-moldboard processing of stubble backgrounds with maximum preservation of stubble on the surface and a mechanical method of weed control in a fallow field. The obvious disadvantages of existing tillage machines are the poor deepening ability of flat-cutting working bodies, embedding stubble into the soil, and incomplete cutting of weeds. Machine-tractor units with single-operational specialized machines and their multiple passes over the field recompact about 60% of the cultivated area. The most promising for the implementation of these technological operations are combined tools. However, the technical process of the joint interaction of lancet, disk, and bar working bodies with the soil in the conditions of Northern Kazakhstan has not been sufficiently studied so far. In this regard, the work aims to study the effect of technological schemes of a combined tool on agrotechnical and energy indicators and to test an experimental sample under production conditions.

Interaction of soil health indicators to different regenerative farming practices on mineral soils

AbstractRegenerative farming is a common practice adopted to enhance soil health. Routinely, cheaply measured soil health indicators can be used to predict unknown soil health indicators, which makes analysis simple and fast. The objective of this study was to determine the interaction and relationship between soil health indicators and the effects of regenerative farming practices on soil health indicators. We conducted a comprehensive on‐farm study across Florida, measuring 11 soil health indicators for 592 soil samples that were collected from the surface 15 cm of soil on 13 experimental sites. Sampled fields were conventionally managed or subjected to either cover cropping, organic amendment application, or their combination, and fallow fields as control plots. We tested the Pearson correlation coefficient between 11 soil health indicators and further tested the types of relationships between each indicator using regression analysis. Strong positive correlations (r ≥ + .5 to 1.0) were obtained, especially between organic matter (OM) with maximum water holding capacity (MWHC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil protein (SP), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN); MWHC with CEC, SP, and TKN; TKN with CEC and SP; total phosphorus (TP) with Mehlich‐3 phosphorus (M3P). A strong negative correlation (r ≥ –.5 to –1.0) was observed between bulk density (BD) with OM, MWHC, CEC, and TKN. No significant change in soil health indicators was observed in control plots except for active carbon (AC) and CEC. Organic amendments and a combination of organic amendments with cover crops were effective in improving soil health indicators. However, cover crops alone had no effect on soil health indicators except for CEC and M3K.

Soil microbial biomass and oxy-hydroxides contribute to aggregate stability and size distribution under different land uses in the Central Andes

Context Agricultural intensification leads to land use changes with potential consequences for soil aggregate stability and size distribution, affecting nutrient and water retention capacity, aeration, sequestration of soil organic carbon, and biogeochemical cycling. Aims This study evaluated soil aggregate stability and size distribution under potato, fallow and Eucalyptus globulus L. land uses in Cambisols of the eastern branch of the Central Andes, Bolivia. We also investigated the relation between aggregates and total C, extractable C, oxy-hydroxides, microbial biomass and activity. Methods Aggregate stability, size distribution and oxy-hydroxides were measured in soil samples from eight plots of each land use. Key results Compared to fields cultivated with potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), Eucalyptus increased aggregate stability, megaaggregate content, and C and N in the free silt + clay fraction. Fallow did not lead to significant changes in soil structure. Soil aggregate stability was related to both microbial biomass and oxy-hydroxides. Microbial biomass C, microbial activity and dithionite extractable Fe were positively related to megaaggregates and aggregate stability. Oxalate extractable Fe and Mn were related to microaggregates. Conclusions The plantation of Eucalyptus is suitable for soil structural amelioration and C sequestration, but its introduction to cultivated areas should be carefully evaluated due to its effects on soil chemistry and microbiology. Short-term fallowing did not contribute to the maintenance of soil structure. Implications In a context of land uses change, modifications of microbial biomass and activity would affect megaaggregate formation and stability. Alternative management practices are required to maintain soil structure and optimize sustainable land use of cultivated and fallow fields.

Behavioral State-Specific Northern Bobwhite Chick Resource Selection

Determining resource selection rates for all life stages of a species is critical to enable a holistic management approach that focuses on bolstering populations across all life stages. Moreover, tying these selection rates to specific life history needs (e.g., foraging, roosting, and loafing) can provide valuable information to guide management practices. Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite), a gallinaceous species of North America, has experienced steady population declines throughout much of its range over the last 50 years. Although the species has been well studied, chick ecology is still relatively unknown. We studied bobwhite chick resource selection on a private property in Brunswick County, North Carolina, USA to better understand daily and within home range selection. The site was managed intensively for bobwhite using prescribed fire, seasonal mowing and disking, mesomammal control, and supplemental feeding. We radio-tagged 156 chicks 11–15 days of age from 29 unique broods and collected location data for nocturnal roost sites, daily movement tracks, and diurnal use sites during a 2-year span. We had selection models for 3 behaviors: roosting, foraging, and general movements within home range (third-order). All models were mixed-effects conditional logistic regression models under a Bayesian framework. We determined foraging behavior using a straightness index for daily track segments; more tortuous segments were designated as foraging locations. Upland pine stands (burned and unburned) were selected for foraging and roosting. Chicks were more likely to select areas closer to feedlines for roosting, foraging, and diurnal habitat; however, selection of these areas decreased as birds grew older. Chicks avoided fallow fields and hardwood drains or Carolina bays as roost site locations yet selected them as foraging habitat. Roosting birds avoided fallow fields as roost sites and instead selected areas adjacent to them. Probability of use for diurnal and roosting habitat decreased as distance to fallow fields increased. Our study results shed light on how circadian habitat use can vary and illustrate that one specific land cover may not provide ideal diurnal and nocturnal habitat for bobwhite chicks. The results also reinforce the need to provide resources that meet diurnal and nocturnal requirements within biologically reasonable distances from each other.

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Two Euschistus spp. Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Southeastern Farmscapes.

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are ubiquitous, cryptic, phytophagous pests that are found in many crops. In agroecosystems, individuals disperse from adjacent noncrop hosts and tend to aggregate or cluster within fields. In this study, we characterized the distribution of Euschistus servus (Say) and Euschistus tristigmus (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) over 2 yr at three southeastern United States farmscapes. Stink bugs were captured in pheromone-baited traps, and Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices (SADIE) used to identify the location of significant aggregations by habitat type and season. Euschistus servus adults were more likely to be captured in pecan orchards, cotton, other crops, or unmanaged habitats than in woodland habitats. Significant aggregations of E. servus were detected in a variety of habitats including pecan, corn, cotton, peanut, and tobacco, as well as fallow and hay fields, pastures, and hedgerows. Fewer adult E. tristigmus were captured than E. servus adults, and E. tristigmus adults were typically trapped and aggregated in woodland habitats. The resulting data provide an important understanding regarding the seasonal movement and relative abundance levels of stink bug populations, which are critical to the development of integrated pest management strategies.

Betrayal

Betrayal Cherene Sherrard (bio) Cherene Sherrard, poem, betrayal, home, family, south How wrong I was about what makes family. One spring,we flew south—below us, middle earth iced pale as sheetcake, a tasteless, shrinking patchwork of red barns & gray silossquared by fallow fields—to a bone-dry atoll on the equator.Nothing grew. Septuagenarian lobstermen harvested the coral.We lay on sand so sharp and white it scarified our backsides.No trees, no birds, only wind, starfish, and coconut water.We'd never planned to call an alpine village home. We returnedsmarting sunburns, squirreling away vitamin D. In fall,yard signs popped up: no f-35 jets, reduce emissions,blacklivesmatter, and we believe science. We mistookcourtesies for conversation, interrogation for intimacy,hand grenades for handshakes. If a white woman could beCaptain America, I thought I'd be more than her Black sidekick [End Page 77] Cherene Sherrard CHERENE SHERRARD is a poet, scholar, and essayist. She is the author of two poetry collections, Vixen, published in 2017, and Grimoire, published in 2020, and an award-winning chapbook, Mistress, Reclining. Recent creative nonfiction and poetry have appeared in the Rumpus, the New York Times Magazine, the Journal, Terrain.org, Blackbird, Water~Stone Review, and elsewhere. She is a professor of English at Pomona College. Copyright © 2022 University of North Carolina Wilmington

Principles of formation of field crop rotations in the conditions of the forest-steppe of western Siberia

The article analyzes soil and climatic zoning of the territory of the forest-steppe of Western Siberia, population degree, contour of fields, biological economic features of crops, including the leading - spring wheat. The adaptive landscape approach to the zonal features of crop alternation was used in the work, which makes it possible to determine a reasonable ecological niche for each one, select crops in accordance with biological requirements, productivity, profitability of production, as much as possible to reduce repeated and monocrops. Monitoring of economic activity over the past 35 years has shown a tendency for commodity producers to be stratified by resource capabilities, technical equipment, and, above all, the level of agriculture intensification. In this regard, recommendations for optimizing field crop rotations are focused on expanding to 8-10 crops and adaptive varieties, considering their profitability and "soil improvement", limiting resowing, excluding continuous cultivation of agricultural crops. In conditions of limited intensive agriculture, about 5-10% of the arable land area belongs to crop rotations with winter, tilled crops, legumes, melilot, rapeseed, millet, clover, annual multicomponent grasses, the efficiency of which in terms of the yield of fodder units often surpasses grain-fallow crop rotations with short rotation. It is noted that in recent years, special attention has been paid to alternate crop rotations, which allow, with increase in farming standards and use of intensification means, to slightly reduce the fallow field and optimize the structure of arable land use, to increase the biodiversity of a set of crops and adaptive varieties. The tendency to switch to rotation crop, among commodity producers of a more humidified forest-steppe zone, is possible only with the use of fertilizers and the improvement of agrophytocenoses. The expansion of alternate crop rotations and the reduction of repeated sowing of spring wheat is also due to positive changes in hydrothermal conditions in arid soil and climatic zones of Western Siberia.

Visualization of soil microbial processes with a light microscope. Part 1. The ratio of fungi and bacteria in microbial landscapes as an indicator of the state of soil organic matter

The aim of the study is to investigate location features of fungi and bacteria on glass slides exposed to arable and virgin soils. Location and time of the study. The studies were carried out in 2018–2021. Objects of study: 1. Leached chernozem (Luvic Chernozem, the forest-steppe of the Ob region, 54°53'13.5" N and 82°59'36.7" E). Observation options: (1) permanent steam field (300 mg mortmass C/kg, 50 mg N-NO3/kg); (2) wheat cultivation, annual removal of straw from the field + bare fallow (440, 10); (3) long-term fallow field (2500, 0). 2. A complex of permafrost alas soils (Cryosols) of varying degrees of pasture digression (Lena-Amga interfluve, 62°33'24.3" N and 130°54'01.4" E). Methodology. The duration of glass slide exposure in field conditions ranged from a growing season to a year. To decipher landscapes obtained in the field, glass slides were exposed in laboratory conditions in samples of the same soils with disturbed and undisturbed (monolith) structure. To study microbial succession during decomposition of plant residues 30-60 days incubation experiments were carried out. In some cases, to obtain a microbial imprint of decomposition of organic matter, glass slides were previously wrapped in cotton cloth. After exposure, the glass slides were dried, fixed, stained with carbolic erythrosine (5%), and examined microscopically at magnification of ×40-×1000. We studied 50 fields of vision on one glass slide (3 slides on each variant). The snaps were taken using Primo Star Zeiss microscope with an Axiocam 105 color video camera. Results. The size and localization of bacterial cells on a microbial landscape depend on the amount and state of soil organic matter. We outline a schematic representation of change in the fungi to bacteria ratio in landscapes during decomposition of plant residues. In contrast to arable soil, in virgin soil a bacterial biofilm was formed on the surface of hyphae. Conclusions. A visual series of microbial succession during the decomposition of plant residues in arable and virgin soils is presented. The bacterial biofilm formation on the surface of hyphae might indicate stability of soil microbial system