Fallow Period Research Articles

Benefits of Crotalaria juncea L. as Green Manure in Fertility and Soil Microorganisms on the Peruvian Coast

The soils of the Barranca valley are among the best soils in Peru, but with so many years of application of agrochemicals and other agricultural practices, they are losing their productive capacity. Consequently, it was suggested to assess the impact of Crotalaria juncea L. as a green manure on soil fertility and the populations of bacteria and fungi present in the soil. Crotalaria was cultivated for 75 days and incorporated as green manure. After 90 days, the presence of bacteria and fungi was evaluated. Metabarcoding was employed, and the 16S rRNA and ITS2 amplicons were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The sequences were processed using various bioinformatics tools. The results indicate that soils have a high diversity of bacteria and fungi. Likewise, in plots where the presence and action of natural biocontrol is suppressed (C0 and P0), pathogenic fungi increase their population in the fallow period (C1), while in P1, the addition of Crotalaria as a green manure promotes an increase in the population of bacteria and fungi, and at the same time it suppresses pathogenic fungi. The genera (bacterial and/or fungal) that increase due to the effect of Crotalaria are beneficial because they are involved as degraders of organic matter, promotion of plant growth and biological control of pathogens. Crotalaria is an alternative to improve soil fertility, increase the beneficial bacterial population, and reduce pathogenic fungi.

An improved optical trapezoid model to identify wetlands and irrigation water ponds in the arid irrigation district using Google Earth Engine

ABSTRACT In arid regions, wetlands support ecosystem with high biodiversity and productivity. Meanwhile, irrigation during the fallow period often results in the temporary formation of water ponds in the cropland, which plays a critical role in agricultural productivity. The prompt identification of wetlands and irrigation water ponds in irrigation districts is important for the protection of local wetland ecosystem and the effective management of irrigation water. Utilizing the OPtical TRApezoid Model (OPTRAM) for soil moisture estimation, we have proposed an improved version of OPTRAM aimed to identify wetlands and irrigation water ponds in irrigation district using Sentinel-2 data through Google Earth Engine platform. Different criteria were used for the identification of wetland and irrigation water pond, given the greater diversity associated with wetlands. Parameters for the wet edge determined from OPTRAM were used to identify wetlands, while an additional threshold was added to the model and calibrated in accordance with the irrigated area to identify irrigation water ponds. The improved OPTRAM was applied in Hetao Irrigation District (HID) of Northwest China from 2016 to 2023, where autumn irrigation applied in late autumn after crop harvesting was considered. The identified distributions of wetland and autumn irrigation were validated with observations from field survey and statistical data, and were also compared with other remote sensing products. Results show that the proposed model is effective in identifying both wetlands and irrigation ponds. Considering the wetlands, the distances from identified boundaries to the actual boundaries obtained from field surveys were calculated, revealing the mean absolute error of 6.99 m, alongside a validation accuracy ratio of 0.94 for points located within wetlands. For autumn irrigation extent, the overall accuracy is 0.90 based on the observations from field survey, with mean absolute relative errors for irrigated areas across four sub-irrigation districts recorded as 20.55%, 8.10%, 12.83%, and 11.38%, respectively, when compared with statistical data. The majority of wetlands within HID are small in size and scattered, with different trends observed in the wetland areas of sub-irrigation districts and Wuliangsuhai Lake. Autumn irrigated croplands are mainly concentrated in Jiefangzha sub-irrigation district while being scattered across other sub-irrigation districts, depicting an overall decreasing trend in the autumn irrigated area. In summary, the proposed model performed well in identifying both wetlands and irrigation ponds, and can offer valuable support for the conservation of wetland ecosystem and irrigation management.

A historical syndemic? The impact of synergistic epidemics of measles and scarlet fever on life expectancy in Victoria, Australia (1860s-1870s).

To explore whether synergistic epidemics of measles and scarlet fever in 1860s-1870s Victoria, Australia could be characterized as syndemics, we apply the methods of Sawchuk, Tripp, and Samakaroon (Social Science & Medicine 2022, 295, 112956) to quantify the impact of each of the two major co-occurring epidemic events (1867, 1875) in terms of life expectancy (LE) changes. Sawchuk et al. posit the presence of a harvesting effect, indicated by a statistically significant increase in LE in the immediate post-epidemic "fallow period", as a criterion for identification of a historical syndemic. We test an alternate hypothesis that the same methods can identify a short-term scarring effect. Using annual age- and cause-specific death statistics and census population data, we constructed abridged period life tables for baseline period, potential syndemic year, and "fallow" year for each of the two periods (1860s and 1870s). We compared LE at birth using Z-tests. We decomposed age-cause-specific mortality according to Arriaga's method to identify age-and cause-specific contributions to LE change. LE was significantly lower than baseline (1864-1865) in 1867 but not in the "fallow" year (1869). LE in 1875 and the 1878 "fallow" year were both significantly below baseline (1871-1873). Age-cause-specific decomposition showed similar patterns for 1867 and 1875 for measles and scarlet fever combined effects. Evidence of a scarring effect following the 1875 measles/scarlet fever combined peak supports the interpretation of this event as a syndemic. We suggest the short-term scarring effect can be a useful additional criterion for identifying historical syndemics.

Dynamics of Soil Properties under Jhum Cultivation: A Review

A staple of many indigenous cultures, shifting agriculture is coming under more and more scrutiny for its role in soil degradation and deforestation, especially in light of climate change. This study investigates the effects of jhum agriculture in Arunachal Pradesh, with a particular emphasis on the detrimental effects on soil qualities and its contribution to deforestation. Along with considerable nutrient loss from frequent forest clearing and burning, jhum farming causes severe soil degradation, including soil erosion and changes in the physical and chemical properties of the soil. In the diverse climates of Arunachal Pradesh, characterized by heavy rainfall, soil fertility and moisture are especially vulnerable. The shortening of fallow periods further destabilizes soil moisture and fertility, despite the potential benefits of carbon dynamics and sequestration during extended fallows. This research underscores the urgent need for sustainable practices, such as improved soil moisture conservation and extended fallow periods, to align traditional agricultural practices with the goals of climate resilience, soil health, and long-term sustainability.

Quantifying the rainfall variability effects on crop growth and production in the intensified annual forage - winter wheat rotation systems in a semiarid region of China

Replacing summer fallow period (July to September, SF) with annual short-season forages in the traditional fallow-winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system may maintain grain yield and improve productivity in the semi-arid environments. But the uneven and variability rainfall led to instable productivity of the annual forage–winter wheat cropping system. The aims of this study were to 1) quantifying rainfall variability effects on annual forage–winter wheat system crop growing process and productivity; 2) determine the optimal annual forage–winter wheat production system that will response better to future climate change. A four-year (2016–2020) field experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of replacing summer fallow period with annual forages including oat (FO, Avena sativa L.), soybean (SB, Glycine max L.), and vetch (FV, Vicia sativa L.) on plant height (H), leaf area index (LAI), and above-ground biomass (AByield) growth index dynamics under three different levels of rainfall manipulation i.e. 30 % of ambient rainfall exclusion (R-30 %), natural rainfall (CK), and 30 % of ambient rainfall increase (R+30 %). Additionally, we assessed the correlations between forage and winter wheat production with growing season precipitation across 12 rainfall scenarios. Average forage biomass values of oat, soybean, and vetch were 5.50, 4.29, and 2.82 t ha−1, respectively during summer fallow period. The average winter wheat grain yield values in SF, FO, SB, and FV were 3.78, 3.12, 4.02, and 3.18 t ha−1, respectively. Integrating oat into fallow period had negative effects on wheat growth and production, and the H, LAI, and AByield for FO were 63.7 %, 50.9 %, and 29.9 % lower than SF in dry year, but the wheat grain yield in SB were 18.2 % and 24.8 % greater than SF in normal and wet years. Across the four growing seasons, the forage and wheat yields were shown to be strongly related to precipitation, and increasing precipitation significantly enhanced the production. In 2016–2017 growing season, LAI of wheat in SF, FO, SB, and FV with R+30 % scenario was increased by 30.2 %, 21.7 %, 32.7 %, and 19.8 % and that with R-30 % scenario decreased by 23.2 %, 17.8 %, 24.7 %, 16.5 % compared CK, respectively. The traditional summer fallow practice had advantage for maintaining stability in wheat gain production, especially under dry years. In consideration of forage and wheat production to rainfall variability, integrating soybean into fallow season may be an efficient option to maintain wheat yield and produce high forage amount under future climate change on the Loess Plateau and similar semi-arid regions.

The Impact of Winter Cover Crops on Soil Nematode Communities and Food Web Stability in Corn and Soybean Cultivation.

There is increasing adoption of winter cover crops (WCCs) in corn and soybean production in Canada, primarily to reduce erosion and increase soil organic matter content. WCCs have the potential to influence nematode communities by increasing free-living nematodes and decreasing plant-parasitic nematodes or vice versa. However, the mechanism by which WCCs change nematode community assemblages still remains a key question in soil food web ecology. We tested the hypothesis that the long-term use of rye (Secale cereale), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and oat (Avena sativa) as monocultures or mixtures promotes nematode communities and improves overall soil health conditions compared to winter fallow. The results from this study revealed that the use of WCCs generally promoted a higher abundance and diversity of nematode communities, whereas plant parasitic nematodes were the most abundant in winter fallow. Moreover, the mixtures of WCCs had more similar nematode communities compared to rye alone and winter fallow. The structure and enrichment indices were higher with WCCs, indicating higher nutrient cycling and soil suppressiveness, which are signs of healthy soil conditions. Furthermore, WCCs significantly reduced the populations of root lesion nematode Pratylenchus, although their numbers recovered and increased during the main crop stages. Additionally, mixtures of WCCs promoted the highest abundance of the stunt nematode Tylenchorhynchus, whereas winter fallow had a higher abundance of the spiral nematode Helicotylenchus during the fallow period and the main crop stages. The results show that the long-term use of cover crops can have a positive impact on nematode communities and the soil food web, but these changes depend on the type of WCCs and how they are used.

Ecology and Management of Sedges in Direct-seeded Rice: A Review

Sedges, resilient weeds from the Cyperaceae family, pose a significant threat to direct-seeded rice cultivation due to their perennial nature and robust propagules, which endure harsh conditions. Their emergence, growth and seed production during fallow periods contribute significantly to seed banks, making their management challenging compared to other weed types. Water levels in paddy fields dictate weed composition, favouring sedges and grasses under saturated conditions but shifting to grass weeds during cropping seasons, influenced by factors like soil conditions and rainfall. Managing sedges requires a multifaceted approach due to their perennial hydrophilic and pro-alkaline nature with extensive propagules. Sedges possessing strong root system with morphological similarities necessitate continuous weed control throughout the cropping season during the critical period ranging from 15 to 60 days after sowing for wet and dry direct-seeded rice. Effective weed management practices proved crucial for minimizing yield losses caused by infestation of Cyperus difformis, Fimbristylis miliacea and Schoenoplectus juncoides by many researchers. Various methods, including cultural practices like stale seedbeds, physical methods like summer tillage, biological approaches such as integrating poultry and chemical interventions like herbicide application, are utilized for sedge management in rice fields. Higher efficacy of ethoxysulfuron for management of majority of sedge weeds in rice has been reported by many workers. However, relying on a single strategy is insufficient to keep sedge populations below the threshold, necessitating a comprehensive and adaptable approach to weed control in rice cultivation.

Cover crop alters rhizosphere sediments to recruit plant growth-promoting microorganisms, enhancing peanut production

Peanuts are typically grown in continuous monoculture in China, leading to continuous cropping obstacles and reduced yields. Cover cropping is emerging as a pivotal strategy for enhancing soil quality and promoting sustainable agriculture. However, the effects of cover crops on the rhizosphere environment, and how they benefit subsequent crops, are not well understood. We hypothesize that planting cover crop ryegrass during the winter fallow period could alter peanut rhizosphere sediments, recruit plant growth-promoting microorganisms, and ultimately enhance peanut production. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the impact of ryegrass cover cropping on rhizosphere sediments and peanut yield. Rhizosphere soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, and soil enzymes, including sucrase, urease, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, and β-glucosidase, were analyzed, along with metabolomics, 16S rRNA, and fungal ITS sequence analyses, under traditional planting management (TP) and long-term cover crop (CC) treatments. The results showed that CC treatment significantly increased rhizosphere pH, enhanced soil organic carbon and total nitrogen levels, and elevated soil enzyme activities compared to TP treatment. Metabolomic analysis revealed that CC treatment upregulated compounds such as D-pinitol, palmitoleic acid, fructose, sorbitol, and sucrose, while downregulated compounds including benzoic acid, dodecanoic acid, and carbamic acid. This alteration in metabolite composition influenced the recruitment and function of the microbial community. Specifically, CC treatment markedly enhanced the abundance of growth-promoting microbes such as Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, Lysobacter, Bradyrhizobium, and Mortierell etc., which are involved in important functions such as chemoheterotrophy, nitrate reduction, and plant saprotroph. Simultaneously, there was a decrease in pathogenic microorganisms, such as Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium oxysporum. Moreover, CC treatment positively influenced peanut root growth, resulting in longer roots and ultimately increase pod yield by 21.15 % compared to traditional winter fallow practices. These findings underscore the potential of cover cropping with ryegrass to improve rhizosphere microecosystem components, and ultimately enhance peanut productivity, providing valuable insights for sustainable agricultural practices.

Unveiling the impact of winter cover crops and weedy fallow on the soil seedbank

Cover crops (CCs) are recognised as valuable for weed management, while fallow soil between cash crop seasons likely increases weed presence. Weeds may offer similar ecosystem services as CCs, although they pose a risk of seedbank buildup. This study evaluated the impact of two winter CC systems (3-year triticale cultivation, TRIT; and a 3-year succession of rye, clover, and mustard, RCM) compared to weedy fallow (WF) on weed seedbank size and composition in a 3-year ‘maize (Zea mays L.)–maize–soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr)’ crop succession. After 3 years, seed density of spring/summer weeds reduced in all treatments, potentially stemming from herbicide use during cash crop seasons and tillage operations. Triticale had the lowest seedbank density (9,487 seeds m−²) and higher diversity (Shannon Index 6.9) compared to WF (28,543 seeds m-² and 4.1, respectively). Furthermore, stochastic analysis revealed a lower risk of enlarging weed seedbanks in TRIT compared to WF (for seed densities above 900 seeds m−2). Moreover, management practices (CCs, cash crop sowing, termination/harvest) synchronised with weed seed production and germination likely contributed to the decreasing seed density of species including Portulaca oleracea and Chenopodium album, which were reduced by 90 and 80 %, respectively, by the study’s end. Over three years, autumn/winter and indifferent weed seed densities increased 4.2 times more in WF and RCM (22,638 seeds m−²) than in TRIT. This may be due to the varying growth rates among CC species in RCM, whereas TRIT consistently established rapidly, potentially outcompeting weeds until termination. Fallow periods between cash crops may increase weed species linked to that season and future crop–weed interference in varied crop rotations. Introducing CCs can mitigate this effect, although the choice of CC species may influence the extent of the impact.

Greenhouse gas emissions and crop-specific emission factors of eight upland crops based on a six-year field experiment in the North China Plain

Nitrous oxide is a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) contributor in crop production, yet detailed documentation, including crop yields and specific emission factors (EFd of N2O), are lacking for the North China Plain. A six-year (2016–2022) diversified crop rotation experiment in this region examined GHG emissions from eight crops (sweet potato, peanut, soybean, spring maize, sweet sorghum, ryegrass, summer maize, and winter wheat) and fallow seasons. The results revealed that summer maize had the highest cumulative soil N2O emissions (5.07 kg N ha−1), with an average flux value of 225.3 μg N2O-N m−2 h−1 during the growing season. Summer maize emitted 16–75 % more N2O than spring crops and winter wheat and 85–86 % more than ryegrass (cover crop) and the winter fallow season. All eight crops acted as weak net CH4 sinks. Annual average CO2-equivalents of N2O and CH4 emissions reflected N2O emissions from all crops and fallow seasons. In addition, GHG footprint metrics (GFa, per unit area; GFy, per kg equivalent yield; GFb, per kg biomass; GFe, per unit economic benefit) based on life cycle assessment thinking showed that intensive cereal crops (winter wheat and summer maize) had the highest GHG footprints, while sweet potato had the lowest due to its greater biomass and lower N input. Other crops had 19–90 % lower GHG footprints than wheat and maize. Furthermore, we also quantified specific-crop EFd of N2O, with ryegrass having the lowest EFd (0.48 ± 0.02 %), followed by winter wheat (0.81 ± 0.43 %), and other crops ranging from 1.00 ± 0.13 % to 2.36 ± 0.85 %. This study provides important emissions data for different crops and winter fallow periods, enhancing our understanding of GHG footprints and emission factors, which are essential for the advancement of sustainable agriculture practices.

Different supplemental irrigation methods result in discrepant water use efficiency and yield by changing steps of water use process in dryland wheat

Supplemental irrigation (SI) at critical growth stages is a practical way to mitigate water shortage of winter wheat in dryland. However, the yield performance after SI is unstable in different precipitation years. To obtain a better understanding about the applicability of SI in dryland, the utilization efficiency of precipitation and irrigation water (IUE) was divided into 5 sequential ratios: water storage ratio, water consumption ratio, water transpired ratio, transpiration efficiency and harvest index. In this study, those ratios were investigated under four SI methods: no irrigation (W0), SI once at jointing (Wj), SI once at booting (Wb) and SI twice at jointing and booting (Wj+b) throughout four years. Our results showed that water storage ratio was increased under all SI treatments, but water transpired ratio was only significantly increased under Wj and Wj+b, due to their greater development of plant population compared to W0. Thus, wheat yield was greatly improved by 7–12 % under Wj and Wj+b than that under W0 in dry and normal years. However, IUE was significantly decreased under Wj+b. Compared with W0, Wj+b had higher evaporation during the fallow period and lower water consumption ratio. Furthermore, 100–300 cm subsoil water utilization was decreased under Wj+b from jointing to harvest time due to the low root length density (RDL) in subsoil. Under Wj, evaporation, subsoil water utilization and RDL were not negatively affected and water use efficiency was increased compared to W0. Thus, SI once at jointing stage is a more suitable practice in dryland wheat farmland when considering the dual goal of effectively using water while increasing yields under worse precipitation year.

Biological nitrogen fixation in field pea and vetch: Contribution from above and belowground structures to the partial nitrogen balance

ContextIncluding winter legumes during fallow periods in crop rotations may add nitrogen (N) to the agroecosystem through biological N fixation (BNF). This gain will depend on management practices and whether the crop is planted for grain production or as a cover crop. Despite many studies quantified the partial N balance of different legume crops, very few considered the contribution of BNF from belowground structures, which is necessary for more accurate estimations. ObjectiveTo estimate biomass, N uptake, and BNF in field-grown field pea and vetch, and study the impact of including belowground structures in the partial N balance of both crops. MethodsA two-year field study evaluating two genotypes of field pea (semi-leafless and conventional-leaved) and vetch was performed under field conditions in the Pampean Region (Argentina). Above and belowground biomass (measured in field monoliths to 0.3 m depth), N uptake and 15N abundance were quantified for determining BNF, and the partial N balance. ResultsThe partial N balance of field pea as grain crop was negative in most cases (average −7 kg N ha−1), but, was positive when vetch was evaluated as cover crop (average 51 kg N ha−1). Including belowground components, BNF improved the partial N balance by 1 and 6 kg N ha−1 in field pea and vetch, respectively. In field pea, the proportion of N uptake derived from BNF (%Ndfa) averaged 43 %, and was not affected by genotype or year, whereas for vetch represented 40 and 18 % of total N uptake in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In field pea, belowground BNF averaged 1.2 kg N ha−1, and represented 0.9 % of the total N uptake at maturity. In vetch, belowground BNF averaged 6.3 kg N ha−1 and accounted for 3.8 % of total N uptake at full bloom. ConclusionsBiomass and the proportion of N derived from BNF were not affected by the different genotypes in field pea, while in vetch, the environmental conditions that increased %Ndfa were more important than those that affected biomass production for increasing the partial N balance. ImplicationsAlthough field pea as a grain crop did not provide a consistent N input to the agrosystem, it arises as a convenient crop in terms of N balance compared to other cash crops. Vetch stands as an attractive cover crop, contributing 46–57 kg N ha−1 and 6–9.5 Mg ha −1 of residues to the agrosystem.

Impact of Vineyard Fallow Practices on Reducing Meloidogyne hapla Population Densities

The northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) is a common plant-parasitic nematode in northern grape production regions. This nematode induces small galls on roots, which restricts water and nutrient uptake, resulting in poor vine establishment or exacerbated decline in stressed vines. A study was conducted to explore the impacts of site management practices on M. hapla population densities following removal of wine grape (Vitis vinifera) vineyards in Washington State. Soil was collected from 38 fields, M. hapla second-stage juvenile densities in soil were determined, and to assist in identifying M. hapla in potentially low-population density samples, an eight week-long tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) bioassay was conducted. Vineyard managers also provided information on site management techniques. Of the 20 total management techniques and combinations explored (e.g., fallow duration, cover crops, mowing, irrigation, herbicide applications), only one component resulted in lower M. hapla population densities: duration of vine-free period. A duration of at least one-year post vineyard removal showed a decline in M. hapla population densities in the sampled former vineyard sites. These results suggest that a fallow period could be useful as a non-chemical management tool for M. hapla in vineyard replant soils. However, consideration of additional site management factors such as weed management, soil series and amendments, interim crop planting, and irrigation or accumulated rainfall that may support M. hapla development is necessary.

Practice Of Shifting Cultivation and Its Implications in The Hill Districts of Manipur, North-East India

This paper highlights the practices of shifting cultivation and its implications in North-East India with special references to Manipur hill districts. Agriculture is the main and single largest source of livelihood in the state. About 70 percent of the total population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities. The Manipur Hill region comprises five districts, viz. Chandel, Churachandpur, Senapati, Tamenglong, and Ukhrul. It has a total population of 6, 51,156 which represents 35.45 percent of the state's total population. The hill districts occupy about 90 percent (20089 sq. km) of the total area of the state. The data about the area under shifting cultivation is not the same as it varies from year to year. Out of the total net shown area shifting cultivation covers 46%. Rice is the main staple food crop in this region. Shifting cultivation has both problems and prospects and impact on the forest and landscape in the environment. The average fallow period is 7-8 years as per the data collected through key informant interviews from the study area.

Upscaling miscanthus production in the United Kingdom: The benefits, challenges, and trade‐offs

AbstractThe UK sixth carbon budget has recommended domestic biomass supply should increase to meet growing demand, planting a minimum of 30,000 hectares of perennial energy crops a year by 2035, with a view to establishing 700,000 hectares by 2050 to meet the requirements of the balanced net zero pathway. Miscanthus is a key biomass crop to scale up domestic biomass production in the United Kingdom. A cohesive land management strategy, based on robust evidence, will be required to ensure upscaling of miscanthus cultivation maximizes the environmental and economic benefits and minimizes undesirable consequences. This review examines research into available land areas, environmental impacts, barriers to uptake, and the challenges, benefits, and trade‐offs required to upscale miscanthus production on arable land and grassland in the United Kingdom. Expansion of perennial biomass crops has been considered best restricted to marginal land, less suited to food production. The review identifies a trade‐off between avoiding competition with food production and a risk of encroaching on areas containing high‐biodiversity or high‐carbon stocks, such as semi‐natural grasslands. If areas of land suitable for food production are needed to produce the biomass required for emission reduction, the review indicates there are multiple strategies for miscanthus to complement long‐term food security rather than compete with it. On arable land, a miscanthus rotation with a cycle length of 10–20 years can be employed as fallow period for fields experiencing yield decline, soil fatigue, or persistent weed problems. On improved grassland areas, miscanthus presents an option for diversification, flood mitigation, and water quality improvement. Strategies need to be developed to integrate miscanthus into farming systems in a way that is profitable, sensitive to local demand, climate, and geography, and complements rather than competes with food production by increasing overall farm profitability and resilience.

ДИНАМИКА АКТИВНОСТИ ФЕРМЕНТОВ УГЛЕРОДНОГО ЦИКЛА В УСЛОВИЯХ ПЕРЕХОДА НА МИНИМАЛЬНЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ОБРАБОТКИ

The purpose of research is to study the dynamics of the activity of enzymes in the carbon cycle of agrochernozems and its effect on the transformation of easily mineralizable organic compounds when using waste and surface treatment methods. Field observations were carried out on the basis of the production experience of OOO OPH Dary Malinovki in the Sukhobuzimo District in the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe (56°10′ N and 91°47′ E). The impact of dump and minimal processing technologies on the seaso¬nal dynamics of the activity of carbon cycle enzymes in the layers of agrochernozem is considered. The field experiment scheme is represented by the following options: moldboard plowing (standard), minimal tillage (surface disking), flat-cut tillage (cultivation). The level of polyphenol oxidase activity in the soil of the experimental variants was estimated to be weak. The intraseasonal dynamics of the studied enzymes was significant and correlated with the transformation of the humus accumulation coefficient. On non-dumping backgrounds, the variability of polyphenol oxidase was less variable. The minimum va¬lues of the humus accumulation coefficient were found at the initial stage of introducing the technologies under study during the fallow period of agrochernozems, as well as during the barley growing season. The maximum is in the soil under spring wheat crops. The use of flat-cut cultivators led to a strong relationship between the activity of polyphenol oxidase and the coefficient of humus accumulation. In the soil of all variants, an inverse relationship was observed between peroxidase activity and the coefficient of humus accumulation. The participation of peroxidase in the biochemical processes of mineralization was carried out mainly under the conditions of dump processing of agrochernozems. The activity of oxidoreductase enzymes indicated favorable conditions for the humification of organic compounds and the accumulation of newly formed humic substances in the soil when spring wheat was placed in fallow under conditions of using no-moldboard technologies.

Long‐term effects of management practices on soil water, yield and water use of dryland wheat: A global meta‐analysis

AbstractSoil water conservation in dryland agriculture mainly depends on precipitation. We chose 35 long‐term experiments and analysed the data by using meta‐analysis to check how fallow management methods affect soil water storage of dryland winter wheat planting (SWS), precipitation storage efficiency (PSE), crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE). No‐tillage (NT), compared to conventional tillage (CT) in the fallow period, increased PSE, SWS, grain yield and WUE by 32.9%, 27.1%, 30.5% and 22.6%, respectively. Reduced tillage (RT) and subsoil tillage (ST) increased PSE by 15.2% and 11.7%, SWS by 17.4% and 15.0% and grain yield by 15.5 and 13.8%, respectively, but these had a non‐significant effect on WUE. The conservation tillage methods interacted significantly with the residue management and fallow mulching practices. Compared to CT, the conservation tillage methods with fallow mulching increased PSE, SWS, grain yield and WUE, but the growing of cover crops (designated as biological mulching) decreased PSE, SWS and grain yield by 17.3%, 13.0% and 32.0%, and had a non‐significant impact on WUE. Under the condition of straw mulching, NT increased PSE, SWS, grain yield and WUE by 43.7%, 38.1%, 40.6% and 42.9%, respectively, compared to CT. NT and RT increased the PSE, SWS and WUE, under normal mean annual precipitation (MAP), however, ST increased these observations under wet MAP, compared to CT. The effects of tillage methods varied with soil texture, and they were highly interrelated with water conservation, wheat yield and water use. We conclude that compared to conventional tillage, the conservation tillage methods increased soil water conservation during the fallow period, which increased wheat yield and water use. Moreover, NT with or without residue retention increased the fallow water conservation and wheat yield. Crop residues should be retained while applying RT and ST to grow winter wheat in dryland regions.

Winter cover crop suppression methods influence on sunflower growth and rhizosphere communities.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), a vital crop for global vegetable oil production, encounters sustainability challenges in its cultivation. This study assesses the effects of incorporating a winter cover crop (CC), Avena sativa (L.), on the subsequent growth of sunflower crops and the vitality of their rhizosphere microbial communities over a two-year period. It examines the impact of two methods for suppressing winter CC-chemical suppression using glyphosate and mechanical suppression via rolling-both with and without the addition of phosphorus (P) starter fertilizer. These approaches are evaluated in comparison to the regional best management practices for sunflower cultivation, which involve a preparatory chemical fallow period and the subsequent application of starter P fertilizer. The methodology utilized Illumina sequencing for the analysis of rhizosphere bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicons. Findings indicate a significant improvement (9-37%) in sunflower growth parameters (plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, and head dry weight) when cultivated after glyphosate-suppressed winter CC compared to the chemical fallows. Conversely, rolling of winter CC generally negatively affected sunflower growth. Rhizosphere bacterial communities following chemical suppression of winter CC showed greater Pielou's evenness, indicating a uniform distribution of species. In general, this treatment had more detrimental effects on beneficial sunflower rhizosphere bacteria such as Hymenobacter and Pseudarthrobacter than rolling of the winter CC, suggesting that the overall effect on sunflower growth may be mitigated by the redundancy within the bacterial community. As for fungal diversity, measured by the Chao-1 index, it increased in sunflowers planted after winter CC and receiving P fertilization, underscoring nutrient management's role in microbial community structure. Significant positive correlations between fungal diversity and sunflower growth parameters at the reproductive stage were observed (r = 0.41-0.72; p < 0.05), highlighting the role of fungal communities in plant fitness. The study underscores the positive effects of winter CC inclusion and management for enhancing sunflower cultivation while promoting beneficial microbes in the crop's rhizosphere. We advocate for strategic winter CC species selection, optimization of mechanical suppression techniques, and tailored phosphorus fertilization of sunflower to foster sustainable agriculture.

Quantifying albedo impact and radiative forcing of management practices in European wheat cropping systems

Management practices that increase the surface albedo of cultivated land could mitigate climate change, with similar effectiveness to practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or favor natural CO2 sequestration. Yet, the efficiency of such practices is barely quantified. In this study, we quantified the impacts of seven different management practices on the surface albedo of winter wheat fields (nitrogen fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, sowing, harvest, tillage, and crop residues) by analyzing observed daily albedo dynamics from eight European flux-tower sites with interpretable machine learning. We found that management practices have significant influences on surface albedo dynamics compared with climate and soil conditions. The nitrogen fertilizer application has the largest effect among the seven practices as it increases surface albedo by 0.015 ± 0.004 during the first two months after application, corresponding to a radiative forcing of −4.39 ± 1.22 W m−2. Herbicide induces a modest albedo decrease of 0.005 ± 0.002 over 150 d after application by killing weeds in the fallow period only, resulting in a magnitude of radiative forcing of 1.33 ± 1.06 W m−2 which is higher than radiative forcing of other practices in the same period. The substantial temporal evolution of the albedo impacts of management practices increases uncertainties in the estimated albedo-mediated climate impacts of management practices. Although these albedo effects are smaller than published estimates of the greenhouse gas-mediated biogeochemical practices, they are nevertheless significant and should thus be accounted for in climate impact assessments.

Assessment of Soil and Water Salinity Status of Bitata Small Scale Irrigation Scheme of Guji Zone Oromia, Ethiopia

The Soil salinity, sodicity and water logging are becoming an emerging challenge for the irrigation development. So, assessments of irrigation schemes are very important to see the problems they have. The assessment of soil and water salinity status of Bitata small scale irrigation scheme of Guji Zone, Oromia region was done to identify, analyze and map salinity level using Geographic information System, the chemical properties of the soil was done at laboratory for samples analysis. After, spatial analyst and interpolation by Inverse distance Weight and Re-class the soil analyzed. Then the area of influence of the points was determined for the selected parameters and the results of investigation shows the majority of sample results are non-saline non sodic, even if, the samples were less, the sodicity problems occur at the study area on surface soil by considering three parameters at once and non-saline and non-sodic for profile soil. And when considering individual parameters of surface soil the results shows slightly saline depends on Electrical conductivity of saturation extracts, considering the exchangeable sodium percentage slightly to extremely sodic results was observed. And the results of irrigation water quality shows Very high Saline and Low Sodicity. The finding of the study recommends intervention of sodicity for surface soil and salinity and sodicity for water source used for irrigation is very important to control the expansions of it to the whole area of the scheme and to minimize the risk of salinity and sodicity problems of the water source used for irrigation. Management techniques that improve soil fertility such as crop rotations, manuring, fallow periods, proper management of crop residues, vermicomposting and leguminous cover crops and water-saving irrigation technologies suitable to the land of the area are the best options. And similar work is necessary to get additional information of the study areas because of the results of surface and profile soil and water source used for irrigation were far apart from each other.