Impact Of Cropping Systems Research Articles

Impact of Cropping Systems on Soil Organic Carbon Levels and Enzyme Activity

Monocropping makes agriculture more susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change. Resilient agriculture systems that can buffer crops against various agricultural vulnerabilities is the need of the hour. In this context, a study was conducted to assess the impact of various rice based cropping systems on soil health.
 Aims: To study the effect of different rice based cropping systems on soil enzyme activity and organic carbon.
 Study Design: Randomized block design, Replications – 3.
 Place and Duration of Study: Integrated Farming System Research Station (IFSRS) of Kerala Agricultural University located at Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, during kharif, rabi and summer seasons of 2019-2020.
 Methodology: The experiment consists of eleven cropping systems (T1 : rice - fallow - fallow, T2 : rice - rice - fallow, T3 : rice - daincha - cowpea, T4 : (rice + daincha) - rice - green gram, T5 : rice - cassava - amaranthus, T6 : rice - cassava - cowpea, T7 : rice - para grass - fodder cowpea, T8 : rice - fodder cowpea - fodder maize, T9 : rice - okra - culinary melon, T10 : rice - okra - yard long bean and T11 : rice - rice – amaranthus).
 Results: Soil organic carbon and enzyme activities were found highest in the cropping system (rice+daincha) – rice – green gram during kharif. During rabi, soil organic carbon and activity of urease and acid phosphatase were highest in rice- daincha- cowpea while dehydrogenase activity was highest in rice- fodder cowpea – fodder maize. During summer, rice- okra – yard long bean, rice- cassava- amaranthus and rice- cassava – cowpea recorded the highest urease, acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase activity, respectively. The organic carbon was highest for the sequence rice – okra –culinary melon. The soil organic carbon and enzyme activities were least in rice- fallow-fallow cropping sequence during all the three cropping seasons.
 Conclusion: Brown manuring, use of leguminous crops and cover crops in the crop sequence instead of leaving the land fallow and addition of organic sources of nutrition increase the soil organic carbon and enzymatic activity of microbes. The increase in soil organic carbon and activity of enzymes in soil owing to crop rotation of rice with arable crops relies on the crop species which are cultivated.

Impact of Cropping System and Planting Techniques On Soil Properties and Wheat Productivity Under Rainfed Condition

Impact of Cropping System and Planting Techniques On Soil Properties and Wheat Productivity Under Rainfed Condition

The Impact of Cropping Systems on Rice Production in Rice-Based Intensive Agroecosystems

Agricultural technology is one method used to increase agricultural output. The jajar legowo (jarwo) planting system and a transplanter machine are agricultural technology that are believed to increase rice production. This study aimed to determine the viability of lowland rice farming using different cropping systems and transplanter machines. The research was done in the Village of Kragan, Gondangrejo Sub-district, Karanganyar District, during the third planting season (MT III) of 2021. The activity was conducted on 2,7 hectares of rice fields owned by farmers and treated with (1) manual tiles, (2) manual jarwo, and (3) jarwo with a transplanter machine. Early-maturing rice variety M70 D was planted. The data were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Superior varieties of early maturing rice planted in a row legowo with the assistance of a transplanter machine produced the highest GKP rice productivity of 9,390 kg/ha, an increase of 6.7% over manual jarwo treatment and an increase of 17.37% over the existing tile/existing planting system. Jarwo with transplanter also generated the greatest profit, IDR 30.558.285 (RCR = 2.33) or greater (16.32 per cent) than manual jarwo and 29.34 per cent greater than the current planting system. At a price of IDR 4,400/kg HDG and a yield between 8,000 and 9,390 kg HDG/ha, the TIP is between 4,030,85 and 4,416.23 and the TIH is between 1,888,78 and 2,316.44. Thus, the jarwo planting system employing a transplanter machine has been demonstrated to be very feasible and practicable at the research site. Government and extension services must play a role in the socialization of jajar legowo and the significance of agricultural mechanization in the plantation so that farmers can directly benefit.

Twenty-four years of contrasting cropping systems on a brown chernozem in Southern Alberta: crop yields, soil carbon, and subsoil salinity

Cropping systems with perennial forages and reduced fallow frequency generally increase soil organic carbon and thus subsequent soil health and crop yield. We evaluated the impact of prior cropping systems on subsequent yields and soil properties in a semiarid region by using crop yields as a bioassay of soil health following the termination of a 24-year crop rotation study in the Brown soil zone in Alberta. During 24 growing seasons from 1992 to 2015, the study included three fallow-containing rotations, two annual crop rotations that were cropped continuously, and perennial grass hay, each with two to six fertilizer treatments. During the bioassay period from 2016 through 2020, all plots in the study were uniformly cropped. Compared to unfertilized fallow wheat, soil organic C in the fall of 2015 was 54% higher after 24 years of fertilized grass and up to 14% higher following annual crops in rotations without fallow. The most notable impact of the previous cropping system on yield during the bioassay years was low yield following perennial grass in 2016 and 2018. Soil electrical conductivity measurements showed that subsoil salinity was elevated following perennial grass, demonstrating the importance of subsoil characteristics for healthy soils. Crop yields in the fifth year of the crop bioassay were 10%–20% greater due to reduced fallow frequency or increased crop diversity. The long-term impact of the cropping system on crop yield in this study depended on drought intensity due to counteracting changes in soil organic matter and subsoil salinity.

Impact of Cropping Systems and Resource Conservation Techniques on Productivity and Profitability of Systems

Background: A suitable cropping system seem to be the possible solution to meet the continuous increase in demand for food, stability of income and diverse requirement of food grains. Selection of suitable cropping system for conservation of resources has prime importance now a day. The cropping systems selected in study have higher potential of production along with incorporable residues during winter. The residues of cotton, castor and mustard crops (Crops in selected cropping systems) have more potential to feed nutrients to soil as compared to burning. So incorporation of such crop residues in to soil helps to recycle the nutrients to correct their deficiencies. Farmyard manure is being used as major source of organic manure in field crops. Thus to maintain the soil health, integrated nutrient management approaches involving FYM and mineral source need to be standardized. So there is need to find out agronomically efficient and economically viable cropping system which can perform better for increasing productivity and profitability with association of conservation of natural resources. Methods: The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Sixteen treatment combinations comprising of four cropping system treatments viz, C1 : Cotton- Summer Pearlmillet, C2 : Greengram + Kharif Castor (Relay), C3 : Greengram - Mustard - Summer Pearlmillet and C4 : Greengram - Rabi Castor and two residue incorporation treatments viz, R0 : No residue incorporation and R1 : Residue incorporation as well as two fertilizer doses viz, F1 : 100% RDN through inorganic fertilizer and F2 : 75% RDN through inorganic fertilizer + 25% RDN through FYM were evaluated in the study. Result: Cotton - summer pearlmillet cropping system found significantly superior by recording higher pearlmillet equivalent yield, system productivity and system profitability while, total weed count/m2 and total weed dry weight were found the lowest under greengram- kharif castor (relay) cropping system. Residue incorporation secured top position by recording significantly the highest pearlmillet equivalent yield, system productivity and system profitability as well as lowest total weed count/m2 and total weed dry weight. Application of 75% RDN through inorganic fertilizer + 25% RDN through FYM recorded significantly highest pearlmillet equivalent yield, system productivity and system profitability. In case of weed count and weed dry weight, 100% RDN through inorganic fertilizer found significantly superior by recording lowest total weed count/m2 and total weed dry weight.

Dryland cropping system impact on forage accumulation, nutritive value, and rainfall use efficiency

AbstractForage cropping systems have greater precipitation use efficiency compared with cereal grains and oilseed cropping systems. However, information is limited to which forage species and forage rotation system increases productivity the most in the central Great Plains. The objective of this research was to identify the productivity and nutritive value of forage sorghum [FS, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], winter triticale [WT, ×Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus (Secale × Triticum)], and spring triticale (ST) crop rotations in the central Great Plains. The study was conducted from 2008 through 2011 at Garden City, Jetmore, and Tribune, KS. The experimental design was a randomized completed block with four crop rotation treatments: continuous FS–FS, continuous WT–WT, annual double‐crop WT/FS, and 2‐yr, double‐crop WT/FS–ST rotations. The annualized forage accumulation from WT/FS–ST rotation at Garden City, Jetmore, and Tribune were 30, 53, and 62% greater than annualized yields from the WT–WT rotation, respectively. The annualized forage accumulation from double crop WT/FS rotation were 55 and 148% greater than annualized forage accumulation from WT–WT rotation at Garden City and Jetmore. Overall productivity of a rotation was in the order WT/FS > WT/FS–ST or FS–FS > WT–WT. Despite its greater productivity, it was difficult to implement field operations (planting and harvesting) in the WT/FS rotation due to insufficient time in the growing season and because, often, there was little to no soil water available at planting. We concluded the WT/FS–ST rotation was less intense and more easily adoptable than the WT/FS rotation and has sufficient diversity to utilize resources better than continuous FS–FS or WT–WT rotations.

Impact of Cropping Systems on Soil Microbial Load: Evidence from Wetland Ecosystems of Wayanad District, Kerala

This study enumerated the microbial communities in soil samples from rice, banana and arecanut from the wet lands of Wayanad district Kerala. The total viable bacterial count in the paddy field was 120x10-6 cfu, 121x10-6 cfu and 147x10-6 cfu in Nenmeni, Kaniyambatta and Pozhuthana Gramapanchayat and that of fungi was 30x10-3 cfu, 32 x10-3 cfu and 37 x10-3 cfu. Likewise, the total viable count of bacteria in areca nut at Nenmeni, Kaniyambatta and Pozhuthana Gramapanchayat was 66 x10-6 cfu, 80 x10-6 cfu, 118 x10-6 cfu and that of fungi was 14 x10-3 cfu, 18 x10-3 cfu, and 30 x10-3 cfu. The total viable count of bacteria in banana field at Nenmeni, and Pozhuthana was 51 x10-6 cfu and that of Kaniyambatta Gramapanchayath was 56 x10-6 cfu. The viable fungal colony at Nenmeni and Kaniyambatta was 18x10-3 cfu and that of Pozhuthana Gramapanchayath was 24 x10-6 cfu.

Impact of Cropping Systems, Soil Inoculum, and Plant Species Identity on Soil Bacterial Community Structure.

Farming practices affect the soil microbial community, which in turn impacts crop growth and crop-weed interactions. This study assessed the modification of soil bacterial community structure by organic or conventional cropping systems, weed species identity [Amaranthus retroflexus L. (redroot pigweed) or Avena fatua L. (wild oat)], and living or sterilized inoculum. Soil from eight paired USDA-certified organic and conventional farms in north-central Montana was used as living or autoclave-sterilized inoculant into steam-pasteurized potting soil, planted with Am. retroflexus or Av. fatua and grown for two consecutive 8-week periods to condition soil nutrients and biota. Subsequently, the V3-V4 regions of the microbial 16S rRNA gene were sequenced by Illumina MiSeq. Treatments clustered significantly, with living or sterilized inoculum being the strongest delineating factor, followed by organic or conventional cropping system, then individual farm. Living inoculum-treated soil had greater species richness and was more diverse than sterile inoculum-treated soil (observed OTUs, Chao, inverse Simpson, Shannon, P < 0.001) and had more discriminant taxa delineating groups (linear discriminant analysis). Living inoculum soil contained more Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria, while the sterile inoculum soil had more Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia. Organically farmed inoculum-treated soil had greater species richness, more diversity (observed OTUs, Chao, Shannon, P < 0.05), and more discriminant taxa than conventionally farmed inoculum-treated soil. Cyanobacteria were higher in pots growing Am. retroflexus, regardless of inoculum type, for three of the four organic farms. Results highlight the potential of cropping systems and species identity to modify soil bacterial communities, subsequently modifying plant growth and crop-weed competition.

Impact of cropping systems on physico-chemical characteristics of surface water during different seasons in Shimla region of Himachal Pradesh

The present investigations were carried out in the year 2014 with an objective to find out the impact of different cropping systems on nearby surface water resources in Shimla region of Himachal Pradesh. The aim of the study was to monitor the surface water bodies for pollution caused by nearby cropping systems in the Shimla area. In this study fruit, fruit + vegetable, vegetable and cereal based cropping systems were selected along with control (uncultivated land) and sampling was done during winter, summer and rainy seasons. The estimated water quality parameters revealed very less organic pollution and pH values were within the BIS prescribed limits of 6.5-8.5. Under vegetable based cropping system EC (500.23 µS cm?1), TDS (329.17 mg/l), BOD (1.48 mg/l), COD (31.09 mg/l), Cl- (25.66 mg/l), Ca (75.59 mg/l) and Mg (11.14 mg/l) were in high concentration, whereas No3- content were high under fruit + vegetable based cropping system. DO were maximum (8.61mg/l) under uncultivated land. Calcium and COD were high in some samples, which could be from anthropogenic sources, rest of the parameters were within the desirable limits prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The experimental data were statistically analysed through Analysis of variance (two way classification of data) indicated positive correlation among most of the physical and chemical parameters. Study reveals that cropping systems as well as seasonal changes has affected the water quality. The study carried out for water quality parameters, revealed the correlation of each parameter with one another under different cropping systems.

Long-term cropping system impact on quality and productivity of a Dark Brown Chernozem in southern Alberta

Smith, E. G., Janzen, H. H. and Larney, F. J. 2015. Long-term cropping system impact on quality and productivity of a Dark Brown Chernozem in southern Alberta. Can. J. Soil Sci. 95: 177–186. Long-term cropping system studies offer insights into soil management effects on agricultural sustainability. In 1995, a 6-yr bioassay study was superimposed on a long-term crop rotation study established in 1951 at Lethbridge, Alberta, to determine the impact of past cropping systems on soil quality, crop productivity, grain quality, and the relationship of yield productivity to soil quality. All plots from 13 long-term crop rotations were seeded to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a strip plot design [control, nitrogen (N) fertilizer]. Prior to seeding, soils were sampled to determine soil chemical properties. Total wheat production for the last 4 yr of the study was used as the measure of productivity. The 1995 soil analysis indicated crop rotations with less frequent fallow and with N input had higher soil quality, as indicated by soil organic carbon (SOC) and light fraction carbon (LF-C) and N (LF-N). SOC had a positive relationship to total wheat yield, but was largely masked by the application of N in this bioassay study. Frequent fallow in the previous crop rotation lowered productivity. The concentration of LF-C had a negative relationship, whereas LF-N had a positive relationship to total wheat yield, with and without N fertilization in this bioassay study. Grain N concentration was higher with applied N and when the long-term rotation included the addition of N by fertilizer, livestock manure, annual legume green manure or legume hay. This study determined that long-term imposition of management practices have lasting effects on soil quality and crop productivity.

The impact of alternative cropping systems on global warming potential, grain yield and groundwater use

The large consumption of groundwater for irrigating winter wheat has resulted in a continuous decline in the groundwater table on the North China Plain in recent decades. Alternative cropping systems have been proposed to substitute for the conventional winter wheat–summer maize rotation system for the sustainable use of groundwater in the future. However, the impact of these cropping systems on net global warming potential (net GWP), and greenhouse gas emissions on the basis of per unit of yield (greenhouse gas intensity, GHGI) is poorly documented. Measurements of greenhouse gases were conducted over a four-year period to gain insight into net GWP and GHGI on a crop rotation scale based on an ongoing long-term field experiment on the North China Plain. The cropping systems investigated include one conventional winter wheat–summer maize system (Chem. W/M) as the control and four alternative cropping systems, namely an optimized winter wheat–summer maize system (Opt. W/M), two winter wheat–summer maize (or soybean)–spring maize system with three crops in two years (W/M–M, W/S–M), and a single spring maize per year (M). Compared with the Chem. W/M control, the grain yields in Opt. W/M increased significantly by 19% while the net GWP, GHGI and fertilizer N decreased by 29%, 40% and 40%, respectively, but still consumed as much groundwater (264mmyr−1) as Chem. W/M. In the two-year rotation cycle fertilizer N, groundwater use, net GWP and GHGI in W/M–M, W/S–M and M declined by 56–70%, 43–63%, 50–58% and 30–50%, respectively, compared to Chem. W/M. Moreover, these cropping systems consumed only 108–159mmyr−1 groundwater for irrigation, a value close to the theoretical value of 150mmyr−1 to avoid a continuing decline in the groundwater table in this region. However, W/S–M treatment had grain yield reductions of −23% and M treatment had −30%, and only W/M–M maintained grain yields relative to Chem. W/M. We therefore recommend the W/M–M management package as a preferred option to maintain grain yields together with low GWP and GHGI while mitigating the decline in the groundwater table in areas with a high water deficit.

Improving minimum detectable differences in the assessment of soil organic matter change in short‐term field experiments

AbstractThe demand for information on cropping system impact on soil organic matter (SOM) calls for efforts to improve the utilization of short‐term field experiments (e.g., to evaluate the parameterization of cropping systems in models). Those approaches have coped with the problem of determining small SOM changes within a large background mass. Thus, objectives of this survey are (1) the improvement of the minimum detectable difference (MDD) in SOM in the hudycrop short‐term field experiment by methods of sampling design and data treatment, (2) the verification to what extend the hudycrop short‐term field experiment allows for the determination of management induced effects on SOM, and (3) the investigation to what extent the obtained results may be suitable to evaluate the parameterization of a SOM balance model. The design of the hudycrop is suitable for excluding outliers plotwise. The estimation of plot means can be improved by the sampling design. Instead of determining a single plot mean in a mixed sampling procedure, the design provides multiple values for each plot, allowing for the identification of extreme values before calculating plot means. In consequence, minimum detectable differences decrease by a factor of 0.53 for soil organic C (SOC) and 0.63 for soil total N (STN) masses, allowing for detection of changes in the magnitude of 3.7 and 2.6% of background SOC and STN levels, respectively. Differences between treatments, however, are significant with corrected values (after outlier exclusion) for the crop production systems with the highest impact (potatoes and mulched red clover). Determining outliers based on Student's t‐test gives the lowest MDD and is therefore considered to be the most suitable method in this case. Correlations between apparent changes and SOM balances according to the HU‐MOD–2 model, used in this survey, indicate that the experimental design, in principal, is suitable for the evaluation of the parameterization of crop production systems in models. Still, an improved precision in SOM change detection is necessary. Reasonable options for that purpose are discussed in the paper.

Insect pests and their natural enemies on spring oilseed rape in Estonia : impact of cropping systems

To investigate the impact of different cropping systems, the pests, their hymenopteran parasitoids and predatory ground beetles present in two spring rape crops in Estonia, in 2003, were compared. One crop was grown under a standard (STN) cropping system and the other under a minimised (MIN) system. The STN system plants had more flowers than those in the MIN system, and these attracted significantly more Meligethes aeneus, the only abundant and real pest in Estonia. Meligethes aeneus had two population peaks: the first during opening of the first flowers and the second, the new generation, during ripening of the pods. The number of new generation M. aeneus was almost four times greater in the STN than in the MIN crop. More carabids were caught in the MIN than in STN crop. The maximum abundance of carabids occurred two weeks before that of the new generation of M. aeneus, at the time when M. aeneus larvae were dropping to the soil for pupation and hence were vulnerable to predation by carabids.

Cropping system impact on soil quality determinants

Worldwide interest in soil quality evaluation has increased rapidly throughout the past decade, prompting us to evaluate the long-term impact of four cropping systems on several biological, chemical and physical determinants of soil quality. We hypothesized that after 17 years several of the determinants would show significant differences between conventional cereal and low input/organic rotations. Four crop rotations were imposed on a silt soil from 1982 through 1999. Rotation A was a conventionally managed cereal rotation that received 100% of the recommended mineral fertilizer each year. Rotation B was also managed conventionally from 1982 until 1993, although it received only 50% of the recommended mineral fertilizer. From 1994 through 1999, rotation B was managed as an organic rotation. Rotations C and D were low-input rotations with plant residues returned either untreated (C)or composted (D)from 1982 until 1994.From 1994 through 1999,they were also anaged organically. Significant decreases in extractable phosphorus (P)and potassium were observed in rotations C and D compared with rotation A, presumably because their yearly nutrient inputs were somewhat lower. The amount of soil organic carbon (Corg), soil water holding capacity, the numbers and biomass of earthworms and the microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were or tended to be higher in low input/organic than in conventionally managed plots. These effects may be in connection with the slightly increased levels of Corg in soil of the organic rotations. Activities of twelve enzymes were strongly affected by sampling time (early-versus late-summer), but much less by long-term management. Litter decomposition, numbers of soil nematodes, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)fungal diversity,AM spore density and AM functioning were little affected by rotation. However,AM spore density correlated positively with the high amounts of extractable calcium and P which were a result from excessive liming applied to some plots in 1982. The crucial question to be answered in future is whether plant growth and yield will correlate with the changes in soil properties. This question will be dealt with in a further paper using data from the same experiment.;