Implementation Of No-tillage Research Articles

No-tillage with straw retention influenced maize root growth morphology by changing soil physical properties and aggregate structure in Northeast China: A ten-year field experiment

Conservation tillage, particularly the implementation of no-tillage and straw retention (NTS), has been proposed as an effective practice to enhance soil structure and improve soil quality in Northeast China. However, the impact of NTS on maize (Zea mays L.) root growth morphology and the influence of tillage practices on maize root morphology through soil physical properties and structure in Northeast China remain understudied. To address this knowledge gap, a continuous ten-year experiment was conducted to assess the effects of NTS on soil physical properties, aggregate structure, maize root morphology, and their interconnections. Our findings demonstrate that the NTS treatment significantly increased soil water content and soil bulk density at depths of 0–5 cm (1.6%) and 5–10 cm (2.2%), while decreasing soil porosity at depths of 0–5 cm (1.4%) and 5–10 cm (2.0%) compared to conventional tillage (CT). Additionally, NTS resulted in a higher content of soil macro-aggregates (> 0.25 mm) and improved soil aggregate stability compared to CT. Notably, root length, root surface area, root volume, and root biomass in the NTS treatment were 6.04%, 22.15%, 10.04%, and 9.29% higher than those in CT, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in root diameter between the two tillage practices. These results reveal that NTS induces alterations in soil physical properties, aggregate size distribution and aggregate stability, thereby affecting maize root growth morphology.

Modelling adaptation measures to improve maize production and reduce soil N2O emissions under climate change in Northeast China

Optimizing management practices is essential to guarantee crop yield and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the sustainable agricultural production under climate change. The objectives of this study were to i) calibrate and evaluate the Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model using the measurements of maize yield, nitrogen (N) uptake, soil temperature, soil moisture, soil inorganic N and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a 5-year maize field experiment in Northeast China (NEC) and ii) simulate the impacts of climate change on maize yield and N2O emissions and explore adaptation strategies based on DNDC modelling. For N-fertilized treatments (farmers’ practice, FP-N; current optimized management, OPT-N), the DNDC model overall showed “good” performance in simulating maize yield, aboveground biomass, N uptake and soil inorganic N based on the average statistical values. The model also performed well in simulating soil moisture, soil temperature and N2O emissions. For N-unfertilized treatments, however, the DNDC model overestimated crop yield and N uptake mainly due to the overestimation of crop growth under low-temperature stress conditions, and the underestimation of soil inorganic N resulted from the underestimated N mineralization and N availability from the dissolved inorganic N pools under continuous N deficiency. The DNDC model showed that compared to the baseline scenario, future climate change would improve the maize yield (1.4–8.8%) while increasing the N2O emissions (37.6–83.4%) without adaptation measures in NEC. Compared to OPT-N management, solely adjusting N fertilization rate (200–220 kg N ha−1) would concurrently increase maize yield (5.0–8.7%) and N2O emissions (0.9–18.6%), while the adoption of optimized planting dates (April 27th to May 18th), new cultivars (with thermal degree days ranging from 2550 to 2700 °C), and the implementation of no-tillage and maize-soybean rotation would increase the maize yield by 1.8–8.9% and reduce the N2O emissions by 0.7–26.5% under future climate change scenarios. This study provided insights into the adaptive management strategies for the sustainable maize production under climate change in NEC.

Predicting soybean evapotranspiration and crop water productivity for a tropical environment using the CSM-CROPGRO-Soybean model

Prediction of crop yield, evapotranspiration, and crop water productivity are essential aspects for water management and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. The goal of this study was to evaluate the Cropping System Model (CSM)-CROPGRO-Soybean model for simulating evapotranspiration and crop water productivity of soybean grown in a tropical environment. Energy balance evapotranspiration was measured daily using a Bowen Ratio Energy Balance (BREB) system for irrigated experiments that were conducted in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 growing seasons. Evapotranspiration was simulated with the CROPGRO-Soybean model using either the Priestley–Taylor or the FAO-56 Penman–Monteith method for potential ET combined with either the Ritchie-Two-Stage or the Suleiman–Ritchie soil water evaporation methods. The model provided good predictions of daily (D-statistic > 0.7) and cumulative evapotranspiration (RMSE ranged from 8 to 64 mm). FAO-56 Penman–Monteith with the Ritchie-Two-Stage method provided a better fit than the Priestley–Taylor with Suleiman–Ritchie when compared with measured data. Simulated crop water productivity agreed well with observed, but with a systematic underprediction (variation between simulated and measured ranged from -2.2 to -16.8 %). Simulation of long-term scenarios was conducted for different tropical environments, i.e., Piracicaba and Teresina, with soil tillage and water management practices. The results demonstrated that the implementation of no-tillage can increase 0.1 kg/m3 (11%) crop water productivity for grain. This study also showed that when irrigation was triggered at more than 60% of available soil water, irrigation did not result in an increase in yield despite an increase in water supply.

No-tillage implementation: Analyzis on water-based sediment flow in the Marombas River, Brazil

ABSTRACT Water erosion is influenced by climate, soil, soil cover and soil conservation practices. These factors can be modified by natural (especially climate) and/or anthropogenic (especially soil, soil cover and conservation practices) actions. The relief factor also influences the water erosion and can also be partially modified by anthropic action. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic action due to the introduction of soil crop in no-tillage system on water erosion, and on the consequent flow of sediments in the water. The study was carried out in the Marombas river basin with an area of 3,939 km², using the Soil Water Assessment Tools (SWAT) model. The calibration and validation of the model for sediment production was carried out with a historical series of synthetic data. The data from this series were estimated by linear regression from sediment value load and the average daily flow obtained punctually in the basin’s outlet. The SWAT model was calibrated on a daily scale with data from 1979 to 1989 and was validated with data from 1994 and 1997. The SWAT model was suitable to represent the average daily flow and sediment flow in the Marombas watershed. The hypothesis of reduced sediment production with increasing soil crop in no-tillage system was accepted.

Short Term Cotton Lint Yield Improvement with Cover Crop and No-Tillage Implementation

No-tillage has been used for mitigating wind erosion on the Southern High Plains US for decades. This study investigated the effects of tillage and nitrogen (N) fertilizer timing on cotton lint yield, fiber quality, and seed N content during a three-year transition from conventional tillage (CT) to a no-tillage system both with a wheat (Triticum aestivum) cover crop (NTW) and without a cover crop (NT). Lint yield was different between tillage systems within each year with the NTW system producing greater lint yield than the CT system in the second and third year of the transition period. The concentration of cotton seed N was not different within years, although it was decreased in the no N added control in the third year. Cotton fiber strength was increased in the NTW system compared to the CT system in the second year of the study. However, the CT system produced increased fiber strength compared to the other two systems in 2018 and is likely the result of late-season weather conditions. It was determined that implementing a NTW system may increase lint yield within the first few years and has no effect on most fiber quality parameters, especially in environmentally challenging conditions.

Modeling the impacts of agricultural management strategies on crop yields and sediment yields using APEX in Guizhou Plateau, southwest China

The Guizhou Plateau, located in southwest (SW) China, is largely underlain by carbonate rocks and occupied by karst landscapes. Even though erosion rates are comparatively low, soil loss is still a serious land degradation problem on this plateau because soils are generally thin. Grain productivity is relatively low. Amounts of fertilizers applied, quantity of irrigation water supplied and tillage methods have changed for corn, rice and wheat at the Shaying Watershed on the Plateau during 1960–2010. So the APEX model was used to simulate grain yields of the three crops and sediment yields from the three crop-fields for the 50 years. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impacts of these management strategies on crop productivity and soil erosion in the Watershed and thus applicability of APEX in this watershed and other similar watersheds on the Plateau. Results of 40 field experiments designed for different agricultural management strategies were selected for model calibration and validation. The calibrated model was able to replicate the annual crop yields with Relative Root Mean-Squared Error (RRMSE) ≥0.93 and Nash-Sutclifte efficiencies ≥0.48. The simulated grain yields have generally increased and sediment yields have decreased with increases of the amounts of fertilizers applied and quantities of irrigation water supplied and implementation of no-tillage during the 50 years. The simulated sediment yields have displayed similar changes in erosion to those revealed by a record of two reservoir-sediment cores within 1960–1970, 1970–1980 and 1980–1990 but different ones from those within 1990–2000. The results of this study suggest that the changes in agricultural management strategies have somehow altered grain yields and sediment yields in the Watershed and APEX is applicable in examining the impacts of different management schemes in this and other similar watersheds on the Plateau.

Agronomic performance of common bean in straw mulch systems and topdressing nitrogen rates in no-tillage

ABSTRACTIn no-tillage systems, straw coverage on soil surface is the key to success, and the choice of crops for rotation is crucial to achieve the sustainability and quality that conservation agriculture requires. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic performance of the common bean cultivar IAC Formoso sown in succession to three straw mulch systems (corn alone, corn/Urochloa ruziziensisintercrop and U. ruziziensisalone) and topdress nitrogen rates (0; 40; 80; 120 and 160 kg ha-1N), at the four-leaf stage, three years after the implementation of no-tillage. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block split plot design, with three replications. Common bean highest yields were achieved in succession to U. ruziziensisalone and intercropped with corn. The corn/U. ruziziensisintercrop provided both straw and seed production, allowing for quality no-tillage. Topdressed nitrogen influenced the common bean yield when in succession to corn alone, U. ruziziensisalone and corn/U. ruziziensisintercrop in no-tillage.

Vertical tillage impacts on water quality derived from rainfall simulations

Increasing soluble phosphorus (SP) loads to Lake Erie occurring around the same time as the implementation of no-tillage in the watershed has led to speculation that this important conservation practice is a primary cause of the SP loading. Thus, conservationists are interested in finding management practices that will minimize stratification of P, which may be common in no-tillage systems, while also minimizing erosion losses that result from conventional tillage practices. As no-tillage was marketed as a practice to decrease sediment and total P (TP) loads, it is important to examine adoption of future conservation practices for their impact on multiple resource concerns. This study was conducted to determine if a shallow vertical tillage practice was sufficient to minimize P, N and atrazine loading from long-term no-tillage fields in a corn-soybean rotation, while maintaining minimal erosion. Rainfall simulations (average intensity of 53mmh−1) were performed on no-tillage and vertical tillage plots (5×1m) sufficient to produce 30min of runoff. Runoff was collected every 2.5min, and analyzed for sediment and nutrients (NH4–N, NO3–N, total Kjehldahl N (TKN), SP and TP). Runoff was delayed by 17min using vertical tillage; however, the steady-state rate of runoff was significantly greater from vertical tillage compared to no-tillage. There were no significant differences for N from runoff (NH4–N, NO3–N, or TKN). There was a trend of slightly higher SP loads from vertical tillage than no-tillage. Total P losses were correlated with sediment, and were observed to be higher from vertical tillage than no-tillage. The primary advantage that vertical tillage has with respect to nutrient losses is in delaying runoff initiation, however this effect could be nullified in subsequent runoff events. If P loading to surface waters is the primary concern, it would appear from the data presented in this study that vertical tillage may not be an appropriate practice, and in fact may impose greater risks due to greater erosion and associated TP losses.