Integrated Fertility Research Articles

Pollination Methods and Integrated Fertilizer Influenced the Pollination Rate, Fruit Development, and Quality of Cucumis melo L. under Greenhouse Conditions

This study was conducted to determine the effect of pollination methods (PMs) and integrated fertilizer (IF) application on the pollination rate, yield, and fruit quality of rockmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. Reticulatus cv. Glamour). This factorial experiment was arranged in a split plot design with four replications. Two rates of IF between chemical (CF) and organic (OF) fertilizer were investigated, namely, T1 (100% CF), which served as a control, and T2 (75% CF + 25% OF). The three PMs used in this study were natural (NP), bee (BP), and human (HP) pollination. Data collection included the pollination rate, yield, postharvest quality (soluble solids content, color, firmness, sugar, and organic acid), and macronutrient content in leaf tissue. The results of this study showed that there was an interaction of the pollination rate between PM and IF; however, the number of bees that survived decreased over time. The yield quality showed an interaction between PM and IF for both the fruit diameter and weight, while no interaction between PM and IF for the organic acid and sugar contents was observed. In conclusion, T2 application combined with BP reduced CF utilization, which benefits the development of a sustainable rockmelon production system.

Antioxidant capacity and polyphenols in buckwheat seeds from fenugreek/buckwheat intercrops as influenced by fertilization

A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different intercropping ratios and fertilizer types on antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC) and content of main flavonoids of buckwheat seeds (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench). The treatments consisted of sole cropping of buckwheat (B), fenugreek (F), and three intercropping ratios (F:B = 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1) under three fertilizer types: chemical fertilizer (CF), integrated fertilizer (IF) and broiler litter (BL). The buckwheat seeds grown in intercropping had higher antioxidant activity measured by DPPH (20.2% in 2014 and 29.6 in 2015) and FRAP (16.9% in 2014 and 29.9% in 2015) assay, TPC (13.6% in both years), TFC (22.9% in 2014 and 11.3% in 2015), flavonoids such as rutin (12.4% in 2014 and 10.8% in 2015), vitexin (10.4% in 2014 and 14.2% in 2015), isovitexin (18.1% in 2014 and 7.8% in 2015), orientin (7.3% in 2014 and 7.07% in 2015), isoorientin (6.6% in 2014 and 9.6% in 2015) and hyperoside (25.1% in 2014 and 27.4% in 2015) than with sole cropping. The intercropping ratio of F:B (2:1) was the most suitable for promoting the tested antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds. Overall, the IF and BL showed significant benefits compared to CF for all detected compounds in both sole and intercrops.

Productivity and nutrient use efficiency with integrated fertilization of buckwheat\u2013fenugreek intercrops

Intercrops and organic fertilizers can improve the productivity of cropping systems due to increased soil nutrient availability and plant nutrient use efficiency. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different intercropping ratios and fertilizer types on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and yields of fenugreek and buckwheat at the research farm of Shahrekord University, Iran. The treatments consisted of sole cropping of fenugreek (F), buckwheat (B) and three intercropping ratios (F:B = 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1) under three fertilizer types: chemical fertilizer (CF), integrated fertilizer (IF) and broiler litter (BL). At flowering and at harvest, intercropping increased total above-ground dry matter (TAGDM), total seed yield, N and P concentrations (plant) and uptake. The applied N use efficiency and applied N recovery efficiency (ANUE, ANRE) in the intercropped plots were also higher as compared to the sole cropping. The intercropping ratio of F:B (2:1) was the most suitable for improving the tested nutrient variables. The IF and BL showed significant benefits as compared to CF, for TAGDM, total seed yield, NC and PC in the plant, as well as N and P uptake in sole and intercrops. For ANUE and ANRE, CF proved to be more effective. This study showed that a 2:1 fenugreek–buckwheat intercropped system with the application of IF and BL can successfully be implemented for improving productivity, N and P contents of fenugreek and buckwheat as well as the nutrient land equivalent ratio (compared with sole cropping with CF) under semi-arid growing conditions.

Managing Soil Carbon and Nitrogen for Productivity and Environmental Quality

In this study, we investigated the impact of cropping system management on C and N pools, crop yield, and N leaching in a long‐term agronomic experiment in Southwest Michigan. Four management types, conventional (CO), integrated fertilizer (IF), integrated compost (IC), and transitional organic (TO) were applied to two crop sequences, a corn (Zea mays L.)–corn–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation and continuous corn, which were grown with and without cover crops in the IF, IC, and TO managements. Using compost as a fertility source and reducing the use of herbicides and other chemicals resulted in long‐term changes in soil organic matter pools such TO ≥ IC > IF ≥ CO for total C and N and for the labile C and N measured through aerobic incubations at 70 and 150 d. Mineralizable N varied within the rotation, tending to increase after soybean and decrease after corn production in all systems. Corn yield was closely associated with 70‐d N mineralization potential, being greatest for first‐year corn with cover and least for continuous corn without cover under all management types. Although the TO and IC systems produced the lowest yield for second‐year or continuous corn, the combination of soybean and wheat plus red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) always supported high yield for first‐year corn. Fall nitrate level and nitrate leaching were higher for commercially fertilized corn than for any other crop or for compost‐amended corn.