Ridge Cultivation Research Articles

Soil ridge cultivation maintains grain As and Cd at low levels and inhibits As methylation by changing arsM-harboring bacterial communities in paddy soils

The simultaneous mitigation of toxic arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in rice grain remains a global challenge. The over-accumulation of husk dimethylarsinic acid (DMAs) induces the rice straight-head disease, which threatens rice production worldwide. In this study, we investigated various soil ridge height treatments with Eh ranging from − 225–87 mV and pH ranging from 6.3 to 4.1. Soil ridge cultivation can maintain grain As and Cd at low levels for slightly co-contaminated paddy soils, especially when the ridge height is 11 cm (Eh of 43 mV and pH of 4.6), where grain inorganic As decreased—at maximum—by 48% and DMAs by 55%. Grain Cd (0.14 mg kg−1) increased but was still below the limit (0.2 mg kg−1) in China, and the cost of ridging is acceptable. There were definite correlations among porewater As, Cd, Fe, S, and Mn contents across various Eh and pH values. Soil ridge cultivation significantly (P < 0.05) diminished the copy number of As-reducing (harboring arsC and arrA), As-methylating (harboring arsM), and sulfate-reducing (harboring dsrA) bacteria. Moreover, soil ridge cultivation shifted the arsM-harboring microbiota. In response to ridge height increase, the abundance of the bacterial biomarker phylum Euryachaeota declined and the families Halorubrum and Planctomyces were gradually replaced by Sandaracinus in paddy soil.

Comparison of an Innovative Mobile Strip Irrigation System with Full-Area Sprinkler Watering

Highlights Innovative stripwise irrigation directs water only to ridge crests, not furrows. Mobile strip irrigation saved 51% of the carrot water requirements. The uniformity coefficient of the irrigation above the ridges was high. No significant differences in the carrot yield were verified between the irrigation systems. The water use efficiency was higher for the mobile strip irrigation system. ABSTRACT. Irrigation plays an important role in agriculture in temperate regions because of the reduction in rainfall frequency during the spring and summer months along with the increase in average temperature and evapotranspiration. To increase irrigation efficiency, we developed an innovative mobile strip irrigation system for ridge culture. The objective of this pilot study was to compare the new technology with a standard full-area sprinkler system and analyze the yield, flow rate, applied irrigation on the ridges, and variability of the irrigation depths expressed by the Christiansen uniformity coefficient (CUC) and distribution uniformity coefficient (CUD). The experimental design applied the two treatments to carrots grown on eight ridges covering an area of 210 m2. The experiment was conducted at the University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, Germany. The results showed a flow rate ranging from 54.7 to 72.7 l h–1. Good CUC (89%) and excellent CUD (82%) were obtained for the mobile irrigation system, indicating low variability of irrigation depths. The water content in the ridge crest increased to field capacity after irrigation, with a moderate coefficient of variation (14%) among the measurements. In addition, water use reduction with respect to the standard irrigation system of 51% during the treatments, or 29% considering the entire experiment time, was observed, and no significant differences in the total fresh yield between the irrigation systems were verified. Because only a single sprinkler irrigation system with an irrigation efficiency of 80% was used, care must be taken when extrapolating the findings of the present study. High irrigation efficiency sprinkler irrigation systems with multiple sprinklers, which reduce the sprinkler irrigation amount, can be considered in future studies to confirm the increased water usage efficiency of the mobile strip irrigation system. Keywords: Carrots cultivation, Irrigation, Ridge agriculture, Water content, Water distribution, Water saving.

Effects of Waterlogging on Photosynthetic Characteristics and Yield of Summer Peanut

Yield of summer peanut is often reduced due to waterlogging caused by excessive rainfall in flood season. Exploring the effects of waterlogging duration under different cultivation pattern on photosynthetic characteristics and yield of peanut can provide scientific and technological support for dynamic monitoring, evaluation of waterlogging process, disaster prevention and mitigation. Field experiment is carried out in main peanut production area with clay soil. Peanut variety Yuhua 22 is used in field experiment under flat and ridge cultivation patterns. The yield formation process of peanut is divided into three stages: Early, middle and late, and four irrigation treatments (3 days, 5 days, 7 days and 9 days) are designed in these stages. In flat pattern, the depth of water in field is no less than 2 cm during irrigation, and the daily irrigation amount of ridged plots is consistent with that of flat plots. The results show that under the same irrigation amount, the waterlogging lasting days of ridge pattern are reduced by 1 to 5 days, and the flooding days are reduced by 3 to 5 days. The waterlogging duration is 4 to 5 days in 3 days irrigation treatment. Chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate show positive effects, resulting in the increase of dry matter accumulation in stems and leaves. The effects of waterlogging in all stages increase with waterlogging duration, but it has little effect in late stage because of the slow growth of peanut itself. For the 100-seed weight, the effects of heavy waterlogging are most significant in the middle period, followed by the early period, and then the late period. While for other factors, the effects are most significant in the early period. The waterlogging duration in all treatments is between 4 days and 16 days. The effects range from 1.3% to 64.2% on photosynthetic parameters and from 0.9% to -44.9% on biomass and yield. Compared with flat pattern, ridge pattern has less effects due to the decrease of waterlogging duration. The peanut yield loss of each treatment ranges from 3.4% to 11.6% in early stage, and from 1.2% to 6.9% in middle stage. The experiments take possible waterlogging lasting days in peanut production and two different cultivation patterns (flat and ridge) into consideration reasonably. The results are of great significance to enhance the capacity of disaster prevention and mitigation in peanut production.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ОБРАБОТКИ ПОЧВЫ И УДОБРЕНИЙ НА УРОЖАЙНОСТЬ И КАЧЕСТВО ЗЕРНА ЯРОВОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ

The article presents the results of studies of the influence of soil cultivation methods, mineral fertilizers and biofungicide on yield, grain quality of spring wheat and economic indicators. The studies were carried out in 2018-2020. The soil of the experimental site is represented by slightly leached heavy loamy chernozem with a humus content of 5.8%. The object of research is spring wheat, grade “Ulyanovskaya 100”. The subject of research is six methods of soil cultivation: 1) moldboard - (plowing by 20-22 cm PLN-4-35) control; 2) differentiated - (plowing 25-27 cm for the previous crop, disking 6-8 cm for spring wheat); 3) mulching - (by 10-12 cm APK-3 in spring); 4) comb - (OP-3S for 13-15cm); 5) disk - (paper machine for 6-8cm); 6) flat-carved - (KPSh-3 by 13-15cm). The experiment was carried out on four backgrounds: 1) N0P0K0 (control); 2. Background (N30P30K30 - for pre-sowing cultivation); 3. “Fitotrix”; 4.Background N30P30K30 + Fitotrix. The experiment was repeated four times. The arrangement of the plots is systematic, the total area of the plot is 250 m2 (10 x 25), the accounting area is 125 m2 (5 x 25). The highest yield - 3.73 t/ha, was achieved with the use of differentiated tillage, here the profitability of grain production was 161%, the energy efficiency coefficient was 3.51 units, against plowing, where the indicators were respectively by 0.15 t/ha, 52% and 0.43 units below. The greatest responsiveness in the harvesting of grain from fertilizers was observed in the variant with ridge cultivation, where the increments were 0.49 t/ha against the background of the application of N30P30K30, against the background of N30P30K30 + “Fitotrix” - by 0.96 t/ha relative to the non-fertilized background. The quality characteristics of the grain were similar regardless of the main tillage methods. The highest indicators were observed in the combination of biofungicide with mineral fertilizers, where the increase in gluten and protein was 3.4 and 1.1%, compared with the non-fertilized background

Integrated assessment of carbon footprint, energy budget and net ecosystem economic efficiency from rice fields under different tillage modes in central China

Currently, the effects of different tillage modes on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon footprint (CF), energy budget and net ecosystem economic efficiency (NEEE) in rice fields remain unclear. In the present study, three tillage modes were tested, including rice conventional cultivation with intensive till (CT), conventional flat cultivation with no-till (FNT) and ridge cultivation with no-till (RNT) in Dafasi town, Wuxue city, Hubei province, China. This study for the first time evaluates the effects of RNT on agricultural GHG emissions, grain yield, CF, energy budget and NEEE. Compared with CT and FNT, RNT reduced the soil CH4 emissions by 29.5% and 9.9%, respectively. CT resulted in 15.8% and 23.1% lower total GHG emissions than FNT and RNT, respectively, due to lower soil CH4 emissions. Moreover, RNT significant decreased the CF by 35.7% and 18.2% relative to CT and FNT, respectively. The net energy, energy efficiency and energy productivity under RNT were 41.2%, 25.0% and 26.7% higher than those under CT, respectively, while the specific energy under RNT was 24.7% lower than that under CT. The NEEE under RNT was 1.66 and 1.20 folds of that under CT and FNT, respectively. In conclusion, this study recommends that RNT is an environmentally safe tillage mode for reducing GHG emissions and CF, and improving energy use efficiency and NEEE for rice production in China and similar agro-eco-regions elsewhere in the world.

Resource-Saving Methods for Growing Rice in the Krasnodar Territory

The world practice of rice cultivation has shown that rice cultivation by traditional methods for Russia is labor-intensive, resource-intensive, ineffective with low profitability, and often unprofitable production. As a result, traditional methods of flooding rice paddies in Russia are faced with a shortage and high cost of irrigation water and a reduction in rice irrigation systems, i.e., areas suitable for rice cultivation. For solving the problem of unprofitable rice production, an analysis of the world practice of rice production has been implemented. The analysis showed that the most optimal solution for the natural and climatic conditions of the Krasnodar Territory is the cultivation of rice using sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation. Further analysis showed that drip irrigation is the most promising way of growing rice, which has many undeniable advantages. The main advantages of drip irrigation are the low irrigation rate, labor intensity, and energy intensity of rice production. Therefore, the article proposes a pioneering Russian ridge cultivation method for rice cultivation on the lands of the irrigated rice fund with drip irrigation under plastic and/or biodegradable perforated film. This method will make it possible to radically revise the principles of rice cultivation, form a new generation of rice crop rotations with the inclusion of melons and vegetables in them, and carry out rice production on previously rainfed lands. The implementation of the method has proven the effectiveness and feasibility of our research.

Effects of earthworm breeding under rice ridge cultivation on the growth and yield of rice.

Effects of earthworm breeding under rice ridge cultivation on the growth and yield of rice.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ОБРАБОТКИ ПОЧВЫ НА СОДЕРЖАНИЕ ОСНОВНЫХ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ МИНЕРАЛЬНОГО ПИТАНИЯ

The article presents the results of studies on the influence of methods of basic soil cultivation and fertilizer rates on the content of available forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Experiments were laid in 2012–2018 on chernozem heavy loamy soils typical for most farms in the Ulyanovsk region. The purpose of our research was to determine the influence of the methods of basic soil cultivation and the doses of mineral fertilizers on the nutritional regime with the continuous and local placement of crop residues. The following methods of soil cultivation were studied: 1. Moldboard – (plowing by 20–22 cm PLN-4-35) control; 2. Mouldboardless – (SibIME stands for 20–22 cm), 3. Shallow comb-cultivator – (OP-3S for 10–12 cm), 4. Shallow mulching tillage – (OPO-4.25 for 10–12 cm), 5. Without the main autumn tillage, 6. Peeling with a stubble spreader – (OP-3S by 6–8 cm), 7. Ridge-curling – (OPP-3S with soil deepening up to 30–32 cm). Against the background of treatments for crop rotation, fertilizers were applied in doses of N0P0K0; N30P30K30; N60P60K60. It was found that, against a natural background, the best nitrifying ability was possessed by ridge cultivation with soil deepening, at which the weighted average value of the nitrate nitrogen content was 3.94 mg/100 g, which is 37% more than at zero, by 45% at shallow and 57–58% for conventional moldboard and moldless processing. Plowing improved the conditions for phosphorus and potassium nutrition of plants by 14–27% and 6–11% in comparison with other treatments. When N30P30K30 и N60P60K60 were introduced into the soil, the content of nitrate nitrogen increased by 48% and 84%, phosphorus and potassium by 6% and 17% compared to the non-fertilized background.

Water retention and warming effect of integrated rice management for the hilly areas of southwest China

AbstractSeasonal drought and low temperatures strongly limit rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain yield in the hilly areas of Southwest China. An integrated rice management (IRM) system was developed, which integrates ridge cultivation with plastic mulching, furrow irrigation, and triangular transplanting. A field experiment was conducted from 2011 to 2015. The effects of IRM on grain yield, yield components, soil moisture content (θ), and soil temperature (Tsoil) were evaluated. Compared with traditional rice management (TRM), IRM significantly improved grain yield by 29.9%. Furthermore, the yield of IRM (8181−9267 kg ha−1, CV: 7.6%) remained relatively stable. The rice tiller of TRM was highly related to the accumulated rainfall during the rice tillering stage in drought years (2011 and 2014). The water retention capability of IRM decreased the influence of interannual rainfall on rice growth and grain yield. In 2015, the θ in the 0−20‐cm layer was higher than the threshold for rice root growth over the rice‐growing season. Compared with TRM, Tsoil of the 0−20‐cm layer in IRM was 4.7 °C higher during the early tillering stage. The &gt;10 °C soil effective accumulated temperature in IRM was also higher, and the difference was highest at the maximum tillering stage. The warming effect of IRM, particularly during the tillering stage, stimulated early growth and stronger tillering. In summary, the water retention capacity and warming effect of IRM were key factors for the improvement of rice yield; most importantly, the yields were stabilized in both drought and rainy years.

Reducing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses from Different Crop Types in the Water Source Area of the Danjiang River, China.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for plant growth and are the primary limiting nutrient elements. The loss of nitrogen and phosphorus in agricultural systems can cause the eutrophication of natural water bodies. In this paper, a field simulated rainfall experiment was conducted in a typical small watershed of the Danjiang River to study the nutrient loss process of nitrogen and phosphorus in slope croplands subjected to different crops and tillage measures. The characteristics of the runoff process and nutrient migration of different slope treatments were studied, which were the bare-land (BL, as the control), peanut monoculture (PL), corn monoculture (CL), bare land (upper slope) mixed with peanut monoculture (lower slope) (BP), corn and peanut intercropping (TCP), corn and soybean intercropping (TCS), downslope ridge cultivation (BS) slope, and straw-mulched (SC), respectively. The results showed that the runoff of CL, SC, TCS, BS, BP, PL and TCP slope types were 93%, 75%, 51%, 39%, 28%, 12%, and 6% of the those of the bare land, respectively. The total nitrogen concentration in runoff on different slope types decreased in the order of BP > PL > BS > SC > TCP > BL > CL > TCS. The BL was characterized with the highest NRL-TN (the loss of total nitrogen per unit area), with the value of 1.188 kg/hm2, while those of the TCP is the smallest with the value of 0.073 kg/hm2. The total phosphorus concentration in runoff decreasd in the order of BS > BP > PL > BL > TCP > SC > CL > TCS. The PRL-TP (the loss of total phosphorus per unit area) of BL is the largest (0.016 kg/hm2), while those of TCP is the smallest (0.001 kg/hm2). These indicate that the loss of nitrogen is much higer than that of phosphorus. The loss of nitrogen in runoff is dominated by nitrate nitrogen, which accounts for 54.4%–78.9% of TN. Slope croplands in the water source area should adopt the tillage measures of TCP and PL.These measures can reduce 85% of the runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the bare land. The results may assist in agricultural non-point source pollution control and help promote improved management of the water environment in the Danjiang River’s water source area.

Estimation of Ground Surface and Accuracy Assessments of Growth Parameters for a Sweet Potato Community in Ridge Cultivation

There are only a few studies that have been made on accuracy assessments of Leaf Area Index (LAI) and biomass estimation using three-dimensional (3D) models generated by structure from motion (SfM) image processing. In this study, sweet potato was grown with different amounts of nitrogen fertilization in ridge cultivation at an experimental farm. Three-dimensional dense point cloud models were constructed from a series of two-dimensional (2D) color images measured by a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) paired with SfM image processing. Although it was in the early stage of cultivation, a complex ground surface model for ridge cultivation with vegetation was generated, and the uneven ground surface could be estimated with an accuracy of 1.4 cm. Furthermore, in order to accurately estimate growth parameters from the early growth to the harvest period, a 3D model was constructed using a root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.3 cm for plant height estimation. By using a color index, voxel models were generated and LAIs were estimated using a regression model with an RMSE accuracy of 0.123. Further, regression models were used to estimate above-ground and below-ground biomass, or tuberous root weights, based on estimated LAIs.

Investigation of Runoff and Sediment Yields Under Different Crop and Tillage Conditions by Field Artificial Rainfall Experiments

Crop types and tillage measures on slopes have significant impacts on regional water and soil conservation. In this study, we investigated the influences of multiple crop types and tillage measures on water and sediment yields based on plot-scale experiments under artificial rainfall. The objective of the study is to find the best combination of crop type and tillage measure from the perspective of reducing soil erosion. We performed artificial rainfall experiments under eight slope treatments, which are the bare-land (BL, as a reference), peanut monoculture (PL), corn monoculture (CL), bare land (upper slope) mixed with peanut monoculture (lower slope) (BP), corn and peanut intercropping (TCP), corn and soybean intercropping (TCS), downslope ridge cultivation (BS) slope, and straw-mulched (SC), respectively. Under similar rainfall intensity and initial soil moisture conditions, these treatments except for BS efficiently reduced sediment yield compared to the BL slope. In comparison, the most effective slope treatment to reduce soil erosion is TCP, followed by PL and TCS. The amount of sediment yielded from the three treatments accounts for 0.4%, 2.0%, and 3.3% of the sediment yielded from BL. We recommend the three slope treatments as the preferred choices among eight treatments. Also, the lower sediment yield in the three slope treatments benefits from their higher vegetation coverage. Vegetation coverage plays a greater role in regulating sediment yield than the surface runoff at a plot scale.

Effects of seed furrow liquid spraying device on sowing quality and seedling growth of maize

The two cultivation patterns, no-tillage and ridge cultivation, are widely used in maize planting in Northeast China. However, the seed bounce in the falling process and drought seriously at the seedling stage often occur to affect the sowing quality, mean emergence time, percentage of emergence, root biomass, aboveground biomass and root shoot ratio of maize, and eventually reduces the grain yield. To solve the problems, a seed furrow liquid spraying device was designed and thereby the effects of spraying water volumes [0 L/m (V0), 0.6 L/m (V1), 1.2 L/m (V2) and 1.8 L/m (V3)] and nozzle types [conical nozzle (N1) and sectorial nozzle (N2)] on the sowing quality and seedling growth of maize were studied. The water volume and nozzle type had significant effects on the sowing quality (QR, CV, LD), not seedling growth (MET, PE, RB, AB, RSR) (p V2 > V1 > V0). However, the variability coefficient of seed spacing and lateral deviation of seed position were the opposite. The larger spraying water volume led to shorter mean emergence time (V0 > V1 > V2 > V3) and higher percentage of emergence (V3 > V2 > V1 > V0). The root biomass and aboveground biomass increased significantly with the enlargement of spraying water volume. Under different water volumes, the root shoot ratio differed significantly. The plants in the V1, V2 and V3 treatments had lower root shoot ratios compared with the V0 treatment. The increase of spraying water volume significantly reduced the root shoot ratio. The seed furrow liquid spraying device provides a reference for improving sowing quality and promoting seedling growth. Keywords: seed bounce, drought, spraying water volume, nozzle type, seed spacing uniformity, root shoot ratio DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20191202.3799 Citation: Wang W J, Wang W P, Jia H L, Zhuang J, Wang Q. Effects of seed furrow liquid spraying device on sowing quality and seedling growth of maize. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2019; 12(2): 68–74.

Effects of seed furrow liquid spraying device on sowing quality and seedling growth of maize

The two cultivation patterns, no-tillage and ridge cultivation, are widely used in maize planting in Northeast China. However, the seed bounce in the falling process and drought seriously at the seedling stage often occur to affect the sowing quality, mean emergence time, percentage of emergence, root biomass, aboveground biomass and root shoot ratio of maize, and eventually reduces the grain yield. To solve the problems, a seed furrow liquid spraying device was designed and thereby the effects of spraying water volumes [0 L/m (V0), 0.6 L/m (V1), 1.2 L/m (V2) and 1.8 L/m (V3)] and nozzle types [conical nozzle (N1) and sectorial nozzle (N2)] on the sowing quality and seedling growth of maize were studied. The water volume and nozzle type had significant effects on the sowing quality (QR, CV, LD), not seedling growth (MET, PE, RB, AB, RSR) (p V2 > V1 > V0). However, the variability coefficient of seed spacing and lateral deviation of seed position were the opposite. The larger spraying water volume led to shorter mean emergence time (V0 > V1 > V2 > V3) and higher percentage of emergence (V3 > V2 > V1 > V0). The root biomass and aboveground biomass increased significantly with the enlargement of spraying water volume. Under different water volumes, the root shoot ratio differed significantly. The plants in the V1, V2 and V3 treatments had lower root shoot ratios compared with the V0 treatment. The increase of spraying water volume significantly reduced the root shoot ratio. The seed furrow liquid spraying device provides a reference for improving sowing quality and promoting seedling growth. Keywords: seed bounce, drought, spraying water volume, nozzle type, seed spacing uniformity, root shoot ratio DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20191202.3799 Citation: Wang W J, Wang W P, Jia H L, Zhuang J, Wang Q. Effects of seed furrow liquid spraying device on sowing quality and seedling growth of maize. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2019; 12(2): 68–74.

Simulation of soil water and heat flow in ridge cultivation with plastic film mulching system on the Chinese Loess Plateau

A widespread measure for improvement of soil water use efficiency (WUE) in the semi-arid region of China is ridge cultivation with plastic film mulching system. However, the modification of soil water and heat flow under this management system is not well understood. The objective of this study was to understand soil water and heat coupling processes by monitoring and modeling of soil water and temperature dynamics in this system that is commonly used on the semi-arid Chinese Loess Plateau. Four treatments were investigated: conventional fertilization (CK, control), recommended fertilization (RF), straw mulching based on RF (SM), and straw mulching in furrows plus plastic film mulching on soil ridges based on RF (FM). Based on the field monitoring results, the process-based model HYDRUS-2D was calibrated to simulate the soil hydrothermal processes for the different treatments, each represented by specific boundary conditions at the soil surface. The model simulations have a good agreement with the field observation, showed that there are significant differences in soil water contents (5%) among the four treatments, with the FM treatment having the highest water storage and the highest WUE. While soil daily mean temperature was very similar, the daily temperature fluctuations were significantly higher under the plastic film mulching compared to the other treatments. The FM treatment performed better during the cold year than a warm year, improved crop production and water resource use through reduced evaporation and elevated transpiration. The modeling approach presented here is an efficient way to clarify the mechanisms of root-zone water and temperature dynamics under mulching and/or tillage that could be adopted for optimizing soil hydrothermal management in this region.

Yield performance of Russian dandelion transplants (Taraxacum koksaghyz L. Rodin) in flat bed and ridge cultivation with different planting densities

Abstract As shown for other valuable crops, transplanting of wild rubber-producing Taraxacum koksaghyz (Tks) could be an option to counteract poor field emergence and stand establishment after direct seeding. Field trials (spring planting, autumn harvest) were conducted in 2012 and 2013 on a loamy soil (Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany) to investigate the influence of different planting beds (flat, ridge) and planting densities (222,222 plants/ha, 88,889/133,333 plants/ha) on the yield performance of Tks. Between planting date and harvest significant plant losses of 43–48% occurred across all treatments in both trial years. Major plant losses occurred within the first month after transplanting. The achieved planting density (APD) at harvest was significantly influenced by year, targeted planting density (TPD) and type of planting bed. Nearly all yield parameters were significantly influenced by the year of cultivation. There was a significant advantage of ridge over flat bed cultivation regarding achieved planting density, fresh root yield per hectare, and fresh/dry root yield per plant in the season 2013 and within the reduced planting density. In ridge cultivation root yield parameters were increased by 5–13%. Furthermore planting density had a significant effect on biomass yield. There were weak to strong positive linear correlations (r = −0.35 to 0.75) between achieved planting density and biomass per hectare (fresh/dry root/leaf) and moderate negative correlations (r = −0.49 to 0.57) with individual plant yield (fresh/dry root/leaf, rubber/inulin). The presented study demonstrates that transplanting of Tks on ridges can be an option to increase root yield of Tks and that the focus of future research activities should be laid on an optimization of Tks transplant production and management in the field.

Salt characteristics and soluble cations redistribution in an impermeable calcareous saline-sodic soil reclaimed with an improved drip irrigation

Saline-sodic and sodic soils are characterized by the occurrence of excessive Na+ that adversely affect soil properties. Takyric solonetz, a saline-sodic soil with a poor structure, a low permeability (saturated hydraulic conductivity <0.1mmd−1) and a considerable CaCO3, widely distributes in arid regions, Northwest China. A 3-year field experiment was conducted to reclaim this impermeable saline-sodic wasteland with an improved drip irrigation, where a sand-filled niche beneath drip emitter was adopted for ridge cultivation of Lycium barbarum L. Through the extensive sampling in soil transects, the salt characteristics and redistributions of soluble cations were evaluated. Results indicated that the soil properties that hindered takyric solonetz from being reclaimed orderly were, soil salinity, structure, alkalinity, and the concentrations of other ions (e.g. K+). Salt leaching through the water regulation had the highest priority in reclaiming takyric solonetz, and followed by improving soil structure through changing ions composition and reducing soil sodicity. After reclamation, soil Na+ concentrations decreased in root zone, but increased in top layers of ridge slope and furrow, while the increases of K+ were only found beneath drip line, behaving little mobility with water flow. Considerable increases of divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) occurred beneath drip line, but no obvious changes occurred in other regions of soil transect. It was concluded that irrigation water and dissolution of intrinsic CaCO3 provided sufficient Ca2+ to replace the excessive Na+, and the replaced Na+ was leached out of root zone, resulting in a decrease of soil sodicity and improvement of soil structure. The reclamation measures were expected to have good sustainability, which was supported theoretically by the priorities of actions derived from salt characteristics. Thus, this improved drip irrigation provided a potential substitute for the costly amendments to ameliorate impermeable saline-sodic soils, especially with considerable amount of CaCO3.

A heterogeneous potassium supply enhances the leaf potassium concentration of ridge‐cultivated tobacco grown in calcareous soil

AbstractThe high potassium (K)‐fixing capacity of calcareous soils with homogeneous K supply limits crop K concentration. The objective of this study was to determine the increase in the leaf K concentration of tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum L.) with a heterogeneous K supply. Two field experiments were conducted from 2013 to 2015 with five K rates applied in homogeneous environments and one K rate applied in varying fractions of soil volume (from 0% to 100%) in heterogeneous environments. Under ridge culture, leaf biomass was not significantly affected by homogeneous (K rate) or heterogeneous (patch size) K management. Under homogeneous conditions, increasing the K supply to three times the standard rate used by farmers (249 kg K ha−1) increased leaf K concentration significantly, but the effect was limited and not cost‐effective. Heterogeneous supply of K fertilizer at the standard K rate in patches of 0–40% of soil volume outperformed homogeneous K supply in terms of leaf K concentrations. Furthermore, K fertilizer mixed in intermediate soil volume fractions of 1–20% resulted in higher leaf K concentrations than the smallest (0%) and larger (30–40%) soil fractions. However, such K‐rich patch application should be managed precisely with specific placement due to the sharp reduction in available K with increasing distance from the fertilizer. To maximize the sorption of immobile K, the match between the uptake volume of the rhizosphere and the area available for K diffusion is important.

Sensory evaluation of white asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) hybrids

Comprehensive system of sensory evaluation was developed to obtain information on the different varieties by determining asparagus quality parameters. 9 sensory characteristics were estimated to describe flavour differences. The tests were carried out in 4 varieties of white asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) grown on brown humus sand soil by etiolate method in ridge cultivation. The experiment was performed at the University of Debrecen in Debrecen-Pallag. To increase the Hungarian asparagus consumption, a classification of varietiesregarding to asparagus flavour is necessary. In our experiment it could be stated that there are strict correlations (0.892) between the sweetness – total impression and between lacks of unpleasant aftertaste – total impression (0.870). The result of surveys can lead to higher popularity of the asparagus. These results are presented in order to recommend the varieties to producers for a successful marketing. The taste of asparagus is mostly influenced by variety, soil type and growing conditions. In our experiment, ‘Vitalim’ hybrid exceeded by several sensory parameters. This hybrid scored 788.38 over 900. The elder population showed more interest in asparagus consumption than younger ones. 50% of the participants are able to pay only 500-600 HUF/kg. It could be realized to ensure the proper growing place, hybrid and direct trade. Marketing and more information is necessary to increase the popularity of this vegetable among the younger generation.

Crescimento e trocas gasosas de genótipos de feijão-caupi sob estratégias de cultivo

O feijão-caupi tem grande importância econômica, alimentar e social. No Nordeste brasileiro, notadamente nas regiões semiáridas, sua produção é limitada pelo déficit hídrico, sendo necessário identificar genótipos tolerantes atrelados ao uso de tecnologias em seu cultivo. Com isto, objetivou-se avaliar o rendimento de fitomassa e as trocas gasosas de genótipos de feijão-caupi cultivados em diferentes técnicas de conservação de água. O experimento foi realizado em campo, no município de Pombal, na Paraíba, estudando-se quatro técnicas de retenção de água in situ (camalhão, sulco, bacia e sistema convencional) e seis genótipos de feijão-caupi (1. Costela de Vaca, 2. BRS Itaim, 3. BRS Guariba, 4. BR-17 Gurguéia, 5. BRS Potengi e 6. BRS Aracé) semeados no espaçamento de 0,5 m x 0,5 m, usando o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Os dados das estimativas do rendimento de fitomassa seca e das trocas gasosas das plantas foram submetidos à análise de variância, ao teste F, seguido de testes de comparação de médias, teste de Tukey. O cultivo em sulcos e em camalhão deram melhor resultados do que o sistema convencional de plantio e em bacia. As variedades BRS - Potengi, BRS - Aracé e BRS - Guariba tiveram melhor crescimento e trocas gasosas das plantas.