Spring Crops Research Articles

Soil microbial community composition by crop type under rotation diversification

BackgroundCrop rotation is an important agricultural practice that often affects the metabolic processes of soil microorganisms through the composition and combination of crops, thereby altering nutrient cycling and supply to the soil. Although the benefits of crop rotation have been extensively discussed, the effects and mechanisms of different crop combinations on the soil microbial community structure in specific environments still need to be analyzed in detail.Materials and methodsIn this study, six crop rotation systems were selected, for which the spring crops were mainly tobacco or gramineous crops: AT (asparagus lettuce and tobacco rotation), BT (broad bean and tobacco rotation), OT (oilseed rape and tobacco rotation), AM (asparagus lettuce and maize rotation), BM (broad bean and maize rotation), and OR (oilseed rape and rice rotation). All crops had been cultivated for > 10 years. Soil samples were collected when the rotation was completed in spring, after which the soil properties, composition, and functions of bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed.ResultsThe results indicate that spring cultivated crops play a more dominant role in the crop rotation systems than do autumn cultivated crops. Crop rotation systems with the same spring crops have similar soil properties and microbial community compositions. pH and AK are the most important factors driving microbial community changes, and bacteria are more sensitive to environmental responses than fungi. Rotation using tobacco systems led to soil acidification and a decrease in microbial diversity, while the number of biomarkers and taxonomic indicator species differed between rotation patterns. Symbiotic network analysis revealed that the network complexity of OT and BM was the highest, and that the network density of tobacco systems was lower than that of gramineous systems.ConclusionsDifferent crop rotation combinations influence both soil microbial communities and soil nutrient conditions. The spring crops in the crop rotation systems had stronger dominating effects, and the soil bacteria were more sensitive than the fungi were to environmental changes. The tobacco rotation system can cause soil acidification and thereby affect soil sustainability, while the complexity of soil microbial networks is lower than that of gramineous systems. These results provide a reference for future sustainable applications of rotation crop systems.

The Effect of Biobased N and P Fertilizers in a Winter Wheat–Ryegrass Crop Rotation

Novel recycled fertilizers could help close environmental nutrient cycles in the circular economy. To better understand their performance and residual value, commercially available biobased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers (BBFs) were tested in a two-year crop cycle of winter wheat and ryegrass. The N fertilizer replacement value of N-BBFs ranged from 47 to 80% in the main crop. Not all BBFs led to a similarly high N concentration in the mineral reference wheat straw. However, full and early fertilization with incorporation could make the fertilizing effect of N-BBFs more reliable. The P fertilizer replacement value ranged between 105 and 161% for the crop cycle. We assume that the N contained in biobased phosphorus fertilizers can be seen as unproblematic for losses during winter and can serve as a starter fertilizer already present in the soil for the succeeding crop in spring. In general, biobased P fertilizers had a higher residual value than biobased N fertilizers. However, these residual values were comparable to those of mineral fertilizer references. While P-BBFs proved to be a sustainable and reliable nutrient source for a crop cycle, the N-BBFs used as the main crop fertilizer were found to be more prone to environmental influences.

Use of Indices Applied to Remote Sensing for Establishing Winter–Spring Cropping Areas in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Farmers in Kazakhstan face unreliable water resources. This includes water scarcity in the summer, high fluctuations in precipitation levels, and an increase in extreme weather events such as snow, rain, floods, and droughts. Wheat production is regulated and subsidized by the Kazakh government to strengthen food security. The proper monitoring of crop production is vital to government agencies, as well as insurance and banking structures. These organizations offer subsidies through different levels support. Some farmers already use farmland soil monitoring combined with adaptive combinations of different crops. These include winter–spring plowing crop programs. Winter wheat crops are generally more adaptive and may survive summer droughts. Kazakhstan is a large country with large plots of farmland, which are complicated to monitor. Therefore, it would be reasonable to adapt more efficient technologies and methodologies, such as remote sensing. This research work presents a method for identifying winter wheat crops in the foothills of South Kazakhstan by employing multi-temporal Sentinel-2 data. Here, the researchers adapted and applied a Plowed Land Index, derived from the Brightness Index. The methodology encompasses satellite data processing, the computation of Plowed Land Index values for the swift recognition of plowed fields and the demarcation of winter wheat crop sowing regions, along with a comparative analysis of the acquired data with ground surveys.

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.

How a Long-Term Cover Crop Cultivation Impacts Soil Phosphorus Availability in a No-Tillage System?

The growth of cover crops can contribute to the increase in phosphorus content at depth by root decomposition. The aim of this work was to verify the effect of cover crops on soil phosphorus availability and use by successive plants, and the accumulation of soil P in a no-tillage system conducted for 14 years. This research was carried out during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 crop seasons, whose treatments have been installed and maintained since 2003. The experimental design was a randomized block design, and the plots consisted of spring crops: pearl millet, forage sorghum, sunn hemp, and additionally, a fallow/chiseling area. The evaluation of available P was determined by P fractionation. In general, in the two years of evaluation, the accumulation of P in the shoot dry matter was higher in sunn hemp growth, on average 25% higher than pearl millet in 2016 and 40% higher than sorghum in 2017. The highest contents of labile inorganic P were in the sorghum-soybean and fallow/chiseling-soybean successions, with values higher than 50 mg kg-1 of P in the 0-0.1 m soil layer. However, in the other layers analyzed, the cover crops obtained higher availability of labile inorganic P. The systems using cover crops recovered 100% of the P fertilized in soybean.

Distribution and Variation of Soil Water and Salt before and after Autumn Irrigation

Autumn irrigation is a key measure for alleviating soil salinity and promoting sustainable agricultural development in the Hetao Irrigation district; however, only a part of farmland is irrigated in autumn during the non-growth period of crops, which leads to the redistribution of soil water and salt between autumn-irrigated land (AIL) and adjacent non-autumn-irrigated land (NAIL) after autumn irrigation. To explore the distribution and variation of soil water and salt in different positions of AIL and NAIL after local autumn irrigation and reveal the interaction range between AIL and NAIL, field experiments were carried out for two years in typical test areas. The results showed that compared with non-autumn irrigation, autumn irrigation improved the distribution uniformity of soil water and salt profiles in both horizontal and vertical directions; after autumn irrigation, the water content of the soil at the nearest sampling point to the boundary in the AIL increased the least, but the desalination rate was the greatest, while the water and salt contents of the soil within 45 m from the sampling points to the boundary in the NAIL both increased significantly. NAIL received the drainage of AIL and made the groundwater level after the rise in AIL fell quickly back, but unreasonable autumn irrigation caused the groundwater level of AIL to remain at a high level before freezing, exacerbating the risk of groundwater carrying salts to the surface soil during the freezing and thawing period, detrimental to the growth of crops in the next spring. The research results are of great significance to the rational use of farmland water resources and the improvement of soil salinization in cold and dry areas.

Elevated ROS Levels Caused by Reductions in GSH and AsA Contents Lead to Grain Yield Reduction in Qingke under Continuous Cropping.

Continuous spring cropping of Qingke (Hordeum viilgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.) results in a reduction in grain yield in the Xizang autonomous region. However, knowledge on the influence of continuous cropping on grain yield caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced stress remains scarce. A systematic comparison of the antioxidant defensive profile at seedling, tillering, jointing, flowering, and filling stages (T1 to T5) of Qingke was conducted based on a field experiment including 23-year continuous cropping (23y-CC) and control (the first year planted) treatments. The results reveal that the grain yield and superoxide anion (SOA) level under 23y-CC were significantly decreased (by 38.67% and 36.47%), when compared to the control. The hydrogen peroxide content under 23y-CC was 8.69% higher on average than under the control in the early growth stages. The higher ROS level under 23y-CC resulted in membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO) and accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) at later stages, with an average increment of 29.67% and 3.77 times higher than that in control plants. Qingke plants accumulated more hydrogen peroxide at early developmental stages due to the partial conversion of SOA by glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and other production pathways, such as the glucose oxidase (GOD) and polyamine oxidase (PAO) pathways. The reduced regeneration ability due to the high oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to GSH ratio resulted in GSH deficiency while the reduction in L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH) activity in the AsA biosynthesis pathway, higher enzymatic activities (including ascorbate peroxidase, APX; and ascorbate oxidase, AAO), and lower activities of monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) all led to a lower AsA content under continuous cropping. The lower antioxidant capacity due to lower contents of antioxidants such as flavonoids and tannins, detected through both physiological measurement and metabolomics analysis, further deteriorated the growth of Qingke through ROS stress under continuous cropping. Our results provide new insights into the manner in which ROS stress regulates grain yield in the context of continuous Qingke cropping.

Temporal monitoring of free-living nematode communities for evaluation of soil health in an arable crop rotation

There is a growing interest in finding reliable methods for monitoring soil health using bioindicators. Free-living nematodes are an ideal indicator group because of their rapid response to changes in soil conditions. This UK study aims to assess their efficacy as bioindicators using two field experiments. In Experiment-1, the treatments included Farmyard Manure, Green Manure consisting of a mix of Raphanus sativus and Vicia sp., and Standard Practice serving as the control receiving N-fertiliser only. The same treatments, except Farmyard Manure, were compared in Experiment-2, which was on a sloping site with a different textured soil. Soil samples were collected twice during each crop season, in Spring and Autumn, for Experiment-1, and only in Autumn for Experiment-2. Ecological indices that categorise nematodes by feeding preference using morphological differences and life strategies (i.e. functional guilds) were calculated. Indices were compared with the abundance of nematode trophic groups to evaluate their use as soil indicators for understanding crop management practices and their legacy effects. Results showed that identification to trophic groups alone was not a sufficiently sensitive approach for assessing changes in the selected management practices. The variations among trophic groups and treatments within the same sampling period were significantly different for bacterivores, fungivores, predators, omnivores, and herbivores. These differences did not always cooccur within the same sampling period, with bacterivores and plant-parasites of economic importance showing greater responses. The food web analyses, calculated by applying the Enrichment Index and Structure Index, and Plant Parasite Index, provided a more sensitive indicator and allowed more effective diachronic monitoring. While using the composition of trophic groups appears to be an attractive solution, their application is best linked to quantifying short-term changes in soil condition and were not as well suited to longer-term soil health monitoring.

Simulacija oštećenja od grada na regeneraciju i prinos soje (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)

The most common mechanical damage to soybean in the agroecological conditions of Serbia occurs after the appearance of hail, floods or due to damage from wild animals and insects. In recent years, extreme temperatures accompanied by drought have been increasingly recorded during the summer months, as well as the appearance of hail, which has become frequent during the growing season of spring crops. The aim of this work was to determine the consequences and the extent of yield reduction if hail occurs in the generative stages of soybean development. The occurrence of hail in the R1 (beginning bloom) and R3 (beginning pod) stages of development in the form of plant damage was simulated. This paper will present the results of how three soybean varieties reacted after simulated hail damage in two stages of generative development and what the effects were on yield, height, number of fertile nodes, as well as percentage of plant regeneration. The trial was set up in 2020 as a two-factorial experiment in three replications. Three soybean varieties were sown in late April. In order to simulate hail damage, the plants were cut to a height of 15 cm to ensure at least two nodes and enable the regeneration of the plants. The stage of development of soybean, i.e. the moment of hail damage, had a direct impact on the yield, the number of regenerated plants, as well as the number of fertile nodes.

Cover cropping in organic reduced tillage systems: Maximizing soil cover or plant above ground biomass input?

AbstractCover crops are grown between two main crops to reduce periods of bare fallow. In highly diverse crop rotations, the lengths of break periods between two main crops vary highly over time and consequently the cover cropping management differs from year to year. Long‐term field trials are thus of limited use because the same cover cropping approach only appears once in several years. This increases the need to better determine the immediate effects of different cover cropping strategies on soil properties. This study evaluated two cover cropping strategies and monitored the temporal development of several soil properties on six fields in Eastern Switzerland in the 9 months period between harvest of winter wheat and sowing of spring crops. The two tested strategies were (a) double cover cropping (DCC) where two cover crops mixtures were grown subsequently and shallowly (3 cm) incorporated into the topsoil and (b) permanent soil cover (PSC) with one grass‐clover mixture, which was harvested and thus not incorporated into the soil. Soil samples at three different soil depths (0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm) were sampled four times in high spatial resolution and analysed using a combined approach of visible near infrared spectroscopy and conventional lab methods. Differences between the sampling times and field sites were stronger than effects of different treatments. For soil organic carbon (SOC), no significant difference was measured between treatments in 0–20 cm soil depth. Only when analysed per depth segment, the PSC treatment showed significantly higher SOC increase in 5–10 cm soil depth than the DCC treatment. This could be due to the longer soil cover and thereby associated longer root growth period in the PSC treatment, leading to higher below ground C inputs than in the DCC treatment. On the other hand, the DCC treatment showed generally higher increases in permanganate oxidizable carbon stocks (0–5 cm), microbial C (0–10 cm), microbial N (0–10 cm) and mineral N (0–10 cm) than the PSC treatment. We conclude that maximizing cover crop above ground biomass input by planting two cover crops (DCC) benefitted soil microorganisms on most fields but was less beneficial on SOC than permanent soil cover (PSC) in 5–10 cm soil depth.

Crop rotation for management of plant‐parasitic nematodes in forage corn production

AbstractCorn (Zea mays L.) is an important silage source for dairy cattle production in the southeastern United States. Silage corn is often grown continuously, which frequently results in severe pressure from plant‐parasitic nematodes such as sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus). Crop rotation is one of the few nematode management options available in forage production. The research objective was to assess summer‐planted rotation crops, preceding spring silage corn, for management of plant‐parasitic nematodes. Rotation crops included field corn, pearl millet [Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone]—with or without fertilizer—, sorghum‐sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench × Sorghum sudanense Piper], and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), which was either incorporated into soil or harvested. Rotation crops were assessed in a 3‐year field study in central Florida. Sunn hemp treatments significantly reduced sting nematode soil abundances relative to corn by 84%, 90%, and 84% before spring corn planting in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 and at rotation crop termination in 2021–2022, respectively. Abundances of other plant‐parasitic nematodes were not consistently influenced by rotation. Biomass of winter rye (Secale cereale L.)—a bridge cover crop between summer and spring crops—was consistently increased following sunn hemp with significant increases of 87%, 106%, and 186% relative to following corn in 2019–2020, 2020–2021, and 2021–2022, respectively. Similarly, sunn hemp significantly increased spring corn yield by 70% and 136% relative to double‐cropped corn in 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, respectively. Overall, rotation with sunn hemp improved plant‐parasitic nematode management in forage corn production relative to rotations with only gramineous crops.

In This Issue: Organic research networks and more!

First paragraphs: This fall 2023 issue of JAFSCD (volume 13, issue 1) includes open-call papers on a wide range of topics spanning the three main domains of a food system: production, marketing, and consumption. It also includes additional articles in response to our special call for papers on “Fostering Socially and Ecologically Resilient Food and Farm Systems Through Research Networks,” sponsored by INFAS, eOrganic, and USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture. On our cover we see Michael Gavin, owner and operator of Root and Regenerate Urban Farms, using a seeder to plant a spring crop in one of the SPIN (Small plot IN-tensive) back yard plots in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He collaborated with co-author Chelsea Rozanski, who is Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at the University of Calgary, on the article in this issue mentioned below. We begin the issue with John Ikerd’s Economic Pamphleteer column. In this first in a new series of columns he has titled “Perspectives on Agriculture, Food Systems, and Communities,” Ikerd calls for reforms requiring “changes in culture that prioritize resourcefulness, resilience, and regeneration over extraction, exploitation, and extermination.” I have more to say about John’s new series at the end of this editorial. . . .

DEVELOPMENT OF MACHINE UNIT FOR RESOURCE-SAVING TECHNOLOGIES OF SOIL PROCESSING

Water and wind erosion are possible on crop rotation fields. By using various agrotechnical techniques, it is possible to minimize soil erosion. One of these techniques is the creation of shafts about 10 m wide and 80-100 cm high at a certain distance. Effective agrotechnical anti-erosion techniques are slitting, special porous and comb plowing, organization of soil-protective crop rotations, strip placement of winter and spring crops, grain and row crops, creation of buffer strips of grasses, liming of washed lands and drains. In the steppes or areas where the topography of arable land has a slope, it is recommended to use various technologies of minimal tillage to counteract wind and water erosion. Surface treatment of the land ensures the accumulation of plant residues in the surface layer of the soil. This increases the amount of organic matter in the upper layers, which, in turn, improves the strength of the aggregates and the resistance of the soil to the action of raindrops and wind gusts. When plowing sloping fields, contour plowing is a useful method of reducing the risk of erosion. It uses the topography of the field to absorb water, preventing it from running down the rows. Crop residue remaining on the surface is also a factor in which minimal tillage protects the land from erosion. In general, both plants and their remains on the surface effectively slow down the speed of movement of both water on the surface of the soil and air above it. From a physical point of view, plant cover growing on the surface, as well as plant residues, effectively protects the ground, for example, from the impact of raindrops. If we talk about traditional crops, it should be noted that perennial grasses provide the best protection, and cereals can moderately resist erosion. When growing row crops, such as sugar beet or corn, most of the land remains uncovered, meaning that these crops provide less protection. The worst option from the point of view of erosion is steam without growing any crops and without preserving the harvest residues on the surface. Analysis of existing machines for soil protection against wind and water erosion was carried out. The proposed design of the machine for plowless tillage.

Managing Spider Mites in Florida Hops

This publication is designed to provide information on managing spider mites on hops grown in Florida to hops growers, UF/IFAS Extension agents, and other crop protection professionals. Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) (Cannabinaceae), a new crop for Florida, has been studied at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) since 2016. A fall and spring crop have been cultivated each year, providing opportunity to observe pests and evaluate pest management strategies over several seasons. Spider mites (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) have been a consistent pest of hops at GCREC each season. Information on chemical and biological control is provided.

The impact of drought on northern European pre-industrial agriculture

Drought has been hypothesized to be the main agrometeorological threat facing farmers in Scania (southern Sweden) before the 20th century. However, drought is a little-studied phenomenon in Scandinavian historiography. This article attempts to establish a chronology of extreme agricultural droughts, as well as their impacts on crop harvests and grain prices across Scania during the years 1614–1914, using a combination of statistical methods. Drought years significantly reduced crop harvests in nearly all analyzed samples. However, winter crops appeared more resilient when considering the years following a drought, as these crops experienced a large and significant rebound effect. Spring and fodder crops suffered losses in drought years and did not exhibit any clear rebound in subsequent years. For some spring crops, like barley, harvest losses showed signs of persistence into the years following a drought. There were significant increases in grain prices during drought years. Farms more specialized in grain production suffered similar losses as more diversified farms but were able to recover losses to a greater extent in the year following a drought, thus appearing to have been less vulnerable to droughts than more diversified farms, especially if they were able to capitalize on the grain price hikes that occurred during most drought years. Even though droughts remain one of the most prominent threats to agriculture in the region, the vulnerability to drought in winter rye and winter wheat appears to have been reduced throughout Scania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Comparison of some species in genus Brassica cultivated on clay loamy soils under semi-arid agroecosystem for suitability to biodiesel production

ABSTRACT Instead of using canola purelines, the use of other species in genus Brassica will be a novel concept to obtain sustainable biodiesel production. This study compares the crude oil percentage, fatty acid composition, and biodiesel characteristics of spring and autumn sown Brassica juncea, B. rapa ssp. oleifera, Sinapis alba, B. nigra purelines appropriateness for biodiesel production. The results indicated that crude oil percentage and fatty acid composition are significantly affected by an interaction between years × genotypes. The crude oil percentage in all species in genus Brassica changed between 14.31 and 30.46% in spring crops and 22.29 and 36.88% in autumn crops. Erucic acid (C22:1; 10.2–42.8%), oleic acid (C18:1; 14.2–34.9%), and linoleic acid (C18:2; 6.8–25.1%) were identified as major fatty acids in all genotypes. Technical features of biodiesel produced by transesterification of species in genus Brassica oil such as acid value (0.18–0.50 mg KOH g−1), water content (110–480 mg kg−1), iodine value (97.30–119.89 g iodine 100 g−1), cold filter plugging point (−5–5°C), flash point (170–205°Ϲ), and glyceride (0.003–0.46% mm−1). These values indicated that regardless of the time of sowing, these lines are appropriate for biodiesel production in accordance with the TS EN 14,214 standards. Br2 (B. rapa ssp. oleifera) autumn and Bj3 (B. juncea) spring crops are preferable compared to other genotypes to achieve higher yield and quality. Therefore, these genotypes are recommended for further evaluation and sustainable biodiesel production.

Reduce carbon footprint without compromising system productivity: Optimizing crop rotation in the North China plain

The North China Plain (NCP) serves as a crucial production base for wheat and maize in China. However, the intensive winter wheat-summer maize (WM) cropping system has also led to high carbon emissions. It is imperative to optimize crop rotations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while ensuring food security. Thus, we conducted a 6-year field experiment in the NCP to evaluate the productivity, carbon footprint (CF), and sustainability of the five rotation systems. These included four 2-year rotation systems: spring maize → WM (WMME), spring millet → WM (WMML), spring peanut → WM (WMMP), and spring soybean→ WM (WMMS), with WM serving as the control. Our results indicated that the 2-year rotation systems significantly reduced GHG emissions and improved agricultural sustainability. Wheat yield following the spring crops was 38.6%–47.5% higher than that following summer maize. The energy use efficiency, energy productivity, maize economic equivalent yield (MEEY), and net income in WMMP were higher by 9.7%, 51.8%, 4.4%, and 15.5%, respectively, compared to WM. This was mainly attributed to the high yield, price, energy equivalent coefficient, and pre-crop effect of spring peanut. The reduction of N and electricity inputs in the 2-year rotation systems reduced on-farm N2O emissions and indirect emissions by 39.0%–56.2% and 41.9%–42.9%, respectively, thus lowering CF per unit area by 25.7%–36.6% compared with WM. WMMP demonstrated a 38.2% reduction in CF per kg MEEY, 16.1% reduction in CF per unit net energy, and 44.1% reduction in CF per unit net income, while increasing the sustainable evaluation index by 42.9% compared to WM. In conclusion, the 2-year rotation systems can reduce carbon footprint and improve agricultural sustainability in the NCP, among which the introduction of spring peanut into winter wheat-summer maize rotation can simultaneously enhance system productivity.

Soil-cultivating Unit With a Device for Automated Control of the Working Width

A soil-cultivating unit with an innovative device for automated width adjustment is presented to provide a highly efficient soil-moisture-saving method of tillage when cultivating spring crops. The use of the developed device will improve the quality of soil cultivation in various conditions, the stability of the cultivator, reduce traction resistance, and the economic efficiency of cultivating crops, while reducing operating costs.

Effect of Cabbage and Basil intercropping on conservative biological control of Aphids

Conservative biological control seeks to preserve beneficial organisms as the natural enemies of pests through habitat management. These studies aimed to measure the potential of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in the biological control of aphids in green cabbage (Brassica oleraceae L. var. acephala); and to evaluate the influence of the intercropping on green cabbage productivity. In an organic commercial crop of green cabbage in Águas Claras, RS, basil was used as an associated border (BB) and contrasted with plants in beds with no border (WB). We compared Aphididae density and parasitism, in the spring/summer seasons of 2016 and autumn/winter of 2017. Brevicoryne brassicae L. and Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera, Aphididae) were recorded in the green cabbage, in 2016. A mean of 13.8 ± 8.72 aphids/leaf was recorded in the WB, significantly higher than in the BB, 3.4 ± 1.83 (Tukey 5% p = 0.00002). In the 2017 season, this difference was not significant at 10.3 ± 12.73 (WB) and 6.9 ± 11.34 (BB). The mean of parasitized aphids was 2.8 ± 2.84 in WB and 9.9 ± 2.87 BB (p = 0.0041) in the spring crop and 2.9 ± 4.10 (WB) and 14.25 ± 7.3 (BB) in the winter (p = 0.0039). The association of green cabbage and basil had an area equivalence index (AEI) in 2016 = 1.07 and 2017 = 0.99 indicating that basil did not affect green cabbage yield.

Effects of Different Salinity Levels in Drip Irrigation with Brackish Water on Soil Water-Salt Transport and Yield of Protected Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

The effective exploration and utilization of brackish water resources are crucial to alleviating the scarcity of freshwater in arid regions. This study focused on protected tomato plants and set up four irrigation salinity levels: T1 (2 g·L−1), T2 (4 g·L−1), T3 (6 g·L−1), and T4 (8 g·L−1), with freshwater irrigation as a control (CK). The aim was to investigate the effects of continuous brackish water irrigation on soil water-salt transport and tomato yield. The outcomes highlighted that the moisture content in different layers of soil exhibited a “high in the middle, low at both ends” pattern, with the primary accumulation of soil moisture occurring at the 40 cm depth. The range and moisture content of the soil wetted zone increased with elevated salinity levels. Under continuous brackish water irrigation, the range of the soil wetted zone expanded further for the autumn crops, and the moisture content significantly increased compared to the spring crops. The concentration of soil salt gradually decreased with increasing soil depth, exhibiting greater levels in the 0–20 cm layer compared to the 40–80 cm layer. The average salt concentration in the soil at the end of the growth period was significantly higher than before transplantation, and this phenomenon became more pronounced with increasing salinity levels. Initial irrigation with brackish water with a salinity level of 2–4 g·L−1 promoted the growth of the tomatoes planted in the spring and the plant height and stem diameter reached the peak values of 1.68 m and 1.08 mm for the T2 treatment, respectively, which were 7.1% and 9.2% higher than that of the CK treatment, ensuring efficient yield and water usage. However, continuous irrigation with brackish water with a salinity level of 2–4 g·L−1 inhibited the growth and yield of the tomatoes planted in autumn, while the T1 and T2 treatments only yielded 24,427.42 and 16,774.86 kg·hm−2, respectively, showing a decline of 32.2% and 46.1% compared to the yields of the spring season. Considering the soil water-salt and yield indicators, under the conditions of non-continuous brackish water irrigation, using water with a salinity level of 2–4 g·L−1 is recommended for drip irrigation of protected tomatoes.