Tillage Type Research Articles

Effect of Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization on Soil Properties and Yield of Five Durum Wheat Germoplasms in a Dry Area of Morocco

In Morocco, cereal production is below the expected potential. The adoption of best agricultural practices that reduce vulnerability to climate is a major requirement. No-tillage (NT) agriculture is a system that could improve cereal production by enhancing soil fertility. Some factors, in combination with no-tillage, can further improve cereal yields, especially the choice of variety the adequate fertilization. The objective of our study is to investigate the effect of no-tillage agriculture and nitrogen fertilization on soil fertility and the yield of five durum wheat varieties developed in Morocco in a long-term (18 years) NT trial at the INRA Merchouch experimental station, Morocco. The results show that tillage type had a significant effect on soil organic carbon and CEC (measured before the start of the experiment), as well as on ammonium and nitrates (measured at the end of the experiment), whereas nitrogen dose had a significant effect on total nitrogen and nitrates (measured at the end of the experiment). Regarding wheat yield, as measured at the end of the experiment during the 2020–2021 cropping season, the results show that, under NT, the varieties Nachit, Faraj, and Louiza had grain yields of 4.5, 4.3, and 3.4 t ha−1 and straw yields of 9.8, 7.8, and 6.8 t ha−1, respectively, whereas the I.C and M.G germoplasms had grain yields of 4.05 and 3.72 t ha−1 and straw yields of 8.25 and 8.39 t ha−1, respectively. These values are low for a favorable area and correspond to a semi-arid area. In addition, no effects of nitrogen dose were observed due to water stress, which reduced nitrogen use efficiency. Nachit is the most adapted variety under NT, with the highest yield (5.1 t ha−1) under a low dose of nitrogen (20 kg N ha−1), followed by Faraj (4.7 t ha−1), still under NT but with a higher nitrogen dose (40 kg N ha−1) and Nachit (4.5 t ha−1) with the minimum nitrogen dose but under both NT and CT. In conclusion, Nachit and Faraj wheat varieties performed the best under no-tillage conditions with the minimal nitrogen dose. However, grain yield values were reduced, owing to water stress, which reduced nitrogen use efficiency.

Sustainable control measures of IPM of the cereal leafminer Syringopais temperatella Led. (Lepidoptera: Scythrididae): Short-term effect of tillage system

Syringopais temperatella Led. (Lep., Scythrididae) is a serious threat of barley and wheat in Jordan as it causes a great loss in crop. There is a growing interest in the development of innovative control strategies aiming to minimize the environmental impact of pest management and improve the safety of the agro-food chain. However, little attention has been paid on the use of cultural control methods against the pest, accordingly, this study aimed at investigating the effect of tillage system in controlling S. temperatella in Jordan. The study was conducted in Karak Governorate during the 2019-2020 cropping season with four tillage types; no-tillage, moldboard, disk and chisel plows. Furthermore, three soil depths (15, 30 and 45 cm) were evaluated for each plow type. Data on the infestation percentage, number of larvae, plant height, grain yield weight, straw biomass, and soil moisture were recorded. Results revealed that pest infestation and number of larvae were significantly the lowest in moldboard plow followed by disc plow and chisel plow, and then in no-tillage. In addition, the pest infestation and number of larvae decreased significantly with increasing plowing depth. Plant height, grain yield, straw biomass and soil moisture were significantly higher when the moldboard plow was used, followed by chisel plow, disc plow, and then no-tillage; likewise, they were increased significantly with increasing tillage depth up to 45 cm. In conclusion, it is suggested to use the conventional tillage at a depth closed to 45 cm instead of no-tillage especially when a moldboard plow used.

Совершенствование технологии производства кукурузы на зерно в условиях Приамурья

The yield of corn grain depends on the tillage methods used in the cultivation technology of wide-row crops. To make comprehensive assessment of the use of various combinations of the cultivator’s working tools, the authors carried out a two-year study to improve the technology of growing corn for grain by optimizing the system of mechanized cultivation of wide-row crops. The essence of optimization is to change the combination of working tools in a combined tillage unit and change the width of their arrangement along the row spacing width and the depth of soil cultivation. Integrated deep tillage contributes to the destruction of weeds from a larger area between the rows and provides optimal conditions for the growth and development of corn. In 2021, use was made of a tillage unit with a combination of working tools - two one-side flat cutting shares (edges) with overlapping of the working tool edge and a V-shaped share in the center of the inter-row spacing. This combination resulted in a corn yield of 3.62 t/ha. Compared to other types of tillage, the increase was from 0.61 to 1.10 t/ha. This year, in comparison with 2022, in the early phases of the growth of corn and the development of its reproductive parts from April to May, excessive moisture was observed, while in June and July the moisture level was insufficient. In 2022, the use of two universal V-shaped shares with overlapping the working tool edge, inserting wheel spiders in the center of inter-row spacing ensured a yield of 9.15 t/ha. Compared to other types of tillage, the increase was from 0.33 to 1.99 t/ha. The provision of a high yield level in 2022 was facilitated by excessive moisture in the period from April to June and the accumulation of moisture in the soil. The choice of a combination of working tools should be determined by weather conditions.

Изучение эффективности различных систем землепользования для смягчения климата посредством измерения эмиссии парниковых газов

The relevance of the research lies in the application of the Li-8100 (Campbell Scientific) automated system for continuousmeasurement of CO2 emissions from soil corresponding to various cultivation techniques (no tillage, application of manure-based and mineral fertilizers) and various main crops (corn, wheat, rye) in Almaty Region. The article presents the field research data obtained in the foothill zone with the aim of assessing GHG emissions from arable light-dark chestnut soils while using different fertilizers, types of basic tillage, and crops. In accordance with the data presented, it can be argued that of the scientifically substantiated types of crops and soil cultivation methods studied within the framework of this research, all manure based options demonstrated high GHG emission values. The use of mineral fertilizers showed insignificant association between greenhouse gas emission reduc-tion and the no tillage option. Different crops showed varying degrees of GHG emission reduction depending on fertilizer application; yet, wheat responded most strongly due to additional biomass and yield growth. The research suggests the application of mineral fertilizers as a potential appropriate way to cut GHG emissions. However, further investigation is necessary to study the underlying mechanisms and processes influencing GHG and better understand the feedback effects in resource efficient (conservation) agriculture.

The Technical Evaluation of Three Different Types of Tillage Combined Machines and compared them with Individual Tillage Machines

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a locally manufactured combined tillage machine on the draft force, fuel consumption, field efficiency, power loss, and soil pulverization index. The combined tillage machine accomplished the primary, secondary, and deep tillage in a single pass. The combined tillage machine types were compared to individual tillage machines. The combined tillage machine accomplished the primary, secondary, and deep tillage in a single pass. A randomized complete block (RCBD) experiment was the statistical method used for the investigation with three replicates. The field experiments were conducted in silty loam soil. The combined tillage machines were used in three types. The first configuration (T1) consists of a subsoiler+ chisel plow + disk harrow + roller, the second configuration (T2) consists of a subsoiler + chisel plow, and the third configuration (T3) consists of chisel plow + disc harrow at two operating speeds (1.5 and 3 km.h-1). Individual tillage machines were used in three conventional tillage systems M1, M2, and M3. M1. Conventional tillage systems M1, M2, and M3 perform similar tasks to combined tillage machine types T1, T2, and T3 respectively. The results showed that T3 reduced draft force by 40 and 34.35%, saved fuel by 19.88 and 25.89%, and reduced power loss by 54.25 and 37.22%, while increasing field efficiency by 13.64 and 5.63 and the soil pulverization index by 26.67 and 66.24% compared with T1 and T2 respectively. The combined tillage machinesT1, T2, and T3 reduced the draft force and power loss while increasing the field efficiency by 19.05, 22.41, and 53.49%, respectively, compared with conventional tillage systems M1, M2, and M3. The combined tillage machinesT1, T2, and T3 achieved the lowest values of the soil pulverization index, with values of 19.91, 41.93, and 33.10 mm, and saved fuel by 58.68, 41.61, and 26.86% respectively, compared with conventional tillage systems M1, M2, and M3. The results also revealed that operating speed and its interaction with the combined tillage machine types had a significant effect on all of the studied characteristics (p<0.05).

Species and functional responses of ants to inter-row tillage and vegetation in organic Mediterranean vineyards

Ants are arthropods providing crucial ecosystem services such as soil structuring, nutrient cycling, seed dispersal and pest predation. Thus, their abundance and diversity need to be considered in approaches to improve sustainability of land use such as Mediterranean viticulture. In our study, we tested whether (1) inter-row vegetation and the absence of tillage increase the species richness and/or functional diversity of ants in vineyards and (2) ground cover vegetation drives ant species composition. We included 23 Mediterranean organic vineyards in our analyses and distinguished three types of inter-row management: all inter-rows tilled, half of the inter-rows tilled, and all inter-rows are untilled and covered by vegetation. The occurrence of ant species was analysed in six pitfall traps per vineyard. Around each trap, the floristic composition of inter-row vegetation was analysed in 2 × 2 m² plots. We found that inter-row tillage significantly affected ant species richness, being higher in partially than in fully tilled vineyards whereas untilled vineyards were not different from the other tillage types. Grass cover and the perennial/annual rate were positively correlated with ant species richness. Ant functional diversity and the frequency of most predatory ants were not correlated neither with plant functional groups nor with tillage type. In conclusion, ant communities benefit from inter-row vegetation and/or absence of soil disturbance but partial inter-row tillage of vineyards may be tolerated and even benefit several species. In particular, grasses and perennial plant species favour ants in our system and need to be considered in inter-row sowing.

Site characteristics determine the effectiveness of tillage and cover crops on the net ecosystem carbon balance in California vineyard agroecosystems.

Globally, wine grape vineyards cover approximately 7.4 M ha. The potential for carbon (C) storage in vineyards is of great interest to offset greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Sustainable soil management practices such as cover crop adoption and reduced tillage may contribute to soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. However, site-specific factors such as soil texture, other soil physicochemical properties, and climate largely influence the range and rate to which SOC may be stored. To measure the potential for C storage in vineyards under varying sustainable soil management practices, we calculated the net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) of three cover crops [perennial grass (Poa bulbosa hybrid cv. Oakville Blue); annual grass (barley, Hordeum vulgare); resident vegetation (natural weed population)] under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) management. Results provided evidence that vineyards served as C sinks. In sandy soils, the type of cover crop and tillage may be of little influence on the NECB. While in finer-textured soils, tillage reduced the NECB and higher biomass-producing cover crops enhanced the overall C storage potential of the vineyard agroecosystem. Overall, our results revealed that site characteristics, namely, soil texture and climate, were key determinants of the C storage potential of vineyards in Mediterranean climates such as those found in coastal and inland California wine grape production regions.

Investigating the Assemblages of Two Groups of Collembola (Strong Furca and Weak Furca) under Different Agricultural Management Systems, Northeastern China

Agriculture itself has been considered one of the leading reasons for biodiversity loss because of the huge quantity of land dedicated to just this activity, and agricultural intensification has impacted soil organisms at several taxonomic levels. Soil biota is a vital component of the agricultural system, providing essential ecosystem services while also having synergistic impacts on crop yield. Preservation of their diversity becomes a major element of an agricultural sustainability strategy. Many studies focused on agricultural activities’ effects on soil organisms, but few of them have focused on their effects on the co-occurrence patterns of their communities. Collembola communities are frequently employed as a substitute for soil organisms; thus, as a surface-dwelling arthropods representative, we investigated assemblages of soil Collembola in reaction to the arrangement of 6 treatments varying in crop rotation (MC: monoculture (corn) vs. CS: corn–soybean rotation) and tillage types (MP: mould ploughing; RT: ridge tillage; and NT: no-tillage). We hypothesized that Collembola communities with strong furca would respond well to the agricultural practices than those with weak furca, and there would be strong co-occurrence between species of Collembola communities belonging to the treatments with less intensity of soil disturbance and more variation in crop rotation. Our study found no clear evidence of a beneficial effect of crop rotation on Collembola communities. Although Collembola with strong furca shows higher abundances in plots with mold plowing, weak furca abundances were not showing any difference (differences in abilities to move fast from harsh habitats could be the reason for different responses of these two groups). Network analysis revealed that Collembola assemblages seem to occur more responsive to tillage intensity than crop rotation. Network graphs of treatments with ridge tillage are significantly more clustered than all others. For the first time, we can show that assemblages of springtails in agriculture were distinguished by a pattern of co-occurrence alongside agricultural practices (crop rotation, soil tillage), showing variations in the disturbance of soil and soil nutrients. Our results, contrary to our expectations, demonstrated that the effects of agricultural activities on Collembola abundance and diversity could be weak after long-term application of the same treatment, but still, they will clearly affect the bonds between Collembola species by affecting their co-occurrence pattern in Collembola communities.

Investigating water quality sensitivity to climate variability and its influencing factors in four Lake Erie watersheds

Climate change alters weather patterns and hydrological cycle, thus potentially aggravating water quality impairment. However, the direct relationships between climate variability and water quality are complicated by a multitude of hydrological and biochemical mechanisms dominate the process. Thus, little is known regarding how water quality responds to climate variability in the context of changing meteorological conditions and human activities. Here, a longitudinal study was conducted using trend, correlation, and redundancy analyses to explore stream water quality sensitivity to temperature, precipitation, streamflow, and how the sensitivity was affected by watershed climate, land cover percentage, landscape configuration, fertilizer application, and tillage types. Specifically, daily pollutant concentration data of suspended solid (SS), total phosphorus (TP), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), nitrate and nitrite (NOx), and chloride (Cl) were used as water quality indicators in four Lake Erie watersheds from 1985 to 2017, during which the average temperature has increased 0.5 °C and the total precipitation has increased 9%. Results show that precipitation and flow were positively associated with SRP, NOx, TKN, TP, and SS, except for SRP and NOx in the urban basin. The rising temperatures led to increasing concentrations of SS, TKN, and TP in the urban basin. SRP and NOx sensitivity to precipitation was higher in the years with more precipitation and higher precipitation seasonality, and the basins with more spatially aggregated cropland. No-tillage and reduced tillage management could decrease both precipitation and temperature sensitivity for most pollutants. As one of the first studies leveraging multiple watershed environmental variables with long-term historical climate and water quality data, this study can assist target land use planning and management policy to mitigate future climate change effects on surface water quality.

Non-Invasive Evaluation of Different Soil Tillage and Seed Treatment Effects on the Microbial Originating Physiological Reactions of Developing Juvenile Maize.

The successful production of maize is fundamentally determined by a good choice of tillage type. Options include conventional tillage based on soil rotation, as well as a more recent conservation approach. Our aims were to determine the stress physiological effects of the plant remains left behind by different tillage procedures on the juvenile maize plants, combined with the effects of fungicide treatment on the seeds. These effects were followed and investigated by means of biophoton emission measurement, an in vivo and non-invasive imaging technique, along with chlorophyll content estimation, as well as microbial- and polymerase chain reaction-based identification of fungi presence. Our results confirmed the response reactions of maize triggered by a soil covering plant remains on the initial development and physiological involvement of maize. The positive effects of seed treatment on initial development are manifested only at the final stage of the experiment. The fungal microbiological analysis confirmed the dominant presence of necrotrophic parasites on plant residues, the stress-inducing properties of which were possible to monitor by biophoton emission. Furthermore, the presence of Fusarium spp. was confirmed by PCR analysis from samples treated with plant residues.

Control of conventional and Clearfield® volunteer oilseed rape in spring barley

Brassica napus L. (oilseed rape) is known as one of the most important volunteer crops worldwide. Brassica napus volunteers can emerge for more than 10 years in subsequent crops. Three field experiments were carried out to compare the competitive ability and reproduction of conventional and Clearfield volunteer B. napus in spring barley under different herbicide treatments in field conditions. Herbicide efficacy, aboveground biomass and seed production of volunteer B. napus and the barley yield were measured. All studied variables (herbicide treatment, year and B. napus variety) showed a significant effect on these characteristics and all together counted for 67.8% of the total variation in the studied data. Most of the variability was explained by herbicide treatment (37.2%), followed by year (26.7%) and B. napus variety (3.9%). The most effective herbicide controlling both types of volunteer B. napus was 2,4-D (efficacy more than 95%). Florasulam used together with tritosulfuron was the most effective of ALS inhibiting herbicides against CL volunteer B. napus (efficacy 58–83% depending on year). Competitive ability of volunteer B. napus in spring barley and herbicide efficacy were significantly affected by weather conditions during the growing season (low yield of spring barley in dry year). Reproductive ability of both tested varieties of volunteer B. napus was very low. In crop rotations with imidazolinone-tolerant oilseed rape varieties, it is necessary to concentrate on suitable herbicide strategies for CL volunteer B. napus control in subsequent crops and to adapt harvest date and tillage type to keep volunteer densities at the lowest levels possible.

Економічна ефективність вирощування буркуну однорічного залежно від основного обробітку ґрунту

Goal. To study the formation of seed yield and the economic efficiency of the technology of growing white annual sweetclover depending on the main tillage and the method of harvesting in non-irrigated conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Field — to study the interaction of the research object with biotic and abiotic factors of the Southern Steppe zone; visual — to detect phenological changes in crop plants; mathematical and statistical — to conduct dispersion analysis and statistical processing of data to assess the reliability of the obtained research results; comparative calculation — to carry out economic and energy evaluations of the cultivation of sweetclover. Results. Experimental and field studies on the optimization of the technology of growing white annual sweetclover were substantiated and summarized. In the studies, the types of main tillage and harvesting methods were rationally combined. On average for 2019–2021, it was determined that the maximum seed productivity was formed when the main soil cultivation was carried out - plowing to a depth of 25–27 cm, while the average seed yield was 1.04 t/ha. The maximum seed yield — 0.86 t/ha — was obtained by direct harvesting using desiccation. An optimal model of the technology was developed, which provided for the cultivation of sweetclover of the variety Pivdennyi by plowing (25–27 cm) and using desiccation (direct harvesting method), which ensured the formation of the maximum average seed productivity of 1.12 t/ha and the highest level of profitability — 677%. Conclusions. Optimizing the elements of the technology of growing white annual sweetclover contributes to obtaining the maximum seed productivity of the crop and the highest level of profitability.

Modeling N2O emissions of complex cropland management in Western Europe using DayCent: Performance and scope for improvement

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition (so called Annex 1 countries) are encouraged to move towards more sophisticated approaches for national greenhouse gas reporting. To develop a model-based approach for estimating nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural soils, model calibration is one of the first important steps. Extensive multisite field observations are necessary for this purpose, as agricultural management in Western Europe is complex (e.g., diverse crop rotations, different types of fertilizer and soil tillage). In the present study, we used ca. 24,000 daily N2O flux observations from six cropland sites, two in France and four in Switzerland, to conduct an automatic data-driven calibration of the biogeochemical model DayCent. This model is planned to be used for greenhouse gas reporting in the entire European Union as well as in Switzerland. After a site-specific calibration, a leave-one-out (LOO) cross-evaluation was conducted to assess the model’s ability to predict N2O emissions for sites it was not calibrated for. Mean observed N2O fluxes for 54 interactions of crop cycles, field studies and treatments were used to evaluate the model. The LOO cross-evaluation resulted in a R2 of 0.63 for the prediction of mean N2O fluxes per crop cycle, compared to an R2 of 0.51 obtained with default parameterization. Our results showed that the improvement in N2O predictions was associated with the adjustment of only seven parameters controlling the N cycle in soil (e.g., the maximum daily nitrification amount and the inflection point for the effect of water-filled pore space on denitrification) out of several hundred parameters. These parameters showed a wide range of values between sites, revealing an important challenge for calibration-based improvement of N2O simulations. Despite the remaining uncertainty, our model-based estimates of N2O emission per crop cycle (2.64 kg N ha-1) were clearly closer to measurements (2.67 kg N ha-1) than commonly used emission factor approaches (1.60–1.71 kg N ha-1). Based on extensive field observations, our results suggest that, after data-driven calibration of only few N cycle parameters, DayCent simulations are useful for reporting N2O emissions of complex cropland management. These model based-estimates were more accurate, because they consider key drivers that are disregarded by simpler approaches. Moving towards more complex methods of N2O reporting, is therefore expected to improve the accuracy and additionally allows to assess mitigation options.

Improvement of quarry and slagheap reclamation technology

This paper considers and analyzes a relevant issue of treatment of disturbed soils. The equipment to carry out various processes of mining reclamation of waste heaps and quarries with a significant reduction in the level of environmental risks through the operation of an energy-saving small-sized apparatus has been designed. The use of the developed soil reclamator is also adequate for pre-sowing and other types of agrotechnical tillage, plant care in agricultural fields, as well as in areas with a heterogeneous landscape. The functionality of the unit is able to provide energy autonomy and automation of the technological process. The low weight of the device makes it possible to reduce the pressure on the soil, which minimizes the environmentally hazardous formation of dust during the treatment of waste heaps, the destruction of its structure, the machine degradation of the fertile layer during the processing of all types of territories. The device also reduces the risk of fertile soils slipping from the slopes of mine dumps due to the fact that the soil reclamator is self-propelled and functions without the need to involve a heavy tractor. The mathematical modeling of the operation of the proposed technical support for the treatment of waste heap reclamation in comparison with the opposed analog proves the ecological and economic efficiency of the eco-adaptive soil reclamator. The average value of profit ratios, when using the proposed soil reclamator, is 121.82 % higher than with the involvement of opposed equipment. Indicators of the negative environmental impact of the designed equipment are 100 % lower than the environmental impact when operating the analog. The proposed technical solution can be effectively applied both in schemes of sanitary cleaning of settlements, and in the process of modernization of agricultural machinery

EVALUATION OF ENERGY INDICATORS OF GRUNDING AGGREGATE

The analysis of tools for uncultivated and surface tillage shows that the market of agricultural machinery lacks universal units that can reliably and efficiently perform both types of tillage with one machine. To assess the validity of the unit baseline model, field studies were conducted, during which key agronomic indicators of tillage quality were identified. Studies have shown that the rate of uncultivated soil exceeds 6.5 km / h, and the degree of soil cracking - more than 80%. At small tillage to a depth of 12 cm at operating speeds over 7.0 km / h. The use of additional working bodies will allow to form on the basis of the basic model of the unit narrower options for a particular car. The optimal design parameters of the proposed plowing unit, in addition to the plow width of 4.5 m, include rollers of the same width to level the plow surface and the capacity of the fertilizer hopper 4 m3. Technical parameters in the process: plow depth α = 0.2 m, soil resistance coefficient Km = 30 kN/m2, working area Lp = 1000 m. surface treatment will reduce yields. The energy model of functioning of the agricultural subdivision is presented. Studies have shown that by optimizing the ratio of tractor weight to engine power, you can increase the productivity of agricultural units. For stubble cultivation with a normal humidity of 8 km / h, with a permissible slip of 10%, the optimal parameters for a class 1.4 wheeled tractor will be the working weight m = 4790 kg and engine power N = 69.0 kW. In this case, the thrust will correspond to the 2nd thrust class.

Effect of Soil Regenerative Practice on Selected Soil Physical Properties and Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Yield

Living mulches can play a crucial role in the protection of the soil against erosion, as well as biological and chemical degradation. Soil fertility and its physical properties, including soil structure, are of special importance to crops. Soil physical properties are affected, among other factors, by the type of tillage. In order to determine the effect of regenerative practice (living mulches) on soil physical properties, a two-factorial experiment was conducted. The first factor involved white clover and perennial ryegrass as an intercropping of eggplant. The second factor was the living mulches sowing term: three weeks before eggplant planting, at the time of planting and three weeks after eggplant planting. Covering eggplant inter-rows with living mulches reduced eggplant yield and was beneficial to soil structure and improved water resistance of soil aggregates. Perennial ryegrass had a slightly more advantageous effect on yield and improvement of soil physical properties, as compared to white clover. The greater eggplant fruit yield was obtained from vegetable grown without companion plants. The application of living mulches (especially Trifolium repens L.) caused a non-significant decrease in eggplant fruit yield. It was found that limiting the growth of seedlings sown on the first date result in a decrease in marketable fruit yield (on average 14%). A similar result occurred when living mulches were sown on the planting date of eggplants and difference between the yields was 4.3%. The first term of sowing living mulches—three weeks before eggplant planting—no significantly affected the mean weighted diameter of soil aggregate (MWDg), the water stability index (ΔMWD), the index of waterproof index (Wod) and the soil structure index (W). Later sowing terms resulted in the improvement of the majority of the parameters; however, this was not confirmed statistically. Soil with periodic mechanical treatment of inter-rows showed the 3–4% lower values of soil porosity, 3–16% increased compactness, as well as 28–30% lower indices soil structure and 28–30% for water resistance of soil aggregates compared to the living mulches system.

Effects of grazing, rotation, and tillage on surface runoff in a heavy textured Uruguayan soil

AbstractAdopting no‐till (NT) after conventional tillage (CT) could affect surface runoff, but this effect may also depend on the rotation type, such as continuous grain crop (CC) or crop–pasture rotation (CP). The objective of this study was to assess the effects of soil‐tillage practices and rotation type on runoff in a long‐term field (LTF) trial established in 1993 on a Mollisol. This experiment was carried from 2012 to 2017 and included three tillage rotations (NT–CP, NT–CC, and CT–CP) and a natural pasture (NP) as a control, with three replications. Runoff was monitored under natural rainfall in microplots. The pasture of the CP treatment was rotationally grazed with dairy cows at high stocking rates before this experiment. We hypothesized that soil compaction by animal trampling during grazing would increase surface runoff regardless of tillage type. We measured the number of events and runoff depth in all treatments, grain yield, soil bulk density (BD), and infiltration rate (IR) in NT–CP and NT–CC. The results showed a statistically significant increase in average runoff (107 mm yr–1) for all rotations relative to NP (68 mm yr–1) and a significant difference for the mean of both CP rotations (119 mm yr–1) compared with NT–CC (83 mm yr–1). During the crop phase (excluding the pasture), the two NT rotations showed a similar trend, but with higher BD (1.23 g cm–3) and lower IR (27.2 mm h–1) for NT–CP. We concluded that animal trampling increased surface runoff regardless of tillage, but this effect would need to be confirmed at other sites.

Assessing the potential of earthing up and integrated nutrient management on Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) productivity in smallholder farming systems

Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a strategic food security crop in Zimbabwe which is a good source of carbohydrates. This has created the need to increase research so as to increase potato productivity. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of earthing up and nutrient management on potato growth and yield. The study was carried out in Masvingo district of Masvingo Province. The experiment was laid out as a 2*3*3 factorial design with 18 treatments replicated three times to give 54 plots. Days to maturity were observed when potato plant leaves turned yellow and 85% of the tubers were ready for harvest at physiological maturity. Results show that plant height was not significantly affected (p<0.05) by earthing up. Nutrient management significantly influenced (p<0.05) plant height with highest (31.2 ± 0.97 cm) observed from 5 t ha-1 cattle manure + 50 kg ha-1 potassium fertiliser. Days to maturity were statistically affected (p<0.05) by tillage type and nutrient management. Days to maturity increased statistically (p<0.05) with increase in application rates of cattle manure + potassium fertiliser irregardless of tillage type. Earthing up considerably influenced potato yield, with highest yields obtained from earthing up treatments amended with cattle manure + potassium fertiliser. Combining 5 t ha-1 cattle manure and + 50 kg ha-1 potassium fertiliser have the potential to improve potato growth and yields. It can be concluded that farmers adopt the use of earthing up integrated with cattle manure + potassium fertiliser at a rate of 5 t ha-1 + 50 kg ha-1can be a better option to improve potato production in smallholder farming systems.

Agriculture management and seasonal impact on soil properties, water, sediment and chemicals transport in a hazelnut orchard (Croatia)

Soil and water conservation practices are key to agroecosystems sustainability and avoiding diffuse pollution. Here, we compare the impacts of different types of mulch, barley straw (Straw), wooden chips (Chip) and tillage (Till) on vegetation mulch cover (VMC); soil properties, bulk density (BD), mean weight diameter (MWD), water stable aggregates (WSA), soil water content (SWC), soil organic matter (SOM), pH and total phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb). We also assessed the ponding time (PT), runoff time (RT), runoff, sediment concentration (SC), sediment loss (SL) and chemicals transport (the same studied in soil). A set of rainfall simulation experiments (90 in total) was applied in the different Spring, Summer, and Fall treatments. The results showed that mulch increased VMC in all the seasons, while other properties (BD; MWD, WSA SOM, pH) were not affected, especially in Spring. The biggest impact was observed in Fall, especially in the Till plot, due to the tillage practices applied in Summer. Mulch increased PT, RT and reduced runoff, SL and chemicals transport. Chemical losses were very much associated with SL, and the concentration of P and metals in soil depended on soil Ca and pH. SWC, MWD and runoff were inversely related to PT, RT and SC. Finally, BD, VMC and SOM were highly associated. Overall, tillage practices dramatically impact SL, and diffuse pollution and urgent measures are needed to reverse this. Mulching is excellent and cost-effective to mitigate the impacts of agriculture on land degradation and diffuse pollution.

Effects of environmental factors on the influence of tillage conversion on saturated soil hydraulic conductivity obtained with different methodologies: a global meta-analysis

Abstract. The saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is a key soil hydraulic property governing agricultural production. However, the influence of the conversion from the conventional tillage (CT) to conservation tillage (CS; including no tillage, NT, and reduced tillage, RT) on the Ksat of soils is not well understood and still debated. In this study, we applied a global meta-analysis method to synthesize 227 paired observations for soil Ksat from 69 published studies and investigated factors influencing the effects of conversion to CS on Ksat. Results showed that soil layer, conservation tillage type, soil texture type, and cropping system management did not have significant effects on the influence of conversion to CS on Ksat. When the Ksat was measured by the rainfall simulator, the conversion to CS significantly (p<0.05) increased the surface and subsurface soil Ksat by 41.7 % and 36.9 %, respectively. In addition, the subsurface Ksat also tended to increase under CS practices when the Ksat was measured by a tension disc infiltrometer. However, when the Ksat was measured by a hood infiltrometer, ring infiltrometer, constant/falling head, and Guelph permeameter, the conversion to CS had no significant effects on the Ksat. It is observed that, when the conversion period was less than 15 years, the Ksat under CS showed a greater increase for a longer conversion period. Climatic and topographic factors, including the mean annual temperature (MAT) and the mean annual precipitation (MAP), were statistically related to the responses of Ksat to tillage conversion at the global scale. Quadratic polynomials can describe the relationships between them. These findings suggested that quantifying the effects of tillage conversion on soil Ksat needed to consider experimental conditions, especially the measurement technique and conversion period.