Winter Crops Research Articles

Did cover crop or animal manure ameliorate corn residue removal effects on soil mechanical properties after 10 years?

Crop residue removal may negatively affect soil mechanical properties, which are key components of soil quality. To evaluate potential long-term effects, we assessed the 10-yr impact of corn (Zea mays L.) residue removal (59 % of non-grain biomass annually) on surface soil mechanical properties (0–20 cm). We also evaluated whether adding carbon (C) amendments, such as using a winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop or surface-applying cattle manure (24 Mg ha−1 biannually) can ameliorate the effects of crop residue removal. This long-term study was under irrigated no-till continuous corn on a silt loam soil in south-central Nebraska, USA. Measurements included soil penetration resistance, field bulk density, aggregate strength, Atterberg limits (liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index), Proctor maximum bulk density, and the water content at which the Proctor maximum bulk density (critical water content) occurs. Reduction in soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration explained most of the changes in soil mechanical properties. Long-term corn residue removal increased penetration resistance (+40 %) for the 0–20 cm depth, and reduced aggregate strength (−44 %), plasticity index (−22 %), and critical water content (−13 %) in the 0–5 cm depth. Residue removal also reduced field bulk density (−5%), liquid limit (−12 %), and plastic limit (−10 %) in the 0–10 cm depth, but increased Proctor maximum bulk density (+8 %) in the 0–5 cm depth. Winter rye cover crop reduced field bulk density (−5%, 0–15 cm depth) and increased penetration resistance (+52 %, 0–20 cm depth). Surface-applied manure amendments increased the near-surface soil liquid limit (+8 %) and plastic limit (+8 %) in the 0–5 cm depth. Given the high rate of residue removal used in this experiment, our findings support that excessive corn residue removal over the long-term (∼10 years) negatively affects near-surface soil mechanical properties, but that use of winter rye cover crop or surface-applied manure can minimally to partially ameliorate these effects.

Soil carbon increase from crop roots and amendments still present twelve years later

AbstractSoil organic carbon was measured after surface application of equal C amounts from various C sources to fallow soil or a winter wheat crop for five consecutive years. Municipal biosolid produced the largest gain, followed by manure and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) foliage. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw, sucrose, and wood sawdust were not different than no addition. These effects were additive to and independent from the effect of fallow soil versus cropped soil. Soil cropped to winter wheat increased in C comparable to the biosolid application or to plots planted to perennial grass. Measurements 4, 6, and 12 years after a return to normal farming practices produced no change in relative or quantitative differences. These results illuminate the durability of above‐ and below‐ground contributions to soil C.

Dynamics of agricultural land systems in western Mediterranean areas: a clustering approach based on the self-organizing map

In the present study, we implemented an unsupervised learning procedure, a self-organizing map (SOM), for characterizing the main agricultural land systems (ALS) in western Mediterranean areas. Input data derived from national agricultural censuses of two periods (2000 and 2010) at the municipality level. The SOM allowed us to aggregate the items into clusters based on the proximity between the associated input variables. The main clusters were then mapped back to the geographical space and interpreted in terms of ASL typologies. The main ALS from the census 2000 included one permanent grassland system with extensive farming; two arable land systems, corresponding to winter and summer crops; and two permanent cropland systems, relatable to intensively cultivated or marginal areas. The ALS from the census 2010 included only one arable land system with a non-intensive use of irrigation; two permanent cropland systems similar to those found in 2000; one more extensive permanent grassland system; and a mixed system characterized by permanent grassland and arable land. In summary, the main trends emerging from the transitions between the two censuses periods were: i) a reduction in agricultural land use; ii) an increase in utilized agricultural and irrigated area; iii) a contraction in arable land and permanent grassland. Using a data-driven approach such as SOM allowed us to discover hidden patterns in the input census data. Therefore, the prevalent agricultural typologies characterising the ALS in the two analysed periods resulted to be shaped by the reality of the surveyed area solely, with regard to its agronomic assessment.

Mixed application of controlled-release urea and normal urea can improve crop productivity and reduce the carbon footprint under straw return in winter wheat-summer maize cropping system

An important goal of sustainable agriculture is reducing the environmental risk while also ensuring food security. The mixed application of controlled-release urea and normal urea (CRUNU) is a potential nitrogen (N) management strategy for achieving this goal. However, few studies have focused on whether optimizing the N application rate of CRUNU can balance crop yield and greenhouse gas emissions, especially when straw is returned. Thus, we conducted a five-year field experiment in a winter wheat–summer maize planting system in Northwest China to determine the effects of different N fertilizer types (NU: normal urea; CRUNU) and N application levels (low N, 135 kg ha–1; medium N, 180 kg ha–1; high N, 225 kg ha–1) with straw return on the crop yield and stability, N fertilizer partial factor productivity (NFPF), and soil organic carbon (SOC). Life cycle assessment was also conducted to quantify the GHG emissions from farmland and carbon footprint (CF). Compared with NU, CRUNU improved the winter wheat and summer maize grain yield, biomass, and NFPF at all three N application levels. The crop grain yields increased significantly as the N application level increased under NU, but the crop grain yields did not differ significantly between the medium and high N application levels under CRUNU (P > 0.05). The SOC contents increased as the duration of straw return increased. Compared with NU, CRUNU significantly increased the SOC content, and correlation analysis showed that this increase was related to the increased amount of returned straw. Compared with NU, CRUNU increased the GHG emissions in the production process but reduced the GHG emissions in the application process, as well as increasing soil CO2 fixation to ultimately reduce the total GHG emissions. CRUNU increased the crop grain yield while also reducing the total GHG emissions, and thus the CF decreased significantly by 14.53–23.03% compared with NU, especially at the medium N application level. Therefore, this comprehensive analysis of the crop productivity and GHG emissions indicates that CRUNU combined with an appropriate N application level can be used as a nitrogen fertilizer management strategy for sustainable winter wheat–summer maize cropping in Northwest China.

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.

Phylogenetic relatedness can influence cover crop-based weed suppression

Cover crops are plants grown to provide regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services in managed environments. In agricultural systems, weed suppression services from cover crops can be an important tool to promote sustainability as reliance on herbicides and tillage for weed management has caused pollution, biodiversity loss, and human health issues. However, to effectively use weed suppression services from cover crops, farmers must carefully select species that fit within their rotations and suppress their problematic weeds. Understanding how the relatedness between cover crops and weeds affects their interactions will help farmers select cover crops for targeted weed management. The phylogenetic distance between species reflects their relatedness and was studied through a series of field experiments that compared weed suppression in winter and summer cover crops with tilled controls. This study demonstrates that cover crops can reduce up to 99% of weed biomass and alter weed community structure by suppressing phylogenetically related weed species. Results also suggest that cover crop planting season can influence weed community structure since only overwintering treatments affected the phylogenetic distance of weed communities. In an applied context, these results help develop cover crop-based weed management systems, demonstrating that problematic weeds can be managed by selecting phylogenetically related cover crop species. More broadly, this study provides a framework for evaluating weed communities through a phylogenetic perspective, which provides new insight into plant interactions in agriculture.

Design of a Multilayer Perceptron Network Based on the Normalized Histogram to Develop Yields Predictive Model

This article presents a multilayer perceptron (MLP) for patio-temporal remote sensing analysis of satellite image time series for a yield prediction model. This paper illustrates the model for crop yield prediction from the spatial cumulation of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) image time series at the province level. The methodological framework comprises the transformation of each NDVI image into a histogram to ensure no loss of information in the mapping of high- dimensional/unstructured NDVI images into pixels consideration, to be then used in training the MLP. The research work also includes an analysis of several activation functions for the hidden layer and testing their consequences on accuracy, including Radial-Basis (RadBas), Logarithmic-Sigmoid (LogSig), Hyperbolic-Tangent Sigmoid (TanSig), which depend mainly on exponential functions and limit the amplitude of the output. The proposed approach was utilized to predict the winter crop yield in Diwaniyah-Iraq province, one of the main agriculture regions, whose economy considerably depends on crop production. It can also be extended to other crops and other regions in Iraq. The proposed methodology showed the ability to predict the crop yield around seven-nine weeks before harvest. It also, outperformed the performance of traditional approaches by transforming the input into a more convenient form that reflects more useful information. The results show that the proposed model provides efficient accuracy (determination coefficient R2 > 0.85 and error level <0.24).

Health risk assessment of aerosol particles (PM2.5 and PM10) during winter crop at the agricultural site of Delhi, India.

For the last few decades, air pollution in developing country like India is increasing, and it is a matter of huge concern due to its associated human health impacts. In this region, the burgeoning population, escalating urbanization and industrialization, has been cited as the major reason for such a high air pollution. The present study was carried out for health risk assessment of aerosol particles (PM10 and PM2.5) and its associated heavy metals of an agriculture farm site at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) considered to be green urban area in Delhi, India. The concentrations of both PM10 and PM2.5 varied significantly from 136 to 177µg/m3 and 56 to 162µg/m3, respectively at the site. In the present case, the highest PM10 and PM2.5 levels were reported in January, followed by December. The levels of ambient PM10 and PM2.5 are influenced by wind prevailing meteorology. These levels of PM10 and PM2.5 are more than the permissible limits of WHO guidelines of 15 and 5µg/m3, respectively, thereby leading to high aerosol loadings specifically in winters. The PM concentration of the atmosphere was found to be negatively correlated with temperature during the sampling period. The concentrations of surface ozone O3 and NOx in the present study were observed to be high in February and March, respectively. The increasing air pollution in the city of Delhi poses a great risk to the human health, as the particulate matter loaded with heavy metals can enter humans via different pathways, viz., ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through skin. The mean hazard index for metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Cr, and Ni) was observed within the acceptable limit (HI < 1), thereby indicating negligible non-carcinogenic effects to residing population. The carcinogenic risk assessment was conducted for Cd, Pb, and As only, as the concentrations for other metals were found to be quite low. The carcinogenic risk values were also within the limits of USEPA standards, indicating no carcinogenic risks to the health of children and adults residing near the site. This information about the PM pollution at the agricultural site and health risk assessment will serve as a baseline data in assessment of human health impacts due to air pollution at the local scale and can be used for development of mitigation strategies for tackling air pollution.

DENSITY OF THE STRUCTURE AND HARDNESS OF THE SOIL FOR GROWING WINTER WHEAT

The article highlights the results of research on over-compaction of the arable layer of the soil during the cultivation of winter wheat. When taking care of winter crops, the greater part of the researched fields begins to be affected by various technical measures in the fall, when at the beginning of September, the corresponding areas are prepared for sowing the crop after harvesting one or another predecessor. As a result, the agronomic value of the fields where the leading culture of modern agriculture of our country is grown is significantly reduced, as well as the productive capacity of the root system of winter wheat significantly deteriorates, which is reflected in a correspondingly negative way on the quality characteristics of plants and harvest.&#x0D; In the studies that took place during 2018-2021, it was established that the method of the main tillage of the soil, namely its depth and the terms of determination in the arable layer, significantly influenced the final bulk mass of its layers. A rather significant deterioration of the structural agrophysical state of the soil and an increase in the hardness of the latter in variants with shallow disc tillage by 10-12 cm is explained, first of all, by the formation of a large dispersion of its seed layer (0-10 cm) and compaction of layers of 10-20 cm in comparison with shelfless plowing.&#x0D; According to the research results, it was established that in all layers of the soil, when the latter was worked with disc harrows of the BDT-3 type, on average, its volume mass increased in the following parameters compared to tillage: 0-10 cm - by 0.13 g/cm3; 10-20 cm - by 0.09 g/cm3; 20-30 cm - by 0.01 g/cm3 and 0-30 cm, respectively, by 0.09 g/cm3.&#x0D; Thus, our research has proven the preservation of the regularity of a larger volumetric mass of the soil when performing a shallow disc tillage of 10-12 cm in comparison with plowing without a shelf of 14-16 cm.

Economic Study of the Impact of the Value of Egypt's Agricultural Production on Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The gross domestic product expresses the economic value of goods and services during a specific period of time, and the agricultural sector affects the value of the gross domestic product. The problem of the research lies in the low contribution of the value of agricultural output to the value of the gross domestic product. Therefore, the research aims to study the value of agricultural production and find out the extent of its impact on the value of the output. Gross domestic. It was shown from the results that a one-unit increase in the value of the total agricultural production, plant production, animal production, and fish production on a trip basis leads to an increase in the value of the gross domestic product by 6.95, 12.99, 19.32, and 58.59 billion pounds, respectively, as the stability became clear. The relative values of plant production, animal production, fish production, field crops, vegetable crops, and fruit crops, respectively, where the coefficient of variation was estimated at approximately 0.34%, 0.36%, 0.49%, 0.32%, 0.40%, and 0.38%, respectively, during the study period. While it was found that the production values of medicinal and aromatic plants were relatively unstable, the coefficient of variation was estimated at about 0.58%. Studying the development of the total production values of field crops in the three loops shows the relative stability of the production values of winter, summer, and indigo field crops, respectively, as the coefficient of variation reached about 0.33%, 0.32%, and 0.26%, respectively.

Influence of autumn plant condition on cold hardiness of winter cereal crops at different sowing dates

Research on the influence of autumn plant condition as a factor affecting the cold hardiness of winter wheat, rye, and triticale was conducted at the Siberian Scientific Research Institute of Plant Growing and Breeding, a branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, from 2018 to 2021. Morphological indicators of pre-winter plant condition in cereal crops (plant height, number of tillering shoots, and green mass) are primarily associated with the sowing date (contributing to 54.68–85.86%) and genotypic characteristics of winter crops (contributing to 3.63–22.81%). The best morphological indicators were observed with the first sowing date, which decreased by the third sowing date. Over the research period, more vigorous growth, the formation of tillering shoots, and the development of green mass were observed in winter rye compared to triticale and wheat, regardless of the sowing date. In addition to morphological changes in plants, biochemical changes were also observed (sugar content in the tillering node). The accumulation of sugars was influenced by the meteorological conditions of the year (contributing to 30.36%) and determined by the biological characteristics of the crop (contributing to 18.69%). High sugar content in the node of tillering of rye was found in 2020 - 34.3–43.4%, in wheat - 22.8–32.5%, and in triticale - 28.4–37.3%, which can be explained by excellent vegetative conditions promoting the accumulation of more sugars in the node of tillering of plants. At different sowing dates, high sugar content was observed in winter rye: in the first - 36.5%, the second - 26.8%, and the third - 31.3%. Triticale exceeded winter rye in sugar content in the second - 29.5% and third sowing date - 33.0%. Winter rye exhibited high morphological and biochemical indicators in autumn, contributing to its high cold hardiness (80–100%) at different sowing dates. A positive correlation was established with plant height and tillering coefficient (r =0.90*–0.91*), indicating increased cold hardiness with these traits. Wheat and triticale significantly lagged behind rye due to their lower resistance to extreme negative temperatures compared to rye. It was found that an increase in linear growth promotes increased cold hardiness, the formation of tillering shoots, and the amount of sugars in the node of tillering (r =0.34…0.93*) in wheat and the maximum height and number of tillering shoots (r =0.84*…0.94*) in triticale in the autumn period.

Identification of Puccinia striiformis races from the spring wheat crop in Xinjiang, China.

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a foliar disease that affects both winter and spring wheat crops in Xinjiang, China, which is linked to Central Asia. Race identification of Pst from spring wheat in Xinjiang was not done before. In this study, a total of 216 isolates were recovered from stripe rust samples of spring wheat in the region in 2021 and multiplied using the susceptible cultivar Mingxian 169. These isolates were tested on the Chinese set of 19 wheat differential lines for identifying Pst races. A total of 46 races were identified. Races Suwon-11-1, Suwon11-12, and CYR32 had high frequencies in the spring wheat region. The frequencies of virulence factors on differentials "Fulhard" and "Early Premium" were high (>95%), whereas the virulence factor to differential "Triticum spelta var. Album" (Yr5) was not detected, while virulence to other differentials showed variable frequency within different counties. The predominant races in winter wheat in the same season were also detected from spring wheat cultivars, indicating Pst spreading from winter wheat to spring wheat crops. Deploying resistance genes in spring and winter wheat cultivars is critical for control stripe rust.

Role of Agrometeorological Advisory Services in Enhancing Food Security and Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change

Abstract Providing knowledge inputs to farmers is critical to reduce their vulnerability and enhance resilience against climate change. In developing countries such as India, where small holdings and rain-fed agriculture are predominant, knowledge inputs become even more critical. The India Meteorological Department has provided integrated agrometeorological advisory services (AAS) to farmers since 2008. In this paper, we estimate the scale of access to AAS and its impact on crop yields in 1000 households across 10 villages in two agroclimatic zones in India. We find evidence suggesting that access to AAS can have a significant impact on crop yields in the kharif (June–September) season, whereas other inputs are more important in the case of rabi (winter) crops. Specifically, the yields of pigeon pea, soybean, and pearl millet are higher by 233, 98, and 318 kg ha−1, respectively, for AAS beneficiaries. For the entire study area, this translates to a value addition of $9.66 million for these three crops in one season. Our results show that AAS can be an important contributor to meeting the developmental goals of enhancing food security in dry-land agriculture and building resilience against climate change. Significance Statement In the era of climate change, with rapidly increasing weather and climatic variability, protecting the incomes of small farmers and ensuring they have the capacity to adapt and build resilience to the growing impacts of climate change is an urgent necessity. We have studied the impact of knowledge services such as the agrometeorological advisory services of the India Meteorological Department on crop yields for major crops in dry agroclimatic zones in India. The study shows that large public programs like the agrometeorological advisory services that bring science to people in meaningful ways can contribute significantly to meeting developmental goals and building resilience against climate change.

Diversified grain rotations can be highly and reliably productive in unstable climates.

Abstract The crop rotation is a farm-scale management choice that dictates agronomic output, ecological impacts, and farm viability. Rotations have become less diverse recently. Re-diversifying may help agricultural systems meet the growing, dynamic demands from society and challenges from climate change. Using a long-term experiment, we tested whether diversified rotations could a) match the productivity (grain yield) of simplified rotations while b) stabilizing productivity against variable weather in the western Corn Belt. We identified rotation design choices that drive these productivity-stability dynamics. Although more productive rotations were more susceptible to weather ( r = 0.63; p &lt; 0.001), this tradeoff was surmountable ( p &lt; 0.001): the corn-oat-winter wheat-soybean ( Zea mays L., Avena sativa L., Triticum aestivum L., Glycine max (L.) Merr.) rotation was a) no less productive than the highly unstable, corn-soybean rotation ( p = 0.11); and b) only marginally less stable than the most stable rotation ( p = 0.06). Crop selection and sequencing were critical to this outcome. High productivity was due to a) overyielding of individual crops in diversified rotations that increased with time; b) sequencing to allow higher-yielding winter crops; and c) beneficial crop legacy effects. Stability was highest in rotations that included crops belonging to more weather-niches ( r 2 = 0.67; p &lt; 0.001). Surprisingly, these weather-niches groups did not correspond to traditional categories like cool- vs warm-season crops. These results suggest four principles for the design, study, and implementation of diversified grain rotations that are stable under erratic weather and are as productive as current standard practices.

Winter cropping improves yield, dry matter accumulation and translocation and nitrogen uptake of double-cropping rice

Winter cropping is widely considered as an effective way to increase rice yield. Therefore, this study was performed to find optimal winter cropping patterns in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Five experimental treatments were set up based on the long-term field experiment including winter fallow (CK), Chinese milk vetch winter cropping pattern (CRR), rapeseed winter cropping pattern (RRR), garlic winter cropping pattern (GRR), and winter multiple cropping rotation (ROT). The effects of different winter cropping patterns on the yield, dry matter accumulation and translocation, and plant nitrogen uptake were explored in double-cropping rice. The results showed that compared with CK, winter cropping increased the early and late rice yield by 7.91-10.70% and 3.57-6.89%, respectively. Similarly, compared with CK, winter cropping patterns also increased the number of spikes in early rice by 19.36-25.81% and CRR and ROT increased the effective number of spikes in late rice by 25.58% and 23.26% respectively. The dry matter (DM) translocation by stem and leaf of early rice under CRR was highest, with a 36.2% increase compared with CK, however, DM accumulation after heading in early rice under CRR was lowest. GRR decreased the dry matter translocation by stem and leaf in early rice but increased DM accumulation after heading in early and late rice by 65.28% and 13.44% as compared to CK. Moreover, ROT increased the dry matter translocation by stem and leaf in late rice by 112.63%. Additionally, GRR and ROT treatments increased the stem nitrogen uptake in early rice by 61.76% and 58.61% as compared to control, while CRR increased the nitrogen uptake by stem, leave and spike in late rice by 40.76%, 49.51% and 42.92%. In conclusion, CRR is more beneficial to increase DM accumulation and translocation by stem and leaf in double-cropping rice, and nitrogen uptake by rice plants.

Exploring the effects of subsoiling tillage under various irrigation regimes on the evapotranspiration and crop water productivity of winter wheat using RZWQM2

Food security is an important pre-requisite for human well-being; however, water shortages and poor quality of arable land threaten food security in the North China Plain (NCP). Subsoiling and proper irrigation can improve soil structure and increase crop yield. This study investigated the effects of two tillage methods (rotary tillage at 15 cm depth, R15; subsoiling at 35 cm depth, S35) combined with three irrigation treatments (no irrigation during the winter wheat growing season, I0; 60 mm irrigation at the jointing stage, I1; 60 mm irrigation at both the jointing and heading stages, I2) on soil moisture dynamics, evapotranspiration, and winter wheat yield. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) was adopted after calibration and validation base on a field experiment. The results showed that the normalized root mean square errors (calibration and test) between the actual and simulated values of soil water storage (SWS), evapotranspiration (ET), and yield were 7.45–10.87%, 3.80–7.21%, and 5.38–14.15%, respectively. Subsoiling improved winter wheat soil moisture conditions, yield, and crop water productivity (CWP), and irrigation during the winter wheat growing seasons increased crop yield (I2 > I1 > I0) and CWP (I1 > I2 > I0). The best yield treatment during the 2020–2022 winter wheat growing seasons was S35-I2. However, the CWP of S35-I1 was 2.67% higher than that of S35-I2. Tillage methods change the ET structure of winter wheat fields. Compared to rotary tillage, subsoiling reduced actual ET by 16.11% and increased actual transpiration by 10.44%. The results of this study indicate that subsoiling at a depth of 35 cm and 60 mm irrigation at the jointing stage could improve the CWP of winter wheat in the NCP.

Technology of cultivation of winter wheat in the steppe zone of RNO-Alania

The authors present the results of the use of growth biological preparations on winter wheat crops in the steppe zone of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. The purpose of the study is to increase the yield of winter crops with high quality indicators of food grain through the use of biological products - Edagum SM (450 ml/ha); Furolan Zh (5.1 ml/ha); Vitazim BP (1.0l/ha). Novelty. For the first time in the conditions of the steppe zone, the scientific basis for the use of biological agents aimed at improving the quality and yield of winter wheat has been developed. Methodology. The research was carried out in 2020-2022 on the experimental fields of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located in the Mozdok region of North Ossetia-Alania. The soils of the experimental plot are carbonate-chestnut. In terms of mechanical composition, they are classified as heavy loamy coarse silt. The chemical composition of chestnut calcareous soils is quite favorable for the cultivation of agricultural crops. The content of humus, depending on the mechanical composition, ranges from 2.22 to 3.45 %. The introduction of growth regulators made it possible to obtain a high yield with quality indicators of grain. The use of the biological product Edagum SM, in terms of yield, turned out to be the best, where the increase in comparison with the control for the Grom variety was 1.31 t/ha, Furolan Zh - 0.99 t/ha, Vitazim VR - 0.69 t/ha. For the Yumpa variety - 1.35 t/ha, 0.99, 0.77 t/ha, respectively. By treating plants with biological preparations, the quality indicators of winter wheat grain are improved, where the gluten content of the studied varieties increases by 4.4 %, the increase in gluten with the use of Furolan Zh biological preparations by 4.0 % and Vitazim VR by 1.2 %. Using the drug Edagum SM profitability increased by 48 %, Furolan Zh increased the level of profitability by 35.7 %, Vitazim VR by 17.7 %. For the Yumpa variety, when growth regulators are introduced, the level of profitability increases from 24.3 to 50.3 % compared to the control.

Invasive species Spergula arvensis: It's impact on Production of Winter Crops

Invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area. The new species that are introduced into a new region or area are accidentally or purposeful. This introduced species adapt easily to the environment, multiply too quickly and become invasive. To search the query of the impact on the production of winter crops by Spergula arvensis (Thagne jhar) in the study area, this research study was carried out based on the field study from 2021 November to March 2022. Exploratory and explanatory research designs were adapted to complete the research study within a multi-disciplinary approach.

Prospects and Potential of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp) Production in Nepal: A Review

Buckwheat is one of the important but underexploited crop of Nepal. It ranks 6th position as a staple food crop and is cultivated from Terai to mid hills and mountains. It is cultivated as summer crop in mountains, autumn and spring crop in mid-hills and winter crop in Terai and inner terai. The major buckwheat producing districts of Nepal are Mustang, Humla, Dolpa, Mugu, Kalikot, Jumla, Rukum, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Kavre, Dolakha, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga and Taplejung. It is considered as a short duration, eco-friendly, drought tolerant, wider adoptive and rainfed loving crop with minimal requirement of plant nutrients, tilling, plant protection measures and other management practices. It plays an important role in the food and nutritional security of the people living in remote rural areas. Two buckwheat species; Fagopyrum. esculentum (Mithe phaper) and Fagopyrum. tataricum (Tite phapar) are cultivated in Nepal. It can withstand against various kinds of biotic and abiotic stresses and fit well in various multiple cropping systems. The area, production and productivity of buckwheat in Nepal during fiscal year 2021/022 is 13875 ha, 15917 tons and 1.15 tons ha-1, respectively. Several factors such as frost, drought, lack of high yielding varieties, lodging, self-incompatibility, female sterility, indeterminant growth habit, shattering is responsible for low yield. To increase the area, production and productivity of buckwheat in Nepal, immediate attention should be given by the researchers, development workers, local governments, and policy makers by developing and advocating location specific scientific interventions and policies.

FACTORS OF SLOPE SPRING RUNOFF ON GRAY FOREST SOILS IN THE CENTRAL FOREST-STEPPE

The results of long-term studies of several generations of scientists at the Novosilskaya zonal agroforestry and reclamation experimental station named after A.S. Kozmenko (a branch of the Federal Research Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences), initiated by Professor G.P. Surmach, were summarized and analyzed. The task was to assess the nature of the spring slope runoff formation and show the role of natural factors and agricultural activities. The methodological basis of the research was the method of runoff sites. As a result of a long (64 year long) study, a number of important dependencies and features of the runoff formation under different natural and climatic conditions were identified, as well as the influence of natural factors and agricultural activities on it (structure of sown areas, cultivation history, tillage methods, etc.). Scientific materials on the elements of the spring water balance give an idea of their patterns. It has been established that only three natural factors out of a large number of them have a significant impact on the slope spring runoff, i. e. the depth of soil freezing, snow reserves and humidity of the upper soil layer (down to 30 cm). Other factors almost do not affect the amount of runoff and they could be ignored in the process of calculation. The limiting levels of these three factors have been established, under which no runoff is formed. During 64 years of study, runoff was absent for 33 years, ranging from 1 to 146 mm in other years. Among anthropogenic factors, tillage methods and the state of agricultural backgrounds have a profound influence. The runoff regulatory importance of finching and the runoff forming role of perennial grasses and winter crops are discussed. On average, runoff from compacted arable land was 10 mm higher compared to loose chick; in some years the difference was significantly greater. The results of the study are necessary for the design of erosion-control adaptive landscape farming system.