Long-term weed dynamics and crop yields under diverse crop rotations in organic and conventional cropping systems in the Canadian prairies

2016 ◽  
Vol 196 ◽  
pp. 357-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilshan Benaragama ◽  
Steven J. Shirtliffe ◽  
Bruce D. Gossen ◽  
Stu A. Brandt ◽  
Reynold Lemke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Weed Dynamics

scholarly journals Outcomes of Long-Term Conservation Tillage Research in Northern China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Azumah Chimsah ◽  
Liqun Cai ◽  
Jun Wu ◽  
Renzhi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Total N

Sustainable food production has long been a priority for mankind and this is being challenged by limited arable land, challenged landscapes, and higher human population growth. China started conservation farming around the 1950’s. However, main Conservation Tillage (CT) research started in 1992. Using a systematic meta-analysis approach, this review aims at examining China’s approach to CT and to characterize the main outcomes of long-term CT research across northern China. Data from organizations in charge of CT research in China showed an improvement in crop yield of at least 4% under double cropping systems and 6% under single cropping systems in dry areas of northern China. Furthermore, long-term CT practices were reported to have improved soil physical properties (soil structure, bulk density, pore size, and aggregate stability), soil nutrient levels, and reduction in greenhouse gas emission. Other benefits include significant increase in income levels and protection of the environment. Limitations to CT practice highlighted in this study include occasional reduction in crop yields during initial years of cropping, significant reduction in total N of soils, increase in N2O emission, and the need for customized machinery for its implementation. Outcomes of CT practice are ecologically and economically beneficial though its limitations are worth cogitating.

scholarly journals Alley Cropping Increases Land Use Efficiency and Economic Profitability Across the Combination Cultivation Period

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huasen Xu ◽  
Huaxing Bi ◽  
Lubo Gao ◽  
Lei Yun
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Land Use Efficiency ◽  
Term Experiment ◽  
Long Term Experiment ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Short Term Experiment

Alley cropping allows the famer to effectively use available resources and yield more benefits. Choosing suitable associated crop and mitigating the competition between trees and crops are crucial for designing the alley cropping systems. We conducted a long-term experiment, including apple (Malus pumila)/peanut (Arachis hypogaea), apple/millet (Setaria italica) and apple/maize (Zea mays) alley cropping systems with conventional intercropping distance, and corresponding monocultures (Exp.1), and a short-term experiment with improved intercropping distance in the same three combinations (Exp.2) in the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed crop yields in three alley cropping systems were lower than the corresponding monocultures. Apple yields were significantly constrained by millet and maize in the alley cropping systems, but not sensitive to the presence of peanut. Land equivalent ratios (LERs) ranged from 0.44 to 0.89 before the tree bore fruit. The LERs were greater than 1.0 after the tree bore fruit, and the apple trees made a decisive contribution to the land use advantage. Net present values of three alley cropping systems were on average 60.1% higher than the corresponding monocultures across the alley cropping period. The maximum annual present value in the first–fifth, sixth and seventh–ninth years after the alley cropping establishment was observed in the apple/maize, apple/millet and apple/peanut system, respectively. These results highlight that choosing the optimal alley cropping management and suitable associated crops at different years after establishment may allow farmers to increase the land use efficiency and economic profitability.

scholarly journals Combined agro-ecological strategies for adaptation of organic horticultural systems to climate change in Mediterranean environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariangela Diacono ◽  
Angelo Fiore ◽  
Roberta Farina ◽  
Stefano Canali ◽  
Claudia Di Bene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Mediterranean Environment ◽  
Ecological Service ◽  
Conservation Farming ◽  
Ecological Principles ◽  
Set Up

Agricultural biodiversity and related agro-ecological measures could play a crucial role in the agro-ecosystems adaptation to climate changes, thus sustaining crop production. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability (and the best combination) of agro-ecological techniques as potential resilience strategies in organic horticultural systems in a Mediterranean environment. A long-term experimental device called MITIORG (<em>Long-term climatic change adaptation in organic farming: synergistic combination of hydraulic arrangement, crop rotations, agro-ecological service crops and agronomic techniques</em>) is set-up at Metaponto (MT), testing the following agro-ecological measures as well as organic and conservation farming <em>best practices</em>: i) hydraulic arrangement by a kind of ridge-furrow system; ii) cash crop rotations; iii) agro-ecological service crops (ASC) introduction; iv) ASC termination techniques (green manure vs roller crimper); and v) organic fertilisation. The research here reported was carried out during the 2014-2015 season in the MITIORG device, on a rotation of cauliflower (<em>Brassica oleracea</em> L.) and tomato (<em>Solanum lycopersicum</em> L.) crops. A detailed description of the scientific cognitive process that led to setup of the device, its components explanation, as well as preliminary yield results are reported. The outcomes suggest that organic vegetable cropping systems, designed following agro-ecological principles, are able to sustain yield of cash crops in rotation, in spite of changes in temperature and rainfall of the study site. Experimental data available in the next years will allow a deeper integrated analysis of the manifold effects of agro-ecological measures on horticultural systems.

scholarly journals Covariance Structures in Conventional and Organic Cropping Systems

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah A. Jaradat
Keyword(s):  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Covariance Structures ◽  
Cumulative Yield ◽  
Temporal Variance

Guidelines are needed to develop proper statistical analyses procedures and select appropriate models of covariance structures in response to expected temporal variation in long-term experiments. Cumulative yield, its temporal variance, and coefficient of variation were used in estimating and describing covariance structures in conventional and organic cropping systems of a long-term field experiment in a randomized complete block design. An 8-year database on 16 treatments (conventional and organic cropping systems, crop rotations, and tillage) was subjected to geostatistical, covariance structure, variance components, and repeated measures multivariate analyses using six covariance models under restricted maximum likelihood. Differential buildup of the cumulative effects due to crop rotations being repeated over time was demonstrated by decreasing structured and unstructured variances and increasing range estimates in the geostatistical analyses. The magnitude and direction of relationships between cumulative yield and its temporal variance, and coefficient of variation shaped the covariance structures of both cropping systems, crop rotations, and phases within crop rotations and resulted in significant deviations of organic management practices from their conventional counterparts. The unstructured covariance model was the best to fit most factor-variable combinations; it was the most flexible, but most costly in terms of computation time and number of estimated parameters.

Predicting the effect of rotation design on N, P, K balances on organic farms using the NDICEA model

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence G. Smith ◽  
Davide Tarsitano ◽  
Cairistiona F. E. Topp ◽  
Stephanie K. Jones ◽  
Catherine L. Gerrard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Fundamental Problem ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Small Error ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Climatic Environment ◽  
Organic Farmers ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe dynamic model Nitrogen Dynamics in Crop rotations in Ecological Agriculture (NDICEA) was used to assess the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) balance of long-term organic cropping trials and typical organic crop rotations on a range of soil types and rainfall zones in the UK. The measurements of soil N taken at each of the organic trial sites were also used to assess the performance of NDICEA. The modeled outputs compared well to recorded soil N levels, with relatively small error margins. NDICEA therefore seems to be a useful tool for UK organic farmers. The modeling of typical organic rotations has shown that positive N balances can be achieved, although negative N balances can occur under high rainfall conditions and on lighter soil types as a result of leaching. The analysis and modeling also showed that some organic cropping systems rely on imported sources of P and K to maintain an adequate balance and large deficits of both nutrients are apparent in stockless systems. Although the K deficits could be addressed through the buffering capacity of minerals, the amount available for crop uptake will depend on the type and amount of minerals present, current cropping and fertilization practices and the climatic environment. A P deficit represents a more fundamental problem for the maintenance of crop yields and the organic sector currently relies on mined sources of P which represents a fundamental conflict with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements organic principles.

Response and adaptation of soybean systems to climate warming in Northeast China: insights gained from long-term field trials

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (10) ◽  
pp. 876 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. Zheng ◽  
L. D. Chen ◽  
X. Z. Han
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soybean Seed ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Seed Filling ◽  
Term Field

Developing and assessing successful strategies to alleviate adverse impact of climate warming presents a new opportunity for sustainable agriculture and adaptation investment. Efforts to anticipate adaptation of cropping systems may benefit from understanding the global warming effects within decades. This study quantitatively examines the temperature warming impacts during, respectively, growing season and seed filling on soybean yields by using data from long-term field fertilisation experiments from 1987 to 2004. Here we report that grain yields significantly decreased with rising temperature during growing season, whereas the effects of increasing temperature at seed-filling stage on crop yields were significantly positive. The results indicate that a further temperature increment during seed filling appears to decrease soybean system’s risk of yield reduction. Importantly, we inferred that earlier occurrence of seed filling would increase the temperature of this period. The implication is that advancing the onset of soybean seed filling could be an effective adaptation option to global warming, providing an average yield benefit of ~14% per 10 days before the present date.

scholarly journals Soil fertility and crop yields in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems in Eastern Nebraska

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam E. Wortman ◽  
Tomie D. Galusha ◽  
Stephen C. Mason ◽  
Charles A. Francis
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Animal Manure ◽  
Conventional System ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Conventional Systems

AbstractOrganic agriculture aims to build soil quality and provide long-term benefits to people and the environment; however, organic practices may reduce crop yields. This long-term study near Mead, NE was conducted to determine differences in soil fertility and crop yields among conventional and organic cropping systems between 1996 and 2007. The conventional system (CR) consisted of corn (Zea maysL.) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench)–soybean (Glycine max(L.) Merr.)–sorghum or corn–soybean, whereas the diversified conventional system (DIR) consisted of corn or sorghum–sorghum or corn–soybean–winter wheat (wheat,Triticum aestivumL.). The animal manure-based organic system (OAM) consisted of soybean–corn or sorghum–soybean–wheat, while the forage-based organic system (OFG) consisted of alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.)–alfalfa–corn or sorghum–wheat. Averaged across sampling years, soil organic matter content (OMC), P, pH, Ca, K, Mg and Zn in the top 15 cm of soil were greatest in the OAM system. However, by 2008 OMC was not different between the two organic systems despite almost two times greater carbon inputs in the OAM system. Corn, sorghum and soybean average annual yields were greatest in either of the two conventional systems (7.65, 6.36 and 2.60 Mg ha−1, respectively), whereas wheat yields were greatest in the OAM system (3.07 Mg ha−1). Relative to the mean of the conventional systems, corn yields were reduced by 13 and 33% in the OAM and OFG systems, respectively. Similarly, sorghum yields in the OAM and OFG systems were reduced by 16 and 27%, respectively. Soybean yields were 20% greater in the conventional systems compared with the OAM system. However, wheat yields were 10% greater in the OAM system compared with the conventional DIR system and 23% greater than yield in the OFG system. Alfalfa in the OFG system yielded an average of 7.41 Mg ha−1annually. Competitive yields of organic wheat and alfalfa along with the soil fertility benefits associated with animal manure and perennial forage suggest that aspects of the two organic systems be combined to maximize the productivity and sustainability of organic cropping systems.

scholarly journals Soil Fertility Management in Westsik’s Crop Rotation Experiment

2001 ◽  
pp. 34-39
Author(s):  
János Lazányi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Continuous Production ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Soil Fertility Management

The crop rotation experiment, established by Vilmos Westsik in 1929, is the best known and most remarkable example of continuous production in Hungary. It is still used to study the effects of organic manure treatment, develop models and predict the likely effects of different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields. Westsik’s crop rotation experiment provides data of immediate value to farmers concerning the applications of fertilisers, green, straw and farmyard manure. The experiment also provides a resource of yield, plant and soil data sets for scientific research into the soil and plant processes which control soil fertility, and into the sustainability of production without environmental deterioration. The maintenance of Westsik’s crop rotation experiment can be used to illustrate the value of long-term field experiments.

scholarly journals INFLUENCE OF BIOLOGIZATION FACTORS ON THE YIELD OF WINTER RYE IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE KAMA OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Марсель Ахметзянов ◽  
Marsel Akhmetzyanov
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Straw Yield ◽  
The Republic

The research was carried out on the experimental field of the General Agriculture, Plant protection and Selection Department of Kazan State Agrarian University by bookmarking a long-term in-patient experience. Research was conducted on two bookmarks of the stationary experience of General Agriculture Department in the links of the crop rotation of fallows - winter rye. The following issues were laid and studied at the station: crop rotations, nutrition backgrounds, soil cultivation. One of the tasks, set before the research, was to determine the effect of embedding biological agents into the soil on the indices of soil fertility and on crop yields in crop rotations. Nutrients contributed to the formation of a higher crop, even in the absence of fertilizers, for example, the straw yield was generated 22.5 centner per hectare, and with the use of intermediate syderat - 23.6, while without biogenes - 20.08 centner per hectare. A comparatively high yield was obtained with the use of siderate for a combined treatment system - 26.7 centner per hectare. When the estimated doses of mineral fertilizers were applied into the soil in terms of biologic background, the winter rye productivity increased even further, the increase to the background without fertilizers was 9.6-14.0 centner per hectare.

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