Over-cropping lucerne with wheat: effect of lucerne winter activity on total plant production and water use of the mixture, and wheat yield and quality

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 839 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Humphries ◽  
R. A. Latta ◽  
G. C. Auricht ◽  
W. D. Bellotti

Two field experiments in southern Australia investigated a farming system of over-cropping wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) into established lucerne (Medicago sativa subsp. L.) varieties of different winter activity ratings. The study was completed at Roseworthy, South Australia, and Katanning, Western Australia, between August 2000 and May 2003 in seasons receiving below average and average rainfall. Comparative lucerne persistence and biomass, wheat biomass, grain yield and protein contents, and soil water contents were measured. Wheat grain yield was reduced by 13–63% by over-cropping lucerne compared with wheat monoculture. Winter-dormant lucerne (winter activity Classes 0.5 and 2) reduced the yield penalty compared with winter-active varieties (Classes 6 and 10) in 2 of the 4 evaluations. The positive response to applying N at sowing in the second year of over-cropping wheat at Katanning was greatest in the most winter-dormant lucerne treatment (winter activity 0.5). Soil water contents were similar under the lucerne/wheat over-cropping and lucerne monoculture treatments irrespective of lucerne winter activity. Deficits of up to 43 mm at Roseworthy and 88 mm at Katanning were measured in the 0–200-cm soil profile at the start of the third summer of the study. The study shows that it can be more efficient in terms of land area to over-crop wheat into lucerne than to grow monocultures on separate parcels of land akin to phase farming. The improved productivity of over-cropping is associated with the separation of growth patterns of winter wheat and summer-active lucerne. This farming system offers great potential for improving sustainability and productivity in southern Australian cropping rotations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
ATIF JAVED ◽  
MUHAMMAD IQBAL ◽  
RUQIA SHEHZADI

A two years (2014-15 and 2015-16) field experiment was performed to find out the effect of plastic film and straw mulching on yield, water use efficiency (WUE) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and selected soil properties. There were three treatments i.e. control, plastic film and straw mulch. No mulch was added in control. Rice straw was applied on the surface at a rate of 5 Mg ha-1. Soil samples in 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths were taken and analyzed. Soil water contents at 20 cm interval every 7 days were determined in 0-160 cm soil depth before sowing, after harvesting and during growing seasons. Results showed that grain yield was increased significantly by 29.8 in 2014-15 and 35.6% in 2015-16 over that of control under straw mulch. Straw mulch also decreased total water use with an increase in WUE. Soil bulk density was decreased significantly with a significant increase in porosity, water stable aggregates, active carbon, organic matter and soil water contents after harvesting. Soil water storage was higher under straw mulch for most sampling times. In conclusion, mulching soil with straw can sustain wheat yield and improve WUE and soil properties.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1759
Author(s):  
Said A. Hamido ◽  
Kelly T. Morgan

The availability and proper irrigation scheduling of water are some of the most significant limitations on citrus production in Florida. The proper volume of citrus water demand is vital in evaluating sustainable irrigation approaches. The current study aims to determine the amount of irrigation required to grow citrus trees at higher planting densities without detrimental impacts on trees’ water relation parameters. The study was conducted between November 2017 and September 2020 on young sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) trees budded on the ‘US-897’ (Cleopatra mandarin x Flying Dragon trifoliate orange) citrus rootstock transplanted in sandy soil at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) demonstration grove, near Immokalee, Florida. The experiment contained six planting densities, including 447, 598, and 745 trees per ha replicated four times, and 512, 717, and 897 trees per ha replicated six times. Each density treatment was irrigated at 62% or 100% during the first 15 months between 2017 and 2019 or one of the four irrigation rates (26.5, 40.5, 53, or 81%) based on the calculated crop water supplied (ETc) during the last 17 months of 2019–2020. Tree water relations, including soil moisture, stem water potential, and water supplied, were collected periodically. In addition, soil salinity was determined. During the first year (2018), a higher irrigation rate (100% ETc) represented higher soil water contents; however, the soil water content for the lower irrigation rate (62% ETc) did not represent biological stress. One emitter per tree regardless of planting density supported stem water potential (Ψstem) values between −0.80 and −0.79 MPa for lower and full irrigation rates, respectively. However, when treatments were adjusted from April 2019 through September 2020, the results substantially changed. The higher irrigation rate (81% ETc) represented higher soil water contents during the remainder of the study, the lower irrigation rate (26.5% ETc) represents biological stress as a result of stem water potential (Ψstem) values between −1.05 and −0.91 MPa for lower and higher irrigation rates, respectively. Besides this, increasing the irrigation rate from 26.5% to 81%ETc decreased the soil salinity by 33%. Although increasing the planting density from 717 to 897 trees per hectare reduced the water supplied on average by 37% when one irrigation emitter was used to irrigate two trees instead of one, applying an 81% ETc irrigation rate in citrus is more efficient and could be managed in commercial groves.


2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minuka M. Weerasinghe ◽  
Peter S. Kettlewell ◽  
Ivan G. Grove ◽  
Martin C. Hare

Application of film antitranspirant to wheat during late stem extension reduces drought damage to yield, but the mechanism is unknown. Field experiments under rain shelters were conducted over 3 years to test the hypothesis that film antitranspirant applied before meiosis alleviates drought-induced losses of pollen viability, grain number and yield. The film antitranspirant di-1-p-menthene was applied at third-node stage, and meiosis occurred at the early boot stage, with a range of 11–16 days after spray application in different years. Irrigated, unsprayed plots were included under the rain-shelters, and pollen viability, measured in 2 years in these plots, averaged 95.3%. Drought reduced pollen viability to 80.1% in unirrigated, unsprayed plots, but only to 88.6% in unirrigated plots treated with film antitranspirant. Grain number and yield of irrigated plots, measured in all years, were 16 529 m–2 and 9.55 t ha–1, respectively, on average. These were reduced by drought to 11 410 m–2 and 6.31 t ha–1 in unirrigated, unsprayed plots, but only to 12 878 m–2 and 6.97 t ha–1 in unirrigated plots treated with film antitranspirant. Thus compared with unirrigated, unsprayed plots, antitranspirant gave a grain yield benefit of 0.66 t ha–1. Further work is needed to validate the pollen viability mechanism in different climatic zones and with a wide range of cultivars.


Author(s):  
MUHAMMAD ASLAM ALI ◽  
SANJIT CHANDRA BARMAN ◽  
MD. ASHRAFUL ISLAM KHAN ◽  
MD. BADIUZZAMAN KHAN ◽  
HAFSA JAHAN HIYA

Climate change and water scarcity may badly affect existing rice production system in Bangladesh. With a view to sustain rice productivity and mitigate yield scaled CH4 emission in the changing climatic conditions, a pot experiment was conducted under different soil water contents, biochar and silicate amendments with inorganic fertilization (NPKS). In this regard, 12 treatments combinations of biochar, silicate and NPKS fertilizer along with continuous standing water (CSW), soil saturation water content and field capacity (100% and 50%) moisture levels were arranged into rice planted potted soils. Gas samples were collected from rice planted pots through Closed Chamber technique and analyzed by Gas Chromatograph. This study revealed that seasonal CH4 emissions were suppressed through integrated biochar and silicate amendments with NPKS fertilizer (50–75% of the recommended doze), while increased rice yield significantly at different soil water contents. Biochar and silicate amendments with NPKS fertilizer (50% of the recommended doze) increased rice grain yield by 10.9%, 18.1%, 13.0% and 14.2%, while decreased seasonal CH4 emissions by 22.8%, 20.9%, 23.3% and 24.3% at continuous standing water level (CSW) (T9), at saturated soil water content (T10), at 100% field capacity soil water content (T11) and at 50% field capacity soil water content (T12), respectively. Soil porosity, soil redox status, SOC and free iron oxide contents were improved with biochar and silicate amendments. Furthermore, rice root oxidation activity (ROA) was found more dominant in water stress condition compared to flooded and saturated soil water contents, which ultimately reduced seasonal CH4 emissions as well as yield scaled CH4 emission. Conclusively, soil amendments with biochar and silicate fertilizer may be a rational practice to reduce the demand for inorganic fertilization and mitigate CH4 emissions during rice cultivation under water stress drought conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 189-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beibei Zhou ◽  
Xiaopeng Chen

The poor water retention capacity of sandy soils commonly aggregate soil erosion and ecological environment on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Due to its strong capacity for absorption and large specific surface area, the use of nanocarbon made of coconut shell as a soil amendment that could improve water retention was investigated. Soil column experiments were conducted in which a layer of nanocarbon mixed well with the soil was formed at a depth of 20 cm below the soil surface. Four different nanocarbon contents by weight (0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%) and five thicknesses of the nanocarbon- soil mixture layer ranging from 1 to 5 cm were considered. Cumulative infiltration and soil water content distributions were determined when water was added to soil columns. Soil Water Characteristic Curves (SWCC) were obtained using the centrifuge method. The principal results showed that the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration increased with the increases of nanocarbon contents, to the thicknesses of the nano carbon-soil mixture layer. Soil water contents that below the soil-nano carbon layer decreased sharply. Both the Brooks-Corey and van Genuchten models could describe well the SWCC of the disturbed sandy soil with various nano carbon contents. Both the saturated water content (θs), residual water content (θr) and empirical parameter (α) increased with increasing nano carbon content, while the pore-size distribution parameter (n) decreased. The available soil water contents were efficiently increased with the increase in nanocarbon contents.


Geoderma ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 338 ◽  
pp. 88-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Villarreal ◽  
Luis A. Lozano ◽  
Esteban M. Melani ◽  
María Paz Salazar ◽  
María Florencia Otero ◽  
...  

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A. Scanlan ◽  
Ross F. Brennan ◽  
Mario F. D'Antuono ◽  
Gavin A. Sarre

Interactions between soil pH and phosphorus (P) for plant growth have been widely reported; however, most studies have been based on pasture species, and the agronomic importance of this interaction for acid-tolerant wheat in soils with near-sufficient levels of fertility is unclear. We conducted field experiments with wheat at two sites with acid soils where lime treatments that had been applied in the 6 years preceding the experiments caused significant changes to soil pH, extractable aluminium (Al), soil nutrients and exchangeable cations. Soil pH(CaCl2) at 0–10cm was 4.7 without lime and 6.2 with lime at Merredin, and 4.7 without lime and 6.5 with lime at Wongan Hills. A significant lime×P interaction (P<0.05) for grain yield was observed at both sites. At Merredin, this interaction was negative, i.e. the combined effect of soil pH and P was less than their additive effect; the difference between the dose–response curves without lime and with lime was greatest at 0kgPha–1 and the curves converged at 32kgPha–1. At Wongan Hills, the interaction was positive (combined effect greater than the additive effect), and lime application reduced grain yield. The lime×P interactions observed are agronomically important because different fertiliser P levels were required to maximise grain yield. A lime-induced reduction in Al phytotoxicity was the dominant mechanism for this interaction at Merredin. The negative grain yield response to lime at Wongan Hills was attributed to a combination of marginal soil potassium (K) supply and lime-induced reduction in soil K availability.


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