Breeding lucerne for Australia's southern dryland cropping environments

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Humphries ◽  
G. C. Auricht
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Saline Soils ◽  
Breeding Strategies ◽  
Forage Legume ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Acidic Soils ◽  
Dryland Salinity ◽  
Cereal Production

Lucerne is a deep-rooted perennial forage legume with an important role in preventing dryland salinity in southern Australian cropping regions. Annual cereal production has created a water-use imbalance, which is placing the industry under threat through rising saline watertables and resultant dryland salinity. Lucerne is being incorporated into cropping systems to reduce groundwater recharge and improve the sustainability of grain production. Existing lucerne varieties have been developed for the animal industries, primarily for the areas with high rainfall or irrigation. The new challenge is to develop lucernes specifically for southern Australian cropping systems. This paper provides a background literature review of the breeding challenges that are anticipated in the development of these new types of lucerne. Lucerne is intolerant of acidic soils, waterlogging, saline soils, and intensive grazing. Other important attributes covered include the ability of the plant to fix nitrogen with existing rhizobia and be resistant to diseases that affect lucerne and other crops in the rotation. Finally, this paper addresses some of the breeding strategies that will be used to screen lucerne germplasm for tolerances to these soil conditions and diseases.

Nitrate Leaching to a Shallow Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer as Influenced by Conventional No-Till and Low-Input Sustainable Grain Production Systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Craig ◽  
R. R. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Low Input ◽  
No Till

In December, 1987, the states in the Chesapeake Bay region, along with the federal government, signed an agreement which called for a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the Bay by the year 2000. To accomplish this goal, major reductions in nutrient loadings associated with agricultural management practices were deemed necessary. The objective of this study was to determine if reducing fertilizer inputs to the NT system would result in a reduction in nitrogen contamination of groundwater. In this study, groundwater, soil, and percolate samples were collected from two cropping systems. The first system was a conventional no-till (NT) grain production system with a two-year rotation of corn/winter wheat/double crop soybean. The second system, denoted low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA), produced the same crops using a winter legume and relay-cropped soybeans into standing wheat to reduce nitrogen and herbicide inputs. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in groundwater were significantly lower under the LISA system. Over 80% of the NT groundwater samples had NO3-N concentrations greater than 10 mgl-1, compared to only 4% for the LISA cropping system. Significantly lower soil mineral N to a depth of 180 cm was also observed. The NT soil had nearly twice as much mineral N present in the 90-180 cm portion than the LISA cropping system.

scholarly journals Combining crop diversification practices can benefit cereal production in temperate climates

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Rodriguez ◽  
Linda-Maria Dimitrova Mårtensson ◽  
Erik Steen Jensen ◽  
Georg Carlsson
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Grain Legume ◽  
Crop Diversification ◽  
Forage Legume ◽  
Cereal Crop ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
N Acquisition ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Crop Sequence

AbstractDiversifying cropping systems by increasing the number of cash and cover crops in crop rotation plays an important role in improving resource use efficiency and in promoting synergy between ecosystem processes. The objective of this study was to understand how the combination of crop diversification practices influences the performance of arable crop sequences in terms of crop grain yield, crop and weed biomass, and nitrogen acquisition in a temperate climate. Two field experiments were carried out. The first was a 3-year crop sequence with cereal or grain legume as the first crops, with and without undersown forage legumes and forage legume-grass crops, followed by a cereal crop. The second experiment was a 2-year crop sequence with cereal or legume as the first crops, a legume cover crop, and a subsequent cereal crop. For the first time, crop diversification practices were combined to identify plant-plant interactions in spatial and temporal scales. The results partly confirm the positive effect of diversifying cereal-based cropping systems by including grain legumes and cover crops in the crop sequence. Legume cover crops had a positive effect on subsequent cereal grain yield in one of the experiments. Using faba beans as the first crop in the crop sequence had both a positive and no effect on crop biomass and N acquisition of the subsequent cereal. In cover crops composed of a forage legume-grass mixture, the grass biomass and N acquisition were consistently increased after the grain legume, compared to the cereal-preceding crop. However, differences in the proportion of legume to grass in mixture did not influence crop yield or N acquisition in the subsequent cereal. In conclusion, these results support that increased crop diversity across spatial and temporal scales can contribute to resource-efficient production and enhance the delivery of services, contributing to more sustainable cropping systems.

Potential Long-Term Benefits of No-Tillage and Organic Cropping Systems for Grain Production and Soil Improvement

2007 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 1297-1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Teasdale ◽  
Charles B. Coffman ◽  
Ruth W. Mangum
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Improvement ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Grain Production

Cropping system influences on soil physical properties in the Great Plains

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Pikul ◽  
R.C. Schwartz ◽  
J.G. Benjamin ◽  
R.L. Baumhardt ◽  
S. Merrill
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Aggregate Size ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Soil Physical Properties ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
System Effect ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Infiltration Rates

AbstractAgricultural systems produce both detrimental and beneficial effects on soil quality (SQ). We compared soil physical properties of long-term conventional (CON) and alternative (ALT) cropping systems near Akron, Colorado (CO); Brookings, South Dakota (SD); Bushland, Texas (TX); Fargo, North Dakota (ND); Mandan (ND); Mead, Nebraska (NE); Sidney, Montana (MT); and Swift Current, Saskatchewan (SK), Canada. Objectives were to quantify the changes in soil physical attributes in cropping systems and assess the potential of individual soil attributes as sensitive indicators of change in SQ. Soil samples were collected three times per year from each treatment at each site for one rotation cycle (4 years at Brookings and Mead). Water infiltration rates were measured. Soil bulk density (BD) and gravimetric water were measured at 0–7.5, 7.5–15, and 15–30 cm depth increments and water-filled pore space ratio (WFPS) was calculated. At six locations, a rotary sieve was used to separate soil (top 5 cm) into six aggregate size groups and calculate mean weight diameter (MWD) of dry aggregates. Under the CON system at Brookings, dry aggregates (>19 mm) abraded into the smallest size class (<0.4 mm) on sieving. In contrast, the large aggregates from the ALT system abraded into size classes between 2 and 6 mm. Dry aggregate size distribution (DASD) shows promise as an indicator of SQ related to susceptibility of soil to wind erosion. Aggregates from CON were least stable in water. Soil C was greater under ALT than CON for both Brookings and Mead. At other locations, MWD of aggregates under continuous crop or no tillage (ALT systems) was greater than MWD under CON. There was no crop system effect on water infiltration rates for locations having the same tillage within cropping system. Tillage resulted in increased, decreased, or unchanged near-surface BD. Because there was significant temporal variation in water infiltration, MWD, and BD, conclusions based on a single point-in-time observation should be avoided. Elevated WFPS at Fargo, Brookings, and Mead may have resulted in anaerobic soil conditions during a portion of the year. Repeated measurements of WFPS or DASD revealed important temporal characteristics of SQ that could be used to judge soil condition as affected by management.

scholarly journals Designing Cropping Systems to Improve the Management of the Invasive Weed Phalaris minor Retz.

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 809
Author(s):  
Gaofeng Xu ◽  
Shicai Shen ◽  
Yun Zhang ◽  
David Roy Clements ◽  
Shaosong Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Seed Dormancy ◽  
Faba Bean ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Invasive Weed ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Phalaris Minor

Because cropping systems can greatly affect the establishment and spread of alien species populations, the design of cropping systems to control invasive weeds is an important approach for invasive species management in agro-ecosystems to avoid excessive increases in other control measures such as herbicides. The annual weed Phalaris minor Retz. (P. minor) is one of the most troublesome invasive weed species of winter crops in Yunnan Province, China, but the development of cropping systems for ecological control of this weed have received limited research attention. Here, we studied seed dormancy, germination characteristics and reproductive responses of P. minor to various cropping systems to show how cropping systems could be better designed to control P. minor in China. Our research showed that cropping systems significantly affected seed dormancy in submerged paddy fields. Phalaris minor seed remained dormant and the germination rates (less than 10%) were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in maize fields and dry, bare soil conditions. Wheat, faba bean and rapeseed crops had no significant influence (p < 0.05) on the seed germination rate of P. minor, but increasing soil depth significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the germination rate and germination index of this weed. Total biomass, spike biomass, spike number and seed number of P. minor were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) with increasing proportions of the three crops (wheat, faba bean and rapeseed), with rapeseed having the strongest inhibition effects among the three crops. The reproductive allocation and reproductive investment of P. minor were also significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in mixed culture with wheat and rapeseed. With increasing proportions of wheat or rapeseed, the specific leaf area of P. minor significantly increased (p < 0.05), but the reverse was true for leaf area and specific leaf weight. Moreover, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate for P. minor also decreased significantly (p < 0.05) when grown with wheat or rapeseed. These results suggest that optimal cropping systems design could involve planting rapeseed in conjunction with deep plowing and planting rice (continuous submergence underwater) in summer. Such a system could reduce the field populations and seed bank of P. minor, thus providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly means of suppressing P. minor.

scholarly journals Enhancing Soil Water Content for Increased Food Production in Semi-Arid Areas of Kenya Results From an On-Farm Trial in Mwala District, Kenya

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Karuma ◽  
Peter Mtakwa ◽  
Nyambilila Amuri ◽  
Charles K. Gachene ◽  
Patrick Gicheru
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Tillage Methods

Soil water conservation through tillage is one of the appropriate ways of addressing soil moisture deficit in rainfed agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of tillage practices on soil moisture conservation and crop yields in Mwala District, Eastern Kenya during the long rains (LR) and short rains (SR) of 2012/13. Six tillage systems: Disc plough (MB), Disc plough and harrowing (MBH), Ox-ploughing (OX), Subsoiling – ripping (SR), Hand hoe and Tied Ridges (HTR) and Hand hoe only (H) and, three cropping systems namely, sole maize, sole bean and maize - bean intercrop, were investigated in a split-plot design with four replicates. Data on soil water content was monitored at different weeks after planting and the crop yields at end of each growing season. A three-season average shows that soil water content and crop yields were higher in conventional tillage methods compared to the conservation tillage methods. Long term tillage experiments are thus required at different locations, under various environmental and soil conditions to validate the study findings.

Germination ecology of dwarf amaranth (Amaranthus macrocarpus): an emerging weed in Australian cotton cropping systems

Weed Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 612-618
Author(s):  
Md Asaduzzaman ◽  
Eric Koetz ◽  
Hanwen Wu
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Integrated Weed Management ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Alkaline Soil ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Night Temperature ◽  
Germination Ecology ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Soil Inversion

AbstractDwarf amaranth (Amaranthus macrocarpus Benth.) is a problematic broadleaf weed in many crops in Australia; however, no information is available on the germination ecology of this species. Seeds from two populations of this species were collected from Hillston, NSW, Australia (D-P-01), and Yandilla, QLD, Australia (D-P-02). Seeds were germinated at a range of constant (20 to 45 C) and alternating temperatures (30/20, 35/25, 40/30, and 45/35 C day/night). For the constant temperature treatments, the highest germination occurred at 35 C for D-P-01 (89%) and D-P-02 (82%). Germination was higher at the alternating day/night temperature of 40/30 C for both populations D-P-01 (91%) and D-P-02 (85%). Seed germination of both populations was stimulated by light, which indicates a great amount of emergence of A. macrocarpus can occur on bare ground such as crop seed beds. Results also revealed that this species tolerates a moderate level of salinity and can germinate in slightly alkaline soil conditions. The emergence of this species was highest (47%) for the seed buried at 0.5-cm depth in grey cracking alkaline soil compared with seed buried at the same depth in acidic red soils. These results suggest that soil inversion by tillage to bury weed seeds below their maximum emergence depth could serve as an important tool for managing A. macrocarpus. The results from this study will help in developing more sustainable and effective integrated weed management tactics for the control of this weed and weeds with similar responses in summer cropping systems.

Potential soil organic carbon stock and its uncertainty under various cropping systems in Australian cropland

Soil Research ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongkui Luo ◽  
Enli Wang ◽  
Jeff Baldock ◽  
Hongtao Xing
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Soc Stock ◽  
Soc Stocks

The diversity of cropping systems and its variation could lead to great uncertainty in the estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock across time and space. Using the pre-validated Agricultural Production Systems Simulator, we simulated the long-term (1022 years) SOC dynamics in the top 0.3 m of soil at 613 reference sites under 59 representative cropping systems across Australia’s cereal-growing regions. The point simulation results were upscaled to the entire cereal-growing region using a Monte Carlo approach to quantify the spatial pattern of SOC stock and its uncertainty caused by cropping system and environment. The predicted potential SOC stocks at equilibrium state ranged from 10 to 140 t ha–1, with the majority in a range 30–70 t ha–1, averaged across all the representative cropping systems. Cropping system accounted for ~10% of the total variance in predicted SOC stocks. The type of cropping system that determined the carbon input into soil had significant effects on SOC sequestration potential. On average, the potential SOC stock in the top 0.3 m of soil was 30, 50 and 60 t ha–1 under low-, medium- and high-input cropping systems in terms of carbon input, corresponding to –2, 18 and 26 t ha–1 of SOC change. Across the entire region, the Monte Carlo simulations showed that the potential SOC stock was 51 t ha–1, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 38 to 64 t ha–1 under the identified representative cropping systems. Overall, predicted SOC stock could increase by 0.99 Pg in Australian cropland under the identified representative cropping systems with optimal management. Uncertainty varied depending on cropping system, climate and soil conditions. Detailed information on cropping system and soil and climate characteristics is needed to obtain reliable estimates of potential SOC stock at regional scale, particularly in cooler and/or wetter regions.

scholarly journals Kinerja dan Perspektif Usahatani Konservasi Alley Cropping di Indonesia

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Sri Hery Susilowati ◽  
Gelar Satya Budhi ◽  
I Wayan Rusastra
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Soil Erosion Rate ◽  
Conservation Technology ◽  
Limited Degree ◽  
Unit Output

Alley cropping as a soil conservation technology owning certain advantages over terracing, particularly in that : a) costs are lower, b) soil productivity can be maintained, and c) it may be applied on all soil conditions. A disadvantage of alley cropping relates to the time taken for soil erosion control to become effective. However, over the longer time period, soil conversation control through alley cropping technology is more economical than that for terracing. The reviewed studies indicate that flemingia congesta is the most effective soil erosion controlling leguminous shrub,of those studied. Alley cropping is effective in maintaining land productivity. The synergic effect of soil productivity increase and soil erosion rate reduction. In some research,alley cropping systems have been shown to significantaly reduce farming costs per unit output,due to a decrease in manday (labour) use and other input reductions. In implementing alley cropping, land-holding status is one determining fector in farmers' willingness to apply the technology. That is why efforts to disseminate soil cinversation technology have often used some incentive in terms of land ownership rights for farmers. It is worthwhile to develop these incentives further, so that there is a legal certainty on cultivated land. Although alley cropping technology has currently been applied and adopted by farmers to a limited degree, there are still four main assues obstructing farmers' adoption of the tecnolog: a) small scale land-holding; b) limited capital ; c) production input availability; and d) lack of technology information

scholarly journals BENEFICIAL MICROORGANISMS IN THE ROOT REGION SOILS OF COCONUT PALM UNDER DIFFERENT CROPPING SYSTEMS A REVIEW

CORD ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
B. M. Bopaiah
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Coconut Palm ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Pure Stand ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Root Region ◽  
Beneficial Microorganisms ◽  
Intensive Cropping

The coconut palm is amenable to intensive crop combinations at most periods of its life and great possibilities exist for increasing the agricultural production through intensive cropping in coconut areas. Coconut palms are grown under diverse soil conditions ranging from littoral sands to clayey soils (Menon and Pandalai, 1960). In pure stand of coconuts at normal planting (7.5 x 7.5 m) density and management conditions, about 75% of the area is not being effectively utilised to the fullest extent by coconut roots (Kushwah et al. 1973). The intensive cropping system involving coconuts are essentially crop combinations which envisage the cultivation of other compatible crops in the interspaces between the palms. Depending upon the duration of additional crops, so grown, the system shall be considered as inter, mixed, multi‑storeyed or multispecies cropping. The crops chosen vary from tract to tract (Nelliat and Shama Bhat, 1979).

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