Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) in rotation with faba bean (Vicia faba var. minor L.): long-term simulation case study

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Garofalo ◽  
E. Di Paolo ◽  
M. Rinaldi

The aim of this work was to apply the CropSyst simulation model to evaluate the effect of faba bean cultivation as a break crop in the continuous durum wheat cropping system in southern Italy. The model was previously calibrated and validated for durum wheat and faba bean on data derived from experiments carried out in southern Italy (for different years and treatments), comparing observed and simulated crop growth, yield, soil water, and nitrogen output variables. The validation showed good agreement between simulated and observed values for cumulative above-ground biomass, green area index, and soil water content for both crops and grain yield for durum wheat; a negative correlation for grain yield in faba bean was observed due to a reduction in harvest index in the well-watered crop, which the model does not simulate well. Subsequently, a long-term analysis was carried out to study the effects on durum wheat of introducing a legume crop in rotation with the cereal in 2 and 3-year sequences. A long-term simulation, based on 53 years of daily measured weather data, showed that faba bean, due to a lower level of transpirated water (on average 247 mm for durum wheat and 197 mm for faba bean), allowed for greater soil water availability at durum wheat sowing for the cereal when in rotation with a legume crop (on average, +84 mm/m for durum wheat following the faba bean), with positive effects for nitrogen uptake, above-ground biomass, and grain yield of wheat. The yield increase of wheat when following a faba bean crop was on average +12%, but this effect was amplified in drier years (up to 135%). In conclusion, the case study offered the potential to confirm the positive results previously obtained in long/medium-term field experiments on the introduction of faba bean in rotation with durum wheat, as well as reduction in the chemical application of nitrogen.

1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Waddington ◽  
M. Osmanzai ◽  
M. Yoshida ◽  
J. K. Ransom

SummaryTwo trials designed to measure progress in the yield of durum wheat cultivars released in Mexico by the Institute Nacional de Investigaciones Agrícolas over the period 1960–84 were grown in the Yaqui Valley, Sonora, Mexico, during the 1983–4 and 1984–5 cropping seasons. The trials compared grain yield, above-ground biomass, harvest index (ratio of dry grain yield to dry above-ground biomass), yield components, grain-growth rates and phenological characters for eight key cultivars and the modern advanced line, Carcomun ‘S’, when grown at a high level of agronomic inputs and management.The grain yield of durum wheat was estimated to have risen for 25 years of breeding from 3·70 to 8·40 t/ha. The estimated average annual rates of increase in grain yield for the periods 1960–71 and 1971–85 were 251 and 121 kg/ha respectively. Grain yield improvements were based on a linear increase in the number of grains/m2 over the 25-year period, the result of more grains per spikelet. An improved above-ground biomass at maturity was a feature of the two modern genotypes, Altar 84 and Carcomun ‘S’. Harvest index increased with each new cultivar up to the release of Mexicali 75 in 1975, but thereafter the higher grain yields achieved with the modern genotypes were not associated with a higher harvest index. Thousand-grain weight remained steady for the released cultivars but fell slightly for the advanced line Carcomun ‘S’. Improvements in yield were not associated with a longer cropping cycle.It is concluded that a breeding strategy combining selection for morphological characters thought to confer high yield potential, such as a more erect leaf posture and high number of grains per spikelet, with selection for grain yield per se has been successful in improving the grain yield of durum wheats adapted to north-west Mexico. Improvements have come not only in the size of the grain sink and the efficiency of assimilate partition to grain but also in the biomass produced above ground.


2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 717 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Sudmeyer ◽  
P. R. Scott

This paper, which is the second in a series of three, describes dryland crop growth and yields in a windbreak bay in south-western Australia and relates changes to microclimate modification by the windbreaks. Over the 4 years of this trial, above ground biomass and the development rate of crops 3–20 times the tree height from the windbreak (H) were similar to crops growing in unsheltered conditions (more than 20 H from the windbreaks). Grain yield was 16–30% higher between 3 H and 20 H than at more than 20 H in 1994, the driest year on record for the district, in other years yield was largely unchanged. In contrast, above ground biomass growth was consistently less within 3 H than further from the windbreaks and grain yield within 3 H was 19–27% less than unsheltered yield. Water use by the trees is the most likely cause of reduced yield within 3 H. Over the 4 years, mean grain yield between 0.5 H and 20 H was 3.8% greater than yield at more than 20 H. This increase was largely due to the yield increase in 1994. As 5.4% of the paddock was directly occupied by, or uncropped next to, the windbreaks, there was a net yield decrease of 2.8% over 4 years compared to estimated production from a similar area with no windbreaks. The principle benefits of the windbreaks were reducing evaporative demand in extremely dry years and protection against extreme wind events. These benefits must be weighed against the costs of establishing and maintaining windbreak systems.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1701-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauro Akio Okuyama ◽  
Luiz Carlos Federizzi ◽  
José Fernandes Barbosa Neto

This study was aimed to characterize yield components and plant traits related to grain yield. Correlation and path analysis were carried out in wheat genotypes grown under irrigated and non-irrigated field conditions. In the path coefficient analysis, grain yield represented the dependent variable and the number of spikes m-2, number of grains spike-1, kernel weight, days to anthesis, above-ground biomass m-2 and plant height were the independent ones. In both years, periods without rain occurred from early milk to grain ripening and from flag leaf sheath opening to grain ripening for first and second sowing dates, respectively. Character associations were similar in both water regimes. Grain yield showed positive phenotypic correlation with above-ground biomass, number of spikes m-2 and number of grains per spike. Path analysis revealed positive direct effect and moderate correlation of number of spike m-2 and number of grains per spike with grain yield. These results indicated that the number of spikes m-2 and the number of grains per spike followed by the above-ground biomass were the traits related to higher grain yield, under irrigated and late season water stress conditions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 584-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A. PAPPA ◽  
R. M. REES ◽  
R. L. WALKER ◽  
J. A. BADDELEY ◽  
C. A. WATSON

SUMMARYIntercropping systems that include legumes can provide symbiotically fixed nitrogen (N) and potentially increase yield through improved resource use efficiency. The aims of the present study were: (a) to evaluate the effects of different legumes (species and varieties) and barley on grain yield, dry matter production and N uptake of the intercrop treatments compared with the associated cereal sole crop; (b) to assess the effects on the yields of the next grain crop and (c) to determine the accumulation of N in shoots of the crops in a low-input rotation. An experiment was established near Edinburgh, UK, consisting of 12 hydrologically isolated plots. Treatments were a spring barley (Hordeum vulgare cvar Westminster) sole crop and intercrops of barley/white clover (Trifolium repens cvar Alice) and barley/pea (Pisum sativum cvar Zero4 or cvar Nitouche) in 2006. All the plots were sown with spring oats (Avena sativa cvar Firth) in 2007 and perennial ryegrass in 2008. No fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides were used at any stage of the experiment. Above-ground biomass (barley, clover, pea, oat and ryegrass) and grain yields (barley, pea and oat) were measured at key stages during the growing seasons of 2006, 2007 and 2008; land equivalent ratio (LER) was measured only in 2006. At harvest, the total above-ground biomass of barley intercropped with clover (4·56 t biomass/ha) and barley intercropped with pea cvar Zero4 (4·49 t biomass/ha) were significantly different from the barley sole crop (3·05 t biomass/ha; P<0·05). The grain yield of the barley (2006) intercropped with clover (3·36 t grain/ha) was significantly greater than that in the other treatments (P<0·01). The accumulation of N in barley was low in 2006, but significantly higher (P<0·05) in the oat grown the following year on the same plots. The present study demonstrates for the first time that intercrops can affect the grain yield and N uptake of the following crop (spring oats) in a rotation. Differences were also linked to the contrasting legume species and cultivars present in the previous year's intercrop. Legume choice is essential to optimize the plant productivity in intercropping designs. Cultivars chosen for intercropping purposes must take into account the effects upon the growth of the partner crop/s as well as to the following crop, including environmental factors.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-146
Author(s):  
Saulius Marcinkonis ◽  
Birutė Karpavičienė ◽  
Michael A. Fullen

AbstractThe aim of the present study is to evaluate the long-term effects of long-term piggery effluent application on semi-natural grassland ecotop-phytotop changes (above- and below-ground phytomass production, and carbon and nitrogen allocation in grassland communities) in relation to changes (or variability) in topsoil properties. Analysis of phytomass distribution in piggery effluent irrigated grassland communities showed that dry biomass yield varied from 1.7−5.3 t ha-1. Variability in soil and plant cover created a unique and highly unpredictable site specific system, where long-term anthropogenic influences established successor communities with specific characteristics of above- and below-ground biomass distribution. These characteristics depend more on grassland communities than on soil chemical properties. Families of grasses (Poaceae) dominated the surveyed communities and accumulated most carbon and least nitrogen, while legumes accumulated most nitrogen and lignin and least carbon. Carbon concentrations in above-ground biomass had minor variations, while accumulation of nitrogen was strongly influenced by species diversity (r = 0.94, n = 10, p <0.001) and production of above-ground biomass


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Latati ◽  
Dokukin ◽  
Aouiche ◽  
Rebouh ◽  
Takouachet ◽  
...  

Little is known about how the performance of legumes symbiosis affects biomass and nutrient accumulation by intercropped cereals under the field condition. To assess the agricultural services of an intercropping system; durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum L.cv. VITRON) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.cv. FLIP 90/13 C) were cultivated as both intercrops and sole cropping during two growing seasons under the field trial, to compare plant biomass, nodulation, N and phosphorus (P) uptake, and N nutrition index. Both the above-ground biomass and grain yield and consequently, the amount of N taken up by intercropped durum wheat increased significantly (44%, 48%, and 30%, respectively) compared with sole cropping during the two seasons. However, intercropping decreased P uptake by both durum wheat and chickpea. The efficiency in use of rhizobial symbiosis (EURS) for intercropped chickpea was significantly higher than for chickpea grown as sole cropping. The intercropped chickpea considerably increased N (49%) and P (75%) availability in durum wheat rhizosphere. In the case of chickpea shoot, the N nutrition (defined by the ratio between actual and critical N uptake by crop) and acquisition were higher in intercropping during only the first year of cropping. Moreover, biomass, grin yield, and resource (N and P) use efficiency were significantly improved, as indicated by higher land equivalent ratio (LER > 1) in intercropping over sole cropping treatments. Our findings suggest that change in the intercropped chickpea rhizosphere-induced parameters facilitated P and N uptake, above-ground biomass, grain yield, and land use efficiency for wheat crop.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 505-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Liu ◽  
W. Zhang ◽  
Z. Liu ◽  
F. Qu ◽  
X. Tang

In order to restore the impaired forest ecosystem in China, great efforts including the banning of the animal grazing and cutting woods for fuel, and implementation of the &lsquo;Grain for Green&rsquo; program have been made by the central and local government of China. The objective of this research was to investigate the changes in above-ground biomass and species diversity after 22 years of vegetation recovery efforts in the lower Taihang Mountain of China. The results indicated that over the natural restoration process shrubs became the dominant species in 2008, while herbs were the dominant species back in 1986. Community coverage, height and above-ground biomass showed significant increases in 2008 compared to 1986. Shrubs showed significant increases in coverage, height, and above-ground biomass, whereas herbs significantly increased in height, but decreased in above-ground biomass. Over the 22-year natural restoration process, the species richness index and the Shannon-Wiener&rsquo;s index had been significantly decreased, whereas the Simpson&rsquo;s predominance index and the Pielou&rsquo;s evenness index had been significantly increased. Long-term vegetation recovery efforts improved the impaired forest ecosystem in lower Taihang Mountain to some extent: significant increases in both community coverage and above-ground biomass. The significant increase in community coverage can reduce the soil loss by wind and water erosion, and increase in the above-ground biomass will improve the soil chemical properties and physical structure. A comprehensive assessment of the success of vegetation recovery should include the evaluation of the changes in ecological process such as soil biological activities in the future research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 166-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Seddaiu ◽  
Ileana Iocola ◽  
Roberta Farina ◽  
Roberto Orsini ◽  
Giuseppe Iezzi ◽  
...  

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