Soil-water dynamics in a pasture-cropping system

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Ward ◽  
R. A. Lawes ◽  
D. Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Use Efficiency

Pasture cropping is a farming system in which annual crops are sown into established perennial pastures. It may provide environmental benefits such as increased groundcover and reduced deep drainage, while allowing traditional crop production in the Mediterranean-style climate of south-western Australia. In this research, we investigated deep drainage and the temporal patterns of water use by a subtropical perennial grass, annual crops, and a pasture-cropping system over a 4-year period. Both the pasture and pasture-cropped treatments reduced deep drainage significantly, by ~50 mm compared with the crop treatment. Competition between the pasture and crop components altered patterns of average daily water use, the pasture-cropped treatment having the highest water use for July, August and September. Consequently, water-use efficiency for grain production was lower in the pasture-cropped plots. This was offset by pasture production, so that over a full 12-month period, water-use efficiency for biomass production was generally greater for the pasture-cropped plots than for either the pasture or crop monocultures. Pasture cropping may be a viable way of generating sustainable economic returns from both crop and pasture production on sandy soils of south-western Australia.

Water use efficiency and water use of Mediterranean annual pastures in southern Australia

1999 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Bolger ◽  
N. C. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Linear Relationship ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
High Input ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Use Efficiency

There is a perception in the farming and research communities that annual pastures have low produc- tivity and water use, and contribute disproportionately to problems of rising watertables and dryland salinity. Our aim was to determine potential pasture production in relation to water use and the influence of management factors on this relationship. Experiments were initiated at 4 locations along a gradient of 300–1100 mm annual rainfall across the Western Australian agricultural zone. At each site a high input treatment was compared with a low input control. There was a strong linear relationship between water use and pasture production up to 440 mm of growing- season water use. After 30 mm of water use the potential pasture production was 30 kg/ha.mm. An upper limit to pasture production may be reached at about 12 000 kg/ha in this environment due to rainfall distribution patterns and soil water holding capacity in the root-zone. Although pasture production was increased by as much as 3500 kg/ha, water use was generally similar or only slightly more for high input compared with control plots. The marginally higher water use by the high input pastures resulted in an extra 18 mm of water extracted from the subsoil at one location by the end of the third season. A drier subsoil may provide a buffer for storing excess rainfall and reduce deep drainage. Estimated drainage was small at low rainfall sites so even marginal increases in water use by highly productive annual pastures could play a significant role in reducing water loss to deep drainage and mitigating water-table rise and secondary salinisation in low rainfall regions. Management practices aimed at promoting early growth and adequate leaf area should maximise water use, water use efficiency, and yield. The linear relationship defining potential pasture production provides a useful benchmark to farmers.

RELATIVE PRODUCTIVITY, PROFITABILITY AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF CROPPING SYSTEMS IN HOT ARID INDIA

2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. RATHORE ◽  
N. S. NATHAWAT ◽  
B. MEEL ◽  
B. M. YADAV ◽  
J. P. SINGH
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Mung Bean ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Cluster Bean ◽  
Use Efficiency

SUMMARYThe choice of an appropriate cropping system is critical to maintaining or enhancing agricultural sustainability. Yield, profitability and water use efficiency are important factors for determining suitability of cropping systems in hot arid region. In a two-year field experiment (2009/10–2010/11) on loam sandy soils of Bikaner, India, the production potential, profitability and water use efficiency (WUE) of five cropping systems (groundnut–wheat, groundnut–isabgol, groundnut–chickpea, cluster bean–wheat and mung bean–wheat) each at six nutrient application rate (NAR) i.e. 0, 25, 50, 75, 100% recommended dose of N and P (NP) and 100% NP + S were evaluated. The cropping systems varied significantly in terms of productivity, profitability and WUEs. Averaged across nutrient application regimes, groundnut–wheat rotation gave 300–1620 kg ha−1 and 957–3365 kg ha−1 higher grain and biomass yields, respectively, than other cropping systems. The mean annual net returns were highest for the mung bean–wheat system, which returned 32–57% higher net return than other cropping systems. The mung bean–wheat and cluster bean–wheat systems had higher WUE in terms of yields than other cropping systems. The mung bean–wheat system recorded 35–63% higher WUE in monetary terms compared with other systems. Nutrients application improved yields, profit and WUEs of cropping systems. Averaged across years and cropping systems, the application of 100% NP improved grain yields, returns and WUE by 1.7, 3.9 and 1.6 times than no application of nutrients. The results suggest that the profitability and WUEs of crop production in this hot arid environment can be improved, compared with groundnut–wheat cropping, by substituting groundnut by mung bean and nutrients application.

Soil water regimes of rotationally grazed perennial and annual forages

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Twerdoff ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
M. A. Naeth ◽  
V. S. Baron ◽  
E. Mapfumo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Grazing Intensities ◽  
Use Efficiency

To maintain a sustainable agricultural system, management practices such as grazing must ensure adequate soil water for plant growth, yet minimize the risk of soil erosion. The objective of this study was to characterize the soil water regime of perennial and annual forages under three grazing intensities (heavy, medium and light). The study was conducted at the Lacombe Research Station, Alberta, on an Orthic Black Chernozem of loam to silt loam texture. The forages used were smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L. 'Carlton'), meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius L. 'Paddock'), a mixture of triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack 'Pika') and barley (Hordeum vulgare L. 'AC Lacombe') and triticale. Soil water measurements were conducted between April and October of 1994 and 1995 using a neutron scattering hydroprobe to a depth of 90 cm. Surface (0–7.5 cm) soil water was more responsive to grazing intensity than soil water accumulated to various depths. For all grazing treatments and forages, both surface soil water and accumulated soil water generally fluctuated between field capacity and wilting point during the growing season. Although plant water status was not determined, no visual permanent wilting of forages was observed during the study. Differences in evapotranspiration (ET), as determined by differences in soil water were evident among forage species but not grazing intensities, with perennials having high ET in spring and annuals having high ET in summer. Estimated values of water-use efficiency (WUE) were greater for perennials than for annuals and grazing effects on WUE were minimal. From a management perspective, grazing of annuals and perennials altered soil water dynamics but still maintained adequate soil water for plant growth. Key words: Evapotranspiration, forages, grazing intensity, water-use efficiency

scholarly journals IMPACT OF LASER LEVELING TECHNOLOGY ON WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN THE COTTON –WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM IN SINDH

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-231
Author(s):  
Wajid Ali Shahani ◽  
Feng Kaiwen ◽  
Aslam Memon
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Moisture Distribution ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Use Efficiency

The crop productivity in Pakistan is very low as majority of the farmers are still practicing traditional farming techniques. The existing crop production technologies do not offer effective and efficient utilization of natural resources, particularly that of water. Moreover, a significant amount of irrigation water is wasted due to uneven fields and ditches. Unevenness of the soil surface also has a major impact on the germination, stand and yield of crops through nutrient water interaction and salt and soil moisture distribution pattern. Therefore, the water use efficiency along with yield per acre could be increase by adopting resource conservation technologies like laser leveling. A sample of 120 growers including 60 wheat growers and 60 cotton growers were selected from Mirpurkhas & Tando Allahyar districts of Sindh province of Pakistan. Study results revealed that about 21 percent irrigation water saved by the adoption of laser leveling technology and also obtained higher yield and profit margins comparatively. Study concluded that adoption of laser leveling technology helps in reducing the farm input costs, improve water use efficiency and enhance crop productivity.

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