scholarly journals Sustainability of nutrient management in grain production systems of south-west Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Harries ◽  
Ken C. Flower ◽  
Craig A. Scanlan
1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Craig ◽  
R. R. Weil

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.


2005 ◽  
Vol 111 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 349-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.B. Goosey ◽  
P.G. Hatfield ◽  
A.W. Lenssen ◽  
S.L. Blodgett ◽  
R.W. Kott

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1364-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Majsztrik ◽  
Andrew G. Ristvey ◽  
David S. Ross ◽  
John D. Lea-Cox

Quantifying the range of fertilizer and irrigation application rates applied by the ornamental nursery and greenhouse industry is challenging as a result of the variety of species, production systems, and cultural management techniques that are used. To gain a better understanding of nutrient and water use by the ornamental industry in Maryland, 491 potential operations (including multiple addresses and contacts) in the state were mailed a packet of information asking for their voluntary participation. Of the 491 potential operations, it was determined that 348 operations were currently in operation. Of those 348 operations, 48 (14% of the operations in the state) participated in a site visit and an in-depth interview, and a detailed site analysis of the water and nutrient management practices was performed on a production management unit (MU) basis. The authors define an MU as a group of plants that is managed similarly, particularly in regard to nutrient and irrigation application. Greenhouse operations reported, on average, 198, 122, and 196 kg/ha/year of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P, as P2O5), and potassium (K, as K2O) fertilizer used, respectively, for 27 operations, representing 188 MUs. Twenty-seven outdoor container nursery operations had a total of 162 MUs, with an average of 964, 390, and 556 kg/ha/year of N, P2O5, and K2O fertilizer used, respectively. Field nursery (soil-based) operations were represented by 17 operations, producing 96 MUs, with an average of 67, 20, and 25 kg/ha/year of N, P2O5, and K2O fertilizer used, respectively. Irrigation volume per application was greatest in container nursery operations, followed by greenhouse and field nursery operations. Data were also analyzed by creating quartiles, which represent the median of the lowest 25%, the middle 50%, and highest 75% of values. It is likely that the greatest quartile application rates reported by growers could be substantially reduced with little to no effect on plant production time or quality. These data also provide baseline information to determine changes in fertilization practices over time. They were also used as inputs for water and nutrient management models developed as part of this study. These data may also be useful for informing nutrient application rates used in the Chesapeake Bay nutrient modeling process.


Author(s):  
Brett Whelan ◽  
James Taylor

Precision Agriculture (PA) is an approach to managing the variability in production agriculture in a more economic and environmentally efficient manner. It has been pioneered as a management tool in the grains industry, and while its development and uptake continues to grow amongst grain farmers worldwide, a broad range of other cropping industries have embraced the concept. This book explains general PA theory, identifies and describes essential tools and techniques, and includes practical examples from the grains industry. Readers will gain an understanding of the magnitude, spatial scale and seasonality of measurable variability in soil attributes, plant growth and environmental conditions. They will be introduced to the role of sensing systems in measuring crop, soil and environment variability, and discover how this variability may have a significant impact on crop production systems. Precision Agriculture for Grain Production Systems will empower crop and soil science students, agronomy and agricultural engineering students, as well as agronomic advisors and farmers to critically analyse the impact of observed variation in resources on crop production and management decisions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Matheus C. De Castro ◽  
Emiliano B. De Azevedo ◽  
Erika P. J. Britto ◽  
Marliton R. Barreto ◽  
Rafael M. Pitta ◽  
...  

Emphasis has been given in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso to the implementation of more sustainable production practices, including what has been termed agrosilvopastoral production system (ASPS), which involves the integration of different types of land use in a same area along time, seeking increased ecological stability. The Gamasina mite group (order Mesostigmata) is usually diverse and abundant in non-cultivated soils, where they can prey on arthropods and nematodes; some are commercialized for biological pest control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity and abundance of edaphic Gamasina in plots of grain production managed under conventional (alternating cultivation) system and under ASPS, both with the adoption of no-tillage cultivation, in the municipality of Sinop, Mato Grosso state. In samples of soil and litter taken biweekly from August 2015 to May 2016, 762 Gamasina representing 32 species of 21 genera and nine families were collected. Considering both systems together, the dominant Gamasina were quite different from those of other parts of Brazil. Calculated ecological indexes showed no major differences between the two systems, possibly because of the relatively short time since the implementation of ASPS. In both systems, Rhodacaridae was one of the dominant families (37.5% of the Gamasina), followed by Macrochelidae (20.9%) and Laelapidae (18.8%). The most abundant species were Multidentirhodacarus squamosus Karg (Rhodacaridae), a new species of Holostaspella (Macrochelidae) and Cosmolaelaps barbatus Moreira, Klompen and Moraes (Laelapidae). Future studies are warranted, allowing more time for the adoption of ASPS to produce possible ecological changes.


2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-53
Author(s):  
H. Zhu ◽  
C.R. Krause ◽  
R.H. Zondag ◽  
R.D. Brazee ◽  
R.C. Derksen ◽  
...  

Abstract Techniques are needed to monitor nursery production practices for proper use of water resources and nutrient management. An experimental system to examine water quality, irrigation efficiency and drainage from pot-in-pot nursery container production was established in a commercial nursery. The system mainly consisted of 50 pot-in-pot containers with 50 trees irrigated with micro spray stakes, drainage water measurement devices, container-substrate moisture probes, thermocouples, a weather station, and data loggers. Tests indicated the system was capable to measure irrigation and rainfall inputs, drainage water loss, container substrate moisture content and temperature, leachate of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium in drainage water, and tree growth in pot-in-pot nursery production. The system provided a method to not only monitor the loss of water and nutrients but also continuously monitor the substrate temperature and moisture content during four seasons of a year to evaluate potentials of winter injury or summer heat damage to roots for pot-in-pot nursery production.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Fuentes-Llanillo ◽  
Tiago Santos Telles ◽  
Bruno Volsi ◽  
Dimas Soares Júnior ◽  
Sérgio Luiz Carneiro ◽  
...  

In general, the technical and agronomic benefits of no-till farming are widely known and well documented in the literature. However, studies focusing on the economics of no-tillage are scarce. In this context, the objective of this study is to determine whether no-till grain production systems that follow the principles of conservation agriculture are economically profitable by analyzing gross margins per hectare per year over six harvests for the agricultural years 1998/1999 to 2003/2004. In addition, a possible link between profitability and different no-till methods in terms of degree of soil turnover, crop rotation, and whether machinery used in agricultural operations is owned or rented is investigated. For this purpose, the multi-case analytical method was applied to thirteen grain producing family farms in Northern Paraná state, Brazil. Based on the results, two ranges of agricultural production variable costs and gross margins were identified. Higher gross margins were associated with longer use of the no-till system, ownership of machinery and equipment, specialization in grains, rotation of the commercial crops used, and higher variable costs. Lower gross margins were associated with outsourcing of sowing, small-scale cropping, and lack of crop rotation. It is concluded that family mechanized no-till systems of grain production in north Paraná are profitable.


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