A comparison of conventional and alternative agroecosystems using alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Skelton ◽  
Gary W. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Plant Nitrogen ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
No Till ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractNatural systems agriculture is based on an understanding that natural systems are self-sustaining due to regulatory mechanisms and processes that help to ensure the long-term maintenance of the ecosystem. An agroecosystem modeled after nature should encompass greater stability and biodiversity at all levels of organization than an agroecosystem based on conventional agricultural practices. The main objective of this study was to determine whether agroecosystems modeled after nature exhibit advantages over conventional agroecosystems. Five treatments were examined: winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) monoculture, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) monoculture, strip-cropped alfalfa and wheat, and two alfalfa–wheat intercrops (one no-till and one conservation-till). Indicators of ecosystem function studied included primary productivity, soil fertility, plant nitrogen (N) concentration, and abundances of arthropod pests and predators. No fertilizers or pesticides were used prior to or during this investigation. Monoculture, strip-crop and conservation-till treatments produced significantly higher yields than no-till intercropped alfalfa and wheat. Although yields from the no-till intercrop were low, wheat protein values were comparable to other treatments. Soil N concentrations tended to be high in treatments containing alfalfa. Insect pests preferred alfalfa and were, therefore, often more abundant in treatments containing high percentages of alfalfa, as were predators such as spiders. Researching alternatives to monoculture agroecosystems, such as the intercrop systems in this study, may provide us insight into a true natural systems agriculture.

scholarly journals Long-Term Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Seasonal Irrigation Amount, Evapotranspiration, Yield, and Water Productivity under Semiarid Climate

Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koffi Djaman ◽  
Michael O’Neill ◽  
Curtis Owen ◽  
Daniel Smeal ◽  
Margaret West ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Irrigation Amount ◽  
Semiarid Climate ◽  
Seasonal Irrigation

scholarly journals Temporal Change of Soil Carbon on a Long-Term Experimental Site with Variable Crop Rotations and Tillage Systems

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Laamrani ◽  
Paul R. Voroney ◽  
Aaron A. Berg ◽  
Adam W. Gillespie ◽  
Michael March ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
No Till

The impacts of tillage practices and crop rotations are fundamental factors influencing changes in the soil carbon, and thus the sustainability of agricultural systems. The objective of this study was to compare soil carbon status and temporal changes in topsoil from different 4 year rotations and tillage treatments (i.e., no-till and conventional tillage). Rotation systems were primarily corn and soy-based and included cereal and alfalfa phases along with red clover cover crops. In 2018, soil samples were collected from a silty-loam topsoil (0–15 cm) from the 36 year long-term experiment site in southern Ontario, Canada. Total carbon (TC) contents of each sample were determined in the laboratory using combustion methods and comparisons were made between treatments using current and archived samples (i.e., 20 year and 9 year change, respectively) for selected crop rotations. Overall, TC concentrations were significantly higher for no-till compared with conventional tillage practices, regardless of the crop rotations employed. With regard to crop rotation, the highest TC concentrations were recorded in corn–corn–oats–barley (CCOB) rotations with red clover cover crop in both cereal phases. TC contents were, in descending order, found in corn–corn–alfalfa–alfalfa (CCAA), corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW) with 1 year of seeded red clover, and corn–corn–corn–corn (CCCC). The lowest TC concentrations were observed in the corn–corn–soybean–soybean (CCSS) and corn–corn–oats–barley (CCOB) rotations without use of cover crops, and corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW). We found that (i) crop rotation varieties that include two consecutive years of soybean had consistently lower TC concentrations compared with the remaining rotations; (ii) TC for all the investigated plots (no-till and/or tilled) increased over the 9 year and 20 year period; (iii) the no-tilled CCOB rotation with 2 years of cover crop showed the highest increase of TC content over the 20 year change period time; and (iv) interestingly, the no-till continuous corn (CCCC) rotation had higher TC than the soybean–soybean–corn–corn (SSCC) and corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW). We concluded that conservation tillage (i.e., no-till) and incorporation of a cover crop into crop rotations had a positive effect in the accumulation of TC topsoil concentrations and could be suitable management practices to promote soil fertility and sustainability in our agricultural soils.

Influence of agronomic practices on canopy microclimate and septoria development in no-till winter wheat produced in the Parkland region of Saskatchewan

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 331-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Tompkins ◽  
D. B. Fowler ◽  
A. T. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Flag Leaf ◽  
Septoria Tritici ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Crop Canopy ◽  
No Till ◽  
N Fertility

In areas with favourable growing conditions, high seeding rates (SRs), narrow row spacings (RSs) and nitrogen fertilization (N) are required before high yield potentials of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are realized. Changes in these variables produce changes in crop-canopy microclimate that may influence the development of foliar pathogens. This study examined the relative differences in crop-canopy microclimates due to different RS and SR combinations and determined the effect of SR, RS and N fertility on septoria (Septoria nodorum Berk. and Septoria tritici Rob. ex Desm.) development on normal height and semi-dwarf cultivars grown under no-till in the Parkland region of Saskatchewan. The daily mean value for solar radiation penetrating to the base of the crop canopy was 1100 μmol m−2 s−1 for 36-cm RS. This was 30% higher than the 845 μmol m−2 s−1 observed for 9-cm RS. The increased light interception by the canopy was associated with higher dry matter production and grain yield. During peak periods, wind speed was 56% higher within the 36-cm RS canopy than within the 9-cm RS canopy. Increased duration of leaf wetness was associated with 9-cm RS and 140-kg-ha−1 SR treatment. Cooler air temperature and higher RH within the canopy occurred for the 9-cm RS – 140-kg-ha−1 SR treatment. Differences in air temperature and RH between the 9-cm RS – 140-kg-ha−1 SR and the 36-cm RS – 35-kg-ha−1 SR treatments were smaller at night and greater during the day. The maximum differences occurred at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, when the 9-cm RS – 140-kg-ha−1 SR canopy was 1.5 °C cooler and had a 4.5% higher RH than the 36-cm RS – 35-kg-ha−1 SR canopy. Septoria severity increased when SR increased from 35 kg ha−1 to 140 kg ha−1. Septoria severity was not influenced by RS. Septoria severity was greater on the flag leaf of the semi-dwarf cultivar Norwin than on the tall cultivar Norstar. Increased N fertility reduced septoria severity in one trial. These observations demonstrated that, in addition to the influence on yield potential, high SR and narrow RS produce a canopy microclimate that is favourable for the development of septoria. Key words: Seed rate, row spacing, N fertility, Septoria sp., Triticum aestivum, canopy microclimate

scholarly journals Integrating Economic dynamics into Ecological Networks: The case of fishery sustainability

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Glaum ◽  
Valentin Cocco ◽  
Fernanda S. Valdovinos
Keyword(s):  
Network Theory ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Ecological Networks ◽  
Ecological Network ◽  
Ecological Dynamics ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Insight Into

Summary/AbstractUnderstanding and sustainably managing anthropogenic impact on ecosystems requires studying the integrated economic -ecological dynamics driving coupled human-natural systems. Here, we expand ecological network theory to study fishery sustainability by incorporating economic drivers into food-web models to evaluate the dynamics of thousands of single-species fisheries across hundreds of generated food-webs and two management strategies. Analysis reveals harvesting high population biomass species can initially support fishery persistence, but threatens long term economic and ecological sustainability by indirectly inducing extinction cascades in non-harvested species. This dynamic is exacerbated in open access fisheries where profit driven growth in fishing effort increases perturbation strength. Results demonstrate the unique insight into both ecological dynamics and sustainability garnered from considering economically dynamic fishing effort in the network.One Sentence SummaryIntegrating economic drivers into ecological networks reveal non-linear drivers of sustainability in fisheries.

scholarly journals The effect of NPK treatments on the Cu and Fe content of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

2013 ◽  
pp. 31-34
Author(s):  
Zita Burján ◽  
Mariann Móré ◽  
Xénia Czakóné Vágó ◽  
Zoltán Győri
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Cu Content ◽  
Fe Content ◽  
Icp Ms ◽  
Set Up

In this study the effect of N, P and K nutrients on the Cu and Fe content of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains was investigated in a long-term fertilization experiment set up in Nagyhörcsök. Samples were also harvested from four experimental stations of the Hungarian national long-term fertilization trials. These are the following: Bicsérd, Iregszemcse, Karcag, and Putnok. Plant samples were collected in 2005 which was very wet. Our results from Nagyhörcsök were compared with the Cu and Fe content of samples which were harvested from control plots of other experimental stations. The Cu and Fe content of grain samples were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) followed by digestion with HNO3-H2O2 solution. All data were subjected to ANOVA, and when significant differences (P<0.05) were detected, Duncan’s test was performed to allow separation of means. The main conclusions are as follows: Cu and Fe content of wheat grains was higher and higher in every NPK treatments. Samples were harvested from the control plots of Iregszemcse and Bicsérd have higher Cu content than the treated samples from Nagyhörcsök.

Availability of late-season heat and water resources for relay and double cropping with winter wheat in prairie Canada

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne R. Thiessen Martens ◽  
Martin H. Entz
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Growing Degree Days ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Late Season ◽  
Double Cropping ◽  
No Till

Long-term weather data for 21 sites across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were analyzed to evaluate the availability of late-season heat and water resources between time of winter wheat maturity and freeze-up. Thermal time during this period ranged from 159 to 754 growing degree days; precipitation ranged from 42 to 152 mm. Southern Manitoba appears to be best suited to relay and double cropping. Southern Saskatchewan receives significant thermal energy; however, lack of precipitation may limit late season plant growth. Key words: Legumes, no-till, cropping system intensity

Foliar disease development in no-till winter wheat: Influence of agronomic practices on powdery mildew development

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 965-972 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Tompkins ◽  
D. B. Fowler ◽  
A. T. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Powdery Mildew ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Crop Canopy ◽  
Seed Rate ◽  
Agronomic Practices ◽  
No Till ◽  
N Fertility

Agronomic practices must be modified to maximize winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield in different environments. Changes in crop management may modify the microclimate within the crop canopy thereby influencing the development of foliar pathogens. This study was initiated to determine the effect of cultivar, nitrogen (N) fertility, seed rate (SR) and row spacing (RS) on the severity of powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis DC f.sp. tritici E. Marchal) on the upper leaves of no-till winter wheat grown in the Saskatchewan Parkland region. Average powdery mildew (PM) severity was greater on the upper leaves of the semi-dwarf cultivar Norwin than on the tall cultivar Norstar and increased under conditions of high N fertility. The use of 36 cm RS and 140 kg ha−1 SR compared to 9 cm RS and 35 kg ha−1 SR also resulted in increased PM severity. In general, wide RS enhanced spore dispersal and disease progress up the plant while high SR created a more favourable crop canopy microclimate for PM development once the pathogen was established on a leaf.Key words: Wheat (winter). Triticum aestivum L., no-till, powdery mildew, Erysiphe graminis, row spacing, seed rate, nitrogen fertilizer

In Winter Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), No-Till Improves Photosynthetic Nitrogen and Water-Use Efficiency

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
Hazzar Habbib ◽  
Bertrand Hirel ◽  
Fabien Spicher ◽  
Frédéric Dubois ◽  
Thierry Tétu
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
No Till ◽  
Use Efficiency

Evaluation of Chlorsulfuron in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and in a Wheat-Soybean (Glycine max) Double-Cropping System

Weed Science ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 746-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khosro Khodayari ◽  
Robert E. Frans ◽  
Khalid H. Akkari
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Glycine Max ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Residual Effect ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Propanoic Acid ◽  
Double Cropping ◽  
No Till ◽  
Wild Garlic

Chlorsulfuron {2-chloro-N-[[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino] carbonyl] benzenesulfonamide} was evaluated for weed control in winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) and for residual effect on soybeans [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] following wheat. Chlorsulfuron applied at 72 g ai/ha and less did not injure or reduce grain yields of ‘Double-Cropped’ wheat. Postemergence tank mixtures of chlorsulfuron at 36 g/ha with diclofop {(±)-2-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy] propanoic acid} at 1 kg/ha were more effective than other treatments for control of wild garlic (Allium vinealeL. ♯ ALLVI). ‘Forrest’ soybeans did not show any injury from chlorsulfuron residue even at rates of 72 g/ha when it was no-till seeded following winter wheat.

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