PEAT AND COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS AS AMENDMENTS FOR GRAY WOODED SOILS

1942 ◽  
Vol 20c (2) ◽  
pp. 68-84
Author(s):  
R. E. Carlyle ◽  
J. D. Newton

The nitrates in pot cultures of gray wooded soil were generally affected by the various amendments as follows: increased by applications of neutral or acid subsurface peat and not depressed by neutral or acid surface peat; increased by ammonium phosphate alone and in combination with the surface and subsurface peats, and by ammonium sulphate in combination with the subsurface peats, but slightly depressed by triple superphosphate in combination with the subsurface peats.The wheat crop yields in pot cultures of gray wooded soil were generally affected by the various amendments as follows: increased somewhat by peat alone, and especially by subsurface peat; increased substantially by ammonium phosphate alone, but increased to a greater extent in all three series by a combination of ammonium phosphate and subsurface peat; increased substantially by ammonium sulphate and subsurface peat, but not by triple superphosphate and peat.The plate counts of bacteria in treated cultures of gray wooded soil increased for two to four months, and then decreased. The ammonium phosphate plus subsurface peat treatment gave the highest counts, the ammonium phosphate plus surface peat the second highest, and the ammonium sulphate plus subsurface peat the third highest. The differences between the effects of triple superphosphate plus subsurface peat, ammonium phosphate, surface peat, and subsurface peat, were small. The control gave only a small increase during the course of the experiment.The ratio method showed that there are very large numbers of bacteria in gray wooded soil. Instead of ranging from about 500,000 to about 8,000,000 per gm. of soil as with the plate count method, the numbers varied from about 200,000,000 to 2,000,000,000. The numbers reached a maximum after three months' incubation. The ammonium phosphate plus subsurface peat treatment again gave the highest average number, and the succeeding order was also about the same as in the case of the plate counts.When mixed with gray wooded soil, surface peat, though highly carbonaceous, did not cause any significant decrease in nitrate at first, and produced some increase later. Straw caused some decrease at first, but the later recovery counterbalanced this loss. Cotton caused a decrease to practically none for about three months, and even when combined with ammonium phosphate caused some decrease. Ammonium phosphate alone and in combination with straw and surface peat produced large increases in nitrate. In a duplicate experiment with black soil the trends were similar, but the nitrate was not reduced to the same extent by straw and cotton, and when ammonium phosphate was added with the organic matter, nitrate was not reduced by peat, straw, or cotton.

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Grant ◽  
G. W. Clayton ◽  
A. M. Johnston

Field studies in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta over 3 yr evaluated immediate and residual effects of source, timing and placement of su lphur (S) fertilizers on canola quality under reduced (RT) and conventional tillage (CT). Oil concentration of canola seed increased and chlorophyll content decreased with application of plant-available forms of S fertilizer if soils were deficient in available sulphate-S. Therefore, canola seed quality was improved by correction of S deficiencies. The magnitude and consistency of fertilizer effects reflected the sulphate availability of the fertilizer source applied, with ammonium sulphate having a greater effect than the bentonite-elemental S product, Tiger 90®, in the year of application. Effects on seed N concentration were inconsistent, but decreases in seed N concentration occasionally occurred with correction of an S deficiency, reflecting an inverse relationship between seed yield or seed oil concentration and seed N concentration. Seed S concentration generally increased with increases in available sulphur. Application of ammonium sulphate in the preceding wheat crop provided residual sulphate-S for canola, leading to increased oil and seed S concentration, and decreased chlorophyll and seed N concentration. Tillage system had little influence on canola quality, with RT occasionally reducing oil concentration and increasing chlorophyll and seed N content. The response of seed quality to S fertilization was similar under CT and RT. Sulphate-S sources consistently improved canola quality on S-deficient fields. Key words: Bentonite S, chlorophyll, elemental S, green seed. zero oil, protein, zero tillage


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Elissiry ◽  
Jingwen Sun ◽  
Ann M. Hirsch ◽  
Chong Liu

Synthetic fertilizer is responsible for the greatly increased crop yields that have enabled worldwide industrialization. However, the production and use of such fertilizers are environmentally unfriendly and unsustainable; synthetic fertilizers are produced via non-renewable resources and fertilizer runoff causes groundwater contamination and eutrophication. A promising alternative to synthetic fertilizer is bacterial inoculation. In this process, a symbiotic relationship is formed between a crop and bacteria species that can fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphorus, and stimulate plant hormone production. The bacteria carrier developed here aims to maintain bacteria viability while in storage, protect bacteria while encapsulated, and provide a sustained and controllable bacterial release. This novel bacterial delivery method utilizes inorganic nanomaterials, silica microbeads, to encapsulate symbiotic bacteria. These microbeads, which were produced with aqueous, non-toxic precursors, are sprayed directly onto crop seeds and solidify on the seeds as a resilient silica matrix. The bacterial release from the carrier was found by submerging coated seeds in solution to simulate degradation in soil environments, measuring the number of bacteria released by the plate count technique, and comparing the carrier to seeds coated only in bacteria. The carrier’s effectiveness to enhance plant growth was determined through greenhouse plant assays with alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i>) plants and the nitrogen-fixing <i>Sinorhizobium meliloti</i> Rm1021 strain. When compared to bacteria-only inoculation, the silica microbead carrier exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) increased holding capacity of viable bacteria and increased plant growth by a similar amount, demonstrating the capability of inorganic nanomaterials for microbial delivery. The carrier presented in this work has potential applications for commercial agriculture and presents an opportunity to further pursue more sustainable agricultural practices.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Elissiry ◽  
Jingwen Sun ◽  
Ann M. Hirsch ◽  
Chong Liu

Synthetic fertilizer is responsible for the greatly increased crop yields that have enabled worldwide industrialization. However, the production and use of such fertilizers are environmentally unfriendly and unsustainable; synthetic fertilizers are produced via non-renewable resources and fertilizer runoff causes groundwater contamination and eutrophication. A promising alternative to synthetic fertilizer is bacterial inoculation. In this process, a symbiotic relationship is formed between a crop and bacteria species that can fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphorus, and stimulate plant hormone production. The bacteria carrier developed here aims to maintain bacteria viability while in storage, protect bacteria while encapsulated, and provide a sustained and controllable bacterial release. This novel bacterial delivery method utilizes inorganic nanomaterials, silica microbeads, to encapsulate symbiotic bacteria. These microbeads, which were produced with aqueous, non-toxic precursors, are sprayed directly onto crop seeds and solidify on the seeds as a resilient silica matrix. The bacterial release from the carrier was found by submerging coated seeds in solution to simulate degradation in soil environments, measuring the number of bacteria released by the plate count technique, and comparing the carrier to seeds coated only in bacteria. The carrier’s effectiveness to enhance plant growth was determined through greenhouse plant assays with alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i>) plants and the nitrogen-fixing <i>Sinorhizobium meliloti</i> Rm1021 strain. When compared to bacteria-only inoculation, the silica microbead carrier exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) increased holding capacity of viable bacteria and increased plant growth by a similar amount, demonstrating the capability of inorganic nanomaterials for microbial delivery. The carrier presented in this work has potential applications for commercial agriculture and presents an opportunity to further pursue more sustainable agricultural practices.


Author(s):  
N. Maidanovych ◽  

The purpose of this work is to review and analyze the main results of modern research on the impact of climate change on the agro-sphere of Ukraine. Results. Analysis of research has shown that the effects of climate change on the agro-sphere are already being felt today and will continue in the future. The observed climate changes in recent decades have already significantly affected the shift in the northern direction of all agro-climatic zones of Europe, including Ukraine. From the point of view of productivity of the agro-sphere of Ukraine, climate change will have both positive and negative consequences. The positives include: improving the conditions of formation and reducing the harvesting time of crop yields; the possibility of effective introduction of late varieties (hybrids), which require more thermal resources; improving the conditions for overwintering crops; increase the efficiency of fertilizer application. Model estimates of the impact of climate change on wheat yields in Ukraine mainly indicate the positive effects of global warming on yields in the medium term, but with an increase in the average annual temperature by 2 ° C above normal, grain yields are expected to decrease. The negative consequences of the impact of climate change on the agrosphere include: increased drought during the growing season; acceleration of humus decomposition in soils; deterioration of soil moisture in the southern regions; deterioration of grain quality and failure to ensure full vernalization of grain; increase in the number of pests, the spread of pathogens of plants and weeds due to favorable conditions for their overwintering; increase in wind and water erosion of the soil caused by an increase in droughts and extreme rainfall; increasing risks of freezing of winter crops due to lack of stable snow cover. Conclusions. Resource-saving agricultural technologies are of particular importance in the context of climate change. They include technologies such as no-till, strip-till, ridge-till, which make it possible to partially store and accumulate mulch on the soil surface, reduce the speed of the surface layer of air and contribute to better preservation of moisture accumulated during the autumn-winter period. And in determining the most effective ways and mechanisms to reduce weather risks for Ukrainian farmers, it is necessary to take into account the world practice of climate-smart technologies.


Conservation agriculture is becoming a priority for Ukraine as well as for many countries of the world. It is a known fact that high content of heavy metals in the soil impairs fertility and carries the risk of crops translocation. An agroecological effect of obtaining and applying organic-mineral fertilizers has been insufficiently studied so far. The purpose of the work is to determine possibilities to produce new organic-mineral fertilizers based on sewage sludge with enhanced adsorbing properties, to establish their agroecological efficiency. Methods. Field, laboratory-analytical, statistical-mathematical. Results. From the agroecological point of view, the production process of organic-mineral fertilizers based on the sewage sludge of Kharkiv is justified. It allows us to expand functional capabilities of reagents, enhancing adsorbing properties of heavy metals. It is proved the advantage of organic-mineral fertilizers over the traditional ones on chernozem typical. After fertilization, the content of total carbon in the soil increased, the content of humic acids increased by 1,5 – 2,8 times, fulvic acids – by 1,1 – 1,7 times, the total sum of humic substances – by 1,3 – 2,1 times compared with no fertilizer option. It is established that application of organic-mineral fertilizers promotes blocking of heavy metals in soil and prevents translocation to plant. Maximum yields of corn were obtained after the local application of granular organic-mineral fertilizers – the yield increase was 41% compared to the control, after introduction of bulk fertilizers – 32% compared to the control. Profit was $ 23 -36 per hectare. Conclusions. The process of organic-mineral fertilizers production on the basis of sewage sludge in Kharkiv is substantiated from the agro-ecological point of view. Agroecological and agrochemical efficacy of sewage sludge use as compared to organic and mineral fertilizers applied in equivalent doses separately was established on the typical heavy loam chernozem. After introduction of organic-mineral fertilizers based on sewage sludge a significant increase in the concentration of trace elements and heavy metals was found in the black soil but these indicators did not exceed the established maximum permissible concentrations. The implementation of the proposed technology will reduce bioavailability of heavy metals and their mobility in the soil which, in turn, impedes their accumulation in products. It is expected to increase soil fertility, crop yields and obtain environmentally friendly and safe products due to the stable composition of innovative fertilizers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maninder Singh ◽  
Anita Jaswal ◽  
Arshdeep Singh

Crop residue management (CRM) through conservation agriculture can improve soil productivity and crop production by preserving soil organic matter (SOM) levels. Two major benefits of surface-residue management are improved organic matter (OM) near the soil surface and boosted nutrient cycling and preservation. Larger microbial biomass and activity near the soil surface act as a pool for nutrients desirable in crop production and enhance structural stability for increased infiltration. In addition to the altered nutrient distribution within the soil profile, changes also occur in the chemical and physical properties of the soil. Improved soil C sequestration through enhanced CRM is a cost-effective option for reducing agriculture's impact on the environment. Ideally, CRM practices should be selected to optimize crop yields with negligible adverse effects on the environment. Crop residues of common agricultural crops are chief resources, not only as sources of nutrients for subsequent crops but also for amended soil, water and air quality. Maintaining and managing crop residues in agriculture can be economically beneficial to many producers and more importantly to society. Improved residue management and reduced tillage practices should be encouraged because of their beneficial role in reducing soil degradation and increasing soil productivity. Thus, farmers have a responsibility in making management decisions that will enable them to optimize crop yields and minimize environmental impacts. Multi-disciplinary and integrated efforts by a wide variety of scientists are required to design the best site-specific systems for CRM practices to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability while minimizing environmental impacts.


2022 ◽  
pp. 112-120
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Mitchell ◽  
Anil Shrestha ◽  
Lynn Epstein ◽  
Jeffery A. Dahlberg ◽  
Teamrat Ghezzehei ◽  
...  

To meet the requirements of California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, there is a critical need for crop production strategies with less reliance on irrigation from surface and groundwater sources. One strategy for improving agricultural water use efficiency is reducing tillage and maintaining residues on the soil surface. We evaluated high residue no-till versus standard tillage in the San Joaquin Valley with and without cover crops on the yields of two crops, garbanzo and sorghum, for 4 years. The no-till treatment had no primary or secondary tillage. Sorghum yields were similar in no-till and standard tillage systems while no-till garbanzo yields matched or exceeded those of standard tillage, depending on the year. Cover crops had no effect on crop yields. Soil cover was highest under the no-till with cover crop system, averaging 97% versus 5% for the standard tillage without cover crop system. Our results suggest that garbanzos and sorghum can be grown under no-till practices in the San Joaquin Valley without loss of yield.


Weed Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 752-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulshan Mahajan ◽  
Amar Matloob ◽  
Michael Walsh ◽  
Bhagirath S. Chauhan

AbstractAfrican turnipweed (Sisymbrium thellungiiO. E.Schulz) is an emerging problematic broadleaf weed of the northern grain region of Australia. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of temperature, light, salinity, pH, seed burial depth, and the amount of wheat crop residue on germination and emergence of two AustralianS. thellungiiweed populations (population C, cropped area; population F, fence line). Both populations behaved similarly across different environmental conditions, except in the residue study. Although the seeds of both populations ofS. thellungiicould germinate under complete darkness, germination was best (~95%) under light/dark conditions at the 20/10 C temperature regime. Both populations ofS. thellungiigerminated over a wide range of day/night temperatures (15/5, 20/10, 25/15, and 30/20 C). Osmotic stress had negative effects on germination, with 54% seeds (averaged over populations) able to germinate at −0.1MPa. Complete germination inhibition for both populations was observed at −0.8MPa osmotic potential. Both populations germinated at sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations ranging from 50 to 100 mM, beyond which germination was completely inhibited. There were substantial reductions in seed germination, 32% (averaged over populations) under highly acidic conditions (pH 4.0) as compared with the control (water: pH 6.4). Seed germination of both populations on the soil surface was 77%, and no seedlings emerged from a burial depth of 1 cm. The addition of 6 Mg ha−1of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) residue reduced the emergence of the C and F populations ofS. thellungiiby 75% and 64%, respectively, as compared with the control (no residue). Information gathered from this study provides a better understanding of the factors favorable for germination and emergence ofS. thellungii, which will aid in developing management strategies in winter crops, especially wheat, barley (Hordeum vulgareL.), and chick pea (Cicer arietinumL.).


Author(s):  
Ahmed M. Yossif ◽  
Sait Gezgin

Study was aimed to determine the effect of mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP, NH4H2PO4) and K-Humate application on grain yield and grain phosphorus uptake efficiency which applied on Central Anatolian calcareous and basic reaction soil. The research was conducted at Bahri Dağdaş Agricultural Research Institute field in dry conditions during 2018 - 19 to determine the effect of phosphorus doses @ 0, 17.5 and 35.0 kg ha-1 and K-Humate @ 0 and 12 kg ha-1 on Bayraktar 2000 variety of bread wheat crop grain yield, agronomic (AE), physiological (PE) and apparent recovery (AR) phosphorus uptake efficiency. Results of the research revealed that increased phosphorus rate, enhances grain yield and amount of grain phosphorus uptake increase, while the grain AE, PE and AR were decreasing significantly. Additionally, with the K-Humate application with respect to control, the grain yield was positively affected in P0 and P17.5, while the grain phosphorus uptake amount was increased by 13%, in the P35 application the grain yield and the grain phosphorus uptake amount decreased by 9% and 5% respectively. In another direction, with the K-Humate application depending on control, in P17.5 application grain AE and AR were increased by 13% and 12% respectively, while grain PE decreased by 54%. Besides, with the K-Humate application according to control and in the P35 application grain AE, PE and AR were decreased by 66%, 51% and 40% respectively.


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