Comparing rooting characteristics and soil water withdrawal patterns of wheat with alternative oilseed and pulse crops grown in the semiarid Canadian prairie

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. Cutforth ◽  
S. V. Angadi ◽  
B. G. McConkey ◽  
P. R. Miller ◽  
D. Ulrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Water Withdrawal ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Pulse Crops ◽  
Alternative Crops

Cutforth, H. W., Angadi, S. V., McConkey, B. G., Miller, P. R., Ulrich, D., Gulden, R., Volkmar, K. M., Entz, M. H. and Brandt, S. A. 2013. Comparing rooting characteristics and soil water withdrawal patterns of wheat with alternative oilseed and pulse crops grown in the semiarid Canadian prairie. Can. J. Soil Sci. 93: 147–160. To improve sustainability and increase economic returns, producers in the semiarid Canadian prairie are diversifying their cropping systems to include alternative crops such as pulses and oilseeds in rotation with wheat. Producers must adopt crops and cropping systems that use water most efficiently. We compared the root systems and water withdrawal patterns for three pulse crops (leguminous grain crops) [chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. L.)] and three oilseed crops [canola (Brassica napus L. and Brassica rapa L.) and mustard (Brassica juncea L.)] with one cereal crop [wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)] under well-watered, rain-fed, imposed drought water regimes during 1996–1998. Wheat withdrew the most water, whereas pulses withdrew the least amount of water from the soil profile. Pulses withdrew substantially less water than oilseeds and wheat below about the 80-cm depth, whereas oilseeds withdrew less water than wheat from the upper regions of the soil profile, thus increasing soil water available to the following crops. Therefore, producers can increase the overall efficiency of a crop rotation by growing deeper rooting crops, such as wheat and canola, following pulses, and by growing crops, such as wheat, that will use the increased soil water reserves following canola.

Adaptation of alternative pulse and oilseed crops to the semiarid Canadian Prairie: Seed yield and water use efficiency

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Angadi ◽  
B. G. McConkey ◽  
H. W. Cutforth ◽  
P. R. Miller ◽  
D. Ulrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Oilseed Crops ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Water Regimes ◽  
Pulse Crops ◽  
Use Efficiency

Diversification and intensification of the cropping systems in the traditional wheat-fallow area of the semiarid Canadian prairie is necessary to improve sustainability. Selection of alternate crops to include in cropping systems requires information on production risks with different climate regimes. To understand water use/yield relationships of alternate crops, three pulse crops (leguminous grain crops) [chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)], three oilseed crops [canola (Brassica napus L. and B. rapa L.) and mustard (B. juncea L.)], and one cereal crop [wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)] were studied under varying water regimes: during 1996–1998 under well-watered, rainfed, imposed drought conditions, and in 2001 under rainfed conditions. Generally, the relative ranking between crops for water use was maintained across water regimes, such that the crops separated into three general groups of water users (high: wheat, B. napus, mustard; medium: chickpea, B. rapa, lentil; low: pea) with pea using an average of 34 mm and 13 mm less water than high- and medium-water-using crop groups, respectively. The exceptions included desi chickpea, which tended to use less water and B. rapa, which tended to use more water relative to the other crops as water use decreased. Generally, pea and wheat produced the most grain and biomass, had the highest water use efficiency, and had moderately high to high harvest indices. Wheat and pea are well adapted to variable rainfall amounts inherent in semiarid climates. Desi chickpea and lentil produce good grain yields under dry conditions, and grain yields relative to those of other crops can be increased by some drought stress, especially mid- to late-season stress. Therefore, because of their relatively good performance under water-stressed conditions, they are also well adapted to semiarid climates. Conversely, the Brassica oilseeds yielded relatively poorly compared with wheat and pulse crops under severe water-stressed conditions, so they are not as well adapted to the semiarid climate. In 2001, grain yield of wheat and pulses seeded on stubble was ≥30% of the yield on fallow, whereas stubble-seeded Brassica oilseeds yielded only about 10% of that on fallow. Compared with stubble seeding, production of Brassica oilseeds on fallow will decrease the risk of very low yields under drought. We found little indication that mustard was more drought tolerant than B. napus. Key words: Yield, water use efficiency, oilseeds, pulse, semiarid prairie

The effects of three pulse crops on a second subsequent crop

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Ross ◽  
J. R. King ◽  
C. M. Williams ◽  
S. M. Strydhorst ◽  
M. A. Olson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Faba Bean ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
P Uptake ◽  
Barley Grain ◽  
Hordeum Vulgare L ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Pulse Crops ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Subsequent Crop

Ross, S. M., King, J. R., Williams, C. M., Strydhorst, S. M., Olson, M. A., Hoy, C. F. and Lopetinsky, K. J. 2015. The effects of three pulse crops on a second subsequent crop. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 779–786. Pulse crops can provide benefits to cropping systems, but few studies follow the effects beyond one subsequent crop. This study investigated the effects of three pulses on 2 yr of subsequent crops at Barrhead and St. Albert in central Alberta. In year 1 (YR1), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and canola (Brassica napus L.) were grown without added N. The design included plus N controls, eight different crops in YR2, and barley in YR3. YR1 effects on YR3 barley varied between sites and years, and drought conditions in 2009 affected results. Effects of YR1 faba bean were greater than pea or lupin. Increases in YR3 barley grain yields averaged 11% (0.33 Mg ha–1) and increases in seed N yields averaged 11% (7.2 kg N ha–1) after YR1 faba bean, compared with after YR1 canola or barley without added N (BCO). Increases in YR3 barley grain yields and seed N yields averaged 3 to 5% after YR1 pea or lupin, compared with BCO.YR1 crops had few effects on YR3 barley P uptake. Results indicated that pulse crops can improve the yield and quality of a second subsequent crop.

Root mass for oilseed and pulse crops: Growth and distribution in the soil profile

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 883-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y T Gan ◽  
C A Campbell ◽  
H H Janzen ◽  
R Lemke ◽  
L P Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Root Mass ◽  
Distribution Profile ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Pulse Crops

Crop roots transport water and nutrients to the plants, produce nutrients when they decompose in soil, and provide organic C to facilitate the process of C sequestration in the soil. Many studies on these subjects have been published for cereal crops, but little is known for oilseed and pulse crops. This study was conducted at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, in 2006 and 2007 to characterize the root growth and distribution profile in soil for selected oilseed and pulse crops. Three oilseed [canola (Brassica napus L.), mustard (Brassica juncea L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)], three pulse crops [chickpea (Cicer arietinum L), dry pea (Pisum sativum L.) lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)], and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown in 100 cm deep × 15 cm diameter lysimeters pushed into a silt loam soil. Crops were studied under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Lysimeters were removed from the field and sampled for above-ground (AG) and root mass at different depths at five growth stages. Root mass was highest for canola (1470 kg ha-1) and wheat (1311 kg ha-1), followed by mustard (893 kg ha-1) and chickpea (848 kg ha-1), and was lowest for dry pea (524 kg ha-1) and flax (440 kg ha-1). The root mass of oilseeds and pulses reached a maximum between late-flowering and late-pod stages and then decreased to maturity, while wheat root mass decreased to maturity after reaching a maximum at boot stage. On average, about 77 to 85% of the root mass was located in the 0-40 cm depth. Canola, mustard, and wheat rooted to 100 cm, while the pulses and flax had only 4 to 7% of the root mass beyond the 60 cm depth. Irrigation only increased root mass in the 0-20 cm depth. Roots developed more rapidly than AG biomass initially, but the ratio of root biomass to AG biomass decreased with plant maturity. At maturity, the ratio of root biomass to AG biomass was 0.11 for dry pea, and between 0.20 and 0.22 for the other crops tested. Our findings on rooting depths and root mass distribution in the soil profile should be useful for modelling water and nutrient uptake by crops, estimating C inputs into soil from roots, and developing diverse cropping systems with cereals, oilseeds and pulses for semiarid environments.Key words: Root growth, root biomass, rooting depth, chickpea, lentil, pea, canola, mustard, flax, root:shoot ratio

Soil water depletion by tall and semidwarf oat and wheat cultivars

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-388
Author(s):  
R. M. Gentile ◽  
P. J. de Rocquigny ◽  
M. H. Entz
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Avena Sativa ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Soil Water Depletion ◽  
Water Depletion

Knowledge of soil water use in different crops and among crop cultivars is useful in crop rotation planning. Net seasonal soil water depletion patterns in the 0- to 130-cm soil profile for semidwarf and tall cultivars of oat (Avena sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were compared at 3 site-years in Manitoba. Total soil water depletion was greater for oat than wheat (29–31 mm). This trend was consistent across site-years and N regimes. Greater water use for tall versus semidwarf oat was observed at one of three sites. Key words: Cultivars, oat, semidwarf, soil water depletion, wheat

Stubble management and microclimate, yield and water use efficiency of canola grown in the semiarid Canadian prairie

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. Cutforth ◽  
S. V. Angadi ◽  
B. G. McConkey
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Use Efficiency

Standing stubble traps snow and creates a favorable microclimate, which increases yields in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and pulses [chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris L.)]. Generally, the taller the stubble the greater is the effect on microclimate and yield. A field study using farm-scale seeding and harvesting equipment was conducted over four seasons (1999 to 2002) to assess the effect of stubble management on the microclimate, water use and seed yield of argentine canola (Brassica napus L. ‘Arrow’) in the semiarid prairie surrounding Swift Current. Tall (30 cm), short (15 cm) and cultivated stubble treatments were deployed in fall and in spring. An additional tall stubble treatment with extra fertilizer N (application rate recommended for the Black soil zone in the subhumid prairie) was included to assess the role of fertilizer in canola response to stubble management practices. The differences in wind velocity, soil temperature and solar radiation reaching the soil surface indicated significant modification of the microclimate by tall compared with cultivated stubble. Yields were highest from the tall stubble receiving extra fertilizer. Further research is needed to determine optimum fertilizer rates to maximize canola yields in the semiarid prairie. For treatments receiving equivalent rates of fertilizer, tall stubble increased seed yield of canola by about 24% and water use efficiency (WUE) by about 19% compared with stubble cultivated in the fall. Comparing between stubble treatments deployed on fields that overwintered as tall stubble and which received equivalent rates of fertilizer, tall stubble increased canola yield by about 16% and WUE by about 11% compared with cultivated stubble. Crop water use was not affected by stubble management so the increased grain production was due to increased WUE. Key words: Stubble height, microclimate, canola, yield, water use efficiency

Indianhead black lentil as green manure for wheat rotations in the Brown soil zone

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
V. O. Biederbeck ◽  
F. Selles
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Soil Zone

Frequent use of summerfallow (F) to reduce the water deficit associated with cereal cropping in the Canadian prairies has resulted in severe erosion and a reduction in N-supplying power of the soils. It has been suggested that it may be feasible to use annual legumes as green manure (GM) to supply the N requirements and snow trapping to enhance soil water recharge for a subsequent cereal crop. Our objective was to test the feasibility of employing this management strategy for the Brown soil zone of southwestern Saskatchewan, by comparing yields and N uptake of hard red spring wheat (W) (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in a 3-yr rotation with Indianhead black lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) (i.e., GM-W-W) with that obtained in a monoculture wheat system (i.e., F-W-W). Both cropping systems were operated for 6 yr, from 1988 to 1993, with all phases of the rotations present each year. The results showed that grain yields of wheat after GM were generally significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those after F, primarily because the GM reduced the reserves of available spring soil water. These results occurred despite the fact that five of the six growing seasons had above average precipitation. Yields of wheat grown on stubble were unaffected by rotation. Grain N concentration was greater for wheat grown on GM partial-fallow than for wheat grown on conventional-F in the final 3 yr of the study which was due mainly to the lower wheat yields in the GM system (i.e., yield dilution). Our results suggest that, for annual legume GM to be used successfully in the Brown soil zone, producers should seed it as early as possible (late April to early May) and terminate the growth of the legume by the first week of July, even if this means foregoing some N2 fixation. Key words: Summerfallow, soil water, grain protein, N content, soil nitrogen

Short Communication: Comparative soil water use by annual crops at a semiarid site in Montana

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 803-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Miller ◽  
J. A. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Annual Crops

Miller, P. R. and Holmes, J. A. 2012. Short Communication: Comparative soil water use by annual crops at a semiarid site in Montana. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 803–807. Results for soil water use in the semiarid northern Great Plains are presented in detailed tabular format for 15 crops in an ideal environment for comparative water use assessment. The effective rooting depth of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varied relative to spring wheat; it was often similar and never less. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) averaged 43 mm greater soil water use below 0.9 m compared with spring wheat. Conversely, lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) averaged 27 mm and 48 mm less soil water than spring wheat to a 1.2-m soil depth, respectively. Observed differences in effective rooting depth for alternative crops carry important implications for wheat-based cropping systems.

Grain legume production and their potential for sustainable agriculture in Botswana between 2008 and 2015: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. N. Mashungwa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Management ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Grain Legume ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Pulse Crops

Pulse crops are an integral component of arable agriculture in Botswana, particularly in subsistence farming. The benefits of these crops include provision of nutrition for both human beings and livestock, as well as environmental sustainability needs. Although they have a far reaching socio-economic impact, these benefits have not been adequately characterized for inclusion in endeavors of conservation agriculture in the country. Furthermore, data on pulses are often lumped together without identifying important pulse crops grown in Botswana. The objective of this paper was to review production of pulses and their potential as components in cropping systems and conservation agriculture in Botswana. The data used in this study were obtained from reports of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MOA), Statistics Botswana, FAOSTAT and other literature sources. With the ongoing changes in climate and predicted increase in incidences of drought, pulses are among crops most relevant to sustainable agriculture. They are among the most versatile because of their variability in cropping duration from early to late maturity. Their consumption ranges from fresh forms to physiologically mature grain.  Pulses play an important role in climate change mitigation through their ability to fix nitrogen, thus reducing dependency on organic and synthetic fertilizers. They use less water from relatively shallow soil and allow for stratified soil water use for companion crops in intercropping or conserve soil water for subsequent crops in rotations. Thus pulses improve both water and nutrient use efficiencies when included in cropping systems. Their production also has a low footprint in both carbon and water. Currently, pulses are among the few highly priced crops in Botswana markets and together with the possibility of replacement of imported grain, investments in their production can generate income and improve livelihood of both farmers and consumers in Botswana. Crop production management technology involves judicious use of integrated nutrient, pest and disease management; appropriate integrated management packages that include pulses can be promoted to ensure sustainable crop production under the adverse impacts of climate change.

Soil water storage, drainage, and leaching in four irrigated cotton-based cropping systems sown in a Vertosol with subsoil sodicity

Soil Research ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 652 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Hulugalle ◽  
T. B. Weaver ◽  
L. A. Finlay
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Experimental Treatments ◽  
Winter Fallow

Comparative studies of drainage and leaching in irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) based cropping systems in Australian Vertosols are sparse. Our objective was to quantify soil water storage, drainage, and leaching in four cotton-based cropping systems sown on permanent beds in an irrigated Vertosol with subsoil sodicity. Drainage was inferred using the chloride mass-balance method, and soil water storage and leaching were measured with a neutron moisture meter and ceramic-cup water samplers, respectively, from September 2005 to May 2011 in an ongoing experiment. The experimental treatments were: CC, cotton monoculture, summer cotton with winter fallow; CV, cotton–vetch (Vicia benghalensis L.) rotation with vetch stubble retained as in-situ mulch; CW, cotton–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), with wheat stubble incorporated and a summer–winter fallow; and CWV, cotton–wheat–vetch, with wheat and vetch stubbles retained as in-situ mulch and summer and spring fallows. Soil water storage was generally highest under CW and CWV and least under CV. An untilled short fallow (~3 months) when combined with retention of crop residues as surface mulch, as in CWV, was as effective in harvesting rainfall as a tilled long fallow (~11 months) with stubble incorporation, as in CW. Drainage under cotton was generally in the order CW ≥ CWV > CC = CV, all of which were considerably greater than drainage during fallows. Except for very wet and dry winters, drainage under wheat rotation crops was greater than that under vetch. During wet winters, saturated soil in the 0–0.6 m depth of treatments under fallow resulted in more drainage than in the drier, cropped plots. No definitive conclusions could be made with respect to the effects of cropping systems on salt and nutrient leaching. Leachate contained less nitrate-nitrogen, magnesium, and potassium, but leachate electrical conductivity was ~6 times higher than infiltrated water. The greater salinity of the leachate may pose a risk to groundwater resources.

Wheat response to alternative crops on a duplex soil

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 481 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Asseng ◽  
I. R. P. Fillery ◽  
P. J. Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Faba Bean ◽  
Root Length Density ◽  
Indian Mustard ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Wheat Root ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Previous Crop ◽  
Alternative Crops ◽  
Crop Root ◽  
System Water

Summary. Rates of crop growth (including the root system), water extraction from specific soil layers, leaf water potential and crop nitrogen content were measured in a field experiment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown after alternative crops. The previous crops of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), vetch (Vicia sativa L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) all showed a ‘break crop’ effect compared with wheat after wheat. In addition, the legumes lupin, faba bean, chickpea and vetch stimulated biomass production of successive wheat crops via increased nitrogen supply. When the previous crop was lupin, wheat root length density at depth in a duplex soil tended to be increased and post-anthesis water uptake by wheat was enhanced. Wheat after lupin resulted in a 42–76% higher yield than wheat after the other legumes, a 37–68% higher yield than wheat after the non-legumes and a 131% higher yield than wheat after wheat. Wheat yields did not relate to previous crop root depth, but correlated well with residue nitrogen from the various alternative crops.

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