TILLAGE PRACTICES ON A NORTHERN CLAY SOIL: EFFECTS OF SOD BREAKING METHODS ON CROP PRODUCTION AND SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. J. GREVERS ◽  
A. A. BOMKE

Crop production in northern regions is mainly affected by a short growing season, and can also be further limited on heavy-textured soils by cool, wet spring conditions. Selected sod breaking practices were carried out resulting in maximum differences with respect to sod burial and soil physical properties. Soil physical properties measured included bulk density, air-filled porosity, aggregate size distribution, surface roughness and soil temperature. The main effects of the different tillage systems were: (1) differences in soil structure in terms of density and air-filled porosity, and (2) differences in the degree of residue incorporation. Moldboard plowing resulted in more favorable aeration porosity and soil temperature in spring than chisel plowing or discing. Rotovating prior to either moldboard plowing or chisel plowing had only a minor effect on soil physical conditions. In general the more effective the tillage was in incorporating crop residue and thatch, the higher was the subsequent soil temperature during the first 5 wk of the growing season. The differences in crop production followed the same trend as did differences in soil structure. This effect persisted through the third cropping season. Increasing levels of fertilizer N increased barley yields in all tillage treatments but did not offset the effect of physical differences caused by the tillage implements. Key words: Northern soils, tillage, soil temperature, soil structure, fertilizer nitrogen, barley

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 778
Author(s):  
G. S. A. Castro ◽  
C. A. C. Crusciol ◽  
C. A. Rosolem ◽  
J. C. Calonego ◽  
K. R. Brye

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of crop rotations and soil acidity amelioration on soil physical properties of an Oxisol (Rhodic Ferralsol or Red Ferrosol in the Australian Soil Classification) from October 2006 to September 2011 in Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Treatments consisted of four soybean (Glycine max)–maize (Zea mays)–rice (Oryza sativa) rotations that differed in their off-season crop, either a signal grass (Urochloa ruziziensis) forage crop, a second crop, a cover crop, or fallow. Two acid-neutralising materials, dolomitic lime (effective calcium carbonate equivalent (ECCE) = 90%) and calcium-magnesium silicate (ECCE = 80%), were surface applied to raise the soil’s base saturation to 70%. Selected soil physical characteristics were evaluated at three depths (0–0.1, 0.1–0.2, and 0.2–0.4 m). In the top 0.1 m, soil bulk density was lowest (P < 0.05) and macroporosity and aggregate stability index were greatest (P < 0.05) in the forage crop compared with all other production systems. Also, bulk density was lower (P < 0.05) and macroporosity was greater (P < 0.05) in the acid-neutralising-amended than the unamended control soil. In the 0.1–0.2-m interval, mean weight diameter and mean geometric diameter were greater (P < 0.05) in the forage crop compared with all other production systems. All soil properties evaluated in this study in the 0.2–0.4-m interval were unaffected by production system or soil amendment after five complete cropping cycles. Results of this study demonstrated that certain soil physical properties can be improved in a no-tillage soybean–maize–rice rotation using a forage crop in the off-season and with the addition of acid-neutralising soil amendments. Any soil and crop management practices that improve soil physical properties will likely contribute to sustaining long-term soil and crop productivity in areas with highly weathered, organic matter-depleted, acidic Oxisols.


2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Pikul ◽  
R.C. Schwartz ◽  
J.G. Benjamin ◽  
R.L. Baumhardt ◽  
S. Merrill

AbstractAgricultural systems produce both detrimental and beneficial effects on soil quality (SQ). We compared soil physical properties of long-term conventional (CON) and alternative (ALT) cropping systems near Akron, Colorado (CO); Brookings, South Dakota (SD); Bushland, Texas (TX); Fargo, North Dakota (ND); Mandan (ND); Mead, Nebraska (NE); Sidney, Montana (MT); and Swift Current, Saskatchewan (SK), Canada. Objectives were to quantify the changes in soil physical attributes in cropping systems and assess the potential of individual soil attributes as sensitive indicators of change in SQ. Soil samples were collected three times per year from each treatment at each site for one rotation cycle (4 years at Brookings and Mead). Water infiltration rates were measured. Soil bulk density (BD) and gravimetric water were measured at 0–7.5, 7.5–15, and 15–30 cm depth increments and water-filled pore space ratio (WFPS) was calculated. At six locations, a rotary sieve was used to separate soil (top 5 cm) into six aggregate size groups and calculate mean weight diameter (MWD) of dry aggregates. Under the CON system at Brookings, dry aggregates (>19 mm) abraded into the smallest size class (<0.4 mm) on sieving. In contrast, the large aggregates from the ALT system abraded into size classes between 2 and 6 mm. Dry aggregate size distribution (DASD) shows promise as an indicator of SQ related to susceptibility of soil to wind erosion. Aggregates from CON were least stable in water. Soil C was greater under ALT than CON for both Brookings and Mead. At other locations, MWD of aggregates under continuous crop or no tillage (ALT systems) was greater than MWD under CON. There was no crop system effect on water infiltration rates for locations having the same tillage within cropping system. Tillage resulted in increased, decreased, or unchanged near-surface BD. Because there was significant temporal variation in water infiltration, MWD, and BD, conclusions based on a single point-in-time observation should be avoided. Elevated WFPS at Fargo, Brookings, and Mead may have resulted in anaerobic soil conditions during a portion of the year. Repeated measurements of WFPS or DASD revealed important temporal characteristics of SQ that could be used to judge soil condition as affected by management.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-188
Author(s):  
A. L. Darwent ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch ◽  
P. F. Mills

Field and controlled environment experiments were conducted at Beaverlodge, Alberta to determine the effect of soil temperature, seeding depth and cultivar on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) tolerance to ethalfluralin. In one experiment, ethalfluralin was applied and incorporated, and wheat was seeded at several depths in late April/early May when soil temperatures were lowest or in late May when soil temperatures had increased. Mean 3-yr wheat yields decreased by 45% as the rate of ethalfluralin increased from 0 to 0.75 kg ha−1 and by 21% as the depth of seeding increased from 4 to 12.5 cm but the effect of ethalfluralin on yields was similar regardless of the soil temperature (time of seeding). Mean plant density decreased by 55% as the rate of ethalfluralin increased and by 25% as the depth of seeding increased. Reductions in mean plant density from ethalfluralin were slightly greater when seeded into the warmer soils. In another experiment, the effect of ethalfluralin on the yields of three wheat cultivars, Laura, Conway and Biggar was similar, i.e. the cultivar × rate of ethalfluralin interaction was not significant. However, the mean plant density of Biggar, averaged over rates of ethalfluralin, was less than that of the other cultivars in 1 of 2 yr. In a controlled environment experiment, the oven-dry weight and percent emergence of wheat shoots of the cultivars, Katepwa, Laura and Conway, seeded at 1.5 or 4 cm into soils containing ethalfluralin at concentrations of 0 to 4 ppm and maintained at temperatures of 4.5 or 15 °C, were reduced by decreases in temperature and increases in the rate of herbicide and depth of seeding. However, the interaction of soil temperature × rate of ethalfluralin was not significant for the oven-dry weight of the wheat shoots and the reduction in percent emergence of the wheat shoots as the rate of ethalfluralin increased was only slightly greater at 4.5 °C than at 15 °C. These results indicate that soil temperature and cultivar selection have a minor effect on wheat tolerance to ethalfluralin while herbicide concentration and depth of seeding have a major impact. Key words: Ethalfluralin, wheat, seeding depth, soil temperature, cultivar


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijuan Liu ◽  
Xiaoguang Yang ◽  
Xiaomao Lin ◽  
Kenneth G. Hubbard ◽  
Shuo Lv ◽  
...  

Abstract Northeast China (NEC) is one of the major agricultural production areas in China, producing about 30% of China’s total maize output. In the past five decades, maize yields in NEC increased rapidly. However, farmer yields still have potential to be increased. Therefore, it is important to quantify the impacts of agronomic factors, including soil physical properties, cultivar selections, and management practices on yield gaps of maize under the changing climate in NEC in order to provide reliable recommendations to narrow down the yield gaps. In this study, the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM)-Maize model was used to separate the contributions of soil physical properties, cultivar selections, and management practices to maize yield gaps. The results indicate that approximately 5%, 12%, and 18% of potential yield loss of maize is attributable to soil physical properties, cultivar selection, and management practices. Simulation analyses showed that potential ascensions of yield of maize by improving soil physical properties PAYs, changing to cultivar with longer maturity PAYc, and improving management practices PAYm for the entire region were 0.6, 1.5, and 2.2 ton ha−1 or 9%, 23%, and 34% increases, respectively, in NEC. In addition, PAYc and PAYm varied considerably from location to location (0.4 to 2.2 and 0.9 to 4.5 ton ha−1 respectively), which may be associated with the spatial variation of growing season temperature and precipitation among climate zones in NEC. Therefore, changing to cultivars with longer growing season requirement and improving management practices are the top strategies for improving yield of maize in NEC, especially for the north and west areas.


1988 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Hulugalle ◽  
M. S. Rodriguez

SUMMARYThe soil physical properties of tied ridges were measured in a trial, established in 1983, comparing three treatments: handhoe cultivation and planting on the flat; planting directly without any cultivation on tied ridges constructed the previous year; and handhoe cultivation and remoulding of tied ridges constructed the previous year. Two maize varieties and two management levels were used. The soil properties monitored were particle size distribution, penetro-meter resistance in the surface 20 mm, bulk density, water infiltration, soil water retention and soil temperature.Soil physical properties were affected mainly by the type of seedbed. Clay content in the surface 0.05 m was greater with tied ridging, with that in the furrows being higher than that in the ridge slopes. Daily maximum soil temperature was greatest in the flat planted plots and in the ridge slopes of the tied ridged plots. Penetrometer resistance at a soil water content of 0.05 kg kg−1 was greater in the tied ridged plots. Cumulative infiltration after 2 h was greatest with flat planting. The bulk density of ridge slopes in tied ridged plots was less than that in the furrows and in the flat planted plots. Soil water retention was greatest in the furrows of the tied ridged plots. Clay content was the major factor determining all the soil physical properties measured.


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