scholarly journals Using organic fertilizers to increase crop yield, economic growth, and soil quality in a temperate farmland

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Cen ◽  
Liyue Guo ◽  
Meizhen Liu ◽  
Xian Gu ◽  
Caihong Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soybean Meal ◽  
Rapeseed Meal ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Summer Maize ◽  
Total N

We used a constant total N application base rate to conduct a two-year field experiment comparing the effects of three organic fertilizers (rapeseed meal (RSM), soybean meal (SBM), and cattle manure (CM)) on the crop yield, economic growth, and soil quality of a winter wheat-summer maize rotation system. Winter wheat and summer maize in rapeseed meal treatment (RSMT), soybean meal treatment (SBMT), and cattle manure treatment (CMT) showed yield increases of 161%, 299%, and 256%, respectively, when compared to no organic fertilizer treatment (CK) (P < 0.05). The annual net incomes of SBMT and CMT were 1.46 and 1.42 times higher, respectively, than RSMT. Compared to the results of the CK group, RSM, SBM, and CM stimulated the soil physically, chemically, and biologically. We found the highest soil macroaggregate proportions, soil organic matter (SOM) levels, total N (TN) levels, and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) levels in SBMT. The highest soil pH, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) levels, and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) levels were observed in CMT. We used a soil quality index (SQI) to evaluate soil quality. After the two-year fertilization treatments, we calculated the SQI using a minimum data set (MDS). We used SOM levels and actinomycete quantity for the MDS properties. The SQI values were significantly different across the four treatments, with the highest values occurring in SBMT, then CMT and RSMT. In conclusion, SBM and CM were more effective than RSM at maintaining crop yield, economic growth, and soil quality.

scholarly journals Effects of Organic Amendments on the Improvement of Soil Nutrients and Crop Yield in Sandy Soils during a 4-Year Field Experiment in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Northern China

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
Yingxing Zhao ◽  
Yuanquan Chen ◽  
Hongcui Dai ◽  
Jixiao Cui ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Field Experiment ◽  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Pig Manure ◽  
Summer Maize ◽  
Total N

To address the low productivity of sandy farmlands, our study aimed to conduct a comparative study on the effects of different organic amendment (OA) inputs for the potential improvement of crop yield and soil quality in sandy alkaline farmlands through the selection of a suitable OA. This study set up straw (ST) returning as control and chemical fertilizer (CF) treatment as a side control, and chose three OAs returning as treatments, including pig manure (PM), biogas residue (BR), and straw biochar (BC), for improving soil fertility, with all amendments having matched doses of nitrogen (N). The experiment was conducted at the Wuqiao Experimental Station (37°41 N, 116°37 E) of China Agricultural University in Hebei Province, China, from October 2012 to September 2016. The cropping rotation was the winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-summer maize (Zea mays L.) rotation system. Through a consecutive four-year field experiment, the principal results showed that three types of OA application significantly increased soil organic carbon from 1.46 g kg−1 to 8.24 g kg−1, soil total N from 0.21 g kg−1 to 0.64 g kg−1, soil available potassium from 55.85 mg kg−1 to 288.76 mg kg−1, and soil available phosphate from 4.86 mg kg−1 to 65.00 mg kg−1 in the 0–20 cm soil layer. The BR was the most effective in improving soil nutrients as compared with the ST. The PM and BR treatments were more conducive to promoting crop yield by 6–20% than ST, and the BC treatment significantly reduced the yield of winter wheat by 19% and summer maize by 8%. As the BR and PM treatments improved the soil nutrient content and significantly increased crop yield, these were the top choices for transforming the low-yield sandy farmlands.

Crop yield and N2O emission affected by long-term organic manure substitution fertilizer under winter wheat-summer maize cropping system

2020 ◽  
Vol 732 ◽  
pp. 139321
Author(s):  
Fenglian Lv ◽  
Jiashan Song ◽  
Donna Giltrap ◽  
Yongtao Feng ◽  
Xueyun Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
Organic Manure ◽  
Summer Maize

scholarly journals Reinspecting the Climate-Crop Yields Relationship at a Finer Scale and the Climate Damage Evaluation: Evidence from China

Complexity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yongbin Zhu ◽  
Yajuan Shi ◽  
Changxin Liu ◽  
Bing Lyu ◽  
Zhenbo Wang
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Summer Maize ◽  
Climate Effects ◽  
Positive Effects

This paper reinvestigated the climate-crop yield relationship with the statistical model at crops’ growing stage scale. Compared to previous studies, our model introduced monthly climate variables in the production function of crops, which enables separating the yield changes induced by climate change and those caused by inputs variation and technique progress, as well as examining different climate effects during each growing stage of crops. By applying the fixed effect regression model with province-level panel data of crop yields, agricultural inputs, and the monthly climate variables of temperature and precipitation from 1985 to 2015, we found that the effects of temperature generally are negative and those of precipitation generally are positive, but they vary among different growth stages for each crop. Specifically, GDDs (i.e., growing degree days) have negative effects on spring maize’s yield except for the sowing and ripening stages; the effects of precipitation are negative in September for summer maize. Precipitation in December and the next April is significantly harmful to the yield of winter wheat; while, for the spring wheat, GDDs have positive effects during April and May, and precipitation has negative effects during the ripening period. In addition, we computed climate-induced losses based on the climate-crop yield relationship, which demonstrated a strong tendency for increasing yield losses for all crops, with large interannual fluctuations. Comparatively, the long-term climate effects on yields of spring maize, summer maize, and spring wheat are more noticeable than those of winter wheat.

scholarly journals Yields and Soil Quality under Transitional Organic High Tunnel Tomatoes

HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Reeve ◽  
Dan Drost
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Chicken Manure ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Total N ◽  
Soil P ◽  
High Tunnels

Interest in unheated plastic film-covered high tunnels to extend the growing season of high-value fruits and vegetables is growing rapidly, but sustainable soil management in intensively managed high tunnels is challenging. Yields, fruit quality, and soil quality in transition organic and conventional tomato were measured over the course of three growing seasons. Nitrogen (N) was applied at the rate of 112, 168, and 224 kg total N/ha in the form of chicken manure compost to the organic treatments and a polymer-coated slow-release urea fertilizer in the conventional treatments. Marketable yield of organically grown tomatoes was lower in Year 1 but equaled conventional tomatoes in Years 2 and 3. Soil quality as measured by total carbon (C) and N and microbial activity was significantly greater in organic tomato production at the end of the study. Significant phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) applied with the composted manure resulted in high soil P and K levels in organically managed high tunnels after just 3 years of application. Although compost is the most economical organic fertilizer and results in significant benefits in soil quality during the transition phase to organic production, a maintenance fertility plan is needed once available soil P reaches adequate to high levels. Combinations of compost and high N, low P organic fertilizers are needed for optimum maintenance fertility strategy for organic tunnel house production.

scholarly journals Organic versus inorganic fertilizers: Response of soil properties and crop yield

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-439
Author(s):  
Teresa Hernandez ◽  
◽  
José Guillermo Berlanga ◽  
Isabel Tormos ◽  
Carlos Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Microbial Communities ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Organic C

<abstract> <p>The decrease in soil productivity and quality caused by the continuous and abusive use of mineral fertilizers makes necessary to adopt more sustainable agricultural soil management strategies that help to maintain soil edaphic fertility. In light of these considerations, we have evaluated the effect of organic vs. inorganic fertilization on soil microbial communities, soil quality, and crop yield in a melon crop. The following treatments were tested: i) aerobic sewage sludge from a conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) using aerobic bacteria (SS); ii) aerobic sewage sludge from a WWTP using a bacteria-microalgae consortium (B); iii) N-P-K mineral fertilizer (M); iv) a treatment in which 50% of the N was contributed by SS and 50% by mineral fertilizer (M + SS); v) a treatment in which 50% of the N was contributed by B and 50% by mineral fertilizer (M + B); and vi) a no-fertilized control soil. Melon yield and fruit quality were determined in addition to several soil physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological parameters. Organic fertilizers (SS and B) increased the percentage of soil water-stable aggregates (52 and 60% respectively) as well as the content of organic C (18 and 31%), water soluble C (21 and 41%), N (15 and 41%) and available P content (41 and 82%) compared to inorganic fertilization. They also stimulated bacterial and fungal abundance to a greater extent than mineral fertilizers (189 and 242% vs 85%, and 57 and 122% vs 29%, respectively), as well as soil respiration, and dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, phosphatase, urease, and glycine aminopectidase activities. The analysis of principal components with parameters linked to soil quality clearly showed that organic fertilizers cause a greater improvement in soil characteristics and microbial community than mineral fertilizers. Results demonstrate that organic and combined fertilization could be used as substitutes for nitrogen mineral fertilizers in melon crop, since these treatments led to similar melon production and quality while improving soil characteristics and microbial population size and activity.</p> </abstract>

scholarly journals Co-evolution hints at soil microbial biomass as the entity of soil fertility

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Oda ◽  
Yasukazu Hosen ◽  
Uchada Sukchan
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Total N ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Wide Range

Nitrogen (N) and Carbon (C) are popular indicators of soil fertility; however, they are not soil fertility itself. In fact, they may be seen as just two aspects of the one entity. Soil microbial biomass (SMB) is also one of soil fertility indicators; furthermore, recent study of co-evolution between plants and microorganisms raises an idea that SMB might be the entity of fertility. The correlation between SMB and crop yield has been found in some studies but not in others. Those studies were conducted from the standpoint of N stock balance; therefore, the correlation between soil properties before planting and plant yields were analyzed. Here, we show—in our analysis of harvest-time soil properties and crop yields—that SMB correlates more strongly than inorganic N, total N, or total C with average crop yield under a wide range of cultivation conditions. From the viewpoint of co-evolution, plant biomass is a part of the plant and soil microorganism system; therefore, increasing SMB will balance by increasing plant biomass. In addition, the SMB could increase independently from the plant growth by artificial organic matter input. This concept will break through the yield limitation of conventional farming.

Effect of pipeline installation on crop yield and some biological properties of boreal soils

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. K. Soon ◽  
W. A. Rice ◽  
M. A. Arshad ◽  
P. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Hordeum Vulgare L ◽  
Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽  
Total N ◽  
Pipeline Construction ◽  
Normal Ranges

Pipeline construction on the Grey soils of the Canadian boreal plains, which have a thin Ah horizon, could have considerable impact on their properties and productivity. This study was conducted because the effects of pipeline installation on crop yield and biological properties of these soils have not been well-documented. Soil was sampled from a Grey Luvisol and a Dark Grey Solod prior to pipeline construction in 1991, and in each of the following 3 yr. The right-of-way (RoW) was divided into three zones: a road (or work) area used for vehicular traffic; a trench where the pipeline was buried; and a pile (or spoil) area where soil was stockpiled during construction. The RoW was cropped to barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in 1992 through 1994. Barley yield was low in 1992 (830–1120 kg ha−1), and near average (2050–3290 kg ha−1) in 1993 and 1994. Except for low shoot P concentration (1.1–1.3 mg g−1) in 1992, macronutrient concentrations (N, P and K) in barley tissues were within normal ranges. Soil organic carbon was reduced by 12–28% in all RoW areas in 1993 and 1994. Soil total N was reduced by 29–49% in all RoWs in 1992 and increased slightly from those levels in 1993 and 1994. Pipeline construction affected soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in the three RoW areas differently, and the effect was not consistent from year to year. However, the average level of MBC was not adversely impacted. In 1994, soil phosphatase activity in the RoW zones tended to be lower as compared to pre-pipeline installation, particularly in the pile area of the Dark Grey Solod. It is concluded that although some soil biological properties were degraded by pipeline construction, and barley yield was reduced in 1992, crop production in the following 2 yr was not significantly affected. Key words: Barley, carbon, microbial biomass, nitrogen, phosphatase, pipeline

scholarly journals Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on soil quality, organic carbon, and total nitrogen

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Van Eerd ◽  
Katelyn A. Congreves ◽  
Adam Hayes ◽  
Anne Verhallen ◽  
David C. Hooker
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C And N ◽  
Production Practices

Van Eerd, L. L., Congreves, K. A., Hayes, A., Verhallen, A. and Hooker, D. C. 2014. Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on soil quality, organic carbon, and total nitrogen. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 303–315. Long-term studies allow for quantification of the effects of crop production practices, such as tillage and crop rotation, on soil quality and soil C and N stores. In two experiments at Ridgetown, ON, we evaluated the long-term (11 and 15 yr) effect of tillage system and crop rotation on soil quality via the Cornell Soil Health Assessment (CSHA) at 0–15 cm and soil organic C (SOC) and total N at 5-, 10-, and 20-cm increments to 120 cm depth. The CSHA soil quality score and SOC and total N were higher with no-till (NT) than fall moldboard plough with spring cultivation (conventional tillage, CT) and rotations with winter wheat [soybean–winter wheat (S-W) and soybean–winter wheat–corn (S-W-C)] compared with rotations without winter wheat. In both long-term trials, NT had ca. 21 Mg ha−1more or 14% higher SOC than CT in the 0- to 100-cm soil profile, a trend which contrasts previous research in eastern Canada. Thus, the two long-term trial results at Ridgetown suggest that to improve soil quality and storage of C and N, growers on clay loam soil in southwestern Ontario should consider adopting NT production practices and including winter wheat in the rotation.

scholarly journals Cover Crops for Resilience of a Limited-Irrigation Winter Wheat–Sorghum–Fallow Rotation: Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sorghum Yield Responses

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 762
Author(s):  
Vesh R. Thapa ◽  
Rajan Ghimire ◽  
Mark A. Marsalis
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Hordeum Vulgare L ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Total N ◽  
Semi Arid

Cover crops can improve soil health by maintaining soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) contents, yet their dynamics in relation to crop yield in a semi-arid cropping system are poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the response of diverse winter cover crop species and their mixture on SOC and N fractions and their relationship with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) yield in a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–sorghum–fallow rotation with limited irrigation management. Cover cropping treatments included pea (Pisum sativum L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), and mixtures of pea+oat (POM), pea+canola (PCM), peat+oat+canola (POCM), and a six-species mixture (SSM) of pea+oat+canola+hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth)+forage radish (Raphanussativus L.)+barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as cover crops and a fallow. Soil samples were analyzed for residual inorganic N, potentially mineralizable carbon (PMC) and nitrogen (PMN), SOC, and total N. Response of labile inorganic N, PMC, and PMN varied with cover crop treatments. The SOC and total N contents did not differ among treatments but were 20% and 35% higher in 2020 than in 2019, respectively. Sorghum grain yield was 25% and 40% greater with oats than with PCM and canola cover crops in 2019, while it was 33–97% greater with fallow and oats than other treatments in 2020. Oat as a cover crop could improve the resilience of limited-irrigation cropping systems by increasing SOC, soil N, and crop yield in semi-arid regions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document