Diversity of Crops in Rotation: A Key Factor in Soil Health and Crop Yields

2021 ◽  
pp. 149-161
Author(s):  
Boris Boincean ◽  
Marin Cebotari ◽  
Lidia Bulat
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Key Factor

scholarly journals Customized Fertilizers- All in One a Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
S. K. Choudhary ◽  
Rajesh Kumar ◽  
Arun Kumar ◽  
Rakesh Deo Ranjan
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Nutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Nutrient Use ◽  
Fertilizer Recommendations ◽  
Use Efficiency

Blanket fertilizer recommendations for different crops have caused poor nutrient supply, low nutrient use efficiency and limited crop response. Customized fertilizers may help to sustain soil health by ensuring appropriate fertilization. Hence, specific customized fertilizers should be promoted to counteract the problem of expanding multi-nutrient deficiencies in soils. In India, among the nutrients, NPK remain the major ones for increased and sustained productivity. However, the development of high yielding systems will likely exacerbate the problem of secondary and micronutrient deficiencies, not only because larger amounts are removed, but also because the application of large amounts of N, P and K to achieve higher yield targets, as a result in the intensive systems there is every possibility to build up of negative balance and deficiency of secondary and micronutrients. To attain high future targets, customized fertilizers will play a very important role. The development of site and crop specific readymade customized fertilizers based on scientific principles may prove to be more effective to meet the plant requirement and enhance nutrient use efficiency. Such an approach is also likely to boost crop yields and arrest soil fertility decline in a long-run. Thus, this article discusses the manufacturing methodologies, eligibility criteria, success in Indian fertilizer industry, adoption of fertilizer recommendations and problems in marketing of customized fertilizer.

scholarly journals Connecting the Dots Between Sustainable Diets and Biocultural Systems in a Rural Indigenous Community of the Ecuadorian Andes (OR20-07-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Andres Gallegos ◽  
William Waters ◽  
Amaya Carrasco ◽  
Mabel Pintag ◽  
Martha Caranqui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Soil Restoration ◽  
Seed Selection ◽  
Sustainable Diets ◽  
Control Seed ◽  
Crossover Analysis ◽  
Household Heads

Abstract Objectives Characterize the psychosocial and agroecological dimensions of sustainable diets and their roles in an Andean biocultural system. Methods A participatory mixed-methods design: 1) focus groups (n = 39) and key informant interviews (n = 7) were recorded, translated, transcribed, and analyzed using three-staged coding; 2) information was triangulated with participant observations, local records, and descriptive statistics from a survey to female household heads (n = 57); 3) rural appraisal activities for agronomic calendars and yields; 4) ten sites, purposively selected, prospected with local informants to obtain a Margelef-Shannon's K Diversity Index; 5) a subset of five sites for agroecological parameters with MO-Dirt methods for soil health and laboratory analysis; 6) a crossover analysis of agrobiodiversity, land-family size ratios and diet; and 7) four community-based system dynamics sessions to elucidate causal-loop diagrams. Results A psychosocial dimension was centered in indigenous identity, customary institutions, and agrarian knowledge. Identity was grounded in Mother Earth (Pachamama) and traditional foods. Customary institutions reinforce trust and reciprocity, mobilize labor-intensive tasks and food production and processing. Traditional knowledge includes agrarian calendars, pest control, seed selection, and soil restoration measures. An agroecological dimension is characterized by a pre-Hispanic system of terraces, trenches, and contention walls, as well as ecological richness. Combined analysis of both dimensions, including ethnographic testimonials, archeological research, and local records, reveal that the community is a remarkable biocultural space, which seems to promote sustainable crop yields through the generations. Conclusions This study suggests the viability of a reinforcement loop in indigenous-based agri-food systems, in which sustainable diets support a stable biocultural space and where the dynamic interaction between psychosocial and agroecological factors assure the stability of biocultural space. Research on biocultural systems represents an opportunity to elucidate ideas for present and future sustainability and food security challenges. Funding Sources Funded by the Brown School's International Dissertation Award.

scholarly journals Crop response to soils amended with biochar: expected benefits and unintended risks

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raghunath Subedi ◽  
Chiara Bertora ◽  
Laura Zavattaro ◽  
Carlo Grignani
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Positive Effects

Biochar (BC) from biomass waste pyrolysis has been widely studied due to its ability to increase carbon (C) sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and enhance both crop growth and soil quality. This review summarizes the current knowledge of BC production, characterization, and types, with a focus on its positive effects on crop yield and soil properties versus the unintended risks associated with these effects. Biochar-amended soils enhance crop growth and yield via several mechanisms: expanded plant nutrient and water availability through increased use efficiencies, improved soil quality, and suppression of soil and plant diseases. Yield response to BC has been shown to be more evident in acidic and sandy soils than in alkaline and fine-textured soils. Biochar composition and properties vary considerably with feedstock and pyrolysis conditions so much that its concentrations of toxic compounds and heavy metals can negatively impact crop and soil health. Consequently, more small-scale and greenhouse-sited studies are in process to investigate the role of BC/soil/crop types on crop growth, and the mechanisms by which they influence crop yield. Similarly, a need exists for long-term, field-scale studies on the effects (beneficial and harmful) of BC amendment on soil health and crop yields, so that production guidelines and quality standards may be developed for BCs derived from a range of feedstocks.

scholarly journals Managing Plant Microbiomes for Sustainable Biofuel Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13
Author(s):  
Kateryna Zhalnina ◽  
Christine Hawkes ◽  
Ashley Shade ◽  
Mary K. Firestone ◽  
Jennifer Pett-Ridge
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Bioenergy Crops ◽  
Bioenergy Crop ◽  
Ecosystem Impacts

The development of environmentally sustainable, economical, and reliable sources of energy is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. Large-scale cultivation of cellulosic feedstock crops (henceforth, bioenergy crops) is considered one of the most promising renewable sources for liquid transportation fuels. However, the mandate to develop a viable cellulosic bioenergy industry is accompanied by an equally urgent mandate to deliver not only cheap reliable biomass but also ecosystem benefits, including efficient use of water, nitrogen, and phosphorous; restored soil health; and net negative carbon emissions. Thus, sustainable bioenergy crop production may involve new agricultural practices or feedstocks and should be reliable, cost effective, and minimal input, without displacing crops currently grown for food production on fertile land. In this editorial perspective for the Phytobiomes Journal Focus Issue on Phytobiomes of Bioenergy Crops and Agroecosystems, we consider the microbiomes associated with bioenergy crops, the effects beneficial microbes have on their hosts, and potential ecosystem impacts of these interactions. We also address outstanding questions, major advances, and emerging biotechnological strategies to design and manipulate bioenergy crop microbiomes. This approach could simultaneously increase crop yields and provide important ecosystem services for a sustainable energy future.

scholarly journals Review of Large-Scale Biochar Field-Trials for Soil Amendment and the Observed Influences on Crop Yield Variations

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vandit Vijay ◽  
Sowmya Shreedhar ◽  
Komalkant Adlak ◽  
Sachin Payyanad ◽  
Vandana Sreedharan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Rapid Urbanization

Increasing pressure on farming systems due to rapid urbanization and population growth has severely affected soil health and fertility. The need to meet the growing food demands has also led to unsustainable farming practices with the intensive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Biochar, a multifunctional carbon material, is being actively explored globally for simultaneously addressing the concerns related to improving soil fertility and mitigating climate change. Reviews on biochar, however, mainly confined to lab-scale studies analyze biochar production and its characteristics, its effects on soil fertility, and carbon sequestration. The present review addresses this gap by focusing on biochar field trials to enhance the current understanding of its actual impact on the field, w.r.t. agriculture and climate change. The review presents an overview of the effects of biochar application as observed in field studies on soil health (soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties), crop productivity, and its potential role in carbon sequestration. General trends from this review indicate that biochar application provides higher benefits in soil properties and crop yield in degraded tropical soils vis-a-vis the temperate regions. The results also reveal diverse observations in soil health properties and crop yields with biochar amendment as different studies consider different crops, biochar feedstocks, and local climatic and soil conditions. Furthermore, it has been observed that the effects of biochar application in lab-scale studies with controlled environments are not always distinctly witnessed in corresponding field-based studies and the effects are not always synchronous across different regions. Hence, there is a need for more data, especially from well-designed long-term field trials, to converge and validate the results on the effectiveness of biochar on diverse soil types and agro-climatic zones to improve crop productivity and mitigate climate change.

scholarly journals Single- versus Double-Species Cover Crop Effects on Soil Health and Yield in Mississippi Soybean Fields

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2334
Author(s):  
Heather L. Tyler
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Trifolium Incarnatum ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
No Till ◽  
Secale Cereale L ◽  
Species Cover

Conservation management practices can improve soil health while minimizing deleterious effects of agriculture on the environment. However, adoption of these practices, particularly cover crops, is not widespread, as they often reduce crop yields compared to traditional management practices. The purpose of the current study was to determine if a two-species cover crop treatment of rye (Secale cereale L.) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) could increase soil health parameters and maximize soybean (Glycine max L.) yield greater than rye only in tilled and no-till Mississippi field soils. Enhanced microbial biomass and organic matter input from cover crops increased the activities of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, N-acetylglucosaminidase, and phosphatase in surface soils. Rye plus clover tended to elicit higher activities than rye only in no-till plots. Both cover crop treatments inhibited soybean yield in tilled plots by 11–25%. These results indicate that tillage exacerbates yield inhibition by cover crops in soybean and that double-species cover crop treatments were more consistent in increasing activities linked to nutrient cycling. Further study examining different combinations of cover crops in no-till systems is necessary to gain a better understanding of how they can be implemented to enhance soil health while maximizing crop yield.

Weed Decision Threshold as a Key Factor for Herbicide Reductions in Site-Specific Weed Management

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 888-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina San Martín ◽  
Dionisio Andújar ◽  
Judit Barroso ◽  
Cesar Fernández-Quintanilla ◽  
José Dorado
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Decision Threshold ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Patch Spraying ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Sampling Procedures ◽  
Herbicide Use

The objective of this research was to explore the influence that weed decision threshold (DT; expressed as plants m−2), weed spatial distribution patterns, and spatial resolution of sampling have on potential reduction in herbicide use under site-specific weed management. As a case study, a small plot located in a typical corn field in central Spain was used, constructing very precise distribution maps of the major weeds present. These initial maps were used to generate herbicide prescription maps for each weed species based on different DTs and sampling resolutions. The simulation of herbicide prescription maps consisted of on/off spraying decisions based on information from two different approaches for weed detection: ground-based vs. aerial sensors. In general, simulations based on ground sensors resulted in higher herbicide savings than those based on aerial sensors. The extent of herbicide reductions derived from patch spraying was directly related to the density and the spatial distribution of each weed species. Herbicide savings were potentially high (up to 66%) with relatively sparse patchy weed species (e.g., johnsongrass) but were only moderate (10 to 20%) with abundant and regularly distributed weed species (e.g., velvetleaf). However, DT has proven to be a key factor, with higher DTs resulting in reductions in herbicide use for all the weed species and all sampling procedures and resolutions. Moreover, increasing DT from 6 to 12 plants m−2resulted in additional herbicide savings of up to 50% in the simulations for johnsongrass and up to 28% savings in the simulations for common cocklebur. Nonetheless, since DT determines the accuracy of patch spraying, the consequences of using higher DTs could be leaving areas unsprayed, which could adversely affect crop yields and future weed infestations, including herbicide-resistant weeds. Considering that the relationship between DT and accuracy of herbicide application depends on weed spatial pattern, this work has demonstrated the possibility of using higher DT values in weeds with a clear patchy distribution compared with weeds distributed regularly.

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