The effects of two organic manures on soil properties and crop yields on a temperate calcareous soil under a wheat–maize cropping system

Appropriate agronomic management is vital for the soil fertility and crop output of coastal salt-affected farmlands. Cattle manure incorporation and straw mulching are targeted as effective methods that can improve soil structure and stimulate crop growth, respectively. However, the combined application of manure and straw into salt-affected soils is less documented, especially with limited water supplement. In this study, a 3-year field experiment (2016–2018) was conducted in Binhai district, Tianjin, China to evaluate the effects of traditional tillage without manure and straw mulching application (TT), cattle manure incorporation (CM), straw mulching (SM), and CM combined with SM (CM + SM) on soil physiochemical properties, maize (Zea mays L.) growth, and water use efficiency. TT represented traditional cultivation in the study area without manure and straw application, as a control. All four treatments were carried out in a randomized block design with three replicates. The results demonstrate that CM treatment relieved salinity, decrease bulk density, and thereby stimulated root development. SM also has the advantage of improving salinity via 3-year implementation. Throughout the 3-year cultivation, CM + SM crop yields increased by >14.3% and grain water use index (GWUI) improved by >14.7% in comparison to TT treatment due to the improvement in soil properties. These benefits in soil properties, crop yield, and water use are important for minimizing salt constraints and realizing regional agro-ecological values.

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Strategic Tillage Effects on Crop Yields, Soil Properties, and Weeds in Dryland No-Tillage Systems

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11040662 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 662

Author(s):

Augustine K. Obour ◽

Johnathon D. Holman ◽

Logan M. Simon ◽

Alan J. Schlegel

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Aggregate Size ◽

Cropping System ◽

Soil Surface ◽

The United States ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Grain Sorghum ◽

K Concentration

Long-term no-till (NT) systems in the semiarid central Great Plains of the United States require flexible management strategies to minimize the impacts of herbicide resistant (HR) kochia (Kochia scoparia L.) and tumble windmill grass (Chloris verticillata Nutt.) as well as nutrient stratification on soil and crop productivity. This study examined strategic tillage (ST) to control HR weeds and improve crop yields in an otherwise long-term NT cropping system. Treatments were three crop rotations: (1) continuous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (WW); (2) wheat-fallow (WF); and (3) wheat-grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)-fallow (WSF); as main plots. Subplots were reduced tillage (RT), continuous NT, and ST of NT. Results showed ST and RT treatments provided significant control of HR weeds. Soil water content at wheat planting was significantly less with RT compared to NT or ST. Strategic tillage did not affect wheat or grain sorghum yields, but RT decreased sorghum yields by 15% compared to NT. Increasing cropping intensity reduced wheat yields. Strategic tillage reduced bulk density and had no effect on aggregate size distribution or mean weight diameter (MWD) compared to NT though RT reduced the proportion of large macroaggregates and MWD. Similarly, ST compared to NT had no effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) or nitrogen (N) concentrations. Soil phosphorus (P) was not different among the tillage treatments though RT increased potassium (K) concentration near the soil surface. The SOC, MWD, and micronutrient availability were greatest with WW though it had significantly lower pH and K concentration. Our results suggest ST could provide a mitigation option for HR weeds in NT systems with little impact on crop yields and soil properties.

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Effect of Long-Term Use of Inorganic Fertilizers, Organic Manures and Their Combination on Soil Properties and Enzyme Activity in Rice-Rice Cropping System

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ◽

10.20546/ijcmas.2018.709.057 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (09) ◽

pp. 469-486

Author(s):

N. Goutami ◽

Ch. Sujani Rao ◽

A. Sireesha ◽

Ch. Pulla Rao ◽

A. Vijaya Gopal

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Cropping System ◽

Inorganic Fertilizers ◽

Organic Manures

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Effect of Tillage Practices on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity in Wheat-Mungbean-Rice Cropping System under Subtropical Climatic Conditions

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/437283 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Md. Khairul Alam ◽

Md. Monirul Islam ◽

Nazmus Salahin ◽

Mirza Hasanuzzaman

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Mass Density ◽

Cropping System ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Zero Tillage ◽

Total N ◽

Tillage Practices ◽

Positive Effects

This study was conducted to know cropping cycles required to improve OM status in soil and to investigate the effects of medium-term tillage practices on soil properties and crop yields in Grey Terrace soil of Bangladesh under wheat-mungbean-T.amancropping system. Four different tillage practices, namely, zero tillage (ZT), minimum tillage (MT), conventional tillage (CT), and deep tillage (DT), were studied in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with four replications. Tillage practices showed positive effects on soil properties and crop yields. After four cropping cycles, the highest OM accumulation, the maximum root mass density (0–15 cm soil depth), and the improved physical and chemical properties were recorded in the conservational tillage practices. Bulk and particle densities were decreased due to tillage practices, having the highest reduction of these properties and the highest increase of porosity and field capacity in zero tillage. The highest total N, P, K, and S in their available forms were recorded in zero tillage. All tillage practices showed similar yield after four years of cropping cycles. Therefore, we conclude that zero tillage with 20% residue retention was found to be suitable for soil health and achieving optimum yield under the cropping system in Grey Terrace soil (Aeric Albaquept).

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Improved Plant Diversity as a Strategy to Increase Available Soil Phosphorus

10.24047/bc103143 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 103 (1) ◽

pp. 43-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carlos Crusciol ◽

João Rigon ◽

Juliano Calonego ◽

Rogério Soratto

Keyword(s):

Crop Yields ◽

Soil Phosphorus ◽

Cropping System ◽

P Availability ◽

P Fractions ◽

Crop Species ◽

Soil P ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

Available Soil Phosphorus ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition

Some crop species could be used inside a cropping system as part of a strategy to increase soil P availability due to their capacity to recycle P and shift the equilibrium between soil P fractions to benefit the main crop. The release of P by crop residue decomposition, and mobilization and uptake of otherwise recalcitrant P are important mechanisms capable of increasing P availability and crop yields.

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Assessment of the Role of Different Soil Properties on Crust Strength by Linear Regression Models

Journal of AgriSearch ◽

10.21921/jas.v6i04.16895 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (04) ◽

Author(s):

MINAKSHI SERAWAT ◽

V K PHOGAT ◽

ANIL Abdul KAPOOR ◽

VIJAY KANT SINGH ◽

ASHA SERAWAT

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Modulus Of Rupture ◽

Silty Clay ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Wide Range ◽

Dispersion Ratio ◽

Crust Strength

Soil crust strength influences seedling emergence, penetration and morphology of plant roots, and, consequently, crop yields. A study was carried out to assess the role of different soil properties on crust strength atHisar, Haryana, India. The soil samples from 0-5 and 5-15 cm depths were collected from 21 locations from farmer’s fields, having a wide range of texture.Soil propertieswere evaluated in the laboratory and theirinfluence on the modulus of rupture (MOR), which is the measure of crust strength, was evaluated.The MOR of texturally different soils was significantly correlated with saturated hydraulic conductivity at both the depths. Dispersion ratio was found to decrease with an increase in fineness of the texture of soil and the lowest value was recorded in silty clay loam soil,which decreased with depth. The modulus of rupture was significantly negatively correlative with the dispersion ratio.There was no role of calcium carbonate in influencing the values of MOR of soils. Similarly,the influence of pH, EC and SAR of soil solution on MOR was non-significant.A perusal of thevalues of the correlations between MOR and different soil properties showed that the MOR of soils of Haryana are positively correlated with silt + clay (r = 0.805) followed by water-stable aggregates (r = 0.774), organic carbon (r = 0.738), silt (r = 0.711), mean weight diameter (r = 0.608) and clay (r = 0.593) while negatively correlated with dispersion ratio (r = - 0.872), sand (r = -0.801) and hydraulic conductivity (r = -0.752) of soils.

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Corrigendum to: Conservation agriculture effects on soil properties and crop productivity in a semiarid region of India

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr18145_co ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 200 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Somasundaram ◽

M. Salikram ◽

N. K. Sinha ◽

M. Mohanty ◽

R. S. Chaudhary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Management Practices ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Semiarid Region ◽

Reduced Tillage ◽

Organic C ◽

Residue Retention

Conservation agriculture (CA) including reduced or no-tillage and crop residue retention, is known to be a self–sustainable system as well as an alternative to residue burning. The present study evaluated the effect of reduced tillage coupled with residue retention under different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields in a Vertisol of a semiarid region of central India. Two tillage systems – conventional tillage (CT) with residue removed, and reduced tillage (RT) with residue retained – and six major cropping systems of this region were examined after 3 years of experimentation. Results demonstrated that soil moisture content, mean weight diameter, percent water stable aggregates (>0.25mm) for the 0–15cm soil layer were significantly (Pmoderately labile>less labile. At the 0–15cm depth, the contributions of moderately labile, less labile and non-labile C fractions to total organic C were 39.3%, 10.3% and 50.4% respectively in RT and corresponding values for CT were 38.9%, 11.7% and 49.4%. Significant differences in different C fractions were observed between RT and CT. Soil microbial biomass C concentration was significantly higher in RT than CT at 0–15cm depth. The maize–chickpea cropping system had significantly (P–1 followed by soybean+pigeon pea (2:1) intercropping (3.50 t ha–1) and soybean–wheat cropping systems (2.97 t ha–1). Thus, CA practices could be sustainable management practices for improving soil health and crop yields of rainfed Vertisols in these semiarid regions.

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