Cover crop enzyme activities and resultant soil ammonium concentrations under different tillage systems

Two tillage systems for maize (Zea mays) after soybean (Glycine max), no-till (NT) and conventional till (CT), which consisted of double disking in the spring, were included in the experiment on two sites in Indiana, USA. Each tillage plot had three winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop levels: no cover crop (N), early desiccation (E), 3–4 weeks prior to planting the maize, and regular desiccation (R), within the maize planting week. Due to the mulching effect, both E and R for both tillage systems increased soil moisture, except in the case of spring drought, when E proved dominant. Soil temperature for both tillage systems showed N > E > R order. Young maize plants tended to grow taller and have greater shoot biomass in NT than in CT. Both E and R improved early maize growth. In the case of drought, the E proved significantly better for maize on both tillage treatments, due to the better soil water conservation, therefore the winter wheat cover crop should be desiccated early in given climate conditions.

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Finger millet (Eleucine corocana L. Gaertn.) as a cover crop on weed control, growth and yield of soybean under different tillage systems

Soil and Tillage Research ◽

10.1016/j.still.2005.08.018 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 90 (1-2) ◽

pp. 93-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

K.B.D.P Samarajeewa ◽

Takatsugu Horiuchi ◽

Shinya Oba

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Finger Millet ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Control Growth

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403 Butternut Squash (Cucurbita moschata) Yield and Soil Erosion in Three Tillage Systems

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.35.3.462c ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 462C-462

Author(s):

Michelle L. Infante-Casella ◽

Steven A. Garrison

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Production Systems ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Winter Rye ◽

Cucurbita Moschata ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

No Till ◽

Marketable Fruit

Many squash varieties are large-seeded and may be well-suited for planting under no-till production systems. A study was done at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Bridgeton, N.J., to evaluate the yield and loss of soil when butternut squash (BS) (Cucurbita moschata `Waltham') was grown using no-till (NT), strip-till (ST), and bare ground (BG) tillage systems. The soil was a Sassafrass gravely sand loam and the field had a 3% slope. A cover crop mixture of hairy vetch and winter rye planted on 23 Sept. 1998 using a Brillion seeder at a rate of 136.2 kg/ha and 610.2 kg/ha, respectively, was used to create the NT and ST plots. NT and ST plots containing the cover crop mixture were killed with Glyphosate and chopped using a Buffalo stalk chopper on 27 May. BG plots were tilled clean before planting and ST plots were rototilled to a 30.48 cm band to establish a seedbed. BS seeds were hand-planted on 7 July with a spacing of 38.1 cm between plants and 182.9 cm between rows. Irrigation was applied overhead at a rate of 6.28 cm/ha weekly. Erosion was measured using inverted pans over the soil area to be measured. Harvest took place on 21Oct. and yields included only marketable fruit with the following results: NT = 8.65 t/ha; ST = 8.99 t/ha; BG = 4.06 t/ha. Yields in the NT and ST plots were significantly higher than yields in the BG plots. Soil erosion measurements were taken on 21 Oct. Soil loss results from the plots were 0.08 cm (NT), 0.84 cm (ST), and 3.33 cm (BG). Soil loss, mainly due to water erosion, was significantly higher in the BG plots. BS yields can be significantly higher when using alternative tillage systems like NT and ST. When using NT and ST systems for the production of BS, soil erosion is reduced

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Soil microbial biomass under different management and tillage systems of permanent intercropped cover species in an orange orchard

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/s0100-06832011000600004 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 1873-1883 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Elcio Liborio Balota ◽

Pedro Antonio Martins Auler

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Soil Microbial Biomass ◽

Ground Cover ◽

Tree Canopy ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Brachiaria Humidicola ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Leguminous Species

To mitigate soil erosion and enhance soil fertility in orange plantations, the permanent protection of the inter-rows by cover species has been suggested. The objective of this study was to evaluate alterations in the microbial biomass, due to different soil tillage systems and intercropped cover species between rows of orange trees. The soil of the experimental area previously used as pasture (Brachiaria humidicola) was an Ultisol (Typic Paleudult) originating from Caiuá sandstone in the northwestern part of the State of Paraná, Brazil. Two soil tillage systems were evaluated: conventional tillage (CT) in the entire area and strip tillage (ST) (strip width 2 m), in combination with different ground cover management systems. The citrus cultivar 'Pera' orange (Citrus sinensis) grafted onto 'Rangpur' lime rootstock was used. Soil samples were collected after five years of treatment from a depth of 0-15 cm, under the tree canopy and in the inter-row, in the following treatments: (1) CT and an annual cover crop with the leguminous species Calopogonium mucunoides; (2) CT and a perennial cover crop with the leguminous peanut Arachis pintoi; (3) CT and an evergreen cover crop with Bahiagrass Paspalum notatum; (4) CT and a cover crop with spontaneous Brachiaria humidicola grass vegetation; and (5) ST and maintenance of the remaining grass (pasture) of Brachiaria humidicola. Soil tillage and the different cover species influenced the microbial biomass, both under the tree canopy and in the inter-row. The cultivation of brachiaria increased C and N in the microbial biomass, while bahiagrass increased P in the microbial biomass. The soil microbial biomass was enriched in N and P by the presence of ground cover species and according to the soil P content. The grass species increased C, N and P in the soil microbial biomass from the inter-row more than leguminous species.

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Soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization under different tillage systems and Permanent Groundcover cultivation between Orange trees

Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura ◽

10.1590/s0100-29452011005000071 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 637-648 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Elcio Liborio Balota ◽

Pedro Antonio Martins Auler

Keyword(s):

Cover Crop ◽

N Mineralization ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Tree Canopy ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

C And N Mineralization ◽

C And N ◽

Strip Tillage ◽

Row Space

The objective of this work was to evaluate the alterations in carbon and nitrogen mineralization due to different soil tillage systems and groundcover species for intercropped orange trees. The experiment was established in an Ultisol soil (Typic Paleudults) originated from Caiuá sandstone in northwestern of the state of Paraná, Brazil, in an area previously cultivated with pasture (Brachiaria humidicola). Two soil tillage systems were evaluated: conventional tillage (CT) in the entire area and strip tillage (ST) with a 2-m width, each with different groundcover vegetation management systems. The citrus cultivar utilized was the 'Pera' orange (Citrus sinensis) grafted onto a 'Rangpur' lime rootstock. The soil samples were collected at a 0-15-cm depth after five years of experiment development. Samples were collected from under the tree canopy and from the inter-row space after the following treatments: (1) CT and annual cover crop with the leguminous Calopogonium mucunoides; (2) CT and perennial cover crop with the leguminous peanut Arachis pintoi; (3) CT and evergreen cover crop with Bahiagrass Paspalum notatum; (4) CT and cover crop with spontaneous B. humidicola grass vegetation; and (5) ST and maintenance of the remaining grass (pasture) of B. humidicola. The soil tillage systems and different groundcover vegetation influenced the C and N mineralization, both under the tree canopy and in the inter-row space. The cultivation of B. humidicola under strip tillage provided higher potential mineralization than the other treatments in the inter-row space. Strip tillage increased the C and N mineralization compared to conventional tillage. The grass cultivation increased the C and N mineralization when compared to the others treatments cultivated in the inter-row space.

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