Use of simulation in assessing cropping system strategies for minimising salinity risk in brigalow landscapes

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 635 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. Poulton ◽  
N. I. Huth ◽  
P. S. Carberry
Keyword(s):  
Management Practice ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Salinity Hazard ◽  
Eastern Australia

Areas of brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) dominated landscapes in north-eastern Australia have declined drastically due to major clearing and agricultural expansion during the late 1940s and early 1960s. The inherently high salt content of the soils of this region present a potential downstream salinity hazard from groundwater recharge. Chronosequence analysis using paired chloride profiles from soil cores taken beneath brigalow remnants and adjacent pasture or cropping lands provide a tracer for quantifying historic recharge rates as a consequence of vegetation management and agricultural practice. Present day chloride levels are the direct result of past land management. In this paper we present the results of simulation studies used to benchmark historic management practice since clearing in terms of chloride leaching and drainage. These simulations estimated that 15.3 t/ha of chloride leached from the top 150 cm in 7 major drainage events (>15mm) over a 34-year period, and that these leaching events corresponded with peaks in rainfall cycles. Use of virtual experiments to investigate alternative cropping systems found significant increases in the frequency and magnitude of drainage events of no-tillage wheat compared with sorghum grown in a summer-rainfall region. Systems simulation can provide guidelines for designing cropping systems which best balance production with drainage objectives in dryland farming systems.

Using active fractions of soil organic matter as indicators of the sustainability of Ferrosol farming systems

Soil Research ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Bell ◽  
P. W. Moody ◽  
S. A. Yo ◽  
R. D. Connolly
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Critical Concentrations ◽  
Aggregate Breakdown ◽  
Eastern Australia

Chemical and physical degradation of Red Ferrosols in eastern Australia is a major issue necessitating the development of more sustainable cropping systems. This paper derives critical concentrations of the active (permanganate-oxidisable) fraction of soil organic matter (C1) which maximise soil water recharge and minimise the likelihood of surface runoff in these soils. Ferrosol soils were collected from commercial properties in both north and south Queensland, while additional data were made available from a similar collection of Tasmanian Ferrosols. Sites represented a range of management histories, from grazed and ungrazed grass pastures to continuously cropped soil under various tillage systems. The concentration of both total carbon (C) and C1 varied among regions and farming systems. C1 was the primary factor controlling aggregate breakdown, measured by the percentage of aggregates <0·125 mm (P125) in the surface crust after simulated rainfall. The rates of change in P125 per unit change in C1 were not significantly different (P < 0·05) for soils from the different localities. However, soils from the coastal Burnett (south-east Queensland) always produced lower P125 (i.e. less aggregate breakdown) than did soils from the inland Burnett and north Queensland locations given the same concentration of C1. This difference was not associated with a particular land use. The ‘critical’ concentrations of C1 for each region were taken as the C1 concentrations that would allow an infiltration rate greater than or equal to the intensity of a 1 in 1 or 1 in 10 year frequency rainfall event of 30 min duration. This analysis also provided an indication of the risk associated with the concentrations of C1 currently characterising each farming system in each rainfall environment. None of the conventionally tilled Queensland Ferrosols contained sufficient C1 to cope with rainfall events expected to occur with a 1 in 10 frequency, while in many situations the C1 concentration was sufficiently low that runoff events would be expected on an annual basis. Our data suggest that management practices designed both to maximise C inputs and to maintain a high proportion of active C should be seen as essential steps towards developing a more sustainable cropping system.

Conservation cropping systems for the semi-arid tropics of North Queensland, Australia

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 515 ◽  
Author(s):  
AL Cogle ◽  
RJ Bateman ◽  
DH Heiner
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Semi Arid

A farming systems project was commenced in the semi-arid tropics of north-eastern Australia to assess the cropping potential and reliability of a newly developing region. Emphasis was placed on evaluation of conservation cropping systems, since it was expected that these would be the most successful and protective uses of the land. This paper discusses the agronomy of peanuts, maize and sorghum grown under different conservative cropping practices (reduced tillage, no tillage, ley) on the soil (red earth) most likely to be developed for large-scale cropping in the region. Crop yields with all practices were limited by establishment difficulties including high soil temperatures, poor weed control and climatic variability. Reduced tillage was more successful than no tillage due to higher yields in dry years; however, in wet years no tillage produced similar yields. The ley cropping system may have some advantages in this environment for integrated production and resource protection.

Ecology of herbaceous perennial legumes: a review of characteristics that may provide management options for the control of salinity and waterlogging in dryland cropping systems

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S . Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Acid Soils ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Alkaline Soils ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Pasture Legumes ◽  
Dry Areas ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Perennial Legumes

Salinity is a widespread problem caused by an imbalance between rainfall and transpiration in the dryland cropping systems of southern Australia. The need to use more perennials has been identified and this paper examines the possibility of replacing annual with perennial pasture legumes and the germplasm available to do so. While lucerne is already used widely in eastern Australia it has only recently been adopted in the wheat belt of Western Australia. There are doubts about its adaptation to acid soils and to climates where summer rainfall is low and ambient temperatures are high. There is also a need to diversify the species available to reduce the likelihood of invasion by exotic diseases and insects. Several genera are likely to be of value in this respect, although few will be as widely adapted as lucerne. Perennial legumes are found in environments ranging from alpine to desert. Targeted collections of genera from the dry areas, especially where soils are acid, are likely to yield species of value. These may include perennial species of Astragalus, Hedysarum, Lotus, Onobrychis, Psoralea, and Trifolium. Some Australian genera, for example Swainsona, Glycine, and Cullen may also be of value. Most of these genera are from alkaline soils, and the need to cope with acid soils that are often high in free aluminium is seen to limit their use in southern Australia. However, since virtually nothing is known of the ecology and ecophysiology of species from the dry areas, it is possible that through selection and the use of adapted rhizobia, some at least may be of value in Australian conditions. Cropping in rotation with perennial legumes is likely to involve several changes in farming systems. It is impossible to predict their nature but it is essential that we understand what these changes are before the species are widely introduced. Account must also be taken of their ability to use water. It is entirely possible that perennials from dry areas are dormant in summer despite the fact that there is no evidence in the literature to this effect. It was concluded that although lucerne is suitable for phase farming, alternatives to lucerne are needed. They will have to match the water-using and nitrogen-fixing capacities of lucerne, and farming systems will be required that make full use of the new germplasm. Collaboration with institutions in the Mediterranean basin and elsewhere is needed and a beginning has been made in this direction.

Transplanting improves the allometry and fiber quality of Bt cotton in cotton–wheat cropping system

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36
Author(s):  
Muhammad Asghar Shah ◽  
Mubshar Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Shahzad ◽  
Khawar Jabran ◽  
Sami Ul-Allah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fiber Length ◽  
Fiber Strength ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Fiber Quality ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Fiber Fineness

AbstractIn cotton–wheat cropping system of Pakistan, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is harvested in late April; however, the optimum sowing time of Bt cotton is mid-March. This indicates a time difference of 4–6 weeks between the harvest of wheat and cotton sowing. It is hypothesized that this overlapping period may be managed by transplanting cotton seedlings (30–45 days old) in late April, after the harvest of wheat due to better performance of already established seedlings. To this end, this study was conducted to evaluate the allometric traits and fiber quality of transplanted Bt cotton after harvesting wheat in the cotton–wheat cropping system. The Bt cotton–wheat cropping systems were flat sown wheat (FSW)–conventionally tilled cotton, FSW–zero tilled cotton, ridge sown wheat–ridge transplanted cotton using 30- and 45-days-old seedlings, and bed sown wheat (BSW)–bed transplanted cotton (BTC) also using 30- and 45-days-old seedlings. The study was conducted at Vehari and Multan in Punjab, Pakistan. Bt cotton in BSW–BTC with 45-days-old seedlings showed better performance for allometric (leaf area index; (LAI), net assimilation rate; (NAR), and crop growth rate; (CGR)), seed cotton yield, and fiber traits (fiber uniformity, fiber length, fiber strength, and fiber fineness) in comparison to other treatments. Most of the fiber quality traits were positively correlated with allometric traits and biological yield (dry matter yield at maturity) at both locations, except correlations of CGR and LAI with fiber fineness and fiber length and NAR with fiber length. As plant growth and fiber quality of transplanted cotton was significantly higher than conventionally grown cotton, our data indicate transplanting is an interesting management practice for improving productivity in wheat–cotton cropping systems.

scholarly journals Identification of Economically Viable Cropping Systems for Vertisols of Northern Telangana Zone

2020 ◽  
pp. 98-106
Author(s):  
Firdoz Shahana ◽  
M. Goverdhan ◽  
S. Sridevi ◽  
B. Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Black Gram ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Lower Productivity ◽  
Randomized Block Design

A field experiment was conducted during 2016-17 at AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems, Regional Sugarcane and Rice Research Station, Rudrur to diversify existing rice-rice cropping system with less water requiring crops under irrigated dry conditions for vertisols of Northern Telangana Zone. The experiment was laid out with twelve cropping systems as treatments in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The twelve combinations of cropping systems tested during kharif and rabi seasons were rice – rice (check), maize + soybean (2:4) – tomato, maize + soybean (2:4) - rice, maize - sunflower + chickpea (2:4), maize - chickpea, Bt cotton + soybean (1:2) on broadbed – sesame + groundnut (2:4), Bt cotton - sesame + blackgram (2:4), soybean – wheat, soybean – sunflower + chickpea (2:4), turmeric – sesame, turmeric + soybean (1:2) on flat bed – bajra and turmeric + soybean (1:2) on broadbed – sesame + blackgram (2:4). On system basis, significantly higher productivity in terms of rice equivalent yield (REY) of 23830 kg ha-1 was recorded with turmeric+soybean (1:2) BBF– sesame+blackgram (2:4) turmeric – sesame cropping sequence. However it was on par with turmeric – sesame and turmeric + soybean (1:2) on flat bed – bajra crop sequence with productivity of 23332 kg ha-1 and 21389 kg ha-1 respectively. Lower productivity was recorded with rice-rice cropping system (10725 kg ha-1). Significantly higher system net returns were recorded with Bt. cotton – sesame + black gram (2:4) on BBF (Rs222838 ha-1) closely followed by Bt Cotton + Soybean (1:2) (BBF) - Sesamum + Groundnut (2:4) (Rs221160 ha-1) and Maize+soybean (2:4)–tomato (Rs212909 ha-1). Lower system net returns were recorded in conventional rice-rice system (Rs88179 ha-1). Bt. cotton – sesame + black gram (2:4) and Bt Cotton + Soybean (1:2) (BBF)- Sesamum + Groundnut ((2:4) and Maize+soybean (2:4)–tomato were economically superior with REE of 152.71%, 150.81% and 141.45%. Rice- Rice cropping adopted by majority of farmers is less productive and economically inferior indicating wider scope of diversifying existing rice- rice cropping system with high productive, economically viable cropping systems in vertisols of Northern Telangana Zone.

Contrasting agricultural management effects on soil organic carbon dynamics between topsoil and subsoil

Soil Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Yui Osanai ◽  
Oliver Knox ◽  
Gunasekhar Nachimuthu ◽  
Brian Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Organic Fraction ◽  
Soc Stock ◽  
The Impact

Agricultural practices (e.g. tillage, crop rotation and fertiliser application) have a strong influence on the balance between carbon (C) input and output by altering physicochemical and microbial properties that control decomposition processes in the soil. Recent studies suggest that the mechanisms by which agricultural practice impacts soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in the topsoil may not be the same as those in the subsoil. Here, we assessed SOC stock, soil organic fractions and nitrogen availability to 1.0 m in soils under a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)-based cropping system, and assessed the impact of agricultural management (three historical cropping systems with or without maize (Zea mays L.) rotation) on SOC storage. We found that the maize rotation and changes in the particulate organic fraction influenced SOC stock in the topsoil, although the overall change in SOC stock was small. The large increase in subsoil SOC stock (by 31%) was dominated by changes in the mineral-associated organic fraction, which were influenced by historical cropping systems and recent maize rotation directly and indirectly via changes in soil nitrogen availability. The strong direct effect of maize rotation on SOC stock, particularly in the subsoil, suggests that the direct transfer of C into the subsoil SOC pool may dominate C dynamics in this cropping system. Therefore, agricultural management that affects the movement of C within the soil profile (e.g. changes in soil physical properties) could have a significant consequence for subsoil C storage.

Use of tree and shrub belts to control leakage in three dryland cropping environments

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Knight ◽  
K. Blott ◽  
M. Portelli ◽  
C. Hignett
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Water Storage Capacity ◽  
Alley Farming ◽  
Episodic Event ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Recharge Rates ◽  
Deep Profile

The water extraction of deep-rooted perennial trees and shrub belts integrated with annual cropping/grazing systems was studied at 3 sites in the 300–450 mm rainfall zone of the Murray–Darling Basin of south-eastern Australia. Within 4 years of planting alley farming systems on cropland, the soil directly below and near the belts had dried the deep profile. Between 82 and 261 mm of extra soil water storage capacity was created in the 2.5 to 5.5–6 m profile. At Palamana (the only site monitored to greater depth), living roots were found 16 m below the surface. The cumulative water content of the soil to 12 m under the belts was 600 mm less than of soil cores extracted from nearby cropland. This water storage difference created under the belts is greater than the largest episodic event likely in this region and it is therefore unlikely that leakage will occur directly under or within a few metres of the belts. The early growth of the belts was rapid and the leaf area of the belts far exceeded that of remnant mallee eucalypt vegetation. The belts used water that had accumulated deep in the profile below the annual cropping systems they replaced. However, the belts only used water from below or within a few metres from the edge with the adjacent cropland. As suggested by RJ Harper et al. (2000), a much greater amount of potential recharge could be controlled if deep-rooted perennials were planted more closely across the landscape (compared with widely spaced belts). However, although the belts may be beneficial for the catchment water balance, they would be commercially unacceptable to farmers. In practice, farmers put the belts usually no less than 50–70 m apart so that less cropland is displaced and there is less belt/crop competition. In such cases alley farming only controls a small percentage of the total leakage, similar to the amount of crop yield lost by displacement and competition. It would be better to use a full coverage of perennials on soils where annual systems are the leakiest, rather than belts across all of the landscape, some of which may not be very leaky and could be highly profitable for annual cropping. Leakage could be controlled under cropland in a few years by growing easy to establish perennial species to retrieve moisture deep in the profile. At Pallamana the belts utilised 600 mm of accumulated leakage from deep in the profile in less than 4 years. Based on the average annual recharge rates under annual cropping (11–35 mm) the land could be cropped again for between 17 and 55 years before that leakage accumulated again.

scholarly journals Different Cropping System’s Effect on Available NPK Post-harvest and their Uptake on Sandy Loam Soil of Southern Telangana Zone, India

2020 ◽  
pp. 56-65
Author(s):  
Ch. Pragathi Kumari ◽  
M. Goverdhan ◽  
G. Kiran Reddy ◽  
Knight Nthebere ◽  
S. H. K. Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Pigeon Pea ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Available N

The present study was undertaken in the ongoing long-term experiment initiated during 2017 at experimental farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. Soil samples collected from a depth of 0–15 cm was analysed for soil fertility parameters namely: available N, P and K. The results indicated that the different cropping systems had positive influence on improving the nutrient status (i.e., available N, P and K) significantly over the initial soil values (N: 112.20, P: 23.40 and K: 170.30 kg ha-1, respectively). These ten cropping systems were grouped in to five categories viz., pre-dominant cropping systems of the zone, ecological cropping systems, household nutritional security giving cropping systems, fodder security giving cropping systems and cropping systems involving high value crops. So that from each category, best cropping system can be identified and can be suggested to different integrated farming systems models. The maximum (221.60 and 221.57 kg ha-1) soil available nitrogen was obtained in Pigeon pea + Greengram (1:3) – Sesame after harvest of kharif and rabi, available phosphorus builds up was profound in Fodder maize – Lucerne (48.27 kg ha-1) and available K (207.63 kg ha-1) was higher in Rice –Maize cropping system after harvest. Fodder crops recorded significantly higher NPK uptake over other cropping systems.

scholarly journals 640 Sustainable Cropping Systems

HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 558A-558
Author(s):  
Chad M. Hutchinson ◽  
Milton E. McGiffen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Soil ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Green Waste

The goals of sustainable agriculture include decreased reliance on synthetic nutrients and pesticides and improved environmental quality for the long-term benefit of the land, livelihood of growers, and their communities. Cropping systems that maximize these goals use alternative fertility and pest control options to produce crops with minimal soil erosion and nutrient leaching. Cropping system elements that can help achieve these goals include: reduced tillage, cover crops, and organic soil amendments. Cover crops are grown before the cash crop and used to replenish the soil with nitrogen and organic matter. Cover crops often also influence pest populations and can be selected based on site-specific growing conditions. Cover crops can be mulched on the soil surface to prevent erosion and weed emergence or can be tilled directly into the soil to incorporate nitrogen and organic matter. Green waste mulch is an increasingly used soil amendment. Many municipalities are encouraging farmers to use green waste mulch in farming systems as an alternative to green waste disposal in landfills. Reduced tillage was once restricted to large-seeded field crops but recent technical advances have made it a feasible option for vegetables and other horticultural crops. Alternative farming practices; however, are still only used by a small minority of growers. Increases in price for organic produce and changes in laws governing farming operations may increase adoption of alternatives to conventional agriculture.

Potential for non-symbiotic N2-fixation in different agroecological zones of southern Australia

Soil Research ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 343 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. V. S. R. Gupta ◽  
M. M. Roper ◽  
D. K. Roget
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Nitrogenase Activity ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
N Budget ◽  
Crop Residue Decomposition

Nitrogen fixation by symbiotic and non-symbiotic bacteria can be a significant source of nitrogen in cropping systems. However, contributions from non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation (NSNF) are dependent on available carbon in the soil and environmental conditions (soil moisture and temperature). In Australia, measurements of NSNF have been made in the field by quantifying nitrogenase activity. These studies have included determinations of the moisture and temperature requirements for NSNF and for crop residue decomposition that supplies carbon to NSNF bacteria. Other studies have determined the N input by NSNF using N budget calculations. These data together with information about carbon supply and environmental conditions were used to estimate potential NSNF in the cropping zones of southern Australia. Using the ArcviewGIS Spatial Analyst (v3.1), maps of Australia showing estimates of NSNF in different cropping zones as determined by rainfall and temperature or carbon availability were generated. In Western Australia (represented by Wongan Hills) and South Australia (represented by Avon), where summers are dry, estimates of NSNF were generally low (10–15 kg N/ha from January to June) due to limitations of soil moisture. In New South Wales, particularly in the north where summer rainfall patterns develop (represented by Gunnedah), the warm, moist conditions produced higher estimates of NSNF (totaling 32–38 kg N/ha from January to June). In this region, the majority of estimated NSNF occurred in January and February leading to the depletion of carbon supplies and reduced NSNF in autumn (March–June). Information about potential supplies of N from NSNF across the cropping zones should be useful for researchers to select and study areas that are most likely to benefit from NSNF. It should also help agronomists and extension officers explain changes in N status within paddocks or within specific farming systems and to provide more accurate advice on N fertiliser requirements, particularly in low-input farming systems.

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