Soil Quality Variation under Enset based Conservation Tillage and Cereal based Conventional Tillage System in Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

Conservation tillage in combination with mulches in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) farming systems can maintain crop productivity and improve soil properties, in comparison with conventional tillage systems. However, information is needed on the long-term influence of such practices on potato crop parameters. A study was initiated in 1994 on a Charlottetown fine sandy loam (Orthic Podzol) in Prince Edward Island to assess the feasibility of using conservation tillage practices in combination with crop residue mulches (after the potato harvest) on potato production in two different potato rotations: a 2-yr barley-potato rotation and a clover-based 3-yr (barley-red clover -potato) rotation. In the conservation tillage system, the primary tillage event was moved from the autumn to spring and the degree and depth of tillage were reduced by replacing the conventional mouldboard plough (20 cm depth) with a shallow (15 cm depth) one-pass chisel plough just prior to potato planting. Potato yield and tuber quality, surface residue levels after potato planting, and tuber mineral content were evaluated from 2000 to 2007. Adoption of conservation tillage over the long-term did not adversely influence total or marketable potato yield, or tuber quality. The clover-based 3-yr rotation, compared with the 2-yr rotation, had little effect on total potato yield (42 vs. 44 Mg ha-1), but produced significantly higher marketable tuber yields (38 vs. 32 Mg ha-1), for four of the eight yrs of the study. The conservation tillage system, for both rotations, provided relatively high surface residue levels (>30%) after potato planting, compared with the bare soil surface in the conventional tillage system. Nutrient and trace element contents in tuber dry matter were similar between conservation and conventional tillage. Tuber uptake of nitrogen and other nutrients were slightly greater under the 3-yr, compared with the 2-yr rotation, and associated with tuber dry-matter yield differences. The results of the 14-yr study confirm the conclusions of previous short-term studies that a reduction in depth and intensity of tillage for potato culture is yield neutral, and a viable alternative to conventional tillage systems for potato production on sandy loams in eastern Canada. Key words: Conservation tillage, potato, crop rotation, fine sandy loam, crop yield, surface residue, eastern Canada

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Impact of Agronomic Practices on Weed Communities: Fallow Within Tillage Systems

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s0043174500080255 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 184-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Douglas A. Derksen ◽

A. Gordon Thomas ◽

Guy P. Lafond ◽

Heather A. Loeppky ◽

Clarence J. Swanton

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Continuous Cropping ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Agronomic Practices ◽

Perennial Weeds ◽

Weed Communities ◽

Tillage System

Continuous-cropping conservation tillage systems may provide a viable alternative to the practice of summer fallow; however, concerns have been raised regarding potentially negative changes in weed communities in continuous cropping. Field experiments were established in Saskatchewan at three locations to determine the nature of weed community differences between a crop sequence with and without fallow in zero-, minimum-, and conventional-tillage systems from 1986 to 1990. Weed communities in continuous-cropping treatments tended to have greater total densities and were more similar in composition than crop-fallow treatments. Inclusion or exclusion of fallow within the rotation had a greater impact on weed community composition than did tillage system at Ituna and Waldron, but the reverse was true at Tadmore due to poor crop growth in all tillage systems. Differences in weed community composition were generally characterized by fluctuational changes in species associations. Volunteers of summer-annual crops, such as canola, flax, and barley, were associated with continuous cropping, but other species including perennial weeds, such as Canada thistle, perennial sowthistle, and quackgrass, were not strongly associated with the presence or absence of fallow. The practice of fallowing land to manage weeds may not be necessary.

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Rye Mulch Management Affects Short-term Indicators of Soil Quality in the Transition to Conservation Tillage for Cabbage

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.43.3.862 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 862-867 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Maren J. Mochizuki ◽

Anusuya Rangarajan ◽

Robin R. Bellinder ◽

Harold M. van Es ◽

Thomas Björkman

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Yield Reduction ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Penetrometer Resistance ◽

Soil Temperatures ◽

The Impact

If benefits of conservation tillage can be quantified even in the transition year from conventional tillage, growers will more likely integrate practices that maintain or enhance soil quality and productivity. The management of surface residue is an important component of conservation tillage, especially in cool, rainy climates where vegetable growth and yield reductions have been observed when heavy residue is present. Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), grown until flowering, was killed with glyphosate and was then cut and removed (stubble treatment) or rolled or chopped to form a surface mulch (mulched treatment) before transplanting cabbage. Rolled mulch increased soil wet aggregate stability by 4% and reduced soil penetrometer resistance by up to 0.5 MPa compared with rye stubble treatments in 2003. In 2004, frequent rains saturated soils and may have accelerated the decomposition of chopped mulch, minimizing treatment effects. Rolled mulch reduced soil temperatures by up to 2 °C in 2003, but June transplanting of cabbage probably minimized the impact of soil temperature. Mulched treatments did not delay cabbage maturity or affect head quality characteristics such as color or uniformity. Although rolled mulch reduced cabbage growth by as much as 30% and yield by 21% in 2003, chopped mulch did not affect growth or yield in 2004. Yield reduction may be overcome by killing the rye relatively early in the spring or retaining only the surface stubble; these strategies may maintain or measurably improve soil quality even in the transition year to conservation tillage.

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Soil Quality Indicators in Conventional and Conservation Tillage Systems in the Brazilian Cerrado

10.21203/rs.3.rs-949607/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Luiz Alberto da Silva Rodrigues Pinto ◽

Sandra Santana de Lima ◽

Cristiane Figueira da Silva ◽

Rafael Gomes da Mota Gonçalves ◽

Igor de Sousa Morais ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Soil Aggregation ◽

Reference Area ◽

Quality Indices ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

No Till

Abstract Conventional and conservation tillage systems can alter soil aggregation and total and labile soil organic matter (SOM) contents. This study aimed to determine the degree of soil aggregation, quantify total carbon (TC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), light organic matter (LOM), and potentially mineralizable carbon (CO2-C) contents in soils aggregates, and assess soil quality indices at sites under conventional and conservation tillage in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Four experimental areas were analyzed: a area under conventional tillage for 20 years, a area under no-till for 6 years, a area under no-till for 18 years, and a reference area of undisturbed Cerrado vegetation. Soil aggregates retained on 8.0 to 4.0 mm sieves were evaluated for size class distribution and mean weight diameter. TC, POXC, LOM, daily and total CO2-C emissions were also analyzed. These data were used to calculate the C/N ratio and sensitivity, carbon pool, and lability indices. The results of SOM compartments were in agreement with those obtained for the soil aggregation status. Environmental conditions at no-till areas promoted macroaggregate formation and preserved TC and LOM contents, resulting in a high degree of aggregate stability. Soil quality indices were sensitive to identify changes between the reference area and managed areas. Soil aggregates from no-till areas had higher CO2-C emissions and accumulations than those from the conventional tillage area.

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Weed Seed Populations in Ridge and Conventional Tillage

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s0043174500075263 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 500-503 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Frank Forcella ◽

Michael J. Lindstrom

Keyword(s):

Seed Production ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Weed Competition ◽

Weed Seed ◽

Continuous Corn ◽

Weed Seeds ◽

Tillage System ◽

Mechanical Weed Control ◽

Ridge Tillage

Weed seed and seedling populations, and weed competition were compared in plots of continuous corn and corn/soybean rotation under ridge and conventional tillage. After 7 to 8 yr of standard chemical and mechanical weed control, from 1500 to 3000 weed seeds/m2(to a 10-cm depth) were found in continuous corn with ridge tillage whereas about two-thirds fewer seeds were found in conventionally tilled corn. Soil from a corn/soybean rotation had from 200 to 700 seeds/m2in both tillage systems. Annual loss of weed seeds from the soil through germination was from 3 to 12% in ridge tillage and 11 to 43% in conventional tillage. Additions to the seed pool were supplied by small weeds whose germination was stimulated by “layby” cultivation, with up to 10 times more emergence and 140 times more seed production in ridge than in conventional tillage. Withholding herbicides for 1 yr reduced yields of continuous corn by 10 to 27% in ridge tillage, only 2 to 4% in conventional tillage, and negligibly in corn/soybean rotations regardless of tillage. Reducing seed production of small layby weeds in ridge tillage may aid in solving the weed problem in this conservation tillage system.

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Sequestration of carbon and changes in soil quality under conservation tillage on light-textured soils in Australia: a review

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea02077 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 325 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

K. Y. Chan ◽

D. P. Heenan ◽

H. B. So

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Soil Structure ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Continuous Cropping ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Long Term Changes

Light-textured soils (<35% clay) make up more than 80%, by area, of cropping soils in Australia. Many have inherent soil physical problems, e.g. hardsetting, sodicity and low organic carbon levels. Maintenance and improvement of soil organic carbon levels are crucial to preserving the soil structure and physical fertility of these soils.A review of field trials on conservation tillage (3–19 years duration) on these soils in southern Australia revealed that significantly higher soil organic carbon levels compared with conventional tillage were found only in the wetter areas (>500 mm) and the differences were restricted to the top 2.5–10.0 cm. The average magnitude of the difference was lower than that reported in the USA. The lack of a positive response to conservation tillage is probably a reflection of a number of factors, namely low crop yield (due to low rainfall), partial removal of stubble by grazing and the high decomposition rate (due to the high temperature). There is evidence suggesting that under continuous cropping in the drier areas, the soil organic carbon level continues to decline, even under conservation tillage.Better soil structure and soil physical properties, namely macro-porosity, aggregate stability and higher infiltration have been reported under conservation tillage when compared with conventional tillage. However, little information on long-term changes of these properties under conservation tillage is available. As many of these soil qualities are associated directly or indirectly with soil organic carbon levels, the lack of significant increase in the latter suggests that many of these improvements may not be sustainable in the longer term, particularly in the drier areas. Continuous monitoring of long-term changes in the soil organic carbon and soil quality under conservation tillage in different agro-ecological zones is needed.

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Quality index of an Oxisol under different management systems in the Brazilian Cerrado

Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental ◽

10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v25n5p319-324 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 319-324

Author(s):

Marla O. Fagundes ◽

Diony A. Reis ◽

Roberto B. Portella ◽

Fabiano J. Perina ◽

Julio C. Bogiani

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Quality Index ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Management Systems ◽

No Tillage ◽

Brazilian Cerrado ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

Tillage System

ABSTRACT Assessing soil quality under different cover crops or different management systems is essential to its conservation. This study aimed to evaluate an Oxisol cultivated with corn and cotton, after different crop successions and under no-tillage system (NTS) and conventional tillage system (CT), through the soil quality index (SQI), using an area of native Cerrado as reference. The study was carried out in the municipality of Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Western Bahia, Brazil. Soil samples with the preserved and non-preserved structure were collected in the layers of 0-0.05 m, 0.05-0.10 m, and 0.10-0.20 m to determine the macroporosity, the soil bulk density, the available water, the levels of total organic carbon, the clay dispersed in water, and the degree of flocculation. The averages of the attributes measured in the treatments and the soil quality index, which was elaborated by the method of deviations of the values of the attributes measured in the treatments concerning the reference area, followed by normalization, were compared by the Duncan test (p ≤ 0.05). The soil under CT, in all treatments, had its quality reduced when compared to the NTS. Also, the SQI used was sensitive to detect the changes caused by the management systems and assign consistent scores to the evaluated soil quality.

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Improvement of Soil Health through Residue Management and Conservation Tillage in Rice-Wheat Cropping System of Punjab, Pakistan

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10121844 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1844 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Adnan Zahid ◽

Sajid Ali ◽

Mukhtar Ahmed ◽

Nadeem Iqbal

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Management Practices ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Soil Health ◽

Cropping System ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Residue Management ◽

Straw Management ◽

Long Run

In South Asia, soil health degradation is affecting the sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS). Indeed, for the sustainability of the soil quality, new adaptive technologies, i.e., conservation tillage and straw management resource conservation, are promising options. This investigation was focused on the interaction of tillage and straw management practices and their effects on Aridisols, Yermosols soil quality, and nutrients dynamics with different soil profiles within RWCS. The long-term field experiment was started in 2014 with the scenarios (i) conventional tillage (SC1), (ii) residue incorporation (SC2), (iii) straw management practices (SC3 and SC4) and conservation tillage (SC5). Conservation tillage practice (SC5) showed significant impact on properties of soil and availability of nutrients in comparison with that of conventional farmers practice (SC1) at the studied soil depths. The SC5 showed significant results of gravitational water contents (25.34%), moderate pH (7.4), soil organic-matter (7.6 g kg−1), total nitrogen (0.38 g kg−1), available phosphate (7.4 mg kg−1), available potassium (208 mg kg−1) compared to SC1 treatment at 0 to 15 cm soil depth. Whereas, DTPA-extractable-Cu, Mn, and Zn concentration were significantly higher, i.e., 1.12 mg kg−1, 2.14 mg kg−1, and 4.35 mg kg−1, respectively under SC5 than conventional farmer’s practices, while DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) extractable Fe (6.15 mg kg−1) was more in straw management practices (SC4) than conventional and conservation tillage. Therefore, conservation tillage (SC5) can surge the sustainability of the region by improving soil assets and nutrients accessibility and has the potential to minimize inorganic fertilizers input in the long run.

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Effects of Conservation Tillage on Organic Carbon and Carbon Management Index in Paddy Soil

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.71-78.2759 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 71-78 ◽

pp. 2759-2762

Author(s):

Juan Peng ◽

En Ci ◽

Zhuo Wang Fu ◽

Ming Gao ◽

De Ti Xie

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Paddy Soil ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Carbon Management ◽

Labile Organic Carbon ◽

Carbon Management Index

Effects of different tillage systems on organic carbon and carbon management index (CMI) in paddy soil of long-term experiment site (since 1990) were studied. The experiment included three tillage treatments: conventional tillage with rotation of rice and winter fallow (CT-r) system, no-tillage and ridge culture with rotation of rice and rape (RT-rr) system, and conventional tillage with rotation of rice and rape (CT-rr) system. Soil labile organic carbon measured by oxidation of KMnO4 respond rapidly to carbon supply changes, and it is considered as an important indicator of soil quality. Compared with CT-r system, long-term RT-rr system significantly increased total organic carbon and labile organic carbon in surface soil (0-10 cm and10-20 cm). The proportion of labile organic carbon to total organic carbon under RT-rr system was higher than other tillage systems. The carbon management index (CMI) is derived from the total soil organic carbon pool and carbon lability and is useful to evaluate the capacity of management systems to promote soil quality. The CMI increased in each layer under RT-rr system, while it decreased under CT-rr system. This indicated that conservation tillage improved the capacity of the management system into promoting soil quality in Sichuan Basin of China.

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Impact of Stale Seedbed Production on Seedling Diseases in Cotton

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pd-89-0744 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 89 (7) ◽

pp. 744-748 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P. D. Colyer ◽

P. R. Vernon

Keyword(s):

Conservation Tillage ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Cotton Production ◽

Plant Populations ◽

Seedling Disease ◽

Tillage Practices ◽

No Till ◽

Tillage System ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

Seedling Diseases

Cotton production using conservation tillage practices has increased in the past decade. Most studies involving reduced tillage have shown a reduction in plant populations, which has been attributed to seedling diseases. Although most of these studies have focused on no-till production, cotton planted in the mid-south is often planted using stale seedbeds. The objective of this research was to compare the effect of stale seedbed production and conventional tillage with and without in-furrow fungicides on the incidence and severity of seedling diseases. Tillage systems were established in the fall to focus on the effect of tillage on inoculum density and distribution and to minimize differences in the soil environment between tillage treatments. From 1998 to 2001, cotton was planted and seedling disease was evaluated by counting surviving plant populations, estimating stand uniformity, and conducting root and hypocotyl disease indices. Soil populations of Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia spp. were also estimated. Plant populations were significantly different between tillage treatments in 1998 and between in-furrow treatments in 2000. Skip variables were not different in any year. Soil populations of Rhizoctonia spp. were highly variable and not significantly different among treatments in any year. Populations of Pythium spp. were higher in stale seedbed plots in 2000 and 2001. There were no differences in seed cotton yield in any year. In this study, stale seedbed production increased the incidence and severity of seedling diseases of cotton in only one of four years, but the disease was effectively managed with the application of in-furrow fungicides. These results indicate that the potential for an increase in seedling diseases associated with stale seedbed production is minimal and is not sufficient to overlook the potential benefits of this tillage system.

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