scholarly journals SWEET SORGHUM PERFORMANCE AFFECTED BY SOIL COMPACTION AND SOWING TIME AS A SECOND CROP IN THE BRAZILIAN CERRADO

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1744-1754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wellingthon da Silva Guimarães Júnnyor ◽  
Eduardo da Costa Severiano ◽  
Alessandro Guerra da Silva ◽  
Wainer Gomes Gonçalves ◽  
Renata Andrade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Sweet Sorghum ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Sowing Time ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Stalk Yield

ABSTRACT Increasing attention has recently been given to sweet sorghum as a renewable raw material for ethanol production, mainly because its cultivation can be fully mechanized. However, the intensive use of agricultural machinery causes soil structural degradation, especially when performed under inadequate conditions of soil moisture. The aims of this study were to evaluate the physical quality of aLatossolo Vermelho Distroférrico (Oxisol) under compaction and its components on sweet sorghum yield forsecond cropsowing in the Brazilian Cerrado (Brazilian tropical savanna). The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, in a split plot arrangement, with four replications. Five levels of soil compaction were tested from the passing of a tractor at the following traffic intensities: 0 (absence of additional compaction), 1, 2, 7, and 15 passes over the same spot. The subplots consisted of three different sowing times of sweet sorghum during the off-season of 2013 (20/01, 17/02, and 16/03). Soil physical quality was measured through the least limiting water range (LLWR) and soil water limitation; crop yield and technological parameters were also measured. Monitoring of soil water contents indicated a reduction in the frequency of water content in the soil within the limits of the LLWR (Fwithin) as agricultural traffic increased (T0 = T1 = T2>T7>T15), and crop yield is directly associated with soil water content. The crop sown in January had higher industrial quality; however, there was stalk yield reduction when bulk density was greater than 1.26 Mg m-3, with a maximum yield of 50 Mg ha-1 in this sowing time. Cultivation of sweet sorghum as a second crop is a promising alternative, but care should be taken in cultivation under conditions of pronounced climatic risks, due to low stalk yield.

scholarly journals Optimum time of sowing for rainfed winter chickpea with one-pass mechanised row-sowing: an example for small-holder farms in north-west Bangladesh

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 602 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Vance ◽  
R. W. Bell ◽  
C. Johansen ◽  
M. E. Haque ◽  
A. M. Musa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Reproductive Growth ◽  
Sowing Time ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
North West ◽  
Sowing Dates

The time of sowing chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in the High Barind Tract of north-west Bangladesh is critical to crop success. To ensure adequate emergence and subsequent crop growth, chickpea relies on residual soil moisture stored in the profile after rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivated in the preceding rainy season. With the development of mechanised, one-pass minimum tillage sowing, the time between rice harvest and chickpea sowing is decreased, and temperature constraints that limit biomass and/or pod formation and filling may be avoided. Minimum tillage may also limit evaporation from the soil surface compared with traditional, full cultivation procedures. The objective of this study was to identify the optimum sowing time to achieve adequate crop establishment and limit exposure of the chickpea crop to terminal drought and heat stress later in the growing season. Over three experimental seasons, chickpea sowing dates were spread from 22 November to 22 December. Soil water content, crop growth and temperature were monitored to determine the optimum sowing time. Over all seasons and sowing dates, the volumetric soil water content in the seedbed under minimum tillage remained within 17–34%, a range non-limiting for chickpea establishment in glasshouse and field experiments. Late planting (after 10 December) exposed seedlings to low temperatures (<15°C), which limited biomass formation and extended the vegetative growth phase into periods with high maximum temperatures (>35°C), resulting in unfilled pods and depressed grain yield. The preferred sowing time was determined to be 30 November to 10 December to reduce the risk of high temperatures and low soil water content during chickpea reproductive growth causing terminal heat and drought stress, respectively. Mechanised sowing in one operation allows farmers to optimise their time of sowing to match seed requirements for soil water at emergence and may assist farmers to avoid temperature stresses (both low and high) that constrain chickpea vegetative and reproductive growth.

scholarly journals Application of Ground-Penetrating Radar and a Combined Penetrometer–Moisture Probe for Evaluating Spatial Distribution of Soil Moisture and Soil Hardness in Coastal and Inland Windbreaks

Geosciences ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
Kenta Iwasaki ◽  
Makoto Tamura ◽  
Hirokazu Sato ◽  
Kazuhiko Masaka ◽  
Daisuke Oka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Soil Moisture Condition ◽  
Soil Hardness ◽  
Ground Penetrating

The development of a method to easily investigate the spatial distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness in tree windbreaks is necessary because these windbreaks often decline due to inappropriate soil moisture condition and soil compaction. This research examined the applicability of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and a combined penetrometer–moisture probe (CPMP) for evaluating the spatial distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness in four windbreaks with different soil characteristics. A GPR-reflecting interface was observed at a less permeable layer in a coastal windbreak and at a depth affected by soil compaction in an inland windbreak with andosol. The spatial distribution of the groundwater table could also be evaluated by examining the attenuation of GPR reflection in a coastal windbreak. In contrast, GPR was not applicable in an inland windbreak with peat because of high soil water content near the soil surface. The CPMP could detect vertical distributions of soil hardness and soil water content regardless of soil type. The CPMP was useful for interpreting GPR profiles, and GPR was useful for interpolating the information about the horizontal distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness between survey points made with the CPMP. Thus, the combination of GPR and a CPMP is ideal for examining the two-dimensional spatial distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness at windbreaks with soils for which both methods are applicable.

scholarly journals Influence of Conservation Tillage and Soil Water Content on Crop Yield in Dryland Compacted Alfisol of Central Chile

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Martinez G ◽  
Carlos Ovalle ◽  
Alejandro Del Pozo ◽  
Hamil Uribe ◽  
Natalia Valderrama V ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Central Chile

scholarly journals Corn and Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) Transpiration in Response to Drying Soil

Weed Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared J. Schmidt ◽  
Erin E. Blankenship ◽  
John L. Lindquist
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Dry Down ◽  
Daily Transpiration

Soil water availability is the most important factor limiting crop yield worldwide. Understanding crop and weed transpiration in response to water supply may provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of crop yield loss in water-limited environments. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to quantify corn and velvetleaf transpiration in response to drying soil. Five plants of each species were well watered by adding back the equivalent water loss each day to reach field capacity, and five plants were subjected to drought stress (dry-down) by not replacing lost water. Normalized daily transpiration of dry-down plants was regressed on soil water content expressed as the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW). The critical soil water content below which plants begin to close their stomates occurred at FTSWcr= 0.36 ± 0.015 for corn and 0.41 ± 0.018 for velvetleaf. Total water transpired did not differ among species. Velvetleaf also responded to drought by senescing its oldest leaves, whereas corn mainly maintained its leaf area but with rolled leaves during peak drought stress. During a short-term drought, corn is expected to perform better than velvetleaf because it maintains full transpiration to a lower FTSW and does not senesce its leaves. Under severe long-term drought, the species that closes its stomates at greater FTSWcrwill conserve water and increase its chances of survival. Moreover, senescing all but the youngest leaves may ensure at least some seed production. Research is needed to evaluate the effects of soil water supply on corn–velvetleaf interference in the field.

The effects of soil water content and bulk density on the compactibility and soil penetration resistance of some Western Australian sandy soils

Soil Research ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Henderson ◽  
A Levett ◽  
D Lisle
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Penetration Resistance ◽  
Coarse Sand ◽  
Soil Penetration Resistance ◽  
Compactive Effort

Quantitative models to predict the effects of soil compaction on wheat yields are being developed for the northern sandplains of Western Australia. An understanding of the relationships between soil water content (W), bulk density (p), compactibility and soil penetration resistance (P) is required. Thirteen subsoils from W.A. sandplain soils were tested for compactibility. As the amounts of very coarse sand or clay in the soil increased, the maximum density (�max.) achieved with a standard compactive effort also increased, while the critical soil water content (Wcrit,.) for maximum compactibility declined. The effects of p and W on P were investigated for five of the soils. The value of P was only slightly affected as W was reduced to less than 70% of the field capacity water content. As the soils were dried further, P increased exponentially. At all water contents, an increase in p was found to markedly increase P. Particle size distribution could be used to predict �max. and Wcrit., but could not be related to the effects of changes in p and W on P. The implications for the measurement and effects of soil compaction in the field are discussed.

The tree - crop interface: the effects of root pruning in south-western Australia

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 763 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Sudmeyer ◽  
D. J. M. Hall ◽  
J. Eastham ◽  
M. A. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Root Pruning ◽  
Tree Roots

This paper examines the effect severing lateral tree roots (root pruning) has on crop and tree growth and soil water content at 2 sites in the south-west of Western Australia. Crop and tree growth and soil water content were assessed in a Pinus pinaster windbreak system growing on 0.45–1.00 m of sand over clay, and crop growth was assessed adjacent to Eucalyptus globulus windbreaks growing on 4–5 m of sand. Crop yield was depressed by 23–52% within 2.5 times the tree height (H) of unpruned pines and by 44% within 2.5 H of pruned eucalypts. Depressed yields made cropping uneconomical within 1.5 H of the eucalypts and 1 H of the pines. Root pruning most improved crop yields where lateral tree roots were confined close to the soil surface and decreased in effectiveness as the depth to confining layer (clay) increased. Crop losses within 2.5 H of the pines were reduced from 39 to 14% in the year the trees were root pruned and were 25% 1 year after root pruning. Subsequent root pruning of the eucalypts did not improve crop yield. While root pruning severed lateral pine roots, tree growth was not significantly reduced. The principal cause of reduced crop yield near the trees appeared to be reduced soil moisture in the area occupied by tree roots. Competition for nutrients and light appeared to have little effect on crop yield. Root pruning can spatially separate tree and crop roots where the tree roots are confined close to the surface, and significantly improve crop yields without reducing tree growth.

Modeling change in soil compaction due to agricultural traffic as function of soil water content

Geoderma ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 116 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 89-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Défossez ◽  
G. Richard ◽  
H. Boizard ◽  
M.F. O'Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Compaction

scholarly journals Thermodynamic Concept of Water Retention and Physical Quality of the Soil

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1686
Author(s):  
Andrey V. Smagin
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Practical Interest ◽  
Interfacial Interactions ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Thermodynamic Potentials ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Retention Characteristics

The physical quality of the soil is determined by its interfacial interactions in conditions of variable water content. In this regard, water retention characteristics in the form of functions of water content and its thermodynamic potentials are used as indicators of physical quality and its dynamics in the soil. The combination of centrifugation and thermodesorption methods allowed for the first time the assessment of soil water potentials in the entire range of variation from 0 to 106 J/kg for a representative database (more than 400 samples) of the main genetic types of Eurasian soils, grouped into 5 FAO/USDA soil texture classes. The main fundamental achievement of the research is a physically based diagnosis of the critical values of water content and its thermodynamic potentials that separate the areas of dominance of various forms of soil water, physical forces, and mechanisms of interfacial interactions on the WRC-diagrams of the physical quality of the soil. Theoretical and experimental results of the study are of practical interest of sustainable agronomy for determining the optimal ranges of water content in the soil during plant cultivation, water saving, and salt protection in irrigation, mechanical tillage, and other technological operations.

Influence of streambank fencing and river access for cattle on riparian zone soils adjacent to the Lower Little Bow River in southern Alberta, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Miller ◽  
T. Curtis ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
W. D. Willms
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Test ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Soil Test P

Miller, J. J., Curtis, T., Chanasyk, D. S. and Willms, W. D. 2014. Influence of streambank fencing and river access for cattle on riparian zone soils adjacent to the Lower Little Bow River in southern Alberta, Canada. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 209–222. Cattle grazing in riparian pastures adjacent to rivers may increase soil compaction and increase soil nutrients, such as N and P. We conducted a 4-yr study with sampling in 3 yr (2009, 2010, 2012) of riparian zone soils adjacent to fenced and unfenced reaches of the Lower Little Bow River in southern Alberta. We examined the effect of grazing, access of cattle to the river (access versus no-access), and distance (0.25, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 m) from the river on surface soil bulk density, volumetric water content, NH4-N, NO3, and soil test P. Penetration depth was also measured in 2012. The three grazing treatments consisted of one fenced reach (ungrazed treatment), one unfenced and grazed reach with high cattle impact (high-impact grazed treatment), and one unfenced and grazed reach with low cattle impact (low-impact grazed treatment). We hypothesized that soil compaction would be greater, soil nutrients would be enriched, and soil water content would be lower for grazed compared with ungrazed treatments, and that this same trend would occur for access compared with no-access locations. The soil properties in our study were generally significantly (P≤0.05) influenced by grazing, access, and distance from the riverbank. However, treatment effects were generally dependent on two- or three-way interactions with the other factors. Soil bulk density in 2009 and 2012 was 8 to 20% greater at access compared with no-access locations within 2 m of the riverbank, suggesting soil compaction by cattle was confined close to the wetter riverbank soils. Most soil properties generally supported our hypothesis of greater soil compaction and nutrient enrichment for unfenced compared with fenced reaches, as well as for access compared with no-access locations. The exceptions were soil water content and soil test P results that did not support the grazing hypothesis, and soil water content and NH4-N results that did not support the cattle-access hypothesis.

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