Impacts of straw, biogas slurry, manure and mineral fertilizer applications on several biochemical properties and crop yield in a wheat-maize cropping system

To investigate the effects of different sources of organic matter on soil biochemical properties and crop productivity and to find the best substitute for cow manure in the fields, a field experiment was carried out in a wheat-maize cropping system during 2012–2015. Three types of fertilizer applications, including a mineral fertilizer (CK), straw (S) and biogas slurry (B) were compared with cow manure (M) under an equal dose of nitrogen. In the 0–20 cm soil layer, the soil total nitrogen, microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon content of the M treatment was the highest, and the total organic carbon equivalent ratio of M decreased by 28.60% respectively, relative to S. Compared with CK, S and B, the urease activity equivalent ratio in the M treatment increased by 52, 12 and 21%, and the invertase activity equivalent ratio increased by 21, 20 and 26%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the hydrogen peroxidase activity among the four treatments. The annual crop yield and water use efficiency of the M treatment was significantly higher than other treatments, followed by S, B and CK. Our findings indicated that straw returning was the best substitute for cow manure.

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Yield, nitrogen use efficiency and balance response to thirty-five years of fertilization in paddy rice-upland wheat cropping system

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/576/2018-pse ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (No. 2) ◽

pp. 55-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hu Cheng ◽

Xia Xiange ◽

Chen Yunfeng ◽

Qiao Yan ◽

Liu Donghai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crop Yield ◽

N Uptake ◽

Cropping System ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Paddy Rice ◽

N Use Efficiency ◽

Soil N ◽

N Input ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

N Use

Optimal soil nitrogen management is vital to crop production and environment protection. Little knowledge is available on crop yield, nitrogen uptake, use efficiency and balance in paddy rice-upland wheat cropping system of China. A thirty-five-year long-term field experiment was designed with nine treatments, including an unfertilized treatment (control), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) fertilizer, manure (M), and manure combined with mineral fertilizer treatments. Crop yield, N uptake, use efficiency, and N surplus or deficit amount were determined. The results indicated that rice, wheat yield and N uptake amount in the manure combined with mineral fertilizer treatments were higher than that in the manure alone or mineral fertilizer alone treatments. N use efficiency was the highest in the treatment with manure alone. Soil N input indicated a surplus in the mineral fertilizer in combination with manure treatment, but soil N input indicated a deficit in the control, NPK and M treatments. Considering crop yields, N use efficiency and N balance, recommended N application amount is almost 220 kg N/ha/year in the paddy rice-upland wheat cropping system. Taking into account labour and fertilizer sources, half mineral N and half organic N applications were recommended.

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Effects of disk tillage on soil condition, crop yield and weed infestation

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/4201-pse ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 48 (No. 1) ◽

pp. 20-26

Author(s):

M. Birkás ◽

T. Szalai ◽

C. Gyuricza ◽

M. Gecse ◽

K. Bordás

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Soil Condition ◽

Perennial Weeds ◽

Weed Infestation ◽

Set Up ◽

Different Levels

This research was instigated by the fact that during the last decade annually repeated shallow disk tillage on the same field became frequent practice in Hungary. In order to study the changes of soil condition associated with disk tillage and to assess it is consequences, long-term tillage field experiments with different levels of nutrients were set up in 1991 (A) and in 1994 (B) on Chromic Luvisol at Gödöllö. The effects of disk tillage (D) and disk tillage combined with loosening (LD) on soil condition, on yield of maize and winter wheat, and on weed infestation were examined. The evaluation of soil condition measured by cone index and bulk density indicated that use of disking annually resulted in a dense soil layer below the disking depth (diskpan-compaction). It was found, that soil condition deteriorated by diskpan-compaction decreased the yield of maize significantly by 20 and 42% (w/w), and that of wheat by 13 and 15% (w/w) when compared to soils with no diskpan-compaction. Averaged over seven years, and three fertilizer levels, the cover % of the total, grass and perennial weeds on loosened soils were 73, 69 and 65% of soils contained diskpan-compaction.

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Effects of organic and mineral fertilizer inputs on maize yield and soil chemical properties in a maize cropping system in Meru South District, Kenya

Agroforestry Systems ◽

10.1007/s10457-006-9027-4 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 69 (3) ◽

pp. 189-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Monicah Mucheru-Muna ◽

Daniel Mugendi ◽

James Kung’u ◽

Jayne Mugwe ◽

Andre Bationo

Keyword(s):

Chemical Properties ◽

Cropping System ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Maize Yield ◽

Soil Chemical Properties

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Influence of cassava planting patterns and pruning methods on crop yield in a cassava-based cropping system

African Crop Science Journal ◽

10.4314/acsj.v12i2.27669 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

OT Ayoola ◽

AA Agboola

Keyword(s):

Crop Yield ◽

Cropping System ◽

Pruning Methods

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Effects of cropping system and rates of nitrogen in animal slurry and mineral fertilizer on nitrate leaching from a sandy loam

Soil Use and Management ◽

10.1111/j.1475-2743.1993.tb00929.x ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 53-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

I. K. Thomsen ◽

J. F. Hansen ◽

V. Kjellerup ◽

B. T. Christensen

Keyword(s):

Nitrate Leaching ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Cropping System ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Animal Slurry

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Development and Use of a Planter for Simultaneous Application of Seed, Fertilizer and Compost in Pearl Millet Production in Niger—Effects on Labor Use, Yield and Economic Return

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10121886 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1886

Author(s):

Abdourahamane Issa M. Nourou ◽

Addam Kiari Saidou ◽

Jens B. Aune

Keyword(s):

Pearl Millet ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

Cropping System ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Cereal Crops ◽

Randomized Experiments ◽

Economic Return ◽

Simultaneous Application ◽

Combined Application ◽

Reduced Time

Sowing and application of mineral and organic fertilizer is generally done manually in the Sahel, resulting in low precision and delayed application. The objective of this paper is to present a new mechanical planter (Gangaria) for the combined application of seeds and soil amendments (mineral fertilizer, compost, etc.), and to assess the effects of using this planter in pearl millet on labor use, yield and economic return. The labor study showed that the mechanized application of seeds and compost reduced time use by a factor of more than six. The on-station experiments were completely randomized experiments with six replications and six treatments: T0 (control), T1 (0.3 g NPK hill−1), T2 (25 g compost hill−1), T3 (25 g compost + 0.3 g NPK hill−1), T4 (50 g compost hill−1) and T5 (50 g compost + 0.3 g NPK hill−1). Treatments T1 to T5 were sown by the planter with seeds that were primed in combination with coating of seeds with a fungicide/insecticide. The treatment T5 increased grain yield and economic return compared to the control by 113% and 106%, respectively. The advantages for farmers using this approach of agricultural intensification are timelier sowing of dryland cereal crops, easy application of organic fertilizer and more precise delivery of input, thereby making this cropping system more productive and less vulnerable to drought.

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Long-Term Green Manure Rotations Improve Soil Biochemical Properties, Yield Sustainability and Nutrient Balances in Acidic Paddy Soil under a Rice-Based Cropping System

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9120780 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 780

Author(s):

Muhammad Qaswar ◽

Jing Huang ◽

Waqas Ahmed ◽

Dongchu Li ◽

Shujun Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Green Manure ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Biochemical Properties ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Yield Sustainability ◽

Double Rice ◽

Winter Fallow

Cultivation of green manure (GM) crops in intensive cropping systems is important for enhancing crop productivity through soil quality improvement. We investigated yield sustainability, nutrient stocks, nutrient balances and enzyme activities affected by different long-term (1982–2016) green manure rotations in acidic paddy soil in a double-rice cropping system. We selected four treatments from a long-term experiment, including (1) rice-rice-winter fallow as a control treatment (R-R-F), (2) rice-rice-milkvetch (R-R-M), (3) rice-rice-rapeseed (R-R-R), and (4) rice-rice-ryegrass (R-R-G). The results showed that different GM rotations increased grain yield and the sustainable yield index compared with those of the R-R-F treatment. Compared with those of R-R-F, the average grain yield of early rice in R-R-M, R-R-R, and R-R-G increased by 45%, 29%, and 27%, respectively and that of late rice increased by 46%, 28%, and 26%, respectively. Over the years, grain yield increased in all treatments except R-R-F. Green manure also improved the soil chemical properties (SOM and total and available N and P), except soil pH, compared to those of the control treatment. During the 1983–1990 cultivation period, the soil pH of the R-R-M treatment was lower than that of the R-R-F treatment. The addition of green manure did not mitigate the soil acidification caused by the use of inorganic fertilizers. The soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents and stocks of C, N and P increased over the years. Furthermore, GM significantly increased phosphatase and urease activities and decreased the apparent N and P balances compared with those in the winter fallow treatment. Variance partitioning analysis revealed that soil properties, cropping systems, and climatic factors significantly influenced annual grain yield. Aggregated boosted tree (ABT) analysis quantified the relative influences of the different soil properties on annual grain yield and showed that the relative influences of TN content, SOM, pH, and TP content on annual crop yield were 27.8%, 25.7%, 22.9%, and 20.7%, respectively. In conclusion, GM rotation is beneficial for sustaining high crop yields by improving soil biochemical properties and reducing N and P balances in acidic soil under double- rice cropping systems.

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Substitution of Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilizer with Green Manure (GM) Increased Yield Stability by Improving C Input and Nitrogen Recovery Efficiency in Rice Based Cropping System

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9100609 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 609 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Qaswar ◽

Jing ◽

Ahmed ◽

Shujun ◽

Dongchu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crop Yield ◽

Green Manure ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Cropping System ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Yield Stability ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Yield Variability ◽

Variability Index ◽

Double Rice

A long-term field experiment was carried out (since 2008) for evaluating the effects of different substitution rates of inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer by green manure (GM) on yield stability and N balance under double rice cropping system. Treatments included, (1) N0 (no N fertilizer and no green manure); (2) N100 (recommended rate of N fertilizer and no green manure); (3) N100-M (recommended rate of N fertilizer and green manure); (4) N80-M (80% of recommended N fertilizer and green manure); (5) N60-M (60% of recommended N fertilizer and green manure); and (6) M (green manure without N fertilization). Results showed that, among all treatments, annual crop yield under N80-M treatment was highest. Crop yield did not show significant differences between N100-M and N80-M treatments. Substitution of different N fertilizer rates by GM reduced the yield variability index. Compared to the N0 treatment, yield variability index of early rice under N100-M, N80-M, and N60-M treatments was decreased by 11%, 26%, and 36%, respectively. Compared to the N0 treatment, yield variability index of late rice was decreased by 12%, 38%, 49%, 47%, and 24% under the N100, N100-M, N80-M, N60-M, and M treatments, respectively. During period of 2009–2013 and 2014–2018, nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE) was highest under N80-M treatment and N balance was highest under N100 treatment. NRE of all treatments with GM was increased over the time from 2009–2013 to 2014–2018. All treatments with GM showed increasing trend of SOC over the years. Substitution of N fertilizer by GM also increased C inputs and soil C:N ratio compared to the N100 and N0 treatments. Boosted regression model indicated that C input, N uptake and AN were most influencing factors of crop yield. Thus, we concluded that N fertilization rates should be reduced by 20% under GM rotation to attain high yield stability of double rice cropping system through increasing NRE and C inputs.

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