scholarly journals Estimating carbon storage potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems

Author(s):  
Min Huang ◽  
Ge Chen ◽  
Fangbo Cao ◽  
Jiana Chen

Abstract Weeds occurred during the fallow season can well perform the function of carbon (C) storage due to receiving little human disturbance. This study aimed to evaluate the C storage potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems. A six-region, two-year on-farm investigation and a three-year tillage experiment were conducted to estimate C storage in fallow weeds in rice cropping systems. The on-farm investigation showed that the average mean C storage in fallow weeds across six regions and two years reached 112 g m–2. The tillage experiment indicated that no-tillage practices increased C storage in fallow weeds by 80% on average as compared with conventional tillage. The results of this study not only contribute to an understanding of C storage potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems, but also provide a reference for including fallow weeds in the estimation of vegetative C sink. Further investigations are required to determine the effect of C input from fallow weeds on C balance of rice paddies in order to comprehensively evaluate the role of fallow weeds in C cycling in rice cropping systems.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Huang ◽  
Ge Chen ◽  
Fangbo Cao ◽  
Jiana Chen

Abstract Fallow weeds are more and more common in Chinese rice cropping systems, but are always excluded in studies of vegetative carbon (C) sinks. This study aimed to evaluate the C fixation potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems. A six-region, two-year on-farm investigation and a three-year tillage experiment were conducted to estimate C fixation in fallow weeds in rice cropping systems. The on-farm investigation showed that the average mean C fixation in fallow weeds across six regions and two years reached 112 g m–2. The tillage experiment indicated that no-tillage practices increased C fixation in fallow weeds by 80% on average as compared with conventional tillage. The results of this study not only contribute to an understanding of C fixation potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems, but also provide a reference for including fallow weeds in the estimation of vegetative C sink. Further investigations are required to determine the effect of C input from fallow weeds on C balance of rice paddies in order to comprehensively evaluate the role of fallow weeds in C cycling in rice cropping systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blessing Mhlanga ◽  
Laura Ercoli ◽  
Elisa Pellegrino ◽  
Andrea Onofri ◽  
Christian Thierfelder

AbstractConservation agriculture has been promoted to sustainably intensify food production in smallholder farming systems in southern Africa. However, farmers have rarely fully implemented all its components, resulting in different combinations of no-tillage, crop rotation, and permanent soil cover being practiced, thus resulting in variable yield responses depending on climatic and soil conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the effect of conservation agriculture components on yield stability. We hypothesized that the use of all three conservation agriculture components would perform the best, resulting in more stable production in all environments. We evaluated at, eight trial locations across southern Africa, how partial and full implementation of these components affected crop yield and yield stability compared with conventional tillage alone or combined with mulching and/or crop rotation. Grain yield and shoot biomass of maize and cowpea were recorded along with precipitation for 2 to 5 years. Across different environments, the addition of crop rotation and mulch to no-tillage increased maize grain by 6%, and the same practices added to conventional tillage led to 13% yield increase. Conversely, adding only mulch or crop rotation to no-tillage or conventional tillage led to lower or equal maize yield. Stability analyses based on Shukla’s index showed for the first time that the most stable systems are those in which mulch is added without crop rotation. Moreover, the highest yielding systems were the least stable. Finally, additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis allowed clarifying that mulch added to no-tillage gives stable yields on sandy soil with high rainfall. Similarly, mulch added to conventional tillage gives stable yield on sandy soil, but under low rainfall. This is the first study that highlighted the crucial role of mulch to enhance the stability and resilience of cropping systems in southern Africa, supporting their adaptability to climate change.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Márton Dencső ◽  
Ágota Horel ◽  
Zsófia Bakacsi ◽  
Eszter Tóth

<p>Tillage practices influence soil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, hence many research investigate the long-term effects of conservation and conventional tillage methods e.g. ploughing and no-tillage on soil greenhouse gas emission.</p><p>The experiment site is an 18-years-old long-term tillage trial established on chernozem soil. During 2020, we took weekly CO<sub>2 </sub>emission measurements in the mouldboard ploughing (MP), no-tillage (NT), and shallow cultivation (SC) treatments Tillage depth was 26-30 cm, 12-16 cm and 0 cm in the cases of MP, SC and NT respectively. The experiment was under wither oat cultivation.</p><p>We investigated the similarity in the CO<sub>2</sub> emission trends of SC to MP or NT treatments. Besides CO<sub>2</sub> emission measurements, we also monitored environmental parameters such as soil temperature (Ts) and soil water content (SWC) in each treatment.</p><p>During the investigated year (2020 January - December) SC had higher annual mean CO<sub>2</sub> emission (0.115±0.083 mg m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>) compared to MP (0.099±0.089 mg m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>) and lower compared to NT (0.119±0.100 mg m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>). The difference of the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions was significant between SC and MP (p<0.05); however, it was not significant between SC and NT (p>0.05) treatments. The Ts dependency of CO<sub>2</sub> emission was moderate in all treatments. CO<sub>2</sub> emissions were moderately depended on SWC in MP and SC, and there was no correlation between these parameters in NT.</p><p>The annual mean CO<sub>2</sub> emission of the SC treatment was more similar to the NT, than to the MP treatment.</p>


2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1985-1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Rosa Álvarez ◽  
Alejandro Oscar Costantini ◽  
Alfredo Bono ◽  
Miguel Ángel Taboada ◽  
Flavio Hernán Gutiérrez Boem ◽  
...  

One of the expected benefits of no-tillage systems is a higher rate of soil C sequestration. However, higher C retention in soil is not always apparent when no-tillage is applied, due e.g., to substantial differences in soil type and initial C content. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of no-tillage management to increase the stock of total organic C in soils of the Pampas region in Argentina. Forty crop fields under no-tillage and conventional tillage systems and seven undisturbed soils were sampled. Total organic C, total N, their fractions and stratification ratios and the C storage capacity of the soils under different managements were assessed in samples to a depth of 30 cm, in three layers (0-5, 5-15 and 15-30 cm). The differences between the C pools of the undisturbed and cultivated soils were significant (p < 0.05) and most pronounced in the top (0-5 cm) soil layer, with more active C near the soil surface (undisturbed > no-tillage > conventional tillage). Based on the stratification ratio of the labile C pool (0-5/5-15 cm), the untilled were separated from conventionally tilled areas. Much of the variation in potentially mineralizable C was explained by this active C fraction (R² = 0.61) and by total organic C (R² = 0.67). No-till soils did not accumulate more organic C than conventionally tilled soils in the 0-30 cm layer, but there was substantial stratification of total and active C pools at no till sites. If the C stratification ratio is really an indicator of soil quality, then the C storage potential of no-tillage would be greater than in conventional tillage, at least in the surface layers. Particulate organic C and potentially mineralizable C may be useful to evaluate variations in topsoil organic matter.


1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt D. Thelen ◽  
James J. Kells ◽  
Donald Penner

Field trials were conducted in 1985 and 1986 to determine the effect of incorporation on volatilization of clomazone from soil. Volatilization was detected up to 2 weeks after surface-applied or soil-incorporated treatments of clomazone at 1.1 kg ai/ha. The amount of volatilization detected was greatest following rainfall and varied between years. More clomazone volatilized after surface application than after incorporation, regardless of the climatic conditions present. Clomazone volatilization detected was in the order of no-tillage > minimum tillage > conventional tillage.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6103
Author(s):  
Ali reza Safahani Langeroodi ◽  
Roberto Mancinelli ◽  
Emanuele Radicetti

Quinoa cultivation is well-adapted to sustainable cropping systems, even if seed yield could be severely limited due to several constraints, such as weeds. Field trials were performed in Gorgan (Iran) to quantify the effects of agro-ecological service crops (rye, CCr; winter vetch, CCw; and no cover, CC0), tillage regimes (conventional tillage, CT; and no-tillage, ZT), and herbicide rates (100% rate, H100; 75% rate, H75; and without herbicide, H0). Weed characteristics and quinoa yield were measured. Quinoa seed yield was the highest in CCw-ZT-H100. Seed yield in H100 and H75 were higher compared with H0 (2.30 vs. 1.58 t ha−1, respectively). Under conventional tillage, 46% of weed seeds were observed in the 0–10 cm soil layer and 54% in 10–20 cm soil layers, respectively, while, under no-tillage, about 63% of weed seeds were located up to 10 cm of soil. Amaranthus retroflexus L. was the most abundant species. The total weed density was the lowest in CCr-ZT-H100 and tended to be higher in CC0 (30.9 plant m−2) and under CT (29.0 plant m−2). These findings indicate that cover crops have potential for managing weeds in quinoa; however, their inclusion should be supported by chemical means to maintain high seed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Kelton ◽  
Andrew J. Price ◽  
Michael G. Patterson ◽  
C. Dale Monks ◽  
Edzard van Santen

Amaranthuscontrol in cotton can be difficult with the loss of glyphosate efficacy, especially in conservation-tillage cropping systems. Research was conduction from 2006 to 2008 at EV Smith Research Center, Shorter, AL, to determine the level of glyphosate-susceptibleAmaranthuscontrol provided by four initial tillage and herbicide treatments, including 1) moldboard plowing followed by a single-pass disking and field cultivation plus pendimethalin at 1.2 kg ai ha−1preplant incorporation (PPI), 2) two-pass disking followed by field cultivation plus pendimethalin at 1.2 kg ha−1PPI, 3) no tillage including an application of pendimethalin at 1.2 kg ha−1PRE, or 4) no tillage without pendimethalin in 2006. No further tillage practices or pendimethalin applications were utilized after study initiation. Initial tillage operations, including inversion with disking or disking twice, resulted inAmaranthusdensity of ≤ 4 plants m−2and 47 to 82% control, whereas no-tillage treatments had ≥ 4 plants m−2and 14 to 62% control. Subsequent applications of PRE herbicides included fluometuron at 1.68 kg ai ha−1or prometryn at 1.12 kg ai ha−1and provided 53 to 98% and 55 to 93% control, respectively, and reducedAmaranthusdensity compared to no PRE herbicide to < 2 plants m−2, regardless of tillage treatment. A POST application of glyphosate at 1.0 kg ae ha−1improved control in conjunction with almost all treatments in each year. Results indicate that a one-time tillage operation followed by a return to reduced tillage may aid in the reduction ofAmaranthusdensity when used with PRE-applied herbicides; however, this system will likely not provide adequate control when high population densities of glyphosate-resistantAmaranthusare present, thus highlighting the need for a highly efficacious POST herbicide system.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Linsler ◽  
Jacqueline Gerigk ◽  
Ilka Schmoock ◽  
Rainer Georg Jörgensen ◽  
Martin Potthoff

&lt;p&gt;Reduced tillage is assumed to be a suitable practice to maintain and promote microbial biomass and microbial activity in the soil. The microbial biomass in particular is considered as a sensitive indicator for detecting soil disturbances. The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of different tillage practices on microbial parameters in the soil. Furthermore, we analyzed the relation of those microbial parameters with site-specific conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To get a deeper insight in that topic, soils from different fields of agricultural farms with different tillage practices in France (12 fields), Romania (15 fields) and Sweden (17 fields) were examined within the &amp;#8220;SoilMan project&amp;#8221;. The tillage practices were no-tillage (absence of any tillage), minimum tillage (non-inversion tillage for instance by chisel plough or cultivator) and conventional tillage (inversion tillage by ploughing), all of which were carried out for at least five years prior to sampling. Soil samples were taken in spring 2018 from all fields under winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) at three soil depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm). As microbial parameters we measured microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen contents, ergosterol contents (as proxy for fungi) and basal respiration rates. For site-specific conditions we measured soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents, texture, pH and the soil water content.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Results show that microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were more affected by soil type and soil texture as well as climatic conditions (mean precipitation and temperature) than by tillage practices. For instance, an increased clay content had a positive effect on the microbial biomass and, in addition to the higher average annual temperature, explained the generally low values &amp;#8203;&amp;#8203;in France. The lack of inversion tillage primarily led to stratified levels of soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and ergosterol contents, which can be explained by the lack of crop residue incorporation. There were hardly any differences in microbial indicators between the tillage intensities when looking at the whole of the sampled soil profile (0-30 cm). In France, the microbial biomass carbon / soil organic carbon ratio was lower for no-tillage than for conventional tillage, which may indicate, among other things, that the mechanically ground organic matter incorporated into the soil under conventional tillage was better colonized by microorganisms. However, this effect could not be confirmed in the other countries. The metabolic quotient was generally increased at the lowest sampled depth (20-30 cm), irrespective of the cultivation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We can conclude that the soil tillage intensity influenced the distribution of microbial biomass carbon and soil organic carbon contents more strongly than the total amounts in the sampled soil profile and that the soil texture had a greater impact on microbial soil properties than the agricultural management practice.&lt;/p&gt;


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reji P. Mathew ◽  
Yucheng Feng ◽  
Leonard Githinji ◽  
Ramble Ankumah ◽  
Kipling S. Balkcom

Soil management practices influence soil physical and chemical characteristics and bring about changes in the soil microbial community structure and function. In this study, the effects of long-term conventional and no-tillage practices on microbial community structure, enzyme activities, and selected physicochemical properties were determined in a continuous corn system on a Decatur silt loam soil. The long-term no-tillage treatment resulted in higher soil carbon and nitrogen contents, viable microbial biomass, and phosphatase activities at the 0–5 cm depth than the conventional tillage treatment. Soil microbial community structure assessed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) varied by tillage practice and soil depth. The abundance of PLFAs indicative of fungi, bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and actinobacteria was consistently higher in the no-till surface soil. Results of principal components analysis based on soil physicochemical and enzyme variables were in agreement with those based on PLFA and ARISA profiles. Soil organic carbon was positively correlated with most of the PLFA biomarkers. These results indicate that tillage practice and soil depth were two important factors affecting soil microbial community structure and activity, and conservation tillage practices improve both physicochemical and microbiological properties of soil.


1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 568 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Taylor

In a rotation of 1 year pasture/l year crop, a subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum cv. Daliak) pasture was either left untilled or subjected to minimum or conventional tillage. One set of tillage treatments was imposed in each ofthree crop years while another set of treatments was imposed in only the first crop year. Regenerating clover plants were prevented from setting seed. In the first crop, 44% of the clover seeds were buried below 2 cm of soil by minimum tillage; this proportion was 65% in the conventional tillage treatment. In the first pasture regeneration year, seedling densities were highest in the no-tillage treatment. Conversely, there were more residual seeds in the tilled treatments and, in the second and third pasture regeneration years, this led to higher seedling densities than in the no-tillage treatment. The effects of tillage were more marked in the conventional than in the minimum-tillage treatment. Clover establishment was improved by repeat tillage operations which returned some of the buried seeds closer to the soil surface. Although more seedlings overall were obtained from the no-tillage treatment, the disadvantage of fewer seedlings in the tilled treatments was offset by the spread of seedling establishment over a number of pasture years. This spread, which would be more marked with harder-seeded cultivars, could be desirable in environments in which clover seed production is unreliable.


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