scholarly journals Horizontal ridging with mulching as the best tillage practice to reduce surface runoff and erosion in a Mollisol hillslope at the maize seedling stage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yucheng Wang ◽  
Dayong Guo ◽  
Wuliang Shi ◽  
Bin Li ◽  
Jinhu Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Maize Seedling ◽  
Seedling Stage ◽  
Buffer Strips ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Total Runoff

Soil erosion features and ideal tillage practices are not very clear at the crop seedling stage in Chinese Mollisols. Simulated rainfall experiments were conducted at the rainfall intensities of 50 and 100 mm h-1 to investigate the differences in soil erosion of a 5° hillslope during the maize seedling stage between conservation and conventional tillage measures, including cornstalk mulching (Cm), horizontal ridging (Hr), horizontal ridging + mulching (Hr+Cm), vertical ridging + mulching (Vr+Cm), flat-tillage (CK), and vertical ridging (Vr). The results demonstrated that crops could remit soil erosion at the seedling stage by reducing the kinetic energy and changing the distribution of raindrops. The conservation tillage measures significantly alleviated total runoff (11.7%–100%) and sediment yield (71.1%–100%), postponed runoff-yielding time (85 s–26.1 min), decreased runoff velocity (71.5%–96.7%), and reduced runoff and soil loss rate, compared to the conventional tillage measures. Practices with mulching showed better performance than Hr. Mulching reduced sediment concentration by decreasing runoff velocity and soil particle filtration in a manner similar to buffer strips. The contour ridge ruptured earlier at 100 mm h-1 than at 50 mm h-1 and changed the characteristics of the soil erosion by providing a larger sediment source to the surface flow. Runoff strength, rather than soil erodibility, was the key factor affecting soil erosion. Decreasing runoff velocity was more important than controlling runoff amount. The Hr + Cm treatment exhibited the lowest soil erosion and is, thus, recommended at the corn seedling stage.

Effects of Conventional Tillage and Conservation Tillage on Soil Organic Carbon

2013 ◽  
Vol 726-731 ◽  
pp. 3832-3836
Author(s):  
Song Wei Jia
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Agricultural Soil ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices

For the last decades, because of increasing attention to global change, the carbon cycle in the terrestrial ecosystem has become a hotspot problem for every country. It has 1.6 Pg/a C to release into atmosphere because of the irrational land-use, quickening the step of global warming trend. But agricultural soil has the double-sword effects. If improper soil tillage practices are adopted, agricultural soil may become the source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And if adopting effective management measurement and scientific tillage technology, agricultural soil may become carbon sink. This paper reviewed the effects of conventional tillage and conservation tillage on soil organic carbon (SOC), and found that conservation tillage has a huge potential for sequestrating organic carbon compared with conventional tillage. Finally, the important significance of agriculture soil carbon sequestration was discussed in detail.

Diseases of wheat and barley in conservation cropping systems of the semiarid Pacific Northwest

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 95-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard W. Smiley
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Conservation Farming ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Summer Fallow

AbstractDiseases continue to be important constraints in wheat and barley conservation cropping systems in the semiarid Pacific Northwest. Several diseases are more damaging in highthan low-residue seedbeds, and in crops planted during early autumn to reduce soil erosion during winter, especially unirrigated winter wheat in rotation with summer fallow in low rainfall zones (250–400 mm). Changes in cropping systems in the region have made disease management and maintenance of yield goals and farm profitability more challenging because disease management often is more complex and expensive with conservation tillage than inversion tillage. Practices being developed to meet this challenge are reviewed for diseases that are particularly trouble some in conservation farming systems of the Pacific Northwest.

Short-term tillage practices on soil organic matter pools in a tropical Ultisol

Soil Research ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 687 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Sotomayor-Ramírez ◽  
Yusmary Espinoza ◽  
Rafael Rámos-Santana
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Aggregate Size ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Equal Proportion ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Soil Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Tillage Practices

In tropical regions, pasture establishment involves tillage operations. Adoption of conservation tillage practices could result in lower costs and in improved soil quality by decreasing soil organic carbon (SOC) losses. This study investigated the effects of 3 tillage practices on the establishment of Brachiaria decumbens and on the total SOC and soil organic nitrogen (SON) content and its fractions in an Ultisol from the humid mountain zone of Puerto Rico that was previously under pasture. The treatments evaluated were no-tillage, minimum tillage, and conventional tillage (CT). At 120 days after planting (DAP), plant cover and density was improved in the CT treatment compared with the other treatments. At 180 DAP, there were no significant differences in the SOC, SON, aggregate size distribution, distribution of C within aggregate size classes, and labile C physical fractions among tillage treatments. Approximately 60% of the total SOC associated with aggregates was found within macroaggregates. About an equal proportion of the particulate organic matter (POM) was associated within aggregates and nonaggregate-protected free light fraction, and these were not affected by tillage management. Lower amounts of C mineralised after disruption of macroaggregates containing POM with high C/N ratio was probably due to immobilisation of the more labile protected C (iPOM). Labile forms of C were greater in macroaggregates than in microaggregates, yet comprised a lower proportion of total SOC, suggesting that macroaggregates have a greater proportion of C physically protected from microbial attack. The results indicate that there are no short-term changes in the tendency of the soil to lose C and N as a result of tillage practices for the establishment of pastures in this soil.

scholarly journals Conservation tillage regulates soil bacterial community assemblies, network structures and ecological functions in black soils

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuxiu Liu ◽  
Haidong Gu ◽  
Aizhen Liang ◽  
Lujun Li ◽  
Qin Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Soil Bacterial Community ◽  
Community Structures ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Degrading Bacteria ◽  
Soil Bacterial

Abstract Aims Conventional tillage is a serious threat to the stability of soil ecosystems. Understanding the response mechanisms of soil microbial community assemblies to anthropogenic activities is a major topic of ecological research. Methods Here, we investigated the bacterial community structures and assemblies in bulk and rhizosphere soils of soybeans grown with conventional tillage (moldboard plow, MP) and with conservation tillage that involved no-tillage (NT) or ridge tillage (RT) using high-throughput sequencing methods. Results We found that soil bacterial community compositions, structures and assembly processes were primarily altered by tillage practices. Briefly, in comparison to MP, NT and RT increased the relative abundances of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria Mesorhizobium sp., Bradyrhizobium sp. and Burkholderia sp., but decreased the abundance of soil carbon-degrading bacteria, especially Blastococcus sp., Streptomyces sp. and Sphingomonas sp. In addition, in comparison to MP, NT and RT resulted in more stable bacterial networks and more lower the relative contribution of homogenizing dispersal. Soil pH was the primary soil factor regulating both the bacterial community structures and assembly processes under the three tillage practices. Conclusions The altered functional bacteria under conservation tillage was mostly affiliated with biomarkers and keystone taxa, inferring that conservation tillage might contribute to biological nitrogen fixation and soil carbon sequestration.

scholarly journals Effect of Conservation Tillage on Yield and Economics of Fodder Crops

2020 ◽  
pp. 529-539
Author(s):  
Rajesh Khan ◽  
Saikat Biswas ◽  
Champak Kumar Kundu ◽  
Kalyan Jana
Keyword(s):  
West Bengal ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Forage Yield ◽  
Central Research ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Fodder Crops ◽  
Main Plot ◽  
Soil Status

In order to find out the efficacy of conservation tillage on yield and economics of fodder crops over conventional tillage in new alluvial zone of West Bengal, a field experiment was conducted at Central Research Farm, Gayeshpur, West Bengal, India during summer season of 2016 and 2017 comprising 3 tillage practices (T1: zero tillage, T2: minimum tillage, T3: conventional tillage) in main plot and 4 fodder crops (C1: maize, C2: sorghum, C3: rice bean, C4: cowpea) in subplot and replicated thrice in a split plot design. Mean data confirmed the superiority of conservation tillage over conventional tillage in improving soil status and thereby, crop performance. Cereal crop maize when grown under zero tillage produced highest green forage yield (42.33 t/ha), dry matter yield (7.84 t/ha). However, regarding crude protein yield, cowpea showed superiority over others specially when grown under zero tillage condition (1.071 t/ha). Mean data also stated that legume crops under conservation tillage remained economically more viable than cereal crops. Specifically, cultivation of cowpea under zero tillage condition was economically most profitable (B:C of 2.21) and therefore can be recommended in this region.

scholarly journals Effects of conservation tillage on soil porosity in maize-wheat cropping system

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Tangyuan ◽  
H. Bin ◽  
J. Nianyuan ◽  
T. Shenzhong ◽  
L. Zengjia
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Total Porosity ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Soil Porosity ◽  
Capillary Porosity ◽  
Tillage Practices

A study was conducted on the effect of two single practices, including soil tillage and returning straw to soil, and their interaction on soil porosity of maize-wheat cropping system. Field experiments involved four tillage practices, including conventional tillage (C), zero-tillage (Z), harrow-tillage (H) and subsoil-tillage (S), with straw absent (A) or straw present (P). Total porosity, capillary porosity and non-capillary porosity of soil were investigated. The results showed that the soil total porosity of 0–10 soil layer was mostly affected; conventional tillage can increase the capillary porosity of soil, but the non-capillary porosity of S was the highest. Returning of straw can increase the porosity of soil. Through the analysis of affecting force, it can be concluded that interaction of soil tillage and straw is the most important factor to soil porosity, while the controlling factor to non-capillary porosity was soil tillage treatment.

scholarly journals Surface runoff, subsurface drainflow and soil erosion as affected by tillage in a clayey Finnish soil

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 332 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. TURTOLA ◽  
L. ALAKUKKU ◽  
R. UUSITALO
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Clayey Soil ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Water Conductivity ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Soil Losses

Conservation tillage practices were tested against autumn mouldboard ploughing for differences in physical properties of soil, surface runoff, subsurface drainflow and soil erosion. The study (1991 -2001) was performed on a gently (2%) sloping clayey soil of southern Finland, with two replicates of the tillage treatments on 0.5 ha plots. The annual shares of surface runoff of the total flow (surface runoff + subsurface drainflow) were 8–42% for ploughing (depth 20–23 cm), 36–66% for shallow autumn stubble cultivation (depth 5–8 cm) and 36–82% for soil left untilled over winter. Surface runoff increased with decrease in the tillage intensity, and in line with the values of depressional water storage, macroporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Erodibility of this gently sloping soil was at highest after autumn and spring tillage operations and decreased with time. Shallow autumn tillage produced erosion as high as mouldboard ploughing (407–1700 kg ha–1yr–1), but 48% and 12% lower erosion levels were measured from plots left untilled in autumn, covered by grass or barley residues, respectively. Eroded soil particles moved relatively freely to the subsurface drains, which carried 37–94% of the annual soil losses from the field. The study shows that even on the relatively flat clayey soils typical for southern Finland, tillage has a great influence on soil losses. The frequency of tillage needs to be reduced rather than the depth of tillage on clayey soils with poor water conductivity and structural stability if soil loss is to be diminished by conservation tillage.;

scholarly journals Application of Vegetative Buffer Strips Under Natural Rainfall to Conserve Soil and Water

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-27
Author(s):  
Ataollah Kavian ◽  
Iman Saleh ◽  
Mahmoud Habibnejad ◽  
Zeinab Jafarian
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Maximum Efficiency ◽  
Buffer Strips ◽  
Vetiver Grass ◽  
Sediment Control ◽  
Runoff Volume ◽  
Experimental Plots

Abstract Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental issues in the world. The use of vegetative buffer strips is an effective strategy to reduce surface water pollutions as well as soil erosion. The present research has been conducted with aim to study the efficiency of buffer strips in runoff volume and sediment control using experimental plots. In this regard, twelve experimental plots with the dimensions of 1 m × 10 m were provided, and runoff samples were collected monthly to measure runoff volume and sediment. Vetiver grass and tall fescue were used as the plant species of the studied vegetative buffer strips. It was found that, vegetative buffer strips reduced the runoff volume up to 97% and sediment concentration up to 96%. Vetiver grass showed a high efficiency in runoff and sediment control; but, the maximum efficiency is achieved when this species is used along with a plant similar to the tall fescue in terms of density and uniformity. Also, periodic cutting the plants and cleaning the buffer strips can be considered as effective strategies to prevent vegetative buffer strips acting as the source of sediment.

scholarly journals Impact of Stale Seedbed Production on Seedling Diseases in Cotton

Plant Disease ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 89 (7) ◽  
pp. 744-748 ◽  
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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