Green manure: Alternative to carbon sequestration in a Typic Ustipsamment under semiarid conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Virgilio Piraneque Gambasica ◽  
Sonia Esperanza Aguirre Forero ◽  
Adriano Reis Lucheta
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Semiarid Conditions

Vegetative soil cover mitigates climatic variability and enhances the balance between mineralization and humification processes. Under aerobic conditions, most of the carbon that enters the soil is labile, but a small fraction (1%) is humified and stable, contributing to the soil carbon reserve; therefore, it is important to assess the carbon content captured after green manure cultivation and decomposition. During two consecutive semesters, July to December 2016 and January to June 2017, green manure plots (<em>Zea mays </em>L., <em>Andropogon sorghum </em>subsp.<em> sudanensis </em>and <em>Crotalaria longirostrata</em>) were cultivated individually, in a consortium or amended with palm oil agro-industrial biosolids in a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments. Once decomposed, the different carbon fractions (organic, oxidizable, non-oxidizable, removable and total) were determined. The results showed high total and organic carbon contents under the sorghum treatment, at 30 and 28 Mg ha<sup>-1</sup>, respectively, followed by those under the fallow + biosolid treatment, at 29.8 Mg ha<sup>-1</sup> and 27.5 Mg ha<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. Despite the short experiment duration and the possible contributions of previous management on recalcitrant carbon soil stocks, these findings suggest the importance of maintaining plant cover and utilizing green manure in the Colombian Caribbean region. Long-term experiments may be conducted to confirm the full potential of cover crops on carbon sequestration under tropical semiarid conditions.

Alternatives to Glyphosate in conservation agriculture: effects on carbon sequestration in a field experiment in northern Italy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
alessia perego ◽  
marco acutis ◽  
calogero schillaci
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Field Experiment ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Cash Crop

&lt;p&gt;Conservative Agriculture (CA) practices are recognized to enhance soil organic carbon stock and in turn to mitigate the effect of climate change. One of the CA principles is to integrate cover crops (CC) into the cropping systems. The termination of CC before the cash crop sowing and the weeds control are the most critical aspects to manage in the CA. The technique currently adopted by farmers for the termination of CC implies the use of Glyphosate. However, the European Commission is currently discussing the possibility of banning the use of this herbicide due to the negative effects on human health and the agro-environment. The disk harrow (DH) or the roller-crimper (RC) can be adopted in CA as an alternative to the use of Glyphosate for the devitalization of CC, their incorporation into the soil (in the case of the disk harrow), and the reduction of weed pressure on the subsequent cash crop.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From November 2017 to October 2019, soil organic carbon (SOC, g kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;) and crop biomass production were observed in a 2-year field experiment located in Lodi (northern Italy), in which minimum tillage (MT) has been applied for the last 5 years. The soil was loamy and SOC was 16.2 g kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; at the beginning of the experiment. The winter CC was barley (from November to May) and the cash crop was soybean (from June to October). The experiment consisted in three treatments replied for two consecutive years in a randomized block design: Glyphosate spray + DH + sowing + hoeing (MT-GLY); DH + sowing + hoeing (MT-ORG); RC + sod seeding (NT-ORG).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At the end of 2019, SOC resulted in a higher increase in MT-GLY (+15%) and in MT-ORG (+14%) than in NT-ORG (+6%; p&lt;0.01). This was due to the fact that CC litter in NT-ORG was not in direct contact with soil particles and the process of immobilization was lower than in the other treatments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Moreover, the increase in SOC resulted positively correlated to the CC biomass (2018+2019), which was significantly lower in NT-ORG. In particular, no differences of soybean and CC between the three treatments were observed at the end of 2018, but MT-GLY resulted in significantly higher CC and soybean biomass at the end of the second year (+32%, p&lt;0.01). MT-GLY allows to stock more carbon via photosynthesis that in turn results in higher SOC content.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;However, if we consider the tractor fuel consumption (for Glyphosate spray, DH, RC, hoeing), along with the biomass production, the carbon sequestration did not vary between the three treatments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Further studies are needed for the definition of optimized field management practices to reduce the passage of machinery while increasing crop production and SOC.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL AND COFFEE PRODUCTION CULTIVATED WITH DIFFERENT COVERAGE PLANTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF BIOATIVADOR

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kleso Silva Franco ◽  
Ana Beatriz Carvalho Terra ◽  
Tiago Rezende Teruel ◽  
José Ricardo Mantovani ◽  
Ligiane Aparecida Florentino
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Raphanus Sativus ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Nutrient Contents ◽  
Avena Strigosa ◽  
Randomized Block Design ◽  
Urochloa Brizantha ◽  
Properties Of Soil

<p> Coffee cultivation has great socio-economic relevance in Brazil for the employment and income generation and there is currently a constant search for sustainable management techniques. Among them, we can mention the use of cover crops and soil bioactivators. However, studies relating the use of these two techniques are still incipient. Based on this, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the Penergetic® bioactivator associated with different cover crops on chemical properties of soil and coffee productivity. The experiment was carried out in a coffee field with Catuaí Vermelho cultivar IAC 144, in a randomized block design in a factorial scheme 4 (soil cover) x 2 (use or not of the Penergetic® bioactivator), consisting of control (without plant cover); oats (<em>Avena strigosa</em>) + forage turnip (<em>Raphanus sativus</em> L); oats (<em>Avena strigosa</em>) + forage turnip (<em>Raphanus sativus</em> L) + lupine (<em>Lupine albus</em>) + rye (<em>Secale cereale</em>) + vetch (<em>Vicia sativa</em>); Brachiaria brizantha (<em>Urochloa brizantha</em>), associated or not with the use of the Penergetic® bioactivator. The experiment was conducted for 6 months and after that period, the chemical properties of soil, the nutrient contents of the coffee plants, the development of the branches and the coffee productivity were analyzed. Data were analyzed by the Scott Knott test at 5% probability. It was verified the interaction between cover crops and the use of the Penergetic® bioactivator, positively influencing soil chemical characteristics, coffee nutrition and productivity.</p>

In memory of Vera Antonovna Martynenko (1936-2018)

2018 ◽  
pp. 149-154
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Ussr Academy ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Komi Republic ◽  
Great Contribution ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Natural Flora

Vera Antonovna Martynenko (17.02.1936–06.01.2018) — famous specialist in the field of studying vascular plant flora and vegetation of the Far North, the Honored worker of the Komi Republic (2006), The Komi Republic State Scientific Award winner (2000). She was born in the town Likhoslavl of the Kali­nin (Tver) region. In 1959, Vera Antonovna graduated from the faculty of soil and biology of the Leningrad State University and then moved to the Komi Branch of USSR Academy of Science (Syktyvkar). From 1969 to 1973 she passed correspondence postgraduate courses of the Komi Branch of USSR Academy of ­Science. In 1974, she received the degree of candidate of biology (PhD) by the theme «Comparative analysis of the boreal flora at the Northeast European USSR» in the Botanical Institute (St. Petersburg). In 1996, Vera Antonovna received the degree of doctor of biology in the Institute of plant and animal ecology (Ekaterinburg) «Flora of the northern and mid subzones of the taiga of the European North-East». The study and conservation of species and coenotical diversity of the plant world, namely the vascular plants flora of the Komi Republic and revealing its transformation under the anthropogenic influence, was in the field of V. A. Martynenko’ scientific interests. She made great contribution to the study of the Komi Republic meadow flora and the pool of medi­cinal plants. She performed inventorying and mapping the meadows of several agricultural enterprises of the Republic, revealed the species composition and places for harvesting medicinal plants and studied their productivity in the natural flora of the boreal zone. The results of her long-term studies were used for making the NPA system and the Red Book of the Komi Republic (1998 and 2009). Vera Antonovna participated in the research of the influence of placer gold mining and oil development on the natural ecosystems of the North, and developed the method of long-term monitoring of plant cover. Results of these works are of high practical value. V. A. Martynenko is an author and coauthor of more than 130 scientific publications. The most important jnes are «Flora of Northeast European USSR» (1974, 1976, and 1977), «Floristic composition of fodder lands of the Northeast Europe» (1989), «The forests of the Komi Republic» (1999), «Forestry of forest resources of the Komi Republic» (2000), «The list of flora of the Yugyd va national park» (2003), «The guide for vascular plants of the Syktyvkar and its vicinities» (2005), «Vascular plants of the Komi Republic» (2008), and «Resources of the natural flora of the Komi Republic» (2014). She also was an author of «Encyclopedia of the Komi Republic» (1997, 1999, and 2000), «Historical and cultural atlas of the Komi Republic» (1997), «Atlas of the Komi Republic» (2001, 2011). V. A. Martynenko made a great contribution to the development of the botanical investigations in the North. Since 1982, during more than 10 years, she was the head of the Department of the Institute of Biology. Three Ph. D. theses have been completed under her leadership. Many years, she worked actively in the Dissertation Council of the Institute of biology Komi Scientific Centre UrB RAS.  The death of Vera Antonovna Martynenko is a heavy and irretrievable loss for the staff of the Institute of Biology. The memory of Vera Antonovna will live in her numerous scientific works, the hearts of students and colleagues.

scholarly journals Effect of ecological and conventional managements on soil enzymatic activities in coffee agroecosystems

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 420-428
Author(s):  
Johana Juliet Caballero Vanegas ◽  
Karen Bibiana Mejía Zambrano ◽  
Lizeth Manuela Avellaneda-Torres
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Enzymatic Activities ◽  
Acid And Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Synthetic Fertilizers ◽  
Coffee Agroecosystems ◽  
Alkaline And Acid Phosphatase

ABSTRACT Understanding the impacts of agricultural practices on soil quality indicators, such as enzymatic activities, is of great importance, in order to advance in their diagnosis and sustainable management. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ecological and conventional agricultural managements on enzymatic activities of a soil under coffee agroecosystems. The enzymatic activities were associated with the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (urease and protease), phosphorus (acid and alkaline phosphatase) and carbon (β-glucosidase), during the rainy and dry seasons. Physical-chemical soil proprieties were also assessed and related to resilience scores linked to the climatic variability reported for the areas under study. The activities of urease, alkaline and acid phosphatase and ß-glucosidase were statistically higher in ecological agroecosystems than in conventional ones. This may be attributed to the greater application of organic waste in the ecological environment, as well as to the absence of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which allow better conditions for the microbial activity. The resilience scores to the climate variability that showed the highest correlations with the assessed enzymatic activities were: the farmers' knowledge on soil microorganisms, non-use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and non-dependence on external supplies. It was concluded that the enzymatic activities are modified by the management systems, being specifically favored by the ecological management. This agroecosystem, in the long term, ensures an efficient use of the soil resources, with a lower degradation and contamination.

scholarly journals Cover Crop Contributions to Improve the Soil Nitrogen and Carbon Sequestration in Almond Orchards (SW Spain)

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 387
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres ◽  
Manuel Moreno-García ◽  
Rafaela Ordóñez-Fernández ◽  
Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana ◽  
Belén Cárceles Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Nitrogen ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Nitrate Content ◽  
Sw Spain ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Almond Orchards ◽  
Shallow Soils

Almond (Prunus dulcis Mill. [D.A. Webb]) is the third most widely spread crop in Spain and has traditionally been cultivated in marginal areas and shallow soils under rainfed conditions. However, it recently has been progressively introduced in flat irrigated areas. The implementation of cover crops in the inter-rows of woody crops has been proven as a suitable strategy to reduce the runoff and soil erosion but they also can boost soil quality and health. A field experiment was conducted during two-monitoring seasons to examine the soil nitrogen and carbon sequestration potential of three seeded cover crops [barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), and a mixture of 65% barley and 35% vetch] and a control of spontaneous flora in irrigated almond orchards (SW Spain). Here, we show that barley provided the highest biomass amount, followed by mixture covers, vetch, and the control treatment. Also, vetch covered the soil faster in the growing stage, but its residues were decomposed easier than barley and mixture treatments during the decomposition period after mowing, providing less soil protection when the risk of water erosion with autumn rainfall is high. On the other hand, vetch improved soil nitrate content by over 35% with respect to barley and mixture treatments at 0–20 cm soil depth throughout the studied period. In addition, a greater carbon input to the soil was determined in the barley plot. That is, the mixture and barley cover crops had higher potential for carbon sequestration, augmenting the soil organic carbon by more than 1.0 Mg ha−1 during the study period. Thus, taking into consideration the findings of the present experiment, the establishment of a seeded cover crop would be more advisable than spontaneous flora to mitigate soil erosion, enhancing soil fertility and carbon sequestration in irrigated almond plantations in Mediterranean semi-arid regions.

scholarly journals Spring-planted cover crops for weed control in soybean

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Katja Koehler-Cole ◽  
Christopher A. Proctor ◽  
Roger W. Elmore ◽  
David A. Wedin
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Small Grains

Abstract Replacing tillage with cover crops (CC) for weed management in corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] systems with mechanical weed control has many soil health benefits but in the western Corn Belt, CC establishment after harvest is hampered by cold temperatures, limited labor and few compatible CC species. Spring-planted CC may be an alternative, but information is lacking on suitable CC species. Our objective was to evaluate four spring-planted CC with respect to biomass production and weed suppression, concurrent with CC growth and post-termination. Cover crop species tested were oat (Avena sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), brown mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] and yellow mustard (Brassica hirta Moench). They were compared to no-CC treatments that were either tilled pre- and post-planting of soybean (no-CC tilled) or not tilled at all (no-CC weedy). CC were planted in late March to early April, terminated 52–59 days later using an undercutter, and soybean was planted within a week. The experiment had a randomized complete block design with four replications and was repeated for 3 years. Mustards and small grains produced similar amounts of biomass (1.54 Mg ha−1) but mustard biomass production was more consistent (0.85–2.72 Mg ha−1) than that of the small grains (0.35–3.81 Mg ha−1). Relative to the no-CC weedy treatment, mustards suppressed concurrent weed biomass in two out of 3 years, by 31–97%, and small grains suppressed concurrent weed biomass in only 1 year, by 98%. Six weeks after soybean planting, small grains suppressed weed biomass in one out of 3 years, by 79% relative to the no-CC weedy treatment, but mustards did not provide significant weed suppression. The no-CC tilled treatment suppressed weeds each year relative to the no-CC weedy treatment, on average 87%. The ineffective weed control by CC reduced soybean biomass by about 50% six weeks after planting. While spring-planted CC have the potential for pre-plant weed control, they do not provide adequate early season weed suppression for soybean.

Phytolith-occluded organic carbon as a mechanism for long-term carbon sequestration in a typical steppe: The predominant role of belowground productivity

2017 ◽  
Vol 577 ◽  
pp. 413-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Limin Qi ◽  
Frank Yonghong Li ◽  
Zhangting Huang ◽  
Peikun Jiang ◽  
Taogetao Baoyin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Predominant Role ◽  
Typical Steppe ◽  
Belowground Productivity

Progress towards no-till organic weed control in western Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Shirtliffe ◽  
Eric N. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Faba Bean ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Field Pea ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
No Till ◽  
Green Manure Crops

AbstractOrganic farmers in western Canada rely on tillage to control weeds and incorporate crop residues that could plug mechanical weed-control implements. However, tillage significantly increases the risk of soil erosion. For farmers seeking to reduce or eliminate tillage, potential alternatives include mowing or using a roller crimper for terminating green manure crops (cover crops) or using a minimum tillage (min-till) rotary hoe for mechanically controlling weeds. Although many researchers have studied organic crop production in western Canada, few have studied no-till organic production practices. Two studies were recently conducted in Saskatchewan to determine the efficacy of the following alternatives to tillage: mowing and roller crimping for weed control, and min-till rotary hoeing weed control in field pea (Pisum sativum L.). The first study compared mowing and roller crimping with tillage when terminating faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and field pea green manure crops. Early termination of annual green manure crops with roller crimping or mowing resulted in less weed regrowth compared with tillage. When compared with faba bean, field pea produced greater crop biomass, suppressed weeds better and had less regrowth. Wheat yields following pea were not affected by the method of termination. Thus, this first study indicated that roller crimping and mowing are viable alternatives to tillage to terminate field pea green manure crops. The second study evaluated the tolerance and efficacy of a min-till rotary harrow in no-till field pea production. The min-till rotary hoe was able to operate in no-till cereal residues and multiple passes did not affect the level of residue cover. Field pea exhibited excellent tolerance to the min-till rotary hoe. Good weed control occurred with multiple rotary hoe passes, and pea seed yield was 87% of the yield obtained in the herbicide-treated check. Therefore, this second study demonstrated that min-till rotary hoeing effectively controls many small seeded annual weeds in the presence of crop residue and thus can reduce the need for tillage in organic-cropping systems.

Plantation Agriculture in the Tropics

2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred E. Hartemink
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Fertility Decline ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Perennial Crops ◽  
Tropical Countries ◽  
Plantation Agriculture ◽  
National Economies

Plantation agriculture is more than 400 years old and contributes to the regional and national economies in many tropical countries. This paper reviews some of the main environmental issues related to plantation agriculture with perennial crops, including soil erosion, soil fertility decline, pollution, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Soil erosion and soil fertility decline are of concern in some areas, but in most plantations these are being checked by cover crops and inorganic fertilizer applications. Few studies have been conducted on the issue of carbon sequestration under perennial plantation cropping. Reductions in deforestation yield much greater benefits for a reduction in CO2 emissions than expanding plantation agriculture. The biggest threat to biodiversity is the loss of habitat through expansion of the plantation area. Despite the environmental problems and concerns, this review has shown that crop yields of most perennial crops have increased over time due to improved crop husbandry including high-yielding cultivars and improved soil management. It is likely that more attention will be given to the environmental aspects of plantation cropping due to the increasing environmental awareness in tropical countries.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document