scholarly journals Soil Arthropod Responses in Agroecosystem: Implications of Different Management and Cropping Systems

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 982
Author(s):  
Cristina Menta ◽  
Federica Delia Conti ◽  
Carlos Lozano Fondón ◽  
Francesca Staffilani ◽  
Sara Remelli
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Models ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Arthropods ◽  
Soil Biodiversity ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Emilia Romagna Region ◽  
Reduction Of Co2 ◽  
The Impact

The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP 2014–2020) on soil management points to the combination of sustainable food production with environmental protection, reduction of CO2 emissions, and safeguarding of soil biodiversity. In this study, three farms (in the Emilia-Romagna region), managed with both conventional and conservation practices (the last ones with and without sub-irrigation systems), were monitored from 2014 to 2017 to highlight the impact of different crops and soil managements on soil arthropods, in terms of abundance, composition, and soil biological quality (applying QBS-ar index). To do this, linear mixed models were performed, whereas arthropods assemblages were studied through PERMANOVA and SIMPER analysis. Soil communities varied among farms, although most differences were found among crops depending on management practices. Nonetheless, conservation systems and a wider reduction in anthropogenic practices provided better conditions for soil fauna, enhancing QBS-ar. Moreover, arthropod groups responded to soil practices differently, highlighting their sensitivity to agricultural management. Community assemblages in corn and wheat differed between managements, mainly due to Acari and Collembola, respectively. In conservation management, wheat showed the overall greatest abundance of arthropods, owing to the great number of Acari, Collembola, and Hymenoptera, while the number of arthropod groups were generally higher in crop residues of forage.

scholarly journals Earthworm Abundance Changes Depending on Soil Management Practices in Slovenian Vineyards

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1241
Author(s):  
Stanko Vršič ◽  
Marko Breznik ◽  
Borut Pulko ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Soil Biodiversity ◽  
Straw Mulch ◽  
Green Cover ◽  
The Impact

Earthworms are key indicators of soil quality and health in vineyards, but research that considers different soil management systems, especially in Slovenian viticultural areas is scarce. In this investigation, the impact of different soil management practices such as permanent green cover, the use of herbicides in row and inter-row areas, use of straw mulch, and shallow soil tillage compared to meadow control for earthworm abundance, were assessed. The biomass and abundance of earthworms (m2) and distribution in various soil layers were quantified for three years. Monitoring and a survey covering 22 May 2014 to 5 October 2016 in seven different sampling dates, along with a soil profile at the depth from 0 to 60 cm, were carried out. Our results showed that the lowest mean abundance and biomass of earthworms in all sampling periods were registered along the herbicide strip (within the rows). The highest abundance was found in the straw mulch and permanent green cover treatments (higher than in the control). On the plots where the herbicide was applied to the complete inter-row area, the abundance of the earthworm community decreased from the beginning to the end of the monitoring period. In contrast, shallow tillage showed a similar trend of declining earthworm abundance, which could indicate a deterioration of soil biodiversity conditions. We concluded that different soil management practices greatly affect the soil’s environmental conditions (temperature and humidity), especially in the upper soil layer (up to 15 cm deep), which affects the abundance of the earthworm community. Our results demonstrated that these practices need to be adapted to the climate and weather conditions, and also to human impacts.

scholarly journals Friend or Foe? Impacts of Dietary Xylans, Xylooligosaccharides, and Xylanases on Intestinal Health and Growth Performance of Monogastric Animals

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 609
Author(s):  
Jonathan T. Baker ◽  
Marcos E. Duarte ◽  
Debora M. Holanda ◽  
Sung Woo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Crop Residues ◽  
Structural Difference ◽  
Nutrient Release ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Degree Of Polymerization ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Intestinal Health ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

This paper discusses the structural difference and role of xylan, procedures involved in the production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS), and their implementation into animal feeds. Xylan is non-starch polysaccharides that share a β-(1-4)-linked xylopyranose backbone as a common feature. Due to the myriad of residues that can be substituted on the polymers within the xylan family, more anti-nutritional factors are associated with certain types of xylan than others. XOS are sugar oligomers extracted from xylan-containing lignocellulosic materials, such as crop residues, wood, and herbaceous biomass, that possess prebiotic effects. XOS can also be produced in the intestine of monogastric animals to some extent when exogenous enzymes, such as xylanase, are added to the feed. Xylanase supplementation is a common practice within both swine and poultry production to reduce intestinal viscosity and improve digestive utilization of nutrients. The efficacy of xylanase supplementation varies widely due a number of factors, one of which being the presence of xylanase inhibitors present in common feedstuffs. The use of prebiotics in animal feeding is gaining popularity as producers look to accelerate growth rate, enhance intestinal health, and improve other production parameters in an attempt to provide a safe and sustainable food product. Available research on the impact of xylan, XOS, as well as xylanase on the growth and health of swine and poultry, is also summarized. The response to xylanase supplementation in swine and poultry feeds is highly variable and whether the benefits are a result of nutrient release from NSP, reduction in digesta viscosity, production of short chain xylooligosaccharides or a combination of these is still in question. XOS supplementation seems to benefit both swine and poultry at various stages of production, as well as varying levels of XOS purity and degree of polymerization; however, further research is needed to elucidate the ideal dosage, purity, and degree of polymerization needed to confer benefits on intestinal health and performance in each respective species.

scholarly journals The effect of crop residues, cover crops, manures and nitrogen fertilization on soil organic carbon changes in agroecosystems: a synthesis of reviews

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 929-952
Author(s):  
Martin A. Bolinder ◽  
Felicity Crotty ◽  
Annemie Elsen ◽  
Magdalena Frac ◽  
Tamás Kismányoky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Residue Retention

Abstract International initiatives are emphasizing the capture of atmospheric CO2 in soil organic C (SOC) to reduce the climatic footprint from agroecosystems. One approach to quantify the contribution of management practices towards that goal is through analysis of long-term experiments (LTEs). Our objectives were to analyze knowledge gained in literature reviews on SOC changes in LTEs, to evaluate the results regarding interactions with pedo-climatological factors, and to discuss disparities among reviews in data selection criteria. We summarized mean response ratios (RRs) and stock change rate (SCR) effect size indices from twenty reviews using paired comparisons (N). The highest RRs were found with manure applications (30%, N = 418), followed by aboveground crop residue retention and the use of cover crops (9–10%, N = 995 and 129), while the effect of nitrogen fertilization was lowest (6%, N = 846). SCR for nitrogen fertilization exceeded that for aboveground crop residue retention (233 versus 117 kg C ha−1 year−1, N = 183 and 279) and was highest for manure applications and cover crops (409 and 331 kg C ha−1 year−1, N = 217 and 176). When data allows, we recommend calculating both RR and SCR because it improves the interpretation. Our synthesis shows that results are not always consistent among reviews and that interaction with texture and climate remain inconclusive. Selection criteria for study durations are highly variable, resulting in irregular conclusions for the effect of time on changes in SOC. We also discuss the relationships of SOC changes with yield and cropping systems, as well as conceptual problems when scaling-up results obtained from field studies to regional levels.

Do farming practices influence the incidence of Childers canegrubs, Antitrogus parvulus Britton (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae)?

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Allsopp ◽  
Timothy W. A. Fischer ◽  
George S. Bade ◽  
David J. Dall
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Release ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Ratoon Crop ◽  
Insecticide Application ◽  
Previous Crop ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Third Instar Larvae

The impact of farming practices on numbers of Childers canegrubs was determined in southern Queensland by a survey of 441 field–year combinations that related practices to the numbers of second- and third-instar larvae in those fields, and by a field experiment that tested combinations of insecticide application, cultivation practices, and crop-residue retention on numbers of larvae and associated entomopathogens. There were significant differences in levels of infestation among years, soil types, crop ages, cultivars grown, insecticide-use strategies, crop-replacement strategies, intensity and frequency of tillage during crop replacement, and irrigation strategies. In the field trial, numbers of third-instar larvae declined as the larvae aged, probably through infection by the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and the protozoan Adelina sp. Application at planting of the controlled-release insecticide suSCon Blue had an immediate effect on the number of larvae carried over from the previous crop cycle and this effect continued into the second-ratoon crop. The insecticide application increased cane and sugar yields, particularly in the first-ratoon crop. More intensive pre-planting tillage initially reduced numbers of larvae, but the effect did not continue into the ratoon crops. Management of crop residues had no consistent effect on numbers of larvae, but cane yields were higher and sugar content lower in the second-ratoon crop when residues were retained, and led to higher sugar yields where suSCon Blue had been applied. In general, long breaks between successive sugarcane crops, coupled with intensive tillage in that break and application of controlled-release insecticide, will reduce subsequent populations of larvae. The alternative strategy of herbicide destruction of the previous crop, long fallow with minimum tillage, replanting without controlled-release insecticide, and prudent use of transient insecticides in heavily infested ratoon crops will also minimise numbers and may allow better survival of entomopathogens. These strategies have been integrated into management practices attractive to growers.

scholarly journals Influence of Different Fertility Management Practices on Productivity and Economics of Forage Soybean

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waseem Raja ◽  
M. Anwar Bhat ◽  
B.A. Allie ◽  
Intikhab A. Jehangir ◽  
Ashaq Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Jammu And Kashmir ◽  
Kharif Season ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Fodder Crops ◽  
Green Fodder ◽  
Live Stock ◽  
The Impact

Background: Quality and higher fodder production is one of the important aspects to get higher productivity from live stock. India suffer a net deficiency of 35.6% green fodder, 10.95% dry crop residues and Jammu and Kashmir faces a net deficit of 19% in fodder. The choice to grow cultivated fodder crops during kharif season in Kashmir is limited and are grown generally under rainfed conditions. The major kharif season fodder cereal crops are maize and sorghum and the legume fodder crops are cowpea and soybean. To improve the quality and yield of fodder crops, it is important to standardise production technology for legume fodder crops. Methods: A field experiment was undertaken at Agronomy Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir during kharif 2019 and 2020 to study the impact of different fertility management practices on productivity and economics of forage soybean. The experiment comprising of seven treatments laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Result: Application of N, P2O5, K2O (30, 90, 45 kg/ha) along with 0.1 tons/ha vermicompost recoded higher green fodder productivity and growth characters of soybean. However application of N, P2O5, K2O (20, 60, 30 kg/ha) was found economically viable option.

scholarly journals Economics- and policy-driven organic carbon input enhancement dominates soil organic carbon accumulation in Chinese croplands

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (16) ◽  
pp. 4045-4050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongcun Zhao ◽  
Meiyan Wang ◽  
Shuijin Hu ◽  
Xudong Zhang ◽  
Zhu Ouyang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Extensive Study ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
The Impact

China’s croplands have experienced drastic changes in management practices, such as fertilization, tillage, and residue treatments, since the 1980s. There is an ongoing debate about the impact of these changes on soil organic carbon (SOC) and its implications. Here we report results from an extensive study that provided direct evidence of cropland SOC sequestration in China. Based on the soil sampling locations recorded by the Second National Soil Survey of China in 1980, we collected 4,060 soil samples in 2011 from 58 counties that represent the typical cropping systems across China. Our results showed that across the country, the average SOC stock in the topsoil (0–20 cm) increased from 28.6 Mg C ha−1 in 1980 to 32.9 Mg C ha−1 in 2011, representing a net increase of 140 kg C ha−1 year−1. However, the SOC change differed among the major agricultural regions: SOC increased in all major agronomic regions except in Northeast China. The SOC sequestration was largely attributed to increased organic inputs driven by economics and policy: while higher root biomass resulting from enhanced crop productivity by chemical fertilizers predominated before 2000, higher residue inputs following the large-scale implementation of crop straw/stover return policy took over thereafter. The SOC change was negatively related to N inputs in East China, suggesting that the excessive N inputs, plus the shallowness of plow layers, may constrain the future C sequestration in Chinese croplands. Our results indicate that cropland SOC sequestration can be achieved through effectively manipulating economic and policy incentives to farmers.

Modelling soil carbon under diverse cropping systems and farming management in contrasting climatic regions in Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadiza Begum ◽  
Raul Zornoza ◽  
Roberta Farina ◽  
Riitta Lemola ◽  
Marianna Cerasuolo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
Moisture Deficit ◽  
Mediterranean Regions ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Systems ◽  
The Impact

<p>Sustainable agriculture has been identified as key to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal aiming at ending poverty and hunger, and addressing climate change, while maintaining natural resources. Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is an important soil functions for the ecosystems service, and storing carbon (C) in soil by changing traditional management practices can represent an important step towards the development of more sustainable agricultural systems in Europe. Within the European project <em>Diverfarming,</em> the process-based ecosystem model ECOSSE was modified and evaluated in three long term experiments to assess the impact of crop diversification and agricultural management in SOC dynamics. ECOSSE was able to simulate SOC under Mediterranean regions in Spain and Italy after changing the minimum value of the decomposition rate modifying factor for soil moisture and allowing a higher soil moisture deficit. In Spain the addition of manure and cover crop in the diversified systems produced an increase in SOC compared to the conventional management (6% in simulations, 2% in measurement) in eight years. The effect of tillage on SOC stock in the Italian dry soil was also modelled, and a positive impact on SOC was predicted when no tillage is practised. Finally, ECOSSE was used to understand the impact of diversifications in Finland where different proportions of legumes and grass were considered in four-year crop rotations compared to conventional cereal rotations. Experiments and modelling showed that the loss of SOC in conventional cereal was compensated when grass was introduced in the rotations. A good agreement (RMSE <10%) and a non-significant bias were observed between model and data for all sites. The modified ECOSSE was able to predict SOC under diverse cropping systems and farming management in contrasting climatic regions. Further studies linking SOC simulations to indicator of sustainability across various European pedoclimatic regions is ongoing.</p>

The EXCALIBUR project: novel microbial-based bioproducts improving soil biodiversity and the effectiveness of biocontrol and biofertilization practices in horticulture

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Mocali ◽  
Loredana Canfora ◽  
Flavia Pinzari ◽  
Eligio Malusà
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Soil Biodiversity ◽  
The Road ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
New Strategy

<p>The H2020 project Excalibur will be presented. It has the ambition of making the road to a biodiversity-driven change in the soil management of crops through the acknowledgement of the important role of soil biodiversity conservation and exploitation. The project applies integrated approach of research, development and field implementation to achieve its goals. Excalibur will deploy the knowledge gained by new molecular techniques, such as genomic sequences characteristics to specific groups of microorganisms and functions, in the creation of tools, indicators and evaluation systems. Co- innovation is fostered by collaboration of researchers with farmers and manufacturers, with a mutual exchange of information and feedback. Project’s results will bring new insights and practical solutions to stakeholders, validated by process analysis. For this purpose Excalibur plans to: 1) focus on multiscale plant-soil-microbes interactions be to exploit the potential of multifunctional bio-inocula and bio-effectors; 2) optimize the formulation and the application methods of these products based on native soil biodiversity dynamics; 3) develop a strategy to improve the exploitation of soil biodiversity interactions with bio-effectors and bio-inocula by assessing their impacts on crops and biodiversity under contrasting agricultural management practices (conventional, organic) and biotic/abiotic stress conditions; 4) to build a multi-criteria model to assess soil biodiversity status of cropping systems for a more efficient use of bio-effectors and bio-inocula; 5) develop technical tools to monitor the persistence and dispersion of bio-inocula under field conditions for eco-toxicological and agronomical purposes; 6) evaluate the effects of the new strategy on economy, environment quality and ecosystem functions; 7) disseminate results to all stakeholders with a dynamic and comprehensive methodology and encourage the adoption of best practices derived from the new strategy at local, regional and global level.</p>

scholarly journals Managing glyphosate-resistant weeds with cover crop associated with herbicide rotation and mixture

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aroldo Marochi ◽  
Antonio Ferreira ◽  
Hudson Kagueyama Takano ◽  
Rubem Silvério Oliveira Junior ◽  
Ramiro Fernando Lopez Ovejero
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Suppression Effect ◽  
Herbicide Programs

ABSTRACT Herbicide resistance has become a major concern for agricultural systems, and integrating weed management practices seem to be the most promise way for its mitigation. The effects of cropping systems including ruzigrass (Urochloa ruziziensis) associated with herbicide rotation programs were evaluated for the management of glyphosate resistant conyza (Conyza sumatrensis) and sourgrass (Digitaria insularis) in soybean and corn production systems. A 3x3 factorial was evaluated in four consecutive soybean (spring-summer) and corn (fall-winter) double cropping seasons. Factor A consisted of three combinations of cropping systems in the fall-winter: corn, corn plus ruzigrass, and ruzigrass alone. Factor B was based on increasing levels of diversity in herbicide mode of action over the four-year period (5, 8, and 11 MoAs). The results indicate that using ruzigrass significantly increased soil coverage by cover crop residues. In general, the cover crop was more efficient for conyza than for sourgrass control, whereas herbicide programs provided greater control on sourgrass than on conyza. Besides the weed suppression effect, the accumulation of ruzigrass biomass on the soil surface during the fall-winter also improved yield of soybean in the spring-summer. The integration of ruzigrass as a cover crop and the use of herbicide programs with multiple modes of action can provide efficient control of glyphosate-resistant conyza and sourgrass. The use of only one of these strategies was not effective in most cases, especially for the long term.

scholarly journals Soil organic carbon dynamics in typical durum wheat-based crop rotation of Southern Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Di Bene ◽  
Alessandro Marchetti ◽  
Rosa Francaviglia ◽  
Roberta Farina
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Winter Cereals ◽  
Environmental Measures ◽  
Bare Fallow ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Mediterranean agricultural areas are dominated by cropping systems based on winter cereals crops, summer irrigated crops, forage-based systems, and mixed succession with bare fallow. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is widely used to assess the environmental performance of these cropping systems, since it is strongly influenced by management practices and environmental conditions. This study evaluates the sustainability of representative intensive cropping systems of southern Italy, in terms of SOC stock changes and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the long-term perspective, using a process-based model (RothC10N) combined with a GIS-based spatialization procedure. On the basis of SOC modelling, results showed that crop management practices currently adopted by farmers did not guarantee SOC sequestration in all the rotations (-4.29 Mg C ha<sup>–1</sup>). The sustainability of cropping systems can be improved through management practices such as the retention of crop residues into the field and/or the rational use of irrigation for the summer crop (6.73 Mg C ha<sup>–1</sup>). This finding could help policy makers to provide suggestions for a more effective local implementation of agro-environmental measures.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document