Productivity and Topsoil Quality of Young and Old Permanent Grassland: An On-Farm Comparison

Renewing agricultural grasslands for improved yields and forage quality generally involves eliminating standing vegetation with herbicides, ploughing and reseeding. However, grassland renewal may negatively affect soil quality and related ecosystem services. On clay soil in the north of the Netherlands, we measured grass productivity and soil chemical parameters of ‘young’ (5–15 years since last grassland renewal) and ‘old’ (>20 years since last grassland renewal) permanent grasslands, located as pairs at 10 different dairy farms. We found no significant difference with old permanent grassland in herbage dry matter yield and fertilizer nitrogen (N) response, whereas herbage N yield was lower in young permanent grassland. Moreover, the young grassland soil contained less soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (C) and soil organic N compared to the old grassland soil. Grass productivity was positively correlated with SOM and related parameters such as soil organic C, soil organic N and potentially mineralizable N. We conclude that on clay soils with 70% desirable grasses (i.e., Lolium perenne and Phleum pratense) or more, the presumed yield benefit of grassland renewal is offset by a loss of soil quality (SOM and N-total). The current practice of renewing grassland after 10 years without considering the botanical composition, is counter-productive and not sustainable.

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The effects of cutting frequencies at equal fertiliser rates on bio-diverse permanent grassland: Soil organic C and apparent N budget

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2015.06.001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 212 ◽

pp. 13-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

B. Kramberger ◽

M. Podvršnik ◽

A. Gselman ◽

V. Šuštar ◽

J. Kristl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Organic C ◽

N Budget ◽

Grassland Soil ◽

Organic C ◽

Permanent Grassland

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SOIL EROSION EFFECTS ON SOIL QUALITY AND YIELD

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss90-046 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 70 (3) ◽

pp. 471-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

G. E. VERITY ◽

D. W. ANDERSON

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Cumulative Effect ◽

Fine Sand ◽

Soil Productivity ◽

Total N ◽

Organic C ◽

Grain Yields ◽

Potentially Mineralizable N ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

This study examines the cumulative effect of erosion on soil properties that are important to productivity, and estimates the effect of erosion on grain yields. Experiments were located in central Saskatchewan on Dark Brown soils of the Weyburn Association. The relationship between yields and relative distance down eroded hillslopes was described best by a third-order polynominal equation. Grain yields were lowest on the upper slopes and increased steadily through mid-slopes to maximum values that were often double the upper slope yield on the lower or foot slope, then decreased again in the more level parts of the fields away from the slope. The impact of varying degrees of erosion on productivity was estimated by adding back incremental depths of topsoil to eroded knolls. Grain yields were increased by 45–58% by adding 50 mm of topsoil, with additional topsoil (100 or 150 mm) generally increasing yields slightly, but at a decreasing rate. Changes in soil quality with increasing erosion were measured on otherwise similar soils on eroded knolls, with the period of cultivation ranging from 0 (native) to 75 yr. Reductions in the amount of 137Cs in surface horizons with increasing period of cultivation indicated the cumulative effects of erosion, with general soil losses of 20 to 30 Mg ha−1 yr−1. Consistent reductions in silt plus very fine sand fractions with time suggested that wind erosion had been dominant. Organic C and P, total N and S decreased with increasing erosion. Potentially mineralizable N descreased at a faster rate than total N. The CaCO3 content of surface horizons increased, and inorganic P remained constant with increasing degree of erosion. Key words: Nutrients, soil productivity, soil quality, eroded, catena.

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Soil Response to Agricultural Land Abandonment: A Case Study of a Vineyard in Northern Italy

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11091841 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 1841

Author(s):

Luigi Sciubba ◽

Martina Mazzon ◽

Luciano Cavani ◽

Elena Baldi ◽

Moreno Toselli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Vegetation Succession ◽

Land Abandonment ◽

Catechol Oxidase ◽

Herbaceous Vegetation ◽

Organic C ◽

Hydrolytic Activities ◽

Significant Difference

Agricultural land abandonment is an emerging problem in European Union (EU), and about 11% of agricultural EU land is at high risk of abandonment in the coming 10 years. Land abandonment may have both positive and negative effects in ecosystems. Due to the potential for land abandonment to increase soil fertility, the study of vegetation succession effects on soil quality is of great importance. In this study, we investigated an abandoned vineyard where, after a period of 30 years, rows and alleys were characterized by two different forms of vegetation succession: natural recolonization by trees along the rows and by herbaceous vegetation in the alleys. No-tilled alleys covered by herbaceous vegetation of a neighboring conventionally cultivated vineyard were used as a comparison. Soil samples were chemically characterized (pH, extractable element, and available and total metals), and analyzed for the determination of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools; hydrolytic and phenol oxidizing (PO) enzyme activities involved in C, N, and phosphorus (P) cycles; and the enzyme ratios. Results highlighted that natural recolonization by trees increased the organic C and N soil pools by 58% and 34%, respectively, compared to the natural recolonization by herbaceous vegetation. Moreover, natural recolonization by trees reduced β-glucosidase by 79%, urease by 100%, alkaline phosphastase by 98%, acid phosphatase specific hydrolytic activities by 50%, and catechol oxidase and laccase specific oxidative activities by 127% and 119%, respectively, compared to the renaturalization by herbaceous vegetation. In addition, the natural recolonization by trees reduced the C (βglu):C (PO) enzymes ratio by 16% compared to that of the conventional vineyard. Comparing the natural recolonization by herbaceous vegetation with that of the conventional vineyard revealed little significant difference (15% of the measured and calculated parameters); in particular, PO activities significantly decreased in the renaturalized vineyard with herbaceous vegetation by 49% (catechol oxidase) and 52% (laccase), and the C (βglu):C (PO) enzyme ratio showed a reduction (−11%) in the vineyard naturally recolonized by herbaceous vegetation compared to the conventional vineyard. This highlights that the type of vegetation succession that takes place after land abandonment may have a significant impact in terms of soil fertility and C accrual potential. These results help to focus attention on the practices used in agro-forestry that should be adopted in abandoned agro-ecosystems to increase their biodiversity, soil C stock, and soil quality, because these indicators are affected by the type of vegetative coverage.

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Cropping systems: Effects on soil quality indicators and yield of pearl millet in an arid region

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0889189300007530 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 178-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Praveen-Kumar ◽

R.K. Aggarwal ◽

James F. Power

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Pearl Millet ◽

Quality Indicators ◽

Mung Bean ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Organic N ◽

Soil Quality Indicators ◽

Organic C ◽

Cluster Bean ◽

Millet Yield

AbstractWhile crop rotations improve soil quality indicators and crop yields in humid temperate regions, much less information is available under harsher arid tropical and subtropical conditions. A field experiment conducted from 1990 to 1993 compared the effect of continuous pearl millet and pearl millet-fallow systems with six rotations of pearl millet that included one, two, or three years of a legume (cluster bean or mung bean). Data were collected on several soil quality indicators and pearl millet yield. Continuous pearl millet monoculture for three y ears did not affect soil organic C, NaHCO3-soluble P, DTPA extractable Fe, Cu, Mn, or Zn, or several soil organic N fractions, but slightly increased activity of dehydrogenase and acid and alkaline phosphatase enzymes. Similar trends were observed for fallow-based cropping systems, except that enzyme activities were lower. Cropping systems containing mung bean or cluster bean improved availability of soil N and other nutrients and increased enzyme activity. These effects increased with number of years of legume. Improvements from cluster bean generally were greater than from mung bean. The lowest pearl milkt yield was obtained with continuous pearl millet and no N, and yields f or fallow-based cropping systems were 13% greater than with continuous pearl millet. Grain yields of pearl millet with two or three years of mung bean in the cropping system were, respectively, 37 and 65% greater than for continuous pearl millet; with cluster bean the corresponding increases were 68 and 101%. Pearl millet yield increased with N applications up to 40 kg/ha under all cropping systems, and up to 60 kg/ha for some cluster bean-based systems. Yield of pearl millet following cluster bean was nearly double that of continuous pearl millet. These results indicate that in hot, dry climates cropping systems that include a legume, especially cluster bean, are more productive, use the limited water supply and fertilizer N more effectively, and improve several soil quality indicators more than do cropping systems without legumes.

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Addressing on-farm management to enhance pasture productivity and persistence

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2013.75.2914 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 241-244

Author(s):

W.N. Reynolds

Keyword(s):

Management Strategies ◽

Dairy Farm ◽

Stocking Rate ◽

Pasture Management ◽

Pasture Production ◽

Operating Profit ◽

The North ◽

The Cost ◽

On Farm ◽

Attention To Detail

Following the 2007/08 drought, we experienced poor pasture production and persistence on our dairy farm in north Waikato, leading to decreased milksolids production and a greater reliance on bought-in feed. It is estimated that the cost of this to our farming operation was about $1300 per hectare per year in lost operating profit. While climate and black beetle were factors, they did not explain everything, and other factors were also involved. In the last 3 years we have changed our management strategies to better withstand dry summers, the catalyst for which was becoming the DairyNZ Pasture Improvement Focus Farm for the north Waikato. The major changes we made were to reduce stocking rate, actively manage pastures in summer to reduce over-grazing, and pay more attention to detail in our pasture renewal programme. To date the result has been a reduced need for pasture renewal, a lift in whole farm performance and increased profitability. Keywords: Focus farm, over-grazing, pasture management, pasture persistence, profitability

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RENDIMENTO DE CULTIVARES DE CAUPI (Vigna unguiculata L Walp.) SUBMETIDAS À DIFERENTES LÂMINAS DE IRRIGAÇÃO

Irriga ◽

10.15809/irriga.1999v4n3p139-144 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 139-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gianini Peixoto Bezerra Lima ◽

José Vanglesio de Aguiar ◽

Raimundo Nonato Távora Costa ◽

Vital Pedro da Silva Paz

Keyword(s):

Vigna Unguiculata ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Northeast Brazil ◽

Marginal Product ◽

Applied Water ◽

Cowpea Cultivars ◽

The North ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Caixa Postal ◽

Water Depths

RENDIMENTO DE CULTIVARES DE CAUPI (Vigna unguiculata L Walp.) SUBMETIDAS À DIFERENTES LÂMINAS DE IRRIGAÇÃO1 Gianini Peixoto Bezerra Lima José Vanglesio de Aguiar Raimundo Nonato Távora Costa Universidade Federal do Ceará – Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola. Campus do Pici. Bloco 804. CEP 60455-760 – Fortaleza-CE Vital Pedro da Silva Paz Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz – Departamento de Engenharia Rural, bolsista da FAPESP. Av. Pádua Dias, 11 – Caixa Postal 11. 13418-900 – Piracicaba-SP 1 RESUMO O caupi é um dos cultivos mais tradicionais do Norte e Nordeste do Brasil, constituindo alimento básico nestas regiões. Com este trabalho foi possível estabelecer relações entre a quantidade de água aplicada e produtividade de grãos, para três variedades de feijão caupi submetidas a diferentes lâminas de água. Para caracterização das lâminas de água foi utilizado um sistema de irrigação por aspersão convencional em linha. O controle da irrigação foi realizado a partir de tensiômetros instalados à 15 cm de profundidade. Os resultados mostraram que: i) a cultivar João Paulo II apresentou melhores resultados de produtividade para as lâminas de água aplicadas que variaram de T1 = 291,8 mm a T5 = 141,2 mm; ii) sob condições de reduzida disponibilidade de água, ou seja, menor lâmina aplicada, não ocorreu diferença estatística para a produtividade entre as cultivares estudadas; e iii) para as condições do estudo, a cultivar Setentão apresentou a menor taxa de redução do produto marginal. UNITERMOS: caupi, irrigação, função de produção LIMA, G. P. B., AGUIAR, J. V., COSTA, R. N. T., PAZ, V. P. S. Responses OF cowpea cultivars (Vigna unguiculata L Walp) at differents irrigation deficits 2 ABSTRACT The caupi is one of the most traditional cultivation of the north and northeast - Brazil, constituting a basic food in these areas. With this work it was possible to establish relationships between the amount of water applied and productivity of grains, for three caupi varieties submitted to different irrigation sheets. To diferentiate water depths in the irrigation system, the aspersion in line was used. The control of the irrigation was accomplished using tensiometers installed to 15 cm of depth. The results showed that: i) the João Paulo II variety presented better productivity for the applied water depths; ii) under reduced conditions of water avai lability for study conditions, these was no significant difference in the productivity reached among the cultivars studied; and iii) for the conditions of the study, the variety Setentão presented the smallest rate of reduction of the marginal product. KEYWORDS: cowpea, irrigation, production function

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The possible regulatory mechanisms of aqueous, ethyl acetate and nhexane fractions of the Ribes khorassanicum extract on acute hypertension in rats

Endocrine Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871530320666201104114609 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

Author(s):

Reza Mohebbati ◽

Yasamin Kamkar-De ◽

Mohammad Naser Shafei

Keyword(s):

Ethyl Acetate ◽

Antihypertensive Effect ◽

Cardiovascular Responses ◽

Regulatory Mechanisms ◽

Hypertensive Rats ◽

Control Groups ◽

Acute Hypertension ◽

The North ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Control

Objective: Our previous studies showed the antihypertensive effect of Ribes khorassanicum (R. khorassanicum), a medicinal herb growing in the North Khorasan Province of Iran. For further evaluation, the present study investigated the effect of n-hexane (HX), ethyl acetate (EA), and aqueous (AQ) fractions of hydroalcoholic R. khorassanicum extract on cardiovascular responses in angiotensin II (AngII) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) hypertensive rats. Methods: Wistar rats were randomly divided into 11 groups (n=5): 1) control, 2) AngII (50 ng/kg, i.v), 3) AngII + losartan (10 mg/kg, i.p), 4) L-NAME (10 mg/kg, i.v), 5) L-NAME+ sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (50 mg/kg, i.p), 6,7,8) one dose of each fraction of R. khorassanicum (AQ/EA/HX (50 mg/kg, i.p)) +AngII, and 9,10,11) one dose of each fraction of R. khorassanicum (AQ/EA/HX (50 mg/kg, i.p)) + L-NAME. Treated rats received three fractions 30 min before the injection of L-NAME and AngII in separate groups. The cardiovascular parameters were recorded by the Power Lab instrument via an angiocath inserted into the femoral artery. The peak changes (∆) of mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate (HR) in treated groups were compared with those of the hypertensive and control groups. Result: AngII and L-NAME significantly increased ∆MAP and ∆SBP and attenuated by pretreatment of LOS and SNP, respectively. Pretreatment with polar (AQ) and semipolar (EA) fractions of R. khorassanicum reduced the peak changes of MAP and SBP in both AngII and L-NAME-treated groups. Only the fraction of the herb attenuated the HR increased in the L-NAME group. The HR in other groups did not demonstrate any significant difference. Conclusion: All fractions of R. khorassanicum have an antihypertensive effect. However, the effect of polar fractions is more salient. It is also conceivable that the antihypertensive effect of fractions is mostly mediated by the inhibition of AngII.

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Assessment of Seasonal Variability in Soil Nutrients and Its Impact on Soil Quality under Different Land Use Systems of Lower Shiwalik Foothills of Himalaya, India

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031398 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1398

Author(s):

Tavjot Kaur ◽

Simerpreet Kaur Sehgal ◽

Satnam Singh ◽

Sandeep Sharma ◽

Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Surface Soil ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Monsoon Season ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Seasonal Effects ◽

Land Use Systems ◽

Post Monsoon ◽

Significant Difference

The present study was conducted to investigate the seasonal effects of five land use systems (LUSs), i.e., wheat–rice (Triticum aestivum—Oryza sativa) system, sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), orange (Citrus sinensis) orchard, safeda (Eucalyptus globules) forest, and grassland, on soil quality and nutrient status in the lower Satluj basin of the Shiwalik foothills Himalaya, India. Samples were analyzed for assessment of physico-chemical properties at four soil depths, viz., 0–15, 15–30, 30–45, and 45–60 cm. A total of 120 soil samples were collected in both the seasons. Soil texture was found to be sandy loam and slightly alkaline in nature. The relative trend of soil organic carbon (SOC), macro- and micro-nutrient content for the five LUSs was forest > orchard > grassland > wheat–rice > sugarcane, in the pre- and post-monsoon seasons. SOC was highly correlated with macronutrients and micronutrients, whereas SOC was negatively correlated with soil pH (r = −0.818). The surface soil layer (0–15 cm) had a significantly higher content of SOC, and macro- and micro-nutrients compared to the sub-surface soil layers, due to the presence of more organic content in the soil surface layer. Tukey’s multiple comparison test was applied to assess significant difference (p < 0.05) among the five LUSs at four soil depths in both the seasons. Principle component analysis (PCA) identified that SOC and electrical conductivity (EC) were the most contributing soil indicators among the different land use systems, and that the post-monsoon season had better soil quality compared to the pre-monsoon season. These indicators helped in the assessment of soil health and fertility, and to monitor degraded agroecosystems for future soil conservation.

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Genome-wide SNPs redefines species boundaries and conservation units in the freshwater mussel genus Cyprogenia of North America

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-90325-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kyung Seok Kim ◽

Kevin J. Roe

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Freshwater Mussel ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Conservation Units ◽

Genetic Structuring ◽

The North ◽

Snp Data ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Significant Difference

AbstractDetailed information on species delineation and population genetic structure is a prerequisite for designing effective restoration and conservation strategies for imperiled organisms. Phylogenomic and population genomic analyses based on genome-wide double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-Seq) data has identified three allopatric lineages in the North American freshwater mussel genus Cyprogenia. Cyprogenia stegaria is restricted to the Eastern Highlands and displays little genetic structuring within this region. However, two allopatric lineages of C. aberti in the Ozark and Ouachita highlands exhibit substantial levels (mean uncorrected FST = 0.368) of genetic differentiation and each warrants recognition as a distinct evolutionary lineage. Lineages of Cyprogenia in the Ouachita and Ozark highlands are further subdivided reflecting structuring at the level of river systems. Species tree inference and species delimitation in a Bayesian framework using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) data supported results from phylogenetic analyses, and supports three species of Cyprogenia over the currently recognized two species. A comparison of SNPs generated from both destructively and non-destructively collected samples revealed no significant difference in the SNP error rate, quality and amount of ddRAD sequence reads, indicating that nondestructive or trace samples can be effectively utilized to generate SNP data for organisms for which destructive sampling is not permitted.

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