Short-term effects of crop rotations and wood-residue amendments on potato yields and soil properties of a sandy loam soil

A 3-yr study (1988–1990) was conducted on a Beaurivage sandy loam soil located in St-Lambert, Québec, Canada, to evaluate the short-term effects of crop rotations and organic amendments on soil properties and potato yields (Solanum tuberosum, L.). Treatments consisted of yearly fall rye (Secale cereale, L.) as a green-manure cover crop, barley (Hordeum vulgare, L.) grown every 3-yr in potato crop rotation, partially humified bark residues and fresh tree clippings applied once at 100 m3 ha−1 in the beginning of the experiment, and continuous potato in monoculture used as check. Fertilizer rates were applied at 150, 100, 160 and 40 kg ha−1 rates for N, P2O5, K2O5 and Mg, respectively. Results indicated that more rapid changes of soil C content were observed with ligneous material incorporation than with fall rye and barley residue additions. Compared with fresh tree cuttings, partially humified bark induced rapid changes in soil organic C and cationic exchange capacity (CEC). A temporary soil structural stability improvement was observed in 1989 under fall rye cover crop. However soil bulk density increased significantly (P < 0.05) in these plots in 1990, and this was also related to low potato yields. Barley residues and ligneous amendments significantly improved soil water content during the critical flowering stage, and this increased potato yields and specific gravity (P < 0.05). In general, soil amendment would improve potato yields and quality through improved soil water content on a short-term. Key words: Barley, rye, rotation, cover crop, ligneous amendments, potato yields, soil physical and chemical properties

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HYDRUS (2d/3d) simulation of water flow through sandy loam soil under potato cultivation in Southern Manitoba

Canadian Biosystems Engineering ◽

10.7451/cbe.2017.59.1.9 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 1.9-1.19 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Afua Mante ◽

Ramanathan Sri Ranjan

Keyword(s):

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Water Flow ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Crop Evapotranspiration ◽

Reference Crop Evapotranspiration ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Flow Through ◽

Reference Crop

The HYDRUS (2D/3D) modeling tool was used to simulate water flow through subsurface-drained sandy loam soil under potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivation in Southern Manitoba. The model was used to simulate water flow through a 2-D model domain of dimensions, 15 m width Ã 2.5 m depth. The model was calibrated and validated with field data measured during the growing season of year 2011 at the Hespler Farms, Winkler, Manitoba. Field measurements, including soil water content and watertable depth, for two test plots under subsurface free drainage were used for the calibration and validation. Weather data were also obtained to estimate reference crop evapotranspiration, which was used as input data in the model. Based on the reference crop evapotranspiration, and crop coefficient of the potato crop, the actual crop evapotranspiration was estimated and compared to the simulated actual crop evapotranspiration results. The results showed that the model was able to account for 50% to 78% of the variation in the estimated actual crop evapotranspiration. With respect to water flow through the soil, the observed soil water content and the simulated soil water content were compared using graphical and quantitative analysis. Based on the coefficient of determination (R2), the model accounted for 68% to 89% variation in the observed data. The intercept of the regression line varied from 0.01 to 0.08, and the slope, 0.75 to 0.99. The NashâSutcliffe modeling efficiency coefficient (NSE) varied from 0.62-0.89, the Percent bias (PBIAS) values varied from -1.99% to 1.16%. The root mean square error-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR) values varied from 0.33 to 0.61. The values for the evaluation parameters show that the model was able to simulate the water flow through the soil profile reasonably well.

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Field Performance of Nine Soil Water Content Sensors on a Sandy Loam Soil in New Brunswick, Maritime Region, Canada

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s91109398 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 9398-9413 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Lien Chow ◽

Zisheng Xing ◽

Herb Rees ◽

Fanrui Meng ◽

John Monteith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Brunswick ◽

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Field Performance ◽

Sandy Loam Soil ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Maritime Region

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SEASONAL VARIATION OF ERODIBILITY INDICES BASED ON SHEAR STRENGTH AND AGGREGATE STABILITY IN SOME ONTARIO SOILS

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss88-037 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 68 (2) ◽

pp. 405-416 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

D. R. COOTE ◽

C. A. MALCOLM-McGOVERN ◽

G. J. WALL ◽

W. T. DICKINSON ◽

R. P. RUDRA

Keyword(s):

Shear Strength ◽

Seasonal Variation ◽

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Mean Values ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Eastern Ontario

Soil-erodibility indices were investigated in two regions of Ontario to evaluate their seasonal variation and differences between soil types. Shear strength and water-stable aggregates >0.5 mm were strongly negatively correlated with gravimetric soil water content for a Guelph sandy loam soil in southwestern Ontario. Similar variation of shear strength was estimated in three other southwestern Ontario surface soils as a result of seasonal changes in moisture content. Shear strength and aggregate stability increased as four eastern Ontario soils, ranging in texture from loamy sand to clay, dried and warmed following spring thaw. Laboratory incubation at constant temperature and water content showed that shear strength increased in two fine-textured soils with increasing degree days but changed very little in two coarse-textured soils. At the point-of-thaw in the field, all of the eastern Ontario soils exhibited very high values of the indices 1/shear strength and 1/aggregate stability, averaging approximately 15 times those of early July. During spring fallow and seed-bed to 10% canopy periods, the mean values of these indices were 3.7 and 1.4 times, respectively, those in early July. For winter-thaw conditions in the three southwestern Ontario soils, the index 1/shear strength averaged 17 times greater than in the summer. Spring values of this index averaged approximately twice those of summer. Results suggest that Ontario soils are much more susceptible to erosion under thaw and spring conditions than later during the growing season. Soil water content and soil warming may affect the re-establishment of resistance to erosion in soils rendered erodible by freezing, thawing, and saturation. Key words: Erodibility, shear strength, aggregate stability

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Quantifying Root-Soil Interactions in Cover Crop Systems: A Review

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11030218 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 218

Author(s):

Cameron M. Ogilvie ◽

Waqar Ashiq ◽

Hiteshkumar B. Vasava ◽

Asim Biswas

Keyword(s):

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Soil Formation ◽

Soil Physical Properties ◽

Nutrient Losses ◽

Complex Interactions ◽

Soil Ecosystems

Plant roots are an integral part of soil ecosystems and contribute to various services, including carbon and nutrient cycling, weathering, and soil formation. They also modify soil physical properties (e.g., soil water content, pore size distribution, and bulk density) and impact subsequent crops’ growth. Cover crops have been reported to improve soil and environmental quality by reducing nutrient losses, improving soil water content, and increasing soil organic matter. Understanding the complex interactions between cover crop roots and soil (RS) is of utmost importance. However, cover crop RS interactions have not been critically reviewed. In this article, we investigated the nature of cover crop physical RS interactions and explored the emerging technologies for their study. We also assessed technologies that may be readily applied to the study of physical RS interactions in cover crop systems and discussed ways to improve related research in the future.

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Using Multivariate Geostatistics to Assess Patterns of Spatial Dependence of Apparent Soil Electrical Conductivity and Selected Soil Properties

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/712403 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Glécio Machado Siqueira ◽

Jorge Dafonte Dafonte ◽

Montserrat Valcárcel Armesto ◽

Ênio Farias França e Silva

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Clay Content ◽

Data Sets ◽

Soil Electrical Conductivity ◽

Multivariate Geostatistics ◽

Northwestern Spain

The apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) was continuously recorded in three successive dates using electromagnetic induction in horizontal (ECa-H) and vertical (ECa-V) dipole modes at a 6 ha plot located in Northwestern Spain. One of the ECadata sets was used to devise an optimized sampling scheme consisting of 40 points. Soil was sampled at the 0.0–0.3 m depth, in these 40 points, and analyzed for sand, silt, and clay content; gravimetric water content; and electrical conductivity of saturated soil paste. Coefficients of correlation between ECaand gravimetric soil water content (0.685 for ECa-V and 0.649 for ECa-H) were higher than those between ECaand clay content (ranging from 0.197 to 0.495, when different ECarecording dates were taken into account). Ordinary and universal kriging have been used to assess the patterns of spatial variability of the ECadata sets recorded at successive dates and the analyzed soil properties. Ordinary and universal cokriging methods have improved the estimation of gravimetric soil water content using the data of ECaas secondary variable with respect to the use of ordinary kriging.

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Monitoring water content changes in a soil profile with TDR-probes at just three depths - How well does it work?

RBRH ◽

10.1590/2318-0331.252020190113 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

Author(s):

Jens Hagenau ◽

Vander Kaufmann ◽

Heinz Borg

Keyword(s):

Time Delay ◽

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

High Precision ◽

Soil Profile ◽

Reliable Data ◽

Short Term ◽

True Values ◽

Daily Changes

ABSTRACT TDR-probes are widely used to monitor water content changes in a soil profile (ΔW). Frequently, probes are placed at just three depths. This raises the question how well such a setup can trace the true ΔW. To answer it we used a 2 m deep high precision weighing lysimeter in which TDR-probes are installed horizontally at 20, 60 and 120 cm depth (one per depth). ΔW-data collected by weighing the lysimeter vessel were taken as the true values to which ΔW-data determined with the TDR-probes were compared. We obtained the following results: There is a time delay in the response of the TDR-probes to precipitation, evaporation, transpiration or drainage, because a wetting or drying front must first reach them. Also, the TDR-data are more or less point measurements which are then extrapolated to a larger soil volume. This frequently leads to errors. For these reasons TDR-probes at just three depths cannot provide reliable data on short term (e.g. daily) changes in soil water content due to the above processes. For longer periods (e.g. a week) the data are better, but still not accurate enough for serious scientific studies.

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Response of wheat to single short-term waterlogging during and after stem elongation

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9880011 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 11 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

WS Meyer ◽

HD Barrs

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Root Length ◽

Stem Elongation ◽

Stem Growth ◽

Yield Reduction ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Short Term

Transient waterlogging associated with spring irrigations on slowly draining soils causes yield reduction in irrigated wheat. Physiological responses to short-term flooding are not well understood. The aim of this experiment was to monitor above- and below-ground responses of wheat to single waterlogging events during and after stem elongation and to assess the sensitivity of the crop at these growth stages to flooding. Wheat (cv. Bindawarra) was grown in drainage lysimeters of undisturbed cores of Marah clay loam soil. A control treatment (F0) was well-watered throughout the season without surface flooding, while three others were flooded for 96 h at stem elongation (Fl), flag leaf emergence (F2) and anthesis (F3), respectively. Soil water content, soil O2, root length density, leaf and stem growth, apparent photosynthesis (APS), plant nutrient status and grain yield were measured. Soil water content increased and soil O2 levels decreased following flooding; the rate of soil O2 depletion increasing with crop age and root length. Leaf and stem growth and APS increased immediately following flooding, the magnitude of the increases was in the order F1 >F2>F3. A similar order existed in the effect of flooding which decreased the number of roots. Subsequently, leaf and stem growth decreased below that of F0 plants in F1, and briefly in F2. Decreases in APS of treated plants compared to F0 plants appeared to be due to their greater sensitivity to soil water deficit. There was no effect of flooding on grain yield. It is suggested that, while plant sensitivity to flooding decreased with age, flooding at stem elongation had no lasting detrimental effect on yield when post-flood watering was well controlled.

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Tillage and crop rotation effects on soil carbon and selected soil physical properties in a Haplic Cambisol in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Soil and Water Research ◽

10.17221/176/2018-swr ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (No. 1) ◽

pp. 47-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mxolisi Mtyobile ◽

Lindah Muzangwa ◽

Pearson Nyari Stephano Mnkeni

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Water Content ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Crop Rotation ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Crop Rotations ◽

Soil Porosity ◽

No Till

The effects of tillage and crop rotation on the soil carbon, the soil bulk density, the porosity and the soil water content were evaluated during the 6<sup>th</sup> season of an on-going field trial at the University of Fort Hare Farm (UFH), South Africa. Two tillage systems; conventional tillage (CT) and no-till and crop rotations; maize (Zea mays L.)-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-fallow-soybean (Glycine max L.) (MFS); maize-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-maize (MWM) and maize-wheat-soybean (MWS) were evaluated. The field experiment was a 2 × 4 factorial, laid out in a randomised complete design. The crop residues were retained for the no-till plots and incorporated for the CT plots, after each cropping season. No significant effects (P > 0.05) of the tillage and crop rotation on the bulk density were observed. However, the values ranged from 1.32 to1.37 g/cm<sup>3</sup>. Significant interaction effects of the tillage and crop rotation were observed on the soil porosity (P < 0.01) and the soil water content (P < 0.05). The porosity for the MFM and the MWS, was higher under the CT whereas for the MWM and the MWS, it was higher under the no-till. However, the greatest porosity was under the MWS. Whilst the no-till significantly increased (P < 0.05) the soil water content compared to the CT; the greatest soil water content was observed when the no-till was combined with the MWM rotations. The soil organic carbon (SOC) was increased more (P < 0.05) by the no-till than the CT, and the MFM consistently had the least SOC compared with the rest of the crop rotations, at all the sampling depths (0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm). The soil bulk density negatively correlated with the soil porosity and the soil water content, whereas the porosity positively correlated with the soil water content. The study concluded that the crop rotations, the MWM and the MWS under the no-till coupled with the residue retention improved the soil porosity and the soil water content levels the most.

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