scholarly journals Sunn Hemp: A Legume Cover Crop with Potential for the Midwest?

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Esther Shekinah Durairaj ◽  
James K. Stute
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Residue Management ◽  
Crop Failure ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Sunn Hemp

Crops like corn and soybean occupy vast area in the Midwest, USA. When land is left fallow after the harvest of these crops, a number of degradation factors operate and bring about soil erosion, nutrient loss, decreased soil organic carbon, reduced biological activity and increase in weed biomass. Integrating cover crops (CCs) into this system would build benefits that the very system lacks. There are various CCs available, but leguminous CCs allows for reduced application of fertilizer nitrogen and builds the soil fixed atmospheric nitrogen. Winter CCs are restricted in the Midwest because of the short planting window which greatly minimizes the biomass accumulation. Warm season CCs would serve well here. Sunn hemp is one such tropical CC that grows well in temperate conditions too, without producing seeds. It comes with many benefits - including decreased soil erosion, improved soil organic carbon, increase in soil fixed nitrogen, higher biomass that adds organic matter and N to the soil, reduced weed density and weed biomass. The timing and method of termination influences the residue management. Going by the benefits it adds, sunn hemp is a viable warm season CC that can be grown in the Midwest and has great potential in fallows, prevented plant acres, areas of crop failure (planted and failed) and also in areas after the harvest of the short season small grains or processing crops. However, intensive research on sunn hemp is needed in the Midwest which is discussed. 

scholarly journals Evaluation of Forest Conversion Effects on Soil Erosion, Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Based on 137Cs Tracer Technique

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Zhu ◽  
Jie Lin ◽  
Qiao Dai ◽  
Yanying Xu ◽  
Haidong Li
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Tracer Technique ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Average Annual Loss

Soil erosion can affect the horizontal and the vertical distribution of soil carbon at the landscape scale. The 137Cs tracer technique can overcome the shortcomings of traditional erosion research and has proven to be the best method to study soil erosion. To understand the responses of soil organic carbon and nitrogen to soil erosion and forest conversion in the development of slope economic forests in rocky mountain areas, three representative types of economic forests that were all formed after clear-cutting and afforestation on the basis of CBF (coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests) were selected: CF (chestnut forests) with small human disturbance intensity, AF (apple forests), and HF (hawthorn forests) with high interference intensity. The results showed that all land use types have significantly eroded since 1950; the average annual loss of soil was 0.79 mm in the CBF, 2.31 mm in the AF, 1.84 mm in the HF, and 0.87 mm in the CF. The results indicated aggravation of soil erosion after the transformation of the CBF into an economic forest. The economic forest management reduced the average carbon storage and accelerated nutrient loss. The better vegetation coverage and litter coverage of CF made them stand out among the three economic forest varieties. Therefore, when developing economic forests, we should select species that can produce litter to ensure as much soil conservation as possible to reduce the risk of soil erosion.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Cool-season Vegetable Rotations in Organic Production

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 637-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Boyhan ◽  
Julia W. Gaskin ◽  
Elizabeth L. Little ◽  
Esendugue G. Fonsah ◽  
Suzanne P. Stone
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Vigna Unguiculata ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Green Bean ◽  
Cool Season ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
Sunn Hemp ◽  
Disease Pressure

Certified organic production is challenging in the southeastern United States due to high weed, insect, and disease pressure. Maintaining and building soil organic carbon in midscale organic production systems can also be difficult due to the warm, moist conditions that promote decomposition. Focusing on cool-season cash crops paired with warm-season cover crops may help alleviate these production problems. This 3-year study (2011–13) evaluated two vegetable rotations of cool-season crops with cover crops for their productivity, disease management, and soil building potential in Watkinsville, GA. In the first rotation, cool-season cash crops included onion (Allium cepa), strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa), and potato (Solanum tuberosum). These crops were rotated with green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), oats/austrian winter pea (Avena sativa/Pisum sativum ssp. arvense), southernpea (Vigna unguiculata), and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea). In the second rotation, cool-season cash crops included onion, broccoli (Brassica oleracea Italica group), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and carrot (Daucus carota ssp. sativus). These were rotated with millet (Urochloa ramosa), sunn hemp, egyptian wheat/iron clay pea (Sorghum sp./Vigna unguiculata), and sorghum × sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × S. bicolor var. sudanese)/iron clay pea. Onion yields in both rotations were at least 80% of average yields in Georgia. Lettuce yields were at least double the average yields in Georgia and were comparable to national averages in the 2nd and 3rd years of the study. Strawberry yields in these rotations were lower than Georgia averages in all 3 years with a trend of lower yields over the course of the study. By contrast, potato, although lower than average yields in Georgia increased each year of the study. Broccoli yields in the first year were substantially lower than average Georgia yields, but were comparable to average yields in the 2nd year. Carrot remained less than half of average Georgia yields. Green bean were half of average Georgia yields in the 2nd year and were comparable to average yields in the 3rd year. As expected from what is observed in cool-season organic vegetable production in Georgia, disease pressure was low. Cover crops maintained soil organic carbon (C) with a small increase in active C; however, there was a net loss of potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN). Active C averaged across both rotations at the beginning of the study at 464 mg·kg−1 and averaged 572 mg·kg−1 at the end of the study. On the basis of this study, using cover crops can maintain soil carbon without the addition of carbon sources such as compost. Finally, longer term work needs to be done to assess soil management strategies.

scholarly journals Topographic Position, Land Use and Soil Management Effects on Soil Organic Carbon (Vineyard Region of Niš, Serbia)

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1438
Author(s):  
Snežana Jakšić ◽  
Jordana Ninkov ◽  
Stanko Milić ◽  
Jovica Vasin ◽  
Milorad Živanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Surface Layer ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Forest Land ◽  
Topographic Position

Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is the result of a combination of various factors related to both the natural environment and anthropogenic activities. The aim of this study was to examine (i) the state of SOC in topsoil and subsoil of vineyards compared to the nearest forest, (ii) the influence of soil management on SOC, (iii) the variation in SOC content with topographic position, (iv) the intensity of soil erosion in order to estimate the leaching of SOC from upper to lower topographic positions, and (v) the significance of SOC for the reduction of soil’s susceptibility to compaction. The study area was the vineyard region of Niš, which represents a medium-sized vineyard region in Serbia. About 32% of the total land area is affected, to some degree, by soil erosion. However, according to the mean annual soil loss rate, the total area is classified as having tolerable erosion risk. Land use was shown to be an important factor that controls SOC content. The vineyards contained less SOC than forest land. The SOC content was affected by topographic position. The interactive effect of topographic position and land use on SOC was significant. The SOC of forest land was significantly higher at the upper position than at the middle and lower positions. Spatial distribution of organic carbon in vineyards was not influenced by altitude, but occurred as a consequence of different soil management practices. The deep tillage at 60–80 cm, along with application of organic amendments, showed the potential to preserve SOC in the subsoil and prevent carbon loss from the surface layer. Penetrometric resistance values indicated optimum soil compaction in the surface layer of the soil, while low permeability was observed in deeper layers. Increases in SOC content reduce soil compaction and thus the risk of erosion and landslides. Knowledge of soil carbon distribution as a function of topographic position, land use and soil management is important for sustainable production and climate change mitigation.

scholarly journals Soil erosion affects variations of soil organic carbon and soil respiration along a slope in Northeast China

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Li ◽  
Haicheng Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyuan Wang ◽  
Shulan Cheng ◽  
Huajun Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Northeast China

scholarly journals Australian net (1950s–1990) soil organic carbon erosion: implications for CO<sub>2</sub> emission and land–atmosphere modelling

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 5235-5244 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Chappell ◽  
N. P. Webb ◽  
R. A. Viscarra Rossel ◽  
E. Bui
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Surface Models ◽  
Management Context ◽  
Land Use And Management

Abstract. The debate remains unresolved about soil erosion substantially offsetting fossil fuel emissions and acting as an important source or sink of CO2. There is little historical land use and management context to this debate, which is central to Australia's recent past of European settlement, agricultural expansion and agriculturally-induced soil erosion. We use "catchment" scale (∼25 km2) estimates of 137Cs-derived net (1950s–1990) soil redistribution of all processes (wind, water and tillage) to calculate the net soil organic carbon (SOC) redistribution across Australia. We approximate the selective removal of SOC at net eroding locations and SOC enrichment of transported sediment and net depositional locations. We map net (1950s–1990) SOC redistribution across Australia and estimate erosion by all processes to be ∼4 Tg SOC yr−1, which represents a loss of ∼2% of the total carbon stock (0–10 cm) of Australia. Assuming this net SOC loss is mineralised, the flux (∼15 Tg CO2-equivalents yr−1) represents an omitted 12% of CO2-equivalent emissions from all carbon pools in Australia. Although a small source of uncertainty in the Australian carbon budget, the mass flux interacts with energy and water fluxes, and its omission from land surface models likely creates more uncertainty than has been previously recognised.

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