Density Estimates as Representations of Agricultural Fields for Remote Sensing-Based Monitoring of Tillage and Vegetation Cover

We consider the use of remote sensing for large-scale monitoring of agricultural land use, focusing on classification of tillage and vegetation cover for individual field parcels across large spatial areas. From the perspective of remote sensing and modelling, field parcels are challenging as objects of interest due to highly varying shape and size but relatively uniform pixel content and texture. To model such areas we need representations that can be reliably estimated already for small parcels and that are invariant to the size of the parcel. We propose representing the parcels using density estimates of remote imaging pixels and provide a computational pipeline that combines the representation with arbitrary supervised learning algorithms, while allowing easy integration of multiple imaging sources. We demonstrate the method in the task of the automatic monitoring of autumn tillage method and vegetation cover of Finnish crop fields, based on the integrated analysis of intensity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) polarity bands of the Sentinel-1 satellite and spectral indices calculated from Sentinel-2 multispectral image data. We use a collection of 127,757 field parcels monitored in April 2018 and annotated to six tillage method and vegetation cover classes, reaching 70% classification accuracy for test parcels when using both SAR and multispectral data. Besides this task, the method could also directly be applied for other agricultural monitoring tasks, such as crop yield prediction.

Deep tillage reduces the dependence of tobacco on AMF and promotes the growth of tabacco(Nicotiana tabacum L.) in dryland

The traditional shallow tillage method makes the soil quality declining, and affects the efficiency of agricultural production. Taking the conventional rotary tillage(12 cm) as the control, Yunyan 87 as the test variety, and the soil type of the test site is paddy soil, we studied the effects of deep tillage(Subsoiling 30 cm) on soil nutrients, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and tobacco（Nicotiana tabacum L.）growth. The results showed that deep tillage increased the contents of organic carbon, available phosphorus(AP) and available potassium(AK) in 20 ~ 40 cm soil layer. The community of AMF was changed by deep tillage. Glomus, the dominant genus in both group, increased significantly in the soil after deep tillage. The colonization rate of AMF was lower than that of conventional rotary tillage. Deep tillage was beneficial to the growth of tobacco in the middle and late stages. Root growth and nutrient content of tobacco increased. Deep tillage significantly improved the output value of tobacco. It can be seen that deep tillage is conducive to improving soil fertility, promoting the vigorous growth of root, reducing the dependence of tobacco on AMF, and promoting the high quality and yield of tobacco in drylands of Hunan.

THE ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION OF A TRITICALE HYBRID GENETIC LINE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INTENSITY

The aim of the study was to evaluate the economic efficiency of production of a hybrid genetic line of winter triticale in comparison with a short-straw form, at different intensity levels under cereal crop rotation conditions. Calculations were made based on three-year (2017-2019) field trial results. The analysis included tillage methods (traditional and simplified), differentiated nitrogen fertilization (0,90 and 120 kg N/ha) and two forms of triticale: The rotondo variety and the hybrid genetic line – BOH 2415. The gross margin was taken as a measure of economic efficiency. The economic effectiveness of cultivation of both forms of winter triticale was assessed from the perspective of utilizing one of the basic production factors, i.e., land. The gross profitability index for particular variants of the experiment was also calculated as the relation of production value to direct costs. The analysis of production and economic indices showed that the more favorable variant of winter triticale cultivation was hybrid form cultivation technology with the use of traditional tillage (plough) and a nitrogen fertilization rate at a level of 120 kg N/ha. The level of the obtained gross margin was more influenced by the level of the obtained yield and the purchase price of triticale than by the level of incurred direct costs depending on the soil tillage method.

Basic tillage techniques in the sunflower cultivation

In the arid conditions of the Nizhneje Pvovolzhje region, the farmers’ main task is to accumulate the greatest amount of moisture by the sowing crops time. This is largely facilitated by the correct choice of the basic tillage method. The results of the research carried out on Southern chestnut soils 2017-2019 were aimed at solving a complex of problems related to the development of the technology adapted to the conditions of the Volgograd region. The soil density observations in sunflower crops showed that the soil density during dump plowing by the plow PN-4-35 to the depth of 0.27-0.30 m for sunflower harvesting was 1.24 t/m3. With loosening by chisel “Rancho” to the depth of 0.35-0.37 m it was equal to 1.21 t/m3. When loosening by chisel “Rancho” to the depth of 0.35-0.37 m with a reservoir turnover of 0.15-0.17 m3 the density was 1.16 t/m3. When loosening by the chisel “Rancho” to the depth of 0.35-0.37 m with a pruning flat-cutting foot at the depth of 0.15-0.17 m it was 1.18 t/m3. The highest yield of sunflower was formed on the variant of chisel loosening by “Rancho” to the depth of 0.35-0.37 m with a reservoir turnover of 0.15-0.17 m.

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GEOMETRICAL STRUCTURES ON THE SOIL DISTURBANCES AND WORKING RESISTANCES OF VERY NARROW TINES APPLIED ON NATURAL GRASSLAND

Novel tillage tools with high working performance are desired in improving degraded natural grassland tillage system. This paper aimed to find the influence of various geometry structures of very narrow tines on related soil disturbance characteristics and tillage resistances. Four shank-type tillage tines with different cutting head shapes, and the test bench were designed and manufactured. Field experiments under different working depths were conducted. The working depth uniformity, soil over-turning rate, cross-section area of disturbed soil layer, and related forces were obtained, analysed, and compared. Results showed that, the working depth uniformities were above 70%, and soil overturning rates did not exceed 5%. Furrows with V-shaped cross-section were formed. The tine with an arc-shaped cutting edge (AT) obtained a lower draft force value, and the tine with chamfer structure (TTD) presented big differences on the draft force and soil disturbance compared to the tine with blunt cutting edge (TT). Both the draft force and the area of disturbed soil cross section had a good linear relationship with the working depth, and the specific draft force increased with the working depth increasing. Using a very narrow tine with chamfers to split and break the soil layer on the natural grassland without pulling or dragging the roots could be an appropriate tillage method applied for improving degraded natural grassland, but still need further surveys.

Research Progress of Minimal Tillage Method and Machine in China

Minimal tillage methods mainly include subsoiling technology and topsoil tillage technology. Based on the analysis of domestic technical modes and application status of minimal tillage, this paper reviewed the working principle, technical characteristics and research status of subsoiling and topsoil tillage in two key parts. Current technical difficulties were analyzed and generalized, combined with the research progress and application requirements of minimal tillage in China, and future research emphasis and development direction were provided.

Effects of Cover Crop and Tillage Method Combinations on the Microbiological Traits of Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

We carried out multivariate characterisation of phenotypic variability in 27 treatments that were combinations of cover crop, tillage method, and year. Canonical variate analysis was employed to observe nine microbiological traits in an experiment established in a split-plot design. Between 2011–2013, a field experiment was conducted on soils classified as Albic Luvisols. The first-order factor was analysis of the effect of sowing a stubble cover crop: (Control: No cover crop sown; cover crop sown after skimming; no tillage: Cover crop sown directly). The second experimental factor involved evaluating the effects of three tillage methods (direct sowing; simplified tillage to a depth of 12–15 cm with a combined cultivator; spring ploughing to a depth of 25 cm) on nine microbiological traits. The year of research was used as a factor to differentiate between the count and activity of soil microorganisms. The traits (moulds and copiotrophic bacteria, and oligotrophic bacteria and actinobacteria) were significantly correlated (positively or negatively) at all five terms. Pearson’s test confirmed the relationships between the physiological groups of soil microorganisms after the application of organic matter, and captured the positive correlation between moulds and copiotrophs at all terms of the study.

Influence of fertilizers and of the autumn tillage method on potato yield and phytopathologiс characteristics of tubers

The field experiment on identifying differences in the effect of the herbicide and foliar feeding of plants with liquid nitrogen fertilizer (UAN-32) against the background of autumn tillage with a cultivator or plow on potato yield and phytopathologic characteristics of tubers during storage was carried out in 2019-2020 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The experiment was laid on sod-podzolic sandy loamy soil in production conditions on two varieties of potato ‒ the super-early Сolomba variety and the medium-early Innovator variety grown for seeds. The variants under study were surface application of the soil herbicide Gezagard in a tank mixture with UAN-32 and foliar feeding of plants with UAN-32 (N42) during the growing season against the background of N42P42K169 (calcium chloride in autumn + ammonium nitrate phosphate in spring). The results indicate that the background fertilization provides the yield of Colombа variety potato of 20.7-29.0 t/ha, the Innovator variety – 17.4-23.1 t/ha. The use of the herbicide is more effective during autumn tillage with a cultivator, providing an increase in yield of 28-37 % on both potato varieties, feeding of plants with UAN-32 contributes to an increase in yield (8-10 %) only on the Сolomba variety. Plowing the soil for potatoes helps to avoid the pest damage of tubers and to reduce their susceptibility to rhizoctonia by 6-27 %, to wet rot ‒ up to 55 %. In general, it has been established that due to autumn plowing with fertilization at a dose of N42P42K169, it is possible to obtain an increase in potato yield exceeding the increase provided both by herbicides and the use of foliar feeding of potatoes.

Effets du travail du sol et de la fertilisation organo-minérale sur les rendements du mil en zone soudano-sahélienne du Burkina Faso

Le mil est la deuxième importante céréale cultivée au Burkina Faso après le sorgho. Ces dernières années, les rendements sont en baisse du fait de la pauvreté des sols et des aléas climatiques. Cette étude réalisée en 2018 et 2019 à la Station de Recherches de Saria avait pour objectif d’identifier des technologies de gestion de l’eau et de la fertilisation qui optimisent les rendements du mil. Le dispositif expérimental était un bloc complétement randomisé avec une disposition des traitements en split-plot et trois répétitions où les parcelles principales correspondaient à quatre niveaux de travail du sol et les parcelles secondaires à huit niveaux de fertilisation minérale avec ou sans compost. Les résultats ont montré que l’utilisation du compost plus les engrais minéraux ont permis des gains de 338 à 502 kg ha-1 pour le grain et de 657 à 947 kg ha-1 pour la paille. Le labour a engendré des gains de 266 à 635 kg ha-1 pour le grain et de 381 à 601 kg ha-1 pour la paille. Ces résultats permettent de recommander le labour avec une fertilisation organique et minérale pour optimiser les rendements du mil dans la zone soudano-sahélienne du Burkina Faso.Mots clés : Labour, zaï manuel, billonnage cloisonné, compost, Station de Recherches de Saria Effects of tillage and organo-mineral fertilization on yields of pearl millet in the Soudano-sahelian zone of Burkina FasoABSTRACTPearl millet is the second important cereal crop cultivated in Burkina Faso after sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. In recent years, farmers failed to achieve good yields because of low productivity resulting from soil poverty and climatic risks. This study was carried out at Saria Research Station in 2018 and 2019 and aimed at finding the best combination of water management techniques and fertilizers to optimize pearl millet yields. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangements of treatments and three replications. The main plot was tillage method with four levels and the sub-plot was fertilization with eight levels consisting of mineral fertilizers with or without compost. Results showed that the addition of compost to mineral fertilizers resulted in yield increases from 338 to 502 kg ha-1 for grain and 657 to 947 kg ha-1 for stover. The use of plough increased grain yield from 266 to 635 kg ha-1 and stover from 381 to 601 kg ha-1. These results indicate that the use of compost plus mineral fertilizers and plough that optimize pearl millet yields can be recommended for pearl millet production in the Sudano-sahelian zone of Burkina Faso.© 2021 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Plough, manual zaï, tied-ridging, compost, Saria Research Station.