Search results for "crop residue"
showing 10 items of 35 documents
Vertisols and cambisols had contrasting short term greenhouse gas responses to crop residue management
2020
In sustainable agriculture crop residues management should consider the interactions between soil and residue properties, which can affect the decomposition and global greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission. Through a laboratory experiment, we investigated the effect of the management (incorporation and surface placement) of wheat and faba bean residues on their decomposition and CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from two soils, a Chromic Vertisol and an Eutric Cambisol. In the Vertisol, wheat residues increased the CO2 emission more than faba bean when left on the surface whereas no differences among residues were observed when incorporated. In the Cambisol, faba bean emitted more than wheat when left …
No-till durum wheat yield success probability in semi arid climate: A methodological framework
2018
Abstract The aim of this study is to develop a framework for the evaluation of no-till (NT) yield success probability as a decision tool for farmers or decision makers. The effect of soil management on durum wheat yield has been tested on many long-term field experiments. Results of these researches were collected in a unique dataset to evaluate the success of NT management in comparison to conventional tillage (CT) as influenced by the aridity index, crop residue management and cropping system. A total of 519 observations of long-term experiments (>3years) regarding durum wheat in a number of areas with semi arid climate were included in the present study. The relative ratio of yield under…
Direct seeding mulch-based cropping increases both the activity and the abundance of denitrifier communities in a tropical soil
2009
International audience; This study evaluated the impact of direct seeding mulch-based cropping (DMC), as an alternative to conventional tilling (CT), on a functional community involved in N cycling and emission of greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). The study was carried out for annual soybean/rice crop rotation in the Highlands of Madagascar. The differences between the two soil management strategies (direct seeding with mulched crop residues versus tillage without incorporation of crop residues) were studied along a fertilization gradient (no fertilizer, organic fertilizer, organic plus mineral fertilizers). The activity and size of the denitrifier community were determined by denitrifica…
Removal of Escherichia coli from Saturated Sand Columns Supplemented with Hydrochar Produced from Maize
2014
Despite numerous studies on hydrochar use, its application in water treatment for pathogen removal remains unexplored. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of hydrochar produced from crop residue of maize for water treatment by determining Escherchia coli breakthrough from sand columns supplemented with hydrochar. To enhance the adsorptive capacity, raw hydrochar was activated by 1 mol L⁻¹ KOH at room temperature. The experiments conducted in a 10-cm sand bed with 1.5% (w/w) activated and raw hydrochar supplements, not activated by KOH, showed 93 and 72% of E. coli removal efficiencies, respectively. Activation of KOH not only enhanced the E. coli removal but also increased the streng…
Application of multivariate analysis techniques for selecting soil physical quality indicators: A case study in long-term field experiments in Apulia…
2019
Long-term field experiments and multivariate analysis techniques represent research tools that may improve our knowledge on soil physical quality (SPQ) assessment. These techniques allow us to measure relatively stable soil conditions and to improve soil quality judgment, thereby reducing uncertainties. A monitoring of SPQ under long-term experiments, aimed at comparing crop residue management strategies (burning vs. incorporation of straw, FE1) and soil management (minimum tillage vs. no tillage, FE2), was established during the crop growing season of durum wheat. The relationships between five SPQ indicators (bulk density [BD], macroporosity [PMAC], air capacity [AC], plant available wate…
Effects of cropping systems and irrigation on the bio-agronomic and quality response of industrial tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum mill.).
2012
This paper shows the results obtained in 2009 of a study carried out by the Dipartimento di Agronomia Ambientale e Territoriale (D.A.A.T.) aimed at identifying and evaluating various low input cropping systems for industrial tomato varieties, a traditional farming crop in Sicily. The tests were carried out on the Sparacia experimental farm (Cammarata AG, 37°37’N, 13°42’E). The farm is located in a sub-arid area with average rainfall levels of approx. 500 mm and average min/max temperatures of 9 and 21°C. The soils, typical of soil types in the area, are Eutric Vertisols. A split-split plot design with three repetitions was adopted and the following variables were studied: 1) management of c…
Performance of a Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland and Medium-Term Effects of Treated Wastewater Irrigation of Arundo donax L. on Soil and Plant Parame…
2021
On marginal lands in the Mediterranean basin, giant reed (Arundo donax L.) represents one of the most interesting perennial crops due to high levels of biomass production. Considering periodic water shortage during the summer months in this area, the reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) would seem to be a good opportunity for the growth of the species. The aim of this study was to assess the medium-term effects of irrigation using freshwater (FW) and TWW on soil characteristics and growth in giant reed plants. TWW was obtained from a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland system (HSSF CWs) with a total surface area of 100 m2. A split-plot design for a two-factor experiment …
Screening boreal energy crops and crop residues for methane biofuel production
2008
Abstract The purpose of the study was to screen potential boreal energy crops and crop residues for their suitability in methane production and to investigate the effect of harvest time on the methane production potential of different crops. The specific methane yields of crops, determined in 100–200 d methane potential assays, varied from 0.17 to 0.49 m 3 CH 4 kg −1 VS added (volatile solids added) and from 25 to 260 m 3 CH 4 t ww −1 (tonnes of wet weight). Jerusalem artichoke, timothy-clover grass and reed canary grass gave the highest potential methane yields of 2900–5400 m 3 CH 4 ha −1 , corresponding to a gross energy yield of 28–53 MWh ha −1 and ca. 40,000–60,000 km ha −1 in pas…
An assessment of factors controlling N2O and CO2 emissions from crop residues using different measurement approaches
2017
Management of plant residues plays an important role in maintaining soil quality and nutrient availability for plants and microbes. However, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the factors controlling residue decomposition and their effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the soil. This uncertainty is created both by the complexity of the processes involved and limitations in the methodologies commonly used to quantify GHG emissions. We therefore investigated the addition of two soil residues (durum wheat and faba bean) with similar C/N ratios but contrasting fibres, lignin and cellulose contents on nutrient dynamics and GHG emission from two contrasting soils: a low-soil org…
Out of sight : Profiling soil characteristics, nutrients and bacterial communities affected by organic amendments down to one meter in a long-term ma…
2019
Common soil characteristics, nutrients and microbial activity at deeper soil depths are topics seldom covered in agricultural studies. Biogeochemical cycles in deep soils are not yet fully understood. This study investigates the effect of different mineral and organic fertilisation on soil organic matter dynamics, nutrients and bacterial community composition in the first meter of the soil profiles in the long-term maize cropping system experiment Tetto Frati, near the Po River in northern Italy. The following treatments have been applied since 1992: 1) crop residue removal (CRR), 2) crop residue incorporation (CRI), 3) crop residue removal with bovine slurry fertilisation (SLU), 4) crop re…