Download or read book Using Cover Crop Mixtures to Reduce Nitrate Leaching and Supply Nitrogen to Corn written by Charles White and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agriculture faces two great sustainability challenges: the ability to provide nutrition for a growing world population and the ability to increase ecosystem services that maintain clean air, clean water, and other benefits to humanity. Planting cover crops is one management practice that can contribute towards realizing the goal of increasing ecosystem services. However, to provide multiple ecosystem services and to manage tradeoffs between services, cover crops will need to be intensively managed. This dissertation develops models and tools that can support the adaptive management of cover crops to reduce nitrate (NO3-) leaching and supply nitrogen (N) to a subsequent corn crop through N mineralized from decomposing residues. Models were developed from a wide range of cover crop experiments carried out over 14 site years that included 39 different treatments of cover crop mixtures and monocultures composed from 18 different species of grasses, brassicas, and legumes. A model for potential NO3- leaching under cover crop mixtures indicated that increasing total non-legume biomass N content (sum of fall and spring N contents) of a cover crop reduced leaching at a rate of -0.91 kg NO3--N kg-1 biomass N, up to a threshold of 51 kg N ha-1 total non-legume biomass N, above which increasing non-legume biomass N had no further effect. In a model for relative corn yield following cover crop mixtures, relative yield was negatively related to fall and spring cover crop biomass carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios and positively related to soil carbon (C) concentration. In another model, the response of unfertilized corn yields to a previous cover crop, relative to fallow conditions, increased with cover crop biomass N content and a decreasing biomass C:N ratio, with regression models that were different for winterkilled and winterhardy cover crops due to differences between the cover crop types in the length of decomposition and the synchrony between decomposition and corn N demand. For these models to be applicable in an adaptive management process, farmers need to be able to rapidly and inexpensively measure cover crop biomass N content. A handheld NDVI meter was able to accurately predict biomass N content in fall and spring for a wide range of cover crop types. Coupling between C and N cycles also needs to be considered in relation to predicting N mineralization from decomposing cover crops and others forms of organic matter. In models that represent soil organic C saturation, regulation of the C humification efficiency by C saturation level affected a coupled N mineralization model in a way that depended on the model structure used. Under some model structures, N mineralization increases as the C saturation level increases, which could affect the extent to which cover crop residues supply N to subsequent crops. Collectively, these models provide a foundation that can support the adaptive management of cover crops to provide N-related ecosystem services.

Download or read book Improving the Efficiency of Fall Applied Nitrogen with Cover Crops written by Corey G. Lacey and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nitrate loss studies in Midwestern tile-drained fields have found that fall applied nitrogen (N) resulted in elevated nitrate concentrations in tile water during both the corn and soybean year of a 2 year rotation. The effectiveness of cover crops to reduce nitrate leaching when N is spring applied has been well demonstrated, however there is a dearth of knowledge on the ability of cover crops to reduce nitrate leaching in a system where N is fall applied. Thus, the objectives of this research were to (i) investigate the efficacy of winter cover crops to reduce nitrate leaching from fall applied nitrogen and (ii) investigate the impact of cover crops on N mineralization in the spring before planting main crops. The experimental site was located at the Illinois State University Research and Teaching Farm in Lexington, IL. All treatments received fall nitrogen at a rate of 200 kg ha-1 into standing cereal rye, tillage radish and control (no cover crop). Cover crops were sampled and analyzed for total nitrogen to calculate N-uptake. Soil samples were collected during the fall and spring months and analyzed for nitrate and ammonium. Despite variable weather conditions, both cover crop treatments demonstrated the potential to reduce nitrate leaching compared to a no cover crop control. The tillage radish treatment resulted in consistently greater soil inorganic N compared to other treatment immediately before planting. In contrast, cereal rye residue slowly decomposed over time and resulted in a slower rate of mineralization. Therefore, both cover crop species increased the efficiency of fall applied N by reducing nitrate leaching and increasing inorganic N at the soil surface.

Download or read book Managing Cover Crops Profitably 3rd Ed written by Andy Clark and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2008-07 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.

Download or read book Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems written by James Stuart Schepers and published by ASA-CSSA-SSSA. This book was released on 2008 with total page 994 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Review of the principles and management implications related to nitrogen in the soil-plant-water system.

Download or read book Precision Planting of Cover Crop Mixtures Influence on Soil and Corn Production written by Justin M. Berberich and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing winter cereal cover crops (WCCCs) has been identified as an effective in-field practice to reduce nitrate-nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) losses to Upper Mississippi River Basin, USA. In this region, however, growers are reluctant to plant WCCCs prior to corn (Zea mays L.) due to soil N immobilization and corn establishment issues. Two strategies to minimize these issues are (i) incorporating legumes and brassicas into WCCCs as mixtures and (ii) precision planting of cover crops. The objective of chapter 1 was to (i) evaluate the effect of cover crop mixtures vs a no-cover crop control on soil health indicators and (ii) assess the impact of precision planting of cover crops on soil nutrient availability, soil nutrient stratification, soil permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks "on" and "off" the corn row over three depths (0-5, 5-20, and 20-90 cm). Treatments were (i) a no-cover crop control (NCC); (ii) no cover on corn row, hairy vetch (V) on middle row, and winter cereal rye (WCR) on the outside row of corn (NOVR); and (iii) oats (Avena sativa) and radishes (Raphanus sativus) on the corn row, V on the middle row, and WCR on the outside row (ORVR). Our results indicated NCC had lower SOC stocks than the NOVR and ORVR only at 0-5 cm depth. Soil POXC was more sensitive to cover crop management than SOC, and POXC concentrations were higher in ORVR at 5-20 cm than the NCC control. At 0-5 cm depth, cover cropping increased Bray-1 soil test P (STP). Soil test P declined over depth reflecting its immobility in the soil. Mehlich-3 soil test K (STK) was higher in cover crop treatments than the no-cover crop control at 0-5 cm depth. Soil test K was higher on corn row indicating that the oats and radish mix and corn residue decomposition releases K detectable in soil as Mehlich-3 K. Soil test sulfur was similar among treatments but higher at 20-90 cm depth reflecting S leaching and/or potential anion exchange capacity at depth that can lead to subsoil sulfate-S accumulation. These results indicate cover cropping in the fragipan belt / Alfisols of the Upper Mississippi River Basin can benefit soil after six years, but soil C benefits are limited to surface soil depths. In Chapter 2 the objectives were to (i) evaluate the biomass, nutrient concentration, and uptake of precision planted cover crop mixtures; (ii) assess whether precision planted cover crops influence corn stand density, grain yield, yield components, and nutrient balances; identify the best economically viable precision planted mixture prior to corn. Treatments were (i) a no-cover crop control (NCC); (ii) no cover on corn row, hairy vetch (V) on middle row, and winter cereal rye (WCR) + annual rye (AR) on the outside row of corn (RVSKIP); and (iii) no cover on corn row, clover (C) on the middle row, and WCR + AR on the outside row (RCSKIP). Results indicated that RVSKIP was always high yielding, with high N uptake, and low C:N ratio (25) suggesting it could release N throughout the corn growing season without immobilizing N. Cover crops influenced corn population only in one site-yr but that did not result in lower corn grain yield reflecting corn potential for filling the plant gap by creating larger ears with heavier grain (TKW). Similar corn grain in all cover crop treatments was mainly due to adding optimum N as fertilizer. We concluded that overall, cover cropping could benefit soil over a six-year period but to optimize their benefit to corn, adjustments to N should be made. Therefore, future research should focus on revisiting corn N requirement especially in cover crop mixtures with high percentage (>50%) of legumes in the mixture to determine the fertilizer value of the cover crops.

Download or read book Reduction of Nitrate Leaching in Agricultural Soils Via Cover Crops written by Michael Gary Wagger and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Cover Crops to Reduce Nitrate Leaching written by Eric Justes and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Winter Cereal Cover Crops and Nitrogen Management Practices for Increasing Farm Profit and Minimizing Nitrogen Losses in Corn soybean Agroecosystems written by Oladapo Adeyemi and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winter cereal cover crops (WCCCs) could provide extra profit by being harvested as forage or for biofuel purposes, could benefit soil, and the following cash crops, and are considered an effective practice in reducing the nitrate-N (NO3-N) leaching especially in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) fields. The extend at which WCCCs and their residue management (e.g. harvesting vs. terminating at different times) improve farm profit, influence the following cash crop, especially corn is less studied. Also, literature is scant on the residue management effects on NO3-N leaching potential and its tradeoff with soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions especially in Alfisols with claypans. Two trials (chapter 1-2) were conducted to evaluate the time of harvest of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or winter cereal rye (WCR; Secale cereale L.) to determine the best time of harvest for maximizing profit through improving biomass production at high quality. In chapter 1, a five site-yr trial was conducted in Colorado (CO) and Illinois (IL) to evaluate the effect of harvest date on WCR forage yield, quality, and its economic performance. From March to April, WCR dry matter (DM) yield increased exponentially in CO and linearly in IL. The DM yield at DOY 112-116 in CO was 6.9, 5.0, and 5.2 Mg ha-1 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively compared to 4.7 and 2.7 Mg ha-1 in IL in 2019 and 2020. Delayed harvesting increased acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations and decreased crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and relative feed quality (RFQ). Yield-quality trade-off showed that forage yield increased rapidly but forage quality declined after DOY 105-108. Economic analysis, including cost of nutrient removal and 10% corn yield penalty following WCR production revealed harvesting WCR biomass as forage was economically feasible in four out of five site-yrs at hay price over 132 $ Mg-1. Eliminating corn yield penalty indicated profitability in four site-yrs at hay price of ≥110 $ Mg-1 and removing nutrient removal costs made all site-yrs profitable at hay price of ≥110 $ Mg-1. It was concluded that harvesting WCR biomass can be a profitable and effective strategy for sustainable intensification that can offer environmental stewardship and economic benefit. In chapter 2, a four-year trial was conducted in the 2017-2018, 2018-2029, 2019-2020, and 2020- 2021 growing seasons to evaluate the effect of harvesting time (late-March to mid-May considering the growth stage) on winter wheat biomass yield, quality, and farm profit in single season corn vs. wheat-corn rotation. A delay in harvest of wheat resulted in increased DM biomass and lower CP and RFQ. The RFQ that was suitable for dairy production occurred at GDD of 1849 in which the DM biomass was 6.2 Mg ha-1 leading to $1526.46 ha-1 income. The RFQ for heifer production was 126 at 2013 GDD in which the DM biomass was 6.8 Mg ha-1 leading to $1290.85 ha-1 income. These results suggested that wheat-corn rotation could provide extra income while covering the soil year-round. A series of trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of cover crop (CC) and nitrogen (N) management on (i) corn growth, (ii) grain yield and yield components, (iii) the economic optimum N rate (EONR) for corn and farm profit, (iv) N removal, and balances, (v) N use metrics, (vi) soil NO3-N and ammonium-N (NH4-N), along with (vii) N2O emissions and factors associated with it. In chapter 3, an experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement and four replicates to study winter wheat cover crop management practices on corn growth, production, N requirement, soil N, and farm profit. The main plots were four CC treatments: no CC (control), early terminated wheat CC (four weeks to corn planting; ET), late terminated wheat CC (just prior to corn planting; LT), and harvested wheat CC (residue removal; RR), and the subplots were six N fertilizer application rates (0-280 kg N ha-1 ) for 2018 and 2019 and seven N fertilizer application rates (0-336 kg N ha-1 ) for 2020 and 2021. Wheat cover crop management influenced corn grain yield where fallow was consistently high yielding while RR decreased corn grain yield drastically due to its negative effects on the corn plant population. All cover crop treatments immobilized N as shown by lower corn grain yields at zero-N control compared to the fallow treatment. The EONR generally ranged from 151.4 kg ha-1 to 206.4 kg ha-1 in fallow, 192.8 kg ha-1 to 275.8 kg ha-1 in ET, 225 kg ha-1 to 325 kg ha-1 in LT, and 175.3 kg ha-1 to 257.5 kg ha-1 in RR. At the EONR, corn grain yields ranged from 12.2 Mg ha-1 to 13.7 Mg ha-1 in the fallow treatment, 9.7 Mg ha-1 to 13.0 Mg ha-1 in the ET, 9.51 Mg ha-1 to 13.3 Mg ha-1 in the LT, and 8.2 Mg ha-1 to 10.5 Mg ha-1 in the RR treatment. Adding N beyond EONR resulted in a drastic increase in end of season soil N which could be subject to leaching emphasizing targeting EONR is critical for avoiding high N leaching and that if N is applied at rates beyond EONR, then cover cropping becomes even a more critical practice to avoid N losses. In chapter 4 and 5, we evaluated whether splitting N fertilization along with the two (no-cover crop vs. early termination; ET) (chapter 4) or four above-mentioned cover crops treatments (chapter 5) could improve corn production and farm profit through improved N use efficiency (NUE). Therefore, for chapter 4, a two-yr field trail was implemented at the Agronomy Research Center in Carbondale, IL in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate whether split N application to corn changes N use efficiency (NUE) in no-cover crop vs. following an early terminated (ET) wheat cover crop. A four-replicated randomized completed block design with split plot arrangements were used. Main treatments were a no cover crop (control) vs. ET and subplots were five N timing applications to succeeding corn: (1) 168 kg N ha-1 at planting; (2) 56 kg N ha-1 at planting + 112 kg N ha-1 at sidedress; (3) 112 kg N ha-1 at planting + 56 kg N ha-1 at sidedress (4) 168 kg N ha-1 at sidedress, and (5) zero kg N ha-1 (control). Corn yield was higher in 2018 than 2019 reflecting more timely precipitation in that year. Grain yield declined by 12.6% following the wheat cover crop compared to no cover crop control indicating corn yield penalty when wheat was planted prior to corn. In 2018, a year with timely and sufficient rainfall, there were no differences among N application timing while in 2019, delaying the N addition improved NUE and corn grain yield due to excessive rainfall early in the season reflecting on N losses. Overall, our findings elucidate necessity of revisiting guidelines for current N management practices in Midwestern United States and incorporating cover crop component into MRTN prediction tool. For chapter 5, a four-year trial conducted with a split plot arrangement and four replicates. Main plots were four cover crop management [no cover crop control (fallow); ET, late termination (LT), and residue removal at late termination (RR) and five N fertilizer application timings (all at planting, most at planting + sidedress; half-half; less at planting and more at sidedress; and all sidedress). Our results indicated that RR resulted in corn population and grain yield reduction compared to other treatments. Fallow was consistently high-yielding and 112-56 N management during the first two years for fallow worked the best (10.1 Mg ha-1 ). In 2020 and 2021, both applying all N upfront or sidedressing yielded similar for fallow giving growers options with N timing. For both ET and LT, in all years, delaying the N addition to sidedress timing resulted in high yields (9.1 - 11.7 Mg ha-1 ). Some N addition upfront plus sidedressing the rest (56-168) resulted in the highest yield in ET in 2021 (11.6 Mg ha-1 ). For RR, split application of N (56-112 or 56-168) was consistently most productive in all years (8.7 Mg ha-1 ) suggesting that there is an advantage to sidedressing than upfront N application in cover crop systems. The high productive N management practices generally resulted in higher NUE (24.0 - 38.6 kg grain kg N-1 ) and lower N balance (20.6 - 50.2 kg ha-1 for 2018-2019, and 74 - 106.4 kg ha-1 for 2020-2021) which are critical to achieve not only for farm profit but also minimizing environmental footprints. Except for N0, N balance was positive in all treatments in all years indicating the inefficiency of fertilizer N that was corroborated by low NUE and PFP data. We concluded that to optimize corn production and reducing nutrient loss, split N addition or sidedressing N is most suitable especially in cover cropping systems. For chapter six, a four-times replicated randomized complete block design trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of winter wheat cover crop management practices (ET, LT, and RR) vs. a no-cover crop control (fallow) on corn grain yield, N removal and balances, soil N dynamics, soil volumetric water content (VWC) and temperature dynamics, N2O-N emissions, yield-scaled N2O-N emissions, and factors that drive N2O-N and corn grain yield in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 growing seasons in a silt loam soil with clay and fragipans. Our results indicated that corn grain yield decreased by both ET and RR as compared to the fallow and LT. Soil temperature was similar among all treatments, but soil VWC was higher in LT and ET than fallow and RR. The LT treatment always had lower soil NO3-N than the other treatments in both years. In 2021, the ET also had less soil nitrate-N than fallow and RR. Averaged over the two years, cumulative soil N2O-N was higher in LT (14.85 kg ha-1 ) and ET (12.85 kg ha-1 ) than RR (11.10 kg ha-1 ) and fallow (7.65 kg ha-1 ) indicating while these treatments are effective in reducing NO3-N leaching, they could increase soil N2O-N emissions. Principal component analysis indicated that higher N2O-N emissions in LT and ET was related to higher VWC suggesting at optimal N management scenarios, other factors than soil N drive N2O-N emissions. In this study, fallow had the least yield-scaled N2O-N emissions followed by RR. The yield-scaled emissions were similar between ET and LT. These results indicate the importance of evaluating N2O-N emissions in cereal cover crops prior to corn for informing best management practice for winter cereal cover crop adoption. Future studies should focus on manipulating cover crop management to capture residual N without creating microclimates with high VWC to avoid increase of N2O-N emissions. While a lot is known about CC effects on the following cash crop, less is known about rotational benefits of late terminated (planting green) wheat and nitrogen (N) management on the following WCR and soybean in rotation. Therefore, for chapter 7, a trial was conducted with a split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design set up. The main plots were two cover crop treatments (a no cover crop control vs. LT) and the subplots were three N rates [0 (N0), 224 (N224), and 336 (N336) kg N ha-1 ). Each treatment was replicated four times and rye and soybean was planted in all of the plots in rotation. Our results indicated wheat, when terminated late, can uptake 50-80 kg N ha-1 and result in belowground:aboveground ratio of 0.18 in which belowground had much higher C:N than the aboveground biomass. The soil NO3-N was affected by wheat presence and often reduced due to wheat N uptake and also N immobilization negatively affecting the following corn especially at both N0 and N224. Nitrogen fertilization at 336 kg N ha-1 resulted in high end of season N, reduced NUE, increased N balance, and thus, potential for N loss especially in the fallow treatment. The end of season N was lower and NUE was higher in LT which was coincided with reduced rye N uptake in LT suggesting wheat effect lingers longer than just during the corn season and could potentially reduce N loss potential during the fallow period following corn harvest. Soybean yields were higher in LT than the fallow which could be due to (i) higher rye biomass in fallow or (ii) positive legacy effect of wheat in rotation. Improved soybean yields could offset some of the economic loss during the corn phase and push growers in the Midwestern USA to be willing to adopt cover cropping to minimize N loss while protecting soil and stay profitable. Our results from chapter 3-7, indicate a need to change in cover crop management strategy to make it more user friendly with lower costs. In general, in the Midwestern USA, growers are reluctant to plant WCR especially prior to corn due to N immobilization and establishment issues. Precision planting of WCR or --Skipping the corn row‖ (STCR) can minimize some issues associated with WCR ahead of corn while reducing cover crop seed costs. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of --STCR‖ vs. normal planting of WCR at full seeding rate (NP) on WCR biomass, nutrient uptake, and composition in three site-yrs (ARC2019, ARC2020, BRC2020). Our results indicated no differences in cover crop dry matter (DM) biomass production between the STCR (2.40 Mg ha-1 ) and NP (2.41 Mg ha-1 ) supported by similar normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) and plant height for both treatments. Phosphorus, potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) accumulation in aboveground biomass was only influenced by site-yr and both STCR and NP removed similar amount of P, K, Ca, and Mg indicating STCR could be as effective as NP in accumulating nutrients. Aboveground carbon (C) content (1086.26 kg h-1 average over the two treatments) was similar between the two treatments and only influenced by site-yr differences. Lignin, lignin:N, and C:N ratios were higher in STCR than NP in one out of three site-years (ARC2019) indicating greater chance of N immobilization when WCR was planted later than usual. Implementing STCR saved 8.4 $ ha-1 for growers and could incentivize growers to adopt this practice. Future research should evaluate corn response to STCR compared with NP and assess if soil quality declines by STCR practice over time.

Download or read book Nitrogen Scavenging written by Robert Sattell and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Multiple Comparisons Using R written by Frank Bretz and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adopting a unifying theme based on maximum statistics, Multiple Comparisons Using R describes the common underlying theory of multiple comparison procedures through numerous examples. It also presents a detailed description of available software implementations in R. The R packages and source code for the analyses are available at http://CRAN.R-project.org After giving examples of multiplicity problems, the book covers general concepts and basic multiple comparisons procedures, including the Bonferroni method and Simes’ test. It then shows how to perform parametric multiple comparisons in standard linear models and general parametric models. It also introduces the multcomp package in R, which offers a convenient interface to perform multiple comparisons in a general context. Following this theoretical framework, the book explores applications involving the Dunnett test, Tukey’s all pairwise comparisons, and general multiple contrast tests for standard regression models, mixed-effects models, and parametric survival models. The last chapter reviews other multiple comparison procedures, such as resampling-based procedures, methods for group sequential or adaptive designs, and the combination of multiple comparison procedures with modeling techniques. Controlling multiplicity in experiments ensures better decision making and safeguards against false claims. A self-contained introduction to multiple comparison procedures, this book offers strategies for constructing the procedures and illustrates the framework for multiple hypotheses testing in general parametric models. It is suitable for readers with R experience but limited knowledge of multiple comparison procedures and vice versa. See Dr. Bretz discuss the book.

Download or read book Building Soils for Better Crops written by Fred Magdoff and published by Sare. This book was released on 2009 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "'Published by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture."

Download or read book Agriculture and the Nitrogen Cycle written by Arvin Mosier and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2013-04-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth and development and a key agricultural input-but in excess it can lead to a host of problems for human and ecological health. Across the globe, distribution of fertilizer nitrogen is very uneven, with some areas subject to nitrogen pollution and others suffering from reduced soil fertility, diminished crop production, and other consequences of inadequate supply. Agriculture and the Nitrogen Cycle provides a global assessment of the role of nitrogen fertilizer in the nitrogen cycle. The focus of the book is regional, emphasizing the need to maintain food and fiber production while minimizing environmental impacts where fertilizer is abundant, and the need to enhance fertilizer utilization in systems where nitrogen is limited. The book is derived from a workshop held by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) in Kampala, Uganda, that brought together the world's leading scientists to examine and discuss the nitrogen cycle and related problems. It contains an overview chapter that summarizes the group's findings, four chapters on cross-cutting issues, and thirteen background chapters. The book offers a unique synthesis and provides an up-to-date, broad perspective on the issues of nitrogen fertilizer in food production and the interaction of nitrogen and the environment.

Download or read book Integrating Cover Crop Mixtures and No till for Sustainable Sweet Corn Production in the Northeast written by Julie S. Fine and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fall-planted forage radish (Raphanus sativus L. longipinnatus) cover crops have shown successful weed suppression and recycling of fall-captured nutrients. This research evaluated the nutrient cycling and weed suppressive benefits of forage radish cover crop mixtures to develop an integrated system for no-till sweet corn (Zea mays L. var rugosa) production that improves crop yield and soil health. Treatments included forage radish (FR), oats (Avena sativa L.) and forage radish (OFR), a mixture of peas (Pisum sativum subsp arvense L.), oats and forage radish (POFR), and no cover crop control (NCC). Subplots were assigned to nitrogen fertilizer treatments to evaluate N sufficiency and timing: 0 kg N ha1 as the control, 28 kg N ha1 at side-dress, and 56 kg N ha1 with application split between planting and side-dress. Results indicated that POFR and OFR provided improved N cycling and sweet corn yield compared with FR and NCC. Early season N from decomposing cover crop residue was sufficient to eliminate the need for N fertilizer at sweet corn planting, thereby reducing input costs and risks of environmental pollution.

Download or read book Plant Salt Tolerance written by Sergey Shabala and published by Humana Press. This book was released on 2012-08-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil salinity is destroying several hectares of arable land every minute. Because remedial land management cannot completely solve the problem, salt tolerant crops or plant species able to remove excessive salt from the soil could contribute significantly to managing the salinity problem. The key to engineering crops for salt tolerance lies in a thorough understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying the adaptive responses of plants to salinity. Plant Salt Tolerance: Methods and Protocols describes recent advances and techniques employed by researchers to understand the molecular and ionic basis of salinity tolerance and to investigate the mechanisms of salt stress perception and signalling in plants. With chapters written by leading international scientists, this book covers nearly 30 different methods, such as microelectrode and molecular methods, imaging techniques, as well as various biochemical assays. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Plant Salt Tolerance: Methods and Protocols serves as an essential read for every student or researcher tackling various aspects of the salinity problem.

Download or read book Winter Cover Crops Impact on the Distribution of Soil Inorganic Nitrogen and Subsequent Crop Uptake and Yield Following Fall Applied Anhydrous Ammonium written by William T. Deppe and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The pairing of cover crops with spring application of nitrogen has shown improved nitrogen efficiency in corn production systems. However, studies have shown that only 50% of central Illinois farmers practice spring application of nitrogen. Furthermore, the literature demonstrates that in years with above average rainfall, fall applied N management systems are more susceptible to N loading relative to spring systems. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the efficacy of winter cover crops to impact the distribution of soil inorganic N following fall applied anhydrous ammonium. The experimental site is located at the Illinois State University Research and Teaching Farm in Lexington, IL. The treatments consisted of a control, daikon radish, cereal rye and a cereal rye/daikon radish mixture. All treatments received a fall application of 200 kg N ha-1 in the form of anhydrous ammonia. Soil samples were collected in the spring at four separate depths and were analyzed for inorganic N. At the 0-5cm depth, we determined that tillage radish resulted in 18% greater soil NO3- relative to the control. In the environmental depth of 20-80cm, we observed that fall applying N into a living cover crop resulted in 35% (cereal rye) and 22% (daikon radish) less soil NO3- when compared to the control. In 2014 and 2015, each treatment was further divided into three nitrogen rate subplots: 200, 145 and 90 kg N ha-1. However, no obvious trend within the rate applied (90, 145 and 200 kg ha-1) was observed. After four consecutive years of established cover crops, corn uptake and yield data was collected. On average the addition of daikon radish at 200 kg N ha-1 increased total crop uptake by 20%; while the inclusion of cereal rye despite application rate significantly (P= 0.0021) increased total N at R6. Consequently, sampling at harvest (2014) demonstrated the capacity of the cover crops (cereal rye, P= 0.0323) despite rate to increase the crop yielding potential 3-6%. Over a four year period, winter cover crops reduced nitrate leaching and stabilized a greater concentration of soil NO3- in the agronomic depths following fall applied N, relative to the control. The results of this study also suggest that cover crop inclusion into a fall applied system has the potential to advance nitrogen use efficiency, yield and profitability.

Download or read book Nitrogen Cycle written by Jesus Gonzalez-Lopez and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2021-07-22 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anthropogenic activity has clearly altered the N cycle contributing (among other factors) to climate change. This book aims to provide new biotechnological approach representing innovative strategies to solve specific problems related to the imbalance originating in the N cycle. Aspects such as new conceptions in agriculture, wastewater treatment, and greenhouse gas emissions are discussed in this book with a multidisciplinary vision. A team of international authors with wide experience have contributed up-to-date reviews, highlighting scientific principles and their environmental importance and integrating different biotechnological processes in environmental technology.

Download or read book Soil Management written by Jerry L. Hatfield and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-01-22 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Degradation of soils continues at a pace that will eventually create a local, regional, or even global crisis when diminished soil resources collide with increasing climate variation. It's not too late to restore our soils to a more productive state by rediscovering the value of soil management, building on our well-established and ever-expanding scientific understanding of soils. Soil management concepts have been in place since the cultivation of crops, but we need to rediscover the principles that are linked together in effective soil management. This book is unique because of its treatment of soil management based on principles—the physical, chemical, and biological processes and how together they form the foundation for soil management processes that range from tillage to nutrient management. Whether new to soil science or needing a concise reference, readers will benefit from this book's ability to integrate the science of soils with management issues and long-term conservation efforts.