Identification of soil quality indicators for assessing the effect of different tillage practices through a soil quality index in a semi-arid environment

Tillage is known to potentially affect soil quality in various ways. In this study, a soil quality index (SQI) was developed by quantifying several soil attributes either sensitive or insensitive to physical disturbance, using factor analysis as a dimension reduction technique, in order to discriminate different tillage systems. Soil properties including physical (MWD), chemical (pH, organic C, total N, available P and POM contents) and microbial (MBC, MBN, PCM, PNM and three enzymes) parameters were measured to establish a minimum data set (MDS) for the assessment of overall SQI. The soil attributes were determined on samples (0–20 cm depth) collected under moldboard (MP) and disk (DP) plows as conventional tillage (CT), and rotary (RP) and chisel (CP) plows as reduced tillage (RT) systems with a similar plant C input rate and cover crop over a period of six years (2005–2011) in a semi-arid calcareous soil (Calcixerepts) from Central Iran. Results indicated a clear difference in soil quality among the tillage systems with a significant increase of SQI under RT over time, particularly under CP practices. Although RT improved most soil microbial attributes, not all attributes contributed to SQI because of their close interrelationship. The final SQI consisted only of geometric mean of microbial activity (GMA, the square root of the product of PCM and PNM) and geometric mean of enzyme activity (GME, the cube root of the product of enzyme activities). Soil GME and GMA were found to be as key indicators contributing 55% and 36% to SQI, respectively. Therefore, the GME and GMA were the most important indicators effectively discriminating tillage systems, and could be used to monitor the enhancement of soil quality under RT in this semiarid environment. The influence of tillage year on SQI was greater than that of tillage practices. In conclusion, RT systems were characterized by a higher value of SQI, suggesting a good recovery of soil capacity and functions after abandoning CT in the studied area. Smallholder farmers should therefore be aware of the potential for high soil quality in future as a result of continuing RT systems, especially with surface tillage using CP practices.     

Population dynamics of Macrophomina phaseolina in relation to disease management: A review

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. causes seedling blight, charcoal rot, leaf blight, stem and pod rot on over 500 plant species in different parts of the world. The pathogen survives as sclerotia formed in host tissues which are released into the soil as tissue decay. Low soil moisture is considered the more important predisposing factor for M. phaseolina-induced diseases than high temperature. The intensity of the disease on a crop is related to the population of viable sclerotia in the soil and abiotic factors. The influence of various management strategies in reducing the number of viable propagules of the pathogen in the soil has been studied in order to minimize the impact of the disease. Any management approach that reduces inoculum density in the soil may reduce disease incidence on the host. However, to reduce inoculum density, quantitative determination of viable propagules from soil is necessary in order to understand the effect of management strategies on the population dynamics of this pathogen. Considerable work has been done on organic amendments, changing crop sequences with tolerant crops, fumigants, herbicides and tillage in managing M. phaseolina populations in the soil and the resulting disease. Solarization has been used in controlling M. phaseolina in different countries where this pathogen is causing disease on economically valuable crops. However, this method of soil disinfestation was effective in eliminating viable populations at the top soil layer although by combining other approaches its effectiveness was improved at lower soil depth. Use of biological control agents with or without organic amendments or after solarization has emerged to be a practical management approach in the control of M. phaseolina. In this paper, an attempt has been made to review those research findings where the influence of various management approaches on survival of M. phaseolina mainly sclerotia have been investigated.     

Management of jute yellow mosaic virus disease through cultural practices

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of some management practices to minimise jute yellow mosaic virus disease. The management practices were employed at natural condition and placed randomly with four replications. The treatments were spraying malathion 57 EC, rouging and field sanitation, top dressing of nitrogenous fertiliser, mulching with straw and untreated control. The highest percentage of mosaic incidence was recorded in control and the lowest incidence was recorded in top dressing of nitrogenous fertiliser. Among the treatments, top dressing of nitrogenous fertiliser showed the best performance in terms of increasing yield (3.05?t/ha). The second highest was obtained in rouging and field sanitation which was statistically similar to spraying malathion 57 EC. The best gross margin ($379.02/ha) and increase of gross margin (63.00%) compared to control were achieved in top dressing of nitrogenous fertiliser with the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.84). However, the treatments were found significantly profitable compared to the control indicating the usefulness of the cultural practices in integrated disease management programme for healthy and profitable jute cultivation.     

Comparison of phosphorus distribution and cycling between adjacent native semidesert shrub and cultivated grass-dominated ecosystems

Summary P concentrations at several soil profile depths and for various plant parts were monitored over most of one year in adjacent native semidesert shrub and cultivated crested wheatgrass ecosystems. When multiplied by appropriate soil bulk densities and phytomass values, it was possible to calculate P mineralomasses in these two ecotessera. Knowledge of new to old growth ratios allowed estimation of P turnover. Although there was greater P in the vegetation of the native stand, the tissues lived longer and decomposed less rapidly than those in the grass stand that has been established in a portion of the original shrub dominated semidesert. The grass stand showed higher net primary productivity and had a much higher fraction of phytomass that is consumable by livestock. There was thus, at least a five-fold greater turnover of P in the tilled and seeded system. The introduced grasses are also withdrewing more P from the soil reserves. Whether nutrient export from the systems could lead to long-term declines in productivity will require further monitoring and experimental effort.     

干热河谷石漠化区火龙果地不同耕作方式的土壤矿质元素特征

为探讨不同耕作方式的土壤矿质元素含量变化特征,促进火龙果生长发育和品质改良,该研究采用套种紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa)、施用有机肥和化肥与农药、地膜覆盖和无措施五种耕作方式,以每种方式土壤的22种矿质元素为评价指标,比较不同耕作方式的矿质元素含量差异,阐明土壤矿质元素之间的相关关系。结果表明:(1)与无措施相比,其他耕作方式的Ca、Si、Mn等元素含量呈增加趋势,Fe、Mg、Al等元素含量则降低,Na含量无显著差异。(2)施用有机肥的矿质元素含量最丰富,地膜覆盖次之,套种紫花苜蓿最低。(3)相关性分析表明,火龙果地土壤矿质元素间多存在显著相关性,Al、Si、S、Ni与其他元素的相关性较密切,其次为Fe、Mg、Na、Mn、Cu和Co,均达到显著或极显著水平。(4) Ca、Fe、Mg、Mn、Cu、Zn和B之间多呈负相关,存在拮抗效应。干热河谷石漠化区在火龙果栽培时,应首选有机肥作为养分添加方式,并及时补充不同耕作方式造成的土壤矿质养分亏缺,尤其是Fe、Mg、Al、Na、Cu、Zn等元素。     

Cover crops and compost prevent weed seed bank buildup in herbicide‐free wheat–potato rotations under conservation tillage

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