Short–rotation woody crops: A prospective method for phytoremediation of agricultural land at risk of salinisation in southern Australia?

Growing short–rotation woody crops (SRWC) in rotation with conventional agriculture (phase farming with trees) is a prospective method for ameliorating degraded soils, particularly those at risk from salinisation. This work details changes in soil water storage and crop and pasture growth in the first 2 years after harvesting SRWCs at two sites in Western Australia between 2002 and 2004.This trial has demonstrated that where the roots of SRWCs can penetrate deeply into the subsoil, it is possible to develop soil water deficits large enough to subsequently allow several decades of conventional agriculture before groundwater recharge is resumed. At one site, Eucalyptus polybractea dried the soil to 10 m, creating a soil water deficit of 1350 mm within 6 years of planting. It is estimated that annual crops and pasture could be grown at this site for 68 years before the soil again reaches field capacity. Further work is required to determine where in the landscape SRWCs can develop these large soil water deficits.Reduced soil fertility limited crop and pasture growth in the first year after the SRWC at one site, while reduced plant–available water limited crop and pasture growth for 2 years after the SRWC at the other. Monitoring is continuing to determine longer-term changes in soil water content and crop and pasture productivity.     

How the diversity,abundance, size and climbing mechanisms of woody lianas are related to biotic and abiotic factors in a subtropical secondary forest,Taiwan

Lianas are woody vines that play an important role in forest dynamics in tropical and subtropical areas. Their relationship to various biotic and abiotic conditions is, however, not yet wholly clear. We explored how the size, climbing mechanisms, diversity and abundance of woody lianas is related to host plant size, environmental factors and topography. Liana assemblages were examined in twenty 20 × 20 m plots in each of three topographic sites (valley, slope and ridge) in a subtropical secondary forest in southeastern Taiwan. The valley site had the highest abundance and species richness of lianas. The abiotic factors, soil pH and rock cover, were related to different topographic sites. Larger lianas were always found on larger host trees, while smaller lianas were found in smaller trees; no lianas with a DBH greater than 10 cm were found. Significantly more adhesive lianas were found on larger trees whereas twining and leaning-hook lianas were found in smaller trees. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the species of liana is associated with the size and type of tree growing under different topographic conditions.     

Does a heavy fruit crop reduce the tree ring increment? Results from a 12-year study in a subalpine zone

Life history theory posits that an increased investment in reproduction should result in decreased vegetative investment. Switching resources from growth to reproduction are also expected in species experiencing selection pressure for high variation of seed crops. In this study, we tested whether the reproductive effort of trees, measured as the number of fruits produced, is related to their radial growth increment. We examined a population of Sorbus aucuparia, a fleshy-fruited tree species with highly variable interannual individual fruit production growing in the subalpine zone and under strong selection pressure from pre-dispersal seed predators. We used 12-year data to test the relationship between fruit crop and radial growth increments in current, previous and subsequent years, and found no trade-off between growth and reproduction. For almost all trees, there was no correlation between fruit crop and radial growth increment in the same year or next year. Only a few trees showed a positive correlation between fruit crop and previous-year growth. In the statistics, we took advantage of the high variability of individual fruit crops in high production years. In four heavy crop years, we compared the radial growth increments of trees with heavy crops with those of trees with low fruit crops. Current and next-year radial growth did not differ between trees with low and high fruit crops. In all those years, however, trees having heavy fruit crops had higher previous-year growth increments. We suggest that the harsh subalpine weather conditions account for the lack of a trade-off between growth and reproduction in the studied population.     

数字高程模型在群落内物种共存研究中的应用——以神农架米心水青冈-曼青冈群落的地形模型建立为例

地形是环境异质性产生的原因之一。受技术条件的限制, 以往研究中地形因子只能作为背景因子介入, 无法分析地形的细微变化对植物分布格局的影响。该文将数字高程模型引入群落内物种多样性研究, 以神农架米心水青冈 (Fagusengleriana) _曼青 冈 (Cyclobalanopsisoxyodon) 群落固定样地的地形分析为例, 介绍DEM的建立及地形因素的提取。摸拟 0.96hm2 样地的地形变化, 发现样地总坡向为西偏北 30°, 总坡度为 4 0.0 1°, 最大坡度为74.6°, 最小坡度为 18.2°, DEM的精度为 0.4m。选择群落中 2 4种植物与坡度、坡向及坡位等地形因素进行相关分析, 发现不同的种对地形变化的反应不同。该次研究中, DEM量化了地形数据, 使之可以参与到生物多样性研究中, 为在连续面上分析地形因素对群落内植物分布的影响提供了极大的便利。DEM在小尺度中应用的主要问题是原数据的采集, 该次研究中的地形数据为人工野外测量, 研究规模受到一定限制。     

Interactions between annuals and woody perennials in a Western Australian nature reserve

Abstract. We studied the interactions between woody perennial species and native and non-native annual species in a number of vegetation types within a nature reserve in the Western Australian wheatbelt. In particular, we examined the responses of annuals to perennial canopy removal, fire, soil disturbance and nutrient additions, and the effects of removal of annuals on perennial seedling regeneration. Experimental shrub removal significantly increased the abundance of annuals in a dense shrubland dominated by Allocasuarina campestris, but had no effect in a more open species-rich sandplain heath. Soil disturbance and nutrient addition in the heath area had no significant influence on annual abundance until three years after treatment. Fire had no clear effect on annual abundance in the heath within the reserve, but promoted a large increase in non-native species within an adjacent roadverge. A pattern of increased soil nutrient levels was accompanied by greatly increased non-native annual abundance beneath individual trees of Santalum spicatum. Exploratory laboratory bioassay experiments indicated that several woody perennials produced leachates that were capable of reducing the germination or growth of the introduced grass Avena fatua, indicating that allelopathy may be an important component of the interaction between the annual and perennial components. Within a woodland community, fire temporarily reduced the abundance of annual species and increased the establishment of perennial seedlings. Field experiments showed that annuals significantly reduced the survival of seedlings of the shrub Allocasuarina campestris. Our results indicate that intact native vegetation canopies effectively prevent invasion by non-native annuals, and that regeneration by native perennials is likely to be inhibited by the presence of an abundant annual cover.     

Salt spray and edaphic factors maintain dwarf stature and community composition in coastal sandplain heathlands

North American coastal sandplain heathlands are unique in species composition and vegetation, but the extent to which edaphic factors influence the structure of these communities is currently debated. It was hypothesized that salt spray and edaphic factors maintain the dwarf stature and community composition of heathlands by limiting plant growth and excluding competitively dominant woody species close to the ocean. Field surveys were carried out to investigate the spatial patterns of salt spray accumulation, soil salt and soil moisture. High salt spray correlated significantly with increased leaf necrosis and water stress in Myrica pensylvanica and with decreased plant height. Plant community composition changed across a salt spray and soil gradient, as well. Distinctive sub-communities were identified that separated according to soil salt and soil moisture but salt spray was the main factor affecting sites occupied only by heathland vegetation. Results from this study suggest that salt spray suppresses the growth of heathland plants in close proximity to the ocean, and therefore maintains the low stature in these dwarf shrublands. This research also demonstrates that the physical environment influences the community structure in heathlands, particularly by limiting tree species from growing in high salt spray, low water availability sites.     

Root distributions in a Grevillea robusta-maize agroforestry system in semi-arid Kenya

Limited knowledge of root distributions in agroforestry systems has resulted in assumptions that various tree species are more suited to agroforestry than others, because they are presumed to have few superficial lateral roots. This assumption was tested for Grevillea robusta when grown with maize (Zea mays) in an agroforestry system in a semi-arid region of Kenya. At a site with a shallow soil, root lengths of both species between the soil surface and bedrock were quantified by soil coring, at intervals over four cropping seasons, in plots containing sole stands and mixtures of the trees and crop; the trees were 4–6 years old and they were severely pruned before the third season. Profiles of soil water content were measured using a neutron probe. Prior to pruning of the trees, recharge of soil water below the deepest maize roots did not occur, resulting in significant (P<0.05) suppression of maize root lengths and downward root growth. Maximum root length densities for both species occurred at the top of the soil profile, reaching 1.1–1.7 cm cm^-3 for G. robusta, but only 0.5 cm cm^-3 for maize grown with trees. Root populations in mixed plots were dominated by G. robusta at all times, all depths and all distances from trees and maize and, thus, there was no spatial separation of the rooting zones of the trees and crop. Competition between G. robusta and maize for soil water stored near the surface was unavoidable, although pruning reduced its impact; complementary use of water by the trees and crop would only have been possible if alternative sources of water were available. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Coexistence mechanisms of evergreen,deciduous and coniferous trees in a mid-montane mixed forest on Mt. Emei,Sichuan, China

Structure and regeneration of a mid-montane (2200 m a.s.l.)mixed forest codominated by evergreen (Lithocarpuscleistocarpus), deciduous (Acer flabellatum)andconiferous (Tsuga chinensis, Abies fabri, andTaxus chinensis) trees were analyzed in a 40m× 60 m plot on Mt. Emei, Sichuan, China. Plant communitystructure and composition varied depending on topographic micro-habitat withinthe plot. Four topographic communities (topo-communities) were distinguishedwith dominant species corresponding to topography: (1)Abies – valley bank, (2) Acer– lower steep slope, (3) Lithocarpus – uppergentle slope, and (4) Tsuga – ridge. The coexistencemechanisms of the evergreen, deciduous, and coniferous trees were determined byidentifying the regeneration process characteristic of each dominant species,asrepresented by their seedling dispersion patterns and seedling establishmentalong the topographic gradients. The saplings and seedlings of the dominantswere distributed differently according to the topography:Lithocarpus under the canopy of parent trees and in gapsofthe upper gentle slope and ridge, Acer mainly in bothwell-lit and shady sites on the lower steep slope and on fallen logs,Abies on the valley bank but only in well-lit sites,Tsuga on the ridge, Taxus mostly onrock and well-lit sites on the slopes. Distribution of surviving saplings andseedlings was also related to the species of nearby canopy trees. We suggestthat Lithocarpus, Tsuga and Acer tendto be self-replacing in their own topographic habitats, andAbies survives as a fugitive by occupying occasionalsuitable gaps. The variation in soil conditions, particularly nutrients, withtopography affected seedling establishment and the growth of trees. Thesuccessional change of quantitative species composition, as predicted by theMarkovian model, shows the mixed forest to be in a sustained climax stage.     

Nitrogen limitation of growth and nutrient dynamics in a disturbed mangrove forest,Indian River Lagoon,Florida

The objectives of this study were to determine effects of nutrient enrichment on plant growth, nutrient dynamics, and photosynthesis in a disturbed mangrove forest in an abandoned mosquito impoundment in Florida. Impounding altered the hydrology and soil chemistry of the site. In 1997, we established a factorial experiment along a tree-height gradient with three zones, i.e., fringe, transition, dwarf, and three fertilizer treatment levels, i.e., nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), control, in Mosquito Impoundment 23 on the eastern side of Indian River. Transects traversed the forest perpendicular to the shoreline, from a Rhizophora mangle-dominated fringe through an Avicennia germinans stand of intermediate height, and into a scrub or dwarf stand of A. germinans in the hinterland. Growth rates increased significantly in response to N fertilization. Our growth data indicated that this site is N-limited along the tree-height gradient. After 2 years of N addition, dwarf trees resembled vigorously growing saplings. Addition of N also affected internal dynamics of N and P and caused increases in rates of photosynthesis. These findings contrast with results for a R. mangle-dominated forest in Belize where the fringe is N-limited, but the dwarf zone is P-limited and the transition zone is co-limited by N and P. This study demonstrated that patterns of nutrient limitation in mangrove ecosystems are complex, that not all processes respond similarly to the same nutrient, and that similar habitats are not limited by the same nutrient when different mangrove forests are compared.     

Managing water in agricultural landscapes with short‐rotation biomass plantations

Bioenergy production using woody biomass is a major climate change mitigation strategy but is often considered in terms of competitive effects on water. This paper describes the use of a short‐rotation biomass system (Phase Farming with Trees PFT or ‘Kamikaze Forestry’) to manage water in dryland farming systems where this has accumulated below the root zone and has on and off‐site environmental impacts. This excess water can be utilized for growth by deep‐rooted, high‐density biomass plantations inserted as short rotations into agricultural land. The objective is to promote rapid growth and mining of deep stored water through strategies such as high planting densities, the use of fast‐growing species or fertilization each of which increases leaf area. Once the water is used, the trees are harvested and excess water is allowed to build up again in the subsequent cropping phase. Biomass production and water depletion were measured in a five‐year rotation of trees inserted into a dryland (367 mm yr^?1 mean annual rainfall) cereal farming system in south‐western Australia. Both were markedly affected by tree age, planting density, and landscape position on a very minor slope. The greatest biomass production was achieved with high‐density (4000 stems ha^?1) plantings of Eucalyptus occidentalis and Eucalyptus globulus in lower landscape positions. High‐density plots of these species in mid and upper landscape positions succumbed to drought after 3–4 years, but depleted available soil water to depths of >8 m, equivalent to 771 mm of stored available water. These results suggest that biomass yield can be readily manipulated through planting density and site selection. Moreover, biomass production can produce positive water management co‐benefits.     

湖北星斗山地形变化对不同生活型植物叶功能性状的影响

探究地形变化对不同生活型植物叶功能性状的影响有助于深入理解森林群落物种组成的维持特征。该研究以湖北星斗山常绿落叶阔叶混交林为研究对象, 测量了50个样地中224种木本植物的叶面积、叶厚度、叶干质量、叶干物质含量和比叶面积, 运用单因素方差分析揭示了乔木、灌木和木质藤本的叶功能性状变异特征, 并采用偏曼特尔检验分别从群落水平和物种水平分析了地形变化对不同生活型木本植物叶功能性状的影响。研究发现: 不同生活型植物叶性状变异系数分布范围为23.42%-110.45%; 不同生活型之间的植物叶功能性状差异明显。群落水平上, 海拔与乔木叶干质量、灌木叶面积和木质藤本叶厚度显著正相关, 坡度仅对灌木和木质藤本比叶面积具有显著影响, 坡向与灌木叶厚度、叶干质量和比叶面积显著正相关。物种水平上, 海拔比坡度和坡向对植物叶功能性状影响更为显著, 且不同物种对地形变化的敏感度不一致; 在控制空间结构影响后, 地形因子对植物叶功能性状的影响降低。该研究结果表明, 不同生活型植物的叶功能性状对地形变化的响应格局不同, 这可能是星斗山常绿落叶阔叶混交林植物多样性的主要维持机制。     

Interactions between root growth, slope and soil detachment depending on land use: a case study in a small mountain catchment of Northern Laos

Roots modify the properties of soil in their immediate vicinity. Individually, fine roots (<1 mm in diameter) have little effect on soil properties, but this is offset by the fact that they make up most of a plant’s total root length. Roots growing near the soil surface may influence soil detachment. Slope conditions are also known to influence root growth. A field study conducted in a small watershed of Northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) during the 2005 rainy season assessed putative interactions between shallow fine roots, slope angle and soil detachment under three land uses: shifting cultivation, fallow and tree plantations. We used auger sampling and root windows to measure root length density and 1-m² microplots to monitor water infiltration, runoff and soil detachment. Annual crops and plantation trees did not explore shallow soil horizons as thoroughly as fallow species. Under both crop and fallow, RLD in the top 5 cm decreased as slope increased. This pattern could be linked, either as a cause or a consequence, to slope-related changes in infiltration regimes. In contrast, no clear relation between fine root development and soil detachment was found.     

Spatial distribution and prediction of seed production by Eucalyptus microcarpa in a fragmented landscape

Woodlands worldwide have been greatly modified by clearing for agriculture, and their conservation and restoration requires understanding of tree recruitment processes. Seed production is one possible point of recruitment failure, and one that the spatial arrangement of trees may affect. We sampled 118 Eucalyptus microcarpa (Myrtaceae) trees to compare and analyse the determinants of seed production in this dominant tree of modified, fragmented temperate grassy woodlands, which extend over much of southeastern Australia. Fecundity was estimated as the seed crop measured on leaf mass and whole tree bases and was compared between categories of tree configuration. We also modelled fecundity using boosted regression trees, a new and flexible tool. Fecundity on a leaf mass basis was predominantly influenced by environmental factors (topographic ‘wetness’, slope, soil type), rather than by local tree density and configuration. Fewer seed per unit leaf mass were produced on flat and topographically wet sites, reflecting poor tolerance of waterlogging by E. microcarpa. By contrast, whole tree fecundity was little influenced by environmental factors. Local tree density and configuration did influence whole tree fecundity, which was high in solitary and woodland‐spaced trees and reduced under high local density. We found little evidence for reduced fecundity of E. microcarpa in solitary trees. This points to the importance of scattered trees as sources of seed for tree recruitment and for natural regeneration of landscape level tree cover. Considerable uncertainty remains in modelled seed supply, and may be reduced with sampling across multiple years and greater environmental and spatial domains.     

Idaho forest growth response to post‐thinning energy biomass removal and complementary soil amendments

Utilization of woody biomass for biofuel can help meet the need for renewable energy production. However, there is a concern biomass removal will deplete soil nutrients, having short‐ and long‐term effects on tree growth. This study aimed to develop short‐term indicators to assess the impacts of the first three years after small‐diameter woody biomass removal on forest productivity to establish optimal biomass retention levels for mixed‐conifer forests in the Inland Northwest region, and to evaluate the ability of soil amendments to compensate for potential adverse effects from biomass removal. We examined impacts of four biomass retention‐level treatments at two study locations: full biomass removal (0x), full biomass retention (1x), double biomass retention (2x), and unthinned control. We combined biomass retention with four soil amendment treatments: biochar (B), fertilizer (F), fertilizer and biochar combined (FB), and an untreated control (C). We considered treatment effects on basal area and total stem volume growth for all trees per plot (plot trees) and for the six largest trees per plot (crop trees). Biomass removal had no effect on plot (P > 0.40) or crop tree growth (P > 0.65) compared to normal biomass retention. High biomass retention (2x) decreased plot tree growth as compared to normal biomass retention (1x) levels (P < 0.05) after three years. This growth difference was not explained by soil moisture, temperature, or nutrient uptake. While there were strong tree growth differences between study locations, patterns of biomass and amendment treatment responses did not differ. Fertilizer increased basal area growth and total volume growth (P < 0.10) as expected, because nitrogen is limiting in the region. Biochar had no effect on tree growth (P > 0.47). Initial findings after three years suggest removing small‐diameter biomass for biofuel feedstocks is feasible in the Inland Northwest without negative impacts on tree growth.     

喀斯特季节性雨林木本植物胸高断面积分布格局及其对地形因子的响应

森林生态系统地上生物量的分布格局是物种分布格局的重要内容。局域尺度内因地形差异引起的生境异质性是地上生物量分布格局形成的环境基础。本文以弄岗北热带喀斯特季节性雨林15 ha动态监测样地2011年第一次普查数据中每木个体为研究对象, 尝试以每20 m × 20 m样方内所有个体及不同径级类群的胸高断面积之和为木本植物地上生物量的衡量指标, 利用广义可加模型对喀斯特季节性雨林中胸高断面积之和的空间分布格局进行研究, 定量分析了其对7个地形因子的响应。结果表明, 洼地、山坡和山脊3种生境类型中, 所有个体的胸高断面积之和山坡最高、山脊最低, 且山脊与山坡、洼地的差异均显著; 广义可加模型结果显示, 不同地形因子对胸高断面积之和的解释偏差差异明显, 其中海拔、坡向、凹凸度、岩石裸露率对胸高断面积之和的解释偏差依次降低, 而干旱度指数、坡度和地形湿润指数解释偏差相对较小。喀斯特季节性雨林木本植物胸高断面积之和空间分布的异质性及其与地形因子之间的关系, 反映了胸高断面积之和在地形因子对土壤、水分和光照等条件重分配影响下的多重响应机制及生长策略。     

Ficus seed shadows in a Bornean rain forest

Due to their copious seed production and numerous dispersers, rain forest fig trees have been assumed to produce extensive and dense seed shadows. To test this idea, patterns of seed dispersal of two species of large hemiepiphytic fig tree were measured in a Bornean rain forest. The sample included four Ficus stupenda and three F. subtecta trees with crop sizes ranging from 2,000 to 40,000 figs (400,000 to 13,000,000 seeds). Seed rain out to a distance of 60 m from each study tree was quantified using arrays of seed traps deployed in the understory. These trees showed a strongly leptokurtic pattern of dispersal, as expected, but all individuals had measurable seed rain at 60 m, ranging from 0.2 to 5.0 seeds/m². A regression of In-transformed seed rain density against distance gave a significant fit to all seven trees' dispersal patterns, indicating that the data could be fitted to the negative exponential distribution most commonly fitted to seed shadows. However, for six of seven trees, an improved fit was obtained for regressions in which distance was also In-transformed. This transformation corresponds to an inverse power distribution, indicating that for vertebrate-dispersed Ficus seeds, the tail of the seed rain distribution does not drop off as rapidly as in the exponential distribution typically associated with wind dispersed seed shadows. Over 50% of the seed crop was estimated to fall below each fig tree's crown. Up to 22% of the seed crop was dispersed beyond the crown edge, but within 60 m of the tree. Estimates of the maximum numbers of seeds which could have been transported beyond 60 m were 45% for the two largest crops of figs, but were under 24% for the trees with smaller crops. Seed traps positioned where they had an upper canopy layer above them were associated with higher probabilities of being hit by seeds, suggesting that vertebrate dispersal agents are likely to perch or travel through forest layers at the same level as the fig crown and could concentrate seeds in such areas to some degree. The probability of a safe site at 60 m from the fig tree being hit by seeds is calculated to be on the order of 0.01 per fruiting episode. Fig trees do not appear to saturate safe sites with seeds despite their large seed crops. If we in addition consider the rarity of quality establishment sites and post-dispersal factors reducing successful seedling establishment, hemiepiphytic fig trees appear to face severe obstacles to seedling recruitment.     

Sustainable production of crops and pastures under drought in a Mediterranean environment

Mediterranean environments are characterised by cool wet winters and hot dry summers. While native vegetation in Mediterranean-climatic zones usually comprises a mixture of perennial and annual plants, agricultural development in the Mediterranean-climatic region of Australia has led to the clearing of the perennial vegetation and its replacement with annual crops and pastures. In the Mediterranean environments of southern Australia this has led to secondary (dryland) salinisation. In order to slow land degradation, perennial trees and pasture species are being reintroduced to increase the productivity of the saline areas. The annual crops and pastures that form the backbone of dryland farming systems in the Mediterranean-climatic zone of Australia are grown during the cool wet winter months on incoming rainfall and mature during spring and early summer as temperatures and rates of evaporation rise and rainfall decreases. Thus, crop and pasture growth is usually curtailed by terminal drought. Where available, supplementary irrigation in spring can lead to significant increases in yield and water use efficiency. In order to sustain production of annual crops in Mediterranean environments, both agronomic and genetic options have been employed. An analysis of the yield increases of wheat in Mediterranean-climatic regions shows that there has generally been an increase in the yields over the past decades, albeit at a lower rate than in more temperate regions. Approximately half of this increase can be attributed to agronomic improvements and half to genetic improvements. The agronomic improvements that have been utilised to sustain the increased yields include earlier planting to more closely match crop growth to rainfall distribution, use of fertilisers to increase early growth, minimum tillage to enable earlier planting and increase plant transpiration at the expense of soil evaporation, rotations to reduce weed control and disease incidence, and use of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to reduce losses from weeds, insects and disease. Genetic improvements include changing the phenological development to better match the rainfall, increased early vigour, deeper rooting, osmotic adjustment, increased transpiration efficiency and improved assimilate storage and remobilisation. Mediterranean environments that are subjected annually to terminal drought can be both environmentally and economically sustainable, but to maximise plant water use efficiency while maintaining crop productivity requires an understanding of the interaction between genotypes, environment and management.     

Determination of Spatial Distribution Patterns of Clay and Plant Available Potassium Contents in Surface Soils at the Farm Scale using High Resolution Gamma Ray Spectrometry

Variation in dryland crop yield is often related to underlying soil properties such as water availability and soil fertility. There are often significant difficulties in adequately defining the spatial distribution of such properties at the farm scale. Gamma ray spectrometry (radiometrics) is a relatively new soil sensing technique that can potentially address this by improving the mapping of soil texture and plant available potassium (bic-K). Three sites North Nolba, South Nolba and Summerset were investigated using exploratory linear correlation analysis. Mapping analysis was focused on the Summerset site. In contrast to the two Nolba sites, the soils from Summerset had sufficient soil texture range and parent material conditions that allowed for calibrations to be developed. Soil properties were mapped at Summerset using multivariate linear regression and tree-based models with radiometric, topographic and location data as the inputs. A multivariate linear regression analysis using radiometric data was associated with greater than 70% of the variance in bic-K and soil texture at Summerset. Field checked maps indicated that up to 66% and 60% of the variation in clay and bic-K contents respectively, could be predicted. The overall lowest map errors in root mean square error (RMSE) were 2.4 dag/kg clay and 103 mg/kg bic-K contents. This study concludes that for a site with weathered soils of sufficient soil texture range, radiometrics can reliably predict clay and plant available potassium contents. Radiometrics has practical farm scale applications at a precision that is useful for understanding potential yield variation across a farm.     

A methodology for measuring drainage and nitrate leaching in unevenly irrigated vegetable crops

The objective of our study was to establish a methodology to determine drainage and nitrate leaching in unevenly irrigated vegetable crops. It was conducted in a tomato crop (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill) with drip irrigation in the summer of 2000 in the Ebro Valley, Spain. Two soil management techniques and two irrigation treatments were evaluated bare soil (S1) and soil mulched with black plastic (S2), with irrigation calculated according to the Crop Evapotranspiration (ETc) for bare soil (R1) and for mulched soil (R2). Volumetric soil water content (θv) was measured weekly to 1 m depth in six positions transverse to the drip line. Drainage was calculated by applying the water balance equation to the data from: (i) all six positions (method 1) and (ii) to the positions located under the plants and between the rows, respectively (method 2). Soil solution was extracted at 1 m depth with porous ceramic cups and analysed for nitrate. Nitrate leached to 1 m depth was calculated as the product of volume of drainage accumulated weekly and the nitrate concentration of the soil solution. Drainage and nitrate leaching were evaluated for two different crop periods crop establishment and crop growth. Method 2 produced results that were not significantly different from those from method 1. However, method 1 was more accurate and identified more differences between treatments. The greater drainage occurred during the crop establishment period, which also favoured the leaching of nitrates previously stored in the soil profile and later applied as fertilizer before planting. During establishment the crop was unable to use all available nitrate and the quality of groundwater deteriorated. The results suggest that further studies are required to adjust crop coefficients (Kc) to the actual needs of tomato crops grown with drip irrigation under bare soil and plastic mulching conditions.     

Distribution of potassium in the soil profile of a sandplain soil under pasture species

The influence of pasture species and pasture/crop rotations on the fate of K fertilizer in the soil profile of a sandplain soil was investigated. Results for Lupinus cosentinii, subterranean clover and a subterranean clover/wheat rotation are presented. Potassium was applied as KCl at six rates up to 150 kg K ha^-1 for three years; bicarbonate-extractable K was measured at five depths in the profile (0–100 cm) for four years. The net change in available K in the top 100 cm of the profile (kg ha^-1) was calculated. There was a gradual increase in K down the profile under all species with fertilizer application. The increase was largest for L. cosentinii, which also appeared to redistribute K from below 100 cm to the soil surface. The K residual value on this soil type was higher than expected with most of the fertilizer applied over three years being retained in the top 100 cm.