Effects of Cropping System Change for Paddy Field with Double Harvest Rice on the Crops Growth and Soil Nutrient

The effects of the cropping system change for paddy field with double harvest rice on crops growth and soil nutrient in red soil were studied. The results indicated that the economic benefit and the ratio of the output to input were all increased in terms of the market price for the crops under various treatments. The greatest economic benefit was obtained in the treatment of paddy-upland rotation, and the corresponding economic benefit was increased by 34.7, 21.4, and 2.2% in comparison with that of control （rice-rice-astragali）, pasture, and upland cropping treatments. The economic benefits in pasture and upland cultivation treatments were increased by I 1.0 and 31.8%, respectively, when compared with that of the control treatment （CK）. The ratio of output to input in pasture, paddy-upland rotation, and upland cropping treatments was enhanced by 0.9, 0.6, and 0.3, respectively, in comparison with that of control. To grow pasture is beneficial for improving soil fertility since the contents of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus are all enhanced significantly. However, the concentrations of the soil available nitrogen, the total potassium, the available potassium were somewhat reduced in all the treatments, suggesting that increasing the input of nitrogen, particularly potassium, was necessary under the present fertilization level. Based on the conditions of fertility, climate, cultivation, and management of paddy field with double harvest rice in red soil regions, it is feasible to alter the cultivation system of paddy field with bad irrigation condition. In particular, cultivation systems such as pasture and paddy-upland rotation can be selected to extend because better economic benefit and improvement of soil fertility in the purpose region were obtained.

The Variation Rule and Anomaly Features of the Available Precipitation in the Growth Period of Crops in the Middle and Southern Part of Ningxia

[ Objective] The aim was to study the available precipitation and its abnormal characteristics during the growth period of crops in the mid- dle and southern part of Ningxia. [ Methed] Through Takahashi＇s evaporation equation, linear trend analysis, Mann -Kendall, Lepage, wavelet analysis, the characteristics of available precipitation and its abnormal characteristics during its growth period in Ningxia were analyzed based on monthly precipitation （March- September）, temperature, and NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data in 9 observation stations from 1961 to 2010. E Result l In recent 50 years, the available precipitation during the growth period of crops in central drought area and south hilly area varied a lot, more in the south and less in the north. The available precipitation in these two areas was reducing and varied a lot in different ages. The available precipitation was less in the middle drought region after 1970s and in the southern hilly region after 1990s and the available precipitation in middle drought area changed significantly. The available precipitation in the two areas appeared in July, August, and September, above 76% of general growth period, while that in March, April and May was 14% lower than that in growth period. No abrupt changes in central drought area and south hilly area. There were the periods of 5 -7 a and 2 -3 a oscillations in the middle drought region, 2 -3 a and 10 -12 a oscillations in the southern hilly region. There were negative anomaly field at 500hPa height in high-precipitation years between the Baikal and the China＇s northwestern, and there were positive anomaly field in low-precipitation years. [ Cenclusion] The study provided reference for the reasonable utilization of available water resources in cen- tral and south Ningxia.

Role,residues and microbial degradation of plant growth regulators(PGRs):A scoping review

Plant growth regulators(PGRs)play an important role in increasing crop yield,and quality,and enhancing crop stress resistance in agricultural production,especially for important crops.PGRs can affect the transport and distribution of assimilates by changing the content and distribution of endogenous hormones in plants.Numerous empirical research results have proven that PGRs have an important impact on the growth,development,and yield composition of wheat.Taking wheat plants as an example,this study reviews the application of PGRs in wheat production and explores their impact on wheat growth and yield.Furthermore,residues and microbial degradation of PGRs are summarized in detail.Finally,future research directions on PGR application in wheat production are proposed.This summary is of great significance for understanding the role of PGRs in wheat production.

SAR Data Assimilation for Crop Biomass Simulation Based on Crop Growth Model

Biomass from SAR data was assimilated into crop growth model to describe relationship between crop biomass and crop growth time to improve estimation accuracy of biomass. In addition, inverse model was established in order to estimate biomass according to relationship between biomass and backscattering coefficients from SAR data. Based on cost function, parameters of growth model were optimized as per conjugate gradient method, minimizing the differences between estimated biomass and inversion values from SAR data. The results indicated that the simulated biomass using the revised growth model with SAR data was consistent with the measured one in time distribution and even higher in accuracy than that without SAR data. Hence, the key parameters of crop growth model could be revised by real-time growth information from SAR data and accuracy of the simulated biomass could be improved accordingly.

Comparisons of Yield and Growth Behaviors of Hybrid Rice Under Different Nitrogen Management Methods in Tropical and Subtropical Environments

To compare the grain yield and growth behaviors of hybrid rice, field experiments were conducted in a subtropical environment in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, and in two tropical environments in Gazipur and Habiganj in Bangladesh during 2009 to 2011. Three hybrid rice cultivars were grown under three nitrogen （N） management treatments in each experiment. The results showed that grain yield was significantly affected by locations, N treatments and their interaction but not by cultivars. Changsha produced 8-58% higher grain yields than Bangladesh locations. Sink size （spikelet number per unit land area） was responsible for these yield differences. Larger panicle size （spikelet number per panicle） contributed to greater sink size in Changsha. Aboveground total biomass was greater in Changsha than in Bangladesh locations, whereas harvest index was higher in Bangladesh locations than in Changsha. Crop growth rate （CGR） was greater at Changsha than Bangladesh locations during vegetative phase, while the difference was relatively small and not consistent during the later growth phases. Higher leaf area index and leaf area duration were partly responsible for the greater CGR in Changsha. Real-time N management （RTNM） produced lower grain yields than fixed-time N management in more than half of the experiments. Our study suggested that further improvement in rice yield in the tropical environments similar to those of Bangladesh will depend mainly on the ability to increase panicle size as well as CGR during vegetative phase, and the chlorophyll meter threshold value used in RTNM needs to be modified according to environmental conditions and cultivar characteristics to achieve a desirable grain yield.

Effects of Crop Growth and Development on Land Surface Fluxes

In this study, the Crop Estimation through Resource and Environment Synthesis model （CERES3.0） was coupled into the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme （BATS）, which is called BATS CERES, to represent interactions between the land surface and crop growth processes. The effects of crop growth and development on land surface processes were then studied based on numerical simulations using the land surface models. Six sensitivity experiments by BATS show that the land surface fluxes underwent substantial changes when the leaf area index was changed from 0 to 6 m2 m-2. Numerical experiments for Yucheng and Taoyuan stations reveal that the coupled model could capture not only the responses of crop growth and development to environmental conditions, but also the feedbacks to land surface processes. For quantitative evaluation of the effects of crop growth and development on surface fluxes in China, two numerical experiments were conducted over continental China： one by BATS CERES and one by the original BATS. Comparison of the two runs shows decreases of leaf area index and fractional vegetation cover when incorporating dynamic crops in land surface simulation, which lead to less canopy interception, vegetation transpiration, total evapotranspiration, top soil moisture, and more soil evaporation, surface runoff, and root zone soil moisture. These changes are accompanied by decreasing latent heat flux and increasing sensible heat flux in the cropland region. In addition, the comparison between the simulations and observations proved that incorporating the crop growth and development process into the land surface model could reduce the systematic biases of the simulated leaf area index and top soil moisture, hence improve the simulation of land surface fluxes.

Effect of soil management on soil erosion on sloping farmland during crop growth stages under a large-scale rainfall simulation experiment

Soil erosion on farmland is a critical environmental issue and the main source of sediment in the Yellow River, China. Thus, great efforts have been made to reduce runoff and soil loss by restoring vegetation on abandoned farmland. However, few studies have investigated runoff and soil loss from sloping farmland during crop growth season. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil management on runoff and soil loss on sloping farmland during crop growth season. We tested different soybean growth stages (i.e., seedling stage (R1), initial blossoming stage (R2), full flowering stage (R3), pod bearing stage (R4), and initial filling stage (R5)) and soil management practice (one plot applied hoeing tillage (HT) before each rainfall event, whereas the other received no treatment (NH)) by applying simulated rainfall at an intensity of 80 mm/h. Results showed that runoff and soil loss both decreased and infiltration amount increased in successive soybean growth stages under both treatments. Compared with NH plot, there was less runoff and higher infiltration amount from HT plot. However, soil loss from HT plot was larger than that from NH plot in R1–R3, but lower in R4 and R5. In the early growth stages, hoeing tillage was effective for reducing runoff and enhancing rainfall infiltration. By contrast, hoeing tillage enhanced soil and water conservation during the late growth stages. The total soil loss from HT plot (509.0 g/m2) was 11.1% higher than that from NH plot (457.9 g/m2) in R1–R5. However, the infiltration amount from HT plot (313.9 mm) was 18.4% higher than that from NH plot (265.0 mm) and the total runoff volume from HT plot was 49.7% less than that from NH plot. These results indicated that crop vegetation can also act as a type of vegetation cover and play an important role on sloping farmland. Thus, adopting rational soil management in crop planting on sloping farmland can effectively reduce runoff and soil loss, as well as maximize rainwater infiltration during crop growth period.

Simulation and Validation of Rice Potential Growth Process in Zhejiang Province of China by Utilizing WOFOST Model

A crop growth model of WOFOST was calibrated and validated through rice field experiments from 2001 to 2004 in Jinhua and Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. For late rice variety Xiushui 11 and hybrid Xieyou 46, the model was calibrated to obtain parameter values using the experimental data of years 2001 and 2002, then the parameters were validated by the data obtained during 2003. For single hybrid rice Liangyoupeijiu, the data recorded in 2004 and 2003 were used for calibration and validation, respectively. The main focus of the study was as follows： the WOFOST model is good in simulating rice potential growth in Zhejiang and can be used to analyze the process of rice growth and yield potential. The potential yield obtained from the WOFOST model was about 8100 kg/ha for late rice and 9300 kg/ha for single rice. The current average yield in Jinhua is only about 78% （late rice） and 70% （single rice） of their potential yield. The results of the simulation also showed that the currant practice of management at the middle and late growth stages of rice should be reexamined and improved to reach optimal rice growth.

Alterations in Growth and Yield of Camelina Induced by Different Planting Densities under Water Deficit Stress

Camelina(Camelina sativa L.)is famous for its oil quality and unique fatty acid pattern.Growth and yield of crops reduced under water deficit conditions.Environmental threat such as drought or water deficit condition is the emerging problem which creates the negative impact on the growth of plants.Based upon the current situation a pot study was performed in rain out-shelter to explore the effect of different plant densities(15,10 and 5 plants per pot)on growth and seed yield of two camelina genotypes under normal(100%WHC)and water deficit(60%WHC)conditions by using completely randomized design with factorial arrangement having three replicates.Results indicated that individual effects of plant densities and water deficit stress levels considerably influenced the growth and seed yield of camelina but interaction effects did not indicate any significant variation.Maximum values of leaf area index(LAI)and crop growth rate(CGR)were recorded in P_(3) treatment(15 plants per pot).However,maximum values of leaf area duration(LAD),net assimilation rate(NAR),yield and yield components were observed in the treatment P_(1)(5 plants per pot).Water deficit condition(60%WHC)significantly minimized the growth,seed yield(0.82 g/m^(2))and yield components of camelina genotypes.Both camelina genotypes(611 and 618)did not differ significantly under water deficit conditions.

Biotransformation of Shrimp Wastes by Bacillus subtilis OKF04 and Evaluation of Growth Promoting Effect in Crop Planting

In this study,we proposed a reliable and sustainable technique for the clean utilization of shrimp wastes,which can yield a solid inoculant of Bacillus subtilis OKF04 containing micronutrients at low cost without the risk of contamination.Study of the culture conditions revealed that the head of shrimp Litopenaus vannamei and the wheat bran acted as suitable substrates for the growth of B.subtilis OKF04.With 60%initial moisture content,30℃culture temperature,and 5%inoculation amount,followed by 48 hours of fermentation and 0.5%soluble starch added during the drying process(50℃for 6h),a solid B.subtilis OKF04 inoculant with a spore amount of 2.4×10^(10)CFU g^(-1)and a high amino acid content was obtained.The solid B.subtilis OKF04 inoculant was applied to cultivate pakchoi under pot experiment.As the result,of adding to,the size of stems and leaves,nutritional composition,and physiological activity of pakchoi were significantly(P<0.05)enhanced by solid B.subtilis OKF04 inoculant.B.subtilis OKF04 also significantly(P<0.05)increased the soil’s nutrient content and improved its microbial composition.Furthermore,pakchoi cultivated with a low dose of solid B.subtilis OKF04 inoculant(0.05 g kg^(-1)soil)resulted in the best results.This study provides a new method for the preparation of microbial inoculants with solid waste shrimp heads.

DYNAMIC MODEL OF CROP GROWTH SYSTEM AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF CROP GROWTH PROCESS UNDER THE MULTI-ENVIRONMENT EXTERNAL FORCE ACTION

According to the biomechanic theory and method, the dynamic mechanism of crop growth under the external force action of multi_environment factors (light, temperature,soil and nutrients etc.) was comprehensively explored.Continuous_time Markov(CTM) approach was adopted to build the dynamic model of the crop growth system and the simulated numerical method. The growth rate responses to the variation of the external force and the change of biomass saturation value were studied. The crop grew in the semiarid area was taken as an example to carry out the numerical simulation analysis, therefore the results provide the quantity basis for the field management. Comparing the dynamic model with the other plant growth model, the superiority of the former is that it displays multi_dimension of resource utilization by means of combining macroscopic with microcosmic and reveals the process of resource transition. The simulation method of crop growth system is advanced and manipulated. A real simulation result is well identical with field observational results.

Studies on crop growth modelling and simulation models in China

There is a close relationship between agricultural production and environmental meteorological conditions. In the study of the correlation between them, the simulation models are paid more attention to the crop growth. In this paper the development of the studies on the crop growth dynamic simulation model in China is briefly reviewed. The relationships between meteorological conditions and each process of crop growth (such as photosynthesis, respiration, accumulation and distribution of assimilation products and growth of leaf area) are studied and simulated basing on the results from field experiments. Preliminary models for rice, wheat, maize and soybean have been developed, and some investigations about modelling methods, procedures and parameters in simulation models are made.

Cluster planting impact on cotton growth, yield and biomass accumulation in an arid region oasis

The cluster planting pattern （3 plants per hole） for cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L.） may increase economic yield over those of the traditional planting pattern （1 plant per hole） in arid regions of China. This increase in yield depends on either increased biomass production or greater partitioning to fruit. This study was conducted to determine whether differences in biomass accumulation or partitioning to reproductive growth contributed to higher yield in the cluster planting pattern compared with the traditional one. Growth parameters, biomass accumulation, crop growth rate and partitioning between cluster planting pattern and traditional planting pattern was compared in northwest of China. The biomass production and partitioning in cluster planting plot was higher than in traditional planting one. Biomass accumulation was faster early in the clustered treatment, and it was also higher at harvest time. Total dry matter production per unit area was significantly higher than in the traditional planting. On a per plant basis, dry matter accumulation was faster and total biomass production was significantly higher in the cluster planting pattern. Numbers of sympodia and boll sizes were also larger, indicating that facilitation among plants was promoting crop yield. The increase in yield in the cluster planting treatment occurred through increased partitioning of dry matter to fruits than in the traditional planting pattern, resulting in more bolls and increased lint yield in arid regions.

Precipitation Change and Agricultural Drought and Flood Degrees during Crop Growth Season in Binzhou City

[Objective]The research aimed to analyze precipitation change and agricultural drought and flood degrees during crop growth season in Binzhou.[Method]Based on monthly rainfall and average temperature data at Binzhou meteorological observatory during March-November of1981-2010,by using linear regression,climatic tendency rate and dry-wet coefficient,precipitation change and agricultural drought and flood degrees during crop growth season of the past 30 years in Binzhou were analyzed from natural precipitation tendency change and satisfaction degree of agricultural water demand during crop growth season.[Result]In the past 30 years,precipitation during growth season in Binzhou presented increasing tendency.Spring,summer and autumn precipitation all increased somewhat,especially summer precipitation.Monthly average rainfall distribution was very uneven,and rainfall in July and August was more.In the past 30 years,average dry-wet coefficient K value during crop growth season in Binzhou was 0.60,it overall belonged to moderate drought climate type,and occurrence frequency of drought was 97%.It belonged to serious drought climate type in spring and autumn and light drought climate type in summer.Dry-wet coefficient presented rising tendency,illustrating that climate was developing toward wet direction.Seen from mean over the years,except humid in July,it was over light drought in other months.[Conclusion]Climate was overall arid during crop growth season in Binzhou,but precipitation somewhat increased in the past 30 years.Therefore,we suggested that artificial rainfall work should be enhanced.

A simulation study on CO_2 assimilation and crop growth in agroforest ecosystems in the East China Plain

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CAS Leading Crop Growth Monitoring

The Institute of Remote Sens-ing Applications (IRSA), apart of the Chinese Academyof Sciences (CAS), has been as-sessed as up to the world’s advancedlevel in large-scale crop monitoringby experts from the United Statesand Europe. At a recent conference jointlysponsored by CAS, the NationalAgricultural Statistics

Effects of Tetcyclacis on Plant Growth and Development in Triticale cv. Lasko

Experiments with tetcyclacis applied as a seed-dressing carried out with triticale cv. lasko in pots in the glasshouse and in hand-sown plots in the field. The results showed that tetcyclacis significantly delayed seedling emergence and inhibited the elongating growth in plant seedling stage, but not affected the growth and development of the adult plant during the late stage of stem extension and the stage of grain expansion. No significant difference was found in fertile stem number, grain quality and yield between the treated plants with tetcyclacis and control.

作物生长模拟模型研究和应用

作物生长模拟模型研究和应用宇振荣（北京农业大学农业生态环境系，１０００９４）ＳｔｕｄｉｅｓｏｎＣｒｏｐＧｒｏｗｔｈＭｏｄｅｌｌｉｎｇａｎｄＩｔｓＡｐｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎ．￥ＹｕＺｈｅｎｒｏｎｇ（ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＡｇｒｏ－Ｅ－ｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＥ...

Analysis on Dry Matter Production Characteristics of Super Hybrid Rice

Six middle-season indica hybrid rice combinations, including five super hybrid rice combinations with the high yield about 10.5 t/ha and a check hybrid rice combination Shanyou 63 with a yield potential about 9.5 t/ha, were used as materials to study the dry matter production characteristics. The super hybrid rice showed a high ability in dry matter production and accumulation and its yield enhanced with the increase of dry matter accumulation. The advantage period of dry matter production in the super hybrid rice was mainly at the middle and late growth stages compared with the check. The grain yield had no significant correlation with the dry matter accumulation before the elongation stage while had a significantly positive correlation with the dry matter accumulation from the elongation to maturity stages in super hybrid rice. There were more dry matter in vegetative organs at the heading stage in the super hybrid rice but its contribution to yield （apparent conversion percentage） was averagely 4.3 percent points lower than that in the check. For crop growth rate （CGR）, the comparative advantage of super hybrid rice was at the middle and late stages, especially after flowering. Moreover, as the rising of leaf area index （LAI） and leaf area duration （LAD）, CGR enhanced. The total LAD and the mean of lAD per day of super hybrid rice was about 14.79% and 10.31% higher than those of the check, respectively. The results indicate that the high yield of super hybrid rice mostly comes from the products of photosynthesis after heading, which is shown by the increased CGR at middle and later stages. It is suggested that LAD character might be used to better explain the advantage in the dry matter production of super hybrid rice than LAI.

Seed Zone Properties and Crop Performance as Affected by Three No-Till Seeders for Permanent Raised Beds in Arid Northwest China

The no-till seeders of various soil opener configurations have been shown to produce various soil physical responses in relation to soil and climate conditions, thus affecting crop performance in permanent raised beds （PRB） systems. This is particularly important in arid Northwest China where large volumes of residue are retained on the soil surface after harvest. In Zhangye, Gansu Province, China, a field trial assessed the effects of three typical （powered-chopper, powered-cutter and powered-disc） PRB no-till seeders and one traditional seeder on soil disturbance, residue cover index, bulk density, fuel consumption, plant growth, and subsequent yield. In general, seedbed conditions and crop performance for PRB no- till seeders seeded plots were better than for traditional seeded plots. In PRB cropping system, the powered-chopper seeder decreased mean soil disturbance and increased residue cover index compared to powered-disc and -cutter seeders. However, the results indicated that soil bulk density was 2.3-4.8% higher, soil temperature was 0.2-0.6℃ lower, and spring wheat emergence was 3.2-4.7% less. This was attributed to greater levels of residue cover and firmer seedbeds. Spring maize and wheat performance in the powered-cutter and -disc treatments was better （non-significant） than powered- chopper treatment. So powered disc no-till seeder, which generally provided the best planting condition and the highest yield, appeared to be the suitable seeder in heavy residue cover conditions. Considering the precision requirements for soil disturbance and residue cover, the powered strip-chopping no-till seeder could be a suitable option for PRB cropping system in Northwest China. Although these results are preliminary, they are still valuable for the design and selection of no-till seeders for PRB cropping systems in arid Northwest China.