Increasing soil microbial biomass nitrogen in crop rotation systems by improving nitrogen resources under nitrogen application

Soil microbial biomass nitrogen(MBN)contains the largest proportion of biologically active nitrogen(N)in soil,and is considered as a crucial participant in soil N cycling.Agronomic management practices such as crop rotation and monocropping systems,dramatically affect MBN in agroecosystems.However,the influence of crop rotation and monocropping in agroecosystems on MBN remains unclear.A meta-analysis based on 203 published studies was conducted to quantify the effect of crop rotation and mono-cropping systems on MBN under synthetic N fertilizer application.The analysis showed that crop rotation significantly stimulated the response ratio(RR)of MBN to N fertilization and this parameter reached the highest levels in upland-fallow rotations.Upland mono-cropping did not change the RR of MBN to N application,however,the RR of MBN to N application in paddy mono-cropping increased.The difference between crop rotation and mono-cropping systems appeared to be due to the various cropping management scenarios,and the pattern,rate and duration of N addition.Crop rotation systems led to a more positive effect on soil total N(TN)and a smaller reduction in soil pH than mono-cropping systems.The RR of MBN to N application was positively correlated with the RR of mineral N only in crop rotation systems and with the RR of soil pH only in mono-cropping systems.Combining the results of Random Forest(RF)model and structural equation model showed that the predominant driving factors of MBN changes in crop rotation systems were soil mineral N and TN,while in mono-cropping systems the main driving factor was soil pH.Overall,our study indicates that crop rotation can be an effective way to enhance MBN by improving soil N resources,which promote the resistance of MBN to low pH induced by intensive synthetic N fertilizer application.

Economic Analysis of Diversified Rotational Cropping Systems in the Lateritic Belt of Lower Gangetic Plain of Eastern India

Economic analysis of different diversified rotational cropping systems under Farmers＇ package/practices and improved package/practices was conducted in Birbhum district, West Bengal, located in the red and lateritic belt of lower Gangetic plain of eastern lndia. Diversified triple cropping systems （peanut-brinjal＋brinjal, rice-potato-pumpkin, and cucumber-cabbage-basella） required higher cost for cultivation, but also produced higher rice equivalent yield, higher net return and higher return rupee1 invested in both management practices. Considering the resource-ability and risk-bearing capacity, and net return and return rupee^-1 （RPR） invested, these cropping systems can be recommended for resource-rich farmers. Rice-rapeseed-cowpea, rice-wheat-green gram and radish-tomato-amaranthus systems profitable. These cropping systems can be required less inputs for cultivation, were less risky, and economically viable and recommended for resource-poor farmers. Peanut-brinjal ＋ brinjal-okra-chilli ＋ chilli-cucumber-cabbage-basella system was the best among all the 3-year rotational systems in respect to RPR in both management practices. This rotational system will be suitable for resource-rich farmers. Vegetable-based rotational systems （ridge gourd-marigold-okra-black gram-pointed gourd ＋ pointed gourd-radish-tomato-amaranthus） or rice-based rotational system （rice-wheat-green gram-rice-rapeseed-cowpea-rice-potato-pumpkin） also found to be suitable to increase the profitability and system sustainability. These cropping systems can be recommended for all groups of farmers.

Weed Incidences and Their Effect on Crop Productivity under Diversified Rotational Cropping Systems in the Lateritic Belt of Lower Gangetic Plain of Eastern India

A field experiment was conducted from 2002-2005 on a sandy clay loam red and lateritic soil under irrigation in a farmer＇s field at Senkapur （Lat. 23°36.79′ N, Long. 87°38.14′E, Elev. 46 m AMSL）, Birbhum, West Bengal, India. The objective was to provide the temporal changes of weed diversity and density, ecology, and impact of rotational cropping systems on different crops under double and triple cropping systems with improved （IP） and farmer＇s packages （FP）. There was significantly higher weed density in FP than in IP on all years. Grasses and sedges were more in vegetable-based rotational systems; but grasses and broad leaf weeds （BLWs） were more in rice-based rotational systems. The lowest weed population was in vegetable-based systems. Grasses increased in rice-based systems but gradually decreased in vegetable-based systems in subsequent years. Sedge density was higher in vegetable- than in rice-based rotational systems. Density of BLWs was higher but that of sedges was lower in rice-based rotational systems as compared to vegetable-based systems. Density of BLWs gradually decreased in all rotational systems over the years in both packages. Density of weeds decreased gradually in subsequent years indicating the positive effect of rotational systems on suppression of weeds. Results indicate that the weed density can be reduced through judicious diversified rotational cropping systems. Peanut-brinjal＋brinjal, okra-chilli＋chilli and cucumber-cabbage-basella systems greatly reduced the weed density in both packages, and hence can be recommended for the lateritic belt of lower Gangetic plain of eastern India.

Extracts from cotton over the whole growing season induce Orobanche cumana(sunflower broomrape) germination with significant cultivar interactions

Five cotton cultivars and their parents were tested for induction of germination of Orobanche cumana Wallr.(sunflower broomrape) seeds in pot and field experiments. Germination rates induced by cotton root extracts were the highest followed by stem extracts then leaf extracts. Cotton seedlings at the six-leaf stage induced higher germination than seedling at the two-and four-leaf stage, in all five cotton cultivars and their parents. In the field, the highest concentration of cotton root extracts gave the highest germination rate of O. cumana, and the lowest concentration of cotton root extracts gave the lowest germination rate. Methanol extracts of cotton rhizosphere soil gave the highest germination of O. cumana. In general,the root, stem and leaf extracts were more active at the sixleaf stage than other seedling stages. In conclusion,extracts of cotton rhizosphere soil and tissues have high activity in the seedling stage. Extracts of cotton across the whole growing season were able to induce O. cumana germination but displayed significant cultivar interactions.