The impacts of synthetic polypropylene ground cover in the row area of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) trees (‘Regina’/’Gisela 6’) on soil nutrient availability, tree mineral nutrition and productivity, and economi...The impacts of synthetic polypropylene ground cover in the row area of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) trees (‘Regina’/’Gisela 6’) on soil nutrient availability, tree mineral nutrition and productivity, and economic returns were investigated on a Van Horn fine sandy loam soil at Hood River OR, from 2000 to 2007. Treatments included 2.44-m wide synthetic fabric ground cover made of black, woven poly-propylene over the row area of cherry trees (woven fabric), and no ground cover but with herbicide applications in the row area with the same width as the polypropylene ground cover (herbicide strip) – standard industry practice. This article reports the plant nutrition and soil fertility results of 2006 and 2007 and profitability and feasibility results of 2000 to 2007. Tree leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations were significantly higher with 9 to 14% increases using woven fabric compared with herbicide strip in 2006 and 2007. However, leaf sulfur (S) concentrations were significantly lowered with woven fabric in the two seasons. Woven fabric resulted in fruit with comparable quality and possible greater storability under enhanced fruit yields than herbicide strip in both years. Woven fabric was more profitable than herbicide strip based on an additional net present value of $2,606 ha-1 by the end of this study. Woven fabric had annual gross returns greater than annual costs in the fourth year after planting by $8,181 ha-1 relative to herbicide strip, and had cumulative net returns greater than total costs of all previous years in the sixth year after planting by $17,796 ha-1 over herbicide strip. However, to establish a sweet cherry orchard with woven fabric, the grower would spend an additional $4,332 ha-1 over herbicide strip. In conclusion, woven fabric is a profitable and sustainable in-row ground management alternative to herbicide strip for orchards from a long-term perspective.展开更多
The sustainability of prevailing maize-fallow system in rainfed ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayan region(EHR)of India is often questioned due to poor economic return and negative impact on soil health.Hence,the six ...The sustainability of prevailing maize-fallow system in rainfed ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayan region(EHR)of India is often questioned due to poor economic return and negative impact on soil health.Hence,the six cropping systems,maize-fallow(M-F),maize t cowpea-rapeseed(M t C-Rs),maize t cowpea-buckwheat(M t C-Bw),maize t cowpea-barley(M t CeB),maize t cowpea-garden pea(M t C-GP)and maize t cowpeaerajmash(M t C-R)in the main plot and three soil moisture conservation measures,no-mulch(NM),maize stover mulch(MSM)and maize stover t weed biomass mulch(MSM t WBM)in sub-plot were evaluated for four consecutive years(2014-18)at a Research Farm in fixed plot fashion.Results indicated that cowpea co-culture with maize and inclusion of winter crop increased maize yield by 6.2e23.5%over M-F.Among the systems,the M t C-GP recorded the highest crop productivity.The residual effect of MSM t WBM increased maize grain yield by 19.1%over NM.Cultivation of maize t cowpea-winter crops significantly improved the available N(3.2e12.9%),P(3.6 e12.7%),K(1.9e26.3%),organic carbon(9.2e16.8%),microbial biomass carbon-MBC(15.2e43.9%)and dehydrogenases-DHA(17.2e42.3%)in soil at 0e15 cm depth as compared to M-F.The M t C-GP also recorded maximum net return(US$2460 ha1),benefit:cost(B:C)ratio(2.86)and energy use efficiency(7.9%).The MSM t WBM recorded higher net return(US$1680 ha1)and B:C ratio(2.46)over NM.Hence,cowpea t maize-garden pea(M t C-GP)along with the application of MSM t WBM is a sustainable production practice to intensify the organically managed maize-fallow system in rainfed regions of the EHR of India and other similar ecosystems.展开更多
In wetland ecosystem, nitrogen along with other elements and its management is most imperative for the production of so many aquatic food, non-food and beneficial medicinal plants and for the improvement of soil and w...In wetland ecosystem, nitrogen along with other elements and its management is most imperative for the production of so many aquatic food, non-food and beneficial medicinal plants and for the improvement of soil and water characteristics. With great significant importance of INM (integrated nutrient management) as sources, emphasizing on management on nitrogen as a key element and its divergence, a case study was undertaken on such aquatic food crops (starch and protein-rich, most popular and remunerative) in the farmers' field of low-lying 'Tal' situation of New Alluvial Zone of Indian subtropics. The study was designed in factorial randomized block design, where, three important aquatic food crops (water chestnut (Trapa bispinosa Roxb.), makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.) and water lily (Nymphaea spp.) as major factor and eleven combinations of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients as sub-factor was considered in the experiment. It revealed from the results that the production of fresh kernels or nuts of water chestnut (8.571 ha-1), matured nut yield of makhana (3.06 t ha-1) and flower stalks of water-lily as vegetables (6.38 t ha-1) including its nutritional quality (starch, protein, sugar and minerals) was remarkably influenced with the application of both organic (neem oilcake @ 0.2 t ha-1) and inorganic sources (NPK @ 30:20:20 kg ha-1 along with spraying of NPK @ 0.5% each over crop canopy at 20 days interval after transplanting) than the other INM combinations applied to the crops. Among the crops, highest WCYE (water chestnut yield equivalence) exhibited in makhana due to its high price of popped-form in the country, which is being exported to other countries at now. Sole application of both (organic and inorganic sources) with lower range did not produce any significant outcome from the study and exhibited lower value for all the crops. Besides production of food crops, INM also greatly influenced the soil and water characterization and it was favourably reflected in this study. The physico-chemical characteristics of soil (textural class, pH, organic carbon, organic matter, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) are most important and contributed a significant improvement due to cultivation of these aquatic crops. Analysis of such wet bodies represented the water characteristics (pH, BOD, COD, CO3 =, HCO3-, NO3- N, SO4-S and Cl-) were most responsive, adaptable and quite favourable for the cultivation of these crops in this vast waste unused wetlands for the mankind without any environmental degradation.展开更多
文摘The impacts of synthetic polypropylene ground cover in the row area of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) trees (‘Regina’/’Gisela 6’) on soil nutrient availability, tree mineral nutrition and productivity, and economic returns were investigated on a Van Horn fine sandy loam soil at Hood River OR, from 2000 to 2007. Treatments included 2.44-m wide synthetic fabric ground cover made of black, woven poly-propylene over the row area of cherry trees (woven fabric), and no ground cover but with herbicide applications in the row area with the same width as the polypropylene ground cover (herbicide strip) – standard industry practice. This article reports the plant nutrition and soil fertility results of 2006 and 2007 and profitability and feasibility results of 2000 to 2007. Tree leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations were significantly higher with 9 to 14% increases using woven fabric compared with herbicide strip in 2006 and 2007. However, leaf sulfur (S) concentrations were significantly lowered with woven fabric in the two seasons. Woven fabric resulted in fruit with comparable quality and possible greater storability under enhanced fruit yields than herbicide strip in both years. Woven fabric was more profitable than herbicide strip based on an additional net present value of $2,606 ha-1 by the end of this study. Woven fabric had annual gross returns greater than annual costs in the fourth year after planting by $8,181 ha-1 relative to herbicide strip, and had cumulative net returns greater than total costs of all previous years in the sixth year after planting by $17,796 ha-1 over herbicide strip. However, to establish a sweet cherry orchard with woven fabric, the grower would spend an additional $4,332 ha-1 over herbicide strip. In conclusion, woven fabric is a profitable and sustainable in-row ground management alternative to herbicide strip for orchards from a long-term perspective.
文摘The sustainability of prevailing maize-fallow system in rainfed ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayan region(EHR)of India is often questioned due to poor economic return and negative impact on soil health.Hence,the six cropping systems,maize-fallow(M-F),maize t cowpea-rapeseed(M t C-Rs),maize t cowpea-buckwheat(M t C-Bw),maize t cowpea-barley(M t CeB),maize t cowpea-garden pea(M t C-GP)and maize t cowpeaerajmash(M t C-R)in the main plot and three soil moisture conservation measures,no-mulch(NM),maize stover mulch(MSM)and maize stover t weed biomass mulch(MSM t WBM)in sub-plot were evaluated for four consecutive years(2014-18)at a Research Farm in fixed plot fashion.Results indicated that cowpea co-culture with maize and inclusion of winter crop increased maize yield by 6.2e23.5%over M-F.Among the systems,the M t C-GP recorded the highest crop productivity.The residual effect of MSM t WBM increased maize grain yield by 19.1%over NM.Cultivation of maize t cowpea-winter crops significantly improved the available N(3.2e12.9%),P(3.6 e12.7%),K(1.9e26.3%),organic carbon(9.2e16.8%),microbial biomass carbon-MBC(15.2e43.9%)and dehydrogenases-DHA(17.2e42.3%)in soil at 0e15 cm depth as compared to M-F.The M t C-GP also recorded maximum net return(US$2460 ha1),benefit:cost(B:C)ratio(2.86)and energy use efficiency(7.9%).The MSM t WBM recorded higher net return(US$1680 ha1)and B:C ratio(2.46)over NM.Hence,cowpea t maize-garden pea(M t C-GP)along with the application of MSM t WBM is a sustainable production practice to intensify the organically managed maize-fallow system in rainfed regions of the EHR of India and other similar ecosystems.
文摘In wetland ecosystem, nitrogen along with other elements and its management is most imperative for the production of so many aquatic food, non-food and beneficial medicinal plants and for the improvement of soil and water characteristics. With great significant importance of INM (integrated nutrient management) as sources, emphasizing on management on nitrogen as a key element and its divergence, a case study was undertaken on such aquatic food crops (starch and protein-rich, most popular and remunerative) in the farmers' field of low-lying 'Tal' situation of New Alluvial Zone of Indian subtropics. The study was designed in factorial randomized block design, where, three important aquatic food crops (water chestnut (Trapa bispinosa Roxb.), makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.) and water lily (Nymphaea spp.) as major factor and eleven combinations of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients as sub-factor was considered in the experiment. It revealed from the results that the production of fresh kernels or nuts of water chestnut (8.571 ha-1), matured nut yield of makhana (3.06 t ha-1) and flower stalks of water-lily as vegetables (6.38 t ha-1) including its nutritional quality (starch, protein, sugar and minerals) was remarkably influenced with the application of both organic (neem oilcake @ 0.2 t ha-1) and inorganic sources (NPK @ 30:20:20 kg ha-1 along with spraying of NPK @ 0.5% each over crop canopy at 20 days interval after transplanting) than the other INM combinations applied to the crops. Among the crops, highest WCYE (water chestnut yield equivalence) exhibited in makhana due to its high price of popped-form in the country, which is being exported to other countries at now. Sole application of both (organic and inorganic sources) with lower range did not produce any significant outcome from the study and exhibited lower value for all the crops. Besides production of food crops, INM also greatly influenced the soil and water characterization and it was favourably reflected in this study. The physico-chemical characteristics of soil (textural class, pH, organic carbon, organic matter, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) are most important and contributed a significant improvement due to cultivation of these aquatic crops. Analysis of such wet bodies represented the water characteristics (pH, BOD, COD, CO3 =, HCO3-, NO3- N, SO4-S and Cl-) were most responsive, adaptable and quite favourable for the cultivation of these crops in this vast waste unused wetlands for the mankind without any environmental degradation.
