Life Sciences Commons^™

Soil Quality Under Permanent And Annual Pastures: Its Implications For Soil Microbial Activity And Nutrient Turnover, R. J. Haynes, R. M. Milne, N. Miles

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Dairy farming in humid, subtropical parts of South Africa is based on permanent kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) swards. However, there is a shortage of feed during the winter because low temperatures limit kikuyu growth. As a result, annual pastures incorporating temperate grasses, are grown for winter feed production. The grasses used are typically annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and sometimes perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Kikuyu is so invasive in the locality that it becomes dominant within a few years, even if the field is sown to perennial ryegrass. For that reason, the swards are usually …

Effects Of Tree And Tillage Systems On The Productivity Of The Herbaceous Stratum In Silvopastoral Systems In The Southwest Of Córdoba, Argentina, O. Plevich, C. Saroff, C. Cholaky, T. Pereyra, O. Barotto, H. Pagliaricci

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the southwest of Córdoba, Argentina, there are lands with severe water erosion, due to the interaction of rolling pampas, high intensity precipitation, loam soil, and farming systems based on annual crops (Cantero et al., 1998). In an attempt to mitigate the erosive processes, a silvopastoral system was established in which winter forage was combined with trees. To improve the physical condition of the soil, two tillage systems were implemented. The objective of this paper was to determine the effect of trees and tillage systems on the production of forage.

Previous Grass-Lucerne Mixtures Affect Barley Yield And Quality In A Semiarid Location Of The Canadian Prairie Region, P. G. Jefferson, F. Selles, R. P. Zentner, R. Lemke

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the semiarid region of the Canadian prairies perennial forages are not rotated with annual crops because previous experiments reported negative impacts (Kilcher and Anderson 1963; Campbell et al. 1990). However, previous research used persistent species while short-lived species could have less adverse effect. Our objective was to compare three grass species in three lucerne mixtures terminated with tillage or herbicide for effects on barley grain, N concentration, and N uptake.

The Impact Of Tillage System For Small-Grain Pasture Establishment On The Performance Of Growing Beef Calves In Arkansas, P. Beck, S. Gunter, M. Anders, K. Lusby, D. Hubbell

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the United States, governmental regulations mandate the improvement of farming practices to improve environmental quality. There is a requirement to reduce the siltation of waterways, soil carbon losses, and nutrient runoff along the Mississippi River Delta. The use of small-grain forages by grazing cattle offers real opportunities to produce high-quality forage for cattle production during the winter and spring months. No-till and reduced tillage practices developed primarily for grain production may offer environmental and economic solutions for both grain farmers and cattle producers. Producers are slow to adopt conservation tillage practices because of a perceived risk of reduced production. …

Tillage Systems In The Establishment Of Pastures In Argentinian Subhumid Area, H. Pagliaricci, C. Saroff, A. Ohanian, T. Pereyra

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The effect of three tillage systems on the number of plants produced and forage production of a pasture the first year of establishment was assessed in this experiment. The components of the pasture were alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb), orchard grass (Dactilys glomerata L), and prairie grass (Bromus unioloides). Treatments were three tillage systems: conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and direct sowing (DS). Sowing was performed with (NI) and without fertilizers (N0) in each treatment. A split-plot experimental design with two repetitions was used, with tillage being the main factor …

Effect Of Tillage And Slurry Application On Soil Quality And Co2 Emissions, Iker Mijangos, Isabel Albizu, Lur Epelde, A. Ibarra, Carlos Garbisu

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Tillage Management Strategy In Fodder-Food Cropping System For Sustainable Production, A, K. Dixit, Rajiv K. Agrawal, S. K. Das, C. S. Sahai, A. K. Rai

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The per capita availability of land is consistently decreasing, while food and fodder demand is increasing. Indiscriminate and injudicious use of farm inputs for achieving potential yield of crops has not only enhanced the cost of cultivation but also threatened the environment and sustainability of the system. Combination of these factors and their interface are serious threats to agriculture and mankind. In rainfed condition of central India, fodder sorghum+cowpea –wheat is potential cropping system among farmers maintaining 2-4 livestock’s. The conventional tillage system which inverts and mixes the soil, introduces large amounts of oxygen into the soil and thus stimulates …

Tillage Options For Productivity And Profitability Of Food Forage Based Production System In Indo Gangetic Plains Of India, Mahendra Singh Pal

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Food – Forage based systems are the pre-requisite for sustainable rural development mainly as they provide support to small and marginal farmers by adjusting a substantial part of their land exclusively for forage production in grain crop based rotations (Kumar and Faruqui, 2009). In addition, the high cost of cultivation of intensive cropping systems is a major bottleneck in sustainable and profitable crop production. Presently, new innovations in tillage has revolutionized agriculture worldwide mainly due to reducing cost of cultivation, bulk density of soil and trafficabiltiy and also improving soil organic carbon resulting into high soil fertility. In addition, zero …

Tillage And Mulching Effects On Crop Productivity And Moisture Dynamics In Fodder Sorghum Based Cropping Systems Under Rainfed Condition, Kiran Kumar, T. Palsaniya, A. K. Dixit, G. Prabhu, Manoj Chaudhary

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Indian farmers generally take more than one crop in a year to maximize their total production and profits. In this process fodder sorghum followed by crops like chickpea, wheat, oat, barley and mustard are common in Bundelkhand region of central India. The soils of Budelkhand region of India are medium to low in fertility with low organic matter content and poor water holding capacity that limits the fodder and food productivity. Therefore, adoption of resource conserving technologies in fodder sorghum based cropping systems under rainfed conditions is one of the potential areas, where increase in green fodder and food production …

Grasslands And Carbon: Processes And Trends, Rebecca L. Mcculley

Plant and Soil Sciences Presentations

Grasslands, which make up 30% of the U.S. land surface, store significant amounts of carbon belowground in roots and soils. Learn how disturbances such as drought, grazing, fire and tillage can significantly impact the grassland carbon balance.

Dr. Rebecca McCulley of the University of Kentucky, Dept. of Plant & Soil Sciences, talks about grasslands and the way they store and process carbon. Grasslands make up about 30 percent of the North American surface. Grasslands differ from forests in many ways, but from a carbon perspective they store a much greater proportion of the carbon than they take in in any …

Tillage And Subsoiling Effects On Soil Compaction And Yield Of Burley Tobacco, Edwin L. Ritchey, Robert C. Pearce, John H. Grove

Plant and Soil Sciences Research Report

Historically, tobacco producers have relied heavily on surface tillage to prepare fields for transplanting. This typically involved moldboard plowing, followed by several secondary tillage operations, such as discing then leveling with a soil finisher. Transplanter developments and modifications in the late 1990’s, coupled with new chemicals for weed control, made no-till (NT) tobacco a viable option for tobacco producers in Kentucky (KY).

Fertilizer, Tillage, And Dairy Manure Contributions To Nitrate And Herbicide Leaching, C. S. Stoddard, John H. Grove, Mark S. Coyne, William O. Thom

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Few studies have examined the water quality impact of manure use in no-tillage systems. A lysimeter study in continuous corn (Zea mays L.) was performed on Maury silt loam (fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Paleudalf) to evaluate the effect(s) of tillage (no-till [NT] and chisel-disk [CD]), nitrogen fertilizer rate (0 and 168 kg N ha⁻¹), and dairy manure application timing (none, spring, fall, or fall plus spring) on NO₃–N, atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine), and alachlor [2-chloro-2′-6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide] concentrations in leachate collected at a 90-cm depth. Herbicides were highest immediately after application, declining to less …

Common Pokeweed Management In Corn And Soybeans With A Conservation Tillage Cultivator And Herbicides, Jonathan D. Green, William W. Witt

Agronomy Notes

Common pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.) is a warm-season perennial that grows well in nondisturbed areas such as fence rows and woodland borders. In recent years it has begun spreading to com and soybean fields where no-tillage practices are used. The deep taproot that is characteristic of common pokeweed, makes this weed difficult to manage, particularly in no-till plantings. The green leaves, fleshy stems, and purple berries of common pokeweed can inhibit the harvesting process and lead to discounts at the elevator for high moisture and stained seed.

The equipment industry has developed cultivators with large sweeps capable of operating …

Fecal Bacteria Survival And Infiltration Through A Shallow Agricultural Soil: Timing And Tillage Effects, C. S. Stoddard, Mark S. Coyne, John H. Grove

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Human and livestock exposure to fecal pathogens via contaminated surface or groundwater is an important water quality concern for soils receiving animal wastes. The effects of manure application timing (spring or fall application) and soil management (no-tillage or conservation tillage) on fecal bacteria infiltration through shallow karst soils in central Kentucky (the Bluegrass region) have not been evaluated. We performed a field experiment to measure fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci in leachate from dairy manure-amended no-tillage and conservation tillage soils. Manure significantly increased fecal bacteria in leachate compared with unmanured treatments. After manure application, the leachate that collected in zero-tension …

Some Effects Of Shifting To Conservation Tillage Systems For Intensive Production Of Corn And Soybean, Kenneth L. Wells, H. C. Vaught, David Heisterburg

Agronomy Notes

About three-fourths of Kentucky's cropland base occurs on sloping land with some degree of erosion hazard. During the past decade, production of soybeans and corn increased rapidly in Kentucky, particularly on sloping land. This resulted in severe erosion on many farms, particularly in the "intensive grain producing counties. Much of this field erosion could be greatly reduced by developing a system for each field that would incorporate use of such agronomic practices as sod waterways, no-till planting, contour plowing, minimum tillage, strip cropping, double-cropping, winter cover crops, crop residue management and rotations. It is believed that the current acreage of …

The Effect Of Three Tillage Systems On Bulk Density And Porosity Of A Pembroke And A Beasley Soil After Three Years, Kenneth L. Wells, John H. Grove

Agronomy Notes

Many grain producers in Kentucky use a 3 crop in 2 year rotation of corn followed by small grain-soybeans, and commonly no-till the soybeans and corn in order to intensively use sloping land for continuous grain production. Because of the intensity of machinery traffic in this system, growers are concerned that continuous no-till management may cause compaction, and that such fields may need occasional primary tillage. In order to obtain' information regarding things situation, we conducted a test for 3 years on the farm of' Philip Lyvers, in Marion County, Kentucky, in a field which was being used in a …