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Beninese smallholders associate food crops and cash crops with immature oil palms to reduce field maintenance costs and gain income before the palms reach productive phase. Little is known about the effects of these crops on the nutritional status and growth of the palms in their immature phase even though the yield of adult palms can be affected by the management practices during this phase. The objective of this study was to evaluate the most common oil palm-based intercropping systems found in southern Benin in terms of nutritional status and growth of the palm. Within 15 oil palm farms, we compared 15 immature oil palm fields where the crop succession associated with the oil palms was dominated by maize, cassava, tomato, and pineapple. The nutrient concentrations in the soil and the palm leaves, and growth indicators were measured at the end of the immature phase. We found that the palm growth indicators were the lowest in the successions with pineapple. N and P nutrition of the immature palms was satisfactory but K was deficient in all systems, especially in those with pineapple. The K levels in the soils and palm leaves were correlated. Rough field budgets comparing the amounts of N and K applied to the crop successions with their N and K exports from non-returning products indicated that soil indigenous K supply would be particularly depleted in the systems with pineapple. We concluded that the young oil palms were affected by the competition for K exerted by the crop successions with pineapple even though they were the most fertilized in the region. The high profitable crop is therefore associated with the lowest growth rates of the immature palms. The mineral fertilizer management in these oil palm temporary intercropping systems should be improved.

A recent study has proposed and tested a semi-empirical method to estimate crop irrigation based on a water balance logic and Sentinel-2 Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) NDVI imagery. The current paper aims at extending the same approach to the analysis of the main irrigation patterns occurred in Tuscany (Central Italy) during the 2000–2019 period. This operation was made possible by feeding the irrigation water (IW) estimation method with 250-m spatial resolution Terra/Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI images. The results of this operation were first assessed versus various reference datasets available for the region; next, the annual maps of IW estimated for the 20 study years were analyzed at province scale in conjunction with relevant agricultural statistics. The use of MODIS in place of MSI images reduces the IW estimation accuracy irregularly at local scale, depending on the size and spatial arrangement of irrigated and non-irrigated fields; the reduction in accuracy is, however, marginal over relatively large areas. Irrigated crops are decreasing throughout most Tuscany provinces, while they are increasing in the most southern and driest province. The possible reasons and implications of these findings are finally discussed in relation to the main environmental issues affecting the region.

Agricultural intensification has caused losses of global biodiversity and associated ecological services. Agroecological landscape assessments are therefore often based on the area of remaining semi-natural habitats due to their ability to promote biodiversity. Due to their structural diversity and often less intensive management in comparison to annual crops, perennial cropland could fulfil similar roles. However, comparisons of the ability of perennial cropland versus semi-natural habitat to maintain agricultural diversity are scarce. Here, we conduct such an assessment, in comparing functional group-specific patterns in ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as indicators of anthropogenic land-use impacts on biodiversity and biological pest control. Carabid assemblages were compared between annual cropland (56 plots), perennial cropland (24 plots) and semi-natural habitats (74 plots) of varying plant diversity across nine study regions situated in Eastern China. Our results indicated that perennial crops sustained a greater carabid species richness than semi-natural habitats, whereas assemblages of semi-natural habitats contained greater proportions of large and predatory carabids. Plant species richness positively affected the overall diversity of carabids, with the strongest effects again observed in perennial cropland. Abundance-based and species-based proportions of large carabids were positively linked to plant diversity in perennial cropland and semi-natural habitats, but negatively in annual cropland. A similar response was observed for predatory carabid abundance. Perennial crops might therefore fulfil complementary roles to semi-natural habitats in agricultural biodiversity conservation. Given common trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and agricultural production, promoting perennial cropland in particular in combination with management that increases plant diversity, could enable increases in the sustainability of agricultural production systems particularly in areas with high food demand, but limited availability of arable land. Notwithstanding, semi-natural habitats remain crucial particularly with view of enhancing biological pest control services.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) The state of Mato Grosso do Sul is an important producer of agricultural products, especially of soybeans, corn and sugarcane, which together accounted for 94% of the states’s gross revenue from all annual agricultural products in 2017. Moreover, both the revenue and the farmed area with these three activities have grown substantially. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the development of the production of soybeans, corn and sugar-cane in the cities of Mato Grosso do Sul, between 2006 and 2017, estimating localization and specialization indexes plus an extended Shift Share model. Results show that there are a larger number of cities specialized in the production of soybeans and also that this crop is more disperse spatially comparing with the other two crops. In addition, the production of sugar cane is the only showing changes in the pattern of concentration and dispersion. Finally, the shift-share analysis suggests positive effects of different determinants, mainly area effects for sugar-cane and productivity effects for corn. Soybeans was the only one with positive price effects. Mato Grosso do Sul se destaca na produção de diversos produtos agropecuários, principalmente de soja, milho e cana-de-açúcar, uma vez que estes, em 2017, equivaleram a 94% do valor bruto obtido na produção de lavouras temporárias do estado. Além disso, essas atividades têm apresentado expressivo crescimento em termos de valor e área colhida. Dessa forma, o objetivo geral deste estudo é examinar a evolução da produção das principais atividades agrícolas de lavouras temporárias nos municípios de Mato Grosso do Sul, entre os anos 2006 e 2017, por meio da aplicação do método Shift-Share ampliado e de indicadores de localização e especialização. Dentre os principais resultados encontrados, é possível afirmar que em Mato Grosso do Sul, existe um maior número de municípios especializados na produção de soja, se comparado às demais lavouras, além de ser a sojicultura mais dispersa espacialmente. A cana-de-açúcar, por outro lado, é a única que apresenta mudanças no padrão de concentração ou dispersão de sua produção. Na análise individual das lavouras, o valor da produção de Mato Grosso do Sul sugere efeitos positivos para as diferentes lavouras analisadas, dos quais se destacam o cultivo de cana-de-açúcar que apresentou o maior efeito área; milho, o maior efeito rendimento e soja foi a única com efeito preço positivo. 33001014

В статье включены данные роста и развития культур, урожайность, химический состав и питательная ценность однолетних культур. Научные исследования проводились в 2019-2020 гг. на второй надпойменной террасе долины реки Лены. Целью исследований является подбор перспективных однолетних кормовых культур (овес, горох, вика, подсолнечник, кукуруза, суданская трава, просо, редька масличная, амарант) по срокам посева на урожайность и питательную ценность в условиях криолитозоны. По результатам биометрических показателей наиболее высокорослыми являлись кормовые культуры, посеянные в первом и во втором сроках посева. По всем срокам посева наибольшую урожайность сформировали посевы подсолнечника от 18,0 до 33,0 т/га зеленой массы. По данным качества корма отличились в первом и третьем сроке посевы викоовсяной смеси с содержанием сырого протеина 23,1-24,2% обменной энергии в 1 кг сухого вещества 9,0-9,1 МДж, переваримого протеина 175-184 г. Во втором сроке высокие показатели качества корма отмечены у амаранта с содержанием сырого протеина 23,8% обменной энергии в 1 кг сухого вещества 9,2 МДж, переваримого протеина 181г. Установлены оптимальные сроки посева и уборки перспективных однолетних кормовых культур для производства высококачественных сочных и объемистых кормов — 1 срок (посев — I декада июня, уборка — II декада августа); 2 срок (посев — II декада июня, уборка — III декада августа) в фазе массового цветения и выбрасывания метелок испытываемых кормовых культур., The article includes data on the growth and development of crops, yield, chemical composition and nutritional value of annual crops. Scientific research was conducted in 2019-2020 on the second floodplain terrace of the Lena River Valley. The aim of the research is to select promising annual forage crops (oats, peas, vetch, sunflower, corn, Sudan grass, millet, oilseed radish, amaranth) according to the terms of sowing for yield and nutritional value in the conditions of the cryolithozone. According to the results of biometric indicators, the tallest forage crops were sown in the first and second terms of sowing. For all the terms of sowing, the highest yield was formed by sunflower crops from 18.0 to 33.0 t/ha of green mass. According to the feed quality data, the first and third term crops of vico-oat mixture with a crude protein content of 23.1-24.2% of the exchange energy in 1 kg of dry matier of 9.0-9.1 MJ, digestible protein of 175-184 g were distinguished. In the second term, high feed quality indicators were observed in amaranth with a crude protein content of 23.8 of the exchange energy in 1 kg of dry matier of 9.2 MJ, and a digestible protein of 181 g. The optimal timing of planting and harvesting promising annual forage crops for the production of high-quality juicy and bulky feed — 1 term (sowing — the first ten days of June, the II decade of August); 2 term (sowing the second ten days of June, the III decade of August) in the phase of mass flowering and discarding panicles of the test crops.

В работе изучено влияние типа посадок и конструктивных особенностей цветочных модулей на биологические признаки и декоративность наиболее распространенных однолетних цветочных культур. Установлено достоверное влияние факторов среды, генотипа изучаемых растений на изучаемые признаки и декоративность посадок. Изучен рост и развитие растений в различных типах посадки: цветочных модулях, балконных ящиках, подвесных корзинах, приподнятых цветниках, обрамленных подпорными стенами и цветниках открытого грунта в условиях частного землевладения. Для озеленения контейнеров и приподнятых клумб в условиях частных и малых садов рекомендуется 13 перспективных однолетних цветочных культур., The influence of the type of plantings and design features of flower modules on the biological characteristics and decorativeness of the most common annual flower crops is studied. A reliable influence of environmental factors, genotype of the studied plants on the studied characteristics and decorative planting was observed. The growth and development of plants in various types of planting: flower modules, balcony boxes, hanging baskets, raised flower beds framed by retaining walls and open ground flower beds under conditions of private landholding are analyzed. For gardening containers and raised flower beds in private and small gardens, 13 promising annual flower crops are recommended.

International audience; The sustainability of agricultural sector involves a wise water resources management and therefore an accurate spatiotemporal vegetation monitoring with relevant tools such as satellite-derived indices (VI). In this study we evaluate the performance of NDVI and NDWI indices to infer the annual crops' (mainly wheat and faba-bean) aboveground biomass(AGB)at a Mediterranean watershed. The temporal evolution of IV over the annual crops' area shows the presence of low-density and low water content vegetation in early and late season. Areas with well-developed canopy and high plant water content are dominant in the mid-season. The observed AGB of wheat and faba-bean shows a good correlation with NDVI and NDWI values (R2 > 0.71). The used vegetation indices represent a practical tool to determine the spatiotemporal variation of annual crops' AGB in Lebna watershed, however, a large dataset for validation is needed

Sustainable crop production, with low greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint, has become imperative to ensure food security in a world with increasing demands for agricultural products. Agriculture is an important contributor to N2O emissions – a potent GHG whose emissions are high when soil mineral-N is increased (e.g., following soil freeze-thaw cycles and N fertilization). Nitrous oxide emissions are affected by soil and crop management practices (e.g., tillage and crop rotation), are highly episodic, and subjected to spatial variations (i.e., “hot spots”). Since most of the studies from the literature assessed tillage and crop rotation effects on total N2O emissions, quantification of the contribution of specific N sources (i.e., soil, crop residues, N fertilizer) in response to contrasting tillage and crop rotation levels is needed. For this thesis, I addressed this knowledge gap with a 15N isotope study, which was conducted for two non-growing seasons - NGS (Chapter 2) and growing seasons - GS (Chapter 3). Annual emission factors for crop residues and N fertilizer were derived and the datasets were used to study spatial variation in N2O emissions (Chapter 4). For NGS, tillage induced higher N2O emissions than no-tillage, mostly derived from soil nitrogen since the contribution from crop residue was minimal (

The availability of accurate information on the water consumed for crop irrigation is of vital importance to support compatible and sustainable environmental policies in arid and semi-arid regions. This has promoted several studies about the use of remote sensing data to monitor irrigated croplands, which are mostly based on statistical classification and/or regression techniques. The current paper proposes a new semi-empirical approach that relies on a water balance logic and does not require local tuning. The method stems from recent investigations which demonstrated the possibility of combining standard meteorological data and Sentinel-2 (S-2) Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) NDVI images to estimate the actual evapotranspiration (ETa) of irrigated Mediterranean croplands. This ETa estimation method is adapted to drive a simplified site water balance which, for each 10-m S-2 MSI pixel, predicts the irrigation water (IW), i.e. the water which is consumed in addition to that naturally supplied by rainfall. The new method, fed with ground and satellite data from two years (2018–2019), is tested in a Mediterranean area around the town of Grosseto (Central Italy), that is covered by a particularly complex mosaic of rainfed and irrigated crops. The results obtained are first assessed qualitatively for some fields grown with known winter, spring and summer crops. Next, the IW estimates are evaluated quantitatively versus ground measurements taken over two irrigated fields, the first grown with processing tomato in 2018 and the second with early corn in 2019. Finally, the IW estimates are statistically analyzed against various datasets informative on local agricultural practices in the two years. All these analyses indicate that the proposed method is capable of predicting both the intensity and timing of the IW supply in the study area. The method, in fact, correctly identifies rainfed and irrigated crops and, in the latter case, accurately predicts the IW actually supplied. The results of the quantitative tests performed on tomato and corn show that over 50 % and 70 % of the measured IW variance is explained on daily and weekly bases, respectively, with corresponding mean bias errors below 0.3 mm/day and 2.0 mm/week. Similar indications are produced by the qualitative tests; reasonable IW estimates are obtained for all winter, springs and summer crops grown in the study area during 2018 and 2019.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-04T12:32:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-10-02 PROCAD The foliar application of silicon (Si) and salicylic acid (SA) can be beneficial to plants. However, there are doubts about the interaction of Si and SA in the physiology and yield of legume crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of foliar application of Si and SA on the photosynthetic variables and yield of soybean and bean grains. The experiments were composed by four treatments: potassium silicate and stabilized sodium at a concentration of 3.6 g L-1 Si in the absence and presence of SA (210 mg L-1), only SA, and without Si or SA. The interaction of Si with foliar SA enhanced photosynthesis only in soybean; it did not affect the physiological variables of bean and did not alter the yield of the two crops. The results indicated that foliar Si application at high concentrations, independently of SA application, increased the physiological variables of the soybean without affecting the yield; however, the combined application of Si and SA had an adverse effect on the physiology and yield of bean. Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Solos & Adubos, BR-14884900 Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, Campus Chapadao Do Sul, Chapadao Do Sul, MS, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Solos & Adubos, BR-14884900 Sao Paulo, Brazil PROCAD: 71/2013

No-tillage covers large cultivated areas in Brazil, being considered suitable for the sustainability of Brazilian agroecosystems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil management and crop rotation systems on soil physical and chemical attributes as well as soybean yield. The experiment was carried out for four consecutive years (2014-2017) at Departamento de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa Agropecuária (DDPA) / Secretaria da Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural (SEAPDR), in Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The treatments were: no-tillage with crop rotation (PDr), no-tillage with crop succession (PDs), scarified with crop rotation (Er) and conventional tillage with crop rotation (PCr). Soil physical (density, macroporosity and microporosity) and chemical (organic matter, P, K and pH) properties were evaluated as well as soybean crop yield. The soil physical attributes did not modify by the different soil management but the soil organic matter content increased in all evaluated treatments. There was no significant difference between the treatments for macro and microporosity of the soil but the soil density was sensitive for the soil management. The soybean yield did not differ significantly among the treatments. The preliminary results evidenced in short term is no need to mobilize the soil every three years in the areas operated under no tillage systems. O plantio direto abrange grandes áreas cultivadas no Brasil, sendo considerado adequado para a sustentabilidade dos agroecossistemas brasileiros. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes sistemas de manejo do solo e de rotação de culturas sobre os atributos físicos e químicos do solo, como também sobre a produtividade da soja. O experimento foi conduzido por quatro anos (2014-2017) na área experimental do Departamento de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa Agropecuária (DDPA) / Secretaria da Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural (SEAPDR), Vacaria, RS. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e seis repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram em: plantio direto com sucessão de culturas (PDs), plantio direto com rotação de culturas (PDr), escarificado com rotação de culturas (Er) e preparo convencional com rotação de culturas (PCr). Foram avaliadas características químicas (MO, P, K e pH) e físicas (densidade, macroporosidade e microporosidade) do solo e a produtividade da cultura da soja. Após quatro anos de condução do experimento, os atributos químicos do solo não sofreram modificações pelos manejos adotados, porém houve um aumento dos teores de matéria orgânica em todos os tratamentos avaliados. Para as variáveis físicas macro e microporosidade do solo não houve diferença significativa entre os tratamentos, mas a densidade do solo mostrou-se sensível para a mudança no preparo do solo. A produtividade não apresentou diferença entre os tratamentos. Os resultados preliminares mostram que a curto prazo não há necessidade de manejar o solo a cada três anos em áreas que utilizam a técnica do plantio direto.

National audience

Trichogramma pretiosum is one of the main egg parasitoids used in the control of lepidopteran pests in Brazil. This natural enemy can be negatively affected by the use of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The present work used a systematic review and meta-analysis to group information from multiple studies on the selectivity of pesticides (279 commercial products) in rice, corn, soybean, apple and peach crops for immature stages (egg-larva, pre-pupa, and pupa) and adult parasitoids. The selected studies used the International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control (IOBC) methodology with the same adaptations for T. pretiosum. The meta-analysis found that corn crops had the highest frequency of tests (2 0 7). The most frequently tested active ingredients (a.i.) were glyphosate, glyphosate isopropylamine salt, and sulfur at frequencies of 41, 32 and 24 tests, respectively. The pesticides registered for rice crops showed the greatest sublethal effects on T. pretiosum, with an approximately 47% reduction in parasitism (RP) or emergence (RE). The adult stage of the parasitoid showed greater sensitivity to the tested pesticides (65% RP), in comparison to the immature stages. In general, insecticides showed superior toxicity for all development stages of T. pretiosum, compared to herbicides and fungicides, regardless of the recommended dosage for the crop. The present study aggregates information related to selectivity for the four life stages of T. pretiosum, contributing significantly to the integration of biological control and chemical control in rice, corn, soybean, apple and peach crops in Brazil.

Depending on its depth from the soil surface, shallow groundwater can represent a valuable water resource to alleviate droughts, or a stress agent that causes waterlogging and flooding in rainfed crops. Groundwater depth varies across space, following landscape topographic features; through time, accompanying climate fluctuations; and may also shift in both dimensions in response to crop choice. We evaluated the contribution of climate, topography and crop choice on the variability of groundwater depth in rainfed systems of western Pampas, throughout a five year period of extreme precipitation fluctuation (2008?2013). Sixteen permanent monitoring wells were installed in four different topographic settings along the smoothly rolling landscape, covering the three phases of a maize?soybean?wheat/soybean rotation, common in the region. Water table dynamics, measured at weekly to monthly intervals, was very similar across landscape positions, with a range of depth from the surface of −0.2 (flood) to 1.8 m and 1.8?4.4 m in the lowest and highest positions, respectively. At the inter-annual scale, water table fluctuations were predominantly dictated by climate variability with no effect due to the implanted crop. Only at the intra-annual scale, crop choice appeared as a relevant control, with wheat?soybean flattening the spring level rises and summer drops repeatedly found under maize and soybean single crops. Daily meteorological data and remote sensing estimates of live and dead crop cover were used to simulate transpiration demand and soil evaporation. As the balance between precipitation and crop evapotranspiration was positive/negative, watertables raised/dropped 0.21 cm mm−1 (n = 80, R2 0.32) and 0.22 cm mm−1 (n = 1092, R2 0.31) at inter and intra-annual scales, respectively. While crop choice may influence water table levels within a growing season, it has only a subtle effect on year to year fluctuation. With the explored annual crop options, farmers in the Pampas could reduce spring flooding risk when sowing double crops but cannot have a substantial effect on the longer term dynamics of the water table. Fil: Mercau, Jorge Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico, Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi"; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; Argentina Fil: Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico, Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi"; Argentina Fil: Bert, Federico Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Giménez, Raúl. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico, Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi"; Argentina Fil: Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico, Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi"; Argentina

The aim of this work was to analyse and compare indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation (AMC) in relation to growth and total soluble carbohydrates (TSC) in two major, physiologically contrasting crop species: maize (Zea mays L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). In order to promote contrasting TSC concentrations, we modified the radiation source by shading and the carbohydrate sink by manipulating reproductive sinks at different phenological stages during the grain-filling period in two field experiments. We assessed plant dry matter, TSC in stems, and root AMC from flowering until final harvest. AMC during the grain-filling period decreased in maize and increased in sunflower. A sink limitation increased AMC in maize, and reduced it in sunflower. A source limitation decreased AMC in both species, especially in sunflower. AMC was positively related to TSC in maize, but negatively in sunflower. The relationship was affected by shading in sunflower, but not in maize. In both species, a different linear model described the relationship between AMC and TSC in plants submitted to the removal of the reproductive organs. The results highlight the role of carbohydrates in mediating mycorrhizal formation, and show for the first time the opposite AMC–TSC relationships in maize and sunflower. Fil: Covacevich, Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología; Argentina Fil: Martínez Verneri, Julieta. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Dosio, Guillermo Aníbal Adrián. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina

Application of peatland amelioration can improve soil quality, reduce GHG emissions, and increase carbon sequestration. The research aimed to study the effect of peatland amelioration on oil palm and rubber carbon stock improvement. Research was conducted from August 2013 until June 2014. The researches on oil palm were done in Arang-arang Village, Kumpeh Subdistrict, Muaro Jambi District, and in Lubuk Ogong Village, Bandar Seikijang Sub-district, Pelalawan District. Both sites are in Jambi and Riau Province. The research on rubber was done in Jabiren Village, Jabiren Raya Subdistrict, Pulang Pisau District, Central Kalimantan Province. The study used a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD), in four treatments and four replications. The treatments were pugam (peat fertilizer enriched by polyvalent cation), manure; empty fruit bunch compost, and control (no application). The measurement of C stock was performed 10 months after application using nondestructive methods. The results showed that peatland amelioration treatments had no significant effect to improve C stock on oil palm in 6 years old and 7 years old of rubber. After 10 months of amelioration application, the treatments increased C - stock of oil palm and rubber were 2.1-2.4 Mg ha-1 and 5-11 Mg ha-1, respectively. Longer time observation may be needed to study the effect of ameliorant on C-stock of annual crops.

To derive location-specific parameters that reflect the geographic differences among cultivars in vernalization requirements, sensitivity to day length (photoperiod) and temperature, which can be used to simulate the phenological development of wheat and maize at the global scale. Location: Global. Methods: Based on crop calendar observations and literature describing the large-scale patterns of phenological characteristics of cultivars, we developed algorithms to compute location-specific parameters to represent this large-scale pattern. Vernalization requirements were related to the duration and coldness of winter, sensitivity to day length was assumed to be represented by the minimum and maximum day lengths occurring at a location, and sensitivity to temperature was related to temperature conditions during the vegetative development phase of the crop. Results: Application of the derived location-specific parameters resulted in high agreement between simulated and observed lengths of the cropping period. Agreement was especially high for wheat, with mean absolute errors of less than 3 weeks. In the main maize cropping regions, cropping periods were over- and underestimated by 0.5-1.5 months. We also found that interannual variability in simulated wheat harvest dates was more realistic when accounting for photoperiod effects. Main conclusions: The methodology presented here provides a good basis for modelling the phenological characteristics of cultivars at the global scale. We show that current global patterns of growing season length as described in cropping calendars can be largely reproduced by phenology models if location-specific parameters are derived from temperature and day length indicators. Growing seasons can be modelled more accurately for wheat than for maize, especially in warm regions. Our method for computing parameters for phenology models from temperature and day length offers opportunities to improve the simulation of crop productivity by crop simulation models developed for large spatial areas and for long-term climate impact projections that account for adaptation in the selection of varieties.

In the central region of Russia welsh onion is a promising crop for bunch onion combined with a high sappy sheath. The annual crop in open field allows getting the product at August- September. For this purpose the cv. Nezhnosty, Aprelyskyi, Sprinter (length of sheath is 15 cm, yield is 3.7 – 3.8 kg/m2) are the most suitable. In order to get bunching onion during September-October, the cv. Long Tokio, Ishikura long wait (yield is 3.1-3.2 kg / m2), Totem F1, and Performer (yield is 2.5 kg / m2) characterized by the medium height and the vertical position of leaves (5 leaves per plant) are recommended.

Context: The local intensity of farming practices is considered as an important driver of biodiversity inagricultural landscapes and its effect on biodiversity has been shown to interact with landscape complexity.But the influence of landscape-wide intensity of farming practices on biodiversity and its combinedeffect with landscape complexity have been little explored. Objective: In this study, we tested the interactiveeffect of the landscape-wide intensity of farming practices and landscape complexity on the localspecies richness and abundance of farmland wild bee communities. Methods: We captured wild bees in 96 crop fields and explored the effect of landscape-wide intensity of various farming practices along a gradient of land-scape complexity (proportion of semi-natural habitats). Results: We found that species richness and abun-dance of wild bees were more positively influenced by landscape complexity in highly insecticide-sprayedlandscapes than in less intensively managed landscapes. In contrast, we found that the positive effect oflandscape complexity on bee species richness only occurred in landscapes with low nitrogen inputs.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the interactive effects of landscape-wide farming intensity and land-scape complexity in shaping the diversity of farmland wild bee communities. We conclude that the manage-ment of farming intensity at the landscape-scale could mitigate the effects of habitat loss on wild bee declineand would help to maintain pollination services in agricultural landscapes.

Adequate nitrogen (N) fertilisation is an important component of sustainable management in agricultural systems because it reduces the environmental impacts of agriculture. However, taking into account the varied sources of soil N remains a challenge, and farmers require robust decision-making tools to manage increasingly diverse growing conditions. To address these issues, we present the AzoFert® decision support system for farmers and extension services. This tool is capable of providing N recommendations at the field scale for 40 main field crops. It is based on a full inorganic N balance sheet and integrates the dynamic modelling of N supply from soil and various organic sources. Because of the choice of formalisms and parameters and the structure and modularity of the computer design, the tool is easily adaptable to new crops and cropping systems. We illustrate the application of Azofert® through a range of N fertilisation experiments conducted on cereals, sugar beet and vegetables in France.

This work shows the possibility and prospects of the test plants usage to indicate the quality of the environment. Tomato plants are proposed as one of such objects. Tomato plants and seeds are revealed to be very sensitive to environmental conditions.The purpose of the research is an experimental study of the possibility of using annual plants as test objects in the laboratory and then in field conditions that allow to determine the nature of the effect of favorable and other factors of the environment.The methodology of the work. Cultivation of the test object in particular environmental conditions.The results of the work. It is found that the seeds of tomato plants can be successfully used to assess the environmental quality.The area of application. Monitoring of the environmental quality and composition. Conclusions. When tomato plants are growing their vigor and germination are sensitive to the composition of the environment.

We compared inorganic and organic P fractions to a soil depth of 92 cm in two long-term Classical Experiments at Rothamsted Research in the U.K. The predominant soil-forming factor that differentiated the sites was vegetation type. The Broadbalk plots feature annual wheat and have been in continuous production since 1843, while the Park Grass plots feature perennial grassland vegetation that has been hayed every year since 1856. To evaluate the long-term effects of annual versus perennial vegetation on soil P forms, we carried out Hedley P fractionations and microbial biomass-P fumigation-extraction analyses on soils from fertilized and unfertilized treatments of both experiments. In both P-fertilized and unfertilized soils we found an inverse relationship between pool sizes of actively cycling Po (0.5 M bicarbonate + 0.1 M NaOH fractions) and recalcitrant Pi (hot conc. HCl + final digest fractions) with Po dominant in the perennial hay meadow and recalcitrant Pi dominant in the annual wheat. Microbial biomass-P in the surface horizons of fertilized and unfertilized perennial hay meadow was an order of magnitude greater than in annual wheat. To investigate how P fractions changed through time we conducted Hedley P fractionations on archived soils sampled from Broadbalk wheat in 1893, and Park Grass hay meadow in 1876. Since 1893, unfertilized Broadbalk soils experienced almost no change in P fractions in the surface 23 cm, but substantial depletion in labile and recalcitrant Pi and Po in deeper strata. The Park Grass perennial vegetation showed greater depletion of surface soil fractions over time. When fertilized for over 100 years, almost all P fractions in the surface 23 cm were enriched in both crop types, but below 70 cm, only the active Po pool in Park Grass showed a substantial increase under fertilization. Even when fertilized, low available or occluded Pi fractions in both annual and perennial systems were substantially depleted below 70 cm. Our findings suggest that herbaceous perennials maintain a greater proportion of native or fertilizer-P in relatively available organic forms compared to annual wheat. By reducing the fraction of P held in recalcitrant forms, P fertilizer requirements could be reduced

Perennial grain crops have been suggested as a more sustainable alternative to annual crops. Yet their water use and how they are impacted by environmental conditions have been seldom compared to those of annual crops and grasslands. Here, we identify the dominant mechanisms driving evapotranspiration (ET), and how they change with environmental conditions in a perennial Kernza crop (US-KLS), an annual crop field (US-ARM), a C4 grassland (US-KON), and a mixed C3/C4 grassland (US-KFS) in the Central US. More specifically, we have utilized the omega (&Omega, ) decoupling factor, which reflects the dominant mechanisms responsible for the evapotranspiration (ET) of the canopy. Our results showed that the US-ARM site was the most coupled with the lowest decoupling values. We also observed differences in coupling mechanism variables, showing more sensitivity to the water fluctuation variables as opposed to the radiative flux variables. All of the sites showed their lowest &Omega, value in 2012, the year of the severe drought in the Central US. The 2012 results further indicate the dependence on the water fluctuation variables. This was especially true with the perennial Kernza crop, which displayed much higher soil moisture values. In this regard, we believe that the ability of perennial Kernza to resist water stress and retain higher soil moisture values is both a result of its deeper roots, in addition to its higher &Omega, value. Through the analysis of both the site comparison and the comparison of the differences in years, we conclude that the perennial Kernza crop (US-KLS) is more similar in its microclimate effects to the C4 (US-KON) and mixed C3/C4 (US-KFS) grassland sites as opposed to its annual counterpart (US-ARM). This has implications for the role of perennial agriculture for addressing agricultural resilience under changing climate conditions.

International audience; Ants and termites, as soil engineers, provide many ecosystem services that can be important for the sustainability of agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of land use on ant and termite communities in Colombian savanna landscapes, and to assess whether this impact is associated with the modification of soil physical and chemical properties. Ants and termites were sampled in five different agricultural and semi-natural systems across three regions of the 3 eastern Colombian Llanos: 1) annual crops (maize, soy and rice), 2) rubber plantations, 3) oil palm plantations, 4) improved pastures and 5) semi-natural savannas. A total of 91 ant and 16 termite species were collected. Multivariate analysis revealed that termite communities significantly differed among land uses, but not between regions. Ant communities differed between regions and land uses. Based on between group analyses of termite communities, three groups of land use can be distinguished: one formed by semi-natural savannas and improved pastures, the second by oil palm plantations and annual crops and the third by rubber plantations. General linear models applied separately to each species found 19 significant associations of soil physical or chemical properties, land uses or regions with 15 ant species and 14 significant associations with 6 termite species. Taken together, there is a strong association between land use and ant or termite communities and this influence is likely due to changes in ant and termite habitats resulting from agricultural practices such as tillage, fertilization, and lime addition. These results suggest that annual crops are the most detrimental land use for termites and ants, because their communities are highly sensitive to vegetation cover and agricultural practices such as tillage. Maintaining a high diversity of soil engineers and the ecosystem services they provide likely depends on the maintenance of natural ecosystems in the landscape and the adoption of practices that reduce impacts on soil ecosystem engineers when native ecosystems have been transformed into agricultural systems.

Submitted by JAYME FERRARI NETO null (jaymeferrari@hotmail.com) on 2016-04-28T19:52:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tesefinalissima.pdf: 2188871 bytes, checksum: d96f199c076404c30275581ea2b7bc1e (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-05-02T14:54:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ferrarinet_j_dr_bot_par.pdf: 958217 bytes, checksum: aeceb994150b71f8c212615755ebef5c (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-02T14:54:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ferrarinet_j_dr_bot_par.pdf: 958217 bytes, checksum: aeceb994150b71f8c212615755ebef5c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-18 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) A adoção do sistema plantio direto (SPD) foi um dos grandes avanços da agricultura brasileira, e, diversos sistemas de produção agrícola são empregados nesse sistema. Da mesma forma que no sistema convencional de manejo do solo, no SPD também existe a necessidade de aplicação de insumos, especialmente, materiais corretivos da acidez. Os objetivos foram avaliar a influência da aplicação superficial dos corretivos da acidez do solo e dos sistemas de produção nas características físicas e químicas, bem como nas frações da matéria orgânica do solo, nutrição e produtividade das culturas graníferas em região de inverno seco. Este projeto foi continuação de um experimento instalado no ano agrícola 2006/2007, na Fazenda Experimental Lageado, pertencente à Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas – UNESP, localizada no município de Botucatu (SP), e foi conduzido durante os anos agrícolas 2011/2012 e 2012/2013. As parcelas foram constituídas por quatro sistemas de produção (I. Sistema “Safra consorciada com Forrageira”; II. Sistema “Safra – safrinha”; III. Sistema “Safra – Pousio”; IV. Sistema “Safra – Adubo Verde/Planta de Cobertura”) e as subparcelas por duas fontes de corretivos de acidez aplicados em outubro de 2006 e 2011, e o tratamento controle (I – Correção com calcário dolomítico; II – Correção com silicato de cálcio e magnésio; III – Sem correção). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, no esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições. Foram realizadas as seguintes avaliações: as frações da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS) aos 24 meses após a última aplicação dos corretivos, os atributos químicos do solo aos 12 e 24 meses após a última aplicação dos corretivos, os atributos físicos do solo aos 24 meses após a última aplicação dos corretivos, teores de macronutrientes e silício e produção de massa de matéria seca de parte aérea em todas as culturas, componentes da produção e produtividade das culturas graníferas. O uso de espécies do gênero Urochloa em rotação com culturas graníferas aumenta os valores do C mineralizável, C da biomassa microbiana do solo (CBMS), C orgânico particulado (COP), C orgânico associado aos minerais (COAM) e do C orgânico total (COT) na camada de 0 a 0,05 m do solo. Quanto aos corretivos da acidez, aos 24 meses após a última aplicação dos corretivos, nota-se que há mais C mineralizável e CBMS na camada de 0 a 0,05 m do solo, por consequência da calagem. Quanto aos atributos químicos do solo, no período entre 12 e 24 meses após a última aplicação dos corretivos ocorre máxima reação dos corretivos da acidez no solo, aumentando a saturação por bases até a profundidade de 0,40 m. A reação do silicato é mais rápida que a reação do calcário, sendo o silicato mais eficiente que o calcário, principalmente, com relação à disponibilização de P, além de aumentar a concentração de Si no solo. O uso de forrageiras na rotação de culturas (sistema safra-forrageira) melhora a microporosidade na camada de 0 a 0,05 m de profundidade e a estabilidade dos agregados na camada de 0,10 a 0,20 m do solo. Com relação aos corretivos da acidez do solo, do mesmo modo que constatado para à MOS, não há efeito negativo da aplicação dos corretivos da acidez do solo nos atributos físicos do mesmo. As produtividades do feijão, arroz e do trigo cultivado na entressafra do primeiro ano agrícola são superiores por consequência da aplicação do silicato. As culturas do feijão e arroz são mais produtivas quando cultivadas sobre a fitomassa de forrageiras (sistema safra-forrageira). A produtividade do arroz quando cultivado após o trigo é baixa, não sendo indicada a sucessão de cultivos entre essas culturas. The adoption of the no-tillage system (NTS) was one of the great advances in Brazilian agriculture, and several crop systems are used in this system. As well as observed in conventional soil management in a NTS there is also the need for application of soil acidity amendments. The aims were to evaluate the influence of surface application of soil acidity amendments and crop systems in the physical and chemical attributes, as well as in the fractions of soil organic matter, nutrition and grain yield of the crops in dry winter region. The present study was conducted in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 and it was a sequence of a long term study that had been conducted since 2006/2007 in the College of Agricultural Sciences – FCA/UNESP, in Botucatu-SP, Brazil. The experimental design was the complete randomized block with split plots and four replications. Main plots consisted of four cropping rotations (“Season-Forage”; “Season-off-season”; “Season-Fallow” and “Season-Green manure”) and subplots by two sources of soil acidity amendments (dolomitic lime, calcium/magnesium silicate) plus a control, with no soil acidity correction. The following evaluations were performed:soil organic matter (SOM) fractions at 24 months after the last application of soil acidity amendments, chemical soil properties at 12 and 24 months after the last application of soil acidity amendments, soil physical properties at 24 months after the last application of soil acidity amendments, macronutrients and silicon concentrations and shoot dry matter of all crops, yield components and grain yield of the cash crops. The use of Urochloa spp in rotation with cash crops increases the values of mineralizable C, soil microbial biomass C (CBMS), particulate organic carbon (POC), organic carbon associated with minerals (COAM) and total organic carbon (TOC) in the 0 to 0.05 m from the ground. At 24 months after the last application of the soil acidity amendments there are more mineralizable C and CBMS in the 0 to 0,05 m from the ground, as a consequence of the superficial liming. Between 12 and 24 months after the last application of the soil acidity amendments occurs maximum reaction of lime and silicate, increasing the base saturation to a depth of 0.40 m. The silicate reaction is faster than lime reaction, being silicate more efficient than lime, particularly in increase P availability, besides increase the Si concentration in the soil. The use of the forage crop rotation (Season- forage system) improves microporosity in the 0 to 0.05 m depth and stability of aggregates in the 0.10 to 0.20 m depth. Regarding the soil acidity amendments, as well as observed for the MOS, there are not negative effect as a consequence of the application of soil acidity amendments in the soil physical attributes. The grain yield of common bean, rice and wheat grown in the off season of the first year are higher as a consequence of the application of silicate. The grain yields of common bean and rice are higher when grown on the straw of forage (Season - forage). The grain yield of rice when grown after wheat is low and is not recommended the succession between these crops. FAPESP: 2011/10566-6

Although lime is currently the most commonly applied material for soil acidity correction in Brazil, calcium-magnesium silicate application may efficiently replace this source due to its higher solubility and silicon supply, which is beneficial for plant development. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of surface liming and silicate application on soil chemical attributes as well as soybean and maize nutrition, yield components, and grain yield. The experiment was conducted in a Rhodic Hapludox in Botucatu-SP, Brazil. The randomized complete block design contained 16 replications. Treatments consisted of two materials for soil acidity correction (dolomitic lime, calcium/magnesium silicate), applied on October 2006 to raise base saturation up to 70%, and a control, with no acidity correction. Soybean and maize were sown in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, respectively. After 18 months Ca-Mg silicate corrected soil acidity up to 0.60 m, and increased exchangeable base levels up to 0.40 m. Silicate increased silicon concentrations in plant tissues in both crops as well as phosphorus in soybean. The application of both sources increased calcium and magnesium concentrations as well as yield components and yield grains of soybean and maize. Soil acidity correction improved the efficiency of fertilizers applied for grain production.

The composition and diversity of bees in an agricultural area in Rio Claro, state of São Paulo, Brazil, were studied from May 2003 to June 2004, using Moericke traps. The collection site, an area with 58.08 hectares, is characterized by grain production and direct planting, with 70% of the surrounding area planted with sugar cane. During the study, 456 bees were collected, distributed among 20 genera, pertaining to the families Andrenidae (4.8%), Apidae (40.8%) and Halictidae (54.4%). Specimens of genera Dialictus (38%) and Diadasia (30%) predominated in this area. The species diversity, assessed using the Shannon and Simpson indices, were H’=1.88 and 1/ D= 4.15, respectively, and the Evenness index was 0.61.Foram estudadas a composição e diversidade de abelhas em uma área agrícola no município de Rio Claro, Estado de São Paulo, de maio de 2003 a junho de 2004, utilizando armadilha de Moericke. O local de coleta, uma área com 58,08 hectares, caracteriza-se pela produção de grãos e a prática de plantio direto, sendo que 70% da área de entorno é utilizada para o plantio de cana-de-açúcar. Foram coletadas 456 abelhas distribuídas em 20 gêneros, pertencentes às famílias Andrenidae (4,8%), Apidae (40,8%) e Halictidae (54,4%). Espécimes dos gêneros Dialictus (38%) e Diadasia (30%) foram predominantes nesta área. A diversidade de espécies avaliadas pelos índices de Shannon e Simpson foram H’=1,88 e 1/D= 4.15, respectivamente, e o índice de Equitatibilidade de 0,61.

Agriculture is the dominant sector of the economy, contributing a third of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and about half of Rwanda’s export earnings. The government of Rwanda has therefore made agricultural development a priority and allocated significant resources to improving productivity, expanding the livestock sector, promoting sustainable land management, and developing supply chains and value-added activities. At the same time, Rwanda’s agriculture sector faces a series of challenges. Agriculture is dominated by small-scale, subsistence farming under traditional agricultural practices and rain-fed agriculture. As a result, average crop yields are low compared with potential yields, and exposed to risks such as weather related shocks and pest and disease outbreaks. The purpose of this report is to assess existing risks to the agriculture sector, prioritize them according to their frequency and impacts on the sector, and identify areas of risk management solutions that need deeper specialized attention. Three levels of risks are assessed: production risks, market risks, and enabling environment risks to selected supply chains. The report takes a quantitative and qualitative approach to risks. The report is structured as follows: chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two provides an overview of Rwanda’s economy and the role and structure of the agriculture sector. Agriculture sector risks (production, market, and enabling environment risks) for the selected food crops, export crops, and livestock are analyzed in chapter three. Analysis of the adverse impacts of agricultural risks at aggregate and provincial levels, along with a stakeholder risk assessment and a discussion of particularly vulnerable groups, is presented in chapter four. Chapter five prioritizes identified risks, discusses potential solutions areas, summarizes feedback from consulted stakeholders, and recommends solutions areas for further assessment.

Almost a decade after large land-based investment for agriculture increased sharply, opinions on its impact continue to diverge, partly because (positive or negative) spillovers on neighboring smallholders have never been rigorously assessed. Applying methods from the urban literature on Mozambican data suggests that changes in the number and area of large farms within 25 or 50 kilometers of these investments raised use of improved practices, animal traction, and inputs by small farmers without increasing cultivated area or participation in output, credit, and nonfarm labor markets; or, once these factors are controlled for, yields. The limited scope and modest size of the estimated benefits point toward considerable unrealized potential. The paper discusses ways to systematically explore the size of such potential and the extent to which it is realized.

A new simple framework was proposed to quantify the efficiency of converting incoming solar radiation into phytoenergy in annual crops. It emphasizes the need to account for (i) efficiency gain when scaling up from the leaf level to the canopy level, and (ii) efficiency loss due to incomplete canopy closure during early and late phases of the crop cycle. Equations are given to estimate losses due to the constraints in various biochemical or physiological steps. For a given amount of daily radiation, a longer daytime was shown to increase energy use efficiency, because of the convex shape of the photosynthetic light response. Due to the higher cyclic electron transport, C4 leaves were found to have a lower energy loss via non-photochemical quenching, compared with C3 leaves. This contributes to the more linear light response in C4 than in C3 photosynthesis. Because of this difference in the curvature of the light response, canopy-to-leaf photosynthesis ratio, benefit from the optimum acclimation of the leaf nitrogen profile in the canopy, and productivity gain from future improvements in leaf photosynthetic parameters and canopy architecture were all shown to be higher in C3 than in C4 species. The indicative efficiency of converting incoming solar radiation into phytoenergy is ~2.2 and 3.0% in present C3 and C4 crops, respectively, when grown under well-managed conditions. An achievable efficiency via future genetic improvement was estimated to be as high as 3.6 and 4.1% for C3 and C4 crops, respectively.

To derive location-specific parameters that reflect the geographic differences among cultivars in vernalization requirements, sensitivity to day length (photoperiod) and temperature, which can be used to simulate the phenological development of wheat and maize at the global scale. Location: Global. Methods: Based on crop calendar observations and literature describing the large-scale patterns of phenological characteristics of cultivars, we developed algorithms to compute location-specific parameters to represent this large-scale pattern. Vernalization requirements were related to the duration and coldness of winter, sensitivity to day length was assumed to be represented by the minimum and maximum day lengths occurring at a location, and sensitivity to temperature was related to temperature conditions during the vegetative development phase of the crop. Results: Application of the derived location-specific parameters resulted in high agreement between simulated and observed lengths of the cropping period. Agreement was especially high for wheat, with mean absolute errors of less than 3 weeks. In the main maize cropping regions, cropping periods were over- and underestimated by 0.5-1.5 months. We also found that interannual variability in simulated wheat harvest dates was more realistic when accounting for photoperiod effects. Main conclusions: The methodology presented here provides a good basis for modelling the phenological characteristics of cultivars at the global scale. We show that current global patterns of growing season length as described in cropping calendars can be largely reproduced by phenology models if location-specific parameters are derived from temperature and day length indicators. Growing seasons can be modelled more accurately for wheat than for maize, especially in warm regions. Our method for computing parameters for phenology models from temperature and day length offers opportunities to improve the simulation of crop productivity by crop simulation models developed for large spatial areas and for long-term climate impact projections that account for adaptation in the selection of varieties.

Впервые в условиях Центральной Якутии на основании полевого экспериментального изучения подобраны однолетние злаковые и бобовые кормовые культуры на сенаж в условиях мерзлотных лугово-черноземных суглинистых почв. Определены оптималь-ные сроки посева овса и овсяно-бобовых смесей при орошении для производства сенажа., For the first time in the conditions of Central Yakutia based on field experimental study it was selected annual cereal and leguminous forage crops for haylage in the conditions of cryogenic meadow black loamy soils. It was determined the optimum terms of sowing oats and oat-legume mixtures under irrigation for the production of silage

Rotação de culturas e variações sazonais podem promover alterações quantitativas e qualitativas na comunidade de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares nativos e na formação da micorriza arbuscular. Essa dinâmica foi avaliada, em campo, num Latossolo Vermelho, em relação ao tempo de cultivo e variação sazonal, em sistemas de rotação de culturas. Em casa de vegetação, avaliou-se, em solo proveniente da área experimental, a contribuição da micorriza arbuscular no crescimento de soja e capim-andropógon utilizados na rotação. O número de esporos dos fungos aumentou no solo cultivado. O número de esporos e o porcentual de colonização radicular, inicialmente maiores sob pastagem, variaram de acordo com o tempo de cultivo, as estações seca e chuvosa, a cultura e o sistema de rotação utilizados. O número de gêneros e espécies aumentou com o tempo de cultivo e manejo de culturas e foi maior sob culturas anuais em rotação. A presença dos fungos no solo contribuiu no crescimento da soja e do capim-andropógon em 53% e 95%, respectivamente. A cultura e o sistema de cultivo são fatores determinantes para o enriquecimento do sistema com micorriza arbuscular.Crop rotation and seasonal variations can promote quantitative and qualitative changes in the indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi population in the soil and arbuscular mycorrhiza establishment. These fungi dynamics were evaluated in the field, in a Red Latosol, in relation to cropping time, seasonal variation and rotation systems. The contribution of arbuscular mycorrhiza to the growth of andropogon grass and soybean, which were used in the systems, was evaluated in a greenhouse experiment using soil from the experimental area. The number of spores of the fungi increased in the cultivated soil. The spores number and percent root colonization varied according to cropping time, soil moisture, crops and rotation system and were, initially, higher under pasture. The number of genus and species increased according to cropping time and culture management and was higher under annual crops in rotation. The presence of these fungi in the soil contributed 53% and 95% to the growth of soybean and andropogon grass, respectively. Crops and cultivation system are crucial for the system's enrichment in arbuscular mycorrhiza.

En este trabajo se establecen y muestran las relaciones entre la presencia y densidad de distintos grupos de macroartrópodos edáficos y algunas propiedades físicas y químicas del suelo. También se muestran y analizan las diferencias entre las comunidades de macroartrópodos de suelos con diferentes intensidades de uso (agrícola, ganadero y pastizal naturalizado). Entre las variables físicas y químicas del suelo, sólo los contenidos de materia orgánica y nitrógeno total mostraron diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos (usos). Los resultados muestran que la intensidad de uso del suelo afecta la abundancia de varios grupos y la composición de la comunidad de macroartrópodos; la densidad total de organismos y su riqueza disminuyeron significativamente en los sistemas agrícolas y ambas variables fueron mayores en los sitios naturalizados. La relación C/N y el porcentaje de materia orgánica del suelo fueron las variables que mejor explicaron la distribución de los macroartrópodos en los diferentes usos. El análisis de correlación canónica entre variables biológicas y edáficas muestra que la composición y la densidad de los macroartrópodos en los sistemas evaluados están determinadas por la disponibilidad de alimento (en forma positiva) y por intensificación agropecuaria (en forma negativa). Postulamos que la mayor complejidad del estrato herbáceo favorece la abundancia de los macroartrópodos criptozoicos, mientras que la simplificación de ese estrato y la compactación del suelo favorecen relativamente a los grupos caminadores de superficie. Esto permite plantear un modelo conceptual con el que se podrían predecir los ensambles característicos de otros tipos de uso o condiciones. This paper establishes and shows the relationships between the presence and density of different soil macroarthropods and some physical and chemical soil properties. Also, it shows and discus the differences between soil macroarthropods communities in sites under different uses (agriculture, livestock and naturalized grassland). The contents of organic matter and total nitrogen showed significant differences between treatments (uses). Results show that the intensity of land use affects the abundance of several groups and the community composition; the total density of organisms and their richness declined significantly in agricultural systems and both variables were higher in naturalized sites. The C/N ratio and the percentage of organic matter were the variables that best explained the distribution of macroarthropods in different uses. The canonical correlation analysis indicates that the composition and density of macroarthropods are determined by the availability of food (in a positive way) and by agricultural intensification (negatively). We postulate that a higher complexity of the herbaceous layer favors macroarthropods while a lower complexity and the soil compaction favor the surface-walkers groups. We propose a conceptual model that could be used to predict the behavior of macroarthropods assemblages under other soil conditions. Fil: Diaz Porres, Monica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias; Argentina Fil: Rionda, Macarena. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias; Argentina Fil: Duhour, Andrés Esteban. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina Fil: Momo, Fernando Roberto. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias; Argentina

Annual fiber sorghum (FS) and perennial giant reed (GR) cultivated in the Mediterranean area are interesting due to their high productivity under drought conditions and their potential use as lignocellulosic feedstock for biorefinery purposes. This study compares environmental constraints related to FS and GR produced on experimental farms (in the Campania region) using an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) approach through appropriate modeling of the perennial cultivation. For both crops, primary data were available for agricultural management. Direct field emissions (DFEs) were computed, including the potential soil carbon storage (SCS). Giant reed showed the lowest burdens for all impact categories analyzed (most were in the range of 40%-80% of FS values). More apparent were the differences for climate change and freshwater eutrophication (respectively 80% and 81% lower for GR compared to FS). These results are due to the short-term SCS, experimentally detected in the perennial GR crop (about 0.25 ton C ha(-1) yr(-1), with a global warming offsetting potential of about 0.03 ton CO2/ton(GR dry biomass)). The results are also due to the annual application of triple superphosphate at the sowing fertilization phase for FS, which occurs differently than it does for GR. Phosphorous fertilization was performed only when crops were being established and therefore properly spread along the overall crop lifetime. For both crops, after normalization, terrestrial acidification and particulate matter formation were relevant impact categories, as a consequence of the NH3 DFE by volatilization after urea were spread superficially. Therefore, the results suggest higher environmental benefits of the perennial crop than the annual crop.

Fire-free forest conversion with organic inputs as an alternative to slash-and-burn could improve agro-ecosystem sustainability. We assessed soil carbon mass changes in a sandy-clayey and well-drained soil in French Guiana after forest clearing by the chop-and-mulch method and crop establishment. At the experimental site of Combi, native forest was cut down in October 2008; woody biomass was chopped and incorporated into the top 20 cm of soil. After about one year of legume and grass cover, three forms of land management were compared: grassland (Urochloa ruziziensis), maize/soybean crop rotation with disk tillage and in direct seeding without tillage. There were four replicates. We measured 14.16 kg m(-2) of carbon in 2 mm-sieved soil down to 2 m depth for the initial forest. Forest clearing did not induce significant soil compaction; neither did any specific agricultural practice. In converted soils, C stocks were measured in the 0-30 cm layer after each crop for three years. Carbon mass changes for soil fractions 2 mm (soil C pool) in the 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layers were assessed on an equivalent soil mass basis. One year and 1.5 years after deforestation, higher C stocks (+0.64 to 1.16 kg C m(-2) yr(-1)) and C pools (+0.52 to 0.90 kg C m(-2) yr(-1)) were measured in converted soils, compared to those of the forest into the top 30 cm of soil. However, the masses of carbon in these converted soils declined later. The highest rates of carbon decrease were measured between 1.5 and 2 years after forest conversion in the

A biomassa microbiana do solo é um componente essencial da matéria orgânica que, entre outras funções, regula a ciclagem de nutrientes no solo. Dentre os métodos mais utilizados para determinação do carbono da biomassa microbiana, destacam-se: os de clorofórmio-fumigação-incubação (CFI) e clorofórmio-fumigação-extração (CFE). Trabalhos na literatura têm comparado a eficiência desses métodos em diversos locais. No entanto, para a região do Cerrado, não existem informações a esse respeito. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência dos métodos CFE e CFI na determinação do carbono da biomassa microbiana do solo (CBMS) em áreas de Cerrado sob cultura anual (rotação soja-milho) e pastagem consorciada (Andropogon gayanus e Stylosanthes guianensis) e sob três fitofisionomias - mata de galeria, campo sujo e cerradão. Amostras de solo coletadas em duas profundidades, 0-5 cm e 5-20 cm, foram analisadas em quatro épocas: agosto de 1998, janeiro e agosto de 1999 e janeiro de 2000. Nas áreas cultivadas, os resultados obtidos com os métodos CFE e CFI foram semelhantes, independentemente dos tratamentos e das épocas amostradas, tendo as pastagens consorciadas apresentado maiores teores de CBMS do que as áreas sob culturas anuais. A interação profundidades x métodos foi significativa. Não houve diferenças entre as profundidades 0-5 e 5-20 cm, quando se utilizou o método CFI, mas as diferenças obtidas com o método CFE foram significativas. Os métodos CFI e CFE apresentaram as mesmas tendências nas áreas nativas, independentemente dos tratamentos, profundidades ou épocas analisados, tendo a mata de galeria apresentado níveis de CBMS superiores aos do cerradão e campo sujo. As interações profundidades x métodos e épocas x métodos foram significativas pelo fato de as diferenças nos teores do carbono da biomassa microbiana, nas profundidades e épocas amostradas, terem sido mais acentuadas com o método CFE. Os resultados indicaram que os métodos CFI e CFE foram apropriados para determinação da CBMS em solos de Cerrado sob cultivo e sob vegetação nativa. Soil microbial biomass plays an important role in nutrient cycling in soils. Among the several methods that have been used to estimate the soil microbial biomass-C (SMBC), chloroform fumigation incubation (CFI) and chloroform fumigation extraction (CFE) are the most studied. Although several studies in the literature have compared the efficiency of these two methods to estimate SMBC, there is little information for the acid soils of the Cerrado region. The present study compared the efficiency of these two methods in cultivated Cerrado soils (a corn-soybean rotation and a legume-based pasture) and neighboyring in soils under three native vegetation types (gallery forest, grassy savannah and woody savannah). Soil samples were collected at two depths: 0-5 cm and 5-20 cm. Sampling times were: August of 1998 and 1999 and January of 1999 and 2000. The results obtained in cultivated soils with the two methods were similar regardless of treatment and sampling time, however the interaction depth x method was significant. There were no differences between depths 0-5 cm and 5-20 cm with the CFI, whereas the differences observed with CFE were statistically significant. For soils under native vegetation, the results obtained with CFI and CFE were similar regardless of treatments, depth and sampling time. The Gallery Forest presented the greatest levels of SBMC as compared to grassy savannah and woody savannah. The interactions depth x methods and sampling time x methods were statistically significant, because differences were more pronounced with CFE. The results showed that both methods were appropriate to determine microbial biomass carbon in Cerrado soils.

RESUMO O fornecimento adequado de nutrientes contribui, de forma significativa, tanto no aumento da produtividade como no aumento do custo da produção. Nesta situação, a otimização de eficiência nutricional é fundamental para ampliar a produtividade e reduzir o custo de produção. Vários fatores, como clima, solo, planta e suas interações, afetam a absorção e a utilização de nutrientes pelas plantas. Para a eficiência máxima de nutrientes, esses fatores devem estar no nível ótimo durante o desenvolvimento da cultura e a revisão de literatura mostra que existe grande potencial de se aumentar a eficiência nutricional através do manejo adequado dos componentes do sistema de produção. ABSTRACT The adequate supply of nutrients contributes significantly to increasing crop produtivity as well as cost of production. In this situation, optimizing nutrient use efficiency is fundamental for higher crop productivity and reduced cost of production. Several factors such as climate, soil, plant, and their interactions affect nutrient absorption and utilization by crop plants. To obtain maximum nutrient use efficiency, all these factors should be at an optimum level during crop development. A review of factors affecting nutrient use efficiency demonstrates a large potential to improve nutrient use efficiency by adequate management of cropping system components.

El desarrollo de los territorios considera los factores sociales, ambientales, económicos y globales, donde el desarrollo humano es un factor importante a diferencia de los estudios que sólo se centran en el análisis puramente económico. El objetivo de la investigación fue establecer la relación entre la producción agrícola (factor económico) y el índice de marginación (factor social). La investigación incluyó el análisis de las estadísticas agrícolas (superficie de producción, valor de la producción) e índice de marginación de 2005 y 2010 de los municipios rurales del estado de Veracruz. Se aplicó un análisis de correlación de Pearson y se encontró una correlación significativa entre el valor de la producción y el índice de marginación para los años analizados (r(188)=-0.352, p

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar el efecto de la densidad poblacional sobre el crecimiento y productividad de maní tipo Español y Virginia cultivados en Ñuble, Chile. Con cada genotipo se estableció un ensayo de campo en diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones, considerando cuatro densidades poblacionales entre 104 y 417 mil plantas ha-1. La unidad experimental (12 m²) contenía cuatro hileras espaciadas a 60 cm. La cosecha se realizó 152 días después de siembra (DDS). Entre los 73 y 152 DDS se determinó área foliar, biomasa acumulada/órgano, número de órganos por planta e índice de cosecha. A cosecha se extrajeron las plantas de 3,6 m² y se determinó peso seco de parte aérea, frutos y semillas. Para ambos genotipos el aumento de la densidad poblacional disminuyó significativamente el área foliar, número de órganos y biomasa acumulada por planta. La distribución de biomasa en la planta no resultó afectada. Por unidad de superficie, mayores densidades implicaron mayor rendimiento de semilla (2.031 y 1.932 kg ha-1 para los genotipos Español y Virginia, respectivamente). Altas densidades poblacionales en maní tipo Español y Virginia disminuyen el crecimiento por planta, sin embargo, por unidad de superficie, incrementan significativamente la productividad. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of population density on growth and productivity of Spanish and Virginia peanuts grown in Ñuble, Chile. For each peanut genotype a field trial was established using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Four population densities between 104 and 417 thousand plants ha-1 were used. The experimental unit (12 m²) consisted of four rows spaced at 60 cm. The harvest took place 152 days after sowing (DAS). Between 73 and 152 DAS the leaf area, biomass accumulated per organ, number of organs per plant and harvest index were determined. At harvest, plants contained in 3.6 m² of each plot were removed, and dry weight of aerial parts, fruits and seeds was determined. For both peanut genotypes, increasing population density decreased leaf area, number of organs and accumulated biomass per plant. The distribution of plant biomass was unaffected. Greater density produced higher seed yield per unit area (2,031 and 1,932 kg ha-1 for Spanish and Virginia genotypes, respectively). High population densities in Spanish and Virginia peanuts reduce individual plant growth, but increase productivity per unit area.

Reforestation measures for degraded lands, strategies for the sustainable management of forest resources, and agroforestry practices that incorporate trees into farming systems are increasingly demonstrating their promise for producing commercialized tree products. Although the level of investment so far has remained modest, the challenge is to find ways to scale up promising investments in a way that will have a clear impact at the landscape level. These types of investments can help achieve the triple wins of climate-smart agriculture: increased incomes and yields, climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation.Market trends are promising for a wide range of tree-based technologies, including tropical fruits, cashews, honey, timber and wood products, lipids, gums and resins, tree crops, and agroforestry systems. In many cases, African entrepreneurs, farmers, civil society, and governments have responded dynamically to the widespread challenge of land degradation. The continent is dotted with landscapes where production of trees on farms and in managed forests has grown dramatically to meet market and subsistence needs; sustainable agricultural practices and revegetation have restored soils and watersheds; and key conservation areas are being protected. However, this is not happening at the scale required by societal needs in Africa. In part, this is due to a lack of strategic cooperation and coordination between private sector investors and land managers (who are focused on realizing profitable opportunities and meeting their own needs) and public and civil society actors (who are focused on restoring forest cover and ecosystem services). Such coordination is only possible when the biophysical potential for landscape restoration, private sector investment opportunity and incentives, and societal demand for multiple benefits converge. Much can be learned from examples of large-scale landscape restoration in Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Tanzania, and Zambia, and the variable roles of the private sector, farmers, government, and civil society in supporting and undertaking investment.

The lifespan of many tropical water reservoirs is limited by siltation due to soil erosion in the watershed. The objectives of this study were to determine, the amount of catchment-derived organic carbon accumulated in sediments of a reservoir of North Thailand and to relate it with the history of cultivation and rainfall regime in the watershed. Over a twelve-years period (1995-2006) since impoundment sediment delivery was high (ca. 19.6 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1)). The yearly supply of catchment-derived material was composed of coarse sediment deposits near the main inlets and of fine laminated sediment accumulations in deep-water environments. Their stable carbon isotope composition indicated that soil organic matter was the main source of organic carbon preserved in sediments (ca. 83 wt.%). Fine sediments derived from suspended loads exported from the watershed by runoff and stream waters were related to erosive rainfall, to the extent of area under annual cropping and to crop change with a marked increase after the replacement of beans by maize. However, sediment accumulation did not respond linearly to extreme rainfall events, as shown by the supply of nearly 48% of the total amount of sediments by a single exceptional flood. Total organic carbon storage in sediments reached ca. 23.8 MgC ha(-1) yr(-1) in 2006, twelve years after impoundment, falling in the upper range of small to medium size reservoirs with agricultural catchments.

El manejo químico de malezas en arroz asciende hasta un 20% de los costos totales del cultivo, bajando así su rentabilidad. Buscando explorar alternativas de manejo, el presente trabajo evaluó el efecto de tres sistemas de labranza, cuatro barbechos mejorados con leguminosas, el barbecho nativo y tres dosis de herbicidas, sobre la densidad total de malezas resurgentes dentro de los cultivos, algunas propiedades del suelo y el rendimiento del arroz y el maíz. El ensayo se llevó a cabo en el Centro de Investigación La Libertad (Villavicencio) y en dos fincas en la zona del Ariari, bajo un diseño experimental de parcelas subdivididas con tres repeticiones. Mucuna deeringianum (Bort.) Smal presentó los más fuertes efectos alelopáticos, con porcentajes promedio de control de malezas -adicionales al efecto de los herbicidas- entre 41 y 62%; seguida de Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don, con porcentajes de control entre 27 y 46%. Por esta razón, dosis de herbicidas reducidas al 70% de las comerciales mostraron adecuados niveles de control. Es así que los rendimientos de arroz secano favorecido y maíz en la zona del Ariari llegaron a ser incluso superiores a los obtenidos con dosis completas de herbicidas, aunque sin mostrar diferencias significativas. Ambas leguminosas aumentaron el rendimiento del arroz secano favorecido hasta en 1.446 kg ha-1, y mejoraron algunas propiedades físicas, químicas y biológicas del suelo, en tanto que únicamente C. ochroleuca incrementó la producción de maíz en 331 kg ha-1. Los múltiples e integrales beneficios agronómicos obtenidos con el uso de un período de barbecho mejorado muestran su potencial para el manejo alelopático de malezas, y como práctica agroecológica en cultivos de arroz y maíz. Chemical weed control in rice reaches up to 20% of total crop costs, therefore reducing profitability. Seeking for management alternatives, the present research assessed the effect of three plowing and four legume improved fallow systems, a native fallow and three herbicide doses on resurging crop weeds, rice and maize yield and some soil properties. The experiment was carried out at Research Center 'La Libertad', in the city of Villavicencio, and in two farms in the Ariari river region, by means of a sub-split plot design with four repetitions. The strongest allelopathic effects were exhibited by Mucuna deeringianum (Bort.) Smal, with additional to herbicide weed control percentages ranging from 41 to 62%; followed by Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don (20 to 46%). In the Ariari research site, such performance allowed obtaining higher (although not significant) maize and favored upland rice yields than those reached with full herbicide commercial doses; while reducing the latter by 30%, and still attaining adequate weed control. Both cover crops increased rice yield up to 1,446 kg ha-1, while only C. ochroleuca increased maize yield in 331 kg ha-1. The multiple and integrated agronomic benefits of fallow improvement periods highlight their potential for allelopathic weed control, and as an agro ecological practice in rice and maize crops.

Introduction. The increased dependence of energy and/or agriculture crop systems on external inputs (fertilizer, pesticides) constitutes a challenge to their long-term productivity because of environmental and logistics constrains. Alternatively, crop rotation systems offer the possibility to reduce the dependence on external inputs through internal nutrient recycling, maintenance of the long-term productivity of the land, control of diseases and pests, and increased crop yields. Among the large variety of annual, herbaceous perennial, and woody crops that could be included in energy production systems, annual crops are, in fact, the ones that are intensively managed in rotations. Material and methods. The most prominent annual energy crops selected for this review, based on their economic significance, geographical distribution and suitability to the climatic conditions, are: sweet and fiber sorghum, flax, rapeseed, sunflower, hemp and Ethiopian mustard. The analysis and literature review on the rotation possibilities for each of these species was based on their biological and environmental interactions. Results and discussion. The available information suggests that introducing energy crops alongside traditional agriculture crop rotation systems is possible, especially for well-known crops such as rapeseed, sorghum and sunflower. On the other hand, as the management of new energy crops such as flax, hemp and Ethiopian mustard is not well developed, research on rotations possibilities and crop sequences including these species should be given high priority. Possible rotation systems dedicated exclusively to produce feedstock for bioenergy purposes are also discussed. Conclusions. A rotation system that could optimize the utilization of soil resources and fit the environmental conditions of Mediterranean climates is wheat (legume) – maize – sunflower – sorghum – fallow. In temperate climates a rapeseed – cereal (e.g. wheat, barley, oat) – cereal – rapeseed rotation could be the best choice.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-11-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:40:29Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 artigiania_acca_dr_botfca.pdf: 1286785 bytes, checksum: b2cc8c46ac128cdafbde766e0cbe9607 (MD5) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) A identificação de alternativas que possibilitem a correção da acidez do solo em profundidade no sistema plantio direto, partindo de uma aplicação superficial, sem incorporação, pode viabilizar a permanência e o sucesso desse sistema. Desta forma, o trabalho objetivou avaliar as misturas de silicato, calcário e gesso na correção do perfil do solo, aplicados superficialmente no sistema plantio direto, bem como suas implicações na nutrição, nos componentes da produção e na produtividade do arroz e feijão. O experimento foi conduzido nos anos agrícolas de 2003/04 e 2004/05 na Fazenda de Ensino e Pesquisa pertencente à Faculdade de Engenharia – UNESP, Campus de Ilha Solteira, localizada no município de Selvíria – MS, em um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico, cultivado há quatro anos no sistema plantio direto. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, com oito tratamentos e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos utilizados foram: 1 – Testemunha (sem corretivos e sem gesso agrícola), 2 – Gesso (aplicação apenas de gesso agrícola), 3 – Calcário (aplicação exclusiva de calcário), 4 – Silicato (aplicação exclusiva de silicato), 5 – Mistura composta de Calcário + Silicato (aplicação da mistura de calcário e silicato - CS, metade da dose de cada corretivo), 6 – Mistura composta de Calcário + Gesso (aplicação da mistura da dose total de calcário e da dose total de gesso agrícola - CG), 7 – Mistura composta de Silicato + Gesso (aplicação da mistura da dose total de silicato e da dose total de gesso agrícola - SG) e 8 – Mistura composta de Calcário + Silicato + Gesso (aplicação da mistura de calcário e silicato, metade da dose de cada corretivo e da dose total de gesso agrícola - CSG). A aplicação superficial de silicato no sistema plantio direto não foi superior ao calcário na neutralização da acidez... The identification of alternatives that would allow for the soil acidity correction of in depth in no-tillage system based on a surface without addition, you can stay and make a success of this system. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the mixed silicate with dolomite limestone, and phosphogypsum in the depth soil amendment when surface applied in no-tillage system, and the implications for nutrition, the components of production and productivity of rice and beans sprinkler irrigation. The experiment was carried out during the agricultural years 2003/04 and 2004/05 in an experimental area located in Selvíria – MS in a dystrophic Red Latossol, there are cultivated four years in no-tillage system. The experimental design was randomized blocks with eight treatments and four replications. The treatments were: 1 - Control (without agricultural liming materials and without phosphogypsum), 2 - Phosphogypsum (only application of phosphogypsum), 3 – Dolomite limestone (exclusive application), 4 - Silicate (exclusive application), 5 – Mixture composed of dolomite limestone + silicate (application of the mixture of dolomite limestone and silicate - CS, half the rate of each agricultural liming materials), 6 - Mixture composed of dolomite limestone + phosphogypsum (application of the total rate of the dolomite limestone and total rate of phosphogypsum - CG), 7 - Mixture composed of silicate + phosphogypsum (application of the total rate of silicate and the total rate of phosphogypsum - SG) and 8 - Composed of dolomite limestone + silicate + phosphogypsum (application the mixture of dolomite limestone and silicate, half the rate of each agricultural liming materials and the total rate of phosphogypsum - CSG). The application surface of silicate in not-tillage system was not higher to dolomite limestone in neutralize the acidity of soil in depth, showing the same efficiency... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T18:44:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S0073-47212008000200012.pdf: 452806 bytes, checksum: bad091040f752eb349917d4c4f5ddb6c (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:44:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S0073-47212008000200012.pdf: 452806 bytes, checksum: bad091040f752eb349917d4c4f5ddb6c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-06-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T19:33:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0073-47212008000200012.pdf: 452806 bytes, checksum: bad091040f752eb349917d4c4f5ddb6c (MD5) S0073-47212008000200012.pdf.txt: 40711 bytes, checksum: c90df6388a532ca6649ec559ebf4b031 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-06-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T15:09:02Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S0073-47212008000200012.pdf: 452806 bytes, checksum: bad091040f752eb349917d4c4f5ddb6c (MD5) S0073-47212008000200012.pdf.txt: 40711 bytes, checksum: c90df6388a532ca6649ec559ebf4b031 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T15:09:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0073-47212008000200012.pdf: 452806 bytes, checksum: bad091040f752eb349917d4c4f5ddb6c (MD5) S0073-47212008000200012.pdf.txt: 40711 bytes, checksum: c90df6388a532ca6649ec559ebf4b031 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-06-01 Foram estudadas a composição e diversidade de abelhas em uma área agrícola no município de Rio Claro, Estado de São Paulo, de maio de 2003 a junho de 2004, utilizando armadilha de Moericke. O local de coleta, uma área com 58,08 hectares, caracteriza-se pela produção de grãos e a prática de plantio direto, sendo que 70% da área de entorno é utilizada para o plantio de cana-de-açúcar. Foram coletadas 456 abelhas distribuídas em 20 gêneros, pertencentes às famílias Andrenidae (4,8%), Apidae (40,8%) e Halictidae (54,4%). Espécimes dos gêneros Dialictus (38%) e Diadasia (30%) foram predominantes nesta área. A diversidade de espécies avaliadas pelos índices de Shannon e Simpson foram H =1,88 e 1/D= 4.15, respectivamente, e o índice de Equitatibilidade de 0,61. The composition and diversity of bees in an agricultural area in Rio Claro, state of São Paulo, Brazil, were studied from May 2003 to June 2004, using Moericke traps. The collection site, an area with 58.08 hectares, is characterized by grain production and direct planting, with 70% of the surrounding area planted with sugar cane. During the study, 456 bees were collected, distributed among 20 genera, pertaining to the families Andrenidae (4.8%), Apidae (40.8%) and Halictidae (54.4%). Specimens of genera Dialictus (38%) and Diadasia (30%) predominated in this area. The species diversity, assessed using the Shannon and Simpson indices, were H =1.88 and 1/ D= 4.15, respectively, and the Evenness index was 0.61. Universidade São Francisco UNESP Departamento de Ecologia UNESP Departamento de Ecologia

Land Tenure, Investment Incentives, and the Choice of Techniques: Evidence from Nicaragua Oriana Bandiera The choice of cultivation techniques is a key determinant of agricultural productivity and has important consequences for income growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. Further evidence indicates that the result follows from landlords' inability or unwillingness to commit to long-term tenancy contracts rather than from agency costs due to risk aversion or limited liability. This finding is in line with the observation that since a tenant's effort affects tree productivity in the future, proper incentives can be provided only by offering a long-term contract that makes the tenant's pay conditional on future output. Nevertheless, models of moral hazard with either risk aversion or limited liability indicate that tenants' wealth determines the cost of providing incentives for noncontractible effort and hence the choice of cultivation techniques when these are complementary to effort. To this purpose, the remainder of the 496 THE WORLD BANK ECONOMIC REVIEW analysis focuses on the cross-sectional evidence from the sample of pure owners and pure tenants. Cross-Section Specification: Matching Estimates Nonexperimental matching procedures might yield estimates that improve over linear regression estimates in the sense of being closer to those produced by a randomized experiment. Land Ownership and Trees: Linear Probability Model Fixed-Effect and Cross-Section Estimates Cross-section Fixed effects Tree mix Variable Farmer owns plot Household wealth*1026 Farmer's age Farmer's gender Farmer's education (years) Household size Farm size*1023 Plot size*1023 Town size*1026 Average distance to market town Percent increase in probability when moving from tenancy to ownership Province fixed effect Number of observations (farmers) R2 No 86 0.08 29 Yes 1172 0.02 2668 (1.25) 0.354 (0.228 The results also show that trees are more likely to be grown on smaller farms, which rules out the hypothesis that there are increasing returns to scale to tree cultivation and that the observed difference between owners and tenants is due to the fact that owners farm larger plots. Observations are matched on the same farmer and town characteristics used in table 3 Source: Author's analysis based on data from the 1998 Nicaragua Living Standards Measurement Study survey. Since poorer tenants are more likely to be risk averse (Binswanger 1980) and because the limited-liability constraint is more likely to be binding for poor tenants, models of risk aversion or limited liability share the prediction that tenants' wealth determines the cost of providing incentives and hence effort and the choice of production techniques.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-09-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:39:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 mateus_gp_dr_botfca.pdf: 928486 bytes, checksum: 71ebb6b6511e7f8d7e555662d8956918 (MD5) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) A consorciação do milho e sorgo com gramíneas forrageiras pode ser utilizada tanto para a formação de pastagens, como a formação de cobertura morta no sistema de semeadura direta. Dentre os nutrientes aplicados nas fertilizações destaca-se o nitrogênio, devido ser o nutriente absorvido em maior quantidade pelas culturas e o que mais influencia na produtividade de grãos, tendo sua dinâmica no sistema solo-planta condicionada pelo manejo. O trabalho de pesquisa constou de dois experimentos que foram instalados na Fazenda Experimental Lageado da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas – Campus de Botucatu, num Latossolo Vermelho, cultivado há aproximadamente 5 anos em sistema de semeadura direta. O objetivo dos experimentos foi avaliar o efeito da adubação nitrogenada na cultura do milho e do sorgo no sistema de cultivo solteiro e consorciado com Brachiaria brizantha e Panicum maximum em sistema de semeadura direta e o posterior desempenho das forrageiras. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições. As parcelas foram representadas por três sistemas de cultivo da cultura produtora de grãos (cultivo solteiro, cultivo com B. brizantha na linha de semeadura e cultivo com P. maximum na linha de semeadura ) e as subparcelas por quatro doses de nitrogênio em cobertura (0, 50, 100 e 200 kg ha-1 de N). Foram avaliados os atributos químicos do solo, as características agronômicas da cultura, os componentes de produção, a diagnose foliar e a produtividade de grãos, além da produção de massa de matéria seca das forrageiras após a colheita da cultura. Tanto para a cultura do milho quanto para o sorgo pode-se inferir que o cultivo consorciado, desde que seja implantado e manejado adequadamente não afeta a produção de grãos em razão de... Corn and sorghum intercropped with grass can be used both to pasture formation and to soil cover formation in no-tillage system. Nitrogen is prominent among the nutrients applied in fertilizations, because nitrogen is the most absored nutrient by crops and most affect the grains yield, and its dynamic in soil-plant system is conditioned by management. The research consisted of two experiments that were carried out at Lageado Experimental Farm, of Agricultural Science College, campus of Botucatu, in Red Latosol (Oxisol), cultivated to five years in no-tillage system. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilization on corn and sorghum and Brachiaria brizantha and Panicum maximum intercrops in no-tillage system, and the behavior of forages. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with split plot analyses, with four replications. The plot treatments consisted of three modalities of tillage of corn and sorghum (single crop, intercrop with B. brizantha in the row of sowing or and with P. maximum in the row of sowing) and the split plot of four nitrogen rates (0, 50, 100, and 200 kg ha-1 N). It was evaluated the soil chemical attributes, the agronomical characteristics of crop, grains yield, leaf macronutrients content and forages yield. The intercrop system did not affect grain yield of corn and sorghum, because it did not cause negative effects in plant nutrition and growth. Nitrogen fertilization affected grains yield of corn and sorghum independently of the cultivation system. The residual effect of nitrogen applied on corn and sorghum caused an increased forage yield of B. brizantha and P. maximum. No difference was observed among the soil chemical attributes due to different cultivation systems, because of the high fertility of the soil. The highest net...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Se realizó un ensayo en un suelo Andisol de la IX Región con el objetivo de determinar el efecto de diferentes herbicidas aplicados en cultivos anuales tradicionales sobre las actividades biológicas del suelo. Los cultivos y herbicidas aplicados en cada caso correspondieron a trigo-MCPA+metsulfuron-metil, lupìno-simazina, raps-trifluralina y un testigo sin aplicación de herbicidas. En general, todas las actividades biológicas fueron afectadas negativamente por los distintos tratamientos de herbicidas (p< 0,05) en el primer y segundo muestreo respecto al testigo. Entre las actividades generales, el C y N biomásico fueron afectados negativamente por la trifluralina y el MCPA+metsulfuron-metil, mientras que la dehidrogenasa fue afectada significativamente en relación al testigo en el primer y segundo muestreo, recuperándose en el último muestreo. Entre las actividades biológicas específicas la fosfatasa ácida fue afectada por simazina, trifluralina y MCPA+metsulfuron-metil, mientras que la ureasa presento una reducción significativa en el tercer y cuarto muestreo respecto al testigo. En general, las actividades enzimáticas fueron también afectadas por el cultivo de cada tratamiento, siendo necesario seguir estudiando la relación entre las actividades enzimáticas y los diferentes manejos agrícolas incluyendo la aplicación de herbicidas. Some recent research has indicated that the use of herbicides can cause different effects on soil biological activities. However, most of these studies have been conducted in laboratory conditions without considering field conditions. In view of this, an experiment was carried out on andisol soil with the purpose of ascertaining the effect of different herbicides applied on traditional anual crops in southern Chile upon microbial biomass and some enzyme activities. The crops and herbicides applied in each case were wheat- MCPA+metsulfuron-methyl, lupin-simazine, oil rape-trifluraline and a control without applying any herbicides. Microbial biomass C and N were affected negatively by trifluralin and MCPA+metsulfuron methyl. In general, all enzyme activities were negatively affected by the different herbicide treatments in the first and second sampling in relation to the control. Dehydrogenase activity, was observed a significant reduction in relation to the control after applying the different herbicides on the different crops in the first and second sampling. As for the acid phosphatase activity the same tendency toward dehydrogenase activity was observed in the simazine treatment. In the case of urease activity, a significant reduction was observed in the third and fourth sampling in relation to the witness treatment. In general, the enzyme activities were also conditioned by the crops that each treatment was applied on. Therefore, it is interesting to continue studying the relation between enzyme activities and the different agricultural managements including the application of herbicides.

Rotação de culturas e variações sazonais podem promover alterações quantitativas e qualitativas na comunidade de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares nativos e na formação da micorriza arbuscular. Essa dinâmica foi avaliada, em campo, num Latossolo Vermelho, em relação ao tempo de cultivo e variação sazonal, em sistemas de rotação de culturas. Em casa de vegetação, avaliou-se, em solo proveniente da área experimental, a contribuição da micorriza arbuscular no crescimento de soja e capim-andropógon utilizados na rotação. O número de esporos dos fungos aumentou no solo cultivado. O número de esporos e o porcentual de colonização radicular, inicialmente maiores sob pastagem, variaram de acordo com o tempo de cultivo, as estações seca e chuvosa, a cultura e o sistema de rotação utilizados. O número de gêneros e espécies aumentou com o tempo de cultivo e manejo de culturas e foi maior sob culturas anuais em rotação. A presença dos fungos no solo contribuiu no crescimento da soja e do capim-andropógon em 53% e 95%, respectivamente. A cultura e o sistema de cultivo são fatores determinantes para o enriquecimento do sistema com micorriza arbuscular. Crop rotation and seasonal variations can promote quantitative and qualitative changes in the indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi population in the soil and arbuscular mycorrhiza establishment. These fungi dynamics were evaluated in the field, in a Red Latosol, in relation to cropping time, seasonal variation and rotation systems. The contribution of arbuscular mycorrhiza to the growth of andropogon grass and soybean, which were used in the systems, was evaluated in a greenhouse experiment using soil from the experimental area. The number of spores of the fungi increased in the cultivated soil. The spores number and percent root colonization varied according to cropping time, soil moisture, crops and rotation system and were, initially, higher under pasture. The number of genus and species increased according to cropping time and culture management and was higher under annual crops in rotation. The presence of these fungi in the soil contributed 53% and 95% to the growth of soybean and andropogon grass, respectively. Crops and cultivation system are crucial for the system's enrichment in arbuscular mycorrhiza.