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A replicated field experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth, biomass yield, and quality of Salicornia sinus-persica Akhani compared to the Salicornia bigelovii Torr. Both species were planted in saline soils irrigated with seawater (60 dS/m) from the Persian Gulf. Results showed that under the experiment conditions, the biomass yield of S. sinus-persica was 1.8 times more than S. bigelovii. The plant height of S. sinus-persica was also higher by 27% than S. bigelovii. While the ash content was lower by 15% in S. bigelovii, the protein content did not differ significantly between the two species. In contrast, the neutral detergent fiber in S. sinus-persica biomass was significantly lower than in S. bigelovii. Likewise, the dry-matter intake, relative feed value, and forage quality of S. bigelovii were lower by 20%, 21%, and 30%, respectively, when compared to S. sinus-persica. Despite higher ash content in S. sinus-persica than in S. bigelovii, S. sinus-persica could be used as a high-yielding species for alternate forage production under seawater irrigation in coastal lands of arid and semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The soils under continuous rice monocropping are currently facing a serious threat of accelerated soil and environmental quality degradation. Aims: Examining the impact of tillage and cropping diversity on soil aggregate stability and associated nutrients in a sub‐tropical rice ecosystem. Methods: A split‐plot experiment with tillage (minimum, MT vs. conventional, CT) as a main plot and cropping diversity [mustard (Brassica napus)–rice (Oryza sativa)–rice (M–R–R), wheat (Triticum aestivum)–rice–rice (W–R–R), and lentil (Lens esculenta)–rice–rice (L–R–R)] as a sub‐plot was repeated for four years. Soil aggregate properties were measured using wet sieving techniques. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrients were measured in different aggregate size groups as well as in the bulk soil samples. Results: Results show that all the aggregate size groups were similar in both MT and CT, except in 0.85–0.30 mm. Likewise, cropping diversities increased soil aggregation, being higher aggregate size of < 0.053 mm in M–R–R relative to the W–R–R and L–R–R, where the latter two were alike. By contrast, > 2 mm aggregates were higher in L–R–R than in M–R–R and W–R–R, where the latter two were similar. The MT increased aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) by 14% in W–R–R, and by 29% in L–R–R. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total N (TN), and available P were higher in MT than in CT, while it was alike for exchangeable K and available S. While W–R–R had a higher aggregate‐associated SOC, available P, and available S, L–R–R had a higher TN, and M–R–R had a higher exchangeable K. While SOC, TN, and exchangeable K accumulated more in the > 0.85 mm size aggregates, the available P, in contrast, accumulated more in < 0.85 mm size aggregates. Conclusion: Wheat–rice–rice diversity, coupled with minimum tillage, has a higher potential for soil fertility sustenance and crop productivity through better nutrient protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil management practices may pose intense effects on the nature and properties of soils. A field experiment was conducted during 2002 to 2007 on a Vanmeter farm of the Ohio State University South Centers at Piketon Ohio, USA to assess the long term influence of tillage practices and crop rotation on soil particulate organic matter allied with carbon and nitrogen. Tillage treatments including conventional (CT) and No-till (NT) were factored into continuous corn (CC), corn-soybean (CS) and corn-soybean-wheat-cowpea (CSW) rotations by following randomized complete block design with 6 replications. The results of long-term study showed that 12 percent of significant increase was observed in the particulate organic matter (POM) in NT by the passage of time. The particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration under NT increased (15 %) significantly when CT converted in to NT over five year. Furthermore, particulate organic nitrogen (PON) increased (12%) significantly under NT than under CT. Crop rotation had significant effects on POM and the effects were more prominent in the CSW rotation. The POM, POC concentration increased with time in CC (11%) and CSW (15%) rotations. As soil depth increases, significant decrease was observed in POM, POC and PON concentrations regardless of tillage and crop rotation treatments. Tillage and crop rotation had no significant influence on the physical parameters; however, with time as a factor in the interaction significantly influenced the physical properties. Changes in the physical properties of the soil by tillage practices and crop rotation are mainly due to soil disturbance, placement, amount and type of added biomass crop in the soil ecosystem. Physical properties of soil facilitate microbial activities, support chemical functions, improve protection C and improve the quality of soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]