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Bram Govaerts - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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influence of long term permanent Raised Beds and contour furrowing on soil health in conservation agriculture based systems in tigray region ethiopia
Authorea Preprints, 2020Co-Authors: Tesfay Araya, Jan Nyssen, Bram Govaerts, Frederic Baudron, Alemu Fanta, Mengsteab Hailemariam, Emiru Birhane, Wim M. CornelisAbstract:Conservation agriculture (CA) systems represent a set of three soil management principles that include minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotations whereas the CA-based systems in this study add the bed and furrow tillage structures as integral elements of CA. This study aimed at investigating the long-term (2005-2013) influence of CA-based systems on soil health and crop productivity in northern Ethiopia. The treatments include two types of CA-based systems (permanent Raised bed PRB and contour furrowing CF) and conventional tillage (CT). The experimental layout was arranged in a randomized complete block design. Soil samples were collected at 0-10 cm soil depth to assess soil health. Wheat root samples were used to measure arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization percentage using grid line intersect method. Piecewise structural equation modeling (PSEM) was used to understand linkages between management practices, soil health and crop productivity. Higher soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), AMF spore abundance and root colonization were recorded in PRB followed by CF as compared to CT (P < 0.05). Carbon sequestration rate, nutrient availability, plant available water capacity and air capacity were significantly higher in PRB and CF compared to CT. Outputs of the PSEM highlighted two pathways in which CA-based systems contributed to improved productivity: (1) via higher density of bacteria and improved hydraulic conductivity, and (2) via higher density of fungi and increase soil organic carbon content in the topsoil. The study concludes that CA-based systems have the potential to improve crop productivity through improved soil health.
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implementation of permanent Raised Beds contributes to increased crop yield and profitability in the northeastern tigray region ethiopia
Experimental Agriculture, 2019Co-Authors: Amanuel A Gebru, Tesfay Araya, Jan Nyssen, Tsegay Woldegeorgis, Frederic Baudron, Nele Verhulst, Alicia B Speratti, Bram GovaertsAbstract:A major problem faced by small-scale farmers in northern Ethiopia is reduced crop yield due to increasing soil degradation resulting from repeated tillage and inadequate agronomic management practices. These practices have left soils and rainfed crops susceptible to hazardous climatic events such as droughts. Sustainable farm practices such as minimum tillage and surface residue retention have been shown to improve soil health and crop productivity. The objectives of this field study were thus to evaluate the impacts of conservation agriculture (CA) practices on crop yield and economic productivity over 6 years in the eastern Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Using a barley-wheat rotation from 2010 to 2016, the applied treatments were (i) permanent Raised Beds (PRB); (2) semi-permanent Raised Beds (SPB) and (3) conventional tillage (CT). Average barley and wheat biomass and grain yields in PRB and SPB treatments were consistently greater than yields under CT each year. In addition, the highest marginal rate of return was obtained in PRB and SPB compared to CT in all years (2010-2016). These results suggest that the CA practices of PRB and SPB can improve crop yield and profit compared to CT practices in the Tigray region.
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genotype by tillage interaction and performance progress for bread and durum wheat genotypes on irrigated Raised Beds
Field Crops Research, 2018Co-Authors: Nora Honsdorf, Bram Govaerts, Michael J Mulvaney, Ravi P Singh, Karim Ammar, Juan Burgueno, Nele VerhulstAbstract:Abstract Agronomic systems based on zero tillage and residue retention are becoming more important due to their potential for climate change adaptation through the reduction of soil erosion and improved water availability. Denser soil surface conditions and large amounts of crop residues, however, may be a constraint for early plant establishment, especially in irrigated production areas with high yield potential. Genotype by tillage interactions for yield are not well understood and it is unknown whether tillage should be an evaluation factor in breeding programs. Twenty-six CIMMYT bread ( Triticum aestivum ) and durum ( Triticum turgidum ) wheat genotypes, created between 1964 and 2009, were tested for yield and agronomic performance at CIMMYT’s experimental station near Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, over six years. Treatments included conventional and permanent Raised Beds with full and reduced irrigation. The objectives were to study breeding progress in distinct agronomic systems and to elucidate the importance of tillage and genotype by tillage interaction for yield and agronomic traits. Breeding progress was achieved irrespective of agronomic treatment. Tillage influenced plant growth and number of grains per m 2 in both wheat types. In bread wheat, genotype by tillage interaction was significant for yield, test weight, and growth parameters. However, no cross-over effects were detected and rank changes were small. In durum wheat, genotype by tillage interaction was only significant for plant growth. The results do not indicate the need for separate breeding programs. However, the question of a need for selection under zero tillage to increase breeding progress is yet to be answered.
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improved wheat performance with seed treatments under dry sowing on permanent Raised Beds
Field Crops Research, 2014Co-Authors: Michael J Mulvaney, Nele Verhulst, Juan M Herrera, Monica Mezzalama, Bram GovaertsAbstract:A B S T R A C T Two strategies for seeding irrigation are used for irrigated wheat. Wet sowing utilizes pre-sowing irrigation to germinate weed seeds and thus control weeds, followed by sowing. Dry sowing plants into dry soil that is irrigated soon afterward, resulting in higher soil moisture during germination and emergence than wet sowing. Field observations have indicated reduced emergence, plant stands and yield in dry compared to wet sowing on a Vertisol in northwestern Mexico. This disadvantage is more acute when dry sowing is conducted in permanent Beds with residue retention (conservation agriculture) compared to the conventional system involving tillage with residue incorporation. To identify the causes of reduced plant stand and yield and examine control options, chemical seed treatment effects on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) performance under wet and dry sowing were investigated over three seasons in a permanent bed system. Four seed treatments were applied: Control (no seed treatment); Carboxin + thiram + chlorothalonil (Vit-Dac; fungicides); Difenoconazole + mefenoxam (Dif-Mef; fungicides); and Thiamethoxam + difenoconazole + mefenoxam (TMXDif-Mef; insecticide and fungicides). Plant stands, root rot scores, normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), and grain yield were determined. Under dry sowing, Dif-Mef and TMX-Dif-Mef increased plant stands by 87% and 104%, respectively, compared to Vit-Dac, and by 152% and 172%, respectively, compared to the control. Under dry sowing, TMX-Dif-Mef increased yield by 9.76% and 17.7% compared to
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soil quality as affected by tillage residue management in a wheat maize irrigated bed planting system
Plant and Soil, 2011Co-Authors: Dirk Raes, Jozef Deckers, Agustin Limonortega, Nele Verhulst, K D Sayre, F Kienle, Leonardo Tijerinachavez, Bram GovaertsAbstract:There is a clear need to develop conservation agriculture technologies appropriate for surface irrigated conditions, and the adoption by small-scale farmers. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect on soil quality of five different tillage-crop residue management systems (conventionally tilled Raised Beds [CTB] with residue incorporated and permanent Raised Beds [PB] with residue burned, removed, partly retained or fully retained). Data were collected in a long-term trial established in 1992 with a wheat-maize rotation under irrigated, arid conditions in north-western Mexico. Three groups of tillage-straw systems with different characteristics in relation to the soil environment were distinguished: PB-straw burned, CTB-straw incorporated, and PB-straw not burned. The PB-straw burned had high electrical conductivity, Na concentration and penetration resistance and low soil resilience and aggregation, showing that the combination of PB with the burning of residues is not a sustainable management option. The CTB-straw incorporated was distinguished from the PB practices by the soil physical variables, especially the low direct infiltration and aggregate stability, indicating degradation of physical soil quality in this system. The practice of PB, where all or part of the residue is retained in the field, seems to be the most sustainable option for this cropping system.
Nele Verhulst - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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implementation of permanent Raised Beds contributes to increased crop yield and profitability in the northeastern tigray region ethiopia
Experimental Agriculture, 2019Co-Authors: Amanuel A Gebru, Tesfay Araya, Jan Nyssen, Tsegay Woldegeorgis, Frederic Baudron, Nele Verhulst, Alicia B Speratti, Bram GovaertsAbstract:A major problem faced by small-scale farmers in northern Ethiopia is reduced crop yield due to increasing soil degradation resulting from repeated tillage and inadequate agronomic management practices. These practices have left soils and rainfed crops susceptible to hazardous climatic events such as droughts. Sustainable farm practices such as minimum tillage and surface residue retention have been shown to improve soil health and crop productivity. The objectives of this field study were thus to evaluate the impacts of conservation agriculture (CA) practices on crop yield and economic productivity over 6 years in the eastern Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Using a barley-wheat rotation from 2010 to 2016, the applied treatments were (i) permanent Raised Beds (PRB); (2) semi-permanent Raised Beds (SPB) and (3) conventional tillage (CT). Average barley and wheat biomass and grain yields in PRB and SPB treatments were consistently greater than yields under CT each year. In addition, the highest marginal rate of return was obtained in PRB and SPB compared to CT in all years (2010-2016). These results suggest that the CA practices of PRB and SPB can improve crop yield and profit compared to CT practices in the Tigray region.
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genotype by tillage interaction and performance progress for bread and durum wheat genotypes on irrigated Raised Beds
Field Crops Research, 2018Co-Authors: Nora Honsdorf, Bram Govaerts, Michael J Mulvaney, Ravi P Singh, Karim Ammar, Juan Burgueno, Nele VerhulstAbstract:Abstract Agronomic systems based on zero tillage and residue retention are becoming more important due to their potential for climate change adaptation through the reduction of soil erosion and improved water availability. Denser soil surface conditions and large amounts of crop residues, however, may be a constraint for early plant establishment, especially in irrigated production areas with high yield potential. Genotype by tillage interactions for yield are not well understood and it is unknown whether tillage should be an evaluation factor in breeding programs. Twenty-six CIMMYT bread ( Triticum aestivum ) and durum ( Triticum turgidum ) wheat genotypes, created between 1964 and 2009, were tested for yield and agronomic performance at CIMMYT’s experimental station near Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, over six years. Treatments included conventional and permanent Raised Beds with full and reduced irrigation. The objectives were to study breeding progress in distinct agronomic systems and to elucidate the importance of tillage and genotype by tillage interaction for yield and agronomic traits. Breeding progress was achieved irrespective of agronomic treatment. Tillage influenced plant growth and number of grains per m 2 in both wheat types. In bread wheat, genotype by tillage interaction was significant for yield, test weight, and growth parameters. However, no cross-over effects were detected and rank changes were small. In durum wheat, genotype by tillage interaction was only significant for plant growth. The results do not indicate the need for separate breeding programs. However, the question of a need for selection under zero tillage to increase breeding progress is yet to be answered.
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improved wheat performance with seed treatments under dry sowing on permanent Raised Beds
Field Crops Research, 2014Co-Authors: Michael J Mulvaney, Nele Verhulst, Juan M Herrera, Monica Mezzalama, Bram GovaertsAbstract:A B S T R A C T Two strategies for seeding irrigation are used for irrigated wheat. Wet sowing utilizes pre-sowing irrigation to germinate weed seeds and thus control weeds, followed by sowing. Dry sowing plants into dry soil that is irrigated soon afterward, resulting in higher soil moisture during germination and emergence than wet sowing. Field observations have indicated reduced emergence, plant stands and yield in dry compared to wet sowing on a Vertisol in northwestern Mexico. This disadvantage is more acute when dry sowing is conducted in permanent Beds with residue retention (conservation agriculture) compared to the conventional system involving tillage with residue incorporation. To identify the causes of reduced plant stand and yield and examine control options, chemical seed treatment effects on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) performance under wet and dry sowing were investigated over three seasons in a permanent bed system. Four seed treatments were applied: Control (no seed treatment); Carboxin + thiram + chlorothalonil (Vit-Dac; fungicides); Difenoconazole + mefenoxam (Dif-Mef; fungicides); and Thiamethoxam + difenoconazole + mefenoxam (TMXDif-Mef; insecticide and fungicides). Plant stands, root rot scores, normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), and grain yield were determined. Under dry sowing, Dif-Mef and TMX-Dif-Mef increased plant stands by 87% and 104%, respectively, compared to Vit-Dac, and by 152% and 172%, respectively, compared to the control. Under dry sowing, TMX-Dif-Mef increased yield by 9.76% and 17.7% compared to
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soil quality as affected by tillage residue management in a wheat maize irrigated bed planting system
Plant and Soil, 2011Co-Authors: Dirk Raes, Jozef Deckers, Agustin Limonortega, Nele Verhulst, K D Sayre, F Kienle, Leonardo Tijerinachavez, Bram GovaertsAbstract:There is a clear need to develop conservation agriculture technologies appropriate for surface irrigated conditions, and the adoption by small-scale farmers. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect on soil quality of five different tillage-crop residue management systems (conventionally tilled Raised Beds [CTB] with residue incorporated and permanent Raised Beds [PB] with residue burned, removed, partly retained or fully retained). Data were collected in a long-term trial established in 1992 with a wheat-maize rotation under irrigated, arid conditions in north-western Mexico. Three groups of tillage-straw systems with different characteristics in relation to the soil environment were distinguished: PB-straw burned, CTB-straw incorporated, and PB-straw not burned. The PB-straw burned had high electrical conductivity, Na concentration and penetration resistance and low soil resilience and aggregation, showing that the combination of PB with the burning of residues is not a sustainable management option. The CTB-straw incorporated was distinguished from the PB practices by the soil physical variables, especially the low direct infiltration and aggregate stability, indicating degradation of physical soil quality in this system. The practice of PB, where all or part of the residue is retained in the field, seems to be the most sustainable option for this cropping system.
K D Sayre - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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yield response to plant density row spacing and Raised Beds in low latitude spring wheat with ample soil resources an update
Field Crops Research, 2019Co-Authors: R A Fischer, O Moreno H Ramos, Ortiz I Monasterio, K D SayreAbstract:Abstract This paper reviews the results of published and unpublished experiments over 30 years looking at the effect on yield of planting density and row spacing, and of Raised bed planting, of modern irrigated short wheat cultivars under the favourable climatic conditions of northwest Mexico. With optimum planting dates (mid Nov. to mid Dec.), regardless of row spacing, wheat yield was remarkably insensitive to planting density within the range normally studied (80–400 plants/m2). However yield was sensitive to row spacing: the most sensitive cultivars (erect dwarf cultivars) lost yield at spacing 30 cm and greater, while the least sensitive (some taller vigorous semidwarf cultivars) tolerated spacing up to at least 50cm without yield loss. Yield sensitivity to wide spacing was unaffected by density but varied between years, being less in favourable cooler years, and was markedly greater with later plantings (Jan.). The response to yield on narrow Raised Beds (2–3 rows per bed, 75–90 cm between bed centres), which have many agronomic advantages, could be explained by the aforementioned yield responses to spacing, in this case the furrow gap or distance between rows on adjacent Beds being critical. Yield testing with a furrow gap of 44–50 cm appeared to select cultivars more suited to this system, but it wasn’t clear whether such cultivars represented the best option under normal 20 cm row spacing in the absence of Raised Beds. When testing was extended to very low plant densities, yield was remarkably insensitive (maximum yield often achieved with only 16/m2), provided the planting date was normal and the planting arrangement did not deviate greatly from a square grid, with the honeycomb design giving an additional small yield advantage. These yield responses reflect the great plasticity in wheat imparted especially by tillering, and appear to be reasonably well explained by the notion that maximum yield requires close to full light interception no later than just before flag leaf emergence, being the onset of dry weight accumulation in growing spikes. Greater leaf greenness and probably higher radiation use efficiency with very low densities (and wide gaps), and associated delays in 50% flowering, may also assist in compensation for gaps. In contrast to much conventional wisdom, it is suggested that a worthwhile breeding objective would be selection for high per spaced-plant yield, with a view to achieving normal (or better) commercial yields at very low plant densities (
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soil quality as affected by tillage residue management in a wheat maize irrigated bed planting system
Plant and Soil, 2011Co-Authors: Dirk Raes, Jozef Deckers, Agustin Limonortega, Nele Verhulst, K D Sayre, F Kienle, Leonardo Tijerinachavez, Bram GovaertsAbstract:There is a clear need to develop conservation agriculture technologies appropriate for surface irrigated conditions, and the adoption by small-scale farmers. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect on soil quality of five different tillage-crop residue management systems (conventionally tilled Raised Beds [CTB] with residue incorporated and permanent Raised Beds [PB] with residue burned, removed, partly retained or fully retained). Data were collected in a long-term trial established in 1992 with a wheat-maize rotation under irrigated, arid conditions in north-western Mexico. Three groups of tillage-straw systems with different characteristics in relation to the soil environment were distinguished: PB-straw burned, CTB-straw incorporated, and PB-straw not burned. The PB-straw burned had high electrical conductivity, Na concentration and penetration resistance and low soil resilience and aggregation, showing that the combination of PB with the burning of residues is not a sustainable management option. The CTB-straw incorporated was distinguished from the PB practices by the soil physical variables, especially the low direct infiltration and aggregate stability, indicating degradation of physical soil quality in this system. The practice of PB, where all or part of the residue is retained in the field, seems to be the most sustainable option for this cropping system.
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Influence of permanent Raised bed planting and residue management on physical and chemical soil quality in rain fed maize/wheat systems
Plant and Soil, 2007Co-Authors: Bram Govaerts, Kelly Lichter, Luc Dendooven, K D Sayre, Jozef DeckersAbstract:Densely populated, intensively cropped highland areas in the tropics and subtropics are prone to erosion and declining soil fertility, making agriculture unsustainable. Conservation agriculture in its version of permanent Raised bed planting with crop residue retention has been proposed as an alternative wheat production system for this agro-ecological zone. A five years field experiment comparing permanent and tilled Raised Beds with different residue management under rainfed conditions was started at El Batán (Mexico) (2,240 m asl; 19.31°N, 98.50°W; Cumulic Phaeozem) in 1999. The objective of this study was to determine the soil quality status after five years of different management practices. The K concentration was 1.65 times and 1.43 times larger in the 0–5 cm and 5–20 cm profiles, respectively, for permanent Raised Beds compared to conventionally tilled Raised Beds. The Na concentration showed the opposite trend. Sodicity was highest for conventionally tilled Raised Beds and for permanent Raised Beds it increased with decreasing amounts of residue retained on the surface. Permanent Raised Beds with full residue retention increased soil organic matter content 1.4 times in the 0–5 cm layer compared to conventionally tilled Raised Beds with straw incorporated and it increased significantly with increasing amounts of residue retained on the soil surface for permanent Raised Beds. Soil from permanent Raised Beds with full residue retention had significantly higher mean weight diameter for wet and dry sieving compared to conventionally tilled Raised Beds. Permanent Raised Beds with full residue retention had significantly higher aggregate stability compared to those with residue removal. A lower aggregation resulted in a reduction of infiltration. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using these soil physicochemical variables that were significantly influenced by tillage or residue management. The PC1 and PC2 separated the conventionally tilled Raised Beds from the permanent Raised Beds and PC3 separated permanent Raised Beds with at least partial residue retention from permanent Raised Beds with no residue retention. These clear separations suggest that tillage and residue management have an effect on soil processes. The research indicates that permanent Raised bed planting increases the soil quality and can be a sustainable production alternative for the (sub)tropical highlands. Extensive tillage with its associated high costs can be reduced by the use of permanent Raised Beds while at least partial surface residue retention is needed to insure production sustainability.
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conventionally tilled and permanent Raised Beds with different crop residue management effects on soil c and n dynamics
Plant and Soil, 2006Co-Authors: Bram Govaerts, J M Ceballosramirez, Marco Lunaguido, Jozef Deckers, Agustin Limonortega, K D Sayre, Luc DendoovenAbstract:Conservation tillage in its version of permanent bed planting under zero-tillage with crop residue retention has been proposed as an alternative wheat production system for northwest Mexico. However, little is known about the dynamics of C and N in soils under wheat/maize on permanent Beds (PB) where straw was burned, removed, partly removed or retained, as opposed to conventionally tilled Beds (CTB) where straw was incorporated. We investigated the dynamics of soil C and N and normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) crop values in zero-tilled PB and CTB after 26 successive maize and wheat crops. Organic C and total N were respectively, 1.15 and 1.17 times greater in PB with straw partly removed and with straw retained on the surface, than in CTB with straw incorporated. Organic C and total N were 1.10 times greater in soils with 300 kg N ha−1 added than in unfertilized soil. Cumulative production of CO2 was lower under CTB with straw incorporated than under PB treatments, and CO2 production increased with increments in inorganic fertilizer. The N-mineralization rate was 1.18 times greater than in unamended soils when 150 kg inorganic N ha−1 was applied, and 1.48 times greater when 300 kg inorganic N ha−1 was added. The N-mineralization rate was significantly (1.66 times) greater in PB where the straw was burned or retained on the surface than in CTB where the straw was incorporated, but significantly (1.25 times) lower than in PB with straw partly removed. The NDVI values reached a maximum 56 days after planting and decreased thereafter. The NDVI for unfertilized soil were similar for CTB with straw incorporated, PB with straw partly removed, and PB with straw retained on the surface, but significantly lower for PB with straw burned and PB with straw removed. In soils to which 150 or 300 kg N ha−1 was added, NDVI was significantly lower for PB with straw burned than for other treatments. Among other things, this suggests the utility of rotating maize or wheat with crops whose residues have lower C–N ratios, thus avoiding immobilization of large amounts of N for extended periods. PB with residue burning, however, is an unsustainable practice leading to low crop performance and soil and environmental degradation.
J Timsina - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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agronomic and economic evaluation of permanent Raised Beds no tillage and straw mulching for an irrigated maize wheat system in northwest india
Experimental Agriculture, 2012Co-Authors: Yadvinder Singh, K S Saini, D S Kler, J Timsina, E HumphreysAbstract:SUMMARY No-tillage and Raised Beds are widely used for different crops in developed countries. A field experiment was conducted on an irrigated maize-wheat system to study the effect of field layout, tillage and straw mulch on crop performance, water use efficiency and economics for five years (2003–2008) in northwest India. Straw mulch reduced the maximum soil temperature at seed depth by about 3 ◦ Cc ompared to the no mulch. During the wheat emergence, Raised Beds recorded 1.3 ◦ C higher soil temperature compared to the flat treatments. Both maize and wheat yields were similar under different treatments during all the years. Maize and wheat planted on Raised Beds recorded about 7.8% and 22.7% higher water use efficiency than under flat layout, respectively. Straw mulch showed no effect on water use and water use efficiency in maize. The net returns from the maize-wheat system were more in no tillage and permanent Raised Beds than with conventional tillage. Bulk density and cumulative infiltration were more in no tillage compared with conventional tillage.
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factors affecting irrigation water savings in Raised Beds in rice and wheat
Field Crops Research, 2010Co-Authors: S S Kukal, E Humphreys, S Thaman, Balwinder Singh, J TimsinaAbstract:Abstract Raised Beds have been proposed for rice–wheat (RW) cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains as a means of increasing irrigation water productivity, among many other potential benefits. Field experiments were carried out in Punjab, India, during 2002–2006 to compare irrigation water use and productivity of transplanted rice and drill-sown wheat on fresh and permanent Beds and conventionally tilled flats. Total irrigation applications to conventionally tilled wheat (CTW) and wheat on Beds were similar on both soils, in both small plots and in a farmers’ field, with one exception—irrigation amount on fresh Beds was 10% lower than on permanent Beds in the farmers’ field. Yields on Beds and CTW were similar on the loam, but were sometimes lower on Beds on the sandy loam. In the small plots, irrigation water productivity (WP IW ) on Beds and in CTW was similar (mean 2 g kg −1 ) on the loam, but about 20% on the sandy loam, mainly due to lower yields. In the farmers’ field, WP IW (1.5 g kg −1 ) was 15% higher on the fresh Beds than on the permanent Beds due to lower irrigation amount. The amount of irrigation water applied to rice on permanent Beds and puddled transplanted rice (PTR) was similar in the small plots on the sandy loam. However, on the loam, irrigation application to the permanent Beds was significantly higher, by about 18%. There was a significant decline in grain yield on the permanent Beds relative to that in PTR over the 4 years, on both soils. WP IW on the permanent Beds decreased with time on both soils, mainly due to declining grain yield. Irrigation applications to rice on fresh Beds were lower than applications to the puddled flats (by 11% on the sandy loam, and by 20–24% on the loam) while yields were 7 and 15% lower, resulting in similar WP IW on fresh Beds and PTR. Reducing irrigation application from full-furrow to half-furrow depth in the farmers’ field reduced the irrigation amount on both permanent and fresh Beds by 40–50%, but yield was also reduced by about 20%. The results show that Beds do not always save irrigation water or increase WP IW in comparison with conventionally tilled flat fields, for both rice and wheat under our soil and environmental conditions. The effects of the Beds depend on irrigation/water management (of both Beds and flats), age of the Beds and soil type. The effect of Beds on irrigation amount is also likely to depend on factors such as depth to the water table, levelness of the soil surface, and size and shape of fields relative to irrigation flow rate.
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crop performance in permanent Raised bed rice wheat cropping system in punjab india
Field Crops Research, 2009Co-Authors: Y K Singh, E Humphreys, S S Kukal, Sudhir Yadav, Amanpreet Kaur, S Thaman, Banvir Singh, A Prashar, J TimsinaAbstract:Abstract Raised Beds are widely used in agriculture in developed countries and have proven to be an excellent option for wheat. Permanent Raised Beds may also offer benefits for rice–wheat (RW) systems in South Asia, in terms of both production and the possibility that furrow-irrigation may be more efficient than flood irrigation. The performance of a RW system on permanent Raised Beds (37 cm wide, 15 cm high, furrow width 30 cm) was compared with conventional cultivation on the flat on sandy loam and loam soils in replicated experiments in central Punjab, India. The experiments commenced with wheat sown in November 2002, and were continued for 8 crops. Yields of conventionally tilled wheat (CTW) ranged from 3.6 to 4.9 t ha −1 and tended to be higher on the loam than on the sandy loam. Yields of wheat on fresh and permanent Beds (WB and DDWB, respectively) were similar to yields on CTW and direct-drilled wheat on the flat (DDW) except when establishment was sub-optimal on the Beds on both soils in 2004–2005. It was also lower on the Beds on the sandy loam in 2002–2003 when tillering did not compensate for the lower sowing rate on the Beds. In each case, the poorer performance on Beds appeared to be associated with the more rapid drying of the Beds than the flats, and thus the need for greater precision in irrigation and sowing management with Beds on sandy loam and loam soils. Yield on Beds relative to flats did not change as the Beds aged. Yields of transplanted rice on permanent Beds (TRB) were depressed relative to yields of puddled transplanted rice (PTR) with the same alternate wetting and drying water management, regardless of age of the bed (from 1st to 8th crop) and soil type. Yields of TRB relative to PTR declined as the Beds aged, over the first 2–3 years, from about 80 to 90% to less than 50% of PTR. Biomass production in TRB was always significantly less than in PTR, starting from 35 d after transplanting. Performance of direct-seeded rice on Beds (DSRB) was even poorer. Serious root knot nematode infestation was also a serious problem in transplanted rice on the sandy loam in the absence of continuous flooding, on both TRB and PTR. The DSRB suffered from severe iron deficiency each year on both soils despite several iron sprays beginning as early as 15 days after transplanting, and yields declined from about 60% of PTR with the same irrigation scheduling in the first rice crop to less than 25% of PTR in the third rice crop. Total annual system productivity was highest using puddled transplanted rice (PTR) in rotation with fresh Beds (WB) for wheat, CTW or DDW on the flat. Average productivity of these systems over the first 4 years was 9.5 t ha −1 y −1 on a sandy loam soil and 10.3 t ha −1 y −1 on a loam soil. Productivity of RW on permanent Raised Beds with transplanted rice declined as the Beds aged, and averaged 77–79% of the productivity of the best systems mainly due to declining yield of TRB relative to PTR. Averaged over the first 3 years, productivity of permanent Beds with direct-seeded rice (DSRB) was even lower (only 62–68% of the best systems) due to much lower yields of DSRB. Permanent bed RW systems seem to have limited potential under the prevailing soil and climatic conditions of Punjab, India, with current varieties and management. Further research on permanent Raised Beds for RW systems should focus on the selection of suitable rice and wheat cultivars, soil health issues such as nematodes and iron deficiency, weed control, irrigation scheduling, N management and soil compaction.
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effect of Raised Beds irrigation and nitrogen management on growth water use and yield of rice in south eastern australia
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 2006Co-Authors: H G Beecher, E Humphreys, B W Dunn, J A Thompson, S K Mathews, J TimsinaAbstract:To remain economically and environmentally sustainable, Australian rice growers need to be able to readily respond to market opportunities and increase cropping system productivity and water productivity. Water availability is decreasing whereas its price is increasing. Alternative irrigation layouts and water management approaches could contribute to reduced water use and increased irrigation efficiency. This paper reports results for the first crop (rice) in a cropping system experiment to compare permanent Raised bed and conventional layouts on a transitional red-brown earth at Coleambally, New South Wales. The performance of conventional ponded rice grown on a flat layout was compared with rice grown on 1.84-m wide, Raised Beds with furrow and subsurface drip irrigation. In addition, deep and shallow ponded water depth treatments (15 and 5 cm water depth over the Beds) were imposed on the rice on Beds during the reproductive period. A range of nitrogen (N) fertiliser rates (0–180 kg N/ha) was applied to all treatments. The traditional flat flooded treatment (Flat) achieved the highest grain yield of 12.7 t/ha, followed by the deep (Bed 15) and shallow (Bed 5) ponded Beds (10.2 and 10.1 t/ha, respectively). The furrow (Furrow) irrigated bed treatment yielded 9.4 t/ha and the furrow/drip (Furr/Drip) treatment yielded the lowest grain yield (8.3 t/ha). Grain yield from all bed treatments was reduced owing to the wide furrows (0.8 m between edge rows on adjacent Beds), which were not planted to rice. Rice crop water use was significantly different between the layout–irrigation treatments. The Flat, Bed 5 and Bed 15 treatments had similar input (irrigation + rainfall – surface drainage) water use (mean of 18.3 ML/ha). The water use for the Furrow treatment was 17.2 ML/ha and for the Furr/Drip treatment, 15.1 ML/ha. Input WP of the Flat treatment (0.68 t/ML) was higher than the Raised bed treatments, which were all similar (mean 0.55 t/ML). This single season experiment shows that high yielding rice crops can be successfully grown on Raised Beds, but when Beds are ponded after panicle initiation, there is no water saving compared with rice grown on a conventional flat layout. Preliminary recommendations for the growing of rice on Raised Beds are that the crop be grown as a flooded crop in a bankless channel layout. This assists with weed control and allows flooding for cold temperature protection, which is necessary with current varieties. Until we find effective herbicides and other methods of weed control and N application that do not require ponding, there is little scope for saving water while maintaining yield on suitable rice soil through the use of Beds.
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agronomic and economic evaluation of permanent Raised Beds no tillage and straw mulching for an irrigated maize wheat system in northwest india
Experimental Agriculture, 2012Co-Authors: Yadvinder Singh, K S Saini, D S Kler, J Timsina, E HumphreysAbstract:SUMMARY No-tillage and Raised Beds are widely used for different crops in developed countries. A field experiment was conducted on an irrigated maize-wheat system to study the effect of field layout, tillage and straw mulch on crop performance, water use efficiency and economics for five years (2003–2008) in northwest India. Straw mulch reduced the maximum soil temperature at seed depth by about 3 ◦ Cc ompared to the no mulch. During the wheat emergence, Raised Beds recorded 1.3 ◦ C higher soil temperature compared to the flat treatments. Both maize and wheat yields were similar under different treatments during all the years. Maize and wheat planted on Raised Beds recorded about 7.8% and 22.7% higher water use efficiency than under flat layout, respectively. Straw mulch showed no effect on water use and water use efficiency in maize. The net returns from the maize-wheat system were more in no tillage and permanent Raised Beds than with conventional tillage. Bulk density and cumulative infiltration were more in no tillage compared with conventional tillage.
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factors affecting irrigation water savings in Raised Beds in rice and wheat
Field Crops Research, 2010Co-Authors: S S Kukal, E Humphreys, S Thaman, Balwinder Singh, J TimsinaAbstract:Abstract Raised Beds have been proposed for rice–wheat (RW) cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains as a means of increasing irrigation water productivity, among many other potential benefits. Field experiments were carried out in Punjab, India, during 2002–2006 to compare irrigation water use and productivity of transplanted rice and drill-sown wheat on fresh and permanent Beds and conventionally tilled flats. Total irrigation applications to conventionally tilled wheat (CTW) and wheat on Beds were similar on both soils, in both small plots and in a farmers’ field, with one exception—irrigation amount on fresh Beds was 10% lower than on permanent Beds in the farmers’ field. Yields on Beds and CTW were similar on the loam, but were sometimes lower on Beds on the sandy loam. In the small plots, irrigation water productivity (WP IW ) on Beds and in CTW was similar (mean 2 g kg −1 ) on the loam, but about 20% on the sandy loam, mainly due to lower yields. In the farmers’ field, WP IW (1.5 g kg −1 ) was 15% higher on the fresh Beds than on the permanent Beds due to lower irrigation amount. The amount of irrigation water applied to rice on permanent Beds and puddled transplanted rice (PTR) was similar in the small plots on the sandy loam. However, on the loam, irrigation application to the permanent Beds was significantly higher, by about 18%. There was a significant decline in grain yield on the permanent Beds relative to that in PTR over the 4 years, on both soils. WP IW on the permanent Beds decreased with time on both soils, mainly due to declining grain yield. Irrigation applications to rice on fresh Beds were lower than applications to the puddled flats (by 11% on the sandy loam, and by 20–24% on the loam) while yields were 7 and 15% lower, resulting in similar WP IW on fresh Beds and PTR. Reducing irrigation application from full-furrow to half-furrow depth in the farmers’ field reduced the irrigation amount on both permanent and fresh Beds by 40–50%, but yield was also reduced by about 20%. The results show that Beds do not always save irrigation water or increase WP IW in comparison with conventionally tilled flat fields, for both rice and wheat under our soil and environmental conditions. The effects of the Beds depend on irrigation/water management (of both Beds and flats), age of the Beds and soil type. The effect of Beds on irrigation amount is also likely to depend on factors such as depth to the water table, levelness of the soil surface, and size and shape of fields relative to irrigation flow rate.
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crop performance in permanent Raised bed rice wheat cropping system in punjab india
Field Crops Research, 2009Co-Authors: Y K Singh, E Humphreys, S S Kukal, Sudhir Yadav, Amanpreet Kaur, S Thaman, Banvir Singh, A Prashar, J TimsinaAbstract:Abstract Raised Beds are widely used in agriculture in developed countries and have proven to be an excellent option for wheat. Permanent Raised Beds may also offer benefits for rice–wheat (RW) systems in South Asia, in terms of both production and the possibility that furrow-irrigation may be more efficient than flood irrigation. The performance of a RW system on permanent Raised Beds (37 cm wide, 15 cm high, furrow width 30 cm) was compared with conventional cultivation on the flat on sandy loam and loam soils in replicated experiments in central Punjab, India. The experiments commenced with wheat sown in November 2002, and were continued for 8 crops. Yields of conventionally tilled wheat (CTW) ranged from 3.6 to 4.9 t ha −1 and tended to be higher on the loam than on the sandy loam. Yields of wheat on fresh and permanent Beds (WB and DDWB, respectively) were similar to yields on CTW and direct-drilled wheat on the flat (DDW) except when establishment was sub-optimal on the Beds on both soils in 2004–2005. It was also lower on the Beds on the sandy loam in 2002–2003 when tillering did not compensate for the lower sowing rate on the Beds. In each case, the poorer performance on Beds appeared to be associated with the more rapid drying of the Beds than the flats, and thus the need for greater precision in irrigation and sowing management with Beds on sandy loam and loam soils. Yield on Beds relative to flats did not change as the Beds aged. Yields of transplanted rice on permanent Beds (TRB) were depressed relative to yields of puddled transplanted rice (PTR) with the same alternate wetting and drying water management, regardless of age of the bed (from 1st to 8th crop) and soil type. Yields of TRB relative to PTR declined as the Beds aged, over the first 2–3 years, from about 80 to 90% to less than 50% of PTR. Biomass production in TRB was always significantly less than in PTR, starting from 35 d after transplanting. Performance of direct-seeded rice on Beds (DSRB) was even poorer. Serious root knot nematode infestation was also a serious problem in transplanted rice on the sandy loam in the absence of continuous flooding, on both TRB and PTR. The DSRB suffered from severe iron deficiency each year on both soils despite several iron sprays beginning as early as 15 days after transplanting, and yields declined from about 60% of PTR with the same irrigation scheduling in the first rice crop to less than 25% of PTR in the third rice crop. Total annual system productivity was highest using puddled transplanted rice (PTR) in rotation with fresh Beds (WB) for wheat, CTW or DDW on the flat. Average productivity of these systems over the first 4 years was 9.5 t ha −1 y −1 on a sandy loam soil and 10.3 t ha −1 y −1 on a loam soil. Productivity of RW on permanent Raised Beds with transplanted rice declined as the Beds aged, and averaged 77–79% of the productivity of the best systems mainly due to declining yield of TRB relative to PTR. Averaged over the first 3 years, productivity of permanent Beds with direct-seeded rice (DSRB) was even lower (only 62–68% of the best systems) due to much lower yields of DSRB. Permanent bed RW systems seem to have limited potential under the prevailing soil and climatic conditions of Punjab, India, with current varieties and management. Further research on permanent Raised Beds for RW systems should focus on the selection of suitable rice and wheat cultivars, soil health issues such as nematodes and iron deficiency, weed control, irrigation scheduling, N management and soil compaction.
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modelling of water and solutes in permanent Raised Beds
Congress on Modelling and Simulation, 2009Co-Authors: F J Cook, A. D. Mchugh, J H Knight, E Humphreys, J M Tisdall, Greg Hamilton, C H RothAbstract:Permanent Raised Beds (PRB) are an agricultural cultural method that can improve crop productivity and health of soils. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has funded a number of projects in developing countries but was concerned that the short-term benefits may be at the cost of longterm losses due to solute pollution of groundwater or salinisation of the Beds. A modelling study was undertaken to consider the water and solute flow in Raised Beds in relation to the soil physical properties to improve understanding of the PRB system. HYDRUS(1D, 2D/3D) was used as the modelling platform. The domain used for the simulations is shown in figure 1. The results show that a simple model for infiltration into the Raised Beds is useful for estimating the width of the Raised bed for most soils especially if the sorptivity was measured on a trial bed. Compaction of the furrow between the Beds commonly occurs due to vehicle traffic. Compaction under the furrow was simulated and this showed that water penetration horizontally was slowed as cumulative infiltration with time was reduced. However, for the same amount of cumulative infiltration the penetration horizontally was greater than when no compaction occurred. Drainage of the Beds when an impermeable layer occurs in the soil shows that a simple inversion of the moisture characteristic relationship could be used to estimate the water potential profile in the bed. This also shows that for clay soils the Beds must be excessively high for them to drain effectively through seepage to the furrow. The leaching of fertilizers by furrow irrigation was investigated to determine at what distance from the furrow fertilisers should be placed to reduce leaching during irrigation. This distance was shown to be soil dependent. Salinisation due to evaporation from a shallow water table is likely to occur if a saline watertable occurs at < 0.5 m in sand and < 1.5 m in loam and clay soils unless properly managed. (Graph Presented).
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why grain yield of transplanted rice on permanent Raised Beds declines with time
Soil & Tillage Research, 2008Co-Authors: S S Kukal, E Humphreys, Yadvinder Singh, Sudhir Yadav, Amanpreet Kaur, S ThamanAbstract:Abstract Permanent Raised Beds are being promoted as a resource conservation technology for rice–wheat systems in Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) to improve the water productivity of rice and wheat in addition to other benefits, as furrow irrigation can be more efficient than flood irrigation. However, several studies carried out in the NW IGP have shown rice grain yields to decrease with the increasing age of the Beds. The present study was conducted on a deep alluvial loam (Ustochrept) in a farmer's field at Phillaur, Punjab, India, to identify possible reasons for the declining grain yield of rice on the permanent Raised Beds (37.5 cm wide alternating with 30 cm wide furrows 15 cm deep) in comparison to fresh Raised Beds. The Beds were formed with a bed planter drawn by a 35-hp 4-wheel tractor, which was also used to direct drill wheat on the permanent Beds each year, and to reshape the Beds prior to each rice crop. This paper reports a study of rice root distribution and mass at the end of the vegetative stage, and soil bulk density after harvest, for transplanted rice on permanent Beds (4th rice crop, 8th crop) in comparison with transplanted rice on fresh Beds (1st crop). Rice grain yield declined linearly with increasing age of the permanent Beds. It decreased by 19% in 2004, 45% in 2005 and 59% in 2006 from 4.64 t ha −1 in 2003. In situ exposure of root profiles on permanent and fresh Beds revealed that the horizontal spread of roots on permanent Beds (6 cm from the base of the plant at 18 cm depth and 12 cm at 27 cm depth) was much less than on fresh Beds (12 cm at 18 cm depth and 18 cm at 27 cm depth). The root mass density in at 0–15 cm the middle of the fresh Beds was 59% higher than on the permanent Beds. Bulk density was significantly higher under the shoulder and side of the permanent Beds to the depth of sampling (0–15 cm) than under the fresh Beds at the same positions across the furrow. The decline in performance of rice on Beds as the Beds aged was at least partly due to compaction of the permanent Beds by the tractor tyres, which had width similar to that of the top of the furrow. This hindered the spread of the roots particularly towards the Beds.
