Dissertationen zum Thema „Crop management practices“

The good use of cultural or agronomic practices is fundamental to the production of high yields and quality of American Pima cotton. In order for Pima farmers to maintain viable production operations, a continual review and improvement upon the existing set of cultural practices are in order. Basic aspects of crop production such as planting date management, soil fertility and plant nutrition, plant growth regulator use, crop termination, and defoliation are reviewed in this paper in relation to American Pima cotton production. Specific attention is also given to potassium (K) fertility management and Alternaria leaf spot regarding new aspects of potential management needs.

Global warming resulting from increasing greenhouse gas emissions is a threat to global food production. A rise in temperatures along with a shift in precipitation regimes is expected to decrease production in the future. However, farm management, such as the choice of crop cultivar, planting decisions, and irrigation can help farmers to alleviate some of the potential crop yield losses from climate change. In order to estimate the role of climate and agricultural management practices on yield, a new global crop model, PEGASUS 1.0 (Predicting Ecosystem Goods And Services Using Scenarios) has been developed for maize, soybean, and spring wheat. This thesis presents the methods used to develop the model, and its evaluation against present-day data, along with a model sensitivity experiment to a global warming of 2°C. Overall, results for present-day simulations are reasonable. Simulated planting and harvesting dates occur within the range of observations for more than 62% of total crop harvested areas, for each of the three crops. A comparison between simulated and observed crop yields indicates a weighted coefficient of determination, with the weighting based on crop harvested area, of 0.81 for maize, 0.63 for soybean, and 0.45 for spring wheat. The model simulates that an increase in temperature will result in a global decrease in crop yields. Nevertheless, adapting planting dates and cultivar choices to changes in temperature can avoid 60–78% of yield losses globally. Overall, the model results suggest that agricultural production in the richest countries, mostly located in the northern high latitudes, could benefit from increase in temperature, while the agriculture in the poorest countries in the tropics are likely to suffer the most.
Le réchauffement planétaire lié à l'émission croissante des gaz à effet de serre menace la production alimentaire mondiale. Une augmentation des températures ainsi qu'une modification des régimes de précipitations augmentent les risques de mauvaises récoltes à long terme. Toutefois, certaines pratiques agricoles, comme le choix du type de semence, les dates de semis, et l'irrigation permettent aux agriculteurs de s'adapter au mieux aux variations climatiques. Afin d'évaluer le rôle combiné du climat et des pratiques agricoles sur le rendement des cultures, un nouveau modèle agricole, PEGASUS 1.0 (Predicting Ecosystem Goods And Services Using Scenarios), a été développé. PEGASUS simule le rendement du maïs, du soja, et du blé de printemps à l'échelle mondiale. Cette thèse présente les méthodes utilisées pour développer le modèle, ainsi que son évaluation sur les données agricoles actuelles. Par ailleurs, la sensibilité du modèle à un réchauffement global de 2°C a été estimée. De manière générale, les résultats des simulations correspondant aux conditions climatiques actuelles sont satisfaisants. Ainsi, les dates de semence et de récolte simulées coïncident avec l'éventail des dates observées pour plus de 62% des surfaces cultivées, pour chacune des trois cultures. De plus, l'évaluation du rendement agricole calculé indique un coefficient de détermination, pondéré par la surface récoltée, égale à 0.81 pour le maïs, 0.63 pour le so ja, et 0.45 pour le blé de printemps. Les résultats des simulations correspondant à un réchauffement de la température montrent une réduction générale des rendements agricoles. Cependant, lorsque les dates de plantation et le choix du cultivar sont adaptés à la nouvelle température, les pertes sont réduites de 60 à 78%. Les variations de rendement agricoles ont été comparées par revenus économiques, démontrant que les pays les plus riches pourraient bénéficier$

Agricultural productivity in the Sub Saharan African (SSA) region has been cited to be low (Suttie & Benfica, 2016). As a result, there is a consistent call for evolution in smallholder farming. In addition to improving agricultural productivity, this evolution should factor in adaptation to climate variability and change. To achieve this, the use of sound and sustainable agricultural and land management practices (SALMPs) stands paramount. Among these include: (1) improved agronomic practices such as the use of improved seed varieties (HYV), (2) integrated nutrient management practices (INM), (3) tillage and residue management practices (TRM), (4) water management practices (WM), and (5) agroforestry practices (AF) (Branca et al., 2011 and Smith et al., 2007). These sets of SALMPs have been argued to be more environmentally friendly and are associated with positive and significant productivity impacts, in isolation and/or combination. Even though several studies that analyse adoption and impacts of various agricultural practices exist, they are limited to single practices mostly. However, it is seldom that farmers adopt agricultural practices in isolation. Consequently, factors influencing adoption and impact of individual and combined sets of agricultural practices remain elusive. For instance, the influence of location specific and weather covariates with potentially significant effects on adoption decisions have not extensively been investigated. Among these variables include: agro-ecological zones and weather factors — temperature and rainfall. To address this issue, this study includes dummies for the three agro-ecological zones (AEZs) in Zambia and actual historical temperature and rainfall data as explanatory variables. This is a step farther as opposed to using indicative variables based on farmer perceptions. Crop productivity, gross value of production and net revenue impacts of individual and combined sets of SALMPs are also estimated to achieve the main objective of the study. Unlike most studies, this research project uses panel data. A second panel sample is created for first-time adopters primarily to estimate pure adoption impacts of individual and combined sets of SALMPs. The study findings show wide-spread distribution of SALMPs adoption sets by AEZs. The widely practiced sets of non-mutually exclusive SALMPs were HYV, TRM and INM practices, whereas AF practices were the least adopted. At household level, extensively practiced sets of SALMPs in combination include: HYV and INM practices, and HYV, INM and TRM practices. Various human and social capital characteristics, wealth status of the household, resource constraint and access to information variables, location and field level characteristics are found to have significant effects on adoption decisions. More interestingly, the influence of agro-ecological zone location dummies and weather factors are mixed. For example, compared to AEZ I a drier zone with the poorest distribution of rainfall, farm households located in AEZ IIa (area with good agricultural potential are significantly less likely to adopt WM practices). Also, higher average temperatures significantly lower the likelihood of adopting most sets of SALMPs, whereas adoption and dis-adoption is more likely with increase in the average rainfall during the growing season. This to some extent, indicates the climate variability and change adaptability potential of several SALMPs. Lastly, the results from the impact analysis show that combining different sets of SALMPs yields positive and significant crop productivity gains per hectare. On average, the gains in crop productivity for widely practiced sets of SALMPs — HYV, INM and TRM practices and HYV and INM practices, are above 15 percent. This shows that greater productivity gains can be realized by adopting various combinations of different individual sets of SALMPs. In fact, first-time adopters were found to be better-off when specific sets of SALMPs are adopted in bundles. However, the expected net revenue impacts of individual and combined sets of SALMPs are mixed, even though they are negative for the most part. These study findings support the positive and significant crop productivity impacts of SALMPs. However, the negative net revenue impacts, among maize selling households, suggest that the gains in crop productivity may not be sufficiently large enough to offset variable production costs. This, therefore, calls for simultaneous promotion of agricultural technology uptake and maize commercialization through value addition.
Dissertation (MSc Agric)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
African Economic Research Consortium
DAAD
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
MSc (Agric)
Unrestricted

Agricultural intensification reliant on monocrops could change soil health in a way that does not support maximum crop productivity. Twenty-nine-year-old no-till field plots at the University of Kentucky Spindletop research farm showed a significant reduction in corn yields from continuous corn plots compared to those from plots in various types of rotation. The objective of this study was to determine what role soil microbes might play in yield reduction and how management and time effects microbial community structure. Samples were collected from the following treatments: continuous corn (CC), continuous soybean (SS), a 2-year corn/soybean rotation (CCSS), Corn in rotation with soybean with winter wheat cover (C/W/S), and sod controls (SOD). Soil health-related parameters were determined along with microbial community structure using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA). Results show that there is a strong seasonal dynamic in microbial communities with May, July and September showing the greatest differentiation between treatments. Nonparametric multidimensional analysis (NMDS) shows that microbial communities under SS, CC treatments were significantly different from the CS and CWS treatments across all four years of the study. My findings will prove useful for assessing the contribution of biological indicators to agroecosystem function and will aid in making recommendations of when and how to manage these parameters to improve soil health and maximize yield.

This study is an exploration of agricultural decision-making and an investigation into the effects of different crop management practices on weed composition. The aim of this research is to enable the reconstruction of ancient crop management practices from archaeological weed assemblages and to inform archaeological interpretation, i.e. to interpret what the identified ancient crop management practices may imply. This particular Investigation focuses on con temporary and recent 'traditional' farmers in northern Jordan. The first aspect of this study looks at agricultural practice and agricultural decision making. In order to sustain agricultural production farmers rotate their crops - typically with a period of bare, or cultivated, fallow. The choice of crop rotation regime (and indeed, how crops are managed during the agricultural year) is affected not only by environmental factors but also by cultural and social factors. For example, contemporary farmers who own livestock often cultivate legume crops rather than practice fallow between wheat years. On the other hand, short-falls in labour can result in the elimination of legumes from a crop rotation regime. In the past 60 years, the system of land tenure in the study area has profoundly changed - from communal to private ownership - and this also has affected crop management practices. The implications of these observations for archaeological Interpretation are assessed. The second aspect of this study examines the way different crop management practices affect weed composition. Although the main factor affecting weed composition was found to be vegetation zone, there was also some indication that crop management practices do indeed affect weed composition, but further substantiation is required. There is evidence that cultivated fallow favours the presence of weeds which can germinate in either autumn or spring whilst continuous cultivation encourages the establishment of perennial weeds. In both cases, tilage - the number of episodes and the timing of the operations - would seem to be the key factor. The way these results can be developed in the future are discussed.

High-input management practices are often heavily marketed to producers to increase soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] yield in already high-yielding environments. Field research was conducted in three locations within 6 states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, and Minnesota) in 2009 to determine the effect of seed treatment, inoculant, foliar fungicide, additional soil fertility beyond state recommendations, foliar fertilizer, increased population over state recommendations, and narrow row spacing on yield. The high-input system (combination of the management practices) yielded higher than standard-input system (University recommended management practices) in only 8 of the 18 locations. Narrow rows, in both the high and standard-input systems, only increased yield in 4 locations. Inoculant did not increase yield at any location. Foliar fertilizer application and seed treatment increased yield in one location each. The additional soil fertility and fungicide application increased yield in two locations each. The increased population increased yields in 3 of the 18 locations; while an additional fungicide application at R5 only increased yield in 1 location. Foliar fertilizers at rates above commercial use did not increase soybean yield in Kentucky in 2008 or 2009. High-input production practices were largely unsuccessful at increasing soybean yield in these studies.

Master of Science
Agronomy
Ignacio Ciampitti
P. V. Vara Prasad
Mid-west grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) producers are currently obtaining much lower than attainable yields across varying environments, therefore, closing yield gaps will be important. Yield gaps are the difference between maximum economic attainable yield and current on-farm yields. Maximum economic yield can be achieved through the optimization of utilizing the best genotypes and management practices for the specific site-environment (soil-weather) combination. This research project examines several management factors in order to quantify complex farming interactions for maximizing sorghum yields and studying nutrient partitioning. The factors that were tested include narrow row-spacing (37.5 cm) vs. standard wide row-spacing (76 cm), high (197,600 seeds haˉ¹) and low (98,800 seeds haˉ¹) seeding rates, balanced nutrient management practices including applications of NPKS and micronutrients (Fe and Zn), crop protection with fungicide and insecticide, the use of a plant growth regulator, and the use of precision Ag technology (GreenSeeker for N application). This project was implemented at four sites in Kansas during 2014 (Rossville, Scandia, Ottawa, and Hutchinson) and 2015 (Topeka, Scandia, Ottawa, Ashland Bottoms) growing seasons. Results from both years indicate that irrigation helped to minimize yield variability and boost yield potential across all treatments, though other factors affected the final yield. In 2014, the greatest significant yield difference under irrigation in Rossville, KS (1.32 Mg haˉ¹) was documented between the ‘low-input’ versus the ‘high-input’ treatments. The treatment difference in grain sorghum yields in 2014 was not statistically significant. In 2014, the Ottawa site experienced drought-stress during reproductive stages of plant development, which resulted in low yields and was not influenced by the cropping system approach. In 2015 the treatments were significant, and in Ottawa, narrow row spacing at a lower seeding rate maximized yield for this generally low-yielding environment (<6 Mg haˉ¹) (treatment two at 6.26 vs. treatment ten at 4.89 Mg haˉ¹). Across several sites, including Rossville, Hutchinson, Scandia, Topeka, and Ashland, a similar trend of narrow row spacing promoting greater yields has been documented. Additionally, when water was not limiting sorghum yields (i.e., under irrigation), a balanced nutrient application and optimization of production practices did increase grain sorghum yields (‘high-input’ vs. ‘low-input’; the greatest difference was seen in 2014 in Rossville, 1.2 Mg haˉ¹, and in 2015 in Ashland, 1.98 Mg haˉ¹). In the evaluation of nutrient uptake and partitioning in different plant fractions, there was variability across all site-years which did not always follow the same patterns as the yield, however, the low-input treatment was shown to have significantly lower nutrient uptakes across all the nutrients evaluated (N, P, K, S, Fe, Zn) and across most fractions and sampling times. The objectives of this project were to identify management factors that contributed to high sorghum yields in diverse environments, and to investigate nutrient uptake and partitioning under different environments and crop production practices.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Horticulture)) --University of Limpopo, 2009
Field experiments were conducted at the University of Limpopo experimental farm, Syferkuil during 2005/06 and 2006/07 production seasons. This was initiated to examine the effect of leaf removal on cowpea biomass, protein content and grain yield under sole and binary cultures. Treatments consisted of cowpea varieties (Pan 311 and Red caloona), cropping systems (sole and intercropping) and cowpea-leaf pruning regimes (pruning and un-pruned). Sweet corn was planted, as a component crop in the intercropped plots while sole sweet corn plot was included as a treatment. All treatment combinations were laid out as Randomize complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates. Supplementary irrigation was carried out during the plant growth period. Fully expanded leaves were harvested once on all cowpea plants in the two middle rows from designated plots at seven weeks after planting for each year. Growth and yield data were collected from component crops during the course of the trial while the protein content of harvested leaves and immature pods as well as the different cowpea plant parts at harvest were determined. Results of the study revealed that leaves of cowpea variety, Pan 311 harvested prior to the reproductive stage had significantly higher protein content than those of Red caloona. Protein content of immature Pan 311 pods had higher (18.8 to 25.1%) than Red caloona (17.9 to 20.7%) during both planting seasons. The percent protein content of cowpea stem obtained at harvest for Pan 311 varied between 9.3 and 9.4%, and between 9.9 and 12.3% for Red caloona during both planting seasons. Grain yield obtained for Pan 311 and Red caloona were 1703.7 kg ha-1 and 1479.8 kg ha-1, respectively during 2005/06 and 1290.7 kg ha-1 and 511.7 kg ha-1 respectively during 2006/07 planting seasons. Sweet corn intercropped with Red caloona during both planting seasons had higher average grain yield than when intercropped with Pan 311. Although intercropping decreased the partial land equivalent ratio (LER) value of individual component crops, the combined LER values of between 1.1 and 2.3 under intercrop for the different treatment combinations implies that the practice is advantageous. The results of post harvest soil analyses revealed that topsoil has the pH value of 7.11-7.29 indicating neutral soil while subsoil pH value of 6.27-6.91 indicated slightly acidic to neutral soil during both planting seasons. Based on the findings of this study, cowpea variety Pan 311 can be recommended as a better vegetable crop than Red caloona since it has higher leaf and immature pod protein content. It also had higher grain yield than Red caloona when intercropped with sweet corn. Sweet corn had high grain yield when intercropped with Red caloona than when intercropped with Pan 311. Keywords: Cropping systems, protein content, grain yields, leaf pruning and cowpea.

Bibliography: leaves 155-169. Studies the effect of nitrogen fertilizer on dry matter production under differing watering regimes. Investigates the accuracy of different crop and soil organic matter models for predicting crop yield, nitrogen uptake and changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen. Compares the models with data from long-term field experiments on wheat in Australia and sorghum in Ethiopia. Finds that a higher crop yield and better nitrogen and water utilisation can be achieved if addition of nitrogen fertilizer is balanced with soil water.

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel, is an economic tephritid that invaded Senegal in 2004 (Vayssieres et al. 2011). This work determined 1) Impact of B. dorsalis on mango crop production and value, and marketing practices, 2) Effect of neem and kaolin on its behavior and development (laboratory and field), and 3) Effect of treated soil with neem seed cake (NSC) and neem seed powder (NSP) on the larval-pupal survival and development (laboratory and field). Results revealed crop value (price/kg) was associated with infestation levels. P<0.0001, crop value decreased in highly infested orchards. Southern Orchards were heavily infested than northern orchards. Early harvest, orchard sanitation, decreasing the purchase quantity, sorting infested mangoes and lowering prices were strategies used by growers and traders. Laboratory bioassays showed females landed and spent time on fruit identically on control and neem. On kaolin there were fewer landings and less time spent. P<0.0001, mean pupae was higher in control than in treated mangoes. In the field, percent of infested mangoes was higher in neem than in control and kaolin. However, the number of emerged flies was higher in the control than in either the neem or kaolin-treated fruit. Treated soil with NSC and with NSP did not have effect on pupation; all larvae pupated in the lab. However, treated soil decreased significantly the number of emerged flies. In the field, there were no significant differences between untreated and treated soil in number of emerged flies.
Master of Science in Life Sciences

To date, there has been little research into the role of microbial community structure in the functioning of the soil ecosystem and on the links between microbial biomass size, microbial activity and key soil processes that drive nutrient availability. The maintenance of structural and functional diversity of the soil microbial community is essential to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production systems. Soils of the same type with similar fertility that had been under long-term organic and conventional crop management in Canterbury, New Zealand, were selected to investigate relationships between microbial community composition, function and potential environmental impacts. The effects of different fertilisation strategies on soil biology and nitrogen (N) dynamics were investigated under field (farm site comparison), semi-controlled (lysimeter study) and controlled (incubation experiments) conditions by determining soil microbial biomass carbon (C) and N, enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, arginine deaminase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis), microbial community structure (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis following PCR amplification of 16S and 18S rDNA fragments using selected primer sets) and N dynamics (mineralisation and leaching). The farm site comparison revealed distinct differences between the soils in microbial community structure, microbial biomass C (conventional > organic) and arginine deaminase activity (organic > conventional). In the lysimeter study, the soils were subjected to the same crop rotation (barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), maize (Zea mays L.), rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera (Moench)) plus a lupin green manure (Lupinus angustifolius L.) and two fertiliser regimes (following common organic and conventional practice). Soil biological properties, microbial community structure and mineral N leaching losses were determined over 2½ years. Differences in mineral leaching losses were not significant between treatments (total organic management: 24.2 kg N per ha; conventional management: 28.6 kg N per ha). Crop rotation and plant type had a larger influence on the microbial biomass, activity and community structure than fertilisation. Initial differences between soils decreased over time for most biological soil properties, while they persisted for the enzyme activities (e.g. dehydrogenase activity: 4.0 and 2.9 µg per g and h for organic and conventional management history, respectively). A lack of consistent positive links between enzyme activities and microbial biomass size indicated that similarly sized and structured microbial communities can express varying rates of activity. In two successive incubation experiments, the soils were amended with different rates of a lupin green manure (4 or 8t dry matter per ha), and different forms of N at 100 kg per ha (urea and lupin) and incubated for 3 months. Samples were taken periodically, and in addition to soil biological properties and community structure, gross N mineralisation was determined. The form of N had a strong effect on microbial soil properties. Organic amendment resulted in a 2 to 5-fold increase in microbial biomass and enzyme activities, while microbial community structure was influenced by the addition or lack of C or N substrate. Correlation analyses suggested treatment-related differences in nutrient availability, microbial structural diversity (species richness or evenness) and physiological properties of the microbial community. The findings of this thesis showed that using green manures and crop rotations improved soil biology in both production systems, that no relationships existed between microbial structure, enzyme activities and N mineralisation, and that enzyme activities and microbial community structure are more closely associated with inherent soil and environmental factors, which makes them less useful as early indicators of changes in soil quality.

To date, there has been little research into the role of microbial community structure in the functioning of the soil ecosystem and on the links between microbial biomass size, microbial activity and key soil processes that drive nutrient availability. The maintenance of structural and functional diversity of the soil microbial community is essential to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production systems. Soils of the same type with similar fertility that had been under long-term organic and conventional crop management in Canterbury, New Zealand, were selected to investigate relationships between microbial community composition, function and potential environmental impacts. The effects of different fertilisation strategies on soil biology and nitrogen (N) dynamics were investigated under field (farm site comparison), semi-controlled (lysimeter study) and controlled (incubation experiments) conditions by determining soil microbial biomass carbon (C) and N, enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, arginine deaminase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis), microbial community structure (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis following PCR amplification of 16S and 18S rDNA fragments using selected primer sets) and N dynamics (mineralisation and leaching). The farm site comparison revealed distinct differences between the soils in microbial community structure, microbial biomass C (conventional>organic) and arginine deaminase activity (organic>conventional). In the lysimeter study, the soils were subjected to the same crop rotation (barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), maize (Zea mais L.), rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera (Moench)) plus a lupin green manure (Lupinus angustifolius L.) and two fertiliser regimes (following common organic and conventional practice). Soil biological properties, microbial community structure and mineral N leaching losses were determined over 2½ years. Differences in mineral leaching losses were not significant between treatments (total organic management: 24.2 kg N ha⁻¹; conventional management: 28.6 kg N ha⁻¹). Crop rotation and plant type had a larger influence on the microbial biomass, activity and community structure than fertilisation. Initial differences between soils decreased over time for most biological soil properties, while they persisted for the enzyme activities (e.g. dehydrogenase activity: 4.0 and 2.9 µg g⁻¹ h⁻¹ for organic and conventional management history, respectively). A lack of consistent positive links between enzyme activities and microbial biomass size indicated that similarly sized and structured microbial communities can express varying rates of activity. In two successive incubation experiments, the soils were amended with different rates of a lupin green manure (4 or 8t dry matter ha⁻¹), and different forms of N at 100 kg ha⁻¹ (urea and lupin) and incubated for 3 months. Samples were taken periodically, and in addition to soil biological properties and community structure, gross N mineralisation was determined. The form of N had a strong effect on microbial soil properties. Organic amendment resulted in a 2 to 5-fold increase in microbial biomass and enzyme activities, while microbial community structure was influenced by the addition or lack of C or N substrate. Correlation analyses suggested treatment-related differences in nutrient availability, microbial structural diversity (species richness or evenness) and physiological properties of the microbial community. The findings of this thesis showed that using green manures and crop rotations improved soil biology in both production systems, that no relationships existed between microbial structure, enzyme activities and N mineralisation, and that enzyme activities and microbial community structure are more closely associated with inherent soil and environmental factors, which makes them less useful as early indicators of changes in soil quality.

A two year study was initiated in 2001 on a 2.4 ha site of mostly St. Amable loamy sand and shallow loamy sand at the Macdonald Campus Research Farm. This study sought to assess the effects of long term tillage and residue practices on soil physical properties and to relate these properties to their influence on total carbon, total nitrogen and soil microbial biomass-carbon. The site was set up as a factorial experiment with three tillage practices (no till---NT; reduced till---RT; and conventional till---CT) and two residue practices (with residue (grain corn), +R; without residue (silage corn), -R). Soil physical properties measured were bulk density, macroporosity at -6 kPa, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat ), dry aggregate distribution, soil moisture and soil temperature. Wheel versus non-wheel track bulk density was also determined in the NT plots. Total porosity, soil water characteristic curves and pore volume distribution were derived from field samples. Crop yield was also assessed. Tillage alone had an effect on total porosity, bulk density, pore diameter and macroporosity. No individual physical property was significantly affected by the residue treatments; however, the tillage and residue interaction was significant for Ksat, soil moisture and soil temperature. Dry aggregate distribution was not affected by either tillage, residue or the combination of the two. Tillage affected total carbon and total nitrogen in the 0--0.10 m depth. Soil microbial biomass-carbon was affected by residue inputs. Total carbon and nitrogen were influenced by the bulk density, but none of the other soil physical properties. Soil microbial biomass-carbon was not influenced by any of the physical properties. Tillage and residue practices had no significant effect on crop yield for either year.

In the Central Coast of California, USA, wine grape growers are making efforts to identify weed control practices that promote biodiversity in their vineyards while maintaining yields. A field study was conducted in Paso Robles, CA in 2006 and 2007 evaluating the effect on Zinfandel grape-vine growth and production, groundcover plant, and ground dwelling arthropod communities of five weed control practices: 1) flumioxazin, 2) simazine, 3) cultivation, 4) cover crop, and 5) untreated control. The herbicide treatments had the lowest weed biomass followed by the cultivation, being approximately 10 and 2 times lower than the weed biomass of either the cover crop or untreated control treatments respectively. However, the differences in grape yield were not as evident. In 2006, a rainy year, the herbicides and cultivation treatments did not differ in grape yield, but the cover crop and untreated control had a reduction of approximately 20% compared with the other treatments. In 2007, a dry year, in comparison to the herbicide treatments, the grape yield reductions of cultivation were around 22%, and of the cover crop and untreated control around 48%. Although the cover crop reduced grape yield, it suppressed weed species considered important such as horseweed, panicle willowherb, scarlet pimpernel, and sowthistle. The cover crop, cultivation and untreated control had 4 to 50 times higher plant density and more than 15 times higher plant diversity compared to the herbicide treatments. The arthropod abundance differed among treatments only in 2007 being higher in the cover crop and untreated control. Also, there was a positive relationship between plant and arthropod diversity (r2 = 0.42, P = 0.02 in 2006; r2 = 0.64, P < 0.001 in 2007). Laboratory seed predation tests of the two most frequently captured carabid beetles, Calathus ruficollis and Tanystoma maculicolle, indicated their preferences for Brassica nigra and Capsella bursa-pastoris, which are considered common weed species in the region. Under field conditions, treatments with higher plant diversity and biomass favoured arthropod seed predation of these weeds, which was 20-40% in the cover crop and untreated control, doubling the predation observed in the herbicide treatments. The cultivation treatment balanced the benefits of promoting diversity while minimizing yield reductions due to weed competition. Our data indicated that the critical period of weed competition for Zinfandel grape vines occurred during budbreak-bloom period. Also, it was concluded that vines can tolerate a certain amount of weed competition, and that properly timing one pass post-emergence control tactics (e.g. cultivation or POST herbicides) could provide the necessary level of control to obtain the desired yields. However, under limited soil moisture conditions, the use of PRE herbicides could prove important to maintain vine yield and vigor. The results also illustrate how weed management practices that promote higher plant diversity and density have the potential to yield ecological services within vineyards by favoring the diversity and activity of other organisms.

Com o objetivo de avaliar o microclima e a ocorrência de ramulose (Colletotrichum gossypii South. var. cephalosporioides Costa) em diferentes densidades populacionais do algodoeiro (Gossypium hirsutum L. var. latifolium Hutch.), foi conduzido um experimento com as cultivares IAC 23 e Coodetec 401, em espaçamento de 0,9 m entre linhas e com 5, 10 e 15 plantas por metro na linha de plantio, perfazendo um total de seis tratamentos, subdivididos em parcelas inoculadas e não inoculadas com o fungo. A temperatura do ar medida na altura do terço superior da cultura apresentou diferença significativa em relação à medida a 2m do solo, na estação meteorológica, mas, não significativa entre as diferentes densidades. A umidade relativa foi maior quanto maior a densidade da cultura e significativamente menor na estação meteorológica. Porém, essa diferença ocorreu na fase inicial da cultura pois, a partir de um determinado grau de desenvolvimento, as diferenças entre densidades se minimizaram. A duração do período de molhamento (DPM) ocorreu de modo análogo à umidade relativa, porém com diferenças proporcionalmente maiores entre as densidades. Aos 30 dias após emergência (DAE), a DPM foi, em média, de 9,4, 10,2 e 11,7h, respectivamente, nas densidades de 5, 10 e 15 plantas por metro. Aos 45 DAE, a DPM foi de 11,2, 12,3 e 13,6h, nas mesmas densidades, respectivamente. Houve grande diferença de intensidade de doença entre as duas cultivares mas, não houve diferenças entre as três densidades, mesmo ocorrendo diferenças significativas entre os microclimas. Atribuiu-se a isso as condições macroclimáticas amplamente favoráveis ao patógeno, no decorrer do experimento. A área sob a curva de progresso da doença (AUDPC) nas parcelas inoculadas foi, em média, de 108 unidades na cultivar IAC 23 e 238 unidades na Coodetec 401. Nas não inoculadas, a AUDPC foi de 52 e 61 unidades, respectivamente. A duração da área foliar (DAF) entre 0 e 150 DAE, nas densidades de 5, 10 e 15 plantas por metro foi, respectivamente de 351, 502 e 645 IAF.dia na cultivar IAC 23, sem diferença entre parcelas inoculadas e não inoculadas. Na cultivar Coodetec 401, a DAF foi de 276, 482 e 606 IAF.dia nas parcelas não inoculadas, com redução de 8%, 22% e 20% nas parcelas inoculadas. Praticamente não houve diferença de rendimento de algodão em caroço entre as densidades. Na cultivar IAC 23 o rendimento foi de 0,42 Kg.m -2 nas parcelas não inoculadas e de 0,36 Kg.m -2 nas inoculadas. Na cultivar Coodetec 401, o rendimento foi de 0,44 Kg.m -2 nas parcelas não inoculadas e de 0,24 Kg.m -2 nas inoculadas. Com o monitoramento microclimático foi possível identificar um período bastante favorável à ocorrência da infecção, o qual precedeu um explosivo aumento de incidência da doença, próximo aos 87 DAE, que se caracterizou por um período com temperaturas noturnas menores, que 14ºC – o que aumenta o grau de predisposição do algodoeiro às doenças – seguido de dias com elevada umidade relativa do ar e DPM.
With the goal of evaluating the microclimate and the occurrence of ramulose (Colletotrichum gossypii South. var. cephalosporioides Costa) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. var. latifolium Hutch.) crop with different population densities, it was conducted an experiment with the genotypes IAC 23 and Coodetec 401, in the spacing of 0.9m between lines and with 5, 10 and 15 plants per meter in the planting line, performing a total of six treatments, subdivided in areas, inoculated and not inoculated with the pathogen. The air temperature, measured within the crop canopy was significantly different from the measure obtained at 2m in a weather station but it was not significantly different among densities. The relative humidity increased with the crop density and was larger at the crop level than at the weather station. However, the difference among densities occurred in the initial phase of development, being minimized with the crop growth. The wetness period presented variation similar to the relative humidity, however, with larger differences between densities. At 30 days after emergence of seedlings (DAE), wetness period was 9.4, 10.2 and 11.7h, respectively, in the densities of 5, 10 and 15 plants per meter. At 45 DAE, wetness period was 11.2, 12.3 and 13.6h, at the same densities, respectively. There was huge difference of disease intensity between genotypes but there was no difference between the three densities, even occurring significant differences in the microclimate. This was attributed to the macroclimatic conditions which were widely favorable to the pathogen during the experiment period. The area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) in the inoculated areas was, on the average, 108 units in the genotype IAC 23 and 238 units in Coodetec 401. In the not inoculated areas, it was 52 and 61 units, respectively. The duration of the leaf area (DAF) between 0 and 150 DAE, in the densities of 5, 10 and 15 plants per meter was, respectively, 351, 502 and 645 LAI.day in the genotype IAC 23, without difference between inoculated and not inoculated areas. In the genotype Coodetec 401, DAF was 276, 482 and 606 LAI.day in the not inoculated areas, occurring reduction of 8%, 22% and 20% in the inoculated ones. There was no difference in the cotton yield between densities. In the genotype IAC 23 the yield was 0.42Kg.m -2 in the not inoculated areas and 0.36Kg.m -2 in the inoculated ones. In the genotype Coodetec 401, the yield was 0.44Kg.m -2 in the not inoculated areas and 0.24 Kg.m -2 in the inoculated. With the daily evaluation of the microclimate conditions it was possible to identify a favorable period to the pathogen infection, which preceded an explosive increase of the disease incidence, near to 87 DAE, which was characterized for a period with smaller nocturnal temperatures, under 14ºC – what increases the predisposition degree of the cotton to diseases – followed by days with high air relative humidity and wetness period.

La réduction de l'utilisation des produits phytosanitaires constitue l'un des axes majeurs de la transition agroécologique. Dans ce contexte, il est urgent de développer des stratégies assurant une gestion efficace et durable de la pression parasitaire, tout en préservant l'environnement. La mobilisation du microbiome du sol, et notamment des communautés de bactéries qui le composent, représente une de ces solutions. S'il a été démontré qu'une partie de ces communautés était capable de limiter l'impact de pathogènes des cultures, les relations entre l'environnement de ce microbiome et sa capacité à réguler les maladies des plantes restent encore largement méconnus. L'ambition de ce projet de thèse était d'évaluer l'impact de facteurs, telles que les conditions pédologiques et les pratiques agricoles, sur la structure et le fonctionnement du microbiome du sol et d'analyser la relation entre ces modifications et la capacité du microbiome à participer à la régulation de la fusariose de l'épi. Ce projet s'articule autour de deux axes de recherche, visant à (1) déterminer quels facteurs expliquent le caractère suppressif des sols vis-à-vis de l'agent pathogène Fusarium graminearum, et (2) évaluer l'influence de l'environnement sur l'assemblage du microbiome du sol et du blé. Pour répondre à ces objectifs, un réseau de 103 parcelles d'agriculteurs de la plaine de Limagne (Puy-de-Dôme, France) a été mobilisé. Les parcelles représentaient une diversité de types de sols et de pratiques agricoles, et se répartissaient soit en agriculture conventionnelle, soit en agriculture biologique, soit en agriculture de conservation. Des échantillons de sol ont été prélevés dans chaque parcelle et caractérisés par (1) les pratiques agricoles (2) des analyses physico-chimiques, (3) leur communauté bactérienne par metabarcoding du gène ADNr 16S et (4) des tests d'inhibition in vitro (fongistase) du champignon pathogène Fusarium graminearum. Parmi ces 103 parcelles, 98 ont servi au prélèvement d'échantillons de rhizosphère et de racines de blé (Triticum aestivum) dont la communauté bactérienne a également été recensée. Enfin, neuf sols parmi les 103 ont été sélectionnés pour la culture et l'infection du blé par F. graminearum en conditions contrôlées. Le test de fongistase a révélé une grande variabilité au sein de l'échantillon ainsi que la capacité de certains sols à inhiber complètement la germination du champignon. Les caractéristiques pérennes du sol et la diversité bactérienne étaient liées à la fongistase des sols. Il existait aussi une corrélation entre l'abondance de Burkholderia spp. et la fongistase. La comparaison des microbiomes bactériens du sol, de la rhizosphère et des racines du blé a révélé des compositions différentes entre les trois compartiments. La composition microbienne dans les sols influençait celles de la rhizosphère et des racines dans une même parcelle. Les caractéristiques physico chimiques et le système de culture influençaient la composition de la communauté bactérienne dans les trois compartiments. L'expérimentation en conditions contrôlées n'a pas révélé de lien entre microbiome (diversité et composition) et symptômes de la fusariose, ni de lien entre fongistase et symptômes in planta sur un même sol. Dans l'ensemble, ces travaux contribuent à évaluer les possibilités d'utilisation des pratiques agricoles comme levier de contrôle agroécologique de la fusariose du blé, à travers la modulation des communautés microbiennes naturelles
Reducing the use of phytosanitary products constitutes one of the major axes of the agroecological transition. In this context, it is urgent to develop strategies ensuring effective and sustainable management of parasitic pressure, while preserving the environment. Mobilization of the soil microbiome, and particularly the bacterial community, represents one of these solutions. Although it has been demonstrated that part of these communities is capable of limiting the impact of crop pathogens, the relationships between the environment of the microbiome and its capacity to regulate plant diseases still remain largely unknown. The ambition of this thesis project was to evaluate the impact of factors, such as soil conditions and agricultural practices, on the structure and functioning of the soil microbiome and to analyze the relationship between these modifications and the capacity of the microbiome to participate in the regulation of Fusarium head blight. This project is structured around two axes of research, aiming to (1) determine which factors explain the suppressive nature of soils with respect to the pathogen Fusarium graminearum, and (2) evaluate the influence of the environment on the assembly of the soil and wheat microbiome. To meet these objectives, a network of 103 plots in the Limagne plain (Puy-de-Dôme, France) was mobilized. The plots represented a diversity of soil types and agricultural practices, and were divided into either intensive agriculture, organic agriculture, or soil conservation agriculture. Soil samples were taken from each plot and characterized by (1) agricultural practices (2) physicochemical analyses, (3) their bacterial community by metabarcoding of the 16S rDNA gene and (4) in vitro inhibition tests (fungistasis) of the pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Among these 103 plots, 98 were used to collect samples of wheat (Triticum aestivum) rhizosphere and roots, that were also described through their bacterial community. Finally, nine soils among the 103 were selected for the cultivation and infection of wheat by F. graminearum under controlled conditions. The fungistasis test revealed great variability within the sample as well as the ability of certain soils to completely inhibit the germination of the fungus. Perennial soil characteristics and bacterial diversity were related to soil fungistasis. There was also a correlation between the abundance of Burkholderia spp. and fungistasis. Comparison of bacterial microbiomes from soil, wheat rhizosphere and roots revealed different compositions between the three compartments. The microbial composition in the soil influenced those of the rhizosphere and roots of the same plot. The physicochemical characteristics and the management system influenced the composition of the bacterial community in the three compartments. Experimentation under controlled conditions did not reveal a link between microbiome (diversity and composition) and symptoms of Fusarium head blight, nor a link between fungistasis and in planta symptoms on the same soil. Overall, this work contributes to evaluating the possibilities of using agricultural practices as a lever for agroecological control of Fusarium head blight in wheat, through the modulation of natural microbial communities

The decline of soil fertility is recognized by the European Union (EU) as the cause of yields reduction in many arable lands. The Soil Thematic Strategy proposed by the European Commission in 2006, identified the decline of organic matter as one of the main soil threats in EU. Organic carbon content is a recognised indicator of soil quality. Several studies have investigated this relationship through long-term field level experiments. This thesis presents a different approach: starting from data and information at EU level, a regional case study is investigated. The general objective of this thesis is to evaluate and quantify the impact of specific management practices in preserving or sequestering soil organic carbon in EU and regionally. The thesis is structured in five chapters: the first is a general introduction on the need for preserving soil organic carbon in the agricultural land and a review on the relevant legislation at international and European level. The second is a scoping chapter that presents a comparison on the available data on organic carbon content at EU level. The third chapter is a meta-analysis on soil organic carbon sequestration data available in scientific literature and reflection the management practices applied at EU scale. In the fourth chapter, the CENTURY model is applied at regional level in order to estimate the actual values of soil organic carbon stock and to model the implementation of the most promising management practices in two different climatic scenarios. The last chapter outlines the general conclusions and recommendations.
La ridotta fertilitá dei suoli è riconosciuta dall’Unione Europea (UE) come preludio di una minore produttivitá delle aree agricole. La Strategia tematica del suolo, prodotta dalla Commissione Europea nel 2006, aveva identificato il declino della sostanza organica come una delle otto principali minacce dei suoli in UE, in quanto il contenuto di carbonio organico è un indicatore della qualitá dei suoli. Molti studi si sono concentrati su esperimenti a lungo termine a taglio locale. Questo lavoro ha un approccio diverso: a partire da dati ed informazioni a livello UE viene indagato un caso studio a taglio regionale. L’obiettivo generale di questo lavoro è valutare e quantificare quali sono le pratiche agricole piú promettenti nel preservare o sequestrare carbonio organico nei suoli dell’UE. La tesi è strutturata in cinque capitoli: il primo è un’introduzione generale sulla necessitá di preservare il carbonio organico presente nei suoli agricoli e una review della legislazione disponibile a livello internazionale ed Europeo. Il secondo capitolo indaga e confronta i dati disponibili sui livelli di carbonio nel suolo a livello UE. Il terzo è una meta-analisi su dati in letteratura sulla capacitá di sequestrare carbonio da parte delle pratiche agricole utilizzate dei suoli dell’UE. Nel quarto capitolo viene applicato il modello CENTURY a livello regionale per ricostruire i valori di stock di carbonio organico attuali e modellare l’applicazione di pratiche agricole promettenti in due diversi scenari climatici. Infine, l’ultimo capitolo riporta le conclusioni generali del lavoro e alcune linee guida.

La protection intégrée des cultures (PIC) apparaît comme une stratégie durable de protection des plantes contre les bioagresseurs, satisfaisant les exigences à la fois économiques, écologiques et sanitaires auxquelles est confrontée l’agriculture. L’amélioration des connaissances sur les interactions entre les bioagresseurs et les pratiques agricoles est indispensable afin de concevoir des méthodes de lutte plus économes en produits phytosanitaires Le modèle IPSIM (Injury Profile SIMulator), développé dans ce travail de thèse, vise à simuler l’effet des pratiques culturales, du pédoclimat et de l’environnement de la parcelle sur les dégâts causés par les bioagresseurs sur une culture. Ce modèle est basé sur une approche hiérarchique et agrégative. Ce travail décrit la base conceptuelle de la modélisation IPSIM et son application pour construire le modèle IPSIM-Wheat, simulant les profils de dégâts sur le blé en fonction des pratiques culturales et de l’environnement biotique et abiotique. Plusieurs modèles ont été conçus pour prédire les sévérités de six maladies, un ravageur et les plantes adventices du blé. Ces modèles contribuent ainsi au développement d’IPSIM-Wheat, dont une première version est présentée pour des bioagresseurs majeurs en interaction. Ce futur modèle pourra contribuer à concevoir des systèmes de culture incluant du blé, moins soumis aux pressions biotiques et moins dépendants des pesticides
Integrated pest management (IPM) appears as a sustainable strategy to protect plants against pest while answering the economical, ecological, and toxicological expectations that agriculture must face. The effects of cultural practices on pest dynamics have to be thoroughly analyzed in order to reduce the reliance of cropping systems on pesticides. A model, named IPSIM ((Injury Profile SIMulator), currently under development in this thesis, aims at simulating the effects of cropping practices, as well as soil, climate and field environment on the injuries caused by multiple pests of a given crop. This model is based on a hierarchical and aggregative approach. This study describes the conceptual basis of the modeling and its applications in order to develop IPSIM-Wheat, a model simulating injury profiles on wheat. Thus, several models have been designed to predict six diseases, one insect pest and weeds. This study thus contributes to the development of IPSIM-Wheat which will help design innovative sustainable wheat-based cropping system

The fate and distribution of copper-based crop protectants, applied to tomato fields to protect against disease, were investigated in a greenhouse-scale simulation of farming conditions in a coastal environment. Following rainfall, 99% of the applied copper was found to remain on the fields sorbed to the soil and plants; most of the soil-bound copper was found sorbed to the top 2.5 centimeters of soil. Of the copper leaving the agricultural fields, 82% was found in the runoff with the majority, 74%, sorbed to the suspended solids. The remaining copper, 18%, leached through the soil and entered the groundwater with 10% in the dissolved phase and 8% sorbed to suspended solids. Although only one-percent of the copper was found to leave the field, this was sufficient to cause high copper concentrations (average 2102 ± 433 mg/L total copper and 189 ± 139 mg/L dissolved copper) in the runoff. Copper concentrations in groundwater samples were also high (average 312 ± 198 mg/L total copper and 216 ± 99 mg/L dissolved copper). Sedimentation, a best management practice for reducing copper loadings, was found to reduce the total copper concentrations in runoff by 90% to a concentration of 245 ± 127 mg/L; however, dissolved copper concentrations remained stable, averaging 139 ± 55 mg/L. Total copper concentrations were significantly reduced by the effective removal of suspended solids with sorbed copper. This research was supported by a grant from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Funding was also provided by Sea Grant.
Master of Science

Mid-Atlantic crop producers are increasingly transitioning to soil conservation methods that include reducing or eliminating tillage and planting high residue cover crops. These practices are associated with an increase in moderate to severe damage to field crops by slugs. Conserving, and even enhancing, natural enemy populations is a desirable way to manage slug infestations because remedial control measures are limited. To better understand how cover crop usage and tillage practices affect slug and natural enemy populations, 43 Virginia fields with different combinations of tillage practices and cover crop use were intensively sampled in 2018 and 2019. Fields were sampled over a six-week period during the early planting season when slugs are most problematic. Shingle traps and pitfall traps were used to sample slugs and natural enemies, respectively. To determine how multiple farming practices, soil composition, landscape features, and field history affect slug feeding injury to seedling plants, over 1,000 hectares of commercial production fields in the Shenandoah Region of Virginia were scouted for slug feeding injury to seedling plants. Corresponding crop producers were then surveyed on management methods. Our goal was to determine if slug feeding risk could be predicted by a single factor and or a combination of factors. Behavioral assays were performed with a common slug pest, Deroceras laeve, to determine if this species prefers feeding on maize, soybean, daikon radish, crimson clover, rye, or hairy vetch leaf tissue. Our sampling study found that cover crop use and conservation tillage type did not affect slug presence and damage, but that these factors affected various slug predators in different ways. We also observed that fields with more Phalangiidae and total predators overall had fewer slugs. Average slug feeding injury in both years was low and no factor or interaction of factors in our broader survey affected slug feeding injury ratings in fields. Behavioral assays indicated that slugs fed more on soybean tissue compared with maize, slugs consumed less maize when it was offered with hairy vetch or crimson clover, and slugs consumed less soybean when it was offered with hairy vetch or daikon radish.
Master of Science in Life Sciences
Invasive slug species the gray field slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Muller), and the marsh slug, Deroceras laeve, are major pests of maize and soybean grown in Virginia no-till systems. Slug feeding causes injury to young plants that, when severe, can reduce crop yield and necessitate replanting a field. Chemical control options are limited, and farmers may not be willing to use tillage as a control measure. Conserving arthropod slug predators may suppress pest populations below economic levels. Research is needed to understand how farming methods such as tillage type (e.g., no-till, strip tillage, vertical tillage) and cover crop use affect slugs and their predators. Our study investigated 1) how tillage type and cover crop use affected slug and slug predators, 2) if certain farming practices and field characteristics can be used to predict slug injury, and 3) if slugs preferred feeding on commonly-used cover crop species when offered with maize or soybean seedlings. Commercial production fields with different combinations of no tillage or reduced tillage, and planted with or without cover crops, were sampled to evaluate how these farming practices affect slugs and slug predators. Shingle traps and frames were used before planting and during early plant growth stages to collect and identify slug species; pitfall traps were used throughout the growing season to collect and identify slug predator species. To determine if slug feeding risk could be predicted, a survey of commercial production fields in the Shenandoah area was conducted and used to identify factors, if any, that influence slug feeding. Laboratory assays were used to determine feeding preference by offering slugs opportunity to feed on leaf tissue from a maize or soybean seedling or a mature cover crop species. We found that tillage type and use of cover crops did not affect the abundance of slugs, but that they did influence predator populations. The highest number of total predators were found in fields with reduced tillage, cover crops, and no insecticide use prior to crop emergence. Harvestmen were potentially the most impactful slug predator in the region. Field surveys suggested that no tested factor or interaction of factors affected slug injury to plants in commercial fields. Finally, we observed that slugs fed differently on soybean and maize tissue depending on cover crop species present.

The dependency of maize (Zea mays L.) and bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) grown in acid tropical soils, on the mycorrhizal condition for improved growth and nutrient uptake, and the effects of various management practices on root infection by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in maize plants were investigated. The effect of soil pH on mycorrhiza formation in perennial ryegrass and maize was also investigated using a temperate soil in which pH levels had been maintained in the field over a long period. Infection of roots of maize and bambara groundnut plants by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi indigenous to the tropical soils, resulted in increased plant dry weights as well as increased uptake of nutrients. The population of VAM fungi in the soils consisted of several species in the genera Glomus and Gigaspora. The foliar application of two systemic fungicides (Triforine and calixin) to maize plants resulted in reduced infection with the application of calixin compared to control plants. Root infection by VAM fungi was not different from that of control plants when triforine was applied. Two phosphorus sources (triple superphosphate and Ghafsa phosphate rock) applied to soils at rates equivalent to 22kg ha-1 and 44kg ha-1 had varied effects on VAM fungal infection in maize roots. Phosphate rock applied at both rates and triple superphosphate applied at the lower rate (22kg ha -1) increased root infection compared to that for triple superphosphate at the higher rate. It was suggested that the increased availability of the relatively soluble triple superphosphate was responsible for the reduced infection. The effect of lime application on VAM fungal infection was dependent on the type of phosphorus fertilizer applied to the soils. Increased root infection occurred when lime was applied in addition to triple superphosphate in comparison to phosphate rock. Without lime application, increased infection occurred when phosphate rock was applied compared to triple superphosphate. In the temperate soil with pH maintained over a long period, no VAM fungal infection was found at pH values below 5.0 when ryegrass was the host, although infection occurred when maize was the host plant. There was an effect of host plant on the infectivity of the fungi present in the soils with low pH but infection was low in comparison with that in soil at pH values above 5.0 indicating that management practices which result in soil pH changes may influence mycorrhizal associations in different plant species to different extents. The application of phosphate rock was beneficial to mycorrhiza formation and it was suggested that fertilizer practices which involve the use of phosphate rock could confer additional benefits that can be derived from increased mycorrhiza formation.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University
With the increased costs of drug development, pharmaceutical companies outsource most of drug development to contract research organizations (CROs) and academic research organizations (AROs). Given the importance of the relationship between the contracting organization and pharmaceutical companies, project management has become the hallmark in conducting clinical trials. The purpose of this project was to identify whether there are differences in the project management practices of CROs and AROs who conduct clinical trials. An electronic survey and follow up interview were administered to 134 CROs and 15 AROs who provide clinical trial services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The survey collected information on the characteristics of project managers, the organization demographics, and project management within the organization. The survey demonstrated significant differences between the services provided (p less than .001), (p=0.001), availability of project management standard operating procedures (SOPs), training of project managers (p less than 0.05), and salary of project managers (p=0.003). The overall response rate of the survey was 36%; thus, the full variance of project management practices may not have been obtained in this survey. These findings highlight some differences between AROs and CROs, and provide a foundation to learn more about project management at these organizations.

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(農学)
甲第15421号
農博第1806号
新制||農||979(附属図書館)
学位論文||H22||N4520(農学部図書室)
27899
京都大学大学院農学研究科地域環境科学専攻
(主査)教授 舟川 晋也, 教授 縄田 栄治, 教授 間藤 徹
学位規則第4条第1項該当

A metapopulation is defined as a set of potential local populations among which dispersal may occur. Metapopulation theory has grown rapidly in recent years, but much has focused on the mathematical properties of metapopulations rather than their relevance to real systems. Indeed, barring some notable exceptions, metapopulation theory remains largely untested in the field. This thesis investigates the importance of metapopulation structure in the ‘real world’, firstly by building additional realism into metapopulation models, and secondly through a 3-year field study of a real metapopulation system. The modelling analyses include discrete-and continuous-time models, and cover single species, host-parasitoid, and disease-host systems, with and without stochasticity. In all cases, metapopulation structure enhanced species persistence in time, and often allowed long-term continuance of otherwise non-persistent interactions. Spatial heterogeneity and patterning was evident whenever local populations were stochastic or deterministically unstable in isolation. In metapopulations, the latter case often gave rise to self-organising spatial patterns. These were composed of spiral wave fronts (or ‘arcs of infection’ in disease models) of different sizes, and were related to the stability characteristics of local populations as well as the dispersal rates. There was no evidence for self-organising spatial patterns in the host-parasitoid system studied in the field (the weevil Sitona discoideus and its braconid parasitoid Microctonus aethiopoides), and a new model for the interaction suggested that this is probably due to the strong host density-dependence and stabilising parasitism acting on local populations. Dispersal may be important because of very high mortality in dispersing weevils, which may be related to the scarcity of their host plant in the landscape. If this is the case, the model suggested that local weevil density may be sensitive to the area of crop grown. Stochastic models showed that species in suitably large metapopulations may persist for very long times at relatively low overall density and with very low incidence of density-dependence. This suggests that metapopulation processes may explain a general inability to detect density-dependence in many real populations, and may also play an important part in the persistence of rare species. For host-parasitoid metapopulation models, persistence often depended on the way in which they were initialised. Initial conditions corresponding to a biological control release were the least likely to persist, and the maximum host suppression observed in this case was 84%, as compared with 60% for the corresponding non-spatial models and >90% often observed in the field. Metapopulation structure also allowed persistence of ‘boom-bust’ disease models, although the dynamics of these were particularly dependent on assumptions about what happens to disease classes at very low densities. Models assuming infinitely divisible units of density, models incorporating a non-zero extinction threshold, and individual-based models all gave differing results in terms of disease persistence and rate of spatial spread. Fitting models to overall metapopulation dynamics often gave misleading results in terms of underlying local dynamics, emphasising the need to sample real populations at an appropriate scale when seeking to understand their behaviour.

In recent years, agricultural magazine articles have positioned crop insurance requirements as a barrier to conservation adoption. Our research uses a mixed-methods design with Midwest conventional corn farmers to identify if crop insurance is a hindrance to adoption. Qualitative data was analyzed in Nvivo using thematic coding and quantitative data was analyzed using Stata statistical software. Our results indicate that crop insurance is not a direct barrier to adoption. Rather, farmers identify distinct and complimentary outcomes for risk-management from participating in both crop insurance and conservation. These findings reflect broader perspectives on Midwest conventional corn producers’ beliefs and rationale for using crop insurance and/or conservation practices.

This study examined the influence of different management practices under sugarcane production on soil chemical, biological and physical properties on a long-term (59yr) field experiment in KwaZulu-Natal. These management practices included conventional post-harvest burning of crop residues, with the tops either left on the soil surface or with tops removed, and green cane harvesting with the retention of crop residues on the soil surface as a trash blanket. Each of these treatments were either fertilized or did not receive fertilizer. The data collected was used to evaluate the effect of crop residue management on soil quality under sugarcane production. Soil organic matter content increased from 39 g C kg¯¹ soil, under conventional burning to 55 g C kg¯¹ soil in the surface 10 cm under green cane harvesting where crop residues are returned to the soil. It also resulted in greater recycling of nutrients and increases in exchangeable K and Ca and extractable P. Fertilizer application resulted in a build-up of soil nutrients in combination with trash retention. Fertilizer application induced increases in exchangeable P and also some accumulation in soil organic P. Exchangeable and non-exchangeable K concentrations were also higher in fertilized than non-fertilized treatments. However, nitrogen fertilizer application and, to a lesser degree, organic matter mineralization, resulted in soil acidification to a depth of 30 cm. Acidification in the fertilized treatments resulted in a concomitant increase in exchangeable acidity and exchangeable Al, due to the increase in H⁺ ions and solubilized Al species on exchange sites. Base cations moved into soil solution and were leaching to lower soil layers. The decrease in soil pH resulted in the surface charge conferred on the variable charge surfaces on soil colloids becoming less negative and as a result there was a decrease in ECEC. Acidification in fertilized treatment not only increased exchangeable Al but also the buffering reserve of non-exchangeable al; both that complexed with soil organic matter (CuCl₂- extractable) and that present as hydroxy - Al associated with mineral colloids (ammonium acetate - extractable). The increased organic matter content under trash retention resulted in an increase in ECEC. This enabled the soil to retain greater amounts of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺ which were returned to the soil in the trash. Both residue retention and fertilizer application had a positive effect on the microbial biomass C and N and the microbial quotient increased from 0.39% to 0.86% as organic C increased from 39 g C kg¯¹ soil under burnt treatments to 55 g C kg¯¹ soil under trashed, fertilized treatments. This increase was associated with increased concentrations of labile organic material (K₂S0₄₋extractable) present as well as increased amounts of nutrients being cycled through the plant-soil system. The light fraction organic matter also increased with increasing returns of organic residues. However, the large active microbial biomass under the trashed, fertilized treatment resulted in an increased turnover rate of this fraction and consequently resulted in lower LF dry matter, C and N than in the unfertilized treatment. Aggregate stability increased with increasing amounts of organic material returned due to trash retention. Nevertheless, fertilized treatments induced a lower aggregate stability than unfertilized ones, despite the tendancy for the latter to have higher organic C and microbial biomass values. This was attributed to an increase in the proportion of exchangeable cations present in monovalent form (due to application of fertilizer K and leaching of Ca and Mg) favouring dispersion and a decline in aggregate stability. Green cane harvesting resulted in an increase in microbial activity (basal respiration, FDA hydrolytic activity, arginine ammonification rate and dehydrogenase activity) and in the activity of specific soil enzymes involved in turnover of C, N, P and S to a depth of 30 cm. Increased activities of these enzymes reflect a higher rate of turnover of C, N, P and S. The metabolic quotient decreased with increasing residue return, indicating a more metabolically efficient microbial community. Fertilizer application resulted in a variable effect on enzyme activity. Long-term fertilizer application resulted in an increase in invertase and acid phosphatase, a decrease in L-histidase and arylsulphatase and had little effect on protease and alkaline phosphatase. These variable effects were explained in terms of an interaction between fertilizer - induced increases in Corg and soil nutrient status and fertilizer - induced soil acidification. The size and activity of the soil microbial biomass was studied in the plant row and in the inter-row of a sugarcane field under burning or green cane harvesting. Soils were sampled to 30 cm depth in (i) the centre of the plant row, (ii) 30 cm out from the row centre and (iii) 60 cm out from the row centre (i.e. the middle of the inter-row area). Under burning, the only substantial input of organic matter to the soil was from root turnover in the row area where the root biomass was concentrated. As a consequence, the size (microbial biomass C) and activity (basal respiration of the soil microbial community were concentrated in the row. However, under green cane harvesting there was a large input of organic matter in the inter-row area in the form of the trash blanket itself and through turnover of crop roots that were concentrated in the surface 10 cm of the soil below the blanket. As a result, soil microbial activity was considerably higher in the interrow area under green cane harvesting than under burning. Phospholipids are essential membrane components of microorganisms and a good correlation was found between the total PLFA's extracted from soils and the microbial biomass C, indicating that phospholipids are an accurate measurement of living biomass. Mutivariate statistical analysis (PCA) was used to separate different PLFA profiles under burning versus trash retention and under different land uses (sugarcane, maize, annual and perennial pasture and undisturbed veld). Soil organic matter content contributed the greatest variance in the data along the first axis. That is increasing soil organic matter return not only increased the size of the microbial biomass, but also affected the composition of the microbial community. There was a shift in the different sub-fractions under different management practices. MUFA's are general biomarkers of Gram negative bacteria and were found to be a sensitive indicator of higher substrate availability (i.e they increased under green cane harvesting). Fungal biomarkers indicated an increased fungal biomass associated with surface application of residues. Soil physical conditions were considered to be a contributing factor to the shift in microbial community structure. Increased organic matter content improved soil physical conditions and preferentially stimulated the growth of aerobic microorganisms. In addition to this, the proportion of SATFA (gram positive bacteria) was found to increase in response to burning. This increase was attributed to the survival mechanisms of these microorganisms (i.e. endospore formation). It was found that the conversion from burning to trash management changes the composition of the soil microbial community. The effect of management practices on soil functional diversity was also evaluated using two methods (i.e. Biolog plates and substrate induced respiration (SIR)). Biolog plates are a selective technique that stimulate growth of a small proportion of the soil microbial community whereas the SIR technique measures the activity of the metabolically active microbial community in situ. As a result the SIR method separated treatments more effectively than Biolog plates (i.e. annually tilled treatments, permanent grassland sites and fertilized and unfertilized treatments). The quantity and the quality of organic C supply influenced the catabolic diversity. Conversion from burning to green cane harvesting greatly increased catabolic evenness and richness and therefore presumably also tended to increase the resilience of the soil to stress and disturbance particularly in relation to decomposition functions. It was concluded that conversion from preharvest burning to green cane harvesting results in an increase in soil organic matter content, an improvement in soil structure and soil nutrient status, an increase in the size, activity, taxonomic and functional diversity of the soil microbial community. The practice should therefore be promoted to the South African sugar industry.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

The plant root system is the connection between the aboveground biomass and the soil system, and it requires a healthy soil environment to support optimum root growth. A healthy and extensive root system allows the plant to explore a greater soil volume for water and nutrients, and thereby increase the likelihood of more productive crop.Intensive vegetable production systems with little or no organic materials incorporated into soil combined with heavy farm traffic and use of chemical fertilizers often lead to detrimental impacts on soil health characteristics, reducing capacity to support extensive root system development. Crops in these systems may also be more susceptible to high incidence and severity of soil-borne root diseases, which further reduces the root system and yield capacity of the crop. Pathogen damage to crop root systems is a major threat to crop production, and while current management systems can mitigate against this threat, alternative strategies based on building soil health through building soil organic carbon content and strong plant root systems is more sustainable. This research investigated the effects of different organic materials to soil microbial communities, plant root system development and crop performance in cropping soils.

This thesis investigates the sensitivity and separability of post-harvest tillage conditions using polarimetric Synthetic Aperture RADAR in southwestern Ontario. Variables examined include: linear polarizations HH, HV, and VV and polarimetric variables: pedestal height, co-polarized complex correlation coefficient magnitude, left and right co-polarized circular polarizations and co-polarized phase difference. Six fine-quad polarimetric, high incidence angle (49°) RADARSAT-2 images acquired over three dates in fall 2010 were used. Over 100 fields were monitored, coincident with satellite overpasses. OMAFRA’s AgRI, a high-resolution polygon network was used to extract average response from fields. Discrimination between tillage practices was best later in the fall season, due to sample size and low soil moisture conditions. Variables most sensitive to tillage activities include HH and VV polarizations and co-polarized complex correlation coefficient magnitude. A supervised support vector machine (SVM) classifier classified no-till and conventional tillage with 91.5% overall accuracy. These results highlight the potential of RADARSAT-2 for monitoring tillage conditions.

Orchard profitability and sustainability are largely dependent on the proportion of crop that can be marketed as first quality (pack-out). While pack-out is directly related to average fruit quality, the visual components of quality, i.e. colour, size and skin finish, predominantly determine whether a premium price is achieved. Fruit quality is the result of a complex interaction of management and environmental factors. By understanding the impact of environment, culture, harvesting, handling and storage on fruit quality, growers should be able to improve both average quality in their crop as well as improving the proportion of fruit in the highest quality grade. Whilst management practices such as pruning, shading, and crop regulation methods have been widely studied as individual or isolated issues, the role of each in commercial orchard systems is less well understood. From the literature, it was concluded that available information was conflicting in relation to the impact of practices such as pruning and chemical thinning on fruit quality, while the impact of crop load on fruit quality was often confounded by the effect of chemicals used to manage crop load. The impact of time and level of pruning, protection of fruit from direct sunlight, and crop regulation was studied in a series of field experiments in orchards managed to local commercial standards. An examination of level and time of fruit thinning on a range of cultivars is included along with an assessment of two new generation blossom thinners (desiccants). As these desiccants frequently cause varying degrees of foliar damage, the impact of various levels of simulated foliar damage on both crop load and fruit quality was assessed. The blossom desiccant ammonium thiosulphate (ATS) showed positive effects on fruit quality with an increase in both fruit firmness and sugar content. Potassium thiosulphate showed similar promise to ATS in terms of both fruit quality and as a method of managing crop load. Low levels of foliar damage during the flowering period had little effect on fruit quality but, where 75% or more of the leaf surface was lost, fruit quality was affected and fruit set was reduced. This study confirmed that loss of leaf area affects fruit quality but it also showed differences between the two cultivars studied. It has been demonstrated by this study that both the degree and timing of pruning can affect crop load, fruit size, and fruit quality. Pruning during the dormant winter period resulted in better fruit quality than when pruning was delayed until after fruit set. Summer pruning adversely affected fruit size, sugar content and fruit skin finish. Both crop load and fruit size were reduced by overall shading of trees during early fruit development. Covering individual fruit with commercial paper ‘apple bags’ improved fruit skin finish with the effectiveness related to time of application. The earlier in the season fruit is covered, the more likely that fruit skin damage will be prevented. Early thinning had a positive effect on fruit quality, resulting in larger, firmer fruit with higher sugar levels. Evidence also showed that early thinning caused fruit to mature earlier than later thinning. In addition, positive relationships were demonstrated between fruit sugar content and weight, between fruit firmness and weight, and between fruit sugar content and fruit firmness. These relationships have not been reported previously and demonstrate that early thinning is a valuable tool in improving fruit quality. Overall results were consistent with the established view that major aspects of fruit quality are determined in the first few weeks of development when cell division is dependent on carbohydrates derived from storage or limited current photosynthate. This study has demonstrated that by increasing awareness of the impact of orchard management practices on fruit quality and making appropriate adjustments, the base level of fruit pack-out can be increased with minimal or no additional cost to growers.

This research assessed the seasonal effects of contrasting tillage and crop rotation systems on soil ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA). Four different cropping systems under till and no-till were analyzed in a 30 year-old agricultural field trial. Samples were collected during the 2010 growing season at times corresponding with agronomic events. Nucleic acids were preserved in the field and subsequently analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (qPCR). Tillage decreased AOB activity and abundance in the plow layer (0-15 cm) immediately after fall moldboard plow events, but observed AOB dynamics at other times suggest tillage had a long-term distribution effect across depth (0-30 cm). AOA abundance was significantly greater in no-till plots at all times indicating tillage had longer-term effects on these communities. Crop rotation had minimal effect on AOB and AOA, but there was a noted yield advantage for corn following wheat, regardless of tillage treatment.
OMAFRA Highly Qualified Personnel Program, NSERC

Bibliography: p. 291-301.
xxxii, 301 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm.
Basic hypothesis is that improved water use efficiency of rainfed crops can be achieved by adoption of tillage and sowing practices and crop rotation systems which improve surface and subsurface soil structure to increase the accession of rainfall and availability of soil water.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Soil Science, 1997?

Bibliography: p. 291-301.
xxxii, 301 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Basic hypothesis is that improved water use efficiency of rainfed crops can be achieved by adoption of tillage and sowing practices and crop rotation systems which improve surface and subsurface soil structure to increase the accession of rainfall and availability of soil water.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Soil Science, 1997?

Warm-season turf species are becoming increasingly popular for putting green use in the transition zone. Ultradwarf bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.)  C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) is the prevalent warm-season putting green species, but seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz) and ‘Diamond’ zoysiagrass [Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr.] may also be grown in the transition zone. Warm-season species are susceptible to winter injury and may require different management regimes than cool-season species. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to assess the impacts of various management practices on warm-season putting green species and characterize the physiological basis for differences in freeze tolerance of various warm-season putting green species. Field studies determined sampling procedures form thatch-mat depth and soil organic matter content of warm-season putting greens and assessed the impact of various management practices on different warm-season putting green species/varieties. The relative freeze tolerance of ‘Champion’ and ‘TifEagle’ ultradwarf bermudagrass cultivars, ‘SeaDwarf’ seashore paspalum, and Diamond zoysiagrass were determined, along with the accumulation of proline and polyamines during cold acclimation, in growth chamber studies. All species/varieties required different sampling numbers for determination of thatch-mat depth and soil organic matter. More sand was incorporated into the turf canopy and surface hardness was increased with brushing and vibratory rolling TifEagle putting greens after sand topdressing application than either treatment alone. Putting green management programs with lower mowing heights and increased mowing frequencies increased ball roll distance on a MiniVerde putting green without negatively affecting turf quality. Weekly vertical mowing + daily grooming on TifEagle reduced thatch depth and turfgrass quality, while increasing topdressing incorporation over either treatment alone. Diamond was the most freeze tolerant species/variety, followed by TifEagle, Champion, then SeaDwarf. Cold acclimation increased proline concentration for all species/varieties except SeaDwarf, but had inconsistent effects on polyamines. Spermidine and putrescine concentrations differed with species/variety, but were not correlated to freeze tolerance.

Thesis (M. Agricultural Management (Plant Production)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020
Tomato is a major vegetable crop produced in Limpopo province by subsistence and commercial farmers. Biotic and abiotic factors such as diseases and drought affect its productivity and yield negatively. The most economically important tomato disease in Limpopo is early blight, caused by Alternaria solani. Early blight affects tomato growing under stressful conditions such as drought. The main aim of this study was to evaluate water management in tomato production and its effect on tomato yield, early blight occurrence and severity under smallholder farming systems in Giyani. A survey study and field experiments on early blight occurrence and severity were conducted in the Greater Giyani municipality in Limpopo province. Firstly, a survey of early blight was conducted in tomato fields selected from three service centres namely Guwela, Hlaneki and Mhlava Willem. Twenty five potential tomato grower’s farms were randomly selected for survey based on the location and production management strategies. A second study was carried out by establishing field experiments at two farms in the same area, namely: A hi tirheni Mqekwa and Duvadzi farms. The experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split plot arrangement, with irrigation as the main plot treatment and tomato variety as the subplot treatment. Each treatment was replicated four times. The irrigation treatments consisted of full irrigation up to field capacity and deficit irrigation. The tomato varieties planted were HTX14, Rodade, STAR9006 and Commander, and were irrigated with a drip irrigation system. The overall survey results showed that Guwela s/c had high disease incidence and the lowest disease severity as compared to the other two service centers. The lowest disease incidence was observed at Hlaneki s/c whilst Mhlava willem s/c had the highest disease severity. The two water treatments (full and deficit irrigation) in both farms have shown no significant pairwise differences among xx the volumetric water content means. There was no significant difference (P≥0.05) in early blight disease severity in both farms. Results shows that, all tomato varieties did not differ significantly (P≥0.05) in yield observed between treatments at Duvadzi and A hi tirheni Mqekwa Farm. Deficit irrigation can be used effectively to produce high yields in tomato production provided the cropping season window does not coincide with the hottest time of the year. Full and deficit irrigation did not have influence on the early blight disease incidence on tomato plants. Key words: Alternaria solani; disease incidence; disease severity and drip irrigation

Ph.D. thesis - Agricultural Production Chains - From Fork to Farm -
A agricultura enfrenta sérios desafios, como as mudanças climáticas que contribuem para a escassez de água devido ao aumento da temperatura média, fenómenos irregulares como secas e inundações, crescimento da população que leva ao aumento do consumo de água e alimentos e, consequentemente, geram uma quantidade substancial de agro-residuos. A amêndoa (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) é o fruto seco mais produzido a nível mundial, seguindo a tendência crescente de procura de produtos resultantes da transformação da amêndoa devido às suas propriedades nutricionais serem reconhecidas como benéficas para a saúde. As espécies fruteiras cultivadas nas zonas semiáridas da bacia do mediterrâneo são grandemente afetadas pelas mudanças climáticas, existindo a necessidade de aumentar a sustentabilidade e competitividade do setor da amêndoa. Neste sentido, o objetivo geral desta Tese de Doutoramento foi delineado de maneira a dar um importante contributo para impulsionar a cadeia de produção de amêndoa nas zonas semiáridas, focando-se na sustentabilidade de subprodutos de amêndoa como fonte dos compostos bioativos, de forma a obter uma completa valorização destes produtos. Para tal, será necessário compreender o efeito de diferentes regimes hídricos no comportamento fisiológico e bioquímico da amendoeira de forma a melhorar a qualidade da amêndoa, sustentabilidade ambiental e viabilidade económica desta cultura em zonas semiáridas. Neste sentido, esta experiência consiste em tratamentos baseados na evapotranspiração da cultura (ETc): regime ideal de exigência de água T100 (aplicação de 100% de ETc); défice de irrigação T70 e T30 (aplicação de 70% e 35% de ETc, respetivamente); défice de irrigação controlado: T100-T35 (100% durante o desenvolvimento do fruto, reduzindo a aplicação para 35% de ETc durante a maturação); ausência de rega T0 (sequeiro); aplicação de caulino em árvores em sequeiro (T0caulino), durante as estações de 2015 e 2016, em amendoeiras da variedade 'Ferragnès', com 15 anos de idade, e localizadas no Norte de Portugal. O impacto dos tratamentos nos subprodutos da amêndoa, na qualidade do miolo e no comportamento fisiológico da árvore foi avaliado através da determinação de parâmetros fitoquímicos, microbiológicos, nutricionais, fisiológicos e bioquímicos. A extração dos compostos fenólicos de subprodutos da amêndoa foi otimizada com sucesso usando a Response Surface Methodology (RSM), onde se estudou a variação de pH, diferentes concentrações de solvente e de tempos de extração, com o objetivo de reduzir os subprodutos da amêndoa gerados quer na colheita, quer durante o processamento industrial. De forma a valorizar os subprodutos, foi estudada a sua composição fenólica em material proveniente de amendoeiras sujeitas aos diferentes regimes hídricos e durante os dois anos de estudo. Os resultados sugerem que a composição fenólica dos cascarões é mais influenciada pela dotação de rega, enquanto que na pelicula o maior efeito é obtido porano. No entanto, a síntese de compostos fenólicos individuais parece ser mais influenciada por ano. Estes resultados contribuem para o conhecimento sobre o efeito da rega e do ano na composição fenólica dos vários subprodutos, permitindo eleger as melhores práticas agrícolas que contribuirão para o incremento dos compostos bioativos. Os cascarões e a película da amêndoa exibiram ainda atividade antibacteriana contra estirpes bacterianas potencialmente patogénicas resistentes a múltiplos fármacos, mostrando um interesse potencial para estes subprodutos serem futuramente investigados e confirmados como agentes antibacterianos. Certamente, será um passo em direção a novas alternativas de valor acrescentado para estes resíduos agroindustriais. Relativamente à produção e à qualidade de amêndoa, a maior variabilidade foi observada entre anos, sendo que a produção diminuiu em média 70% entre 2015 e 2016, enquanto o stresse hídrico influenciou a qualidade. Mesmo que alguns parâmetros da qualidade da amêndoa aumente nas árvores não regadas, as diferenças na produção do segundo ano de estudos revelaram o principal problema dos amendoais de sequeiro nas zonas semiáridas: produção irregular quando em condições de campo não regadas. Por outro lado, a aplicação de caulino não conduziu a uma melhoria do estado hídrico das amendoeiras; e, apesar de apresentarem um comportamento similar às árvores não-regadas, o caulino não mostrou ser prejudicial. Ao abordarmos o objetivo de desenvolvimento de metodologias de monitorização da qualidade da amêndoa para ser usada na industrial alimentar, as regiões de near infrared (NIR) e mid infrared (MIR) foram avaliadas para produzir modelos quantitativos para a previsão de proteína bruta e conteúdo em aminoácidos no miolo de amêndoa. O melhor modelo de previsão foi obtido com o NIR e FTIR, que mostrou ser usado com sucesso na determinação do conteúdo em proteína e aminoácidos em amêndoas. Finalmente, em relação às respostas fisiológicas e bioquímicas aos tratamentos, todos os parâmetros foram influenciados pela redução de água de rega, contudo, as árvores não exibiram stresse hídrico severo, mas apenas stresse hídrico moderado. O encerramento estomático é a principal limitação à realização da fotossíntese na amendoeira. As diferenças observadas mostram a importância da água na produção de amêndoa comparativamente ao sequeiro. Dentro dos tratamentos da rega, os tratamentos da défice da rega não reduziram a produção e a qualidade geral comparativamente às plantas T100, não tendo um impacto negativo no desempenho global das amendoeiras.
Agriculture is facing serious challenges, from the climate change contributing to water scarcity due to higher average temperatures and uneven events of drought and floads, to the growing population what increases the water and food demand, and at the same time generates substantial amount of agro-waste. Almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) is the worldwide most produced tree nut as it is following the increasing trend in world demand for almond products, due to its nutritional properties being recognized as beneficial for health. As it is fruit species grown in semiarid areas of Mediterranean Basin that are greatly affected by changes in environmental conditions, there is an existing need for increased sustainability and competitivness of the almond sector. The overall objective of this Doctoral Thesis therefore is to contribute to boost the almond production chain in semiarid areas by different approaches, focusing on determination of the suitability of almond by-products for use as a source of bioactive compounds to gain a complete evaluation of the valorisation alternatives for almond by-products. Furthermore, it is aimed gaining a further insight in the agricultural management strategies by understanding the plant physiological and biochemical response, enhance almond quality, environmental sustainability and economical viability for almond production in semiarid areas. In that regard, the experiment consisted of treatments based on the crop evapotranspiration (ETc): optimal water requirement regime T100 (applying the 100% of ETc); deficit irrigation regimes T70 and T30 (applying the 70% and 35% of ETc, respectively); regulated deficit irrigation: T100-35 (100% ETc during fruit development, reducing the application to 35% ETc during fruit filling); rainfed T0 (rainfed); and kaolin application to rainfed trees (T0Kaolin), during 2015 and 2016 seasons, on 15-years old almond trees of variety ‗Ferragnès‘ located in Northern Portugal. The impact of treatments on almond by-products, kernel quality and plant behaviour, was assessed. To achieve this aim several actions were undertaken involving field trials and phytochemical, microbial, nutritional, physiological and biochemical approaches. To get new insights on reduction of agro-residues upon harvest and industrial processing, the phenolic extraction of almond byproducts was successfully optimized using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for the non-toxic, food grade ethanol pH, concentration and extraction time. To achieve further objectives of by-products valorisation, irrigation and seasonal variabilities were studied on the phenolic composition of almond by-products. The impact of irrigation treatments seasons differed among by-products, hulls being more influenced by irrigation and skins by season, while the synthesis of the most of individual phenolic compounds appeared to be more influenced by the season. These data further contributes to better understanding of seasonal and irrigation variability, this being relevant for the potential application of diverse agricultural practices to improve bioactive content. Almond hulls and skins additionally displayed antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens, showing interesting potential to be further investigated as antibacterial agents, this being a step forward towards to new added-value alternatives for these agro-industrial residues. When studying the response of almond yield and quality attributes, the highest variability was noticed for the seasonal differences; almond yield decreased for around 70% in average, while water stress influenced all the quality features. Even if some quality attributes increased at rainfed trees, the differences in yield in the second year of the study revealed the main problem of rainfed almond orchards in semiarid areas: irregular yield when under not irrigated conditions. The kaolin application, on the other side, did not manage to reduce drought in almond trees throughout the study exhibiting similar behaviour as non-irrigated trees, however, not showing to be prejudicial. When addressing the aim of method development for quality monitoring to be used in almond food industry, the suitability of the near infrared (NIR) and mid infrared (MIR) regions was assessed to produce quantitative models for the prediction of crude protein and amino acid content in almond kernels. The best prediction models were obtained with NIR, and FTIR was shown to be successfully used for almond protein and amino acid determination. Finally, regarding the physiological and biochemical response to treatments, all the determined parameters were influenced by the total water reduction, however, trees not displaying the severe stress, except for the considered gas exchange parameters. Stomatal closure was noticed as probably being the main limitation of photosynthesis in almond tree. Observed differences showed the importance of the irrigation role in almond production compared to complete absence of irrigation. Within irrigation treatments, deficit irrigation did not lower the overall yield and quality when compared to the fully irrigated trees, while also not having negative impact on the overall tree performance.

With the loss of field burning the amount of crop residue that remains in perennial ryegrass fields has increased. As the amount of crop residue remaining in the field increases so does annual bluegrass. This has resulted in the increased use of herbicides to control annual bluegrass. However, this increased use has also resulted in herbicide-resistant annual bluegrass. Field experiments were initiated in 1997 to investigate residue management options available to growers and their impacts on annual bluegrass emergence. Two sites, Glaser and Wirth, were established with three residue management treatments replicated four times. The treatments included full-straw, bale/flail, and vacuum sweep. Perennial ryegrass seed yield and annual bluegrass seed contamination were evaluated. The vacuum sweep treatment had lower annual bluegrass emergence than the full-straw or the bale/flail treatments during the 1997-98 growing season, for both sites. The fall of 1998 was much drier than the fall of 1997. Annual bluegrass emergence in all plots was lower in 1998 than in 1997 because of the dry conditions. Fall emergence in 1998 was higher in the vacuum sweep treatment than in the other two treatments, which may have been the result of better soil-seed contact in the vacuum sweep treatment. Lower emergence in the spring at the Wirth site compared to the Glaser site may have been due to narrow crop row spacing and cultivar selection, which shaded the annual bluegrass. When growing seasons were combined, there were no treatment differences. However, more emergence was observed in the spring at the Glaser site compared to the Wirth site. Yield was highest for the vacuum sweep treatment at the Glaser site in the 1998-99 growing season. However, competition from volunteer perennial ryegrass in the full-straw and bale/flail treatments could have accounted for this increase. No other differences in yield and no difference in contamination among treatments were observed. However, contamination at the Glaser site was higher in the 1998-99 growing season than in the 1997-98 growing season. Experiments were conducted in growth chambers to determine how differing environmental conditions affect seed germination of diuron-susceptible and diuron-resistant annual bluegrass. Cumulative germination for the susceptible-biotype decreased from 96% to 88% while the resistant-biotype remained above 95% as temperature decreased from 3 0/20 C to 10/2 C. The susceptible-biotype germinated sooner than the resistant-biotype regardless of temperature. The susceptible-biotype had a higher rate of germination than the resistant-biotype at 30/20 C, but not when the temperature decreased to 10/2 C. Germination response to differing matric potentials did not vary much within a biotype for a given soil type and temperature. Therefore, parameters estimated at -1.03 MPa were chosen to contrast susceptible- and resistant biotypes, and soil types, for each temperature. Maximum cumulative germination was greater than 96% for all treatments. When germination on a given soil type was contrasted, differences were only seen for the susceptible biotype vs. resistant biotype on Dayton soil; and the resistant biotype on Dayton soil vs. resistant biotype on Woodburn soil at both temperatures. The lag in onset of germination was shorter for the susceptible biotype on Dayton soil and resistant biotype on Woodburn soil than the resistant biotype on Dayton soil at 30/20 C. At 18/5 C, the lag in onset of germination was shorter for the susceptible biotype on Dayton soil and resistant biotype on Woodburn soil than the resistant biotype on Dayton soil (P = 0.000 1 and 0.0001, respectively). But the rate of germination was faster for the resistant biotype on Dayton soil than both the susceptible biotype on Dayton soil and resistant biotype on Woodburn soil at 18/5 C (P = 0.02 and 0.0004, respectively). The rate of germination did not differ at 3 0/20 C. When just the soils were contrasted, at 18/5 C all annual bluegrass seeds on the Woodburn soil germinated sooner and the rate of germination was higher than on the Dayton soil. These results indicate that the hydraulic properties of the soils may influence germination. However, this was not observed at 30/20 C. The results suggest that the susceptible-biotype was more sensitive to temperature while the resistant-biotype was more sensitive to moisture. Changing crop management in ways that will reduce annual bluegrass emergence and establishment is needed. By altering management strategies, growers may obtain more efficient and effective use of herbicides, while reducing the selection of herbicide-resistant annual bluegrass.
Graduation date: 2000

Farmers in Nepal lose about a third of their harvested grain due to postharvest handling and storage. This has led to food insecurity and economic losses. Despite the importance of postharvest, the grain storage system in Nepal relies on traditional storage structures like bamboo granaries. The incidence of storage pests is reported up to 100% in these structures. To minimize the storage loss, farmers use different grain protection methods including toxic chemicals. Multiple cases of pesticides-related poisoning and deaths have been caused by misuse and overuse of pesticides. To push safer, chemical-free alternatives like hermetic storage it is important to understand current pest challenges and management practices in Nepal. Adaptation of chemical-free pest management strategies like hermetic storage largely depends upon basic and applied laboratory research findings. Determining the baseline adult mortality under various hypoxia levels and subsequent insect emergence will help determine the effectiveness of a low oxygen environment in controlling Sitophilus oryzae (L.). This would increase our understanding of hermetic storage technology and help improve its application to both farmers and commercial users and serve as a possible substitute to traditional or chemical pest control methods. In chapter one, I report the result of the survey conducted in Nepal to understand i) current post-harvest storage practices and (ii) assessment of the best delivery approach for storage innovations. In chapter 2, I report the result from laboratory experiment conducted to understand the lethality of hypoxia at 5% oxygen level and below against Sitophilus oryzae (L.), which is a major storage pest reported by farmers in Nepal.

The advantages associated with the use of sewage sludge in agricultural land have motivated many countries to use sewage sludge for soil amendment purposes. South Africa’s deteriorated agricultural soil could benefit from this nutritional and cost effective product. However, the major shortcoming of sewage sludge is the presence of various pathogenic microorganisms. This raised concern amongst researchers with regard to public safety. The focus of this study, was to investigate the prevalence of pathogens in a crop grown in soil enriched with sewage sludge and to determine risk of infection thereof and to suggest appropriate management practice for sewage sludge use. Potato (Solanum tuberrosum), which is a high risk crop was used, to simulate a worst case scenario. Both the low metal sludge (LMS) and high metal sludge (HMS) were found to have associated diverse numbers of bacteria. Using culture-based technique, E.coli and Salmonella spp were found to persist in soil throughout the experimental period. One treatment option (LMS 16 tons/ha) showed a prevalence of these microorganisms in potatoes. Subsequent molecular studies based on amplification of 16S rRNA gene, yielded limited contamination of potatoes with enteric pathogens, however diverse types of opportunistic, pathogens (mostly environmental pathogens) were isolated from the potatoes. Enteric pathogens were isolated from the sewage treated soil in which these potatoes were grown. This study has indicated that growing even high risk crops, may lead to limited infestation of produce with primary pathogens. However, proper treatment of sewage sludge prior to use in agriculture is recommended to ensure public safety. The management requirements indicated in this study serve as recommended actions that can be implemented to ensure human safety with regard to sludge application to agricultural land.
Thesis (PhD (Water Utilisation))--University of Pretoria, 2006.
Chemical Engineering
unrestricted

A degree of in-crop management could provide growers with the option to manipulate growth and development in line with ambient weather conditions. Studies presented in this thesis explored this opportunity, and data so far collected support the 'nutrient diversion' hypothesis that internal resource availability and allocation play important roles in regulation of growth partitioning and phenological development. Different levels of defoliation were conducted on maize and cotton plants growing under contrasting water conditions to measure the effect of partial defoliation on their growth and production. In the environment of water stress with low average control yield, defoliation significantly diminished the negative impact caused by water deficit and led to smaller water-deficit-induced decrease of grain yield of maize plants and harvestable product of cotton plants. The relative yield advantage of defoliated plants in the water deficit environment can be attributed to defoliation-induced improvement in water status later in the growth cycle as reflected in measures of photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance. Early-stage defoliation, removing different parts of maize plants, resulted in varied developmental responses. Removing only the fully exposed leaf blades did not delay the onset of tassel initiation, but tassel initiation and tassel emergence were significantly delayed by either removal of all the shoot tissues above the second ligule or removal of only the expanding leaves at a height just above the soil surface(with the first three or four fully exposed leaves left intact). Continued removal of the expanding leaves delayed tassel initiation further. This indicates the important role that expanding leaves play in control of the transition to reproductive growth. The elongation rate of leaf primordia underwent a gradual decrease as maize plants increased in size with time. The gradual decrease in rate of leaf primordium elongation and the resultant change in shoot apical architecture (described by relative length of leaf primordia) were strongly associated with floral induction. It is proposed that plant internal resource competition lessened the nutrient supply to the shoot apices and, therefore, affected leaf primordium growth and meristem identity simultaneously. The dynamic competition and interdependency among various plant parts were explored using a dynamic model constructed to simulate resource allocation and growth partitioning at the whole plant level.