Journal articles on the topic 'Crop and pasture biomass and bioproducts'
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Dos Reis, A. A., B. C. Silva, J. P. S. Werner, Y. F. Silva, J. V. Rocha, G. K. D. A. Figueiredo, J. F. G. Antunes, et al. "EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF HIGH-RESOLUTION PLANETSCOPE IMAGERY FOR PASTURE BIOMASS ESTIMATION IN AN INTEGRATED CROP–LIVESTOCK SYSTEM." ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XLII-3/W12-2020 (November 6, 2020): 419–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-xlii-3-w12-2020-419-2020.
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Abstract. Pasture biomass information is essential to monitor forage resources in grazed areas, as well as to support grazing management decisions. The increasing temporal and spatial resolutions offered by the new generation of orbital platforms, such as Planet CubeSat satellites, have improved the capability of monitoring pasture biomass using remotely-sensed data. In a preliminary study, we investigated the potential of spectral variables derived from PlanetScope imagery to predict pasture biomass in an area of Integrated Crop-Livestock System (ICLS) in Brazil. Satellite and field data were collected during the same period (May–August 2019) for calibration and validation of the relation between predictor variables and pasture biomass using the Random Forest (RF) regression algorithm. We used as predictor variables 24 vegetation indices derived from PlanetScope imagery, as well as the four PlanetScope bands, and field management information. Pasture biomass ranged from approximately 24 to 656 g m−2, with a coefficient of variation of 54.96%. Near Infrared Green Simple Ratio (NIR/Green), Green Leaf Algorithm (GLA) vegetation indices and days after sowing (DAS) are among the most important variables as measured by the RF Variable Importance metric in the best RF model predicting pasture biomass, which resulted in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 52.04 g m−2 (32.75%). Accurate estimates of pasture biomass using spectral variables derived from PlanetScope imagery are promising, providing new insights into the opportunities and limitations related to the use of PlanetScope imagery for pasture monitoring.
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Rangwala, Murtaza, Jun Liu, Kulbir Singh Ahluwalia, Shayan Ghajar, Harnaik Singh Dhami, Benjamin F. Tracy, Pratap Tokekar, and Ryan K. Williams. "DeepPaSTL: Spatio-Temporal Deep Learning Methods for Predicting Long-Term Pasture Terrains Using Synthetic Datasets." Agronomy 11, no. 11 (November 5, 2021): 2245. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112245.
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Effective management of dairy farms requires an accurate prediction of pasture biomass. Generally, estimation of pasture biomass requires site-specific data, or often perfect world assumptions to model prediction systems when field measurements or other sensory inputs are unavailable. However, for small enterprises, regular measurements of site-specific data are often inconceivable. In this study, we approach the estimation of pasture biomass by predicting sward heights across the field. A convolution based sequential architecture is proposed for pasture height predictions using deep learning. We develop a process to create synthetic datasets that simulate the evolution of pasture growth over a period of 30 years. The deep learning based pasture prediction model (DeepPaSTL) is trained on this dataset while learning the spatiotemporal characteristics of pasture growth. The architecture purely learns from the trends in pasture growth through available spatial measurements and is agnostic to any site-specific data, or climatic conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, or soil condition. Our model performs within a 12% error margin even during the periods with the largest pasture growth dynamics. The study demonstrates the potential scalability of the architecture to predict any pasture size through a quantization approach during prediction. Results suggest that the DeepPaSTL model represents a useful tool for predicting pasture growth both for short and long horizon predictions, even with missing or irregular historical measurements.
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Sodré, Victoria, Nathália Vilela, Robson Tramontina, and Fabio Marcio Squina. "Microorganisms as bioabatement agents in biomass to bioproducts applications." Biomass and Bioenergy 151 (August 2021): 106161. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2021.106161.
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Latif, Sajid, Saliya Gurusinghe, Paul A. Weston, William B. Brown, Jane C. Quinn, John W. Piltz, and Leslie A. Weston. "Performance and weed-suppressive potential of selected pasture legumes against annual weeds in south-eastern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 70, no. 2 (2019): 147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp18458.
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Mixed farming systems have traditionally incorporated subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) as key components of the pasture phase across south-eastern Australia. However, poor adaptation of subterranean clover to acidic soils, insufficient and inconsistent rainfall, high input costs, soil acidification and the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds have reduced efficacy of some traditional clover species in recent years. To overcome these challenges, numerous novel pasture species have been selectively improved and released for establishment in Australia. Despite their suitability to Australian climate and soils, limited knowledge exists regarding their weed-suppressive ability in relation to establishment and regeneration. Field trials were therefore conducted over 3 years in New South Wales to evaluate the suppressive potential of selected pasture legume species and cultivars as monocultures and in mixed stands against dominant annual pasture weeds. Pasture and weed biomass varied significantly between pasture species when sown as monocultures, but mixtures of several species did not differ with regard to establishment and subsequent weed infestation. Arrowleaf clover (T. vesiculosum Savi.) and biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus L.) cv. Casbah showed improved stand establishment, with higher biomass and reduced weed infestation compared with other pasture species. Generally, weed suppression was positively correlated with pasture biomass; however, yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus L.) cv. Santorini exhibited greater weed suppression than other pasture legumes while producing lower biomass, thereby suggesting a mechanism other than competition for resources affecting weed-suppressive ability. Over the period 2015–17, arrowleaf clover and biserrula cv. Casbah were generally the most consistent annual pasture legumes with respect to yearly regeneration and suppression of annual pasture weed species.
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Muniz, Luciano Cavalcante, Beata Emöke Madari, José Benedito de Freitas Trovo, Ilka South de Lima Cantanhêde, Pedro Luiz Oliveira de Almeida Machado, Tarcísio Cobucci, and Aldi Fernandes de Souza França. "Soil biological attributes in pastures of different ages in a crop-livestock integrated system." Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 46, no. 10 (October 2011): 1262–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0100-204x2011001000021.
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The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the pasture (Urochloa brizantha) component age on soil biological properties, in a crop-livestock integrated system. The experiment was carried out in a Brazilian savannah (Cerrado) area with 92 ha, divided into six pens of approximately 15 ha. Each pen represented a different stage of the pasture component: formation, P0; one year, P1; two years, P2; three years, P3; and final with 3.5 years, Pf. Samples were taken in the 0-10 cm soil depth. The soil biological parameters - microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass respiration (C-CO2), metabolic quotient (qCO2), microbial quotient (q mic), and total organic carbon (TOC) - were evaluated and compared among different stages of the pasture, and between an adjacent area under native Cerrado and another area under degraded pasture (PCD). The MBC, q mic and TOC increased and qCO2 reduced under the different pasture stages. Compared to PCD, the pasture stages had higher MBC, q mic and TOC, and lower qCO2. The crop-livestock integrated system improved soil microbiological parameters and immobilized carbon in the soil in comparison to the degraded pasture.
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Harmoney, Keith R., Kenneth J. Moore, J. Ronald George, E. Charles Brummer, and James R. Russell. "Determination of Pasture Biomass Using Four Indirect Methods." Agronomy Journal 89, no. 4 (July 1997): 665–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj1997.00021962008900040020x.
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Punalekar, Suvarna M., Anna Thomson, Anne Verhoef, David J. Humphries, and Christopher K. Reynolds. "Assessing Suitability of Sentinel-2 Bands for Monitoring of Nutrient Concentration of Pastures with a Range of Species Compositions." Agronomy 11, no. 8 (August 20, 2021): 1661. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081661.
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The accurate and timely assessment of pasture quantity and quality (i.e., nutritive characteristics) is vital for effective pasture management. Remotely sensed data can be used to predict pasture quantity and quality. This study investigated the ability of Sentinel-2 multispectral bands, convolved from proximal hyperspectral data, in predicting various pasture quality and quantity parameters. Field data (quantitative and spectral) were gathered for experimental plots representing four pasture types—perennial ryegrass monoculture and three mixtures of swards representing increasing species diversity. Spectral reflectance data at the canopy level were used to generate Sentinel-2 bands and calculate normalised difference indices with each possible band pair. The suitability of these indices for prediction of pasture parameters was assessed. Pasture quantity parameters (biomass and Leaf Area Index) had a stronger influence on overall reflectance than the quality parameters. Indices involving the 1610 nm band were optimal for acid detergent fibre, crude protein, organic matter and water-soluble carbohydrate concentration, while being less affected by biomass or LAI. The study emphasises the importance of accounting for the quantity parameters in the spectral data-based models for pasture quality predictions. These explorative findings inform the development of future pasture quantity and quality models, particularly focusing on diverse swards.
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Ward, P. R., R. A. Lawes, and D. Ferris. "Soil-water dynamics in a pasture-cropping system." Crop and Pasture Science 65, no. 10 (2014): 1016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp14046.
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Pasture cropping is a farming system in which annual crops are sown into established perennial pastures. It may provide environmental benefits such as increased groundcover and reduced deep drainage, while allowing traditional crop production in the Mediterranean-style climate of south-western Australia. In this research, we investigated deep drainage and the temporal patterns of water use by a subtropical perennial grass, annual crops, and a pasture-cropping system over a 4-year period. Both the pasture and pasture-cropped treatments reduced deep drainage significantly, by ~50 mm compared with the crop treatment. Competition between the pasture and crop components altered patterns of average daily water use, the pasture-cropped treatment having the highest water use for July, August and September. Consequently, water-use efficiency for grain production was lower in the pasture-cropped plots. This was offset by pasture production, so that over a full 12-month period, water-use efficiency for biomass production was generally greater for the pasture-cropped plots than for either the pasture or crop monocultures. Pasture cropping may be a viable way of generating sustainable economic returns from both crop and pasture production on sandy soils of south-western Australia.
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Cenciani, Karina, Marcio Rodrigues Lambais, Carlos Clemente Cerri, Lucas Carvalho Basílio de Azevedo, and Brigitte Josefine Feigl. "Bacteria diversity and microbial biomass in forest, pasture and fallow soils in the southwestern Amazon basin." Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo 33, no. 4 (August 2009): 907–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0100-06832009000400015.
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It is well-known that Amazon tropical forest soils contain high microbial biodiversity. However, anthropogenic actions of slash and burn, mainly for pasture establishment, induce profound changes in the well-balanced biogeochemical cycles. After a few years the grass yield usually declines, the pasture is abandoned and is transformed into a secondary vegetation called "capoeira" or fallow. The aim of this study was to examine how the clearing of Amazon rainforest for pasture affects: (1) the diversity of the Bacteria domain evaluated by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), (2) microbial biomass and some soil chemical properties (pH, moisture, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, H + Al, and BS), and (3) the influence of environmental variables on the genetic structure of bacterial community. In the pasture soil, total carbon (C) was between 30 to 42 % higher than in the fallow, and almost 47 % higher than in the forest soil over a year. The same pattern was observed for N. Microbial biomass in the pasture was about 38 and 26 % higher than at fallow and forest sites, respectively, in the rainy season. DGGE profiling revealed a lower number of bands per area in the dry season, but differences in the structure of bacterial communities among sites were better defined than in the wet season. The bacterial DNA fingerprints in the forest were stronger related to Al content and the Cmic:Ctot and Nmic:Ntot ratios. For pasture and fallow sites, the structure of the Bacteria domain was more associated with pH, sum of bases, moisture, total C and N and the microbial biomass. In general microbial biomass in the soils was influenced by total C and N, which were associated with the Bacteria domain, since the bacterial community is a component and active fraction of the microbial biomass. Results show that the genetic composition of bacterial communities in Amazonian soils changed along the sequence forest-pasture-fallow.
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Dos Reis, Aliny A., João P. S. Werner, Bruna C. Silva, Gleyce K. D. A. Figueiredo, João F. G. Antunes, Júlio C. D. M. Esquerdo, Alexandre C. Coutinho, Rubens A. C. Lamparelli, Jansle V. Rocha, and Paulo S. G. Magalhães. "Monitoring Pasture Aboveground Biomass and Canopy Height in an Integrated Crop–Livestock System Using Textural Information from PlanetScope Imagery." Remote Sensing 12, no. 16 (August 6, 2020): 2534. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12162534.
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Fast and accurate quantification of the available pasture biomass is essential to support grazing management decisions in intensively managed fields. The increasing temporal and spatial resolutions offered by the new generation of orbital platforms, such as Planet CubeSat satellites, have improved the capability of monitoring pasture biomass using remotely sensed data. Here, we assessed the feasibility of using spectral and textural information derived from PlanetScope imagery for estimating pasture aboveground biomass (AGB) and canopy height (CH) in intensively managed fields and the potential for enhanced accuracy by applying the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm. Our results demonstrated that the texture measures enhanced AGB and CH estimations compared to the performance obtained using only spectral bands or vegetation indices. The best results were found by employing the XGBoost models based only on texture measures. These models achieved moderately high accuracy to predict pasture AGB and CH, explaining 65% and 89% of AGB (root mean square error (RMSE) = 26.52%) and CH (RMSE = 20.94%) variability, respectively. This study demonstrated the potential of using texture measures to improve the prediction accuracy of AGB and CH models based on high spatiotemporal resolution PlanetScope data in intensively managed mixed pastures.
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BRUM, MARCOS DA SILVA, VINICIUS DOS SANTOS CUNHA, THOMAS NEWTON MARTIN, PEDRO GARDIN ALESSIO, and GUILHERME ARISMENDI ALMEIDA. "BLACK OAT AND RYEGRASS INOCULATED WITH Azospirillum brasilense IN CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEM." Revista Caatinga 34, no. 2 (June 2021): 276–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252021v34n204rc.
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ABSTRACT The success of the integrated crop-livestock system depends on the correct pasture management, particularly regarding nitrogen fertilization and grazing intensity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the total production of forage and the proportion of the botanical and structural components of black oat and annual ryegrass mixture. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replicates and the treatments were arranged in a three-factorial scheme: seed inoculation (with and without Azospirillum brasilense inoculation), grazing management (conventional grazing, where the animals were kept in pasture with no control of pasture height; 30, 20 and 10 cm at the end of grazing, and a control without grazing), and nitrogen fertilization (0, 50 and 100 kg nitrogen ha-1). In treatments with pasture heights where grazing ended at 30, 20 and 10 cm, the height was monitored and biomass was collected when the animals entered and exited the plots. Manual separation of the components was used to determine the dry mass of green leaves, stems, senescent material and inflorescence. Total dry mass production was obtained based on the initial forage mass plus the daily accumulation rates. The proportion of structural components varied according to the different grazing managements, nitrogen doses and inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense. Biomass production of black oat and ryegrass mixture was increased by nitrogen application and Azospirillum brasilense inoculation.
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Crawford, Michael C., Peter R. Grace, W. (Bill) D. Bellotti, and J. Malcolm Oades. "Root production of a barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) pasture, a barley grass (Hordeum leporinum) pasture, and a faba bean (Vicia faba) crop in southern Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 48, no. 8 (1997): 1139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/a97006.
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Total root biomass production of a grazed annual legume pasture (Medicago truncatula), a grazed annual grass pasture (Hordeum leporinum), and a grain legume crop (Vicia faba) was estimated using a sequential coring and summation technique with corrections made for root death and decomposition during the season. Distribution of live root biomass with depth and C: N ratios of roots were also determined. Both in a dry season and in a season of average rainfall, total root biomass production of the 2 pasture species was similar and always greater than the faba beans. Total root biomass production estimated using this technique was 60-200% greater than the maximum live root biomass, suggesting that there was significant root turnover during the season. In the dry season, the ratios of total root production to total shoot production were 0·55, 0·57, and 0·32 for the barrel medic, barley grass, and faba beans, respectively, and in the wetter season, the ratios were 0·40, 0·42, and 0·25, respectively. Potential errors in the technique related to the recovery of root material and the decomposition of dead roots and old organic material are discussed, as are the implications of this information for soil organic matter dynamics.
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Silva, Andréa Scaramal da, Arnaldo Colozzi Filho, André Shigueyoshi Nakatani, Sérgio José Alves, Diva de Souza Andrade, and Maria de Fátima Guimarães. "MICROBIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS UNDER AN INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEM." Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo 39, no. 1 (February 2015): 40–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/01000683rbcs20150185.
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Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLs) are a viable strategy for the recovery and maintenance of soil characteristics. In the present study, an ICL experiment was conducted by the Instituto Agronômico do Paraná in the municipality of Xambre, Parana (PR), Brazil, to evaluate the effects of various grazing intensities. The objective of the present study was to quantify the levels of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil enzymatic activity in an ICL of soybean (summer) and Brachiaria ruziziensis (winter), with B. ruziziensis subjected to various grazing intensities. Treatments consisted of varying pasture heights and grazing intensities (GI): 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm (GI-10, GI-20, GI-30, and GI-40, respectively) and a no grazing (NG) control. The microbial characteristics analysed were MBC, microbial respiration (MR), metabolic quotient (qCO2), the activities of acid phosphatase, β-glucosidase, arylsuphatase, and cellulase, and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis. Following the second grazing cycle, the GI-20 treatment (20-cm - moderate) grazing intensity) contained the highest MBC concentrations and lowest qCO2 concentrations. Following the second soybean cycle, the treatment with the highest grazing intensity (GI-10) contained the lowest MBC concentration. Soil MBC concentrations in the pasture were favoured by the introduction of animals to the system. High grazing intensity (10-cm pasture height) during the pasture cycle may cause a decrease in soil MBC and have a negative effect on the microbial biomass during the succeeding crop. Of all the enzymes analyzed, only arylsuphatase and cellulase activities were altered by ICL management, with differences between the moderate grazing intensity (GI-20) and no grazing (NG) treatments.
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Karimian, Arash, Mahmood A. Mahdavi, and Reza Gheshlaghi. "Algal cultivation strategies for enhancing production of Chlorella sorokiniana IG-W-96 biomass and bioproducts." Algal Research 62 (March 2022): 102630. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2022.102630.
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Cookson, W. R., J. S. Rowarth, and K. C. Cameron. "The fate of residual nitrogen fertiliser applied to a ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) seed crop." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 51, no. 2 (2000): 287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar99085.
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Large amounts of the nitrogen (N) fertiliser applied to ryegrass seed crops remain within the soil at seed harvest and can potentially affect subsequent pasture production and environmental contamination. The fate of residual urea-15N-labelled fertiliser and the effect of previous fertiliser application on subsequent leaching losses and pasture production was assessed during a 9-month period after seed harvest using monolith lysimeters (diameter, 180 mm; length, 300 mm) in Canterbury, New Zealand. Results indicated that leaching losses and pasture uptake of residual 15N-labelled fertiliser were largely restricted by the immobilisation of 15N-labelled fertiliser into soil organic pools and the expanding root mass. Most of the 15N-labelled fertiliser remaining in the soil 9 months after the seed harvest was present within the humified organic matter (50%) and microbial biomass (40%) pools; the majority (62%) was anaerobically mineralisable. The 15N-labelled fertiliser that became available was largely recovered in rapidly expanding ryegrass roots, which increased 3–4-fold between seed harvest (December 1997) and pasture harvest (September 1998). Root mass, soil mineral N, and soil microbial biomass N were significantly (P < 0.05) greater in fertilised treatments than in controls at pasture harvest; clay-fixed N, anaerobically mineralisable N, and total N were not affected. The results indicated that, in the short term, N mineralisation rates were increased by previous fertiliser application but there was little evidence of a longer term effect on N mineralisation rates.
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Robertson, FA, and WC Morgan. "Effects of management history and legume green manure on soil microorganisms under ‘organic’ vegetable production." Soil Research 34, no. 3 (1996): 427. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9960427.
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Pasture and conventionally cultivated vegetable cropping land were converted to ‘organic’ vegetable cropping, where synthetic fertilisers and pesticides were not used. Compost was applied and 0, 1, or 2 legume green manure crops grown in rotations. Soil bacterial numbers and fungal hyphal length (microscopic observation), microbial biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) (fumigation–incubation): and water content were monitored over 18 months. All variables were initially greater in ex-pasture than in ex-vegetable soils. Bacterial count declined during the first 6 months under both ex-pasture and ex-vegetable, and after 2 months there was no difference between histories. Microbial biomass C and N declined during the first 6 months in ex-pasture soils, but remained larger than in ex-vegetable soils, in which there was little change in microbial biomass C and N with time. Fungal hyphal length showed no decline with time and remained greater under ex-pasture. Soil water content was greater under ex-pasture for the duration of tile experiment. Crop rotation had no effect in ex-pasture soils. In ex-vegetable soils, water content, fungal hyphal length, and microbial C and N were increased by the inclusion of 2 (and sometimes 1) legume phases in the relation, but only after the legume residues had been substantially decomposed. The history and rotation effects were attributed to greater organic matter and water contents.
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Thomas, Dean T., Roger A. Lawes, Katrien Descheemaeker, and Andrew D. Moore. "Selection of crop cultivars suited to the location combined with astute management can reduce crop yield penalties in pasture cropping systems." Crop and Pasture Science 65, no. 10 (2014): 1022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13436.
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Pasture cropping is an emerging farming-systems practice of southern Australia, in which winter grain crops are sown into an established stand of a winter-dormant, summer-growing perennial pasture. There is a pressing need to define times, locations and climates that are suitable for pasture cropping. To evaluate effects of management interventions, agro-environment, and possible interactions on crop and pasture productivity associated with pasture cropping, an AusFarm® simulation model was built to describe a pasture-cropping system based on annual crop and subtropical grass. The model was parameterised using data from field research on pasture cropping with barley cv. Buloke and a C4 subtropical grass, Gatton panic (Panicum maximum cv. Gatton), conducted at Moora, Western Australia. The simulation was run over 50 years using the historical climate data of five southern Australian locations (Cunderdin, Jerdacuttup, Mingenew, and Moora in Western Australia, and Karoonda in South Australia). Two wheat cultivars and one barley crop were considered for each location, to examine the impact of crop phenology on this farming system. Jerdacuttup and Moora favoured pasture cropping, with average barley-yield penalties of 10 and 12%. These locations were characterised by colder growing seasons, more plant-available water at anthesis, and more winter–spring rain. The cereal crops did not rely on stored soil moisture, growing instead on incident rain. The winter–spring growth of the Gatton panic pasture was highest at Mingenew. This generated a high yield penalty, 38% loss under pasture cropping, compared with the other locations. Changing the efficacy of a herbicide application to the pasture when the crop was sown had a strong effect on yield. Yield penalties at Moora and Mingenew reduced to 7 and 29%, respectively, when the proportion of live biomass killed by the herbicide was doubled. Utilisation of soil moisture by the Gatton panic pasture during summer and early autumn had little effect on subsequent grain yield, whereas reduced pasture growth during the winter–spring growing period had a substantial effect on crop yield. Pasture cropping can therefore succeed in agro-climatic regions where crops can be grown on incident rain and pasture growth is suppressed through low temperature or herbicide. Perennial pasture growth should be minimised during the crop growing period through the management of crop sowing date, nitrogen fertiliser application and C4 grass suppression to minimise the effect on stored soil water at crop anthesis.
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Thomson, C. J., C. K. Revell, N. C. Turner, M. A. Ewing, and I. F. Le Coultre. "Influence of rotation and time of germinating rains on the productivity and composition of annual pastures in Western Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 49, no. 2 (1998): 225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/a94082.
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A long-term rotation experiment located in south-western Australia was used to measure the effect of rotation and time of germinating rains on the productivity and botanical composition of grazed annual pastures in 2 contrasting seasons in an environment with an average annual rainfall of 325 mm. The density of self-regenerating seedlings of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum), capeweed (Arctotheca calendula), and grasses (Lolium rigidum, Hordeum leporinum, Bromus diandrus) was greatly increased (approx. 3 times the density) when there was a second year of pasture after crop compared with the first year after crop. The lower plant density resulted in first-year pastures having only about 33% of the autumn biomass accumulation of second-year pastures. This difference in early pasture growth had no effect on total pasture production in 1992, but in 1993 total pasture production was 30% greater in second-year pastures compared with first-year pastures. Botanical composition varied between and within seasons with the percentage of subterranean clover increasing throughout the season and the percentage of capeweed decreasing throughout the season. Grasses comprised <20% of the biomass in all seasons and treatments. Production of subterranean clover seed in 1993 was higher in a 1 : 2 crop-pasture rotation than in a 1 : 1 crop-pasture rotation and direct drilling in the cropping phase increased seed set compared with conventional tillage in both 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 crop-pasture rotations. Capeweed seedlings emerged in large numbers after rainfall between February and May and subsequently showed a relative growth rate twice that of subterranean clover and the grasses, but exclusion of rainfall until June resulted in a significant reduction in the emergence of capeweed seedlings. Additionally, capeweed had a lower rate of seedling survival compared with other pasture species, and this is contrary to observations by other researchers that capeweed is highly resistant to moisture stress during early growth.
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Ferrández-Villena, Manuel, Antonio Ferrández-García, Teresa García-Ortuño, and María T. Ferrández-García. "Evaluation of the use of vineyard pruning biomass (bobal variety) in constructive bioproducts." BioResources 17, no. 4 (October 5, 2022): 6542–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.15376/biores.17.4.6542-6555.
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The use of by-products from agricultural and forestry activity, apart from many other environmental benefits, constitutes an alternative source of income, cost reduction, and support for the principles of the circular economy. The bobal grape is a variety of red grape that is cultivated on 65 thousand hectares only in Spain. Periodic maintenance of the crop must be carried out through winter pruning from December to March. The pruning biomass is burned or crushed and incorporated into the soil, producing environmental contamination and disease transmission. The objective of this work was to use the biomass from vineyard residues in the production of binderless particleboards without using any adhesives, thereby obtaining an ecological product that would benefit the environment. In the manufacturing process, the press temperature (130 °C) and pressure (2.6 MPa) were fixed, varying the particle size (<0.25, 0.25 to 1.00, and 1.00 to 2.00), and the pressing time (15, 30, and 45 min). The results showed that by using particles smaller than 0.25 mm and applying 45 min in the hot press, panels were manufactured that are suitable for general use in a dry environment and for the manufacture of furniture according to European standards.
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Ferraz-Almeida, Risely, and Raquel Pinheiro da Mota. "Routes of Soil Uses and Conversions with the Main Crops in Brazilian Cerrado: A Scenario from 2000 to 2020." Land 10, no. 11 (October 26, 2021): 1135. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land10111135.
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The Brazilian Savannah, also known as Cerrado Biome, is a hotspot for Brazilian biodiversity. The hypothesis tested in this study is that there are diverse routes of soil uses for agriculture production in Cerrado, derived mainly from areas with pasture (natural and planted) due to the decrease in Cerrado deforestation in the last 20 years (from 2000 to 2020). The aim of this study was (i) to determine the profile of crop production in Brazilian Cerrado; (ii) to demonstrate the routes of soil uses during the last 20 years; (iii) to demonstrate the increase of soybean and corn production in Cerrado. The design of the study was based on data of (i) the accumulation of biomass and carbon in Cerrado; (ii) production area and yield of corn, soybean, coffee, sugarcane, cotton, and pasture (natural and planted); (iii) Cerrado deforestation. Results showed that the vegetation of Cerrado promotes a higher accumulation of biomass and carbon on the subsurface, followed by accumulation in the surface, deadwood, and litter. In the last 20 years, there has been a reduction of 75% in deforestation and an increase of 66% in crop areas and 78% in crop yield. However, there was no clear reduction in deforestation specifically in the Matopiba region. In Minas Gerais/MG, Goiás/GO, and Mato Grosso/MT, there were higher productions of coffee/MG, soybean/MT, corn/MT, sugarcane/MG-GO, and cotton/MT. Planted pasture (and not natural pasture) covered the larger areas, representing 75% of the total area with pasture. The low routes of soil uses from deforestation to (i) planted pasture and (ii) crop production explained the decrease in deforestation. The increases in yield and crop areas are explained by the routes from pasture (planted and natural) to agriculture. Our results provided clear insights that programs of Cerrado preservation should continue the decrease of deforestation with the sustainable development in agriculture, mainly in the Matopiba region where there was no clear decrease in deforestation in the last 20 years.
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Grekul, Chad W., and Edward W. Bork. "Herbage Yield Losses in Perennial Pasture Due to Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)." Weed Technology 18, no. 3 (September 2004): 784–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1614/wt-03-196r.
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Although the impact of Canada thistle (CT) on annual crop production is relatively well established, few investigations report on this weed's impact within perennial pastures. This field study assessed herbage yield losses within eight central Alberta pastures from 1999 to 2001. Each pasture was sampled in 1999 to quantify thistle and herbage biomass within 25 permanent plots. CT was controlled in 2000 and the response of vegetation measured in 2000 and 2001. Before removal, significant negative relationships (P < 0.05) between thistle abundance and herbage were noted at six sites. After thistle removal, herbage at several sites displayed positive responses. Both thistle density and biomass adequately predicted herbage yield loss. Yield losses due to CT can be substantial, peaking at 2 kg/ha for each kilogram of standing thistle biomass and 4.3 kg/ha with each additional thistle stem per square meter. Demonstrated yield losses were variable among sites however, likely due to factors such as heterogeneity in soils, available moisture, and variation in disturbance history or pasture vegetation composition. CT management in perennial pastures of western Canada may enhance pasture production, but further research is required to reliably predict the ability of pastures to respond.
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Dove, H., J. A. Kirkegaard, W. M. Kelman, S. J. Sprague, S. E. McDonald, and J. M. Graham. "Integrating dual-purpose wheat and canola into high-rainfall livestock systems in south-eastern Australia. 2. Pasture and livestock production." Crop and Pasture Science 66, no. 4 (2015): 377. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp14201.
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In south-eastern Australia, low winter temperatures often reduce pasture growth and thus winter herbage supply relative to livestock requirements. Grazing of vegetative grain crops in winter is one strategy that might overcome this feed gap. In a study with young sheep over two seasons near Canberra, ACT, we compared pasture-only grazing with three separate crop–livestock systems in which the sheep grazed long-season wheat, winter canola or a combination of these, for intervals over the period May–August. We measured forage biomass, sheep grazing days (SGD) and liveweight accumulated per ha. Crop-grazing treatments resulted in much more winter forage for grazing sheep (t DM ha–1): in 2010, one crop 2.5–3.0, two crops 3.5 v. pasture only 1; in 2011, one crop 2, two crops 3 v. pasture only 1.4. In the first season, grazing one crop resulted in ~2000 extra SGD ha–1 and the accumulation of more liveweight per ha than in the pasture-only treatment; grazing of two crops resulted in >3500 extra SGD ha–1. Equivalent values in the second, drier season were: one crop, ~1000 extra SGD ha–1; two crops, 2600 extra SGD ha–1. Spelling of pastures during crop grazing led to extra pasture growth, such that in each of the two seasons, 40% of the total benefit in extra SGD per ha came from the extra pasture. The results indicate that, like grazed wheat, grazed canola can provide valuable winter forage, especially when used together with wheat. The data also provide the first quantification of the effect of crop grazing on pasture spelling and subsequent pasture supply, and suggest value in the incorporation of grazing wheat and canola into grazing systems in the high-rainfall zone.
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Lawes, R. A., P. R. Ward, and D. Ferris. "Pasture cropping with C4 grasses in a barley–lupin rotation can increase production." Crop and Pasture Science 65, no. 10 (2014): 1002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13442.
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In southern Australia, intercropping, pasture cropping and overcropping have evolved as techniques to address environmental problems such as dryland salinity and wind erosion and to utilise soil water outside the conventional winter-dominant growing season. We paired three winter-dormant pastures, including two subtropical C4 perennial species (Rhodes grass, Chloris gayana; Gatton panic, Megathyrsus maximus) and the summer-active perennial C3 legume siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum), with a conventional barley (Hordeum vulgare)–lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) rotation to explore the extent to which different summer-active species reduced crop yields. We also examined whether the competition for resources could be altered by supplying increased nitrogen to the crop and changing the row spacing of the pasture. Under high-input conditions, pasture reduced cereal crop yields by up to 26% and lupin yields by up to 29%. Under low-input conditions, pasture cropping did not significantly reduce crop yield, and frequently increased crop yields. With low inputs, barley yield increases in 2011 ranged from 23% to 31%. In lupins under low-input conditions, yield increases ranged from 91% to 106% in 2010 and from –6% to +39% in 2012. The impact of the crop on the pasture was less pronounced, where the timing of pasture growth was delayed by the crop, but absolute levels of production were not influenced by the crop. Row spacing altered the temporal dynamic of pasture production; initially, the pasture produced less than the narrow spaced equivalent, but after 2 years, production exceeded that in the narrow row. Across all pasture species in 2009 and 2012, winter pasture production reduced crop yield by 0.32 and 0.4 t grain/ha pasture biomass produced, implying that moderate yield losses occurred because pasture production was also moderate. In the other two years, winter pasture production did not affect crop yield, suggesting that the pasture was able to utilise resources surplus to crop requirements. In this environment, with this combination of crops and summer-active pastures, higher levels of inputs did not enhance crop yield in a pasture-cropping system. We suggest that grain yield losses are lower in the low-input system and this implies that, at some level, competition between the species was reduced in a nitrogen-limited environment and the extent of the competition depended on season.
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Gashe, Alemu, and Awoke Kassa. "Evaluation of Grazing Land Condition in Gozamen District, East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia." International Journal of Scientific Research in Environmental Science and Toxicology 3, no. 2 (March 27, 2018): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.15226/2572-3162/3/2/00117.
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The study was conducted in Gozamen district of East Gojam Zone of the Amhara region to assess the major feed resources, the grazing land condition, and the floristic composition and biomass yields of herbaceous species to generate baseline information which can be used for future management of grazing land resources in the area. The survey data was collected by interviewing a total of 120 households by random selection of two rural-kebeles from three altitudes [high, mid and low].To assess grazing land condition, the district was stratified into three altitudes [high, mid and low altitudes]. From each altitude, communal and enclosed grazing areas were selected randomly. From each altitude 8 composites and 12 composites from enclosed and 12 composites from communal grazing for herbaceous vegetation and 4 transects from each altitude of communal grazing were selected. Thus, a total of 72 quadrats were used for herbaceous and 12 transects for woody species. For the natural pasture condition assessment, analyses of variance [ANOVA] were carried out by the General Linear Model [GLM] procedure of SAS. Mean separation was tested using the least significant difference. The main feed resources to the livestock in all altitudes were natural pasture, crop residues and stubble grazing. During dry season, crop residues was the first livestock feed source followed by natural pasture in all altitudes. However, during wet season, natural pasture was the first livestock feed source followed by crop resides in all altitudes. In terms of dry matter [DM] crop residues contributed the highest proportion [66.7%] of the total feed sources. The DM obtained from crop residues significantly varied [P< 0.05] among the altitudes. The total annual estimated available feed supply to maintain the livestock in the area satisfied only 79.4%. The conservation of feed resources in the form of hay in high, mid and low altitudes was 38.5, 80, and 22.5%, respectively. But, none of the respondents used silage in the study area due to lack of knowledge how to make it. In the district, a total of 21 herbaceous species were identified [Table 4], from these 57, 24 and 19% were grasses, legumes and other species, respectively. Based on dry matter of biomass, Medicago polymorpha in high and mid altitudes and Eleusine floccifolia in low altitude were the dominant species. Altitude and grazing have effects on grazing land conditions and biomass production. The average dry matter yield of grasses, legumes and total biomass had a significant difference among altitudes in enclosed and communal grazing areas. The average dry matter yield of grasses, legumes, and total biomass were higher in enclosed area than communal grazing areas in all altitudes. There were a significant [P< 0.01] interaction of altitude and grazing on biomass and species composition. There were positive correlation of species composition, grass species composition and basal cover with biomass. Crop residues and natural pastures are the major feed resources in dry and wet seasons, respectively. The total annual dry matter does not meet the total livestock requirement per annum in district. Further research and development work is recommended to alleviate feed shortage through different options such as development of improved forages and alternative means of crop residue utilization and conservation of feed in the form hay and crop residues. Keywords: Altitudinal range; Botanical composition; Crop residues; Dry matter; Feed balance; Grazing land types; Natural pasture;
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Thapa, R., D. R. Kemp, D. L. Michalk, W. B. Badgery, and A. T. Simmons. "Seedling recruitment of native perennial grasses within existing swards." Crop and Pasture Science 62, no. 7 (2011): 591. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp10212.
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Two field experiments, one each on Austrodanthonia spp. and Bothriochloa macra, investigated the effects of biomass manipulation, seed level modification, site preparation and pasture composition on the recruitment of native perennial grass seedlings. The experiments coincided with drier than average years and although successful emergence of seedlings occurred, survival was extremely low. In the Austrodanthonia experiment, control treatments resulted in the emergence of only 1 seedling/m2, whereas there were 130/m2 in the best treatment which had biomass cut with plant material removed, seed added, and the soil surface scarified. Insecticide treatments increased emergence as seed-harvesting ants are common in these systems, but the benefits were small. Similarly, B. macra had no emergence in the control treatment compared with 73 seedlings/m2 in the best treatment, which was pasture cropped, and had seed added and herbicide applied. Availability of microsites may be a major constraint to B. macra emergence, as soil disturbance through pasture cropping substantially increased seedling numbers (279/m2). The effects of herbicide on emergence were small with the largest being related to bare ground and litter biomass. Austrodanthonia seedling numbers at emergence were related to bare ground, litter and green biomass. Survival of young Austrodanthonia plants 24 weeks after emergence was negatively related to plant cover, but only in treatments where plant material was cut and removed. The success of survival was determined at 52 weeks after emergence and the number of young plants that survived in both experiments seemed to have been influenced by the presence of competitive biomass of existing plants.
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Pidlisnyuk, Valentina, Andriy Herts, Volodymyr Khomenchuk, Aigerim Mamirova, Oleksandr Kononchuk, and Sergey Ust’ak. "Dynamic of Morphological and Physiological Parameters and Variation of Soil Characteristics during Miscanthus × giganteus Cultivation in the Diesel-Contaminated Land." Agronomy 11, no. 4 (April 18, 2021): 798. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040798.
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Miscanthus × giganteus (M. × giganteus) is a perspective plant produced on marginal and contaminated lands with biomass used for energy or bioproducts. In the current study, M. × giganteus development was tested in the diesel-contaminated soils (ranged from 250 mg kg−1 to 5000 mg kg−1) and the growth dynamic, leaves quantity, plants total area, number of harvested stems and leaves, SPAD and NPQt parameters were evaluated. Results showed a remarkable M. × giganteus growth in a selected interval of diesel-contaminated soil with sufficient harvested biomass. The amendment of soil by biochar 1 (produced from wastewater sludge) and biochar 2 (produced from a mixture of wood waste and biohumus) improved the crop’s morphological and physiological parameters. Biochar 1 stimulated the increase of the stems’ biomass, while biochar 2 increased the leaves biomass. The plants growing in the uncontaminated soil decreased the content of NO3, pH (KCl), P2O5 and increased the content of NH4. Photosynthesis parameters showed that incorporating biochar 1 and biochar 2 to the diesel-contaminated soil prolonged the plants’ vegetation, which was more potent for biochar 1. M. × giganteus utilization united with biochar amendment can be recommended to remediate diesel-contaminated land in concentration range 250–5000 mg kg−1.
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López-Sandin, Iosvany, Rosa M. Rodríguez-Jasso, Guadalupe Gutiérrez-Soto, Gilver Rosero-Chasoy, Shiva, K. D. González-Gloria, and Héctor A. Ruiz. "Energy Assessment of Second-Generation (2G) Bioethanol Production from Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Bagasse." Agronomy 12, no. 12 (December 7, 2022): 3106. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123106.
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Sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) provides a raw material rich in polysaccharides that can be converted into biofuel and other high-value-added bioproducts under the biorefinery concept. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on the availability of SSB fermentable sugars for bioethanol production, considering the energy balance of the process. For this, the biomass was subjected to one process, pre-saccharification simultaneous and fermentation (PSSF). Previously, the temperature, time, and particle size effect were determined, as well as the enzymatic load for the more significant release of monomeric sugars. It was observed that the increase in the pretreatment severity, defined by the severity factor [log(Ro)], resulted in a more significant release of sugar and energy consumption. In the PSSF, bioethanol production was 22.17 g/L, with a total energy consumption of 2.46 MJ/g of processed biomass, of which 79.14% was by concept of electricity.
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Eerens, J. P. J., S. S. Seefeldt, G. Garry, and M. L. Armstrong. "Controlling Californian thistle (Cirsium arvense) through pasture management." New Zealand Plant Protection 55 (August 1, 2002): 111–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.30843/nzpp.2002.55.3929.
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The impact of grazing pasture to different heights on the development of Californian thistle (Cirsium arvense) was simulated over two years in container trials Californian thistle field densities were simulated by transplanting seedlings into perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) that had been sown at 20 and 5 kg/ha respectively In a high fertility situation adding fertiliser did not influence Californian thistle development in the pasture sward Californian thistle grown without companion ryegrass and white clover grew the best reaching the highest levels of biomass (shoot and root material) and number of shoots (supra and subterranean) Californian thistle grown with the highest level of pasture competition fared the worst with the lowest level of biomass and number of shoots The results show that grazing to a higher residual severely reduces Californian thistle growth and is a useful tool to assist in the control of Californian thistle
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Pidlisnyuk, Valentina, Aigerim Mamirova, Robert Ato Newton, Tatyana Stefanovska, Oleksandr Zhukov, Viktoria Tsygankova, and Pavlo Shapoval. "The Role of Plant Growth Regulators in Miscanthus × giganteus Growth on Trace Elements-Contaminated Soils." Agronomy 12, no. 12 (November 29, 2022): 2999. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12122999.
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Soil contamination with trace elements (TEs) is a pressing problem limiting the cultivation of agricultural crops; however, the non-food energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus (M×g) can be grown on such soil. The effect of a new plant growth regulator (PGR), Kamethur, and conventional Charkor was studied when M×g was cultivated in TE-contaminated soils from Všebořice and Chomutov, in the Northern Czech Republic. Kamethur was beneficial for achieving a higher leaves and stem biomass (by 57.1 and 126%, respectively) in the more contaminated Všebořice soil, while Charkor increased only the leaves biomass (49.5%). Analysis of the comprehensive bio-concentration index showed that Charkor decreased stem accumulation of elements essential for plant development (EEs), as well as the potentially toxic (PTEs) elements, by 33.3 and 11.4%, respectively. Kamethur decreased stem accumulation of EEs by 11.4% and increased the accumulation of PTEs by 23.3%. Statistical evaluation of the current results and literature data illustrated the ability of Charkor to reduce the uptake of PTEs, which is critical for converting clean biomass to bioproducts. Further research should confirm the influence of PGRs on the bioparameters and phytoremediation processes of M×g at the field plantation level.
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Souza, Márcio Araújo de, Isis Tavares Vilas-Boas, Jôse Maria Leite-da-Silva, Pérsia do Nascimento Abrahão, Barbara E. Teixeira-Costa, and Valdir F. Veiga-Junior. "Polysaccharides in Agro-Industrial Biomass Residues." Polysaccharides 3, no. 1 (January 9, 2022): 95–120. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides3010005.
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The large-scale industrial use of polysaccharides to obtain energy is one of the most discussed subjects in science. However, modern concepts of biorefinery have promoted the diversification of the use of these polymers in several bioproducts incorporating concepts of sustainability and the circular economy. This work summarizes the major sources of agro-industrial residues, physico-chemical properties, and recent application trends of cellulose, chitin, hyaluronic acid, inulin, and pectin. These macromolecules were selected due to their industrial importance and valuable functional and biological applications that have aroused market interests, such as for the production of medicines, cosmetics, and sustainable packaging. Estimations of global industrial residue production based on major crop data from the United States Department of Agriculture were performed for cellulose content from maize, rice, and wheat, showing that these residues may contain up to 18%, 44%, and 35% of cellulose and 45%, 22%, and 22% of hemicellulose, respectively. The United States (~32%), China (~20%), and the European Union (~18%) are the main countries producing cellulose and hemicellulose-rich residues from maize, rice, and wheat crops, respectively. Pectin and inulin are commonly obtained from fruit (~30%) and vegetable (~28%) residues, while chitin and hyaluronic acid are primarily found in animal waste, e.g., seafood (~3%) and poultry (~4%).
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SOUSA, HEIRIANE MARTINS, AMANDA RIBEIRO CORREA, BÁRBARA DE MOTTA SILVA, SUZANA DA SILVA OLIVEIRA, DANIELA TIAGO DA SILVA CAMPOS, and FLÁVIO JESUS WRUCK. "DYNAMICS OF SOIL MICROBIOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES IN INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS IN THE CERRADO-AMAZONÔNIA ECOTONE1." Revista Caatinga 33, no. 1 (March 2020): 9–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252020v33n102rc.
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ABSTRACT The combination of grain and livestock production in integrated Crop-Livestock systems (iCLs) provide the opportunity to increase yields, improve soil attributes and ensure the sustainability of the agricultural system. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of seven land use systems on their microbiota. Five iCL systems were implemented in 2005 in Santa Carmem, MT, Brazil, with different rotating crops: iCL A (soybean/maize, preceded by two years with pasture), iCL B (rice/maize, preceded by two years with soybean/intercropped pasture), iCL C (soybean/maize, preceded by three years with pasture), iCL D (pasture/maize, preceded by five soybean/maize or millet intercropped with pasture) and iCL E (pasture/maize, preceded by three years with pasture). These were compared with two reference systems: a conventional soybean/maize succession system (CC) and native forest (NF). Soils were collected (0.00-0.20 m) and the population dynamics of fungi, bacteria, actinobacteria and cellulolytic microorganisms were evaluated over the course of two years (2012 and 2013). Likewise, carbon stocks of microbial biomass (CBM); metabolic quotient (qCO2); basal respiration (RB); acid (AP) and alkaline (ALP) phosphatases; β-glycosidase (BG) and urease of soil were assessed. The iCLs systems improved the performance of soil microbiota compared to the conventional system. The rotation of legume and grasses preceded by pasture in iCL A and C, increased the total fungi, bacteria, actinobacteria, enzymatic activity and CBM stocks. This fact contributed to an increased efficiency in environmental performance and added greater sustainability to the system.
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Billman, Eric D., Jessica A. Williamson, Kathy J. Soder, Danielle M. Andreen, and R. Howard Skinner. "Mob and rotational grazing influence pasture biomass, nutritive value, and species composition." Agronomy Journal 112, no. 4 (May 8, 2020): 2866–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20215.
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WILLIAMSON, H. D. "Estimating biomass of an improved pasture using SPOT HRV data." Grass and Forage Science 45, no. 3 (September 1990): 235–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.1990.tb01945.x.
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Latta, R. A., and A. Lyons. "The performance of lucerne - wheat rotations on Western Australian duplex soils." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, no. 3 (2006): 335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar04016.
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In field experiments on duplex soils in the south-eastern and central Western Australian wheatbelt, lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) was compared with subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) in pasture–crop rotations. Comparative pasture plant densities and biomass, soil water content, available soil nitrogen, wheat grain yield, and protein content were measured during 2 and 3 years of pasture followed by 2 and 1 year of wheat, respectively. Lucerne densities declined by 60–90% over the 3-year pasture phase but produced up to 3 times more total annual biomass than weed-dominant annual pastures and similar total annual biomass when annual pastures were legume dominant. Lower soil water contents were measured under lucerne than under annual pastures from 6 months after establishment, with deficits up to 60 mm in the 0–1.6 m soil profile. However, significant rain events and volunteer perennial weeds periodically negated comparative deficits. Wheat yields were lower following lucerne (1.3 t/ha) than following an annual pasture (1.8 t/ha) in a low-rainfall season, higher (3.7 v. 2.9 t/ha) in a high-rainfall season, and much higher when the previous annual pastures were grass dominant (3.4 v. 1.5 t/ha). Grain protein contents were 1–2% higher in response to the lucerne pasture phase. Overcropping wheat into a lucerne pasture of 19 plants/m2 reduced wheat grain yields, but a lucerne density of 4 plants/m2 reduced yields only where rainfall was low. The study has shown that lucerne–wheat rotations provide a productive farming system option on duplex, sodic soils in both the south-eastern and central cropping regions of Western Australia. This was most evident in seasons of above-average summer and growing-season rainfall and when compared with grass-dominant annual pastures.
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Beecher, HG, JA Thompson, PE Bacon, and BW Dunn. "Soil nitrogen supply to rice: crop sequence effects." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 34, no. 7 (1994): 987. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9940987.
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The effect of cropping sequence on soil nitrogen (N) supply to a rice crop was investigated using an in situ incubation technique in a direct drill system on a red-brown earth soil in south-eastern Australia. The crop sequences were (i) a rice crop in each of the previous 4 summers, (ii) rice then 4 seasons of annual pasture (long pasture phase), (iii) rice, 2 winter cereal crops then 2 seasons of annual pasture (short pasture phase), and (iv) rice then 4 winter cereal crops. This study was undertaken in the fifth year of the crop sequence experiment, when all sequences had returned to rice. Within the rice crop, fertilised (160 kg N/ha) and unfertilised plots were established on the burnt stubble portion of the main crop sequence plots. Nitrogen uptake in unfertilised plots ranged from 79 kg N/ha in continuously cropped rice treatments to 165 kg N/ha in short pasture phase treatments. Application of 160 kg N/ha at permanent flood increased N uptake to 207 kg N/ha for the short pasture treatment. Crop biomass and tillering varied with cropping sequence and increased with fertiliser nitrogen application. Crop sequence had little effect on soil mineral N content during the growing season. However, total soil N mineralisation during the season varied with both crop sequence and fertiliser application. The continuous rice sequence mineralised 119 kg N/ha, whilst the long pasture phase sequence mineralised 246 kg N/ha. Fertiliser application increased mineralised N to 267 and 337 kg N/ha for continuous rice and short pasture phase treatments, respectively. Nitrogen mineralisation rate peaked (4 kg N/ha.day) some 40-50 days after permanent flood, coinciding with panicle initiation and the period of high N demand in the rice crop. Increased N availability after panicle initiation resulted in significantly higher grain yields. This work demonstrates that both the magnitude and timing of N supply affects the grain yield of the rice crop. Nitrogen supply is affected by the previous crop sequences. Practical implications are that pasture phase length of highly clover-dominant pastures could be reduced (from 4 to 2 years) and still provide similar contributions of N to succeeding rice crops; that continuous rice growing might achieve high yields similar to rice in rotation with legume pastures with the judicious application of fertiliser N; and that these N fertiliser applications may have to be quite high to achieve grain yields similar to rice in rotation with legume pastures.
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Weston, Leslie A. "Cover Crop and Herbicide Influence on Row Crop Seedling Establishment in No-Tillage Culture." Weed Science 38, no. 2 (March 1990): 166–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0043174500056320.
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The establishment and management of nine cover crops in Kentucky production systems were evaluated in field experiments over a 2-yr period. ‘Wheeler’ rye, ‘Barsoy’ barley, and ‘Tyler’ wheat cereal grains produced greater biomass (180 to 260 g/m2) than the pasture species tall fescue, creeping red fescue, and white clover (55 to 110 g/m2). ‘Kentucky 31’ tall fescue, creeping red fescue, and white clover proved most difficult to control, and significant regrowth occurred regardless of herbicide or rate applied. HOE-39866 (1.7 kg ai/ha) was effective in rapidly controlling all cover crops except tall fescue by 30 days after application. Sethoxydim and fluazifop (0.4 and 0.3 kg ai/ha, respectively) effectively controlled the cereals and two ryegrass species. Glyphosate applied at 1.1 and 2.2 kg ai/ha was also effective, while 0.6 kg ai/ha controlled only cereal grain growth adequately. After chemical control, pasture grass plots contained fewest weeds/m2with some reductions likely due to density and regrowth of the sods. Cover crops were effective in suppressing weed growth at 45 days after chemical control. However, significant weed growth existed in all cover crop plots by 60 days after kill. Row crop establishment increased linearly with increasing glyphosate rate. Cereal grain covers provided the most compatible planting situations for greatest seedling establishment, with rye and wheat providing greatest weed suppression. Generally, increased weed suppression provided by a cover crop was accompanied by reduced row crop establishment, with greatest reductions observed in pasture grass plots. Cucumber was most easily established while snap pea was most difficult.
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Ferrell, Jason A., J. Jeffrey Mullahey, Joan A. Dusky, and Fritz M. Roka. "Competition of giant smutgrass (Sporobolus indicus) in a bahiagrass pasture." Weed Science 54, no. 1 (February 2006): 100–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.1614/ws-05-061r1.1.
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Field experiments were established in 1998 and 1999 to evaluate the effect of giant smutgrass competition and hexazinone application on bahiagrass forage yield. The experimental design was a split-plot, with low (< 20% groundcover), medium (20 to 70% groundcover), and high (> 70% groundcover) giant smutgrass density as the main plot factors and hexazinone application or no hexazinone application as the subplot factors. In 1998, without hexazinone, bahiagrass biomass accumulation was 1,164 kg ha−1mo−1under low giant smutgrass infestation but 590 and 154 kg ha−1mo−1under medium and high giant smutgrass densities, respectively. From harvests occurring 1 yr after hexazinone application, bahiagrass yield in the weed-free area was similar to that growing under low giant smutgrass density. However, as giant smutgrass density increased to moderate or high levels, bahiagrass yield was reduced relative to the weed free. Giant smutgrass biomass accumulation was also measured over time. Giant smutgrass biomass, in both years, increased dramatically in the late summer months at the medium and high densities but not at the low density. It was concluded that bahiagrass was competing with the giant smutgrass at low density and depressed late season growth but was not capable of doing so at higher infestation levels. A rapid increase in late-season giant smutgrass growth was partially explained by the fact that bahiagrass is a short day plant that begins to flower in mid- to late summer, and aboveground biomass production decreases in late summer. This shift in carbon allocation in bahiagrass would exert less competition on giant smutgrass and thus partially be responsible for the late season increase in giant smutgrass growth. Economic analysis performed on these data illustrated that a net loss of $15.20 per stocking unit (cow–calf pairs) would be realized if hexazinone were used to control low densities of giant smutgrass. However, a net gain of $29.28 and $55.75 per stocking unit was observed if hexazinone was used to control giant smutgrass that had reached medium or high levels of infestation, respectively. It was concluded from these data that giant smutgrass should not be controlled until densities reach approximately 35% infestation.
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Balota, Elcio Liborio, and Pedro Antonio Martins Auler. "Soil microbial biomass under different management and tillage systems of permanent intercropped cover species in an orange orchard." Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo 35, no. 6 (December 2011): 1873–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0100-06832011000600004.
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To mitigate soil erosion and enhance soil fertility in orange plantations, the permanent protection of the inter-rows by cover species has been suggested. The objective of this study was to evaluate alterations in the microbial biomass, due to different soil tillage systems and intercropped cover species between rows of orange trees. The soil of the experimental area previously used as pasture (Brachiaria humidicola) was an Ultisol (Typic Paleudult) originating from Caiuá sandstone in the northwestern part of the State of Paraná, Brazil. Two soil tillage systems were evaluated: conventional tillage (CT) in the entire area and strip tillage (ST) (strip width 2 m), in combination with different ground cover management systems. The citrus cultivar 'Pera' orange (Citrus sinensis) grafted onto 'Rangpur' lime rootstock was used. Soil samples were collected after five years of treatment from a depth of 0-15 cm, under the tree canopy and in the inter-row, in the following treatments: (1) CT and an annual cover crop with the leguminous species Calopogonium mucunoides; (2) CT and a perennial cover crop with the leguminous peanut Arachis pintoi; (3) CT and an evergreen cover crop with Bahiagrass Paspalum notatum; (4) CT and a cover crop with spontaneous Brachiaria humidicola grass vegetation; and (5) ST and maintenance of the remaining grass (pasture) of Brachiaria humidicola. Soil tillage and the different cover species influenced the microbial biomass, both under the tree canopy and in the inter-row. The cultivation of brachiaria increased C and N in the microbial biomass, while bahiagrass increased P in the microbial biomass. The soil microbial biomass was enriched in N and P by the presence of ground cover species and according to the soil P content. The grass species increased C, N and P in the soil microbial biomass from the inter-row more than leguminous species.
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Robertson, FA, RJK Myers, and PG Saffigna. "Carbon and nitrogen mineralization in cultivated and grassland soils in subtropical Queensland." Soil Research 31, no. 5 (1993): 611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9930611.
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Availability of N in the clay soils of the brigalow region of Queensland declines rapidly under sown pasture, but under continuous cultivation and cropping, it remains high enough to supply the needs of cereal crops for at least 20 years. The aim of this work was to determine whether the low availability of N under pasture was due to low microbial activity or to rapid re-immobilization of mineralized N. Microbial biomass C and N (0-28 cm) were 420 and 68 �g g-1 respectively in pasture soil but only 214 and 41 �g g-1 respectively in cultivated soil. Pasture soils respired more CO2 (Cresp) and mineralized less N (Nmin) than cultivated soils (219 and 93 �g C g-1 and 3.1 and 5.9 �g N g-1 respectively) during 10-day incubations over 2 years. Increased Crop under pasture was due to an increase in the amount rather than the specific activity of the microbial biomass. The smaller Nmin in grassland soils was due to more rapid immobilization rather than reduced gross mineralization of N, as the ratio Cresp : Nmin was larger and the ratio Nmin :biomass N was smaller in the grassland than in the cultivated soil. On prolonged incubation. with progressive loss of CO2 through respiration, Nmin increased and N immobilization decreased in the grassland soils. Prolonged incubation of the cultivated soils reduced Nmin because of C limitation. The above patterns of C and N mineralization in the grassland and cultivated soils helped to explain the differences in N availability in the two systems.
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Kizeková, Miriam, Radoslava Kanianska, Ľubica Jančová, Jozef Čunderlík, Zuzana Dugátová, and Jarmila Makovníková. "Above and Below Ground Biomass and Carbon Stock in Permanent Grasslands of Slovakia." Agriculture (Pol'nohospodárstvo) 65, no. 4 (December 1, 2019): 155–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/agri-2019-0016.
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Abstract This paper aimed to monitory the dry matter biomass production and carbon stocks of above-and below-ground biomass in five types of grasslands in Slovakia: i) lowland oversowed pasture ii) lowland hay meadows, iii) mesophilous pasture, iv) mountain hay meadows, v) abandoned grassland. Averaged over two cropping seasons the total above-and below-ground biomass differed significantly across the monitored grasslands. It ranged respectively from 2.18 to 7.86 t/ha and from 9.64 to 22.67 t/ha dry matter depending on the pedoclimatic condition and the botanical composition of each grassland type. Consequently, this resulted also in the carbon stocks in above-and below-ground biomass. Generally, the mean carbon stocks were 1.56 t/ha for above-ground biomass (24%) and 4.83 t/ha for below-ground biomass (76%). The botanical composition for all the grassland types was also described. The highest number of plant species (55) was observed in lowland hay meadow located in Slovak Karst, the lowest one (23) for the oversowed grassland located in Eastern Slovak Upland. This monitoring paper showed that semi-natural grassland habitats and improved grasslands as well are an important carbon sink, and they can play a key role in global climate change mitigation.
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Tavares, Cláudia S., Alice Martins, M. Leonor Faleiro, M. Graça Miguel, Luís C. Duarte, José A. Gameiro, Luísa B. Roseiro, and A. Cristina Figueiredo. "Bioproducts from forest biomass: Essential oils and hydrolates from wastes of Cupressus lusitanica Mill. and Cistus ladanifer L." Industrial Crops and Products 144 (February 2020): 112034. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.112034.
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Wangiyana, Wayan, and Peter S. Cornish. "Analyzing the impact of different dryland cropping histories in Southern NSW Australia on mycorrhizal colonization and biomass of upland cereal and legume crops in glasshouse." Journal of Sustainable Dryland Agricultural Systems 1, no. 1 (July 26, 2021): 24–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.29303/josdas.v1i1.52.
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This study aimed to examine the impacts of different cropping sequences of dryland crops in southern NSW Australia on root colonization levels by the native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of the soil and biomass weight of some upland cereal and legume crops (sorghum, oats, soybean, and sub-clover) grown on the soil samples in the glasshouse of the University of Western Sydney. The field soil samples were taken from southern NSW areas having different histories of dryland cropping, namely pasture only (PO), pasture-canola-wheat (PCW), and pasture-wheat (PW). For each category of cropping history, there were two sites sampled, each with two bulk field replicates. Each replicate of field soil sample was also analyzed for its content of nutrients and AMF spores and colonization levels of the field crop roots. The results indicated that there were no significant different in soil properties between categories of cropping history, except for Mg and Na contents, which were highest in PO than in PCW and PW soil. There were positive significant correlation between field root colonization and sub-clover colonization and soybean biomass, between total spores and colonization of sorghum and sub-clover, between available P and biomass of sorghum, sub-clover and oats, between Mg or Na and sorghum colonization, between Ca and oats biomass, and negative correlation between Mg and sorghum biomass. However, there were significant interaction between cropping history and several soil properties, indicating significant impacts of cropping history on the relationship between soil properties or AMF colonization and biomass of the glasshouse crops
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Komor, Agnieszka. "Przestrzenne zróżnicowanie produkcji biomasy rolniczej pochodzenia roślinnego w państwach UE w kontekście rozwoju biogospodarki." Zeszyty Naukowe SGGW w Warszawie - Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego 18(33), no. 1 (March 1, 2018): 100–110. http://dx.doi.org/10.22630/prs.2018.18.1.9.
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The aim of the article was to identify and assess the spatial diversity of agricultural biomass production of plant origin in EU countries as the basic raw material used to create bioproducts and bioenergy. The study uses statistical data obtained from EUROSTAT. The research period covered 2015. Descriptive and parametric statistics were used to interpret the study, and also the indicators of structure, density and intensity were used, as well as the Pearson correlation coefficient. The study found that in 2015 about 51,5% of plant biomass in agriculture produced in the EU were by-products - derived from crop residues, fodder crops and grazed biomass. The production of plant biomass was characterized by considerable spatial differentiation both in relation to biomass derived from arable crops (the leaders in this respect were: France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland) as well as to other biomass (Germany, France, Poland, Great Britain and Italy had the largest share). In 2015, nearly ¾ of the plant biomass produced in the EU was produced in seven countries (i.e. Germany, France, Poland, Great Britain, Spain, Italy and Romania). The analysis also included the dependences among the size of biomass production, the population potential of the country (measured by the share in the EU population) and the production potential of agriculture (measured in the share of agricultural land in the EU). This allowed the designation of four groups of countries.
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Serrano, João, Shakib Shahidian, Luís Paixão, José Marques da Silva, and Francisco Moral. "Management Zones in Pastures Based on Soil Apparent Electrical Conductivity and Altitude: NDVI, Soil and Biomass Sampling Validation." Agronomy 12, no. 4 (March 23, 2022): 778. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040778.
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The intensification of the Montado mixed ecosystem (agro–silvo–pastoral) is a current endeavor in the context of promoting the sustainability of extensive livestock production in the Mediterranean region. Increased pasture productivity and extensive animal production involves the use of technologies to monitor spatial variability and to implement differentiated management of pasture grazing, fertilization or soil amendment. An intermediate step should lead to the identification and demarcation of areas with similar characteristics (soil and/or crop development), known as homogeneous management zones (HMZ) to implement site-specific management strategies. In this study, soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and altimetry surveys were carried out in six experimental pasture fields with a non-contact electromagnetic induction sensor (EM38) associated with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. These ECa and topographic maps were used in geostatistical analyses for designing and establishing final classification maps with three HMZ (less, intermediate and more potential). The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), obtained from a proximal optical sensor, and soil and biomass sampling were used to validate these HMZ. From a practical perspective, these HMZ are the basis for preparation of fertilizer prescription maps and use of variable rate technology (VRT) in a Precision Agriculture project.
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Unkovich, Murray, Paul Sanford, John Pate, and Mike Hyder. "Effects of grazing on plant and soil nitrogen relations of pasture-crop rotations." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 49, no. 3 (1998): 475. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/a97071.
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Plant and soil nitrogen (N) fluxes were assessed in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) based pastures set-stocked at 8 sheep per hectare (light grazing) or grazed at a much higher, but variable, intensity to maintain 1400 kg standing dry matter per hectare (intensive grazing) through the addition or removal of sheep. Pasture composition and biomass production, herbage N concentration, plant nitrate (NO-3) utilisation, and N2 fixation by clover were assessed at 3-weekly intervals over the growing season. Soil ammonium (NH+4) and NO-3 availability were assessed at similar intervals using soil coring and in situ incubation cores. Seasonal pasture yield under light grazing was 11·5 t dry matter/ha compared with 7·9 t/ha under intensive grazing, the difference being mostly attributable to reduced grass growth under intensive grazing. However, there was essentially no difference between the pastures in total N accumulation (300 kg N/ha in the lightly grazed and 302 kg N/ha in the intensively grazed pastures). The lesser dry matter production under intensive grazing was compensated for by higher N concentration and increased clover content of the sward, and faster clover growth late in the growing season. N2 fixation by clover under intensive grazing (153 kg N/ha) was slightly greater than under light grazing (131 kg N/ha). Proportional dependence of clover on N2 fixation (%Ndfa) was similar under intensive grazing (78%) and light grazing (84%), despite higher continued availability of soil mineral N under intensive grazing. Uptake of soil N by the grass component amounted to 147 kg N/ha under light grazing v. 96 kg N/ha in the intensively grazed pasture, and for the clover was 18 and 40 kg N/ha, respectively. Capeweed (Arctotheca calendula L.), a common weed of south-west Australian pastures, was extraordinarily active in absorbing, storing, and reducing soil NO-3, especially when subjected to intensive grazing. After the 3 years of the grazing trial, the pastures were cultivated and cropped to oats, triticale, and canola and the biomass and N uptake of each crop assessed. Intensive grazing in the previous pasture resulted in increased availability of soil mineral N in the subsequent cropping phase and accordingly augmented crop N uptake and eventual grain protein levels relative to crops following lightly grazed pasture. The study indicated that intensive grazing before cropping may offer a useful management tool for improving N nutrition and yields of non-leguminous crops in pasture-crop rotations under the conditions prevailing in the south-west of Australia.
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Silva, Tallyta N., Jason B. Thomas, Jeff Dahlberg, Seung Y. Rhee, and Jenny C. Mortimer. "Progress and challenges in sorghum biotechnology, a multipurpose feedstock for the bioeconomy." Journal of Experimental Botany 73, no. 3 (October 13, 2021): 646–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erab450.
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Abstract Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the fifth most important cereal crop globally by harvested area and production. Its drought and heat tolerance allow high yields with minimal input. It is a promising biomass crop for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. In addition, as an annual diploid with a relatively small genome compared with other C4 grasses, and excellent germplasm diversity, sorghum is an excellent research species for other C4 crops such as maize. As a result, an increasing number of researchers are looking to test the transferability of findings from other organisms such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Brachypodium distachyon to sorghum, as well as to engineer new biomass sorghum varieties. Here, we provide an overview of sorghum as a multipurpose feedstock crop which can support the growing bioeconomy, and as a monocot research model system. We review what makes sorghum such a successful crop and identify some key traits for future improvement. We assess recent progress in sorghum transformation and highlight how transformation limitations still restrict its widespread adoption. Finally, we summarize available sorghum genetic, genomic, and bioinformatics resources. This review is intended for researchers new to sorghum research, as well as those wishing to include non-food and forage applications in their research.
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Roper, Margaret M., V. V. S. R. Gupta, and Daniel V. Murphy. "Tillage practices altered labile soil organic carbon and microbial function without affecting crop yields." Soil Research 48, no. 3 (2010): 274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr09143.
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A 7-year tillage experiment was conducted on a deep sand in the central wheat belt of Western Australia between 1998 and 2004 to evaluate the impact of tillage intensity [no-tillage (NT), conservation tillage (CT), and rotary tillage (RT)] on soil organic matter, microbial biomass and function, and crop yields in a wheat–lupin rotation. A fourth treatment (subterranean clover pasture, Pasture) with least soil disturbance was included as a comparison. By March 2004, total soil carbon (C) in NT and CT increased by 4.4 and 2.6 t/ha, respectively, to an average of 17.6 t/ha in the top 0.1 m of the soil profile. There was a loss of total soil C in RT (–0.5 t/ha), which was significant compared with the other 2 tillage treatments. Total soil C and nitrogen (N) contents in the pasture treatment were similar to those in NT and CT at the end of the experiment. Labile fractions of soil C responded more rapidly to tillage practice, with significant reductions by 2001 in light fraction C and dissolved organic C in the RT treatment compared with the other 3 treatments. The effect of RT on biology and function was seen early in the experiment and, compared with Pasture, NT, and CT, intense tillage in RT significantly reduced microbial biomass and cellulase activity in the surface 0.05 m by the third year of the experiment. However, at a depth of 0.05–0.10 m there were no significant differences between treatments. Grain yields in NT, CT, and RT were unaffected by tillage except in 2003, when lupin yield under RT (1.6 t/ha) was significantly less than under NT (2.0 t/ha) and CT (1.9 t/ha). Minimal differences between NT and CT are a reflection of the minimum disturbance in the CT treatment, although there were significant differences between CT and NT in microbial indices such as microbial quotient and metabolic quotient, suggesting a future divergence of these treatments.
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Banik, Bidhyut Kumar, Zoey Durmic, William Erskine, and Clinton Revell. "Anti-methanogenic advantage of biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus) over subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) from in vitro fermentation is maintained across growth stages and cutting treatments." Crop and Pasture Science 70, no. 3 (2019): 263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp18069.
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The annual forage legume biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus L.) offers a promising opportunity as a low-methanogenic, bioactive pasture for southern Australian grazing systems where subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is the dominant annual pasture legume. This in vitro study to assess methanogenic potential examined how growth stage and cutting of biserrula affect biomass, nutritive value and fermentative parameters including methanogenic potential compared with subterranean clover. Both species were grown in a glasshouse, where three growth-stage treatments comprised plant collection at vegetative, reproductive or maturity growth stages. Three cutting (simulated grazing) treatments included cutting at the vegetative or reproductive stage and an uncut control, with herbage collection at maturity. Methane production in biserrula was unaffected by the stage of growth. Other nutritive value and fermentative parameters varied significantly with growth stage, the highest fibre content and lowest crude protein (CP) being found at maturity. Regrowth from herbage cut at the reproductive stage had higher CP and lower biomass than other cut treatments. In biserrula, this regrowth also showed the highest fermentability of the three cutting treatments including elevated methane yield. Notwithstanding these treatment effects on fermentability, biserrula maintained its strong anti-methanogenic advantage over subterranean clover across all treatments, confirming its potential as an anti-methanogenic bioactive pasture.
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Oliveira, Willian Roberson Duarte de, Maria Lucrecia Gerosa Ramos, Arminda Moreira de Carvalho, Thais Rodrigues Coser, Antônio Marcos Miranda Silva, Manuel Messias Lacerda, Kleberson Worslley Souza, Robélio Leandro Marchão, Lourival Vilela, and Karina Pulrolnik. "Dynamics of soil microbiological attributes under integrated production systems, continuous pasture, and native cerrado." Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 51, no. 9 (September 2016): 1501–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0100-204x2016000900049.
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Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate the dynamics of soil microbiological attributes under integrated production systems, continuous pasture, and native cerrado. The study was conducted in a transition area from crop to livestock. Four areas with different land uses were evaluated: an integrated crop-livestock-forestry system (ICLFS), cultivated with Eucalyptus urograndis alley cropping, spaced 2x2 m between plants and 22 m between alleys; an integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS); besides two adjacent areas of native cerrado and continuous pasture, used as a reference. For the assessment of microbiological attributes, soil samples were taken in the 0.00-0.10, 0.10-0.20, and 0.20-0.30-m layers, in February 2012 and February 2014 (rainy season), and in July 2012 and September 2013 (dry season). In general, soil under native cerrado had the highest microbial biomass carbon (MBC) levels, while under the ICLFS it had the lowest ones. The ICLS increased MBC and microbial coefficient in the deeper soil layers, after two years of establishment. Basal respiration, microbial biomass nitrogen, and MBC are the soil microbiological attributes better able to differentiate the evaluated systems.
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Sudmeyer, R. A., T. Daniels, H. Jones, and D. Huxtable. "The extent and cost of mallee - crop competition in unharvested carbon sequestration and harvested mallee biomass agroforestry systems." Crop and Pasture Science 63, no. 6 (2012): 555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp12129.
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Mallee-based agroforestry has potential to provide farmers with new income sources derived from biofuels, biofeedstocks, and carbon sequestration. Although mallees are planted on >12 700 ha across the south-west of Western Australia, very little commercial harvesting of mallee has occurred to date. The development of biomass processing industries is constrained by lack of robust information regarding the productivity of integrated mallee and agricultural systems. This study addresses this constraint by quantifying the productivity and economics of agricultural crops and pastures growing in the competition zone adjacent to mallee belts at 15 sites across the Western Australian wheatbelt. The sites covered a range of climate and edaphic conditions, three mallee species (Eucalyptus polybractea R Baker, E. loxophleba ssp. lissophloia LAS Johnson and KD Hill, or E. kochii ssp. plenissima (CA Gardner) Brooker), various crop and pasture rotations, and various mallee harvest-management treatments. Mallee–crop competition was negatively correlated with rainfall and positively correlated with mallee age and size, and greater for crops than pasture. Consequently, extent and magnitude of competition were highly variable across sites and years. On average, mallee–crop competition extended 11.3 m from unharvested belts and reduced crop and pasture yields by 36% within 2–20 m of the mallee belts relative to open paddock yields. This is similar to what has been reported for taller tree species. Harvesting mallees reduced competition such that crop and pasture yield was reduced by 22 or 27% relative to open paddock yields for mallees harvested at 3- or 6+-year intervals, respectively. The economic cost of mallee–crop competition on agricultural enterprises was also highly variable between sites, and between years within individual sites. Averaged across all site-years, the opportunity cost of competition was equivalent to forgoing agricultural production for 14.4 m on each side of unharvested mallee belts, or 9–10 m on each side of harvested belts. Farmers with mallee agroforestry systems will need to manage the economic impacts of competition by reducing agricultural input costs in the competition zone, timing crop-grazing rotations with mallee harvests, ensuring that the width of alleys is at least 25 times the height of the mature trees, and possibly root-pruning mallees in unharvested or long harvest interval systems. This research has shown that mallee–crop competition presents a significant cost to farmers and must be considered when designing mallee agroforestry systems. The findings have relevance for the development of appropriate biomass and carbon sequestration pricing benchmarks for mallee plantings.