Influence of conservation tillage on winter bird use of arable fields in Hungary

Bird use of conservation tillage-established (CT—seedbed preparation without soil inversion) crops was assessed at two adjacent sites in western Hungary, in comparison with conventionally established (mouldboard ploughed—P) fields. Bird abundance was assessed in a typical rotation of spring-sown maize and winter wheat in three consecutive winters. In the first winter, several species and the guild of seed-eating passerines were significantly more abundant on CT established plots, in both crop types. In the second winter, only starlings were more abundant on CT plots. In the third winter, only skylarks favoured CT over P plots. In combination with agri-environment scheme measures designed to provide resources for biodiversity, conservation tillage could play a role in softening the impact of agriculture on farmland birds in Hungary and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, in addition to its potential for reducing soil erosion and diffuse pollution.     

MODELING SEDIMENT AND PHOSPHORUS LOSSES IN AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED TO MEET TMDLs1

ABSTRACT: This paper studies the effectiveness of alternative farm management strategies at improving water quality to meet Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) in agricultural watersheds. A spatial process model was calibrated using monthly flow, sediment, and phosphorus (P) losses (1994 to 1996) from Sand Creek watershed in south‐central Minnesota. Statistical evaluation of predicted and observed data gave r² coefficients of 0.75, 0.69, and 0.49 for flow (average 4.1 m³/s), sediment load (average 0.44 ton/ha), and phosphorus load (average 0.97 kg/ha), respectively. The calibrated model was used to evaluate the effects of conservation tillage, conversion of crop land to pasture, and changes in phosphorus fertilizer application rate on pollutant loads. TMDLs were developed for sediment and P losses based on existing water quality standards and guidelines. Observed annual sediment and P losses exceeded these TMDLs by 59 percent and 83 percent, respectively. A combination of increased conservation tillage, reduced application rates of phosphorus fertilizer, and conversion of crop land to pasture could reduce sediment and phosphorus loads by 23 percent and 20 percent of existing loads, respectively. These reductions are much less than needed to meet TMDLs, suggesting that control of sediment using buffer strips and control of point sources of phosphorus are needed for the remaining reductions.     

长期不同耕作方式对紫色水稻土重金属含量及有效性的影响

通过长期定位试验,研究了常规平作、水旱轮作、免耕冬水、垄作免耕和厢作免耕5种耕作方式对紫色水稻土剖面重金属(Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd)总量、有效量及水稻根、茎叶和糙米重金属含量的影响.结果表明,经过22 a的耕作,5种耕作方式对紫色水稻土剖面Fe、Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd总量的剖面分布状况影响不显著,而对土壤Mn的剖面分布状况影响显著,常规平作、水旱轮作及免耕冬水均导致表层土壤Mn向下层淋失.5种耕作方式下土壤Fe、Cu、Zn、Pb和Cd的有效量均随土层深度的增加呈降低趋势,而常规平作、免耕冬水、垄作免耕及厢作免耕土壤Mn有效量则表现出随土层深度的增加而增高的趋势.5种耕作方式下,表层土壤Fe、Mn有效量以水旱轮作最高,Zn、Pb有效量以常规平作最高,而Cu有效量受耕作方式的影响不显著.相关分析结果表明,表层土壤有效Fe与pH呈极显著的负相关关系,与有机质呈显著的负相关关系,有效Mn与pH和有机质均呈极显著的负相关关系,有效Zn与总Zn呈显著正相关关系.水旱轮作、垄作免耕及厢作免耕条件下水稻根部Fe、Mn含量,茎叶Fe、Mn、Cu、Cd含量,糙米Cu含量均高于常规平作和免耕冬水,水旱轮作能明显降低Cd向糙米的迁移系数,对降低糙米Cd含量有明显的效果,且水旱轮作条件下糙米Cd含量低于国家食品卫生标准.水稻根部Fe含量与pH呈极显著负相关关系,与有效Fe呈极显著正相关关系,根部Mn含量与pH呈极显著负相关关系,与有效Mn呈极显著正相关关系,茎叶中Mn含量与pH呈显著的负相关关系,与总Mn及有效Mn呈显著的正相关关系,茎叶和糙米Cu含量与pH均呈极显著的负相关关系,糙米中Zn含量与pH呈显著负相关关系,与CEC呈极显著正相关关系.结果表明,耕作方式主要通过影响土壤pH而影响土壤重金属的有效量及水稻重金属的含量,水旱轮作可提高表层土壤Fe、Mn活性,降低土壤Zn、Pb和Cd活性,并能在一定程度上降低糙米Pb、Cd含量,但也应注意长期的水旱轮作可能会导致表层土壤Mn过度向下层淋溶.     

A Note on the Use of Conservation Practices in U.S. Agriculture

This article measures the effect of an increase in productivityattributable to an increase in soil organic carbon associated with theincrease in the use of conservation practices in agriculture in theUnited States. Both the direct and indirect effects are calibrated. Theanalytical approach used consists of a dynamic computable generalequilibrium model composed of 14 producing sectors, 10 consumingsectors, seven household categories classified by income, and agovernment. The results suggest that the impact of a change inproductivity is an increase in output over a six year period starting in1998 in field crops. The most significant impact is felt in thelivestock sector. This is because field crops are a major input in theproduction of livestock. The food processing sector also exhibits arelatively large increase because of the increase in inputs of both fieldcrops and livestock. Manufacturing output increases primarily becauseoverall investment rises and most investment utilizes manufacturinggoods. The other producing sectors are generally unaffected by theincrease in agricultural production due to an increase in soil organiccarbon. Coincident with the increase in the production of field cropsis a relatively large decrease in the price of field crops. Othernoticeable price reductions occur in the livestock sector and the foodprocessing sector. For the consuming sectors, the consumption offood and alcohol and tobacco increase but consumption in all of theother sectors remains basically unchanged. Prices in the food andalcohol and tobacco sectors decline by about 1% while theprices in the other sectors remain static. Household welfare increasesin the aggregate by only 0.1% with this increase occurringuniformly across all household categories. Revenue received by thegovernment increases a modest 2% in response to an increase inoutput and, hence, an increase in taxes paid. The results indicate thatthere are significant production benefits for several sectors that can berealized by an increase in the use of conservation practices inagricultural production which, in turn, enhances soil organic carbon.There are a number of policy options available to promote the use ofconservation practices. These include education and technicalassistance, financial assistance, research and development, landretirement, and regulation and taxes.     

Water pressure head and temperature impact on isoxaflutole degradation in crop residues and loamy surface soil under conventional and conservation tillage management

Laboratory incubations were performed in order to evaluate the dissipation of the proherbicide isoxaflutole in seedbed layer soil samples from conventional and conservation tillage systems and in maize and oat residues left at the soil surface under conservation tillage. The effects of temperature and water pressure head on radiolabelled isoxaflutole degradation were studied for each sample for 21 d. Mineralisation of isoxaflutole was low for all samples and ranged from 0.0% to 0.9% of applied ¹⁴C in soil samples and from 0.0% to 2.4% of applied ¹⁴C in residue samples. In soil samples, degradation half-life of isoxaflutole ranged from 9 to 26 h, with significantly higher values under conservation tillage. In residue samples, degradation half-life ranged from 3 to 31 h, with significantly higher values in maize residues, despite a higher mineralisation and bound residue formation than in oat residues. Whatever the sample, most of the applied ¹⁴C remained extractable during the experiment and, after 21 d, less than 15% of applied ¹⁴C were unextractable. This extractable fraction was composed of diketonitrile, benzoic acid derivative and several unidentified metabolites, with one of them accounting for more than 17% of applied ¹⁴C. This study showed that tillage system design, including crop residues management, could help reducing the environmental impacts of isoxaflutole.     

吉林省玉米农田保护性耕作的环境影响评价

以吉林省玉米农田4种保护性耕作为例,应用生命周期评价方法(Life Cycle Assessment,LCA)系统综合地评价吉林省玉米农田不同保护性耕作模式对环境的潜在影响。结果表明,四种保护性耕作模式的能源消耗、温室气体排放、环境酸化和富营养化的潜在环境影响分别平均比传统耕作模式减少14.62%、82.82%、15.37%和15.28%,主要由氮肥的生产及施用引起;水体毒性、土壤毒性及人体毒性则分别比传统耕作高7.40%、6.42%和7.38%,主要由农药的施用引起。综合各种环境影响类型,尽管4种保护性耕作模式较传统耕作模式能显著减缓全球变暖,但对其他环境类型的改变不明显,其中水体毒性为该种植系统中最主要的环境影响类型,富营养化次之。     

SOIL EROSION AWARENESS AND USE OF CONSERVATION TILLAGE FOR WATER QUALITY CONTROL1

Water pollution through loss of topsoil from farmland continues to be a major problem, despite nearly 50 years of providing farmers technical and financial assistance for soil and water conservation. The technology for controlling erosion and water pollution is available, but farmers have been slow in implementing control practices. Past research has shown that farmers tend to be unaware of the seriousness of the erosion problem on their own operations. Using a random sample of farmers from central Iowa, the relationship is examined between awareness of a soil erosion problem and the use of conservation tillage. Results indicate that awareness of a soil erosion problem effects the use of conservation tillage, and that awareness can be enhanced by experiential educational strategies such as the development and implementation of a soil and water conservation plan.     

EFFECTS OF CROPPING SYSTEMS ON NO3-N LOSSES TO TILE DRAIN1

Abstract: Diverse cropping systems can have significant impacts on nutrient losses through tile drain systems and to surface water bodies (rivers and streams). Increased transport of nitrogen to water bodies can reduce dissolved oxygen and enrich the supply of nutrients, resulting in hypoxic zones. With the objective of reducing the transport of nutrients from agricultural watersheds, long term studies (1990 to 1998) were conducted in Iowa to investigate the impact of tillage, crop rotation, and N-management practices on NO₃-N leaching losses to tile drain water. Results of these studies indicated that continuous corn production systems required higher input of nitrogen fertilizers and resulted in significantly higher NO₃-N leaching losses compared to rotated corn in plots either fertilized with manure or urea ammonium nitrate. Also, rotated corn gave higher corn yields, 8 megagrams per hectare (Mg/ha) versus 6 Mg/ha, than continuous corn. The higher N application rates resulted in increased NO₃-N concentrations in tile water. A strip cropping system with alfalfa lowered NO₃-N concentrations in tile water to less than 10 mg/l. These studies indicated that better land use practices can reduce NO₃-N leaching losses to surface and ground water systems and will help in mitigating environmental concerns of the production agriculture.     

APPLICATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC MODELING SYSTEM FOR WATERSHED ASSESSMENTS1

ABSTRACT: A National Pilot Project (NPP) on Livestock and the Environment was initiated in 1992 to help provide solutions to environmental problems associated with livestock production. A major development of the NPP was the Comprehensive Economic and Environmental Optimization Tool‐Livestock and Poultry (CEEOT‐LP), an integrated modeling system designed to produce economic and environmental indicators for alternative policy scenarios applied to intensive livestock production watersheds. The system consists of a farm‐level economic model (FEM) and two environmental models: the field‐scale APEX model and the watershed‐level SWAT model. To date, CEEOT‐LP has been applied to two watersheds in Texas and one in Iowa. Predicted reductions in P losses for two P‐based manure application rate scenarios, relative to baseline conditions, ranged from ?4 to ?54 percent across the three watersheds; however, N loss impacts ranged from a decrease of 34 percent to an increase of 79 percent. For five other alternative scenarios that were simulated for only one watershed, N and P loss impacts ranged between a reduction of 78 percent to an increase of 20 percent. Aggregate watershed‐level economic impacts of the seven scenarios spanned a spectrum of a 27 percent decrease to a 25 percent increase in profit, relative to the baseline.     

EFFECTS OF SLUDGE AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON RUNOFF WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: Simulated rainfall was used on experimental field plots to compare the effect of chemical fertilizer and sludge application on sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus in runoff from no-till and conventional tillage systems. Chemical fertilizer application under the no-till system resulted in the least amount of total N and P in surface runoff. However, sludge application under the no-till system resulted in the least amount of NO₃-N and sediment in surface runoff. The worst water quality scenarios were observed when either sludge or chemical fertilizer were surface-applied under a conventional tillage system. Nitrogen losses from the conventional tillage system were minimized when sludge was incorporated into the soil. However, phosphorus and sediment yield from such a system were significantly higher when compared to phosphorus and sediment yield from the no-till system. The results from this study indicate that the use of sludge on agricultural land under a no-till system can be a viable alternative to chemical fertilizer for nitrogen and phosphorus control in runoff. A more cautious approach is recommended when the sludge is incorporated into the soil in a conventional tillage system because of potential for high sediment and phosphorus yield in surface runoff.