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Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems

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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Systems and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2024) | Viewed by 9286

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Prof. Dr. José Manuel Rato-Nunes

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Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Apartado 254, Elvas 7350, Portugal
Interests: fertilizers; organic residues valorization; continuous irrigation impacts on soil; water-use efficiency; climate change;

Special Issue Information

Agriculture is a crucial activity for our economy, providing food, raw materials, employment and income. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), agricultural activity represents almost 40% of world GDP and agricultural goods are responsible for 43% of world exports. These are particularly relevant data because, in a world where the global population will reach 8.3 billion inhabitants in 2030, it will be necessary to produce between 35% and 50% more food with less environmental impact, complying in a timely manner with adaptations to climate change. Soil tillage and fertilization are two crucial aspects of the necessary increase in crop productivity. If, on the one hand, the adoption of conservation mobilization techniques is fundamental as a way of guaranteeing the necessary sustainability of agro systems (especially in Southern Europe), cultural intensification and fertilization inherent to the need to increase productivity motivated by a growing food demand lead to the physical, chemical and biological degradation of the soil, reducing its ability to produce food in the medium/long term. Research in this area is necessary and urgent, with several works dedicated to analyzing the impact of different mobilization systems and fertilization methodologies on the sustainability of agro systems and on crop productivity. Among the research that has been carried out, emphasis should be placed on the search for new fertilizer products, the valuation of potentially polluting residues as agricultural fertilizers (often aimed at increasing the retention of carbon in the soil), the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing water use efficiency. It is our objective in this Special Issue to gather a set of research works on these topics. We invite all researchers working in the field to send their contributions so that we can gather relevant and up-to-date information that will allow more balanced decision-making from economic and environmental perspectives.

Prof. Dr. José Manuel Rato-Nunes
Guest Editor

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Keywords

fertilizers
agricultural waste valorization
soil productivity
GHG
water use efficiency
tillage
no-tillage systems
conservative agriculture

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Different Tillage Depths on Soil Physical Properties and the Growth and Yield of Tobacco in the Mountainous Chongqing Region of China

by Qingli Xiao, Weihao Zhao, Chenyi Ju, Kui Peng, Ming Yuan, Qizhong Tan, Rong He and Mingbin Huang

Agriculture 2024, 14(2), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020276 - 8 Feb 2024

Viewed by 699

Abstract

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is the most important cash crop in the mountainous Chongqing region, where mini rotary tillers are widely used for land preparation. The decline in tobacco yields has been partially attributed to deteriorating soil physical properties and the formation of plough pans as a result of the repeated use of the mini rotary tiller. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different tillage depths on soil physical properties and the growth and yield of tobacco. Three tillage depths were evaluated: mini rotary tillage to 15 cm (T15) as a control, medium-deep tillage to 25 cm (T25), and deep tillage to 35 cm (T35). Total porosity, capillary porosity, and soil water content were measured for each treatment, and the root distribution, agronomical traits, and dry matter accumulation were monitored at different growing stages. Tobacco yield and output value were determined following the harvest. Compared to T15, T35 significantly increased total porosity and capillary porosity in the 10–40 cm soil layer and soil water content in the 0–40 cm soil layer, while T25 improved soil physical properties but not significantly. T35 significantly promoted dry matter accumulation and root, stem, and leaf growth compared to T15, while differences in some agronomic traits between T25 and T15 were not significant. Compared to T15, T35 and T25 increased the tobacco yield by 17.2–18.9% and 8.0–10.1%, respectively, and increased the output value by 44.4–46.4% and 29.2–32.6%, respectively. The results indicate that deep tillage improves soil physical properties, breaks plough pans, stimulates root growth, and increases tobacco yield and output value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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19 pages, 2404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hedgerow Olive Orchards versus Traditional Olive Orchards: Impact on Selected Soil Chemical Properties

by José Rato-Nunes, José Telo-da-Gama, David Peña, Luís Loures, Angel Albaran, Damian Fernández-Rodríguez, Luis Vicente and António López-Piñeiro

Agriculture 2024, 14(2), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020251 - 3 Feb 2024

Viewed by 688

Abstract

Olive orchards cover over 10 million hectares worldwide, with production techniques undergoing significant changes in the past three decades. The traditional rainfed approach, involving minimal inputs, has given way to irrigated super-intensive systems with higher planting density, increased productivity, a greater use of fertilizers and phytopharmaceuticals, and total mechanization. Its impact on soil chemical properties remains a topic of great debate, and no definitive consensus has been reached. Our main objective was to examine the different effects of traditional olive orchards and super-intensive orchards on soil chemistry over a decade. We collected and analyzed 1500 soil samples from an irrigation perimeter in southern Portugal in 2003 and 2013. Our findings indicate that, compared to traditional olive orchards, super-intensive ones show, in a decade, a significant decrease in soil organic matter (less 22.8%—p < 0.001), namely due to the increase in mineralization caused by an increase in soil moisture content as a result of irrigation practice, and an increase in sodization (more 33.8% of Ext Na—p < 0.001) highlighting the importance of monitoring this factor for soil fertility. In comparison to other irrigated crops in the region, super-intensive olive orchards promote a significant soil acidification (from 7.12 to 6.58), whereas the pH values of the other crops increase significantly (3.3%, 13.5%, and 3.0% more in corn, tomato, and cereals, respectively). Mainly because of the decrease in organic matter levels with soil acidification and soil sodization, we can underline that hedgerow olive orchards can affect soil characteristics negatively when compared with traditional ones, and it is necessary to adopt urgent measures to counter this fact, namely sustainable agriculture practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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12 pages, 1765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen Fertilization Boosts Maize Grain Yield, Forage Quality, and Estimated Meat Production in Maize–Forage Intercropping

by Bruno R. Gilli, Camila S. Grassmann, Eduardo Mariano and Ciro A. Rosolem

Agriculture 2023, 13(12), 2200; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13122200 - 25 Nov 2023

Viewed by 898

Abstract

Crop–livestock integrated systems such as intercropping and crop rotation have been critical for sustainable agriculture, promoting land use intensification throughout the year. The success of these systems under no-till depends on numerous factors, and the choice of forage grass is paramount. In this study, maize grain yield, forage dry matter yield, bromatological quality, and estimated meat production were assessed in a field experiment where maize (Zea mays L.) was intercropped with Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus cv. Tanzania) and palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha cv Marandu) under N rates from 0 to 270 kg ha⁻¹. Nitrogen fertilization resulted in the highest forage dry matter yield, on average, 2.9-fold higher than the N-unfertilized treatments. The highest maize grain yield was obtained with 270 kg ha⁻¹ of N, 48% higher than all other treatments. Guinea grass intercropped with maize and fertilized with 270 kg ha⁻¹ of N resulted in an estimated meat production 27% higher than palisade grass at the same N rate. However, at the final cut, Guinea grass fertilized with 270 kg ha⁻¹ of N led to the highest neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and cellulose. While palisade grass seems to impose lower competition with maize, Guinea grass increases estimated meat production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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19 pages, 1682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Soil Organic Matter and Biological Parameters as a Result of Long-Term Strip-Till Cultivation

by Iwona Jaskulska, Joanna Lemanowicz, Bożena Dębska, Dariusz Jaskulski and Barbara Breza-Boruta

Agriculture 2023, 13(12), 2188; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13122188 - 23 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1012

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the impact that three cultivation systems—conventional till (CT), reduced till (RT), and strip-till one-pass (ST-OP)—had on the biological parameters of the soil and their relationships with organic matter properties in the row zone (R) and inter-row zone (IR). For this purpose, a long-term static field experiment was carried out, from which soil samples were taken from a depth of 0–20 cm and the following were determined: TOC; TN content and fractional composition of organic matter; activity of dehydrogenases (DEHs), catalase (CAT), alkaline (AlP), and acid phosphatase (AcP); and the abundances of heterotophic bacteria (B), filamentous fungi (F), actinobacteria (Ac), and cellulolytic microorganisms (Ce). Soil samples for biological parameter tests were collected in summer (July) and autumn (October). RT and ST-OP increase the content of TOC, TN, carbon, and nitrogen in the humic and fulvic acid fractions. For the studied groups of microorganisms, the conditions for development were least favourable under CT cultivation. The results show that in July, the activities of DEH and CAT were the highest in ST-OP, whereas in October, they were the highest under CT. AlP and AcP activity were markedly the highest under ST-OP in both months. Enzyme activity was significantly the highest in the IR zone. The results indicate that, of the calculated multiparametric indicators, (AlP/AcP, GMea, BIF, BA12, and TEI), BA12 is a sensitive biological indicator of soil quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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21 pages, 16982 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cultivation of Crops in Strip-Till Technology and Microgranulated Fertilisers Containing a Gelling Agent as a Farming Response to Climate Change

by Dariusz Jaskulski, Iwona Jaskulska, Emilian Różniak, Maja Radziemska and Martin Brtnický

Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1981; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101981 - 12 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1036

Abstract

Climatic and soil conditions are changing in response to the increasing human impact. This requires the introduction of low-cost, low-emission, but effective technologies in the field cultivation of crops, in turn requiring and justifying research in this area. In laboratory tests and field studies, the production and environmental effects of strip-till and the application of microgranular fertilisers with a gelling component were determined (and, in particular, their use in combination as a plant cultivation technology). These effects were measured in terms of soil properties, the biomass production, and the yields of maize (Zea mays L.), spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and winter rape (Brassica napus L.). Fertiliser microgranules with a gelling agent absorbed water in the amount of 118.6–124.7% of fertiliser mass and increased the volumetric moisture content of the soil in the layer in which they were applied (0–7.5 cm) by 3.0–3.9 percentage points compared to the soil moisture without fertiliser. Strip tillage with the application of fertilisers with a gelling agent significantly increased the amount of water in the soil during the sowing period for winter and spring plants and reduced the CO₂ emissions from the soil relative to the conventional tillage without microgranular fertiliser. The biomass of maize, spring barley, and winter rape before flowering, as well as the yields of these plants, were higher when cultivated using strip-till and fertilisers with gelling agents than when ploughed with a mouldboard plough without the use of microgranulated fertilisers. This technology also increased the number of microorganisms, including bacteria, actinobacteria, and filamentous fungi in the soil after harvesting compared to the unfertilised, ploughed soil. Strip tillage and microgranulated fertilisers containing a gelling agent can thus reduce the environmental pressure exerted by agriculture and reduce the risk of climate change, as well as being a way of adapting agriculture to climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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18 pages, 1570 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Fertilization Types and Base Saturation on the Growth and Water Productivity in Panicum maximum cv. BRS Zuri

by Niclene Ponce Rodrigues de Oliveira, Edna Maria Bonfim-Silva, Tonny José Araújo da Silva, Patrícia Ferreira da Silva, Rosana Andréia da Silva Rocha, Luana Aparecida Menegaz Meneghetti, Alisson Silva Costa Custódio, Salomão Lima Guimarães, Thiago Franco Duarte and Marcio Koetz

Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101872 - 25 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 993

Abstract

Fertilization management is essential for forage production. However, excessive use of synthetic fertilizers causes environmental imbalances. An alternative to reduce these effects is to seek alternative fertilizers, such as wood ash produced from agro-industrial waste, when integrated with appropriate base saturation management. This study aims to compare the effects of fertilization with wood ash (WA), organomineral (OM), and mineral (M) fertilizers associated with different levels of base saturation on the growth and water productivity of Panicum maximum cv. BRS Zuri. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, using a randomized block design in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement. The treatments consisted of three types of fertilization (WA, OM and M) and three levels of base saturation (0, 25%, and 50%). Leaf area, chlorophyll index, shoot dry mass and root dry mass, water consumption, and water productivity of Zuri grass were evaluated. The results showed significant increases in leaf area, with values of up to 4564.5 cm².pot⁻¹ and a chlorophyll index of up to 36.2 units. In addition, the dry mass of the aerial part reached up to 46.7 g.pot⁻¹, and the dry mass of the roots reached 21.7 g.pot⁻¹ with the use of OM fertilizers. These values represent an increase of between 43.1% and 69.6% compared to the values of conventional fertilizers. In addition, water productivity reached 4.9 g.L⁻¹ with WA-based fertilizers, an increase of around 39% compared to the values of mineral fertilizers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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22 pages, 1651 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Short-Term Tillage, Compost, and Beneficial Microbes on Soil Properties and the Productivity of Wheat and Cowpea Crops

by Megahed M. Amer, Mohssen Elbagory, Mahmoud Aiad and Alaa El-Dein Omara

Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1857; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101857 - 22 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1003

Abstract

Tillage systems comprise physical, chemical, and biological modification processes that influence soil properties. Soil cultivation aims to create favorable conditions for the development and growth of crops, as evident in their yields. Three growing seasons (winter 2019/2020 (wheat), summer 2020 (cowpea), and winter 2020/2021 (wheat)) were studied in field experiments in Sidi Salem, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt, to investigate the effects of soil tillage and the application of organic and beneficial microbes on various biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil and its productivity. Three replicates of the experimental treatments were set up in a split-plot design, in which there were four main plots: conventional soil tillage (ST) treatment for all three seasons (ST₁); tillage in the first and second seasons (ST₂); tillage only in the first season (ST₃); and no tillage for all three seasons (ST₄). However, the subplots (soil additives) were conditioned as follows: without treatment (control, T1); compost (C, T₂); beneficial microorganisms (BM, T₃); and combination (C + BM, T₄). The biological property results showed that ST₄T₄ treatment produced high levels of microbial communities (bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes), as well as high levels of soil enzyme activity (dehydrogenase, urease, and phosphatase), during the three growing seasons. However, the second season produced high numbers and dry weights of cowpea plants’ nodules. Additionally, changes in the chemical and physical properties showed that the application of various soil tillage treatments during the examined seasons led to significant increases in electrical conductivity (ECe, dSm⁻¹), bulk density (BD, kg m⁻³), and soil infiltration rate (IR, cm h⁻¹), following the trend of ST₄ > ST₃ > ST₂ > ST₁. In contrast, the results revealed decreases in the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP, %), porosity (PO, %), soil aggregates (stable aggregates and optimal-sized aggregates, %), and soil penetration resistance (SPRa, Mpa). The combination treatment (ST₄T₄) provided the best yields, with grain yields of 4.991 and 5.325 tons ha⁻¹ and straw yields of 5.214 and 5.338 tons ha⁻¹ in the first and third seasons (wheat), respectively. Cowpea plants showed the same pattern in the second season. Therefore, improvements in soil properties and enhancements in biological activity help maintain its productivity and fertility through simplified tillage processes that reduce interference with the soil surface layer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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13 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Transfer Plot Area and Location on Chemical Input Reduction in Agricultural Production: Evidence from China

by Meiling Cui, Yang Guo and Jiwei Chen

Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1794; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091794 - 11 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 770

Abstract

The development of a farmland transfer market and the spatial characteristics of transfer plots are crucial factors influencing chemical input reduction in agricultural production with relation to the endowment of fragmented agricultural land resources. Through a theoretical discussion, this study analyzed the heterogeneity of transfer plots’ spatial characteristics and their effect on the intensity of chemical input in agricultural production in the process of farmland transfer. Plot-level survey data from the Heilongjiang, Henan, Zhejiang, and Sichuan provinces were used for empirical analysis. The results indicated that the values of pesticide and fertilizer input in the large plot group were CNY 10.154 and CNY 8.679 lower than those in the small plot group, respectively. Additionally, compared with non-adjacent plots, the per-unit area input was CNY 2.396 and CNY 6.691 lower in adjacent plots. This indicated that plot area expansion and location adjacence significantly reduced the intensity of pesticide application and fertilizer input in the plots. Simultaneously, location linkage reduced chemical input in agricultural production in small plots; however, the difference was unnoticeable in large plots. This study provides a theoretical basis for promoting farmland integration in China as well as introduces a specialized method for reducing agricultural chemical usage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

13 pages, 2765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of Nitrogen Output during Typical Rainfall in Different Sugarcane Growth Stages in a Southern Subtropical Watershed

by Hao Guo, Yong Li, Xu Wang, Hongyan Ruan, Toyin Peter Abegunrin, Lanchao Wei, Zhigang Huang, Kayode Steven Are and Gabriel Oladele Awe

Agriculture 2023, 13(8), 1613; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13081613 - 15 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1185

Abstract

Excessive fertilizer application, majorly nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers, in farmland has intensified environmental pollution of rivers, lakes, and other surface water bodies worldwide by agricultural non-point sources, especially the highly-mobile nitrogen. To solve nitrogen pollution in sugarcane areas, exploring the nitrogen output characteristics of agricultural watersheds in crop fields becomes necessary. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the characteristics of nitrogen output during typical rainfall events in different sugarcane growth stages in a southern tropical watershed in China. Dynamic monitoring of runoff and nitrogen concentration was carried out for four rainfall events and compared among four sugarcane growth stages (Establishment; Vegetative growth; Grand growth; Ripening) during the growing season of 2018 in the Nala watershed, Kelan Reservoir, Guangxi, China. The results showed that the total dissolved nitrogen flux of the 4 rainfall events ranged from 0.08 to 9.88 kg·hm⁻² for the different growth stages. Nitrate nitrogen was the main component of the total flux, accounting between 75.7 and 92.1% of the total dissolved nitrogen while ammonium nitrogen accounted between 1.80 and 5.26% of the total flux for the 4 rainfall events. Total dissolved nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen were significantly and negatively correlated with runoff (p < 0.05), while total dissolved nitrogen concentration did not correlate with runoff. The incipient scouring effect of total dissolved nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen was not noticeable. The concentration of total dissolved nitrogen in the Nala watershed was inferior to class V water quality standard, indicating water eutrophication danger. The study showed that nitrogen nutrient inflow into the river was promoted by N-fertilization time and rainfall. Therefore, reasonably reducing N-fertilization dose and post-rain fertilization could effectively reduce nitrogen inflow into rivers and avoid the intensification of eutrophication in sugarcane areas. We recommend multiple years of studies to verify the possible impacts of differences in weather conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization under Different Cropping Systems)

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