Influence of mulching on the pattern of growth and water use by spring wheat and moisture storage on a fine textured soil

Yunusa, Isa; Sedgley, R.H.; Siddique, Kadambot

doi:10.1007/bf00150353

Cited by 31 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Plant stand reduction was most likely caused by physical smothering. Yunusa et al (1994) found no difference in the plant population density between control plots and wheat plots mulched with wheat straw at a rate of 8 t ha -1 when mulch was applied 36 d after seeding (at floral initiation). Nevertheless, the loss of plants at Carman 2003 suggests that a rate of 6.6 t ha -1 of alfalfa mulch applied at the three-leaf stage may be excessive for optimum wheat plant establishment.…”

Section: Stand Establishment and Surface Soil Water Contentmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Schäfer et al (2002) investigated a system where strips of perennial forage crops were grown between strips of annual crops, and a modified forage harvester was used to apply the forage mulch to bare soil, or on top of growing crops. With such a system, the mulch provides nutrients to a crop as it decomposes (Fribourg and Bartholomew 1956), while potentially suppressing weeds (Teasdale et al 1991) and conserving soil moisture (Yunusa et al 1994).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Agronomic benefits of alfalfa mulch applied to organically managed spring wheat

Wiens¹,

Entz²,

Hammermeister³

2006

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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. 2006. Agronomic benefits of alfalfa mulch applied to organically managed spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 86: 121-131. Field experiments were established at two locations in Manitoba in 2002 and 2003 to determine N contribution, moisture conservation, and weed suppression by alfalfa mulch applied to spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L). Mulch treatments included mulch rate (amount harvested from an area 0.5×, 1× and 2× the wheat plot area), and mulch application timing (at wheat emergence or at three-leaf stage). Positive relationships were observed between mulch rate and wheat N uptake, grain yield, and grain protein concentration. At Winnipeg, the 2× mulch rates (3.9 to 5.2 t ha -1 ) produced grain yields equivalent to where 20 and 60 kg ha -1 of ammonium nitrate-N was applied in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Where mulch and ammonium nitrate produced equivalent grain yield, grain protein in mulch treatments was often higher than where chemical fertilizer was used. N uptake was also observed in the following oat (Avena sativa L.) crop. The highest mulch rate (2×) produced higher N uptake and grain yield of second-year oat compared with ammonium nitrate treatments. N use efficiency of mulch-supplied N by two crops over 2 yr [calculated as (treatment N uptake -control N uptake)/total N added] was between 11 and 68%. Mulch usually suppressed annual weeds, with greater suppression with late-than early-applied mulch. Increased soil moisture conservation was observed with high mulch rates (≥ 4.3 t ha -1 ) at three sites. Alfalfa mulch holds promise for low-input cropping systems when used on wheat at the 2× rates. Quand le paillage et l'application de nitrate d'ammonium donnent un rendement grainier équivalent, le grain du blé paillé est souvent plus riche en protéines que celui du blé fertilisé avec des engrais chimiques. On remarque aussi l'absorption de N par la culture subséquente dans l'assolement (Avena sativa L.). Le taux de paillage le plus élevé (2×) entraîne une plus forte absorption de N et un meilleur rendement grainier de l'avoine cultivée la deuxième année que l'application de nitrate d'ammonium. L'efficacité de l'assimilation du N venant du paillis par les deux cultures au bout des deux années (calculée comme suit : N absorbé du paillis -N absorbé par les témoins)/N total ajouté) se situe entre 11 et 68 %. En général, le paillis étouffe les mauvaises herbes, mais le fait davantage quand il est appliqué plus tard. Le taux de paillage élevé (≥ 4,3 t par hectare) a accru la conservation de l'eau à trois sites. Le paillis de luzerne s'avère prometteur pour les systèmes de culture à faible apport d'intrants quand on s'en sert au taux 2× avec le blé.

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Section: Stand Establishment and Surface Soil Water Contentmentioning

confidence: 78%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Agronomic benefits of alfalfa mulch applied to organically managed spring wheat

Wiens¹,

Entz²,

Hammermeister³

2006

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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“…Johns (1982) investigated soil evaporation under three evaporative regimes (Ep <3mm, 3-6 mm and >6 mm day −1 ) and showed that stage one and stage two evaporation could be clearly elucidated at Ep's of >3 mm and 3-6 mm day −1 but reported stage one evaporation at Ep > 6 mm day −1 to be virtually non-existent. Similarly, in a study contrasting the evaporative models of Ritchie (1972) and Boester and Stroosnijder (1986), Yunusa et al (1994) showed that stage one evaporation was more apparent under low than high evaporative conditions.…”

Section: Effect Of Row Spacing On Soil Evaporationmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…As a result, alternative methods for estimating Es using either empirical (Cooper et al, 1983), semi analytical (Ritchie, 1972) or modelling approaches (Lascano, 1987) have been adopted. However, while these approaches are convenient, only a few studies exist (ie, Allen, 1990;Yunusa et al, 1993a;Yunusa et al, 1994;Eastham and Gregory, 2000) where alternate methods to estimate Es have been compared to microlysimetry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Crop row spacing and its influence on the partitioning of evapotranspiration by winter-grown wheat in Northern Syria

Eberbach

Pala

2005

Plant Soil

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A study was conducted during the 1996-97 crop growth season at ICARDA in northern Syria, to investigate the influence of wheat canopy architecture on the partitioning of moisture between soil evaporation and crop transpiration, on a soil with high hydraulic conductivity. The study was conducted on the long-term two course wheat-lentil rotation trial, established on a swelling clay soil (Calcixerollic xerochrept). The wheat canopy architecture was manipulated by sowing the crop at either of two row-spacings, 0.17 or 0.30 m, both at a constant sowing rate equivalent to 120 kg ha −1 . In this study, evapotranspiration from the crop was inferred from changes in soil moisture content over time, evaporation and rainfall interception were measured daily using microlysimetry, drainage was estimated as being the difference between potential daily evapotranspiration, and the evapotranspiration estimated from the soil water deficit. Between sowing and day 80 (tillering stage), evapotranspiration was calculated to consist mainly of soil evaporation. However, after day 80, transpiration became an increasingly dominant component of evapotranspiration. For both row-spacings, cumulative evapotranspiration over the season was approximately 373 mm. In the narrow-row crop, transpiration and soil evaporation were approximately 185 mm and 183 mm of water respectively. Conversely for the wide row-spaced crop, 172 mm of water was transpired while about 205 mm of water evaporated from the soil surface. While green leaf area index did not differ between row-spacings, the architecture of the crops as a result of sowing affected solar radiation penetration such that more incident radiation was intercepted at the soil surface of the wide row-spaced crop. This is likely to have made some contribution to the elevated levels of evaporation from the soil beneath the canopy of the wide-sown crop.Abbreviations: Ep -potential evaporation measured using a Class A pan evaporation basin, Et -evapotranspiration; T -transpiration; Es -soil evaporation; P -precipitation measured at a height of 1.2 m above the ground surface; I -precipitation intercepted by the crop canopy; Pe -precipitation at the soil surface; θ v -soil volumetric moisture content.

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“…The high effect during the energy limited first stage of evaporation decreases during the flux limited second stage and diffusion limited third stages of evaporation (Steiner 1994). Long-term moisture conservation during prolonged dry periods is less feasible (Yunusa et al 1994).…”

Section: Mulchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of crop water under drought: a review

Bodner

Nakhforoosh

Kaul

2015

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

457

234

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Drought is a predominant cause of low yields worldwide. There is an urgent need for more water efficient cropping systems facing large water consumption of irrigated agriculture and high unproductive losses via runoff and evaporation. Identification of yield-limiting constraints in the plant-soil-atmosphere continuum are the key to improved management of plant water stress. Crop ecology provides a systematic approach for this purpose integrating soil hydrology and plant physiology into the context of crop production. We review main climate, soil and plant properties and processes that determine yield in different water-limited environments. From this analysis, management measures for cropping systems under specific drought conditions are derived. Major findings from literature analysis are as follows. (1) Unproductive water losses such as evaporation and runoff increase from continental in-season rainfall climates to storage-dependent winter rainfall climates. Highest losses occur under tropical residual moisture regimes with short intense rainy season. (2) Sites with a climatic dry season require adaptation via phenology and water saving to ensure stable yields. Intermittent droughts can be buffered via the root system, which is still largely underutilised for better stress resistance. (3) At short-term better management options such as mulching and date of seeding allow to adjust cropping systems to site constraints. Adapted cultivars can improve the synchronisation between crop water demand and soil supply. At long term, soil hydraulic and plant physiological constraints can be overcome by changing tillage systems and breeding new varieties with higher stress resistance. (4) Interactions between plant and soil, particularly in the rhizosphere, are a way towards better crop water supply. Targeted management of such plant-soil interactions is still at infancy.We conclude that understanding site-specific stress hydrology is imperative to select the most efficient measures to mitigate stress. Major progress in future can be expected from crop ecology focussing on the management of complex plant (root)-soil interactions.

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Influence of mulching on the pattern of growth and water use by spring wheat and moisture storage on a fine textured soil

Cited by 31 publications

References 18 publications

Agronomic benefits of alfalfa mulch applied to organically managed spring wheat

Agronomic benefits of alfalfa mulch applied to organically managed spring wheat

Crop row spacing and its influence on the partitioning of evapotranspiration by winter-grown wheat in Northern Syria

Management of crop water under drought: a review

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