Initial Weed and Maize Response to Conservation Tillage and Liming in Different Agroecological Conditions

Lime application combined with complementary sustainable management practices increases crop yields, but liming is only modestly applied in Serbia. This study investigated the influence of liming (1000 kg/ha) combined with the common application of mineral fertilizers on maize yield and the chemical properties of pseudogley soil. The experiment was conducted near Kraljevo, Western Serbia, on the maize hybrid ZP 606 sown in a two-year monoculture. The experiment had three treatments: fertilizer, fertilizer + lime, and a control treatment. The soil is acid, poor in humus, and contains an increased content of mobile aluminum. There was a significant increase in yield under the fertilizer and lime + fertilizer treatments, compared to the control. The yield of maize in the limed treatment was 4.4–9% higher than in the fertilizer treatment. The positive effects of liming on soil are related to an increase in pH, base saturation, and available phosphorus, and a decrease in available aluminum. In the fertilizer treatment, there was a small decrease in pH and base saturation, whereas the amount of aluminum remained high, indicating that the further application of fertilizers without lime can increase aluminum content and foster its toxicity. The long-term sustainability of maize production in Serbia should include liming as a regular management practice on pseudogley soil, with the utilization of smaller doses of lime because of the potential CO2 effects. To improve soil health, food, and environmental security, and to incorporate new crops, developing a framework promoting liming as a sustainable management practice is of high importance.

Section: Effect Of Fertilization and Liming On Maize Grain Yieldmentioning

confidence: 76%

Small Doses of Lime with Common Fertilizer Practices Improve Soil Characteristics and Foster the Sustainability of Maize Production

Dugalić,

Životić,

Gajić

et al. 2023

“…A trade-off between weed suppression and the selection of more competitive weed communities by introducing agroecological service crops should be evaluated in the long run. In general, conservation tillage positively impacts crop productivity under adverse climate conditions and in various agroecological conditions [165], despite the increase in weeds.…”

Section: Effects On Weedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation Tillage in Medicinal Plant Cultivation in China: What, Why, and How

Hao

Xiao

et al. 2023

Ecological cultivation is a promising regime for medicinal plant production. For a long time, unreasonable farming methods have threatened soil health and medicinal agriculture and restricted the sustainable development of ecological agriculture for medicinal plants. However, there is a lack of comprehensive discourse and discussion about the pros and cons of different tillage regimes. Here, the research trend and application prospects of no-tillage (NT) are comprehensively reviewed, and the ecological benefits, challenges, and opportunities of the NT system in ecological agriculture of medicinal plants are scrutinized, aiming to call for an about-face in the sustainable conservation and utilization of both phytomedicine resources and agricultural/ecological resources. An exhaustive literature search in PubMed, Bing, Scopus, and CNKI was performed to outline the research trend in conservation tillage and medicinal plants during the recent four decades. The application of NT has a long history and can reduce tillage frequency and intensity and protect soil from erosion and deterioration. NT is often combined with organic mulch to significantly reduce soil disturbance. NT and stover mulching have the advantages of saving manpower and resources and improving soil quality, crop yield, and quality. The ecological and economic benefits of NT in long-term medicinal plant cultivation could be prominent. In developing medicinal plant cultivation, competing with food crops should be avoided as much as possible, and the impact on the production of major grain crops should be minimized. Therefore, the full utilization of soil resources in forests, mountains, and wasteland is advocated, and sustainable soil utilization is the core issue in the process of land reclamation. NT and stover mulching not only inherit the traditional concept of “natural farming”, conform to the basic laws of ecology, as well as the growth characteristics of medicinal plants, but also protect the ecological environment of the production area. It would become the core strategy of ecological agriculture for medicinal plants. Our summary and discussions would help propose countermeasures to popularize NT and organic mulch, promote relevant research and scientific allocation of resources, and adapt to local conditions to achieve precise management and harmonize conservation and production of medicinal plants.

“…If leguminous crops are among the catch crops, green fertilization enables nitrogen fixation [45]. Most studies analyzing the effects of growing crop systems on weed infestation are related to cereals, including maize [46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. Scientific attention has also been paid to evaluating the possibility of using reduced tillage for legumes, including soy [53][54][55][56], or oil crops such as rapeseed [57].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Sugar Beet Cultivation Technologies on the Intensity and Species Biodiversity of Weeds

Kotlánová,

Hledík,

Hudec

et al. 2024

Sugar beet production is highly affected by weeds. The structure of crop rotation, the use of intercrops and different tillage techniques bring several benefits to sugar beet cultivation and create different living conditions for weeds. The response of weed communities in sugar beet stands has not been studied. The experimental plot is in the cadastral area of Ivanovice na Hané (Czech Republic). During an eight-year monitoring period (2013–2020), 46 weed species were identified. The dominant species was Chenopodium album. There were also summer and winter weeds. A more varied crop rotation increased the intensity of weed infestation, with winter weeds being the most common. On the contrary, a higher proportion of cereals in the crop structure favors the presence of summer weeds. The tillage technology and the inclusion of catch crops did not significantly affect the intensity of weed infestation in sugar beet stands or the spectrum of weed species. Current cropping technologies have driven the evolution of weeds. Due to their short life cycles and relatively simple genomes, weeds can respond very quickly to technological measures and, thus, change their harmfulness.