Decomposition and N dynamics of grain-corn residues were investigated in a field study in southwestern Quebec, with particular reference to the roles of different plant parts (stems, leaves etc.) in determining overall residue mass loss and N content. A litterbag study was conducted, with surface and buried placements in plots under three tillage systems (no-till, reduced tillage, and conventional tillage, established five years before litterbag placement). Residue mass loss and N content were monitored over a two-year period. Separate data were obtained for leaves, stems, husks, and cobs. Net values for all residues combined were calculated taking into account initial proportions of each plant part at harvest. Overall estimates were made based on residue depth-distribution typical of each tillage system. A spreadsheet-based model of surface residue mass loss was developed, incorporating litterbag mass and other surface-residue data, in order to determine how well litterbag results predicted surface residue mass loss in the field, and to test alternative assumptions regarding residue decomposition and/or burial. Buried residues lost mass more quickly than surface residues, as expected. Thus residue breakdown would be fastest in a conventional system, slowest under no-till, and intermediate with reduced tillage. Substantial decreases in mass and residue N content occurred between fall placement and first sampling in spring, despite low temperatures for much of this period. Mass loss in the first period was substantial for stems as we as husks and leaves. Cobs decomposed most slowly throughout. Nitrogen dynamics, including effects of depth on residue N content, differed greatly by residue type. All the lower-N residues (cobs, husks, stems) immobilized N at some point. However, during the two-year study, N immobilization by one or more residue types was always counterbalanced or exceeded by N release by other residue, at least for the sampling intervals included. Pa

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-01-20Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:06:47Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 beraldo_jmg_dr_jabo.pdf: 1719744 bytes, checksum: a27050b0770082469a896d7df06651eb (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O sistema de semeadura direta (SSD) proporciona melhores condições físicas do solo favorecendo o armazenamento de água no solo (ARM). A hipótese do trabalho foi que o Latossolo Vermelho argiloso, em sequências de culturas de verão e inverno sob SSD afeta o ARM em decorrência da modificação nos atributos físicos do solo e que o tensiômetro de punção digital (TDig) pode ser usado para medir o potencial mátrico da água no solo. Os objetivos foram avaliar o ARM e os atributos físicos do solo em sequências de culturas de verão e de inverno sob SSD e medir o potencial mátrico da água no solo por meio do tensiômetro de mercúrio e do TDig. O delineamento foi em blocos, com três repetições, no esquema em faixas. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por três sequências de culturas de verão (rotação soja/milho e monocultura de milho e soja) e sete culturas de inverno (milho, girassol, nabo forrageiro, milheto, guandu, sorgo e crotalária). Foram instalados tensiômetros nas camadas de 0,2; 0,4 e 0,6 m. Foi determinada a densidade do solo, a distribuição de poros por tamanho nas camadas de 0-0,1 e 0,1-0,2 m e a infiltração de água na superfície do solo. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. O TDig pode ser usado para avaliar o potencial mátrico da água no solo. O ARM não diferiu entre as sequências de culturas de verão e nas culturas de inverno houve diferença, principalmente após período de menor disponibilidade hídrica. A densidade e a porosidade do solo não foram influenciadas pelas culturas de verão e inverno. O diâmetro de poros entre 0,075 - 0,05 e 0,03 - 0,0375 mm na camada de 0,0-0,1 m diferiu entre as sequências de verão. A distribuição de poros por tamanho não foi influenciada pelas sequências de culturas de inverno. A maior infiltração de água no solo ocorreu na parcela sob monocultura de soja / No tillage system provides soil physical properties improvements, and soil water storage. The hypothesis of this study was that a Red Latosol (Oxisol), in summer and winter crops sequences under no-tillage system, can have its soil water storage influenced by changes in soil physical properties and digital tensiometer can be used to measure soil water matric potential. This study aimed to measure the soil matric potential using both mercury and digital tensiometers and to evaluate the soil water storage and physical properties on summer and winter crops sequences under no-tillage system. A completely randomized block was designed with three replications on a strips plan. The treatments were the combination of three summer crops sequences (soybean/maize rotation, corn and soybean monocultures) and seven winter crops (maize, sunflower, oilseed radish, millet, pigeon pea, sorghum and sunn hemp). Tensiometers were installed at a depth of 0.20; 0.40; 0.60 meters. Bulk density and pores distribution curves were determined from layers 0-0.1 and 0.1-0.2 depth and water infiltration at the soil surface. The data were submitted to variance analysis and means were compared by the Tukey test. The hypothesis was confirmed, therefore digital tensiometer can be used to measure soil water matric potential. The results showed no difference regarding soil water storage in summer crops sequences, especially after a period associated with lower water availability. Soil porosity and bulk density were not influenced by summer and winter crops sequences. The results indicated that the pores with diameter between 0,075 - 0,05 e 0,03 - 0,0375 mm from layer 0-0.1 m differed on summer crops sequences. No difference was observed by pores distribution curves between summer and winter crops sequences. The largest water infiltration occurred under the soybean monocultures plot

Agronomic outcomes are the product of a plant's genotype and its environment. Genomic technologies allow farmers and researchers new avenues to explore the genetic component of agriculture. These technologies can also enhance understanding of environmental effects. With a growing world population, a wide variety of tools will be necessary to increase the agronomic productivity. Here I use massively parallel, deep sequencing of RNA (RNA-Seq) to measure changes in cotton gene expression levels in response to a change in the plant's surroundings caused by conservation tillage. Conservation tillage is an environmentally friendly, agricultural practice characterized by little or no inversion of the soil prior to planting. In addition to changes in cotton gene expression and biological pathway activity, I assay the transcriptional activity of microbial symbiotes living in and around the cotton roots. I found a large degree of similarity between cotton individuals in different treatments. However, under conventional disk tillage I did find significantly greater activity of cotton phosphatase and sulfate transport genes, as well as greater abundance of the microbes Candidatus Burkholderia brachynathoides and Arthrobacter species L77. This study also includes the use of high-throughput physical mapping of DNA to examine the genomic structure of a wild cotton species, Gossypium raimondii, which is closely related to the economically significant crop species Gossypium hirsutum. This technology characterizes genomic regions by assembling large input DNA molecules labeled at restriction enzyme recognition sites. I created an efficient algorithm and generated 812 whole genome assemblies from two datasets. The best of these assemblies allowed us to detect 3,806 potential misassemblies in the current release of the G. raimondii genome sequence assembly.

Orientador: Carlos Alexandre Costa Crusciol / Banca: Dirceu Maximino Fernandes / Banca: Edson Lazarini / Banca: José Salvador Simoneti Foloni / Banca: Denizart Bolonhezi / Resumo: Estudos relacionados ao cultivo de amendoim no sistema de semeadura direta são escassos, principalmente relacionados com aplicação superficial de calcário e gesso. A aveia branca é uma das alternativas para o cultivo de inverno no Brasil, por produzir grãos para alimentação humana, forragem e adubo verde, diversificando a atividade agrícola, no entanto são inexistentes na literatura informações a respeito da calagem e gessagem superficiais nesta cultura. Em função do exposto, o presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o comportamento das culturas de amendoim e aveia branca cultivadas no sistema semeadura direta, em área com aplicação superficial de calcário e gesso, bem como as conseqüências no movimento de bases no perfil do solo, na concentração de cátions solúveis na parte aérea, na nutrição e produtividade das culturas. O experimento foi conduzido nos anos agrícolas de 2004/2005 e 2005/2006 na Fazenda Experimental Lageado da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - Campus de Botucatu, num Latossolo Vermelho distrófico. Foi utilizado o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. As parcelas foram constituídas pela aplicação de quatro níveis de calcário dolomítico com PRNT = 71,2. As doses de calcário foram definidas de acordo com a análise química do solo na profundidade 0-0,2m para elevar a saturação por bases a 70% (2.000 kg ha- 1), metade da dose recomendada (1.000 kg ha-1), o dobro da dose recomendada (4.000 kg ha-1) e uma testemunha (sem aplicação). As subparcelas foram constituídas pela ausência e presença da aplicação de 2.100 kg ha-1 de gesso agrícola. Como cultura de verão foi utilizado o cultivar de amendoim (IAC 886) nos dois anos de condução do experimento em toda a área experimental e como cultura de inverno foi utilizado o cultivar de aveia branca (IAC 7) nos dois anos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: There have been few studies about peanut crop in no-tillage system mainly about superficial liming and gypsum application. White oat is an alternative for winter cropping in Brazil to be used as human food, forage and green manure; nevertheless, there is no information about superficial liming and gypsum application for this crop. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate peanut and white oat yield as affected by superficial liming and gypsum application in no-tillage system as well as base movement in soil profile, concentration of water-soluble cations in the shoot of plants and plant nutrition. The experiment was carried out in the growing seasons of 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, on a dystrophic Red Latosol. The experimental design was the completely randomized block with subdivided plots and four replications. The main plots consisted of four dolomite limestone levels with neutralization power of 71.2. Limestone levels were determined by soil chemical analysis in the 0-0.20m depth; the aim was to apply the recommended dose to raise base saturation up to 70% (2000 kg ha-1), half of the recommended dose (1.000 kg ha-1) and twice the recommended dose (4000 kg ha-1) besides the control, with no application. Subplots consisted of areas with and without gypsum application (2000 kg ha-1). Peanut (cultivar IAC 886) and white oat (IAC 7) consisted of the summer and winter crops cultivated in two growing seasons, respectively. The results of the present research showed that superficial liming affected soil acidity and increased Ca and Mg levels in the soil profile along with gypsum application, which contributed for the effects to be observed in deeper layers. Then, it was found that superficial liming showed residual effects and allowed fine lime particles to move down in the soil profile... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

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Thesis (PhD(Agric) (Agronomy))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The adoption of the no-till planting method brought about changes to the way the wheat crop is established in the Mediterranean climate of the Western Cape. Row widths have to increase from the normal narrow rows (170-180 mm) to at least 250 mm to allow for sufficient stubble handling. Furthermore, planters are designed to place seed accurately in the soil at uniform depth, which may increase seedling survival rates. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of the use of wide row widths on yield, the components of yield and grain quality parameters and to revisit planting density recommendations to be used with the notill planting method. On-farm, producer managed trials which included cultivars, row widths and planting density treatments were planted at Riversdale, Swellendam and Caledon in the Southern Cape region and at Moorreesburg and Hopefield in the Swartland during the 2004 to 2006 production seasons. All trials were factorial RCB designs with split-split plot arrangements. Grain yield, grain protein, hectolitre mass (HLM) and the yield components, seedlings m-2, seedling survival (%), number of heads m-2, number of heads plant-1, number of kernels head-1 and thousand kernel mass (TKM) were determined at all sites in 2005 and 2006. Seedling survival rates of 80% were easily achieved in all trials with the exception of Caledon and Swellendam in 2005. The no-till planting method may be efficient to improve on survival rates of 50-70% found with the conventional planting methods. The yield component response that raised the most concern was the clear trend of the reduction in the number of heads m-2 as row widths increased, which was significant in eight out of the nine experiments. The number of heads plant-1 decreased significantly as planting density increased in all experiments. Cultivars differed in the grain quality parameters grain protein (%) and HLM but were influenced minimally by the other treatments. Reductions in grain yield occurred in three out of eight trials in the Southern Cape and in three out of six trials in the Swartland, with reductions of between 6.8% and 33% in some seasons. The risk of yield loss due to wide row widths could not be excluded by this study and therefore the row widths used by producers should remain as narrow as practically possible. Grain yield response to increasing planting density differed between the two regions. No significant yield benefits were found in any of these trials if planting densities were increased above 175 target plants m-2. Planting densities may be reduced to between 70 and 87.5 kg seed ha-1 to achieve this target if the crop is planted in time and seedling survival rates of at least 80% can be achieved.

Resumo: O sistema de semeadura direta (SSD) proporciona melhores condições físicas do solo favorecendo o armazenamento de água no solo (ARM). A hipótese do trabalho foi que o Latossolo Vermelho argiloso, em sequências de culturas de verão e inverno sob SSD afeta o ARM em decorrência da modificação nos atributos físicos do solo e que o tensiômetro de punção digital (TDig) pode ser usado para medir o potencial mátrico da água no solo. Os objetivos foram avaliar o ARM e os atributos físicos do solo em sequências de culturas de verão e de inverno sob SSD e medir o potencial mátrico da água no solo por meio do tensiômetro de mercúrio e do TDig. O delineamento foi em blocos, com três repetições, no esquema em faixas. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por três sequências de culturas de verão (rotação soja/milho e monocultura de milho e soja) e sete culturas de inverno (milho, girassol, nabo forrageiro, milheto, guandu, sorgo e crotalária). Foram instalados tensiômetros nas camadas de 0,2; 0,4 e 0,6 m. Foi determinada a densidade do solo, a distribuição de poros por tamanho nas camadas de 0-0,1 e 0,1-0,2 m e a infiltração de água na superfície do solo. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. O TDig pode ser usado para avaliar o potencial mátrico da água no solo. O ARM não diferiu entre as sequências de culturas de verão e nas culturas de inverno houve diferença, principalmente após período de menor disponibilidade hídrica. A densidade e a porosidade do solo não foram influenciadas pelas culturas de verão e inverno. O diâmetro de poros entre 0,075 - 0,05 e 0,03 - 0,0375 mm na camada de 0,0-0,1 m diferiu entre as sequências de verão. A distribuição de poros por tamanho não foi influenciada pelas sequências de culturas de inverno. A maior infiltração de água no solo ocorreu na parcela sob monocultura de soja / Abstract: No tillage system provides soil physical properties improvements, and soil water storage. The hypothesis of this study was that a Red Latosol (Oxisol), in summer and winter crops sequences under no-tillage system, can have its soil water storage influenced by changes in soil physical properties and digital tensiometer can be used to measure soil water matric potential. This study aimed to measure the soil matric potential using both mercury and digital tensiometers and to evaluate the soil water storage and physical properties on summer and winter crops sequences under no-tillage system. A completely randomized block was designed with three replications on a strips plan. The treatments were the combination of three summer crops sequences (soybean/maize rotation, corn and soybean monocultures) and seven winter crops (maize, sunflower, oilseed radish, millet, pigeon pea, sorghum and sunn hemp). Tensiometers were installed at a depth of 0.20; 0.40; 0.60 meters. Bulk density and pores distribution curves were determined from layers 0-0.1 and 0.1-0.2 depth and water infiltration at the soil surface. The data were submitted to variance analysis and means were compared by the Tukey test. The hypothesis was confirmed, therefore digital tensiometer can be used to measure soil water matric potential. The results showed no difference regarding soil water storage in summer crops sequences, especially after a period associated with lower water availability. Soil porosity and bulk density were not influenced by summer and winter crops sequences. The results indicated that the pores with diameter between 0,075 - 0,05 e 0,03 - 0,0375 mm from layer 0-0.1 m differed on summer crops sequences. No difference was observed by pores distribution curves between summer and winter crops sequences. The largest water infiltration occurred under the soybean monocultures plot / Orientador: José Eduardo Corá / Coorientadora: Carolina Fernandes / Banca: Antonio Evaldo Klar / Banca: Vilson Antonio Klein / Banca: Maria Helena Moraes / Banca: José Renato Zanini / Doutor

A two year study was initiated in 1999 at the Macdonald Campus Farm, on a 2.4 ha site consisting mainly of St-Amable sand to shallow loamy sand (Typic Endoaquent; Humic Gleysol). The site was planted to alfalfa ( Medicago sativa) prior to the establishment of the experimental design and has been planted to corn (Zea mays L.) since 1991. The experiment was set up as a randomized complete block design and consisted of three tillage levels (NT, no-till; RT, reduced tillage; and CT, conventional tillage) and two residue levels (-R, no residues; +R, with residues). This study was performed in order to ascertain the effect of these management systems on soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic matter carbon (POM-C), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) levels and soil physical properties. Soil physical properties measured included bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), dry and wet aggregate stability, total porosity, macroporosity at -1 kPa and -6 kPa of matric potential, and moisture content. Crop yield was also measured. Results indicated that lower rates of mineralization of POM-C under NT+R in the surface 0--10 cm led to significantly higher SOC at the same depth. There were no significant differences between treatments at the 10--20 cm depth. The MBC was not a good indicator of the differences in soil organic matter levels between treatments. No-till treatments had higher bulk densities, reduced total porosity and macroporosity, increased moisture content, and increased constant-head measured Ksat. Differences in Ksat as measured with the Guelph permeameter, were not significant between treatments, most likely due to increased earthworm activity in NT. There were no significant differences in crop yield in 1999, but a significantly wetter year in 2000 caused lower grain yields in NT+R compared to NT-R and CT+R.