Eutrophication resulting from phosphorus (P) accumulation in water systems has been a worldwide concern for three decades. Agricultural soils are known to be an important non-point source of P in waterways. The objectives of this research are to identify agricultural management practices that reduce the risk of P loss from soils, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of P retention and loss from soils. In the short term (4 years), dissolved P loads were not affected by tillage and were similar in corn (in a continuous corn rotation) and soybean (in a soybean/corn rotation) production systems. Soils amended with composted cattle manure had a greater P load than chemically fertilized soils. On average, 30% of the total P leached was in organic P forms, indicating that organic P compounds could also be problematic to water systems. Although manure application improved soil aggregation and thus may increase P retention by avoiding soil erosion, P loss through subsurface flow by leaching may be substantial. A simple soil test, either Mehlich-3 P or P saturation ratio can predict the P leaching potential, but water ponding on the surface of agricultural land could significantly affect the accuracy of the prediction. / The P adsorption data was fit with the Langmuir 2-surface model, which predicted that up to 90% of the native adsorbed P was distributed on the high-energy surface. Native adsorbed P in manured soils was weakly retained, as the binding strength coefficient was 50 times less in manured than chemically fertilized soil. This findings was confirmed by measuring P desorption, which showed that P desorption rate was almost 3 times greater from manured soils than from chemically fertilized soils. Manuring alters soil particle surfaces by increasing negative charge. This is the direct reason for less P adsorption and greater P desorption by manured soils. / The Langmuir 2-surface model and the adapted non-ideal competitive adsorption (MICA) model were equally good at modeling P adsorption data. However, the NICA model is more robust and can predict phosphate adsorption with changing soil solution pH. The simultaneously modeling of P adsorption and hydroxyl adsorption with the NICA model makes it a promising tool for analyzing competitive adsorption among anions in soils.

Graduation date: 1986

A prototype low frequency, high amplitude, dual tine oscillating subsoiler was evaluated for deep loosening of compacted soil in Australian vineyards. The study determined the most efficient settings of frequency, amplitude and oscillation angle based on draft reduction, power saving and tractor vibrations.

Bibliography: leaves 133-144 / viii, 144 leaves, 16 leaves of plates, [3] leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Plant Pathology, 1984

The prospects of sustainable crop production technologies in East Timor were discerned with relevant case studies and experimental data. An overview of the agricultural development in East Timor with particular emphasis on the traditional farming and cropping systems was presented complemented by the discussion on the aspects of agricultural mechanization and technological change and their socioeconomic ramifications on food security. Empirical data from tillage trials, established both in East Timor and New Zealand, were gathered and discussed in the quest for a better understanding of tillage effects on soil structure and crop production environment. The agro-climatic zones of East Timor provide a well-defined set of ecological boundaries upon which further collaborative research work can be developed. Given land resources as one of the major capital investments in agriculture development, the drive towards improvement and technical change in agriculture should be directed in a balanced combination, whenever appropriate, between technologies of land-saving (hybrid seeds, irrigation, and drainage) or labour-saving (mechanization, herbicides, varieties and cropping techniques) characteristics. Moreover, the justification for acquiring an improved technology for traditional farmers, to some extent, needs to conform to the features of their subsistence mode of farming. The emphasis in technology dissemination, therefore, will have to shift from communication to education. Experimental results of this study on the effects of tillage, and no-tillage in Particular as a form of conservation tillage, on the edaphic changes affecting cropping environment generally concur with the findings known in the literature. Organic carbon levels are generally restored with cropping in East Timor. In addition, soil bulk density and crop grain and biomass yield were not affected by tillage treatments. Soil compaction was significantly affected by tillage as shown by data from the Palmerston North experiment. Soil aggregate stability in the 0-10 cm topsoil was similar under all the tillage treatments. Manual tillage (MT) had the greatest number of soil aggregates on sieve after a 30-minute wet-sieving (68.3%) followed by no-tillage (NT) (65.1), permanent pasture (PP) (62.6) and conventional tillage (CT) (56.5). Similarly, the top 0-10 cm soil under MT had significantly larger macroporosity (16.4%) than CT (9.23), NT (11.5), and PP (10.6). MT and CT significantly reduced the total C whereas N levels were significantly decreased by tillage (CT, MT and NT) compared to permanent pasture at the top 0-10 cm soil layer. Barley grain and biomass were unaffected by tillage whereas potato tuber yield and biomass were significantly less under no-tillage. Conventional tillage significantly increased water runoff but produced less leachate compared to no-till and permanent pasture. Total soil sediment loss was significantly lower under PP (95.8 kg/ha) and NT (132.9) compared to CT (3556.7) and MT (4652.2). pH of water runoff was significantly reduced under tillage treatments compared to that from permanent pasture whereas nitrogen losses were unaffected. There are at least four major public policy components that will play vital roles in the development of sustainable crop production technologies in East Timor: (i) Agricultural research and development (ii) Agricultural extension (iii) International and regional networking (iv) Shift of policy focus. The policy approach needs to be decentralized and broad-based and conservation agriculture should be promoted as opposed to conventional production agriculture. Three major areas for the future research agenda include: (i) Integrated Farming Systems (ii) Soil tillage and erosion (iii) Applied science and technology. The last component may cover disciplines such as: food policy analysis, farm machinery selection and testing, soil testing and mapping, land evaluation and GIs, bio-energy technologies, improved local seed varieties, adaptive fodder crops for improved grazing and pasture management, appropriate agro-forestry and soil and water conservation technologies and cash crop initiatives.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 122-143).

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2004. / Härtill 8 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The use of sewage sludge in the agricultural is an organic recycle alternative material in the soil. The CONAMA resolution 375/2006 indicates that in certain relief condition the sewage sludge could be applied without soil incorporation, making it possible to use in areas with no-till. The present study was carried out with the aim to evaluate nitrogen and carbon mineralization dynamics during the sewage sludge and oat straw decomposition in the surface or in the soil incorporation. The treatments consisted of the sewage sludge application, in the presence and in the absence of oat straw, with and without soil incorporation. During 110 days of incubation, the CO2 emission and the mineral N dynamics was evaluated after the organic materials soil application. The sewage sludge soil incorporation not affected by the C and N mineralization. In the treatment with only sewage sludge 30% of C and 50% of N added with the sewage sludge were mineralized in 110 days. The application of sewage sludge with the straw of oats increased the C mineralization of oat straw only when those organic materials remained in the soil surface. The N immobilization is not affected by the sewage sludge incorporation and oat straw in the soil, however it is stimulated in the presence of the straw. / O uso agrícola do lodo é uma alternativa para a reciclagem desse material orgânico no solo. Recentemente a resolução 375/2006 do CONAMA indica que em certas condições de relevo o lodo de esgoto pode ser aplicado sem a necessidade de realizar a sua incorporação ao solo, possibilitando o seu uso em áreas manejadas em sistema plantio direto. O presente trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar a mineralização do carbono e a dinâmica do nitrogênio durante a decomposição de lodo de esgoto e palha de aveia mantidos na superfície ou incorporados ao solo. Os tratamentos consistiram da aplicação de lodo de esgoto, na presença e na ausência de palha de aveia, com e sem incorporação ao solo. Durante 110 dias foi avaliada a evolução do C-CO2 e a dinâmica do N mineral após aplicação dos materiais orgânicos ao solo. A mineralização do C e do N não foi afetada pela incorporação do lodo ao solo. No tratamento com o uso isolado do lodo de esgoto 30% do C e 50% do N adicionados com o lodo foram mineralizados em 110 dias. A aplicação de lodo de esgoto juntamente com a palha de aveia aumentou a mineralização do C da palha somente quando esses materiais orgânicos permaneceram na superfície do solo. A imobilização do N não é afetada pela incorporação conjunta do lodo de esgoto e da palha de aveia ao solo, mas é estimulada na presença da palha.

Na Amazônia, o sistema de cultivo predominante é o da agricultura de corte-queima, desenvolvido pelos pequenos agricultores que trabalham exclusivamente com mão-de-obra familiar e que são responsáveis pela maior parte da produção agrícola regional. Esse sistema, no entanto, deixa de ser sustentável quando desenvolvido em áreas como a do nordeste paraense, onde a densidade populacional é crescente e a dispo-nibilidade de terra aos agricultores é pequena, sendo por isso, considerado como uma das causas do crescente desmatamento florestal e degradação dos solos. Além disso, outros fatores contribuem para o insucesso da agricultura de corte-queima, como por exemplo, a generalizada deficiência de fósforo (P), comum nos solos da região tropical e que possuem alta capacidade de retenção desse elemento. Esta pesquisa foi realizada na região nordeste paraense com o objetivo de avaliar as alterações na fertilidade do solo, no teor de P orgânico (Po) e na adsorção de fósforo em duas áreas submetidas a diferentes tempos de pousio (quatro anos–VS4a; e dez anos–VS10a) e a diferentes métodos de preparo do solo. Os tratamentos, em número de cinco, consistiram de duas formas de preparo da terra (1- corte e queima da vegetação; e 2- Corte, trituração e deposição da vegetação de pousio sobre o solo, como cobertura morta ou "mulching") combinadas com aplicação ou não de fertilizante NPK. O quinto tratamento (testemunha) consistiu de uma área na qual se manteve a vegetação de pousio. Amostras de solo foram coleta-das em quatro períodos: antes do preparo inicial da área (outubro de 1994); no início (janeiro de 1997) e no final do segundo ciclo de cultivo (julho de 1998); e próximo ao final do segundo período de pousio (julho de 2000). Para todos os métodos de preparo do solo houve manutenção ou aumentos no nível de fertilidade do solo, avaliada pela matéria orgânica, P-resina, pH em CaCl2, saturação por bases e por alumínio trocável, bem como redução da capacidade de adsorção de P. O método de preparo do solo que não utiliza a queima da vegetação (mulching) mostrou-se superior ao método tradicional de corte-queima, uma vez que não degradou a fertilidade do solo, reduziu a capacidade de adsorção de P e aumentou a quantidade de P orgânico total. A utilização do fertilizante NPK contribuiu para manter o teor de P-resina e de P orgânico total do solo ao longo dos seis anos de estudo, independentemente da utilização ou não do fogo no preparo do solo. A sustentabilidade do sistema foi maior na área com tempo de pousio de 10 anos e com maior quantidade de biomassa vegetal do que na área com 4 anos de pousio. / In Amazonia, Brazil, the most important cultivation system is the slash and burn agriculture or shifting agriculture. This system was developed by small farmers that use exclusively family labor and are responsible for most of the agricultural production in the region. However, this system is unsustainable when developed in areas such as the northeast of the State of Pará, where population is growing and land availability to farmers is small; such facts have been considered to be among the causes of the increasing deforested areas and degraded soils. In addition, other factors contribute to the failure of the shifting agriculture, as the widespread phosphorus deficiency (P), common in the tropical soils with high capacity of phosphorus retention. This research was carried out in the northeast of the State of Pará, Brazil, to study alterations in the soil fertility, in the organic P (Po) content and in the phosphorus adsorption in two areas submitted to different fallow periods (four years - VS4a; ten years - VS10a) and different methods of soil preparation. Treatments, in a number of five, consisted of two methods of soil preparation (1- slash and burn of the vegetation; and 2- slash, chop and deposition of the fallow vegetation on the ground to act as a mulch), combined with application or not of NPK fertilizer. The fifth treatment (control) consisted of an area in which the fallow vegetation was maintained. Soil samples were collected in four periods: before the preparation of the area (October of 1994); at the beginning (January of 1997) and end of the second cultivation cycle (July of 1998); and almost at the end of the second fallow period (July of 2000). All soil preparation methods maintained or increased the soil fertility, evaluated by the content of organic matter and resin-P, pH in CaCl2, soil base saturation and exchangeable Al content, as well as decreased phosphorus adsorption in the soil. Clearing the soil without burning was superior to the traditional slash and burn method, since soil fertility was not affected, phosphorous adsorption decreased and the amount of organic P increased. The application of NPK fertilizer helped in maintaining the content of resin-P and total organic P in the soil during the study period of six years, whether or not fire was used in the soil clearing process. System sustainability was higher in the area submitted to a fallow period of 10 years and containing a larger amount of plant biomass than in the area where the fallow period was only 4 years.