In der vorliegenden Studie wurden zwei Fragestellungen bearbeitet, die beide das Ziel verfolgen, die Stickstoff(N)-Ausnutzungseffizienz in landwirtschaftlichen Systemen zu steigern: 1) Hat die langjährige organische Düngung einen Einfluss auf den Abbau kürzlich applizierter organischer Dünger? Die Hypothese war, dass relevante Effekte nur bei schwer abbaubaren organischen Düngern auftreten während bei leicht abbaubaren organischen Düngern die Düngungshistorie keine Rolle spielt. 2) Können die hohen N-Bilanzüberschüsse im intensiven Freilandgemüsebau durch den Einsatz von Winterzwischenfrüchten (ZF) deutlich reduziert werden? Die Hypothese war, dass ZF die Bilanzüberschüsse der betrachteten zweijährigen Fruchtfolgen um mindestens 30 kg N / ha reduzieren. Die erste Hypothese wurde überprüft, indem der Abbau organischer Dünger in Böden, die sich in ihrer organischen Düngungshistorie unterschieden, gemessen wurde. Es wurden ein Topfversuch im Gewächshaus sowie ein Inkubationsversuch im Labor durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse deuteten darauf hin, dass es Effekte der Historie auf den Abbau von Stallmist und Kiefernrinde gab, während es keine Effekte bei leicht abbaubarem Kohlmaterial gab. Daher wurde die Hypothese angenommen. Allerdings ergaben die beobachteten Effekte kein konsistentes Bild in Hinblick auf die Richtung der Effekte auf die Kohlenstoff(C)- und N-Mineralisierung und Effekte auf die Netto-N-Mineralisation waren generell sehr klein. Zur Überprüfung der zweiten Hypothese wurden an drei Standorten in Deutschland Feldversuche mit Gemüsefruchtfolgen und unterschiedlichen ZF durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse ergaben, dass trotz der die mittleren Bilanzüberschüsse der Kontrollen (ohne ZF) von 217 kg N / ha die ZF die N-Bilanz im Mittel um nur 13 kg N / ha reduzierten. Daher wurde die Hypothese abgelehnt. Die Ergebnisse zeigten weiterhin, dass der verlustfreie Transfer der von der ZF aufgenommenen N-Menge an die Folgefrucht ein kritischer Schritt bei dieser Technik ist. / The current study dealt with two questions that target potential options to increase the nitrogen (N) use efficiency of agricultural systems: 1) Does long-term organic fertilization affect the decomposition of recently added organic fertilizers? The hypothesis was that effects only occur for recalcitrant organic fertilizers while for readily decomposable organic fertilizers, the fertilization history does not play a role. 2) Can the N balance surpluses in intensive field vegetable production systems be substantially reduced by cultivation of winter catch crops (CC)? The hypothesis was that the N balance surpluses of the investigated two-year crop rotations can be reduced by more than 30 kg N / ha. The first hypothesis was tested by applying organic fertilizers to soils that only differed in organic fertilization history. A greenhouse pot experiment and a laboratory incubation experiment were conducted. The results indicated that fertilization history had effects on the decomposition of farmyard manure and pine bark, not however on the decomposition of readily decomposable cabbage material. Hence, the hypothesis was accepted in that fertilization history effects depended on the type of fertilizer. However, fertilization history effects showed no consistent trend with respect to increase or decrease in carbon (C) and N mineralization and the effects on net N mineralization were minor in magnitude. The second hypothesis was tested by performing field experiments at three sites in Germany. Vegetable crop rotations were set up, testing different types of CC. The results suggested that in spite of high N surpluses in the control treatments (no CC) of 217 kg N / ha, CC reduced the N balance surplus on average by only 13 kg N / ha. Hence, the hypothesis was rejected. The findings further indicated that the transfer of N taken up by the CC to the succeeding crop is a critical step when adopting this technique.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-25T19:30:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FLAVIA BIASSIO RIFERTE.pdf: 1208016 bytes, checksum: a3a41200773a41b4df4e551bc10e6c96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The success of agroforestry system (AFS) is the result of appropriate combinations of crops, forage and tree component and soil fertility. Changes in the microclimate in AFS, can affect the potassium use efficiency by crops. The high absorption of potassium (K) by the plants of white oat, corn and eucalyptus make potassium fertilization an essential practice in AFS. The objectives of this study were to quantify (i) the dry matter yield (DM) and nutrient accumulation in shoots of white oat (season 2014); (ii) the DM and grain yield, and the nutritional status of maize (season 2014/15); (iii) potassium use efficiency by crops in succession (white oat - maize); and (iv) assess the main soil fertility attributes after the white oat crop (season 2014) and maize (season 2014/2015) in AFS fertilized with K. The experiment was installed in Model Farm of Agronomic Institute of Paraná (IAPAR), in the city of Ponta Grossa (PR) in an Oxisoil úmbrico. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with split plots and three replications. The plots consist of four transects - growing distances from trees (transects: 1 - 0- 4 m away; 2 - 4-8 m away; 3 - 8-12 m distance and 4 - 12-16 m away). In the subplots were studied four annual K2O levels (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1 year-1), as potassium chloride (600 g kg-1 K2O), applied to the surface, and half of each levels applied at sowing of each crop (white oat - winter and maize - summer). The DM yields and nutrients accumulation in the shoots of white oat were determined on management with herbicide. In maize, was evaluated the nutritional status and measured DM and grain yields. Also, values of pH, contents of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and K exchangeable, base saturation (V) and the percentage of K in the effective CECe were determined in the layers of 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm. The DM yield and the accumulation of nutrients in the shoots of white oat decreased due to the shade provided by the eucalyptus. To this culture in AFS, the levels of K2O increased the yield of DM and the accumulation of sulfur (S) in the shoot. In situation of shading of 64.5%, recycling of nutrients by white oat provided for the subsequent corn crop, better nutrition and, on average, higher DM and grain yields. In this situation, the addition of K2O (up to 230 kg ha- 1 year-1) would provide higher yield of corn grain. This decrease in K level directly implies greater potassium use efficiency, lower production cost and could make possible the cultivation of corn in AFS in the Campos Gerais region. The application of potassium fertilizer high water solubility, in the surface of the soil, reduced, in some situations, Ca and Mg content in the surface layer, it favored the mobility of K and increased its content of this nutrient throughout the soil profile and thus their participation in CECe. The tree component reduced nutrient concentrations in transecta 1 (most influential eucalyptus region), resulting in lower pH values and V in subsurface soil layers (below 20 cm deep). / O sucesso do sistema agroflorestal (SAF) é resultante das combinações adequadas de culturas agrícolas, forrageiras e componente arbóreo e da fertilidade do solo. Modificações no microclima, em SAF, podem afetar a eficiência de uso de potássio (K) pelas culturas agrícolas. A elevada absorção de K pelas plantas de aveia branca, milho e eucalipto tornam a fertilização potássica uma prática essencial. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram quantificar (i) o rendimento de matéria seca (MS) e acúmulo de nutrientes na parte aérea da aveia branca (safra 2014); (ii) o rendimento de MS e de grãos, e o estado nutricional do milho (safra 2014/15); (iii) a eficiência de uso de K pelas culturas em sucessão (aveia branca – milho) e (iv) avaliar os principais atributos de fertilidade do solo, após o cultivo de aveia branca (safra 2014) e milho (safra 2014/2015), em SAF fertilizado com K. O experimento foi instalado na Fazenda Modelo do Instituto Agronômico do Paraná, em Ponta Grossa (PR) em um Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico úmbrico. O delineamento experimental empregado foi de blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas com três repetições. As parcelas consistiram em quatro transectas –distâncias de cultivo em relação às árvores (transectas: 1 – 0-4 m de distância; 2 – 4-8 m de distância; 3 – 8-12 m de distância; e 4 – 12-16 m de distância). Nas subparcelas foram estudadas quatro doses anuais de K2O (0, 100, 200 e 300 kg ha-1 ano-1), na forma de cloreto de potássio, aplicadas em superfície, em área total, sendo a metade de cada dose aplicada por ocasião da semeadura de cada cultura (aveia branca – inverno e milho – verão). Foram determinados os rendimentos de MS e acúmulos de macronutrientes na parte aérea da aveia branca por ocasião do manejo com herbicida. Com relação ao milho, foi avaliado o estado nutricional e mensurado os rendimentos de MS e grãos. Ainda, determinou-se os valores de pH; os teores de cálcio (Ca), magnésio (Mg) e K trocáveis; saturação por bases (V) e o percentual de K na CTC efetiva do solo, nas camadas de 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-40 e 40-60 cm. O rendimento de MS e o acúmulo de macronutrientes na parte aérea da aveia branca foi diminuído devido ao sombreamento proporcionado pelo eucalipto. Para essa cultura em SAF, as doses de K2O aumentam o rendimento de MS e também, o acúmulo de enxofre (S) na parte aérea. Em situação de sombreamento com intensidade de 64,5%, a reciclagem de nutrientes pela aveia branca proporcionou, para a cultura de milho, melhor nutrição e, na média, maiores rendimentos de MS e de grãos. Nessa situação, a adição de K2O (até 230 kg ha-1 ano-1) proporcionaria maior rendimento de grãos de milho. A diminuição na dose de K implica diretamente em maior eficiência de uso do potássio, menor custo de produção e possibilita viabilizar o cultivo de milho em SAF na região dos Campos Gerais. A aplicação de fertilizante potássico de alta solubilidade em água, na superfície do solo, diminuiu, em algumas situações, os teores de Ca e Mg na camada superficial, favoreceu a mobilidade do K e aumentou seu o teor deste nutriente ao longo do perfil do solo e, consequentemente sua participação na CTCe. O componente arbóreo diminuiu as concentrações de nutrientes na transecta 1 (região de maior influência do eucalipto), resultando em menores valores de pH e V nas camadas subsuperficiais do solo (abaixo de 20 cm de profundidade).

Cette thèse visait à développer nos connaissances quant au contrôle génétique et environnemental et la structuration géographique de la variabilité phénotypique pour des caractères fonctionnels chez le peuplier noir (Populus nigra L.). Trois caractères fonctionnels ont été étudiés : la phénologie de croissance, WUE et la résistance à la cavitation. La variabilité phénotypique exprimée pour la phénologie de croissance et WUE a été évaluée au sein d’une collection européenne de peuplier noir regroupant 1085 génotypes échantillonnés dans 13 métapopulations et installés en test clonal en pépinière dans deux sites expérimentaux. Nos résultats ont révélé une importante variabilité génétique ainsi qu’une importante plasticité phénotypique des caractères phénologiques et de WUE au sein des métapopulations. Une différenciation génétique modérée à forte des métapopulations a été observée pour la phénologie de croissance et WUE. Les différences entre métapopulations se structuraient selon des patrons plus ou moins complexes, qui semblaient refléter, pour la phénologie de croissance, une adaptation locale des métapopulations aux conditions de photopériode et de température. Tenant compte des capacités de phénotypage limitées pour la résistance à la cavitation, la variabilité génétique exprimée pour ce caractère a été évaluée au sein d’une population naturelle de peuplier noir regroupant 33 génotypes et installée en test clonal en pépinière dans un site expérimental. Nous avons détecté une variation significative du niveau de résistance à la cavitation entre génotypes. De manière générale, aucune relation phénotypique significative n’a été détectée entre la phénologie de croissance, WUE et la résistance à la cavitation au niveau intra-population, suggérant le maintien d’une diversité de combinaisons fonctionnelles. Le développement d’une puce à 10 331 marqueurs SNPs distribués à l’échelle du génome de P. nigra, notamment dans des régions candidates pour la phénologie de croissance, devrait permettre, à court terme, de confirmer l’adaptation locale des populations de peuplier noir et d’explorer ses bases génétiques. / This work aimed at improving our understanding of the genetic and environmental control as well as the geographic structure of phenotypic variation for functional traits in black poplar (Populus nigra L.). Three functional traits were studied: bud phenology, water-use efficiency (WUE) and xylem resistance to drought-induced cavitation. The phenotypic variation expressed for bud phenology and WUE was evaluated in a European P. nigra collection composed of 1085 cloned individuals sampled in 13 natural metapopulations and established in clonal test in nursery at two experimental sites. Substantial genetic variation and substantial phenotypic plasticity for bud phenology and WUE were observed within all metapopulations. Moderate to strong genetic differentiation of metapopulations was evidenced for phenological traits and WUE. Patterns of genetic differentiation were more or less complex depending on traits and seemed to reflect, for phenological traits, local adaptation of metapopulations to photoperiod and temperature. Taking into account the limited phenotyping capacity for xylem resistance to cavitation, genetic variation expressed for this trait was evaluated within one single natural population of black poplar composed of 33 genotypes which were established in clonal test in nursery at one experimental site. Significant variations were observed between genotypes for the degree of cavitation resistance. Overall, no significant relationship was detected between bud phenology, WUE and cavitation resistance at the within-population level, indicating the maintenance of a diversity of functional combinations. The development of an array covering 10 331 SNPs distributed across the P. nigra genome, notably in candidate regions for bud phenology, will enable in the short-term to confirm local adaptation of P. nigra populations and to identify its genetic basis.

No cultivo do milho safra, os produtores em sistema de produção em plantio direto (SPD) antecipam a dose da adubação nitrogenada de cobertura, que seria feita nos estádios V3 e V6, na cultura da aveia durante a entressafra ou em présemeadura do milho. Não se conhece a eficiência destes sistemas de adubação do milho. Assim, esta pesquisa foi realizada com a finalidade de elucidar a dinâmica do nitrogênio (N) por meio da avaliação do seu aproveitamento nos compartimentos solo, milho e no resíduo da aveia, e determinar a eficiência de uso do fertilizante nitrogenado (EUFN). O experimento foi realizado nos municípios de Guarapuava-PR e Taquarituba-SP, com a aplicação de 180 kg ha-1 e 150 kg ha-1 de N, respectivamente. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso com cinco sistemas de adubação e quatro repetições. Os sistemas de adubação foram: N no perfilhamento da aveia; N na pré-semeadura do milho; N na semeadura do milho; N em cobertura no estádio V3 do milho; e N em duas coberturas, nos estádios V3 e V6 do milho. Em ambos locais não houve diferença na produtividade de grãos, em razão do sistema de adubação, em Guarapuava a produtividade média foi de 14,2 Mg ha-1 de grãos, e em Taquarituba 10,6 Mg ha-1 de grãos. A antecipação do N na aveia reduziu a EUFN em até 41%, com maior dependência do N fornecido pelo solo, e foi o sistema de adubação que mais perdeu 15N-fertilizante, uma vez que não recuperou 50% do 15N aplicado. Os sistemas de adubação, em que o 15N foi aplicado no estádio V3 ou nos estádios V3 e V6 foram mais eficientes, com EUFN de 51% e 55%, nessa ordem. A avaliação da produção de grãos não serve para avaliar a eficiência de sistema de adubação. Os sistemas de adubação antecipado na cultura do milho não são eficientes no uso do N proveniente do fertilizante. / In maize crop, sidedress nitrogen fertilization in V3 or V6 phenological stages was moved to cultivated oat during off season or in pre-sowing by farmers that adopt the no-tillage maize system. However, the efficiency of this fertilization system is unknow. This research was designed to understand nitrogen (N) dynamic by evaluating the recovery in soil, maize plant and oat straw to calculate the N use efficiency (NUE) by maize crop. Maize crop fields experiments were conducted in Guarapuava, Paraná state and Taquarituba, São Paulo state, where fertilization rate was 180 kg ha-1 and 150 kg ha-1 of N respectively. Experimental desing was randomized block with four repetitions and five fertilization systems: N in oat tillering; N in pre-sowing corn, N in sowing corn; N sidedress in V3 and N sidedress in V3 and V6. Grain yield, with average 14,2 Mg ha-1 in Guarapuava and 10,6 Mg ha-1 in Taquarituba were not statiscally different. N fertilization in oat showed NUE 41% lower due to N soil contribution and high N loss with 50% 15N unaccounted. Fertilization systems which N-fertilizer was applied sidedress in V3 or V3 and V6 maize stage were more efficient with NUE 51% and 55%, respectively. Grain yield was not able to measure the efficiency of fertilization system. The anticipation of N fertilization in maize crop had low N use efficiency from N derived from fertilizer..

The general goal of this research was to understand the agronomic and physiological changes of a lucerne crop in distinct physical radiation environments and to verify the potential of lucerne to grow under shaded conditions. To achieve this, the research was conducted in four main steps: (i) firstly, experimental data collection in the field using two artificial shade materials (shade cloth and wooden slats) under inigated and non-irrigated conditions; (ii) a second experiment with data collection in a typical temperate dryland agroforestry area under non-irrigated conditions; (iii) generation of a light interception sub-model suitable for shaded crops and (iv) a linkage between the light interception sub-model and a canopy photosynthesis model for agroforestry use. In experiments 1 and 2, lucerne crop was exposed to 6 different light regimes: full sunlight (FS), shade cloth (FS+CL), wooden slats (FS+SL), trees (T), trees+cloth (T +CL) and trees+slats (T+SL). The FS+SL structure produced a physical radiation environment (radiation transmission, radiation periodicity and spectral composition) that was similar to that observed in the agroforestry site (f). The mean annual photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was 41 % under the FS+CL, 44% under FS+SL and 48% under T compared with FS in clear sky conditions. Plants were exposed to an intermittent (sun/shade) regime under both FS+SL and T, whereas under FS+CL the shaded light regime was continuous. The red to far-red (RIFR) ratio measured during the shade period under the slats was 0.74 and under the trees was 0.64. However, R/FR ratio increased to 1.26 and 1.23 during the illuminated period under FS+SL and T, respectively, and these were equivalent to the ratio of 1.28 observed under the FS+CL and 1.31 in FS. The radiation use efficiency (RUE) of shoots increased under the 5 shaded treatments compared with full sunlight. The pattern of radiation interception was unchanged by radiation flux, periodicity and spectral composition and all treatments had a mean extinction coefficient of 0.82. However, the magnitude of the decrease in canopy growth was less than those in PPFD transmissivity. The mean lucerne annual dry matter (DM) yield was 17.5 t ha⁻¹ in FS and 10 t ha⁻¹ under the FS+CL, FS+SL and T regimes. This declined to 3.4 t DM ha⁻¹ under T+CL (22% PPFD transmissvity) and 4.1 t DM ha⁻¹ under T+SL (23% transmissivity). A similar pattern of response was observed for leaf net photosynthesis (Pn) rates under the shade treatments compared with full sun. In addition, spectral changes observed under the trees and slats affected plant motphology by increasing the number of long stems, stem height and internode length compared with full sunlight. Thus, there were two main explanations for the increase in RUE under shade compared with full sun: (i) preferential partition of assimilates to shoot rather than root growth and/or (ii) leaves under shade were still operating at an efficient part of the photosynthetic light curve. The changes proposed for the canopy Pn model were appropriate to simulate the radiation environment of an agroforestry system. However, the model underestimated DM yields under the continuous and intermittent shade regimes. These were considered to be mainly associated with plant factors, such as overestimation in maintenance respiration and partitioning between shoots and roots in shade and the intermittency light effect on leaf Pn rates. Further investigation in these topics must be addressed to accurately predict crop yield in agroforestry areas. Overall, the lucerne crop responded typically as a sun-adapted plant under shade. It was concluded that lucerne yield potential to grow under intermediate shade was superior to most of C3 pastures previously promoted in the literature.

The annual and seasonal water use efficiency of six pasture combinations were calculated from the ‘MaxClover’ Grazing Experiment at Lincoln University. Pastures have been established for six years and are grazed by best management practices for each combination. Measurements for this study are from individual plots of four replicates of ryegrass (RG)/white clover (Wc), cocksfoot (CF)/Wc; CF/balansa (Bal) clover; CF/Caucasian (Cc) clover; CF/subterranean (Sub) clover or lucerne. Water extraction measurements showed soils for all dryland pastures had a similar plant available water content of 280±19.8 mm. Dry matter measurements of yield, botanical composition and herbage quality were assessed from 1 July 2008 until 30 June 2009. Lucerne had the highest annual yield of 14260 kg DM/ha/y followed by the CF/Sub at 9390 kg DM/ha/y and the other grass based pastures at ≤ 6900 kg DM/ha/y. All pastures used about 670±24.4 mm/y of water for growth. Lucerne had the highest annual water use efficiency (WUE) of 21 kg DM/ha/mm/y of water used (total yield/total WU). The WUE of CF/Sub was the second highest at 15 kg DM/ha/mm/y, and the lowest was CF/Wc at 9 kg DM/ha/mm/y. The CF/Sub pastures had the highest total legume content of all grass based pastures at 21% and as a consequence had the highest annual nitrogen yield of 190 kg N/ha. This was lower than the monoculture of lucerne (470 kg N/ha). Ryegrass/white clover had the highest total weed component in all pastures of 61%. For dryland farmers spring is vital for animal production when soil temperatures are rising and moisture levels are high. The water use efficiency at this time is important to maximize pasture production. In spring lucerne produced 8730 kg DM/ha, which was the highest dry matter yield of all pastures. The CF/Sub produced the second highest yield of 6100 kg/DM/ha. When calculated against thermal time, CF/Sub grew 5.9 kg DM/ºCd compared with lucerne at 4.9 kg DM/ºCd. The higher DM yield from lucerne was from an extra 400 ºCd of growth. The highest seasonal WUE of all pastures occurred in the spring growing period. Linear regressions forced through the origin, showed lucerne (1/7/08-4/12/08) had a WUE of 30 kg DM/ha/mm (R2=0.98). Of the grass based pastures, CF/Sub produced 18 kg DM/ha/mm (R2=0.98) from 1/7 to 10/11/08 from 270 mm of water used. The lowest spring WUE was 13.5 kg DM/ha/mm by CF/Bal pastures which was comparable to the 14.3±1.42 kg DM/ha/mm WUE of CF/Wc, CF/Cc and RG/Wc pastures. During the spring, CF/Sub clover had the highest spring legume component of the grass based pastures at 42% and produced 120 kg N/ha. This was lower than the 288 kg N/ha from the monoculture of lucerne. Sub clover was the most successful clover which persisted with the cocksfoot. Based on the results from this study dryland farmers should be encouraged to maximize the potential of lucerne on farm, use cocksfoot as the main grass species for persistence, rather than perennial ryegrass, and use subterranean clover as the main legume species in cocksfoot based pastures. By increasing the proportion of legume grown the water use efficiency of a pasture can be improved. When pastures are nitrogen deficient the use of inorganic nitrogen may also improve pasture yields particularly in spring.

Red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) is the only tree in British Columbia and the Northwest US to engage in actinorhizal symbiosis to fix atmospheric nitrogen. This study was conducted to explore the plasticity in growth and physiology among 58 17-year-old red alder families in response to variation in climate in two common garden plots, one at Bowser, BC and one at Terrace, BC. Physiological assessments included height and diameter growth, bud flush, water use efficiency as measured by δ13C, cold hardiness as measured by controlled freezing and electrolyte leakage, autumn leaf senescence, and instantaneous and seasonally integrated rates of nitrogen fixation as measured by acetylene reduction and natural abundance δ15N isotope analysis, respectively. Significant differences were identified among families for growth (height and diameter), bud burst stage, leaf senescence, cold hardiness, and bud nitrogen content. No significant differences among families were identified for water use efficiency as measured by δ13C, or for rates of nitrogen fixation as measured by either acetylene reduction or natural abundance δ15N. This study identified possible adaptive differences among red alder genotypes, especially in traits such as bud flush timing, cold hardiness, or nitrogen fixation and their respective contributions to growth. These differences often reflected a tradeoff between growth and the ability to tolerate an extreme environment. Cold hardiness results indicate that red alder families are well adapted to their climate of origin, and may not be able to acclimate sufficiently to a northward assisted migration of genotypes. Nitrogen fixation results demonstrated gaps in our current knowledge of Frankia distribution and impact on the actinorhizal symbiosis in British Columbia. / Graduate

The general goal of this research was to understand the agronomic and physiological changes of a lucerne crop in distinct physical radiation environments and to verify the potential of lucerne to grow under shaded conditions. To achieve this, the research was conducted in four main steps: (i) firstly, experimental data collection in the field using two artificial shade materials (shade cloth and wooden slats) under inigated and non-irrigated conditions; (ii) a second experiment with data collection in a typical temperate dryland agroforestry area under non-irrigated conditions; (iii) generation of a light interception sub-model suitable for shaded crops and (iv) a linkage between the light interception sub-model and a canopy photosynthesis model for agroforestry use. In experiments 1 and 2, lucerne crop was exposed to 6 different light regimes: full sunlight (FS), shade cloth (FS+CL), wooden slats (FS+SL), trees (T), trees+cloth (T +CL) and trees+slats (T+SL). The FS+SL structure produced a physical radiation environment (radiation transmission, radiation periodicity and spectral composition) that was similar to that observed in the agroforestry site (f). The mean annual photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was 41 % under the FS+CL, 44% under FS+SL and 48% under T compared with FS in clear sky conditions. Plants were exposed to an intermittent (sun/shade) regime under both FS+SL and T, whereas under FS+CL the shaded light regime was continuous. The red to far-red (RIFR) ratio measured during the shade period under the slats was 0.74 and under the trees was 0.64. However, R/FR ratio increased to 1.26 and 1.23 during the illuminated period under FS+SL and T, respectively, and these were equivalent to the ratio of 1.28 observed under the FS+CL and 1.31 in FS. The radiation use efficiency (RUE) of shoots increased under the 5 shaded treatments compared with full sunlight. The pattern of radiation interception was unchanged by radiation flux, periodicity and spectral composition and all treatments had a mean extinction coefficient of 0.82. However, the magnitude of the decrease in canopy growth was less than those in PPFD transmissivity. The mean lucerne annual dry matter (DM) yield was 17.5 t ha⁻¹ in FS and 10 t ha⁻¹ under the FS+CL, FS+SL and T regimes. This declined to 3.4 t DM ha⁻¹ under T+CL (22% PPFD transmissvity) and 4.1 t DM ha⁻¹ under T+SL (23% transmissivity). A similar pattern of response was observed for leaf net photosynthesis (Pn) rates under the shade treatments compared with full sun. In addition, spectral changes observed under the trees and slats affected plant motphology by increasing the number of long stems, stem height and internode length compared with full sunlight. Thus, there were two main explanations for the increase in RUE under shade compared with full sun: (i) preferential partition of assimilates to shoot rather than root growth and/or (ii) leaves under shade were still operating at an efficient part of the photosynthetic light curve. The changes proposed for the canopy Pn model were appropriate to simulate the radiation environment of an agroforestry system. However, the model underestimated DM yields under the continuous and intermittent shade regimes. These were considered to be mainly associated with plant factors, such as overestimation in maintenance respiration and partitioning between shoots and roots in shade and the intermittency light effect on leaf Pn rates. Further investigation in these topics must be addressed to accurately predict crop yield in agroforestry areas. Overall, the lucerne crop responded typically as a sun-adapted plant under shade. It was concluded that lucerne yield potential to grow under intermediate shade was superior to most of C3 pastures previously promoted in the literature.

Studies were conducted on three field trials of wheat cv. Kopara to investigate the lack of compensation by later determined components of yield because of early disease constraints. The investigation was based on the hypothesis that early disease reduces root development and thus causes the plants to be water constrained at later growth stages when soil water deficits usually occur. The reduced root development and soil water deficits may reduce the ability of the plant to compensate for reductions in early determined components. The hypothesis was tested by the application of irrigation to alleviate water stress. In a disease free crop, the possible phytotonic effects of the fungicides benomyl and triadimefon on wheat were investigated. These fungicides had no phytotonic effects on shoot, root growth, or yield under the prevailing conditions. The effect of disease on root development was analysed by root length measurements. Disease present in the crop at any stage of growth affected root development. Root development in the upper zones of the soil profile was reduced more by disease compared to those zones below 35 cm. A full disease epidemic reduced root development more than an early or late disease epidemic. The early and late disease epidemics had similar effects on root length. Alleviation of early disease constraints enabled greater development of roots to offset any earlier reductions. Soil water deficits increased root development in the lower zones of the nil disease plants. The presence of adequate soil water from irrigation reduced the requirement for further root growth in all treatments. In the 1981-1982 field trial a full disease epidemic reduced yield by 14% whereas an early disease epidemic reduced yield by 7%. The reduction in yield was attributed to a lower grain number. With irrigation the yield reduction in the full disease plants was 12% whereas in the early disease plants the reduction was only 2.4%. This indicated that plants affected by the early disease epidemic were water constrained. In this study, the results suggested that, for conditions prevailing in Canterbury, the supply of water at later growth stages increased grain weight in plants which were subject to early disease epidemics. This suggests that reduced root development caused by early disease and soil water deficits may prevent compensation by grain weight. Water use was similar in all disease treatments. After irrigation the irrigated plants of all treatments used more water. Disease affected water use in relation to yield production however, and was better expressed by water use efficiency. Water use efficiency was reduced in the full disease plants. A stepwise regression analysis suggested that water use efficiency was affected directly by disease at later growth stages, and indirectly via an effect on total green leaf area at early growth stages. This study partially proves the hypothesis that reductions in root development caused by an early disease epidemic may constrain the plants at later growth stages when water deficits usually occur. It was shown that the reduction in root development caused by disease could be counteracted by irrigation. In this respect, water served as a tool to study the effect of disease constraints on the yield of wheat. A knowledge of cereal crop physiology, root growth and function is used to explain and discuss the observations made in this research programme. The results are discussed in relation to the way in which disease affects yield through its effect on root development. The possible reasons for the continued effects of disease even after the control of disease at later growth stages are discussed. The economic use of fungicides and water in diseased crops are also outlined. Suggestions for future studies on disease-yield loss relationships are provided. The repetition of these experiments in different sites and climatic regions could provide information which may be incorporated in disease-yield loss simulation models. This could then be used to predict root development and water requirements of diseased plants, and provide a basis for economic use of fungicides and water, and for better disease management programmes.

[Truncated abstract] Insufficient water use by annual crop and pasture species leading to costly rises in saline watertables has prompted research into potentially profitable deep-rooted perennial species in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Native mallee eucalypts are currently being developed as a short-rotation coppice crop for production of leaf oils, activated carbon and bio-electricity for low rainfall areas (300—450 mm) too dry for many of the traditional timber and forage species. The research in this study was aimed at developing a knowledge base necessary to grow and manage coppiced mallee eucalypts for both high productivity and salinity control. This firstly necessitated identification of suitable species, climatic and site requirements favourable to rapid growth, and understanding of factors likely to affect yield of the desirable leaf oil constituent, 1,8-cineole. This was undertaken using nine mallee taxa at twelve sites with two harvest regimes. E. kochii subsp. plenissima emerged as showing promise in the central and northern wheatbelt, particularly at a deep acid sand site (Gn 2.61; Northcote, 1979), so further studies focussed on physiology of its resprouting, water use and water-use efficiency at a similar site near Kalannie. Young E. kochii trees were well equipped with large numbers of meristematic foci and adequate root starch reserves to endure repeated shoot removal. The cutting season and interval between cuts were then demonstrated to have a strong influence on productivity, since first-year coppice growth was slow and root systems appeared to cease in secondary growth during the first 1.5—2.5 years after cutting. After decapitation, trees altered their physiology to promote rapid replacement of shoots. Compared to uncut trees, leaves of coppices were formed with a low carbon content per unit area, and showed high stomatal conductance accompanied by high leaf photosynthetic rates. Whole-plant water use efficiency of coppiced trees was unusually high due to their fast relative growth rates associated with preferential investments of photosynthates into regenerating canopies rather than roots. Despite relatively small leaf areas on coppice shoots over the two years following decapitation, high leaf transpiration rates resulted in coppices using water at rates far in excess of that falling as rain on the tree belt area. Water budgets showed that 20 % of the study paddock would have been needed as 0—2 year coppices in 5 m wide twin-row belts in order to maintain hydrological balance over the study period. Maximum water use occurred where uncut trees were accessing a fresh perched aquifer, but where this was not present water budgets still showed transpiration of uncut trees occurring at rates equivalent to 3—4 times rainfall incident on the tree belt canopy. In this scenario, only 10 % of the paddock surface would have been required under 5 m wide tree belts to restore hydrological balance, but competition losses in adjacent pasture would have been greater