Impacts of Early- and Late-Terminated Cover Crops on Gas Fluxes.

Cover crops (CCs) could alter soil processes, but the effects of early versus late termination of CCs on gas fluxes are not well known. We evaluated temporal changes in fluxes of CO, NO, and CH and related soil properties in no-till corn ( L.) with and without winter rye ( L.) CCs that were terminated early (30 d before planting) or late (at planting) in a rainfed silty clay loam and an irrigated silt loam in Nebraska from April 2016 to June 2017. Gas fluxes, soil temperature, and soil water content were measured biweekly to monthly, and wet aggregate stability and particulate organic matter concentrations were measured seasonally. We also compared our results with a global literature review. Late-terminated CCs did not affect CH fluxes but increased daily CO fluxes by 59% compared with no CC at both sites and NO fluxes by 92% at the rainfed site only. Early termination did not affect gas fluxes. Termination date did not affect cumulative fluxes and had minimal effects on soil properties. The literature review supports our study results, which indicate that CC effects on (i) CO fluxes are driven by plant respiration during the CC growing period, and (ii) NO and CH fluxes are minimal under grass CCs. Overall, under no-till, CC termination date has small effects on NO and CH fluxes, but late CC termination can increase CO fluxes in spring due to greater biomass yield compared with early termination.

Using an Active-Optical Sensor to Develop an Optimal NDVI Dynamic Model for High-Yield Rice Production (Yangtze, China).

The successful development of an optimal canopy vegetation index dynamic model for obtaining higher yield can offer a technical approach for real-time and nondestructive diagnosis of rice (Oryza sativa L) growth and nitrogen (N) nutrition status. In this study, multiple rice cultivars and N treatments of experimental plots were carried out to obtain: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), leaf area index (LAI), above-ground dry matter (DM), and grain yield (GY) data. The quantitative relationships between NDVI and these growth indices (e.g., LAI, DM and GY) were analyzed, showing positive correlations. Using the normalized modeling method, an appropriate NDVI simulation model of rice was established based on the normalized NDVI (RNDVI) and relative accumulative growing degree days (RAGDD). The NDVI dynamic model for high-yield production in rice can be expressed by a double logistic model: RNDVI = ( 1 + e - 15.2829 × ( R A G D D i - 0.1944 ) ) - 1 - ( 1 + e - 11.6517 × ( R A G D D i - 1.0267 ) ) - 1 (R2 = 0.8577**), which can be used to accurately predict canopy NDVI dynamic changes during the entire growth period. Considering variation among rice cultivars, we constructed two relative NDVI (RNDVI) dynamic models for Japonica and Indica rice types, with R2 reaching 0.8764** and 0.8874**, respectively. Furthermore, independent experimental data were used to validate the RNDVI dynamic models. The results showed that during the entire growth period, the accuracy (k), precision (R2), and standard deviation of RNDVI dynamic models for the Japonica and Indica cultivars were 0.9991, 1.0170; 0.9084**, 0.8030**; and 0.0232, 0.0170, respectively. These results indicated that RNDVI dynamic models could accurately reflect crop growth and predict dynamic changes in high-yield crop populations, providing a rapid approach for monitoring rice growth status.

Groundwater Quality and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Nebraska's Central Platte River Valley.

Groundwater nitrate contamination has been an issue in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska since the 1960s, with groundwater nitrate-N concentrations frequently in excess of 10 mg L. This article summarizes education and regulatory efforts to reduce the environmental impact of irrigated crop production in the Platte River Valley. In 1988, a Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) was implemented in the Central Platte Natural Resources District to encourage adoption of improved management practices. Since 1988, there have been steady declines in average groundwater nitrate-N concentrations of about 0.15 mg NO-N L yr in much of the GWMA (from 19 to 15 mg NO-N L). However, N use efficiency (NUE) (partial factor productivity for N [PFP]) has increased very little from 1988 to 2012 (60-65 kg grain kg N), whereas statewide PFP increased from 49 to 67 kg grain kg N in the same period. Although growers are encouraged to credit N from sources besides fertilizer (e.g., soil residual, legumes, irrigation water, and manure), confidence in and use of credits tended to decrease as credits became larger; there was a tendency toward an average N rate regardless of credit-based recommendations. This information, coupled with data from other studies, suggests that much of the decline in groundwater nitrate can be attributed to improved irrigation management-especially conversion from furrow to sprinkler irrigation-and to a lesser extent to improved timing of N application. The development and adoption of improved N management practices, such as fertigation, controlled-release N formulation, and use of crop canopy sensors for in-season N application may be required for further significant NUE gains in these irrigated systems.

Does inorganic nitrogen fertilization improve soil aggregation? Insights from two long-term tillage experiments.

The relationship between inorganic fertilization and soil aggregation is not well understood. We studied cumulative nitrogen (N) fertilization impacts on aggregation, soil organic C (SOC), pH, and their relationships under irrigated and rainfed experiments in Nebraska after 27 and 28 yr, respectively. The dominant soil series were Crete silt loam at the irrigated site, and Coleridge silty clay loam at the rainfed site. We studied irrigated continuous corn ( L.) in chisel plow (CP) and ridge till (RidgeT) receiving 0, 75, 150, and 300 kg N ha yr and rainfed continuous corn and corn-soybean [ (L.) Merr.] in moldboard plow (MP), reduced till (RT), and no-till (NT) with corn receiving 0, 80, and 160 kg N ha yr. Fertilization altered soil aggregation in all tillage systems under continuous corn. Mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates (MWDA) increased in the upper 7.5-cm depth in NT but decreased in the 7.5- to 60-cm depth by 1.5 times with N application. Fertilization reduced pH but had little or no effect on SOC. Both MWDA and pH ( = 0.47***) decreased under irrigated corn, particularly in the 7.5- to 30-cm depth. No-till and RT had two to five times greater near-surface MWDA than MP. Continuous corn had greater MWDA than corn-soybean in the upper 30-cm depth except in MP. Long-term N fertilization improves near-surface soil aggregation in NT continuous corn but reduces aggregation in the subsoil. Results also suggest that, if fertilizers are applied at rates of about 80 kg N ha, deterioration of soil aggregation would be minimal.

Long-term effects of sustained beef feedlot manure application on soil nutrients, corn silage yield, and nutrient uptake.

A field study was initiated in 1992 to investigate the long-term impacts of beef feedlot manure application (composted and uncomposted) on nutrient accumulation and movement in soil, corn silage yield, and nutrient uptake. Two application strategies were compared: providing the annual crop nitrogen (N) requirement (N-based rate) or crop phosphorus (P) removal (P-based rate), as well as a comparison to inorganic fertilizer. Additionally, effects of a winter cover crop were evaluated. Irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) was produced annually from 1993 through 2002. Average silage yield and crop nutrient removal were highest with N-based manure treatments, intermediate with P-based manure treatments, and least with inorganic N fertilizer. Use of a winter cover crop resulted in silage yield reductions in four of ten years, most likely due to soil moisture depletion in the spring by the cover crop. However, the cover crop did significantly reduce NO3-N accumulation in the shallow vadose zone, particularly in latter years of the study. The composted manure N-based treatment resulted in significantly greater soil profile NO3-N concentration and higher soil P concentration near the soil surface. The accounting procedure used to calculate N-based treatment application rates resulted in acceptable soil profile NO3-N concentrations over the short term. While repeated annual manure application to supply the total crop N requirement may be acceptable for this soil for several years, sustained application over many years carries the risk of unacceptable soil P concentrations.