Plant growth is directly affected by soil water, soil aeration, and soil resistance to root penetration. The least limiting water range (LLWR) is de®ned as the range in soil water content within which limitations to plant growth associated with water potential, aeration and soil resistance to root penetration are minimal. The LLWR has not been evaluated in tropical soils. Thus, the objective of...

Ploughless soil tillage impacts on yields and selected soil quality parameters is reviewed from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Soil conditions as well as climatic conditions vary widely, this resulting in variations in the length of the growing season, which is very short in the northern part of Scandinavia. The success of reduced tillage and direct drilling ...

Physical, chemical and biological attributes of soil surface are significantly affected by tillage practices and crop rotation. The objective of this study was to determine the short-term (2006-2009) effects of conventional and conservational tillage practices on selected soil physical properties of a heavy clay soil under two wheat-corn and wheatlegume rotation in a semi-arid Mediterranean...

The percentage of soil pore space filled with water (percent waterfilled pores, % WFP), as determined by water content and total porosity, appears to be closely related to soil microbial activity under different tillage regimes. Soil incubated in the laboratory at 60% WFP supported maximum aerobic microbial activity as determined by CO2 production and O2 uptake. In the field, % WFP of surface n...

Comprehensive assessment of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) budget of reduced tillage agricultural systems must consider emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), each of which have higher global warming potentials than carbon dioxide (CO2). Tillage intensity may also impact nitric oxide (NO) emissions, which can have various environmental and agronomic impacts. In 2003 and 2004, we us...

Reduced tillage practices present a tool that could sustainably intensify agriculture. The existing literature, however, lacks consensus on how and when reduced should get implemented. We reanalyzed here an extensive dataset comparing regular (i.e., conventional tillage) impacted yield of eight crops compared to stopping altogether no-tillage practice). observed aridity fertilization favored no...

Blowing dust from summer fallow is a major soil loss and air quality concern in winter wheat (Triricum aesrivum L.) production areas of the inland Pacific Northwest (PNW). The objective of our 3-yr onfarm study in a 286-mm precipitation zone in eastern Washington was to determine the effects of tillage mulch depth during fallow on surface soil roughness, residue retention, seed-zone water stora...

OBJECTIVES To identify problems in the management of medical waste in Thailand for future development. MATERIAL AND METHOD The study was done in 39 hospitals during June and July 2002 by interviewing medical personnel on knowledge and attitude in management of medical waste, observation of practice and checking the amount of medical waste in waste bags. Certain laboratory investigations were ...

No-till acreage has increased in recent years, but many farmers alternate no-till with other tillage practices, limiting public and private benefits from sustained no-till adoption. Revealed preference data are used in an ordered logit regression analysis to determine the effect of soil characteristics, climate, regions, farm characteristics, and producer demographics on producers’ choices to u...