Raised-field agricultural systems were exploited extensively by pre-Columbian Andean civilizations and now are used less extensively by contemporary Bolivian and Peruvian farmers as a method for farming the perennially wet soils of the intermontane pampas of the Andean high altiplano. The raised-field agricultural systems are linear or semi-linear raised planting platforms interspersed with sha...

Knot-related defects are the major cause of timber quality degradation, and diminishing this kind of defects is an important issue in forest management. For the purpose of clear-wood production, knot attributes and branch occlusion of Betula alnoides under natural pruning were investigated in a 14-year-old experimental plantation with five planting densities ranging from 500 to 3333 stems per h...

Restoration of wet prairie in the central midwestern United States should include Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata), but historic densities of this once dominant species are not easily achieved. Spartina pectinata was transplanted into a former agricultural field in three planting strategies: 20 small plugs, 4 medium-sized plugs, and a single large plug, with each treatment area totaling 0...

Pre-planting factors have been associated with the late-season severity of Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), caused by the fungal pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum, in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). The relative importance of these factors in the risk of SNB has not been determined and this knowledge can facilitate disease management decisions prior to planting of the wheat crop. In this st...

Modelling crop evapotranspiration (ET) response to different planting scenarios in an irrigation district plays a significant role in optimizing crop planting patterns, resolving agricultural water scarcity and facilitating the sustainable use of water resources. In this study, the SWAT model was improved by transforming the evapotranspiration module. Then, the improved model was applied in Qin...

Interest in tillage impacts on sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC) has increased greatly during recent years. The use of reduced and no-tillage (NT) practices generally increases the SOC concentration in surface few centimeters when compared to conventionally tilled soils. However, use of conservation tillage does not always result in increased SOC storage overall. The effects of sample ...

This research was conducted in 2007 and 2008 cropping seasons in the experimental field of Shahid Salemi, Ahvaz, south west of Iran. In each year, the study consisted of a split split-plot experiment, using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Four irrigation levels including irrigationoff at the 8 leaf, the 12 leaf and the tasseling stages and optimum irrigation wer...

Plants have an important impact on soil microbial communities and their functions. However, how plants determine the microbial composition and network interactions is still poorly understood. During a four-year field experiment, we investigated the functional gene composition of three types of soils (Phaeozem, Cambisols and Acrisol) under maize planting and bare fallow regimes located in cold t...