Anhydrous ammonia (AA) is a major fertilizer source in North America that can promote greater emissions of nitrous oxide (NO) than other nitrogen (N) fertilizers. Previous studies found that injection of AA at a shallow depth (0.1 m) decreased NO in a rainfed clay loam but increased NO in an irrigated loamy sand compared with the standard injection depth of 0.2 m. The objective of this study wa...

The object of this experiment was to determine the response of peanut when planting in single or twin row patterns by strip tillage or no tillage methods. During 1997 and 1998 the peanut cultivars "Georgia Green" and "Georgia Runner" or "Georgia Green" and "Georgia Bold" (Arachis hypogaea L.) were planted in 9.5 or 9.0 inch twin row patterns versus 36 inch single rows at the same seeding rate (...

The effects of long term no-till and crop residue on soil microbial community catabolic function and relevant carbon cycle in the rhizosphere and bulk soils were assessed in the 10th year of a maize-winter wheat-soybean crop rotation. Conventional and zero tillage were coupled with residue removal and residue retention in a factorial design. Soil microbial community catabolic diversity was dete...

In cold climates, snowmelt runoff often exceeds rainfall runoff during the year. Conservation tillage practices may be effective in reducing runoff during the cropping season but not during the snowmelt period. A plot study was conducted on a cropped hillslope to assess how tillage practices affect snowmelt runoff and the associated losses of sediment, phosphorus (P), and chemical oxygen demand...

Conservation tillage is commonly used in regions affected by water and wind erosion. To understand the effects of conservation tillage on soil nutrients and yield, a long-term experiment was set up in a region affected by water and wind erosion on the Loess Plateau. The treatments used were traditional tillage (CK), no tillage (NT), straw mulching (SM), plastic-film mulching (PM), ridging and p...

The short-term responses of soil microbial processes and community structure to perturbation constitute one aspect of soil quality. Such responses are often associated with an increase in the emissions of greenhouse gases (i.e., CO2, NO, or N2O) and the accumulation and potential loss of nitrate by leaching. Here we describe our recent work on responses of soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, mic...

Hardpans (plough/hoe pans) are commonly believed to restrict plant root growth and crop yields under conventional small-scale agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This study questions the notion of widespread hardpans in Zambia and their remedy under conservation tillage. Soil penetration resistance was measured in 8x12 grids, covering 80 cm wide and 60 cm deep profiles in 32 soil pits. Large and...

Organic agricultural production has become a major economic and cultural force. However, in water-limited environments the tools used for weed control and nutrient supply, namely tillage and cover crops, may not be environmentally or economically sustainable as tillage damages soil and cover crops use valuable water. Thus, a major challenge has been finding appropriate ways to minimize tillage ...

Soil movement by tillage redistributes soil within the profile and throughout the landscape, resulting in soil removal from convex slope positions and soil accumulation in concave slope positions. Previous investigations of the spatial variability in surface soil properties and crop yield in a glacial till landscape in west central Minnesota indicated that wheat (Triticum aestivum) yields were ...

The paper is centered on the concept of conservation agriculture (CA), which defined as a sustainable cultivation system for future. Conservation (CA) farming that promotes minimal soil disturbance, permanent cover, and crop rotations to maintain health productivity. This approach focuses maximizing natural resources, reducing inputs, improving efficiency nutrient use. CA practices have been fo...