Measurements of methane (CH(4)) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) fluxes have been extensively taken following rice seedlings transplanted into paddy fields, while little is known about CH(4) and N(2)O fluxes from rice seedling nurseries. Fluxes of CH(4) and N(2)O were simultaneously measured in rice seedling nurseries under the water regimes of continuous flooding and moist irrigation without waterlog...

To determine the effect of inorganic N fertilizer on the incidence of yellow stem borer (YSB), Scirpophaga incertulas Walker and on grain yield, yield attributes and bio-chemical characters of local paddy cultivar Tulaipanji, a field experiment for three consecutive years (2007-2009) was carried out by randomized block design in pesticide untreated field. Treatments comprised of seven different...

Soils of the lowland tropics in the central Brazilian Amazon are generally highly leached, acidic and nutrient-poor. Charcoal, combined with other soil amendments, might improve fertility but this, in turn, could lead to increased weed problems for agricultural production. This experiment was conducted to assess weed pressure and species composition on plots receiving various inorganic and orga...

Semi-intensive production of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus commonly utilizes organic and inorganic fertilizers to increase primary production and fish yield. Most experiments on such systems are done at fish culture stations where water supplies are readily available, and water loss through evaporation or by seepage is replaced regularly, often weekly. Rainfall during such experiments may ...

Mulching is widely used to increase crop yield in semiarid regions in northwestern China, but little is known about the effect of different mulching systems on the microbial properties of the soil, which play an important role in agroecosystemic functioning and nutrient cycling. Based on a 4-year spring maize (Zea mays L.) field experiment at Changwu Agricultural and Ecological Experimental Sta...

During 19 years of research on silage maize grown a fertile sandy loam soil in Flanders, we compared the use of only inorganic nitrogen (S−) with a system of an annual application of dairy cattle slurry (S+, corresponding with an average rate of 180 kg N ha−1) supplemented with inorganic fertilizer nitrogen. The objectives were to study the efficiency of slurry-N, to determine the economic opti...

To prevent nutrient limitations to crop growth, nitrogen is often applied in agricultural systems in the form of organic inputs (e.g., crop residues, manure, compost, etc.) or inorganic fertilizer. Inorganic nitrogen fertilizer has large environmental and economic costs, particularly for low-input smallholder farming systems. The concept of combining organic, inorganic, and biological nutrient ...

Recent research on seeds of bio-diesel plants like Jatropha curcas, constituting 40-50% bio-crude oil indicates its potential as one of the most promising alternatives to conventional sources of energy. Also, limited studies on utilization of de-oiled cake have revealed that Jatropha bio-waste has good potential to be used as organic fertilizers produced via aerobic and anaerobic treatment. How...