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This study evaluates the effectiveness of post–harvest oilseed radish green manures and different tillage methods in controlling potential soil contamination and weed infestation in typical chernozem soil and maize crops. It was found that the application of oilseed radish green manures significantly reduced the quantity of weed seeds in the 0–30 cm soil layer by 2.9–7.1 million seeds ha-1 compared to the non–green manure background. In maize fields, the population of all weed biological groups decreased by 0.2–4.5 individuals/m² and their biomass decreased by 4–69 g/m², resulting in an increase in grain yield by 1.5–1.8 t ha–1. Substituting plowing with no–moldboard tillage for incorporating oilseed radish green manures reduced weed seed reserves in the 0–30 cm soil layer by 0.7–1.7 million seeds ha–1. The deepest no–moldboard tillage provided the lowest potential contamination in the upper 0–5 cm soil layer, with 24.4 and 22.3 million seeds ha-1, which was 0.6–1.1 and 2.3–3.3 million seeds ha-1 lower compared to no–moldboard tillage at 13–15 and 6–8 cm. Substituting plowing with no–moldboard tillage increased the number and biomass of weeds in maize crops, mainly due to early and late spring groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous monocropping of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) often results in yield decline and soil degradation. The combination of green manure (GM) with tillage practices has been proposed as a sustainable strategy to maintain high crop productivity and improve soil quality. This study investigates the long-term effects of 8 years of GM application combined with plow tillage on soil microbial communities and physicochemical properties under a peanut monocropping system. Treatments included: (i) no tillage (NT); (ii) plow tillage before the winter fallow period (PT); and (iii) growing ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) during the winter period and applying it as GM before planting next-stubble peanut (PTGM). It was found that both PTGM and PT remarkably decreased the average bulk density (BD), while elevated the mean soil porosity (SP) in 0–30 cm soil layer. Moreover, PTGM significantly increased available potassium (AK), available phosphorus (AP), total nitrogen (TN), and soil organic matter (SOM). Peanut pod yields in the PTGM treatment were 14.1 and 7.2% higher compared to the PT and NT treatments, respectively. Additionally, PTGM could promote shifts in soil bacteria compositions, increasing the abundance of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes while reducing that of Chloroflexi. For fungal abundances, PTGM elevated the abundances of Ascomycota and Basidiomycote. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that SOM, TN, AK, and AP were positively related to dominant flora of fungi and bacteria in PTGM, while negatively related to dominant flora of fungi and bacteria in NT. Overall, tillage practices have the potential to reshape the microbial community during the peanut growing season, primarily due to the influence of SOM, TN, and AP content in shaping microbial diversity and composition. Our study highlights that plow tillage combined with GM application may serve as an effective tillage practice in the future to mitigate continuous cropping obstacles by modulating soil microbial communities, improving soil nutrients and fertility, and enhancing crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, arsenic (As) accumulation in agricultural soils and its transfer in crop yields is representing a growing concern that threatens food safety and security in the Mediterranean environment. Soil tillage and fertilization may increase the accumulation of As in plant tissues; therefore, there is a need to develop sustainable agronomical practices capable of supporting crop yield while mitigating As accumulation. The current study was carried out through a 7-year experiment with the aim of evaluating the As uptake by different parts of the durum wheat plant. The experimental treatments include the following: (i) three soil tillage practices (plowing, subsoiling, and spading) and (ii) two fertilization methods (mineral and organic). A factorial randomized complete block design with three replications was adopted. The experimental period refers to the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021 growing seasons. The results suggest that the maximum level of As was found in plant roots and the minimum in wheat kernels. The chemical fertilization as 2020 × Mineral (1.522 mg As kg−1 d.m.) and 2020 × Plowing (1.855 mg As kg−1 d.m.) had the maximum As content in the roots. Conversely, the content of As was at a minimum in the wheat kernels for organic fertilization as 2021 × Organic (0.012 mg As kg−1 d.m.) and subsoiling tillage as 2021 × Subsoiling (0.008 mg As kg−1 d.m.). Moreover, the application of an organic fertilization source as a tool for enhancing the soil organic matter content also significantly decreased the As content. The results suggest that reduced tillage practices and the adoption of organic amendment could be classified as sustainable agronomic practices in agri-food systems, which are able to improve plant quality and assure a safe consumption of wheat kernels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision sustainable agronomic practices are crucial for achieving global food security as well as mitigating climate change. A field experiment was conducted at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Gödöllő from 2023 to 2024. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of soil tillage and foliar nutrient supplementation on winter barley yield, associated characteristics, and soil CO2 emissions. Employing a split-plot design with three replications, the experiment included four nutrient treatments (control, bio-cereal, bio-algae, and MgSMnZn blend) and two soil tillage type (i.e., plowing and cultivator). The study found that soil CO2 emissions were influenced by the crop growth stage across both tillage treatments throughout the growing seasons, but the tillage system itself did not have an effect. Similarly, the leaf chlorophyll content was not affected by tillage and nutrient treatments. Plant height, the leaf area index (LAI), and thousand kernel weights (TKW) were significantly affected by nutrient treatments across the growing seasons. Both nutrient and tillage treatments also had a notable effect on the number of productive tillers in winter barley. Moreover, nutrient and tillage treatments consistently influenced grain yield across the two growing seasons, and their interaction significantly impacted both grain yield and thousand kernel weights. The bio-cereal nutrient treatment combined with plowing tillage yielded the highest values for most parameters throughout the growing seasons. Therefore, it can be concluded that the combination of bio-cereal nutrient treatments and plowing tillage can boost winter barley yields. Notably, soil CO2 emissions peak during the crops' reproductive stage, surpassing levels from early growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the power consumption of furrow plough in the agricultural machinery operation process, a method of interpolation using diesel engine bench data and controller area network(CAN) data was proposed to obtain the diesel engine power of the plough agricultural machinery for ploughing operations. The power of the plough was measured by the tension sensor and GPS instrument. Then, with fixed tillage depth of 23 cm, a field experiment was carried out with 3 types of target tillage speeds of 5.7, 7.1 and 8.9 km⋅h-1. With fixed tillage speed of 5.7 km⋅h-1, a field experiment was carried out with 3 types of tillage depths of 20, 23 and 26 cm. The results showed that the actual tillage speed of plough agricultural machinery fluctuated greatly around the target tillage speed, which caused the furrow plough power, the furrow plough power ratio, the diesel engine power, the fuel consumption and other performance parameters were changed, and the diesel engine power variation rate was up to 15.93%. With the increase of tillage speed and tillage depth, the power of the plough and diesel engine both increased, and the proportion of the power of the plough was relatively stable. The percentage of plow power to diesel engine power ranged from 56.24% to 67.30%. The results of this study were expected to provide a reference for the matching, optimization and selection of agricultural machinery power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】The paper aimed to clarify the effects of tillage methods and straw returning amount on soil quality and maize yield, and then screen the optimal combination mode of tillage methods and straw returning amount, providing theoretical basis and technical support for high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation of maize in Ningxia region.【Method】The field experiment was carried out in Ningxia from 2018-2019, using a randomized block group experimental design with six pattern, straw not returned to field and no tillage (NT-H0), half straw mulching return and no tillage (NT-H1), full straw mulching return and no tillage (NT-H2), straw not returned to field and deep plowing (DT-H0), half the amount of straw crushed and returned to the field and deep plowing (DT-H1), and full amount of straw crushed and returned to the field and deep plowing (DT-H2) .At the same time, the physical and chemical properties of soil under different tillage methods and straw return amount were measured, and the effects on soil quality were quantitatively evaluated according to principal component analysis and correlation analysis.【Result】Compared with DT-H0,DT-H2 treatment significantly increased the content of macroaggregates the 0-40 cm soil layer, the average mass and geometric mean diameter, thereby which improved soil structure stability. At the same time, DT-H2 increased the content of alkaline dissolved nitrogen, quick-acting phosphorus, and organic matter in the 0-20 cm soil layer, and improved the catalase activity, urease activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity, in which the content of soil alkaline dissolved nitrogen, quick-acting phosphorus, and organic matter were increased by 50.22%,39.21%,and 12.19% Compared to those of DT-H0 treatment. Compared with straw not returned to field, maize yield increased by 43.63% and 52.49% under no-tillage method with half and full straw mulch return treatment, and 43.57% and 62.81% under deep tillage method, respectively. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the alkaline phosphatase, alkaline dissolved nitrogen and catalase were significantly correlated with organic matter in the 0-20 cm soil layer. Additionally, average mass diameter and geometric mean diameter of macroaggregates in 0-20 cm soil layer were significantly positively correlated with organic matter, alkaline dissolved nitrogen and kernel number per ear. According to the principal component analysis, the composite score of soil quality was DT-H2＞NT-H2＞DT-H1＞NT-H1＞DT-H0＞NT-H0.【Conclusion】DT-H2 enhances the soil structure stability by increasing soil nutrient content and enzyme activity, thereby which improves soil quality and ultimately increases maize grain yield. Therefore, DT-H2 can be adopted as the optimal combination mode to achieve maize yield increase in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation tillage practices are increasingly used in agricultural systems. However, these practices require a complex approach regarding soil nutrition. Adequate nutrient content in soils is important for crop production, as reduced and no-tillage practices change the distribution of nutrient contents (P, K, Mg, and Ca) in the soil profile, necessitating new approaches for agronomists in crop nutrition. Little is known about the time changes in nutrient distribution in the soil profile under conservation tillage practices. Long-term field experiments with conventional (CT—plowing to 20–22 cm), reduced (RT—chiseling to 8–10 cm), and no-tillage (NT) practices were established in Prague–Ruzyně (Czech Republic) in 1995. This four-year crop rotation consisted of winter wheat changing with oilseed rape or pea. The soil nutrient contents have been determined since 2009 using the Mehlich 3 method and through extraction in 0.5 M ammonium acetate. The obtained results showed that P, K, and, to a lesser extent, Mg contents increased in the soil surface layer (0–10 cm) under the reduced and no-tillage practices, whereas Ca and pH values showed an opposite trend. We found an unbalanced ratio of nutrients in the upper soil layer in RT and NT caused by a high concentration of the monovalent cation K+ and the leaching of the divalent cations Ca2+ and Mg2+ into the deeper soil layers. In conventional practices, the ion contents are equalized throughout the topsoil due to the soil inverting during plowing. The determination of nutrient contents in deeper soil layers revealed that, over time, calcium, magnesium, and potassium were transported to deeper parts of the soil profile under RT and especially NT. Low nutrient ratios were found in the surface layer under RT and NT, negatively affecting the quality of the soil surface layer, including its structure. Fertilizer management and nutrient ratios in soils under RT and NT should be considered to maintain and possibly improve sustainable agricultural practices in fields with reduced or no-tillage practices. Furthermore, nutrient contents and their mutual ratios should be evaluated in more soil layers under these systems, enabling the detection of eventual problems in the upper layer that must be addressed by changing fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation tillage, particularly no tillage (NT), has been recognized as an efficient farming practice, particularly in dryland agriculture, as it significantly enhances crop yields, improves soil health, and contributes to environmental sustainability. However, the influence of NT on winter wheat radiation interception and utilization, biomass, and yield under NT in irrigated fields, especially under drip fertigation, is unclear. A field experiment was carried out for two growing seasons in Shandong province, China, using a split-plot design with the tillage method as the main plot (no tillage, NT; rotary tillage, RT; and first plowing the soil and then conducting rotary tillage, PRT), and water–nitrogen management as the sub-plot (N fertilizer broadcasting and flood irrigation, BF and drip fertigation, DF). Our results showed that DF increased yield by 11.0–28.5%, but the yield response to DF depended on the tillage methods. NT had the highest response in yield of 26.3–28.5%, followed by RT of 14.6–15.1% and PRT of 11.0–11.9%. Both increased grains per ear and ear number, a result of the greater maximum stems number donating to the yield gain by DF under NT. This gain was also due to the substantially promoted post-anthesis biomass (36.7–47.3%), which resulted from the increased interception of solar radiation and radiation use efficiency after anthesis. In addition, the extended post-anthesis duration also benefited biomass and yield. To conclude, our findings underscore the critical need to optimize water and nitrogen management strategies to maximize yield under conservation tillage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research has been undertaken to determine whether it is worthwhile to do a post-tillage on stubble before applying strip-till or whether tillage operations such as tillage and stubble ploughing should be performed. Therefore, ploughed tillage + strip tillage (PT), stubble discing + strip tillage (SD) and strip tillage (ST) operations were evaluated on three genetically distant winter wheat cultivars, including Formacja, Metronom and Desamo. A three-year field experiment was conducted from 2018 to 2021 at the Agricultural Experimental Station Kepa-Osiny in Pulawy, Poland. The experiment design was a split-block design with four repetitions of every treatment. The results showed that the cultivars differed in dry matter growth. However, no differences were found between the cultivar and post-harvest tillage method in terms of dry matter, plant height, and flag leaf area. Grain yield per ear was the main factor of yield variation across the cultivar and tillage systems. The extent of tillage only in the case of previously performed ploughing had an effect on the thousand grain weight. On the other hand, the omission of post-harvest tillage (ST) had a positive effect on the sedimentation index value. In terms of wheat grain yield, plough tillage (PT) proved to be the most advantageous, while reducing the intensity of tillage caused a systematic decrease in yield by 6% in the SD treatment and 9% in the ST treatment, respectively. Other quality parameters (gluten quantity, gluten index, falling number) did not depend on the applied tillage range. The response of cultivars to the applied cultivation methods was generally similar. Due to the beneficial effect of reducing the scope of cultivation on the environment, a small reduction in yield and no negative impact on the quality characteristics of grain, it is recommended to use strip-till cultivation without prior post-harvest cultivation. The results provide new insights into the growth of different winter wheat cultivars and the postharvest tillage applied, and they can be used in the future to validate existing wheat growth models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, to compensate for the constraints of high unit cost of portable emission measurement system (PEMS) and measurement environment, we developed a tractor operation-based emission prediction model. We also evaluated the developed prediction model using validation metrics. In addition to engine load data, correlation analysis was conducted on engine temperature and fuel consumption variables. The results showed a high correlation of more than 0.5 between emissions and engine temperature, and a high correlation of more than 0.5 between emissions and fuel consumption for emissions except CO and THC. The R2 values of the CO, THC, NOx, and PM emission prediction models were 0.81, 0.82, 0.85, and 0.97, respectively, showing good overall predictive performance. The prediction models for CO, THC, NOx, and PM emissions developed using the third-order regression analysis all showed excellent performance with an average absolute percentage error of around 2%. Therefore, the developed emission regression model can be used to predict tractor emissions using various variables. Through the exhaust emissions prediction model developed in this study, eco-friendly technology according to the optimal engine design is expected to increase. In addition, it is expected that agricultural machinery prices will be stabilized and export competitiveness will be secured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of varioustillage methods and herbicide applications on crop yield and broadleaf weeds in chickpea production were investigated. For this reason, a 3-year (2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 chickpea growing season) field experiment was conducted in Diyarbakır region, Türkiye. The experiments were laid out in split-plot design with three replications, in which tillage methods [moldboard plow+cultivator (MP+C), disc harrow+cultivator (DH+C) and cultivator (C)] were main plots, and herbicide applications [pre-emergence (Pre), post-emergence (Post), pre-emergence+post-emergence (Pre+Post), Weed-free check, weedy check] were sub-plots. The higher grain yield was observed under MP+C than DH+C and C treatments although the difference among tillage treatments was not significant in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 production seasons. Among the herbicide applications, the highest grain yield was found at the preemergence herbicide treatment following the weed-free check plots. When the treatments were evaluated in terms of their effects on weed observations, it was observed that tillage with moldboard plow and pre-emergence herbicide application were more effective in controlling weeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "The Okra Chapel" from ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature & Environment describes the author's father, Warren, and their shared passion for gardening. Warren, a retired research chemist, meticulously tends to his garden in Advance Mills, Virginia, using recycled materials and traditional methods passed down through generations. The article delves into Warren's farming roots, his dedication to gardening, and the historical context of the land he cultivates. The narrative also touches on the author's reflections on Indigenous history, family heritage, and the significance of slow, intentional gardening practices. [Extracted from the article]

A field experiment was carried out within the Shanafiyah - Nasiriyah project / Iraq during the autumn season 2022-2023 to evaluate the performance of the different tillage systems in some soil physical and hydraulic properties when irrigated with salt water and 25% Leaching factor throughout the growing season. In addition to evaluating its performance in mechanical technical properties before sowing. The experiment included three systems: A. minimum tillage with a disc harrow b. Tillage with Chisel Plow and Spring Tooth Harrows c. Tillage with Mold Plow and Spring Tooth Harrows. The study results showed that the Mini Tillage with (Disk Harrow) treatment was superior in giving the best values for the mechanical and technical properties and the soil’s physical and hydraulic properties compared to other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the period 2020-2023 field experiments have been carried out -of soil type Leached Smolnitsa (Haplic Vertisol) in the experimental station of ISSAP “N. Poushkarov”, the town of Bozhurishte, Sofia region. The aim of this study is to identify the impact of two rates of nitrogen-phosphorus mineral fertilization, nonfertilizer variant and two soil tillage systems (plowing and discing) on the yield of wheat grown in a four-field crop rotation. The wheat was included in the structure of a four-field crop rotation: 1) maize, 2) wheat, 3) maize, 4) wheat. It was established that the studied fertilizer rates, regardless of the soil tillage system, are essential for increasing yields of wheat, determining more than 78.73% of the data variation. Increasing the nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rate by about 20% at T2 norm compared to T1 (from 120 to 140 kg/ha for nitrogen and from 80 to 100 kg/ha for phosphorus) does not lead to significantly higher wheat yields. It was established that, on average over the study period, the applied lower rate of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization T1 (N120P80) in wheat cultivation was more effective. The use of nitrogen-phosphorus mineral fertilization for both the soil tillage systems, contributes to more than twice the yields compared to those obtained from the non-fertilizer variants with a very well-proven statistical difference. Irrespective of the fertilization rate, no significant influence of the applied soil tillage systems (disking or plowing) on wheat yield was observed. The influence of the soil-climate conditions (rainfall and temperature conditions) during this period was also analyzed. It was established that they are a significant factor, which has a strong influence on the obtained high (good) yields of wheat cultivated in the field of Bozhurishte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw returning enhances soil fertility and increases corn yield, but the impact on soil fertility varies with different incorporation methods. To explore the optimal straw-returning method, this study, based on a long-term field experiment, investigated the following different corn-straw-returning methods: deep plowing and straw returning (B), rotary tillage and straw returning (RT), crushing and mixing straw returning (TM), pulverized cover straw returning (C), high-stubble-retention straw returning (LHS), strip cover (S), and flat no-tillage without straw returning (CK). High-throughput sequencing technology was employed to analyze the soil bacterial community composition and structural changes under different straw-returning methods. The study further explored the relationships between the soil bacterial community and nutrient content. The results indicated that different straw-returning methods altered the composition and structure of the soil bacterial community. The TM treatment significantly increased the richness and diversity of the soil bacterial communities. Shredding and covering (C and TM) effectively improved the soil nutrient content and bacterial community structure. In the C treatment, the abundance of Blastococcus, Nocardioides, and Microvirga increased the most, by 241.02%, 77.79%, and 355.08%, respectively, compared with CK. In the TM treatment, Pseudarthrobacter showed the highest abundance, increasing by 343.30%. The genes involved in soil carbon hydrolysis (pulA), nitrification (hao), organic nitrogen degradation and synthesis (gudB), and the nitrogen limitation response (glnR) significantly decreased by 56.21%, 78.75%, 66.46%, and 67.40%, respectively, in the C treatment. The genes involved in soil carbon hydrolysis (IMA), carbon fixation (pccB-A), methane metabolism (moxF), nitrate reduction in soil (nirD), organic nitrogen degradation and synthesis (gdh, ureAB, ureE), and phosphate absorption (glpT) significantly increased by 93.37%, 92.68%, 95.00%, 23.42%, 35.40%, 114.21%, 59.14%, and 75.86%, respectively, in the C treatment. The nitrate reduction gene (nrfA) significantly increased by 80.27% in the TM treatment. Therefore, we concluded that straw primarily stimulates the activity of bacterial communities and regulates the bacterial community by changing the relative abundance of the soil microorganisms and functional genes, thereby improving the soil nutrient content. This study considered pulverized cover straw returning and crushing and mixing straw returning to be the most reasonable methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar application is an effective way to improve soil organic carbon (SOC) content and ensure food security. However, there were differences in SOC content following biochar application under different conditions. We collected 637 paired comparisons from 101 articles to determine the following: (1) the average effect of biochar application on SOC content and (2) the response of SOC content to different soil nutrient contents, climate zones and cropping systems following biochar application. The results showed that the soil available phosphorus (P) content and soil available potassium (K) content reached the highest level in the category of <10 mg kg−1 and >150 mg kg−1, respectively. Soil total P content subgroups achieved maximum increase in the intermediate category. The Cw zone (temperate, without dry season) obtained the maximum level of SOC content. Compared with plough tillage, rotary tillage presented significantly higher SOC content. Therefore, low available P and K contents, moderate soil total N and P contents, rotary tillage and the Cw zone were more effective in increasing SOC content. Furthermore, the results of a random forest algorithm showed that soil nutrient contents were the most important variables. This study provided a scientific basis for SOC sequestration and improving soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important reserve for increasing the productivity of agricultural production is a scientifically based crop structure and the use of rational crop rotations, which implement the optimal ratio of agroecological standards. The aim of the research was to determine the influence of elements of agrotechnical measures, in particular, the saturation of crop rotations with sunflower, soil tillage system on the number and species composition of various agrobiological groups of weeds in sunflower crops, including the weed parasite sunflower broomrape (Orobahche cumana Wallr.). Weed control measures and the spread of the parasitic weed sunflower broomrape in sunflower crops have been carried out according to the methods generally accepted in agriculture and weed science. The scheme of the experiment has been included crop rotations with saturation in the structure of sunflower sowing of 12.5%, 20%, 25%, 33.3%, 50%, 100% and three systems of basic tillage: moldboard plowing, disc tillage, no-tillage. As a result of the research, it has been found that the systems of disc tillage and no-tillage cause an increase in the number of weeds in sunflower crops compared to the moldboard plowing by 1.3-1.5 times. On average, over the years of research, the abundance of weeds in the plots when using disk tools was 10.4-15.1 pcs/m², moldboard plowing - 7.1-12.4 pcs/m², before harvesting - 2.6-5.2 and 4.1-12.4 pcs/m². The highest degree of sunflower broomrape damage has been observed in 2-fields crop rotation (winter wheat - sunflower) and permanent sunflower cultivation, as 16.0-32.4% of affected sunflower plants have been observed here. The intensity of sunflower broomrape damage to sunflower plants was higher in the moldboard plowing system and amounted to 1.2-8.3 pcs/per plant, which exceeded disc tillage and no-tillage by 1.2-1.6 times. The maximum seed yield of 2.92-2.95 t/ha has been obtained in 8- and 5- fields rotations with the use of moldboard plowing. The lowest yields of sunflower seeds were in short-rotation crop rotations with a sunflower saturation of 50% in the structure of sown areas and permanent cultivation and amounted to: moldboard plowing - 1.75-2.21 t/ha, disk tillage - 1.57-2.01 t/ha and no-tillage - 1.49-1.95 t/ha. Given the urgency of supplying the global market with sunflower oil, in the future it is necessary to increase the concentration of sunflower in the structure of sown areas to 30-40% through the system of basic tillage, selection of resistant hybrids and use of herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As interest in eco-friendly work vehicles grows, research on the powertrains of eco-friendly tractors has increased, including research on the development of eco-friendly vehicles (tractors) using hydrogen fuel cell power packs and batteries. However, batteries require a long time to charge and have a short operating time due to their low energy efficiency compared with hydrogen fuel cell power packs. Therefore, recent studies have focused on the development of tractors using hydrogen fuel cell power packs; however, there is a lack of research on powertrain performance analysis considering actual working conditions. To evaluate vehicle performance, an actual load measurement during agricultural operation must be conducted. The objective of this study was to conduct an efficiency analysis of powertrains according to their power source using data measured during agricultural operations. A performance evaluation with respect to efficiency was performed through comparison and an analysis with internal combustion engine tractors of the same level. The specifications of the transmission for hydrogen fuel cell and engine tractors were used in this study. The power loss and efficiency of the transmission were calculated using ISO 14179-1 equations, as shown below. Plow tillage and rotary tillage operations were conducted for data measurement. The measurement system consists of four components. The engine data load measurement was calculated using the vehicle's controller area network (CAN) data, the axle load was measured using an axle torque meter and proximity sensors, and fuel consumption was measured using the sensor installed on the fuel line. The calculated capacities, considering the engine's fuel efficiency for plow and rotary tillage operations, were 131.2 and 175.1 kWh, respectively. The capacity of the required power, considering the powertrain's efficiency for hydrogen fuel cell tractors with respect to plow and rotary tillage operations, was calculated using the efficiency of the motor, inverter, and power pack, and 51.3 and 62.9 kWh were the values obtained, respectively. Considering these factors, the engine exhibited an efficiency of about 47.9% compared with the power pack in the case of plow tillage operations, and the engine exhibited an efficiency of about 29.3% in the case of rotary tillage operations. A hydrogen fuel cell tractor is considered suitable for high-efficiency and eco-friendly vehicles because it can operate on eco-friendly power sources while providing the advantages of a motor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the importance of mechanization in agriculture, particularly in developing countries where there is a shortage of agricultural labor due to rapid urbanization. It highlights the development of various farming machinery for soil preparation, sowing, fertilization, pest control, harvesting, and post-harvesting. The article presents research papers from five countries, covering topics such as improved measurement methods for agricultural tractors, optimizing the design of farming machinery, and the interaction between soil and mechanical systems. It also includes studies on soil properties and their impact on agricultural applications. The article concludes by expressing gratitude to the authors and reviewers for their contributions to the special issue. [Extracted from the article]

Despite conservation tillage being a promising strategy to mitigate soil degradation, the intricate role of microbial communities in shaping soil quality over long‐term tillage remains poorly understood. The study aimed to investigate the microbial mechanisms governing the soil quality index (SQI) and maize yield under different tillage practices spanning 13 years, including no‐till without straw retention (NT0), no‐till with straw retention (NTSR), plough tillage with straw retention (PTSR), and rotary tillage with straw retention (RTSR). The findings revealed that NTSR improved the SQI index by 22.4% and 11.3% higher than PTSR and RTSR, respectively, within the 0–10 cm soil layer. This improvement was correlated with an increase in maize yield (R2 = 0.39, p < 0.05). PERMANOVA analysis confirmed that both soil depth and tillage practices significantly impacted the composition of microbial communities (p < 0.05). Furthermore, conservation tillage, compared to PTSR and RTSR, increased the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis by 78.6%–460.3% but decreased the saprophytic fungal abundance by 27.5%–28.3%. Soil quality was notably influenced by the interaction between bacterial and fungal communities. The presence of bacterial‐dominated Module 2 was associated with decreased soil quality in the 0–10 cm soil depth (r = −0.47, p < 0.01). This study emphasizes the pivotal role of microbial diversity and dominant taxa in driving soil quality after long‐term conservation tillage practices. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for establishing farmland management to achieve agricultural and ecological sustainability in the face of climate change and soil degradation challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of unsuitable tillage practices has the potential to disrupt the structure integrity of the ploughed layer, as well as to influence the physical parameters of the soil. The application of a reasonable tillage method has been demonstrated to result in an improvement in the physical quality of the soil. Three autumn tillage practices have been implemented at the Dongyang Experimental Station of Shanxi Agricultural University since 2016: no-tillage with straw mulch (NTS), autumn rotary tillage with straw incorporation (RTS), and autumn plough tillage with straw incorporation (PTS). The impact of autumn tillage practices on soil physical quality in the 0-30 cm profile of spring corn fields was evaluated following the corn harvest in 2018 and 2019. The results showed that compared to the NTS treatment, the application of RTS was found to have decreased significantly by 9.6%-24.2% in soil bulk density, while it increased significantly by 12.8%-34.0% in total porosity and by 43.5%-146.4% in macroporosity at a depth of 5-10 cm. In comparison to the NTS treatment, the adoption of PTS was found to decrease significantly by 10.7%-30.5% soil bulk density, while it increased significantly by 9.9%-42.7% the total porosity and 23.1%-202.8% the macroporosity at a depth of 0-10 cm. Furthermore, the soil microporosity significantly increase of 7.5%-11.1% under the RTS treatment at the 0-5 cm soil depth and 7.7%-11.2% under the PTS treatment at the 10-20 cm soil depth. Soil physical quality index (SQI) significantly increase under the RTS and PTS treatments, with a 41.26% and 57.57% improvement, respectively, in comparison to the NTS treatment. In summary, the adoption of autumn tillage with straw return (RTS and PTS) demonstrated a reduction in soil bulk density, an increase in soil porosity, macroporosity, and a promotion of capillary porosity, and promoted the improvement of soil physical quality on the Eastern Loess Plateau when compared to no-tillage with straw mulch (NTS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw returning may be an efficient strategy to maintain agricultural sustainability. However, which straw returning strategy can effectively improve soil properties and crop yield remain unclear. A five-year (2011–2016) field experiment in sub-humid, drought-prone areas of northwestern China with uneven rainfall distribution and irrigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer without straw mulching (CK), with regular straw mulching (LSM), and with ammoniated straw plowing (ALSP) on soil water, soil aggregates, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and water use efficiency (WUE) in an annual winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–summer maize (Zea mays L.) rotation system. The results demonstrate that ALSP had a greater soil water content than CK in the 0–60 cm soil layer. ALSP also had substantially more soil water than LSM in the 0–100 cm layer during the wet year (2011–2012) and two dry years (2014–2015 and 2015–2016). In the normal years (2012–2013 and 2013–2014), the soil water content in ALSP was significantly lower than in LSM in the 0–20 cm soil layer. ALSP was better able to alleviate soil drought in dry years and excessive humidity in wet years. Compared to CK, SOC in the 0–20 cm soil layer in 2016 increased by 8.3% in LSM and 11.7% in ALSP, and TN in the upper soil increased by 6.6% in LSM and 10.1% in ALSP. The equivalent wheat yield and WUE increased in ALSP by 15.6% and 17.5%, respectively, relative to CK, and by 6.79% and 5.97%, respectively, relative to LSM. Thus, we concluded that plowing ammoniated straw with N fertilization is a promising strategy for improving soil fertility and crop productivity in winter wheat–summer maize rotation systems in the sub-humid, drought-prone areas of northwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A decline in rainfall as a source of agricultural water has affected and will continue to affect sustainable crop production globally including in Hungary. Conservation of the greatest water reservoir is important for the sustainable development of agriculture in Hungary. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the different tillage methods on soil moisture content, grain yield, and root weight of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) under rainfed conditions. A field study was conducted at the Józsefmajor Experimental and Training Farm (JM) of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences near Hatvan. The experiment consisted of six tillage treatments: disking (D, 16 cm), shallow cultivation (SC, 20 cm), no-till (NT), deep cultivation (DC, 25 cm), loosening (L, 45 cm), and plowing (P, 30 cm). Soil moisture content (SMC) was measured monthly, and grain yield and root weight were measured at the end of the cropping period. Our results showed no significant difference in SMC between conservation and conventional tillage methods in 2018. However, in 2021, greater SMC was significantly conserved under NT compared to P. Regarding the sampling date, a significant increase in moisture with time was observed. A significantly lower SMC was observed on 3 June 2019 between L and D. while on the 9 September 2020, SMC significantly differed between P and all the other treatments (D, SC, NT, DC, and L). Interestingly in 2018, SMC was significantly lower at 10–20 cm depth between L and D. Notably the effect of depth on SMC was observed as moisture significantly increased with increasing depth in all tillage treatments. Root weight was greatest at DC (1.54 t ha−1) in 2018 and under L (3.89 t ha−1) in 2021. Similarly, wheat grain yield was greatest at DC (2.48 t ha−1) in 2018, while sunflower yield in 2021 was greatest at L (3.86 t ha−1). It is comprehensible that conservation tillage methods such as L and NT can increase SMC and grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lynchets, often the defining component of historic agricultural landscapes in northern Europe, are generally associated with soft-limestone geologies and are particularly well developed on loess-mantled landscapes. To understand their formation and chronology, the authors present their geoarchaeological analyses of lynchet soils and loess deposits at Blick Mead and Charlton Forest in southern England, and Sint Martens-Voeren in Belgium. The lynchets date from the late prehistoric to the medieval periods and were constructed by plough action at the English sites, and by both cut-and-fill and ploughing in Belgium. This has resulted in the preservation of highly fertile loessic soils across chalk slopes, lost elsewhere. Although each example is associated with local/regional agricultural histories, the lynchets' effective soil-retention capacities allowed them to survive as important heritage features with environmental benefits over millennia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population grows, more food is needed to keep the food supply chain running smoothly. For many years, intensive farming systems have been used to meet this need. Currently, due to intense climate change and other global natural problems, there is a shift towards sustainable use of natural resources and simplified methods of tillage. Soil tillage intensity influences the distribution of nutrients, and soil's physical and mechanical properties, as well as gas flows. The impact of reduced tillage on these indices in spring barley cultivation is still insufficient and requires more analysis on a global scale. This study was carried out at Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy (Lithuania) in 2022–2023. The aim of the investigation was to determine the effect of the tillage systems on the soil temperature, moisture content, CO2 respiration and concentration in spring barley cultivation. Based on a long-term tillage experiment, five tillage systems were tested: deep and shallow moldboard ploughing, deep cultivation-chiseling, shallow cultivation-chiseling, and no tillage Shallow plowing technology has been found to better conserve soil moisture and maintain higher temperatures in most cases. During almost the entire study period, the spring barley crop with deep cultivation had lower moisture content and lower soil temperature. Shallow cultivation fields in most cases increased CO2 emissions and CO2 concentration. When applying direct sowing to the uncultivated soil (10–20 cm), the concentration of CO2 decreased from 0.01 to 0.148 percent. pcs. The results show that in direct sowing fields, most cases had a positive effect on crop density. Direct sowing fields resulted in significantly lower, from 7.9 to 26.5%, grain yields of spring barley in the years studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research conducted in the north Steppe of Ukraine throughout 2020-2022 studied such elements of corn growing technique as the basic tillage method and mineral fertilization for corn hybrids of different ripeness groups. It was found that the highest yield among all hybrids under experiment was achieved as a result of using turning plowing method. The LG 31377 hybrid showed itself as the most productive with the result of 8.91 t/ha. Change from turning plowing to subsoiling led to insignificant yield reduction, which constituted 1.7% and 1.9% for middle-early LG 31272 and Adevey hybrids and to minor but essential 3.5% for middle-ripe LG 31330 and LG 31377 hybrids. Growing corn after shallow tillage caused yield losses of 15.5-24.0%. While studying the impact of fertilizers on corn hybrid productivity, it was concluded, that the lowest yield was harvested on plots with no mineral fertilization. Within the range of hybrids under research, in case of no fertilizers used, the lowest productivity 7.33 t/ha was registered for the LG 31377 hybrid, while the highest yield of 7.48 t/ha was formed by the LG 31272. The application of mineral fertilizers in the amount of N30P30K30 contributed to the yield growth by 10.1-17.2% among the hybrids under research, which constituted 0.76 t/ha for the LG 31272, 1.04 t/ha for the Adevey, 1.08 t/ha for the LG 31330 and 1.26 t/ha for the LG 31377 hybrid. The increase of mineral fertilizers amount to N60P60K60 resulted in further yield growth of 0.6-2.2% only. In case of application of N30P30K30 and N60P60K60 the LG 31377 had the highest yield among other hybrids -- 8.59 and 8.78 t/ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil tillage and maize residues return are important practices for tackling and promoting soil quality and improving crop yield in the North China Plain (NCP), where winter wheat production is threatened by soil deterioration. Although maize residues incorporation with rotary tillage (RS) or deep plowing tillage (DS) is widespread in this region, only few studies have focused on rotation tillage. Four practices, namely RT (continuous rotary tillage without maize residues return), RS, DS, and RS/DS (rotary tillage every year and deep plowing interval of 2 years), were evaluated under field conditions lasting a period of 5 years. After a 5-year field experiment, the mean soil bulk density of the 0–30 cm soil layer decreased significantly with RS, DS, and RS/DS, i.e., by 4.19%, 6.33%, and 6.71% compared with RT, respectively. The treatments greatly improved the total soil porosity, soil aggregate size distribution, soil aggregate stability, and the root length density in the 0–30 cm soil layers. Residues return with DS and RS/DS treatments significantly increased the soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) storage in the 0–30 cm soil layer, mainly owed to the increases in the SOC and TN pool associated with the macro-aggregate. A positive trend in the grain yield was noted under both DS and RS/DS conditions, whereas a decreasing tendency was presented in continuous rotary treatments. In summary, RS/DS treatment significantly increased the amount of SOC and TN, improved the particle size distribution of soil aggregates, and thus improved the soil's physicochemical properties, which is beneficial for wheat to achieve high yields. Our results suggested that RS/DS was a highly efficient practice to improve soil quality and increase crop production in the NCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tillage practices are of critical importance in maintaining soil quality on cropland and for food production, with rice cultivation representing a significant portion of the world's food production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While numerous studies have examined the effects of reduced and no-tillage on soil GHG emissions and rice yields, the impact of adopting a rotational approach to tillage practices on the rice cultivation cycle remains uncertain. In this study, we conducted a four-year (2017–2020) field experiment in a single rice-growing area in Northeast China with the aim of investigating the effects of different tillage practices on GHG emissions from paddy fields and rice yields under full straw return conditions. We set up three experimental treatments: rotary tillage, plowing, and rotational tillage (i.e., a combination of one year of plowing and one year of rotary tillage). The results showed that averaged across all treatments, average methane (CH4, 302.6 ± 51.1 kg ha−1) and nitrous oxide (N2O, 0.86 ± 0.361 kg ha−1) emissions and rice yield (9.0 ± 0.9 t ha−1) did not exhibit significant inter-annual variability during the entire experimental period and were comparable to the average for the region. The ranking of GHG emissions during the rice-growing season was as follows: rotary tillage > plowing > rotational tillage. Across the experimental period, CH4 and N2O emissions were 9.1% and 8.5% lower in the plowing treatment and 21.2% and 13.1% lower in the rotational tillage treatment compared to the rotary tillage treatment. During the experimental period, there was no significant effect of tillage treatments on rice yield. This reduction in emissions may be attributed to changes in soil penetration resistance. In the rotational and plowing treatments, soil penetration resistance was in a range more adapted to rice growth and GHG emissions reduction compared to the rotary tillage treatment. The yield-scale GHG emission intensity was reduced by 12.7% and 26.1% in the plowing and rotational tillage treatments, respectively, in comparison to the rotary tillage treatment. This suggests that rotational tillage is a management practice that can achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions in paddy fields and stabilize or possibly increase rice yields. Consequently, the results demonstrated that a rotational alternation of multiple tillage practices is a synergistic strategy for achieving low carbon and high yield in rice in the cold rice-growing region of Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For economic, environmental, and climatic reasons, soil cultivation methods without the use of a plough have became increasingly popular in recent decades. As research has shown, their impact on the growth and yield of crops is not always positive, especially when direct sowing is used. Recently, a new solution in the field of tillage has appeared which involves loosening the soil only within the sowing zone, which is called strip till. In the research presented in this work, this method was used for various cultivars of winter wheat on uncultivated stubble, but also after cultivation of the stubble just after harvest of a forecrop. The aim of the paper was to define the impact of the aforementioned factors on the parameters of photosynthesis, leaf area index, and water use efficiency. The range of soil cultivation after the harvest of the forecrop and cultivars influenced significantly the measured photosynthesis parameters. The impact of the cultivation method and variety on water use efficiency was small, although it should be noted that limiting the intensity of cultivation after the forecrop harvest had a temporary positive impact on the flag leaf phase. The winter wheat cultivar had an impact on the yield obtained: Formacja (0.44 t ha-1) and Metronom (0.37 t ha-1) yielded higher than Desamo. In the case of plough tillage, the yield was higher than in the case of minimum tillage and no tillage. Given the economic and environmental benefits associated with reduced fuel consumption, no tillage with a relatively slightly lower yield may be an alternative to the use of plough tillage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper quantifies the annual dynamics of the shortwave radiation reflected from bare arable land as a result of smoothing previously plowed land located in three different agricultural subregions of the European Union and associated countries. This estimate takes into account the annual variation of the bare arable land area, obtained from Sentinel 2 satellite imagery; the spatial variability of soil units within croplands, obtained from digital soil and land-cover maps; and the laboratory spectral reflectance characteristics of these units, obtained from soil samples stored in the LUCAS soil database. The properties of the soil units, which cover an area of at least 4% of each subregion, were characterized. The highest amounts of shortwave radiation reflected under clear-sky conditions from air-dried, bare arable land surfaces—approximately 850 PJ day−1 and 1.10 EJ day−1 for land shaped by a plow (Pd) and smoothing harrow (Hs), respectively—were found in the summer around 8 August in the western subregion. However, the lowest radiation occurred in the spring on 10 April at 340 PJ day−1 for Pd and 430 PJ day−1 for Hs in the central subregion. The largest and the smallest amounts of this radiation throughout the year—only as a result of smoothing, by Hs, land that was previously treated by Pd—was estimated at 42 EJ for the western and southern subregions and 19 EJ for the central subregion, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an important cash crop in Xinjiang, accounting for 90.2% of China's total production in 2022. However, natural factors such as drought, high soil salinity, and the constraints of perennial shallow tillage soil management practices limit the yield and efficiency of cotton production and sustainable agricultural development. Deep vertical rotary tillage facilitates the breaking up of soil solidification and promotes the salt leached by irrigation water. In order to investigate the improvement effect of deep vertical rotary tillage on heavily saline cotton fields in Southern Xinjiang of China, this study conducted a 2 a (2021-2022) field experiment with three deep vertical rotary tillage depths (DT20: deep vertical rotary tillage 20 cm, DT40: deep vertical rotary tillage 40 cm, DT60: deep vertical rotary tillage 60 cm), and alternate with conventional tillage (five-share plowing 20 cm CT20), and CT20 was set to be the two consecutive years of conventional tillage. Original soil samples from 0-60 cm were collected to determine the water-stable aggregates. Soil moisture, salinity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium were defermined by samples under the drip irrigation tapes, wide rows and narrow rows of each treatment on the 3rd day after each irrigation. Cotton root samples were collected at 105 days after sowing in 2021 and at 103 days in 2022. The effects of different depths of deep vertical rotary tillage on soil physical properties, soil nutrient content, cotton root length density, boll weight, dry matter mass accumulation and seed cotton yield were investigated, and the effect of crop yield was quantified by structural equation modeling. The results showed that: 1) deep vertical rotary tillage was able to loosen the soil in the tillage layer to optimize the soil structure. DT60 treatment was able to significantly reduce the soil bulk density, the content of coarse aggregates (>2 mm), and silt and clay particle (<0.053 mm) in the tillage depth layer compared with DT20 and CT20 treatment, which led to a significant reduction in mean weight diameter and mean geometric diameter, and increased total soil porosity and the content of micro-aggregates (<0.25～ 0.053 mm), while DT60 treatment was unable to further improve the soil structure in the deep soil layer compared with DT40 treatment. 2) DT40 and DT60 treatments were able to significantly increase soil moisture from 0-40 cm soil layer and reduce soil salinity and pH value, whereas DT20 treatment was only able to reduce soil salinity from 0-20 cm soil layer, whereas DT60 treatment was able to significantly reduce soil salinity and pH value from 0-60 cm soil layer compared with DT40 treatment. The reduction of soil salinity promoted the accumulation of soil organic carbon in the 0-40 cm soil layer and soil total nitrogen in the 0-60 cm soil layer, but DT60 treatment was unable to significantly increase soil organic carbon and soil total nitrogen in the 0-20 cm soil layer compared with the DT40 treatment. 3) The analysis of the structural equation modeling showed that soil salinity was an indirect factor affecting the seed cotton yield, and the accumulation of cotton’s dry matter and the weight of cotton bolls were the direct factored. The reduction of soil salinity favors soil nutrient accumulation and cotton root growth, promoted nutrient transport and accumulation to the plant organ, and increased cotton dry matter accumulation and seed cotton yield. Therefore, DT60 treatment had the best effect of soil salinity reduction, and thus the effect of yield increase. Comprehensive analysis showed that the depth of 60 cm on deep vertical rotary tillage with conventional tillage alternating can realize the synergy of improving and increasing the yield and efficiency of the severe saline cotton fields in the Southern Xinjiang of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identify the main patterns of transformation and establish normative parameters of changes in the structural and aggregate composition of low-humus podzolized chernozem (type of soil, known as 'chernozem' in Ukrainian, which translates to 'black soil') in the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine in the transition period to the no-till system and minimal tillage in the agrocenosis of 5-field grain generally accepted approaches to assessing soil structure and modern statistical methods of compiling information analysis data. The generally accepted research methods were used: field, laboratory, mathematical methods, comparative and computational. The study uses fractal comparative analysis, which is a sensitive tool for assessing the distribution of structural units and water-stable aggregates in the soil. Over the past 6 years, the experimental plots have been organized with a 5-field grain-row crop rotation using three different primary tillage systems: systematic plowing, surface tillage, and transitional tillage (minimal tillage on the background of systematic plowing six years ago). It was found that the structural-aggregate state of the 0-30 cm layer of Chernozem under surface tillage was in better condition in terms of aggregate water stability over the seasonal cycle and provided better conditions for further transition to the no-till system in crop rotation compared to surface tillage after systematic plowing. According to fractal indicators, the state of water-resistant structure in the spring is assessed as unstable, although the surface treatment of qualitative and quantitative indicators of water resistance is better compared to plowing. In the summer, a fractal assessment of the state of the waterproof structure showed that regardless of the method of tillage, its condition has deteriorated to a greater extent. Thus, the fractal dimension was at the level of D > 2, which indicates the edge of the unstable state of the waterproof structure, but the Hurst index was H ≤ 0, which indicates the process of destruction of waterproof aggregates. Based on the definitions, we can say that from the systematic application of surface tillage agrophysical condition of 0-30 cm layer of chernozem in terms of structural condition and water resistance of the structure was in better condition compared to plowing and transitional tillage, which should be regarded as the end of the transition period (6 years) before the application of the No-till system in unchanged design in 5-field crop rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the main contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) in paddy soil, information on methane (CH4) emission characteristics under different tillage and cultivation practices are limited. A five-year field trial was conducted from 2019 in a single-cropping rice system in Taihu Lake region, east of China. The experiment had a completely randomized block design, and the treatments included rotary tillage plus rice dry direct seeding (RD), rotary tillage plus rice mechanical transplanting (RT), and plowing tillage plus rice mechanical transplanting (PT). We determined the rice yield, GHG emission, soil traits, and methanogens and methanotrophs in 2022 and 2023. The results revealed that PT and RT significantly increased rice yield compared to RD, whereas PT simultaneously increased CH4 emissions. The year-averaged cumulative CH4 emissions in PT were increased by 38.5% and 61.4% higher than RT and RD, respectively. Meanwhile, yield-scaled global warming potentials (GWPs) in RT and RD were lower than those in PT. Tillage and cultivation practices shifted mcrA and pmoA abundances, and PT significantly decreased pmoA abundance. The community structure and diversity of the methanogens and methanotrophs were not significantly affected. Structural equation model analyses illustrated that CH4 emissions were regulated by mcrA and pmoA directly, which in turn, regulated by soil carbon and nitrogen. Overall, rotary tillage plus mechanism transplanting was a feasible agronomic technology in a single-cropping rice system in Taihu Lake region, exhibiting higher and more stable rice productivity, accompanied with lower CH4 emissions and yield-scaled GWP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment to investigate relational effect of tillage methods and weeding regimes on seasonal weeds biomass, maize growth and yield parameters was conducted in both major and minor cropping seasons. On randomized complete block design, 2-tillage methods and 4-weeding regimes were factorially assigned at three replicate levels. A no-tillage (NT) and plough + harrow (P+H) with a 47 hp tractor were the tillage methods, whereas 0-hoeing, 1-hoeing, 2-hoeing and 3-hoeing were the weeding regimes at 2, 5 and 7 weeks after sowing (WAS). Akposoe maize (Zea mays. L) variety was sown and monitored over a period of 10 WAS. And there was higher growth and yield parameters on P+H than NT treatments at various weeding regimes, whereas weeds biomass was greater on NT than in P+H. An interaction of 2-hoeing regime on P+H recorded mean maximum growth parameters of 14.2 number of leaves, 82.89 mm stem girth, 45.53 cm root length in major seasons and 225.7 cm plant height in minor seasons than NT at different weeding regimes. Also, yield attributes from P+H at 2-hoeing regimes recorded maximum maize dry matter yield (9.189 tha-1) in minor season but total grain yield of approximately 8.167 tha-1 in major season. A 0-hoeing on NT produced denser weed biomass of 6.4497 tha-1 in minor season and 9.0967 tha-1 in major season. It is therefore recommended to plant maize on plough and harrow fields, and clear weeds by hoeing at 2 and 5 WAS for optimum growth and yield parameters at reduced weeds interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both subsoiling tillage (ST) and ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting (RF) are widely implemented and play an important role in boosting wheat productivity. However, information about the effects of ST coupled with RF during the summer fallow season on wheat productivity and environmental issues remains limited. This study aims to explore the effects of ST coupled with RF on water harvesting, wheat productivity-yield traits, water and nutrient use efficiency and quality, and soil nitrate-N residue in dryland winter wheat-summer fallow rotation at the intersection of southern Loess Plateau and western Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in China in 2018-2022. Three tillage practices--deep plowing with straw turnover (PTST), subsoiling with straw mulching (STSM), and STSMcoupled with RF (SRFSM)-- are conducted during the summer fallow season. The results indicated that tillage practices during the summer fallow season significantly impacted wheat productivity and soil nitrate-N residue. Compared to PTST, STSM significantly enhanced rainfall fallow efficiency and water use efficiency by 7.0% and 14.2%, respectively, as well as N, P, and K uptake efficiency by 16.9%, 16.2%, and 15.3%, and thus increased grain yield by 14.3% and improved most parameters of protein components and processing quality, albeit with an increase in nitrate-N residue in the 0- to 300-cm soil depth by 12.5%. SRFSM, in turn, led to a further increase in water storage at sowing, resulting in an increase of water use efficiency by 6.8%, as well as N, P, and K uptake efficiency and K internal efficiency by 11.8%, 10.4%, 8.8%, and 4.7%, thereby significantly promoting grain yield by 10.2%, and improving the contents of all the protein components and enhancing the processing quality in grain, and simultaneously reducing the nitrate-N residue in the 0- to 300-cm soil layer by 16.1%, compared to STSM. In essence, this study posits that employing subsoiling coupled with ridge-furrow rainfall harvesting (SRFSM) during the summer fallow season is a promising strategy for enhancing wheat yield, efficiency, and quality, and simultaneously reducing soil nitrate-N residue within the dryland summer fallow-winter wheat rotation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of coating a flat blade surface with titanium nitride nano coatings (TiN), nano tantalum carbide (TaC), Fiberglass (Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer) (GFRP), Galvanized Steel (GAS), and St37 (SST37) was investigated in order to decrease the adhesion of soil on tilling tools, external friction and, ultimately, the draft force. The soil tank, which was filled with soil of the desired conditions, was pulled on the bearing on the rail. A S-shaped load cell was used to measure the draft force. Tests were conducted at a distance of 2 m and speeds of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 m·s−1 at a depth of 10 cm. A model based on input factors, including blade travel speed, rake angle, and cohesion and adhesion of soil–blade, was developed in an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), and draft force was the output parameter. To verify the performance of the developed model using ANFIS, a relative error(ε) of 6.1% and coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.956 were computed. It was found that blades coated with Nano (TiN-TaC), due to its hydrophobic surface, flatness, and self-cleaning properties, have considerable ability to decrease adhesion in wet soils and showed a linear relationship with draft force reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical properties of vegetables or crop materials play a noteworthy part in designing new related implements. These properties can be extracted from force–deformation curves. Several factors, such as soil preparation, irrigation, and pre- and post-harvest treatments influence them. The core objective of this investigation work was to analyze force–deformation curves obtained from compression, penetration, and shear tests of potatoes (Spunta cv.) produced with three tillage implements. The potatoes cv. Spunta were cultivated in loamy sand soil under the center-pivot irrigation system. The tillage implements used were a disc harrow plow, chisel plow, and moldboard plow. The trials were performed at a constant planting depth (15 cm) below the soil and a single plowing speed of 5.4 km/h. All data were expressed as an average of five replicates ± standard deviation. The force–deformation curves analysis showed that the modulus of elasticity for potatoes cv. Spunta ranged from 4.32 to 5.8 N/mm, the bioyield force ranged from 84.25 to 114.12 N, and rupture forces ranged from 100.90 to 139.78 N. Furthermore, the results showed that the average values of the elastic and plastic ranges were 3.0 and 2.1 mm, respectively. The mean value of hardness was 1671.53 N·mm. No significant differences were observed with respect to the two planting seasons, but tillage implements had a significant impact on the characteristics extracted from the compression tests. The mean of the maximum forces required to penetrate the potato during the penetration stage were 41.24 N, 44.86 N, and 47.16 N for potatoes produced with the disc harrow plow, chisel plow, and moldboard plow, respectively. Similarly, the means of the maximum forces required to cut the potato in the shear stage were 724.38 N, 761 N, and 773.43 N for the disc harrow plow, chisel plow, and moldboard plow, respectively. The force–deformation curves showed that additional information might be required to obtain a complete description of the potato quality necessary to harvest potatoes cv. Spunta using harvesting and handling equipment with reduced economic loss. An extensive study of the soil characteristics and the above-mentioned properties is also recommended. The results obtained about the mechanical characteristics of potatoes cv. Spunta can be useful in providing information that aids in designing potato harvesting machines and in potato products factories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing methodologies employed for the quantification and regulation of tractor's tillage depth present considerable shortcomings, primarily characterized by their low accuracy and poor disturbance rejection proficiency in complex agricultural terrains. In this study, we present a sophisticated feedback control strategy designed to mitigate these challenges. Our innovative approach hinges on calculating tillage depth from the alignment of the tractor's hydraulic lifting arm, achieved by employing a mechanical angle sensor. This sensor adeptly gages the angle of the lifting arm, aligning it with the tillage angle of the pull rod and the implement's angle, resulting in a robust relational model correlating the lifting arm angle with the tillage depth. This pioneering method amalgamates the accuracy inherent in the static model, derived from the tillage angle-based depth measurement, with the dynamic stability afforded by the mechanical ascertainment of the lifting arm angle. In conjunction, we introduce a Hybrid Extended State Observer-Based Backstepping Sliding Mode Controller (HESO-BacksteppingSMC). The HESO is instrumental in estimating unmeasured state variables and lumped disturbances, utilizing the system's output feedback signal. Our control frame component capitalizes on the fast power-reaching law to yield a continuously smooth control signal, effectively eradicating the conventional chattering phenomenon inherent in controllers and amplifying its functional applicability. Theoretical evaluations affirm the uniformly and ultimately bounded stability of the errors associated with our proposed observer and controller, underscoring their robustness. The superior performance of our proposed tillage depth measurement and control methodology has been corroborated through a series of comprehensive simulation and field plowing trials, attesting to its precision and reliability in complex agricultural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was aimed to determine the influence of performing primary tillage by moldboard plow and planting operation by four rows Gaspardo planter on some performance and economic indicators of Armatrac tractor 854e 84 hp (62kw). The system calculates and measures slippage percentage, draft force, energy requirements, and total costs for planting and tillage operation at three practical velocities and two depths. Planting operation performed at 5 and 7 cm depth under 2.90, 4.27, and 5.28 km.h-1 . while ploughing operation performed at 15 and 20 cm tillage depth under 3.89, 5.28, and 6.67 km.h-1 . Two factorial experiments were carried out using randomized complete block design with two factors and three replications. The results of analysis of variance showed that increases of practical velocity results in increase of slippage percentage and draft force but results in decrease of energy requirements and total costs. Furthermore, this study revealed that increases the depth of operation results in increase of slippage percentage, draft force, energy requirements, and total costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of instrumental methods of analysis in the assessment of indices that record changes in symmetry in the structure of grains to evaluate the quality of durum and soft wheat grain is currently considered a search tool that will allow us to obtain previously unavailable data by finding correlations associated with differences in the shape and ratio of starch granules in conditionally symmetrical and asymmetrical wheat fruits (kernels) formed in different field conditions and with different genotypes. Indicators that had previously shown their effectiveness were used to analyze the obviously complex unique material obtained as a result of growing under critically unique sowing conditions in 2022, which affected the stability of grain development and filling. For the evaluation, a typical agronomic comparative experiment was chosen, which was used to evaluate the soil tillage practices (fallow, non-moldboard loosening, and plowing) and sowing dates (early and after excessive rainfalls), which made it possible to analyze a wider range of factors influencing the studied indices. The soil tillage methods were found to affect the uniformity of kernel fullness and their symmetry, and the sowing dates did not lead to significant differences. This study presents detailed changes in the shape of the middle cut of a wheat kernel, associated with assessing the efficiency of kernel filling and the symmetrical distribution of storage substances under the influence of external and internal physical factors that affect the formation of the wheat kernel. The data obtained may be of interest to breeders and developers of predictive phenotyping programs for cereal grain and seeds of other crops, as well as plant physiologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Oil Crop Sciences is the property of Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the aspect of the sustainable development of agrocenoses, the proper management of plant residues remaining after harvesting, the appropriate selection of tillage and maintaining high microbiological activity of soil are particularly important. Therefore, a four-year two-factor experiment with winter wheat monoculture was conducted. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of 18 cultivation technologies variants on weed infestation and yield structure of winter wheat grown in a 4-year monoculture. Six methods of tillage and management of residues after harvesting forecrops (first factor) and the use of microbiological preparations (second factor) were tested. The experiment showed that simplified tillage (elimination of plowing) had an adverse effect on the weed infestation of the field and most of the tested plant characteristics, including the yield. In terms of yield, the best solution was to leave the forecrop straw mulch on the field surface until plowing was carried out before sowing, regardless of the use of microbiological preparations. The application of preparations containing effective microorganisms brought beneficial effects only when the shredded straw of the forecrop was mixed with the soil using a grubber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of intensive and reduced tillage, fertilization, and irrigation on soil chemical and microbiological parameters were studied in a long-term field experiment in Hungary. The treatments were plowing tillage, ripper tillage, strip tillage; control (without fertilization), NPK fertilization (N: 160 kg/ha; P: 26 kg/ha; K: 74 kg/ha); and non-irrigation and irrigation. Soil samples were collected through maize monoculture in the fall of 2021 in the 30th year of the experiment. The soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, soil microbial biomass (based on PLFA analysis), and soil enzyme activity were observed to be significantly high in the strip tillage plots, but were lower in the ripper tillage plots, and even lower in the plowing tillage plots. The fungal, arbuscular mycorrhiza fungal, and bacterial biomasses were significantly higher in the strip tillage and ripper tillage plots compared to the plowing tillage plots. The strip tillage treatment was found to be the most favorable cultivation method for improving the microbial biomass and activity of Chernozem soil, followed by the ripper tillage and plowing tillage treatments. The long-term use of chemical fertilizers greatly reduced the soil microbial biomass and negatively impacted the soil microbial community, leading to a decrease in fungi and Gram-negative bacteria. The ratio of cyclopropyl PLFA precursors to cyclopropyl PLFAs, as a "stress factor", indicated the most stressful bacterial environment was that found in the fertilized, non-irrigated plowed soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

he mechanized tillage systems of agricultural soils for the cultivation of quinoa in the central Ecuadorian highlands are influenced by several factors, among them: the skidding that occurs in soil tillage, with different implements used both in conventional tillage and in minimum or reduced tillage, in plowing, harrowing, furrowing, which are executed for the cultivation of quinoa, without considering the slope, humidity, soil compaction and the increase in cost and time. The objective of the study was to determine the percentage of skidding in sandy textured soils for quinoa cultivation, with slope ranges from 5 to 12% with moisture contents from 13 to 18% under conventional and minimum or reduced tillage systems in plowing, harrowing, furrowing, using disk plow, chisel plow, disk harrow, furrower coupled to an agricultural tractor of 95 KW of power with assisted traction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A drag-adaptive plowing control method for an electric tractor is proposed. • A PMSM field-oriented control model with temperature compensation is developed. • The speed and slip are controlled by adjusting the battery position and motor torque. • The traction efficiency is increased by 23.33 % compared to that without control. • The method improves the plowing operation stability when the motor temperature rises. Traditional plowing efficiency control methods are difficult to balance the tillage efficiency and uniform plowing depth, and the impact of the motor temperature rise on the control accuracy cannot be ignored during electric tractor operations. Therefore, a plowing drag-adaptive operation control method considering the motor temperature rise was proposed for an electric tractor equipped with a sliding battery pack. Firstly, a field-oriented control model with temperature compensation for the PMSM was developed based on the obtained winding resistances and flux links at different temperatures. Then, the driving torque and battery displacement were regulated to adapt the drag variation by the fuzzy neural network algorithm, allowing joint control of the speed and slip rate, and the simulation analysis was performed. Finally, a field plowing test was conducted. The results showed that the traction efficiency is increased by 23.33 % compared with those without control, and when the motor temperature rises, it can be compensated for temperature to output the required torque accurately, and the average relative errors in both speed and slip rate are reduced. The proposed method can improve the slip and greatly enhance the plowing operational stability, which provided technical support for the automatic precision operation of electric tractors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]