Showing papers in "Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment in 2014"

TL;DR: In this paper, a meta-analysis using published literature from 2007 to 2013 showed that biochar reduced soil N2O emissions by 54% in laboratory and field studies and that the biochar feedstock, pyrolysis conditions and C/N ratio were key factors influencing emissions.

TL;DR: The potential and limitations of conservation agriculture for low productivity, small-scale farming systems in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia is discussed in this article. But, the authors highlight some research priorities for ecosystem services in conservational agriculture.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors suggest that a cause of the loss of diversity within agricultural systems at field, farm and landscape scales is suggested, which would allow better regulation of biogeochemical cycles and decreased environmental fluxes to the atmosphere and hydrosphere through spatial and temporal interactions among different land-use systems.

TL;DR: In this article, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Nitrification and Urease inhibitors at increasing crop nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and crop productivity, and the results showed that their use can be recommended in order to increase both crop yields and NUE (grand mean increase of 7.5% and 12.9%, respectively).

TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce a special issue on biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands and provide a synthesis of the current knowledge on this topic and provide some promising conservation and management approaches and call for a strong and comprehensive Convention on Grassland Conservation.

TL;DR: In this paper, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of biochars derived from bamboo and rice straw on bioavailability and plant growth in a sandy loam paddy soil naturally co-contaminated with Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn.

TL;DR: In this paper, a trade-off between increased C-N coupling by vegetation and increased C−N decoupling by animals is studied. But the authors focus on the effects of domestic herbivores on the C and N cycles, by releasing digestible C as CO2 and CH4.

TL;DR: A literature review of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in southern Africa (Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe) analyses the historical background of the upsurge in CA promotion, the various definitions of CA that have emerged since the 1990s, the barriers to its adoption, as well as uptake figures and adoption studies.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the determinants of farmer adoption of conservation farming practices using panel data from two rounds of the Rural Incomes and Livelihoods Surveys that were implemented in 2004 and 2008.

TL;DR: The value of insect pollination to UK apple production may have previously been underestimated and it is important to consider variety when valuing ecosystem services such aspollination to agricultural production.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tested the ability of biochar and biochar-compost amendments to improve soil quality and plant production quality in a 30-year-old vineyard in Valais, Switzerland.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyze the reasons for the limited adoption of conservation agriculture in Africa and assess where, when and for whom CA works best, and identify situations where CA works better.

TL;DR: The farm-level economics of conservation agriculture (zero-tillage, mulching and crop rotation) are described, reviewed and modelled in this article, and a general model of the farm level economics of the conservation agriculture and its components is presented, and used to illustrate influences on the overall economic attractiveness.

TL;DR: In this article, a field experiment in Dourados, MS, Brazil, with the following systems: CS -conventional tillage; NTS -no-tillage; ICLS -integrated crop-livestock with soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), rotating every two years, and PP -permanent pasture.

TL;DR: In this article, a field experiment was carried out to investigate GHG emissions from rice paddy fields treated with straw incorporation and straw-derived biochar amendment at various rates during two consecutive rice growing seasons in double rice cropping systems.

TL;DR: The adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) principles in Australia increased rapidly during the 1990s and it now boasts the highest adoption rates worldwide and is the most commonly stated reason for adoption of CA principles by farmers in Australia as discussed by the authors.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors characterize the quality of existing research including an assessment of the relevance of previously published reviews and surveys to SSA and SA, and the empirical evidence for agronomic benefits derived from implementing zero tillage (ZT) including the identification of knowledge gaps.

TL;DR: An incubation study with four contrasting soils (Vertosol, Ferrosol, Calcarosol and Tenosol) and three biochars (oil mallee [OM-], wheat chaff [W-]) and poultry litter [PL-] all produced at 1% w/w to each of the soils was conducted as discussed by the authors.

TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of land use change on soil carbon storage in semi-arid northern Ethiopia is investigated. And the results revealed that conversion of croplands to grasslands or integration of appropriate agroforestry trees in cropping fields in the region has large technical potential of soil carbon sequestrations.

TL;DR: A large number of microorganisms appear to be influenced by EB amendment compared with fertiliser use leading to a complex re-wiring of community composition and associations.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the effect of single doses of biochar and repeat-applications (two years later) on heavy metal content and distribution in soil, together with metal concentrations in plants (barley, beans) over repeated cropping cycles.

TL;DR: In this article, the effects of different biochar application rates on BNF in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) were investigated in mono or mixed cultures with red fescue grass (Festuca rubra L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) at a range of different application rates.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the effects of long-term straw incorporation in a rice-wheat cropping system in China and found that longterm incorporation significantly increased the CH4 emissions and the topsoil SOC density.

TL;DR: In this paper, a field experiment was conducted in farmers' field in Hanoi, Vietnam to examine whether the use of straw compost or straw biochar, in combination with the safe alternate wetting and drying (AWD) has the potential to suppress both CH4 and N2O emissions from rice paddies while maintaining the rice yield.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assessed the sequestration potential as well as possible risks and benefits of carbon amendments (16±4% of soil organic C) from Miscanthus × giganteus in different carbonization stages of a temperate grassland soil together with pig slurry.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used a diachronic approach to quantify soil organic carbon changes in a 41 years experiment comparing no-till (NT), shallow till (ST), and full inversion tillage (FIT) combined with crop managements.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated soil macro invertebrate communities and soil-based ecosystem services (climate regulation, hydrologic functions, soil stability provided by macro aggregation and nutrient provision potential) in four major production systems: improved pastures, annual crops (rice, corn and soy bean), oil palm and rubber plantations, and compared them to the original savanna.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed literature from North and South America that showed strong positive production outcomes of crops grown following pastures, enhancement of soil organic matter with perennial pastures and improvement in water infiltration and water quality, and synergies between crop and livestock systems.

TL;DR: In this paper, a field study was conducted on four farm fields in the village Beseku, each representing different sub-villages, and the experiments were repeated for six cropping seasons (years), and data on soil nutrient status and crop harvests were collected.

TL;DR: In this article, the effects of biochar on soil properties and yield formation of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) when applied together with inorganic fertiliser or meat bone meal (MBM) to an Endogleyic Umbrisol with a loamy sand texture in boreal conditions.