• Authors:
    • Ries, R.
    • Merrill, S.
    • Krupinsky, J.
    • Tanaka, D.
  • Source: Proceedings of the 5th International Safflower Conference, Williston, North Dakota and Sidney, Montana, USA, 23-27 July, 2001. Safflower: a multipurpose species with unexploited potential and world adaptability
  • Year: 2001
  • Summary: Safflower is a good crop to include in cereal based cropping systems in the Northern Great Plains of the USA and Canada because it is adapted to semi-arid regions of the world. No-till field research was conducted 11 km southwest of Mandan, ND to determine the influences of previous crop and crop residue on safflower ( Carthamus tintorius) production. Four replicates of safflower were seeded over ten crop residues [canola ( Brassica napus), crambe ( Crambe abysinnica), dry pea ( Pisum sativum L.), dry bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.), flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.), safflower, soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.), wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.)] in 1999 and 2000. Averaged over the two years, surface residue cover after seeding safflower was the highest for wheat, barley, and flax (95 to 86%) and the lowest for dry pea, dry bean, and sunflower (82 to 31%). Safflower production after flax, barley, wheat, and dry pea was 220 to 150% greater than safflower production after safflower. The sustainability of diversified cropping systems that include safflower will be determined by the previous crop and crop residues and the crop sequence in which safflower is grown.
  • Authors:
    • Morse, R. D.
    • Miyao, E. M.
    • Temple, S. R.
    • Lanini, W. T.
    • Mitchell, J. P.
    • Herrero, E. V.
    • Campiglia, E.
  • Source: HortTechnology
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2001
  • Summary: No-tillage processing tomato production in four winter cover crop-derived mulches was evaluated in 1997 and 1998 in Five Points, California, USA. The effectiveness of two medics, 'Sava' snail medic ( Medicago scutellata), and 'Sephi' barrel medic ( Medicago truncatula), and two cereal/legume cover crop mixtures, triticale/'Lana' woolypod vetch ( Triticum x Secale/ Vicia dasycarpa [ Vicia villosa]) and rye/'Lana' woolypod vetch ( Secale cereale/ V. dasycarpa), was compared with two conventionally tilled fallow controls (with and without herbicide) (fallow+h and fallow-h) in suppressing weeds and maintaining yields with reduced fertilizer inputs. The comparison was conducted as a split plot, with three N fertilization rates (0, 100, and 200 lb/acre; 0, 112, and 224 kg/ha) as main plots and cover crops and fallow controls as subplots. Tomato seedlings were transplanted 3 weeks after the cover crops had been mowed and sprayed with herbicide. There were no significant differences in weed cover in the no-till cover crop treatments relative to the fallow controls in 1997. Early season weed suppression in rye/vetch and triticale/vetch plots was similar to herbicide-treated fallow (fallow+h) in 1998, however, later in the 1998 season weed suppression was best in the fallow+h. Tissue N was highest in the fallow treatments in both 1997 and 1998. Yields were highest in the triticale/vetch and fallow and lowest in sephi treatments in 1997, but there were no differences among treatments in 1998.
  • Authors:
    • McRae, F. J.
  • Source: Winter crop variety sowing guide 2001
  • Year: 2001
  • Summary: This guide contains information that aims to assist farmers in New South Wales, Australia, to make better cropping decisions and higher profits as well as increased productivity from the resources invested, along with total sustainability of the farm. Variety guides are given for the following winter crops: wheat (including durum wheat), barley, oats, triticale, cereal rye, grazing cereals, canola [rape], chickpea, faba bean, field pea and lupin. An evaluation of varietal characteristics, reactions to diseases, crop injury and profitable marketing of these winter crops is discussed. Weed control is detailed for some crops. Industry information on wheat receival sites and the different wheat authorities is presented. Options for the control of insect pests of stored grain, the location of various district agronomists, and a list of cereal seed dressings for the control of seed-borne diseases are provided. Hints on volumetric grain weights, typical bulk densities and the angles of repose of some grains is mentioned.
  • Authors:
    • Powell, C.
  • Source: New South Wales Department of Agriculture
  • Year: 2001
  • Summary: Variety trials conducted in New South Wales, Australia in 2000 are reported for winter crops of barley, canola [rape], chickpeas, faba beans, field peas, lentils, lupins ( Lupinus albus and L. angustifolius), mixed cereals, oats, triticale and wheat.
  • Authors:
    • Samu, F.
    • Sunderland, K.
  • Source: Entomologia Experimentalis Et Applicata
  • Volume: 95
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2000
  • Summary: A review of the literature showed that spider abundance was increased by diversification in 63% of studies. A comparison of diversification modes showed that spider abundance in the crop was increased in 33% of studies by `aggregated diversification' (e.g. intercropping and non-crop strips) and in 80% of studies by `interspersed diversification' (e.g., undersowing, partial weediness, mulching and reduced tillage). It is suggested that spiders tend to remain in diversified patches and that extending the diversification throughout the whole crop (as in interspersed diversification) offers the best prospects for improving pest control. There is little evidence that spiders walk in significant numbers into fields from uncultivated field edges, but diversification at the landscape level serves to foster large multi-species regional populations of spiders which are valuable as a source of aerial immigrants into newly planted crops. There are very few manipulative field studies where the impact of spiders on pests has been measured in diversified crops compared with undiversified controls. It is encouraging, however, that in those few studies an increased spider density resulted in improved pest control. Future work needs are identified.
  • Authors:
    • Siriwardena, G. M.
    • Chamberlain, D. E.
  • Source: Environmental Reviews
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2000
  • Summary: Declines in a number of farmland bird species in northern Europe have been linked to agricultural intensification. In this paper, we review the evidence for the effects of agricultural intensification on farmland bird populations using monitoring studies on a single well-studied species, the Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis). Between 1970 and 1998, the Skylark population declined by 44% and this decline was greatest on farmland compared to upland or coastal habitats, yet during that time, reproductive performance per individual nesting attempt improved significantly. Skylarks consistently prefer relatively sparse (spring cereals) or structurally complex (fallow "set-aside"') crops, particularly late in the breeding season when crops that are too tall or dense are abandoned. Outside the breeding season, cereal stubble is the most preferred foraging habitat. Intensification has been characterized by decreases in preferred crops (spring cereals and cereal stubble) and an increase in unfavourable habitats (winter cereals, oilseed rape, and intensively managed or grazed grass). Reduction in the number of breeding attempts due to rapid sward development of winter cereals and the lack of suitable alternative habitats is likely to have been an important factor in the Skylark decline. The decline may also have been driven by decreases in survival outside the breeding season. Management regimes that include spring cereals, cereal stubble, and low-intensity grazing are likely to increase Skylark abundance and will benefit a number of other farmland birds. This review highlights the great value of large-scale monitoring schemes in understanding population declines. However, the factors affecting the post-fledging survival of Skylarks and the effects of crop diversity on Skylark abundance remain to be resolved.
  • Authors:
    • Lang, B.
  • Source: Report on farming in the eastern counties of England 1998/99.
  • Year: 2000
  • Summary: The report is divided into two sections. Part I analyses physical and financial data collected from 381 farms in the eastern counties of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, South Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk) for the harvest year 1998. Performance is analysed by district, farm size group and type (mainly cereals, mixed cropping, dairy with arable, pigs and poultry, mixed farms and fen arable). A review of the farming environment in 1998/99 is also included. Part II looks ahead to future policy developments which may result from both internal and external forces. Internal forces include the England Rural Development plan whilst external pressures will arise from World Trade Organization discussions. Key findings are: (i) the lowest farm incomes (for ten years) were recorded on combinable crop and livestock farms; (ii) returns on pig farms declined further; (iii) low prices prevailed for commodity cereals, combinable break crops, milk and all meat; (iv) sterling strengthened against European currencies; (v) exceptional potato prices were available in 1998 restoring fortunes of Fen Arable and Mixed Cropping farms; and (vi) borrowing was inexpensive in a year when indebtedness by farm business increased.
  • Authors:
    • Powell, C.
  • Source: New South Wales Department of Agriculture
  • Year: 2000
  • Summary: This report presents tabulated yield data from variety trials held in New South Wales, Australia, for barley, rape, faba beans, field peas, lentils, lupins, mixed cereals (barley, oats, triticale and wheat), oats, triticale, wheat.
  • Authors:
    • Powell, C.
  • Source: New South Wales Department of Agriculture
  • Year: 2000
  • Summary: Tabulated data on yield are presented from variety trials conducted in New South Wales, Australia, during 1999 for barley, rape, chickpeas, faba beans, field peas, lentils, lupins, mixed cereal (barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat), oats, triticale and wheat.
  • Authors:
    • Stenberg, B.
    • Stenberg, M.
    • Rydberg, T.
  • Source: Applied Soil Ecology
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2000
  • Summary: The effects of reduced tillage and lime on crop yield and soil physical and microbial properties were studied in a weakly-structured silty clay loam soil at a site in Sweden. Two autumn primary tillage practices were compared, mouldboard ploughing to 20-25 cm and cultivation to 12 cm. Seedbed preparation was carried out by several harrowing operations in the mouldboard ploughed treatment, and with a harrow in the same operation as sowing in the shallow cultivation treatment. The tillage treatments were applied alone or were combined with liming aimed at soil structural improvement. Lime was added as 6.5 t CaO ha -1 before the start of the experiment and mixed into the top 12 cm of soil with a disc cultivator. A 4-year crop rotation was used: spring barley, spring oilseed rape, spring/winter wheat and oats, and all crops were compared each year. Crop residues were retained in the experiment and incorporated at cultivation. Aggregate stability was improved by the shallower tillage depth, probably as an effect of an increase in soil organic matter and a more active microbial biomass. Liming had little effect on soil structure variables but increased microbial activity to some extent. This was reflected in higher crop yields, especially when the shallow tillage depth was combined with liming. Penetration resistance in the seedbed subsoil was highest when mouldboard ploughing was carried out in plots without liming. Data were examined with principal component analyses, and the structures in the data were presented as scores and loading plots, which showed groupings between samples and relationships between variables, respectively.