Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: K. Kubešová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Balík Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: O. Sedlář Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Peklová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: The impact of nitrogen fertilizer injection on kernel yield and yield formation of maize Abstract: In field experiments over three vegetation periods (2010-2012) we studied impact of the CULTAN (controlled uptake long term ammonium nutrition) method on yield and yield parameters of kernel maize. The field experiments were conducted at three sites with different soil-climatic conditions. CULTAN treatments were fertilized once with the total amount of nitrogen using an injection machine (at the canopy height of 20 cm) and compared to conventional fertilization with calcium ammonium nitrate application at pre-sowing preparations. In all treatments the amount of nitrogen was the same, 140 kg N/ha. In 2010 at Humpolec site, CULTAN urea ammonium nitrate + inhibitor of nitrification treatment gave by 20.5% higher number of ears compared to CULTAN urea ammonium nitrate treatment. In 2011 at Ivanovice all CULTAN treatments reached statistically significantly higher number of kernels per ear. The higher 1000 kernel weight at CULTAN treatments was observed in 2012 at the Ivanovice site; a statistically significant difference between conventional and CULTAN urea ammonium nitrate + inhibitor of nitrification treatment was observed. Fertilization of maize with nitrogen using the CULTAN method under the conditions of the Czech Republic provides the same yield certainty as the conventional surface application and the CULTAN method of fertilization increases the yield certainty at delayed sowing. Harvest index was statistically significantly influenced by year, fertilization treatment and site. Keywords: ammonium, number of ears per plant, number of kernels per ear, thousand weight kernel, harvest index Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 1-7 Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Year: 2014 DOI: 10.17221/208/2013-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/208/2013-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201401-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:60:y:2014:i:1:id:208-2013-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Q. Hao Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China Author-Name: C. Jiang Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China Title: Contribution of root respiration to soil respiration in a rape (Brassica campestris L.) field in Southwest China Abstract: This study aimed to separate the respective contributions of root and microbial respiration to soil respiration in a rape field in Southwest China. The soil respiration was measured with a closed chamber technique and a regression method was used to apportion root and microbial respiration. Microbial and root respiration ranged from 70.67 to 183.77 mg CO2/m2/h and 21.99 to 193.09 mg CO2/m2/h, averaged 127.16 and 116.66 mg CO2/m2/h during the rape growing season, respectively. Root respiration coefficient ranged from 0.41 to 5.39 mg C-CO2/g C/h and was negatively correlated with root/shoot ratio, aboveground and belowground biomass, but positively correlated with root N content. The contribution of root respiration to soil respiration averaged 44.2%, ranging from 14.5% to 62.62%. Keywords: root respiration coefficient, microbial respiration, root biomass, root N content, root/shoot ratio Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 8-14 Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Year: 2014 DOI: 10.17221/425/2013-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/425/2013-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201401-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:60:y:2014:i:1:id:425-2013-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Q. Li Author-Workplace-Name: KarstDynamics Laboratory, MLR & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS, Guilin, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China Author-Name: J.H. Liang Author-Workplace-Name: KarstDynamics Laboratory, MLR & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS, Guilin, P.R. China Author-Name: Y.Y. He Author-Workplace-Name: KarstDynamics Laboratory, MLR & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS, Guilin, P.R. China Author-Name: Q.J. Hu Author-Workplace-Name: KarstDynamics Laboratory, MLR & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS, Guilin, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Guangxi University, Nanning, P.R. China Author-Name: S. Yu Author-Workplace-Name: KarstDynamics Laboratory, MLR & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS, Guilin, P.R. China Title: Effect of land use on soil enzyme activities at karst area in Nanchuan, Chongqing, Southwest China Abstract: The study of soil enzyme activities under different land use is of importance for exploration of the soil quality evolution and its evaluation during the revegetation at karst area in Nanchuan, Chongqing, China. Seven kinds of land use were chosen as subject, aiming at revealing the changes in soil enzyme activities through experimental and statistical analysis. The results showed that different land use significantly influenced the enzyme activities. Soil urease, invertase, catalase and amylase behaved the different change. A descending order of urease activity was artificial forest, natural forest, shrubbery, grassland, slope field into terrace, rock desertification and farmland. As to invertase and amylase, they have no clear change orderliness with land use change. Moreover, no significant change was observed in catalase activity and the lower value was found in natural forest. The above results cannot reflect the land use effect on the enzyme activities. According to the soil enzyme index (SEI), it can be seen that the SEI changed with an order of natural forest > artificial forest > grassland > shrubbery > farmland > slope field into terrace > rock desertification, which can objectively and fully evaluate the land use change in soil enzyme. Keywords: karst, land use, soil enzyme index, soil urease, invertase, catalase, amylas Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 15-20 Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Year: 2014 DOI: 10.17221/599/2013-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/599/2013-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201401-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:60:y:2014:i:1:id:599-2013-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: F.Z. Zhao Author-Workplace-Name: Collegeof Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: X.H. Han Author-Workplace-Name: Collegeof Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: G.H. Yang Author-Workplace-Name: Collegeof Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Y.Z. Feng Author-Workplace-Name: Collegeof Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: G.X. Ren Author-Workplace-Name: Collegeof Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, P.R. China Title: Soil structure and carbon distribution in subsoil affected by vegetation restoration Abstract: The depth of sampling is an important factor for evaluating soil stability. The objective of this study was to test soil aggregate particle-size fractions and soil organic carbon (SOC) in water-stable aggregate by vegetation restoration through 0-60 cm soil profile. We collected soil samples in 30 years old Robinia psendoacacia (Rr); Platycladus orientalis (Po); Pinus tabulaeformis (Pt); abandoned land (Ab), and slope cropland (Sc), which were separated into > 2, 2-1, 1-0.25, 0.25-0.053, and < 0.053 mm fractions. The > 0.25 mm water-stable aggregates (WSA) and mean weight diameter (MWD) were calculated in 0-60 cm soil depth. Results showed that soil aggregate fractions (> 0.25 mm) of four vegetation types were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in 40-60 cm soil depth under Po, Pt, and Ab compared with Sc and the SOC distribution in macro-aggregates (> 0.25 mm) under Rr, Po, Pt, and Ab was higher more than 37.7, 92.4, 92.5, 79.1%, respectively in 40-60 cm compared with Sc additionally, > 0.25 mm WSA and MWD was significantly higher in Pt soil in 20-40 cm, 40-60 cm soil depth (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that soil stability was enhanced and SOC content was increased after converting slope cropland to forest, especially under Pt forest that greatly influenced the subsoil. Keywords: grain to green program, soil depth, soil aggregate, soil organic carbon, Loess Plateau Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 21-26 Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Year: 2014 DOI: 10.17221/353/2013-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/353/2013-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201401-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:60:y:2014:i:1:id:353-2013-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Hamouz Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroecology and Biometeorology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: K. Hamouzová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroecology and Biometeorology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Tyšer Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroecology and Biometeorology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Holec Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroecology and Biometeorology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Effect of site-specific weed management in winter crops on yield and weed populations Abstract: Site-specific weed management (SSWM) methods allow spatially variable treatment of weed populations according to actual weed abundance, thus offering the opportunity for herbicide savings. However, SSWM's effect on weed population dynamics is not sufficiently understood. In this study, SSWM was conducted based on various application thresholds to analyse the effects on crop yield and weed infestation in the succeeding crop. SSWM was used on a 3.07 ha experimental field in winter wheat (2011) and winter oilseed rape (2012). The whole area was split into application cells of 6 × 10 m and abundance of all weed species was evaluated manually in each cell. Four different herbicide treatments were tested. Standard whole-field herbicide application (blanket spraying) was treatment 1. Treatments 2, 3 and 4 comprised SSWM using different thresholds for post-emergent herbicide application. SSWM resulted in savings of post-emergent herbicides ranging from 71.9% to 100%, depending on the application threshold. Differences in winter rape yield among treatments were generally small and statistically insignificant (P = 0.989). Although some minor changes in weed abundances were observable, the experiment showed that none of the site-specific herbicide treatments caused a significant (α = 0.05) increase of weed species abundance compared to the standard treatment. Keywords: economic thresholds, patch spraying, weed control, yield loss, Brassica napus L., Triticum aestivum L Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 27-35 Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Year: 2014 DOI: 10.17221/574/2013-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/574/2013-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201401-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:60:y:2014:i:1:id:574-2013-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Z. Kvíz Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Machines, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Kroulik Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Machines, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Chyba Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Machines, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Machinery guidance systems analysis concerning pass-to-pass accuracy as a tool for efficient plant production in fields and for soil damage reduction Abstract: Machines without satellite navigation in fields have a tendency to pass-to-pass errors, especially unwanted overlaps, resulting in waste of fuel and pesticides, longer working times and also environmental damage. This paper evaluates the accuracy of individual machinery passes in fields. Real pass-to-pass errors (omissions and overlaps) in a field were measured on different tractor-implement units with and without guidance system utilization and a comparison between observed guidance arrangements was made regarding final working accuracy and possible benefits from navigation utilization. Additionally, intensity of machinery passes, and repeated passes on soil, as a possible risk for soil compaction in fields, were monitored. The outcomes from our measurements revealed a statistically significant difference between the total area treated by machinery without any guidance system and machinery using precise guidance systems. Concerning the intensity of traffic in fields, it was found out that more than 86% of the total field area was run-over at least once during one cropping season when using conventional tillage practice. The usage of guidance systems can reduce machinery traffic in field to some extent as well and thus improve soil conditions. Keywords: precision farming, machinery passes, satellite navigation, traffic intensity, soil compaction Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 36-42 Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Year: 2014 DOI: 10.17221/622/2012-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/622/2012-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201401-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:60:y:2014:i:1:id:622-2012-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: I. Arduini Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-Environmental Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Author-Name: A. Masoni Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-Environmental Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Author-Name: M. Mariotti Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Author-Name: S. Pampana Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-Environmental Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Author-Name: L. Ercoli Author-Workplace-Name: Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy Title: Cadmium uptake and translocation in durum wheat varieties differing in grain-Cd accumulation Abstract: Wheat grain products are the primary source of dietary Cd-intake for humans. Since varieties differ markedly in grain-Cd accumulation, efforts are needed to find traits associated with low, or high, accumulation. Two durum wheat varieties, selected in a field screening as low (Creso) and high (Svevo) grain-Cd accumulating, were grown on soil spiked with 1.5, 3 and 4.5 mg Cd/kg. Growth patterns, Cd uptake and translocation were investigated at heading and maturity. Cadmium did not affect plant growth and grain yield, but grain-Cd concentration always exceeded the permissible limit of 0.2 mg Cd/kg, and was approximately double in Svevo than in Creso. At maturity, total Cd-uptake increased linearly with supply in Creso, from 13 to 23 µg/plant, and was approximately 18 µg/plant, irrespective of Cd level, in Svevo. Partitioning to shoot was higher in Svevo than in Creso, both at heading and maturity. We suggest that reduced plant height, high root to shoot biomass ratio during vegetative growth and elevated post-heading dry matter accumulation promoted Cd accumulation into grain. Since these traits are common to modern wheat varieties, risks of grain Cd-contamination can increase in the future. Keywords: food safety, genotype, cadmium contaminated soil, Triticum durum Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 43-49 Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Year: 2014 DOI: 10.17221/416/2013-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/416/2013-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201401-0007.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:60:y:2014:i:1:id:416-2013-PSE