Evaluation of Presswheels and Seed Coverers for Direct Seeding of Brassica

Improved stand establishment of direct-seeded crops has usually involved seed treatment and/or seed covers. Planters have been evaluated for seed/plant spacing uniformity, singulation, furrow openers, and presswheel design; however, effects of presswheels and seed coverers on plant establishment have not been widely investigated. Five experiments were conducted in a fine sandy loam soil to determine effect of presswheels and seed coverers on emergence of direct-seeded cabbage and mustard. Seed were planted with Stanhay 870 seeder equipped with one of four presswheels and seed coverers. Presswheels included smooth, mesh, concave split, and flat split types. Seed coverers included standard drag, light drag, paired knives, and no coverer. Soil moisture at planting ranged from 8% to 19% in the top 5 cm of bed. Differences in plant counts taken 2 weeks after planting were minimal with any presswheel or seed coverer. Visual observation indicated the seed furrow was more completely closed with the knife coverer in high soil moisture conditions. All tests received at least 14 mm of precipitation within 6 days from planting, which may account for lack of differences in plant emergence.

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Evaluating Seed-covering Devices and Presswheels for Directly Seeding Mustard and Cabbage

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.8.1.74 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 74-77

Author(s):

Regina P. Bracy ◽

Richard L. Parish

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Soil Type ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Silt Loam ◽

Fine Sandy Loam ◽

Brassica Crops ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Plant Emergence ◽

Plant Stand ◽

Moisture Conditions

Stands of brassica crops obtained with precision seeders are sometimes inadequate or nonuniform. Although several types of covering devices and presswheels are available from precision seeder manufacturers, the effects of covering devices and presswheels on plant emergence of direct-seeded Brassica crops have not been determined. In Spring and Fall 1996, six crops of mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czerniak] and four crops of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. capitata group) were direct seeded with a precision belt seeder using four covering devices and four rear presswheels. All of the covering devices and presswheels evaluated were adequate for direct seeding mustard and cabbage under the soil moisture conditions and soil type (silt loam or fine sandy loam) found in these experiments. Although poor stands were obtained with all seed covering devices and presswheels when 7.8 inches (199 mm) of rain occurred within 3 days of planting, plant stand of cabbage was greater when the paired arm device was used than with drag-type or no covering devices.

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Criteria for Scheduling the Irrigation of wheat

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479700011406 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 157-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

R. D. Misra ◽

P. C. Pant

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Field Experiment ◽

Water Potential ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Pan Evaporation ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Moisture Conditions ◽

Better Than

SUMMARYA field experiment evaluating criteria for scheduling wheat irrigation was conducted from 1975 to 1977 in a sandy loam soil with treatments scheduled according to physiological stages, soil moisture conditions, pan evaporation and leaf water potential. Grain and straw yields, spikes/m, fertile spikelets/spike and number and weight of grains/spike were significantly influenced by treatments. Irrigation based on leaf water potential was as good as when based on physiological stages or soil moisture, and the use of pan evaporation was no better than other methods of scheduling.

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Adaptation of seedbed preparation for spring cereals to unfavourably high soil moisture conditions in loam soil

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section B - Soil & Plant Science ◽

10.1080/09064710.2019.1655092 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 69 (8) ◽

pp. 747-759

Author(s):

Dorothee Kolberg ◽

Hans Christian Endrerud ◽

Trond Børresen

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

High Soil Moisture ◽

High Soil ◽

Spring Cereals ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Seedbed Preparation ◽

Moisture Conditions

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Influence of Soil Moisture on Tolerance of Corn to Cyanazine

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s0043174500065140 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 522-524 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. D. Kern ◽

W. F. Meggitt ◽

Donald Penner

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Soil Moisture ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Root Uptake ◽

Sandy Loam Soil ◽

High Soil Moisture ◽

High Soil ◽

Loam Soil

Tolerance of corn (Zea maysL.) to cyanazine {2-[[4-chloro-6-(ethylamino)-s-triazin-2-yl] amino]-2-methylpropionitrile} and atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine] was compared when grown in Conover sandy loam soil. Reductions in seedling dry weight were obtained under both low and high soil moisture following preemergence and postemergence applications of cyanazine allowed to contact both plants and soil. During periods of active plant growth high soil moisture is favorable for rapid root uptake of cyanazine which causes injury to corn.

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Effect of Ploughing Depth, Tractor Forward Speed, and Plough Types on the Fuel Consumption and Tractor Performance

Polytechnic Journal ◽

10.25156/ptj.v9n1y2019.pp43-49 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 43-49

Author(s):

Kareem Ibrahim kareem ◽

P. Sven

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Fuel Consumption ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Soil Moisture Content ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Forward Speed ◽

Power Requirement ◽

Primary Tillage ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Ploughing Depth

Cost of fuel has a significant impact on the input costs of agricultural production, especially during primary tillage. It is affected by several parameters including tractor forward speed, depths of ploughing, and plough types. The experiment was performed in a Soil Hall at Harper Adams University, United Kingdom, in April 2015. A Massey Ferguson 8480 4WD tractor was used for investigating objectives of this study. The experiment was performed in a sandy loam soil texture at 11.73% soil moisture content and 1.35 (g/cm3) dry bulk density to study the amount of fuel consumption (l/ha) and the performance of tractor with effect of moldboard and disc ploughs as ploughs type, 15 and 20 cm as ploughing depth and 5 and 7 km/h as tractor forward speeds. The results showed that fuel consumption with a disc plough 5% was higher compared to the moldboard. Fuel consumption decreased approximately 8% when tractor at 7 km/h. Fuel consumption significantly decreased about 34% when ploughing depth increased from 15 to 20 cm. The power requirement to operate moldboard plough was higher by about 14% than a disc. The power requirement at speeds of 7 km/h was higher compared to the speeds of 5 km/h by about 27%. When the depth of ploughing increased from 15 to 20 cm, the power requirement increased by about 1.5%.

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Opener, packer wheel and packing force effects on crop emergence and yield of direct seeded wheat, canola and field peas

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/p01-171 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 83 (1) ◽

pp. 129-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

A. M. Johnston ◽

G. P. Lafond ◽

W. E. May ◽

G. L. Hnatowich ◽

G. E. Hultgreen

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Direct Seeding ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

High Soil Moisture ◽

Pea Seedlings ◽

Field Peas ◽

Furrow Opener ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Moisture Conditions

An understanding of the effects of different opener designs and on-row packing force would help producers in their selection of appropriate direct seeding implement options for their soil conditions. A field trial was conducted at three locations (Indian Head, Sylvania and Watrous) in Saskatchewan from 1997 to 1999 to evaluate the effect of opener-packer design (spoon-steel V packer; spoon-flat rubber packer; paired row-steel V packer; paired row-flat rubber packer; sweep-pneumatic tire) in combination with a range of on-row packing forces [0, 333, 549, 746, and 1000 Newton (N) per press wheel] on crop emergence and grain yield with direct seeding. The differences observed between opener-packer combinations in this study varied by less than 10% for grain yield, and were almost always associated with the opener design and not the packer type. Despite the variable results, there was a tendency for higher pea and wheat emergence with the sweep + tire compared with other opener types at those locations that tended to be drier in the spring. Also, grain yield tended to be greater for the sweep + tire in 1999 at Indian Head, when the heavy-textured soil at this site had high soil moisture conditions at seeding. The responses to packing force varied with different years and among the crops. Generally, 333 N per press wheel provided adequate emergence and grain yield across the environmental conditions encountered in this study, regardless of the opener-packer combination. In 1997, 5% more pea seedlings emerged with some amount of packing compared with no packing. Relative to the check, some packing resulted in wheat grain yield that was 13% greater at three of the location-by-year combinations, and wheat emergence that was 9% greater in 1998. However, with canola excessive packing force (i.e., the two highest vs. lower packing forces) resulted in 11 fewer seedlings m-2 in 1999. A packing pressure of 333 N per press wheel provided adequate emergence and grain yield across varied environmental conditions, with higher packing force only negatively influencing emergence in canola, and not yield. Key words: Furrow opener, packing force, emergence, direct seeding, zero till

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Sensitivity of Near-Surface Temperature Forecasts to Soil Properties over a Sparsely Vegetated Dryland Region

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology ◽

10.1175/jamc-d-13-0362.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 53 (8) ◽

pp. 1976-1995 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Jeffrey D. Massey ◽

W. James Steenburgh ◽

Sebastian W. Hoch ◽

Jason C. Knievel

Keyword(s):

Thermal Conductivity ◽

Soil Moisture ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Early Morning ◽

Surface Model ◽

Silt Loam ◽

Soil Thermal Conductivity ◽

Near Surface ◽

Ground Heat Flux ◽

Loam Soil

AbstractWeather Research and Forecasting Model forecasts over the Great Salt Lake Desert erroneously underpredict nocturnal cooling over the sparsely vegetated silt loam soil area of Dugway Proving Ground in northern Utah, with a mean positive bias error in temperature at 2 m AGL of 3.4°C in the early morning [1200 UTC (0500 LST)]. Positive early-morning bias errors also exist in nearby sandy loam soil areas. These biases are related to the improper initialization of soil moisture and parameterization of soil thermal conductivity in silt loam and sandy loam soils. Forecasts of 2-m temperature can be improved by initializing with observed soil moisture and by replacing Johansen's 1975 parameterization of soil thermal conductivity in the Noah land surface model with that proposed by McCumber and Pielke in 1981 for silt loam and sandy loam soils. Case studies illustrate that this change can dramatically reduce nighttime warm biases in 2-m temperature over silt loam and sandy loam soils, with the greatest improvement during periods of low soil moisture. Predicted ground heat flux, soil thermal conductivity, near-surface radiative fluxes, and low-level thermal profiles also more closely match observations. Similar results are anticipated in other dryland regions with analogous soil types, sparse vegetation, and low soil moisture.

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Soil water drying and recharge rates as affected by tillage under continuous barley and barley-canola cropping systems in northwestern Canada

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/s00-029 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 45-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

R H Azooz ◽

M A Arshad

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Soil Water ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Time Domain Reflectometry ◽

Sandy Loam Soil ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Silt Loam ◽

Silt Loam Soil ◽

Loam Soil ◽

The Impact

In areas of the northwestern Canadian Prairies, barley and canola are grown in a short growing season with high rainfall variability. Excessively dry soil in conventional tillage (CT) in dry periods and excessively wet soil in no-tillage (NT) in wet periods could cause a significant decrease in crop production by influencing the availability of soil water. The effects of CT, NT and NT with a 7.5-cm residue-free strip on the planting rows (NTR) on soil water drying (–dW/dt) and recharge (dW/dt) rates were studied in 1992 and 1993 during wet and dry periods to evaluate the impact of NTR, NT and CT systems on soil moisture condition. The soils, Donnelly silt loam and Donnelly sandy loam (both Gray Luvisol) were selected and soil water content by depth was measured by time domain reflectometry. Water retained at 6 matric potentials from –5 to –160 kPa were observed. In the field study, –dW/dt was significantly greater in CT than in NT in the silt loam for the 0- to 30-cm layer during the first 34 d after planting in 1992. The 0- to 30-cm soil layer in CT and NTR dried faster than in NT during a period immediately following heavy rainfall in the silt loam in 1993. The drying coefficient (–Kd ) was significantly greater in CT and NTR than in NT in the silt loam soil in 1993 and in the sandy loam soil in 1992 in the top 30-cm depth. The recharge coefficient (Kr) was significantly greater in NT and NTR than in CT for the silt loam soil. The NTR system increased the –dW/dt by 1.2 × 10-2 to 12.1 × 10-2 cm d-1 in 1992 and 1993 in the silt loam soil and by 10.2 × 10-2 cm d-1 in 1993 in the sandy loam soil as compared with NT. The dW/dt was 8.1 × 10-2 cm d-1 greater in NTR in 1992 and 1993 in the silt loam soil and was 1.9 × 10-2 greater in NTR in 1992 than in CT in the sandy loam soil. The laboratory study indicated that NT soils retained more water than the CT soils. The NTR practice maintained better soil moisture conditions for crop growth than CT in dry periods than NT in wet periods. Compared with NT, the NTR avoided prolonged near-saturated soil conditions with increased soil drying rate under extremely wet soil. Key words: Water drying, water recharge, water depletion, wet and drying periods, hydraulic properties, soil capacity to retain water

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EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN ON A NATURAL PASTURE SWARD

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps78-055 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 347-356

Author(s):

W. N. BLACK

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Soil Moisture Content ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Field Capacity ◽

Early Spring ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Natural Pasture ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Grazing Period

Irrigation and nitrogen (N) requirements of a natural pasture sward were studied on a Charlottetown sandy loam soil over a 5-yr period. The soil moisture content at the 0-to 15- and 15- to 30-cm depths was determined at from 7- to 10-day intervals, while irrometer soil moisture readings at 15-, 30-, and 45-cm depths were recorded more frequently during the grazing seasons. Soil moisture content in irrigated plots averaged 92 and 94% of field capacity, respectively, at 0- to 15- and 15- to 30-cm sampling depths. In non-irrigated plots, corresponding values were 77 and 82%. N treatments resulted in significant dry matter (DM) increases over untreated plots. Yield differences among plots receiving 56, 84, and 112 kg of N/ha in mid-June and again in mid-August were not significant. Early spring and September applications of N at 56 kg/ha, combined with mid-June and early August supplements of N at 84 kg/ha were superior to all other treatments in prolonging the grazing period. Neither irrigation nor N affected the characteristic yield decline of naturally occurring forage species in mid- and late-season. Mean DM production for the 5-yr period, and for years, showed no significant N treatment × moisture level interaction. While irrigation failed to increase yields significantly, livestock preferred to graze the irrigated plots. As a result of less competition from grasses, volunteer white clover became better established, and constituted a larger percentage of the sward than on non-irrigated plots.

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