Cover crops (CC) improve soil quality, including soil microbial enzymatic activities and soil chemical parameters. Scientific studies conducted in research centers have shown positive effects of CC on soil enzymatic activities; however, studies conducted in farmer fields are lacking in the literature. The objective of this study was to quantify CC effects on soil microbial enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolase, and dehydrogenase) under a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) rotation. The study was conducted in 2016 and 2018 in Chariton County, Missouri, where CC were first established in 2012. All tested soil enzyme levels were significantly different between 2016 and 2018

Soil water use and water storage vary by vegetative management practices, and these practices affect land productivity and hydrologic processes. This study investigated the effects of agroforestry buffers (AB), grass buffers (GB), and biofuel crops (BC), relative to row crops (RC) on soil water use for a claypan soil in northern Missouri, USA. The experiment located at the Greenley Memorial Research Center included RC, AB, GB, and BC established in 1991, 1997, 1997, and 2012, respectively. Soil water reflectometer sensors installed at 5‐, 10‐, 20‐, and 40‐cm depths monitored soil water from April to November in 2017 and 2018. Results showed significant differences in weekly volumetric water content (VWC) among treatments for all fou

High tunnels, or unheated plastic greenhouses, are becoming increasingly popular among organic vegetable growers across the United States. However, the intensive production typical of these systems presents soil health challenges, including salinization due to high fertilizer or compost inputs coupled with lack of rainfall to leach salts. Legume cover crops may improve soil health in high tunnels by reducing the need for external inputs, while adding organic matter. We tested the soil health effects of a winter hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crop used to replace fertilizer N in an organic tomato cropping system in high tunnels. Studies were replicated across three sites differing in climate and soil type (Kansas, Kentucky, and Minne

Perennial biofuel and cover crops systems are important for enhancing soil health and can provide numerous soil, agricultural, and environmental benefits. The study objective was to investigate the effects of cover crops and biofuel crops on soil hydraulic properties relative to traditional management for claypan soils. The study site included selected management practices: cover crop (CC) and no cover crop (NC) with corn/soybean rotation, switchgrass (SW), and miscanthus (MI). The CC mixture consisted of cereal rye, hairy vetch, and Austrian winter pea. The research site was located at Bradford Research Center in Missouri, USA, and was implemented on a Mexico silt loam. Intact soil cores (76‐mm diam. by 76‐mm long) were taken from the

This study is conducted to investigate the validity of using different levels of Rustumiya sewage water for irrigation and their effects on corn growth and some of the chemical properties of the soil such as electrical conductivity and soil pH in extract soil paste , the micro nutrient content in soil and plant which are ( Fe , Mn , Zn , Cu , Cd , Pb ). Three levels of sewage water ( 0 , 50 , 100 )% in two stages were used ,the three levels of wastewater ( without soil fertilization ) were used in the first stage , Where 80 Kg N /D+50Kg P2O5 /D was added to the soil as fertilizer in the control (0%) treatment and 40 Kg N/D+25Kg P2O5/D were added to 50 and 100% levels in the second stage .Corn seeds were planted in 12kg plastic pots in Com

The objective of this work is to study the influence of α-amylase enzymatic solution immersion, soil burial and water immersion on the biodegradability behavior of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) /Corn Starch (CS) blend films Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) /Corn Starch (CS) blend films were prepared by solution casting method with different weight percentages of PVA(0%,10%,30%,50%,70% and 90%) . The biodegradability of the films has been investigated by determination the weight loss of the tested films. It was noticed that the films containing corn starch were highly biodegraded under above influences. The weight loss of the tested films decreased with increasing PVA content and increased with immersion time in enzymatic solution and water and soil bu

Storage of rainwater within the root depth zone is one of the modern ways to increase plant production. Subsurface water retention technology was applied to assess improving values of crop yield and crop water use efficiency, applying a membrane made of low-density polyethylene trough installed below the crop root zone. The goal of this paper is to assess that the retention of rainwater above the membrane can improve the crop yield and crop water use efficiency values for winter wheat. The experiment was conducted in open field, within Joeybeh Township, located in east of the Ramadi City, in Anbar Province, in winter growing season 2018-2019. Two plots T1 (with membrane trough) and T2 (without membrane) were used for the