Browsing by Subject "Tillage"
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Item Compaction Remediation for Construction Sites(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-01) Chaplin, Jonathan; Min, Min; Pulley, ReidThe goal of this project is to develop a sub-soiling regimen that will enhance and be compatible with existing erosion control measures. This project is important in minimizing the effect of construction-induced compaction on the urban and rural landscape. This activity, if successful, will become a building block for use in Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will ensure full vegetative growth post construction, and save on the cost of reapplication of erosion control measures. For a good comparative study, several sites were selected for typical slope and soil type. The study shows that there are low cost benefits to deep tillage of ROW. Heavy clay soils are problematic in that improvements in infiltration could not be detected after a single tillage operation. In lighter sandy soils, the benefits of tillage are such that significant increases in infiltration can be gained following a single pass tillage operation. The differences in tillage implement used could not be detected. The post-tillage aesthetic appeal when using a non-inverting plow (Kongskilde Paraplow) was apparent in this study. The vegetation was largely undisturbed following tillage, and this would be beneficial in preventing erosion on slopes. The ripper and the DMI inverted more soil, and therefore the tillage operation was less appealing to motorists. The relatively low cost of ownership and operation for the tillage is overshadowed by the high land cost when new roads are constructed. Tillage would be beneficial on lighter soils, however the "utility congestion" that is likely in such a scenario would make machinery management difficult.Item Early Season Corn Development in a Kura Clover (Trifolium ambiguum Bieb.) Living Mulch(2017-04) Dobbratz, MichelleKura clover (Trifolium ambiguum Bieb.) perennial living mulch has many agronomic and ecological benefits, but corn produced in this system is often lower yielding than monocrop corn, and this yield loss is often preceded by delayed emergence and development. To prepare rows for corn production, kura clover is selectively killed in strips using mechanical or chemical means. We monitored kura clover health, soil moisture & temperature, corn emergence, corn development, and corn yield in four row preparation strategies: herbicide band kill (BK), shank tillage (ST), novel rotary zone tillage (RZT), and dual tillage (DT) which consisted of shank tillage followed by rotary zone tillage. Our primary objective was to compare novel RZT with the traditional strip tillage unit (ST). In 2015, corn grown in RZT plots emerged and developed faster than corn grown in ST plots, but this did not lead to a difference in grain or stover yield. In 2016, corn grown in RZT and DT plots emerged and developed faster than corn grown in ST and BK plots, and grain yield in 2016 was higher (P=0.05) in the RZT and DT (10.9 Mg ha-1 and 11.6 Mg ha-1) than in the ST and BK treatments (6.9 Mg ha-1 for both treatments). Kura clover biomass was not affected by treatment in either year. Based on these results, rotary zone tillage is a promising row preparation strategy in kura clover living mulch for corn production with minimal herbicide use.Item Management strategies for control of soybean cyst nematode and their effect on the nematode community(2013-06) Grabau, Zane JosephSoybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is the major yield-limiting pathogen on soybean and various plant-parasitic nematodes can damage corn. Additionally, the nematode community is a useful bioindicator for soil health. In chapter 1, relevant research is reviewed. Chapter 2 describes experiments testing ten organic soil amendments at various rates for SCN control in the greenhouse. Some amendments-particularly canola meal, pennycress seed powder and condensed distiller's solubles-effectively reduced SCN populations at 40 days after planting soybeans. By 70 days after planting, SCN control by amendments was diminished. Additionally, phytotoxicity was a concern, particularly at 40 days after planting. Based on these experiments, organic soil amendments have value for SCN management, but more work is needed to optimize amendment efficacy particularly at the field scale. Chapter 3 describes the impact of tillage, granular nematicide (aldicarb or terbufos), synthetic fertilizers (NPKS combinations), and organic fertilizer (swine manure) on plant-parasitic nematodes, the nematode community, and plant yield as assessed in a corn-soybean cropping system. H. glycines, Helicotylenchus spp, Xiphinema spp, and Pratylenchus spp were the major plant-parasitic nematodes present at the sites. Tillage had only minor impacts on populations of major plant-parasitic nematode genera. While aldicarb reduced H. glycines and Helicotylenchus populations, albeit inconsistently, terbufos did not affect major plant-parasitic nematode populations. Nematicides increased soybean and corn yields under some conditions suggesting plant-parasitic nematodes impacted corn and soybean, although this impact was inconsistent. Tillage, fertilizer, and nematicide impacts on the nematode community were often site- and season-specific. Manure application compellingly shifted the nematode community to one of increased enrichment and decreased community structure. The inorganic fertilizers had minimal impact on the nematode community. Conventional tillage decreased nematode community structure based on some measures, but increased bacterivore and fungivore population densities. In contrast, aldicarb nematicide decreased bacterivore and fungivore population densities. Effects of terbufos nematicide on nematode populations and community composition were inconsistent.