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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Georg, et al.
(author)
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Time lags in biodiversity response to farming practice
- 2010
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 100, s. 381-384
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Agri-environmental schemes have been applied with the goal to mitigate negative effects of agriculture on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, on evaluating the schemes the results have been variable and shown both positive and neutral effects. These variable effects can be attributed to not taking into account important factors affecting the variables at test, such as biodiversity. These factors include no exact definition of the farming practice, landscape complexity and the scale of study. Here we introduce a fourth factor not considered, the time scale of study. The implications and effects are discussed shortly.
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| 4. |
- Bergkvist, Göran, et al.
(author)
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Long-term field experiments in Sweden – what are they designed to study and what could they be used for?
- 2011
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 113, s. 75-85
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Long-term field experiments (LTEs) have proven a useful resource when assessing the impact of different management practices on soil, water and production. Departments at the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences run more than forty long-term field experiments. The oldest LTEs typically investigate the effect of cropping systems, crop rotations and fertiliser regimes on yield and soil fertility. More recent experiments concentrate on making efficient use of soil resources and on environmental effects of crop production and different management practices. In 2007 a Management Board was formed to encourage Departments to re-evaluate their existing LTEs and even start new field experiments that are destined to become long-term. The new LTEs should serve as research platforms and be useful for several disciplines. In this paper we reflect on the present LTEs and discuss how useful they are, and the need for new LTEs
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| 5. |
- Bergkvist, Göran, et al.
(author)
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Nitrogen fertiliser dose influence the effect of two year rotational leys with grass or clover- grass on other crops in the rotation
- 2015
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 128, s. 133-139
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rotational leys increase yields of subsequent crops. The investigation of long term effects of repeated use of rotational leys in long-term field experiments (LTEs) is often confounded with the effects of animal manure. We used three LTEs situated in southern Sweden to investigate the importance of rotational leys, ley composition and fertiliser regime on grain yield of oats grown as the third crop after incorporation of the leys. We found that 2-year clover/grass and grass leys in 6 year rotations increased yield of oats. At low N regimes, clover/grass leys increase yields more than pure grass leys, but they have similar effect on oats yield when both the grass ley and the oats is fertilised with high doses of N fertiliser. The positive effect of leys on oats yields does not increase continuously over time.
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| 6. |
- Bergkvist, Göran, et al.
(author)
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The design of a new cropping system experiment to be used as a research platform – maize and winter wheat in monoculture and rotations
- 2011
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 113, s. 61-66
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- According to climate models, the winters in large parts of Sweden will become milder and precipitation will increase. At the same time natural resources can be expected to become more scarce and expensive. To address questions associated with these changing conditions we have started a long-term field experiment that has some special features, such as involvement from many disciplines, four true replicates, all crops each year by considering crops as study crops or break crops (2-year rotation, study crop – break crop) and large plots that allow both monitoring from satellites and strips at each side of the harvest plot for short term experiments. In this paper we present the experiment, with special emphasis on the novelty in the design. We believe that its features will make the experiment a platform for collaboration between researchers within and outside The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Dhamala, Nawa Raj, et al.
(author)
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Intercropping of oat and pea to address field-scale soil heterogeneity
- 2021
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 146, s. 275-280
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Growing grain legumes is challenging due to a high spatial and temporal variability in yield caused by various biotic and abiotic factors, which may be compensated and/or minimised by intercropping (IC) with cereals. However, little is known about the effect of field-scale soil spatial variability on competitive interactions between the IC components, resource use and crop yield performance. A field experiment was conducted to determine how intercropping (IC) of oat (Avena sativa L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.) affects crop yield, and balances the field-scale heterogeneity in soil conditions compared to sole crops (SCs). The soil parameters and crop yields varied considerably across the field. The oat-pea IC showed less field-scale variability in yield and suppressed weeds more strongly than pea SC. The study will provide an important insight into how IC can address the issue of crop yield variability and weed growth arising from the variable soil conditions.
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| 13. |
- Irminger Street, Therese, et al.
(author)
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Predicted effects of management on vascular plant species in arable field margins
- 2010
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 100, s. 233-243
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many of Sweden’s red listed species are found in the agricultural landscape. Small biotopes (e.g. field margins and field islets) are important for the maintenance of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, and agri-environmental support is paid to farmers who keep them open. However, a proper evaluation of the biodiversity-gains from this type of management is lacking. We examined the predicted response of vascular plant species in field margins in Scania, S. Sweden, to the removal of woody vegetation and found that more species are expected to show a positive than a negative response to this type of management. Comparison of present-day and historical (1940s) aerial photographs shows that field size and the amount of small biotopes have decreased while the cover of woody vegetation on many of the remaining small biotopes has increased. Changes are greater in the arable plains and in the mixed district than in the forest district.
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| 14. |
- Jönsson, Annelie, et al.
(author)
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The grey partridge and AESs in Sweden: Setting up an experimental restoration of the grey partridge and associated farmland biodiversity in Sweden
- 2010
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 100, s. 111-116
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The grey partridge Perdix perdix has suffered a severe decline in numbers and contraction in range during the last half century. The loss of landscape heterogeneity through agricultural intensification has often been indicated as a cause. By preserving and managing small biotopes and creating uncropped border zones, some ecological heterogeneity is maintained and recreated with the aid of agri-environmental subsidies in Sweden. However, the Swedish range of options is poor in comparison with the British one, thus making it difficult to integrate conservation efforts with regular land use by farming. This project aims to show how relatively simple methods can be used to increase the biodiversity of the agricultural landscape by focusing on the grey partridge. In a large-scale experiment we investigate the effect of newly created wildlife strips on the grey partridge and other species. We will use the results to influence future AESs in Sweden and make them more user-friendly.
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| 15. |
- Kätterer, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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Swedish long-term agricultural field experiments – soil carbon stock changes are affected by management
- 2015
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 128, s. 119-124
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Long-term field experiments (LTEs) are a useful resource for quantifying changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks due to agricultural management. We present results from recent work focusing on the effect of different management practices on SOC stocks in Swedish LTEs. Application of inorganic N fertilizer increased SOC, on average, by about 1 kg C for each kg of N added. Straw incorporation affected SOC only in soils with high clay content. On average, 0.5 Mg ha-1 yr-1 more SOC was retained in soils in ley-dominated compared to exclusively annual rotations. Incorporation of ryegrass undersown in spring cereals increased SOC, on average, by 0.3 Mg ha-1 yr-1. Sewage sludge addition to soil increased SOC directly through C input and indirectly through stimulation of primary production. Between 16 and 32% of C added with sludge was retained in the topsoil after 13 to 53 years.
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| 16. |
- Löfkvist, Klara, et al.
(author)
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Improvements of pesticide handling in greenhouse situations
- 2012
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 114, s. 371-378
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The use of pesticides in greenhouses has often been regarded, formally at least, as if the greenhouse was a closed system, isolated from surrounding soil, air, and water. Recently, several pesticide residues studies in watercourses have been conducted, showing pollution that could be related to greenhouse production. In a previous project, several potential point sources were identified. The objective of this project was to transform identified shortcomings within the field of point sources, into improvements; to reduce the risk of accidents and minimize the consequences. A filling/mixing/cleaning station was developed as a ‘mock-up’ and tested by growers and advisers, and after that, further improved. An important part of the design was to facilitate the handling work and, in this way, reduce the temptation to handle pesticides at inexpedient places. A promising idea from users themselves is also described; an attachment to standard sprayer tanks, to minimize spilling
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Nkurunziza, Libère, et al.
(author)
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Effects of extreme weather on yields of major cereal crops in Sweden : Analysis of long-term experiment data
- 2015
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - Warwick, United Kingdom : Association of Applied Biologists / Horticultural Research International. - 0265-1491. ; 128, s. 165-172
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Weather is one of the key factors controlling crop growth and development. To support decision making, it is essential to know how often extreme weather events have affected crop production and the weather indices that cause them. We used long-term experiment data at four locations in Sweden to evaluate the effects of extreme weather on four major cereal crops: winter wheat, spring wheat, barley and oats. Yield reductions during 1965-2010 differed between crops and locations; with greater variation for spring cereals than winter wheat. For about 2-8 years and 1-2 years, out of the 45 years, yield reductions were 30% and 50%, respectively. For these years the total precipitation during early growth and/or harvest time deviated more than 30% from normal more often, than for years with yield reductions less than 30% (or higher yields). However, such deviations in precipitation were common for the whole 46 year period, and using these weather indices as single predictors of yield reductions would fail in the majority of years.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Reckling, Moritz
(author)
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Yield stability of grain legumes in an organically managed monitoring experiment
- 2015
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; , s. 57 - 61
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Grain legumes play a key role as a protein source and in cropping systems but their yields are perceived to fluctuate more than other crops. Therefore, an organically managed experiment on a research station in Northeastern Germany with eight monitoring trials from 1993 to 2013 was used to assess yields of two grain legume species (narrow-leafed lupin and field pea), two winter cereals (rye and wheat) as well as spring oats and silage maize. Two orthogonal data sets were analysed to compare individual grain legumes with cereals and silage maize in terms of temporal yield stability. Both grain legumes showed lowest average yields and lowest yield stability among the crop species; this was the case for both variance and regression type stability parameters. Causes for the low stability of grain legumes are still insufficiently known. Long- and short-term strategies need to be developed to reduce and adapt to high yield fluctuations of grain legumes in cropping systems
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Smith, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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Biodiversity and the landscape ecology of agri-environment schemes
- 2010
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; 100, s. 225-232
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Loss of biodiversity in European farmland has been attributed to agricultural intensification and the resulting loss of ecological heterogeneity. To alleviate the effect of agricultural intensification, farmers are compensated via agri-environment schemes for carrying out farming in ways to preserve and restore biodiversity. However, the effectiveness of these schemes has been questioned and evaluations of their effect have produced partly contrasting results. One aspect that has received little attention is how the spatial context and configuration of agri-environment measures affect the results. We have evaluated the consequences of the spatial context of organic farming and other agri-environment measures on the abundance and diversity of flower-visiting insects and birds. We demonstrate that the effect of agri-environment schemes on insect and bird diversity depends on both landscape complexity and the proportion of the landscape that is under agri-environment schemes. We discuss implications this have for the formulation of efficient agri-environment schemes.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Weih, Martin
(author)
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DIVERSify-ing for sustainability using cereal-legume ‘plant teams’
- 2018
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; , s. 57 - 62
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Increasing the diversity of crop systems could enhance and stabilise crop yields while increasing sustainability. We report preliminary findings from two trials at the James Hutton Institute, UK, aiming to optimise the performance of spring cereal-legume species mixtures or ‘plant teams’. Commercial cereal and legume cultivars were tested for their performance in plant teams (compared to monocultures) under conventional and reduced input management. Wheat-faba bean plant teams were grown for silage and barley-pea plant teams were grown for grain. Over-yielding of species mixtures was detected in both trials. The best performing wheat-faba bean combinations contained the wheat variety Tybalt, while those based on the pea varieties Ingrid and Daytona combined with barley cultivars RGT Planet or KWS Sassy performed best in barley-pea plant teams. Preliminary analysis of plant traits is used to identify the mechanisms promoting productivity in these plant teams.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Öborn, Ingrid, et al.
(author)
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Supporting smallholder farmers’ decisions on legume use in East Africa – the LegumeCHOICE approach
- 2018
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In: Aspects of Applied Biology. - 0265-1491. ; , s. 85-92
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- East African farming systems are diverse but are generally characterized by mixed croplivestock production with a mix of cereals, roots, legumes, livestock and tree crops. Legumes offer many livelihood and natural resource management benefits but are generally underutilized in smallholder systems especially in the case of tree and forage legumes. Through a research for development project called LegumeCHOICE we developed a classification of multipurpose legumes and defined the various farm functions that each class and species fulfilled using an expert scoring system. We went on to develop a simple decision support tool based on this work to help decision makers prioritize different legume types to meet expressed needs of smallholders in East Africa when considering legume interventions.
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