Farming Systems Design 2007 - International Environmental ...

Farming Systems Design 2007
Field-farm scale design and improvement
organic matter in the soil (161 in R2 vs 92 kg of N ha -1 y -1 in CC). Finally, the larger uptake
(biomass and N grain content greater in faba bean than in wheat) and the soil incorporation of
crop residues led to a N-balance more favourable than in the cropping system of CC. In fact, in
the figure 2 we observe throughout the simulation period an initial decrease and a stabilization
after 25 years on average of about 80 and 40 kg of N ha -1 y -1 for R2 and CC, respectively.
70
60
50
40
(%)
30
20
10
0
-10
1953 1959 1965 1971 1977 1983 1989 1995 2001 2007
R2 R3_F1 R3_F2
Years
Figure 1 – Wheat yield increment respect to wheat continuous crop in the 54 years of simulation.
For legend see Table 1.
Conclusions
Positive effects
of interruption of
wheat CC
farming system
were simulated
by CropSyst, a
greater and
more stable
grain yield, a
more positive
nitrogen
balance. This
confirms the
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1953 1959 1965 1971 1977 1983 1989
CC
R2
1995 2001 2007
advantages
from an
Years
Figure 2 – Yearly N-balance in the CC and in wheat in rotation with faba bean.
environmental
point of view to alternate legume and cereal crops on a long term basis.
(kg of N ha -1 )
Acknowledgements
Funded by Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policies (AQUATER Project, 209/7303/05).
References
C. Stockle et al., CropSyst, a cropping systems simulation model, 2003. Eur. J. Agronomy, 18, 3-4, 289-
307.
R. Senaratne and G. Hardarson, Estimation of residual N effect of faba bean and pea on two succeeding
cereals using 15 N methodology, 1988. Plant Soil, 110, 81-89.
M. Donatelli et al., Evaluation of CropSyst for cropping systems at two locations of northern and southern
Italy, 1997. Eur. J. Agronomy, 6, 35-45.
E. Di Paolo, Il favino (Vicia faba var. minor L.) per uso zootecnico sottoposto a regimi irrigui. calibrazione e
validazione del modello CropSyst, 2007. Atti XXXVII Convegno SIA, Catania, 13-14 settembre.
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