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Interseeding red clover (RC; Trifolium pratense L.) to winter wheat (WW; Triticum aestivum L.) is a recommended management practice for wheat growers in Ontario, as it is known to provide a host of services including a significant nitrogen credit for the subsequent crop. However, fewer Ontario wheat acres are being interseeded with RC because of challenges with nonuniform stands. A survey was developed to explore why growers use the winter wheat – red clover (WWrc) system and to evaluate the management practices being used. We received 179 responses, 142 which were from growers currently practicing WWrc and the rest were from growers who had used WWrc in the past. Of those who were currently practicing WWrc, increasing degrees of tillage, wider WW row spacing, and higher RC seeding rates showed some indication of improved RC stand uniformity, and qualitative feedback from growers in the survey supports this. It is recommended that these management practices receive formal evaluation to increase the success of the WWrc system in Ontario.
Cameron M. Ogilvie; Cora Loucks; Heather Beach; Peter Johnson; Ralph C. Martin. Survey of interseeded red clover management and perceived challenges by Ontario wheat growers. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 2020, 100, 560 -567.
AMA StyleCameron M. Ogilvie, Cora Loucks, Heather Beach, Peter Johnson, Ralph C. Martin. Survey of interseeded red clover management and perceived challenges by Ontario wheat growers. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 2020; 100 (5):560-567.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCameron M. Ogilvie; Cora Loucks; Heather Beach; Peter Johnson; Ralph C. Martin. 2020. "Survey of interseeded red clover management and perceived challenges by Ontario wheat growers." Canadian Journal of Plant Science 100, no. 5: 560-567.
The impacts of tillage practices and crop rotations are fundamental factors influencing changes in the soil carbon, and thus the sustainability of agricultural systems. The objective of this study was to compare soil carbon status and temporal changes in topsoil from different 4 year rotations and tillage treatments (i.e., no-till and conventional tillage). Rotation systems were primarily corn and soy-based and included cereal and alfalfa phases along with red clover cover crops. In 2018, soil samples were collected from a silty-loam topsoil (0–15 cm) from the 36 year long-term experiment site in southern Ontario, Canada. Total carbon (TC) contents of each sample were determined in the laboratory using combustion methods and comparisons were made between treatments using current and archived samples (i.e., 20 year and 9 year change, respectively) for selected crop rotations. Overall, TC concentrations were significantly higher for no-till compared with conventional tillage practices, regardless of the crop rotations employed. With regard to crop rotation, the highest TC concentrations were recorded in corn–corn–oats–barley (CCOB) rotations with red clover cover crop in both cereal phases. TC contents were, in descending order, found in corn–corn–alfalfa–alfalfa (CCAA), corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW) with 1 year of seeded red clover, and corn–corn–corn–corn (CCCC). The lowest TC concentrations were observed in the corn–corn–soybean–soybean (CCSS) and corn–corn–oats–barley (CCOB) rotations without use of cover crops, and corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW). We found that (i) crop rotation varieties that include two consecutive years of soybean had consistently lower TC concentrations compared with the remaining rotations; (ii) TC for all the investigated plots (no-till and/or tilled) increased over the 9 year and 20 year period; (iii) the no-tilled CCOB rotation with 2 years of cover crop showed the highest increase of TC content over the 20 year change period time; and (iv) interestingly, the no-till continuous corn (CCCC) rotation had higher TC than the soybean–soybean–corn–corn (SSCC) and corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW). We concluded that conservation tillage (i.e., no-till) and incorporation of a cover crop into crop rotations had a positive effect in the accumulation of TC topsoil concentrations and could be suitable management practices to promote soil fertility and sustainability in our agricultural soils.
Ahmed Laamrani; Paul R. Voroney; Aaron A. Berg; Adam W. Gillespie; Michael March; Bill Deen; Ralph C. Martin. Temporal Change of Soil Carbon on a Long-Term Experimental Site with Variable Crop Rotations and Tillage Systems. Agronomy 2020, 10, 840 .
AMA StyleAhmed Laamrani, Paul R. Voroney, Aaron A. Berg, Adam W. Gillespie, Michael March, Bill Deen, Ralph C. Martin. Temporal Change of Soil Carbon on a Long-Term Experimental Site with Variable Crop Rotations and Tillage Systems. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (6):840.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAhmed Laamrani; Paul R. Voroney; Aaron A. Berg; Adam W. Gillespie; Michael March; Bill Deen; Ralph C. Martin. 2020. "Temporal Change of Soil Carbon on a Long-Term Experimental Site with Variable Crop Rotations and Tillage Systems." Agronomy 10, no. 6: 840.
Nitrate in groundwater is a major concern in agricultural sub-watersheds. This study assessed the impacts of future climate and agricultural land use changes on groundwater nitrate concentrations in an agricultural sub-watershed (Norfolk site) in southern Ontario, Canada. A fully integrated hydrologic model (HydroGeoSphere) was used in combination with the root zone water quality model (RZWQM2) (shallow zone) to develop water flow and nitrate transport models. Three climate change models and three crop rotations (corn-soybean rotation, continuous corn, corn-soybean-winter wheat-red clover rotation) were used to evaluate the potential impact on groundwater quality (nine predictive scenarios). The selected climate change scenarios yielded less water availability in the future period than in the reference period (past conditions). The simulated nitrate nitrogen (Nitrate-N) concentrations were lower during the future period than the reference period. The continuous corn land use scenario produced higher Nitrate-N concentrations compared to the base case (corn-soybean rotation). However, the best management practices (BMP) scenario (corn-soybean-winter wheat-red clover rotation) produced significantly lower groundwater nitrate concentrations. BMPs, such as the one examined herein, should be adopted to reduce potential negative impacts of future climate change on groundwater quality, especially in vulnerable settings. These findings are important for water and land managers, to mitigate future impacts of nutrient transport on groundwater quality under a changing climate.
Shoaib Saleem; Jana Levison; Beth Parker; Ralph Martin; Elisha Persaud. Impacts of Climate Change and Different Crop Rotation Scenarios on Groundwater Nitrate Concentrations in a Sandy Aquifer. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1153 .
AMA StyleShoaib Saleem, Jana Levison, Beth Parker, Ralph Martin, Elisha Persaud. Impacts of Climate Change and Different Crop Rotation Scenarios on Groundwater Nitrate Concentrations in a Sandy Aquifer. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (3):1153.
Chicago/Turabian StyleShoaib Saleem; Jana Levison; Beth Parker; Ralph Martin; Elisha Persaud. 2020. "Impacts of Climate Change and Different Crop Rotation Scenarios on Groundwater Nitrate Concentrations in a Sandy Aquifer." Sustainability 12, no. 3: 1153.
The recent use of hyperspectral remote sensing imagery has introduced new opportunities for soil organic carbon (SOC) assessment and monitoring. These data enable monitoring of a wide variety of soil properties but pose important methodological challenges. Highly correlated hyperspectral spectral bands can affect the prediction and accuracy as well as the interpretability of the retrieval model. Therefore, the spectral dimension needs to be reduced through a selection of specific spectral bands or regions that are most helpful to describing SOC. This study evaluates the efficiency of visible near-infrared (VNIR) and shortwave near-infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral data to identify the most informative hyperspectral bands responding to SOC content in agricultural soils. Soil samples (111) were collected over an agricultural field in southern Ontario, Canada and analyzed against two hyperspectral datasets: An airborne Nano-Hyperspec imaging sensor with 270 bands (400–1000 nm) and a laboratory hyperspectral dataset (ASD FieldSpec 3) along the 1000–2500 nm range (NIR-SWIR). In parallel, a multimethod modeling approach consisting of random forest, support vector machine, and partial least squares regression models was used to conduct band selections and to assess the validity of the selected bands. The multimethod model resulted in a selection of optimal band or regions over the VNIR and SWIR sensitive to SOC and potentially for mapping. The bands that achieved the highest respective importance values were 711–715, 727, 986–998, and 433–435 nm regions (VNIR); and 2365–2373, 2481–2500, and 2198–2206 nm (NIR-SWIR). Some of these bands are in agreement with the absorption features of SOC reported in the literature, whereas others have not been reported before. Ultimately, the selection of optimal band and regions is of importance for quantification of agricultural SOC and would provide a new framework for creating optimized SOC-specific sensors.
Ahmed Laamrani; Aaron A. Berg; Paul Voroney; Hannes Feilhauer; Line Blackburn; Michael March; Phuong D. Dao; Yuhong He; Ralph C. Martin. Ensemble Identification of Spectral Bands Related to Soil Organic Carbon Levels over an Agricultural Field in Southern Ontario, Canada. Remote Sensing 2019, 11, 1298 .
AMA StyleAhmed Laamrani, Aaron A. Berg, Paul Voroney, Hannes Feilhauer, Line Blackburn, Michael March, Phuong D. Dao, Yuhong He, Ralph C. Martin. Ensemble Identification of Spectral Bands Related to Soil Organic Carbon Levels over an Agricultural Field in Southern Ontario, Canada. Remote Sensing. 2019; 11 (11):1298.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAhmed Laamrani; Aaron A. Berg; Paul Voroney; Hannes Feilhauer; Line Blackburn; Michael March; Phuong D. Dao; Yuhong He; Ralph C. Martin. 2019. "Ensemble Identification of Spectral Bands Related to Soil Organic Carbon Levels over an Agricultural Field in Southern Ontario, Canada." Remote Sensing 11, no. 11: 1298.
BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of variety (Nantes and Imperator), soil fertility status (high and low), and agronomic treatments on yield and quality traits of carrot composition and sensory factors. The treatments compared synthetic nitrogen at conventionally recommended amounts with compost‐sourced nitrogen (high and low rates) and a range of amendments (compost, compost tea, micronutrients and foliar treatments). Additionally, we intended to identify factors affecting polyacetylene accumulation in carrots, due to the growing interest in their health effects and paucity of agronomic information on their bioaccumulation in carrots. RESULTS Imperator accumulated more minerals, produced more phytochemicals and had higher antioxidant capacity than Nantes, which had more carotenoids. However, consumers preferred the flavour of Nantes over Imperator. High fertility soil produced carrots of superior nutritional quality, than did low fertility soil, regardless of year‐of‐application amendments, the effects of which were often variety‐dependent. High soil biological activity was able to overcome low fertility status and stimulate greater yield. Carrot phosphorus was correlated with falcarindiol biosynthesis. Chlorogenic acid and falcarindiol were correlated with antioxidant capacity, but not falcarinol or total phenolic compounds. CONCLUSION Carrots were not strongly affected by agronomic treatments in terms of yield or phytochemical status, however soil biological activity overcame a soil nutrient deficit in terms of yield. Phenolic compounds and antioxidant status were generally higher in the high fertility site, whereas polyacetylenes were variety‐dependent. Chlorogenic acid and falcarindiol were associated with antioxidant capacity, but not total phenolic compounds and carotenoids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Amanda L. Stefanson; Rong Tsao; Ronghua Liu; Lisa Duizer; Marica Bakovic; Ralph C. Martin. Effect of variety, soil fertility status and agronomic treatments on carrot mineral and phytochemical composition and consumer liking of flavor traits. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2019, 99, 5457 -5474.
AMA StyleAmanda L. Stefanson, Rong Tsao, Ronghua Liu, Lisa Duizer, Marica Bakovic, Ralph C. Martin. Effect of variety, soil fertility status and agronomic treatments on carrot mineral and phytochemical composition and consumer liking of flavor traits. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2019; 99 (12):5457-5474.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmanda L. Stefanson; Rong Tsao; Ronghua Liu; Lisa Duizer; Marica Bakovic; Ralph C. Martin. 2019. "Effect of variety, soil fertility status and agronomic treatments on carrot mineral and phytochemical composition and consumer liking of flavor traits." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 99, no. 12: 5457-5474.
How can transforming monocultures to diverse polycultures address and solve the intersecting issues of our food system? This literature review offers community resources, practical examples, and academic research to support the shift away from monocultures, and the broader social contexts that encourage them, and towards food systems as part of cultures that prioritize people, water, and the land. Forest garden systems are presented as a temperate agroforestry-based food system design which make use of multiple perennial plants to meet human needs for food, medicine, fuel, and more while regenerating the environment in which they grow. There is a lack of peer-reviewed research in temperate forest garden systems, but it is gaining momentum alongside an increasing application in non-academic contexts. Combined with cultural principles that prioritize people, the land, and water over profits, forest garden systems are proposed as a pathway for meeting local community’s needs and environmental regeneration.
Paul Wartman; Rene Van Acker; Ralph C. Martin. Temperate Agroforestry: How Forest Garden Systems Combined with People-Based Ethics Can Transform Culture. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2246 .
AMA StylePaul Wartman, Rene Van Acker, Ralph C. Martin. Temperate Agroforestry: How Forest Garden Systems Combined with People-Based Ethics Can Transform Culture. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (7):2246.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaul Wartman; Rene Van Acker; Ralph C. Martin. 2018. "Temperate Agroforestry: How Forest Garden Systems Combined with People-Based Ethics Can Transform Culture." Sustainability 10, no. 7: 2246.
In Ontario, Canada, acreage of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) intercropped with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell) has declined, despite well-documented soil and yield benefits. The decline has resulted from increasing prevalence of stand non-uniformity, which has been attributed in part to soil moisture deficits. We examined whether there are genotypic differences in drought response between red clover varieties. A double-cut (Belle) and a single-cut variety (Altaswede) were grown under four different durations of drought (4, 8, 12 and 16 days below 15% relative soil water content, RSWC). Shoot dry weight, shoot relative water content (RWC), leaf area and crown water content were measured in control, drought and drought + recovery treatments. Belle used significantly more water during soil moisture deficit and had greater leaf area, shoot dry weight and RWC compared to Altaswede. In contrast, Altaswede had significantly higher survival rates than Belle, attributed to maintenance of meristematic tissue viability in the crown where re-growth, after shoot tissue desiccation, can occur. By demonstrating genotypic variation in survival strategies of red clover, traits can be identified for the development of improved varieties. Varieties with higher survival rates during drought will result in more uniform stands and increased utilization of red clover for environmental and yield benefits.
Cora E. S. Loucks; William Deen; Amelie C. M. Gaudin; Hugh J. Earl; Stephen R. Bowley; Ralph C. Martin. Genotypic differences in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) response under severe water deficit. Plant and Soil 2018, 425, 401 -414.
AMA StyleCora E. S. Loucks, William Deen, Amelie C. M. Gaudin, Hugh J. Earl, Stephen R. Bowley, Ralph C. Martin. Genotypic differences in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) response under severe water deficit. Plant and Soil. 2018; 425 (1-2):401-414.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCora E. S. Loucks; William Deen; Amelie C. M. Gaudin; Hugh J. Earl; Stephen R. Bowley; Ralph C. Martin. 2018. "Genotypic differences in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) response under severe water deficit." Plant and Soil 425, no. 1-2: 401-414.
Eliminating regular tillage practices in agriculture has numerous ecological benefits that correspond to the intentions of organic agriculture; yet, more tillage is conducted in organic agriculture than in conventional agriculture. Organic systems face more management challenges to avoid tillage. This paper identifies factors to consider when implementing no-till practices particularly in organic agronomic and vegetable crop agriculture and describes techniques to address these factors. In some cases, future research is recommended to effectively address the current limitations. The format includes a literature review of organic no-till (OrgNT) research and two case studies of Ontario organic farmers that highlight no-till challenges and practices to overcome these challenges. Cover crops require significant consideration because they are the alternative to herbicides and fertilizers to manage weeds and provide nutrients in the OrgNT system. Equipment requirements have also proven to be unique in OrgNT systems. In the future, it is recommended that researchers involve organic farmers closely in studies on no-till implementation, so that the farmers’ concerns are effectively addressed, and research is guided by possibilities recognized by the practitioners.
Heather M. Beach; Ken W. Laing; Morris Van De Walle; Ralph C. Martin. The Current State and Future Directions of Organic No-Till Farming with Cover Crops in Canada, with Case Study Support. Sustainability 2018, 10, 373 .
AMA StyleHeather M. Beach, Ken W. Laing, Morris Van De Walle, Ralph C. Martin. The Current State and Future Directions of Organic No-Till Farming with Cover Crops in Canada, with Case Study Support. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (2):373.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHeather M. Beach; Ken W. Laing; Morris Van De Walle; Ralph C. Martin. 2018. "The Current State and Future Directions of Organic No-Till Farming with Cover Crops in Canada, with Case Study Support." Sustainability 10, no. 2: 373.
A common agronomic recommendation is under-seeding red clover to wheat in the corn–soy–wheat rotation. As a leguminous cover crop, red clover boosts agro-ecological resilience and productivity through nitrogen fixation, as well as non-nitrogen-related contributions, such as soil temperature and moisture regulation; reduction of erosion, runoff, and leaching; weed suppression; and interruption of pest and disease cycles. The objective of this paper is to propose a system that extends red clover usage into the corn phase of the corn–soy–wheat rotation as a living mulch. The system incorporates strip-tillage, strip-mowing, as well as banded herbicide and fertilizer application in order to maximize productivity and minimize competition. We analyzed the feasibility of this proposal by examining red clover’s adequacy for the proposed system in comparison with other broadleaf, leguminous cover crops, and assessed potential agro-ecological benefits. We considered logistical components of the proposition, including the use of strip-tillage, the application of precision technology, as well as the opportunity for further technological developments. We found that the proposed system has potential to increase agro-ecological sustainability, resilience, and the overall productivity of this three-year rotation. Thus, this easily-implemented practice should be formally studied.
Sara L. Wyngaarden; Amélie C.M. Gaudin; William Deen; Ralph C. Martin. Expanding Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Usage in the Corn–Soy–Wheat Rotation. Sustainability 2015, 7, 15487 -15509.
AMA StyleSara L. Wyngaarden, Amélie C.M. Gaudin, William Deen, Ralph C. Martin. Expanding Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Usage in the Corn–Soy–Wheat Rotation. Sustainability. 2015; 7 (11):15487-15509.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara L. Wyngaarden; Amélie C.M. Gaudin; William Deen; Ralph C. Martin. 2015. "Expanding Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Usage in the Corn–Soy–Wheat Rotation." Sustainability 7, no. 11: 15487-15509.
Consumer support for organic products continues to grow in Canada and the US. At the same time, the characteristics of organic agriculture and the wider social and political context in these countries have limited broader endorsement of organic and other forms of alternative agriculture, with the result that consumer understanding in North America of the ‘value proposition’ of organic agriculture is lagging in comparison with the rest of the world. The recent growth in targeted research funding for organic agriculture is providing much-needed documented evidence from Canada and the US, summarized in this document, of the broad social, ecological and economic goods and services (SEEGS) derived from organic agriculture. However, to further transform recognition of these benefits, the interrelated issues inherent in SEEGS will increasingly have to be tackled by multidisciplinary teams of researchers partnering with organic producers. In addition, we propose two approaches, one regional in scope, a pilot-scale watershed initiative to demonstrate the diverse benefits of organic agriculture, and more broadly, promotion and use of the concept of organic agriculture as a form of ‘civil commons’, as a meaningful framework and tangible concept to help promote sustainability and a shift in social consciousness to encourage broader support and endorsement of organic agriculture in North America as a prototype of sustainable agriculture.
Derek H. Lynch; Jennifer Sumner; Ralph C. Martin. Framing the Social, Ecological and Economic Goods and Services Derived from Organic Agriculture in the Canadian Context. Organic Farming, Prototype for Sustainable Agricultures 2014, 347 -365.
AMA StyleDerek H. Lynch, Jennifer Sumner, Ralph C. Martin. Framing the Social, Ecological and Economic Goods and Services Derived from Organic Agriculture in the Canadian Context. Organic Farming, Prototype for Sustainable Agricultures. 2014; ():347-365.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDerek H. Lynch; Jennifer Sumner; Ralph C. Martin. 2014. "Framing the Social, Ecological and Economic Goods and Services Derived from Organic Agriculture in the Canadian Context." Organic Farming, Prototype for Sustainable Agricultures , no. : 347-365.
In light of the environmental challenges ahead, resilience of the most abundant field crop production systems must be improved to guarantee yield stability with more efficient use of nitrogen inputs, soil and water resources. Along with genetic and agronomic innovations, diversification of northern agro-ecosystems using inter-seeded legumes provides further opportunities to improve land management practices that sustain crop yields and their resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. Benefits of legume cover crops have been known for decades and red clover (Trifolium pratense) is one of the most common and beneficial when frost-seeded under winter wheat in advance of maize in a rotation. However, its use has been declining mostly due to the use of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides, concerns over competition with the main crop and the inability to fully capture red clover benefits due to difficulties in the persistence of uniform stands. In this manuscript, we first review the environmental, agronomic, rotational and economical benefits associated with inter-seeded red clover. Red clover adaptation to a wide array of common wheat-based rotations, its potential to mitigate the effects of land degradation in a changing climate and its integration into sustainable food production systems are discussed. We then identify areas of research with significant potential to impact cropping system profitability and sustainability.
Amélie C. M. Gaudin; Sabrina Westra; Cora E. S. Loucks; Ken Janovicek; Ralph C. Martin; William Deen. Improving Resilience of Northern Field Crop Systems Using Inter-Seeded Red Clover: A Review. Agronomy 2013, 3, 148 -180.
AMA StyleAmélie C. M. Gaudin, Sabrina Westra, Cora E. S. Loucks, Ken Janovicek, Ralph C. Martin, William Deen. Improving Resilience of Northern Field Crop Systems Using Inter-Seeded Red Clover: A Review. Agronomy. 2013; 3 (1):148-180.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmélie C. M. Gaudin; Sabrina Westra; Cora E. S. Loucks; Ken Janovicek; Ralph C. Martin; William Deen. 2013. "Improving Resilience of Northern Field Crop Systems Using Inter-Seeded Red Clover: A Review." Agronomy 3, no. 1: 148-180.