12 12th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy Helsinki, Finland, 20-24 August 2012 Abstracts Maataloustieteiden laitoksen julkaisuja 14 2ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 ORGANISERS, SUPPORTERS, EXHIBITORS, SPONSORS CID Bio-SciencePortable Instruments for Precision Plant Measurement Inc. 3ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 12th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy Helsinki, Finland, 20-24 August 2012 Abstracts 4ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Abstracts of ESA12, the 12th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy, Helsinki, Finland 20-24 August 2012. Edited by F.L. Stoddard and Pirjo Mäkelä. Reviewers: Marc Benoit Olaf Christen José Paulo de Melo e Abreu Marcello Donatelli Henrik Eckersten Brian Fowler Felix Herzog Heikki Hokkanen Kari Jokinen John Kirkegaard Jouko Kleemola Kristina Lindström Helsinki, Finland: University of Helsinki, Department of Agricultural Sciences publication series, volume 14. ISBN is 978-952-10-4323-9 (online) ISSN 1798-744X (online) ISSN-L 1798-7407 Layout: Tinde Päivärinta/PSWFolders Oy Jaume Lloveras Donal Murphy-Bokern Sari Peltonen Krystyna Rykacewska Roxana Savin Jaswinder Singh Elizabeth Stockdale Hartmut Stützel Muriel Valantin-Morison Christine Watson Jacques Wery Xinyou Yin 5ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 6ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-1 Figure 1: Overall model performance for arbitrarily chosen validation datasets of Germany (Gerswalde, 2002) and Italy (Legnaro, 2009). Parameterisation of a phenological model of winter oilseed rape Böttcher, Ulf1; Rampin, Enrico2; Flenet, Francis3; Kage, Henning1 1CAU Kiel, GERMANY; 2University of Padova, ITALY; 3CETIOM, FRANCE Introduction For many purposes a detailed description of phenological development is needed. It is essential for the timing of management measures, it is needed for an understanding of how weather conditions in diff erent phases of the growth might infl uence the yield formation and also crop simulation models rely on an accurate description of development for the timing of diff erent growth processes. For winter oilseed rape (WOSR) a detailed phenological model with high resolution is still missing. Furthermore in WOSR the concurrent development of vegetative, generative and reproductive organs on OSR plants makes OSR phenological surveys complicated and imprecise. In this study we aimed to achieve a robust parameterisation of a phenological model valid for a wide range of environments and varieties by using a very large data set without requiring too much precision of every single observation. Material and Methods The phenological model BRASNAP-PH (Habekotté 1997) was implemented in the object oriented modelling framework HUME (Kage & Stützel 1999) which allows for parameter optimisation using large data sets. Furthermore the model was extended to calculate phenological development in a higher resolution using the BBCH coding system. Phenological development is mainly driven by the daily mean temperature above a base temperature of 3°C. In the phase from emergence until the end of stem elongation it is additionally infl uenced by the eff ects of vernalisation and photoperiodic response. The model was parameterised and validated using a large amount of data originating from diff erent sources in Germany, France and Italy. The data are covering locations in all WOSR growing regions in Germany and France and one location in northern Italy. The data were collected from 1993 until 2010 and contain diff erent varieties. The parameterisation was performed stepwise starting with parameters infl uencing the fi rst development step and data relevant for this period and then going on to parameters in the later stages of development. Results The model is able to predict diff erences in the phenological development for diff erent environments only based on diff erences in weather data with one common parameterisation for all locations. The comparison of one location in Germany and the Italian location shows that due to a much earlier sowing date the development advances further in Germany than in Italy before winter (Fig. 1). In spring however development is much faster in Italy due to higher temperatures. The overall prediction accuracy of the model for the validation data set is characterised by a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 2.8 BBCH stages or 21.2 days. The regression line of simulated vs. observed data is very close to the 1:1 line with an r² of 0.97 (Fig. 2). The highest deviation in terms of days between measured and simulated occurrence of the BBCH stages is in the phase from emergence to the beginning of stem elongation. All other phases have an RMSE of less than 9.5 days. 7ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Conclusion The model presented is an effi cient prediction tool for the winter oilseed rape phenology according to the BBCH coding system. It was able to predict the crop development with a high degree of accuracy for a large range of years, sowing dates and locations across France, Germany and Italy. References Habekotté, B., 1997: A model of the phenological development of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Field Crops Res. 54, 127-136. Kage, H., Stützel, H., 1999. HUME: An object oriented component library for generic modular modelling of dynamic systems. In: Donatelli, M., Stockle, C., Villalobos, F., Villar Mir, M. (Eds.), Modelling Cropping Systems. European Society of Agronomy, Lleida, pp. 299-300. Figure 2: Simulated vs. observed BBCH stages for the vali- dation data set. Solid line is the linear regression, dashed line the 1:1 line. 131-1 8ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-2 Sink strength for S as a major parameter to model vegetative growth in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) under contrasting sulfur (S) supplies Brunel-Muguet, Sophie1; Goudier, Damien2; Trouverie, Jacques2; Avice, Jean Christophe2; Etienne, Philippe2; Mollier, Alain1; Ourry, Alain2 1National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), FRANCE; 2Université Caen Basse Normandie, FRANCE Introduction Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) production will be faced to an increasing demand in the next three decades because of higher worldwide needs for edible oil and biofuel industry. Besides, it is a high sulfur (S) demanding crop (Zhao et al., 1999). The dwindling occurrence of S defi ciency due to reductions in (i) sulfur dioxide emissions from industrial activities and (ii) high S containing fertilizers (Blair, 2002) has led to consider S nutrition as a burning issue to maintain high yield and to meet nutritional and energetic objectives. In this study, a model of the vegetative growth has been developed to highlight the most important carbon (C) and S related processes that drive vegetative growth under contrasting S supplies. Material and Methods Plant cultivation and growth Plants (n=3) cv.Yudal were grown in greenhouse under two contrasting S supplies (high S, HS and low S, LS) and collected at 4 harvest dates until early fl owering corresponding to GS16, GS30, GS55, and GS65 (BBCH decimal system, Lancashire et al., 1991). At each harvest, leaf area of photosynthetic leaves (LAph including green and senescing leaves) and dry weight (DW) of each organ were measured and S amount (Q S ) was determined by mass spectrometry. Temperature and incident radiation were hourly recorded for thermal time (TT) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) calculations. SO42- C source PAR leaf area x intercepted PAR (eq. Monteith) Total C offer=dTDW Temperature potential growth of leaves S source Total S offer=dQS C demand for leaves S sourceS demand for leaves Root uptake and internal leaves remobilisation ^ƌĞŵŽďŝůŝnjĂƚŝŽŶ ĂƐƐŝŵŝůĂƚŝŽŶ Hy pothesis: Priority to the leaves Hy pothesis: Priority to the leaves dDW LA Æ dLA CdLA Pot dQS LA Æ dLA S ^ĂƐƐŝŵŝůĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ^ůŽƐƐĞƐ dLA effective =min (dLA Pot ,dLA C, dLA S) ŵĞƚĂďŽůŝƐŵ • ŝŽŵĂƐƐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚŝŽŶĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJŝWZ • ŽĨĨĞƌ ƚĂŬĞƐ ŝŶƚŽ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ƚŚĞĨĂůů ŽĨ ůĞĂǀĞƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƐĞƋƵĞŶƚŝĂů ƐĞŶĞƐĐĞŶĐĞ • >ĞĂǀĞƐ ĚĞŵĂŶĚ ŝƐ ƉƌŝŵĂƌLJ ƐĂƚŝƐĨŝĞĚ ^ŵĞƚĂďŽůŝƐŵ • ZhŝƐ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĂŶƚ ŽĨ^ĂǀĂůŝĂďŝůŝƚLJ • ^ŽĨĨĞƌ ƚĂŬĞƐ ŝŶƚŽ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ƚŚĞĨĂůů ŽĨůĞĂǀĞƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƐĞƋƵĞŶƚŝĂů ƐĞŶĞƐĐĞŶĐĞ • >ĞĂǀĞƐ ^ĚĞŵĂŶĚ ŝƐ ƉƌŝŵĂƌLJ ƐĂƚŝƐĨŝĞĚ ďƵƚƚĂŬĞƐ ŝŶƚŽ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ^ĂůůŽĐĂƚŝŽŶƌĂƚĞƐƵŶĚĞƌ >Žǁ ^ ,LJƉŽƚŚĞƐĞƐ^ƵƉƚĂŬĞ Figure 1. Modelling C/S whole-plant functioning. 9ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Ecophysiological model construction The build-up of the model was based on the dynamics of off er and demand as in other crop models which combine the eff ects of C assimilation (Monteith et al., 1977) and nutrient uptake and utilization (Brisson et al., 1998; Mollier et al., 2008). E ff ective LAph expansion rate (LAER) was determined as the minimum of (i) potential LAER controlled by air temperature, (ii) LAER allowed by C assimilation and (iii) LAER allowed by S uptake. In our model, allocation rules were assigned to C and S demands of the leaves in order to test their sink strength for C and S throughout vegetative growth (Fig. 1) Results and discussion Model parameterization and evaluation Formalism used for S demand and off er diff er according to S-treatment Similar formalisms underlying C off er and leaf C demand were used for both LS and HS unlike S off er and demand. Indeed, RUE values were not statistically diff erent between HS and LS. Besides, leaf C demand is primary satisfi ed with similar C leaf allocation rates whatever S supply. By contrast, a sharp increase in S absorption was observed at infl orescence emergence under HS only, leading to diff erent adjustment for Q S uptake. Besides, S leaf allocation (% total Q S ) decreased from 85 to 65% for HS and 55% for LS. Thus, although leaf S demand was primary satisfi ed, leaf S allocation rates were introduced under LS to consider a signifi cant lower sink strength. Simulations of LAph, total DW and Q S of leaves For all the output variables, the modeling effi ciency (EF) values indicated good accuracy (Fig. 2). Predictions underestimated observed values under HS at GS65 but diff erences between HS and LS observations were correctly simulated. 0,00 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0 200 400 600 800 ;Ϳ>ƉŚ ;ŵϸͿ dŚĞƌŵĂůdŝŵĞĂĨƚĞƌ ǀĞƌŶĂůŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ;ΣĚ͕dďϰͿ '^ϭϲ '^ϯϬ '^ϱϱ '^ϲϱŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚ ,^ ŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚ >^ ƉƌĞĚŝĐƚĞĚ ,^ ƉƌĞĚŝĐƚĞĚ >^ &ŝŐƵƌĞ Ϯ ͗ KďƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĞĚŝĐƚŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ ;Ϳ ůĞĂĨ ĂƌĞĂ ŽĨ ƉŚŽƚŽƐLJŶƚŚĞƚŝĐ ůĞĂǀĞƐ ;>ƉŚͿ͕ ;Ϳ dŽƚĂů ƌLJ tĞŝŐŚƚ ĂŶĚ ;Ϳ ^ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŝŶ ƉŚŽƚŽƐLJŶƚŚĞƚŝĐ ůĞĂǀĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ,^ ĂŶĚ >^͘ DŽĚĞů ĨĨŝĐŝĞŶĐLJ ;&Ϳ ŝƐ ŐŝǀĞŶ ĨŽƌ ďŽƚŚ ^ͲƚƌĞĂƚŵĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ ŝŶƐĞƌƚ͘ ,^͗&сϬ͘ϵϵ >^͗&сϬ͘ϵϴ 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 0 200 400 600 800 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0 200 400 600 800 ;ͿdŽƚĂůƌLJtĞŝŐŚƚ ;ŐͿ ,^͗&сϬ͘ϳϰ >^͗&сϬ͘ϵϲ ,^͗&сϬ͘ϵϵ >^͗&сϬ͘ϵϵ ;Ϳ^ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŝŶůĞĂǀĞƐ ;ŵŐͿ Diff erences in leaf sink strength were observed between S treatments from pod development Diff erence in sink strength can be accounted for either sink size and/or sink activity. According to S supplies, S allocation diff ers unlike C allocation. Altogether, these results mean that leaf S allocation is not only driven by the sink size but also by the sink activity i.e. S storage activity. High residual amount of SO42- (main storage form) in senescing leaves under HS support this hypothesis (data not shown). Conclusion Modeling vegetative growth is of major importance to determine the available pools of S and C for reproductive parts and to avoid damages on pods by rectifying S inputs.This simulation study allows the importance of S related physiological processes (e.g. storage and therefore capacity for remobilisation) to be focused on, by comparing plant responses to contrasting S supplies. References Blair GJ, 2002. Sulphur fertilisers: A global perspective. Proceedings No.498. International Fertiliser Society, York. Brisson N, et al, 1998. Agronomie 18, 311-346. Lancashire PD, Bleiholder H, Langelüddecke P, Stauss R, Van Den Boom T, Weber E, Witzen-Berger A. 1991. Annals Appl Biol 119, 561-601. Mollier A, De Willigen P, Heinen M, Morel C, Schneider A, Pellerin S. 2008 Ecological Modelling 210, 453-464. Monteith JL. 1977. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 281, 277–294. Zhao FJ, Hawkesford MJ, McGrath S. 1999. J Cereal Sci 30, 1-17. 131-2 10 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-3 A new approach for calculating stomatal resistance of wheat as a step towards dynamic simulation of canopy temperature Neukam, Dorothee; Boettcher, Ulf; Kage, Henning University of Kiel, GERMANY Introduction Under given meteorological conditions canopy temperature (T crop ) depends on actual transpiration and therefore is an indicator of drought stress. Fast and easy detection of spatial and temporal drought stress variation with infrared thermometry off ers useful applications for phenotyping, site specifi c management and decision support. For these purposes T crop must be normalized by meteorological conditions according to the energy balance at the crop surface (Jackson et al. 1981). Then, assuming steady state and fl ux independent resistances, the ratio of actual to potential transpiration can be calculated, indicating stomata closure as consequence of limited water availability. For gaining information about the plant and soil parameters causing drought stress from T crop a coupled soil crop atmosphere model capable to simulate daily courses of T crop provides a promising framework. Materials and methods For model development and parameterization a plot experiment with wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Dekan) within a rainout shelter was conducted in two years (2010, 2011) with three treatments (W0 non irrigated from beginning of march, W1 irrigated to 80% fi eld capacity and W2 to 100% fi eld capacity). Weekly measurements were made for volumetric water content at 5 depths (TDR), green area index (LAI 2000) and canopy height. Minutely measured T crop , air temperature (T air ), relative humidity, wind speed and net radiation were averaged over an hour. An eff ective soil water potential within the rooted soil layer (ψ root ) was derived from model calculations using measured water contents, soil texture and simulated root distribution. From May until July diurnal courses of stomatal conductance (g s ) for water vapour were measured (LI6400) on 4 fully expanded young leaves in one plot of each treatment. The reciprocal value of the measured g s , converted from mole to velocity units (McDermitt 1990) and then averaged, gave the stomatal resistance (r s ). Evapotranspiration was calculated at an hourly time step using the model, coupling crop growth and soil water balance. In order to calculate actual transpiration and T crop directly from the energy balance a new function of r s was derived and implemented. Results and Outlook Temperature diff erences between treatments are clearly detectable (Fig. 1) indicating the cooling eff ect of high transpiration rates for the W1 and W2 plots resulting in T crop being lower than T air in contrast to W0, where transpiration decreased resulting in T crop being higher than T air . These fi ndings are also refl ected in the measured r s (Fig. 2) being lower in the irrigated plots and not increasing until withholding of irrigation. Fig.1 Midday air temperature (T air ) and canopy to air tem- perature diff erences (T dif ) in 2010. Fig2. Midday stomatal resistances (r s ) in 2010. 11 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-3 The shown midday values are only one detail of underlying distinct diurnal courses of measured T crop and r s . For simulation of high temporal resolution of actual transpiration and T crop a function of r s is deduced from the observations and implemented into the model. According to meteorological and soil conditions r s is calculated as r s = max(34+a*(25-T air )², b-c*VPD*(d- ψ root ) with VPD = vapour pressure de fi cit and a,b,c,d = fi t parameters. Under drought stress r s depends on ψ root and VPD, in absence of drought stress r s depends on T air as a main infl uence for the potential rate of photosynthesis. Now, further model parameterization is in progress concerning the scaling up from stomatal to canopy resistance and water transport and uptake resistances in order to simulate T crop and water uptake from diff erent soil layers. References Jackson, R.D, S.B. Idso, R.J. Reginato & P.J. Pinter (1981) Canopy Temperature as a Crop Water Stress Indicator. Water Ressources Research 17 (4), 1133-1138. McDermitt, D.K. (1990) Sources of Error in the Estimation of Stomatal Conductance and Transpiration from Porometer Data, HortScience 25(12), 1538-1548. 12 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Explaining the yield advantage of wheat-maize intercropping from plant responses to available space using functional-structural plant modelling Zhu, Junqi; Vos, Jan; van der Werf, Wopke; Evers, Jochem B. Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS 131-4 Introduction Intercropping is the simultaneous presence of two or more crop species on the same fi eld. Intercropping is practised for various reasons, including higher aggregated yield per unit area, reduced risk in terms of income and food supply and suppression of pests and diseases. Spring wheat – maize is a common relay strip intercrop systems in north China. It is called a ‘relay intercrop’ because wheat is planted and harvested earlier than maize and ‘strip intercrop’ because sets of rows of wheat alternate with rows of maize. ‘Overyielding’, i.e. the yield bene fi t of the intercrop, compared to yield of sole crops (Willey, 1985), was reported for wheat-maize in China (Li et al., 2001), and also observed under Dutch conditions (unpublished). Many factors need to be considered in the optimization of such systems, e.g. row confi guration, planting times, cultivar characteristics, supply of water and nutrients and agronomic measures (e.g. plastic mulch). Optimization of such systems is much helped if the mechanisms resulting in overyielding are identifi ed. Hypotheses We hypothesize that overyielding arises from a larger amount of radiation being intercepted in intercrop systems as compared to sole crops. We also hypothesize that both structural and functional adaptation mechanisms of individual plants contribute to overyielding. Structural adaptions of wheat include the number of tillers produced, tiller death and perhaps leaf orientation. Structural adaptation in maize include changes in leaf orientation and leaf size. ‘Leaf orientation’ being the inclination of a leaf to fi ll a gap in the canopy where there is space, i.e. light. Functional adaption would consist of higher nitrogen concentration – and associated photosynthesis rate – in leaves receiving more light. Also the phyllochron could vary with growth conditions (Birch et al., 1998). We hypothesize that cessation of tillering is induced if the red : far red ratio of the light reaching the wheat plant’s base drops below a threshold value (Evers et al., 2006). One research question is how the plant integrates red : far red signals from diff erent directions. Methodology We are conducting experiments in the fi eld as well as under controlled conditions to test and quantify these mechanisms. We use Functional-structural plant models (FSPM) that describe in quantitative terms the development over time of the three-dimensional structure of plants as governed by physiological processes and as aff ected by environmental factors such as temperature and the distribution of light (PAR or red and far red) (Vos et al., 2010). FSPM is the appropriate tool to model the structural and functional development of each individual plant – as these are related to the plant’s light environment. Performance of the canopy arises from the behaviour of a limited collection of simulated individual plants. We use GroIMP as a simulation tool (Hemmerling et al., 2008). Analyses are foreseen to simulate system performance in relation to row confi guration, planting times and other relevant environmental and agronomic factors. Results Preliminary results indicate that the prime mechanism of adaptation of wheat plants to available space is a variable number of tillers per plant. In maize several variables determining the foliar production depended on the plant spacing, including the phyllochron, leaf sizes and leaf rank of peak in leaf size. 13 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-4 References Birch, C.J., Vos, J., Kiniry, J., Bos, H.J., Elings, A., 1998. Field Crops Research 59, 187-200. Evers, J.B., Vos, J., Andrieu, B., Struik, P.C., 2006. Annals of Botany 97, 649-658. Hemmerling, R., Kniemeyer, O., Lanwert, D., Kurth, W., Buck-Sorlin, G., 2008. Functional Plant Biology 35, 739- 750. Li, L., Sun, J., Zhang, F., Li, X., Yang, S., Rengel, Z., 2001. Field Crops Research 71, 123-137. Vos, J., Evers, J.B., Buck-Sorlin, G.H., Andrieu, B., Chelle, M., de Visser, P.H.B., 2010. J. Exp. Bot. 61, 2101-2115. Willey, R.W., 1985. Experimental Agriculture 21, 119-133. 14 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-5 15 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-5 16 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-6 A new generation of SUCROS-type models: an example for WOFOST and rice simulations Stella, Tommaso; Negrini, Giorgio; Frasso, Nicolò; Bregaglio, Simone; Confalonieri, Roberto University of Milan, ITALY Introduction The model WOFOST (van Keulen and Wolf, 1986) provides a detailed representation of the processes involved with crop growth and development; however it is characterized by a large number of parameters. Part of the parameters are organized into tables (AFGEN) describing changes in the values of some variables as a function of temperature or development stage (DVS). This leads to a considerable parameterization eff ort and exposes to risks during calibration: AFGEN tables could in fact lead to inconsistent parameterizations (e.g., partitioning to leaves increasing while cereals get close to fl owering), and limit the possibility to couple the model with sensitivity analysis and automatic calibration tools. Another critical aspect, in this case related to modelling choices, is the division of the canopy in a fi xed number of layers, with dead leaf area index (LAI dead ) distributed among all the layers according to the points of a Gaussian Integration. In this way, LAI units at the top of the canopy (theoretically the youngest) die at similar rate as the oldest ones, with part of dead LAI units shading green ones. Methodology AFGEN were replaced with functions de fi ned by one or few parameters with a clear biological meaning, e.g., the AFGEN accounting for thermal limitation to photosynthesis was substituted by a curvilinear function, with only three editable parameters (cardinal temperatures). This version of the model was named WOFOST_GT, from which another version (WOFOST_ GT2) was developed to allow the model to explicitly consider the vertical dimension of the canopy, by including a model for plant height and another for increasing number of canopy layers (function of DVS). Leaves Figure 1. Total number of canopy layers, plant height and height of the dead-LAI layers. 17 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 131-6 senescence, due to aging and self-shading, is simulated to occur from the bottom of the canopy towards the top by subtracting the LAI dead to the total LAI of the lowest living layer(s) (Figure 1). Results and discussion The new versions of WOFOST were calibrated and evaluated with the datasets described by Confalonieri et al. (2009). Comparing simulated and measured values of aboveground rice biomass, WOFOST_GT achieved the best accuracy metrics although having only one third of the original number of parameters: these preliminary results indicate that the number of model parameters can be reduced without compromising the quality of estimates. WOFOST_GT2 showed similar performances, with an improved accuracy compared to the original version (Table 1). Conclusions This study allowed both to simplify the original version of WOFOST (36 parameters instead of 106 for WOFOST_GT, 37 for WOFOST_GT2) and to improve the representation of the canopy structure, potentially leading to a more adherent simulation of micrometeorology and other biophysical processes (e.g., biotic and abiotic damages), thus extending the model application domain (WOFOST_ GT2). These changes increase the usability of the original model, without compromising the high level of detail in Table 1. Performance indicators for the standard WOFOST and for the new versions. representing biophysical processes. Further development will be the defi nition of other functions to replace AFGEN tables to adapt the model for other crop types. References Akaike H., A new look at the statistical model identifi cation. IEEE Transactions on Automatic control 19, 716-723, 1974. Confalonieri R., Acutis M., Bellocchi G., Donatelli M., Multi-metric evaluation of the models WARM, CropSyst, and WOFOST for rice, Ecological Modelling, 220 (11), 1395-1410, 2009. Confalonieri R., Bregaglio S., Acutis M., A proposal of an indicator for quantifying model robustness based on the relationship between variability of errors and of explored conditions. Ecological Modelling, 221, 960-964, 2010. Van Keulen H., Wolf J., Modelling of agricultural production: weather, soil and crops. Simulation monographs, Pudoc, Wageningen, 1986. 18 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 132-1K Soil-plant interactions and Australia’s conservation farming revolution: sense, nonsense and roots to success Kirkegaard, John; Hunt, James; Kirkby, Clive; Watt, Michelle; Rebetzke, Greg; Wasson, Anton; Peoples, Mark; Bissett, Andrew; Donn, Suzanne; Richardson, Alan CSIRO National Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, AUSTRALIA Introduction Australia has doubled its broad-acre crop yields in the last 30 years and leads the world in the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) principles (76% of arable land). Reduced (or no)-tillage, permanent surface cover and diverse rotations make sense in extensive dryland cropping on erosion-prone, structurally unstable soils. The evolution of these systems involved considerable pragmatism, not rigid principles, by understanding the soil-plant interactions driving crop response (1). We discuss selected examples of unexpected and often counterintuitive plant responses in CA systems and how understanding soil-plant-microbe interactions underpinned solutions to improve productivity in sustainable ways. Strategic tillage Soil properties are expected to improve under no- till systems and irreparable damage to soil from even occasional tillage has been claimed. Our long-term (22-yr) study showed that while many soil properties “improve”, no-till systems can also favour root diseases (e.g. Rhizoctonia solani) and inhibitory bacteria that build up on the slow-growing root tips of wheat in hard, undisturbed soils (2). Narrow deep seeding tines that disturb only below the seed, earlier sowing or vigorous wheat varieties could all improve root vigour and yield. New DNA techniques revealed little evidence that the structure and function of the soil bacterial community was compromised under long-term tillage (3). The pragmatic concept of “strategic tillage” is practiced by a majority of Australian farmers, as it preserves the labour, fuel and water-saving benefi ts of no-till but accommodates occasional soil disturbance to deal with specifi c agronomic issues (4). Stubble retention and C-sequestration CA systems involving residue retention and no-till are also expected to increase soil organic carbon (SOC), but SOC buildup is often nonexistent or frustratingly slow. We recently demonstrated the relatively constant ratios of C:N:P:S in the stable SOC (humus) for a wide range of soils, a consequence of its largely microbial origin (5). Supplementary nutrients added with incorporated crop residues according to these ratios signifi cantly increased the C-sequestration revealing a nutrient rather than C-input limitation to C-sequestration. The microbial mechanisms involved are yet to be elucidated but the fi ndings have signifi cant implications for those promoting the merits of CA for C-sequestration. Crop sequence The diversity of legume and oilseed break crops has increased recently in Australia and the benefi ts to subsequent cereals in the rotation has been quantifi ed (6). Beyond N- fi xation and disease break benefi ts, other eff ects on soil biology related to the release of isothiocyanates from Brassica roots (biofumigation) and hydrogen released from legume nodules have also been investigated. The non-mycorrhizal status of the two most widespread break crops (canola and lupin) raised concern about possible impacts on the P-nutrition of subsequent cereals but we found little evidence that mycorrhizae were important for wheat production in Australia (7). Despite the increase in break crop area, intensive cereals dominate cropping systems (64-84%) and we have recently investigated the possibility that wheat cultivars vary in their performance in wheat monoculture as a result of rhizosphere biology. Utilising subsoil water in CA systems Improved capture and storage of soil water has been a major success of CA systems (8), and more eff ective use of the water stored is a priority. We have quantifi ed the benefi t of deep stored soil water (9, 10), demonstrated that deep roots in dense structured subsoils are located primarily in cracks and biopores (11) and investigated a range of management strategies and breeding targets to improve extraction of deep soil water by wheat crops (12). 19 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 132-1K References 1 Kirkegaard JA, Peoples MB, Angus JA and Unkovich M (2012) Diversity and evolution of rain-fed farming systems in southern Australia. In ‘Rainfed Farming Systems’ (Eds P Tow, I Cooper, I Partridge, and C Birch) pp. 715-754, Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands. 2 Watt M, Kirkegaard JA and Passioura JB (2006) Rhizosphere biology and crop productivity. Australian Journal of Soil Research 44: 299-317 3 Bissett A, Richardson AE, Baker G, Thrall P and Kirkegaard JA (2012) Microbial community response to tillage and nutrient addition in a long-term dryland wheat cropping system. Journal of Microbial Ecology (in press) 4 Kirkegaard J, Conyers M, Hunt J, Kirkby C, Watt M, Rebetzke G (2011). Sense and nonsense in conservation agriculture: Principles, pragmatism and productivity in Australia mixed farming systems. 5th World Congress of Conservation Agriculture, September 2011, Brisbane www.wcca2011.org. 5 Kirkby CA, Kirkegaard JA, Richardson AE, Wade LJ, Blanchard C, Batten G. (2011) Stable soil organic matter: a comparison of C:N:P:S ratios in Australian and International soils Geoderma 163, 197-208. 6 Kirkegaard JA, Christen O, Krupinsky J, Layzell D (2008) Break crop benefi ts in temperate wheat production. Field Crops Research 107: 185-195. 7 Ryan MH, Kirkegaard JA (2012) The agronomic relevance of arbuscular mycorrhizas in the fertility of Australian extensive cropping systems. Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment (in press) 8 Kirkegaard JA and Hunt JR (2010) Increasing productivity by matching farming system management and genotype in water-limited environments Journal of Experimental Botany 61, 4129-4143. 9 Hunt JR, Kirkegaard JA (2011) Re-evaluating the contribution of summer fallow rain to wheat yield in southern Australia. Crop and Pasture Science 62, 915- 929. 10 Lilley JM and Kirkegaard JA (2011) Benefi ts of increased soil exploration by wheat roots. Field Crops Research 122, 118-130. 11 White R, Kirkegaard JA (2010) The distribution of wheat roots in a dense structured subsoil – implications for water uptake. Plant Cell and Environment 33: 133-148 12 Wasson AP et al (2012) Traits and selection strategies to improve root systems and water uptake in water- limited fi eld crops. Journal of Experimental Botany (in press) 22 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 132-3 WORMDYN : a dynamical model to predict earthworm populations and communities dynamics Moreau-Valancogne, Pascaline1; Bertrand, Michel1; Pelosi, Céline2; De Oliveira, Tatiana1; Roger-Estrade, Jean3 1INRA Grignon, FRANCE; 2INRA Versailles, FRANCE; 3AgroParisTech, FRANCE Introduction It is established for long that earthworms play a key role on soil structure and fertility. More recently, they have been recognized to enhance plant growth and health. However, earthworms abundance and activity are aff ected by cultural practices, climate and soil conditions. Therefore, modelling population dynamics is necessary to forecast the eff ect of cropping in order to determine the best management practices maximising earthworm positive impact on soil fertility and plant growth. We are developing a population dynamics model (Wormdyn) that predicts earthworm abundance changes with time and soil conditions (temperature and water content). The fi rst version was focused on Lumbricus terrestris an anecic worm. In this study, we present a second version of the model, which was adapted from the fi rst one to predict population dynamics of an endogeic species (Aporrectodea caliginosa). Materials and methods Earthworm life cycle is decomposed into four age-stages: cocoons, juveniles, sub-adults and adults (Fig. 1). Wormdyn predicts the number of individuals per unit area, active within the ploughed layer of a cultivated Figure. 1: Conceptual diagram of the Wormdyn model, for A. Caliginosa. Arrows represent the diff erent life events aff ect- ing the abundance in each age-stage. fi eld, in each age-stage. Abundances in each age-stage are fi xed by a Leslie matrix whose parameters are the probabilities to stay at a given age-stage, to move to the next or to produce cocoons. All the parameters of this matrix are dependent on soil conditions. Those conditions correspond to four soil condition classes, defi ned by a combination of soil temperature and water content thresholds. We also took into account the density dependence. Using an application of the Verhulst function, an increase of earthworm density reduces the probability of transition from juvenile to sub-adult stage, and from sub-adult to adult stage. Results and discussion A. caliginosa abundances were measured in an experimental fi eld in Northern France in 2010. They were rather well predicted by the model (Figure 2), even if the number of adults was underestimated at the end of the simulation period. In this fi eld, population was dominated by juveniles, therefore, the total number of earthworms was not aff ected by the underestimation of adults. Simulations without density dependance (not shown) exhibited an explosion of the total abundance at the end of the simulation period. 23 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 132-3 Perspectives A third version is currently developed to simulate the dynamic of earthworm communities. Species were divided into the three ecological groups defi ned by Bouché (epigeic, anecic and endogeic; Bouché, 1972) diff ering in their life traits, food habits, localisation and impact on soil. Acknowledgment This work was supported by grants from Region Ile-de- France. References Bouché M. B. (1972) Lombriciens de France: Ecologie et Systématique. INRA Ann. Zool. Ecol. Anim. Publication, France, 671 pp. Jones C. G., Lawton J. H., Shachak M. (1994) Organisms as ecosystem engineers. Oikos 69, 373-386. Pelosi C., Bertrand M., Makowski D., Roger-Estrade J. (2008) WORMDYN: A model of Lumbricus terrestris population dynamics in agricultural fi elds. Ecol. Model. 218: 219-234. Figure 2: Observed and simulated values of the abun- dance of A. caliginosa in an experimental ploughed fi eld under barley. The abscisse is the number of the week in the year (from april to december). 24 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Apple Citrus Fig. 1. Two main climate areas of Europe Representing apple and citrus growing areas 132-4 Exploitation of natural resources to increase soil health: BIO-INCROP, a project on organic fruit tree cropping systems Manici, Luisa M.1; Baab, G.2; Canet, R.3; Kaymak, S.4; Kelderer, M.5; Insam, H.6; Naef, A.7; Pinar, H.8; Rühmer, T.9; Whittle, I.6 1C.R.A., ITALY; 2DLR Rheinpfalz, Rheinbach, GERMANY; 3IVIA, Valencia, SPAIN; 4EHRI, Isparta, TURKEY; 5Laimburg Research Centre, Ora (BZ), ITALY; 6University of Innsbruck, AUSTRIA; 7ACW, Wädenswil, SWITZERLAND; 8ALATA, Mersin, TURKEY; 9HAID, Graz-Haidegg, AUSTRIA Introduction The vast majority of apple production in Europe takes place in intensive orchards, this implies the need for intensive capital investment for support structures which then have to be used for a number of generations of trees. Consequently new orchards have to be replanted in the same place as previous plots. This causes soil sickness or yield decline of which “replant disease” is the main biological component. Resulting yield losses are diffi cult to assess; a recent study in South Tyrol, where 12% of total EU apple is produced, showed that growth reduction can vary from 20 to 60% in replanted orchard compared to fallow control. Severity of this etiology is mediated by plant vigour, physiological state of plants and abiotic factors. Therefore, its occurrence is actually an indicator for fruit growers of the degraded status of biological soil processes. The only eff ective strategy to control replant disease and crop decline in organic fruit tree orchards is to increase soil diversity, and consequently, the various microbial processes involved in controlling soil borne pathogens, enhancing root growth and mediating plant nutrition. Methods BIO-INCROP, an European transnational project on organic farming, aims to increase knowledge about agro-management practices based on the study of microbial factors involved in soil suppressiveness and biological soil fertility. Project activities are planned on two reference crops: apple and citrus, which represent two main European agro-environments: apple growing areas of Central Europe (Switzerland, Germany, South Tyrol in Italy and Styria in Austria) and Mediterranean citrus growing areas (Valencia region in Spain and the East Mediterranean region of Turkey). Research Actions of the project focus on exploitation of two main categories of natural resources in order to 25 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 132-4 develop innovative cropping practices which will enable soil biodiversity preservation and exploit its biological features. They are: 1. Biological resources indigenous to the orchard soil represented by microbial communities and wild plants of natural vegetative covers. 2. Natural resources exogenous to the orchards; in particular, recycled organic materials and cover crops chosen from local germoplasm collections and wild plants. Early evaluation of soil health based on plant response in greenhouse bioassay tests and culture-based and molecular methods for microbial response evaluation, are the integrated methodologies used to identify natural resources and techniques capable of increasing microbial biomass and diversity and selectively aff ecting benefi cial and pathogenic microbial populations. Each country’s activities is planned in close cooperation with regional agricultural research centres working on organic farming and laboratories with specifi c expertise. Expected results The main objectives and expected results of the project are: 1. To provide indicators of degradation status and risk for replant disease occurrence in the orchards. 2. To promote the use of indigenous or external resources for developing innovative management options aimed at i) selectively increasing the components of soil suppressiveness, ii) preserving and increasing soil microbial biomass and diversity. 3. To integrate the national guidelines for certifi ed organic production with agro-management strategies based on eco-functional intensifi cation of organic cropping systems. 4. To provide knowledge for supporting: i) critical adoption by farmers and local extension services of available organic amendments and bio-products ii) the development of soil management practices aimed at increasing soil suppressiveness according to available natural resources and environmental conditions. Acknolwedgements Financial support for BIO-INCROP project provided by the CORE Organic II Funding Bodies, being partners of the FP7 ERA-Net project, (project no. 249667) 26 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 132-5 Change for 16 years of P status along soil profi le in a French podzol in relation with diff erent P fertilization under irrigated maize production Denoroy, Pascal; Mollier, Alain; Morel, Christian; Niollet, Sylvie INRA, UMR 1220 TCEM, F-33883 Villenave d’Ornon, France ; Bordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR 1220 TCEM, F-33175 Gradignan, France, FRANCE Introduction Podzols are low buff ered soils regarding phosphate dynamics, thus they are diffi cult to manage to produce high yield without loss of potentially eutrophicating P. We study the evolution of soil P status and P balance of a podzol in south-west of France, fertilized at diff erent P rates from 1995 to 2011. Experimental layout Five rate of superphosphate were replicated in 4 blocks. The reference rate P1 (annual average: 23.1 kg P/ha) was close to annual P export by yield. Two low P rates (P0.5, P0.75 ; 5.6 and 14.4 kg P/ha resp.) and two high P rate (P2, P4 ; 46.3 and 92.5 kg P/ha resp.) were to induce large gradients of P off er to crop and P soil balance. Irrigated grain maize was grown every year excepted 2006 (bare fallow) and 2010 (carrot). Crop yields and P content were determined every year for all plots. Soil P dynamics along soil profi le was estimated from analysis of the 3 soil layers (0-25, 25-50 and 50-75 cm) of each plot before spring fertilization. Amount of plant- available soil P was assessed by the Olsen extraction on 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 soil samples. Total-P (HF extraction) was determined on soil sampled in 1995 and 2011. Data processing P balance was estimated for all plots with two methods : (a) an annual crop based input-output (I/O) balance of fl uxes : amount of P in fertilizer minus P exported by yields. (b) a pluri-annual balance of soil P stocks based on soil analysis. For every soil layer, the P stock was calculated as soil dry mass x analytical P content and they were summed to estimate the whole profi le stock. -20 0 20 40 60 V ar ia tio n of O ls en P s in ce 1 99 5 (m g P /k g) -20 0 20 40 60 25-50 cm 00-25 cm Year 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 -20 0 20 40 60 P0-0.5 P0.5-0.75 P1 P2 P4 50-75 cm Figure 1 : Evolution of Olsen P soil content relatively to initial plot layer value. Average per treatment with standard-error bar 27 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 132-5 Results Maize In average for the 1995-2011 period, the P2 and P4 treatments produced respectively 13.1 and 13.4 T / ha, 85% dry matter (not statistically di ff erent) which are representative of the high yield in the region. On the opposite, yield was too strongly aff ected by no-P treatment in “P0.5” plots in a fi rst phase (1995-2002), and the treatment was modifi ed to low P rate in 2002. For P0.5 treatment average 1995-2011 grain yield was 7.6 T /ha, as it was 11.5 T /ha for P0.75. Average yield for P1 treatment (12.5 T /ha) was signifi cantly lower than in P2 or P4 treatments. Grain number per ear and weight per grain were both aff ected by treatments, as well as grain P content, which was more reduced than yield in low P treatments. Soil P The treatments signifi cantly aff ected the dynamics of the Olsen-P (fi g. 1). During the 16 years the Olsen-P changed from 12 mg P/kg to a range from 2 to 66 mg P/kg in the ploughed layer (0-25 cm). It decreased and then remained constant for the P0.5 and P0.75 treatments, remained constant for the P1 treatment and increased with the P2 and P4 treatments. Similar patterns observed for the deeper soil layers, although lesser, indicate downward P transfer for the P2 and P4 treatments. P balance (Fertilization-crop export) since 1995 (kg P/ha) 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 S oi l P b al an ce s in ce 1 99 5 (k g / h a) 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 P0-0.5 Olsen-P P0.5-0.75 Olsen-P P1 Olsen-P P2 Olsen-P P4 Olsen-P P0-0.5 Total P P0.5-0.75 Total P P1 Total P P2 Total P P4 Total P Y=0.36 x R²=0.94 1:1 line Figure 2 : Comparison of input-output (I/O) P fluxes balance and analytical soil P balance summed over the 3 soil layers. Average values and standard-error bars. Evolution of total-P soil content is consistent with Olsen P changes, but with a smaller relative range. P balance The change in soil total-P amount equals I/O balance for treatments P0.5 to P2 but not for P4 (fi g 2). In P4 treatment, phosphate leaching is on course (averaged rate : 10 to 25 kg P/ha/year). Up to now the vertical P transfer in P2 plots did not induced substantial P losses under the bottom of the lower layer. P Olsen soil balance calculated on the whole profi le underestimates (I/O) balance by 2/3 for all treatments. Discussion The P fertilizer treatments induced large diff erences in P crop export through eff ects on yields and their P content, and subsequent eff ects on P balances. The higher P treatments induced P leaching and increasing the risk of eutrophication of surface waters. P1 treatment is environmentally safe and its yield, even if slightly lower than the potential, is still high. The lower P content of grain will help to avoid excessive P in manure. A somewhat higher level of P in soil is to be investigated to increase yield, as far as P grain export equals fertilizer import to avoid P accumulation and leaching. 28 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-1 Uncertainties in Maize Crop Model Responses to Climate Factors Bassu, Simona1; Durand, Jean-Louis1; Lizaso, Jon2; Boote, Ken J.3; Makowski, David1; Ruane, Alex C.4; Baron, Christian5; Basso, Bruno6; Biernath, Christian7; Boogaard, Hendrik8; Conijn, Sjaak9; Deryng, Delphine10; De Sanctis, Giacomo1; Gayler, Sebastian11; Grassini, Patricio12; Hoek, Steven B.8; Izaurralde, Cesar13; Jongschaap, Raymond9; Kemanian, Armen14; Kersebaum, Kurt Christian15; Müller, Christoph16; Nendel, Claas17; Priesack, Eckart7; Sau, Federico2; Shcherbak, Iurii18; Tao, Fulu19; Teixeira, Edmar20; Timlin, Dennis21; Waha, Katharina16; Hatϐield, Jerry L.21; Corbeels, Marc22; Rosenzweig, Cynthia4; Jones, James W.3 1INRA, FRANCE; 2Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, SPAIN; 3University of Florida, UNITED STATES; 4NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, UNITED STATES; 5CIRAD, FRANCE; 6Michigan State University and University of Basilicata, UNITED STATES; 7Institute of Soil Ecology, GERMANY; 8Alterra, NETHERLANDS; 9WUR-Plant Research International, NETHERLANDS; 10University of East Anglia, UNITED KINGDOM; 11Water & Earth System Science Competence Cluster, GERMANY; 12University of Nebraska- Lincoln, UNITED STATES; 13University of Maryland, UNITED STATES; 14University Park, UNITED STATES; 15Institute of Landscape Systems Analysis, GERMANY; 16Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, GERMANY; 17Institute of Landscape System Analysis, GERMANY; 18Michigan State University, UNITED STATES; 19Chinese Academy of Sciences, CHINA; 20The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, NEW ZEALAND; 21USDA/ARS, UNITED STATES; 22CIRAD-Annual Cropping Systems, BRAZIL Simulation models can be used as strategic tools for evaluating the consequences of climate change on crop production and for evaluating possible adaptations of crop management practices. As many diff erent crop models are available, it is important to compare several models in order to improve model functions and to assess uncertainties in the predicted crop response to climate change factors. Furthermore, the use of several models, already tested for maize, has a higher potential to capture the complexity of the multiple impacts of climate change on crops than using one single model. The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) is a distributed simulation exercise for agricultural model intercomparison and future climate change assessments that has participation of multiple crop and economic modeling groups around the world. The goal of AgMIP is: - To provide reasonable estimates of the impacts of climate change on crop yields of important crops of the world. - To evaluate the uncertainty that comes from using diff erent models in various climate and crop management situations and understand the causes of the diff erent model responses to climate change factors. - To improve our capacity for simulating the response of crops to yet unknown climates (combinations of extreme drought, temperatures and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations). Our work conducted in the AgMIP project for the maize crop fi rst consisted of testing model output sensitivity to climatic factors over a large ensemble of maize crop models and across four sentinel sites that are important contrasting pedoclimatic zones of maize production. Multiple maize modeling groups are involved in the work and run their models for the four sites of Lusignan (France), Ames (Iowa), Rio Verde (Brazil) and Morogoro (Tanzania), using measured daily weather records from 1980 to 2010 from each location. Modelers simulated the crop performances for baseline (1980 to 2010) and one single A2-Global Climate Model generated End-of-Century scenario (including 734ppm CO 2 ) for each location after calibrating their models on the basis of 1-year experimental data at each location. In addition, models were run with the 30-year manipulated weather fi les in order to compare their sensitivity to temperature (-3, 0, +3, +6, +9 °C), CO 2 (360, 450, 540, 630, 720ppm), and rainfall (-30% rainfall) for each sentinel site. The simulated maize crop yield simulated no response to CO 2 as expected, a clear trend in yield decrease with elevated temperatures (-3 up to +9 °C). Water appears to be a main source of variation in yields, but simulations indicate a possible strong interaction with nitrogen. With those general trends, results also showed that range of the simulated climate change eff ects on maize yield levels and interannual variations (Fig. 1) were highly dependent on the model and on the site. 29 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-1 a) France Y ie ld (t /h a) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 d) USA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 c) Brazil 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 b) Tanzania Models Baseline (1980-2010) Future (2070-2099) Fig. 1. Box-plots of grain yield estimated by eight models for the 30-year baseline (white boxes) and single A2-Global Climate Model scenario (grey boxes), at the irrigated sites of (a) France, and (b) Tanzania, and at the rainfed sites of (c) Brazil and (d) USA. Cccma cgcm3, inmcm 3.0, ncar ccsm3, mpi echam5 Global Climate Models were used for France, Tan- zania, Brazil and USA, respectively, and future scenarios were created at each of the 4 sentinel locations using the Delta Method. Note that the diff erent models are reported in the same order across the four sites. Edges of boxes represent 25 and 75% percentiles. Error bars represent 5 and 95% percentiles. The median (50% percentile) is represented by solid line in the boxes. The circles refer to the maximum and minimum values. 30 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-2 Comparison of modelling approaches to simulate the phenology of agricultural insect pests under future climate scenarios Maiorano, Andrea1; Bregaglio, Simone2; Donatelli, Marcello3 1European Commission - Joint Research Centre, ITALY; 2University of Milan, ITALY; 3Agricultural Research Council, CIN, ITALY Introduction The phenological development of insects is simulated predominantly via models based on the response of the organisms to air temperature. Despite of a large body of literature supporting the evidence that the organism physiological response to temperature is nonlinear, including a declining phase, most of these models calculate the rate of development using a linear approach, assuming that air temperatures mostly does not fall outside of the linear region of response to temperature of the organism. Another simplifi cation is represented by the calculation of the rate of development using daily mean air temperature, which has been demonstrated being a reliable method only in limited number of conditions. It can be hypothesized that the use of models based on linear developmental rates, which can be successfully applied under climate conditions to which organisms are well adapted, could be inadequate under either future climatic scenarios or when extreme events occur. In such contexts, linear responses might lead to interpretations of climate eff ects not consistent with the real organism physiological response to temperature. Materials and methods In this work the case of Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner (European Corn Borer – ECB) development was taken as an example to compare i) a non-linear approach with hourly air temperature as input (HNL), ii) a linear based approach with hourly air temperature as input (HL), iii) a linear based approach with daily air temperature as input (DL), and iv) a linear based approach using an horizontal cutoff temperature (development continues at a constant rate at temperatures in excess of an upper temperature threshold) with daily air temperature as input (DLcutoff ). The comparison was performed on a European scale for the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change) emission scenario A1B, at three time frames: Baseline - 2000s, 2020s, 2050s. The SRES A1B was selected as one of those for which the projected raise of temperature is estimated to be one of the highest. Results and discussion Using degree-days (DD) as a proxy for the rate of development, results (Figure 1) showed that the DL approach predicts a higher accumulation of DD than the HNL in all the time frames in almost all Europe with the exception of Southern Italy and the Mediterranean coasts of France and Spain where the diff erences were negligible. These eff ects were due i) to the linear relationship used by the DL approach which do not take into account the stressful eff ects of temperature higher than the optimum, and partially ii) to the averaging operation that decrease the eff ects of high temperatures in regions with high (but not extreme) warm temperatures. The HNL and HL approach predicted the same pattern of degree- days accumulation in all Europe with the exception of the regions of Southern Iberian Peninsula (across all the timeframes), Balkans, and Turkey (under the 2050 scenario). This eff ect was due to the diff erent HNL and HL accumulation of degree-days at temperatures higher than the ECB optimum temperature. The comparison 31 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-2 between the DLcutoff and the HNL approaches showed similar results as the DL vs HNL approach in central and Northern Europe, while in Southern Europe negative diff erences (more DD accumulated for the HNL approach) were observed: in regions characterized by high temperatures, the cutoff temperature, setting a limit to the maximum temperatures diminished the calculated average temperature and as a consequence the calculated degree-days. Conclusions The results of this work showed that according to the method chosen for simulations, diff erent results can be obtained, hence leading to diff erent conclusions about the eff ect of a warming climate on pest development. These results stress the need of reconsidering the appropriateness of models to be used, which cannot be assumed as correct on the basis of their eff ectiveness under current conditions. Acknowledgements This work was supported by a Marie Curie Fellowship (Project MIMYCS). 32 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-3K Estimating impact assessment and adaptation strategies under climate scenarios for crops in Europe Donatelli, Marcello; Srivastava, Amit; Duveiller, Gregory; Niemeyer, Stefan JRC, ITALY Policy makers at European and national level demand for estimates of agricultural production potential vulnerability specifi c to province level, articulated for crops. The base of such estimates is the biophysical representation of crop responses both under conditions of no adaptation, and exploring the level of adaptation which could be acted on autonomously by farmers. However, producing such estimates poses signifi cant challenges due to the usability of climate inputs to simulation models, to reliability and completeness of data, to the level of abstraction to be chosen, and to technological aspects. This study provides an impact assessment of climate change scenarios on agriculture over EU27 focused on the time horizons of 2020 and 2030 with respect to a baseline centered on the year 2000. Potential and water- limited yields are simulated for 3 priority crops (wheat, rapeseed and sunfl ower) over a 25 by 25 km grid using the CropSyst model implemented within the BioMA modelling platform of the European Commission. Input weather data are generated with a stochastic weather generator parameterized over RCM-GCM downscaled simulation from the ENSEMBLES project, which have been statistically bias-corrected. Two realizations of the A1B emission scenario within ENSEMBLES are used, based on the HadCM3 and ECHAM5 GCMs, which respectively represent the “warmer” and “colder” extremes in the envelope of the ensemble with regard to the air temperature trends, and diff erent with respect to rainfall patterns. Alleviating the consequences of unfavorable weather patterns is explored by simulating technical operations which can be acted on by farmers, highlighting the limits of autonomous adaptation, hence estimating potential vulnerability hotspots. Data are presented focusing on the diff erence between the baseline chosen and the 2020 and 2030 time horizons. Both data (accessible via web services) and the simulation platform are available for non-commercial use. 33 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-3K 34 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-4 A comparison of 27 wheat crop models for climate change impact: The AgMIP Wheat pilot study Asseng, Senthold University of Florida, UNITED STATES S. Asseng 1, F. Ewert 2, C. Rosenzweig 3, J.W. Jones 1, J.L. Hatϐield 4, A. Ruane 3, K.J. Boote 5, P. Thorburn 6, R.P. Rötter 7, D. Cammarano 1, N. Brisson 8,9,#, B. Basso 10,11,12, P. Martre 13,14, D. Ripoche 15, P. Bertuzzi 15, P. Steduto 16, L. Heng 17, M.A. Semenov 18, P. Stratonovitch 18, C. Stockle 19, G. O’Leary 20, P.K. Aggarwal 21, S. Naresh Kumar 22, C. Izaurralde 23, J.W. White 24, L.A. Hunt 25, R. Grant 26, K.C. Kersebaum 27, T. Palosuo 7, J. Hooker 28, T. Osborne 29, J. Wolf 30, I. Supit 30, J.E. Olesen 31, J. Doltra 32, C. Nendel 27, S. Gayler 33, J. Ingwersen 34, E. Priesack 35, T. Streck 34, F. Tao 36, C. Müller 37, K. Waha 37, R. Goldberg 3, C. Angulo 2, I. Shcherbak 11, C. Biernath 35, D. Wallach 38, M. Travasso 39, A. Challinor 40,41 1 University of Florida, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, USA, 2 Universität Bonn, Germany, 3 NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, USA, 4 USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and Environment, USA 5 Department of Agronomy, University of Florida, 6 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, 7 Plant Production Research, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, 8 INRA, Grignon, France, 9 AgroParisTech, France, 10 University of Potenza, Italy, 11 Michigan State University, USA 12 Queensland University of Technology, Australia, 13 INRA, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 14 Blaise Pascal University, France, 15 INRA, Avignon, France, 16 FAO, Italy, 17 IAEA, Austria, 18 Rothamsted Research, UK, 19 Washington State University, USA, 20 Department of Primary Industries, Australia, 21 CCAFS, India, 22 Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India, 23 Joint Global Change Research Institute, USA, 24 USDA Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, USA, 25 University of Guelph, Canada, 26 University of Alberta, Canada, 27 Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Germany, 28 University of Reading, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, UK, 29 University of Reading, NCAS & Department of Meteorology, UK 30 Wageningen University, The Netherlands, 31 Aarhus University, Denmark, 32 Agricultural Research and Training Centre (CIFA), Spain, 33 University of Tübingen, Germany, 34 Universität Hohenheim, Germany, 35 Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany, 36 Chinese Academy of Science, China, 37 Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany, 38 INRA, Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France, 39 INTA-CIRN, Argentina, 40 University of Leeds, UK AgMIP- the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (www.agmip.org) (Rosenzweig et al. (2012) aims to provide more robust estimates of climate impacts on crop yields and agricultural trade, including estimates of associated uncertainties. During the AgMIP Wheat Pilot Study 27 wheat crop simulation models were compare with detailed fi eld experimental data from four contrasting environments (The Netherlands, Argentina, India and Australia) using standardised protocols to study the role of crop model-based variability in projections of climate change impacts. The four environments represent major wheat-producing regions of the world. A standardised sensitivity analysis was carried out with all models for each of the environments with a range of temperature, including heat stress, CO 2 changes, soil, management and seasonal variability. Diff erences in the variability in model responses indicated strengths and weaknesses across crop models. Results from the model intercomparison will be presented. Implications for model applications to climate change and global food security assessments, for specifi c model improvement and for needed fi eld experiments are discussed. Reference Rosenzweig C., Jones J.W., Hatfi eld J.L., Ruane A.C., Boote K.J., Thorburn P., Antle J.M., Nelson G.C., Porter C., Janssen S., Asseng S., Basso B., Ewert F., Wallach D., Baigorria G., Winter J.M. (2012) The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP): Protocols and pilot studies. Agricultural Forestry and Meteorology. (in press) Dr. Nadine Brisson died during the study in 2011. 35 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-4 36 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-5 Testing extrapolation domains of weather stations for modeling maize yields at continental and global scales van Bussel, Lenny1; van Wart, Justin2; Wolf, Joost1; Grassini, Patricio2; Claessens, Lieven3; Cassman, Kenneth2; van Ittersum, Martin1 1Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS; 2University of Nebraska-Lincoln, UNITED STATES; 3ICRISAT, KENYA Introduction Our planet is facing serious challenges: the climate is changing, biodiversity is decreasing, agricultural land degrades, and the global demand for food is rapidly increasing. To better understand future global food supply, simulation models are increasingly applied. Models used in these assessments are, however, generally developed for use at the fi eld scale and assume homogeneous conditions over time and/or space. This assumption becomes questionable at larger scales, e.g. at large scales soil and weather conditions show considerable spatial variation (Hansen and Ines, 2005). To avoid incorrect model outcomes it is essential that such variation is refl ected by the used input data, e.g. by using observed weather data from multiple sites within the region of interest. Yet, at large scales these data sources are often not widely available (Nonhebel, 1994). To overcome the problem of missing data the available data can be extrapolated (Ewert et al., 2011). For this, it is crucial to understand the extent of a valid extrapolation domain of the measured data, taken into account its intended use. Information about extrapolation domains of weather data intended for use in crop growth modeling at large scales is currently not available and is the subject of this study. Methodology We used the concept of climate zonation to establish the extrapolation domains of weather data. The climate zonation was combined with the assumption that, for the purpose of crop growth modeling, weather conditions within a climate zone can be represented by one weather station. To test this assumption we selected three regions/ countries: US Corn Belt, Germany, and Kenya. In each region we derived a climate zonation (Van Wart et al., under review) and within each of the main climate zones, with respect to crop area, the available weather station datasets were identifi ed. Maize yields were simulated for these datasets with the model Hybrid-maize (Yang et al., 2004). Per climate zone the simulated maize yields were compared. Applying an allowed diff erence in the simulated maize yields of maximally 10%, we concluded whether the weather conditions within a climate zone could be represented by data from a single station. Results and Concluding remarks The found extrapolation domains of weather stations diff er per studied region. Within the US Corn Belt and Germany the climate is rather uniform and hence, the extrapolation domains may cover large areas. In Kenya, where large diff erences in altitude and thus in climate prevail, the extrapolation domains of weather stations are often small. Knowing the extrapolation domain of weather station data allows for optimized search for or selection of actual weather data for use in modeling crop growth at large scales. This simplifi es upscaling as well as provides a framework for the extrapolation of results of previous research. References Ewert, F., van Ittersum, M.K., Heckelei, T., Therond, O., Bezlepkina, I., Andersen, E. (2011) Scale changes and model linking methods for integrated assessment of agri-environmental systems. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 142, 6-17. Hansen, J.W., Ines, A.V.M. (2005) Stochastic disaggregation of monthly rainfall data for crop simulation studies. Agric. For. Meteorol. 131, 233-246. Nonhebel, S. (1994) The eff ects of use of average instead of daily weather data in crop growth simulation models. Agric. Syst. 44, 377-396. Yang, H.S., Dobermann, A., Lindquist, J.L., Walters, D.T., Arkebauer, T.J., Cassman, K.G. (2004) Hybrid-maize - A maize simulation model that combines two crop modeling approaches. Field Crops Res. 87, 131-154. 37 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 141-5 38 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-1K Matching growth of wheat production and demand: shall we further increase yield potential or close the gap with actual yields? Slafer, Gustavo University of Lleida, SPAIN It has been forecasted that the world population will be c. 9 billion by 2050. This means that, to maintain the current balance with demand, we must increase crop production by at least 50% in the next 40-50 years (most likely more than this, already huge, fi gure taking into account the expected increase in per-capita intake of calories associated with increased average income, and the likely allocation of part of the crop production to bio-fuels). Considering the world acreage, the production volume and the calorifi c input for the human world population, wheat is likely the most relevant crop for food security worldwide. As the growing area would hardly increase signifi cantly, the required increase in production must come from increased global yields. This, in turn seems problematic as the rates of increase in yield during the last decades have been lower than those required matching the expected increase in demand, and it is expected that climate change will have a negative impact on wheat yields and will then make it more diffi cult to achieve gains. During most of the second half of the 20th century large rates of yield gain (which then actually exceeded the rates of population growth) were achieved due to genetic and management improvements. Much of the genetic improvements operated through substantial increases in potential yield whilst agronomic improvements mainly tended to reduce (or to avoid enlarging) the gap between potential and actual yields. There is some debate on whether, in this context, we shall expect more benefi ts from further raising potential yield or whether it would be more favourable to reduce the yield gap. In general, for agricultural systems in which actual yields are close to (say they are c. 0.75- 0.80 of) potential yields there is little hope that the gap might be further reduced, due to the law of diminishing returns it would likely imply a reduction in profi tability (and eventually an increase in environmental damage). Chances are that attainable yields (those obtained with best management but taking into consideration economic aspects of crop productivity) are c. 75-80% of potential yields. In these (mainly irrigated) systems, there is little doubt that future increases in yield would largely depend on further increases in yield potential, together with measurements tending to maintain the present low yield gaps (or perhaps increasing it slightly through improved predictability on the conditions for the growing season). In turn, these measurements may be virtually inexistent if improvements in yield potential are based on increased resource use effi ciency rather than on an increased demand/responsiveness to resources. When the yield gap becomes larger (> 50%), which is the most common condition worldwide, it is easier to become enthusiastic about the prospects for achieving substantial increases in production through reducing the yield gap (through either breeding for tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses or improving agronomic management); and simultaneously sceptical on the relevance of further raising yield potential, being this far larger than what farmers do actually achieve. For this enthusiasm/scepticism to be supported objectively we must know the reasons behind the gap (to determine how manageable they are) and to what degree potential and actual yields are independent (i.e. to determine whether attributes conferring yield potential would be constitutively aff ecting yield in a wide range of conditions and then would force a sort of parallelism between potential and actual yield). In this presentation I will discuss on the plausibility of the two alternatives (further raising yield potential disregarding the level of the yield gap, and closing the gap particularly when actual yields are substantially lower than potential yield), ‘scaling down’ to attributes that might make it possible to further raise yield potential and to management practices which might be useful to closing the gap. 39 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-1K 40 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-2 Review of agroecozones for use in yield gap analysis Van Wart, Justin1; van Bussel, Lenny2; Wolf, Joost2; Licker, Rachel3; Grassini, Patricio4; Cassman, Ken1; van Ittersum, Martin2 1University of Nebraska, UNITED STATES; 2Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS; 3University of Wisconsin-Madison, UNITED STATES; 4University of Nebraska, ARGENTINA Introduction Increasing demand for food expected during coming decades will require a substantial increase in crop production. Given limitations for massive expansion of cropland area, it is of critical importance to know where and how to increase crop productivity per unit of land (i.e., crop yields). This can be quantifi ed through yield gap analysis, an examination of the diff erence between crop yield potential and current farm yields (Lobell et al., 2009). ‘Point-based’ estimates of yield gaps, either derived from research plots or simulation models, are available only for a limited number of sites due to economic and logistic constraints and lack of weather, crop, and soils data. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how a point- based estimate of yield gap from a specifi c location can be scaled up to a wider extrapolation domain. To defi ne the extrapolation domain of a yield gap estimate, one can make use of agroecological zones (AEZ), de fi ned as geographic regions having similar climate and soils relevant for agriculture. In this paper, four existing AEZ methodologies are reviewed focusing on their applicability to scale up a point-based estimate of yield gap to a larger geographic area. Review of Agroecozone The Global Agro-Ecological Zone assessment (GAEZ) uses multiple gridded soil, climate, and land-use data as input to model actual and potential yields (Fischer et al., 2012). Monthly weather data are used to derive 2 key AEZs: 1) thermal regimes (temperature sums during key months in crop phenology), and 2) length of crop growing period (LGP) (based on soil water balance and threshold growing temperatures). However, data from these AEZs is used as model input, rather than as a means of up-scaling results. Licker et al. (2010) calculated growing degree days (GDD; sum of temperature above a crop-speci fi c certain threshold) and annual soil moisture availability (ASM) for each 5 arc minute grid cell and divided the range of these 2 parameters into 10 equal smaller ranges. The intersections of these ranges formed a matrix of 100 unique GDD x soil moisture combinations. This AEZ methodology uses parameters fundamental to plant growth, but several zones have a range of GDD or ASM that are not suitable for crop production. Attempts have been made to further improve GAEZ and Licker’s AEZ classi fi cation. HarvestChoice AEZ (HCAEZ) consists in 21 zones, based on GAEZ LGP, thermal regimes, and temperature classes adjusted to 41 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-2 sea-level, (Pardey et al., 2010). Licker’s AEZ was adopted and modifi ed by James Gerber (2012): soil moisture availability was replaced by annual total precipitation and he only considered grid-cells where crop was harvested. Ranges of GDD and precipitation were determined such that 1% of global harvested area occurred in each zone. Table 1 shows the range of climate found within zones of each AEZ classi fi cation (GAEZ, Licker, HCAEZ, Gerber), based on data on annual mean temperature (Tmean) and total precipitation at 30 arc second resolution (Hijmans et al., 2005). As an example of cropping density within zones, harvested area of rainfed maize within zones was also considered (Portmann et al., 2011). As can be seen in the table, larger zones capture more variable climates, including cooler temperatures, making them less desirable for use in up-scaling. Conclusions and Discussion Yield gap analysis requires high quality data, but because these are diffi cult to obtain for every area of interest, extrapolation domains are a critical tool that allow for limited data collection in areas with greatest possible inference. An effi cient AEZ scheme should contain large proportions of harvested area and low variation in climate within zones. Based on this framework, the Gerber AEZ appears the most eff ective, but might further be modifi ed to be useful for all crop environments simultaneously, not just a single crop, as is now the case. 42 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Table 1. Mean Yields (Mg ha-1) and Coefficients of Variation for the wheat-sheep zone in Australia, 5 mainland states and 3 Victorian regions for the years 1989 - 2009. ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ Y> E^t s/ ^ t DĂůůĞĞ tŝŵŵĞƌĂ ĞŶƚƌĂůEŽƌƚŚ ŵĞĂŶ ϭ͘ϲϴ ϭ͘ϯϯ ϭ͘ϴϴ ϭ͘ϲϴ ϭ͘ϲϬ ϭ͘ϲϭ ϭ͘ϱϴ Ϯ͘ϮϮ Ϯ͘Ϭϴ s Ϭ͘Ϯϰ Ϭ͘ϯϭ Ϭ͘ϯϵ Ϭ͘Ϯϰ Ϭ͘Ϯϴ Ϭ͘ϭϵ Ϭ͘ϰϰ Ϭ͘ϯϳ Ϭ͘ϰϬ 142-3 Yield Gap Analysis – what is the required spatial and temporal resolution for agronomic relevance? Hochman, Zvi CSIRO, AUSTRALIA Introduction A key pathway to achieving future global security is to exploit the gap between yields currently achieved on farms and those attainable by using the best crop and land management practices. Precise spatially explicit knowledge about yield gaps is required to identify regions with greatest potential to increase food supply and for eff ective prioritization of research, development, and intervention (Lobell et al., 2009). Given that agricultural production, especially in rainfed environments is spatially and temporally variable, the question of the appropriate level of aggregation of data for analysis must be addressed. van Ittersum et al. (2012) argued that, to achieve local relevance, yield gap analysis should be based on polygons that are suffi ciently spatially explicit to use local, site-specifi c weather, soil and agronomic data and to allow validation of the estimated yield gaps. A framework for producing high resolution yield gap maps in data-rich environments has been developed and applied to wheat production in Australia’s Wimmera region (Hochman et al., 2012). In this paper aspects of spatial and temporal variability and their implications regarding levels of resolution required for agronomically relevant yield gap assessment are explored. Methods Actual yields (Ya) were estimated from annual statistical data for wheat aggregated up from individual farms to 11 regions in three agro-climatic zones. Remotely sensed Normalised Diff erence Vegetation Index (NDVI) captures the greenness of a pixel and these are combined with statistical data to provide a map of Ya at 1.1 km2 resolution. Simulation, using a locally validated cropping system model (APSIM) was used to determine water limited potential yields (Yw) based on weather data from 56 stations from the Silo website and a map of the plant available water capacity of soils in the region from the ASRIS national soils database. For a full description of the assessment framework and methods used see Hochman et al. (2012). Results and discussion Annual variability of wheat yields at a range of levels of aggregation is indicated by coeffi cient of variation (CV) values in Table 1. CV values in the Mallee, Wimmera and Central North regions of the state of Victoria are much higher than for the state as a whole even though these regions produce almost all the wheat in this state. Similarly average yield in the diff erent regions are quite diff erent and these spatial diff erences mask temporal diff erences at state level. Experimenting with less year’s data shows that while 21 years provides robust estimates of average regional yields and CVs, signifi cant losses occur when less than 15 years are used. Table 2 shows Yw, Ya and the yield gap (Yg) at a sub-regional scale in the Wimmera region in 2005. The sub-regional CV of Ya is half as spatially variable as that of Yw and the CV of Yg is twice as variable again. These numbers and the trend for gaps to be smaller where Yw is smaller suggest that farmers are more concerned with reducing risk of low yields than in exploiting their yield potential in better environments. Conclusions In a spatially and temporally variable environment, such as the Australian wheat zone, sub-regional analysis of yield gaps and about 20 years of data are required to obtain yield gap assessments with agronomic relevance for informing policy and local intervention necessary to bridge yield gaps. 43 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-3 Table 2. Yield gap estimates based on simulated Yw and statistically determined Ya for the seven SLAs of the Wimmera Region of Victoria in 2005. SLA Yw (Mg ha-1) Ya (Mg ha-1) Yg (Mg ha-1) Horsham 5.82 2.25 3.57 N. Grampians - St Arnaud 5.76 2.92 2.84 N. Grampians – Stawell 6.83 2.42 4.41 West Wimmera 6.23 3.02 3.21 Hindmarsh 3.88 2.92 0.96 Yarriambiack – North 2.70 2.10 0.60 Yarriambiack – South 4.74 2.54 2.20 Wimmera Region 4.65 2.43 2.22 CV 0.31 0.15 0.62 References Hochman, Z., et al., 2012. Quantifying yield gaps in rainfed cropping systems: an Australian case study. Field Crops Research (in review). Lobell, D.B., et al., 2009. Crop yield gaps: Their importance, magnitudes and causes. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 34: 179-204. van Ittersum, M.K., et al., 2012. Yield gap analysis with local to global relevance – a review. Field Crops Research (in review). 44 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-4 Yield gap reduction using Nutrient Expert recommendations for maize and wheat in Asia Pampolino, Mirasol1; Majumdar, Kaushik2; Jat, M. L.3; Ocampo, Apolonio4; Zaini, Zulkiϐli5; Satyanarayana, T.2; Bana, Anil2; Gupta, Naveen2; Pasuquin, Julie Mae1; Kartaatmadja, Sunendar6 1International Plant Nutrition Institute, MALAYSIA; 2International Plant Nutrition Institute, INDIA; 3International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), INDIA; 4University of the Philippines Los Baños, PHILIPPINES; 5Indonesian Center for Food Crops and Development, INDONESIA; 6International Plant Nutrition Institute, INDONESIA Meeting the demand for more food in the next 20–30 years requires intensifying cereal cropping systems and increasing current yields to about 70-80% of the genetic yield potential. Current yields in farmers’ fi elds are still less than 70% of their potential largely due to poor nutrient management practices. Nutrient Expert (NE) is a decision support software based on the principles of site-specifi c nutrient management (SSNM), which aims to supply a crop’s nutrient requirements tailored to a specifi c fi eld or growing environment. NE was developed jointly by researchers, extension agents, and other stakeholders using maize data from 19 locations in three countries and wheat data from 33 locations in fi ve countries in Asia. NE enables crop advisors to develop SSNM recommendations using existing site information. In 2010-2011, Nutrient Expert for Hybrid Maize (NEHM) recommendations were tested against farmers’ fertilizer practice (FFP) at fi ve locations (n = 3–5 sites per location) in Indonesia and seven locations in the Philippines (n = 2–7 sites per location); while Nutrient Expert for Wheat (NEW) recommendations were tested against FFP at fi ve locations in India (n = 4–15 sites per location). To determine the maximum attainable yield for selected growing environments, we included a fully- fertilized plot (NPK) without nutrient limitation in some of the maize and wheat sites. We used the diff erence between NPK yield and FFP yield to assess yield gap. At fi ve locations with NPK treatment (n = 1–5 sites per location) in the Philippines, average maize yield with NPK was 8.2–11.5 t/ha and average yield gap was 1.7–4.5 t/ha. NEHM recommendations increased yield over FFP by 1.0–3.0 t/ha, which reduced yield gap by 47–98% at those fi ve locations. At all maize locations, NEHM increased yield over FFP by 0.9 t/ha in Indonesia and 1.6 t/ha in the Philippines. NEHM increased pro fi t (over seeds and fertilizer costs) by 270 USD/ha in Indonesia and 379 USD/ha in the Philippines. Compared with FFP, NEHM recommendations in Indonesia reduced fertilizer P (–4 kg/ha), increased fertilizer K (+11 kg/ha), and did not signifi cantly change fertilizer N; in the Philippines, NEHM gave higher rates of all three nutrients (+25 kg N/ha, +4 kg P/ha, and +11 kg K/ha. At two locations in India (with NPK treatment, n = 5–10 sites per location), average wheat yield with NPK was 4.7–4.8 t/ha and yield gap was 0.8–0.9 t/ha. NEW recommendations increased yield over FFP by 0.6–0.8 t/ha, which reduced yield gap by 73–119% at those two locations. Across all wheat locations, NEW increased yield by 0.9 t/ha and increased profi t (above fertilizer costs) by 221 USD/ha. Compared with FFP, NEW slightly increased fertilizer N (+6 kg/ha), substantially increased fertilizer K (+52 kg/ha), and did not change fertilizer P. NE as applied to maize (NEHM) and wheat (NEW) is eff ective in providing site-specifi c fertilizer recommendations, which can help to reduce current yield gaps in farmers’ fi elds. The NE recommendations can correct nutrient imbalances caused by current fertilization practices, and thereby minimize mining of nutrients (e.g. K). 45 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-4 46 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-5 Assessment of nutrient-induced maize yield gaps in smallholder systems in Africa Zingore, Shamie1; Okoth, Peter2; Huising, Jeroen2; Kihara, Job3 1International Plant Nutrition Institute, KENYA; 2TSBF-CIAT, KENYA; 3TBF-CIAT, KENYA Introduction Maize yields in smallholder farming systems in sub-humid zones of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) average less than 1.2 t/ ha, mainly due to low use organic or inorganic nutrients (<13 kg/ha). Despite the current low maize productivity, analysis of potential yields for the sub-humid zones show that water limited yields of between 7-12 t/ha, indicating large yield gaps linked to poor nutrient and agronomic practices management (Waddington et al., 2009). Although N and P are considered to be the main limiting nutrients, there is increasing recognition of defi ciencies of that K as well secondary and micro-nutrient (Sanchez and Leakey, 1997; Zingore et al., 2008). Materials and methods Multi-location nutrient omission trials were conducted across 102 sites to assess the nutrients limiting crop productivity and the potential supply of nutrients under variable soil fertility conditions. The experiments consisted of 6 main treatments as follows: control without any nutrients; P+K; N+P; N+K; NPK; N+P+K+Ca+Mg+S+Zn+B+Mn. An additional treatment with all nutrients and lime was included in fi elds where the soil pH was <5.3. All nutrients were applied at rates required to produce a maize yield of 10 t/ha. To assess the eff ects of soil fertility status on yield gaps, soil samples from experimental sites were analyzed for organic C, total N, available P, exchangeable basis, pH, CEC and particle size distribution. The soil analysis results were used to groups fi elds into three categories of soil fertility status (high, medium and low). Results Results from the trials showed strong eff ects of soil fertility status on maize yields, with control yields and yields for the various fertilizer treatments increasing with increasing soil fertility status. Maximum attainable yields ranged from 6-9 t/ha in fi elds with medium and high soil fertility. N was shown to have the largest eff ects on maize yield, increasing yields by an average of 5.2 t/ha in fi elds of medium and high soil fertility. Sites dominated by high- P-fi xing acidic soils showed a strong response (average 3.4 t/ha) to application of P and lime. In high soil fertility fi elds, application of N and P was suffi cient to reduce the yield gap by 80-100%. In medium fertility fi elds, addition of base cations (K, Ca and Mg) and micronutrients (Zn, B and Mn) was required to signifi cantly increase crop yields above the N and P treatment and contributed 20-40% of the yield increase. On the low fertility fi elds, baseline yields were very low (<0.8 t/ha) and were increased to about 3 t/ha with all nutrients added. Under the low soil fertility conditions, increasing soil organic matter to increase retention of soil nutrients and water, better synchronization of nutrient supply with crop demand, and improvement of soil health through increased soil biodiversity may be required to further reduce the yield gap. Conclusions Strategically targeting fertilizer use to variable soil fertility conditions, as well management to increase soil organic matter is necessary to eff ectively reduce the large maize yield gap in SSA. Recognition of the soil fertility heterogeneity within smallholder farms will help designing more eff ective recommendations targeting various soil fertility niche. References Tittonell P, Corbeels M, van Wijk MT, Vanlauwe B, Giller KE (2008) Targeting nutrient resources for integrated soil fertility management in smallholder farming systems of Kenya. Agronomy Journal 100:1511–1526. Waddington SR, Li X, Dixon J, Hyman G, Vicente MC (2009) Getting the focus right: production constraints for six major food crops in Asian and African farming systems. Food Security 2: 27-48. Zingore S, Delve RJ, Nyamangara J, Giller KE (2008) Multiple benefi ts of manure: The key to maintenance of soil fertility and restoration of depleted sandy soils on African smallholder farms. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 80:267–282 47 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 142-5 48 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-1 Why plants are not optimal for maximum production: a game theoretical analysis of plant traits Anten, Niels Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS Understanding how vegetation structure and productivity arise from plant traits is a key question in crop science, and entails scaling up from leaf to canopy. Simple optimization has commonly been used to this end, with traits being assumed optimal when productivity of a vegetation stand is maximized. From an agronomical perspective where maximum yields per unit land area or other resource is often the objective, this approach makes sense. However, simple optimization ignores the fact that plants interact with each other; their leaves and roots in fl uence each other’s light and nutrient availability. In such cases game theory (competitive optimization) is more appropriate. Focusing on leaf area, I will show that stands with an optimal structure for maximum productivity are not evolutionarily stable and can be invaded by a ‘cheating’ mutant that overinvests in leaf area. Natural selection thus leads to plants with non-optimal traits. I will argue that a mechanistic understanding of how these non- optimal traits arise in plants has important implications for crop selection. Particularly root growth, leaf nitrogen distribution and leaf area production can be targeted as traits for crop selection in this way. 49 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-1 50 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 The simulation of winter wheat yields in Thuringia, Germany, using meteorological data with diff erent spatial resolution Nendel, Claas; Wieland, Ralf; Mirschel, Wilfried; Specka, Xenia; Kersebaum, Kurt-Christian Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), GERMANY 211-2 Introduction Crop models are widely accepted tools to predict crop yields under assumed climate and land-use scenarios. Their prediction error adds to the range of uncertainty produced by global scale climate models and the down- scaling procedures in climate change assessments. Part of the prediction error comes with the uncertainty of input information if soil, crop and weather data are not representative for the area addressed by the model. Materials and methods For the Federal State of Thuringia in Germany (16,172 km²) we tested fi ne resolution simulations (50m × 50m) at high (interpolated and altitude-corrected weather from 14 weather stations and 58 rain gauges, 1:106 soil map, relief and groundwater), medium (nearest of 14 weather stations, no altitude correction) and low (one weather station for the whole state, no altitude correction) information level against 1992–2009 average yield data for winter wheat at county level. The MONICA model has earlier been calibrated for winter wheat outside Thuringia (Nendel et al. 2011). In this study we used MONICA for the yield predictions without prior recalibration to local fi eld experiments. Results and discussion We found that in this investigation (1) one representative weather station and one crop parameter set gave an estimate of the mean annual winter wheat yield in the region (7.0 t ha–1 ) close to the long-term observed of 6.7 t ha –1 (Fig. 1), (2) the other two–more sophisticated– approaches produced only slightly diff erent results (6.6 t ha–1 at medium information level, 7.4 t ha–1 at high Figure 1: Box plot of 1992–2009 winter wheat yields across 17 counties of the Federal State of Thuringia, Germany, as simulated using the MONICA model with weather information from a single station (left), from the nearest of 14 weather stations (middle) and interpolated and altitude-corrected from 14 weather stations and 58 rain gauges (right). The black line and the grey band represent mean and standard error derived from offi cial yield statistics. 51 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-2 Figure 2: 1992–2009 winter wheat yields across 17 counties of the Federal State of Thuringia, Germany, simulated using the MONICA model with interpolated and altitude-corrected weather from 14 weather stations and 58 rain gauges vs. observed yields from offi cial statistics. level, Fig. 1) and (3) the yield dynamics over time at the county level (high information level) were simulated with a Nash-Sutcliff e modelling effi ciency of –1.11, which is below the acceptable range (Fig 2). Despite strong deviances in single years the county-level simulations meet the average yield levels on the long run. However, the fact that good simulation results on the regional level emanate from unacceptable simulations at the spatial level below should alert all modellers who attempt to validate their models on the regional level. Reference Nendel, C., M. Berg, K.C. Kersebaum, W. Mirschel, X. Specka, M. Wegehenkel, K.O. Wenkel and R. Wieland (2011): The MONICA model: Testing predictability for crop growth, soil moisture and nitrogen dynamics. Ecol. Model. 222 (9), 1614-1625. 52 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-3 Analysis and Modeling of spatio-temporal Patterns of CO2 and H2O Fluxes at Leaf and Canopy Scale in Crop Fields Kupisch, Moritz; Stadler, Anja; Langensiepen, Matthias; Ewert, Frank University of Bonn, GERMANY Gas exchange of CO 2 and water vapour are important processes that determine crop growth and yield. These processes are aff ected by climatic and soil conditions and diff er between crops (Arora et al., 2001; Monti et al., 2006). Changes in these conditions will therefore a ff ect CO 2 and water exchange. The temporal variability of gas exchange in crops has extensively been studied (Reicosky et al., 1994; Mo and Liu, 2001; Wang et al., 2006), but less is known about the spatial variability. Particularly, the spatial variability within crop fi elds has received little attention so far. However, understanding the spatio- temporal variability of gas exchange is necessary for the modeling and estimation of soil-vegetation-atmosphere processes and crop growth and yield at fi eld and larger scales, but most modeling eff orts largely ignore the spatial variability of gas exchange and growth and development processes within a fi eld. Detailed representations of plant physiological processes at a single point within the fi eld are typically assumed to represent the entire fi eld. Little work has been done on scaling up from the single point to the entire fi eld, not least due to the limited experimental data available. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to analyse the spatio-temporal variability of CO 2 and H 2 O fluxes at leaf and canopy level within fields of two crops, winter wheat and sugar beet and to test the eff ect of diff erent upscaling methods. The results revealed a strong spatial heterogeneity of carbon and water canopy fl uxes across the fi elds. While canopy measurements had a temporal variability with distinct diurnal and seasonal patterns, the temporal and spatial variability of leaf level photosynthesis and transpiration was comparably small. Further analysis suggests that the observed spatial and seasonal variability of canopy measurements was mainly caused by fi eld heterogeneity in LAI and less by gas exchange rates per unit leaf area. However, both crops diff ered in their response to drought stress: while wheat responded mainly through irreversible reduction in green leaf area, the canopy assimilation rate of sugar beets decreases only temporarily with no observed eff ects in LAI. Comparison of upscaling methods from canopy to fi eld revealed diff erences of total cumulative fl uxes of CO 2 and H 2 O at fi eld level of more than 100%. The obtained datasets from both years are the basis for parameterizing the crop growth model GECROS (Yin and van Laar, 2005). Our results indicate that it is important to consider fi eld heterogeneity for parameterizing crop growth and large-scale soil-vegetation-atmosphere- transport models. We will show to which extent the simulation results at fi eld scale are aff ected by the up- scaling method. References Arora, A., Singh, V.P., Mohan, J., 2001. Eff ect of Nitrogen and Water Stress on Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Content in Wheat. Biologia Plantarum 44, 153–155. Mo, X., Liu, S., 2001. Simulating evapotranspiration and photosynthesis of winter wheat over the growing season. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 109, 203–222. Monti, A., Brugnoli, E., Scartazza, A., Amaducci, M.T., 2006. The e ff ect of transient and continuous drought on yield, photosynthesis and carbon isotope discrimination in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Journal of Experimental Botany 57, 1253–1262. Reicosky, D.C., Brown, P.W., Moran, M.S., 1994. Diurnal trends in wheat canopy temperature, photosynthesis, and evapotranspiration. Remote Sensing of Environment 49, 235–245. Wang, J., Yu, Q., Li, J., Li, L.H., Li, X.G., Yu, G.R., Sun, X.M., 2006. Simulation of diurnal variations of CO 2 , water and heat fl uxes over winter wheat with a model coupled photosynthesis and transpiration. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 137, 194–219. Yin, X., van Laar, H.H., 2005. Crop systems dynamics. An ecophysiological simulation model for genotype-by- environment interactions. Wageningen Academic Pub. 53 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-3 54 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-4 Early growth in intercrops: an experimental and simulation approach for a range of species under diff erent sowing conditions Fayaud, Benoit1; Coste, Françoise1; Corre-Hellou, Guénaëlle1; Gardarin, Antoine1; Dürr, Carolyne2 1LUNAM Université, Groupe ESA, FRANCE; 2INRA, IRHS, FRANCE Introduction Early growth is a critical phase of the cycle in intercrops because it determines the growth of each species and their subsequent interactions (Andersen et al., 2007; Naudin et al., 2010). Early growth before competition is exponential and can be described as follows: DM TT = DM 0 x e(RGR x TT) (1) where TT is thermal time from emergence (°Cd); DM TT is aboveground dry matter at TT (mg); DM 0 is aboveground dry matter at emergence (mg); RGR is relative growth rate (mg.mg-1.°Cd -1). Previous studies have shown that early growth could depend on seed mass, seedbed mineral content and time to emerge with diff erences between epigeal and hypogeal species (Dürr and Boiffi n, 1995). To be able to model and better control intercrops, factors causing variation of DM 0 and RGR have to be identi fi ed and quantifi ed. Early growth was measured on diff erent species with contrasting seed and seedling traits. The potential consequences of the early growth variations on growth of two intercrops were studied by a modelling approach. Materials and methods Experiments were carried out in a glasshouse with: two monocots, durum wheat (Triticum turgidum) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea); two legumes: pea ( Pisum sativum) and black medick (Medicago lupulina); and two non-legume dicots: sunfl ower (Helianthus annuus) and carrot (Daucus carota). Each species was studied separately using two nutrient levels (3.5 and 14 mM N) and three sowing depths. Four sampling dates were realized from emergence to 300-350°Cd (with speci fi c base temperature for each species) to measure biomass. Statistical analyses were carried out using R version 2.8.1. Predictive equations of both DM 0 and RGR were built as a function of seed and seedling traits, mineral nutrition and time to emerge. Data were used to simulate growth of durum wheat – pea intercrop and durum wheat – black medick intercrop under diff erent sowing conditions with a constant temperature of 15°C and assuming identical sowing times for each species. Table 1: Variation of early growth parameters. ns: not signifi cant; + : positive eff ect; - : negative eff ect and p-values. 55 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-4 Results Equation 1 fi tted aboveground biomass well. DM 0 was mainly correlated to seed mass (SM): for epigeal species DM 0 =0.651xSM 1.1 (r²=0.99), and for hypogeal ones DM 0 =0.346xSM 0.84 (r²=0.99). DM 0 of monocot species was not infl uenced by time to emerge while DM 0 of dicot epigeal species was negatively impacted because of the depletion of the cotyledons (Tab 1). At the opposite, DM 0 of pea was positively impacted by time to emerge due to a developing shoot during pre-emergence growth. RGR increased for all species with nutrients added. An increasing time to emerge can be critical for RGR in the case of small seeded species by contrast with the RGR of large seeded ones because of more developed shoots at emergence. Most contrasted simulations showed that seed mass had a major impact on species proportions while sowing depth had consequences on both total biomass and proportions depending on how RGR is impacted (Fig 1). Mineral nutrition had a strong impact on total biomass. Figure 1: Simulated aboveground biomass (g.m-2) at 32 days after sowing. Durum wheat: W (black), pea: P (gray), black medick: B (white), small seed: SS, large seed: LS, shallow sowing depth: SD, high sowing depth: HD, limiting nutrition: C1, non limiting nutrition: C4. Default settings: SS, SD and C4. Discussion This study provides data to understand early growth variations according to species and sowing conditions. Growth di ff erences even before the beginning of competition due to early growth variations could lead to accentuated disparities when associated species start to interact. The present results contribute to build tools that predict intercrop performances. References Andersen, M.K. et al, 2007. Journal of Applied Ecology 44, 545-551. Dürr, C., Boiffi n, J., 1995. The Journal of Agricultural Science 124, 427-435. Naudin, C. et al., 2010. Field Crops Research 119, 2-11. 56 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-5 Assessing the uncertainty in model-based evaluation of irrigation strategies Wallach, Daniel1; Keussayan, Nathalie1; Brun, François2; Lacroix, Bernard3; Bergez, Jacques-Eric1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2ACTA, FRANCE; 3ARVALIS - Institut du végétal, FRANCE A major use of crop models is to evaluate management strategies. An important question is how accurate models are for such evaluations. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how to quantify the uncertainty in the evaluation of irrigation strategies, when that evaluation is based on a crop model. The procedure for quantifying uncertainty has three steps. First, the sources of uncertainty are identifi ed. Here we consider uncertainty in the model parameters and model residual error. Often uncertainty estimates consider only parameter uncertainty, but in fact it is important to also include residual error, which results from model inadequacy, residual variability and measurement error. Secondly, the uncertainty in each source is quantifi ed. Here we use a Bayesian approach. This approach begins with a prior distribution, which describes our information about model parameters and residual variance before using the data available for the study. The Bayesian approach then combines that prior distribution with the data, to give a posterior distribution which describes our knowledge about the model parameters and residual variances after taking account of the data. Our specifi c algorithm is Metropolis-Hastings within Gibbs. The Metropolis-Hastings step creates the chain of model parameter values while the Gibbs step creates the chain of residual variance values. Finally, the uncertainties are propagated through to the quantities of interest. This includes two types of quantities. First, we calculate the uncertainties in simulating the data used in the study. The actual data should be reasonably probable with respect to that uncertainty. This is called posterior predictive checking in Bayesian analysis. Secondly, we consider the prediction of the criteria that are used for evaluating irrigation strategies. This is the main output of the method. Very many criteria could be of interest. We consider several, including yield in a single year with known weather, yield averaged over years and the inter- annual variation in yield. We apply this approach to model-based evaluations of irrigation strategies for maize in southwest France. Our data consist of measurements of LAI, aboveground biomass and yield from 81 site-year-irrigation cases. The model is a previously published crop model, slightly modifi ed, coupled to a decision module, also published, which translates irrigation decision rules into dates and amounts of irrigation. The posterior predictive checks show that the data are consistent with the calculated credible intervals (the Bayesian analog of confi dence intervals). The data include groups of cases from the same site and with similar amounts of irrigation. The calculated credible intervals for averages by group are substantially narrower than the intervals for individual predictions. This is also found to be consistent with the data. We then use the model to predict the outcomes from four diff erent irrigation strategies at a particular site, and calculate the uncertainty in our evaluation criteria (average yield etc) for those strategies. A major conclusion is that the uncertainty in predicting yield averaged over years (about 0.2 t/ha) is quite a bit smaller than uncertainty in predicting yield for a single year with given weather (about 1.3 t/ha). This suggests that crop models may be quite useful for comparing management strategies, if a major criterion of comparison is yield averaged over years. We also emphasize that it is essential to verify the reliability of uncertainty estimates using data, and that the conclusions only apply to the population of situations from which the data are drawn. 57 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 211-5 58 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Sustainable Bioenergy Cropping Thrän, Daniela; Bunzel, Katja; Witing, Felix Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), GERMANY 212-1K Bioenergy, with a share of 70 %, is the backbone of the renewable energies in Europe. Beside the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy security, the energetic use of biomass also aims to promote rural development and technical innovations. In the agricultural sector, the production of energy crops can open up new markets for agricultural products and residues. Bioenergy has many strengths as it can be utilised in a diverse range of performance domains and in combination with material use. Bioenergy is the all-rounder among the renewable energies. Furthermore, bioenergy is the only renewable energy carrier capable of substituting for all kinds of fossil based energy carriers (heat, electricity and fuels). In the aviation sector, for example, biofuels are the only option to substitute fossil fuel. Another advantage of bioenergy is that, in contrast to wind or solar energy, it is a storable form of renewable energy and can be transported and utilized at any time. In addition to the use of woody materials and residues, energy crops are of increasing importance. Several technologies utilising energy crops have been successfully launched into the market (e.g. bioethanol from sugar cane, biodiesel from rapeseed, biogas from maize). Already energy crops, especially for biofuels, are grown on about 30 M ha worldwide and this area will increase. Despite the multiple advantages of bioenergy, concerns have arisen regarding the social and ecological sustainability associated with energy crop production especially in countries outside the European Union. In Malaysia, for example, huge areas of tropical rainforest 59 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 212-1K were cut down to cultivate palm oil for the production of biodiesel. As a reaction to this criticism, sustainability criteria for the production of biofuels were integrated into the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which came into force in December 2010 (Fig. 1). Compliance with these sustainability criteria has to be proven through the implementation of a certifi cation scheme. So far, seven certifi cation schemes are accepted by the EU and these are an important step in the right direction. However, critics claim that important aspects are missing, e.g., eff ects of indirect land use (iLUC) or negative social side eff ects such as displacement of smaller farmers due to increased land prices. Furthermore, the European Commission stated in 2010 that no binding sustainability scheme for solid and gaseous biomass sources were currently necessary. This decision was mainly justifi ed by the fact that 90 % of the biomass consumed in the EU comes from European forests and by-products of other industries and that binding criteria would impose serious costs to European economic actors. As a useful addition to the RED sustainable criteria, the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), a government- level organisation of 23 countries, established a set of 24 voluntary sustainability indicators that address all forms of bioenergy at the domestic level (Fig. 1). Measured over time, the GBEP sustainability indicators will provide valuable information for national-level policy analysis and development. In the future, the energetic use of biomass should focus on those applications with a need for high and long-term stable reductions of GHG emissions (e.g. aviation and heavy vehicle transport). Current research addresses the development of new energy crops (such as the perennial Silphium perfoliatum), new management systems (crop mixtures or fl ower strips for the production of biogas substrate) and the sustainable use of brownfi elds and marginal lands (e.g. short-rotation coppice). Not all problems connected with the production of bioenergy can be addressed by sustainability standards and certifi cation. The cultivation of energy crops represents only a small share of the overall intensive agricultural production. Therefore, the discussion on sustainable biomass production has to be followed by a general discussion on sustainable agriculture. 60 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) – a High- Yielding Energy Crop Prade, Thomas1; Svensson, Sven-Erik1; Mattsson, Jan Erik1; Finell, Michael1; Kreuger, Emma2 1Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SWEDEN; 2Lunds University, SWEDEN 212-2 Introduction Industrial hemp was studied as an energy crop for production of biogas and solid biofuel. Based on fi eld trials, the development of biomass and energy yield, the specifi c methane yield and elemental composition of the biomass were studied over the growing and senescence period of the crop, i.e. from autumn to the following spring. The aims of the study were to investigate potential hemp biomass and energy yields per hectare at diff erent harvest dates and to characterise hemp biomass as a solid biofuel for direct combustion. Furthermore, the potential net energy yields from hemp were evaluated in an energy balance. Materials and methods Field trials were carried out at three locations in southern and northern Sweden in order to determine biomass and energy yields as biogas substrate and solid fuel, respectively, (southern trials only), as well as to determine the chemical fuel properties of the biomass. In a modelling approach, the energy balance of energy production from hemp biomass was evaluated for 4 application scenarios. Results & discussion The energy yield of hemp for both solid biofuel and biogas production proved similar or superior to that of most energy crops common in northern Europe. The high energy yield of biogas from hemp is based on a high biomass yield per hectare and good specifi c methane yield with large potential for increases by pretreatment of the biomass. The methane energy yield per hectare is highest in autumn when hemp biomass yield is highest. The energy yield per hectare of hemp for use as a solid biofuel is highest in autumn when the biomass yield is highest. However, important combustion-related fuel properties, such as moisture, alkali, chlorine and ash content and ash melting temperature, are signifi cantly improved when industrial hemp is harvested in spring instead of in autumn. Major fuel properties of hemp are not signifi cantly infl uenced by annual cultivation conditions, latitude or choice of cultivar. Net energy yields per hectare and energy output- to-input ratios of hemp are above-average in most applications, and are highest for use of hemp as solid biofuel. Use of hemp as a biogas substrate suff ers from higher energy inputs and lower conversion effi ciencies, but produces a high-quality vehicle fuel. Advantages over other energy crops are also found outside the energy balance, e.g. low pesticide requirements, good weed competition and suitability as break crop in cereal-oriented crop rotations. Improvements in hemp biomass and energy yields may strengthen its competitive position against maize and sugar beet for biogas production and against perennial energy crops for solid biofuel production. 61 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 212-2 62 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Intercropping Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) with legumes for energy purpose Kenedy Etone, Epie; Zou, Ling; Santanen, Arja; Mäkelä, Pirjo; Stoddard, Frederick University of Helsinki, FINLAND 212-3 Introduction The recent trend to identify alternative energy sources to replace fossil fuel has led to increasing interest in, among others, Jerusalem artichoke (JA). This perennial crop is usually grown as an annual because its inulin-rich tubers are used directly for food and also for production of dietary fi bre, sugar and bioethanol. There is little interest in growing the crop because tubers are diffi cult to harvest and store, and establishment costs are high. This situation could be improved if vegetative parts have more economic importance. The easily harvestible herbaceous biomass can be used for burning in combine heat and power plants and for ethanol and, most of all biogas production. To cultivate JA as a perennial energy crop needs nutrient replenishment. N fi xed by legumes can be used by JA in an intercropped system, potentially reducing or eliminating nitrogen fertilizer use in biomass feedstock production, and leading to a positive net energy balance, an essential requirement for energy crops. Tops of JA has potential for bioethanol and biogas (Tuck et al., 2006) and heating value of 15.5 MJ/kg (Tencl & Sladky, 2001). Literature on the crop is centred on industrial transformation and quality of tuber sugar into bioethanol. Generally, studies to evaluate fi eld performance are still scarce. Some cropping aspects such as intercropping with legumes and how this aff ects above ground biomass production and energy quality are relatively unknown. This study determines how intercropping JA with legumes aff ects growth, herbaceous biomass yield and energy qualities of the crop. Materials & Methods Field studies were conducted in 2009 and 2010 in Helsinki University, Finland (60°13’ N 25°02’ E) with silty clay loam soil. Mean temperature was above 10°C with average rainfall during the growing season. Seed tubers of JA were manually planted into 12 m2 plots, 30 cm within and 60cm between rows. Five treatments were studied; sole-cropped JA fertilized with 60 kg N/ha yearly and four pre-inoculated legumes each sown into the JA plots. The legumes were goat’s rue, red clover, sweet clover 63 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 212-3 and vetch sown at 23, 7, 20 and 49 kg/ha respectively. No fertilizer was applied in legume plots. Four replicates were arranged in a randomized complete block design. LAI was measured by a SunScan Canopy Analysis System (Delta-T Devices, UK). Tops were manually harvested from 1 m2 per plot in October, dried in ovens at 70 oC for 3 days to obtain dry weight. The rest of the plots were cleared to allow regrowth to emerge in the following growing season. Dried samples were crushed and milled through a 0.5mm mesh and used for ash, energy value and C and N determination. Results & Discussion Fertilized plants grew taller than legume intercropped plants in both years, although signifi cantly (P <0.05) only in 2009. In 2009 and 2010, total above-ground dry matter and energy yields in fertilized plants were 27% and 15% higher, respectively, than in legume- intercropped plants. C:N ratio ranged from 53 to 80 and ash content from 5.8 to 8.2%. Carbon content was high at harvest and tops could best be used for burning. Early harvested plants have C:N ratios less than 30, and could be good for bioethanol and biogas production. However, JA intercropped with legumes grew well and gave good yields equally as their fertilized counterpart. Although legumes were almost completely suppressed by JA in the second year, the lack of signifi cant diff erences between intercropped and fertilized plants shows that legumes can potentially sustain Jerusalem artichoke in an intercropped system. This will reduce fertilizer costs for farmers and a cleaner environment. Reference Tuck G, Glendining MJ, Smith P, House JI, Wattenbach M. 2006. The potential distribution of bioenergy crops in Europe under present and future climate. Biomass & Bioenergy 30:183–197. Tencl J & Sladky V, 2001. E ff ect of harvest time on moisture content and heating value of biofuels. Research in Agric Eng 47:1-5 64 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 212-4 The Increasing Competition for Biomass Popp, József1; Fülöp, Mihály2; Nábrádi, András2 1Univerity of Debrecen, HUNGARY; 2University of Debrecen, HUNGARY Introduction The worldwide potential of bioenergy is limited because all land is multifunctional and land is also needed for food, feed, timber and fi bre production, as well as for nature conservation and climate protection. Bioenergy may compete with the food sector, either directly, if food commodities are used as the energy source, or indirectly, if bioenergy crops are cultivated on soil that would otherwise be used for food production. The additional impact on food prices of higher demand for crops as energy feedstock is of real concern. Methodology The total annual aboveground net primary production on the Earth’s terrestrial surface is estimated to be about 1,260 EJ/year (Haberl et al. 2007), which can be compared to the current world primary energy supply of about 500 EJ/year (IEA Bioenergy, 2009). All harvested biomass used for food, fodder, fi bre and forest products equals 219 EJ/year (Krausmann et al. 2008). The global harvest of major crops corresponds to about 60 EJ/year (FAOSTAT, 2011). Renewable energy accounted for 13% of the total primary energy supply in 2008 and the largest contributor with 10% points (50.3 EJ/year) was biomass. Discussion The food sector accounts for around 30% of global energy consumption and produces over 20% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Around one-third of the food we produce, and the energy that is embedded in it, is lost or wasted (Gustavsson et al. 2011). The food sector can adapt to future energy supply constraints and to the impacts of climate change with rapid deployment Figure 1: World primary energy demand by fuel in 2008. (Source: IEA Bioenergy 2009.) 65 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 212-4 of renewable energy technologies. More than 80% of the biomass feedstocks are derived from wood. The remaining bioenergy feedstocks come from the agricultural sector and from various commercial and post-consumer waste and by-product streams (Figure 1). Projected world primary energy demand by 2050 is expected to be in the range of 600 to 1000 EJ/year compared to about 500 EJ in 2008. The expert assessment suggests potential deployment levels of bioenergy by 2050 in the range of 100-300 EJ/year. Biomass could sustainably contribute between a quarter and a third of the future global energy mix (Figure 2). Availability of land for non-food crops will be determined by increased yield potential, reducing losses and wastes along the food chain and lower inputs. Limited biomass resources will be allocated to the sector that is most able to aff ord them. Conclusion The debate surrounding biomass in the food versus fuel competition, and growing concerns about other confl icts, have resulted in a strong push for the development and implementation of sustainability criteria and frameworks as well as changes in target levels and schedules for bioenergy. References Haberl, et al. 2007. Quantifying and mapping the human appropriation of net primary production in earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(31): 12942-12947. Krausmann, F. et al. 2008. Global patterns of socioeconomic biomass fl ows in the year 2000: A comprehensive assessment of supply, consumption and constraints. Ecological Economics. 65(3): 471-487. FAOSTAT. 2011. FAOSTAT. Rome: FAO. http://www. faostat.fao.org/default.aspx (accessed Febr.28 2012). IEA Bioenergy. 2009. A Sustainable and Reliable Energy Source. Main Report. Paris: International Energy Agency. Gustavsson, J. et al. 2011. Global food losses and food wastes – extent, causes and prevention. Rome: FAO http://www.fao.org/fi leadmin/user_upload/ags/ publications/GFL_web.pdf (accessed Jan.18 2012). Figure 2: Global bioenergy sources. (Source: IEA Bioenergy 2009.) 66 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 212-5 Maize hybrids for biogas production in conditions of Latvia Gaile, Zinta; Bartusevics, Janis Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA Introduction Latvia (latitudes: N 55°40’-58°05’ and longitudes: E 20°58’-28°14’) is considered as marginal area for maize (Zea maize L.) growing. However, crop is grown for forage since 1954 here. In very recent years also maize growing for newly developed biogas production plants is in progress. Research results for last twenty years showed that hybrids characterized with FAO numbers up to 220 provided persistent yield with good quality for forage. Researchers from Austria (Amon et al., 2007) consider that hybrids suitable for local conditions for biogas production should be used and they should be harvested at milk till yellow ripeness stage. Other research data suggests that for biogas production a little later maturity (by 50 FAO units) hybrids than those traditionally recommended can be used successfully (Degenhardt, 2005, cited by Schittenhelm, 2008). Our research aimed to test possibility to grow later maturity (FAO numbers above 220) hybrids for biogas production in Latvia. Methodology Trials were carried out during 2009-2011 in the Research and Study farm ‘Vecauce’ (latitude: N 56° 28´, longtitude: E 22° 53´) of Latvia University of Agriculture. Original seed of 29 maize hybrids in 2009, of 32 maize hybrids in 2010 and of 37 maize hybrids in 2011 with diff erent maturity rating defi ned by FAO number (FAO 160- 260) were used. Hybrids were from di ff erent breeding companies. Maize was sown on fi rst ten-day period of May, and harvested at the last days of September or fi rst days of October depending on year. Fresh maize and dry matter (DM) yields (t ha-1) and DM content (samples were dried up to constant weight at 105 °C) was analyzed in this paper. ANOVA analysis of variance was used for yield data processing. Meteorological conditions were diverse during trial years: 2009 was overly cold, but seasons of 2010 and 2011 were warm and with good moisture supply. Results and Discussion Maize yield signifi cantly (p<0.05) depended on used hybrid in every trial year. To see the infl uence of hybrid maturity rating on yield and DM content at harvest all used hybrids in every year were grouped into fi ve groups according the FAO number (Table 1). Results showed that average fresh maize yield, as well as DM yield of every succeeding group was higher than that of previous group in every trial year. Conditions of trial year also infl uenced the yield. Cold and dry weather in the early season of 2009 Fresh maize yield Dry matter content Dry matter yield FAO number 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Below 179 n*=3 34.30 n=3 40.21 n=1 31.13 32.18 35.48 40.32 11.05 14.29 12.96 180-199 n=7 40.28 n=9 45.07 n=9 45.28 29.85 33.95 34.94 12.00 15.33 15.82 200-220 n=14 43.28 n=13 49.80 n=20 51.03 28.68 33.12 33.68 12.54 16.42 17.23 221-240 n=3 54.22 n=5 56.34 n=6 54.96 26.24 31.94 30.76 14.20 17.97 18.39 241-260 n=2 59.81 n=2 57.80 n=1 67.59 25.21 29.40 32.32 15.08 17.00 21.85 *- number of hybrids included into calculation Table 1. Average yeld (t ha-1) and dry matter content of maize at harvest (%) depending on agro-meteorological conditions of trial year and hybrid maturity group (FAO number) 67 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 212-5 aff ected yield of maize in all maturity groups: DM yield (11.05-15.08 t ha-1) was notably lower if compared with two succeeding years. Yield of maize hybrids included into later maturity groups (FAO number above 220) was by 1.66-2.54 t ha -1 higher if compared with hybrids included into earlier maturity group (FAO 200-220). At the same time the average content of DM at harvest of every succeeding group decreased. Later maturity hybrids (FAO numbers above 220) provided DM content 25.21-26.24% in 2009. This is the lowest allowable DM content at harvest for making silage with satisfactory quality. Conditions in 2010 and 2011 were benefi cial for maize growing that was refl ected in higher DM yields (Table 1). Still the average yields of later maturity maize hybrids (FAO numbers above 220) were higher than that of group characterized by FAO 200-220 and in addition also DM content was above 29% which is appropriate for good quality silage making. Conclusions It was concluded that growers can take risk to use maize hybrids whose maturity group is characterized by FAO number up to 260 for biogas production in Latvia. Since performance of hybrids within a specifi c group depended on the genotype characteristics then only approved in local fi eld trials hybrids should be used. References Amon T. et al. (2007) Methane production through anaerobic digestion of various energy crops grown in sustainable crop rotation. Bioresource Technology, 98, p. 3204-3212. Schittenhelm S. (2008) Chemical composition and methane yield of maize hybrids with contrasting maturity. European Journal of Agronomy, 29 (2008), p. 72-79. 68 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Ecological footprint of agriculture and crop protection: analyzing environmental impacts of crop protection methods within an integrated framework Albajes, Ramon University of Lleida,, SPAIN 221-1K Introduction Among the several ways to respond to the increasing demand for agricultural goods, those that focus on enhancing crop productivity without losing sustainability occupy a major place. Recent evaluations show a potential 67.4% loss of yield but an actual 32.0% loss, caused by insect pests, plant diseases and weeds in world agriculture, thus meaning that current pest control methods are around 50% e ff ective (Oerke and Dehne, 2004). Further analysis shows that the most severe losses are in western countries, in spite of their being the heaviest pesticide consumers. Pesticides are among the main causes of the high ecological footprint associated to agriculture so chemical savings to prevent pest impacts should favour sustainability of crop protection. However, crop protection methods implemented to replace pesticides in modern agriculture do not necessarily lead to improved sustainability when they are designed without considering the entire agroecosystem and how biological systems operate within it (Keurentjes et al. 2010). Thus it is necessary to assess risks for environment posed by new pest control methods. If agroecosystems are analyzed in their trophic interactions, crop yield is the result of complex relationships in which weeds, plant pathogens and herbivore insects play a major role that may be understood only if at least the tritrophic system composed of plants/ herbivores/ natural enemies is analyzed. Maize in Mediterranean conditions is used as an example of how the modifi cation of herbivore insect populations by the application of pesticides or the alteration of weed fl ora composition, abundance, and phenology by using herbicide-tolerant maize may lead to more or less abrupt changes in insect pest densities. Leafh oppers (fam. Cicadellidae) are herbivore insects that colonize maize plants early in the season and reproduce until they reach relatively high densities that may delay plant growth if suppressing methods are not applied. Soon after leafh opper arrival, a generalist predatory insect, Orius spp. (fam. Anthocoridae) starts to forage on aerial parts of the plant for insect and mite prey, reproduces and remains in the crop at high densities until plants dry. The maize arthropod fauna has other components but crop plant, leafh oppers and Orius spp have shown to be key elements in the early establishment of the trophic web in the maize system that usually prevent herbivore insect population outbreaks (Albajes et al. 2011). Any interference with the process of maize plant colonization by leafh oppers may therefore delay establishment of higher trophic levels, primarily Orius spp. and other generalist predators, and deterioration of biological control services that are provided by arthropod fauna in maize plantations thus leading to aggravated ecological footprint of this agricultural system. In the presentation, the plant- herbivore- predator relationship is used to predict the impact of dressing seeds with soil insecticides or growing two kinds of transgenic maize, Bt maize and herbicide-tolerant maize, on the biological control functions. Methodology The presentation includes results from three kinds of fi eld trials. (i) insecticide seed dressing vs. untreated seeds; (ii) Bt maize vs. non-Bt maize, and (iii) glyphosate vs. conventional herbicide-treated maize with a transgenic herbicide-tolerant maize. With a randomized block design the diff erent treatments were evaluated in multiyear trials where the populations of the principal arthropods were monitored along the season. Results were statistically analyzed. Results and discussion Results have been already published and readers are referred to the following references (Albajes et al. 2003, 2009, 2011; Poza et al. 2005). Conclusion The measurement of the impact of pesticides or GM crops on the environment should be done in the fi eld where consequences of interfering with complex multiple interactions may be displayed. 69 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-1K 70 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-2 Temporary grasslands impact weed abundance and diversity Médiène, Saϐia1; Zhang, Wenxuan2; Doisy, Diana2; Charrier, Xavier2 1AgroParisTech, FRANCE; 2INRA, FRANCE Introduction The introduction of temporary grasslands in arable crop rotations is a promising agroecological way to control weed populations (Meiss et al., 2010). The aim of this work is to analyze how the insertion of temporary grasslands into cereal-based rotations aff ects the weed diversity and communities. Three levels of statistical analyses (α diversity, β diversity and functional diversity) are carried out in order to understand the weed diversity and community composition changes in crops and temporary grasslands. Materiels and Methods Weed fl ora observations are realized in the long- term experiment SOERE–ACBB (Observatory and Experimental System for Environmental Research - Agroecosystems, Biogeochemical Cycles, and Biodiversity) at the INRA research centre of Lusignan in western France. Five treatments are diff erentiated by duration (0, 3, 6 and 20 years) and nitrogen fertilization (low or high) of grasslands in cereal- based rotations (maize/wheat/barley). The plant composition seeded in 2005 in grasslands is a mixture of Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea and Dactylis glomerata. Chemical weeding is applied to crops when required. Weed fl ora is observed at least once a year in spring using a modifi ed Barralis scale for species notation. Species richness (S), abundance (A), and diversity indexes, namely Shannon (H) and Piélou (J) indexes, were computed from weed fl ora data. Analyses of variance and Tuckey tests were performed with R freeware. Specifi c methods were used to study β diversity and functional diversity (Analysis of Similarities : ANOSIM, Indicator Species Analysis : ISA). Results are presented for weed fl ora observed between 2005 and 2010. Ten groups are defi ned according to crop identity, age and N fertilization of grasslands. Initial fl ora observed in 2005 is also separated in a group. Results Figure 1 presents species richness, abundance, and diversity indexes for the 10 groups. High abundance and α diversity are observed in initial weed fl ora. Crops have low weed abundance 71 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-2 grasslands allow reducing weed abundance to values similar to those in crops in which chemical weeding is applied. N fertilization increases plant growth making grasslands more competitive and effi cient in weed control. Secondly, low N grasslands also decrease weed abundance but present higher species richness and functional diversity that may be interesting to support biodiversity in crop fi elds (Marshall et al., 2003). Acknowledgements The present work was funded by ANR SYSTERRA ADVHERB (ANR-08-STRA-02). References Marshall EJP, Brown VK, Boatman ND et al. (2003). The role of weeds in supporting biological diversity within crop fi elds. Weed Research 43, 77–89. Meiss H., Médiène S., Waldhart R., Caneill J., Bretagnolle V., Reboud X., Munier-Jolain N. (2010). Perennial lucerne aff ects weed community trajectories in grain crop rotations. Weed Research 50, 331-340. (because of weeding) but quite high α diversity (especially in spring crops). A, S and H decrease with grassland age in high N grasslands whereas they remain stable in low N grasslands. J presents slight variations between groups. β diversity greatly diff ers between groups. Spring crops and initial fl ora have very diff erent weed composition compared to the other groups (Table 1). High ANOSIM-R values are obtained for these groups when compared with the others. Comparison between low and high N grasslands also presents quite high ANOSIM-R indicating diff erent weed composition. ISA analysis allows identifying species and functional groups specifi c to each group. At the functional level, perennial species benefi t from the particular growth conditions in temporary grasslands. On the other hand, the conditions in annual crops favor annual broad-leaved species with an upright morphology. Legumes increase in the temporary grassland without nitrogen fertilization. Conclusion This study suggests two main eff ects of temporary grasslands on weed community. Firstly, temporary 72 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Does grassland cover limit the replenishment of weed seed bank during seed rain? Doisy, Diana1; Colbach, Nathalie1; Roger-Estrade, Jean2; Médiène, Saϐia2 1INRA, FRANCE; 2AgroParisTech, FRANCE 221-3 Introduction To limit environmental pollution, new cropping systems which are less reliant on pesticides are understudy. Temporary grassland in a crop rotation could represent an agro-ecological way of regulating weed population. The weed seed bank is the primary source of weeds in cultivated soils. The model FlorSys predicts the eff ects of cropping systems on the dynamics of weed communities in annual crops (Colbach et al. 2010, Gardarin et al. 2012); however, it is not con fi gured to predict the fate of seeds in permanent cover, which diff ers from annual crops because it constitutes a barrier preventing newly produced weed seeds from reaching the soil. We set out to quantify the percentage of weed seeds passing through grassland cover depending on seed morphology and cover height. The study involves the simulation of a weed seed rain under controlled conditions. How well does grassland cover retain weed seeds during seed rain, and to what extent does it limit the replenishment of the weed seed bank? Materials and methods Twelve weed species were chosen based on literature identifying the species most frequently found in the north of France, in addition to species observed in a long- term experiment (Médiène et al., 2008). Species were also chosen for diff erent morphological characteristics (Table 1 for details).To mimic seed rain, weed seed was deposited on a plate perforated with holes. The plate was placed above a plot of grass or, for the control, bare soil. The height of the plate was determined by calculating the average height of the adult plants of all twelve species (40 cm). The seeds which passed through the cover fell onto a tray placed on the soil. A light mechanical intervention was carried out to mimic wind and bring to the soil surface seeds about to fall. Seeds that did not reach the ground were not accounted for. Each seed drop was repeated three times for the twelve species. Two cover heights were tested: 19.5±2 and 31±4 cm. The e ff ect of seed traits and cover height on the percentage of weed seeds reaching the soil relative to the control was determined with analyses of variance. Results Percentages of seeds reaching the soil in grassland cover relative to the bare ground control were analyzed with ANOVA to identify the pertinent seed traits (Table 1). The percentage Y can be predicted from seed traits and cover height as follows: Y= μ + α size + β weight + γ shape index + δ cover height. The larger, the heavier, and the more elongated the seeds, the less able they were to pass through the cover. The taller the cover, the lower the percentage of seeds on the ground. Discussion We suppose that the smaller the amount of weedseed on the ground, the less likely the speciesis to grow in the grassland. A follow-up studywill compare the experimental results with the evolution of species observed under real Pr(>F) ANOVA Parameters significant Estimate Pr(>F) Estimate (intercept) μ 127,38 <2e-16 *** Seed size 2.103e-08 *** α -6,30 0.15 Seed weight 0.0005789 *** β -1,16 0.73 Seed shape index 0.0110662 * γ -68,85 0.01 ** Seed attributes 0.1380126 Seed roughness 0.5601900 Canopy height < 2.2e-16 *** δ -1,53 < 2e-16 *** Table 1: Results of ANOVA and parameter values for predicting the percentage of weed seed rain passing through a grass canopy. 73 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-3 conditions in SOERE ACBB (Observatory Environmental Research“Agro-ecosystems, Biogeochemical Cycles, and Biodiversity”). Parameters of this linear model will be used to develop a new sub model for FlorSys to calculate the percentage of seeds reaching the ground with a grass cover, according to species traits. The amended FlorSys can then be used to simulate the dynamics of weeds in cropping systems involving temporary grasslands in the rotation. Acknowledgements The present work was fi nanced by DIM ASTREA and ANR SYSTERRA ADVHERB (ANR-08-STRA-02). References Colbach N., Gardarin A., Munier-Jolain, 2010. FLORSYS: a mechanistic model of cropping system eff ects on weed fl ora based on functional relationships with species traits. Proc. 15th International EWRS Symposium, 12-15 July 2010, Kaposvár, Hungary 157-158 (oral) Gardarin A., Dürr C., Colbach N., 2012. Modelling weed seed bank dynamics and emergence with species traits. Ecological Modelling. Médiène S.,Charrier X., 2008. Weed fl ora dynamics during the fi rst years of grassland establishment. 22nd General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation. Uppsala (Sweden), p. 278-280 74 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-4 An epidemiological modelling framework to help agronomists defi ning crop protection strategies-the risk of R. solani in sugar beet using biofumigation Leclerc, Melen1; Doré, Thierry2; Gilligan, Christopher A.3; Lucas, Philippe1; Filipe, João A.N.3 1INRA, FRANCE; 2AgroParisTech, FRANCE; 3University of Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM The management of biotic interactions is a promising strategy for improving pest management in agro- ecosystems (Médiène et al., 2011); however, this ecological-based approach requires knowledge of the functioning of these complex systems. In particular, it is crucial to understand and make predictable the key ecological and epidemiological processes involved in the spatio-temporal dynamics of pathogens. Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2 IIIB is a saprotrophic soil-borne fungus prevalent in agricultural systems. Within short rotations of host crops, such as maize-maize-sugar beet, R. solani causes substantial damage to sugar beet through brown root (or crown rot) disease. When a host crop is present, an epidemic of R. solani can start from residual soil inoculum and spread through secondary infection from plant to plant creating a patchy pattern of disease. Although the main epidemiological processes are known, control of this pathogen is diffi cult and poorly understood, particularly in sugar beet. From a disease management perspective, biofumigation presents an opportunity to exploit the intercrop period preceding the beet crop. Previous research has demonstrated that growing and incorporating mustard in the soil can decrease the impact of R. solani on sugar beet. However, from an epidemiological point of view the conditions for a successful use of biofumigation are not understood because of its multiple eff ects on the pathogen, some of which do not benefi t control (Motisi et al., 2010). Previous work on wheat-sugar beet rotation has demonstrated that biofumigation can decrease the incidence of root rot disease mainly through a decrease in primary infections (Motisi et al., 2009, 2012). Here we extend these modelling analyses by considering spatially-explicit dynamics, known to be important for this disease (Filipe et al. 2004, Gilligan 2008), and quantifying the variability in the effi cacy of biofumigation treatments. Using recent knowledge on the spread of R. solani in conventional sugar beet crop, we derive a stochastic individual-based model which describes the spatial patterns of disease observed in fi elds. Afterwards we estimate spatial rates of infection fi tting a semi- spatial model to temporal data obtained in fi eld trials (Filipe et al. 2004). Then we use the values of these parameters to parametrise our spatial model and run stochastic simulations considering, or not, a biocontrol by biofumigation. To fi nish with we analyse the model output to quantify the risk of using biofumigation for disease management. In conclusion, we point out some new key factors of the spatio-temporal spread of the epidemic and its biocontrol by biofumigation that shoud be considered in a sustainable pest management assessment. References Filipe, J.A.N., Otten, W., Gibson, G.J., and Gilligan, C.A. 2004. Inferring the dynamics of a spatial epidemic from time-series data. Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 66(2): 373-391. Gilligan, C.A. 2008. Sustainable agriculture and plant diseases: an epidemiological perspective. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 363(1492): 741-759. Médiène S. et al., 2011. Agroecosystem management and biotic interactions. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 31, 491-514. Motisi N. et al., 2009. Growing Brassica juncea as a cover crop and then incorporating its residues provide complementary control of Rhizoctonia root rot of sugar beet. Field Crop Research 113, 238-245 Motisi N. et al., 2010. Dealing with the variability in biofumigation effi cacy through an epidemiological framework. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 42, 2044-2057. Motisi, N., Poggi, S., Filipe, J.A.N., Lucas, P., Dore, T., Montfort, F., Gilligan, C.A., and Bailey, D.J. 2012. Epidemiological analysis of the eff ects of biofumigation for biological control of root rot in sugar beet. Plant Pathology, in press. 75 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-4 76 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-5 Development of winter wheat root and crown rot depending on soil tillage system and pre-crops Ruza, Antons1; Bankina, Biruta1; Paura, Liga1; Lapina, Liga2; Priekule, Ilze3; Bimsteine, Gunita1 1Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA; 2State Plant Protection Service, LATVIA; 3Latvian Plant Protection Research Centre Ltd, LATVIA Introduction Minimum soil tillage and monocultures are widespread technologies of winter wheat production in Latvia. Contradictious results have been reported in literature (Bockus&Shroyer, 1998; Holland, 2004). Minimum tillage saves resources, probably decreases erosion of soil and increases amount of soil organic material, but at the same time promotes development of harmful organisms. The aim of investigations is to estimate development of the winter wheat root and crown (stem base) diseases depending on soil tillage and crop rotation. Methodology Long-term fi eld experimental plots were established at the Study and Research Farm «Peterlauki» of the Latvia University of Agriculture in the autumn of 2008. The experiments were carried out in conditions very similar to the actual crop production conditions; total plot area was 6 ha, area for each treatment – 0.25 ha. Two-factor trials were established: A – soil tillage: 1) soil: conventional ploughing – plough tillage (0.22 – 0.23 m) with mouldboard plough, 2) minimal tillage – shallow (0.10 – 0.12 m) tillage with disc harrow; B – crop rotation: 1) wheat after wheat, 2) wheat after non-wheat. Incidence of complex of stem base diseases (root and crown rot) was determined after wheat harvesting. Stubble of wheat was collected from two adjacent rows (each 25 cm long) in fi ve randomly chosen places of each fi eld – altogether about 300 stems. Stem-base and root diseases were determined visually, and incidence was calculated. Plant parts with disease symptoms were air- dried and prepared for identifi cation of the causal agents of diseases. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) was used for initial isolation of plant pathogens. The general linear model was used to evaluate signifi cance of the factors which had infl uenced the incidence of the complex of stem-base diseases. Pairwise comparisons among factor levels were done using the Bonferroni test. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2010 2011 conventional minimal wheat other Year Soil tillage Pre-crop In ci de nc e, % Fig. 1. Incidence of winter root and crown rot depending on agroecological conditions. 77 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-5 Results and Discussion A high level of winter wheat root and crown rot development was determined in the fi rst year of investigations: incidence of disease reached 71% in wheat fi elds under conditional soil tillage, and 82% in fi elds without ploughing. In further years the level of disease was lower. A year as a complex of meteorological and agroecological conditions is the most important factor infl uencing the development of root and crown rot under Latvian agro-climatic conditions (p<0.001). Also soil tillage system (p<0.1) and crop rotation (p<0.01) demonstrated a signifi cant infl uence on root and crown rot disease development (Fig. 1). Full identifi cation of pathogens has not been completed yet, but preliminary results have shown prevalence of pathogens from the genus Fusarium – Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium gramineum, and Fusarium culmorum. The percentage of Fusarium spp. out of the total number of isolates varied from 11% to 58% depending on the year and the treatment. A higher percentage of Fusarium spp. was observed both in variants without crop rotation and with minimal tillage (Fig. 2). 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Minimal tillage Conventional tillage Wheat after wheat Other pre-crop P ro po rt io n, % Fig. 2. Proportion of pathogens from genus Fusarium depending on agronomic measures The period of the present investigations has been too short for a complete evaluation of the diff erent factors which infl uence the development of the wheat root and crown rot diseases. The investigations are still going on: infl uence of crop rotation and tillage systems on disease development is being evaluated, and causal agents are being identifi ed. Acknowledgement The research was supported by the State research programme «Sustainable Use of Local Agricultural Resources for the Development of High Nutritive Value Food Products», subproject No.3.1 «Sustainable Use of Soil as the Main Resource for the Production of Safe and Qualitative Food and Feed from the Main Agricultural Crops». References Bockus W.W., Shroyer J.P. (1998) The impact of reduced tillage on soilborne plant pathogens. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 36: 485–500. Holland J.M. (2004) The environmental consequences of adopting conservation tillage in Europe: reviewing the evidence. Agriculture, Ecosystems&Environment, 103(1): 1–25. 78 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-1 Crop rotation aff ects GHG-balances and energy- balances of oilseed rape Christen, Olaf; Büttner, Mirko University of Halle-Wittenberg, GERMANY Introduction Energy and GHG balances are important components in the sustainability assessment of crops for energy production. In European countries those criteria are even included in various legislation and directives which is some cases are necessary prerequisites if products are sold for energy purposes. The benchmarks, however, are only on the crop level and thus the rotational or the farm level are not considered. Materials and methods In a long term experiment (harvest years 2004 to 2020) winter oilseed tape (OSR) was grown in three diff erent rotational situations. OSR was either grown after three years of winter winter, one year of OSR or two years of OSR as preceding crops, representing extreme preceding crop situations. The experimental site is located near Halle, Germany in the state Saxony-Anhalt, which is characterized by fairly dry conditions (av. precipitation of only 420 mm/y and exceptional good soil conditions (black Chernozem). The calculations of the various parameters were done using the software REPRO (Deike et al. 2008; Küstermann et al. 2010). Results Depending on the preceding crop OSR yielded 4.22 t/ ha (following winter wheat), 3.97 t/ha (following OSR once) and 3.71 t/ha (following OSR twice), mainly due to diff erence in the incidence in various pests and diseases. Those diff erences in yield had a strong eff ect on the energy and GHG balances. On an per ha basis, OSR following wheat produced 93 GJ/ ha where as OSR following OSR only yielded 86 GJ/ha and OSR following OSR twice only 80 GJ/ha. On a product bases the di ff erence where even more pronounced. The calculations for the GHG emissions on a per unit yield basis showed a strong eff ect of the diff erent rotations situations. Here the highest yields in the winter oilseed rape following wheat compared with winter oilseed rape following either one year of OSR or two previous years of oilseed rape cropping caused a range of 35,0 kg CO 2 eq per cereal unit to 39,1 kg CO 2 eq per cereal unit. Discussion The results from the experiment at Saxony-Anhalt demonstrate clearly a strong eff ect of the rotational situation of winter oilseed rape on GHG and energy balances. This confi rms results from a previous experiment at the same site (Rathke et al. 2005) and on other sites under diff erent environmental conditions (e.g. Christen and Sieling 1995). Despite the current political and administrative approach we highly recommend to include rotational aspects in the calculation of GHG and energy balances in the concept of sustainability assessments. This, however, will cause some methodological changes in the way GHG balances are calculated, because the eff ect of diff erences in husbandry have to be considered in such a rotational situation. References Christen, O., Sieling, K., 1995: Eff ect of diff erent preceding crops and crop rotations on yield of oil-seed rape (Brassica napus L.). Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 174, 265-271 Deike, S. Pallutt, B., Christen, O., 2008: Energy effi ciency in organic and integrated farming with particular regard to pesticide use intensity. European Journal of Agronomy, 28, 461-470 Küstermann, B., Christen, O., Hülsbergen, K.-J., 2009: Modelling nitrogen cycles of farming systems as basis of site- and farm-specifi c nitrogen management. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 135, 70-80 Rathke, G.-W., Christen, O., Diepenbrock, W. 2005: Eff ects of nitrogen source and rate on productivity and quality of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) grown in diff erent crop rotations. Field Crops Research, 94, 103-113 79 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 221-5 80 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-2 Water drainage and nitrate leaching under contrasted biomass crops Ferchaud, Fabien; Vitte, Guillaume; Mary, Bruno INRA, FRANCE Introduction The development of biomass crops for energy production is expected to provide signifi cant fossil energy substitution and greenhouse gas mitigation (Sims et al., 2006). However environmental impacts of biomass crops are poorly known, including the eff ects on water resource and quality. In this study, we have investigated the eff ect of contrasted biomass crops on water drainage and nitrate leaching over 4 years. Materials and methods Six cropping systems with two rates of N fertilization (N- and N+, depending on species) are compared in a mid- term experiment: Miscanthus x giganteus, switchgrass, fescue and alfalfa in rotation, triticale and fi ber sorghum in rotation. The experiment was established in 2006 in Northern France in a deep loamy soil (Ortic Luvisol). From 2007 to 2011, the mean annual rainfall was 630 mm and potential evapotranspiration was 731 mm. Soil water content (SWC) and mineral nitrogen (SMN) were measured twice a year (mid-March and early November) in 5 layers (30 cm thick) by coring down to 150 cm, each year from November 2007 to March 2011. STICS model (Brisson et al., 2008) was used to simulate SWC and SMN and calculate water drainage and nitrate leaching below 150 cm. Simulations were performed during each winter starting at the fi rst measurement date (November used as initial data) until mid-April. We assumed that the crop had no eff ect on water and nitrogen dynamics during this period since plants were in dormancy. The soil nitrogen mineralization rate was calibrated in order to match the SMN profi le measured in March. Results and discussion SWC in March was unaff ected by the treatments and fairly constant between years, indicating that soil moisture was close to fi eld capacity. SWC was lower in November and dependent on the previous crop. SMN in November was aff ected by the crop and N rate and their interaction. The highest SMN (mean of the 4 years) was found after miscanthus N+ (55 kg ha -1) and the lowest after switchgrass N- (23 kg ha-1). Simulated water drainage was dependent fi rstly on crop and secondly on N rate, with a small increase for the N- treatments (Figure 1). The mean water drainage was lower for miscanthus, fescue and alfalfa than for the other crops, in accordance with McIsaac et al. (2010) who 81 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-2 observed greater water consumption for miscanthus than for switchgrass and annual crops. Simulated nitrate leaching was dependent on crop and nitrogen treatments but was generally very low (2.4 kg ha-1 yr-1 on average). Nitrate losses with miscanthus were particularly high during the fi rst winter (2007-2008) and markedly decreased during the following years, as reported by Christian and Riche (1998). This is probably due to the low development of the crop during the fi rst year which implies low N uptake. The average nitrate concentration was also dependent on crop and nitrogen treatments (Figure 2). It ranged from 3 mg l-1 for switchgrass N- to 36 mg l -1 for miscanthus N+. Conclusion All perennial and multi-annual crops except switchgrass reduced water drainage as compared to annual crops. Nitrate leaching was low for all crops and treatments, except for miscanthus during the fi rst year of measurement. Diff erences in water consumption must be further investigated, as well as the entire nitrogen cycle, including greenhouse gas emissions. References Brisson N. et al., 2008. Conceptual basis, formalisations and parametrisation of the STICS crop model. Editions QUAE, Versailles, 297 p. Christian D.G., Riche A.B., 1998. Nitrate leaching losses under Miscanthus grass planted on a silty clay loam soil. Soil Use and Management 14, 131-135. McIsaac G.F. et al., 2010. Miscanthus and switchgrass production in Central Illinois: impacts on hydrology and inorganic nitrogen leaching. Journal of Environmental Quality 39, 1790-1799. Sims R.E.H. et al., 2006. Energy crops: current status and future prospects. Global Change Biology 12, 2054-2076. 82 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-3 Producing food and electricity in the same system: experimental evidence of agrivoltaic system potential Marrou, Helene; Wery, Jacques; Dufour, Lydie; Dupraz, Christian INRA, FRANCE Introduction There is now a worldwide agreement on the need to fi nd a compromise between feeding the planet and providing it with energy. As an alternative to the misappropriation of arable lands for biomass production or electricity, we propose agrivoltaic arrays (AVA) (Dupraz et al., 2011). AVAs associate an upper layer of photovoltaic panels (PVPs) and a ground layer of crop on the same unit of land. The PVP layer can be designed with diff erent densities and geometrical arrangements. This will directly impact the pattern and mean level of shade at the ground level. Our aim is to optimize the overall productivity of AVA (food + electricity), through the density of solar panels, and the choice of species or varieties. Material and Methods The experiment was conducted in Montpellier (southern France), with an AVA prototype where PVPs are arranged in narrow strips, orientated East-West and inclined southward (Marrou, PhD thesis in prep.). Two sub systems were compared to full sun control (CP): FD where there are as many PVP strips as in a conventional solar plant, and HD where half of the strips have been removed. From July 2010 to September2011, we tested vegetable crops (crisphead and cutting lettuces - fi ve cultivars - French beans, cucumber) and durum wheat. Biomass accumulation and Leaf Area Index were monitored all along the crop cycles. Available radiation was predicted with a radiative model that was validated with fi eld data. Determinants of AVA productivity were investigated through the Monteith approach, where fi nal yield is the product of Light Interception Effi ciency (RIE), Light Conversion Effi ciency (RCE) and Harvest Index (HI, when relevant) (Marrou et al., submitted). Results Mean available radiation was respectively 50 % and 70 % of incident PAR, in FD and HD, compared to CP. For all the species, the same response to shade was observed. Yield decreased signifi cantly down to 50% of control in FD, whereas it was hardly aff ected in HD (table 1), except for cucumber. For two varieties of lettuces, yield in HD tended to be higher in the shade than in full sun in 2011. Spatial heterogeneity of yield was not increased in the shade (Fisher tests for each variety), although available light varied from one location to another for a given day. For each species, the relative yield was higher than the 83 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-3 relative available light, both in FD and HD. We found that plants maintained high yield under the shade of solar panels through increased RIE (Marrou et al., submitted). RCE was not signifi cantly modifi ed. In the case of wheat, HI increased signifi cantly in HD only compared to full sun. Discussion Increased RIE is the main lever for plants to compensate at least partially the reduction in light resource in AVA systems. Species and cultivars with a high capacity to develop rapidly dense canopies should be preferred to optimize AVA. On the photovoltaic side, we showed that AVA should be designed to allow at least 70% of PAR0 at the crop level in order to keep reasonable crop yields . At the same time, such a system would produce 420 kWh/year on 1 ha, and could supply 140 families with electricity. A smart suggestion would be to mount the PVPs on a mobile structure that would allow to monitor the light transmission under the panels above the required threshold. During periods between crops, or when the crops need less radiation, PVPs could be set back to their optimum position for electricity production. These systems are currently investigated for their food and electricity production and their economic effi ciency (Marrou, PhD thesis, in prep.). References Dupraz, C. et al. 2010. Combining solar photovoltaic panels and food crops for optimising land use: Towards new agrivoltaic schemes. Renewable Energy 36 (10), 2725-2732. Marrou H., et al. Radiation Use effi ciency of lettuces grown in the partial shade of photovoltaic panels. submitted to EJA. Marrou H. Conception et Optimisation de systèmes agrivoltaïques. PhD thesis. in prep. 84 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-4 Table 1. Main chemical characteristics of the waste water entering (in) and flowing (out) from the lagoon system. pH EC Cl- Ca2+ Mg2+ Na+ K+ NO3 - SO4 2- CO3 2- dS/ m g/l meq/l meq/l meq/l meq/l meq/l meq/l meq/l i n 8 .23 2.41 0 . 5 7 1 . 02 2.22 16. 7 1 1 . 3 6 0 . 0 8 0 . 0 7 8 . 0 0 o u t 8 . 1 7 2.50 0 . 6 8 2.51 2.55 9 . 1 7 1 . 1 6 0 . 0 5 0 . 0 7 6 .28 Sorghum productivity as a consequence of limited and waste water irrigation in Southern Italy Mastrorilli, Marcello; Campi, Pasquale; Modugno, A. Francesca; Navarro, Alejandra; Palumbo, A. Domenico Agricultural Research Council – Research Unit for cropping systems in dry environments, ITALY Introduction The research focused on: 1) agronomic activities supporting the energy chain; 2) actions to safeguard Europe’s wate resources (EU, 2012). Several trials demonstrated the productive potential of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L., Moench) as an energy crop (Curt et al., 1995) but its adaptability in terms of water requirements in hot arid conditions are still under study. Therefore, to achieve better planning of available water resources and to determine irrigation strategies to optimize the yield of biomass, it is necessary to know the response of crops to defi cit irrigation (Steduto et al., 1997). The purpose of the agronomic study was to evaluate the potential of Sorghum with limited irrigation by using waste water. Materials and methods The experiment was performed over a two seasons (2009 and 2010) at Trinitapoli (Italy) (lat: 41°24’, long: 15°56’, alt: 3 m asl) on three Sorghum commercial hybrids (‘Pioneer 811’, ‘Pioneer 849’, and ‘KWS Bulldozer’) submitted to two water regimes. Both seasons were characterized by low rainfall (<100 mm). Two irrigation treatments were compared (100ET and 50ET). They consisted in restoring 100% and 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc). ETc was calculated according to the FAO approach. ETc was monitored by using the simplifi ed (Mastrorilli, 1999) water balance (ETc = ± W + P – D). Soil water content (W) was daily measured through Time Domain Refl ectometry (TDR) method. Sorghum plots were irrigated by using municipal waste water, after a lagoon treatment realized inside the farm (Table 1). The content of heavy metals and salts in the water irrigation was monitored. In both years, Sorghum was sown in early May and harvested in October. Results The adopted experimental design, in both years, allowed to clearly diff erentiate the water soil status as a function of supplied water volume; however, the wilting point was never attained. The seasonal evapotranspiration of sorghum grown under optimal conditions (100 ET) was 433 mm, while the defi cit irrigation caused a seasonal evapotranspiration equal to 330 mm (average values of the two irrigation seasons). The hybrid ‘Pioneer 811’ yielded the highest amount of biomass (Table 2), which was found to be statistically diff erent in 2010 (31.3 t ha-1). The defi cit irrigation did not result in a yield reduction in both years (26.1 vs 24,6 t ha -1, respectively in 100 ET and 50 ET). The water analysis periodically carried out showed the absence of heavy metals. Conclusions The data confi rmed a satisfactory tolerance of Sorghum even with reduced water supplies. As for the use of the waste water, results on productivity indicate that Sorghum does not show any reduction since the yield obtained in both seasons attains the highest production range of Sorghum crops growing in the Mediterranean area, if irrigation water is supplied. However, it is necessary to verify if the irrigation practice with waste waters does not compromise the soil properties, with particular regard to seasonal salt accumulation (Katerji et al., 2003). 85 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-4 T a b l e 2- A b o v e g r o u n d b i o m a s s o b t a i n e d i n t w o s e a s o n s b y S o r g h u m g r o w i n g u n d e r t w o w a t e r r e g i m e s . Treatment Dry matter yield (t ha -1 ) 2009 2010 IRRIGATION (I) 100% 24.39 27.84 50% 23.37 25.78 HYBRID (H) Pioneer 811 26.23 31.30 a Pioneer 849 22.98 22.72 c SKW Bulldozer 22.42 26.42 b Significance (P< 0.001) I ns ns H ns *** References Curt, M.D., Fernandez, J., Martinez, M. 1995 - Productivity and water use effi cacy of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) cv. ‘Keller’ in relation to water regime. Biomass Bioenergy. (8): 401–409. Katerji, N., van Hoorn, J. W., Hamdy, A., Mastrorilli, M., 2003 - Salinity eff ect on crop development and yield, analysis of salt tolerance according to several classifi cation methods. Agric. Water Manage., 62, 37-66. EU 2012 - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/ blueprint/index_en.htm Mastrorilli M. 1999 - Sviluppo di modelli idrologici per ambienti mediterranei. Bollettino SIS. 48(1): 245-250. Steduto, P., Katerji, N., Puertos-Molina, H., Unlu, M., Mastrorilli, M., Rana, G. 1997 - Water-use e ffi ciency of sweet sorghum under water stress conditions. Gas exchange investigations at leaf and canopy scales. Field Crops Res. (54): 221–234. 86 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-5 Eff ects of the removal of a 20-year old Miscanthus stand on GHG emissions, soil nitrate and carbon stocks Dufossé, Karine1; Drewer, Julia2; Gabrielle, Benoît1; Drouet, Jean-Louis1 1AgroParisTech, INRA, FRANCE; 2Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction The share of renewable sources in the European energy mix is growing rapidly to meet the targets set for 2020 by the Renewable Energy Directive: an overall 20% share and a 10% share in the transport sector. These targets are expected to result in a sharp increase in the demand for lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstock. However, the sustainability of large-scale feedstock supply is a major challenge. Perennial crops are a particularly suitable type of feedstock from this standpoint due to their high yields, low input requirements, signifi cant potential to sequester carbon in soils and low levels of N 2 O emissions. Among these crops, Miscanthus x Giganteus, a perennial C4-grass, emerges as one of the prime candidates for feedstock production in Europe. However, few experimental plots are older than a dozen of years, and studies dealing with the long-term cultivation of Miscanthus are scant. The life cycle of this crop must include the removal consequences on soil and atmosphere emissions as well as the carry-over eff ects for the following crop. Here, we report an experimental work aiming to evaluate the impacts brought about by the end of life of a 20-year old Miscanthus stand, with a three-fold objective: i) to assess the long-term eff ects on soil of perennial crop cultivation and of rotation of annual crops, ii) to monitor the CO 2 and N 2 O emission rates, as well as changes in soil C and N stocks due to the removal and iii) to characterize the eff ects of removal on the following crop. Methodology The Miscanthus fi eld (55 m x 6 m in size) used in this experiment has been cultivated since 1991 in Grignon, 40 km West of Paris (France). A three step removal method was carried out on the fi eld: i) the above-ground biomass was crushed during the growing period (June), ii) Glyphosate was applied on the re-grown Miscanthus shoots (August) and iii) Soil was tilled in September before sowing the following crop (wheat). The Miscanthus fi eld was divided into three treatments: i) two replicate plots with Miscanthus removal and wheat recultivation, ii) two plots remained as bare soils after glyphosate application and iii) Miscanthus was continued for a 21st year in a control plot. Soil samples were analysed for soil organic C and N content, nitrate and ammonium, pH, phosphorus, potassium and moisture content at the end of the Miscanthus life-span in June 2011. An isotopic analysis (13C/12C ratio) was carried out in June 2011 to assess the fraction of CO 2 respiration originating from C4 crop (Miscanthus) and from the C3 barley crop in the adjacent arable fi eld. Emissions of N 2 O and CO 2 were measured with twenty manual chambers monthly and upon each operation in the removal of Miscanthus and subsequent sowing. Topsoil (0-30 cm) was sampled for moisture and inorganic N analysis on a similar basis from July 2011 to July 2012. This method is described in Flechard et al.3 Results and Discussion A net increase of CO 2 was measured between July and mid-September 2011 with a peak at 158 μg C m-² s-1, twice the CO 2 emission rates for in the Miscanthus control during the same period due to the re-grown of Miscanthus shoots (Fig. 1a). N 2 O emissions were slightly higher on the bare soil plot, most certainly due to the presence of a higher amount of mulch on the soil surface than on the Miscanthus control plot and recultivated plots (Fig. 1b). However, these results have a large standard deviation due large variations in fl uxes across chambers. In March 2012 the density and growth rate of wheat were lower than the control arable plot. Nevertheless, soil inorganic N dynamics were similar between both wheat plots. Measurements will be continued until the harvest of wheat in July, to confi rm and explain the eff ects of removal on the following wheat culture and soil C and N stocks. These results will be presented at the conference. Conclusion This work provided the fi rst references for considering the end of life of Miscanthus crop in the process of life cycle assessment. Therefore, the environmental balance of bioenergies supplied by this crop should be improved. 87 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-5 Figure 1: (a) CO 2 emissions (μg C m-² s-1) and (b) N 2 O emissions (ng N m-² s-1) from June 2011 to March 2012 for all plots (Bare soil, Recultivation, Miscanthus-Control and Wheat-Control) References European Commission 2009: Directive 2009/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 Lewandowski I et al. 2000 Miscanthus: European experience with a novel energy crop, Biomass Bioenerg. 19: 209-227 Flechard et al. 2005 Bi-directional soil/atmosphere N2O exchange over two mown grassland systems with contrasting management practices, Global Change Biology 11:2114-2127 88 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-6 Dynamics of nitrogen uptake and remobilisation in Miscanthus x giganteus using 15N-labelled fertilizer tracing Strullu, Loïc1; Mary, Bruno1; Lebas, Guillaume2; Catterou, Manuella2; Beaudoin, Nicolas1 1I.N.R.A. unité Agro-Impact,, FRANCE; 2Université P Jules Verne, FRANCE Introduction Only a few studies dealing with 15N-labelled fertilizers applied to M. giganteus have been published (Christian et al., 1997, 2006). The authors showed that M. giganteus was able to store large amounts of N in belowground organs, but did not determine N uptake or remobilisation fl uxes within the plant. Strullu et al. (2011) showed that N remobilisation is strongly dependent on N stocks in rhizomes. 15N tracing is a powerful tool to characterize gross N fl uxes which occur in soil (Mary et al, 1998) or in perennial crops (Millard and Grelet, 2010), it has not yet been used in M. giganteus. We used this method to quantify the kinetics of N uptake and remobilisation by Miscanthus plants in a 4 year established crop using a single pulse of 15N labelled fertilizer. Materials and methods The experimental site is located in Northern France (49°52’N, 3°00’E) in a deep loamy soil (Ortic luvisol). M. giganteus was planted in May 2006 at a density of 1.56 plants m-2. Four treatments were established, varying in nitrogen fertiliser rate (0 or 120 kg N ha-1) and harvest date (early E or late L harvest). On 16 April 2009, 15N-labelled fertilizer (120 kg N ha-1) was applied in fertilised treatments. The isotopic excess of UAN was 4.17%. Methods used to determine total biomass and dry weight of organs are given in Strullu et al. (2011). Plant organ total N concentration and 15N abundance were determined using an elemental analyser (Flash EA 1112) linked to a mass spectrometer (Delta V Advantage, Thermo Electron). The use of 15N tracer allows to calculate 4 gross N fl uxes: N absorption allocated in rhizomes (Ar) or in shoots (Ap), N mobilisation from rhizomes to shoots (upwards: R) or vice versa (downwards: M). Calculation is based on the diff erential 15N enrichment or dilution which appears in above and belowground organs. Hypotheses of our compartmental analysis are: i) 15N mixes uniformly when entering a compartment, ii) remobilisation occurs either upwards (R) or downwards (M) but not simultaneously. a) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 A M J J A S O N D J F N f lu x e s ( k g N .h a -1 ) R M AP AR b) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 A M J J A S O N D J R M AP AR Figure 1: Cumulative gross fluxes (kg N ha-1) within the plant during one growing season a) in L treatment and b) in E treatment. R = upwards N remobilization; M = downwards N remobilization; Ap = absorbed N allocated to shoots; Ar = absorbed N allocated to rhizomes. 89 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 222-6 Results In spring, the crop could remobilize upwards large amounts of N stored in the rhizome. The amount (R) was higher in L than in E treatment: 144 vs 94 kg N ha-1 (Figure 1). Total N absorption by the crop (Ap + Ar) also occurred mainly in spring: it was higher in E (161 kg N ha-1) than in L treatment (145 kg N ha-1). A signifi cant part of absorbed N was directly stored in rhizomes. The early harvested treatment tended to compensate the lowest N remobilization R by a higher allocation of absorbed N to the aboveground organs: in average 79% of absorbed N allocated to the aboveground organs in E treatment compared to 69% in L treatment. Downards remobilization (M) started in July and continued until the end of year. It was much greater in the late (151 kg N ha-1) than in the early harvest treatment (75 kg N ha-1). Conclusion N uptake by the belowground organs during vegetation period allowed the crop to accumulate N reserves for subsequent years of growth. M. giganteus is able to keep almost close its internal N cycle between years. Further studies using the same methodology are needed to understand the eff ects environmental conditions on N remobilization. References Christian DG et al., 1997. The recovery of 15N-labelled fertilizer applied to M. giganteus. Biom. and Bioenergy 12, 21-24. Christian DG et al., 2006. The recovery over several seasons of 15N-labelled fertilizer applied to M. giganteus ranging from 1 to 3 years old. Biom. and Bioenergy 30, 125-133. Mary B et al., 1998. A model for calculating nitrogen fl uxes in soil using 15N tracing. Soil Biol. and Bioch. 30, 1963-1979 Millard P, Grelet GA, 2010. Nitrogen storage and remobilization by trees: ecophysiological relevance in a changing world. Tree Phys. 30, 1083-1095. Strullu L et al., 2011. Biomass production, nitrogen accumulation and remobilisation by Miscanthus x giganteus as infl uenced by nitrogen stocks in belowground organs. F. Cr. Res. 121, 381-391. 90 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-1 Sustainability performances of innovative cropping management systems for winter oil seed rape in multi-local trials Valantin-Morison, Muriel; Berder, Julie INRA, FRANCE Introduction Concerns about the adverse impacts of pesticides on the environment have increased since the 1960’s. Nowadays, there is a great need to reduce the structural dependence on pesticides of intensive agricultural productions world- wide. In that context, the development of integrated weed management has become an important topic in agronomic research. Winter oilseed rape (WOSR) is a break-crop widely used in French farming systems since it is of potential value in terms of market requirements and agronomic potential, but this crop is known to be very dependent on pesticide use. However, very few studies aimed at designing new low input or pesticide-free crop management. The purpose of this study is to present the economic and environmental assessments of innovative crop management systems.  Figure 1: Distribution of gross margin (A), energy input (B) and treatment frequency index (C) for the integrated CMS (ITK-I) and current CMS (ITK-C). Figure 2: Differences in percentage for several indicators between ICMS and CCMS  91 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-1 Methodology On the basis of knowledge from scientifi c literature and from experts of agricultural councils and research institutes, four diff erent integrated CMS (ICMS) have been designed and adapted to several pedoclimatic conditions; they are partly based on organic strategies (Valantin-Morison and Meynard, 2012). Workshops have been organized to combine the scientifi c knowledge on crop-practices-pests-weeds interactions and the local expertise of advisers for three diff erent areas of northern France. It resulted in four strategies of ICMS: (i) two CMS based on avoidance of pests and smothering eff ect on weeds with delay of date of sowing and mixed cultivar with or without fi eld margin with turnip rape (ii) a third one based on avoidance of diseases and destruction of weeds before sowing with false bed and (iii) a fourth one based on mixing spring lentil with WOSR to induce weed suppressive eff ect and to restore nitrogen in spring. The choice of the strategy was depending on soil depth and soil nitrogen supply and pest pressure. Then, the current and integrated CMS have been implemented in a network of 19 farmers’ plots distributed in three regions of France (North coast, West and North center). Large plots of current and integrated CMS were compared: yields have been measured on each plot and farmers have been interviewed to collect with precision the crop practices (pesticides, nitrogen doses and date…). Several economic and environmental indicators have been calculated: economic and energy effi ciency, gross and direct margin and treatment frequency index. Results and discussion Integrated CMS in all the regions displayed lower TFI, lower energy input (Fig.1) than current CMS (CCMS) with gross margin and semi-direct margin almost similar to the CCMS (Fig. 2). TFI for ICMS ranged from 0,71 to 5,87 with a mean of 2,32 while for CCMS it ranged from 0,85 to 8,47 with a mean of 3,96. The reduction of pesticide use between the two crop management systems was mainly due to fungicides and herbicides. The insecticides were only slightly reduced, mainly because the only alternative provided by ICMS concerns pollen beetles. The results for CCMS are very low compared to the TFI of WOSR in France (6,1 in 2006, EcoPhyto R&D, 2009), mainly because of the decision of the farmers who have already engaged a reduction of pesticides. It is interesting to point out that despite a reduction of the yield for ICMS (from 1,3 t/ha to 5,2 with a mean of 3,5 t/ha, and a reduction of 0,39 t/ha compared to the CCMS), the gross margin (from 329€ to 1733€ with a mean of 1170€ for ICMS) and the economic effi ciency (from 14 to 48 with a mean of 29 for ICMS) were equivalent or very slightly higher than for CCMS (Fig 2). In order to take into account the three dimensions of the sustainability of these CMS, quantitative results have been combined in a DexiIPM model (See poster from Fortino et al.). References Valantin-Morison M., Meynard J-M. 2012. A conceptual model to design prototypes of crop management : a way to improve organic Winter Oilseed Rape performance in a survey in farmers’ fi elds. In Crop Management, ed In TECH, ISBN 978-953-307-646-1. 92 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-2 How to design and experiment new cropping systems with low pesticide inputs for perennial crops: framework development and application to vineyards Métral, Raphaël1; Lafond, David2; Gary, Christian3; Mérot, Anne3; Metay, Aurélie1; Wery, Jacques1 1Montpellier SupAgro, FRANCE; 2IFV Val de Loire Centre, FRANCE; 3INRA, FRANCE Introduction Environmental concerns into agricultural production are increasingly promoted and regulated by public policies. The objective is to protect water resources, biodiversity and exposure of people to pesticides. EU and France aim at a 50% reduction of pesticides use 2018 (Ecophyto 2018 program). Assessment of current practices and simulation of alternative solutions indicate that this objective will not be reached without the ”re-design” of current cropping systems especially in viticulture [3]. Methodologies have been designed for such type of objective in annual crops [1].The objective of this work, conducted in the EcoViti project (ecoviti.vignevin.com), was to develop a prototyping methodology adapted to the specifi city of vineyards systems (perennial crops, high number of techniques applied in one year, high pressure of pests and disease, diversity of objectives in quantity/ quality/costs objectives). Material and methods The methodological framework is designed around a “de fi ne target-design-assess-adjust” progress loop in order to disseminate innovative grapevine cropping systems further adapted by farmers. We make the hypothesis that innovation can emerge from the combination of practices and their interactions for better pest and disease regulation and less reliance on pesticides while keeping high yield and quality. Three methodological tools have been developed (Fig.1) : (i) a conceptual modeling of the grapevine agrosystem (CmA Vine), (ii) a prototyping workshop, and (iii) a coordinated network of experimentations. A conceptual modeling of the grapevine agrosystem was performed. The CmA Vine is the knowledge base shared by the experts of various regions and disciplines in the form of a functional representation of the relationships between the components of the agrosystems (soil, vine, other plants, pest and disease) and the performances of the system (production, ecosystem services) (Fig.2). 93 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-2 The prototyping workshop deals with the identifi cation of the Set Of Constraints and Objectives (SOC) and the design of a theoretical grapevine cropping system, based on expert knowledge elicitation and integration with the CmA[2]. SOCs specify the expected performances of the cropping system and prioritize them for the ex post assessment [1] of the prototypes using assessment indicators. The theoretical prototypes for each SOC are described by a list of decision rules (DR) defi ning every tactical and operational action of the system as the product of a decision model using management indicators (Wery et al., this volume). DR allow technical operation management without expertise and without subjectivity of the operator. The same state of the system must generate the same decision. This form of representation of the technical system to be experimented in the fi eld allows to integrate, in testable form, the eff ect of several techniques on the agrosystem functioning. After fi eld experiment of this prototype it can be assessed and adjusted using relevant indicators [4]. Results The approach has been implemented in 2011 in the various French regions producing wine and led to implementation of systems experiment platforms in three pilot regions in 2012 (Mediterranean area, Bordeaux, and Loire valley). They have led to the identifi cation of methodological problems, especially in the way to use the conceptualization of the system to produce innovative systems and the way to experiment the prototypes in a context of a SOC. Improvement are currently developed on these methodological aspects. Preliminary results will be presented during this conference. References [1] Blazy, J.-M. et al., 2009. Agr. Syst. 101 : 30-41. [2] Lamanda N. et al., 2012. EJA 38:104-116. [3] Mezière D. et al, 2009. Ecophyto R&D Report (Vol. III). MEEDDAT-MAP-INRA, 57 p. [4] Rapidel B. et al, 2009. ASD : 29 545–556. 94 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-3 Adapting DEXiPM model for ex post assessment of the sustainability of innovative cropping systems Fortino, Gabriele1; Vasileiadis, Vasileios P.2; Angevin, Frédérique1; Messéan, Antoine1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2CNR - Institute of Agro-Environmental and Forest Biology, ITALY Introduction Agricultural sustainability encompasses economic, environmental and social dimensions. In the design of innovative cropping systems (CS), several alternatives can be proposed to achieve a specifi c goal like pesticide use reduction. The DEXiPM model (Pelzer et al., 2012) was developed for the multi-criteria assessment of the sustainability of these CS in an ex ante way, in order to choose the most promising ones to be tested in fi eld trials. Thereafter the model has been placed at the core of the European project PURE (http://www.pure-ipm.eu) supporting a multi-year loop which consists in the design, testing and adjustment of CS with reduced pesticide inputs (fi g. 1). In this process, ex ante assessment of the proposed prototype systems and ex post assessment of their performance in the fi eld are essential. Therefore DEXiPM has been adapted for ex post assessment, in order to allow every year the identifi cation of practices that should be modifi ed and to provide a global evaluation of a system implemented in a given context. We describe hereafter the approach adopted in the case of maize- based CS tested within PURE. Methodology DEXiPM is a hierarchical and qualitative multi-criteria model allowing the evaluation of the sustainability of CS. Model inputs are farming practices and context elements; this information is aggregated step-by-step generating a dashboard of sustainability indicators. Because of its holistic and qualitative nature, this tool fi ts very well to the ex ante assessment of CS defi ned on the basis of expert knowledge. However, the ex post assessment can be more precise by exploiting quantitative data that can replace the qualitative estimation of intermediate outputs of DEXiPM (e.g. yield). Thus, the fi rst step of the adaptation of DEXiPM for ex post assessment is identifying all the links between data collected in the fi eld and indicators estimated by DEXiPM. For this reason, experimental results from maize-based CS tested within PURE are analysed as well as the outputs of other two models used in the project: SYNOPS (Gutsche & Rossberg, 1997) and MEBOT (Schreuder et al., 2008). The fi nal step is the identifi cation of suitable indicators for exploiting the collected data (e.g. weeds biodiversity) 95 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-3 as well as thresholds for translating quantitative values into qualitative classes (e.g. high, medium, low). Results and discussion This prototype of DEXiPM for ex post assessment of maize-based CS has a simpler structure, obtained by the transformation of several intermediate outputs into inputs (fi g. 2). They can be classed into three categories: measurements (yield), observations (biodiversity), calculations (profi tability, environmental risk). Suitable indicators have been identifi ed for all of them, linking also indicators calculated by MEBOT (economic) and SYNOPS (environmental), with the only exception of biodiversity parameters. Indeed, the use of the Shannon index and the choice of indicator for benefi cial species are still under discussion, whereas thresholds for most of these inputs have to be defi ned according to the context of the assessment (e.g. what is the range of values for gross margin that can be defi ned as medium in a given context?). Due to its holistic and fl exible structure, it is possible to adapt DEXiPM for ex post assessment according to the data and calculation tools available. Preliminary results demonstrate the appropriateness and the usefulness of the model to support the design of innovative cropping systems in all the stages of the progress loop. Acknowledgements The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework programme (FP7/ 2007-2013) under the grant agreement n° FP7-26586. References Gutsche, V., Rossberg, D., 1997. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 64, 181–188. Pelzer, E., Fortino, G., Bockstaller et al. 2012. Ecol indic, 18, 171-182. Schreuder, R., van Dijk, W., Asperen, P. et al., 2008. Mebot 1.01., documents.plant.wur.nl/ppo/agv/ mebot-2008.pdf 96 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-5 Possibilities of integrated disease management for winter barley in Latvia Bankina, Biruta; Gaile, Zinta; Kreita, Dzintra; Balodis, Oskars; Katamadze, Merabs Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA Introduction Winter barley is approved pre-crop for winter oilseed rape in Southern part of Latvia. Effi cient control of winter barley diseases has become more important in connection with integrated growing management. It is very important to apply the fi rst fungicide treatment in the right time due to the important role of winter barley lower leaves in formation of grain yield (Young et al., 2006). Sometimes one fungicide treatment (at GS 33-37) is established effi cient enough (Gladders, Hims, 1994), but twofold treatment give contrary results. Task of Decision Support System (DSS) is to optimize use of fungicides for effi cient, economical and environmentally friendly diseases control. The aim of this research was to compare the effi cacy of several fungicide treatment schemes against the main winter barley diseases in Latvia. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Pēterlauki Vecauce Pēterlauki Vecauce Pēterlauki Vecauce 2008 2009 2010 D is ea se s ev er it y, % Mildew Net blotch Leaf scald Fig. 1. Maximal severity of diseases depending on trial’s place and year. Materials and methods Investigations were carried out according the equal methodology in the two research farms of Latvia University of Agriculture: «Vecauce» and «Peterlauki» during 2008-2010. Cultivar Carola was used in 2008-2009, but cultivar Fredericus in 2010. Plots were arranged in four times replicated randomised blocks. Fungicide treatment schemes: (1) Control without fungicide (C); (2) Standard 1 (S1) epoxiconazole plus fenpropiomorph or boskalid plus metrafenon at GS 37-39; (3) Standard 2 (S2): epoxiconazole plus fenpropiomorph at GS 31-32 and boskalid or boskalid plus metrafenon at GS 37-39; (4) DSS: fungicides were applied according to incidence of diseases and/or amount of precipitation; mentioned above fungicides were used depending on spread of diseases. Thresholds established during research in 1998-2000 were used for DSS (Bankina, Priekule, 2003). Incidence and severity of diseases were assessed weekly until the GS 75. Analysis of variance was used for processing the yield data. 97 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pēterlauki Vecauce Pēterlauki Vecauce Pēterlauki Vecauce 2008 2009 2010 Y ie ld , t h a- 1 Control S1 S2 DSS Fig. 2. Yield of winter barley depending on fungicide application scheme, trial’s place and year. Results and discussion Net blotch was the most spread disease in 2008, prevalence of mildew was observed in 2009, especially in «Vecauce», but leaf scald dominated in both trial places in 2010 (Fig. 1). Fungicides according the DSS scheme were applied only once per season, but the time of advice for application was diverse. In 2008 advice to spray was given after four rainy days and it agreed with S1 spraying. In 2009 advice was given due to very rapid development of mildew and fungicide was applied during stem elongation. In 2010 spraying according DSS was done too late in «Peterlauki» and due to this it was non-eff ective. Contrariwise in «Vecauce» it was done early in the season and gave more yield increase if compared with S1 (Fig. 2). High winter barley yield (6.3 - 13.7 t ha -1; Fig. 2) was obtained during trial years, but the highest increase from fungicide application was observed in 2010 — 10% in comparison with 4% in 2008-2009. Signifi cant (p<0.05) yield increase was gained in treatment S2 if compared with C. Fungicide application according the DSS gave signifi cant yield increase only once per trial period – at «Vecauce» in 2010. The most spread diseases during trial period were net blotch, mildew and leaf scald, but incidence and severity of diseases depended from trial year. Standard fungicide treatments were not eff ective enough. Also DSS was not accurate enough to conclude that this scheme is ready for use. Further research is needed to explain all the factors determining necessity of fungicide application. References Bankina B, Priekule I. (2003) Experience of using reduced dosages of fungicides for cereal disease control in Latvia. DIAS Report, Plant Production, (96): 130-140. Gladders P., Hims MJ (1994) Improving spring and summer fungicide treatments for winter barley. Crop Protection, 13(8): 597-606. Young CS., Thomas JM., Parker SR., Paveley ND (2006) Relationship between leaf emergence and optimum spray timing for leaf blotch (Rhynchosporium secalis) control on winter barley. Plant Pathology, 55(3): 413-420. Acknowledgement Research was supported by Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia (projects 070410/S 35 and ELFLA 020311/C – 31). 98 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-6 Control of the most widely spread cabbage pest in white cabbages Duchovskiene, Laisvune; Alma, Valiuskaite; Tamosiunas, Rimantas; Rasiukeviciute, Neringa; Surviliene, Elena; Bobinas, Ceslovas; Karkleliene, Rasa Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, LITHUANIA Introduction In Lithuania cabbage is an important vegetable, which is attacked by various pests, including the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae and a number of lepidopterous species. Most harmful of them are Plutella xylostella and Pieris rapae. B. brassicae causes serious losses of yield in Brassica crops (Liu et al., 1994). Parasitoid Diaretiella rapae can reduce the population of B. brassicae average 12.9 % (0.6 aphids /plant) if pesticides are not used (Duchovskiene et al., 2012). Larvae of P. rapae move onto inner cabbage leaves, eating and gnawing passages into it (Jõgar et al., 2008). To save infested plants, pest control is mostly always necessary (Gillespie, 2002). Methods and conditions Experiment was carried out in the experimental fi elds of the LRCAF Institute of Horticulture, (Central Lithuania 55° 60´ N 23° 48´ E) in 2004–2005. Insecticides Proteus 110OD (a.i. Thiacloprid 100 g/l and Deltamethrin 10 g/l), Actara 250 WG (a.i. Thiamethoxam 250 g/kg), Calypso 240 OD (a.i. Thiacloprid 240 g/l), Decis 50EW (a.i. Deltamethrin 50 g/l) and Fastac EC (a.i. Alpha-cypermethrin 100 g/l) were tested in this study. White cabbages of cv. Bielorusiska Dotnuvos were planted 70 x 50 cm, each replicate covered an area of 15 m², and the treatments were replicated four times at a random plot distribution. Ten plants per plot were inspected for aphids, parasitized aphids and caterpillars. Biological effi cacy (BE) was calculated using Abbott formula (1925). Results In 2004-2005 Proteus ensured highest control against B. brassicae. Also insecticide Proteus 0.6 l ha -¹ was e ff ective against caterpillars of P. xylostella (BE varied between 85.7 and 81.2 %). Calypso gave lower control than Proteus (BE 81.2 and 75%) but higher than Actara in 2004. Proteus 0.75 l ha-¹ gave highest control against cabbage aphids, Proteus 0.6 l ha -¹ e ffi cacy was lower compared with Proteus 0.75 l ha-¹, but higher than Decis and Fastac in 2005. All tested insecticides were effi cient against P. rapae caterpillars. The eff ectiveness of insecticides with diff erent modes of action against cabbage pests in the fi eld conditions was not similar, but Proteus was most eff ective against them. Parasitation of B. brassicae by Diaeretiela rapae was observed only in treatments, where Calypso (0.2 unt./plant), Decis (0.1-0.2 unt./plant) and Fastac (0.5 unt./plant) were applied. This work was carried out within the framework of the long-term research program “Horticulture: agro-biological basics and technologies” implemented by Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. Table 1. Effi ciency of insecticides against B. brassicae 2004-2005. Treatment BE,% 2004 After application 3 days 7 days 14 days Proteus 0,6 l/ha 82,35 78,57 71,43 Actara 0,2 l/ha 52,94 57,14 57,14 Calypso 0,3 l/ha 64,70 64,28 57,14 2005 Proteus 0,6 l/ha 84.72 97.34 100 Proteus 0,75 l/ha 90.45 100 100 Decis50 0,15 l/ha 82.41 70.0 96.08 Decis50 0,125 l/ha 81.71 80.53 82.35 Fastac 0,2 l/ha 72.86 60.31 5.88 99 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 231-6 References 1. Abbott W. S. 1925. A method for computing the eff ectiveness of an insecticide. Journal of Economic Entomology, 18: 265–267. 2. Duchovskiene L., Surviliene E., Valiuskaite A., Karkleliene R. 2012.Eff ects of organic and conventional fertilization on the occurrence of Brevicoryne brassicae L. and its natural enemies in white cabbage. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil and Plant Science, 62(1):16-22. 3. Gillespie D. G. 2002. Biological and integrated control in vegetables in British Columbia. The challenge of success. Integrated control in protected crops, temperate climate, 25(1): 73–76. 4. Jõgar K., Hiiesaar K., Metspalu L., Ploomi A., Kuusik A., Men´shykova, Luik A. 2008. Abundance of small white (Pieris rapae L.) on diff erent cabbage cultivars. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 95(3): 88-92. 5. Liu S. S., Hommes M., Hildenhagen R. 1994. Damage to white cabbage by the aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.): infl uence of aphid density and stage of plant growth. IOBC/WPRS Bull., 17: 75–89. 100 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-1K Coping with the Special Features of the Extreme Northern Corner of Crop Production Peltonen-Sainio, Pirjo MTT Agrifood Research Finland, FINLAND Finland is the northernmost agricultural country with 2.4 million hectares of arable land above 60oN. Agriculture at such high latitudes is possible due to the Gulf Stream. It favorably infl uences temperature conditions and facilitates use of fairly diverse range of crops. In addition to grass crops, spring cereals and to limited extent winter cereals together with some special crops (rapeseed, pea, faba bean, linseed, potato and sugar beet) are grown in the northern cropping systems. High latitude conditions combine unique features and constraints for crop production: e.g. harsh winters, exceptionally short growing seasons, long days during the summer months, cool mean temperatures during the growing season, high risk of early and late season night frosts, early summer drought and high risk of abundant precipitation close to harvests. As northern growing season has strikingly low number of eff ective growing days, yields remain modest. Not only exceptionalities or handicaps per se, but uncertainty caused by substantial fl uctuation in conditions represent biological and economic risks for farmers. Extreme climatic events may cause total crop failures, on average one per decade, and may correspond to even 45 % of total fi eld area like in 1987. Farmers are used to face and cope with exceptionalities like narrow window for favourable sowing time. Well adapted crops and cultivars are the fundamental means to cope with short growing season, low number of eff ective growing days and harsh winters. Precipitation is unevenly distributed compared to requirements of many crops. Early summer drought accompanied by development- enhancing long days often interferes with plant stand establishment: only 30–60% of the precipitation needed at early summer for undisturbed yield formation fell on average over 30 years, which resulted in 7–17% yield losses. Despite abundant, high-quality water resources crop production is currently rainfed. In long days, early summer drought induced yield losses cannot be compensated for by higher precipitation later in the season. Lack of compensation capacity associates with long-day-induced accelerated development and maturity processes of the crops. Because of long day induced uniculm growth habit of spring cereals tillering as a plastic trait cannot compensate for harmful early summer drought eff ects contrary to lower latitudes. Furthermore, abundant precipitation typical during late summer may reduce quality and challenge harvests, and makes grain and seed drying necessity. On the other hand, risks of pest and disease outbreaks are lower as cool climates hold back reproduction of pests and diseases. Unique combination of exceptionalities evidently calls for special mechanisms and approaches when adapting to and coping with current conditions through plant breeding and development of management practices and cropping systems. Climate change may benefi t northern European crop production and increase production capacities. This requires comprehensive, costly adaptation measures that will take time to implement and call for prompt launching activities. In case of not succeeding in adaptation, yield gaps may increase further. In this context, the key issue is not how a single trait or even several traits are tailored to a cultivar to improve e.g. resistance or resource use effi ciency, but what is the outcome when all the essential measures (breeding, diversifi ed crop rotations, water management systems, provision for emerging pests and diseases etc.) are up-scaled to agricultural systems level. Performance of cropping systems must be managed as a whole to be better prepared to face climate change, climate variability and extreme events, and this means landscape planning. Thereby, sustainable intensifi cation of northern agricultural systems is an essential means to improve resilience to future climatic constraints. 101 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-2 Model-based cultivar testing with genotype parameters and weather conditions Nkurunziza, Libère; Kornher, Alois; Halling, Magnus; Weih, Martin; Eckersten, Henrik Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SWEDEN Introduction Multi-environment trials in cultivar testing maximize genotype-environment interactions and extend conclusions on the whole target population of environments (Ramburan et al., 2011). However, costs associated with fi eld trials impose limited genotype- environment interactions and the applicability of the derived statistical evaluations becomes reduced. With climate change, functional relations between climate and crop performance are needed to guide cultivar choices. The use of environmental inputs and physiological inputs to crop models can be a good way to support cultivar evaluation (Yin et al., 2003). In this study, we used a forage crop model based on weather data, plant and soil characteristics, MAISPROQ (Herrmann et al., 2005), to estimate genotype specifi c parameters of two forage maize cultivars (Zea mays) and to predict their future dry matter yield (DMY) and dry matter content (DMC). Material and methods We used two cultivars with diff erent maturity rates, Avenir (180) and Jasmic (210), according to the FAO maturity index. The estimation of parameter was done with experimental data from 4 locations and 3 years. Data consisted of DMY and DMC of aboveground biomass at 4 times during the growth and development. Two locations in most north and south of the Southern and Central Sweden were chosen for simulation: Uppsala (59° N, 17° E) and Lund (55° N, 13° E). Daily weather data included mean temperature, global radiation, evapotranspiration and precipitation. The simulations were done for three future 27-year periods centered around 2024, 2054 and 2084, respectively. Two ATB climate change scenarios from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI, 2011) were scaled down to daily values using the Delta-method with 1961-1987 as a reference period and ensemble method was used. Regression of mean DMY and DMC at harvest, when 34% DM content is reached or latest on 31 October, was used to analyze changes over years. Results DMY and DMC at harvest were diff erent between locations and cultivars (P value < 0.001). DMY at harvest in Uppsala are currently around 54 00kg ha-1 for both cultivars and the yearly increase is expected to be 55 kg ha-1 for Avenir and about 90 kg ha-1 for Jasmic. From current DMY around 10084 kg ha-1 for Avenir and 12130 kg ha-1 for Jasmic in Lund, the corresponding increase rates were almost zero for Avenir and only one third for Jasmic compared to Uppsala. The increase rates of DMC are of magnitude of 0.15 and 0.12% in Uppsala for Avenir and Jasmic against 0.01 and 0.13% in Lund. The current DMC are 23% (Avenir) and 14% (Jasmic) in Uppsala against 33.5% (Avenir) and 22% (Jasmic) in Lund. Conclusion Early maturing cultivar, Avenir, is not expected to increase signifi cantly neither for DM yield nor for DM content in Southern Sweden. The late maturing cultivar, Jasmic, is expected to increase both DM yield and DM content for all main agricultural regions in Sweden and most in the northern parts. Predictions also suggest that future weather conditions might impose changes in the setup of fi eld trials. On long term perspective, crop breeders can pursue crop improvement based on the expected eff ect of weather conditions. On short term perspective, predictions can indicate to advisors and farmers what cultivar that might reach high yield and/or quality. Reference list HERRMANN, A., KORNHER, A. & TAUBE, F. 2005. A new harvest time prognosis tool for maize production in Germany. Agricultural and Forest meteorology, 130, 95 - 111. RAMBURAN, S., ZHOU, M. & LABUSCHAGNE, M. 2011. Interpretation of genotype x environment interactions of sugarcan: identifying signifi cant environmental factors. Field Crops Research, 124, 392-399. YIN, X., STAM, P., KROPFF, M. J. & SCHAPENDOK, A. H. C. M. 2003. Crop Modelling, QTL Mapping, and Their Complementary Role in Plant Breeding. Agronomy Journal, 95, 90-98. SMHI (2011) http://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/ klimatscenarier/scenariodata/1.6200 102 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-3 Introduction of soya bean (Glycine max) cropping to Sweden Fogelberg, Fredrik1; Lagerberg-Fogelberg, Charlotte2; Lindahl, Lennart3 1JTI - Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, SWEDEN; 2Ideon AgroFood, SWEDEN; 3Ideon Agro Food, SWEDEN Soya bean (Glycine max) is one of the major crops in the world with Brazil, USA and Argentina as leading producers. Today there is a discussion on the drawbacks of soya production connected to GMO-varieties, deforestation and herdicide use. The soya bean is bushy annual herb. The pods are 25-75 mm long, 8-15 mm broad, yellowish brown with bristle hair containing 2-3 seeds. In general, soya is sensitive to photoperiod and most cultivars will only develop fl owers when daylight is less than 14 hours. The cultivars are divided into 13 maturity groups; 000 (earliest) to X, based on their response to photoperiod. The 000-cultivars are adapted to production areas in Canada, Chile and southern parts of Argentine. These cultivars are also used for production in central Europe. In Sweden, soya is an important ingredient for feed. The idea of a domestic production was subject to plant breeding programmes in the late 1940’s, but in spite of substantial e ff orts Swedish soya cropping was never a success. The cultivar Fiskeby V, developed by breeder Sven Holmberg, is however a well-known, day length neutral and hardy variety, which partly have been used for later breeding purposes. Ongoing research has proved that soya is a crop with high potential for Sweden, most likely Denmark and possibly southern Finland. The Baltic countries should also be included in this group. Today, soya has by the authors been reintroduced as crop in Sweden. Swedish soya re-introduced in the early 2000’s Modern Swedish soya research started in 2002-2003 with fi eld trials using varieties from South Korea, Sweden and Switzerland. The results were quite poor. Yields were small and had general low protein content, 20-25 %. In 2006 demonstrations and fi eld trials were conducted Fig. 1. Soya beans maturing in fi eld trials in Sweden, 2011. Cultivars diff ers in maturity time and yield. To the left an early, low yielding cv. with high protein content. To the right a late maturing, high yielding cv with normal protein content. 103 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-3 using Czech cultivars. In demonstrations on two farms, soya was grown to identify farmer opinion on cropping methods. In the trials we compared three 000-group cultivars in order to study yield. Demonstrations resulted in yields of 1.6 t ha -1 with a crude protein content of 35-40 %. Generally the soya was easy to harvest with conventional combines. In one of the trials we had a severe infestation of nightshade (Solanum nigrum) which made the harvest and sorting quite diffi cult. The weed problem was, however, not connected to soya production per se but a general weed in the cropping area. The trial showed yield variations between 1.3 to 1.9 t ha-1, which corresponds well with the more practical oriented farm demonstrations. Ongoing fi eld trials and results Field experiments 2010-2012 focus on suitable seeding dates (mid of May until mid of June), row distances (12,5 cm; 25 and 50) and cultivars (4-5 cv each year). Along with these experiments farmers have taken part in the development and today, 2012, about 40 hectares of soya are cropped in Sweden using various systems for soil tillage, seeding and maintenance during season. Yields in 2011 amount to 1.8 - 2.4 t ha-1 with average protein content of 40-41%. Maximum protein content registered is 42.8 % (crude protein of DM). We use cultivars with Canadian origin suitable for food production. The cultivars can also be used as feed and all cultivars belong to the 000-group. Future research and development To further soya cropping in the Nordic countries, we have identifi ed areas that need R & D; -suitable rhizobium strains adapted to cool climate soils -suitable cultivars for cropping in cool climate (50-60 ° N) -cropping system with low resource input -introduction of fl exi-headers for harvesting close to soil surface -roasting technology for feed production at farms. 104 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-4 Eff ects of vernalization on freezing tolerance and canopy structure of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) Jokela, Venla1; Luhtanen, Juha1; Virkajärvi, Perttu2; Seppänen, Mervi1 1University of Helsinki, FINLAND; 2MTT, FINLAND Introduction Timothy (Phleum pretense L.) is the most widely grown perennial forage grass in Scandinavia and in other cool areas of Europe and North America (Stewart et al. 2011). It has good winter hardiness and the nutritive value and palatability of harvested biomass is good (Höglind et al. 2001). Timothy canopy consists of three diff erent tiller types and fl owering tillers are dominant in the primary growth (Virkajärvi et al. 2012). Timothy requires long day for fl owering, but it has also been shown that vernalization accelerates fl owering, although it does not have obligatory requirement for it (Seppänen et al. 2010). The ability of perennial grasses to harden and maintain cold hardiness throughout the winter is critical for winter survival and for the growth in the spring. The climate change will have a great eff ect on the growing season in northern areas, especially it has been predicted that mean temperatures will rise and winters will be rainier. Adaptation ability of plants to these changes and its dependence on genotype is of great importance (Baron & Belanger 2007). The objective was to study the role of vernalization on freezing tolerance and canopy structure in timothy genotypes from diff erent origin. Materials and methods The experiment was conducted at Viikki Research Station at the University of Helsinki (60°22´N, 25°01’E) during the three winters in years 2009-2012. Six to eight timothy genotypes were harvested monthly from fi eld and the freezing tolerance was tested in cold bath (temp. from -2.5 °C to -30 °C in 2.5 °C/h interval). After freezing test plants were transferred to greenhouse, where plant survival, height, fi nal leaf & tiller number and days to heading were determined. Results The length of autumn hardening period and the depth of snow cover varied between studied years. Winter 2011-2012 was shortest with long hardening period, whereas 2010-2011 was longest. Season 2009-2010 was intermediate form of those years. The freezing tolerance as LT 50 values varied from -6.8 °C to -15.1 °C among years and genotypes. Southern genotypes had the ability to fl ower in greenhouse already in October and were able to produce fl owering tillers throughout the year. Northern genotypes required longer vernalization time to fl ower. In spring months after the fulfi lment of vernalization requirement, fl owering was faster than in autumn and winter months. The vernalization requirement aff ected the canopy structure and fi nal leaf number in timothy: prolonged vernalization decreased the fi nal leaf number and reduced the height of tillers. This was due to faster developmental rate and shorter vegetative stage of the developing tillers. Conclusion These results suggest that vernalization has a great impact on the growth rate and canopy structure of timothy. Northern genotypes have a stronger requirement for vernalization, whereas southern genotypes may lack it. The autumn hardening period has a critical role for the freezing tolerance achievement in winter in northern latitudes. References Baron, V, and Bélanger, G. 2007. Climate and forage adaptation. p. 83-104. In: Barnes, R. F. et al. Forages: The science of grassland agriculture. 6th ed. Blackwell Publ., Oxford. Höglind, M., et al. 2001. Timothy growth in Scandinavia: combining quantitative information and simulation modelling. New Phytol. 151: 355-367. Seppänen, M., et al. 2010. Vernalization response of Phleum pratense and its relationship to stem lignifi cation and fl oral transition. Annals of Botany 106 (5): 697-707. Stewart, S.V., et al. 2011. Phleum. p. 257-274. In Kole, C. (edit.) Wild crop relatives: Genomic and breeding resources, millets and grasses. Springer- Verlag, Berlin. Virkajärvi, P., et al. 2012. Tiller Characteristics of Timothy and Tall Fescue in Relation to Herbage Mass Accumulation. Crop Science. 52: 970-980. 105 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-4 106 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-5 Eff ects of weather data resolution on crop yield simulations when using diff erent models – A case study in Finland Angulo, Carlos1; Rötter, Reimund2; Gaiser, Thomas1; Trnka, Miroslav3; Ewert, Frank1 1University of Bonn, GERMANY; 2MTT, FINLAND; 3Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC Introduction The regional application of crop-models is manly limited by data scarcity (Faivre et al., 2004). Decreasing the resolution of input data is a common strategy used to overcome data scarcity; however changing the data resolution might incorporate more uncertainty in the yield simulation process (Trnka et al., 2007). Regional impact assessment of climate change and variability is an important application area of crop models, therefore, the choice of accurate resolution of weather input becomes decisive for achieving sound yield simulations (Hansen and Jones, 2000). This paper responds to the need for a systematic evaluation of the eff ects of spatial aggregation of input weather data on simulated yields. We assess the infl uence of spatial aggregation of weather input data on distributions of barley grain yields simulated by four crop models in Yläneenjoki, south-western Finland. Since yield simulations are usually compared to aggregated observed yields, we also evaluate the infl uence of spatial aggregation on observed yields distributions. Methodology The models ACE (Ewert et al., 2011), DSSAT (Jones et al., 2003), EPIC (Jones et al., 1991) and WOFOST (Boogaard et al., 1998), are applied to simulate yields of spring barley in Finland. Crop input data for the models are sowing dates available from the Yläneenjoki Monitoring Database for 12 years between 1994 and 2005. Yields are calculated considering fi ve weather data resolutions: weather station point data and grid cell data at resolutions of 10 Figure 1. Distributions of yields simulated by 4 crop models for 12 year using weather station data. 107 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 232-5 km * 10 km; 20 km * 20 km; 50 km * 50 km and 100 km * 100 km (Venäläinen et al., 2005). Observed yields are spatially aggregated for two resolutions: 10 km * 10 km, and 20 km * 20 km. The distributions of both, simulated and observed yields are presented in form of violin plots, which combine the functionality of a box plot and a kernel density plot and considers both, quartiles and the frequency distribution (density trace). Results and discussions For each model considered in this study, the eff ect of weather input data resolution on yield simulations is minimal. The diff erences between models are larger than the eff ect of the spatial aggregation of weather data in the considered region. When the distributions of simulated yields are depicted as violin plots a characteristic density trace is diff erentiable for every model (Fig. 1). Irrespective of the spatial resolution of weather input data, the form of the density traces of the distribution of simulated yields remain almost unchanged for every model. The spatial aggregation of observed yields causes a deformation of the characteristic density trace (Fig. 2). We recommend to further evaluate the results of the present study in other regions with higher spatial heterogeneity in whether data. Furthermore our results point out the need of considering diff erent crop models in regional assessment studies since the model choice had the largest eff ect on the yield distribution. Finally, we advocate using non aggregated data of observed yields, if possible, to evaluate yield simulations, since aggregation of yields infl uences the form and modality of distributions. References Boogaard, H.L., et al, 1998. WOFOST 7.1; user’s guide for the WOFOST 7.1. DLO Winand Staring Centre, Wageningen. Ewert, F., et al., 2011. Scenario development and assessment of the potential impacts of climate and market changes on crops in Europe. AgriAdapt Project reports no. 2 & 3. Faivre, R et al., 2004. Agronomie 24, 205–217. Jones, C.A., et al., 1991. Agric. Syst. 37, 341–350. Jones, J.W., et al., 2003. Eur. J. Agron. 18, 235–265. Hansen, J.W., Jones, J.W., 2000. Agric. Syst. 65, 43–72. Trnka, M., et al., 2007. Sensors 7, 2330–2362. Venäläinen, A., et al., 2005. Reports 2005, 5–27. Figure 2. Form and modality of observed yields distributions as infl uenced by spatial aggregation . 108 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-1 Biodiversity indicators for European farms Herzog, Felix1; Arndorfer, Michaela2; Bailey, Debra1; Balács, Katalin3; Dennis, Peter4; Dyman, Tetyana5; Fjellstad, Wendy6; Friedel, Jürgen7; Garchi, Salah8; Geijzendorffer, Ilse9; Jeanneret, Philippe1; Jongman, Rob9; Kainz, Max10; Last, Luisa1; Lüscher, Gisela1; Moreno, Gerardo11; Nkwiine, Charles12; Paoletti, Maurizio G.13; Pointereau, Philippe14; Sarthou, Jean-Pierre15; Stoyanova, Siyka16; Targetti, Stefano17; Viaggi, Davide17 1Agroscope ART, SWITZERLAND; 2BOKU, Vienna, AUSTRIA; 3Szent Istvan University, HUNGARY; 4Aberystwyth University, UNITED KINGDOM; 5Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, UKRAINE; 6NFLI, NORWAY; 7BOKU, AUSTRIA; 8INRGREF, TUNISIA; 9Alterra, NETHERLANDS; 10Munich Technical University, GERMANY; 11University of Extremadura, SPAIN; 12Makarere University, UGANDA; 13University of Padova, ITALY; 14Solagro, FRANCE; 15INRA/ENSAT, FRANCE; 16Institute of Plant Genetic Resources K.Malkov, BULGARIA; 17University of Bologna, ITALY Introduction Farmland biodiversity is an important component of Europe’s biodiversity. Farms provide habitats, host specifi c species and make use of the genetic diversity of crop varieties and of husbandry animals. This biodiversity is increasingly valued. Governments o ff er agri- environmental programs to motivate farmers to conserve farmland biodiversity and labels are created which claim that the farming practices for the label products are biodiversity friendly. Unfortunately not much is known about the eff ectiveness of agri-environmental programs and of label production. This is partly because measuring biodiversity as a whole is not possible and because a Europe wide set of accepted biodiversity indicators has been lacking. Figure 1: BIOBIO set of tested generic indicators which can be applied on all farm types and with indicators which only make sense for specifi c farm types. 109 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-1 Figure 2: Correlations of indicators within the four main categories (red arrows) were tested and redundant indicators were removed. Both habitat diversity and farm management are expected to act on species diversity (blue arrows) and indicators which show this interaction were retained. Methods In the EU FP7 project BioBio (www.biobio-indicator. org) fi fty candidate indicators were tested in 12 case study regions (CS) across Europe on, altogether, 196 farms. The selected case study regions represented conventional, organic and low-input farming with fi eld crops and horticulture (3 CS), specialist grazing livestock (6 CS), specialist permanent crops (2 CS), mixed crops and livestock (1 CS). Indicators were measured applying standardized sampling procedures and farm interviews. Correlation analysis was used to eliminate redundant indicators. Repeated stakeholder consultation allowed to rate the indicators’ attractiveness. Results and discussion 15 indicators proved to meet scientifi c standards (can reliably be measured, not depending on expert judgment, sensitive to management) and to be attractive for stakeholders. Eight management parameters were also selected which deal with farming intensity (energy, nitrogen and pesticide input), stocking rate and grazing intensity and expenditures for inputs (Figure 1). The indicators allow for a consistent description of the farming systems and the related biodiversity. The BioBio indicator set has been tested for redundancies and correlations (Figure 2). Redundancies are minimal and not consistent across farm types and CS. Correlations between farm management indicators (which are based on data that is easily obtained through interviews) and direct biodiversity indicators (namely habitat and species diversity indicators which need to be measured in the fi eld) occur in specifi c farm types and CS. However, they are not consistent enough to use farm management indicators as surrogates for direct biodiversity indicators. Therefore, the BioBio indicator set cannot be reduced without losing valuable information on farmland biodiversity. Conclusions The BIOBIO indicators operate at the farm scale, not at the regional scale nor at the plot scale. The focus of the indicator set is on the actual state of biodiversity. As such it can complement existing indicator sets such as IRENA operation (Indicator Reporting on the Integration of Environmental Concerns into Agriculture Policy) and SEBI (Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators), which mainly comprise pressure and response indicators and only few state indicators at a regional / national scale. As the indicators operate at the farm scale, they can be related to (socio-)economic indicators of the farm enterprise. The costs of indicator measurement have been recorded and recommendations for the implementation of a European monitoring scheme will be made, including estimations of cost and eff ort. Acknowledgement Part of this research was funded under the European FP7 project BIOBIO – Biodiversity for organic and low-input farming systems www.biobio-indicator.org 110 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-2 Assessing the pollination value of fi eld margin fl ora by means of a predictive indicator Bockstaller, Christian1; Ricou, Charles1; Schneller, Chloé2; Gaba, Sabrina3; Chauvel, Bruno3; Amiaud, Bernard4; Plantureux, Sylvain5 1INRA, UMR 1121 Agronomie et Environnement BP 20507, 68021 Colmar, FRANCE; 2INRA, UMR 1121 Agronomie et Environnement BP 20507, 68021 Colmar,, FRANCE; 3INRA, UMR 1347 Agroécologie, BP 86510, 21065 Dijon, FRANCE; 4Université de Lorraine, UMR 1121 Agronomie et Environnement BP 172, 54505 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, FRANCE; 5Université de Lorraine, UMR 1121 Agronomie et Environnement BP 172, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, FRANCE Introduction The work of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) has highlighted the role of biodiversity in providing ecosystem services such as pollination, essential to ensure the sustainability of agricultural systems. In agroecosystems, the innovative management of fi eld margins is one of the means to maintain biodiversity. The development of a management system that sustains such a service requires operational assessment tools in the form of indicators. Predictive indicators derived from a model present an acceptable trade-off between the feasibility and integration of processes, as well as ex ante assessment (Bockstaller et al., 2011). Here, we present the structure of a new indicator that assesses the pollination value of fi eld margin fl ora, plus the fi rst validation results. Materials and methods We used a functional approach to link fl oral traits to pollination. Based on a review of the literature, we selected three variables related to the visual attractiveness of fl owers for the pollinator, fl ower accessibility for pollinator, and reward (quantity, and quality, of nectar and pollen). We based the indicator on a hierarchical decision tree to aggregate quantitative and qualitative variable sets in fuzzy subsets to avoid the knife-edge eff ect of classes. Each variable is assessed by specifi c traits through a decision tree. The indicator outputs are expressed on a scale ranging between 0 (low value) and 10 (high value). An evaluation of the predictive value of the indicator was run on a set of fi eld margins from two locations: (1) fi elds with maize/wheat or maize/maize rotations from the Figure 1: Overview of the pollination value indicator. 111 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-2 Figure 2: Evaluation of the predictive value of the indicator for total pollinators (left) and wild bees (right). area of the INRA Experimental Station of Colmar (Alsace region), some of them with sown fi eld margins; and (2) fi elds in the Fenay area close to Dijon (Burgundy region) with winter rapeseed/cereal rotations. We identifi ed the fl oral composition of each fi eld margin by means of a specifi c protocol (Roger, 2007) and fl oral abundance (number of fl owers or infl orescences), as well as the abundance of four pollinator groups: honey bees, wild bees, bumblebees and hoverfl ies. Results We built a database containing the information necessary to calculate the indicator for 338 species, the main weeds of arable fi elds, as well as endangered weeds and species contained in seed mixtures for sown fi eld margins. Figure 1 shows an overview of the structure of the indicator. The calculation was adapted to the specifi cities of wild bees, bumblebees and hoverfl ies. The analysis of the fi eld observations showed signifi cant positive correlations between indicator values for total pollinators and for each pollinator group, i.e., wild bees, bumblebees and hoverfl ies, with the exception of honey bees (Fig. 2). Conclusions The indicator presented here makes it possible to assess the pollination value on the basis of the fl oral composition of fi eld margins in arable land. Those data are obtained by fi eld observation but may also be predicted by a model (Ricou et al., 2011). The fi rst results of validation are encouraging, except for honey bees. For this last group, landscape elements as well as the crop itself (e.g., rapeseed) may have a major attractive eff ect. Acknowledgments This work is supported by the ANR: project ANR- STRA-08-02 Advherb References Bockstaller C., et al. Oléagineux Corps gras Lipides, 18, 137-144. Ricou C.,et al. 2011. 4th workshop of the EWRS Working group Weeds and Biodiversity. Dijon (France), 28 February - 2 March 2011, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, p. 35. Roger J.-L., 2007. Cahiers Techniques I.N.R.A., 69-78. 112 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-3K How fi eld biodiversity can enhance ecosystem services Ekbom, Barbara Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SWEDEN Provisioning services are provided to humans and the ecosystem by agriculture. Production of food, fi ber, and bioenergy is essential for our survival and welfare. Unfortunately agriculture can also be the source of ecosystem disservices such as loss of biodiversity, nutrient leaching, pesticide contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions. In order to restrict and remove ecosystem disservices ecosystem services in the agricultural ecosystem need to be promoted. Increasing delivery of soil based services can, for example, curb nutrient run off and loss of underground biodiversity. Ecosystem services such as pest control and pollination that can directly increase crop yield are often hampered by pesticide use and management practices. Enhancing diversity within the fi eld and in close proximity to the fi eld can sometimes increase the delivery of some ecosystem services. Diversity enrichment can include an increase of plant diversity in time and space. This can often lead to increased diversity at both higher and lower trophic levels. A problem may arise if the interactions between ecosystem services are antagonistic. It is important to understand the impact of improving fi eld biodiversity on the diff erent ecosystem services and their interaction with each other. Examples of biodiversity enhancement in and around the fi eld to improve the delivery of ecosystem services such as plant protection and pollination will be given. 113 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-3K 114 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-4 Cost-effi ciency of measuring earthworm diversity in a German case study at farm-scale: lessons for application in monitoring and agricultural practice Wolfrum, Sebastian1; Targetti, Stefano2; Viaggi, Davide2; Siebrecht, Norman1; Papaja-Hülsbergen, Susanne1; Lüscher, Gisela3; Kainz, Maximilian1; Jeanneret, Philippe3; Hülsbergen, Kurt-Jürgen1; Herzog, Felix3 1Technical University of Munich, GERMANY; 2University of Bologna, ITALY; 3Agroscope ART, SWITZERLAND Agricultural practices and farmland biodiversity are strongly related. Agriculture infl uences biodiversity through management activities whilst at the same time benefi ting from services provided by biodiversity components. Knowledge about the level of biodiversity present on farmland and the relations to management is therefore crucial regarding both conservation and service provision. Measuring biodiversity is, however, a complex and laborious issue. One solution for this problem is the use of indicators. Still, biodiversity indicators for the level of the farm, which is the actual instance where most biodiversity relevant decisions are made, are lacking. The EU project BioBio (www.biobio-indicator.org) aims at closing this gap. In addition to scientifi c considerations, the cost-eff ectiveness of indicators is assessed. This is in particular important for indicator groups like earthworms, which can provide useful information on soils to farmers but which are also quite costly. Given the fact that resources for monitoring are limited, the availability of cost data concerning the measurement of biodiversity indicators is of signifi cant importance. Only few studies exist which provide empirical evidence about the cost of biodiversity indicator measurement. Here we present data from the German case study, which focused on mixed dairy farms. The 16 selected farms are located in South Bavaria. In total 127 plots were sampled. Earthworms were assessed with a combination of an expellant solution and hand sorting procedure according to the BioBio standards (Dennis et al. 2010). All adult specimens found were identifi ed to species level. We used EstimateS software to calculate for each farm 100 resamplings (without replacement) of observed species numbers for each level of sampling eff ort. To estimate the expected total earthworm species number at 115 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-4 the farm level we used the Chao 1 estimator. We calculate measures of bias, precision and accuracy according to Walther and Moore (2005) for the resampling results. The quantity and change in information gained from diff erent sampling levels was calculated as the relation of species found to species expected on the farm and from accuracy measures. Measurement costs were calculated as the sum of monetary costs of resources consumed to measure the indicator and processing of data. These costs were estimated through direct information collection regarding resource use and unitary costs. The main cost categories were: i) labour; ii) equipment; iii) travel; iv) consumables; v) taxonomic identi fi cation. Each category considers specifi c resources and unitary costs and data collection was organised in order to trace the costs related to each day of the survey and to each single farm. Cost data collection was organised on a weekly basis during the fi eld sampling activities. Here we combine costs and information analysis to identify optimal levels of sampling eff ort, which is defi ned as the optimal level of € per percent of information. Costs are assessed through an empirical-based data collection and the percent of information through a nonparametric species richness estimation method. Our results aim at the identifi cation of the optimal ratio between monetary investment and information gained and on identifying necessary funds to reach a certain level of accuracy when using indicators to assess biodiversity in practice. Our approach can be used for other indicator species, too. Acknowledgement This research was funded under the European FP7 project BioBio. References Dennis, P. et al. (2010): BIOBIO: Indicators for biodiversity in organic and low-input farming systems. D2.2. Selection and fi eld validation of candidate biodiversity indicators, including fi eld manual. Aberystwyth. Walther, B. A.; Moore, J. L. (2005): The concepts of bias, precision and accuracy, and their use in testing the performance of species richness estimators, with a literature review of estimator performance. Ecography 28 (6), 815–829. 116 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-5 Plant, earthworm, spider and bee diversity in agricultural fi elds of grazing and fi eld crop farming systems in eight regions across Europe Lüscher, Gisela1; Arndorfer, M.2; Balazs, K.3; Bernhardt, K. G.2; Bogers, M.4; Bunce, R. G. H.4; Choisis, J.-P.5; Dennis, P.6; Dramstad, W.7; Eiter, S.7; Engan, G.7; Fjellstad, W.7; Frank, T.2; Friedel, J. K.2; Geijzendorffer, I.4; Gillingham, P.6; Herzog, F.8; Hülsbergen, K.-J.9; Jeanneret, P.8; Jerkovich, G.6; Jongman, R.4; Kainz, M.9; Oschatz, M. L.2; Papaja- Hülsbergen, S.9; Pointereau, P.10; Sarthou, J.-P.5; Schneider, M. K.8; Siebrecht, N.9; Wolfrum, S.9 1ART Agroscope Reckenholz-Taenikon, SWITZERLAND; 2BOKU, Vienna, A-1180, AUSTRIA; 3Szent Istvan University, Godollo, HU- 2100, HUNGARY; 4ALTERRA, Wageningen, NL-6700AA, NETHERLANDS; 5INRA/ENSAT, Castanet Tolosan, F-31326, FRANCE; 6Aberystwyth University, SY23 5AL, UNITED KINGDOM; 7NFLI, Aas, N-1431, NORWAY; 8Agroscope ART, Zurich, CH-8046, SWITZERLAND; 9Munich Technical University, Freising, D-85350, GERMANY; 10SOLAGRO, Toulouse, F-31076, FRANCE Diversity of wild species living in agricultural fi elds is infl uenced by management practices and landscape characteristics. Factors acting on species diversity have contrasting eff ects on diff erent species groups due to various dispersal abilities and resource requirements (Clough, Holzschuh et al. 2007). The dataset of the EU-FP7 project BioBio was used to evaluate main drivers for plant, earthworm, spider and bee diversity in agricultural fi elds. In BioBio indicators for biodiversity in farmland were developed. The four species groups were selected as biodiversity indicators at the species level. Each species group fulfi lls distinct functions in the agricultural ecosystems. Plants act as primary producers and provide the food resource for all herbivores. Earthworms belong to the group of soil detritivores. Spiders are predators and have a potential role in the control of agricultural pests. Bees perform pollination (Kremen, Williams et al. 2007). In this study, data from eight case studies are investigated: specialist livestock grazing in Hungary, Norway, Switzerland and Wales, fi eld crop and horticulture farming systems in Austria, France and the Netherlands and a mixed farming system in Germany. All four species groups were surveyed in a total of 385 agricultural fi elds. Based on questionnaires, management information was provided by the farmers. Hence, the pesticide use, the nitrogen input and the number of mechanical operations were recorded for each agricultural fi eld. Additionally, fi eld characteristics were assessed. Furthermore, the landscape composition in a buff er of 250 m was estimated for each fi eld from aerial photographs. These explanatory variables will be included in models to explain the species assemblages of plants, earthworms, spiders and bees on agricultural Fig. 1: One example of species assemblages. Non-metric multidimensional scaling of earthworm species, grouped by case studies (a) and main habitat types (b). −0.4 −0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 −0 .4 −0 .2 0. 0 0. 2 0. 4 NMDS1 N M D S 2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Austria France Germany Hungary Netherlands Norway Switzerland Wales a) −0.4 −0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 −0 .4 −0 .2 0. 0 0. 2 0. 4 NMDS1 N M D S 2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Crop HerbDry HerbMesic HerbMoist b) 117 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 241-5 fi elds. Species assemblages are applied as response variable since it takes into account both species richness and species abundance (Fig. 1). If just species richness is considered as diversity measurement, the contribution of frequent and rare species to the diversity is counted equally. However, focusing on species assemblages also takes account of the distribution of the species and enables us to detect more detailed patterns. Results based on analysis of the diverse farming systems and regions will reveal whether nitrogen input, herbicide use and the number of mechanical operations act on plant diversity as expected. While management variables of fi elds are assumed to be the main drivers for earthworm diversity, landscape features may play an important additional role for spiders, which are known to use perennial vegetation outside the fi eld for overwintering (Schmidt and Tscharntke 2005). Similarly, we will test whether bee diversity is more related to the landscape composition in the surroundings of fi elds or to small scale fi eld characteristics and management practices (e.g. insecticide use). The fi ndings of the study will show the main drivers for plant, earthworm, spider and bee species assemblages in agricultural fi elds with respect to various farming systems. Such detailed investigations of driving factors for biodiversity in farming landscapes are necessary to implement eff ective measures in agro-environmental schemes. References Clough, Y., A. Holzschuh, et al. (2007). Alpha and beta diversity of arthropods and plants in organically and conventionally managed wheat fi elds. Journal of Applied Ecology 44(4): 804-812. Kremen, C., N. M. Williams, et al. (2007). Pollination and other ecosystem services produced by mobile organisms: a conceptual framework for the eff ects of land-use change. Ecology Letters 10(4): 299-314. Schmidt, M. H. and T. Tscharntke (2005). The Role of Perennial Habitats for Central European Farmland Spiders. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 105(1- 2): 235-242. 118 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 242-1K Increasing the effi ciency of water and nutrient use of crops by exploitation of novel germplasm, traits and technologies Foulkes, MJ1; Allard, V2; Martre, P2; Snape, J3; LeGouis, J2; Moreau, D2; Gaju, O1; Bogard, M2; Grifϐiths, S3; Orford, S3; Pask, A1; Sylvester-Bradley, R4; DeSilva, J1 1University of Nottingham, UNITED KINGDOM; 2INRA, FRANCE; 3John Innes Centre, UNITED KINGDOM; 4ADAS, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction There is a continuous need to develop crops with improved water- and nutrient-use effi ciency to ensure resilience in the face of a changing environment. This paper provides an overview of traits and technologies for more eff ective use of water and nutrients by crops with a focus on resource-use effi ciency in wheat. Our research has examined the usefulness of isotope-based screens for crop water use and transpiration effi ciency (above- ground biomass / crop transpiration; TE). Carbon isotope discrimination (δ13C) has been used to screen for TE, e.g. in wheat (Rebetske et al., 2002) and 18O enrichment (δ18O) has been shown in maize (Barbour et al., 2007) and wheat (Cabrera-Bosquet et al. 2009) to correlate with water use. Our research is quantifying the usefulness of these screens for predicting crop performance under drought. Future agronomic strategies for raising N-use effi ciency (grain yield / N available; NUE) may include crop monitoring through ground-based sensors or aerial or satellite imagery to target N rates. Our research has investigated strategies for improved NUE through optimization of canopy N dynamics aff ecting senescence patterns and grain protein deposition, as well as the development of remote-sensing techniques for fi eld- based phenotyping. Materials and methods Water-use effi ciency: 18 wheat cultivars were used to identify isotope-based screens indicative of water use, TE and drought tolerance. Cultivars were grown under irrigated and unirrigated conditions in fi eld experiments at Nottingham, UK in 2011-12. Flag leaf samples at GS61 Fig. 1 Linear regression of grain δ13C on fl ag-leaf δ18O amongst 18 wheat cvs under irrigated and unirrigated conditions at Nottingham, 2009-10. 119 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 242-1K and grain samples were assessed for 13C and fl ag-leaf samples at GS61 for δ18O. NUE: Three fi eld experiments were carried out at Terrington, Norfolk, UK in 2006-7, and ICFR, Lincoln, New Zealand in 2007. In each experiment, a range of N treatments was applied to cultivar(s). Growth analysis and N determination was carried out as described by Pask et al (2012). Additionally, eight fi eld experiments examining 16 wheat cultivars in the UK and France were carried out in 2007-8 to examine the relationships between canopy N dynamics, senescence and NUE as described by Gaju et al. (2011). Results and Discussion Results indicated grain δ13C was positively correlated with yield under UK drought (R2 = 0.72, P< 0.001) and fl ag-leaf δ18O negatively correlated with water use and yield. Cultivars combining high TE with high water use were identifi ed in the 18 cultivars (Fig. 1). Generally constitutive expression of isotope screens was observed, indicating these screens can be applied to select for drought-tolerance in non-drought seasons as well as under drought (Fig. 1). We have developed a new N partitioning and remobilization quantitative framework in wheat to estimate the crop requirements of N for structural (SN), photosynthetic (PN) and reserve N (RN) at anthesis. We use this framework to test for genetic variation in non- functional RN, and identify traits to help reduce fertiliser N inputs whilst maintaining grain yield. Our recent fi eld experiments have confi rmed an association between onset of canopy senescence amongst wheat genotypes and N remobilisation effi ciency and NUE under low N. Approaches for phenotyping senescence profi les may therefore facilitate the discovery of the genetic and environmental basis of NUE for food and energy security. Acknowledgements Work supported by BBSRC and DEFRA References Cabrera-Bosquet L, Sanchez C, Araus JL. (2009) Plant, Cell and Environ 32, 1487-1499. Barbour MM. 2007. Functional Plant Biol 34, 83-94 Gaju, O, Allard, V, Martre P, Snape J, Heumez E, Le Gouis J, Moreau D, Bogard M, Gri ffi ths S, Orford S, Hubbart S, Foulkes J. 2011. Field Crops Res 123, 139-52. Pask, A.J.D, Sylvester-Bradley, R., Jamieson, P.D. Rebetske GJ, Condon AG, Richards RA, Farquhar GD. 2002 Crop Sci., 42, 739-745. 120 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 242-2 Fig. 1: Evolution of the relative allocation of (a) biomass and (b) QN (rQN) for the each organ (in % of total biomass and QNtot respectively) i.e. fallen leaves, pods, flowers, leaves, stem, secondary roots and taproot for control, SS and DS plants (n=4). Bonferroni’s comparison procedure (Į=0.05). Lower case letters indicate rankings between treatments. C: control, SS: simple shading, DS: Double Shading.  Ϭй ϮϬй ϰϬй ϲϬй ϴϬй ϭϬϬй   ^^ ^  ^^ ^  ^^ ^  ^^ ^ '^ϱϵ '^ϲϱ '^ϲϵ '^ϳϵ '^ϵϵ ď ď Ă Ă Ăď Ă Ă ď ď Ϭй ϮϬй ϰϬй ϲϬй ϴϬй ϭϬϬй   ^^ ^  ^^ ^  ^^ ^  ^^ ^ '^ϱϵ '^ϲϱ '^ϲϵ '^ϳϵ '^ϵϵ ď ď ď Ă Ă Ă Ă Ă Ăď Ă ď ď Ăď ď ď ;ĂͿ ;ďͿ Eff ects of shading on biomass production and N-dynamics in winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) Brunel-Muguet, Sophie1; Beauclair, Patrick1; Bataillé, Marie Paule2; Etienne, Philippe2; Ourry, Alain2 1National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), FRANCE; 2Université Caen Basse Normandie, FRANCE Introduction Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is a crop with a complex aerial architecture that determines light gradient over the foliage and causes self shading. It is also subjected to a high sowing density to reach yield potential which causes mutual shading between nearest plants. Therefore, lower leaves of the canopy face a reduction in Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) absorption by lower leaves. In this work, shading treatments (ST) were applied within the canopy to simulate PAR limiting conditions with the aim of analyzing the impact of a light restriction on shoot architecture, biomass production and allocation, nitrogen (N) fl uxes, and senescence- and N-assimilation-related genes expression. Material and Methods Plants (cv. Capitol) were collected from the fi eld at the end of the vegetative period and grown in hydroponic conditions. Two partial ST were applied by setting one (Simple Shading, SS) or two (Double Shading, DS) cloths maintained at the same height. The extinction coeffi cient of PAR corresponded to 43.4% and 65.0% for SS and DS respectively. Plants were supplied with K15NO 3 in nutrient solution to measure N fl uxes as in Rossato et al. (2001). Biomass, amounts of N and 15N were measured for each organ at 5 harvests. Gene expression of SAG12, Cab (indicators of leaf senescence progression), GS and GDH (encoding enzymes involved in N assimilation) were analyzed on diff erent leaf ranks. Results Eff ects of shading on biomass production, biomass partitioning and shoot morphology Shading aff ected total biomass with higher values for SS plants at full and late fl owering (GS65 and GS69) and seed maturity (GS99). Shaded plants exhibited higher allocation to the fl owers and leaves at GS79 compared to control which suggests a delay in leaf senescence (Fig. 1a). Leaf area expansion was favoured i.e increase in leaf number on the main stem and ramifi cations. Eff ects of shading on N allocation Higher N (in relative of total N, rQN) was allocated to the fl owers and leaves under ST as a consequence of higher sink strength due to their biomass (Fig. 1a,b). Under DS, taproot accumulated N compounds that were not used for growth (GS99, Fig. 1b). Between GS59 and GS65, leaves, roots and taproots were sources while fl owers were sink whatever the ST. Stem switched to source organ under SS allowing a temporary storage of N compounds before translocation to young leaves. 121 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 242-2  Fig. 2: RT-PCR analysis of Cab, SAG12, GS1, GS2 and GDH gene expressions in leaf ranks 13 up to 25 at GS69. Total RNA was extracted from leaves at GS69. 25rRNA was used as cDNA synthesis and amplification control.  Control Ϭ ϮϬ ϰϬ ϲϬ ϴϬ ϭϬϬ ϭϯ ϭϰ ϭϱ ϭϲ ϭϳ ϭϴϭϵϮϬϮϭ ϮϮ Ϯϯ Ϯϰ Cab SA G12 25S r R N A Ϭ ϮϬ ϰϬ ϲϬ ϴϬ ϭϬϬ ϭϯϭϰ ϭϱϭϲϭϳ ϭϴϭϵϮϬ ϮϭϮϮϮϯ ϮϰϮϱ SS Ϭ ϮϬ ϰϬ ϲϬ ϴϬ ϭϬϬ ϭϯ ϭϰ ϭϱ ϭϲ ϭϳ ϭϴ ϭϵ ϮϬ Ϯϭ ϭϵ͘Ϯϭϲ͘ϲϭϴ͘ϴ GS1 (Bngsr 2-1) GS2 (Bngsl2) GD H 25S r R N A   13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2113 DS ZĞ ůĂƚ ŝǀĞ ƚƌ ĂŶ ƐĐ ƌŝƉ ƚůĞ ǀĞ ů >ĞĂĨ ƌĂŶŬ η  ^'ϭϮ Ăď Impacts of shading on gene expression related to senescence and N assimilation pathways Shading aff ects sequential leaf senescence progression The expression pattern of SAG12/Cab was used to monitor the spatial progression of leaf senescence (Gombert et al., 2006). The theoretical leaf rank corresponding to sink/source transition for N was #18.8, 16.6 and 19.2 for control, SS and DS plants, respectively (Fig. 2A and B). SS induced a delay of leaf senescence whereas DS promoted a slight acceleration of leaf sequential senescence. Shading aff ects NH 4 + assimilation pathways For DS plants, levels of GS1 (cytosolic form of GS) transcripts were higher than SS plants (Fig. 2C). Concomitantly, the expression of GS2 (chloroplastidial form of GS) was less a ff ected for leaf ranks 15-20 of SS plants which did not undergo senescence. While SS plants used both N assimilation pathways, DS plants resorted to GS1/GDH pathway because of an acceleration of senescence leading to an impairment of chloroplastidial assimilation pathway. Conclusion Moderate shading induced leaf modifi cations to optimize light capture. N remobilisation fl uxes were enhanced from leaves and stem (source) towards fl owers (sink). The SAG12/Cab gene expression suggested a delay of leaf senescence under SS which is consistent of the up regulation of the chloroplastidial form of GS. In contrast, DS induced an acceleration of senescence and favoured the expression of the cytosolic form of GS. Profuse apical branching and late senescing varieties would be of interest to maintain high yield under high sowing density. References Gombert J, Etienne P, Ourry A, Le Dily F. 2006. The expression patterns of SAG12/Cab genes reveal the spatial and temporal progression of leaf senescence in Brassica napus L. with sensitivity to the environment. Journal of Experimental Botany 57: 1949-1956. Rossato L, Laîné P, Ourry A.2001. Nitrogen storage and remobilization in Brassica napus L. during the growth cycle: nitrogen fl uxes within the plant and changes in soluble protein patterns. Journal of Experimental Botany, 361: 1655-1663. 122 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 242-5 The use of seed and straw N concentration to estimate NUE in perennial ryegrass for seed production – a case study from Denmark and New Zealand Gislum, Rene1; Chynoweth, Richard2; Boelt, Birte1 1Aarhus University, DENMARK; 2Foundation for Arable Research, NEW ZEALAND Introduction Denmark and New Zealand are two very important producers of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Application of nitrogen (N) is important to obtain a high seed yield but excess N application will have a negative economical and environmental eff ect. Therefore economical optimum N application rate (ECO-N) has been defi ned and is implemented as part of the advices for seed growers in Denmark and New Zealand. We know from several fi eld experiments that ECO-N varies between fi elds, cultivars, management and pre-crops and maybe there are other alternatives to the use of ECO-N. Nitrogen use effi ciency (NUE) is widely used to estimate utilization of available N in diff erent agricultural crops. NUE has been extended to internal NUE (iNUE) defi ned as how effi cient the crop is to produce a yield in relation to N taken up by the crop. The main diff erence between NUE and iNUE is then that NUE can be calculated as how effi cient the crop is to produce a yield in relation to applied N, while iNUE is only for N taken up by the crop. Based on the facts that utilization of available N defi ned as applied N and N already available in the soil has both an economical and environmental eff ect this study aimed to examine the association between NUE, iNUE and ECO-N in perennial ryegrass for seed production in Denmark and New Zealand. We focus on the di ff erences in NUE, iNUE and ECO-N between the two countries, the diff erence between di- and tetraploid types and how our results can be used in advising seed growers how to increase utilization of available N to obtain a higher seed yield and a higher economical outcome, but also how these results can be used from an environmental point of view. Methodology Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were grown in 15 (id 1 to 15) fi eld experiments in New Zealand (5 experiments) and Denmark (10 experiments) in the period from 2004 to 2008 using six diff erent cultivars. Nitrogen (N) application rates varied from 0 to 321 kg ha-1 using diff erent application strategies. Soil N was measured at initiation of spring growth in experiments from New Zealand while a fi xed soil N amount of 30 kg ha-1 was used under Danish conditions. The experiments were all harvested using a trial combiner and seed yield (kg ha-1), seed N concentration on a dry matter basis, seed N uptake Figure 1. The relationship between seed yield and NUE in perennial ryegrass at 15 fi eld experiments conducted in New Zealand (left) and Denmark (right). 123 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 242-5 (kg ha-1), straw yield (kg ha-1), straw N concentration on a dry matter basis, straw N uptake (kg ha-1) were registred. NUE was calculated as ‘kg crop N uptake/kg N applied’ and iNUE was calculated as ‘kg seed/ kg crop N uptake’. Crop N uptake is N uptake in seed plus N uptake in straw. Results and discussion NUE is considerably higher in New Zealand than in Denmark (fi gure 1) and this is due to a higher straw production and thereby a higher N uptake in New Zealand than in Denmark (data not shown). A higher N uptake was not synonymous with a higher seed yield but had a positive eff ect on seed N concentration (fi gure 2). Seed yield and N uptake showed a positive correlation Figure 2. The relationship between nitrogen (N) uptake of perennial ryegrass and seed N concentration in New Zealand and Denmark. in Denmark while there was no correlation in data from New Zealand (data not shown). This is probably due to the two diff erent management practices, a higher soil N content at initiation of spring growth in New Zealand and the restrictions in use of N under Danish conditions. All of these parameters will have an impact on NUE and iNUE. Conclusion The diff erence between New Zealand and Danish in most of the measured parameters has to be due to management of the crop. The fact that similar yield can be harvested at two or even three times higher N uptake indicate that N is not the limiting factor to obtain a higher seed yield. 124 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Global climate changes and local changes in cropping systems: cropping system calendar changes in Lorraine (F) due to climate changes Benoît, Marc; Fournier, Thomas INRA, FRANCE 411-1 Introduction The increasing of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration seems to be the most important cause of the origin of actual climate change. Crops phenology is driven by climate characteristic and since many years climatogists point out a general trend on temperature. We know that temperature increases may also have an impact on development of diff erent crop (Alexandrov & Hoogenboom, 2000). What are the local e ff ects on cropping systems of these global trends? Our hypothesis is: cropping systems designed by farmers are infl uenced by these trends, and agronomists have to study the multiple adaptations managed by farmers (Seguin, 2003). This study was conducted to determine whether the cereal crop cycles are modifi ed by French farmers and experimental managers according to general climate change trends Materials and methods This study located in Lorraine (east of France) tries to test the hypothesis obtained in Finland: the sowing dates are earlier (Kaukoranta & Hakala, 2008). Cropping systems calendars are investigated with two methods: (i) surveys using 12 farmers monitoring booklets since 1978 (30 years length) and (ii) experimental data from Mirecourt research station since 1970 (40 years length). This cropping system data are related with climatic data from INRA climatological station. Results and discussion This study shows common trends for farmers and experimental data, between 1978 and 2008. For wheat, the beginning of the harvest is 18 days earlier, 8 days for the beginning of sowing, so, the total cycle is 10 days shorter. For barley, the beginning of the harvest is 21 days earlier, the beginning of sowing is 5 days later, and so, the total cycle is 26 days shorter. For corn only studied in experimental station, the sowing is 30 days earlier, the harvest is 25 days earlier despite using later cultivars (from 170 index to 260 index) . More precisely, for wheat, the most cultivated crop, harvest date is 19 days earlier since 1978. However, during the same period, sowing date is only 10 years earlier. Sowing date show an anticipation the 20 fi rst days of our study period, but for 10 years the opposite trends appears. So, the phenological cycle of wheat is 9 days shorter during the last 30 years. We observe a high variability in the sowing and harvest day per year. This variability explains the small R2 of our statistical regression. Statistical results are exposed in the table. At decade scale, harvest date is statistically earliest in the 00’s than in the 90’s, which is statistically earliest. These trends are related to two main climate changes in our temperate regions: increasing mean annual temperature (from 8.2 to 10.1 °C since 1967) and decreasing number of frozen days in winter (from 115 to 65 days/y since 1967). Conclusions To conclude, increasing temperature appears to modify cropping systems secondly aff ected by technical management changes in these farming systems. These results, obtained in medium latitude (45° in France) are closely related to Finland trends. The main critical point of this study is the availability of farmer practices records: a lot of fascinating data are collected, but also destroyed by farmers on their real practices. We show we are able to use them with help of statistical analyses. Now, for the future of agronomy on these questions of climate change adaptations, we have to build an European framework to “harvest these local data” on a large diversity of farms in our European territories. References Alexandrov, V.A. & Hoogenboom, G. (2000) The impact of climate variability and change on crop tield in Bulgaria. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 104, 315- 27. Kaukoranta, T. & Hakala, K. (2008) Impact of spring warming on sowing times of cereal, potato and sugar beet in Finland. Agricultural and Food Science, 17, 165- 76. Seguin, B. (2003) Adaptation des systèmes de production agricole au changement climatique. C. R. Geoscience, 335, 569-75. 125 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-1 126 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-2 CLIMAGIE: A French INRA project to adapt the grasslands to climate change. http://www.inra.fr/ climagie Durand, Jean-Louis1; Ahmed, Lina1; Barkaoui, Karim2; Barre, Philippe1; Chabbi, Abad1; Combes, Didier1; Cruz, Pablo1; Decau, Marie-Laure1; Escobar-Gutierrez, Abraham1; Frak, Ela1; Gastal, François1; Ghesquière, Marc1; Hazard, Laurent1; Jouany, Claire1; Julier, Bernadette1; Litrico, Isabelle1; Louarn, Gaëtan1; Meuriot, Frédéric1; Morvan-Bertrand, Annette3; Sampoux, Jean-Paul1; Picon-Cochard, Catherine1; Pottier, Julien1; Prudhomme, Marie- Pascale3; Volaire, Florence1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2CNRS, FRANCE; 3Université de Caen Basse Normandie, FRANCE Climate change in Europe is expected to provoke more frequent and more intense summer water defi cits, with increased amplitude in temperatures, exposing the same perennial crops to frosts as well as to heat waves and severe droughts. Their impacts on sown monospecifi c grasslands have been assessed using crop models (Durand et al. 2010). In most of locations studied so far, grasslands might reveal resilient or resist, or even produce more, yet irregularily, under various scenarios of climatic conditions including increase of [CO 2 ]. However, the responses of plants to extreme droughts and heat waves are not well described in the current models. The future management of grasslands will be based on lower inputs (fertilisation, water) requiring the use of more genetically diverse grasslands that can use resources more effi ciently and provide better ecosystem services (Darwin, 1859, De Schutter, 2010). The intra-specifi c genetic variability was less investigated so far. Hence both ranges of climate conditions and genetic variability must be deeper explored. Phenology and plant productivity responses to water, temperature and nitrogen in particular need to be re-assessed over the full range of temperatures projected in the future. The multidisciplinary INRA research program CLIMAGIE aims to improve our knowledge and provide innovations for adapting grasslands to climate change. Collaboration between community and functional ecologists, ecophysiologists and quantitative geneticians will provide new rules for species and cultivars ecotypes assembling. CLIMAGIE will build up a framework to propose a range of solutions depending on pedoclimatic conditions and grassland functions, enabling farmers and breeders to cope with uncertainties attached to future climate scenarios. That framework will be tested experimentally and in silico with the models under construction in our teams. It will contribute to the defi nition of new ideotypes and breeding schemes of major species for plant breeding, in close collaboration with seed companies on the one hand and directly with end users through participatory selection programs on the other hand. Three integrated groups of tasks are defi ned: 1. Analysis of the genetic intra and inter-specifi c variability of the physiological responses to temperatures and droughts in grassland species (legumes and grasses). In particular, the morphogenetic response of various populations in 6 important grassland species to the full range of temperature (5-45 °C) will be studied. The evolvability of grass populations under severe drought conditions will be studied in grasses. New methodologies for measuring the genetic variability of water use, water use effi ciency and summer dormancy will be tested. 2. Modelling of the dynamics of the long-term production of sown grasslands. Three models will be tested for: (i) spatially explicit tillering of multispecies grass swards, (ii) individual based competition including legumes and grasses, (iii) complex grassland communities’ dynamics using functional ecological modelling. 3. Operational selection schemes, ideotypes and assembling rules for mixed grasslands. This includes (i) novel methodologies to assess and manage of both the ex situ and in situ genetic resources including biogeographical approaches, (ii) building of selections procedures for mixed sown grasslands (iii) construction of an internet dynamic data base for assembling cultivars under various management and climate conditions. References Darwin C., 1859. The origin of species. Modern library Paperback Edition (1998). Durand J.L., Bernard F., Lardy R., Graux I., 2010. Climate change and grassland: the main impacts. In Brisson N. & Levrault F. (eds), Green book of the CLIMATOR project - Climate change, agriculture and forests in France: simulations of the impacts on the main species. ADEME. 181-190. De Schutter O., 2010. Report submitted by the special rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier de Schutter. UNO, GE.10-17850. 127 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Fig 1. Models for 2 to 5 species under construction in the French INRA project CLIMAGIE. Modelling the interactions and competition for light (quality and quantity), water and nitrogen in mixtures using dynamic morphology and generic physiological functions (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, nitrogen absorption and fixation). Individual based simulation tools for testing genotype adaptation to projected extreme events (heat and drought) using species, population or genotype specific parameters for phenology, morphogenesis, and trophic functions. Adapted from Barillot, R., Louarn, G., Escobar-Guti rrez, A. J., Huynh, P. and Combes, D. 2011. Annals of Botany 108, 1013-1024. Fig 2. The Structure of the French INRA Project CLIMAGIE. Production of generic knowledge • plant populations responses to temperature. • Intra specific variations in water and nitrogen use efficiency. • Impact of extreme droughts on under ground processes, soil organic matter and water use. • Role and expression of functionnal genetic diversity in complex communities. • Modeling • Model 1. tiller based model of complex grass swards with SIsFrt (Lafarge et al 2005) • Model 2. Simulation of the competition for Ligt, water and nitrogen in complex sown grasslands (Fig 1) • Model 3. Empirical modelling of the evolution of species in response to soil fertility (nutritents and water) in mixed grass swards repesenting natural graslands. Breeding • ex situ. Breeding for annual production and persistency in zones submitted to marked summer water deficits. • in situ. Participatory breeding enabling farmers to control the genetic progress locally. Traits identification and mechanisms of adaptation to abiotic stresses (T and water deficits) for Mediterranean and Temperate grasslands. Analysing Traits of Medit Vs Temp populations. • Field dynamics of mixed swards • Response to selection by drought • Summer dormancy :3 :3  ex situ and in situ Genetic resources management. Open and dynamic Data base for assembling populations for sowing grasslands adapted to Climate change Pre-breeding and ressources management tools for seed companies and farmers. :3 Modeling the complex grasslands productivity and persistency. Breeding grasses and legumes for adapted grasslands to future climate :3 V x V x :3:3 411-2 128 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-3 Adapting maize crop to climatic changes Tokatlidis, Ioannis Democritus University of Thrace, GREECE Introduction Maize grain production is tremendously infl uenced by the environmental yield potential, mainly on account of hybrids’ attribute to exhibit a strong reliance on plant density. Because of the ongoing climate changes, drought periods on the one side and heavy rains on the other are becoming more and more common. Consequently, for agriculture to be sustainable in the future, it should be able to be adequately productive under highly diverse conditions. Interactions among environments, hybrids and densities Although breeding has succeeded spectacular achievements, hybrids suff er from density dependence, an agronomic weakness of prime signifi cance especially for rain-fed cropping systems. The optimum density, i.e. the one that ensures the highest grain production, diff ers from location to location during the same season or from season to season at the same location even concerning the same hybrid. The problem is more acute at dryland maize production that involves highly diversifying conditions across seasons refl ecting upon equally diverse optimum densities (Fig. 1a). According to the general conclusion emerging from the published data, the higher the yield potential is, the higher the due density should be. However, since at the time of sowing the forthcoming precipitations cannot be accurately predicted, it is very diffi cult to deduce the best density for a hybrid during a particular season, and thus farmers may sustain considerable yield loss (Fig. 1b). Current crop management As a remedy, the application of relatively low densities is usually suggested, in order to best adjust to the limitations of the driest seasons. In addition, short-season hybrids are preferred, because at the marginal seasons they require lower densities than the full-season ones to perform well and are also able to evade the severe drought stress during the critical grain-fi lling stage. Nevertheless, the reliability of this approach should be critically questioned in terms of whether a hybrid’s maturity time alone is actually the crucial factor to determine which hybrid is the most suitable for dryland production. In fact, the sort- season hybrids currently available require much higher densities during favourable seasons as opposed to the densities required at the driest seasons. As a result, these hybrids are unable to take advantage of occasional high rainfalls, merely because they happened to be grown at low densities, seriously limiting the farmers’ income in such cases. Future crop management In order to overcome the problem, breeding ought to switch to density-neutral hybrids, i.e. hybrids able to accomplish yield potential at a wide spectrum of densities and especially those of a low threshold level, i.e. with optimum densities starting at small numbers. If such hybrids are available, they could be cultivated at low densities, so as to meet the requirements of the driest environments, but at the same time be able to take advantage of occasional rainfalls, thus avoiding the risk of yield loss. Hybrids that combine density- 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 O pt im um d en si ty (p la nt s/ m 2 ) G ra in y ie ld p ot en ti al (M g/ ha ) Environment hybrid PR3893 yield potential optimum density (a) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 -0.5 0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 G ra in y ie ld (M g/ ha ) Density (plants/m2) Kimball location 19992000 (b) -39% -55% Fig. 1. Variability in environmental yield potential is accompanied by variability in optimum density (a) implying up to 39 and 55% yield loss for two consecutive seasons if density is the optimum for the other season (b). Data from Blumental et al. (2003). 129 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-3 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 G ra in y ie l ( M g/ ha ) Density (plants/m2) Maraton Gazda Norma Fig. 2. Among three hybrids equivalent in grain yield potential Maraton is less density-dependent and thus more appropriate for diverse environments. Data from Berzsenyi and Tokatlidis (2012). independence with a relatively short time to reach maturity constitute the ideal solution for drought-prone regions with insuffi cient rainfall in late-season. Therefore, two challenges arise. Firstly, among currently elite hybrids the less density-dependent have to be qualifi ed. Secondly, the development of density-neutral hybrids is a serious challenge for maize breeding serving the needs of sustainable agriculture. Experimental data (Thomison et al., 2011; Berzsenyi and Tokatlidis, 2012) are now available indicating that this could indeed be a realistic goal (Fig. 2). Acknowledgements Work co-fi nanced by EU (ERDF) and Greek funds through the program code 09 ÓÕÍ -22-604 “SYNERGASIA2009 – Action I. Cooperative small- and mid-scale projects “. References Berzsenyi Z, Tokatlidis IS (2012). Agron J 104:331-336 Blumenthal JM et al. (2003). Agron J 95:878-883 Thomison PR et al. (2011). Agron J 103:1765-1772 130 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-4 Stress-Induced Limitations to Reproductive Success in Cotton Oosterhuis, Derrick; Snider, John University of Arkansas, UNITED STATES Introduction Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). originates from hot climates, but does not necessarily yield best at excessively high temperatures, and a negative correlation has been reported between yield and high temperature during fl owering and early boll development. Successful pollen tube growth and fertilization of the ovule is essential for the development of seeds and the fi bers associated with the seed coat that are the basic components of yield in cotton. As pollen tube growth has a high energy requirement relative to vegetative tissues, any abiotic stress negatively aff ecting the availability of energy reserves in the pistil should negatively impact fertilization and decrease yield. Materials and methods To determine the eff ects of heat stress on source leaf activity, pistil energy reserves and in vivo pollen tube growth, cotton plants (cultivar ST4554 B2RF) were maintained at optimal day/night temperature regimes (30/20 °C) or exposed to heat stress (38/20 °C) conditions one week prior to fl owering. Heat stressed pistils had signifi cantly lower pollen tube to ovule ratios, decreased soluble carbohydrate contents, and lower ATP levels relative to the control. Results Subtending leaf photosynthesis, photochemical effi ciency, and chlorophyll content decreased under heat stress. Comparisons of thermosensitive (cv. ST4554) and thermotolerant (cv. VH260) cotton plants grown under optimal and high temperatures showed that the thermosensitive cultivar had decreased fertilization effi ciency, soluble carbohydrates, ATP content and NOX activity, whereas water soluble calcium and glutathione reductase activity increased. In subtending leaves, heat stress decreased photosynthesis, quantum effi ciency and chlorophyll content. High temperature did not aff ect fertilization effi ciency in VH260 but lowered fertilization effi ciency for ST4554. Antioxidant enzyme activity was signifi cantly higher in VH260 pistils than ST4554 pistils under control temperature conditions. Also, total and water-soluble calcium and ATP content was signifi cantly higher in VH260 pistils relative to ST4554 pistils. VH260 also exhibited more thermostable subtending leaf photosynthesis and quantum effi ciency than ST4554. VH260 also had signi fi cantly higher optimal and threshold temperatures for ΦPSII, with innate high temperature threshold being dependent upon antioxidant activity. Conclusions We concluded that heat stress primarily limits reproductive success by decreasing in vivo pollen performance. The energy requirements of growing pollen tubes cannot be suffi ciently met under heat stress as a result of decreased source leaf activity. In addition, pre- stress antioxidant enzyme activity, calcium content, and energetic status of the pistil are innate mechanisms of reproductive thermotolerance in cotton, and reproductive thermotolerance is closely associated with the thermostability of the subtending leaf. 131 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-4 132 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-5 Leaf temperature as a promising tool for evaluating drought adaptation in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) Khazaei, Hamid1; Stoddard, Frederick1; Street, Kenneth2 1University of Helsinki, FINLAND; 2ICARDA, P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC Introduction Leaf temperature is highly linked to stomatal conductance (g s ), which in turn represents the combinations of stomatal morphology (density and size) and behaviour and it is a certain physiological criterion for drought adaptation in plant species. Stomatal closure is one of the fi rst steps in response to water defi cit, leading to decreased g s and stomatal transpiration and consequently an increase in leaf temperature (Kramer and Boyer, 1995). Thus, leaf temperature is an indicator of transpirational cooling and has been suggested as a surrogate for measuring g s in some crops (Blum, 2011) including faba bean (Khan et al. 2007). A wide spectrum of genotypes was studied in order to validate this suggestion. Methodology Two sets of faba bean accessions, 201 from wet regions and 201 from dry regions, were studied in controlled conditions during 2009-2010, in order to investigate the relationships of leafl et and canopy temperature (LT & CT) with leaf gas exchange traits and lea fl et area (LA). The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Two subsets of 10 and 9 accessions were chosen from the wet and dry sets, respectively, for analysis of response to drought stress conditions in 2011. Water stress was imposed at 5 weeks after sowing, by progressively allowing the potting mixture to dry at 2% moisture content per day. A portable photosynthesis system (Licor LI-6400) was used to measure photosynthetic rate (A net ), g s , transpiration effi ciency (TE=A net /g s ), LT and transpiration rate (E). CT was measured by infrared thermometer (IRT, FLUKE® 574 thermometer gun). Leafl et area was measured using a LI-6200 leaf area meter. Photoperiod was adjusted to 14 h light and 10 h dark, and the temperature was 20°C day/15°C night ±2°C. Photosynthetic photon fl ux density (PPFD) was about 300 μmol m-2 s-1 at the canopy level. A constant humidity level of 60% was maintained. Results and Discussion There was a signifi cant variation for LT and CT in all experiments (P<0.001). LT and CT both had strong negative correlations with A net , g s and E, whereas TE showed the reverse trend (Table 1). LT was positively associated with CT (wet set: r=0.576, P<0.001, dry set: r=0.429, P<0.001). Also, the results showed that bigger leafl ets had a cooler canopy. The dry–set accessions had cooler canopy under well- watered conditions and also they had higher rise in both LT and CT under drought stress compared to the wet set (Figure 1). This shows that accessions from dry regions kept their stomata closed for water saving under drought stress conditions, leading to warmer canopy, whereas accessions from wet zones did not use this ability. In the fi eld, however, relatively lower canopy temperature under drought stress conditions, indicates the better capacity of taking water from deep soil and consequently better water status in plants. Figure 1. Eff ects of water treatments on the leafl et (A) and canopy temperature (B) in the wet and dry set accessions. (Results represent the mean ± 1S.E.M.)Wet set Dry set 20 21 22 23 24 25 B           (  ) 20 21 22 23 24 25 Well-watered Drought         (  ) A 133 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 411-5 Conclusions Leaf temperature measured by IRT could be introduced as an instant, easy and cost effi cient alternative for preliminary screening method for drought adaption under controlled and uniform conditions in faba bean. The protocol of using the IRT (http://www.plantstress. com/methods/IRT_protocol.htm) should be followed carefully to avoid large variance error and non-repeatable results. Table 1. Simple correlation coeffi cients of leafl et and canopy temperatures with leaf gas exchange traits and leafl et area (n=201). All correlations are signifi cant at P<0.001. References Blum A. 2011. Plant breeding for water limited environments. Springer-Verlag, New York. Khan HR, Link W, Hocking TJH, Stoddard FL. 2007. Evaluation of physiological traits for improving drought tolerance in faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Plant and Soil 292, 205–217. Kramer PJ, Boyer JS. 1995. Water relations of plants and soils. Academic press, San Diego, CA, USA. 134 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-1 Table 1: Composition of crops and cover crops of the six three-year rotations tested GL0 GL1 GL2 bare CC bare CC bare CC Year 1 Sorghum Sunflower Soybean (no CC) Mustard Rape or (no CC) Year 2 Sunflower Winter Pea Spring Pea Vetch Mustard Mustard Year 3 Durum Wheat Durum Wheat Durum Wheat Oat + Vetch Oat + Vetch Mustard Cover crops are worthwhile in grain legume based rotation to valorise the biological N2 fi xation and concomitantly maintain the soil fertility Passot, Sixtine; Nolot, Jean-Marie; Justes, Eric INRA, FRANCE Introduction Facing the environmental consequences of agriculture intensifi cation, diversifying crops over space and time like growing more grain legumes (GL) may be a solution. Indeed, they increase the potential amount of available N for the subsequent crop (Crews and Peoples 2004). As nitrate leaching may occur after GL, cover crops (CC) could be used to reduce nitrate losses (Moller and Reents, 2009). Moreover, the medium-term eff ect of GL in rotations on soil fertility, i.e. soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN), is not well known as well as the joint impact of CC grown after GL. We then focused on SOC and STN assessment using medium-term prototypes of low N input arable farming systems with gradual level of GL and CC. Methodology A 6-year fi eld experiment was conducted at INRA Toulouse (SW France) from 2003 to 2009 to study the rotational eff ects of GL and CC on the medium-term soil fertility in a pseudo two block replicates. The cropping system design was based on 6 di ff erent 3-year rotations in low input system containing none (GL0), one (GL1) or two legumes (GL2) and with or without CC (Table 1). Within each rotation, each crop was grown every year as a ‘climate replicate’. Decision rules were adopted to adjust crop management to the soil and crop status and in particular adjusting N rates to the preceding crop and CC eff ect. Results and discussion The SOC evolution depended strongly on the crop rotation. While it was almost constant in GL0, it decreased in average by 0.7 t/ha/yr without CC in the GL1 and GL2 rotations (Table 2). On the contrary, CC generated a SOC increase in GL0 of 0.6 t/ha/yr, con fi rming previous results (Kuo et al 1995). With CC, the SOC depletion tendency was reduced in GL1 and cancelled in GL2. The depleting eff ect of GL on the SOC was due both to i) lower amounts of C returning to the soil (lower biomass produced) and ii) lower straw C/N ratio, leading to a faster GL residue decomposition than for non-GL crops. Concerning STN, results indicated that although it remained nearly stable in GL0, it slightly decreased in average by 40 kg N/ha/yr in GL1 and GL2 (Table 2). The CC allowed maintaining the STN in the 3 rotations. The N acquired by CC was in average of 35, 50 and 63 kg N/ha/yr respectively in GL0, GL1 and GL2, indicating that CC were e ffi cient for N recycling with a triple eff ect. Firstly, the CC took up soil residual mineral-N after GL and then decreased nitrate leaching (data not shown) as shown by many authors (Hauggaard-Nielsen et al., 2009). Secondly, the CC residues were rapidly mineralised and a part of N (between 25 and 45% according to C:N ratio) was released and used by the subsequent cash crop. Finally, as a consequence, the CC allowed maintaining the STN because most of its N content was immobilised in the soil at short-term, even with rich-N CC (Justes et al., 2009). Our results are consistent with other studies showing the effi ciency of CC to increase SOC and STN in medium and long-term in arable rotations (Constantin et al., 2010). 135 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-1 Table 2: Soil Organic Content (SOC) and Soil Total Nitrogen (STN) change versus time (after the first and the second rotation) Initial SOC in the 0-30 cm (t/ha) Soil Organic Carbon in g/kg Evolution mean (sd) 2003 mean (sd) 2006 mean (sd) 2009 mean (sd) 2003-2009 Slope (g/kg/year) p-value GL0 CC 34,0 (2,0) 7,82 (0,47) 8,62 (0,58) 8,58 (0,76) 0,76 0,13 0,009 bare 37,8 (5,5) 8,68 (1,26) 8,73 (0,89) 8,38 (1,20) -0,30 -0,05 0,130 GL1 CC 39,1 (4,1) 8,98 (0,95) 8,83 (0,61) 8,13 (0,77) -0,85 -0,14 0,028 bare 36,5 (4,2) 8,38 (0,98) 8,33 (0,62) 7,43 (0,11) -0,95 -0,16 0,004 GL2 CC 39,2 (3,1) 9,00 (0,72) 9,07 (0,75) 8,68 (0,82) -0,32 -0,05 0,130 bare 38,9 (3,6) 8,93 (0,83) 8,47 (0,59) 7,98 (0,81) -0,95 -0,16 0,0004 Initial STN in the 0-30 cm (t/ha) Soil Total Nitrogen in g/kg Evolution mean (sd) 2003 mean (sd) 2006 mean (sd) 2009 mean (sd) 2003-2009 Slope (g/kg/year) p-value GL0 CC 4,2 (0,17) 0,96 (0,04) 1,05 (0,05) 1,02 (0,10) 0,05 0,009 0,140 bare 4,6 (0,67) 1,05 (0,15) 1,05 (0,10) 1,01 (0,13) -0,04 -0,007 0,160 GL1 CC 4,7 (0,45) 1,07 (0,10) 1,10 (0,60) 1,05 (0,03) -0,02 -0,004 0,630 bare 4,5 (0,48) 1,04 (0,11) 1,03 (0,08) 0,97 (0,10) -0,06 -0,010 0,048 GL2 CC 4,7 (0,44) 1,07 (0,10) 1,14 (0,11) 1,06 (0,10) -0,01 -0,002 0,690 bare 4,7 (0,47) 1,09 (0,11) 1,06 (0,09) 0,99 (0,11) -0,10 -0,016 0,042 (sd) corresponds to standard deviation Conclusion This cropping system experiment showed that GL can induce a depletion of SOC and STN contents at medium- term. This eff ect was suppressed when CC are cropped after GL, because CC allow to save and recycle large amounts of soil mineral-N and trap more C each year by increasing the photosynthesis at the rotation level. The benefi ts of CC grown after GL are to go further than the mitigation of nitrate leaching and maintain or improve the soil C and N fertility on medium-term. Then CC are worthwhile in GL based rotations and can be considered as a solution to redesign cropping systems for a more sustainable agriculture. References Constantin et al, 2010. Agr. Eco. Env.,135:268-278 Crews, Peoples, 2004. Agr. Eco. Env,102:279-297 Hauggaard-Nielsen et al, 2009. Nut. Cyc. Agr.,84:281-291 Justes et al, 2009. Plant Soil,325:171-185 Kuo et al, 1995. SSSAJ,61:145-152 Moller, Reents, 2009. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 172:277–287 136 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-2 Assessing the role of cereal-legume intercrops in low-input rotational cropping systems Baddeley, John; Pappa, Valentini; Rees, Robert; Walker, Robin; Watson, Christine Scottish Agricultural College, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction The replacement of industrially-manufactured fertiliser nitrogen (N) by improved use of biologically fi xed N (BNF) is frequently proposed as a route to creating more sustainable agricultural systems. While there is some progress in addressing this approach in the UK through the use of forage legumes, the greater integration of grain legumes into cropping systems has been relatively neglected. Intercropping is the simultaneous cultivation of two or more crops on the same area of land. It may increase yield compared with sole crops in low input systems, reduce the chance of crop failure and can reduce nitrous oxide and leaching losses of N. Intercropping of cereals with legumes can increase BNF within a rotation while not sacrifi cing a year of potential grain yield. Despite a high level of interest in intercrops, most studies have based their conclusions on data only from the season of intercropping. There is thus a need to assess the role of cereal/legume intercrops in rotational cropping sequences, where eff ects may be realised beyond the year of intercropping. The aims of this study were to: 1) investigate the hypotheses that any grain yield benefi ts of cereal/legume intercrops may occur in both the year of intercropping and in the following year and 2) assess the transfer of N from intercropped legumes to a following cereal crop. Materials and methods The experiment was carried out in near Aberdeen, Scotland. The plots (6 by 1.5 m) were on a sandy loam in a fi eld which had been in grass/clover and grazed for three years. The treatments in 2006 consisted of monocrops of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) or spring oats (Avena sativa), or cereal/legume intercrops of barley or oats with either spring pea (Pisum sativum) or clover (Trifolium repens). Monocrops of pea and clover were also grown. In 2007 spring oats were grown on all plots. In the intercrops, the seed rates for the cereals and legumes followed a 50:50 replacement design. Each treatment was replicated three times in a randomised block design. No fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides were used. Grain yields were measured at crop maturity. Nitrogen fi xation by the legumes, and transfer of this N to cereals in both the year of intercropping and the following growing season, is currently being evaluated using the delta15N technique and will be reported when results are available. Results Cereal grain yields in 2006 were not signi fi cantly diff erent between treatments but in 2007 there were signifi cant treatment eff ects (Fig 1). The highest yields were from plots that had contained cereal/legume intercrops or 137 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-2 a clover monocrop, and the lowest yields were in plots that had cereal or pea monocrops. Total grain yields over the two years were signifi cantly aff ected by treatment. The cereal/pea and cereal/clover intercrop treatments were not signifi cantly diff erent from each other but were signifi cantly greater than the cereal monocrops. The total 2-year grain yields from the monocrops of peas and clover did not diff er signifi cantly from each other but were signifi cantly lower than any of the treatments that had contained cereals in 2006. Discussion The lack of an eff ect of intercropping on yields in the fi rst year of the experiment has been reported by similar studies. The diff erences in yield seen in the second year of the experiment are readily attributed to the treatments of the preceding year. Despite generally being considered as a good second cereal, oats yields were lower after cereal monocrops than after cereal/legume intercrops. Thus the intercrops had at least as large an eff ect on the performance of the system in the year after they were grown than when they were in the ground. Conclusions This study shows the importance of taking a multi- year approach to assessing the value of intercrops, and that cereal/legume intercrops off er a practical solution to increase the application of legume-supported crop rotations without sacrifi cing a season of grain production. 138 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-3K Legume-supported crop rotations: A European perspective Watson, Christine1; Iannetta, Pietro2; Murphy-Bokern, Donal3; Rees, RM1; Stoddard, FL4; Topp, CFE1; Williams, Mike5; Zander, Peter6 1Scottish Agricultural College, UNITED KINGDOM; 2James Hutton Institute, UNITED KINGDOM; 3Murphy-Bokern Konzepte, GERMANY; 4University of Helsinki, FINLAND; 5Trinity College Dublin, IRELAND; 6ZALF, GERMANY The area of pulse crops in Europe declined by 70% between 1961 and 2005 (FAOstat 2012) and the forage legume crop area also declined signifi cantly from 1980 to 2001 (Rochon et al. 2004). In 2011 the EU 27 produced 287 M t of cereals, 29 M t of oilseeds and only 2.7 M t of protein crops (EU 2012), but because of the importance of the livestock sector, Europe consumed the equivalent of 62 M t of imported soybean per year. Grain legumes occupy less than 2% of the agricultural land in Europe compared with 8% in Australia and western Canada. The decline in legumes has been enabled by the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, on which European farming is now heavily dependent, with an average of 10.4 M t of nitrogen applied to European cropland (Fertilizers Europe 2010). Thus Europe misses the substantial, particularly public, benefi ts, that legumes provide to farming systems and while some of these are easily recognisable from an economic perspective, others are longer-term and associated with the provision of ecosystem services. Including legumes in the farming system diversifi es the crop rotation, breaking the cycles of cereal diseases and providing a wider range of habitats and hosts for benefi cial organisms above and below ground. Legumes can fi x large quantities of atmospheric N, up to 545 kg N ha-1 in Trifolium repens (Carlsson & Huss-Danell, 2003), thus reducing dependence on manufactured fertilizers. Hence, legume crops themselves require little or no N fertilizer and, in a rotation, the N in their residues is available to the following crop, reducing further the need for fertilizer N. Reducing the use of N fertilizers helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption associated with fertilizer manufacturing and application. From a livestock perspective, forage legumes not only provide protein but are rich in fl avonoids and tannins providing nutritional and health benefi ts as well as infl uencing product quality (Dewhurst et al. 2009). Increasing the use of legume-supported cropping systems for their ecological as well as their economic benefi ts requires not only recognition of these benefi ts by policy makers and producers but also the application of existing knowledge, changes to system design, improvements in plant breeding, and use and development of rhizobial inoculants (Crews & Peoples 2004). The challenges for scientists and technologists are numerous. Legume breeding has generally been neglected at the expense of cereal breeding, but modern genomics-assisted breeding methods could make rapid progress on important aspects such as yield stability and maturation date of grain legumes and persistence of forage legumes, along with disease and pest resistance, that would make the crops New varieties of both forage and grain legumes will require tolerance to more varied climatic conditions (e.g. cold/heat and fl ooding/drought) as well as more effi cient N use to reduce environmental burdens. In forage legumes, improvements in the conversion of plant protein to livestock protein could reduce N excretion and loss. In many parts of Europe, legume-supported rotations disappeared from conventional agriculture as synthetic fertilisers and pesticides became cheaper and more available and the price of imported protein dropped. Knowledge and understanding of legume-based rotation or cropping sequence design by farmers and advisors has also started to disappear but design of cropping sequences that can make eff ective use of the multiple benefi ts of legumes is required if growing legumes is to become more attractive to farmers. There are opportunities for knowledge exchange between the organic and conventional sectors, as legumes are a fundamental component of organic systems. However, there is room to improve the agronomic, economic and environmental performance of legume-supported cropping systems in both sectors. The proposed greening measures within the 2013 CAP reform provide an opportunity for change. 139 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-3K 140 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-4 Assessing the Economic and Agronomic Potential of Legume-Supported Crop Rotations across Europe Using a Crop Rotation Generator Reckling, Moritz1; Hecker, Jens-Martin1; Bachinger, Johann1; Schläϐke, Nicole1; Topp, Kairsty2; Watson, Christine2; Zander, Peter1 1Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), GERMANY; 2Scottish Agricultural College (SAC), UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Legume crops play a decreasing role in European agriculture despite their potential benefi ts for the environment and farming system. Within the EU-funded FP7 project LEGUME FUTURES, potential bene fi ts of legume-supported crop rotations are evaluated in fi ve NUTS 2 case-study regions across Europe (South- Muntenia, RO; Calabria, IT; Eastern Scotland, UK; Western Sweden and Brandenburg, DE). To fi nd positive interactions, crop rotations are generated and analysed by the N-budget. The approach aims to develop novel cropping systems that use less fossil energy and mitigate Nitrogen emissions through the inclusion of N-fi xing grain- and forage legumes. Materials and methods Region-specifi c crop rotation rules were the basis for generating crop rotations of 3 to 6 years for each case study region. These represent agronomically feasible cropping options, including crops that are currently grown, and grain and forage legumes to be promoted. In an iterative process with crop production experts, the following cropping rules were formulated: (i) sequence and (ii) frequency of crops, (iii) frequency of crop types, and (iv) suitability of crops per soil type (Table 1). These rules and additional restrictions, were applied in a database. dĂďůĞϭ͗ƌŽƉͲƐƉĞĐŝĨŝĐĨƌĞƋƵĞŶĐLJĐŽŶƐƚƌĂŝŶƚƐĂŶĚĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƚŝŽŶĂĐƌŽƐƐƐŽŝůƚLJƉĞƐŝŶƌĂŶĚĞŶďƵƌŐ ƌŽƉ DĂdž͘ĐƌŽƉƉŝŶŐ ĨƌĞƋƵĞŶĐLJ;йͿ DŝŶ͘ďƌĞĂŬ ;LJĞĂƌƐͿ ŝƐƚƌŝďƵƚŝŽŶŽĨĐƌŽƉƐƉĞƌƐŽŝůƚLJƉĞϭ >ŽĂŵ ^ĂŶĚLJĐůĂLJ ůŽĂŵ ^ĂŶĚLJůŽĂŵ >ŽĂŵLJ ƐĂŶĚ ^ĂŶĚ ůĨĂůĨĂͲŐƌĂƐƐ΀ŵĞĚŝĐĂŐŽƐĂƚŝǀĂ΁ ϯϯ ϰ dž dž dž ZĞĚͬǁŚŝƚĞĐůŽǀĞƌͲŐƌĂƐƐ΀ƚƌŝĨŽůŝƵŵƐƉƉ͘΁ ϯϯ ϰ dž dž dž ^ĞƌƌĂĚĞůůĂ΀ŽƌŶŝƚŚŽƉƵƐƐĂƚŝǀƵƐ΁ ϱϬ ϰ dž &ĂďĂďĞĂŶ΀ǀŝĐŝĂĨĂďĂ΁ ϱϬ Ϯ dž dž WĞĂ΀ƉŝƐƵŵƐĂƚŝǀƵŵ΁ ϮϬ ϰ dž dž dž dž >ƵƉŝŶƐ;ĂůůǀĂƌŝĞƚŝĞƐͿ΀ůƵƉŝŶƵƐƐƉƉ͘΁ Ϯϱ ϰ dž dž dž dž WŽƚĂƚŽ΀ƐŽůĂŵƵŵƚƵďĞƌŽƐƵŵ΁ Ϯϱ ϰ dž dž ^ŝůĂŐĞŵĂŝnjĞ΀njĞĂŵĂLJƐ΁ ϲϲ Ϭ dž dž dž dž ^ƉƌŝŶŐďĂƌůĞLJ΀ŚŽƌĚĞƵŵǀƵůŐĂƌĞ΁ ϱϬ ϭ dž dž dƌŝƚŝĐĂůĞ΀пdƌŝƚŝĐŽƐĞĐĂůĞ΁ ϯϯ Ϭ dž dž KĂƚ΀ĂǀĞŶĂƐƉƉ͘΁ Ϯϱ ϯ dž dž tŝŶƚĞƌǁŚĞĂƚ΀ƚƌŝƚŝĐƵŵĂĞƐƚŝǀƵŵ΁ ϯϯ Ϭ dž dž tŝŶƚĞƌďĂƌůĞLJ΀ŚŽƌĚĞƵŵǀƵůŐĂƌĞ΁ ϱϬ ϭ dž dž tŝŶƚĞƌŽŝůƐĞĞĚƌĂƉĞ΀ďƌĂƐƐŝĐĂŶĂƉƵƐ΁ ϯϯ Ϭ dž dž dž tŝŶƚĞƌƌLJĞ΀ƐĞĐĂůĞĐĞƌĞĂůĞ΁ ϭϬϬ Ϭ dž dž dž dž dž tŝŶƚĞƌƌLJĞͲǀĞƚĐŚ΀Ɛ͘ĐĞƌĞĂůĞͬǀŝĐŝĂůĂƚŚLJƌŽŝĚĞƐ΁ ϭϬϬ Ϭ dž ϭdžŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞƐƚŚĞƐƵŝƚĂďŝůŝƚLJŽĨĐƌŽƉƐƉĞƌƐŽŝůƚLJƉĞ 141 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-4 dĂďůĞϮ͗EƵŵďĞƌŽĨŐĞŶĞƌĂƚĞĚƌŽƚĂƚŝŽŶƐĂĐƌŽƐƐƐŽŝůƚLJƉĞƐŝŶƌĂŶĚĞŶďƵƌŐĨŽƌϯͲƚŽϲͲLJĞĂƌƌŽƚĂƚŝŽŶƐ ZŽƚĂƚŝŽŶůĞŶŐƚŚ ;LJĞĂƌƐͿ EƵŵďĞƌŽĨƌŽƚĂƚŝŽŶƐƉĞƌƐŽŝůƚLJƉĞ >ŽĂŵ ^ĂŶĚLJĐůĂLJůŽĂŵ ^ĂŶĚLJůŽĂŵ >ŽĂŵLJƐĂŶĚ ^ĂŶĚ ϯ ϭϬ Ϯϰ ϳ Ϭ ϭ ϰ ϯϬ ϭϬϭ ϭϴ Ϭ Ϭ ϱ ϴϮ ϱϯϬ ϵϯ ϭϬ Ϯ ϲ ϯϯϰ ϭϱϲϭ ϭϭϬϳ ϵϰ ϱ   In the next steps, site and pre-crop specifi c crop production activities were defi ned with varying management of manure, tillage, crop establishment, and cover crop. Economic and agronomic criteria (e.g. gross margin, N-budget) will be applied to reduce the large number of generated rotations. Finally, the economically best performing and ecologically sound systems will be compared with statistical data and stakeholders confronted with the selection. Agronomic evaluation of the proposed farming systems is based on a static, rule-based assessment of N-fi xation, N-leaching, N-removal and N 2 O emissions. It compares the N-effi ciency of legume-supported rotations compared to non-legume rotations and calculates possible reductions in mineral fertilizer use. Economic evaluation takes place at fi eld level via gross margins and cost-eff ectiveness. The performance of farming systems under diff erent scenarios (changes in prices and policies) is analysed through linear programming based on a farm model. First results of this research approach are presented for the case study region Brandenburg (Germany). In Brandenburg, the agro-environmental zonation distinguishes fi ve zones based on soil types, ranging from sandy to loamy soils. Cereals and rapeseed are the most dominant crops, while grain- and forage legumes have almost disappeared in the last decade and are only cultivated on around 2% of the arable land in 2010 (assuming a legume proportion of 50% in legume-grass mixtures). Results/conclusions The total number of generated crop rotations without applying any economic and agronomic sustainability criteria range from one 3-year rotation for the sandy soil type, up to 1 561 6-year rotations for the sandy clay-loam soil (Table 2). On the sand soils, 4 possible legume crops were identifi ed, and only with 5- to 6-year sequences a signifi cant number of possible rotations was found. On the loam soils, where 3 possible legumes were identifi ed, rotations with grain legumes were modeled even for sequences of only 4-years. Thus, in order to promote legumes, infl uences of soil types need to be taken into account and a minimum rotation length of 4 and 6 years is needed for grain and forage legumes, respectively. The rule-based approach off ers great potential for assessing a large number and diversity of cropping systems, including current and potential novel farming systems. Generated farming systems could serve as an input for the environmental assessment by the DNDC model and life cycle analysis. Legume-supported cropping systems might be essential to cope with changing economic and political farming conditions in Europe. 142 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-5 Combining high yields and margins and low environmental impacts is possible with cereal- legume mixture Pelzer, Elise; Bazot, Mathieu; Makowski, David; Jeuffroy, Marie-Hélène INRA, FRANCE Introduction Intercropping is defi ned as the cultivation of two or more species in the same space and for a signifi cant time. In cereal-legume intercropping, the optimised use of soil and atmospheric nitrogen and subsequent lower N requirements, and the reduction of pests and diseases, may allow a reduction of inputs and environmental impacts, and an increase in economical return. The aim of this study was to assess pea-wheat intercropping systems (Fig 1) in France through an experimental assessment, accounting for the agronomic, environmental, energetic, and economic performances. The experiments were carried out by several research institutes and extension services and their results were presented in details in Pelzer et al. (2012). Materials and methods Pea-wheat experiments were set up in nine French sites during two years, including conventional and organic management. Five treatments were tested: i) wheat sole crop with nitrogen fertilisation, ii) wheat sole crop without nitrogen fertilisation, iii) pea sole crop without nitrogen fertilisation, iv) pea-wheat with nitrogen fertilisation, and v) pea-wheat without nitrogen fertilisation. Diff erent criteria were assessed: yield (and proportion of each crop at harvest for intercrops), mineral fertiliser use per ton of harvested grain, wheat grain protein concentration, rate of biological N 2 fi xation, amount of pesticides used, soil mineral nitrogen after harvest, energetic cost (INDIGO ® method), and gross margin. The eff ect of treatments and site-years were investigated through a comparison of statistical models. Results and discussion Yields of pea-wheat intercrops (4.5 Mg ha-1 with/ without fertiliser) were higher than sole pea and close to conventionally managed wheat yields (5.4 Mg ha- 1). The amount of applied nitrogen fertiliser per ton of grains produced by both wheat and pea was 2.5 times lower with fertilised pea-wheat compared to fertilised wheat sole crop. The proportion of wheat at harvest was signifi cantly higher in the fertilised intercrop than in the unfertilised intercrop. The land equivalent ratio 143 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 412-5 showed that the intercrop was more effi cient than sole crops under unfertilised situations: the LER was 1.01 on average for fertilised intercrops and 1.28 for non-fertilised intercrops. The wheat protein concentration was higher in pea-wheat intercrops – with or without nitrogen (11.0 and 10.7 %) – than in wheat without nitrogen (9.4 %), but signifi cantly lower than conventionally managed wheat (12.1 %). However, the amount of applied nitrogen was more than 2 times lower on average in intercrops (60 kg N ha-1) than in wheat (140 kg N ha-1). The proportion of total aboveground pea N derived from the atmosphere was signifi cantly higher for the intercropped pea with or without nitrogen than for pea sole crop. The estimated amount of energy consumed per ton of harvested grains was two to three times higher with conventionally- managed wheat than with pea-wheat (fertilised or not). The use of pesticides was slightly lower in pea-wheat intercrops than in sole crops. Soil mineral N after harvest in fertilised pea-wheat intercrops was similar to the value obtained in fertilised wheat sole crop, and signifi cantly lower than the value measured in pea sole crop. The average gross margins were not signifi cantly diff erent between treatments. Conclusion Our results show that winter pea-wheat intercrop provides good performances compared to sole crops, not only in terms of yield and quality, but also in terms of remaining soil mineral nitrogen after harvest compared to pea sole crop, energetic effi ciency compared to wheat sole crop, and gross margin compared to sole crops. Such multicriteria assessment (Fig 2) within a wide range of pedoclimatic conditions is useful for a global analysis of pros and cons of intercrops. Reference Pelzer E et al. 2012. Pea–wheat intercrops in low-input conditions combine high economic performances and low environmental impacts. Eur. J. Agro. 40, 39–53 144 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-1K Supporting design and co-innovation in farming systems - Actors, agroecological knowledge and landscape functions Tittonell, Pablo Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS Beyond technical biophysical knowledge on the processes governing the functioning of the agro-ecosystem, the design of sustainable farming systems within a particular socio-ecological context calls for holistic approaches that consider at least three complementary dimensions: (i) the actor, agent of change, represented most often by the farmer itself immerse in a wider community, (ii) the local agroecological knowledge system, whether indigenous, inherited or foreign, and (iii) the physical landscape that hosts, shapes and is shaped by the farming system, and sustains ecological functions of local and global relevance. Challenges to integrate these dimensions in holistic methodologies for farming systems analysis and design are not minor, and several attempts have been made to accomplish this (cf. Doré et al., 2010; Belhouchette et al., 2011; Giller et al., 2011; Le Gal et al., 2011). Recent research and development projects have formalised methodologies for co-innovation involving farmers, researchers and knowledge management agents (e.g. Rossing et al., 2010; Dogliotti et al., 2010); systems analysis tools were developed for the aggregated assessment of farming system-landscape function interactions (e.g. the COMPASS framework – Groot et al., this conference); agent-based simulation and gaming approaches have been developed to formalise, understand and contribute to solve land use issues among stakeholders (e.g. Anselme et al., 2010) or to support farmers in the transition towards more sustainable ways of farming (e.g. Delmotte et al., this conference); systems analysis and systems thinking have been successfully included in the educational curricula of several agricultural universities. The objective of this contribution is to take stock of the diversity of methods and approaches available to support design and co-innovation in farming systems. Experiences, shortcomings and knowledge gaps will be examined in the hope that they can inspire further development of holistic system approaches to research and education. This presentation aims to serve as background for the follow-up meeting on the establishment of a community of interest around Farming Systems Design within the ESA. References Anselme, B., F. Bousquet, A. Lyet, M. Etienne, B. Fady, C. Le Page., 2010. Modelling of spatial dynamics and biodiversity conservation on Lure mountain (France). Environmental Modelling & Software 25, 1385–1398. Belhouchette, H., Kamel Louhichi, Olivier Therond, Ioanna Mouratiadou, Jacques Wery, Martin van Ittersum, Guillermo Flichman, 2011. Assessing the impact of the Nitrate Directive on farming systems using a bio- economic modelling chain. Agricultural Systems 104, 135–145. Doré, T., Makowski, D., Malézieux, E., Munier-Jolain, N., Tchamitchian, M., Tittonell, P., 2011. Facing up to the paradigm of ecological intensifi cation in agronomy: revisiting methods, concepts and knowledge. European Journal of Agronomy 34, 197-210. Dogliotti, S.; Pombo, C.; Scarlato, M.; Rossing W.A.H. 2010. Co-Innovation as a strategy to develop sustainable farm systems in South Uruguay. In: Proceedings of the Agro2010, the XIth Congress of the European Society for Agronomy, Montpellier, France August 28th – September 3rd, 2010. pp. 391-392. ISBN 978-2-909613- 01-7. Giller, K.E., Pablo Tittonell, et al., 2011. Communicating complexity: Integrated assessment of trade-off s within African farming systems to support innovation and development. Agricultural Systems 104, 191–203. Le Gal P.Y., Dugué P., Faure G., Novak S.. 2011. How does research address the design of innovative agricultural production systems at the farm level? A review. Agricultural systems 104, 714-728. Rossing W.A.H., Dogliotti, S., Bacigalupe, G. F., Cittadini, E., Mundet, C., Mariscal Aguayo, V., Douthwaite, B., Alvarez, S., 2010. Project design and management based on a co-innovation framework. In: IFSA 2010, Viena, Austria. Pp 402 – 412. ISBN 978-3-200-01908-9. 145 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-1K 146 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Figure 1. The impact of cultivation approach on margin over years 1-6 of the STAR project. Base margin data is calculated on ‘spot prices’ for each season. Data is presented as the percentage response in each individual season; that is each cultivation approach is expressed as a percentage of the mean return for each season. 413-2 Farming systems research; evaluation of current practice and the development of novel approaches within UK systems Stobart, R M; Morris, N L NIAB TAG, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction The requirement for sustainable, resilient and productive farming systems has never been more important, but in future production scenarios it is likely that inputs will become increasingly restricted, energy more expensive and climate ever more variable. To this end NIAB TAG is delivering a series of ongoing farming systems studies in the UK seeking to both evaluate current systems (refl ecting local practice within conventional farming systems) and to develop novel approaches to farming systems. These research platforms will better enable farmers to make informed decisions regarding their rotations and the further development of their farming systems. Two of these studies are outlined in this paper. Method The STAR project (Sustainability Trial in Arable Rotations) was initiated in 2005 at Stanaway Farm (Suff olk, UK) on a clay loam soil. The research is funded though the Felix Thornley Cobbold Trust and delivered through NIAB TAG. The trial is fully replicated on large plots using farm scale equipment and examines the interaction of four rotation and four cultivation methods. Cultivation techniques are annual ploughing, deep non-inversion, shallow non- inversion and a managed approach (selected annually). The rotational approaches are winter cropping (winter wheat and winter break crops), spring cropping (winter wheat and spring break crops), continuous wheat and alternate fallow (winter wheat and fallow). 147 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-2 The New Farming Systems (NFS) study (funded by The Morley Agricultural Foundation and The JC Mann Trust) is being carried out through NIAB TAG at Morley (Norfolk, UK) on a sandy clay loam soil. This programme was initiated in 2007 and is re-examining approaches to rotations and inputs. Research is exploring the potential to reduce the footprint of current practice within conventional farming systems, while at the same time improving sustainability, resilience and output. The NFS programme is running a series of large scale, replicated experiments examining three related themes: fertility building, soil amendments and tillage systems. Results and discussion Stobart and Morris (2011a) outlined previously key agronomic fi ndings from the STAR project and described the principle eff ects of the systems on yield and margin. When, considered cumulatively across the project results demonstrate that cropping systems based on winter break crops are delivering the highest margins. With regard to cultivation systems, the diff erence in cumulative margin between approaches is smaller. Trends in relative responses to cultivation practice are apparent over time (Figure 1), suggesting changes in the performance of systems in the longer term. Within the NFS project Stobart and Morris (2011b) have previously detailed aspects of the research addressing the use of cover crops (including clover bi-crops, legume and brassica cover crops) and provided summary data on crop performance, soils, yield and margins. Ongoing NFS fi ndings are demonstrating benefi ts to soil structure and rotational margins from the use of cover crops. Research highlights diff erences in system performance and margin depending on cover cropping approach and agronomic management regime (Table 1) and also suggests that interactions between these elements are apparent. References Stobart R M & Morris N L (2011a) Sustainability Trial in Arable Rotations (STAR) project: a long-term farming systems study looking at rotation and cultivation practice, Aspects of Applied Biology 113, 67-74. Stobart R M & Morris N L (2011b) New Farming Systems Research (NFS) project: long term research seeking to improve the sustainability and resilience of conventional farming systems, Aspects of Applied Biology 113, 15-23. Table 1. Mean yield response (%) and cumulative margin over nitrogen (N) (£/ha) data comparing standard (local best) practice to approaches using a white clover bi-crop, a brassica cover crop or a legume mixture cover crop across a range of N doses in each crop. Responses were recorded over a break crop (spring oilseed rape) and winter wheat cycle. Based on £150/t for winter wheat, £375/t for oilseed rape and £0.75 kg N. Zero N 50% N 100% N Average Yield response (%) Standard practice 60 98 124 94 Cover crop (clover bi-crop) 66 98 124 96 Cover crop (fodder radish) 66 107 129 101 Cover crop (legume mixture) 70 108 130 103 Margin over nitrogen (£/ha) Standard practice 900 1351 1664 1305 Cover crop (clover bi-crop) 1069 1413 1685 1389 Cover crop (fodder radish) 967 1452 1701 1374 Cover crop (legume mixture) 998 1452 1718 1389 148 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 &ŝŐƵƌĞϭ͗WƐƚŽĐŬƐ;ǀĂůƵĞƐŝŶŝƚĂůŝĐƐͿ͕ŇŽǁƐĂŶĚďƵĚŐĞƚƐ;ǀĂůƵĞƐŝŶƉĂƌĞŶƚŚĞƐŝƐͿŝŶƚǁŽĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶƚ&ƌĞŶĐŚ ƌĞŐŝŽŶƐ ;ĞŶƚƌĞ͗ĐƌŽƉ ĨĂƌŵŝŶŐƌĞŐŝŽŶ͖ƌŝƚƚĂŶLJ͗ĂŶŝŵĂů ĨĂƌŵŝŶŐƌĞŐŝŽŶͿ͘ůůǀĂůƵĞƐĂƌĞ ŝŶŬŐWͬŚĂͬLJƌ͕ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ LJĞĂƌƐ ϮϬϬϮʹϮϬϬϲ͘ dŚĞ ǁŝĚƚŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂƌƌŽǁƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŐŶŝƚƵĚĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĨůŽǁƐ͘ĚĂƉƚĞĚĨƌŽŵ^ĞŶƚŚŝůŬƵŵĂƌĞƚĂů͘;ϮϬϭϮĂͿ͘ 413-3 Phosphorus fl ows, mineral fertiliser use and agricultural production systems: a regional perspective for France Nesme, Thomas1; Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu1; Mollier, Alain2; Pellerin, Sylvain2 1Bordeaux Sciences Agro / INRA, FRANCE; 2INRA / Bordeaux Sciences Agro, FRANCE Introduction Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) fl ows in the Biosphere are strongly infl uenced by fertiliser use, food and feed trade, food consumption and waste management (Canfi eld et al., 2010; Bennet et al., 2001). They are assessed through Substance Flow Analysis (Brunner, 2010) for which a given socio-system is broken down into diff erent compartments (e.g. agriculture, industry, domestic, waste, environment) and the N and P fl ows among these compartments are quantifi ed at regional (e.g. Mishima et al., 2010), national (e.g. Senthilkumar et al., 2012b) or global scales. Agriculture represents the major N and P fl ows in many socio-systems. On the other hand, agricultural production systems are increasingly specialised, together with spatial segregation of crop and animal production basins at regional scale. How does this specialisation infl uence the nutrient fl ows and the mineral fertiliser use at regional scale? In this abstract, we focussed on P which future availability at global scale is becoming obscure (Cordell et al, 2009) and losses to the environment may cause eutrophication. Materials and methods The 22 French regions were considered as a case-study since they exhibit large diff erences in regional agricultural production systems. In each region, agriculture was broken down into three compartments (soils, crops and animals) and the P fl ows between these compartments were computed by multiplying the material fl ows (e.g. crop products, feed products, livestock effl uent) by their respective P content (see Senthilkumar et al. 2012a). Additionally, the regional livestock density was calculated as the number of livestock unit divided by the regional agricultural area and was then compared to the regional mineral P fertiliser use. The results were averaged for the years 2002-2006. Results and Discussion The P fl ows were strongly infl uenced by the regional agricultural production systems (Figure 1): P fl ows through feed, fodder and animal excretion were much bigger in animal farming regions (e.g. Brittany) than in crop farming regions (e.g. Centre). On the contrary, the mineral P fertiliser use was only partially infl uenced by the livestock density (Figures 1 & 2). Since P in livestock effl uent could largely compensate for crop P uptake in Brittany, the still positive mineral P fertiliser use in this region indicated an only partial substitution by P from livestock effl uent. The resulting regional soil P budgets were balanced in crop farming regions thanks to mineral P fertiliser use whereas animal farming regions continued to accumulate P in soils. Therefore, the spatial segregation of crop and animal production basins limited the recycling of P from livestock effl uents, resulting in 149 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-3 mineral P fertiliser requirements in crop farming regions. Indeed, intensive animal farming regions (>1 LU/ha) exhibited the lowest mineral P fertiliser use (Figure 2) due to partial substitution by livestock effl uents. A higher mineral P fertiliser use was observed in low livestock density regions (<1 LU/ha) but with large variability perhaps resulting from intra-regional segregation of crop and animal farming systems. Conclusion Regional scale studies off er a comprehensive view of nutrient fl ow driving forces: spatial segregation of crop and animal production basins together with partial substitution of mineral fertiliser by livestock effl uent enhanced mineral P fertiliser use. Innovative, multi- scale scenarios combining crop and animal production should be designed and assessed, as proposed in the Cantogether FP7 program.   &ŝŐƵƌĞϮ͗&ĞƌƚŝůŝƐĞƌƵƐĞ ;ŬŐWͬŚĂͬLJƌͿǀƐ ůŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬĚĞŶƐŝƚLJ ;ůŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬƵŶŝƚͬĂŐƌŝĐƵůƚƵƌĂůĂƌĞĂͿĂƚ ƌĞŐŝŽŶĂů ƐĐĂůĞ͕ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞĚĨŽƌƚŚĞLJĞĂƌƐϮϬϬϮʹϮϬϬϲ͘ĂĐŚƉŽŝŶƚƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚƐĂ&ƌĞŶĐŚƌĞŐŝŽŶ͘ References Bennet E. M. et al., 2001. BioScience. 51: 227-234 Brunner, P.H., 2010. J. Indus. Ecol. 14: 870-873 Canfi eld, D.E. et al., 2010. Science. 330: 192-196 Cordell, D. et al., 2009. Global Environ. Change. 19: 292- 305 Mishima, S. et al., 2010. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecos. 86: 69-77 Senthilkumar K., et al. 2012a. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecos. 92: 145-159 Senthilkumar K., et al. 2012b. Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 26, GB2008 150 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-4 To what extent organic farming depends on artifi cial fertilisers? A case study in South-western France Nowak, Benjamin1; David, Christophe2; Nesme, Thomas3; Pellerin, Sylvain1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2ISARA Lyon, Université de Lyon, FRANCE; 3Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Université de Bordeaux, FRANCE Introduction Organic farming (OF) may be considered as a prototype of sustainable farming. It excludes the use of artifi cial, water-soluble fertilisers. Instead, the principles of OF promote the recycling of organic products to limit the use of non-renewable resources. Farm-gate budgets have been widely used to assess the balance between nutrients infl ows and outfl ows in OF (Watson et al., 2002; Nesme et al., 2012). Several authors have pointed out that OF partially imports nutrients from Conventional Farming (CF) through material exchanges like manures and straws (Kirchmann et al., 2008). These imports represent an indirect dependency of OF on nutrients initially brought by artifi cial fertilisers. In this study, our objective was to assess the indirect dependency of OF on artifi cial fertilisers in a specialised agricultural region characterized by a high proportion of arable crops. Materials and methods Farm inputs and outputs for 2010 and 2011 were collected during 25 farmers interviews. These farmers were selected within the Lomagne region in the South-West of France (Midi-Pyrénées), characterised by a high proportion of arable crops (43% of the organic land-use under cereals, 25% under legumes and 18% under oilseeds crops) and a low level of livestock production. The sampled farmers represented 80% of the organic farmers of the region. Inputs were animal feeds, manures, fertilisers and biological N fi xation (BNF). Outputs were animal and crop products. No other fl ow from or towards the environment were taken into account. The nutrients infl ows and outfl ows were calculated by multiplying each input and output by their respective N, P and K concentrations (Agabriel, 2007; COMIFER, 2009). BNF was estimated with an empirical model (Høgh-Jensen et al., 2004). The N, P and K farm budgets of the region were then calculated as Figure 1 : Nutrients fl ows for the organic farms of Lomagne 151 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-4 Table 1 : Organic farm-gate budgets and dependency on CF in Lomagne the sum of nutrients infl ows minus outfl ows, in kg per ha and per year. The dependency of OF on artifi cial fertilisers was approximated by the percentage of infl ows coming from CF. We assumed that purchased organic fertilisers (e.g. feather and bone meals), originated entirely from CF, although some untreated mineral P is sometimes added to these products. Results and Discussion On average 74 kg of N, 17 kg of P and 17 kg of K entered the organic farms per ha and per year (Figure 1). The manures brought 18 kg of N, 6 kg of P and 12 kg of K, which corresponded to 25%, 38% and 70% of the infl ows, respectively. These manures originated from neighbouring cattle and poultry conventional farms. The organic fertilisers accounted for 35%, 58% and 19% of the inputs of N, P and K. Budgets were close to the balance for N (+3 kg) and K (-1 kg) and positive for P (+8 kg). The dependency of OF on CF was lower for N (60%) than for P (96%) and K (89%) because of BNF (Table 1). These fi gures overestimated the dependency of OF on artifi cial fertilisers since all of the nutrients coming from CF did not derive from artifi cial fertilisers. Further studies are needed to discriminate between dependency on CF and dependency on artifi cial fertilisers. Conclusion Such a massive dependency of OF on CF may be determined by the regional farming context. Mixed regions with a higher proportion of organic livestock farms may off er opportunities for exchange of products among organic farms (e.g. straw vs manure) and may favour the use of legume in crop rotations. References Agabriel, J., 2007. Alimentation des bovins, ovins et caprins. Editions Quae. COMIFER, 2009. Teneurs en P, K et Mg des organes végétaux récoltés. Comifer. Høgh-Jensen, H., et al., 2004. Agr Syst 82, pp. 181–194. Kirchmann, H., et al., 2008. Organic Crop Production– Ambitions and Limitations. Springer Netherlands, pp. 89–116. Nesme, T., et al., 2012. Nutr Cycl Agroecosys 92, pp. 225- 236. Watson, C.A., et al., 2002. Soil Use Manage 18, pp. 264–273. 152 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-5 Changing agricultural practices modify the species and trait composition of the weed fl ora. A simulation study using a cropping system model Colbach, Nathalie1; Granger, Sylvie2; Guyot, Sébastien H.M.1; Mézière, Delphine1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2AgroSup Dijon, FRANCE Introduction Cropping systems change over time to adapt to socio- economical and environmental constraints and to profi t from technological innovations. These changes can result in unexpected side-eff ects which are diffi cult to determine in fi elds. The objective of the present study was to use a cropping system model to evaluate the impacts of modifi ed agricultural practices ex ante. The study will focus on weeds as they are both a harmful pest and an important food source for many biotic components (e.g. pollinators, seed predators). Material and methods The FLORSYS model quantifi es the eff ect of crop succession, management techniques and climate on multi-specifi c weed dynamics over the years; it was parameterized with functional relationships predicting model parameters (e.g. pre-emergent seedling mortality) from species traits (e.g. seed mass). Cropping systems typical of three French regions were determined from farm surveys and the Biovigilance data base. These control scenarios as well as various management modifi cations were simulated in each region, using a weed fl ora consisting of seven major, mostly autumnal species (Alopecurus myosuroides ; ALOMY, Avena fatua: AVEFA, Capsella bursa-pastoris: CAPBP, Galium aparine: GALAP, Geranium dissectum: GERDI, Stellaria media: STEME, Veronica hederifolia: VERHE). Each scenario was simulated over 27 years and repeated 10 times, by randomly choosing each year annual climate series measured in the tested region. Results The South-West control scenario (maize monoculture with annual mouldboard ploughing) presented a total maximum weed infestation of less than 0.01 plants/ m² averaged over the simulation, consisting mostly of CAPBP and a few VERHE and AVEFA (Fig. 1). Weed density in the Burgundy control (winter oilseed rape (OSR) / 153 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 413-5 winter wheat / winter barley, with mouldboard ploughing before wheat) was similar, but the fl ora was more diverse (ALOMY, GERDI, STEME, and a bit of CAPBP, results not shown). The Poitou-Charentes control (OSR / winter wheat / sunfl ower / winter wheat, with mouldboard ploughing three years out of four) presented a 100-times higher infestation, consisting mostly of AVEFA and a few STEME (results not shown). Modifying management practices modifi ed both weed density and composition. For instance, simplifying or abandoning tillage greatly increased weed infestation, and no-till moreover favoured grass weeds to the detriment of broad-leaved species (example of South- West in Fig. 1). Results were similar in the other regions except that temporary crops increased weed infestation in Poitou- Charentes; moreover the shifts in species composition depended on the initial fl ora (results not shown). Species densities could be related to species traits, and diff erent traits were selected in diff erent cropping systems (Table 1.A). For instance, species with heavy seeds were selected in scenarios with frequent ploughing (Table 1.A, Poitou- Charentes, South-West), probably because they can germinate and emerge even when deeply buried (Table 1.B). Conclusion The FLORSYS model can be used to evaluate prospective scenarios for their impact on weed fl ora in terms of density, species composition and trait selection. The latter was possible because of the functional relationships included in FLORSYS and makes the simulation results more generic. The present results are still partial and tentative insofar as only a small number of weed species was used. Moreover, FLORSYS is still being validated with independent fi eld observations. The present results though appear logical based on our knowledge of weed fl oras and cropping system eff ects. Acknowledgements The present work was fi nanced by INRA, ANR OGM VIGIWEED (ANR-07-POGM-003-01) and ANR SYSTERRA ADVHERB (ANR-08-STRA-02). References Colbach N., Gardarin A., Munier-Jolain N.M. (2010) In: Proc. 15th Int. EWRS Symposium. Kaposvár, Hungary, 12-15 July 2010 Gardarin A., Dürr C., Colbach N. (2012) Ecol Modelling, in press 154 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-1K Low-temperature stress in cereals: know the land - know your crop Fowler, D. Brian University of Saskatchewan, CANADA Introduction Low-temperature (LT) tolerance is a quantitative character determined by an integrated system of structural and developmental genes regulated by environmentally responsive, complex pathways. Cereals have the ability to LT acclimate allowing spring and/or winter habit forms of wheat, oat, barley and rye to be produced as primary food and feed energy sources in temperate environments throughout the world. Phenotypic and genetic analyses have shown that the LT induced protective mechanisms responsible for acclimation are developmentally regulated and involve processes that can be stopped, reversed and restarted. Full expression of LT tolerance genes only occurs in the vegetative stage and plants in the reproductive phase have a limited ability to LT acclimate. Photoperiod requirement is an adaptation that delays heading and, in regions with cold winters, vernalization requirement allows the plant to fl ower at the optimum time by postponing the transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase. The major Quantitative Trait Loci determining LT tolerance have been identifi ed. However, the genetic mechanisms responsible for small incremental eff ects that are important for regional adaptation have proven to be more elusive. Genome wide microarray analysis has identifi ed over 12,000 genes that change expression due to exposure to LT and transposable, epigenetic, and small RNA elements have been implicated confi rming the complexity of these responses. Simulation models off er a means to integrate our understanding of plant functions that are expressed through complex, environmentally responsive mechanisms. Physiology and genomics studies have established the variables that infl uence winter hardiness and their relationships have been used to develop an online, interactive fi eld validated winter survival model that complies with the LT responses of cereals. The model is based on a series of equations that describe acclimation, dehardening, and damage due to LT stress consistent with our interpretation of LT gene regulation. A crop variety menu off ers the choice of a wide range of species and cultivar options and the user can expand on these choices and experiment with diff erent LT50 and vernalization values. The data fi les contain soil temperature records for locations that can be expanded when new data becomes available thereby allowing interested users to monitor the predicted crop condition on a regional basis. A Management Impact Calculator allows users to evaluate the eff ects of sub-optimal agronomic practices on LT tolerance of crops grown in western Canada. A large database that can be quickly and easily supplemented combined with a fl exible, interactive model, which complies with the known LT responses of cereals, creates a teaching tool that allows production risks, cause-and-eff ect processes, and genetic theories to be systematically investigated by users throughout the world. It is also a valuable tool for crop improvement programs interested in identifying management systems and breeding program parental combinations that provide regional adaptation. As this knowledge base was being accumulated, a research and development program was initiated with the objective of expanding the traditional North American winter wheat production area north and east into the higher winter stress regions of western Canada. The development and adoption of no-till seeding methods for snow trapping reduced the risk of winterkill and allowed for successful overwintering of wheat when hardy cultivars were grown using recommended management practices. Subsequent plant breeding improvements increased production potential and winter wheat is now western Canada’s third largest wheat market class. This experiment in crop adaptation demonstrated that a coordinated approach combining programs in agronomy, plant breeding/genetics, information transfer, and market development are required for successful crop adaptation to a new or changing environment. 155 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-1K 156 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-2 Selection of spring barley lines with respect to drought stress resistance Pecio, Alicja1; Wach, Damian2 1Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Research Institute, POLAND; 2Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Reasearch Institute, POLAND Table 1. The response of spring barley plant to drought stress at the tillering stage (S1) Stres Grain yield g per pot Grain yield g per plant Pruductive tillering Grain yield g per Nr of grains per spike Weight of 1000 grains g main stem tillers main stem tillers main stem tillers Lines resistant to S1 stress K 60.39 4.03 4.13 1.18 2.85 23.45 19.72 50.53 46.10 S1 67.95 4.53 5.71 1.11 3.76 22.96 18.37 48.19 43.42 NIR 3.206 0.308 0.338 n.s. n.s. n.s. 0.945 n.s. 2.661 Lines sensitive to S1 stress K 63.82 4.25 4.70 1.13 3.12 23.75 19.80 47.43 42.63 S1 54.45 3.63 4.95 0.94 2.69 22.76 18.45 41.42 36.95 NIR 3.785 0.318 n.s. 0.080 0.423 n.s. 0.914 2.518 2.766 Water balance in lowland Poland, calculated as the diff erence of rainfall and potential evapotranspiration is generally negative. Moreover, the distribution of rainfall during the whole year and particularly in the vegetation period is extremely heterogeneous and plants are superimposed to frequent water stresses. Spring barley due to its short vegetation period, extending for about 100 days and poor root system is very sensitive to drought stresses, even of temporary character. The barley strains and cultivars diff er considerably in the response and adaptation to the stresses (Gorny 1999, Gorny 2001, Przulj and Momcilovic 2001). These diff erences are grounded genetically, which open the possibility for selection new forms showing higher resistance to drought stress. The purpose of the study was to determine the response of spring barley lines to drought stresses as a part of broad project focused on barley breeding. Methods In 2011 the pot experiment was carried out in Grabow Experimental Station of the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Research Institute in Pulawy, Poland. Spring barley was cultivated in the greenhouse provided with mobile glass roof and walls, which enabled plants to grow under natural conditions and to protect them against rainfall. Over one hundred lines of spring barley included in the project have been tested against drought stresses lasted for 11 days at the tillering stage BBCH 23 (S1) or for 14 days at full fl ag leaf stage BBCH 45-47 (S2). In the control treatment (K) soil moisture was kept on the optimal level 13-15% w/w for the whole vegetation period and in the treatments S1 and S2 on the level of 5-6% w/w. Drip irrigation, of each pot individually was steered by a computer system and corrected using special balance. After harvest, biometrical analysis of plants had been made. Grain yield and yield components were analyzed by ANOVA, comparing the means by Tukey HSD test at the signifi cance level α=0.05, using Statgraphics Centurion XVI statistical package. Results and conclusions On the base of preliminary statistical analysis the quartile grouping resistant lines and the other one grouping sensitive to stress lines has been recognized. The analysis has been performed separately by the early and the late drought stress. The means of analyzed plant characteristics are presented in the below tables. From the data analysis, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Under optimal moisture conditions lines of spring barley sensitive to drought stress yielded higher than the resistant ones. 2. Spring barley shows higher resistance to drought stress at the tillering stage than at fl ag leaf stage. 3. Under the drought stress at the tillering stage resistant lines of spring barley increase plant productive tillering and productivity of the tillers. 157 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-2 Table 2. The response of spring barley plant to drought stress at fl ag leaf stage (S2) Stres Grain yield g per pot Grain yield g per plant Productive tillering Grain yield g per Nr of grains per spike Weight of 1000 grains g main stem tillers main stem tillers main stem tillers Lines resistant to S2 stress K 54.03 3.60 4.50 1.03 2.57 24.83 20.46 41.36 35.99 S2 59.82 3.99 3.97 1.33 2.66 25.28 19.44 52.58 46.06 NIR 2.425 0.264 0.294 n.s. n.s. n.s. 0.700 2.619 2.188 Lines sensitive to S2 stress K 67.90 4.53 4.56 1.22 3.31 22.75 18.80 53.42 49.50 S2 54.28 3.62 3.84 1.23 2.39 22.17 16.68 55.55 50.44 NIR 3.247 0.288 n.s. n.s. 0.461 n.s. 1.080 1.741 n.s. 4. Under the drought stress at fl ag leave stage resistant lines increase main stem and the tillers’ productivity as a result of higher weight of 1000 grains. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Innovative Economy Program for Poland 2007-2013, project WND-POIG.01.03.01-00-101/08 POLAPGEN-BD „Biotechnological tools for breeding cereals with increased resistance to drought”. The project is realized by POLAPGEN Consortium coordinated by Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznañ. Further information about the project can be found at www.polapgen.pl. References Gorny A.G. 1999. Genetic and physiological aspects of the adaptation to water and nutrient limitations in spring barley. Advances of Agricultural Sciences Problem Issues 469: 173-184. Gorny A.G. 2001. Variation and utilization e ffi ciency and tolerance to reduced water and nitrogen supply among wild and cultivated barley. Euphytica 117 (1): 59-66. Przulj N., Momcilovic V. 2001. Genetic variation for dry matter and nitrogen accumulation and translocation in two-rowed spring barley. I. Dry matter translocation. Eur. J. Agron. 15: 241-254. 158 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-3 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 37 39 45 55 69 Yield increase from polymer (t/ha) Development stage at spraying (Zadoks Growth Stage) Figure 1. Yield response to a polymer spray at different development stages of droughted wheat Mitigating drought stress in wheat with polymer sprays Kettlewell, Peter; Heath, William; Haigh, Ian; Weerasinghe, Minuka; Grove, Ivan; Hare, Martin Harper Adams University College, UNITED KINGDOM Current agronomic methods for mitigating drought in arable crops include techniques, such as fallowing, for conserving water in the soil. Conserving water in the plant by the application of polymer sprays is, however, an agronomic method that has rarely been used in arable crops. Polymer sprays are able to reduce transpiration, but also reduce photosynthesis. For this reason, only plants and plant parts in which photosynthesis is less important than reducing water loss are routinely treated with polymers. Examples include Christmas trees and citrus fruits. Previously, polymer sprays had been assumed to be unsuitable for improving yield of droughted crops because photosynthesis is central to yield. Recently, however, polymer sprays have been shown to successfully increase yield of droughted wheat (Kettlewell et al. 2010). Three fi eld experiments were conducted in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The polymer was sprayed at diff erent development stages on unirrigated wheat plots with rain shelters placed over some of the plots from early stem extension to give more-severe drought than for uncovered plots. The variation in soil moisture defi cit (SMD) at the time of spraying was accounted for by fi tting SMD in a regression model to the increment in yield from polymer spray. The results indicate that, when SMD is statistically-controlled, a polymer spray at Zadoks stages 37 and 39 ( fl ag leaf) gives a large increase in yield, but that later sprays are less eff ective or detrimental. The damage to yield formation through reduced photosynthesis from sprays at fl ag leaf stages is inferred to be less than the reduction in drought damage through reduced transpiration. Conversely, after infl orescence emergence the damage to yield formation through reduced photosynthesis from polymer is inferred to be greater than the reduction in drought damage through reduced transpiration. Further fi eld experiments in 2009, 2010 and 2011 have tested polymer sprays at earlier development stages. Data from these experiments is being analysed at the time of writing and results will be presented at the congress. Reference Kettlewell, P.S., Heath, W.L., Haigh, I.M. (2010). Yield enhancement of droughted wheat by fi lm antitranspirant application: rationale and evidence. Agricultural Sciences 1:143–147. Available at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperDownload. aspx?paperID53106 159 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-3 160 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-4 161 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-4 162 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-5 Impact of heat stress, drought and wetness on crop yield anomalies in Germany Siebert, Stefan; Ewert, Frank University of Bonn, GERMANY Introduction In well managed environments, with suffi cient nutrient supply and control of pests, diseases and weeds, crop yield anomalies are often caused by unsuitable weather conditions during the growing period. Here we analyze the impact of three stressors (heat, drought and wetness) on yield anomalies of four crops (winter wheat, winter rapeseed, sugar beet and silage maize) grown in Germany between 1950 and 2010. To derive regional stress patterns, the analysis was performed for the 13 largest federal states. Materials and methods Crop yields for the period 1950-2010 (Mg ha-1) were derived from statistical yearbooks. Time series of monthly mean precipitation sum per federal state (mm month-1) and daily maximum of air temperature (°C) were obtained from the German Meteorological Service (http://werdis.dwd.de/werdis/start_js_JSP.do). The precipitation indicator IP was computed based on monthly precipitation anomalies (diff erence between monthly precipitation in the actual year and long-term mean precipitation of the same month). The heat stress indicator IH, computed here as temperature sum of daily maximum temperatures above a threshold of 30°C, was calculated for each region and period as average of heat stress in 1 km x 1 km grid cells covered with cropland (according to the Corine Land Cover Classifi cation 2006). To account for the moisture buff ering eff ect of the soil and for cumulative eff ects over longer periods, we considered periods of a length between 1 month (actual month) and 5 month (actual month + 4 previous months). Time series of these meteorological indicators were then correlated with crop yield anomalies computed as diff erence between crop yield in the actual year and the 11-year moving average crop yield. Eff ects of heat and drought on crop yields are more severe when both stressors occur at the same time, e.g. during extended periods of high air pressure in late spring or summer. To distinguish the impact of both stressors we selected years with heat stress in the sensitive periods, performed linear regression analyses of drought stress and heat stress separately and combined on crop yield anomalies and compared the resulting regression coeffi cients R2. Results Positive precipitation anomalies during the growing season caused negative yield anomalies of winter wheat and winter rapeseed in north-western Germany and south-western Germany (negative values of indicator IP) while drought caused negative yield anomalies of these crops in eastern and central Germany (Fig. 1). Drought caused negative yield anomalies in all parts of Germany for silage maize and sugar beet (negative values of indicator IP). Heat stress occurs mainly in the River Rhine valley in the western part and in the southern part of eastern Germany (Fig. 2), but impacts of heat stress on crop yield Figure 1. Impact of precipitation anomalies on yield anom- alies in federal states of Germany for the period 1950- 2010, negative values refer to wet conditions, positive values to dry conditions during the main growing season. 163 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 421-5 Figure 2. Mean annual sum of daily maximum tempera- tures above 30°C for the period 1950-2010 on cropland in Germany. anomalies were only found for the heat stressed regions in western Germany. While sensitivity of winter wheat and rapeseed to heat stress was limited to June, the impacts of drought were most severe when negative precipitation anomalies accumulated in consecutive months (April-July for rapeseed, May-August for winter wheat, June-August for maize and June-October for sugar beet). Conclusion The results of the analysis show that the sensitivity of crop yields to precipitation and heat anomalies diff ers among crops and regions, even in a relatively small country like Germany. Therefore, di ff erences among crops and regions need to be accounted for when assessing the impacts of climate variability and extreme events on crop productivity. 164 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 422-1 Nitrous oxide emissions of legume based agricultural systems in Europe PAPPA, VALENTINI AGATHI1; Pristeri, Aurelio2; Savvas, Dimitrios3; Toncea, Ion4; Kontopoulou, Charitini3; Rees, Robert M.1 1Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UNITED KINGDOM; 2University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, I-89060 Reggio Calabria, ITALY; 3Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, GREECE; 4NARDI Fundulea, N. Titulescu 1, 915200 Fundulea/Calarasi, ROMANIA Introduction Nitrogen (N) availability remains one of the key drivers of crop productivity from arable farms in Europe. Most crops receive applications of synthetic N fertilisers but these can contribute to signifi cant emissions of the greenhouse gas (GHG) nitrous oxide (N2O). Legumes can potentially off er an opportunity to reduce GHG emissions from the agricultural sector. It is argued that agricultural systems need to increase production whilst reducing environmental impacts. The main objective of this study was therefore to explore the extent to which diff erent legume based agricultural systems across Europe could infl uence N2O emissions per unit of grain production (emission intensity). 165 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 422-1 Materials and methods Four sites were selected across Europe that represented diff erent climatic regions: the Mediterranean (Greece and Italy), Continental (Romania) and Atlantic (United Kingdom) regions. The following leguminous crops were studied: winter faba bean, spring faba bean, spring pea, lentil, soybean and common bean (Table 1). Direct emissions of N2O were measured using static chambers sealed for 40-60 minutes with an aluminium lid every 15 days and at key growth stages, from sowing to harvest at all sites. Gas samples were transferred to a portable evacuated glass vial and analysed by gas chromatography. For consistency, gas sampling was carried out between 10:00 and 12:00 hrs. Grain yields were also recorded for the calculation of N2O intensities. Results The grain yield of soyabeans at the Romanian site was high when grown after alfalfa (5.0 t ha-1). In Greece, both farming systems and the salinity treatment had a major eff ect on the green pod yield of common bean. Thus, organic management reduced the pod yield to approximately 70% of the equivalent conventional yield, while salinity resulted in a pod yield decrease of 19% in comparison with that obtained under non- saline conditions. In Italy, the pea/barley intercrops had higher grain yields than the Faba bean/barley intercrops particularly for the replacement design (P50B50) where the reduction in grain yield of both intercrops compared to the respective monocrop was less than 20%. Finally in UK, the vining peas gave the highest yields (9.1t ha-1) and the beans (spring and winter) were not signifi cantly diff erent in yield (5.3 t ha-1 for both). N2O intensities in Romania of the winter peas and soybeans (120 g N2O-N / t grain yield for both) were lower than other legumes and the unfertilised winter wheat (132 g N2O-N / t grain yield). In Greece, common bean growing after sweetcorn with low salinity conditions was signifi cantly diff erent from crops grown under high salinity, where the organic system treatments had the lowest emission intensity (75 g N2O-N / t grain yield). In Italy, the legume monocrops had higher intensities when compared with the cereal (barley) monocrop, but when the peas or beans were sown at 100:50 (legume:barley) (additive design), the intensities were reduced by 75% and 50% of the respective monocrops. Finally in UK, the vining peas had the lowest N2O intensity (26 g N2O-N / t grain yield) and all the legumes had lower intensities than the unfertilised winter wheat (298 g N2O-N / t grain yield) under the same growing conditions. 166 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 422-4 A nitrogen-budget analysis of legume supported cropping systems from across Europe Iannetta, Pietro1; Begg, Graham1; Young, Mark1; Topp, Kairsty2; Watson, Christine2; Rees, Bob2; Squire, Geoff1 1The James Hutton Institute, UNITED KINGDOM; 2Scottish Agricultural College, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction The Legume Futures (www.legumefutures.de) research programme aims to develop and assess novel legume- supported cropping systems which raise the economic and environmental performance of European agriculture. As part of this research an N-budget analysis was carried out on existing datasets gathered by partners from across Europe. The data had been gathered from a diverse array of a crop-rotation or -sequence based agroecosystems, which did and did not include legume crops. The nitrogen- balance (N-balance), approach allowed a synthesis of data in terms which are relevant to legume performance, and despite major diff erences in the structure and original function of the original datasets. The main aim of this assessment was therefore to establish whether a common synthesis could be achieved of the nitrogen use effi ciency, and relative to absolute levels of productivity, for systems supplied with nitrogen from either biological nitrogen fi xation (BNF), or fossil-fuel derived nitrogen. By extension, the hypothesis being tested was, ‘is the N-balance (N in - N out ), and absolute productivity levels of an legume supported cropping system, that is a system which relies on the provision of nitrogen from BNF, suffi cient to reduce agricultures reliance on fossil fuel derived fertiliser?’. Materials & Methods Eight data sets gathered from across Europe and spanning a diverse array of crop-rotations (including grazing) were used, and the N-balances were calculated at a plot level, and for each crop year. Data averages were assimilated for 29 main crops, 59 main/sub-crop combinations and 29 crop sequences (rotations). Results & Discussion The averages for the crops sequences with and without legumes show that nitrogen balance of rotations (or crop- sequences), are relatively insensitive to the amount of legume cropping. More signifi cantly, it was shown that BNF in legume based rotations more than compensates for the reduction in fertiliser use. There is a trade-off between BNF and the addition of fertiliser, the former decreasing as the latter increases. Furthermore, absolute productivity levels are greater in legume supported rotations despite the very low, or the complete absence of, added nitrogen containing fertiliser. Legume based rotations gave greater productivity in terms of nitrogen yield and biomass, and peaked at crop rotations (or sequences), in which legumes comprised approximately 50 % of the species in the rotation, or crop-sequence. Conclusion While the socioeconomic and environmental impacts have still to be determined, the data establishes a target (50 %), for the extent to which legume crops should be included within legume-supported crop sequences. Also, the approach and relationships which have been determined provide a model framework from which N-budget and productivity estimates may be made for novel crop-rotations or -sequences. Acknowledgements This work is supported by the European Union FP7 funded research project Legume Futures (www.legumefutures. eu), and the Scottish Government. Corresponding author: pete.iannetta@hutton.ac.uk 167 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 433-4 168 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 422-5 Conceptual models of mutual annual legume intercrops for forage production Mikic, Aleksandar1; Cupina, Branko2; Djordjevic, Vuk1; Antanasovic, Svetlana2; Krstic, Djordje2; Mihailovic, Vojislav1; Stoddard, Frederick L.3 1Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, SERBIA; 2University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, SERBIA; 3University of Helsinki, FINLAND A study by the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops and the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Novi Sad defi ned four principles for intercropping annual legume for forage production (Cupina et al. 2011). The two crops growing together should have: (i) the same time of sowing; (ii) the similar growing habit; (iii) the similar time of maturing for cutting; and (iv) di ff erent standing ability (one good and the other poor). So far, four intercropping prototypes have been developed based on these principles. 1. ‘Tall’ annual legumes with good resistance to lodging, such as faba bean (Vicia faba L.) or white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), are sown in wide rows and off er favourable conditions for weeds. Others such as forage pea, vetches or grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), easily fi ght weeds but have rather poor standing ability, with heavy forage losses and reduced forage quality. Intercropping these two groups of ‘tall’ cool season legumes is bene fi cial for both, with weeds reduced and photosynthetically active leaves preserved (Fig. 1, upper row). 2. ‘Short’ annual legumes with good standing ability, such as semi- leafl ess pea or fenugreek (Trigonella phoenum-graecum L.), have a certain ability to fi ght weeds and generally have lower forage yields than the ‘tall’ annual legumes. Others, susceptible to lodging such as bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.) or lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), easily match weeds but are prone to shading their own lower portions of canopy, resulting in poorer forage quality. If intercropped, both components profi t, generally in higher Figure 1. (upper row) intercropping ‘tall’ cool season annual forage legumes: faba bean (f) and grass pea (g); (middle row) intercropping warm season annual forage legumes: soybean (s) and cowpea (c); intercropping peas with diff erent leaf type: normal-leafed (AF) and semi-leafl ess (af) 169 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 422-5 total forage yields and higher leaf proportion in plant mass. 3. All soybean maturity groups provide favourable conditions for rapid weed growth and development and thus as a rule demand advanced mechanical or chemical weed control. Many warm-season annual legumes, such as cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) or hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet), have an exceptionally poor standing ability, developing a strong creeping cover able to eliminate almost all weeds and thus cause diffi culties in cutting. If intercropped, soybean profi t from reduced weed infestation and may carry cowpea or hyacinth bean stems and assists in preserving their leaves (Fig. 1, middle row). 4. It is commonly regarded that semi- leafl ess pea has signifi cantly improved standing ability and profi ts from sunlight penetrating the whole stand. At the same time, it also off ers good conditions for weed development. Normal-leafed pea controls weeds more easily, but is lodging-susceptible at early stages and is prone to disease infestation. When intercropped, semi- leafl ess and normal-leafed peas both profi t: semi-leafl ess pea provides the whole intercrop with improved standing ability, while normal-leafed pea fi lls the available stand volume and contributes to better utilisation of sunlight and better reduction of weed growth (Fig. 1, lower row). The presented intercrops of annual forage legumes do not increase sowing costs (reduced sowing rates), preserve high crude protein content in forage dry matter (unlike cereals), have short growing seasons, fi t into various cropping systems, and are environment-friendly (neither demand synthetic fertiliser nor herbicides). Acknowledgements Project TR-31016 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia and FP7 project Legume Futures. References Cupina B, Mikic A, Stoddard FL, Krstic D, Justes E, Bedoussac L, Fustec J, Pejic B (2011) Mutual legume intercropping for forage production in temperate regions. In: Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 7: Genetics, Biofuels and Local Farming Systems (Ed. E Lichtfouse), Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 347-365 170 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 422-6 Field pea companion crop in sainfoin establishment Cupina, Branko1; Krstic, Djordje1; Antanasovic, Svetlana1; Eric, Pero1; Mikic, Aleksandar2; Pejic, Borivoje1; Vasiljevic, Sanja2 1University of Novi Sad, SERBIA; 2Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, SERBIA Introduction Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is a benefi cial perennial herbaceous plant, cultivated mainly in temperate regions of Europe, Asia and North America (Carbonero et al, 2011). In agro-ecological conditions of Serbia, sainfoin is not cultivated to the same extent as lucerne or clovers. Few recent researches have demonstrated that fi eld pea (Pisum sativum L.) could be companion crop in establishing of perennial legumes (Ćupina et al, 2011). Here fi eld pea serves as a kind of bioherbicide, and signifi cantly contributes to the forage yield in the fi rst cut (Ćupina et al, 2011). Semi-leafl ess fi eld pea genotypes provides better light penetration and better conditions for initial growth to perennial legume (Koivisto et al, 2003). The objective of this study was to determine the suitability of fi eld pea for intercropping with sainfoin. Beside the selection of adequate fi eld pea genotype, determination of optimum plant number of companion crop was included in the study. Materials and methods A small-plot trial was conducted in 2010 and 2011 at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia. Two fi eld pea genotypes were used, namely normal-leafed cv. Javor, and semi-leafl ess cv. Jezero. Both varieties were sown at three rates, 30, 60 and 90 seeds m-2, and at a row distance of 20 cm. The sainfoin cv. Makedonka was sown between the rows of fi eld pea, as well as a pure stand (Control 1) and sown with oat (Avena sativa L.) as a traditional way of establishment (Control 2). In both years the sowing was done by the end of March. The trial was established as random block design with three replications. The fi rst cutting was done in the stage of early fl owering in sainfoin, in mid-June. Both fi eld pea cultivars were in the stage of forming pods and fi lling grains. There were three cuttings in 2010 and two cuttings in 2011. The fi rst cutting and total annual forage yield were determined in both years. Total yield is registered in order to assess the eff ect of the companion crop on the regeneration rate of the under sown crop. Results In the warmer and rainy growing season of 2010, establishing sainfoin with pea had the highest total annual forage yield (67.0 t ha -1). Semi-leafl ess pea proved more successful than normal-leafed, with 68.4 t ha -1 of the total annual forage yield. Among the diff erent sowing rates, establishing sainfoin with 30 plants m-2 of normal- leafed pea had the highest total annual forage yield (73.0 t ha-1). In 2011, the second year of establishment (Fig. 1) the growing conditions were less favorable than in 2010, providing less accurate data on the performance of each factor. The total annual forage yield (33.8 t ha-1) 171 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 422-6 in sainfoin established with oat were higher than in pure sainfoin (17.2 t ha-1) and sainfoin with pea (23.3 t ha-1). The proportion of the fi rst cut in total annual forage yield in both study years was the lowest in Control 1 and the highest in the Control 2 (Fig. 1). Conclusion Preliminary results encourage further research on establishing sainfoin with fi eld pea companion crop. Intercropping with pea brought higher yields than control 1 (pure crop). Seeding rate of 30 plants per m2 provided highest forage yields. Acknowledgements The research was supported by the project by Provincial Government of Vojvodina. It is also a contribution to the projects FP7 Healthy Hay Sainfoin.eu and FP7 Legume Futures. References Carbonero CH, Mueller-Harvey I, Brown TA, Smith L (2011) Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia): a benefi cial forage legume. Plant Genet Resour Charact Util 9:70–85 Ćupina B, Mikić A, Stoddard FL, Krstić Đ, Justes E, Bedoussac L, Fustec J, Pejić B (2011) Mutual legume intercropping for forage production in temperate regions. In: Lichtfouse E (ed) Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 7: Genetics. Biofuels and Local Farming Systems. Springer, Dordrecht, 347-365 Koivisto JM, Benjamin LR, Lane GPF, Davies WP (2003) Forage potential of semi-leafl ess grain peas. Grass Forage Sci 58:220-223 172 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Diversifi cation of crop production through crop rotations Keskitalo, Marjo; Hakala, Kaija; Huusela-Veistola, Erja; Jalli, Heikki; Jalli, Marja; Jauhiainen, Lauri; Känkänen, Hannu Agrifood Research Finland MTT, FINLAND 423-1 Introduction Diverse agriculture may increase the resilience of farms towards global and climatic changes (Kahiluoto et al. 2012). In the present study we wanted to fi nd out how diverse the crop cultivation is at a farm level, and what concrete benefi ts diverse cultivation could bring in terms of eff ects of crop rotations and diff erent pre crops on yields. Methodology The study of crop rotations at farm and regional level was based on farm parcel statistics collected by TIKE (Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry). Crop species diversity was evaluated through calculation of Shannon index. The eff ects of several special crops on wheat yield for two subsequent years were studied. Long term crop rotation experiment consisting of a continuous wheat monoculture and diff erent rotations were studied as well. Results and discussion Farm production has diversifi ed slightly since Finland joined the EU in 1995. The frequency of monoculture (barley, wheat, oats) and similar type of farming system (two cereals in rotation) has decreased from 30 % to 25 % of the area of spring cereals during the last 10 years. Increased cultivation area of oil seed rape, turnip rape, pulses and diff erent grasses played a major role in diversifying the rotations of cereals. The 15 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY-centres) of Finland diff ered in their crop diversity indices, which were between 1,41 – 2,14 and the lowest in grass production areas. The pre crop experiments showed that the wheat yields diff ered little when sown directly after the diff erent pre crops, but were clearly increased in the second year when compared to continuous wheat after wheat (Figure). The highest wheat yields were obtained after cultivation of faba bean, oilseed rape and blue lupin, but also buckwheat, linseed, oat and oil hemp increased the yields signifi cantly. The contents of mineralized N and P of the soil varied after pre crops. The lowest infection of tan spot (Pyrenophora tritici- repentis) was observed when wheat was cultivated after other pre crops than wheat, explaining partly the variation of wheat yields after pre crops. The same positive eff ect of diverse crop rotations was shown in the long-term crop rotation trial, where the wheat yield was 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 % o f sp ri n g w h e a t yi e ld Precrop Yield 2010 Yield 2011 Yield of spring wheat after wheat (100%) and after other precrops (% relative to wheat) in 2010, and on the same parcels (after spring wheat) the next year 2011 173 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-1 highest when wheat was grown only every fourth year. The climatic conditions had a signifi cant eff ect on the frequency of pests and effi cacy of crop rotations. Diverse crop rotations decreased especially the severity of tan spot in wheat in the long-term experiment. However, instead of just fi eld-based crop rotation, an area-wide pest management is the most eff ective control method for many insect pests. A proper crop rotation improves the results of chemical weed control that becomes easier with wider herbicide palette connected to versatile crop arsenal. Also herbicide resistance is easier to avoid if one can use herbicides with diff erent modes of action. Another way of gaining benefi ts from diverse cropping could be undersowing. E.g. undersown in spring cereals, Italian ryegrass effi ciently absorbed soil nitrate N in autumn and timothy in spring (Känkänen 2010). Red and white clover could be used to supply fi xed N for cereals without markedly increasing risk of N leaching. A mixture of legume and non legume could be a good choice also to increase crop diversity. Grain yield response and the capacity of the undersown crop to absorb soil N or fi x N from atmosphere, and the release of N are of greatest interest in the future. Conclusions Finland has developed towards more diversifi ed agriculture in the past two decades. Diverse crop rotations and pre crops may increase yields and yield stability by better nutrient balances and reduced pest and pathogen pressure, however depending on climatic conditions. Acknowledgement This research was funded by MMM and MTT References Kahiluoto, H. et al. 2012. MTT Raportti 43; Känkänen, H. 2010. MTT Science 8 (PhD thesis, 93 p.) 174 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-2 Modeling the spatial distribution of cropping systems at a large regional scale: a case of crop sequence patterns in France between 1992 and 2003 Xiao, Ying1; Mignolet, Catherine1; Mari, Jean-François2; Benoît, Marc1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2LORIA, FRANCE Introduction Over the past decade, the scientifi c interest of the location of cropping systems, including both crop sequences and crop management systems, has been increasingly noticed by researchers who associate crop rotations instead of a single crop to represent cropping patterns in their models (nitrogen fl uxes, animal habitat preference, etc.) and to further analyze the environmental impacts of agricultural production systems. However, in existing modeling frameworks of land-use/cover change, especially agricultural land-use change, few models integrate agricultural land management practices such as crop rotations (Schonhart et al., 2011). The aim of this paper is to investigate crop sequence patterns at a large regional scale by performing statistical techniques on surveyed land-cover data. Materials and methods The land-cover data was derived from annual French national land-cover census data, Teruti, from 1992 to 2003. The land unit studied was the French agricultural district and all of the 430 agricultural districts were incorporated into this research. By combining the application of CARROTAGE (Le Ber et al., 2006), a second-order Hidden Markov Model based on stochastic theory and a classic statistical technique, principal component methods prior to agglomerative hierarchical methods (AHC) using the software R package FactoMineR (Husson et al., 2010), we developed a modeling approach to identify the spatial distribution of crop sequences at the French metropolitan scale. We considered 3-year crop sequences as distinct land-use types. Firstly, we applied CARROTAGE to extract the temporal regularities of land-use within 175 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-2 each district. The probabilities of occurrences of 3-year land-use successions previously calculated were used as independent variables to build a table to classify districts. Secondly, we performed the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on this table in which 510 principal crop sequences were used as active variables. In order to facilitate the interpretation of the clusters, we introduced six permanent non-agricultural land-use successions that contained forest, water, artifi cial area and stone area as supplementary variables. Finally, we performed a hierarchical clustering on the principal components using the ‘HCPC’ function integrated into FactoMineR, predefi ning the number of clusters between 20 and 30. We then mapped this classifi cation with ArcGIS. Results The fi rst 119 components of the PCA explained 80.2% of the total inertia and therefore were used for clustering. With the optimal level of division suggested by the HCPC function, a classifi cation of districts into 20 clusters was produced. We observe the diff erentiation of crop sequences among regions (Fig. 1). We also detected the livestock farming system zone with crop sequences predominantly involving maize and temporary pasture, the cereal and vegetable farming systems zone including wheat, barley, sugar beet and pea-based crop sequences, etc. Details of the clusters’ description are shown in Table 1. Conclusion We emphasize that the crop sequence patterns identifi ed in this study seem plausible in comparison to the result of the farming systems survey, OTEX, published by the French Ministry of Agriculture in 2000. This modeling approach can be considered a generic approach tested at the French metropolitan scale, and it provides a useful tool for agronomists to represent past agricultural land- use patterns at the global scale. References Le Ber, F., Benoit, M., Schott, C., Mari, J.F., Mignolet, C., 2006. Studying crop sequences with CARROTAGE, a HMM-based data mining software. Ecological Modelling 191, 170-185. Husson, F., Lê, S., Pagès, J., 2010. Exploratory Multivariate Analysis by Example Using R, Computer Science and Data analysis Series. Chapman & Hall/CRC, p. 228. Schonhart, M., Schmid, E., Schneider, U.A., 2011. Crop Rota - A crop rotation model to support integrated land use assessments. European Journal of Agronomy 34, 263-277. 176 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-3 Participatory design and evaluation of durum wheat - legume intercropping systems in Camargue, South of France Lopez-Ridaura, Santiago; Goulevant, Gael; Perez, Sarah INRA UMR Innovation, FRANCE Introduction Intercropping systems have shown advantages under experimental conditions in Europe. LER values above 1, indicating a benefi t of intercrops over monocrops, have been reported for many grain legume-cereal intercrops. In Western France, previous studies indicated LER values superior to 1 in intercrops in conventional and organic farming systems (Naudin et al, 2007). However, despite the advantages of intercropping systems shown in experimental conditions, their low adoption in general and specifi cally with durum wheat in the Mediterranean basin, raises questions on the multiple obstacles for the implementation of these innovative cropping systems. Based on interviews to farmers, the main technical aspects hampering the development of intercropping were identifi ed (Perez and Lopez-Ridaura 2010). The objective of this study was to assess of intercropping systems in Camargue based on on-farm trials and participatory evaluation. Participatory design/evaluation of cropping systems is one appropriate form of education and extension, notably when agroecological alternatives are involved. Methodology Four farmers accepted to participate in the on farm evaluation of intercropping systems. In an initial collective meeting we presented to farmers the principles of intercropping systems and results obtained in experimental conditions. Farmer decided on the crops, the varieties and the cropping techniques they wanted to test. 34 intercropping trials were set during the 2009-2010 (17 trials) and 2010-2011 (17 trials) wheat growing seasons. Trials included an intercropping and its equivalent Figure 1. Partial LER for cereal and legumes in 34 intercropping systems in Camargue for two growing seasons 177 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-3 monocrops. The intercropping systems evaluated included durum wheat (23) barley (6) or triticale (5) combined with peas (18), faba bean (10) chick pea (4) or alfalfa (2). Trials occupied a surface of about half hectare split in 12 x 50 m treatments allowing specifi c mechanization practices. We monitored biomass production and grain yield. Around fl owering, we organized a fi eld visit with farmers and, after harvest we had individual meetings with each farmer and a collective session to analyze and discuss results. Results and discussion Figure 1 shows the performance of the diff erent trials in terms of their LER, each axis represents the partial LER per component in the intercropping system and therefore all points above the 1:1 line have a LER of the intercropping systems > 1 indicating the yield advantage of intercropping systems. The main feature of these results is the large diff erence between the two seasons. The 2009-2010 growing season was a particularly bad climatic year, where autumn rains did not allow proper sowing dates and conditions. Yields were generally low in the region and intercropping systems showed a production advantage to monocrops. Such feature of intercropping systems as a risk management strategy is commonly evoked in literature and here confi rmed for cereal-legume intercrops in Camargue. On the contrary, the 2010-2011 season was a good year for cereal production and high yields in the region were obtained, in this case, intercropping systems did not showed a clear advantage over monocrops. Results related to the economic performance of these trials and their nitrogen use effi ciency will be presented along with a qualitative assessment provided by farmers and the main conclusions obtained from these trials. References Perez S. and Lopez-Ridaura S. (2010) Opportunities and obstacles for durum wheat intercropping systems in Mediterranean France. Proceedings of AGRO2010, Congress of the European Society for Agronomy (ESA), 29/08- 3/09 2010, Montpellier, France Naudin C, Aveline A, Corre-Hellou G, Dibet A, Jeu ff roy MH and Crozat Y (2007) Comparison of spring and winter cereal-legume intercrops in organic farming by analysis of interactions between species. 6th European conference of grain legumes, 12-16th Nov. 2007, Lisbon, Portugal. 178 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-4 Analysis of the statistical links between socio- systems, technical systems and vineyard durability in Loire valley Thiollet-Scholtus, Marie1; Valduga, Matéus2; Sarrazin, François3 1INRA, FRANCE; 2Villaggio Grando Boutique Winery, BRAZIL; 3Groupe-ESA, FRANCE Introduction Recent changes of the demands of the markets for high quality food products make it necessary to adapt the organization of the farms. Terroir wines are defi ned by a combination of soil, sub-soil, climate and crop practices (OIV 2010). However, within the same fi eld conditions, some vineyard areas are sustainable whereas others are not. Our hypothesis is that crop practices, combined to commercial strategies can explain these diff erences in vineyards areas. Research often consists, in studying the impact on the wine quality of a few practices but not the impact of the complete combination of the viticultural and oenological practices (Reynolds et al. 2007). Vineyards durability is often linked to the nearness of a consumer spot like a big city (Van Leeuwen et al. 2006). But in Loire valley, very cloth to Paris, very diff erent vineyards areas exist: some are thriving and others are dying. Some studies emphasized how the social networks infl uence the adoption of more environmental friendly viticulture practices but rarely analyzed how to explain vineyards durability (Biarnes et al. 2011). We propose to analyze vineyards durability with regarding the vine system production as a sociotechnical system made up of technical and organizational elements, organized according to predefi ned objectives, here ‘selling wines‘ (Chatzis 1993). Material and methods Vineyard durability is the vineyard variable represented by the evolution of the area and the price of one hectare of vineyard the last ten years (AGRESTE 2011), analyzed here, with a new method of pluridisciplinary. We studied four PDO vineyards areas in the Loire valley (Sancerre, Touraine, Chinon and Muscadet). First step of the method is a sociological survey of the farming systems (90 wineries) and a technical survey of the practices (79 plots). The second step is the combined analysis of the surveys: (i) A sociological typology of the farms was get performing a literal analysis. (ii) Next, plot practices were distinguished according to the sociological typology, thanks to univariate statistical analysis. Results We shown viticulture and oenology practices are not the same in the diff erent sociological vineyard systems identifi ed in the four areas in Loire valley. Touraine and Muscadet are vineyards where area and price of vineyard is decreasing, whereas area and price of vineyard are stable in Chinon and increase in Sancerre. These results show diff erent practices between the four vineyard areas. For the red and the white wines of the four PDO vineyard, multivariate analysis of 20 viticulture and 28 179 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-4 oenology practices show that the principal practices to distinguish a successful from an unsuccessful wineries are (i) oenology practices: harvest, blending tanks of wine, alcoholic fermentation temperature, duration and use of new oak for maturation of the wine, and then (ii) viticulture practices dealing with yield management, winter pruning, age of the vine, soil cover crop and vineyard canopy management. A second result is that fi ve diff erent sociotechnical systems are present but are not spread out equally in Loire valley. The sociological systems can be distinguished mainly by the marketing of the wines (Tab. 1). The relevance of the vineyard durability seems to be linked to the percentage of the wine that is sold to the bulk market (Touraine and Muscadet). On the opposite, Combining diff erent markets with only a small part to wine merchants allow wineyard areas like Chinon and Sancerre to sell high value wines to good prices and get funds to invest and develop the winery. Conclusion Success of vineyard systems is a combination of technical and marketing strategy factors. The results could help designing more effi cient vineyard systems combining quality wines and economically sustainability. Performance of linking vineyard durability to practices is important to make vineyard areas adapt to new constraints. But getting the data can be a limit of the plurisciplinary method. 180 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-5 Up-scaling from fi eld to farm scale : analysis of the conversion pathways to organic farming to support farmers Application to vineyard systems Merot, Anne1; Gary, Christian1; Wery, Jacques2 1INRA, FRANCE; 2Montpellier Supagro, FRANCE Introduction Concerned by the impacts of agriculture on the environment, the number of farms engaged in an organic conversion process has increased exponentially these last few years (in France from 1995 to 2007, organic vineyard areas have been multiplied by 4.6). Some advisers are worried about the sustainability of farms which convert without being suffi ciently prepared, especially as the knowledge and tools needed to monitor such a change are not all operational. In fact, the result of the conversion would therefore depend on the way to convert the system. In the case of perennial vineyard systems, the question of how to convert is all the more substantial that these perennial systems are characterized by high inertia. Most of studies on organic farming proposed a comparison between conventional and organic farming (Lamine and Bellon, 2009). Not much attention has been given to the conversion pathway towards organic farming. In this work, we presented the preliminary results of the analysis of conversion pathways focusing on technical and organisational changes from fi eld to farm scale based on a hierarchical approach of the vineyard system. Methods 15 vineyard farms (south of France) in the process of conversion to organic farming were surveyed. They were chosen so as to cover a diversity of soils, climates, pests risks, crop area and type of vine. The survey focused on fi ve aspects: farm history and constraints, crop management, biophysical indicators used for vineyard management, farm layout and fi eld diversity, changes between conventional and organic farming (each year from conventional to organic farming). A hierarchical analysis (Merot et al., 2009) was used as a framework to formalize changes in farmers’ crop management sequence and organization in space and time. 181 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-5 Results and Discussion Based on the average crop management sequence in the farm, the variables taken into account by the farmer to adjust this average sequence into specifi c crop management sequences in the various fi elds were examined before and after conversion. We compared two organizational indicators SCMS1 and FC2 before and after conversion (Figure 1).The fi gure 1b showed that the number of crop management sequences SCMS tends to increase towards conversion to organic farming in particular for farms N° 6,7 and 8 which are associated to more intensively changed technical conversion. We identifi ed nine main variables that implied adjustments of the average management sequence into specifi c crop management sequences : soil water characteristics, vegetative development of leaves and branches, powdery mildew sensitivity, windy pressure, distance between two rows, weeds pressure, micro-temperature, wine moth pressure vegetative development of buds. In fact, the fi eld diversity (FC – fi gure 1a) taken into account by farmers in organic farming is more important for nearly half of the farms analysed. These farms are those who performed conventional practices far from organic farming. Conclusion We presented here the preliminary results of our study. In fact, the results still need to be analysed to relate these changes to technical changes and identify types of conversion pathways based on all these changes. However these results showed a complexifi cation of the farm organization during the conversion according to the number of hierarchical levels in the system managed by farmers. References Lamine, C., Bellon, S. (2009). Conversion to organic farming: a multidimensional research object at the crossroads of agricultural and social sciences. A review. Agron. Sust. Dev.29 : 97–112 Merot, A. et al. (2009) Designing innovative cropping systems requires the simulation of its biophysical and technical components in interaction: illustration on vineyards. Farming System Design, 21-23th August. Monterey, USA. 182 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-6 Agronomical analysis of Life-Cycle Assessment results (LCA) variability for diff erent horticultural cropping systems at regional scale Perrin, Aurélie1; Basset-Mens, Claudine1; Yehouessi, Wilfried2; Huat, Joël3; Gabrielle, Benoit4; Malézieux, Eric1 1CIRAD, FRANCE; 2Université d’Abomey – Calavi, BENIN; 3CIRAD, BENIN; 4AgroParisTech, FRANCE At the regional scale, it is speculated that some practices existing in current cropping systems (CS) may be optimized to promote ‘innovative’ CS that result in better environmental outcomes. Since horticultural systems show peculiar conditions of production, especially for developing countries, researches are needed to investigate the room for improvement. This study examined the environmental impacts of CS representative of tomato production in the coastal area of Benin. The authors proposed to analyze the environmental impacts of their agricultural managements with the help of Life-Cycle Assessment and typology. By analyzing the factors governing the variability of environmental impacts across the diverse systems types, this study aimed to identify the CS specifi cities that were likely to infl uence environmental impacts of the tomato CS of Benin. The tomato production in the coastal area of Benin during the 2011 dry season was selected as a case study to explore the variability of CS at the regional scale. 12 fi elds were selected considering location and irrigation systems diversity. Each agricultural operation occurring in the fi eld was quantifi ed during the full crop-cycle, from nursery to harvest. LCA was performed for each of the 12 fi elds studied using the ReCIPE methodology. This study related all resource consumptions and emissions to 1 ha of land occupied by tomato production. To construct homogenous groups of fi elds from their environmental impact, a two-step statistical treatment was used, involving Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Component (HCPC). We fi nally performed LCA for the 4 clusters obtained from the HCPC. The PCA led to the identifi cation of 11 major impact categories responsible for the environmental impact variability at the regional scale (table 1). LCA results of the 4 clusters allowed for identifi cation of correlations between their environmental impact and their CS specifi cities (fi gure 1). Cluster 1 and 2 gathered fi elds with manual irrigation systems or hose irrigation systems with signifi cantly lower value for the number of irrigation events and the amount of water supplied than the overall population (V-test>|2|). Cluster 1 showed the lowest impact for categories correlated to dim.2 and the second lowest impact for other impacts. Cluster 2 showed signifi cantly higher values for insecticides rates and the frequency of fertilization. Cluster 2 also showed signifi cantly lower values for sowing date. Cluster 2 ranked fi rst for impact categories correlated to dim.2, second for FE and showed the lowest impact for other categories. LCA results analysis highlighted insecticide applications (Cypermethrin) and poultry manure N emissions as main contributors. Cluster 3 and 4 183 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 423-6 ranked fi rst and second for impact categories correlated to dim.1. Cluster 3 showed signifi cantly higher values for mineral nitrogen rates. LCA results analysis highlighted the high impact of NPK manufacturing along with irrigation machinery. Cluster 4 showed signifi cantly higher value for the number of water pumping hours and the amount of water supplied. The contribution of irrigation machinery clearly dominated for most of impact categories. This study identifi es irrigation systems, irrigation practices and sowing date as characteristics of major concern for the environmental impact of tomato cropping systems at the regional scale. It also pinpoints specifi c inputs that are likely to infl uence the environmental performances of those systems. CS improvement should focus on timing and methods of application for those specifi cs inputs to reduce the losses to the environment. Currently LCA is a limited tool to assess CS as methods do not consider timing and applications methods in the calculation of inputs losses. This study highlight the need for improved methods using models including daily- step dynamics depending on crop growth, soil type, climate and irrigation practices. 184 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-1 Roots as interface between crops and metal- polluted soils in phytoremediation Bandiera, Marianna1; Lucchini, Paola1; Mosca, Giuliano1; Vamerali, Teoϐilo2 1University of Padova, ITALY; 2University of Parma, ITALY Introduction A recent branch of phytoextraction has involved crop species which can take up inorganic pollutants from contaminated soils, later removed through the harvestable biomass (Vamerali et al., 2010). It is well- known that soil management and agricultural practices may contribute greatly to plant establishment, and even more so under severe metal contamination (e.g., Marchiol et al., 2007). In particular, enhancement of root colonisation seems to be an essential trait (Vamerali et al., 2009), but little information is currently available on the real contribution of roots in phytoremediation. We present here some results on the root growth of fi eld crops cultivated in soil contaminated by pyrite cinders and heavy metals, in order to establish possible criteria for species selection and soil management in phytoremediation programmes. Materials and methods Two experiments were carried out on severely metal- contaminated pyrite cinders collected from a site at Torviscosa (Udine, Italy) below a 0.15 m layer of unpolluted soil. Zinc was 2,410, Cu 2,726, As 892, Pb 495, Co 102 and Cd 5.1 mg kg-1. Root growth of sunfl ower, alfa- alfa and fodder radish was studied in rhizoboxes with the same stratigraphy as that of the site (0.15 m of capping soil), in comparison with cinders only and unpolluted soil (control). At the site, the roots of these species, together with that of Italian ryegrass, were studied under 0.3 m deep ploughing (mixing the layers) and ripping (maintaining stratigraphy, which led to lower metal pollution in the shallow layer). Root length was recorded by root traces in rhizoboxes, and destructive sampling and image analysis in both experiments. Results In pot cultivation, pollution caused a signifi cant reduction in root length (-63%, mean of species) and of growth rate in pyrite alone, whereas the presence of the unpolluted capping layer generally minimised phytotoxicity (Fig. 1). Fodder radish showed the greatest root length in pots and Italian ryegrass in the fi eld. In the capped treatment, roots tended to colonise the top 0.15 m layer more, with a length fraction of90% compared with 80% of pyrite alone and 50% of the control. This defensive behaviour was also observed in the fi eld experiment, but seems to be counterproductive for metal capture. Both the total root length and the length fraction exploring the polluted layer were positively correlated with metal concentrations in shoots (R2 = 0.54 and 0.56, respectively). In the fi eld, roots generally acted as a huge sink for metals and this fi ts the poor translocation to the above-ground compartment, except for Cd (28%) and Zn (14%). Tillage choice was not 185 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-1 critical for root growth, but maximum depth was limited to 0.3 m. The best, but still poor, metal removal was achieved by fodder radish, thanks to good productivity (Fig. 2) and lower root sensitivity to pollution (higher root length standardised on the control). Conclusions Root development is clearly involved in mechanisms of adaptation of fi eld crops in polluted sites. The greater relative RLD and above-ground productivity (with respect to the control) found in fodder radish, seem to be reliable tolerance indexes and criteria in selecting species for improving phytoextraction and at the same time guaranteeing better waste cover and stabilisation. In this regard, agricultural practices (e.g., humic acid and auxin applications) may help to overcome the poor root expansion which crops show in extreme soil conditions. References Marchiol et al., 2007. Removal of trace metals by Sorghum bicolor and Helianthus annuus in a site polluted by industrial wastes: A fi eld experience. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 45: 379-387. Vamerali et al., 2009. Phytoremediation trials on metal- and arsenic-contaminated pyrite wastes (Torviscosa, Italy). Environ. Pollut. 157: 887-894. Vamerali et al., 2010. Field crops for phytoremediation of metal-contaminated land. A review. Environ. Chem. Lett. 8: 1-17. 186 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-2 Use of leaf fl uorescence and hydroponics for screening of waterlogging tolerance in barley Bertholdsson, Nils-Ove Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SWEDEN Introduction Barley is very susceptible to waterlogging and is one limiting factor infl uencing barley production worldwide. In China and Japan it is one of the major objectives in barley breeding programs and with expected climate changes its importance will increase also in Europe and other parts of the world. Today waterlogging is supposed to reduce yields with 20-25%, but could exceed 50% depending on stage of development. Similar to other abiotic stresses waterlogging tolerance is a complicated trait and the lack of useful effi cient selection methods is an obstacle in breeding programmes. Any soil saturated with water became quickly anaerobic, a condition that can be devastating to barley growth at any growth stage. Genotypic variation for tolerance to waterlogging has been observed and methods used are mainly indices based on leaf chlorosis and germination ability. However, there is a need of more accurate and fast selection methods. Most studies are done with waterlogged soils, although the use of hydroponics could be an interesting alternative. Cultivation in O 2 depleted nutrient solution is the ultimate waterlogging system that can be carefully controlled contrarily to if soil is used. The objective of this study was therefore to develop a method based on hydroponically grown material. Materials and methods As a measure of eff ects of waterlogging or in this case low O 2 concentration, leaf fl uorescence was used. Leaf fl uorescence is a very fast way to observe stress eff ects on the photosynthetic pathways. A reference material of 12 cultivars with a diff erence of 40% in waterlogging tolerance based on studies in water logged soil was used when developing the screening method. A waterlogging index was calculated as the mean seedling weight of waterlogged plants/control plants x 100 in pots with soil. The index was then used to optimise the parameters of the hydroponic system until a good correlation (r=0.93, df=10) was obtained between the two di ff erent ways of measuring waterlogging tolerance. Results and Discussion Furthermore, in a screening of 205 Nordic old and new barley cultivars, interesting trends have been observed. In Sweden, the release of new cultivars until 1960th has resulted in less waterlogging tolerant cultivars. However, during the last 40 yrs this trend has changed. In Norway the increasing trend is even more obvious and could be related to the fact that the precipitation in April, May and June increased by 56% in e.g. the Trondheim area. These 187 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-2 results support that breeding may inadvertently help adapting to changes in the climate, but a direct selection should probably be more effi cient. Besides, there is no confl ict between breeding for high yield and high waterlogging tolerance as shown by a positive relation between grain yield and waterlogging tolerance index of 12 cultivars tested during fi ve years offi cial variety testing in Sweden (r=0.67, df=10). It is suggested that the hydroponic method could be used either for screening or for phenotyping of populations for developing QTL markers. 188 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-3 Winter Wheat Seedling Emergence from the World’s Deepest Sowing Depths Schillinger, William; Mohan, Amita; Gill, Kulvinder Washington State University, UNITED STATES Introduction Farmers in the low-precipitation (<300 mm annual) region of the Pacifi c Northwest USA practice a 2-yr tillage-based winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) – summer fallow rotation. Winter wheat (WW) is sown deep into moisture in late August or early September and seedlings emerge through as much as 160 mm of dry soil cover. These are the deepest sowing depths for wheat anywhere in the world. Rain showers that occur after sowing create fragile soil crusts that the emerging fi rst leaf often cannot penetrate. Materials and methods A rainfall simulator was used to conduct a 5-factor factorial laboratory experiment to evaluate emergence of WW sown deep in pots. Factors were: (i) rainfall intensity and duration (1.25 mm/hr for 3 hr, and 2.50 mm/hr for 2 hr); (ii) timing of rainfall after sowing (1, 3, and 5 d after sowing + controls); (iii) cultivar (standard-height vs. semi- dwarf), (iv) residue on the soil surface (0, 840, and 1680 kg/ha); and v) air temperature (21 and 30 degrees C). Results and discussion The high-intensity rain caused a 2.3-fold reduction in emergence compared to the low-intensity rain. Emergence improved proportionally with increasing quantities of surface residue. The standard-height cultivar had four times greater emergence than the semi-dwarf. Air temperature and timing of rainfall had no signifi cant eff ect on WW emergence. Results show that sowing a WW cultivar with long coleoptile and fi rst leaf as well as maintaining high quantities of surface residue to intercept rain drops will enhance WW stand establishment after rain showers to benefi t both farmers and the environment. Figure 1. Percent emergence of winter wheat planted deep into pots as affected by air temperature (heat), rainfall intensity, rainfall timing, cultivar, and surface residue. Data are the average from three runs. Winter wheat emergence in the control pots averaged 86 percent. DAP = days after planting. 189 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-3 Conclusions In conclusion, fragile soil crusts formed on silt loam soils after low intensity rainfall impede emergence of WW planted deep into summer fallow in eastern Washington. Crusts formed in this study were almost imperceptible and, although soil penetration resistance could not be measured with the available penetrometers, rainfall after planting had a marked negative impact on WW seedling emergence. Of the fi ve factors evaluated, only cultivar selection and quantity of surface residue can be controlled by the farmer. Data conclusively show that when rainfall occurs after planting and before emergence: ( i) the stand-height cultivar had an overall four-fold increase in seedling emergence compared to the semi-dwarf cultivar, and (ii) greater surface residue led to improved seedling emergence. These results bolster work currently in progress to enhance WW seedling emergence from deep planting depths through plant breeding and other research and extension eff orts to promote the adoption of conservation-tillage summer fallow. 190 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-4 Exogenous applied nitric oxide alleviates salt- induced oxidative stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.) Zavareh, Mohsen; Asadi-Sanam, Samaneh; Hashempour, Abuzar; Ghasemnezhad, Mahmood The University of Guilan, IRAN (ISLAMIC REP.) Introduction Rice, as a salt sensitive species has long been aff ected by soil and water salinity. The loss in plant productivity due to salinity is a consequence of osmotic and ionic eff ects (Ashraf 2009) resulting in the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O 2 • −). A large body of evidence has demonstrated that the antioxidant systems play important roles in protecting plants against oxidative damage induced by salt stress (Dionisio-Sese & Tobita 1998). Nitric oxide (NO) is believed to act as a signal molecule mediating responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses in plants (reviewed in Crawford & Guo 2005) including oxidative stress (Shi et al. 2005). However, until now little is known about the infl uences of exogenous NO treatment on oxidative damage and antioxidant enzyme activities in leaves of rice under salt stress. The aim of the study was to determine whether sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as an NO-donor, activates protective responses to salt stress by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and improving physiological responses. If successful, SNP can be used to alleviate plant damage caused by ROS. Methodology Seeds of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (Khazar and Goohar) were surface-sterilized and placed on top of sterile fi lter paper moistened with deionized water and incubated at 27 ◦C for 72 h in dark to germinate. Germinated seeds then were sown in plastic pots containing perlite and allowed to grow in a growth chamber with 26/22 ◦C day/night temperature. After 15-d growth, healthy and vigorous seedlings of both cultivars were selected to impose treatments (no added- SNP and –NaCl; 50 μM SNP; 50mM NaCl, and 50mM NaCl + 50 μM SNP) Each treatment was replicated at least three times with 100 seedlings. At three day after initiating treatments, the leaves of uniform rice seedlings were collected and immediately preserved in liquid N 2 and stored at ‒80 ◦C prior to assays of physiological parameters and antioxidant status. The electrolyte leakage was determined as described by Dionisio-Sese and Tobita (1998). The level of membrane damage was determined by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) as the end product of membrane lipid peroxidation. Enzyme activity was measured at 25 ° C using a spectrophotometer. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Peroxidase (POD) activity of the leaves extracts as well as chlorophyll and proline contents, also were measured. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s multiple range test mean comparison at p < 0.05. Results and Discussion Results revealed that salt stress will lead to increase in electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation and proline content as well as to decrease in the chlorophyll content of both rice cultivars leaves. The inhibitory eff ects of NaCl stress on rice seedling were decreased when they treated with a combination of NaCl and SNP. This was supported by reduction in electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and proline accumulation as well as increasing in chlorophyll content. Meantime, the application of the nitric oxide donor increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POX). This improved activity resulted to quenching the salt stress induced increase in reactive oxygen species. Overall, it could be concluded that exogenous nitric oxide can eff ectively protect rice seedlings from oxidative damage caused by salt stress. References Ashraf M. 2009. Biotechnological approach of improving plant salt tolerance using antioxidants as markers. Biotechnol. Adv. 27: 84–93. Crawford NM & Guo FQ. 2005. New insights into nitric oxide metabolism and regulatory functions. Trends Plant Sci. 10: 195–200. Dionisio-Sese ML & Tobita S. 1998. Antioxidant responses of rice seedlings to salinity stress. Plant Sci. 135: 1-9. Shi S et al. 2005. Protective eff ect of nitric oxide against oxidative stress under ultraviolet-B radiation. Nitric Oxide. 13:1–9. 191 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-4 192 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Avenues for improving the productivity of irrigation at diff erent scales Villalobos, Francisco1; Orgaz, Francisco2; Testi, Luca2; Mateos, Luciano2 1IAS-CSIC and University of Cordoba, SPAIN; 2IAS-CSIC, SPAIN 431-5K Irrigated agriculture demands more than 70–80% of fresh water in the arid and semi-arid areas. Management of irrigation in an era of water scarcity will have to maximize its productivity which we have analyzed at the crop and basin scales. Transpiration is coupled with carbon assimilation as stomata are the common pathway for water vapor and CO 2 fl uxes. Tanner and Sinclair showed that the ratio of biomass accumulation and transpiration (Water Use Effi ciency, WUE) is inversely related to Vapor Pressure Defi cit (VPD). The productivity of applied water is defi ned as IWP = HI WUE (AE-E/I) where HI is the Harvest Index, AE is the application effi ciency, E is soil evaporation due to irrigation and I is applied water. Improvements of IWP may be achieved by changes related to the crop (HI, WUE) or to irrigation management and design (AE, E). The search for improved WUE at the leaf scale, including the promise of incorporating drought resistance using biotechnology, has received special attention for the past 30 years but its success is not clear. However, even with the same WUE at the leaf scale, we may take advantage of the eff ect of VPD on WUE by using available water when it is more effi cient. For instance, olive trees under defi cit irrigation (DI) show higher WUE than well irrigated trees at the daily scale while the instantaneous response is very small. This is explained by a diff erent distribution of daily transpiration which is shifted to the morning (low VPD) in the case of defi cit irrigation. The same applies for seasonal irrigation management as concentrating water defi cit in the summer will improve the WUE of the crop. Breeding programs should incorporate performance under cold conditions to allow growing crops when VPD is low. Improving maximum HI is no longer an option in breeding for most annual crops. DI may improve HI in indeterminate crops and tree crops by reducing vegetative growth. Poor crop management may be a key limiting factor of IWP by reducing HI below its potential value. AE is a function of irrigation uniformity and applied water. For maximum effi ciency we need to schedule irrigations to minimize losses. There is a trade- off between uniformity, water defi cit and percolation. The lower the distribution uniformity the lower the AE required to not surpass a target defi cit coeffi cient. Converting surface to pressurized irrigation serves both for increasing uniformity and for simplifying irrigation scheduling but requires more energy. Defi cit irrigation increases AE by reducing losses, contributes to a higher soil water uptake, but may not be sustainable due to salinization. Reduction of E may be achieved by lower irrigation frequency or smaller wetted area. The lower E of drip irrigation may be off set by a high irrigation frequency. However, subsurface drip irrigation systems with almost nil E have been adopted. The large variability in IWP implies that better management and DI will contribute to higher IWP by aff ecting HI, AE and E. Israelsen defi ned irrigation effi ciency (IE) as the ratio of the irrigation water consumed by the crops in an irrigation system to the water diverted into that system. The concept was revised when the potential value of water used but not consumed was considered. Objective assessment of IE must be based on a clear defi nition of the spatial and temporal boundaries of the system. Interventions or irrigation practices that improve system performance at the scale of a given domain may have little or no impact on irrigation performance at other scales. Global e ffi ciency will increase along with on-fi eld effi ciency only if intra-system reuse is small. In closed basins (no discharges of usable water even in the wet season) the only way to increase water availability is reducing the consumptive use. In conclusion, increases in the productivity of irrigation may come from improved management and better irrigation systems, taking into account irrigation performance at the basin scale. 193 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 431-5K 194 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-1 Is intercropping an effi cient solution to design low input systems? The examples of durum wheat-grain legume and sunfl ower-soybean intercrops Bedoussac, Laurent1; Journet, Etienne-Pascal2; Tribouillois, Hélène2; Véricel, Grégory2; Champclou, David2; Landé, Nathalie3; Justes, Eric2 1ENFA; INRA, FRANCE; 2INRA, UMR1248 AGIR, FRANCE; 3CETIOM, FRANCE Introduction Increasing concerns about global change and environmental impacts of agriculture require transformation of actual cropping systems towards enhanced sustainability. One solution could consist in intercropping (IC) i.e. growing simultaneously two or more species in the same fi eld for a signifi cant period [1]. This practice aims at eco-functional intensi fi cation for increasing resources use effi ciency by positive interspecifi c interactions, including facilitation [2]. Many studies have shown advantages of grain legume- cereal IC in comparison to their sole crops (SC) in low input systems [3; 4] while few papers are available about sunfl ower-soybean IC [5; 6]. IC e ffi ciency is based on complementarity in resource use (light, nutrients and water) due to species diff erences in aerial and root system architecture, growth dynamics and the ability of the legume to fi x atmospheric N 2 . The main objective of our studies was to analyse the dynamic functioning of durum wheat-grain legume (pea or faba bean) winter IC and sunfl ower-soybean summer IC in order to further design adapted IC systems. Thus, we evaluated the potential advantages of these two types of IC for global yield, grain quality and N acquisition depending upon cultivars, species and sowing pattern. Materials and methods Durum wheat-grain legume fi eld experiments have been carried out at INRA Toulouse (SW France) since 2005 using a wide range of IC combinations (wheat varieties, legume species and N treatments). In IC, species were sown at the same time at half of the SC densities and in alternate rows. Sunfl ower-soybean fi eld experiments have been carried out at CETIOM and INRA (SW France) in 2010 and 2011 with cultivars of various precocities to modify species maturity gap. Two spatial patterns were sown, alternating 2 sunfl ower rows with 2 or 4 soybean rows. Biomass production, grain yield and accumulated N were dynamically measured together with light absorption, grain protein content and the percentage of N derived from N 2 fi xation (%Ndfa). The land equivalent ratio (LER) was calculated as an indicator of IC effi ciency [7]. Results and discussion Our results indicate that for both IC types the best performances were obtained with no or low amounts of N fertilizer. This is partially due to the high %Ndfa of the legume in the IC leading to: i) more soil mineral N available for the associated non-legume crop and ii) higher wheat grain protein content in IC vs. SC (12.7% vs. 11.8% on average; Fig 1). Conversely, in high N input conditions, LER was lower or equal to 1 due to strong interspecifi c competition of wheat or sunfl ower on legume, in particular for light. For cereal-grain legumes IC the highest LER values and 195 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-1 wheat grain protein content were obtained when applying a late and moderate amount of fertilizer N together with using wheat cultivars of high protein content potential or not too competitive (small with few tillers). For sunfl ower-soybean IC, the 2-4 pattern combining the latest soybean and the earliest sunfl ower was the most effi cient (LER = 1.21; Fig 2) because it allowed re-equilibrating interspecifi c competitions leading to resources use optimisation. Conclusion Our work confi rms that IC is particularly suited to low N input systems due to the complementary use of N sources for both winter and summer intercrops. However, before proposing optimised cropping systems further research is still needed on genotype-environment interactions in order to analyse the eff ects on IC performances of: i) precocity, ii) aerial architecture, iii) row structure and iv) N management. References [1] Willey and Osiru; 1972; J. Agric. Sc. 79: 517-529 [2] Altieri; 1999; Agric. Ecosyst. Env. 74: 19-31 [3] Bedoussac and Justes; 2010; Plant Soil 330:19-35 [4] Hauggaard-Nielsen and Jensen; 2001; Field Crops Res. 72:185-196 [5] Echarte et al.; 2011; Field Crop Res. 121:423-429 [6] Olowe and Adebimpe; 2009; Biol. Agric. Hort. 26: 365-377 [7] Bedoussac and Justes; 2011; Field Crops Res. 124:25- 36 196 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-2 Multi-targeted assessment of reduced tillage cropping systems for the near future in European agriculture Landé, Nathalie1; Sauzet, Gilles1; Dulos, Léa1; Leterme, Philippe2 1CETIOM, FRANCE; 2CETIOM, INRA, AGROCAMPUS-Ouest, FRANCE Introduction Environmental impacts of agriculture are an increasing concern that requires transformation of actual cropping systems with focus on enhanced sustainability. Agricultural policies are based on several directives and programs (see table 1) aiming to achieve certain environmental goals by managing farmers’ practices. Thus, the cropping system seemed to be the most suitable scale to implement several technical solutions and to identify their synergies, antagonisms or cumulative eff ects [2]. The aim of our study is to evaluate how we can conciliate innovative technical solutions (e.g. reducing tillage, reducing mineral nitrogen fertilisation, modifying rotation, etc.) to achieve goals in agricultural policies such as improving energy effi ciency, reducing greenhouse gas emission or pesticides use by designing innovative multi- targeted cropping systems. Materials and methods The user-centered method [1], applied to agronomical approaches [4; 2] was used to design, by prototyping, two innovative cropping systems which were implemented in 2009 in oceanic climate: i) a 6-year system in a sandy clay/lime soil (site 1) and ii) a 5-year system in a sandy silt loam soil (site 2). Each innovative cropping system was compared to its respective conventional cropping system using a randomized design with three replications. Each year, all crops of each cropping system were tested allowing multiyear comparison. According to assigned policy objectives, we established a minimum set of indicators (see table 1) to evaluate these cropping systems, then completed by performing a sustainability evaluation using MASC® model [3]. These indicators allow the overall assessment of the cropping systems and also their evolution by launching a second wave of design according to Vereijken’s methodology. 197 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-2 Results and discussion The complete assessment of cropping systems will be achieved in 2015, but based on midterm results (see table 1) we can already identify some methodological points that need particular attention. (a) Results show great sensitivity to the site conditions. We note that all the indicators shown in site 1 seem better than in site 2 (except for the economic one); this probably results from the indicators level achieved by the reference system which is always inferior in site 1. (b) Moreover, some indicators presented partial fulfi llment of goals, e.g. reducing mineral nitrogen fertilisation, while others will need longer time to be achieved, e.g. reducing pesticides use. This is probably partly due to the fact that the biological processes that can be eff ective in the IPM strategy (natural regulation allowed by enhanced biodiversity) need a longer time to be implemented than the improvement of nitrogen fertilization through leguminous introduction. Thus, managing heterogeneous speeds of progress is a challenge in testing and improvement of cropping systems. Indeed, we have to make the choice between two possible strategies for the further development of our cropping systems. We can (a) go on with the novel solutions already implemented to allow all the biological eff ects become eff ective or (b) abandon some of the currently implemented innovations as ineff ective, and develop alternative innovations. Conclusion By testing and assessing global cropping strategies, our experiments will help policy makers and farmers in their choices. The assessment shows that the design methodology we have applied is eff ective, even if all goals cannot be achieved. Some important methodological points are highlighted which will contribute to the advancement of agronomic research. References [1] ISO 13407: 1999; Human centered design processes for interactive systems [2] Debaeke et al ; 2009; Agron. Sustain. Dev. 29:73–86 [3] Sadock et al ; 2009; Agron. Sustain. Dev. 29:447–461 [4] Vereijken; 1997; Eur. J. Agron. 7:235-250 198 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-3 Indicating Processes and Performances of Agrosystems : a framework based on a conceptual model and its use in vineyards fi elds. Wery, Jacques1; Coll, Patrice2; Delbac, Lionel3; Guilpart, Nicolas4; Fermaud, Marc3; Metay, Aurélie1; Smits, Nathalie2; Thiéry, Denis5; Mérot, Anne2 1Montpellier Supagro, FRANCE; 2INRA, FRANCE; 3INRA ISVV, FRANCE; 4INRA IFV, FRANCE; 5INRA, ISVV, UMR 1065 SAVE, FRANCE Introduction Developing and managing eco-effi cient cropping systems (4) that produce higher output with less input, requires agrosystems with the following attributes: (i) complexity due to the increasing number of biophysical components in interaction to be considered ; (ii) dynamic, in a changing environment at diff erent time scales ; (iii) multiscale and hierarchy, combining biophysical and technical dimensions at fi eld, farm and landscape levels. Their management and design requires sound indicators of their behaviour in the face of diversity (soils, climate, plant, pathogens, farm type). Methods We propose a framework to design, test and use such indicators, which is based on the conceptualization protocol of an Agrosystem (5) and currently implemented on vineyards in transition towards organic or integrated farming (AIDY project). The various types of indicators and their use are summarized in table 1 and illustrated with typical examples (Table 1). The basis of the framework is that an indicator must be designed with regards to (a) the specifi c aspect of the system for which it provides information, (b) the way to collect and analyse information and (c) the targeted actors/decision. Analysis Indicators must be evaluated for their ability to quantify the system basic processes, either in absolute term or in comparison with a reference system (8). Management Indicators need to improve the system management for a limited cost in term of observation, sampling and analysis. Assessment Indicators must provide scientifi cally credible information on the performance of the system or on its impacts/services for other systems in a form that can be understood by a stakeholder or a decision maker. Results and Discussion Analysis indicators Example 1a is a short term dynamic daily time step indicator of the soil water defi cit experienced by a vineyard and its impact on source-sink relationships (7). It can be derived from fi eld measurement or simulated with a model. Example 1b is an indicator of nitrogen stress experienced by the vine (NNI). It is calculated from the ratio between the actual N content of grapevine aerial parts and a minimal critical N content to elaborate a given biomass (2). Example 2 is a long term dynamic indicator of the soil quality, the Maturity Index, based on abundance and biodiversity of non pathogenic nematodes (3). It is obtained by fi eld sampling and indicate the intensity of physical and chemical perturbations of the soil. Management indicators. Example 3 is an expert-based approach for the management of two of the major pathogens of grapevine: powdery mildew and downy mildew (6). Assessment indicators This type of indicators has been widely developed for the assessment of environmental performances of cropping and farming systems (for example 4 the Indigo method 199 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-3 recently adapted to vineyards, ref 1). Example 5 is the Evaluation Index of Damage in Cluster (EIDC) that can be used to assess the effi ciency of crop protection strategy on grapevine cluster (Delbac et al., this volume). Conclusion This framework can be used to conceptualize, design and assess an indicator on the basis of it’s targeted use, its scientifi c relevance with regards to the aspect of the agrosystem it is supposed to indicate and the distance between the indicator and the functional variable best quantifying the process. It is currently tested in vineyards, in order to help monitor the transition of a farm toward organic farming (AIDY project) or to prototype low input systems (EcoViti project). References 1. Bockstaller C. et al., 2008. ASD 28:139-149. 2. Celette F, 2007. PhD thesis, SupAgro, Montpellier, France. 3. Coll P. et al., 2012. Nematology (in press). 4. Keating B. et al., 2010. Crop Science 50:109-119. 5. Lamanda N. et al., 2012. EJA 38:104-116. 6. Léger B et al., 2010. pp. 246-269 In: B. Manos et al. Edts IGI Global, Hershey, USA, 7. Pellegrino A. et al., 2006. EJA 25 : 49-59. 8. Wery, J., 2005. AJAR 56:1201-1209. 200 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-4 Eff ectiveness of intercropping for plant disease suppression – a meta-analysis Dong, Yan1; Zhang, Chaochun2; van der Werf, Wopke3; Tang, Li1; Zhang, Fusuo2 1Yunnan Agricultural University, CHINA; 2China Agricultural University, CHINA; 3Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS One of the benefi ts of diversifi ed crop systems is a reduction in plant disease. But how large is the eff ect in diff erent pathosystems (combinations of crop system and pathogen species)? We assembled 58 case studies from Yunnan province, China, and conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the size of the eff ect of intercropping on disease incidence and disease index, an ordinal measure for severity. Case studies were selected from international and Chinese peer-reviewed literature, and from MSc and PhD theses from reputed research groups. While there is very little peer-reviewed literature in English, a large number 53 of peer-reviewed articles in Chinese contained quantitative data that were amenable to meta-analysis. Data were analyzed, focusing on diseases in intercropping systems of glutinous and hybrid rice, wheat and faba bean, and maize and chili pepper. Twenty one diff erent diseases were analyzed. The eff ect of intercropping on disease incidence was signifi cant in 57 of the 58 studied pathosystems. The grand mean reduction in disease incidence was 37.5 percent, with the largest eff ect identifi ed for rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe grisea, on glutinous rice, Oryza sativa, in rice-rice intercropping. Disease incidence increased signifi cantly with amount of nitrogen fertilizer in three out of 21 pathosystems, while the eff ect of intercropping on wheat powdery mildew, Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, changed signifi cantly with amount of nitrogen fertilizer. The eff ect of intercropping was in most cases a delay in the epidemic, with the greatest eff ect sizes measured early or mid-way during the epidemic, and smaller eff ects measured later on. These results demonstrate that the eff ect of intercropping on disease incidence is not limited to few special cases, but is – in fact – a widespread phenomenon that holds promise for strengthening disease suppressiveness in modern sustainable agriculture. 201 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-4 202 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-5 New Cropping Systems under environmental constraints: First results of ex post assessment Colnenne-David, Caroline1; Grandeau, Gilles1; Doré, Thierry2 1INRA - UMR Agronomie INRA-APT, FRANCE; 2AgroParisTech, FRANCE Results and discussion In the L-GHG system plots, the aimed decrease in GHG was partly reached (mean = -23% over a 3-year period). In 2009 and 2011, unforeseen agronomic practices, such as some herbicide applications, or a minimum tillage before maize sowing, explained higher than estimated direct GHG emissions. In the L-EN system plots, the energy constraint was nearly fulfi lled (mean = -42% over a three-year period). In 2009, direct energy consumption was higher than projected due to additional plowing. All four innovative cropping systems were environmentally- friendly in terms of crop biodiversity, nitrogen pollution, phosphorus applications, pesticide use, energy consumption, and soil fertility. Over the 2008/09- 2012 period, all cropping systems reached the overall targeted yields; however, there were variations in this depending on the crops. Whatever the cropping system, cereals (except maize) and oleaginous crops yields were systematically higher than expected. On the contrary, faba bean yields were lower. For example, in 2011, in one No-Pest plot and one L-GHG plot, faba bean yields were respectively 0.3t/ha and 0.7 t/ha instead of the expected 4.7 t/ha, due to aphid attacks. Even if all measurements are not yet available (e.g. ex post assessments have been carried out on an incomplete rotation), the fi rst results of ex post assessments were satisfying. The program will be discussed from agronomic and methodological points of view: (i) Is it possible to reach both high environmental and yield objectives? (ii) Are the given agricultural practices all that innovative? (iii) The available models and tools only partially take into account the biogeochimic mechanisms involved in these systems (i.e., N2O emission): What sort of tool do we need to assess these systems? References Debaeke et al., 2009. Iterative design and evaluation of rule-based cropping systems: methodology and case studies. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 29. 73–86 Loyce and Wery, 2006. Les outils des agronomes pour l’évaluation et la conception de systèmes de culture.L’agronomie d’aujourd’hui, QUAE, 77-95 Introduction To meet changing economical and agricultural goals, innovative cropping systems that account for actual on-farm constraints need to be proposed. Because models do not take into account all the components of agroecosystems, long-term fi eld trials are necessary to assess performances (Debaeke et al., 2009). We are assessing ex post, through a long-term experiment, four innovative cropping systems designed to meet various environmental and yield objectives. Material and methods Three out of the four systems must (i) meet one of the following constraints (no pesticide use (No-Pest), or lessen by half greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (L-GHG), or halve fossil energy consumption (L-EN), and (ii) be environmentally friendly as well as (iii) guarantee as high a yield as possible. A fourth system (PHEP) was designed to reach environmental and production goals with no major constraint. The far-reaching objective is to improve systems of cereal-based rotations in northern Europe. The innovative systems were conceived by prototyping (Loyce and Wery, 2006). The most relevant scenarios are being tested in a fi eld trial, located in Grignon, France (N 48.84, E 1°57) on 6.5 ha simulating farm conditions over a 10-year period. Three replications of each system have been randomly distributed. First results involve data from 2008/09 to 2012 and analyzes were carried out only on an incomplete rotation (three out of the fi ve or six crops have been evaluated). The GES’TIM database (2010) and IPPC coeffi cient (2007) were used to calculate GHG emissions as well as energy consumption. The INDIGO tool (v.1.9) was used to calculate six agro-ecological indicators. The agronomical performances of the cropping systems were recorded. 203 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 432-5 204 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Eff ect of Residue Management and Nitrogen Fertilization on Maize Production Biau, Anna; Santiveri, Francisca; Lloveras, Jaume University of Lleida, SPAIN 432-6 Introduction Crop residues incorporated into the soil favorably infl uences its organic matter (OM) contents, soil structure, nutrient storage and, other determinants of soil productivity (Parr and Papendick, 1978). Maize residues returned to the soil also contribute to carbon (C) sequestration and help to reduce the release of greenhouse gases emissions. However, it has been an increasing pressure to use maize stover for biofuels, without pays much attention to the sustainability of the agricultural soils (Wilhelm, et al., 2004). In Spain, maize producers have became increasingly concerned about nitrogen (N) use due to the regulations of EU nitrate directives and the increases in the price of N. Interactions between crop residue management and N fertilization could therefore help to improve N use effi ciency and C sequestration while increasing crop production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the eff ects of incorporating or removing crop residues under maize production and their possible interaction with the N fertilization. Methodology Two fi eld experiments (Field 1 and Field 2) were conducted for two years (2010 and 2011) under sprinkler irrigation in the Ebro Valley (Spain). The maize residue (stover) management consisted in two treatments (incorporation or exportation). The N treatments consisted in 50 m3 ha-1 of cow slurry (CS) (about 290 kg N ha-1) and mineral N fertilization rates of 0 (control), 100, 200 and 300 kg N ha-1. Maize grain yield, biomass at maturity, plant N uptake, soil NO 3 -N and OM were measured before maize seeding and after harvest. In order to evaluate the cumulative eff ects, the plots were randomized in the fi rst year and, each year received the same treatments. Results and discussion The initial maize stover was incorporated in the soil or removed in December 2009 (15100 and 16500 kg ha -1 of dry matter in Field 1 and Field 2, respectively). The experiment results of 2010 were summarized because the stover management did not aff ect the maize production. The average grain production in 2010 was 14.2 Mg ha-1 and 17.3 Mg ha-1 in Field 1 and Field 2, respectively. The stover production (2010) was 15775 and 18890 kg ha-1 in Field 1 and Field 2, respectively. In 2011, maize yield showed diff erences among N treatments (Table 1). As far as the N fertilizer, in 2011 only treatment N0 with the residue incorporates (Field 2) had a signifi cant lower production, 5 Mg ha-1 less than the other mineral 7DEOH  (IIHFW RI VWRYHU PDQDJHPHQW LQFRUSRUDWHG RU UHPRYHG  LQ PDL]H JUDLQ \LHOG SURGXFWLRQ$OPDFHOOHV  20 m 2) replicated in 3 rings (20 m diameter) with ambient CO 2 (=AMB; 385 ppm) and 3 FACE (596 ppm) rings. In each ring plants were grown in an irrigated northern half (“WET”) and southern half equipped with a removable rain shelter to induce summer drought (“DRY”). Soil water content was recorded by TDR sensors. Canopy growth was measured non-destructively with the SUN SCAN- System-SS1 from Delta-T. Plants were harvested in July and October for growth measurements. Results and discussion The seasonal water supply to the WET plots (224 mm rainfall and 110 mm irrigation) was twice as large as to 235 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 442-5 0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0 Simao Tarzan Bulldozer Zerberus Inka Genotype R UE (g MJ - 1 ) W2C1 W2C2 W1C1 W1C2 ANOVA results factor p-value CO2 0.08 Genotype 0.004 Watering 0.003 C x G 0.8 C x W 0.02 G x W 0.009 C x G x W 0.6 Figure 2: Effect of different water (W1: dry, W2: wet) and CO2 supply (C1: 385 ppm, C2: 596 ppm) on radiation use efficiency (RUE) of above ground biomass production of one maize (Simao) and different Sorghum cultivars. Bars represent means with standard error. the DRY plots (171 mm rainfall). Accordingly, available soil water capacity remained above 60% under WET but dropped below 10% under DRY AMB at the end of August. FACE plots always had a higher soil water content both under WET and DRY conditions due to the decrease in stomatal conductance and plant sap fl ow rate as measured for sorghum and maize. Final biomass yield was signifi cantly aff ected by genotype and water supply and signifi cant interactions of genotype x watering and CO 2 x watering were detected (Fig. 1). Maize showed the highest biomass yield under all growth conditions and the sorghum cultivar Inka the lowest one. Drought stress decreased plant growth and this eff ect was mitigated by CO 2 enrichment. The eff ect of CO 2 enrichment on biomass production under DRY varied between +4% (Inka) and +18% (Simao). The stronger the negative eff ect of drought the stronger was the positive CO 2 eff ect on crop growth. Due to the faster leaf expansion of maize seasonal radiation absorption was about 20% higher as compared to sorghum, which is one mechanism contributing to the diff erence in biomass yield. Radiation use effi ciency (RUE) was calculated from the growth data and this parameter showed signifi cant eff ects of genotype and watering, and signifi cant interactions of genotype x watering and CO 2 x watering (Fig. 2). This indicates that CO 2 enrichment improves RUE only under drought and that the genotypes diff er in RUE and its modifi cation by drought. Zerberus and especially Inka had a lower RUE than Bulldozer and Tarzan, of which RUE was similar to maize. The small RUE of Inka as compared to Tarzan could not be attributed to diff erences in chemical composition. It rather seems that Inka needs warmer temperatures for optimum growth. According to the experimental fi ndings of this study maize performs better than sorghum under drought and CO 2 enrichment under today’s temperature, since sorghum genotypes have a higher temperature requirement than maize for canopy expansion and optimum RUE. Thus, maize has a higher growth potential than sorghum and this necessarily leads to a higher water demand. Hence the water savings under CO 2 enrichment can be transformed in additional biomass production. The superiority of maize under drought and elevated CO 2 concentrations might disappear if sorghum cultivars available to the farmers will have a lower temperature requirement or if it is getting warmer during the vegetation period. 236 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-1 Climate impact of Finnish crops - a national method to estimate direct nitrous oxide emissions from mineral soils Pulkkinen, Hannele; Regina, Kristiina; Katajajuuri, Juha-Matti MTT Agrifood Research Finland, FINLAND Direct nitrous oxide emissions from managed soils have a very signifi cant role for climate impacts of cropping systems. Still, an IPCC default emission factor (IPCC 1996) is applied almost without exceptions in carbon footprint studies of agricultural products (Pulkkinen 2010) and only few nations are known to assess direct nitrous oxide emissions from managed soils with national defaults in National Inventory Reports. As interest in climate impacts of food is growing, a more detailed national method was developed for Finland. In the Finnish Foodprint programme, harmonised and practical guidelines to assess climate impacts of food products have been developed. As national defaults to estimate nitrous oxide emissions from organic soils in Finland have already been developed (Monni 2007), the new method was developed in the programme for mineral soils. According to diff erent studies, direct nitrous oxide emissions from soils can contribute up to 65% of greenhouse gas emissions of fi eld crop cultivation. Other signifi cant contributors are, for example, fertiliser production and liming, if used. The uncertainties of nitrous oxide emissions from soils are remarkably high due to large spatial and temporal variation (Snyder et al., 2009). To reduce the uncertainty in national estimates, Regina et al. (submitted) have conducted research on nitrous oxide fl uxes in Finnish conditions. Statistical mixed models were derived based on the measured emissions of nitrous oxide and background variables. It was possible to provide a method for estimating nitrous oxide fl uxes from grass and annual spring crops from mineral soils for Finland with somewhat more precision than the IPCC default methodology. The crop type and fertilizer rate as the amount of mineral N applied were found to best explain the variation in nitrous oxide emissions. To estimate the burden caused by human activity only, the background emission of perennial crops was deducted from the derived emission estimates of both crops. The derived equations for estimating nitrous oxide fl ux from mineral soils are therefore N 2 O fl ux (kgN 2 O-N/ha/yr) = 10 ^ (-0.2762 + 0.002848 * minN) - 0.529 for perennial crops and N 2 O fl ux (kgN 2 O-N/ha/ yr) = 10^ (-0.2762 + 0.002848 * minN + 0.58) - 0.529 for annual spring crops. The estimates illustrate lower annual emissions of nitrous oxide from grass crops than from annual crops. The long non-vegetated period between harvesting and sowing in boreal conditions with long winter increases the emissions from annual spring sown crops. The new method gives larger emissions to annual crops compared to IPCC, makes a signifi cant diff erence especially on products which have low climate impact, and increases total Finnish emissions. Acknowledging the high variation in nitrous oxide emissions from managed soils, developing new methodologies to estimate fl uxes in more detail should be given much more attention urgently. Better knowledge is especially needed of food production in diff erent climates. References IPCC, 1996. Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Workbook. Volume 2. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Monni, S., Perälä, P. and Regina, K. 2007. Uncertainty in agricultural CH 4 and N 2 O emissions from Finland - possibilities to increase accuracy in emission estimates. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 12: 545-571. Pulkkinen, H., Katajajuuri, J.-M., Nousiainen, J., Silvenius F., 2010. Challenges in the comparability of carbon footprint studies of food products. In: Proceedings of LCA food 2010. Vol 2, 65-70. Regina, K., Kaseva, J. and Esala, M. 2012. Emissions of nitrous oxide from boreal agricultural mineral soils – statistical models based on measurements. Submitted to Agriculture, Ecosyst. & Env. Snyder, C.S., Bruulsema, T.W., Jensen, T.L., Fixen, P.E., 2009. Review of greenhouse gas emissions from crop production systems and fertilizer management eff ects. Agriculture, Ecosyst. Env. 133, 247 – 266. 237 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-1 238 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-2 On-farm evaluation of nitrogen leaching rates from organic crop rotations under consideration of the previous crop, with special emphasis on legumes Fischer, Jenny; Boehm, Herwart Johann Heinrich von Thuenen-Institut, GERMANY Introduction Legume supported crop rotations are of high importance in organic farming due to the biological nitrogen fi xation as well as the high crude protein content, which is needed in animal production. The cultivation of legumes is depending on the farm management type, e.g. cash crop or dairy cow farm. For the evaluation of legume based cropping systems especially the risk of nitrogen leaching is important for a sustainable production. In this study the NO 3 -N-load during the winter seepage period is evaluated for a cash crop and a dairy cow rotation that comprises diff erent types and shares of legumes in mono- and intercropping. Materials and methods The seepage water was collected by an in-situ sampling with ceramic suction cups that allow continuous extraction of soil solution during the autumn/winter seepage period. The ceramic suction cups have been installed at four georeferenced monitoring points after ploughing/seeding before winter. They were installed in 70cm depth to assess the leaching rate below the rooting zone with a threefold repetition at each of the four monitoring points per fi eld. From the 3 suction cups per point and depth a mixed sample was taken weekly during the complete winter seepage period (7th Nov 2011 – 21st Mar 2012) to assess the nitrogen concentration in the seepage water. The ecological evaluation covers all fi elds of the cash crop and dairy cow farm. The analysis of the nitrate concentration is done by a photometric autoanalyzer to calculate the NO 3 -N-load with help of the seepage rate that is assessed by a model of the German Weather Service (DWD). Data were analyzed using the GLM-procedure in SAS 9.2. Results In the fi rst sampling period until the 11th January the accumulated seepage rate was 153mm, whereas most rainfalls occurred in December 2011. The fi eld with the 239 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-2 biannual grass-clover stand of the dairy cow rotation was divided up in two parts – the fi rst one was ploughed in autumn, the second one in spring before the maize is sown. The signifi cant highest N-load was observed after the autumn-ploughed biannual grass-clover (GC2-p), whereas the spring-ploughed biannual grass-clover (GC2-s) showed the lowest N-load, which was comparable to the grass-clover after the fi rst year of cultivation (GC1) (Fig. 1). The negative eff ect on the nitrogen leaching by autumn ploughed grass-clover in comparison to spring ploughing is also apparent from the average leaching rates of the complete crop rotations under diff erent management practices (Fig. 2). Though no fertilization is done in the cash crop rotation, the average nitrogen load is about 2kg ha-1 superior than in the dairy cow rotation with the autumn ploughed grass clover, but the diff erences between the diff erent managed crop rotations were not signifi cant for the calculated period (7th Nov. 2011 to 11th Jan 2012). This might be due to the extreme leaching rate after summer barley, caused by a highly developed undersown red clover stand. In contrast, the pea (PE) and the winter wheat (WW2) fi eld showed the lowest nitrogen loss. The low N-load of the pea fi eld is a possible indicator of an insuffi cient biological nitrogen fi xation and high export rates by harvest. In the fi rst two years of the cash crop rotation the N-load after red clover (RC) and winter wheat (WW) was on a medium level and comparable to the N-load of triticale (TR) in the 6th year of the cash crop rotation. Discussion The present results reconfi rm that the nitrate-nitrogen leaching rate could be reduced if grass-clover stands are ploughed in spring compared to ploughing in autumn, at the beginning of the seepage period. The cultivation of grain legumes showed no higher N-load compared to the other crops like wheat, maize or triticale. Further evaluations will be done when the sample analysis is completed. 240 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-3 Contribution analysis of reactive Nitrogen to N fertiliser application impacts in two diff erent cropping system managements Goglio, Pietro1; Colnenne-David, Caroline2; Roche, Romain3; Doré, Thierry4; Gabrielle, Benoit3 1INRA-AgroParisTech, UMR 1091 EGC, Thiverval-Grignon, FRANCE; Institut of Life Sciences, ITALY; 2INRA, UMR 211, Thiverval- Grignon, FRANCE; AgroParisTech, UMR 211, Thiverval-Grignon, FRANCE; 3INRA-AgroParisTech, UMR 1091 EGC, Thiverval- Grignon, FRANCE; 4AgroParisTech UMR 211, Thiverval-Grignon, FRANCE; INRA, FRANCE Introduction Soil Organic Matter (SOM) dynamics and emissions of reactive N (N r ) from soils (N 2 O, NO, NH 3 and NO 3 ) are major sources of uncertainties in agricultural Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) [1], the latter resulting in air and water quality impacts. Here, we estimated emissions of N r to atmosphere and water bodies running CERES-EGC model over 30 years with the management planned for two cropping systems of the ICC trial (Innovative Cropping systems with Constraints), established near Paris in 2008. The objective was to analyze the contribution of N fertiliser inputs to the environmental impacts of these systems. Materials and methods CERES-EGC includes crop growth, soil water dynamics and SOM decomposition modules. It runs on daily basis with farm management, climatic and soil data and its prediction of N 2 O emissions was successfully tested against European datasets [2]. CERES-EGC was run from 1981 to 2011 with farming practices proposed for each cropping system prior trial establishment (Table 1). LCA system boundaries encompass N fertiliser application impacts, including external inputs (e.g. diesel, lubricating oil, fertiliser, machinery) production and transport. Data were elaborated according to ISO standards [3], using SIMAPRO software[4] with other sources [5]. Hectares were used as functional units, because N r are area-based [6]. The impact categories considered were energy consumption, GWP (Global Warming Potential with a 100 year horizon), Eutrophication potential (EP), Acidifi cation potential (AP). Results and Discussion Results in table 2 showed that N r contributed a signifi cant part (> 24%) on GWP, AP and EP, indicating the importance of data estimation for these impacts (in particular N 2 O, NO, NH 3 )[1]; whereas N fertiliser industrial production and distribution highly 241 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-3 affected energy consumption (>91%). The use of CERES-EGC allowed to consider soil and climate interaction with farming practices [2]. The 50%GHG system succeeded in reducing GWP by 14.7% compared to PHEP system, nevertheless was much more effective in decreasing EP (by 51.2%), while for other impact categories the difference was lower. Total energy values were within range with prior research [6]. Conclusion Contribution analysis revealed that N r emissions caused much of the impacts due to N fertiliser applications. A better estimation of these emissions will increase reliability of agricultural LCAs. Our analysis should be complemented by the use of actual management data recorded in the cropping systems’ fi eld trial to provide more realistic estimates of N r emissions and the environmental performance of cropping systems. References [1] Guiné JB, Heijungs R, Voet E. A greenhouse gas indicator for bioenergy: some theoretical issues with practical implications. Int J Life Cycle Assess 2009;14(4):328–39. [2] Lehuger S, Gabrielle B, van Oijen M, Makowski D, Germon J-C, Morvan T, et al. Bayesian calibration of the nitrous oxide emission module of an agro-ecosystem model. Agric Ecosys Environ 2009;133(3-4):208–22. [3] ISO. SS- EN ISO 14040 Environmental management- Life Cycle Assessment, Principles and Framework. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization, 2006. International Organization for Standardization,p. 43. [4] SimaPro 7.2. PRé Consultants: Life Cycle consultancy and software solutions. 2010.Available at: http://www. pre.nl/default.htm, 2010 [last accessed on 11.6.2010]. [5] Brentrup F, Kusters J, Lammel J, Barraclough P, Kuhlmann H. Environmental impact assessment of agricultural production systems using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology II. The application to N fertilizer use in winter wheat production systems. Eur J Agr 2004;20:265–79. [6] Nemecek T, Dubois D, Huguenin-Elie O, Gaillard G. Life cycle assessment of Swiss farming systems: I. Integrated and organic farming. Agr Syst 2011;104(3):217–32. 242 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-4 Model based assessment of agri-environmental measure eff ects concerning the reduction of nitrogen pollution regarding the Water Framework Directive Kersebaum, Kurt Christian; Barkusky, Dietmar; Deumlich, Detlef; Reutter, Michaela; Steidl, Jörg; Zander, Peter Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, GERMANY I ntroduction The European Water Framework Directive requires measures to improve the quality of surface and ground water resources. A major part of nutrient input origins from diff use sources mainly from agricultural land use. The presented study aims to quantify the eff ects of diff erent agri-environmental measures established in the federal state of Brandenburg/Germany regarding their reduction of nitrogen leaching. The agro-ecosystem model HERMES was used to simulate nitrogen leaching for crop rotation with and without measures. Material and Methods The model HERMES is a agro-ecosystem models which considers the processes of soil water dynamics, soil nitrogen dynamics and crop N-uptake. Nitrogen leaching was simulated for 5 soil groups with defi ned representative soil profi les from an aggregated soil map of Brandenburg. Each profi le was considered with the mean, minimum and maximum organic matter content. 4 diff erent groundwater levels (100, 150, 300 and 550 cm) and 5 climatic zones represented by 5 weather stations (annual precipitation 476-588 mm) were distinguished. Daily weather data (1990-2010) were used for simulation. The InVeKoS data from 2008-2010 for agricultural land were used to identify the most frequent 2-crop combinations in crop rotations. The 2-crop rotation was embedded in standardized previous and following crops analysing the central 2 year period. The following agri-environmental measures were implemented: a) reduction of N balance by 20-30 kg N ha-1, b) introduction of catch crops for winter greening, c) conversion to permanent pasture d) extensivation of grassland, e) conversion to organic farming. As the concept for the whole crop rotation is diff erent for organic farming, 5-year crop rotations were defi ned for each soil group for organic farming and grassland and their conventional references for farms with and without animals. Management of the reference crop rotations was defi ned according to the offi cial rules for fertilization which considers an average crop specifi c target yield for each soil group and the corresponding N demand which is further modifi ed by the type of previous crop and an mineral N equivalent of farmyard manure. Results In general N leaching increased with decreasing water holding capacity leading to an average annual N leaching of 36-40 kg N ha -1 for the mostly sandy soils and 4-11 kg N ha-1 for the loam and clay soils. Leaching losses were generally lower in the region with the lowest annual precipitation. However, the nitrate concentrations showed an opposite trend due to the dilution of nitrate concentrations with increasing seepage. Leaching losses and nitrate concentrations increased within soils with increasing humus content especially on sandy soils. The eff ect of groundwater level is diff erent between soil groups. While more loamy soils show slightly lower N leaching due to higher capillary rise during summer the sandy soils showed higher N losses as downward fl ux is dominating the small capillary rise rates. For the reference rotations the highest N leaching was found for silage maize – silage maize or silage maize – winter cereal combinations with uncovered soil during winter and relative high application of manure. Regarding the eff ects of agri-environmental measures the reduction of nitrogen leaching by N balance reduction was relatively small if the reference follows strictly the offi cial recommendations. However, the eff ect was higher if an over-fertilization of 30 kg ha-1 was assumed. The reduction eff ect of introducing a catch crop was higher showing a better eff ect of winter hard catch crops compared to frost sensitive catch crops. The crop rotations of organic farming showed a distinctly lower N leaching compared to their conventional references. This was mainly due to the intensive cropping with nearly no fallow tile during winter and due to the N limitation of the system. The highest reduction was found if arable land was converted to permanent grassland. 243 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-4 244 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 0 2 4 6 to n C O 2-e q /p er so n /y r Fig. 1. GHG emissions with different plant- and animal-based diets in Poland Animal products Plant products 443-5 The Importance of Changes in Dietary Habits of Poland Inhabitants in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bienkowski, Jerzy, Franciszek; Jankowiak, Janusz; Dabrowicz, Radoslaw; Holka, Malgorzata Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment, PAS, POLAND Introduction Existing ways of meeting nutritional needs through increased acreage of arable land, the size of herds and increasing intensity of agricultural production do not serve sustainability between the sphere of production and the sphere of consumption (Garnett, 2011). It is therefore important to develop nutritional strategies that will stimulate the sustainable pattern of agricultural production. The main option to limit the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), in addition to technological progress, should be a public education on the environmental benefi ts of changes in the profi le of meat types and reduced quantities of red meat in the daily diet (Popp et al., 2010). The principal objective was to assess quantitatively the overall GHG emissions under assumption of changes in eating habits. In order to achieve this it was necessary to investigate the structure of food consumption and the calorifi c value of food rations for Poland inhabitants and to develop on this basis the diff erent scenario diets with reduced potential for greenhouse gas emissions. Material and Methods In order to estimate the impact of consumption structure in Poland on the GHG emissions an analysis of the composition of the average daily food intake based on the FAO food balance sheet for 2007 was performed. Energy value of the major components of Polish mean diet was estimated. Based on the mean nutritional profi le six diet scenarios were developed, taking as a major factor of diet diversifi cation the energy content derived from diff erent meat products. The following nutrition scenarios were distinguished: vegan, vegetarian lacto-ovo, meat eater, poultry, and diet of lower calorifi c value. Results and Discussion The shares of energy from animal- and plant-based products in the mean diet were equal to 27.2% and 72.8%. Red meat and dairy products in this diet supplied 11.8% and 10.3% of total energy consumption, respectively. The energy value of the average daily food intake was 3421 kcal per person. Making changes in the nutritional composition of food items in diff erent types of diets, revealed diff erences in the levels of GHG emissions compared to the typical diet. Substantial variability in GHG emission was also observed for diff erent hypothetical diets. According to this calculation the average diet entailed the per capita emission of 2.43 t CO 2 eq. per year (Fig. 1). The lowest GHG emission was linked to the vegan diet, with the emission being 5.5 times lower than for typical diet. Among the nonvegan diets, adopting the poultry 245 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 443-5 and demitarian diet was most benefi cial for reducing the GHG emission from food consumption. For the poultry diet GHG annual emission was lower by 1.44 t CO 2 eq. per person. While the demitarian diet, that is recently gaining popularity in European countries because of its environmental and health rationale, resulted in reduction of GHG emissions by 0.89 t CO 2 eq., that is, by almost 36.6% lower compared with the mean diet of the Poland population. Conclusions The results clearly indicate to the signifi cant environmental consequences made by daily diet choices. Relating the benefi ts of reduced emissions to the country scale as a result of adopting the demitarian principles of food composition, it would be possible to reduce food- related GHG emissions by nearly 34 million t CO 2 eq. per year in relation to the average diet. Modifi cations to the food preferences by shifting to low-emission diets in future would aff ect consumption of red meat, which in turn may lead to change in structure of animal production and reducing the intensity of animal farming. References Popp A., Lotze-Campen H., Bodirsky B. 2010. Food consumption, diet shift and associated non-CO 2 greenhouse gases from agricultural production. Global Environmental Change 20, 452—462. Garnett T. 2011. Where are the best opportunities for reducing greenhouse emissions in the food system (including the food chain)? Food Policy 36, 23—32. 246 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-1K Plant Phenotyping, a new fi eld and opportunity for crop scientists Tardieu, Francois INRA, FRANCE Plant phenotyping is essentially the same activity that crop and plant physiologists have performed for decades, namely to analyse the performances of genotypes in a set of environmental conditions, and to dissect them into simpler (‘mechanistic’) and more heritable variables. The main diff erences are - The throughput. Phenotyping is usually associated with the characterisation of large panels of plants aimed at quantitative genetics, thereby requiring the measurement of thousands of plants, - The techniques have progressed rapidly in the domains of (i) environmental sensors with increasingly autonomous and non-invasive methods, (ii) functional imaging that allow one to measure local fl uxes (e.g. water or heat) or concentrations (e.g. N) of living organs or plants by using diff erent spectra, (iii) plant architecture that can be inferred from images in both controlled or fi eld conditions. - The imposition of known environmental conditions to thousands of plants by using robots driven by sensors placed on the plant or on its immediate vicinity. This is essential when genetic diff erences generate diff erences in plant environment (e.g. plants with high vs low transpiration deplete soil water at diff erent rates). Platforms have emerged both in fi eld and controlled conditions. Most of them aim at measuring traits associated with plant performances. They face the dilemma of (i) addressing relevant biological questions, often requiring very specifi c measurements, and (ii) being fl exible enough to tackle the analysis of diff erent species and biological questions, thereby justifying the high investment. Hence, the scientifi c community probably requires the access to several types of platforms with diff erent principles and measurements, but with a common throughput of thousands of plants, including high throughput omic platforms. For that, platforms and groups interested in phenotyping are getting progressively organised at the national level (e.g. the Phenome and DPPN projects in France and Germany), European level (UE FP7 EPPN) and international level (IPPN network). These measurements generate very large datasets that require to be checked and organised so they can be shared by a large community of scientists, and analysed for genetic analyses of diff erent traits. A new “bioinformatics” is emerging, with needs of arti fi cial intelligence, information systems and ontologies. New perspectives are open by these facilities, in particular the possibility to dissect plant performance of hundreds of genotypes into components. Variables such as sensitivity of growth to a given environmental condition, radiation use effi ciency and its response to environmental conditions or changes in intercepted light due to genetic diff erences in plant architecture can now be analysed on large sets of plants. Their genetic and environmental determinisms can be analysed jointly. This in turn allows genetic analyses of each of these traits, and to compare the genomic regions that aff ect them. It can also results in yield prediction of a large range of genotypes in diff erent climatic scenarios, in particular those associated with climate changes. The same confusions of eff ects exist in these large datasets as in any other dataset, e.g. the confounding eff ect of fl owering time or plant size that can aff ect many other measured variables. Hence, analysing these large datasets require the modelling tools that plant scientists have developed. Models serve fi rst to disentangle the complexity of phenotypes and identify hidden variables such as sensitivities or ratios that are in many circumstances more heritable than raw data. Overall, plant scientists are needed to analyse these datasets. This is the right time: phenotyping has fi rst been seen as the development of new techniques. It is increasingly felt that methods for data analysis and interpretation, with a sound biological background, will become the limiting step. 247 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-1K 248 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-2 Barley genomics with maize Ac/Ds transposons Singh, Jaswinder; Singh, Surinder; Tan, Han Qi; Singh, Manjit; Kaur, Ravneet McGill University, CANADA Material and Methods Conventional hybridization: Crossing TNP-29 and TNP- 79 lines separately with 25-B. Seeds of crosses TNP-29 and TNP-79 were allowed to self pollinate in order to obtain F2 generation seeds. For the in vitro approach, Agrobacterium transformation was carried out using immature embryos as explants. F2 generation from conventional approach and regenerated plantlets from tissue culture approach were used for DNA extraction and subsequently for genotyping the presence of Ds at new position in the genome. Sequence fl anking to the Ds insertion were amplifi ed using inverse-PCR and TAIL- PCR (Singh et al., 2012) and analyzed using bioinformatic tools. Results In this study, Ds was reactivated from parent transposition (TNP) lines, TNP- 29 and TNP-79, in which the Ds was previously mapped in the vicinity of important malting QTLs. Reactivation of Ds was carried out both by conventional breeding and a novel in vitro approach. A total of 593 plants were screened from conventional approach and 110 embryos were successfully regenerated into shoots from tissue culture approach. Ds transpositions were observed to be 10.5% and 9.8%, in TNP-29 and TNP-79 populations respectively in case of conventional breeding and 34.7% and 39.06% using tissue culture approach (Table 1). Unique fl anking sequences were identifi ed, as Ds insertions in genes potentially associated with malting quality such as -GAL1, -amylase-like (Singh et al., 2012). Introduction Barley is a key ingredient in malting and brewing industry; therefore, gene discovery in relation to malting quality has an industrial perspective. A series of eff orts have been undertaken to genetically dissect this trait and to localize individual quantitative trait loci (QTL) on the genetic map of barley. Two major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) a ff ecting malting quality traits have been located on chromosome 4H (Cooper et al., 2004; Randhawa et al., 2009). One major QTL complex, QTL2 mapped on the short arm of chromosome 4H, aff ects several malting quality parameters. Given that chromosome 4H contains interesting malting quality QTLs, identi fi cation of the candidate genes harbored in these QTLs may lead to a better understanding of the genetic basis of malting traits including the development of functional markers for breeding. An alternative approach is targeted insertional mutagenesis using transposons, which is particularly valuable when no sequence data is available for the gene of interest. The maize Activator/Dissociation (Ac/ Ds) system has been extensively used in heterologous species for insertional mutagenesis. In barley, the Ac/Ds transposon-based approach off ers great potential due to a large genome size and limited success of genetic transformation. The bias of the Ac/Ds system towards genic regions and its tendency for localized transpositions can greatly enhance gene discovery in large genome cereals (Upadhaya et al., 2002; Singh et al., 2006). In the current study, we have targeted important QTLs with Ac/Ds transposons for identifi cation of candidate genes eff ecting malting quality. Table 1: Frequency of Ds transpositions in barley. Conventional approach TNP-29X TNP-79X Tissue Culture TNP-29 TNP-79 Total number of plants screened 370 223 46 64 Total New Ds Transposition 39 22 16 25 Stable New Ds Transposition 17 13 11 22 Unstable New Ds (with Transposase) 22 09 05 03 Reactivation Frequency 10.54% 9.80% 34.7% 39.06% Hieroglyphs? 249 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-2 Conclusion Maize Ac/Ds system is highly effi cient in barley. Using this approach we are able to tag important genes including the -amylase like gene and -GAL1, which play important roles in malting and seed germination. This eff ort of saturation mutagenesis with Ds transposons will lead to a better understanding of malting quality traits and candidate genes that display quantitative variation. References 1. Cooper L et al., (2004) Mol Genet Genomics 272:181– 193 2. Randhawa HS, Singh J, Lemaux PG, Gill KS (2009) Genome 52:566–575 3. Singh, S., Tan, H-Q., Singh, J. (2012) Funct & Integrat Genom: Volume 12:131–141. 4. Singh J, Zhang S, Chen C, Cooper L, Bregitzer P, Sturbaum A, Hayes P, Lemaux P (2006) Plant Mol Biol 62:937–950 5. Upadhyaya, N et al., (2002). Funct Plant Biol 9:547– 559. 250 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-4 Eff ect of wheat dwarfi ng alleles on grain yield and quality Uppal, Rajneet; Gooding, Mike; Casebow, Richard University of Reading, UNITED KINGDOM Plant height (cm) 0 1 2 3 8 10 12 0 12 3 1+2 2+3 0 1 3 1+2 2+3 1 3 5 7 GY (t /h a) 20 30 40 50 60 TG W (g ) 150 200 250 300 350 400 HF N (s ) 50 60 70 80 SW (K g/ hl ) 11 13 15 17 CP (% ) 0.13 0.15 0.17 0.19 % S 40 45 50 55 60 20 40 60 80 100 120 SD S (m l) 14.5 15 15.5 16 20 40 60 80 100 120 N :S Introduction The Norin-10, gibberellin insensitive (GA-I) reduced height (Rht) alleles, Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b are present in over 90% of the world’s semi-dwarf wheat production. Despite widespread use, GA insensitivity can reduce fertility under heat stress (Law & Worland, 1985). Worland (1986) suggested that reduced selection of lines containing the Norin 10 alleles in S. Europe was due to increased likelihood of heat stress during meiosis. Climate change scenarios predict that such events could compromise wheat production further north. Sip et al. (2011) note a decline in the use of the Norin-10 alleles in C. Europe. There has been interest in investigating alternative Rht alleles that do not rely on GA-I, but a comparative lack of information on the implications for grain quality. We describe eff ects of near-isogenic lines (NILs) with GA-I and GA-S Rht alleles on grain yield and quality. Methods Field experiments from 2005/06 to 2010/11 were managed under diff erent tillage and production systems. All 11 expts included 7 near isogenic lines (NILs) in a cv. Mercia background (GA-I: Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht-B1c, Rht-D1c; GA-S: rht(tall), Rht8c, Rht12); 7 expts also included NILs in cv. Maris Huntsman (rht (tall), Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht-B1c, Rht-B1b+Rht-D1b, Rht-D1b+Rht- B1c) and M. Widgeon (Rht-B1b, Rht-B1b+Rht-D1b, Rht- D1b+Rht-B1c). M. Widgeon rht (tall), Rht-D1b and Rht- B1c were included in 9 of the expts. Site, experimental design and husbandry are available (Addisu, 2009; Uppal, 2012). Data were subjected to REML analysis with fi xed model of background x allele, and random model of Year/ System/Tillage/Block. Fig. 1: Grain yield and quality against height (cm) of winter wheat in three varietal backgrounds (Mercia =triangles; Maris Huntsman = squares; M. Widgeon = circles). 0 = rht (tall); 1 = Rht-B1b; 2 = Rht-D1b; 3 = Rht-B1c; 8 = Rht8c+Ppd-D1a; 10 = Rht-D1b; 12 = Rht12). Error bars are min. and max. SEDs. 251 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-4 Results and Discussion NIL interactions with production system and tillage method were minor compared to interactions between background and allele. Much of the latter could be explained on the basis of crop height. As with Flintham et al. (1997) we fi nd that after removing the main eff ects of background there is a highly signifi cant quadratic relationship between plant height and grain yield with an optimum height around 0.7-0.85 m. Semi-dwarfi ng alleles Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b signifi cantly improved grain yield in taller backgrounds only. Grain yield was reduced by Rht-D1b and Rht8c+Ppd-D1a in Mercia despite having plant height near the optimum, possibly associated with Fusarium infection in the former and reduced resource capture in the latter (Uppal, 2012). Thousand grain weight and specifi c weights were reduced by shortening. The protein response to height was in contradiction to that for yield (Gooding et al. 2012a). We believe this is the fi rst report of the eff ect of these Rht alleles on sulphur concentration. Although S concentration followed a similar response to height to that of CP it was not as sensitive, such that N:S ratio were reduced at intermediate heights. As with N:S ratio, SDS- sedimentation volume also appeared to indicate possible improved breadmaking potential at heights optimal for yield. GA-insensitive alleles were generally bene fi cial for Hagberg falling number, contrasting with the eff ects of the GA-sensitive alleles (Gooding et al. 2012b). References Addisu M. 2009. PhD thesis, The University of Reading. Flintham JE, Borner AB, Worland AJ, Gale MD. 1997. J. Agric. Sci. 128, 11-25. Gooding MJ, Addisu M, Uppal RK et al. 2012a. J. agric. Sci. 150, 3-22. Gooding MJ, Uppal RK, Addisu M et al. 2012b. J. Cereal Sci. doi 10.1016/j.jcs.2012.01.003 Law CN, Worland AJ. 1985. PBI Annual Report 1984. Cambridge: Plant Breeding Institute. pp. 69-71. Sip V, Chrpova J, Zofajova A et al. 2011. J. agric. Sci. 149, 313-326 Uppal RK. 2012. PhD thesis, The University of Reading. Worland AJ. 1986. Euphytica 35, 857-866. 252 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-5 Micro propagation and genetic transformation in Brassica oleracea var. botrytis Al-swedi, Fadil; Al-Shamari, Magda; Rihan, Hail; Lane, Stuart; Fuller, Michael Paul Plymouth university, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system is the most widely applied method for plant genetic transformation (Poulsen, 1996). The presence of e ffi cient micropropagation and transformation protocols are the basic needs in genetic improvement of a crop via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. To realize a high frequency of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, many essential factors that aff ect the transformation effi ciency need to be optimized (Opabode, 2006). Pre- treatment of explants, inoculation conditions such as bacterial concentration (Zhao et al., 2002) and immersion time (Yujun Xing1, 2007), co-cultivation conditions such as period of cocultivation (Vasudevan and Choi, 2007) and temperature conditions (Salas et al., 2001) are some of the important factors that need to be optimized in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems. Methodology Agrobacterium tumefaciens carrying an APX construct driven by a constitutive CaMV 35S promoter were used. The A. tumefaciens strain was grown on LB solid medium and incubated at 28°C for 48 hours. A sample from a bacterial single colony was assessed by PCR to confi rm the presence of APX gene. An effi cient regeneration and transformation protocol was devised using micropropagation explants of caulifl ower curd (Rihan et al., 2011). Genomic DNA was extracted from plant leaf tissue according to CTAB method (Manfi oletti and Schneider, 1988). Results The total mean average of high concentration suspension CFU (colony forming unit /ml) was recorded for Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain (APX) growing on LB medium (Figure 1). The APX encoding sequences were detected after PCR amplifi cation from bacterial colonies. PCR was also used to verify the presence of the introduction of APX gene in transgenic plants. Results indicated positive identifi cation of the 478bp amplifi ed DNA indicator segment (Figure 2). Conclusion The work presented demonstrated competency in the laboratory procedures for Agrobacterium transformation of caulifl ower and successfully achieved transgenic lines carrying constitutively promoted APX gene. Figure1.Agrobacterium tumefaciens (APX strain) growth on LB and YEY media. 253 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 521-5 Figure 2.PCR analysis of the presence of APX gene in putative transgenic plant. DNA molecular ladder (lane 1), transformed plant carrying APX gene (lanes 2 & 3), nega- tive control (non-transformed caulifl ower leaves (lanes 4 & 5) and water (lanes 6 & 7). References Manfi oletti, G. & Schneider, C. 1988. A new and fast method for prearing high quality lambda DNA suitable for sequencing. Nucleic Acids Research, 16, 2873-2884. Opabode, J. T. 2006. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of plants: emerging factors that infl uence effi ciency. Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Review 1 12-20. Poulsen, G. B. 1996. Genetic transformation of Brassica. Plant Breeding, 115, 209-225. Rihan, H., Al-Issawi, M., Burchett, S. & Fuller, M. 2011. Encapsulation of caulifl ower Brassica oleracea var botrytis microshoots as artifi cial seeds and their conversion and growth in commercial substrates. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 107, 243-250. Salas, M. S., Park, S. P., Srivatanakul, M. S. & Smith, R. S. 2001. Temperature infl uence on stable T-DNA integration in plant cells. Plant Cell Reports, 20, 701-705. Vasudevan, N. S. A. G. & Choi, C. W. 2007. Agrobacterium- mediated Genetic Transformation in Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.), Science Publications. Yujun Xing, Qing Yang, Qin Ji, Yuming Luo, Yunfeng Zhang, Ke Gu and Dengzhan Wang 2007. Optimization of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation parameters for sweet potato embryogenic callus using a-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter. African Journal of Biotechnology 6, 2578-2584. Zhao, Z.-y., Gu, W., Cai, T., Tagliani, L., Hondred, D., Bond, D., Schroeder, S., Rudert, M. & Pierce, D. 2002. High throughput genetic transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens in maize. Molecular Breeding, 8, 323-333. 254 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-1 Designing research projects for impact on stakeholders: an analysis of the co-innovation approach in EULACIAS Rossing, Walter1; Dogliotti, Santiago2 1Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS; 2University of the Republic, URUGUAY Volatility of food prices, concerns over attenuating yield increases in major food crops and increasing demand from a growing global population that is changing its dietary demands have re-fuelled interest in agronomy as a science for impact. To meet demands for increased production levels and meeting environmental requirements, innovations are needed which allow production systems to become less dependent on external, non-renewable inputs. Changes are also needed outside the farm gate as farming systems in many economies are deeply embedded in larger agricultural and societal systems. Involvement in such re-design eff orts requires agronomists to refl ect on how to achieve impact through their research projects. Projects constitute the major means of structuring research as most of the agricultural research budget is spent through projects. A project can be seen as a number of coherent activities brought together for a limited period of time to achieve a set of goals. Project management is part of undergraduate and graduate teaching, and there is an industry of consultancy companies that off er advanced training for project managers. The project concept has its origins outside agriculture, and there are gradual if not fundamental diff erences in the nature of problems within and outside agriculture. In contrast to other sectors (government, industry, services) organizational structures in agriculture are less clearly focused on a set of shared goals, interaction protocols are often negotiated and re-negotiated, and decision hierarchies are distributed. There is no generally accepted central management which can act as commissioner of research, there is no unambiguous list of departments to be involved in a project, and there is often as little agreement on objectives as there is on solutions and the knowledge underpinning them. These characteristics constitute considerable challenges for agronomy and call for refl ection and learning on project design. In this paper we use the experiences in the EULACIAS (FP6) project which aimed to re-design smallholder farming systems in case studies in Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay using a shared and documented process approach denoted as co-innovation. Co-innovation included three domains: a systems approach, social learning, and adaptive monitoring and evaluation. Refl ection on project functioning took place at half- yearly and monthly time scales to guide and re-direct daily activities, and provide training on selected topics. Participants included members of the local teams, the local and international project team, and - during part of the meetings - farmers and local politicians. Meetings were guided by trained facilitators. ‘Monitors’ documented meeting outputs, partly captured in ‘tools’ such as problem trees, project theory and timelines. Participatory Impact Pathway Analysis (Douthwaite et al., 2007) provided a formal basis of activities. Drawing on the monitoring database we analyze the experiences using the conceptual framework of boundary work by Clark et al. (2011) and evaluate eff ectiveness in terms of credibility, saliency and legitimacy. A major change brought about by the co-innovation approach was in the area of legitimacy, where non- scientists felt taken seriously by researchers in the project, and where social scientists provided input equal to natural scientists. This was informed by the systems approach, which helped to see components of the social as well as of the production system and their interrelations. We will discuss the role of the three domains of co- innovation in relation to boundary work eff ectiveness. References Clark WC, et al. (2011) Boundary work for sustainable development: Natural resource management at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA doi: 10.1073/ pnas.0900231108. Douthwaite et al. (2007) Impact pathway evaluation of an integrated Striga hermonthica control project in Northern Nigeria. Agric Syst 92:201-222. 255 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-1 256 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-2 Using Local Knowledge to assess Ecological Services in Complex Agricultural System at the Landscape Level Birman, Delphine1; Clouvel, Pascal1; Lopez-Ridaura, Santiago2; Baudry, Jacques2; Hubert, Bernard2; Martin, Pierre1; Tittonell, Pablo1 1CIRAD, FRANCE; 2INRA, FRANCE Introduction Landscape is commonly considered as a “space” produced by heterogeneous socio-ecological processes with specifi c spatio-temporal properties. In western Kenya, as in many other country of Africa, land use and natural resources management involve individual and collective actions supported by local knowledge about ecological processes. Luo agricultural landscapes exhibit a high level of biodiversity due to complex social processes (≈1000 hab/km²). We conducted our research in Kajulu, a specifi c geographical region of 20 km² on the northern side of the Lake Victoria basin. The territory is characterized by a diversity of land use and neighboring ecosystem (cultivated area, natural forest, urban area, hill-crest). Such situation provides an ideal laboratory for observation to capture local knowledge about ecological processes. We propose a methodological approach to describe and analyze landscape heterogeneity mobilizing local knowledge about ecological processes, and land resource management at farm level. Methodology Because of landscape complexity, landscape units were identifi ed by landscape metric analysis using a supervised land use and land cover classifi cation (Fragstat 3.2 software), and delimited according to 257 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-2 peoples’ perception of their environment. Classi fi cation was established during collective meetings where community members and elders identifi ed the landscape ecological functions they perceived. Individual surveys were conducted at farm level in each unit using “snowball strategy”, based on the social network (neighbors, relative, owners of knowledge …) and how people interact with landscape elements (hedge, tree, cultivated fi eld, brook, etc…). In total, 80 households were visited, involving 124 peoples. Results and discussion At the farm level, socio-technical surveys show that Luo people experiment two diff erent models of farming system: a traditional one corresponding to a ‘multi- plot landholding model’, already described by Shipton (2009), where farming is organized in space and time according to their local needs and the ecological dynamics. In this model part of farmers’ strategy is to diversify the fi elds they farm to make sure they plant diverse crops with diff erent requirements in terms of soil type, slopes, shading and drainage to guarantee harvest where drought and fl oods are twin risks, and to avoid food shortage that may happen throughout the year. Because of rapid population growth and scarcity of land, that model is slowly replaced by a second one, corresponding to a ‘single plot landholding model’ mostly concentrated around the homestead. Our results show that part of people who manage a ‘single plot landholding model’ tend to overpass farm boundaries exploring neighboring ecosystems for natural resources (medicinal plants, fruits, fodder, etc…) and economical incomes such as labor in the sugarcane belt and markets in urban areas (Figure 1). At the landscape level we manage to characterize the ecological properties perceived for each landscape units by people through (i) knowledge system, (ii) local agricultural practices and (iii) local observations about pest regulation and soil fertility control. We show that systems of knowledge mobilized for regulation services are composed by both empirical and scientifi c knowledge inherited from agricultural institutions (NGOs, Ministry of Agriculture…). From traditional practices (ash treatment, plant mixture for pest control, intercropping, crop rotation,…) to institutional advices (dilution eff ect, chemicals, commercial varieties, …), interaction of both systems of knowledge contribute to produce specialized socio-ecological spaces where agricultural practices depend on local biophysical properties, farmers’ observations and local knowledge acquired in time. 258 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-3 The COMPASS framework – Navigating agricultural landscapes for science-based innovation Groot, Jeroen1; Rossing, Walter1; Dogliotti, Santiago2; Tittonell, Pablo1 1Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS; 2Facultad de Agronomía, URUGUAY To meet current and future global demands agroecosystems need to combine robustness with adaptability and resilience to changes in biophysical and socio-economic conditions. Agriculture based on ecological resources and processes represents a promising perspective to this end. Science-based analytical frameworks can support the analysis, re-design and adaptive management of such social-ecological systems (Groot & Rossing 2011). Approaches should be able to address the complexity arising from interactions among multiple spatial and temporal scales, multiple actors and levels of organization, and multiple objectives in agricultural landscapes. The COMPASS (Co-innovation and Modeling Platform for Agro-eco System Simulation) framework that integrates modeling tools at fi eld, farm and landscape scales (Fig 1) has been developed to support experiential learning and decision-making in participatory settings. The framework is particularly suitable to support innovation systems approaches in which a diversity of actors interact and learn together. The fi eld-scale modules of COMPASS quantify eff ects of management of soil, crops, grasslands and semi-natural landscape elements, and comprise complete technology packages including crop choices and rotations and their management. Resulting indicators include e.g. crop yields, soil carbon and nutrient dynamics, water balances and soil erosion (Fig 2a; Dogliotti et al 2004). Model outcomes at fi eld scale can be aggregated to farm-scale modules, which may be spatially implicit or explicit, static or dynamic, and can use diff erent optimization methods (Fig 2b; Groot et al 2012). Typical farm level indicators such as nutrient balances, productivity, and economic and environmental performance are quantifi ed and their dynamics simulated (Fig 2c; Groot et al 2012). Indicators at landscape level may be derived from aggregation from Fig. 1. Overview of the COMPASS framework. The yellow boxes are example indicators. In blue names of individual models. 259 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-3 Fig. 2. Typical outcomes of COMPASS modules operating at the levels of fi eld (a. erosion for 7,500 generated rota- tions), farm (b. result of multi-objective optimization of a mixed farm; c. farm nitrogen cycle) and landscape (d. rela- tion between hedgerow length and spatial cohesion). fi eld and farm scales indicators, or represent emerging properties that are only relevant at landscape level, such as the spatial coherence of landscape elements, or indicators of landscape quality (Fig 2d; Groot et al 2010). At the farm level farmers and their advisors are the main stakeholders, whereas at the landscape level a large range of stakeholders can be identifi ed, such as cooperatives and governmental and non-governmental organizations. The diversity of farm types and styles is captured through functional typologies, while biophysical dynamics at higher scales can be explicitly coupled in COMPASS to socio-institutional dynamics represented in agent-based models. The comprehensive COMPASS framework is an integrated, yet fl exible methodology, which has shown strong potential to support learning and collective decision-making processes concerning sustainable agroecosystem management. References Dogliotti S, Rossing WAH, van Ittersum, MK, 2004. Systematic design and evaluation of crop rotations enhancing soil conservation, soil fertility and farm income: a case study for vegetable farms in South Uruguay. Agric Syst 80 277-302. Groot JCJ, Jellema A, Rossing WAH, 2010. Designing a hedgerow network in a multifunctional agricultural landscape: balancing trade-off s among ecological quality, landscape character and implementation costs. Eur J Agron 32 112-119. Groot JCJ, Oomen GJM, Rossing WAH, 2012. Multi- objective optimization and design of farming systems. Agric Syst. DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2012.03.012. Groot JCJ, Rossing WAH, 2011. Model-aided learning for adaptive management of natural resources – An evolutionary design perspective. Meth Ecol Evol 2 643–650. 260 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-4 Assessing farmers’ objectives: implications for adaptation Mandryk, Maryia; Groot, Jeroen C.J.; Kanellopoulos, Argyris; Reidsma, Pytrik; van Ittersum, Martin K. Wageningen university, NETHERLANDS Introduction Considerable changes in climatic trends and in the frequency and severity of weather anomalies are expected during the coming decades. Farmers will have to make many changes to their farming systems to adapt to these climate changes. Considering the wide diversity in the structural characteristics, objectives and economic and environmental performances of European farming systems, a large heterogeneity in preferred adaptation measures is expected. Here we investigate the diff erences in these preferences between current farmers, which diff er in their production orientation, focusing on either primary production, nature conservation or multifunctional activities (Mandryk et al. 2012). The aim of our study is to demonstrate how diff erent objectives infl uence farmers’ current decision-making, that in turn may aff ect the choices for adaptation measures to climate change for the diff erent farm types in the future. We try to establish to what extent adjustments in farm plans are aligned with the stated objectives of farmers. Methodology To deal with multiple confl icting objectives, we based our methodological approach on Multi-criteria Decision Modeling approach (MCDM) as defi ned by Romero and Rehman (2003). We included the following steps in our study: a) identifi cation of farmers’ objectives from literature review and interviews with farmers and experts; b) ranking of objectives by interviewing farmers and deriving weights for the objectives (wi); c) generation of alternative farm plans (Groot et al. in press) and calculation of trade-off s between objectives (Figure 1); d) selection of the most preferred alternative farm plans by farmers and deriving weights for diff erent objectives from trade-off s (wt); e) comparison between ranking of objective weights wi and wt. In the fi nal step, we linked the derived objectives to farm structure and resources using a farm typology from Mandryk et al. (2012). We investigated how farmers’ objectives, farm structure and available resources infl uence the choice for most preferred alternative farm plans, or the choice for adaptation. The case study area for the research is the province of Flevoland in the North of the Netherlands. We decided to model typical arable farms that represent a group of farms rather than formulate prototypes based on averaging farm characteristics. Modeling typical farms provided opportunities to obtain case study specifi c input for the model, to receive feedback on the modeling results form farmers, and to perform model validation Figure 1. Performance of alternative farm plans generated by the model from Groot et al. (in press) presented in terms of gross margin of crops and nitrogen balance (two out of fi ve objectives used in the study) 261 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-4 through multiple iterations with farmers. We thoroughly surveyed 9 typical arable farms from diff erent farm types. Results and discussion Our study results demonstrate that farmers’ intentions are not always refl ected in their practical decision- making. Next to farmers’ objectives, other factors, such as farm structure and available resources, infl uence the adaptation preferences in the current situation. This will be taken into account for the follow-up study. The diff erent weights for objectives will be included in scenarios to assess adaptation strategies for diff erent farm types towards future changes, such as climate change. References Groot JCJ, Oomen GJM, Rossing WAH. Multi-objective optimization and design of farming systems. Agricultural Systems. In press DOI 10.1016/j.agsy.2012.03.012 Mandryk M, Reidsma P, van Ittersum M (2012). Scenarios of long-term farm structural change for application in climate change impact assessment. Landscape Ecology 27(4):509-527. DOI 10.1007/s10980-012-9714-7 Romero C and Rehman T (2003). Multiple criteria analysis for agricultural decisions. Elsevier: Amsterdam, Original publication in 1989 262 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-5 Factors aff ecting soil organic matter conservation in Mediterranean hilly cropping systems: a case study on 43 cropping systems in Tuscany (Italy) Debolini, Marta1; Marraccini, Elisa2; Di Bene, Claudia1; Bonari, Enrico1 1Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, ITALY; 2INRA, FRANCE Introduction Soil organic matter (SOM) conservation is a relevant issue in Mediterranean hillside landscapes due to their vulnerability. Such vulnerability is accentuated by the recent dynamics, e.g. the transition from the traditional polycultural cropping systems to simplifi ed rotations mainly based on rainfed autumn-winter cereals. Therefore from the 90’s a high number of studies have been developed to assess the sustainability of cropping systems to maintain a proper level of soil fertility. The SOM balance is one of the main indicators of environmental sustainability and functionality of cropping systems. In this study we aim to analyze diff erent Mediterranean hillside cropping systems in terms of their capability of SOM conservation. The study is particularly relevant in light of the post-2013 CAP because it fosters the understanding of the main determinants of SOM, which are supposed to be improved by the CAP. Materials and methods The study area is the hilly inland of the Grosseto Province (Italy), characterized by soil ranging from silt-loam to clay and skeleton, as well as by a Mediterranean climate (annual rainfall 800 mm, average temperature 14°C). We identifi ed two sub-areas corresponding to two cooperatives (Colline Amiatine and Pomonte) diff ering for : (i) the services provided to farmers; (ii) the collected products; and (iii) the farming systems. Moreover, polycultural and mixed farming are predominant, but one cooperative is oriented toward cattle-cereal while the other leans toward sheep-grazing. We applied the Hénin and Dupuis SOM equation (1945) with the adjustments by Mary and Guérif (1994) and Bechini and Castoldi (2009), as this is one of the most used to evaluate the eff ect of agricultural practices on the evolution of the SOM pool also in Mediterranean environment (Bertora et al., 2009; Di Bene et al., 2011). The Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to test some factors related to the farm location and organization to discriminate the SOM balance among cropping systems. These factors were also combined in order to evaluate the interactions. Results and discussion We found a general negative SOM balance for the analyzed cropping systems (-877 kg ha-1 yr-1 ± 221). The main results of the single factor analysis are showed in Table 1. Signifi cant factors infl uencing SOM balance were: a) the belonging to diff erent cooperatives, with a positive balance in the case of the Colline amiatine cooperative; b) the farming system (sheep or cattle farming), which was less negative in the fi rst case ; and c) the rotation length, which was less negative in the case of rotations >3 years. Surprisingly, the share of winter wheat did not seem to 263 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-5 infl uence the SOM balance. The diff erences between the two cooperatives could be due to local farming practices, such as tillage depth and the absence of bare soil protection practices by mulches, since no diff erences have been retrieved on environmental conditions (soil, climate, topography). Considering the multiple factors analysis (Table 2), we found a signifi cant positive SOM balance in the interaction between the rotation length >3 years and the livestock density. The length of the rotation positively infl uenced the SOM balance also when the amount of winter cereal was above 50%. The presence of livestock infl uenced SOM balance only in the case of longer rotations. This could be explained by the fact that short rotation management not allows the real benefi cial eff ect of the manure in the soil. In this paper we showed: (i) the unexpected role of livestock which does not appear to favor SOM conservation, although its eff ect varies signifi cantly depending to the livestock system; (ii) the role of winter wheat which, although presenting a high share, does not seem to signifi cantly contribute to SOM loss. These eff ects seem to diff er from what we could expect from the literature and from the currently agro-environmental measures for the studied area. Further research could support the local application of the 2013 agro- environmental policies. 264 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-6 The agri-environmental implications of food choices Murphy-Bokern, Donal1; Williams, Adrian2; De Marco, Alexandra3; Leip, Adrian4; Rood, Trudy5; Wagner, Susanne5; Westhoek, Henk5 1Murphy-Bokern Konzepte, GERMANY; 2Cranϔield University, UNITED KINGDOM; 3Italian national agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development, ITALY; 4Joint Research Centre, ITALY; 5PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, NETHERLANDS emission from the current 6.5 million tonnes to 3.8. and would reduce the need for arable land. The requirement for imported soybeans (as meal) is reduced by 75%. Depending on the consumption change scenarios, 9 to 14.5 million hectares is made available for other use such for bioenergy or cereals for export. Conclusion The evidence that consumption change in the food system can signifi cantly support reductions in consumption- related greenhouse gas emissions is compelling. A shift towards a low carbon food system (which is aligned to healthy eating guidelines) is likely to reduce the need for all types of agricultural land. The alternative use of this land has a crucial eff ect on the environmental outcome. Using grassland ‘released’ by consumption change for biofuels from annual crops is likely to increase overall emissions in the fi rst decades after conversion due to losses of soil carbon. In contrast, conversion (or reversion) to forest is likely to increase soil carbon stocks. References Audsley, E., Brander, M., Chatterton, J., Murphy-Bokern, D., Webster, C., and Williams, A. (2009). An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050. How low can we go?. WWF-UK and the FCRN. Audsley, E., Chatterton, J., Graves, A., Morris, J., Murphy- Bokern, D., Pearn, K., Sandars, D. and Williams, A. (2010). Food, land and greenhouse gases. The eff ect of changes in UK food consumption on land requirements and greenhouse gas emissions. The Committee on Climate Change. Westhoek, H., De Marco, A., Leip, A., Murphy-Bokern, D., Rood, T., Millward, J., Wagner, S. (2012). European Nitrogen Assessment. Special report on nitrogen and food. In review in public: http://www.clrtap-tfrn.org/ Introduction This contribution provides a review of research examining the life-cycle emissions from food and studies of the relationship between consumption in the food system, greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen emissions, and land needs. Debate about the link between food consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and other global environmental problems is now mainstream in the policy community in Europe. This is an overview of how this debate has developed, highlighting the agricultural and environmental science underpinning it. Methods The presentation is based on fi ve studies: Life-cycle assessments of agricultural commodities. Estimates of emissions from the UK food system (including land-use change). A study on the eff ects of UK dietary change on land needs. A study setting out a wider European perspective (‘The Protein Puzzle’ study). An analysis of the relationship between the European food system and N cycle. The studies use a combination of life- cycle assessment of food production and the Common Agricultural Policy Regionalised Impact (CAPRI) model framework. The work focuses on analyses of scenarios in which livestock product consumption is reduced by 50% on a dietary energy supply basis. Results These studies show the following: From a consumption perspective, the UK food system is directly responsible for about one fi fth of all UK consumption-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Emissions from producing crops and animals are dominated by nitrous oxide and methane from biological processes. The scope for addressing emissions from primary food production (i.e. up to the ‘farm- gate’) with engineering and other technical solutions is limited. Consumption change, particularly reducing the consumption of livestock products, is a robust approach to mitigation of emissions from the food system. Consumption change to reduce GHG emissions is aligned with other objectives: the reduction of other emissions such as nitrate and ammonia from agriculture, and public health goals. A shift to a more plant-based diet will lead to a large decrease in the nitrogen footprint of EU diets. A 50% reduction in livestock product consumption and production reduces the agricultural reactive nitrogen 265 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 522-6 266 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Table 1. Location and trend analysis of average annual air temperature (oC) for at least 30+ years (from 1975 to 2011) and projected for 2011 and 2025 from the equations shown Latitude Longitude Elevation (m) WARDA/IITA, Cotonou, Benin 06o 24’N 002o 20’E 025 IITA, Kano, Nigeria 12o 03’N 008o 34’E 487 ICARDA, Breda, Syria 35o 56’N 037o 10’E 300 AVRDC, Shanhua, Taiwan 23o 00’N 120o 17’E 009 CIMMYT, Toluca, Mexico 19o 23’N 099o 55’W 2585 Years Slope Intercept R2 Sig WARDA/IITA, Cotonou, Benin 1979-2011 0.002 23.74 0.00 ns IITA, Kano, Nigeria 1975-2011 0.03 -33.33 0.23 ** ICARDA, Breda, Syria 1980-2011 0.045 -72.75 0.25 ** AVRDC, Shanhua, Taiwan 1975-2011 0.045 -65.88 0.50 ** CIMMYT, Toluca, Mexico 1975-2009 0.039 -65.22 0.24 ** Years 2011^ 2025 2025-2011^ WARDA/IITA, Cotonou, Benin 1979-2011 27.8 IITA, Kano, Nigeria 1975-2011 27.0 27.4 0.4 ICARDA, Breda, Syria 1980-2011 17.8 18.4 0.6 AVRDC, Shanhua, Taiwan 1975-2011 24.6 25.2 0.6 CIMMYT, Toluca, Mexico 1975-2009 13.2 13.8 0.6 Where: WARDA/IITA (West African Rice Development Association – Shared campus with IITA) IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) AVRDC (The World Vegetable Center) CIMMYT (International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center) * = p<0.05 ** = p<0.01 ns = p>0.05 ^ = Value projected from the equation in the table Climate uncertainty: What response is needed from vegetable agronomists worldwide? Keatinge, J.D.H (Dyno); Ledesma, D.; Keatinge, F.J.D.; Hughes, J. d’A. AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center, TAIWAN 531-1K Introduction AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center has a global mandate for the improvement of vegetable systems to combat malnutrition and poverty in the developing world. Climate uncertainty over the next 15 years will have a substantive infl uence research subjects along the entire vegetable value chain. The IPCC’s report on temperature change (Folland et al. 2001) is highly complex. In contrast, we strive to provide simpler and more practical guidance for agronomists by adopting a simple approach to predicting future air temperatures based on measured long term data from AVRDC and its partner research centers. Eff orts to provide genetic adjustment to warming and other abiotic stress resistances in vegetables have been summarized by de la Peňa et al. (2011). Adaptation of vegetable crops to climate uncertainty is quite possible using modern agricultural science. Materials, methods, results long runs of annual average air temperature were collected from diff erent locations worldwide. The stations selected, their locations and elevations above mean sea level are presented in Table 1. The period 1975-2011 was chosen as the comparator reference time series as this is the longest run available for AVRDC’s headquarters in Taiwan and it apparently coincides with the end of a phase of cooler weather favorable to vegetables in North America documented by McKeown et al. (2006). All the data sets which had at least 30 year runs were subjected to regression analysis using a linear model and tested for signifi cance. The data are presented in Table 1 and Figure 1. Discussion The IPCC reports concerning air temperature clearly indicate that climate change is characterized by substantive variability at a local level and this is further refl ected in the results presented in this paper. Nevertheless, at the majority of sites there is a predominant trend of increasing average temperatures. There are also exceptions which show no signifi cant change (eg. WARDA, Benin) in the last 30+ years. Site specifi city thus clearly remains a key challenge to vegetable scientists. For example, at AVRDC, Taiwan where tomatoes and peppers are being bred for global use, is likely to experience rather faster warming than most other locations in this study with projected average 267 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Figure 1. Average annual air temperatures at five agricultural research centers distributed worldwide Ave temp - Benin 1979-2011 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Year av e te m p oC Y= 23.74 - 0.002X, R2=0.00ns (n=32) Ave temp - Kano 1975-2011 25 26 27 28 29 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Year av e te m p oC Y= -33.327 + 0.03X, R2=0.23** (n=37) Ave temp - ICARDA (Breda) 1980-2011 15 16 17 18 19 20 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Year av e te m p oC Y= -72.747+0.045X, R2=0.25**, (n=32) 531-1K annual temperature in 2011 set to increase by 0.6 oC to 25.2 oC by 2025 (Table 1 and Figure 1). More eff ort now needs to be placed on abiotic stress tolerance research and to fi nd ways by which improved crop agronomy can help reduce environmental constraints to production. AVRDC has been making a substantive investment in research designed to introgress heat, drought and salt tolerance genes from wild species into cultivated types and in other crop management technologies to meet the growing challenges of climate uncertainty including better targeted water use technologies, better protected agriculture and a more intelligent-use of grafting. Moreover, one option, always available to the vegetable production community, in response to increasing temperatures, is to switch from a crop with less heat tolerance to one with already existing adaptation. The AVRDC genebank alone now possesses more than 430 species of vegetables with at least some of these capable of growing irrespective of the niche agricultural environment being considered. References De la Peňa RC, Ebert AW, Gni ffk e, PA, Hanson P. & Symonds RC (2011). Genetic adjustment to changing climates: Vegetables. In Crop Adaptation to Climate Change, pp. 396-410. New Delhi: John Wiley Folland CK, Karl TR, Christy JR, Clarke RA, Gruza GV, Jouzel J, Mann ME, Oerlemans J, Salinger MJ & Wang S-W 2001. Observed Climate Variability and Change. In: Climate Change 2001: The Scientifi c Basis. pp. 99-181. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. McKeown AW, Warland J & McDonald MR (2006). Long- term climate and weather patterns in relation to crop yield: A mini-review. Canadian Journal of Botany 84, 1031-1036. 268 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-01 Relationships between grain yield, grain nitrogen concentration and leaf senescence in Swedish spring wheat Asplund, Linnéa; Bergkvist, Göran; Westerbergh, Anna; Weih, Martin Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SWEDEN Introduction The effi ciency of crop plants to utilize nitrogen fertilizer is important for environmental reasons as well as food security. Wheat varieties often diff er in both nitrogen use effi ciency (NUE) and other agronomically important traits. Therefore, knowledge on how variety traits are related to NUE could be useful in the breeding for more nitrogen use effi cient varieties. An important aspect of NUE is the redistribution of N to the developing grain during leaf senescence. This is related to both the quality of the grain (high protein concentration) and yield. It has been shown that wheat varieties with later onset of senescence reach higher yields, under low N fi eld conditions in France (Gaju et al., 2011). That functional link to yield makes senescence interesting from a breeding perspective, and possible connections to NUE should be further explored. We studied the relationship between fl ag leaf senescence and NUE by measuring leaf senescence, and relating it to plant biomass and nitrogen. The major hypothesis is that later start of senescence is associated with higher grain yield, because of extended period of photosynthetic carbon assimilation, and that earlier onset of senescence is associated with higher grain N concentration. Materials and methods Forty-one varieties of Swedish spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown until maturity in a climate chamber in a randomised complete block design with four replications and pot as experimental unit. Chlorophyll measurements (SPAD-502, Konica Minolta) were taken from the main stem fl ag leaves of each plant (two plants per pot) twice a week. The plants were harvested at maturity. The biomass was divided into grain and straw, and N concentrations were analyzed in both fractions. A line was fi t to the SPAD data of each pot. The line was composed of one horizontal segment connected to one linearly decreasing segment (Piegorsch and Bailer, 2005), with the joint as onset of senescence (in days after anthesis). Variables were analyzed with ANOVA and regression analysis. Results The varieties diff ered in onset of senescence (p<0.0001), rate of senescence (p<0.0001) and grain yield (p=0.003). They also diff ered in grain N concentration (p<0.0001), one of three major components of NUE according to Weih et al. (2011), and total grain N (p=0.07). Grain N concentration varied between 1.7 and 2.5 % N dw -1. The relationship between onset of senescence and grain yield was not signifi cant, but positive (p=0.405, R 2=0.018). The relationship between grain N concentration and onset of senescence was non-signifi cant and negative (p=0.332, R2=0.024). Varieties that started senescence later had a faster rate of senescence (p<0.001, R 2=0.52). Discussion The preliminary results indicate that the varieties diff er in important nitrogen use effi ciency and senescence traits. However, in spite of the many varieties used we have so far not been able to confi rm a clear link between later start of senescence and higher grain yield. Neither could we show that an earlier start of senescence results in higher grain N concentration. The trends were in the hypothesized direction, but not statistically signifi cant. A more thorough analysis of this material, e.g. using multivariate methods, will explore the relationships between timing and length of the senescence period, grain N concentration and NUE across the 41 wheat varieties used here. References Gaju, O., V. Allard, P. Martre, J.W. Snape, E. Heumez, J. LeGouis, D. Moreau, M. Bogard, S. Gri ffi ths, S. Orford, S. Hubbart, and M.J. Foulkes. 2011. Identifi cation of traits to improve the nitrogen-use effi ciency of wheat genotypes. Field Crops Research 123(2): 139–152. Piegorsch, W.W., and A.J. Bailer. 2005. Analyzing environmental data. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 44–48. Weih, M., L. Asplund, and G. Bergkvist. 2011. Assessment of nutrient use in annual and perennial crops: A functional concept for analyzing nitrogen use effi ciency. Plant Soil 339(1): 513–520. 269 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-01 270 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Figure 1: Responses of wheat growth simulations to increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations using either the GECROS model (continuous lines) or the new model (dashed lines) that extends GECROS by the turnover of photosynthetic active nitrogen and optional use of mobile nitrogen for growth and photosynthesis. Black, grey and dark grey lines represent the above ground biomass, the grain yield and the yield quality, respectively. The y-axis values are dimensionless fractions. The results were normalized to the simulation values at 400 ppm. For the study the plant modules of the GECROS model were implemented in the Expert-N model system (Priesack et al., 2006) to describe soil mineralization, solute transport and energy transfer by selected process based models. Modeling crop adaption to atmospheric CO2 enrichment based on protein turnover and optional use of mobile nitrogen for growth or photosynthesis Biernath, Christian1; Bittner, Sebastian1; Klein, Christian1; Gayler, Sebastian2; Hentschel, Rainer3; Hoffmann, Peter1; Högy, Petra4; Fangmeier, Andreas4; Priesack, Eckart1 1Helmholtz-Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, GERMANY; 2WESS - Water & Earth System Science Competence Cluster, GERMANY; 3Leibnitz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung e. V., GERMANY; 4Universität Hohenheim, GERMANY Crop models are frequently used for extrapolation of crop biomass production and yield quality under changing environmental conditions, e.g. under elevated CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere. For decades the eff ect of CO 2 enrichment was analyzed in various experimental systems with a wide range of crop species and under various environmental conditions (Amthor, 2001). At least in the case of C 3 plants one would expect that atmospheric CO 2 enrichment is benefi cial for biomass production because photosynthesis is not CO 2 substrate saturated under current atmospheric CO 2 concentration. However, due to multiple interactions of elevated CO 2 with other environmental factors the characteristics of crop acclimation vary strongly in range and comprise higher biomass production, lower tissue nitrogen concentrations, altered yield quality, and increased water and nitrogen use effi ciencies (Högy and Fangmeier, 2008). The lower tissue nitrogen concentrations are widely seen as a key factor in plant adaption. Therefore, various hypotheses exist to explain the decreased tissue nitrogen concentrations but the mechanisms in terms of elevated CO 2 are still not clear. Also how to model crop adaption is not suffi ciently solved, yet. Therefore, we developed a model to test the ‘down regulation of photosynthesis’ hypothesis. Based on the GECROS model (Yin and van Laar, 2005) we developed a new canopy model that accounts for the dynamic turnover of photosynthetic active nitrogen in the leaf. Mobile nitrogen derived from protein degradation is then available for redistribution within the plant. In this way the plant can then optionally use the re-mobilized nitrogen either for growth or for the synthesis of new photosynthetic active nitrogen. Both the original and the new model were tested against data of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Triso’) grown in a mini- FACE system at Stuttgart-Hohenheim in the southwest of Germany (Högy et al., 2012). The sensitivities of both models to CO 2 enrichment were analyzed. In the scenario study in which the atmospheric CO 2 concentration was increased from 400 to 700 ppm, the new model simulated a 5% higher above ground biomass and 3% higher grain yield. However, the simulated grain nitrogen concentrations decreased by 0.005 % ppm -1 using both models (Figure 1). We (i) discuss the simulation results and (ii) show that a dynamic nitrogen allocation in the P1-02 271 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 plant could better explain crop acclimation to elevated CO 2 than the assumption that the photosynthetic nitrogen distribution is generally proportional to the light distribution in the canopy. P1-012 References Amthor, J., 2001. Field Crops Res. 73, 1–34. Högy, P., Brunnbauer, M., Koehler, P., Schwadorf, K., Breuer, J., Franzaring, J., Zhunusbayeva, D., Fangmeier, A., 2012. Environ. Exp. Bot. accepted for publication. Högy, P., Fangmeier, A., 2008. J. Cereal Sci. 48, 580–591. Priesack, E., Gayler, S., H.P., Hartmann, 2006. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 75, 1–13. Yin, X., van Laar, H., 2005. Crop Systems Dynamics. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. 272 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-03 The proportion of diff erent factors shaping yield, grain size, and quality of winter wheat in Estonian conditions Koppel, Reine; Sooväli, Pille; Kangor, Tiia; Koppel, Mati Jõgeva Plant Breeding Institute, ESTONIA Introduction Although Estonia is small by area, the soil of agricultural land and microclimate in diff erent areas is very varied. In relation to aforementioned reasons, researches in Jõgeva, in collaboration with farmers, have conducted fi eld trials on farmers’ fi elds over several years to clarify the variety list suitable for the local area and to study how diff erent genotypes react to growing technologies in varied conditions. Consulting local farmers and getting feedback from them during Field Days in various Estonian agricultural regions, is important as well. Materials and methods Field trials were carried out in 2010 and 2011 in six diff erent growth locations. The varieties were ‘Ada’, ‘Fredis’, ‘Ramiro’, ‘Mulan’, ‘Olivin’, and LIA 00134. The varieties for trials were selected in collaboration with farmers. The trial plots were located in farmer’s winter wheat fi eld and the soil, cultivation, precrops and fertilizers were chosen by farmer. One half of the trial plots were treated with same fungicide as the main fi eld. The other half was not treated and was used as a control plot. Winter damages and the spread of diseases were assessed during vegetation period. Yield (Y), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), protein (PC) and gluten content (GC) were determined. Factorial ANOVA was used to study the infl uence of diff erent factors and their concurrence on yield, grain size and quality. Results Winter wheat had excessive winter damage in both years, mostly by snow mould. The extent of winter damage diff ered in trial locations. The infl uence of precrops on winter damage was evident – the damage was smaller after using legumes and winter oilseed rape, and slightly bigger after growing cereal. Minimal tillage in autumn also reduced the risk of damage. Plants were destroyed mostly in plots where precrop was cereal, fallow and plough-based cultivation was used. Weather conditions during vegetation period were unfavourable for the spread of diseases in both trial years. In 2010, the scarce spread of Septoria nodorum, DTR and, in some trial locations, Erysiphe graminis occurred. Leaf spots appeared on early ripening varieties above average. In 2011, leaf spot levels were relatively low and powdery mildew appeared at low level. The average data, collected from all trial locations and varieties in two years, indicated that using fungicide did not increase Y or TKW. No signifi cant infl uence on PC and GC occurred. The use of fungicides rather caused stress in plants and thus reduced crop yield and quality. Yearly analysis indicated that the use of fungicide increased Y in 2010 and decreased in 2011. TKW was dependent equally on growth location and genotype in 2010. In 2011, the growth location had bigger infl uence than variety. In both years, the use of fungicide had no signifi cant infl uence on TKW. The use of fungicide reduced PC and GC as well, less in 2010 and more in 2011. The growth location had the biggest infl uence on crop Y and PC, GC both in average of two trial years and in years separately. In 2011, the signifi cantly lower average Y of all trial locations and varieties was in the fungicide variant. Besides soil and climatic conditions, the growth location factor includes the type of fungicide, tillage, precrop, and fertilizer usage. This is the reason why growth location has such a big infl uence on diff erent characteristics of winter wheat. Conclusions Scientifi c study has been successful when the results reach the practical fi eld. Breeders tested diff erent genotypes in six Estonian regions. The results of two- year study indicated that growth location had the greatest infl uence on crop yield, grain size and quality. The use of fungicides may not always increase the crop yield and quality. The trial continues in following years. Since 2011, the collaboration between Jõgeva PBI and farmers (Kevili Agricultural Association) is supported by Rural Development Plan submeasure 1.7.1 273 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-03 274 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-04 Modelling N balances in Legume Based Rotations Angelopoulos, Nickolas1; Topp, Cairistiona F.E.1; Pappa, Valentini A.1; Chirinda, Ngonidzashe2; Rees, Robert M1 1SAC, UNITED KINGDOM; 2Aarhus University, DENMARK It is well established that legume crops have a role to play in European farming as they can fi x atmospheric nitrogen. They also can replace other food, feed, fi bre and fuel crop products that are imported from other continents. While grains may be consumed directly, the leaf material is either used as a green manure to fertilise soil, or processed to feed animals, commonly livestock and more recently fi sh. Nevertheless, EU with a funded research project wants to enhance the presence of legume based rotations in European agriculture. Legume Futures is an international research project in the EU Framework Programme 7. One of the aspects of the project is to provide an assessment of the eff ects of relevant farming system changes on greenhouse gasses. A dynamic and deterministic model of the soil carbon and nitrogen cycles and plant growth process (UK-DNDC; U.K. DeNitri fi cationDeComposition) will be used to assess contribution of the legumes within the context of the crop rotation to greenhouse gas emissions. Data from a network of sites across a wide variety of agricultural regions of Europe growing a variety of legumes crops, will be used to validate UK- DNDC, and identify any weaknesses in the ability of the model to predict N losses and N loss pathways. Currently, data from a three years low input rotation including four diff erent treatments located at Bush Estate, Edinburgh and 4 years conventional system located at Foulum, Denmark will be used. The ability of UK-DNDC to predict carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions will be tested. The model is validated against the grain yield, total yield carbon, nitrogen, nitrates, ammonium. 275 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-04 276 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-05 The Diseases framework: software libraries to simulate a fungal airborne plant disease and its impacts on crop production in climate change scenarios Bregaglio, Simone1; Donatelli, Marcello2; Confalonieri, Roberto1 1University of Milan, ITALY; 2Joint Research Centre of European Commission, ITALY Introduction The development of generic disease forecasting models suitable for simulating diff erent epidemics is a crucial issue researchers are facing (Magarey and Sutton, 2007), specifi cally for the assessment of crop productivity under climate change scenarios. In fact, reviews on the possible eff ects of biotic stresses (e.g., Goudriaan and Zadocks, 1995; Ghini et al., 2008) indicate that climate change could modify the known patterns of plant diseases by means of altered spread of some species and introduction of new Figure 1. Flow diagram of the Diseases modelling framework. pathogens, leading to modifi ed dynamics and shifts in geographical distribution. To perform such analyses, process-based simulation off ers the capability to capture the non-linearity of the responses of biophysical processes to boundary conditions. Models have been marginally used to estimate scenarios of plant diseases impact on crop production, because of their scarce availability. This work presents a framework for the simulation of a generic plant airborne disease to be coupled with a crop simulator to assess the levels of crop productions under climate change scenarios, and its application in a case study 277 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-05 Materials and methods The Diseases components (fl ow diagram in Figure 1) are four software libraries implementing models to (i) simulate initial conditions for the epidemic (InoculumPressure), (ii) reproduce the epidemic progress in time (DiseaseProgress), (iii) estimate the impact of plant diseases on crop production (ImpactsonPlants) and (iv) consider the eff ect of phytosanitary treatments on epidemic development (AgromanagementImpacts). Results and discussion The framework was parameterized for pathogens of four highly cultivated crops in Latin America, and run under climate change scenarios, by considering adaptation strategies (cycle length, shift in sowing dates). Figure 2 presents the simulated diff erences between potential and biotic limited production level on rice (blast disease, pathogen Pyricularia oryzae) using IPCC A1B scenario versus baseline. Results indicate that future conditions will be favorable for rice, and that the consideration of blast disease could lead to a decidedly lower impact on crop productivity. The implementation of adaptation strategies led to indirect benefi ts in terms of crop exposure to pathogens, thus reducing the pressure of blast disease on the crop. This could suggest a reduction of agrochemicals in important rice producing countries, like Brazil, and the need of investing eff orts in developing blast-resistant varieties. Figure 2. Percentage of diff erences in rice production in Latin America (Hadley A1B–2050 versus baseline) considering potential (a) and disease limited (b) levels. Conclusions Although the importance of modelling diseases in crop production was set decades ago, the focus has been on tools to assist tactical decision making by farmers. As for other aspects of the crop performance and agricultural management, robust, but empirical and crop specifi c models have been developed, which cannot be used in conditions diff erent from the ones in which they were developed, precluding exploring new environments and climatic conditions. The Diseases framework has allowed running analysis under scenarios of climate change which could not be run otherwise. This work is one of the many step to move beyond both statistical models and a misuse of process based model via calibration which leads to data fi tting, instead of forecasting models. References Ghini, R., Hamada, E., Bettiol, W., 2008. Climate change and plant diseases. Sci. Agr. 65, 98-107. Goudriaan, J., Zadocks, J.C., 1995. Global climate change: modelling the potential responses of agro- ecosystems with special reference to crop protection. Environ. Pollut. 87, 215-224. Magarey, R.D., Sutton, T.B., 2007. How to create and deploy infection models for plant pathogens, General concepts in integrated pest and disease management, Springer, The Netherlands, pp. 3–25. 278 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-06 Application of CROPWAT model to assess climate change impact on crop evapotranspiration and irrigation requirements in Italy Buono, Vito; Todorovic, Mladen Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, ITALY Introduction According to IPCC 4th Assessment Report, higher temperatures (T) and increased variability of precipitation (P) would lead to an increase in crop water requirements (Parry et al., 2007). These predictions are generally confi rmed by several studies, although results mostly depend on the scale level, and whether the eff ect of climate change (CC) on crop growth is considered or not. With respect to Italy, former studies have specifi cally addressed this topic at local level, so the aim of this work is to produce a fi rst assessment of CC impact on crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and net irrigation requirements (NIR) at national level. Materials and methods Climate data of EU-project CIRCE (A1-B emission scenario) have been considered, with a spatial resolution of 80 km. At each node, 30-years monthly averages have been calculated to build a “baseline” and a “future” climate scenarios, centered respectively on years 2000 and 2050. The values of monthly reference evapotranspiration (ETo) have been estimated according to FAO Penman- Monteith equation (Allen et al., 1998), and a “climatic water defi cit” index (CWD) has been calculated as ETo-P. ETc and NIR of fi eld crops have been computed for both climate scenarios by applying the CROPWAT model (Smith, 1992) at each node, and suitable crop parameters have been selected from scientifi c publications. A linear model based on the “growing degree days” concept has been used to evaluate the potential eff ect of higher temperatures on the shortening of growing cycles, in order to consider two diff erent cycles under “future” scenario, the “current” and the “shortened” one. Finally, results have been displayed in thematic maps by using the ESRI ArcView GIS software. Results According to climate projections and simulation results, the following changes have been assessed at national scale under “future” scenario: i) an increase of mean annual air T of 2.1 (±0.4)°C; ii) a reduction of mean annual P of 46.8 (±44.2) mm; iii) an increase of mean annual ETo of 60.2 (±12.9) mm; iv) an increase of mean annual CWD of 85.4 (±53.8) mm ( fi g. 1); v) an increase of ETc and NIR for all the selected crops and areas (with values up to 50 and 120 mm respectively), if the “current” length of cycles is considered (fi g. 2); vi) on the contrary, with the “shortening” of cycles (estimated from 11 to 18% of the “current” length, depending on crop type and location), ETc is projected to remain stable or to decrease; at the same time, NIR variation shows an higher variability, depending on the specifi c seasonal variation of P. Conclusions In Italy, if future climate warming will aff ect the duration of crop cycles, the projected increase of CWD would not necessarily lead to an overall increase of total ETc and NIR. In fact, the eff ect of higher temperatures on the shortening of crop cycles should compensate or overcome the projected increase of daily ETo, while NIR will be more dependent on the seasonal P variation at local level. These results are in 279 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-06 References Allen R.G., et al. (1998). Crop evapotranspiration. Guidelines for computing crop water requirements. FAO, Rome. FAO Irr & Drain Paper, 56. Lovelli S., et al. (2010). Eff ects of rising atmospheric CO 2 on crop evapotranspiration in a Mediterranean area. Agr Water Manag, 97 (9): 1287-1292. Parry M.L., et al. (2007). Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Smith M. (1992). CROPWAT – A computer Program for Irrigation Planning and Management. FAO, Rome. FAO Irr & Drain Paper, 46. Supit I., et al. (2010). Trend analysis of the water requirements, consumption and defi cit of fi eld crops in Europe. Agr Forest Meteor, 150: 77-88. line with those obtained by former researches and trend analysis (e.g. Lovelli et al., 2010; Supit et al., 2010). For further studies, the eff ect of adaptation strategies (e.g. variety selection, shifting of sowing date, etc.) as well as the impact on crop yield has to be evaluated. 280 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-07 An online toolset for dynamic geomorphic and agroecosystem modeling analysis across spatial and temporal scales Chatskikh, Dmitri1; Kuzmin, Igor2 1Catholic University of Louvain, BELGIUM; 2University of Saint-Petersburg, RUSSIAN FEDERATION Introduction Inclusion of landscape features of agricultural fi elds is an important and challenging task in the agroecosystems analysis. Updating existing agroecosystem models with geomorphic component might help to improve its confi dence level at several spatial and temporal scales. However, to simulate the geomorphic and the agroecosystem content of agricultural fi elds as a single unit dynamically some “spatial and temporal bridges” must be invented to link existing models in a conceptually new manner. According to the Geomorphic-Agroecosystem Modeling (GAEM) approach the basic complication consists of (1) diff erences in primer presentation of data for the modeling (incl. diff erent layouts of point and spatial data in GIS and climatic data, quantitative description of scenarios and decision-making tools etc.) and (2) accessibility the data storages and automation of data processing considering its diff erent sources. Our aim was development and testing of a GAEMWEB toolset for supporting of the agroecosystems analysis by inclusion of geomorphic component at several spatial (plot/ catena/slope/fi eld) and temporal (vegetation period/crop rotation) scales. Materials and methods Within a framework of the EU project GAEMASS we have developed a tool to support the multi-variant scenario analysis for dynamic geomorphic and agroecosystem models in the semi-automatic/automatic mode, taking into account common standards existing for spatial tools (OGS) and agroecosystem models (ICASA). The toolset has been programmed in C++/C# using cross platform open source .NET development framework (Mono). The tool consists of a comprehensive distributed database, which is fi lled with (1) the modeling algorithms, (2) the experimental data and (3) the outputs. To carry out data analysis a model manager had been designed. The modeling part is based on well validated point/spatial models (CAMASE register). To validate the models and to check tool’s operability we have used experimental data collected in several projects (incl. NitroEurope, Teron) on agricultural fi elds located in Europe. First example includes an application of the AgroSiTo model at diff erent spatial scales in Northern and Central Europe. Secondly, we have applied dynamically linked agroecosystem (FASSET) and geomorphic (Watem/Speros) models to simulate crop distribution and N management under continued erosion at catena/fi eld scales. Thirdly, a set of models of diff erent complexity has been used to analyze GHG emissions at the fi eld scale. Results Firstly, we have compared crop production of spring crops generated by well-validated dynamic agroecosystem model using climatic projections generated by RCM with complex statistical model calibrated using regional data. While both models showed that in Central Europe the costs of irrigated spring crop production increases, GAEM approach allows to estimate weights of water supply and erosion factors in details in various computer experiments. Secondly, soil redistribution signifi cantly aff ected crop yields and N cycle in the simulations using coupled geomorphic-agroecosystem model. With inclusion of water eff ects the model was able to capture the observed eff ects on crop yields and soil N. Continued erosion- driven soil redistribution in combination with intensive tillage has increased maximally spatial variability in crop yields and N losses at diff erent soils and climates. Thirdly, we have evaluated the eff ects of using site-specifi c N 2 O emissions derived from the dynamic agroecosystem model (daily step), two statistical models (annual step) and weekly measured fl uxes to estimate nitrous oxide uncertainties. The analysis showed that inclusion of dynamic model is preferred while estimate nitrous oxide cumulative fl uxes out of rare measurements, while to explain interannual emissions combination of statistical and dynamic models might be needed. 281 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-07 282 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 MASC, a model to assess the sustainability of cropping systems: Taking advantage of feedback from fi rst users Craheix, Damien1; Angevin, Frederique1; Bergez, Jacques-Eric2; Bockstaller, Christian3; Colomb, Bruno2; Guichard, Laurence4; Reau, Raymond4; Doré, Thierry4 1INRA, FRANCE; 2INRA/ENSAT, FRANCE; 3INRA/Université de Lorraine, FRANCE; 4INRA/AgroParisTech, FRANCE P1-08 Introduction The MASC model has been designed by seven agronomist researchers for the ex ante assessment of the sustainability of arable cropping systems (CS). The initial purpose of this model was to select newly designed CS before testing them in fi eld trials. Diff erent users tested MASC in various contexts and commented its use and its usefulness. We recorded comments from these users in order to gain greater insight of their requested needs and in order to improve the model. Materials and methods MASC is a qualitative multi-criteria model to assess the sustainability of CS (Sadok et al., 2009). It is based on criteria that are hierarchically organized into a decision tree. These criteria are aggregated in order to assess the three usual dimensions of sustainability (economic, social and environmental). Two types of criteria can be distinguished in this tree: (i) basic criteria which correspond to the inputs of the model; and (ii) aggregated criteria which are located at a higher level in the hierarchical tree, depending on those at lower levels. Aggregations are based on weights (%) according to utility functions defi ned by “If-Then” decision rules. After a test of the model in real situations for three years by various users, designers gathered feedback from them by organizing a workshop, sending out a survey, interviewing users and holding a consultation meeting. Results and discussion Thanks to its fl exibility and its ease of use, MASC was used for much more varied purposes than the one initially planned by the designers. Table 1 presents the initial purpose as well as the new purposes the users came up with. The feedback also revealed that fi rst users had handled the model in somewhat diff erently than expected. First, to lead ex ante assessment, basic criteria of the MASC model are fi lled thanks to simple indicators based on the description of planned practices. This feature turned out to be particularly useful because it allowed fi rst users to carry out rather quickly ex post assessments where information was easy to come by, thereby enlarging the scope of MASC. Secondly, in over half of the ex post assessments, users replaced at least one of the proposed indicators with another available indicator better suited to their context (such as fi eld measurements) indicating the importance of a fl exible model. Thirdly, most users modifi ed the set of weights to integrate both local issues and their own perception of sustainability. Users deemed the adaptation of the weights to be an important step in sharing stakeholders’ point of view and in involving them in the assessments (Craheix et al. 2012). Moreover, thanks to this investigation, users had the opportunity to suggest that designers could add a set of new criteria to enhance the relevance of the model. Finally, analysis of users’ feedback has led to the development of a second *E = Extension workers; F = Farmers; R = Researchers; S = Students Table 1: Initial purpose and new purposes the model served 283 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-08 version of the MASC model (Craheix et al., 2011). The newly designed decision tree is presented in the fi gure 1. Conclusions Analysis of users’ feedback played here a key role in the development of the MASC model. The main improvements have involved specifying the domain of validity, extending the range of concerns by adding new criteria, and facilitating adaptations of settings to the local socioeconomic and pedoclimatic context. Through this experience, we highlight the importance of seeking user experience in order to improve an assessment model of sustainability. Figure 1: MASC 2.0 : decision tree, proposed weights and new criteria References Craheix et al., 2011. INRA–APT–GIS GCHP2E, 49 p. Available at: http://www5.versailles-grignon.inra.fr/ agronomie/Productions/logiciels_et_modeles/MASC Craheix et al., 2012. Xth European IFSA Symposium, 1-4 July 2012, Aarhus, Denmark, 8p (in press). Sadok et al., 2009. Agron Sustain Dev., 29(3), 447-461 284 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-09 From crop model to decision-support system: developing tools for variety assessment and scenario analysis in sunfl ower Debaeke, Philippe1; Casadebaig, Pierre1; Champolivier, Luc2; Mestries, Emmanuelle2; Rousse, Nathalie1; Thiard, Jérome1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2CETIOM, FRANCE Introduction Numerous crop models have been developed for scenario analysis and yield prediction. Their application often met two diffi culties: the estimation of plant parameters at variety level and the easy use by crop advisers. This paper presents an approach addressing these two problems. Development of a sunfl ower crop model SUNFLO (Casadebaig et al., 2011) is a daily time step crop model with genotypic parameters which simulates grain yield and oil concentration of sunfl ower as a function of climate, soil, and management. The objective is to represent the genotype (G) x environment (E) x crop management (M) interactions dynamically. The model simulates the main soil and plant processes: soil N and water content, N uptake and transpiration, root depth and leaf area establishment and senescence, biomass accumulation. Thus, the simulated G x E x M interactions result from the impact of genotypic traits (phenology, architecture, biomass allocation) on the capture of environmental resources (water, nitrogen, light) and on the responses of genotypes to environmental constraints in a dynamic feed-back. Each genotype is described by 13 parameters, measurable at fi eld and greenhouse level for every new released variety (Debaeke et al., 2010). SUNFLO was fi rst developed on a commercial modelling platform (ModelMaker®) then it was implemented on the RECORD platform from INRA (Bergez et al., 2012). The SUNFLO model was initially intended to be used for: (i) the simulation of the impact of individual traits or ideotypes on fi nal production; (ii) the characterization of the abiotic stresses (mainly water stress) experienced by each variety; (iii) the search for adapted crop management – variety combinations in given environments. 285 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-09 Development of related decision-support tools SUNFLO was built in close cooperation with CETIOM (the technical institute for oilseed crops) but two decision support tools were necessary to facilitate the practical use of the model by crop advisers. The initial plot model was completed by a multi-plot model and an aggregation procedure. This made it possible to simulate production on a supplying area composed of relevant production situations but also to represent a variety assessment network. Then two web interfaces were built to simulate multiple crop responses to biotechnical scenarios: (a) COLLECTO was developed to simulate oil yield at grain supplying area level and evaluate the profi tability of diff erent technical scenarios for farmers and cooperatives (Champolivier et al., 2012). (b) VARIETO (Fig.1) was developed to simulate virtual and actual multi-environment (locations, years) trials (METs) for variety assessment with three functionalities : - providing an agronomic diagnosis based on dynamic crop modelling for each environment; - evaluating lists of varieties as compared to reference genotypes; - comparing and improving the nature of METs to better represent the target population of environments. Results and conclusions The fi nal end-users of SUNFLO under RECORD are researchers concerned by bridging the gap between agronomy and genetics while the targets of the two decision support tools are private and public breeders, engineers in charge of offi cial variety assessment or farmer’s advisory, and technical services of the cooperatives. References Bergez J.-E. et al., 2012. An open platform to build, evaluate and simulate integrated models of farming and agro-ecosystems. Env Mod Softw (under press). Casadebaig P. et al., 2011. SUNFLO, a model to simulate genotype-specifi c performance of sunfl ower crop in contrasting environments. Agric For Met 151, 163-178. Champolivier L. et al., 2012. An evaluation of sunfl ower production strategies in a supplying area of an agricultural cooperative using the simulator COLLECTO. Proc.18th Int. Sunfl ower Conf., Mar del Plata (Argentina), pp. 742-747. Debaeke P. et al., 2010. Simulation de la réponse variétale du tournesol à l’environnement à l’aide du modèle SUNFLO. OCL 17 (3), 143-151. 286 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-10 Modelling forage rotations for increasing resource- use effi ciency in dairy farming in Cantabria (North Spain) Doltra, Jordi1; Salcedo, Gregorio2; Olesen, Jørgen E.3 1Centro de Investigación y Formación Agrarias (CIFA), SPAIN; 2I.E.S La Granja, SPAIN; 3Aarhus University, DENMARK Introduction Cattle diet is the main cost of production for dairy farmers in the Cantabric region (N Spain) and this is mainly based on importing purchased feeds and concentrates. Silage maize (Zea mays L.) is the on-farm crop that contributes most to the forage supplied in the diet due to its high productivity. This crop is typically rotated with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multifl orum Lam.) as being the winter crop of the characteristic cropping system in the region. Cantabria is a south-Atlantic agroclimatic region with an average annual temperature and precipitation of about 14.4ºC and 1200 mm, respectively. The combination of a mild and wet climate with fertile soils might allow growing winter crops more productive than Italian ryegrass to increase the overall system productivity. This would reduce the dependence of out-farm resources to feed the animals. Legume crops have been shown to increase productivity of crop rotations (Doltra and Olesen, 2012) and might also positively aff ect milk quality (Kalac, 2011). In this work we use the process-based model FASSET (Berntsen et al., 2003) for preliminary evaluation of triticale (Triticosecale) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) as winter crops in a maize-based rotation in terms of productivity and nitrogen (N) losses as indicators of farm resource-use effi ciency. Materials and methods This simulation study uses data from the fi rst year of an on-going experiment in Heras (N Spain) on a silty clay loam soil. The top soil has pH of 6.53, 1.73% OM and C/N ratio of 7.53. The cropping systems compared are maize- based rotations with Italian ryegrass, triticale and pea as winter crops. Sowing and harvest dates were 20th October and 10th May and 18th April and 26th September for the winter crops and maize, respectively. The mineral N fertilizer was applied following the recommended rates: 70 kg N ha-1 (40 kg N ha-1 at sowing and 30 kg N ha-1 at the end of winter) in ryegrass, 93 kg N ha-1 (18 kg N ha-1 at sowing and 75 kg N ha-1 at the end of winter) in triticale, 18 kg N ha-1 in peas and 93 kg N ha-1 in maize at sowing. Winter crop residues were added to the soil by mid-April. The crops were not irrigated. The simulations were performed using the same initial soil conditions in all the systems. Results The modeling results in this study indicate the possibility of growing a cereal or a legume crop during winter to increase on-farm forage productivity and the N effi ciency of the overall cropping system (Table 1). The rotation pea- maize would be the option with the highest N effi ciency according to the simulations. These results although still preliminary are consistent with the fi rst year observations that indicate higher rotation productivity with cereals and legume crops than with Italian ryegrass as winter crop. Conclusions Winter crops are important to increase rotation productivity. A proper selection of these crops might allow farmers to be less dependent of purchased out- farm forage and to reduce feeding costs. Process-based models are helpful tools to investigate cropping systems contributing to dairy farm sustainability. Table 1. Total aboveground dry matter (Mg ha-1) and N (kg ha-1) for the winter crops and maize, and annual N losses (leaching and emissions, kg N ha-1) from each crop rotation. The rotation nitrogen use efficiency (NUE, kg kg-1 N) is also reported [(Ncrop – Nlosses)/Nfert]. Rotation Winter crop Maize N-NO3 leaching N2O emission NUE Dry matter N Dry matter N ryegrass- maize 2.1 29 12.6 166 117 4.1 0.45 triticale - maize 5.4 102 10.8 129 90 5.4 0.73 pea-maize 4.4 165 13.4 199 105 6.7 2.27 287 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-10 References Berntsen, J., Petersen, B.M, Jacobsen, B.H., Olesen, J.E., Hutchings, N.J., 2003. Evaluating nitrogen taxation scenarios using the dynamic whole farm simulation model FASSET. Agric. Syst. 76, 817-839. Doltra, J., Olesen, J.E. 2012. The role of catch crops in the ecological intensifi cation of spring cereals in organic farming under Nordic climate. European Journal of Agronomy. doi: 10.1016/j.eja.2012.03.006 (in press). Kalac, P., 2011. The eff ects of silage feeding on some sensory and health attributes of cow’s milk: A review. Food Chem. 125, 307-317. 288 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-11 A European weather database of daily weather data derived from climate change scenarios for use with crop simulation models Donatelli, Marcello1; Fumagalli, Davide1; Zucchini, Antonio1;Duveiller, Gregory1; Nelson, Roger2; Baruth, Bettina1 1JRC, ITALY; 2Washington State University, UNITED STATES Global Circulation Models (GCM) estimate future climate under scenarios of greenhouse gases emissions. Such estimates include several meteorological parameters but the two direct outputs are air temperature at earth surface and precipitation. The estimates are spatially downscaled using diff erent methodologies, but it is accepted that such data require further processing for use with simulation models. Daily values of solar radiation, wind, air humidity, and at times rainfall may have absolute values which are not realistic, and/or the daily record of data may prove not to be consistent across meteorological variables. The fi nal problem is related to the fact that GCM estimate the dynamics of climate, providing one instance of data per date in time series. Typically, crop models are deterministic and run in a stochastic fashion, hence requiring multiple years of weather data representing each time horizon of interest. Furthermore, if the time horizons of interest are very close (e.g. 2020 and 2030), sampling without overlap GCM outputs creates instability in means which may even show, in specifi c cases, apparent inversions of trends, creating artifacts also in the simulation via impact models. This paper presents a data base of daily weather data, with EU27 coverage at a 25 km grid, derived from the ENSEMBLES downscaling of the global circulation models HadCM3 and ECHAM5 realizations of the IPCC A1B emission scenario, in which solar radiation, wind and relative air humidity where estimated or collected from historical series, and derived variables reference evapotranspiration and vapour pressure defi cit were estimated from other variables, ensuring consistency within daily records. Synthetic time series data were also generated using the weather generator ClimGen. All data are made available via web services in a data portal for free use by public institutions. 289 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-11 290 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-12 Optimization of the ICBM/2 Soil Organic Matter Simulation Model Using C Respiration Measurements and Near Infrared Data Giovanni, Cabassi1; Cavalli, Daniele2; Bechini, Luca2; Degano, Luigi1; Marino Gallina, Pietro2; Fuccella, Roberto2 1CRA-FLC, ITALY; 2University of Milan, ITALY Introduction The use of simulation models to study the turnover of soil organic matter (SOM) can support experimental data interpretation and the optimization of manure management. Icbm/2 (Katterer, 2001) is a simulation model that describes the turnover of SOM represented by three pools : one for old humifi ed SOM (CO) and two for added manure, CL (labile C) and CS (stable C). C outfl ows from CL and CS and can be humifi ed (h) or lost as CO 2 -C (1-h). All pools decay with fi rst-order kinetics with parameters kYL, kYR and kO (fi g. 1).With this model of SOM turnover, during manure decomposition into the soil, only the evolved CO 2 can be easily measured. Near infrared spectroscopy has been proved to be a useful technique for soil C evaluation. Since diff erent soil C pools are expected to have diff erent chemical composition, it was proven that NIR can be used as a cheap technique to develop calibration models to estimate the amount of C belonging to diff erent pools (Cabassi, 2008). The aim of this work was to calibrate ICBM/2 for the simulation of C respiration using optimal NIR prediction of CO and CL pools. Materials and methods We used measurements of 2 manure-amended soils from an incubation experiment (Bechini, 2009). Briefl y, fi ve liquid dairy manures were applied to two soils of diff erent clay content (102 and 209 g/kg) but similar SOM content. Twelve treatments (5 manures plus unamended soil x 2 soils) were established. A completely randomized experimental design was adopted with three replicates. The “nursery” method (Thuriers, 2000) was used with 12 sampling dates. NIR analyses were performed on the air dried grounded soils. Spectra were collected using an FT-NIR Spectrometer. All spectra were scatter corrected by extended multiplicative scatter correction for each soil. NIR calibration models were carried out using the SIMPLS algorithm. A six block cross-validation procedure was adopted for the validation of NIR prediction. Parameters calibration was done separately for each soil using the downhill simplex method. During optimization, parameters were allowed to vary within the ranges reported in Tab 1. For each manure, a C partitioning factor (Fi) was optimised; other parameters were supposed to be the same for all manures. In each optimization step simulated CL and CO were used as reference values for NIR predictions. At the end, the algorithm found those parameters that gave the lowest averaged error in the estimation of respired C and the lowest errors of NIR prediction of CO and CL content. The results are reported in Tab. 1. Results and Discussion All parameters had an optimal value within their range of variation, indicating that the algorithm did not try to force the exploration outside the imposed boundaries. The values for kCL are two-fold higher than those of kCS. The fractions Fi of manure C allocated to CL, showed a 291 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-12 high collinearity (R2 0.98) between soils. Optimisation on soil 2 resulted in a lower C humifi cation rate and a lower mineralisation in the fi rst weeks of incubation compared to soil 1. This can be due to a diff erence in the C adsorption power and protection due to the specifi c surface area (clay of soil 2 is twofold the clay of soil 1). Calculated errors of C respiration and NIR estimates indicate a general ability of the model to discriminate C pool at the beginning and the end of the mineralisation (as can be seen from the ratio RMSE/SD), together with a good prediction of C mineralisation. Conclusions These results enforce the possibility to investigate the further application of this methodology to other incubation experiments using a wide range of soils amended with organic materials. References L. Thuriers et al 2000. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 31, 289-304 G. Cabassi et al 2008. J. Near Infrared Spectrosc. 16, 59- 69. Bechini L , 2009. Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. J. 73, 2159-2169. T. Katterer et al., 2001. Ecol. Modelling. 136, 191-207. 292 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-13 Use of Weibull distribution in early fi rst harvest above ground biomass of short-term forage crops in Asturias (N Spain) Gorgoso, J. Javier; Oliveira, J. Alberto; Aϐif, Elias; Palencia, Pedro University of Oviedo, SPAIN Introduction The normal distribution is assumed when estimating forage biomass, but there are several problems that result from this assumption of normality (Shiyomi et al., 1984). Skewed distributions can be modelled by other distributions, such as the beta, log-normal, Johnson’s SB, Gamma or Weibull distributions (Remington et al., 1994, Tsutsumi et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of the three-parameter Weibull distribution in describing the frequency of above ground biomass in the early fi rst harvest biomass of short-term forage crops fertilized with diff erent doses of nitrogen. Material and methods Trial plots: Cultivar trials of short-term forage crops were established in in three trials (A1 = Lolium hybridum ; A2= Lolium multifl orum, and B1 = Lolium multifl orum + Trifolium pratense) in Asturias (N Spain). The crops were fertilized with three diff erent doses of nitrogen: 0, 40 or 80 Kg of N per ha, and with an additional slurry treatment in trial B1 (110 Kg of N per ha). In each N treatment, between 27 and 30 above ground biomass samples were collected in each plot at random within a square metallic frame of surface area 0.25 m2 to enable modelling of above ground biomass. The Weibull distribution: The three-parameter Weibull distribution is obtained by integrating the Weibull density function: [1] where F(x) is the cumulative relative frequency of above ground biomass, a is the location parameter of the function, and b and c are the scale and shape parameters, respectively. In this study intervals of above ground biomass of 30 g m-2 were established for the fi ts of the function. Fit of the Weibull distribution: Parameters of the Weibull distribution were estimated by the method of moments: [2] [3] where x (mean) is the above ground biomass mean of the observed distribution, σ2 the variance and Gamma(x) is the Gamma function for each point (x = i). Location parameter a was the minimum value of biomass production in each treatment. 293 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-13 Goodness of fi ts: The goodness of fi t in each treatment was tested with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test. The distribution is rejected by the test when the KS statistic (Dn) is higher than the critical value of Miller (1956) (Dn, α) at α = 0.05. Results Results are showed in Table 1. The results of the KS goodness of fi t show that there was not enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis that the 10 distributions of biomass follow a three parameter Weibull distribution. The results show, in general, an increase in the 63rd percentile of biomass production (a+b) with a higher level of fertilizer. Location parameter a also was generally related to the dose of fertilizer. Shape parameter c was always lower than 3.6 and all the Weibull distributions were skewed to the right. The 10 observed distributions of biomass production (g m-2) in relative frequencies and the distributions described by the three parameter Weibull function are shown in Fig. 1. Conclusions The results showed the great fl exibility of the Weibull distribution for describing all above ground biomass distributions studied. These distributions have diff erent skewness and kurtosis derived from the diff erent nitrogen treatments and site conditions. The parameters a and b of the Weibull distribution are easy to relate to the values of the described variable and are easy to interpret. References Miller L.H., 1956. Tables of percentage points of Kolmogorov statistic. Journal of the American Statistical Association 51, 111-121. Remington K.K., Bonham C.D., Reich R.M., 1994. Modeling the distribution of Agropyron cristatum biomass in a grazed pasture using the Weibull distribution. J Japan Grassl Sci 40(2), 190-197. Shiyomi M., Akiyama T., Takahashi S., 1984. A spatial pattern model of plant biomass in grazing pasture II. J Japan Grassl Sci 30, 40-48. Tsutsumi M., Shiyomi M., Sato S., Sugawara K., 2002. Use of Gamma distribution in aboveground biomass of plant species in grazing pasture. Grassland Science 47(6): 615-618. 294 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-14 C3-crop growth model for precision fertilization Hautala, Mikko; Hakojärvi, Mikko University of Helsinki, FINLAND Introduction The crop growth is highly dependent on growth conditions which vary from year to year and cannot be known in the very beginning of the growing season. In order to optimize the fertilizer dose according to the growth circumstances it is necessary to provide the nutrients for the growth of the crop in separate events. To make this kind of fertilizer adjustment feasible it is necessary to have information on the recent crop growth and a crop growth model which can be used to estimate the amount of nutrients for optimal growth. Materials and methods The analytical C3 crop growth model was introduced by Hautala and Hakojärvi (2010). The crop growth model simulates the highest (maximum) attainable biomass yield in prevailing moisture and radiation conditions. At an early stage of growth, the biomass accumulation increases exponentially due to the expanding leaf area of the crop. At this stage, the model needs six parameters to describe the crop leaf area expansion, interception of radiation and daily growth. In the second phase, after the leaf area has expanded large enough to utilize all incoming radiation, the growth increases linearly over time. Independently of increased leaf area. There are eff ectively three model parameters that have an eff ect on the crop growth at this phase. To make the model capable of simulating the water limited growth, an additional fi ve parameters are needed to describe the water related processes. Altogether the parameters of the model have a clear basis in the physics, chemistry and crop physiology but also are measurable in fi eld conditions. Results The model has been tested against measurements on wheat. Figure 1 compares the calculations with the measured biomass as a function of time in optimal growing conditions. Discussion A simple analytical crop growth model has been devised that is valid for C3 plants when growth is limited by radiation or water. The strength of the model is that all its parameters are known or can easily be measured. The model gives the maximum biomass in prevailing circumstances. The results give confi dence to the suitability of the model for its original purpose as a decision tool for precision farming. The model describes the crop biomass growth well during the early growth which is also the time when the additional fertilizer must be applied to have an eff ect on the crop growth. Figure 1. Comparison of the model biomass with experimental biomass as a function of time (day of year, DOY). 295 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-14 The model is the missing link in the apply-measure- decide-loop of precision management. Application of this model closes the loop and equipment developed for precision farming may be used more eff ectively with the application of this model. In fertilizer application the key factor is the amount of radiation used by the crop, which can be measured adequately and easily with two sensors placed ahead of a fertilizer, one above and one below the canopy. This gives the leaf area index (LAI) and from LAI the prevailing biomass at that site can be calculated. If biomass is less than the optimal biomass calculated by the model, the growth has not been optimal e.g. due to drought or late seedling and therefore the site needs less additional fertilization for the incoming growth. Fertilizing applied according to the model should improve the nutrient use and reduce the amount of nutrients that can be leached from the soil. References Hautala, M., Hakojärvi, M., 2010. An analytical C3- crop growth model for precision farming. Precision Agriculture. 12, 266-279. 296 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-15 Potential distribution and phenological development of the Mediterranean Corn Borer (Sesamia nonagrioides) under warming climate in Europe Maiorano, Andrea; Donatelli, Marcello European Commission - Joint Research Centre, ITALY Introduction Insects are poikilotherms (body temperature varies along with that of the environmental temperature), hence their development and geographical distribution are strongly infl uenced by ambient temperature. As a consequence, a warming climate has the potential to signifi cantly modify the actual distribution and development of agricultural insect pests. Materials and methods In this work we analyzed the case of the Mediterranean Corn Borer (MCB) Sesamia nonagrioides, which is one of the most important maize borers in Europe. Its distribution and population levels are primarily determined by its sensitivity to sub-zero winter temperatures. In Europe it has been mainly reported from the coastal regions of the Mediterranean basin and of the Atlantic coasts up to the western Loire region of France. No study has estimated the potential spread of the MCB considering the overwinter survival including the fraction of larvae in the maize roots and linking survival to a MCB phenological model. This paper presents the preliminary results of a study conducted to analyze the role of temperature in the potential distribution of the MCB in Europe under warming climate. The work was carried out in four phases: a) development of a winter survival model; b) parameterization of a temperature-based phenological model; c) application of the model in spatialized simulation runs to test MCB survival and development; and d) application of the model to future climate scenarios. Survival and development were studied under simulated warming climate at three time horizons (Baseline 2000s, 2030s, 2050s) in Europe (A1B IPCC emission scenario, ECHAM5-HIRHAM5 models, downscaled from the original ENSEMBLES data set by the same regional climate model to a 25 km grid resolution). Two modelling approaches were implemented and compared for the simulation of winter survival: the fi rst one using air temperature as the only input, the second using both air temperature and simulated soil temperature as input that includes the simulation of larvae survival in the roots under the soil surface. The models were implemented in a software component composed of discrete model units, and it was used in the BioMA platform (http://bioma.jrc. ec.europa.eu/) of the European Commission. 297 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-15 Results and Discussion Results of winter survival estimates suggest that mortality due to winter temperature is not a potential reason for reduced spreading of MCB in currently cold areas where it has never been reported. In fact results suggest that the potential survival of the fraction of larvae overwintering in the maize roots would allow the development of the MCB in those areas. These results indicate that low temperatures aff ecting overwinter survival might not be the most important limiting factor determining MCB distribution, and that other factors might be more important than expected by previous literature. The development model linked to the estimate of survival including larvae diapausing in the soil showed a potential increase of generations in the Balkans and Turkey, and, to a more limited extent, in Germany. On the contrary, the estimated increase is negligible in the Mediterranean basin, due to the potential stressful eff ects of high temperatures. Results showed that both geographical distribution and phenological development are expected to increase under 2030 and 2050, but the main increase is expected under 2030 scenario. The results of this work suggest further investigation of other factors than winter mortality that control the MCB distribution range. This would allow more specifi c estimates of the potential distribution and development of the MCB in Europe, and consequently of the potential damage to maize crops. Thanks to the implementation technology used for developing the modelling approaches presented in this paper, such improvement can be easily implemented and integrated. Acknowledgements This work was supported by a 7th FP Marie Curie Fellowship (Project MIMYCS). 298 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-16 MIMYCS, A framework for simulating maize kernels mycotoxin contamination in Europe Maiorano, Andrea1; Donatelli, Marcello2 1European Commission - Joint Research Centre, ITALY; 2Agricultural Research Council, CIN, ITALY Mycotoxins are toxic compounds, produced by fungi and recognized as the main cause of chronic intoxications in the world. Maize is one of the crops subjected to the most critical mycotoxin problems throughout the world. Limitations set by the European Commission and by other nations of the world on the maximum levels of mycotoxins in cereal grain have had an important socio-economic impact on the global cereal market. As a consequence, producing maize grain with acceptable mycotoxin content and simultaneously maintaining profi tability has become more and more diffi cult, with important socio- economic consequences. Mycotoxin contamination in maize grain is the result of a complex plant pathosystem (a system defi ned by parasitism and in which a plant is the host) formed by maize plants, toxigenic fungi and insect borers. Fungi development and mycotoxin synthesis is infl uenced by climatic conditions and by the fungi competitive relationships, which determine their prevalent geographical distribution. As a consequence, warming of the climate system could have an important impact on the pathosystem and the potential eff ects are very diffi cult to foresee. The modelling of mycotoxin contamination in maize grain during the fi eld phase represents a great opportunity for maize producers, policy makers, and for scientists, to manage the mycotoxin problem in maize and to study the pathosystem and the eff ects of climate change. The project MIMYCS (Maize Infection and MYcotoxin Contamination Simulator) started in 2010 and aims at the development of a simulation model system to simulate the complex pathosystem which leads to mycotoxin contamination in maize grain. The project aims at providing a fi rst operational tool to simulate at EU scale mycotoxin contamination in maize grain in diff erent climatic, environmental and agro-management situations. In this context, the development of MIMYCS will allow an easy re-use of it for performing simulations (i) to inform European policy makers involved in food and feed safety of the eff ects of European mycotoxin policies and help them to fi x safe and, at the same time, feasible contamination limits, (ii) to assess climate change scenario eff ects on the pathosystem and on future maize-based food and feed products safety, (iii) to assist maize producers in controlling mycotoxin contamination through agro-management and improving maize grain safety. The MIMYCS model has been implemented as a component of the framework BioMA (http://bioma. jrc.ec.europa.eu/), the modelling platform used at the European Commission Joint Research Centre. MIMYCS has been developed as composed by three main model components: MIMYCS.Maize, MIMYCS.Borers, MIMYCS. Fungi. MIMYCS.Maize simulates maize phenological development and it implements the impact of the insect borer damage to the ears, fungi infection and mycotoxin accumulation in maize grain. MIMYCS. Borers simulate two maize borers (Ostrinia nubilalis and Sesamia nonagrioides) development and feeding activity which produces the damage to the ear, enhancing fungi growth and development. MIMYCS.Fungi simulates fungi development and their interactions, using information received from Maize and the Borers modules. Finally, the MIMYCS simulation system, will quantify mycotoxin contamination in maize grain, insect borers damage and fungi infection. The project has been developed in two years and it is funded by Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships of the European Commission. The poster presentation will present the preliminary results of the project. 299 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-16 300 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-17 Modelling maize grain moisture content during maturation and post-maturity dry-down Maiorano, Andrea1; Donatelli, Marcello2 1European Commission - Joint Research Centre, ITALY; 2Agricultural Research Council, CIN, ITALY Maize grain moisture content during maturation and post-maturity dry-down are very important factors infl uencing harvest and post-harvest management, and the technological and safety of maize grain: it infl uences the harvest timing and the consequent drying process and drying costs, the feeding activity of some maize borers, and the development of toxigenic fungi. Thus, an improved understanding of the process of moisture loss during maize grain development would allow: i) to assess risk regarding weather factors that may impede harvest timing, ii) to evaluate the costs associated with an increased need for mechanical drying, iii) a better understanding of maize development during the fi eld phase and the relationships with insect pests and diseases development. Development of maize in the fi eld can be partitioned into three phases: i) lag phase, ii) grain fi lling and maturation drying, iii) and post-maturity dry-down. The lag phase is characterized by a rapid increase in moisture content. During the grain fi lling and maturation drying phase moisture content decreases almost linearly until the reaching of physiological maturity. During post-maturity dry-down, moisture content decrease primarily due to water loss from the kernel. Starting from the available knowledge about maize seeds development and maturation, a simulation model was developed to simulate moisture content of maize grain during maturation and in fi eld post-maturity dry down. The model was developed according to the information found in literature: in fact it is known that while during the second phase of development, moisture decrease is due to a displacement of water based on an exchange between dry matter and water through the pedicel, after physiological maturity pedicel tissues cease to function and dry-down occurs primarily by evaporative loss from the kernel itself, mainly under the infl uence of temperature and relative humidity. Thus, the model was developed as composed by two main components: i) a component simulating moisture content during grain fi lling, and ii) a component simulating moisture content during post-maturity dry-down. The fi rst phase was simulated as an exponential decay process in which moisture content decreases proportionally to its value and depends on the duration of the maturation process. The second phase was simulated following information coming from the industrial drying of maize grain where the process of grain drying has been studied in conditions of constant temperature and relative humidity: during the drying period, the moisture removal rate is inversely proportional to the moisture to be removed, which is 301 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-17 given by the diff erence between actual moisture content and equilibrium moisture content (tendency of a stored product toward a water content value that is controlled by the ambient environment). Parameters required by the model are: i) duration of lag phase, ii) degree- days to fl owering and iii) to physiological maturity, iv) moisture at physiological maturity. Inputs required are air temperature and relative humidity. The models were implemented in a software component (MIMYCS.Maize) composed of discrete model units. This is one of the models of the framework MIMYCS (Maize Infection and MYcotoxin contamination Simulator – FP7 Marie Curie Project) being developed at the European Commission JRC for the simulation of mycotoxin contamination in grain maize. The component based software implementation of MIMYCS models can be easily re-used in any framework based on the Microsoft .NET platform, and it was used in the BioMA platform of the European Commission. The model was tested using data of maize grain moisture during maturation (Figure 1) and post maturity dry-down (fi gure 2) from literature and fi eld surveys. Preliminary results showed that the model was accurate in the explored conditions, reproducing correctly the loss of moisture during maturation and dry-down. 302 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-18 Modelling canopy photosynthesis and radiation use effi ciency in olive orchards Morales, Alejandro1; Villalobos, Francisco2; Leffelaar, Peter3; Testi, Luca1 1Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, SPAIN; 2University of Cordoba, SPAIN; 3Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS Introduction Olive trees (Olea europaea L.) represent an extended horticultural crop in Mediterranean regions, reaching 9.5 Mha worldwide in 2010 (FAO Statistics Division, 2012). Super-high density olive orchards are planted at a density of 1500-2000 trees ha–1 in order to obtain high yields during the fi rst years of establishment and the trees, are pruned to form continuous hedgerows suitable for mechanizing all operations. A generic, comprehensive model of radiation interception and canopy photosynthesis (Luo et al., 2001) was calibrated for irrigated olive trees using data from existing literature and then used to simulate canopy photosynthesis and radiation use effi ciency of super-high density olive orchards. Materials & Methods The model Maestra (Luo et al., 2001) implements the method of Norman and Welles (1983) for radiation interception of three-dimensional canopies and scales photosynthesis from the leaf to the canopy level. Leaf photosynthesis is simulated using the model of Farquhar et al. (1980) coupled to a model of stomatal conductance (Leuning, 1995). Canopy respiration was calculated by estimating the biomass of the trees from measurements of leaf area and allometric ratios. This allowed for simulating the aboveground radiation use effi ciency (RUE) defi ned as biomass production per unit of intercepted PAR. The simulations of canopy photosynthesis by the model were tested against the values calculated from measurements of net CO 2 ecosystem exchange using eddy covariance, soil respiration using closed chambers and estimations of canopy respiration from published models, during the period Spring-Autumn 2011 in a super-high density olive orchard with LAI = 2.5 in Cordoba, Spain. Results The average RUE was 0.91 g DM (MJ PAR)–1 with a range of 0.25-1.20 g DM (MJ PAR)–1 (fi gure 1). These values are in good agreement with the average value of 0.88 g DM (MJ PAR)–1 reported by Villalobos et al. (2006). The variations were linearly related to the daily average air temperature (R2 = 0.7). The experiment-based values of canopy photosynthesis per unit of ground surface were quite similar to the predictions of the model (RMSE of 4.61 μmol CO 2 m–2 s–1 ), especially during clear-sky days, although the predictions were slightly biased with an average underestimation of 3.66 μmol CO 2 m–2 s–1 . The predictions and the experiment-based calculations presented similar diurnal patterns during clear-sky days (fi gure 2) whereby the maximum rate of photosynthesis (ca. 25 μmol CO 2 m–2 s–1 ) was achieved early in the morning, with a slight decrease during the rest of the day, more pronounced in the simulations. Figure 1: Daily aboveground radiation use effi ciency (RUE, g DM (MJ PAR)–1), calculated with the output of the model for a super-high density olive orchard in Cordoba, Spain. 303 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-18 References FAO Statistics Division, 2012. FAOSTAT, http://faostat. fao.org Farquhar, G. D., von Caemmerer, S. and Berry, J. A., 1980. A Biochemical Model of Photosynthetic CO 2 Assimilation in Leaves of C3 Species. Planta, 149: 78-90. Leuning, R., 1995. A critical appraisal of a combined stomatal-photosynthesis model for C3 plants. Plant, Cell and Environment, 18: 339-355. Luo, Y., Medlyn, B., Hui, D., Ellsworth, D., Reynolds, J. and Katul, G., 2001. Gross primary productivity in Duke forest: Modelling synthesis of CO 2 experiment and eddy- fl ux data. Ecological Applications, 11(1): 239-252. Norman, J.M. and Welles, J.M., 1983. Radiative Transfer in an Array of Canopies. Agronomy Journal, 75(3): 481- 488. Villalobos, F.J., Testi, L., Hidalgo, J., Pastor, M. and Orgaz, F., 2006. Modelling potential growth and yield of olive (Olea europaea L.) canopies. European Journal of Agronomy, 24(4): 296-303. Figure 2: An example of the diurnal trend of simulated canopy photosynthesis (Ps, μmol CO 2 m–2 s–1) and canopy photosynthesis calculated from the experiment (Pm, μmol CO 2 m–2 s–1) for day191 of the year. 304 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-19 Genotype-specifi c vernalization requirements in sugar beet bolting Qi, Aiming1; Chiurugwi, Tinashe1; Holmes, Helen1; Mutasa-Gottgens, Efϐie2 1Rothamsted Research, UNITED KINGDOM; 2NIAB, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Bolters in a commercial sugar beet crop can cause diffi culties at harvest, reduce yield and beet quality, and create perennial weed-beet problems in the crop rotation if they are left to produce seeds. An eff ective way to prevent sugar beet from bolting is selecting bolting resistant varieties. The objectives of this paper are to quantify the vernalization requirement and bolting sensitivity in seven genotypes and to benchmark the vernalizing environment to which development of bolting resistant varieties should be targeted in UK. Methodology Plants of seven genotypes were transferred to a vernalization chamber with temperature set at 6°C and a photoperiod at 8h d-1. Batches of 25 plants of each genotype were removed from the vernalization chamber at 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 weeks and returned to glasshouse conditions with temperature set at 22-24°C and a photoperiod at 16h d -1. Plants were examined for bolting (i.e. when bolters are at least 5 cm in height) six weeks later. Vernalizing hours (VH) were calculated and integrated with hourly temperatures following Milford et al. (2010). The percentage of bolted plants (B%) is related to VH as below: B% =0 when VH≤VR, but, B% = BS *( VH-VR) when VH> VR where VR is a genotype-specifi c constant quantifying the threshold vernalization requirement to induce a genotype to bolt, and BS is a genotype-specifi c bolting sensitivity quantifying the rate of increase in new bolters per unit of above threshold VR. Results and discussion Fig. 1 (modifi ed from Chiurugwi et al. 2012) shows the percentage of bolted plants at various levels of vernalization. Only C600 from USDA and Roberta still had not achieved 100% bolting after 18 weeks in the vernalization chamber. Genotype did not di ff er signifi cantly in BS ranging from 0.54 to 0.79. However, they diff ered signifi cantly in the threshold VR ranging from 194 to 233. Roberta was also investigated by Milford et al (2010). Their estimated threshold VR and BS were, respectively, 147 and 0.55. Our estimated BS (0.54) was very similar to theirs. However, the threshold VR in our study was 230, 305 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-19 and about 60% higher under short days. This di ff erence is probably due to the interacting eff ects between vernalization and photoperiod on bolting induction under fi eld conditions. Fig. 2 shows the integrated VH a sugar beet crop is likely to experience from various spring sowing dates until end of June using temperature records at Broom’s Barn Research Station from 1965 to 2011. The risk of a variety to bolt can be assessed with its threshold VR against the VH accumulated on a given sowing date. If one in twenty years (i.e. at 5% chance) is considered to be a manageable risk, the current encouraged drilling date of 1 March in UK will require cultivars to withstand no fewer than 180 vernalising hours (Fig. 2). Latest recommended varieties in UK have on average a threshold VR of about 140 (Milford et al. 2010) so that the safe sowing date should be around 22 March. There would be a greater than 5% chance of bolting for current varieties sown earlier than 22 March. Conclusions The seven genotypes investigated here showed signifi cant diff erences in threshold VR to induce biolting, but they did not diff er signifi cantly in BS. Diff erences in VR should be exploited in breeding bolting resistant beet varieties. It is also desirable that threshold VR should take precedence over BS as a selection target since the latter merely determines the rate at which new bolters appear once bolting is initiated but any bolters are undesirable in commercial crops. References Milford et al.(2010). A vernalization-intensity model to predict bolting in sugar beet. Journal of Agricultural Science 148, 127-137. Chiurugwi et al. (2012). Development of new quantitative physiological and molecular breeding parameters based on the sugar beet vernalization- intensity model. Journal of Agricultural Science (in press). 306 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-20 Simulating improved combinations tillage-rotation under dryland conditions Soldevilla-Martinez, M1; Martin-Lammerding, D2; Tenorio, J.L2; Walter, I2; Quemada, M1; Lizaso, J.I1 1Technical University of Madrid, SPAIN; 2INIA, SPAIN Introduction The adequate combination of reduced tillage and crop rotation could increase the viability of dry land agriculture in Mediterranean zones. Crop simulation models can support to examine various tillage-rotation combinations and explore management scenarios. The decision support system for agrotechnology transfer (DSSAT) (Hoogenboom et al.,2010) provides a suite of crop models suitable for this task. The objective of this work was to simulate the eff ects of two tillage systems, conventional tillage (ConvT) and no tillage (NoT), and three crop rotations, continuous cereal (CC), fallow- cereal (FallowC) and legume-cereal (LegumeC), under dry conditions, on the cereal yield, soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (SON) in a 15-year experiment, comparing these simulations with fi eld observations. Materials and methods The data used in this simulation study comes from a fi eld experiment in La Canaleja located in Alcala de Henares (Madrid, Spain; Martin Lammerding et al.,.2011). Genetic coeffi cients of the CERES-Barley model were calibrated using observed dates of planting, harvest and anthesis together with biomass and yield. Daily weather and soil parameters were measured at the site. Results and Discussion Barley biomass and yield were properly simulated with DSSAT. Both simulated and observed values showed the same tendency through time (Fig. 1). SOC and SON were also satisfactorily simulated compared with the fi eld observations (Fig.2). Barley grain yield was lower for continuous cereal than for the FallowC and the LegumeC rotations, for both tillage managements. However, CERES-Barley did not refl ect that reduction consistently. Only some years showed reduced yield in the continuous barley simulations. The model however, simulated correctly higher yields in the ConvT than in the NoT. Simulations also suggested that N immobilized in soil was higher in NoT than in ConvT. This fact could explain the lower yield in NoT, since N available is lower in that management. The larger presence of weeds in the NoT plots also aff ected the yield, but this was not simulated with DSSAT. Observed and simulated SOC exhibited similar trends decreasing with depth. This reduction with depth was sharper in NoT than in ConvT. SOC in the top 15 cm of soil was higher with NoT management than with ConvT management in both simulated and observed values. The SON showed the same tendency as SOC. A higher concentration of SON in the fi rst 15 cm of soil in NoT than in ConvT, and a reduction with depth in all the studied years was observed and simulated. These results suggest that ConvT-LegumeC and ConvT- FallowC were the best combinations for the dry land conditions studied. However, ConvT had the lowest SON and SOC while NoT kept higher SOC and SON. This is an example of how models can be a very useful tool for 307 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-20 assessing and predicting crop growth and yield under diff erent managements. Conclusions In summary, ConvT-LegumeC and ConvT-FallowC provided the best yield but NoT treatments had the highest SON and SOC improving soil quality. Complementary economic and energy balance evaluations are needed to decide which are the best management practices for the area. Acknowledgements Financial support by Comunidad Autonoma Madrid (AGRISOST, S2009/AGR1630). References Hoogenboom, G., J.W. Jones, P.W. Wilkens, C.H. Porter, K.J. Boote, L.A. Hunt, U. Singh, J.L.Lizaso, J.W. White, O. Uryasev, F.S. Royce, R. Ogoshi, A.J. Gijsman, and G.Y. Tsuji. 2010. Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) Version 4.5 [CD-ROM]. University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. Martin Lammerding, D., Hontoria, C., Tenorio, J.L., Walter, I. ,2011. Mediterranean dryland farming: eff ect of tillage practices on selected soil properties. Agronomy Journal 103 (2): 382-389. Martin-Rueda, I., Munoz-Guerra, L. M., Yunta, F., Esteban, E., Tenorio, J. L., and Lucena, J. J. 2007. Tillage and crop rotation eff ects on barley yield and soil nutrients on a Calciortidic Haploxeralf. Soil & Tillage Research 92: 1-9. 308 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-21 Improving crop growth simulations by taking into account soil heterogeneity Stadler, Anja; Kupisch, Moritz; Langensiepen, Matthias; Ewert, Frank University of Bonn, GERMANY Introduction Agricultural ecosystems depend on environmental factors, especially weather and soil characteristics. If these conditions vary within a fi eld, it is assumed, that crop growth is strongly aff ected, causing a spatial variation in biomass, yield and leaf area index (Hutchings 2003). The eff ects of varying spatial conditions on crop growth are examined on diff erent spatial scales. Several studies consider either a global or regional scale (Hu 2011), but just few pay attention to spatial heterogeneity at the fi eld level (Batchelor 2002). These studies show that spatial heterogeneity within a fi eld is a widespread phenomenon. Since crop growth models try to represent an image of the reality, they should also consider variations in fi eld conditions, especially regarding small- scale simulations and precision agriculture (Sadler 2002). Batchelor et al. (2002) describe diff erent strategies to analyze crop models’ ability to reproduce spatial yield variability. They found that the models are able to represent the spatial heterogeneity within a fi eld, if the parameters for environmental conditions are adapted. Therefore, we hypothesize that taking into account the eff ects of soil heterogeneity on plant water and nutrient uptake improves the accuracy of crop growth models on fi eld scale. Materials and methods The crop growth model GECROS was applied using information from winter wheat and sugar beet fi eld trials carried out near Jülich, in the central western part of Germany. These fi elds are all characterized by strong spatial variability in soil conditions and are managed according to standard agronomic practice. GECROS was calibrated separately for each winter wheat and sugar beet cultivar grown on these fi elds by adjusting the respective parameters with the help of crop physiological measurements at point level. The soil model was parameterized for diff erent fi eld sample points accounting for the spatial heterogeneity in soil conditions within each fi eld. We detected the soil heterogeneity patterns using soil samples and measurements of apparent electromagnetic conductivity. The crop growth model was then tested as to whether it could reproduce the observed spatial patterns of crop growth and development in the selected fi elds through consideration of the spatial variability in soil properties. Results Preliminary results show that observed leaf area development, biomass formation and yield distribution within a fi eld are highly dependent on the given soil properties. For example, the spatial distribution of leaf area index values clearly correlates with soil heterogeneous patterns. Therefore, the soil model was adapted to simulate the variable crop growth within a fi eld. Without adaptation of the soil model to the variable soil properties, the crop growth model is not able to reproduce the observed heterogeneity of crop growth. Conclusions Spatio-temporal variability in soil water distribution and its eff ects on nitrogen availability are likely the main factors causing spatial variable crop growth within the selected fi elds of the study region. Considering variable soil water transport and related nutrient dynamics in model scaling to the fi eld level might thus improve the predictive quality of the crop growth model at the fi eld scale. References Batchelor, W.D. et al. (2002): Examples of strategies to analyze spatial and temporal yield variability using crop models. European Journal of Agronomy, 18, 141-158. Hu, S. & Mo, X. (2011): Interpreting spatial heterogeneity of crop yield with a process model and remote sensing. Ecological Modelling, 222, 2530-2541. Hutchings, M.J. et al. (2003): Toward understanding the consequences of soil heterogeneity for plant populations and communities. Ecology, 84(9), 2322-2334. Sadler, E.J. et al. (2002): Addressing spatial variability in crop model applications. In: Lajpat, R.A. et al.: Agricultural system models in fi eld research and technology transfer, CRC Press. 309 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-21 310 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-22 Is imported Soya the most sustainable source of proteins in pigs’ diet? Tarsitano, Davide; Topp, Kairsty SAC, UNITED KINGDOM In the UK, the most important source of proteins in pig diets is soya, which is primarily imported from Brazil and Argentina, 47% and 34% respectively. Nevertheless, increasing concern for the environmental impact associated to soya production and its economic sustainability has made the industry and government to consider alternative sources of proteins. The Green Pig project aimed to investigate the impact that diets based on the use of home grown protein crops have on pork production and impact on climate change The purpose of this work is to assess and compare the environmental impact of soya based diet to diets those using UK produced legumes, such as peas and beans. Therefore, the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methodology has been implemented to estimate the global warming potential (GWP) per kg pork for each crop. In addition the diff erences in predicted GWP resulting from the implementation of the IPCC 2006 and the UKNIR09 have been assessed. The use of imported soya as the main source of proteins for pig diet has a considerable environmental impact. The CO 2 eq (kg/ kg pig) emission is 40% higher than for peas and beans. This is mostly caused by the carbon lost through the process of land use change. Moreover the comparison between the IPCC 2006 and UKNIR09 underlines the signifi cant importance that biological N fi xation has on the overall emission budget. 311 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-22 312 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-23 Assessment of DNDC ability to N leaching Topp, Cairistiona; Sun, Yiying SAC, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Nitrogen (N) is critical for plant growth. Losses through leaching and nitrous oxide emissions are key environmental concerns. DeNitrifi cationDeComposition (DNDC, Li et al., 2006) is a computer simulation model of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry in agro- ecosystems. It can be used for predicting crop growth, soil temperature and moisture regimes, soil carbon dynamics, soil nitrogen dynamics, methane and carbon dioxide. It has been used extensively to model nitrous oxide from agricultural landscapes, although it has not been used extensively to predict N leaching. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of DNDC to predict N leaching from an arable site in Scotland. Materials and methods The experimental data that has been used in this study was from an experiment conducted in Edinburgh by Vinten et al. (1992; 1994) and Vinten (1999). The fi eld management is shown in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 Field management and crops grown (Source from Vinten et al., 1992, 1994, 1999) 1989 1990 1991 1992 sowing date 25/04/1989 05/04/1990 12/04/1991 05/05/1992 harvest date 29/08/1989 04/09/1990 05/09/1991 15/10/1992 ploughing March January April April plot 1 spring barley spring barley Grass grass plot 2 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 3 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 4 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 5 spring barley spring barley Bare fallow Bare fallow plot 6 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 7 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 8 spring barley spring barley Grass grass plot 9 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 10 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 11 spring barley spring barley spring barley spring barley plot 12 spring barley spring barley Bare fallow Bare fallow Table 2 N applications (kg ha-1) and dates of application Results and Discussion The results suggest that the model gives reasonable predictions of the N leaching, with a tendency to over- estimate it. The daily N leaching losses are shown in Fig 1 for plots 1 and 8, and the RMSE for the predicted and the modelled results for each plot are shown in Fig 2. Both the observed and simulated data display extreme amount of N leaching in some particular dates, thus refl ecting the potential of the DNDC model to capture some of the extreme situations. For example, during December 1990 and January 1991, the prediction could refl ect the extreme high leaching trend. The RMSE was lowest in plots 7, 3 and 4, which received lowest fertilizer during 1990 to 1992 (90, 0 and 120 kg N ha-1 respectively). The RMSE was highest in plots 10, 5 and 9, which received the highest fertilizer with 210 and 180 kg N ha-1. This phenomenon could indicate the accuracy of DNDC decreases with high rates of fertilizer applications. Plots 5 and 12 were cultivated with grassland in 1991 and 1992. The RMSE of plot 5 was also quite high, which indicates that some further modifi cations of the parameters for grassland may be required, which would need more information, such as yield data, although not available from this study. References Li C et al 2006 Ecological Modelling 196: 116–130 Vinten, A et al. 1992 Proc, Fert. Soc., 329 Vinten, A et al. 1996 Eur. J. Soil Sci., 47, 305–317 Vinten, A 1999 J. Environ. Qual. 28: 988-996. Plot Number 25/04/1989 08/05/2989 05/04/1990 12/04/1991 05/05/1992 plot 1 32 96 150 0 0 plot 2 32 96 150 150 150 plot 3 32 96 0 0 0 plot 4 32 96 120 120 120 plot 5 32 96 150 0 0 plot 6 32 96 120 120 120 plot 7 32 96 90 90 90 plot 8 32 96 150 0 0 plot 9 32 96 180 180 180 plot 10 32 96 210 210 210 plot 11 32 96 150 150 150 plot 12 32 96 150 0 0 313 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-23 Fig 1. The measured and predicted N leaching for plots 1 and 8. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7/11/89 23/8/90 5/6/91 13/3/92 25/9/92 N le ac hi ng kg N h a- 1 measurement Pred (plot 8) Pred (plot 1) Fig 2. The RMSE for the measured versus the predicted N leaching 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 RM SE kg N /h a Plots 314 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-24 Climate change impacts on yield of diff erent spring wheat cultivars: a modelling approach Vignjevic, Marija; Wollenweber, Bernd; Olesen, Jørgen Eivind Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, DENMARK Introduction Global warming is expected to have detrimental e ff ects on crop production in regions with close to optimum conditions for wheat growth and development under today’s climate. In contrast, positive e ff ects on crop production can be expected in the higher latitudes resulting from a northward shift in optimum temperature conditions. Recent climate change studies suggest that more unpredictable weather patterns can be expected in the future. Increased frequency of extreme weather events will cause a more severe reduction in yield than can be expected from higher mean temperature alone. Diff erent developmental stages in a crops’ life cycle exhibit diff erent sensitivity levels for environmental conditions, with the reproductive stage being the most sensitive. At the time of fl owering, above normal temperatures will result in a decrease in the number of grains that are formed, thus resulting in lower yield. High temperatures accelerate phenological development and cause a shortening of the green leaf area duration, resulting in a reduction in grain weight. Process based crop models are becoming increasingly used as a cost eff ective tool for assessing the eff ects of climate change on crop production. A new challenge for crop modellers comes from climate extremes that are proving to be more complex because of their nonlinear eff ects on yield forming processes. The purpose of this study is to identify key traits and mechanisms that will ensure stable wheat yields under future, more variable climate. A combined approach, based on experimental data and crop modelling is used. 315 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-24 Materials and methods Two experiments with diff erent spring wheat varieties were conducted during spring/summer of 2011 at Aarhus University, research Centre Flakkebjerg (55° 19’N, 11° 24’E). A fi eld experiment with standard practices under Danish conditions was carried out with the aim to parameterize nine diff erent cultivars in the Daisy model. The main parameters measured for model calibration were: phenology, light interception, leaf area index and green leaf area duration. Biomass accumulation in diff erent plant organs was obtained during fi ve developmental stages. The fi nal yield was measured in order to validate the model against measured data. A pot experiment was conducted in order to investigate the eff ects of heat stress on yield of fi fteen diff erent spring wheat cultivars. In addition to the nine varieties used in the fi eld experiment, additional six cultivars were investigated in the semifi eld facilities at research Centre Flakkebjerg. Plants were subjected to high temperature stress (35/26 °C) two weeks after fl owering for a period of fi ve days. Plants were sampled during the fl owering stage, after the heat treatment and at maturity. Measured parameters included biomass accumulation, leaf area and grain number and weight. The obtained results are used to diff erentiate between the heat sensitive and more tolerant cultivars, as well as to identify key traits that enable heat tolerance. These traits will be calibrated in the Daisy model. Results Average grain weight of 15 diff erent spring cultivars from the pot experiment is shown in Figure 1. In some of the varieties (Vinjett, Taifun, Tercie and 490) an increase in grain weight after the treatment was observed (Fig. 1-A). This could be explained by increased grain fi lling rate resulting from higher temperature. At maturity, most cultivars had higher grain weight under controlled conditions, with the exception of the ‘844’ variety (Fig. 1-B). Conclusions These results illustrate the importance of the duration of grain fi lling in determining grain weight and yield. Despite the initial increased grain growth under heat stress, the fi nal yield was higher under the control group, possibly due to a longer grainfi lling period. Combining the experimental results with crop modelling will ensure a better understanding of the impact of future climate variability on wheat production as well as point to the possibilities for adaptation. 316 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-25 Analysis of yield determining weather conditions at certain growth stages for winter oilseed rape Weymann, Wiebke; Böttcher, Ulf; Sieling, Klaus; Kage, Henning Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, GERMANY Introduction In comparison with other main agricultural crops, for instance winter wheat, winter oilseed rape (WOSR) yield is highly variable. Weather conditions thereby may interact with yield formation by infl uencing sink-limitations (e.g. seeds/m² ) and/or source-limitations. In our study we aim to analyse correlations between yield and weather conditions during certain growth stages. Materials and methods Yield and growth stages (GS, Schuette et al. 1982) of six WOSR fi eld trials with diff erent sowing dates, autumn N applications and N levels in spring (0-280 kg N ha-1) were measured. The crops grew on the experimental farm Hohenschulen, Germany, during the years 1990 to 2011. From quadratic N response curves of the fi eld trials, the maximum yield (Y max ) and its corresponding amounts of fertilizer N were estimated. The phenological model (Müller et al. 2009, Böttcher et al. 2011) simulated the growth stages, which were compared with the measured ones. Afterwards, correlations between Y max and weather conditions, e.g. radiation, during certain growth stages were investigated. Radiation measurements were performed with a SP- Lite pyranometer (Kipp & Zonen, NL), calibrated for the spectral range from 400 to 1100 nm. Results The phenological model showed a close correlation (R² = 0.95) between simulated growth stages and measured ones. The growth stages were simulated to test correlations between the estimated Y max and the observed radiation sum during fl owering (GS 60–70, Fig. 1) and seed fi lling (GS 69–79, Fig. 2). However, in the analysed data set, only weak correlations could be observed, indicated by low R² of 0.21 and 0.24, respectively. No signifi cant correlations between mean temperatures during infl orescence emergence, fl owering and seed fi lling and Y max were found. Discussion Climatic conditions during critical growth stages are suggested to substantially aff ect seed yield of WOSR. In the present study, correlations between radiation Fig. 1: Correlation between radiation sum during fl owering (GS 60-70) and Y max of WOSR 317 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-25 Fig. 2: Correlation between radiation sum during seed fi lling (GS 69-79) and Y max of WOSR sum during fl owering phase and seed fi lling and Y max were identifi ed. Here, incoming radiation is almost equal to intercepted radiation, because of the usually almost complete soil cover by the WOSR crops during this period. Also Peltonen-Sainio et al. (2010) suggested that high incoming radiation during fl owering increases yield due to a more successful pollination and onset of seed-fi lling processes. A high incoming radiation during seed fi lling may enhance the photosynthetic activity of pod walls, which may provide additional assimilates. Radiation sum during fl owering seems to infl uence seed number per square meter soil surface and thereby sink capacity of WOSR crops whereas radiation sum during seed fi lling may have determined source strength. In general, solar radiation infl uences seed yield of WOSR but more detailed interactions with further climatic variables as temperature and moisture have not been investigated, yet. Furthermore, possible eff ects of soil conditions and management procedures are not considered. The presented work will be continued in order to verify the fi rst results and to explain better the high variability of WOSR seed yield. References Böttcher, U. et al. 2011: A phenological model of winter oilseed rape according to the BBCH scale (unpublished). Müller, K. et al. 2009: Revision and parameterisation of a phenological model for winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). In: Müller, K., Remote sensing and simulation modelling as tools for improving nitrogen effi ciency for winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), Dissertation (CAU Kiel), 32-58. Peltonen-Sainio, P. et al. 2010: Coincidence of variation in yield and climate in Europe. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 139, 483-489. Schuette, F. et al. 1982: Entwicklungsstadien des Raps. Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Merkblatt Nr. 27(7). 318 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-26 Preliminary study on the use of NIR spectroscopy to determine nitrogen content in fresh leaves of corn Fuccella, Roberto1; Cabassi, Giovanni2; Cavalli, Daniele1; Marino Gallina, Pietro1; Borrelli, Lamberto2; Degano, Luigi2 1Università degli studi di Milano, ITALY; 2CRA-FLC Centro di ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie di Lodi, ITALY Introduction Nitrogen is an important determinant of corn (Zea mays L.) productivity but at the same time it can pollute waters. Tools that can rapidly quantify the N content of corn are needed to diagnose crop nutritional status and to defi ne appropriate application rates of N fertilizers during plant growth. This evaluation is of pivotal importance at the 6th fully expanded leaf stage in view of side-dressing before canopy closing. Wet chemistry methods to determine N concentration provide reliable results but unfortunately they are time consuming and expensive. To get estimations on the fi eld, indirect methods based on leaf chlorophyll concentration were developed, with remote sensing techniques, but results were not reliable in the range of high N concentration and errors can be made because leaf chlorophyll concentration is also aff ected by other elements and soil conditions. NIR spectroscopy could be a useful technique because it demonstrated direct sensitivity to N compounds in the case of forages, soils and manures. The NIR region (1000-2500 nm) is dominated by two strong water absorption bands and by minor absorption features related to other foliar biochemical compounds including reduced N-containing products (Fourthy, 1996). NIR spectra are also a ff ected by scattering phenomena arising from leaf structural characteristics and these latter also depend by the plants N nutritional status. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the potential use of NIR spectroscopy to estimate N content in fresh corn leaves. Materials and methods Three sample sets of corn leaf disks were obtained from a lysimeter experiment (SINBION,2011), where six diff erent fertilization treatments (6 replication) were compared. Leaf disks (Ø=18 mm) were taken from the last unfolded leaf at the growth stage 16 in the BBCH scale. Each fresh disk was scanned in the NIR region in transfl ectance mode, with a ceramic transfl ector, using a FT-NIR. Concerning the reference analyses, fresh leaf weight per unit of area (FWpua) and dry matter content (DM) were determined on the fi rst sample set while N content was determined on the other two sets after oven drying the disks at 60°C, using an elemental analyzer NA1500 (Carlo Erba). For the development of calibration models the sample sets were used as follows: the fi rst to calibrate FWpua (mg/cm²) and DM (%); the second to calibrate Npua (mg/cm²); the third to validate the model of Npua. Calibration models were performed by partial least square (PLS) regression, using Matlab™ R2009b software and PLS Toolbox. Results and Discussion The attempts to develop prediction models using N concentrations on fresh or dry weight basis, failed, probably due to the diff erent thicknesses of each leaf sample and the eff ect of this variable on the path length of NIR radiation. Therefore it seems mandatory to express N content as Npua. In order to achieve this goal, a calibration model with a cross-validation was developed for predicting FWpua and DM of disks using sample set 1. (mean and range of FWpua = 13.7 and 6.1 mg/cm²; mean and range of DM = 27.3 and 10.8 %). With this calibration model FWpua and DM of the samples of set 2 and 3 were estimated. Then a calibration to estimate Npua was developed with the second set and validate with the third set. The results obtained are shown in Table 1; the scatter plot of measured vs. NIRS predicted values of Npua are shown in Figure 1, separately per calibration set and validation set. Table 1. Results of PLS calibration models Model Unit R2 RMSEC RMSECV RMSEP Prediction Bias DM % 0.95 0.44 0.59 - 0.009 FWpua mg/cm2 0.96 0.19 0.24 - -0.00001 Npua mg[N]/cm2 0.83 0.004 0.007 0.009 0.0053 R2 = coefficient of determination RMSEC = root mean square error of calibration RMSECV = root mean square error of cross-validation RMSEP = root mean square error of prediction 319 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-26 Figure 1. Scatter plot of measured versus predicted (NIR) values of Npua (mg/cm2) Conclusions This preliminary work shows the feasibility of a NIR approach to simultaneously estimate FWpua, DM and Npua on fresh corn leaves. These three parameters can be useful to diagnose N nutritional status of plants and to apply effi cient strategies of N fertilizer management. References Fourty T., Baret F., Jacquemoud S., Schmuck G., Verdebout J. Remote Sens. Environ., 56:104-117 (1996) Acknowledgements SINBION project supported by Ministero Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali (2011-2013). 320 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-27 Post hydrothermal stress eff ects on photosynthetic apparatus effi ciency and yield of miscanthus under static fertilizer experiment Wyszynski, Zdzislaw; Dratkiewicz, Piotr; Horaczek, Tomasz; Pietkiewicz, Stefan; Stêpieñ, Wojciech; Kalaji, Mohamed Hazem; Gozdowski, Dariusz Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, POLAND Introduction Non-invasive instruments to study crop productivity revealed in situ e.g. an impaired relationship stomatal conductance vs photosynthetic rate under hydrothermal stress in diff erently N-fertilized triticale (Pietkiewicz et al. 1998). In 2011 chlorophyll a fl uorescence (Kalaji et al. 2011) helped to analyse the eff ect of current hydrothermal stress and subsequent abundant rainfall on the activity of miscanthus photosynthetic apparatus and yielding. Materials and methods Miscanthus is grown since 2003 at the WULS Skierniewice Exp. Station in the frames of the long-term static fertilizer experiment design (Mercik and Stêpieñ 2005). The fi eld, without NPK since 1923, was provided with mineral N-90, P-26 and K-91 kg/ha at the start. CaNPK, NPK, CaKN, CaPN, CaPK and Ca (without NPK at all, control) treatments not irrigated were studied. HandyPEA fl uorimeter (Hansatech, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK) was used to measure Performance Index (P.I.) of Photosystem II (PSII) at 3 terms for growth stages of 3 canopy layers: young, fully developed and old with 9 replicates. On 4th June air temperature was 30°C, the rainfall -40 mm. On 8th June it raised to 102 mm, temperature dropped to 20°C. On 9th July abundant rainfall 105 mm occurred. At harvest d. m. yield was determined. Data analysed with ANOVA (Statgraphics ver. 4.1) and Fisher procedure for LSD (p=0.05). Results The highest P.I. across the whole investigation period were in CaKN, CaNPK and NPK, while the lowest in CaPK and control. The values of P.I. depended on growth stage, position of leaf on stem, and treatment applied. The period of high temperature can signifi cantly increase the amount of solar energy converted in photosynthetic apparatus. Intensive rainfall in July caused a signifi cant decrease of P.I. Leaves of canopy upper layer showed the lowest values. Lack of basic macronutrients modifi ed P.I. (Fig.1). 321 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-27 The highest P.I. had both fully fertilized and not fertilized with P treatments. This year and earlier data revealed the highest yield have been obtained for these objects, while the lowest for CaPK and Ca treatments. (Fig. 2, Lebioda et al. 2010) Conclusions Hydrothermal stress aff ects the operating photosynthetic apparatus. NPK fertilization can increase its P.I. by 2 units after short but abundant rainfall. In long term the apparatus did not fully recover its ability of PAR absorption despite of consuming much energy stored in short term. P.I. strongly depended on time course, canopy layer and fertilization applied. The high yielding treatments (full and without phosphorus) had the highest P.I. References Kalaji M. H., Govindjee, Bosa. K., Koscielniak. J., Zukgolszewska. K.2011. E ff ects of salt stress on photosystem II effi ciency and CO 2 assimilation of two Syrian barley landraces. Environ. Exp. Bot. 73,64-72. Lebioda P, Pietkiewicz S., Stêpieñ . W, Horaczek T., Toborowicz-Borda I., Wyszyñski Z. 2010. Crop productivity indices and yielding of Miscanthus cultivated on soils without fertilization since 1923. 11th Congress ESA 733-734. Mercik S., Stêpieñ .W. 2005. The most important soil properties and yields of plants in 80 years of static fertilizing experiments in Skierniewice. Fragm. Agron.1(85),189-202 Pietkiewicz S., Loboda T., Much R., Nalborczyk E. 1998. Eff ect of diff erentiated nitrogen fertilization and the use of retarding upon gas exchange of the plants of winter triticale cv. Presto under conditions of hydro-thermal stress. 2nd Int. Conf. Ecophysiological Aspects of Plant Responses to Stress Factors. Acta Physiol. Plantar. 20, 60 Acknowledgement This work was funded by Grant of Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education N310014 31/123 322 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-30 A model-based evaluation of the representativeness of multi-environment trials used for sunfl ower variety assessment in France Debaeke, Philippe1; Barbet-Massin, Claire2; Salvi, Frédéric3; Uyttewaal, Valérie4 1INRA, FRANCE; 2EIP, FRANCE; 3CETIOM, FRANCE; 4GEVES, FRANCE Introduction The crop variety assessment process is commonly based on the analysis of multi-environment trials (METs). In France, a new cultivar is released after two years of fi eld testing conducted by GEVES (in charge of o ffi cial seed and variety testing) using METs. Then new sunfl ower cultivars are tested by CETIOM (the French technical center for oilseed crops) during one year over a wider area and with more trials (post-registration). However, this 3-yr process often results in (i) a poor sampling of the soil-weather- management conditions over the growing area and (ii) a lack of environment characterization of the METs. We assumed that dynamic crop simulation models could improve the effi cacy of this assessment. The SUNFLO crop model (Casadebaig et al., 2011) was developed to simulate the response of sunfl ower genotypes to various environments and management options (sowing date, plant density, N-fertilization, irrigation). The aim of this study was to compare the pre- and post- registration METs with farmer’s actual practices and environments using SUNFLO model in order to evaluate the representativeness of the on-going variety assessment design used for sunfl ower in France. Material and Methods The 2006 and 2009 data from CETIOM surveys (~1900 farmers) were submitted to multivariate analysis and classifi cation method to produce a typology of crop management systems for the main regions of production Fig. 1. Diff erences in distribution of crop practices and soil depths are responsible for diff erent drought patterns between on-farm situations and variety assessment trials. WSD = number of days where ET/ETo < 0.6 323 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-30 in France. The INRA soil map (1/106 ) was used to quantify the regional distribution of soils with available soil water content as the main discriminating variable. Only 16 climatic stations were kept to characterize the cropping area. The METs of CETIOM (96 trials) and GEVES (35 trials), set up in 2008 and 2009, were used to describe the practices, the environments, and the yield in variety trials. Then SUNFLO was run on the 3 networks for a standard variety using 2008-09 weather data. The numbers of water stress.days (WSD) were simulated for each growing period together with fi nal grain yield. Results The farmer’s practices were represented by 3 main types: 69 % of the farmers had low input management while 31 % followed technical recommendations (among them, only 3 % used irrigation). In GEVES, the 3 types represented 56 %, 12 % and 32 % of the trials; and 62 %, 37 % and 1 % for CETIOM. The three networks also diff ered by soil depth: 51 % of shallow soils for farms, but only 22 % for CETIOM and 11 % for GEVES. Diff erences in soils, input levels and irrigation resulted in contrasting distributions of water stress patterns. Water stress before anthesis only occurred in farmer’s situations and stress during anthesis was stronger. WSD during fl owering was the lowest for GEVES as irrigation was supplied in one-third of the environments. WSD during grain fi lling was the same in average on the 3 networks but the range of WSD values was extremely wide in farmer’s fi elds. Total WSD averaged 45 days for farms (25 for GEVES and 30 for CETIOM). Consequently, simulated grain yield was 2.6 t.ha -1 at farm level and 3.5 t.ha-1 in variety trials. Conclusions Signifi cant diff erences in crop practices, soils, and resulting stress patterns and yields between farms and trials were pointed out by this study. Water stress during fl owering is one of the main factors explaining the yield diff erences between the networks which could be a bias for variety assessment. SUNFLO proved to be operational for the classifi cation of drought stress environments in METs. Using this information, breeders, variety registration offi ces and technical institutes could improve the characterization of their METs and evaluate their representation of the target population of environments. References Casadebaig P. et al. 2011. SUNFLO, a model to simulate genotype-specifi c performance of sunfl ower crop in contrasting environments. Agric. For. Met. 151, 163-178. 324 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-32 Eff ect of tuber pre-planting treatments and humic preparation on tuber yield and quality Eremeev, Viacheslav; Lääniste, Peeter; Tein, Berit; Lauk, Ruth; Alaru, Maarika Estonian University of Life Sciences, ESTONIA Introduction Yield formation characteristics are greatly infl uenced by soil tillage, planting and harvesting techniques. These techniques are resulting in better growth, more stable yields and a much higher quality in terms of tuber-size distribution and physical tuber quality. The aim on this research was to study the eff ect of tuber pre-planting treatments and diff erent HP quantities on the tuber yield and its quality. Materials and methods Field trials with the potato cv. ‘Ants’ (medium late) and ‘Laura’ (medium early) were carried out on the experimental fi elds of the Estonian University of Life Sciences. The soil of the experimental fi eld was Stagnic Luvisol. The experiments were laid out in four replications. The humic preparation (HP) used in this experiment is a liquid extract from biohumus. Factor A (pre-planting treatment of seed tubers): T 0 (control), T S - thermal shock (seed tubers were kept before planting 5 days in a room with a temperature of 30°C) P S - pre-sprouting (seed tubers were kept before planting 26 days in a room with a temperature of 15°C and 10 days in a room with a temperature of 12°C). Factor B (humic preparation): HP 0 (control), HP 25 and HP 50 (the amount 25/50 l ha-1 was sprayed on the surface of the soil before planting the tubers). Experimental data were analysed by Statistica 7.0 software (Anova, Fisher LSD test). The results are presented as the average of 2 years (2010-2011). Results Thermal treatments (TT) eff ect on cv. ‘Ants’. Pre-planting with T S increased signifi cantly the total tuber yield by 3.2 t ha-1 compared with the control (T 0 ). The comparison of T 0 and P S eff ect on total yield or T 0 and T S eff ect on tuber marketable yields gave no statistically diff erent results. T S increased statistically the number on tubers per plant but the average weight of tubers was signifi cantly lower compared with the other two treatments. TT increased the tuber starch contents by an average of one percent compared with the T 0 treatment. TT had no statistical infl uence on tuber nitrate contents 71.2-78.2 mg kg-1, because the tuber nitrate content depends on cultivar. TT eff ect on cv. ‘Laura’. P S increased signifi cantly total tuber yield 3.2 t ha-1 and marketable yield 3.8 t ha-1 compared with the T 0 . T S and P S increased the average weight of tubers by 6.5 grams but TT had no statistical infl uence on number of tubers per plant. T S decreased signifi cantly the tuber starch content 0.4%. TT had no infl uence on tuber nitrate contents 21.2-28.9 mg kg-1. HP eff ect on cv. ‘Ants’. Both humic preparations, HP 25 and HP 50 , increased signifi cantly tuber total yields 5.8-6.4 t ha-1 and tuber marketable yields 5.2-6.9 t ha -1 compared with the HP 0 . HP did not increase the number of tubers per plant but HP 50 increased statistically the average weight of tubers by 7.8 grams compared with the HP 0 . HP 25 and HP 50 increased signifi cantly the tuber starch contents by 0.6-0.7%. HP had no in fl uence on tuber nitrate contents that varied from 69.0-80.0 mg kg -1. HP eff ect on cv. ‘Laura’. HP 25 and HP 50 increased statistically tuber total yields 4.5-4.9 t ha-1 and tuber marketable yields 4.2-4.4 t ha-1 compared with the HP 0 . HP 25 increased signifi cantly the number of tubers per plant by 2.3 tubers, but HP diff erent treatments had no statistical infl uence on average weight of tubers or on tuber starch contents. HP 25 decreased statistically tuber nitrate contents. Conclusions T S increased tuber starch content and the number of tubers per plant on cv. ‘Ants’, but the average tuber weight remained lower. TT increased the average weight of tubers on cv. ‘Laura’. TT had no statistical e ff ect on tuber nitrate contents because it is cultivar-dependant. Both HP treatments increased the total tuber yields, marketable yields and tuber starch content (only on cv. ‘Ants’). Tuber nitrate contents decreased on cv. ‘Laura’ at HP 25 . Acknowledgements This study has been supported by ETF grant number 8495. 325 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-32 326 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Grain set (%) Number of grains or fertile florets (spikelet-1) 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 100 FF FF GN GN GS GS C en tr al s pi ke le t Claudio Donduro Simeto Vitron 2009-10 Grain set (%) Number of grains or fertile florets (spikelet-1) 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 100 Irrigated Rainfed Irrigated Rainfed Donduro Vitron 2008-09 C en tr al s pi ke le t Figure 1. Number of fertile florets at anthesis (FF), number of grains at maturity (GN) and percentage of grain set (GS) in the central spikelets categories during 2008-09 (left panel) and 2009-10 (right panel). Closed and open bars correspond to high (N250) and low (N50) N availabilities, respectively. Responsiveness of the number of fertile fl orets and grain setting to nitrogen in contrasting modern durum wheat cultivars Ferrante, Ariel1; Savin, Roxana1; Slafer, Gustavo2 1University of Lleida, SPAIN; 2University of Lleida. ICREA, Catalonian Institution for Research and Advanced Studies., SPAIN P1-33 Introduction As yield is linearly related to grain number per m2, understanding the mechanisms controlling grain number determination may be relevant. As wheat is a cleistogamous species there is frequently a closed relationship between the number of fertile fl orets and grains. However, there is genetic variation in grain number determination due to diff erences in either spike growth during pre–anthesis or in fruiting e ffi ciency (Pedro et al., 2011). It is not known to what degree these diff erences are associated with diff erences in number of fertile fl orets produced or to the likelihood of such fl orets to produce a grain in contrasting environmental conditions, particularly nitrogen (N) availability (which aff ect fl oret survival and number of fertile fl orets; Ferrante et al., 2010). We aimed to analyse genotypic variability within modern well adapted durum wheats and the eff ect of N on the number of fertile fl orets and the likelihood of grain setting in diff erent spikelet positions. Methodology Experiments in micro–crops in large rectangular containers (1 m height and 1 x 1 m2, fi lled with a sand:soil mix) were carried out at Lleida, Spain, during 2008- 09 and 2009-10. Treatments in Exp. 1 were of four cultivars (Claudio, Donduro, Simeto and Vitron) and two contrasting N availabilities (50 and 250 kg N ha-1); while in Exp. 2 they were the two most contrasting cultivars for spike fertility response to N (Donduro and Vitron), the same two levels of N and two water conditions (IR, irrigated and RF, rainfed). Floret primordia were considered as in Ferrante et al. (2010). At maturity, in all spikelets on one side of the spikes the grains were counted and then weighed individually. Results In 2008-09, the number of fertile fl orets per spikelet at anthesis and/or the percentage of grain setting were increased by N fertilisation in all cultivars and spikelet positions (Fig. 1 exemplifi ed for central spikelets). The increase in grain number did directly refl ect the eff ect of N on the number of fertile fl orets in Claudio and Vitron while in Donduro it was mainly through increasing the percentage of grain setting and in Simeto the eff ect was due to both attributes (Fig. 1; left panel). In 2009-10 the overall pattern of response was largely consistent with 2008-09 (Fig. 1; right panel). The likelihood of a fertile fl oret to set a grain in diff erent spikelet positions varied depending on the cultivar, N and grain position (Fig. 2). Regardless of N availability, 327 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 0.0 0.5 1.0 0 6 12 18 24 N250 N50 0.5 1.0 N50 N250 0.5 1.0 N50 N250 0.5 1.0 N50 N250 S pi ke le t p os iti on Likelihood of grain set G ra in 1 G ra in 2 G ra in 3 G ra in 4 Claudio Donduro Simeto Vitron 2008-2009 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 0.0 0.5 1.0 0 6 12 18 24 N50 N250 0.5 1.0 N50 N250 0.5 1.0 N50 N250 0.5 1.0 N50 N250 S pi ke le t p os iti on Likelihood of grain set G ra in 1 G ra in 2 G ra in 3 G ra in 4 Irrigated Rainfed Irrigated Rainfed Donduro Vitron 2009-2010 S pi ke le t p os iti on G ra in 1 G ra in 2 G ra in 3 G ra in 4 S pi ke le t p os iti on G ra in 1 G ra in 2 G ra in 3 G ra in 4 Figure 2. Likelihood of particular fertile florets (grains 1-4, from top to bottom rows of panels) to set a grain at each spikelet position (from spikelet 1, at the base of the spike, to the uppermost spikelet) for each cultivar x nitrogen treatment (left panel; exp. 1) or each cultivar x nitrogen and water availability (right panel; exp. 2). Closed and open symbols correspond to high (N250) and low (N50) nitrogen availabilities, respectively. P1-33 the two most proximal fl orets always set a grain in most spikelets and the eff ect of N fertilisation was restricted to extreme spikelet positions (Fig. 2). For distal positions, in which grains were occasionally set, there were clear increases in the likelihood of a fl oret to set a grain in most spikelets in response to N (Fig. 2). Only the cultivar Vitron occasionally set a fourth grain in N50, though with an extremely low likelihood (Fig. 2; left panel). Discussion Responsiveness to N seemed to have diff ered among cultivars. As spike growth was increased by increased N in all the cultivars, we speculate that the increased spike growth may result in an increased number of fertile fl orets or in having larger fl orets which would increase their likelihood of setting a grain (and likely producing compensation in potential grain size –due to heavier fl orets– for the reduced grain number). In this study we found that responses to N fertilisation were not restricted to the increase in the number of fertile fl orets but also increased the likelihood of these fl orets to set a grain, the relevance of each of these mechanisms depended upon the cultivar. References Ferrante A, Savin R, Slafer GA. 2010. Floret development of durum wheat in response to nitrogen availability. Journal of Experimental Botany 61, 4351-4359. Pedro A, Savin R, Habash DZ, Slafer GA. 2011. Physiological attributes associated with yield and stability in selected lines of a durum wheat population. Euphytica180, 195-208. 328 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-34 Overcoming yield barriers in maize through two novel selection equations: I. recombination of genes within a hybrid Vasileios Greveniotis1, Vasilia Fasoula2, Ioannis Papadopoulos3, Penelope Bebeli4, Ioannis Tokatlidis1 1Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Agricultural Development, Pantazidou 193, 68200 Orestiada, Greece 2Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Univ. of Georgia, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA 3Technological Education Institute of W. Macedonia, Florina, 53100, Greece 4Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Crop Science, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Votanikos, Greece Introduction Plant yield potential of maize hybrids remained stagnant for the last quarter of the 20th century (Duvick, 2005), possibly because of the high productivity gap (40 to 50%) between inbred lines and hybrids. Fasoula and Fasoula (2005) suggested that the yield barriers in maize could be overcome if the productivity gap between inbreds and hybrids is reduced to zero. To test this hypothesis, two selection equations (Fasoula & Tokatlidis, 2012) were employed in order to identify the favourable recombination of genes in a particular hybrid; equation A (EqA) assesses the relative yield potential of individual plants and equation B (EqB) the relative yield potential of entries/lines, enabling the breeder to apply single-plant selection based on eqA within lines identifi ed through eqB. Each equation consists of two parameters; the fi rst measures the plant yield potential in eqA and entry yield potential in eqB, respectively, while the second estimates the entry’s stability of performance and is common in both equations. Evaluation according to eqA and eqB is reliable only when individual plants and entries are assessed in the absence of the confounding eff ects of competition and soil heterogeneity, which is achieved through the honeycomb selection designs (Fasoulas & Fasoula, 1995) that enable the application of extreme selection pressures (1 to 0.5%). Materials and methods The two equations were applied at the ultra-low density of 0.74 plants/m2 under open pollination conditions that result in the creation of half-sib lines (HS). The source material was the F2 (HS0) of the commercial maize hybrid Costanza and breeding was performed from the HS0 to the HS4 in two contrasting locations to identify superior HS lines. Results The best HS4 breeding lines in either location lagged behind Costanza in crop yield potential by a gap of only 5.4% and 6.7%, respectively. It is notable that the best line in Location I was among the bottom lines in Location II and vice versa, suggesting that the two locations, contrasting in soil and climate, may be exploited by diff erent sets of genes. Hybrids between such high- yielding and contrasting in adaptability lines might outperform current hybrids in crop yield potential. This perspective would also result in hybrid seed of drastically reduced cost. The successful exploitation of additive genetic action in the HS lines is shown by the reduction of the gap between the HS lines and hybrid for relative crop yield potential (Fig. 1), from 87% in HS0 to 6% in HS4 at Location 1 and to 5% in Location II. The respective LOCATION I LOCATION II HS0 (F2) HS1 HS2 HS3 HS4 % b=19% a=30 r2=0.82 b=23% a=17 r2=0.88 Fig. 1. The annual % genetic gain (b values), and the reduction of the gap between the best on the basis of Eq. B line, and the hybrid Costanza for relative crop yield potential. 329 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-34 genetic gain per annum was 19 and 23%. Moreover, the two top HS lines scored high for the second component of eqA and eqB, implying that the performance of the HS lines approximated that of the hybrid. This fact, together with the remarkably reduced anthesis-to-silking interval recorded for those lines, and taking into account the wide interplant distance used, points towards their genetic homogeneity. Conclusion Single-plant selection in the absence of competition based on the application of the two equations described could facilitate the reduction of the productivity gap between inbred lines and hybrids in maize. In order to overcome the crop yield barriers in maize hybrids, the improvement of the crop yield potential of inbreds should precede that of the hybrids (see also Tzantarmas et al., this congress). Acknowledgement Work co-fi nanced by the European Union and Greek funds. Research Funding Program: Heracleitus II. References Duvick DN (2005). Adv Agron, 86:83–145. Fasoula DA, Fasoula VA (2005). Maydica, 50:49–61. Fasoulas AC, Fasoula VA (1995). Plant Breed Rev, 13:87– 139. Fasoula VA, Tokatlidis IS (2012). Agron Sustain Dev, 32:161-180 330 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Yield increase and the gap between actual and potential yield of cereals in Poland Tadeusz Oleksiak Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, 05-870 Błonie, Poland P1-35 Introduction Agricultural land use in Poland has declined about 19% over the last fi ve decades but it did not result in reduction of harvests. At the same time, mainly due to improved technology, yields increased considerably. The growth rate of yields in the trials signifi cantly exceeded the increase in production fi elds. As a result we have a bigger and bigger yield gap, defi ning as the diff erence between the yields obtained under optimum technology level in post-registration variety trials and yields obtained in farmer fi elds (Neumann 2010). The aim of this study was to evaluate grain yield rate and identify the factors determining the growth and its utilization. Materials and methods The paper presents changes in the yield of cereals within the years 1966-2010. The study is based on the variety trials results and those received from cultivation under production conditions. We used the offi cial statistics as well as own survey data collected directly from farms. The evaluation of the eff ects of breeding progress was done by modifi ed method proposed by Feyerherm (1989). Diff erential yielding ability [DYA] computed from diff erences between cultivars and long term checks were calculated for particular varieties and in the next step, taking into consideration varietal production structure, for particular years. Diff erences between DYA values in trials and in production for successive years were used as a measure of yield increase; theoretical and practical (Krzymuski 1997). Table 1 Yield increase of main cereal species and eff ects of breeding progress in Poland Species 1966-2010 1991-2010 Rate of yields increase Eff ects of breeding progress Share of breeding progress in yield increase Rate of yields increase Eff ects of breeding progress Share of breeding progress in yield increase kg/year kg/year % kg/year kg/year % Winter wheat 114 40 34,9 71,6 61,7 86,2 Spring wheat 71,7 23,6 32,9 13,9 14,3 100 Winter barley 111,9 35,6 31,8 53,4 56,2 100 Spring barley 67,5 28,3 41,9 40,3 21,2 52,8 Rye 89,5 15,5 17,3 59,6 24,6 42,1 Oats 71,1 17,5 24,6 36,7 12,4 33,9 Cereals average * 93,9 26,9 28,6 61,2 39,7 64,9 *) – weighted by share in production 331 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-35 Results and discussion Table 1 Yield increase of main cereal species and eff ects of breeding progress in Poland. Advances in technology associated with improved crop management has resulted in an increase of the yield obtained by farmers. The importance of breeding as the yield growth factor has increased signifi cantly. Large increase of yield potential of cereal has been due to breeding progress (Table 1). The average share of breeding progress in increasing grain yields over whole tested period amounted to 28.6% and in the last 20 years 64.9%. During the last two decades the yield growth rate dropped considerably. So, it is very important to be defi ned properly and used, still existing opportunity of growth. References Feyerherm A. M., Kemp K. E., Paulsen G. M. 1989 Genetic contribution to increased wheat yields in the USA between 1979 and 1984 Agronomy Journal 81: 242- 245. Krzymuski J., Oleksiak T. 1995. Breeding progress in small grain in Poland and its utilization in production. Fragmenta Agronomica XII Nr 2 (46): 74-75. Krzymuski J., Oleksiak T., Krzeczkowska A. 1997 Methods of biological progress estimation. Advances in Biometrical Genetics. Proceedings of the Tenth Meeting of the EUCARPIA Section Biometrics in Plant Breeding. Neumann K., Verburgh P.H., Stehfest E., Muller C. 2010 The yield gap of global grain production: A spatial analysis. Agricultural Systems 103 316-326. 332 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-38 Overcoming yield barriers in maize through two novel selection equations: II. recombination of genes across hybrids Constantinos Tzantarmas1, Metaxia Koutsika-Sotiriou2, Athanasios Tsaftaris2, Evangelia Sinapidou1, Vasilios Greveniotis1, Ioannis Tokatlidis1 1Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Agricultural Development, Pantazidou 193, 68200 Orestiada, Greece 2Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Aristotelian Univ. of Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece Introduction The cause of stagnation of plant yield potential for the last quarter of the 20th century in maize (Duvick, 2005) might be the productivity gap between inbred lines and hybrids. Bridging this gap could overcome the yield barriers (Fasoula and Fasoula, 2005). To address this hypothesis, two novel selection equations evaluating the individual plants under a very low density (i.e., without competition) were suggested by Fasoula and Tokatlidis (2012) (see also Greveniotis et al., this congress). These equations were used to apply selection and identify favourable gene recombination within half-sib (HS) lines originating from three hybrids. The hypothesis was that high-quality genetic material is fundamental in order to develop varieties displaying high crop yield potential. Materials and methods Experimentation was consistently conducted according to the honeycomb layout model (Fasoulas and Fasoula, 1995). First, seven commercially cultivated hybrids in Greece were evaluated and on the basis of equation B the three top relative values were 100% for PR1132 (ELE), 96% for PR31G98 (G98) and 51% for PR33A46 (A46). Then, based on equation A, single-plant selection was applied within the F2s, as well as within double-cross hybrids of the aforementioned hybrids under open- pollination conditions, and at the very low plant density of 0.74 plants/m2 to ensure absence of competition. The procedure led to HS1 and HS2 lines tested versus the control hybrid, i.e. ELE, for the Equation B values. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C F 2 D C HS1 HS2 HS1 HS2 HS1 HS2 HS1 HS2 HS1 HS2 HS1 HS2 ELE G98 A46 ELE G98 A46 L in e B v al u e % o f th e B v al u e fo r h yb ri d E L E Fig. 1. The relative for B value performance of the HS1and HS2 sister lines originated either from the F2 or the double crosses (DC) of hybrids ELE, G98 and A46 (white columns for average line values and dark columns for the best line values). 333 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-38 Results Evaluation in relation to the control hybrid revealed the following (Fig. 1). The HS1 and HS2 lines originating from the F2 of ELE displayed relative crop yield (Equation B) values of 21% and 62% respectively, while the Equation B values of the respective lines of the double ELEx- crosses were 22% and 89%; the equivalent values for G98 were 45% and 67% for the F2 and 25% and 81% for the double hybrids, while for A46 they were 23% and 40% for the F2 and 33% and 80% for the double hybrids. The best performing HS2 lines of both the ELEx-, and G98x- crosses had Equation B values of 162%, while that originating from the A46x- crosses 145% relative to the control. Comparing the F2s with the double crosses: (1) the greatest progress through selection was obtained in the fi rst generation (HS1) of the F2 in G98, which could be justi fi ed by the higher genetic variability in the crosses; (2) in contrast, in ELE and A46 higher response to selection was obtained in the double crosses, which highlights the eff ectiveness of the selection methodology from an early generation even within widened genetic pools; (3) in the second generation (HS2), the double crosses showed greater progress, which is an indication of favourable gene recombination. Additionally, (4) the fact that individual HS2 lines were identifi ed within all three hybrids that outperformed the control is encouraging towards the prospect of bridging the productivity gap between hybrids and lines in. Finally, (5) the genetic background of the source material seems to be of particular importance, since the F2 of A46 that had been initially found to have the lowest Equation B value among the three hybrids, produced HS2 lines also inferior to the respective ones of ELE and G98. Conclusion The results open the possibility of rapid bridging of the line-hybrid productivity gap through the strategy of recombining genes from elite hybrids on the basis of equations A and B in the absence of competition and improving yield potential and genetic buff ering at the individual plant level. References Duvick DN (2005). Adv Agron, 86:83–145. Fasoula DA, Fasoula VA (2005). Maydica, 50:49–61. Fasoulas AC, Fasoula VA (1995). Plant Breed Rev, 13: 87–139. Fasoula VA, Tokatlidis IS (2012). Agron Sustain Dev, 32:161-180. 334 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-39 Combined eff ect of water stress and Macrosiphum euphorbiae infestation on plant growth in tomato Rivelli, Anna Rita; Toma, Irene; Trotta, Vincenzo; Fanti, Paolo; De Maria, Susanna; Battaglia, Donatella University of Basilicata, ITALY Introduction Tomato is an economically valuable crop grown in open fi eld and in greenhouse. Abiotic (water availability, fertilizers) and biotic (pests and diseases) factors may both aff ect tomato growth and yield. Most of tomato production areas are located in hot and dry climates (i.e. Mediterranean) where water stress is rather frequent. Tomato is classifi ed as sensitive or moderately tolerant to water stress depending on cultivars, phenological stage in which the defi cit occurs (Patané et al, 2011) and severity of stress (Candido et al., 2000). Among tomato pests, the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) is well known for direct damage (Walgenbach, 1997) and virus transmission (Kennedy et al., 1962). The single eff ects of water stress (Van Ieperen et al., 2003) and aphid infestation (Walgenbach, 1997) on the growth, development and yield of tomato are fairly well known, while information about their interaction is limited. This study address the interactions among water stress, aphid infestation and tomato cultivars. Materials and methods Potted plants of the cultivars Scintilla, Beefmaster , and Rio Grande were used in the experiment. Twenty apterous adults of the aphid M. euphorbiae were moved to each plant, allowed to reproduce for 24 hours and then removed. New born F1 nymphs and new emerging F1 adults were counted, then only apterous adults were left on the plant and allowed to reproduce. F2 fi rst instars were numbered daily and removed. All plants were well watered until aphid infestation (A), after that water stress was applied. Treatments were as follows: well watered plants (WW); well watered plants infested by aphids (WW+A); water stressed plants (WS), water stressed 335 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-39 plants infested by aphids (WS+A). Insect data were analyzed by applying the ANOVA (full factorial model including “cultivar” and “stress” as main fi xed eff ects). F1 nymphs were used as covariate for F1 adults and F1 wingless adults were used as covariate for F2 nymphs. Plant data were analyzed by applying a full factorial model of ANOVA, including the presence of aphids besides “cultivar”, and “stress” as main fi xed eff ects. Plant height measured at infestation time was used as covariate for the analysis of fi nal plant height. Results Aphids number signifi cantly varied with cultivars (Fig. 1A) (F1 adults: F2,11 = 19.2, P<0.001; F2 nymphs: F2,11= 6.3; P<0.05), whereas it wasn’t signi fi cantly aff ected by water stress (Figure 1). Plant growth parameters (plant height and dry matter) were negatively aff ected by both water stress and aphid infestation (Tab.1). Nevertheless, when aphid infestation and water stress occurred together, water stress had the highest impact (Fig. 1 C and D). Conclusions Both water stress and aphid infestation reduced plant growth and their eff ect was not additive. On the contrary of what expected, damage caused by aphids didn’t increase in stressed plants. In fact, water stress was the most important factor in relation to plant growth, at least at the level of stress imposed in this experiment. Results could change at milder stress conditions. References Candido, V., Miccolis, V., Perniola, M., Rivelli, A.R., 2000. Water use, water use effi ciency and yield response of “long time storage” tomato ( Lycopersicom esculentum Mill.). Acta Hort. 537, 789-797. Kennedy, J. S., Day, M. F., Eastop, V. F., 1962. A conspectus of aphids as vectors of plant viruses. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, London, United Kingdom. Patanè, C., Cosentino, S.L., 2010. E ff ects of soil water defi cit on yield and quality of processing tomato under a Mediterranean climate. Agric Water Manage. 97, 131- 138. Van Ieperen, W. , Volkov, V. S. , Van Meeteren, U. , 2003. Distribution of xylem hydraulic resistance in fruiting truss of tomato infl uenced by water stress. J. Exp. Bot. 54 (381), 317-324. Walgenbach, J. F., 1997. Eff ect of potato aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) on yield, quality, and economics of stakedtomato production. J. Econ. Entomol. 90, 996- 1004. 336 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-41 337 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-41 338 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-42 New indicators for multi pests and diseases assessment in Conventional, Organic and “in- Transition” vineyard systems Delbac, Lionel1; Thiéry, Denis1; Smits, Nathalie2; Roudet, Jean1; Mérot, Anne2; Wéry, Jacques2; Fermaud, Marc1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2INRA SupAgro, FRANCE Introduction The number of French wine farms converting to Organic Farming (OF) from conventional viticulture is growing rather quickly. Thus, a process of identifi cation, description and evaluation of indicators to manage the transition towards OF or integrated farming systems has been developed by INRA (Merot et al., Wery et al., this volume). Assessment indicators are needed to evaluate the system performance in relation to winegrower and stakeholder goals. Among them, pest pressure evaluation on the system is important in order to reduce pesticide use without an increased economic risk. This work presents the development of a new integrative assessment indicator to measure attack intensity and damage in grape clusters caused by major pests and pathogens. Materials and methods We used data from a network of 20 plots in Bordeaux and Languedoc French regions. We distinguished three winegrower categories: i) “Conventional” production method, ii) OF production for over 5 years: “Organic” and iii) “in-Transition” growers undergoing conversion to OF within the last 5 years. Plant health observations were realized in 2011 on grape clusters for downy mildew, powdery mildew, Botrytis bunch rot and grape berry moths. We determined the periods when the greatest intensity of these pests and diseases occurred and we integrated these severities on clusters into a single index, namely Evaluation Index of Damage in Cluster (EIDC). To account for the EIDC values, we calculated the Treatment Frequency Index (TFI) (Butault et al., 2010) per pest and pathogen using the pesticide treatment schedules in each farm in 2011. Results and discussion The EIDC index in Organic farms was the highest, whereas the in-Transition EIDC index was the smallest (Figure 1a). In Conventional viticulture, powdery mildew damage was the most important compared with that by moths; the reverse was true in Organic. For in-Transition farms, damage by moth and Botrytis rot were predominant. The TFI index in Organic farms was the lowest (Figure 1b). Conventional growers treated slightly more against downy mildew than against powdery mildew. However, in OF and in-Transition categories, control of powdery mildew was clearly the most important. Lastly, the in- Transition phase was also associated with the greatest TFI against moths. The Organic farmers may have suff ered setbacks in downy mildew protection and maintain now traditional schemes limiting risk-taking. By contrast, powdery mildew damage was more signifi cant, except for in- Figure 1 a) Evaluation Index of Damage in Cluster (EIDC) of downy mildew (black), powdery mildew (grey), Botrytis bunch rot (white) and grape berry moths (black spots) for each farm category; b) Treatment Frequency Index (TFI) for the same pests and diseases and farm categories. 339 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-42 Transition farms. In these farms, growers receive more supporting expertise and technical advice. Thus, the high in-Transition TFI against powdery mildew account for the lack of damage by this disease. For Botrytis bunch rot, in the quasi-absence of specifi c sprayings, the potential higher grapevine vigour may be hypothesized as a cause of increased disease intensity, notably in the in-Transition farms. Lastly, the in-Transition growers may be less reluctant to use insecticides against vine moths than Organic ones, thus limiting such damage. Conclusions Clear diff erences in damage levels due to the main pests and diseases (EIDC indicator) were shown according to the viticulture category. The way of controlling these pests and diseases (TFI indicator) was also, as expected, very diff erent. The in-Transition category is a learning phase involving try-errors strategy. This phase is associated with more security in pest control, particularly concerning powdery mildew. Another year of survey is needed to confi rm these results. The Link between EIDC and yield will also be further investigated. References Butault et al., 2010. Synthèse du rapport d’étude Ecophyto R&D, MEEDDAT-MAP-INRA, 90 p. 340 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 a a a a b b c c a b b b a b d c 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 tillering stage dough stage tillering stage dough stage number of weeds dry matter of weeds pla nts ∙m -2 , g∙m -2 Dańkowskie Diament Caroas Matador Bojko P1-44 The morphological features, weed infestation and yielding of selected winter rye varieties in organic farming system Feledyn-Szewczyk, Beata Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation-State Research Institute, POLAND Introduction Weed management is one of the most signifi cant problems facing organic arable production. The strategy of weed regulation in organic system is based on using direct and indirect methods such as crop rotation and choice of cultivars with bigger competitive ability against weeds. The results of other authors suggest that the competitiveness of cereals depends on overall shading ability, which is connected with the crop density, row width and the morphological features of varieties, such as height, tillering, early growth rate, leaf area and leaf angle. The aim of the research was the evaluation of the infl uence of morphological features and canopy parameters of four winter rye varieties on the competitiveness due to weeds and grain yield. Material and Methods The study was conducted in 2009 in the Experimental Station of Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute at Grabów (Warsaw voivodeship) [21º38 E, 51º23 N] on the fi eld used in organic way since 2005. Four winter rye varieties were tested: Dañkowskie Diament, Caroas, Matador and Bojko. They were sown in the amount of 140 kg/ha, on the area of 0.4 ha each, in completely randomized blocks, in 4 replications. According to organic agriculture rules, any mineral fertilizers and chemicals were not used. Weeds were controlled in mechanical way, using a weeder two times: in autumn and spring, in tillering stage. The assessment of number of weeds and their dry matter in rye were carried out in tillering and dough stage. In the same stages the analysis of plant height, tillering, number of plants and crop dry matter were done. Moreover the grain yield of tested winter rye varieties and the weight of thousand grains were determined. Results The smallest number and dry matter of weeds was observed in Dañkowskie Diament ( fi g. 1). In this variety the highest density of plants per unit area was noted which could increase the competitiveness due to weeds (tab. 1). Low level of weed infestation was also observed in Matador canopy where the highest tillering and dry Fig. 1. Number of weeds and weed dry matter in winter rye varieties cultivated in organic system 341 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Parameters Growth stage varieties Dańkowskie Diament Caroas Matador Bojko Tillering tillering stage 5,7 5,8 6,0 5,3 Height (cm) tillering stage 38,3 33,0 35,9 41,3 dought stage 149 157 164 181 Dry matter of rye (g) tillering stage 308 226 321 174 dought stage 1038 1310 1392 1333 Number of plants per 1 m2 tillering stage 300 211 261 191 Number of ears per 1 m2 dought stage 405 417 460 303 The grain yield (t·ha-1) after harvesting 5,4 5,0 5,4 3,8 The weight of thousand grains (g) after harvesting 30,3 32,8 31,4 33,1 P1-44 matter of rye were determined. Caroas and Bojko were characterized by the highest level of weed infestation, especially weed dry matter (about 35 g/m2 in dough stage) and the smallest density of plants. Moreover Bojko had the smallest tillering and dry matter of rye but the biggest height. In all tested varieties number of weeds and their dry matter decreased during the vegetation season. The grain yield was the biggest in Dañkowskie Diament and Matador (5,4 t·ha -1) (tab.1). The smallest grain yield was noted in Bojko variety (3,8 t·ha -1), probably because of the small density of plants and ears, but the weight of thousand grains was the highest. The weed infestation in all tested winter rye varieties was on the level that did not infl uence the grain yield. Table 1. The growth parameters, structure of canopy and yielding of winter rye varieties cultivated in organic system Conclusions 1.The results showed that the competitive ability of winter rye depends fi rstly on plant density and later on morphological features of variety. 2.Dañkowskie Diament was characterized by the biggest density of plants per unit area and the largest competitiveness due to weeds. 3.The grain yield of winter rye cultivated in organic system was the biggest in Dañkowskie Diament and Matador. 4. Selecting of varieties for organic system both their yielding and morphological features should be taken into account. References 1.Davies D. H. K., Hoad S., Boyd L. WECOF: A new project developing enhanced weed control through improved crop and plant architecture. In: Powell et al. (eds), UK Organic Research 2002: Proceedings of the COR Conference, 26-28th March 2002, Aberystwyth, pp. 299-302. 2.Seavers G. P., Wright K. J. 1999. Crop canopy development and structure infl uence weed supression. Weed Res., 39: 319-328. 342 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-45 Winter wheat cultivars and crop management systems: eight years of fi eld experiment with integrated crop management Félix, Irène1; Rolland, Bernard2; Loyce, Chantal3; Omon, Bertrand4; Piaud, Sébastien5 1ARVALIS-Institut du Végétal, FRANCE; 2INRA, FRANCE; 3AgroParisTech, FRANCE; 4Chambre d’Agriculture de l’Eure, FRANCE; 5Chambre d’Agriculture de Seine-et-Marne, FRANCE Introduction From 1999 to 2002, signifi cant interactions between cultivars and crop management systems have been reported on a fi eld experiment network in France, i.e. cultivars ranking diff erently according to crop management systems for a set of agronomic, economic and environmental indicators (Loyce, 2012). Materials and methods Following this work, a network of 189 fi eld trials was set up by INRA, ARVALIS and the Chambers of Agriculture from 2003 to 2010 in the centre-west of France. These trials combined a set of cultivars and at least two Crop Management systems (CM) (table 1) : CM2 a « conventional » crop management, designed to achieve high yield levels using decision support tools and local advices ; and CM3, an integrated crop management based on low sowing density and lower and delayed nitrogen fertilization to reduce wheat susceptibility to diseases and lodging. Cultivars were chosen from those recently registered on the French national list. Most of them are designated from « slightly susceptible » to « quite susceptible » to the main leaf diseases (Septoria leaf spot, brown and yellow rust). « Very susceptible » cultivars to these diseases were rarely included. Results Mean TFI (Treatment Frequency Index) values were 4 for CM2 and 2.5 for CM3, lower than those reported for French farmers practices in the studied regions (TFI=5). CM2 mean yield (8.5 t.ha-1 ) was 0.8 t.ha-1 higher than CM3 yield. With the market prices (grain and inputs) prevailing over the 8 years, economic performance (641 € ha -1 for CM2 and 652 € ha -1 for CM3 on the 2003-2010 period for the control cultivar Caphorn), yield variability and economic stability were similar for the two systems. Interactions between cultivars and systems for yield were found in only 37% of the trials in the network. Disease and lodging intensities, observed on part of the trials (table 2), hardly diff ered between the two crop dĂďůĞϭ͗ ƐŝŵƉůŝĨŝĞĚ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝŽŶŽĨ ĐƌŽƉŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ͖ ƚŚĞ ƐŽǁŝŶŐ ĚĂƚĞ͕ ƉŚŽƐƉŚĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƉŽƚĂƐƐŝƵŵĨĞƌƚŝůŝƐĂƚŝŽŶĂŶĚǁĞĞĚĐŽŶƚƌŽůƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞƐĂƌĞŝĚĞŶƚŝĐĂůĨŽƌƚŚĞƚǁŽƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ͘   ƌŽƉ DĂŶĂŐĞ ŵĞŶƚ ^ŽǁŝŶŐ ĚĞŶƐŝƚLJ EŝƚƌŽŐĞŶƌĂƚĞ ^ƉůŝƚƚŝŶŐŽĨŶŝƚƌŽŐĞŶ 'ƌŽǁƚŚ ƌĞŐƵůĂƚŽƌƐ &ƵŶŐŝĐŝĚĞ ;ϰͿ ZĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ DϮ >ŽĐĂů ĂĚǀŝĐĞ ĂĐĐŽƌĚŝŶ ŐƚŽƐŽŝů ĂŶĚ ƐŽǁŝŶŐ ĚĂƚĞ ĂůĂŶĐĞ ŵĞƚŚŽĚĨŽƌĂ LJŝĞůĚ ĂƚƚĂŝŶĂďůĞϲ LJĞĂƌƐŝŶϭϬ ϯĂƉƉůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ ϬͲϮ;ϮͿ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐƚŽƌĞŐŝŽŶĂů ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂƚŝŽŶƐĨŽƌĂ ĨĂŝƌůLJƐƵƐĐĞƉƚŝďůĞƚŽ ĚŝƐĞĂƐĞƐĐƵůƚŝǀĂƌ;ϱͿ /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚŝŽŶ Dϯ DϮʹ ϰϬй;ϳͿ DϮʹϯϬE ϮĂƉƉůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ͗ƐŬŝƉƚŚĞ ŽŶĞĂƚƚŝůůĞƌŝŶŐ;ϭͿ͖Ă ƚŚŝƌĚŽĨƚŚĞƚŽƚĂů ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ĂŶĚĂƚůĞĂƐƚϰϬEĂƚƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚĂƉƉůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƐƚĞŵĞůŽŶŐĂƚŝŽŶ Ϭ;ϯͿ WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞƚĂƌŐĞƚĞĚĂƚ ;ĨŽƌ͍ͿĂƋƵŝƚĞƌĞƐŝƐƚĂŶƚƚŽ ĚŝƐĞĂƐĞƐĐƵůƚŝǀĂƌ͖ŐĞŶĞƌĂů ĐĂƐĞ͗ĂƐŝŶŐůĞ ŝŶƚĞƌǀĞŶƚŝŽŶĂƚƚŚĞ ^ƚĂŐĞŽĨƚŚĞĨŝŶĂůůĞĂĨ ƵŶĨƵƌůĞĚ;ϲͿ ;ϭͿ ĞƚĐ͘ƌĞĨĞƌƚŽŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶŐŝǀĞŶŝŶƚŚĞƚĞƌŵƐŽĨƚŚĞĚĞĐŝƐŝŽŶƌƵůĞƐ͕ĞŶĂďůŝŶŐƚŚĞŵƚŽďĞĂĚĂƉƚĞĚƚŽĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶƚƉƌŽĚƵĐƚŝŽŶ ĐŽŶƚĞdžƚƐ͘  343 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-45 dĂďůĞϮ͗ĨĨĞĐƚŽĨŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚƐLJƐƚĞŵƐŽŶĚŝƐĞĂƐĞƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞʹŵĞĂŶŽĨƚƌŝĂůƐǁŚŝĐŚǁĞƌĞƐĐŽƌĞĚʹ ƉĂŝƌƐŽĨĚĂƚĂĐŽƌƌĞƐƉŽŶĚƚŽŽďƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐŵĂĚĞŽŶŽŶĞǀĂƌŝĞƚLJŝŶŽŶĞƚƌŝĂůĨŽƌĞĂĐŚŽĨƚŚĞƚǁŽ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ  ;ϭͿ ĞLJĞƐƉŽƚ͗йŽĨŶĞĐƌŽƚŝĐƐƚĞŵƐĞĐƚŝŽŶ;ŽďƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶĂĨƚĞƌƐƚĂŐĞϳϭͿ͖ůĞĂĨĚŝƐĞĂƐĞƐ͗йŽĨĂĨĨĞĐƚĞĚůĞĂĨĂƌĞĂ;ŵĞĂŶŽĨ ĂůůŽďƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐĨŽƌƌƵƐƚƐĂŶĚƉŽǁĚĞƌLJŵŝůĚĞǁ͖ŵĞĂŶŽĨŽďƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐĂĨƚĞƌƐƚĂŐĞϳϭĨŽƌƐĞƉƚŽƌŝĂͿ͖&ƵƐĂƌŝƵŵ͗йŽĨ ĂĨĨĞĐƚĞĚƐƉŝŬĞůĞƚƐ͖ůŽĚŐŝŶŐ͗йŽĨůŽĚŐĞĚĂƌĞĂ;ŵĞĂŶŽĨĂůůŽďƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐͿ  ŶƵŵďĞƌŽĨ ĚĂƚĂƉĂŝƌƐ ŶƵŵďĞƌŽĨ ƚƌŝĂůƐ DϮ Dϯ DϮ Dϯ ĞLJĞƐƉŽƚ ϱϳ ϭϱ ϭϭ͘ϲ ϭϯ͘ϳ ϭϱ͘ϴ ϭϵ͘ϳ LJĞůůŽǁƌƵƐƚ ϮϬϮ ϭϰ Ϭ͘Ϭ ϭ͘Ϭ Ϭ͘Ϯ ϱ͘Ϭ ďƌŽǁŶƌƵƐƚ ϰϱϱ ϱϭ Ϯ͘ϯ ϯ͘Ϯ ϴ͘ϳ ϵ͘ϯ ƉŽǁĚĞƌLJŵŝůĚĞǁ ϭϭϵ ϭϱ ϰ͘Ϯ ϰ͘Ϭ ϭϮ͘ϭ ϭϬ͘ϵ ƐĞƉƚŽƌŝĂ ϲϭϲ ϳϵ ϴ͘ϳ ϭϮ͘ϱ ϭϰ͘Ϭ ϭϳ͘ϭ ĨƵƐĂƌŝƵŵ ϭϮϲ ϭϰ ϯ͘ϯ ϰ͘Ϯ ϳ͘ϭ ϲ͘ϴ ůŽĚŐŝŶŐ ϴϵϰ ϲϴ ϴ͘ϳ ϲ͘ϵ ϮϬ͘Ϭ ϭϳ͘ϲ ŵĞĂŶ;ϭͿ ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚĚĞǀŝĂƚŝŽŶ management systems. Lodging was higher on CM2 than on CM3. For diseases, the highest diff erence was recorded for Septoria, with only 4% more leaf area necrosis in CM3 than in CM2. Diff erences in disease intensity were higher between cultivars than between crop management systems. Discussion These results illustrate the diseases and lodging control obtained in CM3 under the combined eff ect of reducing biomass and maintaining reduced fungicidal protection during the key period for canopy protection. They show how agronomic methods and cultivars can be used to complement fungicides with as much or even more effi ciency. In the areas where diseases are prevalent, it is nevertheless possible to off er some guidance concerning the choice of cultivars. For standard management systems (CM2), cultivars susceptible to lodging (and if possible, brown rust) should be avoided : problems arise, often inadequately controlled despite the objectives assigned to the management system. In CM3, cultivars slightly or moderately susceptible to Septoria and brown rust and, only in high disease level areas, to yellow rust or Fusarium, have to be chosen. Thus, the priority criteria for breeding, from the point of view of susceptibility to diseases and lodging, evolve according to the growing conditions to which the cultivars will be subjected. Research is carried further in order to fi nd the most suitable genetic profi les for CM3, no longer for the threat of diseases which are fi nally under control, but for their adaptability to low-density, low-nitrogen stand in crop early life, these being critical for winter wheat integrated management. References Loyce C, Meynard J.M, Bouchard C, Rolland B, Lonnet P, Bataillon P, Bernicot M.H, Bonnefoy M, Charrier X, Debote B, Demarquet T, Duperrier B, Félix I, Heddadj D, Leblanc O, Leleu M, Mangin P, Méausoone M, Doussinault G, 2012. Growing winter wheat cultivars under diff erent management intensities in France: a multicriteria assessment based on economic, energetic and environmental indicators. Field crops research 125, 167-178. 344 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-46 Using DEXiPM model to analyse performances of innovative cropping systems tested in multilocal trials Fortino, Gabriele; Angevin, Frédérique; Berder, Julie; Valantin-Morison, Muriel; Pelzer, Elise; Messéan, Antoine INRA, FRANCE Introduction In the design of innovative crop protection strategies, comparing the performances of widespread and alternative cropping systems is an important step for identifying bottlenecks and possible solutions. DEXiPM model allows the ex ante assessment of the sustainability of crop protection strategies and has been adapted to perform the ex post assessment using measurements carried out during fi eld trials. In this paper we present how it has been used to compare current and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for winter oilseed rape (WOSR) and to perform a global analysis of multilocal trials (Valantin-Morison & Berder, in this book). Methodology In the framework of the French Picoblé project, workshops involving researchers and advisers have been organized in three areas of Northern France to defi ne WOSR crop management systems (CMS) aiming at reducing the pesticide use. For each region a reference CMS has been selected for comparison with an IPM strategy. Both CMS have been implemented in a network of 19 farmers plots and data on the practices has been collected. For each trial, the comparison has been carried out with DEXiPM, a multicriteria model allowing the evaluation of the sustainability of cropping systems (Pelzer et al., 2012). All the elements of the model are scored on a qualitative scale (e.g. high, medium, low) and model inputs are farming practices and context elements. This information is aggregated through successive steps into more complex indicators until the defi nition of economic, social and environmental sustainability. The model has been adapted in order to focus on a single CMS instead of a cropping system and to directly use as inputs measurements (yield) and calculated indicators (profi tability, energy consumption) instead of determining some parameters through qualitative aggregation. To this purpose, quantitative thresholds have been set in order to adapt the qualitative scale to the local context. Results and discussions DEXiPM allowed highlighting signifi cant diff erences in performances between current and integrated CMS. Indeed, the IPM systems obtained in most cases a higher value for at least one of the three sustainability indicators (fi g.1). 345 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-46 The performances have been globally improved passing from current to integrated CMS (fi g. 2). The number of CMS with a high value of economic sustainability increased from 6 to 13. The proportion of very high value CMS increased also from the social point of view. Nevertheless, considering the aim of the project, improvements of environmental sustainability are only partially satisfying as only in 6 trials the score is higher than medium. Two possible reasons can explain this result. Firstly, the current CMS are characterized by a pesticide use already lower than the national average. Indeed, the farmers who tested the innovative cropping system were already engaged in pesticide use reduction. Secondly, in many cases, only one of the three components of the environmental sustainability (quality, resource use, biodiversity) has been improved, which is not suffi cient to increase the aggregated value. DEXiPM showed to be fl exible enough to be adapted to the ex post assessment and to perform a global assessment of CMS multilocal trials, taking into account the eff ects of the application of a strategy in diff erent contexts. This case study showed also the importance of the defi nition of a reference CMS in order to fully appreciate the impact of the introduction of an alternative one. Furthermore, the integrated CMS could be (i) adjusted by aiming at improve all the environmental indicators and (ii) included in a crop rotation for assessing their eff ect at the cropping system scale. Acknowledgements This research has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework program (FP7/ 2007- 2013) under the grant agreement n° FP7-265865 and by the French CASDAR project PICOBLE. References Pelzer E., Fortino G., Bockstaller et al. 2012. Ecol indic, 18, 171-182 346 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-47 Eff ects of chilling duration on seedling emergence of green foxtail, johnsongrass and velvetleaf: fi rst year results Loddo, Donato; Masin, Roberta; Zanin, Giuseppe University of Padova, ITALY Introduction Cyclic variations of seed dormancy infl uence the range of environmental conditions suitable for germination (Batlla and Benech-Arnold 2004) and aff ect timing and magnitude of fi eld emergence of weed seedlings. Improving the knowledge about environmental control of seed dormancy may allow to create more robust weed emergence model (Forcella et al 2000). Exposure to low temperatures (chilling) is a driving factor for dormancy release of summer annual weeds (Benech-Arnold et al 2000). Weed species may present diff erent sensibility to chilling. Consequently, the exposure to similar periods of winter chilling may cause even contrasting eff ects in terms of magnitude and timing of seedling emergence for diff erent weed species. Materials and methods Field experiments were conducted to analyze the eff ect of chilling duration on seedling emergence for green foxtail (Setaria viridis, SETVI), johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense, SORHA) and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti, ABUTH). Weed seeds were collected in autumn 2008 from spontaneous populations in maize fi elds at Legnaro (northeastern Italy). Seeds were sown on three diff erent dates to expose them to chilling treatments of diff erent duration: 19th November 2008 (long chilling, treatment T1), 29th January 2009 (short chilling, treatment T2) and 3rd March 2009 (no-chilling, treatment T3). Emerged seedlings were counted and removed weekly. Emergence dynamic of each replicate was modeled using a logistic function from which the time of 50% relative emergence (T50) was estimated. T50 was expressed as number of days after 1 January 2009. Factorial ANOVA (P > 0.05) was performed to analyze the eff ect of species, chilling treatment and their interaction on percentage of emerged seedling and T50. Post-hoc multiple comparisons were performed using Tukey HSD test (P > 0.05). Results Factorial ANOVA identifi ed signifi cant eff ects of species, chilling treatment and their interaction on emergence percentage and emergence T50. However, duration of chilling treatment infl uenced seedling emergence of the three species diff erently. Emergence percentage of velvetleaf was reduced by chilling period of long duration with signifi cant diff erences among the three treatments. On the contrary, no diff erences were found for the emergence T50 values. Green foxtail and johnsongrass emergence was promoted by chilling. Green foxtail showed the most relevant response to chilling. Signifi cant diff erences were identifi ed among the three treatments for both percentage and T50 of emergence. Regarding johnsongrass, signifi cant diff erences were detected only between the chilled (T1 and T2) and non-chilled (T3) treatments. Treatment T3 presented indeed signifi cantly lower emergence percentage and later T50. Conclusions Velvetleaf seeds seem to have overcame their physical dormancy after few days of permanence in the soil, while prolonged chilling caused an increasing percentage of seed decay and death. Studying how chilling conditions  hd,  ^ds/  ^KZ,  dϭ dϮ dϯ  dϭ dϮ dϯ  dϭ dϮ dϯ             DZ'Eй ϯϱ͘ϳĐ ϱϬ͘ϯď ϲϯ͘ϬĂ ϱϵ͘ϯĂ ϰϵ͘ϯď ϮϬ͘ϳĐ ϯϱ͘ϯĂ ϰϭ͘ϯĂ ϭϳ͘Ϭď   DZ'EdϱϬ ϵϭ͘ϭĂ ϴϵ͘ϴĂ ϵϭ͘ϮĂ ϵϱ͘ϳĐ ϭϭϭ͘ϵď ϭϰϳ͘ϲĂ ϭϬϭ͘ϵĂ ϭϬϮ͘ϳĂ ϭϭϱ͘ϴď;ϬϮƉƌͿ ;ϬϭƉƌͿ ;ϬϮƉƌͿ ;ϬϳƉƌͿ ;ϮϯƉƌͿ ;ϮϵDĂLJͿ ;ϭϯƉƌͿ ;ϭϰƉƌͿ ;ϮϳƉƌͿ             347 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-47 aff ect velvetleaf seed decay, and consequently magnitude of seedling emergence, could be therefore the central issue to improve emergence models for this species. Moreover, the fi ndings indicate a greater sensibility and requirement of winter chilling for green foxtail than for johnsongrass. Anyway, considering the eff ect of winter chilling could be an appropriate improvement for emergence models for both species. However, further studies are required to replicate this experiment under diff erent environmental conditions. References Batlla D and Benech-Arnold RL 2004. Seed dormancy loss assessed by changes in population hydrotime parameters. Development of a predictive model. Seed Sci. Res. 14, 277-286 Benech-Arnold RL, Sanchez R, Forcella F, Kruk BC and Ghersa CM 2000. Environmental control of dormancy in weed seed banks in soil. Field Crops Res. 67, 105-122 Forcella F, Benech-Arnold RL, Sanchez R and Ghersa CM 2000. Modeling seedling emergence. Field Crops Res. 67, 123-139 348 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-48 Estimation of temperature thresholds of three weed species in maize in central-northern Italy Gasparini, Valentina; Loddo, Donato; Masin, Roberta; Zanin, Giuseppe University of Padova, ITALY Introduction Seedling emergence is a crucial step for an annual weed species and strongly infl uences crop-weed competition. The development of forecasting models to predicting seedling emergence seems to be a promising approach to improve control of weeds. The models are based on thermal or hydrothermal time, thus they quantify the eff ects of temperature and water potential on seed germination. The estimation of the temperature thresholds for seed germination is therefore the fi rst main step for the construction of a emergence predictive model. The aim of this work was to assess the base temperature (Tb) for the germination of three weed species Polygonum aviculare L., Polygonum lapathifolium L., and Solanum nigrum L. Materials and methods Seeds of P. aviculare L., P. lapathifolium L. and S. nigrum L. were collected in autumn at the Experimental Farm of Padova University in Legnaro (N-E Italy). For Tb estimation, three replicates of 100 seeds for each species were incubated at alternating temperatures (12,5/5; 15/5; 17,5/7,5; 20/10; 22,5/12,5; 25/15; 27,5/17,5; 30/20; 32,5/22,5; 35/25 °C) and photoperiod of 12:12 h (light:dark), in plastic Petri dishes on fi lter paper moistened with 10 ml of deionized water. Germination was recorded daily until no further germination occurred for 10 days. The germination time course was analyzed using a logistic function as follows: CG=100/(1+exp(a (ln(t+0,0000001)-ln(b))))⋅  where CG is the percentage of cumulated germination, t is the time (days), a represents the slope of the curve, and b the infl exion point. The time necessary for 50% of germination (b of the curve) was estimated. A linear regression, estimated using the bootstrap method, provided the best fi t of germination rate (reciprocal time to 50%) against incubation temperature (average value of night and day incubation temperatures). The Tb was estimated as the intercept of the regression line with the temperature axis. Results P. aviculare showed the lower base temperature, 2.0±0.98 °C (table 1). The low Tb of P. aviculare is con fi rmed by Batlla and Benech-Arnold (2003) who used a Tb of 0 °C to develop a thermal time model for this species in Buenos Aires area (Argentina). The Tb of P. lapathifolium resulted 4.7±0.49 °C (table 1), 1 °C lower than the value estimated by Gardarin et al. (2010) from a French population (5.8 °C). S. nigrum had Tb of 10±1.76 °C. The literature reports diff erent values for this species: Guillemin et al. (2008) in the Dijon area (France) found a Tb of 11.5 °C, while Tb between 7.5°C and 10°C was found by Del Monte and Tarquis (1997) for three diff erent seed lots of S. nigrum. Table 1. Base temperatures estimated with the bootstrap method, variation interval (confi dence level 95%), and coeffi cient of variation r2. ’‡…‹‡• „ ȋιȌ ά˜ƒ”Ǥ ‹–‡”˜ƒŽ ”ʹ Polygonum aviculare ʹǤͲ ͲǤͻͺ ͲǤͻͲ Polygonum lapathifolium ͶǤ͹ ͲǤͶͻ ͲǤͻ͸ Solanum nigrum ͳͲǤͲ ͳǤ͹͸ ͲǤͺͶ Conclusions The methodology of Tb estimation using germination test with alternating temperatures provided satisfactory results even with species characterized by seed dormancy. Thus, it may be adopted to improve the estimation of Tb for other dormant species which often reach low germination percentage at constant temperatures. 349 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-48 References Batlla D, Benech-Arnold RL (2003) A quantitative analysis of dormancy loss dynamics in Polygonum aviculare L. seeds: development of a thermal time model based on changes in seed population thermal parameters Seed Sci. Res. 13: 55–68. Del Monte L.P., Tarquis A.M. (1997) The role of temperature in the seed germination of two species of the Solanum nigrum complex. J. Exp. Bot. 48 (12): 2087- 2093. Gardarin A, Garuillemin JP, Munier-Jolain NM, Colbach N (2010) Estimation of key parameters for weed population dynamics models: Base temperature and base water potential for germination. Eur. J. Agron. 32: 162–168. Guillemin JP, Reibel C, Granger G (2008) Evaluation of base temperature of several weed species. 5th International weed science congress, IWSS, Vancouver, Canada. 350 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-49 Seed bank dynamics in crop rotations and temporary grasslands Médiène, Saϐia1; Decock, Simon2; Charrier, Xavier2 1AgroParisTech, FRANCE; 2INRA, FRANCE Introduction Several studies showed important roles of temporary grasslands in agronomical issues by modifying weed community structure qualitatively and/or quantitatively of the emerged fl ora and seed bank (Bellinder et al., 2004; Meiss et al. 2010). We hypothesized that this impact depends on weed community structure and dynamics in temporary grasslands. This study focuses on the impact of temporary grassland on weed fl ora considering more specifi cally seed bank. The results present initial weed seed bank abundance and diversity and after three years of crop rotation or grassland cover. Materials and methods Seed bank observations are realized in the long term experiment SOERE ACBB (Observatory and Experimental System for Environmental Research - Agroecosystems, Biogeochemical Cycles, and Biodiversity) initiated in 2005. Experimental design is composed of 4 blocks subdivided in 5 plots (0.4 ha). Five treatments are randomly applied per block. The treatments are diff erentiated by duration of grasslands from 0 (only crop rotation with maize/wheat/ barley) to 20 years. The plant composition of grasslands is a mixture of Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea and Dactylis glomerata. Seed bank is measured every 3 years in three treatments (two with crop rotations and one with grassland cover). Soil seed bank was sampled in a square of 1 m2 at six random locations in each plot. Five soil cores (6,8 cm diameter, 30 cm depth, one core per corner and one in the centre) were sampled in each location. Seeds were separated from soil to be placed in germination conditions. The emerging plants were identifi ed and counted. Finally, the soil is removed and viable seeds remaining were identifi ed and counted. Species richness (S), abundance (A), and diversity indexes, namely Shannon (H) and Piélou evenness (J) indexes, were computed from seed bank data at the location level. Abundance (number of seeds m-2) was calculated by adding up the total number of seeds per core and dividing by core surface. Non parametric analysis was performed for A, S, H and J distribution comparison between crop and grassland treatments (Wilcoxon test). Canonical discriminant analysis was used to represent seed bank composition changes in crop and grassland treatments. Results All variables signifi cantly increased between 2005 and 2008 in both treatments (except for H and J in grasslands that remained stable) (Figure 1). The most important increase was observed for A and S in grasslands. A, S, H and J showed great variability in both crops and grasslands. CDA indicated quite similar seed bank composition at the beginning of the experiment (Figure 2). Then, it seemed to diff er in crop and grassland treatments. Changes were due to several species: Capsella bursa-pastoris, Veronica hederifolia, Polygonum aviculare and Trifolium sp. in grasslands and Solanum nigrum, Amaranthus sp. and Poa trivialis in crops. Discussion Seed bank in our study presents higher abundances than in previous studies (Bellinder et al., 2004) because our methodology allow to estimate both germinated and non germinated seeds. Grasslands do not prevent abundance increase as expected in our hypothesis. Diversity indexes are low, especially J due to the dominance of two species Polygonum aviculare and Juncus bufonius. Grassland duration (three years in our study) seems not to be suffi cient to improve these variables. Nevertheless, seed bank composition changes between crops and grasslands due to the discrimination of particular species. Functional analysis is required to characterize and explain response of seed bank species to agroenvironnemental conditions. References Bellinder, R. R., Dillard, H. R., and Shah, D. A. (2004). Weed seedbank community responses to crop rotation schemes. Crop protection 23, 95-101. Meiss H., Médiène S., Waldhart R., Caneill J., Bretagnolle V., Reboud X., Munier-Jolain N. (2010). Perennial lucerne aff ects weed community trajectories in grain crop rotations. Weed Research 50, 331-340. 351 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-49 352 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-50 Improving stress tolerance of plants using benefi cial bacteria Meijer, Johan; Bejai, Sarosh; Johansson, Anna; Asari, Shashidar; Leelarasamee, Natthanon; Amein, Tahsein; Niazi, Adnan; Manzoor, Shahid; Bongcam-Rudloff, Erik Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SWEDEN To support food safety and food security, durable solutions for crop protection and improved stress control are needed. Use of benefi cial bacteria that support the plant is one strategy employed to achieve these goals. Certain microorganisms can promote plant growth (e.g. plant growth promoting bacteria, PGPB) and/or provide stress tolerance. Plant protection by benefi cial microorganisms can be due to factors like competition with pathogens for space and nutrients, production of antibiotics or indirectly by priming of plant defence. Priming somehow precondition plants to respond more rapidly and strongly upon stress challenge. Primed plant defense to pathogens has been referred to as induced systemic resistance (lSR) and seems to depend on signaling by jasmonic acid and ethylene, but not salicylic acid in contrast to the classical SAR. Priming seems to be associated with a low fi tness cost for the plant. We are exploring the use of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains to support crop production, mainly oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), by making plants more resistant to abiotic and biotic stress. Earlier we have demonstrated protection of oilseed rape from fungal pathogens by benefi cial bacteria (Danielsson et al. 2007), that Bacillus priming seems based on ISR (Sarosh et al. 2009) and also abiotic stress protection for wheat (Abd El-Daim et al., submitted). Earlier screens have reduced the number of control bacteria to a set of genetically closely related Bacillus strains that show diff erent stress protection properties. By using these strains we aim to gain a better understanding of their functional properties especially in combination with the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana because of its advanced molecular tool box. Several diff erent steps are obviously needed to establish plant-bacterial interactions and we want to understand diff erent stages ranging from chemotaxis to priming of stress tolerance. This includes studies of both plants and bacteria with respect to e.g. exudates, volatiles and eff ectors. Use of diff erent plant genotypes provides information about plant properties that play a role for a benefi cial interaction and may be used for breeding. Recently the genomes of several Bacillus strains were sequenced and are annotated to get more information about which genes that are present and may help to explain phenotypic diff erences. Future experiments include RNA sequencing analysis to study which genes that are expressed during diff erent stages of plant-Bacillus interaction and also metagenomics analysis to study the eff ects of biocontrol agents on the soil microbiota. Ideally we should also be able to create mutants of biocontrol bacteria and plants to study gene function. The studies are supported by FORMAS, SI and HEC-Pakistan. 353 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-50 354 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-51 Eff ect of UK wheat cultivar, inoculation timing and anther extension on Fusarium head blight severity, DON concentration and yield under heat stress Okereke, Victor; Gooding, Mike; Jones, Hannah University of Reading, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by F. graminearum can signifi cantly compromise both yield and quality due to contamination of grains with mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) (Yoshida et al., 2007). There are confl icting reports as to the role of wheat anthers in FHB infection; some authors have indicated that anthers play a signifi cant part in FHB infection (Pugh et al., 1933). With climate change scenarios, there is a need to understand the interactions between heat stress on FHB infection, mycotoxin production and fl owering biology (Chakraborty and Newton, 2011). Materials and methods The design was a complete factorial combination of 8 cultivars, 9 inoculation treatments , 2 temperature regimes and 3 randomised replications. The cultivars (Alchemy, Claire, Gallant, Kingdom, Oakley, Soissons, Solstice and Xi19) were planted in 12.5 cm plastic pots on 28/01/2010. Plants were thinned to three plants per pot and male fl owers assessed for anther extension at the start of fl owering. Inoculation treatments used F. graminearum (5 x 105 spores/ml) isolated from maize. Four of the treatments were Fusarium applied; to the ears at the start of anthesis (Zadoks GS 61); or four days later; or eight days later; or on all three occasions and control pots were sprayed with sterile distilled water (SDW) at the same timings. The other treatment was an unsprayed control, used for fi ne scoring of fl ower maturity. The 2 temperature regimes were achieved by transferring pots to cabinets set at either 23/15°C (ambient)or 28/20 ° C (hot) (day/night, 16 h day) seven days after spray treatment, for a duration of 14 days and FHB severity were assessed on a 1-9 scale. Results Cultivar diff erences in anther extension were associated with FHB susceptibility, with most anthers extended at 4 days after GS 61. This corresponds to the mid- anthesis and was the most eff ective spray timing for inducing FHB infection in most cultivars with Soissons and Oakley being the least and most susceptible cultivar respectively. Average FHB severity increased with the higher temperature. Except for Claire and Gallant, DON contamination exceeded the 1.25ppm DON European Union limit for bread wheat under the heat stress condition. Fig. 1 Susceptibility of UK winter wheat varieties towards Fusarium Head blight incubated in growth cabinets at 23/15oC (ambient) and 28/20oC (hot) under 16 hour light. 355 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-51 Under heat stress condition, higher DON concentrations were produced particularly in Oakley, Solstice, Soissons and Xi19. The inoculated susceptible cultivar Oakley had signifi cant grain abortion under heat stress when compared to the uninoculated control. A signifi cant positive correlation was observed between FHB severity and anther extension of cultivars, while FHB severity and DON concentration showed no signifi cant relationship. Conclusions Our results have obvious implication for FHB infection in the changing climate. Fusarium infection in susceptible wheat cultivars could exacerbate problems of poor grain set in wheat following high temperature stress. Claire shows moderate susceptibility but rather low DON accumulation, a useful trait for further breeding. Fig. 2 Accumulation of DON (deoxynivalenol) in the kernels after harvest. DON was analysed using ELISA test kit. Breeders should also consider heat tolerance cultivars when assessing wheat cultivars for FHB resistance. References Chakraborty, S., Newton, A.C. (2011). Plant Pathology 60: 2-14. Pugh, G.W., Jojann, H., Dickson, J.G. (1933). J. of Agric Res. 46: 771-779. Yoshida, M.,Kawada, N., Nakajima, T. (2007). Phytopathology 97: 1054-1064. 356 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-52 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 A B C D V al ue o f A U D P C 2010 2011 Fig. 1. Development of tan spot depending on crop rotation and soil tillage system, average in 2009 - 2011: A - wheat after wheat with ploughing; B - wheat after wheat without ploughing; C - other pre- crop with ploughing; D - other pre-crop without ploughing. Development of winter wheat leaf diseases depending on soil tillage system and pre-crops Priekule, Ilze1; Ruza, Antons2; Bankina, Biruta2; Bimsteine, Gunita2 1Latvian Plant Protection Research Centre Ltd, LATVIA; 2Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA Introduction Winter wheat is one of the most profi table crops in Latvia. Minimum soil tillage and monoculture are becoming more widespread in Latvia. Most of the causal agents of winter wheat leaf diseases survive in crop debris, therefore an increase of disease development is possible under conditions of minimum soil tillage and monoculture of wheat (Carignano et al., 2008). The aim of the investigations was to evaluate the development of winter wheat leaf diseases depending on soil tillage and crop rotation. Materials and methods A long-term fi eld experiment was established at the Study and Research Farm «Peterlauki» of the Latvia University of Agriculture in the autumn 2008. Two-factor trials were established: A — soil tillage: 1) conventional - ploughing (0.22 – 0.23 m) with mouldboard plough, 2) minimal —shallow (0.10 –0.12 m) tillage with disc harrow; B — crop rotation: 1) wheat after wheat, 2) wheat after non-wheat. Severity of diseases was determined during the vegetation season, and AUDPC (area under disease progress curve) were calculated (Kranz, 2001). Results and discussion Tan spot (caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis) and septoria leaf blotch (caused by Septoria tritici) were the most harmful and widespread winter wheat leaf diseases in the research period. Severity of mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis) was lower than 1%, rusts ( Puccinia triticina and Puccinia striiformis) were observed sporadically. Pre-crop and soil tillage methods infl uenced severity of the fi rst symptoms of tan spot, average severity in the fi elds of wheat monoculture without ploughing reached 9.5% at the stage of stem elongation (BBCH 31–34), in other variants severity was less than 2.0%. Occurrence of the symptoms of other diseases did not depend on agronomical measures. Severity of tan spot development varied among years, but tendencies of disease progression were clearly estimated. The value of AUDPC gives full impression about the impact of the disease during the vegetation season. Soil tillage infl uenced development of tan spot, severity of the disease was lower in variants where conventional ploughing was used. Nevertheless, the most signifi cant factor increasing the risk of tan spot was the lack of crop rotation (Fig. 1). 357 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-52 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 A B C D V al ue o f A U D P C Fig. 2. Development of septoria leaf blotch depending on crop rotation and soil tillage system, in 2010: A - wheat after wheat with ploughing; B - wheat after wheat without ploughing; C - other pre-crop with ploughing; D - other pre-crop without ploughing. Similar results have been obtained in Denmark, where the level of disease was higher in plots with non-ploughing tillage (Jørgensen & Olsen, 2007). In our investigations, agronomically important spread of septoria leaf blotch was observed only in 2010. The results of a single year are not completely suffi cient to evaluate the infl uence of agronomical factors, but some tendency of an increasing disease development in wheat re-sowings was observed (Fig. 2). Conclusions Further investigations are necessary to evaluate the risk of wheat monoculture and the infl uence of minimal tillage on the development of wheat diseases. The three-year trial period clearly showed the risk of the development of harmful organisms under conditions of lack of crop rotation as well as the possible negative impact of minimal soil tillage. It is necessary to evaluate carefully and in detail the positive and negative consequences of these technologies. Another open question is the possibility of including or not including the minimal tillage in the system of integrated plant production. References Carignano M, Staggenborg SA, Shroyer JP (2008) Management practices to minimize tan spot in a continuous wheat rotation. Agronomy Journal, 100: 145- 153. Jørgensen LN, Olsen LV. (2007) Control of tan spot (Drechslera tritici-repentis) using cultivar resistance, tillage methods and fungicides. Crop protection, 26: 1606 – 1616. Kranz J (2001) Comparative epidemiology of plant diseases. Springer, 206. p. Acknowledgements The research was supported by the grant of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 070410/S36 «In fl uence of minimal soil tillage on its fertility maintenance, development and distribution of pests as well as crops yield and quality in re-sowings». 358 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-53 Eff ect of tillage systems on weed community present in a winter cereal fi eld from 1995 and fi fteen years later Santín-Montanyá, M. I.; Zambrana-Quesada, E.; Tenorio-Pasamón, J.L. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), SPAIN Introduction The selections of weeds are constantly evolving in response to crop management practices. In drier areas, the most common soil tillage practice in recent decades has been minimum tillage, with minimal (25%) soil disturbance associated with seeding. In these conditions, Papaveraceae weed family (poppies) had been often observed in winter cereals crops (Torrá et al., 2010). In this study, the infl uence of three tillage systems on weed community, and poppies, were evaluated in a semi-arid agro system over fi fteen years in continuous winter cereal cropping. Materials and methods The study was conducted at the INIA experimental farm “La Canaleja” located in Alcala de Henares (Madrid). The experimental site is characterized by a semiarid continental climate, with an average annual rainfall of 470 mm. The experiment was started to assess the eff ects of three tillage systems on weed community: direct drilling (no-tillage, NT); chisel ploughing (minimum tillage 15 cm depth, MT) and mouldboard ploughing (traditional tillage 25 cm depth, CT). This paper compares the weed density recorded in 1995 and the observed between the years 2007-2010 in a fi eld in continuous winter cereal cropping. Figure 1 shows the deviation from monthly average precipitation each year. The experiment consisted in a fi eld (0.3 ha) divided in four randomized complete blocks with three diff erent tillage systems and four replications. Analysis of variance was carried out on total weed density, relative density of poppies and biomass for the eff ect of the tillage system and year. All statistical analyses were performed using the software package STATGRAPHICS ®. Results and discussion The weed community in this experiment was comprised by species typical of fi elds in the area. Partitioning of Table 1. Analysis of the effect of tillage system and year on total weed density, poppies density (plants.m-2)a, aboveground weed biomass (g.m-2)a and comparison of mean values in winter cereal crop. Source Total density Papaveraceae Dry biomass F-Ratio p-value F-Ratio p-value F-Ratio p-value Year 19.79 0.0000 11.18 0.0001 25.27 0.0000 Tillage System 8.25 0.0005 3.75 0.0287 7.35 0.0011 Year x Tillage System 6.60 0.0000 1.29 0.2647 2.12 0.0417 Tillage System b Total density Papaveraceae Dry biomass Conventional Tillage 9.17a 3.26 a 5.14 a Minimun Tillage 12.21 b 4.87 b 8.05 b No Tillage 10.09 a 3.90 ab 6.43 ab Year b Total density Papaveraceae Dry biomass 1994-1995 5.39 a 1.92 a 1.17 a 2006-2007 9.98 b 4.07 ab 4.88 b 2007-2008 10.36 b 2.57 ab 6.51 b 2008-2009 14.79 c 6.33 c 10.44 c 2009-2010 11.92 b 5.16 bc 9.68 c a Data values were transformed (sqrt) prior analysis b In each column means (back transformed) with different letters are significantly different at P=0.05 (Tukey HSD Test) 359 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-53 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 Oc Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun M on th ly de via tio n f ro m av er ag e p re cip ita tio n (m m ) 1994-1995 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 Figure1. Monthly deviation from averaged precipitation (mm) the variance showed that tillage systems were the most important factor in determining total weed density (45.12%) and the e ff ect of year accounted for 12% of the total variance (data not shown). Our results confi rmed that tillage systems had infl uence on weed community in the fi eld. After fi fteen years of three tillage systems used in continuous winter cereal cropping, total weed density, poppies density and dry biomass of weeds present in minimum tillage were signifi cantly higher than other systems (Table 1). According to our results, the research performed in this sense, have showed the tillage infl uence on weed composition and have described a long-term dependency to tillage system (Mas & Verdú, 2003). In this study, we observed an increased presence of papaveraceae weeds in 2009, exceeding 40% of the total weed density in minimum tillage system despite the lack of spring rainfall. The lesser degree of soil disturbance and the water soil content under minimum tillage generally results in an increase in the occurrence of poppies confi rming an extended germination period and therefore it is diffi cult to control in arable cropping systems. Conclusions The fl uctuations in total weed density and dry biomass after fi fteen years in a fi eld with continuous winter cereal cropping showed a clear infl uence of tillage systems. In this sense, minimum tillage contributed to increase the total weed density and their biomass. This system could have favoured the relative abundance of papaveraceae weeds. Therefore, in minimum tillage it could be necessary a monitoring weeds species to prevent the development of problematic weeds to long term. References Mas, M.T. & Verdu, A.M.C. (2003) Tillage system e ff ects on weed communities in a 4-year crop rotation under Mediterranean dryland conditions. Soil & Tillage Research 74, 15-24. Torrá, J.; Cirujeda, A., Recasens, J.; Taberner, A. & Powles, S.B. (2010). PIM (Poppy Integrated Management): a bio- economic decision support model for the management of Papaver rhoeas in rain-fed cropping systems. Weed Research 50, 127-139. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by Project RTA2010- 006-C03-02. We are grateful to members of the farm “La Canaleja” for helping managing the experiment. 360 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-54 Intercropping of pea and cereal - alternative method for weed control in an organic agriculture Sarunaite, Lina; Deveikyte, Irena; Kadziuliene, Zydre Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, LITHUANIA Introduction Many technological tools have been developed to enhance the competitive ability and productivity of agricultural and horticultural systems. Most weeds can be destroyed by herbicides, but this method brings drawbacks of selection pressure for herbicide resistance. Weed management is a key issue in organic farming system (Barberi, 2002). Mechanical weed control, the major alternative to herbicide use, also has negative environmental impacts due to energy consumption and additional traffi c on fi elds. There is a great need to develop alternative methods for weed management. More attention should be paid to the development of cropping systems in which crops themselves are better able to compete with weeds (Mohler, 2001). The aim of this study was to determine the consistent pattern of intercrop productivity and competitive ability against weeds. Materials and methods The experiments were conducted in four subsequent seasons during 2007–2010 at the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (55˚24’N, 23 ˚51’E). The experimental plots were laid out in a single-factor randomized complete block design. Triticum aestivum L., Hordeum vulgare L., Avena sativa L. and x Triticosecale Wittm. were grown as sole crops and intercrops with Pisum sativum L. The intercrop design was based on the proportional replacement principle, with mixed pea grain and spring cereal grain at the same depth in the same rows at relative frequencies of half of the sole crops densities of each species (0.50:0.50). The air-dry mass, number and species of weeds were determined in an area of 0.25 m2 in 4 settled places per plot at cereal growth stages of stem elongation and grain fi lling. The weed mass was weighed after separated weed species were dried in a natural condition and presented as air-dry mass. In order to normalize the data, the air-dry biomass of weeds was transformed to square root (x+1). Results and Discussion The total air-dry biomass of weeds was signifi cantly less in cereal sole crops and intercrops than in the pea sole crop (Figure 1). There was little diff erence in the weed suppression of the cereal sole crops. With the exception of the pea-triticale intercrop and the pea sole crop, the biomass of annual weeds was less than that of perennial weeds. The weed biomass was greater in each cereal-pea intercrop than in the corresponding cereal sole crop and the increase came mainly in the perennial component. Reduction of mass per weed decreases their viability and number of mature seeds (Liebman and Davis, 2009). When weed pressure is high, reduced weed air-dry mass translates directly into grain yield (Weiner et al., 2001). Figure 1. The infl uence of intercrops on the air-dry biomass of weed functional groups 361 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-54 Conclusions Intercropping with cereals signifi cantly reduced the total and annual weed air-dry biomass in pea. The reduction of weed mass was primarily that of annual weeds. According to reduction of weed number and air-dry mass crop groups can be ranked in the following order: pea > pea/cereal intercrops > cereal. Consistent and signi fi cant reduction of weed air-dry biomass was determined in pea/oat intercrop. References Barberi P. 2002 Weed management in organic agriculture: Are we addressing the right issues? Weed Res. 42: 177–193. Liebman M., Davis A.S. 2009 Managing weeds in organic farming systems: an ecological approach. Organic Farming: The Ecological System. C.A. Francis ed.; American Society of Agronomy: Madison, pp 173–196. Mohler C.L. 2001 Enhancing the competitive ability of crops. Ecological Management of Agricultural Weeds, Liebman M., Mohler C.L., Staver, C.P. eds.; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, pp 1231–1269. Weiner J., Griepentrog H. W., Keistensen L. 2001 Suppression of weeds by spring wheat Triticum aestivum increases with crop density and spatial uniformity. J Appl Ecol. 38: 784–790. 362 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-55 New tasks in crop protection in Lithuania Semaskiene, Roma; Deveikyte, Irena Lithuanian research centre for Agriculture and forestry, LITHUANIA A critical component of agricultural production is the management of insect pests, diseases and weeds. Diseases and pests can destroy over 50 percent of crop production and reduce its quality. Weed damage not only aff ects yield, but also increases the cost of harvesting. New farming technologies are based on reduced tillage, and mono-cropping is becoming increasingly common in conventional farms in Lithuania. These changes have altered the spectrum of undesirable organisms. Some diseases and pest outbreaks, changes in pathogens, pests and weed populations have been observed in recent years. Leaf spotting diseases (Mycospharella graminicola, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, Phaeosphaeria nodorum) are now dominate in winter wheat crops, whereas 20-25 years ago powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis), Stagonospora leaf blotch (P. nodorum), yellow and brown rust (Puccinia recondita and P. striiformis) prevailed. Ramularia leaf spot (Ramularia collo-cygni) has become more common in spring barley in recent years. Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) and Phoma stem canker (Leptosphaeria spp.) are plant pathogens that cause severe attacks nearly every year and give signifi cant yield losses in oilseed rape, because the area of this crop has greatly increased in Lithuania and close rotations are common in many farms. Alternaria spot caused by Alternaria spp. is another important disease of oilseed rape, especially in spring-sown crops. Changes in weed species are seen also. Broad-leaved weeds dominated 30-40 years ago. Grass weed have become an increasingly important feature, especially in cereal crops. Control measures for Apera spica-venti and Avena fatua require special attention. Among the broad- leaved weeds, Lamium purpureum is more common in cereals in Lithuania where it has benefi ted from the control of more competitive weeds. Comprehensive research has been done on the development and evaluation of pest control measures in Lithuania. Some research has been focused on the integration of several control strategies. Nevertheless, the latest developments in crop production technologies, changes in pest population structures, the infl uence of warming climate on pests in many-agro-ecosystems, pesticide resistance, and other related issues pose new questions for research in the fi eld of crop protection. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been an important issue for a long time in many countries including Lithuania but the new EU directive (2009/128/EC) pushed the IPM development more intensively. The IPM is a program of prevention, monitoring, and control, which off ers the opportunity to eliminate or drastically reduce the use of pesticides. The goal of the IPM is not to eliminate all pests. Rather, its aim is to reduce pest populations to less than damaging numbers. Research eff orts should be concentrated in order to keep track of changes over time and continuously improve recommendations for Lithuanian farmers. 363 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-55 364 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-56 Spring wheat disease and yield responses to nitrogen fertilization and chemical treatment Sooväli, Pille; Kangor, Tiia; Koppel, Reine; Ingver, Anne; Tamm, Ilmar Jõgeva Plant Breeding Institute, ESTONIA Introduction High rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizers have indicated to induce foliar diseases. Less attention has been paid to the infl uence of the eff ect of growth regulators and leaf fertilizers on fungal pathogens. In our study we assessed the eff ects of basic fertilizer rates, diff erent fungicides, leaf fertilizers, and growth regulators on spring wheat monoculture. We observed the appearance of foliar diseases and the eff ects of diff erent variants on crop yield and economic profi tability. Materials and methods Field trials were carried out during 2006-2008 in Jõgeva PBI. Spring wheat monoculture was cultivated. Seeds of the varieties `Monsun´ and `Vinjett´ were untreated. We used two kinds of treatments: T1 consisted of 4 diff erent rates of basic fertilizer: N0=N0P0K0; N1=N60P13K23; N2=N100P22K39; N3=N140P31K54 kg ha¯¹. T2 treatment consisted of same rates of basic fertilizers and in addition growth regulator, fungicides and leaf fertilizers. Foliar diseases were assessed visually on each plot in 10 randomly selected places on two upper leaves on three adjacent tillers 3 and 6 weeks after fungicide application. The net yield kg ha-1 was calculated by subtracting the amount of grain equal to the cost of inputs and its application from the harvest yield to analyze the economic benefi t of inputs. The data were subjected to factorial ANOVA. Results Results of ANOVA indicated that in the basic fertilization conditions (T1) the severity of B. graminis infection correlated highly with weather conditions of the year and with a variety (Table 1). Results of the eff ects of fertilizers on the infections of fungal diseases on spring wheat monoculture revealed that test years had the biggest infl uence on infection intensity of B. graminis (R²Y=50.7-59.2) in T1 and T2 and on P.tritici-repentis in T2 (R²Y=31.6), whereas infection of C. sativus was more dependent on year in T1 (R²Y =37.3). Tan spot infection appeared in T1 N0 level every year. Genotype appeared to have high infl uence to tan spot in T2, which was similar to B. graminis in T1, but the highest infl uence has fertilizer level. Although the appearance of tan spot infection was low in T1, the relationship between the infection and fertilizer rate was statistically signifi cant (R²F=30.6). 365 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-56 Yield correlated highly with a fertilizer rate and year. In the treatment T2 the yield depended more on weather conditions (R²Y=40.7) and in T1 the yield was more dependent on fertilization rate (R²F=0.62). We found T1 to be more economic as the optimum nitrogen rate varied from N 60 kg ha¯¹ to N 100 kg ha¯¹ and the benefi t in monetary terms raised from 297 € ha¯¹ (`Monsun´ 2007) to 905 € ha¯¹ (‘Vinjett’ 2008). In T2 N rate 60 kg ha¯¹ raised the monetary bene fi t from 80 € ha¯¹ (‘Monsun’ 2007) to 731 € ha¯¹ (‘Vinjett’ 2008) (Table 2). The high price of inputs reduced the profi t in the case of fertilizer N rates of 100 and 140 kg ha-¹ during 2007 when disease severity was low throughout the whole growth season. The cost of applications exceeded the benefi t from 104 to 271 € ha¯¹. The highest economic pro fi t was gained by using low rates of fertilizer for ‘Monsun’ and higher rates of fertilizer for ‘Vinjett’. Conclusions The results of this study clearly suggest that weather conditions of the year, intensity of agro-techniques and the interaction between these two have a signifi cant infl uence on the appearance of foliar diseases. Although the infections were dependent on genotype as well, this factor had lesser eff ect. The prevalence of tan spot was also highest in low input variants. Powdery mildew was more detected in medium basic fertilization with chemical applications and spot blotch was more infl uenced by basic fertilization conditions. In the conditions of intensive use of leaf fertilizers, growth regulator, and fungicides the crop yield was more infl uenced by year, whereas in less intensive treatment the yield was more infl uenced by fertilization. 366 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-57 Seed propagation at very low density is eff ective in reducing the load of seed-borne viruses in lentil Kargiotidou, Anastasia1; Chatzivassilliou, Elisavet2; Sinapidou, Evangelia1; Tzantarmas, Constantinos3; Tokatlidis, Ioannis1 1Democritus University of Thrace, GREECE; 2Agricultural Universtity of Athens, GREECE; 3Democritus University, GREECE Introduction Lentil (Lens culinaris) can suff er extensive crop losses from infections from a wide range of viruses. Among them the insect-transmitted Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), Broad bean stain virus (BBSV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Pea seed- borne mosaic virus (PSbMV) are also seed-borne. Seed propagation is usually conducted without any selection at plant densities similar or slightly lower than those used for commercial purposes. However, it has been shown that very low planting densities allow plants to reach maximum growth and grain yield but may also facilitate the identifi cation of virus-infected plants (Makkouk and Kumari, 2009). We investigated the hypothesis that early multiplication at very low density could allow the detection of plants emerging from infected seeds; under those circumstances, seed collection only from healthy and high yielding plants may constitute an eff ective practice to produce a seed stock with reduced virus load. Materials and methods A fi eld experiment including 1088 isolated plants (1.15 plants/m2) of a commercially cultivated landrace was established according to the honeycomb method (Fasoulas and Fasoula, 1995). The 100 highest yielding, symptomless plants were selected and their seeds were mixed to form the 1st-cycle sister population (1CSP). The following season, the same planting method and selection procedure was applied on 600 1CSP plants to form the 2nd-cycle sister population (2CSP). The 1CSP and 2CSP were also evaluated at the farming density of 160 plants/ m2 in a randomized complete block (RCB) replicated four times. In order to detect the presence of seed-borne viruses, seedlings were produced in the greenhouse and tested by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). y = 0.31x - 1.98 R² = 0.96 y = 5.87x0.35 R² = 0.52 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Se ed ra te (% w .w .) fro m in fe ct ed w ith BY M V pl an ts (Ŷ ) Pl an t n um be r i nf ec te d w ith B YM W (Ƒ ) Number of the 1CSP highest yielding plants forming the 2CSP Fig. 1. The relation of the number of 1CSP highest yielding plants selected to contribute to the 2CSP with either the number of plants infected with BYMV (or their seed contribution in the formation of 2CSP. The linear correlation is significant (r=0.67, P<0.001) 367 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-57 Results and discussion Using virus-free seeds is crucial in legumes. In this study 12% of the mother population seeds were infected by PSbMV. Infected seed is the primary source of PSbMV for an effi cient spread by transient aphid species resulting in extreme losses (Coutts et al., 2009). After a selection round, PSbMV was detected in only one plant and eliminated afterwards. In the same way, viruses not present in the source material (BYMV, AMV), so originating from surrounding crops and invading the seeds, were also eliminated. The impact of the applied methodology is highlighted by the signifi cant positive linear correlation (r=0.98, P<0.001) that was found between the number of the selected 1CSP plants to form the 2CSP and the number of them found positive for the BYMV. Contribution of these infected plants in the total seed weight of all the selected plants was also positively correlated to the number of selected plants (Fig. 1). Furthermore, evaluation of the sister populations showed that the mean yield per plant of the 2CSP was 128% higher than the respective one of the initial landrace, while at farming density conditions both sister populations gave higher grain yield by 6 and 9% respectively compared to the mother landrace. Conclusions The results suggest that ultra-low densities facilitate the identifi cation of virus-free plants. In combination with the higher grain yield of the sister populations, they indicate that seed reproduction fi rstly at an ultra-low density to improve the sanitary status and then at dense stand to increase the amount of produced seed at the required levels could be an eff ective strategy for improved lentil seed production. Acknowledgements A work co-fi nanced by EU and Greek funds through the program THALIS-DUTH-LENTILBREED References Coutts BA et al. (2009). Phytopathology, 99:1156-1167. Fasoulas AC, Fasoula VA (1995). Plant Breed Rev, 13:87–139. Makkouk KM, Kumari SG (2009). Virus Res, 141:209–218. 368 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-58 Table 1. Previous crops and soil characteristics of experimental field trials of maize during 2001 - 2011 Previous crop Maize Spring barley Winter wheat Fallow Spring wheat Winter oilseed rape Pea Number of trials 5 8 8 2 1 1 1 Soil type loam loam, silt loam loam, silt loam sandy clay loam loam clay silt loam pH (KCl) 5.5-6.9 7.0-7.1 6.8- 7.0 7.3 7.0 7.0 6.9 Organic matter (%) 1.9-2.3 2.1- 3.2 2.0- 2.9 1.9 2.0 2.3 1.7 Determination of the dominant weed species in maize during past 10 years in Latvia Vanaga, Ineta Latvian Plant Protection Research Centre Ltd, LATVIA Introduction Among the sown crops in Latvia, the area of maize increased gradually during the past 10 years (2002: 1.2 thousand ha; 2011: 10 thousand ha). Currently maize is grown not only for corn silage as a highly productive animal feed, but also for biomass to produce biogas. In growing the crop as an energy source it has become more and more important to achieve high yields of high-quality green biomass. Weed control has an important place in this production as weeds compete with the crop for nutrients, water and light and adversely aff ect the quality of the crop. Materials and methods The fi eld trials were carried out in the Jelgava and Dobele municipality. All the fi eld trials were arranged in randomized blocks with four replicates; plot size: 15-30 m² . Assessments of the weeds were done during the third 10-day period of June or the fi rst 10-day period of July. Counts of weed species were done in the untreated plots at 3 random places. A rank for frequency of occurrence was assigned to each species based on relative density (plants m-2). Bayer codes for the recorded species: annuals: Chenopodium album L. (CHEAL); Lamium purpureum L. (LAMPU); Sinapis arvensis L. (SINAR); Capsella bursa- pastoris (L.) Medik.; Thlaspi arvense L. (THLAR); Veronica arvensis L. (VERAR); Galium aparine L. (GALAP). The soil characteristics of the experimental fi eld trials are shown in Table 1. Results and discussion In fi eld trials where the previous crop was maize populations of dicotyledonous weeds in the untreated plots ranged from 95 to 215 plants m-2. The most common species were annual dicot-weed species, but there were also some high populations of perennials like Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop and Plantago major (L.). Where the previous crop was spring barley, no perennials were recorded as dominant weeds and the average numbers of plants were 69 to 600 m -2. The average density of dicot weed plants in the untreated plots ranged from 89 to 208 plants m-2 in the trials where the previous crop was winter wheat. Here perennials like Sonchus arvensis (L.) and Cirsium arvense were assessed among dominant species. Where the previous crop was winter oilseed rape, spring wheat or pea, the average density of dicot weed plants in the untreated plots ranged from 70 to 126 plants m -2 and the perennial Sonchus arvensis occurred at high frequency. The numbers of weed species recorded in each trial ranged from 7 to 24, and from 2 to 7 species were dominant (i.e. accounting for more than 75% of the population). The results of the trials showed that Chenopodium album and Lamium purpureum were among the most frequent weed species (Table 2). 369 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-58 Even where competitive species like Chenopodium album dominated, the total number of other species did not decrease. The biodiversity of weed species was more aff ected by the overall cropping system of the farm and by the weather conditions in the spring (May-June) which was extremely dry in some years (2006, 2008). It was reported from maize trials in Lithuania that a total of 13 weed species was found in the experiments and Chenopodium album was one of the most dominant dicotyledonous weed species (Auskalnienë et al., 2006). The occurrence of Galium aparine has decreased during past 5 years, but in contrast Veronica arvensis increased. Species like Viola arvensis Murray and Tripleurospermum inodorum (L.) Sch.Bip. that are common in cereals, were very rarely seen in the maize trials. Conclusions In the maize trials annual dicotyledonous weeds: Chenopodium album, Lamium purpureum, Sinapis arvensis, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Thlaspi arvense, Veronica arvensis, Galium aparine were determined as the most frequent. The results of fi eld trials in maize have shown that the previous crop was one of the factors infl uencing the infestation level in the fi eld and greatly infl uenced the spectrum of dominant weed species. References Auðskalnienë, O., Auskalnis A. 2006. E ff ect of sulfonylurea herbicides on weeds and maize. Agronomy Research, Special issue, Vol. 4. pp.129-132. Table 2. Previous crops and dominant species of experimental fi eld trials of maize during 2001 - 2011 Previous crop Dominant dicot-weeds according to their rank of occurenceCHEAL LAMPU SINAR CAPBP THLAR VERAR GALAP Maize 1 2 3 4 5 6 >7 Spring barley 3 2 >7 5 4 1 6 Winter wheat 2 1 5 >7 6 3 4 Fallow 2 3 >7 >7 >7 >7 1 Spring wheat >7 3 >7 >7 >7 1 2 Winter oilseed rape 4 1 >7 >7 >7 2 3 Pea 3 1 4 >7 >7 5 2 370 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-59 Impact of diff erent soil treatment and straw farming on weeds in long term spring barley monoculture Winkler, Jan Mendel University in Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC Introduction Long-term application of certain agricultural measures forms specifi c conditions for weeds. Reaction of individual species is diff erent and can be refl ected in a diff erent weed infestation. Materials and methods A fi eld experiment was established on fi eld experimental station at Zabcice (Czech Republic) in 1970. The monoculture of spring barley has been grown in long- term experiment. The experiment consisting of two variants of soil cultivation. The fi rst is conventional soil tillage variant (CT) where soil is ploughed to the depth of 0.22 m and the second is minimal tillage variant (MT) with soil cultivation by discs to the depth 0.12 cm. Moreover there were also three diff erent straw managements – fi rst with straw harvesting (SH), second variant with straw incorporation into soil (SI) and the third where straw was burned (SB) The size of each plot was 5.3 x 7.0 m. The evaluation of actual weed infestation was assessed in the period 2008 – 2011 in spring barley stand. Counting method was applied, the number of weeds was counted on 1 m2 area in 8 replications for each variant of soil tillage, straw management and year. The obtained results were assessed using CCA multidimensional method in program Canoco 4.0 (Ter Braak, 1998). Results During the course of experiment 29 species were found. Mean number of weeds was 12.28 individuals per 1 m2 CT variant. The most frequent species on this variant were Silene noctifl ora (4.16 pcs m -2), Galium aparine (2.61 pcs m-2) and Fallopia convolvulus (1.21 pcs m-2). On MT variant mean number of weeds achieved 17.61 pcs. m -2 and the most frequent species were Galium aparine (12.86 pcs m-2), Fallopia convolvulus (0.98 pcs. m-2) and Lamium amplexicaule (0.94 pcs. m-2). On the fi rst SH variant mean number of weeds was 16.71pcs m -2 and the most frequent species were Galium aparine with 8.02 pcs m-2, Silene noctifl ora (3.50 pcs. m-2) and Microrrhinum minus (1.30 pcs. m-2). The second SI variant was characterized by mean number 19.45 weed species per 1 m2 and Galium aparine (12.66 pcs m -2), Silene noctifl ora (2.17 pcs m-2) and Fallopia convolvulus (1.26 pcs m -2) were the most frequent. Mean number of species 8.67 pcs m -2 and frequent presence of Galium aparine (2.53 pcs m-2), Silene noctifl ora (1.52 pcs m-2) and Lamium amplexicaule (1.33 pcs m-2) characterized the third variant (SB). Results of CCA (P-value = 0.002) suggest that variants with minimal tillage and with straw incorporation enable higher occurrence weed species as follows: Avena fatua, Cirsium arvense and Galium aparine. The variant with conventional tillage and variant with straw harvesting showed higher and more frequent occurrence of weeds Microrrhinum minus, Silene noctifl ora, Veronica persica, V. polita and Viola arvensis. Anagallis arvensis, Fallopia convolvulus, Lamium amplexicaule, L. purpureum, Persicaria lapathifolia and Stellaria media were more numerous and frequent on the variant with straw burning and on the variant with conventional tillage soil. Conclusions Long term application of the diff erent soil cultivation has pronounced impact on species diversity and the intensity of weed infestation. Minimal tillage seems to off er better conditions for higher weed infestation but with lower species diversity. Galium aparine is the pronounced species on this variant. On the contrary lower weed infestation with more weed species were observed on the variant with conventional tillage. The lowest weed infestation was observed on SB variant with burned straw. Pronounced decline of individuals of Galium aparine together with higher occurrence of less noxious species was recorded here. Acknowledgements The results in paper are output of project of Internal Grant Agency, AF MENDELU, No. TP 9/2012. References Ter Braak, CJF. 1998. CANOCO – A FORTRAN program for canonical community ordination by [partial] [detrended] [canonical] correspondence analysis (version 4.0.). Report LWA-88-02 Agricultural Mathematics Group. Wageningen, 1998 371 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-59 372 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-60 Biodiversity of weed fl ora, morphological features and yielding of Miscanthus ssp. cultivated on light and heavy soil Feledyn-Szewczyk, Beata; Staniak, Mariola; Matyka, Mariusz Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation-State Research Institute, POLAND 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 June August June August light soil heavy soil number of weeds % weed cover Fig. 1. Number of weeds (plants∙m-2) and weed cover (%) in miscanthus cultivated on light and heavy soil Introduction The important issue related to the cultivation of energy crops and poorly recognized so far is their impact on environment, including biodiversity. Some authors suggest that cultivation of energy crops increases the diversity of agroecosystems and landscape, but others pay attention that the physical structure of the canopy, the growth rate, applied fertilization cause the energy plant habitats are not conducive to diversity of fl ora and fauna. Due to the unknown eff ects of many plant species used for energy purposes on the environment, there is a need for further intensive study in this fi eld. The aim of the work was assessment of weed fl ora diversity, canopy structure and yield of miscanthus cultivated on two types of soil: light and heavy. Materials and methods The study was carried out on fi elds established in 2003, located in the Experimental Station of IUNG-PIB at Osiny, Lublin region (N:51°28, E:22°4). The research was conducted on two plots of about 200 m2 on light loamy sand and heavy loam. Miscanthus (Miscanthus saccharifl orus Robustus x M. sinensis – M-115) was cultivated at a density of 15 thousand. plants ·ha-1. Weeds were controlled mechanically in the fi rst year after experiment establishment. The analysis of fl ora, started in 2010, was carried out using two methods: frame method (all weed species on the area of 0,5 m2 were counted) and phytosociological releves (percentage cover of weeds on area of 25 m2 was assessed). The surveys were done in mid-June and mid-August. Moreover the analysis of green and dry matter yield of miscanthus, some morphological features and leaf area index (LAI) were carried out. Results The results showed that weed species diversity in miscanthus was dependent on soil type. The biggest number of weed species were noted on heavy soil, where 23 species was found using frame method and 30 species using phytosociological method. on miscanthus cultivated on light soil only 14 weed species were observed, when the analysis were done with frame method and 20 species using phytosociological method. Number of weeds in June was similar on the two types of soils, 66-69 plants·m -2, but in August the number of weeds was on the same level on heavy soil, but 3 times lower on light soil (20 plants· m-2) (fi g.1) Despite of the similar number of weeds 373 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-60 Type of soil Green matter yield (t·ha-1) Dry matter yield (t·ha-1) Number of shoots per plant Shoot length (m) Diameter of shoot (mm) LAI (Leaf area index) Light soil 32,3 23,8 76 2,21 4,21 3,70 Heavy soil 28,3 19,8 103 2,56 6,68 5,30 on heavy and light soil in June, percentage weed cover was lower in miscanthus cultivated on light soil (20%) than on heavy soil (50%). In August the weed cover was lower than in June: 10% of weed cover on light soil and 45% on heavy soil. On heavy soil, species typical for habitat rich in nutrients dominated (e.g. Galinsoga parvifl ora, Chenopodium album, Galeopsis tetrahit, Capsella bursa-pastoris), while on light soil species characteristic for poorer habitat occurred (Conyza canadensis, Viola arvensis, Equisetum arvense). The green and dry matter yield was bigger in miscanthus cultivated on light soil (tab.1). Number of shoots, their length and diameter as well as was leaf area index were higher in miscanthus grown on heavy soil. Conclusions 1.Diversity of weed species in miscanthus was high (20-30 species) and dependent on soil type. 2.Percentage weed cover was higher in miscanthus cultivated on heavy soil in comparison with miscanthus grown on light soil. 3.The green and dry matter yield was bigger in miscanthus grown on light soil. Table 1.The yield and morphological features of miscanthus References 1.Rola J., Sekutowski T., Rola H., Badowski M. Weed problems on the new Miscanthus giganteus plantations. Pam Pu³., 150: 233-246. 2.Sage R., Waltola G., Cunningham M., Bishop J. 2008. Head and around SRC plantations have potential to provide new habitats for plants and butterfl ies on farmland. Aspects of Applied Biology 90, Biomass and Energy Crops III: 303-309. Acknowledgments The research was supported from Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (NN310437738) 374 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-61 Importance of seminatural habitats for biodiversity of organic olive groves in CW Spain Moreno, Gerardo1; Juarez, Enrique1; Lopez-Diaz, María Lourdes1; Pulido, Fernando1; Gonzalez-Bornay, Guillermo1; Diaz, Mario2 1University of Extremadura, SPAIN; 2CSIC, SPAIN Introduction Organic farming systems are expected to have less environmental impact than intensive agriculture, which is dependent on the standard use of pesticides and inorganic nutrient applications in the production of crops and animals. Among other environmental benefi ts, an increase of biodiversity is expected in organic farms compared to conventional farms. However, apart of management practices, the occurrence and abundance of organisms could also depend on the abundance, size and spatial location of diff erent habitats. Materials and methods The EU FP7 research project BIOBIO - Indicators for biodiversity in organic and low-input farming systems has monitored the species richness and abundance of four biological key groups for agroecosystems functioning, plants (primary producers), bees (pollinators), earthworms (detritivores) and spiders (predators) in most representative organic farming system across Europe. Olive groves, with more than 250000 ha cultivated organically in Europe, were studied in Spain, where olive grove is the main organic farm system, with more than 100000 ha. Twenty farms were randomly selected in Central Western Spain (Tierras de Granadilla district; from lat 40.19 to 40.32 and long -6.28 to -6.13), comparing 10 organic farm with 10 conventional ones. The landscape in the district is dominated by olive plantations, with nearly 11,000 ha of olive plantations (83% of the croplands and 16.2% of the district surface). Above 7% of these olive plantations are organic (760 ha). For each farm 14 indicators of management practices were recorded by means of tabulated interviews to farmers, and 10 indicators of habitat diversity were calculated after mapping farm habitats and linear features (Bunce et al 2011). Within each farm, a randomly selected plot per each of described habitat or lineal feature was retained for further monitoring of biodiversity. In each plot (92 in total) plants, bees, earthworms and spiders were monitored in spring 2010. Plant species and cover was surveyed in a 100 m2 square (10 m2 for lineal feature). Earthworms were sampled in three separated squares per plot combing the extraction with an expellant solution (AITC solution; 0.1 g/l) and then hand-sorting from a soil core (30x30x20 cm). Bees were sampled along a walked transect of 100 m length by plot with a handheld net in three dates (May-July). Spiders were sampled from 5 separated points (50 cm Ø) per plots in three di ff erent dates (May-July) by using a motorized leaf blower (inverted). Species richness at farm level was always higher in organic than in conventional farms (Figure 1). However, these diff erences are mostly explained by the higher habitat diversity and higher abundance of semi-natural habitats in organic than in conventional farms (Table 1). Indeed, when only productive/managed habitats are included, comparisons among organic and conventional farms were non-signifi cant for any of the biological groups studied (Figure 1). Although some signifi cant correlations among management indicators and biological groups were found, non-signifi cant relationships were much more frequent. By contrast, plant and animal biodiversity correlated very signifi cantly with the existence of a fi ne mosaic of habitats, including non-productive habitats and linear elements. Indeed, main productive habitats harbored only a low proportion of species. Semi-natural habitats that occupied a low percentage of farm surface harbored a high number of exclusive species, which depends on the maintenance of those non-productive habitats. The importance of these semi-natural habitats supports the EC measure of promoting Ecological Focus Areas pursued with the greening of the CAP. A next challenge will be to respond if the spatial pattern of non-productive habitats aff ect to the biodiversity of productive habitats. References Bunce RGH et al. 2011. Manual for Habitat and Vegetation Surveillance and Monitoring. Wageningen, Alterra report 2154, 106 pp Figure & table missing 375 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-61 376 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Ecological aspects of biodiversity of harmful organisms in crops of a white lupine Shapkina, Yulia; Tsygutkin, Alexander; Vasenev, Ivan Russian State Agrarian University – MTAA named after K.A.Timiryazev, RUSSIAN FEDERATION Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium; Ascochita; Alternaria), while potentially hazardous diseases are capable of destroying the entire harvest in the presence of favorable conditions for the development of pathogens (Erysiphe martii). In Chernozem region anthracnose appears after fl owering, aff ecting beans and to a lesser extent a stem. The aff ected ovaries stop growing and fall off . The spots are formed on the beans, at fi rst the small brown ones and then they merge and turn into cankers in which fungus coating of pink orange colour appears. White lupine suff ers from fusarium throughout the entire vegetative period, but particularly strongly during germination. Lighter leaf colour, reduced foliage, thinner stalk can serve as the external signs of lesion. Plant residues and soil can play a role of an infection source. White lupine sowings are aff ected by gray rot botrytis. Disease symptoms are revealed in damp weather at fi rst in a form of vague greenish brown rot. The aff ected parts are softened, water out and a grey fungus coating develops on them. Distribution and harmfulness of the disease depends on weather conditions. White lupine is damaged by pests, mainly by polyphagous. According to our research, in fi elds where Atriplex patula and Convolvulus arvensis prevailed in weed component, cutworm (gamma, cabbage and alfalfa) was met more often. From a wax bean phase till full ripeness the lupine is damaged by pea moth. The lupine weevil is a specialized pest. Conclusions Agroecological assessment of the white lupine sowings conducted in the South-West and North-East of the Central Chernozem region of Russia showed that it is necessary to develop an integrated system of plant protection. Figure & table missing Introduction Currently seven varieties of white lupine are registered in Russia, six of which were bred by plant selectionists of Russian State Agrarian University - MTAA named after K.A.Timiryazev. The revival of the production of white lupine required to develop resource-saving and moisture- saving technologies of its cultivation. In order to create a system for plant protection, it is necessary to determine the structure of harmful organisms, including species composition of pests, diseases and a weed component. Materials and methods Species diversity of pests, diseases and weeds were studied in the Central Chernozem region of Russia. Seeding and industrial crop production was taken into account. The presence of harmful organisms was considered during route inspections in the fi elds occupied by white lupine. Insects were calculated using a method of cutting by an entomological net, while disease and weed component were accounted for in the calculation of averages in the samples and by applying the framework 50x50cm. Results White lupine sowing was characterized by a variety of weed component. However, the most dangerous were the annual grasses, annual dicotyledons and perennial root-sucker plants (Tab. 1). White lupine diseases were divided into three groups: primary, secondary and potentially hazardous. The most common and harmful diseases belong to the primary group (Colleto- trichum; Fusarium; Botrytis), diseases from which harm is not notable relate to the secondary group (Fusarium; P1-62 377 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-62 Table 1. The main types of weeds, found in white lupine sowing Annual grasses Echinochloa crusgalli Setaria glauca Avena fatua Annual dicotyledons Àtriplåõ patula Amaranthus retrofl exus Capsella bursa-pastoris Galium aparine Chenopodium album Fallopia convolvulus Cyclachaena xanthiifolia Viola tricolor Lappula squarrosa Galeopsis ladanum Lamium purpureum Ðîlygonum lapathifolium Sinapis arvensis Perennial root-sucker plants Ñirsium arvense Sonchus arvensis Lactuca tatarica Ñînvolvulus arvensis Vicia ñràññà Agropyron repens Equisetum arvense What to do with table text? 378 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-63 Weed species diversity of vegetable production under diff erent production systems Straus, Sasa; Bavec, Franc; Rozman, Crtomir; Bavec, Martina University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, SLOVENIA Introduction Over the last century the global ecosystem has come under risk from the intensifi cation of agriculture. Arable weeds are increasingly seen as an important source of biodiversity and as crucial for the functioning of production systems (Gibson et al. 2007). The aim of this study is to investigate the diff erences between weed species in production systems at the fi eld level. Materials and methods Three production systems (conventional [CON], integrated [INT] and organic [ORG]) and control plots were arranged in a randomized complete block split- plot design with four replications during three years. The production systems diff ered mostly in plant protection and fertilization strategies. In the CON, the preventive use of pesticides is allowed; in the INT, only the curative use is allow; and in the ORG, only natural pesticides are allow. In the INT and the ORG, fertilizing is based on a soil analysis, while in the ORG, the fertilizers are organic. In the control plots, no fertilization or plant protection was used. The size of the weed seedbank was determined for the 0–20 cm soil layer of each plot using the greenhouse emergence method (Teasdale et al. 2004). Sampling occurred at the beginning of March and at the end of September. Weed seedlings per species were converted to a number per m2 of fi eld surface. Species diversity was calculated for both seedbank and weed communities using the Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’= ∑(Pi(lnPi)), where Pi is the proportional contribution of each species to the total species number (Wortman et al. 2010). The H’ was than analyzed with a two-way ANOVA and Fisher’s LSD test. Results and Discussion Species diversity, as determined by the H’, was greatest in the ORG. Averaged across all sampling methods and years, the weed diversity index of the ORG was 0.86, followed by the INT (0.74), the CON (0.66), and the control plots (0.38). The diff erences were signifi cant (Table 1). Other studies (Hyanon et al. 2003, Hawes et al. 2010, Wortman et al. 2010) have also found that weed species diversity was signifi cantly higher in the ORG. The weed composition in the CON and the ORG is di ff erent. With the reduction of mineral fertilizers and pesticides in the ORG, the nitro fi lic species and grass decreased. More sensitive species increased (Hawes et al. 2010). In the CON and INT plots, the most abundant weed species was Viola arvensis, an in the ORG Polygonum lapathfolium. The analysis presented here suggests that weed diversity is a good indicator of fi eld production intensity. Agricultural management should be directed toward developing a production system that maximizes biodiversity, while minimizing weed density and ensuring suffi cient yields. 379 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-63 References Gibson RH et al. 2007. Plant diversity and land use under organic and conventional agriculture: A whole-farm approach. J. Appl. Ecol. 44: 792–803. Hawes C et al. 2010. Arable plant communities as indicators of farming practice. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 138: 17-26. Hyvonen T et al. 2003. Weed species diversity and community composition in organic and conventional cropping of spring cereals. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 97: 131–149. Teasdale JR et al. 2004. Weed seedbank dynamics in three organic farming crop rotations. Agron. J. 96: 1429- 1435 Wortman ES et al. 2010. Increased weed diversity, density and above-ground biomass in long-term organic crop rotations. Renew. Agric. Food Syst. 25: 281-295. 380 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-65 The eff ect of the selenium soil application on selenium accumulation and yield of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Ebrahimi, Nashmin1; Seppänen, Mervi1; Hajiboland, Roghieh2; Hartikainen, Helinä1 1University of Helsinki, FINLAND; 2University of Tabriz, IRAN (ISLAMIC REP.) Introduction Selenium (Se) is a vital micronutrient for humans, animals and microorganisms. Selenium has benefi cial eff ects on the growth and stress tolerance of plants (e.g. Hartikainen et al., 2000 and Seppänen et al., 2003), but Se has not been established as an essential micronutrient for plants. In Finland Se availability in the soil is low so Se-enhanced mineral fertilizers have been used since 1984 to secure the recommended content in feed and food (Seppänen et al., 2010). Only 10% of the applied Se is translocated to harvested seeds. The rest is maintained in the soil, leached or to some extend also lost to the atmosphere by volatilization. The environmental fates of unabsorbed Se is not yet known. As the soils in Finland are low in Se, the only solution to increase the Se content of food chain in the future is by Se fertilization. The environmental impacts of Se fertilization could be reduced if the translocation from leaves to developing seeds could be improved and as a consequence, the level of Se fertilization could be reduced. Brassica species are more effi cient in Se uptake than wheat, could be used as catch crops to increase the Se uptake effi ciency in agricultural practices. Materials and methods Se application levels were 7.2 and 25 g/hectare (fi eld) and 7 and 140 μg/kg soil (greenhouse). In both experiments the uptake and translocation of Se was monitored by harvesting the plants at the diff erent growth stages and by analysing their Se content by ICP-mass spectrometry from each plant parts (leaves, yellow leaves, stems, heads/siliques, seeds and roots). In addition to inorganic Se application in the greenhouse the Se-enriched plant residue (leaves and straw) was applied into the soil in quantities corresponding to 7 μg of total Se per kg of the soil. Results In the fi eld and greenhouse experiments, the diff erent Se treatments aff ected dissimilarly the dry matter of various plant parts. In the greenhouse, the dry matter of siliques increased as response to the Se-enriched leaf residue by 31%, but decreased by 20% as response to the Se- enriched straw residue. In the fi eld fertilized with Se 25 g/ hectare, the maximum of Se concentration in the stems and roots was 41.4±9.7 and 9.6±4.2 μg/g DW, then at the last harvesting, because of the plant internal cycle of Se, it decreased. Selenium was translocated to siliques where the concentration increased from 11.9±6.9 to 71.4±14.4 μg/g DW. In the greenhouse, the total Se uptake by whole oil seed rape plant supplied with the Se-enriched leaves residue, Se-enriched straw residue, low and high dosage of inorganic Se treatments were 22, 7, 74 and 1154 μg per plant, respectively. Conclusions At the seed fi lling stage (the third harvesting time), oil seed rape had taken up 60.2% and wheat 32.2% of the applied Se. At the maturity stage (the last harvesting), the percentage of Se uptaken by plants decreased, indicating that it was circulated back to the soil. The results showed that the Se is translocated to heads/siliques more than the others parts of plants at the end of growth. The inorganic Se was effi ciently absorbed by plants whereas Se bound in plant residue form was less bioavailable. However, the organic Se in the leaf material was more bioavailable than that in the straw residue. References Hartikainen, H., Xue, T. and Piironen, V. (2000), Selenium as an antioxidant and pro-oxidant in ryegrass, Plant Soil. 225: 193-200. Seppänen, M., Turakainen, M. and Hartikainen, H. (2003), Selenium eff ects on oxidative stress in potato, Plant Science. 165: 311–319. Seppänen, M., Konttori, J., Lopez-Heras, I., Madrid, Y., Camera, C. and Hartikainen, H. (2010), Agronomic biofortifi cation of Brassica with selenium-enrichment of SeMet and its identifi cation in Brassica seeds and meal, Plant and Soil. 337 (1-2): 273-283. 381 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-65 382 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 7DEOH  (IIHFW RI&RSSHU&KURPLXP DQG$UVHQLF RQ VKRRWZHLJKW URRW OHQJWK ODWHUDO URRW QXPEHU DQG ODWHUDOURRWGHQVLW\RIILEUHKHPSDQGZKLWHOXSLQ'DWDDUHPHDQVRI“6(Q  Treatment mg kg-1 Shoot weight FW g-1 Root length cm-1 Lateral roots nr Lateral root density lateral roots / cm-1 Fiber hemp &RQWURO  “  “  “   &X “ “ “  &U “ “ “  $V “ “ “  &X&U$V “ “ “  White lupin &RQWURO  “  “  “   &X “ “ “  &U “ “ “  $V “ “ “  &X&U$V “ “ “  P1-66 Heavy metal stress responses in white lupin and fi bre hemp grown on soils polluted with chromium, copper and arsenic Egilmez, Petra; Hartikainen, Helinä; Santanen, Arja; Seppänen, Mervi; Stoddard, Frederick; Yli-Halla, Markku; Mäkelä, Pirjo University of Helsinki, FINLAND Introduction Plant abiotic stress responses include changes in physiological and biochemical processes as well as morphological and development patterns. Stress exposure is associated with oxidative damage at the cellular level resulting increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Le Martret et. al, 2011). Most heavy metals are phytotoxic (Potters et al. 2007) and strong oxidants (Gwozdz et al. 1997). Heavy metal ions readily generate ROS (Rucinska et al. 1999). A variety of enzymes are involved in defence mechanisms such as peroxidases, catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) (Chen et al. 2002) and glutathione (GSH) (Pastore et al. 2003). GSH is an metal chelator, being an important antioxidant as well as a precursor for phytochelatins (PC) (Seth et al. 2012), which are known to be responsible for metal tolerance in many plants (Grill et. al. 1987). Another response to abiotic stresses, is the induction of architectural changes in plants (Pasternak et. al. 2005). Inhibition of root elongation, enhanced formation of lateral roots, thickening of roots, increases in root density and root diameter are symptoms of exposure to heavy metals (Rucinska et al. 1999). Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is a wood preservative that has contaminated areas around the world with chromium, copper and arsenic. The impact that these chemicals have on plants and their root systems is critical to understand, as it may contribute the phytoremediation of CCA contaminated soils. As a main entrance, the root system plays an important role in the defence mechanism to heavy metals stress. In present study we determined germination, seedling growth, root architecture, and root anatomy after having subjected seeds to diff erent concentrations of Cu, Cr, and As. In addition, the production of antioxidant enzymes, glutathione, and H 2 O 2 production will be measured. Materials and methods Three Petri-dish experiments were conducted by using white lupin (Lupinus albus L. cv. Amiga) and fi bre hemp (Cannabis sativa L. cv. Chamaeleon). Seeds were disinfected and sown to Petri-dishes, supplemented with plant agar 2 % with 10 replicates and grown in the growth chamber. Pollutants were added into agar in three Cu-Cr-As mixtures: 50-50-15 mg kg-1, 100-100-5 mg kg-1 and 300-150-50 mg kg-1. Diff erent concentrations of each heavy metal existed also alone. Heavy metals used were Cu as CuSO 4 , As as Na 2 HAsO 4 and Cr as K 2 Cr 2 O 7 . The controls did not contain any pollutants. The seedlings were collected after 10 days and the germination, shoot weights, root lengths, lateral root numbers and lateral 383 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-66 root densities were determined. For anatomical studies of roots, cross-sections were cut with a microtome, stained, and photographed with a digital camera connected to a light microscope. Oxidative stress results are shown afterwards. Results When Cu, Cr, and As are in excess, the plants undergo major architectural changes (Table 1) in terms of lateral root number, lateral root density, primary root length, and root weight, in addition to anatomical changes in root epidermis, root cortex, and enhancement of lignifi cation. References Chen, E.L., Chen, Y.A., Chen, L.M., Liu, Z. 2002. Plant physiol. Biochem. 40:439-444. Grill, E., Winnacker, E.L., Zenk, M.H. 1987. proc. natl. acad. sci. 84:517-524. Gwozdz, E.A., Przymusinski, R., Rucinska, R., Deckert, J. 1997. Acta Physiol. plant., 19:459-465. Le Martret, B., Poage, M., Shiel, K., Nugent, G.D., Dix, P.J. 2011. J.Plant Biotel. 9:661-673. Pasternak, T., Rudas, V., Potters, G., Jansen, M.A.K. 2005. Environ. Exp. Bot. 53:299-314. Pastore, A., Federici, G., Bertini, E., Piemonte, F. 2003. Clinica Chimica Acta 333:19-39. Potters, Pasternak, T.P., Guisez, Y., Palme, K.J., Jansen, M.A.K. 2007. Trends Plant Sci. 12. Rucinska, R., Waplak, S., Gwozdz, E.A. 1999. Plant physiol. Biochem. 37:187-194. Seth, C.S, Remans, T., Keunen, E., Jozefczak, M., Gielen, H., Opdenakker, K., Weyens, N., Vangronsveld, J., Cuypers, A. 2012. Plant, Cell & Environ, 35:334-346. 384 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-67 Do endogeic earthworms enhance N transfer in cereal legume intercrops Joly, François-Xavier; Cannavacciuolo, Mario; Cassagne, Nathalie; Fustec, Joëlle LUNAM Université, Groupe ESA, UR LEVA, FRANCE Introduction Biological fi xation of legumes is a sustainable source of N that can help to complement or replace fertilizer inputs. Growing a legume with a non- fi xing species leads to a more effi cient use of soil resource, with positive eff ect on productivity (Corre-Hellou et al. 2007). In grasslands, it has also been shown that non-fi xing species can benefi t from N provided by the neighboring legumes (Pirhofer- Walzl et al. 2012). Earthworms increase mineralization in the soil, so they may enhance N transfer between plants (Zhang et al. 2010). We aimed i) to quantify N transfer between pea and durum wheat, and 2) to study the eff ect of endogeic earthworms on root morphology in intercrops. Materials and methods Pea plants (Pisum sativum L. cv. Frisson) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ‘LA 1823’) were grown alone (1 pea or 2 wheats) or intercropped in 10-l pots until seed maturity of peas (n = 20). Pots were fi lled with a N-poor soil (8 mg kg-1 NO3-) inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae. From the 6-leaf stage of pea, fi ve earthworms (Aporrectodea caliginosa caliginosa Savigny (1826)) were added in half of the pots. Using the cotton wick method (Mahieu et al. 2009), peas were labelled with 15N-urea (99% atom 15N) in fi ve pots of each treatment. At harvest, roots were separated from the soil, and the diff erent samples (shoots of pea and of wheat, roots of pea and of wheat, soil, earthworms) were dried, ground to a fi ne powder and prepared for 15N:14N mass spectrometer measurements. Unlabelled controls were used for assessing biological fi xation (Hansen and Vinther 2001) and N transfer (Gylfadottir et al. 2007). In addition, intercrops (1 pea with 1 wheat) were grown in rhizotrons with or without earthworms ; the development of roots was regularly surveyed during 45 days and analyzed with GIS (n = 4). Results In the pots in which the pea plant was labelled, 15N enrichment of A. caliginosa signifi cantly increased (p< 0.001) indicating the earthworms were active during the experiment. Dry weights of pea and of wheat were not altered either by intercropping or by earthworm activity. Because of competition for the soil N, biological nitrogen fi xation of pea was higher in intercrops than in sole crop (86.9 ± SE 3.5% and 77.5 ± SE 6.8% respectively, p<0.01). However¸ the amount of N transferred from pea to wheat was weak, and we could not notice any signifi cant eff ect of earthworms on that result: 3.14 mg N (SE 1.15 mg) and 1.90 mg N (SE 0.42 mg) were transferred from pea to durum wheat, with and without earthworms respectively (p > 0.05). After 45 days, the root length of wheats grown in rhizotrons with earthworms (451 ± SE 56 cm) was not diff erent from that of those without worms (472 ± SE 44 cm, p>0.05). Earthworms did not alter the number of secondary roots as well. Conversely, in pea, the root length was 23.7% lower in the rhizotrons with earthworms than in the others (p<0.01). This di ff erence in pea occurred from about a week after sowing, and went on increasing progressively until the end of the root survey (Fig. 1). The number of secondary roots of peas was lower in the rhizotrons with earthworms than in the others (p<0.001). Fig. 1. Root length of pea plants intercropped with durum wheat at diff erent depths 385 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-67 Conclusions Despite the weak soil N availability, the amount of N taken up from pea by durum wheat remained low, so we did not measure any eff ect of earthworms on N transfer. A. caliginosa markedly aff ected root morphology, and may reduce intermingling of roots in intercrops. However, root intermingling has been shown to enhance N transfer in intercrops (Jensen 1996). References Corre-Hellou et al. 2007. Plant Soil 282, 195–208. Gylfadottir et al. 2007. Plant Soil 297, 93–104. Hansen and Vinther 2001. Plant Soil, 230, 257-266. Jensen 1996. Soil Biol. Biochem., 28, 159-168. Mahieu et al. 2009. Soil Biol. Biochem.,41, 2236-2243. Pirhofer-Walzl et al. 2012. Plant Soil 360, 71-84. Zhang et al. 2010. Agric. Ecosyst. Env., 139, 463-468. 386 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-68 Soil management eff ects on soil properties and yield components of an irrigated olive orchard Caruso, Giovanni1; Gucci, Riccardo1; Pellegrini, Sergio2; Pagliai, Marcello2; Vignozzi, Nadia2 1University of Pisa, ITALY; 2CRA-ABP Centro di Ricerca per l’Agrobiologia e la Pedologia, ITALY Introduction The sustainable use of resources is crucial in Mediterranean areas, where water scarcity and soil degradation are major threats to agricultural production. In this respect, tillage exposes the soil to erosion, structure degradation and acceleration of organic matter decomposition (Pagliai et al., 2004). On the contrary, the use of cover crops is currently the recommended practice for protection of the orchard fl oor because it decreases soil erosion and surface crusting and increases water infi ltration and accumulation of organic matter in the soil (Pagliai et al., 2004). Materials and methods We compared performance of defi cit-irrigated (about 50% of full irrigation) olive ( Olea europaea L.) trees grown under either tillage (CT) or permanent natural cover (NC) in a sandy-loam soil over six years and determined changes in physical soil properties. The soil was tilled from the year of planting (2003) until October 2004, when both treatments were established. The CT treatment was kept weed-free by disking (about 0.10 m depth), whereas the NC was obtained by letting the natural fl ora grow. All trees were similarly irrigated from the year of planting until the 2006-growing season, when de fi cit irrigation was started for both soil treatments. At harvest each tree was harvested individually by hand and 50-100 fruits were randomly sampled to measure average fruit weight and maturation index. The oil content of the fruit mesocarp of fi ve fruits per tree was measured by nuclear magnetic resonance using an Oxford MQC-23 analyzer (Oxford Analytical Instruments Ltd., Oxford, UK). In 2010 soil macroporosity was measured in vertically oriented thin sections obtained from undisturbed soil samples collected at diff erent depths along the soil profi le. At the same position of undisturbed soil sampling, water infi ltration rate was determined using a Guelph Permeameter 2800 (Soil moisture Equipment Corp., Santa Barbara, USA). Results and Discussion Soil macroporosity was signifi cantly aff ected by soil management only at the surface (0-0.10 m) where NC showed higher (+61%) values than CT. This di ff erence resulted mainly from the higher frequency of irregular and elongated pores in NC treatment with respect to CT ones. Water infi ltration rate measured in CT plots was about eight times lower than that in the NC treatment. The fruit and oil yields of trees managed by tillage were signifi cantly higher than those of trees grown with a 3+"!(''. #"',    ',  /("# " &./'#$ " !.$+ "/!#"""% "!"!'!"!+ #! !!&' !.4228-4233/+  """ !%"#"!"!" !. /"@2+27"  .?" !  " ""/+  !  .>/  8:+7 8:+3   *" # !!!" )* !%")* '%"+     5+3 4+8     #" ./   4+33 3+97    ',   .-4/  454; 4683  ' ." -3/  45;6 5682    #"!,   .-4/  7382 9464   #"!  "   7838 327;2    #" ',   .-4/  32964 34553   #" ' ." -3/  3374: 398;5   "  "# $       387 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-68 permanent natural cover (154 and 145% of NC trees, respectively). However, when yields were expressed on a trunk cross sectional area (TCSA) basis, there were no signifi cant diff erences between soil treatments. The number of fruits of the NC trees was signifi cantly lower than that of the CT ones, whereas the oil content and the maturation index were similar for both treatments. In our trial the diff erence in soil macroporosity can be mainly attributed to the vegetation cover that protected the soil surface from the raindrop impact, thus reducing mechanical disruption of soil aggregates. The increase in fruit weight and the lack of an eff ect on oil content that we observed for the NC treatment were likely due to crop level (Gucci et al., 2007) rather than soil management practices. Similarly, Gomez et al. (1999) did not fi nd any yield diff erences between olive trees grown with conventional tillage or no tillage under rain-fed conditions. In order to reduce the potentially negative eff ects on vegetative growth the establishment of permanent covers should be delayed to the third or fourth year after planting. References Gómez J.A., Giraldez J.V., Pastor M., Fereres E., 1999. E ff ects of tillage method on soil physical properties, infi ltration and yield in an olive orchard. Soil Till. Res. 52:167-175. Gucci R., Lodolini, E. Rapoport H.F., 2007. Productivity of olive trees with diff erent water status and crop load. J. Hort. Sci. Biotech. 82:648-656. Pagliai M., Vignozzi N., Pellegrini S., 2004. Soil structure and the eff ect of management practices. Soil Till. Res. 79:131-143. 388 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-69 Table 1. Soil respiration rate, soil moisture and soil temperature averaged over 3 month- periods (season) in an olive orchard subjected to two different soil managements: Natural cover, NC; Tillage, CT. Values are means of three replicate trees per treatment (n = 3). Different letters indicate least significant differences (LSD) between treatments after ANOVA within each season (p < 0.05). Season Soil management Soil respiration rate (μmol CO2 m-2 h-1) Soil moisture (% vol) Soil temperature (°C) Summer 2010 NC 3.44 a 14.0 19.5 CT 2.40 b 12.0 19.3 Autumn 2010 NC 2.64 a 27.3 6.7 CT 1.69 b 23.5 6.6 Winter 2011 NC 1.57 27.7 2.5 b CT 1.25 24.6 3.4 a Spring 2011 NC 2.18 18.6 13.8 CT 1.50 18.6 14.5 Summer 2011 NC 2.49 a 2.5 22.4 CT 1.68 b 2.2 22.0 Autumn 2011 NC 1.70 a 28.2 9.9 CT 0.96 b 24.0 9.9 Winter 2012 NC 1.37 a 13.1 6.3 CT 0.73 b 13.1 5.8 Soil management aff ects seasonal soil respiration rates in a high density olive orchard Caruso, Giovanni; Gennai, Clizia; Gucci, Riccardo University of Pisa, ITALY Introduction Carbon assimilation of fruit trees has been extensively studied, but little information is available on soil respiration. Soil temperature and moisture are major factors infl uencing soil respiration (Li et al., 2008). In addition, cultural practices aff ecting root distribution, plant growth and soil microbiological activity, such as irrigation and soil management (Carpenter-Boggs et al., 2003), may play a key role in C emission from the soil. Materials and methods We investigated the eff ect of two diff erent soil management methods on soil respiration rate (R s ) in an irrigated, high-density olive (Olea europaea L. cv. ‘Frantoio’) orchard in a sandy-loam soil subjected to either tillage (CT) or permanent natural cover (NC). The soil was tilled from the year of planting until the end of the second growing season, when both soil management treatments were established. The CT treatment was kept weed- free using a harrow with vertical blades (0.10 m depth), whereas the NC was obtained by letting the natural fl ora grow. Both treatments received full irrigation in the fi rst three years after planting, then defi cit irrigation (about 50% of full irrigation) was started for both soil treatments. Soil respiration rates were measured at approximately monthly intervals using a closed-chamber system connected to an infrared gas analyzer (Soil Respiration System , PPSystems, UK) at four sampling points below 389 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-69 the canopy, varying in orientation and distance from the trunk, and at one sampling point in the inter-row. Soil temperature was measured at a depth of 0.08 m using the SRS probe, soil moisture at a depth of 0.06 m using a ThetaProbe ML2x (Delta-T Devices, UK). Treatment means were separated by least signifi cant diff erence (LSD) after analysis of variance (ANOVA) using three replicate trees. Values for each tree were the average of the four below canopy measurements. Results and Discussion Soil R s of the NC treatment was always higher than that of CT trees. The seasonal courses of R s showed wide diff erences within each treatment due to changes in environmental conditions. Maximum and minimum R s were 3.44 (summer 2010) and 1.37 (winter 2012) μmol CO 2 m-2 h-1, for the NC treatment, respectively, and 2.40 (summer 2010) and 0.73 (winter 2012) μmol CO 2 m-2 h-1 for CT, respectively (Tab. 1). A large diff erence between the two treatments was measured in winter 2012, when R s of NC treatment was 88% higher than that of CT ones. In general, soil moisture and temperature were similar for both treatments. In winter soil respiration was limited by low temperature, whereas soil moisture was the main factor controlling respiration in the summer, as also evident in Mediterranean ecosystems where soil moisture becomes limiting during long periods of summer drought (Joff re et al., 2003). Soil respiration includes root respiration, microbial respiration and decomposition of plant litter and root exudates. The presence of grass roots may have signifi cantly contributed to increase CO 2 fl uxes because of their respiration and decomposition. Carpenter-Boggs et al. (2003) reported that soil managed under permanent grass cover supported approximately 50% greater soil respiration than tilled soil, because of the higher contents of labile C compounds and microbial biomass. Our results are relevant because of the wide acreage (almost 10 million ha) where olive trees are grown worldwide and the trend towards using natural covers in orchards. References Carpenter-Boggs L., Stahl P.D., Lindstrom M.J., Schumacher T.E., 2003. Soil microbial properties under permanent grass, conventional tillage, and no-till management in South Dakota. Soil Till. Res. 71(1):15-23. Joff re R., Ourcival J.M., Rambal S., Rocheteau A., 2003. The key-role of topsoil moisture on CO 2 effl ux from a Mediterranean Quercus ilex forest. Ann. For. Sci. 60:519- 526. Li H.J, Yan J.X., Yue X.F., Wang M.B., 2008. Signifi cance of soil temperature and moisture for soil respiration in a Chinese mountain area. Agr. For. Met., 148:490-503. 390 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Fig. 1 Barley roots after growing test on soil from apple orchards P1-70 Plant microbe interaction to increase microbial diversity in permanent crops Manici, Luisa M.1; Caputo, F.1; Terzi, V.1; Kelderer, M.2; Stanca, M.3; Terzi, V.1; Kelderer, M.2; Stanca, M.3 1C.R.A., ITALY; 2Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Foresty, ITALY; 3University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, ITALY Results and discussion Barley and triticale showed a signifi cantly diff erent root colonization frequency (P>0.05), which was 52% for barley and 88% for triticale. Endophyte communities of barley showed higher diversity and balance than triticale as suggested by comparison of several biodiversity indices (Table. 1). The most abundant root colonizing species on cereals was Pythium spp, which represented 88% in triticale and 52% in barley. No fungal endophytes isolated from cereals belonged to the complex of pathogens able to colonize M9 apple rootstock grown in the same soil, among which Cylindrocarpon spp. and Rhizoctonia spp. had previously been found to be components of growth reduction. Pythium spp., known as potential agents of replant disease, showed high specifi city toward triticale, whilst barley hosted endophyte communities Introduction Permanent crops such as fruit tree crops are aff ected by soil fertility decline (of which replant disease is a consequence) caused by progressive reduction of soil microbial biomass and diversity. The two main components of biological soil fertility, microbial biomass and diversity, are mainly aff ected by environmental conditions. Microbial biomass is proportional to Total Organic Carbon content in soil, whilst microbial diversity, is mainly aff ected by edaphic conditions and pH. Fungal and bacterial communities are primarily responsible for soil functioning processes. Soil fi lamentous fungi saprophytically living in soil can establish symbiotic relationships with host plants. Their impact ranges from mutualistic (benefi cial eff ect) to pathogenic, varying in severity from decreased growth rates to the death of the plant, depending on host susceptibility and environmental conditions (Redman et al., 2001). The pathogenic fungal root endophytes have a large host range; however, there is a partial specifi city of those organisms. Cereals represent a typical “restoring” crop in rotation cycles; among many known positive features, cereals also show low specifi city toward Rhizoctonia and Cylindrocarpon agents of root rot in apple and strawberry. Therefore a preliminary evaluation of cereals as cover crops, based on plant-microorganism relationship was carried out within the ENDOBIOFRUIT project funded by Mi.P.A.A.F. Materials and methods Barley and triticale varieties were chosen on the basis of their genetic characteristics, agronomic traits and tissue composition. A greenhouse trial was performed using soil samples (sandy loam soil with 2% organic matter content) taken from a third-generation apple orchard in North Adige Valley (Italy) aff ected by biological fertility decline corresponding to a 38% growth in comparison to a fallow control recorded in a previous bioassay test using M9 rootstock plantlets (Kelderer et al., 2012). Soil samples were arranged in 18 pots 10 x 10 x 15 cm; barley cv. Tidone and triticale cv. Oceano were sown and grown for 70 days, then they were harvested and roots were subjected to analysis of colonization frequency and identifi cation of species in laboratory. Biodiversity indices of fungal endophyte communities of barley and triticale were compared using PAST software available on web. 391 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-70 Table 1. Diversity indices of endophytic fungal communities of barley and triticale Diversity indices Barley Triticale P* Dominance 0,40 0,83 0.001 Shannon H 1,37 0,37 0.001 Simpson 0,60 0,17 0.001 Fisher alpha 2,44 0,73 0.001 Berger-Parker 0,61 0,91 0.001 * significance (P) according bootstrapping procedures evaluated using PAST program available in web characterized by highest diversity. Therefore, fi ndings of this preliminary study suggested that barley is more suitable than triticale to increasing microbial diversity and reducing aggressiveness of root rot fungal agents toward the fruit tree crops. References Kelderer M., Manici L., Caputo F., Thalheimer M. (2012) Planting in the ‘inter-row’ to overcome replant disease in apple orchards: A study on the eff ectiveness of the practice based on microbial indicators. in press Plant and Soil doi:10.1007/s11104-012-1172-0 Redman R.S., Dunigan D.D., Rodriguez R.J. (2001) Fungal symbiosis from mutualism to parasitism: who controls the outcome, host or invader? New Phytol 151:705–716 392 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-71 Total Organic Carbon - 2007 0,00 2,00 4,00 6,00 8,00 10,00 12,00 14,00 16,00 18,00 R1 FYM R1 SLM R6 FYM R6 SLM TO C g k g- 1 R1 FYM R1 SLM R6 FYM R6 SLM Figure 1 – Total Organic Carbon for Cropping system and input. Soil Biological fertility: eff ect of two manure systems in two forage crop rotation under two mineral nitrogen inputs Motta, Silvia Renata1; Cabassi, Giovanni1; Borrelli, Lamberto1; Valagussa, Massimo2; Degano, Luigi1 1CRA, ITALY; 2Fondazione Minoprio, ITALY Introduction Soil carbon management arose to public attention because of its impact on soil fertility and atmosphere CO 2 regulator. In a warming world, soil fertility must be a primary goal as elevating temperatures increase soil respiration and N mineralization. Thus better practices to control depauperation of fertility and carbon accumulation need appropriate investigation. Because soil is a complex system ensuing from the interaction of a great number of physical, chemical, biochemical and biological parameters (Young and Crawford, 2004), the changes in soil characteristics due to managing organic matter, is not readily predictable. Agricultural long term experiment may provide valuable data to evaluate cropping systems and their possible threat to soil fertility decline. Materials and methods In 1993 a long-term agronomical experiment was initiated with the aim to evaluate intensive forage production systems and their eff ect on productivity and soil quality based upon the milk feed unit (MFU) able to maintain. Experimental site was located by the Baroncina experimental farm, south West of Lodi, Regione Lombardia, North of Italy. In the experiment we compared two forage systems, including diff erent nitrogen application and manure application. The system used as reference is a high input one with a 1-year rotation with double cropping of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multifl orum Lam.) followed by a silage maize (R1), and the more sustainable system is a 6-year rotation with Italian ryegrass- silage maize for three years followed by three years of alfalfa (R6) under four fertilization treatments: two diff erent manures (farm yard manure FYM and semi- liquid manure SLM) with or without top-dressed urea (not applied to alfalfa). Plots were 10 x 15 m. The experimental design is a strip-split-plot with three replications. Soil samples were taken at 30 cm depth and analyzed for the main chemical-physical characteristics and soil biological fertility. Organic amendment was 57% on maize and 43% on Italian ryegrass, mineral nitrogen fertilizer was spread 67% on maize and the remaining 33% on the Italian ryegrass. Results The organic matter (OM) content increased with the use of FYM as well as total nitrogen (Nt) and the cation exchange capacity (CEC), while the ratio C/N did not change because both parameters increase by 20% by FYM. The basic saturation rate (BSR) was improved by FYM and by the interaction between nitrogen input and rotation: annual rotation and lower N input gave higher BSR value, likely because of the smaller productivity of 393 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-71 Figure 2 – Respiratory Quotient vs Microbial Carbon for different cropping system and organic fertilizer. ZϮсϬ͘ϵϬϳϰ ZϮсϬ͘ϴϳϱϳ Ϭ Ϭ͕Ϭϱ Ϭ͕ϭ Ϭ͕ϭϱ Ϭ͕Ϯ Ϭ͕Ϯϱ Ϭ͕ϯ Ϭ ϱϬ ϭϬϬ ϭϱϬ ϮϬϬ ϮϱϬ ϯϬϬ ϯϱϬ DŝĐƌŽďŝĂůĂƌďŽŶ ƵŐŐͲϭ ZĞ ƐƉ ŝƌĂ ƚŽ ƌLJ Y ƵŽ ƚŝĞ Ŷƚ й Zϭ^>D Zϭ&zD ZϮсϬ͘ϲϮϵϲ ZϮсϬ͘ϱϳϬϳ Ϭ Ϭ͕Ϭϱ Ϭ͕ϭ Ϭ͕ϭϱ Ϭ͕Ϯ Ϭ͕Ϯϱ Ϭ͕ϯ Ϭ͕ϯϱ Ϭ͕ϰ Ϭ ϱϬ ϭϬϬ ϭϱϬ ϮϬϬ ϮϱϬ ϯϬϬ ϯϱϬ DŝĐƌŽďŝĂůĂƌďŽŶ ƵŐŐͲϭ ZĞ ƐƉ ŝƌĂ ƚŽ ƌLJ Y ƵŽ ƚŝĞ Ŷƚ й Zϲ^>D Zϲ&zD the crop. FYM aff ected positively Cumulative and Basal respiration and total extract carbon (TEC) and fertility index (IF). Liquid manure enhanced only the respiratory Quotient (QCO 2 ). Annual rotation favored Basal respiration, total organic carbon (TOC), TEC, Humic and Fulvic Acid (HAFA), humifi cation index (HI), humifi cation rate (HR) and Potential mineralized nitrogen (Npm). Low Nitrogen input enhanced Cumulative and Basal respiration as well as metabolic quotient. Metabolic Quotient (MQ) increased with suboptimal addiction of nitrogen but was not dependent from organic addition or rotation, while respiratory quotient (QCO 2 ) is enhanced by SLM. Microbial carbon (Cmicr) and its ratio with TOC are unaff ected by any of the factor tested, while TOC is positively aff ected either by annual rotation and optimal nitrogen input, both enhancing productivity and hence higher cultural residual returned to soil. Conclusions The results evidenced that the main eff ect on the soil fertility was given by the diff erent organic fertilization while the eff ect of the crop rotation was minimized. The cattle farmyard manure was the best crop management practice, able to integrate the fertility of soil both in terms of Milk Feed Units (MFU) production and in maintaining a higher carbon level in soil. References Young I.M. and Crawford J. W., 2004. Interactions and self-organization in the soil-microbe complex. Science 304:1634-1637. 394 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-73 Nitrous oxide emissions and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of combinable pea cultivars Pappa, Valentini; Zoidou, Anastasia; Knox, Oliver; Fountaine, James; Rees, Robert M. Scottish Agricultural College, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Agriculture is the main source of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions released from soil to the atmosphere, representing the 60% of the global N 2 O emissions. Nitrifi cation and denitrifi cation are the major microbial sources of N 2 O in soil. N 2 O accounts for 8% of the current greenhouse eff ect. Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) is the major natural process that provides agricultural soil with a valuable form of nitrogen (N), through the use of legumes in cropping systems. The use of legumes in agricultural systems constitute a source of N 2 O emissions that can be comparable to N fertiliser based systems despite the low external N inputs or in some cases greater. The emissions are attributed mainly to root exudates (nodules) during the growing season as well as to crop residue decomposition following the harvest rather than the actual BNF process. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the composition of microbial communities in nodules and soil rhizosphere and N 2 O fl uxes. Materials and methods A 36 microcosm greenhouse-based experiment was established including three diff erent combinable pea cultivars (Crackerjack, Nitouche and Zero4) to measure GHG fl uxes from below and above ground, extractable soil N content, WFPS, total N/C in soil and plants in relation to molecular techniques and identify the diff erences in the microbial composition between the cultivars and relate it with N 2 O fl uxes. Results Cumulative N 2 O emissions from Crackerjack (2.15 kg N 2 O-N ha-1) were signifi cantly greater than those from Nitouche (1.60 kg N 2 O-N ha-1) and Zero4 (1.67 kg N 2 O-N ha-1). Nitrous oxide emissions were strongly correlated with the grain yield; highest in Crackerjack (10.12 kg ha-1), followed by Nitouche (8.73 kg ha-1) and Zero4 (8.20 kg ha -1). Cumulative N 2 O emissions from barley (1.49 kg N 2 O-N ha-1) also indicated the crucial role of increased N availability which became apparent in the late growth stage of treatments. Findings of the amplifi ed 16S rRNA in nodules suggested one band for all the treatments but also, one additional band in two replicates of Crackerjack. Genetic identi fi cation showed that all the species belonged to Rhizobium leguminosarum. However, the strains of Crackerjack and Zero4 belonged to the biovar trifolii and viciae, respectively. Diff erences between the treatments were recorded from RISA profi ling of nodules, but mainly based on the species number. The Jaccard index suggested a diff erent microbial structure between Crackerjack and Zero4. Conclusions Under the acknowledgement that the climate is changing, the investigation of microbial sources of N 2 O emission is essential to implement more effi cient mitigation strategies. This refl ects the complexity to determine which legume based crop, even in a level of variety, is more effi cient for a legume based system. 395 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-73 396 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-74 A short-term study on the infl uences of fertilizer sources on soils Sardi, Katalin; Máté, Ferenc University of Pannonia, Hungary Introduction Soil acidifi cation is one of the main limiting factors of soil fertility in Hungary resulting from intensive land use, the improper use of fertilizers as well as acid rain and atmospheric deposition. Acid-producing fertilizers, especially several N fertilizers may produce chemical reactions in soils which may lead to rapid acidifi cation processes and decreasing soil fertility by reducing the nutrient supplying capacity of soils especially for N and P. Materials and methods For studying the short-term infl uences of fertilizer sources on acidity in typical soil types of Western Hungary, pot experiments were carried out for 4 weeks under greenhouse conditions in 5 treatment combinations. Two crop species, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were used as test plants. Potential (hydrolytic) acidity of soils (Y1 value) was determined in a 1N Ca-acetate solution. pHKCl values of soils were ranging between 4.7 and 5.9 whereas Y1 values were between 1.58 and 13.5 (Table 1). Three soil types were used in the experiments: a lessivated brown forest soil, Haplic luvisol, labeled A, a pseudogleyic brown forest soil, Stagnic luvisol, labeled B and an acidic sandy soil, Chromic luvisol, labeled C. 397 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-74 Treatments: 1 Unfertilized control 2 N1P1K1 acid-producing fertilizer forms (Ammonium sulphate, Superphosphate, Potassium Sulphate) 3 N2P2K2 acid-producing fertilizer forms, double rate 4 N1P1K1 alkaline fertilizer forms (Calcium nitrate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate) 5 N2P2K2 alkaline fertilizer forms, double rate Fertilizer rates: N1 = 100 mg kg -1 N, P1 = 60 mg kg -1 P 2 O 5 , K1= 90 mg kg -1 K 2 O. At harvest, average DM production, amounts of nutrients taken up by plants were determined, actual (pHH2O) and potential soil pH was measured before setting and at the end of the experiments. Results and Discussion Crop growth signifi cantly responded to the properties of the soils and to the fertilizer sources applied (Table 2). Diff erences in DM production of plants were highly signifi cant, evidently showing plant responses to fertilizer sources. With the application of alkaline fertilizer forms, dramatic increases could be observed in these parameters. Infl uences of acid-producing fertilizers could be observed both in the tendencies of soil pH values and hydrolitic acidity of soils (Table 3). Changes in pH were most signifi cant in the Stagnic luvisol (soil B) where the decrease of potential/exhangeable acidity (pHKCl) after alfalfa: 1.27 pH value, resulted by the double rate of acidifying fertilizers. This is evidently related to soil properties and to diff erences between crop species in their ion absorption characteristics. At the same time, hydrolytic acidity (Y1 value) was signifi cantly higher in these treatments showing the rapid acidifi cation process in experimental soils which could not be demonstrated from other soil parameters. Therefore, it was concluded that this parameter proved to be the most reliable indicator of rapid soil acidifi cation. From these results it was evident that unfavourable impacts on soil may occur in a very short period when acid-producing fertilizers are used especially in soils having lower buff ering capacities. Acknowledgements This paper was published with the support of the project TÁMOP-4.2.2./B-10/1-2010-0025. 398 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-75 Soil quality indicators in intercropped legume/barley systems in a Mediterranean area Tortorella, Demetrio; Scalise, Antonella; Petrovičová, Beatrix; Monti, Michele; Gelsomino, Antonio Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, ITALY Introduction Ecological services arise from the ecosystems’ functions, and include the provision of products, the regulation of climatic factors and pedogenesis and the support in processes such as nutrient cycling and decomposition of necromasses. Legume plants can provide some important agro-ecological services, such as the atmospheric nitrogen fi xation performed by the symbiotic bacteria in root nodules. Legume plants are effi ciently usable for intercropping, in order to enhance the crops’ utilization of light, water and nutrients for their conversion to crop biomass. Managing the agro-ecological resources is a main challenge for the European Community. Within the 7th Framework Programme (FP7, Knowledge Based Bio-Economy - KBBE), the Partnership Project named Legume Futures (http://www.legumefutures.de) focuses on evaluating cropping systems using legumes as providers of agro-ecological services. The quality of a soil represents its capacity to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality and promote plant and animal health. Soil quality can only be evaluated through measuring some of its attributes considered as indicators. Materials and methods The aim of this study is to assess soil quality responses through an integrated analysis of chemical, biochemical and biological indicators in a Mediterranean area where a cereal (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Aldebaran) and two grain legumes (Pisum sativum L. cv Hardy and Vicia faba L. cv Sikelia) were intercropped at diff erent densities, comparing the respective sole crop. The fi eld experiment represents the fi rst year of activity within the project Legume Futures, and was carried out in the 2010/11 cropping season at an experimental centre of the Regional Agency for Agriculture “ARSSA” located at San Marco Argentano (Italy). The following treatments were compared: 1) pea sole crop at a density of 90 plants/ m2 (P100); 2) faba sole crop at a density of 40 plants/m 2 (F100); 3) barley sole crop at a density of 300 plants/m 2 (B100); 4) pea-barley intercrop in additive design at a crop density of 90 and 150 plants/m2, respectively (P100/B50); 5) pea-barley intercrop in replacement design at a crop density of 45 and 150 plants/m2, respectively (P50/B50); 6) faba bean-barley intercrop in additive design at a crop density of 40 and 150 plants/m2, respectively (F100/B50); 7) faba bean-barley intercrop in replacement design at a crop density of 20 and 150 plants/m2, respectively (F50/ B50). At tillering, fl owering and harvest of the legume crops, the following soil chemical and biochemical properties were analysed: total organic C (C org ), total N (N t ), inorganic N as exchangeable NH 4 + -N and NO 3 - -N, extractable organic N (EON), microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), basal respiration (R bas ), potentially mineralisable C pool (C 0 ), and potentially mineralisable N (PMN). The following eco-physiological indices were then calculated: microbial quotient (MBC/C org ), metabolic quotient (qCO 2 ), mineralization coeffi cient (qM), and qCO 2 /C org ratio. Furthermore, a molecular analysis (DGGE fi ngerprinting) on soil bacterial community was performed. Results Chemical and biochemical analyses indicate that most of the analysed soil variables were signifi cantly aff ected by crop and time, with C-related pools being more sensitive than N pools to the infl uence of the experimental factors. The molecular analysis on soil bacterial community showed a high number of equally abundant ribotypes appearing in the DGGE pro fi les, revealing that the molecular structure of the bacterial communities was resilient to the diff erent vegetation cover, at least over the short-term. Ongoing research will focus on evaluating the impact of soil incorporation of legume crop residues on the abovementioned soil properties, following rotation with durum wheat. 399 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-75 400 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-76 Impact of diff erent tillage systems on the functional diversity of soil biota van Capelle, Christine; Schrader, Stefan; Brunotte, Joachim; Weigel, Hans-Joachim Johann Heinrich von Thuenen-Institute - vTI, GERMANY Introduction An assessment of the functional and structural biodiversity in arable soils, considering the impact of diff erent tillage systems, is needed in the aim of protecting and supporting biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by organisms. Thus, a survey on scientifi c literature, published over the past six decades was conducted. Materials and methods The state of knowledge was analyzed with regard to the impact of conventional, conservation and no- tillage management on lumbricids, collembolans, mites, enchytraeids, nematodes and microbiota (Tab. 1). Interaction eff ects between tillage intensity and parameters characterizing the respective system (e.g. soil texture and crop) were considered. Besides abundance and biomass of organisms, species richness and individual densities of taxonomical and functional units, enzyme activities and various quotients indicating microbial- driven soil processes were included in the analysis. We concentrated on data from agroecosystems in Germany as they cover a wide range of di ff erent soils representative for temperate regions. The main criteria for the selection of datasets were: 1. beside conventional tillage, at least one system with reduced tillage intensity (conservation or no-tillage) is included; 2. e ff ects of tillage intensity can be distinguished from other treatment eff ects (e.g. fertilization); and 3. original data on relevant parameters describing soil fauna or microorganisms under fi eld conditions are given or can be derived. Results Earthworms were strongly adversely aff ected by mechanical tillage. Their abundance, biomass and species diversity, therefore, increased signifi cantly when tillage intensity was reduced. Mites and collembolans, by contrast, were less sensitive to mechanical injury and the preservation of enchytraeids, even, depends on a minimum of soil loosening measure (Tab. 1). Tillage- driven impacts on lumbricids and collembolans diff ered depending on soil texture (Fig. 1). Conservation and no-tillage systems, thereby, signifi cantly promoted earthworm abundances in silty and loamy soils, but did not signifi cantly change individual densities in sandy soils. Collembolan abundances, by contrast, increased in silty soils, but decreased in sandy and loamy soils when conservation instead of conventional tillage was applied (Fig. 1). Tillage eff ects on nematodes and microbial communities did not diff er depending on soil texture, but varied depending on soil depth, indicating an optimum environment in the root zone under reduced tillage intensity. Moreover, functional groups within certain taxa showed diff ering tillage-induced 401 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-76 impacts. Abundances of anecic and endogeic earthworm species, for instance, refl ected a stronger decrease in conventional tillage systems than epigeic ones. Euedaphic collembolan species, due to their restricted burrowing activity, were adversely aff ected by ploughless tillage in soils of fi ne texture. Bacterivorous, fungivorous and root-feeding nematodes were more strongly aff ected by tillage intensity than other feeding types. Generally, the literature survey indicated that impacts of tillage intensity on soil organisms diff er considerably depending on their body size, ability to burrow, adaptation to certain soil depths, trophic specifi cation and habitat demands. Whereas soil texture exerts a strong impact on tillage-induced changes in communities of soil organisms which strongly depend on suffi cient pore spaces (Fig. 1), the kind of crop plays only a minor role. Conclusion The integrative data analysis showed that the selection of a specifi c tillage system enables a directed promotion of certain organism taxa and functional groups, which are of major relevance for maintaining essential below- ground processes. However, to ideally manage soil biodiversity while reaching optimal soil health and suffi cient production capacity, respective local conditions like soil texture have to be considered when selecting most suitable tillage systems. 402 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-77 Interaction between soil micro- and mesofauna regarding mycotoxin degradation in wheat straw as a function of soil texture Wolfarth, Friederike1; Schrader, Stefan1; Oldenburg, Elisabeth2; Weigel, Hans-Joachim1 1vTI, GERMANY; 2JKI, GERMANY Introduction Besides well-known positive aspects of conservation tillage combined with mulching, a drawback may be the survival of phytopathogenic fungi like Fusarium species on plant residues. This may endanger the health of the following crop by increasing the infection risk for specifi c plant diseases like Fusarium head blight. In infected plant organs, these pathogens are able to produce mycotoxins like deoxynivalenol (DON). Against this background, a microcosm-study was conducted under laboratory conditions to assess the interaction between soil fauna (nematodes and collembolans) and DON. Our hypotheses were: (1) nematodes and collembolans reduce the DON content in infected wheat straw; (2) the species interaction of Aphelenchoides saprophilus and Folsomia candida enhances the degradation of DON concentration in wheat straw; (3) the degradation effi ciency of nematodes and collembolans is aff ected by soil texture. Materials and methods Microcosms (n=5 for all treatments) were fi lled with soil of diff erent texture (sandy loam, silt loam, clay loam) and fi nely chopped wheat straw (Fusarium-infected vs. non-infected). The microcosms were inoculated with Aphelenchoides saprophilus (Nematoda) and Folsomia candida (Collembola) in diff erent combinations (single and mixed species, non-faunal control). After 2 and 4 weeks of incubation at 17°C in darkness, the individual densities in all soil faunal treatments were counted and the DON concentrations were quantifi ed by using a competitive ELISA. Results After 2 and 4 weeks of incubation, the individual densities in all soil faunal treatments increased with highest individual numbers in the non-infected treatments in case of collembolans and in the infected treatments in case of nematodes. DON concentrations in remaining infected straw were reduced signifi cantly compared to the initial concentration in all treatments after 4 weeks. According to RM ANOVA, the eff ect of the introduced soil fauna in degrading DON was signifi cant. The highest reduction was found in mixed species treatments, whereas the lowest reduction of DON was measured in non-faunal control treatments (Tab. 1). In sandy and silt loam soil, the DON degradation was signifi cantly higher compared with clay loam in all faunal and non-faunal treatments. After 4 weeks still positive DON concentrations were determined in the soil of the infected treatments. The lowest DON concentrations were determined in sandy and silt loam of the mixed species treatments. Conclusions Collembolans and nematodes signifi cantly contribute to mycotoxin degradation in wheat straw, especially in sandy and silty soils. We conclude that particularly interacting collembolans and nematodes play an important role in mycotoxin degradation as an ecosystem service. Accordingly, fungal feeding soil micro- and mesofauna might be able to promote compensating for the enhanced risk of fungal crop diseases and mycotoxin contamination of food and feed deriving from 403 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-77 conservation tillage practices. In any case, soil texture matters in the provision of these ecosystem services by collembolans and nematodes. The given soil texture provided an environment, which signifi cantly infl uenced the degradation of the mycotoxin in infected wheat straw. Especially in case of tight crop rotations, where the time slot between harvest of the previous and sowing of the following crop is short, interacting soil fauna and, in addition, soil microorganisms might enhance and accelerate the degradation of soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi and their mycotoxins as ecosystem services for crop protection. 404 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-79 Assessment of soil fungal communities in barley- turnip rape cropping systems via LH (Length Heterogeneity) PCR Zou, L; Tuulos, A; Stoddard, F; Mäkelä, P; Lindström, K; Mikkonen, A University of Helsinki, FINLAND Introduction Yield and quality of crops can be reduced by soil-borne pathogens. The massive use of synthetic fungicides has caused concerns about environmental degradation. Furthermore, the use of race-specifi c disease resistance in crop production puts selection pressure on the pathogen. For these reasons, resistant cultivars and fungicides should be used in a more sensible way and innovative methods are needed to complement existing methods. One of these methods is the use of natural chemicals with biocidal activity that exist in plants. Glucosinolate (GSL)-containing plants have been suggested to inhibit the growth of certain soil-borne pathogens (Van Dam et al., 2009). We therefore chose to investigate the eff ect of sowing turnip rape (Brassica rapa L. ssp. oleifera (DC) Metzg cv. Largo) after barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Vilde) along with the interspecifi c mix and incorporation of turnip rape in the soil on the structure of soil-borne fungal fl ora. Materials and methods A fi eld experiment was conducted including 5 treatments: 1. Mixed culture of barley and turnip rape sown in the middle of May; 2. Barley sown in mid-May followed by turnip rape sown in late July; 3. same as 1, but turnip rape was incorporated into the soil in autumn; 4. same as 1, but turnip rape was incorporated in the following spring, 5. Barley monoculture sown in middle of May, harvested in early August, and stubble left on the soil in 2009 and barley was sown on all plots in 2010. Top soil samples were taken periodically in the year 2009 and 2010; and the same experiment was repeated in the year 2010 and 2011 in a diff erent site. Soil DNA was extracted by the commercial kit. PCR primers specifi c for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1F/ITS4) region of fungal rDNA and capillary-electrophoresis-based LH-PCR were used to distinguish genetic diversity (Bruns & Gardes 1993); ITS1F was labeled with FAM and 50 bp to 1000 bp Mapmarker® was used for size-calling of amplicons from soil. Curve- based analyses were conducted by BioNumerics® and Shannon index was calculated. Results and discussion MDS divided all the profi les into 2 groups depending on diff erent sites where the 2 experiments were conducted. This suggests that the diff erence caused by diff erent sites and seasons cannot be neglected. In the clustering analysis for all profi les (Ward was chosen as the algorithm), profi les of the same sampling date instead of the same treatment fell into the same cluster, showing that the season could aff ect the fungal fl ora more than diff erent treatments. Hence, comparison of the eff ect of diff erent treatments is more sensible in the profi les of the same sampling date. When curve-based, Ward clustering was conducted on the samples of the same sampling date, profi les did not form clusters depending on diff erent treatments showing that the treatments did not infl uence soil fungal fl ora. The fungal diversity of soil under barley monoculture was lower than that in the other 4 treatments during the whole growing season in both experiments of 2 sites, according to the Shannon index. Soil fungal diversity of barley monoculture of both experiments was the lowest on the last sampling dates of both experiments. Dominant OTUs in these soil samples were 594 bp, 684 bp and 584 bp according to the averaged profi le generated from BioNumerics. The lengths of 684 bp and 584 bp were from Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium culmorum (reference strains), respectively. All the results combined indicated that barley monoculture had lower diversity index compared with other treatments on specifi c sampling dates. Any inhibitory eff ect of ITC produced from GSL of turnip rape was small, or a ff ected by some unknown reasons in fi eld conditions, since the presence of pathogen-related OTUs was detected in signifi cant proportions in profi les of treatments of turnip incorporation. Higher diversity of monoculture treatment could result in a more competent environment for soil- borne pathogens. 405 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-79 References Bruns, T.D. & Gardes, M. 1993. ITS primers with enhanced specifi city for basidiomycetes---application to the identifi cation of mycorrhizae and rusts, Molecular ecology, 2: 113-118. Van Dam, N.M., Tytgat, T.O.G. & Kirkegaard, J.A. 2009. Root and shoot glucosinolates: A comparison of their diversity, function and interactions in natural and managed ecosystems, Phytochemistry Reviews, 8: 171- 186. 406 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-80 Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) combustion capacity assessment Adamovics, Aleksandrs; Platace, Rasma Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA Results Moisture and ash content were established, as well as the highest and the lowest calorifi c power, and temperatures of diff erent ash melting phases in oxidizing atmosphere. The averagemoisture content of RCG spring harvest was 8.9 %, while for the autumn harvest it was 17.6 % (Table 1). RCG biomass ash content in the spring harvest was from 1.2 - 5.0%, but in the autumn harvest 3.7% -5.5%. The highest calorifi c power of RCG biomass spring harvest was obtained from the variety ‘Marathon’ - 18.9 MJ/kg, but the lowest 15.5 MJ/kg; the autumn biomass harvest was the best from the variety ‘Bamse’ - 15.4 MJ/kg, but the lowest -14.0 MJ/kg. Analyzing RCG varieties suitable for production of heat, it must be noted that their burning capacity characteristics are similar to wood, but burning biomass produces more ash, therefore when producing pellets, biomass should be mixed with sawdust and chips. The results obtained demonstrate that RCG biomass ash melting phase temperature indicators are suffi cient to ensure quality operation of the boiler. The best indicators of ash melting temperatures of reed canary grass in all phases were obtained from the variety ‘Bamse’ (spring harvest), whose starting deformation temperature was 1240 °C, but the end temperature of the effl uence phase- 1330 °C; the variety ‘Pedja’ produced the best results for fall harvest biomass Introduction When use of the grass biomass is used for production of thermal energy, the main problems in the process of combustion should be described, which are related to the moisture content, ash content, calorifi c power and ash melting temperature. The aim of the study was to evaluate reed canary grass varieties which are most suitable for Latvian conditions, to evaluate their capacity of combustion performance and to make recommendations for using them to produce heat. Materials and methods The research analyzes diff erent biomass fuel parameter indicators of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.)-(RCG) cultivars ‘Marathon’, ‘Bamse’ and ‘Pedja’ depending on the harvest times (spring 2011 and fall 2011), to determine their suitability for thermal energy production. In accordance with standards the following parameters were identifi ed: moisture volume – Wa (ISO 589, LVS CEN/TS 14774-2), ash content for dry materials – A (ISO 1171-81), calori fi c power – QA and QZEM (ISO 1928,LVS CEN/TS 14918), as well as ash melting temperature in the oxidizing atmosphere (according to ISO 540). Parameters were defi ned in the Ltd. «Virsma» laboratory for examination of waste products, fuel and tests. 407 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-80 – the beginning of deformation temperature is 1440°C and the end temperature of effl uence phase- 1500 °C. Conclusions For the RCG biomass both to spring and autumn samples has a high ash content , on average 3.1% -4.5%. For the RCG spring samples the combustion capacity reached 18.4MJ/kg, therefore RCG is appropriate for processing to production of the biofuel pellets. Melting temperature of the RCG ashes at the beginning of deformation phase makes 1100-1440°C, which means that indicators of the ash melting temperature are within standards, and will not cause problems in the process of combustion in heating systems. RCG spring harvest has lower ash content and higher un combustion capacity, and it is recommended that RCG as an energy plant for production of thermal energy (pellets) shall be harvested in late autumn till spring. Acknowledgements Publication and disamination of research results has been made due to the funding of the ERAF Project „Promotion of scienti fi c activities of LLU”, Contract Nr. 2010/0198/2DP/2.1.1.2.0/10/APIA/VIAA/020 To Ltd. “Latgran” for cooperation. References Obenberger I., Thek G. (2010) The Pellet Handbook. The production and thermal Utilisation of biomass pellets. London, Washington, DC, pp. 548. 408 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-81 Productivity and yield quality of local hemp ‘Purini’ Adamovics, Aleksandrs; Poisa, Liena; Sausserde, Rudite Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA Introduction The hemp has long been known in Latvia. For many centuries they have been grown on farms and used production of seed and fi ber from hemp. From local hemp seed is preparing tasty and healthy foods - hemp spread, butter, hemp milk, oil etc. Today the hemp has the widespread options of use: food, feed and alternative energy (biodiesel and solid fuel). From the stems technical fi bre is obtained, but from the residue material (shive) it is possible to obtain hard fuel. This plant is a valuable rotation crop in organic farming (MTT, 2009). The aim of this study was to clarify productivity and yield quality of local hemp ‘Purini’. Materials and methods The local hemp ‘Purini’ ( Cannabis sativa L.) is an annual crop from the Cannabinaceae family which has been grown in Latvia for more than 200 years. The local hemp ‘Purini’ was sown on the 9th May 2008, and on the 4th of May 2009, and on the 13th May 2010 in the sod-podzolic loam soil but the harvesting was on the 23rd September 2008, and on the 21st September 2009, and 10th September 2010. The nitrogen supplementary fertiliser rates: N0 – control, treatments – N60, N100 kg ha -1. N fertiliser (ammonium nitrate) was applied on the 11th June 2008, on the 10th June 2009, and on the 1st June 2010. The following parameters were tested: 1) moisture content, according to standard ISO 589-81; 2) gross calorifi c value (Qgr.d) with V (volume)=constant for dried fuel at 105 ºC, according to standard LVS CEN/TS 14918; 3) oil content in the seed samples was determined by the grain analyser Infratec 1241tm, which has a specially adapted system, built-in for the analysis of oil content for fl ax and hemp. The MS Excel programme was used for data statistical processing. The ANOVA method and correlation and regression analysis were used. The test of statistically signifi cant diff erences (LSD 0.05) with the Fisher criterion (F-test) and factor density infl uence was used for the analysis of mean diff erences. Results and discussion Seed oil content of dry matter (DM) was in the range from 36.4% to 43.5%. N-fertilizer rates had the positive signifi cant eff ect on the shive content of hemp ‘Purini’, but had the negative e ff ect on the oil content (Poisa, Adamovics, 2010). The nitrogen fertilizer rate increase from N0 to N100 kg ha-1 provided a signifi cant (p<0.05) increase in dry matter (DM) for local hemp, as confi rmed by other studies (Grabowska, Koziara, 2005; Poisa, Adamovics, 2010). The gross calorifi c value - for the local hemp was from 18.35 to 19.71 MJ kg-1. Carbon is the main burning element in fuel. The carbon content (min – average – max) was 1.79–2.98–4.56 t ha -1, the shive yield 4.54–5.86–8.64 t ha - 1, seed yield 0.87–1.53–2.56 t ha -1, DM yield 4.62 – 8.01 – 11.90 t ha-1 for the local hemp stems. Local hemp can be used for the production of hard fuel. 409 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-81 Conclusions The shive, seed can be obtained from the local hemp ‘Purini’. The largest shive content was applying N fertilizer rate N60, but the largest dry matter content - applying N100 kg ha-1. Acknowledgements Publication and disamination of research results has been made due to the funding of the ERAF Project „Promotion of scienti fi c activities of LLU”, Contract Nr. 2010/0198/2DP/2.1.1.2.0/10/APIA/VIAA/020 The authors also would like to thank the Agricultural Science Centre of Latgale for assistance in hemp trial installation. References 1. Grabowska L., Koziara W. (2005) The E ff ect of Nitrogen Dose, Sowing Density and Time of Harvest on Development and Yields of Hemp Cultivar Bialobrzeskie, Journal of Natural Fibers, Vol. 2. No. 4. pp. 1-18. 2. MTT (2009) Energy from fi eld energy crops – a handbook for energy producers. MTT Agrifood Research Finland, 60 p. 3. Poisa L., Adamovics A. (2010) Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as an Environmentally Friendly Energyplant. Scientifi c Journal of Riga Technical University. Environmental and climate technologies. Vol. 5. pp. 80.-85. 410 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-82 Productivity and tensile endurance determine of hemp fi ber Adamovics, Aleksandrs; Kakitis, Aivars; Sausserde, Rudite; Zakrevskis, Sergejs Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA Introduction Hemp (Canabis sativa L.) is a multipurpose crop which is growth for its fi bers and seeds. The fi ber is one of the most valuable parts of the hemp plant. It is commonly called bast, which refers to the fi bers which grow on the outside of the plant’s stalk. The fi ber is one of the strongest and most tolerant natural fi bers with high tensile strength, wet strength, and other characteristics that make it technically suitable for various industrial products. Therefore, Latvian hemp is seen as one of the most promising sources of renewable resources to replace non-renewable components for a wide range of industrial products. Materials and methods Field trial was carried out during 2010–2011 in the Research and Study farm “Peterlauki” of the Latvia University of Agriculture. The hemp varieties ‘Bialobrzeskie’, ‘Futura75’ and ‘Tygra’ were sown on the 5th May 2010 and on the 6th of May 2011 in stagnic – luvisol soils. The total seeding rate was 50 kg ha-1. The harvesting was in September in both years. Three varieties were tested for natural hemp fi ber (with splint) tensile strength. Samples to be measured were selected and sized in 50 mm long pieces of fi bers, for each thickness was measured in three places and its average value was calculated. Measurements were taken with digital calipers with the digital measurement error ±10 mm. In order to secure the samples in the test machine, a previously elaborated method was used ensuring convenient fi xing and correct disruption of the sample (Fig.1). Samples were fi xed in a cardboard frame with external size of 50 mm. Ends of the sample were stuck to the cardboard by gluing its ends between the cardboard pieces. After fastening of a sample in the frame, measurements of its width were taken using digital microscope Keyence VHX - 300. Width of the sample was measured at least in three places and the average value was calculated. To determine maximum disruption force for the sample, it was loaded under tension by using material testing machine Zwick 2500. The sample was placed in the machinery fastenings, by compressing the parts glued in the sample cardboards. After fastening the cardboard frame is cut on both sides (place of cutting 4, Fig.1). Then loading of a sample was performed and the tensile chart was shot, from which the maximum disruption force was defi ned. The rupture stress and the tensile strength of the fi ber was calculated using software Test Expert. 411 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-82 Results Field trials have established that the yield of hemp dry matter in Latvia’s agro-climatic conditions depending on the variety was 6.5 - 12.4 t ha -1. Dependence on the version being subject to inspection, the yield of dry matter for variety ‘Futura’ was 11.0 to 12.4 t ha -1, ‘Bialobrzeskie’ - 9.5 to 10.7 t ha-1, but for ‘Tygra’ - 7.4 to 8.7 t ha -1, and the total fi ber yield - respectively 3.15, 2.65 and 2.40 t ha -1. Results of the experiments were indicative of the cutoff stress of tensile strength for non-blanched fi ber of three varieties of hemp with bast addition. As displayed in Figure 2, the ‘Tygra’ variety of fi bers is having the greatest resistance. Their average tensile strength amounted to 558 MPa, which is equivalent to the tensile strength of high quality steel. It should be noted that the experiments have established a large distribution of the measurement results. The tensile strength of individual samples ranged from no 715 MPa to 373 MPa. This is explained by the fact that hemp fi ber is a non-homogeneous material, and its properties are varied within wide limits. It should be noted that tensile strength of fi ber of all the varieties is large enough to allow it to be used for reinforcement of foam gypsum. Acknowledgments The research was supported by the European Regional Development Fund within the project ‘Development of New Composite Materials on Foam Gypsum Basis with Fibrous Reinforcement and Their Systems Researchÿ. Agreement No. 2010/0320/2DP/2.1.1.1.0/10/APIA/ VIAA/107. 412 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-83 Apparent nitrogen effi ciency in 10-year old stands of perennial biomass crops in Northern Italy Capecchi, Lorenzo; Barbanti, Lorenzo; Vecchi, Angela; Grigatti, Marco University of Bologna, ITALY Introduction The EU promotes the use of renewable energy sources (Directive 2009/29/EC), including energy crops. The amount of nitrogen and its use effi ciency are key points in energy and environmental assessments of these crops. Among them, perennial herbaceous species are gaining interest, thanks to their low inputs. In this light, a long term experiment was begun in 2002 at the experimental farm, University of Bologna (44° N, 11° E), addressing fi eld behaviour and N response of four biomass species: Arundo donax (A), Miscanthus sinensis x Giganteus (M), Cynara cardunculus (C), and Panicum virgatum (P). This study focuses on nitrogen use effi ciency in mature stands (2011). Materials and methods The experiment was set up in a deep silty-clayey fi eld under a semi-continental climate. The four species were combined with two levels of nitrogen in a completely randomized block design: N0, unfertilized control; N1, 120 kg ha-1 yr-1 of N as urea in A and P; 100 kg ha -1 yr-1 in M and C. At the 2011 harvest, dry biomass yield (DBY; Mg ha-1), total kjeldahl nitrogen content (TKN; mg g -1) and plant N uptake (kg ha-1) were assessed. The apparent recovery fraction (ARF, %) of fertilizer N was calculated by the diff erence method (Huggins et al., 1993). Nitrogen utilization effi ciency (NUtE, kg kg-1) was calculated as the ratio of DBY to plant N uptake (Delogu et al., 1998). Data were subjected to ANOVA according to species, nitrogen level and their interaction. Results and discussion The main results are reported in table 1. DBY was undiff erentiated among A, P and M, whereas C yielded about two third less biomass. In general, these DBY levels were close to those observed by other authors on mature stands of the same species (Angelini et al., 2009a and 2009b; McLaughin et al., 2005). In contrast to DBY, C showed a much higher TKN than M, in turn signifi cantly higher than P and A. N1 exhibited an almost 30% and 20% increase over the N0 level in DBY and TKN, respectively. As the eff ect of opposite trends in DBY and TKN, ARF was undiff erentiated among the four species, always lying at low trait levels (average, 21%). Conversely, NUtE displayed decreasing levels in P, A, M and C. N fertilization determined a noticeable decrease in NUtE. The eff ects of nitrogen on DBY, TKN and NUtE were consistent across the four species, as the nonsignifi cant interactions prove. Based on these results, it may be argued that the amounts of N fertilizer commonly used are higher than the actual requirements of these crops, despite the fact that the N0 treatment used as comparison had been left without nitrogen for ten years. Low ARF’s of the same species were also reported by Angelini et al. (2009a and 2009b). 413 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-83 Conclusions Nitrogen enhances DBY, but perennial herbaceous species could only take up a small fraction of the supplied nutrient, as the low ARF and declining NUtE prove. It appears, therefore, that N supply could be reduced with respect to the standard 100-120 kg N ha-1, in order to enhance nutrient use effi ciency, improve energy balance and reduce environmental impact of these crops. Acknowledgements Research carried out under the BIOSEA Project, funded by MIPAAF (Italy). References Angelini LG et al 2009a. Long-term evaluation of biomass production and quality of two cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) cultivars for energy use. Biomass Bioenerg 33, 810-816. Angelini LG et al 2009b. Comparison of Arundo donax and Miscanthus x giganteus in a long-term fi eld experiment in Central Italy: Analysis of productive characteristics and energy balance. Biomass Bioenerg 33, 635-643. Delogu G et al 1998. Uptake and agronomic e ffi ciency of nitrogen in winter barley and winter wheat. Eur J Agron 9, 11-20. Huggins DR et al 1993. Nitrogen effi ciency component analysis: an evaluation of cropping system diff erences in productivity. Agron J 85, 898-905. McLaughlin SB et al 2005. Development of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as a bioenergy feedstock in the United States. Biomass Bioenerg 28, 515-535. 414 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Comparing contrasted biomass crops cultivated under diff erent cropping managements DEMAY, Charlotte; Cadoux, Stéphane; Ferchaud, Fabien INRA, FRANCE P1-84 Introduction Biomass from dedicated crops is expected to signifi cantly contribute to the replacement of fossil resources. However, the development of these crops must not occur at the expense of either food production nor environment. The biomass crops and the cropping management will have to answer to these constraints. This paper aimed at comparing contrasted biomass crops cultivated under diff erent cropping management in the same long term experiment. Materials and methods The long term experiment is located in Estrées-Mons in Northern France (50°N, 3°E). The soil is a deep silt loam. The climate is oceanic temperate (624mm, 10.7°C). Seven crops with 2 levels of nitrogen were compared (N- and N+): poplar (0 and 60 kg ha -1), Miscanthus x giganteus (0 and 120 kg ha-1), switchgrass (0 and 120 kg ha-1), fescue (n*40 and n*80 kg ha -1, n depending on the number of cut per year), alfalfa (no fertilization), triticale (60 and 120 kg ha-1) and fi ber sorghum (0 and 120 kg ha-1). The poplars were cultivated in very short rotation coppice, harvested every 2 years. For miscanthus and switchgrass 2 harvest dates were also compared: early harvest in October (E) and late harvest in February (L). Biomass production and nutrient content (N, P, K) were measured at harvest. Results and discussion The hierarchy between crops in terms of biomass production was relatively constant over the years, with a superiority of the C4 perennial crops, particularly when harvested early, then all annual and perennial crops and fi nally poplar (Fig. 1). There was a slight eff ect of N fertilization on the yield of miscanthus from 2008 in E treatments, and a signifi cant eff ect on the yield of switchgrass from 2007 for both harvest treatments, but stronger in E treatments. The interaction between early harvest and fertilization is likely due to depletion in rhizome N reserves (Strullu et al., 2011).The trend for the yield of alfalfa and fescue was quite similar, with 415 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-84 a high variability between years. For both crops, the biomass yield never exceeded 20 t ha-1, which is likely to be due to lower RUE of C3 compared to C4 crops. The yield of triticale was low, especially in N- treatments. The biomass production of fi ber sorghum was low too, which is mainly due to its susceptibility to the low temperatures of Northern France. The biomass production of poplar was low compared to the other crops. The nutrient content at harvest was expressed by unit of C produced to give effi ciencies of nutrient removal. The nutrient/C ratio was low on average for miscanthus and switchgrass (Fig. 2) especially for L treatments, due to nutrient translocation during winter. The trend for poplar was very similar to the perennial C4 crops. The nutrient/C was high for both pluriannual crops: it has been previously identifi ed as a major disadvantage of using these crops for bioenergy (Ceotto, 2009). The nutrient/C ratio of both annual crops was intermediate, which was yet described by Scholz and Ellerbrock (2002). Conclusions Miscanthus and switchgrass, when harvested late, were able to conciliate high biomass production and low nutrient removal at harvest. For the other crops, the biomass production was lower and the amount of nutrient removed at harvest was higher. For perennial crops, concerns appeared especially on the large K removal. Further researches are needed to study the environmental consequences of these behaviors. References Ceotto E. (2009) Grasslands for Bioenergy Production: A Review. Sustainable Agriculture, in: E. Lichtfouse, et al. (Eds.), Springer Netherlands. pp. 141-151. Scholz V., Ellerbrock R. (2002) The growth productivity, and environmental impact of the cultivation of energy crops on sandy soil in Germany. Biomass and Bioenergy 23:81-92. Strullu L., Cadoux S., Preudhomme M., Jeuff roy M.H., Beaudoin N. (2011) Biomass production and nitrogen accumulation and remobilisation by Miscanthus x giganteus as infl uenced by nitrogen stocks in belowground organs. Field Crops Research 121:381-391. 416 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-85 Eff ects of harvest time and frequency on giant reed productivity under diff erent soil conditions in Mediterranean environment Dragoni, Federico; Nassi o Di Nasso, Nicoletta; Ragaglini, Giorgio; Tozzini, Cristiano; Bonari, Enrico Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, ITALY Introduction Giant reed ( Arundo donax L.) has gained attention as a potential energy crop in Southern Europe, where dry yields over 30 t ha-1,in fertile soil with good water availability have been reported (Angelini et al,2009). Information is lacking on suitability of giant reed to diff erent harvest times and frequency, aff ecting both crop yields and management of bioenergy chains (e.g. logistics and conversion) (Ebadian et al,2011).For these reasons, this study analyzed diff erent harvest systems and soil types on giant reed productivity under Mediterranean conditions. Materials and methods Giant reed was established in 2008 on a sandy loam (SL) and on a loamy soil (L) in a Mediterranean environment (river Arno coastal plain, Tuscany, Italy). The soils diff ered in organic matter content (SL:1.0%; L:1.3%) and equal fertilizations were applied each year (100 kg ha-1 of N, P and K) at the beginning of the growing season. For the fi rst 2 years, giant reed was harvested once in late winter. In 2011, single harvest performed in late autumn (SH-A) or in winter (SH-W), were compared with double harvest, with fi rst cut occurring in July (DH1), August (DH2) and September (DH3), while second harvest took place in autumn and winter, concurrently with SH-A and SH-W respectively. At harvest times, plants in a 4 m2 area were harvested and weighed. Subsamples were dried to constant mass at 60°C and crop dry matter percentage was calculated, then ash content was determined in a furnace at 550°C. Dry yield was analyzed by two-way ANOVA considering soil type and harvest system as factors. Results Our preliminary results reported a signifi cantly lower suitability of giant reed to grow on SL soil (14.5 vs 37.1 t ha- 1). About the harvest systems, no signifi cant diff erences were recorded within the two soils (Fig. 1). Concerning SH, contrasting results were obtained in the two soils: from autumn to winter, yield seems to decrease in SL while it slightly increased in L. The highest productivity of DH3 depended entirely from the 1st cut, where no regrowth was observed. In SL soil, regrowth occurred only in DH1, representing about 43% of the total yield. In L regrowth ranged from 40% to 15% of the total yield in DH1 and DH2 respectively. Figure 1: Aboveground dry yield in sandy loam (SL) and loam (L) soils under diff erent harvest systems. Dry matter content (DM) followed the same trend in both soils, increasing from July to January. In the fi rst cut DM was lower than 40% only in DH1, while in the other DH systems was between 45% and 55%. In the second cut, DM was generally lower than those observed in SH systems. Ash content was higher in L (6.0 vs 4.8%) and decreased along the season. In general, second cut showed lower contents than fi rst cut (Tab.1). 417 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-85 Conclusions Our study confi rms good yields of giant reed in fertile soils; however, interesting yields were achieved also on marginal lands (Lewandowski et al, 2003). The adoption of DH system instead of SH did not seem to signifi cantly vary the overall productivity, thus representing an option both for logistics and farm management reasons. Variations of DM along the season may lead to hypothesize diff erent end uses of biomass depending on harvest time. Further studies should be performed in order to assess long term eff ects on sustainability in terms of energy input, nutrient uptakes and yield stability over years. Table 1: DM and ash content of giant reed related to diff erent soils, DH/SH and cut times. References Angelini et al,2009.Comparison of Arundo donax L. and Miscanthus x giganteus in a long-term fi eld experiment in Central Italy: Analysis of productive characteristics and energy balance.BiomassBioenergy33:635-643. Ebadiana et al,2011.A new simulation model for multi- agricultural biomass logistics system in bioenergy production.BiosysEng10:280-290. Lewandowski et al,2003.The development and current status of perennial rhizomatous grasses as energy crops in the USA and Europe.BiomassBioenergy25:335-361 418 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-86 Eff ects of crop production factors on bio-ethanol production of maize in the polyfactorial long-term experiment Harsányi, Endre; Erdei, Éva; Rátonyi, Tamás University of Debrecen, HUNGARY Introduction The European Union has made a decision which is obligatory for the Member States to increase the proportion of bio-fuels within fuels to 10% by 2020. The EU member states that are unable to produce the necessary amount of ethanol by themselves require import, because the increasing of the proportion of ethanol is compulsory for them as well. Therefore both the ethanol that can be produced in Hungary and the maize necessary for it have stable markets on the long run. The primary tasks of the Hungarian maize production sector are the elimination of the quantitative extremities and the assurance of a sustainable production. Several research results have been published about the quality of maize, Singh et al. (2002) and Miao et al. (2006) concluded that nitrogen fertilization signifi cantly increased yield and protein content, but it decreased oil and starch content. Materials and methods The objective of our investigation is to evaluate the eff ects of crop production factors on bio-ethanol production of maize in the polyfactorial long-term experiment in the 2011 crop season. Yield, starch content, starch yield and bio-ethanol yield per hectare of maize were investigated at the trial site of the University of Debrecen, Hungary. Soil of the experimental site was a lowland pseudomyceliar chernozem (Mollisol-Calciustoll or Vermustoll, silt loam). The climate is temperate continental, with an annual precipitation of 518 mm in 2011 of which 62,5% (324 mm) occurs during the growing season (from April to September). The trial is a polyfactorial long-term cultivation trial with a split-split- plot distribution. Irrigation and cultivation are in the main block, while fertilization is examined in randomized blocks with four repetitions. The yield of maize has been determined with a plot harvester. The starch content determination of the maize hybrids was carried out with a Foss InfratecTM 1241 type crop analyzing device. Bio- ethanol fermentation was carried out by SSF technology on a higher temperature by using the Kluyveromyves marxianus E1 thermotolerant mutant strain (Erdei et al., 2011). Results and discussion The increasing fertilizer doses decreased the starch content of the maize per dry matter. The highest starch content was obtained in non-fertilized control plots, whereas the lowest values were registered on plots on which N fertilizer doses 240 kg ha-1 were applied (Figure 1a). The fertilizer doses increased the starch yield of maize parallel with the increase of grain yield, the maximum value was obtained in the case of 120 kg ha-1 N level. The lowest bio-ethanol production (2880 liter ha-1) resulted from 0 kg N ha-1 fertilization level of spring ploughing treatment, the highest bioethanol production (5756 liter ha-1) resulted from 120 kg N ha-1 fertilization level of winter ploughing treatment (Figure 2b). Conclusions The amount of producible bio-ethanol from maize produced on a unit of area is determined by the genotypes of maize hybrids, agronomy factors and environmental factors. Based on our results, optimal treatment combinations can be determined that can be used to increase starch yield and bio-ethanol production of maize. Acknowledgements This research was supported by NKTH TECH- 09-A3-2009-0227, BIOKONV9. References Erdei É et al. 2011. Trehalose overproduction a ff ects the stress tolerance of Kluyveromyces marxianus ambiguously. Bioresour Technol. 102: 7232-7235. Miao Y., et al. 2006. Within-Field Variation in Corn Yield and Grain Quality Responses to Nitrogen Fertilization and Hybrid Selection. Agronomy Journal 98 (1-2): 129- 140. Singh, M. 2002. Site-specifi c study of corn protein, oil, and extractable starch variability using NIT spectroscopy. ASAE Meeting Pap. 02-1111. ASAE, St. Joseph, MI. 419 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-86 Fig. 1 Eff ects of tillage systems and fertilizel level on the starch content a) and bio-ethanol production b) of maize hy- brids in the polyfactorial long-term experiment in Hungary b) a) 420 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-87 Biomass accumulation of alternative crops for bioenergy in Northern climate Kadziuliene, Zydre; Sarunaite, Lina; Kryzeviciene, Aldona; Stukonis, Vaclovas; Slepetys, Jonas; Tilvikiene, Vita; Dabkevicius, Zenonas Lithuanian Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry, LITHUANIA Introduction Biomass plantations have the potential to become a signifi cant source of renewable energy and perennial crops are more favoured than annual crops due to the relatively high yields per land unit, and are produced with less impact on the environment (Boehmel et al., 2008). Under more northerly climate conditions more confi dence is placed on C3 plants reed canary grass, tall fescue and others (Jasinskas et al., 2008; Hakala et al., 2009). The yield of dry biomass of perennial tall grasses in Lithuanian soils amounted to 6–9 t ha -1 and only in favourable years it amounted to up to 12 t ha-1 (Jasinskas et al., 2008; Tilvikienë et al., 2009). However, they are generally not very productive and their fuel quality does not match that of wood products. Maximization of the effi ciency of biomass as an energy source, requires to search for some attractive alternative crops. The present study was aimed to evaluate the biomass productivity of perennial plants in relation to diff erent plant supply with nitrogen. Materials and methods The herbaceous plant species were investigated in a small-plot experiment on sand with small stone and gravel admixture, Eutri-Cambic Arenosol (ARb-eu) in Lithuania (55º 24’ N, 23º 52’ E). The average long term temperature is 6.2 0C, rainfall - 661 mm. In 2007, the cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), Miscanthus x gigantheus, cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.), Virginia fanpetals (Sida hermafrodita R.), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and absinthe wormwood (Artemisia dubia) were established. Three nitrogen fertilization levels (0, 60 and 120 kg ha - 1) were explored from the second year of growing. The plants were harvested at the end of the growing season and the dry matter yield and the chemical composition of the biomass were determined. The research results were processed by analysis of variance (P<0.05). Table 1. The biomass productivity of energy crops 421 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-87 Results The dry matter content of Miscanthus varied from 4.6 to 11.9 t ha-1. The dry matter content of Virginia fanpetals increased each year from 7.00 to 15.1 t ha-1 in the fourth year of growth, however in the fi fth year of growth was as low as 4.70–5.15 t ha -1. Without nitrogen fertilization, dry matter content of cup plant ranged from 3.39 to 7.94 t ha-1 and fertilized, varied from 3.8 to 14.23 t ha-1. Of other alternative crops, the best performer in terms of biomass growth was absinthe wormwood. When fertilized with N 60 , in the second–fourth years of growth the plants accumulated on average 8–24 t ha -1 biomass; however, in the fi fth year the biomass amount averaged 6.21–8.81 t ha-1. Cocksfoot biomass content, when fertilized with nitrogen fertilizer, during the four years of use varied on average from 3.0 to 8.3 t ha-1 dry matter (Tab. 1). The key energy indicator of solid fuel - calorifi c capacity is most adversely aff ected by too high ash concentration in the biomass. The least ash concentrations were noted for Miscanthus, Virginia fanpetals and absinthe wormwood. Considering not only potential relevance of the biomass growth research results but also a wide range of variation, research needs to be continued seeking to more comprehensively explore the feasibility of introduced plants’ development and integration of non-traditional species into renewable energy sources. References Boehmel C., Lewandowski I., Claupein W. 2008. Comparing annual and perennial energy cropping systems with diff erent management intensities. Agricultural Systems 96:224–236. Hakala K., Kontturi M., Pahkala K. 2009. Field biomass as global energy source. Agricultural and Food Science 18:347-365. Jasinskas A., Zaltauskas A., Kryzevicienë A. 2008. The investigation of growing and using of tall perennial grasses as Energy crops Biomass and Bioenergy 32: 981–987 Tilvikienë V., Butkutë B., Dabkevièius Z., Kadžiulienë Ž., Kryževièienë A. 2009. Nendriniø eraièinø ir paprastøjø šunažoliø biomasës kaita plaukëjimo ir žydëjimo tarpsniais. Žemdirbystë-Agriculture 96 (2):138-150. 422 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-88 Identifying the yield potential of giant reed (Arundo donax L): an assessment of biomass productivity and nutrient uptakes in stands of diff erent ages Nassi o Di Nasso, Nicoletta1; Roncucci, Neri1; Angelini, Luciana G.2; Bonari, Enrico1 1Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, ITALY; 2Università di Pisa, Dipartimento di Agronomia e Gestione dell’Agroecosistema - DAGA, ITALY Introduction Among energy crops, giant reed (Arundo donax L.) seems promising owing to its high productivity and longevity and to its low nutrient requirement [1]. However, little is known on biomass and nutrient accumulation dynamic. For this reason, the following research questions were addressed: how biomass accumulation is aff ected by environmental conditions and crop age?; how much N, P and K are removed by giant reed crops during the growing season? Materials and methods A giant reed fi eld trial was set up in 2006 at DAGA Experimental Centre (Pisa, Central Italy). The experimental design was a randomized block with three replications. Fertilizers were distributed at a rate of 100 kg ha-1 of N, P 2 O 5 and K 2 O. Samples were collected on 2 m2 along 2006, 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. Subsamples were dried at 60°C to constant mass and crop dry matter percentage and yield were calculated. Experimental data were fi tted to the Gompertz equation and Crop Growth Rate (CGR) was calculated to estimate the change rate of the total crop biomass over time. In 2008, on mature crops, further indices were determined: LAI by means of a plant canopy analyzer and Radiation Use Effi ciency (RUE) as the slope of the relationship between aboveground biomass per square meter and cumulated intercepted photosynthetic active radiation (iPAR). N, P and K concentration were determined by the Kjeldahl method, by spectrophotometric analysis and fl ame photometry, respectively. Nutrient content was calculated as the product of nutrient concentration and dry yield. Figure 1. Mean predicted aboveground dry yield per ground area and CGR as a function of Julian day from 2006 to 2008. Solid circles indicate observed mean values (±SE). 423 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-88 Figure 2. Predicted function of LAI and RUE in 2008. Solid circles indicate observed mean values (±SE). Results Regardless of crop age, giant reed biomass accumulation showed the same seasonal trend, with a growing cycle from the end of March to the beginning of November. The aboveground biomass accumulation of giant reed from the 1st to the 3rd year of growth (3.5, 37 and 32 t ha-1 yr-1) is reported in Figure 1A. Crop age did not aff ect the timing of maximum CGR (about 180 JD, end of June), although it changed among the years (Fig. 1B). In year-3 maximum LAI was achieved 10 weeks following maximum CGR (Fig. 2A,B), as reported for mature crops [2]. However, in our experiment LAI values were lower than previously observed in mature crops, probably due to the lower stem density. In fact, the canopy closure (LAI≥5) was not achieved. Giant reed was characterised by high RUE ( ≥3 g DM MJ-1) until the accumulated biomass reached 25 t ha-1; then this value dropped to about 1 g DM MJ-1. In year-1 nutrient uptakes increased almost linearly until the end of the growing season, while from the 2nd year onwards they followed the trend previously described, reaching maximum values in late July and then decreasing until winter [2]. Nutrient uptakes were strongly related to dry yield, consequently in our experiment they were very low in year-1. On the contrary, from year-2 they increased substantially, with maximum values of about 150, 40, 350 kg ha-1 for N, P and K, respectively. Conclusions Giant reed seems to be characterized by the same growth strategy irrespectively of crop age. Moreover, the trend of crop total biomass accumulation and nutrient uptakes were not aff ected by crop age. However, further studies are necessary to better understand the role of rhizomes on nutrient dynamic in the fall-winter growing season. References [1] Angelini et al., 2009. Comparison of Arundo donax L. and Miscanthus x giganteus in a long-term fi eld experiment in Central Italy: Analysis of productive characteristics and energy balance. Biomass Bioenergy, 33: 635-643. [2] Nassi o Di Nasso et al., 2011. Seasonal nutrient dynamics and biomass quality of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) and miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus Greef et Deuter) as energy crops. Ital J Agron: 6:152-158 424 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-89 Biogas and fertilisation from clover leys Nykänen, Arja1; Kymäläinen, Maritta2; Lemola, Riitta1 1MTT Agrifood Research Finland, FINLAND; 2HAMK University of Applied Sciences, FINLAND Introduction On-farm bioenergy production is increasing in Finland, e.g. to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. Here, biogas production from biomass of the leys by anaerobic digestion (AD) is an interesting option, but research on the fertilisation eff ect of the digested biomass is lacking. In AD, besides the biogas production, a part of the biomass organic nitrogen (N) converts into inorganic ammonium N (NH4-N), easier available for plants. Green manuring with red clover-grass leys is common in organic farming but the problem there is that leys do not give marketable yields. In this study, the fertilization eff ect of the digested biomass was compared to green manuring as well as to commercial fertilisers. Materials and methods Two fi eld experiments were established on organically (moraine soil) and conventionally (clay soil) cultivated fi elds to measure biogas production of silage cut red clover/clover-grass leys and to produce digestate for the fertilisation of spring wheat on next year. The experiments were designed so that one-year-old red clover-grass leys were grown in 2009 in two experiments (pure red clover on conventional fi eld) and 2010 in other two experiments and subsequent spring wheat in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The treatments in the experiments were the diff erent usage of leys: 1) mulched ley, 2) harvested ley for biogas and use of the digestate as fertiliser on the same plot next spring and 3) spring wheat with common fertilisation level as a control. Leys for green manure were cut twice a year and the biomass was left over the surface. Leys for AD were harvested and preserved anaerobically without additives. All plots were measured for total yield, DM and total N (TN) content. The biogas production of the preserved leys was performed in a mesophilic process, in a reactor of 0.2 m3, fed once a day for about three months after which the reactor was kept without feeding for about 20-30 days. The digestate was stored in a cool storage to be used as a fertiliser, and TN and NH 4 -N were analysed. Spring wheat plots after leys were fertilised with digestate at the equivalent TN amount from 100 to 190 kg ha-1. The N fertilisation of 80 kg N ha-1 for control plots was added as meat bone meal on organic fi eld and as mineral fertiliser on conventional fi eld. Results The yields of the organic clover-grass leys were about 7 000 kg ha-1 DM in both years and the TN amounts were 110 kg ha-1. The conventionally cultivated yields were 7 000 kg ha-1 DM for clover ley in 2009 and about 11 000 kg ha-1 DM for clover-grass ley in 2010. The N amounts were 190 kg ha-1 and 250 kg ha-1 in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The mean spring wheat yield (15% moisture content) in organic cultivation after clover-grass ley varied from 900 to 1 650 kg ha -1 in 2010 and from 2 100 to 2 500 kg ha-1 in 2011. In conventional cultivation after clover ley, spring wheat yields were higher varying from 4 700 to 4 900 kg ha-1 in 2010 and after clover-grass ley from 4 100 to 4 550 kg ha-1 in 2011. No statistical diff erences were found. During biogas production, the TN content increased from 17 to 58 g kg-1 DM (from organic clover-grass biomass to digestate) and from 33 to 73 g kg-1 DM (from conventionally cultivated clover or clover-grass biomass to digestate) due to the loss of dry matter in the AD process. In the digestate, about half or two thirds of TN was in form of NH 4 -N. The methane production from clover-grass biomass varied from 0.28 to 0.33 m3 kg-1 DM, while from pure clover biomass it was 0.24 m3 kg-1 DM. Calculated with biomass yields, the biogas production was 20 MWh ha-1 for organic clover-grass, 37 MWh ha-1 for conventional clover-grass and 17 MWh ha-1 for pure clover. Conclusions The clover-grass biomass produced more biogas than pure clover, but production per hectare depends also on biomass yield. The benefi t from AD of the green manure leys seem to be based more on bioenergy production than for higher cereal yields after AD. 425 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-90 426 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-90 Intercropping lignocellulosic crops with legumes to produce biomass for bioenergy Pelzer, Elise; Bazot, Mathieu; Jeuffroy, Marie-Hélène INRA, FRANCE Introduction A wide range of energy (or lignocellulosic) crops is available for biomass production from annual crops to perennial and woody crops. The type of energy crop and its insertion in cropping systems determines biomass production and quality. (Multi-)annual energy crops can achieve high yields, allow a combination of food and feed production in crop succession, and may therefore be more easily adopted by farmers. However, these energy crops suff er a major drawback compared to perennial ones due to their higher needs for fertilizer nitrogen, leading to higher N losses and energy costs (Boehmel et al. 2008). Intercropping energy crops with legumes off ers the opportunity to reduce the use of N fertilizer while maintaining yields, thus improving the environmental and energetic performances of crops, such as nitrate leaching and energy consumption (Pelzer et al. 2012). Materials and methods An experiment was set up in Versailles (France, 30 km West from Paris; deep Luvisol, temperate climate, annual rain 640 mm and annual mean temperature 10.4 ºC) to assess the agronomic, environmental and energetic performances of grass-legume intercrops. It included several species: annual winter crops (triticale, forage pea, vetch and red clover), annual spring crops (fi bre sorghum, same legumes; no analysis due to climatic conditions leading to the legume death), and multi-annual crops (tall fescue, dactylis, alfalfa). Two N fertilizer treatments (with and without) were applied on sole grasses and grass- legume intercrops, no N on sole legumes. Agronomic performances were measured (biomass production and quality) as well as the N 2 O emissions on non-fertilized treatments (static chambers), the nitrate leaching risk (soil mineral N content after harvest, as in Pelzer et al. 2012) and the energetic cost of production (based on INDIGO © , cited in Pelzer et al. 2012). Lodging, diseases and weeds were also scored. Results and Discussion For annual winter and multi-annual crops, when comparing the same species, biomass production of intercrops was signifi cantly higher than sole crops. Dry matter content was higher for grasses than for legumes, and intermediate for intercrops. C and cellulose contents were not signifi cantly diff erent among treatments. N, S and lignin contents were higher for sole legumes than for sole triticale, and intermediate for intercrops. On the other hand, hemi-cellulose content was lower for sole legumes. For annual winter crops, ash content was higher for sole legumes and intermediate for intercrops, whereas no diff erence was observed between multi-annual crop treatments. N fertilisation had no impact on the biomass production but signifi cantly increased the proportion of the grass. Its eff ect on quality criteria needs to be confi rmed. Soil mineral N after harvest was higher for sole legumes, and lower for sole grasses and intercrops. Lodging, diseases and weeds were signifi cantly decreased in intercrops compared to sole crops. N 2 O measurements on multi-annual crops were signifi cantly higher in sole alfalfa and intercrops compared to non-fertilised fescue, but this will be further investigated. Conclusions As suggested by Jensen et al. 2012, these preliminary results (that need to be confi rmed with the second year) show the potential of legumes as feedstock for bioenergy production. Moreover, grass-legume intercropping present more favourable quality characteristics than sole legume, together with higher yields and lower environmental impacts compared to sole crops. References Boehmel C et al 2008. Comparing annual and perennial energy cropping systems with diff erent management intensities. Agr. Syst. 96, 224-236 Jensen E et al 2012. Legumes for mitigation of climate change and the provision of feedstock for biofuels and biorefi neries. A review. Agr. for Sust. Dev. 32, 329-364 Pelzer E et al. 2012. Pea–wheat intercrops in low-input conditions combine high economic performances and low environmental impacts. Eur. J. Agro. 40, 39–53 427 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-90 428 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Cultivation of Miscanthus in Mediterranean environment: preliminary results on productivity and soil CO2 emissions under diff erent crop management Roncucci, Neri; Nassi o Di Nasso, Nicoletta; Bosco, Simona; Ragaglini, Giorgio; Bonari, Enrico Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, ITALY Introduction Among energy crops, perennial rhizomatous grasses are promising due to their high productivity, low nutrient requirement and great potential for C mitigation (Lewandowski et al., 2003). Productivity of Miscanthus is largely related to precipitations and soil moisture (Kahle et al., 2001). Moreover, longer-term fi eld GHG measurement studies are sparse and few information are available on GHG emissions of energy crops (Drewer et al., 2011). The objective of the study is to deepen the understanding of the infl uence of soil texture and of alternative agricultural intensifi cation regimes on miscanthus productivity, soil CO 2 emissions and C dynamics. Materials and Methods The study was carried out in Central Italy on 2-year old crops. One trial (S) was characterized by two soil texture (silty clay (SIC) vs. sandy loam (SL)) as the main plot and three N levels (0, 50, 100 kg ha-1) as the subplot. The other trial (IR) was set on a silty clay loam soil with two irrigation regimes (0% vs. 75% of the ET 0 ) as the main plot and three N levels (0, 50, 100 kg ha-1) as the subplot. In both trials productive measurements were collected at three dates: fl owering stage (FS), autumn (A) and winter (W). CO 2 emissions were taken twice a month via the dynamic method, using an IRGA (LICOR 820). Figure 1. CO 2 fl ux, soil temperature and moisture content in the SIC and SL soils. *, +, ° represent signifi cant diff erences for CO 2 fl ux, soil temperature and soil moisture, respectively. One, two or three symbols represent p<0.05, 0.01, 0.001, respectively. P1-92 429 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Results and discussion Aboveground dry yield was infl uenced by both soil texture and date of harvest. In the S-trial, crop growing in SL soil attained a 57% yield reduction compared to that growing on SIC soil (19 t ha-1). Our results are likely to be linked to the shallow water table that, coupled with the good capillary action of the SIC soil, could have guaranteed suffi cient water to the crop needs. In addition, no yield diff erences were recorded in the IR-trial between the two irrigation treatments. In both trials, maximum yields were recorded at the FS (17.4 (S) and 22.4 (IR) t ha-1), decreasing almost linearly to W (11.7 (S) and 15.6 (IR) t ha - 1), highlighting a 30% reduction consistent with results of Kahle et al., (2001). Signifi cant diff erences in CO 2 fl uxes between soil textures (S-trial) were recorded in 10 out of 15 dates (Fig. 1). Generally, CO 2 fl ux was higher in the SIC during the summer period; on the contrary it was slightly higher in the SL throughout the cold period. As expected, soil temperature and soil water content were often higher in the SIC than the SL. The overall parallel pattern between soil temperature and soil CO 2 fl ux may suggest an infl uence of the former over the latter; similarly to Jabro et al. (2008) an exponential relationship is well suited to describe this relationship. Finally, carbon returning to soil as litterfall was about 150 g m-2, while C losses from July to February totaled about 462 and 309 g m -2 in SIC and SL, respectively. Conclusions More years of study are required to better understand the importance of soil type, water and nitrogen availability on miscanthus productivity and carbon balance. The role of the belowground biomass seems fundamental to all these issues and it should be further investigated. References Drewer J et al. 2011. How do soil emissions of N 2 O, CH 4 and CO 2 from perennial bioenergy crops diff er from arable annual crops?. GCB bioenergy, doi: 10.1111/j.1757- 1707.2011.01136.x. Jabro JD et al. 2008. Carbon dioxide fl ux as aff ected by tillage and irrigation in soil converted from perennial forages to annual crops. J Environ Manage, 88:1478- 1484. Kahle P et al. 2001. Cropping of Miscanthus in Central Europe: biomass production and infl uence on nutrients and soil organic matter. Eur J Agron, 15:171-184. Lewandowski I et al. 2003. The development and current status of perennial rhizomatous grasses as energy crops in the US and Europe. Biomass Bioenergy 25:335-361. P1-92 430 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-93 Biomass and leaf nitrogen content of maize grown with sludge Seleiman, Mahmoud F.; Mäkelä, Pirjo; Santanen, Arja; Stoddard, Frederick University of Helsinki, FINLAND Introduction The disposal of sludge is considered as a serious environmental problem (Seleiman et al. 2012). Sludge contains a high level of essential plant nutrients for instance N and P (Katanda et al., 2007). Synthetic fertilizer N can be substituted with organic nitrogen sources partially or completely depending on crop growing conditions (Bozkurt et al. 2006). Maize ( Zea mays L.) is one of widely cultivated energy crops (Ericsson and Nilsson, 2006). The aim of this work was to investigate the eff ect of sewage and biogas sludge on biomass accumulation and leaf nitrogen content in maize. Materials and methods Maize (cv. Ronaldino) was grown at the Viikki experimental farm, University of Helsinki, Finland (60° 14’ N., 25° 02’ E) in 2011. The experiment included six diff erent treatments (100% fertilizer, 50% + 50% fertilizer in a split application, 50% fertilizer + 50% sludge, 100% sludge, 150% sludge and 100% biogas sludge). Treatments were standardized on the basis of total nitrogen needed for maize (120 kg N ha- 1). Fertilizer, sewage sludge and biogas sludge treatments were applied at sowing except 50% + 50% fertilizer which was split application (at sowing and at mid-season). The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Plot area was 20 m2. Sewage sludge was incorporated into the soil surface up to 7 cm depth. Precipitation accumulation was 491 mm. Soil pH was 6.2. N, P and K concentration in soil was 4.92, 1.65 and 8.05 g kg -1. To measure biomass accumulation, one m2 was collected manually from each plot monthly during the growing season and dried at 65°C to get the dry weight. To analyze total leaf nitrogen content, leaves were collected at 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after sowing (DAS) and dried at 65°C. About 200 mg ground leaves was used to measure total leaf nitrogen content with Vario MAX CN (Elementar Analysensysteme GmbH, Hanau, Germany). Results and discussion The 100% sewage sludge application increased biomass accumulation, particularly at 90 and 120 DAS (Fig. 1). It Fig. 1. Eff ect of sludge and nitrogen fertilization on biomass accumulation (A) and leaf nitrogen content (B) of maize during growing season 2011. Data shown are means ± SE. 431 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-93 resulted in an increase of biomass by 29 and 14% at 90 and 120 DAS compared to fertilizer (100% N). The increase in dry matter of maize grown with 100% sewage sludge could be related to the improvement of soil conditions by nutrients and organic matter (Christie et al., 2001). In addition, 100% sewage sludge application resulted in higher leaf N content of the maize in comparison to other fertilizer and sludge treatments. The 100% sewage sludge application caused an increase of maize leaf N content by 7% at 60 days after sowing compared to 100% synthetic fertilizer. This might be related to the released N and the mineralization process from the sludge during the growth. Conclusions Sewage sludge application (100%) resulted in highest biomass accumulation and leaf nitrogen content consequently; it can be suitable nutrient source for maize instead of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Acknowledgements Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Helsingin Vesi Oy and Envor Biotech Oy are acknowledged. References Bozkurt MA et al. 2006. Possibilities of using sewage sludge as nitrogen fertilizer for maize. Acta Agric. Scand., Sect. B - Soil Plant Sci. 56: 143-149. Christie P et al. 2001. Agronomic value of alkaline- stabilized sewage biosolids for spring barley. Agron. J. 93, 144-151. Ericsson K & Nilsson LJ. 2006. Assessment of the potential biomass supply in Europe using a resource- focused approach. Biomass Bioenergy. 30: 1-15. Katanda Y et al. 2007. Eff ects of heavy metals contained in soil irrigated with a mixture of sewage sludge and effl uent for thirty years on soil microbial biomass and plant growth. Phys. Chem. Earth. 32: 1185-1194. Seleiman MF et al. 2012. Feedstock quality and growth of bioenergy crops fertilized with sewage sludge. Chemosphere, in press. 432 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-94 The biomass potential of perennial energy grasses Tilvikiene, Vita; Kadziuliene, Zydre; Dabkevicius, Zenonas Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, LITHUANIA Introduction Considering the climatic conditions in northern countries, the most promising raw material for bioenergy is biomass and biomass residues (Monti et al., 2009; Borjesson et al., 2011). Perennials, used for bioenergy, have many advantages compared to annuals: they can be harvested for several years in succession without reseeding and give high biomass yield with satisfactory biomass quality (Kryževicienë et al., 2005; Seppala et al., 2009; Lehtomäki et al., 2011). The energy value of perennials is mostly infl uenced by the biomass yield (Prochnow et al., 2009). The highest infl uence on biomass productivity is based on agronomic technologies of biomass preparation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of mineral fertilizers and number of cuts on the biomass yield of perennial grasses used for biogas production. Materials and methods Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) were grown in Lithuania (55˚ 24’N ) for biogas production. The soil of the experimental site was characterized as Apicalcari - Endohypogleyic Cambisol, light loam. Two levels of mineral nitrogen fertilizers N 90 and N 180 were applied two or three times per vegetation period, depending on number of the cuts per season. Swards were cut two and three times per season, and the fi rst cut was managed respectively at fl owering stages or at heading. Results The average results of the 2-year experiment suggest that the biomass productivity of perennial energy grasses depend on grass species, fertilization and the number of cuts per vegetation season (Figure 1). The most productive grass was tall fescue, cut twice per vegetation season. The average yield of swards fertilized with 90 kg N ha-1 was 9.4 t ha-1 and of those that were fertilized with 180 kg N ha-1, 9.9 t ha-1. Tall fescue and reed canary grass better yielded cut twice per season, cocksfoot when cut three times per season. The higher level of nitrogen fertilizers had positive eff ect on the biomass yield of all swards, but the increase was signifi cant only in the case of reed canary grass. Conclusions The biomass yield of traditional grasses was infl uenced by the cutting frequency and amount of nitrogen fertilizer. In the two years of the experiment, the most productive were tall fescue and reed canary grass. More research is needed to evaluate the possibility to use these grasses as energy crops. Figure 1. The variation of biomass productivity of tall fescue, cocksfoot and reed canary grass 433 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-94 References Monti A., Fazio S., Venturi G. 2009 Cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment in perennial energy crops. Eur. J. Agron. 31: 77 – 84. Borjesson P., Tufvesso L. M. 2011 Agricultural crop- based biofuels – resource ef ficiency and environmental performance including direct land use changes. J. Cleaner Production 19: 108–120. Kryževicienë A., Žaltauskas A., Jasinskas A. 2005 Daugiameèiø žoliø auginimas ir naudojimas biokurui. Žemës ûkio mokslai 1: 40 – 49. Lehtomaki A., Viinikainen T. A., Rintala J. A. 2011 Screening boreal energy crops and crop residues for methane biofuel production. Biomass Bioenergy 32: 541–550. Seppala, M, Paavola, T, Lehtomaki, A, Rintala J. 2009 Biogas production from boreal herbaceous grasses— specifi c methane yield and methane yield per hectare. Bioresource Technol. 100: 2952–2960. Prochnow, A., Heiermann, M., Plöchl, M., Linke, B., Idler, C., Amon, T., Hobbs, P. 2009 Bioenergy from permanent grassland – A review: 1. Biogas. Bioresource Technol. 100: 4931–4944. 434 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-95 Root distribution and water uptake of contrasted biomass crops in a deep loamy soil Vitte, Guillaume; Ferchaud, Fabien; Mary, Bruno INRA, FRANCE Introduction Biomass crops development for energy production is expected to provide signifi cant fossil energy substitution and greenhouse gas mitigation. Consequently, studies are mainly related to biomass production or nutrient budget, whereas few of them concern crops impact on water (Monti and Zatta, 2009). However, high yield biomass crops are likely to capture more water, what could impact hydrologic cycle. In this study we compare root systems of six biomass crops and their consequences on water uptake. Materials and methods A mid-term experiment was established in 2006 in Northern France in a deep loamy soil (Ortic Luvisol). It compares six biomass crops which are annual: fi ber sorghum (SOR) and triticale (TRI); multi-annual: fescue (FES) and alfalfa (ALF); and perennial: Miscanthus x giganteus (MIS) and switchgrass (SWI) harvested in October. All crops except alfalfa received N fertilization. From 2007 to 2011, the mean annual rainfall was 630 mm and potential evapotanspiration was 731 mm. Soil water content (W) was measured every year in November by taking soil cores down to 150 cm (30 cm thick) in each plot (3 replicates). Plant water uptake is expressed by the “proportional water capture” (Monti & Zatta, 2009) defi ned as pwc = (Wfc – W) / (Wfc – Wwp), where Wfc and Wwp are the water contents at fi eld capacity and wilting point, respectively. “Maximum proportional water capture” ( mpwc) was defi ned for each layer by selecting the maximum pwc over the 5 years. Results were analyzed by analysis of variance and SNK test. In 2010, the vertical root distribution was characterized down to 300 cm using the trench profi le method. Root distribution was observed on a 300 x 180 cm grid with cells of 1.9 * 1.9 cm, and expressed as “percentage of colonized cells” (Tardieu, 1988). Results and Discussion Rooting patterns showed large diff erences between species (Fig. 1). Maximum rooting depth exceeded 250 cm for MIS, SWI and ALF, whereas it was less than 200 cm for other species. Root distribution also varied between species: MIS had the lowest percentage of colonised cells in the top soil (0-90 cm) and the highest below 200 cm, in agreement with results of Neukirchen et al. (1999). The proportional water capture (pwc) in layers 30-120 cm was signifi cantly crop dependent in all years. The crop eff ect was only signifi cant in 2010 and 2011 for the 120-150 cm layer. The maximum proportional water capture (mpwc) in the upper layer (30-60 cm) was signi fi cantly higher for MIS, FES and ALF crops (Fig. 2). It was higher for FES and ALF in layer 60-90 cm and for ALF in layer 90-120 cm. We found that mpwc was positively related to root presence in all crops except for SWI, confi rming the fi ndings of Monti and Zatta (2009). Nevertheless, the relationship between root distribution and water uptake was crop dependent. For instance, FES had more than 150% more roots in layer 30-90 cm than MIS whereas its mpwc was less than 15% higher. Conclusions The six biomass crops had various root distributions along the soil profi le. They also exhibited signifi cant diff erences in soil water content in autumn. There is a relationship between root distribution and proportional water capture which seems to be dependent on crop species. Indeed, others parameters such as root diameter or aboveground biomass production are likely to explain water uptake along with root distribution. References Monti A., Zatta A. (2009) Root distribution and soil moisture retrieval in perennial and annual energy crops in Northern Italy. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 132: 252-259. Neukirchen D. et al. (1999) Spatial and temporal distribution of the root system and root nutrient content of an established Miscanthus crop. European Journal of Agronomy 11: 301-309. Tardieu F. (1988) Analysis of the spatial variability of maize root density - I. Eff ect of wheel compaction on the spatial arrangement of roots. Plant and Soil 107(2): 259-266. 435 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-95 436 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-96 Eff ect of biomass-ash amendments and nitrogen fertilization on above- and belowground biomass production of switchgrass Zatta, Alessandro; Vecchi, Angela; Zegada-Lizarazu, Walter; Monti, Andrea University of Bologna, ITALY Introduction Switchgrass is one of the most promising perennial energy crops. It could signifi cantly contribute to limiting GHG emissions through replacing equivalent fossil fuels while sequestering a considerable amount of carbon in the soil. Nonetheless, the production of CHP from biomass generate large amounts of ashes which have to be opportunely allocated or profi tably recycled , e.g. as nutrient amendments (Perucci et al., 2006). Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the interactive eff ects of ash amendments and nitrogen fertilization on the above and belowground biomass production of switchgrass. Materials and methods The experiment was carried out at Poggio Renatico, Ferrara, Italy (5 m a.s.l., 44°37’ N, 11°45’ E) in silt loam soil (30% sand, 51% silt, 19% clay). Typically, the area is characterized by cold winters and hot summers, while the annual rainfall is about 646 mm (average of 30 years). Switchgrass (cv Alamo) was sowed on May 8th, 2007 at a sowing rate of 6 kg ha -1 of PLS (pure live seeds). Three nitrogen fertilization levels (0 (N0), 50 (N1) and 100 (N2) kg N ha-1 ) were factorized with two ash levels (0 and 500 kg ha-1 of ashes, i.e. the equivalent ashes obtained by a complete combustion of the harvested biomass) with three repetitions. The aboveground biomass production was measured by weighting 7.5 m2 of biomass per plot cut at the end of the vegetative cycle. Root biomass was measured by collecting one soil core (74 mm diam., 1.2 m height) per plot at the end of the growing season in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 using the same methodology described by Monti & Zatta (2009). From 2008 the soil CO 2 respiration was measured at monthly intervals with an infrared gas analyzer (SRC1/EGM4, PP-System) coupled with soil respiration chambers and soil temperature probes. Results and discussion No signifi cant eff ect of the ash fertilization was found on root biomass. A three-year plant of switchgrass produced 1660 g m -2 of root dry matter. Similarly, in spite of an apparently low soil fertility, the aboveground biomass was not aff ected by N-fertilization in the two fi rst years. On the other hand, in the third and fourth year N-fertilization eff ects were clearly visible, especially in the last year (2011). Soil respiration peak was registered during the full fl owering stage in 2011 (1.3 g CO 2 m-2 h-1) . For not well understood reasons, ash-fertilized plots always showed lower soil respiration rates than plots without ashes (Table 2). A possible explanation could be the inhibitory eff ect of the ashes over the microbiological components of the soil (Perucci et al., 2006). In progress laboratory analysis will allow us to test this hypothesis. Remarkably, after three years of switchgrass cultivation the soil C content increased by 21 and 49% in shallow (0-30) and deeper (30-60 cm) layers, respectively, thus 437 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-96 confi rming previous results on the same crop (Zan et al., 2001; Sanderson, 2008). Conclusion This study confi rmed the capacity of switchgrass to produce high amounts of above- and belowground biomass with low inputs. Ash amendments did not infl uence the aboveground biomass productivity, but showed inhibitory eff ects on soil respiration reducing the CO 2 fl ux to the atmosphere. References Monti A & Zatta A. 2009. Root distribution and soil moisture retrieval in perennial and annual energy crops in Northern Italy. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 132: 252-259. Perucci P et al. 2006. E ff ect of recycling wood ash on microbiological and biochemical properties of soils. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 26: 157-165. Sanderson MA. 2008. Upland switchgrass yield, nutritive value and soil carbon changes under grazing and clipping. Agron. J. 100: 510-516. Zan CS et al. 2001. Carbon sequestration in perennial bioenergy, annual corn and uncultivated systems in southern Quebec. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 86: 135-144. 438 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-97 Fig.1.Meanemergencetimeofthreesweetsorghumhybrids sowedatfoursowingtimes(I=24march;II=7April;III=19 April;IV=9May,2011) y=Ͳ1.409x+44.20 R²=0.967*** 8 10 12 14 16 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 M ea n em er ge nc et im e( da ys ) Soiltemperature(oC) Bulldozer Tarzan Zerberus Response of three commercial biomass sorghum hybrids to cold stress in northern Italy Zegada-Lizarazu, Walter; Vecchi, Angela; Zatta, Alessandro; Luna, Fernando; Monti, Andrea University of Bologna, ITALY Introduction Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a C4 crop native to tropical areas, commonly used as a food and fodder crop (Zegada-Lizarazu & Monti 2012). Recently, alternative uses have attracted the interest of many sectors. Among these, the bio-ethanol use seems worth challenging given the instability of fossil fuels market, the urgent need to reduce GHG emissions, and new EU policies that establish a minimum 10% of biofules to be incorporated into the transport fuel use by 2020. This means that millions of hectares will have to be effi ciently dedicated to the production of bioenergy crops (Zegada-Lizarazu et al. 2010). In general, sorghum is cold sensitive, especially at seedling phase (Franks et al. 2006). Then, sorghum expansion into more temperate climates necessitates enhancing its cold tolerance through identifying new genotypes or physiological traits associated to cold tolerance and early vigour. The objective of this study was to determine the adaptability of biomass sorghum to cold conditions and early sowing under temperate climates in the Mediterranean area. Materials and Methods Three commercial hybrids (Bulldozer, Tarzan, and Zerberus) were sown in a silt loam soil on 24 March (I), 7 April (II), 19 April (III), and 9 May (IV) 2011. The soils were ploughed to 0.3m depth and tilled to seedbed preparation. Each plot was 21.6 m2 with four repetitions. Row distance was 0.45 m and plant density 12 plants m-2. Average minimum and maximum ambient temperatures during the growth season were 13.4 and 26.5 °C, about 1.3 and 2.6 °C above the long-term average. Total growth season precipitation was 256.4 mm, which is 167 mm below the long-term average. Plant growth and development was monitored every other week on an area of 0.45 m2. Soil temperature was measured until the end of the emergence phase in each sowing time. At the fi nal harvest, fresh and dry matter production was determined on an area of 7.2 m2. Results All three hybrids showed an increased emergence speed as the soil temperature increased due to the advancement of the season from early to the end of spring. The range of days to full emergence at the earliest sowing dates (I and II) was 16-17 days, while at the latest sowing time (IV) Fig 2 missing? 439 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P1-97 plants required only 10 days to emerge (Fig. 1). Moreover, later sowing (IV) resulted in faster elongation rates, but no signifi cant diff erences among hybrids were found. On the other hand, at the two early sowings, Bulldozer showed signifi cant higher growing rates than Tarzan and Zerberus. In addition, Bulldozer produced the highest dry biomass when sown early in the season (Fig. 2). Discussion The adaptability of Bulldozer to cold (early sowing) is better explained by a higher accumulation of biomass in an extended season while higher growth rates do not off set the longer growing period. Then, compared to the other tested hybrids, Bulldozer seems to make a better or maximized use of the summer season suggesting the possibility of establishing it in European environments where sorghum is currently not cultivated because of its heat requirements. The increased growth speed at later sowing times did not necessarily resulted in an increased accumulation of biomass, probably because sorghum photosensitivity induced the translocation of photosynthates to the panicle. Conclusion The preliminary results suggest that Bulldozer is better suited for early sowing under suboptimal soil temperatures allowing to expand sorghum agro- ecological limits further north. Acknowledgments Study funded by the EU Project “Sweet sorghum: an alternative energy crop (SWEETFUEL)” - FP7-KBBE- 2008-2B. References Franks et al. 2006. A Comparison of U.S. and Chinese sorghum germplasm for early season cold tolerance. Crop Sci. 46:1371-1376. Zegada-Lizarazu W, Monti A. 2012. Are we ready to cultivate sweet sorghum as a bioenergy feedstock? A review on fi eld management practices. Biomass Bioenerg. 40:1-12. Zegada-Lizarazu et al. 2010. Agronomic aspects of future energy crops in Europe. Biofpr 4:674-691. 440 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Introduction In maize, unlike in wheat and barley, grain growth seems to be rather clearly source-limited. It has been frequently found that reductions in assimilate availability during post-silking (e.g. shading) produces parallel reductions in fi nal grain weight (e.g. Borrás et al., 2004). High temperature also reduced grain weight, though the causes have been scarcely studied under fi eld conditions. A plausible hypothesis in maize may then be that as high temperatures accelerates leaf senescence the negative eff ect on fi nal grain weight would operate through reductions in assimilate availability. If the hypothesis is right, under the expected increased temperatures in the near future breeding would need to identify sources of reduced senescence response to increased temperatures. Materials and methods We carried out fi eld experiments in a cool (Pyrenees, Seu d’Urgell) and a warm location (Ebro Valley, Algerri). In each experiment treatments were the factorial combination of two contrasting hybrids (Pioneer 31N28, long cycle with large grains and Lapopi, short cycle with small grains), two contrasting N conditions (0 and 200 KgN ha-¹), and two levels of defoliations (a control and a treatment in which we removed leaves and only 4 were left) imposed 15 days after silking. In addition, in Algerri we added a treatment in which temperatures were increased by placing a structure with transparent polyethylene over the canopy from 15 days after silking onwards and its corresponding control as subplots. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design (hybrids x N were the main plots and defoliations were sub-plots). At maturity we sampled all plants in 2 m central row, weighed them and took a sub-sample that was taken to the lab and from which we threshed all grains, dried (on force-air oven) and weighed them. Results and discussion Under un-heated conditions Pioneer had heavier grains than Lapopi. Grain weights ranged from 259 to 284 mg grain-¹ in Pioneer and from 200 to 230 mg grain-¹ in Lapopi. This was as expected as we selected the hybrids for their diff erence in average grain weight (see above). Defoliating plants after silking markedly reduced grain weight, and imposing high temperatures during grain fi lling reduced grain weight (Fig. 1). The size of the eff ect was similar in both hybrids, and therefore largely independent of the size of the grains in the un-heated and un-defoliated controls (and then the diff erence in grain size between hybrids is constitutive and not a refl ection of a diff erential capacity to fi ll the grains after silking). As there was a slight trend to increase the magnitude of the response to defoliation under heat stress imposed during grain fi lling (in average open symbols are closer to the 1:1 ratio than closed symbols), the slope of the relationship between grain weight in defoliated vs. un- defoliated plants was smaller than 1 (0.74±0.12, Fig. 1), but again the origin of this seemed not to be a diff erent responsiveness of the grains of the two hybrids in un- heated conditions (Fig. 1). Grain weight determination in contrasting hybrids of Maize Antonio Ordoñez, Raziel1; Savin, Roxana1; Slafer, Gustavo A.2 1University of Lleida, SPAIN; 2Univserty of Lleida, SPAIN; 2ICREA, (Catalonian Institution for Research and Advanced Studies), SPAIN 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 D ef ol ia te d gr ai n w ei gh t( m g gr ai n- 1 ) Undefoliated grain weight (mg grain-1) R 2=0. 81, 10 df 1:1 Figure 1. Grain weight for defoliated and control treatments for Pioneer (triangles) and Lapopi (circles), grown under 2 N availabilities in a cool (Pyrenees) and a warm (Ebro Valley) locations, and in the latter with two temperatures regimes (increased with chamber, open symbols) and ambient temperature (closed symbols). Dashed line represents the 1:1 ratio P2-01 441 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 The reductions in grain weight due to defoliation confi rm that, for both type of hybrids, grain growth seemed largely source-limited in the very high-yielding irrigated conditions of Catalonia (as discussed in general for maize crops in Borrás et al., 2004). But as the defoliation aff ected grain size less in the heat stress than in the un- heated treatment, it seems unlikely that the eff ect of high temperature on grain size would have operated through accelerated senescence: if it would have been so, further restricting source strength through defoliation should P2-01 have reduced grain size more dramatically. Therefore, the eff ect of high temperature might have been direct on the intrinsic capacity of the grains to grow. References Borras, L., Slafer, G.A., Otegui, M.E., 2004. Seed dry weight response to source-sink manipulations in wheat, maize and soybean: a quantitative reappraisal. Field Crops Res. 86, 131–146. 442 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-03 Genotypic and environmental eff ects on cereal crops and oilseed rape fatty acid profi le Baux, Alice; Mugny, Corinne; Levy, Lilia; Pellet, Didier Agroscope, SWITZERLAND Introduction Fatty acid composition in oilseeds is highly infl uenced by climatic conditions, temperature being the most important parameter for oilseed rape (OSR) (Merrien et al., 2007) and sunfl ower (Echarte et al., 2010). Few studies also report that water stress aff ects oil composition, resulting in higher desaturation (Aslam et al., 2008, Roche et al., 2006). In cereal crops, variability of fatty acid composition is also observed among locations and years. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of temperature and low water availability on oil content and composition for a large range of genotypes of OSR, triticale and wheat. Materials and methods Several triticale, wheat and OSR varieties were sown, each species separately, in a randomized block design with 3 replicates in 1 to 4 locations in Switzerland, between 2001 and 2010 for oilseeds and 2007-2010 for triticale and wheat. Additionally, HOLL (High Oleic Low Linolenic) OSR, triticale and wheat were irrigated in spring 2008 and 2009 (OSR) and 2009 and 2010 (cereal crops) during seed fi lling, as compared to a control without irrigation. Oil content was measured by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Fatty acid profi le was evaluated by gas chromatography in OSR and by NIRS in cereal grains. Results and discussion Low temperatures have been shown to enhance desaturation in various oilseed crops. Our results confi rmed this observation in conventional and HOLL OSR, with lower temperature during seed fi lling resulting in lower monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and higher poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contents, whereas very little impact was observed on saturated fatty acids (SAT) contents. In wheat and triticale, however, the increase in PUFA observed when low temperatures were registered during seed fi lling was associated with a decrease in SAT, with diff erences among genotypes. A smaller range of PUFA and MUFA content was observed in wheat, compared to triticale, when grown in the same environment. Besides, temperature impact was less clear. Water stress impact was evaluated in the fi eld. In 2009, that had a hot and dry spring, a strong decrease in water potential was observed in the control plots. This resulted in lower oil content in OSR and triticale. Whereas no signifi cant eff ect on oil composition could be evidenced in wheat, some triticale varieties had more PUFA and less SAT in dry conditions. This eff ect was confi rmed by a positive linear regression between cumulated precipitations during seed fi lling and SAT content in some triticale cultivars. 2008 and 2010 were cooler with more rainfall in spring, therefore no eff ect of irrigation could be observed. Conclusions Both temperature and water shortage resulted in modifi cation of fatty acid profi le. Generally, cold stress and water stress led to enhanced desaturation but diff erences in sensitivity appeared not only among species, but also among varieties. References Aslam M. N., Nelson M. N., Kailis S. G., Bayliss K. L., Speijers J., Cowling W. A., 2009. Canola oil increases in polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreases in oleic acid in drought-stressed Mediterranean-type environments. Plant Breeding. 128(4) :348-355. Echarte M. M., Angeloni P., Jaimes F., Tognetti J., Izquierdo N. G., Valentinuz O., Aguirrezabal L. A. N., 2010. Night temperature and intercepted solar radiation additively contribute to oleic acid percentage in sunfl ower oil. Field Crops Research 119(1): 27-35. Merrien A., Krouti M., Dechambre J., Garnon V., Evrard J., 2007. Contribution to understand the fl uctuation of linolenic acid profi le in winter oilseed rape grown in France. Proceedings of the 12th International rapeseed congress, held in Wuhan, China, 26-30th March 2007. Quality, nutrition and processing, 92-95. Roche J., Bouniols A., Mouloungui Z., Barranco T., Cerny M., 2006. Management of environmental crop conditions to produce useful sunfl ower oil components. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology 108(4): 287-297. 443 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-03 444 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Utilising escape mechanisms to maintain yields threatened by heat stress events caused by a changing climate Carney, John; Gooding, Mike University of Reading, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction An increase in the frequency of extreme climate events such as heat waves, droughts and fl oods is predicted to be the greatest danger to agriculture. Temperatures of 30°C or higher prior to anthesis signi fi cantly reduces grain number and subsequently yield (Semenov & Shewry, 2011). Wheat is most susceptible to heat stress at booting (meiosis). The photo-insensitivity allele Ppd-D1a confers escape from the heat stress by bringing forward anthesis; however it is associated with early canopy senescence leading to early cessation of resource capture. Therefore it is important to increase time before senescence and maximise resource capture. Materials and methods 64 double haploid (DH) progeny of cv. Savannah (S) (Rht- D1b, 1BL/1RS) x Renesansa (R) (Ppd-D1a, Rht8c) were used to assess the eff ects of genotypes on the canopy development. For agronomic information see Addisu et al (2009). REML analysis was used to predict means for each line using the random model block/ (column +row). These means were then analysed to determine any signifi cant eff ects related to the presence or absence of allele markers as fi xed eff ects. Fig1: TT to anthesis and senescence for a DH progeny of S x R in wheat. Points are line means. Error bars are SEDs. P2-04 445 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Results and discussion 1BL/1RS was associated with an increase in thermal time (TT) to anthesis (1660 °days to 1700 °days d.f 51, S.E.D=16.9), pre-anthesis photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception (319.4 to 336.5 MJ/m -2; 4.80) and biomass at harvest (14.27 t/ha to 15.63 t/ha; 0.476). Ppd-D1a was associated with a decrease in TT to anthesis (1735 °days to 1625 °days; 20.2), PAR interception (338.3 to 317.6 MJ/m -2; 5.74) and biomass at harvest (15.64 t/ha to 14.26 t/ha; 0.569). TT to anthesis was signifi cantly associated with biomass production (P =0.02) and Harvest Index (P <0.001). Biomass production was signifi cantly associated with pre- anthesis PAR interception (P =0.003). The combination of these factors gave a compensatory eff ect on the yield of genotypes that produced low levels of biomass. The reduced biomass at harvest may be attributed to less TT to reach anthesis, brought forward by Ppd-D1a, leading to reduced pre-anthesis PAR interception. SRen4 has a long canopy duration and early anthesis but does not signifi cantly extend TT to senescence. SRen58 delays anthesis so cannot escape heat stress at booting. Six lines containing the Ppd-D1a allele had signifi cantly delayed TT to senescence (Fig1); SRen2, SRen5, SRen80, SRen81, SRen86 and SRen94. Of these lines SRen80 and SRen81 signifi cantly reduced TT to anthesis but signifi cantly increased anthesis to senescence duration. These lines had the same allele markers present; Ppd- D1a, Rht8c, Rht-D1b and 1BL/1RS. Ppd-D1a is associated with a reduction in TT to anthesis; however these results suggest that the 1BL/1RS translocation may have compensated for this by increasing TT to senescence for resource capture. Increased HI along with early fl owering and increased TT to senescence in SRen80 and SRen81 suggest that yield can be further increased by Ppd-D1a in winter wheat experiencing heat stress. References Addisu, M; Snape, J.W; Simmonds, J.R; Gooding, M; (2009) Euphytica Semenov, M.A; Shewry, P.R; (2011), Scienti fi c Report P2-04 446 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Agronomic response of rice varieties to salinity Dramalis, Christos1; Katsantonis, Dimitrios2; Koutroubas, Spiridon1 1Democritus University of Thrace, GREECE; 2Hellenic Agricultural Organisation, GREECE Introduction Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a salt-sensitive crop, particularly during the early seedling and pollination stages [2, 4]. Salinity stress not only reduces crop yield but also degrades grain quality. Several studies have shown a reduction in various yield components, and eventually in grain yield, due to salinity [1, 3]. The determination of the agronomic response of rice to salinity is necessary to develop better management practices for growing rice under salt conditions and to improve our understanding of the quantitative eff ects of salinity on rice cultivars. The purpose of this study was to investigate the eff ect of salt levels on various agronomic traits of eight rice varieties under fi eld conditions. Materials and methods The experiment was carried out at the Kalochori’s Experimental Station of the Cereal Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece. The soil is a silty loam with a pH of 7.5 and 1.6% organic matter. Seven varieties (Alexandros, Capataz, Kulon, Chipka, Selenio, Koral and Dimitra) with diff erent level of susceptibility to salinity, together with a susceptible control variety (IR28) were sown in pots on 13 May 2011. The seedlings were transplanted in the fl ooded fi eld on 23-24 June 2011. Two salinity treatments consisted of low salt concentration (LSC) and high salt concentration (HSC) were applied. The experimental design was split plot with three replications. Salinity levels were arranged in the main plots and varieties in sub-plots. Salt concentration ranged from 0.9 to 1.3 dS/m in the LSC treatment and was achieved by applying standard water management practices in Greece [5]. In the HSC treatment the salt concentration ranged from 3.8 to 6.4 dS/m. These salt concentrations were achieved by not renewing the fl ooded fi eld with fresh water. The following traits were studied: grain yield, plant height, number of fertile tillers per plant, panicle length, dry matter per plant at anthesis and maturity stage, and 1000 grain weight. Results and discussion All varieties grown in the HSC treatment had signifi cantly lower grain yield compared to that obtained in the LSC treatment, as expected (Fig. 1). Furthermore, plants grown under HSC showed lower plant height compared Fig . 1. Dr y matt er at anthesis and g r ain yield of rice cult ivars as affect ed by salt concentr ation. (LSD 0.0 5 : L e a s t s ig nif i c a nt d if f e r e n c e b et we e n s a lt l e vels i n t h e same cult ivar). L S D 0 . 0 5 L S D 0 . 0 5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 I R28 Al exa n d r o s C a p a t a z Ku l o n C h i p k a Se l e n i o Ko r a l D i mi t r a 0 10 20 30 40 50 I R28 Al exa n d r o s C a p a t a z Ku l o n C h i p k a Se l e n i o Ko r a l D i mi t r a Dry matter at anthesis (g/plant) Grain yield (g/plant) HSC LSC P2-05 447 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 to the plants grown under LSC. The reduction in plant height due to salinity was signifi cant for all varieties, except for one. Under HSC, plants showed lower number of fertile tillers per plant compared to plants grown under LSC, but the diff erences were signifi cant only in two varieties. There were no signifi cant diff erences between the two treatments as for the panicle length. Previous studies have shown that salinity reduced signifi cantly both tiller number per plant and panicle length [1, 3, 6]. HSC treatment resulted in a signifi cant reduction of 1000 grain weight and dry matter accumulation at anthesis (Fig. 1) and maturity. References [1] Cui, H., Y. Takeoka & T. Wada. 1995. E ff ect of sodium chloride on the panicle and spikelet morphogenesis in rice. Jpn. J. Crop Sci. 64:593–600. [2] Khatun, S., & T.J. Flowers. 1995. E ff ects of salinity on seed set in rice. Plant Cell Environ. 18:61–67. [3] Khatun, S., C.A. Rizzo & T.J. Flowers. 1995. Genotypic variation in the eff ect of salinity on fertility in rice. Plant Soil 173:239–250. [4] Lutts, S., J.M. Kinet & J. Bouharmont. 1995. Changes in plant response to NaCl during development of rice (Oryza sativus L.) varieties diff ering in salinity resistance. J. Exp. Bot. 46:1843–1852. [5] Ntanos, D.A. & S.D. Koutroubas. 2002. Dry matter and N accumulation and translocation for Indica and Japonica rice under Mediterranean conditions. Field Crop Res. 74: 93–101. [6] Zeng, L., M.C. Shannon & C.M. Grieve, 2002. Evaluation of salt tolerance in rice genotypes by multiple agronomic parameters. Euphytica 127: 235–245. P2-05 448 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Smart-Paddy: Smart on-line water salinity measurement network to manage and protect rice fi elds Dramalis, C.1; Pallas-Areny, R.2; Katsantonis, D.1; Sola, E.3; Aliau, C.3; Serrano, E.2; Lopez, O.2; Mazel, B.4; Barbi, F.5; Cano, M.6; Begas, S.7; Basci, F.8; Llao, R.9 1Hellenic Agricultural Organisation, GREECE; 2Innovacio i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible, SPAIN; 3EETAC, Campus Baix Llobregat UPC, SPAIN; 4Syndicat des Riziculteurs de France et Filieres, FRANCE; 5OSV, ITALY; 6Federacion de Arroceros de Sevilla, SPAIN; 7Begas SA, GREECE; 8LNL Technology Ltd, ODTU Teknokent, TURKEY; 9La Camara Arrocera del Monstia, SPAIN Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the main crop in wet areas such as river deltas and is an essential tool in Europe in managing protected ecosystems. Irrigation water is a key factor in the production of rice and water quality has a major impact on crop yield as a result of tolerance of rice to factors such as dissolved salts. Rice is more water consuming than many other crops: in continuous fl ooding cultivation it takes about 6 times the water required by wheat. Due to increased water use in coastal areas, the sea intrudes the water table and seawater fl oods nearby fi elds during storms in the Mediterranean area. The result is increased water salinity, which reduces yield in rice crops and increases soil salinity. Nowadays, water condition is for the most part assessed by visual inspection of the crops and, when excess water salinity is suspected, fi elds are irrigated by fl ooding them. In areas where water salinity is endemic, rice paddies are continuously irrigated with river water to reduce water salinity. This is a remedial solution that requires enormous volumes of water and considerable energy to pump water.Water salinity can be accurately determined by measuring its electrical conductivity (EC). Measuring EC at the water inlet and outlet of each paddy fi eld can help in monitoring the “washing” e ff ect of irrigation. Moreover, measuring EC at points far from water inlets and outlets can help in assessing water salinity in a given paddy fi eld and at diff erent depths in drainage channels can help in managing water salinity in larger areas. This project will develop a wireless sensor network comprised of low-cost EC measurement nodes and an autonomous power supply based on energy harvesting, that will be capable of transmitting readings in real-time to a central server. This data will enable cultivators to eff ectively manage and protect of their paddy fi elds and greatly reduce fl ood water consumption. P2-06 449 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-06 450 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Rapid screening test of 109 rice genotypes belonging into the European Core Collections Dramalis, Christos1; Katsantonis, Dimitrios1; Koutroubas, Spiridon2; Lupotto, E.3; Ahmadi, N.4; Courtois, B.4; Piffanelli, P.5 1Hellenic Agricultural Organization, GREECE; 2Democritus University of Thrace, GREECE; 3CRA-RIS, ITALY; 4CIRAD, FRANCE; 5Parco Technologico Padano, ITALY Introduction Salinity is defi ned as the presence of excessive concentrations of soluble salts in the soil solution. The salts are chlorides and/or sulphates of Ca, Mg, Na and K. Among those, chlorides are usually predominant. It is reported that salinity has a detrimental eff ect on rice yield at or above 3.0 dS m-1 [2] and has a negative impact on a number of yield components including stand establishment, tillers, panicles, spikelets per plant, fl oret sterility, individual grain size, and even delayed heading [5]. The current study was conducted to rapidly and effi ciently assess, at seedling stage, the variability to salt stress existing in a European rice core collection to identify the most salt resistant rice accessions. Materials and methods The screening test was performed at the Cereal Institute Thessaloniki, Greece in 2009. A total of 109 rice accessions and a highly susceptible control (IR-28) were screened according to Gregorio et al. [3]. The experiment was conducted in a glasshouse maintained at approximately 29°/22°C day/night and 70% relative humidity. Two germinated seeds were placed in each hole of a Styrofoam tray and each tested rice accession was replicated 8 times. The Styrofoam tray was placed in a plastic container and nutrient solution was added according to Yoshida et al. [4]. On the fourth day 3 g NaCl/L (electrical conductivity, EC 6 dS m -1) was added in the nutrient solution, while 3 days later the amount of NaCl was doubled. The pH was calibrated at 5, while the nutrient solution was renewed every 8 days. The salt injury was assessed 10 and 16 days after the initial salinization (AIS) using an 1-9 scale: 1=normal growth (highly tolerant), 9=almost dead (highly susceptible). Additionally, ten days AIS the chlorophyll concentration index (CCI) was measured using chlorophyll meter (Opti-Science CCM-200). Results and discussion There was a great variability in response to salt injury and to leaf chlorophyll content. Similar results were obtained by others [1]. The salt injury recorded at 10 days AIS had a mean value (m.v.) of 4.8 and ranged from 2.3 (JUBILIENI) to 8.7 (PERLA and SHSS 381). The control variety IR-28 scored at 5.5. 52% of the accessions at 10 days AIS expressed symptoms less than 4.50. Salt injury assessing at 16 days AIS had a m.v. of 7.6 and ranged from 5.0 (CHIPKA and KORAL) to 9.0. The control variety was scored at 8.5 while 92% of the accessions expressed salt injury more than 7.0. The most salt tolerant accessions in both phenotypic assessments were KORAL, MUGA and CAPATAZ. CCI measurements showed that the less reduction eff ect was appeared on PREVER (20.8%) and the highest on RONCOLO (75%). In 51% of the accessions the CCI was reduced less than 50%., while in the 23% of the accessions CCI reduction was higher than 60%. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the Financial Support from Community Programme on the Conservation, Characterization, Collection and Utilization of Genetic Resources in Agriculture-Council Regulation (EC) No 870/2004-DG Agriculture-European Union to the project AGRI GEN RES 049: Genotyping for the conservation and assessment of the European rice germplasm (EURIGEN). P2-07 451 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 References [1] Ahmadi, N., S. Negrão, D. Katsantonis, J. Frouin, J. Ploux, P. Letourmy, G. Droc, P. Babo, H. Trindade, G. Bruschi, R. Greco, M. M. Oliveira, P. Pi ff anelli, B. Courtois, 2011. Theor Appl Genet. 123(6):881-95. [2] Grattan, S. R., 2002. Rice is more sensitive to salinity than previously thought. California Agriculture 56 (6): 189-195. [3] Gregorio G.B., Senadhira D. and Mendoza R.D. (1997). Screening rice for salinity tolerance. IRRI Discussion Paper Series No. 22, pp.30. [4] Yoshida, S. Forno D.A., Cock J.H. and Gomez K.A. (1976). Laboratory manual for physiological studies of rice, 3rd edition International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, 61-65. [5] Zeng, L., M.C. Shannon & C.M. Grieve, 2002. Evaluation of salt tolerance in rice genotypes by multiple agronomic parameters. Euphytica 127: 235–245. P2-07 452 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Phenological characterization of sunfl ower genotypes for winter planting García-Tejera, Omar1; Villalobos, Francisco J.2; Velasco, Leonardo1; Fernández-Martínez, José María1 1Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (CSIC), SPAIN; 2Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (CSIC) & Universidad de Córdoba, SPAIN Introduction In Mediterranean climate regions sunfl ower is sown in mid-spring and develops until summer. Crop grows in a period of high evaporative demand and low precipitation regime, with high probability of water stress. Gimeno et al. (1986) found that winter sowing increases sun fl ower yields, although this strategy increases the risk of frost damage. To avoid this, a breeding program for sunfl ower cultivars adapted to winter sowing is under way at the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (IAS) in Cordoba (Spain). The aim of this work was to calibrate the simulation model OilCrop-Sun (Villalobos et al., 1996) for diff erent genotypes and use the model to analyze their response to sowing date. Materials and methods The experiment was carried out at the IAS (37.80 N, 4.80W). Seven genotypes were used: four developed at IAS (DAP1-4, DAP5-6, DAP34-15 and DAP2-17) two from Morocco, (Ichraq6 and Ichraq12) and a commercial hybrid (Transol). The plants were sown on three diff erent dates (14 December 2010, 14 January and 3 March 2011). The appearance of leaves was recorded from emergence to bud visible to calibrate the duration of the juvenile phase and the photoperiodic sensitivity coeffi cient. In the simulations, a wheat- sunfl ower rotation was assumed in a 150 cm depth soil with 7.5 plants m-2 and an application of 100 kg ha-1 of N at sowing. Simulations were performed for 6 sowing dates from 1st October to 1st March at one-month intervals. As Oilcrop-Sun does not simulate frost damage, it was assumed that yield is lost whenever temperatures of -2 C or below were reached in a period of one week before and after anthesis (most sensitive stage) (Sneider & Melo-Abreu, 2010). Results Genotypes DAP1-4, DAP5-6 and DAP2- 17 showed no yield reduction due to frost damage for any of the sowing dates (Figs. 1 and 2). In these cultivars yields decreased after the October sowing (maximum yield 3000 kg ha-1), to January (1500 kg ha-1) and then they remained constant until March. DAP34-15 showed a small yield reduction (3626 to 3301 kg ha -1) when sown in October, and then followed the same trend that as the other DAP genotypes. Genotypes Ichraq12 and Transol produced no yield in the October sowing and the same happened for Ichraq12 in November. From January to March sowings, no reduction of yield due to frost damage was observed (minimum for March sowing 1495 kg ha-1 for Transol and 1248 kg ha-1 for Ichraq12). Ichraq6 showed zero yield when sown before January and no yield reduction due to frost damage for later sowings (range from 1815 kg ha-1 in January to 1301 kg ha-1 in March). Conclusions Frost damage in winter sown sunfl ower crops is minimized by reducing the probability of frost during the most sensitive stages of the crop, which may attained by developing cultivars with a long juvenile phase and a high photoperiodic sensitivity as the DAP genotypes developed at the IAS. Further research should be devoted P2-09 453 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 to improving the simulation of frost damage in sunfl ower and the possible negative eff ects of delayed fl owering on the harvest index in dry years. References Gimeno,V; Fernández-Martínez,JM and Fereres,E.1989.Winter Planting as a Means of Drought Escape in Sunfl ower. Field Crop Res, 22.307-31 Snyder R.L. and de Melo-Abreu J.P.2010. Frost protection: fundamentals, practice and economics.FAO. ISBN 978-92-5- 306504-2.73-95 Villalobos,F.J.; Hall, A.J.; Ritchie,J.T. and Orgaz,F.1996.Oil Crop Sun: a development, growth and yield model of the sunfl ower crop. Agron, J.88.403-415. P2-09 454 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Agromorphological characterization and production in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) accessions collected in the Cantabrian Mountains (N Spain) Oliveira, J. Alberto1; Lopez, J. Enrique2; Palencia, Pedro1; Aϐif, Elias1; Gorgoso, J. Javier1 1University of Oviedo, SPAIN; 2Agrarian Research Centre of Mabegondo, SPAIN Introduction Despite the importance of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) as a livestock feed crop and soil improver (Taylor, 1990) use of red clover in Northern Spain has declined in recent times with increases in the use of fertiliser N and protein concentrates. The increasing use of sustainable forms of livestock production (González-Murua et al., 2003) has resulted in greater demand for red clover in recent years, but its main disadvantage is its low persistence. The aim of the present study was to characterize nine accessions of red clover collected in Northern Spain, by their morphology, fl owering, powdery mildew tolerance and dry matter yield in two locations of the North of Spain. Materials and methods Nine red clover accessions from the Cantabrian Mountains, and a common cultivar, the diploid ‘Marino’, were grown as spaced plants in Galicia (NW Spain) and as a pure stand in sward plots in Asturias (N Spain). The origins and accession numbers of the nine accessions of red clover studied are listed in Table 1. The spaced plant trial was established at the Agrarian Research Centre of Mabegondo, in Galicia (43º 14’ 50’’ N, 8º 15’ 45’’ W, 100 m.a.s.l.), on a silt loam soil. The site was arranged in a completely randomized block design with three replicates of 10 plants per accession and replicate with a distance of 0.5 m between lines and 0.5 m between plants. The following six agromorphological (UPOV, 1985) traits were evaluated during the 2-year period of the study (2008-2009): stem length, leaf length and width, fl owering date, abundance of heads and powdery mildew tolerance. The plot trial was a randomized block design with three replicates in 1 x 1.5 m plots with a seeding rate of 20 kg/ha. The fi eld (43° 35' 03’’ N, 5° 46' 56’’W, 80 m.a.s.l.) was located in Carreño (Asturias), on a sandy clay loam soil. The plots were cut manually in one term to 7-8 cm above ground level, six times in the fi rst year and fi ve times in the second year. Analysis of variance of the agromorphological and dry matter yield data was performed considering the eff ects of replicate and accession. Separation of means was performed by the least-signifi cant diff erence (LSD) test. Statistical analyses were computed with SPSS version 19 (SPSS, 2011). P2-10 455 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Results The mean values of traits and standard deviations for the accessions and the cultivar Marino are shown in Table 2. On average, the accessions fl owered earlier, had more heads per plant, shorter stem length and longer leaf length than Marino; leaf width was similar in all plants. The mean dry matter yield for the nine accessions was 140.7% of that of the Marino cultivar in the fi rst year, and 192.5% in the second year. In contrast, the mean score for powdery mildew tolerance of the nine accessions was overall 81.7% of that of the Marino cultivar (range 52.1% -116.9%). However, powdery mildew tolerance was higher in two of the accessions (no.s 8 and 12) than in Marino (116.9 and 111.3%, respectively). These two accessions had also higher dry matter yields than Marino in the two years of the study. Conclusions The fi ndings of the present study confi rm the potential usefulness of some of the accessions for initiating a breeding programme to create a red clover cultivar combining high dry matter yield and greater tolerance to powdery mildew. References González-Murua C., González Moro M.B., Estavillo J.M., 2003. Nitrógeno, agricultura y medio ambiente. In: La Ecofi siología Vegetal: Una Ciencia de Síntesis. Reigosa, J.M. et al. (eds.). Ediciones Paraninfo S.A. Madrid, España, 387-412. SPPS, 2011. SPSS for Windows, vers. 19.0. SPSS Inc. 1989-2005. Taylor N.L., 1990. The true clovers. In: Advances in new crops. Janic J., Simon J.E. (eds). Timber Press. Portland (OR), USA, p. 177. UPOV, 1985. Guidelines for the conduct of tests for distinctness, homogeneity and stability. TG/5/4. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. Genève. Switzerland. P2-10 456 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Canopy temperature as a tool for the selection on drought tolerance in rye Graß, Rikard; Böttcher, Ulf; Kage, Henning Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, GERMANY Introduction Drought tolerance is an increasingly important trait in plant breeding, especially for crops like rye, known for its high ability to adapt to marginal environments. The breeding process is still mainly based on phenotypic selection but large G*E interactions thereby lead to low heritability of drought stress tolerance. A model based interpretation of canopy temperature measurements may give additional and more specifi c information about plant physiological traits leading to drought stress tolerance than yield data from stress environments alone. The aim of the presented work is to identify drought tolerance traits that may be detected by canopy temperature and their further interpretation by simulation modelling. Here we present fi rst results from canopy temperature measurements within the year 2011. Materials and methods A number of 480 inbred lines and hybrids of rye were grown under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions, in a split plot design on 3 drought stress prone environments in Germany and Poland. Canopy temperature (Apogee IR 120 sensor), leaf area index (LAI) (calculated from spectral refl ection) and weather conditions were measured simultaneously and repeatedly between stem elongation and ripening. A georeferenced tractor based measurement system thereby was used to measure the complete fi eld trial. Diff erence between canopy temperature and air temperature (Tdiff ) was calculated which can be compared to calculations of theoretical canopy temperature after Jackson et al. (1988). Environments were characterised by nearby climate stations and examination of soil texture and soil water retention. Results Although weather conditions were suboptimal to detect drought stress (warm but overcast sky) on 12 May (heading) there is a correlation between yield and Tdiff in the non-irrigated treatments for the sandy (r2 = 0.5, P < 0.001) and loamy part (r2 = 0.4, P < 0.001) (Fig. 1). On 30 Fig.1: Correlation between yield and Tdiff (canopy temperature – air temperature) for diff erent genotypes in Wohlde (Ger- many) for 12 and 30 May, 2011 in irrigated (fi lled symbols) and non-irrigated treatments (open symbols). Regression lines are shown for non-irrigated treatments. P2-11 457 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 May (fl owering) under clear-sky and warm conditions the correlation is higher for the more loamy parts of the trial (r2 = 0.7, P < 0.001) while it is only weak for the sandy part. Tdiff was low for irrigated treatments with low variability and no correlation to yield (r2 < 0.04, P < 0.05) on both dates. Discussion Canopy temperature measurements highly depend on environmental conditions, soil water status, and plant development. Hence, the regressions for both dates diff er considerably. For 12 May the available soil water content is assumed to be similar for loamy and sandy parts. Conversely, for 30 May it was very low on the sandy part, thus drought stress was high for all genotypes with very low genotypic diff erentiation. On the loamy part the genotypes diff ered in their ability to use the remaining available soil water content. Genotypic di ff erences in root growth and stomata closure characteristics are supposed to be a main cause for diff erent reactions to drought stress. We hypothesize that a model based data analysis and interpretation for all locations and the whole time course can lead to an estimation of root parameters and stomata control characteristics for diff erent genotypes. To relate these parameters to measurements, a description of plant growth (LAI, plant height) derived from refl ection measurements will be connected with a potential based soil water and evapotranspiration model. In this model root growth parameters and the relation of stomata conductance to drought stress infl uence the calculation of canopy temperature and therefore can be estimated as genotypic parameters from the measurements. References Jackson, R.D., Kustas, W.P. & Choudhury, B.J., 1988. A Reexamination of the Crop Water Stress Index. Irrig Sci, 9, 309–317. P2-11 458 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Photosynthetic pigments, proline and carbohydrate content of marigold (Tagetes patula L.) under salinity stress Heidari, Mostafa; Akbari, Toktam university of Zabol, IRAN (ISLAMIC REP.) Introduction The deterimental eff ects of salinity on plant growth are associated with low osmotic potential of the soil solution (secondary drought), nutritional imbalances (nutrient disorders), specifi c ion eff ects (sodium or chlorine toxicity) or a combination of those factors. Responses of plants to salt stress have been studied at various levels of physiological parameters (Hurkman, 1992). Therefore the objectives of this research are to study the eff ect of salinity levels on plant growth, photosynthetic pigments and osmotic components in two genotypes of marigolds. Materials and methods This study was conducted in a greenhouse at the University of Zabol, Iran. The experiment was laid-out in a complete randomized factorial design with three replicates. Three salinity treatments (S0=0 (control), S1= 3 and S2= 6 ds/m) were imposed by the nutrient solution after the plants were ten days old. Two genotypes of marigold were M1= Tagetes erecta and M2= Tagetes tenuifolia. The culture solution was weekly renewed and its pH was initially adjusted to 6.5. Twenty days after salt treatment, the plants were harvested. The extracts of the leaves material were used to determine soluble soluble carbohydrates (Irigoyen et al., 1992). Free proline was estimated according to Bates et al. (1973).Chlorophyll ‘a and b’ of leaves were determined according Arnon’s method (1949). Results and discussion Increasing NaCl levels within the nutrient solution aff ected the fresh weight of the two marigold genotypes and caused a reduction in them . The reduction in root and shoot development may be due to toxic eff ects of the NaCl used as well as unbalanced nutrient uptake by the seedlings (Hajibagheri et al., 1989). The results showed, whenever the salt concentration increased until 3 dS m-1, chlorophyll ‘a’ content increased, but by increasing salt from 3 to 6 dS m -1 chlorophyll ‘a’ content decreased. In this study whenever the salt concentration increased, chlorophyll ‘b’ content in two cultivars increased and carotenoids decreased.The results regarding agree with results reported by Misra et al. (1997). The salt stress treatment caused a signifi cant increase in the concentrations of proline and soluble carbohydrate in shoot of plants in all comparisons. Proline, sucrose, and other organic sugars in quinoa contribute to osmotic adjustment during stress and protect the structure of macromolecules and membranes during extreme dehydration (Prado et al., 2000). In this study between two genotypes, M1 had better physiological parameters to salinity tolerance than M2. M1 genotype had higher fresh weight, proline and soluble carbohydrate content in shoot tissue than M2 genotype. References Arnon, D. I. 1949. Copper enzyme in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenol oxidasein Beta vulgaris. Plant physiol., 24: 1-15. Bates, L.S. Waldern, R. P. and Teare, L. D. 1973. Rapid determination of free proline for water use studies. Plant Soil., 39: 205-208. Hajibagheri, M. A. Yeo, A.R. Flowers, T. J. and Collins, J. C. 1989. Salinity resistance in Zea mays fl uxes of potassium,sodium and chloride, cytoplasmic concentrations and microsomal membrane lipids. Plant, Cell and Envir. 1989. 12: 753-757. Hoekstra, F. A. Golovina, E. A. and Buitink, J. 2001. Mechanism of plant desiccation tolerance. Trends Plant Sci., 9: 431-438. P2-12 459 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Hurkman, W. J. 1992. Eff ect of salt stress on plant gene expression. A review. Plant Soil., 146: 145–151. Irigoyen, J. Emerich, J. and Sanches-Diaz, M. 1992. Water stress induced changes in concentrations of proline and total soluble sugars and nodulated alfalfa plants. Acta Botanica Sinica., 46:921-927. Misra, A. N. Latowski, D. Stirzalka, K. 2006. The xanthophyll cycle activity in kidney bean and cabbage leaves under salinity stress.Biomed. Life Sci., 53 (1): 102–109. Prado, F. E. Boero, C. Gallardo, M. and Gonzalez, J. A. 2000. Eff ect of NaCl on germination, growth, and soluble sugar content in Chenopodium quinoa Willd. seeds. Bot Bull Acad Sin., 41: 27-34. P2-12 460 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Using the compensated heat pulse method to monitor the stem water content in standing trees Villalobos, Francisco J.1; López-Bernal, Álvaro2; Testi, Luca2 1Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (CSIC) & Universidad de Córdoba, SPAIN; 2Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (CSIC), SPAIN Introduction There is ample evidence that trees store water in sapwood during times of low evaporative demand and consume this water in transpiration when evaporative demand exceeds root water uptake. Thus, water stored in stems (θ) allows trees to maintain both higher transpiration and photosynthesis rates holding up stomatal closure during a drought. Despite its outstanding physiological interest, all the available techniques to measure θ exhibit major drawbacks. In this work, we present a new methodology to estimate θ along with sap velocity using the compensated heat pulse technique (CHP). Materials and methods One lab experiment was performed on several wooden blocks obtained from trunks and stems of three diff erent fruit tree species including olive (Olea europea), plum (Prunus domestica) and fi g (Ficus carica). Samples were dried and their moisture loss was monitored by both weighing and CHP probes to contrast the validity of our methodology (VSH-CHP) over a range of water contents. In addition, a fi eld experiment was conducted in an experimental olive (cv. ‘Arbequina’) orchard located in Córdoba, Spain (37.8 ºN, 4.8 ºW). The olive trees were planted in 1997, tree spacing was 7 m x 3.5 m and three diff erent irrigation regimes including a full- irrigated control and two defi cit-irrigated treatments were established from 2004 to 2006 (Iniesta et al. 2009). During 2006 some trees of each irrigation treatment were instrumented with two CHP sensors per tree in order to monitor sap fl ow and θ dynamics. Results In the lab test, the actual wood water content measured gravimetrically (θg) diff ered from the estimates yielded by the VSH-CHP method (θc). While θg values showed a clear curvilinear decay, θc patterns decreased only at the beginning of the experiment until stabilization occurred. However, the relative reduction in θg measured during the fi rst hours of drying was in good agreement with that detected by our methodology suggesting that it could successfully track relative changes in the water stored for this interval (which should cover the range of θ expected in most living trees). The fi eld experiment T c (c m 3 cm -3 ) 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 T c (c m 3 cm -3 ) 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 T c (c m 3 cm -3 ) 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 Tg (cm3 cm-3) 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 T c (c m 3 cm -3 ) 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 Block 5 Block 6 Block 7 Block 8 Block 9 Block 10 Block 11 Block 13 Block 14 Block 15 Block 12 Figure 1. P2-13 461 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 showed a seasonal change in θ which was similar in shape and magnitude to those reported in the literature for olive and other Mediterranean tree species (Constantz and Murphy 1990; Nadler and Tyree 2008). On the other hand, diff erences in the seasonal patterns of θ between irrigation treatments followed those of sap fl ow and some leaf water potential measurements. Conclusions The present study shows a new alternative to monitor θ in living trees by using the CHP technique. Our lab and fi eld experiments support that the VSH-CHP method can successfully track relative changes in the water stored. The technique is rapid, easy to automate and provides simultaneous information about tree transpiration. Nevertheless, it does not yield actual values of θ and its feasibility is uncertain for those trees with wide seasonal changes in θ, which deserves further research. Finally, the results of this work evidence that seasonal changes in θ might be used as a long-term water status indicator and point out that the CHP technique is a valuable tool to obtain information about tree water relations. References Constantz, J. and F. Murphy. 1990. Monitoring moisture storage in trees using time domain refl ectometry. J. Hydrol. 119, 31-42. Iniesta, F., L. Testi, F. Orgaz and F.J. Villalobos. 2009. The eff ects of regulated and continuous defi cit irrigation on the water use, growth and yield of olive trees. Eur. J. Agron. 30, 258-265. Nadler, A. and M.T. Tyree. 2008. Substituting stem`s water content by electrical conductivity for monitoring water status changes. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 72, 1006-1013. P2-13 462 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-15 463 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-15 464 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Eff ect of the Mother Tiller Type in the First Cut on the Leaf Appearance of Regrowth Tillers in Timothy Pakarinen, Kirsi; Hyrkäs, Maarit; Virkajärvi, Perttu MTT Agrifood Research Finland, FINLAND Introduction Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) is a common forage species in the boreal areas. In silage swards, individual tillers are defoliated at several developmental stages, since the herbage is allowed to grow longer than in pasture swards. This can lead to variation in the growth processes during regrowth. The processes of primary growth of grasses are relatively well documented, but for the regrowth, the most important developmental events are not described in same precision. In our study, we aimed to clarify the processes of summer regrowth in the tiller level in timothy grown for silage. We hypothesized that the developmental stage of the tiller during the fi rst cut (i.e. mother tiller type) aff ects the development of its regrowth tillers. Here, we report results for phyllochron and the number of living leaves per tiller. Materials and methods This study was conducted on two typically managed fi eld experiments with timothy (cv. Tammisto II) in three replicates during 2006 – 2009 at MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Maaninka. Levels of N, P and K fertilization were typical to the region and no irrigation or plant protection was used. Each year, cuts were taken in late June and in late August. The eff ective temperature sum above 0ºC (ºCd) in regrowth was calculated using ºCd of fi rst cut as zero point. Each year, tillers for measurements in the regrowth were marked before the fi rst cut and for taking the eff ect of mother tiller type into account, they were determined as A) vegetative (VEG): pseudostem and leaves; B) elongating vegetative (ELONG): leaves and true stem; C) generative (GEN): leaves, true stem and an infl orescence. Regrowth of tillers was measured approximately once a week for 8–10 weeks. Data was used for calculating the maximum number of living leaves per tiller and the phyllochron, and the eff ect of mother tiller type on these parameters was analyzed having year, tiller type and year × tiller type –interaction as fi xed eff ects using the Mixed procedure of SAS 9.2. Results and discussion As the regrowth habit of timothy is clonal, the tillers in the same plant have similar genetic performance (Doust, 2007). Nevertheless, the mother tiller eff ect was clear only for the maximum number of living leaves per tiller, as VEG and GEN mother tillers promoted the maximum leaf number in the regrowth tillers and diff ered from ELONG mother tillers (Table 1). For GEN this could be explained either by inherited superiority or larger carbohydrate reserves, while for VEG by the intactness and rapid recovery of the apical meristems after the cut. Compared to grazing experiments (Lardner et al. 2002), the average numbers of living leaves per tiller and the variation in their count were greater in this study, which is perhaps because we observed the regrowth for a longer time. There was no eff ect of mother tillers on phyllochron i.e. leaf appearance rate, although we have found that the total tiller appearance and survival rate after the cut can be promoted by ELONG and GEN mother tillers (Pakarinen et al., 2011). In contrast to tillering in regrowth, leaf appearance may be more strongly regulated by environmental conditions. P2-16 465 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Conclusions The number of living leaves per tiller in the regrowth of timothy was promoted by both vegetative and generative mother tillers compared to elongating vegetative mother tillers. Phyllochron was aff ected more by environmental conditions than the type of mother tiller. P2-16 References Doust, A. N. 2007. Grass architecture: genetic and environmental control of branching. Current Opinion in Plant biology 10: 21-25. Lardner, H., Wright, S., Cohen, R. 2002. Leaf development of eight grass species following grazing. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 82:747-750. Pakarinen, K., Virkajärvi, P., Hyrkäs, M. 2011. The developmental stage of the tiller in the fi rst cut predicts the success of regrowth tillers in timothy and tall fescue. Proceedings of the British Grassland Society 10th Research Conference pp. 17-18. 466 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield stability and reliability in the Mediterranean semi arid environment Randazzo, Biagio; Gristina, Luciano; Sarno, Mauro; Poma, Ignazio; Novara, Agata University of Palermo, ITALY Introduction Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) represents, for dry areas of Italy, a very interesting species both for specifi c resistance to eyespot, and for its quality stressed by semi arid environment. Particularly Sicilian environment is characterized by warm winter allowing fusarium spp. attack, but lack of rain during kernel ripening allows a low deoxynivalenol content in grain yield. For these reasons grain yield and stability evaluation of new wheat varieties seems to be crucial for the semi arid Mediterranean environment. In this paper a four year trial carried out in two diff erent sites are reported. Matherials and Methods In two representative environments of Sicilian cereal production, diff erent for annual rainfall and temperature (S. Stefano di Quisquina higher rainfall and lower temperature and Cammarata lower rainfall and higher temperature), using a randomized experimental block with three replications a 10 m2 plot was seeded using 450 germinable seed m2 after a leguminous crop. A mouldboard tillage during summer and two light tillage were needed for seed bed preparation. In both sites seeding was between the end of November and the end of December. All varieties under evaluation were always present during the four-year trial. Yield reliability was evaluated according to Donatelli and Annicchiarico (1997), whereas yield stability according to Yan et al.(2000), considering yield as (PC1) and genotype X environment interaction as (PC2), considered the main variation origin for varieties evaluation in the semi arid Mediterranean environment. In a bidimensional space, values of varieties, years, sites and interactions yearsXsites are represented as vectors. Vectors start from origin (0, 0) up to fi nal value determined by principal component. An angle to 270° between vector variety and vector year shows a positive response to the year, whereas and angle between 90° and 270° shows a negative response. Model SREG (Site regression Model) was used for biplot ghaphic connecting the highest varieties value. P2-17 467 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Results and discussion Climatic trend during the trial was characterized by an high variability both for rainfall and temperature especially during winter and spring. Average yield of the varieties was 3.03 t ha-1 ranging between 0.5 and 6.32 t ha-1 (fi g. 1 A); in Cammarata site the highest yield (year 2005 5.26 t ha -1) and lowest (year 2007 1.31 t ha-1) were recorded, whereas in S. Stefano di Q. site average yield was between 2.68 t ha -1 e 3.77 t ha-1. In fi g. 1 B biplot graphic of the main component is represented. Variation due to the fi rst factor showed a 74.2% of total variation, whereas the second one was only 15.5%. Sagittario cv yielded more than all variety specifi cally during 2006, 2007 and 2008 in Cammarata site and during 2007 in S. Stefano; Blasco produced more in 2005 and PR22R48 in 2005 and 2006 in S. Stefano. Artico cv only in S. Stefano during 2008. Sagittario contemporary showed high productivity and stability. Reliability analysis of yield showed similar results (Tab. 1). Conclusions The trial allows us to study wheat varieties available in Italy adaptability in two diff erent pedoclimatic Sicilian environment. Data shows the adaptability of some varieties and genotype X environment analysis confi rmed an high stability of the tested genotypes. References Burgueño, J., J. Crossa, and M. Vargas. 2004. http://www. cimmyt.org/Research/Biometrics/bsu. htm Donatelli, M., e P. Annicchiarico, 1997. Pubblicazione Speciale degli Istituti Sperimentali Agronomico e per le Colture Foraggere. Modena. Patterson R.E., 1950. Agronomy journal, n. 42: 509-511. Yan, W., L.A.Hunt, Q. Sheng, and Z. Szlavnics. 2000. Crop Sci. 40:597–605. P2-17 468 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Comparative study of genotype-environment interaction of oat and triticale varieties in southern Italy Poma, Ignazio; Randazzo, Biagio; Fiore, Maria Carola; Venezia, Giacomo University of Palermo, ITALY Introduction Oat (Avena sativa L.) and triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack), two minor cereals, are characterized for a widely adaptability to several pedo-climatic conditions. A large number of varieties are listed in the National Register of Varieties (Italy), while few genotypes are obtained under strict seed certifi cation standards. In Sicily, areas cultivated with oats utilize old medium-late populations with low productivity, while only two varieties of triticale are cultivated in a very limited areas. Therefore, the study of genotype x environment interaction in these two minor cereals could allow to collect important results to speculate the introduction of more productive varieties, especially for the Sicilian environments. In this study we report the results of a four-year fi eld experiments in two Sicilian environments. Materials and methods The data refer to the National Network of varieties comparison coordinated by CRA-Experimental Institute for Cereal crops of Lodi (Italy). Five oat genotypes and eight triticale genotypes were studied in two diff erent areas, representative of internal region of Sicily, Cammarata (AG) and S. Stefano di Quisquina (AG), for four years (2005-2008). Diff erences across the two environments regard rainfall and temperature: indeed in S. Stefano di Quisquina total rainfall is higher compared to Cammarata, while in S. Stafano di Quisquina winter temperatures go often below zero with more relatively cool springs. The plot size was 10 m2 and 400 seed per mq rate was used at each location for each year, according to a randomized block design with three replicates. In each season and each location, land management was done by a ploughing and two harrowing for a optimum seedbed preparation. Seeds were sown between 3rd week of November and 3rd week of December. In order to determine the yield stability Yan et al. (2000) procedure was used. The authors take into account the productivity (PC1) and the GE-interaction (PC2) as relevant sources of variation to varieties evaluation in semi-arid Mediterranean region. Results and discussion The climatic trends recorded in a four years fi eld experiment were quite variable both in terms of total rainfall and temperatures. The average yield of triticale was 3.05 t ha-1, range from 0.90 to 5.50 t ha-1. The highest average yield (4.94 t ha-1) was recorded in Cammarata during the 2005 growing season (C5, Fig.1), while the lowest average yield (1,38 t ha-1) in S. Stefano di Quisquina during the 2008 growing season (S8, Fig.1). The average yield of oat was 2.58 t ha-1, range from 0.24 t ha-1 to 5,05 t ha-1. The highest (4.33 t ha-1) and lowest (0.70 t ha-1) average yield were recorded, as well as triticale, in Cammarata in the same growing seasons (C5 and S8, Fig.1). The polygon view of the GGE bi-plot is reported in fi gure 2. Regarding triticale genotypes, the fi rst two PCs explained 84% (PC1=50.9 %, PC2=33.1%) of the total GGE variation among data. Oceania genotype had higher yields in environments C7, S5, S6 and S8, Rigel in environments C5, C6 e S7 and Bienvenue in C8. Hamel has been the highest yielding oat genotype in environments S5 and S7, Donata in C7 and S6, Genziana in C5, C6 and C8. In this graph PC1 and PC2 explained 50.4% and 26.6% of total GGE variation respectively. Conclusions This study have allowed to evaluate crop yield results of diff erent oat and triticale varieties in eight fi elds experimental conditions in Sicily. These results have identifi ed a group of oat and triticale varieties that showed a well adaptation to the specifi c climatic conditions of southern Sicily. In particular, based on both mean and stability, Oceania and Donata resulted the best triticale and oat genotypes, respectively. Reference Yan, W. et al. (2000). Cultivar evaluation and mega- environment investigation based on GGE biplot. Crop Sci. 40(3): 597-605. P2-18 469 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-18 470 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Evaluation of vetch (Vicia sativa L.) genotypes in semi-arid environment of Italy Poma, Ignazio; Randazzo, Biagio; Fiore, Maria Carola; Bono, Giuseppe University of Palermo, ITALY Introduction Vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is an important annual forage legume crop for dry area of southern Italy. The species is an annual crop for seed and forage either as a pure crop or as part of intercropping with cereal species (barley, oat, etc.). Although vetch provides a good seeds production in semi-arid environments of Italy, a large quantities of seed are imported from Turkey, Spain, Australia and Poland to match autumn winter cultivation needs (Saladino et al. 2006). The reason for this trend can be attributed to the inadeguate refi nement of cropping technique and use of genotypes most suitable for biomass production compared to seed production (Poma et al. 2004). There are real chances to increase the areas planted to vetch taking in account the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) recently reformed. In order to increase the introduction of more productive vetch genotypes, especially for the Sicilian environments, the present study reports the results of 2-year fi eld experiment. Materials and methods The study was carried out in a representative internal region of Sicily environment (Cammarata-AG, Sicilia, 37° 37' N - 13° 42' E). Seventeen vetch genotypes, were compared in a 2-year fi eld experiment ('07-'09) according to a randomized block design with three replicates. Vetch genotypes were sown at a rate of 150 seeds per square meter and at 25 cm wide row on December, after a deep summer plowing and two harrow. The soil was fertilized with 90 kg ha-1 of P 2 0 5 during fall tillage. Each 20 m2 plot was split to allow both forage harvest at full bloom and seed production at the end of May. The main agronomic and qualitative traits (Piccione 1989) were collected during two-year fi eld experiments. Here we report only grain protein content, seed and biomass production results. Data were analyzed separately for each year by one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan's multiple range test for comparisons of diff erent means. Results The climatic trends were quite variable during the two- year fi eld experiments. The rainfall diff erence between the two years, 326 ('07-'08) and 596 mm ('08-'09), had a strong infl uence on the results. Seed production showed a variability among compared genotypes ranging between 0.85 t ha-1 ('07-'08) and 1.05 t ha -1 ('08-'09). A group of seven genotypes (Marianna, Francesca, Fillon, Mirabella, P2-19 471 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Idice, Nikian and Pietranera) have recorded a seed production higher than 1.1 t ha-1 (Fig.1), not statistically diff erent to each other (data not shown). Average biomass production across all two years was 4.33 t ha-1. Pietranera, Encantada, Filon, Idice and Mirabella genotypes were much more productive than others (higher than 5 t ha- 1), while Pepe, Senda Daz 247, Erea, Caravelle, Barcavisi, 150 DE and Catarina have recorded a biomass production lower than 4.33 t ha-1 (Fig.1). The highest values for the biomass production were obtained by Pietranera genotype (7.0 t ha-1) in fi rst year, statistically diff erent from all other (data not show). Seed protein content (percentage on dry matter) was mainly infl uenced by the genotype and less by the year. Seed protein content (Fig.2) ranged from 29.1 to 30.4% in the fi rst year and 24.0 to 32.5% in the second; the highest results were obtained by Josè genotype for both years. Conclusions This study have allowed to evaluate the yield potential of several vetch genotypes in a semi-arid sicilian environment. Special attention should be given to four genotypes, Idice, Pietranera, Filon and Mirabella, due to good yield level, good biomass production and high seed protein content. These results can be used by Agricultural Advisory Service to promote introduction and diff usion of vetch genotypes in semi-arid environment of Italy. References Poma I.et al. (2004) Proceeding of VIII ESA Congress: 163-164. Piccione M. 1989 dizionario degli alimenti per il bestiame. Edizione Agricole: 912-913. Saladino S. et al. (2006) . Italus Hortus 13 (2): 448-451 P2-19 472 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Rainfed olive response to supplemental irrigation applied at diff erent periods of fruit growth Razouk, Rachid1; Ibijbijen, Jamal2; Kajji, Abdellah1; Daoui, Khalid1 1National Institute of Agronomic Research, MOROCCO; 2Moulay Ismail University, MOROCCO Introduction In Morocco, rainfed olive orchards occupy 450.000 ha, equivalent to 60% of total olive area. Yield level in these orchards remains very low, varying between 1 and 1.5 t/ha, ensured by the low water reserves coming from autumn and winter precipitations and summer thunderstorms. The yield weakness is due to several constraints, reduction of rainfall is the major challenge. Supplemental irrigation is a promising way to increase olive yield in those conditions, especially when access to water resources is feasible and economically effi cient. However, this technique requires hydro-agricultural investments that are to be deducted from production gains. Therefore, it is essential to determine the optimal periods to apply supplemental irrigation having high economic effi ciency and giving the satisfactory production gain. It is within this context that this study was carried out aimed to quantify eff ects of seven types of supplemental irrigation applied on rainfed olive during diff erent periods of fruit growth. Materials and methods The experiment was carried during two consecutive seasons using rainfed orchard olive (cv. Picholine Marocaine) thirty years old, planted at a distance of 8x6 m in north-center of Morocco. Treatments were: “Td”: rainfed regime; “Ta”: irrigation after two weeks of fruit set (mid-June); "Tb": irrigation during stone hardening stage (end of July); "Tc”: irrigation after two weeks of stone hardening (September beginning) and all their combinations “Tab”, “Tac”, “Tbc” and “Tabc”. In each water treatment, the trees were surface irrigated around the trunks by 2 m with a quantity equivalent to useful soil reserve on 70 cm of depth. Results Results show that shoot growth was very infl uenced by the fi rst irrigation Ta which the eff ect was signifi cantly higher than that obtained with the second and the third irrigation (Tb and Tc) even combined, increasing annual shoot length by an average of 35.8%. This, is explained by the fact that the fi rst irrigation was applied during rapid growth of shoot, while the two other irrigations were applied during slowdown periods of shoot growth. Yield level was infl uenced by variability of tree vigor in addition to water treatment doing what their multiple comparison was not highlighted the eff ect of water P2-20 473 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 regimes. However, variance analysis of yield per unit trunk section shows that fruit and oil yields increased only by the fi rst irrigation Ta (p=0.022). The two last irrigations "Tb" and "Tc" did not in fl uence signifi cantly yield level compared to rainfed regime “Td”. It is only when these irrigations were combined (Tbc) that it ensure an eff ect statistically equal to that observed with the fi rst irrigation Ta (p=0.020). However, their whole combination with the fi rst irrigation "Tabc" gave the highest response comparatively to rainfed regime Td, with an increase of 106% for fruit yield where 43% returns to irrigation Ta and 96% for oil yield where 37% returns to irrigation Ta. These variations in yield levels were linked in large part to fruit weight variation because the water treatments started after fruit set. Indeed, linear regression between fruit weight and fruit yield is signifi cant (r2=0.81). Water use effi ciency value is highest under irrigation Ta with an average per tree of 23.2 kg m-3, equivalent to 10.5 € tree -1 in case of Morocco. Conclusions At term of the experiment, we concluded that fruit weight and shoot growth were more aff ected by the fi rst supplemental irrigation applied in mid-June, having thus increasing fruit and oil yields, allowing to generate a promising economical benefi t for its adoption. Considerable eff ect was also found with addition of irrigation at beginning of the second rapid stage of fruit growth, in the beginning of September, although it slightly reduces fruit oil content. P2-20 474 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Tolerance of selected potato cultivars to high temperature during the growing season Rykaczewska, Krystyna Plant Breeding & Acclimatization Institute, POLAND Introduction The potato is a crop plant typical of temperate climate. It is characterized by specifi c temperature requirements and develops best at a temperature of about 20°C. However, the limits and optimal values for the growth of the above-ground part of the potato plant and for the growth of the tubers are diff erent. From experiments conducted in growth chambers it is known that haulm growth is fastest in the temperature range of 20-25°C whereas the optimal range for tuberization and tuber growth is 15-20°C. At a temperature higher than optimal a reduction or complete inhibition of tuberization takes place. Forecasts of global warming and the need to export seed potatoes to countries with high temperatures in the summer prompt us to study the tolerance of potato genotypes to heat during the growing season. The aim of this work was to single out potato genotypes most tolerant to high temperature during the growing season in moisture conditions favourable to plants and in drought conditions. Materials and methods In the years 2008-2011, two series of pot experiments were carried out in a greenhouse and air-conditioned chambers. The response of Polish potato cultivars to high temperature during the growing season was compared with the response of foreign cultivars designated in the European database as genotypes with very high adaptability to the environment. In the fi rst series the cultivars: Adam, Cyprian, Irga, Zebra and Irys were compared with the American cultivar Kathadin, and in the second series the cultivars: Aruba, Etola, Finezja, Flaming and Tetyda were compared with the Dutch cultivar Desirée. The eff ect of heat stress (temperature day/night 32/25°C) on potato plants was tested in three periods: June 16-30, July 1-15 and July 16-30. In these periods half of the plants were watered to a level close to optimal, while the other half remained without irrigation under conditions of soil drought. The Control combination consisted of potato plants grown throughout the whole season under conditions close to optimal. The evaluation in vivo of the response of potato plants to heat stress was based on the measurements of chlorophyll a fl uorescence parameters (Fv/Fm – maximum quantum e ffi ciency of photosystem II, and PI – vitality index of PS II) with a Pocket PEA Chlorophyll Fluorimeter. Results The most important factor for the development and yielding of the tested potato cultivars was the time of the occurrence of high temperature stress. The most damaging was this stress in the second half of June. The thermal stress in the next period, in the fi rst half of July, caused much smaller decreases in yield, and the stress in the third period, in the second half of July, had no negative impact on yield. The response of the diff erent cultivars varied. There was a signifi cant decrease in the vitality index (PI) of the photosynthetic apparatus with the ageing of potato plants and the delay in the time of exposure to heat stress. In the case of plants growing in the soil with good moisture, this index was signifi cantly higher than in the case of plants growing under the conditions of increasing soil drought. The fi nal crop was found to have numerous physiological defects caused by high temperatures during the growing season. These were mainly deformed tubers and sprouting tubers. Conclusions 1. The results allow us to confi rm the hypothesis of quite a high tolerance of the tested cultivars to high temperature stress during the growing season. The most tolerant cultivar was ‘Tetyda’, which was characterized by the ability to maintain a high yield despite the exposure to high temperatures, with no tendency to deformity or early sprouting. 2. The vitality index (PI) of the photosynthetic apparatus appears to be a good indicator of the evaluation in vivo of the physiological state of potato plants, which may be useful for determining the response of plants to high temperature and drought under production conditions. P2-21 475 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-21 476 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-22 Introduction Tobacco is traditionally cultivated for smoke products. Nevertheless, it also produces seeds with high content of non-food grade oil (33 to 40%)(Giannelos et al., 2002; Patel et al., 2008; Sifola and Di Giacomo, 2009). This oil is rich in linoleic acid (about 70%) (Giannelos et al., 2002; Patel et al., 2008; Sifola and Di Giacomo, 2009) and could be successfully used in both biodiesel and polymer industries (Patel et al., 2008). New cultivars were selected for this purpose, which produce more oils per hectare than other species traditionally cultivated for oil production (WO2008110876). Materials and methods Two fi eld experiments were conducted during 2011 in Southern Italy (Acerra, Napoli). The fi rst experiment was carried out to evaluate diff erent low input cultural practices (irrigation and N fertilization) on biomass, seeds and oil yield of Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Solaris (Sunchem Srl, www.Sunchem.it). The following 3 irrigation treatments: i) one watering at transplanting, ii) two waterings, at transplanting and at the beginning of stem elongation and iii) three waterings, at transplanting, at the beginning of stem elongation and fl owering) were factorially combined with three N fertilization treatments: i) not-fertilized control, ii) 20 kg N ha-1, iii) 40 kg N ha-1. In the second experiment, Solaris was compared with cvs PLT101 and PLT102 (Sunchem). Each cultivar received 20 kg N ha-1 and 2 waterings (see fi rst experiment). In both experiments, crops were furrow-irrigated. Seedlings were transplanted on June 13th (6 plants m -2) in plots of 9.6 and 11.2 m 2, in the fi rst and in the second experiment, respectively. In the fi rst experiment, plots were arranged in a split-plot design with three replications (blocks) with Irrigation treatments in main plots and N fertilization in sub-plots. The second experiment was completely randomized with three replications (blocks). In both experiments, plants were harvested on September 16th. After harvest, the following measurements were made: i) number of infl orescences and capsules per plant, seed weight (g capsule-1), seeds and residual biomass yield (Mg ha-1) at a standard moisture content of 7 and 70%, respectively. Results and discussion There was no signifi cant eff ect of treatments (irrigation and N fertilization) on yield, yield components (number of infl orescence and capsules per plant and seed weight per capsule) and residual biomass of oil tobacco crop. The rainfall, well distributed during the phase of rapid growth-stem elongation (about 40 mm over July), should have determined these results. Regardless of treatments, it produced 4 Mg ha-1 of seeds with an average of 3 infl orescences and 308 capsules per plant (data not shown). As for cultivars comparison, Solaris produced signifi cantly less number of infl orescences and capsules per plant with respect to both PLT 101 and PLT 102 (Tab.1) but, due to a signifi cantly greater seeds weight per capsule than other cultivars, there was no signifi cant diff erences in seeds yield between the three cultivars as well as in residual biomass (Tab. 1). Conclusions In conclusion, on the average the seed (3.5-4.0 t ha- 1) and oil yield (1-2 t ha-1) of the present experiments are comparable with those of other oil crops. In these experimental conditions, the tobacco cultivars, selected for oil production by Sunchem, resulted well adapted to low input cultivation conditions, thus allowing to gain good results in terms of economical and energetic balance. Of course, this result have to be confi rmed in other environments or years with diff erent pedo-climatic conditions. References Giannelos, P.N., Zannikos, F., Stournas, S., Lois, E., Anastopoulos, G., 2002. Ind. Crops Prod 16, 1–9. Patel, K.I., Parmar, R.J., Parmar, J.S., 2008. J. Applied Polymer Sci. 107, 71–81. Sifola, M.I., Di Giacomo, M., 2009. XXXVIII SIA, Firenze 22-24 settembre 2009. WO2008110876. Mutagenized tobacco plant as seed culture for the production of oil for energetic, industrial and alimentary uses. Fogher C. Yield response of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) grown for oil production in Mediterranean area Sifola, Maria Isabella; Impagliazzo, Adriana; Fagnano, Massimo University of Naples Federico II, ITALY 477 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Table 1 . Yield, yield components and residual biomass of different cultivars of tobacco for oil production. Different letters indicate significant differences at P ” 0.05 and P ” 0.01 (capital letter) after subjecting data to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Cultivars Inflorescences (n. plant-1) Capsules (n. plant-1) Seeds (g capsule-1) Seed Yield (Mg ha-1) Residual Biomass (Mg ha-1) SOLARIS 3.4 a 263.6 a 0.31 A 3.93 14.1 PLT 101 4.9 b 449.3 b 0.21 B 3.67 11.5 PLT 102 5.3 c 490.2 b 0.19 B 3.87 16.0  P2-22 478 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-23 479 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-23 480 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Eff ects of climate change on soil fertility of a typical cropping system of Southern Italy Ventrella, Domenico; Giglio, Luisa; Charfeddine, Sonia; Castellini, Mirko Agricultural Research Council CRA-SCA, Italy Introduction Particularly in the Mediterranean area, already considered a vulnerable zone, global warming, with its eff ects on temperature and precipitation pattern, could aff ect water availability and irrigation requirements due to signifi cant variations of evapotranspiration rates, runoff , infi ltration and soil moisture temporal dynamics. Using sequences of various crops avoids the build-up of pathogen and pest problems, and also helps to conserve and improve soil structure and fertility, uses natural resources more effi ciently and generally gives higher crop yields than these obtained in monoculture. Furthermore, the adoption of legumes into cereal rotations and incorporating of crop residues can reduce the usage of mineral N fertilizers. This study focuses on Capitanata, a plain of 4000 km2 in northern Apulia in southern Italy. The farms average 20 ha, with highly productive clay soils, and intensive and irrigated cropping. Winter durum wheat (Triticum durum L.) is the principal cereal, often grown in rotation with irrigated horticultural crops, particularly processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in 2-year (tomato- wheat) and 3-year (tomato-wheat-wheat) cycles. The crop model DSSAT allows simulation of long-term crop sequences under diff erent climate scenarios, permitting evaluation of the eff ects of rotation on crop yield, soil, water and nutrient balance. This study evaluated winter durum wheat and tomato responses under future climatic scenarios (Ventrella et al. 2012) and the eff ects on soil organic matter under the chosen crop sequences on a typical clay soil of Southern Italy. Materials and methods IPCC future climate scenarios B1 and A2 were used. The alternative climate projections used in this study were the output data of the Hadley Centre Coupled Model version 3 (HadCM3). The statistical downscaling procedure used the stochastic weather generator LARS WG that was calibrated including statistics and changes in mean climate, as derived from GCM, and integrated with the historical climatic data from the experimental farm of Agricultural Resource Council (CRA) at Foggia (Pizzigalli et al., 2012). The climate scenarios were compared to a generated baseline scenario (1951-2005). The DSSAT cropping system model allows predicting and interpretation of the behaviour of the agronomic system for a given condition. The crop growth models CERES- wheat and CROPGRO-tomato, previously calibrated P2-25 Fig. 1 – Total soil organic carbon trends considering for crop rotations (C = continuous wheat; 2-y_R = two-year rotation; 3-y_R = three-year rotation) under climate scenarios (Baseline, B1 and A2). 481 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-25 and validated in the area were embedded in DSSAT. The CENTURY module option was adopted to describe the dynamics of soil organic carbon under the 2-year and 3-year rotations, compared to continuous wheat. Results and Conclusion Higher values of soil organic C (Figure 1) and N (Figure 2) were found in 2- and 3-year crop rotations than in the durum monoculture, in both the Baseline and the future scenarios. The higher C and N soil content in the two-year rotation can be attributed to the higher production of tomato residues in this rotation. In the Baseline scenario and during the fi rst ten years, C and N contents increased in all crop rotations. Thereafter, the contents of C stabilized around 130 t ha-1 while those of the 2- and 3-year rotation continued to increase up to 140 t ha-1. These values remained consistent for the next 40 years and then began to decrease reaching new steady-state values at the end of the century (120 - 130 t ha-1 of C, Fig. 1). This decline of soil organic C content can be attributed to the higher temperature that increased its degradation and decreased the biomass production o f tomato crop. Soil organic N showed the same trends with time but with larger diff erences between rotations. References Pizzigalli C, Palatella L, Zampieri M, Lionello P, Miglietta MM, Paradisi P, 2012. Dynamical and statistical downscaling of precipitation and temperature in a Mediterranean area. Ital. J. Agron. 7:e2. Ventrella D, Giglio L, Charfeddine M, Lopez R, Castellini M, Sollitto D, Castrignanò A, Fornaro F, 2012. Climate change impact on crop rotations of winter durum wheat and tomato in Southern Italy: yield analysis and soil fertility. Ital. J. Agron. 7:e15. 482 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Introduction The addition of exogenous carbohydrate to the culture medium is essential for tissues in plant cell culture (George, 1993) and carbohydrates have an important eff ect in promoting somatic embryogenesis (Ricci et al., 2002). They can be considered not only the source of energy and a carbon skeleton in planta (Wan et al., 2011) but also can regulate many aspects of metabolism, assimilation, partitioning and transport. Also stress responses andgrowth and development can be infl uenced through promoting expression of relevant genes (Koch, 1996, Smeekens, 2000, Rolland et al., 2002). Among the carbohydrates, sucrose is preferred in most species that are propagated in tissue culture for induction, regeneration and the maturation of embryos (Finer et al., 1989, Ainsley and Aryan, 1998, Iraqi and Tremblay, 2001). This study aimed to establish a reliable system for in vitro proliferation of caulifl ower somatic embryos. Materials and methods Root-derived embryogenic callus tissue was chopped and used in a constant volume (74 μL/pot) to produce somatic embryos in agitated liquid MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium supplemented with Kinetin, IAA Regeneration of caulifl ower(Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis) via somatic embryogenesis Al shamari, Magda; Rihan, Hail; Al Swedi, Fadil; Fuller, Michael; Plymouth university, UNITED KINGDOM (Indole -3-acetic acid) and four diff erent concentrations of sucrose (1, 2, 3, 4 %). Results Sucrose at %20 was more inductive of normal somatic embryos whereas , abnormal somatic embryos (embryos with three or four cotyledons) were noticed at 1 % sucrose concentration. A high percentage of callogenesis on explants was observed on medium containing high concentrations of sucrose. The average value for callus diameter was 4 mm obtained on medium containing 4 % sucrose. Normal somatic embryos germinated on MS medium devoid of growth regulators and rooted plantlets were successfully transferred to soil with 80% survival. Conclusions Culture conditions for induction, development and conversion of caulifl ower somatic embryos to plantlets were optimized. It was clear that sucrose concentration had an essential role to play in determining the number and quality of somatic embryos produced. Figure 1. The effect of sucrose concentration on somatic embryos production after 40 days from culture (LSD=5.17 for normal somatic embryos,3.54 for abnormal embryos(3cotyledons) and 3.72 for abnormal embryos(4cotyledons). 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 1% 2% 3% 4% Sucrose concentration Av er ag e n um be r o f so m at ic em br yo s Number of normal somatic embryos Number of abnormal embryos(3cotyledons) Number of abnormal embryos(4cotyledons) P2-26 483 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 )LJXUH7KHHIIHFWRIVXFURVHFRQFHQWUDWLRQRQFDOORJHQHVLVSHUFHQWDJHDQGFDOOXV GLDPHWHUDIWHUGD\VIURPFXOWXUH /6' IRUFDOORJHQHVLVDQGIRUFDOOXVGLDPHWHU  0 20 40 60 80 100 1% 2% 3% 4% sucrose concentration Ca llu s d iam et er (m m ) a nd av er ag e p er ce nt ag e o f ca llo ge ne sis Callogenesis Callus diameter References Ainsley, P. J. & Aryan, A. P. (1998) E ffi cient plant regeneration system for immature embryos of triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack). Plant Growth Regulation, 24, 23-30. Finer, J. J., Kriebel, H. B. & Becwar, M. R. (1989) Initiation of embryogenic callus and suspension cultures of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.). Plant Cell Rep., 8, 203-206. George, E. F. (Ed.) (1993) Plant regeneration by tissue culture., Exegetics.England, Edington wilts. Iraqi, D. & Tremblay, F. M. (2001) The role of sucrose during maturation of black spruce [ Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP] and white spruce [ Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] somatic embryos. Physiol.Plant, 111, 381-388. Koch, K. E. (1996) Carbohydrate-modulated gene expression in plants.Rev.Plant.Physiol.Plant.Mol.Biol., 47, 509-540. Murashige, T. & Skoog, F. (1962) A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiol.Plant, 15, 473-497. Ricci, A. P., Mourao Filho, F. D. A. A., Mendes, B. M. J. & Piedade, S. M. D. S. (2002) Somatic embryogenesis in Citrus sinensis ,C.reticulata and C. nobilis x C.deliciosa. Sci Agric(Piracicaba,Braz), 59, 41-46. Rolland, F., Moore, B. & Sheen, J. (2002) Sugar sensing and signalling in plants. The Plant Cell, 14, 185-205. Smeekens, S. (2000) Sugar-induced signal transduction in plants. Ann. Rev.Plant Physiol.Plant Mol.Bio, 51, 49- 81. Wan, G. L., Naeem, M. S., Geng, X. X., Xu, L., Li, B., Jilani, G. & Zhoui, W. J. (2011) Optimization of microspore embryogenesis and plant regeneration protocols for Brassica napus. Int. J. Agric & Biol, 13. P2-26 484 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Comparison of durum wheat varieties in relation to antioxidant activity of whole meal, semolina and pasta Di Benedetto, Nilde Antonella; Giuzio, Luigia; Laus, Maura Nicoletta; Giuliani, Marcella Michela; Pastore, Donato; Flagella, Zina University of Foggia, ITALY Introduction Epidemiological studies have associated consumption of whole-durum wheat products with reduced incidence of chronic diseases, diabetes and cancer. These health benefi ts have been mainly attributed to the unique phytochemical content in wheat. The most important groups of phytochemicals found in durum wheat can be classifi ed as phenolic acids, fl avonoids, carotenoids, vitamin E compounds, lignans, soluble and insoluble fi bre [1]. Both genotype and environment in fl uence the concentration of these compounds [2]. It is important to identify varieties that may yield the highest concentration of antioxidants and provide the most health benefi t to consumers also improving the commercial value of wheat. The quality of durum wheat derived products, in terms of texture, colour, fl avour, appearance and antioxidant capacity, is determined by raw material quality and processing methods [3]. Very few studies deal with the infl uence of durum wheat genotypes on the antioxidant activity (AA) of derived products. So the aim of this work was the comparison of fi ve durum wheat varieties in relation to AA of whole grain, semolina and pasta to optimize the health value of derived products. Materials and methods During 2009-2010 crop season fi ve varieties of durum wheat were cultivated in a fi eld trial carried out in Foggia (Southern Italy, 41°46’ N, 15°54’E) on a sandy clay loam soil; N, P and S were applied at a rate of 102, 80 and 30 kg ha-1. Semolina and pasta, extruded as spaghetti, were produced by CRA-CER Foggia. Hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds were extracted as reported in [4] and then analysed by TEAC (ABTS•+ assay) method, as described in [5]. The data were submitted to variance analysis (ANOVA) using MSTAT-C statistical program (version 2.1, 1991). The signifi cant diff erences among the mean values were calculated following Duncan test. Results A signifi cant varietal eff ect on whole grain, semolina and pasta samples was observed with hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts showing a diff erent varietal classifi cation (Table 1). Furthermore derived products showed a decrease in AA compared to whole fl our. In particular for hydrophilic extracts the following decreasing order of AA was observed: whole fl our>pasta>semolina; instead for lipophilic extracts, AA decrease followed the following order: whole fl our>semolina>pasta. Finally only lipophilic extracts showed a positive signifi cant correlation between whole meal and derived products: whole meal vs pasta (P≤0.05, r=0.577); whole meal vs semolina (P ≤0.05, r=0.477); semolina vs pasta (P ≤0.05, r=0.520). Table 1: Antioxidant activity (AA) of whole meal, semolina and pasta of durum wheat hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts (ȝmol equivalent trolox/g d.m.). Data are averages of three replicates. Values in column followed by different letters are significantly different at P”0.05 (small letters) and at P”0.01 (capital letters) according to Duncan’s test. Hydrophilic extracts Lipophilic extracts Genotypes whole meal semolina pasta whole meal semolina pasta Torrebianca 6.4 A 3.8 ab 4.5 AB 0.387 AB 0.130 C 0.109 B Pietrafitta 6.1 A 3.8 ab 4.5 AB 0.347 B 0.126 D 0.099 E Alemanno 5.9 AB 3.7 b 4.3 B 0.378 AB 0.121 E 0.101 D Principe 5.4 B 3.8 ab 4.7 A 0.407 A 0.150 A 0.114 A Cannavaro 6.2 A 4.0 a 4.6 A 0.345 B 0.136 B 0.107 C P2-27 485 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Discussion In this paper a low varietal variability in AA of both hydrophilic (8%) and lipophilic extracts (12%) was observed. This result was in accordance with data reported in literature [4] by using TEAC (ABTS•+assay) method measuring mainly reducing power. Both for hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts, semolina compared to whole fl our showed a decrease in AA, due to tegument/ germ removal during grain milling. The observed increase of AA in all pasta samples with respect to semolina is mainly ascribable to melanoidins and Maillard reaction products. In fact, it is known that during extrusion and drying the Maillard reaction (MR) takes place, giving rise to the production of diff erent antioxidant compounds [6]. Our results show that cultivar endowed with high AA of lipophilic extracts may generate healthier derivate products. Further investigation will be necessary in diff erent locations and growing seasons in order to evaluate the interactions between genotype and environment in relation to AA. References [1] Hirawan et al., 2010, Food Chem, 119 258-264. [2] Menga et al., 2010, Food Sci Technol Int, 45 7-16. [3] Brennan et al., 2011, Food Sci Technol Int, 22 570-575. [4] Pastore et al., 2009, J Agr Food Chem, 57 9682-9692. [5] Re et al., 1999, Free Radical Bio Med, 26 1231-1237. [6] Fares et al., 2010, Food Chem, 119 1023-1029. P2-27 486 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Antioxidant activity of free versus bound compounds in seeds of diff erent cereal species Laus, Maura Nicoletta; Soccio, Mario; Flagella, Zina; Pastore, Donato University of Foggia, ITALY Introduction Antioxidant activity (AA) of cereal grains has been widely investigated, but, to date, not assessed in relation to the large expected variation in bioavailability among the diff erent classes of phytochemicals. So, in this study, AA exerted by both free and bound antioxidant fractions from whole grains of six diff erent wheat species and from seeds of the pseudocereal quinoa was evaluated. In particular, hydrophilic (I), lipophilic (L) and free-soluble phenolic (FSP) extracts, which are expected to contain antioxidants more readily available for small intestine absorption, were studied, as well as insoluble-bound phenolic (IBP) fraction, containing phenols bound to insoluble cell wall polymers, that are poorly digestible and thus available mostly at terminal intestine. AA was determined by the lipoxygenase/4-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline (LOX/RNO) method (Pastore et al., 2009). With respect to the majority of AA assays, this method is able to simultaneously detect diff erent antioxidant mechanisms and to better highlight the synergistic eff ects among antioxidants, so it is expected to unearth properties of phytochemicals from wheat grains, potentially related to health benefi ts. Materials and methods Grain samples used in this study were obtained from six diff erent wheat species [ Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum, accession ID3 (hulled einkorn), T. turgidum L. ssp. dicoccum Schübler, cv. Molise Colli (emmer), T. aestivum L. ssp. spelta, cv. Altgold Rotkorn (spelt), T. monococcum L. ssp. sinskajae (naked einkorn), T. turgidum L. ssp. durum Desf. cv. Adamello (durum wheat), T. aestivum L. ssp. vulgare Host, cv. Bolero (bread wheat)], cultivated in a naturally lit glasshouse at the CRA-Cereal Research Centre (Foggia, Italy). Quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd. cv. real) seeds were provided from “Ctm- Altromercato” Consortium (Bolzano, Italy). Extraction of H, L, FSP and IBP compounds was carried out as described in Pastore et al. (2009). Determination of AA by the LOX/ RNO method was performed as reported in Pastore et al. (2009). Results In Table 1 AA values of I, L, FSP and IBP extracts, as well as the total AA, are reported for all the species under study. The highest AA values were found for the IBP extracts. These values were also much higher than the AA sum of the largely available components (H+L+FSP), with the only exception of bread wheat. The diff erent species showed total AA values ranging from about 600 to 2500 μmol Trolox/g dry whole fl our, largely depending on the IBP contribution. In Figure 1 the ratios between AA values obtained for the widely available antioxidant components and those relative to the poorly digestible insoluble-bound phenolic fraction are reported. These ratios were distributed according to an inverse ranking with respect to that observed for total AA. Interestingly, the highest ratio obtained for bread wheat was about 5-fold higher than the ones obtained for durum wheat and hulled einkorn. Table 1. Antioxidant activity (AA), evaluated by means of the LOX/RNO method, of hydrophilic (I), lipophilic (L), free-soluble (FSP) and insoluble-bound (IBP) phenolic extracts from whole grains of different wheat species and from seeds of quinoa. Compounds were extracted from whole flour of the different species under study and AA was determined by the LOX/RNO method. Data are reported as mean value ± SD (n=3). Species AA (Pmol Trolox eq./g dry whole flour) H L FSP IBP Total AA (H+L+FSP+IBP) Hulled einkorn 72±4 148±11 263±6 2008±38 2491±59 Spelt 256±11 104±12 186± 4 1764±25 2310±52 Emmer 360±65 141±11 14± 1 1239±21 1754±98 Naked einkorn 115±12 210±8 74±2 1081±22 1480±44 Durum wheat 106±8 73±12 47±1 800±12 1026±33 Quinoa 138±11 130±6 81±4 428±4 777±25 Bread wheat 128±10 146±14 54±2 256±8 584±34 P2-28 487 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Conclusions Health-benefi cial properties due to regular consumption of cereal whole grains have been widely demonstrated and appear to be strongly related to antioxidant properties of peculiar grain phytochemicals (Liu, 2007). Here, we show that the examined cereal species may vary remarkably in relation to the balance between free and bound antioxidants from grains. So, they may deeply diff er in terms of presumable action on the health of consumers, with free compounds having a better systemic healthy activity and bound antioxidants showing a possible useful activity at the level of the terminal intestine. References Pastore D, Laus MN, Tozzi D, Fogliano V, Soccio M, Flagella Z. 2009. New tool to evaluate a comprehensive antioxidant activity in food extracts: bleaching of 4-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline catalyzed by the soybean lipoxygenase-1. J Agric Food Chem 57: 9682-92. Liu RH. 2007. Whole grain phytochemicals and health. J Cereal Sci 46: 207-19. P2-28 488 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Eff ect of water stress on storage protein composition of two durum wheat varieties evaluated by a proteomic approach Giuliani, Marcella Michela; Pompa, Marianna; Palermo, Carmen; Giuzio, Luigia; Centonze, Diego; Flagella, Zina University of Foggia, ITALY Introduction Both total amount and functional composition of storage proteins are of major importance in determining durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) technological quality. A proteomic approach has the potential to elucidate the gene expression pathway under diff erent environmental conditions. In Mediterranean environments water defi cit, often associated with high temperature, is one of the main factors infl uencing durum wheat quality [1, 2]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the eff ect of water stress on the composition of gluten proteins in two durum wheat varieties by using a proteomic approach. Materials and methods Two varieties (Ciccio, and Svevo) were grown in pots in a growth chamber during 2009. From fl owering stage two water treatments were applied: a control with irrigation bringing the soil moisture to fi eld capacity whenever the threshold of 50% available water was reached and a stressed treatment with the restoration of the 70% of the available water. At physiological stage the storage proteins were extracted [3] and separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis [4] (four replicates). The image analysis was performed using the software ImageMaster 2D Platinum 6.0 (Amersham). The speci fi c and/or diff erentially expressed spots were analyzed by nano-LC-ESI-IT-MS/MS. The acquired MS and MS/MS datasets were submitted to database searches by using BiotoolsTM 3.2 (Bruker Daltonics) and MASCOT search engine (Matrix Science, London, UK). Table 1. List of the main protein spots identified by nano-HPLC-MS/Ms analysis and using the MASCOT server (www.matrixscience.com) CICCIO spot MSDB Proteins Score Coverage Peptides Matched Theor. Mw (kDa) / pI 38,44,48 Q84TG6_TRITU Hmw glutenin subunit 1 By8 315 29% 11 76.69 kDa; 8.76 pl CONTROL Up- regulated 108 S57655 Glutenin low molecular weight-wheat (fragment) 1085 32% 6 30.67 kDa; 8.57pl 156 Q84M19_TRITU Gamma gliadin precursor (Fragment). 148 15% 5 32.7 kDa; 6.34pl 162 JA0153 Gamma-gliadin precursor- wheat 36 12% 3 34.7 kDa; 7.60pl Specific 166 Q5TLY8_WHEAT Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (Fragment) .- 118 12% 1 24.85 kDa; 8.33 pl 126 Q9XGF0_TRITU Low molecular weight glutenin subunit (Fragment 1195 14% 3 42.67 kDa; 8.373 pl STRESSED Up- regulated 133 Q5TLY8_WHEAT Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (Fragment) 118 12% 1 42.67 kDa; 8.373 pl SVEVO 131 Q84TG6_TRITU HMW glutenin subunit 1By8.- 190 13% 5 76.69 kDa ; 8.66pl CONTROL Up- regulated 108 S57655 Glutenin low molecular weight-wheat (fragment) 1085 32% 6 30.67 kDa; 8.57pl 150 gi|215398470 globulin 3 296 14% 5 66.65 kDa ; 7.78 pl Specific 206 Q9M4L7_WHEAT Alpha-gliadin 817 40% 8 31.61 kDa ; 7.66 pl Up- regulated 170 Q3YFI0_TRITU Alpha-type gliadin (Fragment) 836 18% 3 31.81 kDa ; 6.99 pl STRESSED 212 Q3YFI0_TRITU Alpha-type gliadin (Fragment) 453 31% 8 31.81 kDa ; 6.99 pl P2-29 489 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Results The image analysis has allowed the detection of 103 spots in Ciccio, both for the control and stressed treatment, 108 and 111 in Svevo for the control and stressed treatments, respectively. Some of these protein spots of particular interest (see Table 1) were identifi ed by mass spectrometry. Spot 38, 44, 48 and 131 were identifi ed as HMW 1By8 and were up-regulated in the control treatment of Ciccio and Svevo. Spot 108 was identifi ed as a LMW fragment and was down-regulated in both the varieties under water stress condition; for this protein a positive eff ect of on dough quality was reported [5]. Spot 156 and 162 were speci fi c of Ciccio grown under drought condition and were identifi ed both as γ-gliadin precursors. Spot 150 was detected only in Svevo grown in drought condition and identifi ed as a globulin III protein. Also, spot 206, 170, and 212 were detected only in Svevo and all were identifi ed as α-gliadins; in particular spot 206 was specifi c for this cultivar, while spots 170 and 212 were up-regulated under drought condition. Conclusions Both the HMW 1By8 and the LMW fragment (spot 108), associated with high elastic recovery, gluten fi rmness, and good quality semolina [6, 5], were up-regulated in the control treatment in both cultivars. In Svevo a globulin III protein was identifi ed in response to water defi cit [7]. Moreover, in Svevo di ff erent α-gliadins showed an increased expression in drought condition. Finally, the presence of two γ-gliadin precursors, found in Ciccio under water stress condition, probably indicate that the stress conditions stopped the protein pathway with a consequent accumulation of its precursors. Water stress eff ects appear to be mainly related to changes in α- and γ-gliadins expressions. Further studies will be carried out in order to investigate the infl uence of both cultivars and environment on the composition of gluten proteins. References [1] Flagella et al., 2010. Eur. J. Agron. 33:197–207. [2] Giuliani et al., 2011. Agr. J. 103: 1567-1880. [3] Hurkman & Tanaka, 2004. J. Cer. Sci 40: 295-299. [4] Ferrante P. et al., 2006. Proteomics 6: 1908-1914. [5] Masci S. et al., 2000. Theor. Appl. Genet 100: 396-400. [6] Yan et al., 2009. J Cer.Sci 50: 398-406. [7] Yang et al. 2011. Proteomics 11: 1684-1695. P2-29 490 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Biodiversity in Legume-supported Cropping: a study across European fi eld sites in the Legume Futures network. Cass, Susannah1; Stout, Jane1; Schmidt, Olaf2; Williams, Michael1 1Trinity College, University of Dublin, IRELAND; 2University College Dublin, IRELAND Introduction Through changes in physical and biological elements if the agricultural N-cycle, legumes have the potential for numerous interconnected environmental impacts when used in European cropping systems. Legumes are known to signifi cantly eff ect vegetation communities through modifi cations of N status and interactions with other vegetative functional groups (Tilman et al., 1997) and have been shown to have signifi cant interactions with both plant and earthworm species in agricultural systems (Schmidt & Curry, 1999, 2001). It has been demonstrated that earthworms can signifi cantly increase the biomass and N uptake of wheat in legume (clover) intercropping systems and alter the balance of N allocation between crop and intercrop (Schmidt & Curry, 1999). Vegetation composition can aff ect arthropod assemblages and Koricheva et al. (2000) found the presence of legumes in grassland systems resulted in higher invertebrate abundance. Birkhofer et al. (2011) have shown the impact of legume species richness on soil fauna feeding activity in agricultural grasslands through interactions between earthworms and other soil microfauna such as Collembolans. This study encompasses above and below- ground measures of biodiversity in legume cropping. Materials and methods Study sites: Experimental sites span a broad geographic and climatic range from boreal sites in Finland and Sweden, through Atlantic and continental regions of Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Poland and Romania, to Mediterranean Greece and Italy. Experimental sites encompass a diverse range of legume-supported cropping applications both typical and novel to each region. Surveys: Non-crop vegetation richness and diversity is assessed through standard surveys with 'conventional', non-legume-supported crops, assessed for comparison. Biodiversity surveys of earthworm populations under legume-supported crops are conducted through time limited hand-sorting of soil samples and allyl isothiocyanate extraction (Schmidt, 2001). At fi eld-scale experimental sites in Finland, Poland and Germany the ground invertebrate communities of legume-supported crops have been assessed using pitfall traps (50% ethylene glycol solution) emptied every 2-3 weeks through the active season (Finnamore et al., 1998). The bait-lamina method (Von Törne, 1990) is used to assess the feeding activity of soil fauna under legume- supported crops in early growth stages and pre-harvest. Results Preliminary results indicate some benefi ts of legume crops to earthworm biomass, as well as impacts on vegetation communities, all mediated by additional farm management. References Birkhofer, K., Diekötter, T., Boch, S., Fischer, M., Müller, J., Socher, S. & Wolters, V. 2011 Soil fauna feeding activity in temperate grassland soils increases with legume and grass species richness. Soil Biol. & Bioch. 43, 2200-2207 Finnamore, A. T., V. M. Behan-Pelletier and N. N. Winchester. 1998 Protocols for measuring biodiversity: arthropod monitoring in terrestrial ecosystems. EMAN and Partners Pubs, Canada Koricheva, J., Mulder, C., Schmid, B., Joshi, J. & Huss- Danell, K. 2000 Numerical responses of diff erent trophic groups of invertebrates to manipulation of plant diversity in grasslands. Oecol. 125, 271-282 Schmidt, O. 2001 Time-limited soil sorting for long-term monitoring of earthworm populations. Pedobio. 45, 69–83 P2-31 491 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Schmidt, O. & Curry, J. 1999 E ff ects of earthworms on biomass production, nitrogen allocation and nitrogen transfer in wheat–clover intercropping model systems. Plant & Soil 214 pp197-198 Schmidt, O. & Curry, J. 2001 Population dynamics of earthworms (Lumbriciae) and their role in nitrogen turnover in wheat and wheat–clover cropping systems. Pedobio. 45, 174-187 P2-31 Tilman, D., Knops, J., Wedin, D., Reich, P., Ritchie, M. & Siemann, E. 1997 The infl uence of functional diversity and composition on ecosystem processes. Science 277, 1300-1302 Törne, E. Von 1990 Assessing feeding activities of soil- living animals. I. Bait-lamina-tests. Pedobio. 34, 89–101 492 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Productivity eff ects of increased plant diversity in fertility building leys depend on soil organic matter levels Döring, Thomas1; Baddeley, John2; Collins, Rosemary3; Crowley, Oliver4; Cuttle, Steve3; Howlett, Sally4; Jones, Hannah5; McCalman, Heather3; Pearce, Helen4; Roderick, Steven6; Storkey, Jonathan7; Wolfe, Martin4 1The Organic Research Centre, UNITED KINGDOM; 2Scottish Agricultural College, UNITED KINGDOM; 3IBERS, UNITED KINGDOM; 4Organic Research Centre, UNITED KINGDOM; 5Reading University, UNITED KINGDOM; 6Duchy College, UNITED KINGDOM; 7Rothamsted Research, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction One of the key properties that determine soil fertility is the content of soil organic matter (SOM). Among many other functions, SOM is essential for maintenance of soil structure, the protection against soil erosion, and water retention. Depleting soils of SOM, e.g. through imbalanced rotations or excessive tillage, is therefore detrimental to several functions delivered by the soil ecosystem. In addition, SOM cannot be re-built quickly once levels have been depleted. Therefore, it is essential to devise strategies for coping with generally low organic matter levels, while simultaneously building and re-building SOM in agroecosystems. In a three year study investigating the eff ects of plant diversity on the productivity of agroecosystems we found that productivity was increased when using higher levels of diversity. This eff ect was stronger under conditions of low SOM levels, i.e. when soil fertility was relatively poor. The experiments were carried out on fertility building leys which make use of the nitrogen fi xing ability of leguminous plants to provide nitrogen for the subsequent crop. Frequently, such leys are composed of relatively few species, with red and white clover being among the most frequently chosen species for the legume component in temperate agroecosystems. Materials and methods In the project, 34 farmers across the UK grew a diverse mixture of ten legume species and four grass species. These were Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum), Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Black medic (Medicago lupulina), Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), Large birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus), Lucerne (Medicago sativa), Meadow Pea (Lathyrus pratensis), Red clover (Trifolium pratense), Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), White clover (Trifolium repens); and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multifl orum), Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis), Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and Timothy (Phleum pratense). This complex mixture, termed the All Species Mix or ASM was sown alongside a farmer-chosen ley mix. Results With an average of 3.5 species (max=1; min=16; median=3), the diversity of the sown crops in the control ley was considerably lower than in the control ley in the ASM (14 species). SOM content was determined on 20 farms in 2009, directly before the ley was sown. SOM ranged from 2.4% to 9.2% (average 5.3%). Above ground biomass dry weight was determined in 2011, both in the complex mixture and in the adjacent, less diverse control mix. Four biomass samples (each 0.25 m2) were taken from the ASM and four from the control ley on each farm. Farm sites ranged from Cornwall to Scotland, and from West Wales to East Anglia. Regression analysis in mixed eff ects model revealed that the advantage of the diverse All Species Mix over the control ley signifi cantly depended on SOM levels (p = 0.0018, df =14). The lower the SOM, the higher was the P2-32 493 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 biomass of the diverse species mixture compared to the simpler mixes (Fig. 1). Conclusions On the soils poorest in organic matter, added plant diversity had the greatest benefi t. From the experiment it cannot be deduced what caused this relationship; however, the fi nding has implications when planning a rotation: Turned around, this result means that not using highly diverse species mixes showed the biggest decrease in productivity when SOM levels were low, thereby highlighting the importance of high organic matter levels for ley productivity. Thus, organic matter as an essential resource in the soil needs to be managed well, and should be monitored regularly. Although the trials were mainly carried out on organically managed farms, the fi ndings have implications for conventional agriculture as well. In particular, in light of the increasing interest by conventional farmers in legumes used as cover crops, our results highlight the potential to optimize cover crop choices, especially on soils poor in organic matter. P2-32 494 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Modelling the utility of legumes: increasing the sustainability of arable yield and reducing the dependence on inorganic nitrogenous fertilisers Iannetta, Pietro; Young, Mark; Hawes, Cathy; Karley, Alison; Squire, Geoff The James Hutton Institute, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction To maximise yield arable farming use chemical nitrogen (N) fertilisers that are expensive to manufacture and transport in terms of energy and greenhouse gas emissions. The increasing cost of N fertiliser is risking the maintenance of current crop yields. At the Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC; http://www.hutton. ac.uk/about/facilities/centre-sustainable-cropping), the relative ability of sustainable and conventional farming practices to improve arable ecological resilience and maintain crop production is being tested and the data used in a 'compartment and fl ow' model of plant growth and N-use. Materials and methods The model is encoded using Simile (v5.6,Simulistics, Edinburgh, UK), and simulates the fl ow and cycling of N and carbon (C) and thus energy within arable fi elds and represents an accounting tool to predict treatment eff ects. The foundation of the model, canopy development and energy capture of crop plants, is an implementation of the relation between thermal time and fractional interception of solar energy (Marshall et al., 1991). Dry matter (DM) accumulation is estimated using intercepted solar radiation and photosynthetic effi ciency. Total N uptake is calculated from DM and the critical N concentration (Greenwood et al., 1985). Nitrogen and DM content of leaf, stem, root and harvestable fractions in crop plants are estimated using partitioning coeffi cients derived from extant experimental data. Estimates of N fi xation by legume crops are targeted to give ca. 100 kg ha-1 N in the harvested partition. Losses of N by volatilisation and leaching, and deposition of atmospheric N are not estimated by the model. Results and discussion Spring and winter crop dominated crop sequences (SD and WD, respectively), were simulated with a varing numbers of crops substituted for legumes (L); the sequences were: SD (B,B,B,B,B,B); SD+L (L,B,B,B,B,B); SD+2L (L,B,B,L,B,B); WD (W,W,W,O,W,W); WD+L (L,W,W,O,W,W), and; WD+2L (L,W,L,O,W,W); where B = Spring barley, W = Winter wheat, O = Winter oildseed rape and L = Legume. The model was run iteratively on sequences containing legumes; fertiliser N was reduced in response to high residual soil N. Also, nitrogen is not applied to legume crops, spring crops receive two N applications and winter crops receive three N applications. In simulations mean DM yield in both SD and WD sequences were similar to anticipated values. The yields of SD+L and SD+2L sequences were higher than the SD sequence. The yields of WD+L and WD+2L sequences were lower than for WD as a consequence of legumes having lower yields than winter cereals. Model runs show the scope to reduce N inputs using legumes in both spring and winter crop dominated rotations. Substituting non- legume crops with legume crops reduced N fertiliser through the lower N requirement of the legume itself and the N-rich plant residues legumes left behind as fertiliser. Only 2.5% of croppable land in Scotland is planted with legumes (Scottish Government, 2010), so there is opportunity to increase legume supported crop systems, especially in spring cereal dominated rotations. Increasing legumes within rotations will be dependent on developing new and existing markets for harvestable yields and highlighting the positive benefi ts of legumes in reducing the dependence on fossil-fuel derived N fertiliser input. P2-33 495 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Acknowledgements This work is supported by the Scottish Government. References Greenwood D J, Neeteson J J, Draycott A. 1985. Response of potatoes to N fertiliser: quantitative relations for components of growth. Plant and Soil 85, 163-183. Marshall B, Squire G R, Terry A C. 1991. E ff ect of temperature on interception and conversion of solar radiation by stands of froundnut. Journal of Experimental Botany 43, 246 95-101. Results of June Agricultural Census - 2010 Provisionals and Finals Comparison (2010). The Scottish Government. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/ Agriculture-Fisheries/ProvFin10 P2-33 496 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Impact of farming practices (organic vs. conventional system) and salinity on a common bean crop (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in Mediterranean Kontopoulou, Charis-Konstantina1; Savvas, Dimitrios1; Bilalis, Dimitrios1; Pappa, Valentini2; Karapanos, Ioannis1; Rees, Robert M2 1Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE; 2SAC, UNITED KINGDOM P2-34 Introduction The inclusion of cultivated legumes in rotations is essential in maintaining soil fertility, especially in organic agriculture, which is a low input system of agricultural production. In Greece, common bean is a pro fi table legume that might be included in crop rotations, especially by farmers focusing on organic vegetable production. Little in known of the aff ect of the farming system (organic or conventional) on the contribution of bean to greenhouse gas emissions. A major problem in Mediterranean is the salinity of the irrigation water, which is frequently higher than the threshold levels for maximal production. Materials and methods An experiment was established on 30April 2011 at Agrinio, West Greece. Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris cv. contender) was cultivated. Organic and conventional systems were established as main plots with four randomly allocated plots per system. Each plot was divided into two subplots irrigated either with good-quality or with salt-enriched water. Furthermore, in two diff erent sub-subplots of each subplot, bean and sweet corn, respectively, had been grown in the previous year. Soil was sampled to determine the soil C, total-N, NO 3 -N and NH 4 -N. Gas samples for N 2 O, CO 2 and CH 4 determinations were collected. Plant biomass samples were collected during the experiment. Root samples were also collected to examine nodulation and colonization by mycorrhiza. Yield was determined by manually harvesting each plot. Additionally, quality characteristics were estimated in pods. Results Conventional farming resulted in higher total plant biomass than organic but the diff erence was signifi cant only 45 days after sowing. The yield of pods was signifi cantly lower in the organic treatment compared to the conventional one. Organically produced bean pods showed higher DM content than those originating from conventional. A high salinity level in the irrigation water restricted signifi cantly the total plant biomass, yield and number of pods. Concerning the quality characteristics, three sugars were traced in the pods glucose, fructose and sucrose. The concentration of sugars in pods was higher in the organic than in the conventional treatment. High salinity increased the levels of glucose and fructose in pods but not that of sucrose. The combination of conventional cropping, high salinity and sweet corn as preceding crop showed the highest N 2 O emission, while the organic, low salinity and sweet corn as preceding crop showed the lowest N 2 O emission. The combination of organic cropping of bean with low salinity showed the highest CO 2 emission, whereas the conventional resulted in the lowest values. The rate of CH 4 emission was decreasing with time without signifi cant diff erences between treatments but still presenting a high value. Discussion Conventional farming showed higher fresh yield of pods compared to the organic. This result was due to the higher total plant biomass and concomitant increase in the total number of pods in the conventionally treated plots.The three sugars that were traced showed higher concentration in the organic treatment due to the higher dry matter content that was found in the organically produced beans.The highest N 2 O emissions was observed from the combination of conventional cropping with high salinity and sweet corn as preceding crop.This can be attributed to the soil structure that deteriorates under soil salinity. Organic cropping of bean with low salinity showed the highest CO 2 emission, whereas the conventional treatments had lower values.This is in accordance with Kasimir-Klemedtsson et al. (1997), which indicate that the net emission of CO 2 by the soil is higher in organically than in conventionally treated crops due to enhanced microbial activity. 497 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-34 References Kasimir-Klemedtsson, A., Klemedtsson, A., Berglund, K., Martikainen, P., Silvola, J., and Oenema, O., 1997. Greenhouse gas emissions from farmed organic soils: a review. Soil Use and Management 13: 245-250. 498 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Yield advantages and competition in intercropping of oil seed rape with pea and cereals in a pot experiment Ebrahimi, Elnaz; Neugschwandtner, Reinhard; Kaul, Hans-Peter BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, AUSTRIA Introduction Intercropping (IC) is an old agricultural practice that can improve the use of environmental resources and result in yield advantages compared with sole cropping (SC). Several indices such as land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coeffi cient (K) and aggressivity (A) have been developed to analyze the competition and eventual advantages in IC (Ghosh, 2004). In the present study we focused on the performance of oil seed rape (R) in IC with the legume pea (P) and cereals wheat (W), barley (B) and oat (O) with special regard on yield advantages and competition parameters. Material and Methods A pot experiment was conducted under glass house conditions (day: 20°C, 16 h; night: 16°C, 8 h). The soil was a Chernozem of silty loam. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized factorial with four replications. Treatments included fi ve crop-stands, i. e. SC of rape (6 plants per pot), substitutive IC of rape-pea (3+3 plants per pot) and of rape-cereals (wheat, barley, oats; for all 3+9 plants per pot). All plants were harvested in the end of fl owering and dry matter yield of shoots for individual species was measured. The advantage of intercropping and the eff ect of competition between two crops were calculated using diff erent competition indices (Lithourgidis et al., 2011), namely land equivalent ratios LER for individual components and LER Total , relative crowding coeffi cient K for individual species and K Total , and aggressivity A. All data were subject to analysis of variance. For signifi cant eff ects, means were compared by least signifi cant diff erence (LSD) test at the 0.05 probability level. Results Intercropping of rape with diff erent crops signifi cantly (P < 0.01) a ff ected rape dry matter per pot, total dry matter yield per pot and competition indices. Intercropping of rape with legume pea gave the highest dry matter of rape plants in intercropping and more total dry matter than with cereals (Table 1). Obviously, rape- pea intercrops were more productive than rape in SC and all rape-cereal mixtures. Among rape-cereal intercrops, rape-oat produced more total dry matter than rape combined with other cereals. The total land equivalent ratio (LER) and the relative crowding coeffi cient (K) in intercropping of rape with pea were >1 (Table 2). At the same time a partial LER >0.5 and a partial K value > 1 for both components were observed (data partly not shown). In particular, the LER of rape-pea intercrops was 1.18, which means that 18% more land area would be required by sole cropping to obtain a yield equal to intercropping. Despite LERTotal Table 1: Dr y matter of individual crops and t otal dry matter in intercropping rape with pea, wheat, barley and oat D r y m a t t er ( g / p o t ) Crop Rape Pea Wheat Barley Oat Total R 3 . 4 1 - - - - 3 . 4 1 R-P 1.92 3.25 - - - 5.17 R - W 0 . 9 1 - 2.68 - - 3.5 9 R-B 0.81 - - 2.71 - 3.52 R-O 0.73 - - - 4 . 0 7 4 . 8 1 LSD 0 . 0 5 0.74 1.12 P2-35 499 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 7DEOH/DQGHTXLYDOHQWUDWLR/(5RIUDSHDQG WRWDOUHODWLYHFURZGLQJFRHIILFLHQW. RI UDSHDQGWRWDODQGUDSHDJJUHVVLYLW\$ IRU LQWHUFURSVRIUDSHZLWKSHDZKHDW EDUOH\DQGRDW &URS /(55 /(57RWDO .5 .7RWDO $5 53      5:      5%      52      /6'     QV lower than 1 in intercropping of rape with cereals, the partial LER and K values for cereals were higher than 0.5 and 1, respectively (data not shown). Obviously cereals profi ted in intercropping with rape. However, the rape-barley intercrop obtained a total K value of 1.11, indicating a slight, though non-signifi cant advantage of intercropping. The results of aggressivity A show that in all cases rape was the dominated species (A<0), which is in line with the lower partial LER and K values of rape. Conclusions Our experiment showed that in intercropping of rape with pea, the total dry matter was highest. Consequently the land equivalent ratio (LER) and the relative crowding coeffi cient (K) in intercropping of rape with pea were higher than one, which shows yield advantages of intercropping with a legume. Despite of that, rape was the dominated crop in all intercropping systems. References Lithourgidis, A.S., Vlachostergios, D.N., Dordas, C.A. and Damalas, C.A. (2011). Dry matter yield, nitrogen content and competition in pea–cereal intercropping systems. European Journal of Agronomy 34(4): 287-294. Ghosh, P. (2004). Growth, yield, competition and economics of groundnut-cereal fodder intercropping systems in the semi-arid tropics of India. Field Crops Research 88: 227-237. P2-35 500 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Phosphorus effi ciency in faba bean and narrow- leafed lupin Lizarazo Torres, Clara Isabel; Stoddard, Frederick University of Helsinki, FINLAND Introduction Phosphorus (P) is the second most important element for plant growth. P fertilizers are applied to agricultural soils in order to make P available to crops, but, crops take up only 20-30% of the applied P and the rest is bound into less labile forms (Mat Hassan et al., 2012). Phosphorus use effi ciency (PUE) is an indicator of the P required to produce a certain amount of biomass. The root phosphorus absorption effi ciency (RPAE) indicates the capacity of roots to acquire P from the soil. PUE and RPAE are calculated according to the following formulas (Pan et al., 2008): RPAE= P content of the whole plant / Root dry weight PUE= Dry weight of whole plant / P content of the whole plant Legumes are well known for their biological nitrogen fi xation, and they can mobilize P from less labile P pools (Mat Hassan et al., 2012), thus improving the nutrition of subsequent crops. Here, we compare the P effi ciency of faba bean (Vicia faba) and narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius). Materials and methods Faba bean (cv. Kontu) and narrow-leafed lupin (cv. Haags Blaue) were grown in a crop rotation trial at the University Experimental Farm at Viikki, Helsinki, Finland. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates, plot size was 8 x 25 m, and sowing date was 13 May 2011. Seeds were inoculated with appropriate rhizobium (Elomestari) and plots were fertilized with 125 kg/ha of Cemagro (16-7-13). At maturity, 10 sites were randomly selected, and from each site 5 plants were collected, for a total of 50 plants per plot. Plants were separated into shoots and roots, roots were properly washed and then all components were oven dried at 80°C. Dried samples were milled to pass a 0.5 mm sieve using a Centrifugal Mill ZM200 (Retsch). P content of the samples was determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP). After harvest, soil samples were collected from topsoil (0-10 cm) from across each of the plots in a “W” pattern, and then the four replicates were bulked and sent for chemical analysis to Suomen Ympäristöpalvelu Oy (Oulu, Finland). Data were analyzed by one- and two-way analysis of variance with PSAW Statistics 18 (SPSS inc. Chicago, USA). Results and discussion As expected from the interspecifi c diff erences in plant architecture, there were signifi cant diff erences in most of the growth parameters, except for the ratio of root to shoot dry weight (Table 1). The tap root of narrow- leafed lupin is more dominant than that of faba bean, and depending on the growth conditions, lupins can develop proteoid roots that enhance nutrient uptake and may lead to a higher root P absorption effi ciency (RPAE). Nevertheless, RPAE was signifi cantly higher (P<0.05) in faba bean as was total P uptake (P<0.001). This may be partly attributable to competition for P from the greater abundance of weeds on narrow-leafed lupin plots, and the fact that faba bean translocates more P to its shoots. In contrast, P utilization effi ciency (PUE) was 50% higher in narrow-leafed lupin than in faba bean, indicating that lupins are able to grow in the presence of less P than faba beans. After harvest, the total P content of soil samples from faba bean plots was 10.9 mg/l while in those from narrow-leafed lupin plots it was 14.5 mg/l, confi rming the higher P uptake of faba bean and indicating that these crops would have diff erent eff ects on soil P pools. Conclusions Further studies are needed to evaluate how much plant-available P is left by these two crops, as this is an important aspect of their pre-crop eff ect for the nutrition of the following cereal crop. References Mat Hassan, H., Marschner, P., McNeill, A. & Tang, C. 2012. Growth, P uptake in grain legumes and changes in rhizosphere soil P pools. Biol Fertil Soils 48: 151-159. Pan, X., Li, W., Zhang, Q., Li, Y., and Liu, M. 2008. Assessment on phosphorus effi ciency characteristics of soybean genotypes in phosphorus defi cient soils. Agric. Sci. China. 7: 958-969. P2-36 501 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-36 502 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Chickpea yield and biological nitrogen fi xation in a Mediterranean agroforestry system as infl uenced by tree row orientation Metay, Aurélie1; Dufour, Lydie2; Mahieu, Stéphanie1; Wéry, Jacques1 1Montpellier Supagro, FRANCE; 2INRA, FRANCE Introduction Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) by trees and crops in agroforestry has often been studied in the tropics. Despite its biological importance, such reports are rare in the temperate agroforestry literature (Nair et al., 2004). In particular, how a legume crop can grow and fi x nitrogen in the microenvironment created by trees is unknown. Here we study the impact of agroforestry conditions on chickpea growth and BNF in a Mediteranean environment. Material and Methods The experiment was conducted in southeastern France, near Montpellier. Chickpea was intercropped with hybrid walnuts (Juglans nigra × Juglans regia NG23) planted in 1995 (density=100 trees ha-1). The experiment was conducted in 2010, (annual rainfall: 853 mm). The soil is a silty deep alluvial fl uvisol with 25% clay. The chickpea variety 'Twist', partially resistant to anthracnose was sown on March 16, 2010 ( density: about 60 seeds m-²). A herbicide (Challenge 600 active, 4l/ha) was used two days later; subsequently, the plots were regularly weeded by hand. Two contrasted agroforestry systems with 13 m apart- tree rows were compared with a pure stand chickpea control (PS): in AF-EW, the tree rows are East-West orientated while they are North South orientated in AF-NS. In all the treatments (Fig 1) environmental variables (radiation, humidity, soil nitrogen) and chickpea growth were measured throughout the cycle from 1 m² plots. The proportion of nitrogen derived from N ² fi xation (%Ndfa) was deduced from the measurement of 15N natural abundance in the aboveground parts of chickpea and of a non fi xing plant (fescue), with 4 replicates per treatment. Results and discussion The infl uence of walnut on the global radiation was low until tree budburst (from April to May depending on the trees). The average daily radiation cumulated during the chickpea growth period were 83 % and 76 % of PS (6754 W m-²) for AF EW and AF NS respectively. Chickpea yields and BNF varied between AF treatments Grain yields ranged from 1.36 to 2.34 t ha -¹, which is in P2-37 503 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 the range of yields in rainfed Mediterranean conditions (Fig. 2). When considering the mean values for each treatment, PS yield was signifi cantly higher than AF EW yield, itself higher than AF NS one. To estimate chickpea yield at the fi eld scale in agroforestry plots, the area occupied by diff erent zones was defi ned by the radiation patterns transmitted through the alleys, obtained from the hemispherical photographs and considering a 1.50 m wide grass strip on both sides of the tree line. Thus, we calculated the global yields: 2.11 t ha-1; 1.79 t ha -¹ and 1.40 t ha-¹ for PS, AF EW and AF NS respectively, showing yield reductions of 15 % and 34 % for AF EW and AF NS respectively, compared to PS. The number of grains per plant explained most of the yield diff erences suggesting that competition between trees and chickpea occurred mostly during the fl owering period, which is consistent with the walnuts budburst . Harvest index was higher in PS than in AF EW and AF NS (0.45, 0.41 and 0.35 respectively). Estimates of %Ndfa were 48 %, 37% and 51 % for PS, AF EW and AF NS and low in comparison with %Ndfa range of 55–80 % for winter-sown chickpea in Syria and France (Aslam et al., 2003). Consequently, the estimated total nitrogen fi xed at harvest, taking into account the roots N content (Mahieu et al., submitted) were 67 kg N ha -¹, 47 kg N ha-¹ and 74 kg N ha -¹ for PS, AF EW and AF NS respectively. Conclusions This exploratory study shows (i) the potential for chickpea cultivation in agroforestry systems as this system is able to fi x nitrogen, produce chickpea and wood in the long-term and (ii) the interest to better characterize the heterogeneous environment created by the introduction of trees in an annual crop fi eld. Modeling solutions are under development to test diff erent agroforestry fi eld structures and their consequences on both crops and trees productions (Talbot 2011, Soltani & Sinclair, 2011). References Aslam M, Mahmood IA, Peoples MB, Schwenke GD & Herridge DF. 2003. Contribution of chickpea nitrogen fi xation to increased wheat production and soil organic fertility in rain-fed cropping. Biol Fertil Soils 38: 59–64 Mahieu S, Metay A, Brunel B, Laguerre G & Dufour L. Nitrogen benefi ts of chickpea as infl uenced by trees in Mediterranean agroforestry systems, submitted. Nair PKR, Rao MR & Buck LE (eds.). 2004. New Vistas in Agroforestry: A Compendium for the 1st World Congress of Agroforestry. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands. 480 p. ISBN 1-4020-2501-7. Soltani A & Sinclair TR. 2011. An improved model of chickpea growth and yield. Field Crops Res. 124: 252- 260. Talbot G. 2011. L’intégration spatiale et temporelle du partage des ressources dans un système agroforestier noyers-céréales : une clef pour en comprendre la productivité. Thèse pour l’obtention du grade de Docteur de l’Université Montpellier II, 297 p. P2-37 504 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Intercropping grain legume/cereal for ecologically intensifying the winter cereal cropping system Pristeri, Aurelio; Preiti, Giovannni; Gresta, Fabio; Gelsomino, Antonio; Monti, Michele Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, ITALY Introduction Introducing legumes in a crop rotation or in intercropped systems with cereals can be regarded as an innovative strategy to preserve the farmers’ income and reduce the abandoning of agricultural lands. Even though in the Mediterranean area, legume/cereal intercrop (IC) represents a common practice for forage production, only few studies have been addressed to evaluate grain production for feed or food destination. The present study was carried out within the European Research Programme “Legume Futures” (www.legumefutures.eu) and was aimed to assess the productive performance of barley intercropped with grain legumes, and to evaluate the role of these legume-supported cropping systems as providers of agro-ecological services. Materials and methods The fi eld experiment was carried out in San Marco Argentano (I) (39°38’N, 16°13’E, 100 m a.s.l.) during the 2010-2011 growing season. Mean annual rainfall and air temperature are, respectively, 709 mm and 16.1°C (averages over the 1995-2009 period). The experimental set-up was established on a coarse silty, mixed, thermic soil (Fluventic Xerochrept) by using experimental plots arranged in a randomized block design with 4 replicates. Medium early six-row barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Aldebaran) was intercropped with two legumes: faba bean (Vicia faba L. sub minor cv. Sikelia) and a leaf-less medium early, fi eld pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Hardy). Sole crops (SC) were winter sown at the recommended seed density of 40, 90 and 300 plants m-2. Four diff erent row by row intercropping patterns were designed: barley and legume were sown at the half density of corresponding SC in replacement designs (P50/B50 and F50/B50); in additive designs for pea and faba the same sowing density of SC was used (P100/B50 and F100/B50). Immediately before sowing, the soil was fertilized with 36 kg N ha -1 and 92 kg P 2 O 5 ha-1 as diammonium phosphate. No other fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides were used. Grain yield and crop and weed biomass, nitrogen content on grain and N-fi xation (Ndfa%) were evaluated. To estimate the IC advantage the Land Equivalent Ratio was calculated according to the relationship LER=Y Cl /Y CC +Y cL /Y LL where Y CC and Y LL is the yield of the cereal and legumes SC and Y Cl and Y cL are the yields for IC cereal and IC legumes respectively. Results Grain yield of barley and grain legumes sole crop observed in the experimental conditions can be considered representative for a Mediterranean environment justifying the use of this data for LER calculation. Pea/ barley IC showed a better response than faba bean/ barley IC particularly for P50/B50 where the reduction in grain yield of both partners compared to the respective SC was less than 20%. The higher response in pea/barley IC could be explained by a more effi cient weed control. Facilitations in pea/barley IC were also confi rmed by the higher harvest index obtained for barley in P100/ B50. Probably it has been due to an increased resources utilisation effi ciency that determined a higher 1000 seed weight in barley intercropped with pea (data not shown). On the contrary, faba bean reduced the total biomass and grain yield of IC barley, and this could be especially due to a low control of spring weeds (Fig. 1). Conclusions A greater effi ciency in N fi xation and more eff ective weed control allowed intercropped pea to achieve a level of facilitation higher than that of intercropped faba bean. The global advantage in the complementary use of resources was also confi rmed by LER based on grain yield that was larger than 1 in all IC treatments, thus demonstrating a profi table land use of 62% and 18% for pea/barley and faba bean/barley IC respectively, compared to SC (Tab.1). This could be considered an example of the ecological intensifi cation of cereal systems in the Mediterranean area that can also help improve the net farmers’ income. P2-39 505 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-39 506 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 The chemical quality of some legumes, peas, faba beans, blue and white lupins and soybeans cultivated in Finland Saastamoinen, Marketta1; Eurola, Merja2; Hietaniemi, Veli2 1Satafood Development Association, FINLAND; 2MTT Agrifood Research Finland, FINLAND Introduction Legumes are nutritive protein crops. Soybean (Glycine max) is largely cultivated in North and South America and imported to Europe. In Europe legumes are not so popular. Pea (Pisum sativum) is the most cultivated legume in EU with the cultivation of 741 271 ha in 2010 (FAO, 2012). The cultivation area of dry pea is 3,000- 5,000 ha and faba bean (Vicia faba) 9,000 ha in Finland. Legumes have good chemical quality, but they contain some anti-nutritional components. Many legumes are rich in phytic acid, which chelates with minerals causing mineral defi ciencies in the diet of monogastric animals and human beings (Mohamed and Ryas-Dijarte, 2000). Materials and methods Seed samples and cultivation documents of legumes were collected from farms in South-Western Finland in 2010 and 2011. Soybean, blue (Lupinus angustifolius) and white lupin (Lupinus albus) (Fig. 1) were cultivated at some test fi elds. Cultivation was normal. Sowing was in May, harvesting in August except for faba bean and white lupin in September and for soybean in October. Nitrogen fertilization varied 20-47 kg ha-1. The varieties are seen in Table 1. The mean temperature in May-September was in 2010 and 2011 14.6 °C in Jokioinen. Mean precipitation was in 2010 291 mm and in 2011 414 mm. Protein, oil, fi bre, and ash contents were analysed at Viljavuuspalvelu Ltd. Phytic acid contents of the legumes were analysed using the method of Plaami and Kumpulainen (1991) at the laboratories of MTT. Results Pea, faba bean and blue lupin gave yield from every fi eld and year (Table 1). They are adapted to cultivation in Finland. The soya variety Elena and the Dieta white lupin ripened in 2010, but not in 2011. The diff erence between the years is not caused by temperature but maybe by heavy precipitation in 2011, which hindered ripening of white lupin and soybean. Fiskeby, an old Swedish soya variety, ripened in 2011. The highest protein contents were found in soybeans Elena and Fiskeby, and in white lupin Dieta (Table 1). The protein content of the Haags Blaue blue lupin variety varied greatly in these two years being high in 2011, but low in 2010. The reason may be the fi rst cultivation year of blue lupin in 2010 and poor nitrogen fi xation. The protein contents of pea varieties were quite normal. The protein content of Kontu faba bean was higher than that of Fuego in both years. There was rather high fat content in soybean varieties Elena and Fiskeby and in white lupin Dieta (Table 1). Higher phytic acid contents were in soybean varieties Elena and Fiskeby, than in other legumes (Table 1). Faba bean variety Kontu had a higher phytic acid content than the Fuego variety. Pea and lupin varieties had lower levels of phytic acid. The lowest phytic acid content was in the Dieta white lupin variety. Figure 1. Growing white lupin P2-40 507 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Conclusions Soybean and white lupin are ripening in Finland only in warm, dry years. The old soybean variety Fiskeby is more suitable for cultivation in north than Elena. Protein and fat contents are best in these legumes. White lupin has the lowest phytic acid content, which make it suitable for food and feed. Soybean has the highest phytic acid content from these legumes. Pea, faba bean and blue lupin are suitable for normal practical cultivation in Finland. Chemical quality of the studied legumes was in accordance with the results of earlier results (Mohamed and Rayas-Duarte, 1995; Martinez-Villaluenga et al., 2006). Acknowledges The present work was fi nanced by the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland of EU. References Plaami, S. , Kumpulainen, J. 1991. Determination of phytic acid in cereals using ICP-AES to determine phosphorus. J. Ass. Off . Anal. Chem. 74, 32-36. Martinez-Villaluenga, C., Frias, J. , Vidal-Valverde, C. 2006. Functional lupin seeds ( Lupinus albus L. and Lupinus luteus L.) after extraction of α-galactosides. Food Chem. 98, 291-299. Mohamed, A.A., Ryas-Dijarte, P. 1995. Composition of Lupinus albus. Cereal Chem. 72, 643-647. P2-40 508 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Nitrogen management in diff erent crop production system evaluated by NDICEA model Stalenga, Jaroslaw; Jonczyk, Krzysztof; Staniak, Mariola IUNG-PIB, POLAND Evaluation of nitrogen management in diff erent crop production systems done by NDICEA model was aim of the research. Data from a special fi eld experiment established in 1994 at the Experimental Station in Osiny in which diff erent crop production systems are compared were used in this research. The input data covered period between 2009 and 2011. Nitrogen leaching, denitrifi cation, N balance, changes of mineral nitrogen content in a soil profi le and relationship between available and uptaken nitrogen were evaluated by NDICEA model. Real measurements that were compared with the results of model simulation included mineral nitrogen content in a soil profi le (0-90 cm). Nitrogen balance in the organic system calculated by NDICEA model amounted about 35 kg ha-1 year-1, and was the lowest in comparison to other systems. The higest values of leaching was observed for the conventional, intensive crop production systems where no legumes were present in the crop rotation. P2-41 509 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-41 510 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Using the nitrogen fi xation microorganism and phosphate mobilizing fungus for the preparation of the compost for the fertilizer of agricultural plants Umarov, Bakhtiyor Institute of Microbiology, UZBEKISTAN Introduction The Interactions of the plant with soil fungus and their close-fi tting mutually benefi cial symbiosis (the cortex and fungus), play the key role in mineral nutrition of higher plants. At the symbiosis of plant with soil fungus get additional feeding in the manner of easy element, which are residing in the diffi cult form (the phosphates) in the soil. Fungus penetrate inside fabric root system of the high plants, and actuate the infl ux mineral material in root. The plant, in turn, delivers the fungus ready organic nutrients. Phosphorus dissolved microorganism pertain the bacteria of Bacillus and Pseudomonas as well as fungus of Aspergillus and Penicillium which provide the plants with phosphoric feeding. Materials and methods Coming from much literary data in our experiment we have chosen seeds of the legume plants, soybean and common bean (Glysine max, Phaseoles vulgaris L). Phosphorus dissolving microorganisms Aspergillius niger 36 and Penicillium canescens 48 and nitrogen fi xation bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum, (from the collection of the laboratory) and the their base these partners (the plants and microorganisms), the show, interactions of the plants with soil microorganisms in the vegetation period of the plants, the observe of assimilation of the plant with phosphate and nitrogen on the part of microorganism. We used plastic containers, fi lled with soil, to which was added nitrogen - 530 mg, phosphorus -610 mg, potassium- 480 mg, from calculation on 1 kg ground and added of the cells suspension with Aspergillius niger - 36 and Penicillium canescens 48, diluted in 100 once water and strains Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Moisture of ground were to 60% moisture. Seeds legume plants soybean and bean soaked with water cells of suspension Aspergillius niger - 36 and Penicillium canescens 48, during 5-10 hours, then seeds were inoculated with nodule bacteria and grown on the open ground in containers. Moisture supported during of vegetation period (60% moisture). The experiments were conducted in the green house condition, and on natural base. Results and discussion In the period of the observation for the 60-day of vegetation period the plants growing after inoculation with phosphorus dissolved fungus of Aspergillius niger -36 and Penicillium canescens -48, and with Bradyrhizobium japonicum were in contrast with the control variant, the plants nearly in 1,5 times exceed with control variants. For 80-day of the vegetation period is checked accumulation of the biomass of plants. Accumulation of the biomass of the plants possible see that plant inoculated with microorganisms accumulate from 1,5 - 2 times more biomass, than in control. The similar results we are observed and on the plants of the beans. Seeds of the beans, soaked with water suspension by the fungus Penicillium canescens -48 nearly in two times exceed on growing to comparison with control plants, such diff erences existed before and the end of the vegetation of period, accumulations of the biomass (shoot and root of the plants), in two times above by comparison with control variants. All these data observations prove that phosphorus dissolved by fungus Aspergillius niger - 36 and Penicillium canescens -48, well enters in symbiosis, with legume plants. Conclusions From the results that legume plants (soybean and bean) enterring in the symbiosis with the Rhizobium japonicum and phosphorus mobilizing microorganism with Penicillium canescus, and Aspergillius niger, will get phosphoric feeding from soil, (NPK) as phosphor fl our, ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride in the compost with bio fertilizer, and productivity herewith increases on 1.3-1.5 times. P2-45 511 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-45 512 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Crop growth and nitrogen utilisation of a Mixture of Winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus-WOSR) and legume in multi-local trials Valantin-Morison, Muriel1; Butier, Arnaud1; Berder, Julie1; Pinochet, Xavier2 1INRA, FRANCE; 2CETIOM, FRANCE Introduction In order to reduce fertilisers applied on WOSR, mixing species with legumes could be argued as an interesting innovation. Several studies have shown that this diversifi cation provides important services, such as capturing soil nutrients and preventing their loss, nitrogen fi xation by legumes (Malezieux et al., 2008). Nevertheless, the eff ect of mixing species are not so obvious, since we can fi nd studies that show that the cover crop decreases resource availability (competition with the main crop for light, nutrients and water. Winter oilseed rape (WOSR) is a break-crop widely used in French farming systems since it is of potential value in terms of market requirements and agronomic potential. However, mixing WOSR with legumes has received few attention and the objectives of this study are to assess the agronomic consequences on crop growth especially on nitrogen utilisation for WOSR. Materials and methods In the experiments investigated here, WOSR was mixed with spring legumes, sown with WOSR in summer and capable to freeze during winter in order to restore nitrogen in spring. In four regions of France, we have carried out 13 experiments in 2010 and 2011, on farmers’ fi elds. Large plots of “sole WOSR” and six mixture of spring legumes- WOSR (faba bean, lentil, pea, 3species of clover) or other species (buckwheat and Camelina sativa) were sown on the same day. Each mixture plot was divided in two subplots, one where the full balance dose minus 60 kg/ ha was applied (X60) and one where no fertiliser was applied (N0). Thanks to these on-farms experiments, we investigated the agronomic behaviour of each mixture with a focus on competition between legume and WOSR and on the capability of the legumes to restore nitrogen to crop in spring. Therefore, measurements of crop biomass, nitrogen uptake in plants, and mineral nitrogen in soil have been performed either in autumn before winter and at the end of fl owering during spring. We calculated two variables: partial Land Equivalent ratio for WOSR for crop biomass (LERBM) and for nitrogen uptake (LERQN) and the benefi t in spring for WOSR in mineralized nitrogen from the legume {(Nabs-wosr-spring + Nsoil- spring ) –(Nabs-wosr-autumn + Nsoil-autumn)}, with Nabs for Nitrogen uptake by the crop in kg/ha, and Nsoil for nitrogen in soil in kg/ha). The 13 farmers’ fi elds were divided in 2 groups regarding to the type of soil and the amount of nitrogen in soil at sowing: low N soils with less than 90 kg/ha in soil and the high N soils with an amount higher than 90 kg/ha. Results and discussion For the low N soils, biomass of WOSR in autumn is often lower when it was mixed with legume (fi g. 1A), except for mixture with buckwheat and two clover species. However, above ground biomass was always higher for the two components of the mixture than for sole WOSR, suggesting that mixing crops explored the soil nutrients better than the sole crop. For the high N soils, the biomass of WOSR and of the mixture was often much lower than the sole crop, suggesting an important competition for light and nitrogen between crop and legume in early winter. However, despite this competition eff ect of the legume in autumn, it is noticeable that in spring, LERBM is often higher than 1, especially for lentil, bean-lentil and pea, which argue for a possible benefi t for the crop of this legume during spring (fi g. 1B). In autumn, the legumes absorbed a very variable of amount of nitrogen in soils: from 2,2 for clover to 53,8 kg/ha for pea (fi g. 2). When no fertilizer applied, the benefi t for the WOSR ranged from 11 kg/ha to 40 kg/ha. It resulted in LERQN, calculated on nitrogen accumulation, often higher than 1 in spring. P2-46 513 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Figure 1: Biomass distribution between crop and mixing legume in autumn (A) and relationships between LERBM in autumn and in spring for the different legume (B). References Malézieux E., Crozat Y., Dupraz C., Laurans M., Makowski D., Ozier-Lafontaine H., Rapidel B., de Tourdonnet S., Valantin-Morison M., 2008, Mixing plant species in cropping systems : concepts, tools and models. A review, ASD, 28, e-fi rst : DOI: 10.1051/agro2007057 P2-46 514 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Indices of Photosynthesis of x Festulolium and Lolium x Boucheanum Sward Adamovics, Aleksandrs; Gutmane, Iveta Latvia University of Agriculture, LATVIA Introduction Leaf surface area and net photosynthesis productivity are the most signifi cant indices of photosynthesis. Leaf surface area is usually expressed as leaf area index (LAI) which represents leaf area per unit ground surface area and shows how many times leaf surface is grater than soil area occupied by plants. The aim of the present research was to study the most important indices of photosynthesis (leaf area index and net photosynthesis productivity- NPP) and crop yield of festulolium (x Festulolium Asch. & Graebn.) and hybrid ryegrass ( Loliumxboucheanum Kunth.) foreign varieties under agro-ecological conditions of Latvia. Materials and methods Field trials were conducted at LLU Research and study farm “Vecauce”, Latvia. Soil: sod-gleyic, fi ne sandy loam, medium cultivated, medium drained. Swards were composed of: perennial ryegrass ‘Spidola’ (control); festulolium – ‘Perun’, ‘Punia’, ‘Saikava’, ‘Lofa’, and ‘Hykor’, hybrid ryegrass – ‘Tapirus’. The total seeding rate was 1000 germinating seeds per m-2. Dynamics of plant leaf area index and net photosynthesis productivity, expressed in g m-2 day-1, were determined for fi rst cut following the method described by Kidd, West and Briggs. Sampling of each variety was carried out in 2 replications at 7–10–day intervals after spring regrowth till fi rst cut. Dry weight and leaf area were determined at the beginning and end of each week. Data were statistically analyzed employing analysis of variance, and correlation and regression analyses. Results and discussion In the Latvian climatic conditions, most of the dry matter yields are produced by the fi rst cut grass. According to our results, NPP and LAI for festulolium, hybrid ryegrass and perennial ryegrass individual grass species were diff erent during regrowth period till the fi rst cut. On the average between four years of trial, the highest NPP was observed for festulolium cv. ‘Saikava’ – 8.29 g m-2 day-1. Perennial ryegrass demonstrated not only the lowest average value of NPP but also the lowest DM yield. Though there were diff erences between NPP values of the investigated varieties, they were not statistically signifi cant (p>0.05). In the four years of trials, festulolium cv. ‘Hykor’ and ‘Punia’ gave the highest average values of LAI – 2.91 and 2.66 respectively. Di ff erences between LAI values of investigated varieties were statistically signifi cant (p<0.05). With the ageing of leaves, their photosynthetic capacity declines. The increase in leaf area resulted in the decrease of NPP indices because of mutual shading of leaves. Relationships between NPP and DM yields were characterised by weak negative linear correlation in all trial years. On the one hand, it leads to increase in biomass production close to maximum, but, on the other hand, it decreases the photosynthesis P2-47 515 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 productivity. It is necessary to achieve the best balance between photosynthesis and plant tissue production, and the amount of leaf removed by grazing or cutting. In Latvia, the highest NPP values (10.2-12.7 g m-2 day- 1) were achieved in 24-32 days after the beginning of spring regrowth, which was infl uenced by meteorological conditions in the particular regrowth period. Conclusions Increase in grass dry matter yield was closely related to leaf area increase. A signifi cant (p<0.01) positive correlation was established between the dry matter yield and leaf area index during regrowth period in spring till the fi rst cut. The highest NPP (10.2-12.7 g m-2 day-1) for festulolium, hybrid ryegrass and perennial ryegrass varieties was achieved 24-32 days after renewal of vegetation, which was greatly infl uenced by the weather conditions during leaf formation. Acknowledgements Project „Attraction of human resources to the research of the renewable energy sources”, Agreement No.2009/0225/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/09/APIA/VIAA/129. P2-46 516 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni as a novel crop: optimization of nitrogen fertilisation Angelini, Luciana; Tavarini, Silvia University of Pisa, ITALY Introduction Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a perennial shrub of the Asteraceae is known for its leaf steviol glycosides (SG), non-cariogenic and non-caloric sweeteners with potential benefi cial eff ects on human health (Chatsudthipong & Muanprasat, 2009). In Europe, there is an increasing interest for stevia extracts since they were approved as food additive within the EU. Stevia is a relatively new crop for Italy and the agronomic requirements are yet to be determined. In particular, the requirement for nitrogen (N) is poorly investigated. Although adequate N availability ensures high yield and maximum profi ts, N fertilization has increasing environmental implications (Ladha et al., 2005). Therefore, the aim of this work was to defi ne the N fertilisation management in order to improve the sustainability of stevia cultivation in terms of productivity and leaf SG content. Materials and methods A 2-year fi eld trial was set up in 2009 and 2010 at the Experimental Centre of the University of Pisa (Central Italy; 43°40’N; 10°19’E). The plants were grown in 20-L pots fi lled with sandy and low fertility soil and subjected to diff erent N doses: no N application (D0); 50 kg N ha -1 (D1, N defi ciency); 150 kg N ha -1 (D2, optimal N); 300 kg N ha-1 (D3, N surplus). The N was applied as ammonium nitrate and split in 4 applications every 30 days. The organic fertilisation (Org) was also evaluated (1200 kg ha-1 organic manure by Nutex gold 14% org N). In pre- planting and pre-sprouting, each pot, except those with Org, received 100 kg P 2 O 5 ha-1 and 100 kg K 2 O ha-1 and microelements (0.1 g L-1). Water was supplied to all pots by a drip irrigation system to maintain soil moisture to 80% of fi eld capacity. In each year, 2 leaf samplings were carried out to evaluate the dynamic of SG accumulation in the diff erent treatments, one at the beginning of July (H1) during the vegetative growth and the other when the plants started fl owering at the beginning of September (H2). After the last sampling, the plants were harvested and oven-dried at 40°C to measure stem, leaf and total above-ground dry yields. SG content was evaluated according to Hearn & Subedi (2009). Results and discussions In both years, the higher dry yields (g plant-1) were observed with the maximum N rate (D3), while the lowest productions were recorded without N (Table 1). No signifi cant diff erences were found in the dry yield between plants grown with Org and without mineral N. The SG content was statistically analysed pooling data from the two growing seasons (Fig. 1). From the 1st to the 2nd sampling, the total SG content signi fi cantly decreased, except the SG level recorded in plants grown without N. Our data showed that the SG content was highest during the vegetative growth and gradually decreased when the plant started fl owering according to Bondarev et al. (2003/2004). In the 2nd sampling, the highest value was recorded in D0 probably due to the stress to which the plants were subjected. Conclusions The productive characteristics were strongly infl uenced by the N fertilisation rate. The fertilisation treatments interacted with seasonal variations inducing signifi cant eff ects on the dynamic of leaf SG accumulation. The evaluation of variation sources is extremely interesting in order to improve the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of stevia. References Bondarev NI et al. 2003/2004. Steviol glycoside content in diff erent organs of Stevia rebaudiana and its dynamics during ontogeny. Biol. Plantarum 47: 261-264. Chatsudthipong V & Muanprasat M. 2009. Stevioside and related compounds: therapeutic benefi ts beyond sweetness. Pharmacol. Therapeut. 121: 41-54. Hearn LK & Subedi PP. 2009. Determining levels of steviol glycosides in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana by near infrared refl ectance spectroscopy. J. Food Compos. Anal. 22: 165-168. Ladha JK et al. 2005. Effi ciency of fertilizer nitrogen: retrospects and prospects. Adv. Agron. 87: 85-156. P2-48 517 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-48 518 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Management of a novel crop: eff ects of nitrogen on indigo precursors and leaf yield in Isatis tinctoria Tozzi, Sabrina; Cestone, Benedetta; Angelini, Luciana G. University of Pisa, ITALY Introduction Woad (Isatis tinctoria L., Brassicaceae) is a novel crop, that is re-gaining increasing attention in temperate zones as one of the earliest known sources of indigo (Cardon 2007). As a blue dye, natural indigo is obtained by leaf- produced indossilic precursors, Indican and Isatans (John 2009), which could be positively aff ected by nitrogen (N) fertilisation (John & Angelini 2009). E ffi cient fertilisation is a central topic in sustainable agriculture since fertilisation strongly infl uences both crop performances and environmental impact. Aiming to ensure high and stable crop yield and indigo production in a sustainable way, the present fi eld experiment was performed to compare the eff ect of two opposite N doses on indigo precursors and leaf yield in woad. Materials and methods A fi eld trial was carried out in Pisa (Central Italy) during the 2003 and 2004 on a deep silt-loam Typic Xerofl uvent soil. Two extreme fertilisation treatments were applied at rates of 0/100/100 (N 0 ) and 140/100/100 kg ha-1 of N/P/K (N 140 ). The N 140 fertilisation was split in three applications of 40% (pre-planting), 30% and 30% each (30 and 50 days after transplanting, respectively). The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with four replicates (plot size: 4 x 3 m) and a plant density of about 33 plants m-2. Water supply conditions were maintained at optimal level. From the beginning of May till the end of August ten plants were randomly selected from the central part of each plot, in order to measure indigo precursors and leaf yield. Concentration of indigo precursors (Indican and Isatan B, g kg-1 FW) was determined according to Gilbert et al. (2004) using a HPLC-ELSD system. Results and discussion During the spring-summer period the plant vegetative growth rate increased with increasing air temperature, which at 20-25°C was optimal for leaf development and expansion, till the reaching of a rosette stage. Once the temperature rose around 30°C, the vegetative development slowed to a stop. Leaf concentration of indigo precursors enhanced from mid-May to beginning of July, when plants reached the maximum leaf expansion (Figure 1). As the main indigo source in Isatis species, Isatan B showed its higher content on 10th July at both N supplies. Furthermore, N0 and N 140 treatments did not signifi cantly aff ect the two leaf precursors. The leaf yield was positively P2-49 519 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 aff ected by fertilisation, increasing signifi cantly with N140 treatment in all the sampling dates, except for the fi rst one at the end of May in both years (Figures 2A-B). Along the two growing seasons, the highest N dose aff ected positively the leaf yield, when the plants reached the maximum leaf rosette expansion. Conclusions Results showed that N 0 and N 140 treatments had similar outcomes on indigo precursors, indicating that dry leaf yield is the most important factor in fi nal indigo production. The knowledge of N requirement by woad, as a novel crop, could help to rationalize the N fertilisation, thus, contributing to the environmental and agronomic sustainable of cropping systems. References Cardon D. 2007. Natural Dyes: Sources, Tradition, Technology and Science. Archetype Publications, London. John P. 2009. Indigo – Extraction. In Bechtold T, Mussak R: Handbook of Natural Colorants. Leopold-Franzens University, Austria, Wiley, pp. 105-133. John P & Angelini LG. 2009. Indigo - Agricultural Aspects. In Bechtold T, Mussak R: Handbook of Natural Colorants. Leopold-Franzens University, Austria, Wiley, pp. 75-104. Gilbert KG et al. 2004. Quantitative analysis of indigo and indigo-precursors in leaves of Isatis spp. and Polygonum tinctorium. Biotechnol. Prog. 20: 1289-1292. P2-49 520 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Water consumption, biomass production and N uptake of species for phytoremediation and second generation ethanol. Florio, Giulia; Borin, Maurizio University of Padova, ITALY Introduction Many studies underline the potential of second- generation ethanol as sustainable bioenergy and its constraints to full commercial development (Tan et al., 2008; Sims et al., 2010). Unlike the fi rst-generation biofuels, the second-generation ones might be obtained in marginal areas, avoiding the land competition for food and fi ber. In addition some plants might be cultivated with reduced input and irrigated with poor quality water. This paper reports the preliminary results of a research in progress, aiming to fi nd out new macrophyte wetland plants able to give high biomass productivity suitable for second-generation ethanol and to grow under irrigation with wastewater. Materials and methods The research is carried out at the experimental farm of Padova University, Legnaro (PD). In this part of the Veneto Region, the mean annual rainfall is 810 mm and is moderately uniformly distributed throughout the year, with a higher variability from September to November. Mean annual average temperature is about 12.5ºC. The reference evapotranspiration (ETo), calculated with the Penman–Monteith formula, is 945 mm in the median year and increases during the summer. The following species have been studied: Arctium lappa L., Arundo donax L., Carex riparia Curtis, Carex acutiformis Ehrh., Helianthus tuberosus L., Iris pseudacorus L., Miscanthus x Giganteus Greef et Deu., Scirpus sylvaticus L., Symphytum offi cinale asperrimum L.. Some of these species were selected from preliminary tests and other have been chosen on the basis of their potential productivity and adaptability to environmental conditions. The plants were cultivated from June 2010 in growth boxes (2x2 m sided) installed with the top at 1.3 m above the fi eld level and with an open bottom. The soil, according to FAO-UNESCO classifi cation, is fulvi-calcaric Cambisol, with loamy texture in the upper 80 cm and silt percentage gradually increasing with the depth. The plants are fertilised in spring of every year with simulated slurry being equivalent to 400 kg N/ha. Controlled irrigations are applied (corresponding to 40 mm of water, supplied twice a week) and the soil moisture content is regularly measured with the Diviner 2000 device along the growing season. At time of harvest, samples of each species were collected and dried in order to obtain respectively the total biomass production, the N content (Kjeldhal) and the diff erent constituents of fi bers (hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin and ashes) according to the Van Soest’s scheme analysis (Fan et al., 1987). Results and discussion All the species received the same quantity of water but their evapotranspiration was diff erent in the analyzed months (Table 1) and higher than ETo (corresponding to P2-50 521 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 173, 171, 192, 184 and 137 mm, respectively from May to September). The highest dry biomass productivity was obtained with A. donax (87.9 t/ha), followed by M. x Giganteus (49.9 t/ha). All the other species gave lower and similar productions around 13 t/ha, apart from S. sylvaticus and A. lappa with only 3.9 and 3.6 t/ha. With regard to nitrogen uptake, A. donax had the best removal effi ciency with 439 kg/ha, followed by Symphitum offi cinale (301 kg/ha) and Carex riparia (191 kg/ha) while the other species had values below 150 Kg/ha. Conclusions In the analyzed period all the species had ET higher than ETo.A. donax showed the best productivity and removal effi ciency. High dry matter production is found also in M. x Giganteus while S. offi cinale asperrimum, despite its low biomass results, has good potential for phytoremediation. References Fan L.T., Gharpuray M.M, Lee Y.H., 1987. Cellulose Hydrolysis, Springer Publisher. Sims R.E.H, Mabee W., Saddler J.N., Taylor M., 2010. An overview of second generation biofuel technologies, Bioresources Technology 101, pp.1570-1580. Tan K.T., Lee K.T., Mohamed A. R., 2008. Role of energy policy in renewable energy accomplishment: The case of second-generation bioethanol. Energy Policy 36, pp.3360-3365. P2-50 522 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-52 Agroecological assessment of the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) as a biomass crop of the future Müller, Anna-Lena1; Schorpp, Quentin1; Schoo, Burkart2; Schittenhelm, Siegfried2; Schrader, Stefan1; Schroetter, Susanne2; Dauber, Jens1; Weigel, Hans-Joachim1 1Johann Heinrich von Thuenen-Institut - vTI, GERMANY; 2Julius Kühn-Institute - JKI, GERMANY Introduction To counteract short maize crop rotations and monotonous agricultural landscapes the cup plant Silphium perfoliatum with its high yielding ability is a promising candidate for biomass production. The perennial lifecycle, long-lasting fl owering period and low tillage imply positive eff ects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Experience from agricultural practice also indicates a comparatively high drought tolerance. The Research Project We investigate the impact of S. perfoliatum on agroecosystems with a focus on functional aspects of biodiversity and water use. The project will provide scientifi c guidance for a sustainable establishment of the cup plant cropping system. The project is divided into two work packages: WP1 analyses above- and below-ground biodiversity and ecosystem functions: Above-ground - Qualitative and quantitative assessment of the fl ower-visiting insect community in a landscape context / Analysis of plant-pollinator networks of the cup plant and surrounding crops / Examination of quality and quantity of the cup plant’s fl oral resources (nectar and pollen) / Assessment of the seasonal habitat quality for pest and benefi cial organisms as well as arable weed. Below-ground - Assessment of soil fauna communities / Nematode (micro-), collembolan (meso-) and earthworm (macrofauna) diversity in crop stands of diff erent age during the vegetation period / Evaluation of the functional role of soil biodiversity / Analysis of decomposition dynamics of crop residues / Assessment of earthworm soil surface castings / Analysis of C- and N- dynamics in soil. WP2 assesses water balance and ecophysiology of S. perfoliatum: Analysis of water consumption in permanent culture / Assessment of water use effi ciency on single leaf and fi eld plot level / Characterisation of the root system depending on the soil moisture / Signifi cance of the “cups” for the water balance / Monitoring of soil water content over the course of the year / Studying the temporal development of soil cover and leaf area index. 523 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-52 524 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Agronomic performance of Humulus lupulus L. tetraploid plants Trojak-Goluch, Anna; Skomra, Urszula; Agacka, Monika Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, POLAND Introduction Humulus lupulus is a dioecious perennial plant. Its secondary metabolites are used in brewing as well as in pharmaceutical industry (Roy et al. 2001). The Polish hop breeding programme focuses on generating polyploids as they are higher yielding, produce more soft resins and essential oils. This study reports on morphological evaluation of tetraploids of H. lupulus in order to assess how the ploidy level aff ects basic morphological traits of Polish cultivar Sybilla. Materials and methods Plant material were six tetraploids (2n=4x=40) of H. lupulus cv. Sybilla previously obtained after colchicine treatment (Trojak-Goluch et al. 2009). Diploids (2n=2x=20) were used as a standard. Vegetative characteristics of tetraploids were compared with those of diploid ones. The following traits were recorded: length and width of female fl owers. Further characterization included the evaluation of the main stem diameter, length of lateral shoots, length, width and area of 50 leaves that were collected from central and upper part of main and lateral shoots. The analysis of hop cones concerned the weight of 100 hop cones as well as 100 spindles, size and number of lupuline glands on the 1 cm2. The studies included the analysis of alfa acids content using toluene method. The data were analysed using F-test least signifi cant diff erence. Results The morphological characteristics of tetraploids diff er much from these of diploid counterparts. Tetraploids had signifi cantly thinner shoots. The average stem diameter ranged from 4,7 to 7,4 mm for tetraploids and 8,2 mm for diploids (Tab. 1). Moreover, tetraploids produced lateral shoots much shorter than diploids, and in fi ve cases the diff erence could be proved statistically. The infl uence of DNA content on vegetative traits was also refl ected by signifi cant diff erences in the length, width and area of leaves. All tetraploids tended to possess shorter and narrower leaves in the upper part of the main and lateral shoot than the diploid (Tab. 2). As a result, leaf area was smaller than that of diploids and in some cases the diff erences were statistically signifi cant. The tetraploids were found to have signifi cantly smaller leaves originating from the middle part of the main and lateral shoots. The analysis of fl ower traits, including length and width of fl owers showed highly signifi cant diff erences both between individual tetraploids, as well as between the tetraploids and diploids. It can be assumed that these traits are not aff ected by DNA content. The average weight of cones was variable depending on the tested plant and it ranged from 73,3 to 48,1 g. Tetraploids were superior to diploids for the mass of hop cones but the diff erences were below the signifi cance level. The average weight of spindles was signifi cantly higher than those of diploids. Tetraploids had signifi cantly smaller number of lupulin glands than that in diploid counterparts. The Table 1. Characteristics of stem, dimensions of leaves of diploid plants as well as they tetraploid counterparts of cv. Sybilla *Mean values within a column differ significantly from cv. Sybilla based on F-test at 0,05 1-6 tetraploid plants No. plants tested Stem diameter (mm) Lateral shoot length (m) Length of leaves (cm) Width of leaves (cm) Area of leaves (cm2) main shoot lateral shoot main shoot lateral shoot main shoot lateral shoot top middle top middle top middle top middle top middle top middle 1 6,0* 0,2* 12,8* 13,3* 6,3 4,7* 12,0 13,4* 4,8 3,8* 103,6 147,3 23,0 15,1* 2 4,7* 0,4* 11,4* 11,5* 5,9* 5,5* 9,4* 10,6* 4,6 4,2* 72,9* 80,8* 20,4 16,4* 3 5,5* 0,7 13,8 11,9* 6,3 6,2* 10,8* 12,3* 5,1 4,7* 98,3 96,3* 22,6 20,8* 4 7,4 0,5* 12,5* 13,8* 5,3* 5,8* 11,2 13,3* 4,8 4,6* 82,5* 110,4* 22,9 20,3* 5 5,6* 0,2* 11,4* 13,2* 6,3 4,8* 9,0* 13,6* 4,0 3,7* 68,0* 101,5* 15,6* 13,7* 6 6,1* 0,5* 12,9 10,8* 6,8 5,4* 12,1 10,2* 5,1 4,3* 103,8 68,1* 25,3 15,8* Sybilla 8,2 0,7 14,0 16,9 7,0 8,0 12,0 16,7 5,1 5,9 110,3 186,8 26,9 27,8 LSD 2,0 0,2 1,1 1,1 0,9 0,8 1,2 1,1 1,2 0,7 16,3 46,8 7,47 5,6 P2-53 525 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 average length of lupulin glands was almost twice longer, however it was not relected in the quality of hops. L-acids content from tetraploids was only slightly higher than that of the diploids. Conclusions 1. An increase in ploidy level of hop aff ected selected morphological traits, including stem diameter, length of lateral shoots, length, width and area of leaves located in the middle part of the main and lateral shoots 2. There was no infl uence of polyploidisation on the quality of hop cones. Despite the signifi cant increase in Table 2. Morphological chemical characteristics of flowers and hop cones of diploid and tetraploid plants of cv. Sybilla No. plants tested Flower Number of lupuline glands Length of lupuline glands (μm) Weight of 100 hop cones (g) Weight of 100 spindles (g) L-acid (%) length (mm) width (mm) 1 22,0* 7,1* 98,6* 252,9* 60,3* 14,2* 6,3 2 23,4* 9,1 85,1* 273,3* 55,6 * 15,2* 8,2 3 22,6* 8,3 126,6 235,8* 48,1 12,1* 8,4 4 23,7 9,3 71,3* 257,0* 55,8 * 11,9 * 7,0 5 21,5* 7,5* 77,1* 236,3* 73,3* 17,1* 6,3 6 22,0* 7,9* 103,4* 240,1* 54,7* 12,8* 7,2 Sybilla 23,9 8,7 134,6 176,4 43,1 7,9 6,6 LSD 0,3 0,6 19,5 9,6 5,7 1,3 - *Mean values within a column differ significantly from cv. Sybilla based on F-test at 0,05 1-6 tetraploid plants the length of lupulin glands in tetraploids, the content of L-acids was only slightly higher to that in diploid. References Roy A. T., Leggett G. and Koutoulis A. 2001. In vitro tetraploid induction and tetraploids from mixoploids in hop (Humulus lupulus L.). Plant Cell Rep. 20:489-495 Trojak-Goluch A., Depta A. and Agacka M. 2009 Induction of tetraploids in hop (Humulus lupulus L.) using in vitro cultures. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia vol. 51 suppl. 1:25 Supported by Ministry of Science and Higher Education NN 310 437538 P2-53 526 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Eff ects of olive tree shading and nearness on faba bean (Vicia faba L.) productivity Daoui, Khalid1; Fatemi, Zain El Abidine1; Raada, Sarah2; Lazraq, Abderahim2; Bendidi, Abderazak1; Razouk, Rachid1 1Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, MOROCCO; 2Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Fes-Saïs, MOROCCO Introduction Agroforesty is a common practice in mountainous and oasis regions of Morocco. Small farmers may exploit small lands with diff erent annual and perennial crops on the same place. In olive orchards rows left between trees are cultivated with cereal or legume crops. In a previous study, we found that cereals cultivated in olive tree inter rows may reduce olive production by about 30% while, legume crops like faba bean does not aff ect olive production. Shading may enhance grain yield of some crops by enhancing their reproductive cycle (Stirling and al. (1990) cited by Black and Ong, 2000). Nasrullahzadeh and al. (2006) found genotypic variation among faba bean genotypes for shading adaptation. In the objective to assess olive tree impact on faba bean crop cultivated in inter rows, a fi eld trial was conducted under rainfed conditions in experimental station. Materials and methods Two faba bean varieties (Vicia faba L major and minor) were cultivated on the olive tree rows. Olive trees are planted as 10 m * 10 m. E ff ects of olive tree on faba bean productivity were measured, at maturity stage of the annual crop, according to distance from olive tree and according to tree shading. The arrangement of the samples considering the shade which is not fi xed during the day and during the cycle of the crop (Photo 1). So, the various positions of the sampling are: South (S). South East (SE). South West (SW). Center (C). North (N). North East (NE). And North West (NW). Five plants were randomly chosen for diff erent measures : The height of the plant; thickness of the main stem, the number of total stems; number of total nodes by main and secondary stems; number of reproductive nodes on the main and on the secondary stems; the number of pods on the main and on the secondary stems; the number of seeds per pod on the main and on the secondary stems. Results Results showed that plant height was reduced according to plant positions: plant located in C, SW and WS were higher than others. While, plant located in positions: C, NW ; NE ; SE and SW were thinner than others. Plant tillering was not aff ected by olive tree nearness. Also total nodes of main tiller was not aff ected. Secondary tillers show a great number of vegetative nodes in the positions S, SE and C from olive tree. Reproductive nodes on main and on secondary stems were not aff ected by position. Also pod numbers did not show any diff erences according to plant position from olive tree. However, the number of grains per pod on the main stem was greater in positions NW and NE. On the secondary stems, number of grains per pod was more important for plants located in positions: NE ; SE ; SW ; WN ; WS and center from olive tree. Conclusions This study indicated fi rst results on olive tree impact on faba bean productivity in an agroforestry system under rainfed conditions. An adequate arrangement between tree and inter crops may be determined according to soil and weather conditions and also according to tree age and density. P2-55 527 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-55 References Black C. and C. Ong. 2000. Utilisation of light and water in tropical agriculture. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 104:25–47. Nasrullahzadeh S., K. Ghassemi–Golezani, A. Javanshir, M.Valizade and M.R. Shakiba. 2006. E ff ects of shade stress on ground cover and grain yield of faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Journal: Food, Agriculture & Environment (JFAE) 5, 337-340. 528 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Relationships between crop height, yield and lodging in organic oats Döring, Thomas; Pearce, Helen The Organic Research Centre, UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Oats (Avena sativa) are an important crop species in terms of resource-use effi ciency because they typically require lower inputs than other cereals such as wheat. In addition, oats are known for their comparatively high competitiveness against weeds, partly because of their relatively tall stature. For these reasons, oats are particularly well-suited to organic and low-input systems. However, as crop tallness may have the disadvantage to increase the risk of lodging crop height carries potential trade-off s. To understand the relationship between yield and lodging in oats under organic conditions, the performance of eight winter oat varieties was compared under two diff erent fertility regimes on an organically managed site in the UK over two years as part of the QUOATS project. Fertility level was found to have a greater eff ect on lodging than on yield. Materials and methods Five husked and three naked winter oat varieties were each trialled under two fertility levels (untreated; and treated with organic chicken manure pellets (equivalent to 80 N/ha N). Trials were conducted at Wakelyns Agroforestry, Suff olk, UK, in two years (2009-10 and 2010-11). The fi eld experiments were set up as two- factorial randomised complete block designs with three replicates. Lodging and yield assessments were carried out. Data were analysed using ANOVA. Results and discussion In the fi rst year of trials (2009-10), the increased fertility had a signifi cant eff ect on lodging in both the husked (p < 0.01) and the naked oats (p < 0.05), but did not signifi cantly increase yield in either the husked or naked oat varieties. Lodging only occurred in plots where the average plant height was 95 cm or higher. In the second year of trials (2010-11) no lodging was observed in any of the trial plots. This was a result of very short straw caused by a spring drought, and favourable weather at harvest. The added fertility did not signifi cantly aff ect the yield of the husked oats, but it did signifi cantly increase the yield of the naked oats (p < 0.01). In both years, there was a signi fi cant positive correlation between plant height and yield within the husked varieties, both in the low and in the high fertility treatment. Variety x fertility interactions on yield were non-signifi cant in both years and for both husked and naked varieties. It should be noted that in each year, the trials followed a two-year clover ley, and therefore the baseline untreated fertility level is likely to be higher than that found in untreated non-organic soil. Conclusions Our results suggest that added fertility may increase lodging risk, and that this might out-weigh any benefi t to yield conferred by the added fertility. Also, very short height such as in cv. Balado (<70 cm high), conferring robust lodging resistance seems to carry a yield disadvantage. We conclude that oat breeding programmes for organic systems do not need to aim for short straw, because this would decrease the competitive strength of the crop against weeds. More research is needed to understand the interaction between lodging, crop height and yield under organic crop management. Acknowledgements The QUOATS project, led by Aberystwyth University (IBERS), is jointly sponsored by BBSRC, by Defra through the Sustainable Arable LINK Programme, by European Regional Development Funding through the Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) Programme and through the Scottish Government Contract Research Fund with funding from AHDB and industry partners. P2-56 529 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-56 530 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Level and causes of weed control in organic pea cultivation via intercropping under varying ploughing depths Gronle, Annkathrin; Böhm, Herwart Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, GERMANY Introduction Semi-leafl ess peas have a weak weed suppressive ability and a reduction of soil tillage depth is often related to an increase in weed infestation in organic farming. The high weed suppressive ability is one important aspect of growing peas in an intercrop with oat. Therefore a pea-oat intercropping is a feasible weed management strategy for pea cultivation in reduced tillage systems. We determined the interaction of pea sole or intercropping and of shallow or deep ploughing on annual weed infestation. Of additional concern were the causes of weed suppression in pea-oat intercrops. Materials and methods A fi eld and a divided pot experiment were conducted in Northern Germany (8.8°C, 760 mm, sandy loam). The fi eld experiment was carried out as a split-plot design of four replications with two tillage systems as the whole plot and three cropping systems as the subplot in 2009 and 2010. Deep ploughing (DP) consisted of stubble tillage with a precision cultivator (9 cm depth) followed by mouldboard ploughing (25-27 cm depth), whereas shallow ploughing (SP) was carried out using a skim plough (twice, 4-6 and 10-12 cm depth). The factor cropping system comprised pea sole cropping, oat sole cropping and pea-oat intercropping. Annual weed biomass was determined at the beginning of pea fl owering, pod development and at maturity. The divided pot experiment was carried out under growth chamber conditions to examine the eff ect of a pea sole crop, an oat sole crop or a pea-oat intercrop on the growth of S. media, the most dominant weed species in the fi eld experiments. The crop and the weed were separated by shoot or/and root barriers. The crop-weed interference treatments were root barrier, shoot barrier, root and shoot barrier or no barrier. The experiment was carried out as a complete randomized block design and was repeated three times. The weed shoot biomass was determined at the end of the experiment. Data were analysed using Proc GLIMMIX and GLM in SAS 9.2. Results Pea sole cropping under SP resulted in a signifi cantly higher annual weed infestation compared to DP (Fig. 1). The weed infestation was signifi cantly lower in oat than in pea sole crops in both tillage systems. In addition, we found lower weed infestation in pea-oat intercrops than in pea sole crops under DP. Shallow ploughing caused a greater weed biomass accumulation in the intercrop than in the pea sole crop under DP at the fi rst and second harvest date in both years, whereas intercropping under SP tended to result in lower values at crop maturity. We detected signifi cant diff erences between tillage systems in pea-oat intercrops in both years and oat sole crops in 2010. The divided pot experiment showed no signifi cant infl uence of the cropping system on the weed growth in both treatments with root barrier. The weed shoot dry weight was signifi cantly greater in the pea sole crop than in the intercrop and the oat sole crop in both treatments without root barrier. Discussion We have observed signifi cantly higher weed biomass values in SP than in DP except for the oat sole crop in 2009. This can be due to an accumulation of weed seeds in the upper soil levels under shallow ploughing (Colbach et al. 2000). Pea sole cropping resulted in higher weed growth than pea-oat intercropping and oat sole cropping in the fi eld and the divided pot experiment treatments without root barrier. Field experiment data indicate that the weed suppressive ability of pea-oat intercrops enhances towards crop maturity. For this reason the intercrop only compensated for the higher weed growth under SP in comparison to pea sole cropping under DP at crop maturity. Cropping system eff ects on weed growth were detected in treatments without root separation in the pot experiment. Therefore weed suppression in intercrops is attributable to a below-ground interaction. P2-57 531 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-57 References Colbach et al. 2000: Eur. J. Agron. 13, 111-124. Acknowledgements Supported by the German Federal Program for Organic and Sustainable Farming 532 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Interaction of pre-crop eff ects and nitrogen fertilization in sugar beet production Jacobs, Anna; Koch, Heinz-Josef Institute of sugar beet research, GERMANY Introduction In sustainable agricultural production, food security needs to come together with a reduction of environmental impacts. As a key factor, nitrogen (N)-fertilization requires a level of “as little as possible - as much as necessary” in all crop production systems. Hereby, positive pre- crop eff ects may optimize the N-effi ciency through increased yields and/or a reduced need of fertilization (e.g. Rahimizadeh et al. 2010). For sugar beet production, interactions of pre-crop eff ects and N-supply were not quantifi ed so far. Materials and methods Since 2007, a crop rotation trial was conducted near Göttingen, Germany (Stagnic Luvisol; 8.9°C; 620 mm). In three fi eld replicates, pre-crops in sugar beet production were silage maize, winter wheat (+ catch crop), and grain pea (+ catch crop). The catch crop received 50 kg mineral N ha-1. In 2011, a N-fertilization trial was additionally implemented with levels of 0, 40, 80, and 120 kg mineral N ha-1, as calcium-ammonium-nitrate at sowing of sugar beet. Hereby, one of the N-levels corresponded to the mineral N-target value (target value - soil mineral N at 0-90 cm = amount of fertilizer) which was de fi ned as dependent on the pre-crop: silage maize = 160 kg N ha -1; winter wheat = 140 kg N ha -1; grain pea = 140 kg N ha -1 (see Fig. 1). Every four weeks, starting at canopy closure, the N-status of the sugar beet was determined as the canopy greenness using a N-Tester (YARA, Dülmen, Germany; not shown). The yield of roots and leaves as well as the respective N-concentration (Fisons Instruments, Rodano, Italy) were analyzed at fi nal harvest. The contents of sucrose, α-amino N compounds, and of further molassigenic substances in roots were analyzed by standard methods (Venema, Groningen, Netherlands; Mahn et al. 2002). The white sugar yield was calculated from beet yield, sucrose content, and losses through standard molasses and processing (Buchholz et al. 1995). Results and discussion In general, the white sugar yield was aff ected by pre-crop and by N-level (Fig. 1a). Highest yields were reached when grain pea had been the pre-crop (Fig. 1a) which had also been observed in the preceding years of the crop rotation experiment (not shown). The strongest diff erentiation by N-fertilization was found when silage maize had been cultivated before sugar beet (Fig. 1a). When grain pea and winter wheat had been pre-crops, a N-fertilization above the mineral N-target level did not signifi cantly increase the white sugar yield. This was mainly induced by higher concentrations of α-amino N compounds up to 8-10 mmol kg-1 which raised the standard molasses loss (Fig. 1b). At these high N-levels, the N-uptake by sugar beet Pr e -c r op N-uptake root + leaves (kg ha -1 ) 0 4 0 8 0 120 160 200 240 280 320 D  amino N compounds (mmol kg -1 ) 0 5 1 0 1 5 20 25 W inte r whe a t Silage m aize Grain pea ( b) A a a b b A B A A B B A A B B A AB B C C a a b a b b a a b a b b F i g . 1 : W h i t e s u g a r y i e l d ( a ) , t o t a l N - u p t a k e ( b ) , a n d c o n t e n t o f Į - a m i n o N c o m p o u n d s o f s u ga r b e e t w i t h d i f f e r e n t p r e - c r o p s a n d N - f e r t i l i z a t i o n l e v e l s . M e a n s a n d s t a nd a r d d e v i a t i o n ( n = 3 ) . D i f f e r e n t l e t te r s i n d i c a te s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s ( T u k e y ; p ” 0 . 0 5 ) b e t w e e n N - l e v e l s w i t h i n t h e s a m e p r e - c r o p t re a t m e n t . White sugar yield (t ha -1 ) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 0 kg N ha - 1 40 kg N ha - 1 80 kg N ha - 1 120 kg N ha - 1 Pr e-crop W inter wheat Silage maiz e Grain pea ( a) A AB B A A B A A AAB A B Mineral N- target level P2-58 533 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 reached ≥ 200 kg N ha-1 (Fig. 1b) and the YARA N-Tester showed values ≥ 570 (not shown). Fertilization of 40 kg N ha-1 lower than the mineral N-target level resulted in a slight but non-signifi cant decrease in white sugar yield when silage maize and winter wheat had been cultivated as pre-crops. We concluded that the demand of mineral N-fertilizer in sugar beet production depends on the pre-crop. A respective adjustment of the mineral N-target value would further optimize sugar beet production. Moreover, it did not seem to be necessary to raise the mineral N-target value for fertile sites. References Buchholz, K., Märländer, B., Puke, H., Glattkowski, H., Thielke, K., 1995. Neubewertung des technischen Wertes von Zuckerrüben. Zuckerind. 120, 113-121. Mahn, K., Hoff mann, C., Märländer, B., 2002. Distribution of quality components in diff erent morphological sections of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Europ. J. Agronomy 17, 29-39. Rahimizadeh, M., Kashani, A., Zare-Feizabadi, A., Koocheki, A.r., Nassiri-Mahallati, M., 2010. Nitrogen use effi ciency of wheat as aff ected by preceding crop, application rate of nitrogen and crop reisdues. Australian Journal of Crop Science 4, 363-368. P2-58 534 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Eff ects of No-till on Weed Control in Organic Corn Production Lee, Byung-mo1; Kwang-Lai, Park2; Lee, Sang-min2; Lee, Youn2; Cho, Jung-Lai2; An, Nan-Hee2; Jee, Hyeong-Jin2 1Rural Development Administration, KOREA (REP.); 2National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, KOREA (REP.) Introduction No-till cropping system controls soil erosion, builds soil quality, moderates soil temperature, reduces moisture loss and reduces machinery wear and fuel consumption compared to tillage-based system (Juergens et al., 2004). In addition, weed seeds tend to accumulate on the soil surface in no-till system, some proper weed management can reduce weed density very eff ectively (Young and Throne, 2004). In Korea, no-till researches on paddy- fi eld were started in early ‘90s. But there is no research on upland crop system because of physical limitation of soil and climate. In 2011, we started research on no-till cropping system at organic corn fi eld located in Kangwon province in Korea. This was the fi rst attempt to no-till system on organic corn in Korea. The aim of this project was to identify the eff ects of no-till on soil and weed management. Materials and methods A fi eld experiment was established in 2011 as a split- plot design includes two tillage systems [a conventional system (CS) and no tillage with cover crop mulch (NTS)] in the main plots, fi ve fertilization rates for organic corn in the sub-plots. Five fertilization rates were oil cake (OC), 2X oil cake (OC2), liquid swine manure (LM), 2X liquid swine manure (LM2), and no-fertilization (WF). The amount of oil cake was 20 kg/ha (which contains 8 kg N), and liquid manure was applied as same N equivalent. Soil chemical properties (such as soil pH, organic matter contents, total nitrogen contents, available phophorous contents, and exchangable cation contents) were examined during whole cropping period. Weeds were sampled three times by 50 cm x 50 cm quadrate, and examined weed species, population number and biomass. The diff erences between treatments were determined by the Duncan multiple Range Tests for a probability level of 5 % using SAS program (v. 9.0). Results Adquate supply of nutrient for no-till cropping is important. We applied green manure such as rye and hairy-vetch, and additional nitrogen source such as oil cake and swine manure. But those applications did not meet the nitrogen requirement of corn. Total nitrogen contents were low in no-till plots, compare to tillage plots. (Table 1) Corn yield was very low especially in no- till plots, because short of nitrogen supply in no-till plots. P2-59 535 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 As a matter of weed management, no-till was eff ective in number of weed per square meter. Number of weed per square meter in no-till plots was reduced about 66 % compare to tillage plots (Fig 1). In no-till plot, most of weed seeds were distributed in top soil layer, and quite a few seeds were distributed under 15 cm depth. But in tillage plot, weed seeds were distributed evenly in whole soil layer. Conclusions Number of weed per square meter in no-till system was signifi cantly lower compared to conventional tillage. After soil tillage, weed seed germinated easily and rapidly grow compared to no-till system. In no-till system, proper weed control such as mowing could make weed control effi ciently. But, nutrition management is still needed to improve in organic no-till corn production. References Juergens, L. A. 2004. Economics of alternative no-till spring crop rotations in Washington's wheat-fallow region. Agronomy J. 96:154-158. Young, F.L., M.E. Thorne. 2004. Weed-sepcies dynamics and management in no-till and reduced-till fallow cropping systems for the semi-arid agricultural region of the Pacifi c Northwest, USA. Crop protection. 23:1097- 1110. P2-59 536 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Long term eff ect of tillage practices and crop rotation on soil carbon storage under semiarid conditions Martín-Lammerding, Diana1; Tenorio, José Luis1; Albarran, Ma del Mar1; Navas, Mariela2; Walter, Ingrid1 1INIA, SPAIN; 2Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas - UPM, SPAIN Introduction Conservation agriculture has been widely recognized as a way to maintain soil quality in agricultural systems without decreasing crop yields. Organic matter quantity and quality is a critical parameter for soil productivity. Specifi c fractions of soil C have demonstrated to be more useful than total C in detecting changes when diff erent management practices are compared. Microbial biomass and enzyme activity play important roles in nutrient cycling and in organic matter transformations. Therefore they are specially sensitive to management eff ects such as tillage, fertilization and crop rotation (Ndiaye et al. 2000). Our objective was to study the eff ects of long term tillage systems (16 ys) on soil organic carbon content (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), basal soil respiration (C-CO 2 ), microbial biomass carbon (CMB) and on β-glucosidase activity in a Mediterranean Alfi sol. Materials and methods Experimental design was a split plot with four randomized blocks. The main factor was tillage where Conventional Tillage (CT), Minimum Tillage (MT) and No Tillage (NT) practices were compared. Winter wheat monoculture was compared to a four year crop rotation (fallow–winter wheat–vetch–barley). Soil samples were taken at two depths in autumn and spring. SOC was analyzed following the wet oxidation method. DOC was extracted with distilled water (1:5). Basal soil respiration was assessed by determining the CO 2 emission after soil incubation at 28ºC during 3 days. The CMB was estimated with the fumigation-extraction method. The activity of β-glucosidase was assessed using the method described in Strobl and Traunmüller (1993). Analysis of variance was performed using PROC MIXED (SAS Institute). All the soil properties (excluding C-CO 2 /SOC and qCO 2 ) varied signifi cantly with the date of sampling. Table 1 Influence of the main treatments and their interactions on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), Basal soil respiration (C-CO2), Microbial Biomass Carbon (CMB), metabolic quotient (qCO2) and β-glucosidase activity. PROC MIXED variance analysis, significance level p<0.05. Variable SOC DOC DOC/SOC C-CO2 C-CO2/SOC CMB CMB/SOC qCO2 β-Glucosidase Effect Pr>F Date <0.0001 0.0015 0.0002 0.0006 0.1828 <0.0001 0.0005 0.1031 <0.0001 Depth (D) <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001 0.1357 <0.0001 0.1321 0.4559 <0.0001 Date* D <0.0001 0.0002 0.0047 0.0003 0.2287 0.0088 0.5536 0.8459 0.0448 Tillage (T) 0.9976 0.2815 0.3754 0.0928 0.5073 0.1604 0.6599 0.8681 0.1679 Date*T 0.007 0.9946 0.0039 0.8748 0.4342 0.2073 0.516 0.4008 0.5165 T*D <0.0001 <0.0001 0.1835 <0.0001 0.833 <0.0001 0.2819 0.5258 <0.0001 Date*T* D 0.2594 0.9400 0.0906 0.2149 0.9663 0.5948 0.8372 0.3247 0.9511 Rotation (R) 0.0065 <0.0001 0.2705 0.2772 0.7684 0.4793 0.484 0.9775 <0.0001 Date*R 0.4908 0.5977 0.7793 0.5442 0.1357 0.6769 0.3675 0.712 0.5239 R* D 0.0757 0.5852 0.5197 0.476 0.1627 0.6214 0.1441 0.2896 0.3247 Date*R* D 0.6824 0.6209 0.8388 0.7755 0.8959 0.9686 0.5789 0.6462 0.0617 T*R 0.0028 <0.0001 0.5505 0.0391 0.6845 0.2579 0.7037 0.9025 0.0009 Date*T*R 0.7045 0.2563 0.6917 0.4205 0.9869 0.3247 0.8899 0.7345 0.5018 T*R* D 0.9369 0.6877 0.5071 0.5049 0.833 0.6923 0.6416 0.448 0.3716 Date*T*R* D 0.5081 0.4846 0.2716 0.316 0.02 0.5636 0.5488 0.4265 0.4301 P2-60 537 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Table 2 Mean values of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), Basal Soil Respiration (C-CO2), Microbial Biomass Carbon (CMB) and ß-glucosidase activity corresponding to both sampling dates and two depths for the different tillage systems. Means followed by different lowercase letter indicate significant differences among tillage systems for the same depth and date combination. Means followed by different uppercase letters indicate significant differences between depths for the same tillage and date combination (stratification). Significance level was set at p<0.05. Date Depth Tillage SOC (g kg-1) DOC (mg kg-1) C-CO2 (mg kg-1 d-1) CMB (mg kg-1) ß-glucosidase (μg g-1 3h-1) O CT O BE R 20 10 0- 7. 5 cm CT 6.12 b 45.21 b 24.94 c 269.63 C 78.00 C MT 7.32 abA 50.74 bA 30.20 bA 336.27 bA 112.03 bA NT 9.21 aA 64.16 aA 40.12 aA 426.69 aA 145.60 aA 7. 5- 15 cm CT 5.98 a 42.00 22.56 a 262.23 A 79.72 MT 5.16 bB 39.56 B 19.25 abB 185.57 bB 58.35 B NT 4.93 bB 42.37 B 17.00 bB 195.92 bB 49.10 B AP RI L 2 01 1 0- 7. 5 cm CT 6.17 c 41.25 bB 25.87 b 282.71 B 54.49 cA MT 7.55 b 48.34 b 30.43 ab 386.55 Ab 85.17 bA NT 8.94 aA 63.95 aA 37.73 aA 519.38 aA 120.94 aA 7. 5- 15 cm CT 6.31 50.73 A 27.36 338.81 48.53 aB MT 6.61 44.40 25.78 315.65 38.79 abB NT 6.36 B 48.55 B 25.86 B 303.15 B 32.73 bB Results and discussion Biological properties showed a high seasonality eff ect mainly due to diff erences in soil conditions and crop stage of growth. Depth was also signifi cant for most of the variables, with lower values usually found in deeper layers. Tillage eff ect was not signifi cant for any property but the interaction D*T was highly signi fi cant. Crop rotation eff ect as well as the interaction T*R were only signifi cant in the case of SOC, DOC and β-glucosidase activity. DOC varied signifi cantly between dates in the 7.5-15 cm layer in the case of CT, where a 21% higher value was found in April 2011 compared to Oct 2010. The same trend occurred with the SOC and CMB contents. The β-glucosidase activity was the only test showing diff erences between sampling dates at both studied depths, where higher values were found in Oct 2010 than in April 2011. This might be due to the fact that this enzyme is sensitive to inputs of cellulose; consequently, its activity was higher 3 months after the crop residues were left on the soil surface. The interaction D*T was signifi cant for all the analyzed variables. This eff ect is shown in Table 2, which the diff erences among tillage practices occurred mainly in the surface. Conclusions Diff erences between depths mainly occurred under NT and MT where a pronounced stratifi cation of the variables was found. The distribution of CMB, and thus the C-CO 2 and the activity of β-glucosidase may be closely related to the placement of crop residues, being therefore greatly infl uenced by tillage. The sensitivity of CMB, C-CO 2 and β-glucosidase activity to soil management indicate that they may be good indicators of changes in soil, although seasonality should be taken into account in order to asses soil quality. Reducing tillage intensity and avoiding long fallow periods may be a more sustainable management practice under semiarid conditions than intensive tillage. References Ndiaye, EL, JM Sandeno, D McGrath, RP Dick. 2000. Integrative biological indicators for detecting change in soil quality. Am.J.Altern.Agric.15:26-36. Strobl, W, M Traunmuller. 1993. Bestimmung der β-glucosidase Aktivitat. Bodenbiologische Arbeitsmethoden. Schinner et al. (eds). Springer, Berlin, Germany, pp.128-130. P2-60 538 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Wheat-pea intercrops – Eff ects of mixing ratio and sowing date Neugschwandtner, Reinhard; Herz, Patrick; Kaul, Hans-Peter BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, AUSTRIA Introduction In temperate agricultural systems, there is an increasing interest in intercropping cereal-legume mixtures both for forage production (Anil et al., 1998) and for grain production (Bulson et al., 1997). Reasons for growing intercrops are the better utilization of limiting growth factors (water, nutrients, light) and the minimization of detrimental eff ects on the crop stand, e.g. due to diseases, pests and weeds (Aufh ammer, 1999). Materials and methods A fi eld experiment was conducted in 2010/2011 at the Experimental Farm of BOKU University in Raasdorf which is located in the east of Vienna (Austria). The soil is a silty loam classifi ed as Chernozem. Average long-term precipitation and temperature are 546 mm and 9.8°C, respectively. Pure stands of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Xenos) and pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Cherokee) were established with 300 (wheat) and 80 (pea) viable seeds m2. Four wheat-pea intercropping mixtures were sown in replacement series consisting of following ratios (%): 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 12.5:87.5. Sowing was performed in autumn (October 10th, 2010) and in spring (March 14th, 2011). Results Grain yield, kernels ear –1 or pod––1 , respectively, and thousand kernel weight (TKW) of wheat and pea as aff ected by mixing ratio and sowing date are summarized in Table 1. Decreasing ratios generally impaired the grain yields of each crop. Anyhow, the grain yield of wheat just slightly decreased with decreasing ratio in the intercrops whereas the pea grain yield was strongly aff ected, e.g. with a share of 25% in the mixture the grain yield of wheat decrease from 417 to 353 g m–2 whereas the pea yield decreased from 446 to 15 g m –2 . Sowing in autumn resulted in signifi cantly higher wheat grain yields compared to spring sowing whereas pea grain yields were not aff ected by sowing date. Table 1. Grain yield, number of kernels ear–1 or pod–1, respectively, and thousand kernel weight (TKW) of wheat and pea as affected by mixing ratio and sowing date. Different letters indicate significant differences between means (SNK test). Wheat Pea Grain yield Kernels ear–1 TKW Grain yield Kernels pod–1 TKW (g m–2) (n) (g) (g m–2) (n) (g) Mixing ratio 100% wheat 417ab 31.5c 39.6b 75:25 468a 33.0c 40.6b 15d 3.2b 144c 50:50 410ab 34.8bc 40.1a 56d 3.4b 152bc 25:75 353b 38.6b 43.1a 129c 3.6a 158ab 12.5:87.5 264c 42.8a 43.5a 268b 4.0a 163a 100% pea 446a 4.1a 167a Sowing date Autumn 438a 36.1a 42.3a 185a 3.6a 167a Spring 327b 36.2a 40.5b 181a 3.7a 146b ANOVA GLM Mixing ratio (M) * * * *** *** *** *** *** Sowing Date (S) * * * n.s. ** n.s. n.s. *** M×S n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. *** Levels of statistical significance are p<0.05 (*), p<0.01 (**) and p<0.001 (***).  P2-61 539 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Number of kernels per ear–1 or kernels per pod1, respectively, were not aff ected by the sowing date but by the mixing rations. A decreasing share of wheat in the mixtures increased the number of kernels per ear–1 whereas the number of kernels per pea pod–1 decreased. The thousand kernel weight (TKW) of wheat was higher when wheat was sown in autumn than in spring and it increased with decreasing shares of wheat in the mixtures. The signifi cant mixing ratio x sowing date interaction for the TKW of peas was due to a steep decrease of the pea TKW with decreasing pea shares in the spring sown treatments whereas just a slight decrease was observed in the autumn sown treatments (data not shown). Conclusions Wheat was clearly the dominant partner outcompeting pea in the mixtures with both sowing dates (autumn and spring). The number of kernels per ear–1 or kernels per pod–1 , respectively, were aff ected by mixing ratio. Additionally, the sowing date infl uenced the TKW. References Anil, L., Park, J., Phipps, R.H., Miller, F.A., 1998. Temperate intercropping of cereals for forage: A review of the potential for growth and utilization with particular reference to the UK. Grass and Forage Science 53, 301–317. Aufh ammer, W., 1999. Mischanbau von Getreide- und anderen Koernerfruchtarten. Ein Beitrag zur Nutzung von Biodiversitaet im Pfl anzenbau. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart. Bulson, H.A.J., Snaydon, R.W., Stopes, C.E., 1997. Eff ects of plant density on intercropped wheat and fi eld beans in an organic farming system. Journal of Agricultural Science 128: 59–71. P2-61 540 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Oats-pea intercrops – Eff ects of mixing ratio and N fertilization Neugschwandtner, Reinhard; Kaul, Hans-Peter BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, AUSTRIA Introduction Field crop mixtures are still extensively grown in traditional agricultural systems of developing countries (Biabini et al., 2009). There is also in increasing scientifi c interest in intercropping systems in temperate regions for developing sustainable farming systems (Anil et al., 1998). Advantages of intercropping have been attributed to greater long-term yield stability, a more effi cient utilization of the fi nite resources light, nutrients and water, and reduced weed and disease pressure (Musa et al., 2010). Material and Methods A fi eld experiment was conducted in 2010 and 2011 at the Experimental Farm of BOKU University in Raasdorf which is located in the east of Vienna (Austria). The soil is a silty loam classifi ed as Chernozem. Average long-term precipitation and temperature are 546 mm and 9.8°C, respectively. Pure stands of oats (Avena sativa L. cv. Eff ektiv) and pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Lessna) were established with 350 (oats) and 80 (pea) viable seeds m–2 . Three oats-pea intercropping mixtures were sown in replacement series consisting of following ratios (%): 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75. Pure stands and mixtures were fertilized with diff erent amounts of N fertilizer (calcium ammonium nitrate, 27% N, Nitramoncal): 0, 60 and 120 kg N ha –1 , respectively, which were applied in two equal splits. Land equivalent ratio (LER) indicating possible yield advantages of intercrops was calculated according to Mead and Willey (1980). Results Dry matter and grain yield and LER are summarized in Table 1. The oats pure stands produced the highest dry matter yields and the pea pure stands produced the lowest P2-62 Table 1. Dry matter and grain yields (g ha–1) of oats-pea intercrops as affected by intercropping ratio, N fertilization and year. Different letters indicate significant differences between means (SNK test). Dry matter Grain yield Oats+Pea Oats+Pea Oats Pea LER (g m–2) (g m–2) (g m–2) (%) (g m–2) (%) Mixing ratio 100% oats 1204a 508b 508a 100a 75:25 1206ab 466ab 441b 94.3a 25d 5.6d 0.93a 50:50 1151ab 454ab 383c 84.6b 71c 15.4c 0.91a 25:75 1105b 443c 268d 59.9c 175b 40.1b 0.85a 100% pea 1083b 557a 557a 100a Fertilization 0 kg N 1045b 449b 353b 81.0a 208a 44a 0.98a 60 kg N 1201a 508a 427a 86.7a 209a 38.3a 0.92a 120 kg N 1203a 499a 420a 86.4a 204a 38.6a 0.79b Year 2010 1181a 484a 410a 88.0a 194a 37.0b 0.94a 2011 1119b 488a 390a 81.4b 220a 43.6a 0.85b ANOVA GLM Mixing ratio (M) * *** *** *** *** *** n.s. Fertilization (F) * * * ** ** n.s. n.s. n.s. *** Year (Y) * n.s. n.s. * n.s. ** * M×F n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. M×Y n.s. n.s. n.s. *** * * n.s. F×Y n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. M×F×Y n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. Levels of statistical significance are p<0.05 (*), p<0.01 (**) and p<0.001 (***).  541 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 ones. Fertilization increased dry matter. The highest grain yields were achieved by pea in pure stands (due to the high harvest index of pea), the lowest ones in the oats pure stands. The intercrops ranged in between (except for the 25% oats / 75% pea intercrop). Oats was the dominant partner in the intercrops producing a considerably higher share of the total grain yield compared to the sowing ratios. N fertilization generally increased the oats yields whereas it did not aff ect the pea yields. The Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) of oats-pea intercrops were below unity indicating a lower grain productivity of these systems compared to the pure stands. The lowest LER was achieved in the highest N treatment supporting the observation by Hellou and Crozat (2006) that cereal- legume intercrops might be especially of interest in low input systems. Conclusions Oats was the dominant partner in the mixtures strongly outcompeting pea in oats-pea intercrops grown in Eastern Austria. The dominance of oats was generally enhanced with N fertilization. The Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) of intercrops were <1 regarding the grain yields, thus no quantitative yield advantage could be achieved by intercropping. References Anil, L., Park, J., Phipps, R.H., Miller, F.A., 1998. Temperate intercropping of cereals for forage: A review of the potential for growth and utilization with particular reference to the UK. Grass and Forage Science 53, 301–317. Biabani, A., 2009. Agronomic Performance of Intercropped Wheat Cultivars. Asian Journal of Plant Sciences 8, 78–81. Corre-Hellou, G., Fustec, J., Crozat, Y., 2006. Interspeci fi c competition for soil N and its interaction with N2 fi xation, leaf expansion and crop growth in pea-barley intercrops. Plant and Soil 282, 195–208. Mead, R., Wiley, W.R., 1980. The concept of land equivalent ratio and advantages in yields from intercropping. Experimental Agriculture 16, 217–228. Musa, M., Leitch, M.H., Iqbal, M., Sahi, F.U.H., 2010. Spatial arrangement aff ects growth characteristics of barley-pea intercrops. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 12, 685–690. P2-62 542 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Development and Validation of Practical Methods for the Determination of Dry Matter Yield in Grass Silage Swards Pakarinen, Kirsi; Hyrkäs, Maarit; Juutinen, Elina MTT Agrifood Research Finland, FINLAND Introduction Information of dry matter yield (DMY) would give the farmer a concept of yield potential of the whole farm and of each plot. In the long run, it could aid the farmer to fi nd sites with weak performance, so that the use of input goods (e.g. fertilizers, seed) and more pronounced improvements may be allocated optimally. Weighing the harvested material is an accurate method to determine DMY, but does not allow for information on DMY of standing swards and is seldom site-specifi c. Tools like disk meter, capacitance meter and sward stick are available for on-fi eld determination of DMY. Primarily they are designed and satisfactorily validated for pastures. None of these tools can measure DMY of lodged, low-density or highly stem containing swards accurately. In aftermath vegetation they can give reliable results. (Virkajärvi, 1999.) The aim of this study in KARPE-project was to prepare an easy-to-apply and practical methodology which can produce a satisfactory result about DMY in timothy- meadow fescue swards at silage stage. Materials and methods The study comprised of four phases: A) testing of several methods under fi eld and experimental plot conditions; B) evaluation of the practicability and the accuracy of these methods in determining DMY; C) preparation of a methodology based on the best methods; D) validation of the new methodology. During phase A, the methods tested in timothy- meadow fescue swards were: photography of the sward; measurement of the average stretched total height (cm); visual observation of density and lodging; determination of the volume of herbage per defi ned area (dm3 m-2); sampling with a cutting frame, weighing and drying of the herbage. In phase B, the most practicable and rapid methods were chosen based on experiences of the workers and, evaluated for accuracy in determining DMY by (e.g. analysis of regression). In phase C, a data set (n = 202) of average stretched total height and DMY from nine diff erent plot-scale experiments was used to create a regression model (regression of random coeffi cients, Proc MIXED in SAS 9.2). For the farm-scale model, the level of DMY was slightly decreased and the eff ect of sward density was incorporated into the model. For phase D, the preliminary methodology was tested for accuracy under fi eld conditions. Results and discussion From the methods tested in phase A, sampling with a cutting frame, weighing and determining of DM content was found to be an accurate but laborious method. The average stretched total height explained well the DMY (Figure 1a), especially in the fi rst harvest, and the measurement was easy enough to perform on farm conditions. Other methods were not accurate for DMY determination. The farm-scale model with the integrated eff ect of density and the lower DMY level (Figure 1b) proved to be suffi ciently accurate under real on-farm conditions. A guideline based on this methodology was published in the Internet to be available for farmers. It is assumed that in the future, attributable to new environmental legislation, farmers will be obligated to calculate the nutrient cycles and nutrient use effi ciencies of swards for each fi eld plot in detail. The information of DMY is a key factor to do this accurately. We are developing the model for better accuracy and the guideline produced in KARPE-project may act as one tool to determine DMY of standing swards. P2-63 543 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Conclusions Combining the measurement of average stretched total height and the density of the sward had a good correlation with dry matter yield, especially during the fi rst harvest of timothy-meadow fescue silage swards. In addition, these measurements were easy to perform under farm conditions. A guideline based on this methodology was created, validated and published for practical use. References Virkajärvi, P. 1999. Comparison of three indirect methods for prediction of herbage mass on timothy-meadow fescue pastures. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B Soil and Plant Science 49:75–81. P2-63 544 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Response of some root crops to one operation strip tillage and in row liquid swine manure soil injection Piechota, Tomasz; Majchrzak, Leszek; Idziak, Robert; Sawinska, Zuzanna; Dach, Jacek; Pilarski, Krzysztof Poznañ University of Life Sciences, POLAND Introduction Liquid swine manure (LSM) is good resource of plant nutrients but poor management can result in high air and water pollution, the poor response of crop or even plant injury (Chambers et al. 2000, Chopart et. al. 2007). High ammonia and odor emissions occurs when LSM is surface broadcast. Incorporation or injection reduces volatilization but requires additional tools, increased horsepower and application time. Conservation tillage adds a new challenge to proper manure incorporation. Aggressive tools do a good job covering manure but reduce residue cover below an acceptable level. Strip tillage is a new technology well established in USA but not so popular in Europe. Strip till unit cultivates straips for future row of plants but row middles are left uncultivated. This system works well for wide row crops like corn, sugar beet, cotton, sunfl ower. It combines benefi ts of intensive cultivation in crop row and no-till between rows (Hendrix et. al. 2004). Combining strip tillage with injection of LSM may give many advantages. Reduced ammonia volatilization, less odor, nutrients applied close to plants, undisturbed soil cover between rows but good seedbed in crop row, savings in time, labor and fuel and all of this achieved in one operation. But there are also some concerns about crop injuries from LSM concentrated just under plants. High concentration of ammonia and salts combined with high oxygen demand may injure seedlings or inhibit root development, it is especially dangerous for root crop, when not only quantity but also quality of yield is aff ected. Materials and methods Field experiments were conducted in 2010 and 2011 at Wielkopolska Region in Poland to determine eff ect of tillage and LSM application on plant establishment and early growth of carrot, sugar beet, turnips and white radish. Studies were established as a cover crops after winter triticale. Conventional tillage were compared to strip till. Four row strip tillage machine consisted of four units attached to frame. Every unit included coulter, shank, covering disks and rolling basket. Cultivated straps were 25 cm wide and 20 cm deep, with row spacing 45 cm. The applicator consisted of a 1000 l plastic tank mounted on the top of frame, valve, four delivery hoses and injection tubes installed just after strip tiller shanks. Average injection depth was 10 cm. On plots with conventional tillage machine was mounted over ground and additional splash plates were added for uniform broadcast application. LSM was compared with broadcasted mineral fertilizer and untreated control. Results Generally there was no negative e ff ect of in row injection of LSM made in one operation with strip tillage. Index of root injury (1-100) had very low values, below 7, at all species and all treatments and in no one crop after LSM injection extended that observed after mineral fertilization. Growing conditions in the fi rst season were very unfavourable and plant biomass very low, but in the second year yields of turnip and radish roots reached 30 t/ha at combinations with LSM, again no negative eff ect of in row LSM injection occurred in yield of roots or leaves in all tested crops. Conclusions General conclusion from this study is that one operation strip tillage with in row injection of LSM was safe for seedlings of sugar beet, carrot, turnips and root radish and had no negative eff ect for its further growth. It makes opportunity for injection of LSM on low cost and in conservation tillage programs. References Chambers B., Smith K., Pain B. 2000: Strategies to encourage better use of nitrogen in animal manures. Soil Use and Management, 16:157-161. Chopart J., Payet N., Saint Macary H., Vauclin M. 2007. Is maize root growth aff ected by pig slurry application on a tropical acid soil. Plant Root, 1:75-84. Hendrix B., Young B., Chong S., 2004. Weed management in strip tillage corn. Agron. J.96:229-235. P2-64 545 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-64 546 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Evaluation of nitrogen effi ciency indexes in cereals crop production in Mediterranean agro-ecosystems Fiore, Maria Carola; Bono, Giuseppe; Poma, Ignazio University of Palermo, Dipartimento dei Sistemi Agro Ambientali, ITALY P2-65 Introduction Crop rotations are considered important factor to maintain adequate soil matter content and to reduce chemical nutritional intake (1). Thus, nitrogen fertility management represent an important aspect to realize sustainable cereal systems in the Mediterranean environment. To date, several studies have been carried out to evaluate the infl uence of crop management to nitrogen fertilization uptake and nitrogen effi ciency (2,3). The aim of the present study was to study the eff ects of preceding crop on nitrogen use effi ciency parameters of three cereal crops in a Mediterranean environment in order to ensure adequate nitrogen uptake and utilization and maximum crop yield. Materials and methods A fi eld experiment was carried out at the Agricultural Research Stations of University of Palermo in Cammarata (AG-Italy) for two growing seasons (2008 -’10). The experimental design was a split-split plot with three replications. The main plot treatments were three nitrogen rates of 0, 60, and 120 kg N ha –1 , dispensed before seeding and at fi ve leaves stage in equal doses; the sub plot treatments were durum wheat and pea as preceding crop; the sub-sub treatments were durum and common wheat, and barley. Sowing was carried out in the middle of November. The following N effi ciency parameters were calculated: N use effi ciency (NUE) as the ratio of grain yield and N supply, nitrogen utilization effi ciency (NUtE) as ratio of grain yield to total plant N uptake, nitrogen physiological effi ciency (NPE) as ratio of (yield at N x −yield at N0) to (N uptake at N x −N uptake at N0), nitrogen agronomic effi ciency (NAE) as the ratio of (yield at N x −yield at N0) to applied N at N x and nitrogen apparent recovery fraction (NFR) as the ratio of (N uptake at N x −N uptake at N0) to applied N at N x (3,5,6,7). Results and discussion The results are showed in tab. 1. On average, NUE and NUtE values were signifi cantly higher in the preceding pea crop treatment than in monoculture, according to that previously reported (4,6). The increase of N fertilizer rate caused a signifi cantly decrement of NUE as well as NUtE values. This result suggests that the advantage of pea crop is a combination between increased N availability and other eff ects of crop rotation. Moreover, the NUE value was diff erent depending on the cereal species; indeed the NUE in barley was higher compared with the NUE of other wheat species, probably due to its better ability to convert N uptake and translocation in grain fi ll, as also confi rmed for NUtE. On the other hand, not signifi cant variation among treatments was recorded for other N effi ciency indexes except for NFR aff ected only by preceding crops. It was observed an increment of values in cereal/pea rotation. This result could be due to a better development of cereal root system in favorable edaphic conditions as found in maize in succession to soybean crop compared to monoculture (8). This results cold be attributed to an increase of the N losses by leaching, volatilization and immobilization in monoculture. Conclusions The results of the present research furnish useful information regarding the role of soil N availability and legumes in crop rotations in a Mediterranean cereal crop system. Our data, together with further studies, could suggest technical solutions useful in specifi c agro- environmental contexts to rationalize the effi ciency of nitrogen utilization in cereals crop production in southern Italy. References 1) Bremer E et al. (2008) Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 72: 970–974. 2) Lopez-Bellido RJ and Lopez-Bellido L (2001)Field Crops Reserch, 71, 31-46. 3) Delogu G et al. (1998). Eur. J. Agron. 9: 11-20. 4) Badaruddin M and Meyer DW (1994). Crop. Sci. 34: 1304-1309. 5) Moll RH et al. (1982). Agronomy Journal 74, 562-574. 6) Pierce, FJ and Rice CW (1988). ASA Special Publication 51 :21-42. 7) Huggins DR and Pan (2003). Agronomy Journal, 85: 898-905. 8) Varvel, GE and Peteron, TA (1990). Agronomy Journal, 82: 935-938 547 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-65 548 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Impact of soil tillage and catch crops on maize yields Prochazka, Jaromir1; Prochazkova, Blanka2 1Agricultural Research, Ltd., CZECH REPUBLIC; 2Mendel University, CZECH REPUBLIC Introduction For farmers, growing of catch crops is both advantageous and disadvantageous. One of the most positive aspects of this method is the supply of top quality organic matter into the soil. The biomass of catch crops shows positive eff ects on soil structure, water stability of soil aggregates, content of oxidable carbon in soil, soil respiration etc. These properties are manifested not only in the year of catch crops sowing but also in the years to follow and can be manifested even in increased yields of the subsequent crops. Kramberger et al. (2009) tested some selected catch crops when growing maize and observed positive eff ects of this method on grain yields . Rüegg et al. (1998) recommended to grow winter catch crops in systems of minimum tillage as a method of elimination of some unfavourable factors. After owerwintering catch crops the soil tillage can beginn later and with some diffi culties (higher soil moisture, lower soil temperature, plant residues). Materials and methods Within the period of 2004 – 2008, small plot fi eld experiments were established to test some selected species of stubble catch crops grown as a source of green manure: 1. White mustard (Sinapis alba) 2. Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) 3. Italian annual ryegrass (Lolium multifl orum var. westerwoldicum) 4. Midsummer rye (Secale cereale, var. multicaule) 5. Saffl ower (Carthamus tinctorius) 6. Canarygrass ( Phalaris canariensis) 7. Fodder mallow (Malva verticillata) 8. White clover (Trifolium repens). All catch crop stands were established after the harvest of winter wheat. Two methods of tillage were used viz. either ploughing in the autumn or shallow tillage in early spring. Results and discussion Obtained yields indicate a positive response of maize crops to the soil tillage performed in the autumn. As compared with the shallow tillage performed in the spring, similar and/or even higher yields of maize grain were recorded in all time replications after the autumn ploughing of catch crops. However, these diff erences were relatively low and statistically nonsignifi cant. It seems that one of factors that caused a reduction of maize grain yield could be the overwintering of catch crops and, thus, a slower warming-through of no-tilled soil that inhibited the growth and development of young maize seedlings. Similar results were mentioned also by e.g. Hula and Prochazkova et al. (2008) who mentioned that under conditions of agricultural practice this negative eff ect is usually compensated by nitrogen fertilisation. As far as the exploitation of catch crops was concerned, the lowest yields were always recorded in variants without catch crops (Aister et al., 2006). The highest yields of maize grain were obtained after white mustard and phacelia, i.e. after catch crops producing the highest amounts of biomass. Average grain maize yields (t.ha-1) after different catch crops (2005 – 2008) Variant Autumn ploughing Spring shallow tillage t.ha-1 % t.ha-1 % No catch crop 4.52 100.0 4.23 100.0 White mustard 6.20 137.2 5.26 124.3 Phacelia 5.82 128.8 4.83 114.2 Italian annual ryegrass 5.26 116.4 4.58 108.3 Midsummer rye 5.40 119.5 4.78 113.0 Safflower 5.37 118.8 4.67 110.4 Canarygrass 4.98 110.2 4.35 102.8 Fodder mallow 4.93 109.1 4.49 106.1 White clover 4.81 106.4 4.40 104.0 Mean 5.25 - 4.62 - DT0.05 1.83 - 1.42 - P2-66 549 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Conclusions Basing on results of four-year experiments it can be concluded that the stubble catch crops showed a positive eff ect on maize grain yields. Although the diff erences recorded in individual years were statistically insignifi cant due to a high variability of yields, a positive trend could be observed in all experimental years. The highest yields of maize grain were obtained after white mustard and phacelia. Acknowledgement This study was fi nancially supported by NAZV agency research project QJ 1210008. References Astier, M. – Maass, J.M. et al., 2006. Short term green manure and tillage management eff ects on maize yields and soil duality in an Andisol. Soil a. Till. Res., 88, 1-2:153- 159 Hùla, J – Procházková, B. et al., 2008. Minimum Soil Tillage, Profi Press Praha 248 pp. (In Czech) Kramberger, B. – Gselman, A. et al., 2009. E ff ect of cover crops on soil mineral nitrogen and on the yields and nitrogen content of maize. Europ. J. of Agron., 31, 2:103-109 Rüegg, W.T. – et al., 1998. Accumulation of dry matter and nitrogen by minimum-tillage silage maize planted into winter cover crop residues. Europ. J. of Agron., 8, 1-2:59 – 69 P2-66 550 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Eff ect of diff erent intensity of soil tillage on winter wheat yields Prochazkova, Blanka1; Prochazka, Jaromir2; Houst, Martin1; Hledik, Pavel3 1Mendel univerzity in Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC; 2Agricultural Research, Ltd., Troubsko, CZECH REPUBLIC; 3Research Institute of Plant Production, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC Introduction At present there is a wide selection of soil tillage technologies and methods of winter wheat stands establishment. To select the suitable technology it is necessary to consider concrete growing conditions, i.e. site conditions and placement of winter wheat in the crop rotation system. The yield response of winter wheat to the reduction of the depth and intensity of sol tillage depends on growing conditions. More favourable conditions that enable the application of minimum tillage technologies generally exist in drier and warmer regions (Hemmat, Eskandari, 2006, Hùla, Procházková et al., 2008, Šíp et al., 2009 and others). Materials and methods Evaluations were done in a long-term fi eld experiment conducted in years 1989-2010 on loamy chernozem soil in the sugar-beet region. The average annual temperature and sum of precipitation were 9.19 °C and 547 mm, respectively. Winter wheat was grown after three preceding crops, viz. after alfalfa, maize for silage and peas. Experimental results were obtained within the periods of 1989–2002 and 2004–2010. Four variants of tillage were always compared: Variant 1 – ploughing to the depth of 0.22 m; Variant 2 – shallow ploughing to the depth of 0.15 m; Variant 3 – direct sowing into non-tilled soil; and Variant 4 – soil discing to the depth of 0.10 m. Results Eff ect of the preceding crops on winter wheat yields was signifi cant. The highest average yield was obtained after peas and the lowest one after alfalfa. The eff ect of diff erent tillage technologies on winter wheat yields was statistically signifi cant after all three preceding crops. After alfalfa, the highest average yield was obtained in Variant 2 (shallow ploughing to 0.15 m) followed by Variant 1 (ploughing to 0.22 m). Lower yields were recorded after no tillage (Variant 3) and discing to 0.10 m (Variant 4). Statistically signifi cant diff erence was found out between variants 2 and 3 and between variant 1 and 3. Lower winter wheat yields after alfalfa, particularly in case of missing ploughing, are related to lower soil moisture at the time of the winter wheat stands establishment (greater water consumption of alfalfa and greater amount of crop residues in the seedbed layer). In case of winter wheat grown after the maize, the highest yield was achieved after ploughing to 0.22 m (Variant 1). Lower yields were recorded after no tillage, discing and ploughing to 0.15 m (Variants 3,4,2). Signifi cant diff erence was observed between Variants 1 and 3. After peas, the highest and the lowest yields were recorded after no tillage (Variant 3) and discing to 0.10 m (Variant 4). The diff erence between these two variants was statistically signifi cant. Table 1. Yields of winter wheat (t.ha-1) grown after three preceding crops (mean values for the periods of 1989-2002 and 2004-2010) P2-67 551 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Conclusions Results of a long-term study on eff ects of various tillage technologies on yields of winter wheat grown in chernozems soil in the sugar-beet region indicated the possibility of using shallow tillage when growing winter wheat after alfalfa and maize for silage and of direct sowing of winter wheat after peas. The obtained results indicate that, under these conditions, it is possible to apply also technologies with a lower intensity of tillage, which are characterized by lower energy and labor consumption. References Hemmat A., Eskandari I. 2006: Dryland winter wheat response to conservation tillage in a continuous cropping system in norhwestern Iran. Soil and Tillage Research 86:99-109. Hùla J., Procházková B. et al. 2008. Minimalization of soil tillage. Praha, Profi Press, 248 pp. (In Czech). Šíp V., Rùžek P., Chrpová J., Vavera R., Kusá H. 2009: The eff ect of tillage practice, input level and environment on the grain yield of winter wheat in Czech Republic. Soil and Tillage Research 113:131-137. Acknowledgements The project No. MSM6215648905 and project of NAZV No. QJ 12 10008. P2-67 552 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Rice suitability to drip irrigation in Northern Italy Ragaglini, Giorgio1; Triana, Federico1; Roncucci, Neri1; Tozzini, Cristiano1; Eli, Vered2; Enrico, Bonari1; Alberto, Puggioni3 1Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, ITALY; 2Netaϔim, ISRAEL; 3Netaϔim Italia Srl, ITALY Introduction With a rapidly growing world population, the pressure on limited fresh water resources increases. Irrigated agriculture is the largest water-consuming sector and faces the challenge to produce more food with less water by increasing Crop Water Productivity [1]. Rice is usually cultivated under submerged conditions, which demands high water volumes. Thus, there is the need to develop water-saving technologies that depart from continuous submergence [2] as drip irrigation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of rice under drip irrigation in Italy. Materials & Methods The experiment was carried out during 2011 in north Italy. Carnaroli (CAR), Vialone Nano (VN) and Selenio (SEL) varieties, were grown under drip irrigation, and compared to the farm fl ooding system (FS). Three drip irrigation levels were compared: low (LWS), medium (MWS) and high water supply (HWS), restoring 85, 100 and 115% of ETo (Penman-Monteith) respectively. Drip lines were spaced 80 cm. A fourth treatment (MWS60) had the same supply level as MWS with drip lines spaced 60 cm. A split-block design with four blocks, irrigation treatments (DI) as main plot and variety (VAR) as subplot (6 x 30 m), was adopted. The irrigation plant was provided by Netafi m Ltd. 170 kg N ha-1 was applied by fertigation, as in FS. Sowing occurred on May 5th. Yield was assessed by cutting 2 m2 per subplot after physiological maturity. Mean farm values under FS were collected and used as term of comparison. Crop water consumption (WCDI) was estimated considering irrigation (WSDI) and rainfall. The water saving index was estimated considering water consumption per yield unit (CWU) in DI and FS as follows: Wsaving = (CWU DI – CWU FS )/CWU FS • 100 Crop water productivity (CWP) is equal to the inverse of CWU. Results Signifi cant diff erences in yield were observed among irrigation treatments, varieties and interaction (Fig.1). In general, yield was higher in MWS 60 and HWS, 439 and 424 g m-2 of DM respectively. In MWS it reached 396 g m-2. The lowest value was measured in LWS, 354 g m-2. FS registered nearly 540 g m-2. Diff erences within the three varieties were highly signifi cant. VN was the most productive, 443 g m-2, but it showed the highest yield gap respect to FS (-31%). CAR was the less productive (364 g m -2), except in MWS60, where results were comparable to FS. Water use in fl ooding system was estimated at 3.1 l s-1 ha-1. Based on this estimation CWP in FS amounted to 0.13 for CAR, 0.15 for SEL and 0.19 kg m-3 for VN. Under the experimental conditions VN showed the highest water saving potential and water productivity, reaching values of 82% and 0.84 kg m -3 respectively (Tab. 1). Discussion Even if observed yield in DI treatments was nearly 25% lower than farm average, a water saving of nearly 81% respect to FS was observed, resulting in a CWP of 0.76 kg m-3. The latter is within the range of CWP calculated on the basis of ETc [1, 3]. This con fi rmed the high effi ciency of the adopted system and its suitability to Mediterranean climate conditions. In conclusion, these preliminary results point out that is possible to use less water intensive systems allowing the cultivation of rice in new areas, previously considered not suitable, and its introduction into rotation cropping systems. P2-68 553 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Figure 1. yield values for each IT x VAR treatment. Farm average values are included for comparison. References 1. Zwart SJ & Bastiaanssen WGM, 2004. Review of measured crop water productivity values for irrigated wheat, rice, cotton and maize. Agr Water Manage, 69:115–133. 2. Belder P et al., 2007. Exploring options for water savings in lowland rice using a modelling approach. Agr Syst, 92:91–114. 3. Doorenbos J & Kassam AH, 1979. Yield Response to Water. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper N.33 FAO, Rome, Italy. Table 1. yield, water supply (WS), water consumption (WC), water saving index (Wsaving) and crop water pro- ductivity (CWP) under DI. P2-68 554 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-69 Are winter hardiness and water distribution in crown tissue of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) dependent on maximum beet diameter? Reinsdorf, Eric; Jacobs, Anna; Koch, Heinz-Josef Institute of Sugar Beet Research, GERMANY Introduction The cultivation of so called 'winter beets' di ff ers from common spring beet cultivation by sowing the crop in spring or summer, overwintering in the fi eld, and harvesting in spring or early summer. In temperate climate winter beets off er the potential to increase the total biomass yield (Kluge-Severin & Ho ff mann, 2009) due to improved utilization of the site specifi c growth factors radiation and water in spring. This could allow to extend the sugar processing campaign or a more effi cient use as substrate for bioenergy production (bioethanol, biogas). Since 'non-bolting' hybrids are not yet available, a cropping system 'bolting winter beet' with the whole plant harvested after winter as substrate for biogas plants was tested in a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. A basic prerequisite of winter beet cropping is high winter hardiness of Beta vulgaris L. under German climatic conditions. Experiences with directly sown sugar beet for seed production in Mediterranean countries have shown that the survival rate over winter is closely related to the plant size with an optimum of 1 - 2 cm of top diameter for highest frost tolerance (Kockelmann & Meyer, 2006). Materials and methods Field trials at two diff erent sites in Germany (Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, maritime climate and Göttingen, Lower Saxony, continental climate) were conducted in 2010 / 2011 and 2011 / 2012. By varying sowing date (April, June, August) and plant density (148, 246, 370 thousand plants ha -1) a high phenotypic variability of sugar beet plants was created and the infl uence of single beet size on winter hardiness (% survival rate) was investigated. Furthermore, whole beet plants diff ering in sowing date / max. beet diameter (MBD) were collected in December 2011 before exposure to frost temperatures and tested for distribution of water within the top 1.5 cm of the taproot (crown) by centrifugal extraction of apoplastic sap (Yu et al., 1999) from root pieces (1.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 cm) and gravimetrical determination of the extracellular (apoplastic) and intracellular (symplastic) water amount. Three root diameter classes were investigated (Ø 1.3; 4.1; 7.6 cm). For each class, twelve samples each consisting of 24 crown pieces were analysed. Results and discussion Local weather conditions (temperature, snow depth) and, moreover the phenotype revealed a clear eff ect on frost tolerance. Increasing survival rates of sugar beet with decreasing MBD were observed. Up to MBDs of ~2.5 cm frost tolerance was highest (survival rates ~80 - 100 %) and rapidly decreased at MBDs >3 cm (Fig. 1). The smaller sugar beets were not protected against cooling of plant tissue below 0 °C due to very low crown heights but were able to tolerate the cooling and warming events of plant tissue without damage. 555 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-69 Sugar beets with MBDs of 1.4 cm (frost tolerant) signifi cantly diff ered in distribution of water compared to sugar beets of bigger MBDs (Fig. 2). The total and intracellular water content of sugar beets decreased with increasing MBD but the content of extracellular water was signifi cantly lower in small taproots. If freezing injury in sugar beet was directly resulting from rupture of cell membranes by expanding ice crystals, a very low extracellular water content would probably contribute to prevent the cell from freezing injury. This is because the formation of ice crystals is thought to start in the apoplast while intracellular ice formation sets in at much lower temperatures. More research is necessary to confi rm these hypotheses. References Kluge-Severin, S. and C. Hoff mann, 2009. Bessere Lichtnutzung durch Winterrüben! Zuckerrübe, 58 (2/2009), 79-81. Kockelmann, A. and U. Meyer. Draycott, A.P. (Ed.), Sugar beet: Seed production and quality. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. 89-113. Yu Q., C. Tang, Z. Chen and J. Kuo, 1999. Extraction of apoplastic sap from plant roots by centrifugation. New Phytologist, 143, 299-304. 556 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-70 Winter Turnip Rape as a Nitrogen Catch Crop in High-leaching Environment Tuulos, Antti; Stoddard, Frederick; Yli-Halla, Markku; Mäkelä, Pirjo University of Helsinki, FINLAND Intorduction Species belonging to genus Brassica are widely reported to be effi cient catch crops with the ability to decrease the leaching of nitrogen during winter months (Eichler et al. 2004, Kristenssen and Thorup-Kristensen 2004). Most studies with Brassica catch crops are conducted in environments of low autumn rainfall. A study was conducted to fi nd out if winter turnip rape (Brassica rapa L. ssp. oleifera (DC.) Metzg.) could scavenge soil mineral nitrogen after growing period under high rainfall conditions. Diff erent sowing times and plant stand types were applied for comparison of diff erent establishing methods of winter turnip rape and early sowing of winter turnip rape in May with a cereal has been used as an alternative to normal sowing at the end of July (Valle 1951). Materials and methods Field experiments were conducted at Viikki Experimental Farm of University of Helsinki, Finland during 2009 – 2011. All plots were fertilized with 80 kg N/ha, of which 42 kg was NO 3 --N and 38 kg was NH 4 + -N. Plant stand types were: 1) winter turnip rape undersown with six-rowed barley in May, 2) winter turnip rape sown in July after barley, 3) barley monocrop, left to stubble after harvest and 4) barley monocrop, ploughed after harvest. Topsoil (0-20cm) and subsoil (30-50cm) samples were collected after barley harvest, before the freezing of soil in autumn and after the thawing of soil in the following spring. Mineral nitrogen (NH 4 + -N and NO 3 --N) were extracted with 2M KCl and their amounts were determined with automated fl ow injection analyzer. In October 2009 winter turnip rape samples were collected and dried for C and N analysis with an automated element analyzer. Bird damage prevented yield estimation in 2010. Winter turnip rape plant stand densities were also measured. Barley yield from diff erent treatments was harvested, dried and weighed. Results and discussion In the late autumn of 2009, there was signifi cantly more NO 3 --N in both soil layers of barley plots that were ploughed in autumn, than in other treatments (Figure 1.). Similar results were obtained in 2010, with the exception of early sown winter turnip rape distinguishing also from the barley left to stubble. In 2009, NH 4 + -N was found to be less abundant in the topsoil of ploughed barley plots, than in early sown winter turnip rape plots. No diff erences were observed in soil N content after barley harvest or after overwintering in either of the years. Accumulated biomass and its nitrogen content indicated that by late autumn 2009, springsown winter turnip rape had gathered approximately 100% more dry matter and nitrogen than winter turnip rape sown in July (Table 1.). Barley yield was not aff ected by undersown winter turnip rape in either of the years. Conclusions It is suggested, that winter turnip rape can act as a N catch crop under conditions of high rainfall. The diff erences in soil NO 3 --N content are of practical importance as reduction of excess NO 3 --N by over 50% in topsoil and by 60 - 80% in subsoil can be expected, when soil is covered 557 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-70 with winter turnip rape instead of ploughed soil left bare after barley. Even though no adverse eff ects to barley yield were observed in this experiment, there is a risk that an undersown catch crop can aff ect the yield formation of a cereal. However, early undersown winter turnip rape is a more eff ective catch crop than late sown winter turnip rape. References Eichler, B., Zachow, B., Bartsch, S., Köppen, D., Schnug, E. 2004. Infl uence of catch cropping on nitrate contents in soil and soil solution. Landbauforschung Völkenrode 54: 7-12. Kristensen, H.L., Thorup-Kristensen, K. 2004. Root growth and nitrate uptake of three diff erent catch crops in deep soil layers. Soil Science Society of America Journal 68: 529-537. Valle, O. 1951. Über die Anbaumöglichkeiten von Winterrübsen in Finnland. Forskning og Forsøk i Landbruket: 38-51. 558 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-71 Intercanopy variability of soil parameters and grain yield of winter triticale on production plantations Michalska-Klimczak, Beata; Wyszyñski, Zdzislaw; Kamiñska, Sonia; Pagowski, Krzysztof Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, POLAND Introduction A fundamental activity in precision agriculture is adjustment of mineral fertilizer ratios at each spot of the production fi eld to intrinsic variability of nutrients availability in soil (Cambardella and Karlen 1999; Hanquet et al. 2004). The aim of this work was evaluation of intercanopy variability of such parameters of soil as pH or content of P, K and Mg, as well as triticale yielding at production plantations in Poland, and determination of variability dependence on studied soil characteristics. Material and Methods In the years 2008-2009 research was conducted on the 4 production plantations of winter triticale in central Poland. Area of analyzed plantations varied from 3,0 to 5,0 ha. To assess the analyzed variability on plantations of grain yield per 1 m2 and its components (number of ears per square meter, number of grains in the ear, weight of one thousand grains), as well as on variation of soil parameters (pH, P, K and Mg contents), each production plantation was divided into smaller segments (50 and 60 plots). Just before harvesting (in the stage of full ripening of plants) samples of both plants and soil, were taken at random from an area of 1 m2. The content of pH and P, K and Mg in soil samples (mg 100 g -1 soil), the grain yield and its components in plant samples, were determined. The minimum, maximum and mean values for grain yield, as well as soil parameters were found and determination coeffi cients (CV) were calculated. Average yield on each plantation and the share of plots having given yielding interval, ware assessed. Five class intervals of average yield on the plantation were distinguished: 91-110, 111-130, >130 and 71-90, <70%. For each plantation, determination coeffi cient (R2) and simple correlation coeffi cients between grain yield and soil parameters were calculated. Results The largest variability was determined in case of P and K soil content, while variability of Mg soil content was found to be smaller, and pH content variability was found to be the smallest. It has to be noted that P, K and Mg content availability in soil on plots with minimum of observed range of values was several times smaller than the content on plots with maximum range values. Similarly, grain yield on plots of minimum yields were 200-300% below results obtained from plots with maximum values. Signifi cant distribution of yielding variability is also refl ected in large share of plots with grain yields 30% smaller or 30% larger than the average yield. Typical area of plots with yields 30% below average and 30% above average, was respectively 13,2 and 10,7% of total area of fi elds considered in this study. Conclusions Low values of determination coeffi cient (R2) found in the range of 9,23 – 33,2% depending on investigated plantation and refl ecting dependence of grain yield on variability of soil parameters such as pH or P, K and Mg content, indicate other reasons for such signifi cant yield variability on a single fi eld, other than impact of investigated parameters of soil. Results obtained for triticale on production plantations, necessitate use of variable, point fertilization, adjusted to nutritional requirements of plants and local availability of soil nutrients. This method of fertilization ensures more effi cient supply of plants in nutrients, and can enable reduction of fertilizer amounts and production costs. References 1. Cambardella C.A., Karlen D.L. 1999. Spatial analysis of soil fertility parameters. Precision Agriculture, 1:5–14. 2. Hanquet B., Sirjacobs D., Destain M.F., Frankinet M., Verbrugge J.C. 2004. Analysis of soil variability measured with a soil strength sensor. Precision Agriculture, 5:227–246. 559 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Table 1. Soil and grain yield (g m-2) parameters and share (%) of plots in classes of grain yield on production plantations P2-71 Table 2. Determination coeffi cient (R2) and partial regression coeffi cients for relationship of grain yield on soil parameters on production plantations 560 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-72 Multi-functionality of the biodiverse Mediterranean agroecosystems. Can we model ecosystem services of agro-ecology? Bondeau, Alberte1; Müller, Christoph2; Saatkamp, Arne1; Schaphoff, Sibyll2; Thonicke, Kirsten2 1IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, FRANCE; 2PIK Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact research, GERMANY Similar to other Mediterranean regions, South-Eastern France has particularly diverse agroecosystems, many of them under low-intensity use. This provides a high level of biodiversity both at the species and the landscape level, which could play an important role for the provisioning of ecosystem services contributing to agricultural sustainability. We investigate how a generic process-based ecosystem model can be used for the estimation of several diversity-related functions provided by a typical multi- functional agricultural landscape of the region. We focus on 3 ecosystem services: food production, carbon sequestration, and conservation of emblematic species. The aim of the modelling exercise is the assessment of trade-off s between production and other ecosystems services that are related to agro-ecological systems integrating various levels of biodiversity. The model is tested for a small region where the agricultural landscape is of high natural and cultural value, and which is a hot- spot of biodiversity for several threatened arable weeds. LPJmL (Bondeau et al., 2007) simulates in a single framework the dynamics and biogeochemical fl uxes between soil, vegetation and atmosphere for various crop and natural plant functional types that are present within each grid cell, depending on soil, climate and land use. Production, crop yields, carbon balance and water cycle are simulated through the representation of phenology, growth processes, and farming practices (more or less intensive, with positive, neutral or negative carbon balance). LPJmL is regularly improved, evaluated, and used for global change and integrated assessment studies. In such applications, the land use inputs and the parametrizations are representative for “conventional” agriculture, which does not consider any biodiversity level to interact with the agrosystem. We here account for a new land use data set that describes the diversity of a typical Mediterranean agricultural landscape and diff erent intensity levels (High Natural Values farmlands, Pointereau et al., 2007), with additional information on chemical use or sorting of seeds. Such characteristics determine the conservation potential for threatened wild-grass species (Saatkamp, 2009), and impact the simulated crop yield and carbon sequestration (Fig.1), once the model is supplied with the appropriate functions. We use yield data to parametrize LPJmL in order to reproduce the production levels of the region and depending on the system (organic / low-input / conventional). By closing the carbon cycle, LPJmL can represent many features / practices of agro-ecology that impact carbon sequestration. We develop an indicator that represents the role of functional biodiversity for reducing the pressure from pests (Letourneau & Bothwell, 2008). We simulate 3 cases: 1) actual distribution of the various agrosystems, 2) all farms under “conventional” management, 3) all farms under “agroecological” management. Figure 1. Interactions between agro-ecology and biodiversity 561 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-72 The model provides a consistent way of comparing the trade-off s between production, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration of diff erent agrosystems. Despite the still limited knowledge for developing functional biodiversity indicators, the assessment of conservation potential for endangered species and soils with agro-ecology is a necessary step supporting the design of more sustainable agriculture. In our simulations, such conservation services are associated with lower yields. As a next step we will account for additional environmental and socio-economic variables that impact other important trade-off s in the estimation of the vulnerability/resilience of agroecosystems. References Bondeau et al., 2007. Globl Change Biology, 13(3): 679–706. Letourneau & Bothwell, 2008. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environ, 6(8): 430–438. Pointereau et al., 2007. Report EUR 22786 EN Saatkamp A. 2009. Dissertation Thesis. Aix-Marseille III, Regensburg. 562 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-74 Soil quality parameters in vegetated buff er strips and their association with herbicide losses Cardinali, Alessandra; Gasparini, Valentina; Carletti, Paolo; Zanin, Giuseppe University of Padua, ITALY Introduction Buff er strips (BS) are eff ective in removing pollutants from runoff . The presence of a permanent vegetation (grass and tree-grass species) also provides indirect environmental benefi ts such as increasing the biodiversity and improving soil quality parameters (Udawatta et al., 2002). Various buff er strips have been designed to remove sediment, chemical, and organic material transported in surface runoff (Arora et al., 1996). However, little is known about the soil quality characteristics of BS and their association with the fate of the herbicides after deposition in buff er strip soil. The present work aims 1) to delineate diff erences in soil quality parameters related to BS structure and composition; and 2) to highlight possible interactions between these parameters and herbicide losses from cultivated fi eld. Materials and methods The experimental site is a rectangular fi eld of 200 x 40 m, with a 0.8% slope down towards a ditch. Between cropland and ditch, a plot without buff er (NoBS) and four diff erent BS were established: 3G, 3 m wide with grass cover; 3G1R, 3 m wide with one tree row ( Platanus hybrida + Viburnum opulus); 6G1R, 6 m wide with one tree row; 6G2R, 6 m wide with two tree rows. Each BS had two biological replicates (Figure 1) and each plot was sampled in triplicate (n=6). Soil chemical properties (organic carbon and nitrogen), humic substances (molecular weight distribution), enzyme activities (urease, protease, FDA hydrolase and dehydrogenase) and microbial biomass content were analysed in April and October 2010 in each BS and in NoBS. In April the fi eld was sown with maize and two herbicides were applied: S-metolachlor (METO) and terbuthylazine (TERB) at 750 and 1250 g ha-1 respectively. Runoff from the BS and from NoBS was collected to analyze herbicide concentration. Water samples were extracted using HLB sorbent cartridges and the extracts analyzed with LC-MS. These data were used to compute the total herbicide losses in terms of amount per hectare. Results Soil quality parameter data were pooled and Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA) was performed on selected variables. The resulting model signifi cantly distinguished NoBS and 3G from the other BS while 6G1R resulted  Figure 1: Layout of the experimental fi eld with the four types of BS and NoBS. 563 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-74 METO TERB Total loss Total loss mg/ha mg/ha NoBS 3.06 4.36 3G 0.03 0.03 3G1R 0.01 0.02 6G1R 0.03 0.04 6G2R 0.13 0.22 METO TERB Total loss Total loss mg/ha mg/ha r -.801 -.855 P .056 .030 r -.940 -.842 P .005 .035 r .883 .817 P .020 .047 r -.965 -.910 P .002 .012 r .852 .887 P .031 .018 a) BUFFER STRIP Humic fraction 2 Microbial Biomass Content DOM pH Fulvic Acid Organic Carbon b) SOIL PARAMETER not signifi cantly diff erent from 3G1R and 6G2R. Most important variables in CDA model were FDA enzyme activity, low molecular weight humic fraction, both humic and fulvic carbon contents. Table 1a showed total losses of the two herbicides in diff erent BS. The data set (Table 1b) was normalized using the reciprocal and some Table 1: a) Amount of METO and TERB total losses; b) Pearson correlation matrix (P < 0.05). signifi cant linear correlations were evidenced by Pearson correlation procedure. Some parameters (such as organic carbon and microbial biomass content) were correlated with both METO and TERB total losses, indicating their involvement in mitigation eff ect of BS. Conclusions Present results suggest that buff ers may have a positive impact on the ecological health of rural landscapes, resulting in improvement on soil quality and surface water. These positive eff ects should be considered in the decision making process of installing conservation buff ers. Despite our data indicate a relation between soil parameters and herbicide loss, cause-eff ect connections are yet to be comprehended. References Udawatta, R.P., Krstansky, J.J., Henderson, G.S., Garrett, H.E., 2002. Agroforestry practices, runoff , and nutrient loss: a paired watershed comparison. J. Environ. Qual. 31, 1214-1225. Arora, K., Mickelson S.K., Baker J.L., Tierney D.P., Peters C.J., 1996. Herbicide retention by vegetative bu ff er strips from runoff under natural rainfall. Tran. of the ASAE 39, 2155-2162. 564 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 How far should two ammonia sources be in order to neglect their interference? Carozzi, Marco1; Ferrara, Rossana Monica2; Lammirato, Carlo1; Rana, Gianfranco2; Acutis, Marco1 1University of Milan, ITALY; 2CRA, ITALY Introduction Agriculture is known as the major source of atmospheric ammonia (NH 3 ) and it contributes to over 90% of the emissions at European scale (EEA, 2011). Intensive animal production, housing, manure storage and their fi eld application (Asman et al., 2004) result the main NH 3 emitting activities, which represents a serious environmental concern and the low nitrogen (N) effi ciency in cropping systems. However, reliable NH 3 losses quantifi cation is still a challenge due to the reactive and sticky properties of NH 3 and the multiple possible point NH 3 sources present in a farm. The aim of this work is to determine the distance at which the eff ect of a source, identifi ed by livestock facilities and storage tanks, loses its eff ect on measures of NH 3 concentration at the centre of a fi eld. Materials and methods The trial was performed in a farm located in the Po Valley (Northern Italy) on a 4.3 ha fi eld. Dairy slurry was broadcast applied on the fi eld and subsequently incorporated after 30 hours. NH 3 concentrations were measured for 6 days using the passive samplers ALPHA (Adapted Low-cost Passive High Absorption) developed by Tang et al. (2001). Three sampling points were located along a 150 m horizontal transect (Fig.1, point A, B, C) from the centre of the fi eld (fi rst source, S1) to its edge, near two slurry storage tanks (Ø of 16 m, height 4 m) and livestock facilities of 200 heads (second source, S2). For each sampling point, a series of three replicates ALPHA were employed, exposed continuously at 1.25 m above ground for a time from 3 to 12 hours. A three- dimensional ultrasonic anemometer (Gill-R2, Gill Instruments Ltd, UK) was placed in the centre of the fi eld at the same height of the samplers in order to collect data relative to atmospheric turbulence and wind direction. For each exposure interval, using the NH 3 concentrations measured along the horizontal gradient, a non-linear logarithmic regression was performed in order to evaluate the evolution of NH3 concentration as a function of the spatial separation between the two sources (i.e. the distance between the centre of the fi eld and its edge). By means of this empirical law, the NH3 concentrations on 5 m distance steps have been estimated. Therefore, the eff ect of S2 on S1 has been defi ned negligible when the diff erence between the estimated concentrations of two consecutive steps fell below 1/10 of the standard error (se). For each exposure interval, the standard error was calculated using the standard deviation of the three replicates samplers of each sampling point. Results During the trial the main wind direction was O, the averaged wind speed and temperature were 1.2 m s-1 and 18.5 °C, respectively. In Fig. 2 are presented the results of the infl uence of the source S2 on S1, in respect both of the distance from the edge to centre of the fi eld P2-75 565 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-75 and as function of time. The scale bar was obtained by setting the value of concentration at the distance of “no infl uence” equal to 0, and the distance of “maximum infl uence” equal to the value of 100. The mean distance at which the eff ect of S2 on S1 has no signifi cance resulted of 203 m. Furthermore, taking into account the component of the wind vector blowing from S2 to S1 along the transect, the correlation with the distance of “no in fl uence” for each sampling interval is R2=0.4. Conclusions The distance at which the eff ect of one NH3 source on the other is vanished has been estimated by using an horizontal transect of concentration. In the case study the concentration estimated at the distance of “no in fl uence” resulted a mean of 23% lower than the concentration measured in the centre of the fi eld. References Asman et al., 2004. In: Emissions of Air Pollutants (eds R. Friedrich & S. Reis), pp. 111–143. EEA, 2011. Technical report No 3/2011. Tang Y.S. et al., 2001. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Passive Sampling of Gaseous Pollutants in Ecological Research. The Scientifi c World, 1, 513-529. 566 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-76 Agronomic techniques to reduce NH3 emissions from slurry spreading Ferrara, Rossana Monica1; Carozzi, Marco2; Brenna, Stefano3; Rana, Gianfranco1; Acutis, Marco2 1CRA, ITALY; 2University of Milan, ITALY; 3ERSAF, ITALY Introduction Ammonia (NH 3 ) volatilization is one of the major pathways of nitrogen (N) losses following N-fertiliser applications. According to the emission Italian inventory, agriculture accounts for over 95% of the NH 3 emissions (ISPRA, 2011), concentrated in the Po Valley (northern Italy), where most of the livestock productions are located, representing a serious environmental concern. Nevertheless, measurements of NH 3 emissions at fi eld- scale are still scarce in this area (Valli et al., 2003) and, have been obtained using enclosure methods that cannot be representative of the entire fi eld and perturb the environmental conditions (Loubet et al., 1999). Nowadays, several non-intrusive micrometeorological methods are available for measuring NH 3 fl uxes, covering large areas (Denmead, 1983, Ferrara et al., 2012). Moreover, inverse dispersion methods are also been used for estimating fl uxes using NH 3 concentrations measured downwind from the source (Flesch et al., 2004). This study reports preliminary results relative to the percentage of NH 3 losses from slurry applied using 3 diff erent management practices, evaluating the best practices in reducing NH 3 losses. Materials and methods The experiments were performed on bare soil in 2 farms located in Po Valley, using 3 diff erent application techniques of cattle slurry: (i) surface spreading (SS); (ii) surface spreading followed by incorporation after 24 hours (SI-24h); (iii) direct injection at 25 cm depth (INJ) followed by incorporation after 24 hours. The eddy covariance method (Denmead, 1983) was used during the trial SI-24h: NH 3 fl uxes were directly measured using a sonic anemometer coupled with a fast NH 3 concentration analyser developed by Aerodyne (USA), both located in the centre of the fi eld at 1.45 m above ground. During the other two trials, NH 3 fl uxes were estimated using the inverse dispersion model WindTrax (Flesch et al. 2004), whose inputs are the atmospheric parameters of turbulence, measured by a sonic anemometer, and NH 3 concentrations, measured by passive diff usion samplers (Tang et al., 2001), both measured in the centre of the fi eld at 1.25 m above ground. For each trial the cumulated NH 3 losses were calculated. Using the N supplied (Table 1), the emission factors were estimated in order to defi ne the percentage reduction in NH 3 losses due to diff erent agronomical practices with respect to surface spreading. Results The diff erences among soil, weather and slurry parameters of the 3 trials could partially explain the diff erent percentage of NH 3 losses detected (Table 1), even if the application technique is surely the most important factor dominating the NH 3 volatilization rate. In fact, the direct injection into the soil (trial INJ) has reduced up to 94% the NH 3 losses by volatilization with respect to surface spreading. 567 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-76 Conclusions Even if the trials are not directly comparable due to diff erent boundary conditions, this preliminary results confi rm that the injection of the slurry or at least the fast incorporation into the soil reduce signifi cantly NH 3 losses in accordance with Huijsmans, et al. (2003). Then, it has to be recommended to stakeholders even if the most widely technique employed for the land application of slurries in Po Valley area is still the broad spreading. References Denmead, 1983. In: Gaseous loss of nitrogen from plant- soil systems (Eds J.R. Freney & J.R. Simpson), pp 133-157. Ferrara et al., 2012. Agric. For. Meteorol., 158, 30-42. Flesch, et al., 2004. J. Appl. Meteorol., 43(3), 487-502. Huijsmans, et al., 2003. Atmos. Environ. 37, 3669–3680. ISPRA, 2011. Italian emission inventory 1990-2009. Information inventory report 2011. Rapporti 138/2011. Loubet et al., 1999. J. Agric. Engng. Res., 72, 71-81. Tang et al., 2001. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Passive Sampling of Gaseous Pollutants in Ecological Research. The Scientifi c World, 1, 513-529. Valli et al., 2003. Settima conferenza nazionale delle agenzie ambientali, Milano. 568 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-78 Sowing environmental fallows: challenges and opportunities Herzon, Iryna1; Toivonen, Marjaana1; Le Barh, Catherine2 1University of Helsinki, FINLAND; 2ENITA de Bordeaux, FRANCE Introduction In 2009, Finland introduced a novel agri-environment scheme for Environmental Fallow (EF) (Herzon et al., submited). It is arguably the single most important subsidy scheme targeted at natural values of ordinary agricultural landscapes and the one currently most preferred by farmers. There are two types: long-term grassland sown with a conventional grassland seed mixture, and biodiversity fi eld, with meadow, game and landscape types. The ability of the current scheme for enhancing water protection and biodiversity was studied nationally in 2009–2011. The objective here was to evalue importance of sown establishment success on biodiversity fallows on biodiversity. Materials and methods Data were collected from three regions from a total of 215 parcels (90 grassland, 77 meadow, 24 landscape and 24 game fi elds). We conducted vegetation surveys and interviewed the owners. We evaluated the covers of the species that were sown or are on the recommended list in the biodiversity fi elds (n = 125). We related the cover of the sown plants to the species diversity and three functional indices that indicate value of vegetation as a foraging resource for pollinators, butterfl ies and wild bees (ecosystem service in the agro-landscape) and source of weeds (dis-service). The pollination indices were calculated based on pollinator species’ usage of plants in fallows. Index of agrotolerance refl ects prevalence of weed species based on frequency and biomass of weeds in spring cereal and oilseed crops (Salonen et al.., 2011a; b). The biodiversity metrics were modeled in generalized liner models that included the cover of the sown species, fi eld type, their interaction, and the fi eld area. Results In over 30% of fi elds, the cover of the sown plants was below 20% in the fi rst year of establishment. There were considerable diff erences in establishment success among species. In meadows, the best results were achieved with Leucanthemum vulgare, Festuca sp, Agrostis sp., Anthemis tinctoria, and Vicia villosa. All other species were either infrequent or present in low numbers. On game fi elds, the greatest cover was that of cereals, Brassica sp., Raphanus sativus, while the success of Pisum sativum was low. On landscape fi elds, Trifolium resupinatum, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Melilotus offi cinalis, and Helianthus annuus were fairly successful. Correlation between the total cover of sown plants and species richness was positive and approached signifi cance (p < 0,81). There were positive correlations with the combined index of pollinators (p < 0,001) and index for butterfl ies (p < 0,003). The relationship was the strongest in sown meadows. There was no signifi cant correlation with the agrotolerance index. Discussion Close to 7% was fallowed in 2011, and 22 500 ha were biodiversity fi elds. These special seed mixtures, have never been tested previously on a scale of the scheme. The results confi rmed that in order to improve value of EFs for biodiversity and related ecosystem services, it is critical to ensure the establishment success of the specially design seed mixtures. Especially the value for pollinating insects depends on species of meadow plants added to the seed mixtures, their germination in the fi rst year and survival to the next (Kuussaari et al. 2011). The current challenges with novel “crops”, especially meadow fi elds, should be addressed through targeted research on optimised placement, seed mixtures for diff erent soils and level of sun exposure, and agrotechnical practices for achieving maximum environmental output with minimal agronomic problems for the surrounding and subsequent crops. References Kuussaari M, Hyvönen, T, Härmä O (2011). Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 143: 28–36. Salonen J, Hyvönen T, Jalli H (2011a). AFS, 10, 347-364. Salonen J, Laitinen P, Saastamoinen M, Salopelto J (2011b). AFS, 20, 262-268 569 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-78 570 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Nitrogen leaching losses from organic and conventional crop rotations Lemola, Riitta; Esala, Martti; Turtola, Eila MTT Agrifood Research Finland, FINLAND Introduction Cultivated area under organic farming in Finland increased rapidly after Finland joined EU in 1995 due to higher subsidies that were based on expected potentially favourable impacts on the environment. However, there was no national research data on nutrient losses from organic farming, compared to conventional, to support that view. To fi ll in the knowledge gap, we established in 1997 four-year crop rotations on an experimental fi eld on sandy soil at Toholampi, to compare nitrogen (N) leaching from organic and conventional crop rotations. After some changes of the experimental design in 2001, the crop rotations have continued until now. To focus on the diff erences between N input intensities and sources that are typical for organic and conventional rotations, the cultivated crop species and the tillage frequency have been kept as similar as possible between the rotations. The main diff erences are thus in fertilization, herbicide use and utilization of biological nitrogen fi xation. Some results of the years 2001-2008 are presented here. Material and Methods Since 2001, the experimental design has been as follows: A) organic cereal rotation receiving cattle manure (0.5 cows ha-1 a-1), B) organic milk production self- suffi cient with manure and fodder (0.9 cows ha-1 a-1), C) conventional cereal rotation with mineral fertilizers, D) conventional milk production with manure (1.1 cows ha-1 a-1) and mineral fertilizers. C and D were fertilized according to the Finnish Agri Environment Program. The 4-year rotations, with four replicates are: A) spring barley, ley, winter rye, spring oats, B) spring barley, ley, ley, spring oats+common vetch, C) spring barley, spring barley, winter rye, spring oats, D) spring barley, ley, ley, spring barley for whole-crop silage. In A and B the ley was a mixture of timothy and red clover, while in D clover was replaced by meadow fescue. The experiment is carried out in a fi eld (2.56 ha) situated on a fi ne sandy soil in western Finland (Toholampi, 63° 49’N, 24° 09’E). The fi eld is divided into 16 plots (100 m * 16 m) that, which are isolated hydrologically from each other and the surroundings and allowing the collection of drainage and surface runoff from each plot. The slope of the fi eld varies between 0.30–0.74%. The humus rich (5% org. C) soil is classi fi ed (FAO classifi cation) as Haplic Podzol. A more detailed description of the fi eld properties is given by Turtola and Kemppainen (1998). Surface runoff and drainage fl ow were quantifi ed from each plot and fl ow-proportional water samples were analysed for total N (TN), nitrate N (NO 3 -N) and ammonium N (NH 4 -N). Crop yields and N uptake were measured. Soil inorganic N (NH 4 -N and NO 3 -N) was sampled annually to the depths of 0–25 cm and 25–60 cm in early spring before farming operations and in late autumn before soil freezing. Results The leaching losses of total N in 2001-2008 were 63, 53, 87 and 60 kg ha -1 in A, B, C and D rotations, respectively. Main part of TN losses occurred outside the growing seasons and 80% game through drainage fl ow. NO 3 -N was the main form TN lost (75%), only 5% being NH 4 -N. The inorganic N content in late autumn in 0-60 cm soil layer varied between 13-108 kg ha-1 and there was a correlation between it and TN losses through drainage fl ow in the forthcoming autumn and spring. Total N losses per yield (feed units, fu) were: 2.4 g fu-1, 1.3 g fu-1, 2.9 g fu-1 and 1.3 g fu-1 in A, B, C and D, respectively. Conclusions The results imply that organic farming reduces leaching losses of TN per cultivated area. If the yield decrease in organic farming is less than the saving in the leaching, even the losses per produced yield can be smaller, as was the case in our cereal rotations. References Turtola, E., & Kemppainen, E. 1998. Nitrogen and phosphorus losses in surface runoff and drainage water after application of slurry and mineral fertilizer to perennial grass ley. Agricultural and Food Science in Finland 7: 569–581. P2-79 571 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-79 572 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-81 Long term eff ect of two maize cropping systems on soil carbon immobilization in Po valley environment Motta, Silvia Renata; Cabassi, Giovanni; Borrelli, Lamberto; Degano, Luigi CRA, ITALY Introduction The importance of organic matter for sustainable soil functions has been acknowledged worldwide for several decades. The positive eff ects of soil organic matter (SOM) cover a wide range of well-documented physical, hydrological, chemical, biochemical and productive properties. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important index of soil fertility because of its relationship to crop productivity (Vinther et al., 2004; Pan et al., 2009). For instance, declining SOC levels often leads to decreased crop productivity (Lal, 2006). Thus, maintaining SOC level is essential for agricultural sustainability. The concept of sustainable agricultural production emphasizes the importance of SOC management for food security and environment protection. Materials and methods The experiment was carried out at Lodi, northern Italy, which is a location representative of the alluvial Po Valley, on a sandy-loam soil of the mollic Hapludalf family, with subacid pH (6.2), low in nitrogen, organic matter, and exchangeable potassium. The trial has run since 1985 and it is articulated in 2 cropping systems M1 = 1-yr continuous monoculture of Italian ryegrass + silage maize and MM = grain maize grown in continuous monoculture. Each rotation was subjected to two treatments for input level, corresponding to an optimal (treatment A) and sub-optimal (treatment B) condition for the region, respectively. Treatment B received ca. 70% of the amount of organic and chemical fertilization and 75% of herbicide amount relative to A. A further diff erence between A and B treatments concerned soil tillage before autumn-sown crops. The treatments were arranged in a strip-split-plot design with three replication with a plot size of 60 m 2 each. Every three years the soil samples were collected and analyzed. One composite soil sample for each plot was made of 3 sub-samples taken from 0-30 cm soil layer. It was investigated the spatial variability within the blocks and between the replicates using a bootstrap statistical model and the soil organic carbon SOC and nitrogen content was investigated every three years since the 1985. Results The fi gure 1 shows how SOC changed through time for the diff erent cropping systems and inputs from 1985 to 2009 in the experimental fi eld. In fi gure 2 were represented the values of carbon/nitrogen (C/N) content in soils sampled every 3 years since 1985, for cropping systems and inputs. Input A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B M1 M1 M1 M1 SOC” 0.7% 0.7%1.5% M1 M1 M1 M1 M1 Italian ryegrass + silage maize Input A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B MM MM MM MM MM MM MM MM SOC” 0.7% 0.7%1.5% MM MM MM MM MM Monoculture grain maize Figure 1 - Map of levels of SOC in the experimental field in 1985 and 2009 for the different cropping system. 1985 2009 573 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-81 MM - Monoculture Grain Maize 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1985 1988 1991 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 C /N Input A Input B M1 - Italian Ryegrass + Silage Maize 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1985 1988 1991 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 C /N Input A Input B Figure 2. Soil C/N content from 1985 to 2009 in MM – monoculture grain maize and M1 – Italian ryegrass + silage maize The increasing trend in M1 is clear for both the inputs, reaching values of 10.11 (input A) and 9.73 (input B), while in MM the curve progress is more stable. Conclusions The results showed that an increase of the rotation complexity, corresponded to an increase in the stock of C in soil. Summarizing, results showed that crop rotation could guarantee the maintenance of SOM level. These results indicate that soil C levels can be maintained or even increased in these types of cropping systems when optimal inputs is used. References Lal, R., 2006. Enhancing crop yields in the developing countries through restoration of the soil organic carbon pool in agricultural lands, Land Degrad. Dev., 17, 197- 209. Pan, G., Smith, P., and Pan, W., 2009. The role of soil organic matter in maintaining the productivity and yield stability of cereals in China, Agr. Ecosyst. Environ., 129, 344-348. Vinther, F. P., Hansen, E. M., and Olesen, J. E., 2004. Eff ects of plant residues on crop performance, N mineralisation and microbial activity including fi eld CO 2 and N 2 O fl uxes n unfertilised crop rotations, Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys., 70, 189-199. 574 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-82 Crop specifi c ammonia emissions: model based scenario analysis of ammonia losses after application of biogas residues Pacholski, Andreas; Ni, Kang; Gericke, Dirk; Kage, Henning Christian-Albrechts-University at Kiel, GERMANY Introduction There is a strong trend of increasing biogas production on agricultural farms throughout Europe with currently ca. 7000 plants in Germany, mostly operated by co- fermentation. Silage maize is the dominant biogas crop in Germany, but whole crop cereals, grasses and sugar beet are also used. The biogas residues (BR) are applied as N-fertilizers. Due to high pH values and NH 4 + -N concentrations of fi eld applied BR are characterized by higher specifi c NH 3 losses than those from animal slurries (Ni et al., 2012). Diff erent energy crops require varying application dates and N doses, resulting in crop specifi c NH 3 losses. However, ammonia emissions mainly depend on weather and canopy conditions, so that it is diffi cult to derive mean/median NH 3 losses from fi eld measurements of 1-2 years. Therefore, a model based scenario analysis of NH 3 losses was carried out for diff erent energy crops based on 12 years of weather data in the North of Germany. Materials and methods Ammonia emissions were simulated for the years 1997- 2008 with a validated dynamic NH 3 loss model (Gericke et al. 2012). The model includes the eff ects of slurry pH and environmental factors on NH 3 losses and also covers the eff ects of canopy characteristics and application method. Calculations were done for a time span of 5 days after application. Energy crops and weather data from three agricultural regions in the Federal State of Schleswig- Holstein, Northern Germany, were used: 1) eastern moraines (loam); 2) central sandy outwash plain (sand); 3) coastal marsh (clay). Crop rotations as well as N levels and application dates are summarized in Table 1. Oil seed rape is not a biogas crop but was included as an alternative culture for application of BR. Simulations were done for a typical BR with a pH of 7.8, a content of 5.9% and 56% of NH 4 + -N of total N. BR were applied according to total N content by trail hoses and subsequent incorporation. Results and discussion Simulated NH 3 losses varied strongly and were not normally distributed between years (Fig. 1). Median losses ranged between 4% and 20% of NH 4 + -N applied. Emissions increased with higher temperatures in summer. After analysis by Kruskal-Wallis test on ranks on the rotation level, maize with incorporated BR showed the lowest relative NH 3 losses, followed by sugar beet with incorporation while no diff erences were determined btween the other rotations with application by trail hoses. Signifi cant diff erences were detected between absolute losses of all rotations, with highest losses in grass. In the Table 1. Crops, N doses and application dates for BR applied by trail hoses covered in the scenario analysis 575 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-82 marsh emissions were 5% higher. As application dates were not adapted to crop growth, highest values indicate maximum losses. High relative absolute and relative NH 3 losses result in higher indirect N 2 O emissions. Conclusions Simulation of NH 3 losses after application of BR using weather data from 1997-2008 showed a high variability of NH 3 losses which questions static emission factors for NH 3 losses. Field applied BR showed high emissions which may strongly decrease the environmental benefi t of energy production by biogas. With respect to NH 3 emissions silage maize and sugar beet are favourable as Figure 1. Simulated cumulated relative and absolute NH 3 losses 5 days after application of biogas residues, 1997-2008 (n = 12), Hohenschulen, Germany; values = fertilizer N tot [kg ha -1], error bars = 5% - 95% quintile compared to winter cereals or grass. High BR application rates with incorporation resulted in the lowest simulated relative NH 3 emissions. References Gericke D., Bornemann L, Kage H., Pacholski A. 2012. Modelling ammonia losses after fi eld application of biogas slurry in energy crop rotations, Water, Air & Soil Pollution 223, 29-47. Ni K., Pacholski A., Gericke D., Kage H. 2011. Analysis of ammonia losses after fi eld application of biogas slurries by an empirical model. JPNSS 175(2): 253-264 576 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Ammonia emissions after application of biogas digestates: eff ects of soil, crop and weather conditions in 5 diff erent regions of Germany Seidel, Achim1; Pacholski, Andreas1; Augustin, Jürgen2; Kage, Henning1 1Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, University of Kiel, GERMANY; 2Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg, GERMANY P2-83 Introduction With the political aim of supporting the renewable energy production there has been a rapid increase of agricultural biogas plants over the last 10 years in Germany with about 800,000 ha planted with crops for biogas production in 2011 (FNR 2011). Mostly animal slurries are co-fermented with maize-, but also grass- and whole crop cereal silages. There are large amounts of biogas digestates (BD) to be used as fertilizers, but with a higher potential of ammonia losses due to the typical higher pH-value compared to original animal slurries (Ni et al. 2011). Materials and methods To increase the knowledge on the climate protection potential of biogas production, a project has been established. Five sites in Germany were chosen regarding their soils and climatic conditions for the determination of trace gas fl uxes (NH 3 , CH 4 , N 2 O) and C-balances for the determination of biogas production greenhouse gas balances. Those sites are located in North Western, Northern, North Eastern, Central and Southern Germany. The project`s main advantage is the uniformity of the fi eld trial design at each site and of the measurements methods applied. As one component of the trace gas monitoring, at each of the sites measurements of ammonia emissions directly after BD fertilization are carried out for about 4 days after application. Emissions are determined in maize, sorghum, triticale, winter wheat, rye and grass (Lolium multifl orum). Ammonia measurements are done without replication by a calibrated chamber method (Pacholski et al. 2006). In addition passive samplers will be applied to obtain replicated measurements in the multi-plot fi eld trials. BD to Sorghum or Maize is applied by trail hoses and incorporated by harrow. The amount of BD is determined relative to the optimal N-fertilization rate (100 %) according to an assumed e ffi ciency of Ntot of 70% mineral fertilizer equivalents. For maize, several N-levels (0, 50%, 100%, 200% of Nopt) are compared with respect to the height of gaseous N-losses and yields. Results and discussion As an example for fi rst results obtained 2011, NH 3 losses from maize (100% = 160 kg N ha -1) at sites in Central (Dornburg) and Southern Germany (Ascha) di ff ered strongly under similar weather conditions and same Figure 1. Ammonia emissions 2011 at two selected sites in Germany (Dornburg and Ascha) after BD fertiliza- tion, BD incorporated by harrow 577 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-83 N-application rate (Fig. 1). The lowest NH 3 -N losses were at the site in Ascha, with 2.7, 6.1 and 8.3 kg NH 3 -N ha-1 for the 50%, 100% and 200% BD-treatment, respectively. Considerably higher losses were measured in Dornburg, with 23.5, 29 and 31.1 kg NH 3 -N ha-1. Highest NH 3 losses, though not linearly higher as compared to the 100% treatment, were measured at all sites in the 200% BD treatment. This diff erence between NH 3 losses at the two sites was probably due to delayed incorporation, lower incorporation effi ciency and higher pH values at the Dornburg site. In the future the dataset of all NH 3 measurements shall primarily be used as a part of regionally based eco balances of biogas production systems for the whole of Germany. Further on it shall be used for a regionally expanded recalibration of a dynamic ammonia loss model (Gericke et al. 2012). References FNR 2011. http://mediathek.fnr.de/grafi ken/daten-und- fakten.html (25.03.2012) Gericke, D., Bornemann, L., Kage, H., Pacholski, A., 2012. Modelling ammonia losses after fi eld application of biogas slurry in energy crop rotations. Water Air Soil Pollut 223:29–47 Ni K., Pacholski A., Gericke D., Kage H. 2011. Analysis of ammonia losses after fi eld application of biogas slurries by an empirical model. JPNSS. online: 22 Nov 2011, DOI: 10.1002/jpln.201000358 Pacholski, A., Cai, G., Nieder, R., Richter, J., Fan, X., Zhu, Z., Roelcke, M., 2006. Calibration of a simple method for determining ammonia volatilization in the fi eld – comparative measurements in Henan Province, China. NUTR CYCL AGROECOSYS 74: 259 –273 578 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-85 Ecological footprint of diff erent production systems Straus, Sasa; Bavec, Franc; Turinek, Matjaz; Rozman, Crtomir; Bavec, Martina University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, SLOVENIA Introduction In recent years, numerous tools and methods have emerged to determine environmental impacts. One of these tools is the ecological footprint, which aims to estimate the biologically productive area needed to generate the materials and energy required by the population of a certain region (Narodoslawsky and Krotscheck, 1995). The aim of our study was to measure the environmental impact of a particular production system through its ecological footprint at fi eld level. We used experimental data from a production system’s comparison fi eld trial over three years and interpreted the data using the SPIonExcel tool (SPI) (Narodoslawsky and Krotscheck, 1995). Materials and methods Three production systems (i.e., conventional (CON), integrated (INT), and organic (ORG)) and control plots were arranged in a randomized complete block split-plot design with four replications. The production systems diff ered mostly in plant protection and fertilization strategies. In CON, the preventive use of pesticides was allowed, in INT, only curative pesticides, and, in ORG, only natural pesticides. In INT and ORG, fertilizing was based on soil analysis, and ORG fertilizers were organic. No fertilization/plant protection was used in the control plots. A detailed description of the SPI is provided by Sandholzer and Narodoslawsky (2007). We calculated the total ecological footprint (Atot), that is, the area necessary to embed the whole lifecycle generating a product (e.g., cabbage or red beets). The Atot is calculated from partial footprints: direct land use, fertilizers and pesticides, machinery use, and seed use. The partial footprints were calculated directly from the experimental fi eld trial data. Results and discussion The highest Atot was observed in CON, where for every hectare of CON cabbage production, an additional 70 ha of surface area was impacted, and 73 ha for CON red beet production. The diff erence between CON and INT was signifi cant, although the Atot for INT was only 1-2% lower. The Atot was signifi cantly lower for ORG, where it was 3.3 times lower for cabbage and red beet. The diff erences between ORG and the control plot are signi fi cant because, for cabbage, the results of ORG were 41% lower and, for red beet, they were 27% lower. Our results were eight times lower which correlates with the results of CON production in Italy (Niccolucci et al., 2008). The relatively large area utilized by CON and INT was mostly attributed to the mineral fertilizers and pesticides used. The smaller area appropriated by ORG was mostly due to machinery use, mainly because of manure spreading and additional harrowing. The surprising fact is that, even basic soil tillage and vegetable cultivation, without pesticides and fertilizers, leave a great environmental impact, and use between 11 and 17 times more land than is needed to plant the crops. The greatest improvements could be achieved by abandoning the mineral fertilizers and pesticides that were used in CON and INT. Also, the machinery presented a high environmental burden, since it is not energy effi cient and represents between 65 and 75% of the total environmental footprint in ORG. 579 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-85 References Narodoslawsky M & Krotscheck C. 1995. The Sustainable Process Index (SPI): evaluating processes according to environmental compatibility. J. Hazard. Material. 41: 383-397. Narodoslawsky M & Krotscheck C. 2000. Integrated ecological optimization of processes with the Sustainable Process Index. Waste Manag. 20: 599-603. Sandholzer D & Narodoslawsky M. 2007. SPIonExcel – Fast and easy calculation of the Sustainable Process Index via computer. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 50: 130-142. 580 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-86 The role of environmental factors and sowing date in the yield and quality of maize hybrids Ványiné Széles, Adrienn; Ragán, Péter; Nagy, János University of Debrecen, HUNGARY Introduction Climate change poses challenges to the world’s agricultural production. Drier and rainy periods and extreme weather are increasingly typical and these negative eff ects are also stronger even within a year or a growing season. This situation is further increased by the fact that the World’s population will increase from 7 to 8 billion in 15 years. From the aspect of world nourishment, increasing agricultural production is important and inevitable, resulting in an increasing quantity of irrigation water and increasing amount of mineral fertilisation taken up by crops. Material and Methods The examinations were carried out at the Experimental Site of the Centre for Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences of the University of Debrecen in Eastern Hungary (N: 47°33’, E: 21°26’, 111 metres above sea level) in a moderately warm and dry production area on loess- based chernozem soil with deep humus layer in a small plot fi eld experiment with a strip plot experimental design and four replications. In the two experimental years (2010, 2011) we evaluated the eff ect of the sowing date which was determined based on soil temperature (early sowing: 18 days before the optimal sowing date: 23rd April; late sowing: 17 days after the optimal date) and the environmental factors (temperature, precipitation) on the yield and grain quality factors (starch, protein and oil content) of four FAO maize hybrids (FAO 290, FAO 370, FAO 420 and FAO 500). Results Sowing date has the most signifi cant eff ect, as it aff ects the yield quantity (P<0.01), as well as the grain protein (P<0.001), starch (P<0.001) and oil content (P<0.001). The yields of the examined genotypes were diff erent (P<0.001) in the average of sowing date and the experimental years. Since the eff ect of crop year was not signifi cant and the genotype x crop year was signifi cant only at a 5% con fi dence level, it was concluded that yield is determined by the diff erences between genotypes. The eff ect of the interaction sowing date x crop year was the most signifi cant (P<0.001), but that of sowing date x genotype could also be shown statistically (P<0.05). As regards the quality parameters, there were signifi cant diff erences between hybrids (Table 1). There were signifi cant diff erences between all three sowing dates based on the Duncan’s test. The maize hybrids had the highest yield (in the average of the examined parameters) in the late sowing date (11.3 t ha-1). In the early sowing date, the average hybrid yield was 8.3 t ha-1 which is 22.5% lower than that of the optimal sowing date and 36.3% lower than the result obtained in the late sowing date. The optimal sowing date resulted in 1.2 t ha-1 in comparison with the late sowing (11.1%). As regards starch content, the early sowing date (6th April, Figure 1) was proved to be the best option, while starch and oil contents were more favourable in the late sowing date (10th May) in both years. The FAO 420 maize hybrid had higher starch content, while the FAO 290 hybrid had higher protein and oil content. The average yield of the four hybrids was 9.5 t ha-1 in 2010 and 10.3 t ha-1 in 2011 which shows 0.8 t ha-1 yield fl uctuation. In the rainy year (2010), the sowing date did not cause signifi cant diff erence in the average of genotypes, while there were signifi cant diff erences between all three sowing dates (P<0.05) in the average crop year (2011). The protein and oil contents of the grain yield were lower in 2010, while the starch content was higher than 2011, when there was favourable weather, but the environmental parameters had a favourable impact on the oil content (P<0.05) and they did not a ff ect the protein and starch content. 581 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Table 1. Variance analysis results of grain moisture content, grain starch content, grain oil content, grain protein content and yield of maize hybrids P2-86 Figure 1. The eff ect of sowing date on the starch content of maize grains (Debrecen, 2010–2011) 582 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Identifi cation of main crop rotations in diff erent Italian environments from RICA farm database Albertazzi, Sergio1; Baldoni, Guido1; Della Chiara, Marco2; Cardillo, Concetta2; Trisorio, Antonella2; Vitali, Giuliano1; Canavari, Maurizio1 1University of Bologna, ITALY; 2INEA, ITALY P2-87 Introduction Agriculture plays an important role in carbon sequestration or emission (Smith et al., 2008). Tillage and manure management have a strong impact on soil organic matter. On arable land crop rotations are commonly used both to conserve fertility (Berzsenyi et al., 2000) and for pest control. To estimate GHG mitigation of Italian agriculture, rotations currently practised in a given region should be analysed, so as to be used in any model designed to optimize land use. Such a target has been pursued in the BIOSUS project that aims to estimate diff erences in carbon sequestration comparing conventional to organic farming. Materials and methods RICA database (Italian section of the EU-FADN database developed, maintained by INEA) is a collection of data from a sample of about 1% of Italian farms. Within BIOSUS it has been used to derive representative farms (Vitali et al., 2011) and, in parallel to obtain those rotations which better characterize the diff erent Italian regions, under the assumption that crop rotations depend more on environmental conditions than on the other farming structural elements as tree crops or as natural zones. Rotations has been obtained selecting from the RICA database (year 2007) 7682 farms with arable land and uniform slope. The 5 phyto-climatic zones (PCZ) of Italy has been combined with the 3 slope categories (plain, gently sloping, mountain) so as to obtain farm clusters by homogeneous environment. Then 29 arable crop categories classifi ed in RICA have been grouped in 5 macro-activities (MA: set aside, forage crops, cereals crops, rice and intensive crops) on the basis of the likelihood of technical coeffi cients, environmental impacts and nutritional needs. Afterwards, ratios between MAs were calculated and discretized so as to obtain rotation ratios (see examples in fi gure 1). In a fi rst instance ratio values have been bounded to 5 to consider a maximum of six-year course rotations, so as to preserve more relevant practices. Results and discussion Table 1 reports the most relevant rotations, selecting those that are usied on more than 5% of farms in each environment. The 3 most important Italian rotation are continuous crops, respectively given by intensive, cereals and forage crops. The 5 remaining rotations have the same MAs. Rice and set aside do not emerge as relevant activities at this level of analysis. Continuous intensive crop can be observed in plain areas of warm PCZs (1,2,3) whereas in cold PCZs (4,5) it is present at every slope. It is also the main rotation in PCZ 5. Continuous cereal cropping appears only in warm PCZs (1,2,3) in each kind of slope without regular trend. Continuous forage crop is present in all PCZs, even though it is more important in gently sloping and mountain, with the exception of PCZ 5. Found rotations have only 2 MAs with biennial or three-year course. Rotations composed by intensive and cereal crops appear on PCZ 3 and 5. These types are more often observed Figure 1. Examples of rotation schemes 583 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-87 in plain. Biennial rotation composed by intensive and forage crops is present in plain of some PCZs. Rotations composed by cereals and forage emerge with a good relevance especially in gently sloping and mountain areas. References Berzsenyi et al., 2000; E ff ect of crop rotation and fertilisation on maize and wheat yields and yield stability in a long-term experiment; Eur J Agron 13 225-244 Smith et al., 2008; Greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture; Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 363 789- 813 Vitali et al., 2011; Individuazione delle tipologie aziendali italiane su base agronomica per la valutazione degli agro-ecosistemi Biologici; in: "L'agricoltura biologica in risposta alle sfi de del futuro: sostegno della ricerca e dell'innovazione"; ENEA, Rome p159 Table 1. Main cropping schemes with reported percentage of farms adopting it; Con: continuous crop; Rot: rotation; Int: intensive crop; Cer: cereals; For: forage crop. 584 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-88 Eff ect of Crop Rotation on Yield and Nutrient Balance in Organic Pepper and Green Onions Lee, Sang-Min; Choi, Hyun-Sug; Lee, Youn; Sung, Jwa-Kyung; Yun, Hong-Bae; Jee, Hyeong-Jin National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, KOREA (REP.) Introduction Codex and IFOAM prescribe fi rmly that organic agriculture should practice crop rotation by cultivating legume or deep-rooting crops. However, organic farmers in Korea mainly have used plastic fi lm mulch to control weed occurrence during a growing season. This study was carried out to evaluate the eff ects of crop rotation on the yield of red pepper and green onion as well as nutrient balance. Materials and methods The study was conducted at the experimental farm in National Academy of Agricultural Science in Suwon, South Korea from 2003 to 2005. The conventional system was converted into organically managed systems from 2000 to 2002. Certifi ed organic materials were used for pest management. Treatments were applied annually as follows: CF I; conventional farming system grown in green onion in summer in 2003, 2004, and 2005, OF I; organic farming system grown in hairy vetch in winter in 2002 and 2004, grown in green onion in summer in 2003, 2004, and 2005, and grown in rye in winter in 2003, CF II; conventional farming system grown in red pepper in summer in 2003, 2004, and 2005, OF II; organic farming system grown in hairy vetch in winter in 2002, 2003, and 2004 and grown in red pepper in summer in 2003, 2004, and 2005, OF III; organic farming system grown in rye in winter in 2002, 2003, and 2004, OF IV; organic farming system grown in rye in winter in 2002 and 2004, grown in red pepper in summer in 2003, 2004, and 2005, and grown in hairy vetch in winter in 2003. A chemical fertilizer and oilcake were annually applied for conventional and organic farming systems, respectively, and livestock compost was supplied for the both systems (Table 1), depending on the soil nutrient analysis. Results Organic systems increased 13% of average yield of green onion compared to conventional systems but decreased from 23 to 36% of red pepper yield (Fig. 1). Application of rye without hairy vetch in organic system resulted in negative value for N balance (Table 1). Hairy vetch is a leguminous crop and supplied N of 10 to 20 kg/ha/ year (Mitchell et al., 1977). The P 2 O 5 balance was closed to 0 kg/ha/year in the organic systems, which indicated that crop rotation with green manures would be one of the eff ective ways to manage the adequate levels of phosphate in soil. The output value of K 2 O in red pepper fi eld was much higher than the input in the organic systems, which contributed to high level of K 2 O surplus. Table 1. Nutrient balance under diff erent cropping systems 585 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-88 Conclusions Application of leguminous green manure increased yield of the cash crops and minimized N and P 2 O 5 surplus. However, the K 2 O application in the red pepper fi eld should be considered to avoid insuffi cient amount of nutrient available in maintaining vegetative growth of pepper crops during a growing season. Figure 1. Average yield (2003-2005) of green onion and red pepper under diff erent cropping systems References Mitchell, W.W. and M.R. Tell. 1977. Winter-annual clover crops for no-tillage corn production. Agron. J. 69:569- 573. 586 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-89 Olive tree and annual crops association’s productivities under Moroccan conditions Daoui, Khalid; Fatemi, Zain El Abidine; Razouk, Rachid; Bendidi, Abderazak; Chergaoui, Abdelaziz; Ramdani, Abdelhamid Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, MOROCCO Introduction Agro forestry, the association on the same land of trees and crops, is a traditional practice. In recent years, because of negative impacts of monoculture intensifi cation; agro forestry interested scientists at international level. This TRADITIONAL and also NATURAL innovation has many advantages (Kang and Wilson, 1987) (preservation of bio diversity, diversifi cation of productions, C sequestration, alternative solution for climatic change, soil erosion control () . In Morocco such practice is used in mountainous and oasis regions where water and/or land resources are limited. In these locations many crops are mixed and their monitoring is complicated. Unfortunately, few scientifi c studies were dedicated to such system and someone might describe it as primitive, non-productive and in need of change. The aims of this work, are a) determination of the importance of olive tree and annual crops association b) estimation with farmers of the productivity of the association and c) evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of such practice according to farmers and scientists point of views. Materials and methods This study is based on rapid rural appraisal approach. In diff erent regions where olive tree are implemented, farmers (70 groups) gave qualitative indications of olive tree fi eld: density and age of plantation, estimated olive yield, annual crops cultivated in inter rows of olive trees and their productivities in such situation. Also, interviews were made with farmers, researchers, development agents to determine the importance, advantage and disadvantages of alley cropping based on olive tree. In parallel to this study, in diff erent fi elds where olive tree are associated with other crops, we determine: density of trees, distance from tree to cultivated crops in inter rows and general observations on crops and olive tree performances. Results and discussions In the investigated zone, results shows that 75% of farmers growing olive tree are also producing annual crops between tree rows. Those crops are: cereals (durum and soft wheat or barley), legumes (faba bean, lentils, pea, chickpea) and vegetables when irrigation is possible (potato, tomato, onion). Olive tree and cereals association are dominant (50% of cases). We estimated that for an average density of 100 tree/ha, annual crops may occupy 75% of the land while olive tree may occupy the remaining part.Farmers indicated that technical interventions (ploughing, fertilizing) concerns mainly annual crops and then can profi t to olive tree. 587 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-89 Olive tree monoculture is explained by: age of the plantation; when tree are old their shadow does not allow intercrop implementation also, when, tree density is high or when olive tree are implemented in accident land. According to farmer’s estimations: legume crops like faba bean do not aff ect olive production comparatively to cereals (durum or soft wheat or barley). In this second case, olive production is reduced by about 39% when cereals are intercropped between the rows. However, farmer produces an added value of cereals or legume of respectively 9 and 7 qx/ha. We hypothesis that legume do not aff ect negatively olive production since those crops have short cycle comparatively to cereals and may give more nitrogen to plantation as result of biologically fi xed nitrogen. Conclusions Association of perennial crops and annual ones is a common practice by farmers and might be more important in future due to land scarcity. Scientifi c involvement to analyses such system is necessary. Positive and negative interactions should be elucidating to choose more profi table combinations in more adaptable conditions. References Kang BT and Wilson GF (1987) The development of alley cropping as a promising agroforestry technology. In: Steppler HA and Nair PKR (eds) Agroforestry: A Decade of Development, pp 227-243. ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya. 588 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-90 OSCAR – a new European project on cover crops Baresel, Peter1; Döring, Thomas2; Finckh, Maria3 1Technical University of Munich, GERMANY; 2The Organic Research Centre, UNITED KINGDOM; 3University of Kassel, GERMANY There is widespread concern over the damage caused by modern agriculture to soil structure and the ecosystem services provided. One approach to overcome this problem is conservation agriculture (CA) which aims to maintain soil structure by minimising soil disturbance, maximising soil cover and using crop rotation. However, despite recent legislation supporting minimum tillage and direct seeding, together with the eff orts of pioneer farmers, CA is still practised on less than 4% of the agricultural land in Europe. This underlines the need for major improvements in the approach together with consolidation of, and access to, information about alternative cropping methods and their biological and economic value and performance. A new European FP7-funded research project has started in April 2012 to address these issues. The project, called OSCAR is conducted by 20 partners and is led by University of Kassel, Germany. OSCAR aims to Optimise Subsidiary Crop Application in Rotations. It extends existing knowledge and improves and develops novel cropping systems based on cover crops, catch crops, living mulches and other subsidiary crops (SC). OSCAR aims to enhance the implementation and increase the duration of soil coverage by plants, introduce diversity to the crop rotation and reduce the need for and the intensity of soil tillage. Optimization will counteract the sometimes reduced yields associated with minimum or non-tillage systems whilst providing durable ecological benefi ts. Particular attention is given to conservation tillage systems. To maximise the potential of ecological benefi ts, both conventional and conservation agricultural systems are considered in OSCAR, encouraging a high level of innovation as well as off ering a more immediate transfer into practical agriculture. An overarching issue is the need to consider a broad range of environments and to make high quality tailored information widely accessible in Europe. The project also encompasses the identifi cation and selection of new SC and the development of adapted farm machinery for the various CC and LM species. These issues are addressed with two instruments in OSCAR, based on experimentation and knowledge management and transfer. A series of coordinated fi eld trials, i.e. a Multi- Environment Experiment, (MEE) is conducted in OSCAR as an experimental platform to generate the necessary knowledge for progressive improvements in the use of SCs in conventional, low-input, organic, and conservation agriculture systems. It is complemented by three long- term agricultural experiments (LTE) on CA and SC based farming systems. Established and novel plant species, agronomic measures and machinery will be assessed for their eff ect on productivity, need for fertilizers and pesticides, soil ecological impacts, and basic economical aspects. Research on the identifi cation of new species and genotypes of interest in SC based systems and the development of adapted farm machinery accompany the MEE. The soil ecological impacts, basic mechanisms of competition in LM systems, problems concerning perennial weeds, as well as potential phytopathological risks and their solutions are also covered in OSCAR. The knowledge generated through the research is made widely available to all relevant target groups in a Cover Crop Toolbox. The Toolbox makes project information available but also aims to reduce the fragmentation of existing knowledge by drawing together information in a central place. The Toolbox aims to help farmers to identify SC species most suited to their specifi c production systems, including economic aspects and technology requirements. In addition, the Toolbox encourages feedback from users and thus can evolve dynamically during and beyond the present project. Thus OSCAR will enable and motivate a substantial number of growers in diff erent regions to adopt conservation agriculture methods and make a signifi cant and durable contribution to soil conservation. 589 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-90 590 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Why and how farmers delineate their plots on farming territories? A modelling approach Schaller, Noémie1; Boussard, Hugues1; Castellazzi, Marie2; Joannon, Alexandre1; Aubry, Christine1; Martin, Philippe3; Benoit, Marc1 1INRA, FRANCE; 2The James Hutton Institute, UNITED KINGDOM; 3AgroParisTech, FRANCE Introduction Crop spatial organization at landscape scale strongly impacts many environmental issues. Not only do the crop proportions matter, but also their spatial arrangement, which determines the connectivity between plots and the associated environmental fl uxes (e.g. water fl uxes, gene fl uxes). Thus the spatial characterization and modelling of crops in agricultural landscapes is required to design sustainable landscapes. While agronomic factors determining crop allocation to fi elds are well- understood, we today lack of knowledge about the determining factors of the subdivision of fi elds into plots (each with its own crop) inside farming territories. The aim of this paper is twofold: model how farmers defi ne plot boundaries over time inside their farming territories, in relation with their cropping plan choices, and identify the factors determining their decisions. Materials and methods To gain theoretical insights about farmers' decisions of plot delineating, we used a case study approach and carried out successive surveys on 12 farms (Poitou- Charentes region, France). For each farm, we identifi ed (1) the reasons of the presence and the localization of plot boundaries and (2) whether plot boundaries were permanent or not over time. Once we had defi ned diff erent types of plot boundaries, we evaluated their conceptual validity. We in particular tested the underlying hypothesis that the duration of plot boundaries depended on two criteria considered at the farm scale: (1) the yearly crop proportions and (2) the plot areas. To do so, we designed a virtual experimentation for simulating diff erent cropping plans scenarios by varying the two above-cited criteria. The virtual experimentation was carried out by coupling two computer tools: APILand and LandSFACTS. Results and discussion We identifi ed 84 plot boundaries inside the 256 fi elds of the 12 surveyed farms. We defi ned four types of plot boundaries, depending on their duration over time and their determining factors, and showed that: (1) plot boundaries can be either permanent or temporary. By “permanent”, we mean that the plot boundary remains every year at the same place. By “temporary”, we on the contrary mean that the plot boundary can appear and disappear depending on years, but still at the same place inside the fi eld. (2) There were two classes of factors determining plot boundaries: biophysical factors for 42% of plot boundaries (e.g. soil type) and agronomic ones for 58% of plot boundaries (e.g. crop proportions at farm scale). While biophysical-boundaries were mostly permanent (94%), we found that the duration of agronomic-boundaries (29% of permanent agronomic-boundaries and 71% of temporary agronomic- boundaries) depended on two criteria considered at the farm scale: the plot areas and the yearly crop proportions constraints. To evaluate this conceptual modelling of plot delineation, we simulated diff erent cropping plans scenarios thanks to the coupled tool APILandSFACTS. The simulation results on a mixed crop-livestock farm confi rmed that permanent agronomic-boundaries were mandatory every year to avoid strong interannual crop proportion variations and have yearly crop proportion constraints respected every year at farm scale. In contrast, temporary agronomic-boundaries were only sometimes necessary to punctually adjust or smooth interannual crop proportion variations. These temporary agronomic- boundaries aimed at increasing farmers’ fl exibility in the choice of cropping plans at farm scale. It now would be interesting to test the wider relevance of our results in other contexts, in particular in contexts where farmers do not aim at avoiding strong interannual crop proportion variations and in contexts with diff erent biophysical constraints (e.g. soil salinity, fl ooded soils). To conclude, our insights about diff erent types of plot boundaries should contribute to improving the representation of plot spatial arrangements in landscape models. P2-91 591 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-91 592 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Evaluating impact of organic agriculture in GHG emissions at a national level: analysis framework Vitali, Giuliano1; Baldoni, Guido2; Albertazzi, Sergio2; Signorotti, Claudio2; Cardillo, Concetta3; Della Chiara, Marco3; Bazzani, Guido4; Canavari, Maurizio2 1University of Bologna, ITALY; 2Univ.Bologna, ITALY; 3INEA, ITALY; 4CNR, ITALY P2-92 Estimating expected contributions of organic agriculture to GHG mitigation can be mostly considered a yet unsolved problem. At a national level, Italian project BIOSUS has the main aim to estimate the capability of such a new course of agricultural management to increase agriculture C storage by means of a farm-scale bio-economical model (MAD) oriented to relate this capability to farm net income. The model development started with most complete and reliable Italian data-base, RICA (compliant to EU-FADN, year 2007, maintained from INEA), refl ecting about 1% of Italian agriculture holdings. On the base model objectives farm structure has been described at three diff erent granularities. The lowest level of detail is represented by super-structure identifying 4 main farm activities: husbandry (ZOO), natural surfaces (NAT), tree-crops (ARB) and arable land (SEM), which are related to diff erent farm management processes (and model components). At an intermediate level of detail farm is described by 14 macro-activities (10 land uses:BO- woodland, PR-meadows, SA-set-aside, FO-forage-crop, CR-cereals, RI-rice, IN-intensive, AR-fruit-trees, VT- wineyards, AB-low-input tree crops; 4 husbandry types: EC: meat cattle, EL: dairy cattle, SU:pigs, OC:ovines) that has been used to specify technical parameters as resource requirements (average fuel, labour, fertilizers, pesticides) and C fl ux parameters (on the base of phyto-climatic zone). The lower level of detail refers to crop classes from RICA data-base (EC, 2008) and it has been used to specify those parameters more related to the crops that are actually cultivated in a given area as market prices. Former results of present investigation are a classifi cation of farms (about 9.000) present in 2007 census as shown in fi gure 1 and of practiced rotations (Arbertazzi et al., 2012). Farm-set analysis has been used to build up a model (MAD) and the relative parameter data-base. The former has been written in GAMS, and its main components are described in fi gure 1: it aims to optimize (economically) a farm structure (without changing its main composition in terms of super-structure, likely FSSIM,Van Ittersum and Wery, 2007) and compute environmental indicators. Diff erent sets of crop rotations can be used for a conventional and organic management scenarios, to estimate which is the expected diff erences of C stored Figure 1. Main Italian farm types emerging from RICA data-base. Pie sector angles refl ects composition in terms of the 3 super-activities (SEM-light grey, ARB-dark grey, NAT-gray) whereas the inner dot informs on the presence of husbandry; fi gures tells the percentage of each type on RICA db. Figure 2. Model and farm structure 593 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 P2-92 in soil and wood together with farmer’s net income one. Such estimates are useful in subsidy-driven agriculture to estimate subsidies farmers need to consider to turn to organic. Furthermore results can be used at a national level to estimate diff erences of GHG emission from diff erent agricultural land management, understand the impact of organic agriculture policies and for a more correct distribution of subsidies. References Albertazzi S., Baldoni G., Della Chiara M., Cardillo C., Trisorio A., Vitali G., Canavari M., 2012, Identi fi cation of main crop rotations in diff erent Italian environments from RICA farm database. ESA 2012. Van Ittersum M.K., Wery J., 2007, Integrated assessment of agricultural systems at multiple scales. In J.H.J. Spiertz, P.C. Struik and H.H. van Laar (eds.), Scale and Complexity in Plant Systems pp303-317, Springer. EC, 2008, establishing a Community typology for agricultural holdings - EC- 1242/2008, Offi cial Journal of the European Union, 335/3. 594 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Alphabetical list of authors Bergkvist, Göran P1-01 Bernhardt, K. G. 241-5 Bertholdsson, Nils-Ove 431-2 Bertrand, Michel 132-3 Biau, Anna 432-6 Bienkowski, Jerzy Franciszek 443-5 Biernath, Christian 141-1, P1-02 Bilalis, Dimitrios P2-34 Bimsteine, Gunita 221-5, P1-52 Birman, Delphine 522-2 Bissett, Andrew 132-1K Bittner, Sebastian P1-02 Bobinas, Ceslovas 231-6 Bockstaller, Christian 241-2, P1-08 Boelt, Birte 242-5 Bogard, M 242-1K Bogers, M. 241-5 Böhm, Herwart 443-2, P2-57 Bonari, Enrico 522-5, P1-85, P1-88, P1-92 Bondeau, Alberte P2-72 Bongcam-Rudloff , Erik P1-50 Bono, Giuseppe P2-19, P2-65 Boogaard, Hendrik 141-1 Boote, Ken J. 141-1 Borin, Maurizio 442-4, P2-50 Borrelli, Lamberto P1-26, P1-71, P2-81 Bosco, Simona P1-92 Böttcher, Ulf 131-1, 131-3, P1-25, P2-11 Boussard, Hugues P2-91 Bouwman, Alexander 433-4 Bregaglio, Simone 131-6, 141-2, 441-2, P1-05 Brenna, Stefano P2-76 Brun, François 211-5 Brunel-Muguet, Sophie 131-2, 242-2 Brunotte, Joachim P1-76 Buchmann, Nina 441-5 Bunce, R. G. H. 241-5 Bunzel, Katja 212-1K Buono, Vito P1-06 Burchill, William 433-5 Butier, Arnaud P2-46 Büttner, Mirko 222-1 Cabassi, Giovanni P1-12, P1-26, P1-71, P2-81 Cadoux, Stéphane P1-84 Campi, Pasquale 222-4 Canavari, Maurizio P2-87, P2-92 Canet, R. 132-4 Cannavacciuolo, Mario P1-67 Cano, M. P2-06 Capecchi, Lorenzo P1-83 Cappelli, Giovanni 441-2 Caputo, F. P1-70 Cardillo, Concetta P2-87, P2-92 Cardinali, Alessandra P2-74 Cardoso, Rita M 441-1 Carletti, Paolo P2-74 Carney, John P2-04 Carozzi, Marco P2-75, P2-76 Caruso, Giovanni P1-68, P1-69 Casadebaig, Pierre P1-09 Casebow, Richard 521-4 Cass, Susannah P2-31 Cassagne, Nathalie P1-67 Cassman, Kenneth 141-5, 142-2 Castellazzi, Marie P2-91 Castellini, Mirko P2-25 Catterou, Manuella 222-6 Cavalli, Daniele P1-12, P1-26 Centonze, Diego P2-29 Cestone, Benedetta P2-49 Chabbi, Abad 411-2 Champclou, David 432-1 Champolivier, Luc P1-09 Charfeddine, Monia P2-25 Charrier, Xavier 221-2, P1-49 Chatskikh, Dmitri P1-07 Chatzivassilliou, Elisavet P1-57 Chauvel, Bruno 241-2 Chergaoui, Abdelaziz P2-89 Chirinda, Ngonidzashe P1-04 Chiurugwi, Tinashe P1-19 Cho, Jung-Lai P2-59 Acutis, Marco P2-75, P2-76 Adamovics, Aleksandrs P1-80, P1-81, P1-82, P2-47 Afi f, Elias P1-13, P2-10 Agacka, Monika P2-53 Ahmadi, N. P2-07 Ahmed, Lina 411-2 Al-Shamari, Magda 521-5, P2-26 Al-swedi, Fadil 521-5, P2-26 Alaru, Maarika P1-32 Albajes, Ramon 221-1K Albarran, Mª del Mar P2-60 Albergo, Roberto 442-4 Albertazzi, Sergio P2-87, P2-92 Alberto, Puggioni P2-68 Aliau, C. P2-06 Allard, V 242-1K Amein, Tahsein P1-50 Amiaud, Bernard 241-2 An, Nan-Hee P2-59 Angelini, Luciana G. P1-88, P2-48, P2-49 Angelopoulos, Nickolas P1-04 Angevin, Frédérique 231-3, P1-08 ,P1-46 Angulo, Carlos 232-5 Antanasovic, Svetlana 422-5, 422-6 Anten, Niels 211-1 Antonio Ordoñez, Raziel P2-01 Arndorfer, Michaela 241-1, 241-5 Asari, Shashidar P1-50 Asplund, Linnéa P1-01 Asseng, Senthold 141-4 Aubry, Christine P2-91 Augustin, Jürgen P2-83 Avice, Jean Christophe 131-2 Baab, G. 132-4 Bachinger, Johann 412-4 Baddeley, John 412-2, P2-32 Bailey, Debra 241-1 Balács, Katalin 241-1 Balazs, K. 241-5 Baldoni, Guido P2-87, P2-92 Balodis, Oskars 231-5 Bana, Anil 142-4 Bandiera, Marianna 431-1 Bankina, Biruta 221-5, 231-5, P1-52 Barba, Nuno W.G. 441-1 Barbanti, Lorenzo P1-83 Barbet-Massin, Claire P1-30 Barbi, F. P2-06 Baresel, Peter P2-90 Barkaoui, Karim 411-2 Barkusky, Dietmar 443-4 Baron, Christian 141-1 Barra, Vincent 441-5 Barre, Philippe 411-2 Barros, Flávio 441-1 Bartusevics, Janis 212-5 Baruth, Bettina P1-11 Basci, F. P2-06 Basset-Mens, Claudine 423-6 Basso, Bruno 141-1 Bassu, Simona 141-1 Bataillé, Marie Paule 242-2 Battaglia, Donatella P1-39 Baudry, Jacques 522-2 Baux, Alice P2-03 Bavec, Franc P1-63, P2-85 Bavec, Martina P1-63, P2-85 Bazot, Mathieu 412-5, P1-90 Bazzani, Guido P2-92 Beauclair, Patrick 242-2 Beaudoin, Nicolas 222-6 Bebeli, Penelope P1-34 Bechini, Luca P1-12 Bedoussac, Laurent 432-1 Begas, S. P2-06 Begg, Graham 422-4 Bejai, Sarosh P1-50 Bellocchi, Gianni 441-5 Ben Touhami, Haythem 441-5 Bendidi, Abderazak P2-55, P2-89 Benoît, Marc 411-1, 423-2, P2-91 Berder, Julie 231-1, P1-46, P2-46 Bergez, Jacques-Eric 211-5, 441-4, P1-08 595 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Choi, Hyun-Sug P2-88 Choisis, J.-P. 241-5 Christen, Olaf 222-1 Chynoweth, Richard 242-5 Cirelli, Giuseppe Luigi 442-4 Claessens, Lieven 141-5 Clouvel, Pascal 522-2 Colbach, Nathalie 221-3, 413-5 Coll, Patrice 432-3 Collins, Rosemary P2-32 Colnenne-David, Caroline 432-5, 443-3 Colomb, Bruno P1-08 Combes, Didier 411-2 Confalonieri, Roberto 131-6, 441-2, P1-05 Conijn, Sjaak 141-1 Constantin, Julie 442-2 Corbeels, Marc 141-1 Cordeiro, António M 441-1 Corre-Hellou, Guénaëlle 211-4 Coste, Françoise 211-4 Courtois, B. P2-07 Craheix, Damien P1-08 Crowley, Oliver P2-32 Cruz, Pablo 411-2 Cupina, Branko 422-5, 422-6 Cuttle, Steve P2-32 Dabkevicius, Zenonas P1-87, P1-94 Dabrowicz, Radoslaw 443-5 Dach, Jacek P2-64 Daoui, Khalid P2-20, P2-55, P2-89 Dauber, Jens P2-52 David, Christophe 413-4 De Marco, Alexandra 522-6 De Maria, Susanna P1-39 de Melo e Abreu, José Paulo 441-1 De Oliveira, Tatiana 132-3 De Sanctis, Giacomo 141-1 Debaeke, Philippe P1-09, P1-30 Debolini, Marta 522-5 Decau, Marie-Laure 411-2 Decock, Simon P1-49 Degano, Luigi P1-12, P1-26, P1-71, P2-81 Deihimfard, Reza P1-41, P2-23 Delbac, Lionel 432-3, P1-42 Della Chiara, Marco P2-87, P2-92 Delmotte, Sylvestre 441-3 Demay, Charlotte P1-84 Dennis, Peter 241-1, 241-5 Denoroy, Pascal 132-5 Deryng, Delphine 141-1 DeSilva, J 242-1K Deumlich, Detlef 443-4 Deveikyte, Irena P1-54, P1-55 Di Bene, Claudia 522-5 Di Benedetto, Nilde Antonella P2-27 Diaz, Mario P1-61 Djordjevic, Vuk 422-5 Dogliotti, Santiago 522-1, 522-3 Doisy, Diana 221-2, 221-3 Doltra, Jordi P1-10 Donatelli, Marcello 141-2, 141-3K, P1-05, P1-11, P1-15, P1-16, P1-17 Dong, Yan 432-4 Donn, Suzanne 132-1K Doré, Thierry 221-4, 432-5, 443-3, P1-08 Döring, Thomas P2-32, P2-56, P2-90 Dragoni, Federico P1-85 Dramalis, C. P2-06 Dramalis, Christos P2-05, P2-07 Dramstad, W. 241-5 Dratkiewicz, Piotr P1-27 Drewer, Julia 222-5 Drouet, Jean-Louis 222-5 Duchovskiene, Laisvune 231-6 Dufossé, Karine 222-5 Dufour, Lydie 222-3, P2-37 Dulos, Léa 432-2 Dupraz, Christian 222-3 Durand, Jean-Louis 141-1, 411-2 Dürr, Carolyne 211-4 Duveiller, Gregory 141-3K, P1-11 Dyman, Tetyana 241-1 Ebrahimi, Elnaz P2-35 Ebrahimi, Nashmin P1-65 Eckersten, Henrik 232-2 Egilmez, Petra P1-66 Eiter, S. 241-5 Ekbom, Barbara 241-3K Eli, Vered P2-68 Engan, G. 241-5 Enrico, Bonari P2-68 Erbs, Martin 442-5 Erdei, Éva P1-86 Eremeev, Viacheslav P1-32 Eric, Pero 422-6 Esala, Martti P2-79 Escobar-Gutierrez, Abraham 411-2 Etienne, Philippe 131-2, 242-2 Eurola, Merja P2-40 Evers, Jochem B. 131-4 Ewert, Frank 211-3, 232-5, 421-5, P1-21 Fangmeier, Andreas P1-02 Fanti, Paolo P1-39 Fasoula, Vasilia P1-34 Fatemi, Zain El Abidine P2-55, P2-89 Fauquet-Alekhine- Pavlovskaya, Elena 442-1 Fayaud, Benoit 211-4 Feledyn-Szewczyk, Beata P1-44, P1-60 Félix, Irène P1-45 Ferchaud, Fabien 222-2, P1-84, P1-95 Fermaud, Marc 432-3, P1-42 Fernández-Martínez, José María P2-09 Ferrante, Ariel P1-33 Ferrara, Rossana Monica P2-75, P2-76 Filipe, João A.N. 221-4 Finckh, Maria P2-90 Finell, Michael 212-2 Fiore, Maria Carola P2-18, P2-19, P2-65 Fischer, Jenny 443-2 Fjellstad, W. 241-5 Fjellstad, Wendy 241-1 Flagella, Zina P2-27, P2-28, P2-29 Flenet, Francis 131-1 Florio, Giulia 442-4, P2-50 Fogelberg, Fredrik 232-3 Fortino, Gabriele 231-3, P1-46 Foulkes, MJ 242-1K Fountaine, James P1-73 Fournier, Thomas 411-1 Fowler, D. Brian 421-1K Frak, Ela 411-2 Frank, T. 241-5 Frasso, Nicolò 131-6 Friedel, J. K. 241-5 Friedel, Jürgen 241-1 Fuccella, Roberto P1-12, P1-26 Fuller, Michael Paul 521-5, P2-26 Fülöp, Mihály 212-4 Fumagalli, Davide P1-11 Fustec, Joëlle P1-67 Gaba, Sabrina 241-2 Gabrielle, Benoît 222-5, 423-6, 443-3 Gaile, Zinta 212-5, 231-5 Gaiser, Thomas 232-5 Gaju, O 242-1K Garchi, Salah 241-1 García-Tejera, Omar P2-09 Garcia, Frédérick 441-4 Gardarin, Antoine 211-4 Gary, Christian 231-2, 423-5 Gasparini, Valentina P1-48, P2-74 Gastal, François 411-2 Gayler, Sebastian 141-1, P1-02 Geijzendor ff er, Ilse 241-1, 241-5 Gelsomino, Antonio P1-75, P2-39 Gennai, Clizia P1-69 Gericke, Dirk P2-82 Ghesquière, Marc 411-2 Giglio, Luisa P2-25 Gilgen, Anna Katarina 441-5 Gill, Kulvinder 431-3 Giller, Ken 433-4 Gilligan, Christopher A. 221-4 Gillingham, P. 241-5 Gislum, Rene 242-5 Giuliani, Marcella Michela P2-27, P2-29 Giuzio, Luigia P2-27, P2-29 Goglio, Pietro 443-3 Gonzalez-Bornay, Guillermo P1-61 596 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Gooding, Mike 521-4, P1-51, P2-04 Gorgoso, J. Javier P1-13, P2-10 Goudier, Damien 131-2 Goulevant, Gael 423-3 Gozdowski, Dariusz P1-27 Grandeau, Gilles 432-5 Granger, Sylvie 413-5 Graß, Rikard P2-11 Grassini, Patricio 141-1, 141-5, 142-2 Gresta, Fabio P2-39 Greveniotis, Vasileios P1-34, P1-38 Gri ffi ths, S 242-1K Grigatti, Marco P1-83 Gristina, Luciano P2-17 Gronle, Annkathrin P2-57 Groot, Jeroen C.J. 522-3, 522-4 Grove, Ivan 421-3 Gucci, Riccardo P1-68, P1-69 Guichard, Laurence P1-08 Guilpart, Nicolas 432-3 Gupta, Naveen 142-4 Gutmane, Iveta P2-47 Guyot, Sébastien H.M. 413-5 Haigh, Ian 421-3 Hajiboland, Roghieh P1-65 Hakala, Kaija 423-1 Hakojärvi, Mikko P1-14 Halling, Magnus 232-2 Hare, Martin 421-3 Harsányi, Endre P1-86 Hartikainen, Helinä P1-65, P1-66 Hatfi eld, Jerry L. 141-1 Hautala, Mikko P1-14 Hawes, Cathy P2-33 Hazard, Laurent 411-2 Heath, William 421-3 Hecker, Jens-Martin 412-4 Hentschel, Rainer P1-02 Herz, Patrick P2-61 Herzog, Felix 241-1, 241-4, 241-5 Herzon, Iryna P2-78 Hietaniemi, Veli P2-40 Hledik, Pavel P2-67 Hochman, Zvi 142-3 Hoek, Steven B. 141-1 Hoff mann, Peter P1-02 Högy, Petra P1-02 Holka, Malgorzata 443-5 Holmes, Helen P1-19 Horaczek, Tomasz P1-27 Houst, Martin P2-67 Howlett, Sally P2-32 Huat, Joël 423-6 Hubert, Bernard 522-2 Hughes, J. d’A. 531-1K Huising, Jeroen 142-5 Hülsbergen, Kurt-Jürgen 241-4, 241-5 Humphreys, James 433-5 Hunt, James 132-1K Huusela-Veistola, Erja 423-1 Hyrkäs, Maarit P2-16, P2-63 Iannetta, Pietro 412-3K, 422-4, P2-33 Ibijbijen, Jamal P2-20 Idziak, Robert P2-64 Ingver, Anne P1-56 Insam, H. 132-4 Izaurralde, Cesar 141-1 Jacobs, Anna P2-58, P2-69 Jalli, Heikki 423-1 Jalli, Marja 423-1 Jankowiak, Janusz 443-5 Jat, M. L. 142-4 Jauhiainen, Lauri 423-1 Jeanneret, Philippe 241-1, 241-4, 241-5 Jee, Hyeong-Jin P2-59, P2-88 Jerkovich, G. 241-5 Jeuff roy, Marie-Hélène 412-5, P1-90 Joannon, Alexandre P2-91 Johansson, Anna P1-50 Jokela, Venla 232-4 Joly, François-Xavier P1-67 Jonczyk, Krzysztof P2-41 Jones, Hannah P1-51, P2-32 Jones, James W. 141-1 Jongman, Rob 241-1, 241-5 Jongschaap, Raymond 141-1 Jouany, Claire 411-2 Journet, Etienne-Pascal 432-1 Juarez, Enrique P1-61 Julier, Bernadette 411-2 Justes, Eric 412-1, 432-1, 442-2 Juutinen, Elina P2-63 Kadziuliene, Zydre P1-54, P1-87, P1-94 Kage, Henning 131-1, 131-3, P1-25, P2-11, P2-82, P2-83 Kainz, Maximilian 241-1, 241-4, 241-5 Kajji, Abdellah P2-20 Kakitis, Aivars P1-82 Kalaji, Mohamed Hazem P1-27 Kambouzia, Jafar P1-41, P2-15 Kamiñska, Sonia P2-71 Kanellopoulos, Argyris 522-4 Kangor, Tiia P1-03, P1-56 Känkänen, Hannu 423-1 Karapanos, Ioannis P2-34 Kargiotidou, Anastasia P1-57 Karkleliene, Rasa 231-6 Karley, Alison P2-33 Kartaatmadja, Sunendar 142-4 Katajajuuri, Juha-Matti 443-1 Katamadze, Merabs 231-5 Katsantonis, Dimitrios P2-05, P2-06, P2-07 Kaul, Hans-Peter P2-35, P2-61, P2-62 Kaur, Ravneet 521-2 Kaymak, S. 132-4 Keatinge, F.J.D. 531-1K Keatinge, J.D.H (Dyno) 531-1K Kelderer, M. 132-4, P1-70 Kemanian, Armen 141-1 Kenedy Etone, Epie 212-3 Kersebaum, Kurt Christian 141-1, 211-2, 443-4 Keskitalo, Marjo 423-1 Kettlewell, Peter 421-3 Keussayan, Nathalie 211-5 Khazaei, Hamid 411-5 Kihara, Job 142-5 Kirkby, Clive 132-1K Kirkegaard, John 132-1K Klein, Christian P1-02 Knox, Oliver P1-73 Koch, Heinz-Josef P2-58, P2-69 Kontopoulou, Charis- Konstantina 422-1, P2-34 Koppel, Mati P1-03 Koppel, Reine P1-03, P1-56 Kornher, Alois 232-2 Koutroubas, Spiridon P2-05, P2-07 Koutsika-Sotiriou, Metaxia P1-38 Kreita, Dzintra 231-5 Kreuger, Emma 212-2 Krstic, Djordje 422-5, 422-6 Kryzeviciene, Aldona P1-87 Kupisch, Moritz 211-3, P1-21 Kuzmin, Igor P1-07 Kwang-Lai, Park P2-59 Kymäläinen, Maritta P1-89 Lääniste, Peeter P1-32 Lacroix, Bernard 211-5 Lafond, David 231-2 Lagerberg- Fogelberg, Charlotte 232-3 Lamb, William 433-2 Lammirato, Carlo P2-75 Landé, Nathalie 432-1, 432-2 Lane, Stuart 521-5 Langensiepen, Matthias 211-3, P1-21 Lanigan, Gary 433-5 Lapina, Liga 221-5 Lardy, Romain 441-5 Last, Luisa 241-1 Lauk, Ruth P1-32 Laus, Maura Nicoletta P2-27, P2-28 Lazraq, Abderahim P2-55 Le Barh, Catherine P2-78 Lebas, Guillaume 222-6 Leclerc, Melen 221-4 Ledesma, D. 531-1K Lee, Byung-mo P2-59 Lee, Sang-min P2-59, P2-88 Lee, Youn P2-59, P2-88 Leelarasamee, Natthanon P1-50 Leff elaar, Peter P1-18 LeGouis, J 242-1K 597 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Leip, Adrian 522-6 Lemola, Riitta P1-89, P2-79 Leterme, Philippe 432-2 Levy, Lilia P2-03 Li, Dejun 433-5 Licker, Rachel 142-2 Lindahl, Lennart 232-3 Lindström, K P1-79 Litrico, Isabelle 411-2 Lizarazo Torres, Clara Isabel P2-36 Lizaso, Jon 141-1, P1-20 Llao, R. P2-06 Lloveras, Jaume 432-6 Loddo, Donato P1-47, P1-48 López-Bernal, Álvaro P2-13 Lopez-Diaz, María Lourdes P1-61 Lopez-Ridaura, Santiago 423-3, 441-3, 522-2 Lopez, J. Enrique P2-10 Lopez, O. P2-06 Louarn, Gaëtan 411-2 Loyce, Chantal P1-45 Lucas, Philippe 221-4 Lucchini, Paola 431-1 Luhtanen, Juha 232-4 Luna, Fernando P1-97 Lupotto, E. P2-07 Lüscher, Gisela 241-1, 241-4, 241-5 Mahieu, Stéphanie P2-37 Maia, Frederico B 441-1 Maiorano, Andrea 141-2, P1-15, P1-16, P1-17 Majchrzak, Leszek P2-64 Majumdar, Kaushik 142-4 Mäkelä, Pirjo 212-3, P1-66, P1-79, P1-93, P2-70 Makowski, David 141-1, 412-5 Malézieux, Eric 423-6 Manderscheid, Remy 442-5 Mandryk, Maryia 522-4 Manici, Luisa M. 132-4, P1-70 Manzoor, Shahid P1-50 Mari, Jean-François 423-2 Marino Gallina, Pietro P1-12, P1-26 Marraccini, Elisa 522-5 Marrou, Helene 222-3 Martín-Lammerding, Diana P1-20, P2-60 Martin, Philippe P2-91 Martin, Pierre 522-2 Martre, P 242-1K Mary, Bruno 222-2, 222-6, P1-95 Masin, Roberta P1-47, P1-48 Mastrorilli, Marcello 222-4 Máté, Ferenc P1-74 Mateos, Luciano 431-5K Mattsson, Jan Erik 212-2 Matyka, Mariusz P1-60 Mazel, B. P2-06 McCalman, Heather P2-32 Médiène, Sa fi a 221-2, 221-3, P1-49 Meijer, Johan P1-50 Mérot, Anne 231-2, 432-3, 423-5, P1-42 Messéan, Antoine 231-3, P1-46 Mestries, Emmanuelle P1-09 Metay, Aurélie 231-2, 432-3, P2-37 Métral, Raphaël 231-2 Meuriot, Frédéric 411-2 Mézière, Delphine 413-5 Michalska-Klimczak, Beata P2-71 Mignolet, Catherine 423-2 Mihailovic, Vojislav 422-5 Mikic, Aleksandar 422-5, 422-6 Mikkonen, A P1-79 Milani, Mirco 442-4 Mirschel, Wilfried 211-2 Modugno, A. Francesca 222-4 Mohan, Amita 431-3 Mollier, Alain 131-2, 132-5, 413-3 Monti, Andrea P1-96, P1-97 Monti, Michele P1-75, P2-39 Morales, Alejandro P1-18 Moreau- Valancogne, Pascaline 132-3 Moreau, D 242-1K Morel, Christian 132-5 Moreno, Gerardo 241-1, P1-61 Morris, N L 413-2 Morvan-Bertrand, Annette 411-2 Mosca, Giuliano 431-1 Motta, Silvia Renata P1-71, P2-81 Mouret, Jean-Claude 441-3 Mugny, Corinne P2-03 Müller, Anna-Lena P2-52 Müller, Christoph 141-1, P2-72 Murphy-Bokern, Donal 412-3K, 522-6 Mutasa-Gottgens, E ffi e P1-19 Nábrádi, András 212-4 Naef, A. 132-4 Nagy, János P2-86 Nassi o Di Nasso, Nicoletta P1-85, P1-88, P1-92 Navarro, Alejandra 222-4 Navas, Mariela P2-60 Negrini, Giorgio 131-6 Nelson, Roger P1-11 Nendel, Claas 141-1, 211-2 Nesme, Thomas 413-3, 413-4 Nesterova, Irina 442-1 Neugschwandtner, Reinhard P2-35, P2-61, P2-62 Neukam, Dorothee 131-3 Neves, Alcinda 441-1 Ni, Kang P2-82 Niazi, Adnan P1-50 Niemeyer, Stefan 141-3K Niollet, Sylvie 132-5 Nkurunziza, Libère 232-2 Nkwiine, Charles 241-1 Nolot, Jean-Marie 412-1 Novara, Agata P2-17 Nowak, Benjamin 413-4 Nunes, Luis F 441-1 Nykänen, Arja P1-89 Ocampo, Apolonio 142-4 Okereke, Victor P1-51 Okoth, Peter 142-5 Oldenburg, Elisabeth P1-77 Oleksiak, Tadeusz P1-35 Olesen, Jørgen Eivind P1-10, P1-24 Oliveira, J. Alberto P1-13, P2-10 Omon, Bertrand P1-45 Oosterhuis, Derrick 411-4 Orford, S 242-1K Orgaz, Francisco 431-5K Oschatz, M. L. 241-5 Ourry, Alain 131-2, 242-2 Pacholski, Andreas P2-82, P2-83 Pagliai, Marcello P1-68 Pagowski, Krzysztof P2-71 Pakarinen, Kirsi P2-16, P2-63 Palencia, Pedro P1-13, P2-10 Palermo, Carmen P2-29 Pallas-Areny, R. P2-06 Palumbo, A. Domenico 222-4 Pampolino, Mirasol 142-4 Paoletti, Maurizio G. 241-1 Papadopoulos, Ioannis P1-34 Papaja- Hülsbergen, Susanne 241-4, 241-5 Pappa, Valentini A. 412-2, 422-1, P1-04, P1-73, P2-34 Pask, A 242-1K Passot, Sixtine 412-1 Pastore, Donato P2-27, P2-28 Pasuquin, Julie Mae 142-4 Paura, Liga 221-5 Pearce, Helen P2-32, P2-56 Pecio, Alicja 421-2 Pejic, Borivoje 422-6 Pellegrini, Sergio P1-68 Pellerin, Sylvain 413-3, 413-4 Pellet, Didier P2-03 Pelosi, Céline 132-3 Peltonen-Sainio, Pirjo 232-1K Pelzer, Elise 412-5, P1-46, P1-90 Peoples, Mark 132-1K Perez, Sarah 423-3 Perrin, Aurélie 423-6 Petrovičová, Beatrix P1-75 Piaud, Sébastien P1-45 Picon-Cochard, Catherine 411-2 Piechota, Tomasz P2-64 Pietkiewicz, Stefan P1-27 Piff anelli, P. P2-07 Pilarski, Krzysztof P2-64 Pinar, H. 132-4 598 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Pinochet, Xavier P2-46 Plantureux, Sylvain 241-2 Platace, Rasma P1-80 Pointereau, Philippe 241-1, 241-5, 433-1K Poisa, Liena P1-81 Poma, Ignazio P2-17, P2-18, P2-19, P2-65 Pompa, Marianna P2-29 Popp, József 212-4 Pottier, Julien 411-2 Prade, Thomas 212-2 Preiti, Giovannni P2-39 Priekule, Ilze 221-5, P1-52 Priesack, Eckart 141-1, P1-02 Pristeri, Aurelio 422-1, P2-39 Prochazka, Jaromir P2-66, P2-67 Prochazkova, Blanka P2-66, P2-67 Prudhomme, Marie-Pascale 411-2 Pulido, Fernando P1-61 Pulkkinen, Hannele 443-1 Qi, Aiming P1-19 Quemada, M P1-20 Raada, Sarah P2-55 Ragaglini, Giorgio P1-85, P1-92, P2-68 Ragán, Péter P2-86 Ramdani, Abdelhamid P2-89 Rampin, Enrico 131-1 Rana, Gianfranco P2-75, P2-76 Randazzo, Biagio P2-17, P2-18, P2-19 Rasiukeviciute, Neringa 231-6 Rátonyi, Tamás P1-86 Raynal, Helène 441-4 Razouk, Rachid P2-20, P2-55, P2-89 Reau, Raymond P1-08 Rebetzke, Greg 132-1K Reckling, Moritz 412-4 Rees, Robert M. 412-2, 412-3K, 422-1, 422-4, P1-04, P1-73, P2-34 Regina, Kristiina 443-1 Reidsma, Pytrik 522-4 Reinsdorf, Eric P2-69 Reutter, Michaela 443-4 Ribeiro, António C 441-1 Richardson, Alan 132-1K Ricou, Charles 241-2 Rihan, Hail 521-5, P2-26 Rivelli, Anna Rita P1-39 Roche, Romain 443-3 Roderick, Steven P2-32 Roger-Estrade, Jean 132-3, 221-3 Rolland, Bernard P1-45 Roncucci, Neri P1-88, P1-92, P2-68 Rood, Trudy 522-6 Rosenzweig, Cynthia 141-1 Rossing, Walter 522-1, 522-3 Rötter, Reimund 232-5 Roudet, Jean P1-42 Rousse, Nathalie P1-09 Rozman, Crtomir P1-63, P2-85 Ruane, Alex C. 141-1 Rühmer, T. 132-4 Ruza, Antons 221-5, P1-52 Rykaczewska, Krystyna P2-21 Saastamoinen, Marketta P2-40 Saatkamp, Arne P2-72 Salcedo, Gregorio P1-10 Salvi, Frédéric P1-30 Sampoux, Jean-Paul 411-2 Santanen, Arja 212-3, P1-66, P1-93 Santín-Montanyá, M. I. P1-53 Santiveri, Francisca 432-6 Sardi, Katalin P1-74 Sarno, Mauro P2-17 Sarrazin, François 423-4 Sarthou, J.-P. 241-5 Sarthou, Jean-Pierre 241-1 Sarunaite, Lina P1-54, P1-87 Sattari, Sheida 433-4 Satyanarayana, T. 142-4 Sau, Federico 141-1 Sausserde, Rudite P1-81, P1-82 Sauzet, Gilles 432-2 Savin, Igor 433-3 Savin, Roxana P1-33, P2-01 Savvas, Dimitrios 422-1, P2-34 Sawinska, Zuzanna P2-64 Scalise, Antonella P1-75 Schaller, Noémie P2-91 Schaphoff , Sibyll P2-72 Schillinger, William 431-3 Schittenhelm, Siegfried P2-52 Schläfk e, Nicole 412-4 Schmidt, Olaf P2-31 Schneider, M. K. 241-5 Schneller, Chloé 241-2 Schoo, Burkart P2-52 Schorpp, Quentin P2-52 Schrader, Stefan P1-76, P1-77, P2-52 Schroetter, Susanne P2-52 Seidel, Achim P2-83 Seleiman, Mahmoud F. P1-93 Semaskiene, Roma P1-55 Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu 413-3 Seppänen, Mervi 232-4, P1-65, P1-66 Serrano, E. P2-06 Shapkina, Yulia P1-62 Shcherbak, Iurii 141-1 Siebert, Stefan 421-5 Siebrecht, Norman 241-4, 241-5 Sieling, Klaus P1-25 Signorotti, Claudio P2-92 Sinapidou, Evangelia P1-38, P1-57 Singh, Jaswinder 521-2 Singh, Manjit 521-2 Singh, Surinder 521-2 Skomra, Urszula P2-53 Slafer, Gustavo A. 142-1K, P1-33, P2-01 Slepetys, Jonas P1-87 Smits, Nathalie 432-3, P1-42 Snape, J 242-1K Snider, John 411-4 Soccio, Mario P2-28 Sola, E. P2-06 Soldevilla-Martinez, M P1-20 Sooväli, Pille P1-03, P1-56 Specka, Xenia 211-2 Squire, Geo ff 422-4, P2-33 Srivastava, Amit 141-3K Stadler, Anja 211-3, P1-21 Stalenga, Jaroslaw P2-41 Stanca, M. P1-70 Staniak, Mariola P1-60, P2-41 Steidl, Jörg 443-4 Stella, Tommaso 131-6 Stêpieñ, Wojciech P1-27 Stobart, R M 413-2 Stoddard, Frederick L. 212-3, 411-5, 412-3K, 422-5, P1-66, P1-79, P1-93, P2-36, P2-70 Stomph, TjeerdJan 442-3 Storkey, Jonathan P2-32 Stout, Jane P2-31 Stoyanova, Siyka 241-1 Straus, Sasa P1-63, P2-85 Street, Kenneth 411-5 Strullu, Loïc 222-6 Stukonis, Vaclovas P1-87 Sun, Yiying P1-23 Sung, Jwa-Kyung P2-88 Surviliene, Elena 231-6 Svensson, Sven-Erik 212-2 Sylvester-Bradley, R 242-1K Tamm, Ilmar P1-56 Tamosiunas, Rimantas 231-6 Tan, Han Qi 521-2 Tang, Li 432-4 Tao, Fulu 141-1 Tardieu, Francois 521-1K Targetti, Stefano 241-1, 241-4 Tarsitano, Davide P1-22 Tavarini, Silvia P2-48 Tein, Berit P1-32 Teixeira, Edmar 141-1 Tenorio-Pasamón, J.L. P1-53 Tenorio, José Luis P1-20, P2-60 Terzi, V. P1-70 Testi, Luca 431-5K, P1-18, P2-13 Thiard, Jérome P1-09 Thiéry, Denis 432-3, P1-42 Thiollet-Scholtus, Marie 423-4 Thonicke, Kirsten P2-72 Thrän, Daniela 212-1K 599 ESA12, Helsinki, Finland, 20–24 August 2012 Tilvikiene, Vita P1-87, P1-94 Timlin, Dennis 141-1 Tittonell, Pablo 413-1K, 522-2, 522-3 Todorovic, Mladen P1-06 Toivonen, Marjaana P2-78 Tokatlidis, Ioannis 411-3, P1-34, P1-38, P1-57 Toma, Irene P1-39 Toncea, Ion 422-1 Topp, C.F.E. 412-3K, 412-4, 422-4, 433-2, P1-04, P1- 22, P1-23 Tortorella, Demetrio P1-75 Tozzi, Sabrina P2-49 Tozzini, Cristiano P1-85, P2-68 Triana, Federico P2-68 Tribouillois, Hélène 432-1 Trisorio, Antonella P2-87 Trnka, Miroslav 232-5 Trojak-Goluch, Anna P2-53 Trotta, Vincenzo P1-39 Trouverie, Jacques 131-2 Tsaftaris, Athanasios P1-38 Tsygutkin, Alexander P1-62, P2-42, P2-44 Turinek, Matjaz P2-85 Turtola, Eila P2-79 Tuulos, Antti P1-79, P2-70 Tzantarmas, Constantinos P1-38, P1-57 Umarov, Bakhtiyor P2-45 Uppal, Rajneet 521-4 Uyttewaal, Valérie P1-30 Valagussa, Massimo P1-71 Valantin-Morison, Muriel 231-1, P1-46, P2-46 Valduga, Matéus 423-4 Valentini, Riccardo 433-3 Valiuskaite, Alma 231-6 Vamerali, Teofi lo 431-1 van Bussel, Lenny 141-5, 142-2 van Capelle, Christine P1-76 van Delden, Sander H. 442-3 van der Werf, Wopke 131-4, 432-4 van Ittersum, Martin K. 141-5, 142-2, 433-4, 522-4 van Wart, Justin 141-5, 142-2 Vanaga, Ineta P1-58 Ványiné Széles, Adrienn P2-86 Vasenev, Ivan 433-3, P1-62 Vasileiadis, Vasileios P. 231-3 Vasiljevic, Sanja 422-6 Vecchi, Angela P1-83, P1-96, P1-97 Velasco, Leonardo P2-09 Venezia, Giacomo P2-18 Ventrella, Domenico P2-25 Véricel, Grégory 432-1 Viaggi, Davide 241-1, 241-4 Vignjevic, Marija P1-24 Vignozzi, Nadia P1-68 Villalobos, Francisco J. 431-5K, 441-1, P1-18, P2-09, P2-13 Virkajärvi, Perttu 232-4, P2-16 Vitali, Giuliano P2-87, P2-92 Vitte, Guillaume 222-2, P1-95 Volaire, Florence 411-2 Vos, Jan 131-4, 442-3 Wach, Damian 421-2 Wagner, Susanne 522-6 Waha, Katharina 141-1 Walker, Robin 412-2 Wallach, Daniel 211-5 Walter, Ingrid P1-20, P2-60 Wasson, Anton 132-1K Watson, Christine 412-2, 412-3K, 412-4, 422-4, 433-2 Watt, Michelle 132-1K Weerasinghe, Minuka 421-3 Weigel, Hans-Joachim 442-5, P1-76, P1-77, P2-52 Weih, Martin 232-2, P1-01 Wery, Jacques 222-3, 231-2, 423-5, 432-3 Wéry, Jacques P1-42, P2-37 Westerbergh, Anna P1-01 Westhoek, Henk 522-6 Weymann, Wiebke P1-25 Whittle, I. 132-4 Wieland, Ralf 211-2 Williams, Adrian 522-6 Williams, Michael P2-31, 433-5 Williams, Mike 412-3K Winkler, Jan P1-59 Witing, Felix 212-1K Wolf, Joost 141-5, 142-2 Wolfarth, Friederike P1-77 Wolfe, Martin P2-32 Wolfrum, Sebastian 241-4, 241-5 Wollenweber, Bernd P1-24 Wyszynski, Zdzislaw P1-27, P2-71 Xiao, Ying 423-2 Yehouessi, Wilfried 423-6 Yli-Halla, Markku P1-66, P2-70 Young, Mark 422-4, P2-33 Yun, Hong-Bae P2-88 Zaini, Zulki fl i 142-4 Zakrevskis, Sergejs P1-82 Zambrana-Quesada, E. P1-53 Zand, Eskandar P1-41 Zander, Peter 412-3K, 412-4, 443-4 Zanin, Giuseppe P1-47, P1-48, P2-74 Zatta, Alessandro P1-96, P1-97 Zegada-Lizarazu, Walter P1-96, P1-97 Zhang, Chaochun 432-4 Zhang, Fusuo 432-4 Zhang, Wenxuan 221-2 Zhu, Junqi 131-4 Zingore, Shamie 142-5 Zoidou, Anastasia P1-73 Zou, Ling 212-3, P1-79 Zucchini, Antonio P1-11 36 12 12th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy Helsinki, Finland, 20-24 August 2012