Soil management systems for sustainable melon cropping in the Submedian of the São Francisco Valley.

Changes in soils management systems, including the application of green manure, are able to increase crop productivity. The aim of this study was to propose a soil management system with the use of green manure to improve the nutritional status and melon productivity in the submedian of the São Francisco Valley. The experiment was installed in Typic Plinthustalf and conducted in split plot. There were two soil tillage systems, tillage (T) and no tillage (NT), and three types of green manure (two vegetal cocktails: VC1- 75% legumes (L) + 25% non-legumes (NL); VC2- 25% L+ 75% NL and spontaneous vegetation (SV)). The experimental design was a randomised block with four replications. Fourteen species of legumes, grasses and oilseeds were used for the composition of the plant cocktails. We evaluated production of the dry shoot and root biomass and carbon and nutrient accumulation by green manures and melon plant. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and the treatment means were compared by Tukey´s test (P<0.05). Shoot biomass production and carbon and nutrient accumulation were higher in plant mixtures compared to spontaneous vegetation. The root system of the plant cocktails added larger quantities of biomass and nutrients to the soil to a depth of 0.60 m when compared to the spontaneous vegetation. The cultivation of plant cocktails with soil tillage, regardless of their composition, is a viable alternative for adding biomass and nutrients to the soil in melon crops in semi-arid conditions, providing productivity increases.

Relationships between labile soil organic carbon fractions under different soil management systems.

ABSTRACT: The study of labile carbon fractions (LCF) provides an understanding of the behavior of soil organic matter (SOM) under different soil management systems and cover crops. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different soil management systems with respect to tillage, cover crop and phosphate fertilization on the amount of the LCF of SOM. Treatments consisted of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) with millet as the cover crop and a no-tillage system with velvet bean at two phosphorus dosages. Soil samples were collected and analyzed for organic carbon (OC), C oxidizable by KMnO4 (C-KMnO4), particulate OC (POC), microbial biomass carbon and light SOM in the 0.0-0.05, 0.05-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m soil layers. The Carbon Management Index (CMI) was calculated to evaluate the impacts of soil management treatments on the quality of the SOM. The different LCFs are sensitive to different soil management systems, and there are significant correlations between them. C-KMnO4 is considered the best indicator of OC carbon lability. In the soil surface layers, the CT reduced the carbon content in all of the labile fractions of the SOM. The use of phosphorus led to the accumulation of OC and carbon in the different soil fractions regardless of the tillage system or cover crop. The application of phosphate fertilizer improved the ability of the NTsystem to promote soil quality, as assessed by the CMI.

Knowledge management for ERP success

The business value of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and in general large software implementations has been extensively debated in both popular press and academic literature for over three decades. Despite the positive motives for adoption, various organizations have reported negative impacts from these large investments. This ‘disconnect’ between large IS investments and firms’ organizational performance may be attributable to the economic transition from an era of competitive advantage based on information to one that is based on Knowledge. This paper discusses the initial findings of a two-phased study that focuses on empirically assessing the impact of knowledge management on the success of Enterprise Resource Planning systems. The research study uses information gathered from twenty-seven public sector organizations in Queensland, Australia. Validation of the a priori model constructs through factor analysis identified two dimensions of knowledge management. Further analysis assessed the comparative differences in perceptions of knowledge management in ERP, across four employment cohorts.

Business Process Redesign in Information Technology Incident Management: A teaching case

This paper consists of a detailed case narrative on how a leading Australian Finance organisation has utilised contemporary Business Process Management (BPM) concepts for improving the IT incident management processes within the whole organisation. The target audience includes practitioners who are interested in BPM case studies and Academics who may be seeking case studies for innovative teaching practices.