A global meta-analysis of greenhouse gases emission and crop yield under no-tillage as compared to conventional tillage

AbstractConservation agriculture has been promoted to sustainably intensify food production in smallholder farming systems in southern Africa. However, farmers have rarely fully implemented all its components, resulting in different combinations of no-tillage, crop rotation, and permanent soil cover being practiced, thus resulting in variable yield responses depending on climatic and soil conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the effect of conservation agriculture components on yield stability. We hypothesized that the use of all three conservation agriculture components would perform the best, resulting in more stable production in all environments. We evaluated at, eight trial locations across southern Africa, how partial and full implementation of these components affected crop yield and yield stability compared with conventional tillage alone or combined with mulching and/or crop rotation. Grain yield and shoot biomass of maize and cowpea were recorded along with precipitation for 2 to 5 years. Across different environments, the addition of crop rotation and mulch to no-tillage increased maize grain by 6%, and the same practices added to conventional tillage led to 13% yield increase. Conversely, adding only mulch or crop rotation to no-tillage or conventional tillage led to lower or equal maize yield. Stability analyses based on Shukla’s index showed for the first time that the most stable systems are those in which mulch is added without crop rotation. Moreover, the highest yielding systems were the least stable. Finally, additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis allowed clarifying that mulch added to no-tillage gives stable yields on sandy soil with high rainfall. Similarly, mulch added to conventional tillage gives stable yield on sandy soil, but under low rainfall. This is the first study that highlighted the crucial role of mulch to enhance the stability and resilience of cropping systems in southern Africa, supporting their adaptability to climate change.

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Crop Yield and Nitrous Oxide Emissions following Swine Manure Application: A Meta‐Analysis

ael ◽

10.2134/ael2019.07.0024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 190024 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Weiquan Luo ◽

Peter L. O'Brien ◽

Jerry L. Hatfield

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Swine Manure ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Manure Application

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Microbial biomass and activity at various soil depths in a Brazilian oxisol after two decades of no-tillage and conventional tillage

Soil Biology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.08.013 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 42 (12) ◽

pp. 2174-2181 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

L.C. Babujia ◽

M. Hungria ◽

J.C. Franchini ◽

P.C. Brookes

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

No Tillage

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KIH-485 and S-metolachlor Efficacy Comparisons in Conventional and No-Tillage Corn

Weed Technology ◽

10.1614/wt-05-048r2.1 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 622-626 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Patrick W. Geier ◽

Phillip W. Stahlman ◽

John C. Frihauf

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Palmer Amaranth ◽

Effective Control ◽

No Tillage ◽

Green Foxtail

Field experiments were conducted during 2003 and 2004 to compare the effectiveness of KIH-485 and S-metolachlor for PRE weed control in no-tillage and conventional-tillage corn. Longspine sandbur control increased as KIH-485 or S-metolachlor rates increased in conventional-tillage corn, but control did not exceed 75% when averaged over experiments. Both herbicides controlled at least 87% of green foxtail with the exception of no-tillage corn in 2004, when KIH-485 was more effective than S-metolachlor at lower rates. Palmer amaranth control ranged from 85 to 100% in 2003 and 80 to 100% in 2004, with the exception of only 57 to 76% control at the lowest two S-metolachlor rates in 2004. Puncturevine control exceeded 94% with all treatments in 2003. In 2004, KIH-485 controlled 86 to 96% of the puncturevine, whereas S-metolachlor controlled only 70 to 81%. Mixtures of atrazine with KIH-485 or S-metolachlor generally provided the most effective control of broadleaf weeds studied.

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EFFECT OF SOIL TILLAGE AND PLANT RESIDUE ON SURFACE ROUGHNESS OF AN OXISOL UNDER SIMULATED RAIN

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/01000683rbcs20150187 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 268-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Elói Panachuki ◽

Ildegardis Bertol ◽

Teodorico Alves Sobrinho ◽

Paulo Tarso Sanches de Oliveira ◽

Dulce Buchala Bicca Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Plant Residue ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

No Tillage ◽

Maize Crop ◽

Minimum Tillage ◽

Roughness Index ◽

Simulated Rain

Surface roughness of the soil is formed by mechanical tillage and is also influenced by the kind and amount of plant residue, among other factors. Its persistence over time mainly depends on the fundamental characteristics of rain and soil type. However, few studies have been developed to evaluate these factors in Latossolos (Oxisols). In this study, we evaluated the effect of soil tillage and of amounts of plant residue on surface roughness of an Oxisol under simulated rain. Treatments consisted of the combination of the tillage systems of no-tillage (NT), conventional tillage (CT), and minimum tillage (MT) with rates of plant residue of 0, 1, and 2 Mg ha-1 of oats (Avena strigosa Schreb) and 0, 3, and 6 Mg ha-1 of maize (Zea mays L.). Seven simulated rains were applied on each experimental plot, with intensity of 60±2 mm h-1 and duration of 1 h at weekly intervals. The values of the random roughness index ranged from 2.94 to 17.71 mm in oats, and from 5.91 to 20.37 mm in maize, showing that CT and MT are effective in increasing soil surface roughness. It was seen that soil tillage operations carried out with the chisel plow and the leveling disk harrow are more effective in increasing soil roughness than those carried out with the heavy disk harrow and leveling disk harrow. The roughness index of the soil surface decreases exponentially with the increase in the rainfall volume applied under conditions of no tillage without soil cover, conventional tillage, and minimum tillage. The oat and maize crop residue present on the soil surface is effective in maintaining the roughness of the soil surface under no-tillage.

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Geostatistical analysis of crop yield maps in a long term no tillage system

Bragantia ◽

10.1590/s0006-87052010000500003 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 69 (suppl) ◽

pp. 9-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Osvaldo Guedes Filho ◽

Sidney Rosa Vieira ◽

Marcio Koiti Chiba ◽

Célia Regina Grego

Keyword(s):

Crop Yield ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Spherical Model ◽

Exponential Model ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽

No Tillage ◽

Yield Data ◽

The North ◽

Tillage System

It is known, for a long time, that crop yields are not uniform at the field. In some places, it is possible to distinguish sites with both low and high yields even within the same area. This work aimed to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of some crop yields and to identify potential zones for site specific management in an area under no-tillage system for 23 years. Data were analyzed from a 3.42 ha long term experimental area at the Centro Experimental Central of the Instituto Agronômico, located in Campinas, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The crop yield data evaluated included the following crops: soybean, maize, lablab and triticale, and all of them were cultivated since 1985 and sampled at a regular grid of 302 points. Data were normalized and analyzed using descriptive statistics and geostatistical tools in order to demonstrate and describe the structure of the spatial variability. All crop yields showed high variability. All of them also showed spatial dependence and were fitted to the spherical model, except for the yield of the maize in 1999 productivity which was fitted to the exponential model. The north part of the area presented repeated high values of productivity in some years. There was a positive cross correlation amongst the productivity values, especially for the maize crops.

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Nutrient losses by water erosion

Scientia Agricola ◽

10.1590/s0103-90162003000300025 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 581-586 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Ildegardis Bertol ◽

Eloy Lemos Mello ◽

Jean Cláudio Guadagnin ◽

Almir Luis Vedana Zaparolli ◽

Marcos Roberto Carrafa

Keyword(s):

Soil Management ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Management Systems ◽

Soluble Form ◽

No Tillage ◽

Nutrient Losses ◽

Natural Pasture ◽

Calcium And Magnesium ◽

Nitrogen Phosphorus

Water erosion causes soil degradation, which is closely related to nutrient losses either in, the soluble form or adsorbed to soil particles, depending mainly on the adopted soil management system. This study was carried out in São José do Cerrito, SC, Brazil, between March 2000 and June 2001. The objective was to quantify available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium losses in water erosion obtained with simulated rainfall in the following soil management systems: conventional tillage with no-crop (bare soil) (BS), conventional tillage with soybean (CT), reduced tillage with soybean (RT), no tillage with soybean on a desiccated and burned natural pasture (DBNP), and no tillage with soybean on a desiccated natural pasture (DNP). A rotating boom rainfall simulator was used to perform three rainfall tests with constant intensity of 64 mm h-1 and sufficient duration to reach constant runoff rate, on a clayey-loam, well-structured Typic Hapludox, with an average slope of 0.18 m m-1. The first test was carried out five days before soybean emergence and the second and third at 30 and 60 days, respectively. The nutrient concentration in water and total losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium were higher under CT than in the other soil management systems.

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