Rhizosphere P-Enzyme Activity, Mineral Nutrient Concentrations, and Microbial Community Structure Are Altered by Intra-Hole Cropping of Cowpea With Cereals

In Africa, intercropping and intra-hole cropping systems are common practices used by smallholder farmers to optimize land use and tap the benefits of plant-to-plant interactions. The aim of this study was to evaluate mineral nutrient concentrations, P-enzyme activity and changes in microbial communities in the rhizospheres of sole cropped and intra-hole planted cowpea (cvs. TVu 546 and PAN 311), maize (cv. ZM 521), and sorghum (cv. M48). Cowpea cv. TVu546 intra-hole planted with sorghum (i.e., TVu546+M48) produced the highest rhizosphere acid phosphatase (APase) activity (230.0 μg p-nitrophenol.g−1 soil.h−1). From 16S rRNA Miseq Illumina sequencing, the rhizosphere bacterial community structure was altered by intra-hole cropping, and was dominated by Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia, which together accounted for about >95% of the total sequences. The Sphingobacteria phylum was the dominant microbial group in the rhizosphere soil of all the cropping systems. The Proteobacteria phylum was the second most abundant in this study, which included the beneficial bacteria in all the rhizosphere soils studied. In contrast, typical pathogens like Ralsotonia and Agrobacterium were completely absent, indicating that the intra-hole cropping system can provide protection against soil-borne diseases possibly through elimination by antibiotics and/or phytoalexins present in plant and microbial exudates in the rhizosphere. Mucilaginibacter and Flavobacterium were however selectively present with intra-hole cropping.

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Combined effects of landscape composition and pesticide use on herbivore and pollinator functions in smallholder farms

CABI Agriculture and Bioscience ◽

10.1186/s43170-021-00027-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Quentin Struelens ◽

Diego Mina ◽

Olivier Dangles

Keyword(s):

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Landscape Composition ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Combined Effects ◽

Pollinator Abundance ◽

New Information ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Effect On Yield

Abstract Background Landscape composition has the potential to foster regulating ecosystem services such as pollination and biocontrol in temperate regions. However, most landscape studies do not take pesticide use into account even though it is the main control strategy worldwide and has negative impacts on beneficial insects. Moreover, few studies have explored these combined effects in smallholder cropping system with diverse landscapes and small cultivated fields. Methods We assessed the effect of semi-natural cover and pesticide use on pollinator and herbivore abundances and functions in 9 fields in the Ecuadorian Andes through participatory experiments with smallholder farmers. We performed a path analysis to quantify the effects of landscape and pesticide use on herbivory, pollination and ultimately yield. Results Pesticide use significantly reduced pollinator abundance but had no significant effect on pest abundance. Similarly, we found non-significant effects of landscape composition on either herbivory and pollination. The study also provides new information on understudied Andean lupine’s pests and pollinators, whose application for small farmers is discussed. Finally, we hypothesize that peculiarities of tropical smallholder cropping systems and landscapes could explain the non-significant landscape effects on insect-based processes, which calls for more research in places outside the well-studied temperate region. Conclusions Landscape composition did not show any significant effect on pest and pollinator while pesticide use decreased the abundance pollinators, but with no significant effect on yield. This study also provides information about Andean lupine reproduction and overcompensation mechanisms that could be of interest for local farmers and researchers of this understudied crop.

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Effects of contrasted cropping systems on yield and N balance of upland rainfed rice in Madagascar: Inputs from the DSSAT model

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479720000010 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 355-370

Author(s):

Julie Dusserre ◽

Patrice Autfray ◽

Miora Rakotoarivelo ◽

Tatiana Rakotoson ◽

Louis-Marie Raboin

Keyword(s):

Upland Rice ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

N Uptake ◽

Cropping System ◽

N Balance ◽

Soil N ◽

Smallholder Farming ◽

Velvet Bean ◽

Experimental Conditions

AbstractIn response to the extensive development of upland rice on the hillsides of the Malagasy highlands, alternative cropping systems have been designed based on conservation agriculture (CA). As the promotion of CA in smallholder farming systems is still the subject of debate, its potential benefits for smallholder farmers require further assessment. In the context of resource-poor farmers and low-input production systems, nitrogen (N) is a major limiting nutrient. The effects of contrasted cropping systems have been studied on upland rice yield and N uptake in rainfed conditions: conventional tillage (CT) and CA with a mulch of maize or a legume (Stylosanthes or velvet bean). Decision Support Systems for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop growth model was used to quantify the soil N balance according to the season and the cropping system. The lowest yields were obtained in CA with a mulch of maize and were also associated with the lowest crop N uptake. Upland rice yields were higher or equivalent under CA with a legume mulch than under CT cropping systems. The supply of N was considerably higher in CA with a legume mulch than in CT, but due to higher leaching and immobilization in CA, the final contribution of N from the mulch to the crop was reduced although not negligible. DSSAT has been shown to be sufficiently robust and flexible to simulate the soil N balance in contrasting cropping systems. The challenge is now to evaluate the model in less contrasted experimental conditions in order to validate its use for N uptake and yield prediction in support to the optimization and design of new cropping systems.

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A Socioeconomic Study of Transition Zone Yam Farmers Addressing Constraints and Exploring Opportunities for Integrating Pigeonpea into Yam Cropping Systems

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11030717 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 717 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Patricia Acheampong ◽

Eric Owusu Danquah ◽

Hashini Dissanayake ◽

Princess Hayford ◽

Cholani Weebadde

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Shifting Cultivation ◽

Road Network ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Rural Livelihoods ◽

Cropping System ◽

Income Generation ◽

Viable Option ◽

Poor Knowledge

Cultivation of yams by rural households contributes to food supply and income generation. Notwithstanding the importance of this crop, yam production has been stagnating, threatening rural livelihoods and food security. Contrary to traditional yam systems in Ghana, an alternative system that integrates pigeonpea and yam is being proposed to mitigate constraints in existing yam production system through replenishing soil fertility, the provision of stakes for staking, and providing nutritious grains to farmers. The purpose of this study was to explore farmers’ constraints and determine farmers’ knowledge of the pigeonpea–yam cropping system. The investigation was conducted using structured questionnaires on a sample consisting of 150 yam farmers from three major yam-producing districts of Ghana. Results revealed that access to capital, mechanization, and poor road network were among the main constraints that militated yam production. A majority (68%) farmers are also still using shifting cultivation in search of fertile lands for yam production. The study found that farmers had poor knowledge of the pigeonpea–yam cropping system and the benefits and uses of pigeonpea. Given the potential of the pigeonpea–yam intercropping system in addressing soil fertility and providing a readily available source of stakes, it would be a viable option for smallholder farmers to increase and sustain production.

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Changes on Bacterial and Fungal Soil Communities in Long-Term Organic Cropping Systems

10.20944/preprints202104.0363.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica Cuartero ◽

Onurcan Özbolat ◽

Virginia Sánchez-Navarro ◽

Marcos Egea-Cortines ◽

Raúl Zornoza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Linear Discriminant ◽

Long Term Effect ◽

Bacteria And Fungi

Microbial communities play a key role in sustainable agriculture. However, we still need more in-formation, to understand the complex response of the microbial community to long-term organic farming, which aims to reduce synthetic fertilizer and pesticide use in order to produce sustainably and improve soil quality. We have assessed the long-term effect of two organic cropping systems and a conventional system on the microbial soil community structure using high-throughput se-quencing analysis. We analyzed the link between these communities and changes in soil properties and crop yield. Results showed that the crop yield was similar among the three cropping systems. Soil properties, such as total organic carbon, nitrogen, ammonium, magnesium and boron, influ-enced changes in the bacterial community structure. A linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showed different bacteria and fungi as key microorganism of each of the three different cropping systems, in addition, our results reflected that fungal community were more sensitive than bacteria to cropping system. This research provides an insight about changes occurred in soils, especially in microbial communities considering the effect of that changes in crop yield which were remained stable among the different cropping systems.

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Combined effects of landscape composition and pesticide use on herbivore and pollinator functions in smallholder farms.

10.31220/agrirxiv.2020.00017 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Quentin Struelens ◽

Diego Mina ◽

Olivier Dangles

Keyword(s):

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Landscape Composition ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Combined Effects ◽

Landscape Studies ◽

Pollinator Abundance ◽

New Information ◽

Negative Impacts

Abstract Landscape composition has the potential to foster regulating ecosystem services such as pollination and biocontrol in temperate regions. However, most landscape studies do not take pesticide use into account even though it is the main control strategy worldwide and has negative impacts on beneficial insects. Moreover, few studies have explored these combined effects in smallholder cropping system with diverse landscapes and small cultivated parcels. We assessed the effect of semi-natural cover and pesticide use on pollinator and herbivore abundances and functions in 9 fields in the Ecuadorian Andes through participatory experiments with smallholder farmers. We performed a path analysis to quantify the effects of landscape and pesticide use on herbivory, pollination and ultimately yield. Pesticide use significantly reduced pollinator abundance but had no significant effect on pest abundance. Similarly, we found non-significant effects of landscape composition on either herbivory and pollination. The study also provides new information on understudied Andean lupine's pests and pollinators, whose application for small farmers is discussed. Finally, we hypothesize that peculiarities of tropical smallholder cropping systems and landscapes could explain the non-significant landscape effects on insect-based processes, which calls for more research in places outside the well-studied temperate region.

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Nitrate Leaching to a Shallow Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer as Influenced by Conventional No-Till and Low-Input Sustainable Grain Production Systems

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1993.0475 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 28 (3-5) ◽

pp. 691-700 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J. P. Craig ◽

R. R. Weil

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽

Grain Production ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Mineral N ◽

Low Input ◽

No Till

In December, 1987, the states in the Chesapeake Bay region, along with the federal government, signed an agreement which called for a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the Bay by the year 2000. To accomplish this goal, major reductions in nutrient loadings associated with agricultural management practices were deemed necessary. The objective of this study was to determine if reducing fertilizer inputs to the NT system would result in a reduction in nitrogen contamination of groundwater. In this study, groundwater, soil, and percolate samples were collected from two cropping systems. The first system was a conventional no-till (NT) grain production system with a two-year rotation of corn/winter wheat/double crop soybean. The second system, denoted low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA), produced the same crops using a winter legume and relay-cropped soybeans into standing wheat to reduce nitrogen and herbicide inputs. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in groundwater were significantly lower under the LISA system. Over 80% of the NT groundwater samples had NO3-N concentrations greater than 10 mgl-1, compared to only 4% for the LISA cropping system. Significantly lower soil mineral N to a depth of 180 cm was also observed. The NT soil had nearly twice as much mineral N present in the 90-180 cm portion than the LISA cropping system.

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Influence of Organic and Conventional Farming on Grain Yield and Protein Composition of Chickpea Genotypes

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11020191 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 191

Author(s):

Michele Andrea De Santis ◽

Michele Rinaldi ◽

Valeria Menga ◽

Pasquale Codianni ◽

Luigia Giuzio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Cropping System ◽

Protein Composition ◽

2S Albumin ◽

Sds Page ◽

Health Quality ◽

Water Holding

Chickpea is a key crop in sustainable cropping systems and for its nutritional value. Studies on agronomic and genetic influences on chickpea protein composition are missing. In order to obtain a deep insight into the genetic response of chickpeas to management in relation to agronomic and quality traits, a two-year field trial was carried out with eight chickpea genotypes under an organic and conventional cropping system. Protein composition was assessed by SDS-PAGE in relation to the main fractions (vicilin, convicilin, legumin, lectin, 2s-albumin). Crop response was highly influenced by year and presumably also by management, with a −50% decrease in grain yield under organic farming, mainly due to a reduction in seed number per m2. No effect of crop management was observed on protein content, despite significant differences in terms of protein composition. The ratio between the major globulins, 7s vicilin and 11s legumin, showed a negative relationship with grain yield and was found to be higher under organic farming. Among genotypes, black-seed Nero Senise was characterized by the highest productivity and water-holding capacity, associated with low lectin content. These findings highlight the importance of the choice of chickpea genotypes for cultivation under organic farming in relation to both agronomic performance and technological and health quality.

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