scholarly journals Tillage, Crop Rotation and Crop Residue Management Effects on Nutrient Availability in a Sweet Sorghum-Based Cropping System in Marginal Soils of South Africa

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mashapa E. Malobane ◽  
Adornis D. Nciizah ◽  
Fhatuwani N. Mudau ◽  
Isaiah I.C Wakindiki

The low soil fertility status of South African marginal soils threatens sustainable production of biofuel feedstock in smallholder farmers. It is therefore imperative to development sustainable and optimal management practices that improve soil fertility. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of tillage, rotation and crop residue management on nutrient availability in a bioenergy sweet sorghum-based cropping system in marginal soils. Two tillage levels, no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT); two crop rotations, sweet sorghum–grazing vetch–sweet sorghum (SVS) and sweet sorghum–fallow–sweet sorghum (SFS); and three crop residue retention levels, 0%, 15% and 30%, were tested. No-till enhanced total nitrogen, total organic nitrogen (TON), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) by 3.19% to 45% compared to CT. SVS rotation increased ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate (NO3−-N) by 3.42% to 5.98% compared to SFS. A 30% crop residue retention increased NH4+-N, NO3−-N, available phosphorus (Available P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), calcium (Ca), Mg and potassium (K) by 3.58% to 31.94% compared to crop residue removal. In the short term, a 30% crop residue retention was the main treatment that enhanced soil fertility. The application of NT−30% was a better practice to enhance soil fertility. However, research on inclusion of crop diversity/intercropping can add more value to the NT–30% practice in enhancing soil fertility.

1999 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. PRASAD ◽  
B. GANGAIAH ◽  
K. C. AIPE

Crop residue management is posing a serious problem in the rice (Oryza sativa)–wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system, which is widely practised in the Indian Subcontinent and China, and covers about 22.5 × 106 ha. The problem is serious because there is very little turn-around time between rice harvest and wheat sowing. Three practices, namely, residue removal, residue burning and residue incorporation were compared in two field experiments, one with the rice residues and the other with the wheat residues. Results obtained showed that both rice and wheat residues can be safely incorporated without any detrimental effects on the crops of rice or wheat grown immediately after incorporation. Incorporation of crop residue also improved soil fertility status as judged by organic carbon and available phosphorus and potassium contents. Residue incorporation should be preferred over residue burning, which results in the loss of valuable plant nutrients and is both an environmental and a health hazard.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9782
Author(s):  
Mashapa Elvis Malobane ◽  
Adornis Dakarai Nciizah ◽  
Fhatuwani Nixwell Mudau ◽  
Isaiah Iguna Chabaari Wakindiki

Labile organic carbon (LOC) fractions are considered as sensitive indicators of change in soil quality and can serve as proxies for soil organic carbon (SOC). Although the impact of tillage, crop rotation and crop residue management on soil quality is well known, less is known about LOC and SOC dynamics in the sweet sorghum production systems in South Africa. This short-term study tested two tillage levels: no-till and conventional-tillage, two crop rotations: sweet-sorghum/winter grazing vetch/sweet sorghum and sweet-sorghum/winter fallow/sweet sorghum rotations and three crop residue retention levels: 30%, 15% and 0%. Tillage was the main factor to influence SOC and LOC fractions under the sweet sorghum cropping system in South Africa. NT increased SOC and all LOC fractions compared to CT, which concurs with previous findings. Cold water extractable organic carbon (CWEOC) and hot water extractable organic carbon (HWEOC) were found to be more sensitive to tillage and strongly positively correlated to SOC. An increase in residue retention led to an increase in microbial biomass carbon (MBC). This study concludes that CWEOC and HWEOC can serve as sensitive early indicators of change in soil quality and are an ideal proxy for SOC in the sweet-sorghum cropping system in South Africa.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 1053-1061
Author(s):  
M. Kumar ◽  
◽  
S. Mitra ◽  
A. Bera ◽  
M.R. Naik ◽  
...  

Aim: Assessment of energy input output relationship, greenhouse gases emission and carbon footprint of diversified jute-rice cropping systems under different nutrients and crop residue management practices. Methodology: The inventory was prepared for all inputs required for crop cultivation and outputs of crops in cropping systems. These inputs and outputs were converted into energy by multiplying with energy equivalent coefficient and CO2 emission coefficient following standard procedure. Results: Jute-rice-baby corn cropping system recorded significantly higher net energy (324 GJ ha-1) and energy use efficiency (8.02). Among different nutrient and crop management (NCRM) practices, significantly higher energy output (336.9 GJ ha-1) and net energy (291.4 GJ ha-1) recorded 100% NPK with crop residue. The highest carbon footprint recorded with rice-rice (0.44 kg COe kg-1 economic yield) and the lowestwith jute-rice-pea (0.29 kg COe kg-1 economic yield) cropping system. Among different NCRM practices, higher carbon footprint was (0.38 kg COe kg-1 economic yield) recorded with 100% NPK with crop residue. Interpretation: The energy efficient and low input required cropping systems which include legume crops like garden pea and mungbean should be considered for cultivation for diversifying the existing rice-rice cropping system in Eastern India.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
MI Hossain ◽  
MI Hossain ◽  
MA Ohab ◽  
MHR Sheikh ◽  
BL Nag

A three yearsfield experiment was conducted at Regional Wheat Research Centre, Shyampur, Rajshahiduring 2014-15 to 2017-18 with an objective to observe the effects on soil fertility and performance of the crops under different tillage and residue management for rice-wheat (RW) systems by adding a third pre-rice crop of maize. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replication. The tillage options viz. (i) Strip tillage (ST) (ii) Permanent bed (PB) and (iii) conventional (CT) tillage; two crop residue management, viz. (i) 0%=no residue and (ii) 30% residue retention were studied. The results indicated that keeping 30% crop residue in the field with minimum disturbance of soil had significant contribution on grain yield of wheat-maize-rice sequence compare to conventional practice of well-till without crop residue retention.The permanent bed planting system gave the highest yields of wheat (4.37 tha-1), maize (7.31 tha-1) and rice (4.40 tha-1) and followed by strip tillage and lowest in conventional tillage. Among the residue management, 30% residue retention showed the highest yields of wheat (4.46tha- 1), maize (7.39 tha-1) and rice (4.69 tha-1). Considering economic performance of all tillage systems, the permanent bed planting system performed the best among all other tillage options and followed by strip tillage. Contrarily, 30% residue retention gave the highest yield and increased 0.12-0.14% organic matter into the soil with more productive.The results indicates that, both tillage systems coupled with 30% residue retention might be a good option for higher yield as well as soil fertility for Wheat-Maize- Taman rice cropping pattern in drought prone areas of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Agron. J. 2019, 22(2): 55-66


Author(s):  
Jubuli Sahu ◽  
Muneswar Prasad ◽  
Raghubar Sahu ◽  
Dharmendra Kumar ◽  
Sanjay Kumar Mandal ◽  
...  

An effort has been made to study the effect of climate change on crop residues and need of crop residue management in present environmental condition. Crop residue management as an important practiced in the rice–wheat cropping system. In present condition, cropping season is shifted according to changing rainfall pattern. In case of wheat and rice-based cropping system, there is a chance of crop loss due to occurrence of rainfall at harvesting stage so, to cope with that situation combine harvesters become more popularize among farmers because of effective harvesting in less time, less effort and minimum labour cost. But it lefts a huge amount of loose straw in their field and farmers face difficulties in the disposal of huge straw in the field in short time has compelled to go for crop residue burning to save time as well labour. Farmers can use that residues in vermi-composting, can be fed to animals after urea treatment etc. without burning. In recent year 30-40% maize crop have been damaged due to hailstorm at its grain filling stage so these residues can be used in making silage. Removal of straw or stover can result in significant loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). If they are used as bedding for livestock, then much of the carbon may be returned to the soil as manure (Lal et al., 1998). When crop-residue is incorporated into soil, the soil’s physical properties and its water-holding capacity are enhanced. Unlike in earlier conservation farming systems wherein retained stubble was mulched and slashed, now it is mostly burned by the farmers. Vermicomposting, waste decomposer, Green Manuring, use of zero tillage machine, silage making and urea treated straw are the best option to crop residue management. The study aimed to examine the present status of crop residue management of major crops and its impact on farmers’ livelihood covering eleven blocks in Banka district of Bihar.


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