SORGHUM GRAIN AND STOVER NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS AS INFLUENCED BY TILLAGE, CROPPING SYSTEM AND SOIL AMENDMENT

AbstractCowpea, a food and nutrition security crop is being threatened by decline in soil fertility especially in small holder farmstead. The natural arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soil could improve its ability to acquire and retain nutrients thereby leading to higher yield. This irrigated field research was conducted to determine the effect of biochar rates and cropping systems on selected soil chemical properties, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), nitrogen (SMBN), phosphorus (SMBP), and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) spore count and mycorrhizal fungi colonization (AMF) of cowpea. Experimental design was 3 x 3 factorial in randomized complete block design (RCBD). Factor A was three cropping systems; sole cowpea, intercropping and intra-cropping, while factor B was three biochar rates; control (biochar at 0 t ha-1 (B0)), biochar at 2.5 t ha-1 (B1) and biochar at 5 t ha-1 (B2). These were replicated in three blocks to constitute 27 plots. The entire plot was cleared, ploughed and demarcated into beds with hoes and diggers. Cowpea sole or inter- or intra- cropped with maize were planted in a spacing distance of 25cm by 75cm, with intercropped cowpea being in-between the interrow spacing (75 cm), while the intracropped cowpeas was planted between the intrarow spacing (25 cm). Biochar soil amendment were applied two weeks after planting by making a groove in-between the rows in the soil and covering them with soil. The result showed that biochar soil amendment and interaction of biochar with cropping system significantly (p<0.05) affected SMBN, SMBC, total&#160; VAM spore count and AMF colonization by cowpea, whereas cropping system significantly affected only total VAM spore count and AMF colonization by cowpea. B2 amended soil had the highest SMBC content (0.028 mg kg-1) while the least was from control plot (0.021 mg kg -1), SMBN was highest in B1 amended soil (0.004 mg kg-1), followed by control plot (0.002 mg kg-1). Control had higher AMF and total VAM spore count while biochar amended soil had higher soil microbial properties. Considering the cropping systems, inter and intra-cropping had higher microbial biomass and total VAM spore count than sole cowpea whereas sole cowpea had higher AMF infection of cowpea than the intercropped cowpea. Biochar at 5 tha-1 had the highest available P. Generally, this study showed superiority of the interaction of biochar with cropping systems over sole cropping in the improvement of soil properties in degraded soils of North-West province of South Africa.Key words: Cropping systems; Chromic Luvisol; Microbial properties; Soil fertility; Soil amendment

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Using Cowpea to Manage Soil Phosphorus Accumulation from Poultry Litter Applications in a Cool-season Vegetable Rotation

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.37.3.496 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 496-501 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Clydette M. Alsup ◽

Brian A. Kahn ◽

Mark E. Payton

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Spinacia Oleracea ◽

Poultry Litter ◽

Cropping System ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Soil Test ◽

Vegetable Crops ◽

Soil Test P ◽

Turnip Greens ◽

Vegetable Rotation

Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] cover crops were grown in a rotation with broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), and turnip greens [Brassica rapa L. var. (DC.) Metzg. utilis] to evaluate the legume's ability to remove excess P from soils when poultry litter was used as a fertilizer. Fertilizer treatments were: 1) litter to meet each crop's recommended preplant N requirements (1×); 2) litter at twice the recommended rate (2×); and 3) urea at the 1× rate as the control. Following the vegetable crops, cowpeas were planted on half of each replication, while the other half was fallowed. The cowpeas were harvested at the green-shell seed stage and then underwent a simulated haying operation to remove remaining shoot material from the field. Soil samples were taken at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths at the onset of the study and after each crop to monitor plant nutrient concentrations. The cowpeas lowered soil test N concentrations at both soil sampling depths, but had no consistent effect on soil test P concentrations. Soil test P at the 0-15 cm depth was not increased by litter at the 1× rate but was increased by litter at the 2× rate relative to the urea control, regardless of cropping system. Poultry litter was effective as a fertilizer for all three vegetable crops, but the 1× rate appeared inadequate for maximum production of broccoli and turnip greens.

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Using Hairy Vetch to Manage Soil Phosphorus Accumulation from Poultry Litter Applications in a Warm-season Vegetable Rotation

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.37.3.490 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 490-495

Author(s):

Clydette M. Alsup ◽

Brian A. Kahn ◽

Mark E. Payton

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Sweet Corn ◽

Poultry Litter ◽

Cropping System ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Soil Test ◽

Vegetable Crops ◽

Hairy Vetch ◽

Soil Test P ◽

Vegetable Rotation

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crops were grown in a rotation with sweet corn (Zea mays var. rugosa Bonaf.) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. Reticulatus group) to evaluate the legume's ability to remove excess P from soils when poultry litter was used as a fertilizer. Fertilizer treatments were: 1) litter to meet each crop's recommended preplant N requirements (1×); 2) litter at twice the recommended rate (2×); and 3) urea at the 1× rate as the control. Following the vegetable crops, hairy vetch was planted on half of each replication, while the other half was fallowed. The vetch was removed from the field in a simulated haying operation in the spring. Soil samples were taken at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths at the onset of the study and after each crop to monitor plant nutrient concentrations. The vetch sometimes raised soil test N concentrations at the 0-15 cm depth. Soil test P concentrations at the 0-15 cm sampling depth in the vetch system were consistently lower numerically, but not statistically, relative to comparable plots in the fallow system. Soil test P at the 0-15 cm depth was usually increased by litter at the 2× rate relative to the urea control, regardless of cropping system. Yields of both vegetable crops were similar among all cover crop and fertilizer treatments.

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Crop Rotation and Soil Amendment Alters Sorghum Grain Quality

Crop Science ◽

10.2135/cropsci2005.07.0346er ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 1764-1764 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nanga Mady Kaye ◽

Stephen C. Mason ◽

David S. Jackson ◽

Tom D. Galusha

Keyword(s):

Crop Rotation ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Grain Quality ◽

Sorghum Grain

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Nutrient loss from Saskatchewan cropland and pasture in spring snowmelt runoff

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss2012-042 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 93 (4) ◽

pp. 445-458 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Barbara J. Cade-Menun ◽

Gordon Bell ◽

Samar Baker-Ismail ◽

Ymène Fouli ◽

Kyle Hodder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Cropping System ◽

Nutrient Loss ◽

Total Carbon ◽

Organic N ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Snowmelt Runoff ◽

Organic C ◽

P Loss ◽

Spring Snowmelt

Cade-Menun, B. J., Bell, G., Baker-Ismail, S., Fouli, Y., Hodder, K., McMartin, D. W., Perez-Valdivia, C. and Wu, K. 2013. Nutrient loss from Saskatchewan cropland and pasture in spring snowmelt runoff. Can. J. Soil Sci. 93: 445–458. To develop appropriate beneficial management practices (BMPs) for a watershed, it is essential to quantify the nutrients lost from agricultural fields and to identify the mechanisms of nutrient transport. To determine appropriate BMPs for a watershed in southeastern Saskatchewan, nutrient concentrations were measured in spring 2010 in snowmelt runoff from fertilized annual cropland (zero till) and perennial tame pastures. The majority of nutrient loss was in dissolved form, rather than as particulates. Significantly more nitrogen (N) was lost from pastures as dissolved ammonium than from cropland, while significantly more dissolved organic N was lost from croplands. Although there were no significant differences in total phosphorus (P) loss, there were significantly higher concentrations of dissolved reactive P in runoff from cropland, and significantly higher particulate P in runoff from pastures. Total carbon (C) in runoff was higher from cropland, due mainly to significantly higher dissolved organic C concentrations. Runoff from cropland contained significantly higher concentrations of dissolved potassium and sulfur, reflecting the fertilization of cropland fields with these nutrients. These preliminary results demonstrate that nutrients may be transported from agricultural lands by different mechanisms (e.g., in dissolved versus particulate forms) as a function of cropping system, requiring the development of specific types of BMPs to best control nutrient losses.

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