Organic Inputs and Chemical Fertilizer on Carbon Mineralization From Two Ultisols

There are challenges that limit the use of organic inputs for soil fertility management. Amongst them is the limited knowledge of factors that affect rates of decomposition and nutrient release from different organic inputs. A study was conducted on surface soil samples of two Ultisols to determine factors affecting carbon (C) mineralization from selected organic inputs. A loamy sand (LS) from a Kandiustult and a sandy clay loam (SCL) from a Paleustult were used. Fine earth fractions of the soils mixed with organic inputs with and without chemical fertilizer were incubated for 13 weeks and the CO2 evolved was measured. Organic inputs used were biomasses of Cajanus cajan, Tephrosia vogelii, Crotalaria juncea, Mucuna pruriens, a mixture of native grasses and shrubs and composted cattle manure. The latter two inputs are traditionally used by farmers, while the leguminous plants were recommended by scientists. Treatments with chemical fertilizer only, representing the conventional farming practice, and a control with soil alone were included. Addition of organic inputs with or without fertilizer increased total CO2 emissions by 81 to 129% on the LS and by 18 to 34% on the SCL. Adding chemical fertilizer significantly (p < 0.05) increased C mineralization rate constant (k) by 116% on the LS and 48% on the SCL. The mean residence time of organic carbon from treatments grouped by input type followed the order: Control > Traditional > Legumes > Conventional on both soils. In general, the k on the LS was double that on the SCL. The type of organic input, soil texture and application of chemical fertilizer significantly affected C mineralization rates from the soils.

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RISK ANALYSIS OF MAIZE-LEGUME CROP COMBINATIONS WITH SMALLHOLDER FARMERS VARYING IN RESOURCE ENDOWMENT IN CENTRAL MALAWI

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479709990469 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 1-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

B. C. G. KAMANGA ◽

S. R. WADDINGTON ◽

M. J. ROBERTSON ◽

K. E. GILLER

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Mucuna Pruriens ◽

Soil Fertility Management ◽

Wealth Status ◽

Production Risk ◽

Legume Crop ◽

Alternative Crop ◽

Resource Endowment ◽

Tephrosia Vogelii

SUMMARYUsing farmer resource typologies, adaptability analysis and an on-farm mother and baby trial approach, we evaluated the production risks of alternative maize-legume crop combinations for smallholder farmers in Chisepo, central Malawi between 1998 and 2002. Production benefits and risks of four soil fertility and food legumes, pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), tephrosia (Tephrosia vogelii) and mucuna (Mucuna pruriens), intercropped or rotated with maize, were compared by 32 farmers in 4 farmer resource groups (RGs) of different wealth status. The calculation of lower confidence limits was used to determine the production risk of the crops. Alternative crop technologies presented different risks to farmers of different wealth status, and the degree of risk affected their choice of soil fertility management strategy. The better-resourced farmers (RG 1) had larger yields with all crop combinations than the poorly resourced farmers (RG 4). Legumes integrated with maize significantly (p < 0.001) raised maize grain yields by between 0.5 t ha−1 and 3.4 t ha−1, when compared with sole crop unfertilized maize. Fertilized maize was less of a risk for the better-resourced farmers (RG 1 and RG 2), and it yielded well when combined with the legumes. Maize-legume intercrops yielded more and were associated with less risk than the maize-legume rotations. Maize intercropped with pigeonpea was predicted overall to be the least risky technology for all RGs. We conclude that new crop technologies may pose more risk to poorly resourced farmers than to wealthier farmers.

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Addressing the Differences in Farmers’ Willingness and Behavior Regarding Developing Green Agriculture—A Case Study in Xichuan County, China

Land ◽

10.3390/land10030316 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 316

Author(s):

Yingchao Li ◽

Zhiyuan Fan ◽

Guanghui Jiang ◽

Zhuo Quan

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Chemical Fertilizer ◽

Service Organization ◽

Chinese Government ◽

Technical Service ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Land Type ◽

Green Development ◽

Production Behavior

The development of green agriculture is an effective way to realize the sustainable development of agriculture, which is of great significance for guaranteeing national food security, improving the supply ability of agricultural products, promoting the healthy development of cultivated land, and realizing green development. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has proposed the establishment of a green-development-oriented agricultural support system, which intends to reverse the worsening of the agricultural ecological environment; however, in 2019, the input of agricultural chemical fertilizer still exceeded the international limit of the safe application of chemical fertilizer. In recent years, agriculture has surpassed industry to become the largest non-point source pollution industry in China, seriously affecting the rural ecological civilization construction and the advancement of green sustainable development coordinated. To analyze the key factors affecting the development of green agriculture, in this study, logistic binary regression analysis was used to measure the main factors affecting farmers’ green agricultural production willingness and green agricultural production behavior. The results show that a farmer’s age, land type, compensation for land transfer, technical service organization, related training, and economic and technological subsidies had significant effects on their green agricultural production willingness. The age of farmers, number of staff, risk of green agricultural production technology, technical service organization, and economic and technological subsidies were shown to have significant effects on the green agricultural production behavior of farmers, where the different factors influenced the behavior to different degrees. Based on the above findings, it is suggested that the Chinese government should help farmers to carry out agricultural green transformation through technical training, policy popularization, economic subsidies, and educational support.

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Impact of Biochar Application on Carbon Dynamics and Fertility of Soils Over-fertilization with Compost

10.20944/preprints201906.0173.v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Chen-Chi Tsai ◽

Yu-Fang Chang

Keyword(s):

Swine Manure ◽

Carbon Mineralization ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Principal Component ◽

C Mineralization ◽

Soil C ◽

Fertilized Soil ◽

Lower Fertility ◽

The Impact

In Taiwan, farmers often apply excess compost to ensure adequate crop yield in highly frequent tillage, highly weathered, and lower fertility soils. The potential of biochar (BC) for diminishing soil C mineralization, and improving soil nutrient availability in compost over-fertilized soil is promising, but the study is still under-examined. To test the hypothesis, 434 days in vitro C mineralization kinetics of incubation experiment were conducted. Woody BC 0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% (w/w) made of lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de. Wit) were added to an Oxisols, and two Inceptisols of Taiwan. In each treatment, 5% swine manure compost (2 times recommended amount) was added and served as the over-fertilized soil. The results indicated that soil type strongly influenced the impact of BC addition on soil carbon mineralization potential. Respiration per unit of total organic carbon (total mineralization coefficient, TMC) of three studied soils significantly decreased with BC addition increased. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that for retaining more plant nutrients in addition to the effects of carbon sequestration, it is recommended that farmer could use locally produced biochars and composts in highly weathered and highly frequent tillage soil. Adding 0.5%-1% woody BC in soil should be reasonable and appropriate.

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ALTERNATIVES TO MUCUNA FOR SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHERN BÉNIN: FARMER PERCEPTION AND USE OF TRADITIONAL AND EXOTIC GRAIN LEGUMES

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479703001273 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 267-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

S. SCHULZ ◽

A. N. HONLONKOU ◽

R. J. CARSKY ◽

V. M. MANYONG ◽

B. D. OYEWOLE

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Harvest Index ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Grain Legumes ◽

Mucuna Pruriens ◽

Soil Fertility Management ◽

Alternative Technologies ◽

Legume Production ◽

Southern Benin

In southern Bénin, the legume cover crop Mucuna pruriens var. utilis has been widely promoted for soil fertility improvement. Recent findings have shown, however, that the majority of farmers have not adopted it, and that alternative technologies are needed that are both attractive to farmers and beneficial in terms of soil fertility. A survey was carried out in southern Bénin to determine farmer perception and use of traditional grain legumes and to assess the adoption potential of new low-harvest-index grain legumes. Grain legumes were shown to be integral components of traditional cropping systems and constituted farmers' most important technology for soil fertility maintenance. More than 80% of respondents expressed interest in testing new, low-harvest-index varieties. Preferred grain characteristics and farmers' culinary preferences for grain legumes varied between locations and need to be taken into account if new germplasm is to be introduced. It is argued that farmers' interest and experience in legume cultivation provide an opportunity for the introduction of alternative legume-based technologies such as low-harvest-index grain legumes and techniques for the detoxification of mucuna seed. In addition, efforts should be made to increase the productivity of current legume production systems and to develop mucuna cultivars with reduced L-dopa content.

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Biochar interaction with chemical fertilizer regulates soil organic carbon mineralization and the abundance of key C-cycling-related bacteria in rhizosphere soil

European Journal of Soil Biology ◽

10.1016/j.ejsobi.2021.103350 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 106 ◽

pp. 103350

Author(s):

Muhammed Mustapha Ibrahim ◽

Hongxue Zhang ◽

Liming Guo ◽

Yulin Chen ◽

Maria Heiling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Rhizosphere Soil ◽

Carbon Mineralization ◽

Chemical Fertilizer ◽

C Cycling ◽

Soil Organic Carbon Mineralization ◽

Organic Carbon Mineralization

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Socio-economic Factors Affecting Soil Fertility Management Practices in Gindeberet Area, Western Ethiopia

Science Technology and Arts Research Journal ◽

10.4314/star.v4i1.25 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 149 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L Takele ◽

A Chimdi ◽

A Abebaw

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Management Practices ◽

Economic Factors ◽

Soil Fertility Management ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Fertility Management ◽

Western Ethiopia ◽

Socio Economic Factors

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Can worms be used to produce amendments with reduced CO<sub>2</sub> emissions during co-composting with clay and biochar and after their addition to soil?

10.5194/soil-2016-35 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Justine Barthod ◽

Cornélia Rumpel ◽

Remigio Paradelo ◽

Marie-France Dignac

Keyword(s):

Co2 Emissions ◽

Carbon Mineralization ◽

C Mineralization ◽

Soil Carbon Storage ◽

Low Co2 ◽

C Mineralisation ◽

The Stability ◽

Clay Treatment ◽

Different Doses ◽

Production Conditions

Abstract. In this study we evaluated CO2 emissions during co-composting and co-vermicomposting of green wastes with clay and/or biochar. The stability of the final products as well as their effect on C mineralization in soil have been evaluated. The aim of the study was to test the following hypothesis: (1) interactions between clay and biochar and organic wastes would lead to reduced CO2 emissions during the composting process, (2) these interactions would be enhanced in the presence of worms, and (3) more carbon would be sequestered in soil after the use of the resulting compost/vermicompost as amendments. We added two different doses of clay, biochar and their mixture to pre-composted green wastes and monitored C mineralisation during 21 days in presence or absence of worms (Eisenia species). The organic materials were then added to a loamy Cambisol and the CO2 emissions were monitored during 30 days in a laboratory incubation. Our results indicated that the addition of clay or clay/biochar mixture reduced carbon mineralization during co-composting without worms by up to 44 %. However, in the presence of worms, CO2 emissions increased for all treatments except for the low clay dose. The production conditions had more influence on C mineralization in soil for composts than for vermicomposts except for the low clay treatment, which showed a more reduced CO2 emissions compared to a regular compost. In summary, the addition of worms during co-composting with clay and biochar may be a promising technology for reducing CO2 emissions and increasing soil carbon storage. We suggest that the production of a low CO2 emission amendment requires optimisation of OM source, co-composting agents and worm species. The effect of the resulting material on soil fertility has to be evaluated.

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