Effect of Cropping System under Tillage and Mulching on Soil Physical Properties and Water Use Efficiency by Maize (Zea mays L.) in Southern Benin

In agriculture, water has become a limiting factor because of the effects of climate change felt by farmers. This situation seriously compromises agricultural production through pockets of drought, delayed and early cessation of rains and then an increase in the length of the dry season. Aims: This study aims to evaluate the effect of tillage and vegetative mulch on soil physical properties and maize water use efficiency in ferralitic soil of southern Benin. Study Design: The Factorial Complete Randomized Block Design with 4 repetitions was implemented. Place and Duration of Study: The experimental site is located at Allada, in southern Benin, and conducted between May 2017 and July 2017. Methodology: Tillage (No-tillage, flat tillage) and straw mulch rate (0%, 50%, 75% soil cover) and their interaction was been tested during this study. The physical properties of soil and maize water use efficiency were determined. Results: Tillage significantly reduced soil temperature by 2.65% and improved soil permeability by 60%. Tillage also significantly improved water use efficiency for maize grain from 3.88 to 7.88 kg.mm-1.ha-1 and for maize biomass from 12.67to 23.31 kg.mm-1.ha-1. Mulching significantly improved soil moisture from 11.54% to 13.13%, water use efficiency for maize grain from 4.26 to 7.58kg.mm-1.ha-1 and for maize biomass from 14.50 to 22.05 kg.mm-1.ha-1. Mulching also significantly reduced soil temperature by 11%. The combination of tillage and mulching significantly improved water use efficiency for maize grain and biomass production. The highest water use efficiency (8.87 kg.mm-1.ha-1 for maize grain and 25.17 kg.mm-1.ha-1 for maize biomass) was achieved with tillage combined with mulching at 75% soil cover. The interaction between these two factors significantly reduced soil temperature by 11.30% (tillage combined with mulch at 75% soil cover) compared to control (no-tillage and no-mulch). Conclusion: This study showed that tillage and mulching at 50% or 75% soil cover improves soil physical properties and water use efficiency for maize production in the context of climate change.

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Biodegradable mulch controls weeds and increases water use efficiency in lettuce crops

Horticultura Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0102-0536-20210314 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 330-334

Author(s):

Agnaldo Roberto de J Freitas ◽

Francisco Claudio L de Freitas ◽

Caetano Marciano de Souza ◽

Fabio T Delazari ◽

Paulo Geraldo Berger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Temperature ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Polyethylene Film ◽

Water Volume ◽

Recycled Paper ◽

Biodegradable Mulch ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Weed Removal

ABSTRACT Vegetable cultivation requires high water use and weed control. Soil cover using recycled paper, can be an alternative to polyethylene film to reduce weed incidence, soil temperature and increase water use efficiency beyond reduces costs and environmental pollutions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of biodegradable mulch in weed management and water use efficiency (WUE) in lettuce crop. The treatments were composed of brown recycled paper (RP), black polyethylene film (PF) and soil without cover with weed removal (WR) and without weed removal (WW). RP and PF were efficient to control weeds. The soil temperature with RP was 8.2 and 2.1ºC lower than with PF and WR, respectively. The lettuce yield with RP was 14.5 and 28.3% higher than WR, and with PF, respectively. The water volume applied with RP was 26.5% lower, and WUE was 55.6% higher compared to WR. Soil cover with recycled paper controlled weeds, reduced soil temperature and water consumption and increased yield and water use efficiency in lettuce crop.

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AGRONOMIC AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF PERMANENT RAISED BEDS, NO TILLAGE AND STRAW MULCHING FOR AN IRRIGATED MAIZE-WHEAT SYSTEM IN NORTHWEST INDIA

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479711000809 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 21-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

HARI RAM ◽

YADVINDER SINGH ◽

K. S. SAINI ◽

D. S. KLER ◽

J. TIMSINA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Temperature ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

No Tillage ◽

Straw Mulch ◽

Net Returns ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Northwest India

SUMMARYNo-tillage and raised beds are widely used for different crops in developed countries. A field experiment was conducted on an irrigated maize-wheat system to study the effect of field layout, tillage and straw mulch on crop performance, water use efficiency and economics for five years (2003–2008) in northwest India. Straw mulch reduced the maximum soil temperature at seed depth by about 3 °C compared to the no mulch. During the wheat emergence, raised beds recorded 1.3 °C higher soil temperature compared to the flat treatments. Both maize and wheat yields were similar under different treatments during all the years. Maize and wheat planted on raised beds recorded about 7.8% and 22.7% higher water use efficiency than under flat layout, respectively. Straw mulch showed no effect on water use and water use efficiency in maize. The net returns from the maize-wheat system were more in no tillage and permanent raised beds than with conventional tillage. Bulk density and cumulative infiltration were more in no tillage compared with conventional tillage.

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TILLAGE AND PLANTING METHODS EFFECTS ON YIELD, WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND PROFITABILITY OF SOYBEAN–WHEAT SYSTEM ON A LOAMY SAND SOIL

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479713000264 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 524-542 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

HARI RAM ◽

YADVINDER SINGH ◽

K. S. SAINI ◽

D. S. KLER ◽

J. TIMSINA

Keyword(s):

Soil Temperature ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Crop Production ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

No Tillage ◽

Straw Mulch ◽

Loamy Sand Soil ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Raised Bed

SUMMARYContinuous rice–wheat (RW) cropping with intensive tillage has resulted in land degradation and inefficient use of water in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of South Asia. Replacement of rice with less water requiring crops such as soybean in RW system and identification of effective strategies for tillage management could result in sustainable cropping system in IGP. A field experiment was conducted for five years on an annual soybean–wheat (SW) rotation in the northwest IGP of India to evaluate effect of tillage, raised bed planting and straw mulch on yield, soil properties, water use efficiency (WUE) and profitability. In soybean, straw mulch reduced soil temperature at seeding depth by about 2.5 °C compared with no mulch. Straw mulch also resulted in slightly reduced water use and slightly higher WUE relative to their respective unmulched treatments. During wheat emergence, raised beds resulted in higher soil temperature by 1.6 °C compared with flat treatments. Bulk density and cumulative infiltration were greater in no-tillage compared with conventional tillage. Soil organic carbon in surface layer increased significantly after five years of experimentation. Soybean and wheat yields were similar under different treatments during all the years of experimentation. Soybean and wheat planted on raised beds recorded about 17% and 23% higher WUE, respectively, than in flat layout. The net returns from SW system were greater in no-tillage and permanent raised beds than with conventional tillage. Both no-tillage and permanent raised bed technologies can be adopted for sustainable crop production in SW rotation in northwest IGP. However, more studies are required representing different soil types and climate conditions for making recommendations for other regions of IGP.

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Effect of Prolonged Irrigated Fodders on Soil Physical Properties and Agronomic Water Use Efficiency

Natural Resources and Conservation ◽

10.13189/nrc.2013.010303 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 77-93

Author(s):

Zahid Murtaza ◽

Waqas Ahmad ◽

Jamil Shafi ◽

Muhammad Shoaib ◽

Muhammad Aqeel Sarwar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Soil Physical Properties ◽

Use Efficiency

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Effect of inorganic fertilizer and farmyard manure on soil physical properties, root distribution, and water-use efficiency of soybean in Vertisols of central India

Bioresource Technology ◽

10.1016/j.biortech.2005.09.033 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 97 (16) ◽

pp. 2182-2188 ◽

Cited By ~ 110

Author(s):

K.M. Hati ◽

K.G. Mandal ◽

A.K. Misra ◽

P.K. Ghosh ◽

K.K. Bandyopadhyay

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Root Distribution ◽

Farmyard Manure ◽

Central India ◽

Soil Physical Properties ◽

Inorganic Fertilizer ◽

Use Efficiency

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WHEAT YIELD AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY UNDER CONTRASTING RESIDUE AND TILLAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN A SEMIARID AREA OF MOROCCO

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479702000285 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 237-248 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

R. Mrabet

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Wheat Yield ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Wheat Crop ◽

No Tillage ◽

Partial Removal ◽

No Till ◽

Management Technology ◽

Use Efficiency

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) production using no-tillage is becoming an increasingly accepted management technology. Major obstacles to its adoption in Morocco, however, are exportation of wheat straw from the field and stubble grazing. Among pertinent solutions is the control of these practices. A four-year field study was conducted to determine the effect of residue level under no-tillage on wheat grain and total dry-matter yields, water use and water-use efficiency, and to compare this with conventional tillage systems. The aim was to evaluate whether all the straw produced is needed for no-till cropping or whether partial removal of straw from the field is possible without any adverse effect on production. No-tillage and deep tillage with disk plough performed equally well and subsurface tillage with an off-set disk produced the lowest yields. Both bare and full no-tillage covers depressed wheat production. Uo to 30% of straw produced under no-tillage can be removed without jeopardizing wheat crop performance.

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