Can green manure contribute to sustainable intensification of rainfed rice production in Madagascar?

Ranaivoson, Lalaina; Falconnier, Gatien N.; Affholder, François; Leroux, Louise; Autfray, Patrice; Muller, Bertrand; Auzoux, Sandrine; Ripoche, Aude

doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108711

Cited by 18 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Often, the efficiency of mineral fertilizer improves with the use of agroecological practices. For example, the incorporation of Crotaliaria-Mucuna green manures into the soil improved N-use efficiency of the subsequent upland rice in Madagascar (Ranaivoson et al, 2022); the use of cattle manure was responsible for increased maize response to mineral fertilizer in Kenyan smallholder farms (Njoroge et al, 2019); intercropping maize with soybean gave greater fertilizer N-use efficiency across 106 observations in Africa (Xu et al, 2020). More generally, experimental evidence suggests that increased plant diversity-in particular functional diversity tends to lead to higher nutrient-use efficiency (Furey and Tilman, 2021).…”

Section: Improving Nutrient-use Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although green manures rotated with cereals can bring a substantial yield benefit to the cereal (e.g., Ripoche et al, 2021), this comes at the cost of foregoing a part of the cereal yield, similar to woody fallows. The increase in cereal yield from the green manure often does not sufficiently compensate for this yield penalty (e.g., Ojiem et al, 2014; Ranaivoson et al, 2022). The small farm sizes exacerbate the challenge of losing a growing season for cereals, thereby becoming a major obstacle to the adoption of green manures.…”

Section: The Nitrogen Needs Of Crops Cannot Be Sufficiently Met Solel...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The input reduction principle of agroecology is wrong when it comes to mineral fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa

Falconnier,

Cardinael,

Corbeels

et al. 2023

Outlook Agric

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Can farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) boost crop yields and improve food availability without using more mineral fertilizer? This question has been at the center of lively debates among the civil society, policy-makers, and in academic editorials. Proponents of the “yes” answer have put forward the “input reduction” principle of agroecology, i.e. by relying on agrobiodiversity, recycling and better efficiency, agroecological practices such as the use of legumes and manure can increase crop productivity without the need for more mineral fertilizer. We reviewed decades of scientific literature on nutrient balances in SSA, biological nitrogen fixation of tropical legumes, manure production and use in smallholder farming systems, and the environmental impact of mineral fertilizer. Our analyses show that more mineral fertilizer is needed in SSA for five reasons: (i) the starting point in SSA is that agricultural production is “agroecological” by default, that is, very low mineral fertilizer use, widespread mixed crop-livestock systems and large crop diversity including legumes, but leading to poor soil fertility as a result of widespread soil nutrient mining, (ii) the nitrogen needs of crops cannot be adequately met solely through biological nitrogen fixation by legumes and recycling of animal manure, (iii) other nutrients like phosphorus and potassium need to be replaced continuously, (iv) mineral fertilizers, if used appropriately, cause little harm to the environment, and (v) reducing the use of mineral fertilizers would hamper productivity gains and contribute indirectly to agricultural expansion and to deforestation. Yet, the agroecological principles directly related to soil fertility—recycling, efficiency, diversity—remain key in improving soil health and nutrient-use efficiency, and are critical to sustaining crop productivity in the long run. We argue for a nuanced position that acknowledges the critical need for more mineral fertilizers in SSA, in combination with the use of agroecological practices and adequate policy support.

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Section: Improving Nutrient-use Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Nitrogen Needs Of Crops Cannot Be Sufficiently Met Solel...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The input reduction principle of agroecology is wrong when it comes to mineral fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa

Falconnier,

Cardinael,

Corbeels

et al. 2023

Outlook Agric

Self Cite

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“…Crop straw return to the field and the application of farmyard manure are both extensively adopted methods that have been demonstrated as viable in maintaining nutrients, soil structure and subsequent crop growth [5,6]. In addition, in traditional agriculture in China, legume green manure (LGM) is an important source of clean organic fertilizer that has been planted in the leisure period [3,19,20]. The application of LGM has been well shown to contribute to higher production of food and alleviate soil degradation without increasing chemical fertilizer applications, particularly in intensively and excessively cultivated systems [21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The application of LGM has been well shown to contribute to higher production of food and alleviate soil degradation without increasing chemical fertilizer applications, particularly in intensively and excessively cultivated systems [21,22]. Planting and incorporating LGM can provide N to soils through biological nitrogen (N) fixation and then increase the N supply to subsequent crops, which has attracted considerable research attention in agroecosystems worldwide [18][19][20]23,24]. Obviously, planting LGM can be a good alternative to make full use of the natural water and heat resources in the fallow period as well as to increase both organic and nutrient inputs for the subsequent crops.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, although the application of LGM has been demonstrated to benefit the yield of subsequent crops as well as soil fertility and nutrient availability improvements in different regions [20][21][22]25], planting LGM during the fallow period only occurs in the smallscale rain-fed region in northern China. To promote the popularization of planting LGM, a more thorough understanding is needed, especially in semiarid and arid regions with extremely limited precipitation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beneficial Effects on Winter Wheat Production of the Application of Legume Green Manure during the Fallow Period

Li,

Shi,

Chen

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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Legume green manure (LGM) is an excellent organic amendment conducive to soil quality and nutrient cycling; however, the use of LGM was once repealed in the rain-fed agriculture of northern China. The objective was to investigate the effects that planting LGM would bring and whether it would affect other fertilization regimes regarding the productivity and water and nutrient use efficiencies of succeeding crops. A short-term (2016–2019) field experiment was established with a split-plot design in the Loess Plateau of China, which included ten treatments consisting of two planting systems (main treatments)—conventional winter wheat monoculture (G0) and planting and incorporating LGM followed by winter wheat planting (G)—and five fertilization regimes (sub-treatments)—no fertilization (CK), basal fertilization with chemicals N, P and K (NPK), basal fertilization plus wheat straw return (NPK + S), basal fertilization plus farmyard manure application (NPK + M), and basal fertilization plus wheat straw return plus farmyard manure application (NPK + S + M). The results demonstrated that compared with G0, the G did not remarkably affect the total water consumption (WC) and water use efficiency (WUE) across the three trial wheat seasons. Specifically, during the third wheat season, the winter wheat yield of G increased by 7.5% more than that of G0 (p < 0.05). G primarily increased the N concentration in winter wheat and universally increased the uptake of N, P and K by 18.8%, 11.7% and 18.8%, respectively. The apparent use efficiencies (AUEs) of chemicals N, P and K under G were 88.0%, 102% and 93.2% higher than those under G0 (p < 0.05). In contrast, the wheat yields of NPK, NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M were 14.3%, 22.2%, 26.4% and 19.5%, respectively, higher than those of CK. The WC and WUE increased under NPK, NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M relative to the CK (p < 0.05). Compared with CK, the NPK, NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M primarily increased the N concentration in winter wheat and universally increased the uptake of N, P and K (p < 0.05). The AUEs of N, P and K were increased by 44.3–75.3%, 72.4–103% and 128–160%, respectively, by NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M compared with CK. In conclusion, the revival of planting LGM during the fallow period was considered an appropriate measure in the Loess Plateau and similar rain-fed regions due to its ability to improve the growth and nutrient utilization of subsequent winter wheat even in the short term, as well as the lack of negative effects exerted on other organic amendments in its effectiveness.

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Strategic Intervention for Climate-Smart Agriculture

Sakha,

Gweyi-Onyango

2024

Technological Approaches for Climate Smart Agriculture

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Can green manure contribute to sustainable intensification of rainfed rice production in Madagascar?

Cited by 18 publications

References 50 publications

The input reduction principle of agroecology is wrong when it comes to mineral fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa

The input reduction principle of agroecology is wrong when it comes to mineral fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa

Beneficial Effects on Winter Wheat Production of the Application of Legume Green Manure during the Fallow Period

Strategic Intervention for Climate-Smart Agriculture

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