Influence of basin‐based conservation agriculture on selected soil quality parameters under smallholder farming in<scp>Z</scp>imbabwe

Nyamangara, Justice; Marondedze, Andrew K.; Masvaya, Esther Nyaradzo; Mawodza, Tinashe; Nyawasha, R.W.; Nyengerai, Kudzai; Tirivavi, Ronald; Nyamugafata, P.; Wuta, Menas

doi:10.1111/sum.12149

Cited by 41 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…The three studies found that effects on soil carbon are dependent on the quality of CA implementation, such as the type of seeding system, the level of diversification, the type of rotation systems used, the amount of biomass that could be retained, and the inclusion of tree-based elements. Different CA systems often had sitespecific responses, making it difficult to draw general conclusions (Nyamangara et al , 2014aThierfelder et al 2016a;Mupangwa et al 2016a;Thierfelder et al 2015a, b;Baudron et al 2012b). Most studies agree there are yield benefits in the medium to long term which are more pronounced in lower rainfall environments (Pittelkow et al 2015;Thierfelder et al 2014;Steward et al 2018).…”

Section: Rationale Of Conservation Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary practices supporting conservation agriculture in southern Africa. A review

Thierfelder¹,

Baudron²,

Setimela³

et al. 2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

125

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Conservation agriculture (CA)-the simultaneous application of minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification-is a key approach to address declining soil fertility and the adverse effects of climate change in southern Africa. Applying the three defining principles of CA alone, however, is often not enough, and complementary practices and enablers are required to make CA systems more functional for smallholder farmers in the short and longer term. Here, we review 11 complementary practices and enablers grouped under six topical areas to highlight their critical need for functional CA systems, namely: (1) appropriate nutrient management to increase productivity and biomass; (2) improved stress-tolerant varieties to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses; (3) judicious use of crop chemicals to surmount pest, diseases, and weed pressure; (4) enhanced groundcover with alternative organic resources or diversification with green manures and agroforestry; (5) increased efficiency of planting and mechanization to reduce labor, facilitate timely planting, and to provide farm power for seeding; and (6) an enabling political environment and more harmonized and innovative extension approaches to streamline and foster CA promotional efforts. We found that (1) all 11 complementary practices and enablers substantially enhance the functioning of CA systems and some (e.g., appropriate nutrient management) are critically needed to close yield gaps; (2) practices and enablers must be tailored to the local farmer contexts; and (3) CA systems should either be implemented in a sequential approach, or initially at a small scale and grow from there, in order to increase feasibility for smallholder farmers. This review provides a comprehensive overview of practices and enablers that are required to improve the productivity, profitability, and feasibility of CA systems. Addressing these in southern Africa is expected to stimulate the adoption of CA by smallholders, with positive outcomes for soil health and resilience to climate change.

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Section: Rationale Of Conservation Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary practices supporting conservation agriculture in southern Africa. A review

Thierfelder¹,

Baudron²,

Setimela³

et al. 2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

125

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…4). Conservation tillage methods such as ripping have been reported to result in high pore volumes consequently increasing the infiltration capacity of a soil (Nyamangara et al, 2014) thus reduced water stress. The increased infiltration observed with ripping and mulching may also explain why there was least risk of crop failure (0-30%) under ripper + mulch across the different planting date scenarios and across fertility treatments.…”

Section: Tillage and Mulch Application Effects On Maize Yieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk management options in maize cropping systems in semi-arid areas of Southern Africa

Masvaya

Nyamangara

Descheemaeker

2018

Field Crops Research

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A B S T R A C TAlthough rainfed cropping in semi-arid areas is risky due to frequent droughts and dry spells, planting early with the first rains is often expected to result in yield benefits. We hypothesised that planting early leads to yield benefits if the planting coincides with a mineral N flush at the start of the season but leads to crop failure if there is a false start to the cropping season. The effects of different management options, including tillage (ploughing and ripping), mulch (two levels 0 and 2 t ha −1 ) and fertility amendments (five levels: 0; 20 and 40 kg N ha −1 ; 5 t manure ha −1 and 5 t ha −1 manure + 20 kg N ha −1 ) on grain yields were simulated using the calibrated and tested APSIM model over a 30-year period (1984-2015). Yields were simulated and compared across seven planting date scenarios (planting when cumulative rainfall of 20 mm was received in three consecutive days). Planting with the first rains with manure + 20 kg N ha −1 resulted in the best average yield of 2271 kg ha −1 whilst the poorest average yields of 22 kg ha −1 were observed with planting on 15 January with no fertility amendment (0 kg N ha −1 ). Planting early (1 Nov to 15 Nov) and with the first rains resulted in exceeding the food self-sufficiency threshold of 1080 kg ha -1 in 40-83 % of the cases if fertility amendments are applied, as well as a low probability of complete crop failure, ranging from 0 to 40%. Grain yield penalties due to a false start followed the trend: ripper + mulch > plough + mulch > ripper (no mulch) averaging 256, 190 and 182 kg ha -1 respectively across all the fertility treatments. The model was able to simulate the occurrence of the mineral N flush with the first rains. Its coincidence with planting resulted in average yield benefits of 712, 452, 382 and 210 kg ha -1 for the following respective planting dates: 1 Nov, 15 Nov, 30 Nov, variable date when > 20 mm rainfall was received. Early planting, in combination with reduced tillage, mulch and N containing fertility amendments is critical to reduce risk of crop failure in the smallholder cropping systems of semi-arid areas of southern Africa and achieve the best possible yields. January (Spear, 1968). It has been recommended that farmers plant https://doi.

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“…NT is considered to be a sustainable agricultural system that responds satisfactorily under both economic and environmental pressures (Reicosky & Saxton, ; Araya et al ., ). This agricultural production system uses a body of soil and biomass management practices that produce satisfactory results with respect to controlling erosion in tropical mountains (Pansak et al ., ) and at the same time improve soil quality, by increasing the content of organic matter and improving porosity, structural stability, infiltration and water retention (Carr et al ., ; Nyamangara et al ., ; Chowdhury et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The erosion threshold for a sustainable agriculture in cultures of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under conventional tillage and no‐tillage in Northern Nicaragua

Sepúlveda

Carrillo

2016

Soil Use and Management

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Soil erosion by water is one of the main environmental problems of the tropical mountains of Central America. The fragility of these areas, the significant degree of human population pressure exerted and changes in traditional farming systems all contribute to the current state of degradation. In this study, we compare two types of agricultural management (conventional tillage with traditional ploughing and no‐tillage with a digging stick) and analyse the influence of land slope, the management of vegetation cover, and various soil features and properties related to erosion in fields dedicated to the cultivation of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to determine the erosion thresholds. The study area was located in the hills around El Cuá, in northern Nicaragua. The results showed the system of no‐tillage (NT) to be more effective at controlling erosion than conventional tillage (CT), such that 28.7% less land was affected by erosion. Erosion in plots under CT did not present any statistically significant relationship with the factors analysed. Conversely, the erosion in the plots under NT was significantly related to the coverage of vegetation residues, and we calculated an erosion threshold of 40% of the level of vegetation coverage, which significantly reduces erosion.

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Influence of basin‐based conservation agriculture on selected soil quality parameters under smallholder farming inZimbabwe

Cited by 41 publications

References 36 publications

Complementary practices supporting conservation agriculture in southern Africa. A review

Complementary practices supporting conservation agriculture in southern Africa. A review

Risk management options in maize cropping systems in semi-arid areas of Southern Africa

The erosion threshold for a sustainable agriculture in cultures of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under conventional tillage and no‐tillage in Northern Nicaragua

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