Nitrogen use efficiency and optimization of nitrogen fertilization in conservation agriculture.

Grahmann, Kathrin; Verhulst, Nele; Buerkert, Andreas; Ortiz-Monasterio, Iván; Govaerts, Bram

doi:10.1079/pavsnnr20138053

Cited by 32 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…In addition, intercrops with N 2 -fixing legumes may reduce the C:N ratio of the resulting mulch mixture. The decomposition of this mulch will release nitrogen, as opposed to the decomposition of high C:N materials such as maize stalks, which require that soil microbes use the available N for their own metabolic needs resulting in temporary N immobilisation (Giller et al, 2011;Grahmann et al, 2013). This may explain our finding of increased available N in the sole cowpea and intercrop plots.…”

Section: Maizecowpea Intercrops and Over-yieldingmentioning

confidence: 84%

Is maize-cowpea intercropping a viable option for smallholder farms in the risky environments of semi-arid southern Africa?

Masvaya

Nyamangara

Descheemaeker

2017

Field Crops Research

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Intercropping cereals with legumes can potentially enhance productivity and soil fertility. There is limited experimental evidence on the mechanisms underlying benefits or risks in intercropping systems and belowground interactions in intercrops remain largely unstudied. Such understanding can inform strategies towards maximising returns to investments, particularly in poor fertility soils on smallholder farms in semi-arid areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Additive intercropping experiments were established covering several seasons (2010/ 11-2014/15) and different conditions (on-station and on-farm) to determine effects on soil chemical variables, root dynamics and yield of intercrops. Maize was planted with the first effective rains and received either no fertiliser or 40 kg N ha −1. Cowpea was planted on the same date as maize or three weeks after planting maize in intercrops or sole stands and received no fertiliser. End-of-season available N was highest (P < 0.05) under the late planted intercrop with 40 kg N ha −1 treatment in 2013/14. Addition of 40 kg N ha −1 significantly increased maize grain yield by 500-1100 kg ha −1 in the 2013/14 season. There was generally greater productivity and over-yielding in the intercrops compared with the sole crops; most intercrops had a land equivalent ratio > 1. Intercropping, however, resulted in compromised cowpea yields especially under the relay intercrop compared with the sole cowpea stands whilst maize yield was either not affected or improved. We attributed this to the lack of below-ground niche differentiation in root distribution between maize and cowpea. Maize-cowpea intercropping with low doses of N fertiliser resulted in over-yielding compared with monocropping. Intercropping proved to be a robust option across seasons and soil types, confirming that it is a promising option for resource-poor smallholders.

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Section: Maizecowpea Intercrops and Over-yieldingmentioning

confidence: 84%

Is maize-cowpea intercropping a viable option for smallholder farms in the risky environments of semi-arid southern Africa?

Masvaya

Nyamangara

Descheemaeker

2017

Field Crops Research

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“…The N use efficiency and yield levels in the present study may be associated with; (1) the adoption of long known strategies to increase N use efficiency, (2) a non-critically limiting N supply for the crop, provided in part by soil mineralization under a mature conservation agriculture system, and a possible synergy among these two factors. Grahmann et al (2013) [12] suggested an initial short-term N immobilization period under conservation agriculture, but steady N mineralization rates afterward. In support of the hypothesis that wheat in this study grew on a relatively N rich environment, not only through applied fertilizers, the following evidence is presented.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Fertilizer Management Strategies Aiming to Increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Wheat Grown Under Conservation Agriculture

et al. 2018

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Sustainable crop production systems can be attained by using inputs efficiently and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) parameters are indirect measurements of sustainability of production systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected nitrogen (N) management treatments on wheat yields, grain and straw N concentration, and NUE parameters, under conservation agriculture (CA). The present study was conducted at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in northwest, Mexico. Seventeen treatments were tested which included urea sources, timing, and methods of fertilizer application. Orthogonal contrasts were used to compare groups of treatments and correlation and regression analyses were used to look at the relationships between wheat yields and NUE parameters. Contrasts run to compare wheat yields or agronomic efficiency of N (AE N ) performed similarly. Sources of urea or timing of fertilizer application had a significant effect on yields or AE N (p > 0.050). However, methods of application resulted in a highly significant (p < 0.0001) difference on wheat yields and agronomic efficiency of N. NUE parameters recorded in this study were average but the productivity associated to NUE levels was high. Results in this study indicate that wheat grew under non-critically limiting N supply levels, suggesting that N mineralization and reduced N losses from the soil under CA contributed to this favorable nutritional condition, thus minimizing the importance of N management practices under stable, mature CA systems.

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“…Soil coverage with harvest waste -basic component of conservation agriculture practices-favors immobilization by the N applied with the chemical fertilizer (Grahmann et al, 2013), specially during the second fertilization when it stays in direct contact with the organic material because tillage is not performed and N cannot stay underground. Thus, microbial biomass uses part of the N supplied for its metabolism during organic matter decomposition.…”

Section: Crop Rotation Assaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Efecto de biofertilizantes y agricultura de conservación en la producción de trigo en un Vertisol

Báez-Pérez

Limón-Ortega

Ramírez-Barrientos

et al. 2020

Terra

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Se realizaron dos ensayos para estudiar el efecto de la inoculación de hongos micorrízicos en la producción de trigo de invierno y la rotación de cultivos y dosis crecientes de fertilización, ambos aunados a la implementación de prácticas de agricultura de conservación. En el primero se establecieron los siguientes tratamientos: (1) Inoculación del trigo con los hongos micorrízicos: Glomus mosseae, sin fertilización; (2) aplicación de 200 unidades de N ha‑1, sin inoculación; (3) inoculación + 100 unidades de N ha-1; (4) aplicación de 100 unidades de N ha-1, sin inoculación; (5) inoculación + 150 unidades de N ha-1; (6) aplicación de 150 unidades de N, sin inoculación. En el segundo se evaluó la respuesta, en la producción de trigo, a dos rotaciones precedentes de cultivo: maíz-trigo (G-G) y frijol-trigo (L-G), y cuatro dosis crecientes de fertilización nitrogenada: 0, 100, 150 y 200 unidades ha-1. La producción de trigo, con la inoculación de G. mosseae + 75% de fertilización nitrogenada recomendada, tuvo el mayor rendimiento de grano (5.6 Mg ha-1), y fue 36 % mayor, respecto al testigo con aplicación de sólo 100% de la fertilización, sin inoculante. La inoculación de trigo, sin aplicación de fertilizante nitrogenado tuvo la producción más baja (2.6 Mg ha-1). Por otra parte, la producción de trigo con la rotación L-G tuvo una menor respuesta (R2 = 0.72) a las dosis crecientes de N, y fue donde se obtuvo el mayor rendimiento de grano, con 4.7 Mg ha-1, con sólo 150 unidades de N ha-1, que correspondió a 1 Mg ha-1 más, comparado con la máxima producción de trigo que se obtuvo en la rotación G-G, con 200 unidades de N ha-1. El uso de biofertilizantes inoculados, como los hongos micorrízicos, o por efecto de la rotación de cultivos con leguminosas, como frijol, requiere de dosis completarías de N para potenciar la producción de trigo; sin embargo, es factible disminuir en 25% la dosis de fertilización nitrogenada.

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Nitrogen use efficiency and optimization of nitrogen fertilization in conservation agriculture.

Cited by 32 publications

References 0 publications

Is maize-cowpea intercropping a viable option for smallholder farms in the risky environments of semi-arid southern Africa?

Is maize-cowpea intercropping a viable option for smallholder farms in the risky environments of semi-arid southern Africa?

Assessment of Fertilizer Management Strategies Aiming to Increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Wheat Grown Under Conservation Agriculture

Efecto de biofertilizantes y agricultura de conservación en la producción de trigo en un Vertisol

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