Tillage and crop rotations enhance populations of earthworms, termites, dung beetles and centipedes: evidence from a long-term trial in Zambia

Muoni, Tarirai; Mhlanga, Blessing; Forkman, Johannes; Sitali, Mwangala; Thierfelder, Christian

doi:10.1017/s002185961900073x

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…pared to the TA practices due to the absence of physical damage caused by soil tillage, which was congruent with different studies [22,51,52]. It was probably due to the higher CA soil moisture [19,53,54] than in the TA, 10.89 ± 0.72 and 9.93 ± 0.51%, respectively (Figure 4), and cover crop in the CA presented 0.24 ± 0.06 kg m −2 of Desmodium sp., which served as a food source for earthworms [19]. Analogously, the number of earthworms m −2 reported by McInga et al, Nurul Aini et al, and Birkás et al [18,53,55] in the CA soils was higher by 24, 17, and 52 earthworms m −2 , respectively, than in the TA soils, probably due to the elimination of tillage and the presence of crop stubble on the soil, conditions that provided a suitable abiotic environment for the development of earthworms [54].…”

Section: Earthworm Populationsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…When tillage begins, soil experiences fractures that break its structure; organic matter oxidation, runoff [14], and bulk density [15] increase; and hydraulic conductivity and water content decrease, leading to soil erosion [16,17]. Furthermore, tillage creates an adverse environment for soil macrofauna due to inadequate temperature, soil humidity, and lower carbon availability, which decreases the earthworm population [18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tillage Practices and Liming: Comparative Study of Soil Properties and Forage Corn Production

Ocaña-Reyes,

Gutiérrez,

Paredes-Espinosa

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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Tillage conservation practices (CA), traditional agriculture (TA), and liming influence soil properties and crop yield. However, it is essential to demonstrate which tillage and liming practices improve soil properties and forage corn yield. This study compared soil properties and forage corn production in two tillage systems with the addition of dolomite and lime, which formed four treatments. The tillage in the first three days surpassed the TA soil CO2 emission, with 64.8% more CO2 than in the CA soil, and the TA hydraulic conductivity and bulk density were more suitable than those in the CA soil. The CA soil had 233 earthworms m−2 more than in TA. The TA green forage corn yielded 6.45 t ha−1 more than in CA, with a higher P, Ca, and Mg foliar content than in CA, but in the CA, the foliar N and K were higher than in TA. The liming increased soil cations (except K), highlighting the lime on dolomite with—52% Al and + 4.85 t ha−1 of forage corn compared to the control. Soil CO2 emission was far lower in CA than in TA, with a slightly lower forage yield, and other soil properties were improved, meaning lower land preparation costs and time savings than in TA. Lime improved acidic soil faster than dolomite, generating higher forage yields.

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Section: Earthworm Populationsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tillage Practices and Liming: Comparative Study of Soil Properties and Forage Corn Production

Ocaña-Reyes,

Gutiérrez,

Paredes-Espinosa

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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“…In a study in central Mexico, Castellanos-Navarrete et al [84] showed that CA produced an evident increase in the abundance and biomass of earthworms compared to CT. Sharma and Dhaliwal [309], in a study of rice-wheat cropping systems in South Asia, concluded that a zero-tillage system with crop residue retention improved micronutrient contents and provided feeding for soil macrofauna, especially earthworms, as compared to conventional tillage without residue. In a long-term trial in Zambia, Muoni et al [310] concluded that reduced tillage systems and crop rotations increase biological activity, with the density of termites and earthworms being higher in CA systems than in CT systems. Henneron et al [282] reported an increase in anecic earthworms in the long term in CA systems.…”

Section: Earthwormsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation Agriculture as a Sustainable System for Soil Health: A Review

et al. 2022

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Soil health is a term used to describe the general state or quality of soil, and in an agroecosystem, soil health can be defined as the ability of the soil to respond to agricultural practices in a way that sustainably supports both agricultural production and the provision of other ecosystem services. Conventional agricultural practices cause deterioration in soil quality, increasing its compaction, water erosion, and salinization and decreasing soil organic matter, nutrient content, and soil biodiversity, which negatively influences the productivity and long-term sustainability of the soil. Currently, there are many evidences throughout the world that demonstrate the capability of conservation agriculture (CA) as a sustainable system to overcome these adverse effects on soil health, to avoid soil degradation and to ensure food security. CA has multiple beneficial effects on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. In addition, CA can reduce the negative impacts of conventional agricultural practices on soil health while conserving the production and provision of soil ecosystem services. Today, agricultural development is facing unprecedented challenges, and CA plays a significant role in the sustainability of intensive agriculture. This review will discuss the impact of conservation agricultural practices on soil health and their role in agricultural sustainability.

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“…No-tillage and crop residue retention encourage soil life and microbial activity benefiting both above and below ground biodiversity (Mashavakure et al, 2019; Mhlanga et al, 2020; Muoni et al, 2019). Research by Muoni et al (2019) and Thierfelder and Wall (2010) confirmed that no-tillage with residue cover significantly increases the abundance of earthworms which are most important to develop a conducive soil pore structure (Kladviko, Griffith and Mannering, 1986a; Kladviko, Mackay and Bradford, 1986b). A positive outcome of ground burrowing macro-fauna is improved infiltration into deeper layers and an increase in available soil moisture for plant growth in times of in-season dry spells or droughts (Mhlanga and Thierfelder, 2021).…”

Section: The Issue Of Residue Retention In Mixed Crop/livestock Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers: the challenges of crop residue retention and weed control in Conservation Agriculture systems of southern Africa

Thierfelder,

Mhlanga,

Ngoma

et al. 2024

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Production and utilization of crop residues as mulch and effective weed management are two central elements in the successful implementation of Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems in southern Africa. Yet, the challenges of crop residue availability for mulch or the difficulties in managing weed proliferation in CA systems are bigger than a micro-level focus on weeds and crop residues themselves. The bottlenecks are symptoms of broader systemic complications that cannot be resolved without appreciating the interactions between the current scientific understanding of CA and its application in smallholder systems, private incentives, social norms, institutions, and government policy. In this paper, we elucidate a series of areas that represent some unquestioned answers about chemical weed control and unanswered questions about how to maintain groundcover demanding more research along the natural and social sciences continuum. In some communities, traditional rules that allow free-range grazing of livestock after harvesting present a barrier in surface crop residue management. On the other hand, many of the communities either burn, remove, or incorporate the residues into the soil thus hindering the near-permanent soil cover required in CA systems. The lack of soil cover also means that weed management through soil mulch is unachievable. Herbicides are often a successful stopgap solution to weed control, but they are costly, and most farmers do not use them as recommended, which reduces efficacy. Besides, the use of herbicides can cause environmental hazards and may affect human health. Here, we suggest further assessment of the manipulation of crop competition, the use of vigorously growing cover crops, exploration of allelopathy, and use of microorganisms in managing weeds and reducing seed production to deplete the soil weed seed bank. We also suggest in situ production of plant biomass, use of unpalatable species for mulch generation and change of grazing by-laws towards a holistic management of pastures to reduce the competition for crop residues. However, these depend on the socio-economic status dynamics at farmer and community level.

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Tillage and crop rotations enhance populations of earthworms, termites, dung beetles and centipedes: evidence from a long-term trial in Zambia

Cited by 12 publications

References 43 publications

Tillage Practices and Liming: Comparative Study of Soil Properties and Forage Corn Production

Tillage Practices and Liming: Comparative Study of Soil Properties and Forage Corn Production

Conservation Agriculture as a Sustainable System for Soil Health: A Review

Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers: the challenges of crop residue retention and weed control in Conservation Agriculture systems of southern Africa

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