Water and nutrient balances under selected soil and water conservation practices in semi-arid Ruzizi plain, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Bagula, Espoir Mukengere; Majaliwa, J. G. M.; Mushagalusa, Gustave Nachigera; Basamba, T. A.; Tumuhairwe, John Baptist; Akello, Sarah; Mondo, Jean M.; Gabiri, Geofrey; Musinguzi, Patrick; Mwimangire, Cephas B.; Tenywa, Moses

doi:10.5897/ajar2021.15699

Afr. J. Agric. Res.

2021

DOI: 10.5897/ajar2021.15699

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Water and nutrient balances under selected soil and water conservation practices in semi-arid Ruzizi plain, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Espoir Mukengere Bagula¹,

J. G. M. Majaliwa²,

Gustave Nachigera Mushagalusa³

et al.

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Cited by 4 publications

References 31 publications

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Irrigation management and biochar × mineral fertilization for improving rice yield and profitability

Muhindo,

Lelei,

Munyahali

et al. 2024

Agronomy Journal

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Inefficient fertilizer management and increasing water scarcity are affecting rice yields and thus food security in Central African lowlands. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of biochar and mineral fertilizer application and irrigation regime on paddy rice growth, yield and profitability. A randomized complete block design with a split‐split plot arrangement and three replications was used at three field sites and for two consecutive seasons. The main plots consisted of two irrigation regimes, permanent flooding and alternate wetting and drying. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars TAI and AR2017105 were assigned to subplots. Six fertilization treatments were applied in sub‐subplots: control, rice husk biochar or manure‐charged biochar, each with and without mineral fertilizer. Alternate wetting and drying did not penalize yield. The combined use of biochar and mineral fertilizer increased paddy rice yield compared to fertilizer alone (+16%) and the control (+85%). The sole application of biochar, with or without manure, did increase yield in the first (+14%) but not in the second season compared to the unfertilized control. In both cropping seasons, the combined use of biochar and mineral fertilizer significantly increased the gross margin of paddy rice farming compared to the sole application of fertilizer. The combined application of biochar and mineral fertilizer under alternate wetting and drying can thus be recommended as a key climate‐smart agricultural practice to increase food security and the agronomic profitability of rice cropping in Central African lowlands and comparable rice growing areas worldwide.

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Irrigation management and biochar × mineral fertilization for improving rice yield and profitability

Muhindo,

Lelei,

Munyahali

et al. 2024

Agronomy Journal

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Valorizing staple crop residues through mushroom production to improve food security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Kazige

Chuma

Lusambya

et al. 2022

Journal of Agriculture and Food Research

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Climate Change Effect on Water Use Efficiency under Selected Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Ruzizi Catchment, Eastern D.R. Congo

Bagula

Majaliwa

Mushagalusa

et al. 2022

Land

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Concerns have been raised on the effectiveness and sustainability of Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) practices as adaptation options to climate change and high intra− and inter−annual rainfall variabilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study was conducted in the Ruzizi Plain, a dryland area, to assess the performance of maize (Zea mays L.) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) and two SWC practices (tied ridges and conventional tillage). The AgMIP’s Regional Integrated Assessment (RIA) approach was used to simulate Water Use Efficiency (WUE) under the Cropping System Model−Crop Environment Resource Synthesis (CSM−CERES−Maize) of the Decision Support System for Agro−technology Transfer (DSSAT). The model was calibrated using experimental data from nine cropping seasons (2011–2018) and 100 farms. The model sensitivity was assessed as a function of temperature, water, and SWC practices for the same environments. Initial conditions of crop management practices were used as input data for CSM−CERES−Maize. Current climate data were extracted from AgMERRA datasets corrected with local data for the period of 1980 to 2021. Future climate projections (2022–2099) were obtained after down−scaling the data from the 29 GCMS of CMIP5 and subsetted to five GCMs based on climate regimes. GCMS results were a strong indicator that climate change in this DRC dryland will result in an increase in average annual temperatures for both RCP 4.5 and 8.5, with the highest increase (3.05 °C) under hot/dry conditions for RCP8.5 and the lowest (1.04 °C) under cool/dry conditions for RCP 4.5. All the models selected for five climate regimes for 2022–2099 showed no change in the rainfall trends for RCP 4.5 (p > 0.05). The models projected yield declines of 5–25%, with less yield losses under tied ridges as an adaptation practice. The use of efficient SWC practices could therefore be a promising strategy in reducing potential losses from climate change in drylands of eastern DRC.

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Water and nutrient balances under selected soil and water conservation practices in semi-arid Ruzizi plain, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Cited by 4 publications

References 31 publications

Irrigation management and biochar × mineral fertilization for improving rice yield and profitability

Irrigation management and biochar × mineral fertilization for improving rice yield and profitability

Valorizing staple crop residues through mushroom production to improve food security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Climate Change Effect on Water Use Efficiency under Selected Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Ruzizi Catchment, Eastern D.R. Congo

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