Tillage, Crop Rotation and Crop Residue Management Effects on Nutrient Availability in a Sweet Sorghum-Based Cropping System in Marginal Soils of South Africa
| Autor: | Isaiah I.C. Wakindiki, Adornis D. Nciizah, Mashapa E. Malobane, Fhatuwani N. Mudau |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
fertility
Crop residue Conventional tillage cation exchange capacity biology Crop yield soil nitrogen lcsh:S Intercropping Crop rotation biology.organism_classification Tillage lcsh:Agriculture extractable bases conservation agriculture Agronomy Environmental science Cropping system Soil fertility Agronomy and Crop Science |
| Zdroj: | Agronomy, Vol 10, Iss 776, p 776 (2020) Agronomy Volume 10 Issue 6 |
| ISSN: | 2073-4395 |
| Popis: | The low soil fertility status of South African marginal soils threatens sustainable production of biofuel feedstock in smallholder farmers. It is therefore imperative to development sustainable and optimal management practices that improve soil fertility. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of tillage, rotation and crop residue management on nutrient availability in a bioenergy sweet sorghum-based cropping system in marginal soils. Two tillage levels, no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) two crop rotations, sweet sorghum&ndash grazing vetch&ndash sweet sorghum (SVS) and sweet sorghum&ndash fallow&ndash sweet sorghum (SFS) and three crop residue retention levels, 0%, 15% and 30%, were tested. No-till enhanced total nitrogen, total organic nitrogen (TON), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) by 3.19% to 45% compared to CT. SVS rotation increased ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate (NO3&minus N) by 3.42% to 5.98% compared to SFS. A 30% crop residue retention increased NH4+-N, NO3&minus N, available phosphorus (Available P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), calcium (Ca), Mg and potassium (K) by 3.58% to 31.94% compared to crop residue removal. In the short term, a 30% crop residue retention was the main treatment that enhanced soil fertility. The application of NT&minus 30% was a better practice to enhance soil fertility. However, research on inclusion of crop diversity/intercropping can add more value to the NT&ndash 30% practice in enhancing soil fertility. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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