Abstract
Mulching in smallholder conservation agriculture (CA) systems is constrained by lack of adequate crop residues. A three-year study assessed the effects of reduced tillage systems combined with different plant residue mulch and nitrogen (N) fertiliser on nitrogen uptake using the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), maize growth and yield, and agronomic efficiency. A split plot design with three or four replicates was used. Maize, Hyparrhenia grass, leaf litter, sunnhemp and Tephrosia residue mulch in CA and a conventional control were the main treatments. The N subtreatments were 0, 60 and 120 kg N ha−1. The main treatments had a similar effect on NDVI, and N increased NDVI across the treatments. The conventional practice had taller plants compared with CA. The conventional and CA treatments had a similar effect on maize yields. The different plant residues in CA had a similar effect on yields. Nitrogen increased yield, and 60 and 120 kg N ha−1 had a similar effect. The 60 kg N ha−1 subtreatment had a higher agronomic N efficiency than 120 kg N ha−1. The study demonstrated that CA with different plant residues and the conventional practice give similar yields in the short term.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage with residue mulch had a similar effect on maize NDVI as the conventional control.
- Treatment
- Hyparrhenia grass, leaf litter, sunnhemp and Tephrosia residue mulch in CAe1
- Outcome
- NDVIe2
- Direction
- similar effecte2
- Comparator
- conventional controle1
- Setting
- granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwet0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e1“Maize, Hyparrhenia grass, leaf litter, sunnhemp and Tephrosia residue mulch in CA and a conventional control were the main treatments”
e2“The main treatments had a similar effect on NDVI”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen increased NDVI across the treatments in maize.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e3“N increased NDVI across the treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
The conventional practice gave taller maize plants than conservation agriculture.
- Treatment
- conventional practicee4
- Outcome
- plantse4
- Direction
- tallere4
- Comparator
- CAe4
- Setting
- granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwet0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e4“The conventional practice had taller plants compared with CA”
Claim · model-written summary
Conventional and conservation agriculture treatments had a similar effect on maize yields.
- Treatment
- CAe5
- Outcome
- maize yieldse5
- Direction
- similar effecte5
- Comparator
- conventionale5
- Setting
- granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwet0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e5“The conventional and CA treatments had a similar effect on maize yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Different plant residues in conservation agriculture had a similar effect on maize yields.
- Treatment
- different plant residues in CAe6
- Outcome
- yieldse6
- Direction
- similar effecte6
- Setting
- granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwet0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e6“The different plant residues in CA had a similar effect on yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen increased maize yield.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e7“Nitrogen increased yield, and 60 and 120 kg N ha−1 had a similar effect”
Claim · model-written summary
60 and 120 kg N ha−1 had a similar effect on maize yield.
- Treatment
- 60 and 120 kg N ha−1e7
- Outcome
- yielde7
- Direction
- similar effecte7
- Setting
- granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwet0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e7“Nitrogen increased yield, and 60 and 120 kg N ha−1 had a similar effect”
Claim · model-written summary
60 kg N ha−1 gave a higher agronomic N efficiency than 120 kg N ha−1 in maize.
- Treatment
- 60 kg N ha−1e1
- Outcome
- agronomic N efficiencye1
- Direction
- highere1
- Comparator
- 120 kg N ha−1e1
- Setting
- granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwet0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize responses to reduced tillage, different plant residue mulch and nitrogen fertiliser on granitic sandy soils of Zimbabwe”
e1“The 60 kg N ha−1 subtreatment had a higher agronomic N efficiency than 120 kg N ha−1”
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