Restoring soil nutrient stocks using local inputs, tillage and sorghum-green gram intercropping strategies for drylands in Eastern Kenya (original) (raw)
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2021
Conservation tillage is considered one of the most indispensable management practices for crop productivity and soil health in rainfed areas world over. The present study aimed to assess performance of conservation tillage in contrast with conventional tillage for different crop sequences on soil quality and yield productivity under the subtropical dryland conditions of Pothwar, Pakistan. Present study was carried out in the plots of an existing long-term field trial initiated in 2011 where four tillage systems viz. conventional tillage (CT, moldboard), minimum tillage (MT), reduced tillage (RT), and zero tillage (ZT) were compared. In 2015, for current study, each tillage plot was divided into three subplots for crop sequences viz. fallow-wheat (Triticum aestivum) (F-W), mungbean green manure (Vigna radiata)-wheat (M-W), and sorghum fodder (Sorghum bicolor)-wheat (S-W). Soil fertility in terms of NO3-N, P, and K was significantly enhanced by long-term application of RT and ZT tilla...
Soil Health and Nutrient Management of Agricultural Crops
Just Agriculture , 2023
Soul of infinite life, soil has undergone overexploitation in order to feed a vast population, creating an urgent need for corrective action in this often-neglected area of agriculture. Main objectives of soil nutrient management are to improve soil health and to meet the nutrient requirements of crops. Healthy soil, as defined by the Natural Resource Conservation Service, is the "continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans." In crop production, nutrient management is an important practice to attain a higher yield. Nowadays, farmers are exuberantly using chemical fertilizers and this is considered as the main cause of environmental pollution and also deteriorates soil health (Rekha et al., 2018). Most of the deficiencies observed in plants, animals and people are due to soil conditions not being conducive to nutrient uptake. The minerals are present in excess but simply not available to plant. Availability of nutrients insufficient and balanced quantities throughout the plant growth period is very important to maintain productivity. The most important constraint faced by developing countries and especially among resource-poor farmers, is poor soil fertility. Balanced application of fertilizer is the basis of both soil and plant health. The use of inorganic fertilizers alone without a proper understanding of balanced application has led to a decline in productivity of agricultural crops.
Veer Singh, Commun. Soil Sceince & Plant Analysis, 2016
The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) on crop yield sustainability and soil quality in a long-term trial initiated during the wet season of 1971 under a humid subtropical climate. Over 41 years of study, 100% nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) + farm yard manure (FYM) at 15 t ha−1 recorded the most sustainable grain yields. Optimal and superoptimal NPK fertilizers gave quite similar crop yields to that of 100% NPK + FYM at 15 t ha–1 up to two decades but thereafter yields declined sharply due to emergence of zinc (Zn) deficiency. The sustainable yield index (SYI) values indicated that wheat yields were more sustainable than rice. Soil organic carbon and available N, P, K, and Zn in the control plot decreased the most, whereas 100% NPK + FYM at 15 t ha–1 improved available N, P and K, maintained soil organic carbon, and decreased Zn over initial levels. Grain yield and SYI were more significantly correlated with Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). Continuous application of FYM contributed the maximum Soil Quality Index (SQI) (0.94), followed by Zn.
International Journal of Environment and Climate Change
A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2021, at Narkhoda farm, ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, to study the effect of conservation agricultural practices on soil and plant nutrient dynamics. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with 3 replications on red sandy loam soil (Alfisols) under rainfed conditions. The treatments comprised of three tillage treatments in main plots viz., conventional tillage, reduced tillage, zero tillage and four cropping systems with residue incorporation in subplots viz., sole castor, castor + redgram (1:1), castor + greengram (1:3) and castor + groundnut (1:3). The results indicated that at harvest, highest soil organic carbon (SOC) content was found in reduced tillage (0.64%) followed by zero tillage (0.63%) and the lowest in conventional tillage (0.56%). Among inter cropping systems, SOC was recorded highest (0.67%) in castor + redgram (1:1) and lowest (0.55%) in sole castor treatment. The status of post-harvest soil avai...