Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe
Conservation agriculture (CA), combining reduced or no tillage, permanent soil cover, and improved rotations, is often promoted as a climate-smart practice. However, our understanding of the impact of CA and its respective three principles on top- and subsoil organic carbon stocks in the low-input cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa is rather limited. This study was conducted at two long-term experimental sites established in Zimbabwe in 2013. The soil types were abruptic Lixisols at Domboshava Training Centre (DTC) and xanthic Ferralsol at the University of Zimbabwe farm (UZF). The following six treatments, which were replicated four times, were investigated: conventional tillage (CT), conventional tillage with rotation (CTR), no tillage (NT), no tillage with mulch (NTM), no tillage with rotation (NTR), and no tillage with mulch and rotation (NTMR). Maize (Zea mays L.) was the main crop, and treatments with rotation included cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.). The soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and soil bulk density were determined for samples taken from depths of 0–5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–75 and 75–100 cm. Cumulative organic inputs to the soil were also estimated for all treatments. SOC stocks at equivalent soil mass were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the NTM, NTR and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm and top 10 cm layers at UZF, while SOC stocks were only significantly higher in the NTM and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm at DTC. NT alone had a slightly negative impact on the top SOC stocks. Cumulative SOC stocks were not significantly different between treatments when considering the whole 100 cm soil profile. Our results show the overarching role of crop residue mulching in CA cropping systems with respect to enhancing SOC stocks but also that this effect is limited to the topsoil. The highest cumulative organic carbon inputs to the soil were observed in NTM treatments at the two sites, and this could probably explain the positive effect on SOC stocks. Moreover, our results show that the combination of at least two CA principles including mulch is required to increase SOC stocks in these low-nitrogen-input cropping systems.
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2024
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Subjects: | AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, SOIL ORGANIC CARBON, CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE, EXPERIMENTATION, CROP MANAGEMENT, Sustainable Agrifood Systems, |
Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10883/23059 |
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dig-cimmyt-10883-230592024-03-08T15:31:55Z Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe Shumba, A. Chikowo, R. Thierfelder, C. Corbeels, M. Six, J. Cardinael, R. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT Sustainable Agrifood Systems Conservation agriculture (CA), combining reduced or no tillage, permanent soil cover, and improved rotations, is often promoted as a climate-smart practice. However, our understanding of the impact of CA and its respective three principles on top- and subsoil organic carbon stocks in the low-input cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa is rather limited. This study was conducted at two long-term experimental sites established in Zimbabwe in 2013. The soil types were abruptic Lixisols at Domboshava Training Centre (DTC) and xanthic Ferralsol at the University of Zimbabwe farm (UZF). The following six treatments, which were replicated four times, were investigated: conventional tillage (CT), conventional tillage with rotation (CTR), no tillage (NT), no tillage with mulch (NTM), no tillage with rotation (NTR), and no tillage with mulch and rotation (NTMR). Maize (Zea mays L.) was the main crop, and treatments with rotation included cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.). The soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and soil bulk density were determined for samples taken from depths of 0–5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–75 and 75–100 cm. Cumulative organic inputs to the soil were also estimated for all treatments. SOC stocks at equivalent soil mass were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the NTM, NTR and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm and top 10 cm layers at UZF, while SOC stocks were only significantly higher in the NTM and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm at DTC. NT alone had a slightly negative impact on the top SOC stocks. Cumulative SOC stocks were not significantly different between treatments when considering the whole 100 cm soil profile. Our results show the overarching role of crop residue mulching in CA cropping systems with respect to enhancing SOC stocks but also that this effect is limited to the topsoil. The highest cumulative organic carbon inputs to the soil were observed in NTM treatments at the two sites, and this could probably explain the positive effect on SOC stocks. Moreover, our results show that the combination of at least two CA principles including mulch is required to increase SOC stocks in these low-nitrogen-input cropping systems. 151–165 2024-02-20T21:30:13Z 2024-02-20T21:30:13Z 2024 Article Published Version https://hdl.handle.net/10883/23059 10.5194/soil-10-151-2024 English https://doi.org/10.18167/DVN1/VPOCHN Climate adaptation & mitigation Diversification in East and Southern Africa Resilient Agrifood Systems Agricultural Intensification and Dynamics of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Tropical and Temperate Agricultural Systems (DSCATT) Agropolis Fondation TOTAL Foundation CGIAR Research Program on Maize https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139698 CIMMYT manages Intellectual Assets as International Public Goods. The user is free to download, print, store and share this work. In case you want to translate or create any other derivative work and share or distribute such translation/derivative work, please contact CIMMYT-Knowledge-Center@cgiar.org indicating the work you want to use and the kind of use you intend; CIMMYT will contact you with the suitable license for that purpose Open Access Zimbabwe Germany Copernicus GmbH 1 10 2199-3971 SOIL |
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AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT Sustainable Agrifood Systems AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT Sustainable Agrifood Systems |
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AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT Sustainable Agrifood Systems AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT Sustainable Agrifood Systems Shumba, A. Chikowo, R. Thierfelder, C. Corbeels, M. Six, J. Cardinael, R. Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe |
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Conservation agriculture (CA), combining reduced or no tillage, permanent soil cover, and improved rotations, is often promoted as a climate-smart practice. However, our understanding of the impact of CA and its respective three principles on top- and subsoil organic carbon stocks in the low-input cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa is rather limited. This study was conducted at two long-term experimental sites established in Zimbabwe in 2013. The soil types were abruptic Lixisols at Domboshava Training Centre (DTC) and xanthic Ferralsol at the University of Zimbabwe farm (UZF). The following six treatments, which were replicated four times, were investigated: conventional tillage (CT), conventional tillage with rotation (CTR), no tillage (NT), no tillage with mulch (NTM), no tillage with rotation (NTR), and no tillage with mulch and rotation (NTMR). Maize (Zea mays L.) was the main crop, and treatments with rotation included cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.). The soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and soil bulk density were determined for samples taken from depths of 0–5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–75 and 75–100 cm. Cumulative organic inputs to the soil were also estimated for all treatments. SOC stocks at equivalent soil mass were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the NTM, NTR and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm and top 10 cm layers at UZF, while SOC stocks were only significantly higher in the NTM and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm at DTC. NT alone had a slightly negative impact on the top SOC stocks. Cumulative SOC stocks were not significantly different between treatments when considering the whole 100 cm soil profile. Our results show the overarching role of crop residue mulching in CA cropping systems with respect to enhancing SOC stocks but also that this effect is limited to the topsoil. The highest cumulative organic carbon inputs to the soil were observed in NTM treatments at the two sites, and this could probably explain the positive effect on SOC stocks. Moreover, our results show that the combination of at least two CA principles including mulch is required to increase SOC stocks in these low-nitrogen-input cropping systems. |
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Article |
topic_facet |
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT Sustainable Agrifood Systems |
author |
Shumba, A. Chikowo, R. Thierfelder, C. Corbeels, M. Six, J. Cardinael, R. |
author_facet |
Shumba, A. Chikowo, R. Thierfelder, C. Corbeels, M. Six, J. Cardinael, R. |
author_sort |
Shumba, A. |
title |
Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe |
title_short |
Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe |
title_full |
Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe |
title_fullStr |
Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe |
title_sort |
mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in zimbabwe |
publisher |
Copernicus GmbH |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10883/23059 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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