Dryland maize yields and water use efficiency in response to tillage and nutrient management practices in China

Rainfed crop production in northern China is constrained by low and variable rainfall. This study explored the effects of tillage and nutrient management practices on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and water use efficiency (WUE), at Shouyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in northern China during 2003-2008. The experiment was set-up using a split-plot design with 3 tillage methods as main treatments: conventional, reduced (till with crop residue incoperated in fall but no-till in spring), and no-till. Sub-treatments were 3 NP fertilizer rates: 105-46, 179-78 and 210-92 kg N and P ha. -1 Maize grain yields were greatly influenced by the amount of growing season rainfall, and by soil water contents at sowing. Mean grain yields over the 6-year period in response to tillage treatments were 5604, 5347 and 5185 kg ha, under reduced, no-till and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean WUE was 13.7, 13.6 and 12.6 kg ha mm under reduced, no-till, and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean soil water contents at sowing and at harvest were significantly influenced by tillage treatments. At harvest time, the no-till treatment had ~8-12% more water in the soil than the conventional and reduced tillage treatments. Under conventional tillage, grain yields increased with NP fertilizer application rates. However, under reduced tillage, grain yields were highest with lowest NP fertilizer application rate. In conclusion, grain yields and WUE were highest under reduced tillage at modest NP fertilizer application rates of 105 kg N and 46 kg P per ha. No-till increased soil water storage by 8-12% and improved WUE compared to conventional tillage

Conventional Tillage versus No-till: Characteristics of Producers and Farms

A survey of Oklahoma farmers was conducted to determine characteristics of farms across three tillage categories: conventional tillage exclusively; no-till exclusively; other (combination of systems). The seven percent that use no-till exclusively crop more acres, rent more acres, and use more crop rotations than farms that use conventional tillage exclusively.no-till, conventional tillage, survey, farm machinery, farm size, wheat, perceptions, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Q10, Q12,

Effects of No-Tillage Production Practices on Crop Yields as Influenced by Crop and Growing Environment Factors

This paper evaluated differences between yields of no-tillage compared to conventional or reduced tillage and their associated downside risk. Six crops were evaluated along with how those yields and risks differed by various environmental factors such geographic location, precipitation, soil type and how long the practice had been used.no-tillage, conservation, conventional tillage, downside-risk, yield, Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty,

Adoption of Maize Conservation Tillage in Azuero, Panama

An aggressive research and validation program launched in 1984 in Azuero, Panama, yielded a recommendation advocating zero tillage for maize production. Ten years later, maize farmers in Azuero used three land preparation methods: conventional tillage, zero tillage, and minimum tillage (an adaptation of the zero tillage technology). This study aimed to quantify the adoption of zero and minimum tillage for maize in Azuero; identify factors influencing adoption of the different land preparation practices; and analyze the implications of the findings for future maize research and extension. Between 1985 and 1994, farmers in Region I of Azuero changed from conventional tillage to zero (33%) and minimum tillage (43%). In Regions II and III, most farmers still practiced conventional tillage in 1994, although 34% had switched to minimum tillage. Across regions, adoption of conservation tillage was motivated by potential cost savings rather than longer term considerations such as reduced soil erosion. The factors that limit adoption of conservation tillage vary by region. In Region I, adoption of conservation tillage is limited by land rental rather than ownership and by lack of conservation tillage planting equipment. In Regions II and III, lack of information about conservation tillage technology limits the probability of adoption. Future research should examine soil compaction, a key variable for understanding differences between the adoption of minimum and zero tillage. Another area that merits further research is the link between weeds and conservation tillage: several farmers reported using the technology to obtain better weed control. The long-term effects of conservation tillage should also be assessed. Extension in Regions II and III should seek to accelerate adoption of conservation tillage, particularly zero tillage. In Region I, extension should steer the change process from minimum to zero tillage.Crop Production/Industries,

Results from the Fertilizer demonstration experiment with maize at IOP Farm in Iringa, Tanzania in 2019

In 2019, an experiment was run at the IOP farm in Tanzania. Five nutrient management treatments were combined in a full factorial setup with two tillage options. The lowest maize yield was obtained under conventional tillage without fertilizer application, and the highest maize yield with reduced tillage and the highest NPK fertilizer level combined with micronutrients. This highest NKP fertilizer level targeted 70% of water-limited yield. Furthermore, it was shown that P and K were used more efficient under reduced tillage compared to conventional tillage, while there was no difference in N use efficiency between the two tillage options. In addition, a number of field visits was organized. From the six villages surrounding the farm a total of 120 farmers made at least 4 visits to the experiment once in every month between February and June. That brings the number of farmers that learned from the 2018 trial to 480+

Soil Chemical Properties Under Conservation Agriculture and Cereal-Based Cropping System in Eastern Tarai of Nepal

Field experiments were conducted for four years (2014-2017) at five locations namely Salbani, Bhokraha, Simariya, Bhaluwa and Kaptanganj of Sunsari district to assess the changes in soil chemical properties under conservation agriculture (CA)-based practices in two cropping systems namely rice-kidney bean-maize at Salbani and rice-wheat at rest of the locations. In rice-wheat cropping system, there were four treatments: (1) conventional tillage (CT) for rice transplantation and subsequent wheat sowing, (2) conventional tillage rice transplantation followed by zero tillage (ZT) wheat, (3) unpuddled rice transplantation followed by zero tillage wheat, (4) zero tillage in both rice and wheat. Similarly, in rice-kidney bean-maize cropping system, there were four treatments; (1) conventional tillage for rice transplantation and sowing of both kidney bean and maize, (2) conventional tillage rice transplantation followed by zero tillage in both kidney bean and maize, (3) unpuddled rice transplantation followed by zero tillage in both kidney bean and maize, (4) zero tillage in all three crops. Soil samples were taken at initial and every year after rice harvest.The soil samples were analyzed for total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, pH and soil organic matter.Total nitrogen (N) showed a slightly decreasing trend in the first three years and showed a slight increase at the end of experiment under ZT in all locations. The total N under ZT changed from 0.12 to 0.13%, 0.05 to 0.06%, 0.10 to 0.12%, 0.11 to 0.08% and 0.09 to 0.13% in Salbani, Bhokraha, Simariya, Bhaluwa and Kaptanganj, respectively.  All locations showed the positive values of available potassium; Salbani  revealing considerable change of 64.3 to 78.5 mg/kg in CT while 68.4 to 73.3 mg/kg in ZT condition. The treatment where rice was transplanted in unpuddled condition and zero tilled to wheat, had a mean value of available phosphorus and potassium as 87.3 and 81.9 mg/kg respectively. Soil pH ranged from 4.8 to 7.1 in CT while it was 5.2 to 6.8 in ZT across the locations. The change in soil organic matter in CT of all locations except Salbani was narrower as compared to ZT

Reduced Tillage Corn Trial

Minimum tillage practices have significant potential to reduce expenses and the potential negative environmental effects caused by intensive tillage operations. Conventional tillage practices require heavy machinery to work and groom the soil surface in preparation for the planter. The immediate advantage of reduced tillage for the farm operator is less fuel expense, equipment, time, and labor required. It’s also clear that intensive tillage potentially increases nutrient and soil losses to our surface waterways. By turning the soil and burying surface residue, more soil particles are likely to detach from the soil surface and increase the potential for run off from agricultural fields. Reducing the amount and intensity of tillage can help build soil structure and reduce soil erosion

Minimum Tillage Corn Trial

Minimum tillage practices have significant potential to reduce expenses and the potential negative environmental effects caused by intensive tillage operations. Conventional tillage practices require heavy machinery to work and groom the soil surface in preparation for the planter. The immediate advantage of reduced tillage for the farm operator is less fuel expense, equipment, time, and labor required. It’s also clear that intensive tillage potentially increases nutrient and soil losses to our surface waterways. By turning the soil and burying surface residue, more soil particles are likely to detach from the soil surface and increase the potential for run off from agricultural fields. Reducing the amount and intensity of tillage can help build soil structure and reduce soil erosion

Adoption of No-Tillage Practices, Other Conservation-Tillage Practices and Herbicide-Resistant Cotton Seed, and Their Synergistic Environmental Impacts

If adoption of herbicide-resistant seed and adoption of conservation-tillage practices are determined simultaneously, adoption of herbicide-resistant seed could indirectly reduce soil erosion and adoption of conservation-tillage practices could indirectly reduce residual herbicide use and increase farm profits. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between these technologies for Tennessee cotton production. Evidence from simultaneous estimation of a trinomial logit model for adoption of no-tillage, other conservation-tillage, and conventional-tillage practices and a binomial logit model for adoption of herbicide-resistant and conventional cotton seed suggests a simultaneous relationship. The elasticity for acreage in herbicide-resistant seed with respect to the probability of adopting conservation-tillage practices was 3.98. The elasticities for acreages in no-tillage practices and other conservation-tillage practices with respect to the probability of adopting herbicide-resistant cotton seed were 0.34 and 0.10, respectively. Adoption of herbicide-resistant cotton seed in Tennessee reduced soil erosion by 9.2 million tons through its effects on adoption of conservation-tillage practices. By 2004, increases in adoption of conservation-tillage practices increased adoption of herbicide-resistant cotton seed by 445 thousand acres, substituting non-residual herbicides for residual herbicides on those cotton acres.Environmental Economics and Policy,