eprintid: 11054
rev_number: 14
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1305
dir: disk0/00/01/10/54
datestamp: 2019-02-01 03:23:02
lastmod: 2020-01-17 03:05:22
status_changed: 2019-02-01 03:23:02
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
contact_email: Library-ICRISAT@CGIAR.ORG
creators_name: Mupangwa, W
creators_name: Thierfelder, C
creators_name: Cheesman, S
creators_name: Nyagumbo, I
creators_name: Muoni, T
creators_name: Mhlanga, B
creators_name: Mwila, M
creators_name: Sida, T S
creators_name: Ngwira, A R
creators_id: Female
creators_id: Female
creators_gender: Female
creators_gender: Female
icrisatcreators_name: Ngwira, A R
affiliation: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (Addis Ababa)
affiliation: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (Harare)
affiliation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (Windhoek)
affiliation: University of Zimbabwe (Harare)
affiliation: Zambia Agriculture Research Institute, Msekera Research Station (Chipata)
affiliation: ICRISAT (Lilongwe)
country: Ethiopia
country: Zimbabwe
country: Namibia
country: Zambia
country: Malawi
title: Effects of maize residue and mineral nitrogen applications on maize yield in conservation-agriculture-based cropping systems of Southern Africa
ispublished: pub
subjects: n345
subjects: s2.6
subjects: s28
divisions: CRPS5
crps: crp1.7
full_text_status: restricted
keywords: Chlorophyll; crop–livestock interaction; immobilization; residue retention; sustainable intensification; Conservation agriculture; southern Africa; Maize residue
note: This long-term study was financially supported by the
International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) through a long-term
study on CA systems in southern Africa. We are grateful for this significant
contribution. This study has been embedded into the CGIAR Research
Program MAIZE, Flagship Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming
systems. We acknowledge the CGIAR Fund Council, Australia (ACIAR),
Irish Aid, European Union, International Fund for Agriculture Development
(IFAD), Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, UK, USAID and Thailand
for funding to the CGIAR Research Program MAIZE. We thank numerous
researchers and field workers from the four countries for their contribution
to the study.
abstract: Conservation agriculture (CA) and no-till (NT)-based cropping systems could address soil degradation and fertility decline in southern Africa. A multi-location and multi-year experiment was carried out between 2008 and 2014 to assess the effects of different levels of maize residue biomass (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 t ha−1) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer (0, 30, 90 kg ha−1) on maize performance under no-tillage. In some sites, different (N) fertilizer levels were superimposed to test their effects on maize grain yield and leaf chlorophyll content under different maize residue biomass levels. The different residue levels had no significant effect on maize yield in most growing seasons. Maize residue cover increased grain yield in eight out of 39 site-years across the sites used. However, in some sites, maize yield decreased with increases in residue level in cropping seasons that had average to above average rainfall. At a few sites maize yield increased with increase in residue level. Seasonal rainfall pattern influenced the effect of different residue levels on grain yield at most sites. Nitrogen fertilizer increased maize yield regardless of the residue level applied. This study demonstrates that mulching with maize residues in CA/NT systems results in limited maize yield gains – at least within the first 6 years in different agro-ecological conditions of southern Africa.
date: 2019
date_type: published
publication: Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (TSI)
publisher: Cambridge University Press
pagerange: 1-14
id_number: 10.1017/S174217051900005X
refereed: TRUE
issn: 1742-1705
official_url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S174217051900005X
funders: International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)
projects: CA systems in southern Africa
citation:   Mupangwa, W and Thierfelder, C and Cheesman, S and Nyagumbo, I and Muoni, T and Mhlanga, B and Mwila, M and Sida, T S and Ngwira, A R  (2019) Effects of maize residue and mineral nitrogen applications on maize yield in conservation-agriculture-based cropping systems of Southern Africa.  Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (TSI).  pp. 1-14.  ISSN 1742-1705     
document_url: http://oar.icrisat.org/11054/1/Residue%20Level%20Paper%202019.pdf