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© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) agriculture is characterized by dependence on erratic rainfall, inadequate conservation practices, and a decline in soil fertility resulting in low crop productivity. Therefore, conservation agriculture (CA) has been proposed as an alternative to improve soil fertility and productivity. Hence the aim was to investigate the effects of tillage systems, fertilization, and cropping patterns on selected soil chemical properties (pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, extractable phosphorus, exchangeable cations, and cation exchange capacity) and identify which cropping pattern maximizes stover and grain maize–legume productivity and land use. A two-year (2016/17–2017/18) field experiment in a loamy sand soil was conducted at Nhacoongo Research Station, southern Mozambique. Two tillage systems (conservation (CA) and conventional tillage (CT)), two fertilization treatments (fertilized and unfertilized), and seven cropping patterns (four sole crops and three maize–legume intercrops) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with split–split plot arrangement and replicated four times. CA practices resulted in significantly higher soil chemical properties and increased stover and grain yields as compared to CT practices, but fertilization demonstrated insignificant effects on soil chemical properties and significant influences on stover and grain yield of maize and legumes. Cropping patterns induced no significant effect on soil chemical properties and either stover or grain yield. Estimated indices like land equivalent ratio (1.18–2.67) and competitive ratio index (0.01–1.72) confirmed the advantage of intercropping against sole cropping. This is largely supported by the estimated values of aggressivity and relative crowding coefficient. Smallholder farmers can therefore benefit by adopting CA.

Details

Title
Short-Term Effects of Tillage Systems, Fertilization, and Cropping Patterns on Soil Chemical Properties and Maize Yields in a Loamy Sand Soil in Southern Mozambique
Author
Chichongue, Óscar 1 ; van Tol, Johan J 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ceronio, Gert M 2 ; du Preez, Chris C 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kotzé, Elmarie 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Mozambique Agricultural Research Institute (IIAM), Maputo P.O. Box 3658, Mozambique; [email protected]; Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa; [email protected] (J.J.v.T.); [email protected] (C.C.d.P.); [email protected] (E.K.) 
 Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa; [email protected] (J.J.v.T.); [email protected] (C.C.d.P.); [email protected] (E.K.) 
First page
1534
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20734395
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2693869318
Copyright
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.