Abstract
Abstract Continuous conventional tillage coupled with unsystematic cereal/legume rotations has promoted low crop productivity on smallholder farms. A multi-locational study was established in three agro-ecoregions (AEs) of Zimbabwe. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of four tillage systems (conventional plowing, planting basins, rip-line and animal traction direct seeding systems) on maize ( Zea mays L.), cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merrill] yields, and evaluate the economic performance of the conservation agriculture (CA) systems relative to conventional plowing. Each farmer was a replicate of the trial over the three cropping seasons. In the high (750–1000 mm per annum) and low (450–650 mm) rainfall AEs, conventional practice and CA systems gave similar maize grain yield. Under medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm) planting basins, rip-line and direct seeding systems gave 547, 548 and 1690 kg ha −1 more maize yield than the conventional practice. In the high and low rainfall AEs, conventional practice and planting basins had the lowest maize production risk. Cowpea yield was 35 and 45% higher in the rip-line and direct seeding than conventional practice. Soybean yield was higher in rip-line (36%) and direct seeding (51%) systems than conventional practice. Direct seeding system gave the highest net benefits in all AEs. A combination of long-term biophysical and socio-economic assessments of the different cropping systems tested in our study is critical in order to fully understand their performance under different AEs of Zimbabwe.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Maize grain yield was similar under conventional and CA practices in high and low rainfall regions.
- Treatment
- CA systemse0
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
- Setting
- high (750–1000 mm per annum) and low (450–650 mm) rainfall AEse0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the high (750–1000 mm per annum) and low (450–650 mm) rainfall AEs, conventional practice and CA systems gave similar maize grain yield.”
Claim · model-written summary
Planting basins gave 547 kg ha −1 more maize yield under medium rainfall.
- Treatment
- planting basinse0
- Outcome
- maize yielde0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 547e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
- Setting
- medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm) planting basins, rip-line and direct seeding systems gave 547, 548 and 1690 kg ha −1 more maize yield than the conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Rip-line gave 548 kg ha −1 more maize yield under medium rainfall.
- Treatment
- rip-linee0
- Outcome
- maize yielde0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 548e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
- Setting
- medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm) planting basins, rip-line and direct seeding systems gave 547, 548 and 1690 kg ha −1 more maize yield than the conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Direct seeding gave 1690 kg ha −1 more maize yield under medium rainfall.
- Treatment
- direct seeding systemse0
- Outcome
- maize yielde0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 1690 kg ha −1e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
- Setting
- medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm) planting basins, rip-line and direct seeding systems gave 547, 548 and 1690 kg ha −1 more maize yield than the conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Conventional practice and planting basins had lowest maize production risk in high and low rainfall regions.
- Treatment
- planting basinse0
- Outcome
- maize production riske0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Setting
- high and low rainfall AEse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the high and low rainfall AEs, conventional practice and planting basins had the lowest maize production risk.”
Claim · model-written summary
Rip-line increased cowpea yield by 35% versus conventional practice.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae0 - Treatment
- rip-linee0
- Outcome
- Cowpea yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 35e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cowpea yield was 35 and 45% higher in the rip-line and direct seeding than conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Direct seeding increased cowpea yield by 45% versus conventional practice.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatae0
- Treatment
- direct seedinge0
- Outcome
- Cowpea yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 45%e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cowpea yield was 35 and 45% higher in the rip-line and direct seeding than conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Rip-line increased soybean yield by 36% versus conventional practice.
- Taxon
- Soybean
Glycine maxe0 - Treatment
- rip-linee0
- Outcome
- Soybean yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 36%e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soybean yield was higher in rip-line (36%) and direct seeding (51%) systems than conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Direct seeding increased soybean yield by 51% versus conventional practice.
- Taxon
- SoybeanGlycine maxe0
- Treatment
- direct seedinge0
- Outcome
- Soybean yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 51%e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soybean yield was higher in rip-line (36%) and direct seeding (51%) systems than conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Direct seeding gave the highest net benefits across agro-ecoregions.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Direct seeding system gave the highest net benefits in all AEs.”
e1“maize ( Zea mays L.), cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merrill] yields”
The same questions in other papers
transplanting · yield · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
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- positive
- positive
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1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- negative
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transplanting · yield · Glycine max (soybean)Positive and negative results
31 papers in the same direction as this paper · 12 in the opposite direction
- negative
- no effect
- no effect
40 papers more in this group
See all 44 papers →tillage · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
286 papers in the same direction as this paper · 812 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- positive
- positive
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See all 1,099 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.