Abstract
Traditional agriculture in rainfed uplands of India has been experiencing low agricultural productivity as the lands suffer from poor soil fertility, susceptibility to water erosion and other external pressures of development and climate change. A shift toward more sustainable cropping systems such as conservation agriculture production systems (CAPSs) may help in maintaining soil quality as well as improving crop production and farmer's net economic benefit. This research assessed the effects over 3 years (2011-2014) of reduced tillage, intercropping, and cover cropping practices customized for maize-based production systems in upland areas of Odisha, India. The study focused on crop yield, system productivity and profitability through maize equivalent yield and dominance analysis. Results showed that maize grain yield did not differ significantly over time or among CAPS treatments while cowpea yield was considered as an additional yield in intercropping systems. Mustard and horsegram grown in plots after maize cowpea intercropping recorded higher grain yields of 25 and 37%, respectively, as compared to those without intercropping. Overall, the full CAPS implementation, i.e., minimum tillage, maize-cowpea intercropping and mustard residue retention had significantly higher system productivity and net benefits than traditional farmer practices, i.e., conventional tillage, sole maize cropping, and no mustard residue retention. The dominance analysis demonstrated increasing benefits of combining conservation practices that exceeded thresholds for farmer adoption. Given the use of familiar crops and technologies and the magnitude of yield and income improvements, these types of CAPS should be acceptable and attractive for smallholder farmers in the area. This in turn should support a move toward sustainable intensification of crop production to meet future household income and nutritional needs.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Maize grain yield did not differ significantly over time or among conservation agriculture treatments.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize grain yield did not differ significantly over time or among CAPS treatments”
e1“upland areas of Odisha, India”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea contributed additional yield in intercropping systems.
- Taxon
- cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae0 - Outcome
- cowpea yielde0
- Qualifier
- additional yield in intercropping systemse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cowpea yield was considered as an additional yield in intercropping systems”
Claim · model-written summary
Mustard grain yield after maize-cowpea intercropping was 25% higher than without intercropping.
Verbatim
e0“Mustard and horsegram grown in plots after maize cowpea intercropping recorded higher grain yields of 25 and 37%, respectively, as compared to those without intercropping.”
Claim · model-written summary
Horsegram grain yield after maize-cowpea intercropping was 37% higher than without intercropping.
- Taxon
- horsegram
Macrotyloma uniflorume0 - Treatment
- maize cowpea intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- grain yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 37%e0
- Comparator
- without intercroppinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mustard and horsegram grown in plots after maize cowpea intercropping recorded higher grain yields of 25 and 37%, respectively, as compared to those without intercropping.”
Claim · model-written summary
Full conservation agriculture implementation increased system productivity significantly relative to traditional practices.
- Treatment
- minimum tillage, maize-cowpea intercropping and mustard residue retentione0
- Outcome
- system productivitye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- traditional farmer practicese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the full CAPS implementation, i.e., minimum tillage, maize-cowpea intercropping and mustard residue retention had significantly higher system productivity and net benefits than traditional farmer practices, i.e., conventional tillage, sole maize cropping, and no mustard residue retention.”
t0“Maize-Based System”
Claim · model-written summary
Full conservation agriculture implementation increased net benefits significantly relative to traditional practices.
- Treatment
- minimum tillage, maize-cowpea intercropping and mustard residue retentione0
- Outcome
- net benefitse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- traditional farmer practicese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the full CAPS implementation, i.e., minimum tillage, maize-cowpea intercropping and mustard residue retention had significantly higher system productivity and net benefits than traditional farmer practices, i.e., conventional tillage, sole maize cropping, and no mustard residue retention.”
t0“Maize-Based System”
Claim · model-written summary
Combining conservation practices yielded increasing benefits that exceeded farmer-adoption thresholds.
- Outcome
- benefits of combining conservation practicese0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Qualifier
- exceeded thresholds for farmer adoptione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The dominance analysis demonstrated increasing benefits of combining conservation practices that exceeded thresholds for farmer adoption.”
t0“Maize-Based System”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors consider these conservation agriculture systems acceptable and attractive to local smallholder farmers.
- Outcome
- acceptable and attractive for smallholder farmers in the areae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these types of CAPS should be acceptable and attractive for smallholder farmers in the area”
t0“Maize-Based System”
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