Abstract
The most limiting factors for sustainable maize production in smallholder farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa, especially the savanna agro-ecological zone, are erratic rainfall pattern and low soil fertility. Research was conducted with smallholder farmers in 2013 and 2014 in two communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana to evaluate the effects of NPK mineral fertilizer (64–38–38 kg ha −1 N–P 2 O 5 –K 2 O, respectively) on growth and yield of maize at Bompari, and 375 kg ha −1 of YaraLegume™ fertilizer (0–18–13 NPK + 3 CaO + 2 MgO + 4 S) on growth and yield of soybean at Doggoh, under no-tillage (using pre-plant application of glyphosate) and conventional tillage (using hand hoe). Mean grain yields of both maize and soybean were higher in 2014 than 2013. In both years, no-tillage and conventional tillage had similar effect on soybean plant height, pods per plant and aboveground dry matter production. Averaging over fertilizer treatment, grain yield of no-tillage soybean was 51% higher when compared with tilled soybean in 2014 only. Mean grain yield of no-tillage maize was 68% higher than that of tilled maize in 2013 only. Regardless of tillage method, fertilizer application significantly increased maize and soybean grain yields. Application of fertilizer to soybean resulted in 59% (193 kg ha −1 ) and 54% (474 kg ha −1 ) increase in grain yields in 2013 and 2014, respectively, over no fertilizer treatment. Mean grain yield of maize was 140 and 252% higher with fertilizer treatment in 2013 and 2014, respectively. No-till system showed cost savings due to reduced labour mainly for weed control. The results of these studies showed that no-tillage with fertilizer, whether for maize or soybean, generally resulted in the highest grain yields. No-tillage also gave the highest economic returns. Farmers can get better returns to the money invested in herbicide for producing maize and soybean under no-till than with their traditional practice even on degraded savanna soils with low levels of plant available nutrients.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Mean grain yields of maize and soybean were higher in 2014 than in 2013.
- Taxon
- maize and soybean
Glycine max
Zea mayse1 - Outcome
- Mean grain yieldse1
- Direction
- highere1
- Comparator
- 2013e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize and soybean yields in the Guinea savanna zone of Ghana”
e1“Mean grain yields of both maize and soybean were higher in 2014 than 2013”
Claim · model-written summary
No-tillage and conventional tillage had similar effects on soybean plant height, pods per plant and aboveground dry matter.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe2
- Treatment
- no-tillagee2
- Outcome
- plant height, pods per plant and aboveground dry matter productione2
- Direction
- similar effecte2
- Comparator
- conventional tillagee2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“In both years, no-tillage and conventional tillage had similar effect on soybean plant height, pods per plant and aboveground dry matter production”
Claim · model-written summary
No-tillage soybean grain yield was 51% higher than tilled soybean in 2014 only.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe3
- Treatment
- no-tillagee3
- Outcome
- grain yielde3
- Direction
- highere3
- Value
- 51%e3
- Qualifier
- in 2014 onlye3
- Comparator
- tilled soybeane3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“Averaging over fertilizer treatment, grain yield of no-tillage soybean was 51% higher when compared with tilled soybean in 2014 only”
Claim · model-written summary
No-tillage maize grain yield was 68% higher than tilled maize in 2013 only.
- Treatment
- no-tillagee4
- Outcome
- grain yielde4
- Direction
- highere4
- Value
- 68%e4
- Qualifier
- in 2013 onlye4
- Comparator
- tilled maizee4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Mean grain yield of no-tillage maize was 68% higher than that of tilled maize in 2013 only”
Claim · model-written summary
Regardless of tillage method, fertilizer application significantly increased maize and soybean grain yields.
- Taxon
- maize and soybeanGlycine maxZea mayse5
- Treatment
- fertilizer applicatione5
- Outcome
- grain yieldse5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Qualifier
- Regardless of tillage methode5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Regardless of tillage method, fertilizer application significantly increased maize and soybean grain yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizer increased soybean grain yield by 59% in 2013.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe6
- Treatment
- Application of fertilizere6
- Outcome
- grain yieldse6
- Direction
- increasee6
- Value
- 59%e6
- Qualifier
- in 2013e6
- Comparator
- no fertilizer treatmente6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Application of fertilizer to soybean resulted in 59% (193 kg ha −1 ) and 54% (474 kg ha −1 ) increase in grain yields in 2013 and 2014, respectively, over no fertilizer treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizer increased soybean grain yield by 54% in 2014.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe6
- Treatment
- Application of fertilizere6
- Outcome
- grain yieldse6
- Direction
- increasee6
- Value
- 54%e6
- Qualifier
- in 2013 and 2014, respectivelye6
- Comparator
- no fertilizer treatmente6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Application of fertilizer to soybean resulted in 59% (193 kg ha −1 ) and 54% (474 kg ha −1 ) increase in grain yields in 2013 and 2014, respectively, over no fertilizer treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizer treatment raised maize grain yield by 140 and 252% in 2013 and 2014.
- Treatment
- fertilizer treatmente7
- Outcome
- grain yielde7
- Direction
- highere7
- Value
- 140 and 252%e7
- Qualifier
- in 2013 and 2014e7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Mean grain yield of maize was 140 and 252% higher with fertilizer treatment in 2013 and 2014”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till showed cost savings from reduced labour, mainly for weed control.
- Taxon
- maize and soybeanGlycine maxZea mayst0
- Treatment
- No-till systeme7
- Outcome
- cost savingse7
- Qualifier
- due to reduced labour mainly for weed controle7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize and soybean yields in the Guinea savanna zone of Ghana”
e7“No-till system showed cost savings due to reduced labour mainly for weed control”
Claim · model-written summary
No-tillage with fertilizer generally gave the highest grain yields for maize or soybean.
- Taxon
- maize or soybeanGlycine maxZea mayse5
- Treatment
- no-tillage with fertilizere5
- Outcome
- grain yieldse5
- Direction
- higheste5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“The results of these studies showed that no-tillage with fertilizer, whether for maize or soybean, generally resulted in the highest grain yields”
Claim · model-written summary
No-tillage gave the highest economic returns.
- Taxon
- maize and soybeanGlycine maxZea mayst0
- Treatment
- No-tillagee5
- Outcome
- economic returnse5
- Direction
- higheste5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize and soybean yields in the Guinea savanna zone of Ghana”
e5“No-tillage also gave the highest economic returns”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide-based no-till gave better returns to money invested than the traditional practice, even on degraded savanna soils.
- Taxon
- maize and soybeanGlycine maxZea mayse5
- Treatment
- under no-tille5
- Outcome
- returns to the money invested in herbicidee5
- Direction
- bettere5
- Qualifier
- even on degraded savanna soils with low levels of plant available nutrientse5
- Comparator
- their traditional practicee5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Farmers can get better returns to the money invested in herbicide for producing maize and soybean under no-till than with their traditional practice even on degraded savanna soils with low levels of plant available nutrients”
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