Abstract
ABSTRACT Low, erratic rainfall amounts and restricted accessibility of chemical fertilizer for rural farmers in developing countries may have negative effects on crop production. Agricultural methods like biochar applications, fertilizer microdosing and tied ridging can help to mitigate these constraints, but have rarely been studied in combination and under varying water availability. A field trial was conducted in split-plot design over two contrasting cropping seasons in 2016 and 2017 in Tanzania to study the effect of these agricultural methods on maize grain yield, biomass, leaf area index, plant height and soil moisture content. In both seasons each with contrasting irrigation frequencies, fertilizer microdosing increased the grain yield of maize. Biochar alone affected the yield only at high application rates (10 t/ha) and low irrigation frequency. However, when combined with fertilizer microdosing the yield effect of biochar was more pronounced. For example, combining 5 t/ha biochar with fertilizer microdosing under flat tillage increased yield by 170% compared to the control without biochar and fertilizers. Tied ridges increased soil moisture content and tended to increase maize yield compared to flat tillage, whereas biochar application resulted in significantly higher soil moisture contents. Fertilizer microdosing with biochar application can be recommended to improve maize yields mainly under flat tillage.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizer microdosing increased maize grain yield in both seasons.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fertilizer microdosing increased the grain yield of maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar alone affected yield only at 10 t/ha and low irrigation frequency.
- Treatment
- Biochare0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Qualifier
- high application rates (10 t/ha) and low irrigation frequencye0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Biochar alone affected the yield only at high application rates (10 t/ha) and low irrigation frequency”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Combining biochar with fertilizer made the biochar yield effect more pronounced.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“when combined with fertilizer microdosing the yield effect of biochar was more pronounced”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar at 5 t/ha with microdosed fertilizer increased yield 170% under flat tillage.
- Treatment
- 5 t/ha biochar with fertilizer microdosinge0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 170%e0
- Qualifier
- flat tillagee0
- Comparator
- control without biochar and fertilizerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“combining 5 t/ha biochar with fertilizer microdosing under flat tillage increased yield by 170% compared to the control without biochar and fertilizers”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied ridges increased soil moisture.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Tied ridges increased soil moisture content and tended to increase maize yield compared to flat tillage”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied ridges tended to increase maize yield over flat tillage.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Tied ridges increased soil moisture content and tended to increase maize yield compared to flat tillage”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar significantly increased soil moisture.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biochar application resulted in significantly higher soil moisture contents”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend fertilizer microdosing with biochar under flat tillage for maize yield.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fertilizer microdosing with biochar application can be recommended to improve maize yields mainly under flat tillage”
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