Abstract
Rainfall variability poses a great challenge to rainfed cropping in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated, over three cropping seasons, conservation agriculture (reduced tillage and mulching) and farmer prioritized conventional tillage- and mulching-based options on seasonal soil water retention, and subsequent productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp L.) in mono- and inter-crops in Eastern Zimbabwe. The experiments were established on sand and clay soils. The first cropping season (2014/15) received evenly distributed rainfall (hereinafter referred to as ‘wetter’), while the two succeeding seasons (2015/16 and 2016/17) had high incidences of intra-seasonal dry spells (hereinafter referred to as ‘drier’). Overall, conventional tillage had 10–31% and 27–40% more moisture than conservation agriculture treatments on sand and clay soils, respectively. Soil moisture was most retained in intercrop under mulch-based conventional tillage. Maize grain yield during the ‘wetter’ season on sand soil was highest and least (P > 0.05) in intercrop under conservation agriculture (2.3 Mg ha−1) and mulch-based conventional tillage (1 Mg ha−1), respectively. On clay soil, intercrop under mulch-based conventional tillage (2.4 Mg ha−1) yielded the best. During the ‘drier’ seasons, intercrop under mulch-based conventional tillage achieved the best maize grain yield on both sand (1.5 Mg ha−1) and clay (1.4 Mg ha−1) soils. Mulching increased maize grain yield by 55–90% during the ‘drier’ seasons, but reduced water use efficiency (WUE) by approximately 15% during the ‘wetter’ season. Over the three seasons, cowpea grain yield did not exceed 1 Mg ha−1 in both mono- and inter-crops. The study revealed contrasting short-term effects of soil water management options on soil moisture retention and intercropping productivity as dictated by seasonal rainfall variability and soil type. These findings point to the need for tillage and mulching typologies across soil types to minimize negative effects of rainfall variability on crop productivity.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Conventional tillage retained 10–31% more moisture than conservation agriculture on sand.
Verbatim
e0“conventional tillage had 10–31% and 27–40% more moisture than conservation agriculture treatments on sand and clay soils, respectively”
t0“maize-cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Conventional tillage retained 27–40% more moisture than conservation agriculture on clay.
Verbatim
e0“conventional tillage had 10–31% and 27–40% more moisture than conservation agriculture treatments on sand and clay soils, respectively”
t0“maize-cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
The mulched conventional tillage intercrop retained the most soil moisture.
- Taxon
- maize-cowpeat0
- Treatment
- mulch-based conventional tillagee0
- Outcome
- Soil moisturee0
- Direction
- most retainede0
- Qualifier
- intercrope0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Soil moisture was most retained in intercrop under mulch-based conventional tillage”
t0“maize-cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
On sand in the wetter season, maize intercrop yield was highest under conservation agriculture at 2.3 Mg ha−1.
- Treatment
- conservation agriculturee0
- Outcome
- Maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 2.3 Mg ha−1e0
- Qualifier
- ‘wetter’ season on sand soile0
- Comparator
- mulch-based conventional tillagee0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize grain yield during the ‘wetter’ season on sand soil was highest and least (P > 0.05) in intercrop under conservation agriculture (2.3 Mg ha−1) and mulch-based conventional tillage (1 Mg ha−1), respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
On sand in the wetter season, maize intercrop yield was lowest under mulched conventional tillage at 1 Mg ha−1.
- Treatment
- mulch-based conventional tillagee0
- Outcome
- Maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- leaste0
- Value
- 1 Mg ha−1e0
- Qualifier
- ‘wetter’ season on sand soile0
- Comparator
- conservation agriculturee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize grain yield during the ‘wetter’ season on sand soil was highest and least (P > 0.05) in intercrop under conservation agriculture (2.3 Mg ha−1) and mulch-based conventional tillage (1 Mg ha−1), respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
On clay, the mulched conventional tillage intercrop gave the best maize yield at 2.4 Mg ha−1.
- Taxon
- maize-cowpeat0
- Treatment
- mulch-based conventional tillagee0
- Outcome
- yielded the beste0
- Direction
- beste0
- Value
- 2.4 Mg ha−1e0
- Qualifier
- clay soile0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“On clay soil, intercrop under mulch-based conventional tillage (2.4 Mg ha−1) yielded the best”
t0“maize-cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
In drier seasons, mulched conventional tillage gave the best maize intercrop yield on sand at 1.5 Mg ha−1.
- Treatment
- mulch-based conventional tillagee0
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- beste0
- Value
- 1.5 Mg ha−1e0
- Qualifier
- ‘drier’ seasonse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During the ‘drier’ seasons, intercrop under mulch-based conventional tillage achieved the best maize grain yield on both sand (1.5 Mg ha−1) and clay (1.4 Mg ha−1) soils”
Claim · model-written summary
In drier seasons, mulched conventional tillage gave the best maize intercrop yield on clay at 1.4 Mg ha−1.
- Treatment
- mulch-based conventional tillagee0
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- beste0
- Value
- 1.4 Mg ha−1e0
- Qualifier
- ‘drier’ seasonse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During the ‘drier’ seasons, intercrop under mulch-based conventional tillage achieved the best maize grain yield on both sand (1.5 Mg ha−1) and clay (1.4 Mg ha−1) soils”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching raised maize grain yield by 55–90% in drier seasons.
- Treatment
- Mulchinge0
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 55–90%e0
- Qualifier
- ‘drier’ seasonse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mulching increased maize grain yield by 55–90% during the ‘drier’ seasons”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching lowered water use efficiency about 15% in the wetter season.
- Taxon
- maize-cowpeat0
- Treatment
- Mulchinge0
- Outcome
- water use efficiency (WUE)e0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- approximately 15%e0
- Qualifier
- ‘wetter’ seasone0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Mulching increased maize grain yield by 55–90% during the ‘drier’ seasons, but reduced water use efficiency (WUE) by approximately 15% during the ‘wetter’ season”
t0“maize-cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea grain yield remained at or below 1 Mg ha−1 in both monocrop and intercrop over three seasons.
- Taxon
- cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae0 - Outcome
- cowpea grain yielde0
- Direction
- did not exceede0
- Value
- 1 Mg ha−1e0
- Qualifier
- both mono- and inter-cropse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Over the three seasons, cowpea grain yield did not exceed 1 Mg ha−1 in both mono- and inter-crops”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend tillage and mulching choices by soil type to reduce rainfall variability effects on productivity.
Verbatim
e0“need for tillage and mulching typologies across soil types to minimize negative effects of rainfall variability on crop productivity”
t0“maize-cowpea”
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