Abstract
A 3-year field experiment was undertaken at two sites in semi-arid Tanzania with the objective of analysing the potential for improving the productivity of maize based cropping systems through combinations of water conservation and nutrient management. The soils at the two sites differed mainly in their degree of weathering, clay content of the argillic horizon and the overall soil fertility level. The rainfall regime during the experimental period included years with drought, normal rainfall, and a very wet year.Tied-ridging enhanced the response to rainfall and fertilizer, the soil supply of plant available N, the positive effect of inter-cropping on total grain yield, and the harvest index. The combined response to annual rainfall and, N and P fertilizer under tied-ridged conditions could be summarised as simple empirical functions accounting for 98% of the variance in yields. Considerable yield increases above “farmers’ practices” (i.e. flat cultivation and no fertilizer) could be realised by combining tied-ridged tillage with inputs of mineral N and P fertilizer, reaching maize grain yield levels of six times the prevailing yield under farmers’ practices of approximate 1 Mg ha−1. Similarly, the rainfall-grain productivity could be tripled reaching levels of 6 kg ha−1 mm−1 at high fertilizer inputs in years of near-normal rainfall. The effect of tied-ridging was both positive and negative, with the positive effect dominating at near-normal rainfall (500–600 mm) whereas the negative effect dominated at annual rainfalls above 700–900 mm. However, the negative effect could be partly mitigated through fertilizer inputs. The site with the more weathered soil displayed a higher sensitivity to moisture deficits and excesses and a narrower rainfall range with positive effect of ridging. Under near-normal to slightly dry rainfall conditions, tied-ridging without nutrient inputs resulted on an average in 34 and 42% grain yield increase at the two sites.A benefit–cost analysis supports tied-ridging as a potentially profitable technology, especially at the site with better soil quality, slightly higher rainfall and market integration. Thus, a subsistence oriented household will maximise profitability of a maize–cowpea inter-cropping system by using tied-ridging and no fertilizer input whereas a market oriented more resourceful household will maximise profitability from a combination of tied-ridging and high fertilizer inputs. The scarcity of cattle manure and the total cost of application are prohibitive to cattle manure becoming a viable and significant option of nutrient inputs for most farmers in the area. Inter-cropping with cowpea is an important economic factor, currently constrained by diseases and low crop densities.The study highlights the importance of analysing soil and water conservation technologies within a farming systems perspective, and supports a focus on soil and water conservation practices such as tied-ridging in a semi-arid environment with annual rainfall of 500–700 mm. However, recognising potential drawbacks of the tied-ridged technology, it is proposed also to investigate alternative practices improving in situ moisture conservation at minimum soil disturbance.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging enhanced response to rainfall and fertilizer in maize-based cropping systems.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize based cropping systems through combinations of water conservation and nutrient management. The soils at the two sites differed mainly in their degree of weathering, clay content of the argillic horizon and the overall soil fertility level. The rainfall regime during the experimental period included years with drought, normal rainfall, and a very wet year.Tied-ridging enhanced the response to rainfall and fertilizer”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging enhanced soil supply of plant-available N in the maize system.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize based cropping systems through combinations of water conservation and nutrient management. The soils at the two sites differed mainly in their degree of weathering, clay content of the argillic horizon and the overall soil fertility level. The rainfall regime during the experimental period included years with drought, normal rainfall, and a very wet year.Tied-ridging enhanced the response to rainfall and fertilizer, the soil supply of plant available N”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging enhanced the benefit of inter-cropping for total grain yield in the maize system.
- Treatment
- Tied-ridginge0
- Outcome
- positive effect of inter-cropping on total grain yielde0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize based cropping systems through combinations of water conservation and nutrient management. The soils at the two sites differed mainly in their degree of weathering, clay content of the argillic horizon and the overall soil fertility level. The rainfall regime during the experimental period included years with drought, normal rainfall, and a very wet year.Tied-ridging enhanced the response to rainfall and fertilizer, the soil supply of plant available N, the positive effect of inter-cropping on total grain yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging enhanced harvest index in the maize system.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize based cropping systems through combinations of water conservation and nutrient management. The soils at the two sites differed mainly in their degree of weathering, clay content of the argillic horizon and the overall soil fertility level. The rainfall regime during the experimental period included years with drought, normal rainfall, and a very wet year.Tied-ridging enhanced the response to rainfall and fertilizer, the soil supply of plant available N, the positive effect of inter-cropping on total grain yield, and the harvest index”
Claim · model-written summary
Empirical functions accounted for 98% of the variance in maize yields under tied-ridged conditions.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize grain yield levels of six times the prevailing yield under farmers’ practices of approximate 1 Mg ha−1”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging with mineral N and P fertilizer produced maize grain yield six times prevailing farmer practice.
- Treatment
- tied-ridged tillage with inputs of mineral N and P fertilizere0
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- yield increasese0
- Value
- six timese0
- Comparator
- farmers’ practicese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Considerable yield increases above “farmers’ practices” (i.e. flat cultivation and no fertilizer) could be realised by combining tied-ridged tillage with inputs of mineral N and P fertilizer, reaching maize grain yield levels of six times the prevailing yield under farmers’ practices of approximate 1 Mg ha−1”
Claim · model-written summary
At high fertilizer inputs in near-normal rainfall years, rainfall-grain productivity could be tripled to 6 kg ha−1 mm−1.
- Treatment
- high fertilizer inputse0
- Outcome
- rainfall-grain productivitye0
- Direction
- triplede0
- Value
- 6 kg ha−1 mm−1e0
- Qualifier
- years of near-normal rainfalle0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Similarly, the rainfall-grain productivity could be tripled reaching levels of 6 kg ha−1 mm−1 at high fertilizer inputs in years of near-normal rainfall”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging had a predominantly positive effect at near-normal rainfall of 500–600 mm.
- Treatment
- tied-ridginge0
- Outcome
- effect of tied-ridginge0
- Direction
- positivee0
- Qualifier
- near-normal rainfall (500–600 mm)e0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The effect of tied-ridging was both positive and negative, with the positive effect dominating at near-normal rainfall (500–600 mm)”
Claim · model-written summary
The negative effect of tied-ridging dominated above 700–900 mm annual rainfall.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“the negative effect dominated at annual rainfalls above 700–900 mm”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizer inputs partly mitigated the negative effect of tied-ridging.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“However, the negative effect could be partly mitigated through fertilizer inputs”
Claim · model-written summary
The more weathered soil site had greater sensitivity to moisture deficits and excesses.
- Outcome
- sensitivity to moisture deficits and excessese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Setting
- site with the more weathered soile0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The site with the more weathered soil displayed a higher sensitivity to moisture deficits and excesses”
Claim · model-written summary
The more weathered soil site had a narrower rainfall range over which ridging helped.
- Outcome
- rainfall range with positive effect of ridginge0
- Direction
- narrowere0
- Setting
- site with the more weathered soile0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The site with the more weathered soil displayed a higher sensitivity to moisture deficits and excesses and a narrower rainfall range with positive effect of ridging”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging without nutrient inputs increased grain yield by 34% at one site under near-normal to slightly dry conditions.
- Treatment
- tied-ridging without nutrient inputse0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 34e0
- Qualifier
- near-normal to slightly dry rainfall conditionse0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Under near-normal to slightly dry rainfall conditions, tied-ridging without nutrient inputs resulted on an average in 34 and 42% grain yield increase at the two sites”
Claim · model-written summary
Tied-ridging without nutrient inputs increased grain yield by 42% at the other site under near-normal to slightly dry conditions.
- Treatment
- tied-ridging without nutrient inputse0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 42%e0
- Qualifier
- near-normal to slightly dry rainfall conditionse0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Under near-normal to slightly dry rainfall conditions, tied-ridging without nutrient inputs resulted on an average in 34 and 42% grain yield increase at the two sites”
Claim · model-written summary
Benefit–cost analysis found tied-ridging potentially profitable, especially at the better-soil, better-connected site.
- Treatment
- tied-ridginge0
- Outcome
- potentially profitable technologye0
- Qualifier
- site with better soil quality, slightly higher rainfall and market integratione0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“A benefit–cost analysis supports tied-ridging as a potentially profitable technology, especially at the site with better soil quality, slightly higher rainfall and market integration”
Claim · model-written summary
A subsistence household maximizes profitability of maize–cowpea inter-cropping with tied-ridging and no fertilizer input.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a subsistence oriented household will maximise profitability of a maize–cowpea inter-cropping system by using tied-ridging and no fertilizer input”
Claim · model-written summary
A market-oriented household maximizes profitability with tied-ridging and high fertilizer inputs.
- Outcome
- combination of tied-ridging and high fertilizer inputse0
- Qualifier
- market oriented more resourceful householde0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“a market oriented more resourceful household will maximise profitability from a combination of tied-ridging and high fertilizer inputs”
Claim · model-written summary
Cattle manure was economically nonviable as a major nutrient input for most local farmers.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The scarcity of cattle manure and the total cost of application are prohibitive to cattle manure becoming a viable and significant option of nutrient inputs for most farmers in the area”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea inter-cropping was economically important but constrained by diseases and low crop densities.
- Taxon
- cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae0 - Outcome
- important economic factore0
- Qualifier
- constrained by diseases and low crop densitiese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Inter-cropping with cowpea is an important economic factor, currently constrained by diseases and low crop densities”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors support tied-ridging for semi-arid environments receiving 500–700 mm annual rainfall.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“supports a focus on soil and water conservation practices such as tied-ridging in a semi-arid environment with annual rainfall of 500–700 mm”
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