Evaluating summer cover crop species and management strategies for rainfed maize based cropping systems in the central region of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Ganyani, Lloyd Munashe
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: No-tillage , Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rain and rainfall -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biomass energy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Crops and climate -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Crop Science)
- Identifier: vital:11865 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/373 , No-tillage , Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rain and rainfall -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biomass energy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Crops and climate -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The overall objective of the whole study was to assess whether conservation agriculture (CA) systems can work in the Eastern Cape Province (EC). The CA systems were engaged through cover cropping to address land degradation problems by emphasizing high biomass production in order to realize short term benefits such as moisture conservation, weed suppression and soil fertility benefits under rainfed conditions in the central region of the Eastern Cape province. Since rainfall is the most limiting factor to crop production in the EC, a within season rainfall distribution analysis was conducted to expose the quality of the season (onset, end and duration) and hence the feasibility of CA systems to guide agronomic decisions by farmers in EC. To assess season parameters, thirty four years of daily rainfall was collected from the University of Fort Hare Research station and used to conduct the rainy pentad (5 day rainfall totals) analysis and the daily rainfall analysis using INSTAT software programme. Based on the pentad analysis, results showed that Alice does not have a rainy season in 1 out of 2 years (50% probability) but has one in 1 out of 4 years (25% probability level). This criterion proved to be harsher and conservative when compared to the daily rainfall approach which is more precise in measuring trends on season parameters. The daily rainfall analysis indicated a 65% feasibility for the dry land cropping systems in the EC. The pentad analysis however was effective in illustrating seasonality and it showed that the wet season begins on the 1st of November, ending on the 22nd of March lasting for 140 days. Though the season duration appeared too long, the existence of dry spells during critical growth stages adversely affects the quality of the season. The daily rainfall analysis also managed to derive a signal which can guide planting decisions. For planting to be successful, this analysis determined that 20 mm of rain should be received in two consecutive days after the 1st of November. A screening trial for cover crop biomass production and weed suppression was conducted on-station Fort Hare Research Farm (32°46' S and 26° 50' E), and Msobombvu village (MSBV) (32°44' S, and 26° 55' E) over two seasons (2007/08 and 2008/09). Six summer cover crops i.e. cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), dolichos lablab (Dolichos argenteus), sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea), buckwheat (Fagopyrum sagittatum), forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and sunflower (Helianthus annus) were evaluated for biomass yield, and weed suppression. Decomposition rates, moisture conservation and residual effects of these cover crops on the succeeding main crop were also evaluated under dryland conditions. The screening trial was laid in randomized complete block design replicated three times. Forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and sunflower (Helianthus annus) were identified as high biomass producers and their dry matter yields ranged from 8 -12 t ha-1. These cover crops can be useful in generating high biomass in rainfed cropping systems in the EC. Other cover crops produced 3 - 4 t ha-1 of biomass which fell short of the 6 t ha-1 expected benchmark. However, these biomass yields were important in weed management since all cover crop species showed a similar degree of weed suppression which surpassed the weed fallow treatment. As dead mulches, the cover crops failed to show residual moisture conservation and weed control benefits for the succeeding maize crop mainly because of poor residue persistence, and low harvestable fallow rainfall. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), was selected for further investigations in a follow up trial on station in 2008/09 season because of its weed smothering qualities, suitability to short cycle rotations, and possible allelopathic properties. The trial aimed at finding weed and cost effective management options of buckwheat that are none detrimental to the succeeding maize crop. Results showed that cropping systems where buckwheat is followed by a main crop may not work as they are unprofitable with respect to R100 rand invested. Though perceived to have allelopathic properties, buckwheat failed to demonstrate the possibilities of allelopathic action against weeds. Intercropping trial was conducted on-station in 2007/8-2008/09 seasons to try and find better ways of fitting legume cover crops into maize based cropping systems without compromising production of staple cereals on limited landholdings. The trials evaluated three factors in factorial combination, cover crop planting date, intercropping strategy, and cover crop species. The trial was laid as 2 x 2 x 3 factorial arranged in a split-split plot design. The main plot factor was cover crop planting date, cover crops simultaneously planted with maize and cover crop planted two weeks after planting maize (DKC 61-25). The sub-plot factor was intercropping strategy, strip intercropping and betweenrow intercropping. The sub-sub-plot factor was cover crop species, Dolichos lablab (Dolichos argenteus (Highworth), and Cowpea Vigna ungiculata (Agrinawa) plus control plots of sole maize. Results showed that same time planting of leguminous cover crops with maize using the in-between row intercropping patterns can derive appreciable system biomass (maize/cover crop) yields, utilize land efficiently whilst getting favourable maize grain yield. Based on the rainfall analysis, results showed that the probability of success when relay seeding cover crops after two weeks into standing maize is low (15% chances of success). This suggests that relay intercropping strategies would not work due to the unavailability of a good quality season.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Evaluation of cover crop species for biomass production, weed suppression and maize yields under irrigation in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Musunda, Bothwell Zvidzai
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Cover crops , Biomass energy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , No-tillage , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Weeds
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Crop Science)
- Identifier: vital:11867 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/347 , Cover crops , Biomass energy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , No-tillage , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Weeds
- Description: Achieving high biomass yields of cover crops has been a challenge to the success of Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices in the Eastern Cape (EC). A study was conducted to evaluate strategies for optimizing cover crop biomass production. Trials were carried out to screen summer and winter cover crops, as well as evaluate intercropping patterns and planting dates for biomass, weed suppression and subsequent maize yield under irrigation. Four summer legume cover crop species were evaluated under a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) design. The cover crops were fertilized with 13.34 kg ha-1 of N, 20 kg ha-1 P and 26.66 kg ha-1 K. In the 2008/09 summer season a maize crop was superimposed on the 2007/08 screening trial under no-till. The crop was fertilized with 60 kg ha-1 of N. An intercropping trial was conducted over two seasons as a way of investigating the best way of incorporating cover crops into farmers cropping systems. This was done bearing in mind the limitation of resources such as land. The trial evaluated 3 factors laid as a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial arranged in a split-plot design. The main factor was cover crop planting date (planting at maize planting or 2 weeks after maize planting). The sub plot factor was intercropping pattern (strip intercropping and between row intercropping). A trial was also conducted to evaluate the effect of planting date (End of April and mid May) and four winter legume cover crop species on cover crop biomass, weed suppression and maize grain yield. The experiment was laid out as a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated 3 times. In the subsequent summer season a maize crop was superimposed on the winter trial to test the residual effects of the cover crop species. Another study was conducted to evaluate winter cereal cover crop species for biomass accumulation, weed suppression and subsequent maize grain yield. The cover crops as well as a weedy fallow control plot treatments were laid out as a Randomised Complete Block Design replicated 3 times. In the subsequent summer season a maize crop was superimposed on the site under no-till to evaluate the residual effect of the cover crops on maize. The results showed sunhemp, cowpea and lablab as the best cover crops with high biomass and weed suppression whilst mucuna was the least. Sunhemp consistently yielded higher cover biomass averaging 11200 kg ha-1 over the two seasons whilst mucuna had a consistently lowest average biomass yield of 4050 kg ha-1. These cover crops were above the critical 6 t ha-1 for effective weed suppression. There was a significant (p<0.01) relationship of cover crop dry weight and weed dry weight in both seasons. Subsequent maize grain yield was significantly higher in the sunhemp plots (64.2 %) than the weedy fallow plot. Mucuna, lablab and cowpea had maize grain yield increases of 16.6%, 33% and 43.2% respectively. Intercropping cover crops at maize planting yielded higher cover crop dry weights than a delay in intercropping cover crops. A delay in intercropping resulted in significantly higher average maize grain yield of 4700 kg ha-1 compared to intercropping at maize planting (3800 kg ha-1) and sole maize (4300 kg ha-1) over the two seasons. Strip intercropping also yielded higher (5000 kg ha- 1) average maize grain yield compared to row intercropping (3600 kg ha-1) and sole maize (4300 kg ha-1). There was a significant (p<0.05) relationship between cover crop dry weight in the 2007/08 season and maize grain yield in the 2008/09 season. Early planting grazing vetch gave the highest biomass yield of 8100 kg ha-1 whilst early planted red clover had the lowest biomass of 635 kg ha-1. Low weed dry weights were also obtained from the early planted grazing vetch as opposed to the other treatments. There was a significant (p<0.001) relationship of cover crop dry weight and weed dry weight. In the subsequent 2008/09 summer season early planted grazing vetch had the highest maize yield of 7500 kg ha-1 which was 56.3 % more than the weedy fallow plot had 4800 kg ha-1. The weedy fallow plot also had high weed infestation than the cover crop plots. There were significant (p<0.01) relationships between cover crop dry weight and maize grain yield, winter weed dry weight and maize grain yield and summer weed dry weight and maize grain yield. The results also showed triticale (13900 kg ha-1) as the best winter cover crop for biomass production. Italian ryegrass (6500 kg ha-1) produced the least amount of biomass. In The subsequent maize crop white oats gave highest maize grain yield (6369 kg ha-1) which was 33 % more than the weedy fallow plot (4784 kg ha- 1). There were also significant (p< 0.01) relationships of maize grain yield and winter weed dry weight, maize grain yield and summer growing weeds. The various studies demonstrated that there is opportunity for high biomass production under small scale farmers irrigated conditions using cover crops both in winter and summer. Best bet cover crops were sunhemp, cowpea and lablab for summer and triticale, white oats, barley, Italian ryegrass and grazing vetch for winter. Cover crops can also be incorporated into farmers cropping systems as sole crops or intercrops within the maize based cropping systems. Strip intercropping can be used by farmers as a way of introducing cover crops. Critical to achievement of high biomass is the time of planting cover crops with high biomass when planting is done early. A 2 week delay in strip intercropping cover crop into maize can be used as a way of incorporating cover crops into farmers cropping systems with minimal maize yield reduction.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Tillage and crop rotation impacts on soil, quality parameters and maize yield in Zanyokwe Irrigation Scheme, South Africa
- Authors: Njaimwe, Arnold Ngare
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: No-tillage , Soil mechanics , Soils -- Quality , Cover crops , Corn -- Irrigation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Soil Science)
- Identifier: vital:11962 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/460 , No-tillage , Soil mechanics , Soils -- Quality , Cover crops , Corn -- Irrigation
- Description: Intensive tillage and monoculture cropping practices reduce soil C accumulation hence increasing soil vulnerability to chemical, physical and biological degradation. This study focussed on enhancing biomass production of wheat and oat winter cover crops as a means of increasing C sequestration in the low organic C soils of the central part of Eastern Cape Province. The specific objectives were (i) to evaluate the short-term effects of no till and cereal-fallow based crop rotations on; soil organic matter related parameters, pH and electrical conductivity, (ii) soil bulk density, water retention and aggregate stability, (iii) soil microbial biomass C and N, mineralizable N, soil respiration, and dehydrogenase enzyme activity, (iv) grain yield, soil nutrient concentration (N, P and K) and their uptake by maize, and (v) to identify soil parameters with high sensitivity to tillage under maize-fallow-maize, maize-wheat-maize and maize-oat-maize rotational cover cropping practices. The experiment was laid out as a split-plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates. Tillage treatments (CT and NT) were applied on the main plots which measured 8 × 18 m while crop rotation treatments were applied in the subplots which measured 8 × 6 m. The rotation treatments were maize-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-wheat-maize (MWM) and maize-oat-maize (MOM). Weed control in NT plots involved preplant application of glyphosate to control mainly the grass weeds while post emergence weed management was done using Atrazine (485 atrazine and 15 g l-1 triazines). Initial weed control in CT plots was achieved through ploughing to a depth of 20 cm followed by disking while post emergence weed iii management was done by hand hoeing. Soil parameters measured were; (i) particulate organic matter (POM), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), pH and electrical conductivity (EC), (ii) soil bulk density (b), moisture at field capacity (FC), aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) determined by fast wetting (FW), slow wetting (SW), mechanical breakdown by shaking (MB) and the stability index (SI), (iii) soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), mineralizable N (MN), soil respiration (SR), and dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DHEA). No-till increased POM and TN compared to CT in Lenye and Burnshill, respectively. The MWM and the MOM rotations increased TN relative to the MFM rotation in Lenye. The MWM and MOM rotations enhanced SOC relative to MFM in all sampled soil depths at Burnshill and similar observations were made under MOM rotation in the 5-20 cm depth in Lenye. The MWM and MOM rotations tended to depress soil pH relative to the MFM rotation in both sampled soil depths in Lenye while NT reduced soil pH relative to CT on the surface soil layer in Burnshill. Soil EC and pH varied with depth across tillage practices but both parameters remained within the ideal range for successful crop production over the study period. Soil stability index (SI) and aggregate MWD determined by FW, SW and MB were higher in Lenye compared to Burnshill. The MOM rotation enhanced the SI relative to MFM and MWM rotations at both sites. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that more organic C was incorporated into the soil under NT and MOM rotation compared to CT and MFM rotation which had few organic coatings on the soil particles. Microbial properties varied with plant biomass input as influenced by tillage and type of rotational cover crop at both sites. Like in other past studies, NT showed higher levels of MBC, MBN, NM and SR at the soil surface layer compared to CT in Burnshill. No till increased MN iv relative to CT in both sampled soil depths in Lenye and resulted in higher DHEA compared to CT in Burnshill. The MOM rotation increased MBC, MBN, MN relative to MFM rotation especially within surface soil layer. Similar observations were made with respect to MN and SR in both sampled soil layers at Lenye. By contrast, the DHEA was higher under the MFM relative to the MWM and MOM rotations in Lenye but similar under the MFM and MOM rotations in Burnshill. Maize grain yield was not affected by both tillage and crop rotations but varied with cropping season. Comparable grain yields observed under the two tillage practices with similar fertilizer application rates indicated the advantage of NT over CT in saving on labour costs in maize production without compromising yields. High plant biomass retention under NT relative to CT contributed to high soil N and P levels under the former compared to the latter tillage practice especially on soil surface layer at both study sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that soil chemical and biological parameters closely linked to organic matter, namely SOC, MN, MBC and MBN showed the highest sensitivity to tillage and crop rotation treatments. Soil aggregate MWD determined by SW and b were the physical parameters which were highly altered by agronomic management practice. The MWM and MOM rotations were clustered together and clearly separated from the MFM rotation and this observed trend only applied to the 0-5 and 5-20 cm depths in Lenye site only. No till, MWM and MOM rotations enhanced POM, SOC and TN relative to CT and MFM rotation suggesting these practices have greater potential to improve soil chemical properties compared to intensive tillage and maize monoculture based production practices. Reduced soil b under MOM rotation and improved SI under NT compared to MFM and CT, respectively v indicate that these practices have the potential to improve degraded soils. Although not significantly different, NT values for MBC, MBN, MN, SR and DHEA were higher compared to CT indicating the potential of the practice to improve soil biotic activity relative to conventional tillage practices. No till enhanced surface soil nitrate N and extractable P compared to CT at both sites revealing the long-term potential of NT in improving the supply of these essential plant nutrients compared to CT. Principal component analysis showed that SOC, MN, K, P, MBC, MBN, soil aggregate MWD determined by SW and b were the most sensitive parameters to tillage and crop rotations. Therefore, these parameters could constitute the minimum data set for assessments of the impact of selected CA practices on soil quality attributes.
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- Date Issued: 2010