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Chemical and Biological Properties of Soils Under Maize-Cowpea Cropping Systems in Conservation Agriculture
- Source :
- Journal of Agricultural Science. 10:100
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2018.
-
Abstract
- The paper reports findings from an evaluation of the effects of selected chemical and biological properties of soils under maize-cowpea cropping systems in Conservation Agriculture (CA) and their relationship to biological nitrogen fixation capabilities of cowpea. Soils from Kayowozi Agriculture Camp of Chipata District of Zambia where CA had been practiced for six years were evaluated. Cropping systems studied included conventional tillage (control), maize monocropping (sole maize), maize-cowpea intercrop, maize-cowpea rotation: maize phase and maize-cowpea: cowpea phase. Standard laboratory procedures were used to determine the changes in the selected soil properties as a result of these cropping sequences under CA. The study showed that maize- cowpea intercrop and rotation-maize phase under conservation agriculture could result in a significant increase in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and exchangeable calcium after six years of practice. This increase can be associated with the amount and type of residue retained and the contribution of biologically fixed nitrogen from the cowpea. Having cowpea as the immediate previous crop in sequence can result in a depression of soil pH. Soil pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable calcium in maize-cowpea cropping sequences can influence the amount of biologically fixed nitrogen. Changes in soil activity and microbial biomass might need more than six years to be apparent. The sequencing pattern of crops in a rotation, the choices and characteristics of crops, and the length of time of practice, all play an important role in determining interactions and processes leading to changes in soil properties and crop performance over time.
- Subjects :
- 060201 languages & linguistics
Conventional tillage
Monocropping
viruses
Soil organic matter
Conservation agriculture
Soil biology
fungi
food and beverages
06 humanities and the arts
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
Soil carbon
Biology
Tillage
Agronomy
Soil pH
0602 languages and literature
040103 agronomy & agriculture
0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19169760 and 19169752
- Volume :
- 10
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Agricultural Science
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........ff0ef97a20f90f5b5c50809a46d4f5c8
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v10n5p100