| 000 | 03606nab a22004217a 4500 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | G97773 | ||
| 003 | MX-TxCIM | ||
| 005 | 20220920151650.0 | ||
| 008 | 210615s2013 ne |||p|op||| 00| 0 eng d | ||
| 022 | _a0378-4290 | ||
| 024 | 8 | _ahttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2012.11.010 | |
| 040 | _aMX-TxCIM | ||
| 090 | _aCIS-7063 | ||
| 100 | 1 |
_aThierfelder, C. _gSustainable Intensification Program _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _8INT2939 _9877 |
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| 245 | 1 | 0 |
_aMaize-based conservation agriculture systems in Malawi : _blong-term trends in productivity |
| 260 |
_aAmsterdam (Netherlands) : _bElsevier, _c2013. |
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| 500 | _aPeer review | ||
| 500 | _aPeer-review: Yes - Open Access: Yes|http://science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlresults.cgi?PC=MASTER&ISSN=0378-4290 | ||
| 520 | _aIn Malawi and throughout much of Africa, maize yields have declined over the past several decades due to continuous cultivation, often in monocropping with little or no inputs. As a result, soil degradation has been aggravated by the loss of valuable top soil caused by rainwater runoff due to the absence of effective conservation practices. To combat this trend, Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems were introduced using a pointed stick or hand hoe to plant directly into untilled soil with crop residues as surface mulch. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of different cropping systems (CA and conventional) on soil physical and chemical parameters and long-term maize productivity in target communities of the southern and central regions of Malawi. This study analysed the effects of CA on soil parameters and maize yield over eight cropping seasons. The biophysical variability of the communities was explored through principal component analysis. Results showed that maize yields in CA systems were strongly affected by rainfall infiltration, which was 24?40% greater compared with the conventional ridge and furrow system. In some cases, maize yields in CA plots were double that of conventional tillage plots. The larger water infiltration observed in CA plots relative to conventional tillage indicated that CA systems may increase access to soil water by the crop and offset the negative effects of seasonal dry spells. Yield benefits of CA over conventional tillage systems were greater especially from the 5th season although, in some instances, greater yields on CA were recorded almost immediately. CA can be practiced in diverse environments from sandy to clay soils, nutrient rich to infertile soils and from low to high rainfall areas as long as adequate inputs (fertilizer, herbicides and labour) are available with good extension support to farmers, especially in the initial years. | ||
| 536 | _aConservation Agriculture Program | ||
| 546 | _aText in English | ||
| 591 | _aCIMMYT Informa No. 1828|Elsevier | ||
| 594 | _aINT2939 | ||
| 595 | _aCSC | ||
| 650 | 7 |
_aDirect sowing _2AGROVOC _91792 |
|
| 650 | 7 |
_aZero tillage _2AGROVOC _91753 |
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| 650 | 7 |
_aSustainability _2AGROVOC _91283 |
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| 700 | 1 |
_aChisui, J.L. _920303 |
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| 700 | 1 |
_aGama, M. _94915 |
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| 700 | 1 |
_aCheesman, S. _8INT3170 _gSustainable Intensification Program _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _91685 |
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| 700 | 1 |
_aJere, Z.D. _92187 |
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| 700 | 1 |
_aBunderson, W.T. _91691 |
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| 700 | 1 |
_aEash, N.S. _974 |
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| 700 | 1 |
_91793 _aRusinamhodzi, L. _gSustainable Intensification Program _8CRUL01 |
|
| 773 | 0 |
_tField Crops Research _gv. 142, p. 47-57 _dAmsterdam (Netherlands) : Elsevier, 2013. _wG444314 _x0378-4290 |
|
| 856 | 4 |
_uhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12665/476 _yAccess only for CIMMYT Staff |
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| 942 |
_cJA _2ddc _n0 |
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| 999 |
_c29918 _d29918 |
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