The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development addressing the issues of environmental degradation has been challenged by human developments and activities. Crop production systems and technologies (e.g. soil tillage) are among the leading factors causing environmental degradation. In this study, the effect of soil tillage systems (i.e. no-tillage (NT); stubble-mulching (SM); deep tillage (DT); and conventional tillage (CT)) on surface runoff volume (SRV), suspended sediment concentration (SSC), infiltration rate (IR), and soil moisture content (SMC) in the common bean (
Phaseolus vulgaris
L.) farms, Mukono District, Uganda was evaluated. The effect of soil tillage direction on SRV was also assessed. The SRV, SSC, IR, and SMC were monitored under Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD) experiments with four soil tillage systems in Goma and Kimenyedde experimental sites during two wet seasons. The results showed that SRV, SSC, IR, and SMC were significantly (
p
< 0.05) influenced by the soil tillage system, season, and site. The highest total SRV was observed during the first season in Goma experimental site under CT with soil tillage along the slope (1071.3 mm). The lowest SRV was observed during the second season in Kimenyedde experimental site under NT (165.0 mm). The highest and lowest mean SSC was observed in the CT (2.41 ± 0.3 g L
−1
) in Goma experimental site during the first season and NT (0.43 ± 0.1 g L
−1
) in Kimenyedde experimental site during the second season, respectively. The SSL was highest under CT in both Goma (147.17 kg ha
−1
season
−1
) and Kimenyedde (114.93 kg ha
−1
season
−1
), and lowest under NT with the means of 11.25 and 9.19 kg ha
−1
season
−1
in Goma and Kimenyedde experimental sites, respectively. Both SRV and SSC increased linearly with both rainfall amount (RF) and rainfall intensity at 10 min (RI
10
). The highest and lowest IR and SMC were observed in the NT and CT treatments, respectively. No significant (
p
> 0.05) variations were observed in the SMC under the NT and SM treatments. Overall, soil tillage systems, soil type, and rainfall characteristics are among the key factors influencing the magnitudes of SRV and SSC in both time and space. This particular study suggests that NT and SM would help reduce the magnitudes of SRV and SSC, in agricultural fields.
With the increasing climate change impacts and variabilities, water is becoming a limiting factor for rainfed crop production in Uganda. Conservation tillage practices could improve soil and water conservation in croplands. Field experiments were conducted for three consecutive seasons from April 2019 to June 2020. The experiments evaluated the effect of soil tillage treatments on soil water storage, water use efficiency, grain yield, and economic benefits of the common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in two sub-counties of Mukono District, central Uganda. The soil tillage treatments were: no-tillage, stubble-mulching, deep tillage, and conventional tillage. The no-tillage and stubble-mulching improved soil water storage by 46 and 45%, respectively, compared with the conventional tillage in the 0-100 cm soil depth over the 14 months. Soil tillage treatments significantly (p < 0.05) affected the water use efficiency, with water use efficiency values generally higher under no-tillage and stubble-mulching than under deep tillage and conventional tillage treatments. The grain yield was highest under no-tillage and stubblemulching than deep tillage and conventional tillage treatments, with over 5, 38, and 43% higher grain yield under no-tillage than under stubble-mulching, deep tillage, and conventional tillage treatments, respectively. Although no-tillage and stubble-mulching improved soil water storage and grain yield, seasonal precipitation distribution had a greater influence on the final grain yield, soil water storage, and water use efficiency. The net profit was 3 and 5 times higher under no-tillage than under conventional tillage and deep tillage treatments, respectively. The overall results showed that no-tillage and stubble-mulching were the optimum tillage treatments for increasing soil water storage and common bean yield, enhancing water use efficiency, and improving economic returns in central Uganda.
Weather conditions are among the major factors leading to the increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from the agricultural soils. In this study, variations in the soil GHG fluxes with precipitation and soil temperatures at different elevation ranges in banana–coffee farms, in the Wakiso District, Uganda, were evaluated. The soil GHG fluxes were collected weekly, using the chamber method, and analyzed by using gas chromatography. Parallel soil temperature samples were collected by using a REOTEMP soil thermometer. Daily precipitation was measured with an automated weather station instrument installed on-site. The results showed that CO2, N2O, and CH4 fluxes were significantly different between the sites at different elevation ranges. Daily precipitation and soil temperatures significantly (p < 0.05) affected the soil GHG fluxes. Along an elevation gradient, daily precipitation and soil temperatures positively associated with the soil GHG fluxes. The combined factors of daily precipitation and soil temperatures also influence the soil GHG fluxes, but their effect was less than that of the single effects. Overall, daily precipitation and soil temperatures are key weather factors driving the soil GHG fluxes in time and space. This particular study suggests that agriculture at lower elevation levels would help reduce the magnitudes of the soil GHG fluxes. However, this study did not measure the soil GHG fluxes from the non-cultivated ecosystems. Therefore, future studies should focus on assessing the variations in the soil GHG fluxes from non-cultivated ecosystems relative to agriculture systems, at varying elevation ranges.
Among the 62 Bothriocline plant species, Bothriocline auriculata is the only endemic species in Uganda. Although this species is capable of thriving in diverse agroecosystems including mountainous areas, bamboo thickets, montane and tropical rainforests, it is only sited along Mt. Elgon slopes, the species’ native ecosystem. Unfortunately, for the last two decades, the species’ native ecosystem is undergoing very rapid deterioration as the increasing human populations have no option for survival but to clear protective forests and vegetation for arable farming, grazing and settlement. Despite the proven ecological importance of Bothriocline auriculata as a fodder plant, nutrient recycling and biodiversity in contributing to ecosystem balance, the species is declining at unprecedented rates. Consequently, the Bothriocline auriculata is now on the blink of extinction and is classified as critically endangered. This project aimed to rescue and conserve this species to ensure its full recovery, restoration and conservation under protected ecosystems. The specimens were rescued from the native ecosystem and multiplied into 150 juvenile seedlings. The seedlings exhibited a faster growth rate under well-nourished and moist soil conditions and vice versa. The data confirm the species’ ability to thrive in protected ecosystems with favorable weather and soil conditions for ex-situ conservation.
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