Environmental and agricultural benefits of a management system designed for sandy loam soils of the humid tropics

Aguiar, Alana das Chagas Ferreira; Amorim, Andreia Pereira; Coelho, Kátia Pereira; Moura, Emanoel Gomes de

doi:10.1590/s0100-06832009000500037

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In sandy loam soils in humid tropical regions, due to poor soil rootability and high rates of nutrient loss by leaching, the low availability and reduced N use efficiency (NUE) are major factors influencing successful management of agrosystems (Aguiar, Amorim, Coêlho, & Moura, 2009). Most soils exposed to repeated cycles of wetting and drying tend to undergo hardsetting, due to the generally low free-iron contents and organic carbon levels combined with high fine-sand and silt proportions, which worsens soil rootability and decreases root growth (Daniells, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, to reduce cohesion, increase NUE and the subsequent degradation of structurally fragile tropical soils, some authors have recommended mulching with leguminous residues to provide soil cover (Mulumba & Lal, 2007;Aguiar et al, 2009). Mulching with surface residues delays soil moisture loss, decreases the evapotranspiration rate, and improves soil rootability (i.e., providing good conditions for root growth) (Qamar et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nitrogen Use and Protein Yield of Two Maize Cultivars in Cohesive Tropical Soil

Marques¹,

Aguiar²,

Macedo³

et al. 2017

JAS

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One major challenge to developing sustainable family farms in tropical regions is increasing nitrogen use efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of leguminous residues of low-and high-quality on nitrogen uptake, as well as on content of protein of a Quality Protein Maize (QPM) and of a hybrid maize in a tropical sandy loam soil. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with four replicates in a 6 × 2 factorial and six treatments: Gliricidia + Clitoria (GC); Gliricidia + Acacia (GA); Leucaena + Gliricidia (LG); Leucaena + Clitoria (LC); Leucaena + Acacia (LA) and a control without legumes (C). A sub-plot was constructed, sowing in each plot two maize cultivars, opened pollination QPM BR 473 and hybrid Ag 7088. We conclude that the combined use of leguminous residues applied on the soil surface might increase the uptake of nitrogen, the protein contents of maize and the grain yield. In bare soil prone to cohesion, the use of synthetic N is not feasible for both maize yield and for protein yield compared with use of covered soil. The results also showed that the effects of leguminous residue quality on N uptake may differ from year to year due to variation in water stress days.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen Use and Protein Yield of Two Maize Cultivars in Cohesive Tropical Soil

Marques¹,

Aguiar²,

Macedo³

et al. 2017

JAS

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“…This indicates that soil covered with lower-quality clitoria residue was less productive than the mixture of residues. Some studies 11 have reported that an appropriate combination of different quality residues can improve uptake from N recycling and that the combination of leucaena (higher quality) with Acacia mangium (low quality) grown in alleys can produce up to four times more grain of maize than soil without residues. In this experiment, mixtures of residues with sunn hemp and showy rattlebox performed better in the second year, even with the low quantities of clitoria, because they provided greater quantities of N and six times more K than the control.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Desirable characteristics of such a system include its ability to recycle nutrients 9 , to improve soil fertility indicators 10 and to reduce weed incidence when combined with the use of annual legumes 3 . In addition, the high capacity of such a system to produce plant biomass makes it a viable alternative for increasing soil carbon stocks and reducing greenhouse gases 11 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficiency of an agrosystem designed for family farming in the pre-Amazon region

Aguiar

Freitas

Carvalho

et al. 2010

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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In the humid tropics, the continuous use of the same area reduces nutrient availability and increases the incidence of weeds. To circumvent these obstacles, farmers practice itinerant agriculture associated with slashing and burning with negative effects on the local and global environment. In search for a suitable system for humid tropical agriculture, the objective of this study was to investigate the performance of no-till alley cropping in conjunction with the use of annual legume crops grown during the off-season. The experiment was implemented in a one-hectare alley cropping system in which the leguminous tree clitoria (Clitoria fairchildiana R.A. Howard) was used. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with four replications of the following treatments: Stylosanthis (Stylosanthis capitata), showey rattlebox (Crotalaria spectabilis), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) and a control with clitoria alone, without an annual legume. In January 2007 and 2008, maize was planted in each alley. One hundred and twenty days after annual legumes were sown, the total biomass was recorded. Weed incidence was assessed 35 days after maize planting. Analyses of the C, N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents of the legumes were carried out. To assess soil organic matter (SOM), composite soil samples from the surface 0–5 cm were collected from experimental plots. Two adjacent areas were also sampled for comparison: a 10-year-old secondary forest and an area of conventional tillage. The SOM was fractionated using a densitometric and a granulometric method. Conventional systems reduce the silt and free light organic matter fractions more than no till. The use of annual legumes changes the composition of the weed community, replacing the more aggressive types with those less competitive. The use of showy rattlebox (C. spectabilis) may be an effective strategy for reducing weed density in the long-season crop. Furthermore, relative to the use of leguminous trees alone, higher yields of maize can be obtained with the use of showy rattlebox (C. spectabilis) and sunn hemp (C. juncea) without the application of additional N.

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“…When studying Gliricidia and Leucaena alleys as a way to improve soil properties, Fernandes et al [27] found that the residues incorporated 160 and 130 kg ha −1 year −1 of N, respectively (when only considering N). The leguminous alleys recovered about 20% of N directly from the residues deposited in the soil [11][12][13][14][15][16]. BNF can also represent N inputs relevant to the soil/plant system and reduce the need for N fertilizer application, which is often expensive and most susceptible to losses [8].…”

Section: Macronutrient Leaf Contents and Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Leguminous Alley Cropping Improves the Production, Nutrition, and Yield of Forage Sorghum

et al. 2019

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This study aimed to evaluate the growth, production, and leaf contents of macronutrients, as well as the yield of forage sorghum cultivated on the alleys of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp.) and Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit) in the presence and absence of mineral fertilization. The experiment was conducted in two different periods: During the 2016/2017 double crop (cultivation carried out at the end of the crop cycle) and during the 2017/2018 crop (cultivation carried out at the beginning of the crop cycle). A randomized block design, in which the first factor refers to cultivation systems (single sorghum, sorghum cultivated in Gliricidia alleys, and sorghum cultivated in Leucaena alleys) and the second factor refers to mineral fertilization (presence and absence of fertilization), in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement was used. The leguminous plants were cut, and the residues were deposited in the alleys. The cultivation in alleys without mineral fertilization increased total forage biomass when compared to the single crop cultivation. Cultivation in Leucaena alleys showed a higher leaf content of nitrogen (N) when compared to the single crop, both in the presence and absence of mineral fertilization. In the double crop, sorghum cultivated in Leucaena alleys without fertilization presented a higher forage yield (up to 67%) when compared to the single crop system. However, there was no difference in yield when mineral fertilization was applied to the treatments. Overall, the alley crops were able to increase the morphological (plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), panicle diameter (PD), and panicle length (PL) and yield (leaf dry mass (LDM), stem dry mass (SDM), total green mass (TGM), and total dry mass TDM) variables of the crop, improving the productivity of forage sorghum.

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Environmental and agricultural benefits of a management system designed for sandy loam soils of the humid tropics

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

Nitrogen Use and Protein Yield of Two Maize Cultivars in Cohesive Tropical Soil

Nitrogen Use and Protein Yield of Two Maize Cultivars in Cohesive Tropical Soil

Efficiency of an agrosystem designed for family farming in the pre-Amazon region

Leguminous Alley Cropping Improves the Production, Nutrition, and Yield of Forage Sorghum

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