Combining δ13C measurements and ERT imaging: improving our understanding of competition at the crop-soil-hedge interface

Hussain, Khalid; Wongleecharoen, Chalermchart; Hilger, Thomas; Vanderborght, Jan; Garré, Sarah; Onsamrarn, Wattanai; Sparke, Marc-André; Diels, Jan; Kongkaew, Thanuchai; Cadisch, Georg

doi:10.1007/s11104-015-2455-z

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Soil erosion has been a very common problem from decades, and concerns about conserving the soils on uplands are increasing. Soil loss is mainly caused by improper farming methods, low soil cover, extensive tillage and mono-cropping systems, whereas rainfall intensity, slope gradient, soil stability, crop management and conservation practices are considered to be the main factors that directly affect soil erosion [4][5][6][7][8] in Thailand and other parts of Asia. These Thai hillsides have moderate to steep (10-30%) slopes and are dominated by natural bamboo forests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conservation tillage is a noninversion tillage system in which around 30% of crop residues are always kept on the soil surface. Cropping systems with conservation tillage/soil conservation practices directly reduce soil loss, maintain soil fertility and enhance farm productivity on uplands [5][6][7][8]10]. In Western Thailand, most of the farmers follow a mono/sole cropping system without any soil conservation practices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sustainable Soil Loss Management in Tropical Uplands: Impact on Maize-Chili Cropping Systems

et al. 2021

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Intensive land use with inappropriate land management is directly degrading South Asian uplands. A field trial was carried out on the uplands of Western Thailand with a 25% slope to examine the effect of land use management on soil loss for sustainable crop production during two consecutive years (2010–2011). Various cropping systems with soil conservation practices were compared to maize sole cropping (MSC). Results revealed that soil loss was at a minimum in the intercropping system of maize-chili-hedgerows with minimum tillage and fertilization that was 50% to 61% and 60% to 81% less than MSC and the bare soil plot during both years, respectively. Yield advantage was at its maximum, as indicated by the highest land equivalent ratios of 1.28 and 1.21 during 2010 and 2011, respectively, in maize-chili-hedgerows-intercropping with minimum tillage and fertilization. The highest economic returns (5925 and 1058 euros ha−1 during 2010 and 2011, respectively) were also obtained from maize-chili-hedgerows-intercropping with minimum tillage and fertilization. Chili fresh fruit yield was maximum in the chili alone plot during both years due to the greater area under cultivation compared with intercropping. Maize-chili-hedgerows with minimum tillage and fertilization reduced soil loss and increased land productivity and net returns, indicating its promising features for sustainable crop production on uplands.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Soil Loss Management in Tropical Uplands: Impact on Maize-Chili Cropping Systems

et al. 2021

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“…It was developed to represent Tree-Soil-Crop interactions under a wide range of agroforestry systems where trees and crops overlap at the plot level. This was successfully applied to simulate the effects of soil conservation practices on soil loss and runoff, soil structure, and water infiltration in Northeast Thailand [ 39 ], to evaluate the impact of improved fallows on maize yield under various soil and environmental conditions of Kenya [ 40 ] and to assess limiting factors at the crop-soil-hedge interface reducing maize aboveground biomass in rows close to hedgerows in Western Thailand [ 41 ]. As the WaNuLCAS and WEPP models have the capability to simulate various cropping system patterns to evaluate land use and management in a single simulation, the models have not previously been tested on a small-plot scale (e.g., hillside agricultural area) under an erratic tropical rainfall region in Thailand.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performances of the WEPP and WaNuLCAS models on soil erosion simulation in a tropical hillslope, Thailand

2020

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Effective soil erosion prediction models and proper conservation practices are important tools to mitigate soil erosion in hillside agricultural areas. The Water Nutrient and Light Capture in Agroforestry Systems (WaNuLCAS) and Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) models are capable tools in soil erosion simulation in the conventional and conservation cropping systems in hillslopes. We calibrated both the models in maize monocropping and simultaneously validated them in maize-chili intercropping with Leucaena hedgerow for nine rainfall events in 2010, with the aim to evaluate their performances in runoff and sediment prediction on a skeleton soil in a hillslope, Western Thailand. The results showed that the calibrated WaNuLCAS model poorly predicts runoff prediction in the validation. In contrast, the calibrated WEPP model had a better performance in runoff prediction in the validation. For sediment prediction, the calibrated WaNuLCAS model predicted sediment yield better than the calibrated WEPP model in the validation because the WEPP model shows more variability of the sediment yield in the calibration (5.84 kg m –2 ) than the WaNuLCAS (5.18 kg m –2 ). Thus, the WEPP model was more suitable for runoff prediction than sediment prediction in the monocropping system, whereas the WaNuLCAS model was better suited for sediment yield prediction than runoff prediction, especially in complex intercropping systems.

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“…However, the main objective for the farmers is possibly crop productivity, rather than maintained ecological integrity. In this regard, most of the studies reported negative effects of scattered trees on crop yields (Wilson, Brook & Tomlinson 1998;Rao et al 1999;Boffa et al 2000;Samba 2001;Fadl & Gebauer 2004;Coulibaly et al 2014;Hussain et al 2015;Ndoli et al 2017). The findings in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 also mirror the predominance of negative effects of trees on crop yields.…”

Section: Smallholder Realities and The Myth Of Scattered Trees In Cromentioning

confidence: 90%

“…These results imply that improvements in environmental resources such as enhanced soil moisture and nutrient content associated with scattered trees may not automatically lead to improved crop productivity. Most of the negative effects have been attributed to tree-crop competition for nutrients(Tilander & Ong 1999;Bazié et al 2012;Hussain et al 2015), light…”

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Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems in Ethiopia : what roles can scattered trees play?

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Scattered trees dominate smallholder agricultural landscapes in Ethiopia, as in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While the integration of scattered trees with crops could provide a viable pathway for sustainable intensification of these farming systems, they also lead to tradeoffs. Trade-off minimization and benefit maximization from these trees in the system require the processes that underlie tree-crop interactions to be unravelled. This study explored treebased pathways for the sustainable intensification (SI) smallholder crop production systems in contrasting agroecologies of Ethiopia. Combination of methodologies from agronomy, socioeconomics and conservation sciences were utilized to understand the potential roles of scattered trees in smallholder farming systems. Results indicated that farmers maintained on-farm trees because of their direct timber, fencing, fuelwood, and charcoal production values, regardless of their effect on crop productivity. A trade-off analysis revealed that economic gains from trees were not large enough to compensate for tree-induced crop yield penalties in tree-crop mixed farming systems. Under farmers' practices, most scattered trees generally had a significant negative effect on maize yield. For example, mean maize grain yields were 59%, 42% and 26% less under the canopies of Cordia africana, Croton macrostachyus and Acacia tortilis, respectively, compared with corresponding open field yields. The yield reductions dropped to as low as 5% under 'good agronomic practices', such as early planting, variety selection, improved weed management, fine seedbed preparation and higher rates of nitrogen fertilizer.Similar yield reduction was observed in maize under the canopy of Grevillea robusta. Application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers to under canopy maize in Grevillea robustaand Acacia tortilis improved crop yields, compared with non-fertilized maize under the canopies of these tree species. However, recommended rates of nitrogen and phosphorus vi fertilizers produced significantly less maize yields compared with the open fields. Faidherbia albida is an exceptional scattered tree species that improved soil water, nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiencies, leading to significantly higher yields in wheat gunder tree crown. Available N was 35-55% larger close to the crowns of Faidherbia compared with open fields, apparently contributing as much as 64 kg ha -1 yr -1 mineral N. In addition, this tree significantly reduced photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), reaching the canopy to optimum levels for wheat growth and development. Under the crowns, midday temperature was about 6 o C less compared with nearby open fields. Regardless of the triple-win effects (crop production, adaptation and mitigation) of this tree species, over-utilization caused tree population decline. Under the current management, Faidherbia population would decline to a critical density of less than one tree ha -1 within six decades. The current study underlined that conservation of scattered trees ...

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Combining δ13C measurements and ERT imaging: improving our understanding of competition at the crop-soil-hedge interface

Cited by 14 publications

References 42 publications

Sustainable Soil Loss Management in Tropical Uplands: Impact on Maize-Chili Cropping Systems

Sustainable Soil Loss Management in Tropical Uplands: Impact on Maize-Chili Cropping Systems

Performances of the WEPP and WaNuLCAS models on soil erosion simulation in a tropical hillslope, Thailand

Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems in Ethiopia : what roles can scattered trees play?

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