Global CA-CoP CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

for sustainable production intensification and land management


Dear Subscribers,


Please see herebelow the June 2016  Conservation Agriculture Research Update from Peter Hobbs at Cornell University.


Amir Kassam

Moderator

e-mail: [log in to unmask]

URL: www.fao.org/ag/ca

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peter Hobbs <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2016 at 7:35 PM
Subject: FW: Latest Scoops on Conservation Agriculture Research Updates - June 2016
To: Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>

Dear Amir: 


Here is our June 2016 Conservation Agriculture Research Update. You can also review on line at http://www.scoop.it/t/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag

 

The hard copy is below. 


Peter

 

onservation Agriculture Research Updates - June 2016

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This study assessed the effects on CT and NT as well as five NT cover crop based cropping systems on yield scaled GHG emissions in two long term experiments (18 and 19 years) in Brazil. They measured methane and nitrous oxide fluxes. Annual rate of change of SOC was used as a proxy for net C02 flux. Cumulative annual emissions of the three GHG and the CO2 costs of agricultural inputs and operations were taken in full account when estimating the global warming potential (GWP). Under legume cover crops, NT soil exhibited increased N2O emissions relative to CT soil (531 vs 217 kg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1); however, emissions of this gas from NT soil were fully offset by CO2 retention in soil organic matter (−2063 to −3940 kg CO2 ha−1 yr−1). Soil CH4 fluxes were very low with all management systems. The legume cover crops increased maize yield and further reduced yield-scaled GHG emissions.

 

 

 

 

 

This study evaluated two resource-conserving agriculture systems in Ethiopia after 7 years of inception. DER is a bed and furrow system where the beds remain unplowed and 30% residue retained. TER is ploughed once at planting, furrows made 1.5 m wide to create fresh broad beds and 30% residue retained. TER and DER were compared with conventional tillage -- three tillage operations and complete removal of residues. Various soil property measurements were made. Among the several assessed soil properties, soil organic C (SOC), total soil N, available P, soil microbial biomass C (SMBC), time of ponding, aggregate stability index (SI), consistency index (CI), cone index, air capacity and macroporosity were shown to increase significantly in soils subjected to DER+ planting system compared to CT. On average, crop yields under DER+ and TER+ increased by 30 % and 16 %, respectively, as compared to CT. They suggest that some incentives should be provided to facilitate larger adoption by farmers.

 




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