Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield
Sustainable farming systems are being introduced to ensure optimum agricultural productivity despite climate change and environmental degradation. One such sustainable agricultural technology is conservation farming (CF). The uptake of this technology has remained low at about 5% years after its int...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IJARIT Research Foundation
2022-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/IJARIT/article/view/61040/42029 |
| _version_ | 1798032102871007232 |
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| author | Thandiwe Mphande Mebelo Mataa Kalaluka Munyinda Dominic Namanyungu |
| author_facet | Thandiwe Mphande Mebelo Mataa Kalaluka Munyinda Dominic Namanyungu |
| author_sort | Thandiwe Mphande |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sustainable farming systems are being introduced to ensure optimum agricultural productivity despite climate change and environmental degradation. One such sustainable agricultural technology is conservation farming (CF). The uptake of this technology has remained low at about 5% years after its introduction. CF has five interrelated practices but for a variety of reasons, farmers are unable or unwilling to adopt all recommended practices. This study studied the agronomic effects of incomplete or partial conservation practice whereby not all the five practices are used, mimicking actual practices adopted by farmers. A split- plot design experiment involving partial or incomplete CF mainly use of basins, ripping were compared to conventional farming of normal ploughing (as main plots) and three crops - cowpea, millet and sorghum (split plot) was conducted. The objective was to determine the agronomic effects and efficacy of partial adoption of CF compared to conventional farming system. Data were collected on vegetative and reproductive parameters including, plant height, germination percentage, canopy density, number of leaves, number of branches/tillers/stems, SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development) readings a proxy for leaf chlorophyll content. Plants grown in basins had higher plant development (plant height, total biomass) and higher yields compared to those on conventional methods. This effect could be explained by better soil physical and chemical conditions in the basins as indicated by higher SPAD readings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:08:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cab5cde9e51740698c7f4e464220abb2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2224-0616 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:08:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | IJARIT Research Foundation |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cab5cde9e51740698c7f4e464220abb22022-12-22T04:05:16ZengIJARIT Research FoundationInternational Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology2224-06162022-06-0112111511910.3329/ijarit.v12i1.61040Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yieldThandiwe Mphande0Mebelo Mataa1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6479-9251Kalaluka Munyinda2Dominic Namanyungu3Department of Plant Sciences, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Zambia, Box 32379, Lusaka, ZambiaSeed Control and Certification Institute, PO Box Chilanga, ZambiaSeed Control and Certification Institute, PO Box Chilanga, ZambiaMulungushi House, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Lusaka, ZambiaSustainable farming systems are being introduced to ensure optimum agricultural productivity despite climate change and environmental degradation. One such sustainable agricultural technology is conservation farming (CF). The uptake of this technology has remained low at about 5% years after its introduction. CF has five interrelated practices but for a variety of reasons, farmers are unable or unwilling to adopt all recommended practices. This study studied the agronomic effects of incomplete or partial conservation practice whereby not all the five practices are used, mimicking actual practices adopted by farmers. A split- plot design experiment involving partial or incomplete CF mainly use of basins, ripping were compared to conventional farming of normal ploughing (as main plots) and three crops - cowpea, millet and sorghum (split plot) was conducted. The objective was to determine the agronomic effects and efficacy of partial adoption of CF compared to conventional farming system. Data were collected on vegetative and reproductive parameters including, plant height, germination percentage, canopy density, number of leaves, number of branches/tillers/stems, SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development) readings a proxy for leaf chlorophyll content. Plants grown in basins had higher plant development (plant height, total biomass) and higher yields compared to those on conventional methods. This effect could be explained by better soil physical and chemical conditions in the basins as indicated by higher SPAD readings.https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/IJARIT/article/view/61040/42029climate changeenvironmentsustainabilitysmall-scale farmers |
| spellingShingle | Thandiwe Mphande Mebelo Mataa Kalaluka Munyinda Dominic Namanyungu Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology climate change environment sustainability small-scale farmers |
| title | Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield |
| title_full | Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield |
| title_fullStr | Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield |
| title_short | Comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield |
| title_sort | comparative effects of partial conservation farming practices on plant development and yield |
| topic | climate change environment sustainability small-scale farmers |
| url | https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/IJARIT/article/view/61040/42029 |
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