The purpose of the study was (1) to assess the performance of ZT wheat as compared to conventional-tillage wheat in farmers' fields in six CSISA target districts in Bihar; (2) to assess farmers’ resource endowment, risk exposure, risk preferences, and risk management practices; (3) based on (2), to identify influencing factors of farmers' awareness and adoption of ZT in wheat, including social network effects.
The purpose of the study was (1) to assess the economic viability of custom-hire service for ZT in CSISA's target districts in Bihar, the development of ZT service provision businesses over time, and constraints to further business expansion; (2) to assess service providers’ resource endowment, risk exposure, risk preferences, and risk management practices; (3) based on (2), to identify influencing factors of engaging in ZT service provision, including influencing factors of th e scale of the service business operation.
The present data is from a long-term trial set at Msekera Research Station in Zambia to monitor and evaluate the the longer term effects of conservation agriculture practices on soil quality, soil water dynamics, weeds, pests/diseases and crop yield. The treatments set to investigate this are: T1: Control plot 1 (CPM1); traditional farmers practice mouldboard plough on the flat, maize as a sole crop, no residue retention, stubble incorporated into the row for the following season. T2: Control plot 2 (CPM2); ridge and furrow system dug by hand, maize as a sole crop, no residue retention, stubble incorporated into the row for the following season T3: Basins (BAM), residue retention on the surface, maize as a sole crop T4: Dibble stick (DISM), residue retention on the surface, maize as a sole crop T5: Direct seeder (DSM), residue retention on the surface, maize as a sole crop T6: Direct seeding maize/cowpea intercropping (DS-M/C), 90cm rows, residue retention on the surface T7: Direct seeding cowpea (Cowpea-maize rotation) (DS-MC), residue retention on the surface T8:Direct seeding maize (Maize-cowpea rotation) (DS-CM), residue retention on the surface T9:Direct seeding soya (Soybean-maize r otation) (DS-MS), residue retention on the surface T10: Direct seeding maize (Maize-soybean rotation) (DS-SM), residue retention on the surface The present data set is from 2012 to 2016.
The purpose of the study was (1) to assess the economic viability of custom-hire service for ZT in CSISA's target districts in Bihar, the development of ZT service provision businesses over time, and constraints to further business expansion; (2) to assess service providers’ resource endowment, risk exposure, risk preferences, and risk management practices; (3) based on (2), to identify influencing factors of engaging in ZT service provision, including influencing factors of the scale of the service business operation.
The purpose of the study was (1) to assess the performance of ZT wheat as compared to conventional-tillage wheat in farmers' fields in six CSISA target districts in Bihar; (2) to assess farmers’ resource endowment, risk exposure, risk preferences, and risk management practices; (3) based on (2), to identify influencing factors of farmers' awareness and adoption of ZT in wheat, including social network effects.
Climate change and soil fertility decline are major threats to smallholder farmers' food and nutrition security in southern Africa, and cropping systems that improve soil health are needed to address these challenges. Cropping systems that invest in soil organic matter, such as no-tillage (NT) with crop residue retention, have been proposed as potential solutions. However, a key challenge for assessing the sustainability of NT systems is that soil carbon (C) stocks develop over long timescales, and there is an urgent need to identify trajectory indicators of sustainability and crop productivity. Here we examined the effects of NT as compared with conventional tillage without residue retention on relationships between soil characteristics and maize (Zea mays L.) productivity in long-term on-farm and on-station trials in Zimbabwe. Our results show that relationships between soil characteristics and maize productivity, and the effects of management on these relationships, varied with soil type. Total soil nitrogen (N) and C were strong predictors of maize grain yield and above-ground biomass (i.e., stover) in the clayey soils, but not in the sandy soils, under both managements. This highlights context-specific benefits of management that fosters the accumulation of soil C and N stocks. Despite a strong effect of NT management on soil C and N in sandy soils, this accrual was not sufficient to support increased crop productivity in these soils. We suggest that sandy soils should be the priority target of NT with organic resource inputs interventions in southern Africa, as mineral fertilizer inputs alone will not halt the soil fertility decline. This will require a holistic management approach and input of C in various forms (e.g., biomass from cover crops and tree components, crop residues, in combination with mineral fertilizers). Clayey soils on the other hand have greater buffering capacity against detrimental effects of soil tillage and low C input.
Conservation agriculture (CA)—the simultaneous application of minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification—is a key approach to address declining soil fertility and the adverse effects of climate change in southern Africa. Applying the three defining principles of CA alone, however, is often not enough, and complementary practices and enablers are required to make CA systems more functional for smallholder farmers in the short and longer term. Here, we review 11 complementary practices and enablers grouped under six topical areas to highlight their critical need for functional CA systems, namely: (1) appropriate nutrient management to increase productivity and biomass; (2) improved stress-tolerant varieties to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses; (3) judicious use of crop chemicals to surmount pest, diseases, and weed pressure; (4) enhanced groundcover with alternative organic resources or diversification with green manures and agroforestry; (5) increased efficiency of planting and mechanization to reduce labor, facilitate timely planting, and to provide farm power for seeding; and (6) an enabling political environment and more harmonized and innovative extension approaches to streamline and foster CA promotional efforts. We found that (1) all 11 complementary practices and enablers substantially enhance the functioning of CA systems and some (e.g., appropriate nutrient management) are critically needed to close yield gaps; (2) practices and enablers must be tailored to the local farmer contexts; and (3) CA systems should either be implemented in a sequential approach, or initially at a small scale and grow from there, in order to increase feasibility for smallholder farmers. This review provides a comprehensive overview of practices and enablers that are required to improve the productivity, profitability, and feasibility of CA systems. Addressing these in southern Africa is expected to stimulate the adoption of CA by smallholders, with positive outcomes for soil health and resilience to climate change.
Grain yield data collected from Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems across experiments of varying experimental duration, established in trial locations of Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe under an increasingly variable climate. Data contains different agro-environmental yield response moderators such as type of crop diversifcation and amount of rainfall and aims to identify cropping systems that may provide both short-term gains and longer-term sustainability.
The experiment was conducted in 2016 and 2017 in three regions in Oaxaca, Mexico. The design of the study was to evaluate fifteen combinations of tillage and weed management practices at each of the three sites, with each trial consisting of three blocks with a different type of tillage: zero tillage (ZT), minimum tillage (MT) and conventional tillage (CT). The first site is in the “Sitio Experimental Mixteca” research station in Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán, the Mixteca Region, located at 2195 m above sea level (masl), it has Vertisol soils, a temperate subhumid climate. The second site is in the town of San Felipe Zihualtepec in the municipality of San Juan Cotzocón, Papaloapan Region, located at 60 masl and has Luvisol soils, a hot humid climate. The third location was in the town of Ciénega de Zimatlán in the municipality with the same name, Valles Centrales Region. The original site was changed in 2017 to a nearby field, because the collaborating farmer did not want to continue the trial. Both fields are located at 1552 masl, have Vertisol soils, a hot semi-arid climate. Weed management treatments were conducted similarly in all tillage treatments and reflected common local practices and available herbicides or equipment, as well as weather, soil moisture and weed species and comprised combinations of the following: 1) MEC, mechanical control. Weeds were mechanically controlled after reaching 20 cm in height approximately 20-25 days after sowing (DAS), as per the common practice. Weeding was carried out with a hand hoe by 4 to 10 workers per hectare, depending on the quantity of weeds, or using a tractor-drawn cultivator. 2)PRE, pre-emergent herbicide. Only a pre-emergent herbicide with residual effect was applied before sowing. 3) POST, post-emergent herbicide. When weeds reached 5-10 cm in height and based on soil moisture conditions and the types of weeds present, a selective herbicide or direct contact herbicide was applied. 4) PRE+POST, integrated weed management. A pre-emergent herbicide was applied, followed by post-emergence control as necessary, using either selective herbicides or manual controls. 5) CONT, control: No weed management was practiced. The dataset contains the data on maize yield, weed density, weed species (broadleaf or narrowleaf) and weed biomass from the experiment.
Agronomic systems based on zero tillage and residue retention are becoming more important due to their potential for climate change adaptation through the reduction of soil erosion and improved water availability. Genotype by tillage interactions for yield are not well understood and it is unknown whether tillage should be an evaluation factor in breeding programs. Twenty-six CIMMYT bread (Triticum aestivum) and durum (Triticum turgidum) wheat genotypes, created between 1964 and 2009, were tested for yield and agronomic performance at CIMMYT’s experimental station near Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, over six years (harvest years 2010 to 2015). Treatments included conventional and permanent raised beds with full and reduced irrigation. The data set contains data on wheat performance (days to flowering and maturity, plant height, harvest index, grain yield, thousand grain weight, test weight, NDVI during early vegetative growth and maximum NDVI), performance traits calculated from these data (.e.g number of grains per m2, number of grains per spike, grain production rate from flowering to maturity) and monthly weather data during the study period (reference evapotranspiration, precipitation, maximum, minimum and average temperature).
