Enhancing yields and climate resilience through conservation agriculture: multi-year regional on-farm trials in Zambia

IF 3.9 2区农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY Plant and Soil Pub Date : 2025-01-20 DOI:10.1007/s11104-024-07191-8

Mirriam Phiri, Vegard Martinsen, Gibson Simusokwe, Andreas Botnen Smebye, Alfred Obia, Victor Shitumbanuma, Jeremy Selby, Gerard Cornelissen, Clifton Makate, Jan Mulder

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Abstract

Background and aims

Conservation agriculture (CA) has gained traction as a climate-smart management strategy to enhance food security and maintain soil quality. However, nearly all investigations are based on controlled experimental studies with few long-term on-farm trials. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of CA on maize yield and soil fertility at smallholder farms in Zambia (2016–2021).

Methods

About 100 on-farm trials were established. CA plots with maize (Zea mays L.) in annual rotation with soybean were compared pairwise with conventional plots, with maize monocropping, which were managed in accordance with local practices. Maize grain yield and soil pH, organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen were investigated.

Results

Maize grain yield was significantly higher in CA (+ 24% to + 39%) compared to conventional management, due to early sowing and more effective use of precipitation. However, after 5 years, there was no significant difference in soil fertility between CA and conventional agriculture.

Conclusion

CA provides a viable option for climate change adaptation due to increased yields and drought resilience. The higher yield under CA provides an opportunity to enhance food security. However, our results do not support that CA enhances soil organic carbon, available phosphorus and nitrogen after 5 years of maize-soybean rotation.

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通过保护性农业提高产量和气候适应能力：赞比亚多年区域农场试验

背景和目的保护性农业（CA）作为一项气候智能型管理战略已获得广泛关注，旨在加强粮食安全和保持土壤质量。然而，几乎所有的调查都是基于对照实验研究，很少有长期的农场试验。该研究的目的是评估CA对赞比亚小农农场玉米产量和土壤肥力的影响（2016-2021年）。方法建立100余个田间试验。采用玉米轮作与大豆轮作的常规玉米单作与玉米轮作进行了两两比较。研究了玉米产量与土壤pH、有机碳、磷、氮的关系。结果由于提前播种和更有效地利用降水，玉米产量显著高于常规管理（+ 24% ~ + 39%）。5年后，土壤肥力与常规农业无显著差异。结论ca可以提高产量和抗旱性，为适应气候变化提供了可行的选择。高产为加强粮食安全提供了机会。然而，本研究结果并不支持玉米-大豆轮作5年后CA增加土壤有机碳、速效磷和氮的观点。

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来源期刊

Plant and Soil 农林科学-农艺学

CiteScore

8.20

自引率

8.20%

发文量

543

审稿时长

2.5 months

期刊介绍： Plant and Soil publishes original papers and review articles exploring the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and that enhance our mechanistic understanding of plant-soil interactions. We focus on the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and seek those manuscripts with a strong mechanistic component which develop and test hypotheses aimed at understanding underlying mechanisms of plant-soil interactions. Manuscripts can include both fundamental and applied aspects of mineral nutrition, plant water relations, symbiotic and pathogenic plant-microbe interactions, root anatomy and morphology, soil biology, ecology, agrochemistry and agrophysics, as long as they are hypothesis-driven and enhance our mechanistic understanding. Articles including a major molecular or modelling component also fall within the scope of the journal. All contributions appear in the English language, with consistent spelling, using either American or British English.