Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania

Organic amendments can reportedly sustain and increase lowland rice productivity in smallholder systems. Few studies have assessed locally-available substrates in hydrologically variable floodplain environments. We investigated the effects of green and farmyard manures on rice yields, and total soil...

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Main Authors: Kwesiga, J., Grotelüschen, Kristina, Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu, Neuhoff, D., Döring, T.F., Becker, M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/110828
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author Kwesiga, J.
Grotelüschen, Kristina
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
Neuhoff, D.
Döring, T.F.
Becker, M.
author_browse Becker, M.
Döring, T.F.
Grotelüschen, Kristina
Kwesiga, J.
Neuhoff, D.
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
author_facet Kwesiga, J.
Grotelüschen, Kristina
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
Neuhoff, D.
Döring, T.F.
Becker, M.
author_sort Kwesiga, J.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Organic amendments can reportedly sustain and increase lowland rice productivity in smallholder systems. Few studies have assessed locally-available substrates in hydrologically variable floodplain environments. We investigated the effects of green and farmyard manures on rice yields, and total soil C and N in the Kilombero floodplain, Tanzania. At both the fringe and the middle positions, five treatments were applied in 2016 and 2017, comprising (1) non-amended control, (2) farmyard manure, (3) pre-rice legumes, (4) post-rice legumes and (5) a combination of green and farmyard manures. Residual treatment effects were assessed in 2018 when rice plots were uniformly non-amended. Depending on the year and the position, organic amendments increased rice grain yields by 0.7–3.1 Mg ha–1 above the non-amended control. Sole green and farmyard manure applications had similar effects on grain yield, while a combination of green and farmyard manure led to a significant increase in grain yield above both the control and sole applications of organic amendments in both years. The contribution from biological N2 fixation by legumes ranged from 4 to 61 kg N ha–1. Despite partial N balances being mostly negative, we observed positive residual effects on the yield of the non-amended rice in the third year. Such effects reached up to 4 Mg ha−1 and were largest with post-rice legumes, sole or combined with farmyard manure. Irrespective of the position in the floodplain, manures significantly increased soil C and N contents after two years, hence enhancing soil fertility and resulting in increased rice grain yields. Comparable benefits may be obtained along the hydrological gradients of other large river floodplains of the region and beyond.
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spelling CGSpace1108282024-05-01T08:16:31Z Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania Kwesiga, J. Grotelüschen, Kristina Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu Neuhoff, D. Döring, T.F. Becker, M. rainfed farming rice research Organic amendments can reportedly sustain and increase lowland rice productivity in smallholder systems. Few studies have assessed locally-available substrates in hydrologically variable floodplain environments. We investigated the effects of green and farmyard manures on rice yields, and total soil C and N in the Kilombero floodplain, Tanzania. At both the fringe and the middle positions, five treatments were applied in 2016 and 2017, comprising (1) non-amended control, (2) farmyard manure, (3) pre-rice legumes, (4) post-rice legumes and (5) a combination of green and farmyard manures. Residual treatment effects were assessed in 2018 when rice plots were uniformly non-amended. Depending on the year and the position, organic amendments increased rice grain yields by 0.7–3.1 Mg ha–1 above the non-amended control. Sole green and farmyard manure applications had similar effects on grain yield, while a combination of green and farmyard manure led to a significant increase in grain yield above both the control and sole applications of organic amendments in both years. The contribution from biological N2 fixation by legumes ranged from 4 to 61 kg N ha–1. Despite partial N balances being mostly negative, we observed positive residual effects on the yield of the non-amended rice in the third year. Such effects reached up to 4 Mg ha−1 and were largest with post-rice legumes, sole or combined with farmyard manure. Irrespective of the position in the floodplain, manures significantly increased soil C and N contents after two years, hence enhancing soil fertility and resulting in increased rice grain yields. Comparable benefits may be obtained along the hydrological gradients of other large river floodplains of the region and beyond. 2020-08-29 2021-01-12T13:43:00Z 2021-01-12T13:43:00Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/110828 en Open Access MDPI Kwesiga, J., Grotelüschen, K., Senthilkumar, K., Neuhoff, D., Döring, T.F., Becker, M. Effect of Organic Amendments on the Productivity of Rainfed Lowland Rice in the Kilombero Floodplain of Tanzania . Agronomy 2020, 10,9,1280.
spellingShingle rainfed farming
rice
research
Kwesiga, J.
Grotelüschen, Kristina
Senthilkumar, Kalimuthu
Neuhoff, D.
Döring, T.F.
Becker, M.
Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania
title Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania
title_full Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania
title_fullStr Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania
title_full_unstemmed Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania
title_short Effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the Kilombero floodplain of Tanzania
title_sort effect of organic amendments on the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in the kilombero floodplain of tanzania
topic rainfed farming
rice
research
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/110828
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