Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system

The effects of four continuous tillage regimes; mouldboard ploughing, tine-tillage, shallow tine-tillage, no-tillage; and three tillage rotations (involving shallow tine-tillage once every two, three, and four years in rotation with no-tillage), and two rates of synthetic agrochemicals (standard: wi...

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Main Authors: Flackson Tshuma, Pieter Andreas Swanepoel, Johan Labuschagne, James Bennett, Francis Rayns
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Cogent Food & Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2352958
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author Flackson Tshuma
Pieter Andreas Swanepoel
Johan Labuschagne
James Bennett
Francis Rayns
author_facet Flackson Tshuma
Pieter Andreas Swanepoel
Johan Labuschagne
James Bennett
Francis Rayns
author_sort Flackson Tshuma
collection DOAJ
description The effects of four continuous tillage regimes; mouldboard ploughing, tine-tillage, shallow tine-tillage, no-tillage; and three tillage rotations (involving shallow tine-tillage once every two, three, and four years in rotation with no-tillage), and two rates of synthetic agrochemicals (standard: with regular application of synthetic agrochemicals; and reduced: fewer synthetic agrochemicals in combination with biostimulants) on wheat and canola yield and quality were investigated between 2018 and 2020 under typical Mediterranean climatic conditions in South Africa. It was hypothesised that a combination of tillage rotations and the application of reduced synthetic agrochemicals will improve crop yield and quality relative to mouldboard ploughing or no-tillage. Results showed that a combination of reduced application of synthetic agrochemicals and tillage rotation practices maintained but did not significantly increase crop yield and quality, relative to no-tillage and mouldboard ploughing. Results also showed that intensive ploughing is unnecessary as it did not significantly increase yields (p > 0.05). In addition, it is possible to reduce the quantity of synthetic agrochemicals applied by partially replacing them with biostimulants without significant changes in grain or seed yields and quality. We, therefore, suggest that producers opt for biostimulants in combination with no-tillage or tillage rotation as a sustainable way of farming.
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spelling doaj-art-259a328893a140efa3b10dd2d3c19b902025-08-20T01:58:52ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Food & Agriculture2331-19322024-12-0110110.1080/23311932.2024.2352958Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping systemFlackson Tshuma0Pieter Andreas Swanepoel1Johan Labuschagne2James Bennett3Francis Rayns4Department of Agronomy, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South AfricaDepartment of Agronomy, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South AfricaDepartment of Agronomy, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South AfricaCentre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University, Coventry, United KingdomCentre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University, Coventry, United KingdomThe effects of four continuous tillage regimes; mouldboard ploughing, tine-tillage, shallow tine-tillage, no-tillage; and three tillage rotations (involving shallow tine-tillage once every two, three, and four years in rotation with no-tillage), and two rates of synthetic agrochemicals (standard: with regular application of synthetic agrochemicals; and reduced: fewer synthetic agrochemicals in combination with biostimulants) on wheat and canola yield and quality were investigated between 2018 and 2020 under typical Mediterranean climatic conditions in South Africa. It was hypothesised that a combination of tillage rotations and the application of reduced synthetic agrochemicals will improve crop yield and quality relative to mouldboard ploughing or no-tillage. Results showed that a combination of reduced application of synthetic agrochemicals and tillage rotation practices maintained but did not significantly increase crop yield and quality, relative to no-tillage and mouldboard ploughing. Results also showed that intensive ploughing is unnecessary as it did not significantly increase yields (p > 0.05). In addition, it is possible to reduce the quantity of synthetic agrochemicals applied by partially replacing them with biostimulants without significant changes in grain or seed yields and quality. We, therefore, suggest that producers opt for biostimulants in combination with no-tillage or tillage rotation as a sustainable way of farming.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2352958Biostimulantrotational tillagecrop yieldmouldboard ploughno-tillageTejada Manuel, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
spellingShingle Flackson Tshuma
Pieter Andreas Swanepoel
Johan Labuschagne
James Bennett
Francis Rayns
Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system
Cogent Food & Agriculture
Biostimulant
rotational tillage
crop yield
mouldboard plough
no-tillage
Tejada Manuel, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
title Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system
title_full Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system
title_fullStr Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system
title_full_unstemmed Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system
title_short Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system
title_sort tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system
topic Biostimulant
rotational tillage
crop yield
mouldboard plough
no-tillage
Tejada Manuel, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2352958
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