Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental Qualities
In the past several decades, agricultural management practices consisting of intensive tillage and high rate of fertilization to improve crop yields have resulted in the degradation of soil and environmental qualities by increasing erosion and nutrient leaching in the groundwater and releasing green...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2003-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2003.62 |
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| author | Upendra M. Sainju Wayne F. Whitehead Bharat P. Singh |
| author_facet | Upendra M. Sainju Wayne F. Whitehead Bharat P. Singh |
| author_sort | Upendra M. Sainju |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the past several decades, agricultural management practices consisting of intensive tillage and high rate of fertilization to improve crop yields have resulted in the degradation of soil and environmental qualities by increasing erosion and nutrient leaching in the groundwater and releasing greenhouses gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), that cause global warming in the atmosphere by oxidation of soil organic matter. Consequently, management practices that sustain crop yields and improve soil and environmental qualities are needed. This paper reviews the findings of the effects of tillage practices, cover crops, and nitrogen (N) fertilization rates on crop yields, soil organic carbon (C) and N concentrations, and nitrate (NO3)-N leaching from the soil. Studies indicate that conservation tillage, such as no-till or reduced till, can increase soil organic C and N concentrations at 0- to 20-cm depth by as much as 7–17% in 8 years compared with conventional tillage without significantly altering crop yields. Similarly, cover cropping and 80–180 kg N ha–1 year–1 fertilization can increase soil organic C and N concentrations by as much as 4–12% compared with no cover cropping or N fertilization by increasing plant biomass and amount of C and N inputs to the soil. Reduced till, cover cropping, and decreased rate of N fertilization can reduce soil N leaching compared with conventional till, no cover cropping, and full rate of N fertilization. Management practices consisting of combinations of conservation tillage, mixture of legume and nonlegume cover crops, and reduced rate of N fertilization have the potentials for sustaining crop yields, increasing soil C and N storage, and reducing soil N leaching, thereby helping to improve soil and water qualities. Economical and social analyses of such practices are needed to find whether they are cost effective and acceptable to the farmers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dfb0bc7cdece417d8df960d969dca22d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2003-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-dfb0bc7cdece417d8df960d969dca22d2025-08-20T03:26:09ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2003-01-01376878910.1100/tsw.2003.62Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental QualitiesUpendra M. Sainju0Wayne F. Whitehead1Bharat P. Singh2Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 31030, USAAgricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 31030, USAAgricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 31030, USAIn the past several decades, agricultural management practices consisting of intensive tillage and high rate of fertilization to improve crop yields have resulted in the degradation of soil and environmental qualities by increasing erosion and nutrient leaching in the groundwater and releasing greenhouses gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), that cause global warming in the atmosphere by oxidation of soil organic matter. Consequently, management practices that sustain crop yields and improve soil and environmental qualities are needed. This paper reviews the findings of the effects of tillage practices, cover crops, and nitrogen (N) fertilization rates on crop yields, soil organic carbon (C) and N concentrations, and nitrate (NO3)-N leaching from the soil. Studies indicate that conservation tillage, such as no-till or reduced till, can increase soil organic C and N concentrations at 0- to 20-cm depth by as much as 7–17% in 8 years compared with conventional tillage without significantly altering crop yields. Similarly, cover cropping and 80–180 kg N ha–1 year–1 fertilization can increase soil organic C and N concentrations by as much as 4–12% compared with no cover cropping or N fertilization by increasing plant biomass and amount of C and N inputs to the soil. Reduced till, cover cropping, and decreased rate of N fertilization can reduce soil N leaching compared with conventional till, no cover cropping, and full rate of N fertilization. Management practices consisting of combinations of conservation tillage, mixture of legume and nonlegume cover crops, and reduced rate of N fertilization have the potentials for sustaining crop yields, increasing soil C and N storage, and reducing soil N leaching, thereby helping to improve soil and water qualities. Economical and social analyses of such practices are needed to find whether they are cost effective and acceptable to the farmers.http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2003.62 |
| spellingShingle | Upendra M. Sainju Wayne F. Whitehead Bharat P. Singh Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental Qualities The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental Qualities |
| title_full | Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental Qualities |
| title_fullStr | Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental Qualities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental Qualities |
| title_short | Agricultural Management Practices to Sustain Crop Yields and Improve Soil and Environmental Qualities |
| title_sort | agricultural management practices to sustain crop yields and improve soil and environmental qualities |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2003.62 |
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