Study

Long-term changes in soil organic matter under conventional tillage and no-tillage systems in semiarid Morocco

  • Published source details Bessam F. & Mrabet R. (2003) Long-term changes in soil organic matter under conventional tillage and no-tillage systems in semiarid Morocco. Soil Use and Management, 19, 139-143.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Change tillage practices

Action Link
Soil Fertility
  1. Change tillage practices

    Two replicated, randomized, controlled experiments from 1987 to 1998 on a clay soil in Settat, Morocco (Bessam & Mrabet, 2003) found that there was an increase in soil organic carbon in no tillage systems (by 3.5 t/ha after 4 years, and by 3.4 t/ha after 11 years) compared to conventional tillage. Nitrogen slightly decreased under both tillage practices, however the no-tillage soils contained more nitrogen than the conventionally tilled soils in both experiments. Two long-term experiments were started in 1987 and 1994. Wheat Triticum aestivum, wheat-fallow, wheat-corn Zea mays-fallow, wheat-lentils Lens culinaris-fallow and wheat-forage fallow rotations were investigated in both experiments. There were three replicates in each experiment and experimental plots were 6 x 30 m. Tillage treatments included no-tillage and conventional tillage using disc harrows. Soil samples were collected from unwheeled areas after harvest in 1998. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen were measured.

     

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