Agri-Mat Mulching Improves Aggregate Stability and Soil Pore Formation on Smallholder Farms in Sub-Saharan Africa

IF 4.5 2区农林科学 Q2 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Food and Energy Security Pub Date : 2025-01-05 DOI:10.1002/fes3.70036

Sibongiseni Mgolozeli, Adornis D. Nciizah, Isaiah I. C. Wakindiki, Khumbulani Dhavu, Fhatuwani N. Mudau, Siaw Onwona-Agyeman

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Abstract

Agri-mats are solid organic mulch mats derived from various organic waste materials such as straw, grass, weed biomass, algae residues, etc. These agri-mats are created by hot- or cold-pressing biomass into solid, bio degradable mats. Although agri-mats provide remarkable benefits to agricultural soils, including improved soil fertility and crop productivity, their effect on topsoil structure has not been adequately explored. The aim of this study was to determine the aggregate stability and physical architecture of two contrasting soils using the fast-wetting method and X-ray microfocus computed tomography (CT), respectively. The following five treatments were established in two sites (Durban with loam soil and Pretoria with sandy loam soil): (i) full agri-mat cover (100% AG), (ii) half agri-mat cover (50% AG), (iii) bare or no cover (control), (iv). 6 tons.ha⁻¹ of grass mulch (6 t.GM) and (v) 3 tons.ha⁻¹ grass mulch (3 t.GM). The two sites were planted with maize in summer and spinach in winter for two consecutive seasons (2017/18 and 2018/19). The aggregate stability test results indicated that 100% agri-mat (100% AG) mulch had greater aggregate stabilizing ability than all other mulching treatments in both soil types. In the loam soil, the 100% AG treatment increased the stability of the aggregates by 58% and by 65% in the sandy loam soil after two years. The X-ray CT analysis results showed that under the loam soil, 50% AG mulch treatment produced more (89%) macro-aggregates (> 250 μm) compared to 100% AG (77%). However, the 100% AG treatment produced more (71%) macro-aggregates compared with the 50% AG (65%) under the sandy loam soil. Based on the overall morphological characteristics of the soil aggregates, the 100% AG treatment was superior to the other organic mulching treatments in terms of soil pore structure formation and aggregate stability regardless of the soil type after two years.

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在撒哈拉以南非洲的小农农场，农业覆盖改善团聚体稳定性和土壤孔隙形成

Agri-mats是一种固体有机地膜垫，来源于各种有机废物，如稻草，草，杂草生物量，藻类残留物等。这些农业垫是由热压或冷压生物质制成固体的，可生物降解的垫。虽然农业垫地对农业土壤有显著的好处，包括提高土壤肥力和作物生产力，但它们对表土结构的影响尚未得到充分的探讨。本研究的目的是分别使用快速润湿法和x射线微聚焦计算机断层扫描（CT）来确定两种对比土壤的团聚体稳定性和物理结构。在两个地点（德班壤土和比勒陀利亚砂壤土）建立了以下五种处理：(i)完全覆盖农田（100% AG），（ii）一半覆盖农田（50% AG），（iii）裸露或不覆盖（对照），（iv） 6吨。每公顷覆盖草皮（6吨）和(v) 3吨。ha−1根草覆盖物（3 t.GM）。这两个试验点连续两个季节（2017/18和2018/19）夏季种植玉米，冬季种植菠菜。团聚体稳定性试验结果表明，在两种土壤类型下，100%农垫（100% AG）覆盖均具有较好的团聚体稳定能力。在壤土中，100% AG处理2年后使砂壤土团聚体稳定性分别提高58%和65%。x射线CT分析结果表明，壤土下，50% AG覆盖处理产生的大团聚体（> 250 μm）比100% AG覆盖处理产生的大团聚体（77%）多89%。而100% AG处理的大团聚体产量（71%）高于50% AG处理的大团聚体产量（65%）。从土壤团聚体的整体形态特征来看，两年后，无论土壤类型如何，100% AG处理在土壤孔隙结构形成和团聚体稳定性方面都优于其他有机覆盖处理。

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来源期刊

Food and Energy Security Energy-Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

CiteScore

9.30

自引率

4.00%

发文量

审稿时长

19 weeks

期刊介绍： Food and Energy Security seeks to publish high quality and high impact original research on agricultural crop and forest productivity to improve food and energy security. It actively seeks submissions from emerging countries with expanding agricultural research communities. Papers from China, other parts of Asia, India and South America are particularly welcome. The Editorial Board, headed by Editor-in-Chief Professor Martin Parry, is determined to make FES the leading publication in its sector and will be aiming for a top-ranking impact factor. Primary research articles should report hypothesis driven investigations that provide new insights into mechanisms and processes that determine productivity and properties for exploitation. Review articles are welcome but they must be critical in approach and provide particularly novel and far reaching insights. Food and Energy Security offers authors a forum for the discussion of the most important advances in this field and promotes an integrative approach of scientific disciplines. Papers must contribute substantially to the advancement of knowledge. Examples of areas covered in Food and Energy Security include: • Agronomy • Biotechnological Approaches • Breeding & Genetics • Climate Change • Quality and Composition • Food Crops and Bioenergy Feedstocks • Developmental, Physiology and Biochemistry • Functional Genomics • Molecular Biology • Pest and Disease Management • Post Harvest Biology • Soil Science • Systems Biology