Long-term changes in soil organic matter under conventional tillage and no-tillage systems in semiarid Morocco
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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.
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.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Change tillage practices Action Link |
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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.
Output references
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