Green manure/cover crops and crop rotation in Conservation Agriculture on small farms Green ...

109 Pages·2011·3.45 MB·English

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Green manure/cover crops and crop rotation in Conservation Agriculture on small farms 12 Integrated Crop Management Vol. 12–2010
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ISBN 978-92-5-106839-7 ISSN 1020-4555 F
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Integrated Crop Management Vol.12-2010
GREEN MANURE/COVER CROPS
AND CROP ROTATION IN
CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE
ON SMALL FARMS
Miguel Angel Florentín
Marcos Peñalva
Ademir Calegari
Rolf Derpsch
Translated by
Melissa J. McDonald
Plant Production and Protection division
Food and agriculture organization oF the united nations
Rome, 2011
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information
product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part
of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the
legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities,
or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific
companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does
not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to
others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and
do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO.
ISBN 978-92-5-106856-4
All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination of material in this
information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon
request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational
purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO
copyright materials, and all other queries on rights and licences, should be
addressed by e-mail to [email protected] or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and
Support Branch, Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO,
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.
© FAO 2011
PROLOGUE
This publication is the result of activities developed within the framework
of the “Soil Conservation Project MAG – GTZ”, implemented from 1993
to 2001. The executing institutions of the Soil Conservation Project were
the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) of the Republic of
Paraguay and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).
The Spanish original has been published in Paraguay by the Ministry
of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) of the Republic of Paraguay, the
Directions of Agrarian Research and Extension (DIA/DEAG) and the
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). The present English version has
been translated by Melissa J. McDonald under the review of the original
authors and is published in the FAO-AGP integrated crop management
series.
The information utilized in this work is based on research done principally
at the Choré Experimental Station of the Direction of Agricultural Research
(DIA/MAG). Also used are experiences developed in pilot areas, especially
in Paraguarí, Edelira, Minga Guazú, Caaguazú, Guairá, Caazapá, and
San Pedro, among others. Diffusion and extension activities were carried
out through the Direction of Agrarian Extension (DEAG), cooperatives,
farmers’ associations, self-help groups, etc.
The objective of this publication is to offer a reference material for
extensionists, professors, agronomy students, technicians in general, and
for farmers themselves. Through information that is up-to-date and richly
illustrated, it strives to facilitate the adoption and diffusion of No-Tillage,
the use of green manures, and the practice of crop rotation on small farms.
The wealth of this work is that it brings together the experiences of farmers,
extensionists, and researchers in a way that is simple, understandable, and
practical. It describes the principal species of green manures and, at the
same time, informs in detail how to insert green manures into small farm
production systems according to soil fertility and major crops. It also deals
with the residual effect of green manures on main crops and analyzes the
economic implications of these practices. Furthermore, it describes the
results obtained in the recuperation of extremely degraded soils. Finally,
this work strives to show the way to achieve an agriculture that is more
productive, profitable, competitive, and sustainable, with the objective of
improving the quality of life of rural families.
Rolf Derpsch Ken Moriya
Principal Advisor, GTZ National Counterpart
Soil Conservation Project MAG – GTZ
San Lorenzo, Paraguay, 2001
Vol. 12–2010 iii
GREEN MANURE/COVER CROPS AND CROP ROTATION IN CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ON SMALL FARMS
In this publication, the terms “green manure” and “cover crop” are used as
synonyms. In Conservation Agriculture, the residues of green manure/cover
crops (GMCCs) are always left on the soil surface, and are incorporated
biologically rather than with tillage implements.
Conservation Agriculture, with the use of green manure/cover crops and
crop rotation, is the way to achieve agricultural sustainability on small
farms.
iv Integrated Crop Management
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
ii Prologue
ChAPTER 1
1 Introduction
ChAPTER 2
3 Characterizacion of agricultural systems on small farms in
paraguay according to climate and soils
ChAPTER 3
9 Green manure/cover crops (GMCCS)
9 Objectives and benefits of green manure/cover crops
10 Importance of green manure/cover crops in small farm systems
10 Soil cover
13 Maintenance and/or accumulation of organic matter
14 Addition of nitrogen (biological fixation) and nutrient recycling
15 Weed control
17 Increase and maintenance of crop productivity and decrease
in production costs
18 General qualifications that should be met by green
manure/cover crops
19 Species of green manure/cover crops most adapted to small
farming systems
19 Spring-Summer Species
34 Fall-winter species
45 Summary of characteristics and recommendations for use
of green manure/cover crops on small farms
45 Association (mixtures) of green manure/cover crops
55 Ways to include green manure/cover crops in small farm
production systems
55 Green manure/cover crops (GMCCs) associated with
annual crops
57 Green manure/cover crops (GMCCs) in succession with
annual crops
58 Green manure/cover crops (GMCCs) in association with
perennial crops
59 Use of perennial and semi-perennial green manure/cover crops
(GMCCs) to recuperate degraded soils
Vol. 12–2010 v
GREEN MANURE/COVER CROPS AND CROP ROTATION IN CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ON SMALL FARMS
60 Alternative uses for green manure/cover crops
60 Animal and human nutrition
62 In beekeeping
63 Utilization for firewood
63 Residual effects of green manure/cover crops on main crops
64 Residual fertilizer effect of green manures on cotton
66 Residual fertilizer effect of green manures on corn
68 Residual fertilizer effect of green manures on tobacco
68 Residual fertilizer effect of green manures on cassava
ChAPTER 4
71 Crop rotation
71 General considerations
72 Advantages of crop rotation
73 Aspects to take into account in order to establish crop rotations
74 Proposed production systems with crop rotations
74 Crop rotation in Conservation Agriculture for soils
of moderate fertility
78 Crop rotation in Conservation Agriculture to recuperate
extremely degraded soils
84 Other proposals
ChAPTER 5
87 Advances and obstacles in the adoption of Conservation
Agriculture on small farms
93 Annex
95 References

vi Integrated Crop Management
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
(MAG in Spanish) and its Directions of Agrarian Extension (DEAG) and
Agricultural Research (DIA), as well as the German Technical Cooperation
(GTZ), institutions that made this publication possible.
We would especially like to thank the farmers who collaborated with their
work on farms where experiments and demonstration plots were installed, and
that served as the basis for some of the proposals raised.
We would also like to thank the technicians and field personnel of the “Soil
Conservation Project MAG-GTZ”, and employees of the DEAG, principally
of the Paraguarí and Ybycuí regional offices, and of the DIA of the Choré
Experimental Station.
We are especially grateful to agronomists Juana Caballero and María Noce
for their revision of the publication, which without a doubt contributed to the
improvement of its quality, and to agronomist Alba Esteche for her appraisals
after having read it.
To technical extensionist Néstor Paniagua, for his/her valuable field data
that served to enrich the publication.
To technician Magin Meza, for his/her excellent contribution of experiences
and knowledge, which helped to enrich and improve the technical quality of
the work.
Vol. 12–2010 vii