Incorporation of Biochar and Legumes into the Summer Gap: Improving Productivity of Cereal-Based Cropping Systems in Pakistan

Biochar can improve soil quality, increase crop production and sequester C in agricultural systems; however, this now needs critical evaluation in a sustainable agricultural context. In Pakistan, there is a gap in cereal-based wheat–maize–wheat cropping systems that lasts between 70–80 days. This “s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agroecology and sustainable food systems 2015-04, Vol.39 (4), p.391-398
Main Authors: Arif, M, Jalal, F, Jan, M. T, Muhammad, D, Quilliam, R. S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural production
biochar
biological nitrogen fixation
Cereals
Charcoal
crop yield
cropping systems
Crops
farm productivity
farms
forage
green manures
legume-cereal rotation
Legumes
mung beans
nitrogen
Sesbania
soil fertility
soil productivity
soil quality
summer
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable development
sustainable nutrient cycling
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Summary:Biochar can improve soil quality, increase crop production and sequester C in agricultural systems; however, this now needs critical evaluation in a sustainable agricultural context. In Pakistan, there is a gap in cereal-based wheat–maize–wheat cropping systems that lasts between 70–80 days. This “summer gap” can be used for growing short duration legume crops, which can provide valuable grain, fodder, or green manure and can provide a sustainable input of N into agricultural systems. We have used a field-based study to determine the effect of biochar application to an alkaline, nutrient poor, soil on the productivity of legume crops grown during the summer gap. Overall, biochar application (50 t ha ⁻¹) increased the productivity and yield of cowpea, mungbean and Sesbania over two cropping seasons compared to unamended non-biochar controls. The integration of biochar and legumes could be a useful strategy for improving the overall farm productivity of cereal-based cropping systems in Pakistan, by delivering a sustainable input of N to soil and providing increased yields from this additional summer gap crop.
ISSN:2168-3573
2168-3565
2168-3573
DOI:10.1080/21683565.2014.996696