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A new alternative to reduce chemical fertilizer and herbicide

Rosalie E., Dorel M., Ornem G.. 2016. Montpellier : ProMusa, 1 poster. International Symposium on Banana: ISHS-ProMusa Symposium on Agroecological Approaches to Promote Innovative Banana Production Systems. 10, 2016-10-10/2016-10-14, Montpellier (France).

Context: In new agricultural systems, the use of a cover crop is not taken into account when calculating fertilizer rates evaluated in the fertilizer estimations. Our objective was to do so. Materials and methods Decomposition was assessed over a period of 150 days by a variant of the litterbag method: the litterbags were placed on the ground and not buried. The return of nitrogen and potassium to the soil was measured by directly adding mulch to the surface and measuring dynamic N mineralization and K restoration over the same time lapse as compared to a bare unit plot. Results For the Pueraria phaseoloides and Crotalaria spectabilis mulches, nitrogen and potassium provision was fast. Crotalaria juncea mulch provided nutrients over a longer period, about 60 days, because its decomposition was slower. Stylosanthes guianensis mulch offered good persistence and rapid provision of a share of its potassium and nitrogen. Brachiaria decumbens mulch provided potassium rapidly but it took three months for nitrogen to be returned to the soil. Using mulch of these species, under the conditions of this trial, led to rapid release of nitrogen and potassium into the soil after just 30 days, thus reducing the amount of fertilizer to be applied to banana. Conclusion For a banana plantation, using quantities of mulch under the same conditions, with a return of nutrients equivalent to that in the study, fertilization can be reduced by 30% for the first three months and 15% up to flowering. This result will be used to create a model of decomposition and K and N return to the soil under a banana crop.

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