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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #351100
Research Project: Management Practices for Long Term Productivity of Great Plains Agriculture

Location: Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research

Title: Potential use of tillage, crop residue, and nitrogen management for soil and water conservation, higher yields, and increased economic returns in cropping systems of the Andes

Author
item Delgado, Jorge
item MOSQUERA, V.H. BARRERA - National Institute For Agricultural Research (INIAP)
item LOPEZ, L.O. ESCUDERO - National Institute For Agricultural Research (INIAP)
item AYALA, Y.E. CATAGENA - National Institute For Agricultural Research (INIAP)
item ALWANG, J - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item STEHOUWER, R - Pennsylvania State University
item D Adamo, Robert
item ANDRADE, J.A. DOMINGUEZ - Escuela Superior Politecnica Del Litoral
item VALVERDE, F - National Institute For Agricultural Research (INIAP)
item OCHOA, S.P. ALVARADO - Central University Of Ecuador

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/6/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The high-altitude soils of the Andean region of Ecuador are important for the food security in the country. These cropping systems with high slopes and precipitation are susceptible to high rates of soil erosion. We conducted long-term studies and monitored for five years the effects of tillage, crop residue, and nitrogen management on yields and economic returns of these cropping systems. In the initial phase of these studies we found that zero tillage (ZT) increased yields when compared with minimum tillage. In the second phase of the study we found that using nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased yields. Crop residue management had higher yields in one of five studies. Zero tillage (ZT) was the system with the highest economic returns in phase one. In phase two, the addition of nitrogen fertilizer had higher economic returns with ZT and residue removed. These studies show that there is potential to use ZT with nitrogen fertilizer to protect the environment and increase soil and water conservation in this Andean region of South America.