Mango Orchard Agroecosystems
- Local identifier
- SemiaridC
- Years operational
- 2008— (Establishment period end: 2009)
- Objective
- These experiment compared different designs of multifunctional agroecosystems in terms of organic carbon inputs from perennial crops, cover crop and intercrop PMs and tillage intensities (CT, NT).
- Description
- The treatments consist of two soil tillage systems [no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)], combined with three mixtures of cover crops [75% leguminous species + 25% grass and oil-seed species (PM1), 25% leguminous species + 75% grass and oil-seed species (PM2) and spontaneous vegetation (SV)].
- Data Access Statement
- Available to any researcher on request
- Data Access Notes
- Institutional Data Policy
- Data license
- Don't know
- Data policy
- Yes (not online)
- Organization
- Embrapa Semi-Aridresearch organisation
- People
- Dr Vanderlise Giongoprincipal investigatorEmbrapa Semi-AridResearch and DevelopmentDr Alessandra Monteiro Salvianoprincipal investigatorEmbrapa Semi-AridResearch and DevelopmentDr Davi Jose Silvaprincipal investigatorEmbrapa Semi-AridResearch and Development
Site: Mango Orchard Agroecosystems
- Type
- research station field
- Local code
- SemiaridC-Mango
- Location
- PetrolinaPernambucoBrazil
- Geographic location
- -9.15167, -40.30556
- Elevation
- 410 Metres
- Slope
- (flat facing)
- Visits permitted?
- Yes
- Visiting arrangements
- booking by email
- History
- The area, originally under native tropical dry shrublands (hyperxerophilic Caatinga vegetation), was converted into agricultural fields in 1972, and cultivated for 16 years with corn (Zea mays L.), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.), under conventional tillage (CT) system. In 1988, this was followed by date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plantation for 20 years.
- Management
- The mango long term experiment consists of two soil tillage systems [no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)], combined with three mixtures of cover crops [75% leguminous species + 25% grass and oilseed species (PM1), 25% leguminous species + 75% grass and oilseed species (PM2) and spontaneous vegetation (SV)].
- Soil type
- acrisol
- Soil description
- classified as Haplic Acrisol (WRB, 2014)
- Soil properties
Variable Depth Value (range) Units Ref year Estimated? Baseline? clay content 0 – 20 Centimetres 6.2 (5 – 10) Percent 2008 sand content 0 – 20 Centimetres 87 (80 – 90) Percent 2008 silt content 0 – 20 Centimetres 6.8 ( – 6) Percent 2005 soil pH 0 – 20 Centimetres 6.6 2008 soil organic carbon 0 – 20 Centimetres 0.6 Percent 2008 soil density 0 – 20 Centimetres 1.5 gram per cubic centimetre - Climatic type
- warm semi-arid climate
- Climate description
- The climate of the region is BSwh’ (semiarid)
- Climate properties
Variable Time period Value (range) Units precipitation 1978 – 2018 500 millimeter air temperature 1978 – 2018 (18.7 – 33.6) degree Celsius
Design period: Main period (2009—)
- Design Type
- Split-plot
- Description
- The experimental design is split-plot randomized blocks, in four replicates, with soil tillage systems in the plot and mixtures of cover crops in the subplots. In the mango orchard experiment, each subplot is composed of three rows, with three mango trees, totaling 27 trees per plot, at 8 x 5 m spacing, with a total area of 360 m2 and useful area (where mixtures of cover crops were sown) of 270 m2 (18 x 15 m). The mixtures of cover crops are grown in 6-m-long strips in the interrow, leaving a free border of 1 m on each side of the mango tree rows.
- Design description
- no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT), combined with three mixtures of cover crops [75% leguminous species + 25% grass and oilseed species (PM1), 25% leguminous species + 75% grass and oilseed species (PM2) and spontaneous vegetation (SV)
- Number of blocks
- 4
- Number of plots
- 2
- Number of subplots
- 3
- Number of harvests per year
- 1
- Crops
Crop Years grown mango 2009— sunflower 2009— castor oil plant 2009— maize 2009— millets 2009— sorghum 2009— Crotalaria spp 2009— jack bean 2009— calopo 2009— velvet beans 2009— sesame 2009— Lablab bean 2009— - Factors
- Factor name
- Factor levels
- tillage process Plot application: Whole plot
conventional tillage (20 cm depth)
Application frequency: 1Application method: disc harrowresidue is incorporated: disck plow 0-20cm depthno-till
- crop residue management process cover crops mixtures, 3 levelsPlot application: Sub plot
PM1
2009—Applied to crop: All cropsApplication frequency: 1Application method: seed dressing75 % leguminous species + 25 % grass and oilseed speciesPM2
2009—Applied to crop: All cropsApplication frequency: 1Application method: seed dressing25 % leguminous species + 75 % grass and oilseed species.Spontaneous vegetation
2009—
- Measurements
Variable Material Units Frequency Scale Comment plant biomass All crops t/ha annual sub-plot Cover crops soil organic carbon Soil % annual sub-plot row and interrrow
Related publications
- Decomposition and Nutrient Release of Cover Crops in Mango Cultivation in Brazilian Semi-Arid Region http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/18069657rbcs20170402 [In Portuguese]
- Carbon and water footprints of Brazilian mango produced in the semiarid region https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-018-1527-8 [In English]