Summary
This field trial investigated the residual effects of five rates of agricultural gypsum, combined with or without Azospirillum brasilense inoculation of rotation grasses, on soil fertility and crop productivity over a 40-month period within a consolidated no-tillage integrated crop–livestock system in tropical Brazil. The study addresses the challenge of managing highly weathered, acidic tropical soils with elevated aluminium toxicity by examining how gypsum and biological nitrogen fixation through inoculation interact to influence root development and subsequent crop performance. Findings suggest that inoculation with A. brasilense improved yields across several crops, whilst gypsum rates differentially affected soil chemical properties and productivity, with interactions varying by crop species.
UK applicability
The findings are of limited direct applicability to UK conditions, as the study addresses constraints specific to highly weathered, acidic tropical soils in Brazil; however, the principles of combining soil amendments with bioinoculants to improve nutrient use efficiency and crop productivity in no-tillage systems may offer transferable insights for UK research into biostimulants and reduced-input farming.
Key measures
Crop yield (t/ha) for soybean, sorghum, black oat and maize; soil fertility parameters including pH, aluminium toxicity, and nutrient availability; gypsum application rates (five levels); inoculation treatment (inoculated vs. non-inoculated)
Outcomes reported
The study measured crop yields (soybean, sorghum, black oat, maize) and soil fertility indicators over 40 months under varying gypsum application rates and with or without Azospirillum brasilense inoculation of cover crop grasses in a no-tillage system.
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