Authors
TP Tauro, F Mtambanengwe, S Mpepereki, P Mapfumo
Publication date
2021/12/1
Journal
Heliyon
Volume
7
Issue
12
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
The continued decline in both populations and diversity of soil macrofauna in agroecosystems remains a major concern for sustainable food production in Southern Africa. Macrofauna abundance and diversity were examined in a maize monocropping system following repeated incorporation of Calliandra calothyrsus, Crotalaria juncea, cattle manure, maize stover, and Pinus patula sawdust at 1.2 or 4.0 t C ha−1 with or without nitrogen (120 kg N ha−1) for 13 years (seasons). All treatments received phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulphur (S) at 16.0, 14.7 and 4.6 kg ha−1, respectively, at each planting time in December. Using the ISO/TSBF (Tropical Soils Biology and Fertility Institute) monoliths procedure, macrofauna were collected to a depth of 0.30 m fortnightly from February to mid-May 2016. Lumbricus terrestris and Isoptera were significantly (P < 0.001) affected by organic treatment and seasonal time …
Total citations
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