Abstract
Bush fallow under shifting cultivation is commonly practised by subsistence farmers in southern Mozambique. This farming system is likely to persist due to the existence of large sparsely inhabited areas, coupled with financial limitations preventing smallholders from buying fertilisers. The bush fallow is intended to naturally restore soil production capacity lost during the cropping period. This study quantified soil organic matter (OM) content and investigated factors determining its dynamics in sandy soils under varying duration of bush fallow in southern Mozambique. Agroecosystems representing rainfall regions of <400, 400–600, 600–800, 800–1,000, >1,000 mm and a transitional agroecosystem of 400–800 mm were selected. Within each agroecosystem, five land uses (virgin, cultivated, <5 years fallow, 5–15 years fallow and >15 years fallow) were identified and compared for three shallow soil layers (0–50, 50–100 and 100–200 mm). Organic C and total N were used as indicators of soil OM and the study examined whether OM content increased with higher rainfall or longer bush fallow. Higher rainfall did not consistently increase soil OM content, which was highest in the wettest agroecosystem but did not decline gradually towards the driest. For example, the lowest OM content was found in the second wettest agroecosystem (800–1,000 mm rainfall). Duration of bush fallow was also inconsistent, as OM content continued to decrease for some time after cultivated land was abandoned to bush fallow and an increase in OM content occurred sooner in wetter agroecosystems than drier at a 600 mm rainfall threshold. After 15 years of bush fallow, OM content was still lower than in the virgin land of the agroecosystems. Relative to virgin land, both the loss and gain of OM were smaller in the drier agroecosystems. Further studies are needed to establish optimum bush fallow periods for full recovery of soil OM in southern Mozambique.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brand J, Pfund JL (1998) Site and watershed-level assessment of nutrient dynamics under shifting cultivation in eastern Madagascar. Agric Ecosyst Environ 71:169–183. doi:10.1016/S0167-8809(98)00139-X
Campbell B, Frost P, Byron N (1996) Miombo woodlands and their use: overview and key issues. In: Campbell B (ed) The Miombo in transition: woodlands and welfare in Africa. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, pp 1–10
Crépin J, Johnson RL (1993) Soil sampling for environmental assessment. In: Carter MR (ed) Soil sampling and methods of analysis. Canadian Society of Soil Science. Lewis Publishers, Division of CRC, Boca Raton, pp 5–24
DPADRI—Direcção Provincial da Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural de Inhambane (2002) Estudo sobre acesso a terra e seu uso e aproveitamento na provincial de Inhambane. Ministério da Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural, Maputo, Moçambique, p 73
Du Preez CC, Van Zyl AJ (1998) Effect of farming practices on the soil phosphorus fractions of selected agro-ecosystems in South Africa. Proceedings of the 11th World Fertiliser Congress of CIEC, Braunschweig, pp 295–301
FAO (2000) Atlas of water irrigation in Africa. FAO Digital Media Series No 5. Rome
Flores G (1973) The Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary basins of Mozambique and Zululand. In: Blant G (ed) Sedimentary Basins of The African Coasts. Union Internationale des Sciences Géologiques. Paris, pp 81–111
Frost P (1996) The ecology of Miombo woodlands. In: Campbell B (ed) The Miombo in transition: woodlands and welfare in Africa. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, pp 11–57
Geurts PMH, Van den Berg M (1998) A simple-agro-ecological zonation for fertiliser recommendations in Mozambique. Soil Use Manage 14:136–141
Havlin JL, Beaton JD, Tisdale SL, Nelson WL (1999) Soil fertility and fertilisers: an introduction to nutrient management, 6th edn edn. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, p 499
IA IN (1994) Cartas de Solos. Departamento de Terra e Água. Ministério de Agricultura, Maputo, Moçambique, p 16
Juo ASR, Franzluebbers K, Dabiri A, Ikhile B (1995) Changes in soil properties during long-term fallow continuous cultivation after forest clearing in Nigeria. Agric Ecosyst Environ 56:9–18. doi:10.1016/0167-8809(95)00635-4
MAP—Ministério de Agricultura e Pescas de Moçambique (1996) Processo de Formulação do PROAGRI. Programa de investimento em extensão agraria. Documento de Trabalho n° 2/B. 1ª Versão, Maputo, Moçambique, p 34
MAP/FAO—Ministry of Agriculture/Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (1983) Land resources inventory and study of the population supporting capacity of the coastal zone of the Districts of Manjacaze and Zavala, Gaza and Inhambane Province, Mozambique. Report made as a support for the FAO/IFAD family farms development project identification mission. FAO/UNDP Project, Land and Water Use Planning, AGOA/MOZ/75/011, Field document nr 47, pp 61
McGrath DA, Smith CK, Gholz HL, Oliveira F, De A (2001) Effects of land-use change on soil nutrient dynamics in Amazônia. Ecosystems (N Y, Print) 4:625–645. doi:10.1007/s10021-001-0033-0
Mills AJ, O’Connor TG, Donaldson JS, Fey MV, Skowno AL, Singwela AM et al (2005) Ecosystem carbon storage under different land uses in three semi-arid shrublands and a mesic grassland in South Africa. S Afr J Plant Soil 22:183–190
Nhantumbo ABJC, Kätterer T, Ledin S, Du Preez CC (2008) Carbon loss from Brachystegia spiciformis leaf litter in the sandy soils of southern Mozambique. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst. doi:10.1007/s10705-008-9194y
Reddy SJ (1985) Suggested farming systems and calculated associated risks over southern Mozambique. Using the agro-climatic analogue transfer technique. Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agronómica. Série Terra e Água, Comunicação No 24, Maputo, Moçambique, pp 222
Reddy SJ (1986) Agroclimate of Mozambique as relevant to dry-land agriculture. Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agronómica. Série Terra e Água, Comunicação No 47, Maputo, Moçambique, pp 70
Salman G, Abdula I (1995) Development of Mozambique and Ruvuma sedimentary basins, offshore Mozambique. Sediment Geol 96:7–41. doi:10.1016/0037-0738(95)00125-R
Snijders FL (1985) Land use inventory of Mozambique. Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agronómica. Série Terra e Água, Comunicação No 43, Maputo, Moçambique
Stevenson FJ, Cole MA (1999) Cycles of soil. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, micronutrients, 2nd edn edn. Wiley, New York, p 427
Swift MJ, Heal OW, Anderson JM (1979) Decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, p 372
The Non-Affiliated Soil Analysis Working Committee (1990) Handbook of standard soil testing methods for advisory purposes. Soil Science Society of South Africa, Pretoria, p 160
Tiessen H, Cuevas E, Chacon P (1994) The role of soil organic matter in sustaining soil fertility. Nature 371:783–785. doi:10.1038/371783a0
Acknowledgements
Our thanks to the technical staff at the agricultural provincial directorates of Inhambane and Gaza provinces, Paulo Chaguala (Agrarian Research Institute of Mozambique), Castilho Massico (Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering—Eduardo Mondlane University) and local farmers for their assistance during the field work. The research was carried out within the framework of the collaboration programme between Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique), University of Free State (South Africa), and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and was funded by Sida/SAREC.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nhantumbo, A.B.J.C., Ledin, S. & Du Preez, C.C. Organic matter recovery in sandy soils under bush fallow in southern Mozambique. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 83, 153–161 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-008-9208-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-008-9208-9