Short-term green manure and tillage management effects on maize yield and soil quality in an Andisol

Andisols are very important land resources supporting high human population density. Maize (Zea mays L.) production on Andisols located in the Purhepecha Region of central Mexico is representative of the highlands conditions of Mexico and Latin America. Farmers struggle with low crop yield and low soil nutrient availability. A 2-year field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of green manures either tilled into the soil (CT) or cut and left on the surface as a mulch (ZT), on maize yield and soil quality. Green manure treatments were: vetch (Vicia sativa L.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and none. No extra N was added to maize. Green manure and tillage had a significant effect on maize grain yield, N uptake and P uptake with CT vetch performing better than ZT oat. Soil organic C and total N were significantly higher under ZT than under CT management. Soils with vetch had higher P concentration. Soil under ZT oat had the highest infiltration rate and penetration resistance compared with other treatments. There appears to be a trade off between soil productivity and intrinsic soil physical properties among soil treatments.