CIMMYT International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

Conservation Agriculture-based Crop Management Technologies for Rainfed Production Systems in Mexico

Ken Sayre Consulting Agronomist with the CIMMYT Conservation Agriculture-Based Crop Management

Locations of the CIMMYT Main Rainfed Experiment Stations in Mexico where the CIMMYT Conservation Program is Working

Mexico City

CIMMYT Headquarters El Batn Low Rainfall Mainly Rainfed 2249 m

Toluca High Rainfall Rainfed 2640 m

Summary of weather variables during the wheat growing season at the rainfed Toluca and El Batan Experiment Stations (period covered 1973-1996).
Average Min. Max. Average total total total min. max. Months for rainfall rainfall rainfall temp temp. the wheat -----------------------------------------------------------Experiment growth Station cycle (mm) (mm) (mm) C

Toluca

May-Oct.

870 501

536 357

1127 618

5 9

21 24

El Batan May-Sept.

Rainfed Production Systems in the Central Highlands of Mexico

Rainfed maize and small grain-based production systems (some Beans too)

Range in elevation from 1500 to 2800+ masl

Annual average rainfall in the area ranges from 400 to 1000 mm per year distributed from late May to early October and highly variable both within year and year-to-year

Very erratic onset and ending of rains and very unpredictable distribution during the rainy season commonly with heavy downpours followed by extended dry periods

Crop/Livestock interactions are common with associated competition for crop residues

Rainfed Small Grain-Based Systems in the Central Highlands of Mexico

Crop Residue Status on Soil Surface after Removal Of Residues from Different Crops
After Maize - All Residues Removed for Fodder Almost No Ground Cover After Beans All Residues Removed Very Minimal Ground Cover

After Wheat Most Residues Removed Some Ground Cover

Crop Residue Status on Soil Surface after Retention Of All Residues

For Rainfed Maize For Rainfed Wheat

Planting zero-till rainfed wheat into full retention of maize residue

Planting rainfed wheat on permanent raised beds wheat into full retention of wheat residue

Early Stage Zero Till Rainfed Wheat Removed versus Retained Residues
Zero Till Residues Removed Zero Till Residues Retained

Later Stage Zero Till Rainfed Wheat Removed versus Retained Residues
Zero Till Residues Removed Zero Till Residues Retained

Comparison of Rainfed Wheat Yields for the Most Common Farmer Practice versus the Best Conservation Agriculture Practice at El Batan, Mexico from 1996 to 2006
8500 7500 Grain Yield (kg/ha) 6500 5500 4500 3500 2500 1500 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Farmer Practice Continuous Wheat: Conv. tillage: Residue Removed Best CA Practice Wheat-Maize: Zero tillage: Residue Retained

Effect of contrasting tillage, residue and rotation management practices of rainfed wheat yields over 11 years under optimum management at El Batan, Mexico from 1996 to 2006
8500 7500 6500 5500 4500 3500 2500 1500
LSD (0.05) = 475 kg/ha

Grain Yield (kg/ha)

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Farmer Practice - Continuous Wheat: Conv. tillage: Residue Removed Best CA-based Practice - Wheat-Maize: Zero tillage: Residue Retained Worst Practice - Wheat-Maize: Zero tillage: Residue Removed

Effect of Rotation, Tillage and Residue Management on Average Rainfed Wheat Grain Yields from 1997 to 2009 at El Batan in the Central Highlands of Mexico (Mean Annual Rainfall = 550mm)
6500 6000 5500 5000 4500 4000 3500 3000
Wh-Wh - Conv Wh-Wh - Zero Wh-Wh - Zero Wh-Mz - Zero Till - All Till - All Till - All Till - All Residues Residues Residues Residues Removed Removed Retained Retained (Farmer Practice) Wh-Mz - Zero Wh-Mz - Zero Till - 50% of Till - All Residues Residues Retained Removed

LSD (0.05) = 235 kg/ha

Grain Yield (kg/ha)

Rotation - Tillage - Residue Management

Effect of rotation, tillage and residue management for rainfed production systems on the distribution of soil wet aggregate distribution (0-20cm) at El Batan in the Central Highlands of Mexico

2.5
LSD (0.05) = 0.6 mm

M W D o f S o il W e t A g g re g a te s ( m m )

2 1.5 1 0.5 0
Wh-Wh - Conv. Till - Residue Removed (Farmer Practice) Wh-Wh - Zero Till - Residue Removed Wh-Wh - Zero Wh-Mz - Zero Till Wh-Mz - Zero Till Till - Residue - Residue - Residue Retained Removed Retained

Rotation - Tillage - Residue Management

18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Effect of rotation, tillage and residue management for rainfed production systems on the "time to pond" during the 2005 crop cycle at El Batan in the Central Highlands of Mexico
LSD (0.05) = 2.5 seconds

T im e to P o n d (S e c o n d s )

Wh-Wh - Conv. Till - Residue Removed (Farmer Practice)

Wh-Wh - Zero Till - Residue Removed

Wh-Wh - Zero Till - Residue Retained

Wh-Mz - Zero Till - Residue Removed

Wh-Mz - Zero Till - Residue Retained

Rotation - Tillage - Residue Management

Rainfed Maize-Based Systems in the Central Highlands of Mexico

Contrasts in Maize Residue Retention

Complete Residue Removal Complete Residue Retention

Partial Residue Removal

Planting with removal of previous crop residues for fodder Not Recommended

Roller for Managing Standing Crop Residues Instead of Chopping

Planting Zero Till Rainfed Wheat after Maize with Full Residue Retention
Maize Residue Management
Zero Till Wheat Seeding into Maize Residue

Field after zero-tilled rainfed maize with full retention of maize straw rolled down and left on soil surface

Field after zero-tilled rainfed wheat with straw left on soil surface

Zero Till Rainfed Maize Removed versus Retained Residues

Zero Till Residues Removed after Maize

Zero Till Residues Retained

Zero Till Residues Removed after Wheat

Planting Rainfed Maize on Permanent Raised Beds into Wheat Straw

Rainfed Maize After Full Retention of Wheat Residues from the Previous Crop

Daily Rainfall Ammounts (mm) from June 1 to August 31 , 2009, at El Batan in the Central Highlands of Mexico
25.0 D aily R a in fall (m m ) 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 73 77 81 85 89 Consecutive days from June 1 to August 32, 2009

Zero Till Rainfed Maize Removed versus Retained Residues

Zero Till Residues Removed Zero Till Residues Retained

Comparison of Rainfed Maize Yields for the Most Common Farmer Practice versus the Best Conservation Agriculture Practice at El Batan, Mexico from 1996 to 2006 7000

Grain Yield (kg/ha)

6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Farmer Practice - Continuous Maize: Conv. Tilage: Residue Removed Best CA. Practice: Maize-Wheat: Zero tillage: Residue Retained

Comparison of Rainfed Maize Yields for the Most Common Farmer Practice versus the Best and Worst Conservation Agriculture Practice at El Batan, Mexico from 1996 to 2006

7000 Grain Y ield (kg/ha) 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0

LSD (0.05) = 550 kg/ha

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Farmer Practice - Continuous Maize: Conv. Tilage: Residue Removed Best CA-based. Practice: Maize-Wheat: Zero tillage: Residue Retained Worst Practice - Continuous Maize: Zero Tillage: Residue Removed

Effect of Rotation, Tillage and Residue Management of Average Rainfed Maize Yields from 1997 to 2009 at El Batan in the Central Highlands of Mexico (Mean Annual Rainfall = 550 mm)

7000
LSD (0.05) = 239 kg/ha

6000 Grain Yield (kg/ha) 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000

Mz-Mz - Conv Till Mz-Mz - Zero Till Mz-Mz - Zero Till Mz-Wh - Zero Till Mz-Wh - Zero Till Mz-Wh - Zero Till - All Residues - All Residues - All Residues - All Residues - 50% of - All Residues Removed Removed Retained Retained Residues Removed (Farmer Retained Practice)

Rotation - Tillage - Residue Management

Effect of Residues on Weed Dynamics

CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE Residues Removed ZERO TILLAGE Residues Retained

Zero-tilled rainfed bean with previous crop residue

Use of CA-based, Permanent Raised Beds for Rainfed Production Systems

Zero or Direct Seeding on the Flat is the Most Common Seeding System for Rainfed CA-based Production Systems

WHY USE PERMANENT RAISED BEDS?

WHEAT ON PERMANENT BEDS WITH RESIDUE RETENTION

Rainfed wheat planted on permanent beds with previous crop residue

Rainfed maize planted on permanent beds with previous crop residue

Permanent Beds = Controlled Traffic - ReducedSoil Compaction Tractor/Implement Wheels Run in the Furrows, not on Top of the Beds Where the Crops are Seeded

Permanent Beds = Field Access for Post Emerge Crop Management

Post emerge Banding of N Fertilizer instead on Boadcast Application

Permanent Beds = Reduced Water Logging Problems Following Heavy Rain Events
Permanent Beds Minimal Water Logging

Conventional Till- Water Logging

WHEAT ON PERMANENT RAISED BEDS WITH TIED RIDGES AND WITH RESIDUE REMOVAL

Permanent Beds = Opportunity to Use Tied Ridges to Increase in situ Rain Water Harvest

Rainfed wheat planted on permanent beds with tied-ridges with minimal retention of the previous crops residue

Effect of Tillage, Residue Management and Use of Tied Ridges in Furrows on Average Rainfed Wheat Yields from 1999 to 2005 at El Batan in the Rainfed Highlands of Central Mexico 5,500

G r a i n Y i e l d (k g / h a )

5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500

Perm. bed Retain All No

LSD (0.05) = 223 kg/ha

Tillage Conv.Till Residue Remove. All Tied Ridges No

Perm. bed Remove All No

Perm. bed Perm. bed Perm. bed Remove All Remove 60% Remove 60% Yes No Yes

Tillage - Residue Management - Tied Ridges

Rainfed maize planted on permanent beds with tied-ridges

Rainfed maize planted on permanent beds with tiedridges with minimal retention of the previous crops residue

Effect of tillage, residue management and field ridges on average maize grain yields produced in a rainfed, annual summer crop, maize-wheat rotation from 2000 to 2005 at El Batan
8,500 8,000 7,788 LSD (0.05) = 338 kg/ha 7,265 6,335 5,698 7,472 7,655

Yield kg/ha at 12% H2O

7,500 7,000 6,500 6,000 5,500 5,000 4,500 4,000

3,500 Tillage a Residue manag.b Tie d-ridge s

a

C onv. Incor. No

Perm. be d Retain No

Perm. be d Re move No

Perm. bed Re move Ye s

Pe rm. bed Partial No

Pe rm. bed Partial Ye s

Conv: C onve ntional tillage , new beds made for e ach crop. Pe rm. Bed: Permanent beds, no tillage exce pt to re shape as nee de d. b Incor.: Incorporate; Re tain: C hop and leave on surface ; Re move : Remove for fodder; Partial: Re move whe at straw cut by combine and remove maiz e stove to just be low the ear.

Use of Permanent Raised Beds for Rainfed Production Systems

Narrow Permanent Raised Beds Wide Permanent Raised Beds

Wheat on Narrow Permanent Raised Beds in Toluca(76cm furrow to furrow)

Wheat on Wide Permanent Raised Beds in Toluca (152cm furrow to furrow)

WHEAT ON NARROW PERAMENT RAISED BEDS IN TOLUCA (0.76m)

WHEAT ON WIDE PERMANENT RAISED BEDS IN TOLUCA (152 cm)

Comparison of Rainfed Maize and Wheat Yields for Permanent and Tilled Wide Beds for 2009 (Dry Crop Cycle) and 2010 (Wet Crop Cycle) at El Batan
Year Permanent Wide Beds 0N - Residue Maize Yields kg/ha Permanent Wide Beds 0N + Residue Permanent Wide Beds 150 Basal N - Residue Permanent Wide Beds 150 Basal N + Residue Tilled Wide Beds 0N - Residue Tilled Wide Beds 0N + Residue Tilled Wide Beds 150 Basal N - Residue Tilled Wide Beds 150 Basal N + Residue

2009 2010

5620 7256

5463 7435

8169 9717

9132 9273

3612 6598

4839 7365

2207 6755

4505 6928

Wheat Yields kg/ha

2009 2010

1981 3300

1825 3349

2205 4235

2161 4921

588 3477

584 3561

653 4128

590 4478

Thanks