Global Maize Project in Argentina: Oro Verde, Entre Ríos

A long-term field experiment has been established at Oro Verde (Entre Ríos) in the 2009/10 growing season. The crop rotation is maize-wheat/double cropped-soybean, with both crop phases occurring each year. Soil samples were collected during site establishment to characterize initial conditions, especially soil carbon content in the whole soil profile. Treatments include current farmer practice (FP) and ecological intensification practice (EI). Treatments differed in either cultivar, planting date, pest and weed control, or nutrient management practices.

Maize yields showed an excellent response to the EI treatment with 5,787 and 9,287 kg/ha yields for the FP and EI treatments, respectively—a significant difference of 60%. Wheat yields were affected by rust (Puccinia triticiae) and were 3,792 and 3,249 kg/ha yields for FP and EI, respectively, with significant differences between treatments. On the other hand, double cropped-soybean yields were similar for both treatments and were 3,128 and 3,123 kg/ha under the FP and EI treatments, respectively.

Considering the first 2 years and the three crops involved in the maize/wheat/doublecropped soybean, the EI treatment significantly improved water use efficiency (determined as kg grain per mm of ET) over FP, but the treatments didn’t differ much in the capture of water (ratio of ET/total precipitation). The EI treatment also showed higher N use efficiency and less negative N balances, but lower partial factor productivity of N when compared with the FP treatment. IPNI-25