Cultivation systems using vegetation cover Improves Sustainable Production and Nutritional Quality of New Rice for Africa in the Tropics

Little is known about the impact of direct sowing under vegetation cover on the production and quality of New Rice for Africa (NERICA) on poor oxisol. In this study, two NERICA varieties (NERICA 3 and NERICA 8) were grown under tropical oxisol soil with very low nutrient contents. Four cultivation systems were used in completely randomized block design, including plowing (control), unplowed soil with dead vegetation cover (DVC), unplowed soil with live vegetation cover (LVC) and unplowed soil with mixed vegetation cover (MVC). DVC significantly improved the exponential growth of NERICAs. NERICA 3 was the more productive (2.16-3.05 t/hm2) compared with NERICA 8 (0.71-1.21 t/hm2). Cultivation systems improved the nutritional quality of NERICAs. The total protein content of NERICA 3 under DVC and MVC was 84.8% and 75.0% higher than control, respectively. The total soluble carbohydrate contents of NERICA 8 under LVC and MVC was 73.2% and 57.3% higher than control, respectively. These results suggested that conservative approach like direct sowing on unplowed soil with vegetation cover systems can improve the nutritional quality of rainfed NERICAs and their sustainable production under poor oxisol soil in sub-Saharan Africa.