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| Niether, Wiebke; Schneidewind, Ulf; Fuchs, Michael; Schneider, Monika; Armengot, Laura. |
| Farmers expect yield reduction of cash crops like cocoa when growing in agroforestry systems compared to monocultures, due to competition for resources, e.g. nutrients and water. However, complementarities between species in the use of resources may improve resource use efficiency and result in higher system performance. Cocoa trees have a shallow rooting system while the rooting characteristics of the associated trees are mainly unknown. This work investigates fine root distribution and production in five cocoa production systems: two monocultures and two agroforestry systems under conventional and organic farming, and a successional agroforestry system. In the organic systems a perennial leguminous cover crop was planted and compost was added, while... |
| Tipo: Journal paper |
Palavras-chave: Crop husbandry. |
| Ano: 2019 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/34492/1/niether-etal2019_ScienceTotalEnvironment-Vol657-p558-567.pdf |
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| Schneidewind, Ulf; Niether, Wiebke; Armengot, Laura; Schneider, Monika; Sauer, Daniela; Heitkamp, Felix; Gerold, Gerhard. |
| Agroforestry systems (AFS) can serve to decrease ecosystem carbon (C) losses caused by deforestation and inadequate soil management. Because of their shade tolerance, cacao plants are suitable to be grown in AFS, since they can be combined with other kinds of trees and shrubs. The potential for C sequestration in cacao farming systems depends on various factors, such as management practices, stand structure and plantation age. We compared conventionally and organically managed cacao monoculture systems (MCS) and AFS in Sara Ana (Bolivia) with respect to C stocks in plant biomass and to amounts of litterfall and pruning residues. The total aboveground C stocks of the AFS (26 Mg C ha−1) considerably exceeded those of the MCS (~7 Mg C ha−1), although the... |
| Tipo: Journal paper |
Palavras-chave: Crop husbandry; Soil. |
| Ano: 2018 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/34494/1/schneidewind-etal-2018-ExperimentalAgri-online-p1-19.pdf |
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| Niether, Wiebke; Maldonado, Carla; Silva, Erika; Schneider, Monika; Gerold, Gerhard. |
| Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) grows naturally as an understory tree in tropical forests and produces well under shaded and non-shaded conditions. It is cultivated by small scale farmers in South America under various conditions, ranging from monocultures to different kinds of agroforestry systems. While in monocultures it is exposed to direct sunlight, one or various tree species shade the cocoa in agroforestry systems. Also organic cocoa cultivation is becoming more and more popular due to premium prices and increasing ecological consciousness. In Alto Beni, Bolivia, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and local partners have established a long-term field trial to compare cocoa production systems. The bi-factorial randomised block design... |
| Tipo: Conference paper, poster, etc. |
Palavras-chave: Crop husbandry; Bolivia. |
| Ano: 2013 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/24783/1/Niether-etal-2013-Tropentag-poster.pdf |
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| Han, EuSun; Whitney, Cory W.; Niether, Wiebke; Nelson, William. |
| Large areas of salt-affected soils are found in tropics, especially in Africa, South America and the Middle East. While soil salinity might lead to food insecurity in those regions and affect farmers who are most vulnerable to environmental stress, however, little is known how the abiotic stress can be managed with locally available resources without involving high cost. Decades of practical evidence have demonstrated the benefits of the farm input, called biodynamic preparation 500 (P500) cow horn manure, such as improving crop performance and providing resilience against various stress conditions. Organic agriculture is already seen as an important issue in sustainable crop production in the tropics, but also biodynamic philosophy and agricultural... |
| Tipo: Conference paper, poster, etc. |
Palavras-chave: Farm nutrient management. |
| Ano: 2015 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/32394/1/Han_QpSp43Tg.pdf |
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| Niether, Wiebke; Smit, Inga; Armengot, Laura; Schneider, Monika; Gerold, Gerhard; Pawelzik, Elke. |
| Cocoa beans are produced all across the humid tropics under different environmental conditions provided by the region but also by the season and the type of production system. Agroforestry systems compared to monocultures buffer climate extremes and therefore provide a less stressful environment for the understory cocoa, especially under seasonally varying conditions. We measured the element concentration as well as abiotic stress indicators (polyamines and total phenolic content) in beans derived from five different production systems comparing monocultures and agroforestry systems and from two harvesting seasons. Concentrations of N, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Na, and Zn were higher in beans produced in agroforestry systems with high stem density and leaf area... |
| Tipo: Journal paper |
Palavras-chave: Crop husbandry. |
| Ano: 2017 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/34495/1/niether-etal-2018-JAgricFoodChem-Vol65-Issue47-pp10165%E2%80%9310173.pdf |
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| Niether, Wiebke; Armengot, Laura; Andres, Christian; Schneider, Monika; Gerold, Gerhrad. |
| Shade trees in agroforestry systems protect the understory cocoa from climate extremes. Shade tree pruning manages microclimatic conditions in favor of cocoa production while tree diversity is maintained. Adaptation of pruning has to consider seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation to protect the understory cocoa. Context Structural characteristics of tree stands such as species diversity, tree density, and stratification can affect throughfall and microclimate. Pruning changes the canopy and may therefore modulate internal conditions. Aims The aim of this study is to assess the environmental growing conditions of cocoa trees. Methods We monitored canopy openness and the impact of stand structure on throughfall and microclimate in three... |
| Tipo: Journal paper |
Palavras-chave: Crop husbandry. |
| Ano: 2018 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/34493/1/niether-etal-2018-AnnalsForrestScience-Vol75-38.pdf |
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| Niether, Wiebke; Schneidewind, Ulf; Armengot, Laura; Adamtey, Noah; Schneider, Monika; Gerold, Gerhard. |
| Soil moisture has high spatial and temporal variability, depending on topography, soil texture, vegetation and meteorological conditions. It influences many processes in the soil and supplies water to the vegetation. This is often a limiting factor in agricultural production. Over an 18-month period, we measured soil moisture dynamics down to a depth of 70 cm in a long-term trial in Bolivia comprising six different land-use systems, i.e. cocoa monocultures and agroforestry systems, both under organic and conventional management, successional cocoa agroforestry systems and a natural fallow. Soil was heterogeneous over the area and in depth. We identified and separated two soil groups which differed in both, texture and soil water retention capacity.... |
| Tipo: Journal paper |
Palavras-chave: Crop husbandry; Soil; Bolivia; Environmental aspects. |
| Ano: 2017 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/32091/1/Niether-etal-2017-Catena-Vol158-p340-349.pdf |
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