Tillage and fertility management effects on soil organic matter and sorghum yield in semi-arid West Africa

This paper reports on a two-year study in Burkina Faso to determine the effects of tillage and amendments on soil organic matter, microbial activity, and crop yields. Tillage variables were conventional tillage or no tillage, and amendments were singular or combined applications of straw, sheep dung, and urea. The authors suggest there is a trade-off between crop yields and SOM accumulation for semi-arid soils, especially with limited access to high quality inputs.