ABSTRACT A study was conducted to evaluate the physical changes that occur in the soil due to conversion of forest to arable land. Six locations in Enugu State that were selected for this purpose include Ugbo-Okpara (Li), Ugbo-nabo (L2), Ugwogo-Nike (L3), Iyi- Ukwu (L4), Edem (L5) and Ugwo (L6). Soil parameters determined include bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, macro porosity, micro porosity, total porosity, organic carbon, pH, Dithionate citrate bi-carbonate (DCB) Iron oxide...
ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N) is the critical plant nutrient. Low maize (Zea mays L.) yields in smallholder farms of Malawi are attributable to declining N fertility, aggravated by the ever increasing price of fertilizer. Maize, the country’s staple, has a high nitrogen demand. Little effort has been made to establish the best nitrogen rate in a maize- cowpea and maize-bean intercrop under variable soil conditions as a way of improving production, and was the objective of the current study. Field ...
ABSTRACT A study was conducted under screenhouse and field conditions at Sokoine University of Agriculture to evaluate the effects of commercial chemical and microbiological products on growth and yields of SITUKA maize variety grown on an Ultisol soil. The study soil had medium organic matter, low available phosphorous (1.02 mg/kg) and very low extractable zinc (0.34 mg/kg) hence the soil was of medium fertility status and only moderately suitable for maize production. Commercial products e...
ABSTRACT The power boiler ashes (BA) from burnt oil- palm mill wastes at Solive Vegetable Oil Mills Ltd, Nsukka has not been assessed for its crop-use potentials before, and its disposal could pose environmental challenge in future. Several studies have shown that recycling such ash through agronomic production system could alleviate the risks associated with its disposal and make it a value-added input in crop production with the potentials of solving the challenges posed by high cost of mi...
ABSTRACT Soil physical and hydraulic properties determine soil productivity. Tillage alters the structure and composition of a soil consequently influencing important soil processes such as water, air, heat flux, resistance to root penetration and nutrient availability. Soil layers have distinct physical properties which influence water movement in a profile. This study investigated long term effects of conventional, conservation and no tillage systems with or without initial subsoiling on so...
ABSTRACT Estimating crop response to fertilizer application and identification of effective fertilizer materials is important for plant nutrient management and in sustaining soil fertility. Unlike other agro-ecological zones, no fertilizer recommendations have been established for the semi-arid zones in Tanzania. This could be due to the fact that semi-arid areas are regarded as marginal land for agricultural production. To address this gap, field experiments were carried out to establish ph...
ABSTRACT Soil fertility decline, due to soil loss by erosion, nutrient mining and sub optimal fertilizer use, is the major constraint in cabbage production in the volcanic highland region of Rwanda. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of mulch type and NPK (17-17-17) fertilizer rates on growth, nutrient uptake, yield of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and soil nutrient content in the volcanic highland region of Rwanda. Field experiments were conducted in two cropping...
ABSTRACT A study was conducted in a glasshouse at Sokoine University of Agriculture Morogoro, Tanzania to investigate the effect of coffee pulp compost (CP), Minjingu phosphate rock (MPR) and coffee pulp composted with Minjingu phosphate rock (CPMPR) on phosphorus availability and response of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum M.) var. Carl J in 3x8 completely randomized block design experiment. The P sources were applied on a P deficient Chromic Acrisol at eight equivalent rates of 0, 40, 80, ...
ABSTRACT A study was conducted in which two strains of the fast-growing bean rhizobia- PV1 and PV2 and two others of the slow-growing bradyrhizobia for cowpeas and soybean- CP1 & GM8, respectively, were used to test their ability to: - (a) proliferate in copper contaminated liquid media, (b) survive in copper contaminated soil, (c) nodulate respective host legumes and (d) fix nitrogen under increasing copper levels both in vitro and in vivo. Known population sizes of each of the strains were...
ABSTRACT A study was conducted in Lumbila, Senjele, Mbimba and Ihowa villages of Mbozi district, Tanzania during 2012 – 2013 cropping season to assess the fertility status of the soils and response of maize to N and P as a strategy for enhanced and sustainable maize production. This study was triggered by the low maize yield in Tanzania due to many factors which include declining soil fertility, soil N and P being the major constraints to maize production. The search for the most appropria...
ABSTRACT The land evaluation was conducted in the Butuguri area, Butiama District, Mara Region to assess land’s suitability for cassava, maize and sorghum production. After reviewing literature and discussing with farmers and extension officers, five criteria for growing crops were selected which are: soil physical properties, soil chemical fertility, rainfall, temperature and topography. The Analytical Hierarchical Process was used to assign relative importance weights to the chosen crit...
ABSTRACT This study examined morphology, physico-chemical characteristics, classification, potentials and limitations of soils developed on gneissic-granites of Rwanda. Three pedons (GSK-P1, GSK-P2 and TMB-P1) were studied and 19 soil samples analysed. All pedons were very deep, well drained, with loamy to clayey topsoils overlying dominantly clayey subsoils. Pedons GSK-P1 and GSK-P2 depicted eluviation-illuviation as dominant pedogenetic process. All topsoils had low bulk and particle densi...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) is a plant that has infested a large area of agricultural land in Serengeti district and has adversely reduced cropland and crop yields. It is encroaching land and especially in the famous Serengeti National Park. The weed has been reported to contain high amount of plant nutrients in its tissue, hence its probable use as an organic soil amendment, with aspect to soil fertility improvement. A study was, therefore, conducted to address the Sia...
ABSTRACT A comprehensive study was conducted on soils of Mvumi Village, Kilosa District, Tanzania to investigate the effect of water and nutrients on the growth and yield of rice so as to improve rice production by manipulating water and nutrients. Soil characterization, fertility evaluation and pot experiment were conducted. The soils of the study area were classified respectively as Ustic Endoaquerts and Haplic Vertisols in the USDA Soil Taxonomy, and World Reference Base for Soil Resource...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Banana is an important staple food in East Africa and an essential cash crop in the national and local economies. In Kagera and Kilimanjaro regions of Tanzania, banana is cultivated by more than 70% of smallholder farmers as a staple food in home gardens ranging from 0.5 to 2 hectares. Decline in banana yield has been reported in banana farming systems as a result of abiotic constraints (nutrient deficiencies and drought stress) and biotic constraints (pests and diseases)....