Long-term greenhouse experiments with corn (Zea mays) established that uptake of Fe from nutrient solutions may be significantly enhanced by increasing the supply of potassium. A mechanism was proposed to describe how uptake of macronutrient ions may in turn influence availability and uptake of Fe and other elements from their chelated and sparingly soluble compounds. It was hypothesized that since differential accumulation of cations is accompanied by a net release of H ions, and excess anio...
Summary Samples of soil have been taken from various situations at different times to illustrate the effects of season, water, sha.de, agriculture, disturbance and type of soil, on the soil meiofauna of the Accra Plains, It is shown that there is a significant difference both in numbers and in vertical distribution of the animals in different seasons and in different soils. Water is thought to be the most important factors as it is demonstrated that there is a direct correlation between size ...
ABSTRACT The objective o f the study was to obtain information on the existence o f Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains in Ghanaian soils, evaluate their effectiveness with the view to improving nodulation, nitrogen fixation and yield potential o f soybean. Eight soil series were screened for nodulation capabilities of soybean using six cultivars (four promiscuous and two non-promiscuous). The soils were Adenta, Akuse, Anyinase and Bekwai; the rest were Hatso, Nyigbenya, Nzima and Toje. Four cul...
ABSTRACT Knowledge of soil spatial variability and the relationships among soil properties are important for the evaluation of agricultural land management practices and soil research. The study was conducted to assess the spatial variability of selected soil properties on a 2.17 ha field at the School of Agriculture Teaching and Research farm from March to October, 2010. A stratified random sampling design was employed in the study. Samples were collected from two depths 0-10 cm and 10-20 c...
ABSTRACT Mining is one of the main causes of environmental pollution by heavy metals. Re-vegetation of mine spoils is an effective way of restoring the mined land to its pristine status. The study was conducted to assess the physicochemical soil properties, heavy metal concentrations in two re-vegetatively restored mined spoils at an AngloGold concession at Obuasi. Concentration of heavy metals in cassava were used as an indicator for comparism. A simple random sampling technique was used to...
ABSTRACT The study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of biochar and poultry manure in improving the fertility of a strongly weathered soil and the yield of lettuce. In two separate experiments, three rates (0, 39 and 65 t ha-1 per 1 kg soil) of biochar (CCB, CHB and PMB) solely or in combination with poultry manure (0 and 10 t ha-1 ) were incorporated into pots containing 1 kg soil and arranged in completely randomized design. Biochar and or manure effects on SOC, mineral N, AVP, pH, E...
ABSTRACT Trees in general and leguminous trees in particular form an integral part of the traditional farming systems in Ghana. Compared to other plants, leguminous trees have the advantage that, they are generally capable of growing better on N-deficient soils due to their ability to convert unavailable atmospheric N2 into plant utilizable N. However, several factors including the abundance and effectiveness of the specific rhizobial partner, the available N and P in soil, are among the impo...
ABSTRACT Eight soil series from two agro-ecological zones of Ghana were evaluated for their suitability for maize production intensification using three approaches: the Soil Quality Index (SQI), DSSAT yield simulations and the Multi-criteria Analysis (MCA). Four of the series were from the Forest – Savanna Transition namely Wenchi series (Feric Dystric Leptosol), Ejura series (Haplic Lixisol), Damongo series (Dystric Nitosol) and Lima series (Eutric Gleysol). The four soils from the Guinea ...
ABSTRACT An experimental study of solute transport during one-dimensional sorption of a solution of KC1 into a uniformly packed horizontal soil column of Akuse clay, (a tropical clay loam from Ghana which is dominantly montmorillonitic) and Brookston clay of the Huron Catena (dominantly illitic) is reported in this thesis. A hydrodynamic equation based on the existing theories of irreversible thermodynamics is developed to incorporate the effect of anion exclusion in the usual hydrodynamic eq...
ABSTRACT The study basically examined the movement of agrochemical compounds in soil. Four different soil samples made up of three sandy loams and a sandy clay were used in the study. Potassium chloride solution and chlorpyrifos were used as infiltration solutions in a horizontal infiltration study under laboratory conditions. At the end of each experiment, the infiltration column was sectioned and the moisture content as well as the solution concentration of the agrochemical compound (Cl- , ...
ABSTRACT Agricultural practices affect the production and emission of Carbon dioxide (CO2) from paddy soils. Evidence now exists on increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere as a result of decomposition of organic matter which impacts on climate change and global warming. The release of CO2 from soil (soil CO2 efflux or soil respiration) is the largest source of carbon to the atmosphere. In Ghana, the major challenge is lack of data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission to form the basis of sc...
ABSTRACT V Field trials were sited on soils belonging to the Ultisols family at three sites (Pokuase Agric. Research Station, Parrico and Silwood farms) within the southern forest-savanna ecotone to determine the influence of different N/K20 fertilizer ratios on the yield and quality of pineapple. A split-plot design was used with two (2) P levels on main plots and six (6) N/K20 fertilizer ratios on sub-plots was used. Soil samples were taken from the three (3) sites. Leaf samples of the pine...
ABSTRACT The objective o f the study was to obtain information on the existence o f Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains in Ghanaian soils, evaluate their effectiveness with the view to improving nodulation, nitrogen fixation and yield potential o f soybean. Eight soil series were screened for nodulation capabilities of soybean using six cultivars (four promiscuous and two non-promiscuous). The soils were Adenta, Akuse, Anyinase and Bekwai; the rest were Hatso, Nyigbenya, Nzima and Toje. Four cul...
ABSTRACT In Togo, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is mainly cultivated on highly weathered acid soils where plant-available phosphorus is generally deficient due to the inherent low P availability of acid soils. Suboptimal and unbalanced P fertilizer rates used by rainfed rice farmers in Togo is often the main cause for low yields. The blanket P fertilizer recommendation applied to the rainfed lowland rice acid soils is outdated and thus, does not take into account the current fertility status of the ...
ABSTRACT A Ferric Acrisol (Toje series) under three land use systems namely, natural fallow (forest), a Leucaena leucocephala woodlot and a cultivated plot were studied. Soils from profiles and surface horizons were evaluated to determine the effect of management systems on variability in soil properties and soil quality. A combination of field study and laboratory analyses was carried out. In all, 15 profile samples and 75 grid samples taken from a 12 m x 12 m area at intervals of 3 m each b...