Abstract: In Ethiopia, wheat is being cultivated on about 1.51 million hectares, with about 3.3 million tons of grain yield. However, productivity of this crop is low compared to its genetic potential. Field study was conducted in 2015 cropping season at Fiche. The objectives of the study were determining the optimum rates of N and P fertilizers, their concentration in plant parts and their use efficiency by wheat. The treatments were four level of N (0, 32, 64 and 96 kg/ha) and four level o...
Abstract: Livestock are still the major vehicle to support pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods in terms of food security and income generation in eastern Ethiopia. However, climate variability is negatively affecting the livestock systems through reducing water and feed resources. In this context, failure to timely understanding and responding to this environmental influence under smallholder conditions would lead to worst scenarios on livestock production and thereby affecting the livest...
Abstract: The study was conducted to investigate the effects of Acacia tortilistree in farmland on some selected soil physicochemical properties, and maize grain yield in Gursumdistrict, Eastern Hararghe, Oromia, Ethiopia. For the experiment of soil physicochemical properties, two factors: distance from tree trunk with three levels (under canopy, edge of canopy and out of canopy) and soil depth with two levels (0-20cm and 20–40cm depth) with factorial arrangement in RCBD replicated six tim...
Abstract: Among several agroforestry practices in the east Hararghe of Ethiopia, Parkland agroforestry practices are common. However, the beneficial effect of tree species on soil properties is very scarce to be used for improved agricultural productivity in the eastern part of the country including study area. Therefore, the study was conducted with the objectives of investigating the impact of parkland trees on the soil physical and chemical properties within and outside the trees canopy; ...
Abstract: Agroforestry is the set of land-use practices involving the deliberate combination of trees, crops and/or animals on the same land management unit in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence (Lundgren and Raintree, 1982). The trees have been used for fuel wood, charcoal, shade, fodder, soil fertility maintenance and fencing. This study was conducted to assess the effect of Faidherbia albida and Acacia tortilis on grain yield of wheat and above ground biomass and soil p...
Abstract: Termite mounds are replete with natural nanoparticles, and they vary in physicochemical, geochemical, mineralogical, and biological properties from the adjoining soils. Although termite mounds have wide ecological and environmental roles including soil formation, faunal and vegetation growth and diversity, organic matter decomposition, geochemical exploration, water survey, treatment of underground contamination, thermoregulation, gas exchange, and global climate change, their nano...
Abstract: Advancement of knowledge on soil microbial richness is a key to environmental policy and sustainable land management. In Botswana, there is a dearth of scientific reports on soil bacterial dynamics. The aim of this study is to improve our understanding of how soil physico-chemical properties influence bacterial abundance and distribution under different land-use types (ecosystems). Six ecosystems studied include saline soil, sewage sludge dump, garden, fallow land rainfed and irrig...
Abstract: Electricity generation in thermal power stations results in high fly ash production that, if not managed properly, will be a potential source of pollutants. In Botswana, the fly ash from Morupule Power Plant is being as an amendment for agricultural soils through a series of experiment that characterized and assessed fly ash deposits as liming material and nutrient source; assessed the effects of fly ash amendments applied at different rates in combination with the nutrient so...
Abstract: Understanding soil attributes guides arable farming initiatives in many countries, especially developing countries. In this study, soils of the Gamodubu area, in the Kweneng District, Botswana, were analysed to determine their suitability for arable farming. Soil organic matter (SOM) was estimated by determining soil organic carbon (SOC) times a factor. Five samples of soil were collected in the Gamodubu area for evaluation in the laboratory. There was positive correlation between ...
Abstract: A total of eight military shooting ranges were used for this study. Soil samples were collected at each of the eight shooting ranges at the berm, target line, 50 and 100 m from berm. In all of the shooting ranges investigated the highest total lead (Pb) concentrations were found in the bermsoils. Elevated Pb concentrations of 38 406.87 mg kg–1 were found in the bermsoils of TAB shooting range. Most of the shooting range soils contained high levels of Pb in the range above 2000mgk...
Abstract: Geostatistical modelling has proven to be a good tool for decision making in soil nutrient management because it has the ability to map spatial heterogeneity and uncertainty. This study outlines a comparative approach to quantify the uncertainties and correlations in spatial process models as illustrated for the distribution of Zn in top soils of a semi-arid environment. The spatial correlation of Zn uncertainties is investigated by calculating the semi-variance of normalized Zn co...
Abstract: Roads constructed on weak sub-grade clay soils with high plasticity may be affected by the behaviour of the clay soils. Weak sub-grade clay soils undergo volume change due to the changes in the moisture content which triggers cracking, settlement, heaving and damage of the road pavement by breaking up the pavement. Stabilizing these types of weak sub-grade clay soil is required to overcome the swelling of the clay soil and increase the soil strength and improve the performance. The...
Abstract: Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies hold potential to protect against climate risks, reduce nutrient depletion and enhance food security. In this paper, we study how exposure to dry spells influences use and use intensity of ISFM technologies, specifically focusing on maize-legume intercropping and organic manure. We use a four-round panel dataset collected from households in six Malawi districts over a period of nine years and merged with daily rainfall data f...
Abstract: Abstract Purpose Push–pull is an intercropping technology that is rapidly spreading among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The technology intercrops cereals with Desmodium to fight off stem borers, eliminate parasitic weeds, and improve soil fertility and yields of cereals. The above-ground components of push–pull cropping have been well investigated. However, the impact of the technol-ogy on the soil microbiome and the subsequent role of the microbiome on diverse eco...
The interest of using informatics tools for collecting information on agro-biodiversity is increasing, since they greatly facilitate the collection and sharing of data. Current practice which is primarily paper-based limits the scale and complexity of the services that can be provided and thus the impact of the intervention. Soil survey needs to be up to date, using a paper based survey can create problems thus the need to use ODK. Profile description sheet is a paper based survey form and wa...