ABSTRACT Maize and rice are the primary staple cereal food crops in Tanzania, ranking first and second, respectively. The two crops are also used as cash crops in some parts of the country. Despite their importance as food and cash crops, their yields per unit area are generally very low. Recently yield of maize has been noted to be 1.4 t ha-1 while the potential yield is 5 t ha-1 and rice yield averages between 0.5-2 t ha-1 for upland ecologies and 4.5-6.0 t ha-1 for irrigated ecologies comp...
ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted in a glasshouse in 2016 at Sokoine University of Agriculture Morogoro Tanzania to study the effects of system of rice intensification (SRI) and flooding on Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) for the lowland rice ecosystem. The soil used in the experiment was Eutric fluvisol and was analysed in the laboratory to evaluate soil fertility status. The soil was observed to have some plant nutrient below the critical range like N, 0.09%; K, 0.2 cmol kg-1;P, 4.13 mg/kg...
ABSTRACT Continuous land cultivation without adequate soil nutrients replenishment causes soil fertility decline leading to reduced crop productivity. Significant research on external fertility inputs application rates and type have been carried out under researcher designed and managed conditions in Kenya. But little research on the same has been carried out to evaluate their performances under on-farm smallholder farmers’ conditions. Hence, the study evaluated the decomposition rates (goa...
ABSTRACT Water insufficiency due to scarcity, poor distribution and high variability of rainfall in the Central Highlands of Kenya (CHK) and a decline in soil fertility have contributed to a continuous decrease in water productivity. To increase food production to match the growing population, soil management practices that ensure improved water productivity should be embraced. The study, therefore, sought to characterize rainfall and to establish the effects of selected soil management pract...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted in 2012 at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Teaching and Research Farm (UNN), and Ekwegbe, both in Nsukka agricultural zone; to evaluate the effectiveness of four selected methods of quantifying erosion effect on soil productivity at Nsukka, southeastern Nigeria. The four methods were (1) desurfacing technique (DT), (2) Neill’s (1983) productivity index, (3) modified productivity index (MPI) and (4) Riquier’s productivity index (RI). Soils were sampled a...
Abstract The land at Anuka, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State in Southeastern Nigeria, under the sub-humid tropical climate was evaluated for maize (Zea mays), cassava (Manihot esculenta), yam (Dioscorea spp.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cultivation. Data were obtained by field study and laboratory analyses. Six pedons were dug and described: two pedons each for maize and oil palm fields, and one each for yam and cassava fields. These pedons were dug to represent sampling units...
ABSTRACT A study was carried out on soils sampled at 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm depths from both cultivated and uncultivated soils at four different locations (Awgu, Okigwe, Nsukka I, and Nsukka II), to evaluate the potentials of various aggregate size fractions of varying soil textures and depths to sequester carbon under different land uses. A 4 x 2 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD). Factor A was location at four levels, while factor B (land use) ...
Abstract The Size-density relationship may be a valuable tool to reveal the extent of competition and mechanisms for distribution patterns, structure and functioning of woody species in savanna vegetation types. A study on the relationship between size and density of Acacia mellifera in the highland savanna of Namibia was carried out to try to facilitate an understanding of the development of stand density in relation to size (height) of A. mellifera. Data was collected at Neudamm farm in thr...
Abstract Phosphorus does occur both in organic and inorganic forms, and a*, relatively large amount is present in organic foraf* Relatively little work has been done on organic phosphorus in Ghanaian soils. Some research workers notably Schollemberger (1920), Dean (1938) and a number of others have found that soils high in organic matte* are also high: in organic phosphorus. Bye and Bertheux (1957) working on Ghanaian soils observed considerably more organic phosphorus in forest soils than in...
Abstract 14 There is a dearth of scientific information on the soils of Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State in Southeastern Nigeria. This study was carried out to characterize and classify these soils with special emphasis on the identification of diagnostic B- horizons present in them. Free survey method was employed to locate the representative profiles. Ten profile pits were dug, properly studied macromorphologically, georeferenced using handheld Global Positioning System (GPS...
ABSTRACT One mechanism by which plants can mobilize organic and inorganic forms of phosphorus (P) in soils is by exudation of low molecular weight organic acids. Laboratory and field trial were carried out during 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons to study the effects of additions of organic acids ( citric, oxalic and tartaric acids) on the mobilization of phosphate of soils from Minna and Mokwa, both in Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria. For initial laboratory studies and prior to field cultiv...
Abstract The land at Anuka, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State in Southeastern Nigeria, under the sub-humid tropical climate was evaluated for maize (Zea mays), cassava (Manihot esculenta), yam (Dioscorea spp.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cultivation. Data were obtained by field study and laboratory analyses. Six pedons were dug and described: two pedons each for maize and oil palm fields, and one each for yam and cassava fields. These pedons were dug to represent sampling unit...
ABSTRACT Generally, soils in coastal savanna in Ghana are low in phosphorus (P) which affects crop growth and yield. Most phosphate rock deposits in West Africa are not reactive and therefore their direct applications do not promote readily P availability to crops. Co-composting organic waste and phosphate rock and using phosphorus solubilizing micro-organisms (PSMs) are some of the options currently attracting the attention of scientists. A study was conducted to (1) evaluate the effectivene...
ABSTRACT This study reports investigation of the biodiversity of bradyrhizobia isolates that nodulate cowpea in Ghanaian soils. As a prelude, some components of nitrogen fixation of cowpea in the various soils were examined through: (1) assessment of the natural nodulation of 45 cowpea cultivars in 20 soils sampled from 5 ecozones (coastal savanna, tain forest, semi deciduous forest, forest savanna transition and guinea savanna), (2) determination of the numbers of bradyrhizobial isolates in ...
ABSTRACT Biochar prepared from cocoa pod, sawdust, rice straw and husk wastes may provide new low cost technology for environmental management with emphasis on P removal from waste water to minimize eutrophication and to enhance P availability in tropical soils. To achieve this, the sorption characteristics of the biochar types would have to be understood. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the P adsorptive characteristics on four biochar types derived...