ABSTRACT The association between leguminous plants and rhizobia helps to meet the limiting nitrogen in the soil by producing about 40 to 60 million metric tons (Mt) per hectare per year of nitrogen. However, the focus of legume-Rhizobium symbiosis has been on biomass productivity, nodulation and nitrogen fixation of the major and domesticated food legumes whereas little research has been conducted on the indigenous legumes which hold promise in retaining agricultural diversity and achieving f...
Abstract Carbon is a major constituent of all living things and the cycling o f carbon between the atmosphere and the biosphere is one of the bases for life on earth. However, as a result of m an’s exploitative activities such as deforestation, automobile emission and power generation to increase productivity to m eet energy demands, the quality of the natural environment has and continues to deteriorate in many parts o f the world at a time when the human population is growing at an accele...
Nitrogen (N) is known to be a major limiting crop nutrient which is required in large amounts as compared with other major nutrients. In rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping, urea is the main source of N which is applied to the crop because of its relatively low cost and its high N concentration (46%). However, low N use efficiency is always associated with urea application under paddy fields because of its high N loss, mostly through ammonia (NH3) volatilization. The split application of pri...
ABSTRACT Phosphorus deficiency is widespread in most soils of northern Ghana. Presence of lateritic concretions in some of the soils constitute an additional limitation to crop production in the region because the concretions act as an effective sink for added P. To assess the role of the concretions on phosphorus availability in a typical concretionary soil of northern Ghana, a soil originally containing 70% concretions was fractionated into soil fines and concretions and the soil reconstitu...
ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF SOILS AND TIME ON THE ACCURACY OF CROP IDENTIFICATION IN S.W. ONTARIO FROM 1974 SATELLITE IMAGERY Samuel Kojo Dapaah, M.Sc. Supervisor: University of Guelph, 1974 Dr. T.P. Phillips ERTS-1 imagery (June 2, June 20 and July 8, 1974), supplemented with airborne photography was used to identify com, winter wheat, soybeans, oats and fieldbeans in Southwestern Ontario. Sample areas were selected within Chatham - Harwich Townships, Kent County, Ontario according to land use ...
ABSTRACT This research was carried out to characterize, classify, and evaluate soils of four geomorphic units in Oguta Imo State Southeastern Nigeria. Four Pedons, each was located in each geomorphic unit. ] soil sampling was carried out in the study site, sixteen surface soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected, four from each of the geomorphic units using an auger giving a total of thirty three soil samples which was chosen to represent the main morphological variations and to present map...
ABSTRACT The study was carried out between October – November 2008 and aimed at applying Geographical Information System (GIS) approach in characterizing, classifying and making suitability recommendations of soils in Ohia Nekechi within Amasiri area, Afikpo north, Ebonyi State. This study site was identified in a farmland consisting of a toposequence some meters away from Okposi road, Amasiri. A transect was cut across the toposequence revealing its North facing and the South facing s...
ABSTRACT Characterization, classification and evaluation of some Wetland soils of Oguta, Imo State Southeast Nigeria were executed. The aim was to have baseline information that will assist farmers and other land users in well informed decision making. Four profile pits was dug on the study area Osse moto Oguta. Free sampling technique was used. With the aid of Global Positioning System (GPS) and soil sampling tools. Soil samples were collected based on the FAO guidelines for profile...
ABSTRACT The soils of Owerri area, Southeastern Nigeria were studied with a view to characterizing and classifying them. Four locations namely Umuhu (control), Amakohia (summit), Akpodim (midslope) and Ife (footslope) were selected in the study area, to assess the impact of topography on soil properties. Three profile pits were dug in each site. 65 soil samples were collected and examined with regards to their morphological, physical and chemical properties. Test for variance was carri...
ABSTRACT This study reports an investigation of the influence of irrigation frequency on water and herbicide transport in a Ghanaian field soil. An attempt was also made at simulating the movements of water and atrazine [2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine] in the soil under varying irrigation frequency. The irrigation treatments used in the study were: Treatment 1 (Tl): 150 mm of water applied in three equal amounts of 50 mm each on days 1, 9 and 17; Treatment 2 (T2): 150 mm of...
ABSTRACT The sandy soil in the Keta Sand Spit, Southeast Ghana is infertile but is used for intensive vegetable cultivation. The vegetable production systems are managed with large amounts of irrigation water and fertilizers on sandy soils with low inherent water and nutrient retention capacities. The long term sustainability of a shallow groundwater lens which is used for irrigation in the area is threatened by several consecutive years of over withdrawal. Also, the shallow groundwater which...
ABSTRACT Oil pollution is a worldwide threat to the environment, especially in oil producing countries, and the remediation of oil-contaminated soils is a major challenge for environmental research. Bioremediation is a useful method for restoring oil contaminated soils because of its cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness. However, the process is very slow in soils with low pH. Soils of the Western Region of Ghana where most of the country‘s oil activities take place are classifi...
ABSTRACT A field trial was started in August 1994, during the minor cropping season to investigate the efficiency of four Landforms in the production of maize with special emphasis in phosphorus (P) management in Vertisols at three localities in the Accra Plains of the Coastal Savanna zone of Ghana. The four Landforms were: Flat, Ridged, Ethiopian and Cambered beds. Generally, the soils were low in available P. Raising available P levels in the soil by the addition of fertilizer led to signif...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to assess the growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixing potential of some native multipurpose trees and shrubs. A total of fourteen species of indigenous leguminous trees and shrubs were initially screened for nodulation in three Ghanaian soils (Toje, Hatso and Alajo soil series), after 8 weeks of growth in nursery bags. The experiment was repeated with nine species of the tree/shrub legumes, this time under two levels of phosphorus (0 and 60 mg P/kg soil). The ...
ABSTRACT The reactive nature of phosphorus leads to the formation of insoluble Fe, Al and Ca bound phosphate compounds in highly weathered tropical soils, thus limiting P availability for plant uptake. Biochar with its heterogeneous surface properties can influence phosphorus dynamics in tropical soils. To examine phosphorus fractions in a biochar-amended Plinthaqualf, samples were taken from low yielding soils in northern Ghana that had three cycles of vegetable production under clean and w...