Asian Soil Research Journal
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Short-term Influence of Organic Matter and Saline Water on Inorganic Soil Phosphorus Transformation in Barisal and Dumuria Soil Series of Bangladesh
No full textA laboratory incubation experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of soil salinity and organic matter on inorganic phosphorus transformation with times in two different soil series such as Barisal and Dumuria located in Ganges Tidal Floodplain sites of Bangladesh. Two representative soil samples were collected from surface soil (0-15 cm) with composite sampling. The salinity and organic matter treatments were 4 dS m-1 and 5 t ha-1 (decomposed cow dung) with three replications. The treated soils were then incubated in the laboratory at field capacity moisture condition. To determine the transformation of different forms of inorganic P, sampling was done for 0, 7, 15 and 30 days. Different forms of inorganic P such as soluble and exchangeable phosphorus (SE-P), iron and aluminium bound phosphorus (Fe and Al-P), calcium bound phosphorus (Ca-P) and residual phosphorus (RE-P) were determined at different days of incubation. For Barisal soil series, the sequence of different forms of inorganic P was Ca-P>RE-P>Fe and Al-P>SE-P according to their amount. For Dumuria soil series, the sequence was Ca-P>RE-P>Fe and Al-P>SE-P, respectively. The sequence clearly indicates that the soluble and exchangeable P increases with time due to a combination of salinity and decomposed organic matter which increases the uptake of P and ultimately increases the yield. The changes were statistically significant (P < 0.001) in the case of all three soils
Variation in Soil Chemical and Microbiological Properties as a Result of Yearly Amendment with Organic Fertilizer
No full textMillions of organic fertilizers are produced annually all over the world. Substantial quantities of these were crop residues and the remaining being animal waste based. Meanwhile maintaining and improving soil fertility in the tropic is essential for increasing food production for rapidly expanding the population. This project work, therefore, investigated the variation in soil chemical and microbiological properties as a result of yearly amendment with compost. The experimental site was the Organic Agricultural Farm located within the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Soil samples were collected between 0 – 15 cm depth using soil auger and the samples were analyzed for the following soil parameters; total viable counts, total fungal counts, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, percentage organic carbon, microarthropod counts and earthworm counts. The experiment was a split-plot design using 2 varieties of tomato x 3 levels of compost and two durations of application. The variations include one improved variety (UCB 8) and a local variety (Beske), rate of compost – (0, 10, and 20) kg/ha and years of application (one and two years). Results generally showed that: duration has a significant effect on viable counts, microarthropod counts, microbial biomass P, microbial biomass C and percentage organic carbon but has no significant effect on fungal counts, microbial biomass nitrogen, and earthworm counts. The results indicate that application of compost manure is the preferred option to enhance SOM accumulation, improve soil fertility and quality, and increase tomato yield
Relationship between Spatial Variability Pattern of Wheat Yield and Soil Properties
No full textAims: Determining effects of spatial variation of some soil properties on wheat quantity and quality variation in order that proper soil and inputs management can be applied for sustainable wheat production.
Study Design: Analyzing data of a field with center pivot irrigation system and uniform management using the geostatistical method.
Place and Duration of Study: Soil and Water Research Department, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Darab, Iran, from September 2013 to February 2014.
Methodology: Wheat yield data harvested by class lexion 510 combine from 25 m2 plots (11340 locations) with the corresponding geographical location were used. Besides, soil properties and wheat yield were measured at 36 randomly selected points on the field. Interpolation of parameters was predicted with the best semi-variogram model using kriging, inverse distance weighted (IDW), and cokriging methods.
Results: Results showed that wheat yield varied from 2 to 10.08 tons per hectare. Cokriging with cofactor of kernel weight interpolator had more accuracy compared to the combine default interpolator (kriging). A logical, linear correlation was found between different parameters. The best variogram model for pH, OC, and ρb was exponential, for EC, TNV, SP, soil silt and clay percentage was spherical, and for soil, percentage sand was Gaussian model. Data of soil sand, silt, and clay percentage, EC, TNV, and SP had strong spatial structure, and soil pH, OC, and ρb had moderate spatial structure. The best interpolation method for soil pH, EC, sand and silt percentage was kriging method; while, for TNV, SP, OC, ρb, and clay percentage was IDW.
Conclusion: There was a close relationship between wheat yield variation and changes in the soil properties. Soil properties and wheat yield distribution maps provided valuable information which could be used for wheat yield improvement in precision agriculture
Infiltration Characteristics of Soils in Owerri, Imo State, Southeastern Nigeria under Four Selected Land Uses
No full textKnowledge of the infiltration characteristics of soils could play a significant role in the choice of appropriate soil management practices that is capable of alleviating the production constraints of soils. The infiltration characteristics of soils in Owerri under four different lands uses viz: secondary forest, plantain plantation, continuously cultivated land and the grazing land was investigated with the aid of a double ring infiltrometer. Results showed that the secondary forest, plantain plantation, continuously cultivated land, as well as the grazing land all, recorded low infiltration rates of 26.54 mm/hr, 26.0 mm/hr, 18.87/hr and 21.35 mm/hr respectively. There were also significant differences in the soil physical and chemical properties notably the hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, water content, organic matter, total nitrogen, as well as available phosphorus (P<0.05). The results obtained suggest that the inherent land uses in the area affected the infiltration of water as well as the soil quality indices. Land use practices that will improve the organic matter, as well as the water transmissivity of the soils such as conservation tillage, fallowing and controlled grazing, should be adopted and sustained
Isolation and Identification of Keratinophilic Fungi from Cattle House Soil in Khartoum City, Sudan
No full textoai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/1The present study was done to investigate the presence of keratinophilic fungi in soil, sixty soil samples were collected randomly from bovine farms in Khartoum state. Hair baiting technique was used for isolating the fungi. Plates which contain soil and children hair were then incubated at 28ºC for one month. Ten genera and fifteen species were isolated from cattle house soils. Aspergillus species represent the highest occurrence of isolates
Grain Yield and Economic Returns of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Induced by In-situ Moisture Conservation and Sulfur Fertilization on Vertisol of Western Tigray, Ethiopia
No full textA field experiment was conducted in 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the effects of in-situ moisture conservation using tied-ridging and conventional flatbed tillage practices combined with five sulfur fertilizer rates (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 kg ha-1). The experiment was lied out in a split plot design with three replications under rain-fed conditions. A newly released improved variety of sesame“Setit 1” was used as a test crop. Most of the agronomic data were collected at harvest. The collected data were analyzed using GenStat16 EdSP. The marginal rate of return was also estimated from the total revenue and total variable cost. Results show that there was a significant (P < 0.05) difference due to the combined effects of tied ridges and sulfur fertilizer rates on grain yield, days to 90% maturity, number of branches per plant, plant height, and number of capsules per plant except the days to 50% flowering in 2015. But, in 2016 there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference by the combined effect. The highest grain yield of 889.3 kg ha-1 as well as the corresponding highest net revenue of 14,239.4 Ethiopian Birr was recorded at 40 kg S ha-1 under tied ridges, but this was statistically not significant (P > 0.05) with the grain yield of 857.6 kg ha-1obtained using 30 kg S ha-1combined with tied ridges in 2015. However, in 2016 the significant difference resulted were due sulfur fertilizer but not due to the combined effect of tillage practices and sulfur fertilizer, hence calculating partial budget analysis is not necessary for statistically non-significant results. Therefore, sulfur fertilizer rate at 30 kg ha-1combined with tied ridges is most economically feasible technologies for the farmers to increase sesame productivity at Kafta Humera district
Soil Physico-chemical Properties Changes under Different Crops in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria
No full textThe sustainable soil management necessary to maintain soil quality depends on the understanding of how the soil responds to agricultural practices over time. This paper reports the changes in physicochemical properties that resulted from different cropping systems on a soil in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria. Soil samples were collected from sole maize plot (1.0 ha), sole cowpea plot (1.0ha) and cassava/maize intercrop plot (0.6ha) on a land that was previously under fallow. The sand, silt and clay contents of the soil and some selected chemical parameters varied considerably within the study area (different cropping zones). The soil was generally sandy loam and was found to vary from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline and generally low in Soil Organic Matter (SOM) and Available P (Av. P) with no salinity problem. High magnitude of variability was observed for Electrical Conductivity (EC), Av. P and SOM while pH had the least magnitude. A geostatistical evaluation of the soil chemical properties showed moderate to strong spatial dependence. The geospatial maps clearly revealed the heterogeneity of the soil chemical properties across the field. Both classical statistics and geo-statistical analyses of the soil of the area provided a better understanding of the spatial variability of soil chemical properties and the influence that such could have on crop performance. The results indicated that the soil pH is slightly acidic and contained low amounts of both SOM and Av. P. It is suggested that planting of cover crops, minimum tillage and controlled application of phosphate fertilizer should be done so as to increase the SOM, improve Av. P and maintain the soil pH. Further studies should be conducted to include other soil chemical properties such that robust site specific management programme could be effected