Influence of different leguminous crop on the ultisol that had been continuously cropped to cassava /maize for over six years
December 2016
Leguminous crops play an important role in developing sustainable and low input crop production system and have shown good potential for inclusion in alley cropping systems. Hence, a study was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University to evaluate the productivity of an impaired ultisol under cassava/maize for over six years planted with different...
Impact of deforestation and subsequent cultivation on soil fertility in Komto, Western Ethiopia
December 2016
The study examined the impact of deforestation and subsequent cultivation on soil fertility and acidity conditions under varying soil depths. Soil profiles were opened in two adjacent land units, namely forestland and arable land and samples were collected from genetic horizons. Deterioration of soil fertility was observed after deforestation and traditional cultivation. The main aim of deforestation was agricultural...
Values of organic materials as fertilizers to northern Nigerian crop production systems
December 2016
Organic materials, the combined products of different animal and plant sources, play vital roles in agricultural crop production systems. They are more environmental friendly than inorganic fertilizers and added many values to soil and crop production, economically. They sustain and restore soil inherent properties, enhance soil biological activities and potentially increase crop yields, which are safe for human...
Characterization of problem soils in and around the south central Ethiopian Rift Valley
November 2016
Some soils in Ethiopia reduce plant productivity due to physical and/or chemical limitations. The morphological, physical and chemical properties of problem soils, including sodic, acidic, and saline soils, around southern Ethiopia were characterized and are described in this chapter. The intention is to characterize the soils and better understand the specific nature of the limitations. Sodic soils of Alage, acid soils...
Attributes of Neosols associated with agricultural uses in the Semi-arid Region of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
November 2016
The integrated study of soil properties allows the establishment of appropriate management practices in the Brazilian Semi-arid region. This study aimed at evaluating the physical and chemical attributes in Neosols under different agricultural uses in different landscape positions. The evaluations were carried out in five areas in the city of Martins, RN: Consortium of corn/bean/cassava (CON), monoculture of corn (MM)...
Nitrogen Dynamics of Vermicompost Use in Sustainable Agriculture
November 2016
Vermicomposting is a process where worms are used to transform organic waste products into fertilizers for agricultural use and as soil amendments to improve soil health. Vermicompost is used in agriculture as both an organic fertilizer and a soil amendment due to its large biological component and abundant nutrient concentrations, in particular nitrogen (N). Vermicomposts promote soil microbial biodiversity by...
Soil thermal parameters assessment by direct method and mathematical models
October 2016
Soil thermal parameters are mainly inputs for models of soil heat flux. Mathematical models are important tool for predicting the soil heat and water transfer, depending on some fundamentals of soil physical properties. Soil moisture is one of the soil physical properties that have a great effect on thermal parameters. The aim of the work is to describe the behavior of soil thermal parameters under different values of...
The effect of land management practices on soil physical and chemical properties in Gojeb Sub-river Basin of Dedo District, Southwest Ethiopia
October 2016
This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of cultivation, fallow and woody land with and without soil bund on soil physical and chemical properties in Gojeb river basin of Dedo district. Landscape of the basin was divided in to three slope positions as upper (25 to 35%), middle (15 to 25%) and lower (5 to 15%). From each slope position, purposely three land use types (cultivated, fallow and woody) lands conserved...
Farmers perception on soil fertility status of small- scale farming system in southwestern Ethiopia
September 2016
Soil is one of the most essential natural resources. That is why soil fertility management is a major global concern. The current study in Delta sub-watershed was conducted to assess farmer’s perception on soil fertility status of small holder farming system under different land uses, Enset (Ensete ventricosum) farm, grazing and agricultural land. Both secondary and primary data were collected through direct field...
Sulphate sorption and desorption characteristics of selected Malawi soils
September 2016
The soils selected for this study represented major soil types in Malawi. They exhibited a wide range of physical and chemical properties. Their pH values ranged from 4.7 to 6.7 and their contents of clay fraction (<0.002 mm) ranged from 170 to 500 g kg-1, organic matter from 6.7 to 39.3 g kg-1, free Fe2O3 from 18.9 to 44.7 g kg-1, and free Al2O3 from 17.8 to 45.6 g kg-1. The soils varied widely in their SO4 sorption...
Variability of soil organic carbon with landforms and land use in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania
September 2016
This study was carried out to assist in the formulation of conservation technologies for landscape sustained productivity in the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Conventional soil survey methods were used to develop a base map on which 55 soil profile pits were randomly located on representative landforms and land use mapping units. Soil samples were collected from topsoils for soil carbon analysis using the wet digestion...
Liming and selenium application impact on plant available selenium in selected soils of Malawi
August 2016
Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for humans and other animals. Its deficiency in food can cause cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases in humans. In high concentrations, Se is toxic for humans, animals and plants. The bioavailability of Se in soils largely determines the Se level in food, feed and therefore throughout the nutrition chain. Selenium content in soils is highly variable. The objective of this...
Soil management effects on phosphorus sorption and external P requirement in oxisols of Malawi
August 2016
Oxisols are one of the major soils of Malawi and they are high in P sorption. Conservation agriculture has been practiced on this soil for some years now but soil management effects on P sorption and external P requirement (EPR) of Oxisols in Malawi have not, however, been determined. Soil management effects on P sorption and EPR of Oxisols in Malawi were therefore determined in the present study. The effects studied...
Ammonia volatilization in corn crop as a result of the application of different nitrogenous fertilizers
August 2016
The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with samples of Eutroferric Red Latosol. On each of these samples, an amount of 800 mg/kg of N was superficially added in the soil. The experiment consisted of five industrial sources of nitrogen, urea (45% of N), urea plus (45% of N), ammonium sulfate (20% of N and 24% of S), Yarabela® (27% of N) where we assessed the volatilization 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 18 days after...
Evaluation of soil contamination in the surroundings of Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) industrial area in Kollam District, Kerala, South India
July 2016
Toxic trace metals concentration in soil exerts a decisive impact on soil quality in an industrial area. In recent days, industrialization is growing at very faster rate than any other activities. Due to industrialization, the pollution load for water, air and soil is increasing day by day. Metal pollution in soil possess a serious threat to the human health and safety of agricultural production. An attempt is made here...
Application of silicon ameliorated salinity stress and improved wheat yield
July 2016
Management of soil salinity is an important research field around the globe, especially when associated with the limited water resources. This work aimed to improve the growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. CV. Sakha-93) grown under salinity stress. A completely randomized design pot experiment with three replications was conducted in a loamy soil with various levels of salinity under local weather conditions....
Kinetic of pigs’ manures decomposition and nutrient release pattern in ferralitic soil of Benin (West Africa)
June 2016
Our study aims to assess the kinetic of the decomposition and nutrient mineralization process of organic manures from pigs’ dejection. A litter bag study was carried out during 12 weeks following decomposition and nutrient release process in ferralitic soil in southern Benin (West Africa). 200 g of pigs’ manures from four groups of pigs fed with four diets were considered as treatments: T1 (recommended diet...
Goodness of fit of three infiltration models of a soil under long-term trial in Samaru, Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria
May 2016
Good strategies for water conservation, runoff or flood control and erosion management can be achieved by proper understanding of soil water infiltration characteristics. Three infiltration models Kostiakov’s (1932), Philip’s (1957) and Horton’s (1940) were used to evaluate the infiltration characteristics of soils in a long-term fertilizer experiment in the Northern Guinea Savanna Agro Ecological zone...
Impacts of anthropogenic activities on physical and selected chemical properties of soils in the natural forestË—savanna of Northern Ghana
May 2016
This study assessed the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the textural and selected chemical properties of the soils in the natural forestË—savanna in northern Ghana by comparing the soil physicochemical status of protected forests and neighbouring unprotected forests which are prone to human pressures (except farming and settlements). Three study zones (Wungu, Serigu, and Mognori, which are parts of West Mamprusi,...
Effect of silicon application on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) grown in a Vertisol in Egypt
April 2016
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is an important tropical and subtropical crop, because of its multi uses in the medicinal purposes as well as food industries. A plot experiment was conducted in a Vertisol in Egypt over two sequential seasons (2013 and 2014) to assess the effect of silicon (Si) fertilization on roselle growth and yield. Specific growth characteristics measured were: plant heights, branching, and leaves;...
The effect of Jatropha curcas L. leaf litter decomposition on soil carbon and nitrogen status and bacterial community structure (Senegal)
March 2016
The cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. as a biodiesel feedstock has been encouraged in Senegal to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate the effects of climate change. J. curcasis is a poisonous plant which sheds its leaves during the dry season. Although the leaves are toxic for animals, they can help to recycle soil organic matter. This study set out to determine the effect of the decomposition dynamics of...
Analysis of soils from cassava farms in floodplain terrain
March 2016
The study was carried out to analyze soils from cassava farms in floodplain terrain of the River Benue. Cassava is the most extensively cultivated crop in Benue State. Soil samples were collected randomly from cassava farms owned by members of farming cooperative societies in Makurdi, Tarka, and Gboko Local Government Areas. These samples were analysed for physical and chemical properties. The pH was slightly acidic...
Effect of conservation tillage on soil respiration rate and water content under wheat/maize system in North China Plain
February 2016
Conservation tillage management can improve soil moisture and reduce or increase soil CO2 emission. Soil CO2 flux rate, soil moisture, and the relationship between soil respiration and temperature on North China Plain throughout a 3-year period was determined. Tillage systems were rotary tillage without crop residues (CT), rotary tillage with crop residues incorporated into the soil in winter, and no-tillage with crop...
Hydrodynamic behaviour of a pilot scale anaerobic baffled reactor treating SWINE wastewater from farming
January 2016
Swine effluents are among the high pollutants effluent generated by agro-industrial activities, and therefore, inappropriate discharge can initiate fatal processes, such as eutrophication, pollution, and asphyxia of the aquatic biota. In this regard, the anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) is viewed as a potential bioreactor to handle swine effluents since the baffles play a key role in organic matter degradation. The...
Chemical soil degradation as a result of contamination: A review
December 2015
Chemical soil degradation after erosion is the second most abundant form of soil degradation and as such poses a threat to our finite soil resource, as it tends to render it less usable. It is therefore necessary to understand the means by which soils are degraded chemically. This review paper seeks to highlight some of the causes of soil chemical degradation. One way by which soils degrade chemically is through soil...
Mapping gully erosion in Abia State, Nigeria using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques
October 2015
Soil erosion is of major concern in Abia State, Nigeria. This study adopts a combination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing as a tool to study and map soil erosion menace in Abia State. For this research, several datasets that represent climate, soil, geology, topographic and anthropogenic factors were used as the basic requirements for environmental modeling of soil loss using Universal Soil...
Effect of lime and goat manure on soil acidity and maize (Zea mays) growth parameters at Kavutiri, Embu County- Central Kenya
October 2015
A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to determine the effect of agricultural lime and goat manureon soil acidity and maize growth parameters using soils from Kavutiri-Embu County. Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers at the rates of 50 and 70 kg ha-1, respectively, and goat manure at three rates (0, 5 and 10 mg ha-1) and agricultural lime (CaCO3) at six rates (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 mg ha-1) were used for the...
Effects of integrating different soil and water conservation measures into hillside area closure on selected soil properties in Hawassa Zuria District, Ethiopia
October 2015
Land degradation is a serious global problem. Pursuant to the alarming environmental degradation, the government and non-governmental organizations have implemented various land rehabilitation programs. Among this the predominant one is area closures, through tree-planting and physical conservation measures such as terracing. This study was designed to investigate the impact of integrating soil and water conservation...
Elucidating the causes of low phosphorus levels in ferralsols of Siaya County, Western Kenya
September 2015
Low available soil phosphorus (P) is one of the factors limiting crop production in western Kenya. Availability of soil P depends on amount of apatite, addition of P fertilizers, P fixing potential of a soil, soil water content and P removal by crops. Ferralsols are one of the major soil groups in Siaya County in western Kenya with low available P. We evaluated the possible causes of low available P in Ferralsols in the...
Liming and fertiliser P interaction effects on some indices of fertility of selected Malawi acidic soils
September 2015
Laboratory investigations were conducted to determine effects of liming materials and inorganic phosphatic fertilisers on some indices of soil fertility. Results showed that soil bulk density decreased with increasing additions of liming materials and that interaction effects of dolomitic limestone and mineral fertiliser P increased soil pH from 4.4 for the unlimed top-soils to 6.3 after 3 t ha‒1 of dolomitic...
Applicability of conservation agriculture for climate change adaptation in Rwanda’s situation
September 2015
Improving food security and environmental conservation should be the main targets of innovative farming systems. Conservation agriculture (CA), based on minimum tillage, crop residue retention and crop rotations has been proposed against poor agricultural productivity and soil degradation. This paper discusses the applicability and potential benefits of CA in Rwanda under the unfolding climate change scenario....
Land degradation and the sustainability of agricultural production in Nigeria: A review
September 2015
Human-induced soil degradation that results from erosion, losses of organic matter, plant nutrients and soil compaction are the key factors threatening food security in Nigeria. Food import statistics show that Nigeria is food deficit and starvation stalks the country. The paper examined in some details some factors of soil degradation, their effects on crop yield decline and its impact on the people and the...
Biostimulation of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria in soil contaminated with spent engine oil using banana and plantain agro-wastes
August 2015
hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria in soil contaminated with spent engine oil, as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers was investigated. Two types of agro-wastes were used for biostimulation of hydrocarbon degraders in soil contaminated with 10% w/w spent engine oil. 100g w/w each of plaintain and banana agro-wastes were supplemented and mixed with spiked soil. The rates of biodegradation of the oil were studied for a...
Soil properties and carbon sequestration under desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca) in the lowlands of Northern Ethiopia
August 2015
This study assessed the effect of Balanites aegyptiaca on soil properties and carbon sequestration. A 100 × 100 m plot of entirely the same biophysical setting was delineated. Nine trees of relatively the same diameter at breast height (DBH) were selected to study the effect of the tree on soil properties. In total, 81 soil samples were collected from three radii distances from each tree, that is 0 - 2, 2 - 4, and...
Spatial variability and classification of soils on a Legon hill catena in the Accra Plains, Ghana
August 2015
Properties of five soils developed on different positions of a Legon hill catena in the Accra Plains, Ghana, were studied. Nyigbenya, Toje, Adenta, Haatso and Alajo series were located on the higher upperslope, lower upperslope, middle slope, lower slope and bottom slope positions, respectively. All the soils had bulk density between 1.00 and 1.40 Mg m-3 and pH (KCl) > 5.1. Alajo series showed relatively higher pH...
Mitigating N2O emissions from agriculture: A review of the current knowledge on soil system modelling, environmental factors and management practices influencing emissions
July 2015
The AgriGES project is a Concerted Research Action lead by Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, aiming to quantify methane and nitrous oxide emission from pastures and crop fields, respectively. Besides quantification, a second important goal of the AgriGES project is to study the flux dynamics and to gain a better understanding of the biophysical processes coming into play. We focus here on N2O fluxes and first propose an overview...
Influence of cassava peels and poultry manure-based compost on soil properties, growth and yield of waterleaf (Talinum triangulare Jacq) in an ultisol of south-eastern Nigeria
July 2015
Effects of cassava peels and poultry manure based compost and their sole applications on soil properties, growth and yield of waterleaf were investigated at the University of Calabar Teaching and Research Farm during 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. There were seven treatments consisting of mixture of cassava...
Variation in nutrient concentrations of basement complex and sedimentary rock of teak plantations in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria
July 2015
This study examined the differences in the nutrient concentration of the parent material of teak plantations under basement and sedimentary rocks in south western Nigeria. Systematic line transect was employed to establish 18 plots (30 m x 30 m), each in Ilaro (sedimentary rock) and Olokemeji (basement complex rock) plantations which were 37, 40 and 42 years old while twelve rock samples each from 3 quadrants each of 30...
Determinants of adopting techniques of soil and water conservation in Goromti Watershed, Western Ethiopia
June 2015
Land degradation is one of the major challenges in agricultural production in many parts of the world, especially in developing nations, including Ethiopia. A number of soil and water conservation methods were introduced to combat land degradation but adoption of these practices remains below expectations. The main objective of the study is to assess determinants of soil and water conservation techniques in Western...
Effects of soil conservation technologies in improving soil productivity in northern Ghana
June 2015
A four year study was carried out to ascertain the usefulness of conservation agriculture (CA) technologies in improving biomass cover as well as the physical and chemical properties of the soil across 6 communities in northern Ghana. The conservation agriculture introduced include: Zero tillage, cover cropping, crop rotation and intercropping. Bunding was also introduced as a means of moisture retention. After four...
Forms and content of sesquioxides in soils on basement complexes of northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria
June 2015
The forms and content of sesquioxides (Fe and Mn) were studied in soils developed on basement complex rocks within Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria. The study showed that variation in parent materials and pedogenetic development significantly influenced content of dithionite, oxalate extractable forms of iron and active iron ratio in these soils. The mean values of active sesquioxides (Fe and Mn) ratios between the...
Introduction to a quantitative method for assessment of visual impacts of Tehran Towers
June 2015
Landscape arrangement significantly influences observer’s visual experience of the environment. Since measuring this qualitative experience is more based on personal judgments than mathematical techniques, representing “quantifying methods” in this field demands a significant amount of caution and accuracy. This research is an attempt to quantify visual impacts of seven-story- and higher-buildings on...
Effect of seasonal dynamics on the chemical properties of the soil of a Northern Guinea savanna ecosystem in Nigeria
May 2015
Investigations were carried out into the effects of seasonal changes on some soil chemical properties in the Northern Guinea savanna ecosystem in Nigeria. The study was carried out in Kamuku National Park is located in Birnin Gwari of Nigeria in 2011and 2012. Twenty plots were randomly selected for soil sampling from 100 plots of 10 m × 10 m at four different seasons viz: January (dry season), May (beginning of...
Suitability assessment of soil for cassava production in the coastal and hinterland areas of Southern Cross River State – Nigeria
May 2015
Nutrient deficiencies and imbalances are the main constraints of crop production in Nigeria and thus, assessing the suitability of the lands for agricultural production, especially in developing countries to boost crop yield is very urgent and timely. The study is aimed at examining the suitability assessment of soil for cassava production in Southern Cross River State, Nigeria. Soil samples were randomly collected from...
Rainfall variability and crop production in the North-western semi-arid zone of Nigeria
May 2015
This research work examined the implications of rainfall variability on some major food crops of the semi - arid region of northern Nigeria in a changing climate. Fifty years of daily rainfall data (1963 - 2012) were collected from the Meteorological unit of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and the data were processed using VISUAL-BASIC.NET programme. The concept developed by Ashok...
Impact of Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) on soil chemical properties and its distribution in a reserve area: A case study in Awash National Park (ANP), Ethiopia
May 2015
The study was conducted in Awash National Park (ANP), East Shewa Zone of Oromia National Regional Sate, Ethiopia, and aimed at determining the impact of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) on soil chemical properties and assessing the current distribution of the weed in the Park. A transect belt of 13.5×0.10 km of parthenium weed infested land was identified. Four quadrats were purposively laid every...
Available iron distribution in Nigerian soils - A review
April 2015
Enhancement and maintenance of soil available iron (Fe) in a continuous cropping system such as practiced in Southeast Nigeria is critical to producing iron rich food crops and sustaining agricultural productivity. This review focused on the distribution of Fe in Nigerian soils and factors affecting its availability. It is understood that the amount of Fe in soils depends on soil texture, pH, calcium carbonate (CaCO3)...
Spatio-temporal variations of rainfall erosivity in Rwanda
April 2015
This study aims at investigating the spatio-temporal distribution of rainfall erosivity in Rwanda between the 1940s and the 1990s. The study gives new insights into rising trends in rainfall erosivity and, therefore, prepares agriculturalists to take precautionary measures for better land conservation. Modified Fournier Index (MFI) for consecutive decades from 1941 to 1990 and mean differences in Fourier Index (FI) and...
Effect of different levels of spent engine oil on soil porperties, grain yield of maize and its heavy metal uptake in Abakaliki, Southeastern Nigeria
April 2015
This research was carried out at the Plant and Screen house to study effect of different levels of spent engine oil application on soil properties, grain yield of maize and heavy metals uptake. Completely randomized design was used with nine treatment levels of spent engine oil at 0.0, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 1.0 L were applied to 20 kg of soil. Maize was used as a test crop. Data collected from the study were...
A trial to determine the impact of soil washing on coal seam gas (CSG) dam sediments in Queensland
April 2015
Extracting coal seam gas (CSG) is becoming increasingly common in Australia and throughout the world. With the number of wells in Queensland alone increasing from 10 in 1995 to 4,484 by 2013 and 20,000-40,000 more expected to be drilled in the next 20 years, the production of methane from CSG is forecast to become one of Australia’s largest export commodities within the next decade. There is, however, growing...
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