scholarly journals INFLUENCES OF SHADING AND FERTILIZATION ON ON-FARM YIELDS OF COCOA IN GHANA

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 416-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD ASARE ◽  
REBECCA ASHLEY ASARE ◽  
WINSTON ADAMS ASANTE ◽  
BO MARKUSSEN ◽  
ANDERS RÆBILD
Keyword(s):  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Shade Trees ◽  
Soil Nutrient Status ◽  
Crop Season ◽  
Modifying Effect ◽  
Nutrient Analyses ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Positive Effect

SUMMARYMost cocoa farms in Ghana are cultivated in complex agroforest systems, with plant growth and cocoa productivity being affected. The objective of this study was to investigate how shade trees affect cocoa yield, temperature and soil nutrients in low-input cocoa systems. Establishing plots on 24 farms in four locations (districts) in Ghana, we assessed the influence of varying canopy cover and fertilization on cocoa yields. Results showed no relationship between canopy cover and cocoa yields in the light crop season (February to August). For the main crop season (September to January), there was an interaction between shade and yields: Yields were higher on no-shade plots than on shaded plots in two districts, whilst there were no differences at the two other districts possibly due to differences in precipitation and soil nutrient status. On the other hand, there was a positive effect of increased canopy cover on yields within the shaded plots. Soil nutrient analyses revealed no significant differences between shaded and no-shade plots and adequate levels of N, K+, Fe2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ were recorded. However, soil contents of P, C, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were below recommended values. Peak temperatures recorded in the cocoa canopies were above the recommended range for this species. Although shade trees had a slight modifying effect on peak temperatures, the magnitude appeared too small to have any practical effects.

scholarly journals BORON ON PRODUCTIVITY AND NUTRIENT STATUS OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) IN KOLE LANDS , KERALA, INDIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (No 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Latha ◽  
Asha V Pillai
Keyword(s):  
Oryza Sativa L ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Thousand Grain Weight ◽  
Soil Nutrient Status ◽  
Yield Attributes ◽  
Pooled Data ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Growth Characters

An experiment was conducted in farmer’s field at different locations of kole lands to study the effect of micro nutrient Boron on yield and soil nutrient status of rice during 2012-2014. The treatments comprised of different levels of B viz; 2.5 kg Borax/ ha, 5 kg Borax/ha, 10 kg Borax/ha, 12.5 kg Borax/ha, 15 kg Borax/ha and untreated control. Observations on growth characters, yield attributes, yield and soil and plant nutrient status were recorded. The application of 15 kg borax /ha recorded the maximum number of panicles/m2 , number of grains /panicles, thousand grain weight, grain and straw yield of rice. The results of pooled data on plant and soil nutrient status revealed that application of boron had a positive effect on uptake and availability of nutrients in soil. The study concluded that the soil application of borax@ 15 kg /ha was found to be good for correcting the deficiency in B deficient areas of Kole lands.

Combining sub-field scale soil sampling and GIS interpolation techniques for mapping nutrient hotspots 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Hayes ◽  
Suzanne Higgins ◽  
Donal Mullan ◽  
Josie Geris
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Soil Sampling ◽  
Nutrient Losses ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
Soil Nutrient Status ◽  
Interpolation Techniques ◽  
Nutrient Hotspots ◽  
Field Variability

<p>The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to target prevalent poor water quality status. Of the various contributing sources agriculture is particularly important due to the high loading rates of sediment and nutrient losses associated with fertilisation, sowing, and cropping regimes. Understanding soil nutrient status and the potential pathways for nutrient loss either through point or diffuse sources is an important step to improve water quality from an agricultural perspective. Research has demonstrated extensive in-field variability in soil nutrient status. A sampling regime that explores this variability at a sub-field scale is necessary. Traditional soil sampling consists of taking 20-30 cores per field in a W-shaped formation to produce a single bulked core, however, it generally fails to locate nutrient hotspots at finer resolutions. Inappropriate generalised fertilisation and management recommendations can be made in which nutrient hotspots or deficient zones are overlooked. Gridded soil sampling can reveal the full degree of in-field variability in nutrient status to inform more precise and site-specific nutrient applications. High soil phosphorus levels and the concept of legacy nutrient accumulation due to long-term over-application of phosphorus fertiliser in addition to animal slurry is a problem across the island of Ireland.</p><p>This research aims to locate and quantify the presence of soil nutrient hotspots at several field-scale locations in the cross-border Blackwater catchment in Northern Ireland / Republic of Ireland. Based on 35 m sampling grids, the nutrient content at unsampled locations in each field was determined using GIS interpolation techniques. Particular attention was paid to phosphorus, given its role in eutrophication. Gridded soil sampling enables the identification of nutrient hotspots within fields and when combined with an analysis of their location in relation to in-field landscape characteristics and knowledge of current management regimes, the risk of nutrient or sediment loss potential may be defined. This research concluded that traditional W soil sampling of producing one average value per field is not appropriate to uncover the degree of spatial variability in nutrient status and is inappropriate for catchment management of agricultural systems for controlling nutrient losses. Soil sampling at multiple locations per field is deemed to be cost-prohibitive for many farmers. However, sub-field scale soil sampling and appropriate geostatistical interpolation techniques can reveal the degree of variability and suggest an appropriate resolution for field-scale nutrient management that may be necessary to achieve measurable improvements in water quality.</p>

scholarly journals Soil Nutrient Status of Brahmaputra Floodplain Area in Tangail Sadar Upazila for Agricultural Uses

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-14
Author(s):  
MAM Hossen ◽  
SA Lira ◽  
MY Mia ◽  
AKMM Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Soil Nutrient Status ◽  
Fe Content ◽  
P Content ◽  
Zn Content ◽  
Floodplain Area ◽  
Very High ◽  
Brahmaputra Floodplain

Soil samples from high land, medium high land, medium low land and low land of Brahmaputra Floodplain area showed that pH of the soils were slightly acidic; organic matter (OM) content was medium; total nitrogen (N), available potassium (K) and boron (B) content were low; available phosphorus (P) content was very low; available sulfur (S) and calcium (Ca) content were medium to very high; magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) content were low to optimum; copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) content were very high suggesting the fact that soils of this area is moderately suitable for agricultural uses.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 8(2): 11-14 2015

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