Prospects and problems of using Jatropha cake as organic fertiliser among crop farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria

Author(s):  
Adebayo Olowoake ◽  
Grace Abolaji ◽  
Olayinka Yusuf ◽  
Ibrahim Ayanda ◽  
Felicia Olooto
Author(s):  
Felicia Olooto ◽  
Ibrahim Ayanda ◽  
Olayinka Yusuf ◽  
Adebayo Olowoake ◽  
Grace Abolaji

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Smilja Lambert ◽  
Hussin bin Purung ◽  
Syawaluddin ◽  
Peter McMahon

Summary Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) farmers in Sulawesi, Indonesia typically use subsidised, ammonium-based rice fertilisers that in combination with poor agricultural practices have resulted in soil acidification, loss of organic matter, aluminium toxicity and lower soil fertility. As a result, these soils are only marginally appropriate for replanting cocoa to boost production. A field experiment was performed to test alternative soil amendments for successful replanting of cocoa on these deficient soils. In a trial with a randomised block design, 6-month old seedlings, top-grafted with the local MCC02 clone, were planted under light Gliricidia sepium shade and after 3 months treated quarterly with two options of mineral fertilisers: either a customised fertiliser, consisting of Nitrabor (a combination of calcium nitrate and boron), dolomite, rock phosphate and KCl or a NPK/urea mix used by farmers, each supplied with or without ‘micronutrient’ rock salt, organic fertiliser and beneficial microorganisms or their culture medium, a mixture of chitin and amino acids (a total of 20 treatments). Over a 4-year period, the marginal mean rates of stem diameter increment and flowering score were higher in customised fertiliser than NPK/urea treatments. The average growth rate was highest in the first year and was increased by supplying organic fertiliser. A significant correlation (r = 0.22, p < 0.05) occurred between growth and available P, but concentrations of available P were higher in the NPK/urea plots, which also had lower mean growth rates. Combined supply of organic fertiliser and microbes increased available P, as well as growth rates, in both the customised and NPK/urea treatments. In contrast, NPK/urea-treated plots without these amendments demonstrated very low growth rates. The customised formulation was more effective with or without added organic fertiliser or inoculated microbes. Micronutrient supply stimulated flowering. Growth rates in trees supplied with NPK/urea were also promoted by micronutrients. Leaf flush production occurred in regular cycles and was unaffected by the nutrient amendments. After 3 years, the customised and organic fertiliser application increased soil pH and exchangeable Ca and Mg concentrations, although they remained below recommended levels for cocoa production. These treatments had little impact on soil C content (about 1.3%) which was also deficient. Exchangeable Al and total Zn concentrations were higher in soils amended with NPK/urea. The results of the trial provide evidence that utilisation of organic fertiliser in combination with customised nitrate-based formulations improves cocoa establishment, growth and soil properties and should be recommended as a replacement for the NPK/urea fertilisers traditionally used by farmers.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1472
Author(s):  
Ilaria Piccoli ◽  
Felice Sartori ◽  
Riccardo Polese ◽  
Maurizio Borin ◽  
Antonio Berti

Agri-environmental indicators such as nutrient balance may play a key role in soil and water quality monitoring, although short-term experiments might be unable to capture the sustainability of cropping systems. Therefore, the objectives of this study are: (i) to evaluate the reliability of long-term experimental N and P balance estimates to predict real field (RF) (i.e., short-term transitory) conditions; and (ii) to compare the sustainability of short- and long-term experiments. The LTE-based predictions showed that crops are generally over-fertilised in RF conditions, particularly maize. Nutrient balance predictions based on the LTE data tended to be more optimistic than those observed under RF conditions, which are often characterised by lower outputs; in particular, 13, 44, and 47% lower yields were observed for winter wheat, maize, and soybean, respectively, under organic management. The graphical evaluation of N and P use efficiency demonstrated the benefit of adopting crop rotation practices and the risk of nutrient loss when liquid organic fertiliser was applied on a long-term basis. In conclusion, LTE predictions may depend upon specific RF conditions, representing potential N and P use efficiencies that, in RF, may be reduced by crop yield-limiting factors and the specific implemented crop sequence.


Author(s):  
Michael B. Farrar ◽  
Helen M. Wallace ◽  
Cheng-Yuan Xu ◽  
Stephen Joseph ◽  
Thi Thu Nhan Nguyen ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Rainer Fiedler ◽  
Jürgen Augustin ◽  
Nicole Wrage-Mönnig ◽  
Gerald Jurasinski ◽  
Bertram Gusovius ◽  
...  

Abstract. Biogas digestate (BD) is increasingly used as organic fertiliser, but has a high potential for NH3 losses. Its proposed injection into soils as a counter-measure has been suggested to promote the generation of N2O, leading to a potential trade-off. Furthermore, the effect on N2 losses after injection of BD into soil has not yet been evaluated. We performed a simulated BD injection experiment in a helium-oxygen atmosphere to examine the influence of soil substrate (loamy sand, clayey silt), water-filled pore space (WFPS; 35, 55, 75 %), temperature (2° C, 15° C) and application rate (0, 160, 320 kg N ha−1) as a proxy for row spacing of injection on the emissions of N2O, N2, and CO2. To determine the potential capacity for these gaseous losses, we incubated under anaerobic conditions by purging with helium for the last 24 h of incubation. N2O and N2 emissions as well as the N2 / (N2O + N2) ratio depended on soil type and increased with WFPS and temperature, indicating a crucial role of soil gas diffusivity for the formation of these gases in agricultural soils. However, the emissions did not increase with the application rate of BD, i.e. a broader spacing of injection slits, probably due to an inhibitory effect of the high NH4+ content of BD. Our results suggest that the risk of N2O and N2 losses even after injection of relatively large amounts of BD seems to be small for dry to wet sandy soils and acceptable when regarding simultaneously reduced NH3 emissions for dry silty soils.


2021 ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Fredy Torres Mejía ◽  
Juan Alexander Torres Mejía ◽  
Henry Edgardo Maradiaga Galeano ◽  
Claudia López Toro

The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of the extraction and mechanical filtering of Jatropha curcas oil and to evaluate the primary energy of the raw material resulting from the process, this is a qualitative-quantitative study of transversal order based on measurements and analysis of the process in situ: The following factors were evaluated as factors: weight of oil per seed processed, weight of pressed cake, and measurements in the filtering process, from which a balance of matter of the process used was constructed, and the energy valuation of the oil and pressed cake, energy was used as the response variable, measured in Tons of Oil Equivalent (TEP), Barrels of Oil Equivalent (BEP), and tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (Ton CO2eq). The seed used is Creole, the one existing in the area, the extraction was carried out in a KEK-P0101 press, and a KEK-F0090 filter. The collected seeds were dried and then discarded, the average shell weight is 40% of the total weight of the dry seed, from the oil extraction process a yield of 18.6% was obtained using seed with 5.8% humidity, and from the oil filtering process, when it passed through the filter, no weight loss in kg was obtained; finally, the equivalent primary energy valuation of one ton of oil is 39076. 39 MJTon-1, which is equivalent to 0.94 TEP, 2.90 Ton CO2 eq, and 20.87 BEP; in the same way one ton of Jatropha cake represents 15969.30 MJ, equivalent to 0.38 TEP, 1.18 Ton CO2 eq, and 8. 53 BEP, and the total primary energy between one ton of oil and one ton of Jatropha cake after oil extraction together contain 55045.61 MJTon-1, equivalent to 1.32 TEP, 4.08 Ton CO2 eq, and 29.41 BEP.


Author(s):  
S. O. Olanipekun ◽  
A. O. Togun ◽  
A. K. Adebayo ◽  
F. B. Anjorin

Farmers use Inorganic Fertilizers (IF) to improve kenaf yield in Nigeria. However, the detrimental effects of mineral fertilizers and its high cost calls for the use of organic fertilizers that are locally available and environment friendly. Combination of Organic Fertiliser (OF) with IF may reduce the bulkiness of OF while harnessing the benefit of both for higher yields. Field trials were conducted at Ibadan and Ilora in 2013 and 2014 to investigate the effects of combined fertilizers on the growth and yield of kenaf. Organic and IF (NPK 20:10:10) fertilizers as: (i) 160 kg ha-1 (sole organic), (ii) 100 kg ha-1 (sole IFl), (iii) Organic and IF at 50:50 ratio and (iv) control (no fertilizer). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Results showed that plant height (220.17 cm, 216.80 cm) and stem diameter (2.27 cm, 1.16 cm). Bast fiber (2.27 t/ha, 2.27 t/ha) and seed yield (1.69 t/ha, 1.78 t/ha) in Ibadan and Ilora respectively were significantly higher in plots with combined fertilizer. Combined fertilizers had the highest fiber and seed yield above sole application and control (no fertilizer application). Hence it is recommended for kenaf cultivation in Southwest Nigeria.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihai Yang ◽  
Ning Yin ◽  
Amin William Mugera ◽  
Yumeng Wang

PurposeThis paper analysed survey data of 715 rice-producing households in China to assess the determinants of adoption of five mutually exclusive soil conservation practices (SCPs) and their impact on rice yield and chemical fertiliser use.Design/methodology/approachThe multinomial endogenous treatment effects model was used to account for selection bias and endogeneity arising from both observed and unobserved heterogeneity.FindingsFarms that adopted SCPs as a package experienced an increase in rice yield and decrease in chemical fertiliser use. Adoption of SCPs as a package led to a 12.0% increase in yield and 15.2% decrease in chemical fertiliser use; these results have policy implications for the non-point source pollution control in the agricultural sector. In contrast, adoption of straw retention only significantly reduced yield by 4.9% and increased chemical fertiliser use by 18.1%.Originality/valueThe authors evaluate and compare multi-type of SCPs, such as straw retention, deep tillage and use of organic fertiliser, separately or in combination, and their impacts on smallholder farmers’ rice yield and chemical fertiliser usage.


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