scholarly journals Soil fertility management for groundnut in the lowveld of Mpumalanga and north coastal plain of KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa

Author(s):  
Zharare

Smallholder groundnut production contributes substantially to food security in Mpumalanga Lowveld (MLV) and in Manguzi, the northern coastal plain (NCP) of KwaZulu Natal (KZN), both of which are dominated by infertile structureless sandy soils. A study was conducted to obtain information on the chemical properties of the soils to guide fertilizer management for optimizing groundnut production on these soils. Soil samples were collected from representative sites in  MLV and NCP, and analysed for pH, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), phosphorous (P), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) in the peg-zone (0-10 cm depth), root zone (10-40 cm depth) and subsoil (40-60 cm depth). The soils were largely acidic, with pH mostly falling below 5.5. The basic cation concentrations were generally low, and so were Zn and Mn concentrations. Nonetheless, with the exception of P and Mn, the soil concentrations of the other nutrients analysed were within ranges considered adequate for vegetative and reproductive growth of groundnut, though Zn was marginally so. General fertility management recommendations to inform agricultural extension are provided for groundnut production on the sandy soils based on the chemical analyses of the soils.

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1349
Author(s):  
John Havlin ◽  
Ron Heiniger

Increasing crop productivity per unit of land area to meet future food and fiber demand increases both soil nutrient removal and the importance of replenishing soil fertility through efficient nutrient management practices. Significant progress in enhancing nutrient-use efficiency in production agriculture requires improved estimates of plant-available nutrients in the root zone, enhanced crop response to applied nutrients, and reduced offsite nutrient transport. This special issue, Soil Fertility Management for Better Crop Production, presents 15 manuscripts that advance our knowledge of interrelated soil, plant, and management factors important to increasing the nutrient availability and crop recovery of applied nutrients.


Author(s):  
F. K. Mbaka ◽  
H. O. Ndukhu ◽  
G. O. Oloo-Abucheli

Soil fertility decline is one of the major constraints in agricultural productivity. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in legumes can offer a cost-effective and sustainable means towards soil fertility management. There is limited information on green-gram BNF enhancement through Rhizobium inoculation with rock phosphate fertilizer. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Rhizobium and rock phosphate fertilizer application on soil chemical properties under green-gram varieties. The study was carried out at Chuka university horticultural research farm in two seasons (November 2019 - January 2020 and February - April 2020). A factorial experiment of 2 x 2 x 2 was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). There were three factors; varieties (N26 and KS20), rock phosphate (0 and 30 kg P ha-1) and Rhizobium inoculation (0 and 100 g ha-1) making a total of eight treatments which were replicated three times. Soil sampling and analyses were done for soil pH, fixed-N, total nitrogen (TN), exchangeable cations (EC), available Phosphorous (P), total organic carbon (TOC), and exchangeable potassium (K) before planting and after harvesting of green-grams for the two seasons. Data was analysed using GENSTAT 15th edition (P≤0.05). Results from both seasons indicated that combined application of rock phosphate at 30 kg P ha-1 and Rhizobium inoculation at 100 kg ha-1 showed significant (P≤0.05) higher increase in soil chemical properties over other treatments. However, treatment R1P1KS20 recorded significantly higher results in soil pH (7.54), TN (0.58%), TOC (3.45%), P (68.20 ppm) and EC (0.95 CmolKg-1), fixed-N (0.50%) and K (1.75 CmolKg-1). On the other hand treatment R0P0N26 recorded significant (P≤0.05) lower results in soil pH (5.23), TN (0.04%), TOC (1.86%), P (8.76 ppm), EC (0.21 CmolKg-1) and K (0.58 CmolKg-1). Therefore, Rhizobium inoculation in green-grams in combination with rock phosphate is an important legume nitrogen fixation enhancement method. This method is cost effective for farmers in sustainably supplementing nitrogen and phosphorous in their farms for improved soil fertility management. Based on the findings, combining Rhizobium 100g ha-1 and rock phosphate 30 kg P ha-1 with variety KS20 were recommended for a sustainable soil fertility management in Tharaka Nithi County.


Soil Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Cavoski ◽  
Ziad Al Chami ◽  
Mohammad Jarrar ◽  
Donato Mondelli

Regulation of organic farming allows the use of a limited range of fertilisers and soil amendments to meet nutritional needs of the plants. Before advocating alternative strategies for fertility management, performance should be evaluated. An open field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different fertilisation scenarios on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill, cv. San Marzano) production and soil chemical properties. Fertilisation scenarios were based on combinations of amendments (composts and biochar) with organic and/or mineral fertilisers to balance plant nutrient requirements. Amendments were produced from agricultural and food-industry wastes available in the region. Most of the soil parameters did not vary by the end of experiment; only available phosphorus slightly increased in the treatments where organic fertilisers were applied. All treatments significantly increased yields over control and biochar alone. Different compost types showed promising results for tomato production and quality, whereas biochar did not. The study demonstrated that recycling of nutrients from on-farm or food-industry wastes might be a good strategy to increase productivity and sustainability of Mediterranean organic agriculture when integrated fertility management is adapted. However, more studies are needed to evaluate their effect in long-term experiments.


1982 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
NJ Barrow

Large quantities of alkaline red mud are produced as a waste product from the extraction of alumina from bauxite. Its chemical and physical properties and the way that it could be modified to produce good growth of plants were investigated. The cation exchange capacity of the red mud increased with pH, the adsorption of phosphate decreased, and the adsorption of cadmium increased. A pH of just above eight seemed to provide a good combination of desirable properties. This could be achieved by exposing the red mud to air and mixing it with gypsum - also available as a waste product. Carbon dioxide was absorbed by alkaIi in the red mud, and then precipitated by the gypsum as calcium carbonate. This released sodium sulfate which could be leached from the mud. Medic species could then be grown, provided that phosphate, potassium and manganese were supplied. Residual sodium sulfate from incomplete leaching seemed to limit the growth of other species. There seemed to be a potential to use the amended red mud to improve the waterholding properties and the chemical properties of sandy soils of the Western Australian coastal plain.


Geoderma ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 366 ◽  
pp. 114207
Author(s):  
Alexis M. Adams ◽  
Adam W. Gillespie ◽  
Gurbir S. Dhillon ◽  
Gourango Kar ◽  
Colin Minielly ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-200
Author(s):  
Anca-Luiza Stanila ◽  
Catalin Cristian Simota ◽  
Mihail Dumitru

Highlighting the sandy soil of Oltenia Plain calls for a better knowledge of their variability their correlation with major natural factors from each physical geography. Pedogenetic processes specific sandy soils are strongly influenced by nature parent material. This leads, on the one hand, climate aridity of the soil due to strong heating and accumulation of small water reserves, consequences emphasizing the moisture deficit in the development of the vegetation and favoring weak deflation, and on the other hand, an increase in mineralization organic matter. Relief under wind characteristic sandy land, soil formation and distribution has some particularly of flat land with the land formed on the loess. The dune ridges are less evolved soils, profile underdeveloped and poorly supplied with nutrients compared to those on the slopes of the dunes and the interdune, whose physical and chemical properties are more favorable to plant growth.Both Romanati Plain and the Blahnita (Mehedinti) Plain and Bailesti Plain, sand wind shaped covering a finer material, loamy sand and even loess (containing up to 26% clay), also rippled with negative effects in terms of overall drainage. Depending on the pedogenetic physical and geographical factors that have contributed to soil cover, in the researched were identified following classes of soils: protisols, cernisols, cambisols, luvisols, hidrisols and antrosols.Obtaining appropriate agricultural production requires some land improvement works (especially fitting for irrigation) and agropedoameliorative works. Particular attention should be paid to preventing and combating wind erosion.


Author(s):  
Mateus Vieira da Cunha Salim ◽  
Robert Pritchard Miller ◽  
César A. Ticona-Benavente ◽  
Johannes van Leeuwen ◽  
Sonia Sena Alfaia

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