scholarly journals Soil Fertility Depletion and Its Management Options under Crop Production Perspectives in Ethiopia: A Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amare Aleminew ◽  
Melkamu Alemayehu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Management Options

Soil is a non-renewable or finite resource and is the bank of nutrients for plant growth. Most soils in the tropical region including Ethiopia are highly weathered and infertile due to lower organic matter content and open nutrient cycling systems. These led to soil fertility depletion and crop productivity reduction in the country by different soil degradation agents. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review soil fertility depletions and its management options under crop production perspectives in Ethiopia. The major drivers of soil fertility depletion are population pressure, land use pattern, free grazing of animals, lack of energy sources, land ownership and poor government policy problems. The major causes of soil fertility depletion are inadequate fertilizer use, complete removal of crop residues, continuous cropping systems, climate and soil types, lack of proper cropping systems and soil erosion and continuous cultivation. The promising technologies for improving soil fertility are integrated nutrient management, crop residue management, green manuring and cropping sequences, management of farmyard manure, applications of chemical fertilizers and soil amendments, agroforestry practices, applying conservation agriculture and application of soil-water conservation practices. Therefore, it needs a great attention by the community and the government to use innovative soil fertility management options to sustain soil fertility and crop productivity for the coming generations in the country forever enhancing nutrient input and recycling through following closed nutrient management systems in the cultivated lands.

scholarly journals Soil Health as Influenced by Fertilizer Management in Rice Based Cropping System

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-131
Author(s):  
MM Haque ◽  
MR Islam ◽  
MS Rahman ◽  
MAR Sarkar ◽  
MAA Mamun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Cow Dung ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Cropping Patterns ◽  
Soil C

Nutrient management influences soil health and crop productivity. Sustained crop production re-quires specific nutrient management options after a certain period. The objectives of this investigation were to examine the effects of inorganic and organic fertilization on yields and soil carbon budget under rice based cropping patterns in Bangladesh. The research data and informationhave been gen-erated based on previouslypublished, unpublished sources and own concept.Omission of K or im-balanced K are more influential for reduction in grain yield up to 47% in Boro (dry) season but N was most limiting up to 35% in T. Aman (wet) season. With existing fertilizer rates for growing rice, the balances of N and K are always negative. Balanced chemical fertilizer (NPKSZn) can be an option for improving crop productivity and maintain soil quality. Net ecosystem carbon (C) balances are posi-tive when 3 t ha-1 cow dung (CD), 2 t ha-1 poultry manure (PM) and 2 t ha-1 vermicompost (VC) are used in combination with chemical fertilizers. Soil amendments with organic nutrient sources (rice straw, CD, PM, VC, legume crops) and rice based cropping patterns such as T. Aman-Mustard-Boro, Boro-Fallow-Fallow, Jute-T. Aman-Fallow, Wheat-Mungbean-T. Aman, Grass pea- T. Aus-T. Aman and Potato-Boro-T. Aman can be beneficial in improving soil C budget, soil nutrient ratio, total crop production and maintenance of environmental health that will meet SDGs goal. Bangladesh Rice J. 24 (2): 119-131, 2021

scholarly journals Soil Fertility Management for Better Crop Production

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1349
Author(s):  
John Havlin ◽  
Ron Heiniger
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Fertility Management

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.

scholarly journals Integrated Nutrient Management Enhances Soil Quality and Crop Productivity in Maize-Based Cropping System

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10214
Author(s):  
Muhammad Abid ◽  
Tahira Batool ◽  
Ghulam Siddique ◽  
Shafaqat Ali ◽  
Rana Binyamin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Organic Manures ◽  
Crop Growth Stages

Soil quality deterioration, especially in intensive cropping systems, has become a serious problem for crop productivity; consequently, strategies for sustainable crop production and soil health are urgently required. Experiments on fields were organized to investigate the impact of organic manures on crop productivity, soil physiochemical properties and soil water availability in a maize-based cropping system. The experiment consisted of five treatments, including organic manures (OM) and inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilizers applied separately and in combinations: NPK = 250-150-125 Kg/ha (recommended rate), farmyard manure (FYM) = 16 t/ha, poultry manure (PM) = 13 t/ha, NPK + FYM = 150-85-50 Kg/ha + 8.5 t/ha and NPK + PM = 150-85-50 Kg/ha + 7.0 t/ha. The results showed that the combination of OM with mineral fertilizers increased crop productivity, fertilizer use efficiency and yield sustainability indices over the treatments amended with sole application of mineral fertilizers and OM. The analysis of undisturbed soil samples during different crop growth stages revealed that the addition of OM decreased the bulk density and increased the pore volume of soil at the beds of 0–20 and 20–40 cm. The application of OM to the soil not only increased saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil but also improved total available and readily available water contents to the plants, especially when FYM was included at 16 t ha−1. Soil-water retention properties recorded over the entire seven-day monitoring period following irrigation in the OM-amended treatments were consistently higher than the sole mineral NPK application treatments. When testing the soil nutrient status during different crop growth stages, it was noted that by adding OM into the soil not only the status of the organic carbon of soil, extractable N and K and available P contents is increased, but the duration of their availability to the plants are also enhanced. The results of the study show that organic manures addition is of major significance for maintaining soil quality and crop production sustainably, and should be advocated in the nutrient management strategies of intensive water- and nutrient-demanding cropping systems.

SUSTAINABLE RYE PRODUCTION IN THE WESTSIK CROP ROTATION EXPERIMENT

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lazányi
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Continuous Production ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Ecological Requirements

The best-known and most remarkable example of continuous production in Hungary is the Westsik crop rotation experiment established in 1929. It is still in use to study the effects of organic manure treatment, to develop models and to predict the likely effects of different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields. In this respect, the Westsik crop rotation experiment provides data of immediate value to farmers concerning the application of green manure, straw and farmyard manure. The increased demand for food and changes in the ecological requirements of agricultural production have urged scientists to revise the widely used traditional principles and to develop alternative crop production practices. In this respect, they must strive for the adoption of technologies which serve for the simultaneous maintenance of production levels, soil fertility and environmental goals. The Westsik crop rotation experiment provides useful help and a thorough scientific basis for the solution of this problem. It models various possible methods of nutrient management and assists in answering questions on the sustainability of agricultural production. Since 1929, only minor changes have been introduced in some treatments. These changes have made the classical experiment more relevant to current research needs and farming practices.

scholarly journals Analysis of Crop Production Constraints Through Participatory Rural Appraisal in Harari Region, Eastern Ethiopia; Implications for Research and Development

2019 ◽  
pp. 209-217
Author(s):  
Alemayehu Biri ◽  
Kibret Ketema ◽  
Solomon Ayele ◽  
Dagnachew Lule
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Ammonium Phosphate ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Eastern Ethiopia

Participatory rural appraisals (PRA) were conducted in July 14 to 30, 2016 in AGP-II project target districts: Erar waldiya and Dire Teyara in Harari region of Ethiopia. PRA exercises were conducted using various PRA tools which included review of secondary data, focus group discussions, field observations (Transact walk) and pair-wise ranking. The tools were used to identify the biophysical and socio-economic constraints, opportunities and developments within the kebeles. Agricultural and animal productions are common in the surveyed Kebeles of the AGP-II target districts. Mixed farming is widely practiced in the kebeles of both districts. Staple food crops like maize and sorghum, and cash crops like vegetables and khat (Catha edulis Forsk) are commonly produced across all targets of AGP-II districts and also as region as well. Growing maize and sorghum in khat alleys is another cropping system practiced in both districts. The PRA work has also identified various categories of constraints to increasing crop production in the areas. The major bottlenecks include lack of improved crop varieties, low soil fertility, deforestation, moisture stress, disease and insect pests, and lack of awareness on soil fertility crop management. In most of the PRA Kebeles, it was found that continuous cropping, complete removal of crop residues from farm lands, soil erosion, deforestation, absence of fallowing, and inadequate soil fertility management practices are the major causes for low soil fertility and crop yields. In most cases, farmers apply Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), urea and farmyard manure to improve soil fertility and crop yield. However, very few farmers use integrated application of chemical fertilizers and farmyard manure for crop production. In addition, no scientifically formulated and recommended fertilizer rates are available for the specific soils and environments. Thus, due to the lack of scientifically recommended rates of fertilizers and high costs of mineral fertilizers, farmers often use smaller rates of mineral N and P fertilizers based on haphazard estimations.

scholarly journals Integrated soil fertility and yield trend in response to long-term fertilisation under the Chinese double rice-cropping systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 22-32
Author(s):  
Qingyin Shang ◽  
Xiuxia Yang ◽  
Hui Yan ◽  
Xiaohui Wang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Double Rice ◽  
Rice Cropping Systems

Soil fertility is fundamental in determining crop productivity and sustainability in farming systems. A long-term fertiliser experiment in Chinese double rice-cropping systems initiated in 2011 was used in this study to gain an insight into a complete estimating of soil fertility. The six fertiliser treatments included mineral fertiliser (NP, NK, and NPK), combined NPK with farmyard manure (NPKM) or crop straw (NPKS), and no fertiliser application as a control. Results showed that grain yield averaged 5.5–13.0 t/ha/year, and significant increasing trends were observed in the phosphorus-applied plots (NP, NPK, NPKM, and NPKS), but the treatments without phosphorus applied (control and NK) resulted in declining trends in both early- and late-rice yields. After long-term rice cultivation, the contents of total and available phosphorus significantly declined in phosphorus-deficient plots compared to other treatments. Regression analysis showed that the improvement in grain yields was positively correlated with the increased soil fertility over treatments. Relative to the NPK treatment, the NPKM treatment greatly enhanced soil fertility from 0.50 to 0.78, and particularly dramatically increased the content of available soil phosphorus. Therefore, the high grain yield and soil fertility can be simultaneously achieved by long-term balanced fertiliser applications in Chinese double rice-cropping systems.  

scholarly journals Site-Specific Nutrient Management

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 752
Author(s):  
Witold Grzebisz
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Yield Gap ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Fertility Status ◽  
Soil Fertility Status

The editorial introduces to a Special Issue entitled ”Site-Specific Nutrient Management. The concept of the nitrogen gap (NG) is as a core challenge for an effective realization of the so called “twin objectives” in sustainable agriculture. This special issue stresses on some hot spots in crop production, being responsible in the yield gap development, that farmers have to take control. The yield gap cannot be ameliorated without the synchronization of the in-season requirements of the currently grown crop for N with its three-dimensional variability in a supply on a field (temporal, spatial and vertical). A recognition of soil fertility status in the rooted zone, which includes availability of both mineral N and nutrients decisive for its uptake, is the first step in the NG amelioration. The sustainability in soil fertility, as a prerequisite of N fertilizer application, requires a wise strategy of organic matter management, based on farmyard manure, and/or cultivation of legumes. The soil fertility status, irrespectively of the World region determines ways of the N rate optimization. The division of a particular field into homogenous productive units is the primary step in the NG cover. It can be delineated, using both data on soil physico-chemical properties of the soil rooted zone, and then validated by using satellite spectral images of the crop biomass in a well-defined stage of its growth, decisive for yield. The proposed set of diagnostic tools is a basis for elaboration an effective agronomic decision support system.

scholarly journals The Pitfalls of Relating Weeds, Herbicide Use, and Crop Yield: Don't Fall Into the Trap! A Critical Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Colbach ◽  
Sandrine Petit ◽  
Bruno Chauvel ◽  
Violaine Deytieux ◽  
Martin Lechenet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Yield Loss ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Arable Farming ◽  
Herbicide Use ◽  
The Impact

The growing recognition of the environmental and health issues associated to pesticide use requires to investigate how to manage weeds with less or no herbicides in arable farming while maintaining crop productivity. The questions of weed harmfulness, herbicide efficacy, the effects of herbicide use on crop yields, and the effect of reducing herbicides on crop production have been addressed over the years but results and interpretations often appear contradictory. In this paper, we critically analyze studies that have focused on the herbicide use, weeds and crop yield nexus. We identified many inconsistencies in the published results and demonstrate that these often stem from differences in the methodologies used and in the choice of the conceptual model that links the three items. Our main findings are: (1) although our review confirms that herbicide reduction increases weed infestation if not compensated by other cultural techniques, there are many shortcomings in the different methods used to assess the impact of weeds on crop production; (2) Reducing herbicide use rarely results in increased crop yield loss due to weeds if farmers compensate low herbicide use by other efficient cultural practices; (3) There is a need for comprehensive studies describing the effect of cropping systems on crop production that explicitly include weeds and disentangle the impact of herbicides from the effect of other practices on weeds and on crop production. We propose a framework that presents all the links and feed-backs that must be considered when analyzing the herbicide-weed-crop yield nexus. We then provide a number of methodological recommendations for future studies. We conclude that, since weeds are causing yield loss, reduced herbicide use and maintained crop productivity necessarily requires a redesign of cropping systems. These new systems should include both agronomic and biodiversity-based levers acting in concert to deliver sustainable weed management.

Relative cost to soil fertility of long-term crop production without fertilization

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
J. T. Harapiak ◽  
G. P. Lafond
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Growth Chamber ◽  
Rotation Phase ◽  
N Fertility

An earlier analysis of yield trends of stubble-wheat in six cropping systems, over 35 yr, in a thin Black Chernozemic soil at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, showed that fertilizer improved soil quality, while absence of fertilizer, combined with frequent fallowing, led to soil degradation. The inclusion of a legume green manure crop in the rotation failed to maintain soil fertility, apparently because legumes do not supply P. Because the fertility and stored moisture effects were confounded, we conducted a growth chamber experiment to quantify soil responses to N and P in these six cropping systems. Soil from the top 15-cm of the rotation phase that had just grown two successive wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops was used. Various factorial combinations of ammonium nitrate-N and triple superphosphate-P were applied at N/P2O5 rates up to 200/200 kg ha−1. Soil moisture was maintained in the available range. Regression analysis showed that the fallow-wheat-wheat (F-W-W) and continuous wheat (Cont W) systems that had not been fertilized in 35 yr, and which had moderate amounts of NaHCO3-P, only responded to N. In contrast, the green manure (GM)- and hay (H)- containing systems, which had also not been fertilized before had low levels of NaHCO3-P and responded to both N and P. In the field, the yields of wheat grown on stubble in 1991 rated: Cont W (N + P) > F-W-W (N + P) > F-W-W-H-H-H > Cont W > GM-W-W > F-W-W. However, in the growth chamber the rating was: Cont W (N + P) > F-W-W-H-H-H > GM-W-W > Cont W > F-W-W (N + P) > F-W-W. We suggest that the growth chamber results more accurately reflect the present fertility status of these soils, because fertility is no longer confounded with soil moisture. Grain yields in the growth chamber were directly proportional to the previously measured initial potential rate of N mineralization, indicating the value of the latter parameter as a useful index of soil N fertility. Key words: Nitrogen, phosphorus, soil degradation, legumes, fertilizers

Dependence of soil fertility on organic and mineral fertilization in a 46-year long-term field experiment

2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
S. Hoffmann ◽  
K. Berecz ◽  
S. Simon
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
Npk Fertilizers ◽  
N Utilization ◽  
Ammonium Lactate

Increasing doses of farmyard manure (FYM) or equivalent mineral NPK fertilizers and their combinations were analysed in a crop rotation with potato, maize and winter wheat with special regard to their long-term influence on soil fertility. The yield-increasing capacity of FYM doses was only 82%, as compared to the equivalent amount of mineral NPK. Fairly high N release (50.9 kg ha −1 ) could be observed on the unfertilized plots. Great differences in N utilization were recorded, depending on the form and dose of fertilizers. The average N utilization from FYM was only 29.3%, while that of the equivalent fertilizer application was 49.8%. The lowest soil reactions were observed without fertilization and at the highest NPK doses. Negative N balances generally resulted in low soil organic matter content. FYM and equivalent NPK fertilizers had a similar influence on the ammonium lactate (AL)-extractable K 2 O content of the soil, while an increase in the AL-P 2 O 5 content could be observed in the case of mineral fertilization.

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