scholarly journals Levels of Available Zinc in Soil of Teaching and Research Farm Modibbo Adama University, Yola, North East Nigeria

Author(s):  
Bapetel M. L. Bubarai ◽  
A. M. Tahir N. A. Abdulkadir

A study was conducted to assess the status of available zinc in soil of Teaching and Research Farm, Modibbo Adama University, Yola North East, Nigeria. Ten soil samples were collected from 0 – 20 and 20 – 50 cm depths to reflect the soil of the study area. The soils were analysed following standard laboratory procedures. Result obtained showed that the soils were sandy loam to sandy clay loam, slightly acidic (mean = 6.4 – surface; 6.5 – subsurface soils), very low OC content (mean = 0.35 % – surface; 0.27 % – subsurface soils), low to medium Total N and exchangeable bases. Zinc was generally low to medium (range = 0.18 – 1.71; mean = 1.12 % in surface soils, and range = 0.32 – 2.71; mean = 1.35 % in subsurface soils). Zinc is not correlated with most of the soil properties in both soil depths. In surface soil, a positively correlation with potassium (r = 0.702*) was observed and negative correlation with Total N (r = -0.634*) in subsurface soils. It is recommended that for successful and profitable crop production, application of inorganic fertilizers plus zinc and organic material should be encouraged.

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joann K Whalen ◽  
Hicham Benslim ◽  
You Jiao ◽  
Benjamin K Sey

Compost contributes plant-available nutrients for crop production and adds partially decomposed carbon (C) to the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. The effect of compost applications and other agricultural practices on SOC and total nitrogen (N) pools was determined in a sandy-loam Humic Gleysol at the Research Farm of McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. Experimental plots with continuous silage corn (Zea mays L.) and silage corn-soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) production were under conventional tillage (CT) or no-tillage (NT) management. Composted cattle manure was applied each spring at rates of 0, 5, 10 and 15 Mg (dry weight) ha-1 and supplemental NPK fertilizers were added to meet crop requirements. The C input from crop residues was affected by tillage, crop rotations and compost application, but differences in the SOC and total N pools were due to compost applications. After 5 yr, compost-amended plots gained 1.35 to 2.02 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in the SOC pool and 0.18 to 0.24 Mg N ha-1 yr-1 in the total N pool, as compared with initial pool sizes when the experiment was initiated. These gains in SOC and total N were achieved with agronomic rates of compost and supplemental NPK fertilizers, selected to match the phosphorus requirements of silage corn. Such judicious use of compost has the potential to increase the SOC and total N pools in agroecosystems under annual crop production. Key words: Composted cattle manure, corn silage, mineral fertilizer, plant-available nitrogen, soil organic carbon


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gagnon ◽  
R. R. Simard ◽  
R. Robitaille ◽  
M. Goulet ◽  
R. Rioux

The nutrient availability of composts has to be known for their safe use in crop production. A field study was carried out to assess the effect of a spring application of composts and inorganic fertilizers on spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'Messier') growth and N uptake in eastern Québec (Canada). The experiment was conducted in 1994 and 1995 on two different soils: a Kamouraska clay (Orthic Humic Gleysol) and a Saint-André sandy loam (Fragic Humo-Ferric Podzol). Four composts were applied at rates of 0, 90, 180 and 360 kg total N ha−1. Inorganic fertilizers were applied at rates of 0, 50, 100 and 200% of wheat N, P or K requirements. Treatments in which inorganic fertilizers (IN) were added to composts were also included. Grain yield was increased by N rates whereas composts alone at 90 kg total N ha–1 resulted in lower yields than the control in the first year on the sandy loam. Commercial composts resulted in higher yields than dairy manure composts. Wheat showed no significant response to P and K fertilizers on either soil. Compost rates had no effect on grain N content but commercial composts increased straw N by 36 to 63%. Addition of IN to composts increased grain yield by 0.1 to 1.5 Mg ha−1 and N uptake by 4 to 55 kg N ha−1, depending on soil and weather conditions. Apparent recovery efficiency of added N for composts was −14 to 15% whereas it ranged from 24 to 56% for IN. In spring wheat production, composts should be considered more as organic matter amendments because of their limited N efficiency. Key words: Composted dairy manure, shrimp wastes, peat moss, apparent N recovery


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20
Author(s):  
Asif Ahmed Ratul ◽  
Tahsina Sharmin Hoque ◽  
Md Rafiqul Islam ◽  
Md Anamul Hoque

Soil reaction is an important issue that adversely affects soil fertility and crop productivity. Twenty five representative soil samples from farmers’ fields of Ramchandrakura, Bishgiripar, Andharupara and Nayabil villages of Nalitabari upazila under Sherpur district (AEZ 22-Northern and Eastern Piedmont Plains) and twenty soil samples from farmers’ fields of Bakta, Nishchintopur, Boril and Kaladaho villages of Fulbaria upazila under Mymensingh district (AEZ 28-Madhupur Tract) were collected and analyzed to study the physico-chemical properties of acid soils. Among 45 samples, 13 were sandy loam, 17 were silt loam, 10 were loam, 2 were clay loam and 3 were loamy sand in texture. Soil pH was very strongly acidic to strongly acidic. The soil pH of AEZ 22 varied from 3.81 to 4.78 and that of AEZ 28 varied from 3.96 to 5.11. The organic C of Nalitabari soil varied from 0.50 to 1.35% and that of Fulbaria soils ranged from 0.50 to 1.27% showing low to medium status. The status of nutrient elements viz. N, P, K and S in most of the samples was very low or very low to medium. Total N contents of AEZ 22 varied from 0.06 to 0.14% and that of AEZ 28 varied from 0.07 to 0.16%. Available P in soils of AEZ 22 varied from 3.25 to 26.45 ppm and that in soils of AEZ 28 ranged from 2.45 to 16.62 ppm. Exchangeable K in AEZ 22 soils varied from 15.13 to 92.41 ppm and that in AEZ 28 soils varied from 16.09 to 98.41 ppm. Available S in AEZ 22 soils varied from 1.68 to 33.70 ppm and that in AEZ 28 soils from 3.95 to 27.52 ppm. Therefore, these acid soils should be amended with liming materials and fertilized with inorganic fertilizers and organic manures for successful crop production. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. March 2021, 7(1): 12-20


GIS Business ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 341-348
Author(s):  
Dr. Mini Jain ◽  
Dr. Mini Jain

In India, higher education is a need of hour. The excellence of Higher Edification decides the production of skilled manpower to the nation. Indian education system significantly teaching has not been tested too economical to form youths of our country employable in line with the requirement of job market. Despite the rise in range of establishments at primary, secondary and tertiary level our young educated folks don't seem to be capable of being used and recovering job opportunities. Reason being they need not non-heritable such skills essential for demand of the duty market. The present study is aimed at analyzing the status of higher education institutions in terms of Infrastructure, various courses of the institute, quality Initiatives and skill development program offered by the Institutes, in the North-East India region, so as to see whether the Higher Educational Institutes of this region are in the process of gradually developing the skills of the students in attaining excellence. The paper also laid emphasis on the measures adopted by these institutes for quality improvement, and to find out their role in combating the adversity acclaimed in the region, since this region’s development is impeded by certain inherent difficulties However, this paper focuses attention on high quality education with special emphasis on higher education for forward linkages through value addition.


The farming system in West Bengal is being shifted by integration between the set of cash crops and the main food harvest process. This change in diversified farming systems, where smallholders have a production base in rice can complement production; affect technical efficiency and farm performance. The goal of this study was to investigate the status of crop diversification on smallholders in West Bengal. First, crop diversification regions were developed in West Bengal based on the Herfindahl index, which were categorized into three regions. Three sample districts were studied separately at the block level, and 915 small farmers from 41 sample villages of 9 sample blocks were interviewed through a good structure questionnaire for field studies from the sample districts. West Bengal was gradually moving towards multiple crop production. Furthermore, increasing rice production reduced the marginal use of inputs for the production of other crops. Farming and other vital factors such as HYVs area to GCA, average holding size and per capita income in some districts of West Bengal can be identified as determinants of crop diversification.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 498e-498
Author(s):  
S. Paramasivam ◽  
A.K. Alva

For perennial crop production conditions, major portion of nutrient removal from the soil-tree system is that in harvested fruits. Nitrogen in the fruits was calculated for 22-year-old `Hamlin' orange (Citrus sinensis) trees on Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reticulata) rootstock, grown in a Tavares fine sand (hyperthermic, uncoated, Typic Quartzipsamments) that received various N rates (112, 168, 224, and 280 kg N/ha per year) as either i) broadcast of dry granular form (DGF; four applications/year), or ii) fertigation (FRT; 15 applications/year). Total N in the fruits (mean across 4 years) varied from 82 to 110 and 89 to 111 kg N/ha per year for the DGF and FRT sources, respectively. Proportion of N in the fruits in relation to N applied decreased from 74% to 39% for the DGF and from 80% to 40% for the FRT treatments. High percentage of N removal in the fruits in relation to total N applied at low N rates indicate that trees may be depleting the tree reserve for maintaining fruit production. This was evident, to some extent, by the low leaf N concentration at the low N treatments. Furthermore, canopy density was also lower in the low N trees compared to those that received higher N rates.


Soil Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 604 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Schwenke ◽  
B. M. Haigh

Summer crop production on slow-draining Vertosols in a sub-tropical climate has the potential for large emissions of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) from denitrification of applied nitrogen (N) fertiliser. While it is well established that applying N fertiliser will increase N2O emissions above background levels, previous research in temperate climates has shown that increasing N fertiliser rates can increase N2O emissions linearly, exponentially or not at all. Little such data exists for summer cropping in sub-tropical regions. In four field experiments at two locations across two summers, we assessed the impact of increasing N fertiliser rate on both soil N2O emissions and crop yield of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) or sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Vertosols of sub-tropical Australia. Rates of N fertiliser, applied as urea at sowing, included a nil application, an optimum N rate and a double-optimum rate. Daily N2O fluxes ranged from –3.8 to 2734g N2O-Nha–1day–1 and cumulative N2O emissions ranged from 96 to 6659g N2O-Nha–1 during crop growth. Emissions of N2O increased with increased N fertiliser rates at all experimental sites, but the rate of N loss was five times greater in wetter-than-average seasons than in drier conditions. For two of the four experiments, periods of intense rainfall resulted in N2O emission factors (EF, percent of applied N emitted) in the range of 1.2–3.2%. In contrast, the EFs for the two drier experiments were 0.41–0.56% with no effect of N fertiliser rate. Additional 15N mini-plots aimed to determine whether N fertiliser rate affected total N lost from the soil–plant system between sowing and harvest. Total 15N unaccounted was in the range of 28–45% of applied N and was presumed to be emitted as N2O+N2. At the drier site, the ratio of N2 (estimated by difference)to N2O (measured) lost was a constant 43%, whereas the ratio declined from 29% to 12% with increased N fertiliser rate for the wetter experiment. Choosing an N fertiliser rate aimed at optimum crop production mitigates potentially high environmental (N2O) and agronomic (N2+N2O) gaseous N losses from over-application, particularly in seasons with high intensity rainfall occurring soon after fertiliser application.


1981 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. S. Ahlawat ◽  
C. S. Saraf

SUMMARYField studies were made for 2 years on a sandy loam soil under dryland conditions of north-west India with three pigeon-pea varieties in relation to plant density and the application of phosphate fertilizer. Varieties Pusa Ageti and P4785 with better developed root system and profuse nodulation had higher grain and stalk yield, and higher N and P yield than Prabhat. Root and shoot growth and root nodulation were adversely affected with increasing plant densities in the range 50 × 103 and 150 × 103 plants/ha. Stalk and total N and P yield increased with increasing plant density. Plant density of 117 × 103 plants/ha produced maximum grain yield of 1·53 t/ha. Phosphorus fertilizer promoted root and shoot growth, intensity and volume of nodulation and increased grain, stalk, N and P yield. The effect of plant density on grain yield was more pronounced in the presence of phosphate fertilizer. The economic optimum rate of P ranged between 22·1 and 23·1 kg/ha under different plant densities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sihem Hedjal ◽  
Derradji Zouini ◽  
Abdelwaheb Benamara

AbstractThe wetland complex of Guerbes-Sanhadja (north-eastern Algeria), has experienced in recent years a certain economic expansion, particularly agricultural, about 47% of the useful agricultural area marked by several varieties of crops ranging from market gardening to speculative crops, requiring large quantities of water for irrigation purposes, however the swampy areas are the main sources used for irrigation purposes in this practice. It is therefore necessary for this water to have physicochemical properties adapted to plants, in particular the absence of salinity. This study was done to evaluate the status of the swamps areas quality and its suitability for irrigated agriculture. To achieve this objective, water samples from ten swamps areas water were collected from Guerbes-Sanhadja in February and June of 2016. The water quality of these swamps was estimated from different water quality parameters such as pH and electrical conductivity (EC), the chemical parameters like Na+, K+, Ca2+, HCO3−, SO42−, Cl−, BOD5, NO3−, NO2−, NH4+ and PO43−. Based on the physico-chemical analyses, irrigation quality parameters like sodium absorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (% Na), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), permeability index (PI), magnesium hazard (MH) were calculated. The results showed that the overall concentration of nitrate was very high. About 60 percent of the swampy areas had suitable water quality for chloride, and they had a concentration below the permissible limit for crop irrigation. From the Richards diagram, it is observed that most of the samples from the study area fall in the good to permissible classes for irrigation purpose.


Author(s):  
Bimesh Dahal

There are many management methods for nutrient which can be specifically applied in farming systems. Integrated nutrient management (INM) generally denotes the combined use of organic and chemical fertilizers for producing crops in a sustainable manner and to maintain soil fertility as well as to supply nutrient in appropriate amount which consider social, ecological and economic impacts. This paper shows the importance and need of INM in agriculture production. Also, the relation of INM and yield attributes are analyzed and evaluated including growth and physical attributes of cowpea. The status of nutrient uptake by plant is also described along with other physical and chemical properties of soil. Finally, this paper also describes about the biofertilizer and its relation, impact and effect on crop production which can be used as a improved technology with the combination of other nutrient management practices.


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