Your search found 4 records
1 Mekuria, Wolde; Noble, Andrew; Hoanh, Chu Thai; McCartney, Matthew; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Sipaseuth, N.; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Langan, Simon; Getnet, Kindie. 2014. The potential role of soil amendments in increasing agricultural productivity and improving the livelihood of smallholders in Lao PDR. Paper presented at the 15th National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute Anniversary Symposium on Agriculture and Forestry Research for Development, Vientiane, Lao PDR, 8-10 April 2014. 15p.
Agricultural production ; Water productivity ; Soil amendments ; Smallholders ; Living standards ; Maize ; Nutrient uptake ; Biomass ; Economic aspects ; Case studies / Lao People's Democratic Republic
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046433)
The present study was undertaken in Lao PDR to investigate the impacts of organic and clay-based soil amendments on maize yield, total nutrient uptake and crop water productivity (CWP), and analyze the economic return of such interventions. Structured field experiments were established over two consecutive years (2011 and 2012) with maize as the test crop at the Veunkham and Naphok sites. Ten treatments were applied in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments were control, rice husk biochar (applied at a rate of 10 t ha-1), bentonite clay (10 t ha-1), compost (4 t ha-1), clay-manure compost (10 t ha-1), rice husk biochar compost (10 t ha-1), and their combinations. All treatments were applied in 2011. CWP and the soil water balance of the various treatments were determined using the AquaCrop model. To determine the costs and benefits of soil amendments over the two cropping seasons a cost-based valuation method was applied. Significant (p < 0.05) treatment effects in maize grain yields, total nutrient uptake and CWP were observed. At Veunkham, differences in yield between the control and amended soils ranged from 0.9 to 3.3 t ha-1 in 2011 and from 0.2 to 1.3 t ha-1 in 2012, whereas differences at Naphok varied between 0.2 and 2.2 t ha-1 in 2011 and from 0.2 to 1.7 t ha-1 in 2012. Differences in CWP between the amended and control plots at Veunkham varied between 0.3 and 1.0 kg m-3 in 2011 and from 0.05 to 0.29 kg m-3 in 2012, whereas differences at Naphok varied between 0.1 and 0.6 kg m-3 in 2011 and from 0.1 to 0.4 kg m-3 in 2012. Differences between the control and amended soils in yield and the associated CWP can be attributed to the improvements in total N and P uptake, soil pH, exchangeable Ca++ and Mg++, and CEC following the application of soil amendments. At both sites, in most of the treatments, yields and CWP in 2012 were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than 2011. This difference can be attributed to late season drought. Over the two cropping seasons , the enhancement of maize yield due to soil amendments resulted in net revenues ranging from -794 to 841 and -331 to 1391 US$ ha-1 at Naphok and Veunkham, respectively. The study found that soils amended with low-cost amendments such as compost, rice husk biochar, rice husk biochar compost, and clay-manure compost were economically viable within the first cropping season. In contrast, soils amended with higher-cost amendments such as bentonite clay required up to 5 years to be economically viable. Such variations indicate that maize yield revenues alone are an insufficient incentive for farmers to adopt higher-cost soil amendments. The results of this study confirm that soil amendments can be effective in improving crop yield and the associated CWP. In addition, the income of smallholders can be improved using locally available low-cost soil amendments. These findings provide important information for decision makers wishing to improve agricultural productivity and food security through sustainable intensification.
2 Htwe, C. M.; Ngwe, K.; Win, K. K.; Mar, S. S. 2016. Estimating soil nutrient supplying capacity for rice (Oryza sativa L.) production. In Kywe, M.; Ngwe, K.; Oo, A. N. (Eds.). Proceedings of the Ninth Agricultural Research Conference, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, 12-13 January 2016. Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar: Yezin Agricultural University. pp.158-176.
Irrigated rice ; Soil fertility ; Fertilizer application ; NPK fertilizers ; Site specific nutrient management ; Nutrient uptake ; Agricultural production ; Seasonal cropping ; Crop yield ; High yielding varieties ; Hybrids ; Indigenous knowledge / Myanmar
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047578)
(1.79 MB)
Soil nutrient supply capacity, nutrient use efficiency and fertilizer requirement for the consecutive rice cropping in irrigated system were investigated using a randomized complete block design with different fertilization treatments, including control (no fertilizer application), PK, NK, NP and NPK fertilization with four replications at Myanmar Rice Research Center (MRRC). Short duration rice varieties, Pale Thwe-1 (hybrid) and Yadanar Toc (HYV) were used to determine the soil indigenous nutrient supply capacity, to evaluate the omission plots for estimating fertilizer use efficiencies and to estimate the indigenous nutrients (N, P and K) as an requirement for working out a site specific fertilizer recommendation. The results of five treatments in four seasons indicated that the indigenous nutrient supply capacity of N, P and K (INS, IPS and IKS) ranged from (30.1 to 87.7) kg N ha-1, (8.9 to 53.7) kg P ha-1 and (43.7 to 165.3) kg K ha-1 . The nutrient use efficiencies (NUE, PUE and KUE) ranged between (2.1 to 27.8 kg kg-1 N applied), (12.8 to 63.5 kg kg-1 P applied) and (4.5 to 28.3 kg kg-1 K applied) in two rice varieties. It was also observed that rice crop could use nutrient more efficiently in dry season than in wet season. The four season's rice-rice monoculture also showed that balanced application of N, P and K promoted not only grain yield but also nutrient uptake. The yield increases of Pale Thwe-1 and Yadanar Toe over control treatment were 86, 52 % in NPK, 55, 44 % in NK and 65, and 37 % in NP a treatments, respectively. Nitrogen was the first nutrient limiting factor for yield, followed by P and then K. The greater N fertilizer requirement of Pale Thwe-1 variety was based on the greater yield target. The average amount of four season's fertilizer requirements were 160 kg N ha-1, 45 kg P ha-1 and 75 (kg K ha-1 for hybrid. Fertilizers were applied at a rate of 100 kg N ha-1, 30 kg P ha-1 and 70 kg K ha-1 for HYV. The importance of balanced fertilization in maintaining soil fertility for sustainable yield production is highly evident. The present study was conducted for only four consecutive rice cropping seasons at MRRC and the work needs further investigation.
3 Amoah, Philip; Adamtey, N.; Cofie, Olufunke. 2017. Effect of urine, poultry manure, and dewatered faecal sludge on agronomic characteristics of cabbage in Accra, Ghana. Resources, 6(2):1-14. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6020019]
Soil chemicophysical properties ; Soil analysis ; Chemical analysis ; Fertilizer application ; pH ; Urine ; Poultry droppings ; Organic fertilizers ; Faecal sludge ; Agronomic characters ; Nutrient uptake ; Urban agriculture ; Cabbages ; Nitrogen fertilizers ; Wet season ; Farmers ; Environmental pollution ; Water pollution / Ghana / Accra
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048132)
(1.39 MB)
The study was to assess the: (i) effect of human urine and other organic inputs on cabbage growth, yield, nutrient uptake, N-use efficiency, and soil chemical characteristics; (ii) economic returns of the use of urine and/or other organic inputs as a source of fertiliser for cabbage production. To meet these objectives, participatory field trials were conducted at Dzorwulu, Accra. Four different treatments (Urine alone, Urine + dewatered faecal sludge (DFS), Urine + poultry droppings (PD), NPK (15-15-15) + PD) were applied in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with soil alone as control. Each treatment was applied at a rate of 121 kg·N·ha-1 corresponding to the Nitrogen requirement of cabbage in Ghana. Growth and yield parameters, plant nutrient uptake, and soil chemical characteristics were determined using standard protocols. There were no significant differences between treatments for cabbage head weight, or total and marketable yields. However, unmarketable yield from NPK + PD was 1 to 2 times higher (p < 0.05) than those from Urine + PD, Urine + DFS, and Urine alone. Seasonal effect on yields was also pronounced with higher (p < 0.001) cabbage head weight (0.95 kg) and marketable yields (12.7 kg·ha-1) in the dry season than the rainy season (0.42 kg and 6.27 kg·ha-1). There was higher (p < 0.005) phosphorous uptake in cabbage from Urine + PD treated soil than those from other treatments. Nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) uptake in the dry season was significantly higher than the rainy season. Soils treated with Urine + DFS and Urine + PD were high in total N content. Urine + PD and Urine + DFS treated soils gave fairly high yield than PD + NPK with a net gain of US$1452.0 and US$1663.5, respectively. The application of urine in combination with poultry droppings has the potential to improve cabbage yields, nutrient uptake, and soil nitrogen and phosphorous content.
4 Dube, S.; Muchaonyerwa, P.; Mapanda, F.; Hughes, J. 2018. Effects of sludge water from a water treatment works on soil properties and the yield and elemental uptake of brachiaria decumbens and lucerne (medicago sativa). Agricultural Water Management, 208:335-343. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2018.06.015]
Wastewater treatment ; Sewage sludge ; Water reuse ; Irrigation water ; Crops ; Brachiaria decumbens ; Medicago sativa ; Yields ; Nutrient uptake ; Soil properties ; Chemical composition ; Aluminium ; Manganese ; Toxicity ; Chemicophysical properties / Zimbabwe / Harare
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048901)
(0.54 MB)
This study assessed the effects of irrigation with different dilutions of sludge water, a wastewater from an aluminium-based drinking water treatment plant in Harare, Zimbabwe, on yield and elemental uptake of Brachiaria decumbens (brachiaria) and Medicago sativa (lucerne), and on properties of clay and sandy loam soils. The sludge water was characterised and diluted to 25%, 50% and 75% of the original concentration with tap water. The dilutions, together with 100% sludge water and tap water, were used to irrigate brachiaria and lucerne in a pot experiment. Shoot plant material was harvested and analysed for biomass, total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), Ca, Mg, K, aluminium (Al), boron (B), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Soils were analysed for particle size distribution, organic carbon, (before use only), pH, exchangeable acidity and extractable P, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn before use and after harvesting. Increasing sludge water concentration increased yield and uptake of nutrients of both crops, without accumulating pollutants in the tissues to phytotoxic levels in both soils for brachiaria and in the sandy loam soil for lucerne. Tissue Al and Fe were not affected by sludge water concentration but were higher than maximum tolerable levels. An increase in sludge water concentration increased soil pH in the sandy loam soil more than in the clay under both crops. Undiluted sludge water may be used to irrigate brachiaria, while dilution to 75% of its original concentration is required for lucerne, at least in the short term, without negatively affecting plant growth.
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