Effect of Integrated Use of Lime, Manure and Mineral P Fertilizer on Bread Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) Yield, P uptake and Status of Residual Soil P on Acidic Soils of Gozamin District, North-Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil acidity problem is one of the bottlenecks to improve crop production in high rainfall regions of Ethiopia in general and in Gozamin District of Amhara region in particular. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of integrated use of lime, manure and mineral P fertilizer on acid soils for wheat production and status of residual soil P. The treatments were factorial combinations of lime, manure and P fertilizer which were laid down in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The field study was conducted on Dystric Nitisols in the 2011 and 2012 main cropping seasons at Enerata Kebele, Gozamin District. Lime application hastened early germination while plant height was enhanced by interaction of lime and P. Most parameters were significantly (p < 0.01) affected by two-way interactions while three-way interactions effect increased grain and straw yield at non-significant (p > 0.05) level. In these interactions lime rates were related in quadratic trend while manure and mineral P related linearly. The combined application of 5 t manure and 2.2 t ha -1 lime increased grain and straw yield by 279% and 187%, respectively over the control treatment through economical analysis result 515 Eth. birr ($28) ha -1 profit obtained due to additional yield obtained. Although all treatments residual soil P were categorized under very low status, it has strong positive correlation (r 2 = 0.79) with lime application. The present study showed the combined application of 5 t manure and 2.2 t ha -1 lime was found to be economical feasible to improve wheat yield and yield components and residual soil P of acidic soils of the study area.

Characterization of soils under major land uses in Chencha District, South Ethiopia

“…Low input of Ca by C. lusistanica and Ca leaching under FLs (Limenih, 2004). This result was similar with several studies (Chimdi et al, 2012;Yitbarek et al, 2013;Asrat et al, 2014) under both land use systems.…”

Bridging the yield gaps of bread wheat at a scale through an innovative method of lime application in the acidic soils of Northwestern Ethiopia

“…Lime application integrated with improved varieties and management resulted in a yield advantage of 90.23, 86, and 73.4% compared to the average yield of 2380, 2509, 2067 kg ha −1 in the Amhara region, East Gojjam and South Gonder zones, respectively (Central Statistics Agency (CSA), 2017). These yield result increment agreed on (Asrat et al, 2014;Birhanu et al, 2016;Kidanemariam et al, 2013) lime application significantly increased wheat grain yield, biomass yield, plant height, tillering capacity and dry weights of the plant. Because; the application of lime has provided additional organic matters and free calcium carbonates which have helped increases soil pH, improves the solubility and availability of important nutrients to plants, easily available reclamation for P fixation by blocking or chelating acidic cations and ease fertilizer response to plant roots and growth, improves the movement of soil microorganisms activity need to stay healthy, improves the water-holding capacity and uptake of nutrients, maintain an ionic charging balance within the tissues (Curtin & Syers, 2001;Marschner, 2011).…”

Integrated Use of Soil Ameliorants and Fertilizers to Increase Crop Yield on Acidic Soils of Ethiopian Highlands

“…However, maximum teff grain yield (3.13 t ha -1 ) was found with combined application of 12 t ha -1 biochar and 100% recommended chemical fertilizer (40/60 N/ P 2 O 5 kg ha -1 ) and followed by 2.88 t ha -1 grain yield by using combined 2 t ha -1 lime and 100% recommended chemical fertilizer [46]. -----------------(cmolc kg -1 )-----------------(mg kg -1 ) Moreover, combining use of 5 t/ha manure and 2.2 t/ha lime in northwestern Ethiopian highlands gave maximum bread wheat grain yield (2.7 t/ha) it was 1.98 t /ha more yield over the control treatment [48] (it is located on Table 3).…”