Integrated Soil Nutrient Management Research Articles

Characteristics and utilization of black soils in Indonesia

Black soils store a high amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) and play a crucial role in climate change, food security, and land degradation neutrality. However, data and information regarding black soils in tropical regions, including Indonesia, are limited. This study aimed to characterize and identify the utilization of black soils in Indonesia based on legacy soil survey data. We collated 142 soil pedon samples of Mollisols from articles, technical reports, and existing datasets. The site information (site position, elevation, land use type, parent material) and selected physicochemical properties were stored in a spreadsheet, from which exploratory data analysis was conducted. The result showed that the median SOC content was 1.53%, ranging from 0.6 to 8.2 %; cation exchange capacity was 30 cmol kg<sup>-1</sup>, ranging from 9 to 95 cmol kg<sup>-1</sup>; base saturation was 87%, ranging from 11 to 100 %; and bulk density was 1.21 g cm<sup>-3</sup>, ranging from 1.13 to 1.36 g cm<sup>-3</sup>. Other soil characteristics (particle size distribution, exchangeable bases, pH, pore, and water retention) varied with horizon type and land use/land cover. The black soils have been used for paddy fields, dryland farming, and gardens with low management intensity. Main cultivated crops include rice (<em>Oryza sativa</em>), corn (<em>Zea mays</em>), cassava (<em>Manihot esculenta</em>), sweet potato (<em>Ipomoea batatas</em>), and nutmeg (<em>Myristica fragrans</em>), clove (<em>Syzygium aromaticum</em>), coconut (<em>Cocos nucifera</em>), and cocoa (<em>Theobroma cocoa)</em>. Threats to black soil functions include soil erosion, carbon loss, and nutrient imbalance. Soil and water conservation measures, integrated soil nutrient management, and agroforestry are among the best land management practices for black soils.

Relationship between Soil Salinity and Physico-chemical Properties of Paddy Field Soils of Jhilwanja Union, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

This study attempts to examine the relationship between soil salinity and physico-chemical properties of paddy field soils of Jhilwanja union in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Data were analyzed by the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS: version-18) and study area map was prepared by Arc GIS 9.3 software. Present investigation reveals that soil textural class ranged from sandy to loam, a mean bulk density 1.58 g/cm3, and high soil temperature (M = 31.55). Soils were moderately acidic to basic and soil salinity (EC) content comes under low to medium (minimum = 3.10 dS/m, maximum = 7. 24 dS/m) range. The organic matter level exhibited absolutely lower (M = 0.75) than good agricultural soil. Soils of the area represents low in total N (M = 0.08), very low in total P content (M = 0.06), exchangeable Ca (M = 0.0009) were too low and lower content of exchangeable Mg (M = 0.26), but high level of exchangeable K (M = 0.57) content. Simple regression analysis showed that there was a significant effect of soil salinity on soil pH, soil temperature, OM, total N, total P, exchangeable K and Mg. Repairing coastal embankment (rubber dam), cultivating native high yielding variety, using organic fertilizer, implementing Integrated Soil Nutrient Management (ISNM) and adapting Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) can increase crop production and soil fertility level in study area.

Factors responsible for differences in uptake of integrated soil fertility management practices amongst smallholders in western Kenya

To address soil fertility depletion and the attendant low agricultural productivity in western Kenya, many attempts have been made to develop and popularize integrated soil nutrient management (INM) practices. Adoption of INM practices appears to be an appropriate strategy for restoring soil fertility, yet patterns of adoption and factors influencing the adoption process are not clearly understood.This paper evaluated adoption patterns of INM components and investigated factors that determine the adoption patterns. Data were collected from a random sample of 331 households in western Kenya using a questionnaire and analysed by descriptive statistics and binary logit model. Results show that animal manure was the most widely applied soil management practice. About 25% of the households applied combinations of organic and inorganic inputs. Determinants of the adoption of INM practices varied by the INM practices surveyed. However,education level of household head, livestock units and the district where the farm is located had statistically significant positive effects on integrated use of organic and inorganic inputs, whilst land per capita had a significant negative effect. Targeting different INM components to the farmers and areas with suitable characteristics is recommended to spur adoption of INM practices. Key words: Adoption, soil fertility, integrated soil fertility management.