Rhodic Kandiustalf Research Articles

Integrated Bioplant and Groundnut Husk Biochar Compost Application on Yield of Lettuce in a Rhodic Kandiustalf

Bioplant is a liquid soil conditioner that contains a consortium of beneficial fungi and bacteria manufactured by Artemis and Angel Company Limited in Bangkok. Bioplant is purported to stimulate beneficial microbial activity in soil and hence increase crop yield. However, the efficacy of Bioplant has not been evaluated on Ghanaian soils. A screen house trial was consequently conducted to evaluate the efficacy or otherwise of Bioplant on the yield of lettuce in a Rhodic Kandiustalf amended with or without compost. The soil was mixed with compost at 20 parts soil to 80 parts compost and 60 parts soil to 40 parts compost (v/v) and potted in 1.7-L pots. There was another potted soil with no compost amendment. To each of these potted soils, Bioplant was applied at four rates, viz., zero, half the manufacturer's recommended rate, the manufacturer's recommended rate, and twice the manufacturer's recommended rate, and allowed to equilibrate for 2 weeks. Seedlings of lettuce of the variety Eden were transplanted into the pots, and the treatments kept at 80% field capacity. The treatments were replicated four times in a completely randomized design. At physiological maturity, the lettuce was harvested, and fresh and dry matter yields were taken. The C and N contents and N uptake in the harvested plants were also determined. Results indicate that conditioning the soil with Bioplant at half and the manufacturer's recommended rates increased N uptake, resulting in higher carbon accumulation with concomitant increases in both fresh and dry matter yields. The results also show that amending the Rhodic Kandiustalf with Bioplant at twice the manufacturer's rate suppressed yield. Application of Bioplant at the manufacturer's recommended rate in combination with compost amended at 40 parts to 60 parts soil (v/v) saw a 47 and 90% respective significant yield increases in fresh weight and dry matter when only Bioplant was applied at the manufacturer's recommended rate. It is therefore recommended for Bioplant to be applied at the manufacturer's recommended rate of 825 mL/ha in combination with 40 parts of compost to 60 parts of soil (v/v).

English

Successful crop production requires the knowledge of soil variation and the evaluation of the agricultural potentials of the land. Detailed land resource survey of approximately 100 ha land in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State was carried out. Identified soil mapping units were examined in modal profiles. The soils were classified using the USDA Soil Taxonomy, FAO/IUSS World Reference Base (WRB) system and local soil series methods. Five soil mapping units were identified and were classified as Ilaro Series (Kanhaplic Haplustalf), Ibeshe (Typic Kandiustalf), Kulfo (Udic Kandiustalf), Molo (Rhodic Kandiustalf) and Otteyi Series (Lithic Haplustept). The soils were classified as Alfisols (71.56%) and Inceptisols (28.44%). Land Capability Classification (LCC) revealed that Ilaro, Ibeshe and Molo series belong to Capability Class II while Kulfo series was Class III but Otteyi series is of non-arable Class VI. Otteyyi Series had severe limitations of very shallow soil depth, high slope gradient and high gravel content. The area has good potential for crop production if soil fertility can be managed with appropriate fertilizer application and seasonal water deficit ameliorated by supplemental irrigation. Otteyi Series that is non-arable could be used for farm buildings and other physical infrastructures or animal grazing. Key words: Land evaluation, fertility capability class, soil series, limitations, arable cropping. &nbsp

Influence of method of residue application and moisture content on water soluble nitrogen in a rhodickandiustalf amended with different fallow plant materials

Use of plant residues as nutrient sources presents a viable option to resource poor farmers who sparsely use mineral fertilizer in crop production. A study was conducted to gain an insight into how different application methods of residues from different fallow management systems under two moisture regimes would affect soluble N release in a Rhodic Kandiustalf. Three residue types viz, elephant grass from a natural fallow (T1) and another as a fallow following a previously fertilized maize (T2) and a fallow legume (T3) were surface applied and incorporated in a Rhodic Kandiustalf at both field capacity (FC) and 60% field capacity over a sixteen-week period. Incorporation of mucuna residues and elephant grass from previously fertilized maize fallow released similar soluble N levels which were higher than levels from the natural elephant grass amendments. At 60% FC, both mucuna and elephant grass from the fertilized maize fields that were surface applied had slower N releases than the grass from the natural fallow, suggesting the elephant grass from the natural fallow field could be used as an N source amidst light watering to avoid leaching in the dry season.

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Properties of five soils developed on different positions of a Legon hill catena in the Accra Plains, Ghana, were studied. Nyigbenya, Toje, Adenta, Haatso and Alajo series were located on the higher upperslope, lower upperslope, middle slope, lower slope and bottom slope positions, respectively. All the soils had bulk density between 1.00 and 1.40 Mg m-3 and pH (KCl) > 5.1. Alajo series showed relatively higher pH (H2O) (6.6 to 7.6), than all the other soils. Clay fraction increased from 263 g kg-1 at the upper to 721 g kg-1 at the bottom slope. All the soils except Alajo series showed very low levels of exchangeable bases and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Alajo series contained close to 10-fold levels of exchangeable bases and CEC compared to those of the other soils. Phosphorus retention was low (< 35%) in all the soils except the last horizon of Alajo series which showed a very high amount (96.2%) and had stronger correlation with clay content of the upper 30 cm of the soils. Alajo series showed the highest levels of organic C (1.8 to 9.5 g kg-1). This study shows that: (1) The properties of Nyigbenya, Toje, Adenta and Haatso series suggest that they were formed from stratified parent materials; (2) The within and across pedon textural differences along the catena were caused by sedimentary differentiation, illuviation and pedogenic formation of clay in the subsoil; (3) The levels of phosphate retention, CEC and exchangeable bases in the soils could be attributed mainly to the type and amount of clay they contained. Nyigbenya and Toje series were classified as Rhodic Kandiustalf according to Soil Taxonomy. Adenta series was classified as Typic Kandiustalf and Haatso series as Kandic Haplustalf. Alajo series, on the other hand was classified as Typic Natraquert. According the WRB classification system, Nyigbenya and Toje series were Nitisols whereas Adenta and Haatso series were Lixisols. Alajo series was classified as Natric Vertisol. Key words: Alfisols, catena, pedogenesis, soil taxonomy, World reference base.

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ix typical representative pedons viz., Rejental (P1), Parvatapur (P2), Algol (P3), Bilalpur (P4), Zaheerabad (P5) and Krishnapur (P6) of Zaheerabad Mandal in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh were studied for their morphological, physical and physico-chemical properties and their suitability to rice, sugarcane and potato cultivation. The soils are red to dark brown in colour, moderately acidic to neutral (pH-5.9 to 7.0), non-saline, shallow to deep in depth. Texture ranged from loamy sand to sandy clay loam in surface soils whereas sandy to clay in sub­surface with high sesquioxide percentage. Organic carbon, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation ranged from 0.04 to 0.57%, 12.0 to 38.0 c mol (p+)/kg and 30.2 to 78.6%, respectively. The dominance of exchangeable ions was in the order viz. Ca2+> Mg2+>Na+>K+. Soils were low in available nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), low to high in available potassium (K). The soils developed with argillic (Bt) horizon, they were classified as Typic Haplustalfs (P4, P5), Lithic Rhodustalfs (P2), Rhodic Kandiustalf (P3), Typic Rhodustalfs (P1, P6). Suitability for three crops P1, P3, P5 were moderately suitable (S2), P2, P4, P6 were marginally suitable (S3). For sugarcane; P1, P3, P4, P5 were moderately suitable (S2), P2, P6were marginally suitable (S3). For potato, P3, P5, P6 were marginally suitable (S3), Rejental, Parvatapur and Bilalpur- N P1, P2, P4 were not suitable (N). Key words: Characterization, classification, lateritic soil, land suitability, rice, sugarcane, potato.

Soil attributes and efficiency of sulfentrazone on control of purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.)

In the soil, herbicides are submitted to absorption, leaching and degradation by physical, chemical and biological processes or absorbed by plants. All these processes are dependent on soil class and weather conditions and affect the product efficiency on weed control. The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of soil attributes on sulfentrazone efficiency for controlling purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L. ). Soil samples from LVAd (Typic Haplustox), LVd, LVdf and LVef (Typic Haplustox and Typic Eutrustox), NVe (Rhodic Kandiustalf), and LVd (Typic Haplustox) were collected under two crop conditions aiming to have different clay, Fe oxides, and organic matter contents. The soil samples were submitted to granulometric, chemical and mineralogical characterization. A bioassay was used to evaluate the efficacy of sulfentrazone (1.6 L c.p. ha-1) to control purple nutsedge on pre-emergence. The sulfentrazone behaved differently among the studied soil classes. The product efficiency decreased when the soil Fe oxide content increased, following the order: LVAd, LVd, NVe, LVef and LVdf. Clay content, ranging from 240 to 640 g kg-1, and organic matter content, ranging from 12 to 78 g kg-1, did not influence sulfentrazone efficiency.

EFFECTS OF ALLEY CROPPING AND ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL INOCULATION ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) cv TZ SWAL-1

A field experiment was conducted in a Rhodic Kandiustalf (Balogun series) soil in southwestern Nigeria to investigate the effects of Glomus deserticola on alley cropped maize. Inoculated maize performed best in Gliricidia sepium alleys with dry grain yield of 1108.4kgha-1 compared to 961.4, 661.2 and 472.1kgha-1 from G. sepium interplanted with Senna siamea ,Senna siamea alone and control subplots respectively. For the uninoculated, the lowest yield was obtained from S. siamea while the highest yield was obtained in Gliricida interplanted with Senna subplots. KEY WORDS: Alley – cropping, Glomus deserticola, Gliricidia sepium, maize, Senna siamea Global Jnl Pure & Applied Sciences Vol.10(1) 2004: 7-10

Contributions of an alley cropping system and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to maize productivity under cassava intercrop in the derived savannah zone

Alley cropping is a prototype agro-forestry system practiced in many parts of the humid tropics. It is one of the established, promising and sustainable low-input soil management ventures. An improved understanding of the eco-physiological relationships between the arable and perennials in this system could contribute to solving issues of sustainability for nutrient use and system productivity. Field experiments were conducted in Alabata and Ajibode, located in the derived savannah zone of Nigeria, to evaluate the comparative effects of an alley cropping system, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation and cassava intercropping on maize yield. These on-farms trials (research managed and farmer managed) were conducted in the 1993/94 and 1995/96 growing seasons, in Rhodic Kandiustalf soil type with low nutrients. Each trial was a split-plot factorial arranged in randomized complete blocks with three replications. Biomass productions of maize and cassava tuber yield were determined. The results obtained at Alabata indicated that the maize plants were heavily infected with AM fungi whether inoculated or not. The hedgerow trees did not have a significant effect on maize yield. The increase in yield brought about by the alley cropping system was generally less than 15%, except in one farm where increases of 34·6 and 46·5% were recorded in AM-inoculated and non-inoculated plots respectively. The introduced AM fungi did not significantly enhance maize yield at Alabata; the percentage increase was not more than 24%. This trend was also observed at Ajibode. Cassava tuber yield was found to be suppressed by the alley cropping system irrespective of the cultivar. The decrease in yield ranged from 2·6 to 150·8%. However, inoculation of the cassava with exotic AM fungi brought about an enhancement of its tuber production. The increase ranged from 20·7 to 189·8% depending on the treatment combination. It is therefore necessary to encourage adoption of the improved alley cropping system integrated with mycorrhizal technology.

Degradation and sorption of pirimiphos-methyl in two Nigerian soils.

This research is a continuation of a study on the behavior of hydrophobic organic compounds in the environment and describes the simultaneous abiotic degradation and sorption of pirimiphos-methyl (O-2-diethylamino-6-methylpyrimidin-4-yl O,O-dimethylphosphorothioate) under controlled conditions in soil/water slurries. A microfiltration-HPLC technique was employed to follow these processes in two well-characterized soils from the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. Rapid sorption of the pesticide occurs during the first 10 min of equilibration and accounted for 37% of the original pirimiphos-methyl in the Rhodic Kandiustalf soil and for 41% of the original concentration in Aquic Ustropept soil. Subsequent slow processes were followed during the remaining 30 days of the experiment. During this time, first-order rate constants for disappearance from solution of pirimiphos-methyl were found to have values of 6.1 x 10(-)(7) and 9.8 x 10(-)(7) s(-)(1) for the Rhodic and Aquic soils, respectively. Similarly, rate constants for production of the product, pyrimidinol, were calculated to be 6.0 x 10(-)(7) and 9.4 x 10(-)(7) s(-)(1) for the Rhodic and Aquic soils, respectively, giving pesticide degradation half-lives of 13 and 8.5 days. Disappearance of the pesticide is discussed in terms of a scheme involving both sorptive uptake by the soil and degradation by hydrolysis in the presence of the soil matrix. The labile sorption capacities for pirimiphos-methyl in the Rhodic and Aquic soils were found to be 0.75 and 0.90 micromol g(-)(1), respectively.

LABORATORY APPRAISAL OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY AFTER DIFFERENT ORGANIC MATTER INPUTS IN VIRGIN AND CULTIVATED ZIMBABWEAN SOILS

The effects of adding different organic amendments (maize straw, sunflower straw, and two types of manure) to Rhodic Kandiustalf from North Zimbabwe were evaluated in laboratory experiments using soil samples from a large commercial farm and from the neighboring virgin ecosystem. The study focused on a) assessing the changes in soil respiratory activity, b) comparing the accumulation patterns of stable humus substances after a 55-day incubation period, c) checking the differences in availability of plant nutrients and d) comparing the response to organic matter addition of virgin and cleared sites to evaluate the extent to which the response to organic input depends on the soil degradation status. By adding external organic matter sources the soil respiratory activity increased in the following order: sunflower straw ∼ fresh manure > maize straw > old manure. The sequestration in soil of the organic matter added was higher with lignocellulosic wastes than with old manure. Irrespective of the organic input, the mineralization coefficients evidenced the higher biodegradability of organic matter accumulated in the cultivated rather than in virgin soil. The four types of organic matter input compensated the selective accumulation of humic colloids of a low molecular weight (fulvic acids), a natural tendency of most tropical soils, and to a large extent (mainly when sunflower straw was applied) increased the humic acid/fulvic acid ratios. However, cultivation induces changes in the soil physico-chemical status and, per unit of C added, the addition of lignocellulosic wastes to cultivated soil was ca. 50% less effective in accumulating humic acid than in virgin soil. The chemical fertilizer performance of the different amendments used (i.e., the percentage of nutrients at zero time still available after the incubation experiment) only provides values above 100% (mobilizing effect) in the case of some microelements [manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn)] in soils treated with lignocellulosic wastes, but the opposite trend (microbial or physico-chemical immobilization) occurs with some macroelements [phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg)]. These results can be interpreted in the sense that cultivated soil displays an increasing biogeochemical activity compared with virgin soil, as corresponds to its higher mineralization coefficients of exogenous organic matter.

Sorption of lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium by soils: effect of nitriloacetic acid on metal retention

Laboratory experiments were carried out to evaluate lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) sorption‐desorption by three soils of contrasting characteristics. Talamanca (silt loam, montmorillonite, Calcic Haploxeralfs), Mazowe (clay, kaolinite, Rhodic Kandiustalf), and Realejos (sandy silt loam, allophane, Typic Hapludands). A second objective was to study the effect of nitriloacetic acid (NTA) on the sorption process. The Talamanca soil, which had a native pH of 6.4 and presented the highest effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC), sorbed more of each of the metal tested than did the other two soils. When the other two soils were compared metal sorption was also related to pH and ECEC. The very low sorption capacity showed by Realejos may be attributed to the low net surface negative charge density of this soil, arising from its allophanic nature. A common feature of the three soils was the relative strong sorption of both Pb and Cu relative to Cd and Zn with Pb showing the highest sorption levels. The selectivity sequences of metals retention were Pb>Cu>Zn>Cd for Talamanca soil, Pb>Cu>Zn≈Cd for Mazowe, and Pb>Cu>Cd>Zn for Realejos. Metal desorption values were low. The order of metal desorption (Cd≈Zn>Cu>Pb) was the same for the three soils studied. Quantitative differences observed in the extractability of the sorbed metals between the soils (Realejos>Mazowe>Talamanca) indicated that soil properties which enhanced metal sorption contributed at the same time to slow down the backward reaction. The addition of NTA to the soil suspension significantly depressed metal sorption by the three soils investigated. Compared with the free ligand system Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd sorption in the presence of NTA decreased roughly 50%.

Effect of cultivation on physical speciation of humic substances and plant nutrients in aggregate fractions of crusting soil from Zimbabwe

The effects of clearing and cultivation of Rhodic Kandiustalf from Mazowe (Zimbabwe) were studied by quantifying humic substances and plant nutrients (available and exchangeable cations) in aggregate fractions. It was found that cultivation was associated with a relative depletion of plant nutrients in coarse aggregate fractions (i.e. a virtual migration of soil fertility towards microaggregate soil compartments). This effect was connected with the organic matter distribution patterns in the physical fractions: cultivation has led to a relative concentration of the colloidal fractions (humic acids and fulvic acids) in the microaggregates, accompanied by a selective depletion of the latter organic fraction. It is suggested that the increased physicochemical importance of the microaggregate fractions after cultivation may be an index for the disruption of the original soil structure leading to crust formation and it may also be related to the effect of ploughing on the humification processes and the mobility of the colloidal organic fractions.

Effects of gypsum on hydrological, mechanical and porosity properties of a kaolinitic crusting soil

Numerous papers have shown the effectiveness of gypsum addition in reducing crust formation on sodic or generally non-acid soils, while the effect on acid soils has been less frequently studied and is less known. The present paper reports the results of a series of field rainfall simulations on an acid red soil (Rhodic Kandiustalf) in Northeast Zimbabwe. In these experiments, gypsum effect on hydrological behaviour in subsequent rainstorms was verified, and the mechanical properties of the crusts so formed were assessed by a modified hand penetrometer. The results showed the ability of gypsum to improve overall infiltration, mostly by reducing the rate of infiltration decay in the non-steady portion of a Horton-type infiltration curve; such rate of infiltration decay was shown to be not constant in subsequent rainstorms, with a well defined increasing trend, that was, however, less marked for gypsum-treated plots. Effect on final infiltration rate was much less significant. Surface crusts formed on gypsum-treated plots were shown to be significantly harder than those formed on untreated plots. Both results could be explained by the observation that a substantial loss of clay from the soil surface took place in untreated plots, while this process was significantly reduced by gypsum treatment. This lesser clay depletion would be effective in slowing structural collapse during wetting, and was also observed to allow the regeneration of a better developed soil structure on drying, so further slowing soil response in subsequent rainstorms. The greater clay content in the surface layer could also induce a higher degree of cohesion, so explaining the greater surface crust strength induced by gypsum treatment.

Zinc sorption by acid tropical soils as affected by cultivation

SummaryThe sorption of zinc (Zn) by two acid tropical soils, Mazowe clay loam (kaolinitic, coarse, Rhodic Kandiustalf) and Bulawayo clay loam (coarse, kaolinitic, Lithic Rodustalf), was studied over a wide range of Zn solution concentrations. Samples of the two soils used in the experiments were collected at both uncleared, uncultivated (virgin) sites and cultivated sites. The two virgin soils showed similar abilities to bind Zn. Mazowe soil (40 g organic matter kg−1) presented the highest affinity for Zn. Yet, Bulawayo soil (23.5 g organic matter kg−1) sorbed almost the same amount. Bulawayo soil had higher pH and Fe and Mn‐oxide content than Mazowe soil. Once cultivated, the two soils behaved quite differently. After 50 years, Mazowe soil had lost 60% of its organic matter and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC). In this soil, Zn sorption capacity had also been decreased by 60%. Clearing and 10 years under cultivation had affected neither the organic matter content nor the ECEC of Bulawayo soil. For this soil, Zn sorption was even higher in the cultivated soil, presumably due to an increase in the amount of Fe and Mn oxide from subsoiling. Zinc sorption was dependent upon pH, with retention dramatically increasing in the pH range 6–7. Sorption occurred at pH values below the point of zero charge (PZC), indicating that the sorption reaction can proceed even in the presence of electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged soil surface and the cation. In the two soils, the reversibility of the sorption reaction was very low. More than 90% of the sorbed Zn was apparently strongly bonded.

A COMPARATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO FOOT-SLOPE SOILS IN THE NSUKKA AREA OF EASTERN NIGERIA

A comparative study of two foot-slope soils on similar parent materials in the Nsukka area of eastern Nigeria was carried out to determine their characteristics, ascertain their differences, and find out reasons for the differences. The differences were related to the thickness of the Ap horizons, sand and clay contents, organic matter contents, exchangeable bases, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable acidity, and gibbsite contents in the less than 2-μm clay fractions and the available phosphorus. The major reasons for the differences were related to the differential rates in certain soil formation/degradation processes resulting from differences in the cultural practices in the two sites and the longer period of land cultivation on the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), farm than on the Community Secondary School (CSS) farm. The parent material of the soil tended to influence the soil properties on equal basis. The soils were classified, respectively, as fine-clayey, kaolin-itic, isohyperthermic Rhodic Kandiustalf (Haplic Lixisol) and fine-loamy, silicious, isohyperthermic Rhodic Kandinstult (Haplic Acrisol).