http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/1774 2001-01-13T06:37:25Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/13615 Effects of Organic Amendments on Phosphorus Sorption Characteristics of Nitisols of Pawe District, Northwestern Ethiopia Andualem, Misganew Phosphorus(P) sorption is the main limiting factor for P availability in acidic soils and requires large application of inorganic fertilizers to attain maximum crop yield, which is not environmentally friendly and economically feasible for smallholder farmers. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of vermicompost (VC) and biochar (BC) on P sorption characteristics and chemical properties of Nitisols of Pawe District, Northwestern Ethiopia. Composite surface (0-20cm) soil samples were collected from three villages selected purposively for the study. The experiment had seven treatments consisted of three levels of BC and VC (5,10, and 15 t ha -1 ) and one control laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The effect of BC and VC on soil properties and P sorption characteristics were determined after incubating the samples for 30 days in green house. For sorption study 3g of soil from each sample were equilibrated with 30 ml of 0.1M CaCl 2 solution containing 0,1,5,10,20,30,40, and 50 mg l -1 P as KH 2 PO 4 . The concentration of P in the solution was determined by ascorbic acid method after equilibrating for 24hrs at room temperature. The P-sorption indices were calculated by fitting the data in to Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The result showed the sorption data of soils were fitted well with both Langmuir (r 2 =0.99) and Freundlich (r 2 =0.98) models. Application of BC and VC improves the soil chemical properties, including pH, P, TN, OC, EEC, and exchangeable bases and decreases the exchangeable acidity and exchangeable aluminum. The result also showed the maximum P sorption capacity of soils were increased but the bonding energy (K L ) and maximum buffering capacity (MBC) decreased as the rate of application of BC and VC increased. The external P requirement (EPR) of the study sites were less than 150 mg kg -1 P, and were classified as low P sorbing soils. However, after the addition of BC and VC the EPR of the soil in all sites were decreased. Application of 15 t ha -1 BC better decreased the EPR up to 29.40%. From this study, it can be suggested that application of BC and VC are effective amendments to increase the availability of plant nutrients and decrease the external P fertilizer requirements by alleviating P-fixation problems. The result further indicated the current P fertilizer application rate 20 kg ha -1 P used by farmers across the study area needs to be revised after validating the current finding both in the green house and under field condition. 2021-10-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/13007 RESPONSE OF BARELY (Hordeum vulgare L.) YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS TO LIME AND VERMICOMPOST APPLICATION ON ACIDIC SOIL OF SANKET LIDETA KEBELE BANJA DISTRICT NORTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA Wubayehu Kidanemariam Soil acidity is the major challenge in the highland areas of Ethiopia which is potentially limiting soil fertility and agricultural productivity. As a result, soil acidity and the associated soil infertility problems are the major challenges to crop production such as barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. In response to this problem this study was conducted on acidic soils of Sanket Lideta kebele Banja district northwestern Ethiopia to evaluate the main and/or interaction effects of different rates of lime and vermicompost (VC) application on soil properties and yield and yield components of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) during the 2020 cropping season. The factorial combinations four rates of lime (0, 50, 100 and 150% or converted to 0, 0.93, 1.86 and 2.79 t ha-1) and three rates of VC (0, 2.5 and 5 ton ha-1) were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Representative soil samples were taken at a depth of 0-15 cm before the application of treatments and after harvesting as well as the agronomic data were collected with the appropriet time. The data were analyzed using SAS computer software version 9.4. The results revealed that the application of lime and VC significantly increased soil pH, total nitrogen (TN), organic carbon (OC), available phosphorus (P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), Exchangeable cations and decreased bulk density, exchangeable acidity and Al3+. The analysis of variance for agronomic data showed that plant height, number of seeds per spike, grain and straw yield, harvest index, 1000 grain weight, and protein content were affected by the interaction effects of lime and VC. While spike length, effective tiller, biomass yield and hectoliter weight were affected by the main effects of lime and vermicompost. Grain yield was positively correlated with pH (0.851***), TN (0.74**), OC (0.57*), available P (0.65*), CEC (0.87***), Ca (0.68*), Mg (0.69**), Na (0.91***), and K (0.59*), but negatively correlated with exchangeable acidity (-0.94***), Al3+(-0.90***) and bulk density (-0.59*). Grain yield was also highly correlated with seed number (0.84***) and biomass yield (0.92***). The lowest grain yield (3635.4 kg) was found from the control plots. But, the highest grain yield (5097.5 kg) was recorded from 1.86 lime and 5 VC t ha-1 treatment combinations. The application of (0.93 t ha-1) lime and 5 t ha-1 VC was found to be highest net benefit (90997.9 ETB with acceptable MRR for the Sanket Lideta Kebele which improves nutrients of soil and is economically feasible. It is recommended that the experiment needs to be conducted on the same plots at least for one additional season to reach a final conclusion. 2022-02-03T00:00:00Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/13006 RESPONSE OF BARELY (Hordeum vulgare L.) YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS TO LIME AND VERMICOMPOST APPLICATION ON ACIDIC SOIL OF SANKET LIDETA KEBELE BANJA DISTRICT NORTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA Wubayehu Kidanemariam Soil acidity is the major challenge in the highland areas of Ethiopia which is potentially limiting soil fertility and agricultural productivity. As a result, soil acidity and the associated soil infertility problems are the major challenges to crop production such as barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. In response to this problem this study was conducted on acidic soils of Sanket Lideta kebele Banja district northwestern Ethiopia to evaluate the main and/or interaction effects of different rates of lime and vermicompost (VC) application on soil properties and yield and yield components of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) during the 2020 cropping season. The factorial combinations four rates of lime (0, 50, 100 and 150% or converted to 0, 0.93, 1.86 and 2.79 t ha-1) and three rates of VC (0, 2.5 and 5 ton ha-1) were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Representative soil samples were taken at a depth of 0-15 cm before the application of treatments and after harvesting as well as the agronomic data were collected with the appropriet time. The data were analyzed using SAS computer software version 9.4. The results revealed that the application of lime and VC significantly increased soil pH, total nitrogen (TN), organic carbon (OC), available phosphorus (P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), Exchangeable cations and decreased bulk density, exchangeable acidity and Al3+. The analysis of variance for agronomic data showed that plant height, number of seeds per spike, grain and straw yield, harvest index, 1000 grain weight, and protein content were affected by the interaction effects of lime and VC. While spike length, effective tiller, biomass yield and hectoliter weight were affected by the main effects of lime and vermicompost. Grain yield was positively correlated with pH (0.851***), TN (0.74**), OC (0.57*), available P (0.65*), CEC (0.87***), Ca (0.68*), Mg (0.69**), Na (0.91***), and K (0.59*), but negatively correlated with exchangeable acidity (-0.94***), Al3+(-0.90***) and bulk density (-0.59*). Grain yield was also highly correlated with seed number (0.84***) and biomass yield (0.92***). The lowest grain yield (3635.4 kg) was found from the control plots. But, the highest grain yield (5097.5 kg) was recorded from 1.86 lime and 5 VC t ha-1 treatment combinations. The application of (0.93 t ha-1) lime and 5 t ha-1 VC was found to be highest net benefit (90997.9 ETB with acceptable MRR for the Sanket Lideta Kebele which improves nutrients of soil and is economically feasible. It is recommended that the experiment needs to be conducted on the same plots at least for one additional season to reach a final conclusion. 2022-02-03T00:00:00Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/13002 EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED USE OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON SOIL PROPERTIES, YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) ON THE NITISOLS OF PAWE DISTRICT, NORTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA Seble Getaneh Maize (Zea maize) is a major cereal crop in Pawe District; however, the current yield is decreased due to low soil fertility status by continuous cultivation, limited use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, erosion, and leaching. Hence, a field experiment was conducted at Pawe research station during 2020 cropping season to determine the effects of integrated use of Farmyard manure (FYM) and nitrogen fertilizer (urea) on soil physico-chemical properties, yield and yield components of maize on Nitisols. Factorial combination of four levels of FYM (0, 5, 10 and 15 t ha-1) and four levels of Nitrogen (0, 34.5, 69, and 103.5 kg ha-1) were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Soil samples were taken before treatment application and after harvesting, and selected soil physicochemical properties were analyzed following laboratory standard procedures. Samples of FYM were also taken and analyzed to determine its quality. All collected soil data, phenological, yield and yield components of maize data were analyzed by using SAS software (version 9.4). Before treatment application, soil result showed that the study site was clay in texture, moderately acidic (5.32), low in BD (1.25), total N (0.139), AvP (9.24) and exchangeable (Exc.) Na (0.195), moderate in OC (1.90), Exc. Mg (2.67) and K (0.52), and high in CEC (27) and Exc. Ca (12.39). The analyzed FYM (pH=7.53, OM=9.34, C: N ratio=6.61) were suitable, had high nutrient contents and were well matured for application. After crop harvest the soil analysis of variance showed that the soil pH, OC, TN and AvP was affected significantly (p<0.05) by the main effects of N fertilizer, and the soil BD, pH, OC, TN, AvP, CEC and Exc. cations (Ca, Mg and K) was also affected significantly (p<0.05) by the main effects of FYM. The combined applications of FYM and N fertilizer were significantly (p<0.05) affected the soil pH, OC, CEC and Exc. Ca. The highest maize grain yield (GY) (10,035.8 kg ha-1) and thousand-grain weight (TGW) (415.97gm) were obtained from the application of 10 t ha-1 FYM with 69 kg ha-1 N, but grain yield was at par with the applications of 69 kg N with 15 tons FYM; 103.5 kg N combined with 10 and 15 tons ha-1 FYM. However, the lowest GY (4534.1kg ha-1), TGW (299.47gm) and above ground biomass yield (AGBY) (15.17 t ha-1) were recorded from the control treatment. The highest AGBY (25.83 t ha-1) was obtained from the interaction effect of 103.5 kg ha-1 N +15 t ha-1 FYM, but statistically at par with the combined applications of 69 kg N with 10 and 15 tons FYM; 103.5 kg N with 10 tons FYM per hectare. All yield component parameters were positively correlated with the grain yield of maize. The combined applications of 10 t ha-1 FYM and 69 kg ha-1 N was the most recommended and economically feasible for maize production and soil fertility improvements on the Nitisols of the study area, which provided the net benefit of (81,258.7 ETB ha-1) with an acceptable MRR of (497.96%). Keywords: Grain Yield, FYM, N fertilizer, Net benefit 2022-02-03T00:00:00Z