Acidic soils

The demand for agricultural lime is high, considering its various uses from agricultural production to processing. Lime neutralizes soil pH. Shell lime may be a potential source of such lime where this study tries to investigate. This study determines the lime potential of three shellfishes, namely: Crassostrea iredalei (Oyster shell), Turritella terebra (Turret shell), and Anodontia edentula (Mangrove clam shell) as alternatives for commercially produced agricultural lime. The Hydrogen ion concentration (pH) and the lime concentration using Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE) of each shellfish species were measured and tested for the enhancement of an acidic soil. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments replicated three times. The treatments were as follows: Treatment A-100g agricultural lime; B-100g oyster shell lime; C-100g turret shell lime; and D-100g mangrove clam shell lime. Each treatment was combined to the acidic soil sample. The results were statistically analyzed using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Least Square Difference (LSD) at 0.01 and 0.05 levels of significance. Results reveal that lime produced from the three selected shellfishes can be a potential source of alternative and/or supplement materials for agricultural lime in dealing with soil acidity, entailing lower cost of farm production.

Indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizae Fungi (AMF) have a potential to boost maize (Zea mays) growth and increase the P and Zn uptake through the symbiotic association they form with the plant, even in acidic soils conditions. Five AMF inoculums produced from the most abundant and ubiquitous morphotypes isolated from field soils in maize fields in South Kivu (DRC) were assessed. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the role of these AMF on nutrients uptake in a Nitisol and a Ferralsol. Eight treatments namely inoculums named AMF1 (Gigaspora gigantea), AMF2 (Gigaspora sp.), AMF3 (Gigaspora margarita), AMF4 (Rhizophagus intraradices) AMF5 (Acaulospora reducta), mineral phosphorus fertilizers (Pi), commercial biofertilizer Rhizatech and a Control were laid in a randomized complete block design. In the Ferralsol, Pi application, Rhizatech and AMF2 produced the highest height. Pi application resulted in the best shoot biomass. No difference was observed for the P content, but for the Zn content, AMF2 was the highest. Roots colonization did not vary among treatments. In the Nitisol, AMF4 produced the highest plant height and AMF1 the highiest chlorophyll content. AMF4 and Rhizatech colonized highly the roots. AMF3 gave the highest P however, Zinc content was equal in all treatments and the controls yielded the lowest results. Spores densities in both inoculums produced and experimental soils were low compared to the commercial inoculum but growth and roots colonisation was influenced by fertilization and soils types. The performance of efficient AMF inoculums of Gipaspora gigantea, Gigaspora sp., Rhizophagus intraradices and Acaulospora reducta applied with high densities spores and multispecies inoculums should be assessed.

Soil acidic conditions and the decline in soil fertility are among the critical factors that constraint higher crop productivity in the Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain (OHPP), Bangladesh. The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lime and manure on soil fertility, nutrients and yields of wheat, mungbean and rice. Experiments were done at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) farm and farmer field over two consecutive years with the cropping pattern, namely wheat-mungbean-transplanted (T.) aman rice/monsoon rice. The varieties used were Bijoy for wheat, BARI mung6 for mungbean and Bina dhan7 for T. aman rice. There were nine treatment combinations with three lime levels (0, 1 and 2 ton dololime ha-1 ) and three manure treatments (poultry manure, farmyard manure and no manure) with three replications. The rate of poultry manure was 3 t ha-1 and that of farmyard manure was 5 t ha-1 . Nutrients from manure sources were supplemented with chemical fertilizers to adjust recommended dose. Lime was added to the first crop for entire two crop cycles and manures were applied to the first crop of each crop cycle. Soil pH increased by 0.5-1.11 units, the higher values were observed with higher rates of lime application. Soil organic matter (SOM) increased slightly due to manure treatment. Soil phosphorus availability increased, zinc and boron availability decreased, but the potassium and sulphur availability remained almost unchanged after liming. Application of lime and manure had significant positive effect on the yield of wheat, and their positive residual effects on mungbean and T. aman rice. The effect of 1 t lime ha-1 was comparable with that of 2 t lime ha-1 . Between two manures, poultry manure performed better than FYM on crop yields. The trend of plant nutrient uptake by wheat, mungbean and rice followed the trend of these crops yield increase, i.e., crops that were able to uptake more nutrients shown higher yields. The treatment combinations with 1 t ha-1 lime and 3 t ha-1 poultry manure produced an average 35- 55% yield benefit over control for the first crop (wheat) and 41-43% yield benefit for the third crop (T. aman rice). This study suggests that dololime @ 1 t ha-1 coupled with poultry manure @ 3 t ha-1 or FYM @ 5 t ha-1 would be an efficient practice for better soil acidic condition, soil fertility and productivity of crops in the Himalayan piedmont soil of Bangladesh.

Iron is an essential element in plants, but when present in high concentrations, it can cause reduction in growth and adversely affect plant yield. A greenhouse experiment was carried out in Tunja, Colombia, under hydroponic conditions, in order to evaluate the tolerance of sweet pepper seedlings (Capsicum annu-um L.) to high iron content. Thirty days after planting, 0.0 (control), 37.5, 75.0 or 150.0 ppm of Fe were added to a nutrient solution of the seedlings. The chlorophyll content index, leaf area, total dry weight, water uptake, water use efficiency, relative growth rate, absolute growth rate and net assimilation rate were found to be inversely proportional to the amount of Fe added. Based on the initial pH value, the pH increased only in the nutrient solution of plants treated with the addition of Fe. Since the variables that determine growth were severely affected even with a lower added amount of Fe, it can be concluded that sweet pepper plants are very sensitive to excess Fe in the substrate.

Phosphorus uptake on chemical fertilizer treated tropical soils is challenged by high phosphorus fixing and leaching potentials.
Phosphocompost is a new organic fertilizer in Nigeria. Phosphorus uptake and use efficiency of phosphocompost was studied on two acid soils
from Ilesha and Ogbomoso, Nigeria during 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons. Two phosphocompost: C1 and C2 applied at 2.5 and 5.0 t/ha were
investigated. NPK 15:15:15 at 40 kg P2
O5
/ha, SSP (40 kg P2
O5
/ha) - urea mix (20 kg N/ha), sole SSP (40 kg P2
O5
/ha), sole lime (1 t/ha) and an
unamended plot were compared. Cowpea was the test crop. Data were taken on soil available P, phosphorus uptake, phosphorus use efficiency
(PUE), and relative agronomic efficiency using data on soil available P (RAEp
) and cowpea dry shoot weight (RAEdsw). Phosphorus uptake was
significantly (p<0.05) higher in phosphocompost compared to chemical fertilizer treated and untreated plots. Phosphorus uptake ranged from
1.3 – 7.9, 1.0 – 4.4 and 0.5 – 1.7 kg/ha in phosphocompost, chemical fertilizer and unamended plots respectively across the two cropping seasons.
The PUE were higher in chemical fertilizer treated plots with a range of 11.4 -152.9 % while phosphocompost gave a range of 2.2-19.8 % across
the two locations. Regression analysis revealed RAEp, RAEDSW, available P and P uptake to contribute up to 82, 83, 82 and 75 % respectively to
cowpea grain yield in Ogbomoso experimental location. Increasing RAEp, available P, P uptake, PUE and soil pH were dominant predictors for
increased cowpea grain yield in Ilesha experimental location.

Soil acidic conditions and the decline in soil fertility are among the critical factors that constraint higher crop productivity in the Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain (OHPP), Bangladesh. The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lime and manure on soil fertility, nutrients and yields of wheat, mungbean and rice. Experiments were done at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) farm and farmer field over two consecutive years with the cropping pattern, namely wheat-mungbean-transplanted (T.) aman rice/monsoon rice. The varieties used were Bijoy for wheat, BARI mung6 for mungbean and Bina dhan7 for T. aman rice. There were nine treatment combinations with three lime levels (0, 1 and 2 ton dololime ha-1 ) and three manure treatments (poultry manure, farmyard manure and no manure) with three replications. The rate of poultry manure was 3 t ha-1 and that of farmyard manure was 5 t ha-1 . Nutrients from manure sources were supplemented w...

Soil acidic conditions and the decline in soil fertility are among the critical factors that constraint higher crop productivity in the Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain (OHPP), Bangladesh. The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lime and manure on soil fertility, nutrients and yields of wheat, mungbean and rice. Experiments were done at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) farm and farmer field over two consecutive years with the cropping pattern, namely wheat-mungbean-transplanted (T.) aman rice/monsoon rice. The varieties used were Bijoy for wheat, BARI mung6 for mungbean and Bina dhan7 for T. aman rice. There were nine treatment combinations with three lime levels (0, 1 and 2 ton dololime ha-1 ) and three manure treatments (poultry manure, farmyard manure and no manure) with three replications. The rate of poultry manure was 3 t ha-1 and that of farmyard manure was 5 t ha-1 . Nutrients from manure sources were supplemented w...

The demand for agricultural lime is high, considering its various uses from agricultural production to processing. Lime neutralizes soil pH. Shell lime may be a potential source of such lime where this study tries to investigate. This study determines the lime potential of three shellfishes, namely: ( Crassostrea iredalei ) (Oyster shell), Turritella terebra (Turret shell), and ( Anodontia edentula ) (Mangrove clam shell) as alternatives for commercially produced agricultural lime. The Hydrogen ion concentration (pH) and the lime concentration using Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE) of each shellfish species were measured and tested for the enhancement of an acidic soil. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments replicated three times. The treatments were as follows: Treatment A- 100g agricultural lime; B- 100g oyster shell lime; C- 100g turret shell lime; and D- 100g mangrove clam shell lime. Each treatment was combined with the acidi...