Lime-Aluminium- Phosphorus Interactions in Acid Soils of the Kenya Highlands
Journal Title: Journal of Experimental Agriculture International - Year 2015, Vol 9, Issue 4
Abstract
Liming and phosphorus (P) applications are common practices for improving crop production in acid soils of the tropics. Although considerable work has been done to establish liming rates for acid soils in many parts of the world, information on the role of the lime-Al-P interactions on P fertility management is minimal. A green house pot experiment was conducted at Waruhiu Farmers Training Centre, Githunguri to evaluate the lime-Al-P interactions in acid soils of the Kenya highlands. Extremely acidic (pH 4.48) and strongly acidic (pH 4.59) soils were used for the study. Four lime (CaO) rates and phosphorus (Ca (H2PO4)2 rates were used. The liming rates were: 0, 2.2, 5.2 and 7.4 tonnes ha-1 for extremely acidic soil and 0, 1.4, 3.2, and 4.5 tonnes ha-1 for the strongly acidic soil. Phosphorus applications rates were: 0, 0.15, 0.30 and 0.59 g P kg-1 soil for the extremely acidic soil and 0, 0.13, 0.26, and 0.51 g P kg-1 for the strongly acidic soils. The experiments were a 42 factorial laid in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Data collected included: soil chemical properties and P adsorption. The soils had high exchangeable Al (>2 cmol Al kg-1), Al saturation of (>20% Al) and low P. Lime-Al-P interaction significantly (P≤0.05) increased soil pH, extractable P, reduced exchangeable Al, Al saturation, P adsorption and standard phosphorus requirements (SPR). Use of 7.4 tonnes ha-1 lime in extremely acidic soils and 4.5 tonnes ha-1 lime in strongly acidic soils significantly reduced exchangeable Al and SPR by >70%. Lime positively correlated with soil pH, extractable P, and Langmuir maximal adsorption constant and negatively correlated with SPR and exchangeable Al. It was therefore concluded that lime and P positively interact to reduce Al and P adsorption rates in acid soils in the Kenya highlands.
Authors and Affiliations
E. M. Muindi, J. P. Mrema, E. Semu, P. W. Mtakwa, C. K. Gachene, M. K. Njogu
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP353901
- DOI 10.9734/AJEA/2015/20220
- Views 69
- Downloads 0
Estimation of the Degree of Diversity for Some Iraqi Wheat Varieties through ISSR, SRAP and RAPD Markers
DNA-based molecular markers such as Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR), Sequence-Related Amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) were used in this study to examine the genetic differenc...
GGE Biplot Analysis for Identification of Ideal Soybean [Glycine max L. Merrill] Test and Production Locations in Zambia
Aim: The aim of the study was to Identify an ideal soybean testing environment in Zambia. The specific objectives were to determine the adaptation of new soybean lines (IITA) in different locations and also identify the...
Soil Fertility as a Predictor of the Geospatial Distribution of Forest Species in Natural Regeneration in Brazil
The relationship between soil attributes and spatial distribution variability of tree and shrub vegetation, specifically those in process of natural regeneration, can be an important tool for understanding the ecology of...
Correlation between Intake and Feeding Behavior of Holstein Calves Fed Diets Supplemented with Pellets and Mash
The objective was to evaluate the correlation between behaviour al and intake variables of Holstein calves fed pellets and meal. Twelve pure Holstein calves with initial average age of 10 days and weight of 27.5 kg were...
Direct Seeded and Transplanted Maize: Effects of Planting Date and Age of Seedling on the Yield and Yield Attributes
An experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station, Jamalpur, Bangladesh during rabi (winter) 2003-2004 to study the performance of maize varieties at different planting dates...