USING ORGANIC INPUTS AS SOIL AMENDMENT: THE EFFECT ON SOIL FERITILITY, POTASSIUM FORMS, GROWTH AND YIELD OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA) IN THE HUMID TROPICS)

ABSTRACT

Lots of wastes are being generated on daily basis and recently, more emphasis is being laid on waste recycling. To verify the hypothesis of study, which stated that organic wastes, irrespective of the source, will enhance the soil properties and yield of groundnut.  A pot trial was conducted at the experimental field of College of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Abia-state. The objectives of the study were to investigate the effect of organic wastes on soil properties, potassium forms, yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and also the best rate of application of the most outstanding treatment among the treatments studied. The treatments comprised of  composted  goat  manure (CGM), composted kitchen residue waste (CKRW), biochar (B), composted goat manure + composted kitchen residue waste (CGM + CKRW),composted goat manure + biochar (CGM +B),composted kitchen residue waste + biochar (CKRW + B) and composted goat manure + composted kitchen residue waste + biochar (CGM + CKRW + B) and the control (no treatment). The treatments were applied at 4tons/ha in the first experiment and 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 tons/ha of CGM + CKRW + B in the second experiment. The treatments were replicated three times in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The soil for the experiment was collected from Amaoba in Bende Local government area and the test crop was groundnut (Arachis hypogea) Samnut 23. Pre and post treatment soil analyses were carried out and the following soil properties were determined; Soil pH (water), exchangeable acidity, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, organic carbon, exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and different forms of K using standard laboratory procedures. Plant parameters measured included plant height, number of leaves, stem girth at 2, 3 ,4 and 5 weeks after planting (WAP) while number of root branching, root  length, number of nodules, number of pods and pod weights were measured at harvest; N, P, K, Mg and Ca uptake of the plant were also calculated. The results obtained showed that  CGM + CKRW+ B increased the soil pH in water from 5.7 before treatment application to 6.4 after planting in the  first experiment while CGM + CKRW+B applied at 6t kg-1 significantly (P≤0.05) increased the soil pH in water with a value of  5.80 in the second experiment. Available P was significantly  increased (P≤0.05) from a value of 23.7mgkg-1 before treatment application  to 47.00mgkg-1  ,while exchangeable Ca was increased from initial value of 2.10cmolkg-1 to 4.67cmolkg-1 by CGM+ CKRW +B at the end of the first experiment. Biochar recorded a highest significant (P≤0.05) increase of water soluble K over the other treatments with a value of 0.22cmolkg-1 while CGM+CKRW significantly (p≤0.05) increased the total K with a value of 0.35cmolkg-1 over the other treatments. CGM+CKRW+B increased plant height at 5WAP, N and P uptake of groundnut with values of 0.19mg/g, 0.08mg/g and 0.67mg/g respectively in the first experiment. Application of  4tons/ha of CGM+ CKRW+B gave the highest significant (P≤0.05) value for plant height at 5WAP and dry matter yield over the other rates with values of 23.00cm and 7.4g respectively at the end of the second experiment. From the results obtained in the present study, it will be inferred that composted goat manure (CGM) enhanced or fortified with composted kitchen ash /waste (CKRW) and biochar (B) applied at 4tha-1 significantly improved the productivity of the soil and yield of groundnut in the study area. However a field trial is recommended to ascertain the results.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                    

CHAPTER    1

INTRODUCTION

Soil degradation is increasing worldwide, especially in countries within the Tropics (Ballayan, 2000). Widespread soil degradation has become a serious threat that is facing the world including the resource – poor farmers in the Southeast of Nigeria (Osabuomen and Okogie, 2011).  Soil degradation is taking place at a much faster rate, than it is needed for the soil to recover and regenerate (Osabuomen and Okogie, 2011; and NCF, 2003).

By definition, soil degradation is the decline in soil inherent capacity to produce economic crops and perform ecologic functions (Lal, 1993). It is the result of depletive human activities and the interaction of these activities with natural environment that causes vital damage to the productive capacity of   the soil. The three principal types of soil degradation are physical, chemical and biological (Lal and Stewart, 1990). Mismanagement of forests, farms and   range lands cause wide spread degradation of soil quality by erosion that removes the top soil gradually over time (Shubhrata, 2004).  

Other causes of degradation include continuous cropping on the same piece of   land without a period of fallow; continuous cropping with persistent use of fertilizers which increases soil acidity (Ojeniyi, 2000). Soil acidity is a form of chemical land degradation (Nwachukwu and Onwuka, 2011) and this result in low crop yields. When the soil degrades, nutrient   depletion occurs either by the means of crop uptake or leaching. One of the nutrients that are depleted in the soil is potassium (Yadvinder et al., 2005). The intensity of cropping, leaching and introduction of high yielding varieties in various cropping systems have resulted in considerable drain of soil potassium reserves (Moshen, 2007; Yadvinder et al., 2005).

Potassium (K) which is a major constituent in all living cells is required in large amounts by plants, animals and humans (Hamdallah, 2004). This is because it plays a major role in plant nutrition and physiology. The uptake of potassium by plants is frequently greater than that of nitrogen and phosphorus (Amoakwah and Frimpong, 2013).

Potassium (K) promotes photosynthesis, controls stomata openings, improves nitrogen utilization, promotes assimilate and transport of nutrients to increase crop yields. It also influences the microbial population in the rhizosphere, and plays a key role in the nutrition and health of man and livestock (Lauchli and Pfluger, 1979; Romheld and Neuman, 2006).

Soil potassium originates from the disintegration and decomposition of rocks containing potassium bearing minerals.  It occurs in the soil in three forms: readily available, slowly available and difficulty available or relatively unavailable K   (Udo et al., 2009). The readily available potassium (K), which constitutes only 1-2% of total potassium, is potassium in soluble and exchangeable forms. The slowly available form is potassium fixed in biotite mica, illite and vermiculite.  It forms about 2-10% of total K in mineral soils. The difficulty available or relatively unavailable potassium (K) constitutes about 95-98% of total potassium (K) and it is the potassium (K) in primary minerals such as orthoclase, feldspar and muscovite mica (Udo et al., 2009).

To overcome this problem of soil degradation and diminishing potassium that has been lost due to crop removal and leaching, farmers use inorganic fertilizers to replenish potassium (K) in the soils. Farmers in the recent times have resorted to the use of fertilizer alternatives due to the increase in fertilizers prices, unavailable and misuse, which usually led to nutrient imbalance and low crop yields (Morris et al., 2007). These alternatives are usually organic materials such as agricultural and industrial wastes of which productions are on the increase in the recent times (Aditya et al., 2013). The use of these materials as alternative soil amendment is not just an age long practice, but a good method of wastes disposal which when left, constitutes a nuisance and health problems to humans. These wastes can be converted into materials such as compost which is a means of adding value to animal manure and other organic materials.

Compost can be defined as an organic multi -fertilizer (Amlinger et al., 2007), its nutrient content as well as other important chemical properties like C/N ratio, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) depend on the used of organic feedstocks and compost processing conditions. Compost contains substantial portion of total nitrogen in the organic form, and it is also a source of other macro nutrient such as phosphorus, that may contribute to high yield (Hornick et al., 1984).

Compost not only supplies nutrients for crop production, but it is also a good source of organic matter. Soil organic matter is generally known to be among the most important factors affecting soil fertility, crop production and land protection from contamination, degradation and erosion (Chen and Avnimelch, 1986, Soane, 1990; Wilson, 1991; Piccolo, 1996). Lots of wastes can be used to produce compost; these include farm yard manure, crop residues, agricultural wastes and domestic wastes with kitchen wastes as example.

Kitchen residue or waste is defined as left over organic materials from restaurants, hotels and households (Li et al., 2009). Kitchen waste is a nutrient rich stuff containing high levels of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and other organic molecules which can support high populations of microorganisms (Wang et al., 2009).

Goat manure, which is a part of farm yard manure, is also needed as a feedstock for compost and the dung can also be used directly as a soil amendment. Goat manure is an efficient source of N, P, K, Ca and Mg nutrients for the soil (Awodun et al., 2007; Odedina et al., 2011; Nweke et al., 2013). The application of goat manure increased crop growth, yield and also improves the ability of plants to tolerate stressful conditions (Maerere et al., 2001; Awodun et al., 2007; Akanni and Ojeniyi, 2008). The use of goat manure on crops has been widely reported to increase dry matter production, improve soil fertility, microbiological activity and water holding capacity as well as a substitute for part of NPK fertilizer (Duarsa et al., 1996).

Biochar is another way of adding value to organic materials but this has not being fully exploited in the Southeast Nigeria as one of the agents of soil fertility restoration. Biochar is pyrolzed biomass at relatively low temperature (< 700⁰C) under conditions of absence or limited supply of oxygen (Bridgewater, 2003). It is used as a soil amendment (Sohi et al., 2010) and   its application to soil increases soil fertility, improves crop yield, elevates soil pH, available phosphorus and exchangeable basic cations (Lehmann et al., 2003). However, Lori and Stanley, (2013) reported that biochar; due to the pyrolysis method of production does not increase the nitrogen content of the soil. This is because most of the nitrogen is lost when heat is applied during the production of biochar.

When these amendments are added to the soil, they release nutrients which increase crop yields. Increasing crop yields like groundnut will not only enhance the farmer’s income but will also enrich the soil nitrogen since it is a leguminous crop.

Groundnut is an annual crop, which enriches the soil. It is a good source of protein and edible oil for humans as well as a nutritive feed supplement (as protein cake) for livestock (Goldsworthy and Fisher, 1987). The consumption of groundnuts in Nigeria in the recent time has increased because it is a cheap source of protein that can be easily affordable.

There is a gap in documentation of the use of biochar, composted goat manure and composted kitchen waste as soil amendment, to increase the yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogeae) and effects on forms of potassium in the study area.

It is against this back drop that the present study was initiated, with the hypothesis that: incorporation of organic wastes, irrespective of the source, will enhance the soil properties and yield of groundnut. The broad objective of the work is to determine the effect of organic wastes on soil properties and yield of groundnut. The specific objectives are to:

1.     Determine the effect of the treatments on soil chemical properties

2.     Ascertain the effect of the treatments on forms of potassium

3.     Evaluate the effect of the treatments on growth and yield of groundnut.

4.     Determine the effect of the treatments on N, P, and K uptake in groundnut.

5.     Determine the optimal rate of application of the best treatment.

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