The reutilization of biomass ashes in agriculture is an important issue to create nutrient cycles and to save fertilizer. To analyse the P fertilization effect of crop biomass ashes (rape meal ash (RMA), straw ash (SA), and cereal ash (CA)) in interaction with different crops, two pot experiments with a poor loamy sand deficient in P were carried out. Besides the three ash treatments, other treatments included triple superphosphate (TSP) as a high soluble P source, potassium chloride (KCl) as a high soluble K source, and a control (CON) without P and K. The main crops (maize, lupin, summer barley, and oilseed rape) were cultivated in the first experiment from April to May and the catch crops (oil radish, phacelia, italian ryegrass, and buckwheat) were cultivated in the second experiment from August to September. Plant parameters (biomass and P uptake of shoots), soil pH, different P pools of the soil (total P (Pt), water soluble P (Pw), double lactate soluble P (Pdl), oxalate soluble P (Pox)), P sorption capacity (PSC), and the degree of P saturation (DPS) were investigated. The fertilization effect of biomass ashes was comparable with that of TSP. On average of all crops, the highest P uptake (86.7 mg pot−1) was found after RMA application, and the lowest P uptake (66.6 mg pot−1) for CON. The readily bio-available soil P contents (Pw and Pdl) were significantly increased when P was supplied, regardless of whether P was given with ash or with high soluble TSP. The P fertilization effects also depended on the cultivated crops. The ash treatments resulted in highest increases of soil Pw values when combined with buckwheat cultivation. After buckwheat harvest the Pw content in the control was 8.0 mg kg−1, and in the ash treatments between 13.9 mg kg−1 (CA) and 15.7 mg kg−1 (RMA). From the results of this study we conclude, that crop biomass ashes can be an adequate P source comparable to that of highly soluble commercial P fertilizer.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10705-010-9353-9.pdf

Biomass ashes and their phosphorus fertilizing effect on different crops

Pathways for sustainable development of mixed crop livestock systems: Taking a livestock and pro-poor approach ☆

Tradeoffs around crop residue biomass in smallholder crop-livestock systems – What’s next?

Depuis plus de vingt ans, l'IRAT-CIRAD a cherche a apporter sa contribution a la solution du probleme complexe que represente la fertilisation des cultures vivrieres et la fertilite des sols en agriculture paysanne dans les regions subsahariennes. En cela, il a collabore avec plusieurs organismes nationaux de recherche (ISRA au Senegal, IER au Mali, IDESSA en Cote d'Ivoire, IBRAZ au Burkina Faso, INRAN au Niger, IRA au Cameroun, recherche agronomique du Togo, du Benin), avec des societes de developpement (SAED, SODEVA, CMDT, CIDT, SODECOTON...), des services de vulgarisation nationaux, et, de plus en plus depuis 1974, des agriculteurs (Unites experimentales du Senegal) directement associes au processus de recherche-developpement engage...

Fertilisation des cultures vivrières et fertilité des sols en agriculture paysanne subsaharienne

2 Abstract: Combined use of crop and animal wastes is necessary in order to obtain adequate amount of organic manure for use in crop production. Hence field experiments were conducted at two sites in Akure, Southwest Nigeria to compare effect of NPK (15-5-15) fertilizer (200 kg ha ) and each of Spent Grain (SG) and ground 1 Cocoa Husk (CH) amended with Cattle Dung (CD), Poultry Manure (PM) and Goat Manure (GM) at equal rates (12.5 t ha :12.5 t ha ). The effects of treatments on leaf N, P and K concentrations, growth and fruit yield 11 of tomato were studied. Compared with control, NPKF and animal manure amended SG and CH increased leaf N and K, plant height, number of branches, leaf area, number and weight of fruits significantly (p>0.05). Fruit yields given by CD, PM and GM amended CH and PM and GM amended SG were similar. Among eight treatments compared, CH and SG amended with PM gave highest fruit yields. Compared with control, NPKF, amended SG and CH increased fruit yield by 268,342 and 397%, respectively.

Effect of Animal Manure Ammended Spent Grain and Cocoa Husk on Nutrient Status Growth and Yield of Tomato

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum R. (Br.) L.] is grown in West Africa on sandy, acid soils deficient in plant nutrients. In the mixed farming systems of western Niger, livestock graze millet stover by day and deposit dung and urine directly on cropland during overnight kraaling. Kraaling of livestock is perhaps the most important pathway to recycle nutrients and sustain soil fertility. Three tillage practices (immediate tillage, late tillage and no till) four amendment types (dung-plus-urine, dung alone, millet stover and millet stover ashes), and three fertilizer N rates (0, 15 and 30 kg N ha−1) were factorially combined and arranged in a split plot design. Average millet grain yield in immediate till plots was 30% higher than in no-till plots and was 13% greater in plots amended with dung-plus-urine than in plots that received manure alone. The highest pH (5.8) and lowest bulk density 1.46 g/cm3 of surface soil were measured in plots amended with dung-plus-urine. Under the less nomadic livestock management system, where animals are mostly stall-fed, technology is needed to capture and transfer nutrients in animal urine to farmers' fields for cropping.

Nutrient cycling practices and changes in soil properties in the crop-livestock farming systems of western Niger Republic of West Africa

Improving fallow quality in cassava–fallow rotations in southeastern Nigeria through the use of leguminous cover crops has been shown to sustain the productivity of such systems. We studied the effects of age (1 or 2 years) of Tephrosia candida fallow on biomass and nutrient accumulation, on weed biomass and yield response of cassava/maize intercrop and on changes in soil chemical properties in a 3 yr field trial. Results were compared with those obtained in natural fallow. Total biomass and litter were three times higher in plots fallowed for 2 yr with Tephrosia candida than in those under natural fallow for the same period. Weed biomass was 205% lower in T. candida plots fallowed for 2 yr than in the natural fallow and was 174% smaller in T. candida plots fallow for 1 yr than in the natural fallow. Nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and potassium) yields in leaves of T. candida fallow for 2 yr were on average 200–300% higher than in leaves of other fallows. The same trend was observed for cassava and maize yields. Soil chemical changes at soil depth 0 to 5 cm showed significant increases in N and C concentrations after 2 yr fallowing and a year of cropping, particularly in the planted fallow plots. Conversely, soil pH, available P and the exchangeable cations, especially Ca were lower, while Al was higher than the initial values, mainly in plots fallowed under T. candida, indicating a tendency of this fallow species to further exacerbate the soil acidification problem of the acid Ultisol at the study site in southeastern Nigeria.

F. N. Ikpe

Papers

Nutrient cycling practices and changes in soil properties in the crop-livestock farming systems of western Niger Republic of West Africa

Nutrient recycling potential of Tephrosia candida in cropping systems of southeastern Nigeria