Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash crop for smallholder farmers in western Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is very low mainly because of strong soil acidity and poor soil fertility managemen...Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash crop for smallholder farmers in western Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is very low mainly because of strong soil acidity and poor soil fertility management. A study conducted to evaluate the effect of lime and mineral phosphorus fertilizer on yield components and yield of groundnut. The treatments consisted of three phosphorus rates (0, 46 and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5·</sub>ha<sup>-1</sup>), three lime rates (0, 6, and 11 ton lime·ha<sup>-1</sup>), and three groundnut varieties (local cultivar, Werer-961, and Werer-963) was laid-out as a randomized complete design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The corresponding rates of phosphorus applied per pot of soil (7 kg) amounted to 0, 107 and 215 mg kg·soil<sup>-1</sup> and those of lime amounted to 0, 14, and 26 g kg·soil<sup>-1</sup>. The analysis of variance showed that phenological characters, yield, and yield components significantly affected by interaction of variety, phosphorus, and lime. The highest dry pod yield produced by Werer-963 (2 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) in response to the application 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. However, Werer-961 produced medium (1.5 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> and the local cultivar produced minimum (1 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at the application of 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. In terms of phosphorus yield efficiency index, Werer-963 was highly efficient (index of 1.71), and Werer-961 was moderately efficient (index of 0.6). However, the local cultivar was inefficient (index of 0.04). It is at, in acidic soil of the study area Werer-963 is the best to be cultivated with application of lime 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> fertilizer, followed by Werer-961. The results of this pot experiment have revealed that farmers in the study area need to switch to cultivating the improved varieties of groundnut rather than local variety with the application of high rates of lime and moderate amounts of phosphorus.展开更多
A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of combined application of farm yard manure (FYM) and inorganic NP fertilizers on soil physico-chemical properties and nutrient balance in a rain-fed lowland rice...A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of combined application of farm yard manure (FYM) and inorganic NP fertilizers on soil physico-chemical properties and nutrient balance in a rain-fed lowland rice production system in Fogera plain, northwestern Ethiopia. The study was carried out during the main cropping seasons of 2010 and 2011. Twenty-seven treatments comprising a factorial combination of three rates of FYM (0, 7.5, and 15 t·ha-1), three rates of nitrogen (0, 60, 120 kg·N·ha-1) and three rates of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 kg·P2O5·ha-1) were tested. The experiments were laid out as a randomized complete block design with three replications. Bulk density, organic matter content, and available water holding capacity, total N, and available P of the soil were measured just after harvesting the rice crop. Results showed that application of 15 t·FYM·ha-1 significantly increased soil organic matter and available water holding capacity but decreased the soil bulk density, creating a good soil condition for enhanced growth of the rice crop. Application of 15 tFYM·ha-1 increased the level of soil total nitrogen from 0.203% to 0.349%. Combined application of 15 t·ha-1·FYM and 100 kg·P2O5·ha-1 increased the available phosphorous from 11.9 ppm to 38.1 ppm. Positive balances of soil N and P resulted from combined application of FYM and inorganic N and P sources. Application of 15·t ha-1·FYM and 120 kg·N·ha-1resulted in 214.8 kg·ha-1·N positive balance while application of 15 t·ha-1·FYM and 100 kg·P2O5·ha-1 resulted in a positive balance of 69.3 kg·P2O5·ha-1 available P. From the results of this experiment, it could be concluded that combined application of FYM and inorganic N and P fertilizers improved the chemical and physical properties, which may lead to enhanced and sustainable production of rice in the study area.展开更多
Groundnut(Arachis hypogaea L.)is a high economic value oil crop commonly grown in low-land semi-arid areas of Ethiopia.The crop production is constrained by low soil fertility;however,the nutrient management practice ...Groundnut(Arachis hypogaea L.)is a high economic value oil crop commonly grown in low-land semi-arid areas of Ethiopia.The crop production is constrained by low soil fertility;however,the nutrient management practice has been given low attention.This study was therefore conducted during the main cropping season of 2015/2016 at Babile and Fedis sites of East Hararghe,Ethiopia to evaluate the growth,nodulation,and yield response of groundnut varieties to the application of combined mineral nitrogen,phosphorus,and vermicompost fertilizers,and zinc.Treatments consisted of a factorial combination of three varieties(Ba-ha-Gudo,Ba-ha-Jidu,and Roba);three fertilizers combinations(0:0 kg N:POhawith no VC,46:46 kg N:POhawith no VC,and 46:46 kg N:POhawith 2.5 t VC ha);and three rates of Zn(0,5,and 10 kg Zn ha)in a randomized complete block design at both sites.The growth,nodulation,yield components,and yield data were subjected to analysis by SAS.The result revealed that plant height was significantly affected by variety and fertilizers combination,the number of branches plant-1affected by the interaction of variety and fertilizers combination while canopy spread and nodulation parameters were affected by the interaction of variety,fertilizers combination,and Zn rate.Pod plant-1and hundred seed weight,dry biomass,pod and seed yields,and seed oil content were significantly affected by the interaction of variety,fertilizers combination,and Zn rate.The highest dry biomass(7.26 t ha),pod(3.13 t ha),seed(2.16 t ha)yields and seed oil content(51.3%),net benefit($1704.2 ha)with a marginal rate of return of 242%were obtained from variety Ba-ha Gudo received the combined application of 46:46 kg N:POhaand 2.5 t VC hawith 5 kg Zn ha.Therefore,it can be concluded that the Ba-ha Gudo variety is preferably produced using the combined application of 46:46 kg N:POhaand 2.5 t VC hawith 5kg Zn hafor high productivity in the study sites and similar agro-ecologies.展开更多
Groundnut is a major cash crop for smallholder farmers in several districts of eastern Ethiopia with low yield. Little or no fertilizer was applied for the crop possibly because no generic or recommended fertilizer an...Groundnut is a major cash crop for smallholder farmers in several districts of eastern Ethiopia with low yield. Little or no fertilizer was applied for the crop possibly because no generic or recommended fertilizer and technology were available. Therefore, field experiments were conducted for 2 consecutive cropping seasons in Babile District, to investigate effects of applying mineral N and P fertilizer and vermicompost (VC) on seed yield and oil content of groundnut using an improved variety ‘BaHa-Gudo’. Treatments consisted of nitrogen (0,23 and 46 kg N/ha), phosphorus (0,46 and 92 kg P2O5/ha) and VC (0,2.5 and 5 t VC/ha). Results revealed that yield attributes, seed yield and seed oil content were significantly (p < 0.01) affected by fertilizers. Seed yield after combined application of 46 kg N, 46 kg P2O5 and 2.5 t VC/ha increased by about 113% compared to seed yield without any fertilizers. Enhancement in seed oil content at the aforementioned rate was 7.0%. It could, thus, be concluded that applying the aforementioned fertilizers would enable farmers to increase seed yield and oil content of groundnut for enhancing their income and livelihoods in the study area.展开更多
Background:Current theories on biodiversity-carbon sequestration relationship describe biodiversity as an important factor influencing carbon storage,either through complementarity effect or by mass ratio effect.So fa...Background:Current theories on biodiversity-carbon sequestration relationship describe biodiversity as an important factor influencing carbon storage,either through complementarity effect or by mass ratio effect.So far,the expected form of biodiversity-carbon relationships in tropical ecosystems has not been known with certainty.Therefore,we explored the relationship between aboveground carbon stock and different biodiversity measurement indices(i.e.,species richness,species diversity,species evenness,and functional diversity)in different land cover types of Eastern Ethiopia.A total of 48 plots were established using stratified random sampling.Vegetation parameters such as diameter at breast height,diameter at stump height,tree height,and species type were recorded.Results:We found that the average aboveground carbon stock of the study area is 147.6±17.2 t ha^(−1)(mean,SE)across land cover types.Species richness,Shannon index,and functional diversity together explained 73.5%,61.4%,58.9%,and 52.0%of the variation in aboveground carbon storage in woodland,riparian forest,bushland,and farmland,respectively.Functional diversity was a significant predictor explaining the total aboveground carbon stocks(26.7%)across the land cover types.The effects of biodiversity on aboveground carbon storage were mediated by functional diversity and presence and dominance of species.This shows that both the selection effects and the niche complementarity are important for carbon storage.However,the impact of functional diversity effects(niche complementarity)was higher than that of functional dominance effects(selection effects).Conclusions:Implementation of protected area-based ecosystem conservation practices in the country seems feasible to mitigate climate change and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation(REDD+)programme should emphasize on biodiversity conservation.展开更多
文摘Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash crop for smallholder farmers in western Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is very low mainly because of strong soil acidity and poor soil fertility management. A study conducted to evaluate the effect of lime and mineral phosphorus fertilizer on yield components and yield of groundnut. The treatments consisted of three phosphorus rates (0, 46 and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5·</sub>ha<sup>-1</sup>), three lime rates (0, 6, and 11 ton lime·ha<sup>-1</sup>), and three groundnut varieties (local cultivar, Werer-961, and Werer-963) was laid-out as a randomized complete design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The corresponding rates of phosphorus applied per pot of soil (7 kg) amounted to 0, 107 and 215 mg kg·soil<sup>-1</sup> and those of lime amounted to 0, 14, and 26 g kg·soil<sup>-1</sup>. The analysis of variance showed that phenological characters, yield, and yield components significantly affected by interaction of variety, phosphorus, and lime. The highest dry pod yield produced by Werer-963 (2 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) in response to the application 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. However, Werer-961 produced medium (1.5 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> and the local cultivar produced minimum (1 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at the application of 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. In terms of phosphorus yield efficiency index, Werer-963 was highly efficient (index of 1.71), and Werer-961 was moderately efficient (index of 0.6). However, the local cultivar was inefficient (index of 0.04). It is at, in acidic soil of the study area Werer-963 is the best to be cultivated with application of lime 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> fertilizer, followed by Werer-961. The results of this pot experiment have revealed that farmers in the study area need to switch to cultivating the improved varieties of groundnut rather than local variety with the application of high rates of lime and moderate amounts of phosphorus.
文摘A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of combined application of farm yard manure (FYM) and inorganic NP fertilizers on soil physico-chemical properties and nutrient balance in a rain-fed lowland rice production system in Fogera plain, northwestern Ethiopia. The study was carried out during the main cropping seasons of 2010 and 2011. Twenty-seven treatments comprising a factorial combination of three rates of FYM (0, 7.5, and 15 t·ha-1), three rates of nitrogen (0, 60, 120 kg·N·ha-1) and three rates of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 kg·P2O5·ha-1) were tested. The experiments were laid out as a randomized complete block design with three replications. Bulk density, organic matter content, and available water holding capacity, total N, and available P of the soil were measured just after harvesting the rice crop. Results showed that application of 15 t·FYM·ha-1 significantly increased soil organic matter and available water holding capacity but decreased the soil bulk density, creating a good soil condition for enhanced growth of the rice crop. Application of 15 tFYM·ha-1 increased the level of soil total nitrogen from 0.203% to 0.349%. Combined application of 15 t·ha-1·FYM and 100 kg·P2O5·ha-1 increased the available phosphorous from 11.9 ppm to 38.1 ppm. Positive balances of soil N and P resulted from combined application of FYM and inorganic N and P sources. Application of 15·t ha-1·FYM and 120 kg·N·ha-1resulted in 214.8 kg·ha-1·N positive balance while application of 15 t·ha-1·FYM and 100 kg·P2O5·ha-1 resulted in a positive balance of 69.3 kg·P2O5·ha-1 available P. From the results of this experiment, it could be concluded that combined application of FYM and inorganic N and P fertilizers improved the chemical and physical properties, which may lead to enhanced and sustainable production of rice in the study area.
文摘Groundnut(Arachis hypogaea L.)is a high economic value oil crop commonly grown in low-land semi-arid areas of Ethiopia.The crop production is constrained by low soil fertility;however,the nutrient management practice has been given low attention.This study was therefore conducted during the main cropping season of 2015/2016 at Babile and Fedis sites of East Hararghe,Ethiopia to evaluate the growth,nodulation,and yield response of groundnut varieties to the application of combined mineral nitrogen,phosphorus,and vermicompost fertilizers,and zinc.Treatments consisted of a factorial combination of three varieties(Ba-ha-Gudo,Ba-ha-Jidu,and Roba);three fertilizers combinations(0:0 kg N:POhawith no VC,46:46 kg N:POhawith no VC,and 46:46 kg N:POhawith 2.5 t VC ha);and three rates of Zn(0,5,and 10 kg Zn ha)in a randomized complete block design at both sites.The growth,nodulation,yield components,and yield data were subjected to analysis by SAS.The result revealed that plant height was significantly affected by variety and fertilizers combination,the number of branches plant-1affected by the interaction of variety and fertilizers combination while canopy spread and nodulation parameters were affected by the interaction of variety,fertilizers combination,and Zn rate.Pod plant-1and hundred seed weight,dry biomass,pod and seed yields,and seed oil content were significantly affected by the interaction of variety,fertilizers combination,and Zn rate.The highest dry biomass(7.26 t ha),pod(3.13 t ha),seed(2.16 t ha)yields and seed oil content(51.3%),net benefit($1704.2 ha)with a marginal rate of return of 242%were obtained from variety Ba-ha Gudo received the combined application of 46:46 kg N:POhaand 2.5 t VC hawith 5 kg Zn ha.Therefore,it can be concluded that the Ba-ha Gudo variety is preferably produced using the combined application of 46:46 kg N:POhaand 2.5 t VC hawith 5kg Zn hafor high productivity in the study sites and similar agro-ecologies.
基金the Ministry of Education of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for funding this work
文摘Groundnut is a major cash crop for smallholder farmers in several districts of eastern Ethiopia with low yield. Little or no fertilizer was applied for the crop possibly because no generic or recommended fertilizer and technology were available. Therefore, field experiments were conducted for 2 consecutive cropping seasons in Babile District, to investigate effects of applying mineral N and P fertilizer and vermicompost (VC) on seed yield and oil content of groundnut using an improved variety ‘BaHa-Gudo’. Treatments consisted of nitrogen (0,23 and 46 kg N/ha), phosphorus (0,46 and 92 kg P2O5/ha) and VC (0,2.5 and 5 t VC/ha). Results revealed that yield attributes, seed yield and seed oil content were significantly (p < 0.01) affected by fertilizers. Seed yield after combined application of 46 kg N, 46 kg P2O5 and 2.5 t VC/ha increased by about 113% compared to seed yield without any fertilizers. Enhancement in seed oil content at the aforementioned rate was 7.0%. It could, thus, be concluded that applying the aforementioned fertilizers would enable farmers to increase seed yield and oil content of groundnut for enhancing their income and livelihoods in the study area.
文摘Background:Current theories on biodiversity-carbon sequestration relationship describe biodiversity as an important factor influencing carbon storage,either through complementarity effect or by mass ratio effect.So far,the expected form of biodiversity-carbon relationships in tropical ecosystems has not been known with certainty.Therefore,we explored the relationship between aboveground carbon stock and different biodiversity measurement indices(i.e.,species richness,species diversity,species evenness,and functional diversity)in different land cover types of Eastern Ethiopia.A total of 48 plots were established using stratified random sampling.Vegetation parameters such as diameter at breast height,diameter at stump height,tree height,and species type were recorded.Results:We found that the average aboveground carbon stock of the study area is 147.6±17.2 t ha^(−1)(mean,SE)across land cover types.Species richness,Shannon index,and functional diversity together explained 73.5%,61.4%,58.9%,and 52.0%of the variation in aboveground carbon storage in woodland,riparian forest,bushland,and farmland,respectively.Functional diversity was a significant predictor explaining the total aboveground carbon stocks(26.7%)across the land cover types.The effects of biodiversity on aboveground carbon storage were mediated by functional diversity and presence and dominance of species.This shows that both the selection effects and the niche complementarity are important for carbon storage.However,the impact of functional diversity effects(niche complementarity)was higher than that of functional dominance effects(selection effects).Conclusions:Implementation of protected area-based ecosystem conservation practices in the country seems feasible to mitigate climate change and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation(REDD+)programme should emphasize on biodiversity conservation.