A field experiment was conducted at Instructional Dairy Farm, Nagla, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (India) during Kharif seasons of 2011 and 2012 to study the effect of tillage, fertilizer placement and nitrogen levels on green foliage, brix, sucrose, juice and ethanol production of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in Mollisols of Uttarakhand. The experimental results revealed that the highest growth attributes, fodder yield, brix%, sugar%, juice and ethanol yield were recorded under subsoiling-cum-differential rate placement of fertilizer. The subsoiling-cum-differential rate placement produced 16.7, 26.7 and 32.7% higher green fodder and 19.2, 33.4 and 42.2% higher dry fodder yield than conventional tillage, subsoiling and subsoiling-cum-deep placement, respectively. Similarly, the brix%, sucrose%, juice and ethanol yield were recorded 21.9, 13.2, 31.2 and 45.0% higher under subsoiling-cum-differential rate placement than conventional tillage, respectively. The nitrogen levels also influenced the quality attributes of sweet sorghum with 8.1, 21.3, 36.4 and 74.0% higher brix%, sucrose%, juice and ethanol yield, respectively under 120 kg N/ha than control, however the green and dry fodder yield increased significantly up to 80 kg N/ha. It is therefore concluded that the fertilizer should be placed at differential depth (20cm and 50cm) coupled with 80 kg N/ha for higher green foliage as well as brix, sucrose, juice and ethanol production of sweet sorghum in Mollisols of Uttrakhand and may be replicated in similar agro-climatic zones of India.
This study was carried out to assess the status and distribution of soil available micronutrients along a hill slope in Ekpoma and to determine the physical and chemical properties of the soils. Soil samples were obtained from upper, middle and lower slope in the land scape within Ambrose Alli University main campus environment at depth intervals of 0-15cm and 15-30cm. Soil samples were collected and analysed for some micronutrients using standard laboratory methods. The results showed that chlorine increased in depths for all the locations in the landscape. Iron increased with increase in depth in all the locations. In the case of Zinc, the content in the soils in all three locations decreased with increase in depths. Copper was irregular in the three locations in the landscape. The result also shows that Nickel is irregular in the research area. Manganese was irregular in the three locations. Cadmium was same for both depths at the upper slope but absent at the middle and bottom of the landscape. Boron and Chromium were irregular in the three locations of the landscape. Micronutrients were available and well distributed in the landscape except for cadmium which was completely absent in the middle and lower slopes.
A field experiment was conducted at the N.E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand during kharif-2016 and 2017 seasons, to study the response of foliar nutrition on soybean crop. The treatments included T-1 Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF)20:60:40, N:P2O5: K2O + water spray at pod initiation, T-2 RDF + Urea 2% spray at pod initiation, T-3 RDF + Di Ammonium Phosphate 2% spray at pod initiation, T-4 RDF + Muriate of Potash 0.5% at pod initiation, T-5 RDF + 19:19:19 (N,P2O5, K2O) 2% spray at pod initiation, T-6 RDF + sodium molybdate 0.5% spray at pod initiation, T-7 RDF + borax 0.5% spray at pod initiation, T-8 RDF + chelated zinc 0.5% spray at pod initiation and T-9 RDF (20:60:40, N, P2O5, K2O) only. Foliar application of nutrients was done at pod initiation stage and RDF was applied as basal at the time of sowing. Application of RDF + 19:19:19 (N,P2O5, K2O) 2% spray at pod initiation stage in treatment T-5 resulted in higher yield attributing characters viz. , branches per plant and pods per plant during both the years. The highest seed and haulm yield was also recorded in the treatment T-5 (RDF + 19:19:19 (N, P2O5, K2O) 2% spray at pod initiation. The per cent increase in seed yield due to treatment T-5 was 26.7 and 13.9 per cent over RDF alone during 2016 and 2017 respectively. The highest harvest index of 28.85 and 27.57 was also recorded in the treatment T-5 (RDF+ 19:19:19, 2% spray at pod initiation) during 2016 and 2017, respectively.
This study was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria to evaluate the soils for their suitability for the cultivation of two arable crops (pineapple and plantain). The area was gridded using the rigid grid method of detailed soil survey, measuring 100 m x 100 m (1 ha) per auger boring point. Two mapping units were identified and delineated based on textural class, drainage, topography and land use types. A soil profile was dug in each of the mapping unit and described appropriate. Soil samples were collected from identified genetic horizons and analyzed for morphological, physical and chemical properties of the soil. The results indicated that, under moist condition, soil in mapping unit 1 (pedon1) had very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) colour at surface level and strong brown (7.5Y4/5) at subsurface level; while in mapping unit 2 (pedon 2), soil colour was strong brown (7.5YR5/6) at both surface and subsurface level. Textural class in pedon 1 was sandy loam at the Ap1- horizon, sandy clay loam at the Bt2 – horizon; while in pedon 2, soil textural class was loamy sand at the Ap – horizon and sandy clay loam at the Bt2 – horizon with sub-angular blocky to blocky structures in both pedons. Sand particles was dominant mineral size fraction in the soil in both pedons (832 g/kg and 852 g/kg).Silt particles had the least particle size distribution (26 and 26 – 46 g/kg) respectively. CEC ranged from 19.16 cmol/kg to 53.60 cmol/kg in pedon 1 and 12.33 cmol/kg to 18.33 cmol/kg in pedon 2. The pH of the soils were acidic to moderately acidic (4.59 to 5.53), organic carbon and total nitrogen were low, ranging from 0.27g/kg to 0.98 g/kg and 0.01 g/kg to 0.14 g/kg. Available phosphorus ranged from 1.75 mg/kg to 48.59 mg/kg and exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg and K) ranged from low to moderate, while the base saturation of the soil were generally high ranging from 75% to 94.69 %. The result on the suitability scores using the Non-parametric methods showed that the soil of the study area were currently not suitable (N) for pineapple and plantain cultivation on the basis of fertility; that is, low CEC and N for pineapple and low CEC and alkalinity for plantain cultivation. It is therefore, imperative to embark on good fertility management practice to boost the fertility status of the soil for sustainable arable crop production.
This study was conducted in the rain forest zone of Edo state, Nigeria to evaluate the suitability of some soils for avocado pear and pineapple cultivation. The methodology involved a rigid grid soil survey at a detailed scale. Four mapping units were delineated and suitable guidelines specific for each crop were used in establishing suitability of the land for avocado pear and pineapple. The result revealed that by limitation method, on potential basis, 110.98 ha (Inceptisols and Ultisols) which amounts to 86.64% of the study area was moderately suitable (S2) while 17.13 ha (Entisols) which amounts to 13.37% of the study area was marginally suitable for avocado pear and pineapple. However, by parametric method, 110.98 ha (Inceptisols and Ultisols) covering 86.64% of the study area was highly suitable (S1) while 17.13 ha (Entisols) representing to 13.37% of the study area was only marginally suitable for avocado pear and pineapple production. Thus, the limitation method should be preferred for land suitability evaluation as it captures the true state of land characteristics in the study area.
