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Fertilizer micro-dosing increases crop yield in the Sahelian low-input cropping system: A success with a shadow

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Title Fertilizer micro-dosing increases crop yield in the Sahelian low-input cropping system: A success with a shadow
 
Creator Ibrahim, Ali
 
Contributor Abaidoo, Robert
Fatondji, Dougbedji
Opoku, Andrew
 
Subject nutrient balances
fertilizer micro-dosing
nutrient stocks
 
Description Over the years, a scarcity of information on nutrient gains or losses has led to overemphasis being placed
on crop yields and economic income as the direct benefits from fertilizer micro-dosing technology. There
is increasing concern about the sustainability of this technology in smallholder Sahelian cropping
systems. This study was designed in the 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons to establish nutrient balances
under fertilizer micro-dosing technology and their implications on soil nutrient stocks. Two fertilizer
micro-dosing treatments [2 g hill−1 of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and 6 g hill−1 of compound fertilizer
Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (NPK) (15-15-15)] and three rates of manure (100 g hill−1, 200 g hill−1 and
300 g hill−1) and the relevant control treatments were arranged in a factorial experiment organized in a
randomized complete block design with three replications. On average, millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.)
R.Br.) grain yield increased by 39 and 72% for the plots that received the fertilizer micro-dosing of 6 g NPK
hill−1 and 2 g DAP hill−1, respectively, in comparison with the unfertilized control plots. The average
partial nutrients balances for the two cropping seasons were −37 kg N ha−1yr−1, −1 kg P ha−1yr−1 and
−34 kg K ha−1yr−1 in plots that received the application of 2 g DAP hill−1, and −31 kg N ha−1yr−1, −1 kg P
ha−1yr−1 and −27 kg K ha−1yr−1 for 6 g NPK hill−1. The transfer of straw yields accounted for 66% N, 55% P
and 89% K for removal. The average full nutrient balances for the two cropping seasons in fertilizer microdosing
treatments were −47.8 kg N ha−1 yr−1, −6.8 kg P ha−1 yr−1 and −21.3 kg K ha−1 yr−1 which represent
7.8, 24.1 and 9.4% of N, P and K stocks, respectively. The nutrient stock to balance ratio (NSB) for N
decreased from 13 to 11 and from 15 to 12 for the plots that received the application of 2 g DAP hill−1 and
6 g NPK hill−1, respectively. The average NSB for P did not exceed 5 for the same plots. It was concluded
that fertilizer micro-dosing increases the risk of soil nutrient depletion in the Sahelian low-input cropping
system. These results have important implications for developing an agro-ecological approach to
addressing sustainable food production in the Sahelian smallholder cropping system
 
Date 2016-05-22
2017-02-08T23:07:01Z
2017-02-08T23:07:01Z
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/9840
https://mel.cgiar.org/reporting/download/hash/2Obk0G4n
Ali Ibrahim, Robert Abaidoo, Dougbedji Fatondji, Andrew Opoku. (22/5/2016). Fertilizer micro-dosing increases crop yield in the Sahelian low-input cropping system: A success with a shadow. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 62(3), pp. 277-288.
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/5595
Limited access
 
Language en
 
Rights CC-BY-NC-4.0
 
Format PDF
 
Publisher Taylor & Francis Open
 
Source Soil Science and Plant Nutrition;62,(2016) Pagination 277,288