Chemical and microbial properties of semiarid tropical soils of short-term fallows in Burkina Faso,West Africa

In the soudano–sahelian zone of Burkina Faso, the short-term fallow effect on the soil chemical and microbial properties was evaluated. In four farm experiments, two types of fallows were compared with cultivated fields: a natural vegetation fallow and a fallow enriched with Andropogon gayanus. After 5 to 7 years of experiments, soil chemical and microbial characteristics were determined in laboratory for 0–10 cm soil depth. Soil organic carbon (+64%), nitrogen (+35%), microbial biomass (+76%), basal respiration (+141%), and β-glucosidase activity (+86%) were significantly higher in fallows plots than in cultivated fields. The metabolic quotient was not significantly different on fallows compared to the cropped plots. Also, no significant difference was highlighted between natural vegetation fallows and the A. gayanus-enriched one.     

Relationships between abiotic and biotic soil properties during fallow periods in the sudanian zone of Senegal

Relationships between soil characteristics, various forms of soil organic matter, microbial biomass and the structure of phytoparasitic nematode populations were investigated in six fallow fields aged from 1 to 26 years in the West African Savanna (WAS) belt in southern Senegal. Soil sampling was performed along two transects in each field. Herbaceous biomass and soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics were studied with principal component analysis (PCA) and the relationships between the parameters were extracted with co-inertia analysis.Soil properties (mainly calcium, magnesium and total carbon contents, and cation exchange capacity) slightly improved in the upper soil layer (0–5 cm) during the succession of vegetation. In constrast, in the 0–10 cm soil layer, microbial biomass and total soil organic carbon content showed no clear pattern of change over time, while highest charcoal stocks were found in older fallows where bush fires are frequent. In the 0–40 cm layer, living root biomass increased and herbaceous biomass decreased through the chronosequence. Evidence is presented here for particular relationships between some of the carbon components and the structure of the nematode community. Pratylenchus and Ditylenchus species were associated with the grass vegetation of the youngest fallows. In contrast Helicotylenchus and Scutellonema were present in old fallows. The multiplication of the latter appeared closely related to the presence of woody fine roots, whereas, that of the former seemed to be favoured by the presence of the coarsest roots of trees.Xiphinema had a higher density in soils with higher bulk density. Microbial biomass was not affected by fallow duration and was not correlated with the abundance of non-phytoparasitic nematodes. These results suggested that the management of crop pests such as nematodes in the soils of the WAS could be exerted through stump protection and tree plantation (improved fallow, agroforestry) during the crop-fallow cycle.     

The effect of biochar with biogas digestate or mineral fertilizer on fertility,aggregation and organic carbon content of a sandy soil: Results of a temperate field experiment

Substitution of mineral fertilizers with organic soil amendments is postulated to improve productivity‐relevant soil properties such as aggregation and organic matter (OM) content. However, there is a lack of studies analyzing the effects of biochar and biogas digestate versus mineral fertilizer on soil aggregation and OM dynamics under temperate field conditions. To address this research gap, a field experiment was sampled four years after establishment on a sandy Cambisol in Germany where mineral fertilizer or liquid biogas digestate was applied with or without 3 or 40 Mg biochar ha^?1 (produced at 650°C). Soil samples were analyzed for soil organic carbon (SOC) content, pH, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, water‐holding capacity, microbial biomass, aggregate size class distribution, and the SOC content associated with these size classes. 40 Mg biochar ha^?1 significantly increased SOC content in all fractions, especially free particulate OM and the 2–0.25 mm fraction. The yield of small macroaggregates (2–0.25 mm) was increased by biochar, but cation exchange capacity, water‐holding capacity, and pH were not consistently improved. Thus, high‐temperature biochar applied to a sandy soil under temperate conditions is primarily recommended to increase SOC content, which could contribute to climate change mitigation if this C remains sequestered over the long‐term. Fertilizer type did not significantly affect SOC content or other measured properties of the sandy Cambisol, suggesting that replacement of mineral fertilizer with digestate has a neutral effect on soil fertility. Co‐application of biochar with digestate provided no advantages for soil properties compared to co‐application with mineral fertilizer. Thus, independent utilization of these organic amendments is equally suitable.     

Influence of Panicum maximum ecotypes on plant root growth and soil chemical characteristics after 3-year study in Soudanian region of West Africa

A study was carried out to compare the influence of four Guinea grass ecotypes (Panicum maximum) differing in their morphological, physiological, and agronomical traits on soil fertility in Soudanian region of West Africa. Plants were sown in a randomized complete block design with four replicates and cultivated during three successive years under a cut-and-carry regime without any fertiliser use. A natural fallow served as the control. Soil samples were collected before and after cultivation, and analyzed for pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, available P, and exchangeable cation contents. Aerial plant production was quantified and analyzed for N, P, and K content to estimate the uptake of these nutrients. Root biomass, depth, and distribution were also measured. Data were analyzed through ANOVA. After 3 years of cultivation, soil pH under plants did not vary but C and N concentrations declined from the initial levels. Owing to their deep rooting systems, two ecotypes can recycle nutrients apparently from deeper soil layers. While these ecotypes could be used for ley pastures in savannah regions of West Africa, maintenance fertiliser applications would be required to prevent nutrient depletion under a cut-and-carry regime. Further studies to test the efficacy of farmyard manure in providing these nutrients seem warranted.     

Cation exchange in forest soils: the need for a new perspective

The long‐term sustainability of forest soils may be affected by the retention of exchangeable nutrient cations such as Ca²⁺ and the availability of potentially toxic cations such as Al³⁺. Many of our current concepts of cation exchange and base cation saturation are largely unchanged since the beginnings of soil chemistry over a century ago. Many of the same methods are still in use even though they were developed in a period when exchangeable aluminium (Al) and variable charge were not generally recognized. These concepts and methods are not easily applicable to acid, highly organic forest soils. The source of charge in these soils is primarily derived from organic matter (OM) but the retention of cations, especially Al species, cannot be described by simple exchange phenomena. In this review, we trace the development of modern cation exchange definitions and procedures, and focus on how these are challenged by recent research on the behaviour of acid forest soils. Although the effective cation exchange capacity (CECe) in an individual forest soil sample can be easily shown to vary with the addition of strong base or acid, it is difficult to find a pH effect in a population of different acid forest soil samples. In the very acidic pH range below ca 4.5, soils will generally have smaller concentrations of adsorbed Al³⁺. This can be ascribed to a reduced availability of weatherable Al‐containing minerals and a large amount of weak, organic acidity. Base cation saturation calculations in this pH range do not provide a useful metric and, in fact, pH is modelled better if Al³⁺ is considered to be a base cation. Measurement of exchangeable Al³⁺ with a neutral salt represents an ill‐defined but repeatable portion of organically complexed Al, affected by the pH of the extractant. Cation exchange in these soils can be modelled if assumptions are made as to the proportion of individual cations that are non‐specifically bound by soil OM. Future research should recognize these challenges and focus on redefining our concepts of cation retention in these important soils.     

Explaining soil organic matter composition based on associations between OM and polyvalent cations

Site conditions and soil management determine the content and the composition of soil organic matter (SOM). Organic matter (OM) is characterized by functional groups, which preferentially interact with polyvalent cations and soil minerals. These interactions could perhaps explain the site‐specific composition of bulk SOM and a pyrophosphate‐soluble OM fraction (OM‐PY) using basic soil properties. The objective of this study was to test a simplified model for the interactions between OM and polyvalent cations (i.e., Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, and Mn) by using data from soils from long‐term field experiments. The model considered (1) OM–cation, (2) OM–cation‐mineral, and (3) OM–mineral associations and assumed that the availability of the cation's coordination sites for the interaction with OM depends on these three types of associations. The test was carried out using data (topsoil) from differently fertilized plots from three long‐term field experiments (Halle, Bad Lauchstädt, Rotthalmünster). The composition of SOM and OM‐PY was characterized by the relationship of the ratio of the C=O (i.e., here indicating both carbonylic and carboxylic groups) versus C–O–C absorption band intensities obtained from the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra with the content of exchangeable, oxalate‐, and dithionite‐extractable polyvalent cations. The assumed associations between the OM and cations and the availability of the coordination sites explained most of the variations in the C=O/C–O–C ratios of the SOM, and fewer variations in the OM‐PY, when using the site‐specific exchangeable and oxalate‐extractable cation contents. The C=O/C–O–C ratios of the OM‐PY were site‐independent for samples from plots that regularly received farmyard manure. The results suggested that a simplified model that considers the polyvalent cation content weighted by the number of coordination sites per cation according to the type of association could be used to improve the explanation of site‐specific differences in the OM composition of arable soils.     

武陵山地植烟土壤酸度特征及影响因素——以湖南省湘西自治州为例

为了解多年种植烤烟的山地土壤酸度特征,研究了湘西自治州的土壤酸度指标特征及其关系以及植烟年限和土壤类型、有机质、黏粒对土壤酸度的影响。结果表明:(1)植烟年限对土壤酸度的影响大于土壤类型;随植烟年限增加,土壤pH下降,潜性酸度增加,黄棕壤土的交换性盐基、阳离子交换量和盐基饱和度下降。(2)土壤pH与交换性酸为幂函数关系,交换性铝是土壤交换性酸的主体,土壤交换性酸强度随交换性铝及其相对比例的增加而增加。(3)土壤pH与交换性盐基、阳离子交换量、盐基饱和度为二次曲线关系,当pH6时,随土壤pH增加,交换性盐基和阳离子交换量下降,盐基饱和度增加;当pH6时,随土壤pH增加,交换性盐基和阳离子交换量增加,盐基饱和度变幅小。(4)土壤交换性盐基离子主要是交换性钙,其次是交换性镁;对土壤pH影响较大的盐基离子是交换性钙。(5)有机质和黏粒主要影响土壤pH、阳离子交换量、交换性盐基和交换性钙。     

Considerations on cross‐linking by bivalent cations in soil organic matter with low exchange capacity

A soil's cation exchange capacity (CEC) is expected to be relatively inert against changes in cation loading. In this study, we treated a soil sample originating from the organic layer of a forest soil with various bivalent cations after removing the native cations. Sorption isotherms and cation exchange capacity were determined, the latter using the BaCl₂ method. Sorption showed Langmuir characteristics, with the maximum coverage (Q_max) increasing in the order Ba²⁺ < Ca²⁺ < Mg²⁺, but being clearly smaller than the initial load of native exchangeable cations. The Langmuir coefficient, k_Me, depended oppositely to the order obtained for Q_max. CEC increased upon cation treatment and it varied by a factor of almost two. The unexpected variation of CEC was explained by the low cation exchange capacity of the organic matter such that not all functional groups are close enough to be bridged and the second charge of a bivalent cation is not neutralized by the organic functional group. The Langmuir sorption type, and Q_max being smaller than the content of sorption sites and being largest for Mg, suggested that only a part of the sites can be cross‐linked and at least part of the cross‐links are formed by hydrated cations. Thermodynamic considerations allowed reconstruction of two contrasting processes during CEC determination by Ba²⁺: Case A: the disruption of cross‐links, which increases with the cationic strength and the cation load before CEC determination, but does not require structural re‐orientation in the SOM matrix, and Case B: the formation of new cross‐links during CEC determination, depending only on the content of unoccupied sites before CEC determination and requiring structural re‐organization of the matrix and thus a minimum matrix flexibility. The use of bivalent cations for CEC determination may thus result in an overestimation of CEC for organic matter with low CEC. This has, however, promising potential when comparing CEC determined with monovalent cations and bivalent cations. Using a set of bivalent cations, may allow probing distribution of distances between functional groups in the organic matter and even characterize the matrix rigidity of the cation‐cross‐linked network.     

免耕与常规耕作潮棕壤交换性阳离子的剖面分布特征

通过田间定位试验.研究了不同耕作方式对潮棕壤0-100 cm深度6个土层土壤交换性阳离子的影响.结果表明,与常规耕作相比,免耕使土壤表层pH显著增,.而电导率下降;同时,免耕增加了表层土壤可交换性K~+含量,降低了可交换性Na~+含量,但对可交换性Ca~(2+),Mg~(2+)和阳离子交换量没有产生显著影响.相关分析结果表明,可交换性K~+与土壤养分含量没有显著相关性,而可交换性Na~+,Ca~(2+),Mg~(2+)和阳离子交换量与有机质和全氮含量均呈负相关关系.     

The Effect of Lake-Water Infiltration on the Acidity and Base Cation Status of Forest Soil

In this article, the effects of the artificialrecharging of groundwater by infiltrating surface water throughforest soil, i.e. sprinkling infiltration, on the acidity andbase cation status of the soil are described. The study wascarried out in the Ahvenisto esker area, Hämeenlinna,southern Finland, during 1996–1998. The sample plots werelocated in a 110- to 160-yr-old Scots pine (Pinussylvestris L.) stand. The site was classified as the Oxalis-Maianthemum type. The soil consisted of a mixture oftill and glaciofluvial sediments. The pH of the organic layerincreased from 4.7 to >6.5 soon after the start of irrigationon the infiltration plot. The pH of the 0–10 cm mineral soillayer also increased from 4.9 to 6.4 as a result ofinfiltration. Sprinkling infiltration increased theexchangeable Ca and Mg concentrations in the organic anduppermost mineral soil layers. The output of Ca and Mg inpercolation water from the 0–100 cm thick layer was lower thanthe input to the soil surface via irrigation in 1996. Theretention of Ca and Mg on cation exchange sites took placewithin a relatively short period of time, since retention wasobserved only in 1996 but no longer in 1997 or 1998 indicatingsaturation of the cation exchange sites by base cations. Lakewater infiltration leads to the neutralisation of forest soilacidity, and increases the capacity of the soil to withstandacidic inputs by increasing the concentrations of exchangeablebase cations on cation exchange sites in the soil.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by maize as affected by particulate organic matter quality, soil characteristics, and land-use history for soils from the West African moist savanna zone

 The impact of land use (unfertilized continuous maize cropping, unfertilized and fertilized alley cropping with maize, Gliricidia sepium tree fallow, natural fallow) on the soil organic matter (SOM) status and general soil fertility characteristics were investigated for a series of soils representative for the West African moist savanna zone. Three soils from the humid forest zone were also included. In an associated pot experiment, relationships between maize N and P uptake and SOM and general soil characteristics were developed. Soils under natural fallow contained the highest amount of organic C (1.72%), total N (0.158%), and had the highest effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) [8.9 mEq 100 g^–1 dry soil], while the Olsen P content was highest in the fertilized alley cropping plots (13.7 mg kg^–1) and lowest under natural fallow (6.3 mg kg^–1). The N concentration of the particulate organic matter (POM) was highest in the unfertilized alley cropping plots (2.4%), while the total POM N content was highest under natural fallow (370 mg N kg^–1) and lowest in continuously cropped plots (107 mg N kg^–1). After addition of all nutrients except N, a highly significant linear relationship (R ²=0.91) was observed between the total N uptake in the shoots and roots of 7-week-old maize and the POM N content for the savanna soils. POM in the humid forest soils was presumably protected from decomposition due to its higher silt and clay content. After addition of all nutrients except P, the total maize P uptake was linearly related to the Olsen P content. R ² increased from 0.56 to 0.67 in a multiple linear regression analysis including the Olsen P content and clay content (which explained 11% of the variation in P uptake). Both the SOM status and N availability were shown to be improved in land-use systems with organic matter additions, while only the addition of P fertilizer could improve P availability. Received: 9 April 1999     

Effects of fallow system and cropping frequency upon quantity and composition of earthworm casts

The quantities of earthworm surface casts were monitored in traditional bush fallow regrowth (BFR), Pueraria phaseoloides live mulch (PLM), Leucaena leucocephala alley cropping (LAC) and undisturbed forest. The fallow systems were planted to maize/cassava intercrop either permanently or for one year after three years of fallow i.e. at 100 and 25% cropping frequencies. Earthworm casting activity was lower in fields cropped after clearing three year old fallow than in the respective permanently cropped fallow management system. The reduction in casting was related both to the degree of biomass removed through burning and to re-establishment of cover crops. Higher exchangeable cation concentration in the soil did not cause increased casting activity. Concentrations of organic C, total N and exchangeable Ca and Mg in casts were significantly higher than in the 0–15 cm topsoil. Exchangeable Ca and Mg in casts did not significantly differ between treatments, with the exception of significantly higher Mg in casts after three years of P. phaseoloides fallow. Topsoil (0–15 cm) exchangeable Ca and Mg were not correlated with cast exchangeable Ca and Mg, but concentrations of organic C and total N in casts were significantly correlated with organic C and total N in the topsoil. Coefficients of variability of organic C, total N and exchangeable Ca and Mg were about twice as high in the soil than in casts. Significant negative correlations between the cast to soil ratio (cast enrichment factor) of organic C, total N and exchangeable Ca and Mg and the respective concentrations in the soil show that earthworms are increasingly selective in organic carbon and nutrient uptake as these parameters of soil fertility are declining.     

施用生物炭对红壤性水稻土重金属钝化与土壤肥力的影响

通过田间小区试验,分析了不同用量的生物炭处理下(0,10,20,30,40 t/hm^2)0-17,17-29 cm土层土壤的理化性质、重金属钝化及酶活性的影响。采用IFI(土壤肥力综合质量指数)评价了土壤肥力状况。结果表明:施用生物炭可以改善红壤的理化性状,降低土壤容重,提高土壤的孔隙度、饱和含水量、pH、CEC、有机质、有效磷、铵态氮和全氮及DOC含量;同时提高土壤脲酶、过氧化氢酶和蔗糖酶活性。土壤有效态Cd和Pb含量均随生物炭施用量的增加而减少;而有效态As含量则随生物炭施用量的增加呈先增后减的趋势,三者均在生物炭施用量为40 t/hm^2时为最小值。利用IFI对土壤肥力综合质量进行评价可知,在不同生物炭用量条件下土壤肥力综合质量指数依次为A30>A40>A20>A10>CK,相应的土壤肥力综合质量指数分别为0.64,0.62,0.57,0.47,0.44。评价结果表明在生物炭施用量为30 t/hm^2时,红壤的肥力改良效果最佳。因此,采用适量的生物炭可修复重金属对红壤性水稻土的污染,并改善土壤肥力状况。     

塔里木盆地南缘新垦农田土壤性状变化及其与小麦产量的关系

以塔里木盆地南缘不同年限新垦农田(10年、20年、30年、40年、50年)为研究对象,以未开垦的荒漠自然土壤为对照,测定0―40cm土层有机质、养分、盐碱等土壤性状,探讨了新垦农田土壤肥力和盐碱变化及其对小麦产量的影响。结果表明:随开垦年限延长,0―20,20―40cm土层有机质含量均呈线性增加,但后者变化幅度相对较小。在0―40cm土层,全氮、有效氮和速效钾含量随时间延长的变化均与有机质含量呈极显著正相关,开垦50年时分别增加88.8%,213.4%,37.5%;有效磷含量在开垦前30年呈线性增加而后又降低,开垦50年时比开垦前增加1201.2%。荒漠自然土壤(0年)是以Na+和Cl-为主的轻度盐渍化土壤,开垦为农田后总盐分含量显著下降,且不同年限间差异不明显,在0―40cm土层平均为0.8g/kg,离子累积转变为以Na+和HCO3-为主。土壤pH在开垦30年(pH为8.85)时比开垦前增加13.4%,之后又显著下降,pH变化与CO32-和K+累积呈显著正相关。新垦农田小麦产量平均为4.79 t/hm^2,与土壤有机质、养分、盐分含量和pH均不相关,但与Na+、Cl-含量均呈显著负相关。综上,随开垦时间延长绿洲农田土壤肥力和盐渍化程度已得到明显改善,但0―40cm土层Na+和Cl-含量却是影响新垦绿洲小麦产量的主要土壤因子。因此,培肥农田土壤,采取有效措施降低Na+和Cl-含量,并防止其再次升高是实现绿洲小麦稳产高产的关键。     

稻田经济草坪化种植后土壤理化性质与养分质量变化特点

  目的  揭示稻田经济草坪化种植后的土壤质量变化规律,以期为草坪化种植稻田复垦快速精准改良提供依据。  方法  基于海宁市丁桥镇近133.3 hm2 稻田被经济草坪化种植后存在需复垦为稻田的改良需求,选择稻田草坪化种植（0、1、2、3、4年）后的土壤为研究对象,分析土壤的机械组成、容重、pH值、有机质、阳离子交换量、氮、磷、钾总量及其有效态含量等理化与养分指标,并对其进行相关性分析和土壤肥力综合评价,探讨土壤理化性质与养分指标的时空变异特征,明晰经济草坪化种植后稻田关键肥力因子的变化特点。  结果  稻田草坪化种植后,随着种植年限增长,不同深度土壤（0 ~ 15 cm、15 ~ 30 cm、30 ~ 45 cm）的各理化性质与养分含量指标变化趋势具有一致性。随草坪化种植年限增长,土壤砂粒含量减少,粘粒含量增加,容重增大,pH逐渐升高,土壤有机质和阳离子交换量呈现出先快后慢的下降态势;土壤全量和速效氮、磷、钾含量逐渐降低,土壤速效氮、磷、钾含量在草坪化种植初期下降尤其显著。全量及速效养分含量总体以及土壤砂粒含量与草坪化种植年限呈极显著负相关（P < 0.01）,土壤pH和容重的变化量以及粘粒含量与草坪化种植年限呈极显著正相关（P < 0.01）,有机质和阳离子交换量的变化量与草坪化种植年限呈显著负相关（P < 0.05）,草坪化种植4年后,土壤肥力综合等级退化为瘦瘠水平。  结论  稻田经济草坪化种植后导致其土壤肥力显著退化。     

Ecological study on the dynamics of soil organic matter and its related properties in shifting cultivation systems of Northern Thailand

Abstract

There is a large number of hill people in northern Thailand, who practices shifting cultivation. In order to analyze the soil ecological problems involved in the transition from traditional shifting cultivation to more intensive upland farming, the authors carried out comparative studies on the dynamics of organic matter and its related properties in soils both in the traditional shifting cultivation systems adopted by Karen people and more intensive upland farming practiced by Thai and Hmong people in the area. The contents of organic matter and available N in the surface 10 cm layers of soil from the fields continuously cultivated were lower than those in soils under prolonged fallow (more than 10 y) or natural forest. Based on the rate of soil respiration, the amount of organic matter decomposed within 1 y was estimated to reach nearly 10% of that stored in the upper 50 cm layers of the soil profile in the upland crop fields. These results indicate that the organic matter-related resources markedly decreased under continuous cropping. The contents of C, N, and P in the microbial biomass of the surface 10 cm layers of soil ranged from 0.37 to 2.09 mg C g^?l soil, from 22.7 to 188 µg N g^?l soil, and from 6.1 to 65.7 µg P g^?l soil, respectively. Since the contents of microbial C, N, and P in the surface soils were generally higher under prolonged fallow and natural forests than in the fields continuously cultivated, the microbial activity and/or the amounts of C, N, and P available for biological activity seemed to have declined under continuous upland farming. The incubation experiment to assess the N mineralization pattern showed two remarkable characteristics: 1) there was an initial time lag until active mineralization of N occurred in the soils from young fallow forest and 2) the soil burning effect was observed after burning in the fields under prolonged fallow. The active process of nitrification after N mineralization was always associated with a sharp fall in soil pH, suggesting that soil acidification was promoted and basic cations were lost from the soils. In conclusion, rapid deterioration of the soil organic matter-related properties in cropping fields can be considered to be one of the ecological reasons why upland fields must be returned to fallow again a few years after forest reclamation in traditional shifting cultivation systems. Therefore, in alternative farming systems with more intensive land use, it is essential to apply organic materials into soils to decrease the rate of soil degradation, or to improve the soil fertility, in avoiding soil acidification along with nitrification.     

Changes in soil properties and their effects on maize productivity following<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Sesbania sesban</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Cajanus cajan</Emphasis> improved fallow systems in eastern Zambia

Improved fallows with leguminous trees have been developed in Southern Africa as a viable alternative to inorganic fertilizers but the changes in soil properties that are responsible for crop productivity improvement and implications of mixing litter and fresh leaves from the same tree species on soil fertility are not fully understood. Our objectives were to quantify (1) some changes in soil properties that are responsible for crop production improvement under improved fallow systems; (2) the N mineralization patterns of mixtures of litter and fresh leaves from the same tree species. The treatments used in the study were 2-year planted Sesbania sesban (sesbania) and Cajanus cajan (cajanus) and controls of natural fallow, continuous fertilized and unfertilized maize. At fallow clearing sesbania contributed 56 kg N ha^–1 through litter and fresh leaves. Sesbania (fresh leaves + litter) showed high N mineralization after 10 weeks compared to the mixture of cajanus fresh leaves with litter. Maize yields were significantly correlated with preseason NO₃^–-N and total inorganic-N content of the top 20-cm soil layer. Soil penetrometer resistance at 4 weeks after planting was lowest in the sesbania land-use system (2.2 Mpa), whereas the highest percentage of water-stable aggregates at fallow clearing and crop harvest was in sesbania (83%) and cajanus (77%), respectively. The improved soil conditions and N contribution of sesbania and cajanus fallows to the subsequent maize crop was evidenced by increased maize yields of between 170–200% over maize without fertilizer.     

Rehabilitation of degraded lands by means of fallowing in a semi-arid area of northern Nigeria

Land degradation in semi-arid regions of Nigeria is a very serious problem and therefore rehabilitation of degraded lands is essential. This article reports the results of an investigation which was carried out to assess the extent to which fallowing rehabilitates degraded lands in a semi-arid area in northern Nigeria. An inferential approach was used which involved side-by-side comparison of plots located within an area of uniform climatic, geologic and geomorphic characteristics, but which have been under fallow for different periods of time (2, 5, 10 or 15 years). Using a systematic sampling procedure, topsoil and subsoil samples were collected from each of the fallow plots and also from a plot under a plant community of well over 80 years of age which was chosen to serve as the control (fairly natural vegetation). The extent to which the land of each fallow plot had been rehabilitated could be assessed by comparison with the condition of the control plot. The samples were analysed for texture, bulk density, water-stable aggregates greater than 0.50 mm, moisture content, organic matter, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable bases. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique was used to test for significant differences amongst the fallow plots, while Student's t-test was used to compare the mean values of the soil properties of the control with the same properties under each of the fallow plots. The results obtained varied considerably, but in general it was observed that there were decreases in the coarsening of soil texture and bulk density, but increases in other soil properties with increases in the length of the fallow period. However, the changes were generally found to be more significant under the older fallows (10 and 15 years) than under the newer fallows (2 and 5 years). The causes of these trends and their implication for sustainable land development in the area are discussed. It is concluded that for land rehabilitation to be effective in this area, either fallow times must be quite long, or ways of improving the soil's recuperative capacities under short-term fallow should be sought.     

Effect of Continuous Application of Fertilizers,Farmyard Manure and Lime on Soil Fertility and Productivity of the Maize-Wheat System in an Acid Alfisol

A study on the long-term effect of fertilizers and amendments on crop productivity and changes in soil fertility in maize-wheat cropping system in an acid Alfisol was carried out in randomized block design (RBD) with 11 treatments. Continuous application of chemical fertilizers along with farmyard manure (FYM) or lime significantly influenced the grain and straw/stover yield and the uptake of nutrients by wheat and maize crops significantly. The organic carbon content increased from 7.9 to 12.1 g kg^?1, cation exchange capacity (CEC) from 12.1 to 14.6 cmol (p⁺) kg^?1 and available phosphorus from 21.9 to 75.2 kg ha^?1 through the integrated use of organic and fertilizers for the last 42 years while the status of available nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) declined over the years in all the treatments. Continuous application of urea alone resulted in a drastic decline in soil pH at both depths. Imbalanced use of fertilizers led to a significant reduction in the productivity of both crops and depleted the soil fertility.     

Effect of selected organic materials and inorganic fertilizer on the soil fertility of a Humic Nitisol in the central highlands of Kenya

The effect on soil fertility of applying particular organic resources to a humic Nitisol in the central highlands of Kenya was studied. The organic resources (Calliandra calothyrsus, Leucaena trichandra, Tithonia diversifolia, Mucuna pruriens, Crotalaria ochroleuca and cattle manure) were either applied solely or along with inorganic fertilizer in a cropping trial using maize as the experimental crop. After 4 years of continuous cultivation and manuring, soil fertility effects varied among treatments. Cattle manure proved to be the most effective and improved soil fertility by increasing pH, cations (Ca, K and Mg), and C. Calliandra, Leucaena, Tithonia and herbaceous legumes generally reduced soil pH, C and N but increased Ca, K and Mg. Cattle manure is therefore an important resource for maintaining soil organic matter (SOM) in the area and in other similar areas with arable‐livestock systems. Reduction of soil C and N by the high quality organic materials suggests that their role in maintaining SOM in the long‐term is limited in this area. A sound nutrient management system should strive to make a balance between maximizing crop production and sustaining soil quality.