ABSTRACT This study reports an investigation of the influence of irrigation frequency on water and herbicide transport in a Ghanaian field soil. An attempt was also made at simulating the movements of water and atrazine [2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine] in the soil under varying irrigation frequency. The irrigation treatments used in the study were: Treatment 1 (Tl): 150 mm of water applied in three equal amounts of 50 mm each on days 1, 9 and 17; Treatment 2 (T2): 150 mm of...
ABSTRACT The sandy soil in the Keta Sand Spit, Southeast Ghana is infertile but is used for intensive vegetable cultivation. The vegetable production systems are managed with large amounts of irrigation water and fertilizers on sandy soils with low inherent water and nutrient retention capacities. The long term sustainability of a shallow groundwater lens which is used for irrigation in the area is threatened by several consecutive years of over withdrawal. Also, the shallow groundwater which...
ABSTRACT Oil pollution is a worldwide threat to the environment, especially in oil producing countries, and the remediation of oil-contaminated soils is a major challenge for environmental research. Bioremediation is a useful method for restoring oil contaminated soils because of its cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness. However, the process is very slow in soils with low pH. Soils of the Western Region of Ghana where most of the country‘s oil activities take place are classifi...
ABSTRACT A field trial was started in August 1994, during the minor cropping season to investigate the efficiency of four Landforms in the production of maize with special emphasis in phosphorus (P) management in Vertisols at three localities in the Accra Plains of the Coastal Savanna zone of Ghana. The four Landforms were: Flat, Ridged, Ethiopian and Cambered beds. Generally, the soils were low in available P. Raising available P levels in the soil by the addition of fertilizer led to signif...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to assess the growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixing potential of some native multipurpose trees and shrubs. A total of fourteen species of indigenous leguminous trees and shrubs were initially screened for nodulation in three Ghanaian soils (Toje, Hatso and Alajo soil series), after 8 weeks of growth in nursery bags. The experiment was repeated with nine species of the tree/shrub legumes, this time under two levels of phosphorus (0 and 60 mg P/kg soil). The ...
ABSTRACT The reactive nature of phosphorus leads to the formation of insoluble Fe, Al and Ca bound phosphate compounds in highly weathered tropical soils, thus limiting P availability for plant uptake. Biochar with its heterogeneous surface properties can influence phosphorus dynamics in tropical soils. To examine phosphorus fractions in a biochar-amended Plinthaqualf, samples were taken from low yielding soils in northern Ghana that had three cycles of vegetable production under clean and w...
ABSTRACT A field trial was started in August 1994, during the minor cropping season to investigate the efficiency of four Landforms in the production of maize with special emphasis in phosphorus (P) management in Vertisols at three localities in the Accra Plains of the Coastal Savanna zone of Ghana. The four Land forms were: Flat, Ridged, Ethiopian and Cambered beds. Generally, the soils were low in available P. Raising available P levels in the soil by the addition of fertilizer led to sign...
ABSTRACT It has been estimated that globally a lot of forest is lost in the tropics annually to agriculture. The removal of the forest cover has been cited as one of the main contributors of greenhouse gases. Tree plantations are advocated as carbon (C) sink, however, little is known about rates of C turnover and sequestration into soil organic matter under tropical tree plantations particularly oil palm. One of the commonest management practices adopted by farmers on oil palm plantations inv...
ABSTRACT The need to feed the projected world population of 9.7 billion by 2050 has received much attention and increased food production has been recommended to address the problem. Soybean and pigeonpea are important global commercial and food legumes that have been recommended for food security and sustainable agriculture particularly in tropical and subtropical regions where the majority of the world’s resource poor live, and where agricultural production is constrained by low soil fert...
GENERAL ABSTRACT The reactive nature of phosphate leads to the formation of insoluble Fe, Al and Ca bound P compounds in highly weathered tropical soils. Biochar amendments can change the surface chemical properties of highly weathered tropical soils, and hence affect phosphorus retention and distribution in soils. The overall objective of this study was to investigate P reactions with biochar and biochar amended soils of Ghana for effective P management. To achieve this, three major experime...
ABSTRACT The properties of similar soils under two agroforestry systems, a sole Leucaena leucocephala woodlot and alley (one with cassava and the other maize in between Leucaena leucocephala hedgerows) were compared at two depths (0 - 15 cm and 15 30 cm) to assess the relative changes in soil properties due to the agroforestry practices. Similar soils under conventional tillage, adjacent natural fallow and forest reserve were also used in the study for comparison of data and evaluation of imp...
ABSTRACT Plant nutrition holds the key to increased and sustained yields and the production of good quality pineapple fruit. Potassium plays a vital role in obtaining higher yields and good quality fruit. A good knowledge about the nutrient status of the plant is important for the correction of nutrient deficiencies and/or imbalances which tend to influence yield and quality of the fruit. This study was initiated to determine the appropriate leaf segment; viz. the nonchlorophyllous, chloroph...
ABSTRACT In Ghana approximately 318,000 ha of arable land in the Volta region is affected by salt and excess sodium. This aspect of chemical land degradation has adversely affected agricultural productivity in this part of the country. The application of gypsum (CaS04 (2H2O)) to soils affected by salt is widely used because it is easy to apply, easy to acquire and economical. It is against this background that the physico-chemical properties and agronomic performance of NERICA L19 rice was i...
ABSTRACT The amendment of oil-contaminated soils with nutrient elements, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, is a crucial factor for the enhancement of the growth of the indigenous microbes involved in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. The present study investigated the(i) effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on diesel oil degradation in four Ghanaian soils, Beach sand (Haplic Arenosol), Toje series (Rhodic Kandiustalfs), Nyankpala series (Plinthic Lixisol), and Oda series (Eutric G...
ABSTRACT The use of atrazine (1-Chloro-3-ethylamino-5-isopropylamino-2, 4, 6-triazine) and paraquat (1, 1’-Dimethyl-4, 4’-bipyridinium dichloride) as alternatives to manual or mechanical weeding in the developing world is becoming inevitable. The frequent application of these two pesticides has led to contamination of soils with dire attendant environmental consequences.A study was therefore, conducted to evaluaate the ability of cocoa and rice husk-derived biochar types to enhance the re...