Browsing by Author "Fatondji Dougbedji"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Fertilizer micro-dosing increases crop yield in the Sahelian low-input cropping system: A success with a shadow
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016) Ibrahim Ali; Abaidoo R. C; Fatondji Dougbedji; Opoku Andrews
    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−1 yr−1 , −1 kg P ha−1 yr−1 and −34 kg K ha−1 yr−1 in plots that received the application of 2 g DAP hill−1 , and −31 kg N ha−1 yr−1 , −1 kg P ha−1 yr−1 and −27 kg K ha−1 yr−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 micro dosing 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.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Integrated use of fertilizer micro-dosing and Acacia tumida mulching increases millet yield and water use efficiency in Sahelian semi-arid environment
    (Springer, 2015) Ibrahim Ali; Abaidoo R. C; Fatondji Dougbedji; Opoku Andrews; 0000-0002-1235-2252
    Limited availability of soil organic amendments and unpredictable rainfall, decrease crop yields drastically in the Sahel. There is, therefore, a need to develop an improved technology for conserv ing soil moisture and enhancing crop yields in the Sahelian semi-arid environment. A 2-year field exper iment was conducted to investigate the mulching effects of Acacia tumida pruning relative to commonly applied organic materials in Niger on millet growth, yields and water use efficiency (WUE) under fertilizer micro-dosing technology. We hypothesized that (1) A. tumida pruning is a suitable mulching alternative for crop residues in the biomass-scarce areas of Niger and (2) combined application of A. tumida mulch and fertilizer micro-dosing increases millet yield and water use efficiency. Two fertilizer micro-dosing options (20 kg DAP ha-1, 60 kg NPK ha-1) and three types of organic mulches (millet straw, A. tumida mulch, and manure) and the relevant control treatments were arranged in factorial experiment organized in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Fertilizer micro-dosing increased millet grain yield on average by 28 %. This millet grain yield increased further by 37 % with combined application of fertilizer micro-dosing and organic mulch. Grain yield increases relative to the un mulched control were 51 % for manure, 46 % for A. tumida mulch and 36 % for millet mulch. Leaf area index and root length density were also greater under mulched plots. Fertilizer micro-dosing increased WUE of millet on average by 24 %, while the addition of A. tumida pruning, manure and millet increased WUE on average 55, 49 and 25 %, respectively. We conclude that combined application of micro-dosing and organic mulch is an effective fertilization strategy to enhance millet yield and water use efficiency in low-input cropping systems and that A. tumida prun ing could serve as an appropriate mulching alternative for further increasing crop yields and water use efficiency in the biomass-scarce and drought prone environment such as the Sahel. However, the eco nomic and social implications and the long-term agronomic effects of this agroforestry tree in Sahelian millet based system have to be explored further. Keywords Organic mulch Fertilizer micro-dosing Acacia tumida Millet yield Water use efficie
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Nutrient release dynamics from decomposing organic materials and their mulching-effect on pearl millet yields in a low-input Sahelian cropping system
    (Springer, 2018) Ibrahim Ali; Abaidoo R. C; Tawaye Iliasso Aboubacar Dan Kassoua; Tawaye Iliasso Aboubacar Dan Kassoua; Fatondji Dougbedji; 0000-0002-1235-2252
    Organic material inputs for increased crop yields are insufficient in the Sahelian West Africa. There is a need for diversifying organic amendment sources for improved nutrient supply in low-input cropping system. The 2-year study aimed to (1) explore the rates of mass losses and nutrient release dynamics from Acacia tumida prunings (AT) and millet straw (MS) under field conditions, (2) assess termite’s contribution to the decomposition of AT and MS, and (3) ascertain the mulching-effect of these organic materials on pearl millet yields. The study was conducted in Niger using field experiment and litterbag methodology and the data modelled using single exponential decay equations. Under field con ditions, mulching with AT and MS increased millet grain yield by 35 and 33%, respectively compared to control. The harvest index (HI) in 2014 increased by 21% compared to that obtained in 2013 with the highest HI being recorded for the AT mulched treatment. The results from litterbag experiment indicated a greater dry mass losses from MS decom position in 2013 whereas relatively higher mass losses were recorded from AT decomposition in 2014. The differences in mass losses among the organic materials could be related to the interaction of soil moisture dynamics and termites’ population which are posi tively correlated with mass losses. The contribution of termites to the decomposition was estimated to be 36% for MS and 8% for AT. In 2013, at 126 days after litterbags placement, the amounts of N, P, and K released from MS were 16, 1, and 25 kg ha-1 of initial nutrient applied, respectively compared with the 22, 1, and 23 kg ha-1 recorded from AT treatment. During the same period in 2014, the total amounts of N, P and K released from MS were 15, 0.6, and 29 kg ha-1 , respectively compared to the 32 kg ha-1 of N, 1 kg ha-1 of P, and 29 kg ha-1 of K released from the AT treatment. The intrinsic organic material quality could explain markedly the variation in nutrient released among the organic material. These results indicate that Acacia tumida prunings have a potential to provide nutrient through mineralization for enhanced crop yield in the Sahel