Articles
On-farm trials on fertilizer application based on soil analysis for pineapple production in eastern Thailand
Article number
1387_9
Pages
67 – 74
Language
English
Abstract
Thai fruit juices are a growth industry in the kingdom with an export value of USD 640.92 million in 2021. Pineapple is one of the most significant supplying high-quality juices to the global market.
The objective was to study fertilizer application of pineapple production based on soil testing with farmer-participation approach in eastern Thailand.
The research was conducted in the crop year 2016-2021, in addition to set up of the demonstration plots and scaling up to evaluate farmers satisfaction on recommendation.
Paired-samples t-test was conducted to examine the recommended technologies (RT) and farmer practices (FP). The results revealed that the soil texture in studied areas was sandy.
Most soil samples were strongly acidic.
Electrical conductivity (EC) of soil all locations were non-saline.
The organic matter (OM) of all locations was low.
Most of the soil samples showed high levels of available phosphorus and moderate level of exchange potassium (K). The comparison between two methods of pineapple production revealed a statistically significant difference between RT and FP in relation to pineapple crop yield, farm income, and net earnings.
The fruit quality of two methods displayed a well-balanced acidity level in the fruit signifying that the pineapple products had desirable characteristics for juice production.
The majority of farmers expressed high satisfaction with the soil sampling conducted in the cultivation area to determine the optimal fertilizer rate.
Further emphasis should be encouraged on promoting the adoption of soil analysis as a critical tool for improving crop yields, thereby ensuring widespread benefits for farmers.
The objective was to study fertilizer application of pineapple production based on soil testing with farmer-participation approach in eastern Thailand.
The research was conducted in the crop year 2016-2021, in addition to set up of the demonstration plots and scaling up to evaluate farmers satisfaction on recommendation.
Paired-samples t-test was conducted to examine the recommended technologies (RT) and farmer practices (FP). The results revealed that the soil texture in studied areas was sandy.
Most soil samples were strongly acidic.
Electrical conductivity (EC) of soil all locations were non-saline.
The organic matter (OM) of all locations was low.
Most of the soil samples showed high levels of available phosphorus and moderate level of exchange potassium (K). The comparison between two methods of pineapple production revealed a statistically significant difference between RT and FP in relation to pineapple crop yield, farm income, and net earnings.
The fruit quality of two methods displayed a well-balanced acidity level in the fruit signifying that the pineapple products had desirable characteristics for juice production.
The majority of farmers expressed high satisfaction with the soil sampling conducted in the cultivation area to determine the optimal fertilizer rate.
Further emphasis should be encouraged on promoting the adoption of soil analysis as a critical tool for improving crop yields, thereby ensuring widespread benefits for farmers.
Publication
Authors
P. Whijitara, P. Poosikhew
Keywords
pineapple, crop yield, yield gap, fruit quality, farm income
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