Articles
Effects of different fertilizer and irrigation regimes on amaranth yield and soil health in northern Ghana
Article number
1427_15
Pages
115 – 122
Language
English
Abstract
Fertilizers and irrigation play a crucial role in vegetable production.
In recent years, the rising costs of chemical fertilizers have sparked interest in and demand for alternative and organic fertilizers, such as calcinated rock phosphate and compost made from municipal organic waste (MOW). Soil health is also a key concern in the context of sustainable agriculture and fertilizer use.
In Africa, where population growth is rapid, and food demand is increasing, the Gunia Savanna Climate Zone poses unique challenges.
Here, farmers are struggling with maintaining or improving vegetable yields despite limited irrigation water and the need to preserve soil health.
This study aims to reveal the relationship between applied fertilizer type and irrigation quantity/frequency and the yield of the leafy vegetable Amaranth in the dry season and its influence on soil health.
In our experiment at 3 sites under the agro-topography environment in northern Ghana in 2024, we applied three types of fertilizer: chemical fertilizer (CF), calcinated Burkina rock phosphate fertilizer (CBPR), and compost, the primary material of which was MOW, under four different irrigation regimes to find ideal irrigation volume and assumed difficulty in obtaining water for irrigation which the conditions often faced by farmers in the region.
The soil organic carbon (SOC) and earthworm population were measured before planting and after harvesting as indicators of soil health.
As the results show, 8 mm time-1 day-1 and 4 mm two times-1 day-1 were possibly suitable for yield at two different cropping systems.
Regarding soil health, both systems observed a low decreasing SOC in 8 mm time-1 day-1; however, the number of earthworms differed.
The CBPR and compost showed different effects with CF. The findings of this study could potentially guide farmers in the region to optimize their fertilizer and irrigation practices, improving crop yields and soil health.
In recent years, the rising costs of chemical fertilizers have sparked interest in and demand for alternative and organic fertilizers, such as calcinated rock phosphate and compost made from municipal organic waste (MOW). Soil health is also a key concern in the context of sustainable agriculture and fertilizer use.
In Africa, where population growth is rapid, and food demand is increasing, the Gunia Savanna Climate Zone poses unique challenges.
Here, farmers are struggling with maintaining or improving vegetable yields despite limited irrigation water and the need to preserve soil health.
This study aims to reveal the relationship between applied fertilizer type and irrigation quantity/frequency and the yield of the leafy vegetable Amaranth in the dry season and its influence on soil health.
In our experiment at 3 sites under the agro-topography environment in northern Ghana in 2024, we applied three types of fertilizer: chemical fertilizer (CF), calcinated Burkina rock phosphate fertilizer (CBPR), and compost, the primary material of which was MOW, under four different irrigation regimes to find ideal irrigation volume and assumed difficulty in obtaining water for irrigation which the conditions often faced by farmers in the region.
The soil organic carbon (SOC) and earthworm population were measured before planting and after harvesting as indicators of soil health.
As the results show, 8 mm time-1 day-1 and 4 mm two times-1 day-1 were possibly suitable for yield at two different cropping systems.
Regarding soil health, both systems observed a low decreasing SOC in 8 mm time-1 day-1; however, the number of earthworms differed.
The CBPR and compost showed different effects with CF. The findings of this study could potentially guide farmers in the region to optimize their fertilizer and irrigation practices, improving crop yields and soil health.
Publication
Authors
M. Yamada, A.G. Shaibu, E. Salifu, Z. Imoro, R. Adombila
Keywords
irrigation quantity and frequency, soil organic carbon, indigenous crops, macrofauna, municipal organic waste, Ghana
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