Phosphorus is a macronutrient that plays a number of important roles in plants. It is a component of nucleic acids, so it plays a vital role in plant reproduction, of which grain production is an important result. It is also critical in biological energy transfer processes that are vital for life and growth. Adequate phosphorus results in higher grain production, improved crop quality, greater ...

Selected in-®eld physical, chemical and biological indicators were measured for the rapid assessment of soil quality changes in a Sorrento silty clay loam as a result of compost and ammonium nitrate application to a broccoli ®eld (San Benito County, CA). Plots were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications of 0, 22 and 44 Mg haÿ1 compost treatments which were split t...

Soil contamination with Cd from P fertilizer and other anthropogenic and geogenic sources is a serious problem. In situ immobilization by P application to soil is known as an applicable remediation technique leading to reduced Cd uptake by plants, and use of a Cd-free P fertilizer from renewable sources would be most favorable. Bone char (BC) (15% P, 28% Ca, 0.7% Mg) may be used as such a quali...

Intensive use of N fertilizers in modern agriculture is motivated by the economic value of high grain yields and is generally perceived to sequester soil organic C by increasing the input of crop residues. This perception is at odds with a century of soil organic C data reported herein for the Morrow Plots, the world's oldest experimental site under continuous corn (Zea mays L.). After 40 to 50...

The widespread application of fertilizers has greatly influenced many processes and properties of agroecosystems, and agricultural fertilization is expected to increase even further in the future. To date, most research on fertilizer impacts has used short-term studies, which may be unrepresentative of long-term responses, thus hindering our capacity to predict long-term impacts. Here, we exami...

RESEARCH DROUGHT-TOLERANT VARIETIES: Research on cassava’s water conserving properties and drought tolerance may lead to better varieties for farmers. USE FERTILIZER: Manure and synthetic fertilizer can improve soil fertility, but use must be integrated with other crops in the SHORT SHELF LIFE: Without proper storage or processing, cassava begins to deteriorate in as little as two to three days...

Using a virgin Table Mountain Sandstone (Inanda series) soil with a low P status and high sorption capacity, a comparison of methods of superphosphate application to ratoon cane was carried out. By means of P-32 labelled superphosphate theuptake of fertilizer P by the plant was studied in first ratoon cane at intervals f rob 24 to 18 weeks after the date of treatment application. Uptake of labe...

J. Kihara et al. (eds.), Improving Soil Fertility Recommendations in Africa using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT), DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-2960-5_3, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2012 Abstract Africa is the continent with the lowest fertilizer use per hectare notwithstanding the fact it possesses geologically old, infertile and degraded soils. This c...

span of years also greatly affects C and N dynamics. Wood et al. (1990) measured greater potentially minerCycling of N through an agroecosystem can be managed more alizable C and N in surface soils of a wheat–corn–millet– effectively if effects of N management and cropping sequence on soil fallow (WCMF), 4-yr rotation than a WF, 2-yr rotation. N microbial processes are understood. Effects of cr...

Diversified crop rotation may improve production efficiency, reduce fertilizer nitrogen (N) requirements for corn (Zea mays L.), and increase soil carbon (C) storage. Objectives were to determine effect of rotation and fertilizer N on soil C sequestration and N use. An experiment was started in 1990 on a Barnes clay loam (U.S. soil taxonomy: fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Hapludo...