Evaluation of the fertility status of the soils and maize response to N and P in Nkasi district, Tanzania
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Date
2012
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A Study was conducted to evaluate the fertility status of the soils and maize response to N and P in Nkasi District, Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to: determine and characterize the fertility status of the soils, assess the response of maize to N and P. suggest possible N and P fertilizers rates for optimum maize yield and appraise the economics of N and P fertilizer use in maize production. Ten composite soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-30 cm from Mkole. Nkomolo 1. Mashete. Chala. Swaila, Milundikwa, Nkomanchindo, Myula. Ntatumbila and Isale villages. The soil analytical results showed that the soils were sandy loam, moderately acidic, low in some macronutrients and micronutrients, SOM. CEC and PBS. hence from the soils analytical data three villages Ntatumbila, Mashete and Nkomolo 1 with the low N (%) and P (mg P kg'1) were selected for field experiments to determine the response of maize to different levels of N (0, 50, 100, 150 kg N ha'1) and P (0. 25, 50, 75 kg P ha'1). A 42 factorial experiment in CRBD with four replicates was used. The sources of N and P were urea and TSP, respectively and 100 kg K ha'1 was applied to all plots as KC1. NiooPsoand N150P75 significantly increased N and P contents of maize whole plant and maize grain yields compared to the control. Nitrogen contents in the maize plants were rated as low and ranged from 1.42 to 3.41% while P contents were rated as adequate for the NP combinations and ranged from 0.19 to 0.65%. Maize grain yield increased from 1.31 to 6.31 t ha'1. From the maize grain yields economic analysis and agronomic judgments the treatments N100P50 and N100P75 would be the most profitable fertilizer rates in Nkasi district.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Soil erosion, Soil moisture