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Response of maize to phosphorus in sole maize and maize-pigeonpea cropping system in semi-arid areas of Tanzania
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Mkoma, Ahazi |
| Copyright Year | 2015 |
| Abstract | Estimating crop response to fertilizer application and identification of effective fertilizer materials is important for plant nutrient management and in sustaining soil fertility. Unlike other agro-ecological zones, no fertilizer recommendations have been established for the semi-arid zones in Tanzania. This could be due to the fact that semi-arid areas are regarded as marginal land for agricultural production. To address this gap, field experiments were carried out to establish phosphorus (P) fertilizer rates and identify the effective P source for semi-arid areas of Kongwa and Kiteto districts in a sole maize and maize-pigeonpea cropping system. Assessment of soil fertility status on experimental sites was carried out. Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertilizer was used to test various application rates: 0, 7.5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg P ha -1 . For P-source triall, Minjingu Mazao, Minjingu hyper phosphate and TSP were tested at 0 and 30 kg P ha -1 for each fertilizer material. Sole maize or intercropped with pigeonpea was used as the test crop in two fertilizer trials. The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Soils in the study sites were deficient of P, N and Ca; and had very low organic matter contents. Compared to the control, the fertilizer treatments had higher yield across sites and cropping system. The 15 kg P ha −1 fertilizer rate increased the grain yield by 38 to 49% in sole maize and 55 to 60% in maizepigeonpea intercropping system at Njoro and 51 to 54% in sole maize and 44 to 46% in maize pigeonpea intercropping system in Moleti. Maize yield obtained with 15 kg P ha −1 was equivalent to the maximum yield obtained under 30 kg P ha −1 fertilizer rate. Maize yield obtained after 30 kg P ha -1 fertilizer rate declined slightly possibly reflecting sufficiency level of P. These results suggest that 15 kg P ha -1 P is the agronomic P fertilizer rate for maize production under sole maize and maize-pigeon pea intercropping system in semi-arid areas of Kongwa and Kiteto districts, Therefore, application of this |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://suaire.suanet.ac.tz:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/707/AHAZI%20MKOMA.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/80686/thesis_ahazi_2015.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
