Effect of agronomic practices using organic amendments on selected chemical properties of soils in Chipata and Kasama, Zambia
type: CreativeWork
description: In Zambia, most crops are mainly produced by small scale resource poor farmers who rely on soils with inherently low fertility. When soil productivity declines farmers put affected fields on fallow to allow the fertility to regenerate, and open up new fields. This type of farming is not sustainable due to the increasing human population. To improve the regeneration of soil fertility a number of organic amendments have been introduced. There is however limited information on the effect agronomic practices that use organic amendments on chemical properties of soils in Zambia. A study was conducted to assess the effect of some organic amendments on selected chemical properties of two Ultisols in Kasama and soil productivity of Zambia. Field crop trials laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) were set up in the 2015/16 to 2016/17 agricultural seasons with maize as the test crop at the two sites. Treatments used in Kasama were pigeon pea, tephrosia vogelii alley cropping, traditional fundikila, modified fundikila, and chemical fertilizers. In Chipata, pigeon pea, tephrosia vogelii alley cropping, sun hemp, cattle manure, and chemical fertilizer were used. At the end of each season, soil samples were collected from research plots and tested for soil organic matter (SOM), CEC, pH, exchangeable acidity, total N, available P and exchangeable K. Maize grain yields were also recorded. After two growing seasons, no significant differences (p > 0.05) in SOM were observed among treatments in Chipata. In Kasama SOM significantly (p < 0.05) increased from 2.28 to 2.96 % on plots under modified fundikila, but not on plots with other treatments. No significant differences in CEC were observed among treatments at both sites. Significant (p < 0.05) increases in total N levels were observed treatments with organic amendments in Chipata, while in Kasama significant (p<0.05) increases were only it treatments with pigeon pea and traditional fundikila. A significant (p< 0.05) incre…
abstract: In Zambia, most crops are mainly produced by small scale resource poor farmers who rely on soils with inherently low fertility. When soil productivity declines farmers put affected fields on fallow to allow the fertility to regenerate, and open up new fields. This type of farming is not sustainable due to the increasing human population. To improve the regeneration of soil fertility a number of organic amendments have been introduced. There is however limited information on the effect agronomic practices that use organic amendments on chemical properties of soils in Zambia. A study was conducted to assess the effect of some organic amendments on selected chemical properties of two Ultisols in Kasama and soil productivity of Zambia. Field crop trials laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) were set up in the 2015/16 to 2016/17 agricultural seasons with maize as the test crop at the two sites. Treatments used in Kasama were pigeon pea, tephrosia vogelii alley cropping, traditional fundikila, modified fundikila, and chemical fertilizers. In Chipata, pigeon pea, tephrosia vogelii alley cropping, sun hemp, cattle manure, and chemical fertilizer were used. At the end of each season, soil samples were collected from research plots and tested for soil organic matter (SOM), CEC, pH, exchangeable acidity, total N, available P and exchangeable K. Maize grain yields were also recorded. After two growing seasons, no significant differences (p > 0.05) in SOM were observed among treatments in Chipata. In Kasama SOM significantly (p < 0.05) increased from 2.28 to 2.96 % on plots under modified fundikila, but not on plots with other treatments. No significant differences in CEC were observed among treatments at both sites. Significant (p < 0.05) increases in total N levels were observed treatments with organic amendments in Chipata, while in Kasama significant (p<0.05) increases were only it treatments with pigeon pea and traditional fundikila. A significant (p< 0.05) incre…
author: Chabu, Kamfwa
language: en
keywords: Soil fertility -- Chipata district -- Zambia, Soil fertility -- Kasama district -- Zambia, Soil fertility
date published: 2019
date modified: 2026-07-27T22:05:50Z
provider: University of Zambia
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zambia