Root crops are an important staple food in the Pacific region. Yields are generally low and inorganic fertilizers are deemed an option to increase root crop production. The effects of inorganic N fertilizers on upland taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) were quantified with the aim to investigate relationships between inherent soil fertility, N up...

effects of different soil moisture regimes and p application on available and inorganic p forms were studied in four paddy soils, north of iran. a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with two replications was performed in a laboratory study. factors of soil at four levels (two acid and two alkaline-calcareous soils), soil moisture contents at three different levels (air-dry, ...

To investigate the interacting effects of polymer coated urea (PCU) and polymer coated potassium chloride (PCPC) on cotton growth, an experiment was conducted with containerized plants in 2014 and 2015. There were two kinds of nitrogen fertilizer, PCU and urea, which were combined with PCPC at three application rates (40, 80 and 120 kg ha-1). The kinds of nitrogen fertilizer formed the main plo...

The invasive African black beetle Heteronychus arator F. is a serious pest of crops in Tropical and sub Tropical regions, including East Africa. Literature on ecology of this pest in Sub Saharan Africa is scarce. Dispersal and abundance of H. arator were determined in maize fields in Njombe Region, in the Southern highlands of Tanzania, from December 2013 to May 2014. Adults of H. arator were c...

The growth and yield of Egusi melon in response to application of an Organo-mineral fertilizer was investigated. The Organo-mineral fertilizer was Cow-dung generated from an Abattoir fortified with inorganic Nitrogen. The fertilizer had a pH of 6.1; 61.2 g kg Organic Matter; 35.5 g kg -1 -1 Organic Carbon; 3.6g kg Nitrogen; 372.54 mg kg Available Phosphorus and 14.8cmol kg -1 -1 -1 Exchangeable...

Agricultural nutrients play a critical role in food production and human nutrition in China. Against this backdrop, agricultural extension services are essential for providing farmers with knowledge and information about nutrient management. By using a propensity score-matching (PSM) approach, this study examines the impact of agricultural extension on farmer nutrient management behavior. Surve...

In situ application of inorganic fertilizer was used to simulate environmental eutrophication associated with the sugar cane monoculture. Meiofauna community structure is herein used to assess this experimental impact. Nine quadrangular areas (4m2 each) were randomly defined in the midlittoral estuarine area. Three of these areas received a high dose of sugar cane fertilizer (375 g/m2 Nitrogen-...

Biodynamic (BD) agriculture, a form of organic agriculture, includes the use of specially fermented preparations, but peer-reviewed studies on their efficacy are rare. Composting of a grape pomace and manure mixture was studied in two years (2002 and 2005) with and without the BD compost preparations. Water extracts of finished composts were then used to fertigate wheat seedlings, with and with...

One of the principal aims of alternative cropping systems is to minimize excessive loss of N while maximizing N use efficiency and meeting crop N requirements. Many such cropping systems substitute intensive application of synthetic fertilizer with organic inputs, such as N2-fixing legumes. The effectiveness of legume residues as a N source for subsequent crops depends heavily on temporal N rel...