We studied the effects of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae (Fos), a soil-borne biocontrol agent (BCA) against Striga hermonthica, on total fungal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) taxa in rhizospheres of maize in both clayey and sandy soil. Effects of Fos-BCA 'Foxy-2' were evaluated against (1) S. hermonthica presence, and (2) organic fertilization with Tithonia diversifolia residues at 1...

This work was carried out in the framework of a larger project devoted to the micro-mechanical modeling of clayey soils by means of discrete element simulations. Here, we study the rheology and microstructure of granular media composed of platy particles. The particles are three-dimensional square plates, approximated as spheropolyhedra. Several samples composed of particles of different levels...

Abstract Clayey soils swell on absorbing water and shrinks drying, any constructions built them are subjected to the differential settlements due loss of support from soil. Stabilization clays with various additives have considerable successes. Lime, cement, CaCl 2 , fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), pond other chemical reagents been effective in stabilizing expansive i...

Abstract Climate change and soil fertility decline are major threats to smallholder farmers' food nutrition security in southern Africa, cropping systems that improve health needed address these challenges. Cropping invest organic matter, such as no-tillage (NT) with crop residue retention, have been proposed potential solutions. However, a key challenge for assessing the sustainability of NT i...