Biochar, poultry manure and NPK fertilizer: sole and combine application effects on soil properties and ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) performance in a tropical Alfisol

Biochar has a low chemical composition and is recalcitrant to degradation. For good soil fertility and nutrient use efficiency of crops it becomes imperative that addition of a fast releasing nutrient source to biochar be sought. Therefore, studies were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to evaluate the effects of biochar with poultry manure (PM) and NPK fertilizer on soil properties, growth and yield of ginger. Treatments evaluated were: biochar applied alone at 15 t ha-1 , PM applied alone at 15 t ha-1, NPK fertilizer applied alone at 200 kg ha-1, biochar applied at 15 t ha-1 with poultry manure applied at 15 t ha-1 (B+PM), biochar applied at 15 t ha-1 with NPK fertilizer applied at 200 kg ha-1 (B+NPK) and a control with no amendment whatsoever. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. Biochar, PM, NPK fertilizer alone or B+PM and B+NPK improved soil physical and chemical properties, growth and yield of ginger compared to no amendment (control). NPK fertilizer did not improve soil physical properties nor increased pH, OM, Ca and Mg significantly. B+PM and B+NPK improved soil physical and chemical properties, growth and ginger yield compared to their sole forms. Although B+PM had better soil physical properties, B+NPK increased yield and growth of ginger compared to B+PM. B+NPK increased the yield of ginger by 12.2% and 10.6% in 2017 and 2018, respectively compared with B+PM. B+NPK also increased the yield of ginger by 49.2% and 50.3% in 2017 and 2018, respectively compared to biochar alone. This was related to high presence of nutrients in B+NPK especially N and K which are important for ginger rhizome formation

Synergistic and antagonistic effects of soil applied P and Zn fertilizers on the performance, minerals and heavy metal composition of groundnut

Nutrients use efficiency of plants could be affected by the antagonistic or synergistic effects of two or more elements in the soil leading to decreased or increased yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons at the Landmark University Teaching and Research farm, Omu-Aran, Nigeria, to determine the interaction between zinc (Zn) and phosphate (P) fertilizers on growth, yield, nutrient elements and some heavy metals composition of groundnut grown on an Alfisol. Treatments consisted of four levels of phosphorus (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg P ha-1) and three levels of zinc (0, 4 and 8 kg Zn ha-1). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated four times. The following parameters were taken: plant height, plant spread, total biomass, number of pods/plot, weight of pods/plot, number of seeds/plot, weight of seeds/plot. Laboratory analysis of some chemical constituents of groundnut seed was carried out to determine the nutrient and heavy metals composition. Results indicated that application of 8 kg Zn ha-1 and 120 kg P ha-1 had a synergistic effect on the growth parameters and antagonistic effect on the yield, yield parameters, some nutrient elements and beneficial heavy metals. Application of 8 kg Zn and 80 kg P ha-1 is therefore recommended on an Alfisol without necessarily increasing the concentration of non-beneficial heavy metals in groundnut seed