
PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 20(3), P. e0318057 - e0318057
Published: March 12, 2025
Depletion of soil organic matter was found to be the primary biophysical factor causing declining per capita food production in sub-Saharan Africa. The magnitude this problem exacerbated by moisture-stress and imbalanced fertilizer application that caused Striga weed infestation. To address such confounded issues, two-year field experiments were conducted evaluate effect residual vermicompost preceding groundnut on fertility, sorghum yield, density. first-year treatments contained two sowing methods (single intercropped sorghum), seedbed types (open-furrow tied-ridge), four rates (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 t/ha) combined factorially a randomized block design. In second-year experiment, only monocropped with sown exactly same plot as previous year’s treatment combinations without fertilizer. results disclosed at t/ha sorghum/groundnut significantly reduced pH (0.76%), bulk density (8.61%), electrical conductivity (38.78%), (85.71%). contrast, compared unamended soil, aforementioned tied-ridging increased moisture, matter, yield 16.67, 2.34, 58%, respectively. Moreover, combination markedly post-harvest carbon (7.69%), total N (0.247%), available P (38.46%), exchangeable-Fe (27%), exchangeable-Zn (40%) second year over control. Treatments previously amended under sorghum-groundnut intercrop system resulted highest (0.242%) (9.822 mg/Kg). Thus, successfully improve fertility for cropping seasons.
Language: Английский