ALBERT

Description: Background and Objective: Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of an important food and cash generating crop in the northwestern parts of Ethiopia and particularly of Awi zone where it is grown three times per annum. However, its productivity is very low since, separate use of fertilizer, absence of balanced fertilizer and no recommendation on integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizers for the area. The aim of study was to investigate the best combination of blended NPSZnB fertilizer and cattle manure for the better production of potato. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, an experiment was conducted at Banja district, Awi Zone during rainy season of 2017. Four different levels of blended NPSZnB fertilizer (0, 65.7, 133 and 199 t ha – 1 ) and four levels of cattle manure (0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha – 1 ) were factorially combined and tested for effect on the yield and yield component of potato in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results: Results of analysis of variance revealed that significant effect of treatments on marketable and total tuber yield and total dry biomass yield. The combined application of 199 kg ha – 1 blended NPSZnB fertilizer and 30 t ha – 1 cattle manure significantly affected the indicated parameters. However, marketable tuber number and total tuber number were significantly affected by blended NPSZnB fertilizer (199 kg ha – 1 ) alone, Harvest index (%) and total dry biomass were significantly affected by cattle manure (30 t ha – 1 ) alone, while average tuber weight was significantly affected by blended NPSZnB fertilizer (199 kg ha – 1 ) alone and cattle (30 t ha – 1 ) manure alone but not interaction. Conclusion: Application of 199 kg ha – 1 blended NPSZnB fertilizer level with 30 t ha – 1 cattle manure should be used for better yield and yield component performance of dagim potato variety at study area.

Description: Background and Objective: Soil available boron can be the limiting factor for rice production in rainfed lowland condition. This study aimed to identify the external boron requirement of the rainfed lowland rice varieties. Materials and Methods: A field experiment was conducted during June-October, 2016 at Purkot, Tanahun, Nepal to assess the performance of rice varieties grown under rainfed condition. Using split plot design, three replicates of four rice varieties (Sukkhadhan-2, Sukkhadhan-4, DRR-44 and Ciherang sub-1) under four levels of soil boron (B) application (0, 1, 2 and 3 kg ha –1 ) were cultivated. Results: We found that the significant effects of B application among rice varieties on yield and its associated traits; the genotypic differences, however, varied. On average, B application at the upper level -as compared to the control of no B application- increased the plant height, effective tiller numbers and effective grain numbers by 7, 3 and 5%, respectively. Similarly, it increased grain yield and straw yield by 38% and 12%, respectively. While, Sukkhadhan-2 appeared to be the highest grain yielding variety, the straw yield was the premier for Ciherang sub-1. Such B induced grain yield increment corresponded to the decline in unfilled grains proportion (43%)-the highest for Sukkhadhan-2. B also induced the 1000 grains weight (12%) and harvest index (15%). Conclusion: Hence, not only the genetic makeup but also the soil B application controls rice production under rainfed condition.

Description: Background and Objective: The design of high-rise buildings often necessitates ground excavation, where buildings are in proximity to the construction, thus there is a potential for damage to these structures. As a result, various researchers have studied different aspects of excavations both in design and construction methods. In present study, it is aimed to evaluate the performance of constitutive soil models in a case study of anchored wall by using a finite difference analysis software. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, implications of the use of some advanced soil models to simulate the behavior of in-situ soil on the overall response of excavated wall have been studied and compared with respect to the most prevalent used Mohr-Coulomb (MC) soil model. The analyses concentrated on predicting three major behavior of tieback walls, i.e., excavation basal heave, horizontal displacement and deflection pattern of the wall. Results: The results indicated that Duncan-Chang (DC) model can reasonably predict the movements induced by excavation projects, while the modified Mohr-Coulomb (MMC) model also can be an alternative in estimating base heave and horizontal displacement at top of the wall when insufficient data is available. Conclusion: The findings of this research could be of interest to the engineers in order to achieve an optimum compromise between model accuracy and geotechnical survey efforts employed in deformation analysis of excavation problems.

Description: Background and Objective: Paddy soils for growing Jasmine rice in Thailand are mostly low fertile and possess some soil constraints of which efficiency of fertilization is low. Biochar and organic wastes can be used to amend these soils and a source of additional major plant nutrients. This study aimed at comparing the mineralization under incubation condition of major plant nutrients among biochar and organic wastes. Materials and Methods: Rich husk biochar (RHB), rice husk ash (RHA), cassava starch waste (CSW) and cassava tails and stalks (CTS) were applied into six soils and incubated in laboratory. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. No amendment application (control), cassava starch waste (CSW), cassava tails and stalk (CTS), rice husk ash (RHA) and rice husk biochar (RHB) were compared. The amounts of available N, P and K were measured at 0, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days during the incubation. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of data was performed with mean separation and Duncan’s multiple range test being considered significant at the p 〈 0.05 level and highly significant at the p 〈 0.01 level using SPSS software. Results: CSW and CTS contained high OM content, 727.2 and 663.7 g kg –1 , respectively, resulting in high C:N ratio even though they also had high total N content (6.83-7.79 g kg –1 ). The CSW also had higher total K content (10.18 g kg –1 ) than did CTS, RHA and RHB (1.3-5.41 g kg –1 ). Total P quantity in these organic materials varied little and was in a small amount ranging from 0.76-1.28 g kg –1 . The RHA and RHB significantly released greater available N and P than did CSW and CTS while the CSW and CTS clearly releasing more available K. Available K was constantly released from these materials throughout the incubation period whereas most of available N was freed within1 month and the amount declined markedly afterwards. Release patterns of N, P and K were similar among soils, indicating that different soil properties played a little part in the availability of major plant nutrients released from these soil amendments. Conclusion: This study suggested a potential use of biochar and organic wastes as soil amendments and an enhancement of major plant nutrients in Jasmine rice growing paddy soils.

Description: Background and Objectives: In Java, a transitional landscape zone is widely formed and causes specific soil profile development due to strongly affected by unstable geomorphic condition. The assessment of variability of soil development at transitional landscape zone is less studied. So, the objective of this study was to characterize variability of soil development in a transitional landscape zone of Bogowonto Catchment. Materials and Methods: Profile Development Index (PDI) were applied to describe the degree of soil development in nine soil profiles from different part of transitional tertiary and quaternary volcanic-structural landscape. The PDI were used to quantify field properties of soils, like texture, moist consistence, wet consistence, structure, rubification, melanization and pH. Parent material properties were also used as references. The quantified data were analyzed through data normalizing per each horizonto result in profile index and weighted mean profile index. Results: The PDI assessment showed that residual soils had the highest index of soil development compared to human-induced soils and landslide-induced soils. Color index (rubification) and textural index are significant to detect residual soils and induced-soils either by geomorphic process or human induces. The same soil types did not always express similar values of PDI because it was depended on geogenic process affected soil parent materials. The study showed that PDI of soils in the transitional landscape zone was not necessarily correlated with parent rock age due to largely disturbed by unstable geomorphic condition. The significant influence of slope inclination was better than slope arrangement in determining the degree of PDI. Conclusion: There was no sequential pattern of PDI in a transitional landscape zone as an impact of unsystematic inclination along slopes and various geogenic and geomorphic processes. The disturbed soils either by human or by geomorphic processes were less developed than residual soils.

Description: Background and Objective: Agricultural activities release three primary greenhouse gases to atmosphere which are responsible for climate change. Soil, a natural capital is considered as a big reservoir of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Irrigation may or may not change soil carbon in a desirable direction. It is, therefore, important to evaluate soil carbon in irrigated soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of irrigation on soil carbon dynamics in a tropical calcareous soil under rice-based cropping systems. Materials and Methods: Soil organic and inorganic carbon stock and their stratification were evaluated from three soil series located in same catena of Ganges-Kobadak (G-K) irrigation project as well as adjoining non irrigated area of G-K soils which were calcareous in nature. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was undertaken for all factors. All statistical analyses were performed by JMP 4.0 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA). Results: Soil organic carbon (SOC) was increased due to long-term irrigation in calcareous soils irrespective of soil depth and series. The research showed the significant loss of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) under irrigated condition compared to non irrigated condition regardless of soil series. Soil organic carbon density was lower in coarse textured soils than fine textured soils while in case of SIC it was higher in coarse textured soils than fine textured soils, regardless of management practices and soils. The potential SOC stock was higher in non irrigated soils than irrigated soils and the reverse was true for the SIC. Stratification ratios of SOC under irrigated soils were significantly higher than under non irrigated soils. On the other hand, the stratification ratios of SIC was significantly lower under irrigated soils than under non irrigated soils. Conclusion: Results indicated that irrigation practices may slightly increase SOC but remarkable decrease SIC in calcareous soils.