Evaluation of Micro-dosing Lime Application on Selected Soil Chemical Properties and Barley Crop Performance at Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Liming acidic soil on smallholder farms is one of the major challenges to enhance crop yields in Ethiopian highlands. To address the problem associated with the high cost of liming, a precision technique referred to as lime micro-dosing, which involves application in small and affordable quantities of lime was evaluated on acid soil of the central highlands of Ethiopia from 2019/20 to 2020/21. The objective was to evaluate the effects of lime micro-dosing on selected soil physicochemical properties and yield and yield components of barley on farmers’ field in suko and sika districts. The treatments consisted of 5 lime rates of (T1) 0%, (T2) 6.25%, (T3) 12.5%, (T4) 25%, and (T5) 33.3% of the recommended lime rate. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications. The result showed that application of lime significantly (P<0.01) affected selected soil chemical properties and yield and yield components of barley. Soil pH was significantly increased from 5.0 to 5.8 and available P from 9.0 to 14.53 mg kg-1. Exchangeable acidity decreased from 1.5 to 0.90 Cmol (+) kg-1 due to lime application. Significant higher grain yield of barley was obtained from application of 25 and 33.3 % of recommended lime. Grain yield was increased by 100.5 and 110.2 % through application of 25 and 33.3 % of the LR of soils. Thus, application of 25 and 33.3 % of the LRs acid soils on spot at planting was found to be agronomically efficient and economically viable management option for barley production in the central highlands of Ethiopia.
Author: Abreham Yacob
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4406104722