Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T08:54:55.317Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Agronomic and economic benefits of integrated nutrient management options for cowpea production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2020

Bachir Bounou Issoufa ,
Ali Ibrahim Open the ORCID record for Ali Ibrahim [Opens in a new window]  and
Robert Clement Abaidoo
Bachir Bounou Issoufa
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana Science and Technology Research Centre (STRECE), BP: 436, Niamey8000, Niger
Ali Ibrahim*
Affiliation:
Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice), Sahel Station, BP: 96, Saint Louis, Senegal
Robert Clement Abaidoo
Affiliation:
Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320, Ibadan, Nigeria
*
*Corresponding author. Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The limitation of soil amendments and insufficient and irregular rainfall are the main factors accounting for the decline in crop yields in the Sahelian low-input cropping systems. This study explored the agronomic and economic responses of integrated use of millet glume-derived compost with synthetic fertilizer in cowpea-based cropping system. A two-year field experiment was laid out as factorial design arranged in randomized complete blocks with three rates of compost (0, 4000, and 8000 kg ha−1) and three rates of recommended synthetic fertilizer (0, 50, and 100%). Cowpea grain yield increased markedly with combined application of compost and synthetic fertilizer. The combined use of compost applied at 8000 kg ha−1 and 50% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer increased cowpea grain yield by 51% compared to the application of 100% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer. The rainwater use efficiency (RaUE) increased by 52 and 49% with the combined application of compost at 8000 kg ha−1 along with 50% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer when compared to the application of 100% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer in 2013 and 2014, respectively. All treatments induced a positive net income, and the highest value/cost ratio was achieved with combined application of compost and synthetic fertilizer. This study highlights the possibility of improving cowpea productivity through combined use of composted locally available organic input with half of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer. This combination would reduce the investment in mineral fertilizer currently made by smallholder farmers in the Sahelian low-input cowpea cropping system and reduce environmental pollution resulting from the current practice of burning the millet glume.

Keywords

CompostingAgronomic efficiencyYieldsEconomic returnCowpea
Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 56 , Issue 3 , June 2020 , pp. 440 - 452
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdou, A., Koala, S. and Bationo, A. (2012). Long-term soil fertility trials in Niger, West Africa. In Bationo, A., Waswa, B., Kihara, J., Adolwa, I., Vanlauwe, B. and Saidou, K. (eds), Lessons Learned from Long-term Soil Fertility Management Experiments in Africa. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, pp. 105–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdoulaye, T. and Sanders, J.H. (2005). Stages and determinants of fertilizer use in semiarid African agriculture: The Niger experience. Agricultural Economics 32, 167–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adjei-Nsiah, S. (2006). Cropping systems, land tenure and social diversity in Wenchi, Ghana implications for soil fertility management. PhD Thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 224 p.Google Scholar
Akponikpé, P.B.I., Michels, K. and Bielders, C.L. (2008). Integrated nutrient management of pearl millet in the Sahel combining cattle manure, crop residues and mineral fertilizer. Experimental Agriculture 44, 453–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amlinger, F., Götz, B., Dreher, P., Geszti, J. and Weissteiner, C. (2003). Nitrogen in biowaste and yard waste compost: Dynamics of mobilisation and availability-a review. European Journal of Soil Biology 39, 107–116.10.1016/S1164-5563(03)00026-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, J. and Ingram, J. (1993). A Handbook of Methods: Tropical Soil Biological and Fertility, 2nd Edn.Wallingford: CAB International, pp. 88–89.Google Scholar
Argaw, A., Mekonnen, E. and Muleta, D. (2015). Agronomic efficiency of N of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in some representative soils of Eastern Ethiopia. Cogent Food & Agriculture 1, 1074790.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bachir, B.I. (2015). Composting millet glume for soil fertility imporvement and millet/cowpea productivity in semi-qrid zone of Niger. PhD Thesis, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 193 p.Google Scholar
Barthod, J., Rumpel, C. and Dignac, M.-F. (2018). Composting with additives to improve organic amendments. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 38, 17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bationo, A., Traore, Z., Kimetu, J., Bagayoko, M., Kihara, J., Bado, V., Lompo, M., Tabo, R. and Koala, S. (2003). Cropping systems in the Sudano-sahelian zone: Implications on soil fertility management. In Bationo, A., Waswa, B., Kihara, J., Adolwa, I., Vanlauwe, B. and Saidou, K. (eds), Lessons learned from Long-term Soil Fertility Management Experiments in Africa. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, pp. 105–120.Google Scholar
Bationo, A. and Waswa, B. (2011). New challenges and opportunities for integrated soil fertility management in Africa. In Bationo, A., Waswa, B., Okeyo, J. M., Maina, F. and Kihara, J. (eds), Innovations as Key to the Green Revolution in Africa. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, pp. 3–17CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bayu, W., Rethman, N.F.G. and Hammes, P.S. (2005). The role of animal manure in sustainable soil fertility management in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 25, 113–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Belko, N., Cisse, N., Diop, N.N., Zombre, G., Thiaw, S., Muranaka, S. and Ehlers, J. (2014). Selection for postflowering drought resistance in short-and medium-duration cowpeas using stress tolerance indices. Crop Science 54, 25–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernal, M.P., Alburquerque, J. and Moral, R. (2009). Composting of animal manures and chemical criteria for compost maturity assessment. A review. Bioresource Technology 100, 5444–5453.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bhattacharyya, R., Ghosh, B., Mishra, P., Mandal, B., Rao, C. and Sarkar, D. (2019). Soil degradation in India: Challenges and potential solutions. Sustainability 7, 3528–3570.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buruchara, R., Chirwa, R., Sperling, L., Mukankusi, C., Rubyogo, J.C., Mutonhi, R. and Abang, M. (2011). Development and delivery of bean varieties in Africa: The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) model. African Crop Science Journal 19, 227–245.Google Scholar
Chianu, J.N., Nkonya, E.M., Mairura, F., Chianu, J.N. and Akinnifesi, F. (2011). Biological nitrogen fixation and socioeconomic factors for legume production in sub-Saharan Africa: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 31, 139–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunjana, N., Nyamugafata, P., Nyamangara, J. and Mango, N. (2014). Cattle manure and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer application effects on soil hydraulic properties and maize yield of two soils of Murewa district, Zimbabwe. Soil Use and Management 30, 579–587.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gee, G.W. and Or, D. (2002). Particle-size analysis. Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 4, 255–293.Google Scholar
GenStat (2007). Genstat. Rothamsted, UK: Lawes Agricultural Trust (Rothamsted Experimental Station).Google Scholar
Giller, K. (2002). Targeting management of organic resources and mineral fertilizers: Can we match scientists’ fantasies with farmers’ realities? In Vanlauwe, B., Diels, K., Sanginga, N. and Merckx, R. (eds), Integrated Plant Nutrient Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: From Concept to Practice. Wallingford: CAB International, pp. 155–171.Google Scholar
Houba, V., Van der Lee, J. and Novozamsky, I. (1995). Soil analysis procedures; other procedures (soil and plant analysis, part 5B). Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Wageningen Agricultural University, 217 p.Google Scholar
Ibrahim, A., Abaidoo, R., Fatondji, D. and Opoku, A. (2015). Integrated use of fertilizer micro-dosing and Acacia tumida mulching increases millet yield and water use efficiency in Sahelian semi-arid environment. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 103, 375–388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Issoufa, B.B., Ibrahim, A., Abaidoo, R.C. and Ewusi-Mensah, N. (2018). Combined use of millet glume-derived compost and mineral fertilizer enhances soil microbial biomass and pearl millet yields in a low-input millet cropping system in Niger. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 65, 1107–1119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jama, B., Swinkels, R.A. and Buresh, R.J. (1997). Agronomic and economic evaluation of organic and inorganic sources of phosphorus in western Kenya. Agronomy Journal 89, 597–604.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarial, S., Blümmel, M., Soumana, I., Ravi, D., Issa, S., Whitbread, A. and Tabo, R. (2016). Comparison of cowpea and groundnut haulm trading in urban and rural fodder markets in Niger. In Proceedings of the Joint Pan-African Grain Legume Research Conference and World Cowpea Conference, Livingstone.Google Scholar
Kamara, A., Omoigui, L., Kamai, N., Ewansiha, S. and Ajeigbe, H. (2018). Improving cultivation of cowpea in West Africa. In Sivasankar, S., Bergvinson, D., Gaur, P., Kumar, S., Beebe, S. and Tomo, M. (eds) Achieving Sustainable Cultivation of Grain Legumes Volume 2: Improving Cultivation of Particular Grain Legumes. Cambridge, UK: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.Google Scholar
Khaliq, A., Abbasi, M.K. and Hussain, T. (2006). Effects of integrated use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources with effective microorganisms (EM) on seed cotton yield in Pakistan. Bioresource Technology 97, 967–972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiboi, M., Ngetich, K., Fliessbach, A., Muriuki, A. and Mugendi, D. (2019). Soil fertility inputs and tillage influence on maize crop performance and soil water content in the Central Highlands of Kenya. Agricultural Water Management 217, 316–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kihara, J., Huising, J., Nziguheba, G., Waswa, B.S., Njoroge, S., Kabambe, V., Iwuafor, E., Kibunja, C., Esilaba, A.O. and Coulibaly, A. (2016). Maize response to macronutrients and potential for profitability in sub-Saharan Africa. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 105, 171–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kolawole, G.O. (2012). Effect of phosphorus fertilizer application on the performance of maize/soybean intercrop in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 58, 189–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, C.A., Li, F.R., Zhou, L.M., Zhang, R.H., Lin, S.L., Wang, L.J., Siddique, K.H. and Li, F.-M. (2013). Effect of organic manure and fertilizer on soil water and crop yields in newly-built terraces with loess soils in a semi-arid environment. Agricultural Water Management 117, 123–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luo, G., Li, L., Friman, V.P., Guo, J., Guo, S., Shen, Q. and Ling, N. (2018). Organic amendments increase crop yields by improving microbe-mediated soil functioning of agroecosystems: A meta-analysis. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 124, 105–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minchin, F., Summerfield, R., Eaglesham, A.R.J. and Stewart, K.A. (1978). Effects of short-term waterlogging on growth and yield of cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata). Journal of Agriculture Science 90, 355–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moreno, M.M., Moreno, C., Lacasta, C. and Meco, R. (2012). Evolution of soil biochemcal parameters in rainfed crops: Effect of organic and mineral fertilization. Applied and Envronmental Soil Science 2012, 9.Google Scholar
Motsara, M.R. and Roy, R.N. (2008). Guide to Laboratory Establishment for Plant Nutrient Analysis. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, p. 203.Google Scholar
Obilana, A. (2003). Overview: Importance of millets in Africa. World (All Cultivated Millet Species) 38, 28.Google Scholar
Palm, C.A., Myers, R.J. and Nandwa, S.M. (1997). Combined use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources for soil fertility maintenance and replenishment. Replenishing soil fertility in Africa (replenishingsoi), 193–217.Google Scholar
Rusinamhodzi, L., Murwira, H. and Nyamangara, J. (2006). Cotton–cowpea intercropping and its N 2 fixation capacity improves yield of a subsequent maize crop under Zimbabwean rain-fed conditions. Plant and Soil 287, 327–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saidou, A.K., Omae, H. and Tobita, S. (2010). Combination effect of intercropping, application of chemical fertilizer and transported manure on millet/cowpea growth and nitrogen, phosphorus balances in the Sahel. Am Eurasian J Agron 3, 30–35.Google Scholar
Sambo, B. (2013). Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp) clipping management technology 2: A potential for sustain yield and food security in the savannah of Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural and Crop Research 1, 61–68.Google Scholar
Smith, M.R., Rao, I.M. and Merchant, A. (2018). Source-sink relationships in crop plants and their influence on yield development and nutritional quality. Frontiers in Plant Science 9, 1889.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Srivastava, R., Panda, R., Chakraborty, A. and Halder, D. (2018). Enhancing grain yield, biomass and nitrogen use efficiency of maize by varying sowing dates and nitrogen rate under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Field Crops Research 221, 339–349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tarfo, B., Chude, V., Iwuafor, E. and Yaro, D. (2001). Effects of the combined application of millet thresh waste, cow dung and fertilizer on maize nutrient concentrations and uptake. Chemclass Journal 32, 144–151.Google Scholar
Thuita, M., Pypers, P., Herrmann, L., Okalebo, R.J., Othieno, C., Muema, E. and Lesueur, D. (2012). Commercial rhizobial inoculants significantly enhance growth and nitrogen fixation of a promiscuous soybean variety in Kenyan soils. Biology and Fertility of Soils 48, 87–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tovihoudji, P.G., Akponikpè, P.I., Agbossou, E.K. and Bielders, C.L. (2019). Variability in maize yield and profitability following hill-placement of reduced mineral fertilizer and manure rates under smallholder farm conditions in northern Benin. Field Crops Research 230, 139–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valbuena, D., Tui, S.H.-K., Erenstein, O., Teufel, N., Duncan, A., Abdoulaye, T., Swain, B., Mekonnen, K., Germaine, I. and Gérard, B. (2015). Identifying determinants, pressures and trade-offs of crop residue use in mixed smallholder farms in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Agricultural Systems 134, 107–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Reeuwijk, L.P. (1993). Procedures for soil analysis. Technical paper No 9, Fourth Edition edited by the International Soil Reference and Information Center (ISRIC).Google Scholar
Vanlauwe, B., Kihara, J., Chivenge, P., Pypers, P., Coe, R. and Six, J. (2011). Agronomic use efficiency of N fertilizer in maize-based systems in sub-Saharan Africa within the context of integrated soil fertility management. Plant and Soil 339, 35–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Voortman, R.L. (2010). Exploration into African land ecoloy on the chemistry between soils, plants and fertilizers, PhD dissertation. Wageningen Unversity.Google Scholar
Walkley, A. and Black, I.A. (1934). An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science 37, 29–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, Q., Li, Y. and Klassen, W. (2007). Changes of soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen with cover crops and irrigation in a tomato field. Journal of Plant Nutrition 30, 623–639.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamoah, C.F., Bationo, A., Shapiro, B. and Koala, S. (2002). Trend and stability analyses of millet yields treated with fertilizer and crop residues in the Sahel. Field Crops Research 75, 53–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, J. and Zhang, J. (2010). Crop management techniques to enhance harvest index in rice. Journal of Experimental Botany 61, 3177–3189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zingore, S., Delve, R.J., Nyamangara, J. and Giller, K.E. (2008). Multiple benefits of manure: The key to maintenance of soil fertility and restoration of depleted sandy soils on African smallholder farms. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 80, 267–282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar