Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 4(1), pp. 18-30. January, 2016.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2015.064

Full Length Research

A review of Soil Fertility Improvement and Monitoring Studies on Cotton at Middle Awash and Arbaminch Areas, Ethiopia

Getinet Adugna*, Habte Nida, Abere Mnalku, Sosena Amsalu , Melese Mnaleshewa

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research; Werer Research Center P.O Box 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Accepted 6 December 2015

Studies were conducted at Middle Awash and Arbaminch areas including long-term exhaustion trial, fertilizer and cover crop studies, soil types and their fertility status and potassium forms, release dynamics and its availability. The results of the studies revealed that there were no remarkable depletion/changes in soil nutrient levels due to mono cropping of cotton at Middle Awash areas in the past two to three decades. Cotton was non-responsive and consistent to fertilizer application in most of the previous studies. However, according to some recent studies nitrogen was found to be the first and most limiting nutrient being very low both at Middle Awash and Arbaminch soils and its application resulted in significantly higher yield and economic benefit particularly on older cotton farms. Incorporation of cover crop also showed potential benefit in improving cotton yield. Studies on K also revealed that readily available as well as reserve forms of potassium were found to be well above the critical limits in all sites throughout the soil layers. Moreover, the main soil types, which include Salic Fluvisols, Eutric Fluvisols and Eutric Vertisols, were investigated, of which Eutric Fluvisols occupies the largest portion of the cultivated land of Awash river basin.

Keywords: Cover crop, fertilizer application, exhaustion trial, potassium, soil types, cotton



 

How to cite this article: Adugna G, Nida H, Mnalku A, Amsalu S, Mnaleshewa M (2016). A review of Soil Fertility Improvement and Monitoring Studies on Cotton at Middle Awash and Arbaminch Areas, Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 4(1): 18-30.

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