ABSTRACT
A study was conducted at the
eastern farm of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, to determine
the effect of levels of wood ash on soil acidity and available phosphorus. The
experiment was laid out as a Randomized Complete Block Design with six
treatments and four replicates. The treatment levels were; 0, 2, 4, 6, 8
and 10t/ha, respectively. Cowpea was
planted as a test crop. The results obtained showed that wood ash has a
significant effect on soil properties by increasing organic carbon, organic
matter, total exchangeable bases, effective cation exchange capacity, base
saturation, but decreased exchangeable acidity. Also pH values increased with
increase in the rate of ash application. Rate above 4 t/ha had no significant
effect on soil pH. The highest pH values were obtained at two weeks after
planting on plots that received 8 t/ha. Similarly, there was no significant
effect in available phosphorus from 2 to 10 t/ha. Though there was a reduction in
available phosphorus at 10 t/ha, the highest amount of available phosphorus was
observed at 8 t/ha in the sixth weeks after planting. There were no significant
effect of ash on plant height, number of leaves and stem girth in all the
levels of treatments at 2 weeks after planting, but there were significant
effects at 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after planting. Yield figures could not be
presented because the plots were attacked by rodents a few days to the harvest.
The damage was much that the data collected were inadequate for statistical
analysis.
EDET, O (2021). Effect Of Levels Of Wood Ash On Soil Acidity And Available Phosphorus. Mouau.afribary.org: Retrieved Nov 23, 2024, from https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/effect-of-levels-of-wood-ash-on-soil-acidity-and-available-phosphorus-7-2
OKON, EDET. "Effect Of Levels Of Wood Ash On Soil Acidity And Available Phosphorus" Mouau.afribary.org. Mouau.afribary.org, 06 Jul. 2021, https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/effect-of-levels-of-wood-ash-on-soil-acidity-and-available-phosphorus-7-2. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
OKON, EDET. "Effect Of Levels Of Wood Ash On Soil Acidity And Available Phosphorus". Mouau.afribary.org, Mouau.afribary.org, 06 Jul. 2021. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. < https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/effect-of-levels-of-wood-ash-on-soil-acidity-and-available-phosphorus-7-2 >.
OKON, EDET. "Effect Of Levels Of Wood Ash On Soil Acidity And Available Phosphorus" Mouau.afribary.org (2021). Accessed 23 Nov. 2024. https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/effect-of-levels-of-wood-ash-on-soil-acidity-and-available-phosphorus-7-2