COURSE OUTLINE

 Concept of Agro ecological zones

link with soil fertility.

 Introductory concepts in soil fertility.

 Essentiality of nutrients and nutrients supplies.

 Nitrogen – Phosphorus - Potassium and some micro nutrients

 Fertilizer evaluation and calculations.

 Integrated soil fertility management.

 Liming of tropical soils.

 1. AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES

The soil as perceived by an agronomist is the product of interaction of climate and living
organisms/ vegetation on parent material as conditioned by relief or topography over a
period of time capable of supporting plant growth. From the above definition of soil, it is
evident that soils will vary in both in space and time dimensions. Cameroon can be divided
in to five agro-ecological zones with each zone having specific soil fertility limitation because
of differences in climate, land use, vegetation, etc. In order to improve crop and animal
production in the country, emphasis should be given to different soil limitations observed in
these different agro-ecological zones. The agro-ecological zones can be broadly defined as:-

A- The humid forest zone

It is characterized by high rainfall amounts, high temperature, and high organic matter
content (when the eco-system is undisturbed). These characteristics favor subsistence
agriculture as has being reported in the shifting cultivation farming system. In this system,
the nutrient for crop production is supplied by the mineral portion of the soil in addition to
decomposition of organic matter.
With shifting cultivation the farmer selectively cuts down some trees allowing most of
them in their natural stands to act as sources of O.M. and fodders for their animals. In this
system, there is an inbuilt mechanism for the regeneration of soil fertility.
The farmer crops the piece of land between 5-15 years and abandons when crop yields are
no longer favourable.
Factors responsible for unfavorable in these areas includes:
1 - Soil acidity:
Under condition of high rainfall exchangeable bases are leached
2- Fe, Al, Mn toxicity:
Under low pH ranges, Fe and Mn become very active and form complexes with
exchangeable bases as well as P. Under such conditions the nutrients required by the plant
become unavailable and in certain cases, Fe, Mn and Al become toxic

3- Rapid decomposition of O .M:

In situations where the forest canopy is disturbed in the process of opening up

new farm lands for subsistence and plantation agriculture the rate of O. M decomposition is
enhanced. Loss of O.M is a major factor responsible for declining crop yields in the tropics

4- Leaching of cations
 Because of the torrential nature of rainfall in this agro−¿ecological zone, cations held by 1:1
lattice clay (kaolinite) are leached beyond the root zone

Soil degradation and nutrient depletion have gradually increased and have become serious
threats to agricultural productivity for instance the reduction of fallow from six to two years and
sometimes non-existent has resulted in yield decline from three tons/ hectare to about 0.7 tons/
hectare for maize in certain areas. Soils therefore can not supply the quantities for nutrients
required and yield level decline rapidly once cropping commences. Depletion of O.M is very high
every year resulting in dangerously low organic carbon level after 15 to 20 years of cultivation. At
levels below 0.5%, the soil supplies less than 50kg of N/ha which is sufficient for only about 1
ton/ha of maize.

Adequate solutions are therefore required to circumvent these problems. Significant increases in
productivity in this agro-ecological zone will require judicious use of fertilizer and organic
amendments combined with effective crop management practices

B- Mid Altitude Western Highlands

Fertility problems include, acidity, leaching losses, Al and Mn complexes in some areas and low
O.M contain in some areas. But most of the soils around these areas are richer because of the
presence of volcanic soils

C- Guinea Savanna

There are 2;

C.1 Southern Guinea Savanna: around Ngoundere area.

C.2 Northern savanna: around Garoua area

D- Sahel Savanna

Extremely dry; the vegetation is predominantly dry, less rainfall, a lot deposition of harmattan
dust (is it very rich) there is plenty of burning. Soil types: Vertisols around Logone / Shari. The soils
crack up to 50cm. Clay types: 2:1 (vermiculite). Difficult to plough when wet and too hard when
dry. The soil needs special management techniques. The type of clay enables it to hold nutrients
together .Hydraulic conductivity is low. When the soils crack it provides channels for water
movement but also avenues for N loss.

Evapo-transpiration is very high and in area where the underlying rock is calcium the salts are
deposited on the surface when it evaporates. In these areas the pH is less than seven. This can
leads to micro-nutrient deficiency.
 2. ESSENTIALITY OF NUTRIENTS
Plants need a number of elements to enable them to grow and reproduce. These elements are
called essential elements. For an element to be considered an essential plant element, three
criteria must be met.

i- A deficiency of an element makes it impossible for the plant to complete its life cycle.
ii- The deficiency is specific for the elements in question
iii- The element is directly involved in the nutrition of the plant for instance, a constituent
of an essential metabolite or required for the action of an enzyme system.

The quantities of these elements required allow an arbitrary distinction to be made between
the major nutrients taken up and needed in much larger quantities and the minors nutrients
sometimes call micro-elements or trace element

Essential elements in plants and form in which they area used by root

Element Form
N NH4+, NO3
P HPO42, H2PO4
K K+
Ca Ca2+
S SO42-
Mg Mgz+
Fe Fe2+ and celate
Zn Zn2+
Cu Cu2+
Na Na+
Mn Mn2+
Cl Cl-
Co CO2+ (legumes)
B Bo H3+
Mo Mo O42-

The macro nutrients are

C, H, N, O, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and Si in some crops

The micro nutrients are

Fe, Mn, Ca, Zn, Mn, Bo, and Cl

Sources of nutrients

With the exception of some gaseous supplies of N and S which may be used directly by crops,
nutrients are taken up by plants from the soil. Nutrients are also found in rainfall. Rainfall is not
pure water. It contains various elements in solid and in solution. The quantity of some of these
nutrients depends on the proximity of the sea and on industrial and urban emission to the
atmosphere.

What is soil fertility?

Soil fertility refers to the presence of essential nutrients in adequate amounts and in proper
balance and in available forms.

A soil is considered to be fertile if it produces abundant crops under suitable environmental

conditions like light, water temperature and physical conditions of the soil. When the physical
conditions are favorable the soil is termed productive

Soil Nutrients Availability

Nutrients are taken up from the soil solution whose concentration depends on the quantity in the
soil and the nutrients individual behavior.Ca and Nitrate are often in relatively high concentrations
while phosphorus is invariably very low.

To enable the crop to have an adequate nutrient supply through out its life it is not just dependent
on soil solution concentration at one time.

The ability of the soil to replenish the supply and maintain the concentration as ions are
taken up by the crops is equally important. If a nutrient is held very strongly in the soil, it may not
replenish the soil solution quickly enough. Alternatively, the total amount of the nutrient the
amount of the nutrient in the soil may be inadequate.

The availability of cations (Ca 2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+) depends mainly on the activity of clay mineral
surfaces

Cations adsorption and exchange

Soil clay minerals, sesquioxides and humus particles all have electrical charges associated with their
surfaces. Some clay minerals have a permanent negative electrical charge which holds
exchangeable cations close their surfaces. Other clay minerals and sesquioxides have a charge
which varies with pH being positive at low pH and negative at high pH holding either ions or cations
respectively. Humus also has negatively charged sites with the number increases as pH rises. These
particles contribute to the total soil charge. As a result soil fall into three main groups:-
Group 1: mineral soils are dominated by permanent negative charge on their 2:1 minerals

Group 2: Organic soils dominated by negative on humus which varies with pH

Group 3: Mineral soils dominated by sesquioxides , kaolinite and alofane with variable charge.

There are however no sharp boundaries between the groups and therefore any soil charge will
depend on the amount of the 3 types surfaces present and for soils in groups 2and 3, on the pH
and solution concentration also. The increased weathering occurring humid tropical region tends to
produce acidic group three soils which may have positive charge and only small amount of negative
charge. Soils in desert regions often have small amount of charge due to lack of pedogenic
minerals and humus.

Cations Exchange Capacity and Exchangeable Cations

There is always sufficient cations held by electrostatic forces on soil particle surfaces to balance the
surface negative charge known as the cations exchange capacity (CEC)

The cations commonly held in this way are Ca2+,Mg2+,K+,and NH4+ with increasing amount of Na+
in saline soils and H + and Al3+ in acid soils. Each of these is termed; exchangeable. Humus may
contribute a significant part of the CEC because charge can be up to about 100cmolc/kg humus in
neutral soils. Sesquioxides make little contribution to the CEC unless the pH is between 7 and 8,5

Ca2+

H+

Clay mineral surface K+ K+ NH4

K* Ca2+ Ca2+

Mg2+

Ca2+

Decreasing conc. Of cations

Soil acidity and alkalinity

Climate has dominating influence on soil properties. Rainfall and temperature control the
intensity of leaching and the weathering of soil minerals, thus having a major influence on the
chemical properties of soils particularly acidity, alkalinity and salinity.

Acidity is associated with leached soils whereas alkalinity occurs predominantly in drier region.
Within a given region, the extent to which the soil becomes acidic depends on the input of the
acidity from vegetation in microbial biomass, the atmosphere and the ability of the primary
minerals to resist the acidifying effects of leaching. The development of alkalinity also depends on
local parent materials vegetation and hydrology. Irrigation of soils with poor quality water can also
lead to alkalinity.

Acidity strictly defined depends on the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution. It is
measured as a pH value which is –log [H+]

 acid solutions pH<7

 Neutral solution pH=7 and
 Alkaline solution pH>7

As soils becomes more acidic (pH: 7-3) there are associated changes in the following properties:-

1) The amount of the exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ decreases. These together with
exchangeable K+, Na+, and NH4+ are known as the basic cations. Their total amount is often
express as a % of the CEC which is termed the percentage base saturation.
2) The amount of exchangeable Al3+ increases and is often expressed as the % Al saturation of
the ECEC (ECEC=effective cations exchangeable capacity). And:
ECEC=CEC (∑of bases) +Exchange acidity [Al3+, H+]
3) The negative charge on humus decreases and the positive charge sesquioxides increases
4) The availability of plant nutrients is changed. For instance, PO42+ solubility is reduced
5) The availability of toxic elements is changed e.g Al 3+ and Mn2+ become more soluble in acid
soils
6) The activity of many soil organisms is reduce resulting in an accumulation of organic
material, reducing mineralization and a lowering availability of N, P, and S.

The Development of soil acidity

 The atmosphere is an external source of acidity. This is as a result of atmospheric inputs

such as acid rain and deposition of oxides from the atmosphere on vegetation and soils.
 Removal of plant residue or crop biomass also lead to acidity
  In the soil, respiration of micro organisms leads to the production of carbonic acid, also
decomposition of soil organic matter leads to the release of organic acids The root of
certain plans release acids e.g. citric acid.
 Finally, leaching of bases into ground water produces acids.
It is important to note that not all acidity entering or produced in soil remove in soil
solution because of reaction which can be considered as acidity sinks.
i- Some of the H+ in solution is loss in leaching.
ii- Ion exchange reaction on days sesquioxides and O.M. remove H + in solution in
exchange for basic cations

Management of soils alters the balance between sources and sinks with principal effect listed
below :-

1- The clearing of natural vegetation causes accelerated organic material

decomposition, NO-3 leaching and acidity production
2- Lime is a basic mineral which reacts with acidity.

Because of the presence of acidity sinks in soils the decrease in pH caused by a given input of H +is
less than it would be if the same amount of H+ was added to water, this is known as buffering

Nutrient concentration and plant yield

Plant critical

Yield range Sufficient

Transition Excessive or

Toxic

Deficient

Nutrient concentration in tissue

The diagram above shows the relationship between essential plant nutrient concentration and
plant growth or yield. As nutrient concentration increases toward the critical level, plant yield
increases. Above the critical level the plant contain sufficient level for normal growth and can
continue to absorb nutrient without increasing yields. This is called luxury consumption. Excessive
absorption of a nutrient or element can be toxic to the plant and reduce yields or cause plant
death.

Some definitions

1. Deficient: concentration in plant is low enough to severely limit growth or yield.

2. Sufficient: It refers to the concentration in the plant where adding the nutrient will not result in
an increase in growth

3. Luxury consumption: Nutrient is taken up by plants in excess of its physiological need and does
not increase growth. As such the quality may be affected.

4. Excessive or toxic: It refers to a situation where the concentration in the plant is high enough to
reduce plant growth

NITROGEN IN SOILS

Soil nitrogen is primarily derived from atmospheric N 2 gas. Soil micro organisms both free living
and symbiotically associated with plants fix N 2 to produce organic nitrogen in the form of amino
groups (-NH2) in proteins. This becomes part of the soil O. M. The decomposition of O.M. converts
some organic N into mineral nitrogen: a term applied to ammonium (NH4+) , nitrate (NO2-) and
nitrate (NO3-). Nitrogen is also present in the soil atmosphere but this is not considered to be soil
nitrogen because the gases are free to move out of type soil. Mineral nitrogen is taken up by plants
and micro organisms and converted into organic nitrogen.

Soil nitrogen is continuously moving from one form to the other as a result of activities of plants
and micro organisms(see the nitrogen cycle)

Mineralsation

Mineralsisation is the microbial conversion of organic N to mineral N.

i.e. organic NH2-------NH4+

Nitrification

This is the oxidation of ammonium N (NH4+) to nitrite and nitrate by specific micro organisms

Immobilization

This is the conversion of mineral N to organic N. It occurs when micro organisms cannot satisfy
their N needs from the organic materials on which they are feeding. As a result they take up
mineral N

NH4+ and NO3-- -NH2

Volatilization

Volatisation is the loss of NH 3 gas from the soil. Under alkaline conditions NH 4+are converted to
NH3 molecules in solution which can then be released into the atmosphere

NH4+ + OH- ------ NH3 +H2O

Dinitrification

This is the loss of nitrogen and nitrous oxide gas from the soil under anaerobic conditions

NO3- and N2O----- N2

Nitrogen fixation

Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of N2 in the soil atmosphere into NH4 by specialised groups of
micro organisms. The NH4 is then assimilated as organic N

N2---NH4----org------NH2

Nitrate leaching

Nitrate leaching is the process whereby nitrate is lost from the soil in drainage waters. Nitrate is
not absorbed onto soil particle surfaces unless they carry positive charge

Net mineralization

Because mineralization and immobilization occur at the same time, it is difficult to separate them.
Normally, the change in the amount of mineral N is measured over a given period of time. Losses
by leaching , dentrification and volatisation are taken into account and are not a net calculated.

Some specific condition favouring NH3 volatisation

-high temperature

-high evaporation from soil surface

-High soil ph that we initially reported.

If these condition do not exist voltilisation will not be a problem .Nitrogen release from organize
residues on the C:N ratio listed. Bellow are some general guidelines.

1. Where the cn ratio of residue is greater than 30 immobilisation available plant N

(NH4+)occur
2. When the c/n ratio is between 20-30 a steady state is arrived at where net available plant
N will not change.
3. When the c/n ratio is less than 20 there is a net release of mineral form of nitrogen
(NH4-N and NO3-N) for plant use . Saw dust has a C/Nratio of 70:1 , corn stalks have a
ratio of 50: 1 .forage/ grass = 8:1 , manue (without bedding)= 5:1
Net immobilisatyion

Net mineralisation

Cropping system : selection and arrangement of crops on a piece of land in time and space

Poln system: broad system relative relative to agri-ecological zones for producing animals, crops or
fibre.

PRACTICAL EXERCISE No I

The objective of this exercise is for you to understand the import agricultural production.

Using the concept of inputs and lose from the N-cycle, analyse a production system in your division
and respond to the following questions.

1-What are the greater losses from the N-cycle in your production system?

2-what are the nitrogen mgt technic sà that you could theoretically implement to reduce these
loses 3- from a practical stand point considering your limitations and opportunities ,what are the
nitrogen mgt technics that you could implement to reduce these loses .

4- what would be the impact of initiating these N-mgt technics on crop yield and quality

5- what would be the potential environment impact

PHOSPHOROUS (P)

Phosphouros occur both as inorganic phosphate and in the organic matter in soils .the dominant
characteristics of soil phosphate are:

- Very low solubility of psphate minerals

- - its strong binding onto particle surfaces giving small solution concentrations.
- As a result phosphate deficiencies in crops are common. From environmental viewpoints
the small solubility of phosphate of that drainage water has very small concentration of
phosphorus.
Phosphorus is present predominant Ca, Fe, and Al P O .phosphate is bound onto
sesquiocide by chelation .clay minerals hod phosphate.
Phosphate is present predominantly as H po ans over the usual range of soil P H values
the strong adsorptiote minerals leads to concentration in soil solution between 1-50um
( mins moles ) . These are about 1/10 of these for k and 1/100 of those nitrates. One of the
result of the strong binding of phosphates known as fixation is that its subsequent removal
from particle surface is difficult.
 The ionic forms of P in soils are p h of 6.2 .As ph decreases the conc of h po also decreases
due to increasing activity of sesquiocide.
In calcareous soils ( p h > 7.8) the availability of P decreases dramatically due to
precipitation of HPO42- by Ca Co3. This ppted P is relatively unavailable to plants.
Phosphorus deficien,cies are very common in alkalind soils tat contain free CaCo3. These
soils have a large P- fixation. P- Fertilizers applied are fixes rapidly. P- Fertilizers place lent
close to the sea is very important in optimizing P- availability. Broadcast P- fertilizers can be
fixed very rapidly decreasing your return to the fertilizer input cost.
Because of strong absorption and small solution concentration, the contribution of mass
flow to uptake of phosphorus by roots is very small and diffusion rates are slow. Thus roots
take up phosphate only from their immediate vicinity

POTTASSIUM? CALICIUM? MAGNESSIUM

Potassium calcium and magnesium are taken up by roots from the soil solution as the
cations K+ Ca2+ and Mg2+. Plants residues entering the soil rapidly release K + Ca2+ and Mg2+.
These cations are held as exchangeable cations and suffer their concentrations in solutions.
They are very large reserves of potassium in soil minerals particularly in heavy textured
soils. The amount of excahngeble K between 10–100 is larger than the amount in solution
which it effectively buffers. The amount of K which can be released to plants depends on
mineralogy, the weather the crop and its growth period. K availability is the ability of the
soil to supply K+ to the growing plants. Available K is the amount of K which can be taken
up. it is depended on:
1) The amount of K plus in the chemiocal fractions from which upo take can occur ie
solution, sqome exchangeable n slowly exchangeable K+.
2) Its accessibility to roots. There are two aspects to accessibility
- They may be physical barriers to root growth such as plough –pan or water logged soil
below a certain depth. Aqs such the K in only one part of the soil is accessible
- The normal distribution of roots means that K+ has to move through the soil to the root
surface. This requires time and so accessibility will depend on root spacing, ease of
movement of k+ through the soil and the period of growth. This accessibility of k+ to plants
is very restructured in dry soils because there is insufficient water to move easily. Also, in
highly compacted soil roots may be far apart so restricting uptake. Because only a small
fraction of the soil is indirect, contact with root uptake involves movement of nutrient ions
through the soil to the root surface. Two processes are involved:
1) K+ in solution is carried to the roots as ware is taken up to supply transpiration need.
This is called mass flow
2) If insufficient K + arrive the roots by mass flow to satisfy plant needs. The concentration
of k+ in the soil solution adjacent to the roots is reduced by plant uptake. This produces
a concentration radient in the soil and diffusion of ions.
3)

Cxalcium availability
 In acidic soils of the humid tropic excahngeble Ca 2+ levels may be very low. Deficiencies
occuer together with the toxoxc effect of allimùinium. In the soils of the humid tropics there is very
little excajhngeble Ca2+ in the top soil. This caiuses particular problems because unlike other
nutrients, Ca2+ nutrients are not easily transported down through root system, thus root growth is
inhibited in the sub soil and timiong of the top soil does not immediately rectify the problem
because of the slow downward movement of , Ca 2+. Shallowing rooting makes the crop liable to the
effect of drought because in even regions this may be water in the top soil

Magnesium availability

In tropical regions Mg2+ maybe supplied by mineral weathering in larger amounts than Ca 2+
reflecting the composition of the parent material. A ratio of Mg 2+: Ca2+ > 1 may leads to Ca
deficiency . for many cropsn fertilizer appilication are only likely to be needed if the extractable
Mg< 0. 12MOLES PER Kg soil

Declining soil fertility

The effects of declining soil fertility on yield growth are particularly visible in Africa where the most
serious food security challenges exist and lie ahead.

The low level of chemical fertilizer use, decline in soil O.M and insufficient attention

To crop nutrients study contributes the most to the loss of soil fertility in the region. In comparison
to the rest of the world, fertilizer use in sub saharan Africa is low and declining while fertility use
per hecter in developing countries continue to increase. The fall in consumption (of fert) has been
most dramatic in West and Central Africa.It ia predicted that fertilizer use in regions would
probably eve be lower if foreign aid is reduced. More than half of the nitrogenous, phosphate and
potash fertilizer consumed in developing Africa is imported in the form of aid.

High import prices contribute to low level of fertilizer use in Saharan Africa. Most African
farmers practice low input agriculture that depends O.M in soil to sustain production. Soil O.M play
an part in establishing the intrinsic properties of a soil which make plant growth possible soil O.M
help sustain soil fertility by improving retention of mineral nutrients, increasing the water holding
capacity of the soil and increasing the amount of soil flora and fauna. Continuous cropping and
erosion reduce the level of soil O.M. Low input systems can maintain and enhance soil O.M
through:

- Crop rotation and inter cropping

- The application of animal and green manures
- Fallowing and
- Recluced or minimum tillage

But as pressure on land am crop intensification increase, these options de not remain practical.
The adoption of intercropping and croprotation techniques is ofter constrainted by the extent of
land and technology available am by the lack of knowledge about optimal mgt techniques. Farmers
need to know how to combine organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers, apply improved pest and
weed mgt techniques and adopt high yielding crop varieties insufficient attention to effective crop
nutrition and soil fertility mgt studies has also nade it difficult to improve yields in Africa even when
improved germ plasm has been made available. More research, expanded extension, and greater
integration of knowledge could provide farmers with a stronger incentive to improve yields,
maintain soil fertility and sustain agriculture.

Options to improve soil fertility

1- Close of organic matter

- Use of compost, farm yard manure, green manure, agroforestry practives.
2- Use of mineral fertilizers
3- Biological methods of soil fertility improvements lihe,
- Use of mycorhizza
- Innoculation of seeds with N-fixing bacteria
4- Integrated fernutrient management:
The goal of integrated nutrient mgt is to integrate the use of all natural and man made
sources of plant nutrient so that crop productivity increases in an efficient and
environmentally friendly manner without sacrificing soil productivity of future generations.

FERTILIZERS

Fertilizers are substances applied to the soil to increase crop yields by providing one or
more of the el’ts that are essential plant mutrients wastes from crops such as sfrow and natural
vegetation, animal excreta have been used to fertilize cropped land for thonsands of years. These
were the only fertilizers until natural deposits of Na No 3 and bones were used at the beginning of
the 19th century. When bones are dissolved by sulphuric acid, the calcium phosphate they contain
becomes water soluble and forms super phosphate.

Organic manures supply nutrients that have already served to grow the crops that produce
the waste or excreta used to make the manure.
 Chemical fertilizers have a unique function. They supply extra nutrients and make farmers in
depend of supplies in their soils, if fertilizers can be bought, yields need not be limited by the
natural fertility of the soils. Fertilizers raise soil fertility by increasing plant nutrients.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE NEED FOR FERTILIZERS.

NITROGEN:

After land has been reclaimed from forest or grass, enough or may be mineralized from
organic Mather reserves for b/a 5-20 years. But land used continuously for producing crop or grass
can rarely provide more than 1/5 to 2/3 of the needed. Inorganic V is short-lowed in the soil much
of any excess is lost by leaching before any crop is grown. Therefore, N is usually deficient fertilizer
is needed to make up the amt needed fore optimum crop growth and production.

PHOSPHORUS:

Most unfarmed soils contain too little P for good yields of culturated crops. As phosphate
does not more easily in soil, being preapitated in formed with only shight solubicities, crop roots
never reach more than ¼ or ¼ of a dressing of fertilizer in a single year. The remainder of the P
accumulates as residues which after many years may account for ½ of the total P present in the
soil. These residues arde useful to following crops and most manuring schemes increase the
reserves of soluble P in the soil.

POTASSIUM

Many clay soils have 1% or more of total K. Some days steadily release K and supply enough
for crop for many year but other clay soils and most sandy soils can supply little.

Calcium and magnesium

Cancerous soils and some clays contain large reserves of Ca Co 3 while acid soils lack Ca and
Mg. Liming of acid soils is essential as many cultivated crops are depressed in growth or killed by
acidity, Ca used in this ways is a fertilizer.
 Mg supply comes from soil. In the lighter soils with least reserves Mg deficiency is becoming
increasingly dommon and more Mg is being used as fertilizen. This trend will continue when ever
large crops are sold and organic manures which supply Mg are not used.

SULPHUR

Crops take up 10-25kg/ha of S. Most of the S needed is taken from the soil solution but
plants can take it directly from the air.

Micro nutrients

Depending on the PH of the soil micro nutrient deficiency can be observed. It is now
common to find fertilizer grades having micronutrient compositions.

Planning to use fertilizers

Whether the fertilizers are needed to increase pdn or to mountain high yields in a system
that is adready intensive, the problems are the same. The farmer must choose the right amount,
the right kind of fertilizer and apply this dressing in the right place and at the right time.

The first decisions that have to be made are about the nutrients that must be applied is the
soil cannot supply enough.

Auxillary information that helps in deciding amounts of fertilizers

Bescles the general knodedge of local soils, farming conditions and fertilizer experiments
results an advicers decision on amount of fertilizer may depend on some or all of the following
kinds of information:

1- Nutrient cycle on the farm

2- Interaction effects associated with methods and intensity of farming.
3- Past manuring with farm y arel manure and fertilizers leaver residues of N, P and K in soil
that benefit subsequent crops
4- Farming system: crop combinations, crop rotation, animal composition or introduction in
the farming system all affects the supply of nutrients to crops.
 5- Wather conditions affect fertilizer responses
6- Soil and plant analysis

FERTILIZER MATERIALS

Nitrogen fertilizer:

1- Ammonium nitrate: this is a straight N fertilizer. H contains(n 33-34% of N half the N

content is NH4-N and the other half is NO3-N. It can be applied to the soil surface under
awide range of conditions with minimal direct, losses of gaseons N loy vocalilization of NH 3
TO THE ATMOSPHERE
2- Ulrea: (CO CNH2)2
Ulrea supplies 46%N.Top dressing may result in some N loss as NH
3- A.S. supplies 21%n. It has a limitation in that it acidifies the soil more than other materials.
Top dressing with A.S. may also result in NH 3 LOSS.
4- Calcuim nitrate: (Ca NO3°
Ca NO3 supplies 15% N
Phosphate fertiliziers: