article · Heliyon
Soil acidity severely restricts agricultural productivity on acidic Luvisols in northwestern Ethiopia. Applying lime significantly improves soil health by increasing pH, available phosphorus, and exchangeable bases, whilst sharply reducing toxic exchangeable aluminium levels. Lime application rates quantified using the buffer pH method outperformed those based on exchangeable acidity in enhancing soil nutrients and wheat grain yields. Furthermore, drilling lime directly along seed rows proved more effective than broad-scale broadcasting. Although broadcasting twelve tonnes of lime per hectare produced the highest wheat yield increase at over sixty-five per cent, targeted row application of three tonnes per hectare increased grain yield by nearly fifty per cent. Crucially, economic evaluation revealed that drilling three tonnes per hectare achieved the highest net profit of 51,537 Birr per hectare, whereas broadcasting twelve tonnes generated the lowest economic return. Banding moderate lime rates within crop rows offers an optimal, cost-effective soil management strategy.
Acidic soils constrain crop production by locking up essential nutrients and exposing plants to toxic aluminium levels. By demonstrating that drilling smaller amounts of lime directly into crop rows yields both higher net profits and substantial harvest gains compared to heavy broadcasting, this research provides smallholder farmers with an affordable, actionable approach to revitalising degraded land and securing wheat harvests.
This applied field research provides validated agronomic recommendations for agricultural extension services, input suppliers, and wheat farmers managing acidic soils. Drilling three tonnes of lime per hectare is already directly applicable in farming operations using standard row-planting techniques. It presents an immediate pathway for farmer advisory programmes and farm equipment or fertiliser distributors to commercialise targeted lime-application packages that lower input costs while improving economic returns.
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Soil acidity has become a major constraint that threatens sustainable agricultural production in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to evaluate effects of lime rates and application methods on selected soil properties and wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) yields on acidic Luvisols of northwestern Ethiopia. The treatments included control, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 t ha−1 lime drilled along the seed rows and 2, 3, 6 and 12 t ha−1 lime applied in broadcasting method. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Lime rates applied for this experiment were quantified using exchangeable acidity and Buffer pH methods. To analyze selected soil properties, composite soil samples were collected immediately before sowing and after harvest. Results revealed that liming significantly increased soil pH, available phosphorus, and exchangeable bases but markedly reduced exchangeable Al3+ contents. The lime rates determined by buffer pH method were greater in ameliorating soil acidity, increasing soil nutrients status and crop yields than exchangeable acidity. Besides, lime application along the row was better in overcoming soil acidity constraints and increasing crop yields compared to broadcast application. Application of 12 t ha−1 lime in the broadcasting method, 3 t ha−1 and 2 t ha−1 lime drilling along the row increased wheat grain yield by 65.10, 49.80 and 27.05%, respectively, compared to the control. Likewise, partial budget analysis showed that the highest net benefit (51,537 Birr ha−1) was obtained from plots amended with 3 t ha−1 lime while the lowest economic profit (31,627.5 Birr ha−1) was recorded from treatments that received 12 t ha−1 lime. Thus, we concluded that application of 3 t ha−1 lime in row is a promising practice to mitigate soil acidity and increase available nutrients, exchangeable bases and crop yields in the study area and similar soil types elsewhere.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13988
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