View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ICRISAT Open Access Repository Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-018-9910-1 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Improving nutrient use efficiency from decomposing manure and millet yield under Plinthosols in Niger Dougbedji Fatondji . Ali Ibrahim Received: 20 June 2017 / Accepted: 29 January 2018 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract To improve synchronicity between nutri- 15 days after planting, respectively. Application of ents released from the decomposing manure with millet manure before planting increased on an average millet nutrient requirement under zaı¨ technique, a 2-year field grain yield by 16 and 20% and N utilization efficiency experiment was conducted at the International Crops by 25 and 31% compared to application of manure at Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Research planting and 15 days after planting respectively. Addi- Station, Sadore´, Niger. The treatments consisted of tion of mineral fertilizer induced a synergetic effect on factorial combination of two rates of cattle manure (200 millet grain yield (p = 0.002). Millet grain yields and 300 g per zaı¨ hole), three periods of manure increased on average by 5, 17 and 57% when 6 g per application (before planting, at planting and 15 days zaı¨ pit of NPK fertilizer were added to plots receiving later) and two rates of mineral fertilizer [nitrogen (N), manure application before planting, at planting and phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) 15–15–15] applied at 15 days after planting, respectively. We conclude that 6gperzaı¨hole and a control, without mineral fertilizer). application of manure prior to planting satisfies better Manure dry mass losses did not significantly differ millet nutrients demand, thereby increasing nutrient use among manure application periods in 2013. However, in efficiency and grain yield under zai pits. 2014 the highest manure dry mass loss occurred when manure was applied before planting with 70% of Keywords Degraded soil Á Manure Á Nutrient manure applied being decomposed at millet maturity release Á Nutrient uptake Á Synchronicity Á Millet stage (115 days after litterbag installation) followed by manure applied at planting with almost 50% of dry mass losses. The quantities of N and P absorbed by millet at tillering stage represented, 61, 52 and 33% of N released Introduction and 15, 12 and 15% of P released at the same time when manure was applied before planting, at planting and Land degradation due to soil erosion and inherently low soil fertility coupled with poor soil fertility management practices are the major factors affecting D. Fatondji (&) International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid crop production in most sub-Saharan African coun- Tropics, BP: 12404, Niamey, Niger tries (Zingore et al. 2015). In the Sahel, crop produc- e-mail: [email protected] tion is predominantly rainfed cereal-based and characterized by low yields as a result of unpre- A. Ibrahim Office Che´rifien de Phosphates (OCP Africa), Niamey, dictable rainfall and continual decline in soil fertility Niger 123 Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst (Gandah et al. 2003; Voortman 2010). Pasternak et al. Niger, manure application in zaı¨ pits resulted in 2–68 (2009) reported that more than 50% of the Sahelian times higher grain yields than in no amended zaı¨ pits soils are degraded and most of these degraded soils are (Fatondji et al. 2006). In another study conducted in crusted lateritic soils which undergo a continuous Niger, Bouzou and Dan Lamso (2004), observed process of erosion, mostly by wind but also by water. significant increase in millet grain yield when organic Thus, the limited land resource is shrinking slowly amendment was applied under zaı¨ pits. In Burkina while population increases with ever increasing Faso, application of manure under zaı¨ pits increased demand for food. For improved crop production to nutrient uptake by 43–87% and yield by 35–220% feed the growing population in the Sahel, there is, a (Ouattara et al. 1999). In another study, Fatondji et al. need of rehabilitating the productive capacity of these (2009) observed that organic amendment decomposi- degraded soils. Thus, farmers have developed water tion was slower under zaı¨ pits compared to surface harvesting-based technologies to bring back into application of organic material due to the presence of production the degraded lands in the Sahel (Roose termites. In the same study, the authors have reported a et al. 1999). poor synchrony between nutrients release and pearl Zaı¨ technique which consists of digging small millet nutrient uptake. The poor synchronicity could basins of variable size usually 20–40 cm in diameter increase the risk of nutrients losses by leaching and 10–20 cm deep to collect runoff water is the most particularly for nitrogen (N). It appears that inappro- common water harvesting techniques used to rehabil- priate manure management under zaı¨ technique can itate the degraded soils in the Sahel (Roose et al. greatly reduce its efficiency and may affect crop yields. 1993). In Burkina Faso, the development of zaı¨ pits, There is, therefore a need to enhance the efficient use of has led to an expansion of farms size with associated manure under zaı¨ technique by matching nutrients crop yield increment (Kabore´ and Reij 2004). In release from decomposing manure with crop nutrient Niger, Fatondji et al. (2006), reported that zaı¨ demand for improving crop yields particularly in the improved millet water use efficiency by a factor of Sahel characterized by limited availability of organic about 2 and improved nutrient uptake in the range of amendments at many places (Schlecht et al. 2006). 43–64% for N, 50–87% for P and 58–66% for K. This Earlier report by Mafongoya et al. (1998) showed technique has been advocated to improve nutrient and that, one of the strategies to improve the efficient use water use efficiency thereby increasing crop yield in of nutrient from decomposing organic amendment, is short time while restoring lands in long term (Lahmar through regulating the rates of nutrients release to et al. 2012). However, to acquire the beneficial effects improve the synchronicity of nutrient supply with crop of zaı¨, the application of organic amendment remains demand. According to Gascho et al. (1995), this essential. A field experiment conducted in Burkina depends on yield target and the rate of nutrients Faso, to examine the effect on soil productivity of soil applied. For instance, the latter authors, have observed and water conservation technique in association with that with final grain yield of 2229 kg ha-1 following different sources of nutrients revealed that, restoring the application of 45 kg N ha-1, nitrogen (N) content favourable soil moisture condition without addition of at panicle emergence was 2.46% in the leaves. For crop fertilizing elements could not improve crop grain yield of 1497 kg ha-1 and the same rate of N yields under encrusted soil conditions (Zougmore´ application, N content at the stage of flag leave was et al. 2003). 1.64 and 2.76% at panicle emergence. Accordingly, Traditionally, animal manure plays an important manipulating manure application schedule may ensure role in maintaining soil fertility of the Sahelian the availability of the nutrients to the plant at right smallholder farming systems. Manure is a source of time. soil nutrients and is beneficial to soil physical proper- Variation in manure application period can also ties (Harris 2002). Many studies, have shown that avoid large nutrient losses by leaching that may occur, manure application in the zaı¨ pits increases crop yields, especially for N in zaı¨ pits. The study on synchronicity augments soil organic matter content, ameliorates soil between nutrients released from decomposing manure pH, improve soil nutrients and soil moisture status under zaı¨ technique with pearl millet nutrients (Boubacar et al. 2016; Bouzou and Dan Lamso 2004; requirement has not yet been investigated. The Fatondji et al. 2006; Wildemeersch et al. 2015). In objective of the present study was to determine the 123 Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst optimal time of manure application under zaı¨ tech- organized in a randomized complete block design with nique for enhanced synchronicity between nutrient four replications. The treatments consisted of a facto- releases from decomposing manure with pearl millet rial combination of : (1) two rates of mineral fertilizer nutrient requirement. (NPK 15–15–15) applied at 6 g per zaı¨ hole and a control, without mineral fertilizer), (2) two rates of cattle manure (200 and 300 g per zaı¨ hole correspond- Materials and method ing to 3125 and 4688 kg ha-1 of manure, respectively) and (3) three periods of manure application (before Experimental site planting (34 and 24 days before sowing in 2013 and 2014, respectively), at planting and 15 days after The experiments were conducted in the 2013 and 2014 planting). Date of manure applied before planting rainy seasons on the Bio-reclamation of degraded land varied between years due to uncertainties in the start of (BDL) experimental site of International Crops the rainy season which determines the day of planting. Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRI- The application of 6 g per zaı¨ hole of NPK, is the SAT) located at Sadore´ village, Niger (13°150N and current fertilizer micro-dosing rate recommended in 2°180E, 240 m above sea level). The BDL site, is a Niger (Tabo et al. 2011). The rate of 300 g per zaı¨ hole degraded bare land fenced, and treated with soil and of manure applied was the optimal application rate water conservation structures (zai pits and half-moons) suggested by Fatondji et al. (2006) and considering the for its biological rehabilitation. The soil is classified as limitation of manure availability in the study area, a Plinthosols in the FAO classification system.