Modeling the effect of soil fertility management options on maize yield stability under variable climate in a sub-humid zone in Ghana
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Abstract
Introduction: Uncertainty in the yield of maize due to variability in weather is a
major challenge to smallholder farmers in Sub Sahara Africa. This study explores
the potential of combining locally available organic resources and inorganic
fertilizer to increase grain yield and reduce variability in yields associated with
variations in rainfall distribution.
Methods: To assess the effectiveness of this practice, the Agricultural Production
Systems sIMulator (APSIM) crop model was calibrated and evaluated using maize
experiments on nutrient management options. The evaluated model was used
to simulate maize growth and yield using multiple-year data (1984–2018) under
different planting windows for two growing seasons. The treatments were (i)
control, (ii) inorganic fertilizer alone (INOFRecom), combining organic resources
[empty fruit bunch of palm (EFB) and compost with inorganic fertilizer (INOF) to
make up equivalent nutrients in (ii)]; (iii) EFB + INOF and (iv) Comp + INOF.
Results: Though all the soil amendments boosted grain output, the EFB + INOF
treatment outperformed the other treatments in the major season with gains
of between 161 and 211% and the most stable (least inter-annual variability of
27%) yield. Across the planting windows, the INOFRecom and EFB + INOF
treatments achieved comparable yield increments in the minor season. Though
grain yield variability was high during the minor rainy season, combining organic
and inorganic fertilizers reduced inter-annual yield variability, thus, lowering
uncertainty in yield due to variable inter-annual rainfall. Combining local organic
resources with a reduced amount of inorganic fertilizer produced higher yields
and better yield stability compared to using only inorganic fertilizer.
Discussions: Thus, such soil fertility management solutions might sustain resource
use and boost maize grain yield in the study area, where strategies for sustainable
crop nutrition remain a critical necessity. The improved nitrogen management
regimes may result in fewer environmental hazards for vulnerable rainfed
agricultural systems.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
local organic resources, yield uncertainty, integrated nutrient management