Response of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] to Lime and Phosphorus Fertilizer Treatments on an Acidic Alfisol of Nigeria

Abstract

Liming and phosphorus (P) fertilization are often required for sustainable crop production on acid mineral soils. Here, P-release in an acidic Typic Paleustalf incubated with lime, crystallizer (CRYS), single superphosphate (SSP) and organic fertilizer (O.F) was evaluated. Short-term and residual effects of lime (2 tha ^-1 ) and P (88 kgPha ^-1 ) treatments (Control, lime, CRYS, O.F, lime+O.F, lime+CRYS, O.F+CRYS and lime+O.F+CRYS) on performance of two soybean (Glycine max) varieties (early maturing TGx1485-ID and late maturing TGx1844-18E) were also evaluated, using completely randomized design with three replicates. Lime treatments gave highest soil pH increases (7.4-7.7). Sole and combined applications of P-fertilizers led to pH range of 5.0-5.8 compared with control (5.2) while the tendency of SSP to acidify the soil became obvious. After 5 weeks of growth, O.F+RP and O.F treated TGx1485-ID plants were taller (28.50 and 27.66 cm, respectively) than control (20.03 cm) and sole lime (19.33 cm) treated plants. During 2nd cropping, lime treatment produced plants of similar vigor as O.F and O.F+CRYS treatments. The same trend was observed for TGx1844-18E plants. Phosphorus- uptake by TGx1485-ID plants was highest with the application of O.F or O.F+CRYS, being 9.57 or 9.62mg pot ^-1 and 3.66 or 5.28mg pot ^-1 in the 1st and 2nd cropping, respectively. The potency of O.F and CRYS as alternative acid soil ameliorants for sustainable agriculture was evident. The liming effectiveness of O.F (applied alone or in combination with other amendments) might be sufficient, especially on long-term basis when soil acidification by the conventional-SSP would have reached an alarming proportion.