Abstract
Maize is a staple cereal for countries in sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by a low average yield of less than 1 ton per hectare in many smallholder farms across these countries. The low maize yield is attributed to poor soil fertility, poor crop management practices, poor post-harvest handling techniques, and erratic rainfall. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of selected integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies on soil chemical properties and maize yields following the use of the InPaC-S (Portuguese for Integração Participativa de Conhecimentos sobre Indicadores de Qualidade do Solo or Participatory Knowledge Integration on Indicators of Soil Quality) methodological approach. This methodological approach was employed to mobilize farmers through workshops and field experiments using selected integrated soil fertility management options: use of organic manure, lime, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, including manure, lime, NPK, lime + manure, manure + NPK, lime + NPK, and control. The results revealed significant differences between the treatments ( p <0.001) and sites ( p <0.001) for all studied growth parameters. The use of lime + NPK significantly increased maize yields by 149% (p<0.001) compared to the control and influenced electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and exchangeable bases. In turn, the cost of maize production (USD/ha) varied between treatments, ranging from 419.8 to 630.9 USD in the control and lime + NPK, respectively. The major costs included inorganic fertilizers, weeding, and land preparation, with inorganic fertilizers contributing the most to the total production cost. The net revenue in USD/hectare for the treatments was significantly ( p <0.001) highest for lime + NPK ($1,260.90) and lowest for the control ($339.60). A sensitivity analysis was performed on the net income, and the results suggest that as fertilizer costs increase, there comes a point where their use is no longer economically viable. Consequently, different ISFM options, such as the combination of lime and manure, lime alone, and manure alone, become relevant. This empirical evidence concludes that the use of other integrated soil fertility management options will translate to a long-term improvement in food security and better livelihoods among communities. Future research should focus on scaling up/out these ISFM practices to further improve soil health, increase crop yields, and promote better livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Lime + NPK increased maize yields by 149% compared with the control.
- Treatment
- lime + NPKe1
- Outcome
- maize yieldse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 149%e1
- Qualifier
- p<0.001e1
- Comparator
- controle1
- Setting
- Kigoma, Tanzaniat1
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
t1“degraded soils of Kigoma, Tanzania”
e1“The use of lime + NPK significantly increased maize yields by 149% (p<0.001) compared to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
The ISFM treatments and sites differed significantly for all studied growth parameters.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e2“The results revealed significant differences between the treatments ( p <0.001) and sites ( p <0.001) for all studied growth parameters”
Claim · model-written summary
Lime + NPK influenced electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic carbon compared with the control.
- Treatment
- lime + NPKe1
- Outcome
- electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbone3
- Comparator
- controle1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e1“The use of lime + NPK significantly increased maize yields by 149% (p<0.001) compared to the control”
e3“influenced electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and exchangeable bases”
Claim · model-written summary
Lime + NPK influenced total nitrogen, total phosphorus and exchangeable bases compared with the control.
- Treatment
- lime + NPKe1
- Outcome
- total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and exchangeable basese3
- Comparator
- controle1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e1“The use of lime + NPK significantly increased maize yields by 149% (p<0.001) compared to the control”
e3“influenced electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and exchangeable bases”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize production cost ranged from 419.8 to 630.9 USD/ha between the control and lime + NPK.
- Treatment
- lime + NPKe5
- Outcome
- cost of maize production (USD/ha)e5
- Value
- 419.8 to 630.9 USDe5
- Comparator
- controle5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e5“In turn, the cost of maize production (USD/ha) varied between treatments, ranging from 419.8 to 630.9 USD in the control and lime + NPK, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
The major costs of maize production were inorganic fertilizers, weeding and land preparation.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e6“The major costs included inorganic fertilizers, weeding, and land preparation”
Claim · model-written summary
Inorganic fertilizers contributed the most to the total maize production cost.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e7“with inorganic fertilizers contributing the most to the total production cost”
Claim · model-written summary
Net revenue was significantly highest for lime + NPK ($1,260.90).
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e1“The net revenue in USD/hectare for the treatments was significantly ( p <0.001) highest for lime + NPK ($1,260.90)”
Claim · model-written summary
Net revenue was significantly lowest for the control ($339.60).
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e1“The net revenue in USD/hectare for the treatments was significantly ( p <0.001) highest for lime + NPK ($1,260.90)”
e2“lowest for the control ($339.60)”
Claim · model-written summary
Net revenue of fertilizer use becomes no longer economically viable as fertilizer costs increase.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e1“as fertilizer costs increase, there comes a point where their use is no longer economically viable”
Claim · model-written summary
Combinations of lime and manure, lime alone and manure alone become relevant ISFM options when fertilizer costs are high.
- Outcome
- ISFM optionse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e1“different ISFM options, such as the combination of lime and manure, lime alone, and manure alone, become relevant”
Claim · model-written summary
Other integrated soil fertility management options will translate to a long-term improvement in food security.
- Outcome
- food securitye1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Enhancing maize (Zea mays) productivity”
e1“the use of other integrated soil fertility management options will translate to a long-term improvement in food security”
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See all 3,908 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.