Browsing by Author "Belete, Abrham"

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    Estimating Soil Nutrient Balance of Cereal Lands of Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia.
    (Addis Ababa University, 2014-06) Belete, Abrham; Abegaze, Assefa (PhD)
    Nutrient depletion is one of the major causes that contribute to decline in soil productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia. In this study, four outflows: Nutrient harvest, Crop residue, Leaching and Erosion and four inflows: Organic fertilizer, Manure, Deposition and Nitrogen fixation were taken into account. The nutrient balance conducted as a yearly basis using 2010/2011 cropping year as a reference. Estimations of inflows and outflows employed empirical and transfer functions; results of estimations linked to ArcGIS for visualization purpose (i.e. presented in map form). All macro nutrient balance for each zone of cereal lands of the region was negative. It was mainly due to very low inputs from mineral fertilizers and relatively low organic fertilizers. And also it associated with huge export of NPK through nutrient leaching and soil erosion from the system. The average nutrient depletion rate in the cereal lands of the region was -65Nitrogen, -27Phosphorous and -45Potassium kilogram/hector or (-137 NPK kg/ha). Finally this study estimated that averagely 78, 30 and 54 N, P and K kg/ha amount had required in the cereal lands of the region for cereal production without depleting the soil nutrient respectively in the year 2010/2011. Key words: inflows, outflows, macro-nutrients, soil nutrient balance and requirements