Scholarlink

<p>Sweet potato (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i>) is an important food security crop in sub-Saharan Africa, but yields remain low due to poor soil fertility and inefficient nutrient management. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of integrating coconut husk biochar (CH-biochar), green Mucuna, and inorganic NPK fertilizer in enhancing soil fertility, nutrient uptake, and yield of the CRI-Ligri sweet potato variety in Ghana. A randomized complete block design with seven treatments (control, biochar, NPK, mucuna, NPK + biochar, NPK + mucuna, and biochar + mucuna) replicated four times was conducted across two seasons (2023–2024). Data were collected on soil physicochemical properties, chlorophyll index (CI), leaf area index (LAI), nutrient uptake efficiency, and tuber yield. Results showed that biochar significantly improved soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and effective cation exchange capacity, while enhancing soil moisture retention and nutrient availability. The NPK + biochar treatment achieved the highest nutrient uptake efficiency, with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) increasing by 40% compared to NPK alone. Biochar-based treatments also improved chlorophyll index and LAI, reflecting enhanced photosynthetic activity. Sweet potato yields were markedly higher under biochar-inclusive treatments, with NPK + biochar producing 10.52 t/ha in Season 1 and 2.20 t/ha in Season 2, outperforming NPK alone, although yields in Season 2 declined due to rainfall variability. The findings demonstrate that CH-biochar, when integrated with inorganic fertilizers, enhances nutrient retention and crop productivity while mitigating leaching losses. This highlights its potential as a sustainable soil amendment within integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) systems. Adoption of biochar-based strategies could improve sweet potato productivity, strengthen food security, and enhance resilience of smallholder farming systems in Ghana.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Integrating biochar, NPK and green mucuna for sustainable soil fertility and yield optimization in sweet potato production

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月10日

查看全文
  • Agnes Naa Abeley Abbey,
  • Kwame Agyei Frimpong,
  • Edward Akwasi Ampofo,
  • Kofi Atiah,
  • Emmanuel Hanyabui,
  • Flavio Odoi-Yorke,
  • Ransford Opoku Darko

摘要

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is an important food security crop in sub-Saharan Africa, but yields remain low due to poor soil fertility and inefficient nutrient management. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of integrating coconut husk biochar (CH-biochar), green Mucuna, and inorganic NPK fertilizer in enhancing soil fertility, nutrient uptake, and yield of the CRI-Ligri sweet potato variety in Ghana. A randomized complete block design with seven treatments (control, biochar, NPK, mucuna, NPK + biochar, NPK + mucuna, and biochar + mucuna) replicated four times was conducted across two seasons (2023–2024). Data were collected on soil physicochemical properties, chlorophyll index (CI), leaf area index (LAI), nutrient uptake efficiency, and tuber yield. Results showed that biochar significantly improved soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and effective cation exchange capacity, while enhancing soil moisture retention and nutrient availability. The NPK + biochar treatment achieved the highest nutrient uptake efficiency, with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) increasing by 40% compared to NPK alone. Biochar-based treatments also improved chlorophyll index and LAI, reflecting enhanced photosynthetic activity. Sweet potato yields were markedly higher under biochar-inclusive treatments, with NPK + biochar producing 10.52 t/ha in Season 1 and 2.20 t/ha in Season 2, outperforming NPK alone, although yields in Season 2 declined due to rainfall variability. The findings demonstrate that CH-biochar, when integrated with inorganic fertilizers, enhances nutrient retention and crop productivity while mitigating leaching losses. This highlights its potential as a sustainable soil amendment within integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) systems. Adoption of biochar-based strategies could improve sweet potato productivity, strengthen food security, and enhance resilience of smallholder farming systems in Ghana.