Nitrogen Mineralization of Selected Organic Materials and Their Combined Effects with Nitrogen Fertilizer on Spinach Yield.

A 2-month incubation study was carried out using two soil types to determine the nitrogen mineralization of different inorganic-organic amendments. The following seven treatments (Ts) were established: T1 = control (no amendment), T2 = 5 g of dry algae per kg of soil (100%DA), T3 = 136 g of agri-mat per kg of soil (100%GAM), T4 = 61 g of ground grass per kg of soil (100%GG), T5 = 0.6 g of N using lime-ammonium nitrate (LAN) + 2.

Microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities as influenced by tillage, crop rotation and residue management in a sweet sorghum cropping system in marginal soils of South Africa.

Questions on sustainable and appropriate cropping systems for bioenergy sweet sorghum in the smallholder farming sector still exist. Therefore, a short-term experiment was carried out to study the influence of management on microbial biomass carbon (MBC), β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, and urease activities in a sweet sorghum cropping system in South Africa. Tillage [no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)], rotation [sorghum-vetch-sorghum (S-V-S) and sorghum-fallow-sorghum (S-F-S)] and residue retention [0%, 15% and 30%] were evaluated.

Micronutrient seed priming improves maize () early seedling growth in a micronutrient deficient soil.

Micronutrient deficiency is a major constraint to crop productivity in South Africa. Agronomic interventions such as nutrient seed priming (NSP) could significantly improve stand establishment in micronutrient deficient soils. However, the effectiveness of the technique depends on the efficacy of the priming procedures.