Lime application and re-acidification of the reclaimed soil along cropping season and its effect on some soil chemical properties and maize yield in acidic soil of Maize Belt areas of Western Ethiopia

Abstract

The decline in crop productivity can occur due to acid soil infertility caused by many different factors among which nutrient depletion and mining are the major ones, which in turn partly attributed to leaching of basic cations from the soil surface and the complete removal of crop residues from farmlands for their competitive use as fuel-wood, construction, etc. A five year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of lime on selected soil chemical properties, maize yield and lime reaction in the soil in order to determine the optimal level and frequency of lime applications for optimal maize grain yield. The experiment involved five levels of lime (0, 1.86, 2.79, 3.72, and 4.65 t ha-1) with three replications in RCBD. The results of the study showed that lime application was significantly (0.05) affected seed yield where the maximum mean grain yield of 7.02 t ha-1 was obtained from the recommended rate of lime in the third cropping season improving maize seed yield productivity by 93% compared to control treatment. Soil analytical result of post-harvest showed that the highest soil pH (5.67) was recorded from 3.72 t ha-1 lime in the 3rd year. However, the exchangeable acidity was significantly (0.05) reduced to 0.72 cmol(+)kg-1 due to the application of the same amount of lime in the same year that improved the potential acidity level of the soil by 268% than the plot without lime treatment. The highest soil available P (23.32 mg kg-1 soil) was recorded from the plot that received 3.72 t ha-1of lime. The result of maize seed yield and soil analytical result showed the highest result obtained during the third cropping season after lime application and start to decline after that. This witnessed a decreasing tendency of lime through time indicating that the subsequent liming intervention should be made at the fourth year to sustain the soil fertility and health of acidic soils and maize productivity in the study area and other parts of the country with similar agro ecology.