Projects - YB (Yussif Baba) Kassim

The role of enhancing soil-moisture use in crop productivity, nutritional quality and nutrient use efficiency of fertilized maize and soybean in Northern Ghana

The yield increase per kg nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) supplied, the nutrient use efficiency (NUE), under rainfed cropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa is low. Given the high in-season variability in rainfall, variability in available soil moisture under rainfed conditions could be a major contributing factor hindering the uptake efficiency and/or utilization efficiency of these nutrients. Sulfur, which has been reported to be limiting in soils in this region, could also hinder the internal utilization of other nutrients that are not or less limiting including applied N, P and K. The objective of this study is to understand the yield response of different crop species to N, P and K fertilization using various agronomic practices that improve soil moisture availability to maize and soybean in northern Ghana, and to characterize the crop physiological processes that drive the responses. Field experiments will be conducted over a two-year period to analyze the effect of combining N, P and K fertilization with agronomic practices including ridging, mulching, planting density and arrangement, and sulfur application on the nutrient uptake, physiological use efficiency and yield of the cereal maize and the legume soybean. The concentrations of N, P, K and S in grain and stover will be determined to analyze how the treatments affect the uptake, sequestration and partitioning of these elements. Protein, iron, zinc and phytic acid concentrations in grains will also be analyzed to allow a more complete assessment of yield in terms of both quantity and grain nutritional quality.