Agricultural lime value chain efficiency for reducing soil acidity in Ethiopia

Oumer, Ali M.; Diro, Samuel; Taye, Geremew; Mamo, Tekalign; Jaleta, Moti

doi:10.1016/j.soisec.2023.100092

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The benefit of liming depends on local lime prices as well as its quality and incorporation method. Our analysis was constrained by a lack of lime price data as the product is not widely available in sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., 40), but lime (and crop) prices would certainly vary within and between regions (41). Moreover, lime is a bulky product, and transportation costs can make up to 50% of agricultural input prices in East Africa (42).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The burden of acid soils for crop production in sub-Saharan Africa

Silva,

Aramburu-Merlos,

Baudron

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Acid soils are widespread across sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural lime can be used to alleviate production constraints associated with soil acidity, but lime is not widely available in the region, and it is unclear how profitable its use would be. To guide potential investments in lime market development, we estimated the profitability of acid soil remediation through liming. Crop yield loss to soil acidity occurs on 32.7 M ha, or 23% of sub-Saharan Africa’s cropland. The burden of acid soils is $6.0 billion (6% of the current production value), and 70% of that could be profitably alleviated. Under prevailing conditions, liming would be profitable in the year of application on 4.6 M ha, with an average profitability of $340 ha-1, and on 5.7 M ha when considering the multiple years that liming has an effect. Intensification of crop production and lower relative lime/output prices could make liming profitable on more cropland.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The burden of acid soils for crop production in sub-Saharan Africa

Silva,

Aramburu-Merlos,

Baudron

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…instabilities, and other reasons, including the poor lime supply chain that tends to discourage farmers from the application of agricultural lime (Oumer et al, 2023;Schwab et al, 2007). In field studies in which wheat, barley, and canola were used as test crops, Haak (1990) claimed a loss in farm revenue when lime was applied at the locally recommended application rates to correct soil acidity.…”

Section: Core Ideasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although liming acid soils are perceived to be inexpensive, they still come at a cost because large quantities of lime are usually required to raise the pH of the soil to a desired level (Agyin‐Birikorang, Adu‐Gyamfi et al., 2022; Bongiovanni & Lowenberg‐Deboerd, 2000; Godsey et al., 2007; Li et al., 2009). In recent times, the use of agricultural lime has decreased due to doubts about return on investment, crop yield instabilities, and other reasons, including the poor lime supply chain that tends to discourage farmers from the application of agricultural lime (Oumer et al., 2023; Schwab et al., 2007). In field studies in which wheat, barley, and canola were used as test crops, Haak (1990) claimed a loss in farm revenue when lime was applied at the locally recommended application rates to correct soil acidity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lime microdosing: A new liming strategy for increased productivity in acid soils

Agyin‐Birikorang,

Adu‐Gyamfi,

Kadyampakeni

et al. 2023

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Despite the effectiveness of the fertilizer microdosing technique, lime microdosing to alleviate the negative impacts of soil acidity has not been comprehensively assessed. In a three‐year study at four sites across three countries (one in the USA, two in Ghana, and one in Burkina Faso), we evaluated the effectiveness of the microdosing technique for lime application to alleviate the adverse effects of soil acidity in cropping systems, using corn (Zea mays L.) as the study crop. Lime microdosing (LMD) was evaluated at four lime application rates, including 5%, 10%, 25% and 50% of the calculated lime‐requirement rate (LR), which was compared to the traditional lime broadcasting strategy using 75% and 100% LR. Averaged across all experimental sites for the duration of the study, LMD with 25% LR resulted in similar grain yield, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium recovery efficiency as those of the traditional lime broadcast techniques with a 100% LR, but significantly greater than those of the lime broadcast techniques with 75% LR. Post‐harvest rhizosphere Al saturation percentage of the LMD with 25% LR was similar to that of the traditional lime broadcast techniques with a 100% LR. However, LMD with lime application rates lower than 25% LR was not agronomically effective. The combined results suggest that LMD could be an efficient liming technique, and that with this technique, as little lime material as 25% LR could be used to mitigate the negative impacts of Al toxicity associated with soil acidity. Nevertheless, economic analyses are required to determine the profitability of utilizing the LMD technique to mitigate the negative impacts of soil acidity on crop production relative to the traditional lime‐broadcast approach.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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Soil Properties, Crop Yield, and Economic Return in Response to Lime Application on Acidic Nitisols of Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

Haile,

Berihun,

Abera

et al. 2023

International Journal of Agronomy

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Soil acidity is one of the major crop production constraints in the highlands of Ethiopia. Liming is becoming a common practice to amend soil acidity, but its effects on soil properties, crop yield, and farm income are not well studied. In this study, an on-farm liming experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2020-2021) on acidic Nitisols (pH < 5.5) in Southern Ethiopia. The experiment consisted of six liming rates (control, 2.74, 4.11, 5.48, 6.85, and 8.22 t·ha−1) laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Soil, agronomic, and economic data were collected in 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons and analyzed. The application of lime in the ranges of 2.74–8.22 t·ha−1 increased soil pH by 0.46–1.25 units and reduced exchangeable acidity by 2.02–3.17 units. Higher lime rates of 6.85–8.22 t·ha−1 increased soil pH sharply from 5.22 to 5.99 and 6.46, respectively, but such a rise in soil pH was not proportionally reflected in the yield increment. Higher available phosphorus contents of 7.16 and 6.01 mg·kg−1 were measured at the liming rates of 4.11 and 5.48 t·ha−1, respectively. Combined over the two years, 5.45 t·ha−1 lime application yielded the highest barley total biomass of 19,199 kg·ha−1 and a grain yield of 4,328 kg·ha−1, which are 46% and 30% higher than those of the control, respectively. It also yielded the highest marginal rate of return of 477% and a gross margin of 192,857.3 ETB1·ha−1, which is 53% higher than the control. Based on our results, 5.45 t·ha−1 of lime appears to have the optimal rate for economically viable barley production in the study area or similar environments.

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Agricultural lime value chain efficiency for reducing soil acidity in Ethiopia

Cited by 3 publications

References 7 publications

The burden of acid soils for crop production in sub-Saharan Africa

The burden of acid soils for crop production in sub-Saharan Africa

Lime microdosing: A new liming strategy for increased productivity in acid soils

Soil Properties, Crop Yield, and Economic Return in Response to Lime Application on Acidic Nitisols of Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

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