Dry Matter Yield and Nutrient Uptakes of Wollega Coffee Seedlings as Influenced by Lime and Coffee Husk Compost Amendments at Western Ethiopia

Examining the Effect of Combined Biochar and Lime Rates on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties of Acid Soils in Gimbi District, Western Ethiopia

“…In fact, the agricultural soils in this study area were deteriorated by this soil's acidity, which ranges from strong to extremely strong acidic level [14,35,42,43]. Exceptionally high concentrations of toxic elements are suggested by the region's rich, rust-red soil or Nitisols [7,14,35,43,44]. However, utilizing a combination ameliorant for acid soils could be a viable alternative for enhancing soil fertility and may assist to resolve the difculties in gaining access to supplies of fertilizer.…”

“…Several factors are contributing to the deterioration of soil attributes [1][2][3][4], while depletion of soil nutrients and a lack of suitable management to restore the soils are major obstacles to food security [5,6]. Most soils in sub-Saharan African regions range in strength from strong to very strong acid soils; these soils often have unsuitable soil properties for crop production [7,8]. Losses of important soil nutrients, in particular, soil phosphorus and mineral nitrogen are common in such acidic soils.…”

“…Te soils in western Ethiopia region have a high potential for producing a variety of crops; however, soil acidity is the main problem that reduces soil fertility and crop output [7,11]. Imbalanced agricultural input use and high levels of nutrient leakage are the cause of deteriorating soil fertility [5,12,13].…”

“…It promotes the breakdown of soil organic matter, verifes the nutrients in the soil, and removes contaminants from the soil. In addition, lime enhances soil physical qualities and can be used for more than three years [7,[18][19][20]. In general, lime is valuable, but it has some drawbacks, including high transport costs, potential restrictions on practical applications, and negative efects on trace element shortages [21,22].…”

“…Te benefts of this biochar are not widely recognized in tropical countries, especially in Western Ethiopia. However, Gimbi District is one of those areas among the Western Ethiopia, with a lot of rainfall, where agricultural soils are physically deteriorated and essential nutrients were long-term leached and caused the development of soil acidity [7,14]. In fact, the agricultural soils in this study area were deteriorated by this soil's acidity, which ranges from strong to extremely strong acidic level [14,35,42,43].…”