Soil Properties Influenced by Integrated Use of Farmyard Manure and NPSB Fertilizer in Guraferda and Bachuma Districts, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Declining in soil fertility has become major problem for sustainable soil productivity and food security in Ethiopia. Most of the soils in south-western Ethiopia lack both macro and micronutrients. High rainfall patterns in the south-western region of Ethiopia cause soil erosion and nutrient depletion, which may be prevented by integrating organic and inorganic soil inputs. This study examined the effects of integrated usage of farmyard manure and NPSB fertilizers on soil characteristics in Guraferda and Bachuma districts. The reaction of soil attributes to applied inputs was studied using three levels of FYM and four levels of NPSB fertilizers. In this study, the Guraferda and Bachuma districts' nitosol soil was sampled in order to find the ideal combination of FYM and NPSB fertilizers to employ for long-term soil physico-chemical properties. The result of this finding indicated that the combined use of FYM and NPSB fertilizer enhances both the soil’s chemical and physical characteristics, including its pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and sulfur, soil organic carbon, exchangeable base, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable acidity, and soil micronutri- ent content. In order to regulate soil characteristics and improve soil nutrients, integrated soil fertility man- agement has recently attracted attention. Hence, combine use of FYM at 10 t ha –1 with 50 kg NPSB ha–1 was recommended for sustainable soil property management at Guraferda and Bachuma districts