Management of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers in Sub-Saharan Africa: Proceedings of a symposium, held in Lome, Togo, March 25–28, 1985

370 Pages·1986·5.737 MB·English

by  Mohinder S. Mudahar (auth.), A. Uzo Mokwunye, Paul L. G. Vlek (eds.)

MANAGEMENT OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZERS
Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences
I. J. Monteith and C. Webb, eds.,
Soil Water and Nitrogen in Mediterranean-type Environments. 1981. ISBN 90-247-2406-6
2. J.C. Brogan, ed.,
Nitrogen Losses and Surface Run-off from Landspreading of Manures. 1981. ISBN 90-247-2471-6
3. J.D. Bewley, ed.,
Nitrogen and Carbon Metabolism. 1981. ISBN 90-247-2472-4
4. R. Brouwer, I. GaSparikova, J. Kolek and B.C. Loughman, eds.,
Structure and Function of Plant Roots. 1981. ISBN 90-247-2510-0
5. Y.R. Dommergues and H.G. Diem, eds.,
Microbiology of Tropical Soils and Plant Productivity. 1982. ISBN 90-247-2624-7
6. G.P. Robertson, R. Herrera and T. Rosswall, eds.,
Nitrogen Cycling in Ecosystems of Latin America and the Caribbean. 1982. ISBN 90-247-2719-7
7. D. Atkinson et aI., eds.,
Tree Root Systems and their Mycorrhizas. 1983. ISBN 90-247-2821-5
8. M.R. Saric and B.C. Loughman, eds.,
Genetic Aspects of Plant Nutrition. 1983. ISBN 90-247-2822-3
9. J.R. Freney and J.R. Simpson, eds.,
Gaseous Loss of Nitrogen from Plant-Soil Systems. 1983. ISBN 90-247-2820-7
10. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Efficient Use of Fertilizers in Agriculture. 1983. ISBN 90-247-2866-5
II. J. Tinsley and J.F. Darbyshire, eds.,
Biological Processes and Soil Fertility. 1984. ISBN 90-247-2902-5
12. A.D.L. Akkermans, D. Baker, K. Huss-Danell and J.D. Tjepkema, eds.,
Frankia Symbioses. 1984. ISBN 90-247-2967-X
13. W.S. Silver and E.C. Schroder, eds.,
Practical Application of Azolla for Rice Production. 1984. ISBN 90-247-3068-6
14. P.G.L. Vlek, ed.,
Micronutrients in Tropical Food Crop Production. 1985. ISBN 90-247-3085-6
15. T.P. Hignett, ed.,
Fertilizer Manual. 1985. ISBN 90-247-3122-4
16 .. D. Vaughan and R.E. Malcolm, eds.,
Soil Organic Matter and Biological Activity. 1985. ISBN 90-247-3154-2
17. D. Pasternak and A. San Pietro, eds.,
Biosalinity in Action: Bioproduction with Saline Water. 1985. ISBN 90-247-3159-3.
18. M. Lalonde, C. Camire and J.O. Dawson, eds.,
Frankia and Actinorhizal Plants. 1985. ISBN 9O-247-3214-X
19. H. Lambers, J.J. Neeteson and I. Stulen, eds.,
Fundamental, Ecological and Agricultural Aspects of Nitrogen Metabolism in Higher Plants. 1986.
ISBN 90-247-3258-1
20. M.B. Jackson, ed.
New Root Formation in Plants and Cuttings. 1986. ISBN 90-247-3260-3
..
21. F.A. Skinner and P. Uomala, eds.,
Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes. 1986. ISBN 90-247-3283-2
22. A. Alexander, ed.
Foliar Fertilization. 1986. ISBN 90-247-3288-3.
23. H.G. v.d. Meer, J.C. Ryden and G.C. Ennik, eds.,
Nitrogen Fluxes in Intensive Grassland Systems. 1986. ISBN 90-247-3309-x.
24. A.V. Mokwunye and P.L.G. Vlek, eds.,
Management of Nitrogen and Phosporus Fertilizers in Sub-Saharan Africa. 1986.
ISBN 90-247-3312-x
Management of Nitrogen and
Phosphorus Fertilizers
in Sub-Saharan Africa
Proceedings of a symposium, held in Lome, Togo, March 25 -28, 1985
Edited by
A. UZO MOKWUNYE and PAUL L.G. VLEK
IFDC
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
USA
1986 MARTINUS NIJHOFF PUBLISHERS
a member of the KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP
DORDRECHT / BOSTON / LANCASTER
Distributors
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Falcon House, Queen Square, Lancaster LAI lRN, UK
for all other countries: Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, Distribution Center,
P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Management of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers
in sub-Saharan Africa.
(Developments in plant and soil sciences ;
Symposium organized by International Fertilizer
Development Center and others.
1. Nitrogen fertilizers--Africa, Sub-Saharan-
Congresses. 2. Phosphatic fertilizers--Africa,
Sub-Saharan--Congresses. I. Mokwunye, A. Uzo.
II. Vlek, Paul L. G. III. International Fertilizer
Development Center. IV. Series.
S651.M24 1986 631.8'4'0967 86-2528
ISBN-13:978-94-010-84S6-7 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-4398-8
001: 10. 1007/978-94-009-4398-8
Copyright
© 1986 by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht.
Reprint of the original edition 1986
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
the publishers,
Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, P.O. Box 163, 3300 AD Dordrecht,
The Netherlands.
Preface
Food security, one of the basic human rights, seems to be ever eluding the
people of sub-Saharan Africa. With each occurrence of crop failure,
agriculturalists around the world reawaken to the challenge of ensuring sta
ble, adequate food production in the tropical African environments.
The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), with its mandate
of alleviating food shortages through judicial use of fertilizers, formulated a
program to study fertilizer use strategies for sub-Saharan Africa. With gener
ous financial assistance from the International Fund for Agricultural Devel
opment (IFAD), IFDC, in collaboration with the International Crop Re
search Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the International
Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA ), initiated a research project aimed
at assessing means to remedy soil nutrient deficiencies that constrain food
production in the humid, subhumid, and semiarid tropics of Africa. The
results of this project were summarized during a workshop held in Togo,
March 25-28, 1985; the proceedings of that meetings are found in this vol
ume.
The project established collaboration with numerous national programs
that were responsible for much of the data collection. The data presented in
Chapters 6 and 9 include much of this information. We wish to acknowledge
the contribution of the individual scientists, J.T. Ambe, F. Ganry, M. Gaoh,
M. Issaka, J. Kiazolu, J. Kikafunde-Twine, K. Kpomblekou, F. Lompo, H.
Maduakor, O. Mandiringana, E. Melebou, K. Munyinda. H. Mwandemere,
L. Nnadi, F. Nweke, O. Osiname, A. Pinto-Toyi, E.R. Rhodes, M. Sedogo,
H. Ssali, and S.O. Taal. Their dedication to the research has played an essen
tial role in the success of this project.
Food problems in tropical Africa will not be solved easily. Introduction of
fertilizer in those regions where it has a chance to profitably increase food
production will be part of the solution to this problem. While we recognize
that a single, short-term project to study the use of fertilizers may not sub-
VI
stantially affect the pace of fertilizer adoption, we hope that this research will
find its place alongside that of other research groups and will be the cause for
continuation and escalation of this effort. IFDC is committed to its research
involvement in Africa and will continue to support this program.
December 1985
Paul L.G. Vlek A. Uzo Mokwunye
Director Soil Scientist
Agro-Economic Division Agro-Economic Division
IFDC IFDC
Table of contents
Page
Preface V
Symposium Participants IX
Fertilizer problems and policies in sub-Saharan Africa 1
Mudahar, M.S.
Constraints to fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa 33
McIntire, J.
Fertility of soils of tropical Africa: a historical perspective 59
Ssali, H., P. Ahn, and A. Mokwunye
Cropping systems and soil fertility management in the humid and
subhumid tropics with special reference to West Africa 83
Kang, B.T
Biological nitrogen fixation and soil fertility maintenance 95
Dommergues, Y.R., and F. Ganry
Management of nitrogen fertilizers for tropical african soils 117
Mughogh0, s.K., A. Bationo, B. Christianson, and P.L.G. Vlek
Phosphate deposits of tropical sub-Saharan Africa 173
McClellan, G.H., and A. Notholt
Processing phosphate ores into fertilizers 225
Roy, A.H., and G.H. McClellan
Reactions of phosphate with tropical african soils 253
Mokwunye, A., s.H. Chien, and E.R. Rhodes
Agronomic evaluation of phosphate fertilizers in tropical Africa 283
Bationo, A., s.K. Mughogho, and A. Mokwunye
Economic evaluation of alternative fertilizer technologies for tropical
african agriculture 319
Baanante, CA.
Symposium participants
Cameroon Africa (ILCA)
J.T. Ambe P.O. Box 5869
Institute of Agronomic Research Addis Ababa
(IRA) Ethiopia
Research Station Ekona
P.M.B. 25 France
Buea L.J. Carpentier
Cameroon International Fertilizer Industry
Association (IFA )
J. Kikafunda-Twine 28, rue Marbeuf
IITA/NCRE 75008 Paris
Institute of Agronomic Research France
(IRA) - Bambui
Bambui Station Box 80 Gambia
s.o.
Bamenda Taal
Cameroon Department of Agriculture
St. Mary
England Baskau
A. Notholt Gambia
Consulting Geologist
12 Thornhill Road Ghana
Ickenham A. Halm
London, UBIO 8SF (RUISLIP Soil Research Institute
72684) Private Post Bag
England Academy Post Office
Kwadaso
Ethiopia Kumasi
J. McIntire Ghana
International Livestock Centre for
x
Ivory Coast L. Fussell
J. Gigou ICRISAT
Institut Des Savanes (IDESSA) B.P.12404
B.P.635 Niamey
Bouake Niger
Ivory Coast
Moussa-NaNeito
Kenya Central d'Approvisionnement MDR
H. Ssali B.P. 11.364
Department of Soil Science Niamey
University of Nairobi Niger
P.O. Box 30197
Nairobi Nigeria
Kenya B.T. Kang
International Institute of Tropical
Liberia Agriculture (lITA )
J. Kiazolu Oyo Road
College of Agriculture and Forestry P.M.B. 5320
University of Liberia Ibadan
Monrovia Nigeria
Liberia
O.Osiname
Niger University ofIfe
Bakah Abdou Institute of Agricultural Research
Central d'A pprovisionnement and Training
Ministere du Developpement Rural P.M.B. 5029, Moor Plantation
B.P. 11364 Ibadan
Niamey Nigeria
Niger
E.R. Terry
Ibrahim Batoure Director, International Programs
M.D.R. UTA
Projet Productivite P.M.B. 5320
B.P. 10231 Ibadan
Niamey Nigeria
Niger
Senegal
Robert Chase F. Ganry
TropsoilslICRISAT Institut Senegalais de Recherches
B.P. 12.404 Agricoles
Niamey National Agronomic Research
Niger Center (CNRA)
XI
Bambey Bayentin
Senegal O.T.P.
B.P. 379
Sierra Leone Lome
E.R. Rhodes Togo
Adaptive Crop Research and
Extension Project (ACRE) K. Doe
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Service des Engrais et Moyens de
Private Mail Bag 540 Production
Freetown B.P. 341
Sierra Leone Lome
Togo
Togo
Direction des Etudes Pedologiques M. De Jesus Goncalves
et de l'Ecologie Generale FAO Projet d'Assistance en
(DEPEG) Conservation des Sols
B.P. 1026 B.P.911
Lome c/o UNDP
Togo Lome
A. Ahlidza-Komi Togo
F.Dali
K. Denanyoh-Messan S.T. Dogbe
K. Egue Direction Recherche Agronomique
S.~Gaka-Kokou B.P. 2318
d. Kojga Lome-Togo
E.E. Mathe
A. Tamelokpo J. Martin
T. Tchemi LR.C.T.
B. Tossah-Kossi B.P. 1
Anie
K. Agbeko Togo
Ecole Superieur d' Agronomie
B.P. 1515 Nguyen-Vu
Lome Conseiller Technique
Togo Direction Recherche Agronomique
B.P.91
Adossi Lome
S.T.E.P.C. Togo
B.P. 12776
Lome T.R. Remington
Togo Projet Culture Attelee
B.P.3