Hopp til hovedinnholdet

Publications

NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.

1999

Abstract

Nitrogen and water are both major limiting factors for agronomic production in Africa. The effect of erosion on the availability of N and water for plants is not known for major soils of the tropics. Therefore, a study was conducted to assess erosional effects on N- and water-balance on a Mollic Andosol of 9-17% slope at Lyamungu Agricultural Research and Training Institute (ARTI), Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania. Soil erosion phases were established on the bases of the topsoil depth (TSD) as an indicator of previous erosion: <1 cm; severely eroded, 16-25 cm; moderately eroded and 26-35 cm; slightly eroded. Fill-in lysimeters (80 cm diameter, 80 cm deep) and field runoff plots (4x10 m) were used to monitor evapotranspiration (ET) and seepage, and N losses through erosion, runoff leaching and plant uptake. Maize (Zea mays var. Kilima) was planted in lysimeters and runoff-plots over two cropping seasons (1995 and 1996). Rainfall and evaporation (E) were measured daily. Sediment samples from runoff plots were analysed for total N, P and C, and water samples from leachate, runoff, and