Browsing by Author "Msaky, J. J."

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Effect of pigeon pea-groundnut intercropping system on selected soil properties
(International Journal of Plant & Soil Science, 2014-02-14) Phiri, A. T.; Msaky, J. J.; Mrema, J.; Kanyama, G. Y.; Msanya, B. M.
On average Malawi is losing of 40 kg N ha-1 and 6.6 kg P ha-1 annually. Additionally, nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is low as a result of declining levels of soil organic matter (SOM) and associated deficiencies of other macro and micronutrients. This is usually below 20 kg maize grain kg-1 of nutrients applied. To investigate on the possibility of improving NUE a study was initiated in the 2011/12 cropping season with a parallel trial mounted along side in the second season, both were laid in a randomized complete block design replicated three times. The trials involved planting of pigeon pea as monocultures or as intercrops. The main trial had eight treatments while the parallel trial had ten treatments. After the first season legume biomass in some plots of the main trial was buried into the soil. Soil characterization was conducted before treatment application in the first and second year. Data were analyzed using genstat and subjected to analysis of variance at 5% level of confidence. Means were separated using the least significant difference. Generally, the soil chemical characteristics for soil samples collected in all the treatment plots both in the main and parallel trial indicate that the soil has low fertility. The organic carbon (OC), cation exchange capacity CEC (NH4OAc), and total N (%) was low, and was at 1.4 %, 3.5-3.6 cmol (+)/kg soil, 0.12%, while available phosphorus (Mehlich 3) was marginally adequate (mean=21.5 mg kg-1 and 22.1 mg kg-1). The soil texture which was predominantly sandy clay loam to sandy clay coupled to the low CEC suggest potential high leacheability of nutrient elements more especially nitrogen as nitrate. Inevitably, if the soil is not properly managed crop yield could be reduced drastically.
Land use and land evaluation Systems Research Project
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1993) Kimaro, D. N.; Msanya, B. M.; Maggogo, J. P.; Msaky, J. J.; Araki, S.; Hirai, H.
Results on a questionnaire to soil surveyors around the world related to existing soil surveys and their attributes
(UNESCO, 2003-07) Msanya, B. M.; Langohir, R; Msaky, J. J.
Seventy respondents from 40 countries replied to a questionnaire on methodologies used in soil surveys. Observations and conclusions worth noting are given. Some terminologies in soil surveys are not conceived and used consistently by soil surveyors. The nature of soil surveys is determined by soil surveyors themselves and only occasionally do users determine the nature of these documents. The most common immediate users of soil surveys are ministries of agriculture and natural resources, private farmers and land owners, engineering departments and state farms. Many soil surveyors do not monitor the utility of soil surveys to see if users are satisfied with them or not. Grid mapping is more commonly used in the very detailed inventories than in reconnaissance and exploratory surveys, while free-hand surveys are more widely used in detailed, semi-detailed and reconnaissance surveys. Detailed and semi-detailed surveys are the most often used both directly and indirectly through interpretation maps. Some of the reasons why soil surveys sometimes are not used despite their availability, include their complicated nature and insufficient knowledge about their existence. Some recommendations are given for improvement in future soil surveys.