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Dual benefits of polyacrylamide and other soil amendments: Mitigation of soil nutrient depletion and improvement of use-efficiency in midland agro-ecology, Ethiopia
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  • Temesgen Mulualem,
  • Enyew Adgo,
  • Derege Meshesha,
  • Atsushi Tsunekawa,
  • Nigussie Haregeweyn,
  • Mitsuru Tsubo,
  • Birhanu Kebede,
  • Kindiye Ebabu,
  • Mulatu Berihun,
  • Anteneh Wubet,
  • Genetu Fekadu,
  • Simeneh Demissie,
  • Tsugiyuki Masunaga
Temesgen Mulualem
Bahir Dar University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Enyew Adgo
Bahir Dar University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
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Derege Meshesha
Bahir Dar University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
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Atsushi Tsunekawa
Tottori University - Tottori Campus
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Nigussie Haregeweyn
International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Japan
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Mitsuru Tsubo
Tottori Daigaku - Tottori Campus
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Birhanu Kebede
Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute
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Kindiye Ebabu
Tottori University
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Mulatu Berihun
Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute
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Anteneh Wubet
Bahir Dar University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
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Genetu Fekadu
Bahir Dar University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
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Simeneh Demissie
Bahir Dar University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
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Tsugiyuki Masunaga
Shimane Daigaku
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Abstract

Mitigating soil nutrient depletion and increasing utilization efficiency is a prerequisite of sustainable agriculture. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out for 2 years in the midland agroecology of Ethiopia, to identify soil amendment types that can improved soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balances at the same time maximize utilization efficiency and profitability under teff cultivation. Using RCBD with three replications, the soil amendments applied on the degraded acidic farmland plots were polyacrylamide (PAM = 40 kg ha−1), biochar (B = 8 t ha−1), lime (L = 4 t ha−1), gypsum (G = 5 t ha−1), PAM+B, PAM+L, PAM+G, and a control. N and P inflows from (atmospheric deposition, biological fixation, and fertilizers), and outflows by (water erosion, leaching, gaseous emissions, and harvested products) were monitored in the 24 plots via NUTrient MONitoring model. Results showed that all of the applied soil amendments improved nutrient balances (by 8–134%) compared with the control. Of the measured outflows, harvested products (43–60%) and water erosion (14–31%) were the major contributors to N depletion, followed by leaching (15–23%) and gaseous emissions (11–13%). Among the applied soil amendments, PAM+L appreciably reduced P loss from water erosion by 61% and N losses from erosion, leaching, and emissions by 55%, 10%, and 3%, respectively, and increased N use efficiency by 31% compared to control plot. Moreover, PAM+L provided a net benefit much higher compared with others. Thus, application of PAM+L would be an effective strategy to combat nutrient depletion and foster crop production in dryland agriculture.
18 Feb 2022Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
23 Feb 2022Submission Checks Completed
23 Feb 2022Assigned to Editor
03 Mar 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
28 Mar 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Apr 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
20 Apr 20221st Revision Received
24 Apr 2022Submission Checks Completed
24 Apr 2022Assigned to Editor
05 May 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
07 May 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
12 May 20222nd Revision Received
14 May 2022Submission Checks Completed
14 May 2022Assigned to Editor
18 May 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 May 2022Editorial Decision: Accept
Oct 2022Published in Land Degradation & Development volume 33 issue 16 on pages 2998-3009. 10.1002/ldr.4367