Assessing the Impact of Soil Quality on Plant Growth and Crop Yields

Authors

  • Rajah Miftah Abdullah Alwitwat Department of Soil & Water, Collage of Agriculture, Bani Waleed University, LIBYA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55544/jrasb.1.1.16

Keywords:

plant growth, soil structure, productivity, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium

Abstract

By affecting nutrient availability, soil structure, and water retention, soil quality determines plant development and agricultural output in major measure. This work evaluates, in many research locations, the effects of soil physicochemical characteristics on plant growth and agricultural production. While plant development parameters—height, leaf count, and root length—were measured—soil samples were examined for pH, organic matter content, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium levels. Harvest index, grain yield, and biomass generation defined crop yield. The findings showed significant differences in soil fertility; greater organic matter and nutrient content correlated favorably with more plant development and better crop yields. Strong relationships between nitrogen (r = 0.85), organic matter (r = 0.78), and crop production were verified by statistical analysis, therefore underscoring their critical importance in agricultural performance. The results underline the need of sustainable soil management techniques to improve soil fertility and maximize crop output: balanced fertilization, organic additions, and pH control among others. To create more successful soil management techniques, future studies should concentrate on long-term soil fertility monitoring and more general agroecological evaluations. This research underlines the need of preserving soil condition for food security and sustainable development.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Aulakh, C. S., Sharma, S., Thakur, M., & Kaur, P. (2022). A review of the influences of organic farming on soil quality, crop productivity and produce quality. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 45(12), 1884–1905. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2022.2027976

D’Hose, T., Cougnon, M., De Vliegher, A., Vandecasteele, B., Viaene, N., Cornelis, W., Van Bockstaele, E., & Reheul, D. (2013). The positive relationship between soil quality and crop production: A case study on the effect of farm compost application. Applied Soil Ecology, 75, 189–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2013.11.013

Bünemann, E. K., Bongiorno, G., Bai, Z., Creamer, R. E., De Deyn, G., De Goede, R., Fleskens, L., Geissen, V., Kuyper, T. W., Mäder, P., Pulleman, M., Sukkel, W., Van Groenigen, J. W., & Brussaard, L. (2018). Soil quality – A critical review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 120, 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.01.030

Bone, J., Head, M., Barraclough, D., Archer, M., Scheib, C., Flight, D., & Voulvoulis, N. (2010). Soil quality assessment under emerging regulatory requirements. Environment International, 36(6), 609–622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.010

Du, C., & Zhou, J. (2009). Evaluation of soil fertility using Infrared Spectroscopy – a review. Springer eBooks, 453–483. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2716-0_16

Edmeades, D. C. (2003). The long-term effects of manures and fertilisers on soil productivity and quality: a review. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 66(2), 165–180. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1023999816690

García-Ruiz, R., Ochoa, V., Viñegla, B., Hinojosa, M., Peña-Santiago, R., Liébanas, G., Linares, J., & Carreira, J. (2009). Soil enzymes, nematode community and selected physico-chemical properties as soil quality indicators in organic and conventional olive oil farming: Influence of seasonality and site features. Applied Soil Ecology, 41(3), 305–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2008.12.004

Hati, K., Mandal, K., Misra, A., Ghosh, P., & Bandyopadhyay, K. (2005). Effect of inorganic fertilizer and farmyard manure on soil physical properties, root distribution, and water-use efficiency of soybean in Vertisols of central India. Bioresource Technology, 97(16), 2182–2188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2005.09.033

Kwiatkowski, C. A., & Harasim, E. (2020). Chemical Properties of Soil in Four-Field Crop Rotations under Organic and Conventional Farming Systems. Agronomy, 10(7), 1045. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10071045

Lu, H., Chang, Y., & Wu, B. (2020). The compare organic farm and conventional farm to improve sustainable agriculture, ecosystems, and environment. Organic Agriculture, 10(4), 409–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-020-00278-3

Mangalassery, S., Kalaivanan, D., & Philip, P. S. (2018). Effect of inorganic fertilisers and organic amendments on soil aggregation and biochemical characteristics in a weathered tropical soil. Soil and Tillage Research, 187, 144–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2018.12.008

Marinari, S., Mancinelli, R., Campiglia, E., & Grego, S. (2005). Chemical and biological indicators of soil quality in organic and conventional farming systems in Central Italy. Ecological Indicators, 6(4), 701–711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2005.08.029

Nesbitt, J. E., & Adl, S. M. (2013). Differences in soil quality indicators between organic and sustainably managed potato fields in Eastern Canada. Ecological Indicators, 37, 119–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.10.002

Schrama, M., De Haan, J., Kroonen, M., Verstegen, H., & Van Der Putten, W. (2018). Crop yield gap and stability in organic and conventional farming systems. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 256, 123–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.12.023

Von Arb, C., Bünemann, E., Schmalz, H., Portmann, M., Adamtey, N., Musyoka, M., Frossard, E., & Fliessbach, A. (2019). Soil quality and phosphorus status after nine years of organic and conventional farming at two input levels in the Central Highlands of Kenya. Geoderma, 362, 114112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114112

Downloads

Published

2022-04-30

How to Cite

Alwitwat, R. M. A. (2022). Assessing the Impact of Soil Quality on Plant Growth and Crop Yields. Journal for Research in Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, 1(1), 114–121. https://doi.org/10.55544/jrasb.1.1.16

Issue

Section

Articles