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Sugarcane bagasse which is waste byproduct of sugarcane industry can be used as soil amendments to improve crop yield, soil hydro physical-chemical characteristics and provide reasonable economic means to recycle these wastes in an environmentally friendly manner. Application of sugarcane bagasse to the soil of Dodoma located in central Tanzania used to grow Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis) improve this crop productivity of an average number leaves to 6,7.8 and 8.7 when in pots having 3.5 kilograms soil at 2 %, 5 %, and 10 %, respectively, compared to 3.6 of the control (0 %). The soil of Dodoma under the investigation have low organic matter (438.6 - 1126.6 mg/kg), and deficient in K (0.5 cmol/kg), Ca (2.8 cmol/kg), Mg (1.3 mg /kg), Na (1.03 cmol/kg) and CEC (5 cmol/kg). Consequently, water holding capacity of soil, available K, Ca and Mg content in soil, increased 13.87, 22.79, 33.13% and 43.61% with the levels of 2, 5, 10 and 20 % application of SCB respectively. On the other hand, humic acid of extracted from studied soil was very low (0.0053 g/kg) but minutely increased to 0.2779 g/kg with the level of oxidation of SCB. The growth components of Chines cabbage crop in pots, also increased due to level of SBC application. It is recommended that application of SCB 10 % will result in enhanced yield of Chines cabbage.
Keywords:
sugarcane bagasse, soil water holding capacity, soil nutrients, humic
acid Chines cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis) |
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