Sampson Konlan, Michael Teye Barnor, Alfred Arthur, Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse, Jacob Danso, Godfred Kwaku Awudzi, Moses Kwame Aidoo, Frank Owusu-Ansah
{"title":"Growth and yield response of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) clones to spacing in the Guinea Savanna zone of Ghana","authors":"Sampson Konlan, Michael Teye Barnor, Alfred Arthur, Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse, Jacob Danso, Godfred Kwaku Awudzi, Moses Kwame Aidoo, Frank Owusu-Ansah","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70326","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70326","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Guinea Savanna zone of many countries constitutes a critical cashew-producing area. Despite its importance, data-driven recommendations on optimal tree spacing remain largely unavailable to farmers in Ghana. This knowledge gap constrains productivity, reduces returns on investment, and affects farmer interest and ultimately the long-term sustainability of cashew (<i>Anacardium occidentale</i> L.) production. To address this challenge, a field experiment was established in 2010 at the Bole Substation of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, located within the Guinea Savanna agroecological zone, to evaluate the effects of plant spacing on the growth and early yield performance of cashew clones. The study was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Six spacing treatments were assessed: 4 m × 8 m, 8 m × 8 m, 5 m × 10 m, 10 m × 10 m, 6 m × 12 m, and 12 m × 12 m. The growth and yield data collected included stem diameter, plant height, canopy spread, nut yield, and yield components. The data were subjected to analysis of variance using the GenStat software (version 12.1), and treatment means were separated using the least significant difference test at the 5% probability level. The results indicated that plant spacing did not significantly influence stem diameter, height, or canopy spread of cashew clones during the first 5 years after transplanting. Similarly, the number of nuts per tree and mean nut weight were not significantly affected by spacing. In contrast, nut yield per unit land area was consistently higher under closer spacing, particularly at 4 m × 8 m, and declined progressively with wider spacing. These yield differences were statistically significant throughout the 8 years of the yield assessment. The study therefore concludes that cashew clones can be cultivated at a spacing of 4 m × 8 m in the Guinea Savanna agroecology of Ghana for up to 8 years without the need for thinning. This spacing is recommended due to its higher early-stage yield potential, increased farm income prospects, and the avoidance of thinning practices that many farmers find unacceptable. The adoption of this recommendation is expected to enhance national cashew productivity and contribute to the sustainability of cashew production systems in Ghana.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70326","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147666198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Dave Spencer, Drew M. Gholson, Martin A. Locke, Corey J. Bryant, W. Brien Henry, Bobby R. Golden, L. Jason Krutz
{"title":"Spatiotemporal changes in soil chemical properties when cover crops are integrated into raised, stale seedbed corn production systems","authors":"G. Dave Spencer, Drew M. Gholson, Martin A. Locke, Corey J. Bryant, W. Brien Henry, Bobby R. Golden, L. Jason Krutz","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70346","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Commercial row crop production in the midsouthern United States is characterized by extensive application of inorganic soil inputs and management practices that contribute to degraded soil health. This study was conducted to determine if cover crops affect spatial or temporal changes in soil chemical properties in a raised, stale seedbed tillage system common to the midsouthern United States. The effects of cover crop, depth in soil profile, and time on soil organic matter, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus content and distribution in a corn [<i>Zea mays</i> (L.)] production system were investigated at Stoneville, MS, on a Commerce very fine sandy loam (a fine-silty, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Fluvaquentic Endoaquept). All cover crops increased soil organic matter content 6%–12% relative to the no cover crop system. Except for tillage radish (<i>Raphanus sativus</i> L.), seeding a cover crop increased total N and total C content up to 12% throughout the soil profile. Conversely, grass and brassica cover crops decreased Mehlich-3 extractable P by 18% at 15- to 30-cm deep in the soil profile but did not differ from winter fallow above 15 cm. Cover crop did not interact with either year or sampling time (spring or fall) to affect any measured parameter. Cover crops appear to increase soil N and C stocks through the addition of organic matter and influence P distribution throughout the soil profile; however, the lack of an interaction with time indicates that cover crop effects dissipate quickly in the production systems of the humid subtropical midsouthern United States.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70346","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148012255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction to “Response of maize varieties to induced stress of soil acidity”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70351","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Golla, B., Dechassa, N., Mohammed, W., & Gezahegn, A. M. (2026). Response of maize varieties to induced stress of soil acidity. <i>Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment</i>, <i>9</i>, e70330. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70330</p><p>On the title page, the city “Woldia” appears incorrectly in two places: in the first author's affiliation and in the corresponding author's address. These have now been removed from both locations.</p><p>We apologize for these errors.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70351","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147666196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mordecai Mkiza, Monicah Mucheru-Muna, Sylvia Nyawira, Dominic Mutambu, Obadiah Mwangi, Peter Bolo, Michael Kinyua, Job Kihara
{"title":"Farming practices and their effect on soil moisture and penetration resistance: Impact on maize yields in rainfed agriculture","authors":"Mordecai Mkiza, Monicah Mucheru-Muna, Sylvia Nyawira, Dominic Mutambu, Obadiah Mwangi, Peter Bolo, Michael Kinyua, Job Kihara","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70334","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70334","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In sub-Saharan Africa, there is growing interest in conservation agriculture practices, including reduced tillage (e.g., ripping), residue retention, and crop diversification, but their effects on soil moisture and penetration resistance in sub-humid regions remain unclear. This study investigated the effect of ripping, residue retention, cropping systems, and fertilizer management on soil moisture, penetration resistance, and maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) grain yield in a sub-humid zone of western Kenya. The study was conducted in a long-term experiment in western Kenya, using a split-split-split plot design with tillage in the main plot, while residue retention, cropping systems, and fertilizer application were the sub-plots, sub-sub-plots, and sub-sub-sub-plots, respectively. There were nine treatments and four replications. Soil moisture, penetration resistance, and maize grain yield were measured between 2023 and 2024. Residue retention resulted in significantly (<i>p </i>< 0.001) higher soil moisture (52.93–55.09 mm) in the 0- to 90-cm soil depth than residue removal (25.98–28.91 mm). Maize–soybean rotation also had significantly higher (<i>p </i>< 0.001) soil moisture in the 0- to 90-cm soil depth (41.42–45.08 mm) than the continuous maize (36.29–41.07 mm). The penetration resistance in the wet period ranged between 90 and 320 pounds per square inch (PSI), and between 200 and 492 PSI during the dry period. Ripping resulted in 12% higher maize grain yields than hand digging. Maize–soybean rotation had a higher (<i>p </i>< 0.001) maize grain yield (3.93 t/ha) than continuous maize system (1.57 t/ha). Nitrogen application at 90 kg N/ha in a continuous maize and 60 kg N/ha in maize–soybean rotation systems resulted in 118% and 85% higher maize grain yield, respectively, than when no nitrogen was applied. Similarly, applying phosphorous (60 kg P/ha) and potassium (60 kg K/ha) in maize–soybean rotation increased maize grain yield by 40% more than when potassium (60 kg K/ha) was applied as the only nutrient. Therefore, residue retention and ripping significantly improve soil health by enhancing moisture retention and reducing penetration resistance. Farmers in the sub-humid western Kenya region can increase maize yields by adopting maize–soybean rotation, applying appropriate fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, each nutrient applied at the rate of 60 kg/ha), and implementing residue retention and ripping, especially under low rainfall conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70334","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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