Assessment of soil fertility and quality for improved cocoa production in six cocoa growing regions in Ghana

Assessment of soil fertility and quality for improved cocoa production in six cocoa growing regions in Ghana

John Edem Kongor, Pascal Boeckx, Pieter Vermeir, Davy Van de Walle, Geert Baert, EO Afoakwa, Koen Dewettinck

Inadequate or lack of prudent soil fertility management by cocoa farmers leads to nutrient depletion in cocoa production fields. The objective of this study was to assess current soil fertility status of cocoa farms from six cocoa growing regions in Ghana and to derive an integrated soil quality index (SQI). Composite soil samples from 0 to 30 cm depth were collected from 100 selected farms covering the six cocoa regions. Soil pH, %C, %N, total and available P, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, K) were measured. These parameters were analyzed using principal component analysis, normalized, and integrated into a weighted-additive SQI. Soil pH of majority (59.0%) of the farms was within 5.6–7.2, suitable for cocoa production. Available soil-P in most (82%) of the farms was < 20 mg kg−1. Soil quality in most farms was generally low, with an average SQI of 0.41 ± 0.14 …

Springer Netherlands

2019

https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=EZuX1N8AAAAJ&pagesize=80&citation_for_view=EZuX1N8AAAAJ:y7JhAc_VBLgC

English