Agriculture Ecosystem and Environment :: Special Issue

About This Special Issue

Agriculture ecosystems and environment is a vast and interesting field in the biological sciences. As the base of all biological sciences, agriculture and science practice of producing crops and livestock from the natural resources of the earth. The primary aim of agriculture is to cause the land to produce more abundantly and at the same time to protect it from deterioration and misuse. Agriculture Research will see to the speedy publication of high-quality papers that will assist in knowledge dissemination in this very important field, and bring researchers, scientists, lecturers and students alike to novel discoveries in the field of Agriculture across the world.

This special issue could serve as a panacea to bringing researchers in the field of microbiology close to practicable data as it relates to infectious diseases and their containment across the globe.

Review of manuscripts will be completed within one week after submission. Accepted manuscripts will be published as soon as authors pay the article processing fee.

Abstract: Nitrogen (N) is the most important nutrient in maize production and its availability can affect the production potential of maize. Availability of nitrogen in soil largely varies with place and time. Models are some of practical methods used to evaluate and monitor availability and impact of nitrogen on maize production; APSIM is one of such models. APSIM has several modules that have different functionalities and one of such modules is SoilWat module. The study modified SoilWat module by incorporating Nitrogen Distribution model. Trial and error method was used in the calibration of the nitrogen distribution model that was incorporated in the APSIM model as subroutine. The initial values of nitrogen distribution were obtained from literature and these values formed the basis for development of the model. After development of model using parameters obtained from literature review, field experiment was conducted to collect data to be used in redefining the model. The simulated nitrogen distribution was compared with values obtained from the field experiment and their mean differences were initially high but the process was repeated until the mean difference was small. In field experiment, the study had two factor, each with four regimes. The Triscan Sensor (EnviroScan, Sentek Pty Ltd, Stepney, Australia) was used to measure total nitrogen concentration at lateral distances and vertical depths. Primary soil samples were collected and analysed at Bunda College Laboratory. The study inferred that Soil water percolates down to underlying layer only when proceeded layers are satisfied i.e. has reached its field capacity, above which excess water is left free to percolates down the soil profile. Before water arriving in last layer it had to satisfy the above-lying soil profiles. The study has shown that increase of nitrogen contents in underlying layers corresponds with decrease of the same in top layers due to advection movement. Consequently, the increases of soil water in a specific layer correspond to decrease of nitrogen content in that particular layer. The study has shown that APSIM under predicted during the latter stage of the maize growing season and over predicted in the early stage of the growing season, and it overestimates soil water contents in soil profile. Abstract: Nitrogen (N) is the most important nutrient in maize production and its availability can affect the production potential of maize. Availability of nitrogen in soil largely varies with place and time. Models are some of practical methods used to evaluate and monitor availability and impact of nitrogen on maize production; APSIM is one of such models... Show More

American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Agriculture Ecosystem and Environment