ISSN: 2319-3395

Research & Reviews: A Journal of

Volume 11, Issue 1, 2022

Crop Science and Technology DOI (Journal): 10.37591/RRJoCST

STM JOURNALS
http://sciencejournals.stmjournals.in/index.php/RRJoCST/index

Research RRJoCST

Split Application of Lime on Acid Soil Amelioration and

Bread Wheat Yield at Dember, SNNPR Ethiopia
Tarekegn Tefera, Paulos Ketema*, Sasahu Lewot, Jemal Mohamed

Abstract
Soil acidity is one of the most important yield-limiting factors for crop production in highlands areas
where areas receive heavy rainfall. Liming of acidic soils has been suggested as a good measure to
boost crop productivity in acidic soils. However, lime is not free or easy to obtain, require a large
quantity, and its transportation is also difficult. Thus, a field trial was carried out in permanent plots
to investigate the influence of split application of recommended lime dose based on exchangeable
acidity (Al3+ and H+) on acid soil amelioration and wheat yield during three main cropping seasons.
The trial consisted of a control, 92 N 69 P kg.ha-1, four levels of lime (the full dose of the recommended
lime was applied at once, split into two applied 50% in years 1 and 2, 50% in years 1 and 3, applied in
three splits (each 33% annually) and the recommended 92N 69P kg.ha-1 were applied to all lime
treatments, and conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Over the
years revealed that mean grain yield was not statistically significant (P<0.05) with split application of
lime compared to single application at full rate. The highest yield (5755 kg.ha-1) was recorded in the
full-dose limed plant, while the lowest yield (2405 kg.ha-1) was recorded in the no-liming treatment.
The result showed that the highest yield in all plots treated with lime application was recorded over the
un-limed plots. Likewise, split application of lime also increased pH and reduced exchangeable soil
acidity in the same way. Accordingly, resource-poor farmers who cannot cover the cost of the full dose
of lime can split in two or three and apply each year without significant yield loss compared to full
dose.

Keywords: Lime, exchangeable acidity, soil properties, split application of lime, wheat

INTRODUCTION
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one among the foremost important cereals in the highland regions
and is employed for food and feeds. Ethiopia is one of the largest wheat producing countries in Sub-
Saharan Africa [1]. The average wheat productivity in Ethiopia is 2.3 t/ha, that is way below the average
yields in Africa and the world [2]. Low soil fertility, low inputs, as well as quality fertilizers and seeds,
and soil chemical degradation (soil acidity) are the
yield-limiting factors. The recording of soil acidity
*Author for Correspondence
Paulos Ketema in Ethiopia assumes that around 40.9% of the total
E-mail: paulove089@gmail.com arable land is tormented by soil acidity; of that,
Soil fertility researcher, Department of Natural Resource
around 27.7% is moderately acidic (pH 4.5–5.5) and
Management Research Directorate, Southern Agricultural 13.2% is very acidic (pH<4.5) [3]. Chimdi et al.
Research Institute Worabe Agricultural Research Center P.O. reported that 80% of Ethiopian Nitisols are highly
Box 21, Worabe, Ethiopia
acidic [4]. Soil acidity is one among the foremost
Received Date: February 11, 2022 important factors, which is aggravated by high
Accepted Date: March 02, 2022
Published Date: April 18, 2022
rainfall and causes leaching of exchangeable basic
cations from the soil surface [5]. The soil acid forces
Citation: Tarekegn Tefera, Paulos Ketema, Sasahu Lewot, Jemal plants to stunt growth and, above all, restricts plant
Mohamed. Split Application of Lime on Acid Soil Amelioration
and Bread Wheat Yield at Dember, SNNPR Ethiopia. Research & production [6]. Acidic soil may be a major
Reviews: Journal of Crop Science and Technology. 2022; 11(1): constraint for highlands crop production as it affects
13–18p.
crop growth because of the high concentration of

© STM Journals 2022. All Rights Reserved 13

Split Application of Lime on Acid Soil Amelioration and Bread Tefera et al.

acidic ions adore H+, Al3+, Fe2+, Mn2+ and NH4+, that are cytotoxic to plants and inhibit the activity of
essential microorganisms, and causes P, Ca, Mg and Mo deficiency in soil; and therefore negatively
charged ions are strongly bound by the Al and Fe components of acidic soils, making cation leaching
and anion binding unavailable for plant uptake [7–9]. Yield losses exacerbated by soil acidity or Al
toxicity and related factors ranged from 25 to 80% [10]. Low pH considerably affects nutrient fixation
and availability within the soil, and therefore the abundance of acidic cations in the colloidal soil
solution may be cytotoxic to plant growth and end in reduced crop yield [11, 12]. Liming of acidic soils
has been suggested as a good live to boost acidic soils for highlands crop cultivation as a result of the
application of lime improves the availability of essential nutrients (Ca, P, and Mo), improves biological
process, reduces the solubility of the toxic elements Al3+ and Mn2+ in the soil and so improves root
development, water and nutrient uptake [13, 14]. Liming of acidic soils has been suggested as a good
live to boost acidic soils. However, lime is not free or easy to obtain, and severely affected areas may
require a large quantity, and its transportation is also difficult. Therefore, this study was conducted to
evaluate the efficiency of lime split application on amelioration of acid soil and wheat yield for three
consecutive main growing seasons under rain field conditions in the Gummer district, southern Ethiopia
highlands.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Description of Study area
A field experiment was conducted in three consecutive years (2018–2020) under rainy conditions in
Gummer district, SNNPR Ethiopia. The test site is at 7°59'36"N and 38°05'28.3"E and at 2952 m above
sea level with a minimum temperature of 7.5% and a maximum temperature of 20%. The area receives
bimodal rainfall with an average annual rainfall of 1,200 mm. Mixed cropping is the predominant
economic activity in rural areas.

Experimental Design and Treatments

The Hidase variety of wheat was used for the test and sown through drilling through seed rate of
150 kg.ha-1; 20 cm spacing between rows and plot size were 3 m×3 m. Totally six levels of treatments
were investigated during experiment (Control, 92N 69P kg/ha, 100% full dose applied one time, lime
was applied through splitting in to (50% applied in 1st and 2nd years, 50% applied in 1st and 3nd year,
33% in each year) and laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications.
Having 98% of neutralizing value and <250 μm in diameter of lime (CaCO3) was used. Lime
requirement of the soil was calculated based on its exchangeable acidity Al+3 and H+1. Lime was
broadcasted uniformly through hand and integrated into the soil a month earlier than sowing.
Recommended rate of 92 Nitrogen, 69 phosphorus kg.ha-1 were uniformly applied each year for all
treatments besides control. Urea was used as the supply of N and its application was made in splits, 1/2
of at sowing and 1/2 of at tillering stage while the entire rate of phosphorus was applied at sowing in
band. The experimental plots were kept permanent all through investigation.

Physical and Chemical Soil Characteristics

Before the start of the test, the test field was characterized for selected physical and chemical
properties of the soil. Soil samples were taken at a depth of 0.15 cm for the initial determination of soil
fertility parameters. Soil samples were analyzed for pH, available phosphorus, exchangeable acidity, %
nitrogen and % organic carbon (Table 1).

Table 1. Soil physicochemical properties of soil prior to planting.

pH EA Ex H BD %OC %TN Ava. P (ppm) CEC (cmol/kg Textural class
% sand % clay % silt Texture
4.9 2.69 1.6 0.99 1.1 0.094 1.28 41.2 70 14 16 Sandy loam

Agronomic Data Collection

Five randomly selected plants from the middle of the plot were measured and various agronomic

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Research & Reviews: Journal of Crop Science and Technology
Volume 11, Issue 1
ISSN: 2319-3395

parameters determined, such as plant height, spike length measured in cm, and tiller number was
counted. The dry biomass yield was weighed and the grain yield was taken out by threshing harvested
plants.

Statistical Analysis
The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS version 9.4 Software packages
and mean separation was performed using LSD with a probability level of 5%.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Influence of Split Lime Application on Soil Physicochemical Properties
Lime application influenced soil chemistry. All splits and full dose application of lime treatments
increased the pH in equivalent manner. According to Dawit J Haiku G. [15], all split lime application
and full rate application increased pH significantly (p<0.05), but no difference was observed between
them. The 50% application even significantly reduced the exchangeable acidity of the Hurumu soil
compared to the 25%, 33% and full rate applications. The finding of [16] also showed that lime increases
pH and available P. Liming can increase soil pH and alter soil physical, chemical and biological
properties (Table 2).

Table 2. After treatment application or residual effects of lime on soil physicochemical properties.
Treatments pH Ex. Acidity (Cmol kg-1) Ava. P (ppm) %N %OM
T1: Control 4.75 2.82 4.36 0.26 5.9
T2: 92N 69P (kg ha-1) 4.8 2.85 4.4 0.27 6.0
T3: Full dose lime 5.4 1.4 5.5 0.31 5.8
T4: 50% (1st and 2nd year) 5.2 1.5 5.8 0.29 5.9
T5: 33% every year 5.3 1.3 6.1 0.29 6.1
T6: 50% (1st and 3rd year) 5.3 1.2 5.9 0.3 6.1

Effect of Split Lime Application on Yield and Yield Attributes of Wheat

The result of the experiment showed that wheat yield was not statistically significantly (P<0.05)
affected by the split application of lime in this study area (Table 3). Split application of lime into
consecutive years gave similar grain yield with full rate application of lime. Even halving gave a similar
grain yield with full dose. The numerically highest yield (5.67 t.ha-1) was achieved with the full dose of
lime for years. The lime application showed statistically significant yields (P<0.05) compared to un-
liming which resulted in 2.4 t.ha-1. Liming can increase the yield of plants by increasing the availability
of plant nutrients [16], while the induced reduction in yield of plants treated only with inorganic
fertilizers could be due to phosphorus fixation and un-availability of plant nutrients in acidic soils. The
result of the experiment showed that splitting the required amount of lime into 33 and 50% is possible
when cultivating on this soil. This result is consistent with Dawit J Haiku G. [15] who reported that
split lime application of 25, 33 and 50% did not significantly affect soybean yield compared to full-
dose lime application. Therefore, resource-poor farmers who cannot afford to apply the full amount of
lime at once can split in two, three and apply each year without significant yield losses.

Table 3. Effect of Split Application of Lime on Wheat Grain Yield (t.ha-1).

Treatments 2018 2019 2020 Combined Mean
T1: Control 2.5d 2.4c 2.32c 2.4c
T2: 92N 69P (kg.ha-1) 3.98c 3.43b 4.03b 3.81b
T3: Full dose lime 6.33a 5.0a 5.93a 5.75a
T4: 50% (1st and 2nd year) 5.7ab 4.7a 6.58a 5.66a
T5: 33% every year 5.37c 5.1a 6.1a 5.52a
T6: 50% (1st and 3rd year) 5.6ab 4.8a 6.4a 5.61a
Mean 4.91 4.8 5.23 4.8
LSD (0.05) 0.8 1.03 1.31 0.59
CV (%) 8.92 13.37 13.76 12.93
Means with in a column with the same letter(s) are not significantly different at 0.05 probability level.
The combined result showed that split application of lime did not affect above ground biomass

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Split Application of Lime on Acid Soil Amelioration and Bread Tefera et al.

statistically significantly (P<0.05) compared to a single full-dose application (Table 4), while all lime
treatments affected statistically significantly (p<0.05) compared to no lime. Liming resulted in a
significant increase in biomass yield compared to without lime which gave the lowest biomass
(7.11 t.ha–1). This finding is in agreement with Omogbohu and Akinkunmi, who showed that split lime
application did not statistically affect yield (p<0.05) and the yield attribute of soybean compared to full
dose lime application [15].

Table 4. Influence of split lime application on the above ground biomass of wheat (t.ha-1).
Treatments 2018 2019 2020 Combined Mean
T1: Control 7.85c 6.26c 7.23c 7.11c
T2: 92N 69P (kg.ha-1) 13.15b 9.98b 12.63b 11.92b
T3: Full dose lime 16.62a 13.13a 17.44a 15.73a
T4: 50% (1st and 2nd year) 15.71a 11.96a 18.9a 15.53a
T5: 33% every year 14.99ab 13.26a 18.15a 15.47a
T6: 50% (1st and 3rd year) 15.37ab 12.8a 18.51a 15.56a
Mean 13.95 9.44 15.48 13.55
LSD (0.05) 2.34 1.92 3.98 1.8
CV (%) 9.45 9.44 14.14 13.9
Means with in a column with the same letter(s) are not significantly different at 0.05 probability level.

Plant height was not significantly affected during the split lime experiment (p<0.05) (Table 5). The
tallest plant height (100 cm) was recorded with the full dose of lime applied at once, while being
statistically similar for all limed plants. All lime treatments gave statistically significant (p<0.05) tallest
height compared to un-limed plants, which gave the lowest plant height (70 cm). The increase in wheat
plant height could be attributed to lime application, which increases soil pH and improves plant vigor
in acid soil.

Table 5. Effect of Split Application of Lime on Plant height (cm).

Treatments 2018 2019 2020 Combined Mean
T1: Control 75b 72b 63b 70b
T2: 92N 69P (kg.ha-1) 91a 100a 93a 95a
T3: Full dose lime 100a 100a 98a 100a
T4: 50% (1st and 2nd year) 95a 98a 98a 98a
T5: 33% every year 91a 99a 104a 98a
T6: 50% (1st and 3rd year) 91a 105a 91a 96a
Mean 91 96 91 92
LSD (0.05) 13 16 17 8
CV (%) 8.28 9.2 10.2 9.18
Means with in a column with the same letter(s) are not significantly different at 0.05 probability level.

Spike length (Table 6) and number of tillers (Table 7) were also not significantly affected (p<0.05)
by split application of lime, while significant differences were recorded between treatments with and
without lime. The highest spike length and number of tillers were recorded from all treatments with
lime, while the lowest recorded form was without lime. Similarly, Omogbohu and Akinkunmi
confirmed that application of 33 and 50% split lime and full-dose treatments did not significantly
(p<0.05) increase soybean growth parameters [15]. Lime application significantly (p<0.05) influenced
the growth parameters in comparison to lime-free application, since the applied lime improved the
fertility status of the acidic soil.

Table 6. Effect of split lime application on spike length (cm).

Treatments 2018 2019 2020 Combined Mean
T1: Control 5.5b 6c 5.5b 5.6c
T2: 92N 69P (kg.ha-1) 7.3a 7.4bc 7.6a 7.4b
T3: Full dose lime 7.5a 8.9ab 8.4a 8.3a
T4: 50% (1st and 2nd year) 7.8a 8.8ab 8.4a 8.4a

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Research & Reviews: Journal of Crop Science and Technology
Volume 11, Issue 1
ISSN: 2319-3395

T5: 33% every year 7.6a 9.1ab 8.2a 8.3a

T6: 50% (1st and 3rd year) 7.4a 9..6a 8.0a 8.3a
Mean 7.2 8.3 7.7 7.7
LSD (0.05) 1.13 1.9 1.34 0.71
CV (%) 8.66 11.2 9.6 9.75
Means with in a column with the same letter(s) are not significantly different at 0.05 probability level.

Table 7. Effect of Split Application of Lime on Tiller number.

Treatments 2018 2019 2020 Combined Mean
T1: Control 1.2b 1.8c 3.1b 2.0c
T2: 92N 69P (kg.ha-1) 2.8a 2.8b 5.0a 3.5b
T3: Full dose lime 4.0a 4.1a 4.5a 4.2ab
T4: 50% (1st and 2nd year) 4.3a 3.6a 4.8a 4.2ab
T5: 33% every year 2.9a 3.5a 4.4a 3.6ab
T6: 50% (1st and 3rd year) 3.7a 4.0a 4.3a 4.0ab
Mean 3.1 3.3 4.4 3.6
LSD (0.05) 1.5 0.8 0.79 0.68
CV (%) 26 13 9.6 19
Means with in a column with the same letter(s) are not significantly different at 0.05 probability level.

CONCLUSION
Split application of lime improved grain yields without significant yield loss compared to full dosing.
Splitting the lime into 33 and 50% and applying them in consecutive years gave performance
comparable to the full amount of lime applied at one time. Therefore, resource-poor farmers who cannot
afford to apply the full dose of lime at once can potentially split into a third and grow on acidic soils in
the study area and also in similar agro-ecologies.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank the Southern Agricultural Research Institute for funding the experiment and the
Worabe Agricultural Research Center for providing better conditions for monitoring activity during the
experiment. Conflicts of interest. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in connection
with the publication of this article.

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