Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Greener Journal of  Agricultural Sciences Vol. 3 (10), pp. 709-715, October 2013.

 ISSN: 2276-7770 

Research Paper

Manuscript Number: 071713737

 

Remediation and Management of Acid Sand 

Soils in Oil Palm Plantations by Carbon 

 Sink Techniques

 

*¹Okpamen S.U., ²Oviasogie P.O., ³Ilori G.E., ⁴Osayande P.E. 

and ⁵Uwubamwen I.O.

 

^{1, 2, 4}Chemistry Division.

³Central laboratory.

⁵Agric Econs, Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research P.M.B 1030 Benin City Nigeria.

 

*Corresponding Author’s Email: okpamens @ yahoo.com

Abstract:

Efforts to recycle and capture the ocean of green house gases emitted from the huge amount of crop removed from the earth surface and from the indiscriminate application of N fertilizers in agriculture, are of serious consideration to soil and environmental scientist world over. In the light of this, a study to investigate and evaluate the available processes that would recapture this huge quantum of green house gases (GHGs) using soil nutrient and efficient crop management, and spatial area stock of SOC techniques was embarked upon in the Nigeria Institute For Oil palm Research NIFOR, Nigeria. It is a study to optimize and exploit the enormous biodiversity created by the present institute environment of the main station in the Nigeria Institute for Oil palm Research. Which helps to create an ecosystem that sequesters SOC and reduces GHGs within the environment? The study covers three fields and a pool gene site of the Institute, where soil nutrient and environmental/agronomic management practices that exploit spatial photosynthetic energy, powered by solar system are practiced, adopted and encouraged. The Nigeria Institute for Oil palm Research, NIFOR, is a center that is geared a step forward to introducing this technology in its fields and plantations. The nutrient and crop management practice is an intensive spatial photo-energy reserve techniques in plants (carbon sink) that holds down carbon in store in both soil and plants in blocks or fields planted to palms in the institute. It’s by reducing to the minimum the constant and continuous opening of the vegetation through removal of the earth covers. The institute allows standing crops (Palms) to their maximum productive age, to optimize their productive life yielding highest outputs per stand year-1 and getting to diminishing return before felling. The application of the right amount of N-targeted fertilizers to meet the required needs of the palms is administered after a fertilizer trial result is established. This has reduced the lost of N-fertilizer through N2O de-nitrification either in form of N2O to the atmosphere, or NO3- ions through soil saturation and erosion. Thereby reducing the effects of green house gases emitted in the institute area spanning about 1,700hactares of palm plantations, The extension department of the institute recommends these practices to farmers in the industry to create in the nearest future a clement and proficient environment that hold unquantifiable volume of CO2 in soils and in the plants.
 
Keywords: Nitrogen – targeted, GHGs; green house gases, de-nitrification, Carbon sink; Soil carbon sequestration.

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