Abstract:
A study was carried out to investigate the influence of agricultural lime (21% CaO) from
Koru, Kisumu on soil properties and wheat yield on
acidic soils of Uasin Gishu county. Field
trials were conducted at Chepkoilel University College farm and in Kipsangui area of Uasin
Gishu county. Soils were analyzed to determine their pH, available P and other nutrient
levels before treatment application. The experiment
was a split plot arrangement with two
wheat varieties as the main plots and the lime treatments as the subplots. The two varieties
compared were ‘Njoro BW 2’ and ‘KS Mwamba’ characterized as tolerant and moderate
tolerant to soil acidity, respectively. Phosphorus
and nitrogen were applied as a blanket
treatment at the rates of 40 kg P 205 /ha and 46 kg N/ha respectively. Lime was applied
at
the rates of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 t/ha. Soils
from the two sites were acidic with low to moderate available P for Chepkoilel and Kipsangui sites respectively. Soil pH and soil
available P increased with the increase in the rate
of lime addition. Wheat grain yield
increased significantly (p=0.05) due to soil acidity amendment above the control. There
was a high positive correlation between wheat yield
s and soil available P at both sites at
harvest. High cost of inorganic inputs, low wheat g
rain prices and the effects of the erratic
rains made the majority of the treatments economically unviable for adaptation by farmers.
However, the most profitable treatment was 2 t/ha of lime in Njoro BW 2 at Kipsangui site.
There was no viable treatment at Chepkoilel site. Higher wheat yields may probably be
achieved from rates of lime above 2 t/ha.