Increasing Yields and Soil Chemical Properties through the Application of Rock Fines in Tropical Soils in the Western Part of Cameroon, Africa

Abstract

Local tropical soils were amended with pulverized rock fines such as trachyte, basalt, pyroclastic materials, limestone and gneiss with ± manure in different proportions in Cameroon. And soil textures and chemicals were assessed after harvesting. Cabbage and potatoes as test crops treated with fines of pyroclastic materials and basalts, portrayed highest and lowest productivities, respectively. The early loamy sand texture of controls changes to clay; and clay textures remained unchanged after treatments. This indicates the decrease of sand proportion and gain in clay particles after treatments. The pH of local soils was strongly to slightly acidic (4.8 ≤ pH ≤ 6.5) and rose up to slightly acidic and slightly alkaline affinity (6.6 ≤ pH ≤ 7.2). A significant pH increase from 5.9 to 6.9 was observed on a treated sample with pulverized pyroclastic materials. Organic carbon and Organic matter show parallel oscillated tendencies from controls to treated soils. There is a general increase of Mg and Ca after treatments while Na and K remain constant. Rock fines from trachyte, limestone and basalt as treatments significantly increase phosphorus in soils with contents of 96.0, 51.5 and 50.9 ppm, respectively.