Phosphorus in smallholder farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa: implications for agricultural intensification

Nziguheba, Generose; Zingore, Shamie; Kihara, Job; Merckx, Roel; Njoroge, Samuel; Otinga, Abigael N.; Vandamme, Elke; Vanlauwe, Bernard

doi:10.1007/s10705-015-9729-y

Cited by 112 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 108 publications

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“…The observed increase in dry matter yield with increasing P rate, in treatments with no lime application, confirmed that P was limiting factor to maize growth in this soil. Similar responses to application of P fertilizers on P-deficient soils in western Kenya have been reported by other researchers [27][28][29] thus making the region ideal for P replenishment [22]. Aluminium toxicity is however not likely to have been a major problem because the exchangeable acidity of the soil was below the 1.00 cmolkg −1 critical level for soils to have acidity problem according to [30].…”

Section: Plant Heights and Drysupporting

confidence: 72%

“…There was no significant interaction between lime and phosphorus application rates on available P. The effect of lime was also not significant but available P increased with increasing P rates for a given lime rate. Generally, the available P levels were low even after application of fertilizers and lime, therefore confirming that P was deficient in this soil and that some of the applied P could also have been fixed since most of the soils in western Kenya are known to have high P fixation capacities [22,23]. It was only at high rates of P application (100 kg ha −1 ) with high lime rates of 10 or 20 t ha −1 that the available P exceeded the critical value of 10 mg kg −1 that has been reported to be adequate for maize production [24].…”

Section: Available Phosphorusmentioning

confidence: 57%

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Influence of Lime and Phosphorus Application Rates on Growth of Maize in an Acid Soil

Opala

2017

Advances in Agriculture

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The interactive effects of lime and phosphorus on maize growth in an acid soil were investigated in a greenhouse experiment. A completely randomized design with 12 treatments consisting of four lime levels, 0, 2, 10, and 20 t ha −1 , in a factorial combination with three phosphorus rates, 0, 30, and 100 kg ha −1 , was used. Maize was grown in pots for six weeks and its heights and dry matter yield were determined and soils were analyzed for available P and exchangeable acidity. Liming significantly reduced the exchangeable acidity in the soils. The effect of lime on available P was not significant but available P increased with increasing P rates. There was a significant effect of lime, P, and P by lime interactions on plant heights and dry matter. Without lime application, dry matter increased with increasing P rates but, with lime, dry mattes increased from 0 to 30 kg P ha −1 but declined from 30 to 100 kg P ha −1 . The highest dry matter yield (13.8 g pot −1 ) was obtained with a combined 2 t ha −1 of lime with 30 kg P ha −1 suggesting that lime application at low rates combined with moderate amounts of P would be appropriate in this soil.

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Section: Plant Heights and Drysupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Available Phosphorusmentioning

confidence: 57%

Influence of Lime and Phosphorus Application Rates on Growth of Maize in an Acid Soil

Opala

2017

Advances in Agriculture

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“…Phosphorus (P) deficiency remains a key constraint to agricultural productivity in weathered soils of sub-Saharan Africa (Nziguheba et al 2016). Ameliorating P deficiency can be accomplished by recapitalizing soils with P inputs (Buresh et al 1996;Sanchez et al 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ameliorating P deficiency can be accomplished by recapitalizing soils with P inputs (Buresh et al 1996;Sanchez et al 1997). Acidulated P fertilizers such as triple super phosphate (TSP) offer soluble and rapidly available P, but access and affordability limit their use by smallholder farmers (Jama and Kiwia 2009;Nziguheba et al 2016). In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, phosphate rock deposits are an economical alternative to TSP (Jama and Van Straaten 2006;Nandwa and Bekunda 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological P cycling is influenced by the form of P fertilizer in an Oxisol

et al. 2017

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Phosphate rock (PR) is an alternative fertilizer to increase the P content of P-deficient weathered soils. We evaluated the effects of fertilizer form on indicators of biological cycling of P using an on-farm trial on a Rhodic Kandiudox in western Kenya. Treatment plots were sampled after 13 cropping seasons of P applications as Minjingu phosphate rock (PR) or as triple super phosphate (TSP) (50 kg P ha −1 season −1 ), as well as a P-unfertilized control (0 kg P ha −1 season −1 ). Soils (0-15 and 15-30 cm) were analyzed for microbial biomass P (P mic ), activities of acid phosphomonoesterase, alkaline phosphomonoesterase, and phosphodiesterase, and sequentially extractable P fractions. P additions as Minjingu PR yielded 299% greater P mic than TSP at 0-15-cm depth despite similar labile P concentrations in the two P fertilization treatments and stimulated activities of acid phosphomonoesterase (+39%). When added in the soluble form of TSP, a greater percentage of total soil P was present in mineral-bound forms (+33% Fe-and Al-associated P). Higher soil pH under Minjingu PR (pH 5.35) versus TSP (pH 5.02) and the P-unfertilized treatment (pH 4.69) at 0-15-cm depth reflected a liming effect of Minjingu PR. The form of P fertilizer can influence biological P cycling in weathered soils, potentially improving P availability under Minjingu PR relative to TSP via enhanced microbial biomass P and enzymatic drivers of P cycling.

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“…Generally, high P fertility on the floodplain would only be expected to arise if long-term floodplain P deposition was the dominant process affecting P fertility (Ogden et al, 2007). Phosphorus deficiency is a major constraint to crop production in sub-Sahara Africa due to inherently low P in the parent material and no use of fertilizer (Nziguheba et al, 2016). These soils have high iron and aluminum oxides and hydroxides, and resultantly also have high P sorption (Bekunda et al, 2010).…”

Section: General Soil Fertility Conditions Of Ondombesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil fertility status of seasonally closed wetland ecosystem (ondombe) in north-central Namibia

Watanabe¹,

Itanna²,

Fujioka³

et al. 2017

Afr. J. Agric. Res.

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In the Cuvelai Seasonal Wetland System (CSWS) of North-central Namibia, there are widespread manifestations of seasonally flooded river and seasonally closed wetland ecosystems (ponds). These wetlands are called oshana (seasonally flooded river wetland) and ondombe (seasonally closed wetland) according to the local language. This study was initiated to find out the soil fertility status of ondombes and whether they could be utilized for agricultural purposes unlike the present situation. Soil salinity and sodicity were determined to find out impact of such adverse conditions on possibility of food production. A total of 70 representative ondombes were identified from three selected villages. A total of 210 soil samples were collected from upper, middle and lower positions adjacent to ondombes, and 15 soil samples from each 5 upland fields in the three villages and 102 soil samples from different spots of the flood plain in the three oshanas for comparison. The results indicated that the mean soil pH (H 2 O) in ondombe was 6.3, the means of organic C and total N were 6.28 and 0.41 g kg -1; respectively, the mean of available P was 4.81 mg P kg , respectively. Most soil nutrients were higher in lower ondombe positions than on upper and middle positions. Organic C, exchangeable Mg, and clay at the ondombe soils were significantly higher than those at the croplands. The means of electrical conductivity of saturation extract (ECe) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) in ondombe soils were 0.62 ds m -1 and 7.32, respectively; even though most of the ondombe soils did not exhibit salinity and sodicity problems. Hence, one can conclude that an ondombe soil has an appropriate condition for agriculture, and may only be prone to sodicity whenever the sodium content is high, as sometimes observed.

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Phosphorus in smallholder farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa: implications for agricultural intensification

Cited by 112 publications

References 108 publications

Influence of Lime and Phosphorus Application Rates on Growth of Maize in an Acid Soil

Influence of Lime and Phosphorus Application Rates on Growth of Maize in an Acid Soil

Biological P cycling is influenced by the form of P fertilizer in an Oxisol

Soil fertility status of seasonally closed wetland ecosystem (ondombe) in north-central Namibia

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