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Nutrient deficiency symptoms noted during plant growth. (A) Mg deficiency in plus nitrogen treatment in Ferralsols from Kakamega (Shikhulu Sub-location), (B) K deficiency in minus K treatments in Ferralsols from Kakamega (Shikhulu sub-location), (C) P deficiency in minus magnesium treatments in Ferralsols from Butula, (D) Micro-nutrient deficiencies in minus micro-nutrient treatments in Acrisols from Masaba Central.
Source publication
Low soybean yields in western Kenya have been attributed to low soil fertility despite much work done on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrition leading to suspicion of other nutrient limitations. To investigate this, a nutrient omission trial was set up in the greenhouse at the University of Eldoret-Kenya to diagnose the nutrients limiting soybe...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... most common deficiency symptom observed was that of Mg where there was interveinal leaf yellowing especially in treatments of plus nitrogen and a few of Mg omitted treatments across the soils (Fig 2A). Deficiencies of K were also noted mainly on older leaves of K omitted treatments and also on several other treatments. ...
Context 2
... of K were also noted mainly on older leaves of K omitted treatments and also on several other treatments. These were characterized by leaf yellowing with tissue necrosis along the leaf margins (Fig 2B). Early leaf drop was observed in plants growing in the treatments with both Mg and K deficient treatments, and this led to low shoot dry weights being recorded by the same treatments, especially at the final harvest. ...
Citations
... In this case, the symptoms of deficiency can be observed on the plant, such as colour disappearance, growth retardation, death of parts of the plant or the death of the plant completely, knowledge and identification of the condition can be achieved better through the analysis of plant tissues, the plants in which such a deficiency occurs are low Production is often of poor quality [6]. ...
... This type of deficiency occurs when nutrients are insufficient, and this deficiency may occur for two main reasons, the first is when the soil begins to form, its nutrient content is very low or it may not contain these elements, because it was formed in lands free of primary mineral substances or it has undergone long periods washing processes The second reason is that the soil may contain sufficient nutrients to meet the plant's need, but the plant is unable to absorb them to meet its need despite their abundance, and this may be due to several factors, the prevailing composition of that soil or high salinity, moisture stress or certain diseases such as Disease of Root nodes While the likelihood of identifying this severe deficiency through soil analysis is low, there is a chance that the actual deficiency in the plant will reveal it [6]. The mentioned cases can be explained as follows: Factors impact how ready plants are for nutrients. ...
... Soil reaction (PH): the PH ( pH value) of the environment in which the plant grows has a direct impact on the readiness of some nutrients, as it was found that plants get nutrients, especially micro ones, more in the case that the environment in which plants grow tends to acidic, and their readiness gradually decreases as the PH value rises There are some elements, such as molybdenum, that are better prepared for plants in neutral reactive soils and processing decreases with a decrease in the pH value PH( soils that tend towards acidic), so fertilizers whose final reaction in the soil is acidic have a better effect and it is preferable to add them to calcareous soils because the latter can fix nutrients, especially when their reaction tends towards-basicity [6]. Contrast (conflict ) and fixation: by contrast, it means the presence of a nutrient element in the soil that may help to provide another nutrient element or vice versa, so adding a nutrient element in the form of a chemical fertilizer may change the balance of the soil solution, followed by the provision of nutrients or vice versa, for example, as the results of some studies indicated that Fertilizing with phosphate fertilizers has led to an increase in the yield of yellow corn and at the same time to reduce the readiness of the element zinc in poor lands with this element, in addition, phosphates when added to the soil, they may be with iron, zinc and manganese insoluble compounds, which leads to the appearance of signs of deficiency of these elements on the plant [6]. ...
Fertilization can greatly affect the quality of crops and soil. To determine the effects of long-term fertilization on crop productivity and measure the stoichiometry of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the soil, a study was conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Agricultural Technology, College of Biotechnology, and Al-Qadisiyah University. Agricultural soil fertility is crucial to the future of agriculture, and to analyze soil elements, two organic fertilizer sources (cows and sheep) totalling 25 kg were included in the main plots. In addition, the research also included sub-plots at three levels of potassium sulfate fertilizer (10 and 20 kg). These plots of land were designed and interpreted according to the RCBD method, which was unique in application. To evaluate the need to use nutrients in fertilizers to maintain soil fertility. The analysis of soil elements aims to evaluate the availability of nutrients in the depths of the soil from which samples were taken from different areas in the city of Diwaniyah in Iraq. Fertilizer recommendations are also linked to the soil index. The recommendations have broad applicability, although they may need to be modified to suit individual soil types and cropping systems in light of local experience. Basing fertilizer recommendations on soil element analysis and indexing systems provides significant benefits. The system uses simple, proven, low-cost analysis methods as part of a complete soil management program that recognizes the paramount importance of ensuring that all soil properties are within their optimum levels.
... The agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, on the other hand, is impacted by poor soil fertility [20], which is caused by low organic matter [21] and high acidity [22] as well as a lack of macro-and micronutrients because of soil erosion and leaching losses [23]. Compost or organic fertilizer enhance the pH of the soil and supply the macronutrients needed for crop production [24]. ...
Globally, inefficient waste management is viewed as a social, environmental, and economic threat. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) waste treatment is a promising strategy for efficient waste management that offers a continuous supply of organic fertilizer. However, no thorough investigations have looked into the frass produced during the processing of water hyacinth and fruit waste as a fertilizer. In this study, BSFL processed experimental water hyacinth and fruit waste at various ratios for a total of 20 days of experimentation, first processing 8 kg of waste per treatment (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5) for 14 days, and then adding 6 kg of waste per treatment for the following 6 days. The physicochemical composition of the frass produced by BSFL composting water hyacinth and fruit waste was examined to determine its fertilizer value. The results indicated that the moisture content of the frass ranged from 41.4 to 60%, while the pH, electrical conductivity, and carbon to nitrogen ratio ranged from 6.02 to 8.09, 4.00 to 6.34 ds/m, and 14.94 to 29.65, respectively. The micro-mineral content of the frass is within the acceptable ranges suggested by various organizations, with organic carbon ranging from 23.5 to 29.13%, total nitrogen from 0.79 to 1.95%, phosphorus from 0.18 to 0.42 mg/kg, potassium from 0.19 to 2.62%, calcium from 0.14 to 0.03%, and magnesium from 0.07 to 0.19% making the frass suitable for agricultural use. Similarly, the micro-mineral contents (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) of the frass are within acceptable ranges for use as organic fertilizer.
... The higher vegetable yields achieved using BSFFF are consistent with [21,43], who reported a significant increase in the yields of vegetable crops grown using BSFFF, as compared with plants grown on unamended soil (control treatment), which recorded the lowest fresh leaf weight when compared with all the other treatments. These results indicate the impact of soil degradation on crop production [44][45][46][47]. However, the leaf weight was generally better; therefore, the higher vegetable yields under the wonder multistorey gardens could be attributed to ideal conditions, especially the adequate moisture retention for plant growth provided by the vertical garden and the sufficient nutrient supply from BSFFF. ...
The wonder multistorey garden (WMSG) is an innovative vertical farming system tailored for urban settings that can be constrained by the irrigation regime, and by types and levels of fertilizer application. This study evaluated the effects of applying NPK fertilizer and black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) under different irrigation regimes on the growth, yield, and pest infestation of kale (Brassica oleracea) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris). The fertilizers were applied at rates equivalent to 371 kg N ha −1. For each crop, the BSFFF or NPK was applied to supply 100% of the N required (100% BSFFF), and then a combination of BSFFF and NPK was applied so that each fertilizer supplied 50% of the N required (50% BSFFF + 50% NPK). Crops' water requirements were provided using three irrigation regimes: daily, every two days, and every three days. The control treatment was not amended with any fertilizer, while water was provided ad libitum. The results revealed that the irrigation regime significantly affected the leaf production of both vegetables. Irrigation regimes significantly influenced kale plant height, where plants provided with water daily achieved the highest average heights of 20 cm, 46 cm, and 54 cm at 14, 28, and 42 days after transplanting (DAT), respectively. Furthermore, the application of 100% BSFFF produced kale with significantly higher plant heights (55 cm) and number of leaves (9.9 leaves) at 42 DAT compared to other treatments. The interaction between irrigation regimes and fertilizer significantly influenced kale height at 14 DAT and 42 DAT. Use of daily irrigation regime and 100% BSFFF produced the tallest kale plants of 59 cm at 42 DAT. Application of 50% BSFFF + 50% NPK or 100% BSFFF with daily irrigation achieved the highest values of kale and Swiss chard leaf chlorophyll concentration, recorded at 42 DAT. Fertilizer application significantly affected pest population, with the lowest pest infestation being recorded from kale and Swiss chard grown in soil amended with BSFFF. The application of 100% BSFFF or NPK, together with daily irrigation, significantly increased the fresh shoot weight and leaf dry matter of kale and Swiss chard, as compared with the control. The fresh shoot yields of kale and Swiss chard achieved through using a combination of 100% BSFFF and daily irrigation were 14-69% and 13-56% higher than those of NPK, respectively. The same treatment combination also produced kales and Swiss chard with 8-73% and 16-81% higher leaf dry matter compared to NPK, respectively. It was noted that soil amendment with BSFFF maintained higher values of kale (41-50%) and Swiss chard (33-49%) leaf dry matter compared with NPK treatments, during periods of water stress. Our study has demonstrated the high potential of single (100% BSFFF) or combined applications of BSFFF (50% BSFFF + 50% NPK) with a daily irrigation regime to improve the growth, yield, and pest management in Swiss chard and kale under vertical farming. Our study advocates for the scaling of WMSG and BSFFF for sustainable food systems in urban settings. Citation: Abiya, A.A.; Kupesa, D.M.; Beesigamukama, D.; Kassie, M.; Mureithi, D.; Thairu, D.; Wesonga, J.; Tanga, C.M.; Niassy, S. Agronomic Performance of Kale (Brassica oleracea) and Swiss Chard
... Many African soils are characterized by the deficiency of important plant nutrients like N, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) [4]. In East African soils, the deficiencies of N, P, and K can be as high as 90, 50, and 50%, respectively [45], resulting in low crop productivity that threatens food security in the region [46]. Older reports document that Ferralsols which occupy a sizeable portion of Africa including Angola, Zambia, Burundi, Uganda, and Cameroon and others have a low capacity to supply essential nutrients to crops [47]. ...
Agricultural intensification continues in Africa in attempts to meet the rising food demands of the equally rising population. However, most arable lands in the region are characterized by nutrient deficiency and over-reliance on synthetic fertilizers which consequently contributes to increased production costs, environmental pollution, and global warming. Decades of research on plant-rhizobacterial interactions have led to the formulation and commer-cialization of rhizobacterial biofertilizers globally for sustainable soil and crop health. Nevertheless, this promising technology has not received much attention in Africa and remains largely unexplored due to several constraints. This article discusses the practical applications of rhizobacterial biofertilizers for sustainable crop production in sub-Saha-ran Africa. The challenges of soil infertility and the use of conventional synthetic fertilizers in crop production in Africa are critically evaluated. An overview of the potential of rhizobacteria as biofertilizers and alternatives to synthetic fertilizers for soil fertility and crop productivity in the continent is also provided. The advantages that these biofertiliz-ers present over their synthetic counterparts and the status of their commercialization in the African region are also assessed. Finally, the constraints facing their formulation, commercialization, and utilization and the prospects of this promising technology in the region are deliberated upon. Such knowledge is valuable towards the full exploitation and adoption of this technology for sustainable agriculture for Africa's food security.
... 1,14 Some African soils lack essential nutrients as highlighted by studies conducted in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania where low crop yield was attributed to poor soil fertility. 7 Most farmers are poor and cannot afford to buy large quantities of inorganic fertilisers and to use cattle manure on home gardens due to competition from arable lands. ...
... Grain global production had reached 338 million tons in the 2017/2018 harvest, representing the second largest production recorded and driven by the United States and Brazil (Ekpei et al. 2018). However, the yield of this leguminous crop has been primarily affected by nutrient deficiency (Santos et al. 2015;Keino et al. 2015;Bai et al. 2018) and adequate mineral nutrition plays a vital role in the growth and development of this agricultural crop. Iron (Fe) is the fourth most abundant element found in the Earth's crust and the second-most abundant metal in soil (López-Millán et al. 2013). ...
Iron (Fe) is essential for chlorophyll biosynthesis and functions in chloroplasts. Fe deficiency provokes negative effects on photochemical efficiency and electron transport. 24-Epibrassinolide (EBR) is a natural molecule with potential advantages, including a natural origin, biodegradability and high plant steroid bioactivity, improving metabolism and inducing tolerance during stress. Present study was aimed to investigate whether pre-treatment with EBR can trigger protective roles in soybean plants cultivated under the conditions of Fe deficiency and to evaluate the responses linked to the nutritional status, photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence. The study was carried out using a completely randomized design with four treatments (0 nM EBR + 250 µM Fe, 0 nM EBR + 2.5 µM Fe, 100 nM EBR + 250 µM Fe and 100 nM EBR + 2.5 µM Fe). Results revealed that the exogenous EBR minimized the damage caused by Fe deficiency. This steroid maximized the Fe content in the leaf, stem and root, as well as improved the nutrient content and metal homeostasis, as confirmed by the increased detection of Fe2+/Mg2+, Fe2+/Mn2+ and Fe2+/Cu2+ ratios in plants under Fe deficiency. Additionally, plants under Fe deficiency and sprayed with EBR had improvements on chloroplastic pigments, with significant increases in chlorophyll a (14%), chlorophyll b (23%), total chlorophyll (15%) and carotenoids (28%). Steroid also increased the photochemical efficiency, positively regulating electron transport and reducing the negative impacts associated with photoinhibition in photosystem II. Therefore, pre-treatment with EBR improved the nutrient contents and physiological performance of soybean plants under the conditions of Fe limitation.
... Similarly, community attributes such as diversity and abundance can be inventorized using standard methods (Larsen and Forsyth, 2005;Van-de-Mello et al., 2011). Utilization of dung beetles species as bio-indicators is hinged on their specificity and fidelity with types of habitats and their contribution to ecological services such as improving the soil chemical, physical and biological properties such as soil organic carbon, total nitrogen (N) and available phosphorus(P) (Keino et al., 2015;Shahabuddin et al., 2014;Njoroge et al., 2018). ...
... Depletion of soil organic carbon and deficiency of N and P are among the main factors bedeviling crop and pasture production in SSA including Kenya (Sanginga and Woomer, 2009;Keino et al., 2015;Njoroge et al., 2018). ...
... Soils in Western Kenya can be classified into responsive and non-responsive based on the application of NPK fertilizer; the highly weathered and nutrientdepleted soils classified as Acrisols and Ferralsols fall into the non-responsive class (Keino et al., 2015;Kihara et al., 2016). Therefore, to address this, the fertilizer industry in Kenya has come up with crop-specific fertilizer formulations which include Mavuno horticulture for peas and beans, and Sympal for legumes. ...
... An increase in yield following application of Mavuno and lime may be attributed to improved soil pH and supply of essential nutrients NPK + Ca +Mg + S + B + Mo + Fe + Cu through Mavuno fertilizer, unlike Sympal fertilizer which has Zn but lacks B, Mo, Fe and Cu micronutrients. A study done by Keino et al. (2015) working on acidic acrisols and ferralsols in Western Kenya reported that the combined application of lime and customized fertilizer significantly increased soybean (Glycine max L.) yield. ...
... Studies show that most arable lands in SSA are deficient in important plant nutrients including N, P and K (Youssef and Eissa 2014;Keino et al. 2015). As a result, potato farming in these countries is heavily dependent on synthetic fertilizers (FAO 2008). ...
The present study investigated the diversity of culturable rhizobacteria associated with potato (S. tuberosum L.) in Tanzania and assessed their in vitro plant growth-promoting (PGP) activities to deduce their potential as biofertilizers. Potato rhizosphere soil and tuber samples (54 samples in total) were collected from 9 villages in three different agro-ecological regions in Tanzania. A total of 145 rhizobacterial isolates were obtained, 52 of which were selected and identified by partial 16S rRNA gene sequences and screened for various PGP traits in vitro including qualitative and quantitative solubilization of phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn) and potassium (K), nitrogen (N2) fixation and production of ammonia (NH3) in nitrogen-free medium, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acids (GA) and siderophores production. The results showed that the isolates were all Gammaproteobacteria, belonging to 4 families (Enterobacteriaceae, Yersiniaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and Morganellaceae) and 9 genera (Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Serratia, Pseudomonas, Morganella, Buttiauxella, Pantoea and Cedecea). Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed for all assessed PGP abilities of the external and endophytic rhizobacterial isolates except for quantitative siderophore production and qualitative P and K solubilization for the external rhizobacteria and production of IAA and GA for the endophytic rhizobacteria. Among the best PGP isolates which can be exploited for biofertilization of the potato were Klebsiella pneumoniae KIBS1, K. grimontii LUTS10, Serratia liquefaciens KIBT1, Enterobacter ludwigii KIBS10 and Citrobacter freundii MWALS6. Comparative evaluation of PGP abilities of these two groups of isolates revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) only for NH3 and IAA production and qualitative K solubilization.
... Not only nitrogen deficiency but also excess nitrogen is harmful to plants, including the photosynthetic mechanism. The 10 mM nitrate used as "high nitrogen treatment" in this study has been referred to in previous reports in soybean [57,58] and other species [59][60][61][62] as supplying sufficient but not excess nitrogen to plants. ...
Background:
Plants are always exposed to dynamic light. The photosynthetic light use efficiency of leaves is lower in dynamic light than in uniform irradiance. Research on the influence of environmental factors on dynamic photosynthesis is very limited. Nitrogen is critical for plants, especially for photosynthesis. Low nitrogen (LN) decreases ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and thus limits photosynthesis. The decrease in Rubisco also delays photosynthetic induction in LN leaves; therefore, we hypothesized that the difference of photosynthetic CO2 fixation between uniform and dynamic light will be greater in LN leaves compared to leaves with sufficient nitrogen supply.
Results:
To test this hypothesis, soybean plants were grown under low or high nitrogen (HN), and the photosynthetic gas exchange, enzyme activity and protein amount in leaves were measured under uniform and dynamic light. Unexpectedly, dynamic light caused less photosynthetic suppression, rather than more, in LN leaves than in HN leaves. The underlying mechanism was also clarified. Short low-light (LL) intervals did not affect Rubisco activity but clearly deactivated fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) and sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (SBPase), indicating that photosynthetic induction after a LL interval depends on the reactivation of FBPase and SBPase rather than Rubisco. In LN leaves, the amount of Rubisco decreased more than FBPase and SBPase, so FBPase and SBPase were present in relative excess. A lower fraction of FBPase and SBPase needs to be activated in LN leaves for photosynthesis recovery during the high-light phase of dynamic light. Therefore, photosynthetic recovery is faster in LN leaves than in HN leaves, which relieves the photosynthetic suppression caused by dynamic light in LN leaves.
Conclusions:
Contrary to our expectations, dynamic light caused less photosynthetic suppression, rather than more, in LN leaves than in HN leaves of soybean. This is the first report of a stress condition alleviating the photosynthetic suppression caused by dynamic light.
