eprintid: 4781
rev_number: 11
eprint_status: archive
userid: 6
dir: disk0/00/00/47/81
datestamp: 2011-12-05 05:40:54
lastmod: 2011-12-05 05:40:54
status_changed: 2011-12-05 05:40:54
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
contact_email: Library-ICRISAT@CGIAR.ORG
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Nyamangara, J
creators_name: Makarimay, E
creators_name: Masvaya, E N
creators_name: Zingore, S
creators_name: Delve, R J
icrisatcreators_name: Nyamangara, J
icrisatcreators_name: Masvaya, E
affiliation: University of Zimbabwe(Harare)
affiliation: Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of CIAT(Lilongwe)
affiliation: ICRISAT(Bulawayo)
country: Zimbabwe
country: Malawi
title: Effect of soil fertility management strategies and resource-endowment on spatial soil fertility gradients, plant nutrient uptake and maize growth at two smallholder areas, north-western Zimbabwe
ispublished: pub
subjects: s2.11
full_text_status: restricted
keywords: Homefields, outfields, semi-arid conditions, greenhouse experiments
note: AFRICARE-Zimbabwe and the Regional Universities Forum
(RUFORUM) provided funding for this work. We are grateful
to the farmers in Njelele and Nemangwe smallholder areas
for their cooperation and the Department of Agricultural,
Technical and Extension Services (AGRITEX) in Gokwe
South District for facilitating this study.
abstract: We investigate the effects of smallholder farmer resource-endowment and soil nutrient management strategies
on plant nutrient uptake and growth across soil fertility gradients under semi-arid conditions. Soil fertility gradients
as influenced by farmers’ resource availability may affect the response of crops to fertilizer addition and
therefore productivity. The study was conducted in Njelele and Nemangwe smallholder areas (450-800 mm per
annum, unimodal) in north-western Zimbabwe. Soil and maize cobleaf samples were collected from fields of
farmers (varying resource endowment) located near to (homefields) and far away (outfields) from the farmers’
homesteads during the 2005-6 season. The samples were analysed for selected soil fertility indicators and soil
samples were further used to test maize growth response to various nutrient applications under greenhouse
conditions. Soil fertility (organic C, total N and available P) significantly (P<0.05) decreased from resourceendowed
to resource-constrained farmers, and from outfields to homefields, but the latter differences were only
significant for available P. Besides resource-endowment and field type, response to nutrient applications also
depended on soil texture. In sandy soil, both N and P were limiting to MAIZE growth in outfields while N was
most limiting in the homefield. It was concluded that resource-endowment and nutrient resource management
strategies employed by farmers result in soil fertility gradients which affect response of crops to fertilisation and therefore need to be factored in the development of fertiliser recommendations.
date: 2011
date_type: published
publication: South African Journal of Plant and Soil
volume: 28
number: 1
publisher: Sabinet
pagerange: 1-10
refereed: TRUE
issn: 0257-1862
related_url_url: http://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?as_q=Effect+of+soil+fertility+management+strategies+and+resource-endowment+on+spatial+soil+fertility+gradients%2C+plant+nutrient+uptake+and+maize+growth+at+two+smallholder+areas%2C+north-western+Zimbabwe&num=10&btnG=Sea
related_url_type: author
funders: AFRICARE-Zimbabwe
funders: Regional Universities Forum
citation:   Nyamangara, J and Makarimay, E and Masvaya, E N and Zingore, S and Delve, R J  (2011) Effect of soil fertility management strategies and resource-endowment on spatial soil fertility gradients, plant nutrient uptake and maize growth at two smallholder areas, north-western Zimbabwe.  South African Journal of Plant and Soil, 28 (1).  pp. 1-10.  ISSN 0257-1862     
document_url: http://oar.icrisat.org/4781/1/SAfrJPlantSoil28_1_2011.pdf