The CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB), International Potato Center, Sub-Saharan African Regional Office, P.O BOX 25171-00603, Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625, Nairobi, Kenya.
Sci Rep. 2020 May 8;10(1):7779. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-64036-x.
Inherent low soil fertility remains a hindrance to potato production in Kenya and continues to pose a threat to food security. A study was conducted in Nyandarua and Meru counties to assess the soil fertility status in smallholder potato farms. Soil and plant tissue samples were collected and analysed for selected nutrients (pH, OC, N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Zn, B and Cu) from 198 farms. Critical nutrient levels were used to assess the sufficiency levels of nutrients for potato growth. Soils in the sampled farms were weakly to strongly acidic (pH-CaCl 3.9-6.6) and had low to high soil organic matter content (1.5-97.5 g Kg). The percent of farms in Meru and Nyandarua with nutrient contents below critical levels were 66% and 20% for N, 46% and 85% for P, 67% and 31% for S, 9% and 51% for Cu, and 87% and 80% for B, respectively. Low tissue nutrient concentrations were observed for N, P, K, and S irrespective of the sites. Soil pH correlated strongly with majority of the analyzed soil and tissue nutrients. These results affirm the need to design integrative soil fertility management strategies to correct the impoverished soil fertility status in the study area.
内在的低土壤肥力仍然是肯尼亚马铃薯生产的障碍，并继续对粮食安全构成威胁。在恩亚马鲁阿和梅鲁县进行了一项研究，以评估小农马铃薯农场的土壤肥力状况。从 198 个农场采集土壤和植物组织样本，并分析选定的养分（pH 值、OC、N、P、K、S、Ca、Mg、Zn、B 和 Cu）。临界养分水平用于评估马铃薯生长所需养分的充足水平。采样农场的土壤呈弱酸性至强酸性（pH 值-CaCl 3.9-6.6），土壤有机质含量从低到高（1.5-97.5 g Kg）。在梅鲁和恩亚马鲁阿，养分含量低于临界水平的农场比例分别为 N 的 66%和 20%，P 的 46%和 85%，S 的 67%和 31%，Cu 的 9%和 51%，B 的 87%和 80%。无论地点如何，N、P、K 和 S 的组织养分浓度都很低。土壤 pH 值与大多数分析的土壤和组织养分密切相关。这些结果证实了需要设计综合土壤肥力管理策略来纠正研究区域土壤肥力贫瘠的状况。
