Chisanga Kafula, Mbega Ernest R, Ndakidemi Patrick A
Department of Sustainable Agriculture, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology,P.O. Box 447, Arusha 23311, Tanzania.
Centre for Research, Agriculture Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES) in Foodand Nutrition Security, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 447,Arusha 23311, Tanzania.
Plants (Basel). 2020 May 20;9(5):649. doi: 10.3390/plants9050649.
Termite mound soils are reportedly utilized as an alternative to NPK fertilizers by cashconstrained smallholder farmers in some parts of Southern Africa. However, there is limitedknowledge regarding their mineral nutritional value. The intention of this work was therefore toinvestigate the macro and micronutrient composition of different sections of the termite mounds;top, base and neighboring areas. The study approach involved physical and chemical analysis of 36sites across Pemba and Choma districts in Southern Zambia through collection of soil samples intriplicate at 0-20 cm depth, using a soil auger. Findings revealed that the soil pH had elevatedlevels in the base segments of the termite mounds compared with the top and the neighbouringsoils. However, elevated N, P and K levels were recorded in the top sections with significantdifferences (P < 0.05) in clay and silt composition observed. Additionally, metallic micronutrients,Cu and Zn were also found to be elevated in termite mounds in contrast to surrounding soils. Weconcluded that top termite mound soil should be considered as part of an integrated nutrientmanagement strategy by financially challenged smallholder farmers cultivating in light texturedsoils of southern Africa.
据报道，在南部非洲的一些地区，资金紧张的小农户将白蚁丘土壤用作氮磷钾肥料的替代品。然而，关于它们的矿物营养价值的知识有限。因此，这项工作的目的是调查白蚁丘不同部分（顶部、底部和邻近区域）的常量和微量元素组成。研究方法包括通过使用土壤螺旋钻在赞比亚南部的奔巴和乔马地区的36个地点收集0-20厘米深度的土壤样本进行三次重复，对土壤进行物理和化学分析。研究结果显示，与顶部和邻近土壤相比，白蚁丘底部部分的土壤pH值升高。然而，顶部部分记录到较高的氮、磷和钾含量，且观察到粘土和粉砂成分存在显著差异（P<0.05）。此外，与周围土壤相比，金属微量元素铜和锌在白蚁丘中也有所升高。我们得出结论，对于在南部非洲质地较轻的土壤中耕种的资金困难的小农户来说，应将白蚁丘顶部土壤视为综合养分管理策略的一部分。
