Soil fertility management strategies for edible yams and aroids: a review.

Abstract

Soil fertility as well as nutrient management of crops depends on the different processes of nutrient dynamics viz., nutrient flow/ movement, nutrient transformation, nutrient utilization and its absorption which in turn influences not only the crop yield but also the quality of the produce. The interaction among the nutrients leading to these processes usually takes place in the soil, rhizosphere and also in the soil plant system. Any disruption to these processes will result in the manifestation of various nutritional disorders. These processes at the different sites are affected by native soil characteristics and other extraneous factors. In this review, a thorough documentation of the different processes leading to nutrient dynamics in 3 different species of edible yams viz., greater yam (Dioscorea alata) white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta) and edible aroids viz., elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius), taro (Colocasia esculenta) and tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), including the response of independent nutrients as well as combination of nutrients on yield and quality, index leaf tissues, critical concentration of nutrients for deficiency/sufficiency and the nutritional disorders have been done.