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Application of secondary nutrients and micronutrients increases crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa

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Title Application of secondary nutrients and micronutrients increases crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa
 
Creator Kihara, Job Maguta
Sileshi, Gudeta W.
Nziguheba, Generose
Kinyua, Michael
Zingore, Shamie
Sommer, Rolf
 
Subject agronomic efficiency
surphur
yields
micronutrients
productivity
azufre
rendimiento
áfrica al sur del sahara
micronutrientes
productividad
 
Description Secondary and micronutrients are important in enhancing crop productivity; yet, they are hardly studied in sub-Sahara Africa. In this region, the main focus has been on macronutrients but there is emerging though scattered evidence of crop productivity limitations by the secondary and micronutrients. Elsewhere, widespread deficiencies of these nutrients are associated with stagnation of yields. Here, we undertake a meta-analysis using 40 articles reporting crop response to secondary and micronutrients to (1) determine the productivity increase of crops and nutrient use efficiency associated with these nutrients, and (2) provide synthesis of responses to secondary nutrients and micronutrients in sub-Sahara Africa. This study used 757 yield data rows (530 from publications and 227 from Africa Soil Information Service) from field trials carried out in SSA between 1969 and 2013 in 14 countries. Data from publications constituted response to S (49.4%), Zn (23.0%), S and micronutrient combinations (11.5%), and 1 for S and all micronutrients, i.e., the probability of response ratio exceeding 1 was 0.77 for S and 0.83 for Zn, 0.95 for Cu, and 0.92 for Fe, and indicates positive crop response for a majority of farmers. We conclude that S and micronutrients are holding back crop productivity especially on soils where response to macronutrients is low and that more research is needed to unravel conditions under which application of S and micronutrients may pose financial risks.
 
Date 2017-08
2017-07-07T14:21:29Z
2017-07-07T14:21:29Z
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Kihara, Job; Sileshi, Gudeta Weldesemayat; Nziguheba, Generose; Kinyua, Michael; Zingore, Shamie; Sommer, Rolf. 2017. Application of secondary nutrients and micronutrients increases crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa . Agronomy for Sustainable Development 37:25.
1774-0746
1773-0155
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/82689
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0431-0
http://dx.doi.org/10.7910/DVN/8AJQJJ
 
Language en
 
Rights CC-BY-4.0
Open Access
 
Format 37:25
 
Publisher Springer
 
Source Agronomy for Sustainable Development