Identification of nutrients limiting cassava yield maintenance on a sedimentary soil in southern Benin, West Africa

Carsky, R. J.; Toukourou, M. A.

doi:10.1007/s10705-004-1803-9

Cited by 36 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Howeler and Cadavid (1990) also found that limitations to N, P and K varied between sites in Colombia, but pointed out that K became the limiting element when cassava was grown continuously in the same field. Similar conclusions were drawn for Benin by Carsky and Toukourou (2005). In our study, the Kenyan soils had lower amounts of soil nutrients than the Ugandan soils.…”

Section: Nutrient Limitationssupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Some (Richards 1979;Arene and Odurukwe 1976) reported yield increases due to fertilizer use, others (Lema et al 2004;Ogbe et al 1993) observed no effect of fertilizer use, while Ofori (1973) even found a negative effect of fertilizer use on a forest soil in Ghana. Carsky and Toukourou (2005) observed an increasing response to fertilizer over time in farmers' fields in Benin. Soils in Africa are highly heterogeneous, which has strong effects on crop response to fertilizer, due to differences in soil type, historical management and resource allocation (Zingore et al 2007) or soil fertility status (Vanlauwe et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Towards understanding factors that govern fertilizer response in cassava: lessons from East Africa

Fermont

Tittonell

Baguma

et al. 2009

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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Information on fertilizer response in cassava in Africa is scarce. We conducted a series of onfarm and on-station trials in two consecutive years to quantify yield responses of cassava to mineral fertilizer in Kenya and Uganda and to evaluate factors governing the responses. Average unfertilized yields ranged from 4.2 to 25.7 t ha -1 between sites and years. Mineral fertilizer use increased yields significantly, but response to fertilizer was highly variable (-0.2 to 15.3 t ha -1 ). Average yield response per kg applied nutrient was 37, 168 and 45 and 106, 482 and 128 kg fresh yield per kg of applied N, P and K, respectively in 2004 and 2005. Fertilizer response was governed by soil fertility, rainfall and weed management, but was not influenced by variety, pest and disease pressure and harvest age. Relative N and K yields were positively correlated to SOC and exchangeable K, while response to fertilizer decreased on more fertile soils. Still, fertilizer response varied widely on low fertility soils (e.g. on soils with\10 g kg -1 SOC, responses ranged from -8.6 to 24.4 t ha -1 ), indicating strong interactions between factors governing fertilizer response. Response to fertilizer was reduced if total rainfall \1,500 mm or rainfall from 0 to 3 months after planting \400 mm. Fertilizer application promoted plant growth and resulted in a better soil coverage and reduced weed competition. Yields in fertilized fields were independent of weed management, unless growing conditions were unfavourable.

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Section: Nutrient Limitationssupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Towards understanding factors that govern fertilizer response in cassava: lessons from East Africa

Fermont

Tittonell

Baguma

et al. 2009

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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“…Breeding to improve the dependency of cassava cultivars on mycorrhizal association for higher P use efficiency could contribute to improving this P physiological use efficiency, which will lift up the physiological use efficiency of N and K. Since higher physiological use efficiency of nutrient implies reduced nutrient requirement for the same target yield, this will generate larger returns on investments to farmers. The higher PhEmax for K of the cultivars grown in our study compared to the Indian cultivar is due to the fact that K was very deficient and the most limiting nutrient for cassava on the Ferralsols in Davié, as also observed on the Ferralsols in Southern Benin (Carsky and Toukourou 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 47%

Understanding cassava yield response to soil and fertilizer nutrient supply in West Africa

Ezui

Franke

Ahiabor³

et al. 2017

Plant Soil

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Background and aims Enhanced understanding of plant and nutrient interactions is key to improving yields. We adapted the model for QUantitative Evaluation of the Fertility of Tropical Soils (QUEFTS) to assess cassava yield response to soil and fertilizer nutrients in West Africa. Methods Data from on-station and farmer's field experiments across Togo and Ghana were used. Results Soil nutrient supply ranged from 86 to 177, 18-24 and 70-104 kg ha −1 of N, P and K, respectively, and induced variable cassava responses to fertilizer application. Considering harvest (HI) in deriving the physiological nutrient use efficiencies for maximum dilution (PhEmax) and for maximum accumulation (PhEmin), which are key QUEFTS parameters, improved model predictions with reduction in normalized root mean square error from 32 to 13% at Davié (Southern Togo) and from 18 to 13% at Kumasi (Southern Ghana). Model overestimated yields in Nyankpala (Northern Ghana) where drought stress reduced yields. Estimated PhEmin and PhEmax at HI of 0.50 were 41 and 96 kg kg −1 N, 232 and 589 kg kg −1 P, and 34 and 160 kg kg −1 K. Conclusions QUEFTS can be used for site-specific estimates of cassava yield responses to fertilizers under rain-fed conditions in West Africa, provided that yield is primarily constrained by N, P and K supplies, and not by drought or other nutrients.

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“…This suggests that the physiological use efficiency of P can be further improved in West Africa. It also suggests that K deficiency is apparent at the study sites, such as on the Ferralsols in Davié, as also demonstrated in Southern Benin (Carsky and Toukourou 2005).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Understanding the productivity of cassava in West Africa

Ezui

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Drought stress and sub-optimal soil fertility management are major constraints to crop production in general and to cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in particular in the rain-fed cropping systems in West Africa. Cassava is an important source of calories for millions of smallholder households in sub-Sahara Africa. The prime aim of this research was to understand cassava productivity in order to contribute to improving yields, food security and farm incomes in rain-fed cassava production systems in West Africa. A long-term goal was to contribute to a decision support tool for site-specific crop and nutrient management recommendations. Firstly, we studied farmers' perception of cassava production constraints, assessed drivers of diversity among households and analysed the suitability of farmers' resource endowment groups to the intensification of cassava production. The results indicate that farmers perceived erractic rainfall and poor soil fertility to be prime constraints to cassava production. The agricultural potential of the area and the proximity to regional markets were major drivers for the adoption of crop intensification options including the use of mineral and organic fertilizers. While the use of mineral and organic fertilizers was common in the Maritime zone that had a low agricultural potential, storage roots yields were below the national average of 2.2 Mg dry matter per hectare, and average incomes of 0.62, 0.46 and 0.46 US$ per capita per day for the high, medium and low farmer resource groups (REGs -HRE, MRE and LRE, respectively) were below the poverty line requirement of 1.25 US$. In the high agricultural potential Plateaux zone, HRE and MRE households passed this poverty line by earning 2.58 and 2.59 US$ per capita per day, respectively, unlike the LRE households with 0.89 US$ per capita per day. Secondly, we investigated the effects of mineral fertilizer on nutrient uptake, nutrient physiological use efficiency and storage roots yields of cassava since soil fertility was a major issue across the zones. We used an approach based on the model for the Quantitative Evaluation of the Fertility of Tropical Soils (QUEFTS). This model was successfully adapted for cassava and it appropriately assessed the response of cassava to N, P and K applications, especially in years with good rainfall. Under high drought stress, the model overestimated cassava yields. Thirdly, we investigated the impact of balanced nutrition on nutrient use efficiency, yield and return on investment compared to blanket fertilizer use as commonly practiced in cassava production systems in Southern Togo, and in Southern and Northern Ghana. The balanced nutrition approach of the QUEFTS model aimed to maximize simultanously nutrient use efficiency of N, P and K in accordance with the plant's needs. Larger nutrient use efficiencies of 20.5 to 23.9 kg storage root dry matter (DM) per kilo crop nutrient equivalent (1kCNE of a nutrient is the quantity of that nutrient that has the same effect on yield as 1 kg of N under balanc...

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Identification of nutrients limiting cassava yield maintenance on a sedimentary soil in southern Benin, West Africa

Cited by 36 publications

References 15 publications

Towards understanding factors that govern fertilizer response in cassava: lessons from East Africa

Towards understanding factors that govern fertilizer response in cassava: lessons from East Africa

Understanding cassava yield response to soil and fertilizer nutrient supply in West Africa

Understanding the productivity of cassava in West Africa

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