Micronutrient deficiencies in rainfed calcareous soils of Pakistan. I. Iron chlorosis in the peanut plant

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

2000

The countries bordering the Mediterranean and extending into western Asia are poor in natural resources, and have expanding populations which increase land-use pressure. The land area for crop production in this climatically harsh region is low; drought is always a major constraint. Output can only be increased from crop intensification, with fertilizers having a major role. Soil and plant analysis underpins the efficient use of such inputs. Such analysis is also an integral part of agronomic research, both at research stations and in farmers' fields. Decisions about land use must consider soil type differences as well as nutrient constraints, either deficiency or toxicity. This paper outlines the context in which such analyses may improve decision-making at the farmer's and the planner's levels, highlighting current constraints and potential for improvement. The main tests conducted in the region's laboratories are described. It focuses on communicating the benefits of soil and plant analysis and soil test research that has been conducted in the region to researchers and other end-users in the various national agricultural research programs. In order to ensure success, the effort must involve a partnership of research, fertilizer industry, and the extension and public sectors.

Section: Micronutríent Cationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Data presentation, interpretation, and communication

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

2000

“…Other micronutrients are extracted by DTPA or AB-DTPA and determined by atomic absorption spectrophotmetry. Particular attention is given to Fe, which causes widespread chlorosis in susceptible crops; the "active" or ferrous Fe in plant tissue is extracted by o-phenanthroline and measured calorimetrically (Rashid et al 1997).…”

Section: National Collaborationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Soil and Plant Analysis for Applied Research and Development in West Asia–North Africa: An International Center's Perspective

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

Rashid

2006

The networks of 15 international research centers around the globe that are sponsored by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) seeks to alleviate poverty in the developing world through enhanced production, while maintaining biodiversity and the sustainability of natural resources. The mandate of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is to focus on improving semi-arid cropping systems in the drought-prone West Asia and North Africa region. Since its inception in 1997, ICARDA's soil laboratory played a pivotal role in backstopping the institution's onstation and on-farm research in Syria and its collaborative research with the region's national programs. This article gives an overview of the evolution of soil and plant analysis in serving the center's mission. A major effort was the regional soil test calibration program, which set the basis for rational use of fertilizers and the identification of related nutrient constraints. Such analyses were extensively employed in all the long-term dryland cropping system trials and later in irrigated agriculture and the interface between plant nutrition and crop breeding. Major emphasis was given to improving and upgrading analytical services in the region's laboratories.

“…Similarly, micronutrient deficiencies do occur because of the high calcium carbonate content, which reduces solubility and therefore plant-availability, and low organic matter content. Thus, deficiencies of zinc (Zn) (Materon and Ryan, 1995), iron (Fe) (Rashid et al, 1997a), and boron (B) (Rashid et al, 1997b) are common. Indeed, in some cases, nutrient toxicity may occur, as in the case of B (Yau et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of soil and plant analysis laboratories in the West Asia‐North Africa Region

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

Garabet

Rashid³

et al. 1999

148

146

Although limited amount of water is the primary constraint to agricultural productivity in the rainfed area of West Asia and North Africa (WANA), yields are also low because of the poor mineral nutrient status of soils. Yields can, therefore, be considerably increased by judicious fertilizer use. Laboratories for soil and plant analysis are essential for identifying nutrient constraints and providing a basis for efficient fertilizer use, through correlation studies to establish suitable soil testing extractants and calibration studies with crop responses. The Soils Laboratory at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) has initiated a quality control program among the national agricultural research systems (NARS) in the countries of the WANA region. The efforts include linkages with the Wageningen International Soil Analytical Exchange Program, in-country 88S 886 RYAN ET AL.training courses, and a laboratory analysis manual. Continued improvement in laboratory performance is dependent upon knowledge of the capabilities of such laboratories and identification of their constraints. This presentation reports a fact-finding survey of laboratories from 16 countries of the WANA region-mainly public, from universities and ministries of agriculture, and some private or commercial ones-based on a questionnaire about analyses, facilities, methodologies, quality assurance, personnel training, and management. Future efforts to improve the quantity and quality output from of these laboratories will address such deficiencies.