Investigations on the nutritional status of Hevea brasiliensis plantations in the humid forest zone of CameroonPart 1: Micronutrient status and distribution in soils

Authors

  • Jetro Nkengafac Njukeng Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Ekona Regional Centre, PMB 25 Buea, South West Region, Cameroon; Department of Chemistry, University of Buea. PO Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
  • Eugene Ejolle Ehabe Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Ekona Regional Centre, PMB 25 Buea, South West Region, Cameroon
  • George Elambo Nkeng Department of Chemistry, University of Buea. PO Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
  • Sylvia Kratz Julius Kühn-Institut – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Braunschweig, Germany
  • Judith Schick Julius Kühn-Institut – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Braunschweig, Germany
  • Ewald Schnug Julius Kühn-Institut – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Braunschweig, Germany

Keywords:

Micronutrients, Hevea brasiliensis, organic carbon, pH, AAAc-EDTA-extraction, plant nutrition

Abstract

Micronutrients are very essential for plant growth. To make statements about the optimum micronutrient supply for Hevea brasiliensis, the micronutrient concentrations of selected soils in Cameroon under Hevea brasiliensis cultivation were studied. A total of 130 soil samples from plantations were collected and analyzed for their AAAc-EDTA-extractable micronutrient concentrations, pH and soil organic carbon. 62% of the sampled sites were deficient in extractable Zn, 15% in extractable Fe and 10% in extractable Cu. This shows that one main focus should be on a sufficient Zn-nutrition. AAAC-EDTA-extractable concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn in the soils varied from 0.3 to 128, 14 to 235, 0.49 to 24 and from 0.3 to 12 mg/kg. Considering their mean values, the order of abundance of the micronutrients was Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn. Simple correlation analysis revealed that the AAAc-EDTA-extractable Cu- and Fe-amounts are significantly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon. There also was a positive correlation between AAAc-EDTA-extractable Cu, Mn and Zn with the pH-value of the soil and between Zn and Cu and Fe.

DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2013.10.01, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2013.10.01

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Published

2013-10-01

Issue

Vol. 65 No. 10 (2013)

Section

Original Article