Effect of farmer management strategies on spatial variability of soil fertility and crop nutrient uptake in contrasting agro-ecological zones in Zimbabwe

Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems

Volumn 88, Issue 1, 2010, Pages 111-120

  Masvaya, E N ^a   Nyamangara, J ^a,b   Nyawasha, R W ^a   Zingore, S ^b   Delve, R J ^c   Giller, K E ^d  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE   (Zimbabwe)

^b CHITEDZE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH STATION   (Malawi)

^c Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of CIAT   (Zimbabwe)

^d WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Agro ecology; Nutrient management strategies; Plant nutrient uptake; Resource endowment; Soil fertility variability

Indexed keywords

AGRICULTURAL WORKER; AGROECOLOGY; CROP PRODUCTION; MAIZE; MANAGEMENT PRACTICE; MANURE; NUTRIENT UPTAKE; PHOSPHORUS; PUBLIC ACCESS; RAINFALL; RESOURCE AVAILABILITY; SMALLHOLDER; SOIL FERTILITY; SOIL NUTRIENT; SPATIAL VARIATION; STRATEGIC APPROACH;

ZIMBABWE;

ZEA MAYS;

EID: 77955770571     PISSN: 13851314     EISSN: 15730867     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s10705-009-9262-y     Document Type: Article

References (26)

1. Ahmed MM, Rohrbach DD, Gono LT, Mazhangara EP, Mugwira L, Masendeke DD (1997) Soil fertility management in communal areas of Zimbabwe: current practices, constraints and opportunities for change: results of a diagnostic survey. Southern and Eastern Africa Region Working Paper No. 6: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Southern and Eastern Africa Region.
2. Anderson JM, Ingram JSI (eds) (1993) Tropical soil biology and fertility: a handbook of methods, 2nd edn. CAB International, Wallingford.
3. Gambiza J, Nyama C (2000) Country pasture/forage resource profile, Zimbabwe. http://www. fao. org/ag/agp/agpc/doc/counprof/zimbabwe/zimbab. htm.
4. Grant PM (1981) The fertilization of sandy soils in peasant agriculture. Zimb Agric J 78: 169-175.
5. Haileslassie A, Preiss JA, Veldkamp E, Lesschen JP (2007) Nutrient flows and balances at the field and farm scale: exploring effects of land-use strategies and access to resources. Agric Syst 94: 459-470. doi: 10. 1016/j. agsy. 2006. 11. 013.
6. Lupwayi NZ, Girma M, Haque I (2000) Plant nutrient contents of manures from small-scale farms and experimental stations in Ethiopian highlands. Agric Ecosyst Environ 78: 57-63. doi: 10. 1016/S0167-8809(99)00113-9.
7. Mapedza E, Wright J, Fawcett R (2003) An investigation of land cover change in Mafungabusi Forest, Zimbabwe, using GIS and participatory mapping. Appl Geogr 23: 1-21. doi: 10. 1016/S0143-6228(02)00070-X.
8. Mapfumo P, Giller KE (2001) Soil fertility management strategies and practices by smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). FAO.
9. Mengel K, Kirkby EA (2001) Principles of plant nutrition, 5th edn. Kluwer, The Netherlands.
10. Mtambanengwe F, Mapfumo P (2005) Organic matter management as an underlying cause for soil fertility gradients on smallholder farms in Zimbabwe. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 73: 227-243. doi: 10. 1007/s10705-005-2652-x.
11. Mugwira LM, Murwira HK (1997) Use of cattle manure to improve soil fertility in Zimbabwe: past, current research and Future needs. Network Research Results-working paper No 2, DR and SS, Chemistry and Soil Research Institute, Harare.
12. Nyagumbo I, Nyamangara J, Rurinda J (2007) Scaling out integrated soil nutrient and water management technologies through farmer participatory research: experiences from semi-arid central Zimbabwe. Paper presented at the TSBF-Afnet symposium, 17th-21st September 2007, Arusha, Tanzania.
13. Nyamangara J, Mugwira LM, Mpofu SE (2000) Soil fertility status in communal areas of Zimbabwe in relation to sustainable crop production. J Sustain Agric 16: 15-29.
14. Nyamapfene K (1991) Soil of Zimbabwe. Nehanda Publishers, Harare.
15. Okalebo JR, Gathua KW, Woomer PL (2002) Laboratory methods of soil and plant analysis: a working manual, 2nd edn. TSBF-CIAT and SACRED Africa, Nairobi.
16. Prasad B, Sinha NP (1982) Changes in status of micronutrients in soil with long term applications of chemical fertilizers, lime and manure. Plant Soil 64: 437-441. doi: 10. 1007/BF02372526.
17. Rufino M, Rowe EC, Delve RJ, Giller KE (2006) Nitrogen cycling efficiencies through resource-poor African crop-livestock systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 112: 261-282. doi: 10. 1016/j. agee. 2005. 08. 028.
18. Sanchez PA, Shepherd KD, Soule MJ, Place FM, Buresh RJ, Izac AMN (eds) (1997) Soil fertility replenishment in Africa: an investment in natural resource capital. Replenishing soil fertility in Africa. Soil Science Society of America Special Publication No. 51, Madison, Wisconsin, pp 1-46.
19. Statoids (2005) Districts of Zimbabwe. Gwillim Law. http://www. statoids. com/yzw. html.
20. Swift MJ, Frost PGH, Campbell BM, Hatton JC, Wilson KB (1989) Nitrogen cycling in farming systems derived from savannah. In: Clarholm M, Bergstrom L (eds) Ecology of arable land. Developments in plant and soil science 39: 63-67.
21. Tittonell P, Vanlauwe B, Leffelaar PA, Rowe EC, Giller KE (2005) Exploring diversity in soil fertility management of smallholder farms in western Kenya I. Heterogeneity at region and farm scale. Agric Ecosyst Environ 110: 149-165. doi: 10. 1016/j. agee. 2005. 04. 001.
22. Vanlauwe B, Tittonell P, Mukalama J (2006) Within-farm soil fertility gradients affect response of maize to fertiliser application in western Kenya. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 76: 171-182. doi: 10. 1007/s10705-005-8314-1.
23. ZIMVAC (2005) Zimbabwe rural food security and vulnerability assessments- June 2005. www. zimrelief. info/files/attachments/doclib/0003. pdf.
24. Zingore S, Manyame C, Nyamugafata P, Giller KE (2005) Long-term changes in organic matter of woodland soils cleared for arable cropping in Zimbabwe. Eur J Soil Sci 56: 727-736.
25. Zingore S, Murwira HK, Delve RJ, Giller KE (2007a) Influence of nutrient management strategies on variability of soil fertility, crop yields and nutrient balances on smallholder farms in Zimbabwe. Agric Ecosyst Environ 119: 112-126. doi: 10. 1016/j. agee. 2006. 06. 019.
26. Zingore S, Murwira HK, Delve RJ, Giller KE (2007b) Soil type, historical management and current resource allocation: three dimensions regulating variability of maize yields and nutrient use efficiencies on African smallholder farms. Field Crop Res 101: 296-305. doi: 10. 1016/j. fcr. 2006. 12. 006.