Effects of Phosphorus and Zinc on Maize and Cowpea grown on Alfisols in Sourthern Nigeria

Trials were conducted at three locations on Alfisols in southwestern Nigeria to study the optimum phosphorus - zinc balance in the soil for field grown maize (Zea mays L) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata s. sp. unguiculata L. Walp). The incidence of P induced Zn deficiency in maize was observed to be m...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: OSINAME, O.A.
Format: Online
Language:English
Published: The Faculty of Agriculture Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ija.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ija/article/view/291
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Trials were conducted at three locations on Alfisols in southwestern Nigeria to study the optimum phosphorus - zinc balance in the soil for field grown maize (Zea mays L) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata s. sp. unguiculata L. Walp). The incidence of P induced Zn deficiency in maize was observed to be more probable in the sandy soils of the savanna zone than in the sandy loam soils of the forest zone. Correcting P deficiency without correcting Zn deficiency resulted in lower maize yields. In soils with Bray-1 P test of > 7.0 ppm and 0.1N HCL extractable Zn of < 1.0 ppm, further addition of P. was observed to induce Zn deficiency in maize. Cowpea was less sensitive to either the deficiencies of P and Zn or to the incidence of P induced Zn deficiency.