Soil-plant Nutrient Status and Relations in Common Cereal Crop Growing Fields of Kambata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Plant analysis and soil testing are necessary to assess the fertility status of soils and their capacity to feed plants and when necessary, to recommend balanced fertilizers. This study aimed to evaluate the soil and plant nutrient status and their relationships in different cropping systems of the Kambata Tembaro (KT) zone, in southern Ethiopia. Methods: Maize, tef, sorghum and wheat leaves from 28, 55, 29 and 75 smallholder farmers’ fields, respectively with their respective soil samples were collected and analyzed. Result: The soil pH ranged from strongly acidic to neutral. The mean separation method confirmed that the means of all soil properties investigated in this study showed significant differences (P less than 0.001) among different crop-growing fields. Soil available P and S, total N, extractable B and Cu were deficient in most of the soils and plant tissues. The amount of exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and Zn were found to be sufficient in soils of the study area but their deficiency was recorded in most of the tissues. Soil available P, exchangeable K, Ca and Zn significantly (P less than 0.01) and positively correlated (r= 0.33, 0.37, 0.20 and 0.15), respectively with tissue content of the respective elements.