A comparison of zinc sources and extraction methods on sandy soils suitable for maize cropping

Maize is the most important crop produced for human and animal nourishment in South Africa. The crop is susceptible to zinc (Zn) deficiencies, which result in lower grain yields with poorer nutritional value. Knowledge of the nature and behaviour of Zn fertilisers is therefore important for sustaina...

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Published inSouth African journal of plant and soil Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 152 - 158
Main Authors Wessels, CF, van Straaten, LF, du Preez, CC, Ceronio, GM
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Taylor & Francis 15.03.2021
Subjects
application rate
chelated sources
incubation experiment
inorganic sources
micronutrients
nutritional value
zinc compounds
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Summary:Maize is the most important crop produced for human and animal nourishment in South Africa. The crop is susceptible to zinc (Zn) deficiencies, which result in lower grain yields with poorer nutritional value. Knowledge of the nature and behaviour of Zn fertilisers is therefore important for sustainable maize production, especially in sandy soils. The aim of this incubation study was to test the effect of inorganic (ZnO, ZnCl 2 , ZnCO 3 and ZnSO 4 ) and chelated (ZnEDTA, ZnDTPA, ZnEDDHA and ZnHEDTA) sources of Zn applied at different rates on Zn extracted by diluted HCl, DTPA, Mehlich-1, Ambic-2 and Na 2 EDTA methods. Analyses showed that ZnO was the least effective source, and ZnSO 4 was the most effective source at increasing the extractable Zn of sandy soils. The extractable Zn content of the soils increased almost linearly with increasing application rates of all the zinc sources. Generally, the Na 2 EDTA method was most efficient in extracting the applied Zn. These results must be validated with crop growth response in glasshouse and especially field studies.
ISSN:0257-1862
2167-034X
DOI:10.1080/02571862.2021.1891473