Tag: micronutrients
Boron fertilisation of organically managed grass-clover swards on coarse-textured soils: effects on botanical and element composition
Three trials were performed on two organic farms with dairy and suckler cows and using home-produced forage and feed crops, predominantly grass-clover ley, in order to determine whether boron (B) is a limiting factor for legumes on coarse-textured soils in an area predisposed to low B soil concentrations. The effects of B fertilisation (applied as sprayed liquid) on biomass yield, botanical composition and plant macro- and micronutrient concentrations relative to soil concentrations and livestock requirements were investigated. Boron fertilisation (i) did not affect any yield, (ii) increased the white clover percentage significantly in forage on one farm and (iii) increased B concentrations in plants and soil on both farms, and (iv) did not affect concentrations of other nutrients in forage on either farm. Thus, B was not an obvious limiting factor on these farms. Effects of management practices on interactions and ratios between B, calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) and their implications are discussed.
Assessment of essential micronutrient levels in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Kenya by total reflection X-ray fluorescence
In Kenya, where malnutrition and hidden hunger still pose a significant challenge to growth and development, beans are an essential source of food for most of the population. However, data on micronutrient in beans are limited, and although they are required in very small amounts, they are essential for growth and development of plants as well as human beings. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn, in common beans in Kenya. Samples of both fresh bean leaves and dry grains of the most common bean varieties were collected from small-scale farmers in Muguga and Kyevaluki in Kiambu and Machakos Counties, respectively. They were analyzed using total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF), a technique of increasing interest for food analysis since it is fast, easy, and reliable. Standard methods of sample preparation were used, and average elemental concentrations were compared with established sufficiency ranges. Bean leaves and dry bean grains from both sampling areas had sufficient concentrations of the four analyzed elements. Except for the Fe concentrations, the concentrations of the others elements were in the lower end of the sufficiency range for all bean species. The results obtained from this study are essential information for both farmers and policy makers and can be incorporated in programs to guide policy aimed at improving the nutritional quality of beans and thus food security in Kenya.