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5 Sep 2006 13:30
Unit: Wageningen UR
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen Universiteit
Promotor: prof.dr.ir. P.C. Struik (Crop Physiology)
Co Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. P.C. Struik (promotor), Dr.ir. T.J. Stomph

 In developing countries, short Zn supply is limiting both crop yield and human health. Improving Zn in staple foods and/or improved bio-availability of Zn from staple foods would greatly improve public health. It’s therefore a major challenge to design cereal production techniques resulting in higher Zn mass fractions (MF) in combination with a lower IP-6 MF. The main objective of the current PhD program was to investigate possible modifications of SOAs as practiced by farmers, which increase both the quality and the yield of sorghum in the Sahel. A combination of farmers’ field monitoring, on-farm research, on-station experiments and greenhouse experiments was carried out in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The experiments consisted of a full factorial design with the factors: organic soil amendments (compost or farmyard manure), Zn fertilizer and P fertilizer. Sorghum grain and straw yields varied considerably between years and they were affected by soil types. But no differences were observed between organic amendment types. Zn and P application significantly increased biomass and grain yield but did more with P application. Interactions between P and Zn application were not significant. Grain Zn MF and IP-6 MF increased with Zn or P application. Effects on both MFs were larger with compost than with farmyard manure and larger on sandy than on gravely soils. With the higher compost dose both Zn and IP-6 were further enhanced. Timing of Zn application only affected Zn MF. The IP-6: Zn molar ratio decreased with Zn application and increased with P application, resulting in comparable ratios when no fertilizer was applied or when both fertilizers were applied simultaneously. Grain Zn MF of 50 mg kg-1 with an IP-6: Zn molar ratio of around 15 is possible with Zn and P application in years with adequate rainfall distribution during grain filling. The food quality of such grains can be further improved by degradation of phytate prior to consumption.
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