| dc.contributor.author | Nambafu, Godfrey N | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hoeppner, Nicolai | |
| dc.contributor.author | Bessler, Holger | |
| dc.contributor.author | Gweyi-Onyango, Joseph Patrick | |
| dc.contributor.author | Andika, Darius O | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mwonga, Samuel | |
| dc.contributor.author | Engels, Christof | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-09-02T13:01:08Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-09-02T13:01:08Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-025-00094-9 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://repository.mut.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6638 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant nutrient that has continued to
depreciate in most soils in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly due to adsorption, leaching, and
crop uptake.
Objective This study was carried out to determine the effect of phosphorus forms and
its absence on P uptake, root traits, and growth of leafy vegetables.
Methods Five African indigenous vegetable species alongside one exotic vegetable
were grown in pots. Each pot was supplied with 49 milligrams of P in the form of
KH2PO4, Phytate, rock P, and FePO4 with the control having no P. The P fertilizers were
mixed with 1220 g of soil in a ratio of 60:1, sand and loam, to fill the pots before
planting. Vegetable seeds were randomly planted and replicated four times, giving rise
to 120 pots under investigation.
Results All vegetable species actively utilized KH2PO4 and Phytate to grow and form
the highest shoot and root biomass. Spider plants absorbed high levels of P from
all the P treatments, but could not convert more of it to biomass formation. African
nightshade performed well in KH2PO4 and Phytate, but poorly in the rock P and FePO4.
Cowpeas performed well by yielding high-shoot biomass in all the treatments. Cowpea
and Ethiopian kale had high biomass when grown in rock P and FePO4.
Conclusion Vegetable species require P for optimal growth, although various species
were seen to have different levels of P uptake and utilization efficiency on soluble and
slightly soluble fertilizers as well as their ability to grow in P-absent or adsorbed soils. | en_US |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Discover Soil | en_US |
| dc.subject | Vegetable species, Biomass, Phosphorus, Utilization efficiency | en_US |
| dc.title | Influence of soil phosphorus fertilizer forms on phosphorus uptake, morphology, and growth of leafy vegetables | en_US |
| dc.type | Article | en_US |
