Changing the nutritional status of forage grass due to changing soil chemistry resulting from different land-use management in the Oroba valley, Kenya

Job, Isaboke; Osano, Odipo; Humphrey, Olivier; Dowell, Sophia; Watts, Michael. 2023 Changing the nutritional status of forage grass due to changing soil chemistry resulting from different land-use management in the Oroba valley, Kenya. [Poster] In: SEGH 2023. 38th International Conference on Geochemistry and Health, University of Athens, Greece, 02-06 Jul 2023. (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

Threats from land degradation may escalate problems of inadequate food supply and poverty that already afflict the inhabitants of Oroba valley, Nandi County in Kenya. The steepness of the farmlands along with inadequate application of sound agricultural management systems expose the area to soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, and salinization. Both crop and livestock agriculture face risks of soil degradation. Here, forage grass contributes to 60% of animal nutrients and this study investigated the micro-elemental levels of forage grass from four differently managed farms with different history of use. The grass was sampled from four differently managed plots in a randomized block design: plots 1 and 2 contained five sections(blocks), while plots 3 and 4 contained six sections. Grass samples were collected, and analysed for thirteen essential elements (Na, Mg, P, S, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo) by ICP-MS. The uptake of elements is influenced by soil pH as K(0.27), Cu(0.76), and Mo(1.17) were enhanced with a positive correlation between the levels of acidity in the soil and the concentration of elements in plants which indicated a negative to Mg, P, Ca, Fe, Zn, and Se. Soil Organic Matter contents also affects the element uptake by grass, with Mg and Zn only showing a positive correlation of 1.11 and 0.48, respectively. Land use management was the other factor that affected the nutrition status of forage mono-cropping. Continuous cultivation increases the possibility of soil erosion, indicating essential elements loss from the study area depicted by accumulation at the base of the study plots. Results from the study have shown that different land management affects the soil chemistry, hence changing grass's absorption regime for micronutrients. Cultivation agitates the mobility of essential elements, enriching the food chain with macro and micronutrients. Smart farming should check the issue of hidden hunger caused by land degradation.

Item Type:	Publication - Conference Item (Poster)
Additional Keywords:	IGRD
Date made live:	12 Jan 2024 13:00 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/536614

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