Mineral uptake in Solanum nigrum L. cultivated on fertiliser amended soils of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Authors

  • Callistus Bvenura
  • Anthony J. Afolayan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5073/JABFQ.2014.087.031

Keywords:

Solanum nigrum, microminerals, wild vegetables, fertiliser

Abstract

A considerable interest has been manifested in the cultivation of wild vegetables to combat the ever increasing hunger and micronutrient deficiencies especially in children from the developing world. Solanum nigrum, one of the popular wild vegetables consumed in the Eastern Cape was cultivated on sandy loam soils to determine the effect of fertilisers on Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn uptake in relation to its growth stages. Five treatments (control; 100 kg N/ha; 8.13 t manure/ha; 100 kg N/ha + 8.13 t manure/ha and 50 kg N/ha + 4.07 t manure/ha) were arranged in plots in a Randomised Complete Block Design with five replicates. Cu (mg/kg) remained variably high throughout the trial, ranging between 7.20-23.50 on the field and 5.30-21.40 in the glasshouse. Fe (mg/kg) also remained variably high, ranging between 213- 766 on the field and 178-523 in the glasshouse. Mn (mg/kg) increased with increasing plant maturity and ranged between 85-222 on the field and 64-215 in the glasshouse, but Zn (mg/kg) decreased with plant maturity and ranged between 33-78 on the field and 16-74 in the glasshouse. The results indicate that Solanum nigrum has the potential to supply the recommended daily micronutrient intake values throughout all its growth stages.

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Published

2014-10-21

Issue

Vol. 87 (2014): Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality

Section

Article

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