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Response of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) to Mg and K application on some alfisols and inceptisols of northern Nigeria
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 March 2009
Extract
Fertilizer work in the savannah soils of northern Nigeria has been largely confined to the two most limiting nutrients N and P. The gradual shift towards continuous intensive cultivation coupled with the introduction of improved crop varieties and better crop management has necessitated the consideration of other elements, such as magnesium. The widespread use of K fertilizer in the absence of Mg fertilization may have an adverse effect on Mg availability in view of the well-known ionic antagonisms between Mg and K in plant nutrition (Jacob, 1958; Welter & Werner, 1963). Plants require greater amounts of Mg than normal to prevent deficiency under conditions of high soil K (Ulrich & Ohki, 1956; Kabu & Toop, 1970). Therefore soils hitherto considered to be adequately supplied with Mg may well be suffering from induced Mg deficiency under the present fertilizer programme which involves only K as the major cation. Tobacco is an important cash crop generally rated as a high Mg demanding crop (Adams & Pearson, 1967). The growth characteristics of the crop (enormous leaf development and rapidity of plant growth) make it an excellent crop to study. The abnormality in growth of tobacco, now known as sand drown, was first observed on tobacco grown on sandy soils, especially during periods of excessive rainfall. The abnormality was later found to be due to Mg deficiency.
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