Summary
This field study examined how landscape position influences plant-available zinc in Ethiopian soils by conducting adsorption-desorption experiments across three sites in Amhara Region during the 2018/19 season. Zinc retention and release were strongly associated with soil pH, organic carbon and cation exchange capacity, factors linked to topographic position. The authors developed multiple regression models to predict zinc availability, offering potential to tailor fertiliser management strategies to specific landscape positions and improve zinc use efficiency in smallholder farming systems.
UK applicability
The mechanistic insights on zinc sorption in relation to soil properties are globally relevant; however, direct applicability to UK systems is limited because UK soils are typically higher in pH and organic matter than the Ethiopian soils studied, and UK farming operates under different rainfall, cropping and fertiliser regimes. The modelling approach may inform UK zinc fertiliser strategy if similar landscape-position studies were conducted on contrasting UK soil types.
Key measures
Zinc adsorption and desorption isotherms (Freundlich and Langmuir models, r² values 0.70–0.99); soil pH; soil organic carbon concentration; cation exchange capacity; landscape position
Outcomes reported
The study characterised plant-available zinc at different landscape positions in the Amhara Region through adsorption-desorption experiments on soil samples from on-farm trials. Soil pH, organic carbon concentration and cation exchange capacity were identified as key factors governing zinc availability, which varied by landscape position.
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