Summary
This field survey characterises zinc status across 475 soil samples from the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, where zinc deficiency is widespread in human populations. Using multiple extraction methods and stable isotope dilution, the authors demonstrate that soil pH explains 94 % of variation in zinc partitioning between solid and solution phases, with median labile zinc representing only 4.7 % of total soil zinc. The findings suggest that zinc bioavailability in these tropical soils is predominantly pH-controlled, with implications for agronomic interventions to address crop zinc deficiency.
UK applicability
The direct applicability to UK farming systems is limited, as Ethiopian soils typically differ substantially in genesis, mineralogy, and pH from UK agricultural soils. However, the methodological approach — combining isotopic exchangeability with geochemical modelling rather than sequential extraction — may inform UK research into micronutrient bioavailability in contrasting soil types.
Key measures
Pseudo-total zinc (ZnTot), DTPA-extractable zinc (ZnDTPA), soluble zinc (ZnSoln), isotopically exchangeable zinc (ZnE), soil pH, soil geochemical properties
Outcomes reported
The study quantified zinc fractions (total, DTPA-extractable, soluble, and isotopically exchangeable) in 475 soil samples from the Amhara Region and modelled how soil geochemical properties control zinc lability and solubility. Results showed widespread phyto-available zinc deficiency in these soils, with labile zinc partitioning highly dependent on soil pH.
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