Summary
This study assessed zinc status in 475 soil samples from the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, where zinc deficiency is prevalent, using isotopic dilution and multiple extraction methods. Zinc lability was found to be predominantly controlled by soil pH, which explained 94% of variation in the partitioning of exchangeable zinc between solid and solution phases and 86% of variation in soluble zinc. The findings indicate widespread phyto-available zinc deficiency in these soils and suggest that soil pH manipulation may represent a potential agronomic intervention to improve crop zinc uptake.
UK applicability
The findings may have limited direct applicability to UK farming systems, which typically operate at higher soil pH values and have different soil mineralogy and geochemistry. However, the methodological approach (isotopic dilution and WHAM modelling) and the relationship between soil pH and zinc lability could inform UK soil-zinc research on acidic or naturally low-zinc soils.
Key measures
Pseudo-total zinc (ZnTot, aqua regia digestion); DTPA-extractable zinc (ZnDTPA); dissolved zinc in 0.01 M Ca(NO₃) (ZnSoln); isotopically exchangeable zinc using enriched ⁷⁰Zn (ZnE); soil pH; partitioning coefficients; WHAM geochemical model predictions
Outcomes reported
The study quantified zinc status across 475 soil samples from Ethiopia using multiple fractionation methods (pseudo-total, DTPA-extractable, soluble, and isotopically exchangeable zinc) and identified soil pH as the primary driver of zinc lability and solubility. Results showed widespread phyto-available zinc deficiency in these soils, with median labile zinc comprising only 4.7% of total zinc.
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