Summary
This validation study examined Mehlich 3 (M3) as a multi-element soil test for predicting grain nutrient concentrations in five cereal crops across contrasting soils in Ethiopia and Malawi. M3 showed statistically significant correspondence with grain nutrient concentrations in teff and wheat across all nutrients tested, with stronger performance for macronutrients than micronutrients. The findings suggest M3 has potential utility for dietary improvement programmes and soil fertility assessment in sub-Saharan Africa, though micronutrient predictions were somewhat limited by low soil micronutrient concentrations in the sampled soils.
Regional applicability
The M3 method's validation for predicting grain nutrient concentrations may have limited direct application to UK arable systems, where soil testing practices and regulatory frameworks differ substantially and soils typically show higher micronutrient availability. However, the methodological approach to validating multi-element soil tests against grain quality outcomes could inform UK soil health assessment protocols.
Key measures
Soil available nutrient concentrations (M3, CaCl₂, Ca(NO₃)₂, Olsen P, sequential extraction, DTPA); grain macro- and micronutrient concentrations (P, K, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, S); soil pH and properties across 1096 paired soil-crop samples
Outcomes reported
The study assessed how well Mehlich 3 soil nutrient concentrations correspond to grain nutrient concentrations across five cereal crops (maize, rice, sorghum, teff, wheat) in Ethiopia and Malawi. M3 test performance was evaluated against grain nutrient quality and compared with alternative soil extraction methods.
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