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Volume 3 Number 10 October 2017

Water-Nutrients Interaction: Exploring the Effects of Water as a Central Role for Availability & Use Efficiency of Nutrients by Shallow Rooted Vegetable Crops - A Review


Authors: Diriba Shiferaw G.
Pages: 78-93
Abstract
Shallow rooted crops are very sensitive to both nutrients and water stresses; thus, they have to be frequently irrigated and fertilized with balanced nutrients or the two materials together as fertigation especially in semi-arid and arid areas of agriculture. So, this paper was reviewed with the objective of evaluating the effects of soil water and nutrients interaction on the yields and nutrients use efficiency of shallow rooted vegetable crops. Many research activities have been done regarding the interactions of water and nutrients and their use efficiency in different vegetable crops under different agro-ecological conditions. Short supply of fresh water and fertilizer pollution has promoted many investigations into the interaction effects of water and nutrients on crop yield and nutrient and water use efficiency of crops, and some achievements have been made. The value of soil nutrients in plant growth and agricultural output is closely related to water availability and also the agricultural water productivity is in larger part determined by nutrient supplies. Yield or crop productivity is more or less closely correlated with water and nutrients utilization. Nutrient and water application can destabilize the soil nutrient balance and have long-term negative impacts on crop growth and harvest then on the final productivity of the crop. To overcome these problems it requires different mechanisms to be adopted in areas where nutrients and water stresses are a serious problem. Thus, it is possible to increase crop productivity through utilization of an opportunity of selecting improved variety and balanced nutrients application or application of organic fertilizers for dry areas. In conclusion, integrated nutrient and water management is an important issue to minimize the negative impacts of water and nutrients stresses and to increase both yield potential and quality of shallow rooted crops for producers.