Good soil management can reduce dietary zinc deficiency in Zimbabwe

Table 1 Published maize grain yields and grain Zn concentration in maize grains in Hwedza and Makoni Districts

Soil fertility management option	Maize grain yield	Maize grain Zn concentration	Site	Reference
Soil fertility management option	(kg ha⁻¹)	(mg kg⁻¹)	Site	Reference
No form of organic or mineral fertilizer	423	13.5	Farmers’ field	Manzeke et al. (2012)
Mineral NPK fertilizer only	990	15.0	Farmers’ field	Manzeke et al. (2012)
Mineral NPK + *organic fertilizer	1501	19.3	Farmers’ field	Manzeke et al. (2012)
Mineral NPK + ^¥soil Zn	2100	25.8	Experimental field	Manzeke et al. (2014)
Cattle manure + mineral NPK + soil Zn	3000	28.0	Experimental field	Manzeke et al. (2014)
Woodland leaf litter + mineral NPK + soil Zn	3400	32.4	Experimental field	Manzeke et al. (2014)

*organic fertilizer was cattle manure or woodland leaf litter or compost. ¥-soil Zn fertilizer was applied at 5 kg elemental Zn ha⁻¹ as ZnSO₄.7H₂O. Mineral NPK was applied from compound D (7% N:14% P₂O₅:7% K₂O) and ammonium nitrate (AN-34.5% N) to supply optimal rates of N (90 kg ha⁻¹), P (26 kg ha⁻¹) and K (30 kg ha⁻¹) required for maize production (See FAO 2006; Manzeke et al. 2012, 2014; Kurwakumire et al. 2014)

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