Articles
Iodine concentrations of irrigation water in horticultural areas of Morocco and southern Africa
Article number
1422_30
Pages
243 – 250
Language
English
Abstract
Iodine (I) is mentioned as a beneficial nutrient for plants.
For horticultural crops, adequate levels of I in the nutrient solution can help achieve better developed root systems, greater yields of better quality of fruit, and improved resilience to abiotic stress.
To ease application, I can be added as a micro-nutrient to potassium nitrate based nutrient solutions.
To prevent loss of production and fruit quality by lack of I in plants, it is important to understand how much I the crop can absorb from the irrigation water.
Accordingly, 50 samples of irrigation water used on farms in 4 horticultural areas of Morocco, and 40 samples from farms in 7 provinces of South Africa and Lesotho, were collected and analysed.
The origin of water borehole, surface water, or piped water was more relevant to predict a potential I deficiency of crops, than the geographic location of the farms where water was sampled.
On average, the concentration of I in all samples was 0.17±0.30 µmol L‑1 for Morocco and 0.42±0.29 µmol L‑1 for southern Africa, with the distribution of the data skewed in the direction of the lowest concentrations.
Only one Moroccan sample and 3 of the South African samples, contained more than 1 µmol L‑1, which is considered the minimal amount in the nutrient solution to see a benefit of I in crops.
For horticultural crops, adequate levels of I in the nutrient solution can help achieve better developed root systems, greater yields of better quality of fruit, and improved resilience to abiotic stress.
To ease application, I can be added as a micro-nutrient to potassium nitrate based nutrient solutions.
To prevent loss of production and fruit quality by lack of I in plants, it is important to understand how much I the crop can absorb from the irrigation water.
Accordingly, 50 samples of irrigation water used on farms in 4 horticultural areas of Morocco, and 40 samples from farms in 7 provinces of South Africa and Lesotho, were collected and analysed.
The origin of water borehole, surface water, or piped water was more relevant to predict a potential I deficiency of crops, than the geographic location of the farms where water was sampled.
On average, the concentration of I in all samples was 0.17±0.30 µmol L‑1 for Morocco and 0.42±0.29 µmol L‑1 for southern Africa, with the distribution of the data skewed in the direction of the lowest concentrations.
Only one Moroccan sample and 3 of the South African samples, contained more than 1 µmol L‑1, which is considered the minimal amount in the nutrient solution to see a benefit of I in crops.
Publication
Authors
K. Hora, M.O. Ould Youcef, D. Napier
Keywords
micronutrient, fertigation, vegetable crops, sodium, biofortification, river, dam, well
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