_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
*Corresponding author: E-mail: nelwaf@gmail.com;
International Journal of Plant & Soil Science
13(3): 1-9, 2016; Article no.IJPSS.29901
ISSN: 2320-7035
SCIENCEDOMAIN international
www.sciencedomain.org
Phosphorus Influence on Plant Tissue Nitrogen
Contents and Yield Attributes of Finger Millet
Varieties in Semi-arid Region of Kenya
Wekha N. Wafula
1,2*
, Nicholas K. Korir
1
, Henry F. Ojulong
2
, Moses Siambi
2
and Joseph P. Gweyi-Onyango
1
1
Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kenyatta University, P.O.Box 43844-00100,
Nairobi, Kenya.
2
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), P.O.Box 39063-00623,
Nairobi, Kenya.
Authors’ contributions
This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Author WNW designed the study,
wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Authors HFO, MS and JPGO reviewed
the study design and all drafts of the manuscript. Author NKK managed the analyses of the study.
Author WNW managed the literature searches. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Article Information
DOI: 10.9734/IJPSS/2016/29901
Editor(s):
(1) Davide Neri, Polytechnic University of Marche - Via Brecce White, Ancona, Italy.
(2) Fatemeh Nejatzadeh, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Khoy Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran.
Reviewers:
(1) Abdulmajeed Hamza, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
(2) Anélia Marais, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, South Africa.
(3) Nkeki Kamai, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/16885
Received 3
rd
October 2016
Accepted 7
th
November 2016
Published 11
th
November 2016
ABSTRACT
The experiment was conducted with the aim of evaluating the effect of differential levels of P on
finger millet accumulation of N and yield components. On-station experiments were conducted at
the KALRO-Kiboko crops research station in Makueni County during the short and long rains of
2014 and 2015 respectively. There were 4 levels of P (0, 12.5, 25 and 37.5 kg ha
-1
P
2
O
5
) and three
varieties (U-15, P-224 and Ekalakala). Ekalakala was the local check while 0 kg/ha P
2
O
5
was the
control. The trial was laid out in a randomized complete block design and fitted in factorial
arrangement with three replicates given a total of 36 plots. Soil sampling was at a depth of 0-30 cm
on all the plots and analytical results showed moderately available P but very low N, organic carbon
Original Research Article