Fungenzi, T., A. Recamán, J. Schmidt, S.D.S. Khalsa. 2024.
Understanding soil nutrient dynamics is critical for the sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems. This study examines the temporal changes in soil nutrient availability within a fertigated cocoa plantation in the Meta region of Colombia using ion exchange membranes (IEMs) in the form of plant root simulator (PRS) probes. These membranes, designed to mimic plant root nutrient uptake, provide a novel approach to assessing nutrient availability with minimal soil disturbance. This research aims to reveal nutrient availability patterns across a chronosequence from pre-cultivation to six-year-old cocoa plots. Methodologically, we incubated 12 PRS probes at ten sampling locations distributed among seven plantation cohorts. We placed six PRS probes (i.e., three anionic and three cationic) in the alleyways and six within the double tree rows at each sampling location (excluding the pasture). This setup enabled a thorough analysis of nutrient supply, offering a comprehensive perspective on the nutrient dynamics within the plantation. The probes are anticipated to reflect the nutrient contributions from the plantation's fertigation system and to unveil the progression of nutrient dynamics corresponding to the maturation of the plots. This research addresses a significant gap in understanding nutrient dynamics in tropical perennial systems like cocoa plantations. By shedding light on how nutrient availability fluctuates with plantation age, the findings could lead to more effective and sustainable fertilization strategies. Using PRS probes has the potential to enhance the accuracy of nutrient management practices by providing a dynamic, real-time estimate of soil nutrient availability.
