Soil nutrient adequacy for optimal cassava growth, implications on cyanogenic glucoside production: A case of konzo-affected Mtwara region, Tanzania

PLoS One. 2019 May 13;14(5):e0216708. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216708. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Soils in areas affected by konzo (a cassava cyanide intoxication paralytic disorder) are predominantly infertile and probably unable to supply cultivated cassava with the nutrients it needs to achieve optimal growth. Soil nutrient supply in these areas could also be influencing cyanogenic glucoside production in cassava, however there is hardly any knowledge on this. An assessment of soil nutrient levels on crop fields in konzo-affected areas was therefore carried out to determine their adequacy for optimal cassava growth. Konzo-affected Mtwara region of Tanzania, was used as a case study. Whether soil nutrient supply influences cyanogenic glucoside production in cassava cultivated in konzo-affected areas and how it could be doing this, was additionally investigated. To investigate this, correlations between total hydrogen cyanide (HCN) levels (a measure of cyanogenic glucoside content) in cassava roots and various soil nutrient levels on crops fields were carried out. This was followed by an investigation of relationships between cases of cassava cyanide intoxication and soil nutrient levels on crop fields from which the consumed toxic cassava roots had been harvested. Cases of cassava cyanide intoxication were used as a proxy for high cyanogenic glucoside levels in cassava roots. Logistic regression analysis was used in the latter investigation. Other important non-nutrient soil chemical characteristics, like pH and soil organic carbon, were also included in all analysis performed. The results revealed that most soil nutrients known to have reducing effects on cassava cyanogenic glucosides, like potassium (mean = 0.09 cmol/kg, SD = 0.05 cmol/kg), magnesium (mean = 0.26 cmol/kg, SD = 0.14 cmol/kg) and zinc (mean = 1.34 mg/kg, SD = 0.26 mg/kg) were deficient on several crop fields. The results also showed that cyanogenic glucosides in cassava roots could be increased with the increased supply of sulphur in soils in bitter cassava varieties (rs = 0.593, p = 0.032), and with the increased supply of P in soils in all cassava varieties (rs = 0.486, p = 0.026). The risk of cassava cyanide intoxication occurring (and thus high cyanogenic glucoside levels in cassava) was found to be likely increased by cultivating cassava on soils with high pH (X2 = 8.124, p = 0.004) and high iron (X2 = 5.740, p = 0.017). The study managed to establish that cassava grows under conditions of severe nutrient stress and that soil nutrient supply influences cyanogenic glucoside production in cassava cultivated in konzo-affected areas of Mtwara region. Despite the multiple soil nutrient deficiencies on crop fields, low soil fertility was however not the only probable cause of increased cyanogenic glucosides in cassava, as high soil nutrient levels were also found to be potential contributors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon / analysis
  • Cyanides / analysis
  • Glucosides / analysis
  • Glycosides / analysis*
  • Glycosides / metabolism
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Manihot / growth & development*
  • Manihot / metabolism
  • Nutrients / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Potassium / analysis
  • Soil / chemistry*
  • Tanzania
  • Thiocyanates / analysis

Substances

  • Cyanides
  • Glucosides
  • Glycosides
  • Soil
  • Thiocyanates
  • cyanogenic glycosides
  • Carbon
  • Potassium

Grants and funding

This work was made possible with funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) (https://agra.org/) through its Soil Health Program (SHP). AGRA had provided MLEI a scholarship to study at Sokoine University of Agriculture (AGRA Grant number 2009 SHP 027). Partial funding had also been given to MLEI for cassava cyanide analysis by Dr J.H. Bradbury from the Australian National University (ANU) (http://www.anu.edu.au/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.