Phosphorus Uptake and Balance in a Soyabean-Maize Rotation in the Moist Savanna of West Africa

This study investigated the effect of maturity class on phosphorus (P) balance in a soyabean-maize rotation in the West African moist savanna.F our soyabean varieties of different maturity classes were grown with or without P fertilizer followed by a maize crop. Soyabean stover P content averaged 1.77 kg ha−1 compared with 5.13 kg ha−1 in the grain. The late soyabean variety TGx1670-1F accumulated a significantly higher P in the grain (6.56 kg ha−1), and stover (2.57 kg ha−1) than the others. While P harvest index averaged 79%, P application increased grain P by 63-81% and stover P by 100% or more. When either soyabean grain or grain+stover was exported, P balance was negative and was not statistically different for varieties when no P was applied. At 30 or 60 kg P ha−1, P balance was negative but significantly lower in TGx1670-1F compared with other varieties. In creasing P rate applied to soyabean significantly (p 0.01) increased maize grain P by 35-66% in the second year. When P was exported only in soyabean grain, cumulative P balances after maize grain harvest (with no P or 30 kg ha−1 applied previous year) were not significantly different for previous soyabean crops. At 60 kg ha−1, however, P balance in previous TGx1670-1F plot was significantly lower than for other varieties. A further export of soyabean stover reduced P balance. Significant residual P effect was observed emphasizing the need to focus P fertilizer application in the cropping system rather than on the single crop. Also with more P in soyabean grain, a reduction in the extent of P depletion will be achieved by returning soyabean stover to the field after threshing

Factors associated with the severity of motor impairment in children with cerebral palsy seen in Enugu, Nigeria

Background. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a heterogeneous condition that is well known to cause impairments with varying degrees of severity. The gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) is widely used to assess ambulatory function in CP, but little is known about the factors that account for the variations in gross motor function in children. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between the severity of gross motor dysfunction (GMD) and certain factors such as the type of CP, aetiology of CP, nutrition, socioeconomic class (SEC), and the frequency of these accompanying impairments like visual, auditory, cognitive and speech impairments. Methods. This was a cross-sectional observational study of 100 consecutively recruited CP patients aged 9 - 96 months, who attended the paediatric neurology clinics (PNCs) in Enugu between April and October 2010. Each patient’s clinical history was recorded, a neurological examination conducted and GMFCS level ascertained. Statistical analyses were done to determine the association between the categorical variables. Results. The type of CP (p=0.000), aetiological factors (p=0.016), the presence of malnutrition (p=0.004) and the frequency of accompanying impairments (p=0.001) were significantly associated with the severity of GMD, while SEC (p=0.649) had no significant association. Conclusion. The type of CP, aetiological factors, the presence of malnutrition and the number of accompanying physical, mental or physiological impairments, were positively associated with the severity of GMD and walking ability in children with CP