Phosphorus fertilizer form and application frequency affect soil P availability, chickpea yield, and P use efficiency under drip fertigation

peer reviewedPhosphorus (P) fertilizer properties and nutrient management strategies substantially affect soil P availability as well as uptake and consequently crop yield. The present study aims to study the potential use of inorganic soluble polyphosphates (Poly‐P) as slow‐release fertilizer under drip fertigation. A pot experiment was conducted using an alkaline soil. Two Poly‐P fertilizers, differing in their polymerization rate (Poly‐53 with 53% and Poly‐100 with 100% Poly‐P of the total‐P content), were compared to an orthophosphate (Ortho‐P) and a treatment without P application (control) under three drip fertigation frequencies (Fsow: P fertilizer applied at sowing, Fweek: once a week, and F3days: every 3 days). Soil samples were taken at 40 days after sowing and at harvest from 3 layers (0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm) to determine P availability in soil (Olsen‐P) and its relocation into deeper soil layers. Furthermore, plant growth, yield, P uptake, P use efficiency, as well as water productivity were investigated. Soil P availability varied significantly between fertilizer forms and fertigation frequencies. At higher polymerization rate of the Poly‐P fertilizer, P becomes less mobile in the soil, but its availability is maintained until harvest. The analysis of Olsen‐P at harvest showed that the higher P availability in soil was obtained with Poly‐P forms with higher values in the 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil layers than in the 10–20 cm. In addition, weekly fertigation (Fweek) revealed the best results in terms of P availability compared to other P fertigation regimes, and all P fertilizers significantly improved chickpea grain yield, seed quality, and water productivity, compared to the unfertilized control. Poly‐P fertilizers can be recommended as an effective source of phosphorus for plants, due to their slow‐release properties. Using Poly‐P, the frequency of P application through the drip fertigation system can be reduced while ensuring high crop yields.SoilPhorLif

A regionally based precision medicine implementation initiative in North Africa:The PerMediNA consortium

International audiencePrecision Medicine is being increasingly used in the developed world to improve health care. While several Precision Medicine (PM) initiatives have been launched worldwide, their implementations have proven to be more challenging particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To address this issue, the “Personalized Medicine in North Africa” initiative (PerMediNA) was launched in three North African countries namely Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. PerMediNA is coordinated by Institut Pasteur de Tunis together with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, with the support of Institut Pasteur in France. The project is carried out along with Institut Pasteur d’Algérie and Institut Pasteur du Maroc in collaboration with national and international leading institutions in the field of PM including Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris. PerMediNA aims to assess the readiness level of PM implementation in North Africa, to strengthen PM infrastructure, to provide workforce training, to generate genomic data on North African populations, to implement cost effective, affordable and sustainable genetic testing for cancer patients and to inform policy makers on how to translate research knowledge into health products and services. Gender equity and involvement of young scientists in this implementation process are other key goals of the PerMediNA project.In this paper, we are describing PerMediNA as the first PM implementation initiative in North Africa. Such initiatives contribute significantly in shortening existing health disparities and inequities between developed and developing countries and accelerate access to innovative treatments for global health