The use of microplots in a reconnaissance survey of the nutrient status of the soils of Zanzibar island

Abstract

The soil microplot is a method of assessing the response of a soil to external factors, such as the application of fertilizers, in terms of the green weight of a particular plant, the most common one being maize. The chief value of the microplot lies in its cheapness and the rapidity with which a result is obtained as compared with the orthodox field experiment. . Several microplots can be established for the same cost as one large field trial and, within the recognized limitations of the microplot method, give results which are particularly acceptable because they are based on a number of assays.