The transportation load of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) seedlings from the nursery to planting sites is a crucial problem facing the extension of smallholder plantations in Cameroon. This load can be considerably reduced by removing soil from the roots, which in turn exposes the plants to water and nutrients stresses. A greenhouse pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the recovery performance of such soil-stripped seedlings as a function of watering frequency and soil texture. Plant recovery potential was monitored on 360 nursery seedlings aged 4 months, under two soil types (sandy clay soil with 46% fine particles and sandy loam soil with 19% fine particles) and two watering frequencies (daily and two-days). Three monthly measurements were taken on morphological plant growth parameters including Plant height, Foliar surface, Collar diameter, Root length and Plant weight. Within and between groups analyses of variance and means separation showed the greatest variability for collar diameter, foliar surface and plant weight. All the parameters showed a greater variability and an almost-constant growth from one month to another, except for plant weight that did show a highly significant (p = 0.000) increase between the first measurement and the second. Soil type, watering and their interaction explained 97–99.5% of the variations of all parameters. Except for root length, all other parameters were more sensitive to the effect of soil texture, explaining 83–95% of the total variation. Only plant weight and root length showed slightly greater values under daily watering, other parameters did not show any sensibility to the two watering frequencies proposed in this experiment. Our results showed a low response of plant growth recovery on the low clay sandy loam soil, revealing that a careful selection of a soil texture is crucial for the survival of seedlings and further establishment of the plants following drought stress. It is therefore strongly recommended to many tropical countries where oil palm is an economically important crop, to take this into account during the selection of soil type for oil palm seedlings nursery.

The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) is located in the upper reaches of the Nile River Basin and is shared by five East-African countries. The population in the catchment is growing rapidly and the lake is facing several environmental problems. During the past few decades, numerous efforts have been made across the five countries, with the coordination of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) to reduce the loading of reactive nitrogen (Nr) into the lake and Lake Watershed. However, most of the measures envisaged to ensure long-term sustainable N management are not as easily adopted as planned. This paper reports on a review study on N flows and obstacles in achieving sustainable N management in the LVB, with the objectives of improving the understanding of the N cycle and examining the N management practices and policies that can help reduce the loss of Nr in the region. The scientific literature related to a range of N flows, N management obstacles, and options to overcome obstacles has been analyzed using N prospects developed at the global level for their potential applicability across the LVB. The study showed that an unbalanced use of N input is a serious threat to agricultural productivity leading to extreme soil N mining and degradation, with the majority of LVB farms operating within negative N balances and above the safe operating boundary for N in production systems. From the projections in N input as recommended by various stakeholders, there would likely be changes in both current yield and N use efficiency (NUE) values; however, most small-scale farmers will continue to experience low yields, which remains a challenge for food security in the area. These results suggest that scientists as well as those involved in decision-making and policymaking processes should formulate new targets for fertilizer increment to reduce the yield gap for sustainability, focusing on more integrated soil fertility as a package for nutrient management in cropping systems.