This book is a compilation of a well-researched work indicating levels of selected mineral elements in common medicinal plants of Chuka community, Tharaka nithi County in Kenya. The results show that medicinal plants of this region have significant levels of mineral elements in varied concentrations. Among the medicinal plants considered in this study were Aloe secundiflora, Prunus africana, Bauhinia tomentosa, Bidens pilosa, Carisa edulis among others. They were analysed for Na, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mg, Cr, K and Cu. This information will provide insight for baseline studies and may also be useful in...

Essential plant nutrients are necessary for plant growth, However, some of these nutrients are added as inorganic fertilizers due to high demand of food arising from fast growth in population which has necessitated the need to expand agricultural activities. This has lead to overuse of commercial inorganic fertilizers leading to drop in soil pH. Low pH reduces the availability of essential nutrients to plants and also low rate of decomposition of organic matter that is required to increase buffering capacity of the soil. Soil acidity is reduced by liming, which is an expensive exercise and...