Seeding vs. vegetative propagations of the stem-nodulating green manure Sesbania rostrata

Summary Ratooning and stem cutting were compared with seeding in order to reduce the amount of seeds of Sesbania rostrata for green-manure growth. Both methods increased the biofertilizer yield highly significantly within a 6-week growth period.     

Yield and nitrogen response of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) to Sesbania rostrata and Aeschynomene afraspera green manure in different marginally productive soils in the Philippines

Organic-N fertilizers in the form of flood-tolerant, leguminous, stem-nodulating Sesbania rostrata and Aeschynomene afraspera may be useful alternatives to resource-poor rice farmers if applied as green manure. Therefore, the accumulation of N by these green manure species and their effect on the performance and yield of wetland rice (IR 64) was examined at four different sites in Luzon, Philippines. Soils deficient in N, P, and K were selected and compared with the fertile Maahas clay of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at Los Baños. The green manure plants were grown under flooded conditions for 49 days in the wet season of 1987, chopped, and then ploughed in before transplanting rice seedlings. In a second experiment, the effect of S. rostrata green manure was studied under rainfed conditions. All green manure treatments were compared to an urea treatment (60 kg N ha^–1) and an untreated control. Both legumes developed well, even on the marginally productive soils. S. rostrata accumulated up to 190 kg N ha^–1 and A. afraspera even accumulated 196 kg N ha^–1 in the shoots. In all treatments, green manure increased grain yield significantly (P=0.05) over the untreated control, by 1.3–1.7 Mg ha^–1. The yields were comparable to those obtained with 60 kg N ha^–1 of urea fertilizer. S. rostrata caused the highest grain yield, of 6.5 Mg ha^–1 on the Maahas clay soil of IRRI. The apparent release of exchangeable NH ₄ ⁺ -N in the soils after green manuring and the rice grain yield response showed that both green manure species may provide sufficient available N throughout the development of IR 64 in the wet season. In the rainfed marginal soil site, green manure with S. rostrata produced even higher rice grain yields than urea. Green manure therefore seems particularly attractive for poor farmers on marginally productive soils, at least as a temporary strategy to improve yield and yield sustainability.     

Effects of Sesbania rostrata and Azolla microphylla incorporation on transformation of applied zinc and copper in lateritic rice soils with different flooding regimes

Fixation of Zn and Cu applied to tropical rice-growing lateritic soils rich in Fe-oxides may be reduced if the soils are kept flooded for a few days before their application. There may be a further reduction if such flooding is combined with incorporation of green manures. To investigate this effect, a laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of different periods (0 and 15 days) of preflooding combined with (0 and 0.50% of soil weight) Sesbania rostrata and Azolla microphylla incorporation as green manures on the transformation of applied Zn and Cu in two lateritic rice-growing soils. Recovery of added Zn/Cu in DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetate)-extractable form was always found to be higher when they were applied after the soils were maintained in a flooded state for 15 days than when applied immediately after flooding; this effect was more prominent in respect of Cu. Contrary to expectations, green manure incorporation along with preflooding caused a significant decrease in recovery of Zn/Cu; the effect, however, showed a decreasing trend as incubation progressed. The effect was more marked with A. microphylla than with S. rostrata, particularly with Cu. Possible causes of such changes and their implications on the Zn/Cu nutrition of rice are discussed. Received: 7 August 1995     

Nitrogen contribution to wetland rice by green manuring with Sesbania spp. in an alkaline soil

Summary Two annual species of Sesbania, S. aculeata and Sesbania sp. PL Se-17, were field evaluated as green manure for wetland rice in an alkaline soil. The two species were raised as a catch crop during summer in a wheat-rice rotation, and added as 24.7 and 20.8 t ha^–1 of green matter, 116 and 98 kg N ha^–1, respectively, after 45 days of growth. For the optimum green manuring effect on rice grain yield and N uptake, S. aculeata required 5 days of decomposition (after turning in and before rice transplantation), whereas no decomposition period was necessary for Sesbania sp. PL Se-17. The effect on grain yield and N uptake of rice was equivalent to an application of 122 and 78 kg ha^–1 of chemical N, for the two species, respectively. There was no residual effect of the green manuring on the soil N status after rice harvest.     

Sesbania rostrata as a green manure for lowland rice: Growth,N2 fixation,Azorhizobium sp. inoculation,and effects on succeeding crop yields and nitrogen balance

Summary Root and stem nodulation, nitrogen fixation (acetylene-reducing activity), growth and N accumulation bySesbania rostrata as affected by season and inoculation were studied in a pot experiment. The effects ofS. rostrata as a green manure on succeeding wet-season and dry-season rice yields and total N balance were also studied.S. rostrata grown during the wet season showed better growth, nodulation, and greater acetylene-reducing activity than that grown during the dry season. Inoculation withAzorhizobium caulinodans ORS 571 StrSpc® (resistant to streptomycin and spectinomycin) on the stem alone or on both root and stem significantly increased N₂ fixation by the plants. Soil and seed inoculation yielded active root nodules under flooded conditions. Plants that were not inoculated on the stem did not develop stem nodules. The nitrogenase activity of the root nodules was greater than that of the stem nodules in about 50-day-oldS. rostrata. S. rostrata incorporation, irrespective of inoculation, significantly increased the grain yield and N uptake of the succeeding wet season and dry season rice crops. The inoculated treatments produced a significantly greater N gain (873 mg N pot^–1) than the noinoculation (712 mg N pot^–1) treatment. About 80% of the N gained was transferred to the succeeding rice crops and about 20% remained in the soil. The soil N in the flooded fallow-rice treatment significantly declined (–140 mg N pot^–1) but significantly increased in bothS. rostrata-rice treatments (159 and 151 mg N pot^–1 in uninoculated and inoculated treatments respectively). The N-balance data gave extrapolated values of N₂ fixed per hectare at about 303 kg N ha^–1 per two crops forS. rostrata (uninoculated)-rice and 383 forS. rostrata (inoculated)-rice.     

Adaptation of green manure legumes to adverse conditions in rice lowlands

Poor adoption of sustainable pre-rice green manure technology by lowland farmers is frequently associated with unreliable legume performance under adverse environmental conditions such as marginal soils, short photoperiod, and unfavorable hydrology. A series of field and microplot experiments were conducted at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in 1991 and 1992 to screen and evaluate 12 promising flood-tolerant legumes for adaptation (N accumulation and biological N₂ fixation) to a range of environmental stresses, frequently encountered in rice lowlands. Legumes belonging to the genera Sesbania and Aeschynomene were grown for 8 weeks at 10×10 cm spacing: (1) in a fertile control soil and in four marginally productive irrigated lowland rice soils (sandy Entisol, P-deficient Inceptisol, acid Ultisol, and saline Mollisol); (2) during short- (11.7h) and long-day (12.3 h) seasons in a favorable irrigated lowland soil; and (3) in an aerobic soil (drought-prone rain-fed lowland) and a deep-flood-prone lowland soil (1 week seedling submergence). A large variability in N accumulation was obsersed among legume species and across different environments, ranging from less than 1 to over 70 mg N plant^-1. The nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa) accounted on average for 82% of total N accumulation. Sesbania virgata was least affected by unfavorable soil conditions but its Ndfa was the lowest among the tested species (less than 60%). Stem nodule formation did not convey a significant advantage to legumes grown under adverse soil conditions. However, flooding reduced N₂ fixation less in stem-nodulating than in solely root-nodulating species. Most species drastically reduced N accumulation under short-day conditions. Aeschynomene afraspera and S. speciosa were least affected by photoperiod. The considerable genetic variability in the germplasm screened allows the selection of potentially appropriate legumes to most conditions studied, thus increasing N accumulation in green manures.     

Nitrogen fixation,biomass production,and nutrient uptake by annual Sesbania species in an alkaline soil

Summary In three field trials conducted during the summer season of 1986, 1987 and 1989 in an alkaline soil, 17 accessions of annual Sesbania spp. were evaluated for nodulation, N₂ fixation (acetylene reduction assay), dry weight of roots and shoots, woody biomass production, and nutrient uptake. At 50 days after sowing all the accessions were effectively nodulated (average 36.4 root nodules plant^-1) with a high nodule score (3.4). There was a lot of variation in nodule volume and mass and in acetylene reduction activity but not in N content (5.2%). N uptake in shoots, roots and nodules averaged 639, 31, and 13 mg plant^-1, respectively, and much of the fixed N remained in shoots. Accessions of S. cannabina complex performed better than others. S. rostrata had poor root nodulation but exhibited excellent stem nodulation (300 nodules plant^-1) even though not inoculated with Azorhizobium sp. Average concentrations of N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg in the shoots were high, at 3.2, 0.28, 1.5, 0.28, 1.5, and 0.4% respectively, and Na was low (0.15%), reflecting the usefulness of Sesbania spp. as an integrated biofertilizer source. Green matter production was 26.0 Mg ha^-1 (5.9 Mg dry matter) and N uptake was 158 kg ha^-1, 54 days after sowing. Average woody biomass of six accessions at maturity, 200 days after sowing, was high (19.9 Mg ha^-1), showing its potential for shortterm firewood production. Total nutrient uptake for production of woody biomass (200 days of growth) was no more demanding than growing the plant to the green-manuring stage of 50–60 days' growth.     

Effect of presubmergence and green manuring (Sesbania aculeata) on nutrition and yield of wetland rice (Oryza sativa L.) on a sodic soil

Summary A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of 0, 1 and 2 weeks' submergence prior to the transplantation of rice (presubmergence), with and without Sesbania aculeata green manure, on the yield and nutrition of rice in a highly sodic soil [pH 10.3, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) 86.4]. Green manuring significantly enhanced the yield of rice and contributed 112 kg N/ha. One week's presubmergence with incorporated green manure improved the yield of rice significantly over that obtained with no previous flooding, giving a yield on a par with that obtained with 2 weeks' submergence. The beneficial effect of presubmergence without green manure on rice yield was of lesser magnitude and was significant only when it was continued for 2 weeks. Cultivation of rice under submerged conditions improved the sodic soil, and green manuring enhanced the process of reclamation by further decreasing the pH value and the exchangeable Na of soil. Green manuring considerably improved organic C, available N, P, and K status of the soil and enhanced the uptake of N, P, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, and Zn by the crop. Effects of submergence and green manuring on the availability of Fe, Mn, Zn, and P in soil and their role in the nutrition of rice are discussed.     

Influence of green manuring with Sesbania rostrata and Aeschynomene afraspera or urea on dynamics and uptake of nutrients by wetland rice

Nutrient concentrations in the soil and crop uptake from incorporated green manure and urea in flooded rice was studied in field experiments. Release of plant-available nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺-N) from green manure was slightly delayed compared with that from prilled urea (PU) because Sesbania rostrata L. and Aeschynomene afraspera L. released the N gradually after their decomposition, whereas N became available immediately after PU application. Exchangeable NH₄ ⁺-N concentration in soil peaked at 163 mg kg^–1 in the transplanted rice (TPR) and 198 mg kg^—1 in broadcast-seeded rice (BSR) at 0 and 1 week after PU application. Broadcast-seeded rice depleted NH₄ ⁺-N faster than did TPR because of the crop‘s vigorous growth in the former during the early stage. Soil solution NH₄ ⁺-N followed a similar trend to that of soil NH₄ ⁺-N. Incorporation of S. rostrata and A. afraspera increased the concentration of P, K⁺, Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ in soil solution more than did the application of PU. However, zinc concentration decreased in all treatments. Both PU and green manure increased the N status of the rice plants and enhanced the uptake of P, K, Fe, Mn and Zn by the rice crop. This suggests that application of green manures improves the uptake of these nutrients by the crop. The highest apparent N recovery was obtained with PU followed by green manure. Received: 11 November 1996     

Influence of light and pH on growth and nitrogenase activity on temperate-grown Azolla

Summary We investigated the influence of light intensity and pH on growth and acetylene reduction in three strains of Azolla filiculoides and one strain of A. pinnata cultivated under ambient conditions in Naples, Italy. A. pinnata showed maximum growth and acetylene reduction activity at 65% of natural light intensity (82 Klux) and at pH 5–7. In contrast, three A. filiculoides strains showed maximum values in a wider range of light intensity (50–100%) and pH (5–9). All optimal growth conditions of light intensity and pH were obtained from the determination of doubling time for dry and fresh weight increases. The lowest doubling time for all strains was in the range 2.7–3.3 days. Under these optimal conditions, the acetylene reduction activity rates were 46 nmol ethylene h^–1 mg^–1 dry weight for two strains of A. filiculoides from California, and 90 nmol for A. filiculoides from Naples and A. pinnata from Tancheng, Peoples Republic of China. These values correspond to those reported for strains of A. filiculoides and A. pinnata cultivated in areas outside Italy where the use of Azolla as biofertilizer has resulted in increased crop production. Therefore, the strains studied here may have a similar potential in Southern Italy as a source of biomass, dry matter and nitrogenous compounds.Research work supported by CNR, Italy. Special grant I. P. R. A. Sub-project 1. Paper No. 814     

Effects of legume green-manuring on nitrogen mineralization and some microbiological properties in an acid rice soil

We studied N mineralization of legume green manures under laboratory and field conditions, and the effects of field green-manuring on the microbiological properties of an acid Alfisol soil. No significant differences were found in the mineralization rates of Sesbania (Sesbania cannabina), sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea), and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) green manure. Mineralization was higher in field-capacity moist soil than water-saturated soil. The decomposition of sunnhemp under field wetland conditions, in the absence of a rice crop, was a rapid as it was under in vitro conditions. The decomposition released considerable amounts of mineral N and the level of NH ₄ ⁺ -N was significantly higher than NO ₃ ^– -N. Significant improvements were observed in the microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, and bacterial populations in the field soil green-manured for rice for 3 years, compared with fertilized soil.     

翻压等量紫云英条件下不同化肥用量对土壤养分有效性及水稻产量的影响

在翻压等量紫云英条件下,研究了不同化肥用量对土壤养分有效性及水稻产量的影响.结果表明,早稻田翻压紫云英22500 kg/hm2后配施化肥,与施用100％化肥(MF100)相比,施用60％～80％化肥,土壤中碱解N、速效钾含量均有增加,增幅为10％～59％;施用40％化肥,土壤中有效磷含量显著增加25％ ～ 80％.翻压...     

Influence of phosphorus or phosphorus-potassium fertilization on biomass and dinitrogen fixation of the stem-nodulating green-manure legume Sesbania rostrata in different marginally productive wetland rice soils

The performance of Sesbania rostrata varies widely from site to site. This makes it difficult to predict the N yield and biomass of this plant in marginally productive soils, and to arouse the interest of farmers in green manure technology. Three consecutive pot experiments were conducted in a greenhouse at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to evaluate growth, nodulation, N₂ fixation (C₂H₂ reduction assay and ¹⁵N dilution method), and N yield of 6-week-old S. rostrata on 13 physicochemically different wetland rice soils of the Philippines and on three artificial substrates. The performance of S. rostrata on the unfertilized controls was compared with two fertilizer treatments containing either P (100 mg P kg^-1 dry soil) or P+K (100 mg P kg^-1 and 200 mg K kg^-1 dry soil). In the control soils and substrates, the N yield of S. rostrata varied between 20 and 470 mg N per pot, with the N rate from N₂ fixation ranging between 0 and 95%. In three of the nutritionally poor soils even Mn toxicity symptoms apparently occurred with S. rostrata. P application alleviated these symptoms and increased the overall N yield considerably, mainly through increased biological N₂ fixation. An additional increase in N yield was obtained by the PK treatment. Multiple regression analysis between soil characteristics and the N yield of S. rostrata showed that the original level of P (Olsen-extracted) and Mn in the soil accounted for 73% of the variance in biomass production by S. rostrata among the unfertilized soils and substrates.     

The interactive effects of biochar and cow manure on rice growth and selected properties of salt-affected soil

Salt-affected soil induces detrimental influences on paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and ameliorating the influences could be done with organic amendments, such as animal manure and biochar. The aims of the current study are: (1) to examine the interactive effects of biochar and cow manure on rice growth and on selected properties of salt-affected soil, and (2) to identify potential mechanisms related to the amendments. Saline-sodic soil was used for a net house experiment with two experimental factors: biochar (no-biochar, rice-husk, and -straw biochar) and cow manure (with and without cow manure). Without the manure, addition of both rice-hush and – straw biochar significantly increased rice growth, whereas a combination of individual biochar with manure did not show a positive synergistic effect. The interactive effect of two factors was not significant on available P and exchangeable K concentrations, but the main effects of the two factors were significant. Biochar addition resulted in higher soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) (28.8 to 29.0 cmol_c kg^?1) than the control (25.6 cmol_c kg^?1), but manure addition did not. Improved nutrient availabilities such as P and K, as well as CEC are among the potential mechanisms accounting for the enhanced rice growth with biochar.     

Effect of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit. as a green manure on nitrogen uptake and yield of rice

Summary Field studies were conducted over two seasons to examine the effect of Leucaena leucocephala as a green manure on the N uptake and yield of rice grown under lowland conditions. The treatments were 0, 4, 8, and 12t Leucaena ha^-1 with 0,44, and 88 kg N ha^-1 as urea in a factorial combination. N uptake was evaluated at maximum tillering, panicle initiation, and harvest. The incorporation of Leucaena increased N uptake throughout the vegetative period in both seasons, irrespective of the mineral-N level. At all levels of N, the grain yield increased significantly following the incorporation of Leucaena, and in both seasons the Leucaena treatment of 8 t ha^-1 was almost as effective as the highest mineral-N application.     

Nitrogen fixation and beneficial effects of some grain legumes and green-manure crops on rice

Studies were conducted on paddy soils to ascertain N₂ fixation, growth, and N supplying ability of some green-manure crops and grain legumes. In a 60-day pot trial, sunhemp (Crotalaria juncia) produced a significantly higher dry matter content and N yield than Sesbania sesban, S. rostrata, cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), and blackgram (V. mungo), deriving 91% of its N content from the atmosphere. Dry matter production and N yield by the legumes were significantly correlated with the quantity of N₂ fixed. In a lowland field study involving sunhemp, blackgram, cowpeas, and mungbean, the former produced the highest stover yield and the stover N content, accumulating 160–250 kg N ha^-1 in 60 days, and showed great promise as a biofertilizer for rice. The grain legumes showed good adaptability to rice-based cropping systems and produced a seed yield of 1125–2080 kg ha^-1, depending on the location, species, and cultivar. Significant inter- and intraspecific differences in the stover N content were evident among the grain legumes, with blackgram having the highest N (104–155 kg N ha^-1). In a trial on sequential cropping, the groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) showed a significantly higher N₂ fixation and residual N effect on the succeeding rice crop than cowpeas, blackgram, mungbeans (V. radiata), and pigeonpeas (Cajanus cajan). The growth and N yield of the rice crop were positively correlated with the quantity of N₂ fixed by the preceding legume crop.     

Evolution of dinitrogen and nitrous oxide from the soil to the atmosphere through rice plants

Summary It is commonly assumed that a large fraction of fertilizer N applied to a rice (Oryza sativa L.) field is lost from the soil-water-plant system as a result of denitrification. Direct evidence to support this view, however, is limited. The few direct field, denitrification gas measurements that have been made indicate less N loss than that determined by ¹⁵N balance after the growing season. One explanation for this discrepancy is that the N₂ produced during denitrification in a flooded soil remains trapped in the soil system and does not evolve to the atmosphere until the soil dries or is otherwise disturbed. It seems likely, however, that N₂ produced in the soil uses the rice plants as a conduit to the atmosphere, as does methane. Methane evolution from a rice field has been demonstrated to occur almost exclusively through the rice plants themselves. A field study in Cuttack, India, and a greenhouse study in Fort Collins, Colorado, were conducted to determine the influence of rice plants on the transport of N₂ and N₂O from the soil to the atmosphere. In these studies, plots were fertilized with 75 or 99 atom % ¹⁵N-urea and ¹⁵N techniques were used to monitor the daily evolution of N₂ and N₂O. At weekly intervals the amount of N₂+N₂O trapped in the flooded soil and the total-N and fertilized-N content of the soil and plants were measured in the greenhouse plots. Direct measurement of N₂+N₂O emission from field and greenhouse plots indicated that the young rice plant facilitates the efflux of N₂ and N₂O from the soil to the atmosphere. Little N gas was trapped in the rice-planted soils while large quantities were trapped in the unplanted soils. N losses due to denitrification accounted for only up to 10% of the loss of added N in planted soils in the field or greenhouse. The major losses of fertilizer N from both the field and greenhouse soils appear to have been the result of NH₃ volatilization.     

Effect of green manuring,blue-green algae and neem-cake-coated urea on wetland rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Summary A field trial was set up to examine the effect of green manuring, blue-green algae, and neem-cake-coated urea on a rice crop. Summer green manuring using Sesbania aculeata increased the crop yield. Inoculation of blue-green algae increased the rice grain yield when 60 kg N ha^-1 was applied as prilled urea, but the increase in grain yield was greater when 60 kg N ha^-1 was applied as neem-cake-coated urea. The results of the present study show that applications of green manure, neem-cake-coated urea, and blue-green algae are complementary and that the three treatments can be used together in the rice ecosystem. The green manure and the fertilizer treatments had no effect on the algal flora of the soil.     

Yield stability and fertilizer efficiency of long-term triple cereal cropping in paddy fields of China

Triple cereal cropping is an important grain production pattern which has been adopted on a vast area of paddy fields in Southern China. A long-term triple cereal cropping (barely with double-cropped rice) experiment has been conducted for 18 years (1974–1991) in paddy fields on the southern coastal plain of Zhejiang. The results showed that long-term triple cereal cropping has a high and stable grain yield level if certain improved crop varieties are used. Furthermore, the use of organic manure to reduce yield fluctuations and promote N-use efficiency was evaluated.     

Effect of encapsulated calcium carbide on dinitrogen,nitrous oxide,methane, and carbon dioxide emissions from flooded rice

Summary The efficiency of N use in flooded rice is usually low, chiefly due to gaseous losses. Emission of CH₄, a gas implicated in global warming, can also be substantial in flooded rice. In a greenhouse study, the nitrification inhibitor encapsulated calcium carbide (a slow-release source of acetylene) was added with 75, 150, and 225 mg of 75 atom % ¹⁵N urea-N to flooded pots containing 18-day-old rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants. Urea treatments without calcium carbide were included as controls. After the application of encapsulated calcium carbide, 3.6 g N₂, 12.4 g N₂O-N, and 3.6 mg CH₄ were emitted per pot in 30 days. Without calcium carbide, 3.0 mg N₂, 22.8 g N₂O-N, and 39.0 mg CH₄ per pot were emitted during the same period. The rate of N added had a positive effect on N₂ and N₂O emissions, but the effect on CH₄ emissions varied with time. Carbon dioxide emissions were lower with encapsulated calcium carbide than without. The use of encapsulated calcium carbide appears effective in eliminating N₂ losses, and in minimizing emissions of the greenhouse gases N₂O and CH₄ in flooded rice.