Weed seedbank response to planted fallow and tillage in southwest Nigeria

Planted fallows are an alternative to the unsustainable bush fallow for improved soil and weed management in the tropics. However, the interactive effects of planted fallows and tillage on the weed seedbank are not well documented in the tropical environment. The effect of fallow type and tillage on the weed seedbank in the soil was assessed in 1995 and 1996 at Ibadan, southwest Nigeria. The planted fallow species consisted of a herbaceous legume (Pueraria phaseoloides) and three woody legumes (Acacia auriculiformis, Leucaena leucocephala, and Senna siamea). Natural bush fallow and continuous cassava/maize plots were controls. Tillage treatments were minimum tillage and mounding. Continuous maize/cassava plots had the largest weed seedbank in both years. After six years of continuous fallow, the weed seedbank was 86% lower in A. auriculiformis, 79% in P. phaseoloides, 68% in S. siamea, 53% in L. leucocephala, and 35% in natural bush fallow plots than in continuously cultivated plots. Compared to minimum tillage, mounding reduced the seedbank by 47% in 1995 and 66% in 1996. Redundancy analysis showed that tillage contributed significantly to the variance in species composition. Euphorbia hyssopifolia, E. heterophylla, and Cynodon dactylon showed no preference in terms of tillage. Perennial and annual grasses (Digitaria horizontalis, Eleusine indica, Paspalum orbiculare, Cynodon dactylon) with Cyathula prostrata and Desmodium scorpiurus, an annual and perennial broadleaf, respectively, were most abundant in the seedbank of continuously cultivated plots. There were more annual broadleaf weeds in the seedbank of planted fallow plots than in the control plots. Species diversity of the seedbank was greatest in plots under minimum tillage. Mounding as a seedbed preparation method, especially within the improved fallow system, could reduce the high weed pressure experienced by smallholder farmers in southwest Nigeria.     

Planted legume fallows reduce weeds and increase soil N and P contents but not upland rice yields

Shortened fallows have resulted in declining upland rice yields in slash-and-burn upland rice systems in northern Laos. We studied the benefit of planted legume fallows for rice productivity, weeds, and soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability. Four systems were evaluated over a 5-year period: 1-year fallow with native species, 1-year Cajanus cajan fallow, 1-year Leucaena leucocephala fallow, and continuous annual rice cropping. Rice was grown either once each year as continuous annual cropping or in alternate years of 2001, 2003, and 2005. C. cajan and L. leucocephala were sown with rice during the 2001 growing season. In subsequent years, L. leucocephala regenerated from root stock and did not have to be resown, whereas C. cajan was resown in 2003. Establishment of either C. cajan or L. leucocephala had no significant effect on rice yield in 2001, and rice yields ranged from 2.0 to 2.3 t/ha. Rice yields declined rapidly in succeeding years, and rice yields in the four systems ranged from 0.7 to 1.1 t/ha in 2003 and from 0.3 to 0.5 t/ha in 2005. Although two planted fallow systems increased nitrogen input because of greater biomass accumulation in 2003 and 2005 and soil phosphorus availability was higher following L. leucocephala fallow in 2005, there were no significant differences in rice yields among the four systems in either year. Weed biomass during the rice growing season increased each year in all systems and increased more rapidly for continuous annual rice cropping, in which the dominant weed species was Ageratum conyzoides L. Among the other three systems, there were no significant differences in the weed biomass in 2003 and 2005. We conclude that C. cajan and L. leucocephala as 1-year fallows do not offset the negative effects of increased cropping intensity on rice yield in this region.     

Screening woody and shrub legumes for growth, nodulation and nitrogen-fixation potential in two contrasting soils

In order to identify for alley cropping new candidate species with high biomass and nitrogen-fixing potential, a screening study was conducted on ten woody and shrub legumes (Acacia auriculiformis, Albizia lebbeck, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena diversifolia, L. leucocephala cv. K28 and cv. K636, Lonchocarpus sericeus, Cajanus cajan, Crotalaria juncea and Tephorsia candida) for 6 months using an acid Ultisol and a non-acid Alfisol. A wide interspecific variability of legumes appeared within soil types, and there were significant species-by-soil interactions for many parameters in this study. In the acid Ultisol, plant growth in height and grith, nodule numbers, nitrogen yield and N₂-fixing potential were significantly (P = 0.05) lower than those in the Alfisol. While Albizia lebbeck was outstanding in both acid and non-acid soil conditions for most performance criteria, L. leucocephala cv. K28 was most sensitive to soil acidity with 41.7% of total nitrogen yield in the Ultisol relative to that accumulated in the Alfisol. In addition to L. leucocephala cv. K28 and G. sepium, the most common hedgerow species, A. lebbeck, L. leucocephala cv. K636, L. diversifolia on Alfisol, and A. lebbeck, L. leucocephala cv. K636, L. diversifolia, Tephrosia candida and Cajanus cajan on acid Ultisol, could be considered promising and thus, worthy of further site adaptability trials.     

银合欢生态适应性研究

１９９０年引入１１个种源的银合欢，在南亚热带云南景东育苗栽培试验，结果表明银合欢有较强的生态适应性，其中勐腊、元谋、元法种源生长较好，东扑硅Ｋ×１、Ｋ×３Ｃ显示了抗逆性强的杂交优势，为我国热带、南亚热带地区推广栽培银合欢提供了科学依据。     

Yield of plantain alley cropped with Leucaena leucocephala and Flemingia macrophylla in Kumasi, Ghana

The decline in yield of plantain has partly been attributed to inadequate soil moisture and pests, particularly nematodes. The objectives of the study therefore were to determine the effect of mulch from Leucaena leucocephala and Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.) Merr. grown as hedgerows on (i) soil moisture and temperature (ii) growth and yield of plantain and (iii) pathogenic nematode populations. The study was conducted from 1991 to 1994 in Kumasi, Ghana. Treatments comprised of leguminous plants, L. leucocephala and F. macrophylla, and a control (no leguminous plants), arranged in a randomised complete block design with four replications. The leguminous plants were planted in 1991 while the plantain was planted in 1992. Results indicated that the highest biomass yield was produced by F. macrophylla. Mulching with prunings of F. macrophylla resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) higher retention of soil moisture and lower soil temperatures than mulching with prunings of L. leucocephala. Growth of plantain determined by plant height, leaf production, pseudostem girth and yield were significantly greater in F. macrophylla mulched plots than L. leucocephala treatment and control plots where no mulch was applied. Plant parasitic nematodes isolated were Meloidogyne spp., Pratylenchus spp., Paratylenchus spp., Helicotylenchus spp., and Rotylenchus spp. Three years after planting of hedgerows, significantly (P < 0.05) higher populations of Meloidogyne spp. (367 per 100 g soil), Paratylenchus spp. (92 per 100 g soil), Helicotylenchus spp. (8 per 100 g soil), and Rotylenchus spp. (308 per 100 g soil) were associated with L. leucocephala hedgerow than with Flemingia macrophylla hedgerow (42.0, 83.0 per 100 g soil) and the control (74.50, 41.0 per 100 g soil). F. macrophylla has qualities that suppress nematode populations. The results clearly indicated the superiority of Flemingia macrophylla over Leucaena leucocephala as mulch for plantain production.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of different pre-sowing seed treatments on the germination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leucaena leucocephala</Emphasis> (Lam.) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia farnesiana</Emphasis> (L.)

Leucaena leucocephala and Acacia farnesiana are tree species used for several agricultural purposes in the Mediterranean region. The seeds of these species exhibit dormancy, causing delayed germination. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of pre-sowing treatments (scarification, hot water, or soaking) on seed germination of L. leucocephala and A. farnesiana. In one experiment, seeds were exposed to three pre-sowing treatments: control, sandpaper scarification, or soaking in 70°C water for 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, or 24 min. In another experiment, seeds were soaked in 70°C water for 20 min, and then soaked in water at room temperature for an additional 24, 48, or 72 h or blade scarified. In general, soaking the seeds of the two species in hot water was more effective in breaking seed dormancy than scarification. Sandpaper scarification was not effective for either species. Blade scarification increased A. farnesiana seed germination to 56%, indicating that seed dormancy was mainly a consequence of hardseededness. L. leucocephala seeds collected from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) site and soaked in 70°C water for 20 min and then soaked for 24, 48, or 72 h had germination rates above 97%. Our results suggest that blade scarification of A. farnesiana seeds and soaking of L. leucocephala seeds in 70°C water for 20 min are effective treatments to break seed dormancy and enhance seed germination of these vital species.     

Allelopathic effects of Leucaena leucocephala leaf litter on some forest and agricultural crops grown in nursery

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of leaf litter of Leucaena leucocephala on two forest crops Sada koroi (Albizia procera), Ipil ipil (L. leucocephala) and three agricultural crops Falen (Vigna unguiculata), Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and Arhor (Cajanus cajan) in the nursery of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Chittagong University, Bangladesh, in a Randomized Block Design. Results suggested that leaf litters of L. leucocephala induced inhibitory effects on germination and growth of bioassay. It was also found that the effect depended on concentration of extract and litterfall, type of receptor species. Higher concentration of the materials had the higher effect and vice versa. Growth response of receptor crops varied with the variation of leaf litter application. The study revealed that application of low-dose leaf litter specially litter of 10 g·m⁻² had stimulating effect on shoot growth of C. arietinum, V. unguiculata and A. procera. While in all other cases significant inhibitory effect was observed and it was significantly increased with the increase of leaf litter application. However, the trend of inhibition was uneven with treatments. Root growth was found to be more affected than shoot growth.     

Selective control of weeds in an arable crop by mulches from some multipurpose trees in Southwestern Nigeria

The use of agroforestry systems in which pruning from trees is used to mulch the companion crops is an important area of research in the tropics. However, previous studies mostly evaluated the contribution of mulch to soil improvement and rarely examined the effect of mulch on weeds. Field experiments were conducted during the 1995 and 1996 growing seasons to investigate the effects of mulch from three woody fallow species on weed composition, biomass and maize grain yield. Treatments consisted of mulch from Leucaena leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium, and Senna siamea applied at rates of five and three tons dry matter ha^–1 at planting and three weeks after planting (WAP), respectively, an unmulched treatment that received 90 kg N ha^–1 of inorganic fertiliser, and an unmulched control plot that received no fertiliser. In both years and sampling dates, plots mulched with G. sepium and S. siamea had significantly lower weed density and biomass than the control plot in each of the sampling times and year of study. There was no significant difference in either weed density or biomass between the plot mulched with L. leucocephala and the unmulched plots. Mulches from G. sepium and S. siamea reduced weed density and weed biomass, while L. leucocephala was less effective in reducing weed biomass and weed density. Weed reduction by the mulches was in the order G. sepium S. siamea > L. leucocephala. Sedges were the dominant species in all the treatments except in G. sepium plots, where Talinum triangulare and other broadleaved species were dominant.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Productivity of annual cropping and agroforestry systems on a shallow Alfisol in semi-arid India

An experiment was conducted at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India from June 1984 to April 1988 on a shallow Alfisol to determine whether the productivity of annual crop systems can be improved by adding perennial species such as Leucaena leucocephala managed as hedgerows. Except in the first year, crop yields were suppressed by Leucaena due to competition for moisture. The severity of competition was high in years of low rainfall and on long-duration crops such as castor and pigeonpea. Based on total biomass, sole Leucaena was most productive; even on the basis of land productivity requiring both Leucaena fodder and annual crops, alley cropping had little or no advantage over block planting of both components. Application of hedge prunings as green manure or mulch on top of 60 kg N and 30 kg P ₂ O ₅ha⁻¹ to annual crops did not show any benefit during the experimental period, characterized by below average rainfall. Indications are that (i) alley cropping was beneficial in terms of soil and water conservation with less runoff and soil loss with 3 m alleys than with 5.4 m alleys, and (ii) root pruning or deep ploughing might be effective in reducing moisture competition.     

Wood and biomass production of Leucaena in subtropical Australia

Although only Leucaena leucocephala is widely used, most members of the Leucaena genus have potential as multipurpose species for tropical agroforestry systems. To investigate the wood and biomass production potential of the Leucaena genus, 116 accessions covering the 22 species were evaluated over a two-year period at Brisbane, southeast Queensland, Australia. Trees were planted into replicated line plots 5 m long, with rows spaced 3 m apart. Trees were initially planted at 0.5 m spacings within the plots, but were thinned to 1 m spacings prior to the evaluation period. The hybrid accessions, KX2 (L. pallida × L. leucocephala) and KX3 (L. diversifolia × L. leucocephala), were the most productive, yielding over 50 kg dry matter (DM)/tree. L. trichandra OFI53/88 and L. diversifolia CPI33820 were the most productive non-hybrid accessions producing total yields of 41 and 37 kg DM/tree, respectively. Cultivar Tarramba (26 kg DM/tree) was the most productive of the 26 L. leucocephala accessions assessed in the trial but all these accessions suffered from psyllid (Heteropsylla cubana) attack at this site. A series of non-destructive growth measurements was recorded every three months over the two-year evaluation period. Root collar diameter (RCD), stem number and plant height were found to be the most useful of the measurements for non-destructive assessment of accession agronomic characteristics. A relationship between yield and a growth index (calculated as RCD² × Height/1000), was derived from data from all accessions and could be used as a reliable predictor of yield (r ² = 0.94). The widespread use of the F1 hybrid leucaenas is currently limited by a lack of seed. Technologies to economically produce F1 hybrid seed on a commercial scale are required before the potential of these accessions in agroforestry systems can be fully realized. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Litter and biomass production from planted and natural fallows on a degraded soil in southwestern Nigeria

To rehabilitate a degraded Alfisol at Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, Senna siamea (non-N-fixing legume tree), Leucaena leucocephala, and Acacia leptocarpa (N-fixing legume trees) were planted in 1989, and Acacia auriculiformis (N-fixing legume tree) in 1990. Pueraria phaseoloides (a cover crop) and natural fallow were included as treatments. Litterfall and climatic variables were measured in 1992/1993 and 1996/1997 while biomass production and nutrient concentrations were measured in 1993 and 1995. Total litter production from the natural and planted fallows was similar, with means ranging from 10.0 (L. leucocephala) to 13.6 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (natural fallow) during the 1996/1997 collection. Leaves constituted 73% (L. leucocephala) to 96% (A. auriculiformis) of total litterfall. Acacia auriculiformis grew most quickly but S. siamea produced the highest aboveground biomass which was 127 t ha⁻¹ accumulated over four years, and 156 t ha⁻¹ accumulated over six years of establishment. The aboveground biomass of P. phaseoloides and natural fallow was only 6 to 9 t ha⁻¹ at six years after planting. Nitrogen concentration in the leaves/twigs of was 2.5% for L. leucocephala, and 2% for other planted species and natural fallow. Pueraria phaseoloides had concentrations of P, K, Ca and Mg comparable to levels in the leaves/twigs of the tree species. Through PATH analysis, it was found that maximum temperature and minimum relative humidity had pronounced direct and indirect effects on litterfall. The effects of these climatic variables in triggering litterfall were enhanced by other variables, such as evaporation, wind, radiation, and minimum temperature. Improvement in chemical properties by fallows was observed in the degraded soil. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Agronomic evaluation of eleven Leucaena lines at Tumbi, Tabora, western Tanzania

Two trials were carried out over five growing seasons in western Tanzania to investigate (a) forage production and quality of eight lines of Leucaena leucocephala, one of L. diversifolia and one of L. esculenta and (b) the effect of cutting height (25, 50 and 75 cm) on forage production of nine lines of L. leucocephala and one of L. diversifolia. The locally naturalized lines, T1 and K1, were consistently better in yield, out-producing the commercial L. leucocephala cultivars Cunningham, Peru and K8 in three or four out of the five seasons' harvests. Mean daily dry matter yields for all lines decreased as the dry season progressed. Mean yields were 54.9, 28.6 and 12.8 kg/ha/day in the rainy season, late rainy season/early dry season and late dry season, respectively. The concentrations of N (2.3 to 3.1%), P (0.13 to 0.17%), K (0.7 to 1.3%), Ca (0.6 to 1.6%) and Mg (o.4 to 0.6%) in the edible forage declined as the dry season became pronounced but were at levels sufficient for animal production except for P levels, which were low. Three distinct yield groups emerged from responses to cutting height: cv. Cunningham produced the greatest yields of edible forage at 25 cm cutting height; cv. Peru, cv. K8, Korog, T1, CpI 90790 and CPI 58394 at 50 cm; and CPI 58398, CPI 84511 and CPI 85132 at 75 cm.     

Effect of perennial mulches on moisture conservation and soil-building properties through agroforestry

The effect of perennial mulches on moisture status, soil characteristics and on crop yields (maize-wheat rotation) was evaluated from 1986 through 1989 in a silty loam acidic soil (pH 5.6, PWP 11.4 & FC 25.6%) at the Research Farm of the Central Soil & Water Conservation Research & Training Institute, Dahra Dun. Mulch materials, comprised of leaves of Leucaena leucocephala, Eucalyptus hybrid, Shorea robusta, Broussonatia paprifera or Puerarua hirsuta (chopped) @ 4 t/ha were applied just after sowing of wheat and the residual effect of applied mulch was seen in kharif maize each year.The distribution of profile moisture revealed that at the time of sowing of wheat the soil water content did not differ with depth (0–90 cm). With the advancement of time, the magnitude of moisture distribution changed. At various crop growth stages the highest amount of water was found in the plots mulched with S. robusta followed by E. hybrid. All the mulch materials, except B. paprifera, lowered the soil pH, the maximum effect was noted with E. hybrid (pH reduced from 5.6 to 5.0). After three years, N and K content of soil were found to be greatest with the application of L. leucocephala whereas the highest P content was observed in B. paprifera mulched plots.The highest wheat grain yield (2.46 t/ha) was recorded with L. leucocephala and minimum under control (2.11 t/ha) which represents a gain of 11.7 per cent. Maximum maize grain yield (0.73 t/ha) was found in S. robusta mulched plots followed by L. leucocephala (0.63 t/ha) and the minimum in the control (0.51 t/ha).     

Alchornea cordifolia,a promising indigenous browse species adapted to acid soils in southeastern Nigeria for integrated crop-livestock agroforestry production systems

Dry matter (DM) production, crude protein, phosphorus fibre contents and goat preference for eight indigenous browse species,Alchornea cordifolia, Diallum guineense, Ficus capensis, Baphia nitida, Manniophytum fulvum, Homalium aylmeri, Glyphaea brevis andRauwolfia vomitoria, and for two exotics,Leucaena leucocephala andGliricidia sepium, in cultivated plots were compared on acid soil in southeastern Nigeria. Total DM production was higher (P<0.05) forAlchornea cordifolia than for the other browse species.Glyphaea brevis andL. leucocephala were the most preferred species, whileA. cordifolia, G. sepium andR. vomitoria were the least. Mean crude protein content of browse species in this study was higher, whileP and neutral detergent fibre were lower than reported for other browse species in Nigeria. It is argued that the ultimate goal of a crop-livestock agroforestry system such as alley farming, could be better achieved through the complementary use of browse species.     

Clustering shrub and tree legumes grown in acid and non-acid soil conditions using rank performance data

Clustering of ten woody and shrub legumes (Acacia auriculiformis, Albizia lebbeck, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena diversifolia, L. leucocephala var. K28 and var. K636, Lonchocarpus sericeus, Cajanus cajan, Crotalaria juncea and Tephrosia candida) was performed using the partitioning around medoid and the Fuzzy clustering methods to assess the appropriateness of their earlier performance rank scores for evaluating their dissimilarity within an Alfisol and an Ultisol. Differences among formed clusters were observed for the acid and non-acid soil conditions. Some species such as Albizia lebbeck and Leucaena leucocephala var. K636 isolated each in a single-species cluster, while others, depending on the soil type belonged to different closest hard clusters most likely in relation to their closeness in architecture and growth habit as well as to their genetic affinity which appear to be strong determinants of their performance similarity. Clustering analysis of species performance compared reliably well with the simple ranking in the Alfisol than it did in the Ultisol. In both soils, however, clustering analysis overcame the rigidity of the simple ranking procedure and thus led to more realistic ranking classes of species performance to the extent that, where possible, it should be recommended for discriminating species more efficiently.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nitrogen contribution of five leguminous trees and shrubs to alley cropped maize in Ibadan, Nigeria

There are abundant local legume trees and shrubs potentially suitable for alley cropping systems in the sub-Saharan Africa, which are yet to be studied. The nitrogen contribution of two years old Albizia lebbeck and S. corymbosato yield of maize grown in alley cropping was compared to that of Senna siamea, Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala in four seasons at Ibadan. Maize shoot biomass and maize grain yield in A. lebbeck alley compared favourably with that in G. sepium and L. leucocephala. Maize biomass and grain yield in S. corymbosa alleys were the lowest. Within A. lebbeck, L. leucocpehala, and G. sepium alleys there were no significant differences in the maize yield in the alleys that received 0, 40 or 80 kg N/ha. Application of more than 40 kg N/ha in S. corymbosa alleys was not necessary as there was no significant increase in maize yield at the higher level of nitrogen. Maize yield and N uptake in A. lebbeck alleys were not significantly different from yield and N uptake in G. sepium, and L. leucocephala at the same fertilizer level. There was a significant correlation between hedgerow tree biomass and maize grain yield. At the end of twelve weeks after pruning application, the organic residues of the pruning applied in the alleys ranged from 5% in G. sepium and 44% in A. lebbeck in the first year compared with the original pruning applied which showed that the slow rate of A. lebbeck decomposition could have a beneficial effect on the soil. The maize N recovery from applied N fertilizer was low (10–22%). Percentage N recovery from the prunings was low in the non-N fixing trees (12–22%), while the recovery was high (49–59%) in A. lebbeck as well as in the other nitrogen fixing tree prunings. Thus A. lebbeck, apart from enhancing maize growth and grain yield like in L. leucocephala and G. sepium, had an added advantage because it remained longer as mulching material on the soil because of its slow rate of decomposition. It was able to survive pruning frequencies with no die-back. This indicates that A. lebbeck is a good potential candidate for alley cropping system in West Africa. S. corymbosa performed poorly compared with the other legume trees. Though it responded to N fertilizer showing a positive interaction between the hedgerow and fertilizer application, it had a high die back rate following pruning periods and termite attack.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A study of the potential of hedgerow intercropping in semi-arid India using a two-way systematic design

The potential of hedgerow intecrropping with Leucaena leucocephala was explored on vertic Inceptisols over 4 years at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India. The study was conducted using a systematic layout involving different alley widths ranging from 1.35 to 4.95 m and with varying distances between hedge and crops. The alleys were cropped with alternate rows of sorghum and pigeonpea. Hedges composed double Leucaena hedgerows 60 cm apart were periodically harvested for fodder. Sole crops of all components and a sorghum/pigeonpea intercrop were included in all four replications of the study.Starting in the second year, Leucaena was progressively more competitive to annual crops, causing substantial yield reduction. Competition (primarily for moisture) was most severe in narrow alleys and was greatest on pigeonpea.The growth of Leucaena was not sufficient to compensate for reduced crop yields. Land equivalent ratios (LERs) calculated on the basis of grain yield of crops and Leucaena fodder yields showed that hedgerow intercropping (HI) was advantageous over sole crops only during the first two years using wide alleys, but disadvantegeous in the last two years. LERs calculated on the basis of total dry matter indicated only a small advantage for HI (13–17 percent) over sole crops in wider (>4 m) alleys. Average returns per year from HI exceeded those of the most productive annual crop system (sorghum/pigeonpea intercropping) by 8 percent in 4.05 m alleys, and by 16 percent in 4.95 m alleys. Fodder production during the dry season was 40 percent of the annual total in these alley widths. Thus hedgerow intercropping at 4–5 m alley width is not very attractive for farmers in semi-arid India, which has 600–700 mm of annual rainfall. There is a need to examine the potential of HI in wider alleys. The merits and limitations of the systematic design are discussed.     

Crop-tree interactions in alley cropping systems on alluvial soils of the Upper Amazon Basin

A crop/hedgerow interface design was used to test three leguminous species,Inga edulis, Leucaena leucocephala andErythrina sp., for their potential use for alley cropping on alluvial soils in the upper Amazon Basin. Prunings were applied as mulch at three rates 0, 3.3 and 6.7 Mg dry matter/ha/crop. Competition, crop yields, nutrient budgets, and weed control were monitored for three consecutive crops of upland rice. Crop yield reductions were evident up to 1.5 m from each of the hedgerow species, but were more pronounced withLeucaena hedgerows. Additional mulch was able to compensate for these reduced yields close to the hedges inLeucaena leucocephala andErythrina but not inInga edulis systems. In general rice yields were higher withLeucaena leucocephala andErythrina mulch as compared toInga mulch, perhaps because of higher levels of available N provided by the rapidly decomposing leaves ofLeucaena leucocephala andErythrina sp. as compared toInga. Weed control was greater, however, with the slowly decomposingInga mulch. For all three hedgerow/crop systems there was a net export of P from the system which was exhibited by declining soil P levels and decreasing crop yields.

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Resumen Un diseño de interfase cultivo/hilera de árboles se uso para ensayar tres especies leguminosas:Inga edulis, Leucaena leucocephala, y Erythrina sp. con el propósito de conocer su potencial para ser usadas en cultivos en callejones en suelos aluviales de la parte alta de la cuenca amazónica. Se aplicaron podas en 3 cantidades, 0. 3.3, y 6.7 Mg ha^–1 por cultivo. El efecto de competencia, rendimiento del cultivo, balance de nutrientes y control de malezas fueron medidos durante tres cultivos consecutivos de arroz de altura. Reductiones en el rendimiento del cultivo fueron evidenctes hasta 1.5 m de distancia de las hileras de árboles, las reducciones fueron mayores con hileras deLeucaena eInga. Incrementos de las cantidades de podas aplicada fueron capaces de incrementar los rendimientos cerca de las hileras deLeuceana leucocephala yErythrina pero no deInga. En general los rendimientos de arroz fueron más altos con podas deLeucaena yErythrina en comparación con podas deInga, debido quizás a los niveles más altos de nitrógeno disponible proveído por las podas deLeucaena yErythrina, que son de más rápida descomposición. Para las 3 especies estudiadas en interfase, hubo una exportación neta de nutrientes con el grano y rastrojo de arroz que se observó en el declinar de los niveles de P en el suelo y en el declinar de los rendimientos.

     

A comparison of cold tolerance and biomass production in Leucaena leucocephala L. pulverulenta and L. retusa

Expansion of leucaena into temperate regions of the world will require additional tolerance to freezing stress. Leucaena leucocephala may be the most widely tested woody legume in the last 15 years. Leucaena pulverulenta and Leucaena retusa are two species with more cold tolerance than L. leucocephala. A screening trial with 38 accessions of L. pulverulenta, 26 of L. leucocephala, and 1 of L. retusa was begun in 1983 at Kingsville, Texas where freezing temperatures may occur every year. A biomass production trial using L. leucocephala (K-8) was planted in 1982 to evaluate the biomass production of this widely used strain under semi-arid conditions with minimum fertilizer inputs and no irrigation. Biomass estimations were made with regression equations that predicted weight from log₁₀ basal stem diameter measurements. The trees in both trials were harvested after a − 12°C freeze in December 1983 killed all trees except L. retusa to ground level. Less severe freezes in 1984–1985 of − 7°C and − 9°C killed all L. leucocephala to ground level whereas less than 2% of the L. pulverulenta were killed to ground level, thus demonstrating the difference in cold tolerance between these two species. Dry wood production in the screening trial of the L. leucocephala after 10 months' coppice growth ranged from 654 to 3602 g dry biomass per tree and that of the L. pulverulenta during the same period ranged from 437 to 2505 g dry biomass per tree. Dry wood productivity of L. leucocephala (K-8) 1-year coppice growth ranged from 1.4 t ha⁻¹ on a poorly drained soil to 10 t ha⁻¹ on a moderately drained soil.     

The effects of drying temperature on chemical composition and nutritive value of some tropical fodder shrubs

The effects of drying temperature on chemical composition and nutritive value of leaves of the shrub legumes Acacia angustissima (Miller) Kuntze, Calliandra calothyrsus Meissn and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit were determined in two studies in Zimbabwe. In the first study, the effects of shade-, sun- and oven-drying leaves on chemical composition and protein precipitation capacity of tannin extracts were studied. Drying method affected (P<0.01) chemical composition, with cell wall polysaccharides increasing from shade drying to oven drying. Calliandra calothyrsus leaves had the highest total phenolics, tannin phenolics and the lowest N content. About 40% of phenolics in L. leucocephala were non-tannin compared to less than 15% in A. angustissima and C. calothyrsus. Extractable proanthocyanidins and their capacity to precipitate protein were affected (P<0.01) by drying method; extracts from shade-dried leaves were 10% and 20% more reactive than extracts from sun- and oven-dried leaves, respectively. The relative degree of polymerisation of the proanthocyanidins was higher (P<0.01) for oven-dried (1.44) leaves compared to shade-dried (1.01) and sun-dried (1.00) leaves. Drying temperature influences the nutrient–polyphenolic interactions in A. angustissima, C. calothyrsus and L. leucocephala leaves and these interactions have important implications for feed evaluation protocols and for use of these leaves in ruminant feeding systems. The second study considered the effects of feeding sun-dried or fresh leaves of the three shrub legumes as supplements to native pasture hay on nutrient intake and digestion by goats. Feeding the fresh or dry leaves made no difference in terms of dry matter intake and digestion, and N digestion. This offers farmers flexibility in terms of feeding strategies, as they can feed the browse in any form that suits their farm situation. Increasing the level of C. calothyrsus in the diet increased faecal N. Nitrogen retention was lower for animals fed with C. calothyrsus compared to those fed with the other browses.