Alley cropping and mulching withErythrina poeppigiana (Walp.) O. F. Cook andGliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp.: effects on maize/weed competition

The potential of allye cropping systems to sustain a high productivity with low external inputs and the reduction of maize/weed competition through weed suppression in different alley cropping and sole-cropped mulched systems was studied in Costa Rica at CATIE. Data were recorded eight years after establishment of the experiment. Plant residues ofErythrina poeppigiana trees (10 t/ha dry matter) planted at 6 by 3 m reduced weed biomass by 52%, whileGliricidia sepium trees (12 t/ha dry matter) planted at 6 by 0.5 m reduced weed biomass by 28%, in comparison to controls.Erythrina had a considerable impact on grass weeds, whileGliricidia reduced the incidence of some dicot weeds. Weed competition significantly reduced maize yield in all systems. Nevertheless weed suppression contributed to the higher maize grain yield underErythrina andGliricidia alley cropping of 3.8 t per hectare as opposed to the unmulched control yield of 2.0 t per hectare.     

Alley cropping with Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit and Acioa barteri (Hook.f.) Engl.

The effect of alley cropping with seven combinations of Acioa and Leucaena hedgerows and a control (no hedgerow) treatment on sequentially cropped maize and cowpea was studied in 1985 and 1986. The trial was carried out on an Alfisol in the humid zone of southwestern Nigeria. Hedgerows were established in 1983, using 4 m inter-hedgerow spacing and pruned to 25 cm height during cropping. Highest dry matter, wood, and nutrient yields of prunings of Acioa and Leucaena hedgerows were obtained with sole cropping. Growing Leucaena and Acioa in the same hedgerow suppressed dry matter production and nutrient yield of Acioa more than of Leucaena owing to the latter's faster growth. Total pruning dry matter yield was reduced as the proportion of Acioa increased in the combination. Leucaena prunings had higher nutrient yield than Acioa. Under 22-month old uncut hedgerows, weed biomass declined in the presence of Leucaena, either alone or in combination with Acioa. Weed weight under sole Leucaena hedgerows was about a third of that in the control plot. There was no significant effect of alley cropping on weed biomass, although alley cropping with Acioa and Leucaena hedgerows resulted in the dominance of broadleaf weeds while the control had a mixture of broadleaves and grasses. Alley cropping with various combinations of Acioa and Leucaena hedgerows increased maize and cowpea yields compared to control. Nitrogen application in both years increased maize grain yield. Mean yield increase due to N application in both years was highest in the control (47.2%) followed by the sole Acioa hedgerow (25.2%) and less in hedgerows with Leucaena. The results of observations over two years do not show any advantage for the tested Leucaena and Acioa combinations on maize and cowpea crops as compared to the sole hedgerows. B.T. Kang (IITA), c/o Miss Maureen Larkin     

Influence of Microbial Inoculants on Seedling Production in Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in forest college campus, Mettupalayam, India with an objective of studying the influence of microbial inoculants on seedling growth of teak. The fruits were collected from the seed production area in top slip (Tamil Nadu) from 63-year mother trees. The microbial inoculants viz., Azospirillum, Azotobacter, phosphobacteria, AMF, Azospirillum + AMF, Azotobacter+ AMF, phosphobacteria + AMF and an uninoculated control formed the treatments. The inoculants were mixed sand and red soil at 1:1:3 ratio, respectively, for preparing nursery mixture for filling the poly pots. The seeds were sown into the poly pots @ two seeds per pot. The experiment was set up in a randomized Block Design with three replications. Biometric observations on various growth attributes were recorded six months after treatment and also their survival in the main field-tested for one year. Azotobacter gave best performance with respect to shoot length, shoot weight and leaf area and combined inoculation of phosphobacteria and AMF gave higher root length and biomass, dry matter production and fine root weight. The survival was better in seedlings that were inoculated with phosphobacteria and AMF. However, below ground biomass and out planting survival during early phase are critical in any tree species. Hence it is concluded that inoculation of phosphobacteria and AMF conjointly be done for better survival and growth of teak seedlings.     

Einsatz von Pflanzenschutzpräparaten gegen Phytonematoden zur Ertragssicherung bei Mais

Trials in maize with some granular pesticides and emulsions, which have been carried out since 1974, showed promising effects against insect pests and plant-parasitic nematodes. The infestation byPratylenchus spp. andHeterodera avenae in the roots of young treated maize plants was effectively reduced by the application of the pesticides. In trials in 1977 on 4 different localities a reduction of the nematode population by 90 per cent — in some even 98 per cent — was observed. The following pesticides were used in the experiments: Temik 10 G (aldicarb) 0.5 g/m Curaterr 5 G (carbofuran) 1.0 and 1.25 g/m Curaterr SK 30 (carbofuran) 0.15 ml/ha Counter 2 G (terbufos) 1.25 g/m Dacamox 10 g (thiofanox) 0.75 g/m. The weight of the roots of young maize plants increased after the application of the above mentioned pesticides, except after the use of Curaterr SK 30. Similar tendencies were found concerning the growth of the plants and the size of the stems of treated plants. There was also an obvious increase in yield. It could be found that there was a clear correlation between the weight of roots, the size of the stems and the weight of the grain. In 1975 and 1977 the yield of silage maize and that of grain was increased after the application of Temik 10 G and Curaterr 5 G by 10–11% compared to that of untreated plants. This means that under normal conditions of maize cultivation — at least in Hesse — and average loss of 6 dt/ha of dry matter can be caused by soil pests, mainly nematodes.     

Influence of irradiance on photosynthesis, morphology and growth of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) seedlings

The influence of shading intensity on growth, morphology and leaf gas exchange of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) seedlings was investigated over a 2-year period. Diurnal gas exchange studies revealed significantly higher carbon gain for leaves grown in 20 or 50% shade compared to leaves grown in 80% shade. Seedlings grown in 20 or 50% shade accumulated significantly more dry weight than seedlings grown in 80% shade during the 2-year study period. Seedlings grown in decreased shade showed decreased leaf size, increased leaf thickness, lower specific leaf area (SLA) and higher stomatal frequency. Less shaded seedlings also allocated relatively more dry matter to roots than shaded seedlings and exhibited a significant reduction in leaf area relative to total plant dry weight (leaf area ratio). Increased leaf number, enhanced branching and shorter internodes resulted in a more compact appearance of less shaded seedlings. Irrespective of light conditions, mangosteen seedlings exhibited inherently slow growth because of low photosynthetic rates per unit leaf area, low SLA, low leaf area ratios and inefficient root systems.     

Alley cropping maize (Zea mays var.Jeka) with cassia (Cassia siamea) in The Gambia: crop production and soil fertility

The relative contributions of cassia prunings and inorganic fertilizer to yield of maize (number of ears and weight of grain, ears, cobs and stover), maize grain quality (weight of 3 largest size fractions) and soil pH, N, P, K and organic matter contents were investigated at a semi-arid site in The Gambia. Four treatments: control (no prunings or fertilizer applied), only prunings applied, prunings plus half the recommended rate of fertilizer, and the full recommended fertilizer rate plus prunings, were replicated in a Latin square design. At the full fertilizer rate, 125 kg/ha of NPK (82424) plus 43.5 kg/ha urea was broadcast at the time of sowing followed by 100 kg/ha of urea applied as side dressing two weeks after crop germination. Soil N, P, K organic matter and pH were not significantly different either before cropping or after crop harvest in both 0–10 and 10–15 cm soil depth.Crop yield, as measured by number and dry weight of ears, stover, grain and cob weights, was significantly different among treatments (p=0.0001, p=0.0001, p=0.0001, p=0.0001 and p=0.0001, respectively). The application of prunings plus full recommended fertilizer produced the highest yields. The weights of the three largest grain size fractions, grades A, B, and C, differed significantly between treatments (p=0.0026, p=0.0001 and p=0.0001, respectively). Yield of grade A grain increased by 202% over control with application of prunings plus full rate fertilizer and declined by 31% relative to the control with application of only prunings. More grade A, B and C grain was produced with application of full rate fertilizer plus prunings than in control treatments. However, application of half rate fertilizer plus prunings produced a higher proportion of grade A grain.     

Calliandra calothyrsus (Meissn.) in an alley cropping system with sequentially cropped maize and cowpea in southwestern Nigeria

Alley cropping is increasingly becoming accepted as an appropriate technology with the potential to provide stable and sustainable food production in the tropics. However, only a few of the potential trees/shrubs have been tested. The performance of Calliandra calothyrsus (Meissn) as an alley cropping species was evaluated on an Oxic Paleustalf. The treatments were: prunings removal, prunings application; and three N levels, 0,45, and 90 kg N ha^–1, in a factorial arrangement. The cropping sequence was maize (main season) follwed by cowpea (minor season). Nitrogen fertilizer treatments were applied to the maize crop only. Four annual prunings of Calliandra hedgerows produced a total of 6 t ha^–1 of dry matter prunings containing about 200 kg ha^–1 of N. Maize yields were increased by the application of prunings but no benefits were obtained by supplementing the prunings with inorganic N. An average maize grain yield of 3.1 t ha^–1 per year was maintained without any chemical fertilizer input. However, without any prunings, maize yields were substantially increased by the application of inorganic N. Cowpea yield did not respond to application of prunings but plants grown adjacent to the hedgerows had reduced yield probably due to shading. Our results suggest that six rows (0.57 m inter-row spacing) between Calliandra hedgerows spaced at 4 m are optimum for this cowpea variety. The performance of Calliandra was comparable to that of Leucaena which has been widely shown to be effective in alley cropping systems of the region.     

Evaluation of endophytic bacterial strains as antagonists of take-all in wheat caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gaeumannomyces graminis</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tritici</Emphasis> in greenhouse and field

Six endophytic bacterial strains from wheat roots, selected from extensive screening tests, were studied in greenhouse pot experiments against take-all disease of wheat, caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt). For comparison, the fungicide triadimefon was included. All six bacterial strains and triadimefon significantly reduced take-all in wheat plants between 39.4 and 57.3% compared to the inoculated control. Treatment with the bacterial strains also significantly increased growth parameters of roots (e.g., average length, fresh, and dry weight) in comparison with the inoculated control. One of the endophytic bacterial strains, designated EDR4, which proved to be most consistent in further greenhouse tests, was also examined in field trials against take-all in wheat. In the field experiment 2006/2007, height of wheat plants in Ggt inoculated plots was significantly reduced compared to the non-inoculated treatments. Yield parameters such as kernels per head and thousand kernel weight (TKW) in the inoculated control were lower compared to other treatments. In the inoculated plots, individual treatments with the strain EDR4 increased yield compared to the inoculated control. In the field trial 2007/2008 treatments with strain EDR4 as well as the fungicide triadimefon reduced take-all by 49.6 and 61.9%, respectively, compared to the inoculated control. At harvest, in the inoculated control plant height, seeds per head and TKW were significantly lower compared to the other treatments. Treatments with EDR4 eliminated the detrimental effects of take-all on grain yield to a similar degree as triadimefon application. The strain EDR4 distinctly inhibited growth of Ggt in vitro and was identified as Bacillus subtilis on the basis of its morphology and 16S rRNA sequence analysis as well as physiological and biochemical characteristics. These results indicate that the strain EDR4 has potential in directly controlling take-all disease of wheat.     

Relationships between growth and leaf-scale physiological parameters in five Wildstar™ cherry clones (Prunus avium L.)

Infra-red gas exchange analysis was used to measure leaf-scale physiological parameters of five Wildstar™ cherry clones (Prunus avium L.) and two sources of unimproved stock. Assimilation rate (A), evapotranspiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (g _s) and water use efficiency (WUE) were recorded to evaluate whether the quick and simple measurements could be used as a proxy for assessing growth potential of the cherry clones. Differences in A, E and g _s were found between varieties, with clone one always having higher rates than clones two and three. Differences in growth highlighted by an earlier study were linked to the physiological parameters described here. Varieties with high A tended to have good height increment and relative growth rate (RGR), while those with low A, E and g _s had poor height increment. However, clone 5, the clone with the largest height increment, did not have the highest A, suggesting that its good height growth reflected allocation of photoassimilate to main stem growth relative to branches and roots. Likewise, clone 1 and clone 4 (with high A) were ranked only second and third in height growth, indicating that some of the carbon gain was lost in branching. Clones 2 and 3 performed poorly in both physiological parameters and height growth. Although a positive relationship was found between assimilation rate and growth, the relationship was not strong enough to assess growth potential of the cherry clones accurately, perhaps due to differences in the allocation of dry matter within the plant.     

Wirkung von ätherischem öl ausAcorus calamus (L.)-Rhizomen und β-Asaron auf den großen KornbohrerProstephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera,Bostrichidae)

In the early 1980s,Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) spread out uncontrollably in aras south of the Sahara, having been brought in by imported maize from tropical regions of America. Its main diet is maize; it reproduces at a great rate in stored maize cobs. Attempts were made to control this pest usingAcorus calamus oil and its main ingredient β-asarone, as the use of similar oils has been shown to arrest the development of other insects. Vapourising the maize kernels and cobs was unsuccessful and in some cases led to a significant increase in the destruction of maize and the reproduction of beetles. However vapourisation killed hungry beetles within 3 days; short periods of treatment achieved a high rate of pest destruction, leaving the survivors with a reduced appetite and reproductive rate. Spraying of maize cobs did not prevent infestation; beetles able to infect these cobs reproduced normally. Success was only achieved by spraying maize kernels, usingAcorus calamus oil dosed at 750 mg per kilo maize; damage was then restricted to 5%.     

Performance of Drought Tolerant Maize Varieties under Water Harvesting Technologies in the Coastal Region of Kenya

The average annual rainfall in coastal Kenya is 450–700?mm per annum in most places while the total annual evapotranspiration is 1200–1800?mm. In arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), farmers grow maize varieties for medium to high rainfall zones without considering the need for water harvesting to enhance crop yield. To address the moisture constraint, a study was conducted to evaluate the performance of drought tolerant maize varieties under different water harvesting technologies (Zai pits, tied ridges and conventional). The treatments were laid out in a split - plot design with water harvesting methods as the main plots and maize varieties as the sub-plots. The response of four maize varieties (DK8031, DUMA 43, KDV1 and PH4) to three water harvesting technologies was evaluated. Variety Duma 43 produced the highest grain yield (P < 0.05) compared to the other varieties whereas yields for Zai pits and tied ridges were higher (P < 0.05) than for conventional treatment. Economic analysis revealed a higher gross margin for tied ridges than for Zai pits. Conventional planting showed a negative gross margin under the ASAL conditions. The variety DUMA 43 was selected for yield and cob size components whereas PH4 was selected for grain recovery when pounded and high stover biomass.     

Nutrient contribution and maize performance in alley cropping systems

Dry matter yield and potential contribution of N, P and K of some woody perennials as well as performance of maize were assessed in an alley cropping system at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria. Dry matter yield was highest forCassia, followed byGliricidia and theFlemingia. Whereas dry matter yields ofCassia varied significantly at the various pruning times, those ofGliricidia andFlemingia were relatively uniform.Gliricidia contributed the highest amount of N from the cutback (first pruning) and three subsequent prunings. Dry wood yield at cutback was 14.5, 6.8 and 29.7 tonnes/ha forGliricidia, Flemingia andCassia respectively. Coppicing rate was faster inGliricidia thanFlemingia andCassia. Maize height, stover and cob weights were reduced though insignificantly, for the maize rows close to the shrub hedgerows compared to those in the middle of the alleys. For the plots without N application and prunings removed, the maize near the hedgerows showed better performance than those in the middle of the alleys. The results indicate that N supplementation is needed in the alley cropping systems to optimize yield. The amount of N required is higher inFlemingia alleys than forGliricidia andCassia. Root growth of maize was found to be restricted in control plots without hedges; uptake of the major nutrients (N, P and K) was also found to be similarly affected in those plots.     

Soil fertility changes and response of maize and beans to green manures of leucaena,sesbania and pigeonpea

Three multipurpose tree species (MPTS)-leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala), sesbania (Sesbania sesban var. nubica) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) were pruned at a height of 60 cm above the ground every two months, and resulting plant biomass was incorporated into the soil as green manure. For comparison, maize (Zea mays) stover was also incorporated into some plots, while some other plots were left fallow. Varying quantities of plant biomass which were incorporated into the soil over a period of 12 months caused large changes in major soil plant nutrients, and it substantially improved soil fertility. To test for improved soil fertility, test crops of maize and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were grown on the plots after six biomass incorporations of 4806, 13603, 16659 and 7793 kg. ha^–1yr^–1 for pigeonpea, sesbania leucaena and maize, respectively. Responses of the test crops indicated that sesbania and leucaena green manures improved maize stover, cobs and grain yields; and bean haulms and grain yields by 77.6% when compared to fallow plots. Residual effects of green manures still resulted in significant (P < 0.05) yield differences in the test cropin the third testing season. Economic significance of green manures in increasing food crop yields to small scale farmers is discussed.     

Intercropping ginger and turmeric with poplar (Populus deltoides ‘G-3’ Marsh.)

Performance of two rhizomatous crops i.e. ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) was investigated under rainfed conditions in pure stands and as intercrops with 5-year-old poplars planted at three spacings viz., 5×5 m, 5×4 m and 5×3 m. The average illumination below the canopies was 53, 46 and 38% of incident radiation, respectively. Both crops performed better as intercrops than as pure stands. Survival was inversely correlated to light intensity. Plant height, tillers per plant and leaves per plant in ginger and leaf length and leaf breadth besides plant height in turmeric were significantly enhanced when intercropped. The rhizome length, rhizome breadth, yield per plant and yield per ha in ginger exceeded under poplars but showed a drastic reduction under the closest poplar spacing. In turmeric, the trend for the first two characters was the same, whereas yield per plant as well as yeild per ha were slightly greater in the open than under 5×3 m spacing. Dry matter content varied significantly with spacing. For quality parameters, only oil content in ginger and oleoresin in turmeric showed significant differences. The cultivation of turmeric proved more remunerative than ginger.Among the poplar spacings, 5×4 m for ginger and 5×5 m for turmeric were delineated as the best spacings.     

The growth of shoots and lateral roots of Quercus robur L. seedlings following simulated undercutting

The effect of cutting the tap root on shoot growth and development of lateral roots was observed in seedling Quercus robur L. growing in PVC tubes containing peat and perlite. Cutting the tap root had little effect on shoot height and leaf number although some treatments caused a significant but slight reduction in shoot dry weight and number of branches. Total root dry weight was similar in control and treated plants but distributed differently between the types of root present. The tap root always formed the largest part of the total root dry weight. In control plants most lateral root dry weight was in roots < 1 mm diameter whereas in treated plants most dry weight was in roots > 1 mm diameter. Development of the root system following root cutting was similar for all treatments: new long laterals > 1 mm diameter with relatively few branches, that formed replacement tap roots, developed near the cut end of the original tap root. Fine laterals (< 1 mm diameter) near the root collar continued to grow forming highly branched systems.     

Effect of increasing distance fromAcacia nilotica trees on wheat yield

Planting trees in the cultivated fields of Pakistan is a controversial topic between foresters and agriculturists. Some farmers believe that trees significantly reduce their crop yields; therefore they avoid planting trees in their fields. On the other hand, many foresters claim trees are beneficial for crops. This study was conducted to determine the influence of boundary trees (Acacia nilotica) on the growth and yield of associated wheat crops under irrigated conditions in Punjab, Pakistan. Results indicate that close proximity to trees adversely affected tillers/m², weight/1000 grain and the grain yield of wheat planted up to a distance of 8.5 m from the trees. Plant height and grains/spike were least affected. In general, the growth and yield of wheat improved as distance from the tree increased. Tree size did not affect wheat height, tillers/m², grains/spike or weight/1000 grain. The grain yields were slightly lower near the largest trees (50–54.9 cm DBH trees).     

The effect of photosynthetic photon flux density on development of frost hardiness in top and roots of Larix leptolepis seedlings

Seedlings of Larix leptolepis were grown in a growth chamber under short day conditions (8 h day) at 4 different photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD's). After a period of 8 weeks frost hardiness of the shoot tips and roots, dry matter content, dry weight (dw), content of glucose and starch were determined. The frost hardiness in the shoot tips increased from ‐15°C at a PPFD of 55μmol m^‐2s^‐1 to about ‐35°C at 440 μmol m^‐2s^‐1. No effect of PPFD was found on frost hardiness of the roots. A high PPFD results in a high dry matter content. The effect on dry matter content was most pronounced for the shoot tips and less pronounced for the roots. The total dry weight increased for both root and top with increasing PPFD. The height of the plants increased when the PPFD increased up to 220 μmol m^‐2s^‐1.     

Effects of Culture Media and Light Intensity on in vitro Growth of Oncidium under CO2 Enrichment Condition

The effects of culture media and light intensity on in vitro growth of Oncidium ‘Aloha Iwanga‘ were investigated under CO2 enrichment condition. Height, fresh and dry weight of the Oncidium seedlings were measured, and the leaf number per plant, shoot number per plant, leaf width and leaf chlorophyll content were also investigated. The results were as follows: 1) The seedling height, fresh and dry weight, leaf number per plant, leaf width and leaf chlorophyll content of the shoots growing on MS complete culture medium were higher than those on 1/2MS, VW and 1/2VW media. The root number per plant and ratio of dry matter of the seedlings cultured on 1/2MS and 1/2VW media were higher than those on MS and VW; 2) The seedling height, flesh weight, dry weight, dry matter ratio and leaf chlorophyll content, leaf length, leaf width, root length, leaf number per plant, root number per plant of seedlings of Oncidium growing under 4 500 lx and 1 700 lx were higher than those under 750 lx. However, there was no significant difference in those growth parameters mentioned above while dealing with 4 500 lx and 1 700 lx except for the seedling height. Nevertheless, the leaf color of plants under 4 500 lx was lighter and the leaves of the lower parts became yellowish in comparison with those growing under 1 700 lx.     

The effect of feeding maize husk and leucaena mixed or separately on the voluntary intake of the husk

The effect of feeding maize (Zea mays L.) husk and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) as a mixture or separately on the voluntary intake of maize husk was studied over a 40-day period. Ten male goats with an average weight of 15 kg were used. The maize husk intake and total dry matter intake for the two feeding methods was about the same. Thus, total dry matter intake was not affected (P<0.05) by the feeding method. There was also no significant difference (P<0.05) between the two feeding methods in the digestibility values. The data were considered to indicate that there were no significant differences in the intake of maize husk when fed in a mixture with leucaena or when offered separately but at the same time.     

Seasonal variation in the biomass and non-structural carbohydrate content of fine roots of teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) plantations in a dry tropical region

Seasonal variation in the biomass and total non-structural carbohydrate content (TNC) of fine roots of teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) were studied in 19- and 29-year-old plantations in a dry tropical region. Fine root TNC content was highest during the dry summer (May), and lowest in the early part of the rainy season (July). Generally, seasonal trends in TNC content were the opposite of those in fine root biomass. The TNC concentration of roots increased with diameter and decreased with soil depth. In the 19-year-old plantation, fine root TNC content was approximately 12% higher than in the 29-year-old plantation.