Intercropping hybrid poplar with soybean increases soil microbial biomass,mineral N supply and tree growth

We hypothesized that tree-based intercropping in southwestern Québec, Canada, would stimulate soil microbial activity and increase soil nutrient supply, thereby benefiting the growth of trees. Our experimental design comprised alternating rows of hybrid poplar (Populus nigra L. × P. maximowiczii A. Henry) and high-value hardwood species spaced 8 m apart, between which two alley treatments were applied 5–6 years after planting the trees. The first alley treatment consisted of a fertilized soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) intercrop grown over two consecutive years, while the second consisted of repeatedly harrowing to minimize vegetation in the alley. Tree rows were mulched with a 1.5 m wide polythene mulch. Microbial respiration and biomass, and mineral N concentrations and mineralization rates were measured on five or six dates at 0, 2 and 5 m from hybrid poplar rows. On some of the sampling dates, we found significantly higher soil microbial biomass, mineral N concentrations and nitrification rates, and a significantly lower microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂), in the soybean intercropping than in the harrowing treatment. Over the 2 year period, hybrid poplar biomass increment and N response efficiency (NRE) were significantly higher (51 and 47%, respectively) in the intercropping than in the harrowing treatment. Microbial biomass and mineral N supply were significantly lower beneath the polyethylene mulch than in the alleys, and we posit that this may stimulate the growth of tree roots into the alley. We conclude that soybean intercropping improves nutrient turnover and supply for hybrid poplar trees, thereby increasing the land equivalent ratio (LER).     

Screening agroforestry tree mulches for corn growth: a combined soil test,pot trial and plant analysis approach

The response of corn (Zea mays) to incorporated leaf and twig mulches ofLeucaena leucophala, Gliricidia sepium andCassia siamea, andGrevillea robusta as a non-legume comparison was investigated in a 10-week pot trial and a concurrent soil incubation study to evaluate the suitability of various agroforestry trees as mulch sources.Leucaena contributed to the highest N uptake and biomass production of these corn plants, reflecting the benefits of organic mulching.Cassia-treated plants also performed better than the unmulched controls, butGrevillea incorporation suppressed corn growth probably because of the relatively high Mn status of this mulch. Manganese toxicity was confirmed by comparative vector diagnosis of plant nutrient status.Cliricidia mulching resulted in seedling mortality after germination possibly from high soil pH and ammonium toxicity. Mineral N production in mulched soils during the laboratory incubation was well correlated with N uptake in corn shoots. The results suggest that the nutritional effects of agroforestry tree mulches on growth of companion crops may be effectively screened by a combined soil test, pot trial, and plant analysis approach.     

Comparing growth and fine root distribution in monocultures and mixed plantations of hybrid poplar and spruce

Disease prevention, biodiversity, productivity improvement and ecological considerations are all factors that contribute to increasing interest in mixed plantations. The objective of this study was to evaluate early growth and productivity of two hybrid poplar clones, P. balsamifera x trichocarpa (PBT) and P. maximowiczii x balsamifera (PMB), one improved family of Norway spruce (Picea glauca (PA)) and one improved family of white spruce (Picea abies (PG)) growing under different spacings in monocultures and mixed plots. The plantations were established in 2003 in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, Canada, in a split plot design with spacing as the whole plot factor (1 × 1 m, 3 × 3 m and 5 × 5 m) and mixture treatments as subplot factor (pure: PBT, PMB, PA and PG, and 1:1 mixture PBT:PA, PBT:PG, PMB:PA and PMB:PG). Results showed a beneficial effect of the hybrid poplar-spruce mixture on diameter growth for hybrid poplar clones, but not for the 5 × 5 m spacing because of the relatively young age of the plantations. Diameter growth of the spruces decreased in mixed plantings in the 1 × 1 m, while their height growth increased, resulting in similar aboveground biomass per tree across treatments. Because of the large size differences between spruces and poplars, aboveground biomass in the mixed plantings was generally less than that in pure poplar plots. Leaf nitrogen concentration for the two spruce families and hybrid poplar clone PMB was greater in mixed plots than in monocultures, while leaf nitrogen concentration of clone PBT was similar among mixture treatments. Because of its faster growth rate and greater soil resources demands, clone PMB was the only one showing an increase in leaf N with increased spacing between trees. Fine roots density was greater for both hybrid poplars than spruces. The vertical distribution of fine roots was insensitive to mixture treatment.     

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.     

The effects of the degree of soil cover with an impervious sheet on the establishment of tree seedlings in an arid environment

Low precipitation and high evaporation rates hinder the establishment of tree seedlings in arid environments. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of covering different fractions (0, 30, 70 and 100%) of the wetted area surrounding seedlings of Acacia saligna (Labill.) H.L. Wendl. with a black polyethylene sheet on the seedlings development and water use. The cover treatments were applied to plots with and without Acacia seedlings. Within the mulched areas at all depths, soil temperatures close to the edges were lower than at the corresponding depth close to the center, but still higher than in the non-mulched plots. In plots with Acacia seedlings, the total soil water losses were similar among treatments. However, the cumulative evaporative losses near the soil surface were lower with larger mulched areas. During early growth stages, roots grew deeper in the 30% mulch treatment and more laterally in the other mulched treatments. The non-mulched treatment produced the smallest root system. Larger canopies developed in the mulched treatments and the gross water use efficiency increased with the increasing fraction of the mulched area. Optimum utilization of stored soil water and seedling development were attained with the 70% mulch treatment.     

The impact of alley cropping Gliricidia sepium and Cassia spectabilis on upland rice and maize production

G. sepium and C. spectabilis hedgerows were established on slopes ranging from 18 to 31% in an effort to reduce soil erosion and improve upland rice and maize production. Upland rice and maize responded more to soil incorporated G. sepium biomass than to mulched, C. spectibilis. Incorporating hedgerow biomass equivalent to over 40 kg N per hectare, however, did not increase upland rice productivity. Maize, planted during the drought-prone second season, responded more than did rice to mulching. Crop performance improved along the slope gradient. Hedgerow-crop competition was observed at the upper and lower interfaces. Terracing intensified hedgerow-crop competition at the upper interface by reducing the crop's effective rooting depth. Under prevailing climatic and soil conditions, mixed hedgerows of C. spectabilis and G. sepium initially produced approximately 7 tons of fresh biomass per hectare every 3 months. Four years after hedgerow establihment, however C. spectabilis biomass was chlorotic and considerable mortality was observed, suggesting that C. spectabilis may be depleting soil N reserves.     

Five native tree species and manioc under slash-and-mulch agroforestry in the eastern Amazon of Brazil: plant growth and soil responses

Throughout the Amazon of Brazil, manioc (Manihot esculenta) is a staple crop produced through slash-and-burn agriculture. Nutrient losses during slash-and-burn can be large and nutrient demand by food crops so great that fields are often abandoned after two years. In recent decades, farmers have reduced the fallow phase from 20 to ~5 years, limiting plant nutrient accumulation to sustain crop yields. Improved fallows through simultaneous planting of trees with food crops may accelerate nutrient re-accumulation. In addition, slash-and-mulch technology may prevent loss of nutrients due to burning and mulch decomposition may serve as a slow-release source of nutrients. This study in Pará, Brazil, in a 7-year-old secondary forest following slashing and mulching of the vegetation, involved two main plot treatments (with and without P and K fertilizers) and two sub-plot treatments (with or without a N₂-fixer Inga edulis). A mixed-culture of trees and manioc was planted in all plots. P and K fertilizer increased tree mortality due to weed competition but growth of surviving trees in four of the five tree species tested also increased as did biomass production of manioc. In the N₂-fixer treatment trends of greater growth and survival of four of five tree species and manioc biomass were also observed. Fertilization increased the biomass of competing vegetation, but there was a fertilizer by N₂-fixer interaction as I. edulis caused a reduction in competing biomass in the fertilized treatment. After one year, fertilization increased decomposition of the mulch such that Ca, Mg, and N contents within the mulch all decreased. In contrast, P and K contents of mulch increased in all treatments. No influence of the N₂-fixer on 0–10 cm soil N contents was observed. Two years after establishment, this agroforestry system succeeded in growing a manioc crop and leaving a well-maintained tree fallow after the crop harvest.     

Growth, allocation and leaf gas exchanges of hybrid poplar plants in their establishment phase on previously forested sites: effect of different vegetation management techniques

The effect of different vegetation control methods (mowing and cultivation between plantation rows, herbicide application and cover plant sowing) on hybrid poplar (P. maximowiczii × balsamifera) growth, biomass allocation and leaf carbon assimilation was investigated in two plantations (1- and 2-year-old) established in previously forested sites of south-eastern Québec. Any vegetation control treatment applied the same year in which the plantation was established did not have an effect on hybrid poplar aboveground growth. However significant differences among treatments were observed belowground, where the removal of the competing vegetation at the tree base increased the fine root:leaf biomass ratio of plants, thus probably facilitating their establishment. In contrast, 2-year-old plants grew better when treated with herbicides, but no positive effect of the mechanical treatments was detected. In both sites, trees growing on herbicide-treated plots showed considerably higher leaf carbon assimilation and leaf N concentration which were both strongly correlated. We conclude that a strong vegetation competition for nutrients takes effect on hybrid poplar plantations on previously forested sites since there was no water shortage for any treatment during the study period.     

Decomposition and nutrient release of four potential mulching materials for poplar plantations on upland sites

The application of organic residues and the release dynamics of nutrients during decomposition may be crucial to improving poplar growth in upland areas. Field experiments were conducted in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, to determine differences in biomass decomposition of four potential mulching materials in one-year-old poplar plantations. Results showed the initial total content of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the mulches ranged from 30.0 to 35.0 g/kg and was significantly greater in Quercus fabri, Imperata cylindrica var. major and Pteridium aquilinum var. latiuscukum than in Coriaria nepalensis. The weight loss pattern of these four species during decomposition could be best described by a double exponential decay model, and monthly decay rate coefficients (k) were in the order Q. fabri > C. nepalensis > I. cylindrica > P. aquilinum over a one-year period. Total nutrient (N, P and K) release of the four mulching materials ranged from 74.2 to 90.8% of the initial content after one year of decomposition, while nutrients were released in the order K > P>N. Nutrient release was fastest in C. nepalensis followed by Q. fabri, I. cylindrica, and slowest in P. aquilinum. Thus, taking into account initial nutrient content, nutrient additions and decay rates, the sprouts of woody species (Q. fabri and C. nepalensis) with massive foliage proved to be more important as nitrogen sources than the grass or fern.     

Modeling nitrogen uptake for hybrid poplar with and without weed competition

Quantitative understanding of nutrient uptake by competing plants with different root systems can be a beneficial tool in designing the nutrient management strategies for competing plant environments. A field study was conducted at two sites (Alfalfa and Pasture site) near Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada to investigate the effect of weed competition on the growth and nitrogen (N) uptake by hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides × Populus × petrowskyana var. Walker) using the Soil Supply and Nutrient Demand (SSAND) model. Hybrid poplar was grown with and without weeds (mainly dandelion (Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg.) and quackgrass (Elymus repens (L.) Gould) for 50, 79 and 100 days. Above-ground and below-ground growth of hybrid poplar was adversely affected by the presence of weeds at both sites. At the end of the experimental period, hybrid poplar in the control treatment took up 15.8 and 15.7 mmol N plant⁻¹ while seedlings in the weed treatments accumulated only 1.7 and 2.1 mmol N plant⁻¹ at the Pasture and Alfalfa sites, respectively. The SSAND model predictions for hybrid poplar N uptake at the Pasture site were in close agreement with measured N uptake in the control treatment (slope = 0.95-0.98). Model predictions for the Alfalfa site underestimated N uptake in the control treatment compared to measured values (slope = 0.75-0.77). The SSAND model greatly underestimated N uptake by both hybrid poplar and weeds grown in the weed treatment. Including N mineralization as a model input also did not improve the N uptake predictions; however, including changing soil water content greatly improved the prediction of N uptake by both hybrid poplar and weeds. Results from this study suggest that weed control is an essential practice to successful establishment of hybrid poplar plantations. Furthermore, the SSAND model can be a potentially useful tool for enhancing our understanding of plant nutrient uptake under field conditions where the dynamic nature of soil moisture and mineralization processes influence plant growth.     

Alley cropping withGliricidia sepium on a high base status soil following forest clearing: effects on soil conditions,plant nutrition and crop yields

Interactions betweenGliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud., the crops maize and upland rice, and soil conditions were investigated in an alley cropping experiment on aFerralic Cambisol/Plinthic Lixisol in the rainforest area of the Côte d'Ivoire. Conventional and mulched sole cropping treatments were included for comparison. Hedgerow integration significantly reduced N and Mg losses from the soil. These effects were neither observed in the mulched sole cropping treatment nor reduced by hedgerow root barriers, suggesting that they were not direct consequences of the input of hedgerow biomass into the soil. Crop yields were increased in the central part of the alleys as compared to sole cropping, but the effect was offset by the loss of cropped surface which was occupied by the hedgerows and by yield depressions at the tree-crop interface.Gliricidia mulch increased foliar nutrient concentrations of maize; however, unlike mineral fertilizer the mulch had no influence on the imbalance between low P and high K levels in maize leaves. Nutrient accumulation in the dry season vegetation tended to be higher in alley cropping than in sole cropping. Weeds were particularly efficient in accumulating those nutrients which were relatively low in the hedgerow biomass. Necessary improvements to the cropping system are discussed. The optimum composition of fertilizers in mulching systems deserves attention.

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Résumé Les interactions entreGliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud., les cultures vivrières maïs et riz pluvial et le sol dans un dispositif de culture en couloirs ont été analysées sur sol ferralitique (Ferralic Cambisol/Plinthic Lixisol) en zone forestière de la Côte d'Ivoire. La culture pure, sans et avec l'apport de mulch, a été mise en comparaison. La présence des haies réduit les pertes en azote et en magnésium. Ces effets ne sont pas constatés sur des parcelles de culture pure recevant un mulch provenant des émondes de haies, et ne sont pas diminués par une barrière de racines entre les haies et les cultures. Ils ne sont donc pas la simple conséquence de l'apport au sol de biomasse des haies. Le rendement des cultures est amélioré dans la partie centrale des couloirs cultivées en comparaison avec la culture pure, mais cet effet est annihilé par la réduction de la surface cultivée et l'effet dépressif constaté au voisinage des haies. L'apport d'un mulch deGliricidia améliore l'état nutritionnel du maïs, jugé par le diagnostic foliaire. Cependant, en absence de fertilisation minérale, le mulch n'a pas d'influence sur le déséquilibre nutritionnel P/K du maïs en défaveur de la nutrition phosphorique. Les accumulations de nutriments au cours de la saison sèche ont tendance à être plus importantes sur les parcelles cultivées en couloirs par rapport à celles en culture pure. Les adventices sont particulièrement performantes pour accumuler des éléments peu présents dans la biomasse des haies. Des améliorations necessaires du système de culture sont discutées. La meilleure composition des engrais dans des systèmes de mulch mérite attention.

     

Impact of spacing and rotation length on nutrient budgets of poplar plantations for pulpwood

IntroductionPoplarshavemanycharacteristicsSuitableforplantationcultureascomparedtootherforestspecies,suchasfastgroWth,adaptabifitytodifferentenvironmentalconditionsandtodifferentsilviculturalsystems,whichenabletheproductionoflargequantitiesofwoodinshortperiodsoftime.Poplarscanbeusedfordifferentformsofprocessingintimberindustry,aswellasinpulpandpaperindustryandasasourceofenergy(Gambles&Zsuffa1984,Moran&Nautryal1985,Fangetal1993).Sincesomepoplarcloneswereintroducedinthe1970"s,poplarshavebeent…     

覆盖保护地栽培对雷竹地下鞭的影响

经覆盖竹林样方内鞭段数为9．1条／m2,总鞭长为6．06m／m2,幼壮龄鞭（2～4龄鞭）占总鞭段数的68％,和未覆盖竹林地相比,鞭段数明显增加,总鞭长和幼壮鞭的比例明显下降;覆盖竹林内整个竹鞭系统中总芽数为181个／m2,其中壮芽数占总芽数的6．3％,弱芽数为45％,两者合计所占的比例为51．3％,具有的芽的绝对数量远低于未覆盖丰产竹林芽的数量,仅为丰产竹林单位面积芽数的53％。表明,目前经采用覆盖栽培经营的雷竹林地下鞭结构状况较差,覆盖措施已对竹林产生了负面影响。     

Black polyethylene mulch improves growth of plantation-grown loblolly pine and yellow-poplar

The effects of mulching with perforated black plastic, in combination with fertilization and induced mycorrhizal symbioses, on the growth of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) were studied in a plantation under intensive, short rotation management. Mulching effects on soil temperature were also examined in order to assess the potential influence of this treatment on temperature-dependent processes in soils affecting tree growth. Mulching significantly increased height and stem diameter growth of both species, attributable largely to improved water relations resulting from diminished soil surface evaporation and elimination of transpirational losses from competing vegetation. Mulching effects on soil temperature were insufficient to contribute substantially to the growth response exhibited by mulched trees. Multiple applications of urea-N promoted enhanced growth in both loblolly pine and yellow-poplar, an effect accentuated by mulching, but the field performance of trees inoculated in the nursery with selected mycorrhizal fungi was poor relative to that of the other treatments investigated.     

Impact of seedling type on early growth of poplar plantations on forest and agricultural land

Today, most poplar plantations in the temperate region are established on abandoned marginal agricultural land, but there is great potential for planting poplars on forest land as the available area is large and does not compete with food production. The objective of this study was to examine how different planting types (un-rooted cuttings, bare-rooted and containerized plants) affect the establishment and early growth of poplar plants on forest and agricultural sites. Our results suggest that on the agricultural site, survival and growth during the first two years are not influenced by plant type. However, at the forest sites, survival of rooted plants was superior compared to un-rooted cuttings. The height and biomass (stem and root) increment of bare-rooted plants was low; greater height and biomass growth was found for containerized plants. Container sizes had no effect on height growth, but leaf and stem biomasses were higher if the largest containers were used. When using the largest containers, concentrations of macronutrients (N, P) were increased compared to bare-rooted plants. Thus, these results suggest that practices for establishing poplar plantations of agricultural land include planting of un-rooted cutting, but on forest land, a plant grown in a container of 470?ml should be used. Together, this can reduce the cost of establishment, increase the available area for poplar plantations and have an impact on poplar plantation economics in Sweden.     

Vegetation competition effects on aboveground biomass and macronutrients,leaf area,and crown structure in 5-year old Douglas-fir

Vegetation control (VC) in forest plantations often increases growth of crop trees but can also affect biomass and nutrient partitioning to tree components. We examined above-ground biomass and macronutrients, leaf area and crown structure in 5-year old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi (Mirb.) Franco) growing with VC and with no vegetation control (NVC) in coastal Washington, United States of America. Trees in VC had larger stem, branch, foliage and total biomass than trees of equal stem diameter at 1.3 m above ground in NVC. The difference in component biomass between treatments was in the order: branch > foliage > stem. Trees in the VC regime did not differ in macronutrient concentration in stem, branch and foliage except for branch N which was greater in NVC than in VC. Differences in tree macronutrient stores between VC and NVC ranged from 2.2 times for Mg to 2.6 times for N and K. The relationship between stem diameter and leaf area was linear in both VC treatments. The relationship between stem diameter and foliage biomass was curvilinear for both VC treatments. Results of this study support the need for separated allometric equations to estimate biomass for young Douglas-fir growing in areas with and without VC.     

Soil and plant N-budget 1 year after planting of a slash-and-mulch agroforestry system in the eastern Amazon of Brazil

Nutrient losses during slash-and-burn clearing in tropical forests, coupled with demand by food crops, can deplete nutrients and result in crop abandonment after 1–2 years. Slash-and-mulch technology prevents nutrient losses from burning, while mulch decomposition may serve as a nutrient source. This research investigates the release of nutrients from the mulch and potential uptake of released N by plant biomass after a multi-species agroforestry system was planted in June 2005, following the clearing of a 1 ha of 7-year-old forest with a mulching tractor in Igarapé Açu, Brazil. The study evaluated soil conditions, mulch decomposition, and nutrient concentrations of Manihot esculenta and native vegetation under treatments of P+K fertilization in combination with four native tree species and N-fixing Inga edulis, or with three native tree species without I. edulis. Mulch layer N, Ca and Mg content decreased in response to fertilization, while mulch layer P and K content increased. Nutrient content increased in M. esculenta stems and tubers with fertilization and in the presence of I. edulis, and in competing vegetation with fertilization. Estimated tree N content increased 311 % with fertilization, but by 154 % in the presence of I. edulis. Fertilization with P+K, as well as the presence of I. edulis, increased N stocks in total biomass.     

Economic analysis of cut-and-carry,and alley cropping systems of mulch production for plantains in south-eastern Nigeria

Organic mulch is beneficial to plantain because it maintains soil fertility, prevents erosion and suppresses weeds. Mulch availability is however a major constraint. Mulching in a cut-and-carry system withPennisetum purpureum Schum. (elephant grass) was compared with mulching with the prunings ofAlchornea cordifolia (Schum. & Thonn.),Dactyladenia barteri (Hook. f. ex Oliv.)Engel. (Syn.Acioa barteri),Gmelina arborea (Roxb.) andSenna siamea (Lam.) Irwin & Barneby (Syn.Cassia siamea) in alley cropping systems. Plantain inPennisetum mulch treatment gave the highest bunch yield, but similar net revenues per hectare as theDactyladenia treatment, whileGmelina, Alchornea andSenna treatments produced the lowest incomes. But when the land required to producePennisetum mulch was included in the economic analysis, the net revenue per hectare was negative over three years of cropping. The returns to labour were also much lower for thePennisetum compared to the alley cropping systems. Among the in-situ mulch sources,Gmelina had the highest labour requirement because of the high pruning frequency. In addition, weeding inGmelina, Alchornea andSenna treatments resulted in high labour demand due to the rapid decomposition of the mulch materials leaving the soil bare for weeds to invade.Dactyladenia alley cropping was the most profitable of the five plantain production systems studied.IITA Journal Paper No: 94/004/JA.     

Biomass, carbon and nitrogen dynamics of multi-species riparian buffers within an agricultural watershed in Iowa, USA

This study was conducted to determine biomass dynamics, carbon sequestration and plant nitrogen immobilization in multispecies riparian buffers, cool-season grass buffers and adjacent crop fields in central Iowa. The seven-year-old multispecies buffers were composed of poplar (Populus×euroamericana Eugenei) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). The cool-season grass buffers were dominated by non-native forage grasses (Bromus inermis Leysser., Phleum pratense L. and Poa pratensis L). Crop fields were under an annual corn-soybean rotation. Aboveground non-woody live and dead biomass were determined by direct harvests throughout two growing seasons. The dynamics of fine (0–2 mm) and small roots (2–5 mm) were assessed by sequentially collecting 35 cm deep, 5.4 cm diameter cores (125 cm deep cores in the second year) from April through November. Biomass of poplar trees was estimated using allometric equations developed by destructive sampling of trees. Poplar had the greatest aboveground live biomass, N and C pools, while switchgrass had the highest mean aboveground dead biomass, C and N pools. Over the two-year sampling period, live fine root biomass and root C and N in the riparian buffers were significantly greater than in crop fields. Growing-season mean biomass, C and N pools were greater in the multispecies buffer than in either of the crop fields or cool-season grass buffers. Rates of C accumulation in plant and litter biomass in the planted poplar and switchgrass stands averaged 2960 and 820 kg C ha^–1 y^–1, respectively. Nitrogen immobilization rates in the poplar stands and switchgrass sites averaged 37 and 16 kg N ha^–1 y^–1, respectively. Planted riparian buffers containing native perennial species therefore have the potential to sequester C from the atmosphere, and to immobilize N in biomass, therefore slowing or preventing N losses to the atmosphere and to ground and surface waters.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of black locust on productivity and nitrogen nutrition of intercropped barley

Effects of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) on productivity and N nutrition of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were evaluated under various management regimes (2 soil types, 3 levels of N fertilizer, and 3 cropping systems — barley alone, and barley intercropped with trees pruned or unpruned).Intercropping did not affect productivity and N nutrition of barley in 1988 when trees were small. However, there was a significant yield decline in 1989 as the trees grew bigger. On average, productivity of the sole crop was 8% higher in both soil types. Pruning and mulching moderated the yield reduction compared with the unpruned treatment. Competition for soil moisture was considered a major constraint. Nonetheless, the overall productivity (barley+black locust) from the intercropped treatments was 53% higher than sole cropping.In 1989 and 1990, intercropped barley had significantly higher grain and straw N concentrations (%). In 1989, for example, grain N content was 11% higher than in the sole crop. Removal of trees in 1990 resulted in significant increase in productivity and N content of subsequent barley crop relative to continuous sole cropping. From N nutrition viewpoint, barley from previously intercropped treatments showed superior quality and it had, on average, 23% higher grain N content than the sole crop. This was attributed to N₂-fixation and N return by black locust. It was estimated that black locust contributed about 36 kg N ha^–1 to the system.This study underscores the role black locust is potentially capable of playing in the development of sustainable and low-input agricultural systems in temperate regions. Nonetheless, the study also illustrates the importance of the below and above-ground interactions that occur in intercropped systems and the need for further research in this area.