Effect of soil fertility on early growth of Leucaena and Gliricidia in alley farms

Young leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit) and gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq) Steud) alley-cropped with food crops on farmers' fields in southwestern Nigeria showed marked variability in growth and foliage coloration. A field study was undertaken to determine whether variability in soil fertility was responsible for the differential growth of the two tree species. Plant height of leucaena and gliricidia at 6 and 9 months after planting (MAP) were significantly correlated with soil organic C and total N. Dry matter yield at 12 MAP was also significantly correlated with plant height, soil organic C and total N for leucaena but not for gliricidia. Soil and plant N concentrations were significantly higher in farms with normal than those with chlorotic plants.     

Effect of cutting height and cutting interval on dry matter yield of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) De Wit

The effect of cutting height and cutting interval on dry matter production of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) De Wit was investigated at Njala, Sierra Leone using three year old Leucaena trees. Four cutting heights, (25, 50, 75 and 100 cm), and two cutting intervals (one and three months), were adopted.Dry matter yields were highest at the 75 and 100 cm cutting heights, especially at the longer, three-monthly, cutting interval. They were significantly reduced by more frequent cutting, probably due to the increased number of recovery phases.Leaf nitrogen yields per tree for trees cut at three-monthly intervals were over twice as high as the total yields obtained from monthly cutting over the same period.     

The performance of the leaf mulches ofLeucaena leucocephala,Flemingia macrophylla andGliricidia sepium in weed control

The performance of the leaf mulches ofLeucaena leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium andFlemingia macrophylla in weed control has been tested in two trials. The length of the period during which a mulch layer yields significantly less weedbiomass compared to the control plots is called the effective life-span of the mulch.Of the three mulch materials only that ofF. macrophylla shows promise in retarding weed development.In the second trialF. macrophylla leaf mulch was applied at rates of 3, 6 and 9 tons dry matter per ha. The effective lifespan of a mulch layer of 3 tons is between 12 and 13 weeks. The treatments 6 and 9 tons have effective life-spans of over 14 weeks.For moderate quantities (up to 5 tons of dry leaf mulch per ha) the effective life-span is estimated at about a 100 days.The value of mulching in weed control is limited to the control of weed species that multiply by seed. Regrowth originating from roots or stumps from former vegetation is unlikely to be checked by a mulch layer.The subject of this paper is part of a broader study, presently conducted in Southern Ivory Coast, on the production, agronomical value and use in alley-cropping systems of the species mentioned in the title of the paper. A final report is scheduled for publication in 1988.     

The performance of the leaf mulches ofLeucaena leucocephala,Flemingia macrophylla andGliricidia sepium in weed control

The performance of the leaf mulches ofLeucaena leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium andFlemingia macrophylla in weed control has been tested in two trials. The length of the period during which a mulch layer yields significantly less weedbiomass compared to the control plots is called the ‘effective life-span’ of the mulch. Of the three mulch materials only that ofF. macrophylla shows promise in retarding weed development. In the second trialF. macrophylla leaf mulch was applied at rates of 3, 6 and 9 tons dry matter per ha. The effective lifespan of a mulch layer of 3 tons is between 12 and 13 weeks. The treatments 6 and 9 tons have effective life-spans of over 14 weeks. For moderate quantities (up to 5 tons of dry leaf mulch per ha) the effective life-span is estimated at about a 100 days. The value of mulching in weed control is limited to the control of weed species that multiply by seed. Regrowth originating from roots or stumps from former vegetation is unlikely to be checked by a mulch layer. The subject of this paper is part of a broader study, presently conducted in Southern Ivory Coast, on the production, agronomical value and use in alley-cropping systems of the species mentioned in the title of the paper. A final report is scheduled for publication in 1988.     

The effect of young Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) De Wit hedges on the growth and yield of maize,sweet potato and cowpea in an agroforestry system in Sierra Leone

An investigation was undertaken at Senehun — Kamajei, a high rainfall region in Sierra Leone, to assess the effects of Leucaena leucocephala, on the growth and productivity of maize, cowpea and sweet potato. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomised design with four replicates of each treatment. The treatments and controls were: (i) pure crops of maize, cowpea, sweet potato, Leucaena clean weeded and unweeded and (ii) intercrops of Leucaena with the food crops, both (iii) with and without applied fertilizers after the first year.The growth of Leucaena was slow but nevertheless tended to reduce grain yields of maize, and tuber and vine yields of sweet potato in the rows in the immediate vicinity of the trees, especially in the nitrogen-treated plots. The maize, in particular, caused an improvement in the early height growth of the trees.     

Screenhouse performance of VAM-inoculated seedlings of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De wit. in a phosphorus-deficient and aluminum sulfate-treated medium

The effect of 3 species of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi on the growth of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit. in a phosphorus-deficient and aluminumsulfate (AIS)-treated medium was investigated in a screenhouse experiment. Plant height, root length, nodulation, phosphorus uptake and nitrogen fixation were used as indices of plant performance.While there were significant differences among mycorrhizal plants with respect to these indices, they outperformed their non-mycorrhizal counterparts in all respects except in nitrogen content. Of the 3 mycorrhizal species studied, Glomus etunicatum (Becker and Gerd) was the most efficient, followed by Glomus fasciculatum (Thaxter) Gerd and Trappe, and finally, Gigaspora margarita (Becker and Hall). Both aluminumsulfate and mycorrhizal treatments increased shoot dry weight.     

Evaluation of phytotoxic effects ofGliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp prunings on maize and cowpea seedlings

Phytotoxic effects ofGliricidia prunings were tested on maize seedlings in the laboratory and on maize and cowpea seedlings in the field. In the laboratory test, growth of maize seedlings was significantly depressed by addition of leachate ofGliricidia prunings. In the field, leaf, chlorosis of maize and cowpea seedlings occurred when mulched withGliricidia prunings; number of affected leaves increased with increasing mulch rate. Maize was more susceptible than cowpea. This phytotoxic effect, however, did not reduce growth of maize and cowpea seedlings in the field. ApplyingGliricidia mulch one week before planting eliminated the phytotoxic effects on maize.     

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.     

Effect of spacing on growth and biomass production of Gliricidia sepium (jacq) walp in an alley cropping system in Sierra Leone

This paper describes a study into the influences of spacing on the early performance and biomass production of Gliricidia sepium in an alley cropping system in southern Sierra Leone. Four between-row spacings of 2, 4, 6 and 8 m were combined with three within-row spacings (0.25, 0.50 and 1.00m) in a split plot experimental design.Survival, tree height and leaf nitrogen content were not affected by between- or within-row spacings. For the other parameters measured, namely root-collar diameter, branch production, total biomass and nitrogen yields per hectare, it was found that for equivalent tree densities, the lower the rectangularity of planting, the better the performance of the individual trees, and consequently the greater the yields per hectare.Total biomass production per unit area was, expectedly, greatest where the spacings between hedgerows were closest, while production per plant decreased with closer within-row spacings. The total fresh and dry weights of leaves and stems, as well as leaf nitrogen yields per unit area were strongly influenced by between-row spacing and less so by within-row spacing.     

Genetic analysis of growth and wood variations in Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.

We selected 28 populations of Leucaena leucocephala from different geographical locations in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa of India on the basis of height and girth at breast height (GBH). We evaluated fiber length, optical density, wall thickness, vessel element length, vessel element diameter, specific gravity and lignin of these populations of L. leucocephala in different sites. Populations had significant variations for all growth, wood and paper parameters. Girth at breast height (GBH) and specific gravity were the most important parameters for heritability and genetic gain, respectively. The minimum heritability was reported for vessel element length and genetic gain for fiber length. The populations were grouped into six clusters, cluster II had maximum number of populations (14) and clusters IV and VI had one population each. GBH contributed maximum of 34.39 % towards total divergence followed by specific gravity (14.02%). An economic technique to produce quality seed by establishing seed orchards with genetically divergent parents was suggested. The hybridization among the populations selected from diverse clusters could produce greater heterosis needed for higher growth and suitable wood and paper manufacturing parameters.     

Fire management on Imperata grasslands as part of agroforestry development in Indonesia

Fire is an important factor in the Imperata grassland ecosystem. It prevents or slows down the natural succession to shrubs and/or secondary forest vegetation and is a major threat to (agro)forestry options for Imperata grassland rehabilitation. Forest fires can also be a primary cause of the extension of Imperata grasslands. In this review an attempt is made to integrate biophysical and socioeconomic aspects of the causation of fires in a conceptual model. Fire effects on vegetation are examined. The management options at the level of a farmer, a village community and a national government are analyzed.     

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.     

Effect of alley cropping with Leucaena leucocephala and fertilizer application on yield of vegetable crops

Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of alley cropping vegetable crops with Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit for two seasons on a sandy loam Oxic paleustalf in southwestern Nigeria. Four vegetable crops (Amaranthus cruentus L.; Celosia argentea L.; Okra, Hibiscus esculentus L.; and tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were grown in control plots and in 4-m wide alleys between established Leucaena hedgerows without and with fertilizer (30 N-13 P-24 K kg ha^–1). Leucaena prunings yielded large dry biomass and nutrients during both seasons. Yield of four vegetable crops responded more to fertilizer in control than in alley cropped treatments. Better yield of vegetables in alley cropped plots was in part due to following effect of the Leucaena hedgerows. Fertilizer application increased mean yields of Amaranthus, Celosia, okra and tomato by 325, 164, 47 and 94% in control plots and by 36, 26, 4 and 20% in alley cropped plots, respectively. For both seasons, yields were not significantly different between alley cropped with and without fertilizer and the control with fertilizer treatments. Yield was least in control without fertilizer. Alley cropping with Leucaena can reduce fertilizer requirement for vegetable production. Cost and return analysis using 1988 prices indicated that alley cropping with vegetable crops can be profitable.c/o Miss Maureen Larkin, L. W. Lambourn & Company, 26 Dingwall Road, Croydon CR9 3EE, England     

Performance and yield of 14 eucalypt species on Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. grassland 3 years after planting

A species trial with 14 eucalypt species with randomized complete blocks design was planted on Imperata cylindrica dominated grassland in South Kalimantan, Indonesia in January 1987. The site was prepared mechanically. No fertilizers were used. At the age of three years E. camaldulensis had clearly the highest survival rate (95%) and mean annual increment (5.9 m³ha^–1a^–1) compared with the other species tried. It was followed by E. urophylla, E. deglupta, E. pellita, E. tereticornis, E. alba, E. torelliana, E. intermedia, E. grandis and E. pilularis. Four other species, E. phaeotricha, E. resinifera, E. cloeziana and E. microcorys died either in the nursery or immediately after planting. All the eucalypts tried had narrow crowns and open canopies. It is suggested that eucalypts are not recommendable for grassland reforestation under minimum plantation tending. Effects of intensive weeding, spacing, fertilizing and performance in second rotation or mixed stands should be tested to elaborate the suitability of eucalypts on grasslands.     

Effect of the application of the leaf mulch of Gliricidia sepium on early development,leaf nutrient contents and tuber yields of water yam (Dioscorea alata)

This paper describes the effects of the leaf mulch of Gliricidia sepium on the development and yield of Water Yam, Dioscorea alata. Using leaf mulch, the time taken for the yam setts to sprout can be shortened by approximately 20 percent.Organic mulches contain considerable quantities of plant nutrients. Increasing amounts of mulch improved the leaf nutrient contents of the yam crop and resulted in significantly higher tuber yields. Over a tuber yield range up to c. 15 tons ha^–1 each additional ton DM Gliricidia sepium mulch applied resulted in a yield increment of about 2 ton yam tubers. A nutrient supply — nutrient extraction balance is discussed, comparing mulch applied and yam tubers harvested.Mulching as agricultural technique is a useful and affordable tool in adapting low external input cropping systems to local economic and environmental conditions.     

The effects of between-row (alley widths) and within-row spacings ofGliricidia sepium on alley-cropped maize in Sierra Leone

The effects of spacings between hedgerows (alley widths) and the spacings of trees within hedgerows ofGliricidia sepium on growth and grain yield of maize were investigated at Senehun in southern Sierra Leone. Four between-row spacings (2, 4, 6 and 8 m) were combined with three within-row spacings (0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 m) in a split block design. Maize, at densities of 20,000, 40,000 and 53,333 plants ha^–1, was established in the alleys and also as pure crops. N, P and K fertilizers were applied to all plots before pruning of the trees began. When pruning started, only the pure maize plots received fertilizer; prunings from the hedgerows were returned to the appropriate alleys in the other plots.Plots with the highest maize populations consistently gave the best yields before pruning started, but lower populations gave improved yields after pruning. Yields of maize increased with increasing alley widths before the start of pruning, after which the narrower alleys of 2 and 4 m outyielded the wider ones by almost double, probably because of the large amount of nutrients applied in prunings. Lack of light limited grain yields before the start of pruning, when there was some shading by the hedgerows. Alleys of 2–4 m wide, planted no closer than 0.50 m within rows, resulted in more than twice the yields of maize than in the 8-m alleys planted at 0.25 m within rows, once the hedgerows were well established and were being managed.     

Crown development and biomass production of pollardedErythrina berteroana,E. fusca andGliricidia sepium in the humid tropical lowlands of Costa Rica

Leguminous trees are widely used to support climbers such as black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andr.), to provide shade to crops and to maintain soil fertility. Pruning or pollarding provides the means to maximize benefits from the trees, particularly through the production of biomass as a soil amendment. At the same time, excessive shading is reduced. In order to quantify the degree of shading of black pepper by the support trees during a six-month pollarding cycle, this study monitored crown development (part I) and light transmission (part II) of three widely used species,Erythrina berteroana Urban,E. fusca Loureiro andGliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud.The two sites were in the humid Atlantic Lowlands of Talamanca, southern Costa Rica (mean annual rainfall 2460 mm, no distinct dry season), on alluvial soils (typic Tropofluvents) with low levels of K, P, Mn and Zn. Two-year-old trees, that had been established from cuttings as live supports for black pepper, were used for the study. They were pollarded twice per year. The variables measured/estimated monthly were: stem diameter at breast height (dbh); height, foliated height, depth, diameter, leaf area and leaf biomass of crowns; length, diameter, number and inclination of branches. Leaf nutrient contents were also determined.Following pollarding,G. sepium was the first to resprout, followed byE. berteroana andE. fusca. G. sepium with its few but erect and long branches had slender, columnar crowns. while those ofE. berteroana andE. fusca were more spherical. Four months after pollarding,G. sepium started shedding leaves at the base of its branches. Average crown diameter after six months were 2.2 m forE. berteroana, 1.9 m forE. fusca and 1.5 m forG. sepium; average crown depths after six months were 2.8 m, 2.1 m, and 2.7 m, respectively, for the three species. For 1600 trees ha^–1 and two prunings per year, foliar biomass production from prunings alone (i.e., without litter fall), calculated from regressions with length and basal diameter of branches as independent variables, was 3.8 t, 3.4 t and 2.3 t dry matter ha^–1 a^–1 forE. berteroana, E. fusca andG. sepium, respectively; these estimates agreed well with measured values. The corresponding N contents were 146 kg, 124 kg and 90 kg, respectively. While N contributions from the prunings exceeded 50% of the fertilizer recommendations for black pepper, the contributions were <10% for P and <40% for K. Linear regressions between leaf area and branch dimensions, and quadratic regressions between foliar biomass and crown diameter showed high coefficients of determination (0.83>R ²>0.99). Correlations between foliar biomass, dbh, and dbh increments were generally weak. Conclusions from the study appear to be valid also for other agroforestry systems where the same species are planted under similar ecological conditions for reasons other than as live supports.

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Resumen Los árboles leguminosos se usan frecuentamente como soportes vivos para plantas trepadoras como pimienta negra (Piper nigrum L.) y vainilla (Vanilla planifolia Andr.), para dar sombra y para reducir el desgaste de los suelos. La poda de los árboles reduce la cantidad mantener la fertilidad de sombra y produce biomasa que sirve como enmiendas. Con el objectivo de cuantificar el grado del sombreado de pimienta negra por los árboles durante un cíclo de poda de seis meses, se monitoreó en este estudio el desarrollo de la copa (parte I) y la transmisión de luz (parte II) de tres especies usados como soportes vivos:Erythrina berteroana Urban,E. fusca Loureiro yGliricidia sepium (Jacq) Steud.Los dos sitios estan en la zona tropical húmeda de Talamanca Baja, en el sureste de Costa Rica (precipitación promedia 2460 mm, sin estación seca) en suelos aluviales (Typic Tropofluvents) y pobres en K, P, Mn y Zn. Los árboles fueron establecidos de estacas. Cuando este estudio empezó, los árboles tenían dos años de edad y fueron podados dos veces por año. Los parámetros medidos ó estimados mensualmente fueron: diámetro del tronco a la altura del pecho (DAP); altura, altura foliada, profundidad, diámetro, área foliar y biomasa foliar de las copas; largo, diámetro, número y inclinación de las ramas. Además se determinó el contenido de nutrientes de las hojas.Despues de la poda,G. sepium fue el primero en rebrotar, seguido porE. berteroana yE. fusca. G. sepium con sus ramas escasas pero largas y erectas, formó una copa delgada y columnar, mientras que las copas deE. berteroana yE. fusca fueron más esféricas. Cuatro meses después de la poda,G. sepium empezó a perder las hojas en la base de sus ramas. El promedio del diámetro de la copa después de seis meses fue de 2.2 m paraE. berteroana, 1.9 m paraE. fusca y 1.5 m paraG. sepium; el promedio de la profundidad de la copa después de seis meses fú de 2.8 m, 2.1 m y 2.7 m, respectivamente para las tres especies. Para 1600 árboles ha^–1 y dos podas por año, la producción estimada de biomasa foliar de la poda (sin tomar en cuenta la hojarasca caída antes), calculada de regresiónes con el largo y el diámetro basal de las ramas como variables independientes, fue de 3.8 t, 3.4 t y 2.3 t de matéria seca ha^–1 a^–1 paraE. berteroana, E. fusca yG. sepium, respectivamente; estos valores calculados concordaron bien con valores medidos. El contenido de N correspondiente fué de 146 kg, 124 kg, y 90 kg, respectivamente. Mientras que la contribución de N procedente de las podas excedió 50% de una recomendación de fertilización común para pimienta negra, la contribución de P fue inferior al 10%, y menos del 40% para K. Regresiones lineales entre área foliar y las dimensiones de la ramas, y regresiones cuadraticas entre biomasa foliar y el diámetro de la copa mostraron altos coeficientes de determinación (0.83>R ²>0,99). Las correlaciones entre biomasa foliar, el DAP y incrementos del DAP fueron generalmente débiles. Las conclusiones de éste estudio parecen válidas tambien para sistemas agroforestales donde las especies estudiadas son plantadas bajo condiciones ecológicas similares para propósitos diferentes de como soportes vivos.

     

Leucaena + maize alley cropping in Malawi. Part 1: Effects of N, P, and leaf application on maize yields and soil properties

Yields under alley cropping might be improved if the most limiting nutrients not adequately supplied or cycled by the leaves could be added as an inorganic fertilizer supplement. Three historic leaf management strategies had been in effect for 3 years ina Leucaena leucocephala alley cropping trial on the Lilongwe Plain of central Malawi : 1) leaves returned; 2) leaves removed; and 3) leaves removed, with 100 kg inorganic N ha⁻¹ added. An initial soil analysis showed P status to be suboptimal under all strategies. A confounded 3⁴ factorial experiment was conducted with the following treatments: leaf management strategy (as above), N fertilizer rate (0, 30, and 60 kg N ha⁻¹), P fertilizer rate (0, 18, and 35 kg P ha⁻¹), and maize population (14,800, 29,600, and 44,400 plants ha⁻¹). Both N and P were yield limiting, and interacted positively to improve yields. The addition of 30 kg N and 18 kg P ha⁻¹ improved yields similarly under all leaf management strategies by an average of 2440 kg ha⁻¹. Increasing the rates to 60 kg N and 35 kg P ha⁻¹ improved yields an additional 1990 kg ha⁻¹ in the ‘leaves returned’ and leaves removed + N’ strategies, but did not improve yields under the ‘leaves removed’ strategy. Lower yields were related to lack of P response at the highest P rate in this treatment, which may have induced Zn deficiency. Plots receiving leaves had higher organic C, total N, pH, exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and S, and lower C/N ratios in the 0–15 cm soil layer than did plots where leaves had been removed. Leaf removal with N addition was similar to leaf removal alone for all soil factors measured except for organic C and total N, which were higher where N had been added. The results show that N and P were the primary yield-limiting nutrients. Historic N application maintained the soil's ability to respond to N and P on par with leaf additions.     

Site factors associated with the performance of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit and Sesbania sesban (L.) Merill in pure and mixed stands in the northern highlands of Rwanda

Alley cropping with leguminous tree hedgerows planted on contours is an emerging practice in the northern highlands of Rwanda where field slopes range from 4 to 76% and loss of soil fertility due to erosion is the principal impediment to food production. Sesbania sesban and Leucaena Leucocephala, the two woody species recommended for alley cropping in the region, do not perform equally well across sites: Sesbania is faster growing, But is more sensitive to pruning than Leucaena. We tested the hypothesis that the two species could be grown together to make the best use of their relative advantages. Species were planted in pure and 1:1 mixed stands at 26 sites to give a range of altitudes, slopes, azimuths and soil fertility levels representative of the region. During two cropping seasons’ growth spanning 19 months, in pure stands, Sesbania produced more biomass, grew taller and had thicker stems than Leucaena: for the same species, stem diameter and height were not different in pure and mixed stands. Biomass and number of poles from 1:1 mixed stands of Sesbania and Leucaena were equivalent to biomass and pole numbers from Sesbania in pure stands. However, mixed stands produced more biomass and pole numbers than Leucaena in pure stands. Growth of S. sesban was positively correlated with soil pH, potassium and altitude; whereas, growth of L. leucocephala was positively correlated with soil phosphorus, but negatively correlated with field slope. All other soil and site variables tested were nonsignificant. The study suggests that farmers can plant S. sesban and L. leucocephala in 1:1 mixtures in an alley cropping setting and retain levels of biomass production and bean pole numbers equivalent to those from S. sesban alone without compromising future growth and production by Leucaena. As well, the impact of pH, K and P on growth and production of Sesbania and Leucaena as a function of field slope and altitude should be determined before extending their use to other regions. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of alley cropped Calliandra calothyrsus and Cliricidia sipium hedges on weed growth,soil properties,and taro yields in Western Samoa

Field experiments were conducted on a tropical Inceptisol at Apia, Western Samoa to evaluate the effects of alley cropping on soil characteristics, weed populations, and taro yield. Taro yields were compared from Calliandra calothyrsus and Gliricidia sipium alleys, spaced at 4 m, 5 m, and 6 m, and a no tree control. Measurements were made for soil moisture and temperature, weed growth, hedge biomass production, and taro growth and yield. Data was analyzed over 4 consecutive years from 1988 to 1991.Hedge biomass yields ranged from 5.1 to 16.1 t/ha/yr dry weight over the 4 years of the trial, with Calliandra and Gliricidia performing equally well. Biomass yields decreased by about 2 mt/ha with increasing alley width from 4 to 6 m alleys. Weed populations were significantly lower in the 4 m alleys compared to the 5 m, 6 m, and control plots. The 6 m alleys supported the significantly highest weed populations. Soil from alley plots held significantly more water in the 0.3 to 1 bar range than soils from the controls. Four years of mulch application measurably improved soil water holding capacity and bulk density. However, no improvement was seen in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and organic carbon content in the alley plots compared to the controls. There was no positive yield effect of alley cropping on taro yield. Yields in the 5 m and 6 m alleys were not significantly different from the control, while the 4 m alleys produce significantly lower yields than the control. Thus, alley cropping did not prove a viable alternative to traditional shifting cultivation after 4 years of continuous cropping, in this trial.