Direct seeding of Sesbania sesban for green manure in agroforestry systems — a short communication

This study was based at the Agroforestry Research Centre, Maseno Kenya. The objective was to evaluate the effects of pre-treatment, seed rate and depth of sowing seed on direct seeding of Sesbania sesban. Direct seeding was shown to be feasible during the rainy season, provided a shallow seed bed was used. Direct seeding at 3 cm furrow depth led to significantly (P = 0.05) greater germination compared to 10 cm depth. There was no effect of pretreatment and seed rate on germination, early seedling growth and dry matter partitioning. Depth of sowing similarly had no effect on early growth and dry matter partitioning. Establishment by direct seeding is relatively non-labour intensive with a probable high adoption potential.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.