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Abstract

The effect of combined inputs of green manure (GM) and urea on maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and soil characteristics was studied in an on-farm trial at Wondo Genet, southern Ethiopia. The GM species used were the legumes Albizia gummifera G.F. Gmel and Milletia ferruginea (Hochst.) Baker and the non-legumes Cordia africana Lam and Croton macrostachyus Del. The GM and urea were applied separately or combined in different proportions to give equal rates of 100 kg N ha(-1), while varying amounts of P and K were supplied by the GM. The experiment was carried out for two consecutive cropping seasons, but treatments were applied only during the first season. Yield increased by 10-84% in the combined treatments compared to the control, with the increase being significant in those treatments containing GM from Cordia and Croton, which had higher P and K but lower N and total polyphenol contents than those from Albizia and Milletia. Increasing the proportion of GM from the non-legumes tended to increase yield, but the opposite was true when the proportion of GM from the legumes was increased. This suggests that N interacted negatively with polyphenols, and/or the P and K supply from GM was more important than that of N. However, treatment effects on soil properties were not pronounced. It was concluded that a 'modest' input of

Keywords

agroforestry species; crop yield; leguminous; Mollic andosols; organic materials; nutrient uptake

Published in

Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems
2006, volume: 75, number: 45660, pages: 163-173
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

  • Teklay, Tesfay

    • Department of Forest Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

  • Nyberg, Gert

    • Department of Forest Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

  • Malmer, Anders

    • Department of Forest Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-006-9020-3

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/9296