Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa

Integration of forage legumes into traditional fallow management systems can help to improve both forage supply at a time of feed scarcity and soil fertility. At two sites in south-west Nigeria, 11 legume species with generally low nutrient requirements were evaluated on-station in a short-term ley...

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Autores principales: Muhr, L., Peters, Michael, Tarawali, Shirley A., Schultze-Kraft, Rainer
Formato: Conference Paper
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Margraf Verlag 1998
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/50525
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author Muhr, L.
Peters, Michael
Tarawali, Shirley A.
Schultze-Kraft, Rainer
author_browse Muhr, L.
Peters, Michael
Schultze-Kraft, Rainer
Tarawali, Shirley A.
author_facet Muhr, L.
Peters, Michael
Tarawali, Shirley A.
Schultze-Kraft, Rainer
author_sort Muhr, L.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Integration of forage legumes into traditional fallow management systems can help to improve both forage supply at a time of feed scarcity and soil fertility. At two sites in south-west Nigeria, 11 legume species with generally low nutrient requirements were evaluated on-station in a short-term ley system with a subsequent maize crop. Eight months after sowing, the forage dry matter yields at both sites were highest for Stylosanthes guianensis (9 t ha<sup(<minus>1)>), Aeschynomene histrix (4 and 7 t ha<sup(<minus>1)>) and Centrosema macrocarpum (3 and 6 t ha<sup(<minus>1)>). Despite dry season forage utilisation, grain yields of subsequently grown maize exceeded those after natural fallow by up to 138 percent (S. guianensis) and 52 percent (Zornia glabra) at the respective sites. In simple on-farm trials managed by settled Fulani farmers, forage yields of the legumes were much lower than on-station, with only S. guianensis showing high potential under farmers' low input management. Despite additional labour demand during the establishment of the legumes, farmers' interest in the innovation grew in the course of the experiment. On-station and on-farm results promise a considerable gain in productivity through improved fallow systems, if establishment problems can be overcome.
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spelling CGSpace505252023-02-15T09:37:14Z Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa Muhr, L. Peters, Michael Tarawali, Shirley A. Schultze-Kraft, Rainer forage centrosema macrocarpum fallow fodder legumes labour requirements zea mays maize stylosanthes guianensis soil fertility zornia cropping systems production possibilities leys low input agriculture zornia glabra aeschynomene histrix rotations Integration of forage legumes into traditional fallow management systems can help to improve both forage supply at a time of feed scarcity and soil fertility. At two sites in south-west Nigeria, 11 legume species with generally low nutrient requirements were evaluated on-station in a short-term ley system with a subsequent maize crop. Eight months after sowing, the forage dry matter yields at both sites were highest for Stylosanthes guianensis (9 t ha<sup(<minus>1)>), Aeschynomene histrix (4 and 7 t ha<sup(<minus>1)>) and Centrosema macrocarpum (3 and 6 t ha<sup(<minus>1)>). Despite dry season forage utilisation, grain yields of subsequently grown maize exceeded those after natural fallow by up to 138 percent (S. guianensis) and 52 percent (Zornia glabra) at the respective sites. In simple on-farm trials managed by settled Fulani farmers, forage yields of the legumes were much lower than on-station, with only S. guianensis showing high potential under farmers' low input management. Despite additional labour demand during the establishment of the legumes, farmers' interest in the innovation grew in the course of the experiment. On-station and on-farm results promise a considerable gain in productivity through improved fallow systems, if establishment problems can be overcome. 1998 2014-10-31T06:09:20Z 2014-10-31T06:09:20Z Conference Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/50525 en Limited Access Margraf Verlag
spellingShingle forage
centrosema macrocarpum
fallow
fodder legumes
labour requirements
zea mays
maize
stylosanthes guianensis
soil fertility
zornia
cropping systems
production possibilities
leys
low input agriculture
zornia glabra
aeschynomene histrix
rotations
Muhr, L.
Peters, Michael
Tarawali, Shirley A.
Schultze-Kraft, Rainer
Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa
title Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa
title_full Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa
title_fullStr Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa
title_full_unstemmed Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa
title_short Fallow improvement with forage legumes: Potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop-livestock systems in sub-humid West Africa
title_sort fallow improvement with forage legumes potentials and constraints of an integrative technology for crop livestock systems in sub humid west africa
topic forage
centrosema macrocarpum
fallow
fodder legumes
labour requirements
zea mays
maize
stylosanthes guianensis
soil fertility
zornia
cropping systems
production possibilities
leys
low input agriculture
zornia glabra
aeschynomene histrix
rotations
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/50525
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AT tarawalishirleya fallowimprovementwithforagelegumespotentialsandconstraintsofanintegrativetechnologyforcroplivestocksystemsinsubhumidwestafrica
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