Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria

Continuous cropping in humid forest ecosystems results in soil fertility decline over time. The presence of appropriate tree or shrub species in the natural bush regrowth during a fallow can enhance recovery of soil fertility and shorten the fallow period required. Planted Tephrosia candida, a legum...

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Main Author: Gichuru, M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: 1994
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/97380
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author Gichuru, M.
author_browse Gichuru, M.
author_facet Gichuru, M.
author_sort Gichuru, M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Continuous cropping in humid forest ecosystems results in soil fertility decline over time. The presence of appropriate tree or shrub species in the natural bush regrowth during a fallow can enhance recovery of soil fertility and shorten the fallow period required. Planted Tephrosia candida, a legume shrub known to nodulate well in acid soil, was compared with natural regrowth following 12 yr of continuous cropping with a single lime application (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 t/ha) at the beginning of the cropping period. T. candida fallow improved both the physical and chemical properties of soil compared with natural regrowth alone. Maize yields were significantly increased in T. candida plots after a 2-yr fallow cycle; N and Ca uptake by maize was also improved. T. candida improved the nutrient content of maize grain and stover, and appeared to enhance nutrient cycling in addition to the N input through fixation.
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spelling CGSpace973802025-11-11T10:03:01Z Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria Gichuru, M. humid tropics soil fertility Continuous cropping in humid forest ecosystems results in soil fertility decline over time. The presence of appropriate tree or shrub species in the natural bush regrowth during a fallow can enhance recovery of soil fertility and shorten the fallow period required. Planted Tephrosia candida, a legume shrub known to nodulate well in acid soil, was compared with natural regrowth following 12 yr of continuous cropping with a single lime application (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 t/ha) at the beginning of the cropping period. T. candida fallow improved both the physical and chemical properties of soil compared with natural regrowth alone. Maize yields were significantly increased in T. candida plots after a 2-yr fallow cycle; N and Ca uptake by maize was also improved. T. candida improved the nutrient content of maize grain and stover, and appeared to enhance nutrient cycling in addition to the N input through fixation. 1994 2018-09-14T07:37:45Z 2018-09-14T07:37:45Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/97380 en Limited Access application/pdf Gichuru, M. (1994). Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria. Interciencia, 19(6), 382-386.
spellingShingle humid tropics
soil fertility
Gichuru, M.
Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria
title Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria
title_full Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria
title_fullStr Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria
title_full_unstemmed Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria
title_short Regeneration of a degraded ultisol with Tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern Nigeria
title_sort regeneration of a degraded ultisol with tephrosia candida in the humid zone of southeastern nigeria
topic humid tropics
soil fertility
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/97380
work_keys_str_mv AT gichurum regenerationofadegradedultisolwithtephrosiacandidainthehumidzoneofsoutheasternnigeria