Decomposition and nutrient release from the mixed leaf litter of three agroforestry species in the Sudanian zone of West Africa

Mohamed Cissé,Salifou Traoré,Babou André Bationo

doi:10.1007/s42452-021-04242-y

Mohamed Cissé, Salifou Traoré + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-021-04242-y

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Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the rates of decomposition and nutrient release from pure and mixed leaf litter samples of three agroforestry species (Azolla africana Desv., Detarium microcarpum Guill. and Perr. and Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.) that have potential use as green manure. Litterbags containing a total of 5 g of pure and mixed leaf litter of different quality levels were incubated under field conditions from July to November in 2017. Litter decomposition and nutrient release (N, P, and K) rates were assessed in each litterbag. The decomposition rate (k) indicated that pure A. africana litter decomposed faster (k = 0.406 week−1) than its mixture with V. paradoxa (k = 0.114 week−1) and D. microcarpum (k = 0.103 week−1). The slowest decomposition rates were found for the pure D. microcarpum (k = 0.075 week−1) and V. paradoxa (k = 0.071 week−1) leaf litters. Mixing with A. africana litter increased the decomposition rate of both D. microcarpum and V. paradoxa leaf litter. We conclude that mixing litter of different quality can accelerate the decomposition of pure litter with poor quality and represents a practical biomass management option for farmers to improve nutrient cycling in agroforestry systems.

Highlights

In sub-Saharan Africa, soil degradation and fertility loss are the most serious threats to food security and poverty alleviation [1]
This similarity in the litter quality of these two agroforestry species resulted in similar decomposition rates when they were incubated with A. africana or alone
These findings were in contrast to those of Bayala et al [7] who reported differences in N content and decomposition rates between leaves of Néré and Karité (V. paradoxa) in Burkina Faso

Summary

Introduction

In sub-Saharan Africa, soil degradation and fertility loss are the most serious threats to food security and poverty alleviation [1]. One affordable approach is to develop best practices for agroforestry that replenish soil fertility. These practices are based on a variety of management techniques using the ecological functions of vegetation to improve soil fertility. The use of green manure from tree and shrub pruning has been promoted as an alternative source of N in sub-Saharan countries [6]. The adequate use of green manure requires more information on the quality of the plant material and its nutrient release during decomposition. Despite their high biomass productivity in agroforestry systems, some important agroforestry species, such as Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn., exhibit a low-litter decomposition rate [7, 8].

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