Abstract
The effect of green manure of gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp) leguminous plants applied for cereal maize cultivation and N uptake by cereal were investigated and analyzed in relation to influence of dual inoculation of gliricidia with microbial symbionts. Two pot experiments were conducted in greenhouse. The first trial was set up to enhance growth of gliricidia with exotic and indigenous rhizobial strains and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and the second to determine the effect of gliricidia organic material on maize growth. Direct 15N-labelling techniques were used to estimate N-fixed by gliricidia plant and N uptake of maize cereal crop from green manuring was calculated. Growth of gliricidia trees estimated by aboveground biomass production and N fixed were positively affected by dual inoculations. This study showed that shoot dry weight and N accumulation of maize cultivated under gliricidia green manure were influenced by its application and indirectly by microbial treatments. The N recovery by the maize accounted 17.32% to 26.52% of N applied as gliricidia organic material. Gliricidia green manure N accumulation and release, and afterward microbial inoculations were substantially determining on maize crop N uptake and growth in sandy soil of Sub-Saharian Africa.
Highlights
IntroductionThe decline in availability of nutrients, especially N, has not been mitigated by the use of chemical fertilizers [1]
This study showed that shoot dry weight and N accumulation of maize cultivated under gliricidia green manure were influenced by its application and indirectly by microbial treatments
Our present investigation showed that gliricidia aboveground biomass has been significantly increased by dual inoculation with rhizobial and AMF strains
Summary
The decline in availability of nutrients, especially N, has not been mitigated by the use of chemical fertilizers [1] Many management practices such as cropping system, soil tillage and application of mineral and organic soil amendments are proposed worldwide to solve this problem [2]. Kidd et al (2007) reported organic materials used as soil amendments to increase or replace soil organic matter instead of inorganic fertilizer to supply essential plant nutrients [3]. Because of soil improvement on N-deficient by inorganic N fertilizer in small holder farmers caused enormous environmental damage in sandy soil, the application of organic matter amendments was the appropriate system for nutrient supply. Tree pruning and green manuring practice are known to improve soil physico-chemical and biological properties by directly providing plant available nutrients through mineralization [5]. Leguminous plants which are a potential tool to improve soil fertility can be improved in nitrogen and phosphorus contents with microbial inoculation
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