Abstract
In order to identify for alley cropping new candidate species with high biomass and nitrogen-fixing potential, a screening study was conducted on ten woody and shrub legumes (Acacia auriculiformis, Albizia lebbeck, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena diversifolia, L. leucocephala cv. K28 and cv. K636, Lonchocarpus sericeus, Cajanus cajan, Crotalaria juncea and Tephorsia candida) for 6 months using an acid Ultisol and a non-acid Alfisol. A wide interspecific variability of legumes appeared within soil types, and there were significant species-by-soil interactions for many parameters in this study. In the acid Ultisol, plant growth in height and grith, nodule numbers, nitrogen yield and N2-fixing potential were significantly (P = 0.05) lower than those in the Alfisol. While Albizia lebbeck was outstanding in both acid and non-acid soil conditions for most performance criteria, L. leucocephala cv. K28 was most sensitive to soil acidity with 41.7% of total nitrogen yield in the Ultisol relative to that accumulated in the Alfisol. In addition to L. leucocephala cv. K28 and G. sepium, the most common hedgerow species, A. lebbeck, L. leucocephala cv. K636, L. diversifolia on Alfisol, and A. lebbeck, L. leucocephala cv. K636, L. diversifolia, Tephrosia candida and Cajanus cajan on acid Ultisol, could be considered promising and thus, worthy of further site adaptability trials.
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