Responses Of Grain Legumes Research Articles

The Response of Grain Legumes to Vermicompost at Germination and Seedling Stages

Background: The importance of organic fertilizers in agricultural production has increased due to the negative effects of intensive chemical fertilizer use on soil, the environment and human health. Vermicompost, as a rich organic fertilizer and soil amendment material, maybe a viable alternative to chemical fertilizers. While a low concentration of vermicompost has a promotive effect on growth, it may lead to inhibition of germination and seedling growth. Therefore, this study aimed to find appropriate dose ranges for vermicompost application.Methods: The study was carried out as a factorial experiment with a completely randomized design with three replications. The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber as a pot study with four doses of vermicompost (control, 10, 20 and 30%). Eight cultivars from four different species were used. The response of germination and seedling traits to increased vermicompost concentration was investigated.Result: In general, while 10% and 20% of vermicompost showed a promotive effect depending on species, higher dose inhibited the germination and dry matter accumulation. As a result, the promotive effect of low dose and inhibitory effect of higher doses are thought to be caused by the complex chemical composition of vermicompost and increasing medium pH. Therefore, the concentration of the vermicompost that will cause pH changes should be carefully considered and the pH range in which the plant species show optimum growth should be well determined.

Response of Grain Legumes to Phosphorus Application in the Guinea Savanna Agro-Ecological Zones of Ghana.

Grain legumes (cowpea, peanut, and soybean) play important roles in household food and income security in smallholder farming systems in the Guinea Savanna agro-ecological zones of Ghana. However, yields are low, rarely exceeding 600 kg ha–1, prompting the need to evaluate responses of grain legumes to P fertilizer applications for two seasons. Conducting P studies is critical to help farmers adopt economic-based recommendations. Treatments evaluated in 2015 for the three crops were (i) farmers’ practice (no input and planted by farmer); (ii) control (no input and planted by researcher), and (iii) triple super phosphate (TSP) fertilizer. However, for soybean, an additional two treatments (inoculant only and inoculant plus TSP fertilizer) were included. In 2016, the treatments were the same, except on-farm demonstrations were not conducted on cowpea. The demonstrations were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with each demonstration rep-resenting a replicate within a region. On average, P-fertilizer application increased yields by 296; 527, and 390 kg ha–1 for cowpea, peanut, and soybean grains, respectively. On average over the two seasons, P-fertilizer increased yield by 9.85; 13.00, and 17.56 per kg ha–1 kg–1 P applied for cowpea, soybean, and peanut, respectively, and these applications were cost effective. Peanut showed little response to P in the Upper East Region compared with a greater response in the Northern and Upper West Regions, suggesting that benefits from P-fertilizer for peanut may be location-specific. On average, rhizobium inoculation increased grain yield by 157 kg ha–1 across the three regions and significantly positive effects of inoculation were observed in both seasons. Our results show that substantial increases in grain legume yield may be achieved by applying P fertilizers, but farmers cannot afford them because of their relatively high cost. Planting adapted and improved varieties and using rhizobium inoculants may provide the most economically viable and low risk options for increasing yields of grain legumes in the savanna agro-ecological zones of Ghana

Response of Short Duration Tropical Legumes and Maize to Water Stress: A Glasshouse Study

The study was conducted as a pot experiment in the tropical glasshouse to evaluate the response of grain legumes (Phaseolus vulgaris, Vigna unguiculata, andLablab purpureus) in comparison to maize (Zea mays) and estimate their potential and performance. Two experiments were established using completely randomized design. Physiological measurements (stomatal conductance, photosynthetic activities, and transpiration rates) were measured using LCpro instrument. Scholander bomb was used for the measurement of plant cell water potential. Significant difference was observed in different plant species with increase of different water regimes. Among the legumes,L. purpureusshowed better response in water stressed conditions. At the beginning, in dry watered treatment the photosynthetic rate was below 0 µmol m−2 s−1and in fully watered condition it was 48 µmol m−2 s−1. In dry treatment, total dry weight was 10 g/pot and in fully watered condition it was near to 20 g/pot inP. vulgaris. The study concludes that water stress condition should be taken into consideration for such type of crop cultivation in arid and semiarid regions.

Growth and yield response of grain legumes to different soil management practices after rainfed lowland rice

Field experiments were conducted over a 3-year period (1992–1995) in Sulawesi, East Java and the Philippines to investigate the response of post-rice ( Oryza sativa L.) soil managements on growth and yield of legumes after lowland rice under rainfed conditions. Grain legume yields ranged from complete crop loss due to excessive rainfall after sowing to a maximum of 1.08 Mg ha −1 for mungbean ( Vigna radiata (L.) Wilzek), 1.33 Mg ha −1 for soybean ( Glycine max L. Merr.) and 2.3 Mg ha −1 for peanut ( Aracis hypogaea L.). The response and magnitude of the effects from different management systems on legumes were closely related to the climatic conditions prevailing during the crop establishment phase. Correct timing of legume sowing was seen as the most important factor determining successful moderate crop production, followed by the availability of subsoil water reserves. Tillage was considered a potential method to improve yields because sowing could be carried out later during the dry season when rainfall was more predictable. Tillage, provided it is carried out at suitable soil water contents, could probably partially overcome the adverse soil physical condition induced during the rice phase. Fertiliser application tended to increase food legume in wetter areas showing that residual fertiliser effects from the previous rice crop could be limiting. In drier areas, fertiliser application had little effect on grain legume yields. Mulch as a soil amendment tended to increase yields in drier areas due to its water conservation effect. In wetter areas mulching was not necessary and could even lead to yield reduction if conditions were too wet.

Comparing responses of grain legumes, wheat and canola to applications of superphosphate

Phosphorus (P) is a major deficiency of soils of south-western Australia (WA). The fertilizer P requirements are not known for grain legumes being evaluated for neutral to alkaline, fine textured soils in WA. To rectify this, glasshouse and field experiments were undertaken to compare the responses of several grain legume species, wheat and canola to applications of single superphosphate and the results are reported in this paper. The glasshouse experiments measured responses of dried tops, harvested at 26 to 42 days after sowing, to P that was freshly-applied (current P) and previously-applied (previous P). Responses in the glasshouse were measured using yield, P concentration and P content (P concentration multiplied by yield) of oven dried tops of the following: wheat (Triticum aestivum), canola (Brassica napus), faba bean (Vicia faba), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), lentil (Lens culinaris), field pea (Pisum sativum), albus lupin (Lupinus albus) and narrow leaf lupin (Lupinus angustifolius). Field experiments in 1994 and 1995 compared seed (grain) yield responses of faba bean, chickpea, lentil, albus lupin and wheat to applications of current P. The P was banded (drilled) with the seed while sowing at 5 cm depth. Canola and wheat produced very large yield responses to increasing applications of current P. Responses were much smaller for albus lupin, faba bean and chickpea. Responses for lentil, narrow leaf lupin and field pea, fell in between responses of the small and large seeded species. Similar trends for responses were obtained as measured using yield, P concentration, or P content. For soils treated with previous P, similar trends were observed as for current P, but differences in yield responses between species were much less marked and the response curves tended to become more sigmoid. In the field experiments, grain yield responses to current P of albus lupin and chickpea were less than that for wheat. Relative to wheat, faba bean was the most responsive grain legume to applications of current P, with lentil producing similar responses to wheat in one experiment at a newly cleared, P deficient site.