The impact of contour hedgerow systems on soil sustainability under acidic conditions has been widely criticized. A study was undertaken to determine the effects of management and hedgerow species on soil properties. Cassia spectabilis (a non-N-fixing tree legume) Gliricidia sepium (an N-fixing tree legume) Pennisetum purpureum (a forage grass) and Stylosanthes guyanensis (a forage legume) contour barriers were compared with an open field (non-hedgerow treatment) over 1 cowpea and 2 rice seasons. Three types of management viz.: prunings applied + N0P0K0 prunings applied + N50P20K20 and prunings removed + N50P20K20 were used as subplot treatments. The soils were strongly acidic (pH 4.5) and classified as clay Orthoxic Palehumult. Cassia performed better than the other species in terms of pruning biomass N and P contributions over a period of 20 months. There was a combined positive effect of pruning biomass and fertilizers on rice and cowpea yields in Pennisetum and Gliricidia systems while a tendency towards a positive effect of pruning biomass on rice was found in the Cassia system. The pruning biomass and/or fertilizer application did not significantly influence the top soil organic C N and available P in the hedgerow systems. Soil bulk density was significantly reduced by the application of Cassia prunings after 12 months. Organic C N and P dynamics indicated that in situ pruning biomass was not sufficient to maintain their level in the soil. But the cassia systems with prunings applied + N50P20K20 experienced the lowest degradation in soil organic C (2.1 t ha−1) followed by the Gliricidia systems (4.1 t ha−1). The overall results imply that the application of pruning and inorganic fertilizer is imperative to conserve soil resources and non- N-fixing tree species can exert a significant advantage in biomass and thereby in soil N-recycling under acidic soil.
DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1006049711801Altmetric score:
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Publication year
1999
Authors
Samsuzzaman, S.; Garrity, D.P.N.; Quintana, R.U.
Keywords
Acid soils, Alley cropping, Hedgerow plants, Nutrients, Soil fertility
