Publication Date
1997
Description
There were marked cultivar and species differences in the amounts of N fixed and potential N returns in five forage legumes and ten groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars evaluated for symbiotic performance in both Guinea and Sahel savanna environments. Of the forage legumes, the Crotalaria and Lablab species accumulated greater symbiotic N and therefore showed higher potential N returns for improving the N economy of soils in both Guinea and Sahel savanna in Africa. However, Lablab appeared to be better adapted to the drier Sahel environment compared to the other species. When nutrient imbalances in the Guinea savanna soil were resolved by supplying plants with a moderate dose of a complete fertilizer (minus N), two of ten groundnut cultivars outperformed the rest in dry matter yield, N fixed and potential N returns in both fertilized and unfertilized conditions. These findings suggest that the two cultivars have the genetic potential for dry matter accumulation and enhanced N2 fixation even under varying soil nutrient conditions. Another two groundnut cultivars showed evidence of soil N depletion with negative values of potential N returns, clearly indicating that their continued cultivation in a soil is likely to lead to mineral N exhaustion.
Citation
Dakora, F D. and Abdogoba, J A., "Symbiotic Potential and N Returns in Forage and Grain Legumes for Improving the N Economy of Tropical Cropping Systems" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1997-2023). 29.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1997/session19/29
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Symbiotic Potential and N Returns in Forage and Grain Legumes for Improving the N Economy of Tropical Cropping Systems
There were marked cultivar and species differences in the amounts of N fixed and potential N returns in five forage legumes and ten groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars evaluated for symbiotic performance in both Guinea and Sahel savanna environments. Of the forage legumes, the Crotalaria and Lablab species accumulated greater symbiotic N and therefore showed higher potential N returns for improving the N economy of soils in both Guinea and Sahel savanna in Africa. However, Lablab appeared to be better adapted to the drier Sahel environment compared to the other species. When nutrient imbalances in the Guinea savanna soil were resolved by supplying plants with a moderate dose of a complete fertilizer (minus N), two of ten groundnut cultivars outperformed the rest in dry matter yield, N fixed and potential N returns in both fertilized and unfertilized conditions. These findings suggest that the two cultivars have the genetic potential for dry matter accumulation and enhanced N2 fixation even under varying soil nutrient conditions. Another two groundnut cultivars showed evidence of soil N depletion with negative values of potential N returns, clearly indicating that their continued cultivation in a soil is likely to lead to mineral N exhaustion.
