Presenter Information

E M. Hutton, EMBRAPA-CPAC

Publication Date

1989

Description

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit is native to alkaline soils of Central America, especially Mexico. It is persistent and widely grown in the tropics for leafy, high protein forage giving high productivity in cattle and goats. Leucaena thrives in fert­iles soils with pH's in excess of about 5.5. In the tropics, includ­ing 55 % of South America, 40 % Africa and 37 % Asia, where soils are infertile oxisols and ultisols with pH's 5 or less, com­mon Leucaena varieties like Cunningham lack productivity and persistence. Genetic adaptation of L. leucocephala varieties to acid trop­ical soils was found possible (Hutton, 1981 ; 1985) by crossing them with compatible, highly acid soil tolerant lines of L. diversifolia (Schlecht) Benth and Hook. The research objective was selection of vigorous acid-soil tol­erant forage lines from L. leucocephala x L. diversifolia popula­tions growing in an oxisol.

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Adaptation of the Tree Legume Leucaena to Avid Tropical Soils

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit is native to alkaline soils of Central America, especially Mexico. It is persistent and widely grown in the tropics for leafy, high protein forage giving high productivity in cattle and goats. Leucaena thrives in fert­iles soils with pH's in excess of about 5.5. In the tropics, includ­ing 55 % of South America, 40 % Africa and 37 % Asia, where soils are infertile oxisols and ultisols with pH's 5 or less, com­mon Leucaena varieties like Cunningham lack productivity and persistence. Genetic adaptation of L. leucocephala varieties to acid trop­ical soils was found possible (Hutton, 1981 ; 1985) by crossing them with compatible, highly acid soil tolerant lines of L. diversifolia (Schlecht) Benth and Hook. The research objective was selection of vigorous acid-soil tol­erant forage lines from L. leucocephala x L. diversifolia popula­tions growing in an oxisol.