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.
Citation
Hutton, E M., "Adaptation of the Tree Legume Leucaena to Avid Tropical Soils" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 37.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session3b/37
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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.
