Browsing by Author "Fasuluku,Sheku Amadu Tejan"

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Effect of relay intercropping of sesbania sesban on soil fertility improvement, and maize and firewood production at Morogoro,Tanzania.
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1998) Fasuluku,Sheku Amadu Tejan
This study was carried out at the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Farm, Morogoro, Tanzania to examine the effect of relay intercropping of Sesbania sesban and maize on soil fertility improvementt and production of maize and firewood・An existing 1 2x3x3 year factorial relay intercropping experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications in which S. sesban was allowed to grow after the harvesting of maize during the dry season was studied. Firewood biomass after 1 year of intercropping was 3 t ha-1. Maize was intercropped with and without S. sesban at 0, 20, and 40 kg ha'1 each of N and P fertilizers. Intercropping slightly increased soil mineral Maize grain yield was significantly N status・(P(0.05) higher in S. sesban plots without fertilizer (2• 43 t ha'1) as compared to control (2.09 t ha"1) . The three levels of N treatment and (P)0.05) levels interaction effects effect on maize yield. Of P no significant In contrast,s ignif icantly differed had (P(0.05) the three on their effects on maize grain and stover yield. Maize grain yield from plots which recieved 20 kg P ha-1 was 2.39 t haa and 40 kg P ha4 was 2.36 t ha-1 compared with the control (2.02 t ha4)・In order to determine release of selected decomposition rate speciesr a 10 week and nutrient decomposition experiment involving litter bags containing green manure from Albizia lebbeck,Gliricidia sepiumf SesbaniaTephrosia sesban and vogelii Senna siameaz arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications and sampled at 0f 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks in a repeated measures manner,after was placement also studied.Significant (P(0.05) differences existed in decomposition rates in the order (G. sepium 〉 S.sesban 〉 A. lebbeck 〉T.vogelii),N release in the order (S.sesban〉G.〉siamea sepium T. vogelii> A.(P(0.01) lebbeck 〉siamea) and phosphorus release in the order (P(0.01) (T.vogelii 〉 G. sepium 〉 S. sesban 〉 S. siamea 〉 A. lebbeck) .Nitrogen and phosphorus release ranged between 128-202 kg N ha-1 and 7.76-12.88 kg P ha4 respectively. Most of the N and P were released within the first four weeks of decomposition・Based on these resultsz S. sesbant G. sepium and T. vogelii showed greatest potential for use as green manure and that relay intercropping of S ・ sesban and maize has potential in increasing maize yield even without fertilizer inputs•It is concluded that at Morogoro (SUA Farm) and any other areas with similar soil characteristics P may be a more limiting factor for maize production than N・