Changes in soil properties and their effects on maize productivity following sesbania and pigeon pea improved fallow system in Eastern Zambia
type: CreativeWork
description: Soil degradation is a major constraint in most sub-Saharan African countries. short fallow rotations of 1-3 years have a potential to increase maize yield without additional inorganic nitrogen fertilizers. The mechanisms responsible for improved maize yield are partially understood. therefore the objective of the study were (1) to quantify some changes in soil properties that may be responsible for improvement in crop productivity under fallow cultivation systems compared with continuously cropped maize system, and (2) to quantify the nitrogen mineralization patterns when mixing litter(dry leaves or senesced leaves) and fresh leaves of fallow species. The experiment was laid out as a randomised complete bloke design with three replications on a sandyloam (typic kandiustalf) in eastern Zambia. the treatments compared were two-year-old planted improved fallow of sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. (S.sesban) and cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp (pigeon pea); respectively, natural vegetation fallow (Nf), continous fertized (M+F) and unfertilized (M-f) (zea mays L.) monoculture. The following parameters were measured: growth (performances) of trees, N mineralization patterns, soil mineralizable inorganic nitrogen, dry matter (DM) accumulation, maize yields, soil bulk density, soil porosity, soil organic carbon, soil penetration resistance, water aggregate stability and distribution, infiltration rate and soil water current. The highest survival seasons were recorded in S. sesban (92%) while pigeonpea had only (31%). at the end of the 10-week incubation period, the N mineralization of S.sesban (fres leaves and litter), reached 59.4mg N kg ־¹ soil for pigeonpea (litter). Natural fallow had a cumulative net immobilization of 0.8 mg N kg־¹ soil. M+f had the highest pre-season soil inorganic nitrate-N and total inorganic N in 0-20 cm soil depths but was not significantly different with pigeonpea and S. sesban land use systems (LUSs). A polynomial regression model between maize grain yield a…
abstract: Soil degradation is a major constraint in most sub-Saharan African countries. short fallow rotations of 1-3 years have a potential to increase maize yield without additional inorganic nitrogen fertilizers. The mechanisms responsible for improved maize yield are partially understood. therefore the objective of the study were (1) to quantify some changes in soil properties that may be responsible for improvement in crop productivity under fallow cultivation systems compared with continuously cropped maize system, and (2) to quantify the nitrogen mineralization patterns when mixing litter(dry leaves or senesced leaves) and fresh leaves of fallow species. The experiment was laid out as a randomised complete bloke design with three replications on a sandyloam (typic kandiustalf) in eastern Zambia. the treatments compared were two-year-old planted improved fallow of sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. (S.sesban) and cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp (pigeon pea); respectively, natural vegetation fallow (Nf), continous fertized (M+F) and unfertilized (M-f) (zea mays L.) monoculture. The following parameters were measured: growth (performances) of trees, N mineralization patterns, soil mineralizable inorganic nitrogen, dry matter (DM) accumulation, maize yields, soil bulk density, soil porosity, soil organic carbon, soil penetration resistance, water aggregate stability and distribution, infiltration rate and soil water current. The highest survival seasons were recorded in S. sesban (92%) while pigeonpea had only (31%). at the end of the 10-week incubation period, the N mineralization of S.sesban (fres leaves and litter), reached 59.4mg N kg ־¹ soil for pigeonpea (litter). Natural fallow had a cumulative net immobilization of 0.8 mg N kg־¹ soil. M+f had the highest pre-season soil inorganic nitrate-N and total inorganic N in 0-20 cm soil depths but was not significantly different with pigeonpea and S. sesban land use systems (LUSs). A polynomial regression model between maize grain yield a…
author: Chirwa, Teddy Shuma
language: en
keywords: effects of changes in soil properties on maize productivity, maize productivity after improved fallow system in Eastern Zambia
date published: 2011-03-14
date modified: 2026-07-27T22:06:24Z
provider: University of Zambia
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zambia