Soil nitrogen dynamics and relationships with maize yields in a gliricidia–maize intercrop in Malawi

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dc.contributor.authorIkerra, Susan T.
dc.contributor.authorMaghembe, Jumanne A.
dc.contributor.authorSmithson, Paul C.
dc.contributor.authorBuresh, Roland J.
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-28T10:09:09Z
dc.date.available2022-04-28T10:09:09Z
dc.date.issued1999-04
dc.description.abstractMany soils of southern Africa are severely N deficient, but inorganic fertilizers are unaffordable for most sub- sistence farmers. Rotations and intercrops of legumes with crops may alleviate N deficiency through biological N 2 fixation and redistribution of subsoil N to the surface. We monitored soil inorganic N dynamics for two seasons in a gliricidia [Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp.] – maize (Zea mays L.) intercrop in the unimodal rainfall area of southern Malawi. One maize crop per year was grown with or without interplanted gliricidia, in factorial combination with three rates of N (0, 24 or 48 kg N ha −1 ). Application of gliricidia prunings increased (p < 0.001) topsoil (0 to 20 cm) inorganic N at the end of the dry season and during the early rains. Differences between plus and minus gliricidia treatments were less when total inorganic N to 1-m depth was summed. A greater proportion of the total inorganic N to 1-m depth occurred in the topsoil (0 to 20 cm) when gliricidia was present, suggesting that redistribution of subsoil N to the surface accounted for part of the N increase by gliricidia. Gliricidia lowered (p < 0.05) subsoil water content during drier periods. Gliricidia plots accumulated more (p < 0.01) ammonium-N during the dry season. Nitrate-N remained constant during the dry season but rose rapidly in gliricidia plots after the onset of rains. A 2-factor model including preseason inorganic N and anaerobic N mineralization potential accounted for 84% of the variability in maize yields for the two seasons’ data combined. The combination of preseason inorganic N and potential N mineralization appears to provide a good estimate of N supply to maize in systems receiving both organic and inorganic sources of N.en_US
dc.identifier.isbn0032-079X
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/4039
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherKluwer Academic Publishersen_US
dc.subjectagroforestryen_US
dc.subjectGliricidia sepiumen_US
dc.subjectinorganic nitrogenen_US
dc.subjectmaizeen_US
dc.subjectnitrogen mineralizationen_US
dc.titleSoil nitrogen dynamics and relationships with maize yields in a gliricidia–maize intercrop in Malawien_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.url10.1023/A:1004636501488en_US

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