Influence of cover crops on nitrogen availability, soil moisture content and maize yield under sub humid climate of Morogoro, Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Kalumuna, Matilda Charles | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-07-03T08:08:40Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-07-03T08:08:40Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2005 | |
| dc.description | Thesis | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | A study was conducted in Morogoro Tanzania, for 3 consecutive years to evaluate the influence of cover crops planted in short rains on nitrogen (N) availability, soil moisture and grain yield of the subsequent maize crop planted in the long rains. The cover crops namely cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L] Walp.), lablab (Lablab purpureus, L.), mucuna (Mucuna pniriens) and pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima') were evaluated against weed and bare fallows in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times. Cover crops residues had N content 2%. Pumpkin, although not a legume, had high quality residues, having 2.1% N and higher P (0.25% P) and base content than other cover crops. Mucuna was the only cover crop that produced an average biomass above the threshold of 2 Mg DM ha'1. Mucuna biomass was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the other cover crops, ranging from 2.7 to 5.1 Mg DM ha'1, with good short rains and accumulating 63 to 118 kg N ha'1. At the end of the short rainy season, mineral N after mucuna increased by 2 to 30% and was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than after the other cover crops. Seventeen and 35% of N accumulated in pumpkin and cowpea residues was released in the first 7 days of incubation, respectively. These were significantly higher than the 4 and 6% accumulated N in lablab and mucuna residues, respectively. At 35 days of incubation, mineral N released from lablab, pumpkin and mucuna residues was 19, 34 and 31% of the applied amount, respectively. Mucuna and lablab significantly increased soil moisture reserve in the 40 - 60 cm soil layer (P < 0.05) by 9 mm in the short rainy season whereas pumpkin and weed fallow reduced it by 3 and 4 mm, respectively. In the long rainy seasons, mucuna and lablab reduced runoff from 30 - 45% to 6 - 15% of rainfall. Mucuna significantly increased the number of maize plant silking (P < 0.05) at 53 days after planting by 15 - 17% over weed fallow and maize grain yield by 3 - 4 fold in seasons with insufficient long rains. It is recommended that in order to increase maize production in the sub humid area of Morogoro, mucuna should be planted in the short rains instead of leaving the land under weed fallow and supplemental mineral N fertilizer should be topdressed at 28 to 35 days after maize planting. | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Tanzania Agricultural Research Project phase II | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/5336 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Sokoine University of Agriculture | en_US |
| dc.subject | Nitrogen availability | en_US |
| dc.subject | Soil moisture | en_US |
| dc.subject | Maize yield | en_US |
| dc.subject | Sub humid climate | en_US |
| dc.subject | Morogoro | en_US |
| dc.subject | Tanzania | en_US |
| dc.title | Influence of cover crops on nitrogen availability, soil moisture content and maize yield under sub humid climate of Morogoro, Tanzania | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |