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Decomposition of woody legume nodules in two tree/grass associations under contrasting environmental conditions

Decomposition of woody legume nodules in two tree/grass associations under contrasting... Turnover of nitrogen-rich root nodules follows the pruning of legume trees, forming a potentially important yet little studied way of N release to the soil. The effects of soil moisture, herbivory by soil mesofauna and microbial decomposition on the disappearance rate of woody legume nodules was studied in two tree/grass forage production associations. Litter bags containing nodules of Erythrina variegata L. (Papilionoideae: Phaseoleae) were incubated for four weeks in grass-covered alleys between Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. (Papilionoideae: Robinieae) hedgerows, established on a deep alluvial Oxisol under a humid tropical climate and on a shallow Vertisol under a subhumid tropical climate in Guadeloupe, French Antilles. Soil moisture was regulated by irrigating or covering small plots from natural rainfall. Fine nylon mesh bags were used to study the rate of microbial decomposition, and open-ended perforated cylinders were used to estimate nodule herbivory. The chemical traits, especially the lignin: nitrogen ratio, of E. variegata and G. sepium nodules were similar (lignin: N 1.70 and 1.55, respectively), and suggest that the results are probably also applicable to the G. sepium nodules in the associations. Both soil moisture and decomposing agent (microbes or mesofauna) had a significant effect on the nodule disappearance rate, but soil type did not have any apparent effect. The nodule half-life varied from three to seven days under different treatments. The N release rate from the nodules was high, with N half-life varying from three to five days. Herbivory accounted for ca. 10% of total mass and N loss from nodules during the four-week field incubation period, but its importance increased towards the end of the incubation, especially in Vertisol, after the most easily decomposable part of the nodules had decayed. After pruning, the nodule N is released to soil more rapidly than from mulch. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agroforestry Systems Springer Journals

Decomposition of woody legume nodules in two tree/grass associations under contrasting environmental conditions

Nygren, P.; Lorenzo, A.; Cruz, P.
Agroforestry Systems , Volume 48 (3) – May 1, 2000
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References (28)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 by Kluwer Academic Publishers
Subject
Life Sciences; Agriculture; Forestry
ISSN
0167-4366
eISSN
1572-9680
DOI
10.1023/A:1006237702131
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Turnover of nitrogen-rich root nodules follows the pruning of legume trees, forming a potentially important yet little studied way of N release to the soil. The effects of soil moisture, herbivory by soil mesofauna and microbial decomposition on the disappearance rate of woody legume nodules was studied in two tree/grass forage production associations. Litter bags containing nodules of Erythrina variegata L. (Papilionoideae: Phaseoleae) were incubated for four weeks in grass-covered alleys between Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. (Papilionoideae: Robinieae) hedgerows, established on a deep alluvial Oxisol under a humid tropical climate and on a shallow Vertisol under a subhumid tropical climate in Guadeloupe, French Antilles. Soil moisture was regulated by irrigating or covering small plots from natural rainfall. Fine nylon mesh bags were used to study the rate of microbial decomposition, and open-ended perforated cylinders were used to estimate nodule herbivory. The chemical traits, especially the lignin: nitrogen ratio, of E. variegata and G. sepium nodules were similar (lignin: N 1.70 and 1.55, respectively), and suggest that the results are probably also applicable to the G. sepium nodules in the associations. Both soil moisture and decomposing agent (microbes or mesofauna) had a significant effect on the nodule disappearance rate, but soil type did not have any apparent effect. The nodule half-life varied from three to seven days under different treatments. The N release rate from the nodules was high, with N half-life varying from three to five days. Herbivory accounted for ca. 10% of total mass and N loss from nodules during the four-week field incubation period, but its importance increased towards the end of the incubation, especially in Vertisol, after the most easily decomposable part of the nodules had decayed. After pruning, the nodule N is released to soil more rapidly than from mulch.

Journal

Agroforestry Systems – Springer Journals

Published: May 1, 2000

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