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Fine root dynamics of shaded cacao plantations in Costa Rica

Fine root dynamics of shaded cacao plantations in Costa Rica Root turnover may contribute a significant proportion of recycled nutrients in agroforestry systems and competition between trees and crops for nutrients and water may depend on temporal fine root regrowth patterns. Fine root biomass (≤ 2 mm) and fine root productivity were measured during one year in plantations of cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) shaded by Erythrina poeppigiana or Cordia alliodora planted on a deep alluvial soil in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Fine root biomass of approximately 1.0 Mg ha −1 varied little during the year with maximum values at the beginning of the rainy season of 1.85 Mg ha −1 in the cacao- C. alliodora system compared to 1.20 Mg ha −1 for cacao- E. poeppigiana . Fine root productivity of C. alliodora and E. poeppigiana (maximum of 205 and 120 kg ha −1 4 week −1 , respectively) was greatest at the end of the rainy season, while for cacao it was greatest at the beginning of the rainy season (34–68 kg ha −1 4 week −1 ), which suggests that if nutrient competition occurs between the shade trees and the cacao, it could be minimized by early fertilization during the beginning of the rains immediately after pruning the shade trees. Annual fine root turnover was close to 1.0 in both systems. Assuming that fine root biomass in these mature plantations was constant on an annual basis, nutrient inputs from fine root turnover were estimated as 23–24 (N), 2 (P), 14–16 (K), 7–11 (Ca) and 3–10 (Mg) kg ha −1 year −1 , representing 6–13% and 3–6% of total nutrient input in organic matter in the C. alliodora and E. poeppigiana systems, respectively. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agroforestry Systems Springer Journals

Fine root dynamics of shaded cacao plantations in Costa Rica

Muñoz, F.; Beer, J.
Agroforestry Systems , Volume 51 (2) – Jan 1, 2001
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References (30)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 by Kluwer Academic Publishers
Subject
Life Sciences; Agriculture; Forestry
ISSN
0167-4366
eISSN
1572-9680
DOI
10.1023/A:1010651203815
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Root turnover may contribute a significant proportion of recycled nutrients in agroforestry systems and competition between trees and crops for nutrients and water may depend on temporal fine root regrowth patterns. Fine root biomass (≤ 2 mm) and fine root productivity were measured during one year in plantations of cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) shaded by Erythrina poeppigiana or Cordia alliodora planted on a deep alluvial soil in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Fine root biomass of approximately 1.0 Mg ha −1 varied little during the year with maximum values at the beginning of the rainy season of 1.85 Mg ha −1 in the cacao- C. alliodora system compared to 1.20 Mg ha −1 for cacao- E. poeppigiana . Fine root productivity of C. alliodora and E. poeppigiana (maximum of 205 and 120 kg ha −1 4 week −1 , respectively) was greatest at the end of the rainy season, while for cacao it was greatest at the beginning of the rainy season (34–68 kg ha −1 4 week −1 ), which suggests that if nutrient competition occurs between the shade trees and the cacao, it could be minimized by early fertilization during the beginning of the rains immediately after pruning the shade trees. Annual fine root turnover was close to 1.0 in both systems. Assuming that fine root biomass in these mature plantations was constant on an annual basis, nutrient inputs from fine root turnover were estimated as 23–24 (N), 2 (P), 14–16 (K), 7–11 (Ca) and 3–10 (Mg) kg ha −1 year −1 , representing 6–13% and 3–6% of total nutrient input in organic matter in the C. alliodora and E. poeppigiana systems, respectively.

Journal

Agroforestry Systems – Springer Journals

Published: Jan 1, 2001

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