Chromolaena Odorata in Different Ecosystems: Weed or Fallow Plant?

Abstract

Abstract.To understand the use of Chromolaena odorata in different agricultural systems and ecosystems, findings of several scientific studies conducted in different areas have been assessed in this review paper. Some authors considered C. odorata as a serious weed because of its ability: to regenerate and colonize uninvaded areas; to be a threat to some ecosystems and environment; to reduce the biodiversity of grasslands, savannahs and forests; and to be a considerable problem in commercial tree plantations as it suppresses the growth of young pine and eucalypt trees. Others argued that the species may be considered as a beneficial fallow plant rather than a weed, because it may be considered as a welcome plant rather than a weed in some agricultural systems, when considering the expected properties of species for fallow improvement. The following are the main reasons why C. odorata is considered as a fallow because of it ability: to be a nutrient sink and its potential benefit to the crop as regular source of organic matter and nutrients after slashing; to have a beneficial effect on exchangeable K concentration; to be used as green manure; to be better adapted as a fallow plant on acidic soils than some leguminous.

Minimizing Risks of Invasive Alien Plant Species in Tropical Production Forest Management

“…Enemy release has been shown to facilitate the invasion of Hawaiian forests by Clidemia hirta [65] and hybridization appears to have been involved in the origin of the highly invasive form of Rubus alceifolius on Réunion Island [66]. Among the invasive species listed in Tables 1 and 3, Chromolaena odorata has high specific leaf area, relative growth rate and relative investment in stems, and is a prolific source of wind-dispersed seeds [67][68][69], Piper aduncum is fast growing, freely flowering and fruiting, and well-dispersed by both birds and bats [21,[70][71][72], invasive Pinus spp. produce frequent massive crops of well-dispersed seeds from a young age [42,73,74], and Maesopsis eminii is a fast growing, massively fruiting and well-dispersed [60,61,75,76].…”

Hybrid improved tree fallows: harnessing invasive woody legumes for agroforestry

“…Debates over the use of potentially invasive plants in agroforestry reflect a wide range of perspectives and conflicts of interest regarding their role in local and regional landscapes (Slaats 1995;Koutika and Rainey 2010). Stakeholders bring very different concerns to the table, expressed through terms such as 'miracle trees', 'weeds', 'alien invasives', or 'exotics', that may reflect the livelihood concerns of farmers or environmental managers' worries over impacts on biodiversity and hydrology.…”

Assessment of the Nutrient Status of Soil under <em>Chromolaena odorata</em> L. (Siam Weed) Fallow in Moniya, Oyo State Southwestern Nigeria

“…During this process, different plant species immediately invade the area, and the commonest is Chromolaena odorata otherwise referred in this part of the country as "Awolowo". C. odorata according to Roder et al, (1995), Koutika and Rainey (2010) is a member of the family Asteraceae, a perennial shrub forming dense tangled bushes of about 1.5 -2.0 m in height, sometimes reaching 6 m. C. odorata is characteristically a plant of secondary succession that invades fallows or newly cleared lands, and is often shaded out when forest trees and shrubs are fully established.…”

“…It is indeed, a common and predominate fallow plant in most habitats except undisturbed rainforest where its density is sparse. According to Koutika and Rainey (2010), C. odorata is present in different agricultural systems of its native continent (subtropical and tropical America), but also of colonized continents such as Asia, Africa, mainly in slash-and-burn systems and Oceania. In Nigeria and Southwestern ecological zone in particular, C. odorata grows easily and usually 253 dominates newly cleared and abandoned farmlands (fallows); this plant species are one of the earlier colonizers that facilitate the buildup of nutrients in the soil for subsequent colonizers.…”

“…Nevertheless, apart from colonizing fallows and naturally accreting nutrient in the soil, local farmers in the area use the plant as a way of augmenting fertility as green manure. C. odorata regenerates and colonises fallow lands or newly cleared piece of land through its roots or by high seed production and wind which enhances its dispersal (Koutika and Rainey, 2010).…”