Decomposition and nutrient release patterns of the leaf biomass of the wild sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia): a comparative study with four leguminous agroforestry species

Abstract

The selection and use of appropriate plant materials to maintain a sufficiently high nutrient supply to meet crop needs remains a major challenge of nutrient management under low input systems. Therefore, research on plant biomass quality as it relates to decomposition and nutrient release has become imperative. This research was conducted at the Agroforestry Research Station of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana to determine the decomposition and nutrient release patterns of Tithonia diversifolia, a rarely used non-traditional species but of research interest in soil fertility improvement practices in Ghana. The decomposition and nutrient release patterns of T. diversifolia was compared with Senna spectabilis, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala and Acacia auriculiformis which are commonly used in biomass transfer systems.Results of the study confirmed significantly high N, P, K concentrations in T. diversifolia comparable to levels recorded for the four leguminous species. In addition, T. diversifolia recorded the highest percent decomposition and nutrient release rates which differed significantly (P \ 0.05) from rates of the four leguminous species. It was apparent from the study that decomposition and nutrient release rates of species are related to quality of leaf material. Phosphorus and Mg concentration in particular were most influential in decomposition and nutrient release based on significant results. For this reason, it would be imperative to consider the concentrations of P and Mg among other factors in selecting high quality plant materials for green manuring.

Improving maize production through nitrogen supply from ten rarely-used organic resources in Ghana

“…In SSA, the use of organic resources is identified as a mainstream opportunity for agricultural development in the region due to their relative availability (Partey and Thevathasan 2013). The most common organic resources employed in soil fertility programs in SSA include plant residues, green manure sources of leguminous crops, animal manure, mulches and tree/shrub prunings from agroforestry practices (Partey et al 2011). Animal manures are bulky, have unpleasant scent and have high potential for harbouring pathogens (Bernal et al 2009;Crutzen et al 2008) making the use of plant residue sources the preferable option.…”

“…In Ghana, the use of organic resources is included in soil management practices but many potential plant residues remain underutilized due to limited research and knowledge transfer (Partey et al 2011;Partey and Thevathasan 2013). Their utilization could complement and contribute to solving nutrient deficiencies due to limited application of inorganic fertilizers.…”

“…It was therefore the objective of this study to determine the N supplying capabilities of rarely-used plant residues for maize production in Ghana. The selection of the plant materials were based on their relative abundance at the study location, experimental evidence of their use as organic fertilizers in SSA (Gachengo et al 1999;Jama et al 2000;Partey et al 2011), their residue N concentrations and underutilized status for soil management at the study location (Partey and Thevathasan 2013). The research was based on the hypothesis that with increased net N mineralization from the leaf biomass of the tested species, the biological yield of maize will increase because of a resultant increase in N availability and uptake.…”

Effect of plant species on P cycle-related microorganisms associated with litter decomposition and P soil availability: implications for agroforestry management

“…It is well known that agroforestry systems can improve soil organic matter inputs (Pagano et al 2008), as well as the availability of soil P via litter decomposition (Partey et al 2011) and phosphatases activity with intercropping age (Fuxu & Ping 2004). Therefore, tree-based agroforestry systems, particularly those including Eucalyptus species, show an efficient return of soil nutrients (Mahmood et al 2009, Pagano et al 2008) that greatly contributes to the maintenance of soil fertility.…”

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“…Although it has been used as a fodder for animal nutrition [4,7,8,14], there are several uses reported for T. diversifolia like insect repellent and negative effect against ants [15], allelopathic effect against other plants [16,17], source of nectar for bees [18] and sources of nutrients (N, P and K) for degraded soils as the biomass is quickly decomposed and consequently nutrients are easily released to the soil [2,19].…”