Root length dynamics in agroforestry with Gliricidia sepium as compared to sole cropping in the semi-deciduous rainforest zone of West Africa

Tree root systems may improve soil fertility through carbon inputs, uptake of leachable nutrients and maintenance of soil biomass, but can at the same time reduce crop yields by competition for water and nutrients. Quantitative information about the positive and negative effects of tree roots and their changes in space and time are necessary for the optimization of agroforestry associations. An alley cropping experiment was layed out as a randomized complete block design on a Plinthic Lixisol/Ferralic Cambisol with Gliricidia sepium hedgerows at 5 m distance, including a sole cropping control. The development of root systems was monitored by sequential soil coring (eight samplings) during one year, with maize and groundnut as crops. Additional information is presented from a single sampling for rice during the foregoing year. Pronounced fluctuations of live root length density indicated an important variability in the nutrient and water uptake capacity of the vegetation. At low total root length density, the hedgerows affected the root development in the agroforestry plots directly by the presence of their root systems. At high root length density, they affected root development mainly by improving crop root growth and influencing the composition of the spontaneous vegetation. The root length density of the hedgerows was too low to compete with the crops for soil resources. The hedgerows tended to increase root length densities in the subsoil when few roots were present, thus possibly reducing the risk of nutrient leaching. However, the length density of the perennial root systems decreased during the cropping season, presumably as an effect of repeated pruning, and attained minimum values almost at the same time as the crops. Trees with denser root systems which are less frequently pruned may be more efficient in achieving closer nutrient cycles, though at the cost of higher root competition with crops.     

秸秆覆盖与施磷对四川丘陵旱地土壤磷形态及有效性的影响

为揭示秸秆覆盖配施磷肥下土壤无机磷形态变化规律及磷的有效性,本研究采用二因素裂区设计,主区为秸秆覆盖和不覆盖,副区为3个施磷量(0、75和120 kg·hm^-2),分析秸秆覆盖与施磷条件下四川丘陵旱地紫色土磷吸附-解吸特征、无机磷组分含量及其与有效磷的关系。结果表明: 2018—2020年两个试验年度秸秆覆盖处理比不覆盖处理土壤磷最大吸附量分别显著降低7.7%和7.4%,磷吸附饱和度分别显著增加35.4%和18.6%,土壤易解吸磷分别显著提高21.6%和35.2%,磷最大缓冲容量无显著差异;施磷与不施磷相比,磷最大吸附量和最大缓冲容量显著降低,吸附饱和度显著增加,易解吸磷则随施磷量的增加而增加。两个试验年度秸秆覆盖处理比不覆盖处理磷酸二钙(Ca₂-P)、磷酸八钙(Ca₈-P)和铁磷(Fe-P)含量显著增加,铝磷(Al-P)含量显著降低,闭蓄态磷(O-P)和磷灰石(Ca₁₀-P)含量有降低的趋势;与不施磷相比,施磷则提高了不同无机磷组分含量。与不覆盖处理相比,两个试验年度秸秆覆盖处理土壤有效磷含量分别显著增加23.2%和9.6%,磷活化系数分别显著提高21.3%和8.9%,且土壤有效磷含量和磷活化系数均随施磷量的增加而提高。回归分析表明,无机磷各组分对紫色土有效磷有效性的贡献为Ca₂-P>Fe-P>Al-P>Ca₈-P>Ca₁₀-P>O-P。因此,秸秆覆盖配施磷肥促进了土壤难溶性磷向中等活性或易于作物吸收的磷形态分解和转化,降低土壤对磷素的吸附,促进土壤磷素的解吸,最终提高土壤磷素有效性。综合考虑经济效益,推荐四川丘陵旱地秸秆覆盖配施75 kg·hm^-2磷肥更有利于提高土壤磷素有效性。     

Influence of pruning management on P and N distribution and use efficiency by N2 fixing and non-N2 fixing trees used in alley cropping systems

Pruning of hedgerow trees is an important management practice for the successful establishment of an alley cropping system. Although pruning affects biomass production, only meager evidence of this management on distribution of nutrients among the different plant organs after tree regrowth is available. This study examined the effect of pruning on the distribution and use efficiency of N and P in a N₂ fixing leguminous tree species, Gliricidia sepium, and two non-N₂ fixing leguminous tree species, Senna siamea and S. spectabilis, grown in a field on an Alfisol (low in P) at Fashola (Guinea Savanna Zone), Southwestern Nigeria. Four P rates, 0, 20, 40 and 80 kg P ha^–1 as single superphosphate were used and management treatments included pruned versus unpruned plants. The ¹⁵N isotope dilution technique was used to measure N₂ fixation in G. sepium. Partitioning of total P among different plant organs was influenced by plant species and pruning management, but was not affected by P application rates. The distribution of total P in the various plant organs followed that of dry matter yield while N partitioning had a different pattern. Pruned plants distributed about 118% more total P to branches and had a higher physiological P use efficiency (PPUE) than unpruned plants. Leaves were the biggest sink for total N and N allocation in the other plant organs was influenced by plant species and pruning management, G. sepium had relatively more of its total N and P partitioned into roots (about double that of the non-N₂ fixing trees) but had a lower PPUE. Unpruned and pruned G. sepium derived 35 and 54% respectively of their total N from atmospheric N2, with about 54% of the fixed N2 being allocated to leaves and roots. Results showed that N and P pools turned over in the branches during plant regrowth after pruning but the causative factors associated with this phenomenon were not clear.