| Journal Article |
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| Article Title | Tolerance to acid soil conditions of the velvet beans Mucuna pruriens var. utilis and M. deeringiana II. Above-ground growth and control of Imperata cylindrica | | Author | Kurniatun Hairiah, Meine van Noordwijk and Slamet Setijono | | Year | 1993 | | Journal Title | Plant and Soil | | Institution | Kluwer Academic Publishers | | Volume | 152 | | Issue | 2 | | Pages | 175-185 | | Call Number | JA0054-04 | | Keywords | Plant composition, Fertilizers, Phosphorus, Root shoot ratio, Roots, Fodder plants |
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| Abstract: |
| Tolerance of 2 species of Mucuna to eroded soils was investigated in field trials in Indonesia by removing topsoil and directly sowing into the subsoil; plots where topsoil was not removed were used as a control. The response to small amounts of P fertilizer and lime was also tested. Removal of the topsoil decreased growth of both species, increased DM content of the shoot, decreased specific leaf area and increased leaf weight ratio, due to shorter internodes. Six weeks after sowing the LAI was about 1.2 where topsoil was retained, sufficient for a shading effect on Imperata. Where topsoil had been removed, the LAI was only 0.6. M. pruriens var. utilis showed a faster aboveground growth than M. deeringiana; the species did not differ in tolerance to eroded soil. Small amounts of P fertilizer had no significant effect on the growth of both Mucuna species. Shoot:root ratios, on a DW basis, were much lower when topsoil had been removed, about 3.7 and 2.4 for M. pruriens and M. deeringiana, respectively, compared with 6.2 and 3.3 where topsoil was retained. Removal of topsoil led to reduced Mg and to increased Al concentrations in roots, and to increased levels of Mn and Al in shoots. In the 2nd year no effect of lime or residual effect of P application was found on growth of Mucuna or Imperata. Removal of the topsoil had little effect on the growth of weeds after the cover crop had been harvested. It was concluded that due to the high Al tolerance of Imperata, reclamation by Mucuna will be less effective if the topsoil has been lost by erosion |
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