Comparative study of different green manure species and their influence on corn crop
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Abstract
Ferralitic soil of Havana province for two consecutive seasons
within May-November period of 1996-1997, with the objective
of evaluating the effectiveness of different leguminous species
used as green manures in crop rotation with corn, also
determining their N efficiency. The effect of Crotalaria juncea,
Stizolobium aterrimum, Canavalia ensiformis and Sesbania
rostrata was compared with two checks: one without green
manure, nor mineral fertilizer and the other without green manure
but with mineral fetilizer. Treatments were arranged on a
randomized block design with four replications. Phytomass
and nutrient contribution of green manures was studied in
each case as well as their effect on soil physical characteristics,
corn yield and its components. The recovery coefficient of
green manure nitrogen was determined through isotopic and
difference methods. Regarding the four green manure species
studied, Crotalaria juncea and Sesbania rostrata presented
the best behavior with corn over both seasons studied; this
response depending on the high amount of phytomass and
nutrients given as well as the high C:N ratio of their material.
Crotalaria juncea and Sesbania rostrata supplied 7.7 and
10.5 t.ha-1 and 113 ande 156 kg.ha-1 N respectively. Also, the
nitrogen given by mucuna was more efficiently employed by
corn (88.7 %) compared to the other species, whose coefficients
were decreasing as follows: 39.8, 34.6 and 25.2 % for sesbania,
crotalaria and canavalia respectively. Green manures increased
organic matter content, natural moisture and structural stability
indexes of soil aggregates. The use of green manure in both
years increased corn yield compared to the first check control
(1 and 2.4 t.ha-1) and the second one (0.3 and 1.38 t.ha-1), so
they varied according to the species evaluated. Crotalaria
juncea and Sesbania rostrata obtained an economic
effectiveness of 762 and 434 $.ha-1 in 1996 whereas 295.9 and
369.5 $.ha-1 in 1997 respectively.
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