POTENTIAL OF LEUCAENA HEDGES FOR FOOD CROP PRODUCTION IN SOUTHERN EGYPT | ||||
| Journal of Plant Production | ||||
| Article 6, Volume 2, Issue 2, February 2011, Page 265-277 PDF (386.9 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2011.85498 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| A. F. A. Ebeid1; Mona M. Abbas1; E. F. Ali2 | ||||
| 1Dept.of Forestry, Hort. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Dept.of Hort.(Flor.), Fac. Agric., Assiut Univ., Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Maize (Zea mays L.) var.Giza 151 was intercropped for 2008 and 2009 seasons between hedgerows of leucaena ( Leucaena leucocephala L.) spaced 3 or 5 m apart, while maize was planted in hills 40 cm apart in rows spaced 75 cm, in loamy sand soil at Kom-Ombo Tropical Farm, Aswan Botanical Garden, Hort. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Egypt. The leucaena was cut at a height of 30 or 60 cm, 2 or 3 times per season and the fresh prunings spread as a mulch between the rows of maize. The yield of maize from mulched plots was measured and compared with that from plots fertilized with nitrogen as urea at 0, 30 or 60 kg N/fed.year. In the two seasons, leucaena dry yield was significantly affected by leucaena mulch treatments with the highest values 1131.28 g/ m row and 6787 g/ plot were due to 30 cm height and two cuts per season for hedgerow spacing of 3 m, while the lowest values 723.9 g/ m row and 4343.6 g/ plot were recorded with the 60 cm height, 3 cuts, 5 m treatment. However, the effect of leucaena pruning treatments was differed for N and protein contents in leucaena leaves, while the concentrations of N and protein were increased by using 30 cm height and 3 cuts per season of 5 m spaced leucaena. On the other hand, 60 cm height with two cuttings/ season in 5 m spaced leucaena increased cellulose content in leucaena prunings compared to the other treatments. Higher maize yields were obtained with supplementation with 60 kg N/ fed. Addition of leucaena prunings was able to sustain maize yields at moderate levels, for two consecutive years with no N addition. Addition of leucaena prunings improved soil fertility as increment of organic matter percentage and decreased the values of pH and E.C in the soil. (the results which are mentioned at the means of to seasons ) | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Alley cropping; Leucaena leucocephala; Zea mays; Pruning management; Nitrogen fertilizer | ||||
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