Abstract
Piliostigma reticulatum (DC.) Hochst., an indigenous shrub, forms an important vegetative component of parkland cropping systems in the Sahel; however, its biophysical interactions with soil and crops are not well understood. Therefore, the objectives were to determine the impact of P. reticulatum , under varying fertilizer rates, on crop yield response and soil nutrient dynamics. The experiment had a split‐plot factorial design, where the main plot was shrub (presence or absence) and the subplot was fertilizer rate (0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 times the recommended N–P–K fertilizer rate) applied to a peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.)–pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] rotation. In 3 of the 4 yr, P. reticulatum improved or had no effect on crop yields when averaged across fertilizer rates. Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate. Contrary to P, inorganic N in the soils changed very rapidly, reaching very low levels by the end of the growing season. The N content of soil leachates below the rooting zone was generally lower beneath than outside the shrub canopy, suggesting that the shrub conserves N that is otherwise lost through leaching. Piliostigma reticulatum increased particulate organic matter, indicating that this shrub improved soil quality. These results suggest that P. reticulatum , under nonthermal management and a higher density than typically found in farmers’ fields, has ecological benefits with improved soils and reduced loss of N, which has implications throughout the Sahel.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Shrub presence improved or did not affect crop yields in three of four years.
- Taxon
- P. reticulatum
Piliostigma reticulatume0 - Treatment
- P. reticulatume0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse0
- Direction
- improved or had no effecte0
- Value
- 3 of the 4 yre0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In 3 of the 4 yr, P. reticulatum improved or had no effect on crop yields when averaged across fertilizer rates.”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet biomass increased with shrub presence.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Peanut biomass increased with shrub presence.
- Taxon
- peanut
Arachis hypogaeae0 - Treatment
- presence of shrubse0
- Outcome
- peanut biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet N uptake increased with shrub presence.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet P uptake increased with shrub presence.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet biomass increased with fertilizer rate.
- Taxon
- millete0
- Treatment
- increasing fertilizer ratee0
- Outcome
- millet and peanut biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Peanut biomass increased with fertilizer rate.
- Taxon
- peanutArachis hypogaeae0
- Treatment
- increasing fertilizer ratee0
- Outcome
- peanut biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet N uptake increased with fertilizer rate.
- Taxon
- millete0
- Treatment
- increasing fertilizer ratee0
- Outcome
- N and P uptake by millete0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet P uptake increased with fertilizer rate.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil inorganic N reached very low levels by the end of the season.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“inorganic N in the soils changed very rapidly, reaching very low levels by the end of the growing season.”
Claim · model-written summary
N content of soil leachates was generally lower beneath shrub canopy than outside.
- Outcome
- N content of soil leachatese0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- outside the shrub canopye0
- Setting
- below the rooting zonee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The N content of soil leachates below the rooting zone was generally lower beneath than outside the shrub canopy”
Claim · model-written summary
P. reticulatum increased soil particulate organic matter.
- Taxon
- Piliostigma reticulatumPiliostigma reticulatume0
- Treatment
- Piliostigma reticulatume0
- Outcome
- particulate organic mattere0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Piliostigma reticulatum increased particulate organic matter”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that shrubs conserve N otherwise lost by leaching.
- Taxon
- Piliostigma reticulatumPiliostigma reticulatumt0
- Outcome
- conserves N that is otherwise lost through leachinge0
- Qualifier
- shrube0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“suggesting that the shrub conserves N that is otherwise lost through leaching.”
t0“Piliostigma reticulatum (DC.) Hochst.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude shrub management has soil and nitrogen-loss benefits in the Sahel.
- Taxon
- P. reticulatumPiliostigma reticulatume0
- Outcome
- improved soils and reduced loss of Ne0
- Qualifier
- under nonthermal management and a higher density than typically found in farmers’ fieldse0
- Setting
- Sahele0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These results suggest that P. reticulatum , under nonthermal management and a higher density than typically found in farmers’ fields, has ecological benefits with improved soils and reduced loss of N, which has implications throughout the Sahel.”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · growth · Arachis hypogaea (peanut)Positive and negative results
181 papers in the same direction as this paper · 22 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
200 papers more in this group
See all 204 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.