Abstract
Maize production in smallholder farming systems in Kenya is largely limited by low soil fertility.As mineral fertilizer is expensive, green manuring using leguminous cover crops could be an alternative strategy for farmers to enhance farm productivity.However due to variability in soil type and crop management, the effects of green manure are likely to differ with farms.The objectives of this study were to evaluate Mucuna pruriens and Arachis pintoi on (i) biomass and nitrogen fixation ( 15 N natural abundance), (ii) soil carbon and nitrogen stocks and (iii) their effects on maize yields over two cropping seasons in Kakamega, Western Kenya.Mucuna at 6 weeks accumulated 1-1.3 Mg ha -1 of dry matter and 33-56 kg ha -1 nitrogen of which 70 % was nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa).Arachis after 12 months accumulated 2-2.7 Mg ha -1 of dry matter and 51-74 kg N ha -1 of which 52-63 % was from Ndfa.Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks at 0-15 cm depth were enhanced by 2-4 Mg C ha -1 and 0.3-1.0Mg N ha -1 under Mucuna and Arachis fallow, irrespective of soil type.Maize yield increased by 0.5-2 Mg ha -1 in Mucuna and 0.5-3 Mg ha -1 in Arachis and the response was stronger on Nitisol than on Acrisol or Ferralsol.We concluded that leguminous cover crops seem promising in enhancing soil fertility and maize yields in Kenya, provided soil conditions and rainfall are suitable.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Mucuna accumulated 1-1.3 Mg ha -1 dry matter after six weeks.
MucunaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mucuna at 6 weeks accumulated 1-1.3 Mg ha -1 of dry matter”
Claim · model-written summary
Mucuna accumulated 33-56 kg ha -1 nitrogen after six weeks.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mucuna at 6 weeks accumulated 1-1.3 Mg ha -1 of dry matter and 33-56 kg ha -1 nitrogen”
Claim · model-written summary
Seventy percent of Mucuna nitrogen was derived from the atmosphere.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mucuna at 6 weeks accumulated 1-1.3 Mg ha -1 of dry matter and 33-56 kg ha -1 nitrogen of which 70 % was nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa).”
Claim · model-written summary
Arachis accumulated 2-2.7 Mg ha -1 dry matter after twelve months.
ArachisOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Arachis after 12 months accumulated 2-2.7 Mg ha -1 of dry matter”
Claim · model-written summary
Arachis accumulated 51-74 kg N ha -1 after twelve months.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Arachis after 12 months accumulated 2-2.7 Mg ha -1 of dry matter and 51-74 kg N ha -1”
Claim · model-written summary
Atmospheric nitrogen accounted for 52-63% of Arachis nitrogen.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Arachis after 12 months accumulated 2-2.7 Mg ha -1 of dry matter and 51-74 kg N ha -1 of which 52-63 % was from Ndfa.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mucuna and Arachis fallows enhanced soil carbon stocks by 2-4 Mg C ha -1.
- Treatment
- Mucuna and Arachis fallowe0
- Outcome
- Soil carbone0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 2-4 Mg C ha -1e0
- Qualifier
- at 0-15 cm depthe0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks at 0-15 cm depth were enhanced by 2-4 Mg C ha -1 and 0.3-1.0Mg N ha -1 under Mucuna and Arachis fallow, irrespective of soil type.”
t0“maize yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Mucuna and Arachis fallows enhanced soil nitrogen stocks by 0.3-1.0Mg N ha -1.
- Treatment
- Mucuna and Arachis fallowe0
- Outcome
- nitrogen stockse0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 0.3-1.0Mg N ha -1e0
- Qualifier
- at 0-15 cm depthe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks at 0-15 cm depth were enhanced by 2-4 Mg C ha -1 and 0.3-1.0Mg N ha -1 under Mucuna and Arachis fallow, irrespective of soil type.”
t0“maize yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Mucuna increased maize yield by 0.5-2 Mg ha -1.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize yield increased by 0.5-2 Mg ha -1 in Mucuna”
Claim · model-written summary
Arachis increased maize yield by 0.5-3 Mg ha -1.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize yield increased by 0.5-2 Mg ha -1 in Mucuna and 0.5-3 Mg ha -1 in Arachis”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield response was stronger on Nitisol than on Acrisol or Ferralsol.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize yield increased by 0.5-2 Mg ha -1 in Mucuna and 0.5-3 Mg ha -1 in Arachis and the response was stronger on Nitisol than on Acrisol or Ferralsol.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that leguminous cover crops are promising for soil fertility and maize yield when soil and rainfall are suitable.
- Outcome
- leguminous cover crops seem promising in enhancing soil fertility and maize yieldse0
- Qualifier
- provided soil conditions and rainfall are suitablee0
- Setting
- Kenyae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We concluded that leguminous cover crops seem promising in enhancing soil fertility and maize yields in Kenya, provided soil conditions and rainfall are suitable.”
The same questions in other papers
Mucuna · yield · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
8 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- negative
- no effect
- positive
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See all 11 papers →rotation · soil: chemistry · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
17 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
- negative
17 papers more in this group
See all 21 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.