Using mucuna and P fertilizer to increase maize grain yield and N fertilizer use efficiency in the coastal savanna of Togo

To reduce severe soil degradation associated with agriculture an intensified land-use system is being promoted in West African countries. Most soils of the West African savanna zones are so poor that the efficiency of mineral fertilizers, if applied, is very low. For this reason and because of their...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems 2004-03, Vol.68 (3), p.213-222
Main Authors: Fofana, B, Breman, H, Carsky, R.J, Reuler, H. van, Tamelokpo, A.F, Gnakpenou, K.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural economics
Agricultural practices
Cereal crops
Coastal environments
Corn
Cover crops
Crop yield
Efficiency
Farmers
Fertilization
Fertilizer application
fertilizer rates
Fertilizers
Grain
grain yield
Intercropping
Land use
Mineral fertilizers
Mucuna pruriens
Nitrogen
nitrogen fertilizers
nutrient use efficiency
Phosphorus
phosphorus fertilizers
Savannahs
Small farms
Small-scale farming
Soil degradation
Soil fertility
Soil improvement
Soil investigations
Soil management
Zea mays
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Summary:To reduce severe soil degradation associated with agriculture an intensified land-use system is being promoted in West African countries. Most soils of the West African savanna zones are so poor that the efficiency of mineral fertilizers, if applied, is very low. For this reason and because of their high cost and unavailability, many small-scale farmers are reluctant to apply fertilizer. This work investigates a fertilizer management strategy using integrated soil fertility management with a leguminous cover crop (mucuna) so as to improve the soil fertility and increase the use efficiency of fertilizer. The experiment was conducted in the coastal savanna of Togo at Djaka Kope The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of mucuna short fallow (MSF) in increasing maize grain yield through an improved use efficiency of mineral fertilizer. A 2-year maize-mucuna relay intercropping system was compared with continuous sole maize cropping. Fertilizer treatments were factorial combinations of 0, 50 and 100 kg nitrogen (N) ha(-1) and 0, 20 and 40 kg phosphorus (P) ha(-1). While maize grain yield was significantly increased by N fertilization, P did not show any important effect on grain yield. With no N and P applied, grain yield after MSF was on average 40% (572 kg ha(-1)) higher than without. The response to N was much greater than the response to MSF, indicating that N was undoubtedly the key element for maize yield building. P fertilization and MSF together positively influenced the apparent N recovery fraction (NRF). N uptake alone did not reflect on its own the yield obtained, and the relationship between grain yield and N uptake is shifted by MSF, with the grain yield increase per unit of N uptake being higher with than without MSF. Combining MSF and P fertilization may therefore lead to improved N use efficiency, making the application of fertilizer N (lower rates) more attractive to small-scale farmers.
ISSN:1385-1314
1573-0867
DOI:10.1023/B:FRES.0000019457.43677.08