• Contact Us
    • Send Feedback
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Conference Documents
    • Conference Documents
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Conference Documents
    • Conference Documents
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    Whole Repository
    CollectionsIssue DateRegionCountryHubAffiliationAuthorsTitlesSubject
    This Sub-collection
    Issue DateRegionCountryHubAffiliationAuthorsTitlesSubject

    My Account

    Login

    Welcome to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Research Repository

    What would you like to view today?

    Effect of Guatamala grass (Tripsacum laxum) mulch applications on soil moisture conservation and soil fertility status

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    van asten-effect-2007.doc.pdf (147.0Kb)
    Date
    2007
    Author
    Asten, Piet J.A. van
    Twagirayezu, A.
    Gaidashova, S.V.
    Type
    Conference Paper
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Mulch applications generally have a large beneficial effect on the productivity of important perennial cash crops in the East African Highlands such as bananas (Musa spp.) and coffee (Coffea spp.), due to the conservation of soil moisture and the improvement of soil fertility. However, the availability of mulch to farmers is often limiting and validated recommendations on optimal mulch thicknesses in the region are absent. Informal interviews with researchers and farmers revealed that a 10 cm mulch thickness is often considered optimal. We monitored soil moisture content and soil fertility under 0, 5, 10 and 20 cm mulch thickness using Guatamala grass (Tripsacum laxum) in shaded and non-shaded plots in order to mimic the effects of mulch applications in newly planted fields and fields with an established canopy. The study took place in uncultivated plots of 2x2m between July and November 2005 at the ISAR research station in Rubona, Rwanda. The results showed that in a 1 m soil profile, application of 5, 10 and 20 cm of mulch significantly (p<0.001) increased average soil moisture content by 63, 88 and 72 %, respectively. After 4 months, application of 20cm mulch had significantly (p<0.05) increased available P from 14 to 21 ppm, mineral N from 3.1 to 5.4 %, and K from 2.1 to 2.7 cmolc 100 g-1 in the topsoil (0-30 cm). Smaller mulch applications of 5 and 10 cm showed proportional intermediate increases in soil fertility. The thickness of the mulch layers reduced by 44% over the four months period. This trial shows that mulch applications of half the perceived optimal rate already have a large impact in terms of moisture conservation and additional increases in mulch thickness have relatively little additional impact. However, increases in soil fertility due to mulch are strongly correlated with the mulch quantities applied.
    Permanent link to this item
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/3115
    IITA Subjects
    Plant Health; Weeds; Soil Fertility
    Agrovoc Terms
    Mulch; Tripsacum; Moisture Conservation; Soil Fertility
    Regions
    Africa; East Africa
    Countries
    Rwanda
    Collections
    • Conference Documents594
    copyright © 2019  IITASpace. All rights reserved.
    IITA | Open Access Repository