• Contact Us
    • Send Feedback
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Journal and Journal Articles
    • Journal and Journal Articles
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Journal and Journal Articles
    • Journal and Journal Articles
    • 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 mulch quality on earthworm activity and nutrient supply in the humid tropics

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    S97ArtTianEffectInthomNodev.pdf (321.0Kb)
    Date
    1997
    Author
    Tian, G.
    Kang, B.
    Brussaard, Lijbert
    Type
    Journal Article
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract/Description
    An experiment was conducted in 1990 and 1991 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria to study the role of earthworms in the decomposition of plant residue mulches with different qualities. Five mulches of Dactyladenia barteri, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala prunings, maize (Zea mays) stover and rice (Oryza sativa) straw, which had a wide range of C-to-N ratio, lignin and polyphenol concentrations were studied. Based on their chemical compositions, Dactyladenia prunings were defined as low-quality mulch, Leucaena and Gliricidia prunings as high quality-mulches, and maize stover and rice straw as intermediate-quality mulches. The mean density of earthworms (Hyperiodrilus africanus and Eudrilus eugeniae) in the experimental plots decreased in the following order: high quality > intermediate quality > low quality mulches. High quality mulch (Leucaena and Gliricidia prunings) supported 54% higher earthworm populations than the (no mulch) control, whereas low-quality mulch (Dactyladenia prunings) only increased earthworm density by 15%, compared to the control in 1990. Plots with Leucaena and Gliricidia prunings had the highest earthworm populations at the initial stage of the experiment, while the other treatments showed increased earthworm numbers at a later stage. Effects of earthworms on mulch decomposition were examined in the field in large pots with or without earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae). The effects of earthworms were more pronounced for Dactyladenia prunings (low quality), than for Leucaena and Gliricidia prunings (high quality). The results indicate that manipulation of earthworm activity with application of high- and low-quality mulches may improve the synchronization of soil nutrient supply and crop nutrient demand.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(96)00099-5
    Multi standard citation
    Permanent link to this item
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/3996
    Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(96)00099-5
    IITA Subjects
    Pests Of Plants; Plant Health; Climate Change; Maize
    Agrovoc Terms
    Earthworms; Nutrient; Humid Tropics; Mulch; Maize
    Regions
    Africa; West Africa
    Countries
    Nigeria
    Collections
    • Journal and Journal Articles4835
    copyright © 2019  IITASpace. All rights reserved.
    IITA | Open Access Repository