Journal ArticleDOI
Leaf litter decomposition of Piper aduncum, Gliricidia sepium and Imperata cylindrica in the humid lowlands of Papua New Guinea
TLDR
Piper leaf litter is a significant and easily decomposable source of K which is an important nutrient for sweet potato and the decomposition and nutrient release patterns had significant effects on the soil.Abstract:
No information is available on the decomposition and nutrient release pattern of Piper aduncum and Imperata cylindrica despite their importance in shifting cultivation systems of Papua New Guinea and other tropical regions. We conducted a litter bag study (24 weeks) on a Typic Eutropepts in the humid lowlands to assess the rate of decomposition of Piper aduncum, Imperata cylindrica and Gliricidia sepium leaves under sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Decomposition rates of piper leaf litter were fastest followed closely by gliricidia, and both lost 50% of the leaf biomass within 10 weeks. Imperata leaf litter decomposed much slower and half-life values exceeded the period of observation. The decomposition patterns were best explained by the lignin plus polyphenol over N ratio which was lowest for piper (4.3) and highest for imperata (24.7). Gliricidia leaf litter released 79 kg N ha(-1), whereas 18 kg N ha(-1) was immobilised in the imperata litter. The mineralization of P was similar for the three species, but piper litter released large amounts of K. The decomposition and nutrient release patterns had significant effects on the soil. The soil contained significantly more water in the previous imperata plots at 13 weeks due to the relative slow decomposition of the leaves. Soil N levels were significantly reduced in the previous imperata plots due to immobilisation of N. Levels of exchangeable K were significantly increased in the previous piper plots due to the large addition of K. It can be concluded that piper leaf litter is a significant and easily decomposable source of K which is an important nutrient for sweet potato. Gliricidia leaf litter contained much N, whereas imperata leaf litter releases relatively little nutrients and keeps the soil more moist. Gliricidia fallow is more attractive than an imperata fallow for it improves the soil fertility and produces fuelwood as additional saleable products.read more
Citations
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Oxygen uptake during mineralization of photosynthesized carbon from phytoplankton of the Barra Bonita Reservoir: a mesocosm study
TL;DR: The results demonstrate the potentiality of the studied genera in influencing oxygen availability followed by a die-off event and indicates the possibility of changing of the electrical conductivity and pH values in the water column due the aerobic algae mineralization.
Journal ArticleDOI
Ecological Management of the Nitrogen Cycle in Organic Farms
TL;DR: In this article , a participatory agroecology approach is proposed that incorporates the knowledge of indigenous and traditional cultures to better understand and design resilient and socially-equitable organic systems.
Book ChapterDOI
Contribution of Gliricidia sepium Pruning and Fallow to Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. var. rugosa) Yield, Nitrogen Uptake, Release Pattern and Use Efficiency in a Humid Tropical Environment of Malaysia
TL;DR: It was concluded that Gliricidia sepium pruning and fallow contribute to the N uptake, growth and yield of the sweet corn with 5–9% NUE of the prunings.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
A Critique of the Analytical Methods Used in Examining Decomposition Data Obtained From Litter Bags
R. Kelman Wider,Gerald E. Lang +1 more
TL;DR: Two general analytical approaches to the examination of decomposition data are reviewed and single and double exponential models best describe the loss of mass over time with an element of biological realism.
Book
Driven By Nature: Plant Litter Quality and Decomposition
Georg Cadisch,Ken E. Giller +1 more
TL;DR: Pathways and processes in decomposition foraging, feeding and feedback manipulation of plant litter quality synchrony and soil organic matter - theory into practice?
Journal ArticleDOI
Determination of lignin and cellulose in acid-detergent fiber with permanganate.
P.J. Van Soest,R. H. Wine +1 more
Journal ArticleDOI
Nitrogen release from the leaves of some tropical legumes as affected by their lignin and polyphenolic contents
Cheryl A. Palm,Pedro A. Sanchez +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the chemical composition and N release patterns of legumes being used in tropical agroecosystems were determined in a laboratory experiment and three patterns of net N mineralization emerged during the 8-weeks.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biological effects of plant residues with contrasting chemical compositions under humid tropical conditions-decomposition and nutrient release
TL;DR: In this article, the decomposition and nutrient release patterns of three woody agroforestry plant species (Acioa barteri, Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala), maize (Zea mays) stover and rice (Oryza sativa) straw, were investigated under field conditions in the humid tropics, using litterbags of three mesh sizes (0.5, 2 and 7 mm) which allowed differential access of soil fauna.