Growth of the Chromolaena odorata fallow vegetation in semi-permanent food crop production systems in South-West Côte d'Ivoire.
1996
Slaats, J.J.P. | Heiden, van der, W.M. | Stockmann, C.M. | Wessel, M. | Janssen, B.H.
Growing population pressure pushes farmers to use the young Chromolaena odorata fallow vegetation for food crop production. As a first step in defining appropriate management for such a fallow, the growth of this vegetation was studied by following changes in biomass, composition and nutrient content over time. The fallow vegetation rapidly covered the soil after crop harvest. Right from the start C. odorata was the dominant species, with an average annual growth rate of 8.7 t/ha. Standing biomass of the fallow vegetation reached a peak of 22 t/ha in the third year, while in subsequent years growth stagnated as a result of dieback of C. odorata. In the fifth year other woody species tended to succeed C. odorata as the main component of the fallow vegetation. In 5 yr the vegetation accumulated 130 kg N, 9 kg P and 160 kg K/ha. The results suggest that a fallow period of 3 yr is most appropriate when using this type of fallow vegetation in semi-permanent food crop production systems.
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