Improvement in Tephrosia vogelii biomass yield and quality due to application of Minjingu phosphate rock to ferrasols of different pH

Mkangwa, C.Z.; Semoka, J.M.R.; Maliondo, S.M.S.

Improvement in Tephrosia vogelii biomass yield and quality due to application of Minjingu phosphate rock to ferrasols of different pH

2004

Mkangwa, C.Z. | Semoka, J.M.R. | Maliondo, S.M.S.

A glasshouse study using Tephrosia vogelii was conducted on ferralsols with soil pH 5.0 and 5.9, and low available P (2.5-2.9 mg P kg soil(-1)), to assess the effects of soil pH and application of P on seedling performance and quantity and quality of biomass. The two soils were treated with Minjingu phosphate rock (MPR) at 0 and 400 mg P kg(-1) soil and planted to T. vogelii, which grew for 12 weeks. The parameters assessed were plant height and nodule numbers for seedling performance, shoot and root dry matter yield for biomass quantity, and shoot N and P contents for biomass quality. Both soil pH and application of MPR significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) affected all the parameters assessed. Increase in soil pH from 5.0 to 5.9 increased plant height by 13%, nodule number by 256%, shoot biomass by 110%, and N and P uptake by 121% and 125%, respectively. Minjingu PR application in the soil of pH 5.0 increased plant height by 14%, nodule number by 31%, shoot biomass by 94%, N uptake by 193% and P uptake by 200%. In the soil of pH 5.9 the corresponding increases due to MPR application were 5% for plant height, 65% for nodule number, 36% for shoot biomass, 35% for N and 100% for P uptake. The results indicated that in acidic ferralsols with low available P, biomass yield and quality of T. vogelii were enhanced when such soil conditions were corrected.

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