Abstract
Nine tropical cover crops, which had produced positive residual effects on following year maize yield in field experiments in Northern Nigeria on a luvisol low in available P, and maize were grown in a pot experiment using the same soil. The effect of plant growth on pH, organic acids, soil P fractions and phosphatase activity in bulk and rhizosphere soil was studied. All plant species raised the pH in the rhizosphere, differed widely in acid phosphatase activity, and derived most of their P from the resin and bicarbonate-extractable inorganic P (Pi). Organic P (Po) accumulated especially in the rhizosphere in all plant species. There was a negative correlation between the species-specific rhizosphere phosphatase activity and Po accumulation. Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) appeared to be more P-efficient than other plant species because it was less reduced in biomass production at low compared to adequate P supply and the highest rhizosphere acid phosphatase activity. The results of this ongoing research indicate that inclusion of cover crops into cropping systems can contribute to more efficient use of soil and fertilizer P by less P-efficient crops such as maize. However, further work is necessary to get a better quantitative understanding of the mechanisms involved.
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Kamh, M., Horst, W.J., Chude, V. . (1998). Mobilization of Soil and Fertilizer Phosphate by Cover Crops. In: Merbach, W. (eds) Pflanzenernährung, Wurzelleistung und Exsudation. Vieweg+Teubner Verlag, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-01125-5_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-01125-5_22
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