Abstract
Nitrogen, Ca and Mg release from leaves of ten selected plant residues with varying chemical compositions was studied under laboratory conditions. Three patterns of N-release were observed over a seven week incubation period: (a)Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Mucuna pruriens andCentrosema pubescens leaves showed rapid N release, (b)Acioa barteri andDialium guineense leaves immobilized N, and (c)Alchornea cordifolia, Anthonata macrophylla, Cassia siamea andPterocarpus santalinoides leaves initially showed N immobilization which gradually changes to net mineralization after about four weeks of incubation. Nitrogen mineralization rate constant (k) ranged from −0.0018 (A. barteri) to 0.0064 day−1 (G. sepium). Statistical analysis of data showed that N mineralization rate constants are significantly correlated with initial N, polyphenol and lignin contents of leaves. Nitrogen release increased with increasing N content and decreased with increasing contents of polyphenols and lignin.
Addition of leaves from all species significantly increased soil exchangeable Ca and Mg levels.L. leucocephala, G. sepium, C. pubescens andM. pruriens showed relatively high Ca and Mg release rates. Calcium release rate was related to N release rate rather than to initial Ca content.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allison FE (1973) Soil organic matter and its role in crop production. Developments in soil science 3. Elsevier scientific, Amsterdam
Anderson JM & Ingram JS (1989) Tropical Soil biology and fertility, a handbook of methods. CAB, Oxon
Azhar ES, Cleemput O van & Verstraete W (1986) Nitrification mediated nitrogen immobilization in soils. Plant and Soil 94: 401–409
Baldock JO & Musgrave RB (1980) Manure and mineral fertilizer effects in continuous and rotational crop sequences in central New York. Agron. J. 72: 511–518
Bennett E (1949) Fixation of Ammonia by lignin. Soil Sci. 68: 399–340
Berendse F, Berg B & Bosatta E (1987) The effect of lignin and nitrogen on the decomposition of litter in nutrient — poor ecosystem: a theoretical approach. Can. J. Bot. 65: 1116–1120
Brady NC (1990) The nature and properties of soils. Macmillan publishing company, New York
Frankenberger WT & Abdelmagid HM (1985) Kinetic parameters of nitrogen mineralization rates of leguminous crops incorporated into soil. Plant and Soil. 87: 257–271
Fu MH, Yu XC & Tabatabai MA (1987) Effect of pH on nitrogen mineralization in cropresidue-treated soils. Bio. Fertil. Soils 5: 115–119
Goering HK & van Soest PJ (1970) Forage fiber analysis. Agriculture Handbook No. 379. Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Gordon AM, Tallas M & van Cleve K (1987) Soil incubations in polyethylene bags: Effect of bag thickness and temperature on nitrogen transformations and CO2 permeability. Can. J. Soil Sci. 67: 65–75
Herman WA, McGill WB & Dorman JF (1977) Effect of initial chemical composition on decomposition of roots. Can. J. Soil Sci. 57: 205–215
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) (1982) Automated and semi-automated methods for soil and plant analysis. Manual series No. 7, Ibadan
Kang BT (1988) Nitrogen cycling in multiple cropping systems. In: Wilson JR (Ed) Advances in Nitrogen Cycling in Agricultural Ecosystems (pp 333–348). CAB International
Kang BT & Wilson GF (1987) The development of alley cropping as a promising agroforestry technology. In: Steppler HA & Nair PK (Eds) Agroforestry a Decade of Development (pp 227–243). ICRAF, Nairobi
Kang BT, Sipkens L, Wilson GF & Nangju D (1981) Leucaena [Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit] prunings as nitrogen sources for maize (Zea mays L). Fertilizer Research 2: 279–287
Melillo JM, Aber JD & Muratore JF (1982) Nitrogen and lignin control of hardwood leaf litter decomposition dynamics. Ecol. 63: 621–626
Muller MM, Sundman V, Soininvaara O & Merilainen A (1988) Effect of chemical composition on the release of nitrogen from agricultural plant materials decomposing in soil under field conditions. Biol. Fertil. Soils 6: 78–83
Mulongoy K & Meersch MK van der (1988) Nitrogen contribution by Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) prunings to maize in an alley cropping system. Bio. Fertil. Soils 6: 282–285
Palm CA & Sanchez PA (1991) Nitrogen release from the leaves of some tropical legumes as affected by their lignin and polyphenolic contents. Soil Biol. Biochem 23: 83–88
Peevy WJ & Norman AG (1948) Influence of composition of plant materials on properties of the decomposed residues. Soil Sci. 65: 209–226
Quintana JO, Pereira J, Bouldin DR & Lathwell DJ (1988) Screening legume green manures as nitrogen source to succeeding non-legume crops: 11. Incubation in laboratory. Plant and Soil 111: 81–85
SAS Institute Staff (1985) SAS User's Guide: Statistics 1985 Ed. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina
Shaw K (1959) Determination of organic carbon in soil and plant material. J. of Soil Sci. 10: 316–326
Sivapalan K, Fernando V & Thenabadu MW (1985) N-mineralization in polyphenol-rich plant residues and their effect on nitrification of applied ammonium sulphate. Soil Biol. Biochem. 17: 547–551
Spain AV & Le Feuvre RP (1987) Breakdown of four litter of contrasting quality in a tropical Australian rainforest. J. Applied Ecol. 24: 278–288
Stokes BJ (1977) Organic Chemistry, London
Vallis I & Jones RJ (1973) Net mineralization of nitrogen in leaves and leaf litter of Desmodium intortum and Phaseolus atropurpureus mixed with soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 5: 391–398
Van Cleve K (1974) Organic matter quality in relation to decomposition. In: Holding AJ, Heal OW, Maclean SF (Jr.) & Flanagan PW (Eds) Soil Organisms and Decomposition in Tundra (pp 311–324). Tundra Biome Steering Committee, Stockholm
Van Faassen HG & Smilde KW (1985) Organic matter and turnover in soils. In: Kang BT & Heide J van der Haren (Eds) Nitrogen Management in Farming System in Humid and Subhumid Tropics (pp 39–56). Institute for Soil Fertility, Haren
Verhoef HA & Bussaard L (1990) Decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in natural and agro-ecosystem: the contribution of soil animals. Biogeochem. 11: 175–211
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tian, G., Kang, B.T. & Brussaard, L. Effects of chemical composition on N, Ca, and Mg release during incubation of leaves from selected agroforestry and fallow plant species. Biogeochemistry 16, 103–119 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002827
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002827