Record ID No. |
2556 |
Author(s) |
Muchane M N., Jama B., Othieno C., Okalebo R., Odee D., Machua J., Jansa J. , 2010 |
Affiliation |
Botany Department, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 45166, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya. mmurethi@yahoo.com |
Title |
Influence of improved fallow systems and phosphorus application on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis in maize grown in western Kenya |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Agroforestry Systems. 78(2):139-150p. |
Categories |
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza |
Subjects |
Soil plant relations |
Sub-subjects |
Cropping effect |
Host |
Crotalaria, Tithonia diversifolia, Zea mays |
Organism |
AMF |
Country |
Kenya, Africa |
Abstracts |
A field study was carried out on a six-year-old on-farm field trial in western Kenya during long-rains season (April-August) 2003 to investigate the effect of improved fallow systems and phosphorus application on arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) symbiosis in maize. The trial comprised of maize rotated with a fast growing leguminous Crotalaria grahamiana fallow and a non-leguminous Tithonia diversifolia fallow for 3 years followed by continuous maize. The experiment was randomized complete block design with three cropping (continuous maize, Crotalaria fallow and Tithonia fallow) systems and two phosphorus levels (0 and 50 kg P/ha). AMF colonization in maize roots, maize yield and macronutrients uptake were recorded. Phosphorus applications improved (PTithonia fallow than in Crotalaria fallow. Following phosphorus application, a positive relationship existed between early AMF colonization and maize yield (r=0.38), and phosphorus and nitrogen uptake (r=0.40 and r=0.43, respectively), demonstrating the importance of phosphorus fertilization in enhancing low-input technologies (improved fallows systems) in phosphorus deficient and acidic soils of western Kenya. |