Soil andLeucaena leucocephalaL. growth variability underFaidherbia albidaDel. andZiziphus spina-christiL. Desf.

摘要

In order to obtain data which will facilitate the scientific development of multiple intercropping of trees in agroforestry systems, the effects ofFaidherbia albidaDel. orZiziphus spina-christiL. Desf. on soil quality and on yield of interplantedLeucaena leucocephalaL. were investigated. The distance to which bothFaidherbia albidaandZiziphus spinachristitrees improved soil quality as well asLeucaena leucocephalaandSorghum vulgareL. production around them was about two times the radius of the tree crown. Higher yields of plants underZiziphus spina-christithanFaidherbia albidawere explained by similarly higher concentrations of available phosphorus (P). Other soil parameters, including total nitrogen (N), were similar under both species; being higher under the tree canopies than away from them. The study identified optimum tree spacing for agroforestry to be twice the tree crown radius. It also demonstrated the advantages of multiple tree mixtures over pure stands in improving soil quality and productivity.