Browsing by Author "Massawe, Prosper"

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Effect of Rhizobium and Intercropping Systems on Soil Nutrients and Biological Nitrogen Fixation as Influenced by Legumes (Phaseolus vulgaris and Dolichos lablab)
(International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2016-10-10) Massawe, Prosper; Mtei, Kelvin; Munishi, Linus; Ndakidemi, Patrick
The study was conducted to assess the effect of Rhizobium inoculation and intercropping systems on soil nutrients improvement and biological nitrogen fixation as influenced by two legumes (Phaseolus vulgaris and Dolichos lablab). To achieve this aim, the field experiments were conducted at Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) for two seasons. The fertility status of the soils and their suitability for cereal/ legumes production at the experimental site was evaluated based on technical indicators of soil fertility. From the soil analytical results, the major soil fertility limitations included low soil organic matter, low total nitrogen and medium available phosphorus for season 1 hence the soils were categorized as of low fertility status and moderately suitable for cereal/ legumes production. This was opposite in season 2 due to legumes biological nitrogen fixation and incorporation of legumes crop residues into the soil as the results of the first season harvest. A randomized complete block design was used in a 3-factorial arrangement with two levels of Rhizobium (with and without rhizobia), 2 legumes (P. vulgaris and D. lablab) and 5 cropping systems. The results showed that Rhizobium inoculation was significantly (P ≤ 0.001) on nodules number per plant; nodules weight (g) and biological nitrogen fixation (kg N ha-1) in season 1 and 2. Based on these findings, it is thus recommended that, Rhizobium inoculation is the most profitable biofertilizer for soil fertility restoration.
Effects of intercropping systems and Rhizobium inoculation on yields of maize (Zea mays) and two legumes (Phaseolus vulgaris and Dolichos lablab)
(International Journal of Biosciences, 2017-02-28) Massawe, Prosper; Mtei, Kelvin; Munishi, Linus; Ndakidemi, Patrick
This study aimed to assess the effect of intercropping systems, Rhizobium inoculation and legumes on yield components and grain yields of maize and two legumes. To achieve this objective, field experiments were executed at Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) for two cropping seasons. A randomised complete block design was used in a 3-factorial arrangement with two levels of Rhizobium (with and without rhizobia), 2 legumes (P. vulgaris and D. lablab) and 5 intercropping systems. The results showed that Rhizobium inoculation, cropping systems and legumes significantly (P≤0.001) increased maize and legumes yield components and grain yields in two seasons. The interaction between Rhizobium inoculation, legumes and cropping systems had significant effect (P≤0.001) on some of yield components and grains yield of maize and legumes in both seasons. These results suggest a significant yield increment by more than 35% when the two legumes were inoculated and intercropped with maize. Therefore based on these experimental findings, farmers should be advised to use Rhizobium as biofertilizers in maize-legumes intercrop as these improve soil fertility and crops yield.
Effects of Rhizobium Inoculation and Cropping systems on Leaf Litter Decomposition of Two legumes (Common bean and Lablab)
(Society of Education, 2018-03) Massawe, Prosper; Mtei, Kelvin; Munishi, Linus; Ndakidemi, Patrick
Crop litter residues decompose and provide nutrients in to the soil. Decomposition is a process which is accelerated by sufficient soil conditions (good soil physical properties, soil moisture and microorganisms) and residues litter quality. However, the quantitative knowledge on decomposition of different legumes under such conditions when litter residues are placed above and below (10 cm) soil is insufficient. Therefore, the decomposition study of the two inoculated legumes residues, common bean (P. vulgaris) and lablab (D. lablab) collected from two cropping seasons (2015-2016) was set using litterbag experiments at the screen house of Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI). The residues were applied on the surface and on sub soils and then retrieved after 10, 20 and 30 days. The parameters determined from the legume residues included; mass loss, decay rate constant (k), and Carbon and Nitrogen concentrations. Results showed lower decomposition of legume residues collected from two cropping seasons when the litterbags were placed on the soil surface compared to subsoil. Mass loss was higher in Rhizobium inoculated legumes than uninoculated legumes of residues collected from both cropping seasons. D. lablab had higher mass loss than P. vulgaris on the soil surface and in sub soil of litter residues collected from both cropping seasons. The residues decay rate ranged from 0.97 to 0.99 for all treatments in screen house across the litter residues collected from the two cropping seasons. Lablab recorded the high decomposition rate than common bean in all sampling times as a result of high initial N and C content in the litter residues. This predicts that, the mass loss, nutrient content, and litter quality were all changed mostly in the first 0-30 days, which indicates that early stage of litter residues incorporation is important in nutrients release into the soil. These findings showed the effect of plant residues on the supply of mineral N to crops growing during subsequent seasons.
Improving Soil Fertility and Crops Yield through Maize-Legumes (Common bean and Dolichos lablab) Intercropping Systems
(Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2016-11-15) Massawe, Prosper; Mtei, Kelvin; Munishi, Linus; Ndakidemi, Patrick
Declining crops yield in the smallholder farmers cropping systems of sub-Saharan African (SSA) present the need to develop more sustainable production systems. Depletion of essential plant nutrients from the soils have been cited as the main contributing factors due to continues cultivation of cereal crops without application of organic/ inorganic fertilizers. Of all the plant nutrients, reports showed that nitrogen is among the most limiting plant nutrient as it plays crucial roles in the plant growth and physiological processes. The most efficient way of adding nitrogen to the soils is through inorganic amendments. However, this is an expensive method and creates bottleneck to smallholder farmers in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Legumes are potential sources of plant nutrients that complement/supplement inorganic fertilizers for cereal crops because of their ability to fix biological nitrogen (N) when included to the cropping systems. By fixing atmospheric N2, legumes offer the most effective way of increasing the productivity of poor soils either in monoculture, intercropping, crop rotations, or mixed cropping systems. This review paper discuses the role of cereal legume intercropping systems on soil fertility improvement, its impact on weeds, pests, diseases and water use efficiency, the biological nitrogen fixation, the amounts of N transferred to associated cereal crops, nutrients uptake and partition, legume biomass decomposition and mineralization, grain yields, land equivalent ratio and economic benefits.