Incorporation of Crotalaria spectabilis Grown at a High Seeding Rate Inhibits the Growth of the Succeeding Wheat Crop |
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| Authors: | H Daimon S Kotoura |
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| Institution: | Author's address: Department of Plant Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 5998531, Japan |
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| Abstract: | The effect of the seeding rate of Crotalaria spectabilis grown as green manure on the growth and nitrogen uptake of the succeeding wheat crop was examined in a pot experiment. No significant differences in the dry weight (g m?2) or nitrogen content (mg m?2) of C. spectabilis among three seeding rates low density (LD), 1 g m?2; medium density (MD), 5 g m?2 and high density (HD), 10 g m?2] were found at 110 days after seeding. There was no significant difference in the total carbon and nitrogen contents of the incorporated material between LD plants and MD plants, values for which were both slightly higher than those for the HD plants. The C/N ratio was 20–21 in all groups of plants. Material was incorporated at a rate of 100 g fresh weight per pot filled with virgin soil. This incorporation significantly increased wheat dry weight and nitrogen uptake. However, values for HD plant incorporation were significantly lower than those for LD and MD plant incorporation at 80 and 120 days after seeding. A reduction of the dry weight and total root length of wheat grown with aqueous extracts of HD plants was found in a growth pouch experiment. |
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| Keywords: | allelopathy Crotalaria green manuring nitrogen mineralization root growth wheat |
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