caa a22 4500 477111351 CHVBK 20180405111609.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170330e19960201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF00009338 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF00009338 Decomposition- and nitrogen-mineralization patterns of Leucaena leucocephala and Cassia siamea mulch under tropical semiarid conditions in Kenya [Elektronische Daten] [B. Jama, P. Nair] In agroforestry systems, loppings from trees and shrubs are commonly used, often as mulch, as sources of nutrients for interplanted crops. Therefore, it is important to understand the rates of mulch decomposition. This paper reports the results of a study on the decomposition and nitrogen (N)-mineralization patterns of the leaves, small twigs, and mulch (leaves plus twigs) of Leucaena leucocephala and Cassia siamea in a field experiment in an Alfisol in semiarid Kenya. Plant materials contained in 5mm nylon bags were placed below or on the soil surface in an alleycropping system involving the two tree species, with maize (Zea mays L.) as the intercrop. For plant materials of both species (except Leucaena leaves), there were two phases of decompositions: an initial rapid phase and a slower second one; Leucaena leaves had only a single phase. When placed below the soil surface, the decomposition rates of both Leucaena and Cassia mulch were similar (about 12% week-1 in the first phase and 1% week-1 in the second phase). When placed on the soil surface, Leucaena mulch decomposed 1.3 times more rapidly than Cassia mulch in the first phase. The patterns of N release from the mulch of both species were similar to those of mass loss. In general, mulch-decomposition and N-release rates of both species were related more to their C:N ratios than to polyphenol contents; while C:N ratio predicted the rate of first (rapid) phase, the rate of the second (slow) phase appeared to be regulated by lignin and polyphenol contents. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1996 alleycropping nationallicence biphasic decomposition nationallicence C:N ratio nationallicence litter bags nationallicence mulch quality nationallicence polyphenols nationallicence Jama B. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, 118 Newins-Ziegler Hall, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA aut Nair P. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, 118 Newins-Ziegler Hall, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA aut Plant and Soil Kluwer Academic Publishers 179/2(1996-02-01), 275-285 0032-079X 179:2<275 1996 179 11104 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009338 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009338 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Jama B. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, 118 Newins-Ziegler Hall, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Nair P. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, 118 Newins-Ziegler Hall, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Plant and Soil Kluwer Academic Publishers 179/2(1996-02-01), 275-285 0032-079X 179:2<275 1996 179 11104 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer