The Effect of Short Rotation Desmodium distortum Planted Fallow on the Productivity of Ultisols in Centre Cameroon

• Main Authors: Nguimgo, BAK., Yemefack, M., Kaho, F., Zonkeng, CG.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Presses Agronomiques de Gembloux 2004-01-01
• Series: Tropicultura
• Subjects: Maize rotation; Desmodium distortum; Natural fallow; Forest zone; Forest; Savannah transition zone; Cameroon
• Online Access: http://www.tropicultura.org/text/v22n2/49.pdf

In order to investigate the effect of short rotation Desmodium distortum planted fallow on maize grain yield and soil properties, an experiment was conducted over four consecutive years (1995-1998) at two locations (Minkoameyos in the humid forest zone and Ntui in the forest-savannah transition zone) in Centre Cameroon. The experimental design for each year was made of four replications and three treatments: i) Natural Fallow used as control (NF), ii) Desmodium Fallow (DF) and iii) Soybean (Glycine max) Rotation (SR). Maize (Zea mays) was used as plant test and was planted each year in the first cropping season (March-June) followed by each treatment from July to February. The analysis of variance and mean separation (Tukey's HSD) were used to evaluate the effects of treatments on maize yield and soil chemical properties at the end of the experiment. No treatment could produce relatively more than the first year of the experiment where maize yields were based on 7-8 year-old natural fallow in both sites. However, in Minkoameyos, there was a significant difference (p= 0.043) between the treatments in the fourth year. Desmodium plots out-yielded both natural fallow and soybean plots. In Ntui, there was a highly significant difference (p= 0.000) among treatments in the third and fourth years. Desmodium plots also outyielded both natural fallow and soybean plots; while natural fallow plots out-yielded soybean plots. The general trend of productivity was ranked as: DF> NF> SR. Apart from the available P that has shown a highly significant difference (p= 0.000) compared to the initial value and to other treatments, no other significant difference was noticed with other soil properties in both sites. However, the general trend is that most soil chemical properties tended to decrease excepted pH water and available phosphorus. The study has shown that, in forest-savannah–transition zone (Ntui), Desmodium distortum had highly significant effect on maize grain yield from the third year while in the forest zone (Minkoameyos), the effect of Desmodium was significant from the fourth year. This therefore, suggests that the Desmodium shrub has a potential for improving plant nutrient availability in these soils when used in short rotational fallow system.