Maize Crop N Uptake from Organic Material of Gliricidia sepium Coinoculated with Rhizobium and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus in Sub-Saharian Africa Sandy Soil

Abstract

The effect of green manure of gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp) legu-minous plants applied for cereal maize cultivation and N uptake by cereal were investigated and analyzed in relation to influence of dual inoculation of glirici-dia with microbial symbionts. Two pot experiments were conducted in greenhouse. The first trial was set up to enhance growth of gliricidia with exotic and indigenous rhizobial strains and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and the second to determine the effect of gliricidia organic material on maize growth. Direct 15N-labelling techniques were used to estimate N-fixed by gliricidia plant and N uptake of maize cereal crop from green manuring was calculated. Growth of gliricidia trees estimated by aboveground biomass production and N fixed were positively affected by dual inoculations. This study showed that shoot dry weight and N accumulation of maize cultivated under gliricidia green manure were influenced by its application and indirectly by microbial treatments. The N recovery by the maize accounted 17.32% to 26.52% of N applied as gliricidia organic material. Gliricidia green manure N accumulation and release, and af-terward microbial inoculations were substantially determining on maize crop N uptake and growth in sandy soil of Sub-Saharian Africa.