Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi
Mycorrhizal associations contribute to the sustainability of crop production systems through their roles in nutrient cycling and other benefits in the soil-plant ecosystems. A two-year study was conducted on the Alfisols of Lilongwe and Dowa districts, Central Malawi, to assess the vesicular-arbuscu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2017-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Microbiology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/2096314 |
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| author | Keston O. W. Njira Ernest Semu Jerome P. Mrema Patson C. Nalivata |
| author_facet | Keston O. W. Njira Ernest Semu Jerome P. Mrema Patson C. Nalivata |
| author_sort | Keston O. W. Njira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mycorrhizal associations contribute to the sustainability of crop production systems through their roles in nutrient cycling and other benefits in the soil-plant ecosystems. A two-year study was conducted on the Alfisols of Lilongwe and Dowa districts, Central Malawi, to assess the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungal colonisation levels in pigeon pea, cowpea, and maize grown in sole cropping, legume-cereal, and legume-legume intercropping systems and in the maize grown in short rotation (year 2) as influenced by the previous cropping systems and N fertilizer application. The gridline intersect method was used to assess the VAM fungal colonisation levels. Results showed that all treatments that included legumes whether grown as sole crop, in legume-cereal or in legume-legume cropping systems in the previous year, had significantly higher (P < 0.05) VAM fungal colonisation of the rotational maize crop roots by a range 39% to 50% and 19% to 47% than those in maize supplied and not supplied with N fertilizer, respectively, in a maize-maize short rotation, at the Lilongwe site. A similar trend was reported for the Dowa site. Furthermore, there were positive correlations between VAM fungal colonisation and the plant P content, dry matter yield, and nodule numbers. Further studies may help to assess the diversity of VAM fungal species in Malawi soils and identify more adaptive ones for inoculation studies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-62f70e8bf41341d4b9aab1de5d83e66b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1687-918X 1687-9198 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | International Journal of Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-62f70e8bf41341d4b9aab1de5d83e66b2025-08-20T02:35:16ZengWileyInternational Journal of Microbiology1687-918X1687-91982017-01-01201710.1155/2017/20963142096314Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central MalawiKeston O. W. Njira0Ernest Semu1Jerome P. Mrema2Patson C. Nalivata3Department of Soil and Geological Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3008, Morogoro, TanzaniaDepartment of Soil and Geological Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3008, Morogoro, TanzaniaDepartment of Soil and Geological Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3008, Morogoro, TanzaniaDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, MalawiMycorrhizal associations contribute to the sustainability of crop production systems through their roles in nutrient cycling and other benefits in the soil-plant ecosystems. A two-year study was conducted on the Alfisols of Lilongwe and Dowa districts, Central Malawi, to assess the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungal colonisation levels in pigeon pea, cowpea, and maize grown in sole cropping, legume-cereal, and legume-legume intercropping systems and in the maize grown in short rotation (year 2) as influenced by the previous cropping systems and N fertilizer application. The gridline intersect method was used to assess the VAM fungal colonisation levels. Results showed that all treatments that included legumes whether grown as sole crop, in legume-cereal or in legume-legume cropping systems in the previous year, had significantly higher (P < 0.05) VAM fungal colonisation of the rotational maize crop roots by a range 39% to 50% and 19% to 47% than those in maize supplied and not supplied with N fertilizer, respectively, in a maize-maize short rotation, at the Lilongwe site. A similar trend was reported for the Dowa site. Furthermore, there were positive correlations between VAM fungal colonisation and the plant P content, dry matter yield, and nodule numbers. Further studies may help to assess the diversity of VAM fungal species in Malawi soils and identify more adaptive ones for inoculation studies.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/2096314 |
| spellingShingle | Keston O. W. Njira Ernest Semu Jerome P. Mrema Patson C. Nalivata Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi International Journal of Microbiology |
| title | Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi |
| title_full | Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi |
| title_short | Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi |
| title_sort | pigeon pea and cowpea based cropping systems improve vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation of subsequent maize on the alfisols in central malawi |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/2096314 |
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