Abstract
Soil samples were collected from a loamy sand and a clayey soil near Cinzana, Mali, for the purpose of documenting the seasonal dynamics of soil inorganic N after 9 years under five crop-management systems. The cropping systems were: continuous grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) or millet (Pennisetum glaucum) without residue return, continuous grain with stalk residue returned to the field every second year, grain in rotation with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and grain in rotation with the green manure crops, sesbania (Sesbania rostrata) and dolichos (Dolichos lablab). A sharp increase in soil N was observed early in the rainy season in both soils. Extractable N concentration in loamy sand and clayey soils, respectively, peaked between 15–22 kg and 33–51 kg N ha−1 in the upper 10 cm of soil. In the clayey soil, the higher soil N concentrations associated with the early season flush lasted 8 weeks after the onset of rain. Nitrogen addition through rotational crops and crop residue was low. Significant improvement of cereal grain yield may not be possible solely by rotation with sesbania and dolichos green manure or cowpea without additional nutrient input. Earlier cereal planting, where feasible, is recommended to improve synchrony of soil N mineralization and crop demand.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beauchamp EG, Reynolds WD, Brasche-Villeneuve D, Kirby K (1986) Nitrogen mineralization kinetics with different soil pretreatments and cropping histories. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50:1478–1483
Birch HF (1958) The effect of soil drying on humus decomposition and nitrogen availability. Plant Soil 10:9–31
Birch HF (1960) Nitrification in soil after different periods of dryness. Plant Soil 12:81–96
Blanton-Knewtson SJ (2000) Nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in tropical soils of Mali, West Africa. MSc thesis, Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex.
Bonde TA, Rosswall T (1987) Seasonal variation of potentially mineralizable nitrogen in four cropping systems. Soil Sci Soc Am J 51:1508–1514
Bremner JM (1996) Nitrogen—total. In: Bigham JM, et al (eds) Methods of soil analysis: chemical methods, part 3. SSSA and ASA, Madison, Wis., pp 1085–1122
Cabrera ML (1993) Modeling the flush of nitrogen mineralization caused by drying and rewetting soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 57:63–66
Franzluebbers AJ, Hons FM, Zuberer DA (1995) Tillage and crop effects on seasonal soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Soil Sci Soc Am J 59:1618–1624
Geiger SC, Manu A, Bationo A (1992) Changes in a sandy Sahelian soil following crop residue and fertilizer additions. Soil Sci Soc Am J 56:172–177
Giller KE, Cadisc G, Ehaliotis C, Adams E, Sakala WD, Mafongoya PL (1997) Building soil nitrogen capital in Africa. In: Buresh RJ, et al (eds) Soil science and sustainable land management in the tropics. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 151–192
Greenland DJ (1958) Nitrate fluctuations in tropical soils. J Agric Sci 50:82–91
Inubushi K, Wada H (1987) Easily decomposable organic matter in paddy soil: effect of various pretreatments on N mineralization in submerged soils. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 33:567–576
Juo ASR, Lal R (1977) The effect of fallow and continuous cultivation on the chemical and physical properties of an Alfisol in western Nigeria. Plant Soil 47:567–584
Kouyate Z, Juo ASR, Hossner LR (1998) Legume rotation, green manure, crop residue and tillage effects on sorghum and millet yields in the semiarid tropics of Mali. (Tropsoils/TAMU Tech Bull 9602) Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex.
Linder RC (1994) Rapid analytical methods for some of the more common inorganic constituents of plant tissues. Plant Physiol 19:76–89
Lowther JR (1980) Use of single sulphuric acid–hydrogen peroxide digest for the analysis of Pinus radiata needles. Comm Soil Sci Plant Anal 11:175–188
National Soil Survey Laboratory (1990) Primary characterization data. (pedon S90FN-585-004, S90FN-585-005; verified 1 July 2000) http://vmhost.cdp.state.ne.us/~nslsoi/soil.html
Nelson DW, Sommers LE (1982) Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In: Page AL, et al (eds) Methods of soil analysis, part 2, 2nd edn. (Agronomics monograph 9) ASA and SSSA, Madison, Wis., pp 539–580
Roy S, Singh JS (1995) Seasonal and spatial dynamics of plant available N and P pools and N-mineralization in relation to fine roots in a dry tropical forest habitat. Soil Biol Biochem 27:33–40
Schmitt MA, Randall GW (1994) Developing a soil nitrogen test for improved recommendations for corn. J Prod Agric 7:328–334
Sorensen LH (1974) Rate of decomposition of organic matter in soil as influenced by repeated air-drying-rewetting and repeated additions of organic matter. Soil Biol Biochem 6:287–292
Technicon Instruments Corp (1977a) Individual/simultaneous determination of nitrogen and/or phosphorus in BD acid digests. (Technicon industrial method 334-74 W/B+) Technicon Industrial Systems, Tarryton, N.Y.
Technicon Instruments Corp (1977b) Nitrate and nitrite in soil extracts. (Technicon industrial method 487-77A) Technicon Industrial Systems, Tarryton, N.Y.
Thomas GW (1982) Exchangeable cations. In: Page AL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 2, 2nd edn. (Agronomics monograph 9) ASA and SSSA, Madison, Wis., pp 159–165
Warren GP, Atwal SA, Irungu JW (1997) Soil nitrate variations under grass, sorghum and bare fallow in semi-arid Kenya. Exp Agric 33:321–333
Wild A (1972) Mineralization of soil nitrogen at a savanna site in Nigeria. Exp Agric 8:91–97
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shahandeh, H., Blanton-Knewtson, S.J., Doumbia, M. et al. Nitrogen dynamics in tropical soils of Mali, West Africa. Biol Fertil Soils 39, 258–268 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0718-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0718-y