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Potential of decomposing leaf litter of Leucaena leucocephala in influencing mycoflora of the soil and its role in increasing soil fertility

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Abstract

To determine whether Multipurpose Tree (MPT) species are suitable as a source of nutrients for growing crops, residual leaf material needs to be analyzed for its decomposition rate and patterns. A detailed study of the nutrients released in soil by the amendment of decomposing leaf litter of Leucaena leucocephala and its influence on rhizosphere mycoflora, fertility, and yield parameters of the plant was conducted. The effect of leaf litter amendment on soil in terms of soil structure was assessed by analyzing soil for its pH, nutrient content, and organic matter at different stages of crop growth. Increased soil fertility in agricultural production was estimated by various growth and yield characteristics of Trigonella foenum-graecum. The estimation of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere fungus populations both from amended and control soils were made and the readings were expressed as percent frequency of occurrence. The amendment of soil with litter resulted in an increase in the number of fungi (18,000/g soil) as compared to the control soil (7200/g soil). The addition of the organic mulch favored the mycorrhizal colonization of roots. At 90 days of plant growth, the percent colonization was more than two times of those growing in control soil and 90% of roots showed colonization with mycorrhiza. By amending the soil with litter, both organic carbon and organic matter increased. The highest amount of phosphorus observed in the soil of the control plot (32.27 mg/g) was still lesser than the highest amount of phosphorus observed in the experimental plot (38.79 mg/g). Compared to control soil, amended soil had higher yields. Thus, Leucaena leucocephala, widely used for reforestation in semi-arid and arid regions, contributes significantly to the soil's fertility through its fallen and decomposing leaves.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to their institution for the facilities and support. The authors are thankful to Dr. Roma Katyal and Dr. Nellie Laisram for their useful insights.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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  1. Department of Botany, Dyal Singh College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110003, India

    Saloni Gulati & Jasleen Kaur

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  1. Saloni Gulati
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SG contributed to the study's conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by SG and JK. The first draft of the manuscript was written by SG and JK and both commented on previous versions of the manuscript. Both authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jasleen Kaur.

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Gulati, S., Kaur, J. Potential of decomposing leaf litter of Leucaena leucocephala in influencing mycoflora of the soil and its role in increasing soil fertility. Vegetos (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42535-023-00654-w

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