Abstract
Pot and field experiments carried out at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and at Fashola, Southwestern Nigeria, examined the effect of inoculation and N, P and micronutrients on nodulation and growth ofLeucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. In pot studies all parameters measured, except the percentage of nitrogen in shoots, were improved by inoculation, nitrogen and phosphorus. Micronutrients increased only nitrogen and allantoin contents. Interactions between inoculation and P, N and micronutrients on nodulation and growth of leucaena were observed. The effect of inoculation and fertilization with phosphorus or micronutrients was further investigated in field experiments. Establishment of uninoculated and unfertilized leucaena was poor at both locations due to low soil fertility and the presence of only a few native leucaena rhizobia. At one site, only inoculated plants were nodulated, while at the other, all plants produced nodules. Shoot dry weight, total nitrogen and phosphorus of inoculated plants were statistically equal to nitrogen-fertilized plants. Uninoculated plants were stunted. Generally, micronutrients did not influence nodulation, total nitrogen or growth of leucaena. They had only a positive effect on nitrogenase activity. Phosphorus increased total nitrogen and phosphorus uptake and plant growth. A 75% increase in shoot dry weight was obtained when 80 kg P ha−1 was applied to inoculated leucaena with Rhizobium strain IRc 1045. Inoculated plants contained more allantoins than uninoculated ones but no significant correlation was found between these compounds and other parameters of N fixation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmad N and Ng F S P 1981 Growth ofLeucaena leucocephala in relation to soil pH, nutrient levels and Rhizobium concentration. Leucaena Research Report 2, 5–10.
Andrew C S 1978 Mineral characterisation of tropical forage legumes.In Mineral Nutrition of Legumes in Tropical and Sub-tropical Soils. Eds. C S Andrew and E G Kamprath. pp 93–111 CSIRO Australia.
Atkins C A 1981 The legume—Rhizobium symbiosis: Ureide biosynthesis.In Current Perspectives in Nitrogen Fixation. Eds. A H Gibson and W E Newton pp 271–272. Australian Academy of Science. Canberra.
Benge M D 1982 The miracle tree: Reality or myth?In Leucaena Research in the Asian-Pacific Region IDRC, pp 95–98. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Clark M F and Adams A N 1977 Characteristics of the microplate method for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of plant viruses. J. Gen. Virol. 34, 475–483.
Dart P J 1974 Development of root-nodule symbiosis. I. The infection process.In The Biology of Nitrogen Fixation Eds. A Quispel. pp 382–429. North Holland, Amsterdam.
Dazzo F B and Drill W J 1978 Regulation of fixed nitrogen by host-symbiont recognition in the Rhizobium clover symbiosis. Plant Physiol. 62, 18–21.
Diatloff A 1973 Leucaena needs inoculation. Q. Agric. J. 99 642–644.
Halliday J, 1981 Nitrogen fixation by leucaena in acid soils. Leucaena Research Report 2, 71–733.
Hardy R W F, Burns R C and Holsten R D 1973 Application of the acetylen-ethylene assay for measurement of nitrogen fixation. Soil Biol Biochem 15, 47–81.
Herridge D F 1981 Some other techniques for the investigation of N2 fixation.In Current Perspectives in Nitrogen Fixation. Eds. A H Gibson and W E Newton. 337 p. Australian Academy of Science Canberra.
Hogberg P and Kvarntrom M 1982 Nitrogen fixation by woody legumeLeucaena leucocephala in Tanzania. Plant and Soil 66, 21–28.
Hu Ta-Wei and Chang W E 1981 Growth and nutrition levels ofLeucaena leucocephala: Response to lime and phosphorus on acid soil. Leucaena Research Reports 2, 48–49.
Kang B T 1975 Effect of inoculation and nitrogen fertilizer on soybean in Western Nigeria. Exp. Agric. 11, 23–31.
Kang B T, Wilson G F and Sipkens L 1981 Alley cropping maize (Zea mays L.) and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit) in Southern Nigeria. Plant and Soil 63, 165–179.
Kang B T, Grimme H and Lawson T L 1985 Alley cropping sequentially cropped maize and cowpea with leucaena on a sandy soil in Southern Nigeria. Plant and Soil 85, 279–287.
Lie T A 1974 Environmental effects on nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation.In The Biology of Nitrogen Fixation. Ed. A. Quispel. pp 555–583. North Holland Publishing Company Amsterdam.
Mafuka M M 1984 Study on the Physiology, Survival, Competitive Ability and Cross Infectivity of Rhizobia of the Cowpea Group. Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium. 122 p. PhD Thesis.
Mosse B 1981 Vesicular-arbuscullar mycorrhiza research for tropical agriculture. Research bulletin 1984. Hawaii-Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii. 82 p.
Munns D N 1968 Nodulation ofMedicago sativa in solution culture. III. Effect of nitrate on root hairs and infection. Plant and Soil 28, 33–47.
National Academy of Sciences 1977 Leucaena: Promising Forage and Tree Crop for the Tropics. Washington, DC, USA, NAS. p 115.
Sanginga N, Mulongoy K and Ayanaba A 1986 Inoculation ofLeucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit with Rhizobium and its nitrogen contribution to a subsequent maize crop. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture, 3, 341–347.
Sanginga N, Mulongoy K and Ayanaba A 1987 Evaluation of indigenous strains of Rhizobium forLeucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit in Nigeria conditions.In Les Arbres Fixateurs d'Azote. L'Amélioration Biologique de la Fertilité des sols. Ed. Orstom. pp 416–436. ORSTOM Paris.
Schwinghamer E A and Dudman W F 1973 Evaluation of streptomycin resistance as a marker of ecological studies withRhizobium spp. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 36, 263–272.
Tel D A and Pulver E 1982 Determining allantoin in plant materialIn Automated and Semi-automated Methods for Soil and Plant Analysis. Ed. IITA. pp 24–25. Manual series No. 7 Ibadan, Nigeria.
Trinick M J 1980 Relationships amongst the fast-growing rhizobia ofLablab purpureus, Leucaena leucocephala, Mimosa spp.Acacia farnesiana andSesbania grandiflora and their affinities with other rhizobial groups. J. Appl., Bacteriol. 49, 39–53.
Vincent J M 1970 A Manual for the Practical Study, of Root Nodule Bacteria. IBP Handbook No. 15, Blackwell Oxford. p 164.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sanginga, N., Mulongoy, K. & Ayanaba, A. Response of Leucaena/Rhizobium symbiosis to mineral nutrients in Southwestern Nigeria. Plant Soil 112, 121–127 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181761
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181761