N2 Fixation of Grain Legumes Leading to Beneficial Effect on the Succeeding Maize Crop
Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land Administration and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), South Africa
*Corresponding Author: David Lengwati, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land Administration and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), South Africa.
April 20, 2021; Published: May 25, 2021
In large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, smallholder yields have remained low and declining, and food security is very low. The decline in yield is due to the loss of soil organic matter (SOM), as farmers generally collect all plant matter as animal feed or cooking fuel. Other factors include unavailability of arable land, inherently low soil fertility, insect pests and diseases, and climate change. In addition to wind and water erosion, much of the land degradation is caused by overgrazing, deforestation and intensive cropping. According to researchers, fertilizer use in Sub-Saharan Africa is low (NPK at 8.8 kg). This situation is similar in South Africa. For millennia, humans have utilized legumes as a source of food, animal fodder, traditional medicine, shelter, fuel etc. Legumes such as Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.), have that special ability to meet more than half of their N requirements through the biological nitrogen fixing-process.
This is achieved through the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-bacteria. Legumes species cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) and mung beans/green gram (Vigna radiata L.), are known to contribute significant amounts of fixed nitrogen to the cropping systems thereby benefiting subsequent non-legume crops or crops grown in rotation with them. They therefore have the potential to promote and sustain agricultural productivity in the low-input farming systems of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Legumes are commonly grown by smallholder farmers in production systems such as sole cropping, Intercropping and rotational cropping. Crop rotation with legumes contributes nitrogen to the soil through mineralization of the legume residues. As a result, crop rotation with legumes is reported to reduce the rate of N applied to succeeding maize (Zea mays L.) crops. But more importantly, organic matter (SOM) build-up from crop rotation is crucial for sustainable production as organic matter (SOM) is the life of soil, improving soil structure and texture.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of legume rotation in enhancing productivity and profitability of smallholder cropping systems and alleviate household food and nutritional insecurity.
Keywords: Vigna unguiculata; Vigna mungo; Maize; NdfN2
- Agriculture and Forestry. A newsletter from the Ka Ngwane Government, Department of Agriculture and Forestry (RSA) 2.3 (1991).
- Grain Crops Institute, PORTCHEFSTROOM; Report on Research and Other Activities of the Oil and Protein Seed Centre; 1991/92. 1993.
- Bending S Gunnarsson and Sophie Gunnarsson. “Optimisation of N Release Influence of plant material chemical composition on C and N mineralisation”. Doctoral thesis (1998).
- Cheng and Coleman., et al. “Residual nitrogen contribution from grain legumes to succeeding wheat and rape and related microbial process”. Plant and Soil2 (1990): 541-554.
- Chris van Kessel., et al. Soil Carbon; Land, Air and Water Resources, Sequestering C in Stable Soil Organic Matter Fractions: How Important is Fertiizer-N in Sequestering C; 2001-2006 Mission Kearney Foundation of Soil Science.
- Collins Jochen Mayer., et al. “Residual nitrogen contribution from grain legumes to succeeding wheat and rape and related microbial process”. Plant and Soil 255 (2): 541-554.
- Department of Agriculture; ARC – LNR – Grain Crops Institute, Private Bag x 1251, POTCHEFSTROOM, 2520 (RSA) (2002).
- De Saussure G K., et al. “Essential Nutrients for Plant Growth, Their Principal Forms for Uptake, and Discovery Chemical Nutrient”. Growth and Mineral Nutrition of Field Crops (2010): 9.
- Felix D Dakora., et al. “Assessment of N2 fixation in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) and their relative N contribution to a succeeding maize crop in Northern Ghana”. Journal of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology4 (1987): 389-399.
- Florian Wicherna., et al. “Nitrogen rhizodeposition in agricultural crops: Methods, estimates and future prospects”. Soil Biology and Biochemistry1 (2008): 30-48.
- FSR – E; SOUTHERN AFRICA, Newsletter No. 8. A Report on the 13th Annual Symposium on Systems Orientated Research in Agriculture and Rural Development – MONTPELLIER, FRANCE (1995).
- , et al. “The contributions of nitrogen-fixing crop legumes to the productivity of agricultural systems”. Symbiosis 48.1-3 (2009): 1-17.
- Herridge RIFAT HAYAT., et al. “Biological nitrogen fixation of summer legumes and their residual effects on subsequent rainfed wheat yield”. Department of Soil Science and Soil and Water Conservation, University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, Pakistan 40.2 (2008): 711-722.
- Herridge M B., et al. “The contributions of nitrogen-fixing crop legumes to the productivity of agricultural systems”. Symbiosis1-3 (2009): 1-17.
- Herridge D., et al. “Traits affecting early season nitrogen uptake in nine legume species”. Heliyon 2 (2017): e00244.
- Hiroshi Kubota., et al. “Agronomic and physiological aspects of nitrogen use efficiency in conventional and organic cereal-based production systems”. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems5 (2018): 443-466.
- , et al. Animal feed resources information system Automatic translation Sélectionner une langue; Mung bean (Vigna radiata); The mung bean can be used as a cover crop before or after cereal crops. It makes good green manure. Feedipedia (2009).
- Jensen Jun Wang., et al. “Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions and Crop Yields Affected by Residue Placement and Crop Types”. PLoS One8 (2014): e105039.
- JN Marais and ARDRI: University of Fort Hare and ARC – LNR – Grain Crops Institute; Production of Green Mealies (Maize) (1998).
- JN Marais. National Department of Agriculture & the Agriculture and Rural Development Research Institute, University of Fort Hare; Produce a continuous supply of table maize in your garden (1997).
- Jochen Mayer., et al. “Residual nitrogen contribution from grain legumes to succeeding wheat and rape and related microbial process”. Plant and Soil2 (2003): 541-554.
- JUNK G and SVEC H. “The absolute abundance of the nitrogen isotopes in the atmosphere and compressed gas from various sources”. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 14 (1958): 134-243.
- Keletso Mohale., et al. “Symbiotic N nutrition, C assimilation, and plant water use efficiency in Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) grown in farmers’ fields in South Africa, measured using 15N and 13C natural abundance”. Biology and Fertility of Soils2 (2014): 307-319.
- James J Watters., et al. “Developing Motivation to Teach Elementary Science: Effect of Collaborative and Authentic Learning Practices in Preservice Education”. Journal of Science Teacher Education4 (2000).
- MARIOTTI A., et al. “Experimental determinations of nitrogen kinetic isotope fraction: some principle; illustrations for the denitrification and nitrification processes”. Plant Soil 62 (1981): 413-430.
- , et al. 1992. Hoorman., et al. 2009; George., et al. 1995 ; Devendra., et al., 2001; Heuzé V., Tran G., Bastianelli D., Lebas F., 2015. Mung bean (Vigna radiata). The mung bean is a N-fixing legume that can provide large amounts of biomass (7.16 t biomass/ha) and N to the soil (ranging from 30 to 251 kg/ha); Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO (2015).
- Michael Boboh VABI., et al. Patterns and drivers of the adoption of improved groundnut technologies in North-western Nigeria Hippolyte AFFOGNON, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); Nigeria. Kano State College of Education and Preliminary Studies (CAS); Nigeria. 3 Bayero University of Kano (BUK); Nigeria. 4 International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); Mali. African Journal of Agriculture 6.1 (2019): 001-016.
- Mogotsi R., et al. Insect Pests of Green Gram Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek and Their Management 1Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, Rajasthan, Department of Agronomy, Rajasthan College of Agriculture Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India (2006).
- Mohamed Hemida Abd-Alla., et al. “Impact of Harsh Environmental Conditions on Nodule Formation and Dinitrogen Fixation of Legumes” (2014).
- National Department of Agriculture. ARC - Grain Crops Institute. Bambara Food for Africa (Vigna subterranean – Bambara groundnut); Dr C. J. Swanevelder (1998).
- Ceasar H Mkandawire. "Review of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) Production in Sub-Sahara Africa". Agricultural Journal4 (2007): 464-470.
- Pamphlet N0.1. in Calliandra calothursus Series for Farmers and extension staff (2001).
- Peoples MB and E Craswell. “Biological nitrogen fixation: Investment, expenditure and actual contribution to agriculture”. Plant Soil 141 (1991): 13-39.
- Petra Marschner., et al. “Respiration, available N and microbial biomass N in soil amended with mixes of organic materials differing in C/N ratio and decomposition stage”. Geoderma (2018).
- Post Maryse Bourgault. “Legume Production in Semi-Arid Areas: Comparative Study of the Physiology of Drought Tolerance in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)”. Doctor of Philosophy Plant Science McGill University.
- RIFAT HAYAT., et al. “Biological nitrogen fixation of summer legumes and their residual effects on subsequent rainfed wheat yield”. Pakistan Journal of Botany 2 (2008): 711-722.
- Sean C Clifford., et al. “Effects of elevated CO2, drought and temperature on the water relations and gas exchange of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) stands grown in controlled environment glasshouses” (2001).
- Shearer G and Kohl DH. “N2 fixation in field settings: Estimations based on natural 15N abundance”. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 13 (1986): 699-756.
- W van Averbeke and S Yoganathan. “Using Kraal Manure as a Fertilizer” (1997).
- Zagal Jochen Mayer., et al. “Residual nitrogen contribution from grain legumes to succeeding wheat and rape and related microbial process”. Plant and Soil2 (2003): 541-554.