Gewählte Publikation:

Tibasiima, TK; Ekyaligonza, DM; Kagorora, JPK; Friedel, JK; Melcher, A; Bwambale, B; Akugizibwe, E; Freyer, B.
(2023): Impact of Integrating Annual and Perennial Legumes under Coffea arabica on Sloping Land
SUSTAINABILITY-BASEL. 2023; 15(3), 2453 FullText FullText_BOKU

Abstract:

Above-ground biomass cover under Coffea arabica on sloping land is beneficial but difficult to sustain. Interplanting annual and perennial legumes can sustain the above-ground biomass cover, and improve soil fertility, yield, and profitability. This was tested on 26 sloping farms in a four-growing season experiment on undersowing C. arabica with new crop combinations: Mucuna pruriens var. utilis (T1); Millettia dura Dunn (T2); a combination of M. pruriens and M. dura (T3); and the control with a no-cover legume (T4). On each farm, all treatments followed a randomized single-block design. T3 produced 8.7 mt/ha/yr above-ground biomass that was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than other treatments and was increasing with the seasons. Under T3, plant-available nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) increased more than in other treatments. During the fourth season, coffee yield in T3 was 54%, 22%, and 11% higher than in T4, T2, and T1, respectively. The gross profit under T3 was 86% higher than in T4 in the fourth season. This indicates that interplanting a combination of M. pruriens and M. dura under C. arabica on sloping land can sustainably increase above-ground biomass cover, soil's plant-available N and K, coffee yield, and profitability. Based on the results, the combination of M. pruriens and M. dura is recommended to optimize coffee production under the described conditions.

Autor*innen der BOKU Wien:

Freyer Bernhard

Friedel Jürgen Kurt

Melcher Andreas

Find related publications in this database (Keywords)

agroforestry

cover crops

interplanting

Millettia dura

Mucuna pruriens

profitability

Rwenzori Mountains

sloping land

undersown

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