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Leguminous Cover Crops for Maintaining Soil Fertility in Sisal in Tanzania II. Effects on Moisture Status of Soil and Sisal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2008

D. Hopkinson
Affiliation:
Sisal Research Station, P.O. Ngomeni, Tanga Tanzania*

Summary

The effect of covers of controlled volunteer vegetation, Pueraria phaseoloides, and clean weeding on the soil moisture content and on the succulence of sisal leaves was studied. The surface soil tended to dry out further when exposed by clean weeding, but moisture in the profile as a whole was not much depleted. The plant covers dried soils to at least 300 cm. in dry periods. Although sisal leaves had a slightly higher dry matter content in dry weather there was no evidence of competition for water between the plant covers and the sisal.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

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References

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