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Soil mineral N dynamics beneath mixtures of leaves from legume and fruit trees in Central Amazonian multi-strata agroforests

C. Schwendener,J. Lehmann,M. Rondón,E. Wandelli,E. Fernandes

Published 2007 in Acta Amazonica

ABSTRACT

Long term applications of leguminous green mulch could increase mineralizable nitrogen (N) beneath cupuacu trees produced on the infertile acidic Ultisols and Oxisols of the Amazon Basin. However, low quality standing cupuacu litter could interfere with green mulch N release and soil N mineralization. This study compared mineral N, total N, and microbial biomass N beneath cupuacu trees grown in two different agroforestry systems, north of Manaus, Brazil, following seven years of different green mulch application rates. To test for net interactions between green mulch and cupuacu litter, dried gliricidia and inga leaves were mixed with senescent cupuacu leaves, surface applied to an Oxisol soil, and incubated in a greenhouse for 162 days. Leaf decomposition, N release and soil N mineralization were periodically measured in the mixed species litter treatments and compared to single species applications. The effect of legume biomass and cupuacu litter on soil mineral N was additive implying that recommendations for green mulch applications to cupuacu trees can be based on N dynamics of individual green mulch species. Results demonstrated that residue quality, not quantity, was the dominant factor affecting the rate of N release from leaves and soil N mineralization in a controlled environment. In the field, complex N cycling and other factors, including soil fauna, roots, and microclimatic effects, had a stronger influence on available soil N than residue quality.

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