N2 fixation in cowpea plants grown in farmers' fields in the Upper West Region of Ghana, measured using 15N natural abundance

Symbiosis

Volumn 48, Issue 1-3, 2009, Pages 37-46

  Naab, Jesse B ^a   Chimphango, Samson M B ^b   Dakora, Felix D ^c  

^a Savanna Agricultural Research Institute   (Ghana)

^b UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN   (South Africa)

^c TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY   (South Africa)

Author keywords

Cowpea; Ghana; Nitrogen fixation

Indexed keywords

ABUNDANCE; ARABLE LAND; LEGUME; NITROGEN FIXATION; NUTRITION; POPULATION DENSITY; SYMBIOSIS;

AFRICA; GHANA; SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA; UPPER WEST REGION; WEST AFRICA;

EID: 69249197375     PISSN: 03345114     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/BF03179983     Document Type: Conference Paper

References (35)

1. Adjei-Nsiah, S, Kuyper, T.W., Leeuwis, C, Abekoe, M.K., Cobbinah, J., Sakyi-Dawson, O., and Giller, K.E., 2008. Farmers' agronomic and social evaluation of productivity, yield and N2-fixation in different cowpea varieties and their subsequent residual N effects on succeeding maize crop. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 80: 199-209. (Pubitemid 351315907)
2. Adu-Gyamfi, J.J., Mayaka, F.A., Sakala, W.D., Odgaard, R., Versterager, J.M., and Hogh-Jensen, H. 2007. Biological nitrogen fixation and nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in farmer-managed intercrops of maize-pigeon pea in semi-arid Southern and Eastern Africa. Plant and Soil 295: 127-136. (Pubitemid 46944706)
3. Anderson, J.M. and Ingram, J.S.I., eds. 1993. Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility. A Handbook of Methods. CAB International. 2nd ed. pp. 36-43, 57-73, and 93-97.
4. Awonaike, K.O., Kumarasinghe, K.S., and Danso, S.K.A. 1990. Nitrogen fixation and yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) as influenced by cultivar and Bradyrhizobium strain. Field Crops Research 24: 163-171.
5. Ayisi, K.K., Nkgapele, R.J., and Dakora, F.D. 2000. Nodule formation and function in six varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) grown in a nitrogen-rich field soil in South Africa. Symbiosis 28: 17-31.
6. Bado, B.V., Bationo, A., and Cescas, M.P. 2006. Assessment of cowpea and groundnut contributions to soil fertility and succeeding sorghum yields in the Guinean savannah zone of Burkina Faso (West Africa). Biology and Fertility of Soils 43: 171-176. (Pubitemid 44835807)
7. Bagayoko, M., Buerkert, A., Lung, G., Bationo, A., and Romheld, V. 2000. Cereal/legume rotation effects on cereal growth in Sudano-Sahelian West Afrrica: Soil mineral nitrogen, mycorrhizae and nematodes. Plant and Soil 218: 103-116. (Pubitemid 30144140)
8. Bationo, A. and Ntare, B.R. 2000. Rotation and nitrogen fertilizer effects on pearl millet, cowpea and groundnut yield and soil chemical properties in a sandy soil in the semi-arid tropics, West Africa. Journal of Agricultural Science 134: 277-284. (Pubitemid 30400124)
9. Bray, R.H. and Kurz, L.T. 1945. Determination of total organic and available forms of phosphorus in soils. Soil Science 59: 39-45.
10. Carsky, R.J., Singh, B.B., and Oyewole, B. 2001. Contribution of early season cowpea to late season maize in the savanna zone of West Africa. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 18: 303-315. (Pubitemid 32477920)
11. Dakora, F.D. 1985. Biological nitrogen fixation in Ghana. In: Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Africa, Ssali, H. and Keya, S.O., eds. Rhizobium MIRCEN, Nairobi, pp. 59-71.
12. Dakora, F.D., Aboyinga, R.A., Mahama, Y., and Apaseku, J. 1987. Assessment of N2 fixation in groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) and their relative N contribution to a succeeding maize crop in Northern Ghana. MIRCEN Journal 3: 389-399.
13. Dakora, F.D. and Keya, S.O. 1997. Contribution of legume nitrogen fixation to sustainable agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29: 809-817. (Pubitemid 27299409)
14. Dakora, F.D. and Phillips, D.A. 2002. Root exudates as mediators of mineral acquisition in low-nutrient environments. Plant and Soil 245: 35-47.
15. Eaglesham, A.R.J., Ayanaba, A., Ranga Rao, V., and Eskew, D.L. 1981. Improving the nitrogen nutrition of maize by intercropping with cowpea. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 13: 169-171.
16. Eaglesham, A.R.J. 1982. Assessing nitrogen contribution of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in monoculture and intercropping. In: Biological Nitrogen Fixation Technology for Tropical Africa, Graham, P.H. and Harris, S.C., eds. Centra Internacional d'AgriculturaTropical, Cali, Colombia, pp. 641-646.
17. FAO. 2001. Food and Agricultural World Soil Resources Report. 289 pp.
18. Herridge, D.F., Robertson, M.J., Cocks, B., Peoples, M.B., Holland, J.F., and Heuke, L. 2005. Low nodulation and nitrogen fixation of mungbean reduce biomass and grain yields. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45: 269-277. (Pubitemid 40689829)
19. Israel, D.W. 1987. Investigation of the role of phosphorus in symbiotic dinitrogen fixation. Plant Physiology 84: 835-840.
20. Marschner, H. 1995. Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants, Second Edition. Academic Press, London. 889 pp.
21. Maskey, S.L., Bhattarai, S., Peoples, M.B., and Herridge, D.F. 2001. On-farm measurements of nitrogen fixation by winter and summer legumes in the Hill and Terai regions of Nepal. Field Crops Research 70: 209-221. (Pubitemid 32430442)
22. Ncube, B., Twomlow, S. J., Van Wijk, M. T., Dimes, J.P., and Giller, K. E. 2007. Productivity and residual benefits of grain legumes to sorghum under semi-arid conditions in southwestern Zimbabwe. Plant and Soil 299: 1-15. (Pubitemid 47524760)
23. Nelson, D.W. and Sommers, L.W. 1982. Total carbon and organic matter. In: Methods of Soil Analyses. Part II, 2nd ed. No.9. Page, A.L. et al., eds. American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, USA. pp. 301-312.
24. Nyemba, R.C. and Dakora, F.D. 2005. Identifying suitable arable weeds as reference plants for estimating N2 fixation in grain legumes in Zambia using 15N natural abundance. Symbiosis 40: 79-86.
25. Ofori, F., Pate, J.S., and Stern, W.R. 1987. Evaluation of nitrogen fixation and nitrogen economy of a maize/cowpea intercrop system using 15N dilution methods. Plant and Soil 102: 149-160.
26. Ojiem, J.O., Vanlauwe, B., de Ridder, N., and Giller, K.E. 2007. Niche-based assessment of contribution of legumes to nitrogen economy of Western Kenya smallholder farm. Plant and Soil 292: 119-135. (Pubitemid 46466286)
27. Peoples, M.B. and Herridge, D.F. 1990. Nitrogen fixation by legumes in tropical and subtropical agriculture. Advances in Agronomy 44: 155-223.
28. Peoples, M.B., Gault, R.R., Brockwell, J., Lean, B., and Sykes, J.D. 1995a. Nitrogen fixation by soybean in commercial irrigated crops of central and southern New South Wales. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 27: 553-561.
29. Peoples, M.B., Herridge, D.F., and Ladha, J.K. 1995b. Biological nitrogen fixation: An efficient source of nitrogen for sustainable agricultural production? Plant and Soil 174: 3-28.
30. Peoples, M.B., Bowman, A.M., Gault, R.R., Herridge, D.F., McCallum, M.H., McCormick, K.M., Norton, R.M., Rochester, I.J., Scammell, G.J., and Schwenke, G.D. 2001. Factors regulating the contribution of fixed nitrogen by pasture and crop legumes to different farming systems of eastern Australia. Plant and Soil 228: 29-41.
31. Rochester, I.J., Peoples, M.B., Constable, G.A., and Gault, R.R. 1998. Faba beans and other legumes add nitrogen to irrigated cotton cropping systems. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 38: 253-260.
32. Schwenke, G.D., Peoples, M.B., Turner, G.L., and Herridge, D.F. 1998. Does nitrogen fixation of commercial, dryland chickpea and faba bean crops in north-west New South Wales maintain or enhance soil nitrogen? Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 38: 61-70.
33. Unkovich, M.J., Pate, J.S., and Sanford, P. 1993. Preparation of plant samples for high precision nitrogen isotope ratio analyses. Communication in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 24: 2093-2106
34. Unkovich, M.J., Pate, J.S., Armstrong E.L., and Sanford, P. 1994. Selection of reference plants for l5N natural abundance assessment of N2 fixation by crop and pasture legumes in South west Australia. Australian Journal of Agriculture Research 45: 133-147. (Pubitemid 2040018)
35. Walkey, A. and Black, LA. 1934. Determination of organic matter in the soil by chromic acid digestion. Soil Science 63: 251-264.