Soil fertility management for reclamation of imperata grasslands by smallholder agroforestry
Imperata cylindrica grasslands are widely believed to indicate poor soil fertility. Soil fertility improvement may have to be an important component of a reclamation strategy. Data for Sumatra, Indonesia indicate, however, that Imperata occurs on a broad range of soil types and is not confined to the poorest soils. A direct role of Imperata in soil degradation cannot be ascertained. In many instances, however, Imperata soils are low in available P and effective N supply. The use of rock phosphate in combination with erosion control (‘fertility traps’) and legume cover crops can be effective in restoring soil fertility. Case studies for a number of sites in Sumatra have confirmed the practical possibility of reclaiming grasslands for food and tree crops.
Download :
This works is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors
Santoso, D.,Adiningsih, S.,Mutert, E.,Fairhurst, T.,van Noordwijk, M.
Publication year
2022
