The 2012 RUFORUM Biennial Conference is the third in the series. The main objective of the Biennial conferences is to provide a platform for agricultural research for development stakeholders in Africa and beyond to actively exchange findings and experiences, while at the same time learning lessons towards improving performance of the agricultural sector and ultimately people’s livelihoods. The biennial conference is RUFORUM’s most comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholers in agriculture. It is especially dedicated to graduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM member universities and alumni. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking and shared learning. The third Biennial Conference was attended by 657 participants.This record contains an extended abstract accepted under the theme of Integrated Crop Management
Invasive Bracken Fern (Pteridium Aquilinium L. Kuhn): A Potential Risk to the Production of Legume Crops in Western Tanzania
Abstract:
This research established the risks posed to legume crop
production by invasion of the degraded agricultural lands in
western Tanzania by the bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinium).
The test crops included the legumes beans (Phaseolus
vulgaris), Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), groundnuts (Arachis
hypogea) and soybean (Glycine max); and a cereal maize
(Zea mays). These were planted in soil containing P. aquilinium
root extracts and rhizospheric soil extracts. Germination of the
studied seeds was negatively and highly significantly (P=0.001)
affected by treatments. Germination of maize was less affected
by P. aquilinium toxic compounds compared to legume seeds.
The results of this study, partially explains the low plant population
of some legume crops observed in P.aquilinium invaded fields
in western Tanzania. Agronomic interventions are proposed for
increasing land productivity under P. aquilinium invasion.
Cette recherche a établi les risques posés à la production des
légumineuses par l’invasion des terres agricoles dégradées dans
l’ouest de la Tanzanie par la fougère de Bracken (Pteridium
aquilinium). Les cultures d’essai ont inclus les haricots
légumineux (Phaseolus vulgaris), Pigeon pea
(Cajanuscajan), les arachides (Arachis hypogea) et le soja
(Glycine max), et une céréale, le maïs (Zea mays). Elles ont
été plantées dans le sol contenant les extraits de racines de
P.aquilinium et les extraits de sol rhizosphérique. La
germination des graines étudiées était négativement et de façon
hautement significative (P = 0,001) affectée par les traitements.
La germination du maïs a été moins affectée par des composés
toxiques de P. aquilinium comparativement aux graines de
légumineuses. Les résultats de cette étude expliquent en partie
la faible population des plantes de certaines cultures delégumineuses observées dans les champs envahis par
P.aquilinium dans l’ouest de la Tanzanie. Les interventions
agronomiques sont proposées pour augmenter la productivité
des terres sous l’invasion du P. aquilinium.
Language:
English
Extended abstracts submitted under Integrated Crop Management
Country:
Region Focus:
East Africa
Collection:
RUFORUM Conferences and Workshops
Agris Subject Categories:
Additional keywords:
Licence conditions:
Open Access
Access restriction:
Form:
Printed resource
Publisher:
Notes:
