Effect of improving natural pasture by introducing Chamaecrista rotundifolia on soil chemical properties, pasture structure, biomass production and soil seed stock

Abstract

Land degradation is evident in arid ecosystems already weakened by climate variability. The natural rangelands that provide the bulk of livestock feed are no exception to this situation. Exploring strategies to improve the productivity of these natural rangelands is a palliative solution for livestock feeding. The overall objective of this study is to improve forage production by introducing a forage legume, Chamaecrista rotundifolia. Two experiments were carried out, one on a ferruginous soil and the other on a ferralitic soil. Two seeding densities of C. rotundifolia seeds were used. Fertilization of 100 kg/ha of triple superphosphate (46% P) was chosen for the plots. The results indicated that soil type, weeding at sowing and sowing density of the legume had significant effects on the number of C. rotundifolia plants/m² in the natural pasture three years after its introduction. The control treatments did not have seeds of C. rotundifolia in the two soil horizons surveyed (H0-10 cm and H 10-20 cm). The production of C. rotundifolia biomass was higher in august compared to the evaluation in july with an average production of 1811 kg DM/ha against a maximum of 1070 kg DM/ha in the month of july. The results of the biomass analysis showed a higher nitrogen content in C. rotundifolia compared to the other species on the same soils, which denotes the ability of C. rotundifolia to fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Keywords: Fodder, Natural pastures, Restoration, Seed stock, Chamaecrista rotundifolia