Abstract

RUZ SUAREZ, F; SANCHEZ CARDENAS, Saray  and  HERNANDEZ CHAVEZ, Marta B. Decomposition of the foliage of Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham associated to Morus alba var. tigriada. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2015, vol.38, n.4, pp. 410-417. ISSN 2078-8452.

This study was designed in an experimental plot where the foliage of Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena) is being used since ten years ago as green manure in the Morus alba (mulberry) crop, in order to determine the decomposition rate of the legume foliage and the relation of this process with some of the biotic and abiotic factors present in the system. For the study of the foliage decomposition dynamics the litter bag method was used. The foliage deposited in these bags was evaluated at six moments during the study stage, which comprised two years. In each recollection date, the macrofauna population was determined on the remnant litter of each bag through manual separation, according to the methodology of the International Research Program "Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility" (TSBF). The taxonomic composition of the macrofauna associated to the decomposition process of the leucaena foliage was constituted by four Phyla, six classes and seven orders. From the organisms, 97 % were detritivores and 3 %, predators. The type of bag did not influence the foliage decomposition and the climate factors played a decisive role in this process.

Keywords : Climate factors; edaphic factors; leucaena; mulberry; green manure; macrofauna.

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