Evaluation of Fresh Biomass Yield, NPK Content and Green Manure Potential of some Forage Legumes for Adoption into the Farming System of Borno State, Nigeria

Bashir A.A.; Bube M.M.; Sandabe M.K.; Yakubu H.

Bashir A.A. Department of Agricultural Technology, Mohamet Lawan College of Agriculture, Maiduguri, Borno State
Bube M.M. Department of Animal Production, Adamawa State University, Mubi, Adamawa State.
Sandabe M.K. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Borno State.
Yakubu H. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Borno State.

Keywords: Fresh biomass, NPK accumulation, forage legume, green manure, potentials

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted in the screen house of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri to evaluate the fresh biomass yield and NPK contents of leguminous plants. The experiment consisted of 16 leguminous forage species namely: - Mucuna pruriens black, Mucuna pruriens white, Stylosanthes guianensis (Zaria), Stylosanthes guianensis (Benue), Cajanus cajan brown (Zaria), Cajanus cajan red international variety ICPL 332, Cajanus cajan Igbonbu white (Benue), Centrosema pubescens (Zaria), Centrosema pubescens (Benue), Lablab purperium white (Zaria), Lablab purperium black (Zaria), Mucuna pruriens white (Benue), Sesbania rostrata (Kirenowa), Sesbania rostrata Limanti, Sesbania rostrata (Loskuri), Sesbania rostrata (Jere). The plants were grown in plastic pots of 5 kilogrammes of sieved soil. At 6 weeks after sowing, they were harvested and the biomass weight and NPK contents were measured. Average NPK content in the Forage legumes was high (7.28%) while the six plants with above average percentages were Sesbania rostrata Jere (8.45), Cajanus cajan red Benue (8.33), Cajanus cajan white Benue (8.26), Sesbania rostrata Loskuri (8.20), Sesbania rostrata Limanti (7.82) and Stylosanthes guianensis Benue (7.74). The best biomass yield (g/pot) were recorded in Mucana pruriens black Zaria (26.33), Mucuna pruriens Zaria (23.3), Mucuna pruriens Benue (20.52), Sesbania rostrata Jere (15.66), Sesbania rostrata Limanti (14.78) and Sesbania rostrata Loskuri (13.05). The latter six has the potential to provide essential nutrients to livestock and contribute in enriching the soil if used as green manure. Therefore, these were identified for adoption into the farming system of Borno State.

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