The effect of plant biomass from pruning of trees on maize (Zea mays L.) and weeds

Abstract

Agroforestry systems combine different plant species among which several interactions occur. Some tree species could inhibit the annual crops through allelochemicals, but could also favor them by releasing mineral nutrients via litter or prunnings. This work measured the effect of prunings of three tree species in the development of maize and weeds. The treatments were 1. Control, 2. Control + fertilizer, twigs and leaves of 3. Schinus molle L., 4. Parapiptadenia rigida (Bentham) Brenan and 5. Cordia trichotoma Vell., 6. Mixture of the three species. The addition of prunningwas applied in May, 2012, the weed biomass was measured in August, 2012, and the maize was seeded in September, 2012. All leaf pruning treatments inhibited the weeds and C. trichotoma presented the highest inhibition (96.7%). Comparing with control, S. molle increases significantly the height of maize plants and the ear biomass, and C. trichotoma increases the total maize biomass. No inhibition effect in the maize was detected.