Biomass production and quality of legume trees grown in alley cropping system in Central Amazon Oxisol

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pruned biomass production and quality of ingazeiro (Inga edulis), palheteira (Clitoria fairchildiana) and sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) trees with potential for green manure in alley cropping system. The initial chemical soil characteristics were determined. The plants were measured in height and subjected to pruning of above ground biomass at 1 m height during the 28th week after planting. The biomass was quantified and the quality of leaf biomass was evaluated for nutritional content. The experimental design was in random blocks with three treatments and three repetitions of nine plants. The legume trees showed tolerance to pruning. Sabiá trees produced 4,27 mg.ha-1 fresh biomass, with 2,65 % N-leaf content. The ingazeiro produced 2,11mg.ha-1 fresh biomass with 3,40 % N-leaf. Palheteira tree produced 1,20 mg.ha-1 fresh biomass with 3,14 % N-leaf content. The dry biomass production of the aboveground biomass of sabiá, ingazeiro and palheteira trees were respectively 1,50, 0,81 and 0,37mg.ha-1.