Use of Leucaena leucocephala for Increasing Rice Yield

Abstract

The potential for alley cropping rice with giant leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala cv. Peru) was studied on a Roi-Et sandy loan (Aeric Paleaquults) in North-eastern Thailand. The leucaena grown on the ricefield bunds was lopped twice, before and during paddy cultivation and applied as leaf manure incorporated into the soil 21 days before trans planting, and as leaf-mulch 10 day before panicle primordia initiation. The study also compared the effects with and without added nitrogen fertilizer.
The Leucaena N was more efficient in increasing rice yield than fertilizer N. Each kg of leucaena N yielded an average of 28.7% kg of paddy whereas each kg of fertilizer N yielded on average of 14.3 kg paddy. In terms of fresh biomass, 10 kg of leucaena loppings yielded an average of 2.4 kg paddy. In addition, the leucaena resulted in higher soil N uptake, increased organic matter content, and greater available nitrogen retention in the soil.