Bio Investigation Into The Gum Cultivation Cyclein North kordofan
Bio Investigation Into The Gum Cultivation Cyclein North kordofan
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Date
2015-04-27
Authors
Kamal Elddin Mohamed Fadl Mohamed
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Khartoum
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted under rainfed conditions in western Sudan at El-
Obied Research Farm (130 20/ N; 300 15/ E, Alt 750m) and Eldemokeya Forest
Reserve (130 16/N; 300 29/E, Alt, 560m) during the growing seasons 2004/2005 and
2005/2006. The main objective was to investigate tree crop relation whithin the
gum cultivation cycle. Parameters measured were soil particle distribution, soil
nutrient content, soil moisture, plant height, root lenght, number of pod/plant, fresh
weight,dry weight, crop yield, gum yield and the biological nitrogen fixation under
the gum cultivation cycle.
The experiment consisted of seven treatments: three plots represented the
intercropping of groundnut, sesame and roselle with Acacia senegal; three plots
represented groundnut, sesame and roselle in the sole cropping system, while one
plot represented the Acacia senegal alone. The treatments were arranged in
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated four times. Land
Equivalent Ratio (LER) was used to evaluate the productivity and the partial
budget analysis was carried out to evaluate the profitability of the different
cropping systems.
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Signficant differences were obtained for sand and silt content in both sites, while
clay content was not significantly different in both sites. The clay content increased
with increase in soil depth. The higher sand, silt and clay content under the
intercropping system could be attributed to the dense vegetation cover made by the
trees and shelter the provided. The nitrogen and organic carbon are signficantly
higher in intercropping system in Eldemokeya Forest Reserve compared with sole
cropping and pure Acacia senegal. Soil OC,N and pH was not signficant in El-
Obied site. Yet the level of OC,N,P and pH was higher under intercropping system.
In the present investigation, Nitrogen, phosphurs and organic carbon are 36, 30 and
17% lower than the result obtained in 1999 in the same site. This could be due to
intensive cultivation in the same area. Under the present investigation no nodules
were detected in the field conditions.
Plant height were signficantly different for groundnut,sesame and rosele in El-
Obied Farm Research. In Elddmokeya Forest Reserve significant differences were
observed for roselle in the firest season and for groundnut , sesame and roselle in
the second season. Root lenght was signficantly different for sesame and roselle in
both sites, while groundnuts ystem was not signficantly different. Fresh weight was
significantly different in both sites. The higher fresh weight was found under
intercropping system. This could be attributed to sheding effect which limits fruit
production more than vegetative growth. Dry weights were signficantly different
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for sesame and roselle in both sites, while groundnut was not signfiocantly
different.
In both sites intercropping systems reduced groundnut, sesame and roselle yields
by 26.3, 12 and 20.2% respectively. The reduction in yield in intercropping plots
could be attributed to high tree density, which resulted in water and light
competition between trees and the associated crops.
The yields of groundnuts and sesame in present investigation were 37 and 21%
lower that the yield obtained from the same site in 1999. this could be due to
intensive cultivation and probably the high tree density. All the treatments gave
land equivalent ratio (LER) more thyan one indicating the superiority of growing
the field crops in intercropping with Acacia senegal than the sole cropping systems.
The higher LER (1.72) was obtained when roselle was intercropped with Acacia
senegal, while the lowest LER was obtained when groundnuts was intercropped
with Acacia senegal.
The economical analysis revealed that all the treatments were economically
attractive, becouse they gave positive net revenue. Intercropping of sesame with A.
Senegal was more profitable followed by sole sesame. The highest net benefit was
recorded when sesame was grown with Acacia senegal followed by sole sesame,
roselle with A. senegal, sole roselle, groundnut with, A. Senegal, sole groundnut
and A. senegal as a sole crop.
Description
A thesis submitted to the university of khartoum for the requirement of the degree of A philosophy doctorate (PhD) in desertification studies
Keywords
University of Khartoum
Acacia senegal
gum arabic belt
mechanized farming
Economical evaluation
Citation
Kamal Elddin Mohamed Fadl Mohamed, Bio Investigation Into The Gum Cultivation Cyclein North kordofan. – Khartoum : University of Khartoum, 2007. - 157 P. : illus., 28 cm., Ph.D.