Biological effects of native and exotic plant residues on plant growth, microbial biomass and N availability under controlled conditions

The leaf litter of six tropical tree species (Acacia holosericea, Acacia tortilis, Azadirachta indica, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cordyla pinnata and Faidherbia albida) frequently used in agroforestry plantations in Sahelian and Soudano-Sahelian areas were tested for their influence on soil nitrogen content, microbial biomass and plant growth under controlled greenhouse conditions. Half of the soil was planted with onion (Allium cepa L.) seedlings and the other half was not. Two herbaceous species, Andropogon gayanus and Eragrostis tremula, were also studied. Co-inertia analysis (CIA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis showed that C. pinnata and F. albida leaf powder amendment induced the highest plant growth, whereas leaf powder of E. tremula is associated to higher microbial biomass and NH4+ content. Higher onion seedlings growth is associated with higher concentration of nitrogen and lignin in leaf powders. Conversely, lower plant growth is associated to higher rates of cellulose, hemicellulose and phenols in leaves. Higher rates of cellulose and hemicellulose are associated with higher microbial biomass and NH4+, whereas phenols are associated to lower microbial biomass. The results showed that amendment of A. holosericea leaf powder (high concentrations of phenol) to the soil resulted in a lower microbial biomass and lower onion seedlings growth. Data showed that the plant residue quality index (PRQI) could be a useful tool to predict the effects of litter materials on root growth in glasshouse conditions. The highest values on soil and plant parameters were recorded with C. pinnata litter. While powdered leaf material increased the accessibility of substrates to microbes, more research with C. pinnata leaf litter (under a wider range of ecological conditions) is needed. It could add deeper on its agronomic impact in the tropics.