TY  - BOOK
AU  - Sushama Kumari KR 
AU  - Alice Kurien (Guide)
TI  - Influence of cover crops on growth of rubber and on soil fertility status
U1  - 633.8 
PY  - 1994///
CY  - Vellanikkara
PB  - Department of plantation crops and spices, College of Horticulture
N2  - The study was conducted in  Ottapalam taluk (Palakkad district, Kerala  state) to make a comparative evaluation  of two cover crops (pueraria  phaseoloides and Mucunna  bracteata)  with respect to  yield  of biomass, leaf  litter addition , nutrient composition , soil enrichment  through added nutrient , competition , soil enrichment  through added nutrient , moisture regime  of the soil and  its  impact on growth  of rubber . The  salient findings  of study are  summarized below.	
 Mucuna bracteata recored  higher biomass on per hectare  basis than  pueraria  phaseoloidies . The  status  of  nutrients N, p and k were higher  in Mucuna  bracteata than  pueraria  phaseoloides  and  the   difference was much evident  in  the case of N content. Calcium  and magnesium  were found to  be high  in pueraria phaseolodies. The  leaf  litter from  the cover crop was quantified and found  that   the mucuna bracteata  produced  higher  leaf little  (2324.09 kg ha -1)
  Compared  to  pueraria  (1205.72 kg ha-1). Content of organic   carbon,  available p and available K in the soil at two  depths   (0-15 cm  and 15-30 cm ) was  higher in plots  cover-cropped with M. bracteata than other three plots cover-cropped  with P. phaseolodies, inter -cropped and those with natural cover. The availability of magnesium  was found to be highest  in plots  inter -cropped   with banana . M. bracteata recorded lowest  magnesium status of the soil and  this  can  be  attributed  to the  higher up take due to high biomass production . 
Any sort of the cropping  whether cover-cropping  or  inter-cropping  helps to improve  the nutrient status of soil and conserve the moisture. The area under natural cover recorded  the lowest moisture content  during both the months. P. phaseoloides  was found to be the most efficient with regard to moisture  conservation  and recorded  the  highest moisture  content  during   April  and may.
Cover –cropping or inter-cropping was found  to augment  the growth of rubber  and  maximum girth increment was observed  for Mucuna  bracteata   covercropped plots.	
The study also revealed that in general  Mucuna bracteata was much  superior to pueraria  phaseolodies with  regard  to biomass production ,  and addition  of major nutrients  to the soil . The low moisture content in Mucuna cover-cropped  plots demands further  investigations to arrive at definite  conclusions  regarding the competition for soil  moisture  between rubber and the cover crop

UR  - https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810153601
ER  -