Influence of some agroforestry practices on the temporal structures of nematodes in western Kenya

Abstract

The influence of agroforestry practices on the temporal fluctuation of nematodes was studied in western Kenya. The experiment comprised a fallow phase, which had the following treatments: (1) maize/beans intercropping; (2) maize/beans intercropping with rock phosphate; (3) Crotalaria fallow; (4) Crotalaria fallow with rock phosphate; (5) Crotalaria fallow with rock phosphate (+ Calliandra and napier hedges); and a cultivation phase when all plots were planted to maize and beans. There were strong seasonal fluctuations in the abundance of both free-living and plant-parasitic nematodes. The abundance of plant-parasitic nematodes did not vary among cropping systems during the fallow phase, but varied significantly during the cultivation phase of the experiment. Pratylenchus spp. appeared to be stimulated by the application of phosphorus while Scutellonema spp. had higher populations in the maize crops, which were planted after a Crotalaria fallow. In both the fallow and the cultivation phases, the sampling date had a significant impact on nematode abundance. There were more plant-parasitic nematode species during the fallow phase of the study, but the evenness of the different nematode communities was significantly greater in the cultivation phase of the experiment