Screening Prosopis (mesquite) germplasm for biomass production and nitrogen fixation
The nitrogen-fixing trees of the genus Prosopis (mesquite or algaroba) are well adapted to the semi-arid and often saline regions of the world. These trees may produce firewood or pods for livestock food, they may stabilize sand dunes and they may enrich the soil by production of leaf litter supported by nitrogen fixation. A collection of nearly 500 Prosopis accessions representing North and South American and African germplasm has been established. Seventy of these accessions representing 14 taxa are being grown under field conditions where a 30-fold range in biomass productivity among accessions has been estimated. In a greehouse experiment, 13 Prosopis taxa grew on nitrogen-free medium nodulated, and had a 10-fold difference in nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction). When Prosopis is propagated by seed the resulting trees are extremely variable in growth rate and presence or absence of thorns. Propagation of 6 Prosopis taxa by stem cuttings has been achieved with low success (1 to 10%) in field-grown plants and with higher success (50 to 100%) with young actively growing greenhouse plants.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Riverside (USA). Dept. of Soil and Environmental Sciences
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG01-78ET20023
- OSTI ID:
- 5197795
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-800141-1
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International congress for study of semi-arid and arid zones, La Serena, Chile, Jan 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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