How leguminous biomass can increase yield and quality of maize grain in tropical agrosystems

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil cover with a combination of tree leguminous on increasing grain yield, grain protein content, and maize protein yield. The experiment was conducted with 10 treatments: Leucaena leucocephala + Clitoria fairchildiana + urea (L+C+U); L. leucocephala + Acacia mangium + urea (L+A+U); Gliricidia sepium + C. fairchildiana + urea (G+C+U); G. sepium + A. mangium + urea (G+A+U); L. leucocephala + C. fairchildiana (L+C); L. leucocephala + A. mangium (L+A); G. sepium + C. fairchildiana (G+C); G. sepium + A. mangium (G+A); bare soil with urea (B+U); and a control with bare soil without mineral fertiliser. Differences between G+C+U and B+U, in the agronomic efficiencies, increase in N contents, increase in grain yield. To increase the protein yields in humid regions, leguminous are used to provide nutrients and improve the root environment rather than interacting antagonistically with the crops.