Forage Yield of Sorghum and Winter Clovers as Affected by Biological and Chemical Reclamation of a Highly Alkaline Soil

Abstract

SUMMARY A field experiment was conducted on a highly alkaline soil (pH 10.6, exchangeable sodium 95%) to compare biological reclamation using Leptochloa fusca with chemical reclamation using gypsum. Rice gave satisfactory yields in the first year of gypsum application but sorghum and Sesbania gave extremely poor yields. The yield of Leptochloa was not affected by gypsum application. Trifolium resupinatum yielded more than T. alexandrinum when sown in the winter season. The green forage yield of sorghum was greatest when the sorghum followed Leptochloa grown for two years, with the harvested grass allowed to decompose on the site. The results show that biological reclamation with Leptochloa is a good substitute for chemical reclamation with gypsum.