Effects of application of the leguminous green manures onphosphorus content in latosol soil

Low available phosphorus in soil is one of the major limiting factors for crop production in the subtropical and tropical regions. A field experiment was conducted to determine the temporal changes of the phosphorus content in latosol soil when 14 tropical legumes were applied into soil in this study. The results of this study showed that the available phosphorus content of soil treated legumes green manures was higher than that of control, indicating that application of green manures to soil increased the available P content in soil to some extent, in which Magnolia lotungensis showed the highest effectiveness and increased available phosphorus content of soil by 339%. 14 tropical legumes showed a different effect on the available phosphorus content of soil as application time increased, but they shared a similar trend. This study suggested that the best time for application of leguminous green manure to latosol was the first month.