Abstract

Rice growers of this Province, by traditional ex- perience resort to green leaf manuring with a view to obtain increased yields. Investigations to assess its effect were for some time past in progress in this and other provinces. Two schools of thought were developed, the one attributing the beneficial effect of green leaf manuring to Nitrogen and its influence on the biological reactions in the soil and the other laying stress on the physical effects of the organic matter and also the possible influence on the solubility of soil phosphates. However, the literature on the cumulative effects of green leaf manuring over long periods is scanty. Irrespective of the nature of its action, green leaf manuring is an accepted practice among farmers to increase rice vields. Twenty five years ago two experiments on continuous green leaf manuring were laid out at Palur and Manganallur. At Palur in one experiment on rice, green leaf was applied to alluvial soils. The rice was grown in the samba season (September-January) irrigated by a perennial spring channel of Gadilam river.

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