Evaluating leaf litter decomposition rate of multipurpose tree species using litter bag technique

For nonlegume crop production, legume leaves utilized as green manure could be a viable alternative to commercial N fertilizers. The experiment's main purpose was to assess the rate of decomposition of leaf litter from ten tropical trees utilizing evaluation measures such as mass loss, decomposition rate, and relative decomposition rate. The decomposition of legume litter selected for this experiment was Peltophorum ferrugineum, Albizia lebbek, Gliricidia sepium, Delonix regia, Leucaena leucocephala, Pongamia pinnata, Senna siamea, Acacia nilotica, Prosopis juliflora and the non-legume of Azadirachta indica which was evaluated by litter bag technique. Among all the ten tree species Acacia nilotica tree leaf litter showed the highest mass loss% (55.36%), decomposition rate, and relative decomposition rate throughout the decomposition period of 7 weeks and closely followed by Prosopis juliflora (55.04%). The decomposition rate is mainly influenced by meteorological factors, soil parameters (soil moisture and soil temperature), and also the chemical composition of the leaf litter and its lignin content.