Invasive Bracken Fern (Pteridium Aquilinium L. Kuhn): A Potential Risk to the Production of Legume Crops in Western Tanzania

This research established the risks posed to legume crop production by invasion of the degraded agricultural lands in western Tanzania by the bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinium). The test crops included the legumes beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), groundnuts (Arachis hypogea) and soybean (Glycine max); and a cereal maize (Zea mays). These were planted in soil containing P. aquilinium root extracts and rhizospheric soil extracts. Germination of the studied seeds was negatively and highly significantly (P=0.001) affected by treatments. Germination of maize was less affected by P. aquilinium toxic compounds compared to legume seeds. The results of this study, partially explains the low plant population of some legume crops observed in P.aquilinium invaded fields in western Tanzania. Agronomic interventions are proposed for increasing land productivity under P. aquilinium invasion.