Calopogonium Mucunoides
Description
A vigorous, creeping, twining or trailing, short lived perennial herb, up to several meters long, forming a tangled mass of foliage 30-50 cm thick, with densely pilose stems long rust-coloured hairs. Leaves trifoliolate, petiole up to 16 cm long, pilose; leaflets elliptical, ovate or rhomboid ovate, 4-10 cm x 25 cm, the laterals oblique, adpressed pilose or pubescent on both surfaces. Inflorescence a slender rust-coloured raceme, up to 20 cm long, covered with short dense hairs.
Cultivation
Has a high proportion of hard seed that requires scarification by mechanical abrasion, soaking in concentrated sulphuric acid for 30 minutes, or hot water treatment (3 minutes at 750 C ). Normally planted by seed at 1-3 kg/ha, drilled in rows in new plantations or broadcast in open pastures. When broadcast, seed should be spread on the soil surface and then rolled to improve establishment. As a cover crop in plantations, planted at 1-3 kg/ha in species mixtures of 12-15 kg legume seed.
Rainfall requirements
Grows best in a rainfall exceeding 2 500 mm or in swampy land in areas of lower rainfall.
Ability to spread naturally
Spreads mainly by runners and in this way colonize widely on suitable soils with adequate rainfall.
Land preparation for establishment
As early growth is slow, seed should be sown into a weed-free seedbed. It responds to good seedbed preparation, which controls weeds by cultivation after the initial ploughing. Can also be established readily in the ashes of a forest burn.
Seed treatment before planting to break dormancy
- Treat with concentrated sulphuric acid (sp. Gr. 1.8) for 20 minutes, wash and dry..
- Put in hot water at 50 to 700 C for several hours and allow to cool.
- Immerse in glycerin at 500 C for one hour. this increase germination from 10 to 50 percent.
Sowing methods
Seed is usually broadcast or drilled in. In some parts it is hand planted (15 to 20 seeds every 3 m mixed with the top 2.5 cm of soil). Drill in rows 1 m apart. Can also be propagated by cutting 0.7 to 1 m long planted at two per point on a 1- to 2 - m grid. Establishment can be achieved by over sowing into existing pasture if the pasture is disced or burnt beforehand. Usually, however, it will not establish in grass, but grass will establish in the legume. It is best sown in midsummer to coincide with the wet season. Sow at 1 to 2 kg./ha in mixture. We recommend 3 to 6 kg./ha scarified or 8 to 10 k./ha unscarified seed for sowing down the center of sisal rows, which are 3.5 m wide. Sow at 1.5 cm and roll or harrow. Number of seeds per kg - 65 000 to 70 000.
Performancey
Pueraria has been an excellent cover crop to prevent soil erosion and to contribute nitrogen in plantation crops in the tropics for many years. It was found that Pueraria gave very good protection to the soil.