Evaluation of tropical forage legumes under Pinus caribaea var hondurensis in Turrialba, Costa Rica

Abstract

A number of tropical forage legume species were sown in Turrialba., Costa Rica, in plots in the open and under an even cover of Pinus caribaea var hondurensis of basal area 30 m 2/ha. Mean light level under the trees was 18% full sunlight. After 19 months, species showing good shade tolerance and adaptation to local conditions were: Centrosema spp., Desmodium spp., Flemingia congesta, Galactia striata. Species of poor performance in the shade were: Stylosanthes spp., lndigofera hirsuta, Cajanus cajan, Stilozobium sp.. Canavalia ensiformis, an annual, grew well in the shade, as did Lablab purpureus and Vigna unguiculata. It is suggested that further work be done on the shade tolerant species for eventual use as components of silvopastoral systems. Recommendations are made concerning germplasm collections, evaluation methodology and research for silvopasture development.Resumen. Se sembraron especies diversas de leguminosas forrajeras en Turrialba, Costa Rica, en parcelas al descubierto y bajo una cobertura uniforme de Pinus caribaea var hondurensis con area basal de 30m2/ha. El nivel medio de iluminaci6n bajo los pinos era 18% del nivel a pleno sol.Despues de 19 meses las especies que mostraron buena adaptaci6n a la sombra eran: Centrosema spp., Desmodium spp., Flemingia congesta, Galactia striata. Especies de bajo rendimiento en la sombra eran: Stylosanthes spp., Indigofera hirsuta, Cajanus cajan, Stilozobium sp.. La planta anufil Canavalia ensiformis creci6 bien bajo sombra, como tambien lo hicieron Lablab purpureus y Vigna unguiculata. Se sugiere que se investiguen las especies mencionadas como bien adaptadas al sombreamiento para uso en sistemas silvopastoriles. Se presentan recomendaciones sobre colecciones de germoplasma, metodologia de evaluaci6n y investigacidn para el desarollo de sistemas silvopastoriles.

Performance of tropical legumes grown as understory of a eucalypt plantation in a seasonally dry area of the Brazilian Cerrado

“…Mostly, it showed low DM production and ground cover (Tables 1 and 2) in the understory. These results are in contrast with those of Azevedo et al (2009) All 4 species of Stylosanthes tested by Bazill (1987) showed poor adaptation to shade provided by a Pinus caribaea forest in Costa Rica. However, adaptation to shade varies with species and accessions (Stür 1991), and Estilosantes Campo Grande produced 5.3 kg/ha/d at the end of the 2009/10 rainy season, more than any other species (P<0.05).…”

“…For example, species such as Lablab purpureus (Bazill 1987), Arachis pintoi (Ferreira et al 2008), Clitoria ternatea and Calopogonium mucunoides (Congdon and Addison 2003), Centrosema pubescens (now: C. molle) (Stür 1991) and Pueraria phaseoloides (Wong et al 1985;Congdon and Addison 2003) are considered shade-tolerant, in contrast to Aeschynomene villosa (Congdon and Addison 2003) and Stylosanthes spp. (Bazill 1987) that are shade-intolerant. Alysicarpus vaginalis has been reported to grow well in moderate shade (Wong et al 1985).…”

Climbing Legumes: An Underutilized Resource With Significant Potential to Intensify Farming on Terrace Walls (FTW) for Smallholder Farmers

“…Canavalia ensiformis is a legume commonly referred to as jack bean or overlook bean, which has several agronomic characteristics and diverse uses that may render it useful to terrace farmers (Bazill, 1987; Haq, 2011; Kay, 1979). For this reason, this species will be reviewed extensively here.…”

“…It has also been reported to be tolerant of saline or waterlogged soils (Haq, 2011; Kay, 1979), the latter condition observed on rice terraces as already noted. A study conducted in Costa Rica found that C. ensiformis produced well in shaded conditions, able to grow with only 18% of full sunlight (Bazill, 1987), making it a strong candidate for growth on terrace walls. Indeed, the shade tolerance of this species has allowed its widespread use as a cover crop under cocoa, coconut, citrus and pineapple (Haq, 2011).…”

Leaf dry matter productivity of three selected perennial leguminous species in humid tropical Ivory Coast

“…General references have been made to its use in dry-season browsing in natural stands [3], as planted forage species [4], as cover crop in experimental coffee plantations [7] and in a similar role in rubber cultivation [2].…”