LEGUMES

1. LEGUMES

2. Climbing & Twining Mainly cover crop species Tree Legumes Upright shrubs & creeping Centro Puero Calapo Stylo Desmodium Arachis pintoi Leucaena Gliricidia Sesbania PASTURE LEGUMES

3. Centro(Centrosema pubescens) • Used in mixtures as cover crops in plantations • Native of South America • Protein content of 23.6%, yields 6-10 t/ha • Unsuited to very wet or too dry conditions • Climbs tree trunks and fences if left unchecked • Most palatable among the legume mixtures • High persistence

6. Puero(Pueraria phaseoloides) • A component of legume mixture • Indigenous to Malaysia • Vigorous early growth, large leaves • Not tolerant to heavy grazing • Able to grow in low fertility and acid soils • Protein content 17.5 %, yields 5-10 t/ha

8. CalapoCalapogonium mucunoides • Another component of cover crops • Native of South America • Aggressive growth • Not very palatable because of hairy stems and leaves • Protein content 15.6% yield 5-10 t/ha

10. StyloStylosanthes guianensis • Has been used as cover crops • Upright shrub, not climbing • Tolerant to poor soils with low P • Tolerant to sandy soils and drought

12. Petai belalangLeucaena leucocephala • A tree legume, can reach 9 m height • Native of Central America and Pacific Islands • Requires high soil pH (>6), needs liming in most Malaysian soils • Contains amino acid mimosine that cause toxicity to animals. Limit intake to 30% of diet • Susceptible to Psyllids (sucking insects) • High protein > 25%

15. Gliricidia sepium • A tree legume usually used as shade in cocoa and coffee plantations • Easily established using cuttings • Leaves emit odour when fresh, should be wilted before feeding • High dry matter yield, regrow easily after cutting

17. Planting mix legume-grass pasture

18. Legume seedlings

19. Legume-Grass Mixture

20. New legumes for Tropics? ALFALFA (Lucerne)

24. End