Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Agroforestry Services: Understory legume  Fodder: Bank  Fodder: Pasture  Industrial Crop: Fiber  Management: Fodder  Management: Hay  Minor Global Crop

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it is unlikely to be winter hardy in any but the very mildest parts of the country. It is probably possible to grow it as an annual crop, harvesting the root in the autumn. P. phaseoloides prefers to is grow in ruderal situations, such as plantations of cocoa or banana, at low altitudes (often under 600 metres above sea level) in wet evergreen or monsoon forests. P. phaseoloides is capable of growth in a large soil spectrum. Acid soils are not a problem and the pH tolerance is between 4.3 and 8. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil[200]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200].

Carbon Farming

• Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.
• Agroforestry Services: Understory legume  Legume vegetation, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.
• Fodder: Bank  Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
• Fodder: Pasture  Enclosed tracts of farmland mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants).
• Industrial Crop: Fiber  Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
• Management: Fodder  Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
• Management: Hay  Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
• Minor Global Crop  These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.