Agroforestry Services: Contour hedgerow  Fodder: Bank  Fodder: Pasture  Global Crop  Industrial Crop: Biomass  Management: Hay  Staple Crop: Protein

A plant of the moist tropics, it can also be grown in subtropical and warm temperate regions. It is found at elevations from near sea level to 2,000 metres in the tropics[418 ]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature falls within the range 21 - 40°c, but can tolerate 15 - 45°c[418 ]. Plants can survive occasional light frosts[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,500mm, tolerating 850 - 4,000mm[418 ]. Grows best in a sunny position, but tolerates light shade[418 ]. Succeeds in most soils - although it can persist and compete in dry, sandy soils, it grows best in rich, well-drained conditions[305 , 428 ]. Established plants have a deep root system and are extremely drought tolerant[305 , 310 , 415 ]. It prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8.2[418 ]. The plant has escaped from cultivation and becomes naturalized in many parts of the tropics and subtropics[310 ]. In moist rich places it forms reed jungles, thereby eliminating the use of such land for cultivation[305 ]. It forms dense perennial stands, difficult to penetrate, which inhibits the establishment of other vegetation[305 ]. A fast-growing plant, under favourable conditions it can reach a height of several metres within 60 days[418 ]. Plants recover well after fire, and can become the dominant vegetation in fire-affected savannah communities[415 ]. Seed set is usually poor, possibly due to low pollen viability[415 ]. Moderate shade tolerance. USDA Hardiness Zone 8 - 11. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: global crop. Management: hay (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation) [1-1].

Carbon Farming

• Agroforestry Services: Contour hedgerow  Alley cropping systems on the contour of slopes.
• 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).
• Global Crop  These crops are already grown or traded around the world. The annual value of each is more than $1 billion US Examples include coconuts, almonds, and bananas.
• Industrial Crop: Biomass  Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels
• Management: Hay  Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
• Staple Crop: Protein  (16+ percent protein, 0-15 percent oil). Annuals include beans, chickpeas, lentils, cowpeas, and pigeon peas. Perennials include perennial beans, nuts, leaf protein concentrates, and edible milks.