Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Fodder: Bank  Fodder: Pasture  Industrial Crop: Fiber  Management: Hay  Minor Global Crop  Staple Crop: Protein

Grows best on well-drained loam soil of good fertility[269]. Succeeds in most well-drained soils in a sunny position[200], though it does not make good growth on very light poor sand or on poorly drained heavy clay[269]. Plants cannot stand waterlogging on any soil[269]. A deep-rooted pant, once established it is very drought resistant[171, 269]. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 97 to 214cm, an annual mean temperature in the range of 12.2 to 26.7°C, and a pH of 5.0 to 7.1[269]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c, they can resprout from the base if they are cut down by frosts[200]. A twining plant, the top growth is not generally hardy in Britain and plants do not always flower here[1]. Plants can be grown as annuals in Britain, the seed is started off in a greenhouse and is planted out after the last frosts[1]. They can grow up to 6 metres in their first year and make good temporary screens[1]. The plant succeeds outdoors in Berlin, but it has to be propagated vegetatively there[74]. This plant is cultivated for its edible root in Japan and China[183]. The flowers have a sweet vanilla scent[245]. When grown in warmer climates than Britain the root can be invasive and plants have become weeds[182, 219]. Introduced into the southern N. American states in 1876 as a soil stabilizer, the plant has spread very widely (it can grow up to 30cm in a day), has swamped out native vegetation, including large trees. It is considered to be one of the most obnoxious weeds in that region[274]. 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.
• 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: 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.
• 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.