Wild Staple Crop  Management: Standard  Staple Crop: Protein  New Crop

A plant of the drier tropics, marama bean occurs naturally in an extreme environment with high temperatures and very low rainfall[299 ]. It can be found at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 30°c, but can tolerate 16 - 50°c[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 300 - 600mm, but tolerates 150 - 1,600mm[398 , 418 ]. The plant probably survives droughts by drawing on water stored in the tuber, which shrinks greatly in dry years[418 ]. Requires a sunny position. Grows best in a deep, loose, sandy soil[418 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[418 ]. An extremely drought-tolerant plant, it can grow in areas where rainfall is so slight and erratic that in some years almost no rain falls at all[418 ]. In its native habitat surface water is usually available only for 8 weeks a year, though in the fine-grained sandy soils water may remain in the root zone for as long as 2 months after a rainfall[418 ]. Unlike most members of this plant family, this species does not form nitrogen nodules on the roots[299 ]. The beans are typically harvested in late summer to early autumn, around March to April in the Southern Hemisphere. Marama Bean flowers from late spring to summer, generally from October to December in the Southern Hemisphere. Marama Bean has a slow to moderate growth rate. It can take several months to establish, but once established, it can spread and produce seeds within one growing season.

Carbon Farming

• Wild Staple Crop  Some wild plants have strong historical or contemporary use. Although they are not cultivated crops, they may be wild-managed.
• Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
• 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.
• New Crop  Most new crops were important wild plants until recently, although some are the result of hybridization. They have been developed in the last few, decades. What they have in common is that they are currently cultivated by farmers. Examples include baobab, argan, and buffalo gourd.