Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Management: Standard  Regional Crop  Staple Crop: Basic Starch  Staple Crop: Sugar

Requires a sunny position[423 ]. Requires a well-drained soil[423 ]. Succeeds in poor soils[423 ]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[423 ]. The plant favours altitudes of more than 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) and grows in rich and sandy soils. A monocarpic species - the plant lives for a number of years without flowering but dies once it does flower. However, it normally produces plenty of suckers during its life and these continue growing, taking about 10 - 15 years in a warm climate, considerably longer in colder ones, before flowering[11 ]. The cultivar 'Azul', or blue agave, is preferred for tequila production[301 ]. Specimens have been recorded living up to 50 years in gardens. Blue agaves sprout a stalk (quiote) when about five years old that can grow an additional 5 metres (16ft); they are topped with yellow flowers. The stalk is cut off from commercial plants so the plant will put more energy into the heart.

Carbon Farming

• Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
• Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
• Regional Crop  These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
• Staple Crop: Basic Starch  The Carbon Farming Solution. Eric Toensmeier.
• Staple Crop: Sugar  Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.