Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Fodder: Bank  Fodder: Pod  Management: Standard  Regional Crop

A plant of low to medium elevations in the drier to moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres[303 ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 23 - 28°c, but can tolerate 18 - 36°c[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 750 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 600 - 3,000mm[418 ]. It is normally found in areas where there is a dry season of 1 - 6 months[303 ]. Prefers a fertile, well-drained soil and a position in full sun[307 ]. Seedlings grow best in a moderately sunny position[331 ]. Medium-textured soils are probably best, but eroded ultasols, deep moist clays, shallow sandy clays and porous limestone all allow good development[418 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 8, tolerating 4 - 8.5[418 ]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[307 ]. Although generally considered to have been introduced throughout the tropics, mainly as a roadside or garden tree, it is apparently little known or used outside its native range and has never been planted on a large scale[303 ]. It has been tested in plantations in Puerto, Ghana and sporadically elsewhere[303 ]. Trees resprout vigorously after coppicing or lopping[303 ]. Adult trees produce about 2,000 pods, each with 10 - 16 seeds[303 ]. This tree has been adopted as the national tree of Costa Rica[325 ]. 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[755 ] It is a fast growing tree. It takes 5 years before fruiting. Can suffer from fungal disease (reports from Puerto Rico).

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: Pod  Fodder plants with pods.
• 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.