Agroforestry Services: Alley crop  Agroforestry Services: Crop shade  Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Agroforestry Services: Living trellis  Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Fodder: Bank  Industrial Crop: Biomass  Management: Coppice  Management: Standard  Minor Global Crop  Staple Crop: Protein

A plant of the subtropics, also succeeding at higher elevations in the tropics, being found at elevations of 100 - 2,300 metres[303 ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 45°c[418 ]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 2,000mm, but tolerates m350 - 2,500m[418 ]. Requires a sunny position[418 ]. Tolerates saline, acidic and alkaline soils[303 ]. The plant has an outstanding ability to withstand waterlogging and is ideally suited to seasonally flooded environments. When flooded, it initiates floating, adventitious roots and protects its stems, roots and nodules with spongy, aerenchyma tissue[303 ]. It also shows some tolerance to moisture stress and tolerates soil alkalinity and salinity to a considerable degree[303 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4 - 9.9[418 ]. A fast-growing, but short-lived plant, often dying before it is 10 years old[303 , 418 ]. It has been reported to attain a height of 4 - 5 metres in only 6 months[303 ]. It thrives under repeated cuttings and coppices readily, with many branches arising from the main stem below cutting height[303 ]. Cutting frequencies are generally 3 - 4 cuts/annum, but up to 8 cuts are made in some areas[303 ]. Yields have ranged from 4 to 12 tonnes/hectare dry matter per year, depending on location[303 ]. Cutting height can also influence yield, with cutting heights of 50 - 76 cm favouring plant survival and productivity[303 ]. 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 ]. The rhizobium requirements vary. There is a host-strain interaction, and different accessions of the plant require different strains of bacteria[303 ].

Carbon Farming

• Agroforestry Services: Alley crop  Integrates annual crops with rows of perennials.
• Agroforestry Services: Crop shade  Plants providing crop shade especially trees.
• Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
• Agroforestry Services: Living trellis  Plants to physically support other crops.
• Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.
• Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
• 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.
• 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: Coppice  Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
• Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
• 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.