Agroforestry Services: Alley crop  Agroforestry Services: Crop shade  Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Fodder: Bank  Management: Coppice  Management: Standard  Minor Global Crop

A plant of lowland, humid tropical areas to moderate elevations in the subhumid zone, where it can be cultivated at elevations up to 2,000 metres[303 ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 16 - 36°c[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 4,000mm, but tolerates 800 - 4,500mm[418 ]. Requires a sunny position[418 ]. Succeeds in alluvial soils with moderate to deficient drainage[303 ]. Found in the wild in deep, clayey soils[420 ]. Tolerates poor soils[418 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4 - 7.5[303 , 418 ]. The various species of Erythrina can all, as far as is known, be intercrossed to produce fertile hybrids[310 ]. The plant is pollinated by many non-specialized perching or sparrow-like birds. The amount of nectar in the flowers may reach 50 ?g per flower and is so great that insects would visit too few flowers to be effective distributors of the pollen[310 ]. Due to the slow recovery of carbohydrate reserves, pruning the tree more often than twice a year risks the debilitation and turnover of trees within a few years[303 ]. Pruning trees periodically will prevent complete leaf fall, and pruning trees once a year is enough to impede flowering[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[755 ]. E. Poeppigiana nodulates abundantly with nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Bradyrhizobium. Peak values exceeding 1,000 kg/ha of nodules have been reported for unpruned cacao shade trees[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: 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.
• 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.