Interesting and important study and makes me wonder if this is something that is much more common among nitrogen-fixing plants, or other plants for that matter. On the Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific (DSAP) project in the Pacific we have been promoting Mucuna as a fallow cover crop, although it too is often used as an intercrop. Subsequent yield differences are substantial which we largely attribute to the enhanced levels of soil nitrogen and weed suppression. However, I believe that Dr Siosiua Halavatau, working on the DSAP project, has some preliminary evidence that Mucuna also assists in the improved mobilisation of soil phosphorous. I am not aware of this being observed for Mucuna before and this message will remind me to contact him to find out the current situation. And obviously, the Chinese article is focusing on a very specific interaction. Just imagine the many possible below- and above-ground types of beneficial interaction that could be taking place.
We did some work with mucuna in Tonga and we also did P-fractionation and found that mucuna increased the amount of Fe and Al phosphate (mobolized) in volcanic ash soils. We are now using in some of the pacific Islands and will also do P-fractionation.
Yes, Luigi is correct when he mentions that Mucuna (pruriens) is sometimes referred to as velvet bean. This online article provides a brief overview of the plant and its benefits: http://www.new-agri.co.uk/01-6/focuson/focuson8.html
I am not exactly sure about the issue of the pods being poisonous. I know that there is a problem with human palatibility or digestibility but I have come across anecdotal evidence that feeding pods to pigs improved the survival rates of litters. Anybody have information related to this?
Interesting and important study and makes me wonder if this is something that is much more common among nitrogen-fixing plants, or other plants for that matter. On the Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific (DSAP) project in the Pacific we have been promoting Mucuna as a fallow cover crop, although it too is often used as an intercrop. Subsequent yield differences are substantial which we largely attribute to the enhanced levels of soil nitrogen and weed suppression. However, I believe that Dr Siosiua Halavatau, working on the DSAP project, has some preliminary evidence that Mucuna also assists in the improved mobilisation of soil phosphorous. I am not aware of this being observed for Mucuna before and this message will remind me to contact him to find out the current situation. And obviously, the Chinese article is focusing on a very specific interaction. Just imagine the many possible below- and above-ground types of beneficial interaction that could be taking place.
Thanks, Danny. I’ll send this to Sioua, maybe he’d like to bring us up to date on his mucuna work.
The hell is mucuna anyway?
We did some work with mucuna in Tonga and we also did P-fractionation and found that mucuna increased the amount of Fe and Al phosphate (mobolized) in volcanic ash soils. We are now using in some of the pacific Islands and will also do P-fractionation.
Mucuna is a leguminous cover crop/green manure. I think it is sometimes called velvet bean. The pods are poisonous, right?
Yes, Luigi is correct when he mentions that Mucuna (pruriens) is sometimes referred to as velvet bean. This online article provides a brief overview of the plant and its benefits: http://www.new-agri.co.uk/01-6/focuson/focuson8.html
I am not exactly sure about the issue of the pods being poisonous. I know that there is a problem with human palatibility or digestibility but I have come across anecdotal evidence that feeding pods to pigs improved the survival rates of litters. Anybody have information related to this?