21 / 44
19
Terminating the cover crop by rolling at a late vegetative stage (end of February).
Depending on the stage of maturity, the crude protein content of
the dry matter foliage is between 10% - 25% and 20% - 35% in the
grain. Velvet bean has a digestibility of 60% - 65%. Many reports
have indicated that
M. pruriens
can have either a low palatability
or an extremely high palatability, and this is often related to the
climatic conditions in which it is grown, further affected by the way
it is managed and utilised.
Pods of the velvet bean.
Conclusion
After consulting literature, we can conclude that
Mucuna pruriens
will increase the functional properties of an agro-ecosystem, which
will increase its productivity through the biocontrol of weeds and
diseases in addition to the incorporation of organic matter (OM) and
N into the soil.
Velvet bean has also shown that soil biota can be improved, and
when soil properties change, soil moisture and temperature will
be regulated better and soil will be protected from erosion and
ultimately better intercropped grain harvests can be achieved.
Alternatively, when velvet bean is being used as a cover crop,
it can be partially grazed by ruminants during the drier season to
sustain their growth.
References
Versteeg, MN & Koudokpon, V (1990). Mucuna helps control
imperata in shuthern
Benin
. pp. 7 - 10, Bulletin 7, West African Farming Systems Research Network,
Benin, Africa