LEGUMINOUS TROPICAL PASTURE AND FEED CROPS
A wide variety of plants can be used as pasture and feed crops in the tropics. Over the years a limited number have become of great importance because of their adaptation, ease of growth, high yields, and nutritional value. Most of these are either grasses or legumes. Most of the grasses are highly suitable for permanent pastures, although a few are usually cut and carried to the animals. Unfortunately, there are few legume and grass combinations that are compatible in pastures of the tropics; however, we have recently added several new legumes suitable for mixed pastures and are eager to hear how they grow in various areas. In the case of a leucaena and grass as a combination, an appropriate diet consists of 1/3 leucaena to 2/3 grass. Some of the legumes in our seed bank are trees. During drought or in arid areas, tree leaves are sometimes the only feed available. We have a general Technical Note on Forages available.
Seeds are available to members of our network.
To find out how to request seeds, click here.
Aeschynomene |
Alfalfa |
Beach Bean |
Centrosema |
Clover |
Cowpea |
Desmanthus |
Desmodium |
Flemingia |
Forage Peanut |
Glycine |
Hairy Indigo |
Hairy Vetch |
Jack Bean |
Lablab Bean |
Leucaena |
Roundleaf Cassia |
Siratro |
Stylosanthes |
Velvet Bean
Aeschynomene spp. Elevation: 0-2200m
Aeschynomene MS, LL, RF
Short-lived perennial for wetland areas, >1000 mm annual rainfall, including low-lying ditches with seasonal flooding; regenerates well in pastures, early growth is slow; also used as green manure; high in protein. Image
A. americana, American Jointvetch: green manure, forage; good for low areas or drainage ditches; >1000 mm annual rainfall; can be grown successfully between the latitudes of 30 degrees north and south of the equator. It is normally grown at low elevations but has been found at altitudes up to 2200 feet (670m.)
A. evenia, Aeschynomene [Evenia]: slightly more woody than A. americana, but also offers more forage and reseeding; did well in some trials in Haiti; cattle will readily graze on this short-lived, perennial legume; tolerates waterlogging; Little fertilization is needed.
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Arachis pintoi
Forage Peanut/Perennial Peanut MS, LL,RF,H
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Amarillo: High-quality productive legume for forage and orchard ground cover, suited to over 100mm rain in tropics or subtropics. Can be planted and grown year-round if the soil has adequate moisture, warm temperatures and is not fertilized heavily. Registered variety. ECHO distributes only small quantities free for experimentation. Commercial source available on request. Cuttings are best means of propagation, but available only to those who visit ECHO.
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Very drought-tolerant valuable green manure and cover crop species. Not preferred by livestock, but they will eat it when other choices disappear in dry season. Very young pods edible; mature beans are highly toxic, but heat treatment eliminates the toxic effects. Ideal pH 5-6; will grow on impoverished tropical soils where other pulses will not grow. It has been a useful species in tropical soil reclamation efforts because of its deeply penetrating root system (affording high drought tolerance), its nitrogen fixation capabilities (providing for soil nutrient improvement) and its tolerance of a wide range of soil acidity and salinity conditions; can be used as a forage crop for ruminant (cud-chewing) animals.
See also Leguminous Vegetables.
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A salt tolerant green manure, cover & forage crop. Used for beach soil stabilization. Young seeds are eaten cooked. Scarify seed before planting.
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The regions suitable for centurion normally possess a distinct dry period of 4-6 months duration and receive less then 40 inches (1000 mm). A fast growing, relatively palatable, nutritious forage species; prostrate annual legume for seasonally dry tropics; extremely drought-tolerant; survives seasonal flooding; wide soil tolerance, pH 5-8.5, sand to heavy clay; requires high temperatures during growing season.
Cavalcade: early flowering and is well-suited to regions having short growing seasons with low wet season rainfall (700-900 mm annually).
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A short-lived perennial legume that is native to Florida and the Americas. It establishes quickly in sandy, infertile soils in the tropics and subtropics. Heavy seeding and a good nitrogen-fixing pasture crop. Spreads rapidly, even under heavy grazing because of its prostrate growth habit.
Wynn: It is used primarily as a pasture legume but it has potential use as a forage crop. It has been successfully introduced as a self-seeding annual into drier regions of northern Queensland, Australia, receiving only about 600 mm rainfall.
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A pasture crop that needs higher rainfall to survive. This species is not drought tolerant. During establishment desmodium needs cultivation to prevent other weedy/grass species from out competing.
Desmodium intortum, Greenleaf: perennial legume which grows well in cool temperatures; frost susceptible; produces seed during short days; tolerates acidic conditions and poorly drained soils; not suitable for areas with less than 890 mm rain; does not compete well with more vigorous grasses nor can it survive heavy grazing until its long taproot and stolons have become well established. LL, RF
Desmodium rensonii: highly preferred for SALT (Sloping Agricultural Land Technology) technique in Philippines; used most often as a fodder tree in a system of hedgerows and alley cropping. As a legume, it produces nitrogen-rich foliage; grows in a variety of well-drained soils.
LL, RF, H Desmodium heterocarpon: Perennial legume, grow with common permanent grasses for high quality pasture. Not for routinely dry locations. A valuable crop because of its aggressive nature.
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A nitrogen-fixing tropical shrub legume that can be used as a green manure/cover crop and as fodder for livestock. Native to the American tropics and subtropics, it can grow up to 3 meters high. Grows back quickly and can tolerate drought. Used as a living fence or for alley cropping.
Flemingia macrophylla Elevation: 0-2000m
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A woody, leguminous, deep-rooted shrub native to Asia, but now found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Malaysia. Useful in erosion control, for shade or shelter and for soil improvement. Wild hop leaves are slow to decompose and are an effective weed suppressant. Can also be used for fuel wood or fodder. Dried pods produce a powder that is used as an orange dye for silks. Roots used for medicinal purposes against ulcers and swelling.
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Reseeding annual; nematode-suppressant; tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers well-drained soils; used for hay and grazing. Plants grow from 0.6 – 1.3 m (2-4 ft) tall. Good ground cover and green manure; sensitive to cold. It grows as far as 30 degrees south and as far north as 32 degrees N in the USA and from sea level to 1350 m in Africa.
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Lablab Bean is capable of growing in a wide range of climatic conditions and soil types, depending upon the variety chosen. Lablabs have been grown from sea level to 2,000 m (6,000 ft) in tropical regions. It tolerates drought periods well but has been grown successfully in climates ranging from 200-2500 mm (8-100 in) annual rainfall. Lablabs prefer well-drained soils with a pH range from 4.4-7.8. Lablab has been grown both in nutrient-poor soils and those high in some minerals such as aluminum. Dark-seeded cultivars have high levels of both cyanogenic glucoside and a trypsin inhibitor and must be cooked, sprouted, or fermented before eating.
Refer to PULSES (Grain Legumes) section for varieties available.
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K156: Needs 500-1000 mm rain. Can grow from 5-15 meters. Good tree for alley cropping and fuel. Suitable for higher altitudes--does best between 1000- 2000 feet above sea level. Scarify (soak seeds in very hot water overnight or scratch seed coat) before planting.
K784: good for hedgerows, intercropping & alley cropping . Does best at 1000-2000 meters altitude. Highly psyllid resistant.
Can survive on less then 600mm and more than 2000mm annual rainfall. Performs best on sites receiving 1500 mm annual rainfall and that has soil with pH 6.0-7.5. Moderate drought tolerance; fast growth; coppices well; leaves used as fodder supplement in small amounts only; potentially weedy. There are three basic types of L. leucocephala trees: Hawaiian, Salvador, and Peru.
The Hawaiian type is short and bushy; its yield of wood and foliage is low compared to the other two types. The Salvador type (Hawaiian giant) is tall and tree-like;? can grow 60 ft. in height in five years. The Peru type is tall with extensive branching; trees are good for forage.
K6: Peru type.
K8: Salvador type.
K67: Salvador type. Produces large quantities of seed.
K500: An excellent forage-type which was developed in Australia. It is a cross between the Salvador and Peru types.
K636: Giant Hawaiian type; psyllid-resistant.
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Deep-rooted perennial; 760-1780 mm annual rainfall; withstands heat and drought on wide range of soils; establishes quickly; withstands heavy grazing; seed viable in soil up to 5 years; fixes nitrogen sufficiently to boost growth of other grasses; serves as food for wildlife.
Medicago sativa
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Varies in height from 0.6-1 m (2-3 ft); drought-tolerant (as little as 20”or 510 mm of rainfall per year); with a long taproot; sensitive to soil acidity, needs pH > 6.5 for high yields; tolerant of light frosts, requires soil that is well drained and rich in nutrients.
AmeriStand 403T: Tolerates cattle grazing while maintaining a large crown and root system. With a fall dormancy rating of 4, it was developed for North and East Central regions of the United States. It is noted for its ability to withstand the weight of heavy equipment in the field.
Bulldog 505: Developed at the University of Georgia, this variety is suited to slightly warmer areas than AmeriStand, having a fall dormancy rating of 5.
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All varieties vigorous and somewhat drought-tolerant; good green manure; may feed leaves and pods to animals only; beans high in L-DOPA. Not suitable for human consumption; an extremely valuable crop for interplanting in cornfields, rehabilitating depleted land, and for weed control; nitrogen-fixing; known to repel nematodes when used in a crop rotation; tolerates drought, low soil fertility, and acid soil, sensitive to frost and does not grow well in cold, wet soils. It grows best at altitudes under 1,500m (4,500 ft); self-pollinating. The beans will thrive in areas with full sun and high rainfall.
Refer to
Cover Crops section for varieties available.
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Perennial vining legume; 760-1525 mm annual rainfall; requires moderately fertile soil with good drainage; does not tolerate acidic soils or waterlogging; thrives in warm tropical regions having an average temperature of 30C or higher; high nitrogen production; often intercropped with grasses; a cover crop to suppress weed growth and improve soil nitrogen supply. It is a useful erosion control species; can be slow to establish. Beneficial to inoculate with rhizobium before planting.
Cooper: Early flowering; vigorous; drought-resistant.
Malawi: Slower to establish; withstands heavy grazing and harsh weather conditions; tolerates poor soils.
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A perennial herb that is most commonly grown as a leguminous pasture crop. Stylo can also be used as erosion control and will add nitrogen to the soil. This is an adaptable pasture crop for the tropics. It establishes easily although not much growth will occur until the second season. Needs to be inoculated with rhizobium so nitrogen fixing process can be initiated.
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Common stylo: This species is slow growing for the first 6 weeks. S. quianensis produces good yields from sea level up to 2,000m, between 900-2,000mm rainfall, and temperatures between 18-28 degrees C. A low growing crop with a spreading habit.
Caribbean stylo: This species is best suited to the hot tropics with 600-1,700 mm rainfall in a growing season of 15-25 weeks. Caribbean stylo is limited to low altitude regions because it is subject to frost damage. Is tolerant to acidic soils. ECHO's seed bank carries Verano Carribean, not Amiga
Shrubby stylo: This species can survive with as little as 600mm of rainfall, but does very poorly in heavy soils that hold too much water. An upright pasture type crop that is 6" tall. On ECHO's campus this crop has flourished under the hot humid summer. It can be grown at elevations as high as 3,000ft (1,000m). Tolerates acidic soil.
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T. incarnatum: Crimson Clover: cold-tolerant legume sown in autumn for overwintering and harvest in spring; fast-growing; nitrogen-fixing; prefers cool, humid weather with 35" of rainfall yearly. It cannot tolerate extreme drought or standing water and seeds will not germinate at temperatures over 60°F (15.5° C).
T. pratense: Red Clover, 'Cherokee': warm-climate clover suitable for tropical highlands; nitrogen-fixing legume; likes loam soil with good moisture; not rootknot nematode resistant; It will tolerate a wide range of rainfall, temperature and pH.
T. repens: White Clover
'Louisiana S-1': commonly grown in the southeastern US; white clover/grass mixture makes high quality pasture. Perennial warm-climate clover suitable for tropical highlands; cannot tolerate long, dry seasons and remain a perennial.
'Osceola': Developed by Univ. of Florida as a higher yielding, more persistent improvement of White Louisiana S-1; perennial warm-climate clover suitable for tropical highlands; cannot tolerate long, dry seasons and remain a perennial.
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Used as pasture, hay, silage, green manure; will fix nitrogen in the soil, (2-3 lb./acre/day under spring sun), prevents erosion, withstands trampling by foraging livestock, shades out weed growth, requires no fertilizer. Tolerant of acid soil, but requires high phosphorous; vining habit with stems 0.6-1.3 m long; needs well-drained soil.
Drought-tolerant forage plant from ILCA (International Livestock Center for Africa); originated in Mali; this forage plant can also be used as a green manure and cover crop; bush plant with compact pods; succeeds best in warm weather surviving some drought conditions and even some shade. It is not particular to soil types, will thrive where soil is well drained, properly inoculated and moderately rich with lime.
Refer to Leguminous Ground Covers and Green Manures section for 'ILCA' variety description and Pulses for other varieties.
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