Now that funds are increasingly available for climate change agriculture projects I would like to know which are the best cover crops for SSA subsistence farmers?
It is generally accepted that leguminous crops are best for soil fertilization but that usually means having unprotected soil for part of the year,
To maximize carbon sequestration soil should always be covered.
Clover is often mentioned as a perennial soil cover but which variety?
Graham Knight
biodesign20.co.uk
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Is Clover a food plant? Covering crops that produce food are better.
I’m writing from Central Tanzania, which is a relatively dry place (about 350-700mm of rain, about 500m average). Other areas would need different plants.
I’d go for lablab wherever possible, because it’s relatively easy to cook. Canavalia and Mucuna would work as well, but need rinsing and repeated cooking for eating. In our area those two are not known, but lablab is well known and accepted.
Another possibility in drier areas is pigeon pea. It’s less of a cover crop though, as it’s more of a bush, but it will live for a couple of years.
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