Legumes As Cover Crop

[Hermeric]

After nearly 20 years in Bangkok, I feel I need a bit of fresh air. A Thai friend of mine of mine “gave me” (30 years lease) a 5 rai piece of land in Chonburi province, just bordering Chachoengsao. So the idea is to gradually develop it into an organic garden/orchard.

The land includes a few fruit trees (mango, rambutan, rose apple) and about one rai of old dragon fruits that I am thinking of getting rid of. The rest of the land was used to grow cassava for the last season.

For this year, I am thinking of keeping the fruit trees and plant the land with legume. The idea is to minimize the work to keep the weeds away and bring a bit of nitrogen to improve the soil. Searching this forum and other web resources I read about legumes like thua lisong tao (ถั่วลิสงเถา) or brazil nuts (ถั่วบราซิล). I would be much interested to learn from estimated members of this forum regarding these or other legumes in Thailand. I would also be interested to buy seeds to plant about 3-4 rai of the stuff.

I would also be interested in any organic farm experience in Chonburi/Chachoengsao or lower Esarn region to visit. Thanks

[Rsteeltje]

Hello Hermeric,

I'm starting an organic farm close to Chiang Mai. Between the fruit trees I plan to plant Brazil Nuts (actually not the right name but I mean Arachis Pintoi ).

You can order from Nutsgarden in BKK.

Send an email to Khun Nuttapat ([email protected]) webside: http://www.nutsgarden dot com

Very helpful and quick to answer mails.

But he, like most people I talk to have no clue what inoculants are. Everybody preaches nitrogen fixation but without the right inoculants most crops will only fix a fraction of what they could do with the right bacteria.

So if anybody know anyone who can supply inoculants I would be very grateful. For Arachis Pintoi you need: Bradyrhizobium.

Cheers

R'tje

[Hermeric]

Thanks for the link. Yes i mean Arachis Pintoi, apparently called brazil nut in Thai although this is not brazil nut. Innoculant? I have been looking around but did not find local supplier yet. Interestingly, i read in this forum some guy growing beans (various kinds) with plants developing good nodules (pink inside) without innoculant. Some rhizobium might be present naturally.

Cheers. Hermeric

[rice555]

Hello All, don't know if you can find in LOS, but they have it

at 2 places in the US.

I got mine in the past at-

www.groworganic.com which I had reshipped to me with other

seed orders so I don't know if they ship international and http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/Assets/Information/Inoculants.pdf

PVF also has use info on what they sell.(PVF is groworganic.com)

I did the milk coating way.

rice555

[fredge45]

If you do a search in the farming forum for "sunn hemp" you will find a load of information. This is an excellent legume for use as a "green manure". The seeds are readily available as "paw tuang".

I have chopped it to add to the compost heap as well as turning it directly into the soil. Leaves and stems also hold a lot of Nitrogen so you don't have to worry so much about having the correct innoculant. Cow manure works well as an innoculant so not having to get some imported stuff is nice.

I also try to time the planting of it so the blooming will be on just before the mango and lamyai start their bloom. Attracts lots of polinators and gives them a good start before the neighbors orchards start to bloom.

Great stuff and is well adapted to the tropics. The attachment is in Thai so you'll need a translation.

Good luck and have fun!

paw tuang.doc

[Hermeric]

Rhizobium inoculant for pinto peanut (arachis pintoi) seems to be available from

NEW-EDGE Microbials Pty. Ltd.

951 Garland Avenue North Albury N.S.W. 2640

Australia

ABN 93 093 133 530

Tele: (02) 6025 0044 Fax: (02) 6040 0237

It seems not possible to put a link in this post. Google it!

they do ship to Thailand. Just placed an order. Will see when/if it arrives.

Eric