Sesbania as Green Manure for Melia Dubia

Sesbania : Green Manure for Melia Dubia

Green Manure

Green undecomposed material used as manure is called green manure. It is obtained in two ways: by growing green manure crops or by collecting green leaf (along with twigs) from plants grown in wastelands, field bunds and forest. Green manuring is growing in the field plants usually belonging to leguminous family and incorporating into the soil after sufficient growth. The plants that are grown for green manure known as green manure crops. The most important green manure crops are sunnhemp, dhaincha, pillipesara,clusterbeans and Sesbania rostrata.

Sesbania rostrata is a stem nodulating green manure crop which is a native of West Africa. As it is a short-day plant and sensitive to photoperiod, the length of vegetative period is short when sown in August or September. A mutant (TSR-l) developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay is insensitive to photoperiod, tolerant to salinity and waterlogged condition. Growth and nitrogen fixation is higher with TSR-l compared to the existing strains.

Nutrient content of green manure crops

Plant	Scientific name	Nutrient content (%) on air dry basis
		N	P2O5	K
Sunhemp	Crotalaria juncea	2.30	0.50	1.80
Dhaincha	Sesbania aculeata	3.50	0.60	1.20
Sesbania	Sesbania speciosa	2.71	0.53	2.21

Advantages

1. Improves soil structure
2. Increases water holding capacity and
3. Decreases soil loss by erosion

Source

Progress : Melia Dubia : Sept, 2014