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Covercrop

Acovercrop,orgroundcover,isacropplantedtomanagesoil
erosion,soilfertility,weedsand/orpests,andtherebyreducetheuseof
herbicidesandpesticides.Thepracticeconsistsinplantingaspecies
thatdoesnotnegativelyimpactbananaproductionandpreventsthe
growthofweeds.Thesecouldbedomesticatedcropsorlocalspecies.
Bananascanalsobeplantedonthemulchofapreviouscovercrop
(suchasBrachiariadecumbensorCrotalaria).Themulchwilllimitthe
growthofweedsandprotecttheyoungbananaplants.

Covercrop

CONTENTS

Methodology
Choiceofacovercrop
Examplesofcovercrops
Benefitsofacovercrop
Furtherreading

Methodology
Whenestablishinganewplot,thecovercropshouldtoleratelightand
notcompetewithbananaplants.

Choiceofacovercrop
Agoodcovercropforabananaplantationshouldpossessmanyofthe
followingcharacteristics::
Creepingorshortstature.
Fastspreading(invasive).
Complementaryrootsystem(e.g.nitrogenfixingrootsordeep
rootsthatcancapturewaterandnutrientsnotaccessibleto
thebananaplants).
Nonhostofbananapathogens.
Doesnotcompeteforresourcessuchaswater,lightand
nutrients.

Cleomerutidosperma
PhotobyNicolasFgeant,UGPBAN

Pesticidereducingpractices
Bagging
Biologicalforecastingsystemforblack
leafstreak
Biologicalforecastingsystemfor
Sigatokaleafspot
Covercrop
Croprotation
Deleafing

Examplesofcovercrops

Fallow
Fungicidereducingapplication
technologies

Nitrogenfixingleguminousplants:Puerariaphaseoloides,
Desmodiumovalifolium,Centrocemaspp.,Stizolobiumdeeringianum,
Stizolobiumniveum,Stizolobiumaterreum.,Canavaliaspp.,
Stylosanthesguianensis,Arachispintoi(toleranttohumidityand
shadebuthosttonematodes),NeonotoniawigthiiandGalactiastriata.

Integratednematodemanagement
system
Pheromonetrapping
Watermanagement
Weedmanagement

Otherspecies:Teramnusvolubilis,Melothriaguadalupensis,Geophiliamacropoda(hostofnematodes),Vigna
peduncularis(moderatetolerancetoshadeandcold,goodweedcontrol),Murdanianudiflora,Callisiacordifolia,
Cleomerutidosperma,Drymariacordata,Paspalumnotatum,Commelinaspp.,Evolvulusnummularius,Impatienssp.
Brachiariadecumbens(itprovidesagoodgroundcover,improvesfertilityaswellassoilstructureanditsbiomasscan
beusedasfodder).

Benefitsofacovercrop

Benefitsofacovercrop
Protectsthesoil.
Helpsstructurethesoil.
Providesorganicmatter.
Reducessoiltemperatureandrespiration.
Producesgrowthenhancingsubstances.
Reducesnutrientleaching.
Partiallyreturnsnutrientstothesoil.
Fixesnitrogen(whenthecovercropisaleguminous)
BufferssuddenchangesinsoilpH(whensyntheticfertilizersareapplied).
Increasesthesoilsbiodiversity.
Increasesthesoilsmineralizationthroughitsdecomposition.

Furtherreading
Controldemalezasenplantacionesbananerasmedianteelusodecoberturasnobles
Colombia'sassociationofbananaproducers.

producedbyAugura,

Withalittlehelpfrom(functional)biodiversityinthe3April2012issueofInfoMus@
Whitetext
Whitetext

ThispageispartofaseriesinitiatedbyagrantfromtheMinistrefranais
del'agriculture,del'agroalimentaireetdelaforttotheWorldBanana
Forum.White

Theoriginaldocumentisavailableathttp://www.promusa.org/tikiindex.php?q=%2FCover+crop&page=Cover+crop

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