Initial growth performances in leguminous cover crop - Dendrocalamus asper integration

Abstract

The association between leguminous cover crops and main crops is known to have multiple benefits. Leguminous cover crops are common in the plantations of economic crops of oil palm, rubber and coconut, but are less studied for plantations of Dendrocalamus asper, or Buluh Betong. This study was carried out at Ladang Sungai Jernih, Kerling, Selangor, with the aim of evaluating an effective leguminous cover crop species in supporting the growth of D. asper. In this work, Pueraria phaseoloides var. javanica, Calopogonium mucunoides, and Centrosema pubescens, were respectively integrated with D. asper, each was combined with and without the application of nitrophoska for D. asper after field planting. Results show that C. pubescens was the most potent leguminous cover crop for enhancing the growth of D. asper without nitrophoska supplement. By six months after planting, D. asper integrated with C. pubescens had a height of 185.96±27.93 cm and tiller size (diameter) of 2.08±0.40 cm, being comparable (P>0.05) to the nitrophoska fertilized D. asper at no leguminous cover crop integration (206.94±37.78 cm in height; 2.01±0.26 cm in diameter). Likewise, C. pubescens-D. asper integration also had positive effects for clump development of D. asper; the clump area was 400.47±68.34 cm2 by six months after planting, being comparable (P>0.05) to nitrophoska fertilized D. asper at no leguminous cover crop integration (343.54±39.72 cm2), while C. pubescens-D. asper integration supplemented with nitrophoska had significantly (P<0.05) the largest D. asper clump size of 494.01±76.70 cm2 at this point of time. However, C. pubescens had a slow initial growth rate with field seeding. Alternatively, P. phaseoloides, which showed vigorous growth of vines and fast ground cover, could be mixed with C. pubescens for more positive impacts in fertilizer-saving and environmentally friendly D. asper plantations.