tropical cover crop
 

Does anyone know of a green manure cover crop such as vetch that is
suitable for a tropical climate? I am looking for something that
would work in the rice fields of Thailand. Thanks.

In article ,
Gerry wrote:

Does anyone know of a green manure cover crop such as vetch that is
suitable for a tropical climate? I am looking for something that
would work in the rice fields of Thailand. Thanks.

Aren't rice fields flooded? So you would need a water plant?
What about cress? And that could be a secondary money crop as well.

K.

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Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

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In article ,
Gerry wrote:

Does anyone know of a green manure cover crop such as vetch that is
suitable for a tropical climate? I am looking for something that
would work in the rice fields of Thailand. Thanks.

Aren't rice fields flooded? So you would need a water plant?
What about cress? And that could be a secondary money crop as well.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Yes the fields are flooded, but only the part of the year that the
rice is actually growing. I have heard that in Viet Nam some farmers
use blue-green algae to add nitrogen to the soil at this stage, but I
can't confirm if that is true.

The time that the fields are fallow in the farms I am thinking of in
Thailand is during the dry season. It doesn't rain for months and it
is really quite hot, especially in the sun as these fields are. It
is quite a different set of circumstances from when I plant hairy
vetch in my garden for the winter in New York!

Anyway, thanks for the tip on cress. I will look into that.
Meanwhile does the new information about the conditions bring any
ideas to anyone's mind?

Thanks

Katra wrote:

In article ,
Gerry wrote:

Does anyone know of a green manure cover crop such as vetch that is
suitable for a tropical climate? I am looking for something that
would work in the rice fields of Thailand. Thanks.

Aren't rice fields flooded? So you would need a water plant?
What about cress? And that could be a secondary money crop as well.

K.

In article ,
Gerry wrote:

Yes the fields are flooded, but only the part of the year that the
rice is actually growing. I have heard that in Viet Nam some farmers
use blue-green algae to add nitrogen to the soil at this stage, but I
can't confirm if that is true.

The time that the fields are fallow in the farms I am thinking of in
Thailand is during the dry season. It doesn't rain for months and it
is really quite hot, especially in the sun as these fields are. It
is quite a different set of circumstances from when I plant hairy
vetch in my garden for the winter in New York!

Anyway, thanks for the tip on cress. I will look into that.
Meanwhile does the new information about the conditions bring any
ideas to anyone's mind?

Thanks


Alfalfa?

That is a legume crop so would add nitrogen back to the soil, and is
very valuable as a livestock feed. They used to grow it when I lived in
California in the Mojave desert. Might need some irrigation, but should
not be too bad.

I'm interested in hearing ideas from others. ;-)

K.

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Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

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Katra wrote in message ...
In article ,
Gerry wrote:

Does anyone know of a green manure cover crop such as vetch that is
suitable for a tropical climate? I am looking for something that
would work in the rice fields of Thailand. Thanks.

Aren't rice fields flooded? So you would need a water plant?
What about cress? And that could be a secondary money crop as well.

K.

I don't eat the watercress off the creek at the end of my backyard,
and I live in suburban Ann Arbor. Cress from a tropical rice field?
liver fluke galore (or worse).

In article ,
(simy1) wrote:

Katra wrote in message
...
In article ,
Gerry wrote:

Does anyone know of a green manure cover crop such as vetch that is
suitable for a tropical climate? I am looking for something that
would work in the rice fields of Thailand. Thanks.

Aren't rice fields flooded? So you would need a water plant?
What about cress? And that could be a secondary money crop as well.

K.

I don't eat the watercress off the creek at the end of my backyard,
and I live in suburban Ann Arbor. Cress from a tropical rice field?
liver fluke galore (or worse).

Well... Liver fluke comes from eating raw fish. :-)
I don't think you can get it from eating the cover crop?

I know that horses can get it from eating the eggs, but I think it needs
an intermediate host for humans. The life cycle is rather complex.

The greens would just need a thorough cleaning.

I doubt that it'd be exported anyway.

K.

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"Katra" wrote in message
...

Alfalfa?

That is a legume crop so would add nitrogen back to the soil, and is
very valuable as a livestock feed. They used to grow it when I lived
in
California in the Mojave desert. Might need some irrigation, but
should
not be too bad.

In I'm not wrong, Alfalfa are not for tropical.

--

Regards,
Wong

Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m

"Katra" wrote in message
...

Alfalfa?

That is a legume crop so would add nitrogen back to the soil, and is
very valuable as a livestock feed. They used to grow it when I lived
in
California in the Mojave desert. Might need some irrigation, but
should
not be too bad.

In I'm not wrong, Alfalfa are not for tropical.

--

Regards,
Wong

Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
Yes the fields are flooded, but only the part of the year that the
rice is actually growing. I have heard that in Viet Nam some
farmers
use blue-green algae to add nitrogen to the soil at this stage, but
I
can't confirm if that is true.

The time that the fields are fallow in the farms I am thinking of in
Thailand is during the dry season. It doesn't rain for months and
it
is really quite hot, especially in the sun as these fields are. It
is quite a different set of circumstances from when I plant hairy
vetch in my garden for the winter in New York!

In Malaysia, the most popular legume cover crop I think should be
Calopo(Calopogonium mucunoides) and
Butterfly Pea(Centrosema pubescens).

Both of them are drought and flood tolerance. Butterfly Pea are more
drought tolerance, Calopo are more flood tolerance. As legume they
are slow to start, and the organic matter they produce are not in long
lasting form. For what I notice, nearly all rice field are heavy clay
soils, since Butterfly Pea grow well in heavy clay soils, it may be
the better choice.

For fast growing and longer lasting organic matter, you have to look
for grass cover crop.

I suggest you try this:
After you harvest and drain, spread a four inches thick rice hull on
the rice field and till it in. Volunteer rice cover crop will grow
from the rice hull you till in. When the weather are getting dry,
till in the rice cover crop, wait for two weeks, seed the Butterfly
Pea and Calopo mixed, let the result to decide next time will goto
either Butterfly Pea or Calopo. Please put in mind that, you have to
seed before it's really dry, both legumes need rain to germinate and
grow their root to deeper part of soil in search of water.

The advantage a
Rice hull are free.
Rice hull do contain long lasting organic matter.
Rice hull will supress other weed but provide volunteer rice cover
crop from the rice that mixed in the rice hull.

BTW: The volunteer rice cover crop can grow without under flood or
irigation, but they will not produce good crop for harvest, this is my
personal experience.

--

Regards,
Wong

Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
Yes the fields are flooded, but only the part of the year that the
rice is actually growing. I have heard that in Viet Nam some
farmers
use blue-green algae to add nitrogen to the soil at this stage, but
I
can't confirm if that is true.

The time that the fields are fallow in the farms I am thinking of in
Thailand is during the dry season. It doesn't rain for months and
it
is really quite hot, especially in the sun as these fields are. It
is quite a different set of circumstances from when I plant hairy
vetch in my garden for the winter in New York!

In Malaysia, the most popular legume cover crop I think should be
Calopo(Calopogonium mucunoides) and
Butterfly Pea(Centrosema pubescens).

Both of them are drought and flood tolerance. Butterfly Pea are more
drought tolerance, Calopo are more flood tolerance. As legume they
are slow to start, and the organic matter they produce are not in long
lasting form. For what I notice, nearly all rice field are heavy clay
soils, since Butterfly Pea grow well in heavy clay soils, it may be
the better choice.

For fast growing and longer lasting organic matter, you have to look
for grass cover crop.

I suggest you try this:
After you harvest and drain, spread a four inches thick rice hull on
the rice field and till it in. Volunteer rice cover crop will grow
from the rice hull you till in. When the weather are getting dry,
till in the rice cover crop, wait for two weeks, seed the Butterfly
Pea and Calopo mixed, let the result to decide next time will goto
either Butterfly Pea or Calopo. Please put in mind that, you have to
seed before it's really dry, both legumes need rain to germinate and
grow their root to deeper part of soil in search of water.

The advantage a
Rice hull are free.
Rice hull do contain long lasting organic matter.
Rice hull will supress other weed but provide volunteer rice cover
crop from the rice that mixed in the rice hull.

BTW: The volunteer rice cover crop can grow without under flood or
irigation, but they will not produce good crop for harvest, this is my
personal experience.

--

Regards,
Wong

Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m

Katra wrote in message ...

Well... Liver fluke comes from eating raw fish. :-)
I don't think you can get it from eating the cover crop?


you get it also from water contaminated from animal waste, and of
course in third world countries a large percentage of crops is waste
and sewage fertilized. Not too many green salads in the tropics. they
like their veggies with a thick skin, and/or cooked.

In article ,
"nswong" wrote:

"Katra" wrote in message
...

Alfalfa?

That is a legume crop so would add nitrogen back to the soil, and is
very valuable as a livestock feed. They used to grow it when I lived
in
California in the Mojave desert. Might need some irrigation, but
should
not be too bad.

In I'm not wrong, Alfalfa are not for tropical.

--

Regards,
Wong

Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m



Well, it was said that the weather was hot and dry, and alfalfa grew in
the desert....

Oh well! Just tossing out ideas!

So what good is vetch? I'm always trying to think of commercial crop
value.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article ,
"nswong" wrote:

"Katra" wrote in message
...

Alfalfa?

That is a legume crop so would add nitrogen back to the soil, and is
very valuable as a livestock feed. They used to grow it when I lived
in
California in the Mojave desert. Might need some irrigation, but
should
not be too bad.

In I'm not wrong, Alfalfa are not for tropical.

--

Regards,
Wong

Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m



Well, it was said that the weather was hot and dry, and alfalfa grew in
the desert....

Oh well! Just tossing out ideas!

So what good is vetch? I'm always trying to think of commercial crop
value.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article ,
(simy1) wrote:

Katra wrote in message
...

Well... Liver fluke comes from eating raw fish. :-)
I don't think you can get it from eating the cover crop?


you get it also from water contaminated from animal waste, and of
course in third world countries a large percentage of crops is waste
and sewage fertilized. Not too many green salads in the tropics. they
like their veggies with a thick skin, and/or cooked.

Damn. I did a quick google search and you are correct! :-P
Time to go back and brush up on my parasite life cycles.
I'm supposed to know this stuff! lol

http://www.chclibrary.org/micromed/00048520.html

K. (eating crow.....)

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