Success for sunnhemp
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CTA. 1990. Success for sunnhemp. Spore 28. CTA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Permanent link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10568/45323
In Tanzania, the tropical legume Crotalaria ochroleuca, known as sunnhemp, is showing promise as a soil improver and fertilizer. It boosts crop yields, makes an effective weed suppressant, provides fodder for dairy animals (resulting in higher milk...
In Tanzania, the tropical legume Crotalaria ochroleuca, known as sunnhemp, is showing promise as a soil improver and fertilizer. It boosts crop yields, makes an effective weed suppressant, provides fodder for dairy animals (resulting in higher milk yields) and can provide effective weevil control in stored crops. When planted early near other crops, sunnhemp can halve fertilizer requirement, reduce erosion and prevent the growth of weeds for two to three years. Cultivation becomes easier in the following seasons and labour costs are reduced. Sunnhemp has been found palatable for dairy cattle, goats and sheep and enduces higher milk yields. Chickens also eat the leaves and roots and, if it is planted at pond margins, fish too will feed on it. When sunnhemp seed was spread between layers of bagged grain in warehouse experiments, no weevils appeared over a twelve month period. Sunnhemp can be grown even by farmers with marginal lands. The seeds are sown like finger millet. Ten kilogrammes of seed are required to plant one acre. When mixed in the proportion of one litre of seed to two litres of sand, sowing is easier. At a workshop held at Sokoine University of Agriculture to bring together experts from the University and other similar institutions, it was agreed that research into sunnhemp should be stepped up with priority given to the role of the legume in pest control. Uyole Agricultural Centre Morogoro Agricultural College PO BOX 3000 Morogoro - TANZANIA