Abonos Verdes y Cultivos de Cobertura 

Los AVCC son cultivos de rápido crecimiento que cubren y protegen el suelo, y se dejan como mantillo o se incorporan durante el arado para enriquecer el suelo. Las legumbres son priorizadas por su capacidad para fijar nitrógeno. Pueden establecerse a partir de semillas, pero algunas echan raíces en los nodos y pueden establecerse a partir de esquejes. ECHO no proporciona inoculantes de leguminosas. Hay disponible una nota técnica de ECHO sobre los Abonos Verdes y Cultivos de Cobertura. Also see the GMCC Selection Tool.

  1. Desmanthus Desmanthus virgatus

    Desmanthus is a nitrogen-fixing, prostrate, perennial, tropical shrub that can be used as a green manure/cover crop and as fodder for livestock. This shrub is adaptable to a range of environments and is tolerant of drought.

  2. Flemingia Flemingia macrophylla

    Flemingia macrophylla is a perennial, deep-rooted, woody, nitrogen-fixing shrub up to 2.5 m in height. It is useful for shade, and for soil conservation and improvement as an alley crop, green manure, or cover crop.

  3. Rice Bean Vigna umbellata

    Rice Bean

    La Vigna umbellata, conocida como Rice Bean en E.U., es una leguminosa oriunda del sudeste asiático, donde se cultiva ampliamente. Es una cosecha de pulso (cultivada por sus semillas comestibles secas) y es bien conocida en los trópicos donde se encuentra gran variabilidad.

  4. Sesbania sesban Sesbania sesban

    Sesbania is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing perennial, growing to 7 m in height. It is typically found in wet locations and can withstand water logging and flooded conditions. Sesbania is used as a cover crop or green manure, coppices readily, provides light fuelwood, and good forage for...

  5. Hairy Vetch Vicia villosa

    arvejilla vellosa

    Native to Europe or western Asia, Vicia villosa is suited to cooler climates. It is a viny legume with long, soft hairs on the stems and leaves. Branching, stems/vines are prostrate (30-70 cm), but can climb (up to 1-2 m) stalks of any neighboring plants. Stems support long, hanging groups of...

  6. Caupi (Cowpea) Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata

    Caupi (Cowpea)

    Una arveja silvestre que es muy similar a esta variedad cultivada es nativa de África central y con muy pocas diferencias ahora se cultiva en todo el mundo donde las temperaturas son moderadas.

  7. Cáñamo de sol Crotalaria juncea

    Crotolaria, Cáñamo De La India, Soñajuelas, Cáñamo indio, cáñamo marrón

    Crotalaria juncea es una planta herbácea anual utilizada por su fibra, forraje y como cultivo de cobertura para abono verde. C. ochroleuca alcanza alturas de hasta 3.5 m, presenta hojas trifoliadas largas y estrechas, y flores típicas, en forma de mariposa, similares a las de otras leguminosas.

  8. Sword Bean Canavalia gladiata

    Haba De Burro

    Canavalia gladiata is a perennial, fast-growing, heavily producing, climbing legume. It is widely cultivated in the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, but remains a minor vegetable elsewhere. Plants can reach 10 m in length with a deep, penetrating root system. Leaves are trifoliate, similar to...

  9. Jicama Pachyrhizus erosus

    Jicama is a perennial, nitrogen-fixing vine, reaching 10 m in length, and grown for the edible tuber. Jicama is also used as fodder, green manure, or cover crop.

  10. Butterfly Pea Clitoria ternatea

    Clitoria ternatea is a climbing, vining, tropical legume. Leaves are pinnately compound, each bearing 5-7 leaflets. Flowers occur in singles or pairs, are 4 cm wide, and are colored deep blue or solid white. These give way to pubescent, flat pods, that, upon maturation, dehisce (split and burst...

  11. Slender Leaf Rattlebox Crotalaria ochroleuca

    Crotalaria ochroleuca is an annual herbaceous plant utilized for fiber, forage, and as a green manure cover crop. Reaching heights of 2.5 m, C. ochroleuca bears long, slender, trifoliate leaves and five-petalous blooms (banner, wing, and keel) similar to other legumes.

  12. Fish Bean Tephrosia vogelii

    Fish bean is a short-lived perennial, somewhat woody, nitrogen-fixing plant, growing up to 3 m in height. This plant is used for green manure, erosion control, and mulch. It is known to contain rotenoids and can be used as an insecticide and fish poison. Fish bean should NOT be used as fodder for...

  13. GANDUL-Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan

    Gandul Pigeon Pea, Frijol De Palo, Guisante De Angola, Frijol De La India, Frijol Quinchancho

    El gandul ha sido cultivado por mucho tiempo en algunas regiones de Asia (quizás por 3,000 años), pero los botánicos geógrafos colocan su origen en el África tropical; sus semillas probablemente siguieron las rutas de la trata de esclavos desde el África hasta el Nuevo Mundo.

  14. Mani Forrajero Arachis pintoi

    Mani Forrajero, Maní Pinto, Maní Perenne

    El cacahuete forrajero es una hierba perenne nativa de Brasil que se encuentra en toda América del Sur y que forma una cola corta y densa de crecimiento. Es una leguminosa fijadora de nitrógeno que tolera un poco de sombra.

  15. HABA DE CABALLO- Jack Bean Canavalia ensiformis

    Haba De Caballo Jack Bean, Pallar De Los Gentiles, Haba De Burro

    El haba de caballo es oriunda de las Antillas y Centroamérica. Ésta se asemeja mucho al frijol canavalia, Canavalia gladiata, una especie de habichuela cultivada del Viejo Mundo, y a la especie silvestre predominante africana debido a la gran semejanza en las tres especies. Hoy en día el haba de...

  16. Bay Bean Canavalia rosea (formerly maritima)

    Canavalia rosea is a leguminous, drought and salt tolerant vine adapted to growing under very dry and hot conditions. Vines are widely distributed on beaches and dunes in the tropics and subtropics, also western and northern Australia. They can reach lengths of 6 m, with a compact canopy 15-30 cm...

  17. Hairy Indigo Indigofera hirsuta

    Hairy indigo is a reseeding annual, nitrogen-fixing, erect, bushy plant, up to 2.5 m in height. It is used as a forage, summer fallow, green manure, or cover crop.

  18. FRIJOL LABLAB Lablab purpureus

    Frijol Lablab, Judía, Habichuela, Poroto De Egipto, Judía de Egipto, zarandaja, Frijol de Egipto

    Lablab purpureus puede crecer en un amplio rango de condiciones climáticas y tipos de suelo, dependiendo de la variedad elegida. Se cultiva ampliamente en todos los trópicos y subtrópicos y ocurre de manera silvestre en el África tropical (incluyendo Madagascar) e India. La palatabilidad del...

  19. Grass Pea Lathyrus sativus

    Grass pea is an annual, vining or climbing, drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing plant, up to 1 m in height, adapted to cooler temperatures, and higher altitudes in the tropics. It is a multipurpose legume, the seeds of non-toxic forms used for human consumption, and the plant used for forage,...

  20. White Lupine Lupinus albus

    White lupine is a cool season, nitrogen-fixing, bushy, annual plant up to 1.6 m in height, and adapted to higher altitudes in the tropics. It is mainly used for forage, green manure or cover crops but non-toxic modern varieties have been developed for human consumption.

  21. Siratro Macroptilium atropurpureum

    haba púrpura, jícama silvestre

    El origen exacto de este cultivo es desconocido, pero suele sembrarse desde el sur de Tejas hasta Perú. Fue llamado “Siratro” e hibridizado por primera vez a inicios de la década de 1960.

  22. Tarwi Lupinus mutabilis

    Tarwi is an erect, annual, cool-season, nitrogen-fixing plant up to 2.5 m in height. For human consumption the seeds must be soaked in water for several days to remove bitter alkaloids. The seeds are high in protein, pressed for oil, and fed to livestock. Tarwi is a good green manure or cover...

  23. Horse Gram Macrotyloma uniflorum

    Horse gram is a dense, low-growing, nitrogen-fixing, annual crop grown for forage and human consumption. It is usually sown as an intercrop but can also be used as a green manure or cover crop. It will tolerate drought conditions, poor soil, and some salinity.

  24. Glycine Neonotonia wightii

    Glycine is a perennial, vining, nitrogen-fixing, green manure or cover crop that may be grown to suppress weed growth, improve the soil nitrogen supply, and slow soil erosion. It is also a forage crop that can be grown in pure stands for hay or in a mixed pasture system.

  25. FRIJOL TERCIOPELO- Velvet bean Mucuna pruriens

    Frijol Terciopelo Velvet Bean, Frijol Terciopelo

    El frijol terciopelo es originario de la China y del este de la India, donde una vez se lo cultivaba comunmente como vegetal.

  26. Tropical Kudzu Pueraria phaseoloides

    Tropical kudzu is a perennial, vigorous, deep-rooted, vining or climbing, nitrogen-fixing plant, with vines up to 10 m long. This crop tolerates high water levels (even occasional water logging), grows well in the dry season, and can tolerate acidic soils and shade. It is used as a forage, green...

  27. Prickly Sesban Sesbania bispinosa

    Prickly sesban is a fast-growing, annual, nitrogen-fixing shrub, growing up to 2 m in one season. It is valuable for soil improvement, erosion control, firewood, forage, fiber, and as a green manure/cover crop.

  28. Agati Sesbania grandiflora

    Sesbania grandiflora is a small, fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing tree, that can grow to 10 m height in 3-4 years. This plant is grown mainly as a green manure or cover crop but can also be used as forage for livestock.

  29. Adzuki Bean Vigna angularis

    Frijol Adzuki

    Adzuki bean is a bushy or vining, nitrogen-fixing, annual plant that is moderately drought tolerant. This bean grows best in temperate climates or higher altitudes in the tropics. The young pods, fresh seeds and dry beans are used for human consumption.

  30. Fava Bean Vicia faba

    Haba, Haba

    Vicia faba is an annual herbaceous plant from the legume family, usually considered to contain three subspecies: V. faba ssp. major (broad bean), V. faba ssp. equina (horse bean), and V. faba ssp. minor (tick bean or pigeon bean). Plants are upright, reaching heights of 1.5-2 m. Leaves of V. faba...

  31. Mung Bean Vigna radiata

    Vigna radiata is an annual, erect or semi-erect legume, reaching heights up to 1.25 m. V. radiata produces 4-30 yellow or green flowers per cluster that become pubescent pods. Leaves are alternate and trifoliate.

  32. Calliandra Calliandra calothyrsus

    Calliandra is a vigorous, nitrogen-fixing, bushy tree that can be fast-growing on poor soils. The tree responds well to coppicing, is a good fuelwood source and the leaves provide excellent fodder. Calliandra is used to enrich soil and provide stability on steep slopes.

  33. American Joint Vetch Aeschynomene americana

    Pega Pega

    Aeschynomene americana is an annual legume forage crop and green manure cover crop. Considered a “subshrub,” A. americana can reach heights of 1-2 m. Pinnately compound leaves are finely textured, with 25-60 leaflets per leaf. Borne on pubescent stems, leaves reach 7.5 cm in length. Flowers...

  34. Sesbania Sesbania rostrata

    Sesbania rostrata is an annual—or short-lived perennial—legume used as a green manure cover crop and fodder species for livestock. Growing to heights of 3 m, S. rostrata is one of the few legumes that produces nodulated stem tissues for further colonization by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Leaves of...

  35. scarlet runner bean Phaseolus coccineus

    Ayocote

    Phaseolus coccineus is a perennial, vining legume from Central America. Due to its red, showy flowers, P. coccineus is often grown as an ornamental, though nearly all parts of the plant are edible, given the appropriate preparations. A climbing vine, P. coccineus reaches heights of 3-5 m, and...

  36. Bush Velvet Bean Mucuna pruriens

    Frijol Terciopelo

    Bush forms of Mucuna pruriens grow rapidly, but have a more compact growth habit than vining types. The leaves are large and trifoliate with lateral leaflets 7–15 cm long, 5–12 cm wide. Flowers are light purple or white, resulting in pods 4-13 cm in length. Wild forms of M. pruriens have pods...

  37. Tithonia Tithonia diversifolia

    Jalacate

    Mexican Sunflower is a woody, perennial, plant with showy yellow flowers growing to 3 m in height. It can be used as an ornamental, hedge, compost ingredient, fodder, green manure, and soil erosion control. Mexican sunflower is known to be efficient in extracting phosphorus from the soil. Green...

  38. Cereal Rye Secale cereale

    Secale cereale is an upright, annual, cool season, grain-bearing grass. A tufted grass with hollow stems, S. cereale reaches heights of 2 m. The blue-green leaves are borne on tillers, supported by extensive root systems that extend up to 2 m in the soil. Spike flowers give way to heads of pale...

  39. Bambara Groundnut Vigna subterranea

    Vigna subterranea is an annual, herbaceous, nitrogen-fixing legume of particular importance throughout semi-arid Africa. Leaves are trifoliate and are borne along creeping stems that extend along the ground surface. Flowers are yellow and butterfly-shaped, similar to other legumes. Upon...