1. 19-12-1993 Velvet bean,Mucuna pruriens, hasprobably had more impact on farmers lives than any plant distributed from our seedbank.
  2. 01-01-2014 Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a versatile legume grown for human consumption as well as for soil improvement and animal fodder. It is the second most-planted grain legume in Africa (National Research Council, 2006). Though cultivated throughout the tropics, and thus familiar to smallholder...
  3. 19-07-1997 Scientists at the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) in Kenya have recently determined that the weedy shrubTithonia diversifoliahas potential as a green manure crop.
  4. 19-11-1997 Principles for increasing organic matter in order to increase soil fertility. Little by little, work in a dozen countries has convinced us that the vast majority of soils can be made highly fertile. How? By using our first principle:maximize organic matter production.
  5. 19-03-1999 This is a good example of how quickly seeds can multiply. “Of the 8 seeds that were sent 4 were planted in a placewhere sunlight was restricted to about 4 hours a day. These gave very few pods. The 4 others got more sunlight and we got a harvest of 185 seeds so far. We have planted 160 of these...
  6. 19-10-1999 Stefan Cherry shares insights from a community in Cameroon where Tephrosia vogelii is an integral part of the farming system.
  7. 20-01-2003 In 1997 Milton Flores with CIDICCO in Honduras provided our seedbank with seed for a bush velvet bean that is being grown widely in Brazil. We have grown and distributed this bush velvet bean on a limited scale since that time, and now are offering it to our network.
  8. 20-01-2002 The conventional view of the relationship between soil nutrients and crop productivity in the tropics is leading to both damaging agricultural policies and inefficient and damaging farm-level practices. There is no need to use the huge quantities of chemical fertilizers that are so often...
  9. 20-01-2004 The lablab beanLablab purpureus(orDolichos lablab) is a versatile subtropical and tropical nitrogen-fixing legume. It is a multipurpose legume that can be used as a cover crop, providing green manure, erosion control and weed suppression.
  10. 20-04-2004 Rice bean (Vigna umbellata) is one of the top five most commonly grown green manure/cover crops in the world.