Role of Legumes As Cover Crop in Orchard Management

Experiments were conducted at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta, Bangalore to study the suitability of different legume crops under guava and sapota tree. The legumes used for the purpose were soyabean, French bean, green gram and cowpea. Cowpea and French beans grow well under the guava tree whereas soyabean and green gram do not perform well. Phosphate level increased the pod yield when supplied with 40 kg of P₂O₅/ha. Soyabean accumulated the maximum nitrogen in soil i.e., 191.05 kg N/ha where as in control it was only 154.09 kg/ha. Available potash was observed maximum in green gram plots and phosphate in plots having cowpea.