Discussions on using mucuna to control Cyperus rotundus (nut grass)
(9/5/01 - 9/6/01)

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postings: 4
countries: United States, Nicaragua
organizations/institutions/companies: The Rodale Institute, CATIE, Cornell University

Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001
To: MULCH-L@cornell.edu
From: Heather Bryant
Subject: mucuna and Cyperus rotundus

Dear Mulchers,

Ambroise Fantchede posted a question to Evecs-L a couple of weeks ago that perhaps someone on this list can answer. Ambroise would like to know if anyone has experience using mucuna to control/manage Cyperus rotundus. If anyone does have this information please send it to méthodes (that address doesn't look familar to me, and the original email came from (f.ambrey60@caramail.com) -- or maybe try evecs-L@cornell.edu

Heather Bryant
TropSCORE Project
Cornell University

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Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001
To: MULCH-L@cornell.edu
From: H. David Thurston
Subject: Re: mucuna and Cyperus rotundus

Dear Heather,

Here is a reference I found in my database that indicates that mucuna can control nut grass. You might contact Roland Bunch - rolando@cosecha.sdnhon.org.hn - for more information.

Bunch, R. (1990). The potential of intercropped green manures in Third World Villager agriculture. Conference on the Socio-Economics of Organic Agriculture, Hamstead Marshall, UK., International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements.

Velvet Bean (Mucuna pruriens or Stizlobium spp.), Lablab bean (Dolichos lablab), Jack beans (Canavalia ensiformis) choreque (Lathyrus nigrivalvis), Crotalaria, Bauhinia spp. (dry areas)/can reduce weeding (eliminate nut grass and imperata), tarwi, (Lupinus) can fix 400 kg N/Ha, velvet bean eliminates nut grass and imperata, 2 crops/yr @ 2 T/Ha maize in Honduras, v bean gives 15 t/ha green matter, coffee, cake, choc from v. beans, v. bean costs $.80/ 100 lb. maiz, jack bean in dry areas, animals won't eat jack bean & if leaf-cutter ants takes jack bean to nest it kills them.

David Thurston

Dept of Plant Pathology
Cornell University

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From: Diop, Amadou
To: MULCH-L@cornell.edu
Subject: RE: mucuna and Cyperus rotundus
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001

Good morning everyone:

IITA ( The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture) in Nigeria, has done a lot of work using Mucuna sp. to manage weeds. Cyprus rotundus is one of the most aggressive weed species in dry land areas.

Please check their Website: www.iita.org or iita@cgiar.org

Amadou M Diop
The Rodale Institute

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Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2001
To: MULCH-L@cornell.edu
From: Charles Staver
Subject: Re: mucuna and Cyperus rotundus

Mulchers,

we worked with purple nutsedge in a zone with 6 months of dry season. mucuna certainly would help keep the nutsedge from increasing, but would not reduce tuber density very quickly. The tubers are quite long lived in the soil. We found that tillage of nutsedge infested soils when the soil was completely dry reduced tuber density by 90% in the best case, if the soil remained dry 10 days after tillage. A rotation of crops or green manures which are highly competitive with weeds would then help to keep the nutsedge population from increasing again. If you wanted to plant crops like onions or sesame which are not so competitive, then the rotation with competitive crops is even more important. otherwise the nutsedge will rapidly increase again.

Charles Staver
Nicaragua