Function
Nitrogen fixer — species for syntropic systems
Nitrogen fixers partner with bacteria that pull N from the air into the system — fertilizer you plant. They belong in every phase of the guild and yield the most when pruned often, releasing the stored nitrogen to their neighbors.
36 species in the catalog · Refine this list in the catalog
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maricá
Mimosa bimucronata
Placenta II Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA pioneer leguminous tree or small tree, spiny and much-branched, 4-8 m tall (occasionally to 15 m), native to eastern and southern Brazil. It fixe...
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sabia tree
Mimosa caesalpiniifolia
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerNative legume of the Caatinga and northeastern Atlantic Forest. Medium tree (4–10 m), sparse spiny canopy. Nitrogen-fixer — central in degraded-soi...
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bracatinga
Mimosa scabrella
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerPioneer legume native to southern Brazil and highland Atlantic Forest, listed by IPOEMA among anchor Brazilian species for SAFs (alongside cacao, y...
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jurema preta
Mimosa tenuiflora
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerNative legume of the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest. Small-to-medium tree (4–8 m), fine leaves, fissured grey bark. Nitrogen-fixer, rapid recolonizer...
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velvet bean
Mucuna pruriens
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual climbing legume that fixes nitrogen (~180–220 kg N/ha) and produces dense cover biomass. Suppresses weeds, decompacts the soil, and is one o...
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lima bean
Phaseolus lunatus
Placenta I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual or short-lived perennial nitrogen-fixing legume, native to the Americas. EcoAgri lists it in the high stratum of the 'up to 6 months' bin. C...
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common bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual nitrogen-fixing legume, dietary staple in Brazil. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3. Planted in consortium with corn in the ...
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wand riverhemp
Sesbania virgata
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA pioneer leguminous shrub native to riparian environments of southern Brazil, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina. It fixes nitrogen by nodulating ...
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stylo
Stylosanthes guianensis
Placenta I Ground cover Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerHerbaceous forage legume, nitrogen-fixer. Rebello includes stylosanthes among key accumulation-phase species in Cerrado and Caatinga, alongside pig...
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white tephrosia
Tephrosia candida
Placenta II Low Mulch biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA short-lived (3-4 years) perennial leguminous shrub of 1-3 m, native to India and widely introduced across the tropics. It fixes nitrogen and is g...
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tipu tree
Tipuana tipu
Secondary II Emergent Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA very fast-growing leguminous tree of 10-30 m, with a broad spreading crown, native to southern Bolivia, northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and...
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cowpea
Vigna unguiculata
Placenta I Ground cover Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual nitrogen-fixing legume, prostrate or semi-climbing. Adapted to NE Brazil — protein staple of regional cuisine. Short cycle (60–90 days). Mor...
❓ Frequently asked questions
What does "Nitrogen fixer" mean in syntropic agriculture?
Species — usually legumes (Fabaceae) — that live in symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria in their roots. The bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable forms, fertilising the system with no external inputs. In syntropic management they are planted densely in early phases to accelerate succession.
Which catalog species are tagged Nitrogen fixer?
The catalog holds 36 species, among them maricá, sabia tree, bracatinga. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.