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velvet bean

Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.

Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Mucuna

cowitch, buffalo bean

Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixer
Eugene Popov · CC BY · iNaturalist

Annual climbing legume that fixes nitrogen (~180–220 kg N/ha) and produces dense cover biomass. Suppresses weeds, decompacts the soil, and is one of the main Placenta I species in Brazilian syntropic systems.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Dolichos pruriens L., Stizolobium pruriens (L.) Medik., Mucuna prurita Wight, Mucuna pruriens var. utilis (Wall. ex Wight) Baker ex Burck

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta I
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
Low
Strata
Low, Ground cover
Biomass class
Fertilizer biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
Low
Soil pH range
4–8
Preferred soil texture
Sandy, Loamy, Clayey
Frost tolerance
0.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
0.3–1 m
Root system
Taproot
Root depth
Deep
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
≤ 1 year
Time to first harvest
5 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Velvet bean takes the Low stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time. It also fixes nitrogen, feeding the soil for its line neighbors.

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Emergent High Medium Low · ≈1 m Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Sow at the start of the rainy season (Oct–Nov in most of Brazil) after frost risk, at ~60 kg/ha in 0.5 m rows (or broadcast up to 100 kg/ha); sprawls as a dense cover or climbs support (yields more seed when supported, not needed for green manure). A vigorous N-fixer that smothers weeds; cut/roll/incorporate right after full flowering (~150 days) to capture peak N before senescence. Frost-tender and waterlogging-intolerant — warm season, well-drained soil only; tolerates acidity, Al and moderate drought.

✂️ Management & Pruning

Annual crop — cut/roll and incorporate shortly after full flowering; as forage, cut at 30 cm with regrowth in ~5 weeks.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: March, April

Fruiting months: May, June, July

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of velvet bean?

The first harvest of velvet bean comes around 5 months after planting.

How tall does velvet bean grow?

At maturity, velvet bean reaches 0.3–1 m tall.

When does velvet bean fruit?

Fruiting of velvet bean occurs in May, June, July.

When does velvet bean flower?

Flowering of velvet bean occurs in March, April.

What stage and stratum does velvet bean occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, velvet bean belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the low stratum.

Does velvet bean fix nitrogen?

Yes — velvet bean is a nitrogen-fixing species that helps fertilize the system's soil.

Functions

🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🌿 Biomass producer Ground cover Soil decompactor

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Sistema de Acumulação , p. 117 (gotsch_stage, biomass_class, nitrogen_fixer)
  2. Mucuna pruriens como adubo verde — Embrapa
  3. Mucuna pruriens como adubo verde — Embrapa (nitrogen_fixer)
  4. Useful Tropical Plants — Mucuna pruriens (ph_min, ph_max, soil_texture_preference, time_to_first_harvest_months, synonyms, frost_tolerance_c)
  5. Feedipedia — Mucuna pruriens (velvet bean) (root_system, root_depth, nitrogen_fixer, pruning_notes, cultivation_notes)
  6. Aegro — Mucuna-preta no Brasil (semeadura, ciclo, fenologia) (phenology, time_to_first_harvest_months, waterlogging_tolerance, cultivation_notes)

External references

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