Centrosema pubescens

Centro is a perennial herb that can reach a height of . The root system can reach up to 30 cm in depth, frequently in association with Rhizobium, nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In the nineteenth century it was cropped in Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula. It is well adapted to tropical conditions and altitudes below 600 m from sea level. The leaves can also be used as a cheap source of protein for broiler chickens. It is a good source of calcium and potassium for animals. Recent production figures for several countries: :Brazil : 40 tonnes on average per year :Uganda: 220–275 kg/hectare, 1250 seeds per m2 :Queensland: Dry- 12.8 tonnes per hectare per year :Animal Feed- 550–650 kg per hectare per year :Colombia: 7.6 tonnes per hectare per year Growing conditions Centro is propagated by seed, planted directly into the ground or broadcast over a field typically before the rainy season. Nodulation and nitrogen fixation are also highly correlated with soil pH. It performs better on acidic soils than alkaline soils. During planting the seed rate is 4–6 kg per hectare when the seed is broadcast or 1 to 2 kg of seed per hectare when intercropped with grasses. ==Cultivation==

Seeds of Centrosema pubescens have a mechanical dormancy that has to be broken by soaking the seeds for 3–5 minutes in water at 85 °C. After the seeds have passed the dormancy breaking treatment, they can be inoculated with Rhizobium and planted with a no-till planter. A typical seed planting depth is 2.5–5 cm. The shallower depth is used when the soil moisture is appropriate, but when the soil is dry the seed should be planted deeper to reach moisture. Insects are the biggest problem for centro plants. Pests include meloidae beetles, thrips, red spiders, bean flies and caterpillars. Simple solutions to prevent these pests and pathogens are slashing, and spot treatments with herbicides. Genetic stocks There are 3 distinct germplasm origins that all differ in their characteristics, none of which have been recorded to facilitate further scientific research done to improve the species. Harvest and storage Seed harvest is usually performed by hand. Mechanical harvesting is difficult due to the plant architecture. When the plants are ripening, they are collected and spread to dry in the sun until they are ready to be threshed. After the seeds are removed from their pods, they are typically cleaned in hot water or with a chemical to eliminate any pathogens that may be present. Storage of this seed should be dry and free from humidity because wet environments give rise to pests and pathogens and promote their growth. ==Nutritional value for animal feed==

Centrosema pubescens is a good source of protein, calcium and potassium for cattle as forage. It can be used to feed broiler chickens and broiler finishers as leaf meal in a quantity up to 20 g per day. More than that causes reduction in growth performance. This is a very cheap alternative to other sources of protein that are usually more expensive, like soybean. ==Plant nutrition==

The plant has fairly high calcium content in the leaves, so addition of calcium can be important. Liming is a good practice to enhance soil pH and supply calcium to the plant that will increase the calcium content in the leaves. C. pubescens is a tropical forage, so it requires very low phosphorus, but it responds to phosphate fertilization. Leaves should be a minimum of 0.16% phosphorus at flower formation. The ideal available P in the soil for a good yield is between 2–5 mg of phosphorus per kg of soil and 12.4 mg per kg of soil of potash. C. pubescens has can produce up to 4950 kg per hectare of dry matter. ==Ecology==

The species is invasive in New Caledonia. ==References==