Overview
One method of improving the productivity of both animals and crops is by growing herbaceous legumes, either in annual rotation with a cereal or after wet-season cereal production, when land is traditionally left fallow and allowed to grow weeds. ACIAR-supported research in eastern Indonesia has shown that feeding forage legumes to cattle results in increased weight gains compared with feeding native forages; and that nitrogen provided by the legumes improves maize production in subsequent crops. This manual is designed to provide a scientific basis for the recommendations being made, as well as practical information on legume biomass and seed production, the agronomy associated with their production, and the potential benefits emanating from their use.
