Definition of Legume Cover Crops (LCC)
Cover crops are plants or plants specifically planted to protect the soil from the threat of damage by erosion and / or to improve the chemical and physical properties of the soil.
Planting ground cover crops (legumes) or Legium Cover Crop (LCC) is very important in oil palm plantations. To obtain maximum benefits, planting legumes must be able to completely cover the soil surface or 100% of the LCP. Ground cover crops (legumes) are cultivated crops, ground cover crops that are often used to cover soil in plantation crops, especially oil palm plants.
 |
| Figure 1. Example of Legium Cover Crop (LCC) for oil palm plantation |
Benefits of ground cover crops Ground cover crops are very beneficial for plantation crops, so they are needed for plantation crops.
Ground cover plants act as:
- Retaining or reducing the destructive power of falling raindrops and the flow of water over the soil surface,
- Increase soil nutrients, through nitrogen fixation,
- Adding soil organic matter through fallen dead stems, twigs and leaves,
- Suppress weed growth,
- Improve the physical condition of the soil (soil structure, permeability, aeration,
- Increase the development of oil palm roots,
- Performs transpiration, which reduces groundwater content. These ground cover crops reduce the dispersion strength of rainwater, reduce the amount and velocity of runoff and increase the infiltration of water into the soil, thereby reducing erosion.
What are the requirements for legume plants as ground cover crops in oil palm plantations?
Plants that are suitable for use as ground cover are legumes which must meet the following requirements:
- The nature of the root does not interfere with and does not compete with the main plant,
- Easily reproduced both vegetative and generative,
- Provides a high content of organic matter whether under sunlight or protected,
- Resistant to pests or drought and is not a host plant for pests for the main crop,
- resistant to weeds, disease and drought,
- able to suppress weed growth,
- easy to eradicate if the land will be used for planting seasonal crops or other staple crops,
- according to the use for land reclamation, and
- Does not have unpleasant qualities such as twisted thorns and tendrils.
What are the types of ground cover crops for oil palm?
Types of legumes that meet the above requirements and are often used as ground cover crops, among others:
- Peuraria Javanica (PJ),
- Centrosema Pubescens (CP),
- Calopogonium Mucunoides (CM),
- Psophocarpus Palustris (PP),
- Calopogonium Caeruleum (CC),
- Mucuna Bracteata (MB).
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Calopogonium caeruleum (CC) as LCC?
The advantages of Calopogonium caeruleum (CC) are:
- It grows vines and is easy to distinguish because of its shiny green leaves, smooth surface, smooth spines, oval / heart-shaped with a size of 3-5 cm.
- Shade resistant, resistant to competing with other weeds, tolerant of pests and drought resistant.
- Can be cuttings. Planting by cuttings requires 1,000-1,300 cuttings / ha.
The disadvantages of Calopogonium caeruleum are:
- Low seed yielding ability
- The price is quite expensive
 |
| Figure 2. Calopogonium caeruleum |
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) as LCC for oil palm?
The legume Calopogonium mucunoides comes from South America, the leaves are rather small and hairless.
The advantages of Calopogonium mucunoides are:
- Can grow at an altitude of 0-300 m above sea level.
- Leaf production for 5 months can reach 20 tons so it is very good as a supplier of elemental N into the soil.
- The seeds are small and have medium growth.
The disadvantages of Calopogonium mucunoides are:
- Can't stand competing with weeds.
- The lifespan is very short.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) as LCC for oil palm?
The legume Calopogonium mucunoides comes from South America, the leaves are rather small and hairless.
The advantages of Calopogonium mucunoides are:
- Can grow at an altitude of 0-300 m above sea level.
- Leaf production for 5 months can reach 20 tons so it is very good as a supplier of elemental N into the soil.
- The seeds are small and have medium growth.
The disadvantages of Calopogonium mucunoides are:
- Can't stand competing with weeds.
- The lifespan is very short.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Centrosema pubescens (CP) as LCC?
Centrosema pubescens (CP) is characterized by elliptical leaves, small size and slightly slippery surface.
The advantages of CP are:
- Can grow at an altitude of 0-300 m above sea level.
- Shade and drought resistant.
- Can produce seeds as much as 1,000 kg / ha
The disadvantages of CP are:
- Growth is a bit slow.
- The lifespan is very short.
 |
| Figure 3. Centrosema pubescens |
What are the advantages and disadvantages of sophocarpus palustris (PP) as LCC?
The advantages of Psophocarpus palustris (PP) are:
- Can grow at an altitude of 0-1,000 m above sea level.
- Shade and drought resistant.
- Can grow on acid soils such as peat.
The disadvantages of PP are:
- Growth in the first 3 months is rather slow.
 |
| Figure 4. Psophocarpus palustris |
Mucuna Cochinchinensis (MC)
The characteristics of Mucuna cochinchinensis are creeping growth but can also be upright, the stems are rather small and weak, the legumes have thick hair. The disadvantage is that it naturally dies after 68 months.
Pueraria Javanica (PJ)
Pueraria Javanica (PJ) is a ground cover crop / LCC (Legume Cover Crop) which is commonly used by rubber and oil palm plantations as a pioneer plant that can increase soil fertility, PJ is a type of legume that spreads fast because it has the advantage of binding the element N (nitrogen). ) which are very much needed by the main crops (rubber or oil palm) which are not yet mature, also these legumes lower the soil temperature during the dry season.
 |
| Figure 5. Pueraria Javanica (PJ) |
Mucuna Bracteata
Mucuna Bracteata is a type of legume that is said to have originated in India.
These nuts have advantages, including:
- Fast growth and produces high biomass.
- Easy to plant with low input.
- It is not preferred by livestock because of its high phenol content.
- Tolerant against pests and diseases.
- Has allelopathic properties so that it has a high competitive power against weeds.
- Has deep roots, so that it can improve the physical properties of the soil and produce high litter as humus which decomposes slowly, thus increasing soil fertility.
- Controls erosion.
- As Leguminosae can tether N freely from the air.
- Relatively more resistant to shade and drought stress.
- Growth is very fast and homogeneous, so it can inhibit the growth rate of weeds in the TBM area.
- Restores soil nutrients and influences the presence of nitrogen in the soil with nitrogen fixation activity in root nodules.
Some of the weaknesses of Mucuna bracteata are:
Difficulty growing at the beginning of planting, especially in hot weather conditions and less rainfall. In other words, Mucuna bracteata is very difficult to live when planted, but when it has succeeded in living, it will grow very fast.
 |
| Figure 6. Mucuna bracteata |
How to Grow Land Cover Crops (LCC) in Oil Palm?
Ground cover nuts are planted on open land between the timber dump routes. The materials used are several types of legume seeds with a minimum growth capacity of 90%. Beans are planted 2-3 rows between planting lines. After 3 months, the land was covered by nuts with a cover rate of + 75%.
How to plant ground cover legumes depends on the topography of the land to be planted, here is how to plant these ground cover legumes:
a. Flat to wavy area
- Beans are planted parallel to the rows of plants
- 2 (two) lines of mixtures of PJ, CM and CC per live intercrop and one line between staples in plant rows
- MC planted 3 (three) holes between the staples near the wood heap / trunk. Each hole was planted 3 (three) MC seeds
b. Mountainous Hill area
- In mountainous areas with a contour / terrace pattern, the beans are planted in the same direction as the terraces / rows of plants
- Mixture of PJ, CM and CC as much as 4 (four) points between 2 (two) points near the edge of the terrace - MB planted between the mixed points of PJ, CM and CC
 |
| Figure 7. Planting pattern of LCC in hilly areas |
