Mucuna bracteata

About Mucuna bracteata:

• It isan invasive cover crop. It is a leguminous vine which was introduced to rubber plantations as a weed protectant and nitrogen regulator valued for its drought tolerance.
• Its proliferation now extends to parts of the Western Ghats in the district including places such as Kaliyal, Kadayalumoodu, Aarukani and Kodayar and Kulasekaram.
• This creeper was introduced with the intention of protecting the rubber trees, it has become a threat as it has started to overpower and cover the trees.
• It has begun to overtake large tracts of Kodayar region and has even climbed over native trees, affecting their growth. Most of the regions adjoin the buffer zone of Kalakkad-Mundanthurai tiger reserve, announced as a critical tiger habitat.
• Other invasive plants are Lantana and Parthenium
• The invasive species is particularly widespread in the rainforest of Kanniyakumari, where the abandoned rubber plantation serves as its primary habitat.

Q1: What are leguminous crops?

Leguminous crops are those which belong to the pea family (Leguminosae). Plants in this family generally have root nodules hosting rhizobium bacteria that fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. When plant residues decompose, this fixed nitrogen can increase soil nitrogen content.

Source: TH

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