[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: Seeds and Cover Crops in Mexico



Paul,

As far as selecting an appropriate cover crop, it would be helpful if you
could supply some agro-ecological details re the  orchard's location in
Colima such as altitude, annual rainfall/distribution, soil type, and pH.
I have worked with jackbean (Canavalia ensiformis) and velvetbean (Mucuna
pruriens) in association with coffee and citrus in Honduras and would be
happy to share information with you.  Legume covercrops have been widely
used by campesinos in Veracruz State and probably in other regions, so you
should be able to find a source of seed in country.  You might also try
posting a query to the Mulch Based Agriculture Group at Cornell University
(MULCH-L@cornell.edu) as well as to the Centro Internacional de Informacion
sobre Cultivos de Cobertura (CIDICCO) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
(sdnhon!aleman%cidicco@sdnhq.undp.org).  

Regards

David Leonard
Consultant in hillside-farming systems and agro-nutrition
Tucson, AZ

At 03:02 PM 5/9/96 EDT, you wrote:
>  Hello members,
>  
>  My name is Paul Bubrick with Nutrilite in S. Calif.  We have an 
>  orchard of 40,000 trees of acerola cherry (Malpighia emarginata) in 
>  Colima, Mexico.  We have several interesting problems with weeds 
>  and their control, and with insect pests of the fruit.  We are 
>  attempting to initiate an IPM program.  One problem we are having 
>  is locating seed sources for covercrops in Mexico.  We have some 
>  resources, such as an FAO list of seed companies, and several 
>  contacts from the Post-Graduate College in Chapingo.  I was 
>  wondering if anyone could suggest a tropical covercrop expert to 
>  contact, and possibly a few leads on seed companies/resources in 
>  Mexico.  I would be glad to fully discuss the program with anyone 
>  who is interested.  I am:
>  Paul_Bubrick@AMWAYUSA.CCMAIL.COMPUSERVE.COM
>  
>  Thank you in advance for any help.
>
>
>