COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF DRY MATTER PRODUCTION AND NUTRIENT ACCUMULATION IN THE SHOOTS OF PUERARIA PHASEOLOIDES BENTH AND MUCUNA BRACTEATA D.C.GROWN AS COVER CROPS IN AN IMMATURE RUBBER (HEVEA BRASILIENSIS) PLANTATION

摘要

In a comparative study it was observed that the dry matter production of one year old Puerariaphaseoloides Benth was higher than that of Mucuna bracteata D.C.of the same age.From the second year onwards the dry matter production was higher for M.bracteata.Dry matter production was the maximum in the second year for both P.phaseoloides (5.46 t/ha) and M.bracteata (7.62 t/ha).The N,P,K,Ca and Mg contents of P.phaseoloides was 174.17,13.08,103.84,65.35 and 18.03 kg/ha respectively while it was 236.21,15.21,79.08,55.71 and 14.57 kg/ha respectively for M.bracteata.