Gliricidia legume is an excellent option in integrated systems in the NE

Tested by Embrapa in several studies, the legume gliricidia was, together with the forage palm, one of the only two green plants left in the crop after a long period of water deficiency in Sergipe, in 2013. Originally from Mexico and Central America, Gliricidia sepium has been the subject of several studies led by Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros (Aracaju, SE) with a focus on integrated systems for the Northeast region.

These studies are already beginning to result in sustainable technological solutions that integrate the shrub plant as a component of multiple application in Crop - Livestock - Forest Integration (ILPF) systems, with emphasis on its protein value, rapid growth, multiplication by cuttings and resistance to dry, suitable for forming living fences, fixing nitrogen in the soil and providing food for animals.

Called GliriTec, the set of integrated systems solutions encompasses GliriNutri (incorporated as an animal nutrition component), GliriCoco (introduced as an arboreal component in integration with coconut trees), GliriCitrus (forestry component integrated with citrus farming) and GliriILPF (total crop integration system , animals and trees).

“Gliricidia resists drought well and is a good source of protein for animals”, says researcher José Henrique Rangel, from Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros (Aracaju, SE), who leads ILPF projects for the Northeast, developing solutions adapted to both the coastal and rural areas, wetter areas, as well as in the semi-arid region, where rainfall is scarce.

Legumes are very practical. In addition to reproducing through seeds, all it takes is a cutting in a hole and a new plant is formed, which will soon be full of edible leaves for animals. 

In practice

In this  video, veterinarian Samuel Figueiredo, analyst at Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, shows how to produce seedlings of the legume gliricidia both through seeds and cuttings.

To feed cattle, goats and sheep, gliricidia can be chopped with elephant grass, corn and even banana trunks and placed in troughs, using silage and haymaking techniques. Gliricidia is a tree that can grow up to 15 meters.

Therefore, gliricidia is considered the arboreal or forestry component in ILPF systems, researched and developed by Embrapa and partners in all regions of the country. By integrating gliricidia, there are also gains such as an increase in fauna diversity, attracting more bees, pollinating insects and sheltering birds and nests in its branches. 

Evandro Muniz, another researcher at Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, specialist in animal nutrition, details in the video “Gliricidia is a great food for animals” the multiple functionalities of this legume, including showing how to integrate the legume with livestock and crops. 

Multiple application

Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros researched the planting of gliricidia in various forms of integration and integrating different agricultural practices. One of them is the alameda, along with pasture, corn or beans. This is already a good saving on urea with soil nitrogen. 

In the alley system, the ideal is a spacing of 4x2 meters, where cattle can pass easily. The producer can opt for dense planting if he wants to feed the animals with gliricidia (20.000 to 30.000 plants/ha) as fodder, hay and silage or even use its leaves and branches as green fertilizer.

In this case, grazing is not possible, as there is no space for the cattle to move around. However, it is very productive, as it is possible to cut every 70 days in the rainy season and every 120 days in the dry season. One hectare can produce around 20 tons of edible leaves for livestock, in each cut. 

There are 80 tons per hectare per year. The producer can also form a protein bank. The animals are allowed to eat the gliricidia leaves one hour in the morning and another hour in the afternoon and in the remaining time, the cattle eat another type of pasture. This process is recommended for dairy cows, as animal handling is more constant. 

Used with ILPF, gliricidia also has the merits of fixing nitrogen in the soil, increasing the content of organic matter and nutrients in deep areas of the soil, thus reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.

Researcher Humberto Rollemberg Fontes, also from Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, recommends gliricidia as a green fertilizer in intercropping with hybrid coconut trees. 

“By depositing the aerial part of the gliricidia in the crown zone of the hybrid coconut tree, twice a year, it is possible to replace all or part of the nitrogen fertilizers during the growth phase, providing savings and greater environmental gains due to the reduction in the use of chemical inputs”.