Description and Uses
Leucaena leucocephala (Leucaena) is a
tropical
shrub from
Colombia & Venezuela . It is mainly grown for its
conservation crops
, which have a
short shelf life. The crop is harvested by
hand picking. It starts flowering after
3 -
5 years. The yield will be
100 kg N/ha/6months, but in its top season there will be a yield of
300 kg N/ha/6months. Other crop types include;
apiculture, ornamental, fertilization, timber, fuel, fodder, gum resin. The
young pods is used as
minor food . The
bark is used as "
anti-arthritic activity, " with
{missing data} (54%/oil -
56%/oil) as its significant
phytochemical. There is
Leucaena oil extracted by
solvent extraction from the
shrub's
seed/nut yielding
5.10% -
10% oil. The
shrub's wood is called
Leucaena wood and has a density of
790 -
810 kg/m³. Regarding firewood production the
shrub's growing speed is
fast, it's energetic value is
4600 ckal/kg and the wood's drying speed is
fast. After
7 years the
shrub can be totally removed as it reached its commercial and ecological goal.
Leucaena leucocephala has a lifespan of
25 years.
Environmental limitations
The shrub is
5 meters tall with a crown of
3 meters wide. The
shrub prefers a planting distance of
50 cm and a row distance of
300 cm. It is
very fast growing and
partial shade tolerant.
Leucaena leucocephala has a
deep root-system and it has symbiotic associations with the
Glomus constrictum and Glomus epigaeum and Glomus fasciculatum and Glomus fulvum and Glomus hoi and Glomus intraradices and Glomus macrocarpum and Glomus mosseae fungi
(endo-mycorrhiza high). It is
able to fix nitrogen moderately with
"Rhizobiaceae bacteria. The name(s) or string of bacteria include(s)
"not applicable ". The
shrub's flower-morphology is
hermaphroditic and is pollinated by
itself.
Leucaena leucocephala is
evergreen and
not allelopathic and has
no thorns.
Leucaena leucocephala thrives in an altitude of
0 to
1800 meters above sea-level
(tropical). The minimum temperature is
2°C; optimally between
25 -
30°C. The optimal rainfall is
2150
mm/year. Without irrigation the annual rainfall should be between
650 -
3000mm (L/m²). The optimal soil-pH is between
6.0 -
8.0 in a soil texture of
loam. To salt it is
a bit tolerant to wind
tolerant and to fire
a bit tolerant.
Pests and Diseases
Leucaena leucocephala is susceptible to the following pests:
Heteropsylla cubana
. And it's susceptible to the following diseases:
Bacterial spot ,
Damping off ,
.
Seed Propagation
Seeds are
orthodox and can be stored for
240 months. There are approximative
17500
seeds/kg. The seeds can be propagated as followed:
- (1) Store harvested seeds dry at room temperature
- (3) Remove the seeds from cold to a permanent warm temperature.
- (3) Seeds germinate above ground (epigeous)
