Cover Crops for Philippine Cacao Farms
Kudzu Seeds Trading supplies tropical legume cover crop seed and SoilBoost EA soil conditioner to Philippine cacao growers, with a focus on the Davao Region, the country's cacao capital. A managed legume ground cover protects topsoil in young cacao and agroforestry blocks, fixes nitrogen, suppresses weeds between rows, and builds soil organic matter while trees come into bearing.
At a glance
- PH role: The Davao Region is the recognised cacao capital of the Philippines and produces the bulk of national cacao output, dominated by smallholders and agroforestry systems.
- Why cover crops: Erosion control on young, open cacao blocks, biological nitrogen fixation, weed suppression between rows, and soil organic matter and moisture retention.
- Critical phase: Cover crops matter most in the establishment years, before cacao and shade trees close canopy.
- Primary species: Pueraria javanica (PJ) and Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) for fast establishment; Centrosema pubescens (CP) and Calopogonium caeruleum (CC) for shade persistence under closed canopy.
- Soil support: SoilBoost EA, a humic soil conditioner (leonardite-derived, with about 0.45 percent sulphur and pH 3.84) manufactured exclusively for Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. and Kudzu Seeds Trading, supports soil structure and biology on acidic cacao soils. It is a soil conditioner, not a fertiliser and not a substitute for one.
Why cover crops matter for cacao in the Philippines
Most Philippine cacao is grown by smallholders in Mindanao, with the Davao Region as the production heartland. Cacao is typically planted as an understorey crop under shade trees or interplanted with coconut, banana, and fruit trees in agroforestry systems. In the first years after planting, before shade and cacao canopy close, the orchard floor is open to sun and rain. On the rolling terrain common across Davao and wider Mindanao, that exposure means real topsoil loss during intense convective storms.
A managed legume cover is one of the most practical protections during this window. Legume cover reduces runoff and soil loss compared with bare ground; see our erosion-control guide for the published evidence and its conditions. Beyond erosion, tropical legume covers fix atmospheric nitrogen through their root nodules and return it to the soil through litter and root turnover. Legume cover contributes nitrogen; adjust your fertiliser programme only after soil and leaf analysis shows what the cover supplies on your block. Treat that contribution as indicative and site-dependent.
The third reason is weed pressure. Open cacao interrows are quickly colonised by Imperata cylindrica (cogon) and other aggressive weeds. A vigorous legume cover shades the ground and competes with these weeds while young cacao and shade trees develop, then thins naturally as the canopy closes.
Recommended species for Philippine cacao
Pueraria javanica (PJ)
Broadcast; Tropical Forages gives about 4 kg/ha sown alone. A fast-establishing, vigorous legume for the open establishment phase. Rapid ground cover makes it a common choice between young cacao rows.
Establishment phase / broadcast
Calopogonium mucunoides (CM)
Broadcast; the seeding rate is set on the quotation for your site. Aggressive pioneer for acidic and recently cleared soils. Useful in establishment mixes to gain quick cover on degraded or low-fertility cacao blocks.
Establishment mix / acidic soils
Centrosema pubescens (CP)
Broadcast 3 to 5 kg per hectare (Tropical Forages). Shade-tolerant and persistent, so it carries the legume role as cacao and shade trees close canopy and light at the floor drops.
Shade phase / shade-tolerant
Calopogonium caeruleum (CC)
Tropical Forages gives 1 to 1.5 kg/ha sown with 5 to 7.5 kg/ha PJ. Shade-tolerant climber that complements CP under partial shade and continues nitrogen input into the established phase.
Shade phase / shade-tolerant
Mucuna bracteata (MB)
Established from nursery-raised seedlings and never broadcast: MPOB TT No. 501 (Hasnol Othman, Farawahida Mohamad Darus and Zulkifli Hashim, 2012) used about 320 seedlings per hectare, two per palm point, raised from about 500 seeds (75 g); Samedani et al. (2015) used 680 seedlings per hectare. Heavy biomass and long persistence suit larger or estate-scale cacao and agroforestry blocks. For MB nitrogen, one 15N isotope-dilution study under three-year-old oil palm on Jawa Series soil in Malaysia measured roughly 67 to 84 percent of its nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa) (Cheah et al. 2010).
Establishment / transplanted, not broadcast
SoilBoost EA
Humic soil conditioner, leonardite-derived, with about 0.45 percent sulphur and pH 3.84. Broadcast 50 to 100 kg/ha or drench 10 to 15 kg/ha around the base of trees. Manufactured exclusively for Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. and Kudzu Seeds Trading. It is a soil conditioner, not a fertiliser and not a substitute for one, and it is not a fungicide or pesticide.
Amendment / supports soil biology
Establishment and management in cacao
Sow or broadcast legume seed at the onset of the rainy period so that seedlings have consistent soil moisture while they establish. In Davao and eastern Mindanao, which are wet through much of the year, the May to June window after the driest March to April months works well. In drier southern and western areas, align sowing with the southwest monsoon onset.
- Keep covers off the trunk: manage vigorous legumes such as PJ so runners do not climb young cacao stems. Maintain a clear ring around each tree base.
- Match species to light: use PJ and CM while the floor is open, then rely on CP and CC as shade and cacao canopy close and floor light drops.
- Transplant, do not broadcast, MB: Mucuna bracteata is raised in a nursery and transplanted, not broadcast. MPOB TT No. 501 (2012) used about 320 seedlings per hectare, two per palm point, from about 500 seeds (75 g); Samedani et al. (2015) used 680 seedlings per hectare.
- Build organic matter: legume litter plus SoilBoost EA support soil structure and biology on the acidic soils typical of Mindanao cacao land.
- Smallholder fit: species choice and seed quantities scale from one-hectare Davao smallholder plots up to larger agroforestry blocks.
Seeding rates at a glance
| Species | Establishment method | Rate | Best phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pueraria javanica (PJ) | Broadcast | About 4 kg/ha sown alone (Tropical Forages) | Open establishment |
| Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) | Broadcast | Set on the quotation for your site | Open establishment, acidic soils |
| Centrosema pubescens (CP) | Broadcast | 3 to 5 kg/ha (Tropical Forages) | Shade phase |
| Calopogonium caeruleum (CC) | Broadcast | 1 to 1.5 kg/ha with 5 to 7.5 kg/ha PJ (Tropical Forages) | Shade phase |
| Mucuna bracteata (MB) | Transplanted nursery seedlings, never broadcast | About 320 seedlings/ha from about 500 seeds, 75 g (MPOB TT No. 501); 680 seedlings/ha (Samedani et al. 2015) | Establishment, estate scale |
| SoilBoost EA soil conditioner | Broadcast or drench | 50 to 100 kg/ha broadcast, or 10 to 15 kg/ha drench | Any phase, alongside your fertiliser programme |
Rates are published figures from the sources named, or are set on the quotation; adjust to site, soil, and mix.
Common challenges in Philippine cacao
- Acidic soils and low organic matter on much of the Mindanao cacao belt. Legume cover plus SoilBoost EA support soil biology and can help improve organic matter over time.
- Slope erosion on rolling Davao and Mindanao terrain during the establishment years before canopy closes. Continuous legume cover helps reduce it.
- Cogon and weed pressure in young or newly cleared blocks. PJ and CM outcompete weeds when established early and densely.
- Black pod (Phytophthora) and moisture management. A healthy, well-structured soil and good orchard sanitation support overall tree resilience. Cover crops are an agronomic ground-cover tool, not a disease treatment.
- Shade transition. As cacao and shade trees close canopy, sun-loving covers fade. Shifting to shade-tolerant CP and CC keeps a living legume layer in place.
Frequently asked questions
Which cover crop is best for young Philippine cacao?
For the open establishment years, Pueraria javanica (PJ) is a common choice (Tropical Forages: about 4 kg/ha sown alone), often mixed with Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) for fast cover on acidic or cleared land; the mix rate is set on the quotation for your site. Both establish quickly, suppress weeds between rows, and fix nitrogen while young cacao develops.
What cover crop works once cacao and shade trees close canopy?
As the floor shades over, sun-loving covers thin out. Centrosema pubescens (CP, broadcast at 3 to 5 kg/ha) and Calopogonium caeruleum (CC, 1 to 1.5 kg/ha sown with 5 to 7.5 kg/ha PJ), with both rates from Tropical Forages, are shade-tolerant and persist under partial shade, continuing nitrogen input into the established phase.
How is Mucuna bracteata established in cacao?
Mucuna bracteata is raised in a nursery and transplanted, never broadcast. MPOB TT No. 501 (Hasnol Othman, Farawahida Mohamad Darus and Zulkifli Hashim, 2012) used about 320 seedlings per hectare, two per palm point, raised from about 500 seeds (75 g); Samedani et al. (2015) used 680 seedlings per hectare. For MB nitrogen, one 15N isotope-dilution study under three-year-old oil palm on Jawa Series soil in Malaysia measured roughly 67 to 84 percent of its nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa) (Cheah et al. 2010), so treat any absolute nitrogen figure as indicative and site-dependent.
Do cover crops or SoilBoost EA help with black pod disease?
No. Cover crops and SoilBoost EA support soil health and general crop resilience but are not fungicides, pesticides, or disease treatments. They do not control or cure black pod (Phytophthora) or any other cacao disease. Follow Bureau of Plant Industry and local agricultural guidance for disease management.
Can smallholder cacao farmers in Davao use these cover crops?
Yes. Species choice and seed quantities scale from one-hectare Davao smallholder plots up to larger agroforestry blocks. Kudzu Seeds Trading supplies cover crop seed across the Davao Region and wider Mindanao from Davao City; export shipments carry a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and documents for inter-island shipments are confirmed on the quotation.
What is SoilBoost EA and how is it used on cacao soils?
SoilBoost EA is a humic soil conditioner (leonardite-derived, with about 0.45 percent sulphur and pH 3.84) manufactured exclusively for Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. and Kudzu Seeds Trading and supplied in the Philippines by Kudzu Seeds Trading. Broadcast 50 to 100 kg/ha or drench 10 to 15 kg/ha around the base of trees. It is a soil conditioner, not a fertiliser and not a substitute for one, and it is not a fungicide or pesticide. It supports soil structure and biology alongside your normal fertiliser programme and legume cover.
How much fertiliser can a legume cover replace?
There is no fixed figure. A well-established legume cover adds nitrogen through litter and root turnover, but the amount depends on species, ground cover, soil, and climate. Legume cover contributes nitrogen; adjust your fertiliser programme only after soil and leaf analysis shows what the cover supplies on your block.
Related pages
Request a Philippine cacao cover crop quotation
Send a quotation request with your crop, area and delivery point, or WhatsApp or email us, for lot availability, seeding plans, and freight to your farm in Davao or wider Mindanao. We reply within one business day (Philippine time).
Request a quotation WhatsApp Kudzu Seeds TradingContact: WhatsApp +60 17-237 4058, Email info@kudzuseeds.com, Office +63 906 686 0327. Kudzu Seeds Trading is the Philippines-based sister company of Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia (chemiseed.com). Seed is germination- and purity-tested to ISTA and AOSA methods. Orders are shipped from Davao City, Philippines; export shipments carry a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
All Philippine plantation guides
Browse by region or by crop. Each guide covers Philippine-specific species and establishment notes, with published seeding rates where a source exists.
By region:
Crop-specific guides:
Disclaimer. Cover crops are not a disease treatment. SoilBoost EA is a soil conditioner. It is not a fungicide, pesticide, plant protection product, or standalone treatment for Fusarium TR4, Phytophthora, or any crop disease. It may support soil structure and root-zone conditions as part of a broader agronomy program, but disease management must follow local agronomist, regulatory, sanitation, drainage, and resistant-variety guidance.
Sources for the seeding and nitrogen figures: Tropical Forages, CIAT and ILRI (2020), tropicalforages.info; MPOB TT No. 501 (Hasnol Othman, Farawahida Mohamad Darus and Zulkifli Hashim, 2012); Samedani et al. (2015), International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 17(2): 251-260; Cheah, Zaharah and Aminuddin (2010), Oil Palm Bulletin 60: 22-27.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026.