Kudzu Seeds Trading

Calopogonium mucunoides (CM)

Bulk & wholesale supply — pricing on request.

Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) is a fast-establishing annual legume cover crop for rubber, coconut and oil palm. It produces dense ground cover quickly, fixes nitrogen, and decomposes fast to recycle nutrients. Kudzu Seeds Trading supplies CM seed, germination-tested, with ISPM 7 and BPI phytosanitary certification, for the Philippines and export.

PLANT CHARACTER

Trailing annual legume with creeping and twining growth. Establishes quickly, producing dense vegetative cover under rubber, coconut and banana canopies. Adapts well to a range of tropical soil types. Short-lived: it is typically the first species to be shaded out in a legume mixture as the canopy closes.

USES
Nitrogen fixation, erosion control, soil cover, green manure and weed suppression. In a coconut basin study, Calopogonium mucunoides contributed 27.21 kg of biomass and 186.5 g of nitrogen per basin (Thomas & Shantaram, 1993). See how CM compares to other species in our five-species cover crop comparison.

GROWTH HABIT
Rapid early establishment. In Zamboanga Peninsula trials run by the Department of Agriculture Region 9, CM produced 10,773 kg of fresh biomass per hectare at 150 days after planting and decomposed at 95.61% within three months, making it one of the fastest nutrient-cycling cover crops for tropical inter-row and basin systems.

PLANTING TYPE & SEEDING RATE
Pure stand: 4 to 6 kg/ha; in a legume mixture: 1 to 3 kg/ha

PLANTING METHOD
Direct sowing, broadcast or rows

DRY MATTER PRODUCTION
6 to 10 t/ha/year

NO. OF SEEDS/KG
About 70,000 seeds (1000-seed weight 13 to 15 g, PROSEA)

Referenced performance data

Sources named

By the numbers

Philippine Department of Agriculture field trial data, a published coconut agronomy study, and institutional references. Each figure is linked to its source.

10,773

kg fresh biomass at 150 days

Philippine field trial, Zamboanga Peninsula, under rubber canopy. Note this is fresh weight, not dry matter.

Dept. of Agriculture Region 9, Philippines cover crop trial

95.61%

Decomposition within 3 months

Rapid nutrient release back into the root zone under tropical conditions.

Dept. of Agriculture Region 9, Philippines cover crop trial

27 kg + 187 g N

Biomass and nitrogen per coconut basin

27.21 kg biomass and 186.5 g nitrogen per basin, among the highest of the legume species tested in that study.

Thomas & Shantaram 1993, Int. Coconut Community Journal

6-8 weeks

To dense early cover

The fastest establishing of the five species we supply, which is what makes it useful as a nurse crop ahead of a longer-lived cover.

Five-species comparison

On fertiliser substitution. You will find published claims that a legume cover can substitute a share of the nitrogen requirement in adult coconut. We do not put a percentage on it, because the contribution varies widely with species, ground cover achieved, soil nitrate and season, and because applied mineral nitrogen suppresses the legume's own fixation. Establish the cover, track your own leaf and soil analysis over two to three seasons, and adjust from your own data.

SUPPLIER
Supplied by Kudzu Seeds Trading, the Philippines-based sister company of Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. All seed is germination tested before shipment and exported with phytosanitary certification, ISPM 7 compliant, through the Philippine NPPO / Bureau of Plant Industry.

GLOBAL AVAILABILITY
Available for export to tropical regions worldwide, including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, South Asia and the Pacific Islands. Contact us for bulk pricing and export documentation.

Related Resources

Plan with our free calculators

Estimate the nitrogen this cover crop can contribute with the nitrogen fixation calculator, or model erosion control with the soil erosion calculator. Browse all our plantation tools.

Last reviewed August 2026 by Kudzu Seeds Trading.

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Performance Data

By The Numbers

60-80% Germination Rate

up to 154 kg N/ha biomass-N

2-3 months Full Ground Cover

4-6 kg/ha Seeding Rate

pH 4.0-6.0 Soil pH Range

Data based on testing to ISTA and AOSA methods, MPOB and DA Philippines field references, and peer-reviewed tropical agriculture research.

Is this right for your site?

Where this fits

A fast-establishing nurse legume for early cover, best in the first one to two years.

Well suited for

Rapid early ground cover on newly cleared, open land
Nurse crop within legume seed mixtures
Quick erosion protection during establishment

Less suitable for

Long-term sole cover (short-lived, typically two to three years)
Shaded ground under a developed canopy
Drought-prone sites

Not sure it fits your conditions? Send your crop, area, and site details and our team will advise on suitability before you order.

Documents available

Technical Data Sheet (TDS), Certificate of Analysis (COA) with germination data, and phytosanitary certification (ISPM 7 compliant) for export are available on request.

Request product documents

Limitations and site considerations

Field results depend on crop system, soil, rainfall, planting method, seed quality, storage, timing, and post-establishment management. Adjust recommendations to local conditions, and contact us before ordering if you are unsure about crop fit, application rate, or site suitability.

What to include in your inquiry

Country and delivery location
Main crop or plantation type
Total area in hectares
Estimated quantity and timeline
Buyer type: plantation, distributor, government, or smallholder

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Calopogonium mucunoides (CM)