However, it does not perpetuate itself well and is not found in the wild. In 60 days it can produce more than 5000#/acre biomass and fix 140#/acre of nitrogen! Sunn Hemp provides as much as 20 tons per acre of green tonnage with a maximum of 150 units of Nitrogen fixation per acre in as little as 90 days. Both goats and deer thrive on this crop. 9/3/2018 0 Comments Experimenting with Sunn Hemp this year. We would like to especially thank Bob and Marilyn Seleska with the Southeast Kiko Association Sunn Hemp Seed also known as Tillage Sunn™ is fast-growing, warm season legume which produces significant amount of biomass and fixes nitrogen. This rock star cover crop builds organic matter, fixes atmospheric nitrogen, controls harmful nematodes, and it still finds time to be beautiful. Then when the crop dies it releases Nitrogen back into the soil for the next crop. Sowings after will bolt and not grow as tall or produce less N2. Sunn Hemp is one of the only warm-season cover crops that adds significant amounts of nitrogen to soils. Sunn hemp roots, stems, and branches are fibrous with high cellulose and low nitrogen content, whereas leaves and flowers are rich in nitrogen. Sunn hemp is a tropical or sub-tropical plant that when grown in the continental United States performs like a summer annual. The new leaves of sunn hemp are 30 percent protein. Our research at Petcher Seeds and on many goat ranches has continued to prove that goats and sheep thrive on sunn hemp. Drought tolerant but there must be moisture for germination. Perfect to mix with lablab, cowpeas, or soybeans to help screen these favorites during their vulnerable first few weeks. Our objectives were to assess the growth of a new sunn hemp cultivar breed to produce seed in a temperate climate and determine the residual N effect on a rye ( Secale cereale L.) cover crop in east-central Alabama from 2007 to 2009. Crotalaria juncea, known as brown hemp, Indian hemp, Madras hemp, or sunn hemp, is a tropical Asian plant of the legume family ().It is generally considered to have originated in India. For agricultural purposes, goats also do well grazing on sunn hemp. Land Reclamation. My reading says it has about a 60 day cycle time, high protien in the leaves (~30%), and doesn't seed in most of the United States due to its lack of cold hardiness. When I let them in I moved the two wires to the top of the post so they can go under. The use of sunn hemp is a conservation effort designed to improve the quality of soil. Our research at Petcher Seeds and on many goat ranches has continued to prove that goats and sheep thrive on sunn hemp. Goats in the sunn hemp. Title: On-Farm Evaluation and Use of Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) legume to Improve Sustainable Meat Goat Production and Health in Southern USA Agency: UGA/USDA/SARE; Agency Number: RD309-129/5000673. This application will not apply to northern dairy farmers due to the short planting window. The high protein levels in the crop are a major advantage for grazing animals including cattle, sheep and goats. As a forage, sunn hemp leaves are 4% to 5%. Plant Characteristics Height … The University of Hawaii and USDA NRCS, together, released the variety called “Tropic Sun” in 1982. In fact, if you have sunn hemp with deer in the area, you will not be able to keep them out of it. and goats. Sunn hemp, anyone use it as forage? I put a two string electric fence around it to keep them out while it grew. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) is a legume that when grown as a summer annual can produce over 5,000 pounds of biomass and over 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. It is day-length sensitive. It is native to India and Pakistan. It has been reported to add over 100 lbs of nitrogen per acre. Using a winter cover crop/green manure is a conservation practice that provides soil-improving characteristics. Sunn hemp is a … This gives the … The leaves are 30 % protein. It also is said to be good at adding nitrogen the soil when mowed. The leaves of sunn hemp are 30 % protein. Brazil calls it their “number one soil builder”. I’ve seen seeding rates vary in recommendations from 15-40 pounds per acre, so this is not an inexpensive plant, but it is not prohibitively costly, either, at least for a few plots to experiment with and improve the soil. We would like to especially thank Bob and Marilyn Seleska with the Southeast Kiko Association Sunn Hemp for Deer and Wildlife Sunn hemp is also excellent for wildlife: Deer will walk a mile for it. Sunn Hemp is non seed bearing in the North American climates. Sunn Hemp explodes out of the ground to over 7 feet tall and is highly preferred, loaded with antler-growing protein and able to take the heaviest browisng pressure! Sunn hemp is adapted to a wide range of soils and performs better on poor sandy soils than most crops. Sunn hemp can tolerate a wide range of soil pH (5.0-8.4). Global Sunn brand sunn hemp is one of the only plants capable of out-competing pigweed's rapid and aggressive growth. It can be planted year round in Hawaii below an elevation of 1,000 feet. It is a tropical legume so as it grows it produces Nitrogen. Zone Regional Growing Zone 1 - Northwest Coastal, 2 - California Coastal, 3 - Southern Mountain, 4 - Mountain, 5 - Midwest, 6 - Northeast Lakes, 7 - Great Lakes South, 8 - Appalacia, 9 - Southeast, 10 - South Florida Temperature Zone Warm, Cool, Transitional. Because it is a legume, this cover crop has the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and transfer it to garden soils, making it available for successive crops. Project # OS14-088MIN. This is a huge potential for cattle, goat, sheep, and rabbit farmers, or even guys just wanting to grow a food plot for deer.” Dion Puzon, Jr., the CEO and publisher of Organic Producer magazine, has just begun a three-year trial of Tropic Sun on OrgPro Farms near Spring Green, Wis. He’s growing sunn hemp on a half-acre plot to compare it with a half-acre plot of clover. Livestock can start grazing approximately 45 days after planting, when the plants reach 1 ½ to 3 feet tall. It is just the ticket for smaller or heavily browsed food plots. Contributed by: USDA NRCS Cape May Plant Materials Center, Cape May, NJ . For agricultural purposes, goats also do well on sunn hemp. Plant Characteristics. We cut a path, installed another fence to split it up and rotational graze it. Sunn hemp is often used as a winter cover crop for Southern farming systems. Sunn Hemp Crotolaria juncea Annual legume. There are millions of acres of this crop grown throughout the world. Sunn hemp costs anywhere from $2-6 per pound, depending on the quantity you buy. Dillard said that the leaves are high in nutrition, and while the stems are of much lower quality, they provide the fiber needed for proper rumen function. Sunn Hemp is not a weed because it sets very low levels of seed, and it has no hard-seededness (ie. With nitrogen levels being between 25% and 30% and protein between 22% and 28%, it can be a very nutritious forage, Petcher says. The concept may be worth considering for dairy farmers in warmer growing zones. Crotalaria juncea## HOW TO GROW SUNN HEMP Direct sow after danger of last frost, dies in fall at 28˚F. Our research at Petcher Seeds and on many goat ranches has continued to prove that goats and sheep thrive on sunn hemp. It grew 30" in 30 days. SUNN HEMP for the stem to harden and the leaves to fill out Crotalaria juncea L. Plant Symbol = CRJU . 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