Book Description

Sesbania, a member of the legume family, has been the object of study in new efforts to discover, conserve, and use plant genetic resources. This volume brings together the most recent research on the subject and combines it with previous studies and an extensive review of the literature. This work is a synthesis of biological description and applied studies related to the highly variable and versatile Sesbania species. Sesbania occurs in both annual and perennial forms in tropical and subtropical regions and is adaptable to an unusually wide variety of soil conditions, including saline. The most important uses of the plants are in nitrogen fixation (as in green manures) and in cropping systems. Auxiliary uses of the different species are as sources for pulp fibers, fuel wood, animal fodder, and wind-breaks.