The objective of this work was to evaluate the yield of banana plants intercropped with the perennial herbaceous legumes forage groundnut (Arachis pintoi), tropical kudzu (Pueraria phaseoloides) and siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum). The control treatments were spontaneous vegetation (mainly Panicum maximum) and spontaneous vegetation plus nitrogen fertilizer application to banana plants. The vegetative growth of banana plants was also evaluated. Among the treatments, spontaneous vegetation and tropical kudzu promoted the highest dry matter productions; tropical kudzu had the highest amounts of accumulated and fixed N. Forage groundnut, tropical kudzu and siratro promoted the fastest vegetative growth for banana plants in this intercropped system. Tropical kudzu and siratro promoted the highest values for bunch weight and hands weight. All legume treatments result in a increase in the percentage of harvested bunches and a reduction in the harvesting time and are related to higher yields, compared to spontaneous vegetation treatment.
green manure; biological nitrogen fixation; cover crops
