Integrating cover crops to enhance abaca ( Musa textilis Nee) production in Leyte, East‐Central Philippines

Abstract

Abaca ( Musa textilis Nee) is a fiber crop, closely related to banana ( Musa sp.). However, it requires 15–18 months from transplanting to first harvest, leaving the soil between plants vulnerable to erosion or weed infestation. Integrating cover crops into abaca plantations may help mitigate these issues. This study aimed to examine the influence of diverse cover crop species on abaca production during its early and late growth phases. Two experiments were conducted to assess the impacts of cover crops on abaca. First, the impact of forage peanut ( Arachis pintoi ) and koronivia grass ( Brachiaria humidicola ) on mature abaca plants was investigated. Second, the influence of peanut ( Arachis hypogaea ), mung bean ( Vigna radiata ), and upland rice ( Oryza sativa ) on young abaca was evaluated. Each experiment included a no‐cover crop treatment. In the mature abaca field, forage peanut produced an average biomass of 1093 kg ha ⁻¹ with a carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio of 14:1, whereas koronivia grass yielded 956 kg ha ⁻¹ with a C:N ratio of 26:1. Despite these differences, microbial biomass (606 µg C g ⁻¹ soil) and soil N were similar among treatments. In the young abaca field, peanut, mung bean, and upland rice produced 1351, 1036, and 743 kg ha ⁻¹ , respectively. After 71 days, soil inorganic N (128 mg kg ⁻¹ ) was numerically higher with cover crops than without (108 mg kg ⁻¹ ) with no difference observed on microbial biomass. Overall, cover crops did not hinder abaca growth, indicating their potential to enhance sustainability and soil health in abaca system.