@article {843, title = {Barbechos Mejorados Para Intensificar El Uso De La Tierra En Los Tr{\'o}picos H{\'u}medos De Per{\'u}.}, journal = {Agroforester{\'\i}a en las Am{\'e}ricas }, volume = {27}, year = {2000}, pages = {7-18}, abstract = {The effect of legume tree or cover crop fallows on plant biomass, weed control and annual crop production was evaluated and economically compared in the Province of Alto Amazonas district of Yurimaguas, Loreto, Per{\'u}. Treatments evaluated were: 1) natural fallow; 2) Inga edulis (Inga) planted at 1.5 x 1.5 m; 3) Inga associated with Centrosema macrocarpum (Centrosema); 4) Colubrina glandulosa (Colubrina) planted at 3 x 3 m; 5) Colubrina associated with Centrosema; and 6) Centrosema alone. Colubrina (3 m/year) and Inga (2.2 m/year) grew much faster than the trees in the natural fallow (average 1.3 m/year) and accumulated a greater quantity of biomass during the three years of fallow. The association of Centrocema with the trees increased the total biomass of the fallows and reduced weeds. During the three years of the study, the Inga fallows produced firewood (34.5 t/ha) and fruits (33000 pods/ha) while Colubrina produced 1111 poles/ha which are used for roof construction or fences. The additional value of the trees in the improved fallow made them more attractive to the farmers; the natural fallow only produced soft wood (< 2.5 cm dbh) that could be used for firewood. Maize yields increased after fallows of Colubrina associated with Centrosema, but Cowpea yield increased only after the Centrosema fallow. }, keywords = {Centrocema macrocarpum, Colubrina glandulosa, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), Inga edulis, leguminous trees, maize (Zea mays), weed control}, url = {http://web.catie.ac.cr/informacion/RAFA/rev27/arti1-a.htm}, author = {J Alegre and Ar{\'e}valo, L.A. and Guzm{\'a}n, W. and Rao, M.}, editor = {asb@cgiar.org} }