Measure the economic viability and conservation of Canavalia ensiformis and Geophila Macropoda

For the last years, Bananera Fabre Inc. is the only commercial producer in Puerto Rico successfully evaluating the conservation cover/ cover crops practices in bananas, citrus, and vegetable farming. It is in good faith necessary to measure the economic viability and practice implementation capabilities of two cover crops/ conservation cover species or mixture of Canavalia ensiformis and Geophila macrophoda in Puerto Rico. These species evaluated for cover crops are validated to prevent soil erosion, conserve soil moisture, protect water quality, increase soil tilth, water infiltration, reduce dust and add fertility to soil. The effects on soil and water resource concerns will increase organic carbon on soil, increase cation exchange capacity, increase aggregate stability, reduce the nutrient and pesticide runoff by 50%, reduction of soil erosion by 90%, reduction of sediment loading by 75% and reduction of pathogen loading by 60%. The project objectives will be conducted following UPR validated methodology of 3 phases repeated for each of the cover crops evaluated:
1)Phase 1: Evaluation of soil parameters before cover crop
2)Phase 2: Seed propagation and development
3)Phase 3: Evaluation of Soil parameters after cover crops
The objective is to measure the economic viability and conservation capabilities of Canavalia ensiformis and Geophila macropoda in commercial USDA Certified Organic banana field.