Cover Crops for Oil Palm in Nigeria

Legume cover crops protect bare soil in oil palm replants and young plantings, add nitrogen through fixation and hold back weeds until the palm canopy closes. This page sets out what the research shows, including two studies from Nigeria, which species fit, and how a buyer in Nigeria orders cover crop seed and SoilBoost EA from Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia by quotation.

Request a quotationWhatsApp +62 877 7837 4714
Oil palm plantation with a legume cover crop on the ground between the rows

At a glance

  • Where cover crops fit: replants and immature blocks, while the canopy is open and the soil is exposed.
  • Species: Pueraria javanica (PJ), Calopogonium mucunoides (CM), Centrosema pubescens (CP), Calopogonium caeruleum (CC) and nursery-raised Mucuna bracteata (MB).
  • Nigerian data: a cover crop trial in Cross River State and a three-cycle study of the African rhinoceros beetle in Rivers State.
  • Supply: by quotation from Malaysia; the importer arranges the Nigerian import permit.

What the research shows

Soil structure under a legume cover in Southern Nigeria

In a cover crop trial on an Ultisol at Oban, Cross River State, Nigeria (2017 to 2022, 160 palms per hectare, 12 replications), surface soil (0 to 15 cm) had a bulk density of 1.11 g/cm3 under Mucuna bracteata against 1.40 g/cm3 where no cover crop was grown (Awelewa et al. 2024, Table 1). A lower bulk density means a looser soil that roots and water move through more easily. It is one site and one study, so read it as a local data point rather than a promise.

Erosion on replant ground

In a young rubber plantation where runoff was measured for three years on 1 m2 plots, sowing a Pueraria phaseoloides cover in the inter-row reduced runoff by 88% and soil loss by 98% compared with bare soil, and combining the legume with logging residues almost eliminated both (Perron et al. 2024). Small plots tend to give large relative reductions, and the crop was rubber, but the problem is the same one any replant faces: bare soil between young trees in heavy rain.

Nitrogen from a Pueraria cover

Legume covers fix nitrogen from the air through their root nodules. The best-documented field figure for a Pueraria cover comes from a four-year trial under young rubber in northeast Thailand: the cover accumulated about 250 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year in its above-ground biomass, with 85 to 93% of that nitrogen from fixation depending on the year (Clermont-Dauphin et al. 2016). It is one trial on one site, not a design value for your plantation. The same trial found that, at the top of the slope, the cover reduced the young trees' ability to survive intense drought. Legume cover contributes nitrogen; adjust your fertiliser programme only after soil and leaf analysis shows what the cover supplies on your block.

Weeds

In a Universiti Putra Malaysia trial in oil palm on mineral soil, weed dry weight was 97.3 to 99.9% lower and weed density 94.77 to 99.73% lower than in unweeded plots across the cover crop treatments together, 9 to 24 months after planting (Samedani et al. 2015).

Replanting and the African rhinoceros beetle

Old palm trunks left to rot after felling are where the African rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes monoceros, breeds. At Ubima, Rivers State, Nigeria, adult beetles collected by hand in three replanting cycles (2018, 2020 and 2022) peaked between 18 and 25 months after planting (Riley et al. 2026). The authors list a well-established cover crop among their recommendations, together with chipping or shredding felled trunks, biological control and continued monitoring. The idea that a legume cover hides rotting trunks from the beetle comes from earlier work they cite; their study did not test it. Our rhinoceros beetle page sets out what is known about pheromone trapping of this beetle.

Species and published seeding rates

Every rate below is a published figure with its source and its conditions. The species mix and rate for your blocks are set on the quotation.

Species Use and establishment Published seeding rate or planting density
Pueraria javanica (PJ), also listed as Pueraria phaseoloides or Neustanthus phaseoloides Inter-rows of replants and young palms. In pure stands, about 60 to 70% ground cover at around 4 months and 90 to 100% at 8 months (PROSEA 11). About 4 kg/ha sown alone (Tropical Forages)
Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) Early cover in mixtures. Covers the soil 3 to 6 months after sowing, sooner on newly cleared fertile land, with a dense sward at 4 to 5 months; usually the first species to be shaded out (PROSEA 11). Sown in mixtures; the rate for your site is set on the quotation
Centrosema pubescens (CP) Mixtures. A pure sward gives dense cover in 4 to 8 months (PROSEA 11). 3 to 5 kg/ha broadcast (Tropical Forages)
Calopogonium caeruleum (CC) Persists under shade: 3 to 7 t dry matter/ha/yr in the open and 1 to 1.5 t under mature oil palm at about 10% light (Tropical Forages). 1 to 1.5 kg/ha together with 5 to 7.5 kg/ha PJ (Tropical Forages)
Mucuna bracteata (MB) Raised in a nursery and transplanted, not broadcast. About 100% ground cover at 6 months on mineral soil (Samedani et al. 2015); on deep peat, 31% at 6 months, 58% at 12, 75% at 18 and 78% at 24 (MPOB TT No. 501). Keep it off young palms. 680 seedlings/ha at 1.5 m spacing on mineral soil (Samedani et al. 2015); 320 seedlings/ha, two per palm point, from about 500 seeds (75 g) on deep peat (MPOB TT No. 501)
Mixture A published mixture for oil palm on peat. PJ 4 + CP 3 + CC 1 = 8 kg/ha, with 5 g Rhizobium inoculant per kg of seed (MPOB TT No. 501)

A common approach is a mixture: CM for early cover, PJ in the inter-rows, CP and CC to carry the cover as shade increases, and nursery-raised MB in open blocks where the team can keep it off young palms. Estates and smallholders use the same species, scaled to the area planted.

SoilBoost EA soil conditioner

SoilBoost EA is a leonardite-derived humic acid soil conditioner manufactured exclusively for Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. and Kudzu Seeds Trading. It may support soil structure and root-zone conditions alongside a legume cover and a normal fertiliser programme. It is a soil conditioner, not a fertiliser, and the application rate for your crop and soil is set on the quotation. Product page: SoilBoost EA 25 kg.

How to order from Nigeria

Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. is a Malaysian supplier of legume cover crop seed and soil conditioners to plantations since 2003. We supply buyers worldwide on request, from Malaysia.

  1. Quotation. Tell us your crop, planted area, products and port of destination. We reply with a written quotation from Malaysia that confirms the minimum order, lead time and shipping terms.
  2. Terms. Payment in full before dispatch. Ex Works (EXW) Selangor, Malaysia, unless the quotation names FOB or CIF.
  3. Documents. Seed lots are germination- and purity-tested to ISTA and AOSA methods. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) and a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture Malaysia (DOA) for export are available on request.
  4. Import rules. The importer is responsible for the import permit and for any seed or product registration in the destination country. Import rules change and can differ by species and by country of origin, so confirm them before you confirm the order.

Import authorities we have checked

  • Nigeria: the national plant protection organisation is the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), which issues import permits for plant products (NAQS). For legume seed for sowing, an import permit and a phytosanitary certificate are listed as required (MICOR, Nigeria). The importer confirms the permit conditions, and any seed or product registration, before confirming the order.
Request a quotationWhatsApp +62 877 7837 4714

Frequently asked questions

Which cover crop suits oil palm replants in Nigeria?

Most programmes use a mixture rather than one species: CM for early cover, PJ in the inter-rows, CP and CC as shade increases, and nursery-raised MB where palm circles can be kept clear. The mix and rate for your blocks are set on the quotation, using the published rates in the table above.

Who arranges the Nigerian import permit?

The importer. The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) issues import permits for plant products. We supply the export documents from Malaysia, including the phytosanitary certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture Malaysia (DOA).

Do cover crops replace fertiliser?

No. Legume cover contributes nitrogen; adjust your fertiliser programme only after soil and leaf analysis shows what the cover supplies on your block.

Is the seed tested, and which documents come with an order?

Seed lots are germination- and purity-tested to ISTA and AOSA methods. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) and a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture Malaysia (DOA) for export are available on request.

Where do orders ship from, and on what terms?

From Malaysia. Payment is in full before dispatch, and prices are Ex Works (EXW) Selangor unless the quotation names FOB or CIF. The minimum order and lead time are confirmed on the quotation.

References

  1. Awelewa, E.A., Umunnakwe, O.C., Effa, E.B., Ebri, B.O., Bisong, O.B. and Ekpenyong, E.I. (2024). Effect of cover crops on soil properties and oil yield of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis L) grown on Utisol of Southern Nigeria. Direct Research Journal of Agriculture and Food Science 12(3): 103-109. doi:10.26765/DRJAFS65733477
  2. Perron, T., Legrand, M., Janeau, J.-L., Manizan, A., Vierling, C., Kouakou, A., Brauman, A., Gay, F., Laclau, J.-P. and Mareschal, L. (2024). Runoff and soil loss are drastically decreased in a rubber plantation combining the spreading of logging residues with a legume cover. Science of the Total Environment 913: 169335. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169335
  3. Clermont-Dauphin, C., Suvannang, N., Pongwichian, P., Cheylan, V., Hammecker, C. and Harmand, J.-M. (2016). Dinitrogen fixation by the legume cover crop Pueraria phaseoloides and transfer of fixed N to Hevea brasiliensis: impact on tree growth and vulnerability to drought. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 217: 79-88. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2015.11.002
  4. Samedani, B., Juraimi, A.S., Rafii, M.Y., Sheikh Awadz, S., Anwar, M. and Anuar, A.R. (2015). Effect of cover crops on weed suppression in oil palm plantation. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 17(2): 251-260.
  5. Riley, S.O., Wiafe, E.K., Impens, R., Beaudoin-Ollivier, L., Samuel, D.O., Okoye, G. and Sule, B.A. (2026). Temporal patterns of Oryctes monoceros (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) in oil palm replanting: a study across three cycles. OCL 33: 8. doi:10.1051/ocl/2025042
  6. Hasnol Othman, Farawahida Mohamad Darus and Zulkifli Hashim (2012). Best management practices for oil palm cultivation on peat: Mucuna bracteata as ground cover crop. MPOB TT No. 501 (MPOB Information Series 588). Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
  7. Tropical Forages: an interactive selection tool, 2020 edition (CIAT and ILRI), species fact sheets. www.tropicalforages.info
  8. PROSEA (1997). Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 11: Auxiliary plants. Species entries for Calopogonium mucunoides (Chen Chin Peng and Aminah), Centrosema pubescens and Pueraria phaseoloides.
  9. Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS). Plant quarantine. naqs.gov.ng/plant_quarantine
  10. Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICOR), plant export entries for Nigeria (Desmodium intortum seed) (reviewed July 2026). micor.agriculture.gov.au

Related pages

Request a quotation for Nigeria

Tell us your crop, planted area, products and port of destination, and we will reply with a quotation from Malaysia.

Request a quotationWhatsApp +62 877 7837 4714

Email: info@chemiseed.com