Plant · P-1154

Sesban

Sesbania sesban

Sesban is a fast-growing, short-lived nitrogen-fixing shrub or small tree, often gone within a decade but productive the whole time it stands. A single season of it ahead of maize can more than double the following grain yield with no fertiliser applied, and it coppices hard for a steady supply of mulch, green manure, forage and firewood that burns hot with little smoke. It tolerates both flooding and drought once established, growing floating roots when the ground goes under water. Livestock keepers need to watch the dose: the leaves poison poultry outright, and the seeds are toxic to people unless soaked for three days before cooking.