Sesbania Aculeata, Danch - 0.5 kg Seeds

Dhaincha or Danch (Sesbania aculeata, syn. Sesbania bispinosa) is a fast-growing, soft-wooded annual legume with feathery leaves, slightly prickly stems and small yellow pea-flowers followed by long slender pods. As a vigorous nitrogen-fixer it enriches the soil rapidly.

Grown widely across the plains of India, it is one of the most important green-manure crops, ploughed in to boost soil fertility, and it also serves for fodder, fibre and the reclamation of waterlogged, saline and alkaline land. Its quick canopy smothers weeds, and it tolerates flooding far better than most field crops.

• Family: Fabaceae
• Native region: tropical Asia / Indian subcontinent
• Mature height: 1-3 m
• Growth rate: very fast

Soak the seeds in water for 12-24 hours, or lightly scarify the harder ones, to ensure even germination. Broadcast or direct-sow them about 1-2 cm deep into prepared, moist soil, as the species is grown in place rather than transplanted; seedlings emerge quickly in about 3-7 days. For green manure, slash and incorporate the crop at 6-8 weeks, before it turns woody.