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    Carpodesmodium_(Carol_Chambliss).JPG
    Carpodesmodium_leaf-flowers.JPG
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    Carpon Desmodium

    Species: Carpon Desmodium
    Scientific Name: Desmodium heterocarpon
    Cultivars:Florida Carpon
    Growth Habit:Semierect to prostrate. Leaf with three leaflets, mottled leaflet marks, and creeping to ascending stems. Prostrate growth under heavy grazing. Pink-purple racemes. Jointed pods. 12- 20% Crude protein in foliage.
    Life Cycle:Perennial
    Origin:Asia. Native to lowland humid tropics
    Production Season:April to October
    Nutritive Value:Varies depending on maturity (leaf:stem ratio) Usually medium to high crude protein; medium to high digestibility.
    Use:Grazing, hay

    Adaptation

    Soil:Flatwoods. Sand to clay, in moderately well to poorly drained soils. Adapts very well to low fertility.
    pH:4 - 7
    Rainfall:45-170 inches. However, is drought resistant, and is not killed by dry spring (South Florida). It will not do well under long-term flooding. It will adapt to areas suitable for hairy indigo but not to those wetter and suitable for Aeschynomene (joint vetch).
    Temperature:Warm-season only

    Management

    Planting Date:May to August (after last frost)
    Planting Depth:
    Seeding Rate:
  • If grown alone 3 to 5lb/acre. If planted with permanent grass, sod use 5 to 10lb/acre
  • Inoculate seed with rhizobium bacteria type 'EL', Cowpea group
    		•
    Seed Cost:$3/lb; $9 to 30/acre
    Fertilization:For fertilization info click this link
    Production:
  • Annual N fertilizer value equivalent to 100 to 225 lb/acre.
  • In mixed stands with grasses 4 to 5.5 tons/acre.
  • Seed yields ~ 100 lb/acre (2 harvests in mixed stand with bermudagrass).
    		•

    Notes

  • Slow to establish.
  • Can be planted with Aeschynomene to supply forage for cattle during first year of establishment of Carpon.
  • Used with grasses (bahiagrass, digitgrass, limpograss) in southern Florida.
  • Once established is very competitive in mixtures.
  • Susceptible to root-knot nematodes. Web worms (tortricids) can be a problem when seeds are maturing.
  • Seed production and maturation is complete in November, if not heavily grazed during August.
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