A dataset on above- and below-ground traits of 21 species found in banana cropping systems, cultivated individually.

The data presented in this article describe 21 species that can be found in banana cropping systems: 17 cover crops species, 2 spontaneous species and 2 cultivars of banana. The cover crop species belongs mainly to Fabaceae family, but also to Poaceae, Euphorbiacea and Asteraceae. Four repetition of each species were cultivated individually, in the field, under non-limiting conditions. 40 variables were measured on whole plant, leaves and roots, at flowering or after six months of growth for longer cycle species. This dataset is made available to provide data on these species, enable comparisons between datasets and meta-analysis on cover crop or on species presented in arable fields. The data presented in this article were used in the research articles entitled "Trait-based characterisation of cover plants' light competition strategies for weed control in banana cropping systems in the French West Indies" (Tardy et al. 2015) and "Trait-based characterization of soil exploitation strategies of banana, weeds and cover plant species" (Tardy et al. 2017).

A dataset on service crop phenotypic characteristics related to their ability to deliver a set of ecological functions.

The dataset presented in this article describe 33 species or varieties of service crops cultivated in population under non-limiting conditions. The description was made at flowering. 41 variables were measured on leaves, stems, roots and seeds. They related to plant phenology (1), morphology (13), physiology (1), biochemistry (18), size (6) and reproduction (2). This dataset is made available to enable comparisons between datasets, extended analysis and meta-analysis on cover crops. The data presented in this article were partly used in the research article entitled "A trait-based characterization of cover plants to assess their potential to provide a set of ecological services in banana cropping systems" (Damour et al., 2014).

Dataset on early growth of cover crops in growth chamber.

The data presented in this data paper describe the early growth of cover crop cultivated in growth chamber under non-limiting conditions. Seventeen species of four botanical groups were described after one month of growth. Traits related to plant growth and leaf area development were measured (five traits) and calculated (eight traits). This data set is made available to enable comparisons between dataset, extended analysis and meta-analysis on cover crop traits. The data presented in this article were used on the research article entitled "Leaf area development strategies of cover plants used in banana plantations identified from a set of plant traits' [1].

Trait-based characterisation of soil exploitation strategies of banana, weeds and cover plant species.

Cover plants can be introduced in cropping systems to provide agroecosystem services, including weed control via competition for resources. There is currently no consensus on how to identify the best cover plant species, while trait-based approaches are promising for screening plant species due to their agroecosystem service provision potential. This study was carried out to characterize soil exploitation strategies of cover plant species in banana agroecosystems using a trait-based approach, and in turn identify cover plant species with a high weed control potential via competition for soil resources in banana cropping systems. A field experiment was conducted on 17 cover plant species, two weed species and two banana cultivars grown individually. Four functional traits were measured. Two of them (i.e., the size of the zone explored by roots and the root impact density) were used to characterize root system soil exploration patterns. Two other traits (i.e., specific root length and root diameter) were used to characterize resource acquisition within the soil zone explored by the roots. All studied traits exhibited marked variations among species. The findings suggested a trade-off between the abilities of species to develop a limited number of large diameter roots exploring a large soil zone versus many thin roots exploring a smaller soil zone. Three soil-resource exploitation strategies were identified among species: (i) with large diameter roots that explore a large soil zone; (ii) with small diameter roots and a high specific length that explore a smaller soil zone; and (iii) with a high total root-impact density and an intermediate specific root length that explore the uppermost soil layers. Interestingly, in our panel of species, no correlations with regard to belowground and aboveground strategies were noted: species with an acquisitive belowground strategy could display an acquisitive or a conservative aboveground strategy. The findings of this study illustrated that a trait-based approach could be used to identify plant species with potential for competing with weeds, while minimising competition with banana. Six of the 17 studied cover crop species were identified as having this potential. The next step will be to assess them for their weed control performances in banana cropping systems with low reliance on herbicides.