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Pak Wanpa (Melientha suavis Pierre) is a local plant that its young parts are consumed as vegetable. As it is seasonal (February to April) and popular among Thai people, it has been collected massively from wild causing deforestation. Nowadays, to reduce such problems, Pak Wanpa is grown in a cropping system with Agasta (Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Poir.) as a nurse plant. Regrettably, Agasta is not a cash crop; growers are not able to generate income from selling edible parts of Agasta. Thus, this study was conducted aiming to seek for the leguminous cash crops to be used as a host for Pak Wanpa cultivation.

The host plants used in the study were Agasta, Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.), and Cha Om (Acacia pennata subsp. Insuavis). The results of pot experiment exhibited that Pak Wanpa which were grown with host plants had noticeably enhanced growth in terms of height and biomass.  The Pak Wanpa grown with Cha Om showed best growth with the increased dry matter of 52% as well as obvious elevated leaf protein content of 83% comparing to solitary Pak Wanpa. A transverse section of Cha Om roots illustrated no preventing mechanisms observed in a response to haustorial invasion, which confirmed the compatible interaction between Pak Wanpa and Cha Om and assured that the flow through of nutrients and water from the host plant to the parasite having no barrier.