Landowner perceptions and the adoption of agroforestry practices in southern Ontario,Canada

A mail-out survey questionnaire was developed by the Agroforestry group at the University of Guelph to determine the level of awareness and interest in the adoption of agroforestry systems by landusers from four townships in Wellington County, Ontario. The questionnaire investigated: (1) the current level of knowledge regarding windbreaks, woodlots and plantations, intereropping, riparian plantations and silvipasture, (2) the present level of participation in each of these systems on-farm, (3) the perceived benefits and/or drawbacks of each of these initiatives with respect to total farm income, income diversity, land rehabilitation, land value/equity, soil/water conservation, labour intensity, overhead and return on the term of investment.The majority of respondents were familiar with conventional agroforestry systems such as windbreaks and woodlots/plantations (80%, 62% respectively), therefore the level of interest in the adoption of these practices was significant (74%, 66% respectively). Response rates were lower for silvipasture, riparian plantations and intercropping, most likely as result of the low level of familiarity with these practices (20%, 32%, 4% respectively). Respondents commented that agroforestry systems would have a neutral effect on farm income, and would increase land stewardship. In some cases, interested landusers indicated a willingness to participate in agroforestry systems even though they anticipated increases in overhead and labour intensity; however, this was only true if they held land stewardship as a priority. Landusers were more concerned with the economic aspects of agroforestry, as a determinant to the future adoptability of particular practices. Age, gender, farm operation and farm size were not correlated with the adoption of agroforestry systems.The success of agroforestry programs on farms in the study area is largely dependent on the attitudes and willingness of landusers to participate in non-traditional agricultural systems.     

Streuobst: a traditional agroforestry system as a model for agroforestry development in temperate Europe

The development of agroforestry for industrialised countries can be furthered by an understanding of the history and present functioning of traditional systems. In temperate Europe, fruit trees were traditionally grown on agricultural land undersown with crops or managed grassland (Streuobst). The historical evolution of this agroforestry system has been driven by the interaction of technical progress, market development and intervention by public authorities. Streuobst reached its peak in the 1930s, but has since been in continuous decline due to the development of intensively managed dwarf-tree orchards. However, even today, it still occupies approximately one million hectares in 11European countries and has a strong impact on the European fruit market. The profitability of streuobst is relatively poor due to its low labour productivity, but it has advantageous ecological and socio-cultural features, particularly in terms of biological diversity and landscape aesthetics. Accordingly, it finds strong acceptance among the general public, such that subsidised eradication programs have been abandoned and, in a number of countries, streuobst is now supported by non-governmental organisations and by state conservation policies. Modern agroforestry in temperate, industrialised countries should be oriented towards the creation of similar ecological and socio-cultural benefits in order to receive public support as a land-use system. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Structure and function of traditional agroforestry systems in the western Himalaya. I. Biomass and productivity

Species composition, biomass, and productivity patterns of three types of traditional agroforestry systems, namely, agrisilvicultural, agrihorticultural, and agrihortisilvicultural, commonly practiced in the western Himalaya, were studied. Species composition in the systems varied depending upon the size of the land holdings, and the basic requirements of the farmer. Among three systems agrihortisilvicultural was highly diverse in vegetation, with as many as 13 tree and 5 agricultural crops mixed together. This system showed the highest productivity up to 25.8 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, out of which 68 percent was contributed by the trees and the remainder by the annuals. Agrisilvicultural system having predominantly annuals had the lowest productivity of 20.4 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ with only 27 percent contribution by the trees. Total aboveground biomass in agrihortisilvicultural or agrihorticultural system was around 48 t ha⁻¹ and it was about 2-fold higher than agrisilvicultural system. In fodder trees, a significant percentage of annual production, up to 48 percent, was allocated in current twigs, while in horticultural trees a major portion, up to 63 percent was partioned towards fruits. Implications of the results have been discussed in context with the growing problems of fuel, fodder, and packaging material in the western Himalaya.     

Components of the water balance for tree species under evaluation for agroforestry to control salinity in the wheatbelt of Western Australia

The soil water balance technique was used to study evaporation from two fodder tree species, tenEucalyptus species and annual pasture over a three year period after planting in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Evaporation is the total water loss by the processes of transpiration, evaporation from the soil surface and evaporation of water intercepted by plant canopies.Evaporation from both fodder trees and from seven of theEucalyptus species was greater than from pasture for one or more of the study years. The maximum difference in evaporation between trees and pasture was 82, 84 and 70 mm in the first, second and third study years, respectively. Higher evaporation from trees was associated with greater depletions in soil water than occurred beneath pasture. Upward movement of water from wet soil beneath the root zone was found under trees, with a maximum flux of 30 mm observed over a one year period beneathE. camaldulensis.The water use efficiency of fodder trees was significantly higher than for mostEucalyptus species, due to greater yields from fodder trees. Biomass production was found to be a good indicator of the water use of eucalypts over the first two years of growth, but the relationship between productivity and water use was found to differ for species with tree and mallee forms. In the third year of study, obvious differences in the relation between water use and yield were observed for some species of eucalypts with high evaporation.     

The scope and potential of tree legumes in agroforestry

Tree legumes play a vital role in many agroforestry systems currently in use throughout the world. Because of their multipurpose nature they can be used to provide high quality fodder for livestock, nutrient rich mulch for crops, fuelwood and timber, microenvironment amelioration, ecosystem stability, and human food.Tree legumes are increasingly being used to provide fodder for livestock, as they have a number of unique characteristics which make them attractive for both smallholder and largescale livestock enterprises. Research and development efforts have concentrated on broadening the resource base by evaluating a greater range of tree legume genera, defining optimum management strategies, and developing appropriate systems which capitalize on the advantages of these species.This paper reviews the role of tree legumes in agroforestry, especially for fodder purposes, outlines the areas of current research focus, and endeavors to highlight some gaps in our knowledge which require further research effort.     

Multistoried agroforestry garden system in West Sumatra,Indonesia

The agroforestry garden system in Maninjau in West Sumatra is characterized by an intensive integration of forest species and commercial crops, forming a forest-like system. The intimate association of different species provides both subsistence and commercial products which supplement rice production. This complex agroforest is managed by the combination between cultural practices and respect of natural processes of vegetation production and reproduction. It represents a profitable production system and constitutes an efficient buffer between villages and protected forest. It is a good model of association between integration of forest resources and cultivation of cash crops in the form of a sustainable and flexible system.     

On-farm agroforestry research in extension programmes: methods used by BAIF in India

The BAIF Development Research Foundation initiated an agroforestry extension project in Pune District, India in 1984, following earlier on-station research on leuceana-based alley-cropping systems for fodder. In extension meetings, farmers expressed a strong preference for planting a wide range of multipurpose trees on farm bunds and borders rather than single-species alley-cropping. Researcher-managed trials of proposed multipurpose species grown with crops were initiated, but were of limited value. An alternative approach to research was begun in 1988. This approach included a survey of agroforestry practices established by farmers through extension, and collection of data on crop yields by distance from the tree line from a sample of these plots. Research methods are described and modifications suggested for improving the quality of this type of extension-based research.     

Participatory technology development in agroforestry: methods from a pilot project in Zimbabwe

An on-farm agroforestry pilot project was initiated by the Zimbabwe Forestry Commission in 1988. The main objective of the project is to investigate a range of options to solve problems of woodland depletion faced by small-scale farmers. This paper describes the first two years of on-farm experimentation. The first season's trials are described, and the rationale for moving towards an approach of greater farmer participation in the research process is given. Steps taken to promote experimental tree planting on farms are described, and methods used are illustrated by examples from the project. Critical awareness-raising techniques, steamming from Freirian philosophy, have been central to the methods. The need for a partnership between formal and informal farmer-based research is discussed, as is a model for agroforestry research and development. The latter is proposed in a way that formal research develops the components of agroforestry practices, whilst farmers are encouraged to experiment with a combination of these components in order to develop practices appropriate to local conditions.     

The agroforestry potential of combined production systems in north-eastern Mexico

In the semi-arid to sub-humid north-east of Mexico, no definite agroforestry practices were in use before the Spanish conquest, but present systems and practices offer a good basis for conversion to ecologically sustainable and productive multicrop systems which incorporate trees. In the mountains and on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico, sub-humid tropical tree crops are found in mixture with semi-arid, mediterranean and even temperate species. Irrigation systems are energy and labour intensive and can be improved. Of special interest for farmers without access to finance, are non-irrigated systems mostly derived from the low dry forest (matorral), which yield crops, fruit and wood for different purposes and also serve for depasturing cattle. These latter practices have high potential for development and optimization.Integrated Expert, Agroforestry, CIM, Germany F.R., GTZ Project No. 81.9008.4     

Survival,growth and productivity of tree species under evaluation for agroforestry to control salinity in the Western Australian wheatbelt

Survival and growth were investigated for 10Eucalyptus species and 2 fodder tree species planted for salinity control in the wheatbelt of Western Australia. After two years of growth the trees were harvested to determine fodder biomass production and yields of cineole from the eucalyptus leaf oil. Subsequent harvests were conducted at three and five years after planting.At each harvest, biomass production from fodder species was greater than from most species of eucalypts. Biomass yields from eucalypts were variable, and there were no consistent trends in the productivity of the different species for the three harvests.Leaf cineole concentrations and cineole yields were low after two years of growth, but after three and five years cineole yields were generally higher from all species.E. kochii subspp.plenissima andkochii, E. horistes, E. radiata andE. angustissima produced consistently high cineole yields after three and five years. These species appear to have potential for the production of high grade eucalyptus oil in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.     

Comparison of the erosion control potential of agroforestry systems in the Himalayan region

The great erosion control potential of agroforestry systems is generally recognized. However, insufficient data are available to be able to give absolute quantitative values for the erosion control potential of specific agroforestry systems or to compare their potential. To obtain such quantitative erosion data, long-term standard erosion measurements should be done in specific agroforestry systems. Such measurements may become very costly because the data need to be collected in a wide range of agroforestry systems on different sites over a long time. A further constraint is the reliability of such information: erosion figures may not be comparable because of discrepancy between the scale of measurement and the scale of the agroforestry system and the occurrence of different kinds of erosion. The methodology presented here enables a quick comparative estimation of the erosion (surface erosion, gully erosion and mass movement) control potential of different agroforestry systems. The erosion control value of agroforestry systems is related to their protective functions: the cover, barrier and soil reinforcement functions. The methodology involves identifying which features influence these different functions within a specific agroforestry system and subsequently evaluating the efficacy. The applicability of this methodology is demonstated with examples from various agroforestry systems in the Himalayan region.     

Household tree holdings: A case study in Mutoko communal area, Zimbabwe

Tree holdings at homesteads and in homefields were investigated for two villages in Zimbabwe. Of the households, 90% owned at least one exotic tree. Trees were concentrated at homesteads and conserved indigenous trees tended to be edible fruit trees. Female heads of households (divorcees and widows) had fewer trees than households headed by men. Households with longer period of residence at a site had increased the proportion of indigenous fruit trees compared to non-fruit trees. Wealth status showed no relationship to tree holdings. The considerable tree planting and tree conservation activity around homesteads and in homefields has the effect of replacing non-fruit indigenous trees with exotic and indigenous fruit trees. Agroforestry research, extension and development should focus more on current practices, concentrate more on trees that farmers favour (such as fruit trees) and take into account differences among households. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Improving multipurpose tree and shrub species for agroforestry systems

With the aid of an example of ICRAF's tree improvement research programme for the highlands of Eastern and Central Africa, a logical approach to selection and breeding of multipurpose trees and shrubs in agroforestry context is proposed. Criteria for selection of high priority species are proposed. Some species of high potential for agroforestry development in Sub Sahara Africa are proposed. The necessary sequential research steps are discussed.     

Traditional tree crop based agroforestry in coffee producing areas of Harerge,Eastern Ethiopia

A preliminary survey of seven coffee producing Awrajas (Provinces) in eastern Ethiopia revealed that there is a traditional tree crop based agroforestry system being practised by the farmers. Coffee (C. arabica) was found to grow under the shade of several trees, 16 species, usually intercropped by one or several, a total of 15, important grain, fruit, vegetable, stimulant, oil-seed and spice crops. The majority of the trees, 69%, is leguminous and Ficus spp. The system is characterized by the integration of crops, livestock and sometimes apiculture. Recommendations are made for future studies.     

The banana (Musa spp.) — Coffee robusta: traditional agroforestry system of Uganda

Banana (Musa spp.) — with Coffee robusta a traditional agroforestry system in Uganda is a purely mixed cropping system managed on a sustained production basis. The basic primary production is banana as a main food crop and Coffee robusta as the main cash crop. The variety of trees deliberately retained, managed and planted, animals and crops in the system are managed by the farmers to maximize production by supplying timber, fruits, fuelwood, fodder, food, medicinal and other miscellaneous uses.     

Herbage yields and quality in four woody forage plants in a subhumid environment in Ghana

There is keen interest in feeding small ruminants with herbage from forage shrubs and trees in Ghana because of the general perception about these plants being perennial and remaining green for lengthy periods. In this study, plant growth rate, herbage production and quality of two indigenous woody plants, Griffonia simplicifolia and Baphia nitida were compared to those of two introduced shrubs, Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium. Gliricidia sepium achieved the greatest height and produced the highest herbage dry matter (2t/ha) compared to average production of 0.15 t/ha by the three other species. Gliricidia sepium herbage also had high contents of crude protein, calcium and ash. In regrowth herbage production at cutting intervals of 6 and 12 weeks, Gliricidia sepium again outperformed the three other species, however, there was little difference in herbage yield among the three other species. In all species one harvest at 12 weeks regrowth interval produced more herbage than the combination of yield of two six week interval harvests. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ethnobotanical knowledge of Philippine lowland farmers and its application in agroforestry

Complex agroforestry systems that mimic local forest structure, so-called ‘analogs’, are assumed to be of specific value to rural people as well as the environment. The objective of this study was to document and evaluate the utilization of plant resources by Philippine lowland farmers to identify native species suitable for integration in such a system. The interviewed farmers maintain a comprehensive ethnobotanical knowledge. They reported using 122 plant species for 77 purposes. Eighty species have medicinal value, 35 provide food, and 32 serve other uses. About 64% of the identified species are Philippine natives. The life form composition of these species is dominated by trees but also includes herbs, lianas, and graminoids, thus providing the structural elements required in analog systems. Nevertheless, only a few of the species seem to be promising for cultivation. Many of them are ubiquitous in the vicinity of villages. Some species are also not much appreciated but act as staple food only during food shortage. Even though several of the species have proven market value, such as rattan (e.g. Calamus merrillii), or are reputed medicines, such as ‘Philippine ginseng’ (Sarcandra glabra), no cultivation could be observed. This shows that usefulness in itself cannot be the only criterion to promote species but that it requires a careful analysis of the marketability of the respective species. In this context we suggest the following three species that are of proven medicinal value for in-depth study: the liana Tinospora crispa (Menispermaceae), the tree Picrasma javanica (Simaroubaceae), and the herb Sarcandra glabra (Chloranthaceae). They represent three different life form strategies and would thus fit well in vertically structured agroforestry systems.     

Does ‘jungle rubber’ deserve its name? An analysis of rubber agroforestry systems in southeast Sumatra

Jungle rubber is a blanced, diversified system derived from swidden cultivation, in which man-made forests with a high concentration of rubber trees replace fallows. Most of the income comes from rubber, complemented with temporary food and cash crops during the early years. Perennial species that grow spontaneously with rubber provide fruits, fuelwood and timber, mostly for household consumption. Jungle rubber enables lower incomes per land unit or man-day than weed-free plantations using selected rubber clones. Yet it requires much less input and labour since wild woody species protect rubber from grass weeds and mammalian predators. With a structure and biodiversity similar to that of secondary forest in its mature phase, jungle rubber belongs to complex agroforestry systems. It has accommodated increasing population densities, while preserving a forest-like environment.Yet farmers' income from jungle rubber is declining due to the exhaustion of forest reserves and reduced land availability. New research and extension options could help in improving the productivity of jungle rubber. Better transportation and marketing are needed for increasing the income from non-rubber output. Short-term, small-scale credit schemes could help farmers adopt high-yielding rubber varieties. Research should participate in creating new management methods for selected rubber based on agroforestry to reduce maintenance costs, enabling smallholders to plant high-yielding rubber at lower cost, and without losing too much of the present biodiversity and economic diversity.

---

Résumé Dérivées de l'essartage, les forêts à hévéa forment un système de culture équilibré et diversifié, où le recrû forestier est remplacé par une forêt anthropique à forte concentration d'hévéas. L'essentiel du revenu provient des hévéas, complétés par des cultures vivrières et commerciales pendant les premières années. Les espèces prérennes qui se développent spontanément avec les hévéas fournissent des fruits et du bois, principalement pour l'autoconsommation. Le revenu tiré de ce système est inférieur à celui de plantations d'hévéa clonal entretenues. Il nécessite cependant moins d'investissements en intrants et en travail grâce au rôle protecteur de courvert forestier vis-à-vis des adventices herbacées et des mannifères prédateurs. Avec une structure et une diversité d'espèces comparable à celles d'une forêt secondaire, ce système fait partie des agroforêts complexes. Il a fourni depuis 1910 l'essentiel du revenu d'une population en croissance rapide tout en préservant un environnement forestier.Le revenu que tirent les paysans des forêts à hévéa est en déclin en raison de l'augmentation de la population. De nouvelles orientations de la recherche et du développement pourraient permettre d'améliorer la productivité de ce système. Le revenu tiré de la composante nonhévéa pourrait être augmenté grâce à une amélioration des transports et de la commercialisation. Le crédit à court terme et à petite échelle permettrait aux paysans d'adopter des variétés d'hévéa sélectionné et d'augmenter ainsi leurs revenus. La recherche devrait aider à mettre au point de nouvelles méthodes de gestion des hévéas sélectionnés, de type agroforestier, afin de réduire les coûts d'entretien. Les paysans purraient ainsi planter des hévéas hauts producteurs à moindres frais, et conserver partiellement la diversité économique et écologique du système actuel.

     

A preliminary investigation into agroforestry practices in the savanna belt of western Nigeria

This paper evaluates agroforestry practices in a part of the Guinea savanna belt of south-western Nigeria. The attitude of local farmers to tree planting in crop fields was evaluated. Tree adoption on the farm was assessed by identifying the tree species on the field and their frequencies. The results show that there is little indication that the trees are deliberately utilized to enhance farm operations in the area. It is concluded that greater attention needs to be given to the promotion of agroforestry techniques in the savanna belt. This is especially important as the increasing demand for food would put pressure on the soil resources.     

Coating nursery containers with copper carbonate improves root morphology of five native Australian tree species used in agroforestry systems

Seedlings of the native Australian tree species Acacia holosericea, Casuarina cunninghamiana, Eucalyptus argophloia, E. camaldulensis and Melaleuca bracteata, were raised in nursery containers which were coated with CuCO₃ (50 g l^-1, in a water-based paint solution) or left uncoated for three months. Seedling growth of all species in the nursery was generally less in treated containers, although differences were relatively small. More importantly, CuCO₃ treatment reduced the occurrence of lateral roots growing down or coiling around container walls for both three- and six-month-old seedlings. Twenty-four months after planting both three- and six-month-old seedlings on a semiarid site in subtropical southeast Queensland, there was no effect of CuCO₃ treatment on height or basal diameter development of seedlings. However, sample excavations of root systems showed that the poor root morphology exhibited by untreated seedlings when in the nursery had persisted in the field. As such poor root form has the potential to reduce tree growth and wind firmness in the longer term, these results suggest that chemical root-pruning is a helpful nursery practice when raising seedlings for dryland afforestation, and in circumstances where it may be necessary to retain seedlings in the nursery for longer than normal to take advantage of infrequent rainfall events. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.