07 Agroforestry A Decade of Development

Agroforestry
a decade of development
Edited by
Howard A. Steppler
and
P.K. Ramachandran Nair
International Council for Research in Agroforestry

Nairobi
Published in 1987 by the
International Council for Research in Agroforestry
ICRAF House, off Limuru Road, Gigiri
P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
Copyright © International Council for Research in Agroforestry 1987
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be recopied, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright
owner.
ISBN 92 9059 036 X
Design and typography. Justice G. Mogaki, P.O. Box 74611, Nairobi

Copy editing: Caroline Agola, P.O. Box 21582, Nairobi
Typesetting: Arrow Stationers, P.O. Box 62070, Nairobi
Production co-ordination: P.K.R. Nair and Richard C. Ntiru, ICRAF
Printed by Printfast Kenya Limited, Lusaka Close, Off Lusaka Road,
P.O. Box 48416, Nairobi
Dedicated to
John G. Bene (1910-1986)
Chairman of the Committee which recommended
the establishment of ICRAF, and
first Chairman of its Board of Trustees, 1977-1979
and
Walter Bosshard (1926-1986)
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, 1981-1985
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The financial assistance rendered by the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) and the Dutch Ministry for
Development Co-operation for the production of this book is
gratefully acknowledged.
Contents
List of acronyms and abbreviations
Preface xi
Section 1 Introduction
1 K.F.S. King The history of agroforestry 3
2 Howard A. Steppler ICRAF and a decade of agroforestry development 13
Section 2 Perspectives on agroforestry
3 M.S. Swaminathan The promise of agroforestry for ecological and
nutritional security 25
4 Bjorn O. Lundgren Institutional aspects of agroforestry research and
development 43
5 John Spears Agroforestry: a development-bank perspective
Section 3 Prominence and importance of agroforestry in selected regions
6 Gerardo Budowski The development of agroforestry in Central America 69
7 H.-J. von Maydell Agroforestry in the dry zones of Africa: past,
present and future 89
8 G.B. Singh Agroforestry in the Indian subcontinent: past,
present and future 117
9 Henry N. Le Hou6rou Indigenous shrubs and trees in the silvopastoral
systems of Africa 141
10 O. Soemarwoto Homegardens: a traditional agroforestry
system with a promising future 157
Section 4 Impact measurement and technology transfer
11 J.E.M. Arnold Economic considerations in agroforestry 173
12 Marilyn W. Hoskins Agroforestry and the social milieu 191
13 Pedro A. Sanchez Soil productivity and sustainability in
agroforestry systems 205
Section 5 Research findings and proposals
14 B.T. Kang and The development of alley cropping as a promising
G.F. Wilson agroforestry technology 227
15 Y.R. Dommergues The role of biological nitrogen fixation in
agroforestry 245
16 Jeffery Burley Exploitation of the potential of multipurpose trees
and shrubs in agroforestry 273
17 James L. Brewbaker Leucaena: a multipurpose tree genus for
tropical agroforestry 289
Subject index 325
List of acronyms and abbreviations
AFRENA Agroforestry Research Networks for Africa (of ICRAF)
BAIF Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (India)
CARE Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere
CATIE Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigation y Ensefianza
CAZRI Central Arid Zone Research Institute (Jodhpur, India)
CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
CILSS Comite Permanent Inter-etats de Lutte Contre la Secheresse dans le Sahel
CNRS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)
COLLPRO Collaborative Programmes (of ICRAF)
CSE Centre for Science and Environment (New Delhi, India)
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Australia)
CTFT Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (France)
D&D Diagnosis and design
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (of the United Nations)
IARC International Agricultural Research Centre
IBPGR International Board for Plant Genetic Resources
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research
ICRAF International Council for Research in Agroforestry
ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
IDRC International Development Research Centre
IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
ILCA International Livestock Centre for Africa
IRRI International Rice Research Institute
IPI International Potash Institute
IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
IUFRO International Union of Forestry Research Organizations
MPT Multipurpose tree
NAS National Academy of Sciences (USA)
NEH North-Eastern Hill (Region, of India)
NFTA Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association
OAU Organization of African Unity
OFI Oxford Forestry Institute
ORSTOM Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre-Mer (France)
PCARR Philippine Council of Agriculture and Resources Research
PICOP Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines
R&D Research and development
SIDA Swedish International Development Authority
T&V Training and visit
TAC Technical Advisory Committee (of the CGIAR)
UN United Nations
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNU United Nations University
USAID United States Agency for International Development
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
WRI World Resources Institute (Washington, D.C.)
Preface
This volume is part of the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the
International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF).
Our authors are leaders in their fields and active in the promotion of agroforestry. Some
are scientists actively engaged in research in a particular facet of agroforestry; some are
active in the application of agroforestry as a land-use system; still others are concerned with
the social and economic issues of the benefit/cost of agroforestry in development. We are
deeply indebted to them for their dedication to agroforestry which is clearly shown by the
thoughtfulness and insight in each paper.
The authors demonstrate—no doubt unintentionally—the newness of the discipline,
for the reader will quickly discover differences in the definition of the term agroforestry as
used by the different authors. We have not attempted to restrict the authors by forcing a
single definition upon them. Nor, we hope, have we been overzealous in attempting to force
the papers into a common mould. We believe that the shades of meaning in their use of the
word agroforestry are both good and bad—good in that we have not closed our minds to
the opportunities and benefits of dialogue with colleagues who can bring in new ideas and
generate different approaches; bad in that it may hinder progress by dissipating our energies
over too broad a field.
The authors raise several issues and concerns which, in our judgement, resolve into two
basic problems. First, many of the concerns which have been identified would appear to be
appropriate for an international organization such as ICRAF, but their implicit
requirement for new technology would necessitate a major re-interpretation of the mandate
of ICRAF. The other problem is that there are more issues raised than can be addressed
effectively by one organization—and the list continues to grow. There is one ineluctable
conclusion: the need for co-operation among the many institutions—national, regional and
international—to ensure that maximum effort can be brought to bear on seeking solutions
to the problems.
The book is divided into five sections. Chapters 1 and 2 are an introduction, with
Chapter 2 presenting some projections into the future as well as a retrospective look at
ICRAF. Chapters 3,4 and 5 present some perspectives on agroforestry from the ecological,
the institutional and the developmental viewpoints. Chapters 6,7,8,9 and 10 describe the
prominent agroforestry systems in some particular regions as seen by residents of each
region or by persons with many years' experience there. These chapters clearly project the
diversity as well as the importance of agroforestry in these different areas. Chapters 11,12
and 13 cover problems associated with the measurement, impact and transfer of the
technology of agroforestry interventions. These chapters should make clear the complexity
and interdisciplinary nature of agroforestry, whether one is concerned with research,
evaluation or transfer. Finally, Chapters 14,15, 16 and 17 discuss some research findings
and proposals for research activities in four areas of agroforestry, namely, systems, nutrient
xii
enrichment, germplasm evaluation and tree-component improvement, all of which

ultimately come together as management approaches.
The opinions, ideas and agendas for research are those of the authors and do not reflect
or imply the policy of ICRAF.
The editors accept responsibility for the selection of topics covered in this volume. We
realize that there are many more subjects which might have been considered appropriate,
but space and time constraints did not permit us the luxury of including them. In this
context, we would like to draw the reader's attention to the publication of a special issue of
Agroforestry Systems (Vol. 5, No. 3), which coincides with the publication of this book.
This issue of the journal includes 12 articles written by ICRAF staff, and summarizes a
decade of ICRAF's work.
We wish to thank the staff of ICRAF who have given many hours to the realization of
this book in reviewing papers, typing manuscripts and in consultations over a myriad
details. In the final analysis we, the editors, accept responsibility for any errors which have
crept in, some of which might have been avoided had we not been working under such
severe time pressure.
H.A. Steppler
Nairobi, July 1987 P.K.R. Nair
1
The history of agroforestry

K.F.S. King
Director
Bureau of Programme Policy and Evaluation
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
1 UN Plaza, New York 10017, USA
Formerly: Director-General,
ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya.
Throughout the world, at one period or another in its history, it has been the practice to
cultivate tree species and agricultural crops in intimate combination. The examples are
numerous. It was the general custom in Europe, at least until the Middle Ages, to clear-fell
derelict forest, burn the slash, cultivate food crops for varying periods on the cleared areas,
and plant or sow tree species before, along with, or after the sowing of the agricultural crop.
This "farming system" is, of course, no longer popular in Europe. But it was still widely
followed in Finland up to the end of the last century, and was being practised in a few areas
in Germany as late as the 1920s (King, 1968).
In tropical America, many societies have traditionally simulated forest conditions in
their farms in order to obtain the beneficial effects of forest structures. Farmers in Central
America, for example, have long imitated the structure and species diversity of tropical
forests by planting a variety of crops with different growth habits. Plots of no more than
one-tenth of a hectare contained, on average, two dozen different species of plants each with
a different form, together corresponding to the layered configuration of mixed tropical
forests: coconut or papaya with a lower layer of bananas or citrus, a shrub layer of coffee or
cacao, tall and low annuals such as maize, and finally a spreading ground cover of plants
such as squash (Wilken, 1977).
In Asia, the Hanunoo of the Philippines practised a complex and somewhat
sophisticated type of shifting cultivation. In clearing the forest for agricultural use, they
deliberately left certain selected trees which, by the end of the rice-growing season, would
"provide a partial canopy of new foliage" to prevent excessive exposure to the sun "at a time
when moisture is more important than sunlight for the maturing grain". Nor was this all.
Trees were an indispensable part of the Hanunoo farming system and were either planted or
conserved from the original forests to provide food, medicines, construction wood and
cosmetics, in addition to their protective services (Conklin, 1953).
The situation was little different in Africa. In southern Nigeria, yams, maize, pumpkins
and beans were typically grown together under a cover of scattered trees (Forde, 1937). In
4 AGROFORESTRY: A DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT
Zambia, in addition to the main crop in the homestead, there were traditionally numerous
subsidiary crops that were grown in mixture with tree species (Anon., 1938). Indeed, the
Yoruba of western Nigeria, who have long practised an intensive system of mixed
herbaceous, shrub and tree cropping, explain that the system is a means of conserving
human energy by making full use of the limited space laboriously won from the dense
forest. They compare the method to a multistoreyed building in a congested area in which
expansion must perforce be vertical rather than horizontal. They also claim that it is an
inexpensive means of combating erosion and leaching, and of maintaining soil fertility
(Ojo, 1966). As they picturesquely described it, "the plants eat and drink, as it were, not
from one table, but from many tables under the same sky" (Henry, 1949).
These examples indicate the wide geographical coverage of the system and its early
origins. What is more important perhaps, they clearly point to the fact that the earliest
practitioners of what has now become known as agroforestry* perceived food production
as the system's raison d'etre. Trees were an integral part of a farming system. They were
kept on established farmland to support agriculture. The ultimate objective was not tree
production but food production.
By the end of the nineteenth century, however, the establishment of forest plantations
had become the dominant objective wherever agroforestry was being utilized as a system of
land management. This change of emphasis was not, at first, deliberate. It began
fortuitously enough in a far-flung outpost of the British Empire. In 1806, U Pan Hle, a
Karen in the Tonze forests of Thararrawaddy Division in Burma, established a plantation
of teak through the use of what he called the "taungya" methodf and presented it to Sir
Dietrich Brandis (Blanford, 1958). Brandis is alleged to have prophesied that "this, if the
people can ever be brought to do it, is likely to become the most efficient way of planting
teak" (Blanford, 1958).
The taungya system spread to other parts of Burma, Schlich recording in 1867 that he
had been shown a taungya teak plantation in its second year in the Kabaung forests of the
Taungoo Division.
From these beginnings, the practice became more and more widespread. It was
introduced into South Africa as early as 1887 (Hailey, 1957) and was taken from Burma to
the Chittagong area in India in 1890 and to Bengal in 1896 (Raghavan, 1960).
It must not be imagined that once introduced, the system was practised continuously in
India. It was abandoned both in Bengal and in the Chittagong, and was not resumed until
1908 and 1912, respectively. In the second decade of the twentieth century, however, the
system became more and more popular with foresters as a relatively inexpensive method of
establishing forests, and as Shebbeare (1932) puts it, it "became a full and rising flood". In
1920 it was adopted in Travancore (now Kerala), in 1923 in the United Province (now Uttar
Pradesh), and in 1925 in the Central Provinces (now Madhya Pradesh) (Raghavan, 1960).
This period also saw its wider dispersal in Africa, and today it is practised in varying
* One of the first definitions of agroforestry reads as follows: "Agroforestry is a sustainable land
management system which increases the yield of the land, combines the production of crops
(including tree crops) and forest plants and/or animals simultaneously or sequentially on the same
unit of land, and applies management practices that are compatible with the cultural practices of the
local population" (Bene et aL, 1977; King and Chandler, 1978).
+ Taungya is a Burmese word which literally means hill cultivation (taung — hill, ya — cultivation).
THE HISTORY OF AGROFORESTRY 5
degrees in all the tropical regions of the world.* Teak is, of course, not the only forest species
which is being established by the use of this agroforestry method. Indeed, the evidence
suggests that if the system is utilized for the sole purpose of establishing forest plantations,
that is only until the first closure of the forest canopy is attained, then it may be used in the
establishment of forest plantations of most species.
It cannot be overemphasized, however, that for more than a hundred years, in the
period 1856 to the mid-1970s, little or no thought appears to have been given, in the practice
of the system, to the farm, to the farmer, and to his agricultural outputs. The system was
designed and implemented solely for the forester. Indeed, some have asserted that in many
parts of the world, local farmers were exploited in pursuit of the goal of establishing cheap
forest plantations (King, 1968). Be that as it may, it was often stated that the socio-
economic conditions that were necessary for the successful initiation of the system were
land hunger and unemployment. It was sometimes said that another essential prerequisite
was a standard of living which was low enough to border on poverty.
It is perhaps not surprising that nowhere in the relatively extensive literature which
relates to this period are the positive soil-conservation aspects of the system mentioned, let
alone emphasized. As the sole purpose of the exercise was to establish forests (which it was
thought protected soils by their very existence), and as it was the undoubted policy of most
forestry administrations to remove the farmer from the forest estate as soon as possible, the
problems of man-induced soil erosion did not loom large in the thought processes of those
tropical foresters who were involved with the system.
In order to fully appreciate the implications of this state of affairs, four factors must be
clearly understood. First, it was considered that the forest estate should be inviolable.
Secondly, it was perceived that the threat to the forest estate came mainly from peasants,
particularly those who practised shifting cultivation. Thirdly, it was recognized that in
many instances it would be advantageous to replace derelict or low-yielding natural forests
with forest plantations. And fourthly, it had been demonstrated that the establishment of
forest plantations was a costly business, especially because of their long gestation period,
i.e., the long delays before returns were obtained from the initial investment.
So the ruling philosophy was to establish forest plantations whenever possible through
the utilization of available unemployed or landless labourers. These labourers, in return for
the forestry tasks which they were caned upon to undertake, would be allowed to cultivate
land between the rows of the forest-tree seedlings and would be permitted to retain their
agricultural produce. This is, of course, a simplification of a system which varied from
country to country, and from locality to locality. Nevertheless, it is a fair representation of
its bare bones.
* The terms used to describe the system vary enormously. In German-speaking countries it is called
baumfeldwirtschqft, brandwirtschaft, or waldfeldbau. In francophone countries it is referred to as
cultures sylvicole et agricole combinee, culture intercalates, la mithode sylvo agricole, la systime
syho-bananier, and plantation sur culture. The Dutch name is Bosakkerbouw. In Puerto Rico it is
called the parcelero system, and in Brazil consorciacao. The name in Libya is tahmil, in the
Philippines kaingining, in Malaya ladang, in Kenya the shamba system, in Jamaica agricultural
contractors 'system, in Sri Lanka chena and in Tanzania the licensed cultivator system. In India it is
variously described as dhya, jhooming, kumri, Punam, taila, and tuckle. In the greatest number of
countries in the world it is called taungya. In 1968, King (1968) suggested that the genetic term
agrisUviculture be generally employed. From 1977, when the deliberations for establishing the
International Council for Research in Agroforestry began, the term agroforestry began to become
popular.
As a result of these preoccupations with the forests and the forest estate, the research
which was undertaken was designed to ensure that little or no damage occurred to the
forest-tree species; that the rates of growth of the forest-tree species were not unduly
inhibited by competition from the agricultural crop; that the optimum time and sequence of
planting of either the tree or agricultural crop be ascertained in order to ensure the survival
and rapid growth of the tree crop; that forest species that were capable of withstanding
competition from agricultural species be identified; and that the optimum planting-out
espacements for the subsequent growth of the tree crop be ascertained.
In short, the research which was conducted was undertaken for forestry by foresters
who, it appears, never envisaged the system as being capable of making a significant
contribution to agricultural development, and indeed of becoming a land-management
system (as opposed to a narrow forestry system) in its own right.
It would appear at first glance that a quite disparate set of factors has contributed to the
now general acceptance of agroforestry as a system of land management that is applicable
both in the farm and in the forest. Among these factors were re-assessment of the
development policies of the World Bank by its President, Robert McNamara; a re-
examination by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations of its
policies pertaining to forestry; the establishment by the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC) of a project for the identification of tropical forestry research
priorities; a re-awakening of interest in both intercropping and farming systems; the
deteriorating food situation in many areas of the developing world; the increasing spread of
ecological degradation; and the energy crisis.
At the beginning of the 1970s, serious doubts were being expressed about the relevance
of current development policies and approaches. In particular, there was concern that the
basic needs of the poorest of the poor, especially perhaps the rural poor, were neither being
considered nor adequately addressed. McNamara (1973) had stated the problem quite
clearly:
Of the two billion persons living in our. developing member countries,
nearly two-thirds, or some 1.3 billion, are members of farm families, and
of these are some 900 million whose annual incomes average less than
$100....for hundreds of millions of these subsistence farmers life is neither
satisfying nor decent. Hunger and malnutrition menace their families.
Illiteracy forecloses their futures. Disease and death visit their villages too
often, stay too long and return too soon.
The miracle of the Green Revolution may have arrived, but, for the
most part, the poor farmer has not been able to participate in it. He
cannot afford to pay for the irrigation, the pesticide, the fertiliser, or
perhaps for the land itself, on which his title may be vulnerable and his
tenancy uncertain.
It was against this backdrop of concern for the rural poor that the World Bank actively
considered the possibihty of supporting nationally oriented forestry programmes. As a
result, it formulated a new Forestry Sector Policy paper which is still being used as the basis
for much of its lending in the forestry sub-sector. Indeed, its social forestry programme,
which has expanded considerably over the last decade or so, not only contains many
elements of agroforestry but is designed to assist the peasant and the ordinary farmer to
increase food production, and to conserve the environment as much as it helps the
traditional forest services to produce and convert wood.
It is perhaps not unnatural that, on the appointment in 1974 of a new Assistant

Director-General with responsibility for Forestry, FAO made a serious assessment of the
forestry projects which it was helping to implement in the developing countries, and of the
policies which it had advised the Third World to follow. It soon became clear that although
there had been notable successes there also had been conspicuous areas of failure. As
Westoby (1978) so aptly expressed it,
Because nearly all the forest and forest industry development which has
taken place in the underdeveloped world over the last decades has been
externally oriented...the basic forest products needs of the peoples of the
underdeveloped world are further from being satisfied than ever....
Just because the principal preoccupation of the forest services in the
underdeveloped world has been to help promote this miscalled forest and
forest industry development, the much more important role which
forestry could play in supporting agriculture and raising rural welfare has
been either badly neglected or completely ignored.
FAO therefore redirected its thrust and assistance in the direction of the rural poor. Its
new policies, while not abandoning the traditional areas of forestry development,
emphasized the importance of forestry for rural development, the benefits which could
accrue to both the farmer and the nation if greater attention was paid to the beneficial
effects of trees and forests on food and agricultural production, and advised land managers
in the tropics to "eschew the false dichotomy between agriculture and forestry" (King,
1979). They also stressed the necessity of devising systems which would provide food and
fuel and yet conserve the environment.
As a result of this change in policy, FAO prepared a seminal paper "Forestry for Rural
Development" (FAO, 1976) and, with funding from the Swedish International Develop-
ment Authority (SID A), organized a series of seminars and workshops on the subject in all
the tropical regions of the world, and formulated and implemented a number of rural
forestry projects throughout the developing world. In these projects, as with the World
Bank's social forestry projects, agroforestry plays a pivotal role (see Spears, this volume).
FAO also utilized the Eighth World Forestry Congress, which was held in Jakarta,
Indonesia in 1978, to focus the attention of the world's leading foresters on the important
topic of agroforestry. The central theme of the Congress was "Forests for People", and a
special section was devoted to "Forestry for Rural Communities".
To these two strands of forest policy reforms, which evolved independently in an
international funding agency and in one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations,
was added a Canadian initiative which, some affirm, might transform tropical land use in
the coming years.
In July 1975 the International Development Research Centre commissioned John
Bene* to undertake a study to:
1. Identify significant gaps in world forestry research and training;
2. Assess the interdependence between forestry and agriculture in low-income tropical
John Bene, who died in 1986, was an indefatigable Canadian to whose organizational and
persuasive ability the early funding, establishment and success of the International Council for
Research in Agroforestry is mainly due. {Editors'note: This book is dedicated to John Bene and
Walter Bosshard.)
countries and propose research leading to the optimization of land use;

3. Formulate forestry research programmes which promise to yield results of considerable
economic and social impact on developing countries;
4. Recommend institutional arrangements to carry out such research effectively and
expeditiously; and
5. Prepare a plan of action to obtain international donor support.
John Bene appointed an advisory committee* and regional consultants! to make
recommendations on the forest research needs of the tropics. Professor L, Roche, one of the
consultants, organized a workshop on tropical forestry research and related disciplines at
the University of Reading. The proceedings of that workshop, along with the advice
tendered by the other consultants, the advisory committee and a number of individuals and
institutions who were consulted by Bene and his team, formed the basis for the report (Bene
et al, 1977) which was eventually submitted to the International Development Research
Centre.
Although the initial assignment stressed the identification of research priorities in
tropical forestry, Bene's team came to the conclusion that first priority should be given to
combined production systems which would integrate forestry, agriculture and/or animal
husbandry in order to optimize tropical land use. In short, there was a shift in emphasis
from forestry to broader land-use concepts because the latter were perceived as being of
both more immediate and long-term relevance.
Professor Roche was at that time Professor of Forestry at the University College of
North Wales, Bangor. However, previously he had been Professor of Forestry at the
University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where FAO and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) had assisted in the establishment of a Forestry Department in the
early 1960s. One of the publications of that Department was a 1968 monograph on
agrisilviculture (King, 1968), which undoubtedly influenced the thinking of Roche and of
Bene and his team (Roche, 1976). Be that as it may, the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) had joined with IDRC to arrange a fact-finding meeting on
agrisilviculture in Ibadan in 1973, and IDRC had followed this up with a research project in
West Africa to discover how to make the forest-fallow phase of one type of agroforestry
system more productive.
How was the agroforestry research that was proposed by Bene and his team to be
undertaken? Bene and his colleagues stated in the report:
It is clear that the tremendous possibilities of production systems
involving some combination of trees with agricultural crops are widely
recognized, and that research aimed at developing the potential of such
systems is planned or exists in a number of scattered areas. Equally
evident is the inadequacy of the present effort to improve the lot of the
tropical forest dweller by such means.
A new front can and should be opened in the war against hunger,
inadequate shelter, and environmental degradation. This war can be
fought with weapons that have been in the arsenal of rural people since
time immemorial, and no radical change in their life style is required.
* A. Lafond, L.G. Lessard, J.C. Nautiyal, D.R. Redmond, R.W. Roberts, J. Spears and H.A.
Steppler.
f J.D. Ovington, F.S. Pollisco, L. Roche and A. Samper.
This can best be accomplished by the creation of an internationally

financed council for research in agroforestry, to administer a compre-
hensive programme leading to better land use in the tropics.
The report went on to suggest that the objectives of such a council should be the
encouragement and support of research in agroforestry; the acquisition and dissemination
of information on agroforestry systems; and the promotion of better land use in the
developing countries of the tropics.
It recommended that the specific objectives of the proposed council might be:
1. To assemble and assess existing information concerning agroforestry systems in the
tropics and to identify important gaps in knowledge;
2. To encourage, support, and co-ordinate research and extension projects in agroforestry
in different ecological zones, aimed primarily at filling such gaps;
3. To support research that seeks to identify and/ or improve tree species currently
underused with respect to wood and/ or non-wood products, to enhance the economic
value and productivity of agroforestry systems;
4. To support research on agroforestry systems that will bring greater economic and
social benefit to rural peoples without detriment to the environment; and
5. To encourage training in agroforestry and in the science of the tree species that form
part of agroforestry systems.
The report advised that in order to attain these objectives, the activities of the council
might include:
1. The collection, evaluation, cataloguing and dissemination of information relevant to
agroforestry;
2. The organization and convening of seminars and working groups to collect, discuss,
evaluate and disseminate information concerning agroforestry;
3. The promotion of teaching of the principles of agroforestry at all levels of the education
system;
4. The encouragement of the orientation of forestry and agricultural teaching so that they
make a stronger contribution to better land use; and
5. The demonstration, publication, and dissemination of research results and other
relevant information.
It was apparent that, despite the growing awareness of the need for factual information
on which agroforestry systems might be effectively based, very little research was being
undertaken. The research that was being conducted was haphazard, unplanned and
unco-ordinated. The IDRC Project Report therefore recommended the establishment of
an internationally financed organization, now known as the International Council for
Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), which would support, plan and co-ordinate, on a
world-wide basis, research in combined land-management systems of agriculture and
forestry.
This proposal was generally well received by international and bilateral agencies and, at
a meeting of potential donors and other interested agencies in November 1976, a steering
committee was appointed to consider the establishment of the proposed Council in further
detail.
The Steering Committee met in Amsterdam early in April and again in June 1977. It
decided to proceed with the establishment of ICRAF along the lines proposed in the
Bene/IDRC Report. It approved a draft charter for ICRAF and elected a Board of
Trustees.* It appointed IDRC as the Executing Agency for ICRAF until such time as the
Council became a full juridical body. It decided that the permanent headquarters of
ICRAF should be in a developing country, the selection of which would be left to the Board
of Trustees, including the Director-General. And it accepted the kind offer of the
Government of Netherlands to provide temporary headquarters facilities for ICRAF at the
Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, pending the completion of arrangements for the
Council's location. ICRAF maintained an office at the Institute from August 1977 to July
1978 when it moved to its permanent headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya (King and Chandler,
1978).
At the same time as these hectic institution-building activities were being undertaken,
there was renewed and heightened interest in the concepts of intercropping and integrated
farming systems. It was being demonstrated, for example, that intercropping may have
several advantages over sole cropping. Preliminary results from research that was being
conducted in different parts of the world had indicated that in intercropping systems more
effective use was made of the natural resources of sunlight, land and water; that
intercropping systems might exercise beneficial effects on pest and disease problems; that
there were advantages in growing legumes and non-legumes in mixture; and that, as a result
of all this, higher yields were being obtained per area even when multi-cropping systems
were compared to sole-cropping systems.
A significant workshop on intercropping was held in Morogoro in Tanzania in 1976.
And it became obvious then that although a great deal of experimentation was being
carried out in the general field of intercropping, there were many gaps in our knowledge. In
particular, it was felt that there was need for a more scientific approach to intercropping
research, and it was suggested that there should be greater concentration on crop
physiology, agronomy, yield stability, nitrogen fixation by legumes, and plant protection.
Concurrently, IITA was extending its work on farming systems to include agroforestry,
and many research organizations had begun serious work on, for example, the integration
of animals with plantation tree crops such as rubber, and the intercropping of coconuts
(Nair, 1979).
This congruence of men and of concepts and of institutional change provided the
material and the basis for the development of agroforestry since then. Although many
individuals and institutions have made valuable contributions to the understanding and
expansion of the concept of agroforestry since the 1970s, it is perhaps true to assert that
ICRAF has played the leading role in collecting information, conducting research,
disseminating research results, pioneering new approaches and systems, and in general, by
the presentation of hard facts, in attempting to reduce the doubts still held by a few sceptics.
Today, agroforestry is taught as a part of forestry and agriculture degree courses in
many universities in both the developing and developed world; and specific degrees in
agroforestry are already offered in a few. Today, instead of agroforestry being merely the
handmaiden of forestry, the system is being more and more utilized as an agricultural
system, particularly for small-scale farmers. Today, the potential of agroforestry for soil
conservation is generally accepted. Indeed, agroforestry is fast becoming recognized as a
system which is capable of yielding both wood and food and at the same time of conserving
and rehabilitating ecosystems.
* John G. Bene, Chairman (Canada); M.S. Swaminathan, Vice-Chairman (India); Kenneth F.S.
King, Director-General (Guyana); Jacques Diouf (Senegal); Robert F. Chandler (USA); Joseph C.
Madamba (Philippines); Jan G. Ohler (Netherlands).
REFERENCES
Anon. 1938. Report on the financial and economic position of Northern Rhodesia. British
Government, Colonial Office, No. 145.
Bene, J.G., H.W. Beall and A. C6te. 1977. Trees, food and people. Ottawa: IDRC.
Blanford, H.R. 1958. Highlights of one hundred years of forestry in Burma. Empire Forestry Review
37(1): 33^2.
Conklin, H.C. 1957. Hanunoo Agriculture. Rome: FAO.
FAO. 1976. Forests for research development. Rome: FAO.
Forde, D.C. 1937. Land and labour in a Cross River village. Geographical Journal. Vol. XC, No. 1.
Hailey, Lord. 1957. An African survey. Oxford: O.U.P.
Henry, J. 1949. Agricultural practices in relation to soil conservation. Emp. Cotton Growing Rev.
Vol. XXVI (1).
King, K.F.S. 1968. Agri-Silviculture. Bulletin No. 1, Department of Forestry, University of Ibadan,
Nigeria.
. 1979. Agroforestry. In Agroforestry: Proceedings of the Fiftieth Symposium on Tropical
Agriculture, 1978. Amsterdam: Royal Tropical Institute.
King, K.F.S. and M.T. Chandler. 1978. The wasted lands. Nairobi: ICRAF.
McNamara, R.S. 1973. One hundred countries, two billion people. New York: Praeger.
Nair, P.K.R. 1979. Intensive multiple cropping with coconuts in India. Berlin: Verlag Paul Parey.
Ojo, G.J. A. 1966. Yoruba culture. University of Ife and London Press.
Raghavan, M.S. 1960. Genesis and history of the Kumri system of cultivation. Proceedings of the
Ninth Silviculture Conference, Dehra Dun, India, 1956.
Roche, L. 1976. Priorities for forestry research and development in the tropics. Report to IDRC,
Ottawa, Canada.
Shebbeare, E.O. 1932. Sal. Taungya in Bengal. Empire Forestry Review 12 (1).
Westoby, J. 1975. Forest industries for socio-economic development. Y Coedwigwr, No. 31.
Wilken, G.C. 1977. Integrating forest and small-scale farm systems in Middle America. Agro-
ecosystems 3:291-302.
ICRAF and a decade of
agroforestry development
Howard A. Steppler
Chairman, ICRAF'S Board of Trustees
In the 1960s and early 1970s there was increasing concern for the forested lands of the
tropics (Eckholm, 1976). It was clearly recognized that they were under severe pressure.
Some thought that commercial exploitation was the problem; others that fuelwood needs
were the culprit; while still others believed that shifting cultivation was the root cause. The
president of the International Development Research Centre (IDRQ, located in Ottawa,
Canada, engaged Mr John Bene in 1975 to study the problem. Bene assembled a small team
in Canada, an advisory committee and recruited experts in the various continents, to
prepare studies pertinent to their area. The culmination of these various activities, including
extensive travel by Bene, was the publication in 1977 of a report entitled Trees, Food and
People (Bene et d., 1977).
Bene and his co-authors recognized that the solution to the problems besetting tropical
forests arose from population pressure exerted through the need to produce food and
fuelwood. They were prophetic in their choice of sub-title for the report, "Land
management in the tropics", for that was precisely the nature of their recommendation,
although it was not immediately apparent. In the report, they identified some 23 tropical
forestry problems. Of these, nine could be considered as dealing with the more traditional
forestry problems. One clearly recognized the need to accommodate agriculture and the
remainder encompassed problems related to land use, policy and environmental impact.
Bene and his co-authors recognized that the key issue lay at the interface of forestry and
agriculture. It is not evident whether they coined the word agroforestry to identify that
interface. What is clear, however, is the prominence and widespread use accorded the term
since their publication.* Their most significant recommendation was to establish an
International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF).
Thus an old practice was institutionalized for the first time.
In the first years of its operation, ICRAF directed its attention to assembling the
contemporary knowledge of agroforestry. Several international conferences and workshops
* It is interesting that the term "agroforestry" does not appear in the titles of the 54 works cited by
Bene et d:, rather, "agrisilviculture" is used.
were held (Nair, 1987a), of which four are particularly worth mentioning here: one dealing
with soils research in agroforestry (Mongi and Huxley, 1979); the second with international
co-operation (Chandler and Spurgeon, 1979); the third treated plant research and
agroforestry (Huxley, 1983); while the fourth addressed the problem of education in
agroforestry. A fifth was held much later and was concerned with land tenure problems.
The Board of Trustees realized by 1980 that, while the collation of information on
agroforestry was an important activity for ICRAF, it was not sufficient. ICRAF would
need to develop a much sharper focus than envisaged in its charter and mandate if it was to
meet expectations. Thus, in 1981, the Board adopted a strategy (Steppler, 1981; Steppler
and Raintree, 1983) which set the Council on a path to develop a diagnostic methodology to
determine relevance of agroforestry interventions in particular situations. Further, the
diagnostic methodology was expected to identify the kind of intervention most appropriate
for the situation at hand.
This strategy and focus have served the Council since its adoption. It was based on the
Cycle of Technology Development (Steppler, 1981; Steppler and-Raintree, 1983) and is
basically concerned with phases I and II of that cycle (Figure 1). In 1984, an external review
panel examined ICRAF's total operations. The panel confirmed the wisdom of the choice
Figure 1 The cycle of technology development

ICRAF AND A DECADE OF AGROFORESTRY DEVELOPMENT 15
of strategy and focus when it stated: "The Panel believes that this restricted interpretation
(of the mandate) has been appropriate and necessary during these initial years" (Cummings
etal., 1984).
The panel went on to recommend that the Council should move into a mode of
extending and testing its methodology and assisting in the generation of new technology—
essentially phases III and IV of Figure 1.
It should be pointed out that by the time of the external review, it had become clear to
the Council, both the staff and the Board, that ICRAF's role was much more than that
envisaged by Bene. The research that the Council had undertaken in developing its
diagnostic methodology had shown that agroforestry as a land-use system was capable of
many beneficial effects and with multi-product output; Bene had been right in his choice of
sub-title.
The Council had also initiated activity through its Collaborative Programmes to reach
out and to respond to the many requests that it was receiving, both from countries and from
donor agencies (Torres, 1987). This was not, however, easy.
As previously mentioned, ICRAF, when established, was the first institution dedicated
to agroforestry. Similar institutions did not exist at the national level. It is to the credit of the
foresters that agroforestry was seen by them to be an essential development — albeit to
secure the forest. The agriculturist did not recognize the situation, since loss of forest was
not creating a problem for them; rather, the result was more land for agriculture. Thus, one
of the first and critical functions that the Council undertakes when entering an area for a
collaborative programme is to nurture at the national level the awareness of the
contribution of agroforestry and the need to develop a national mechanism to be a focal
point for agroforestry activities. The diagnosis and design methodology has a key role to
play in this process. |
Agroforestry was beset with much anecdotal material. It was clear that we were dealing
with an old practice, but what was not clear, however, was the degree of diversity that might
be in use. Thus, one of the projects launched in the early 1980s was systematically to
inventory agroforestry systems (Nair, 1987b). The project was announced in Agroforestry
Systems and several other international journals. Subsequent issues of Agroforestry
Systems have carried articles describing specific systems. Nair (1985) published a first
approximation of a classification of described agroforestry systems.
Four facts emerge from this preliminary compilation of systems: first, there is a
bewildering array of agroforestry systems worldwide, and we have but scratched the
surface; secondly, there are relatively few rigorous experimental data pertaining to
performance of agroforestry systems; thirdly, the number of tree species — multipurpose
trees — being used in various systems is in excess of 2,000; and fourthly, the systems vary
from relatively simple with two or three components, to the complex homegardens which
may contain upwards of 50 species plus animals and fish (Fernandes and Nair, 1986;
Soemarwoto, this volume).
There is no question but that ICRAF should continue to catalogue agroforestry
systems. Only through such activity can we build our body of knowledge relating to current
practice. The objective in continuing the inventory is not so much to identify systems with
which we wish to experiment. Rather, it is to record the kinds of systems used and where,
the rationale for their use, the kinds of output in order that new or modified systems shall be
designed to achieve the same goals. This is not to rule out the possibility of introducing
systems which would have additional features, for example, halt soil erosion or improve soil
fertility.
The problem of lack of experimental data or even of production data for the various
systems is a serious gap in our knowledge. This is partly a reflection of the newness of
agroforestry — it was until recently literally considered as a subsistence form of land
management—and partly that there are essentially no experimental techniques applicable
to agroforestry systems. Most statistical techniques and experimental designs have been
developed for monocultures. There is even relatively little experimental work done with
annual crop mixtures. The closest approximation to agroforestry systems would be found
with perennials in forage mixtures, but even this is not as complex as agroforestry where
one is dealing with at least one tree species and a crop species. ICRAF recognized this
problem and has for some years been investigating different experimental designs at its
Field Station. Further, it has published several working papers,* many of which deal
specifically with this problem.
An additional dimension is the question of appropriate impact/ output measurement.
Monoculture and forage mixtures are relatively easy to measure — the output is clearly
identified. With an agroforestry system we have multiple outputs. That of the agricultural
component will probably be easy to measure—yield being the most visible output. The tree
component may be much more elusive. There will be visible outputs, for example,
fuelwood, building poles, fruits; others which affect crop production, such as leaf mulch
and fixed nitrogen, and yet other nearly invisible ones which could have an effect on the
entire system, such as recycling of nutrients from subsoil, control of erosion, increased
infiltration rates.
The problem has several dimensions: first there is the need to determine which
outputs/ impacts shall be measured; secondly, the need to specify the baseline against which
measurements will be made; thirdly, since many outputs and particularly impacts are liable
to be qualitative, the need to quantify all measurements; and fourthly, the need to develop
some common quantified measure of output which can be applied to any system in order
that systems can be compared. For the latter, the most obvious such measure is the
economic return. While this should be one of the measures, it is urgent to establish some
other measure of the "value" of a system, such as the constancy or sustainability of the
system.
The third factor identified was the plethora of multipurpose tree species that are
candidates for experimentation. In many respects multipurpose tree research is in a very
primitive state compared to agriculture. There is one species of the genus Leucaena (see
Brewbaker, this volume) which is relatively well studied, although it pales when compared
to wheat or maize — and this is but one out of literally hundreds of candidate species. The
great majority of the species are represented by a single collection; there is virtually no
information on the genetic variability which exists within a species. Thus, for example,
thereis a small stand — about 100 trees — of Acacia albida on the ICRAF Field Station at
Machakos, Kenya. This stand was established from a seed lot and shows great variability in
rate of growth, type of growth, retention of leaves, rate of leafing out—a mere indication of
the wealth of variability which probably exists in the species. The same is no doubt true of
many others, either within a provenance or between provenances.
There are two major tasks facing us with respect to the multipurpose tree dilemma. The
* As of 1 March 1987, some 48 working papers have been produced by ICRAF. These cover topics
such as the diagnostic and design methodology, experimental techniques, economic and social
studies, bibliographies and soils and agroforestry.
first task is rapidly to screen the hundreds of species and genera and to classify them on a
limited number of criteria. These criteria must be agreed upon by all researchers
undertaking the task. This screening should also have an objective to identify the most
promising candidates within each class/ group for more intensive study. The second task is
to initiate the more detailed studies of the selected candidate species arising from the first
task. Again, we must be pragmatic in our approach since we cannot indulge in the luxury of
exhaustive physiological studies or cytogenetic research—that will come as the need arises.
Work at this stage would be accelerated if one sought a specific ideotype of multipurpose
tree to fit a particular niche. The challenge is great and the need for ingenuity and
pragmatism in pursuing the research is most desirable — indeed essential. As an input to
this whole process, two recent publications are most helpful.
Poore and Fries (1983), in reviewing the status of Eucalyptus as a candidate for
agroforestry, indicate the kinds of questions which must be answered for Eucalyptus and,
hence, for any candidate species. In so doing, they also demonstrate the difficulty in finding
discrete unequivocal answers. Beer (1987), in discussing shade trees for three commercial
tree crops (coffee, cacao and tea), lists 20 disadvantageous, 16 advantageous and 21
desirable characteristics for shade trees. Again, many of these are pertinent for any
multipurpose tree in an agroforestry system.
The fourth factor is concerned with the very great number of systems, both large and
small, which have been identified by the earlier-mentioned Agroforestry Systems
Inventory. Some of the concerns and features relevant to this problem were discussed when
discussing the second factor. I would like, however, to address a slightly different aspect.
Any one system undergoing experimentation would include, at a minimum, a tree
species and a crop species. Each of these could have variation in genotype and management
such as spatial arrangement, maturity type for the crop and harvesting methods (e.g.,
lopping and coppicing timing for the tree). It quickly becomes apparent that we are dealing
with a multifactor design with many combinations. As we add species of trees and/ or crops
or introduce animals, the experiment grows in size logarithmically. Thus, a single
experiment to elaborate the interrelations within an agroforestry system could be very
large. Consider comparing systems and we have another almost quantum leap in size.
There is a great challenge to develop experimental designs and test methodology applicable
to agroforestry research.
The other dimension to the problem is the fact that we have combined long-lived woody
perennials with annuals, short-lived perennials and/ or animals. Ideally, experiments
should continue for the life of the longest-lived component; this could be upwards of 40
years and we cannot wait that long. Thus, we must also devise tests and methods of
prediction which will have acceptable levels of confidence in predicting long-term effects. In
my judgement, the volume of agroforestry research will increase with time and in the near
future there will be the need for these statistical tools.
To date, most of the agroforestry species are known on the basis of one or very few
collections (von Carlowitz, 1986). Evidence from economic crops suggests that higher
productivity will be obtained from non-indigenous species rather than indigenous ones
(Harlan, 1959).
Thus, two consequences are suggested: first to increase the number of collections
evaluated for each major candidate species, sampling over as wide a range of environments
as possible. The other conclusion that I would draw is that we should, if at all possible, test
species from other continents. There should be an active exchange programme of
agroforestry germplasm initiated as soon as feasible. This latter means also that suitable
quarantine provision should be in place to facilitate the safe international movement of

plant material.
It is evident from this brief analysis of ICRAF over the past decade that there have been
three milestones for it and for agroforestry. First and foremost, ICRAF was formed in 1977
— agroforestry was institutionalized. Secondly, ICRAF adopted a rigorously defined
strategy in 1981; this set it on a very clear path of development within the discipline of
agroforestry. And, thirdly, ICRAF, in 1984, was given a clean bill of health by the external
review panel and commended for the work accomplished up to that date. It was urged to
extend its activities to the many countries seeking its assistance, and this is what it is
pursuing vigorously as it enters its second decade. I have discussed many research issues
which have arisen during the past ten years. I should now like to address some other issues
which have not yet been mentioned and, finally, to suggest some courses of action.
As has been mentioned, agroforestry was initiated by foresters. For that reason, and in
addition because it deals with trees, it is frequently inextricably enmeshed with forest policy.
This is particularly true if agroforestry is deemed by our diagnostic and design analysis to be
the most appropriate land-use system for an area within a forest mandated area. This may
even be true when trees are planted on non-mandated land. Forest policy almost invariably
runs counter to an envisaged agroforestry use with cropping and/or livestock. The major
context of forest policy is conservation and protection with industrial wood as the product.
Hence, continuous outputs as expected from agroforestry are contrary to such policy.
There is a great need to study forest policy with a view to suggesting amendments which
would meet the objectives for forestry and not hinder agroforestry. ICRAF could play a
central catalytic role here.
Policy issues also extend to such matters as marketing of the expected products, with
pricing policies which will encourage the use of desirable practices. Land tenure must also
favour the use of long-term land-use systems which tend to be sustainable and, hence,
encourage the farmer to invest labour in trees. ICRAF undoubtedly has a role to play here
in this general debate by objectively assessing various policy and tenure alternatives.
Educational and training programmes in agroforestry are key requirements as we move
into this second decade of agroforestry development. There are an increasing number of
universities, both in the tropical areas and in the temperate, that are beginning to offer
programmes in agroforestry; some are at the undergraduate and some at the post-graduate
level. Further, and most encouragingly, students from both agricultural and forestry
backgrounds are beginning to prepare for careers in agroforestry. As was stated earlier in
this paper, ICRAF held a workshop on education in agroforestry in December 1982, the
proceedings of which will soon be published. Sufficient to say that there is no clear picture
of the optimum curriculum in agroforestry and such may, in fact, never emerge. Rather, we
shall probably have three avenues of development for agroforesters: one would be via an
undergraduate programme in agroforestry, which might be in a faculty of forestry or of
agriculture; a second could be via an undergraduate degree in agriculture with post-
graduate training in agroforestry; and a third could be the converse, namely undergraduate
in forestry and post-graduate in agroforestry. Of course, any person with a first degree in
agroforestry might also pursue post-graduate studies. There is no basis upon which to judge
one avenue as being better than another, although certain situations might favour a
particular sequence of study.
ICRAF has as part of its mandate a responsibility to provide training in agroforestry. It
has already provided much training in the use of its diagnosis and design methodology
(Zulberti, 1987). As it moves into a collaborative research mode, it will expand its training
offerings to include research methodologies and experimental techniques. The majority of

these training offerings are relatively short courses and not designed to provide advanced
degrees.
The discussion has been concerned with the preparation of people for a career in
agroforestry research. Of equal or possibly greater importance is the need to prepare people
for the transfer/extension of agroforestry technologies as they become available. The
problem of education of these people has not been addressed. They will face complex
situations where solutions will involve appropriate MPTs, crops, their combined
management and spatial arrangement and possibly even animals. It is expecting a lot to
anticipate that one person could be prepared and have at his/ her fingertips the bank of data
needed to respond to the challenges. Are we looking at a generalist in the field backed up by
a group of specialists responding to his requests, or can we even anticipate a generalist with
a computer terminal linked to a data bank which will provide the answers to the complex
questions—the data bank being constantly updated by researchers? Is it possible that each
extension worker is trained in micro diagnosis and design methodology? These questions
require consideration now. Although extension is outside of ICRAF's mandate, some
agency should at least initiate the process of examination—and ICRAF would seem most
appropriate.
Trees often have deep cultural significance and, hence, their retention and management
may not be based entirely on pragmatic decisions. Farmers who live on the knife edge of
success or failure at the whim of climate and pests often have different priorities from those
of the scientist. It is essential that in dealing with these complex agroforestry systems the
socio-economic and cultural factors are recognized. Evaluation of these is a part of the
diagnosis and design approach developed by ICRAF (Raintree, 1987). One must ensure, in
addition, that these same criteria are considered at various stages of development and
testing of new technology.
There is a massive research agenda in agroforestry — not only what has been set down
in the preceding paragraphs of this paper, but also to be found in the succeeding chapters of
this volume, where the various authors have frequently directly or indirectly indicated
problem areas pertinent to their topic. There is much more than can be done by any one
institution, and certainly much beyond the capacity and mandate of ICRAF as envisaged
over the next decade. To move forward and to meet the expectations means that there must
be a sharing of responsibilities for the agenda and a pooling of resources and of information
for the sake of expediency and efficacy.
An examination of the research requirements, both within and without the agenda,
clearly indicates that the activities can be classified according to whether they are:
(a) Appropriate for an international or regional organization that the information
resulting from the research transcends national boundaries, tends not to be location-
specific; or
(b) Appropriate for a national organization since the results are location-specific and
immediately transferable to the ultimate user, the farmer.
The national research systems do not at this time have specific agroforestry research
units, although as a consequence of the ICRAF activity in collaborative programmes many
are developing agroforestry co-ordinating committees. However, at the national level any
or all of the sectors of the agricultural research system — crops or animals, the forestry
research sector (particularly tree nursery activities) and the university — may take part in
the agroforestry research programme. All activities from location-specific to basic non-
location-specific can be carried out at the national level. However, every national system
should undertake the testing at farm level of new systems and the validation of components
of the system proposed for its use. Any additional work "up-stream" from this
adaptive/applied research would depend on resources available for its use.
At present there are two groups of institutions on the international scene: ICRAF,
which constitutes the first group of those dedicated to agroforestry, and the international
agricultural research centres, IARCs, which constitute the second group.
This latter group is composed of some 13 centres, nine of which deal with primary
production of food commodities with either a regional or world responsibility. This group
of 13 is funded by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR) (Baum, 1986). There are many other international and regional organizations
(for example, ICRAF) outside the CGIAR but funded by the international community and
engaged, or with a potential for engagement, in agroforestry. One such organization is the
International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) which has held several
sessions on agroforestry at its international conferences.
The discussion of needs in agroforestry has centred on the tree component and on the
systemper se—the much neglected and virtually unknown subjects. As we begin to refine
our information, we shall be seeking genotypes of the other components, particularly of the
crops to better fit the system. These crops are in most cases the commodities which are the
mandate of the previously mentioned IARCs. Thus, there will be added demand to the
IARCs to develop these appropriate genotypes. Further, there are some specific systems
such as alley cropping (see Kang and Wilson, this volume) or the interaction between
animals and browse, which would best be done by the appropriate IARCs.
Turning now to the research on multipurpose trees per se, it would appear that ICRAF
is the most appropriate institution to co-ordinate the activities if not actually to undertake
them. As with any plant species, there is much basic work to be done upon which to build
the more applied research. It is the former, along with the development of the relevant
methodologies, which seems most appropriate for ICRAF.
There are three other functions which are also critical and which would most naturally
fall within the ambit of ICRAF.
The first of these is to act as the focal point for information emanating from the various
research activities. This is not new to ICRAF, but its central role in this must be reinforced.
As activities multiply at the national and international level, this role will increase in
importance. Naturally, the concomitant activity is the dissemination of that information to
the users.
A second role is to ensure that new and essential areas/problems in agroforestry
research are addressed. This means maintaining a constant watch on developments in both
the research field and in the application field to identify these new challenges. One would
envisage that the continuous and logical use of the "Cycle of Development"(Figure 1) with
a constantly improved diagnosis and design methodology would be a major source of such
information. The problems uncovered could conceivably run the gamut from the biological
to the socio-economic problems, from policy to sustainability to statistical techniques.
Thus, the third role would be to seek out the partners to undertake the investigations
identified in role two. Many of these will be highly specialized areas of investigation, with
some of the problems having a global connotation, while others are more regional. It
would, therefore, seem expedient to begin the process of anticipating the kinds of problems
likely to be encountered and to seek the collaborative partners for the undertakings — one
might even initiate some preliminary studies.
Finally, before euphoria completely clouds rational thinking and attainable expecta-
tions for agroforestry, let us return to reality. Agroforestry will not save the world—it is not
the panacea for the ills of land misuse. There are undoubtedly many benefits to be gained
from an agroforestry intervention but there may—in fact probably will—be costs. Labour
requirements may be higher, production of some selected component may drop, new
problems, such as bird damage, might even emerge. The title of ICRAF's first publication,
The Wasted Lands (King and Chandler, 1978) may have both raised expectations that
agroforestry would correct the problems of these areas and at the same time denied to
ICRAF opportunities to work in other areas. In either case, ICRAF has moved beyond
these boundaries, but now let us give it the opportunity in this second decade to prove its
capability to address and correct problems, remembering that it cannot be all things to all
people.
REFERENCES
Baum, W. 1986. Partners against hunger. Washington, D.C.: International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development.
Beer, J. 1987. Advantages, disadvantages and desirable characteristics of shade trees for coffee, cacao
and tea. Agroforestry Systems 5: 3-13.
Bene, J.G., H.W. Beall and A. Cote. 1977. Trees, food and people: Land management in the tropics.
Ottawa: IDRC.
Chandler, T. and D. Spurgeon (eds.). 1979. International cooperation in agroforestry. Proceedings of
an Expert Consultation, Nairobi: ICRAF.
Cummings, R.W., J. Burley, G.T. Castillo and L.A. Navaro. 1984. Report of the External Review
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Mongi, H.O. and P.A. Huxley (eds.). 1979. Soils research in agroforestry. Nairobi: ICRAF.
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. 1987a. International seminars, workshops and conferences organized by ICRAF.
Agroforestry Systems 5: 375-382.
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Rome: FAO.
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5:219-250.
Steppler, H. A. 1981. A strategy for the International Council for Research in Agroforestry. Nairobi:
ICRAF.
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Zulberti, E.J 987. Agroforestry training and education at ICRAF: Accomplishments and challenges.
SECTION TWO
Perspectives on
agroforestry
The promise of
agroforestry for ecological and
nutritional security
M. S. Swaminathan
Director- General
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
P.O. Box 933, Manila, Philippines
President
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
Gland;, Switzerland
Contents
Introduction
Traditional systems of agroforestry
Recent trends in agroforestry
Potential: The African opportunity
Challenges
Conclusion
References
Introduction
From the dawn of civilization, sustainable food security has been a major human goal.
FAO defines food security as "physical and economic access to food for all people at all
times". I have repeatedly stressed the need for enlarging this concept to cover all aspects of
balanced nutrition as well as clean drinking water so that all human beings have an
opportunity for the full expression of their innate genetic potential for physical and mental
development (Swaminathan, 1986). Also, I have pointed out that enduring food and
nutrition security can be built only on the foundation of ecological security, i.e. the security
of the basic life-support systems of land, water, flora, fauna, and the atmosphere
(Swaminathan, 1981). It is in this context that I wish to assess the role of agroforestry
systems in helping us to achieve sustainable nutritional and ecological security.
26 AGROFORESTRY. A DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT
Thanks to new technologies that emphasize the cultivation of genetic strains of crops
that respond to irrigation and good soil-fertility management, many tropical and
subtropical (developing) countries in Asia and Latin America have made good progress in
food production since the mid 1960s. Many traditionally food-deficit or food-importing
countries have become self-sufficient and even food-surplus countries. What is even more
significant is that increases in food production have come largely from increases in
productivity rather than increases in cultivated area. Because many developing countries,
particularly those of south and south-east Asia are population rich but land poor, this is an
important gain. Today world grain stocks have increased to more than 450 million tonnes.
Despite such a satisfactory global situation, scientists and planners are worried. For
them, increasing the pace of food production to keep pace with unabated population
growth in the tropics and subtropics is still an unfinished task. Although most countries of
the world are in the process of demographic transition, the progress toward the final stage
of this transition is lagging behind dangerously in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Latin
America, the Middle East, and south-east Asia (Brown and Jacobson, 1986). It is predicted
that between 1980 and 2000, world population will increase by 1.7 billion. Ninety percent of
this growth will occur in the developing countries. This tremendous increase will require at
least 50-60 percent greater agricultural output than in 1980. What then should be the
appropriate strategy for increasing food production?
Now it is sufficiently clear that any increase in food production has to come primarily
from raising the productivity of currently tilled soils rather than from bringing new land
resources into farming. In fact, a large portion of currently tilled marginal areas will have to
be phased out of agriculture for economic and ecological reasons. Land for agriculture is a
shrinking resource. Because some land is being taken out of production all the time and
diverted to uses such as roads, housing, and industry, health care of the soil is a priority task.
The carrying capacity of land in many developing countries is already overstretched.
According to a recent FAO study, 54 of 117 developing countries did not have sufficient
land resources to meet the food needs of their 1975 populations at low levels of input use
(Higgiris et al, 1983). These critical countries, covering an area of 2.2 billion ha, in 1975 had
278 million people in excess of the population supporting capacity of the land. By AD 2000,
at the same level of inputs, the number of critical countries will increase to 64 and the
population in excess of the land's potential carrying capacity may be over 500 million. Even
if input use is raised to the intermediate level, which may not be easy considering the
external indebtedness of many developing countries, 36 countries will still be in a critical
situation with 141 million people above the carrying capacity of the land.
Modern agricultural production technology has raised the hope that hunger can be
eliminated and the carrying capacity of the land increased through better use of cubic
volumes of soil, water, and air. Nevertheless, the ecological sustainability and economic
viability of new technologies are increasingly at stake. The rising populations of humans
and animals, with their ever expanding food, fodder, and feed needs, exerts great pressure
on the stabilizing elements of agro-ecosystems. As productive land becomes scarce,
marginal farmers are pushed into fragile crop lands and forest areas unsuitable for modern
agriculture. If the present trend of population growth persists, forest and pasture lands will
be further reduced. Figure 1 projects these relationships for the Himalayas, a very delicate
agro-ecosystem (Shah, 1982).
Unscientific land-use practices on such marginal soils lead to many problems, notably
soil erosion. Higginsetal. (1983) estimated that if soil erosion continued at its 1983 rate, loss
in rain-fed cropland in the developing world would range from 9.7 percent to 35.6 percent,
leading to an overall 28.9 percent decrease in crop production (Table 1) by the year 2000.
Table 1 Projected effects of unchecked soil erosion on productivity (1983-2000)
Africa South-west South-east South Central Global

Asia Asia America America av (%)
Decrease in area of
rain-fed cropland (%) 16.5 20.0 35.6 9.7 29.7 17.7
Decrease in rain-fed
crop productivity (%) 29.4 35.1 38.6 22.6 44.5 28.9
Source: Higgins et al, 1983.
A major cause of soil erosion is deforestation. Table 2 indicates the huge gap between
deforestation and tree plantation in the tropics where the problem is most acute. The World
Resources Institute has estimated that 160 million hectares of upland watershed in the
Himalayas and Andean range, and in the Central American, Ethiopian and Chinese
highlands, have been seriously degraded due to human interference (WRI, 1985).
Cherrapunjee, once the wettest area in the world and covered by dense tropical forest, is now
practically devoid of vegetation. Overcutting for fuelwood and overgrazing in arid and
semi-arid areas, combined with non-sustainable resource-use patterns triggered by
commercial greed or careless technology, have accelerated desertification. Such activities
directly affect agriculture. Extensive deforestation results in raised river beds, which reduces
their water-carrying capacity, and consequently their irrigation potential. In India, for
example, the National Commission on Floods has projected that an irrigation potential of
almost 60,000 ha may be lost every year because of siltation.
Table 2 Annual deforestation and plantation projections for the tropics (1981-1985)
Annual rates of deforestation (ha x 103) Annual Plantation:

Region rates of deforestation
Tree formations plantation ratio
Closed Open All
Tropical America
(23 countries) 4,339 1,272 5,611 535 1:10.5
Tropical Africa
(37 countries) 1,331 2,345 3,676 126 1:29
Tropical Asia
(16 countries) 1,826 190 2,016 438 1:4.5
Total
(76 countries) 7,496 3,807 11,303 1,099 1:10
Source; FAO, 1982.
AGROFORESTRY FOR ECOLOGICAL AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY 29
Shifting cultivation, long practised all over the tropical highlands, has also contributed
to deforestation. At the beginning of this century, shifting cultivation cycled in 30-40 years,
but now it cycles in as few as 3-5 years due to increased population pressure. An important
offshoot is the reduced availability of fuelwood — a major source of energy in the rural
areas of developing countries. If the gap between harvesting and tree planting remains as it
is today, fuelwood shortage may become an even more serious problem than food
availability. A Study Group of the Planning Commission of the Government of India
estimated in 1982 that to meet the fuelwood demand in AD 2000, at least 3 million ha need to
be planted every year with fast-growing fuelwood trees (Swaminathan, 1982). The
increasing distance between villages and forests has increased the time needed for fuelwood
collection, thus depriving farm women and children of time which could have been utilized
in other productive activities.
Although the evidence is still inconclusive, extensive cutting of the tree cover may
contribute to the increased level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The accompanying
increase in global temperature could directly affect agricultural production. That the global
mean surface temperature actually increased during the last 100 years has recently been
proved by comprehensive estimates of temperature based on calibrated ocean data and
land measurements (Jones et al, 1986). A series of papers contained in the publication State
of the World —1987, published by the World Watch Institute, provides a grim picture of
the emerging global ecological scenario. Climate change carries a global price tag of $200
billion for irrigation adjustments alone in the coming decades (Brown, 1987).
It is obvious that the maintenance of tree cover is of utmost importance for ecological
and economic sustainability of food-production systems. Agroforestry involving the
integrated cultivation of woody perennials, crops, and animals provides one answer to our
quandary. A typical agroforestry system allows symbiotic economic and ecological
interactions between the woody and non-woody components to increase, sustain, and
diversify the total land output. Some of the dominant agroforestry systems are: (a) shifting
cultivation, (b) taungya afforestation, (c) homegarden, (d) silvopastoral, (e) agrisilvicultural,
and (f) windbreaks and live fences (Nair, 1985). Farming systems that incorporate perennial
trees and shrubs have the advantage of producing fuelwood, fruit, fodder, and other
products along with annual crops. In addition, they decrease the farmer's exposure to
seasonal environmental variations and, over the long-term, maintain and improve soil
health.
The following sections give a brief account of agroforestry systems, some recent
successes, and the potential of these systems for increasing food and environmental
security.
Traditional systems of agroforestry
Different patterns of agroforestry were common in the early days. For many upland
farmers, agroforestry wasa way of life. Shifting cultivation, for example, is believed to have
originated in the Neolithic period around 7000 BC (Sharma, 1976). In this system, still
common in many hilly areas of tropical Asia, Africa, and Latin America, trees and
agricultural crops are arranged sequentially in time and space. Its sustainability in the past
was due to low population pressure and availability of large tracts of undisturbed forests.
Today, shifting cultivation promotes soil erosion and land degradation. Inasmuch as we
have alternative methods of soil fertility restoration, shifting cultivation is no longer
necessary.
Homegarden, or homestead, is another common agroforestry system (Soemarwoto,

this volume). In this system, tall trees are intercropped with medium shrubs and short
annual crops to produce a variety of foods and green manure besides reducing soil erosion.
Intercropping in coconut and oil palm plantations is also common. Farmers generally plant
smaller trees such as coffee and cacao, and banana underneath the palms.
To arrest land degradation due to shifting cultivation, a fairly successful system called
taungya was developed in the mid-1800s in Burma. In this system, the government gave
land to shifting cultivators and allowed them to grow trees and agricultural crops together.
When the tree canopy closed and precluded further agricultural cropping, farmers were
shifted to another site. Meanwhile, the abandoned site developed into a fully-fledged forest.
Taungya was later adopted by many countries of Asia, Africa, and Central America, (see
King, this volume.)
Many of these systems have now given way to subsistence agricultural systems in
several developing countries. Because subsistence farming practices are not ecologically
sustainable and often not economical, interest in agroforestry is increasing.
R e c e n t trends in agroforestry
With the growing realization that agroforestry is a practical, low-cost alternative for food
production as well as environmental protection, forest departments of many countries are
integrating agroforestry programmes with conventional silviculture. Forest research
institutes and agricultural research centres are increasingly developing programmes for
agroforestry research, training, and education. The UN Conference on Desertification held
in Nairobi in 1977 stressed the significance of agroforestry systems for meeting the food,
fuel, fodder and fertilizer needs of rural communities without causing ecological harm. The
establishment of ICRAF in 1977 was a significant milestone in the history of agroforestry
research. ICRAF for the first time provided a global professional organization for
stimulating and supporting scientific and developmental interest in silvopastoral, "silvo-
horticultural", agrisilvicultural and other systems of land management.
Agrosilvopastoral systems
Among recent developments, the most important has been the realization of the
importance of multipurpose, woody, leguminous trees and shrubs in low-input farming
systems. These legumes, such as various species of Leucaena, Sesbania, Gliricidia, Acacia,
and Prosopis, are capable of providing the food, fodder, fertilizer and fuel needs of rural
populations. The trees also diversify income, dominate over weeds, reduce soil erosion, and
improve soil structure and fertility. Many of these species are widely adapted. For example,
Sesbania can tolerate a wide range of soil environments — saline, alkaline, and
waterlogged.
Many agrosilvopastoral systems have been proposed in recent years. Among these,
alley farming is one of the most important. In this system, food crops are grown in alleys
formed by hedgerows of trees or shrubs (see Kang and Wilson, this volume). The
hedgerows are cut back at the time of planting crops and are kept pruned to prevent shading
the crops (Figure 2). Pruned foliage is allowed to decompose in the alleys and the nutrients
released increase grain yields of interplanted crops (Table 3). The foliage is also used to feed
livestock. Simultaneously, the trees provide many other by-products such as fuelwood and
stems for staking viney crops.
Figure 2 Alley cropping is a promising agroforestry technology for not only the humid
lowlands but also the subhumid to semi-arid zones, as this photo from Machakos, Kenya
(about 700 mm of rainfall, bimodal, five rainy months) shows (Photo: P.K.R. Nair,
ICRAF).
Table 3 Main season grain yield of maize alley cropped with Leucaena leucocephala as
affected by application of leucaena prunings and nitrogen
Yield by year (t/ha)

N rate Leucaena
(kg/ha) prunings 1979 1980 1981* 1982 1983
0 Removed - 1.0 0.5 0.6 0.3

0 Retained 2.1 1.9 1.2 2.1 0.9
HO Retained 3.5 3.3 1.9 2.9 3.2
LSD 0.05 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.8
* Maize crop seriously affected by drought during early growth.

Source: Kang et al, 1984.
Alley farming thus appears to be a low-cost, sustainable agricultural technology and an

attractive alternative to the prevailing shifting cultivation and bush-fallow system.
Multi-level plantations and homegardens

Multi-level plantations and homegarden systems, common in smaller landholdings and
designed to increase food production, are fairly analogous to a rain forest with a
multilayered canopy. The systems and their component crops vary with the location. In the
humid tropics, plantations of coconut, oil palm, and rubber have increased during the last
few years due to greater demand for vegetable oils and rubber products. New opportunities
have become available with the development of high-yielding hybrids between tall and
dwarf coconuts, which have a potential similar to that of oil palm. During the initial and
later years, palms in the plantation do not make use of all the available sunlight, space, and
water (Nair, 1979). These plantations, therefore, offer opportunities for intercropping
(Figure 3). Cacao in Malaysia, cassava in India, banana in Jamaica, and pineapple in the
Philippines are now commonly intercropped with coconut. A significant amount of cacao
in Sri Lanka is now grown under rubber.
Figure 3 Intercropping and multistorey cropping with plantation crops is a very common
practice in south-east Asia. It is also being tried as a strategy for crop diversification in other
places. The photo shows cacao, black pepper {Piper nigrum) and leucaena under Pejibaye
palms (Bactris gasipaes) in Bahia State, Brazil (Photo: P.K.R. Nair, ICRAF).
Another form of multi-level associations is typified by the homesteads of Indonesia

(Michon et al, 1986) and Kandy gardens of Sri Lanka (Jacob and Alles, 1987). The species
used are selected on the basis of their economic value. Tree crops such as coconut, acacia,
and mango form the upper stratum; medium-sized trees such as guava, coffee, avocado,
Sesbania, papaya, and banana compose the middle stratum; and annuals such as
pineapple, pigeon pea, chilli, onion, ginger, beans, and tomato occupy the lowest stratum.
Generally, in villages away from the market, all plant residues are recycled. In villages close
to the market, often the emphasis is on producing cash crops. In several villages of Java, the
houses are completely hidden by the surrounding homestead gardens. The soil erosion in
this system is minimal as evidenced by the sharp contrast between heavily eroded land
outside the village and well-preserved soils in the village homesteads in the Solo River basin
of Central Java (Soemarwoto and Soemarwoto, 1984; Soemarwoto, this volume).
Farm forestry
In several countries, some very successful farm forestry projects have begun to increase the
rate of reforestation and to augment the supply of timber, fodder, fruit, and fuelwood. In
the Gujarat State of India, the Forestry Etepartment started a project in the early 1970s. The
system was .gradually accepted by farmers because it was less labour-intensive and labour
requirements were spread over the year. Tree fanning with eucalyptus has now become so
popular that irrigated, fertilized fields are also being used for this purpose (CSE, 1985).
Today, at least 10 percent of Gujarat's farming families are involved in farm forestry.
Similar success has been achieved in Haiti, Kenya, Senegal, and Nepal (WRI, 1985). Such
tree monocultures on farmland may not, however, always represent a major ecological
advantage. Trees such as eucalyptus do not provide fodder or mulch and may consume
large quantities of water. There is also the risk that such programmes may increase rural
unemployment. Hence, proposals for monoculture with tree species have to be carefully
examined for their potential impact on soil, water, and employment.
In the Philippines, an industry-related agroforestry system has become popular. In the
project launched by the Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP) in 1967,
20 percent of the land is used to raise agricultural crops and 80 percent for tree farming with
Albizia facataria, a fast-growing tree for paper pulp in an eight-year rotation (Veracion,
1983). The scheme provides farmers with a continuous source of food and income. PICOP
guarantees the purchase of wood, provides help in acquiring land, assists in obtaining loans
and Albizia seedlings, and furnishes technical help (see also Arnold, and Spears, this
volume). The scheme has been able to meet all its objectives — to meet pulpwood
requirements, to curb deforestation, and to increase the small fanner's income.
Agroforestry in arid and semi-arid areas

In arid and semi-arid environments, agroforestry systems help to provide greater insurance
against weather abnormalities. Many multipurpose trees such as Prdsopis cineraria,
Zizyphus rotundifolia, Casuarina spp., Tecomella undulata. Acacia tortilis, and Dalbergia
shoo thrive in arid areas. Crops accompanying these trees may not show any significant
reduction in grain yield (Government of India, 1986). Perennial shrubs such as Sesbania
and Cajanus cqjan also show promise for producing food, fodder, and fuelwood. Alley
cropping can be successfully practised in many wetter areas.
Windbreaks and live fences are other options available in agroforestry for dry areas.
Leucaena leucocephala, when planted as a windbreak, increases the grain yield of
agricultural crops and moisture availability in soil by reducing surface run-off and
evaporation. In Niger, millet yields increased by 23 percent when neem trees were planted as
windbreaks. Vast tracts of sand dunes have been stabilized in Senegal by planting trees in
and around the farms. In Maroua, Cameroon, Cassia siamea trees were planted across
lowland plains as a shelterbelt to reduce soil erosion and increase agricultural output.
Although the shelterbelt reduced soil erosion, yields of sorghum and cotton, the principal
crops in the region, decreased, particularly in a 30m-wide strip on either side of the tree
rows. This was not due to competition between the trees and crops but to the combined
effect of reduced air turbulence and undisturbed heating of the ground raising the
temperature. Therefore care needs to be taken to leave sufficient gaps in the tree fences to
allow optimal air movement.
Agroforestry in problem soils a n d wastelands

Large areas in the tropics are affected by salinity, alkalinity, acidity and waterlogging.
Unscientific land-use practices have led to a further increase in the area affected by toxicities
and deficiencies. Such degraded lands can often be reclaimed by agroforestry while
providing poor farmers with some income. Many species of trees can grow well in these
problem areas where most agricultural props cannot. The various species of Sesbania, for
example, can grow successfully in saline, alkaline, and even waterlogged soils. In the coastal
areas of Gujarat, India, extensive areas have been planted to Prosopis juliflora. In West
Bengal, India, the government has leased out marginal degraded forest wastelands to
landless farmers. These farmers are provided sufficient incentives and inputs to practise
agroforestry, leading to increased tree plantations in the area. Large tracts of eroded
wastelands in the Loess Plateau of China have been reclaimed by planting trees and using
legumes as ground cover. Cheaper techniques such as planting tree seedlings in pits to
which gypsum has been added can also be very useful in expanding agroforestry.
There is a need for formulating land-use policies based on sound principles of ecology
and economics in such areas. The Indian example, where the government has formed a
National Land-Use and Wasteland Development Council headed by the Prime Minister,
can be followed in countries with similar problems.
Potential: the African opportunity
We are currently witnessing a good deal of optimism about what agroforestry can
accomplish for food production and environmental protection. Generally, most countries
in Asia and Latin America are able to meet their food requirements.,In contrast, most
sub-Saharan African nations face complex technological problems arising from the
fragility of soils, scarcity of water, diversity of crops and pests, and climate variability. More
than 40 percent of Africa's people live in countries where grain yields are lower than they
were a generation ago. The loss of tree cover in closed forests and in savannas is extensive.
In many countries wood collection for fuel and other uses exceeds the sustainable yield of
remaining accessible forests. A recent World Bank study of seven West African countries
covering five rainfall zones showed that in ecozones having the lowest rainfall, agricultural
and fuelwood demands equal or exceed sustainable yields (World Bank, 1985). Another
finding was that in all countries and in all zones, the sustainable carrying capacity of the
forests was much less than that of croplands and grazing lands (Table 4).
Africa today is witnessing gradual shifts in its ecological zones. The recent drought and
consequent famine in Ethiopia and other countries made Africa the focus of world
attention and concern. In tourist literature, Ethiopia is often described as a country with 13
months of sunshine. It is ironic that agriculture, which is essentially a solar-energy-
harvesting enterprise, is so poor in these countries. Restoring the African tree cover is
essential to the restoration of the hydrological cycle and to the recovery of agriculture
(Brown and Wolf, 1985). Widespread introduction and promotion of agroforestry can go a
long way towards sustainable resource management and ecological and economic
rehabilitation of Africa.
Table 4 Measures of sustainability in seven African countries* by ecological zones, 1960
Food Fuelwood
Agriculturally Actual tFood Fuelwood- Actual +Fuel

sustainable rural disparity sustainable total disparity
Zone population population population population
(millions)
Sahelo-
Saharan 1.0 1.8 0.8 0.1 1.8 -1.7
Sahelian 3.9 3.9 0.0 0.3 4.0 -3.7
Sahelo-
Sudanian 8.7 11.1 -2.4 6.0 13.1 -7.1
Sudanian 8.9 6.6 2.3 7.4 8.1 -0.7
Sahelo-
Guinean 13.8 3.6 10.2 7.1 4.0 3.1
Total 36.3 27.0 9.3 20.9 31.0 -10.1
* Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. The given ecological zones
are delineated by amounts of rainfall.
+ Number of people in excess of or less than the agriculturally sustainable (in terms of food/ fuelwood)
population, expressed in millions.
Source: World Bank, 1985.
However, given the diversity of climates, farming systems, and economic conditions in
various regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, one might wonder if changed land-use
practices, such as those needed in agroforestry, will be an economically and ecologically
sustainable alternative in increasing food production and protecting the environment in all
ecozones. The potential of agroforestry in the ecological rehabilitation of upland,
deforested, and already eroded watersheds is beyond doubt. It should also be a viable
alternative to slash-and-burn and to bush-fallow systems of agriculture. However, greater
acceptance of agroforestry in these areas would need efficient agrosilvopastoral systems
capable of meeting the subsistence farmer's requirement for food, fodder, fuel, and some
cash income.
Agroforestry can also play a greater role in reclaiming wastelands and wasted lands and
in increasing food production in problem soil areas. It should also be appropriate in
maintaining the long-term soil health of poor or average quality lowland soils.
Agrisilvicultural or agrosilvopastoral systems such as alley farming can become very
successful. Windbreaks and silvopastoral systems can help in mitigating drought-
associated risks in arid and semi-arid regions.
The crucial question, however, is whether land-use practices should be changed to
accommodate agroforestry in presently good quality, fertile, highly productive, resource-
rich farms. In this age of a highly dynamic market and consequent changes in fanning
systems, introduction of trees into these areas may lead to inflexibility and many
management problems. However, it will be desirable to encourage tree plantation on farm
boundaries, canal bunds, and poor patches of the farmland.
In view of the enormous potential of agroforestry for promoting sustainable
production, there is a need to identify and remove the technological and socio-economic
constraints limiting the spread of agroforestry. Some of the important challenges that
require immediate attention are now discussed.
Challenges
Biological constraints
To sustain agroforestry, it is important to strengthen our research efforts. Such low-cost
and ecologically sound technologies should not receive low inputs of scientific and financial
resources. There is an immediate need to extensively survey existing agroforestry systems to
determine the interaction between component species, to classify the trees used, and then to
refine the systems in view of soil, climate, and socio-economic limitations. Clearly, an
interdisciplinary approach is warranted. Earlier, agroforestry systems were predominantly
based on economic principles. Future systems, however, will have to overcome physio-
logical (canopy structure), biological (pests and diseases), and ecological (sustainability and
environment protection) constraints besides being economically sound. Detailed studies on
the competition and complementarity between trees and understorey agricultural crops for
solar radiation, space, and soil factors are needed. The enormous experience gained in
intercropping annual crops can be very useful. The tallest component of agroforestry
systems, the tree, should have foliage tolerant of strong light and high evaporative demand;
the shorter components should have foliage adapted to shade and relatively high humidity.
It is very important to consider the microclimatic changes that agricultural crops have to
face under the trees. The entire process of selection and breeding of crops and crop varieties
should take this into consideration. Similarly, agroforestry systems should avoid below-
ground competition for water and nutrients by ensuring that component species have
non-overlapping root systems.
The incorporation of deciduous trees such as Dalbergia sissoo into agroforestry systems
can often be very useful. The natural abscission of leaves during autumn enriches the soil
while the availability of solar radiation under the tree increases. Growing short-duration,
high-yielding crops during this period of abundant sunshine and nutrients will be very
productive. Alternatively, we should consider the use of growth regulators to induce partial
defoliation of the trees when the radiation requirement of the understorey agricultural crop
is at its peak. This may also help reduce the labour required for pruning in systems such as
alley cropping. However, studies on the feasibility and practicality of such methods are
needed.
Diversity in agroforestry systems is very important for their ecological sustainability.
Extensive plantations with a single strain of Leucaena leucocephala in the Philippines and
elsewhere has led to severe psyllid pest epidemics, damaging more than 50 percent of the
trees (Lapis, 1986). Brewbaker (1985, this volume), drew attention to the genetic
vulnerability to pest attack of single variety plantations of Leucaena leucocephala.
Similarly, overdependence on a single genotype of the stem-nodulating Sesbania rostrata
may lead to pest and disease outbreaks. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and describe
more nitrogen-fixing tree species as well as genotypes of S. rostrata. Many such trees have
been catalogued by the National Academy of Sciences (1979) and ICRAF (1986).
Eucalyptus plantations have significantly increased in recent times due to their importance
in pulp and paper manufacture. In many areas these can be replaced by fast-growing kenaf,
Hibiscus cannabinus, another excellent source of raw material for paper manufacture.
Lack of suitable germplasm can delay future research and development efforts in
agroforestry. National, regional, and global germplasm banks for preserving seeds of tree
species are needed. Ecological sustainability of agricultural practices can be promoted only
by spreading awareness that conservation is development.
Pest and disease control through agroforestry has been rarely studied. Today,
integrated pest management involving non-overlapping pest crops and conservation of
natural enemies is very important. Trees can, for example, provide a physical barrier to
flying insects. In Samoa, there is a conspicuous reduction in cacao-leaf damage caused by
the root beetle, Andoretus versutus, when it is intercropped with trees (Newton and
Thomas, 1983). The role that multipurpose tree species such as neem (Azadirachta indicd),
known to be an effective pest-control agent, can play in agroforestry should be determined.
There is also a need to resolve silvicultural problems. It is important to raise the
ecological adaptation of tree crops. A major problem with many tree species is the difficulty
of establishing them and their slow initial growth. Some species need scarification of seeds
for germination. We must examine alternative methods of establishment and propagation.
Foresters have considerably improved the techniques of vegetative propagation for
hardwood trees. These can be applied to nitrogen-fixing trees as well. Success in vegetative
propagation and clonal selection will allow production of a large and continuous supply of
plantation stock.
The stem- and root-nodulating shrubby legume Sesbania rostrata (Dreyfus and
Dommergues, 1980; Dommergues, this volume) has the capacity to grow and fix nitrogen
in waterlogged soils. The possibility of transferring this stem-nodulating habit to other
legume species by genetic engineering should be explored to increase their adaptability.
Many tree crops, such as eucalyptus, could be unsuitable for agroforestry simply
because their foliage and roots produce allelopathic toxins. Physiological and biochemical
studies to control the production of these toxins should be initiated.
Last, methods should be developed to reduce the time taken to develop agroforestry
systems. Research in agroforestry is long-term and does not promise major returns in the
short run. Mistakes in agroforestry can, therefore, be costlier than mistakes made in
agriculture.
Socio-economic constraints
The adoption of the agroforestry system of land use requires fundamental changes in
approaches to farming. For a subsistence farmer this may involve, besides a change in
farming practices, a change in diet or a change in marketing and labour-input requirements.
Recent experience with Green Revolution technology has demonstrated the roles human
ecology and sociology play in the acceptance and spread of technologies. We need to study
the various socio-economic constraints and design appropriate strategies to convince the
farmer that the short- and long-term payoff in adopting agroforestry will be considerable.
To promote agroforestry as a sustainable method of increased food production and
environmental protection, we should develop and introduce the three mutually supportive
and harmonious packages:
1. Economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially compatible technology;
2. Services and inputs to help farmers; and
3. Public policies that can stimulate and sustain the farmer's interest in agroforestry.
Success in cereal production in Asia and Latin America during the last two decades was
due to the availability of mutually reinforcing agricultural packages (Swaminathan, 1986).

The three major components of a symphonic agricultural system are briefly described
below.
Package of technology
The proposed technology should aim to achieve the highest output possible per unit of land,
water, time, and labour while disallowing any depreciation in the basic agricultural assets of
land, water, flora, and fauna. The "cafeteria" approach, in which farmers can choose based
on their capabilities and requirements, should be proposed. For the subsistence farmer, the
proposed agroforestry technology should not only produce food, fodder, fertilizer and
fuelwood, but some cash income. For the market-oriented farmer, the technology package
should operate at still higher efficiency, both at the production and post-harvest level. A
package of information should be built in to suggest the kinds of trees and agricultural
crops, best combinations, management practices, costs and benefits, markets, and sources
of financial and technical assistance.
In Africa, 75 percent of the food grown and eaten is produced predominantly by
women. The proposed technology should also take note of the sex-related roles in food
production.
Package of services
Equality of opportunity to appropriate technology should be the foundation of all
agricultural extension and development planning. Designing and developing packages of
essential services so farmers can take advantage of the new agroforestry technology is
extremely important. Both government and private agencies should be active in providing
seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, and, very important, credit. Regional seed and seedling banks
should be established to ensure the timely availability of seeds and seedlings for farmers.
Modern propagation methods can be used to produce quality stocks. The last service,
credit, is essential because the payoff in agroforestry starts several years after the
introduction of the scheme. Governments need to evolve innovative policies for an effective
and timely input supply scheme.
Package of government policies

No agricultural or agroforestry technology can remain productive and sustainable without
government support. One major area that requires government action is land reform.
Agroforestry is a long-term practice so it will not be surprising if tenant farmers fail to adopt
it. In an agroforestry project in the Philippines, it was noted that part-owners of land used
their own area on the site for contour-hedges, indicating their acceptance of agroforestry
but a reluctance to establish trees on land they did not own (Kent, 1985).
The concept of land reform should be enlarged to include not only ownership but
regulations to prevent abuse of land. In parts of Africa, livestock reform to enable
controlled grazing is equally important. Unscientific land-use practices have led to
degradation of large tracts. In each country, there is a pressing need to set up a national task
force for designing and promoting agroforestry systems, which should design appropriate
components of agroforestry for all ecozones. This should be supported by suitable training
programmes at various levels. The technique of training should be learning by doing. Mass
media such as local language papers, radio, and television should be actively involved.
Software should be developed for agroforestry education and communication. Extension
agencies should have skilled and motivated workers to successfully protect and promote the
interests of individuals and society in agroforestry.
The available food-grain surpluses in the world give us increasing opportunities to
diversify agroforestry systems based on long-term sustainability criteria. For example, to
reclaim eroded, marginal soils, one should avoid growing annual food crops in the new
agroforestry systems. Subsistence farming families in remote isolated areas, hard pressed to
earn their daily bread, can be persuaded to adopt ecologically sound land-use practices only
if they are assured of the staple grain they need. Food security for the poor must first be
ensured before the promotion of ecological security. Governments will have to build visible
grain stocks in habitats characterized by fragile ecosystems. In countries where governments
do not have their own stocks, special programmes such as "Food for scientific land use" or
"Food for agroforestry" development could be initiated.
In the case of better-off farmers, opportunities for producer-oriented and remunerative
marketing becomes essential to stimulate and sustain their interest in agroforestry. Here,
input-output pricing policies become crucial. Enough incentives, such as support price for
wood and other tree products, should be provided.
Conclusion
Eternal vigilance is the price of stable agriculture. The greatly increased population and its
ever expanding needs for food and fuelwood in this century threaten agricultural stability.
Political and commercial greed, the genuine needs of the poor for fuel and fodder,
inappropriate technologies, and the absence of a systems approach in the design and
implementation of agricultural and industrial projects in ecologically fragile areas, have all
contributed to increased environmental deterioration. B.F. Skinner (personal communica-
tion) has rightly emphasized:
Every new source from which man has increased his power on earth has
been used to diminish the prospects of his successor. All his progress is
being made at the expense of damage to the environment, which he
cannot repair and cannot foresee.
It is time that we devote greater attention to economically and ecologically sustainable
agricultural production systems where present economic progress and prospects for
survival will not be in conflict. Fortunately, agroforestry systems are characterized by this
happy blend and help us to exploit in a sustainable manner cubic volumes of soil and air
and thereby give farmers the maximum return from the available soil, water, nutrient, and
sunlight.
There is now an opportunity to design more efficient and ecologically sustainable
agroforestry systems by putting the large food grain stocks of today to intelligent use.
Agroforestry systems designed to overcome physiological, biological, ecological, and
economic constraints can help to enhance production efficiency. We therefore need both
greater support for agroforestry research and greater integration of agroforestry research
into the mainstream of farming-systems research. Stimulating and helping to sustain a
symphonic agroforestry system based on appropriate blends of political will, professional
skill, and peoples' action will be a major challenge for ICRAF in its second decade.
Acknowledgements
The author is deeply indebted to Dr P.K. Aggarwal of the Multiple Cropping Department
of IRRI for assistance in compiling material for this paper.
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WRL
Institutional aspects of
agroforestry research and development
Bjorn O. Lundgren
Director
International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)
P.O. Box30677, Nairobi, Kenya
Contents
Introduction
Land-use institutions today
Why are today's institutions inadequate?
Agroforestry as a catalyst for change
Land-use institutions tomorrow
References
Introduction
The history of agroforestry as a science and as a focus for systematic development efforts is
very short—fifteen years at the most (see King, this volume). In 1982—the "middle ages" of
this short history—the present writer was asked by the Office of Technology Assessment of
the United States Congress to make an evaluation of the role of agroforestry in improving
tropical lands. The forecasts contained in that report (Lundgren, 1982a) regarding the likely
developments in and constraints to agroforestry over the coming five to ten years generally
seem to have been correct. Interest in agroforestry is increasing rapidly among scientists,
land-use experts and development professionals; resources for research and development
are being made available from donors and national institutions at an unprecedented level
(although they are still modest in absolute terms); concrete results from R & D programmes
are just starting to emerge on a significant scale; and the next three to five years will see an
information explosion in agroforestry. These developments in general, and the progress
made in specific fields and regions, are highlighted in other contributions to this volume.
Another assessment contained in the report mentioned above was that the main
constraints to a full realization of the potential of agroforestry were of an institutional
nature and related to the rigid disciplinary compartmentalization which characterizes

institutions working in the field of land use. There have been very few signs in the last five
years of this situation changing for the better. On the contrary, it is more urgent than ever
that these institutional questions are addressed at the highest possible levels, both in
individual countries and internationally. If effective and relevant institutional arrangements
are not developed for implementing agroforestry R & D programmes on a large scale
within the next five to ten years, the risk is very real that the potential of agroforestry will
never be fully realized.
This article deals with the institutional aspects of agroforestry. It presents the writer's
personal thoughts and should certainly not be seen as an ICRAF policy statement.
Land-use institutions t o d a y
The basic institutional structures established to deal with the use of land in virtually all the
countries of the world today originate from temperate Europe and North America. There,
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the modernization of agriculture and
forestry, which was necessitated by and dependent upon the rapid industrialization, led to
the gradual emergence of government and private institutions to support the land users.
Crop production and industrial wood production, which were carried out on separate types
of land, required different professional skills, had different aims, and very often were
managed by different owners (farmers versus governments or private companies). It was
entirely rational, therefore, that agricultural and forestry institutions developed independ-
ently of each other. In the few cases where it was deliberately planned that trees, crops
and/ or animals should interact in specific technologies or land-use practices, for example in
windbreaks, shelterbelts, hedges, grazing in fruit orchards, or game management for meat
production in forests, there was never any difficulty in establishing which institutional
sector was "responsible" for the technology or practice. With very few exceptions, anything
done on designated farmland, even if it involved tree growing, was (and is) the responsibility
of the agricultural/horticultural sector, and any use of forest land, including game
management, rational utilization of wild berries, mushrooms, etc., falls under the forestry
sector.
As a result of these separate institutional developments, there are today different laws
and policies governing agricultural and forest land use; there are separate training,
education and research institutions; advice to land users is provided through separate
extension services; agriculture and forestry normally fall under different ministries or, if
they are under the same ministry, under separate departments.
Another important aspect of the land-use legacy from the industrialized countries is
that all policies and disciplinary R & D efforts are aimed at maximizing, in a sustainable
way, the output of products per unit of land — this applies as much to wheat, maize, milk
and meat as it does to timber and pulpwood. Commercially oriented monocropping
dominates the use of land and has been seen as very successful as markets for agricultural
and forest products have continuously increased in volume over the last century.
Subsistence use of land, in the sense of people being dependent on their own land for food,
has virtually disappeared in industrialized countries.
When the European colonial powers established their administrations in Africa and
elsewhere in tropical and subtropical regions, the institutional structures, policies and aims
related to land use and development used in the home countries were simply copied in the
colonies. This applied also to those countries which were not colonies, e.g., in Latin
INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS OF AGROFORESTRY DEVELOPMENT 45
America, where governments chose to adopt the industrialized countries' institutional

structure in land use. The model has been continued after independence in all tropical
countries and the post-war international organizations that were set up to assist the
emerging nations in improving and rationalizing the use of their land resources are all
oriented on conventional-discipline lines. There is little doubt that the concentration of R &
D efforts on the particular commodities, technologies and practices which the mono-
disciplinary approach leads to, has resulted in some remarkable success stories in tropical
countries during this century. Cultivation of export crops such as coffee, tea, oil palm, fruits
and spices forms the mainstay of many developing-country economies. Some countries
have achieved self-sufficiency in industrial wood production by systematically building up
plantations of exotic and indigenous trees, and, most remarkable of all, the "green
revolution" of the last two to three decades has turned previously food-deficit countries
into major grain exporters. Although all these developments have had their share of
criticism (some of it justified, but most based on ignorance) from economists, social
scientists and environmentalists, their technical and economic success is an undisputed
credit to all the horticultural, silvicultural and agronomic scientists and R & D institutions
behind their development.
In spite of the relative successes achieved in agriculture, forestry and other disciplines in
the tropics and subtropics (developing countries), there are, quite obviously, many aspects
of land use which are not successful. Food production per capita has been decreasing in
most of Africa over the last 25 years; man-made desert conditions are spreading at an
alarming rate; erosion and flooding, largely as a consequence of defective land use
following deforestation, cause unprecedented loss of farmland; rural populations in more
and more areas are affected by existing or imminent energy crises due to lack of fuelwood;
and the effects of naturally occurring droughts, in terms of loss of human life and livestock,
become more and more devastating with time. It is open to discussion whether the main
causes of these conditions are demographic, political, technological, economic or
environmental. It is generally agreed, however, that there is no single cause but rather a
complex interaction among several factors — interactions which are different from place to
place and country to country.
I have become increasingly convinced that a significant contributor to the failure to
solve many important land-use problems is the inappropriateness of conventional-
discipline-oriented institutions for identifying and addressing real problems in land-use
systems in most tropical and subtropical (developing) countries. This particularly applies to
the multitude of subsistence or mixed subsistence/ cash farming and pastoral systems in
which the vast majority of rural land users live and from which they eke out a living. They
differ, of course, with ecological and socio-cultural conditions, from the purely nomadic
pastoral systems of the arid to semi-arid zones to the sedentary mixed-farming systems on
upland soils in subhumid areas and the shifting cultivation in the humid zones. Some
features are shared by most of them, e.g., low cash incomes and, hence, little ability to invest
in improvements requiring money, and marginal ecologies, such as infertile or erosive soils,
or marginal climates. Minimizing the risk of crop failure or animal loss in these situations is
a much more important concern than increasing yields. Often, land tenure is insecure or
non-existent. Common lands, which often serve as important sources for fuelwood,
building material, grazing, etc., are diminishing in area or are being degraded through
overuse as a result of increasing populations.
With few exceptions, subsistences near-subsistence farming systems are mixed in the
sense that the farmer produces not only the bulk food crop from the land but also
specialized food crops (vegetables, fruits, spices, etc.), animals for meat, milk or draught
power, and, very often, trees and shrubs for fuel, fodder and building material. Cash
income sometimes comes from specialized crops intended for sale but normally from
surpluses of the "subsistence" crops and animals. Obviously, the relative importance of each
of these components of the system varies, but they all serve to satisfy basic needs of the land
user (food, shelter, energy, cash, etc.), and they all interact economically and/or
ecologically in that they are managed by the same limited labour resource and they share
the same farm environment (soil, water, topography). The subsistence land user's strategy
and aims are to use his labour and land resources to optimize, with minimum risk, the
production of various products and services required to satisfy all his basic needs.
W h y are today's institutions inadequate?
The fundamental inadequacy of conventional-discipline-oriented institutions lies in the

failure to acknowledge and understand these basic facts, strategies and aims, and in the
inability to adapt to them. The aims, infrastructure, rationale and philosophy of these
institutions, as well as the training of their experts, are geared to the maximization of
individual components, be they food crops, cash crops, animals or trees. There is little
understanding that the land user needs to share out his resources for the production of other
commodities or services. Even if such an understanding appears to exist—the forester may
generously agree that food production is essential and the agronomist may not disagree that
fuelwood is needed — there is very little technical comprehension of the requirements for
producing commodities outside one's own discipline.
The inability of technical institutions and experts to understand how social, religious,
cultural and traditional beliefs and preferences can nullify a convincing cost/benefit
analysis on, say, increased fertilizer use, upgrading of cattle or establishment of fuelwood
plantations, has been so well documented by social scientists that there is no need to
elaborate the point.
It is, quite obviously, this lack of understanding or the complexities of many land-use
systems, which is built in to the very foundation of conventional institutions, that is the
basic cause of the many failures and frustrations in trying to solve the land-use problems of
developing countries today. Land users are generally not conservative or "primitive"; they
are not adamantly unwilling to improve their lot; they are not opposed to increasing their
yields or cash incomes; nor are they hostile to planting and caring for trees on their land —
provided we understand how technology changes and improvements fit into their
problems, priorities, beliefs and aims. The situation today can be summarized as in Figure
1, which is derived from an idea by R. Chambers (personal communication).
There are a large number of more or less narrowly specialized sectors, disciplines,
institutions, scientists and experts, laws, policies, etc., all dedicated to maximizing (within
limits known to and identified by themselves) "their" product, i.e., which look at one
segment of the land-use system only.
There is no institution today which has both the mandate and the competence to
identify solutions to land-use problems based on an interdisciplinary analysis of interactive
constraints and potentials within land-use systems, and the power to assign resources in a
way that will cut across institutional boundaries in order to implement such solutions.
There are, nevertheless, a few positive signs that awareness of the need to address the
institutional constraints to real problem-solving is increasing. For example, the recently
Figure 1 Institutional dilemma of land development? Disciplinary institutions

look at a specific compartment of a land-use system only and normally do not
consider the complex interactions within the system.
published report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (the

"Brundtland Commission") (1987) concluded:
The integrated and interdependent nature of the new challenges and
issues contrasts sharply with the nature of the institutions that exist
today. These institutions tend to be independent, fragmented, and
working to relatively narrow mandates with closed decision processes.
Less encouraging, however, is the fact that virtually all recent policy and planning
documents from international institutions, even if they pay lip service to the need for
multidisciplinarity, integrated approaches and holistic views, end up making conventional
recommendations such as increased use of fertilizers, irrigation and genetically improved
crop varieties, increased tree planting, etc. None contain any critical analysis of the
adequacy of existing institutions for addressing the totality of the problems and for
contributing to their solution. This applies as much to agricultural (TAC, 1987) and
forestry (Adams and Dixon, 1986; Carlson and Shea, 1986) research, as to development
statements, again both agricultural (FAO, 1986a, 1986b, 1987; OAU, 1985) and forestry
(FAO, 1985; WRI, 1987).
One reason for the slowness with which the institutional problems are being addressed
has probably been the lure of the statistics on "global problems" which have emerged over
the past 15 years, e.g., on environmental and developmental problems such as desertifica-
tion, deforestation, the fuelwood crisis and declining food production. As a result of
improved techniques of survey, monitoring and other statistical methods, it has been
possible to break down an almost infinite number of complex, local problems into their
component effects and to add up these effects into global perspectives. Since it is easy to
express the magnitude of these problems in conspicuous and alarming global figures, such
as the numbers of hectares of forests that are lost, or land that is turned into desert, or the
distance people will have to walk every day to collect their fuelwood, it becomes imperative
and even very attractive to politicians, decision-makers and institutions to look for simple
solutions to these problems and to extrapolate the likely benefits to a global scale.
Disciplinary-sector institutions have been very successful in exploiting this situation to
increase resource allocation to themselves by promising simple solutions to what appear to
be straightforward problems — more tree plantations will solve the fuelwood and
deforestation problems; more fertilizers and irrigation will increase food production, and so
on.
The fact, however unappealing and complex it may be, is that just as the "global
problems" are the sum of the effects of a large number of local problems, the solutions can
only be achieved by adopting an equal number of sound land-use practices and political
and economic measures (Lundgren, 1985). Problems must be identified, diagnosed and
solved where they occur. It does not help small-scale mixed farmers in district X of country
y, to know that 300 million people in the developing world do not have adequate supplies to
meet their fuelwood or protein requirements. There is an urgent need to re-think and
re-evaluate the situation. The conclusions arrived at must direct the relevant institutions
from the discipline-oriented maximization thinking that is fuelled by global statistics to the
multidisciplinary optimization thinking that is geared to solving local problems.
Agroforestry as a catalyst for c h a n g e
When agroforestry was institutionalized through the creation of ICRAF in 1977, there were
very few people who thought of the subject as anything but an off-shoot from the forestry
sector. Indeed, the early ideas and concepts originated with tropical foresters who were
concerned about the poor contribution that the forestry sector made to the well-being of
rural populations other than those directly involved in forestry operations. The long and
basically positive experience of taungya-type agrisilvicultural systems on forest land had
demonstrated to foresters that timber and food-crop production from the same land was
possible (King, this volume). In the early stages, agroforestry was seen as the forestry
sector's contribution to agriculture and many foresters still think of it in that way. There
were no serious efforts to integrate, forestry, or rather tree growing, into agricultural
practices, let alone any critical analysis of whether the existing forestry institutions were
competent to take trees outside the forests.
It was only in the early 1980s that agroforestry developed into a truly integrated and
interdisciplinary approach to land improvement, mainly through ICRAF's conceptual and
methodological work (Lundgren, 1987b; Steppler, this volume). A more objective
definition of agroforestry than previous ones, and one that ICRAF has used since the early
1980s (Lundgren, 1982b), is as follows:
Agroforestry is a collective name for all land-use systems and practices in
which woody perennials are deliberately grown on the same land
management unit as crops and/or animals. This can be either in some
form of spatial arrangement or in a time sequence. To qualify as
agroforestry, a given land-use system or practice must permit significant
economic and ecological interactions between the woody and non-
woody components.
This definition clearly underlines the integrated nature of the approach.

The aim of agroforestry is (or should be) to optimize the positive interactions between
components in order to achieve a more productive, sustainable and/or diversified (in
relation to the land users' need) output from-the land than is possible with other forms of
land use. It is obvious that, with this definition and aim, agroforestry as a science and
practice must cut across conventional institutional areas and draw upon several disciplines
in the social, production and environmental sectors (see Figure 1) if its full potential for
improving land use is to be realized.
ICRAF has built up a truly multidisciplinary team of experts and scientists,
representing all the relevant disciplines deemed necessary to study all aspects of a land-use
system. Through this team, objective analytical methods of identifying problems in land-
use (farming) systems, and potentials for their solution that are not restricted to
agroforestry solutions, have been developed (Raintree, 1987). Using an analogy from
Figure 1, this diagnostic and design (D&D) methodology means that instead of the
individual experts standing outside the land-use system and observing their own
disciplinary components of the system, the whole team, without any preconceived ideas
about the nature of the problems and their potential solutions, "parachutes" into the middle
of the complex system and tries to diagnose causal mechanisms behind the problems and
interactions between the components of the system. From this diagnosis, technologies with
a potential for solving the problems are designed. It is only at this stage that the role of
different disciplinary sectors and institutions in developing these technologies can be
defined.
When putting this methodology into practice in collaborative research programmes
with national and international institutions, ICRAF has been faced with a host of problems
related to the compartmentalization of conventional disciplinary institutions and profes-
sions, ranging from direct mistrust and lack of appreciation of each other's expertise to the
enormous difficulty of arriving at decisions about resource allocation in programmes
involving different institutions from different ministries.
In the Agroforestry Research Networks for Africa (AFRENA) programme, ICRAF
has developed a model for inter-institutional collaboration at national and regional levels
which, at least in its early stages, has been very successful (Torres, 1986). The key elements
of the approach are to stimulate and assist (technically and, if necessary, financially)
national forestry, agriculture and other institutions to work together in analysing land-use
problems and designing research programmes to solve them, and to define their exact role
in implementing such programmes. It is essential that participation in these activities is
voluntary for the different institutions, that it is seen as professionally .stimulating and
enriching and that it does not initially "threaten" existing institutional power structures.
The technically sound results across disciplinary boundaries that are starting to be
produced from such semi-formal programmes show that this approach certainly has
potential. Once their usefulness has been confirmed we will be ready to take the next steps
required to achieve more appropriate institutional functions and structures for addressing
the problems of the small-scale subsistence farmers and land users of the tropics and
subtropics.
Agroforestry as a discipline has the potential for taking a leading and catalytic role in
this process of change, because of its inherent integrative and multidisciplinary nature, its
optimization rather than component-maximization aims, and because of the great interest
shown in it today.
Land-use institutions tomorrow

It would be presumptuous to end this article by proposing an "ideal" structure and set of
objectives for tomorrow's land-use-related institutions. No such ideal institution will ever
exist because of the enormous variety in conditions, policies and institutions among
regions, countries, economies, etc. Some general thoughts on directions may, however,
produce some food for thought.
1. In the short and medium term, and within existing institutional structures, collaborative
programmes which cut across disciplinary boundaries and address concrete land-use
problems must be encouraged and given more support, both at the national level and
at the level of international agencies such as donors, UN bodies, and International
Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs). It would be appropriate if the international
institutions took the initiative in this. Unfortunately, such is not the case today: most
international bodies and institutions are firmly entrenched in disciplinary thinking and
actions. Although there are a few very encouraging exceptions, integrated approaches
still seem far away. With the risk of over-generalizing facts and of stepping on some
toes, I feel that it would be encouraging to see the following positive developments on
the international land-uses scene:
(a) That the institutions within the Consultative Group of International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) accept the fact that trees and shrubs form integral parts of
most small-scale food-producing farming systems in the tropical world and that
their rational development can enhance both productivity, sustainability and
diversity of food production;
(b) That FAO's Agriculture and Forestry Departments develop joint projects to show
that the UN's main land-use-related agency has the interest, mandate and
competence to look at crops and trees, and their interactions, in the same place
and in the same land-use systems;
(c) That the forestry departments and advisors of bilateral and multi-lateral donor
agencies, development banks, research and policy institutes, etc., accept the fact
that tree growing on farmland (agroforestry) is not an exclusive forest-sector
activity, and that the same donors and institutions ask themselves why they
channel all their support to agroforestry through forestry, energy or environmental
programmes rather than through agricultural programmes.
2. It must be strongly emphasized that in the future we will still need specialized
institutions and experts — the plea for multidisciplinary, inter-institutional approaches
and integrated thinking must not lead to the formation of super institutions manned
exclusively by generalists. Undoubtedly there will be a need for crop physiologists,
maize breeders, tree geneticists, fertilizer experts, insect ecologjsts, and so on, and for
specialized institutions that provide a working environment for such experts. Even the
most "perfect" interdisriplinarily-derived research or development programme must,
when being implemented, be broken up into its component parts, and then
resynthesized. If there is inadequate expertise on the structure and function of the
component parts, then the whole entity (the improved land-use system, or whatever)
will never be fully operational and optimized.
3. What will be needed are new institutional functions for problem identification, priority
setting and resource allocation, without necessarily making fundamental changes of
structure. Such new functions can be created within or between existing land-use
ministries and departments, or as independent bodies with existing institutions
subordinate to them It would probably be best to start by creating inter-institutional
committees for planning but which will become more and more executive as
experience is gained. Depending on the problems to be addressed, these committees
can then create appropriate task forces of existing disciplinary institutions and
resources.
These may not sound very fundamental changes but they will require fundamental
rethinking among disciplinary scientists, institutions and decision-makers. The sooner this
process starts, the faster can some of the key land-use problems of the world be solved.
REFERENCES
Adams, N. and R.K. Dixon (eds.). 1986. Forestry networks. Proceedings of the first network
workshop of the forestry/fuelwood research and development project (F/FRED), 24-27
September 1986, Bangkok. Washington D.C.: Winrock International.
Carlson, L.W. and K.R. Shea (eds.). 1986. Increasing productivity of multipurpose lands.
Proceedings of IUFRO research planning workshop for Sahelian arid North Sudanian
zones, Nairobi, January 1986. Vienna: IUFRO.
FAO. 1985. Tropical forestry actionplan. Committee on Forest Development in the Tropics. Rome:
FAO.
. 1986a. A programme of action for African agriculture proposed by the Director-General.
Rome: FAO.
. 1986b. African agriculture: the next 25 years. Main report (ARC/86/3). Rome: FAO.
. 1987. Summary programme of work and budget 1988-1989. Document COAG/87/5
presented to 9th Session of the Committee on Agriculture, 23 March-1 April 1987. Rome:
FAO.
Lundgren, B. 1982a. The use of agroforestry to improve the productivity of converted tropical land.
Report prepared for the Office of Technology Assessment of the United States Congress
(mimeo).
------—. 1982b. Introduction. Agroforestry Systems 1:3-6.
. 1985. Global deforestation, its causes and suggested remedies. Agroforestry Systems
3:91-95.
. 1987a. Agroforestry in third world countries. Paper presented to the IUFRO workshop
on agroforestry for rural needs. New Delhi, India, 22-26 February 1987.
. 1987b. ICRAF's first ten years. Agroforestry Systems 5: 197-218.
Organization of African Unity. 1985. Africa's priority programme for economic recovery 1986-1990.
Addis Ababa: OAU.
Raintree, J.B. 1987. The state of the art of agroforestry diagnosis and design. Agroforestry Systems 5:
219-250.
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). 1987. CGIAR priorities and future strategies. Rome:
TAC/FAO.
Torres, F. 1986. Agroforestry research networks in tropical Africa: an ecozone approach. Paper
presented to the First International Conference of Agricultural Research Systems,
IFARD*, Brasilia, Brazil, 6-11 September 1986.
World Commission on Environment and Development. 1987. Our commonfuture. London: Oxford
University Press.
World Resources Institute. 1985. Tropical forests: a call for action. Parts I-III. Washington, D.C.:
WRI.
Agroforestry:
a development-bank perspective
John Spears
Forestry Advisor, World Bank
Washington, D.C., USA
Contents
Introduction
Economic rates of return of agroforestry projects
Criteria for bank appraisal of agroforestry projects
What are development bank funds used for?
Examples of successful agroforestry projects
Problem areas in agroforestry projects financed by development banks
References
Introduction
The period 1977-1986 has seen a sharp escalation in development banking support for
forestry. The approximately US$ 2 billion invested in forestry by four of the multilateral
development banks represents a 13-fold increase in the volume of lending compared with
the previous decade. More important than the volume" of lending, however, is the fact that
the banks have revised their earlier forest policies to give much greater support to
agroforestry, fuelwood, watershed protection, forest conservation, education, training,
research and extension, in addition to the more traditional industrial plantation-oriented
forestry projects that accounted for 80 percent of bank forestry investments in the 1960s and
Editors'note
The author has used the World Bank perspective and classification for projects, many of which were
initiated before the term agroforestry was widely used. He has also included projects which are
peripheral to many readers' perception of agroforestry.
early 1970s. Agroforestry lending, for example, during this last decade totalled US$ 750
million, representing a rise from 6 percent to 37 percent of total bank forestry investments.
Economic rates of return of agroforestry projects

In most cases the economic rates of return of the agroforestry projects financed by
development banks have been significantly higher than those yielded by the industrial
plantation forestry projects -that characterized earlier bank lending programmes, as
illustrated in Table 1.
Table 1 Comparative rates of return for forestry projects financed by development banks
during the decade 1977-1986
No. of Range of economic

projects rates of return
Category of project reviewed (%)
Industrial plantation forestry 15 10-15

Agroforestry/fuelwood 27 15-30
Watershed rehabilitation 8 15-21
Source: World Bank Annual Reports.
As has been the Bank's experience in agriculture, the message is that investing in
poverty-oriented agroforestry projects is a bankable activity that requires no special
justification on humanitarian or environmental grounds. Agroforestry projects can ensure
increased farm productivity and income for rural people on the one hand, as well as
protection of the farming environment (particularly soil and water resources) on the other.
There are several clearly identifiable reasons why agroforestry projects have demon-
strated fairly high financial rates of return:
(a) On-farm tree planting or local woodland protection and conservation by village
communities usually requires a lower level of investment in supporting infrastructure
(e.g., access roads, firebreaks and administrative staff) than would normally be
required for government plantation or forest protection programmes. Particularly in
small-farm situations much of this necessary infrastructure is already in place;
(b) In general, farmers have been quick to adopt fast-growing short-rotation genera such
as Leucaena, Sesbania, Grevillea, Calliandra, Eucalyptus and Albizia with prospects
of early financial return (in more favourable ecological situations 3-7 years) or which
they recognize can benefit the farming system (e.g., by nitrogen fixation, provision of
leaf mulch, fodder, fruit and other products);
(c) The use of low-cost tree-establishment techniques such as direct seeding, or use of the
"basket" system for distributing seedlings as is widely practised in India, together with
decentralization of planting among many thousands of smaller farmers has helped
keep establishment costs down;
(d) Prices of poles, fuelwood and timber have, in general, been rising in real terms at a
faster rate than those of other commodities. A combination of increasing scarcity and
AGROFORESTRY: A DEVELOPMENT-BANK PERSPECTIVE 55
rising prices for building poles, fuelwood, fodder and timber make tree farming in
favourable ecological conditions a profitable venture.
The underlying ecological framework for agroforestry is important. In general,
opportunities for bank support for agroforestry schemes based on farm tree planting have
been more obvious in tropical countries with reasonable rainfall or surplus irrigation water
and reasonably fertile soil that favours fast tree growth and early returns. Developing
investment programmes for agroforestry in semi-arid or arid-zone environments is proving
a much slower business because of the length of time it takes to produce results and because
of land-tenure and socio-economic problems associated with ensuring sustainable
common-property resource management. This is especially difficult in situations where the
same savanna woodlands are under pressure for production of charcoal as well as
providing a critical dry weather grazing reserve for nomadic livestock (as is the case, for
example, in many of the African countries situated in the Sudano-Sahelian zone).
Table 2 summarizes the cash flow and financial rate of return for a typical cash-crop-
tree-farm operation in the Philippines where several thousand small farmers have taken up
cash-crop-tree farming for production of pulpwood, poles, timber, charcoal or fuelwood.
Financial rates of return to the farmer from such investments have typically been in the
range of 20-30 percent. Small farm woodlots of Acacia mearnsii and Eucalyptus spp. in
Kenya covering about 60,000 ha are currently yielding surplus income (i.e., over and above
the value of domestically consumed poles or fuelwood) of about US$ 0.5 million a year. For
many rural families this revenue represents their only significant source of surplus farm
income. Most of the food produced on the farm is needed for subsistence.
The Philippines and Kenya experiences cited above relate to situations where farmers
are practising cash-crop-tree farming in discrete woodlots which are maintained under tree
cover and operated on a rotational basis. The financial rate of return to the farmers'
investment can be readily measured by quantifying the cash value of pulpwood, poles,
fuelwood or other forest output.
High economic rates of return are also being demonstrated for agroforestry projects
where trees are being interplanted with crops or included as an integral component of
livestock-farming systems. In such situations the benefits from investment are based on
measurement of the impact of the agroforestry tree/ crop combination on both agricultural
and forestry output. Evaluation of benefits must take into account both positive and
negative effects of trees on crop yield or livestock output, as well as the cash value of forest
products. An encouraging feature of development banks'experience of project appraisal in
the last decade has been the improved perception of techniques of economic analysis that
can help to take these sometimes less obvious benefits into account.
For example, Table 3 summarizes the results of a recent development bank appraisal of
the economic viability of a shelterbelt/ agroforestry programme in Northern Nigeria. If the
analysis in this particular case had been confined only to consideration of wood benefits,
the internal rate of return would have been of the order of 4.7 percent (which is below the
opportunity cost of capital and would probably have led to the project being rejected for
bank financing).
However, when the benefits of improved fodder availability, the positive impact of
shelterbelts on crop yields, prevention of soil erosion and enhancement of soil fertility were
taken into account, rates of return jumped to between 16 and 21 percent.
Table 2 Smallholder tree farming project in the Philippines: Summarized cash flow and financial rate of return for a 10 ha Albizia
falcataria tree farmer (US$, 1980)*
Activity Year
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Accumulative
planted area (ha) - 4 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Annual area
harvested (ha) . . . . 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25
Net cash flow
Loan 640 640 320 -
Net revenue - - - - - - 828 864 958 958 1034 1111 1111 1181 958
Net cash flow
Investment** 665 675 343
Debt service - - - - - - - 709 709 709 709 709 709 709
Net cash flow (25) (35) (23) 828 155 249 249 325 402 402 472 958 958
* Financial rate of return computed over 25 years = 22 percent.

** Compounded at 12 percent.
Table 3 Appraisal of economic benefits of an agroforestry/ shelterbelt/ soil conservation

project in Northern Nigeria*
Internal rate
of return (%)
Agroforestry component
Wood/fruit benefit alone 7.4
Wood/fruit benefits plus positive impact of trees on
conservation of soil and crop yield 16.9
Shelterbelt component
Wood/benefits alone (poles/fuelwood) 4.7
Wood benefits plus positive impact of shelterbelt on
soil conservation and crop yield 21.8
* The original analysis includes a broad range of rates of return related to different assumptions about
the phasing of benefits level of crop yields and other variables. This table summarizes the high and
low ends of the analysis results.
Criteria for bank appraisal of agroforestry projects

Criteria for banks' appraisal of agroforestry projects must clearly go far beyond
consideration of a project's economic rate of return. Some of the other key factors taken
into account include:
Sociological aspects
Putting people first is a recent World Bank publication (Cernea, 1985) that focuses on the
increasing attention now being given by the banks to sociological aspects of project design
in agriculture, forestry and other types of development projects. It has become a standard
practice for the banks to incorporate, as a part of agroforestry project preparation, a
sampling of farmer or community attitudes to tree planting and forest conservation prior to
implementation. For example, farmers interviewed prior to bank involvement in a rural
development project in Yemen Arab Republic had a very clear picture of the reasons why
they felt trees were important for incorporation on their farmlands (see Table 4). The same
survey also clearly identified farmers' preferences over choice of species in addition to
potential end-use of different trees.
Clearly such preliminary surveys cannot substitute for the more in-depth diagnostic
methodology such as that developed by ICRAF as a basis for designing agroforestry
research programmes (Raintree, 1987). Nevertheless, sufficient information can be gained
in a relatively sh6rt period to identify people's preferences in tree species, the end
management objectives of tree planting and likely availability of land for it. In other words,
a start can be made by investing in expansion of existing and socially acceptable
agroforestry technologies pending the results of longer term agroforestry research which, in
time, will help to ensure further gains in productivity. A key point is the need for a flexible
approach to project targets that permits funds to be rapidly shifted from one category of
lending to another according to people's receptivity.
Table 4 Farmers' perception of the usefulness of trees in two regions of the Yemen Arab Republic
Purpose for tree IBB Region TAIZZ Region

planting % of households % of households
Environmental (soil protection, 30 40

leaf mulch, shade, etc.)
Fuelwood 23 17
Timber and poles 24 12
Fodder 5 6
Fruit production 4 6
Medicinal 4 4
Other 10 9
Land-tenure issues
Experience from a wide range of agroforestry projects financed by development banks in
India, Kenya, Haiti, the Philippines, Thailand and Niger has clearly demonstrated that
security of land tenure is a major incentive to investment in agroforestry and to protection
of trees or woodlands. World Bank support for a recent project in Thailand, for example, is
intended to assist the government in speeding up land titling programmes in which planting
of trees will frequently be carried out by farmers as a first step in land consolidation and
demarcation of their new farm boundaries.
Whilst the incentive of private land ownership can act as a powerful stimulus to farmers'
interest in tree planting, it is not in any way a mandatory precondition for bank
involvement. In situations of communal ownership of woodlands it is not inconceivable
that various usufruct and harvesting rights could be subdivided among various claimants
and satisfactory arrangements made for management of common property resources.
Encouraging small-scale experiences along these lines have been reported for development
bank projects financed in Nepal, Niger and Sudan. Nevertheless, as noted earlier, problems
of ensuring sustained and effective management of common-property resources manage-
ment are still a constraint to larger scale bank support of agroforestry in many arid-zone
countries. How to overcome this problem is an issue that is receiving high priority in the
Bank's research agenda.
Ecological sustainability of the proposed agroforestry farming system

The success of agroforestry projects will ultimately be judged by their long-term
sustainability well beyond the life of any development-bank support. A basic principle of
bank support for any agriculture or forestry investment is that it should build on an existing
and well-proven, socially acceptable, technically and economically viable farming system.
As has been stated elsewhere, agroforestry is not a new science invented by the development
establishment. Agroforestry farming systems have been practised in Asia, Africa and Latin
America for hundreds of years.
Long established, traditional agroforestry farming systems, such as preservation of
Acacia alhida trees in millet, sorghum or groundnut fields (a farming system practised in
many West African countries; von Maydell, this volume), have provided a solid basis for
expansion of development-bank support for agroforestry in several Sahelian-zone
countries. In such situations, provided bank appraisal makes realistic judgements about,
for example, the take-up rate of agroforestry practices, the area of woodland that can be
brought under effective protection within a given time-frame, farmers' likely receptivity to
credit, extension advice and other inputs, etc., the prospect that the farming system will be
ecologically sustainable beyond the life of the development bank's support will be
reasonably assured.
Of a more controversial nature has been the development banks' widespread support
for agroforestry systems incorporating introduced species such as Eucalyptus and Albizia
which have raised environmental concerns. The issue has been clouded by emotivecriticism
and the debate is at this time unresolved. The main arguments advanced by the banks for
their support of Eucalyptus planting, for example, include, firstly, the fact that the farmers
themselves frequently specify the use of Eucalyptus species because they are well aware of
their fast growth and potential high yield of building poles, fuelwood and income.* The
farmers interviewed about their perception of the usefulness of Eucalyptus species usually
also cited their unpalatability to grazing animals and the fact that the species coppices very
vigorously.
Eucalyptus woodlots established by farmers have already proven themselves sustainable
over long periods of time. For example, as noted earlier, spontaneously planted Eucalyptus
woodlots are a common feature of the landscape throughout Western Kenya, even in the
most densely populated regions. Many of these woodlots have been in existence for 50 years
or more and are now into their fourth or fifth coppice rotations.
Problems have arisen with Eucalyptus in situations where larger block plantations have
been established, usually by government-sponsored agencies, on the slopes of catchment
areas situated in arid environments. In such situations the transpiration by the trees can
cause a reduction in water yield, and if planted too close together they can accelerate soil
erosion. A conscious attempt is being made to avoid bank support for such programmes.
Eucalyptus is not a good tree for intercropping because of its potential allelopathic effects on
crops, but those effects can be largely avoided by widely spacing trees along farm
boundaries. For boundaries and small woodlot planting on poor land it will probably
continue to be a preferred species for farm planting in many developing countries. Clearly,
great care needs to be taken to select appropriate situations for on-farm planting of
Eucalyptus and to take into account the sensitivity of agricultural crops to the possible toxic
effects of some Eucalyptus species. The scientific evidence relating to the positive and
negative effects of Eucalyptus planting have been spelled out in a recent FAO publication
(Poore and Fries, 1985).
What are development bank funds used for?

Of the approximately US$ 750 million invested by development banks in agroforestry
during the last decade, about 70 percent has been for farm forestry planting or protection
and upgrading of existing woodlands, and 30 percent for a range of education, training,
extension, research and institution-building activities.
* In a sample of recently completed surveys of people's attitudes to tree planting covering a range of
countries with different ecological and socio-economic conditions (India, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Haiti
and Thailand), notwithstanding the listing of a wide range of indigenous species which farmers
wished to plant, Eucalyptus species were given a high priority by most of the farmers interviewed.
In areas with favourable ecological conditions, the bank-supported agroforestry

programmes have helped accelerate on-going, spontaneous cash-crop-tree farming and
agroforestry by financing, for example:
(a) Sociological surveys of farmers' attitudes to tree planting and of potential cash markets
carried out prior to or as an integral part of the project-implementation process;
(b) Decentralization of seedling production to involve more small farmers and schools in
raising seedlings, and provision of seeds, pesticides, water pumps, etc.;
(c) Financial support for mass-media promotion of agroforestry programmes in rural
areas, e.g., by ensuring a supply of audio-visual material for encouraging agroforestry
in schools and villages and by financing film strips and radio programmes;
(d) Strengthening of government extension support for agroforestry planting. Special
emphasis has been given to accelerated training of extension staff, with particular
reference to encouraging closer co-operation between forestry and agricultural
extension staff;
(e) Financing of monitoring and evaluation programmes for assessing farmer or
community response to agroforestry investments, measuring their positive and
negative impacts on food and forest production and monitoring the distribution of
project-financed inputs (such as seedlings) to try and ensure that smaller farmers or
poor communities are the main beneficiaries (FAO, 1966; World Bank, 1984);
(f) Strengthening support for both agroforestry education and training and forestry
research with special reference to improved agroforestry research. The World Bank,
for example, provides part of ICRAF's core budget and the Bank is deliberately
incorporating into its project design various technologies identified by ICRAF as
having potential for increasing the productivity of farming systems (e.g., introducing
leguminous species in place of non-leguminous trees, selection of spacing systems that
offer possibilities for improving both forestry and crop yield, and replacing slow-
growing species with faster-growing multipurpose trees that can produce a wider range
of products suitable for indigenous consumption).
Bank support has also been provided for strengthening of basic forestry research in
national research institutions focused on high-priority topics that can lead to likely
productivity gains and improved rural incomes. Jointly with the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and other agencies, Bank support has been made
available to the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO)'s
"Special Program for Developing Countries" which is playing a key role in strengthening
regional research networks in Africa, Asia and Latin America. An example of the type of
research being supported is multipurpose tree breeding and improvement programmes that
can help to ensure access to improved planting stock for farmers practising agroforestry.
In arid and semi-arid countries where the conditions are much less favourable for new
tree planting, the current emphasis of development bank support is shifting away from
forest plantation and community woodlot approaches towards support for schemes that
would encourage local and village community involvement in more effective protection and
management of existing savanna woodlands. Such investments usually aim to improve
technical packages for increasing the productivity of arid-zone savanna woodlands (e.g., via
more effective fire protection, adjustment of timing of lopping and harvesting of trees to
encourage more vigorous regrowth and encouragement of rotational grazing schemes
which would permit adequate regeneration of trees in areas being rested). Bank support in
countries such as Niger, Mali and Senegal has also been made available for planting trees in
family compounds and around homesteads, with species for which local people have a high
preference such as neem (Azadirachta indica) and gao (Acacia albida). Support has also
been given to irrigated tree planting around agricultural perimeters, particularly in
situations where effluent water is available and irrigated forests will not seriously compete
with food crops (e.g., in the Sudan).
Examples of successful agroforestry projects

The word "success" should be viewed in this context with caution. As noted earlier, criteria
for success in agroforestry go well beyond the disbursement period of a bank loan (typically
five years). Nevertheless, it has been possible in several instances to record positive
changes in a relatively short period of time. The three examples given below from the
Philippines, India and the Sudan illustrate a range of alternative approaches to
development-bank support of agroforestry projects and highlight their more successful
aspects to date.
The project in the Philippines is a traditional cash-crop-tree farming operation where
trees are being grown in discrete woodlots for a clearly identifiable pulpwood market. In
India the National Social Forestry Project works mainly through the existing government
Forest Service network in the different states. In the case of the Sudan Western Savanna
Development Project the agroforestry package was financed through a combination of
Ministry of Agriculture Forestry Department and local tribal institutions as a part of a
wider integrated rural development approach incorporating agriculture, livestock and
forestry components.
The Philippines PICOP Pulpwood Project

This programme gained significant momentum in 1972 when the Paper Industries
Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP), a pulp and paper company, entered into an
arrangement with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to develop a loan
programme for smallholder tree farming. Loans were offered to smallholders to finance 75
percent of the costs of plantation development and maintenance. Farmers with titled
property (typically ranging from 2 to 10 hectares) could receive loans at a 12 percent rate of
interest, and farmers with unsecured property could receive loans at a 14 percent rate of
interest. Provision was made in the tree-farm plan for part of the farm area to be maintained
under food crops. PICOP continued to guarantee a minimum purchase price for
smallholder production, but allowed farmers to sell wood to other outlets if they could get a
better price. The scheme proved quite popular with farmers. By 1981, the programme
supported 3,800 participants and covered 22,000 ha. About 30 percent of these farmers had
taken advantage of the credit programme.
There were several weak areas in the project design (particularly lack of adequate
support for harvesting of the wood). Nevertheless, the overall lesson that emerged was that,
given adequate market incentives and security of land tenure, development-bank assistance
aimed at improving availability of seedlings, extension advice and access to credit could
help significantly to accelerate this type of agroforestry scheme. The key factor which
triggered farmers' response was the prospect of making handsome profits from tree
growing. As Table 2 clearly illustrates, financial rates of return for participating farmers in
that project typically exceeded 20 percent.
India National Social Forestry Project

This project is an expansion of the previous Bank-supported social forestry programmes
covering several different states. In terms of tree planting area agroforestry (mainly farm
forestry tree planting) is by far the largest component (nearly half a million equivalent
hectares of planting spread over some 3 million farm holdings). The farmers themselves
control the choice of species and use of the product.
Most plantings are taking place around individually owned farm boundaries, bunds,
around the homestead and along water channels. The main direct cost to the local forest
departments is for seedling production. A substantial part of the investment is providing
support for extension and monitoring and evaluation of project progress.
The project also included a component for tree and fodder-grass planting on eroded
agricultural wasteland covering a total of some 40,000 hectares. The state forest
departments assist in the establishment of wasteland plantations, and provide incentive
payments during initial months to the farmers or communities owning the land in order to
compensate them for income foregone while they work on the agroforestry plantations.
Improved (grafted) orchards consisting of fruit-bearing bushes (e.g., Zizyphus mauritania)
are being planted on farmers' land. Farmers sell the fruit and use loppings for fuel. As a
requirement for support under the wasteland reclamation category, the Forest Department
would have to ascertain that the land was seriously eroded or in imminent danger of
erosion, and hence of concern for conservation, which would justify higher government
investment than under farm forestry. To give planting and other technical advice to
farmers, the state forestry departments make extensive use of the existing agricultural
extension service.
One of the more obviously successful aspects of these experiences in India has been the
very positive response to schemes aimed at decentralization of seedling production and
attempts to involve farmers, schools and villagers in raising nursery stock under guaranteed
buy-back contracts. Table 5, extracted from a recent Bank supervision report on an
agroforestry project in Gujarat State in India, illustrates the point. As can be noted from
Table 5 Evolution of school and farmer involvement in seedling production programmes

in Gujarat state, India
1980/81 1981/82 1982/83 1983/4
Department nurseries
No. of nurseries 349 526 597 659
No. of plants (millions) 48.4 79.7 121.8 168.2
School nurseries
No. of nurseries 109 217 677 801
No. of plants (millions) 0.8 2.2 7.3 14.7
Farmer nurseries
No. of nurseries 563 884
No. of plants (millions) 21.1 27.9
Source: Supervision Mission Report on Bank-Financed India Gujarat Social Forestry Project
(1985).
this table the number of non-Forest Department nurseries increased 15 times during the
project period and the share of seedlings produced by farmers and schools from 2 percent to
25 percent.
Sudan's Western Savanna Development Project

This project was based on a more integrated approach, including involvement of local
communities in the management of natural forest and savanna woodland resources,
resettlement of people in the Sudanian-Guinean zone, continued and expanded research
into more drought-resistant, high-yielding millet and sorghum varieties, and fast-growing
tree species suitable for drought-prone environments.
This project focused on measures to improve the way of life of some 25,000 families in
the area. A settlement programme was initiated with the dual purpose of opening up
presently blocked stock-routes and increasing crop production. The opening up of stock-
routes was vital for the annual migration of the transhumant families and their livestock.
The project included settlement and crop-production programmes with major emphasis on
extension services, programme-specific adaptive research, and pilot crop-marketing
schemes. Range management encouraged local populations to set aside specific areas of
woodland as dry-weather grazing reserves. Livestock-development components included
veterinary services, livestock-related adaptive research, and non-formal education of
livestock producers. The project also included improved maintenance and further
development of water facilities, project monitoring and evaluation.
The original appraisal report identifies one of the main causes of the decline in per-unit
animal production and the deterioration of the range in the project area as being an increase
in the cattle population beyond the sustainable capacity of the range. The report considered
that deferred grazing, the introduction of improved species and establishment of browse
reserves, plus improved cattle management, would be ineffective without control of grazing
pressure.
The range-demarcation schemes aimed at rectifying the overgrazing situation by
granting exclusive tenure of dry-season grazing areas to small groups of pastoralists while
maintaining the transhumant movements of cattle during the remainder of the year. This
strategy was based on the assumption that, under such a scheme, there would be.an
incentive to equate cattle numbers with the long-term sustainable carrying capacity of the
range. The range demarcation schemes were tested with three groups of livestock owners:
(a) A small group of transhumant pastoralists who made up the total population around a
small well-field;
(b) A similar group of transhumant pastoralists that graze- an area within a larger
community area's well-field; and
(c) A group of sedentary livestock owners.
A recent evaluation of the project noted that with the introduction of the Range
Improvement Programme increased livestock production was attained through grazing
land enclosures and rotational grazing at Umm Belut. Herd performance was monitored
over the project period. Results indicated that the density of plants on the grazing land
increased. Some improvement in the calving rate was achieved together with a reduction in
calf and adult mortality.
Currently the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and a
number of other donors are examining the scope for replicability of these experiences on a
larger scale.
Problem areas in agroforestry projects financed by

development banks
Cost recovery and incentive policies
Currently there is a wide variation in the incentive and cost-recovery policies being applied
by the development banks in different regions and countries, and a lack of clear policy
guidelines. In the State of Gujarat in India, for example, the World Bank has endorsed a
free seedling distribution programme for the past seven years — a programme which has
been widely acclaimed as having had a very positive influence on farmers' willingness to
plant trees. By contrast, under a Bank-financed project in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India,
a charge is levied on all seedlings. Paradoxically, there has also been a significant increase in
tree planting in that State although it is not clear whether this is taking place on the scale
recorded in Gujarat or whether smaller farmers are benefiting to the same extent.
In the east African region, there is a similar variation in seedling sale, distribution and
cost-recovery policies. In Kenya, for example, the third phase of a Bank-financed project
will raise the price of seedlings to all farmers from US$ 1 per hundred to US$ 6 per hundred
over the next five years. By contrast, in Burundi, a range of seedling charges is in force based
on the premise that poorer farmers located in areas remote from cash-tree-crop markets
may need to be induced to plant trees by issue of free seedlings, whereas those farmers sited
close to attractive cash markets for poles or fuelwood can afford to pay a higher price.
This issue of the cost-effectiveness of alternative subsidy/incentive policies for
encouraging reforestation is poorly understood. The range of different approaches being
tried by the various development banks includes credit, guaranteed access to markets, and
guaranteed prices (e.g., the Philippines PICOP project), free or subsidized seedlings (India,
Kenya, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Haiti), and improved security of tenure
(Philippines and India's Gujarat and West Bengal States). Other types of incentive such as
revolving funds, tax rebates or similar fiscal incentives have not yet been tried in World
Bank-financed projects although they are widely used elsewhere. World Food Programme
aid has been a major factor in stimulating reforestation initiatives in many countries and the
value of food-aid support for such programmes currently exceeds US$ 150 million a year.
The scope for more systematic integration of food aid into World Bank-supported
agroforestry planting is under review. Evaluation of various incentive approaches and of
their relative cost-effectivness is the subject of a planned research project being proposed for
financing by Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank.
Forestry extension
Another major area of institutional concern has been the weakness of bank-financed
forestry extension programmes. As noted earlier, a considerable shift in emphasis of
forestry has taken place over the last decade towards farm forestry and other types of social
forestry programme.
Dealing directly with farmers and local communities has necessitated a considerable
change in the nature, organization, and attitude of traditional forest departments which, in
many developing tropical and subtropical countries, have been primarily concerned in the
past with-protecting and "policing" government-owned forest reserves and keeping people
and livestock out of the forests.
Some of the earlier attempts by the banks to address this issue failed to make any
significant impact, partly because in project design too little attention was paid to the
AGROFORESTRY. A DEVELOPMENT-BANK PERSPECTIVE 65
importance of ensuring a clear link between forestry and on-going agricultural extension
programmes. In response to that issue, the World Bank in 1982 assisted the Government of
India to carry out an in-depth review of forestry education, research and extension with
special reference to alternative options for strengthening of forestry extension. The main
extension approach recommended for wider adoption was the well-proven training and
visits (T & V) system that has made a positive impact on agricultural crop yields in several
South and South-East Asia region countries. Individual state forestry department staff are
being retrained to provide specialist technical advice to existing agricultural extension staff,
who, through more systematic T & V farm visits, concentrate on a few critical impact points
such as choice of species, planting, espacement, depth of planting, and improved systems of
farm-tree management (e.g., pollarding or coppicing).
Attempts to transplant this experience to African countries (e.g., in Malawi, Uganda
and Kenya) have so far produced mixed results and suggest the need for a more flexible
approach to extension which would take into account the wide range of traditional
agroforestry farming systems. Extension needs to build on farmer and local-community
experiences and their perceptions of the usefulness of trees in the farming system rather
than exclusive dependence on a single formula such as the T & V system. Where the latter
would appear to be of particular relevance is in cash-crop-tree farming situations where
simple technological changes such as introduction of improved planting material, or
changes in planting espacement and harvesting practices offer a reasonable prospect of
early gains in productivity and income.
Ensuring that the benefits of bank support reach the smaller farmer and
the landless
A significant proportion of the banks' agroforestry investment has benefited cash-crop-tree
farmers who were well placed to take advantage of the availability of seedlings, extension
advice, improved marketing opportunities, credit and other inputs. Through monitoring
and evaluation and adjustments to government policies on seedling distribution, attempts
have been made, with some success, to ensure that smaller farmers are assured a high
proportion of the benefits from subsidized seedling programmes, but the track record is far
from statisfactory.
A high priority issue for the future is how to ensure a more equitable sharing of the
benefits from the banks' agroforestry investments. Experiments with "group" tree farming
on government land, such as those being tried by the governments of Gujarat and West
Bengal States of India, are one promising approach to involving the rural poor and landless
in agroforestry.
In looking ahead to the 1990s, perhaps the greatest challenges that the development
banks face are:
1. How to find more cost-effective ways of channelling funding directly to farmers,
schools and local communities (i.e., with more emphasis on investment in non-
governmental local institutions and less emphasis on support for government forestry
agencies); and
2. How to widen the support for agroforestry systems to give greater emphasis to
intercropping situations aimed at increasing farm productivity and sustaining crop
yields (i.e., in addition to providing support for cash-crop-tree fanning).
A recently appraised project for Uganda, for example, will build on the success of a past
non-government organization (NGO)supported agroforestry programme with part of the
project funds being disbursed directly to NGOs and local communities with the technical
advice and support of the government forest service. The project will cover a balanced
range of agroforestry planting and forest protection activities focused both on improvement
of productivity of the existing farming system as well as generation of cash income.
Conditions in bank agroforestry lending

Perhaps the most widely misunderstood aspect of development bank involvement in
agroforestry projects has been in the use of policy-based lending as a way of tackling
fundamental issues such as inappropriate government fuelwood/ charcoal pricing policies,
the need for assurance that project benefits, will flow to poor segments of society, and for
assurance that government forestry or agricultural agencies will receive adequate and
timely local budget support for implementation of project activities. The incorporation of
loan covenants dealing with such issues is a standard practice in all project agreements.
Their formulation takes into account local sensitivities on such issues and the terms of the
loan agreements are a matter for negotiation between the bank and government prior to
loan effectiveness. A review of the range of policy-based interventions that have been
applied in bank-funded projects over the last decade is beyond the scope of this chapter but
it is important to re-emphasize that the underlying purpose behind these policy
interventions is to assist in creating a more favourable socio-economic and investment
climate for agroforestry. In the case of the Philippines PICOP project, for example, key
loan covenants required, as a precondition for bank involvement, that satisfactory
arrangements be concluded between PICOP and the farmers over price guarantees for the
pulpwood produced and assurance of land title for farmers participating in that scheme.
REFERENCES
Cernea, M. (ed.). 1985. Putting people first. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
FAO. 1966. Monitoring and evaluation of participatory forestry projects. FAO Paper 60. Rome:
FAO
Poore, M. E. D. and C. Fries. 1985. The ecological effects of eucalyptus. FAO Forestry Paper 59.
Rome: FAO.
Raintree, J. B. 1987. The state of the art of agroforestry diagnosis and design. Agroforestry Systems
5 (Special Issue) (in press).
World Bank. 1984. Operational guide to monitoring and evaluation of social forestry in India.
Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
SECTION THREE
Prominence and
importance of agroforestry
in selected regions
The development of agroforestry
in Central America
Gerardo Budowski
Head, Program of Natural Resources and Quality of Life
University of Peace
San Jose, Costa Rica
Formerly: Head, Renewable Natural Resources Department

Centra Agronomico Tropicalde Investigation y Ensenanza (CATIE)
Turrialba, Costa Rica
Contents
Introduction
The history of agroforestry in Central America
Research on agroforestry systems and components at CATIE
Other aspects of agroforestry research at CATIE
References
Introduction
This chapter deals with the development of agroforestry in Central America, including all
the countries of the isthmus from Panama to Guatemala and Belize, with some inroads into
tropical Mexico. Nowhere in Central America is there yet a government department
dealing specifically with agroforestry — although many individual projects within different
departments include this topic. CATIE, a regional organization covering mostly the
Central American countries; has the strongest contingent of agroforesters in the region.
This chapter, therefore, is focused on CATIE's agroforestry activities. Although there will
be some discussion on historical background, the main aim is to concentrate on the latest
research; earlier research can be found in the literature.
Agroforestry in Central America, as in other parts of the world, is a very old practice,
but it was not known by that name in the literature until the mid-1970s. When the science of
agroforestry began taking shape, it was of course realized that a number of studies had
already been made on the subject in the region without their ever having been labelled as
agroforestry. Moreover, when the new term agroforestry was coined, there was some
confusion about the exact boundaries of agroforestry, i.e., what could be considered as
agroforestry and what not. This type of discussion still lingers, and is complicated by the
Spanish terminology because there is — or was — no precise translation of the term
forestry; in fact the words "foresteria" and "agroforesteria" were not used until the late
1970s and here too opinions were far from uniform.*
Agroforestry as used here implies a number of techniques that all include the
combination, either simultaneously or sequentially, of trees and food crops, trees and
livestock (trees on pastures or for fodder), or all three elements (Combe and Budowski,
1979).
This chapter will review the following agroforestry practices in Central America with
emphasis on CATIE's research:
Taungya
"Shade" trees in fields of coffee, cacao or other crops
Trees and annual crops
Alley cropping
Trees and livestock
Live fences and windbreaks
Shifting cultivation (or shifting grazing) witn managed fallow
Mixed homegardens.
There will be some consideration of the methodological and socio-economic aspects as
well as of extension, documentation and training.
The history of agroforestry in Central America

No systematic research has been carried out on the history of agroforestry in Central
America. However, various techniques of mixing trees with food crops were well known to
the pre-Colombian Indians, particularly the managed fallow in shifting cultivation, the
tropical mixed homegardens, the mixing of trees and crops along ditches (chinampas) and
elsewhere that are well described from Mexico (Gliessman, 1981) and Guatemala (Wilken,
1977). Combinations such as heavily pruned pine associated with food crops, and shade
trees in cacao fields, have also been reported from that period. But many of these
combinations have still not been properly documented.
The earliest documented mention of agroforestry in Central America may possibly be
that by Cook (1901) who had recognized the various beneficial effects (for instance the
nitrogen-fixing properties and the input of organic matter) of shade trees, particularly
legumes, in coffee plantations. Holdridge (1951) described the decades-old practice of
planting alders (Alnus acuminata) in pastures in the highlands of Costa Rica. This striking
feature of the land-use system was also described by Budowski (1957), who reported on the
successful windbreaks made up of cypress, Cupressus lusitanica, also in the highland dairy
region, as well as of laurel (Cordia alliodord) in pastures in the wet lowlands, both in Costa
* In 1984, one group within the agroforestry programme of CATIE sent a cable to ICRAF asking
how ICRAF translated agroforestry into Spanish. The answer came swiftly: "agroforesteria". That
ended that argument.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGROFORESTRY IN CENTRAL AMERICA 71
Rica. Perez (1954) used growth rings on the trunks of laurel to calculate the best
management cycle for laurel in pastures and found it to be approximately 18 years.
Budowski (1959) also suggested the use of shade trees, including Cordia alliodora, as a good
management practice for coffee.
For taungya, a literature review for "Tropical America" was prepared by Budowski
(1956), which included the previous work in the then British Honduras, now Belize.
Gonzalez de Moya (1955) and Aguirre (1963) reported promising results in managing a
secondary forest derived from an abandoned coffee stand. Live fences in Costa Rica were
prdbably described first by Lozano (1962), a student at CATIE, and formal research ideas
on this topic were later suggested by Budowski (1977) and Sauer (1979).
The Spainish equivalent of the term "agro-silvo-pastoral systems" appeared first in 1976
when it was introduced by this author at CATIE as part of one of the three programmes
within the Renewable Natural Resources Department. In early 1977, a request from the
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) led to a contract for CATIE to
present a "programme of work for agroforestry in the humid tropics" (Budowski, 1977),
which, jointly with a similar programme for the dryer areas, was considered by the
Committee that recommended the creation of ICRAF. These programmes suggested a
series of. promising lines of research, such as association of trees and food plants, taungya,
live fence-posts, shade trees in coffee and cacao fields, nitrogen-fixing timber trees in
pastures, use of trees for fodder for cattle, as well as tree belts alternating with crops or
pastures.
The creation of ICRAF in 1977 was an enormous boost to the programme at CATIE
which has since benefited greatly from the scientific and educational output of ICRAF,
including successful co-operative efforts in surveys and training programmes.
Research on agroforestry systems and components at CATIE

At CATIE, thesis research by graduate (M.S.) students on agroforestry-related topics had
been a regular feature even in the early days. Examples dealt with the local species of alder
(Alnus sp.) (Alvarez, 1956), live fences (Lozano, 1962), and Cordia alliodora in pastures
(Perez, 1954; Marinero, 1962). Subsequently, when agroforestry was institutionalized,
student theses on agroforestry subjects increased considerably: 24 such theses have been
produced to date. Three CATIE publications, all issued in 1979, describe the research
efforts: these are, (a) the proceedings of a workshop on agroforestry systems in Latin
America (De las Salas, 1979), (b) the "Field Guide" describing all forestry research plots of
CATIE (in Spanish) edited by Combe and Gewald (1979); and, (c) an international
symposium entitled "Forestry and its Contribution to Development in Tropical America"
in San Jose" (Chavarria, 1979), where 10 out of a total of 36 papers dealt with agroforestry
subjects, almost all of them from CATIE personnel.
Efforts in agroforestry at CATIE increased considerably from 1979. These included
organizing workshops, training courses and seminars in agroforestry at the headquarters as
well as in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras, assistance to training activities in
the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Nigeria, Mexico, the United States of America,
Indonesia, Peru, Honduras and Ecuador, and in-service training for students from several
countries with United Nations University (UNU) scholarships. A significant effort has also
been made in documentation, and close relations have been established with ICRAF in this
area too. CATIE staff are also involved in consultation jobs in agroforestry in many
tropical countries throughout the world. Recently a Spanish book Sistemas Agroforestales
(the English translation of which is "Agroforestry Systems"), was produced by OTS
(Organization of Tropical Studies, a consortium of mostly US universities and scientific
institutions) and CATIE (OTS/CATIE, 1986), which is an excellent training material for
agroforestry in Latin American countries.
The resource limitations of M.S. theses were reflected in the initial results of
agroforestry research at CATIE and in some of the obvious differences between desired
research and actual execution. For example, several M.S. theses were prepared on the
taungya system, measuring initial growth of trees, labour costs and yields, etc., in replicated
blocks of various combinations with food crops, in comparison with plots of food crops
alone (Combe and Gewald, 1979; Budowski, 1983a). Although these results proved
valuable and worthy of M.S. degrees, the ideas were not being taken up by the farming
community because of the lack of adequate promotional and extension activities. Later,
however, a pulp and paper company (Celulosa de Turrialba) used the research for their pine
plantations.
A more in-depth approach was taken by the CATIE staff researchers. Not constrained
by the 12-month time limit of M.S. theses, the staff researchers studied in detail the existing
local agroforestry practices — some of them decades old. The quantification of these
practices, design for improvement, and the transfer of well-studied and validated practices
to other areas where ecological as well as socio-economic factors indicated high chances of
success, became the focus of such research, and these too had student involvement.
Agroforestry initiatives elsewhere in Central America were slow. This was mainly
because agroforestry was generally ignored by local government or university programmes
until CATIE graduates and trainees returned to their countries and began building up local
programmes. Moreover, and quite understandably, many of the first papers of the newly-
trained agroforesters from CATIE concentrated on describing — if not "discovering" —
the various agroforestry practices found in the various countries or regions. Examples of
such descriptions are papers by Castillo and Beer (1983) for the Kuna Indians in Panama,
Budowski (1981) and Fournier (1981) for Costa Rica, Martinez (1982) and Leiva and
Lopez (1985) for Guatemala, Campos Arce (1982) for hillsides, and Rodriguez et al. (1983)
for Guatemala, Honduras and Panama. This compilation of existing practices was later
published in the earlier-rnentioned book Sistemas Agroforestales (OTS/CATIE, 1986).
Research on specific agroforestry combinations
Taungya
The results and recommendations of a review on taungya by Budowski (1983c) have been
widely used for the many short agroforestry courses at CATIE. These and other results
(Combe, 1981b; Budowski, 1983a; Fernandez, 1978) have been used in reforestation
projects in Costa Rica involving species such as Eucalyptus deglupta, Cordia alliodora,
Gmelina arborea, Pinus caribaea and Terminalia ivorensis. Several fuelwood species have
also been established successfully using maize as an associated crop in Guatemala
(Detlefsen et al, 1984).
Shade trees in coffee and cacao fields

Coffee and cacao are very valuable cash crops throughout Central America. The presence
of shade trees in these fields (Figures 1 and 2) has therefore attracted considerable attention
by agroforesters. This is partly due to the fact that shade trees had until then received very
little research attention, particularly in those aspects not related to shade per se. More
important is that two major diseases have recently affected these crops: the coffee rust
(Hemileia vastatrix) and the cacao pod-rot or moniliasis (Monilia rohrerii), and in both
cases shade management (reduction) has been advocated as an important aspect of disease
control. In the case of coffee, complete removal of shade and use of large amounts of
fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and closer planting have been strongly advocated and
promoted through several incentives. This strategy has proven to be relatively successful for
large enterprises but disastrous to small farmers who have difficulty getting credit and
access to modern technologies. Hence smallholder-oriented agroforestry research has
concentrated on quantifying the multiple benefits of management practices which involve
shade trees, especially legumes (Budowski et al, 1984). The genus Erythrina is particularly
prominent in this context. Espinoza (1984,1985,1986a,b) studied the coffee stands in the
Acosta-Puriscal region of Costa Rica, an area of small farmers, where 117 coffee stands
were surveyed in detail. The study clearly demonstrated the many benefits these trees
provide to the fanners such as fuelwood, fruits and construction wood.
At CATIE a long-term replicated experiment known as "La Montana" was established
by the Plant Production Department (Enriquez, 1983). It includes the use of different
combinations of shade trees as practised by farmers in Costa Rica. Carefully monitored
since 1977, it has been a good experimental site for researchers, students and trainees. A
significant amount of data on organic matter, nutrient cycles (of N, P, K, Ca and Mg), litter
fall, water infiltration, etc., are now available from this experiment, using two shade trees:
Erythrina poeppigiana (periodically cut back) and Cordia alliodora (a valuable timber tree,
periodically thinned), (Alpizar, 1985; Alpizar et al, 1985; Alpizar et al, 1986; Enriquez,
1983; Fassbender et al, 1985; Heuveldop et al, 1987; Jomenez, 1986). The coffee/shade
tree combinations were also studied in other conditions, notably small farmers' plots close
to CATIE. Emphasis was on leaf fall, nutrient balance, soil acidity, etc., comparing the two
trees {Erythrina poeppigiana and Cordia alliodora) (Figures 1 and 2) versus only one
(Erythrina poeppigiana) over coffee (Beer, 198.3, 1987; Glover and Beer, 1984, 1986).
Cordia alliodora is also much used in cacao fields and was investigated for its growth,
volume and yields, notably by Combe et al. (1981a,b) and Somarriba and Beer (1986).
Other species that have showed similar promise include Cedrela odorata, a very valuable
timber tree (Sabogal, 1982, 1983), Alnus acuminata (Combe et al, 1981a, Combe, 1982;
Fournier, 1981) also a nitrogen-fixing tree, and Grevillea robusta in Guatemala (Villatoro,
1986). Environmental influences on the coffee/shade tree combinations were also studied
by Barradas and Fanjul (1984), who showed various protective actions when shaded coffee
was compared with non-shaded coffee.
It is now well recognized that the use of shade trees implies a multitude of biological,
environmental and socio-economic benefits (Budowski et al., 1984). Although the amounts
of nitrogen fixed are still a matter of discussion and investigation, 40 kg N ha' 1 y r 1 for Inga
trees in coffee fields in Mexico (Roskoski, 1982) is considered an acceptable figure.
However, wide variations have been reported depending on the methodology used for
quantification. Nitrogen fixation, the effects of different management practices and the
relation with endomycorrhiza for Erythrina were also investigated at CATIE, notably by
Lindblad and Russo (1986), and Russo (1983a, 1984). Studies by Russo and Budowski
(1986) have shown that periodic (once or twice a year) pollarding of Erythrina trees results
in the addition of substantial amounts of organic matter and nitrogen to the soil. The genus
Erythrina is presently the subject of a special project (financed by IDRC) at CATIE. Thus,
CATIE investigations have made significant contributions to the understanding of the role
of shade trees.
Figure 1 Coffee with two additional strata of trees at CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica: 600 m
elevation; about 2,600 mm rainfall. Immediately above coffee is the fast-growing and nitrogen-fixing
legume, Erythrina poeppigiana (large leaves), established by large cuttings for "shade", and pollarded
twice a year. The tall trees, "laurel", Cordia alliodora, are highly priced for timber. During the dryer
months of January to April, they lose their leaves and compete little for water from the soil. This is an
extremely common practice up to 800 m elevation. (Photo: G. Budowski.)
Figure 2 Cacao under a fairly dense stand of laurel {Cordia alliodora) trees at Madre de Dios,
Siquirres, Costa Rica: 200 m elevation; around 4,000 mm annual rainfall. The fast growth, small and
light crown, good form and self-pruning ability of laurel make this an ideal tree for agroforestry
combinations. Yield of laurel standing timber in this plot has been estimated at about 15 m3 h a ' yr .
The laurel trees were established by natural regeneration. Harvesting is done at about 20-25 years
when the trees reach 40-50 cm dbh. (Photo: G. Budowski.)
Trees and annual crops

This area has been little explored except for Cordia alliodora in sugar-cane fields (Fournier,
1981; Somarriba and Beer, 1986). The opening of various types of forest (primary,
secondary and old coffee groves with shade trees) over cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum),
a valuable spice cultivated in Guatemala (Leiva and Lopez, 1985) and Honduras, may also
be mentioned here although cardamom is not an annual.
The use of Cordia alliodora in sugar-cane fields deserves some comment since sugar
cane is a sun-loving plant. Cordia trees are common in sugar-cane fields of smallholders
who sell their sugar cane to local factories. The presence of trees does indeed depress sugar
production but this is adequately compensated by the value of the timber, an important
consideration for the small farmers who prefer to harvest timber for local needs on their
own land rather than to buy it from the sawmill where it is very expensive. Moreover the
Cordia trees grow very fast and have a preferred straight form, since they are self-pruning
and always possess a relatively small and open crown that becomes leafless during the dry
season. Hence they intercept only a small proportion of the incoming radiation and cast
only little shade on the understorey species; their moisture uptake in drier months is also
relatively less, unless of course the density of trees is too high.
The desirable characteristics of "agroforestry trees" when associated with annual or
perennial crops were recently analysed by Budowski (1987a). He analysed the uses of such
trees for goods and services, growth habits, morphological and physiological features,
methods of propagation, production of biomass, response to pruning, coppicing ability,
litter decomposition, tolerance to fire, relationship to soil fertility and texture, capacity to
fix nitrogen, efficiency of their mycorrhizae and tolerance to pests and relationship with
local wildlife.
Alley cropping
This agroforestry technique, well publicized by IITA in Ibadan, Nigeria (see Kang and
Wilson, this volume), was only tested in recent years at CAT1E, notably by Donald Kass of
the Plant Production Department. The trees used for alley cropping were the leguminous
Erythrina poeppigiana and Gliricidia sepium, both propagated by large cuttings and well
known for their ability to fix nitrogen and the relatively large amounts of crude protein
(20-30 percent) in their leaves. The associated crops in these experiments were maize,
millets, cassava and common beans.
Kass et al. (1983) summarized the beneficial effect of these trees, which were periodically
lopped, as supply of organic matter and nutrients to the associated crops, suppression of
weeds and action as a mulch. The lopped branches and leaves could also be carried from the
nurse trees to nearby crops: in one study, Erythrina provided 8,000 kg dry matter (with 3-4
percent nitrogen) per year (Kass et al, 1983). In another experiment with Erythrina and
maize, better yields were obtained at various spacings of Erythrina in comparison with
control plots of maize only. However there was a slight increase in acidity and a decrease in
the C/N ratio in the plots where Erythrina nurse trees were used (Alavez, 1987).
Trees and livestock

As mentioned earlier, the associations of local alder trees (Alnus acuminata) in the
highlands (Figure 3) and laurel trees in pasture in the humid lowlands of Costa Rica had
been reported decades ago (Holdridge, 1951; Perez, 1954; Budowski, 1955 and Alvarez,
1956). Recent studies give detailed analyses of the advantages and limitations of alder in
pasture (Combe, 1981a; Combe et al, 1981a; Garriguez, 1983), using various examples
from Costa Rica.
Figure 3 Native alder trees (Alnus acuminata) planted by natural seedlings collected along creeks at
Las Nubes de Coronado, a dairy region, Costa Rica: elevation 1,800 m; rainfall about 2,500 mm per
year; good volcanic soil. The trees fix nitrogen and are planted at 10-15 m spacing. Growth is very fast
and the cutting cycle is 16-22 years when trees reach about 40 cm dbh. The grass is Kikuyu grass,
Pennisetum clandestinum, from Africa, but now widely naturalized. (Photo: G. Budowski.)
Figure 4 Forest or pasture? A silvopastoral combination derived from a secondary forest which
itself was derived from pasture thai had been abandoned at Siquirres, Costa Rica: elevation 300 m;
rainfall about 4,000 mm. About 12 tree species are found, each selectively retained and with relatively
valuable timber. Many trees have been harvested in recent years and grass has become established
allowing moderate grazing (Photo: G. Budowski.).
The practice of associating trees with pastures is widespread in various climatic zones
throughout Central America (see Figure 4), notably the wet lowlands, lowlands with a
marked dry season, and highlands. Scientific investigations on these practices have mostly
dealt with feeding trials with loppings of trees — mostly legumes — and some associations
of leguminous N-fixing trees such as Erythrina spp. with grass (Russo, 1984) as well as other
species (Ruiz, 1983). Non-leguminous trees such as Guazuma ulmifolia that are common in
areas with a marked dry season have also been found to be promising since they can be
managed on a coppice system every 2-3 years, combining forage production with fuelwood
from the branches (Russo, 1984).
An interesting experiment at CATIE using Erythrina poeppigiana, established by large
cuttings in a stand of king grass (a hybrid of Pennisetum purpureum x P. typhoides),
showed promising initial results: the presence of periodically lopped Erythrina trees did not
influence the yield of pasture in comparison to control (no tree) plots. Moreover, the total
biomass production was 35 percent higher than in the control and the production of protein
increased by 193 percent. The presence of Erythrina also increased the amount of protein in
the pasture (Rodriguez, 1985).
A series of laboratory analyses showed high nutrient content in the branches of
Gliricidia sepium and Erythrina poeppigiana which are usually fed to cattle (Espinosa,
1984). Leguminous live fences that need to be lopped periodically also showed a high
content of protein. However, possible toxicity problems in cattle need to be monitored. On
the other hand, there was no such toxicity-problem with goats and early results were very
promising (Borel, 1986). For goats, E. poeppigiana feed compared favourably with
Dolichos lablab (Benavides, 1983; Samur, 1984). A 67 percent substitution of soya meal by
Erythrina poeppigiana leaves in the diet of calves showed the highest economic benefit (a
gain of US$ 0.63/kg) (Pineda, 1986).
The "La Montana" experiment at CATIE (Enriquez, 1983) compared pasture
production of Cynodon plectostachyus in unfertilized replicated plots with and without
Erythrina poeppigiana and Cordia alliodora trees. The results (Table 1) showed that the
presence of Erythrina resulted in the production of a greater amount of biomass that is also
richer in protein; the weeds were also suppressed.
Table 1 Comparison of yields of Cynodon plectostachyus pasture alone and associated

with Cordia alliodora and N-fixing Erythrina poeppigiana
Grass Grass + Grass +

alone Cordia Erythrina
Biomass produced (kg dry matter ha"1 yr"1) 5,931 5,090 10,420
% of Graminae (in relation to weeds) 44 80 90
% protein in Graminae 7.7 7.9 10.1
Digestibility of Graminae (%) 45.1 .47.3 46.9
Production of protein (kg ha-1 yr -1 ) 656 468 1,113
Source: Bronstein, 1984.
Research on grazing under Pinus caribaea in the large plantations of Celulosa de

Turrialba (near CATIE) showed that grazing was possible when the pines were 3-8 years
old, the carrying-capacity curve of animal units/ ha showing a maximum of 1.4 animal units
for a 5-year-old plantation (Somarriba et al, 1986). Cordia alliodora trees in pastures in the
wet lowlands of Costa Rica showed a growth of 4.2-10.8 m yr-1 at a density of 150-208
trees ha"1. The growth of Cordia was superior in non-grazed associations, for instance in
cacao groves (Combe et al., 1981b).
Guava (Psidium guajava) and pasture is a very popular association at middle elevations
in Costa Rica (Somarriba, 1982,1985,1986; Somarriba and Beer, 1985; Sequeira, 1984).
There was considerable variation among the guava trees, pointing to the need for
eliminating low-yielding trees. The fruits are eaten by cattle and many seedlings germinate
from the excreta.
Live fence-posts and windbreaks

CATIE has been a pioneer in the study of live fence-posts, raised by planting large cuttings
of trees to which barbed wire is attached (Budowski, 1987b) (Figure 5). The practice is
widespread in Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and northern parts of South
America. Its advantages and disadvantages were discussed by Budowski (1982b). Over 90
species are used in Costa Rica alone, of which a dozen make up about 0.5 percent of all
types offences. The most common species are Gliricidia sepium, Erythrina berteroana, E.
costaricensis, Bursera simaruba, Spondias purpurea, Diphysa robinioides, Jathropha
curcas, Yucca elephantipes and Croton glabellus and there is now considerable empirical
knowledge about the establishment and management techniques and uses. These live
fence-posts not only serve as support for barbed wire but they also produce fruits, fodder,
Figure 5 Gliricidia sepium, one of the most popular live fence-post species at La Francia, near
Siquirres, Costa Rica: elevation 200 m; rainfall about 3,500 mm. The leaves contain about 25%
protein and the wood is used for fuel, but the most important products are the large branches used to
establish new fence-posts on which barbed wire will be attached. (Photo: G. Budowski.)
fuelwood and, above all, new fence posts. There is at present a world-wide interest in live
fences and Costa Rica, mostly through CATIE, has been a centre of research and a source
of seeds and information on the subject.
Research on this aspect was initiated in the 1960s (Lozano, 1962) and has progressed
considerably in the past seven years. Most of the research was aimed at describing species
for live fences, methods for species establishment and for estimation of yields of both fuel
and fodder from the posts. Only a few species in a few ecological zones have been examined
so far, and the field is wide open for an array of promising research areas and extension
work.
Sauer (1979) identified 57 species of trees producing live fence-posts in Costa Rica, of
which 26 are common. He has drawn attention to the decreasing diversity of the species
used as live fence-posts, and the tendency to substitute live fences with other materials. It is
much cheaper to collect local stakes and plant them as live fence-posts than to use other
fencing materials; moreover, live fences last much longer and are economically attractive
because of their production of more fences as well as fodder and fuelwood. As the
realization of these advantages is becoming more widespread, the tendency to substitute
live fence-posts with other materials is gradually becoming reversed. Live fences have also
been described from the Mexican humid tropics (Alavez, 1983). Gross (1983) described tree
species for live fence-posts in the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.
A methodology to evaluate yields of fuelwood from Gliricidia live fence-posts was
designed by Rose and Salazar (1983). The empirical knowledge of farmers concerning
choice of large cuttings and planting and management methods for Gliricidia sepium has
also been used in extension (Baggio, 1982). Costa Rica has become a centre for collection of
germplasm of Gliricidia (Sumberg, 1985) (also see Burley, this volume). In order to
co-ordinate the research efforts on Gliricidia world-wide, an international conference on
Gliricidia was held at CATIE in June 1987.
Beliard (1984a) experimented with three pruning intervals for Gliricidia sepium, and
measured the volume and quality of products (fodder vs. forage). As expected, the shortest
rotation produced the largest amount of forage while the longer intervals yielded high
fuelwood returns. These results are of considerable interest to farmers who want to manage
their live fences according to local needs or market values. Volume tables for Gliricidia,
based on length of branches and diameter at the base of branches, have also been produced
(Beliard, 1984b; Beliard and Mora, 1984) for both forage and fuelwood, with conversion
factors to transform each into dry matter. Similarly, for eight-month-old fence-posts of
Erythrina berteroana, a 100 m fence line yielded 1,107 branches from 169 live posts, with
319 kg of dry matter. The protein content was 4.2 percent for fresh leaves and 1.3 percent for
the stems (Budowski et al, 1985). The initial performance of Calliandra calothyrsus, widely
planted in Indonesia for fuel and fodder, was also evaluated at CATIE (Baggio and
Heuveldop, 1982). However, this species has a limitation in that it must be established by
seed and its large stem cuttings do not sprout.
In the "La Esmeralda" farm in the dairy highland region of Costa Rica, cypress
(Cupressus lusitanicd) windbreaks have been planted since the early 1930s and are now
yielding excellent returns. A modern sawmill has been successfully installed on the farm.
The whole farm, with its sawmill and its Cupressus stands, has been heralded as a success
story, and the farm is visited regularly by hundreds of students and researchers. Evaluation
of fuelwood yield of cypress windbreak was carried out at CATIE (Salazar, 1984 as
reported in OTS/CATIE, 1986).
Shifting cultivation (or shifting grazing) with managed fallow

This aspect of agroforestry deserves some comment. The fallow is rarely labelled as
"managed", although this may prove to be a very superficial appraisal when we learn more
about the farmers' practices. A good example is some of the fallows from the Central
American Indian communities. They may look disorderly and untended but the local
inhabitants have a good knowledge of fallow management and they occasionally harvest
and tend certain trees in the fallows (Castillo and Beer, 1983; Nations and Nigh, 1980;
Nations, 1981). Budowski (1983) summarized the evolution of a fallow, derived from an
abandoned pasture and later successfully converted into a highly productive secondary
forest.
Most research on fallow regeneration carried out at CATIE compares either different
forms of fallow resulting from slash and burn to secondary forest with an evaluation of
changes above and below the soil surface (Berish, 1983; Ewel, 1969,1971,1976; Ewel era/.,
1981), or biological processes and biomass yields in manipulated successional stages that
are compared with control plots without intervention (Ewel and Babbar, 1981; Ewel et al,
1981, 1982; Babbar, 1983; Berish, 1983). Altogether this is a relatively unexplored field
which deserves much more consideration, including enrichment techniques (with valuable
timber species) for the fallow (Leiva, 1982), and even fertilization of the fallow as carried out
by Harcombe (1977) on CATIE plots.
Tropical mixed homegardens

Knowledge of homegardens is still in its infancy in Central America, although the practice
has been strongly advocated, notably by Lagemann (1981). There may possibly be a new
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGROFORESTRY IN CENTRAL AMERICA
surge of interest after the second International Workshop on Tropical Mixed Homegardens
to be held in San Jose, Costa Rica in early September 1987.
A detailed world-wide literature review on homegardens by Brownrigg (1985) cites only
a few references referring to Central America. A later review for tropical America by
Budowski (1985) contains more entries. Detailed case studies on mixed homegardens have
been described from Santa Lucia, Guatemala (Anderson, 1950), Orotina, Costa Rica
(Maffioli and Holle, 1981) and from various other areas of Costa Rica (Price, 1983). The
latter also suggests promising Ones of research. A questionnaire for surveying tropical
homegardens has also been produced by CATIE (Huerto Casero, 1982).
Other aspects of agroforestry research at CATIE

Methodological aspects
CATIE's contributions to research methodologies on various aspects of agroforestry are
summarized in Table 2.
Table 2 CATIE's contributions to research methodologies in agroforestry
Subject matter Reference
Characterization and evaluation Maydell, 1981; Lageman and Heuveldop,

1983
Survey techniques, general Heuveldop and Espinoza, 1984
Site-specific survey for fuel Proyecto agroforestal CATIE/ GTZ,
1983; Rose and Salazar, 1983;
Jones and Campos, 1983
Use of trees on farms Martinez, 1982
Permanent plot establishment Beer, 1984a; Beer, 1984b
Fuel production from guava in pastures Somarriba, 1982
Biomass measurements Russo, 1983b
Soil measurements in agroforestry Fassbender, 1984; Bornemisza, 1983; De las
Salas and Fassbender, 1981
Modelling soil changes in Fassbender et al., 1985;
agroforestry Fassbender et al, 1987
Diagramming an agroforestry farm Bertisch, 1983
Establishment of an agroforestry Cedeno and Chavelas, 1980
production model
Agro-ecosystem methodology Jones, 1983
Socio-economic considerations and extension

Many socio-economic aspects are incorporated in the earlier-mentioned studies on systems
and components. For instance, many aspects of plantations of trees established by taungya
are compared, in economic terms, with the establishment of the same species of trees
through normal planting and tending operations (Combe and Gewald, 1979; and Spiegeler,
1981). Reiche (1983) described various ways of characterizing the economic aspects for
small agroforestry fanners, while Espinoza (1986a, b) described socio-economic factors of

the Acosta-Puriscal area in a dry region of Costa Rica, and Maldonado (1986) made a
similar analysis for the Taque-Taque area in a wet environment in Costa Rica.
Extension aspects of agroforestry systems were discussed by Beer (1984b) and Beer and
Somarriba (1984) who described the step-by-step approach to improving agroforestry
systems for small farmers; this aspect was also discussed in a more general approach by
Dulin (1982) in Honduras. Since very often, agroforestry amounts to incorporating trees in
the existing farms, special emphasis has been given to stimulating farmers to plant trees
(Beer, 1985; Clarkin, 1982). A notable effort towards this end was also achieved by a Peace
Corps volunteer in Honduras (Rodbell, 1986).
Documentation
The large number of publications issued by CATIE was made possible by building up
a special section on forestry documentation and information in tropical America
(INFOR AT). One of the first tasks of INFORAT was the publication of a bibliography on
tropical agroforestry with 680 entries (Combe et al, 1981). This computerized information
bank is periodically up-dated and freely disseminated to students, trainees and others.
Training
Professional education in agroforestry in Central America was reviewed by Budowski
(1982a) and a special manual on teaching methods for use in intensive short courses was
issued by CATIE (Major et al, 1985). A landmark for training is, of course, the earlier
mentioned textbook (OTS/CATIE, 1986). A textbook on soil aspects in agroforestry
systems was also produced at CATIE (Fassbender, 1984), while Beer and Somarriba (1984)
compiled a series of papers to serve as a support for the organization of short courses in
agroforestry.
The increasing interest in agroforestry training is evidenced by the attendance at the
short agroforestry courses, now offered at even more frequent intervals in the Central
American region by various bilateral aid organizations and agencies as well as CATIE.
Agroforestry will be a special study area at the Graduate School of the University of Costa
Rica, beginning in 1988. It will also be taught and investigated at the University of Peace,
located close to San Jose, Costa Rica. Agroforestry is also becoming a regular course at the
Universities in Guatemala and Honduras.
The transition from theory to practice may still have a long way to go, but at least a
good number of trained local personnel are now available and there is the large diversity of
existing agroforestry practices throughout the region waiting to be analysed, quantified
and, in most cases, improved. The basic materials are there and one can reasonably expect
the next few years to witness a considerable increase in agroforestry development in Central
America.
Acknowledgement
The author is particularly indebted to Alexander Imbach, a graduate student at CATIE,
who prepared an annotated bibliography on agroforestry. Special credit is also due to the
many staff members at CATIE, past and present.
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Agroforestry in the
dry zones of Africa:
past, present and future
H.-J. von Maydell
Professor
Institute for World Forestry and Ecology
Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products
Leuschnerstr. 91, 2050 Hamburg 80, F.R.G.
Contents
Introduction
The past
The present
The future
References
Introduction
The challenge to develop agroforestry to solve apparent problems in tropical rural areas led
to the establishment of ICRAF in 1977. At that time it was known that a great variety of
integrated land-use systems had already been practised throughout semi-arid Africa since
times immemorial. They had been empirically evolved and adapted to different
environments as well as various ethnic groups. Very little attention was given to these forms
of subsistence land use as they were seen to have little or no relevance to colonial and
post-colonial, export-oriented, modern agriculture. Moreover, no need was felt to deal with
them because no specific problems with regard to natural resources and social developments
were recognized. For decades, rural development policies had concentrated on increasing
yields from extensive cash-crop plantations, which had high external inputs in terms of
technology and capital and aimed at outputs for overseas markets to earn foreign exchange
rather than to supply products to African rural and urban populations.
Starting from the late 1970s, this attitude gradually changed. World markets for
agricultural commodities had shifted. Traditional trade links were losing their previous
importance after many states had gained their independence. Growing gaps in the terms of
trade forced African governments to re-orientate their land-use policies as well as their
general development strategies. With "Africanization", the importance of the hitherto-
overlooked values of the African way of life were rediscovered. But, simultaneously, new
problems of local food supply, environmental destruction, etc., emerged and conflicts
between rural development and industrialization had to be solved. Finally, the severe
drought throughout the Sahelian zone and other parts of Africa in the early 1970s had
caused a shock among African politicans, agricultural services and the international
community, indicating that something would have to be drastically changed in rural
development in order to prevent future disaster. Thus, as a first step, at the United Nations
Conference on Desertification in Nairobi, Kenya (1977) a "Plan of Action" was formulated
which highlighted the role of sustainable-resources management and the till-then-
underestimated importance of forestry within integrated land use.
The beneficial effects of "non-commercial" trees, shrubs and other woody perennials of
the drylands that were recently brought to general awareness unfortunately very soon
resulted in extremely high expectations as to what could be achieved by afforestation,
reforestation or tree planting. Many of these expectations with regard to dry Africa soon
proved to be unrealistic. In reality, multipurpose woody plants, either alone or in small
groups and lines rather than closed forests or extensive greenbelts, and local species rather
than introduced fast-growing and timber-producing "exotics", turned out to be much better
adapted to various sites and demands. The forest services with their limited capacities,
however, were not yet organized to change from their standardized programmes of
conservation and timber production to the new issue of forestry as a component of
integrated land use and "forestry for people". Suddenly, and often under severe time-
pressure, they were expected to deal with a wide range of non-forestry subjects, i.e., the
co-management of agricultural and pastoral lands. Farmers and herdsmen, as well as
government agricultural and livestock services, were simultaneously expected to incorporate
forestry components and functions into their management.
At all levels, therefore, it was felt that the common bond — integrating, harmonizing
and optimizing land-use practices—was missing. This called for immediate interdisciplinary
co-operation which became a common term, easy to spell but often difficult to realize in
practice.
Research and development institutions, therefore, started to add to their previously
dominant but isolated topics of commodity, technology and socio-economic research the
"new" field of farming systems (Simmonds, 1985). This was a decisive step forward at all
levels (national and international, including the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research, CGIAR). Agroforestry-systems research, as initiated by ICRAF,
has played a leading and stimulating role in this context. Some of the results originating
from a special programme, namely, the Agroforestry Systems Inventory, have been
published in Agroforestry Systems.
The past
The environment
"Dry Africa" includes all parts of the continent with less than about 1,500 mm of annual
rainfall. Most of these lands lie within the tropical zone but they do extend beyond the
AGROFORESTRY IN THE DRY ZONES OF AFRICA 91
Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Dry Africa thus includes a great variety of climates and
landscapes and they are inhabited by very different peoples. Therefore all attempts to
generalize are of limited value and may lead to controversial discussions.
One common feature of these African regions, however, is a more or less pronounced
water deficiency. The deficiency is either permanent, seasonal or sporadic with regard to
horizontal or vertical distribution, quality and utilization. Rainfall is very variable in most
parts. If rains are below average we call it a drought, although drought in its proper sense
refers only to rainfall insufficient to support life and satisfy human demand.
Plants, animals and people have adapted to the harsh environment of dry Africa (Louw
and Seely, 1982). Plants have developed specific mechanisms for drought escape and
drought tolerance (e.g., groups of plants such as ephemerals, succulents, xerophytes,
halophytes, psammophytes, plants employing the so-called C4-photosynthetic pathway or
CAM-plants that can select the C3 or C4 mode of life according to the prevailing
conditions, etc.). Adaptation to stress implies also concentration or spatial restriction to
small favourable sites and short periods of growth, as well as a high degree of resilience as
compared with persistence. Animals and men have developed similar strategies of rather
short-term flexible adaptation to changes in environmental conditions.
It is of paramount importance to acknowledge that the carrying capacity of arid and
semi-arid lands in Africa is limited. By over-exploitation and/or misuse of natural
resources, therefore, critical limits are rapidly reached, and once exceeded very soon
result in an irreversible breakdown of the productive potential of a given site.
From the vegetation aspect, most ecosystems in dry Africa (excluding deserts and
semi-deserts) can be classified under the term "savanna". These are characterized by
grasslands with trees, palms and shrubs of varying density from open woodland to single
thorny shrubs (see Le Houerou, this volume). Very few sites bear a climax vegetation of
dense stands of woody perennials, and these sites are generally preferred for different forms
of land use because of their better soils and water supplies. Wherever they remain
unoccupied, they form islets important for the survival of both "refugees" and "nomads"
among plants, animals and people. Typical sites of this kind are oases and forest islands.
The role of such sites, which often support high population concentrations, has to be
highlighted for dry Africa. They represent a network within an "ocean" of marginal lands,
and their mutual feedbacks and interrelationships are a pre-condition for maintaining and
further developing the natural and the socio-economic environment.
The role of woody perennials on range and farmlands

There is very little archaeological and historic evidence on agricultural — and thus
agroforestry — systems of ancient Africa, except for Egypt and parts of north Africa which
belonged to the Roman Empire. Most evidence refers to irrigation schemes, to specific
crops and their utilization and to sites preferred for cultivation (Hall et al, 1979). The first
traces of agriculture in Egypt date back to about 12,500 BC with indications of plant
cultivation and animal husbandry, and to 6000 BC for date-palm management. There is
hardly any information available oh tree cultivation and on land-use systems of these early
times. What is known today has mainly been recorded during times of exploration of the
continent, especially from the nineteenth century on and during the colonial period.
Trees, shrubs and palms have always played an important role in ecology as well as in
human culture and economy throughout semi-arid Africa. However, the value of these
woody perennials was not primarily derived from closed forests, but rather, and even
predominantly, from individual specimens which were components of pastoral-, farm- or
village-settlement lands. This has impeded understanding between temperate-zone-

educated foresters, who think and act in terms of sustainable management of closed-forest
systems, and African rural people, who are used to distinguishing specific single trees from
which they wish to benefit.
Land tenure in these open bush- and woodlands was considered a tribal/community
concern in traditional African land use (with private forest ownership being practically
non-existent), whereas single fruit trees could well be individually owned and even be
inheritable. Forests and forest products were used in a communal or collective way,
generally free of charge and with very few restrictions. Forests were generally protected in
colonial and modern national legislation and thus did not constitute an accessible resource.
Scarcity of supplies, and more often dire need, provoked people to invade these forests in
order to continue traditional uses, now classified as illegal, or to convert these forests into
non-forest lands. These are some of the reasons why rural people in dry Africa are more
closely affiliated with single trees outside the forest than with forest-land management.
The affiliation of trees outside the forests with people is also known from many
examples of veneration of trees in African history. In ancient Egypt, for example, sycamore
trees (Ficus capensis syn. F. sycomorus) were worshipped as symbols of fertility, suppliers
Of food for those alive and for the souls of the deceased. Other sacred trees were Balanites
aegyptiaca, Oka europaea and Phoenix dactylifera (the date palm). All over semi-arid
Africa, various tree, palm and shrub species offering food, medicine, gums and other
exudants, or providing shade or an aesthetic sight, were venerated or at least cared for.
Most of them grew in open woodlands and savannas, along riverbanks or in some oases,
and in parks and gardens. Wood production for fuel, construction, etc., was given less
importance because supplies were generally secured from other sources, mostly dead wood.
From Egypt, throughout the Sahara to the Sahel and the Sudan savannas, the miombo
of East Africa, and open woodlands, savannas and semi-deserts in southern Africa, man's
relation to trees was similar. Widely scattered trees formed an essential component of the
natural vegetation in man-made environments and in daily life. The mighty baobab
(Adansonia digitata) (Figure 1) may be considered a symbol of what a tree could mean to
people. Acacia albida is another commonly protected and highly venerated non-forest tree
of large areas in semi-arid Africa.
Those trees as essential elements of the landscape were used in three different ways:
1. Exploitation
Selective exploitation of natural resources took place among "mobile" (nomadic or
transhumant people) as well as in sedentary farming societies. For example, the nomads,
when migrating over vast areas, considered the woody vegetation as common propeirty of
their tribe or implied everyman's right to utilize what God had provided. No specific
limitations had to be observed, since what was not used by them would most likely be used
by others. This attitude still prevails with many people in the region and obviously
constitutes a serious constraint to maintaining or regenerating a desirable density of woody
vegetation on pastoral lands. Sedentary people generally enjoyed free access to communal/
tribal resources within daily walking distances, i.e., 5-15 km. Collection of fuelwood, poles,
and other products of trees and shrubs was unrestricted and considered a common right. As
long as population densities remained low these practices could prevail without destructive
effects on the environment or on the preferred species' survival.
Figure 1 Adansonia digitata, the baobab tree
2. Maintenance
Maintenance of selected, naturally grown trees took place with more intensive land use,
especially in dry farming. The previous natural vegetation was changed or even removed in
favour of field crops and permanent settlements. However, specific trees, palms and shrubs
were deliberately left and eventually maintained and carefully protected against livestock
and illegal use. Some of these trees were Acacia albida, Butyrospermum parkii, Parkia
biglobosa, Tamarindus indica, Ziziphus mauritiana, and there were many others,
depending on site, land use and tradition. Some of these trees became private property and
could be handed down from generation to generation. The Emirs of Zinder, Niger, at times
even passed death sentences upon people who felled Acacia albida trees.
3. Cultivation
Cultivation of trees was rarely practised in the past. Egypt was an exception. Parks and tree
gardens, such as that in Amun (Nile delta), where 8,000 slaves were employed to maintain
the trees, or Matoria, where the Holy Family was reported to have stayed for a while, were
established and intensively managed like urban and individual ornamental plantations.
Last but not least, the oases with their date palm and other tree or shrub plantations are
outstanding examples of early selection, breeding, culture and integrated management of
trees in rural environments. It is interesting to note that, whereas the date palm was
intensively improved and cultivated, no effort has been made to genetically improve
Balanites, originally an equivalent to the date palm and apparently much better adapted to
the climate and sites.
In other parts of semi-arid Africa (outside oases) tree planting and breeding remained
generally unknown until recent times when non-Africans started to propagate the so-called
exotics such as cashew (Anacardium occidentale), neem (Azadirachta indica), eucalypts,
various fruit trees (e.g., mango, Citrus spp.) and a few ornamental trees such as Khaya
senegalensis and Cassia spp.
In essence, however, extensive exploitation of natural resources by migrating and
"landless" people on the one hand and intensive use by sedentary farming communities or
urban people on the other prevailed over many centuries. Both had an important influence
on the development of early agroforestry-type land uses. As in other parts of the tropics,
these traditional forms developed into three basic categories: silvopastoral, agrosilvopas-
toral and agrisilvicultural systems (Nair, 1985).
However, dry Africa is extremely heterogeneous. It is not a "khaki-coloured"
environment with simple and uniform land uses. The local climate, for instance, may differ
even within a few kilometres, especially with regard to quantity and distribution of rainfall.
Soils show a remarkable variety, not only in their chemical components and physical
structure but also in the micro-organisms essential for plant growth. The number of plant
species that exist even under marginal conditions is remarkably high as long as degradation
by repeated burning, overgrazing or monoculture cropping has not occurred. Man has
adapted his life and his land-use patterns to the heterogeneity of the environment by
developing a variety of practices. Consequently, hundreds of land-use systems have
developed and many of them are still of great importance.
Silvopastoral systems
For thousands of years the regions of Africa with less than about 500 mm annual rainfall
have been used for migratory animal husbandry. However, only parts of these vast grazing
lands were utilized in a way which would allow their classification as silvopastoral
agroforestry systems. But browse made up a varying proportion of livestock diet almost
everywhere (Le Houerou, 1980, and this volume; IBPGR, 1984). Whether or not
traditional forms of pastoral land use in Africa should be considered as agroforestry in its
proper sense is a matter of definition and is subject to individual judgement because
intentional cultivation or maintenance of fodder trees did not take place in these systems
(Figure 2).
As a rule, these African dry lands can be classified as marginal, fragile ecosystems, of
low carrying capacity and thus limited socio-economic development prospects. The ruling
climatic constraint is a single, short rainy season with pronounced variation in quantity and
spatial distribution of rainfall, especially in the more arid parts- Quantity and nutritional
value of the plant biomass, as well as drinking water available for the animals, are thus
subject to unpredictable but foreseeable fluctuations. As a consequence of the climate, the
vegetation consists mainly of annual grasses with some perennial species and a varying
number of shrubs and trees, attaining between 5 and 20 percent of the area depending on
soil type and ground-water availability. The growth period of grasses varies between one
and three months. Many, if not most, woody species are deciduous, i.e., leafless over the
long dry season.
Over thousands of years, animal husbandry in the traditional forms of nomadism and
semi-nomadism (transhumance) have proved to be optimally adapted to the carrying
capacity of these lands and the rainfall-dependent variation in fodder production (Jahnke,
1982; Lusigi and Glaser, 1984; Galaty et al, 1981). Recent problems have all been caused by
unprecedented population growth (the resulting pressure on natural resources exceeding
carrying capacities), and by external influences which have increasingly destroyed well-
established regional structures.
According to Ruthenberg (1980), in nomadism the animal owners do not have a
Figure 2 Silvopastoral systems in the highlands of Ethiopia
permanent place of residence; they do not practise regular cultivation and their families
move with their herds. Nomadism in this pure form was and still is mainly practised in
desert and semi-desert environments north and south of the Sahara with less than 300 mm
of annual rainfall and in limited parts of eastern and southern Africa. But these systems are
less important than the semi-nomadic or transhumant systems in which livestock owners
have a permanent place of residence which they maintain over several years. Whereas part
of the family travels with the herds over long periods of the year and over long distances,
women, children and older men may stay behind on lands which they cultivate over the
rainy season in order' to improve the family's food reserves and income.
Semi-nomadism is practised on a wide range of lands, extending into the arid zone with
annual rainfall less than 300 mm and into 1,000-1,500 mm zones, thus overlapping with
nomadism and with forms of sedentary animal husbandry which belong to agrosilvopas-
toral systems. Semi-nomadism or transhumance derives its importance from the fact that it
benefits from high-quality, low-disease pastures in dry zones during the short rainy season
and from the opportunity of spending the dry season where larger, although less nutritious,
quantities of forage and adequate water supplies are available and where eventually
agricultural crop residues can be utilized. Thus, during the rainy season, from about July to
October, large herds migrate over hundreds of kilometres from the southern parts of the
Sahel and the Sudan savannas to the northern Sahel and return to the south at the end of
the rainy season.
From the point of view of agroforestry systems, competition, complementarity and
mutual dependence of animals, woody perennials and grass/herbs deserve special
attention. As long as stocking rates were low, detrimental impacts remained negligible and
could easily be compensated for by alternating with more favourable sites. With increasing
numbers of livestock over recent decades, however, problems have emerged. Since
livestock, except goats, feed selectively on specific plants or parts thereof, the more
palatable plants were continuously reduced and weeds invaded. This situation was seriously
aggravated by the effects of seasonal grass/bush fires over large areas (Figure 3). The
structure of herds also played a role. Many herdsmen prefer to specialize in cattle, sheep,
goats, or camels, which leads to a one-sided exploitation of the resources. Mixed herds with
cattle feeding on long grass, sheep on short grass and goats and camels browsing shrubs
would improve overall carrying capacity.
Figure 3 Savanna rangeland severely degraded by frequent bush fire
In general, browsing is considered a necessity and a traditional right by herdsmen, but

foresters consider it as an illegal practice causing severe damage. The presence of many
villages and deep-wells in the Sahel gives evidence that the foresters' concerns are justified:
on previously open woodland with scattered trees, often only stunted thorny shrubs survive
(Figure 4).
On the other hand, livestock, like game, have always played an important role in
promoting the growth of woody perennials by reducing competition from grass for
nutrients and water, and by breaking seed dormancy through digestion and subsequent
distribution of seeds with their droppings.
Thus, over long periods and vast areas in dry Africa, as long as population densities
remained low, silvopastoral systems proved to be well adapted to the environmental
conditions and to people's demands. Social structures and cultural life were based on
nomadism and transhumance. This has changed within the past few decades. Therefore,
recent moves to convert these "mobile" forms of "archaic" land use into sedentary, modern
management systems is not only a question of technical and economic innovation but
requires major socio-cultural change. For most African herdsmen their animals are more
Figure 4 Degraded Balanites aegyptiaca savanna 5 km off a deep-well in the Sahel
than mere farm commodities and production units; they are an integral part of their
individual, family and ethnic identity.
Agrosilvopastoral systems
There has never been a distinct borderline between mobile, silvopastoral land-use systems
in the more arid parts and sedentary agrisilvicultural systems in the more humid parts of
Africa. Overlapping and transitional zones developed due to periodic variability of the
climate and migration of different ethnic groups. Therefore, for most parts of the region,
traditional agrosilvopastoral land-use systems were a characteristic feature.
They were based on agricultural-crop production during the rainy season and pastoral
use of the same land during the dry period of the year. In the rainy season livestock were
either brought to remote grazing lands by transhumance or, more commonly, driven daily
to nearby open pastures next to the villages, the herds returning to the compounds or
corrals at night, or even being tethered or kept in stables. Specific trees, shrubs and palms
were left standing, deliberately maintained or even planted on the cultivated lands which
formed an essential component of the system. The agricultural crop plants included cereals
(millet, sorghum, barley, maize), cowpeas, groundnuts and melons in the dryer parts and a
greater variety of plants on sites with better water supply and soils. These plants were
cultivated mainly for food, their residues being used as fodder in the dry season. Cowpea is
an outstanding example, the "straw" in some parts of the Sahel yielding even higher income
than the beans. Many, if not most, of these crops were planted year after year until soil
fertility was exhausted and the farmer had to shift. A fallow system was then applied for
many years, the fallow land, including regrowth of woody plants from root suckers, coppice
or invading seeds, being used as pasture the year round.
On extensive lands, however, trees and livestock provided for a sufficient recycling of
nutrients to allow long-term or even sustainable cultivation. Most of the distinctive
agrosilvopastoral systems were on such lands. They are still efficient and offer good
prospects for future development.
Much more than the annual crops, the livestock and trees of these systems are typical
"multipurpose" components. Livestock contribute to the system by providing food (mainly
meat and milk) and other products such as hides, skins, hair, horn and sinew. Some supply
draught power for cultivation and transport or are used for riding. In parts of Africa,
manure is intensively applied to improve soil fertility, both in homegardens and within the
fields of the agrosilvopastoral systems. Some dried manure is used as fuel for heating and
cooking, e.g., in the highlands of Ethiopia. Livestock represented an important capital
asset, as a source of income in addition to the agricultural crops, as an object of value in
exchange for goods and services (including during marriages, etc.), and as a "living savings
bank". Livestock represented wealth and security of subsistence and, in many societies,
prestige.
Socially, keeping livestock in agroforestry systems provided employment, especially for
unsalaried wonlen and children, and specific income and property rights for them. Many of
the highly complicated socio-cultural webs and networks were based on groups within the
families or villages specializing in the management and use of animals (e.g., men — camels,
transport trade; women — goats, food, subsistence).
Last but not least, livestock were important in using crop by-products and residues
which otherwise would have been of little or no value, and in improving the productivity of
marginal lands (i.e., poor sites within the system, as well as the croplands during the
unproductive dry season) or fallow lands.
Trees, shrubs and palms which originally occurred on part of the land and occasionally
regenerated during the fallow periods or survived on unutilized spots, were soon discovered
to have multiple uses, many of them as food. Prominent species with edible fruit or seeds,
leaves, shoots, flowers and gums are Acacia Senegal, Adansonia digitata, Annona
senegalensis, Balanites aegyptiaca, Borassus aethiopum, Butyrospermum parkii, Cordyla
pinnata, Detarium senegalense, Dialium guineense, Ficus spp., Hyphaene thebaica,
Lannea spp., Parinari spp., Parkia biglobosa, Phoenix dactylifera, Sclerocarya birrea,
Sterculia setigera, Tamarindus indica and Ziziphus mauritiana. In addition, other species
were used to provide leaves for teas, spices and condiments. Usually these trees, shrubs and
palms were carefully protected but rarely actively regenerated and maintained. This was
different with "imported" species from other regions of the world, many of which quickly
became fully integrated. Species such as Anacardium occidentale, Artocarpus spp., Citrus
spp., Cocos nucifera, Mangifera indica, Moringa oleifera and Persea americana were
planted, bred, selected and grafted, and sometimes fertilized, irrigated and pruned. That is,
a more or less pronounced arboriculture was practised even in early times within the
agrosilvopastoral systems.
Forage-yielding species were given less priority. This was certainly because almost all
wild-growing species proved to be palatable, although to varying degrees, and there were
more than 100 species providing leaves, pods and bark as fodder. As browsing, mainly
during the dry season, was commonly practised by free-roaming livestock, no specific
attempts were developed to maintain or regenerate fodder trees. The management of
Acacia albida for pods (a storable forage) can be considered an exception.
Trees, shrubs and palms within the system also provided fuel, wood for construction,
furniture, fencing (including thorny branches), agricultural and household utensils,
transport, etc. The long list of other uses included drugs for human and veterinary
medicine, and also tanning materials, dyes, fibres, poisons and repellents.
The environmental benefits were only partially recognized. Shade was the main benefit
sought, but trees were also used for shelter, windbreaks and soil improvement. From the
socio-economic and cultural aspects, some species were maintained and utilized as cash
crops, e.g., gum arabic and other gums and resins, for amenity (flowering and evergreen
species), or as focal points for assemblies, cultural events or various forms of worship.
The outstanding tree species of these agrosilvopastoral systems has been, and still is,
Acacia albida, which grows in most parts of dry Africa (Miehe, 1986). The species is almost
perfect as a component of agroforestry systems. The large thorny tree keeps its leaves
through the dry season and sheds them at the beginning of the wet season. Thus, under the
trees, there is no competition for light during the cropping period while during the hot and
dry months there is shelter for livestock, which also improve the soil through their
droppings. Moreover, the roots penetrate into deep soil layers. They do not compete for
water and nutrients with agricultural plants, but they intercept minerals at otherwise
inaccessible depths and deposit them on the soil through the leaves which are shed just in
time to fertilize the topsoil at the start of the cultivation season. It is estimated that 20-40
trees per hectare can provide nutrients equivalent to the normally required quantity of
fertilizer (Figure 5). This was known to most farmers of the zone, and Acacia albida was
carefully protected and maintained because the better crop yields underneath were
strikingly apparent. The tree also produces large quantities of pods which mature and drop
during the dry season. These pods provide a second "dry-season crop" and thus permit one
to keep livestock within the system throughout the year. The tree itself has further uses,
ranging from firewood and thorny fencing material to tannin, bee forage and a wide range
of pharmaceuticals.
Figure 5 Acacia albida, planted on crop lands in Niger for optimal agrosilvopastoral land use
Although Acacia albida is the prominent agrosilvopastoral tree species in dry Africa,
some others deserve to be mentioned as well because they have played an important role in
integrated land use in the past and still have promising potential. These species include
Butyrospermum parkii (the sheabutter or karit tree), Borassus aethiopum (the rhun palm),
other palm species with a more local, site-specific importance, and Parkia biglobosa.
Agrisilvicultural systems
The trees, palms and shrubs just cited were also employed in agrisilvicultural systems,
usually located in the wetter parts of the region and on suitable soils. The difference from
agrosilvopastoral systems is to be seen in the fact that livestock were not a predominant
component and were sometimes completely excluded. Trees and agricultural crop plants
were grown together deliberately where intensive sedentary farming and permanent forms
of individual land tenure prevailed. However, large numbers of livestock, and especially of
cattle and camels, were absent due to health problems (e.g., the tsetse fly). Once more,
Acacia albida and various fruit trees were preferred. A great variety of practices was applied
(Steiner, 1982), especially in the slightly more humid regions (FAO/SIDA, 1981). For the
dry zones, sorghum, millet and maize-based cropping systems were most important, but
other combinations of crop plants, e.g. rice with trees, shrubs and palms, were also used
(Figure 6).
Figure 6 Rice and oil palm in The Gambia
In summary, all traditional forms of agroforestry showed great variety, subject to the
sites and shaped by the people involved. They had, however, some basic characteristics in
common:
1. Multi-purpose components of the systems, i.e., tree, animal and crop-plant species all
yielding various products and performing different functions such as recycling of

nutrients and energy and helping to achieve self-sufficiency, stability and sustainability
of the systems;
2. Site-adaptation, i.e., a tendency to optimize use of environmental conditions and
natural resources over space and time, including small plots of land and applying a
multistorey structure (seasonal complementarity);
3. Climatic adaptation, i.e., response to seasonality, uncertainty of rainfall, etc., by a high
degree of resilience and by using drought-resistent species and practices;
4. Demand orientation, i.e., provision of benefits immediately to the people involved (the
so called target-groups), covering most of the apparent requirements in the fields of
food, fodder, energy, wood, various raw materials, medicine, environmental protection
and improvement, and socio-economic and cultural priorities;
5. Emphasis on the use of locally available natural and human resources based on highly
developed and balanced networks of work division and mutual exchange within the
families, villages, etc., and even over large regions; and
6. Very little was done to adapt the systems to rapidly changing socio-economic and
political structures and to technical progress. They thus remained "dormant" —
oriented towards the past rather than the future.
The present
If the traditional forms of silvopastoral, agrosilvopastoral and agrisilvicultural agroforestry
in Africa have been, and partly still are, successful, one may ask why and how the present
rural problems have arisen. The answer, evidently, lies in the exponential population
growth during the last few decades. Obviously, a simple return to previous subsistence
economics after the relatively short period of colonial and post-colonial "errors", cannot
solve the existing supply problems of urban and rural areas.
Regional development
If, in the past, local concerns formed the focus for most activities in rural dry Africa, a
regional approach has become dominant in our times. Problems were shifted from the
individual family or community level to specific zones within countries or even beyond
national borders. The Sahel is one outstanding example. The expansion of decision levels
over larger areas, including a variety of heterogeneous environments and different peoples,
appears to be one common trend. This implies a tendency to generalize and standardize,
which is, in some ways, in contrast to the characteristics of agroforestry and African
tradition.
Political changes have resulted in the establishment of new states which do not
necessarily correspond with natural boundaries and ethnic groups. In many instances this
has interrupted basic interrelationships, mutual links and feedbacks. Free migration,
essential for nomads and semi-nomads as well as other groups of the population, has been
hampered, resulting in problems of supply, employment, and exchange of goods and
services.
Modern technology has had an enormous impact, changing infrastructures, including
transport and communications, reshaping landscapes, e.g., by extensive irrigation and/or
hydroelectric schemes, and resulting in the large-scale application of mechanization and
chemicals in agriculture.
Most important, medical care for both man and animals has made unprecedented
progress. This, in turn, has contributed to the well-known and intensively discussed
problems of excessive population growth, growth of animal herds, and the consequent
escalating pressure on land resources. For the first time in African history, the rate of
population growth exceeded that of agricultural production during the past two decades. In
many countries this has led to almost permanent dependence on food imports and/or
foreign aid. Large parts of dry Africa are now among the so-called least-developed
countries of the world, suffering from a situation described by a continuously falling per
capita income.
On present trends, much of Africa — especially the Sahel, the dry belt in
the south of the continent, the Horn of Africa and East Africa — appears
to be heading towards human and ecological tragedy, unless far greater
priority is given to agricultural development, conservation, and pro-
grammes to reduce population fertility than has hitherto been the case
(FAO, 1984).
In such an emergency situation, the influence of external partners such as international
organizations, bilateral aid, and non-governmental agencies, must necessarily increase and
come to exert a strong influence on rural development in Africa.
Loss of potential productivity

As an immediate consequence of rapid population growth, large areas of potentially
productive savanna range and woodlands are degraded by burning, inappropriate land use
and exploitation beyond their carrying capacity. Desertification (IUCN, 1986; Baumer,
1987; Rapp et al, 1976) stands for a whole range of detrimental and sometimes irreversible
processes which include loss of fertile topsoil by erosion, impairment of soil morphological
properties by compaction, salinization of irrigated lands, the extinction of plant and animal
species and loss of genetic diversity, and imbalances of water and energy regimes.
Pressure on Africa's croplands has escalated in recent years, resulting not only in
accelerated deterioration but also in socially explosive competition, e.g., between herdsmen
and sedentary farmers and/or urban and rural people in many parts of the continent.
Pressure on croplands, in addition, is likely to result in falling yields if, for instance, fallow
periods are shortened, cultivation is extended on to land with less fertile soils, marginal
climatic or topographic conditions, or when animal dung is burnt for energy for lack of
fuelwood. According to FAO (1984) only 20 per cent of all the utilizable lands of Africa
were cultivated in 1975. The situation in the arid zones, however, was completely different.
In 22 countries classified as severely endangered, 80-100 percent of the land was already
occupied. Expansion of crop and rangelands has, therefore, little chance of improving the
situation. In the year 2000,29 countries and a population of more than 250 million people
will face catastrophe if nothing is changed basically (FAO, 1984).
This is where the challenge for agroforestry begins. Can agroforestry really increase the
area of productive cropland by replacing long fallow periods with sustainable, permanent
production systems — i.e., by introducing multistorey production on the same piece of
land? This could be decisive. To answer these questions, agroforestry research in dry Africa
must be given high priority at all levels. Remarkable progress has been made recently in
the form of inventories of promising traditional agroforestry systems compiled by ICRAF
(Nair, 1987b) and other organizations and institutes, and in analyses of the systems. Much,
however, remains to be done in extrapolating the existing agroforestry systems to
ecologically similar conditions elsewhere, giving due consideration to changing situations

and long-term sustainability. The AFRENA programme of ICRAF is expected to fill
many gaps and to strengthen existing national research facilities.
Moreover, agroforestry should be developed immediately to intensify production per
unit area by recycling of nutrients and nitrogen fixation. Improved application of manure
and mulch should be promoted. Lack of nutrients, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen but
also of trace elements, is a major constraint. FAO figures (FAO, 1983) indicating an
average use of 19.5 kg per hectare or 7.4 kg per capita per year of mineral fertilizer in Africa
as compared to 78.5 kg and 25.5 kg as a world average and 114.8 kg and 65.5 kg in
industrialized countries, respectively, are significant and alarming.
Inevitably increasing demand

Within the past 25 years Africa's population has almost doubled, having now reached
nearly 500 million people. Within another generation of only 17-25 years there will be 1,000
million Africans. The overwhelming problem of providing adequate food and energy for
this population has to be solved. Social changes, such as growing urbanization, the
tendency towards smaller household units (as compared with traditional rural entities),
technical development and individual or group aspirations for improvement will also have
consequences. Demand, however, does not only refer to food but to many other sectors of
the rural economy. It is important to note that agroforestry can contribute a variety of
goods and services simultaneously, and that agroforestry is suitable for site-specific
diversification. This is in remarkable contrast to the above-mentioned tendency towards
regional standardization and simplification and indicates the potential for regional
solutions and alternatives.
At a meeting of some of the International Agricultural Research Centres (see Steppler,
this volume) and ICRAF on agroforestry research in Africa, held in Nairobi, Kenya on
22-24 September 1986, the following were identified as issues of paramount importance in
the context of further agroforestry development in Africa:
1. Lack of an institutional "niche" for agroforestry, both at national R & D and donor
levels, thereby very small resources available;
2. Few trained scientists and research institutions with the multidisciplinary capability
required for agroforestry R & D;
3. Psychological barriers rooted in the fact that farmers often have been more involved in
tree cutting than tree planting;
4. Land-tenure issues;
5. Soil conservation/restoration is not usually perceived by the farmer as a problem
requiring direct interventions;
6. Problems of inadequate supply of certified MPT seeds, and a great variation in species,
compounded by lack of relevant information;
7. Extension services not normally dealing with trees.
The meeting agreed that all these problems could be alleviated, although it will require
time, resources and convincing technologies. Other important problem areas discussed
included the lack of knowledge on the proper management procedures for agroforestry
technologies which limits the adoption of such technologies by farmers. It was stressed that
in all cases farmers' perceptions of the problem were of paramount importance when
designing research programmes. This also pointed to the need for more economic studies
and proper follow-up of newly introduced agroforestry technologies.
African agriculture is 70-90 percent a subsistence economy, and for agroforestry in the
dry regions the share may be even higher. A subsistence economy does not promote
investment (due to lack of finance) or market-oriented production, however. Although
there appears to be a concentration on the development of small-scale subsistence farming,
agroforestry should use all possible means to incorporate cash crops with high yields, low
risks and a promising market. In parts of East Africa, for instance, the income from tobacco
exports would compensate for about 10 times the quantity of maize that could have been
harvested from the same area. Similar calculations are available for coffee, tea and other
cash crops. Keeping in mind the development aspirations of the farmers, the more recent
condemnation of such crops should be thought over and new, "typically African", crops
promoted.
Nevertheless, agroforestry, in its various forms of traditional systems and practices, is
still widespread throughout dry Africa and thus forms a foundation to build upon. Its
contribution to a strong subsistence economy is obviously great, although it is generally
underestimated due to lack of statistical records.
Food
At least in dry Africa, food production is at present the main target of agroforestry and this
is likely to continue. Local food production has become the main problem for rural
development and urban supplies. The situation escalated to catastrophic dimensions during
recent drought periods and/ or political stress situations and has affected large parts of the
continent. However, the increasing frequency of these catastrophes is just an indication of
the ever-increasing instability and weakness of the rural human-ecological systems. Late,
but hopefully not too late, it is now recognized that a certain degree of sustainable
self-sufficiency in food supplies is essential for the overall development of the African
countries. Agroforestry is expected to help in solving almost overwhelming problems.
These expectations exist at all levels, but require support and co-operation of all parties
involved from international and governmental agencies to the "grassroots", i.e., the
individual land user.
As mentioned before, the contribution of agroforestry to food production is generally
not statistically recorded for a variety of reasons. For example, the significance of the
phrase "food from trees, shrubs and palms" is not fully understood. These sources are
important in quantity as well as in quality, in being in seasonal complementarity with
agricultural crops and animal products, and as emergency supplies in times of drought, as
well as part of the regular diet. The latter becomes evident from what is offered at local
markets, although this is only a small fraction of what is consumed overall. Moreover, most
of these foodstuffs are obtained from "no-man's land", i.e. public lands, free of charge and
so far require but a small labour input, mainly by women and children. This social aspect of
"tree food" must not be overlooked.
Potential food production from trees and shrubs in northern Senegal (Ferlo) and
northern Kenya (Turkana, Samburu) has been analysed by Becker (1984). Her results can
be summarized as follows: the annual harvestable production of leaves and fruits amounts
to about 150 kg per ha in the Saharo-Sahel, 300 kg per ha in the typical Sahel and 600 kg per
ha in the Sudano-Sahel. This corresponds with the rule of thumb, derived from various
observations in the West African Sahel, that in "normal" ecosystems the annual increment
of non-woody biomass from trees, shrubs and palms in kg per hectare roughly equals the
average annual rainfall in mm. Results from East and West Africa indicate that about 15
percent of that biomass can be classified as edible. Thus, in the above three ecological zones
23,45 and 90 kg, respectively, of edible material would be available per hectare annually.
Correlating these figures with an average population density of 1 per sq km, and assuming a
ratio of 4:1 for leaves and fruits, 450-1,800 kg of edible tree/ shrub fruit could be utilized per
caput, which corresponds to 1.25-5.0 kg fruit per adult human being daily.
In the Ferlo/ Senegal, an inventory of baobab (Adansonia digitatd) was made in a
typical area in a German-Senegalese rural development project. The results showed 6,611
baobab trees and 1,200 people lived on 20 sq km, i.e., 5.5 trees per caput. The leaves of these
trees are intensively used as a green vegetable and dried as a powder and have a remarkable
nutrient content: 100 g of fresh leaves contain 23 g dry matter, 3.8 g crude protein, 700 mg
calcium and 50 mg ascorbic acid. They provide 69 calories. Even more valuable is the fruit
pulp which is rich in vitamin B1 and C, and the flour produced from the seeds contains up to
48 percent protein and 2 percent vitamin B1 on a dry-weight basis.
This is only one example demonstrating the potential food production of woody
perennials growing on agricultural and/or pastoral lands in the Sahel. From the many
species available, merely a fraction are used for food, and, in normal times, people tend to
be very selective about species, varieties, and parts consumed. Plants used by one group of
people in one region may not be accepted by other groups in the same region or the same
ethnic group in a different region. Moreover, there are pronounced differences in the
quality of food, depending on varieties or provenances. Adansonia digitata may again be
cited as an example. There are trees with soft and tasty leaves and others with fibrous and
bitter leaves. As no cultivation has been practised with these local species, selection and
breeding have not yet started but may offer a hitherto unknown potential for improvement.
This should be tried with at least 30 food-tree species in the various parts of dry Africa.
Food production in agroforestry systems, of course, implies much more than producing
and utilizing edible parts of woody perennials. Optimizing agricultural crop and animal
production is the main concern and can be achieved as indicated for traditional systems
such as those involving Acacia albida. It is interesting to note that, according to different
observations in the Sahel and in other regions, and even outside Africa, a combination of
trees/shrubs and annual plants (grass, cereals, herbs) is known to result not only in a
considerable increase (about 300 percent) of total annual biomass production but
specifically in higher yields of the annual plants, both in quantity and in quality. This has
been recorded also from millet/sorghum fields with Acacia albida and from pasture lands
with about 10 percent of the area covered by a light canopy of savanna trees (the author's
unpublished observation). This indicates that Acacia albida agroforestry is a promising
form of land use, but more research is needed to further develop the potential based on
traditional systems and to clarify the underlying feedback cycles.
Forage:
Animal husbandry, as stated above, is the main land-use practice in dry Africa and is
indispensable for food supply and the functioning of many agroforestry systems.
Obviously, successful animal husbandry depends on the availability of sufficient forage. In
traditional silvopastoral and agrosilvopastoral systems, a balance existed between stocking
rates, natural vegetation and drinking-water supply. Where the carrying capacity was
exceeded, people and herds could shift to more favourable sites. Recently this has become
difficult due to increased numbers of people and animals and due to the extension of
cultivation to lands formerly reserved for pasture. Moreover, desertification and
degradation of vast areas are rapidly reducing the productivity of pasture lands.
The drought periods of the 1970s and between 1982 and 1985 have clearly indicated that
more than relief programmes are needed to ensure the survival of millions of people and
their livestock. These relief programmes have largely failed because of a number of
misleading assumptions.
One of these assumptions is that the productivity of Sahelian pastures is primarily
limited by rainfall. Although rainfall undoubtedly has a strong influence on annual
phytomass increment, the deficiency of soil nutrients quite often plays an even greater role,
especially the availability of phosphorus in the first part of the growing season and of
nitrogen in the second part (Breman and de Wit 1983; Penning de Vries and Djitye, 1982).
The northern (arid) parts of the Sahel are better endowed with nutrients and thus produce
forage with a higher content of digestible protein, vitamins, trace elements, etc. However,
the availability of water relative to phosphorus and nitrogen determines quality and
quantity of the forage produced. Thus low water availability results in small amounts of
nutritious phytomass, while higher water availability gives more phytomass but of
increasingly inferior quality.
The north of the Sahel is, therefore, more suitable for animal husbandry than the south
with regard to forage quality, but the carrying capacity is low and grazing is restricted to
between two and four months a year. In addition, drinking water for the animals is usually
not available beyond the rainy season. Livestock performance in the south Sahel and in the
more humid savanna lands is poor, however, even if in the rainy season and thereafter
relatively large quantities of forage are available, because the quality of that forage is low
(Breman and de Wit, 1983).
This can be partially compensated for by the availability of higher-quality forage from
trees and shrubs, either in the form of leaves, bark or fruit. Thus, browse in animal
husbandry is less important in the northern than in the southern, generally more humid
parts of Africa (Le Houerou, 1980; IBPGR 1984). The availability of browse plays an
important part in silvopastoral and agrosilvopastoral systems and, thus in the agroforestry
that is practised in most parts of the African dry lands (see Le Houerou, this volume).
A second misleading assumption is that livestock herds are generally too large because
the nomadic and transhumant herdsmen maintain them for prestige. It is, however,
accepted that the mean herd size for minimum subsistence must be 4-5 tropical livestock
units (of 250 kg) per member of the family (Breman and de Wit, 1983). On average, not only
is this figure not reached, but it has dropped to about 50 per cent during the recent drought
periods. To compensate for the risk of losing half of their herds, the nomads and semi-
nomads aim at keeping higher numbers of animals than required for subsistence in normal
years.
As livestock also form one of the few possibilities for investment and thus serve as a
"mobile savings bank", there is a tendency to keep large herds. The tendency is limited,
however, by the availability of animals, fodder, and, partially, labour, as well as low animal
fertility. Moreover, a clear distinction has to be made as to the animal species concerned.
Camels and cattle generally mean more than economic assets to the people, whereas goats
and sheep are used for subsistence or cash income.
A reason for the large numbers of animals lies also in their limited productivity. The
average daily amount of milk that is available for human consumption ranges between 0.5
and 0.751 per person. The mean annual increase in liveweight may reach 20 percent (or 50
kg) per TLU and 30-40 percent for sheep and goats, respectively. This corresponds to a
production of 0.3-0.5 kg of animal protein per hectare annually for the nomadic and for the
sedentary livestock systems in the Sahel and 0.6-3.2 kg for the transhumant systems, which
is even better than under comparable climatic conditions in Australia and North America
(Breman and de Wit, 1983). Nevertheless, in parts of dry Africa the number of animals kept
already exceeds the carrying capacities of rangeland ecosystems. This results in environ-
mental degradation, low productivity of livestock, and critical supply situations (Figure 7).
Much of the present degradation/ desertification of former productive rangelands in
dry Africa is primarily due to lack of good management rather than overstocking.
Moreover, reduction of stock numbers is usually unpopular and difficult, at least as long as
no adequate compensation can be offered. Compensation in one sense could be
the introduction or further development of complementary cash-crop production in
transhumant agrosilvopastoral systems.
Thus, once more, agroforestry, mainly with its forms of agrosilvopastoral land use, is
expected to improve the situation. However, there are constraints outside the range of
technical development. First of all, there is an urgent need for an overall land-use policy in
the countries concerned in order to regulate the allocation of lands to pastoral uses and to
crop cultivation, respectively. Secondly, tenural rights may need revision, as would market
policies for animal and agricultural crop products. Technically, the one-sided support of the
veterinary services will have to be changed. Breeding and selection, diversification of herds
and better marketing facilities can help to improve yields and reduce risks. Two bottlenecks
will have to be overcome: the lack of soil nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and of water
to increase forage production. Digging wells other than those that are part of an integrated
rural development programme has led to failures, while sustainable water management
within agrosilvopastoral systems appears to be promising. In these systems the application
of fertilizers may also prove to be economically feasible (which is not the case in pure
pastoral management) if combined with optimal use of manure and leguminous woody
perennials for soil improvement. Agrosilvopastoral systems could also help to avoid
bushfires which are detrimental to soils and plant production. Sustainable management of
Figure 7 Large herds concentrating around wells in the arid zones during the dry season
Figure 8 Combined management of Acacia nilotica and A. Senegal with fodder grass
improved pasture should be the target, a target that has already been achieved in some
model projects such as the Ferlo of northern Senegal, and in other parts of the Sahel, North
Africa, and East and southern Africa. Obviously, such sustainability depends on optimum
grass and herb mixtures with woody perennials. This is one of the challenges to agroforestry
in dry Africa. The introduction of more productive fodder shrubs and trees can supplement
the presently available edible biomass and thus improve animal nutrition and animal
productivity (Figure 8).
Energy
The energy crisis in arid and semi-arid Africa has been intensively discussed in many
meetings and publications. Most households and many local small industries and
handicraft concerns depend entirely or mainly on fuelwood or charcoal supplies. The crisis,
however, is less evident in rural areas, where it is not yet fully recognized, while it has
reached a critical stage in urban areas.
Most of the fuelwood is free and is collected by women and children. The average
minimum demand for cooking appears to be about 1 kg of air-dry fuelwood per person per
day, i.e., 360 kg, or about 0.7 m3 of wood annually. In contrast to traditional forms of
supply by free fuelwood collection, the increased population has led to the clearing of
natural woody vegetation for crop and rangelands, and the "carrying capacity" of natural
fuelwood resources has reached, or even surpassed, critical limits, resulting in severe
fuelwood deficiencies on the one hand and in environmental degradation on the other. This
is a recent development which has to be urgently controlled in order to avoid catastrophe.
The great majority of fuelwood plantations in dry Africa (generally sponsored by foreign
aid), have proved to be uneconomic in financial terms, the overall cost of production
(including high overheads and marketing) far exceeding prevailing market prices, although
ecologically they temporarily relieve the immediate pressure on near-by resources.

Therefore, producing firewood in agroforestry systems by the landowners themselves is one
way to solve the problem (Nair, 1987a). This can be done by managing the natural woody
vegetation. The biomass increment of these trees and shrubs is, however, very low. One of
the reasons is that, by tradition or by law, only dead wood is harvested. If the rotation
period is shortened according to the maximum increment, much more could be harvested
on a sustainable basis and presumably in smaller sizes which would yield more energy than
(unsplit) thick pieces. Besides, the thick pieces are usually less appreciated because of the
type of heat they offer and sometimes higher moisture content.
However, even forms of intensive firewood cropping with fast-growing species with a
high coppicing potential may well prove to be financially attractive if combined with
agriculture, e.g., in forms of alley cropping, or with range management. At present there is
very little such activity because free exploitation of natural resources on the one hand and
government/external project fuelwood plantations on the other are still believed to be
adequate—which they are not. If pure fuelwood plantations by relief projects cannot yield
a net revenue, this may be entirely different in agroforestry systems, where fuelwood is only
one among a number of crops. This, in combination with energy-saving stoves and
techniques, and with the development of alternative sources of energy, should be further
promoted. In addition, biogas in agroforestry systems has not yet gained the necessary
acceptance in Africa. Experience from Asian countries is available and could be transferred
to African farmers.
Renewable raw materials

Most parts of dry Africa are deficient in exploitable mineral, resources, and due to scarcity
of foreign exchange, imports are restricted. The significance of renewable resources that are
locally available or can be grown is evident. Agroforestry, providing a wide range of diverse
products, deserves special attention.
Fuelwood has just been mentioned. Wood for construction, fencing, tools and
implements, and many other products including handicrafts can also be produced. Again,
people are very selective in the choice of species, and, as the most desirable ones have largely
disappeared from the natural vegetation, the conservation of remaining single specimens on
agroforestry lands and, in future, plantations of specific trees within agroforestry systems,
can help to overcome foreseeable shortages. There are, however, a number of constraints
which do not make timber production an attractive proposition within agroforestry. One is
the problem of tenural rights, another the legal restrictions in the use of standing trees
according to existing forest laws. Furthermore, only a limited number of exotic species are
available that promise fast growth and high yields. However, these may not be compatible
with other land uses and do not provide for a multitude of desired products and benefits.
Therefore more should be done to incorporate multipurpose local species and to offer the
landowner certified seeds and plant material and advise on appropriate cultivation
techniques.
Vegetative propagation (by cuttings) of Euphorbia balsamifera and of Commiphora
africana, as well as planting of hedges and live fences using various thorny species, could be
further developed. One promising example is Bauhinia rufescens which can be used for
thick-set hedges in nurseries, around compounds, etc., as tried in Burkina Faso (Figure 9).
Renewable raw materials go beyond wood. They include all the agricultural
commodities in addition to food and forage, such as fibres, oils, and insecticidal and
Figure 9 Hedge of Bauhinia rufescens in a nursery three years after establishment
repellent extractives. The various gums and resins collected from trees and shrubs should be
mentioned — gum arabic from Kordofan, Sudan and parts of the western Sahelian
countries, various tanning and dyeing materials and fibres. A variety of pharmacological
products that are essential for both human and veterinary medicine are obtained from
wild-growing local trees and shrubs. The abundance of these plants has been drastically
reduced by monoculture cropping but they are maintained as a free and always available
"pharmacy" in most agroforestry systems. Again no statistical data are available, but
without doubt agroforestry contributes substantially to health in dry Africa.
Environment
Under harsh or marginal conditions there is a general tendency, both ecologically and from
the managerial aspect, to reduce heterogeneity of plant and animal species. Having fewer
species, however, increases the instability of the system. This is evident from most
monoculture crops in dry-zone Africa which can be successfully grown only with the
support of substantial external inputs in the form of mineral fertilizers, agrochemicals,
irrigation, etc. Agroforestry, by contrast, aims at a natural stability by diversification,

multiple use and flexibility. Recently this has turned out to be more important for most
rural people than higher yields alone. Combining different species, moreover, reduces the
pressure on such limited resources as water and soil nutrients. The function of trees and
shrubs as "nutrient pumps", transporting nutrients from deeper soil layers to the soil
surface, is increasingly recognized in addition to their role in nitrogen fixation, erosion
control, wind protection, and the provision of shade. The role of non-leguminous species in
this context is still underestimated and deserves more attention. This includes mulch
production and insect repellent effects in some species.
Not all trees, shrubs and palms should be incorporated into agroforestry systems
uncritically. Species with an extensive lateral root system may be useful for controlling
erosion and fixing moving sands, but they will most likely compete with crop plants.
Species with a deep-reaching taproot may be excellent "nutrient pumps" but in turn may
not stabilize the topsoil. Some species may attract birds, rodents, insects or other animals
which can seriously damage agricultural crops or animals (e.g., the tsetse fly depends on
woody habitats). Such aspects must be carefully considered. They are generally known to
the local rural population, but questions concerning the compatibility of woody species
with crops and livestock have to be answered soon in order to avoid failures and
disappointment which may lead to a general rejection of agroforestry concepts by rural
communities.
Socio-economic development
This phrase has been somewhat over-used and overloaded with significance. However,
many essential aspects of the concept have been overlooked. Quite simply, shade in
agroforestry systems results in socio-economic benefits. It is hard to work in the open fields
in hot weather, and shade available in or around fields improves working conditions for the
farmer. The main argument for planting trees in parts of western dry Africa is to provide
shade in and around compounds, villages and fields. A very hot climate also reduces the
productivity of animals.
More important, however, and as yet largely unsolved, is the problem of how to create
more and better jobs in rural areas. At present, many of the most active and skilled people
leave their rural habitats and migrate to urban centres, expecting better chances for earning
money, better educational opportunities, social security, health care, etc. Old people,
women and children stay behind and are faced with the problem not only of surviving but
of producing a surplus to feed the city dwellers.
Agroforestry is labour-intensive. Does it simply increase the work load for those
already burdened, or does it really provide more adequately paid jobs? Oases are one
example. Their management is extremely labour-intensive. Many, if not most, oases at
present suffer from non-availability of labour, and many of them have been abandoned or
are in the process of collapse because the traditional social systems have changed. There are
now more attractive job alternatives outside. The problems of manpower, jobs and income
have to be solved first and at all levels if agroforestry in the dry rones of Africa is to have a
chance in the future.
A solution would be better markets, i.e., guaranteed marketing possibilities and
attractive prices, and physical and legal market access for agroforestry products. Why
should a farmer grow fruit, cereals, vegetables, fuelwood, etc., and produce meat and milk
if, when trying to sell this produce on the market, he can find no buyers. This happens
frequently due to government policies which favour urban populations for political reasons
112 AGROFORESTRY A DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT
(e.g., by extremely low food prices) and also because of food-aid programmes. Commonly
preference is given to imported food (e.g. wheat instead of locally grown millet and
sorghum).
These are the most serious socio-economic problems presently retarding the further
development of agroforestry in the dry zones of Africa. In addition, the conflicts between
traditional and government-land tenurial systems will have to be solved. People who do not
own the land they cultivate, or cannot expect an extension of the lease over the period
necessary for the rotation of woody perennials, can hardly be expected to invest in
agroforestry. Tree planting is even actively prevented by some societies in order to avoid
"sedentarization" and land acquisition by private people or by government agencies —
because, according to tribal customs, property rights over cropland may be obtained by
planting of trees.
The future
At present, in spite of many encouraging projects and remarkable research efforts,
agroforestry in the dry zones of Africa is stagnant or on the verge of a standstill. Wherever
progress is seen, the impulse primarily comes from outside, i.e., from international
organizations, bilateral co-operative agreements or national governments. Very little
initiative comes from inside the rural societies, i.e., from the target groups concerned. With
their participation the maintenance of age-old practices may continue, but effective
innovations are hardly forthcoming.
Why is this so? Is there a general resignation within rural societies in Africa or is there no
future to be expected for agroforestry? Are there specific constraints to be overcome?
Resignation may play a role in some regions. Resignation can be traced back to a
variety of reasons. One of them is "familism',', i.e., the individual has to subordinate his
concerns to the interests of his family/clan. Although providing a certain social security,
this hampers innovation, because most decisions are made by elders. Closely linked is
"parochialism" or "ethnocentrism", which means orientation towards the interior of a given
society and a certain isolation from the outside. Fatalism and superstition are widespread
and often in contrast to development efforts, and "status factors", e.g., with regard to
specific types of labour (labour division between men and women) as well as socio-cultural
restrictions or commitments have to be observed.
But people in the dry zones of Africa cannot afford resignation or inactivity in the
future.'Since the population will double within the next 17-25 years, no time can be lost in
creating the conditions for their survival. Remaining at the present levels of extremely low
agricultural production on the one hand and increasing environmental degradation on the
other will inevitably lead to incredible hardship, if not the starvation of millions of people,
within the next generation. An East African proverb clearly defines the challenge: "We have
not inherited our environment from our fathers, we have loaned it from our children".
Since there is no more free land left to migrate to if the region's own resources are
exhausted, people will have to change from the previously highly developed strategies of
mobile resilience, however well adapted to the environment, towards a more permanent
strategy. Agroforestry in its various forms lends itself to sustainable land use with increased
permanence, although it maintains a high degree of flexibility once a site has been chosen.
The fact that more people will have to be fed in the future will increase the demand for
agroforestry products of all kinds, especially for food, forage, fuelwood and materials.
Population growth in other regions may even open additional markets for African rural
products, e.g., in southern Asia. To meet these demands, however, a mere exploitation of
the natural resources of African dry zones is not sufficient. As in all other sectors of the
economy, investments will be needed for agroforestry.
Here, however, real bottlenecks exist. First, by tradition and lack of facilities, the
majority of people in the dry zones of Africa were not accustomed to invest, except in
children and livestock, and there are few resources available to be invested except labour.
Moreover, confidence in investment has not increased in recent times.
Secondly, and perhaps more seriously, there is escalating competition for power, power
based on the disposal of basic investment parameters. Previously, power was mainly
attached to control over lands, i.e., over natural resources which are basic for investment.
Private land ownership is hardly to be found in the dry zones of Africa. Traditionally the
local societies allocated lands to individuals for a limited period and under specific
conditions. At present, governments claim that right for themselves, partially overlapping
with traditional patterns. Thus the individual land user has very little influence on long-
term decisions and, therefore, little interest in long-term investment. Those disposing of the
land, however, often do not have the resources and institutional structures for overall rural
development. "When land is controlled by government or by a powerful few, the majority
has little motivation or possibility to assure continued soil fertility or to maintain
perennials" (FAO, editorial of Unasylva, No. 4, 1986).
Capital is the second asset for investment. People or groups disposing of money
were, and still are, believed to rule others. Rural people in dry Africa certainly do not have
the financial resources they would need for investment, and government or even foreign
funds are more than limited. The alarming dependence on money supplies, either in the
form of grants or credits, will have to be solved in a solid and effective way. Labour, number
three of the investment "goods", is generally assumed to be abundant, but this is not true, as
indicated above. It is not true with regard to seasonal distribution (only short cultivation
periods), and labour is not available at sufficiently low cost. Mechanization as a possible
solution would also require money and would remove the decision levels to donors outside
the rural systems. Labour, however, includes all human skills, and these depend on both
experience and education.
As stated, a wealth of experience, especially in resource management of agrosilvopas-
toral and silvopastoral systems, exists in the dry zones of Africa, specifically among farmers
and herdsmen. This is the reason why it is so important to "rediscover" the existing
knowledge and to make it available to all Africans; it is theirs. Education must be
restructured and should be based on available knowledge, facts, local experience and
applied research. Much progress has already been achieved by international and national
institutes engaged in improving land use. ICRAF is contributing substantially to
agroforestry development in Africa by its strategic research programme, by its world-wide
information services and courses held. But the search for knowledge must also start at the
grassroots level, in primary schools, in simple experiments and observations. The question
behind all these efforts should -be "What can be improved?" Research must be future-
oriented. Our understanding of the feedback between ecological, socio-economic and
socio-cultural processes is still so scant that up-grading of our knowledge must be a
permanent challenge.
This is important for agroforestry. Agroforestry must not be an attempt to return to
stone-age practices or to keep people at low levels of development and dependent on
external inputs. On the contrary, it has to apply the most efficient technologies available in
order to serve people and to maintain the potential of natural resources on a sustainable
basis.
Agroforestry will have to be opened to dynamic technical progress, and is to be made a
land-use concept suitable for spearheading development by its holistic systems approach.
In future, for instance, biotechnology (particularly gene technology) can be expected to
play a major role. This may range as far as sustainable and large-scale soil improvement by
bacteria and breeding of high-yielding multipurpose plants and animals. Efforts should
focus on reducing waste and on quality improvement since there are definite limits to
quantitative growth. In future it will be unacceptable to produce more waste than target
products unless waste can be adequately recycled in agroforestry enterprises.
Biotechnology will have to be applied to replace former practices of breeding plants and
animals, specifically to shorten the cycles of tree production and reproduction. Modern
techniques of cellular and subcellular engineering (such as gene splicing and recombinant
DNA, cloning, hybridomas and monoclonal antibodies, protein engineering and nitrogen
fixation) will open up hitherto unexploited resources. Simultaneously, however, their
potential for misuse will have to be carefully watched.
Tissue culture is one of the most important components of biotechnology.
The research in agriculture and forestry stands at the threshold where a
large number of plants produced through tissue culture are being sold
commercially, and it is already a multi-million dollar industry. Some of
the most important aspects of'the use of tissue culture are micropropaga-
tion for biomass energy production, production of disease-free and
disease-resistant plants, induction and selection of mutants resistant
to pests, pathogens, adverse soil conditions, drought, temperature,
herbicides, etc., production of haploids through anther culture, wide
hybridization through embryo rescue, somatic hybrids and cybrids
through the fusion of protoplasts, transformation through uptake of
foreign genome, nitrogen fixation, cryopreservation of germplasm, etc.
Moreover, for the improvement of forest and horticultural trees,
biotechnology enables faster multiplication of desease-free elite and rare
stocks by micropropagation (Bajaj, 1986).
Many people are searching for a paradise which in reality never existed on earth.
Remarkably, however, paradise was not described as open fields and grazing lands or
closed forest. Paradise was a highly diversified garden, in some way a perfectly functioning
"agroforestry" system, in which valuable trees played an essential role. Misuse of fruit trees
finally led to the expulsion of man from that paradise.
It is worthwhile to reflect from time to time upon the meaning of old symbolic wisdom.
It is not only worthwhile but absolutely necessary to know more about the wisdom of rural
people in the arid zones of Africa in order to further develop agroforestry to the year 2000
and beyond. But likewise it is important to elaborate new strategies by combining
knowledge from inside the target groups involved and from external research organizations.
This is the type of investment which is likely to yield the highest rates of interest in material
and intellectual terms.
For the future of agroforestry, however, more than research, technical development
and funds will have to be mobilized. An overall national land-use strategy is required for all
countries, based on realistic facts and targets, interdisciplinary and co-ordinated efforts
towards a holistic systems approach, the harmonization of human needs and the
environmental carrying capacity. The African CILSS-countries have taken some very
important steps into this direction. Moreover, these strategies will have to be effectively
applied in practice. The responsibility for the future, therefore, lies not only with the
farmers, scientists and technicians but first of all with the policy makers. This has to be
stated quite clearly.
Above all, agroforestry is not a panacea of land-use methods. It may be useful or even
optimal under specific conditions but indifferent or even unsuitable elsewhere. Agroforestry
may not be acceptable and practicable for all people, and some groups may be more active
and successful in developing agroforestry than others. The challenge is thus to concentrate
on the most promising sites and systems and to develop these like islands within other forms
of land use. The islands, hovever, should be mutually linked to form a network in order to
increase the region's carrying capacity — a web requiring minimum material inputs and
providing, above its traditional elasticity, sustainability and the development potential that
is needed for the livelihood of future generations.
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highlands, Western Darfur, Sudan. Agroforestry Systems 4: 89-119.
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Une etude des sols, des vegetations et de Sexploitation de cette ressource naturelle.
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Documentation.
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study with emphasis on Africa. Ecological Bulletin No. 24. Stockholm: NFR/ UNEP/ SIES.
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8
Agroforestry in the
Indian subcontinent:
past, present and future
G.B. Singh
Assistant Director-General
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi 110001, India
Contents
Introduction
Agro-ecological characteristics of the Indian subcontinent
Some important traditional agroforestry systems
Present status of agroforestry
Conclusions
References
Introduction
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka constitute the "Indian
subcontinent". The subcontinent has a total population of about 1,000 million people and a
total land area of 4.13 million sq km. Only 20 percent of the total land area is under forest,
ranging from 3.8 percent in Pakistan to about 70 percent in Bhutan. It is estimated that the
actual area under vegetal cover may be only half of that reported. Besides the need for
increasing food production to feed the increasing population of the subcontinent, the
urgency of meeting fuel, fodder and timber requirements and preserving the ecological and
environmental balance cannot be understated.
Agroforestry has a long tradition in the Indian subcontinent. The socio-religious fabric
of the people of the subcontinent is interwoven to a very great extent with raising, caring for
and respecting trees. Trees are integrated extensively in the crop- and livestock-production
systems of the region according to the agroclimatic and other local conditions.
While the multi-tier tree-crop combinations in the homegardens of the humid lowlands
meet cash and household requirements, the kherji (Prosopis cineraria) and agricultural-
crop combination in the hot arid region meets needs for fodder, small timber and food. The
Alnus nepalensis and Amomum subulatum combination in the humid sub-temperate
regions of Nepal and Bhutan and Sikkim State of India is an excellent example of a
commercial but traditional agroforestry system. Deliberate growing of trees on field bunds,
their sporadic distribution in agricultural fields, and the systematic retention of shade trees
in tea and coffee plantations are other common examples of prevalent agroforestry
practices. Similarly, it is a common practice to utilize the open interspaces in the newly
planted orchards and forests for cultivating crops for 2-3 years and to interplant shade
tolerant crops such as turmeric and ginger later.
In India alone it is estimated that the deficit of fuelwood by the year 1990 will be of the
order of 100 million m3 per year, and presently only a third of the fodder that is required to
feed the country's livestock population is available. About 44 percent of the geographical
area of India is subjected to serious erosion hazards, causing an estimated loss of 5,334
million tonnes of soil annually, 1,572 million tonnes of which find their way into the sea. In
order to realize the goal of producing 225 million tonnes of food by the year AD 2000 in
India, an estimated 20 million tonnes of plant nutrients would be required, a substantial
part of which will have to be contributed by sources other than chemical fertilizers.
To cope with some of these challenges and tackle these problems of food and
environmental security, the potentials of agroforestry need to be fully exploited. Presently
some initiatives are being undertaken by the governments, farmers, non-government
organizations and industries in the subcontinent to develop appropriate agroforestry
systems and popularize them. Matchbox and paper industries have introduced cultivation
of poplar trees in the areas about 30° N. Farmers have taken to planting Eucalyptus,
Casuarina and Acacia trees either on field bunds or as block plantations. Cultivation of
fruit trees has become popular in marginal lands in the arid regions. However, these efforts
are only the beginning. Further sustained effort is required to develop agroforestry systems
suitable for each agro-ecological region of the Indian subcontinent.
A g r o - e c o l o g i c a l characteristics o f t h e I n d i a n s u b c o n t i n e n t
The monsoon, the seasonal reversal of winds and associated rains, develops most
prominently over the Indian subcontinent and adjacent seas. The average annual rainfall of
about 100 cm over the Indo-Gangetic plains is high for a region lying mostly in the
subtropical high-pressure belt. Contrasts in climate are very striking: Cherrapunji, with the
heaviest rainfall in the world, and the Thar Desert, with as little as 8 cm of rain per year, are
almost on the same latitude (26° N). Almost every type of climate, from equatorial to alpine,
is found in one part or the other of the subcontinent. The alpine climate occurs in the
Himalayas within 400 km of the Tropic of Cancer. The northern plains experience higher
summer temperatures than other land areas on the same latitude, and while over a large
area relative humidity is over 80 percent during the south-west monsoon, the air is very dry
at the height of summer in the north-west.
India has been classified into eight broad agro-ecological regions. Since the neighbouring
countries have almost the same agroclimate as in the adjoining parts of India, an
extrapolation of these agro-ecological zones to the countries of the Indian subcontinent
gives a practical understanding of the entire subcontinent. These agro-ecological regions
are shown in Figure 1, and their major features are described below.
AG ROFORESTRY IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT 119
Figure 1 The major agro-ecological zones of the Indian subcontinent
1. Humid western Himalayan region

The climate in this region varies from hot and subhumid tropical in the southern low tracts
to temperate cold alpine and cold arid in the northern high mountains. Annual
precipitation ranges from 8 to 350 cm. Three major groups of soils, namely mountain
meadow soils, submontane meadow soils and brown hill soils (Cryosorolls, Crychepts,
Hapludalfs, Palehumults) occur. Only about 5-17 per cent area is under cultivation.
Orchards provide temperate and subtropical fruits. The region has great potential for
further development of horticulture and orchards. Indiscriminate felling, overgrazing, soil
erosion and soil acidity are the main liabilities. Rich forest wealth and alpine grasslands
most suitable for sheep rearing and fruit gardening are the assets. The vast glaciers, after
thawing, provide ample water for irrigation in the plains. Crop and animal husbandry can
complement the regional economy and allied industries can provide adequate employment
opportunities.
2. Humid Bengal-Assam basin

This region represents the Ganga-Brahmaputra alluvial plain of continental alluvium and
deltaic deposits. The climate is hot and humid with average annual precipitation varying
from 220 to 400 cm. Floods are a common feature from mid-July to October. The
predominant soil groups are alluvial, red, brown hill and coastal (Udifluvents, Haplaquents,
Hapludalfs, Paledalfs, Palehumults, Udipsamments) with extensive patches of saline and
alkali soils in the deltaic tracts. Tropical deciduous forests in the west and humid tropical
forests in the south constitute the diversified vegetation. In the Assam valley and the
submontane tracts, bamboo and cane forests are common. Sal (Shorea robustd) forest
abounds on high lands. In Bengal, about 75 percent of the total area is under cultivation,
whereas in the Assam valley, cultivated land is limited because of floods. Rice is the major
crop of the region.
3. Humid eastern Himalayan region and Bay islands

The eastern Himalayan ranges, with a widely varying elevation, contribute to the rugged
physiography of the region. About 90 percent of the total precipitation (200^400 cm) is
received during the monsoon. The predominant soil groups are brown hill, red loamy, red
and yellow, alluvial and laterite (Hapludalfs, Hapludults, Paleudalfs, Plinthudults and
Udifluvents). In the foothills, alluvial soils are loam to sandy loam in texture and slightly
acidic to neutral in reaction. The soils contain a fairly high percentage of organic matter.
The region is endowed with rich forests. Tropical evergreen forests are found in the foothills
and plains, and temperate evergreen forests in the middle Himalayas and valleys. The
greater Himalayan ranges are covered by conifers.
In the Bay islands, mangrove forest is present along the coast. Bamboo is extensively
grown in the tropical evergreen belt. The main feature of the farming system is shifting
cultivation practised in the north-eastern hills. Horticulture, animal husbandry and
aquaculture have great potential.
4. Subhumid Sutlej-Ganga alluvial plains

But for the Terai-Bhabar submontane strip, the entire region is level and built up by the
mighty rivers originating in the Himalayas. Extremes of climate prevail in the region. The
average annual rainfall varies from 30 to 200 cm in the plains and ground frost is common
in December and January. The predominant soil groups are calcareous sierozem in the
south-west, reddish chestnut in the submontane zone, alluvial soils and patches of saline
alkali soils (Calciorthids, Hapludalfs, Calciorthents, Ustochrepts and Salorthids). Cultivated
land is 65-85 percent of the total area. The major part of the region consists of introduced
vegetation of sal, teak and bamboo. In Terai soils, tall grasses are found which serve as good
raw material for the paper industry.
5. Subhumid to humid eastern and south-eastern uplands

The region is characterized by undulating topography, denuded hills, plateaus, mature river
valleys, highlands of the Eastern Ghats and wide basins. Elevation ranges from 150 to 1,500
m. The climate is tropical monsoonal and subhumid to humid from west to east. Rainfall
ranges from 100 to 180 cm. Predominant soil groups are mixed red and black, red and
yellow, red sandy, laterite, black, riverine alluvial and coastal sandy alluvial (Pellusterts,
Chromustent Haplustults, Ochragults, Haplustalfs, Hapluquants). Rice is thepredominant
crop in the high-rainfall areas, coastal plains and deltaic tracts. In the drylands, sorghum is
the major crop. In the eastern part of Madhya Pradesh and Orissa States of India, forests
occupy 40-45 percent of the total land. Teak and sal are the dominant plantation species.
Soil salinity and floods in the coastal districts are the two major impediments to agricultural
production.
AGROFORESTRY IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT 121
6. Arid western plains

The region is an extensive alluvial plain dotted with sand dunes, sandy plains, saline
depressions and granite hills intersected by the Aravalli range. Annual precipitation is
scanty and erratic, ranging from 10 cm in the extreme west to about 65 cm in the extreme
east. Most of the rains are contributed by the south-west monsoon during July-September.
The deficiency of moisture varies from 40 to 100 percent from east to west.
Predominant soil groups are alluvial, grey brown alluvial, black desert, saline and
alkaline (lithic Entisols, Calciorthids, Salorthids and Ustochrepts). Frequent dry spells
make the region drought prone and incapable of sustaining plant growth. The region is
devoid of trees. Scrub and scattered vegetation are further depleted by cutting and
browsing. Natural grasslands have been considerably degraded. In the arid regions pearl
millet and sorghum are the major crops, whereas in the semi-arid environment and irrigated
areas a variety of crops could be grown.
7. Semi-arid lava plateau and central highlands

The region is a plateau ranging from 300 to 1,400 m of horizontally bedded sedimentaries
and basalt. Between the highlands, there are wide alluvial plains. The climate is semi-arid
with extremes of temperature and variable rainfall. The annual precipitation, confined to
June-October, varies from 70 to 125 cm except in the Western Ghats where it varies from
335 to 743 cm. The major soil groups of the region are alluvial black and lateritic, mixed red
and black and yellowish brown (Paleustalfs, Rhodustalfs, Haplustalps, Chromusterts,
Plinthudults, and Haplustults). The dominant forest types include moist and dry
deciduous, semi-evergreen and thorny and scrubby vegetation. Semi-evergreen forests are
confined to the Western Ghats and the rest of the plateau is covered with deciduous types.
Low and uncertain rainfall, undulating topography and inadequate irrigation impede
agricultural activities.
8. Humid to semi-arid Western Ghats and Kamataka Plateau

The region can be divided into the Western Ghats Plateau, river valleys, undulating rocky
plains and coastal plains. Rainfall varies from 60 to 300 cm. Important soil groups are
black, red, lateritic and alluvial (Pellusterts, Chromusterts, Ustifluvents). The western
slopes of the Eastern Ghats and the Nilgiris have tropical evergreen forests and the eastern
slopes and uplands grow deciduous forests with sandalwood, eucalyptus, sal and teak. The
cultivated area varies from 10 percent in the Western Ghats to 54 percent in the Kamataka
plateau. About 10 percent of the land is irrigated. Dry farming is practised throughout the
region. Forest land and plantation areas have the potential for growing fodder trees,
legumes and grasses.
Some important traditional agroforestry systems

Mixed fanning systems have been a traditional way of life for the farmers of the Indian
subcontinent. In every village there are combinations of tree, crop and animal-husbandry
activities according to the local requirements. Some of these combinations have stood the
test of time and are practised extensively. The most important of these agroforestry systems
are described below.
Shifting cultivation (Jhum)

This sequential agroforestry system, believed to have originated in the Neolithic period
around 7000 BC (Sharma, 1976), is still extensively practised in the North Eastern Hill
(NEH) Region and some other humid and hilly parts of the Indian subcontinent. FAO
(1981) estimates that about 4,500,000 people practise shifting cultivation annually over an
area of 750,000 ha in this region. The reasons for its continuance are linked to ecological,
socio-economic and cultural factors, including lack of communication because of
remoteness. Details of the tenurial system, field operations, crop mixtures and socio-
economic considerations involved in the practice have been well documented by Borthakur
et al. (1981) and FAO (1981). It has been indicated that due to increasing pressure of
population the length of forest fallow has decreased alarmingly from the original 30-40
years to as low as 2-3 years at present. This gradual shrinkage in the cycle of jhuming is the
sign of an imminent breakdown of the system because of the very short time that is available
for the land to restore its fertility.
Studies conducted under humid tropical conditions in India have reported a loss of 40.9
t ha -1 of soil in the first year of jhuming, resulting in a heavy drain of plant nutrients from the
jhum plots (FAO, 1981). Since no fertilizer input is given to these fields, the resultant
productivity of the crops is low. The gross value of the products from one hectare of jhum
was only Rs 505-655* with a maximum return of Rs 2.48 per man day and an input-output
ratio of 1:1.28.
Concerned by the continuous degradation of the environment of the tribal families
dependent on shifting cultivation, the Government of India, in collaboration with the local
state governments, launched a number of initiatives to control the problem. The main
approach of these schemes was to provide some terraced and afforested land planted with
fruit trees to each family so that the farmers could be attracted towards settled agriculture.
However, surveys revealed that the project did not meet with much success.
This failure was attributed to:
(i) Non-acceptance of an abrupt change in the socio-economic traditions;
(ii) Production level in the first year being low in terraces; and
(iii) Lack of follow-up action by the Government agencies in terms of technical advice,
input availability and development of an appropriate marketing infrastructure.
The approach now being tried is to improve the existing jhum system by providing
suitable management packages based on local resources. The abandoned jhum lands are
planted with desirable tree species and legumes so that fertility can be restored as quickly as
possible. Research and development efforts towards an appropriate alternative farming
system are also in progress. However, the acceptance of these new components in the
system depends on provision of an adequate infrastructure for marketing and an assured
supply of essential inputs for the jhum farmers.
The taungya system

The taungya system, a method of establishing forest species in temporary combination with
field crops, was attempted in the Indian subcontinent soon after its first introduction by
Brandis in Burma in 1856. However, regular taungya cultivation was not taken up until
* US $ 1 = Indian rupees (Rs) 12.70 (1987).

1911 when it was used for raising plantations of Shorea robusta and Tectona grandis in
1912. Later, it became a standard practice for regenerating and/or establishing forest
plantations in a number of places (see King, this volume). The system, which is initiated and
executed by the Forest Department, allows the cultivators to raise agricultural crops in the
reserve forest area allocated for new plantations. Input and care given to the agricultural
crops in the interspaces improve the growth of the associated trees. The major forest species
raised in taungya cultivation are Shorea robusta and Tectona grandis. A number of other
fast-growing tree species were also taken up under this system in order to exploit the
advantages of the soil enriching benefits associated with the growing of agricultural crops in
the inter-row spaces. The intercrops varied according to the agro-ecological situation.
Some of the main crops are rice, millet, maize, gram, mustard, sugarcane, cassava, cotton
and potatoes. The system is practised in India and Sri Lanka and the various steps being
taken to make it more effective have been described in detail (FAO, 1981).
Studies to evaluate changes in fertility of forest soil after the harvest of inter-cultivated
crops have registered a definite increase in organic carbon, phosphorus and potassium
(FAO, 1981). In poplar plantations, the yield of interplanted rice, maize and wheat was
4,000, 3,000 and 3,000 kg per hectare, respectively. The height of Dalbergia sissoo in
combination with peanuts increased up to 23 percent compared to control plots in the
initial stages (58.8 cm against 47 cm). Intercropping of turmeric (Curcuma longa) in the
established plantation of Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta and other common forest
species resulted in encouraging responses. A yield of 1,200 kg per hectare of turmeric was
obtained when the plantations were two years old. With increasing age of plantations,
however, the yield of turmeric decreased.
Under the taungya system as followed in Sri Lanka, the emphasis is on reafforestation of
land that is abandoned by non-resident cultivators within a period of three years. The main
tree species planted are Tectona grandis and Eucalyptus camalduknsis and intercropping
of a variety of agricultural crops is done. Prominent among such intercrops are rice, maize,
plantain, chilli and mustard. The area under this system in Sri Lanka is decreasing
drastically due to the lack of farmers interested in the practice. The high labour requirement
is also a major deterrent.
Although the taungya system helps the initial establishment and growth of forest
species, minimizes the cost of maintenance of the trees, and in some cases earns revenue for
the forest department on the one hand and provides employment to the rural poftr, the
interest of the forest department in this system is decreasing. The difficulty the forest officers
have in getting the area vacated is said to be the major deterrent factor. Sometimes the
farmers cause damage to the growing trees and adjacent forest areas. However, considering
the ecological and socio-economic benefits of the system, there is a strong case for forest
departments to pursue the approach further.
Prosopis cineraria (khejri)-based system

Historically, Prosopis cineraria, locally known as khejri, has played a significant role in the
rural economy of the arid north-west region of the Indian subcontinent. This tree is an
important constituent of the vegetation system and is a source of animal feed, fuel and
timber. Its pods are used as a vegetable. It improves the fertility of the soil beneath it, is well
adapted to arid conditions and stands up well to the vagaries of climate and browsing by
animals. The rural communities encourage the growth of khejri in their agricultural fields,
pastures and village community lands, as depicted in Figure 2. Through experience,
Figure 2 Prosopis cineraria (khejri) trees in the agricultural fields in western Rajasthan, India
(Photo: Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan).
farmers have realized its usefulness and learnt that it does not adversely affect crop yields
but actually improves grain yield and forage biomass production. However, one of the
limitations of khejri is its rather slow growth. Extensive studies carried out by the Central
Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) in Jodhpur, India on the growth pattern, influence
on associated agricultural crops and biomass/ economic productivity have been summarized
in a CAZRI monograph (Mann and Saxena, 1980).
Prosopis cineraria has a very deep taproot system and hence it does not generally
compete for moisture with the associated crops. The tree is ready for lopping during the
eighth year of its life in the 350-400 mm rainfall zone. The anticipated annual yields of
fuelwood, dry leaves and pods from a mature khejri tree in the 350-500 mm rainfall zone
are 40-70 kg, 20-30 kg and 5 kg per tree, respectively. Singh and Lai (1969) reported an
increase in soil silt and clay content to 120 cm under Prosopis cineraria while in the open
field it was only down to 90 cm. Soil-moisture studies conducted under different desertic
tree species (Aggarwal et al, 1976; Gupta and Saxena, 1978) have demonstrated higher
moisture content under khejri trees than in open fields. Average moisture depletion rates of
1.8 mm per day and 2.1 mm per day day, respectively, were observed from the soil under
Prosopis cineraria and Prosopis juliflora. Available plant nutrients were also recorded to be
higher under the Prosopis cineraria compared to the open field. The improved physical soil
conditions, coupled with higher availability of nutrients under the khejri canopy, explain
the better growth of the crops associated with it.
Agroforestry involving the khejri tree is an age-old practice in arid and desertic
conditions. The farmers in the region know the value of these trees and ordinarily will not
cut them for fuel. The density of khejri trees varies from a few trees to 120 per ha depending
on the soil type and rainfall. Alluvial plains with sandy loam soils invariably support more
trees. In a well-developed tree stand on alluvial soils all trees are lopped for foliage (loong) in
a systematic manner during November and December each year. When winter sowing is to
be done early, the lopping is completed by the end of October, particularly when wheat is to
be sown. The lopped trees remain dormant up to the middle of February. The plant sprouts
well with several new branches which are again cut during May-June for livestock feeding.
This management of the crown during dry periods keeps down the amount of foliage in the
crown. In June-July (the rainy season) the undersown crops and the canopy cover of the
tree develop simultaneously. The crop and tree do not compete with each other. Annual
crops draw their moisture and nutrients from the top 50-60 cm of soil, whereas the effective
root system of the tree is below this depth.
The crops which are normally raised along with the khejri tree are millets, especially
Pennisetum glaucum, and a variety of legumes. The khejri tree, though initially slow
growing, provides a continuous supply of fodder, fuel, timber and vegetables even in
drought years. There is a need for careful selection of comparatively fast-growing khejri
germplasm and to supply these seeds to other areas.
Homestead agroforestry system

A homestead (or homegarden) is an operational farm unit in which a number of tree species
are raised along with livestock, poultry and/ or fish mainly for the purpose of satisfying the
fanner's basic needs. Such a farming system is traditional to the eastern and southern parts
of the Indian subcontinent. Homestead agroforestry practices have been described by
Khaleque (1987) from Bangladesh, Nair and Sreedharan (1986) from Kerala, India, and
Liyanage et al. (1985) from Sri Lanka. A typical homestead with a multitude of crops
presents a multi-tier canopy configuration (Soemarwoto, this volume). The leaf canopies
of the components are arranged in such a way that they occupy different vertical layers with
the tallest component having foliage tolerant of strong light and high evaporation demand
and shorter components having foliage requiring or tolerating shade and high humidity.
The major portion of the upper canopy goes to coconut, which is followed by other crops
such as black pepper, cacao and tree species. The lower storey of the harvesting plane is
occupied by banana and cassava and other tuber crops. At the floor level, pineapple,
vegetables and other herbaceous crops are grown. However, wide variation in the intensity
of tree cropping is noticeable among homegardens in different places. This is generally
attributed to the differences in socio-economic conditions of the household and their
response to externally determined changes, particularly prices of inputs and products,
dependence on land and tenurial conditions, etc. A schematic representation of the activity
of an intensive homegarden, as described by Nair and Sreedharan (1986), is presented in
Figure 3.
A study conducted by a voluntary organization in the homesteads of Kerala reported a
net income of Rs 1,550, 3,848 and 3,950 from a 0.12 ha plot in the first, second and third
year, respectively (Nair and Sreedharan, 1986). The components of the system consisted of
a three-tier planting of fodder, cassava, vegetables, a number of bananas, cloves and
coconut with Leucaena being planted all around. A cow, which formed a part of the
scheme, not only provided milk for consumption and sale but also manure. Chemical
fertilizers were not used at all. It is evident from this case study that farmers with ingenuity
Figure 3 Schematic presentation of the interaction among major components of the homestead
agroforestry system of Kerala, India (Source: Nair and Sreedharan, 1986).
have been able to develop a self-sustaining organic farming system capable of yielding a
high income without much input other than the family labour.
The coconut-based farming system has been so popular and productive in Kerala, India
that farmers are converting their rich rice lands into coconut lands. The system, besides
satisfying the primary needs of the farmer, also helps to conserve the fertility by nutrient
cycling in spite of the high intensity of cropping (Nair, 1984). The increased microbial
activity in the rhizosphere, high labour utilization and risk-minimization are the other
benefits associated with the system (Nair, 1979). A mixed farming practice causes
substantial improvements in the physical and biological characteristics of the soil (Nelliat
and Shamabhat, 1979). The use of waste materials for feeding the cattle, poultry and fish
results in efficient recycling and the homestead soil is very well covered to protect it from the
beating action of the torrential rain experienced in these areas.
However, there is a need to look into the best possible arrangements of different
components in the system and also to explore the inputs required to maintain the
productivity of the system. The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod,
Kerala, India along with the Kerala Agricultural University, have on-going research on the
various management aspects of high-density coconut-based multiple cropping systems.
Multipurpose tree planting in agricultural fields

A less systematic form of tree growing on farm lands is traditionally practised almost
everywhere in the Indian subcontinent. The approach and uses for tree planting in
unirrigated semi-arid and arid areas are different to those in the irrigated and humid areas.
Unirrigated arid and semi-arid areas

In these areas the systems have a strong pastoral bias, permitting the combination of animal
husbandry with agriculture since free grazing of cattle is rarely allowed. The systems are
agrisilvicultural rather than silvopastoral. Prosopis cineraria, Acacia nilotica, Acacia
cupressiformis, Pongamiapinnata, and Gliricidiasepium are some of the tree species which
are present in farmlands for meeting fodder requirements. The partial shade cast by the
trees reduces insolation and soil temperature which is beneficial to the associated field
crops. It is a common sight in certain parts of Uttar Pradesh, India to see individual fields
surrounded by very closely planted rows of Dalbergia sissoo and Syzygium cuminii which
are normally raised on high bunds along the boundaries. Similarly Azadirachta indica,
Melia azedarach, and Albizia lebbek have been traditionally planted on the field borders in
the semi-arid areas. Under dryland cropping systems, deficiency of soil moisture is the
greatest limitation for crop production. Normally, these tree combinations are selected in
such a way that the different species do not extract much moisture from the same soil layer.
Irrigated and subhumid or humid areas

The prosperity generated by the "Green Revolution" in the irrigated areas of the Indian
subcontinent made the general scarcity of wood all the more troublesome and farmers
therefore took the progressive step of planting fast-growing trees around their homesteads,
along field boundaries and irrigation channels and also within the fields. The preferred tree
species are Eucalyptus tereticornis, Poplus spp. and Dalbergia sissoo which cast only light
shade (Figure 4). Eucalyptus grows fast to produce a straight cylindrical bole which is in
much demand as round and sawn timber and as pulpwood. Lops and tops are used as fuel.
Dalbergia sisoo provides high-quality furniture wood, fuel and fodder.
This kind of planting, although a traditional practice, has quite recently became a
prominent feature of the rural landscape, especially in Punjab, India (see Figure 5). The
cash value realized from the sale of trees is very high and more than compensates for any
marginal adverse effects that the planting of such trees may have on the crop yields. The
trees do not directly compete with the shallow-rooted agricultural crops either for the
irrigation water or for fertilizers, nor do the species selected cast enough shade to be
detrimental to the crop growth. Trees do attract birds, but perhaps the loss of grain is more
than compensated for by the elimination of insect pests (FAO, 1981).
128
Figure 4 Eucalyptus trees planted on the boundary of an irrigated wheat field in northern India
Figure 5 Onion (Allium sp.) as an intercrop with poplar trees in Punjab, India
Environmentally and economically the trees are a boon to the farmer and it is no
wonder that eucalyptus planting has been taken up with much enthusiasm. It has not only
revolutionalized tree culture but agriculture as well and its contribution to the prosperity of
the region is conspicuous.
Present status of agroforestry

The Indian subcontinent with 995 million people and 540 million livestock is one of the
most densely populated regions in the world (240 persons and 130 livestock per sq km;
FAO, 1985). Demographic projections for India alone estimate a population of about 1,000
million people by the year AD 2000. To support such a large population the amount of food,
fodder, fibre, timber and energy required will be enormous. Fuelwood, which is still the
major source of rural non-commercial energy (40-50 per cent) is in great shortage. As
against the estimated requirement for India of 133 million tonnes of fuelwood per annum,
all the present and projected sources produce only about 39 million tonnes (Government of
India, 1982). Similarly, in Pakistan, against a requirement of 18.9 million m3 of fuelwood,
state forests produce only 1.9 million m3 (Sheikh, 1987). The situation in Bangladesh, Nepal
and Sri Lanka is no better.
One of the worst repercussions of fuelwood scarcity is the burning of considerable
quantities of cowdung and crop residues which otherwise could be used in restoring soil
fertility. The Committee on Fodder and Grasses appointed by the Government of India in
1985 estimated the availability of only 224.08 million tonnes of green fodder against a
requirement of 611.99 million tonnes for supporting the present livestock population. Since
a decline in soil productivity due to intensive-cropping and improper management of soil is
a general feature in the subcontinent, and chemical fertilizers are very expensive, the use of
biological alternatives for enriching the soil is one of the major concerns in these countries.
Present land-use patterns presented in Table 1 show that only 24.3 percent of the
subcontinent is under forest, woodland and permanent pastures. Apart from the forest area
being precariously small, it is also extremely degraded and hardly 50 percent of it may be
under good vegetal cover. Village woodlands are seriously depleted. Tree planting on
unused lands, categorized as "waste lands and barren lands", and in conjunction with
agricultural crops on arable land, seems to be the main hope for providing food and
Table 1 Land use in the countries of the Indian subcontinent (103 ha)
India Pakistan Bangla- Nepal Sri Bhutan Total

desh Lanka
Total area 328,759 80,394 14,400 14,080 6,561 4,700 448,894

Land area 297,319 77,872 13,391 13,680 6,474 4,700 413,436
Arable land 164,850 19,911 8,891 2,290 1,080 94 197,116
Permanent crops 3,500 369 220 29 1,122 6 5,246
Permanent pastures 11,900 5,000 600 1,786 439 218 19,943
Forest and woodland 67,420 3,050 2,106 2,308 2,383 3,285 80,552
Other land 49,649 49,542 1,574 7,267 1,450 1,097 40,579
Irrigated 39,700 15,320 1,920 640 550 - 58,130
Source: FAO, 1985.

environmental and economic security in the subcontinent.

Government-run social forestry schemes have made a good impact in some areas.
Recently, some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also been active in this area.
But the major thrust in integrating trees with agriculture will have to come from the farmers
themselves. The motivation may be diversification of production for meeting their own
requirements, cash generation, or even the scope for sustainable production in marginal
and arid areas compared to the field crops. Some farmers have already taken the initiative
in this direction, and to meet the need for an appropriate management strategy for tree-crop
integration the national governments have started strengthening the research and
development infrastructure. A brief account of some such efforts is given below.
India
Research work on fuel and fodder production systems by the Central Soil and Water
Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehra Dun; on silvopastoral systems by the
Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi; on shelterbelts and agrisilviculture
systems by the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur; and on a mixed system
consisting of agricultural, horticultural and silvicultural components as an alternative to
shifting cultivation by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)'s research
complex for the North-Eastern Hill region was initiated during the late 1960s and 1970s
(Singh and Randhawa, 1983). Even prior to the above initiatives by the ICAR, the Forestry
Department of the Government of India had taken up elaborate studies on taungya
cultivation.
Vishwanathan and Joshie (1980) successfully utilized the bouldery riverbeds in Dehra
Dun by raising Dalbergia sissoo and Acacia catechu trees in conjunction with Chrysopogon
fulvus and Eulaliopsis binata grasses. The yield from such a system over a period of 19 years
is given in Table 2.
Table 2 Yield from a silvopastoral system on a bouldery river bed
Treatment Yield
Dalbergia sissoo (9.15 x 9.15 m) 64.0 t wood ha -1

+
Chrysopogon fulvus 5.5 t grass h a 1 yr_1
(average of 17 years)
Acacia catechu (4.55 x 4.55 m) 71.3 t wood ha -1
Eulaliopsis binata 5.3 t grass ha -1 yr_1
(average of 15 years)
Source: Vishwanathan and Joshie, 1980.
Under similar conditions, Singh et al. (1982) tried four fodder-tree species, namely
Albizia lebbek, Grewia optiva, Bauhinia purpurea and Leucaena leucocephala in
association with Eulaliopsis binata and Chrysopogon fulvus. The results are given in Figure
6. The Grewia optiva and Eulaliopsis binata system proved to be the most rewarding in
terms of total return on such degraded lands under rainfed conditions.
Figure 6 Eulaliopsis binata, a good fodder grass, under Grewia optiva
While evaluating the effect of trees planted on farm boundaries, Khybri et al. (1983)
reported a more pronounced effect of boundary trees on winter wheat than on a rainy-
season crop of rice, perhaps due to the limitation of moisture availability during the winter
season. Srivastava and Narain (1980) studied the effect of a 20 year-old Eucalyptus
tereticornis tree line planted on the farm boundary on crops under rain-fed semi-arid
conditions. Serious reductions in crop yields were noticed of up to 10 m in the case of green
gram, up to 5 m in black gram and only 2 m in the case of sorghum. At the same site (Kota,
India), Prasad and Verma (1983) studied the effect of Leucaena alleys on associated crops
of sorghum, sorghum and pigeon pea, and sorghum and black gram. The results, presented
in Table 3, indicate some reduction in the yields of pigeon pea and black gram grown in
association with Leucaena compared to pure crop, but the additional biomass yield from
Leucaena makes the combination more paying.
In order to study the interference effect of tree roots on associated agricultural crops,
Singh and Dayal (1974) dug a 15 m x 1.0 m trench along the field boundary of a 15-year-old
plantation of Dalbergia sissoo and Acacia arabica planted on peripheral bunds of cotton
and tobacco fields and evaluated the crop yields. In this semi-arid situation elimination of
D. sissoo roots from the crop-root zone increased the yield of cotton from 956 kg ha ' to
1,056 kg ha-1; the yield of tobacco increased from 1,206 kg ha ' to 1,859 kg ha-1 by pruning
the roots of the Acacia arabica. However, Dadhwal and Narain (1984) did not find any
significant effect from trenching along Eucalyptus rows on maize under high-rainfall
conditions.
Studies conducted on agroforestry systems in arid regions of India have been described
by Shankamarayan et al. (1987). The introduction of Acacia tortilis, a comparatively
fast-growing tree, in the arid zone has helped in the stabilization of sand dunes and early
establishment of shelterbelts. Acacia tortilis with the grass Cenchrus ciliaris in a
silvopastoral system earned maximum returns among the different combinations tried.
Table 3 Yield of leucaena and intercrops*
Leucaena (alone) Leucaena with intercrops Crops (alone)
3.75 m x 25 cm-3,700 (i) Leucaena (3.75 m x 25 cm) 1,800 Pigeon pea 1,650
75 cm x 25 cm-14,000 Pigeon pea 1,280 Sorghum 370
Sorghum 380
(ii) Leucaena (3.75 m x 25 cm) 1,400 Pigeon pea 1,690

Pigeon pea 1,370 Black gram 350
Black gram 208
(iii) Leucaena (3.75 m x 25 cm) 1,200 Sorghum 660

+
Sorghum 460
* Air dried biomass of leucaena and grain yield of intercrops in kg ha -1

Source: Prasad and Verma, 1983.
Lopping of eight-year-old Holoptilia integrifolia caused a favourable effect on the

associated crops of mung bean (Vigna mungo) and cluster bean (guar) (Cyamopsis
tetragonoloba), as shown in Table 4.
Table 4 Grain yield under lopped and unlopped eight-year-old Holoptilia integrifolia
(kg/ha)
Species Unlopped Lopped Crop without

tree tree tree
Vigna mungo (mung bean) 201.75 252.06 246.21

Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (guar) 93.90 244.14 253.14
In another experiment, the growth rates of Prosopis cineraria and Acacia albida and
their influence on the associated crops of mung bean and guar were studied. Acacia albida
was found to grow much faster with a height increment of 110 cm in three years compared
to only 15 cm in the case of P. cineraria. The results of this study are presented in Table 5.
It is interesting to observe that, in general, the association of trees with crops improved
the crop yield in these experiments. During 1985, when the general level of crop yield was
very low due to moisture stress, the yield of guar improved due to the association of
Prosopis cineraria.
In the semi-arid region at Jhansi the performance of Leucaena leucocephala was
evaluated in a silvopastoral combination (Gill and Patil, 1983). It was found that the tree
was compatible with a number of forage-production systems. Total biomass production in
association with Leucaena was invariably higher compared to monocrop systems.
Borthakur et al. (1981) suggested a "silvi-agri-horti" system as an alternative to shifting
cultivation in the North-Eastern Hill Region of India. The system is more productive than
shifting cultivation and other indigenous systems and reduces the risk of soil and water loss
Table 5 Grain yield of mung bean (Vigna mungo) and guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba)
under tree species (1983-1985)
Treatments Mung (102 kg ha -1

) Guar (102 kg ha-1)
1983 1984 1985 1983 1984 1985
Prosopis cineraria at 5 x 5 m 7.85 8.50 0.68 3.60 7.15 1.16

P. cineraria at 5 x 10 m 7.44 .6.08 0.75 4.45 5.14 1.28
P. cineraria at 10 x 10 m 8.68 7.90 1.11 3.70 6.53 1.34
Acacia albida at 5 x 5 m 8.08 9.30 0.81 3.32 6.11 0.65
A. albida at 5 x 10 m 7.08 6.70 0.61 5.08 5.37 0.76
A. albida at 10 x 10 m 7.92 7.51 0.74 0.34 6.34 1.28
Control (crops without trees) 6.40 7.30 1.06 3.20 6.41 0.95
to a great extent. Singh and Singh (1987), while summarizing the work on alternative
farming systems for the drylands of semi-arid tropics of India, highlighted the effect of the
addition of Leucaena loppings to the soil in the improvement of sorghum grain yield (Table
6). It is interesting to note that the addition of biomass from other sites in combination with
fertilizer nitrogen increased the yield of sorghum. However, the communication does not
indicate the quantity of lopping added in the experiment.
Table 6 Effect of Leucaena leucocephala planting, lopping addition and levels of fertilizer
nitrogen on the grain yield of rabi sorghum; Solapur, India
Treatments Grain yield Total N uptake

2
i(10 kgha -1 ) (kg ha- 1 )
N levels N levels
0 25 50 0 25 50
1. Control 6.2 12.1 16.8 16.6 22.3 45.0

(without Leucaena
planting and addition of
lopping from outside)
2. No planting of Leucaena 10.7 15.8 17.4 26.33 43.2 48.0
but addition of loppings
from outside
3. Leucaena planting without 4.7 10.8 12.7 13.5 26.3 33.8
addition of loppings
4. Leucaena planting 9.3 13.9 16.6 24.3 36.4 44.5
with addition of loppings
C D . (0.05) 1.83
Besides the Institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), certain
state agricultural universities have also initiated systematic research work on agrogforestry
systems. The pioneers among them are the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Coimbatore and the Agricultural University located at Dharwar.
On the recommendation of the task force constituted during the Agroforestry Seminar
organized at Imphal, India in May 1979, ICAR launched an All India Coordinated
Research Project on Agroforestry spread over 20 centres in the country in 1983. The core
research activities at these centres are (i) conducting a survey of the existing agroforestry
practices, (ii) collection and evaluation of the local agroforestry tree species, and
(iii) development of location-specific agroforestry systems. With the increasing interest in
agroforestry in the country, the programme of the All India Coordinated Research Project
on Agroforestry has since been extended to 11 more centres covering all the 23 state
agricultural universities, and it has been decided that a National Research Centre on
Agroforestry be established during the seventh five-year plan of India (1985-1990).
Pakistan
Since the area under forest in Pakistan is very small (3.8 per cent), about 58 percent of
timber and 90 percent of fuelwood requirements are being met from farm and wasteland
plantations. If integration of trees with agricultural systems is needed anywhere in the
world, the plains of Pakistan deserve the highest priority. Tree planting has not been
properly organized and still a large majority of the rural community is not fully motivated
to plant trees due to the belief that the trees compete with agricultural crops for water,
nutrients, light and space and harbour birds which cause damage to the associated
crops. However, the introduction of poplar, a multipurpose tree, has changed the rural
scene in some areas. There is tremendous demand for poplar wood from the various
wood-based industries in Pakistan. It has also been established that Eucalyptus can be
successfully grown in marginal lands where average annual rainfall is about 300 mm.
Certain studies on the tree/ crop interface were conducted in the country. Sheikh (1987)
found that crop yields were affected by growing them in association with Acacia nilotica
and Dalbergia sissoo, the maximum loss occurring in a 2-metre radius from the tree. Yields
were poorer from the crop planted on the northern side of the tree.
Kermani (1980) reported the results of large-scale experiments to find the effect of
growing Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptus camaldulensis in association with cotton, wheat,
sesamum and sorghum. It was found that the yields of agricultural crops were higher when
grown in association with E. camaldulensis. The eucalyptus and cotton combination was
the best, giving higher yields of wood as well as better monetary returns from the
agricultural crops. Khattak et al. (1980) found that the yield of wheat under Dalbergia
sissoo was significantly higher than that of wheat under Eucalyptus citridora, Populus
deltoides or Bombax ceiba. Sheikh and Haq (1986) summarized the results of tree/crop
interface experiments conducted in the Thai Desert and observed an almost uniform
response pattern. Wheat yield was depressed up to 5 metres from the tree rows, but total
yield of wheat from a tree-associated plot was higher than that of the control plot. Trees (D.
sissoo, Tamarix aphylla and P. deltoides) were not different in their effect on crop yield.
The farmer was able to make good the crop loss through the sale of trees at fairly good
prices. Sheikh and Haq (1986) recorded a depressing effect of poplar rows on the yield of
sugarcane crop up to 10 m away from the trees.
The important findings emerging from the different studies conducted in Pakistan, as
summarized by Sheikh (1987), are (i) trees in close proximity to agricultural crops depress
the yield of the latter, (ii) the effects vary depending upon the species of trees and crops, and
(iii) farmers are prepared to plant trees provided the species are fast growing and have a
good market value. The information available so far indicates that a great potential exists
for agroforestry in the plains of Pakistan. However, development efforts need to be
backstopped by necessary research to find solutions to the various problems encountered.
Bangladesh
The majority of people in Bangladesh obtain their fuel, fodder and timber from homestead
forests. According to one estimate, homestead forests produce about 70 percent of sawlogs
and about 90 percent of fuelwood and bamboo consumed in Bangladesh (Byron, 1984). A
survey on the practice of homestead plantations indicated that farmers prefer fruit trees to
other species, and fuelwood is seen as a by-product. However, as suggested by Khaleque
(1987), there is a need to work out the homestead planting in such a way that most of the
requirements of the household are met. Moreover, the development of a marketing
infrastructure would be necessary to make fruit-tree planting profitable.
Sri Lanka
The country practises a number of agroforestry systems. The most prominent are chena, a
form of shifting cultivation, some forms of taungya, intercropping under coconuts,
homegardens, growing tea and coffee under the shade of trees and windbreaks/ shelterbelts
(Liyanage et al, 1985). Moringa oleifera is commonly planted in hedges around
homesteads throughout the dry zone. It is the normal practice to grow cowpea and other
crops under the tree since the crown is light and the yields of crops are not decreased by the
tree's shade. Sesbania grandiflora, a short-lived tree of medium height, is often grown in
and near homesteads for its tender leaves and flowers that can be used as a vegetable.
Nepal and Bhutan

Growing of multipurpose tree species in the agricultural fields and around the homestead
specifically for fodder and fuel is a common practice. Planting Amomum subulatum (large
cardamom) in association with Alnus nepalensis is a major cash-generating agroforestry
system in these countries. A comprehensive list of multipurpose tree species found on the
farmlands in Nepal is given by Fonzen and Oberholzer (1985). The multipurpose tree
species common to Bhutan and Sikkim have been described by Singh and Pazo (1981).
Conclusions
We can conclude that the role of agroforestry in meeting either present or future
requirements of fuelwood, food, fodder and small timber and for environmental protection
has been very well recognized in the Indian subcontinent. What is now required is the
development of location-specific, need-oriented systems along with the necessary support
systems so that farmers can get the required seedlings and other inputs easily and market
the produce at competitive prices.
With a population growth rate of over 2 percent in most of the countries of the
subcontinent, the challenge of meeting basic requirements of the population is a major
concern. The exploitative tendency of modern agriculture, aimed at higher and higher
production per unit area, is in fact rapidly degrading the basic production capacity of the
ecosystem. Long-term experiments conducted in India have indicated very clearly that in
high-production areas the soil is quickly depleted of essential plant nutrients. In certain
regions where ground-water recharge is slow the rapid withdrawal of ground water has
alarmingly lowered the watertable. Village woodlands and grazing grounds have vanished,
resulting in acute shortages of fuel and fodder. Government-managed forests that are
already denuded are heavily exploited for meeting timber requirements. Deforestation and
cultivation on steep slopes have resulted in heavy soil losses and water runoff. These things
have happened, perhaps, because agricultural research and development efforts have given
greater emphasis to individual production sectors or components than to the whole system.
Fanners in the subcontinent basically practise a mixed-farming system. Their way of
life is an integration of different components for optimum production without necessitating
much external input. Agroforestry presents an excellent opportunity for such low-input
socio-economic situations as it provides for the integration of various production factors
for achieving need-based goals. Whether it is the problem of apple boxes in the hills, or
fodder and fuel in the semi-arid/arid areas, or shelterbelts in deserts, or ground cover in
high-rainfall areas, or cash crops in high input areas, trees can play a role and can be
suitably integrated with the existing agricultural production system. It is for the scientists
engaged in agroforestry research to identify trees for a specific role in a particular ecosystem
and to synthesize and develop the agroforestry system based on existing components so
that the production can be optimized without impairing the quality of the resources.
Fortunately, in the Indian subcontinent the information on the component technology is
not lacking, whether it is tree, crop, animal, soil, water or environment. In some countries of
the subcontinent, work on the development of appropriate agroforestry systems has
already started; others are in the process of developing the needed infrastructure. However,
considering the urgency of such an approach for application to the field, there is no need to
wait for elaborate infrastructural developments. What may be required is to develop
multidisciplinary teams which are capable of synthesizing appropriate systems and have the
capacity to manage the components for realizing the objectives of the systems.
Agroforestry research should have as a high priority the identification of appropriate
tree species for their assigned role in the system in a particular environment. A wide range of
indigenous and exotic species is available for selection. The ingenuity of the researcher lies
in developing a management system which may integrate the selected tree species with
on-going land-use activities in such a manner that the overall production gains are higher,
without impairing the basic resources. It may be necessary to go for more "on farm" trials so
that the synthesized systems can be tested and modified on farmers' fields before they are
tried for large-scale extension. A number of systems failed to become popular with farmers
because of the absence of the necessary input supply and marketing infrastructure. This
may be crucial for agroforestry because overproduction of wood, fruit or fodder without
any market can affect the farmers adversely.
The scope for tackling the problems of the rural areas through agroforestry
interventions in the Indian subcontinent is very promising. There are a number of
indigenous and exotic tree species which are already being grown on agricultural lands.
Farmers are responsive to the idea and are prepared to adopt the alternative fanning
systems. The scarcity of fuelwood and fodder is widespread and is affecting seriously the
living conditions of rural people. In such a situation an appropriate technology of tree
integration with agriculture will be immediately accepted. However, a major effort awaits
agroforestry scientists to synthesize site-specific technology and policy makers to develop a
suitable infrastructure for the disposal of diversified products from such a system.
AGROFORESTRY IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
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Indigenous shrubs and trees
in the silvopastoral systems of Africa
Henry N. Le Houerou
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Centre L. Emberger
Route de Mende
B.P. 5051, 34033 Montpellier Cedex
France
Contents
Introduction
Silvopastoral and agrosilvopastoral systems in Africa
The role of shrubs and trees
Present trends in African silvopastoral systems
Conclusions
References
Introduction
Most of the natural grazing lands in intertropical Africa, i.e., those under summer rainfall
regimes, can be called "silvopastoral", for most are found in either dry forest, woodland,
bushland, wooded savanna or shrubland.* Purely herbaceous grazing lands, i.e., grass
savanna or "grassland" sensu stricto, are rather rare and restricted to particular conditions
of soil, climate and/ or management: for instance on Vertisols, some types of shallow soils,
or wet soils, or under very arid climatic conditions such as in the northern Sahel, or some
* Woodland — open dry forest with 50% or more canopy cover;

Bushland — sparse trees and shrubs;
Wooded savanna — grassland with a more or less continuous herbaceous layer (annual or
perennial) with trees and shrubs having a canopy cover of less than 50 percent;
Shrubland — no trees, shrubs making up about 50 percent of the overall canopy cover.
southern African velds, or under management practices that tend to eliminate woody
species.
In Africa north of the Tropic of Cancer (Mediterranean Africa), under climatic
conditions characterized by a winter rainy season, silvopastoral systems of livestock
production are more or less confined to semi-arid to perhumid bioclimates. The North
African arid zone is, to a very large extent, dominated by a dwarf-shrub type of steppe
vegetation and therefore the livestock production systems developed in such grazing lands
cannot be called silvopastoral. The African desert systems, characterized by contracted
types of vegetation clustered along the drainage network, can, perhaps somewhat
paradoxically, be called silvopastoral systems since they include both shrubs and trees,
though these are very sparse.
These different silvopastoral systems represent about 80 percent of the African natural
grazing lands (Le Houerou, 1977).
Shrubs and trees in the silvopastoral production systems constitute the basic feed
resource of more than 500 out of the 660 million head of livestock (FAO, 1985), i.e., 165 and
218 million tropical livestock units (TLU)* respectively. A number of studies suggest that
ligneous species represent an average 10-20 percent of the overall annual stock diet in these
production systems in terms of dry-matter uptake, but much more in qualitative terms as
one of the main sources of protein and minerals in the diet, particularly during the dry
seasons.
In addition to their fodder value, trees and shrubs (sometimes collectively referred to in
agroforestry jargon as "trubs") play an essential role, not only as fodder reserve for critical
periods, but also as a multipurpose resource, fulfilling many basic needs of these pastoral
populations. For example, they are a source of energy and fuel, fibres for clothing and
handicrafts, wood for construction, tools, human food, medicines for man and animals,
drugs and dyes, shelter for man and beast (zribas, bomas), maintenance of soil fertility via
nutrient cycling, soil protection from erosion agents, etc.
In various revegetation projects, such as reforestation, establishment of forage reserves,
watershed management, sand-dune stabilization and agroforestry, the question often
arises: what species to select; exotics or native? Common sense would suggest avoiding any
dogmatism in such matters, and the taking of a pragmatic view based on experience. But
this does not always happen: advantages of both exotics and native species are advanced.
This, in my judgement, is a false dilemma. One should select whatever has proved best
adapted and most productive under the circumstances and for the objective that is being
pursued without undue consideration to ideological principles! In some instances exotics
may prove best suited while in other circumstances native species may be preferable for
various reasons such as self-regeneration, the wishes of local users, etc.
Silvopastoral and agrosilvopastoral systems in Africa
Africa north of the Tropic of Capricorn, which is considered in this paper, is 96 percent of
the continent's surface area, that is, 28.2 million km2 including the islands. This area is
extremely varied in terms of climate: Mediterranean, tropical, equatorial, subtropical,
sub-equatorial, montane, and Afro-Alpine climates are found (Le Houerou and Popov,
1981). Most of the soil classes of the world are represented to a greater or lesser extent
* 1 TLU = approx. 250 kg liveweight of animal.

INDIGENOUS SHRUBS AND TREES IN THE SILVOPASTORAL SYSTEMS OF AFRICA 141
(FAO, 1974, 1978). The African flora comprise some 36,000 species of flowering plants,
30,000 of which belong to the intertropical zone (Brenan, 1979). About 9,000 of those are
trees or shrubs (Wickens, 1980). About 75 percent of the latter (6,750) are browsed (Whyte,
1974), and over 4,500 have been recorded as being useful to man (Wickens, 1980).
Shrubland, woodland and savanna communities occupy around 10,000 km2, i.e., 35
percent of the continent, the remainder being desert (36 percent), dense forest (22 percent)
and cropland (7 percent) (Le Houerou, 1977).
Mediterranean Africa
Silvopastoral systems in the Mediterranean region of Africa are different in their biological
composition, structure and physiognomy from those in intertropical systems. However,
some similarities may be found with the highland silvopastoral systems of East Africa, with
quite a number of common genera such as Pistacia, Olea, Rhus, Osyris, Jasminum,
Colutea, Buxus, Ceratonia, Asparagus, Juniperus, Argyrolobium, and a physiognomy and
structure that are strongly reminiscent of the Mediterranean garrigue and maquis with
sclerophyllous shrubs and forests with acicular-leaved trees (Juniperus, Podocarpus) (Le
Houerou, 1984). The area of the main types of silvopastoral systems of the Maghrib
countries is shown in Table 1. The table shows that there is a total of about 8.8 million
hectares of silvopastoral systems in northern Africa.
These silvopastoral systems contribute substantially to the nutrition of some 10 million
head of sheep-equivalents in the region (Table 2). The silvopastoral systems are estimated to
provide about 10 percent of the total feed consumption by the regional livestock
population, the balance coming from dwarf-shrub steppes, stubble and fallows, fodder
crops, crop residues, agro-industrial by-products and concentrated feed, including cereal
grain (mostly barley). The annual productivity of these silvopastoral systems in the region is
in the neighbourhood of 400 Scandinavian feed units (SFU)* per hectare (Le Houerou,
1976b, 1980b). Productivity varies widely from one system to another, with values ranging
from 100 to 1,000 SFU ha-1y-1 • Similarly, the period of utilization varies greatly between
systems; the highland systems (Juniperus thurifera, Abies sp., Cedrus atlantica) are mainly
used as summer pastures within transhumant systems of animal husbandry. The lowland
systems are used differently by various livestock species: cattle and sheep use them when
stubble and fallow are not available from late fall to early summer, whilst goats use them all
the year round.
The transhumant and nomadic systems of northern Africa are on the decline, except for
very short seasonal transhumance of a few kilometres. Animal production in these
silvopastoral systems represents 60-80 percent of their productivity in economic terms (Le
Houerou, 1976b, 1980a), the balance being fuelwood, charcoal, honey, distillation of
essential oils, cork and some timber.
These North African silvopastoral systems have been the subject of extensive study and
review by the author (Le Houerou, 1973, 1976a, 1978, 1980a,b,c, 1981a,b, 1987a,b,c,d).
The forest and woodland, and therefore the silvopastoral systems, are on the decline in
northern Africa. This decline has two aspects: the reduction of the total area and a
continuous decline of productivity per unit area.
The reduction of area under wooded land (forest, woodland and shrubland) is
* 1 SFU = 3 kg dry matter, being equivalent to the net energy of 1 kg barley.

Table 1 Silvopastoral systems in North Africa (103 ha)
System Total
Country
Algeria 70 650 700 30 850 160 100 580 3,140
Egypt
Libya 10 - - 50 150 220
Morocco 10 400 1,350 120 70 750 500 400 700 4,300
Tunisia 30 130 120 50 30 70 420 1,140
Total 110 1,180 2,180 150 1,270 940 720 1,550 700 8,800
System 1: Quercus faginea forest and woodland; humid and perhumid zone.
System 2: Quercus suber forest and woodland; subhumid and humid zones.
System 3: Quercus ilex and Q. coccifera shrublands and woodlands; semi-arid and
subhumid zones.
System 4: Cedrus atlantica forest and woodland; cold subhumid and humid zones.
System 5: Pinus halepensis forest and woodland, semi-arid to subhumid zones.
System 6: Tetraclinis woodlands and shrublands; arid and semi-arid zones.
System 7: Olea europaea sytvestris and Pistacia lentiscus shrublands; semi-arid to
humid zones.
System 8: Juniperus phenicea shrublands; arid and semi-arid zones.
System 9: Argania sideroxylon parkland and shrubland; arid and desert zones of S. W.
Morocco.
Lesser areas under other systems include:
System 10: Pinus pinaster mesogeensis, high rainfall zones, acidic soils in Tunisia
(2,000 ha), Algeria (1,200 ha), Morocco (15,000 ha).
System 11: Abies moroccana, in high elevation: 5,500 ha in N. Morocco; Abies numidica,
in high elevations: 1,000 ha in N. Algeria.
System 12: Juniperus thurifera, at elevations above 2,500 m: 31,000 ha in Morocco and
1,000 ha in Algeria.
System 13: Cupressus atlantica: 9,500 ha in Morocco; Cupressus sempervirens: 100 ha in
Algeria and 100 ha in Tunisia.
System 14: Quercus toza (deciduous oak): 14,000 ha in N. Morocco.
System 15: Pinus nigra: 100 ha in N. Morocco.
System 16: Cupressus dupreziana, a few hectares in a deep wadi bed in the Tassili n'Ajjer
in the central Sahara of Algeria.
estimated to be of the order of 1 percent per annum (Le Hou6rou, 1981 a; Bourbouze, 1982).
There are two reasons for this:
1. The ever-increasing pressure of man due to high population growth (3.5 percent per
annum in Libya, Morocco and Algeria; 2.8 percent in Egypt and Tunisia — that is, a
doubling period of 20 and 25 years, respectively), resulting in clearance of forest land
and grazing land for cultivation and increased pressure of wood cutting, charcoal
making and browsing; and
2. Forest legislation and policies that are obsolete. Forest land and grazing lands belong to
the state and the local communities have no say in their management.
Table 2 Livestock population in northern Africa (103 adult head)
Species Cattle Horses Donkeys Sheep Goats Camels

and mules
Algeria 1,400 380 570 14,700 3,000 164

Egypt 1,825 11 1,780 1,450 1,500 54
Libya 200 14 105 4,800 1,500 135
Morocco 3,300 776 1,200 12,000 4,500 200
Tunisia 600 127 210 5,230 1,030 177
Total 7,375 1,308 3,865 38,180 11,530 730
Conversion
rate 5 5 3 1 0.8 7
Sheep
equivalents 36,875 6,540 11,595 38,180 9,224 5,110
Grand total: 107,524 sheep equivalents (SE)
Annual feed requirement: 108 million SE x 300 SFU = 32.4 billion SFU. Production from
silvopastoral systems = 3S) billion SFU (from about 9 million ha).
Production per hectare = 330 SFU/ha = 1,000 kg DM ha-1 yr-1.
Source: FAO Production Yearbook, 1984.
The protection of forest by state agents is a matter of:

1. Repression which can no longer be enforced because of the very high population
pressure; and
2. A shift of policy and legislation giving management responsibility to the local
communities of users which could perhaps improve the situation in this respect
(Bourbouze, 1986).
The decline in productivity is a result of over-exploitation — overstocking, overgrazing,
overbrowsing, excessive woodcutting. Trampling, runoff, erosion, loss of soil fertility and
loss of productivity of the overall ecosystem ensue. The current level of productivity is often
only a third of that in reasonably well managed ecosystems and as low as a tenth in extreme
cases: rain-use efficiency (RUE) factors of 0.5-1.0 kg DM ha - 1 yr-1 mm- 1 , instead of the
usual 4-6, are common (Le Hou6rou, 1984).
Intertropical Africa
General climate
Intertropical Africa is a large area of some 22 million km2 encompassing a number of
ecoclimatic zones (Le Houdrou and Popov, 1981). Precipitation occurs mostly during the
long-days season (summer), although there are monomodal and bimodal rainfall patterns.
The number of rainy seasons depends usually on latitude: one rainy season in the 10-23°
latitudes N and S and two seasons in the 0-10° latitudes on both sides of the equator. The
monomodal regime is called "tropical" and the bimodal "equatorial". Both tropical and
equatorial intertropical climates have dry (desert) and wet (rain forest) subtypes, which tend
to become "amodal" (no rains or continuous rains) in extreme situations.
Frost may occur in higher elevations. The lower altitude of frost occurrence naturally
depends on the latitude: about 1,000 m a.s.l. near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and
around 2,500 m a.s.l. at the equator — that is, an increase of about 63 m for each degree of
decrease in latitude or 0.57 m per km towards the equator. The isoline of year-long night
frost is about 1,500 m higher, i.e., 2,500 m at the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and
4,000 m at the equator, and the lapse rate with latitude is similar. Frost occurrence gives rise
to subtropical and subequatorial climates according to the number of rainy seasons. These
montane climates in Africa are ecologically quite peculiar: they are mainly located in
eastern and southern Africa. The areas with year-long night frost are referred to as
Afro-Alpine: they too have very peculiar types of vegetation.
The areas occupied by the main ecoclimatic zones in intertropical Africa are shown in
Table 3.
Table 3 Ecoclimatic zonation of intertropical Africa (103 km2)
Main types Tropical Equatorial Montane Afro- Total %

Alpine
Hyperarid 3,170 423 50 - 3,643 18

Arid 1,573 459 118 - 2,150 11
Semi-arid 1,084 541 277 - 1,902 9
Subhumid 1,676 415 425 10 2,526 12
Humid 2,648 283 237 40 3,208 16
Hyperhumid 2,500 4,200 150 20 6,870 34
Total 12,651 6,321 1,257 70 20,299 100
Percent 62 31 6 0.003 100
Source: Le Houdrou and Popov, 1981.
Desert silvopastoral systems

In the desert zone, silvopastoral systems are restricted to the drainage network in or along
wadis which originate in montane areas such as the Ahaggar, Tibesti Air and Adrar. These
are the only sites used by desert pastoralists. Because of episodic runoff and deep
underflows, permanent vegetation is present with more-or-less scattered individual trees
and shrubs such as Acacia tortilis var. raddiana, A. ehrenbergiana, Balanites aegyptiaca,
Maerua crassifolia, Capparis decidua, Grewia tenax, Salvadora persica, Ziziphus lotus
saharae, Leptadeniapyrotechnica, Ochradenus baccatus, Aervapersica, Tamarixaphylla,
Moringa peregrina, Nucularia perrini, Traganum nudatum, Cornulaca monocantha.
These are mixed with herbs, legumes and perennial grasses such as Panicum turgidum,
Lasiurus hirsutus, Cymbopogonproximus, Permisetumdichotomum, Stipagrostispungens
and a palatable perennial desert sedge, Cyperus conglomerate.
East African deserts have a similarly large number of tree and shrub species in the
silvopastoral vegetation that colonizes the wadis and depressions of the Danakil, Somali
and Chalbi deserts: Acacia raddiana, A. tortilis tortilis, A. t. spirocarpa, A. nubica, A.
edgeworthii, A. reficiens, Balanites aegyptiaca, Hyphaene thebaica, Salvadora persica,
Boscia sp., Cadaba sp., Dobera glabra mixed with dwarf shrubs such as Duospermum
eremophilum, Indigofera spinosa, and Sericocomopsis hildebrandtii. There are also
perennial grasses such as Panicum turgidum, Chrysopogon plumulosus, Cenchrus ciliaris,
Andropogon spp. and a number of annual grasses of low value such as Aristida
adscensionis, A. mutabilis, Chloris pycnothrix, and Tetrapogon cenchriformis. These
systems are used in the same way as in the Sahara by nomadic pastoral tribes such as the
Afar, Issa, Somali, Boran, Rendille and Turkana. These silvopastoral zones in the deserts
are the very basis of these pastoral systems since there is virtually no perennial vegetation
outside the silvopastoral depressions and wadis. More than any other, these desert
silvopastoral systems are threatened by desertisation for the same reason of demographic
growth as in northern Africa. But without these systems life cannot be sustained in the
desert zones.
Arid and semi-arid silvopastoral systems

These systems cover large areas in the Sahel (3 million sq km), in East Africa (Ogaden,
Somalia, northern Kenya, northern Tanzania), and Botswana, Kalahari and Namibia in
southern Africa (nearly 4 million sq km). Arid and semi-arid silvopastoral systems cover
about a third of intertropical Africa and sustain about 60 percent of the livestock
population of the continent (Le Houerou, 1977).
These silvopastoral systems are essentially savannas with various densities of shrubs
and trees from less than 100 to over 3,000 individual "trubs" per hectare, dotting a
herbaceous layer of annual grasses and herbs. The canopy area of the ligneous stratum also
varies greatly from less than 1 percent to over 30 percent. The arid zone (100-400 mm of
annual rainfall) is dominated by species in the genus Acacia and related genera of the
Mimosoideae subfamily of legumes. In East Africa, species in the genus Commiphora are
often found with the acacias. The semi-arid zone (400-600 mm of annual rainfall) is more
varied in terms of woody cover. The Combretaceae often play a major role (Combretum
spp., Terminalia spp., Anogeissus sp., Guiera sp.), but there are still a few acacias,
particularly A. seyal, on fine-textured soils, but also A. Senegal, A. mellifera in the Sahel, A.
etbaica, A. drepanolobium and A. bussei in East Africa, whilst agrosilvopastoral systems
are dominated by Acacia albida (Faidherbia albida).
There are about 100 main species of browse in the silvopastoral systems of the Sahel and
about as many in the arid and semi-arid zones of eastern and southern Africa. About 30
percent of the species are common to the three regions (Walker, 1980; Lamprey etal, 1980;
Le Houerou, 1978,1980a,b; von Maydell, 1983, this volume). In terms of animal nutrition
woody species play a major role in these systems because they are the only source of protein,
carotene and phosphorus during the long dry season and therefore livestock and wildlife
cannot survive without them. This fact was not fully realized by scientists until recently, but
it is now well accepted among livestock scientists, wildlife specialists, ecologists and range
scientists (McKell, et al, 1972; McKell, 1987; Le Houerou, 1973, 1980a,b).
Among the woody species, Capparidaceae play a major role in arid zones because of
their high content of nitrogen and minerals (15-25 percent protein and 8-16 percent of
non-silica minerals in the dry matter). Particularly significant genera in this respect are
Maerua, Cadaba, Boscia, Crataeva, and Capparis (Lamprey et al, 1980; Le Houerou,
1980c).
In the present socio-economic context, the role of browse in silvopastoral systems is to
provide stability and productivity of livestock production, which is the major source of
livelihood and income in arid and semi-arid African zones. The role they play could, in
principle, be substituted by various concentrated feeds such as non-protein nitrogen (urea),
salt licks and molasses, as practised in climatically comparable situations in developed
countries such as the USA and Australia, but, given the terms of trade between livestock
products on the one hand and the cost of transport and industrial products and by-products
on the other, solutions of this type will not be used in pastoral zones of intertropical Africa
in the foreseeable future.
Silvopastoral systems in the subhumid and humid climates

Subhumid and humid silvopastoral systems cover very large areas in Africa: most of the
Sudanian ecological zone from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean,
and large parts of eastern and southern Africa, including the miombo, with a total area of
6-7 million sq km, i.e., about a third of intertropical Africa. Some 20 percent of the African
livestock population and a large, but unknown, proportion of its wild ungulate populations
live in this area. The livestock population amounts to 120-130 million head or 40-50
million TLU.
These are wooded savannas of the Sudanian ecological region, and the homologous
zone in the southern hemisphere is the miombo. It also includes the so-called derived
savannas of the Guinea-Congolese rain forest ecological zone. The structure and function
of this type of ecosystem are quite different from those of the arid and semi-arid zone, for
various reasons. First, there are three very distinct sets of components: trees, shrubs and tall
grasses. Capparidaceae and Mimosoideae do not play the major role they do in drier
climates: the botanical composition of the woody layers is more diversified, with the
exception of the miombo. Trees of the Leguminosae family, mainly Papilionoideae and
Caesalpinioideae, are actually dominant in the miombo. Perennial tall grasses are
dominant in the herbaceous layer — these include many Andropogonoideae, particularly
the genera Andropogon, Hyparrhenia and related genera (Le Houerou, 1977). Secondly,
bush fires play an essential role in the ecosystem, particularly as regards the grazing
resource, since they induce regrowth of the perennial grasses in the dry season, thus easing
the feed shortage at that period. Thirdly, soils are very different: large areas have
ferruginous tropical soils and ferralitic hardpans, which practically prohibit cultivation on
the interfluves. Fourthly, climate is more favourable with a rainy season lasting 5-9 months
in the Sudanian and miombo zones and 10 or more months in the Guinea-Congo zone.
Finally, livestock husbandry is impaired by trypanosomiasis since most of these
silvopastoral zones are infested to a greater or lesser degree by tsetse flies (Glossina spp.),
the vectors of the trypanosomes. As a consequence, animal husbandry is not of great
importance in these zones as long as they remain silvopastoral in nature since the tsetse flies
only live in areas with some tree or bush cover. Indeed, one of the methods of elimination of
trypanosomiasis is destruction of the woody layer, hence of the silvopastoral system!
However, there are trypanotolerant breeds of stock, such as, for cattle, the NTJama breed
originating in the mountains of Fouta Djalon and Nimba in Guinea and the West African
shorthorns, a complex of breeds from Ghana, Nigeria and Ivory Coast. Smallstock also
have trypanotolerant breeds such as the Djalonke sheep of Guinea and neighbouring
countries, and the achondroplasic West African dwarf goat of Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast
and neighbouring countries.
These breeds lend themselves to some livestock husbandry in tsetse-infested areas.
Some countries, such as Ivory Coast and Zaire, have long since initiated a policy of meat
production based on these trypanotolerant breeds, particularly the N'Dama, rather than
the "negative" policy adopted in other countries of destroying the tree layer in order to
permit an animal-husbandry system based on exotic breeds, possibly in conjunction with
the intensive use of chemicals. The policy of encouraging local trypanotolerant breeds
seems a sound one because various tsetse-eradication schemes have rather poor records and
trypanotolerant breeds allow the preservation of ecological diversity, including maintaining

a tree layer.
In the humid and sub-humid climates, the silvopastoral systems do not play the major
role that they do in arid and semi-arid situations. This is particularly so because there are
viable alternatives to the use of browse in the relatively shorter dry seasons in these regions.
For example, the most currently used alternative is burning. The burning of the tall
Andropogon grass at the beginning of the dry season allows some regrowth a few weeks
later which provides a small amount of fodder of high quality that would adequately
complement the roughage available in the unburnt areas. A skilful use and timing of
controlled burning may thus ensure an adequate diet for stock throughout the dry season.
This method has been used for decades, particularly in large meat-production ranches
based on the N'Dama breed at Mwesi in southern Zaire (Le Houerou, 1977). Nevertheless,
in areas of mild tsetse infestation browse remains a major component of livestock diet
during the dry season in the subhumid zones, especially between the isohytes of 600 and
1,200 mm of mean annual rainfall where both Zebu cattle and Taurine trypanotolerant
cattle co-exist and interbreed (e.g., the West African Mere, the Sanga and the Nilotic
Ankole). This remark is also valid for the dwarf goat in the humid zones of West Africa
which consumes a large proportion of browse in its diet and plays an important role in the
household economy of the small West African farmers (Mecha and Adegbola, 1980).
Highland (montane) silvopastoral systems

Montane silvopastoral systems do not represent very large areas in Africa, but they harbour
a large livestock population. Together with the Afro-Alpine ecological zone, they cover
some 50,000 sq km and support 120-150 million head (almost 50 million head for Ethiopia
alone), or 20-30 percent of the intertropical African livestock population.
These montane silvopastoral systems play an essential role, particularly during the
rainy season, unlike the systems in arid and semi-arid zones. This is because these montane
areas are intensively cultivated so that stock have nowhere to go during the cropping season
except to silvopastoral areas on rugged terrain. During the dry post-harvest season the
stock mostly feed on crop residues. Moreover, the montane silvopastoral systems are also
used as transhumant grazing land for neighbouring pastoral arid zones during dry seasons.
Thus these areas are used by resident herds in the rainy season and by transhumant
pastoralists during the dry season. They are thus heavily exploited all the year round, and,
as a result, they are heavily depleted in terms of grazing value in spite of the favourable
climatic conditions. They are therefore covered by herbaceous species of little value such as
Pennisetum schimperi, P. villosum, and Eleusine jaegeri, the shrub and tree layers having
been heavily chopped, lopped, overbrowsed, cut down, or eradicated.
The role of shrubs and trees in these montane silvopastoral systems is difficult to
quantify or even evaluate. The only thing which is certain is that they are receding at a rapid
pace. A study on a number of test zones in the Ethiopian highlands, based on the
comparison of aerial photos taken 20 to 25 years apart, yielded frightening results
(Haywood, personal communication).
T h e role o f shrubs a n d trees
As mentioned above, the shrubs and trees in the silvopastoral systems of Africa have a
multiplicity of roles, and the literature on them is extensive. Therefore the topic will be dealt
with in very general terms with special emphasis on two subjects, namely, browse and the
screen function.
Traditional uses
There are innumerable traditional uses of shrubs and trees. Some African languages, for
instance, use the same word to mean tree and medicine (Dia, 1986). The traditional uses
may be grouped into 13 main headings:
1. Food and drink for humans;
2. Medical treatments for humans and livestock;
3. Browse for livestock and wildlife;
4. Beekeeping and honey production;
5. Dye and tanning material;
6. Source of energy — firewood and charcoal;
7. Building, furniture, fencing material;
8. Tools for agriculture, cottage industry, musical instruments, etc.;
9. Religious objects, art, handicraft, witchcraft;
10. Fibre for textiles, ropes, mats and carpets, etc.;
11. Shade and shelter for plants (sciaphytes, cover-crops), livestock, wildlife and humans
(palaver trees);
12. Protection against water and wind erosion, maintenance of soil fertility and
productivity, nutrient recycling;
13. Water storage tanks (baobab).
Generally speaking almost all parts of trees are used in one way or another. To cite one
example, Acocanthera schimperi in the East African montane zone produces delicious
fruits for human consumption, is a good firewood species, and the bark of the roots is used,
after some preparation, to make a lethal arrow poison!
Browse
The browse aspect of trees and shrubs has been reviewed in some detail by the author (Le
Houerou, 1980a) for western and southern Africa, by Lamprey et al. (1980) for East Africa,
by Walker (1980) for southern Africa, and by Lawton (1980) for the miombo.
There are about 200 main browse species in intertropical Africa. Special mention needs
to be made of legumes (mainly Mimosoideae and Caesalpiniodeae), Capparidaceae,
Combretaceae, Tiliaceae, Rubiaceae and Rhamnaceae, in decreasing order of importance,
in animal diets. Average values of chemical composition and feed value, based on a review
by the author (Le Houerou, 1980c) for some 850 samples and 150 species from East and
West Africa are: crude protein 13 percent of the DM, crude fibre 24 percent, fat 4 percent,
nitrogen-free extract 48 percent, ash 11 percent, phosphorus 0.18 percent and calcium 1.75
percent. Capparidaceae yield an average crude protein content of 20 percent, while legumes
average 16 percent. Leaves of some Capparidaceae have an average crude protein content
of 30 percent, which makes them similar in this respect to protein-rich concentrated feed! A
figure of 44 percent crude protein has been reported in the leaves of Justicia salviojdes a
species of Acanthaceae from the miombo (Lawton, 1980).
Feed value has been estimated using various in vivo trials on digestibility and animal
performance. For leaves and shoots, DM digestibility is, in general, 50 ± 5 percent. There
are exceptions of very low digestibility (25-35 percent) as well as very high figures of 60-70
percent in vivo (Mabey and Rose-Innes, 1964, 1966).
Some specialists of animal production have questioned the validity of the proximal
analyses data, as well as those concerning digestibility of energy or protein, due to the
presence of tannins and other polyphenolic compounds that may inhibit the actual
assimilation of nitrogen and sugars, particularly in the intestine. The author's studies on
animal performance over long periods, using sheep feeding only on known quantities of
selected browse, do not confirm the negative impact of browse on sheep performance. On
the contrary, the experiments carried out continuously over nearly one year, showed that
animals feeding on the 10 species of browse under experiment showed a performance in
direct relation to the amount of feed consumed. Moreover, sheep feeding partly on range
and receiving a browse complement in the pen performed significantly better than those
feeding on a pure range diet, even under excellent range conditions.
The productivity of browse in arid and semi-arid silvopastoral systems was reviewed by
the author (Le Houdrou,-1980a). The order of magnitude of productivity is 1 kg DM ha -1
m m 1 of consumable biomass per year, where mm refers to average rainfall per year. That
is about a third of the productivity of the herbaceous layer. This figure is, of course, liable to
enormous variability depending on the ecosystem concerned and on its present and past
management. The range is usually 0.1-5.0 kg DM h a 1 yr-1 m m 1 . Production of 5,000 kg
DM ha"' yr _1 has been reported from Acacia hockii in riverine conditions in East Africa
(Pellew, 1980), a figure that is probably close to the maximum under natural conditions.
Average individual "trub" production is of the order of 1 kg DM yr- 1 , with a range of
0.08-50.0 kg, most figures ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 kg (Bille, 1977; Poupon, 1980; Hiernaux,
1980; Dayton, 1978; Pellew, 1980; Kelly, 1973; Kennan, 1969; Rutherford, 1978; Cisse\
1980a,b, 1986).
Equally important are the availability of browse in critical seasons and its direct
accessibility to livestock and wildlife. The maximum standing crop of browse occurs
naturally during the rainy season, but the most important is its availability during the dry
season and the so-called "pre-rainy" season. In the Sahel, for instance, the most critical
seasons are the hot dry season from March to May and the pre-rainy season in June-July.
During these seasons, not more than a third of the maximum standing crop of that present
in October is available to animals, although some of the dried leaves that fall are gathered
by stock. Thus the amount of browse available at the most critical periods does not
represent more than 20-25 percent of annual production. The maximum standing crop in
September-October in the Sahel represents about 80 percent of annual production. But this
does not tell the whole story because part of the crop can be stored in the form of dried pods
such as those of Acacia albida, Acacia tortilis, Prosopis juliflora, and P. cineraria. These
pods are traded in local markets for a monetary value close to that of similar concentrates of
similar feed value, which also shows that local farmers and stock owners are well aware of
the actual value of these products.
The distribution and structure of available browse in space is another important issue.
Smallstock can browse up to about 130 cm above the ground, cattle about 2 m, camels 3 to
4 m, and giraffe up to 5 m. The distribution of browse in these strata is thus an important
point to consider in relation to the species of livestock which are kept (goats are known to be
able to climb trees). Distribution of browse above the ground is extremely variable and
depends on many factors: nature and botanical composition of the "trub" layer, kind of
present and past management applied to it (trimming, lopping, etc.). In central Mali, for
instance, Hiernaux and Cisse (1983) estimated that about 50 percent of the browse is
located between the ground and a height of 2m, 30 percent between 2 and 3 m, and some 20
percent above 3 m. The horizontal distribution is also of relevance since the woody layer is
usually not randomly distributed but follows a pattern more or less linked to runoff and
drainage. This horizontal distribution, in turn, affects the nature of the species which are
present and therefore affects livestock behaviour as well as the practices of the herder who
will seek particular species in their preferred sites.
In the Sahel, browse species consist of groups with specific characteristics which
determine the type of management required (Gillet, 1986). Thus one could differentiate
those species having permanent or quasi-permanent green leaves such as Maerua
crassifolia, Balanites aegyptiaca, Boscia senegalensis, B. agustifolia, B. salicifolia, Cadaba
glandulosa and Salvadora persica (which all belong to the family Capparidaceae except
Balanites and Salvadora).
Then there are those species which leaf early at the end of the dry season (precession of
leafing) such as Commiphora africana; these are used only for a short period in June-July
before green grass becomes available. Commiphora africana is, therefore, a most important
species at this particular time of the year, which is the most critical in the annual cycle when
there is little feed available elsewhere and animals are emaciated by nine months of dry
season and malnutrition. Moreover, females that are usually in a late stage of pregnancy at
this time need protein-rich diets which only Commiphora can supply at that time.
The winter flowering species also play a significant role as the flowers, shoots, young
leaves and young fruits are consumed then. This is the case, for instance, with several
Combretaceae (Combretum, Terminalia) and also with some of the Sudanian species such
as Gardenia erubescens (Rubiaceae).
Species which set leaves right at the onset of the rains, such as Combretum aculeatum
and Feretia apodanthera, also need to be differentiated. These are also keenly sought
species at a time of scarcity, and they play a role somewhat similar to Commiphora but in a
somewhat different way. They are browsed throughout the rainy season and the first half of
the dry season, whereas Commiphora is ignored as soon as green grass is available, and
sheds its leaves soon after the last September rain.
A fifth group is composed of species whose foliage is lopped and fed to penned or
household animals, or prestige animals (household sheep — "moutons de case" — and
horses). Among these, there are five main species in West Africa: Pterocarpus lucens,
particularly in Mali and Niger, Pterocarpus erinaceus in southern Senegal, Khaya
senegalensis in several countries, Terminalia avicennoides in Niger, and Acacia albida in
many countries of Africa.
A last group includes the species usually found around termitaria which remain green
longer in the dry season than in the surrounding bush; they are therefore important browse
species, particularly Grewia bicolor, Grewiavillosa, Boscia salicifolia, Maerua oblongifolia,
Feretia apodanthera.
The screen function

The screen function is obvious from field observations: animals and people seek shade at
midday when shade temperatures may reach 35-45° C. In depleted rangelands of the arid
and semi-arid zone, grass-layer production is usually much higher (up to twice or more)
under shade than in the open; and it remains green 4-6 weeks longer at the end of the rainy
season. Measurements in the semi-arid zone of Botswana (25° S, 25° 50' E; 550 mm; 1,000 m
altitude) over several years showed that under the canopy of Peltophorum africana, Acacia
tortilis and Grewiaflava, solar radiation and windspeed were reduced by about 50 percent
as compared to a nearby open test area. As a consequence, potential evapotranspiration

was reduced by 70 percent under the canopy, while the continuous grass layer of Panicum
maximum had a production 26 percent higher when grazed and 12 percent when ungrazed
(Pratchell, personal communication). Bille (1977) reported a production of the grass layer
twice as large in the shade as compared to the open in the Sahel of Senegal (combined
production of grass and shrubs). The photosynthetic efficiency during the growing season
was 1.4 percent, whereas it barely reached 0.3 percent in the surrounding open grassland
(global radiation 180 kcal c m 2 yr"1 (752 kJ); incident radiation 90 kcal c m 2 yr_1 (376.2
kJ); 1 g DM = 4.2 kcal cnT 2 yr ' (17.6 kJ); NPP = 125 percent of maximum standing crop).
The efficiency of the system was thus 4.6 times greater in the multistorey vegetation
structure as compared to a monostratum grass layer. These facts, however, should not be
overgeneralized as there are instances where shrub cover may reduce production from
grassland understorey, particularly when the ecosystem is in a good dynamic status (Le
Houerou, 1984).
Present trends in African silvopastoral systems

All monitoring studies in the Sahel and East Africa show a considerable regression of the
woody cover over the past 30 years, caused by a combination of two phenomena:
prolonged droughts from 1970 to 1985 and over-utilization resulting from the growth of
human and stock populations which has been occurring at a rate of about 2.5 percent per
annum. The comparison of aerial photographs taken at about 20-year intervals has given
absolute proof of the substantial decline of the tree and shrub cover in Chad, Sudan, Niger,
Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya. The decline has been of the
order of 20-35 percent between 1954 and 1975 and has accelerated since the early 1980s
(Gaston, 1975; Haywood, 1981; De Wispelaere, 1980; De Wispelaere and Toutain, 1976;
Gaston, 1981; Lamprey, 1975,1983; Lusigi, 1981; Boudet, 1972,1977; Le Houerou, 1977,
1980a, 1981b; Peyre de Fabregues, 1985; Peyre de Fabregues and De Wispelaere, 1984;
Gillet, 1986; Le Houerou and Gillet, 1986). These results are confirmed by field surveys over
the whole Sahel; for instance the mean mortality of trees and shrubs during the 1969-1973
drought has been estimated at 40-50 percent. Over some areas the die-off was total.
Detailed research on the functioning of the Sahelian ecosystems, conducted at Fete Ole in
northern Senegal over a period of 10 years, including the 1969-1973 drought, showed an
average mortality of 20 percent under conditions of total protection (Bille, 1977, 1978;
Poupon, 1980). Naturally, under current conditions of overexploitation the situation is
much worse, with mortalities often reaching 50 percent. A study of the ligneous population
in Fete Ole showed that 30 years of total protection would be required to offset the effects of
the 1969-1973 drought and to bring the production back to its pre-drought level (Bille,
1978). But the subsequent 1980-1985 period was far worse (Tucker et al, 1986; Le Houerou
and Gillet, 1985; Peyre de Fabregues, 1985). According to most ecologists familiar with the
Sahel situation, the Sahel might never recover from these two consecutive droughts (Peyre
de Fabregues and De Wispelaere, 1986). The lack of regeneration after the droughts can be
explained by three main factors:
1. A great many trees were badly pruned or lopped in order to provide fodder for stock
during the drought. Many trees did not survive this treatment, mainly because cutting
was done over the whole canopy or using methods which permanently damaged it.
Even if the trees survived this treatment they were not able to withstand any subsequent
bush fires (Piot, 1980);
2. The small quantity of seeds and seedlings produced were immediately eaten out by
hungry stock;
3. Individual trees or shrubs in areas near the dry limit of their geographic distribution
suffered most; whole stands died off and regeneration is thus most unlikely. This is the
case, for instance, with Sclerocarya birrea, Commiphora africana, Guiera senegalensis
and others in the Ferlo of Senegal (Piot and Diaite, 1983;).
4. Firewood gathering has disastrous effects on browse and the development of
populations of browse species. Wilson (1980) showed that the small town of Niono in
Central Mali, with a population of 15,000 inhabitants (growing at 12 percent annually)
consumed the equivalent of the browse production of 37,000 hectares of Pterocarpus
lucens as firewood annually. This species is one of the best, if not the best browse
species of the Sahel: its foliage is sold on the markets. If the present demographic
growth of the town remains unchanged over the next 15 years, the firewood
consumption will reach the equivalent of the production of 400,000 hectares of browse
annually, thus reducing the stocking capacity of the neighbourhood by 60,000 head of
cattle since there is little, if any; regeneration of Pterocarpus under the present-day
conditions of exploitation.
Assuming that there will be three drought periods in the next hundred years — there
have been four since the beginning of the present century — it is to be feared that the
ligneous cover of the Sahel will be reduced to close to zero within the next 50 years (unless
continuous regeneration could be ensured through good management). Such regeneration
being virtually non-existent as environmental degradation worsens, the Sahel would
become unexploitable by livestock outside the rainy season, unless animals are fed
concentrates and/ or urea and minerals in order to offset the shortage of browse. Of course,
such complementary feeding is possible in principle as it is used in other arid regions,
though under totally different socio-economic conditions. However, this solution is not
likely to be a viable one in the Sahel or under East African socio-economic conditions in the
foreseeable future because of cost/benefit considerations and the lack of adequate
managerial skills. Given current meat producer prices and prevailing offtake rates in
pastoral production systems, scarcely any investment is economically feasible (though
slight differences exist between countries in this respect). In fact, one cannot see any way in
which livestock could be supplemented for 8-9 months of the year with the present prices of
meat and concentrates (De Montgolfier-Kouevi and Le Houdrou, 1980; Le Houeiou,
1987b).
The destruction of the ligneous cover of browse species would therefore lead to a
dead-end for the livestock industry in the Sahel and in large parts of East Africa before the
middle of next century, if not earlier, if population growth continues unabated. Generally
speaking, the situation is not yet as desperate in East Africa as it is in the Sahel; but locally it
may be just as bad, particularly in Somalia, south-east and north-east Ethiopia and
northern Kenya. An unmistakable indicator of environmental deterioration is when
traditional cattle and sheep pastoralists shift to rearing camels and goats, that is from
grazers to browsers. Some ethnic groups such as the Rendille and Samburu of northern
Kenya have already made this shift.
INDIGENOUS SHRUBS AND TREES IN THE SILVOPASTORAL SYSTEMS OF AFRICA !53
Conclusions
As indicated previously, for nutritional and economic reasons, browse should represent
20 25 percent of domestic ruminants' intake (30 percent in the dry season, 5 percent in the
rainy season) in the arid and semi-arid silvopastoral areas of Africa. How could such a
balance be ensured? Or, to put it in another way, how could sound management be
established on the principle of sustained maximum output? Such an objective would
require a careful and co-ordinated course of action.
At the conceptual and planning level, the philosophy and objectives ought to be clearly
defined, and the strategy and means to attain the objective targets should be clearly spelt out
at the outset and selected and described. This implies a dynamic livestock policy, including
stratification of the industry, a marketing and a price policy giving a fair share to the
producer, and also promotion of quality products.
At the technical execution level, in the field, the problem is theoretically simple — if not
easy. It is, after all, a question of adapting stocking rates to the carrying capacity of the
ecosystem, that is an offtake of the primary production of not more than 25-30 percent. In
practice this would mean that human and animal densities would be controlled and that
simple techniques such as deferred grazing, periodic enclosures and the adaptation of
watering regimes to the density and seasonal occurrence of watering points would be
applied. Of course, this kind of management implies choices and daily decisions, i.e., the
notion of responsibility. Yet the present situation in dry Africa is characterized by a general
lack of responsibility at resource-management level, in other words in communal or
common ownership of land and water.
Water and pasture are actually common or public resources, whereas animals are
privately owned, so it is in every user's interest to draw a maximum and immediate profit
from the common resource without bothering about what may happen to it in the long run.
Such a situation results in destruction of the common resources in the long run for the sake
of the individual's own immediate benefit. This has been labelled the "looting strategy" (Le
Houerou, 1977), or the "tragedy of the commons" (Hardin, 1968).
It is quite obvious that no rational system of any kind can be implemented without the
concept of responsible management, whether by individuals or groups. Meeting these
responsibilities involves fundamental land reforms in terms of land tenure, and of land and
water usufruct. Such systems, on a collective basis, existed long ago in pre-colonial Africa
but with a much lower density of human and animal population so that they resulted in a
fairly steady balance between the resources and their utilization. This equilibrium, which
was certainly not ideal as regards productivity, human dignity or social justice, is badly
endangered today by severe overutilization. If drastic socio-political reforms are not
implemented without delay in order to ensure the rational management of shrubland
ecosystems, the arid and semi-arid zones of Africa will have to face a very deep crisis
threatening their present main resource.
The situation in the subhumid and humid eco-climatic zones is certainly less gloomy,
and development prospects are much better, at least on deep soils. But what will happen to
the immense areas of shrublands and forests growing on shallow ferruginous or lateritic
(ferralitic) hardpans? At present browse plays an important part in livestock production,
especially during the second half of the dry seasons.
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Whyte, R.0.1974. The use and misuse of shrubs and trees as fodder: Africa. Joint publication No. 10,
Imperial Agricultural Bureaux, Bureau of Pasture, Field Crops Forestry and Nutrition,
Aberystwyth, Wales.
10
Homegardens:
a traditional agroforestry system
with a promising future
Otto Soemarwoto
Director
Institute of Ecology, Padjadjaran University
Bandung, Indonesia
Contents.
Introduction
The homegarden as an agroforestry system
The structure and composition of homegardens
The function of homegardens
Soil erosion under homegardens
Prospects and pitfalls
References
Introduction
Homegardens may have originated in prehistoric times when hunters and gatherers
deliberately or accidentally dispersed seeds of highly valued fruit trees in the vicinity of their
camp sites (Hutterer, 1984). Brownrigg (1985) in his literature review, mentioned that
homegardens in the Near Eastern region were documented in paintings, papyrus
illustrations and texts dating to the third millenium BC. These ancient gardens may have
originated as early as the seventh millenium BC. They were attached to temples, palaces,
elite residences and the homes of the common people. The homegarden was mentioned in
an old Javanese charter of AD 860 (Terra, 1954). Perhaps the first published report in
modern times was that by Raffles in 1818.
From this very brief historical sketch there is evidence that homegardening is a very old
tradition which may have evolved over a long time from the practices of the hunters/
gatherers and continued in the ancient civilizations up to modern times.
This chapter is not intended to present a literature review of homegardens, but rather to
discuss their salient features, based on the author's experience in Indonesia, as related to
their potential and opportunities for future development, and the associated constraints
and pitfalls.
T h e h o m e g a r d e n as an agroforestry system
A common interpretation of homegardens is that it is a system for the production of

subsistence crops for the gardener and his family. It may or may not have the additional role
of production of cash crops. It can be immediately surrounding the home or slightly further
away, but still near the residential area. The Indonesian term pekarangan is derived from
the .word karang, meaning a place of residence (Poerwadarminta, 1976) and, hence,
pekarangan specifically refers to a garden on the residential site.
The term agroforestry denotes land-use systems consisting of a mixture of perennials
and annuals, and often also animals. A major concern in agroforestry research is
sustainability (Lundgren and Raintree, 1983). It is determined by the structure of the
system, its ecological functions and its continued ability to fulfil the socio-economic needs
of the people. Thus, as is implied by the term, homegarden as an agroforestry system should
ideally combine the ecological functions of forests with those of providing the socio-
economic needs of the people (Soemarwoto and Soemarwoto, 1984). The ecological
functions of forests include hydrologic benefits, microclimatic modification and soil-
erosion control, and genetic-resource conservation.
The structure a n d composition of homegardens
Structure is intimately linked to function. Although this relationship is obvious, too often
we ignore it. Not surprisingly, manipulations of structure have often led to the loss of
valuable functions, or vice versa, which in turn has resulted in conditions contrary to our
expectations or even collapse of the system.
A prominent structural characteristic of the homegarden is the great diversity of species
with many life forms varying from those creeping on the ground, such as the sweet potato,
to tall trees often metres and more, e.g., the coconut palm, and vines climbing on bamboo
poles and trees. These create the forest-like multistorey canopy structure of many
homegardens. Well-known examples are those from Java, but they are also found in other
parts of Asia such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, as well as in
other continents. For example, at the First International Workshop on Tropical
Homegardens held at the Institute of Ecology in Bandung in December 1985, such systems
were reported from the Pacific, from Africa, and from Latin America by various authors.
Such land-use systems are also abundantly reported in the literature (e.g., Anderson, 1954;
Kimber, 1973; Fernandes et ah, 1984). Fernandes and Nair (1986) gave schematic
presentations of the structure of different homegardens from various geographical regions
and reported that the canopies of most homegardens consisted of two to five layers.
Christanty et al. (1980) demonstrated the remarkably close resemblance of the light-
interception curve of a homegarden in West Java with that of the Pasoh forest in Malaysia,
as measured by Yoda(1974). These measurements provide an objective and precise method
for the identification of the canopy layers. The forest-like structure is also derived from the
lack of a discernible planting pattern: usually there are no rows, blocks or definite planting
HOMEGARDENS: A TRADITIONAL AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM 159
distances among components. To the casual observer, homegardens look haphazard.

A popular assumption is that the forest-like structure has been the result of deliberate
planning to mimic the forest. This is doubtful, since in Java, where such homegarden
structure is very well developed, forests do not have a high cultural value. They are
considered dangerous places where wild animals roam and evil spirits dwell. On the other
hand bahadalas (forest clearing), e.g., for the establishment of a settlement, is considered a
noble deed. The term babad alas still remains in the Javanese vocabulary to indicate
pioneering activities of a praiseworthy nature, e.g., the foundation of a university. It is
therefore inconceivable that people would deliberately create a "forest" in the surroundings
of their home. Indeed a person feels offended when his homegarden is said to resemble a
forest. It is more likely that the forest-like structure has been an accidental result of people's
efforts to fulfil their many kinds of subsistence needs in the absence of a market economy.
Karyono (1981) found associations of plants in rural homegardens in which the plants
played complementary roles. For example, Table 1 lists the various economic plants with
which pineapple is associated in the homegardens in rural areas of Citarum watershed,
West Java, Indonesia.
Table 1 Association of pineapple (Ananas comosus) with various other plants in the
homegardens in rural areas of Citarum watershed, West Java, Indonesia.
Associated plant Economic use
Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) Spice

Hibiscus spp. Ornamental
Ginger (Zingiber officinarum) Medicinal, spice, cash crop
Muntingia calabura Shade, fuelwood
Crescentia cujete Medicinal, construction material
Banana (Musa spp.) Fruit, subsidiary staple food, cash crop
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophylla) Fruit, fuelwood, timber
Mango (Mangifera indicd) Fruit, fuelwood, cash
Custard apple (Anona squamosa) Fruit, fuelwood, cash
Taro (Colocasia spp.) Subsidiary staple food
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Medicinal, spice, cash
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) Subsidiary staple food, animal feed
Pithecellobium jiringa Fruit, vegetable, cash, fuelwood
Sandoricum koetjape Fruit, medicinal, construction material
Source: Karyono, 1981.
With the development of a market economy the complexity of the homegarden

diminishes, and its resemblance to a forest tends to disappear, as described in a later section.
Species diversity and plant density vary from place to place, influenced by ecological
and socio-economic factors. Kimber (1973) found 31, 30 and 67 species in three gardens in
Martinique. The smallest garden was about 1,500 sq m. In Grenada there were 18 vegetable
varieties and 13 distinct types of food trees in a sample garden of less than 2,000 sq m
(Brierley, 1985). Thaman (1985) reported from random surveys of homegardens in Port
Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Suva, Fiji; Nuku'alva, Tonga; South Tarawa, Kiribati;
Nauru Island; and the "Location" contract settlement on Nauru at least 85,114,79,61,33
and 65 different species and distinct varieties of food plants, respectively, in the
homegardens in those areas. In addition, a very wide range of non-food plants was found in
mixed homegardens which were of considerable importance for handicraft, fuel, medicine,
fibre, dyes, ornamental purposes, perfumes and deodorants, livestock feed, and shade and
construction materials. A total of 100 species were found in kitchen gardens and 77 species
in hut gardens (a hut being a temporary shelter built in the field during the growing season
of the field crop) in the Knon Kaen province in north-east Thailand (Kamtuo et at, 1985).
The dynamics of species succession and plant density and composition of homegardens
have been intensively studied by Indonesian researchers. In a West Javanese village of 41
households the average number of plant species per homegarden was 56. The total number
of species in the village was 219 in the dry season and 272 in the wet season, i.e., an increase
of almost 25 percent in the wet season. The highest increase was in the number of vegetable
species, which was almost 75 percent in the wet season. The number of spice plants also
increased considerably during the wet season, although the number of species remained
constant. Another steep increase was in the number of subsidiary staple food plants.
Obviously the villagers were taking as much advantage as possible of the rains.
In an extensive survey from the lowlands to the highlands of West Java, Karyono
(1981) recorded that the average size of 351 homegardens sampled was 229.1 m2. The size
decreased with altitude. The total number of species found in the survey was 501 in the dry
season and 560 in the wet season, with a cumulative number of 602 in the two seasons. The
average number of species in the dry season was 19.0 per homegarden and 24 in the wet
season. Species density was 8/100 m2 in the wet season. The highest number of species per
homegarden was in the altitude between 500 and 1,000 m, species density increasing with
increasing altitudes.
Both the number of species and the number of plants were highest in the lowest canopy
layer, being 62 percent and 35 percent, respectively, of their total numbers and gradually
decreasing to 1 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in the highest layer. However, the
highest canopy coverage was found in the fourth layer from the ground.
Poor people tend to grow more staple crops, vegetables and fruit trees, whereas well-off
people grow more ornamentals and high-economic-value cash crops (Ahmad et at, 1980).
Generally, in the more remote areas more subsistence crops are grown and nearer cities the
number of cash crops increases. When labour is scarce, people grow more perennials and
less annuals since perennials require less labour than annuals (Stoler, 1975). Penny and
Singarimbun (1973) observed that when there were not many off-farm jobs, people spent
more time on their homegardens and crop diversity increased. A similar situation was
found in a widow's garden in Nicoya (Wagner, 1958).
Culture and tradition are the other factors which influence homegarden composition.
In a village on the border between West and Central Java, where the traditions of the
Sundanese and the Javanese meet, more vegetables were found in the Sundanese
homegardens than in the Javanese ones, but more medicinal plants in the Javanese than in
the Sundanese (Abdoellah, 1980). It is known that the Sundanese have a strong preference
for vegetables in their diet, while the Javanese customarily consume yamu, i.e., traditional
herbal medicine for curative and other purposes. Terra (1954) concluded from his extensive
studies that intensive homegardening was found in societies with matrilinear traits, e.g., in
Central Java, West Sumatra, Aceh, southern Burma, in the Kasi region of Assam in India,
in northern Thailand, Kampuchea and in some parts of the mountain ranges between
Vietnam and Kampuchea. In the Muslim districts of southern Ethiopia, tobacco, coffee
and drugs were intensively cultivated, but they were absent from the homegardens in
Christian northern Ethiopia (Simoons, 1965).
Homegardens commonly have animals as components. Brownrigg's literature review
(1985) indicated that animals were found in virtually all types of gardens, e.g., poultry,
including doves, and fish in the Near-East homegardens, and poultry and livestock in the
Luso-Latin and Caribbean homegardens. Other examples of homegardens with animals
are the Chagga gardens in Tanzania (Fernandes et al, 1985), the homegardens in Ghana
(Asare et al, 1985), Grenada (Brierley, 1985), Indonesia (Soemarwoto et al, 1975;
Soemarwoto and Soemarwoto, 1984), Kerala, India (Nair and Sreedharan, 1986) and
Bangladesh (Leuschner and Khalique, 1987).
Culture, religion, and economic and ecological factors influence the animal species kept
in the homegardens. In Muslim regions, pigs are an absolute taboo, e.g., in West Java and
Aceh, but they are very common in the non-Muslim regions, e.g., in Christian North
Sumatra and in Bali, Indonesia, where the dominant religion is Hinduism. In West Java
with its high rainfall and long wet season, people almost always make a fishpond in their
homegardens.
The function of homegardens

The interest in homegardens has primarily been focused on their function of producing
subsistence items and generating additional income. They are known for their stable yields,
very varied products, continuous or repeated harvests during the year and low inputs.
Although light intensities decline in the successive layers because of the stratified structure
of the canopies, Christanty et al. (1980) showed that there was no appreciable decrease in
photosynthetic rates. Field experiments demonstrated that in these lower layers the yields
were still satisfactory (Omta and Fortuin, 1978; Noor, 1981). Obviously the lower-storey
plants were selected for their shade tolerance. This shows that the people are capable of
effectively utilizing the spatial niches of the homegardens. However, their yields are
generally low, although for poor people they can significantly contribute income and/or
nutrients to their minimal income and poor diet, particularly during lean periods. For these
reasons homegardens are being promoted in many countries, e.g., in Lima, Peru (Ninez,
1985), Ghana (Asare et al, 1985), the Pacific Islands (Falanruw, 1985; Sommers, 1985;
Thaman, 1984), Sri Lanka (Jacob and Alles, 1987) and Indonesia.
The Lima gardens, with an average size of 200 sq m, produced an income of US $ 28.33
in five months. Not impressive, but still it added almost 10 percent to the family income
during that period (Ninez, 1985). Higher productivity has also been reported. In Indonesia,
homegardens can contribute 7-56 percent of the owner's total income (Ochse and Terra,
1937; Ramsay and Wiersum, 1974; Ahmad et al, 1980; Danoesastro, 1980). Homegardens
may also produce higher incomes than other land uses. Gonzales-Jacomes (1981) found
that in Central Mexico the average income per square metre of homegarden was almost 13
times that of irrigated plots. From our studies it was estimated that in West Java the annual
income from homegarden fishponds per unit area was 2-2.5 times that of rice fields, and
in tourist areas, where homegardeners sold ornamental plants in pots or plastic bags, the
average income could reach almost 20 times that of rice fields. In a study by Stoler (1975) in
a village in Central Java, the cash value of production from homegardens was found to be
influenced by the size of the homegarden units, the smallest gardens being relatively more
productive. She also found that there was an inverse relationship between labour, in terms
of hours worked per hectare, and garden size, i.e., there was more labour input in smaller
homegardens than in larger ones.
Indonesian data are illustrative of the relationship between productivity and cost.
Ochse and Terra (1937) calculated that in Kutowingangun, a village in Central Java, 44
percent of the total calories and 14 percent of the protein consumed came from the
homegardens, but only 8 percent of the total costs and 7 percent of the total labour were
spent on them. Terra and Satiadiredja (1941) reported that in the same area the gross
income as well as net income from homegardens was more than that from dry fields though
less than that from rice fields. Similarly, Danoesastro (1980) reported that in three
sub-districts in East Java the percentage values of average gross income from homegardens
was 39 for rice fields and 72 for dry fields, but the average net income (percentage values)
was 84 for the rice fields and 184 for the dry fields. The figures of net income from
homegardens varied from 6.6 to 55.7 percent of total income with an average of 21.1, while
the cost of production ranged from 4.7 to 28.5 percent of gross income from homegardens
(with an average of 15.1). The cost of production from rice fields varied between 47.4 and
66.6 percent, with an average of 55.9 percent of gross income from this form of land use.
Thus, the cost of production of homegardens was much lower compared with that of rice
fields.
Ahmad et al. (1980) observed that income from homegardens before the rice harvest,
the so-called paceklik or lean period, was 25.5 percent of total income, and declined during
and immediately after the rice harvest to only 6.4 percent of total income. Terra and
Satisdiredja (1941) reported that income from homegardens increased sharply before Idhul
Fitri, the major Muslim festival, when people needed more cash. These fluctuations show
the versatility of homegardens for meeting varying needs at different times of the year.
Because of this, the homegarden is popularly known in Indonesia as lumbung hidup (living
store).
It has also been recognized that homegardens are an important source of nutrients.
Covich and Nickerson (1966) reported that consumption of lOOg each of Manilkara
sapotilla, Persea americana, Manihot esculenta and Guilielmcf utilis grown in Choco
Indian dwelling clearings inDarien, Panama, was equivalent to approximately 10,12,150,
15.5, 31, 25 and 113 percent of the minimum daily requirement of protein, calcium,
carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid, respectively. Homegardens in
villages in Lawang, East Java, produced a daily average of 398.4 calories, 22.8 g protein,
16.4 g fat, 185 g carbohydrate, 818.4 mg calcium, 555 mg phosphorus, 14 mg iron, 8,362 IU
vitamin A, 1,181.2 mg vitamin B and 305 mg vitamin C (Haryadi, 1975). Similar results
were reported from the Philippines and Nigeria (Fernandes and Nair, 1986). In Indonesia,
the author and co-workers have found that rice fields gave higher yields of protein and
calories than homegardens, but more calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C were obtained
from homegardens than from rice fields. As mentioned earlier, Ochse and Terra (1937)
reported that homegardens could supply up to 18 percent of the calories and 14 percent of
the protein consumed in the whole village.
In general, a large proportion of the products of homegardens is consumed by the
gardeners themselves. This is especially true in remote areas where the market economy has
not yet developed. Danoesastro (1980) reported that in his study area in Central and East
Java, products consumed varied from 21 to 85 percent, with an average of 44, while in
Stoler's (1975) study, an average of 67 percent was consumed. Stoler noted that the cash
value of the produce consumed was, on average, 16 percent of total consumption with a
breakdown of 12,17 and 19 percent, respectively, for the smallest, the medium-sized and
the largest homegarden groups. Ahmad et al. (1980) reported that the percentage of total
produce consumed by the household were as follows: fruit 46, coconut 83.7, vegetables
94.7, medicinal plants 95.5, and tubers and roots 97.3. Other important products for home
consumption are fuelwood, construction material and materials for handicraft and home
industry.
The socio-cultural functions of homegardens have not received much attention so far.
In many areas products for religious rituals and ceremonies are very important, e.g., in Bali
and Thailand. Thaman (1985) noted the importance of sacred or fragrant plants in
homegardens. He gave a list of 35 plant species considered sacred in Tonga. There is an
abundance of examples from all parts of the world of plants and animals considered sacred
or supposed to possess magical or mystical powers. They play a very important role in the
lives of the people. In areas where the market economy has developed, many of these plants
and animals also have economic importance because of the demand for them in daily rituals
and particularly during major festivals. In cities, the aesthetic role of homegardens is
important.
Studies in villages in West Java have shown that homegardens are an important
social-status symbol (Ahmad et al, 1980). People who do not have a homegarden and,
hence, have to build their house on someone else's homegarden, are considered of low
status. In traditional Indonesian villages, people can freely enter homegardens, e.g., to get
water from a well, or just to pass through them. Although there may be fences around them,
they are seldom completely closed nor are there locked gates. The concept of trespassing
does not exist. Those who close off their gardens completely are considered conceited.
Fruits and other products are traditionally shared with relatives and neighbours, and
products for religious or traditional ceremonies and medicine are given away freely when
requested. However, this equitable social situation is now gradually changing (see a later
section in this chapter).
A homegarden is also an important place for children to play and for adults to
congregate in their free time. For this purpose a small part of the homegarden is kept clean
(not planted), e.g., the so-called barium in West Java or pelataran in Central Java. It is
shaded by some trees planted at the edges. The owner of the homegarden is responsible for
the safety of all children who play there. Young people who get married may build their
homes on their parents' homegarden. Thus homegardens play an important role in family
and community life. They are more than just a production system.
Soil erosion under homegardens

The ecological functions of homegardens have generally been taken for granted and only
mentioned in passing. The protective effect of the homegarden on soil erosion has been
deduced from its multistorey structure. However, the relationship between canopy
structure and soil erosion is complex.
Soil erosion consists of two processes, i.e., splash and surface erosion. Splash erosion is
the detachment of soil particles from the soil surface by the kinetic energy of falling water
drops, which in homegardens are drops of throughfall, i.e., water dripping from the
canopies. The kinetic energy of a falling drop is determined by its mass and velocity
(Chapman, 1948). Williamson (1981) showed that the volume of a drop bears a linear
relationship to the logarithm of the width of the driptips of leaves — the wider the driptips
the larger the volume. Therefore, throughfall from canopies with leaves which on the
average have large driptips has high kinetic energy. Due to gravitational force, the velocity
of the falling drop is accelerated. However, as the velocity increases the drag force of the air,
working in the opposite direction of the movement, also increases until an equilibrium is
reached between gravitational force and drag, at which time the velocity becomes constant
— the so-called terminal velocity. At a free-fall distance of 7.8 metres, 95 percent of the
terminal velocity has been attained (Laws, 1941). Hence, a canopy base that is more than 8
metres high does not have much additional effect on the velocity of the falling drop.
However, there are large differences in the drop's velocity with canopy heights lower than 8
metres and, therefore, its kinetic energy. Consequently, when a homegarden has a
multilayer structure, with the lowest canopy base being about 3 metres high and the leaves
not having narrow driptips, the protective effect on splash erosion will be much less than in
a homegarden with tall trees and a very low closed undergrowth with narrow driptips.
Litter also provides effective protection against the erosive force of falling drops.
Surface erosion is the removal of soil from the surface by water running over it. The
erosive force of running water is also determined by its mass and velocity. Litter reduces the
run-off coefficient by increasing infiltration and thus decreases the mass of the overland
flow and, hence, also its erosive force.
Measurements of the erosivity of throughfall in multilayered homegardens showed that
it was 135 percent of incident rainfall (Ambar, 1986). But splash erosion was only 80 percent
of that in an open space. The reduction of splash erosion in the homegardens was due to the
low-growing crops and litter. Ambar made similar measurements in monoculture bamboo
groves which did not have an undergrowth but with the ground being covered with a mat of
litter. The erosivity of throughfall was 127 percent of incident rainfall, but the splash erosion
was only 47 percent of that in an open space. Therefore, although the bamboo groves did
not have a multilayer structure, the splash erosion was very much reduced by the Utter. The
lower erosivity of throughfall in the bamboo groves compared to that in the homegardens
was the result of the narrower driptips of bamboo leaves compared with the average width
of those in homegardens.
In another experiment, splash erosion was measured in a mixed garden, in a bamboo
grove and in an open space where the weeds and htter had been removed (Soemarwoto and
Soemarwoto, 1984). The erosion in an intact mixed garden and bamboo grove was
minimal, while in the open, erosion increased sharply with higher rainfall intensities. When
the litter and lower-level crops of the mixed garden and the Utter of the bamboo grove were
removed, erosion increased significantly in both types of garden. The erosion curve of the
mixed garden was a function of rainfaU intensity and was greater than that of the bamboo
grove. This again was due to the narrow driptips of the bamboo leaves. Clearly the erosive
effect of throughfall in agroforestry systems is generally higher than that of incident rainfaU
and driptip, undergrowth and, especiaUy, Utter are important factors in reducing the rate of
erosion in such systems (Wiersum, 1984).
Animals in homegardens are important elements in the cycling of matter. In West
Javanese villages plants, goats, sheep, horses, chicken and fish, and also man, are
components of the recycUng of wastes. In non-Mushm regions the pig plays the role offish.
Thus man is an integral part of the trophic system from which he obtains nutrients and
income (Soemarwoto et al, 1975). NaturaUy, there is a health hazard attached to this
recycling system. Therefore, although the recycling of wastes does present an exceUent
opportunity for the efficient use of resources and helps in the maintenance of soil fertiUty, it
should not be accepted uncriticaUy.
Prospects and pitfalls

The fact that homegardens have existed for many centuries, if not millenia, in some parts of
the world shows that they are ingrained in the tradition and culture of the peoples in those
regions. In some parts at least they have not shown any decline, e.g., in Indonesia. Data
from Java show that the total area under homegardens has increased from 1.398 million ha
in 1933 to 1.417 million ha in 1937 (Terra, 1953)and 1,554 million ha in 1980 (Government
of Indonesia, 1982), representing, respectively, 18.0, 18.1 and 18.5 percent of the total
agricultural land. In areas which suffer from heavy soil erosion, such as in the upper Solo
River basin in Central Java, there are no visual symptoms of soil erosion under
homegardens while the fields outside the village are heavily eroded. In a short survey in the
Phu Wai watershed in Khon Kaen, north-eastern Thailand, the author and his team also
observed that in the plantation forests and upland fields there was slight-to-severe soil
erosion, but there was almost no erosion under the homegardens. Homegardens are also a
rich genetic resource. Therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that homegardens are a
sustainable production system. Their socio-cultural functions and the recycling systems
also contribute to their sustainability. However, in general, this sustainability prevails under
conditions of low yield and input. Therefore, if we wish to use the homegardens as a major
tool to raise the standard of living of the people to satisfactory levels, the question arises
whether the yield and the income from homegardens can be significantly increased without
sacrificing their sustainability.
The earlier-mentioned unpublished studies of Stoler showed that homegardens
responded positively to higher inputs of labour. Moreover, introduction of new species as
well as high yielding and pest/disease-resistant varieties and/or selection of superior lines
from the existing stock, adoption of better planting techniques, and post-harvest
technology and marketing systems should be able to increase yield and income from
homegardens significantly.
Although many homegardens are traditional, especially in the rural areas, they are not
static but are capable of responding to new opportunities or adapting to new conditions.
For example, in samples of homegardens of transmigrants in Lampung, Sumatra, who
migrated from Tulungagung, East Java, we found a total of 138 species, while in the same
number of samples in their village of origin we found only 69 species. Of these 138 species,
96 were acquired locally by the transmigrants, and of these, 36 species had been obtained
from the local indigenous people. A majority of the transmigrants believed that local plants
grew better than the ones they took from their original village.
The homegardeners in the tourist areas who grow ornamental plants to cater to tourist
demand and obtain high economic returns are another example of the ability of traditional
people to respond to new opportunities.
There are many examples of introduction of higher inputs and improved technology in
homegardens, both spontaneously carried out by the people or stimulated by the
government. Improved strains of fish, rabbits, chickens, coconut, citrus, cloves and
vegetables have been widely introduced in Indonesian homegardens. The trees are planted
in rows and the annuals in blocks. Near to and in cities highly valued plants such as orchids
and animals such as poultry are raised. Fish and chickens are not left untended, but are fed
with high-quality feed, and the chickens are vaccinated against diseases. Chemical fertilizers
and pesticides are increasingly being used. Many homegardeners have benefited greatly
from this development to the extent that they obtain their income solely or primarily from
their gardens — an income which is sufficient to support a relatively comfortable life-style.
However, these developments also carry risks. These risks are associated with the
changes in the structure of homegardens, which in turn bring about changes in their
ecological as well as socio-economic functions. Paying attention solely to the tangible
economic and nutritional gains of homegardens, and agroforestry in general, runs the risk
of sacrificing the intangible ecological and social values. For example,. when market
demand and price offered for a certain plant product becomes high, the cultivation of that
species will spread, often replacing those species and varieties which are of little or no
immediate economic value. This causes a reduction in the complexity of the homegarden
and degeneration of its forest-like structure. In such processes of commercialization, the
highly nutritious, yet commercially less valuable local vegetables are usually the first ones to
go. It is not easy to achieve homegarden development with both nutritional and economic
advantages.
In homegardens with low species diversity, harvesting becomes more seasonal, instead
of continuous. Its multifunctional characteristics decline with a corresponding reduction in
its versatility. Its function as a living store from which one can harvest according to the
nature and time of need has been more or less lost. In these commercialized homegardens
control of species composition and harvest has changed from being internal, i.e., by the
gardeners themselves, to external, i.e., by the market forces.
Commercialization causes a decline in the diversity of species and/or varieties, and
consequently the process of genetic erosion sets in. For example, in the 1920s, 75 varieties of
mango had been reported in the Cirebon area in West Java; but in a recent survey in the
same area we found only 48 varieties. In Depok near Jakarta, where homegardeners have
specialized in commercial fruit growing, we found only one variety of mango in a sample of
15 homegardens. In the same samples we found four banana varieties, while in the rural
interior not far from Jakarta there were 25 varieties in a sample of the same number of
homegardens.
The dominance of a certain crop on the farm increases the risk of losses due to its
specific pests and diseases. Although sometimes a higher number of plant species can lead
to an increase of pest losses, the advantage of a species-rich polyculture is undoubtedly that
the risk of losses is spread among many species (Ewel, 1986).
In many homegardens with fruit trees, there are signs of soil erosion, even though these
homegardens are not monocultures and to a certain extent they still retain the layered
canopy structure but without the low-growing, ground-covering crops. Often there was no
litter on the ground which led to severe erosion, for example, where clove trees were
dominant and the leaves were collected to be distilled for their oil, and under coffee bushes
where clean weeding was practised to facilitate easy collection of the beans which fell on the
ground. Erosion was also often observed in homegardens in which vegetables were grown
in nutrition campaigns.
The availability of chemical fertilizers has reduced the need for organic manures.
Composting is deemed cumbersome and time consuming, and its opportunity cost is
considered high, while chemical fertilizers can be bought easily in large or small quantities,
as needed. As a result the extent and intensity of the recycling systems are declining. This
reduces the efficiency of resource use and in the long run will also affect soil structure and
fertility.
The social functions have also been lost to a greater or lesser extent. Fences are now
often built for security reasons. Sharing of the harvest and amenities of the garden, such as a
well, is no longer a common practice. Households have become more individualized and
less community-oriented. The concept of trespass is becoming more widespread.
Equitability has declined.
Refusal or resistance to improvement of the homegarden is also common. These

failures often happen when the opportunity cost is high, when the growth requirements are
not met, or when the introduced species conflict with the interest of the people. For
example, many poor people have to use the labour of the whole family, i.e., husband, wife
and children, to earn money and cannot spare the time for gardening, even though they
know they can get some additional income or nutritious food. Many vegetables, which have
been recommended in nutrition campaigns, require full sunlight or intensive cultivation for
their growth and, consequently, grow poorly in the shade or half-shade of trees or when
they are not well tended. These plants disappear soon after the campaign ends, or more
fortunately some of the heliophilic species or varieties end up being planted on the dykes of
rice fields.
An example of conflict between an introduced variety and the existing homegarden
structure and species association was the introduction of the rapid-growing and high-
yielding hybrid coconut. Traditionally the coconut, which requires full sunlight for
maximum production, occupied the highest canopy. But the hybrid variety has a low
growth habit and, hence, it displaces the fruit trees, while the spatial niche above this low
hybrid becomes empty. As a result these plants are only grown at the edges of homegardens,
just to please the government officers. (Also see Hoskins, this volume.)
From the above discussion we see that while there are many opportunities and
potentials for improving homegardens, there are many risks associated with it if we proceed
in a manner which only takes into account the economic and nutrition aspects. A system
has properties of productivity, stability, equitability and sustainability (Conway, 1985).
These are being changed. High-yielding, but high-input and high-risk, species and varieties
increase productivity, but at the expense of stability, equitability and sustainability. Pests
and diseases, market-price fluctuations and high seasonality reduce stability. High-yielding,
high-input, high-risk species and varieties tend to increase inequitability. Inequitability
adversely affects sustainability (Crosson, 1986). Soil erosion and loss of soil fertility and
genetic erosion also reduce sustainability. Consequently, sustainability is being jeopardized
and, hence, long-term gains become questionable.
Erosion hazards can be dealt with relatively easily since the factors influencing them are
well known. Good ground cover and litter, or mulch, are essential. Improved homegardens
should be designed and managed in such a way that they have both. Leaves with driptips
are beneficial and, as far as possible, efforts should be made to grow plants with such leaves.
A multilayer canopy structure is not a sine qua non, if the above requirements are fulfilled.
Therefore, we do not have to aim specifically at having such a structure. Usually terracing is
not necessary, since land for settlements is made flat to facilitate easy construction of the
houses. But terracing will be necessary for homegardens which are located on slopes.
The needs of the people, present and future, and taking into account their traditional
and religious beliefs and ecological conditions, should be the bases for the planning of
species and varietal composition. Whenever possible a combination of woody perennials
and annuals should be attempted since they combine the stability of a mature system and
the high productivity of an immature one. This would reduce the need for high inputs which
would therefore make such improved homegardens more accessible to the poor. Usually
the perennials play the role of cash crops and the annuals food. The perennial trees will also
help the poor through lean periods (Chambers and Longhurst, 1986).
Since homegardens are a part of the total agro-ecosystem and linkages exist between
them and the other parts of the system, i.e., the rice and the dry fields, their development
cannot be considered in isolation. Information on the agricultural calendar and the
seasonality of homegarden crops would enable us to design a species composition which

would improve the role of the homegarden so that it could fill in the troughs of the lean
periods and the seasonability of labour supply and demand. Considering the earlier-
mentioned study of Stoler (1975), presumably the smaller farmers would be more
responsive to providing more labour for homegarden improvement than the larger ones.
In conclusion we can say that homegardens do have a promising future. However, while
it is relatively easy to increase yields and income, there are difficult problems in achieving
long-term sustainability. These difficulties are both in the biophysical and in the socio-
economic realm. It is recommended that I C R A F look into these problems and stimulate
research to seek appropriate solutions.
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SECTION FOUR
Impact measurement and

technology transfer
11
Economic considerations
in agroforestry
J.E.M. Arnold
Oxford Forestry Institute
South Parks Road, Oxford
United Kingdom
Formerly: Chief, Policy and Planning Service
Forestry Department
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
Contents
Introduction
Benefits, costs and production objectives
Discussion
Conclusions
References
Introduction
Agroforestry systems have existed since the very beginnings of plant domestication. As
Ninez (1984) has pointed out, the description of the mythical Garden of Eden in Genesis II
is that of a homegarden, containing "every tree that is pleasant to sight and good for food".
The area from which that description was drawn, the early Mediterranean, is but one region
where agroforestry has long formed an important component of agriculture.
The established presence of agroforestry practices in many land-use systems today has
perhaps been overshadowed by concerns about particular contemporary problems that
underly much of recent interest in it. As a result, we may have been more concerned with
developing new or improved agroforestry practices to cope with such issues as fuelwood
shortages than with increasing our understanding of how existing activities function, and
what economic contributions they make. Yet some of the most dynamic changes that have
occurred in the recent past have been in existing agroforestry systems.
The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to examine selected existing agroforestry
practices, most with roots deep in the past, in order to try and identify the economic
considerations that have caused farmers to adopt them. This is approached by defining the
advantages that agroforestry practices appear to offer to farmers as an efficient means of
using available resources in order to meet their production goals.
The choice of situations examined here is largely determined by the availability of
sufficient information to permit such analyses. This is most heavily concentrated in two
agroforestry systems — homegardens and farm woodlots — which are reviewed in the first
part of the paper, together with the more limited information relating to more extensive
forms of agroforestry. In the second part, a number of general conclusions emerging from
this review are brought together and discussed in terms of possible future directions for
agroforestry research, projects and policies.
Benefits, costs a n d p r o d u c t i o n objectives
The literature about farming systems which incorporate agroforestry practices describes a
number of related benefits or opportunities and costs and constraints (e.g., FAO, 1978,
1985; Budowski, 1981; Arnold, 1983; Wiersum, 1981; Chambers and Longhurst, 1986).
The principal positive and negative economic features and the underlying hypotheses about
agroforestry are summarized in Table 1.
One hypothesis is that many agroforestry practices are characteristic of simple resource-
poor situations and are not easily adapted to more intensive agricultural practices. Another,
in a sense contradictory to the first, is that the competition between trees and food crops,
and the priority that they must give to meeting their basic food needs, will exclude poor
farmers with very little land from tree growing.
In the following section the results of economic studies of well-established homegarden
situations in Java (Indonesia), eastern Nigeria, and Kerala (India) are reviewed. In the
subsequent section, situations in which trees planted as fanner cash crops in parts of the
Philippines, India and Kenya are examined. In most of these, the cultivation of trees as a
share of total farm activity has recently been increasing, in most cases at a time of
heightening pressures on one or more of the farmer's resources of land, labour or capital. In
subsequent sections in the first part of the paper, where less intensive forms of agroforestry
are reviewed, the focus is again on changes which farmers are adopting that increase the
component of managed tree/crop activities.
Homegardens
Homegardens (also known as homestead and mixed gardens and as compound farms) are
usually located, where they exist at all, close to the household as one of the more intensively
cultivated parts of the overall farm. They are characterized by a mixture of several or many
annual or perennial species grown in association, and commonly exhibiting a layered
vertical structure of trees, shrubs and ground-cover plants, which recreates some of the
properties of nutrient recycling, soil protection and effective use of space above and below
the soil surface to be found in forests (Fernandes and Nair, 1986). Homegardens are widely
used to supplement outputs from other parts of the farm through the cultivation of a variety
of other subsistence and commercial crops (Ninez, 1984).
In Java, homegardens have long existed as the principal farming system on dry lands,
accounting for a substantial proportion of total land use, with irrigated rice cultivation
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS IN AGROFORESTRY 175
Table 1 The main benefits and costs of agroforestry
Benefits and opportunities Costs and constraints
Maintains or increases site productivity Reduces output of staple food crops

through nutrient recycling and soil where trees compete for use of arable
protection, at low capital and labour land and/or depress crop yields
costs through shade, root competition or
allelopathic interactions
Increases the value of output on a given
area of land through spatial or inter- Incompatibility of trees with agricultural
temporal intercropping of tree and practices such as free grazing, burning,
other species common fields, etc., which make it
difficult to protect trees
Diversifies the range of outputs from a
given area, in order to (a) increase Trees can impede cultivation of
self-sufficiency, or/ and (b) reduce the monocrops and introduction of
risk to income from adverse climatic, mechanization, and so (a) increase
biological or market impacts on labour costs in situations where the
particular crops latter is appropriate and/or (b) inhibit
advances in farming practices
Spreads the needs for labour inputs
more evenly seasonally so reducing Where the planting season is very
the effects of sharp peaks and troughs restricted, e.g., in arid and semi-arid
in activity characteristic of tropical conditions, demands on available
agriculture labour for crop establishment may
prevent tree planting
Provides productive applications for
underutilized land, labour or capital The relatively long production period of
trees delays returns beyond what may
Creates capital stocks available to meet be tenable for poor farmers, and
intermittent costs or unforeseen increase the risks to them associated
contingencies with insecurity of tenure
forming the other main component of the farm system. The gardens are traditionally
dominated by perennials rather than annuals, and by woody rather than herbaceous
growth (see Soemarwoto, this volume).
On farms with sufficient rice land to enable the household to meet its basic food needs,
priority in labour and capital allocation is given to this. The garden areas in these larger
farms are essentially forest gardens, with capital investment in trees of commercial value
(Wiersum, 1981; Hunick and Stoffers, 1984; Michon et al, 1986; Stoler, 1978).
With growing pressure on the land and decreasing area of crop land per head, the
proportion of land under homegardens has been increasing to up to 75 percent of cultivated
land (Stoler, 1978). Access to rice land has, in the meanwhile, declined, and a large
proportion of the farmers now have no rice land, or not enough to produce their basic rice
requirements. As this process occurs, the homegarden areas are cultivated more intensively,
becoming mixed rather than forest gardens as annuals are progressively intercropped to
provide food and income.
Management is intensified by increasing labour inputs. The scope for increasing
productivity is such that labour inputs in small gardens are reported to be, on average, three
times as high as those for larger gardens. Returns to labour are high, and intensive garden
management produces up to 20 percent of household income and 40 percent of calorific
intake (Stoler, 1978).
Another approach to intensification of garden area use has been to increase the value
added from homegarden produce. Penny and Singarimbun (1973) describe how some of
the poorest farmers shift from producing just fruit from their coconut palms to production
of coconut sugar, a highly labour-intensive process, which, though producing only low
returns to labour, increases returns to coconut-bearing land. Other farm-related income-
earning activities include pit-sawing and fuelwood gathering (Hunink and Stoffers, 1984).
As land-holding size continues to decline, income is increasingly sought from off-farm
employment. At this stage, cultivation of annuals is reduced in order to release labour, and
trees and other perennials requiring only low labour inputs come to form the main
component again (Stoler, 1978).
The shift to greater dependence on tree gardens in Java as land-holding size decreases
and farmers' resource endowments and production objectives change, thus appears to be
because they permit more productive use of the land than alternative land management
options.
In a study of farming practices in south-eastern Nigeria, Lagemann (1977) found similar
relationships between population pressure on the land and intensity of tree cultivation.
Farms comprise a mixture of fallow, outer and inner fields and permanently cultivated
compounds around the household. The latter contain a variety of tree species, including oil
palm, raffia palm (Raffia spp.), coconut, and banana and plantains intercropped with
cassava, yams and other arable crops.
Growing population pressure is accompanied by decreasing farm size and declining soil
fertility. As pressures on the land increase, the proportion of land under compound systems
is increased, as is the density of both tree and arable crop cultivation within the compound
areas. Lagemann argues that this shift reflects farmers' perceptions that such land use,
combined with increased mulching and manuring, offers the most effective way of using
their resources to slow down the process of declining soil fertility and thus maintain
production. Though labour input per hectare is no higher than in the fields, yields in
monetary terms are five to ten times as much per hectare and returns to labour four to eight
times as much. Lagemann identifies phasing of planting and harvesting in the compound
areas to reduce peak workloads, and the better physical working conditions which the
shade of the vegetation provides, as factors contributing to this higher labour productivity.
With increasing population density, compound areas account for up to 59 percent of
crop output and a growing proportion of total farm income. The proportion of the latter
generated from tree crops rises to a share nearly equal to that from arable crops. Livestock
become an increasingly important part of the compound system, both as a source of income
and of manure. However, as population density continues to increase, yields and returns to
labour eventually decline to the point at which farmers have to turn increasingly to
non-farm sources of income. As labour has to move off-farm, a lower input management of
the compound areas is adopted, leaving them under a cover in which trees and other
perennials predominate.
The overall picture, therefore, as in Java, is one of farmers responding to decreasing
land availability by moving to greater dependence on agroforestry systems. Initially this is

because these permit more sustainable intensification of land use and higher returns from
available labour inputs than alternative land uses. When pressures on the land increase
further to the point where income has to be generated mainly from off-farm employments,
these agroforestry systems have the added advantage that they can be maintained, in a
modified form, as a low-input low-management form of land use.
A study of tree cropping in the homesteads in Kerala, India, records a similar process in
a system in which homegardens (where perennial crops such as coconut, arecanut, rubber
and pepper are intercropped with seasonal and annual crops such as pulses, bananas, tubers
and vegetables) have long existed as part-systems together with more extensively managed
areas (Nair and Krishnankutty, 1984; Nair and Sreedharan, 1986). As rising population
pressure on the land leads to decreasing land-holding size, uncultivated land is first brought
into use resulting in removal of natural tree cover. This is followed by more active
management of the homegardens. This includes reducing the range of cultivated trees to
those with multiple uses, with priority being given to those species valued for fruit, fodder
and mulch and suitable as supporting structures for cultivation of pepper, betel vine and
various climbers. In the process, the density of trees and intensity of their cultivation are
increased.
As pressure on the land increases further, land-holding size increasingly falls to the
point where farming ceases to be the main source of income. As labour inputs into the farm
are reduced in order to move to off-farm employment, the tree component increases even
further as the vegetation reverts towards a forest condition.
However, in this area of Kerala, capital has become increasingly available, enabling
some farmers to intensify land use further through purchased inputs of fertilizer, herbicides,
etc. This reduces the importance of multipurpose trees in soil-nutrient maintenance and
weed suppression, and they then tend to be removed as an impediment rather than a
complement to agriculture. Removal of trees has been accelerated by rapid rises in the
prices of timber and land; the latter leading to the shift of land use to cash crops. Trees are
then cultivated only where they are competitive as cash crops, for example, Ailanthus
triphysa grown to supply wood stock to the match industry.
The Kerala experience, which is summarized in Figure 1, thus broadly parallels that of
Java and Nigeria up to the point where farmers were able to inject substantial capital into
their systems. The subsequent displacement of agroforestry practices seems to confirm that,
in the absence of capital, farmers had been employing trees primarily to provide substitutes
for purchased inputs, and as crops requiring lower inputs than agricultural crops.
Farm woodlots
The farm woodlots examined in this section essentially involve the growing of trees as a field
cash crop. Farmer decisions could therefore be expected to be governed by the question of
whether or not this crop is more profitable than alternative crops or other uses of the land.
In all three of the situations discussed below tree growing has recently been spreading
rapidly.
One of the most fully documented farm-woodlot experiences has been small-farmer
growing of trees to produce pulpwood as a cash crop in the Philippines. In an area of
previously low-density extensive agriculture, farmers grow Albiziafalcataria on a 6-8 year
rotation for sale to a nearby pulp company (PICOP). Average size of landholding is 11 ha,
of which a part is devoted to cultivation of food crops. At least part of the land on 45 percent
of the farms had been previously used for growing food crops, and other non-food crops
Figure 1 Changes in homegarden management in Kerala, India
Source: Based on Nair and Krishnankutty, 1984.
had been raised on some parts of 31 percent of them. Credit for tree fanning was available
but was utilized by only 30 percent of the farmers eligible — generally farmers with
above-average woodlot size (Hyman, 1983).
Ex-post analysis showed that farmers were able to earn an acceptable return from their
woodlots in most prevailing circumstances, with internal rate of return (IRR) of 22 percent
to 31 percent for successful tree farmers on costs other than those of land. The data do not
exist for comparing these returns with returns from alternative land uses, but farmers cite
low labour inputs as the principal reason for preferring tree growing (Hyman, 1983). In an
area where average land-holdings considerably exceed the size that can be cultivated under
food or other crops with family labour, pulpwood production enables farmers to expand
the area they can put to productive use (also see Spears, this volume).
Very few other farm-forestry or agroforestry experiences have been evaluated to the
same extent. Even in areas with such extensive farmer tree growing as has been occurring in
Gujarat and other parts of India, on-farm information sufficient to permit analysis of actual
returns to farmers, and of the relative returns from alternative land uses, is still lacking. In
an early study of apparent returns in parts of Gujarat, Gupta (1979) estimated that
eucalyptus grown on irrigated land to produce poles for sale would give farmers higher net
returns to land and capital than alternative crops. It has been widely reported that one
element in farmer decisions in favour of tree growing in India has been the relatively low
labour inputs required, reducing farmers' dependence on hired labour at a time of rising
wages (Noronha, 1982).
Available information about the extensive cash-crop growing of trees in parts of Kenya
has been assembled by Dewees in a study for the World Bank (World Bank, 1986).
Prominent among the species being grown are eucalyptus for poles and black wattle for
poles, charcoal, fuelwood and sticks for "mud-and-wattle" construction. Markets for these
wood products — and locally for pulpwood and saw timber — are growing strongly, with
farm-level production accounting for a large part of the supply.
Tree growing tends to be practised by poor farmers who are unable to meet their basic
food needs, and for whom it is a principal source of farm income. In Vihiga location in
Kakamega District of Kenya, for example, average farm size is about 0.6 ha, of which some
25 percent is under eucalyptus woodlots (Gelder and Kerkhof, 1984).
Gross income per hectare in this area is considerably lower from tree growing than from
other agricultural crops. Dewees (World Bank, 1986) suggests that farmer preference for
tree crops in these circumstances is conditioned by availability of capital and labour, and by
attitudes to risk management. Alternative crops often require investments at levels beyond
small farmers' access to capital. Trees, by contrast, require very little expenditure. Tree
growing is also attractive to farmers in an area where there is a shortage of labour because of
widespread out-migration of male members of the farm households to seek off-farm
employment. Where markets for tree products are good, returns to labour from pole
production have been estimated to be some 50 percent greater than from maize production
(World Bank, 1986). Consequently tree growing is a rational use of resources for poor
farmers needing to devote a substantial part of their labour to non-farm employment.
In all three of these situations, therefore, a decision to grow trees has been influenced by
two main factors. One is the high cost of labour and capital, and the advantages tree
cultivation offers in this respect because of its low input requirements. The other is the
prominent part that income generation, as distinct from food production, plays in the
farmers' production objectives.
The discussion so far suggests that farmers employ agroforestry practices primarily
because they perceive these as being the most efficient ways of meeting their production
goals using the resources of land, labour and capital available to them. As their resource
endowment changes so their strategies are likely to alter. Equally, their assessment of the
most efficient farm strategy to employ is likely to be influenced by the broader framework
of needs and opportunities linked to off-farm opportunities. Analysis of what is an efficient
use of resources, therefore, has to be carried out in terms of the production objectives being
pursued in that situation.
Shifting cultivation
It is now generally recognized that, in the situations in which it has traditionally been
practised, shifting cultivation (swidden agriculture) is the most efficient use of farmer
resources. The resources at the disposal of the shifting cultivator are predominantly in the
form of family labour. Where there is sufficient land to support fallow, no other farming
practice will produce a higher return to labour without inputs of capital. The fallow
vegetation maintains soil productivity, and the process of clearing and burning provides
conditions for crop cultivation requiring minimal inputs for soil preparation and weeding.
Though cultivation periods could be extended by increased weeding, it is easier, in terms of
requiring less inputs of labour, to clear and burn a new area. Similarly, yields per hectare
could be increased by more intensive cultivation, but only at the expense of lower output
per unit of labour. As long as they can satisfy their production objectives through less
labour-intensive methods, farmers will stick to them (Rambo, 1984; Raintree and Warner,
1986).
A sequential process can be identified whereby, as reduced access to land prevents
continuation of shifting cultivation, farmers start to intensify agricultural practices
(Olofson, 1983; Raintree and Warner, 1986). This usually takes the form of small
incremental changes involving increased inputs of labour, and sometimes of capital in the
form of fertilizers, herbicides, etc. This evolutionary process may lead to a move away from
agroforestry altogether, but agroforestry practices usually form part of the transition from
shifting cultivation.
A widespread practice at an early stage in this process is enriching the fallow by
encouraging or planting tree species which either accelerate or enhance the regeneration of
soil fertility or produce outputs of subsistence or commercial value, or both. The cultivation
in the Sudan, and elsewhere in the semi-arid area of Africa, of Acacia Senegal as a fallow
crop is an example of a species that does both. A leguminous species, it produces gum
arabic for sale and fuelwood and fibre and other products for use in the household. Other
examples include the planting of rattan as a commercial crop in the swidden cycle in Borneo
(Weinstock, 1983), and the multiple-product managed swiddens of the Ifugao in the
Philippines (Olofson, 1983). Although quantitative information on inputs and outputs is
lacking for these systems, it can be expected that, as they inyolve only minor increases in
labour inputs and minimal changes to the basic swidden system, they will provide fairly
high returns to labour (Raintree and Warner, 1986).
At the next step, as pressures on land intensify the transition towards continuous
cultivation, various forms of intercropping are encountered. By incorporating soil-
enriching species with food crops, these practices introduce the functions of fallow on a
continuous basis. Numerous examples of such continuous-fallow strategies are to be found,
such as the maintenance of Acacia albida in cultivated areas in much of Africa.
An example of planted mixtures of this nature is the intercropping of Sesbania sesban, a
leguminous tree, with maize in areas of western Kenya (see Figure 1, Sanchez, this volume).
When the maize is shaded out after about three years, the sesbania is left as a fallow crop for
one or two years, and then cleared and used for fuelwood. The cycle is then repeated.
Practised in an area of labour shortages, this method has been estimated to produce less
than half the maize per hectare compared to monocropping of the latter over a ten-year
cycle, but it requires less than half as much labour and gives higher maize returns per unit of
labour input — in addition to the fuelwood and soil-protection benefits (World Bank,
1986).
Alley cropping
Considerable attention has been directed recently to intensification of managed continuous
fallow in the form of alley cropping. This involves the growing of field crops between
hedgerows of nutrient-cycling trees or shrubs which are periodically pruned during the
cropping season to reduce shading and provide green mulch for the food crops (Kang and
Wilson, this volume). Data from economic analysis of the results of alley-cropping research
at IITA in Nigeria, involving intercropping of maize with Leucaena leucocephala and
treatments with nitrogen fertilizer and herbicide, are summarized in Table 2. The intercrop
treatment gave the highest economic returns and yields of maize of all the alternatives, but
required higher labour inputs than cultivation of maize alone or with fertilizer/ herbicide
applications. Returns to labour from intercropping, however, were higher than in maize
monocropping (Ngambeki, 1985).
Table 2 Evaluation of alley cropping Leucaena with maize*
Increase/decrease
over control
Yield/ Net returns B/C ratio
Yield Man-hours/ha man-hour (US$/ha) (ha)
(kg/ha)
Maize control - - 3.3 -438 -

Nitrogen 752 46 4.1 -371 0.79
Herbicide 452 -173 5.9 480 1.18
Herbicide-nitrogen 1,123 - 127 6.8 146 1.10
Leucaena 1,407 259 4.2 496 1.32
Leucaena-nitrogen 1,358 302 3.9 130 1.05
Leucaena-herbicide 1,451 152 4.5 139 1.07
Leucaena-nitrogen- 1,892 199 4.8 -58 0.97
herbicide
* Compared with alternative treatments of maize, from IITA alley-cropping experiment 1981/82;
average values per season.
Source: Ngambeki, 1985
The potential for improving the efficiency of such low-input agroforestry practices
adopted by farmers in order to progressively intensify their farming therefore appears quite
high. However, it is not yet clear how well experimental results reflect on-farm conditions.
Further work in testing the research results on-farm is needed to ensure that the labour
availability and farmer skills assumed are realizable in practice, that the costs and values are
consistent with those actually experienced or perceived by farmers, and that the physical
input-output relationships and performance are replicable on-farm (Balasubramanian,
1983; D. Hoekstra, personal communication).
Economic information is also available for some other intermediate agroforestry
practices. A study of coconut farmers in an area in Sri Lanka, for example, showed that
intercropping increases net returns. Labour-intensive crops such as betel, ginger and
turmeric were adopted primarily by small farmers with family labour available, and those
such as pepper and coffee, which gave higher returns to labour, were preferred by larger
farmers dependent on hired labour (Karunanayake, 1982). Once again, therefore, farmers
are seen to be responding to interrelationships between resource availability and
production objectives.
Discussion
It would be unwise to base too much on analysis of the limited number of situations covered
by the studies discussed in this chapter. Apart from being few in number they are based
mainly on two broad forms of agroforestry: the homegarden and the farm woodlot.
Nevertheless, the information outlined above, the main elements of which are summarized
in Table 3, does suggest some of the main economic factors which encourage farmers to
adopt tree/crop/livestock management as a major component of their overall farming
system.
In most of the situations, farmers lacked access to capital and consequently were unable
to increase their land or labour resources by renting or purchasing. In many instances,
farmer decisions were clearly also influenced by considerations of risk management. In such
conditions of limited resources and high susceptibility to risk, five overlapping farmer
strategies involving adoption of agroforestry practices can be discerned:
1. To maintain productivity of land in situations of scarce capital in which the presence of
trees can help substitute for purchased inputs of fertilizer and herbicide and for
investments in soil and crop protection;
2. To make productive use of land in situations of scarce capital and labour where trees,
as low-input low-management crops, constitute the most effective use of these
resources;
3. To increase useable biomass outputs per unit of land area in situations where land and
capital are limited, and tree/ crop/ livestock combinations permit fuller use of available
labour than alternative uses of the land;
4. To increase income-earning opportunities from use of farm resources as size of
landholding and/ or site productivity fall below the level at which the household's basic
needs can be met from on-farm production;
5. To strengthen risk management through diversification of outputs, wider seasonal
spread of inputs and outputs, and build up of tree stocks which can be sold in order to
meet periodic or unforeseen needs for capital.
Such an interpretation of the economic role of agroforestry activities suggests a number
of propositions about agroforestry of possible relevance to project and policy analysis and
design.
Table 3 Selected situations with agroforestry components in changing farm systems
Agroforestry Constraints/ opportunities Farmer response Contribution of agroforestry

component
Homegardens 1. Declining land-holding size, minimal or Increase food and income Highest returns to land from increasing
Java no rice paddy, minimal capital output from homegardens labour inputs, flexibility of ouputs in face
of changing needs and opportunities
2. Further fall in land-holding size below Transfer labour to off-farm Most productive and stable use of land
level able to meet basic food needs employment with reduced labour inputs
Compound farms Declining land-holding size and site Concentrate resources in Improves productivity, highest returns to
Nigeria productivity, minimal capital compound area, raise labour, flexibility
income-producing
component and off-farm
employment
Homegardens Declining land-holding size, minimal Bring fallow land into use, Multipurpose trees maintain site productivity
Kerala capital intensify homegarden management and contribute to food and income
Capital inputs substantially increased Transfer land use to high-value Trees removed unless high-value cash crop
cash crops, substitute producers
fertilizer and herbicide for
mulch and shade
Farm woodlots Farm size below basic-needs level, minimal Low-input low-management pole Lower capital input than alternative
Kenya capital, growing labour shortage cash crops, off-farm employment crops and higher returns to labour
Farm woodlots Abundant land, limited labour Put land under pulpwood crop Expands area under cultivation, increases
Philippines returns to family labour
Resource availability
Land
Agroforestry practices can be seen to be potentially appropriate to a wide range of different
land-holding and land-use situations. Given the widespread feeling that tree growing is
predominantly an activity for larger farmers, it is worth underlining the extent to which it
exists as a viable activity of farmers with little land—often very little land. In certain
circumstances, homegardens have proved to be an efficient strategy for capital-poor
farmers wishing to intensify land use as land-holding size decreases. Tree crops are equally
suitable for those short of capital and labour wishing to put their land under a less intensive
form of use. The relationships involved are often complex, but are usually linked partly to
the changes in farmer production objectives discussed later.
Labour
The relationship of tree growing to labour availability, and cost of labour, is equally varied.
When combined with different land and capital conditions, as well as production
objectives, scarce or abundant labour can lead to quite different decisions about
agroforestry. However, a number of points seem worth emphasizing.
One is the role that agroforestry may play in helping to even out the peaks and troughs
in work which characterize tropical agriculture. Work on tree crops can be scheduled
outside the peak periods. The presence of trees can provide the basis for a number of
counter-seasonal activities such as fuelwood and charcoal production (Chambers and
Longhurst, 1986).
A second is that, as the need to depend on off-farm employment grows among farm
families, labour availability has to be assessed not just in terms of other farm activities but
also in terms of off-farm opportunities. Attention needs to be paid to the danger that
intensifying or rescheduling labour use in on-farm agroforestry activities may prevent farm
families from obtaining more remunerative employment off-farm — as may haVe
happened to coconut-sugar farmers in Java (Stoler, 1978).
Thirdly, the growing dependence of rural people on off-farm employment suggests that
the potential for linking agroforestry outputs with off-farm employment and income
creation probably also deserves more attention. Recent work has shown that small rural
processing enterprises based on wood and other raw materials from trees and forests are
one of the largest sources of off-farm rural employment (Fisseha, 1987). Their mainly rural
markets are themselves largely seasonal, fluctuating with rural income flows so that their
peak activities are counter-seasonal with those in agriculture. Most are very small and are
operated jointly with agricultural or other enterprise activities. A marked feature of such
small-enterprise operations is the high proportion of women involved.
Capital
It is widely argued that the lengthy production period, and the incidence of most of the costs
at the time of establishment, create financial problems for farmers in adopting practices
involving tree growing. It is this argument that underlies the widespread provision of
planting stock, either free or at subsidized prices, in programmes to support tree growing.
However, the evidence that tree systems are favoured by farmers when capital is scarce
(because trees require less investment than alternative crops and/ or provide substitutes for
purchased inputs, e.g., of fertilizer and herbicide), suggests that improved access to capital
would not necessarily increase adoption of agroforestry practices. Indeed, as the
information from Kerala (India) and Kenya showed, the contrary is likely to be the case;
access to capital will frequently enable farmers to adopt alternative higher yielding uses of
their land.
Unavailability of capital could, of course, be an impediment to investment in longer
rotation timber species grown as cash crops. However, even in this situation the constraint
seems to be not the capital cost of establishment but the opportunity cost of locking up land
for the lengthy period that elapses before there is any return — and possibly, as in the case of
the production of pulpwood in the Philippines, the cost of harvesting (Hyman, 1983).
Production objectives
Much of the discussion of the role of agroforestry in farming systems has been based on the
assumption that staple food production is the principal production objective. In most of the
situations reviewed in this chapter, however, farmers were working with a resource base too
small to enable them to meet their basic household food needs and were seeking to generate
income as well as — or even instead of — food. The growth in agroforestry in many
situations has been largely a response to this change in production objectives.
Recognition of the importance of income generation as the primary production
objective for many poor farmers also changes the frame of reference of the debate about
fuelwood self-sufficiency. Observers of the rapid expansion of farm-level tree growing in
India (Blair, 1983) and Kenya (World Bank, 1986) have pointed out that although meeting
subsistence fuelwood needs may seem to have the highest priority from the perspective of
the planner, or of the fuelwood-using women members of the household, the rational
choice for the household as a whole is to grow tree crops in order to generate income with
which to satisfy its overall needs.
Markets and marketing

The presence of income generation as a primary production objective highlights the
importance of correctly understanding the markets for the products of agroforestry. The
growth in markets for some agroforestry products has recently been very rapid — notably
for fuelwood, charcoal and poles. Though much of the intervention that has been taking
place has been intended to increase production for the market, there has been remarkably
little systematic study of how such markets are structured and function. Imbalances
between supply and demand as a result of poor market information could have severe
negative impacts on farmers through falling prices.
Particular interest is attached to supplying urban and other commercial markets with
fuelwood — understandably, as this is the wood product used most widely and heavily in
most countries. However, even where market-oriented tree growing by farmers has
expanded rapidly, as in India and Kenya, it has been to supply higher valued building poles
and wood for industry, not fuelwood. Prices of the latter have not yet stimulated significant
investment in its production as a farmer cash crop.
In a review of energy-price trends in a number of large cities in south Asia, Leach (1986)
has ihown that though fuelwood prices varied widely from place to place there had been
little increase in real prices in most of the markets over the previous 12-14 years (Figure 2).
Interfuel substitution is apparently widespread, with fuelwood usage and prices sensitive
to prices of alternative fuels. This would suggest that it is unlikely that there would be
substantial increases in fuelwood prices in such markets in the foreseeable future.
However, it is the price at the point of origin (the stumpage price), rather than the
market price which is of relevance to farmer decisions. In the case of fuelwood this is
commonly only a small fraction of the market price. The price of standing wood for sale as
fuelwood in two West African situations, for example, was only 1-1.5 percent of the retail
price, and that of wood cut and stacked at the farm gate was 11-13 percent (Baah-
Dwomoh, 1983).
Attention has recently been directed to studying the potential for raising stumpage
prices of fuelwood as a proportion of market price by reducing transport and distribution
costs and/or through subsidies or bonuses to producers financed from levies on these
intermediate stages. It is too early to say whether these will be effective. However, as long as
low-cost sources of fuelwood remain, in the form of existing wood stocks, and users can
turn to alternative fuels or to energy-conservation measures as an alternative to purchasing
fuelwood, it is bound to be difficult to raise prices of farmer-grown supplies of the latter.
Risk management
Risk and avoidance of risk loom large in decision-making by poor farmers, often modifying
or overriding other economic considerations. Living, as they do, at or close to the margins
of existence, poor farmers are concerned to avoid any change which, though it might
improve their situation if it functions well, could leave them even worse off if it does not.
Equally, there is likely to be a preference for choices that reduce existing risk even if these
offer less potential for economic improvement than alternatives.
As has been noted earlier, an important factor in the widespread adoption of
homegardens has been their contribution to risk reduction, by spreading output across
several products and over the different seasons. However, it is evident that with reduction in
land-holding size the more fundamental risk of not being able to meet basic food needs
becomes more important than the risk of intermittent shortfalls or failures, and
management of garden areas is concentrated on species which can produce food and
income in the short term. In other words, where a small homegarden is the only or main
source of support for the farm family, the latter cannot risk depending on long-term tree
crops — particularly where their tenure of the land may be insecure.
On the other hand, where income from the land has become only a minor or
supplementary component of overall income, tree crops can again contribute positively to
risk reduction. As a stable low-input low-management form of land use, it enables those
who depend primarily on off-farm employment to maintain their land in productive use.
The disadvantage that income is available only periodically may be offset by the value
the trees provide as a capital asset to be drawn upon for intermittent payments, such as
education (Chavangi, 1984), or to deal with contingencies such as floods, famine or
sickness. Chambers and Leach (1987) have pointed out that vulnerability to such
contingencies is an important dimension of poverty. Trees apparently often do serve as
assets upon which the rural poor draw in emergency. Various instances are cited in which
people have had to liquidate trees (even fruit- and cash-crop bearing trees) because they
have been their only remaining asset. A tree component in a farming system may therefore
be there at least in part to provide a measure of insurance.
Agroforestry practices can therefore mitigate, or aggravate, risk in a number of ways.
As the nature of the risks that threaten farmers change with circumstances, so the relevance
of agroforestry is likely also to alter. Though lack of data limits the practical application to
agroforestry of most of the techniques available for analysing risk, quite a lot can be done to
improve our understanding of its existence and nature, and to take it into account in
defining agroforestry options (Blandon, 1985).
Economic research
Research of the kind that has been reviewed in part in the present paper—analysis of actual
inputs and outputs in existing operational agroforestry practices, and of the economic
efficiency of the latter — clearly needs to be extended in order to improve the basis for
defining the applicability of such systems more accurately. A related priority area is that of
establishing input and output values which correctly reflect costs and benefits to the farmer
— as distinct from costs and benefits to the supporting agency or donor, and from values as
perceived by the national planner (Gregersen and Contreras, 1979; Magrath, 1984; World
Bank, 1987).
Research also needs to continue on exploring usable ways of incorporating some of the
more complex dynamic dimensions of agroforestry into the framework of economic
analysis. Particular problems in this respect arise from the nature of the relationships within
multiple-species cropping systems, and the additional temporal relationships added when
trees form part of the latter. Intercropped species may interact to produce supplementary,
complementary or competitive impacts on their individual or aggregate performance — or
some combination of these effects. The relationships are likely to vary with their spatial
arrangement and management, and with soil-moisture and nutrient content and the status
of other growth factors. They are also likely to change over time because of the changes that
trees create in the micro-environment they inhabit as they grow. Various approaches to the
problems of incorporating economic measures of this complex of linkages, in a manner
consistent with the likely availability of data, are being explored, based mainly on variants
of budgeting and partial budgeting techniques (Raintree, 1983; Etherington and Mathews,
1983; Hoekstra, 1985).
Conclusions
Agroforestry practices contribute to a wide variety of existing farming systems. In a number
of these, farmers have been responding to growing pressures on their land and other
resources by intensifying or increasing various agroforestry activities. These have proved to
be particularly important in enabling them to intensify use of certain types of land as size of
land-holding decreases, and to reduce the intensity of management as labour becomes
scarcer and more costly. The appropriateness of agroforestry as a response to these
changing pressures is often related to the concurrent shift in farmer production objectives
towards income generation as farm size falls below the level at which they can meet their
basic household food needs. These ongoing changes suggest the need to re-examine the
impact of schemes which provide access to land, labour and capital as ways of promoting
agroforestry activities. The growing importance of income generation as a production
objective of farmers also points to the need to give greater attention to the markets for
agroforestry products, and to the intermediate stages between production and the market.
Increased economic research has an important role to play in clarifying and extending
understanding of these and other economic considerations in agroforestry.
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12
Agroforestry and the social milieu

Marilyn W. Hoskins
Community Forestry Officer, Policy and Planning Service
Forestry Department
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)ofthe United Nations
Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy
Contents
Introduction
Local use and knowledge
Tenure
Organization
Conservation
Landlessness/ distance
Enterprise/ marketing
Labour
Nutrition
Gender/age
What is next?
References
Introduction
During the Workshop on Agroforestry held in Freiburg, Germany, in 1982 (Jackson,
1984), it was evident that the participants, selected by the United Nations University as
people already actively involved in agroforestry, had a basic division in approach — those
who felt agroforestry was a value-neutral science or technique, and those who looked to
agroforestry as a promising development tool. It was not that the second group felt there
was no need for basic research, but rather that they were hopeful that research designs,
training, and other foci in what was then considered a new professional arena would take
into consideration the socio-economic and political issues to make agroforestry useful in
development efforts.
Since that time, research on physical interrelationships among biological components
of agroforestry has continued. But instead of taking research priorities from the more
customary technical issues involved, mainly in production-increase potential, much
agroforestry research has been based on topics selected through an expanded farming-
systems type approach, the diagnosis and design (D & D) methods. D & D uses a
multidisciplinary problem-solving focus originating from the perspective of farmers.
Establishing research priorities from within the social milieu in this manner promises to put
agroforestry research results ahead of much traditional forestry and agricultural research in
being of great relevance to farmers. However, the methods of making new innovations
available to farmers are not yet clear.
During recent years, various social scientists also have been looking at factors involved
in local tree growing and have helped to point out a number of issues which must now be
taken into consideration if new techniques in agroforestry are to be adopted by farm
families. The combination of social and political factors which are involved in promoting
trees in traditional farming and livestock systems are unique, and as such deserve special
emphasis. Some specific elements are similar to those found in organizing community
development or in water resource management. Agroforestry extension, however, is more
commonly compared to agricultural extension, with which a number of the more
temptingly obvious similarities prove to be superficial. Current agricultural extension
methods are not tailored to include consideration of the special legal status which trees may
have compared to other crops, the time horizon for farmers before tree benefits may be
available, the different seasonal rhythm of labour and other requirements of perennials
compared to annuals, as well as the changing availability of many specific trees and tree
products which have formerly been available as a free good.
These considerations must be recognized and highlighted, whether the situation calls
for adequately training, retraining and co-operating with agricultural extension and other
services and/or for developing special forestry/agroforestry extension units within the
forestry departments. The uniqueness of the socio-economic factors involved in tree
promotion is perhaps even more important to examine if we are to work with extension and
development ministries and agents already in place. Probably agroforestry awareness and
training will be needed for various extension agents dealing with farmers. However, if
methods commonly used in agricultural promotion programmes are adopted without
careful modification for use with agroforestry they may indeed defeat the promotion of
farmer adoption, causing such programmes to come to a dead end, if they begin at all.
It is not easy to select and describe the crucial socio-economic variables in a universal
way: situations differ depending on the locality, environment and the major traditional
production activities; issues overlap and are not easily considered in isolation. Variables will
need to be studied case by case. However, examples of common issues, even if incomplete,
may serve to highlight some of the questions which should be raised in order to tailor
agroforestry promotion policies and the training of promoters in an effective manner.
Common issues include: local uses and knowledge, tenure, organization, conservation,
landlessness/distance, enterprises and marketing, labour, nutrition, and gender/age.
AGROFORESTRY AND THE SOCIAL MILIEU 193
Local use and knowledge

Neither forestry nor agricultural training focuses on learning from farmers how they use
and manage tree resources. Even farming-systems approaches, which ideally put
agriculturalists and farmers together to look at the family farming system, generally stress
maximizing crop production and omit trees altogether. Foresters ordinarily consider
timber or, more recently, polewood and fuelwood production. What the tree means to local
residents in terms of desired production techniques and wood qualities is seldom explored.
Trees which split into planks using a wedge are required for a type of housing and
technology used in the Congo. "Y"-shaped posts are always used for traditional housing
and granary supports in Malawi and many other locations throughout Africa. Foresters
intent on looking at availability of fast-growing, straight trees with good crowns may miss
seeing the collapsed granary when these straight trees are substituted for "Y" posts in
traditional constructions.
Non-wood items such as seeds, fruits, fibres, gums, saps, leaves and bark are seldom
noted by extensionists unless they relate to a cash crop such as gum arabic or certain fruits.
Yet farmers propogate trees for many purposes. For example, palms are grown in places as
far apart as Benin and Thailand to provide palm sap for wine or coconuts for family use or
palm fibres to weave baskets for a small family enterprise.
Local women, men and youth can identify not only numerous uses they make of trees
and shrubs, but in some areas they have a whole system of classifying interplant
relationships. In Senegal, for example, some plants are classified as "co-wives" and others as
"brothers". In this case co-wives is the classification for plants that inhibit and brothers are
plants which foster each other's growth. In the Bhil ethnic group in India, some plants are
also called co-wives but these are considered plants which grow well together. In Nepal they
are called husband and wife. Where such classifications of local plants are well developed,
they could be very important in furthering agroforestry development and adoption.
Other local knowledge relates to such scientific management as biological pest control.
In Madhya Pradesh, India, residents have long grown millet in combination with cowpeas,
having learned that the insect pests which live on the latter attack the insects living on the
millet and thereby help prevent crop loss.
Learning about the scientific knowledge gained from generations of informal research
into making a livelihood in a selected environment can help further the knowledge of
professionals, who, after all, must realize that they are newly facing each specific
environment and its vagaries.
When people promoting agroforestry do not establish two-way communications, they
run the risk of dissipating great sums and energy on something irrelevant in the
environment in question. An example of this comes from Indonesia. A dwarf coconut palm
was developed which was an obvious scientific success. Although it did not live as long as
the local variety, it had more coconuts, matured sooner, and was much easier to harvest as
its fruits could be reached while standing on the ground. All of these features might be
desirable in cash-crop palm orchards, but they were not appreciated by families who wished
to grow them in their homegardens. Homegardens are carefully planned to use various
levels and space above and below the ground and to manage light. The leaf crown of the tall
palm tree was in a space above all the other plants and caused little shade; the shorter variety
competed in the space reserved for bananas. The faster production of more fruit was not as
highly valued as the more limited number of coconuts, adequate for family use, being
produced over a longer number of years before replanting. Finally, the shorter plants were
harder to monitor to keep passersby from stealing the fruit (O. Soemarwoto, personal
communication).
Clearly, in agroforestry promotion there is no room for one-way communication.
Listening skills are essential. The selection of the specificagroforestry innovation to be tried
in a certain environment must not be decided from outside. The popular "Training and
Visit (T&V)" approach to extension selects the most promising technique for immediate
increase in production. This focus may be quite misleading for agroforestry techniques
which require long periods of time to test and to obtain results. Pre-selected topics may
destroy the potential for creating a system in which the farmers are an integral part of the
farm-level research team.
There is a vast literature on indigenous technical knowledge (for exafhple, see FAO,
1985b; Brokensha et al, 1980). There is also a newly developing literature on rapid
appraisal which examines farmers' use of trees within the farming systems and their
attitudes toward agroforestry, such as that being produced by Khon Kaen University in
Thailand. This second category of information can be especially useful in developing
appropriate training of agroforestry promoters in those multidiscipliriary approaches
which help outsiders quickly gain the background to be able to speak with farmers in terms
relevant to the local situation.
As Dani and Campbell (1986) point out, in the Himalayas rural people are developing
their own effective watershed management techniques. Many of these are agroforestry
practices which result in more fuelwood being produced and more trees being planted on
the farmland. Sajise (1985) has described customary agroforestry practices developed by
isolated ethnic groups in the mountains of the Philippines, which include enriched fallow
combined with using tree stems as the basis of terraces. A number of foresters have also
contributed to understanding local agroforestry practices. For example, in Africa farmers
have various methods of pollarding and protecting trees within the rural landscape (Polsen,
1986; Weber and Hoskins, 1983). In many cases, then, the challenge for agroforestry
extension seems to be to identify and understand what positive steps farmers are already
taking and to find ways to support and strengthen these. This appears to be true whether the
agroforestry intervention relates to fostering trees in agricultural or herding systems or
successfully integrating annuals and animals into forested areas.
Tenure
Tenure issues for agroforestry may be similar to those faced in promoting agricultural
programmes only when land use is privatized, tenure of trees is synonymous with tenure of
land, and the farm operator is the owner. But this is frequently not the case. There is a
growing literature pointing to the complexity of tenure issues. Raintree (1985) has described
seasonal access to the same piece of land by different groups, such as farmers and herders.
Serial tenure of this type is practised in much of arid Africa as well as in the savanna belt of
southern Africa. Although policy makers and farmers themselves may consider the farmers
as holding the land tenure, little support will be given to claims for cattle damages if the
crops are not harvested before the accepted time for transhumant or local herders to bring
their herds to the fields.
A favourable balance of land area and its use by farmers and herders allows for more
passive management with natural regeneration (see FAO, 1984; FAO, 1985a; Dove, 1983).
However, where land pressure calls for the introduction and/ or active protection of small
perennials, a new sort of year-round protection, either social or physical, is required. This
new land management may impinge on the traditional use-rights of others.
Sometimes the land tenure is controlled by a group such as an extended family or clan
and use-rights are individualized on a short-term basis. In this case the introduction of
hedgerows, windbreaks, or even individual tree planting may be considered anti-social or
may limit highly valued flexibility. Fortmann (1985) has documented a number of instances
when tree tenure is not the same as land tenure or when rights to tree products are
considered separately from rights to tree removal. These cases, more common than
previously realized, lead to a variety of incentives for tree protection or destruction.
Planting or, on the contrary, removing trees may also relate to establishing or assuring
land-use rights. For example, case studies in Peru (Gutzman, 1987) have documented
farmers planting trees for the purpose of securing land rights. This is also a customary
practice among certain ethnic groups in Cameroon, whereas in others land use is
traditionally or currently given to those who clear the land of trees. The Cameroonian
landscape around neighbouring villages with these contrasting tree/land relationships is
strikingly different; the first is lined and dotted with trees while the second is almost
denuded.
Many complex tenure rights are supported through local custom; others, often in
conflict with customary rights, have been codified in modern law (see von Maydell, this
volume). Numerous countries have protected valued tree species through special
regulations. This has mixed results (FAO, 1986). In Thailand, when young teak trees are
found on farmlands they are sometimes removed in favour of less valued trees. Teak is
controlled by the forest service and its cutting requires obtaining a permit.
A number of countries, such as Burkina Faso, have recently introduced national
controls for cutting trees in an effort to slow desertification. Depending on how such
regulations are implemented, it could result in farmers removing volunteer seedlings to
favour more space for privately controlled annual crops. This reaction has been noted in
countries such as Niger where forest land belongs to the forest service and farmers fear that
their tree growing also will result in loss of control over land.
Where the farm operators do not have permanent or long-term use rights, they may be
forbidden to plant trees for fear that this be used as a tactic by which the tenant will gain
control over the land, or conversely, these farmers may not be interested since the benefits
of the investment are not assured. This may be the case with women in a family who are
given temporary use of fields which are under the ultimate control of the male head of
household.
In the above examples, both traditions and more newly created legislation have treated
trees and forests differently from annual crops. Promoters of agroforestry will need to
understand these differences as they relate to traditional tree tenure, legal control and
current practice of access to and control over trees and tree products. Policy makers will
want to examine legislation in the light of policies which support farmers who wish to
intensify agroforestry.
Organization
Related to land tenure, farming systems and the accessibility of tree products, is the
question of local organization. Chandrasekharan (1985) has identified active and passive
participation in tree management. He enlarges the concept of passive support to even
include changes in habits necessary to allow others to grow trees. Inherent in the concept
that tree planting and/ or protection may concretize land use, and may eliminate or vastly
reduce free access of land to others, is the idea that to be successful tree planting must be
accepted by the community at large, whether the activity itself is carried out by a group or
by individuals.
In a case study in Burkina Faso, the farmer was supported by various extension and
development groups because of his desire to integrate trees in his land-use system. He
reported that neighbours carried their animals and put them over the fences to browse on
his trees at night. Neighbours had been angered by having their land use limited by his new
activities. The need in this case for community-level land-use planning was evident (FAO,
1987a).
In the dune stabilization projects around villages near Shendi, Sudan, the non-
governmental group "SOS Sahel" found it essential to request villages to organize
committees with representation from each physical area of the village. This organization
was necessary in order to design projects which obtained continuous and universal support.
A case study involving conflicts between various ethnic groups in Thailand which were
integrating crops into different levels in forest land on contiguous watersheds, highlighted
the need for intra-community negotiations and regional land-use planning (FAO, 1987b).
Rangeland enrichment frequently fails for lack of user negotiations. In Nepal, the
legislation allows for local control and management of forests by user groups after defining
management objectives. In this case groups make agreements to manage forest lands in a
way that will sustain adequate tree cover, which may include various agroforestry options.
Some communities integrate annual crops into the understory and others manage such
plants as daphne (used for making local paper) which frequently grows naturally in the
understorey. In Burkina Faso a new FAO/SIDA project is focused on agroforestry
through integration of annuals or livestock on a carefully planned design into forest
reserves. Effective local management of common or group resources requires having or
developing local organization.
Existing local organizational structures will give clues to the type of activities which
have the most promise in the given situation. In some cases, such as in the highlands of
Peru, activities may be organized on traditional community-wide structures. In some
localities, residents traditionally work on some community activities as a group but have
family ownership patterns. This situation was successfully handled in an agroforestry
project run by the non-governmental organization, CARE, in a Karen community in
Thailand by residents building a community nursery together but planting seed and tending
and owning seedlings individually which they then planted out on their own farmland.
Promoting trees in farmland, integrating animals and 'crops into forest land, and
protecting perennials in rangeland requires organizational support to be self-sustaining.
The ability to identify and strengthen local organizations to bring the innovations to local
attention and to support their successful implementation either on a group or individual
basis is a great deal more important for agroforestry than for either annual crop production
or for block forest management.
Agroforestry promoters need to be trained in organizational and negotiation skills, not
like those used in agriculture, but more like those used in both community development
and in forming water user groups. For policy makers it may require legalizing group
management of resources and support of the land-use and management policies adopted
through local negotiations.
Conservation
Overlapping with tenure and organizational issues is that of conservation. Agricultural
extension is frequently focused on maximizing production. As was dramatically demon-
strated in the peanut basin of Senegal, and is an upcoming issue for mechanized farming in
the Sudan, in the large majority of tropical farming systems there can be no continuous
farming without.trees. Conservation is an integral part of long-term development planning.
Since agroforestry is frequently the proposed answer to improved long-term production
prospects, conservation and management of soil and water through integration of trees
must become part of the ordinary training of agricultural and other extension agents.
Foresters, who may be trained in precisely this approach, as in the case of watershed
management, must begin to learn traditional conservation techniques from local people
and, with those involved, decide whether these traditions should be supported. The labour,
cultural, and organizational issues involved in such technologies as stall feeding, fire
control, interplanting or enriching fallow lands must be thoroughly considered. Community
or regional planning must be extended to include those who may have to give up traditional
practices for the benefit of distant water- or land-users. Negotiation skills may frequently be
needed to help communities arrive at equitable but effective long-term resource-
management decisions.
Policy issues will include first finding ways to protect forest dwellers and transhumant
herders and others who successfully practise sustainable agroforestry on an extensive
land-use basis. When land pressure makes this land use no longer sustainable, ways must be
found to help compensate groups who must then change their traditional way of life.
However, the choice of these options is a delicate policy decision and must be weighed with
the overall development goals foremost, as will be discussed further.
Landlessness/ distance
Closely related to conservation, organization and other agroforestry issues are those of
access to tree resources for the landless and those living at a distance from forests.
Landlessness has seldom been the focus of training for agricultural extension agents
who, in all fairness, require land upon which to extend their message. At the same time, tree
resources in the past have frequently been available to large numbers of people as a free
good. In areas where natural vegetation exists in adequate amounts, free access is common,
especially for non-wood products or dead wood, i.e., for non-consumptive uses of trees.
But as situations have changed, new legal regulations exert more control over
remaining natural vegetation. At the same time, as value increases and supplies are more
limited, customary rights to tree resources found on farmland become privatized. Perhaps
more importantly, the rules of "good manners" are fading for the weakest groups in society,
as noted by Barona (1985). These might allow gleaning for the poor or land use to widows
even when not regularized by either tradition or legislation.
In countries such as the Sudan, mechanized farming is providing the technology for
clearing large tracts of forest lands. At the same time it is cutting off access to tree fodder
and cattle routes for herders and to tree and land resources for an increasing number of
rural people. This development strategy allows large-scale farmers with access to credit for
purchasing equipment to plant many times the amount of land previously cultivated. It also
has had the effect of absorbing land in fallow and thereby creating an increasing number of
landless. In addition, the wholesale clearing of vegetative cover over large areas of semi-arid
land is threatening to increase both wind and rain erosion and thereby to destroy the
productive land base. Such a system offers a challenge for agroforestry promoters. For
example, they might be able to help policy makers and large-scale farmers recognize that
windbreaks or other introduced tree-growing strategies on the farmland could contribute to
increased crop production. It could be promoted to everyone's advantage, including overall
national production goals, even if planted lots or protected strips of natural forest left in the
fields were used as controlled cattle routes and various tree products were made available to
local residents.
In India the National Wastelands Development Council's programme has been an
interesting, though complex, case where a national policy has tried to take into account
involvement of the landless. Agroforestry approaches have been promoted for restoring
large areas of lands classed as non-productive. In some of the schemes, rural poor and/or
landless have been offered financial incentives for reconstituting degraded lands with the
potential of long-term use-rights.
Access to fuel for cooking and housing materials and other tree products is essential for
the well-being of many families. In urban areas, as well as in highly populated rural areas
such as those in Java and the Dominican Republic, mixed tropical homegardens are an
agroforestry survival strategy of many families (see Soemarwoto, this volume).
Agroforestry promoters, when supported by adequate national policies, can develop
strategies which improve access to tree products to the landless or those who live at a
distance from forests.
Enterprise/marketing
One of the essential considerations for rural populations, especially in areas of increased
pressure on basic productive rsources, is additional off-farm income provided through
processing and/or sale. This is a common consideration in agriculture extension in such
activities as milling grains or extracting oils.
However, recent studies of forest-based small-scale enterprises have indicated that in a
number of the countries studied these enterprises are among the top three employers of
rural people. Such a source of off-farm income is especially essential for minimum-resource
or landless rural people. Until recently, these enterprises were hardly noticed. Studies show,
however, that access to markets and raw materials, and to organizational and management
skills, are among the major constraints to increased viability of these enterprises (FAO,
1987d). Selection of appropriate species can increase availability of essential raw materials.
Policies which support appropriate market infrastructure and needed skills-training and
promote stable access to local supplies of raw materials would appear to offer opportunities
for effective rural development through agroforestry.
Many products from trees which have been a free good until recent times are newly seen
in markets. This means that the increasing problem of provisioning local needs for tannins,
medicines, oils and other essential products at the same time creates opportunities to earn
income from integrating selected trees into local production systems. However, the markets
for these products are often not clearly established. Market support, then, offers a slightly
different challenge to one usually faced by agricultural extension agents whose products are
more frequently, but not always, fed into established market systems.
The issue of harvesting and marketing wood products can offer another challenge,
based on weight and bulk, and the resulting difficulty and costs of extraction and transport
on the scale of the artisan or small farmer. Where large trees are involved, harvesting may
be much more complicated and dangerous and may demand different skills and equipment
than the crops with which farmers are more familiar. In many instances, if farmers are not
given help with primary processing and marketing, middlemen will absorb the benefits
from tree raising. Currently there is no clear understanding by forestry specialists and
project designers of the point at which costs to the farmer of legal or illegal cutting of natural
vegetation will be equal to or larger than the cost of producing and managing a small or
non-industrial wood source either for local use or for sale. A large number of development
projects have been oriented around the sale of fuelwood or building poles. Many of these
have not been based on realistic market assessments; there has been a ready assumption
that a person facing a shortage will necessarily purchase the item. In practice, people often
shift to alternative materials such as agricultural by-products and biomass for fuelwood
and the results of integrating trees into the production system for this purpose have
therefore been economically disappointing.
Intercropping trees with crops requiring fuelwood for processing is one promising
approach. Planning such associations can increase the value of both crops. In one case in
Sierra Leone, the tobacco-curing factory which found itself in a fuel-shortage agreed to buy
tobacco from farmers who could also sell them fuelwood. The neighbouring farmers
quickly converted their farmland to agroforestry.
The local farmer's view of the economic benefits of agroforestry providing mixed
products from multipurpose trees and from managing the trees with other crops and/ or
animals must be better understood. The back and forward market linkages must be studied
as well as the way rural people may tap into the market system. Agroforestry, therefore, has
a special, though not always well-understood, challenge in the area of enterprise and
marketing.
Labour
Almost all agroforestry innovations demand change in labour inputs, and the labour
requirement is one item in the package of circumstances which rural people weigh before
deciding whether or not to adopt a new agroforestry practice.
Farm families have developed labour strategies to use inputs of various family members
at various times of the year for different tasks. When these labour cycles of men, women
and youths are well understood, agroforestry strategies can be developed which
complement them. Obviously, additional labour for persons already fully occupied at peak
labour season is considered more costly than when additional demands come during a slack
season.
Labour inputs depend upon the management system designed for the agroforestry
practice. Innovations such as intercropping require more labour than traditional slash and
burn. In Benin, farmers preferred their customary practice of stump-planting small clumps
of more slowly growing teak in corners of their compounds or fields than growing strips of
trees interspersed with crops when tree strips required weeding at the same time as the
cotton crops.
Labour patterns in block planting as done in farm forestry are seen to have some of the
same results as mechanized large-scale cash-crop planting. Both greatly reduce labour costs
— advantageous to a large-scale producer and an economic blow to the limited-resource
farmer or landless worker who depends on labour income. On the other hand, agroforestry
may be planned to help the small-scale producer spread out family labour requirements
while providing increased overall production.
Before one can predict the adoption rate or the development impact of any agroforestry
innovation it will be essential for agroforestry promoters to understand local household-
labour patterns. They will need to look with farm families at not only land availability and
input requirements but also at how the families and the farm labourers they employ would
be affected by any change.
Nutrition
Agroforestry offers the possibility of improving food security by more effectively managing
soil and water resources for the sustained production of annuals. It also offers a potential
for overcoming many problems of seasonality of food availability by greatly extending the
season when green fodder and food supplies are available. Trees and other perennials in the
production system can help tide people over drought and pest attacks, etc., when annuals
cannot survive (Campbell-Asselbergs, 1987). The bushland, which is frequently fallow land
or used for extensive livestock rearing, was long valued for the security it offered through
containing less preferred fodder and wild seeds and roots which allowed for survival of both
people and animals during what would otherwise be a disaster. Periodic droughts which
have proven so catastrophic in recent times have been so severe because of the lack of this
fall-back resource. Trees found in homesteads or farmlands are also frequently considered a
living savings to be left to grow when not required but to be cut in times of need, thereby
offering a more secure livelihood (Chambers and Leach, 1986).
Nutrition is being considered in an increasing number of agricultural extension
programmes, but not in relation to the advantages of integrating trees; nutrition is a
completely new focus for forestry. If the nutritional role of trees and other perennials is
adequately factored into the extension design for agroforestry it can have an extremely
positive impact. When the nutritionally vulnerable are the focus for benefits, agroforestry
projects can be used to help increase equity.
Gender/age
A great deal has been written about gender considerations, both in farming and forestry
(for example, see FAO, 1982; Fortmann and Rocheleau, 1984; Hoskins, 1983; FAO,
1987c). A number of issues previously referred to, such as local use and knowledge, tenure,
organization, landlessness/distance, marketing and labour have gender-specific compo-
nents. Under each of these elements information must be obtained and kept disaggregated
by gender.
Certain agroforestry techniques have special promise for women. Homegardens
strengthen possible control and access even in cultures such as that in the Sudan where
women's mobility is strictly limited. Consideration of the best location for both agricultural
and tree crops is needed for women with household responsibilities.
Age-group issues are also frequently relevant. On the one hand, where new activities
require more inputs from youth (such as fuel collection or livestock care), young people
may be kept home from school. On the other hand, when new resources are made available,
the opposite result may be seen.
The promotion of agroforestry, like agriculture, will require gender/age sensitivity. It

may also frequently require women on the teams collecting socio-economic information as
well as trained female professionals on the teams promoting two-way communication if
women are to be included in the development and expansion of agroforestry activities.
Policy makers will have to have access to the above information as well as information on
gender-related constraints, which policy changes could eliminate, if they are to understand
the potential and to support more effective opportunities for women in agroforestry.
What is next?
Agroforestry research has added, and promises to add, much more to the toolbag of
community-development, agriculture and forestry extension officers in the overall
development effort. It helps focus agriculture on sustainable practices and on ways to make
smaller parcels of land produce the range of plant and animal products required for
subsistance or for market. It offers hope where land pressure has made traditional
agriculture and herding practice unviable. When well designed, it can provide a more
diverse production system thereby reducing risks. However, when not designed to respond
to the social milieu the benefits can completely miss the poor (Chowdhry, 1985).
There is now a considerable and growing literature describing agroforestry techniques
designed to address certain types of problems in various farming conditions. There is also a
considerable and growing literature documenting special socio-economic and political
issues which are central to effective promotion of development through agroforestry. But
the next step will be crucial. That step is to integrate this information in order to develop the
process and train the personnel to move new techniques from the research stations to
widespread accessibility for farmer adoption. More attention is now being given to
designing on-farm research methodology. However, to be most effective and efficient, the
design of on-farm research and extension trials will need to ensure that there is a smooth
transition in moving scientific results as well as the research/testing methods themselves
from research station to the farm, from the researcher to the farmer. Research institutions
will have to co-operate with those offering technical support to extension activities to
conceptualize how this is to be done most effectively.
It will be a challenge to develop testing methods easily understood and used by farmers
in developing realistic but rapid ways to examine plant inter-relationships in the context of
their own objectives. This must become a two-way process because only through farmer
management and adaptation of these suggested new approaches will the real socio-
economic aspects of agroforestry be more fully understood. This final step needs to be
designed to complete the information circle, giving data back to the on-station researchers.
If attention is given now to planning the full cycle of research and trials and the effective
information flow, the speed of providing socially appropriate agroforestry interventions
and their adoption will be greatly enhanced. It is only through this testing of methods and
information that technical and social scientists can refine their tools and interventions to be,
in fact, relevant. Trainers of extensionists are going to have to stay abreast of this dynamic
field as more is learned about tree specific issues in different settings. Agroforestry
extension agents will need to be trained to approach extension as a service which makes
information available and encourages farmers themselves to experiment and to actively
participate in the adaptation of research results to fit their needs.
It is the continued integration of the social and technical information of researchers and
farmers which will be the key also to project implementation. An example from West
Africa illustrates the very common type of self-defeating result which happens when
integration is not the case and when implementers do not understand its value.
In a project, including promoting local participation in agroforestry, there were a
number of activities scheduled. There was a planned socio-economic study to provide
background data, including how farm families use trees and what further tree resources
would be useful for the project to make accessible. There was also a training component to
train foresters in two-way communication. Finally, there were inputs to develop small local
nurseries to give easy access to desired trees. The training was a great success as foresters
talked with farm families and learned about farmer concerns. They learned farm families
wanted fruit trees but had no interest in raising fuelwood or poles as there was no local
market or need for increased availability of these products.
At the same time, the technical decisions were being made in isolation. To the dismay of
extension foresters the only tree species planted in the nurseries was a pole-fuelwood
species. The socio-economic study was delayed until late in the project implementation. It
was seen by the project manager as a way to learn how to get local people to adopt the
national strategy of planting woodlots in every village. The project obviously did not meet
all of its goals. This common lack of co-ordination in development projects is serious in
agroforestry projects given the longer time frame before evaluations clarify the need for
modifications in the project.
As newly designed agroforestry techniques move out into farmers' fields, overall
development issues will also become increasingly apparent. At this junction, there is need
for serious examination of policy issues. A number of specific land- and tree-use and tenure
issues have already been noted. But the use of agroforestry in the overall development
context needs to be critically assessed. Agroforestry cannot become the development tool of
choice only when poor land-use practices by commercial loggers or by poorly designed
irrigation or other large-scale agricultural schemes have left denuded hillsides or salt
marshes. If the services of the poor are used to reconstitute wasted land, their rights to the
rehabilitated resource must be protected. Policies need to be designed to support
agroforestry as an integral part of better land-use planning and to strengthen access to these
new technologies for the poor not only on wasted lands.
Agroforestry offers solutions to many problems. Its promises are extremely encouraging
and attractive. However, as a development tool, agroforestry will be helpful only if it can be
put effectively into the hands of men and women farmers, and if the political decision-
makers see this as a tool for achieving equity in development.
REFERENCES
Brokensha, D., D.M. Warren and O. Werner (eds.). 1980. Indigenous knowledge systems and
developmen. lanham, Maryland: University Press of America.
*Baraona, R. 1985. Agroforestry and swidden cultivators in Latin America. Position paper prepared
for Conference on Land Tenure and Agroforestry, Nairobi, Kenya, May 1985.
Campbell-Asselbergs, E. 1986. Nutrition, forests and trees: Linkages, concerns and indicators.
Unpublished document, Rome: FAO.
Chambers, R. and M. Leach. 1986. Trees to meet contingencies, savings and insurance for the rural
poor. Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.
Chandrasekharan, C. 1985. Rural participation in forestry activities. Paper prepared for Ninth World
Forestry Congress, Mexico City. Rome: FAO.
Chowdhry, K. 1985. Social forestry: Who benefits? In Community Forestry: Socio-Economic
Aspects. FAO/ East West Center, Bangkok, Thailand.
Dani, A.A. and J.E. Campbell. 1986. Sustaining upland resources: People's participation in
watershed management. ICIMOD, Occasional Paper 3, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Dove, M. 1983. Theories of swidden agriculture and the political economy of ignorance. Agroforestry
Systems 1:85-99.
FAO. 1982. Follow-up to WCARRD: The role of women in agriculture production. Rome: FAO
Committee on Agriculture.
. 1984. Changes in shifting cultivation in Africa. Forestry Paper 50. Rome: FAO.
.1985a. Changes in shifting cultivation in Africa: Seven case-studies. Forestry Paper 50 / 1 .
FAO, Rome.
. 1985b. Tree growing by rural people. Forestry Paper 64. Rome: FAO,
. 1986. Forest legislation in selected African countries. Forestry Paper 65. Rome: FAO.
. 1987'a. La Planification des Projets D'Auto-Assistance en Matierede Boisde Feu. Session
D'Etude, Burkina Faso, Fevrier 1986.
. 1987b. Planning self-help fuelwood projects. Workshop Report, Thailand, February
1987.
. 1987c. Restoring the balance: Women and forest resources. Rome: FAO.
. 1987d. Small-scale forestry-based processing enterprises. Forestry Paper (in press), Rome:
FAO.
*Fortmann, L. 1985. Tree tenure: An analytical framework for agroforestry projects. Paper prepared
for Conference on Land Tenure and Agroforestry. Nairobi, Kenya, May 1985.
Fortmann, L. and D. Rocheleau. 1984. Why agroforestry needs women: Four myths and a case
study. Unasylva 1984/4.
Gutzman, L. V. 1987. Equidad Y Participacion En Actividades Comunales De Reforestacion En La
Region Del Cusco, Peru. Unpublished FAO paper. May 1986.
Hoskins, M.W. 1983. Rural women, forest outputs and forestry projects. Rome: FAO.
. 1984. Observations in indigenous and modern agroforestry activities in West Africa. In K.
Jackson (ed.), Social, economic and institutional aspects of agroforestry. Tokyo: United
Nations University.
Jackson, J.K. (ed.). 1984. Social, economic and institutional aspects of agroforestry. Tokyo: United
Nations University.
Polsen, G. 1986. Tree planting: Problems and potentials with special reference to the forester's
predicament in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone. Paper presented at SAREC workshop, June
1986.
*Raintree, J. 1985. Agroforestry, tropical land use and tenure. Paper presented to ICRAF workshop
on Land, Trees and Tenure. Nairobi, Kenya, May 1985.
*Sajise, P. 1985. Position paper presented to ICRAF workshop on Land, Trees and Tenure. Nairobi,
Kenya, May 1985.
Weber, F. and M. Hoskins. 1983. Agroforestry in the Sahel. Virginia Tech. Department of Sociology,
Blacksburg, Virginia.
* Editors'note: These papers will appear in: Raintree, J.B.(ed.), Land, trees and tenure. Proceedings
of an international workshop on tenure issues in agroforestry. Nairobi: ICRAF, and Madison,
Wisconsin: Land Tenure Center (in press).
13
Soil productivity and sustainability

in agroforestry systems
Pedro A. Sanchez
Professor of Soil Science
Tropical Soils Program
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, N.C. 27695-7619, USA
Contents
Introduction
The soil-agroforestry hypothesis
Types of soil-dynamics data sets
Soil constraints in the tropics
Erosion control and improvement of physical properties
Maintenance of soil organic matter
Nutrient cycling in agroforestry systems
Conclusions
References
Introduction
Agroforestry systems are generally perceived to be sustainable and to enhance soil
properties. Growing trees in conjunction with annual crops or pastures is believed to
provide a more thorough plant cover to protect the soil from erosion and a deeper or more
prolific root system to enhance nutrient cycling. Shortly after its creation, ICRAF
organized a state-of-the-art review of soils research and agroforestry (Mongi and Huxley,
1979). A dearth of available, solid research data about the impact of agroforestry on soils
and vice versa was obvious at that time (Sanchez, 1979). Since then, soils research in the
tropics has gained considerable momentum, as has soils research in agroforestry (Nair,
1984, 1987; Young, 1986 a,b,c, 1987; Young et al, 1986. The objective of this paper is to
critically evaluate the various hypotheses that have been advanced on the soil-productivity
and sustainability aspects of agroforestry and suggest future directions.
The soil-agroforestry hypothesis

Although not explicitly stated, the following hypothesis is strongly implied in the
agroforestry literature: Appropriate agroforestry systems improve soil physical properties,
maintain soil organic matter, and promote nutrient cycling. It is also frequently mentioned
that agroforestry systems require less purchased inputs and can reclaim degraded lands in
the tropics. Many traditional agroforestry systems in the tropics involve the use of trees and
shrubs on crop and pasture lands (see von Maydell, this volume; Le Houerou, this volume).
Farmers often claim that these trees (many of which are nitrogen-fixing species) improve
the yields of associated crops (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Better growth of maize beneath a Sesbania sesban tree on farmland in western Kenya
(Photo: E.C.M. Fernandes).
As a universal statement, the above hypothesis is probably not correct. Part of the
problem is that the best documented successful agroforestry systems are located largely on
good soils which are in little need of improvement. Examples of such situations are the
stable coffee- or cacao-production systems under shade on volcanic or high base status
Alfisols in Latin America (Russo and Budowski, 1986; Budowski, this volume) and the
famous homegardens of Asia (Michon et al, 1986) and in Africa (Fernandes et al, 1984)
located on similarly excellent soils.
Notwithstanding the importance of such favoured systems, agroforestry is considered
specially applicable to marginal soils with severe physical, chemical or drought constraints.
Most of the evidence in support of the soils-agroforestry hypothesis, however, is
observational, qualitative or extrapolated from other systems. Many of the quantitative
data on the effect of trees on soil properties are based on natural systems or pure plantation
forestry (Lundgren, 1978; Chijioke, 1980; Singh, 1982; Sanchez et al, 1985; Vitousek and
SOIL PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS 207
Sanford, 1986; Andriesse, 1987). Similarly, most of the effects of agronomic practices such
as mulching are often taken from crop-production data. Given the critical interaction
between trees and crops or pastures, soil-agroforestry relationships should be studied in
situations where such interactions take place, and as a function of time. It is the author's
proposal that changes in soil properties with time caused by agroforestry systems in
well-characterized, long-term data sets be considered as the appropriate test for such
hypotheses.
Types of soil-dynamics data sets

Two types of soil-dynamics data sets were recognized in a recent review (Sanchez et al,
1985): Type I, where changes in soil properties are monitored with time on the same site,
and Type II where soils of nearby sites of known dates of planting are sampled at the same
time. Well-characterized, replicated Type I experiments are preferred, but they are scarce.
The problem with Type II experiments is that the initial conditions and soil properties of the
sites are unknown. Thus observations at a later stage may be the result of different initial
soil properties or the effect of management systems.
The main advantage of a Type II experiment is that it can yield results in a much shorter
time as compared to a Type I experiment. Type II experiments can be used to obtain an
objective assessment of the effects of an agroforestry system or technology on soil
properties, provided comparisons are made on sites with (1) similar soils classified
according to soil taxonomy, and (2) little difference in soil texture with depth between sites.
In addition, other land factors such as climate, position in landscape and slope aspect
should be similar among sites. The greater the variability of a site, the greater will be the
need for careful sampling and adequate replication.
Particle-size distribution in the profile is a soil property very difficult to change with
management or time, and should therefore be a good indicator of whether the soils were
similar when the comparisons started. Even in cases of topsoil erosion, particle-size
distribution with depth, coupled with the necessary morphological descriptions for
classification, can provide reasonable assurance that initial soil properties were the same.
An example from the work of Russell (1983) in Ultisols of the Brazilian Amazon is given in
Table 1. Differences in sand and clay content between nearby sites were small and not
statistically significant. The effects of agroforestry on soil properties can be adequately
estimated from such Type II data sets.
On the other hand, Type II data sets showing major textural differences between sites,
or those providing no soil profile data at all, cannot be used to test the soil-agroforestry
hypothesis. An example is a thorough study of teak plantations of up to 120 years of age in
Kerala, India. Jose and Koshy (1972) reported major changes in soil organic matter and
bulk density with age of teak plantations (Figure 2). Their soil-profile data, however,
showed considerable differences in clay and sand content among the various sites
supporting plantations of different ages. Clay content is usually correlated with organic
matter content, while bulk density is positively related to coarse-sand content. It appears
likely that the values for organic matter and bulk density were a function of textural
differences rather than the effects of teak plantations over time. Jose and Koshy's data,
when drawn in Figure 3, do not support the conclusion that age of teak plantation had a
major effect on soil organic matter and bulk density.
Table 1 Texture of five Ultisol sites sampled at Jari, Para, Brazil in a Type II experiment
comparing the effects of different plantations vs. native tropical rain forest.
Plantations
Soil Native 0.5 yr 9.5 yr 8.5 yr 8yr

Property depth tropical Pinus Pinus Gmelina Gmelina + Signi-
cm forest caribea caribea arborea 1.5 yr pine ficance
Sand 1 94 93 93 93 91 ns
30 84 83 8! 83 77 ns
100 79 80 80 82 76 ns
Clay I 5 5 6 5 7 ns
30 15 15 16 13 18 ns
100 20 16 17 16 20 ns
Source: Russell, 1973.
30 60
AGE OF TEAK PLANTATION
Figure 2 The effect of age of a teak plantation on topsoil (0-30cm) organic matter and bulk density
as reported by Jose and Koshy (1972) in a Type II experiment conducted in Kerala, India.
3 0 S~
Figure 3 The relationships between topsoil (0-30 cm) organic matter and clay content, bulk density
and coarse-sand content in the same Type II experiment described in Figure 2.
Many Type II experiments are not replicated and thus it is difficult to establish
statistical significance with the classical analysis of variance. Geostatistioal sampling
techniques may provide a means of differentiating random soil spatial variability from tree
effects under certain circumstances. An example of this approach is the work of Riha et al.
(1986) comparing the effects of three tree plantations on soil properties in upstate New
York. This Type II experiment compared red pine (Pinus resinosd) and sugar maple {Acer
saccharum) growing on one soil, plus a third species, Norway spruce (Picea excelsior),
growing on an adjacent but different soil, each in unreplicated 0.45 ha plots. The two soils
had similar textural profiles and chemical properties, however. The application of
geostatistical techniques to compare the two species growing on the same soil appears valid,
considering the accuracy of soil maps in that region. The comparison between species
growing on adjacent but taxonomically different soils at the great group level, however,
may confound the effect of initial soil properties with the effect of trees.
An appreciation and application of this fundamental concept of Type I and II
experiments will be a major step towards obtaining objective and valid comparisons of the
effects of agroforestry systems on soil properties under a variety of environmental and site
conditions.
Soil constraints in the tropics

The effects of soils per se on agroforestry systems also deserve more rigorous scrutiny.
Major advances have been made on the properties, distribution and constraints of soils in
the tropics during the last decade. The widespread use of a quantitative soil taxonomy
system (Soil Survey Staff, 1975), the completion of the FAO world soil map, and many
local soil surveys provide a vastly improved data base on soil properties and their
geographical distribution. Some widely held views of the 1960s are now contradicted by
quantitative knowledge. For example, generalizations such as "most tropical soils are low
in organic matter", or that such soils "turn into laterite after clearing" are not supported by
the data.
Soil maps or relatively complicated taxonomic names often convey little to agronomists
or foresters. Technical classification systems are used to interpret soil taxonomy
information in terms relevant to specific users. Foresters frequently use the Site Index,
which is a technical land classification system based on the observed rate of tree growth.
The Fertility Capability Classification (FCC) system is a technical system that provides
interpretations in terms of soil constraints to plant growth (Buol et al, 1975; Sanchez et al,
1982a). An example of the geographical extent of soil constraints by major agro-ecological
zones is shown in Table 2, where the relative importance of each FCC constraint varies
between the humid tropics, acid savannas, semi-arid tropics, steeplands and wetland
regions. Local knowledge of soil taxonomy and FCC constraints, however, is more
relevant than such world-wide figures. Local data on soil constraints can be included in the
diagnosis, design or improvement of agroforestry systems. Similarly, the interpretation of
Table 2 Geographical extension of main soil constraints in five agroecological zones of

the tropics.
Humid Acid Semi-arid Tropical Tropical

Soil constraint tropics savannas tropics steeplands wetlands
% of ecological zone
Drought stress - 100 100 77 67

Low nutrient reserves 66 55 17 27 3
Aluminium toxicity 57 50 13 26 4
Acid, but not Al-toxic 18 50 29 16 29
Slopes steeper than 30% 17 16 15 100 1
High phosphorus fixation 38 32 9 21 -
Shallow soils 7 5 16 54 -
Poor drainage 13 7 II) - 100
Low cation retention II 4 7 - -
Gravel 1 3 5 10 2
Shrink-swell 1 - 10 - -
Salinity - - 2 - 7
Source: Sanchez et al, 1982c, based on FAO world soil map data interpreted according to
the Fertility Capability Classification System (Sanchez et al, 1982a).
agroforestry data without regard to the soils where the research was conducted severely
limits its potential applicability.
The three components of the soil-agroforestry hypothesis are now examined using data
sets that meet the Type I or acceptable Type II experiment criteria and are related to soil
properties and constraints. Examples from soils of the humid, subhumid and semi-arid
tropics are used.
Erosion control and improvement of physical properties

The fundamental reason why agroforestry systems are perceived to improve soil properties
is the protection a tree cover gives the soil against surface compaction, runoff and erosion
(Young, 1986a). Agroforestry systems can contain one or more such covers (also referred to
as canopies): (1) a tree-top canopy, (2) aground cover provided by annual crops or pasture,
and (3) a surface-litter layer produced by the vegetation when any or all of its components
are fully established. The onset, duration and thickness of ground cover of each type varies
widely in agroforestry systems.
Two ICRAF reviews reported ample data showing that the presence of trees decreases
soil erosion but no direct evidence from agroforestry systems (Nair, 1984; Young, 1986c).
Most of the information is based on what happens when forests are cut down, but not on
what happens when trees are planted in combination with crops or pastures. Although it is
generally believed that a plant cover is the best way to protect the soil from erosion, it need
not always be so (Wiersum, 1984). The question is, to what extent do individual
agroforestry systems produce plant covers that can reduce erosion, how soon, and for how
long a period of time?
Most forested land in the humid and subhumid tropics that has been cleared by
mechanical means suffers some physical deterioration (Seubert et al, 1977; Lai et al, 1986)
ranging from outright topsoil removal to mild surface-soil compaction. The detrimental
effects of improper land clearing similarly affect crop, pasture, or tree growth (Sanchez et
al, 1985). The land-clearing method used, therefore, is a major starting point for
interpreting changes in soil physical properties with time.
Furthermore, improvement in physical properties implies that soils need physical
improvement. This is less the case with well-aggregated Oxisols and Andepts and in
well-aggregated oxic Ultisols and Alfisols than with many sandy Alfisols and Ultisols that
have very unstable structural aggregates.
One fact not often mentioned in the agroforestry literature is that most trees develop a
soil-protecting plant canopy more slowly than annual crops or pastures (Broughton, 1979).
Most humid tropical tree crops require at least two years to close their canopy, whereas
annual crops provide adequate cover within 30 to 45 days and pastures within two to six
months. Although there is sufficient evidence that fully developed tree canopies reduce
runoff and erosion losses to levels similar to the original forest vegetation, the soil is
particularly exposed during the tree-establishment phase unless an annual crop or a legume
ground cover is planted shortly after land clearing.
A Type II study of a five-year-old Acacia auriculiformis plantation under a lowland
humid climate in Java compared the effects of tree canopy removal, undergrowth and litter
on soil erosion. The tree-canopy itself had little effect on soil erosion and the effect of
undergrowth was small. Litter cover alone reduced soil erosion by 95 percent as compared
with bare soil (Wiersum, 1985). To maintain continuous litter, however, fresh inputs from
the tree/shrub canopies were required.

There is ample information on the effects of annual crop canopies on runoff and erosion
from a variety of soils and slopes (Roose, 1970; Lai, 1975). Agroforestry systems may
provide adequate soil protection at the critical establishment phase, but mainly by crops or
legume ground covers not by the trees. This will be an important factor in the design of
agroforestry technologies for minimizing soil erosion. Once established, however, an
agroforestry technology can provide significant soil protection. This is shown in a
successful alley-cropping trial on a pH 6 sandy Entisol at Ibadan, Nigeria which is highly
susceptible to soil erosion (Lai, 1987) (Table 3). The existence of trees did not affect maize
yields, but did reduce cowpea yields considerably as compared with the best management
for annual crop rotations on the site.
Table 3 Alley-cropping effects on runoff and soil erosion under maize-cowpea rotation
on a sandy Entisol at IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria (Type I experiment).*
Maize Cowpea
Runoff Soil erosion yield yield
Treatment (mm) (t ha -1 yr- 1 ) (tha1) (tha- 1 )
Ploughed, annual crops only 232 14.9 4.2 0.5

No-till, annual crops only 6 0.03 4.3 1.1
Leucaena alleys (4m apart) 10 0.2 3.9 0.6
Leucaena alleys (2m apart) 13 0.1 4.0 0.4
Gliricidia alleys (4m apart) 20 1.7 4.0 0.7
Gliricidia alleys (2m apart) 38 3.3 3.8 0.6
* Each value is an average of 4 years' data. Alleys were ploughed before crop plantings to
incorporate the mulch into the soil.
Source: Lai, 1987.
Do deliberately planted trees improve soil structure? Silva (1983) measured considerable
changes in soil aggregation in Ultisols of humid tropical Bahia, Brazil four years after
establishing several agroforestry systems in an acceptable Type II experiment. His results,
shown in Table 4, indicate major differences in soil structure due to planted tree species. A
young Pinus caribaea stand significantly improved soil structure in comparison with the
virgin forest, while oil palm and rubber, both with leguminous cover, did not. The effect of
slash and burn vs. bulldozed land clearing, however, was quite evident four years after
planting. Not all results are applicable to tree/crop interactions but they suggest that tree
species may play a different role in affecting soil structure.
In the semi-arid tropics, Acacia albida has a reputation for being a soil improver, as
evidenced primarily by increasing crop yields under its deciduous canopy. A review of the
literature by Felker (1978) indicates that the soil's water-holding capacity increases under
Acacia albida in comparison with nearby sites devoid of such trees. The reports by
Charreau and Vidal (1965), Dancette and Poulain (1969) and Dugain (1960) do not supply
detailed soil characterization from the different sites, although it may be reasonable to
assume similarity. The effect of increased water-holding capacity is believed to be a
consequence of higher topsoil organic-matter content under Acacia albida on very sandy
Table 4 Effects of four years of plantation establishment and land-clearing methods on

percent of soil aggregates greater than 1 mm in an Ultisol of Barrolandia, Bahia,
Brazil (in a Type I experiment).
Soil depth (cm)
Treatment 0-5 5-15 15-30
aggregates greater than 1 mm
Virgin forest 61 56 80
Slash and burned:
Pinus caribaea 76 73 83
Oil palm + kudzu 42 57 71
Rubber + kudzu 51 57 87
Bulldozed:
Cacao 33 39 65
Brachiaria sp. pasture 34 37 40
LSD .05
Source: Recalculated from Silva, 1983.
Alfisols which are very low in organic matter in the natural state. It is interesting to note that
Poschen (1986) concluded that on poorly drained sites, enhanced crop production under
Acacia albida canopies was due to improved drainage.
No Type I experiment on the effect of Acacia albida on soil properties was reported in
Felker's review. In addition, the lack of adequate descriptions and /or classifications of soils
and the absence of acceptable Type II studies severely limits the validity of many of the
inferences about the effects of Acacia albida on soils. Clearly, the widespread generalization
that Acacia albida is found mainly in sandy, infertile sites is not true. Miehe (1986) describes
Acacia albida systems on high base status soils in the Sudan. Geostatistical techniques
could be tried on fields with randomly occurring Acacia albida trees in the Sahel to separate
the observed positive effects of trees on crops growing under them from random soil spatial
variability.
Type II studies on Acacia albida in the Sahel (Jung, 1966) and Prosopis cineraria in
Rajasthan, India (Mann and Saxena, 1980) have revealed increased clay content beneath
the canopies of these trees. Such observations could be due to the trees acting as a physical
barrier and trapping clay particles during the many dust storms that are prevalent in these
regions. It is also possible that the tree's presence on a particular site may be due to the
higher clay content on the site to begin with. In either case, such observations provide a
good basis for well-designed Type I or acceptable Type II experiments to pinpoint the
factors operating under various site and environmental conditions.
Alley cropping, growing leguminous shrubs as a source of mulch within rows along
crop fields (see Kang and Wilson, this volume), is one of the most publicized agroforestry
options for the humid and subhumid tropics. In spite of the attention presently given to
alley cropping in the tropics, published information relating the effect of alley cropping to
improved soil physical properties is scarce. Kang et al. (1985) reported that the additions of
Leucaena prunings in a maize alley-cropping system substantially increased moisture
Figure 4 A soil-moisture content sample at 5-15 cm depth in the Leucaena mulch ( + R) and
non-mulch (-R) treatments and difference in soil-moisture content between ( + R) and (-R)
treatments sampled at the same depth at the different matric potentials for the same period of
observation at IITA, Nigeria (Source: Kang et al, 1985).
retention of the topsoil (Figure 4). The improvement is quite important because the soil in
question is a sandy gravelly Entisol which is very erodible and subject to high temperature
fluctuations. Table 3 provides data on the effect of alley cropping on soil erosion.
The effect of mulching is related to many factors, among which reducing soil-moisture
losses is one (Lal, 1975; Wade and Sanchez, 1983). Other important mulching effects are
soil-temperature amelioration, weed suppression, root-mat development, protection
against rainfall impact, and in some soils, increased macro-fauna activity. Negative effects
of mulching on plant growth can also occur, the most prevalent being disease enhancement
by excessive soil-moisture levels during rainy periods, prevention of seedling emergence
when the mulch is too thick, nitrogen immobilization as the mulch decomposes, increased
crop damage by termites, and in certain cases allelopathic reactions. A study of agroforestry
systems that involve mulching should take into consideration both potentially positive and
potentially negative effects.
Furthermore, the protection of the soil surface by mulch layers, whether a layer from
free-growing trees or prunings from alley cropping, is a dynamic process, affected by the
quantity, timing and rate of decomposition of mulch inputs. Very little quantitative work
on these aspects has been done, although their importance is acknowledged in the literature
on natural systems (Swift et al, 1979). In agroforestry systems, the three factors (quantity,
timing and decomposition rate) may determine whether a large initial addition of mulch
will smother weed growth while permitting normal crop development. Rapidly decompos-
ing mulch may not stay on the surface for a sufficiently long period, and thus may provide
only temporary cover. The rate of decomposition of organic materials, often called "litter
quality", depends on several factors, among which the lignin/nitrogen ratio and total
soluble polyphenolic content of leaf blades are believed to be important (MeliJlo et al, 1982;
Spain and Le Feuvre, 1987). No effects of mulch litter quality on agroforestry systems have
been found in the available literature in Type I or appropriate Type II experiments.

An assessment of parameters that would predict the time required for a sufficiently
thick mulch layer to provide adequate soil cover needs to be undertaken in promising
agroforestry systems using properly designed soil-dynamics experiments.
M a i n t e n a n c e of soil organic matter
Agroforestry systems are believed to increase, or at least maintain, the organic-matter levels
of the soil (Young, 1986a,b; Young et al, 1986). The range in soil organic matter (SOM)
content in the tropics is similar to that found in temperate regions (Sanchez and Buol, 1975;
Sanchez et al, 1982b) and the equilibrium content of any soil is a function of organic inputs
(addition) and decomposition rates (Greenland and Nye, 1959). Topsoil organic carbon
levels usually decrease after clearing tropical forest and reach a new equilibrium after
several years of different levels of organic inputs and decomposition rates. Organic-matter
dynamics have been reported on annual crops (Sanchez et al., 1983), pastures (Serrao et al,
1979), and tree crops (Sanchez et al, 1985) for various tropical ecosystems.
The known beneficial effects of SOM on crop production were summarized by various
workers, including Allison (1973) and Swift and Sanchez (1984). In short, SOM is (1) a
source of inorganic nutrients for plants, (2) a substrate for micro-organisms, (3) an
ion-exchange material, (4) a factor in soil aggregation and root development, and
consequently (5) a factor in soil and water conservation.
From a practical standpoint, it is desirable to have a nutrient source that synchronizes
nutrient release with plant-growth demands. This is the basis of our chemical-fertilizer
technology. According to Swift (1984, 1985), successful management of organic inputs
should be directed at a nutrient-release pattern in synchrony with the crop's nutrient uptake
pattern, taking into consideration the soil's ability to regulate related processes such as
leaching and denitrification. This "SYNCH" concept is one of the fundamental tenets of the
world-wide Tropical Soils Biology and Fertility (TSBF) programme (Swift, 1984; Swift
and Sanchez, 1984).
Holland and Coleman (1987) reported slower decomposition of surface litter or mulch
in no-till than in tilled systems due to the presence of a higher proportion of fungi in the
mulch layer as compared to the decomposer community present in the soil. Increased
fungal decomposition may enhance organic-matter retention because fungi retain a higher
proportion of metabolized carbon than bacteria (Adu and Oades, 1978). Also, decomposi-
tion by fungi can produce more recalcitrant organic fractions than bacteria (Mayauden and
Simonart, 1963).
Current work on SOM is focusing on functional pools as opposed to total SOM levels
(Parton et al, 1983; Sanchez and Miller, 1987). Consideration of these fractions, defined on
the basis of their turnover rates in the soil, may have more relevance for evaluating
agroforestry technologies than looking at total soil organic matter content.
Parton et al (1983) define three functional pools: active SOM (turnover rate 0-3 years),
slow SOM (turnover up to 25 years) and passive SOM (about 1,000 years). The underlying
hypothesis is that maximization of the active and slow SOM pools will result in greater
"activity" of SOM with regard to nutrient release, complexing Al, and soil structure. In soil
testing for fertilizer use, we no longer analyse "the bones" but "the bloodstream" (for
example, not total P, but available P). A similar goal for organic matter is now being set by
soil scientists involved in TSBF.
Nutrient cycling in agroforestry systems
One of the advantages commonly attributed to agroforestry technologies is the potential for
soil fertility improvement via more efficient cycling of nutrients (Nair, 1984), and it is often
recommended to include nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs in such technologies (Nair et al,
1984; Lundgren and Nair, 1985; Young, 1987).
Good evidence exists from Type II experiments for the nutrient-cycling potential of
agroforestry systems on Alfisols and Andepts of moderate to high fertility. Such systems as
the Erythrina poeppigiana shade trees over Coffea arabica in Costa Rica are a good
example (Glover and Beer, 1986; Russo and Budowski, 1986; Alpizar et al, 1986).
Similarly, Roskoski (1981) reported that Inga jinicuil, a leguminous shade tree in coffee
plantations, fixed around 40 kg N ha -1 yr _1 . Increases in nodule biomass and function
appeared to be positively correlated with increasing P-fertilizer applications to the coffee,
suggesting that phosphorus deficiencies had to be ameliorated prior to adequate
functioning of nodules.
Juo and Lai (1977) compared the effects of a leucaena fallow versus a bush fallow on
selected soil chemical properties on an Alfisol in western Nigeria in a Type I experiment.
After three years, during which leucaena was cut annually and left as mulch, the leucaena
fallow resulted in significantly higher effective cation exchange capacity and levels of
exchangeable Ca and K as compared to the bush fallow. Similarly, in a Type II experiment,
an agroforestry system involving oil palm with leguminous cover crops (Centrosema
pubescens and Pueraria phaseoloides) appeared more efficient at nutrient cycling than an
oil-palm plantation with no cover crop. In addition to fixing about 150 kg N ha - 1 yr -1, the
loss of nitrate nitrogen via leaching was significantly lower in the agroforestry system than
in the sole crop of oil palm (Agamuthu and Broughton, 1985).
After six years of alley cropping with Leucaena leucocephala on a pH 6 Entisol, plots
receiving prunings had a higher nutrient status and twice the organic-matter content than
plots not receiving prunings (Kang et al, 1984) (Table 5). This is a highly successful
agroforestry system.
Attempts to extrapolate the IITA-leucaena alley cropping model to a highly weathered,
sandy Ultisol in the Amazon basin of Peru, however, were not as successful (TropSoils,
1987). Table 6 shows a comparison of some of the soil properties between the Nigerian and
Peruvian sites. The main differences are (1) the susceptibility of Leucaena leucocephala to
Al toxicity, and (2) the low nutrient base content of the Yurimaguas subsoil which reduced
the recycling pool.
The poor performance of leucaena in acid soils had been anticipated and a number of
other woody species were evaluated in alley-cropping trials. These include Inga edulis,
Codariocalyx (Desmodium) gyroides and Erythrina spp. Although yield data and soil
properties are still under analysis, Inga edulis appears to be a highly promising agroforestry
species for acid soils in the tropics (Figure 5).
Although alley cropping works well in moderately fertile soils, current experience
suggests that it will be necessary to use inputs such as lime, and possibly P, to allow
successful establishment of alley-cropping species and subsequent recycling of nutrients on
acid infertile Ultisols and Oxisols (TropSoils, 1986). Much further study is required before
this particular agroforestry system can be considered widely applicable to the humid and
subhumid tropics.
Some tree and shrub species can selectively accumulate certain nutrients even in soils
containing very low amounts of these nutrients. Thus palms and palm litter are rich in
Table 5 Effect of six years of alley cropping maize and cowpea with Leucaena leucocephala and nitrogen application on some chemical
properties of surface soil of Apomu loamy sand (Psammentic Ustorthent).
Exchangeable
Bray
Treatments Leucaena pH Org.C K Ca Mg P-l
(kgN/ha) prunnings (H 2 0) (%) (me 100g-1) (ppm)
0 Removed 6.0 0.65 0.19 2.90 0.35 27.0

0 Retained 6.0 1.07 0.28 3.45 0.50 26.2
80 Retained 5.8 1.19 0.26 2.80 0.45 25.6
LSD .05 0.2 0.14 0.05. 0.55 0.11 5.3
Source: Kang et al, 1984.

Table 6 Soil differences between sites of Ibadan, Nigena, and Yunmaguas, Peru, where alley-cropping experiments have been
conducted with contrasting results.
Exchangeable (cmol l-1 ')

Soil Depth Clay Sand Gravel PH Org.C Avail. P %A1
Site taxonomy (cm) (%) (%) (%) (H 2 0) (%) (ppm) Al Ca Mg K saturation
Ibadan, Psammentic 0-9 10 78 2 6.0 0.65 27 0.05 2.90 0.35 0.19 1

Nigeria Ustorthent 9-36 10 82 3 6.3 0.30 - 0.02 1.05 0.46 0.06 1
(Apomu loamy sand 30-87 10 87 4 6.3 0.08 - 0.01 1.67 0.12 0.04 0
series) isohyper-
thermic
Yurimaguas, Typic 0-5 5 80 0 4.3 1.00 8 1.75 0.65 0.23 0.04 66
Peru Paleudult 5-40 16 57 0 4.2 0.50 - 3.02 0.17 0.05 0.04 92
(Yurimaguas fine loamy 40-80 28 49 0 4.2 0.20 - 4.97 0.06 0.05 0.03 97
series) siliceous
isohyper-
thermic
Sources: Kang et al, 1985;'TropSoils, 1987; data for 9-83 cm depth of IITA soil from Moorman et al., 1974.
Figure 5 Alley cropping with Inga edulis at Yurimaguas, Peru (Photo: E.C.M. Fernandes)
potassium (Folster et al, 1976), tree ferns accumulate nitrogen (Mueller-Dombois et al,
1984), Cecropia spp. appeared to accumulate Ca and P on acid sites (Odum and Pigeon,
1970) and Gmelina arborea accumulates Ca (Sanchez et al, 1985). It is important for
researchers looking to incorporate such nutrient-conserving species into agroforestry
technologies to appreciate the fact that such plant-nutrient responses will change with
location and site/soil characteristics (Golley, 1986).
In addition to translocation of nutrients from soil layers beyond the reach of annual
crops or pasture species, enhancement of nutrient status beneath tree canopies has also been
attributed to canopy capture of precipitation inputs (Kellman, 1979). Therefore, such
factors may enhance nutrient recycling in agroforestry systems but they need to be
evaluated in such systems.
Conclusions
Agroforestry as a major approach to sustainable land use in the tropics is now a widely
acknowledged concept. Many of its positive attributes relate to the management and
conservation of marginal soils of the tropics. While evidence exists for the beneficial effects
on soils of certain agroforestry technologies (especially on more fertile soils), there is a
tendency for over-generalization and extrapolation of soil productivity and sustainabihty
benefits of agroforestry systems to other more marginal sites. The time has come to bring
science into the picture and systematically test the effects of agroforestry systems on
different soils, and vice versa.
A soil-dynamics methodology is proposed as a framework for such testing. The above-
and below-ground interactions between trees and crops or pastures are likely to provide
different results from those obtained in forests, cropped fields or pastures. Recognition of
what the major soil constraints are in specific areas would improve the design of
agroforestry systems. Science-based soil-agroforestry research will provide a realistic site-

specific appraisal of whether agroforestry systems improve soil physical properties,
maintain soil organic matter or promote nutrient cycling.
Acknowledgements
Paper No. 11163 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service,
Raleigh, N.C., U.S.A.
The author is deeply indebted to Mr Erick C M . Fernandes, graduate student, for
assistance in compiling materials for the paper.
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SECTION FIVE
Research findings and

proposals
14
The development of
alley cropping as a promising
agroforestry technology
B.T. Kang and G.F. Wilson
Soil Scientist and Agronomist, respectively
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITTA)
P.M.B. 5320, Ibadan, Nigeria
Contents
Introduction
Soil management problems in the humid and subhumid tropics
The role of planted fallow in sustainable crop production
The potential of alley cropping as a sustainable farming system in the tropics
Adoption of alley cropping
Outiook
References
Introduction
Shifting cultivation and related slash-and-burn cultivation systems are still the dominant
land-use systems in vast areas of the tropics. These farming systems extend over 25 percent
(360 x lO6ha of the exploitable tropical lands (Saouma, 1974).
These traditional food-crop production systems are based largely on the restorative
properties of woody species. A typical example of the system is shifting cultivation
involving partial clearing of the forest or bush fallow in the humid zone, or patches of grass
and scattered trees in the subhumid zone, followed by flash burning of the vegetation (for
seedbed preparation and partial release of nutrients) and short-term intercropping (Allan,
1965). The cropping period is marked by a random spatial arrangement of crops and
"regrowth" of woody perennials. This rotational sequence of temporal agroforestry (Nair,
1985), with long fallow periods that allow regeneration of soil productivity and weed
suppression, has sustained agricultural production on uplands in many parts of the tropics
for many generations.
A recent survey of traditional agriculture in the humid and subhumid zones of southern
Nigeria showed that tree-crop-based systems predominate (Getahun et al, 1982). Bene et al.
(1977) have pointed out that in most tropical zones food crops and trees do well in
combinations. Watson (1983) also stressed the importance of combinations of perennials
and food crops in ensuring stable production and satisfactory income for subsistence
farmers in the humid tropics. However, due to various socio-economic factors, particularly
rapid population growth, these traditional systems have undergone rapid and drastic
changes over the past few decades. In tropical Africa, for example, with an annual
population growth rate of 3.1 percent (McNamara, 1984), the current population of about
500 million is expected to exceed 900 million by the year 2000. There may not be adequate
land to maintain the long fallow that is essential in traditional shifting-cultivation systems.
As shown by the examples cited by Prothero (1972), high population pressure has
destabilized many traditional production systems: the need for more food has increased
deforestation, shortened fallow periods in shifting cultivation cycles, and set in motion a
degradative spiral leading to reduced productive capacity of the land and decreased crop
yield. In addition, indiscriminate fuelwood gathering, timber harvesting, and grazing have
aggravated land degradation in many parts of the tropics (Bene et al, 1977; Poulsen, 1978;
Gorse, 1985).
To meet the ever-increasing demand for food in the tropical and subtropical
(developing) countries, more land must be brought under cultivation (Dudal, 1980). This is
feasible for much of Africa and Latin America where only 18 and 19 percent, respectively,
of the potentially-arable lands are under cultivation (IPI, 1986). This will, however, provide
only a temporary solution to the food-production problem if it is not followed up by viable
and sustainable food-production technologies.
The development of technologies for increasing food production through increase in
land productivity thus presents a challenge to scientists. This will involve developing, for the
humid and subhumid tropics, highly productive farming techniques that are ecologically
sound, economically viable and culturally acceptable.
Soil management problems in the h u m i d and subhumid tropics
Large parts of the humid and subhumid tropics that are currently under shifting cultivation
and related traditional farming systems are covered by "fragile" soils. These are
predominantly Ultisols, Oxisols and associated soil types in the humid tropics, and Alfisols
and associated soils in the subhumid tropics (Table 1). Many of these soils are grouped as
low-activity clay (LAC) soils because of their limitations, unique management requirements
and other distinctive features that adversely affect their potential for crop production (Juo
1980, 1981; Kang and Juo, 1983).
During the past few decades several institutions in the tropics have been actively
engaged in determining the constraints and management problems of these upland soils
relative to sustainable food-crop production. The results of these investigations (Charreau,
1974; Lai, 1974; IRRI, 1980; Sanchez and Salinas, 1981; Kang and Juo, 1983; Spain, 1983;
El-Swaify et al, 1984) and some of the conclusions are highlighted below. Ultisols and
Oxisols have problems associated with acidity and Al toxicity, low nutrient reserves,
nutrient imbalance and multiple nutrient deficiencies. Ultisols are also prone to erosion,
particularly on exposed sloping land. Alfisols and associated soils have major physical
ALLEY CROPPING AS A PROMISING AGROFORESTRY TECHNOLOGY 229
Table 1 Geographical distribution of soils in the humid and semi-arid tropics (million
hectares)
Soil order Tropical Tropical Tropical

Asia Africa America Total Percentage
Humid tropics*
Oxisols 14 179 332 525 35
Ultisols 131 69 213 413 28
Inceptisols 90 75 61 226 15
Entisols 90 91 31 212 14
Alfisols 15 21 18 54 4
Others 39 10 11 60 4
Total 379 445 666 1,490 100
Semi-arid tropics]
Alfisols 121 446 107 694 33
Aridisols 47 440 33 520 25
Entisols — 225 17 242 13
Inceptisols 28 38 — 66 3
Ultisols 20 24 8 52 1
Others 103 239 148 572 25
Total 319 1,462 313 2,094 100
* Data from NAP, 1982.

t Data from Kampen and Burford (1980), covering also parts of the subhumid tropics.
limitations. They are extremely susceptible to crusting, compaction and erosion, and their
low moisture-retention capacity causes frequent moisture stress to crops. In addition, they
acidify rapidly under continuous cropping, particularly when moderate to heavy rates of
acidifying fertilizers are used.
Where land is abundant, long fallow periods facilitate restoration of soil productivity,
resulting in low productivity but biologically stable production systems. The approach for
maintaining the desired soil physical conditions is appropriate management of the surface
soil through the use of residue mulch and minimum tillage (Lai, 1974). Loss of nutrients
during cropping can be compensated for by judicious chemical inputs (Rang and Juo, 1983;
Nicholaides et al 1984), but, due to the inherent low exchange and buffering capacities of
LAC soils, maintenance of adequate levels of soil organic matter and judicious crop-residue
management play important roles in sustainable crop production (Ofori, 1973; Sedogo et
ai, 1979; Lai and Kang, 1982; Rang and Juo, 1983). An integrated soil fertility management
system, combining the use of chemical soil amendments and biological and organic nutrient
sources, will, therefore, be the most desirable nutrient-management system for these LAC
soils.
The role of planted fallow in sustainable crop production

Levels of productivity that can be sustained in cropping systems largely reflect the potential
and degree of management of the resource base. High productivity comes only from
systems where management intensities that are necessary for sustainability are attained
without extensive depletion of the resources. Evolutionary trends in tropical cropping
systems show that management intensities capable of sustaining productivity are usually
introduced only after considerable depletion and degradation of resources — especially the
non-renewable soil — have taken place. Conservation methods such as use of planted
fallow and other agroforestry approaches are seldom practised, and, where they are
practised, they have been introduced only after long periods of marginal land management
at low levels of energy input.
The important role of the fallow period for soil-productivity regeneration in traditional
shifting cultivation is well known (Nye and Greenland, 1960). The fertility of the soil which
is depleted during the cropping period is regenerated during the fallow period. The rate and
extent of soil-productivity regeneration depend on the length of the fallow period, the
nature of the fallow vegetation, soil properties and the management intensity. During the
fallow period, plant nutrients are taken up by the fallow vegetation from various soil depths
according to the root ranges. While large portions of the nutrients are held in the
vegetational biomass, some are returned to the soil surface or lost through leaching, erosion
and other processes. In addition, during the fallow period the return of decaying litter and
residues greatly add to the improvement of soil organic matter levels.
From the various descriptions of tropical cropping systems (Ruthenberg, 1979;
MacDonald, 1982; Benneh, 1972), a framework for a logical evolutionary pathway of
traditional crop-production systems in the humid tropics can be developed, as shown in
Figure 1. This pathway highlights the major changes and indicates points at which
Figure 1 Stages in the evolution of managed fallow and multistorey cropping

complex in the humid tropics.
intervention with planted fallows or other agroforestry methods could be introduced, and
thus further resource degradation prevented. Raintree and Warner (1986) have also
recently described the various agroforestry pathways for the intensification of shifting
cultivation.
The pathway depicted in Figure 1 begins with a stage that may be described as a simple
rotational sequence of temporal agroforestry. It is characterized by a very short cropping
period followed by a very long fallow period. In this fallow period even "inefficient" soil-
rejuvenating plant species are able to restore soil productivity. Here the economic return to
the input of labour or energy is high; the management input is low and is confined to the
cropping period. In the second stage that usually results from population pressure, the
cropping period and the area cultivated are expanded. Returns to energy input begin to fall
and management intensity increases. At this stage there is an awareness of the contribution
of the different species in the fallow system (Benneh, 1972). At the third stage attempts are
made to manipulate species in the fallow in order to ensure fertility regeneration in the
already shortened fallow period. A good example of this third stage is the retention and use
of tree species such as Acioa barterii, Alchornea cordifolia, Dialium guineense and
Anthonata macrophyla as efficient soil-fertility restorers (Obi and Tuley, 1973; Okigbo,
1976; Getahun et al, 1982). Farmers near Ibadan, Nigeria have observed that Gliricidia
sepium, when used as yam stakes, grew and dominated the fallow and restored the land
much quicker than did other species. Consequently, they now maintain G. sepium in the
fallow even when yam is not included in the cropping cycle. In the fourth stage, mere
manipulation of fallow and sole dependence on natural regeneration for the establishment
of the desired species are no longer adequate, and a planted fallow of selected species
becomes necessary. Though the value and feasibility of planted fallows have been
demonstrated experimentally (Webster and Wilson, 1980), the practice has not become
widespread. This is the stage at which intervention of techniques such as alley cropping
(Kange/a/., 1981; Wilson and Kang, 1981) and in-situ mulch (Wilson, 1978) can take place.
At each of these successive stages, length of the cropping period extends progressively
and that of the fallow diminishes correspondingly. During these extended cropping periods
soil degradation continues, and the damage done cannot be repaired by the shortened
fallow. Even when the most efficient soil-rejuvenating species dominate the fallow, they can
only sustain yield at a level supportable by the existing resource base.
The fifth (merging of cropping and fallow phases) and sixth (intensive multistorey
combinations) stages could evolve from the previous stages, but there is no clear evidence
for this. In many areas where multistorey cropping, an intensive agroforestry system with
trees and crops (Nair, 1979; Michon, 1983), dominates there is no evidence of stages four
and five. The most plausible explanation is that, as population pressures grow, and the area
available for stage III shrinks, that of stage VI (which is actually the intensively-managed
homegardens where fruit trees are always among the major components) expands. As the
two stages merge, the more efficient homegarden undergoes modification which results in
the development of the multistorey production system.
If one follows the above evolution pattern, sustainability with high productivity can be
achieved when conservation and restoration measures are introduced before resources are
badly degraded or depleted. In the humid tropics, the multistorey complex which seems to
be the climax of cropping-systems evolution, would be the ideal intervention at stages I or
II. However, this may not be possible in all cases. Consequently some other types of
agroforestry system, such as the planted fallows, are necessary.
Early attempts to use planted fallow in the tropics were dominated by the use of
herbaceous legumes for production of green manures (Milsum and Bunting, 1928; Vine,
1953; Webster and Wilson, 1980). Though many researchers reported positive responses,
the recommendations were never widely adopted. Later studies indicated that green
manuring with herbaceous legumes was not compatible with most tropical climates,
especially in areas with long dry periods which precede the main planting season (Wilson et
al, 1986): most herbaceous species did not survive the dry season and thus did not have
green matter to contribute. However, herbaceous legumes such as Pueraria phaseoloides,
Centrosema pubescens, Calopogonium mucunoides and C. caeruleum are widely used as
ground cover in the tree-crop plantations in the humid regions (Pushparajah, 1982),
Following the introduction of herbicides and no-till crop establishment in the tropics,
some of the cover crops such as Mucuna utilis,, Pueraria phaseoloides, Centrosema
pubescens and Psophocarpus palustris were found capable of producing in-situ mulch for
minimum tillage production (Lai, 1974; Wilson; 1978). Various reports have also shown
that trees and shrubs with their deeper root systems are more effective in taking up and
recycling plant nutrients from greater depths than herbaceous or grass fallows (Jaiyebo and
Moore, 1964; Nye and Greenland, 1960; Lundgren, 1978; Jordan, 1985).
Milsum and Bunting (1928) were among the earlier researchers to suggest that
herbaceous legumes were not suitable sources of green manure in the tropics. They believed
that shrub legumes, including some perennials such as Crotalaria sp. and Cajanus cajan,
were more suitable. They even suggested a cut-and-carry method in which leaves cut from
special green manure source plots would be used to manure other plots on which crops
would be grown. Cajanus cajan with its deep roots survives most dry seasons, and at the
start of the rains has an abundance of litter and leaves to contribute as green manure.
Planted fallow of shrub legumes such as Cajanus cajan, already widely used by traditional
farmers, was sometimes found to be more efficient than natural regrowth in regenerating
fertility and increasing crop yields (Nye, 1958; Webster and Wilson, 1980). With increased
use of chemical inputs, serious questions are repeatedly raised as to whether a fallow period
is needed and what minimum fallow period will sustain crop production. An objection to
the traditional fallow system as illustrated in Figure 1 (phases I and II) is the large land area
required for maintaining stable production. On the other hand, modern technologies from
the temperate zone introduced to increase food production by continuous cultivation have
also not been successful on the LAC soils. Rapid decline in productivity under continuous
cultivation continues even with supplementary fertilizer usage (Duthie, 1948; Baldwin,
1957; Allan, 1965; Moormann and Greenland, 1980; FAO, 1985). From the results of a
world-wide survey, Young and Wright (1980) concluded that, with available technology, it
is still impossible to grow food crops on the soils of tropical regions without either soil
degradation or use of inputs at an impracticable or uneconomic level. They further stated,
that at all levels of farming with inputs, there may still be a need to fallow, or to put the land
temporarily to some other use, depending on soil and climatic conditions. Higgins et al.
(1982) have given some estimates of rest periods needed for major tropical soils under
various climates with different inputs (Table 2). The rest period needed decreased with
increasing input levels.
To overcome the management problems of the upland LAC soils, and to incorporate in
them the much-needed fallow component, scientists working at the International Institute
of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria, in the 1970s opted for an agroforestry
approach which had not been tried before then — the use of woody species for managing
these soils. This has led to the development of what is now known as the alley-cropping
system (Kang et al, 1981; Wilson and Kang, 1981).
Table 2 Cultivation factors* for some major soils in the tropics depending on input levels
Inputs
Major soils Low Intermediate High
Humid+ Semi- Humid Semi- Humid Semi-

arid** arid arid
Arenosols
(Psamments) 10 20 30 45 50 50
Ferralsols
(Oxisols) 15 20 35 40 70 75
Acrisols
(Ultisols) 15 20 40 60 65 75
Luvisols
(Alfisols) 25 35 50 55 70 75
Cambisols
(Tropepts) 35 40 65 60 85 80
Nitosols 40 75 55 70 90 90
Vertisols 40 45 70 75 90 90
* Cultivation factor = number of years it is possible to cultivate as a percentage of the total cultivation
and non-cultivation cycle.
t Humid — more than 269 days of growing period.
** Semi-arid — less than 120 days of growing period.
Source: Adapted from Higgins et ai, 1982.
In both planted fallow and alley cropping, the potential for sustainability comes
through more intensive management in which the non-crop-producing component (the
fallow or woody species) is managed in such a way that a large portion of the energy flowing
through that sector is directed towards crop production, and resource degradation and
depletion are prevented. When these practices are introduced early they will maintain the
resource base at a high level and thus respond more effectively to intensive management.
The potential of alley cropping as a sustainable farming system

in the tropics
The concept of alley cropping
In alley cropping, arable crops are grown between hedgerows of planted shrubs and trees,
preferably leguminous species, which are periodically pruned to prevent shading the
companion crop(s) (Kang et ai, 1981,1984). Two field examples of the practice are shown
in Figures 2 and 3. This production system is classified by Nair (1985) as a zonal
agroforestry system. The shrubs and trees grown in the hedgerows retain the same functions
of recycling nutrients, suppressing weeds, and controlling erosion on sloping land as those
in the bush fallow (Figure 4). Prunings from the trees and shrubs are a source of mulch and
green manure. Leguminous woody species also add fixed nitrogen to the system. The
alley-cropping technique can, therefore, be regarded as an improved bush-fallow system

with the following advantages:
1. Cropping and fallow phases are combined;
2. Longer cropping period and increased land-use intensity;
3. Rapid effective soil fertility regeneration with more efficient plant species;
4. Reduced requirements for external inputs; and
5. The system is scale-neutral, being flexible enough for use by small-scale farmers and for
large mechanized production.
Figure 2 Alley cropping: Leucaena leucocephala and maize at Machakos, Kenya

(Photo by S. Jackson for 1CRAF).
Figure 3 Alley cropping: Leucaena and upland rice at IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria
Figure 4 A schematic representation to show the benefits of nutrient cycling and erosion control in
an alley-cropping system (Source: Kang et al, 1986).
By integrating small-ruminant production with alley cropping, the International

Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) project in Ibadan, Nigeria, has developed the alley-
farming concept (Sumberg and Okali, 1983) in which prunings from the hedgerows provide
high-quality supplementary fodder. So alley farming can be defined as the planting of

arable crops between hedgerows of woody species that can be used for producing mulch
and green manure to improve soil fertility and produce high-quality fodder.
The alley-cropping concept is currently, being evaluated in many parts of the tropics
under different names. The International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)
used the term "hedgerow intercropping" (Torres, 1983), while in Sri Lanka the term
"avenue cropping'' is used (Wijewardene and Waidyanatha, 1984). Working independently
during the late 1960s and the 1970s, the agricultural extension department in Sikka district
on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia also promoted the use of Leucaena for
controlling erosion and rehabilitating degraded, slightly acid soils on very steep lands in an
approach similar to alley cropping under the "Lamtoronisasi" programme (Metzner, 1976;
Parera, 1978; Piggin and Parera, 1985). This extension and development work with
Leucaena leucocephala has been very successful (Parera, 1986). According to him,
although Leucaena was forced on the farmers in the 1930s for soil rehabilitation, it did not
gain early acceptance because it was not accompanied by an appropriate management
system. Leucaena came into focus in the region only during the seventies when the
"Lamtoronisasi" programme was introduced.
The potential for a sustainable farming system
Various field trials were carried out by IITA scientists over the past ten years on strongly
acid soils (Ultisols) and slightly acid soils (Alfisols) in the humid and subhumid regions of
Nigeria to test the suitability and benefits of alley cropping. Some of the results of these
trials have been published (Kang et ah, 1981,1984,1985,1986; Kang and Duguma, 1985;
Ngambeki, 1985; Wilson et al, 1986). On Alfisols and associated soils Leucaena
leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium were the most promising woody species for alley
cropping and alley farming (Atta-Krah et al, 1985). They can be established by direct
seeding in association with a growing crop. Once established, the hedgerows can be
repeatedly pruned to produce large amounts of biomass that can be used as green manure,
mulch or fodder.
Even on degraded land, L leucocephala and G. sepium prunings had higher nutrient
yields than those of some widely used native fallow species such as Acioa barterii or
Alchornea cordifolia (Table 3). The high nutrient yields are maintained when prunings are
added to the soil. However, under a cut-and-carry" system where prunings are continuously
removed as fodder, the soil can also become impoverished unless nutrients from other
sources are added.
The performance of maize, cassava and cowpea in alley cropping with L. leucocephala
and G. sepium has been studied. Higher maize and cassava yields were obtained when alley
cropped than in control plots. It is estimated that L leucocephala can contribute about
40kg N ha"1 to the companion maize crop (Kang and Duguma, 1985). Ngambeki (1985)
also reported large savings in nitrogen fertilizer when maize is alley cropped with L.
leucocephala. Cowpea yield, however, showed either no increase or reduction in yield when
alley cropped with L leucocephala. Upland rice alley cropped with L leucocephala does
not respond to added fertilizer nitrogen, but the control plot (not alley cropped) responded
to 30 kg of applied nitrogen per hectare.
An important aspect of alley cropping is how it affects yield sustainability. Under
long-term observations on a sandy soil, maize yields were significantly higher when
alley cropped with L leucocephala than in control plots with or without applied nitrogen
Table 3 Estimated nutrient yield from hedgerow (4-m interrow spacing) prunings (not
including woody material) of four fallow species grown in alley cropping on a
degraded Alfisol in southern Nigeria
Species Nutrient yield*

Biomass
yield* N P K Ca Mg
(tha-1y-1) (kgha -1 yr-1)
Acioa barterii 3.0 40.5 3.6 20.4 14.7 5.4

Alchornea cordifolia 4.0 84.8 6.4 48.4 41.6 8.0
Gliricidia sepiwn 5.5 169.1 11.1 148.8 104.3 17.6
Leucaena leucocephala 1.4 246.5 19.9 184.0 98.2 16.2
* Fifth year after establishing of hedgerows; total of five prunings.

Source: B.T. Kang, unpublished data.
(Kang and Duguma, 1985). Similar results were observed in long-term alley cropping trials
on degraded Alfisols. With or without applied nitrogen, maize yielded more when alley
cropped (Figure 5). This trial also showed that, in addition to nitrogen, improved soil
conditions resulting from alley cropping had a positive effect on maize yields.
Figure 5 Grain yield of maize on eroded Alfisol (oxic paleustalf) at Ibadan, Nigeria as affected by
alley cropping with woody species (Acioa barterii, Alchoernea cordifolia, Gliricidia sepium and
Leucaena leucocephala) and nitrogen rates (kg N/ha) (Source: B.T. Kang, unpublished data).
Results of long-term studies showed significant improvement in soil properties under

alley propping. These soils had higher soil organic matter and nutrient status than in soil
receiving no prunings. Prunings added as mulch also substantially increased moisture
retention in the topsoil (Kang et al, 1985).
The addition of organic matter and partial shading resulting from alley cropping
stimulated increased earthworm activity. Yamoah and Mulongoy (1984) reported higher
microbial activity as measured by increased biomass carbon under alley cropping. In
addition to improving the soil's chemical, physical and biological condition, hedgerows
play an important role in suppressing weeds and reducing runoff and soil erosion.
Lundgren and Nair (1985) and Young (1986) have recently illustrated the importance of
woody species for soil conservation. Ossewaarde and Wellensiek (1946) had also reported
the importance of woody fallow species in soil conservation and weed suppression. Metzner
(1982) reported significant results for L. leucocephala in controlling soil erosion and
improving and maintaining productivity of degraded and sloping lands on the island of
Flores in eastern Indonesia.
Kabeerathumma et al. (1985) and CSullivan (1985) reported remarkable reduction in
runoff and soil erosion when L. leucocephala was included in the production system.
Similarly, observations at IITA showed that, with mechanized alley cropping on sloping
land, soil that had been degraded after root-rake clearing and tillage was more stable after
L leucocephala hedegrows were introduced than on adjacent land that was shear-blade
cleared and maintained under annual no-tillage planting.
Investigations on acidic Ultisols in the humid tropics showed that for these conditions
woody species such as Acioa barterii, Cassia siamea, and Flemingia congesta were suitable
for alley cropping. Cassava when alley cropped with Acioa barterii or Cassia siamea
yielded more than in the control (Kang et al., 1986). Although most of the research work on
alley farming has been carried out in the humid and subhumid tropics, certain aspects of the
concept could be applied in other agro-ecological zones in the tropics. Further evaluation of
the technology in semi-arid and highland tropics is needed. Such research should include
evaluating the suitability of hedgerow species, and hedgerow and crop husbandry methods
for local environments and farming systems. Recent results in the semi-arid tropics of India
showed that alley farming has good potential, particularly for providing much-needed
fodder (Singh et al., 1986). Similarly, trials at the ICRAF Field Station, Machakos, Kenya
(700mm of annual bimodal rainfall, '1500 m altitude) have shown the feasibility of alley
cropping during years/seasons of "normal" rainfall (Nair, 1987).
Adoption of alley cropping

Spontaneous spread is the most dependable proof of acceptability of a land-use technology.
This has happened in the case of alley cropping over the past few years, and, as stated by
Vogel (1986), the incentive to adopt alley cropping will increase as pressures on land
increase. The practicability and acceptability of alley-cropping technology can be
illustrated by its very successful introduction to "critical" areas of eastern Indonesia
(Metzner, 1976; Parera, 1978) and in the southern Philippines (C'Sullivan, 1985).
Promising developments have been reported from Sri Lanka (Wijewardene and
Waidyanatha, 1984) and parts of Africa.
Examples from Nigeria have shown that the concept is readily accepted in certain parts
of the country, but land-tenure systems have been a major constraint to adoption in other
areas (Francis, 1986). In the yam growing area of Zakibiam, alley cropping was readily
adopted as a source of much-needed staking material. Those farmers also realized that alley
cropping with L. leucocephala improved soil fertility.
The ILCA project that introduced alley farming at Owa-Ile and I wo-Ate in Oyo North
in southern Nigeria showed high adoption and spontaneous spread of the practice among
traditional farmers (Atta-Krah and Francis, 1986). This project will be expanded in the
coming years in a joint undertaking by the Nigerian Department of Livestock, the World
Bank, and ILCA (L. Reynolds, personal communication).
In introducing the alley cropping/farming technology there are two aspects that have
important implications for on-farm research. The first is that alley farming which links
several farm enterprises differs from such single-component technologies as improved
varieties or fertilizer. The second is that planting and managing the trees implies changes in
farmers' behaviour. Since immediate benefits of the system are not directly apparent,
introduction and testing of the system in farmers' fields require constant supervision for the
first few years. Because of these considerations a group participatory approach appears to
be more successful than individual approaches in introducing the technology (Atta-Krah
and Francis, 1986; Cashman, 1986). Farmers must be convinced that alley cropping is a
long-term investment that will lead to high sustainable productivity.
Outlook
In the traditional system of upland crop production on LAC soils, only a small portion of
land is used for food-crop production at any given time. The larger part is under fallow.
This extravagant use of land cannot continue, particularly where high population densities
prevail. It is also impossible to maintain food production without an adequate fallow
period on these LAC soils, unless high inputs are used in combination with short fallow
periods. Planted herbaceous fallow, though generally no more efficient than natural
regrowth for soil restoration, is useful for reducing adverse effects from cropping. Fallow
should be designed to facilitate expansion of production periods. It should arrest
degradation, enhance biological recycling, raise labour-use efficiency, and stabilize
favourable environmental conditions for crop production. The alley-cropping technology
incorporates all the benefits of the fallow period in the food-production period and sustains
land productivity for longer periods.
The development of a sustainable production system suitable for large parts of the
subhumid -and humid regions, particularly in Africa, will have the additional benefit of
reducing the land area needed for food production. Expanded alley cropping could help to
arrest rapid deforestation.
Considering the limited input available to traditional farmers in Africa, low-input
regenerative production systems like alley cropping deserve attention and promotion. Even
in developed countries, as Wittwer (1983) and Blevins (1986) stated, the new trend is
towards production technologies involving greater as well as more efficient use of resources.
Wittwer (1983) described this variously as regenerative agriculture, sustainable agriculture,
organic farming and gardening. The high-input production systems of these countries are
considered wasteful, exploitative of natural resources, and environmentally dangerous
because of their excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Further research is needed to select more suitable multipurpose woody species for alley
cropping, particularly for acid soils and high elevations. Similarly, testing of the alley-
cropping and farming concept for the drier areas needs to be carried out. Alley
cropping/farming has good potential for rapid dissemination and adoption in suitable
areas.
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18340
15
The role of
biological nitrogen fixation
in agroforestry
Y. R. Dommergues
Director of Research
Laboratoire de Biotechnohgie des Systemes Symbiotiques
Forestiers Tropicaux
(CTFTIORSTOM/CNRS)
45bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle
94736 Nogent-sur-Mame Cedex, France
Contents
Introduction
Nitrogen-fixing characteristics of the main tree species used in agroforestry
Technology for exploiting nitrogen-fixing trees in agroforestry
Future trends in agroforestry research
Conclusions
References
Introduction
Agroforestry represents an approach to integrated land use involving the more or less
intimate association of different plant species, always including trees or woody perennials
on the same unit of land (Huxley, 1983). This definition encompasses the association of
trees with perennial crops, such as coffee or cacao, pasture species, annual or biennial crops,
trees being planted as windbreaks or in alleys and frequently trimmed during cropping,
various forms of multispecies combinations such as those found in homegardens, and also
mixed forests (mixed perennial cropping).
The most decisive factor for the success of agroforestry is the choice of suitable, useable
tree species (Nair et al., 1984). This choice should be based on economic and agronomic
criteria. In order to fulfil the second criterion, the highest priority should be given to
selecting trees that can improve the soil, and identifying species or clones that will fix or
absorb large amounts of N (and also other elements, especially P) and then return them to
the soil (Huxley, 1983). Nitrogen-fixing tree species are probably the best choice, if they can
actively fix nitrogen and thus significantly contribute to the improvement of the nitrogen
status of the soil. Nitrogen-fixing trees can increase the yield of associated crops (annual or
perennial) through different mechanisms:
1. The first and main one, which is specific to nitrogen-fixing trees, consists of fixing
atmospheric nitrogen and contributing nitrogen to the soil via leaf and fallen fruit litter
(litter sensu stricto) or the release of root debris and nodules (root litter);
2. The second one consists of the concentration of soil nutrients extracted from the deeper
soil horizons, and eventually from the water table, and their return to the soil surface
with the litter.
In addition, a series of indirect mechanisms (i) affect soil physical, chemical and
biological properties, such as structure (Sprent, 1983), or nitrification, whose reduced
intensity alleviates the inhibiting effect of nitrates on nitrogen fixation; (if) control diseases
or pests, such as root nematodes (Mulongoy, personal communication); or (iii) stimulate
the activity of beneficial organisms such as earthworms (Wilson et al., 1986). In this chapter
the discussion is restricted to the nitrogen-fixation process, starting with the most promising
nitrogen-fixing species for the tropics, and continuing with current management techniques,
and trends and directions for future agroforestry research.
Nitrogen-fixing characteristics of t h e m a i n tree species

used in agroforestry
Legumes
Only nodulating, that is potentially nitrogen-fixing, legume trees are dealt with in this
section. No attention is given to species such as Parkia biglobosa or Cassia siamea which do
not nodulate, and consequently do not fix nitrogen, but are nevertheless, sometimes
integrated in agroforestry systems.
Tropical legumes may nodulate with two types of Rhizobium: fast-growing strains
which belong to the genus Rhizobium (sensu stricto), and slow-growing strains which form
the cowpea miscellany and are now designated as Bradyrhizobium (Elkan, 1984). One
category of trees nodulates only with Rhizobium (sensu stricto), e.g., Leucaena leucocephala
(with a few exceptions) or Sesbania grandiflora. Another category nodulates only with
Bradyrhizobium, e.g., Acacia meamsii or A. albida. A third category is more promiscuous
since it nodulates both with Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium, e.g., Acacia seyal.
Acacia
Acacia albida (syn. Faidherbia albida) This tree, native to Africa, is usually considered as
a highly valuable component of agroforestry systems, not only as a soil improver, but also
as a source of fuelwood and forage in semi-arid zones, especially in Africa (Giffard, 1964,
1971; Felker, 1978; Charreau, 1985; Le Houerou, 1985; Poschen, 1986; CTFT, 1986).
The yield of crops such as sorghum, peanut, or maize grown under a tree canopy of A.
albida is, on the average, substantially higher than when grown alone, which indicates that
the tree improves the soil fertility. However, it is not known whether the beneficial effect is
due to nitrogen fixation or to other mechanisms enumerated in the introduction. Acacia
THE ROLE OF BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION IN AGROFORESTRY 247
albida nodulates with strains oi Bradyrhizobium (Dreyfus and Dommergues, 1981). Since
these strains are already present in most soils, A. albida can be expected to respond poorly
to inoculation except in sterilized nursery soils. Nodulation is normally observed on young
seedlings, but nodules are seldom found in the field, which suggests that the nitrogen-fixing
potential of this Acacia is rather low. However, this conclusion requires confirmation
through precise measurements. The nitrogen-fixing potential of A. albida could possibly be
improved by capitalizing on its great genetic variability.
Acacia Senegal This is another African Acacia species which is intercropped with food
crops in the semi-arid zone (El Houri Ahmed, 1979). A. Senegal nodulates only
with fast-growing strains of Rhizobium, i.e., Rhizobium (sensu stricto) (Dreyfus and
Dommergues, 1981). Since these strains are less ubiquitous than strains oi Bradyrhizobium,
one can predict that Acacia Senegal will require inoculation more often than A. albida. The
nitrogen-fixing potential of A. Senegal has not yet been estimated.
Acacia nilotica, A. raddiana (syn. A. tortilis) and A. seyal Like A. albida and A. Senegal,
these acacias are often integrated into different types of agroforestry system in the semi-arid
zones. A. nilotica and A. raddiana nodulate with fast-growing Rhizobium whereas A. seyal
nodulates with both fast- {Rhizobium, sensu stricto) and slow-growing (Bradyrhizobium)
strains (Dreyfus and Dommergues, 1981). The nitrogen-fixing potential of the three species
is still unknown.
Acacia auriculiformis and A. mangium A. auriculiformis has been reported to be used in
agroforestry fuelwood production systems in Papua New Guinea (Nair et al, 1984). It
produces profuse bundles of nodules, which suggests a good nitrogen-fixing potential
(Domingo, 1983).
Acacia mangium hybridizes naturally with its close relative A. auriculiformis (National
Research Council, 1983). A. mangium is assumed to be a good nitrogen fixer and, hence, a
promising component in fuelwood production systems when grown in appropriate climatic
zones.
Acacia meamsii (syn. A. mollissima or A. decurrens var. mollissima) A highland tree
native to Australia, A. meamsii has been introduced in many countries for its bark which is
very rich in tannins. It is also frequently found as a multipurpose tree on farmlands in Java
and eastern Africa (Nair et al, 1984). A. meamsii nodulates profusely with strains of
Bradyrhizobium (Halliday and Somasegaran, 1982), even in very poor soils, provided the
pH is not lower than 4.5. Nitrogen fixation is high: it was estimated to be approximately
200 kg N2 ha- 1 yr-1 by Orchard and Darby (1956). A similar figure was given recently by
Wiersum (1985).
Albhia kbbeck and A. fakataria

There are about 100 species of Albizia distributed throughout Africa, Asia and tropical
America. Two species, Albizia lebbeck and A. fakataria, are ideally adapted to
agroforestry systems; they are renowned as soil improvers because of their profuse
nodulation.
Native to India, Bangladesh, Burma and Pakistan, Albizia kbbeck is widely cultivated
in tropical and subtropical regions with an annual rainfall as divergent as 500 and 2,000 mm
(National Research Council, 1979). Perennial nodules of large size have been observed on
adult trees in Senegal.
Native to the eastern islands of the Indonesian archipelago and the west of Irian, Albizia
falcataria (syn. Paraserianthesfalcataria) has been spread throughout South-East Asia. It is

one of the fastest growing trees in the world provided that it is grown on sites where annual
rainfall is high enough (2,000-2,500 mm) (National Research Council, 1979). It nodulates
abundantly, which suggests a good nitrogen-fixing capacity. However, because it is
exacting in its soil requirements, A. falcataria is probably a poor nitrogen-fixer when it is
introduced in relatively infertile soils.
Calliandra calothyrsus
Native to Central America, this legume was introduced in Indonesia in 1936 with seeds
from Guatemala, and has been shown to nodulate with a fast-growing strain of Rhizobium
(Halliday and Somasegaran, 1982). Although prized as a first-class soil improver in
rotation schedules and in intercropped systems (Domingo, 1983; Nair et at, 1984),
considerably more research is needed to accurately assess its nitrogen-fixing potential and
its use as forage and organic fertilizer (Baggio and Heuveldop, 1984).
Erythrina spp.
More than 100 species are planted as shade trees, windbreaks, living fences, plant supports,
for food and even medicinal purposes, or as components of alley-cropping systems (NFTA,
1986). E poeppigiana, a fast-growing species, is widely used for shade in coffee and cacao
plantations (Budowski, this volume). It has been shown to nodulate with a strain of
Bradyrhizobium (Halliday and Somasegaran, 1982). Nodules of E poeppigiana tend to be
large, spherical, and clustered on the central root system (Allen and Allen, 1981). The
biomass of the root nodules varied fjom 80 to 205 mg (dry weight) d m 3 soil, being highest
close to the stem of the tree (Lindblad and Russo, 1986). A conservative estimate made in
Venezuela and based on the decomposition of nodules during the dry season, indicated that
the rate of nitrogen fixation was approximately 60 kg N2 ha- 1 yr-1 (Escalante et al, 1984).
Gliricidia Sa septum
Native to Central America, this species is widely used for shading cacao (Mexico) or coffee
(Sri Lanka) plantations. It has been shown to nodulate with fast-growing Rhizobium
(Halliday and Somasegaran, 1982). Further experiments are needed to confirm this
observation. Estimates of nitrogen fixation based on nodule biomass and rates of
nitrogenase activity are approximately 13 kg N2 ha - 1 yr-1 in the conditions prevailing in
Mexico (Roskoski et al, 1982). G. sepium has been introduced in western Africa in
alley-cropping systems (Wilson et al, 1986; Kang and Wilson, this volume) (Figure 1), but
its nitrogen-fixing activity may be impeded by attacks of root nematodes. Sumberg (1985)
reports that different accessions of G. sepium exhibit considerable variation. This large
genetic variability should be exploited to improve nitrogen fixation.
IngajinicuU
This species, often found in the same sites as Inga vera, is a popular shade tree in coffee
plantations in Mexico. In a plantation in Xalapa, annual nitrogen-fixation rates, based on
the acetylene reduction method, were 35-40 kg N2 ha- 1 yr-1, which, when compared to
nitrogen from fertilizers, represents an important nitrogen input. The corresponding
nodule biomass was 71 ± 14 kg (dry matter) ha"1. Given a density of 205 trees h a 1 , nodule
biomass per tree was 346 g (dry weight), a figure similar to that reported by Akkermans and
Houvers (1983) for Alnus (Roskoski, 1981 and 1982) (see Figure 2).
Figure 1 Alley cropping based on the use of Gliricidia sepium at the IITA station, Ibadan, Nigeria
(photo K. Mulongoy).
Figure 2 Nodule of Inga jinicuil (a leguminous tree). The nodule results from the infection of the
roots by the nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Rhizobium (photo J.R. Roskoski).
Mimosa scabrella
Native to the Parana region of south-east Brazil, Mimosa scabrella is used in humid and
subhumid tropical highlands as a multipurpose tree on farmlands and as a fuelwood
producer in agroforestry operations (Nair et al., 1984). It was shown to nodulate with a
fast-growing strain of Rhizobium (Halliday and Samosegaran, 1982). Mimosa scabrella
responds positively to inoculation (Drjbereiner, 1984), but its exact nitrogen-fixing
potential has not yet been evaluated.
Leucaena leucocephala
This tree has been the focus of a great deal of research in the past few decades (National
Research Council, 1977; IDRC, 1983; Brewbaker, this volume). Native to Central
America, it has been planted in many tropical countries, including south-east Asia
(Domingo, 1983), Africa (Okigbo, 1984; Sanginga et al, 1986) and South America
(Dobereiner, 1984), as a shade tree for commercial crops, alley cropping or agroforestry
wood production (Figure 3). The acetylene reduction method (Hogberg and Kvarnstrom,
1982) and the difference method (Sanginga et al, 1985, 1986), which have been used to
evaluate nitrogen fixation by Leucaena leucocephala, give figures in the range of 100-500
kg N2 ha-1 yr-1. These figures have been confirmed recently by Sanginga, Mulungoy and
Ayanaba (personal communication), who used the 15N dilution method to make a
precision evaluation of the nitrogen-fixation rate of Leucaena leucocephala grown in an
Alfisol, pH 6.1, at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan,
Nigeria. They showed that Leucaena leucocephala fixed 98-134 kg N2 ha-1 in 6 months.
The high nitrogen-fixing potential of this tree is related to its abundant nodulation under
specific soil conditions, in which the nodule dry weight was reported to reach
approximately 51 kg ha-1 in a stand of 830 trees ha_1 (Hogberg and Kvarnstrom, 1982), and
approximately 63 kg ha-1 in a stand of 2,500 trees ha-1 (Lulandala and Hall, 1986).
Figure 3 Alley cropping based on the use of Leucaena leucocephala at the IITA station, Ibadan,
Nigeria (photo K. Mulongoy).
Leucaena leucocephala generally nodulates with Rhizobium (sensu stricto) (Halliday

and Somasegaran, 1982), and occasionally nodulates with Bradyrhizobium (Dreyfus and
Dommergues, 1981). The Rhizobium strain specific to Leucaena leucocephala is not
generally found in soils. This explains the positive response to inoculation obtained in most
soils where the level of nutrients (other than nitrogen) is high enough to satisfy the-tree's
requirements.
Leucaena leucocephala is not a miracle tree. Its sensitivity to soil acidity and its high
nutrient demand are reflected in its poor performance in infertile soils, e.g., the sandy soils
of the Pointe Noire region of the Congo or of Hainan Island, China, even when properly
inoculated and grown in a suitable climate.
Sesbania grandiflora
Native to Asia, this legume tree is popular throughout South and South-East Asia, where it
is used as a shade tree, a source of fodder and green manure, and for erosion control. Like
other Sesbania, Sesbania grandiflora nodules with fast-growing strains of Rhizobium
(Dreyfus, personal communication). It nodulates profusely and is probably a good
nitrogen fixer (Domingo, 1983), but we have observed that in some soils (e.g., Loudima,
Congo) its root system reacted badly to nematode attacks.
Actinorhizal plants
About 200 non-leguminous plant species belonging to 19 genera and 8 families nodulate
with N2-fixing micro-organisms known as Frankia (Figure 4). Since Frankia are
actinomycetes, these N2-fixing plants became known as "actinorhizal plants" (Torrey and
Tjepkema, 1979), a name now used world wide. In tropical agroforestry the main species of
actinorhizal plants belong to the genera Alnus, Casuarina and Allocasuarina and,
secondarily, Coriaria (Akkermans and Houvers, 1983; Gauthier et al, 1984; Bond, 1983).
Figure 4 Proliferation of the nitrogen-fixing actinomycete Frankia in the rhizosphere of Casuarina

equisetifolia. Two types of typical actinomycetal structures can be seen: hyphae and sporangia (photo
N.G. Diem).
Abuts jorullensis (syn. A. acuminata)

In Costa Rica, an agroforestry system composed of this actinorhizal species and pasture
grasses has become very popular, probably because of the high nitrogen-fixing potential of
Alnus (Budowski, 1983). The actual amount of nitrogen fixed and transferred to the
pasture is unknown. Introduction of A. jorullensis into coffee plantations has been
advocated by Fournier (1979). The great genetic variability of Alnus jorullensis can be
exploited to enhance the nitrogen-fixing potential of this species.
Casuarinaceae
The family Casuarinaceae consists of a group of 82 species mostly from Australia, but also
native to South-East Asia and the Pacific islands. Johnson (1982) recognizes four genera:
Casuarina (sensu stricto) (e.g., C. cunninghamiana, C. equisetifolia, C. junghuhniana syn.
C. montana, C. glauca, C. obesa, C. oligodon); Allocasuarina (e.g., A. decaisneana, A.
fraseriana, A. littoralis, A. torulosa, A. stricta syn. Casuarina verticillata); Gymnostoma
(e.g., G. deplancheana, G. papuana, G. rumphiana), and a fourth genus not yet described.
Figure 5 Windbreak of Casuarina glauca in northern Tunisia (photo Y. Dommergues)

In some parts of the world, Casuarina spp. are perfectly integrated in agroforestry
systems. One classical example is that of Papua New Guinea, where C. oligodon and G.
papuana (in the highlands) and C. equisetifolia (in the lowlands) are intercropped with food
crops, and are used as shade trees or in rotation with crops (Thiagalingam, 1983; Bourke,
1985). In India, Casuarina equisetifolia plantations are associated with crops such as
peanuts, sesame and various grain legumes (pulses) (Kondas, 1981). In many places
casuarinas are planted as windbreaks: C glauca in Tunisia (Figure 5) and E. equisetifolia in
Senegal (protection of market-gardens) and Corsica (protection of cash crops such as
Actinidia sinensis).
According to Bowen and Reddel (1986), Casuarina (sensu stricto) are usually well
nodulated, whereas nodulation of Allocasuarina is variable or often non-existent. There is
little cross-inoculation between Casuarina and Allocasuarina, which means that strains of
Frankia isolated from Casuarina do not usually infect Allocasuarina, and vice versa.
The dry weight of a Casuarina equisetifolia nodule in the field is comparable or even
greater than that of Alnus (up to 500 g for a 13-year old Casuarina equisetifolia, according
to Cao Yue Hua, personal communication) (Figure 6). This profuse nodulation explains its
high nitrogen-fixing potential. In an experiment conducted in irrigated microplots at the
ORSTOM Station in Dakar, Senegal, a selected clone of Casuarina equisetifolia was
reported to fix 42.5 g per tree during the first nine months following plantation.
Extrapolating this value to 1 ha with 2,000 trees, and assuming a constant fixation rate,
would give a figure of 113 kg N2 fixed per hectare during the first year (Sougoufara,
personal communication). The nitrogen-fixation estimate for a 13-year rainfed Casuarina
equisetifolia plantation located on sand dunes along the Senegalese coast was only 58 kg N2
ha -1 yr"1 (Dommergues, 1963).
Figure 6 Nodules of Casuarina equisetifolia (an actinorhizal tree). The nodules result from the
infection of the roots by Frankia (photo H.G. Diem).
A study on nitrogen fixation by Allocasuarina littoralis, based on comparisons of litter

nitrogen content, suggests that this species could fix 218 kg N2 h a 1 yr-1 (Silvester, 1977),
but this figure is probably exaggerated.
Some Casuarina species are good candidates for the reclamation of salt-affected soils.
Recently, Bowen's group in Australia showed that C. obesa inoculated with a salt-tolerant
strain of Frankia grew despite 15,000 ppm chloride (approximately the equivalent of sea
water), thus tolerating ten times more chloride than when it grew on nitrate or ammonium
nitrogen. This is possibly because the nitrogen-fixing system is considerably less salt-
sensitive than the mechanism for uptake of nitrate or ammonium, and/ or assimilation
enzymes (Bowen and Rosbrook, 1986).
Coriaria
All the 15 species of Coriaria are recorded as bearing nodules, which indicates that
nodulation is a generic character of Coriaria, as it is in Alnus. Two species are known to be
valuable components in agroforestry systems. One is C. sinica, a deciduous bush, widely
grown in Hunan, China, as a source of green manure and of feed for silkworms. It grows so
fast that the stems can be harvested 4-5 times a year giving lOt of fresh biomass ha"1
(Watanabe, personal communication). The other is Coriaria arborea, which, grown as an
understorey species in many artificial plantations of Pinus radiata in New Zealand, fixes up
to 192 kg N2 ha -1 yr_1. Its effect on the growth of Pinus radiata has not yet been investigated
(Silvester, 1977, 1983).
Technology for exploiting nitrogen-fixing trees in agroforestry

This section presents briefly the principles for choosing the species and provenances of
nitrogen-fixing trees and describes the practices that are currently recommended to
alleviate some of the major environmental stresses inhibiting the nitrogen-fixation process.
Choosing species and provenances of nitrogen-fixing trees

The species or provenances chosen for introduction in any agroforestry system should have
the highest nitrogen-fixing potential, be tolerant of environmental constraints, especially
low levels of nutrients, and resistant to pests. Results obtained from the sparse data
available on the nitrogen-fixing potential of trees suggest that tree species can be put into
two broad categories:
1. Species with a high nitrogen-fixing potential (in the range of 100-300 kg N2 ha- 1 yr-1
and more), e.g., Acacia mangium, Casuarina equisetifolia, and Leucaena leucocephala;
2. Species with a low nitrogen-fixing potential (less than 20 kg N2 ha-1 yr-1), e.g., Acacia
albida, A. raddiana, and A. Senegal.
Species in the first category can be divided into two subgroups:
1. Exacting species, e.g., Leucaena leucocephala and Calliandra calothyrsus, which
require large amounts of nutrients, especially P, K and/or Ca;
2. Non-exacting species, e.g., Acacia mangium, which flourishes in marginal acid soils
low in nutrients.
Species belonging to the latter subgroup are obviously the most promising in
agroforestry, if they also exhibit the specific qualities required for inclusion in agroforestry
systems.
The choice of suitable nitrogen-fixing trees for a given agroforestry programme should
always be based on well-planned provenance* trials. The objective of these trials should be
to screen as many provenances within species as possible in order to identify provenances
best suited to the range of soils and climate existing in a region. Although provenance trials
for nitrogen-fixing trees are just beginning, studies are being made to explore provenance
variations ofspecies such as Caswrim equisetifolia in China, the Philippines (Halos, 1983),
Senegal (Sougoufara and Corbasson, personal communication), or Acacia in Indonesia,
Papua New Guinea and Australia (Turnbull et ah, 1984), and Congo (D. Diangana and
J.C. Delwaulle, personal communications).
The choice of the tree species should also be made taking into account its susceptibility
to pathogens and pests such as termites (Mitchell et al, 1986) and, especially, nematodes.
Introducing tree species whose root systems serve as reservoirs for pathogenic nematodes
(Taylor, 1976) should be avoided because of the risk of contamination of associated crops.
Sterilization of nursery soils

There is a trend towards the generalized use of containers, especially polybags, in many
forest nurseries for most indigenous as well as exotic species (Khan, 1985). Taking into
account the ease of handling these containers, the limited amount of soil (or any other type
of substratum) that is needed for each container, and the relatively low number
(2,000-10,000) of plants required per hectare in forest plantations (compared to up to
100,000 ha- 1 for annual crops), it is economically feasible to sterilize the soil used to fill the
containers. A corollary to sterilization is the necessity to inoculate the containerized
seedlings with the appropriate strains of Rhizobium, Frankia or vesicular-arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi.
In many tropical soils, pathogens can only be eliminated if the soil in the containers is
sterilized. The following example illustrates the spectacular effect of sterilization. Acacia
holosericea seedlings were grown in polybags filled up with non-sterilized soil (treatment
A), or with sterilized soil. One part of the plants grown in sterilized soil remained
uninoculated (treatment B); the other part grown in sterilized soil was inoculated with
Rhizobium and a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus mosseae (treatment C).
When transplanted to the field, trees which had been grown in non-sterilized soil
(treatment A) exhibited a survival rate which was less than half that of the plants grown in
sterilized soils (treatments B and C). The effect of inoculation with Rhizobium and Glomus
mosseae on height was much less spectacular, but still significant (Table 1).
Sterilization of nursery soils is a common practice in temperate countries, but is rarely
done in the tropics, probably because the prescribed methods are too expensive (vapour),
or dangerous (methylbromide), or because the chemical product is difficult to
obtain. Dozomet,f a granulated biocide, which decomposes into gaseous compounds
(methylisothiocyanate and formaldehyde) in the soil, leaving no lingering toxic residual
effect, can be recommended because it is easy to handle and not too expensive. Its efficiency
as a sterilizing agent is satisfactory provided that its rate and duration of application are
calculated for the prevailing climatic and edaphic conditions.
* In the field of forestry the term provenance refers to natural populations of trees originating in a
specific geographic location (also see Burley, this volume).
+ Basamid, BASF, 140 rue Jules Guesde, BP 87,92203 Levallois-Perret Cedex, France.
Table 1 Influence of different treatments in the nursery on survival and growth of Acacia
holosericea after transplantation* to the field at Sangalkam, Senegal.
11 months 17 months
Treatment after transplantation after transplantation
in the nurseryt
Survival Height (cm) Survival Height (cm)
A (no ster.; no inoc.) 38.2 a 29.4 a 36.8 a 105.3 a

B (ster.; no inoc.) 89.6 b 38.6 b 89.6 b 119.9 b
C (ster.; inoc.) 84.7 b 45.6 c 84.7 b 134.2 c
* Seedlings transplanted at two months.

t no ster. = no sterilization; ster. = sterilization with methylbromide; no inoc. = no inoculation; inoc.
= inoculation with Rhizobium and Glomus mosseae.
Values in columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different, P = .05.
Source: D. Jacques, unpublished data.
Inoculation with Rhizobium or Frankia

Inoculating the host plant with soil or crushed nodules is a technique that is still
recommended but should be discontinued because of the high risk of contaminating
seedlings or cuttings with root pathogenic agents, such as Rhizoctonia solani or
Pseudomonas solanacearum in the case of Casuarina equisetifolia (Liang Zichao, 1986), or
nematodes in the case of Australian Acacia introduced in western Africa.
In the past, pure cultures of Frankia have not often been used on actinorhizal plants
because of the difficulty of isolating and cultivating the strains, especially those of
Casuarina (Diem el ah, 1982, 1983), and consequently of obtaining the inoculants.
However, thanks to recent progress in knowledge of Frankia physiology, there is reason to
hope that actinorhizal plants will be inoculated with pure cultures of Frankia in the near
future.
Von Carlowitz (1986) has drawn up a list of suppliers Of strains or inoculants, most of
which still have to be evaluated for nodulation or nitrogen fixation (Somasegaran and
Hoben, 1985).
In the case of trees raised in containers, inoculation with Rhizobium is best achieved by
spraying or drilling the inoculum directly into the container at the time of seeding or
planting. When dealing with Frankia, it is advisable to mix the soil or substratum of the
container with the inoculum because Frankia, like vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,
is not mobile in the soil (Figure 7). After the containerized plants have been transplanted to
the field, the effect of inoculation observed in the sterile nursery soil persists only if the soil
does not contain specific native strains.
Pre-inoculated seeds of Leucaena leucocephala were sown directly in the field by
Sangingaet al. (1986) who tested IRc 1045 and IRc 1050 Rhizobium strains in agroforestry
experiments set up at two locations in Nigeria. At both places, inoculated trees produced
more nitrogen and dry matter than the controls. This effect was statistically equivalent to
the application of 150 kg ha ' of urea. Further, the strains survived and competed well in
the field, as was shown in observations made one year after their establishment. The
beneficial effect of Leucaena leucocephala on a subsequent crop of maize is discussed later
in this chapter.
Figure 7 Nursery of Casuarina equisetifolia seedlings inoculated with Frankia established along the
Senegalese coast (photo Y. Dommergues).
Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi

Mycorrhizal infections are known to increase the absorption of phosphate and other poorly
mobile ions in soil such as Zn, Cu, Mo, and K. Mycorrhizal fungi are most often associated
with the roots of nitrogen-fixing trees, endomycorrhizae being more frequent than
ectomycorrhizae, the other major type of mycorrhizae.
Nodulation and nitrogen fixation require a high P status in the host plant, which can be
facilitated by the mycorrhizal symbiont. The beneficial effect of mycorrhizal infection on
nitrogen fixation is similar to that of added P in P-deficient soils. Mycorrhizae can enhance
the effects of even a small amount of P fertilizer that is added to soils with a serious
P-deficiency (Ganry et al, 1985). In addition to improving nutrient absorption,
mycorrhizal fungi also affect the physiology of the host plant, enabling it to increase its
water uptake, improve its hormone balance and overcome the first-year dormancy of
cuttings (Hayman, 1986).
The technology of inoculation with ectomycorrhizae is now fully applicable (Schenck,
1982). For endomycorrhizal fungi promising results have already been reported in forest
nurseries (Cornet et al, 1982), but the technology is not yet ready for extension to the small
farmer.
Fertilizer
There is a tendency to neglect the mineral nutrition of nitrogen-fixing trees. This is most
irresponsible when dealing with exacting species such as Leucaena leucocephala whose
exceptional capacity to produce biomass and protein depends on the availability of
adequate nutrients (Waring, 1985). Hu and Kiang (1983) estimated the nutrient uptake of a
three-year-old plantation of Leucaena leucocephala as being P 11-27, K 174-331, Ca
138-305 and Mg 31-62 kg ha' 1 . These figures are indeed high. Casuarina equisetifolia is
assumed to have high Ca requirements (Waring, 1985). P is also an important nutrient, not
only for the plant itself but also to ensure good nodulation. However, whether a low P
supply blocks nodulation by limiting plant growth and hence nitrogen demand, or directly
affects Frankia in the rhizosphere and in the early stages of nodule initiation is not known
(Reddell et al, 1986).
The nutrient requirements of species such as Acacia mangium that are less constrained
by element deficiency are probably lower but not low enough to be negligible.
It is surprising that some authors still recommend the application of nitrogen fertilizers
(together with P and K) on nitrogen-fixing trees (Yadav, 1983). This practice should be
prohibited, since it is a well-established fact that mineral nitrogen, especially when applied
at high levels, inhibits nodulation and nitrogen fixation.
Obviously, much more research is necessary to quantify the exact fertilizer needs of
nitrogen-fixing trees. As suggested by Sanchez and Salinas (1981), research along these
lines should keep "inputs to a minimum, aiming only to optimize production under existing
constraints rather than to maximize the production per se".
Control of acidity
Soil acidity and related factors (Al and/ or Mn toxicity and Ca and Mo deficiencies), which
affect many tropical soils (Franco, 1984), influence nitrogen fixation by the direct or
indirect effects they have on the host plant and the symbiotic micro-organisms. A typical
example is Acacia meamsii, which does not nodulate in the highlands of Burundi where
soils have a low pH and a high content of exchangeable Al. The detrimental effects of soil
acidity can be overcome by selecting acid-tolerant host plants and symbiotic micro-
organisms, an approach that has been adopted with Leucaena leucocephala (Hutton, 1984;
Brewbaker, this volume) and its competent Rhizobium (Halliday and Somasegaran, 1982;
Franco, 1984). It is also possible to control the effects of soil acidity by directly applying
proper amendments to the soil or by pelleting the seeds in the case of direct sowing in the
field.
Different types of amendments such as lime or organic materials can be used. The
acidity generated by nitrogen-fixing plants in the long run may lower the pH of weakly
buffered soils, and periodic liming may be necessary to maintain high productivity (Franco,
1984). The higher organic-matter content of soil under nitrogen-fixing trees, however, may
lead to satisfactory yields even when the pH is lower than usually recommended in
conventional cropping systems.
The symbiotic micro-organism can be protected against acidity by pelleting the seeds to
be inoculated with calcium carbonate or rock phosphate. This technique, developed in
Australia and now used throughout the world, has indeed proved to be a high-value
alternative for liming during the introduction and establishment of forage legumes in
pastures (Williams, 1984). It could also be used successfully in agroforestry. However, in
very acid soils with Al or Mn toxicity, pelleting the seeds alone cannot overcome the effects
of acidity regardless of cropping system.
Future trends in agroforestry research

In the last decade a tremendous amount of investigation has been devoted to the genetics
and physiology of Rhizobium, but until recently forestry and agroforestry had not
benefited substantially from the remarkable progress that has been achieved in this field.
Hopefully some of the encouraging results that have already been obtained will be
transferred to the field. In addition, new concepts and techniques are presently emerging
that will, sooner or later, be ready for practical application. The most promising areas of
investigation are probably those concerned with improvement of the host plant.
Improvement of the symbiotic micro-organism
Near-term investigations
To date only relatively few effective strains of Rhizobium that nodulate nitrogen-fixing
trees have been isolated: some of the best known are strains for Leucaena leucocephala, e.g.,
strain TAL1145 from NifTAL* (Roskoski, 1986) and strains IRc 1045 and 1050 from IITA
(Sanginga et al, 1986). There is still much work ahead to collect Rhizobium strains for
leguminous nitrogen-fixing trees and then screen them for genetic compatibility, nitrogen-
fixation effectiveness, and tolerance to environmental stresses, especially soil acidity (Da
Silva and Franco, 1984). In addition to preliminary screenings, field trials must be
performed to test the response to inoculation since "accumulating data indicate that site
variation in performance of selected strains is common" (Halliday, 1984a).
Frankia strains associated with Casuarinaceae exhibit large differences in genetic
compatibility (Zhang and Torrey, 1985; Puppo et al, 1985) and effectiveness (Zhang et al,
1984; Bowen and Rosbrook, 1986). Not all Frankia strains nodulate all species of
Casuarinaceae. There are very large differences in the effectiveness of nitrogen fixation
between Frankia strains associated with a single species of Casuarinaceae. Furthermore, a
Frankia strain effective on one species of Casuarinaceae can be very ineffective on another
species (Reddell, 1986). Collections of Frankia strains already exist (Lechevallier, 1985-6),
and some laboratories have already screened and selected strains for use in nursery and field
trials.
Mid- and long-term investigations

Using molecular techniques (molecular cloning and recombination), new strains of
Rhizobium and Frankia will probably be engineered to contain multiple copies of the
major genes involved in the symbiosis: genes of nitrogen fixation and nodulation, and genes
involved in interstrain competition.
Since Rhizobium and Frankia are exposed to environmental constraints in the field, the
new strains should also be stress tolerant. Instead of developing strains with the superior
traits indicated above and then studying their behaviour in the field, "bacteria whose genetic
libraries already contain adaptation traits to prevailing environmental stresses will be
engineered for better nodulation and nitrogen fixation" (Roskoski, 1986) and competitive
ability.
Improvement of the host plant

The amount of nitrogen fixed by any nitrogen-fixing tree is related to its nitrogen-fixing
potential (NFP), i.e., its ability to-fix nitrogen in the absence of any limiting factor
(Halliday, 1984b). The nitrogen-fixing potential is directly conditioned by the genotypes of
* NifTAL — Nitrogen Fixation by Tropical Agricultural Legumes, University of Hawaii, 1000

Holomua Road, Paia, Maui, HI 96779, USA.
both the host plant and the associated symbiont. Consequently, to get the maximum
nitrogen input into an agroforestry system, the first essential characteristic is to use a
nitrogen-fixing tree with a high nitrogen-fixing potential.
The second essential characteristic is that a nitrogen-fixing tree should be maximally
tolerant of environmental stresses, be they physical (e.g., excessive temperature, drought),
chemical (e.g., excess of combined nitrogen), or biological. Because of these stresses,
however, even the most tolerant nitrogen-fixing tree cannot attain its full potential in the
field. The amount of nitrogen that is fixed under field conditions is called the actual
nitrogen fixation (ANF). The ANF of stress-sensitive nitrogen-fixing trees is expected to be
much lower than their NFP; conversely the ANF of stress-tolerant species is expected to be
much closer to their NFP. Special mention must be made of the inhibitory effect of high
levels of combined (mineral) soil nitrogen, especially nitrate, on nitrogen fixation (as
mentioned earlier). This implies that nitrogen-fixing trees in agroforestry systems should be
engineered to continue fixing significant amounts of nitrogen even when the intercrop
receives nitrogen fertilizers.
A third group of essential characteristics, common to all trees to be introduced in
agroforestry systems, has been presented by Huxley (1983). One trait worth mention is the
absence of strong plant competitive attributes such as a tendency to overshade understorey
plants and to dominate the water economy of the microsite.
Short-term investigations
When the best provenances have been identified, it is mandatory to study differences that
occur between the individual trees, especially differences in ANF. Exploiting such
spontaneous variations requires two steps. First, the whole population in the provenance
must be screened using an adapted procedure to identify the more actively nitrogen-fixing
individuals. This procedure might be based on study of the nodulation combined with the
measurement of the acetylene-reducing activity of the different individuals. Secondly, the
superior phenotypes must be vegetatively propagated, using available techniques (Datta
andDatta, 1984;Leaky, 1986; Duhoux etal, 1986). Sougoufaraef al. (1987) recently used
this approach successfully. The result was a spectacular increase of the nitrogen-fixing
potential of Casuarina equisetifolia (Figure 8). These authors identified a clone of
Casuarina equisetifolia (called clone B) with a much higher nitrogen-fixing potential than
that of a reference clone (clone A), i.e., a clone with a potential similar to that of the
seedlings usually grown. Clones A and B were grown in a sterile nitrogen-deficient soil. One
set of clones A and B was inoculated with the same Frankia strain, the other one remained
uninoculated. After seven months, the uninoculated clones displayed poor growth, while
the inoculated clones had grown satisfactorily, but their response to inoculation differed
markedly. Inoculated clone B produced 2.6 times more biomass (expressed in terms of dry
weight and total nitrogen) than inoculated clone A. Concomitantly, nodule weight and
nitrogen fixation (expressed as acetylene-reducing activity per plant) of clone B were
significantly higher (1.6 times) than those of clone A. The difference in the nitrogen-fixing
potential of the clones appeared to be related to their nodule weight (Table 2). Field
trials under way in Senegal will, hopefully, confirm the superior nitrogen-fixing potential of
clone B.
Mid- or long-term investigations for improving nitrogen-fixing trees

The methods mentioned below can be used either for improving the nitrogen-fixing
potential or the stress tolerance, or both traits, of nitrogen-fixing trees.
Figure 8 Colony of elongated buds of Casuarina equisetifolia obtained in vitro.

The buds are ready for excision and rooting (photo E. Duhoux).
Table 2 Comparison of two clones of Casuarina equisetifolia*
Shoot Nodule ARA+ per

Treatment
d.wt. N% N total d.wt. plant g nodule
(mg/ plant) (mg/plant) (mg/plant)
Uninoculated
Clone A 130 a 0.73 a 0.95 a 0a 0a 0a
Clone B 90a 1.02 a 0.92 a 0a 0a 0a
Inoculated
with Frankia %
Clone A 660 b 1.71b 11.29 b 54 b 2.88 b 54 b
Clone B 1,730 c 2.02 c 34.93 c 88 c 5.58 c 56 b
* Seven-month old cuttings, nine replicates.

t Acetylene-reducing activity expressed as wmol C2H4 per plant or per g nodule, dry weight (d.wt.).
% Each cutting was inoculated with 2 ml (20ug of proteins) of a 4-week old culture of Frankia strain
ORSO21001.
Values in columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different, P .05 (nodule dry
weight, ARA), P = .01 (shoot dry weight, total N, and N%).
Source: Sougoufara et al, 1987.
(i) Hybridization of nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing plants Gene transfer by

wide hybridization to obtain new nitrogen-fixing systems has not yet been exploited.
Sophisticated methods, like somatic hybridization by protoplast fusion or embryo rescue
(National Research Council, 1982), are now available, and could be most helpful in this
unexplored field of research.
(ii) Micrografting The ability to nodulate (and fix nitrogen) can possibly be introduced
into non-nodulating species of the same genus or family by grafting the former plant on to
nodulated (and nitrogen-fixing) rootstocks obtained in vitro. Preliminary results obtained
by Kyle and Righetti (1985) with actinorhizal Rosaceae are most promising.
(Hi) Mutagenesis breeding Improved lines of soybean that can fix nitrogen even in the
presence of high levels of nitrate in the soil have already been obtained as a result of
mutagenesis breeding (Carroll et al, 1985). Similar procedures could be used to generate
improved lines of nitrogen-fixing trees.
(iv) Indirect transfer of nitrogen-fixing capability through mycorrhizal fungi The
transfer of the whole set of genes required to fix nitrogen, from a bacterium to a
mycorrhizal fungus, could also be considered. However, many difficulties must be
overcome first, one prerequisite to genetic engineering of nitrogen-fixing endomycorrhizal
fungi being the availability of a reliable method to grow this fungus in vitro.
(v) Transfer of the stem-nodulating ability Stem nodulated legumes, e.g., Sesbania
rostrata and Aeschynomene afraspera, have the unique capacity to absorb combined
nitrogen through their stem nodules, even in the presence of high soil mineral nitrogen
(Dreyfus et al., 1984). Transferring the stem nodulation character from these plants to
non-stem-nodulated legume trees would probably be one way to develop uninhibited
nitrogen-fixing trees.
(vi) Genetic transfer of nitrogen fixation ability to plant cells The transfer of cloned genes
from nitrogen-fixing micro-organisms to plants should be considered as a long-term
research project since it has not yet been determined whether, after being introduced into a
plant, all the genes required for nitrogen fixation are permanently incorporated, expressed,
and inherited by the whole plant. In spite of its highly speculative character, this strategy
should not be neglected.
Field studies on nitrogen fixation

Estimation of nitrogen fixation
With a few exceptions (Leucaena leucocephala and Casuarina equisetifolia), the NFP or
ANF of most nitrogen-fixing trees is not precisely known. This dearth of information is
prejudicial to the development of proper management practices. The principles of the
current methods have been discussed in many reviews (e.g., LaRue and Patterson, 1981;
Herridge, 1982; Silvester, 1983) and described in Bergersen's treatise published in 1980.
(i) Nitrogen difference The amount of nitrogen fixed is considered to be the difference
between the total nitrogen yield of the nodulated (nitrogen-fixing) plant and the total
nitrogen yield of a non-nodulated (non-nitrogen-fixing) companion plant, preferably of the
same species, serving as a control. Estimates are accurate only when the structure and
function of the root systems of both plants are similar. Despite its shortcomings, this
method — together with related methods based on nitrogen balance studies — often
provides useable evaluations of nitrogen fixation.
(ii) Reduction of acetylene The nitrogen-fixing system is placed within an atmosphere

enriched with 1-10 percent C2H2. After a short incubation time (1-2 h) a sample of the
atmosphere is removed and the C 2 H 4 resulting from the reduction of C 2 H 2 by the
nitrogenase is analysed. Acetylene-reduction assays are converted to estimates of nitrogen
fixation using a conversion ratio (C2H2:N2) that was originally assessed to be 3:1, i.e., one
mole of C 2 H 4 being equivalent to 1 / 3 mole of N2 reduced (fixed). It is now realized that this
ratio is very variable and therefore must be checked for each system. Various techniques for
the use of the acetylene-reduction method have been described in excellent detail
(Bergersen, 1980) and will not be dealt with here. The method has already been applied to
nitrogen-fixing trees such as Inga jinicuil (Roskoski, 1981) and Leucaena leucocephala
(Hogberg and Kvarnstrom, 1982; Lulandala and Hall, 1986). In the agroforestry plots of
the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania, Leucaena leucocephala
stands of 2,500 trees ha -1 provided 63 kg of nodules (dry weight) h a ' . In the rainy season
mean nitrogenase activity was 60 nmoles C 2 H 4 mg _1 nodule (dry weight) h1 during
daylight. Assuming a conversion ratio of 3:1, and mean hourly night nitrogenase activity
equal to 67 percent of the mean hourly daylight activity, 197 kg N2 were estimated to be
fixed ha"1 yr"1 (Lulandala and Hall, 1986).
(Hi) 15N enrichment The direct isotope dilution method or, more properly, the 15N-
enrichment method, is based on the comparison of non-nitrogen-fixing and nitrogen-fixing
plants grown in soil to which 15N has been added (as labelled urea, nitrate or ammonium).
The nitrogen-fixing plants obtain nitrogen from two sources, soil and air, and thus have a
lower content in isotope I5N than non-nitrogen-fixing plants which absorb only labelled
soil nitrogen. The percentage of the plant nitrogen derived from nitrogen fixation is
calculated from the atom per cent I5N excess in non-nitrogen-fixing and nitrogen-fixing
plants, respectively. The method has already been used to evaluate nitrogen fixation by
trees such as Casuarina equisetifolia (Gauthier et al, 1985) and Leucaena leucocephala
(Sanginga, personal communication). In both examples estimates of nitrogen fixation
using the 15N-enrichment method were similar to the estimate obtained by the difference
method.
(iv) Natural I3N abundance This method is based on the study of small differences
between the natural abundance of 15N in non-nitrogen-fixing and nitrogen-fixing plants.
Soil nitrogen frequently contains slightly more 15N than atmospheric nitrogen. In addition,
in most biological reactions, through isotope discrimination, the lighter of two isotopes is
favoured slightly. Because of these two phenomena, nitrogen derived from nitrogen
fixation has a very slightly lower 15N content than nitrogen originating from the soil so that
the natural 15N abundance is lower in nitrogen-fixing plants than in non-nitrogen-fixing
ones (Knowles, 1983). From the measure of the natural. 15N abundance in nitrogen-fixing
and non-nitrogen-fixing plants it is possible to calculate the fraction of the plant nitrogen
derived from fixation. This method requires access to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer
and scrupulously careful manipulations, but the results are as reliable as those obtained
from the 15N-enrichment method (Bergersen, 1986). One of the first studies using this
method was carried out on Prosopis in the Sonoran desert. The natural 15N abundance in
the tree was significantly lower than in the soil, indicating that it had fixed nitrogen though
no nodules were found. Prosopis was presumed to develop nodules on deep roots which are
not normally harvested (Virginia et al, 1981).
(v) ,5N depleted material Preliminary investigations indicate that it may be possible to
use 15N depleted ammonium sulphate for measuring nitrogen fixation of nitrogen-fixing
trees such as Albizia lebbeck and Leucaena leucocephala (Kessel and Nakao, 1986).
(vi) Analysis of nitrogen solutes in the xylem sap The sap ascending in the xylem of
nitrogen-fixing legumes carries nitrogen compounds originating from inorganic soil
nitrogen (mainly N03-) absorbed by the roots and from the nodules as assimilation products
from nitrogen fixation. Legumes fall into two categories: ureide exporters (e.g., Vigna
unguiculata and Glycine max) which export fixed nitrogen as allantoin and allantoic acid,
and amide exporters (e.g., Lupinus albus and Trifolium sp.) which export fixed nitrogen as
asparagine, glutamine or substituted amides. In addition to the products resulting from
nitrogen fixation, the sap contains nitrate or organic products of nitrate reduction formed
in the roots.
In ureide exporters, much of the nitrate absorbed by the roots is passed to the shoot as
free unreduced nitrate because of the low nitrate reductase activity of their roots. In
non-nitrogen-fixing plants, the xylem-nitrogen is found mainly in the form of nitrate and
amino acids, whereas in nitrogen-fixing plants it contains mainly ureide nitrogen and the
relative abundance of ureides in sap can be used as an indication of nitrogen activity. By
constrast, in amide exporters, only a small proportion of the nitrate absorbed by the roots
escapes the reductase system of the roots, hence their sap contains mainly amides regardless
of whether they are fixing nitrogen or not. This makes it impossible to use sap analysis for
estimating nitrogen fixation in amide-exporting legumes (Bergersen, 1986). Preliminary
studies on the composition of the sap of 35 nitrogen-fixing leguminous trees have been
carried out at NifTAL by Kessel et al. (1987). Only two species, Acacia meamsii and
Sesbania grandiflora, showed a high relative abundance of ureides in the xylem sap (81.5
percent in Acacia meamsii and 78.8 percent in Sesbania grandiflora). For the two species,
ureides are the major nitrogen compounds in the sap, and the ureide method could
probably be used for measuring their nitrogen-fixing potential.
Since citrulline is always the major nitrogenous compound in the xylem sap of
Casuarina equisetifolia, regardless of whether it is fixing nitrogen or not, the citrulline
content cannot be used as an indicator of nitrogen fixation in Casuarina equisetifolia.
However, the abundance of citrulline compared to other nitrogenous compounds (e.g.,
amides or nitrate) could possibly be used as an indicator of nitrogen fixation (Walsh et al,
1984).
In sum, there are a number of techniques available to measure nitrogen fixation. Under
carefully controlled conditions each will give reasonable estimates (e.g., Herridge, 1982;
Gauthier et al, 1985; Bergersen, 1986). Whenever possible at least two methods should be
used simultaneously. However, due attention should be given to the difficulties specific to
perennial plants, e.g., logistic and sampling problems, variations in the nitrogen-fixing
activity with the age of the trees, or interference by difference processes such as losses and
redistribution of nitrogen in the different horizons or compartments of the agroforestry
system.
Transfer of nitrogen fixed by the trees to associated crops

In general, the transfer of nitrogen to non-nitrogen-fixing plants intercropped with
nitrogen-fixing trees and the rates of nitrogen turnover have not yet been thoroughly
assessed. In one of the first studies on this problem, Sanginga et al. (1986) attempted to
quantify the beneficial effect of application of Leucaena leucocephala prunings at the
surface of plots grown with maize:
Maize contained significantly more nitrogen in plots that received
Leucaena leucocephala prunings. The highest maize nitrogen contents
were recorded in plots with primings collected from Leucaena

leucocephala previously inoculated with Rhizobium. Prunings from
inoculated trees added 2.5 times more nitrogen than the ones from
uninoculated trees, with maize yield increases of 1.4 (inoculation with
Rhizobium strain IRc 1045) and 2.4 (inoculation with Rhizobium strain
IRc 1050) t ha"1. In plots where prunings were removed, the nitrogen
contribution from Leucaena leucocephala roots, nodules and litter to the
maize grain yield was equivalent to an average of 36 kg urea N ha"1.
Nodules of inoculated trees seemed to be important sources of nitrogen
for maize.
Nitrogen from prunings was less well utilized by maize, probably because leaves and
twigs of Leucaena leucocephala released 50 percent of their nitrogen within four weeks
through decomposition and most of this nitrogen was rapidly mineralized and leached out.
Nitrogen transfer studies are urgently needed to improve current management practices
and thus capitalize on the benefits that associated crops can get from nitrogen-fixing trees.
Mixed perennial systems

Mixed forest communities, in which non-nitrogen-fixing trees or diverse perennials are
paired with nitrogen-fixing trees in tropical and subtropical countries, include the following
couples: (i) Eucalyptus spp. with a number of nitrogen-fixing plants such as Macrozamia
sp., which is an understorey nitrogen-fixing cycad (Halliday and Pate, 1976; Grove et at,
1980), or Daviesia mimosoides, which is a common understorey legume in south-eastern
Australia (McColl and Edmonds, 1986), or Acacia sp. (O'Connell et al, 1979; Lawrie,
1981) or Casuarina equisetifolia (personal observation); (ii) Pinus radiata with Coriaria
arborea (Gadgil, 1983; Silvester, 1977,1983); (iii) Vitas parviflora, a species valued for its
high-quality wood, with Leucaena leucocephala (Domingo, 1983); (iv) coffee with Inga
jinicuil (Roskoski, 1981); (v) coffee or cacao with Albiziafalcataria (Domingo, 1983; (vi)
Acacia nilotica, a relatively poor nitrogen fixer with Leucaena leucocephala, an active
nitrogen fixer (Bhatia and Kapoor, 1984).
Similar to what has been observed in the case of nitrogen-fixing trees associated with
annual crops, nodules seem to constitute an important source of nitrogen for non-nitrogen-
fixing species as well. The interrelation between nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing
trees is illustrated by the fact that nodules are often found concentrated at the base of the
trunk of the non-nitrogen-fixing plants, e.g., coffee-Jnga jinicuil (Roskoski, 1981), and
Eucalyptus-Casuarina equisetifolia (personal observation) associations.
Two types of silvicultural system which have been proposed in temperate countries
(Tarrant, 1983) could be tested in the tropics: (i) a system involving nitrogen-fixing trees in
mixed plantations or alternate cropping, and (ii) a system involving nitrogen-fixing plants
of no economic value, especially shrubs grown as understorey. There are probably many
eligible candidate plants, both leguminous and actinorhizal, in the tropics, but they have
not yet been tested.
The development of research programmes on experimental mixtures comprising
Eucalyptus spp. and Acacia mangium, A. melanoxylon and Casuarina sp. was proposed
recently by Waring (1985). Some trials involving Eucalyptus sp. and Acacia are already
under way in China (Wang Kwon Ming, personal communication) and in Congo (J.C.
Delwaulle, personal communication). Such studies are worth pursuing, because observa-
tions increasingly indicate that mixed forests provide more stability than pure stands.
However, recommending specific tree mixtures before performing field trials can be
hazardous, as was evidenced by the recent unsuccessful attempt to interplant Eucalyptus
deglupta and Albiziafalcataria in the Philippines; it failed because A.falcataria grows taller
and much faster than Eucalyptus deglupta, the associated non-nitrogen-fixing tree
(Domingo, 1983).
Conclusions
It is widely recognized that nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs comprise a group of most
promising species for agroforestry systems. However, potential direct and ancillary benefits
from their introduction vary greatly depending on tree species, climate, soil, and
management practices. Six concepts seem important in optimal utilization of biological
nitrogen fixation in agroforestry:
1. It should be mandatory to use species, provenances and/ or clones exhibiting a high
nitrogen-fixing potential and adapted to the site conditions;
2. Improving nitrogen fixation is a leading research priority and, as shown, is a goal that
can be achieved not only by selecting the most efficient Rhizobium or Frankia strains,
but also by improving the host plant, one of the quickest methods being through clonal
multiplication of elite trees.
3. Nitrogenrfixing trees improved in the laboratory, glasshouse or even in the nursery are
not necessarily able to reach their maximum potential in the field. Therefore, before
deciding to include a nitrogen-fixing tree or shrub in an agroforestry system, its
nitrogen-fixing ability in field situations should be tested. This type of evaluation
obviously presupposes the availability of accurate, simple methods to measure
nitrogen fixation in situ. Progress has been made recently in developing such methods
for annual crops, but more investigations are urgently needed to overcome the
difficulties specific to perennial plants.
4. Even the least demanding nitrogen-fixing trees exhibit requirements for nutrients other
than nitrogen that should be met so that their nitrogen-fixing potential can be fully
realized. Fertilizer needs (mostly phosphate) are generally reduced, especially if the
root system of the trees is properly infected with efficient mycorrhizal fungi.
5. Secondary effects should not be overlooked, especially those resulting in the
development or the control of micro-organisms pathogenic to companion crops, or in
allelopathic interferences which have been discussed in recent reviews (Koslowski and
Huxley, 1983; Tarrant, 1983; Hu et al, 1985).
6. Finally the dogma that research in agroforestry is a lengthy undertaking (Lundgren,
1979) should be kept in mind. Banking only on short-term effects (namely the
immediate yield increase of associated crops) without recognizing long-term effects
(maintenance or progressive increase of soil fertility) is like not seeing the forest for the
trees.
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Botany 56: 367-78.
Zhang, Z., M.F. Lopez and J.G. Torrey. 1984. A comparison of cultural characteristics and
infectivity of Frankia isolates from root nodules of Casuarina species. Plant Soil 78:79-90.
16
Exploitation of the potential of

multipurpose trees and shrubs in
agroforestry
Jeffery Burley
Director
Oxford Forestry Institute
South Parks Road, Oxford
United Kingdom
Contents
Introduction
Benefits from trees and shrubs
Research needed for exploitation of MP.TS potential
References
Introduction
Trees and shrubs occur in a wide variety of land-use systems. For simplicity these systems
can be grouped into 11 major categories.
1. N a t u r a l vegetation m a n a g e m e n t
Although considerable research has been undertaken on the management of tropical rain
forests, relatively little attention has been given to the natural tree and shrub associations of
drier zones. Nevertheless these communities offer a significant and often the sole source of
plant materials, especially for fuel and fodder; often they contain species that could have
great potential as planted exotics for other sites. Generally there is more information and
experience of tropical and subtropical trees than shrubs from the points of view of ecology,
distribution, inventory, use and management.
2. Industrial plantations
These are large areas created and managed intensively, usually with exotic species, for the
production of timber to supply sawmills, pulpmills, veneer factories, chipboard plant, etc.
The plantations are usually owned and managed by state enterprises.
3. Community woodlots
These are small areas of 5-10 ha created for the benefit of village or town communities
(where they are often referred to as "peri-urban plantations"), often by the state, and more
recently by the communities themselves in some form of social forestry. They may be on
state or community land and may yield timber, poles and fuelwood plus occasionally fruit,
fodder and other products. There are often difficulties of management, protection and
distribution of benefits.
4. Farm woodlots
These are small plantations of less than 10 ha, often much less, that are established by the
individual farmer for the production of poles, fuel, fodder and possibly other products;
multipurpose trees are thus desirable. The products supply the farmer's own needs with
excess for sale and such woodlots may be established on unused or degraded land with a
view to rehabilitating it.
5. Trees in crop land

Individual trees may be left or planted randomly at wide intervals in productive agricultural
land to supply wood, fuel, fodder, fruit, honey and shade.
6. Alley farming
In this group of systems, one or more rows of trees are planted alternately with several rows
of agricultural crop plants and the trees are hedged, coppiced or pollarded frequently. The
decline in value of crop yield caused by the loss of land occupied by trees should be
compensated or exceeded by the fertilizing effect of the tree leaves and other ways of soil
improvement by trees, and by the value of tree products (poles and fuel). This is becoming
the most widely recommended agroforestry system (see Kang and Wilson, this volume).
7. Linear planting
This includes the ptartting of one or more rows of. trees, with or without subsequent
management, along farm borders, river or stream banks, or along roads, railways or canals.
They can provide the usual services and benefits.
8. Shelterbelts
These are belts/ blocks consisting of several rows of trees established at right angles to the
prevailing wind. They are also known as windbreaks and have significant effects on
micrometeorological factors up to several times their height away from the edge. The'
species, age composition, canopy density, height and profile are- all important determinants
of their effectiveness. They also produce valuable by-products.
POTENTIAL OF MULTIPURPOSE TREES AND SHRUBS IN AGROFORESTRY 275
9. Sequential cropping
Trees and agricultural crops may follow each other on the same piece of land in planted
"fallow" systems in which the trees restore the soil fertility. Taungya is a system whereby
trees are planted, often at close industrial spacing, together with intercrops of agricultural
species, the agricultural crops being grown for up to three or four years.
10. Silvopastoral systems

Silvopastoral systems involve the incorporation of tree and shrub management and animal
husbandry. The trees may be used for fodder production, shade and pasture improvement.
Intensity of the operations can vary from extensive range management in dry zones to
intensive trees-over-pasture in areas of higher rainfall.
11. Protection forestry, land rehabilitation, reclamation

The use of trees in these roles encompasses many technologies. Protection forestry
generally requires the management, through natural regeneration, of existing indigenous
vegetation, which requires protection from grazing and damaging exploitation above all.
For the reclamation and rehabilitation of degraded land the function of trees is primarily
for soil conservation or improvement, coupled with production of (mainly) wood and
fodder. The arrangement of the planted trees (which can be combined in agroforestry
systems) should follow these major objectives.
For virtually all these systems a multipurpose plant would be considered more useful
than a species fitted for only one purpose. In fact there can be very few species that, if they
are used at all, are not used for several purposes, products, benefits and services. There has
been considerable discussion of the definition of multipurpose trees (see the views of several
specialists compiled in Burley and von Carlowitz, 1984) but the concept is now well
established, largely as a result of the interests and activities of ICRAF. The common
abbreviation is MPTS, which can imply "Multipurpose 7ree5" or "AMultiPurpose Trees
and Shrubs".
The attention to MPTS has developed in parallel with the growth of social forestry
programmes and the research and development of agroforestry systems that can be used to
meet the objectives of social forestry and integrated rural development programmes. The
incorporation of MPTS into land-use systems requires Significant changes in the attitude,
understanding and co-operation of professional foresters, horticulturists, agronomists and
various groups of extension workers.
Benefits from trees a n d shrubs
The products and services derived from trees and shrubs are manifold and vary between
societies and environments, but they can be summarized simply as follows:
Products
Wood
Unprocessed — fencing or building poles
Processed, solid — saw timber
Reconstituted — veneers, paper, chipboard
Bark — raw and processed for various uses
Products
Energy
Solid, raw — firewood
Solid, processed — charcoal
Fluid — liquid and gaseous fuels and feedstocks
Chemical stem extractives — resins, oils, paints, varnishes, pharmaceuticals
Leaf products — thatch, fibre, fodder, extractives, oils, silk, smoking
material, medicines
Fruit/seed products — food, fodder, oils, drinks, medicines
Flower products — drinks, medicines, honey, dyes, food
Root products — fuelwood, chemical extractives, dyes
Environmental benefits
Climatic moderation (macro- and micro-)
Soil stabilization
Soil improvement
Water-flow moderation
Wildlife habitats
Boundary demarcation
Pest and weed control
Use or rehabilitation of degraded land, improving downstream environments
Socio-economic benefits
Amenity and tourism
Employment generation — especially for the landless
Income generation — including foreign exchange
Import substitutions
Public education
Rehabilitation of abandoned and degraded land, increasing production
Counter seasonality
Risk reduction
Labour saving in some situations
Improved human and animal nutrition and health.
Research needed for exploitation of MPTS potential

Exploitation is often used in a pejorative sense to indicate the utilization of a person or
object for one's own selfish ends, but in fact this is the implication of man's use of
multipurpose trees and shrubs. We seek species and populations that can provide the many
benefits in the several land-use systems indicated above. Potential is taken here to indicate
cryptic, possible value for such uses and to exploit it requires knowledge of hitherto hidden
values; this necessitates research that is specific to sites, managerial systems and end-use
processes.
An idealized, complete research programme for a new land-use system or site is
summarized in Appendix 1.
Clearly not all of these stages are required for each site or species; many species are
already at an advanced stage of genetic and managerial development either by researchers
or by line managers and farmers. However, the appendix acts as a checklist for researchers
and managers initiating development of new areas or systems. Not all of the stages need to
be conducted sequentially; some can be undertaken in parallel or telescoped together.
Nevertheless, the determination of an optimum system and combination of species requires
co-operative research and implementation between a range of authorities and disciplines.
The major, specific stages and problems related to the incorporation of the MPTS
themselves can be grouped into the following principal topics — genetic variation,
germplasm supplies, assessment of multiple products and services, and crop management.
Genetic variation
Number of species
The large number of tree and shrub species already recorded as promising or possible (some
2,000 species were listed in Burley and von Carlo witz, 1984) is at once a potential benefit
and a problem. No one species is likely to be the "wonder species" for all sites and purposes
but it is difficult to cope with such large numbers in formal species trials even on efficient
research stations interested in a single major product. It is infinitely more difficult to cope
with large numbers on less well endowed stations or in on-farm research. Preliminary
screening is thus needed and the climatic matching systems collectively known as
homoclimal comparisons (and quantified by, e.g., Booth, forthcoming) permit the
reduction of the number of species worth consideration for trial on a given site type. The
several data bases developing within ICRAF itself will formalize and often quantify data on
sources, uses and characteristics of MPTS.
However, there will always be a need for elimination and proving trials of reasonable
numbers of species (20-30) on each major site type. Centrally planned co-operative trials on
many sites, such as the Oxford Forestry Institute (OFI)'s international trial of dry-zone
hardwoods, will allow the estimation and explanation of genotype-environment interactions
and the extrapolation of results to untested sites if the environmental conditions are known.
In this international network seed and herbarium material from 25 Central American
species were collected (see Table 1 and Hughes and Styles, 1984); seeds are being distributed
to some 60 sites in more than 25 countries. An indication of the suitability of these species
for different uses in their natural range is given in Table 2. Not all of these will be found in all
exotic sites and not all are equally important on any individual site, but they indicate the
potential of this group of species. Similar sets of species can be found elsewhere (e.g., the
many promising Australian and African Acacia species) and these must be compared. The
collaborative (zonal co-operative) programme of ICRAF (COLLPRO) will undertake
species evaluation for common site types while national programmes deal with specific
locations.
Variation within species

For naturally widely distributed species, natural selection (and often man's interference)
causes genetic variation between populations; for species that have been managed as exotics
for several generations artificial and natural selection in the planting sites may cause the
evolution of land races.
All of these different sources (termed "provenances" by foresters) should be tested for
each site and management system, but clearly they compound the problems of species trials
with large numbers of sources. Nevertheless, the correct choice of optimum seed source
offers the major and simplest step in genetic improvement and the determination of the
Table 1 Distribution and phenological characteristics of semi-arid species in the OFI international network
Phenology
Altitude Tree
Family/ Common range height Seed N,
Species Sub-family names Distribution (m) (m) Thorns Flowering collection fixation
Acacia deamii (Britten & Rose) Leguminosae Bisquite S. Mexico. 200-100 to) short Ju«e January- unconfirmed
Standi. Mimosoideae Orotoguaje C. America to February YES
syn. A. picachensis Brandeg. Nicaragua
Acacia famesiana (L.) Wild Leguminosae Espino bianco, South U.S.A. 0-1,000 to 10 long and December- January- confirmed
Mimosoideae Aromo, Subin Mexico, C. America many March April YES
W. Indies,
S. America to
Argentina
Acacia pennatula (Schlecht. Leguminosae Sarespino, Mexico, C. America 300-2,000 8-10 short February- January- confirmed
^GRO
& Cham.) Benth. Mimosoideae Escambrion S. America March February YES
Huizache
Albizia guachepele (Kunth) Dug. Leguminosae Cadeno, Guatemala, 0 800 15-20 December- January- unconfirmed C
RESTRY
syn. Pseudosamanea guachepele Mimosoideae Lagarto C. America to January March YES
(Kunth) Harms: A. longepedana Venezuela
Britton & Rose
Apoplanesia paniculaia Presl. Leguminosae Baillador South and West 0-400 to 10 October- December- unconfirmed >
DECADE O F DEVELOPM1
Papilionoideae Made.de flecha Mexico, November January YES
Guatemala,
Honduras.
Venezuela
Ateleia herbert-smiihii Pittier Leguminosae Palo de prieto localized in Central 0-600 to 15 November March unconfirmed
Papilionoideae Nicaragua, December YES
Guanacaste, Costa
Rica, Colombia
Caesalpinia coriaria (Jacq.) Leguminosae Nacascolo S. Mexico, 0-1,000 toS September- December confirmed
Wild Caesalpinioideae C. America October January NO z
W. Indies to
Venezuela
POTE
Table 1 Continued
Phenology H
Altitude Tree >
Family/ Common range height Seed N2 —
2
Caesalpinia eriostachys Benth. Leguminosae Cuayauncuavo S. Mexico, 0-600 to 15 none January- March- confirmed
Caesalpinioideae Pintandilo Cuba March April NO
-
Caesalpinia vehuina Leguminoisae Aripin S. Mexico, 0-800 to 10 none March November unconfirmed c
(Britton & Rose) Standtl. Caesalpinioideae Guatemala to April January NO •v
O
Nicaragua Cfl
m
Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.)* Leguminosae Madre de cacao Mexico, C America 0-1,500 to 10 none January- March confirmed H
JO
Standtl. Papilionoideae Madreado W. Indies to March April YES m
m
Madero negro Colombia, Guianas
>
Haematoxylon brasikuo Karst. Leguminosae Brasil Mexico, C. America 0-800 to 8 short February- March- unconfirmed o
Caesalpinioideae Campeche Colombia and March April NO in
X
Venezuela 73
C
Leucaena diversifolia Leguminosae Guaje Mexico, C America 300-2,000 to 12 none December- February- confirmed 33
•s,
(Schlecht.) Benth. syn. Mimosoideae to Honduras February March YES
L brachycarpa Urb. a
Leucaena kucocephala (Lam.) Leguminosae Guaje Mexico, C. America 0-800 to 15 none January- March- confirmed >
Q
PC
de Wit. Mimosoideae to Nicaragua March April YES O
-n
Leucaena shannoni Donn. Smith Leguminosae Guaje Mexico, C. America 0-1,000 to 8 none September- January- confirmed C
Mimosoideae to Nicaragua December March YES a
Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Leguminosae Carbon Mexico to Brazil 0-1,200 to 5 short December- December- confirmed m
<
H
Poir Mimosoideae numerous April April YES
Myrospermum frutescens Jacq. Leguminosae Chiquirin Mexico, C America 0-800 5 rarely none February March unconfirmed
Papilionoideae W. Indies to to 20 March YES
Venezuela
Parkinsonia aculeata L. Leguminosae Aguijote Southern U.S.A. 0-1,000 to 6 short January- March confirmed
Caesalpinoideae bianco Sauco Mexico, C America February YES
Table 1 Continued
Phenology
Altitude Tree
Family/ Common range height Seed N2
Piihecellobium duke (Roxb.) Leguminosae Espino de S. California, 0-1,500 to 15 short January- March confirmed
Benth. Mimosoideae Playa Mexico, C. America (not always February YES
Michiguiste to Venezuela present)
Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) Leguminosae Espino real Mexico. C. America 0-1,000 to 7 long and December- February confirmed
DC. Mimosoideae Espino ruco S. America to Peru numerous February April YES
Algorrobo
Senna momaria (L.) Irwin & Leguminosae Vainillo Mexico, C. America 100-1.000 to 10 none January- February- unconfirmed
Barneby Caesalpinioideae Frijolillo W. Indies to March March NO
syn. Cassia emarginaia L. Venezuela (1 year
>
to ripen) -
O
Enterolobium cyclocarpum Leguminosae Guanacaste West and South 0-800 to 40 none April March- confirmed
Conacaste Mexico, C. America, April YES o
(Jacq.) Griseb. Mimosoideae -
Jamaica. Cuba, VI
northern S. America -
Crescentia alata HBK Bignoniaceae Jicaro. Morro Mexico, C. America 0-1,000 to 6 none September- March- NO
Calabash to Costa Rica October
>
April
D
Alvaradoa amorphoides Liebm. Simaroubaceae Plumajillo S. America, 0-1,400 to 15 none January- April NO
Zorillo C. America, February >
a
W. Indies w
c
Simarouba glauca DC. Simaroubaceae Aceituno S. Mexico 0-800 to 20 none December- Apnl NO -
Negrito C. America to January
o
m
Panama. Cuba <
m.
-
Guaiuma ulmifolia Lam. Sterculiaceae Guacimo Tropical America 0-1,200 to 20 none March- February- NO
Caulote and Caribbean May March i
2
m
* Editors' note: Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. (see editors' note at the end of the References to this chapter). x
-,
Table 2 Use and managerial characteristics of semi-arid species in the OFI international network.
3
ENTI/i L L O F
Fodder
Coppice Pollard Salt Weediness
Fuelwooc Leaf Fruit Posts Saw-wood Food Shade Live fence ability ability tolerance hazard
Acacia deamii 3 - 1 3 1 1 2 2 3 2 1 - 2
r-
Acacia famesiana 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 Hazardous
Acacia pennatula 3 1 3 3 1 1 3 2 3 - Slight =
Albizia guachepele 2 - 1 2 3 1 2 2 - - - ^
Apoplanesia paniculata 2 - 1 3 1 1 1 3 2 - - sJ~-
Ateleia herbert-smithii 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 3 3 3 - m
Caesalpinia coriaria 2 1 2 1 i 2 2 - - 2 - -
3 -
Caesalpinia eriostachys
Caesalpinia velutina
2
3
2
1
1
I
2
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
3
2
2
1
-
-
-
-
a
>
Enterolobium cyclocarpum 2 2 3 2 3 1 3 2 2 2 - zo
Gliricidia sepium 3 3 1 2 1 1 3 3 3 3 2 Slight VI
Haematoxylon brusiletto 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 - X
Leucaena diversifolia 3 3 2 2 1 2 2 3 2 Slight -
—
Leucena leucocephala 3 3 2 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 Slight
Leucaena shannoni 3 3 1 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 - >
Mimosa tenuiflora 3 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 1 Very hazardous pa
Mycospermum frutescens 3 - 2 3 2 1 1 2 3 2 - 0
-n
ORES
Parkinsonia aculeata 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 3 Hazardous
Pilhecellobium duke 3 1 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 Hazardous
Prosopis juliflora 3 2 3 3 1 3 2 1 3 2 3 Hazardous -H
-
Senna atomaria 2 - - 3 2 1 2 3 2 2 - • <
Alvadoa amorphoides 3 3 1 3 2 ! 1 2 3 3 -
Crescentia alata 2 1 3 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 -
Guazuma ulmifolia 3 3 3 2 1 2 3 3 3 3 -
Simarouba glauca 2 - 3 1 2 2 2 3 3 2 -
Acy: 1 = poor; 2 = acceptable; 3 = good; - = unknown.

most productive or acceptable system. Later tree-breeding efforts are wasted or reduced in
value if the original germplasm source is not optimal.
Little species and provenance research has been conducted on MPTS other than the
initial exploration and evaluation of arid-zone species by CSIRO, CTFT, FAO/IBPGR,
NAS, NFTA and OFL* There is great potential for national organizations and multilateral
programmes to conduct systematic research on both indigenous and exotic species,
including local land races that have been manipulated genetically, whether consciously or
unconsciously, by local farmers. Current emphasis is on provenance variation of Acacia,
Eucalyptus, Leucaena and Prosopis species, while among the most exhaustive exploration
and evaluation of a single species are the studies on Leucaena leucocephala (Brewbaker,
this volume) and the OFI international study of Gliricidia septum (Hughes, 1986, 1987).
The available seed sources of the latter are listed in Table 3. Preliminary assessments of field
trials in several locations demonstrate considerable differences between provenances in
form and growth rate up to two years.t In a trial of 10 sources in Costa Rica, Salazar
(1986) observed significant differences between provenances in seed size and shape that
were related to altitude of seed source; after 60 days heights ranged from 35 to 47 cm. All the
earlier evidence from international and native provenance trials of industrial species such as
tropical pines and eucalyptus confirms that large intraspecific variation occurs in wide-
ranging species. The same situation is being demonstrated in MPTS and variations can be
expected to be enhanced by the existence of local land races that developed in exotic and
natural locations under man's selection.
With the exception of Leucaena species (covered in a separate chapter in this volume by
Brewbaker) and Prosopis species (see several papers in Felker, 1986), for most MPTS
currently in use or under research it is perhaps premature to consider selective tree breeding,
but the short sexual and managerial cycles allow rapid progress to be made once individual
selection begins. The principles are no different from those of industrial tree species, nor
indeed from those of agricultural and horticultural species, and they were outlined for
MPTS by Burley (1987).
Evidence of intra-population genetic control of one set of characteristics (biochemical)
of fodder trees was found in Prosopis by Oduol et al. (1986); 14 half sib families representing
several species showed intra-class correlations of pod sugar (0.3-0.4) and pod protein
content (0.04-0.6) depending on planting site.
All of the above are examples of the potential of MPTS but, with the exception of
Leucaena, they are preliminary indicators only. As highlighted by Brewbaker (this volume),
the widespread attack by psyllids on Leucaena leucocephala and the species intolerance of
acid soils stress the value of interspecific hybridization within a genus and the importance of
evaluating a wide range of other species and genera.
Germplasm supplies and certification

The great interest in development of a wide range of MPTS causes a corollary problem in
supplies of appropriate germplasm. Even assuming the correct genetic source has been
identified, it is often difficult to obtain guaranteed supplies with the internationally
recognized certificates of health, origin and physiological and physical quality. An
indication of the systems of certification available was given by Jones and Burley (1973),
* Editors' note: see the full names of these institutions listed at the beginning of this book.
t Personal communication from Janet L. Stewart, Oxford Forestry Institute.
Table 3 Summary of seed collection site data for the OFI international network of Gliricidia species and provenance trials.
Seed quality
Provenance Country Ident. Lat. Long. Alt. Rainfall No. of No. of Germination
No. (N) (W) (m) (mm) trees seeds/kg %
(XXX))
Gliricidia sepium
Chamela, Jalisco Mexico 41/85 19°28' 105°05' 60-100 905 30 5.5 90
PlayaAzul Mexico 38/85 18°04' 102°34' 0-30 900 60 6.5 97
Michoacan
San Jose, Guerrero Mexico 39/85 16°48' 99° 15' 30 1,400 40 4.7 83
Los Amates, Puebla Mexico 33/85 18°28' 98°25' 1,100 650 120 5.1 96
Palmasola, Veracruz Mexico 34/85 19° 46' 96° 25' 10-50 1,130 40 6.7 96
Barrosa, Veracruz Mexico 36/85 18°20' 95°06' 100-150 2,500 20 6.0 91
San Mateo, Oaxaca Mexico 35/85 16° 13' 94°58' 10-30 950 300 6.3 96
Arriaga, Chiapas Mexico 40/85 16° 15' 93°51' 30 1,796 50 7.6 94
Tzimol, Chiapas Mexico 37/85 16° 18' 92° 22' 600-700 1,030 35 7.9 94
Samala, Retalhuleu Guatemala 14/84 14°33' 91°39' 330 3,500 75 7.8 95
Monterrico, Santa Guatemala 17/84 13°53' 90°29' 5 1,650 200 8.1 99
Rosa
Volcan Suchitan, Guatemala 13/84 14°22' 89°46' 950 1,060 70 7.4 99
Jutiapa
Vado Hondo, Guatemala 16/84 14°44' 89°30' 450 830 75 7.3 93
Chiquimula
Gualan, Zacapa Guatemala 15/84 15°08' 89°20' 150 700 80 7.2 99
Masaguara, Intibuca Honduras 25/84 14° 16' 87°58' 825 1,100 65 7.9 94
La Garita, Choluteca Honduras 10/86 13°26' 87° 11' 450 1,200 75 7.5 93
Guayabillas, Choluteca Honduras 24/84 13°24' 86°58' 480 1,400 180 8.0 48
Table 3 Continued
Seed quality
Provenance Country Ident. Lat. Long. Alt. Rainfall No. of No. of Germination
No. (N) (W) (m) (mm) trees seeds/kg %
(WO)
Piedra Larga, Esteli Nicaragua 30/84 13° 16' 86°23' 605 800 35 7.4 93
Ciudad Dario, Nicaragua 31/83 12°39' 86°07' 450 900 35 8.0 92
Matagalpa
Laguna Tecomapa, Nicaragua 13/82 12°37' 86°03' 380 900 87 8.0 88
Matagalpa
Mateare, Managua Nicaragua 31/84 12° 14' 86° 27' 60 1,100 25 7.4 02
Ojo de Agua, Boaco Nicaragua 29/84 12° 23' 85°45' 220 1,200 75 7.4 91
Belen, Rivas Nicaragua 14/86 11°37' 85° 48' 75 1,650 100 7.7 94
Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica 12/86 10° 19' 85° 54' 0-10 1,500 150 9.0 98
Guanacaste
El Roblar, Costa Rica 11/86 10° 15' 85° 18' 20-100 1,000 50 9.4 97
Guanacaste
Padasi, Los Santos Panama 13/86 7° 32' 80°04' 0-20 850 40 11.0 97
Pontezuelo, Bolicar Colombia 24/86 10° 35' 75°51' 20-50 950 150 8.5 94
Mariara, Carabobo Venezuela 1/86 10° 17' 67°43' 520 800 100 7.0 92
Gliricidia maculala
Puerto Morelos, Mexico 42/85 20°50' 86° 57' 0-10 1,500 15 13.0 57
Quintana Roo
Gliricidia guatemalensis
Sola de Vega, Oaxaca Mexico 1/84 16°29' 97°01' 1,800 1,500 1
and the problems of tropical and subtropical (developing) countries in implementing such
systems were described by Burley (1986). Sources of potential suppliers of a large range of
MPTS were provided by von Carlowitz (1986). They show a remarkable variation in ability
or inclination to provide appropriate seed-source information.
Evaluation of multiple benefits

For industrial plantation species the most important features affecting quantity or quality
of products are well known and standard methods of assessment exist (for example, height,
diameter, form, taper, branch dimensions, forking or wood density). For MPTS, however,
many products and services need evaluation and, for some, appropriate techniques are
either not yet developed or at least not known to the forestry-trained researchers who are
currently conducting the bulk of the tree-related research; these include fodder-quality
characteristics, soil-improving capacity, nitrogen-fixation ability, and the effect of the tree
or shrub on agricultural crops or animals.
Market values may not exist for some of these traits, while others may be negatively
correlated so that an improvement in one causes a decline in another. This causes particular
problems for the tree breeder who then needs to develop selection indices, but rapid and
simple assessment procedures are also needed for the evaluation of MPTS in species,
provenance and management trials.
In addition to anatomical, chemical and morphological features, the traits of interest
include phenological and physiological characters of the tree or shrub and chemical and
biophysical evaluation of its effects on the soil. Many of these traits were described by
Burley et al. (1984). The effects of MPTS on microclimates are more complex to evaluate
(Huxley et al, forthcoming).
When using MPTS as energy sources there is a need to estimate and partition the
amount of biomass produced within and between individual plants. Classical industrial
forestry methods of mensuration are not applicable to MPTS used for biomass production
since they have small heights and diameters, multiple stems and branches, and a significant
component in their leaves, particularly if they are to be used for liquid and gaseous fuel or
chemical and dietary feedstock. There is an urgent need to develop sampling and statistical
prediction methods to partition biomass among stems, branches, leaves and roots while
extrapolating from small plots or individual trees (often open-grown) to large areas.
Evaluation in agroforestry systems

The initial screening and evaluation of tree and shrub species, commonly called
elimination, is concerned principally with the ability of the species to survive the natural and
managerial conditions of the planting site in the first few years. This stage is often carried
out using standard forestry approaches with replicated designs and multi-tree plots, good
protection, weeding and other site improvements.
However, MPTS must also be evaluated in the longer term to estimate their
performance in agroforestry systems, both on research stations and on farms. There is
therefore a need to develop designs to test for early intercropping and resource sharing, to
examine the effects of trees and shrubs on the soil sustainability, and to study the response
to managerial treatments such as coppicing, lopping and pruning. Such designs are
currently being developed by ICRAF, particularly for its Agroforestry Research Network
for Africa (AFRENA) programme. When the effectiveness of these designs is determined,
and the results of systematic research become available, individual workers and institutions
will be able to evaluate and capitalize on the great potential of M P T S to enhance man's
survival and welfare.
Without rational research and development of acceptable species and systems the
current enthusiasm for M P T S runs the risk of alienating farmers and development agencies
by failing to provide socio-economically acceptable packages.
REFERENCES
Booth, T. H. Recent developments in homoclime analysis to assist species selection. In T. Damhofer

and W. Reifsnyder (eds.), Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Application
of Meteorology to Agroforestry Systems Planning And Management. Nairobi: ICR AF (in
press).
Burley, J. 1986. Problems of tree seed certification in developing countries. Invited Paper, 18th
IUFRO Congress, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. In: Proc. Div. 2, WP S2.03-14, 112-123.
. 1987. Strategies for genetic improvement of agroforestry trees. Lead Paper, Session 8,
IUFRO/ ISTS Workshop "Agroforestry for Rural Needs", New Delhi, India, February
1987.
Burley, J. and P.G. von Carlowitz (eds.). 1984. Multipurpose tree germplasm. Nairobi: ICRAF.
Burley, J., P. A. Huxley and F. Owino. 1984. Design, management and assessment of species,
provenance and breeding trials of multipurpose trees. In R.D. Barnes and G.L. Gibson
(eds.), Provenance and genetic improvement strategies in tropical forest trees. Common-
wealth Forestry Institute, Oxford and Zimbabwe Forestry Commission, Harare.
Felker, P. (ed.). 1986. Tree plantings in semi-arid regions. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Hughes, C. E. 1986. Protocol for the international provenance trials of Gliricidia. Oxford: Oxford
Forestry Institute.
. 1987. Biological considerations in designing a seed collection strategy for Gliricidia
sepium (Jacq.) Walp. (Leguminosae). Commonwealth Forestry Review (in press).
Hughes, C.E. and B.T. Styles. 1984. Exploration and seed collection of multipurpose dry zone trees in
Central America. International Tree Crops Journal 3: 1-31.
Huxley, P.A., E. Akunda, T. Damhofer and D. Gatama. Tree/crop interface investigations: some
comments and preliminary investigations. In T. Damhofer and W. Reifsnyder (eds.),
Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Application of Meteorology to
Agroforestry Systems Planning and Management. Nairobi: ICRAF (in press).
Jones, N. and J. Burley. 1973. Seed certification, provenance, nomenclature and genetic history in
forestry. Silvae Genetica 22(3): 53-58.
Oduol, P.A., P. Felker, C.R. McKinley and C.E. Meier. 1986. Variation among selected Prosopis
families for pod sugar and pod protein contents. In P. Felker (ed.), Tree plantings in
semi-arid regions. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Salazar, R. 1986. Genetic variation in seeds and seedlings of ten provenances of Gliricidia sepium
(Jacq.) Steud.* In P. Felker(ed.), Tree plantings in semi-arid regions. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
von Carlowitz, P. G. 1984. Rapid appraisal methodology for selecting priority multipurpose tree
species and criteria for determining status and research needs. In J. Burley and P. von
Carlowitz (eds.), Multipurpose tree germplasm. Nairobi: ICRAF.
* Editors'note: The 1986 ICRAF"Master List" of MPTS, verified with the Royal Botanical Gardens,
Kew, U.K., cites Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. as the correct (current) taxonomic nomenclature
for the species.
APPENDIX 1
Major steps and technology components in tree Culture

and forestry research to develop appropriate Thinning
land-use systems Pruning
Fertilization
Background research Weeding
Social and institutional research Protection
Human perceptions of tree services Irrigation
Knowledge of natural environments Additional agroforestry technology
Authorities and institutions Intercropping effects
Land use, tenure, tree ownership Tree-crop interface
Incentives for tree planting Effects on soil
Economic returns and acceptability Effects on micro-climate
Site evaluation, classification and mapping Yield determination
Sampling
Natural vegetation management technologies Major and minor yields
Vegetation identification and inventory Tree breeding/biotechnology
Ecology and climate Classical breeding
Degradation rates Selection
Soil-loss rates Progeny testing
Human/ animal demands Seed orchards
Regeneration methods New biotechnology
Yields at different seasons and animal Clonal selection, testing and propagation
densities Genetic engineering of trees
Fire incidence and control Genetic manipulation of mycorrhizae
Products and markets Genetic manipulation of
Rhizobia/ Actinomycetes
Plantation technology Harvesting methods
Species/provenance selection Lopping
Seed technology Pollarding
Collection Coppicing
Extraction Felling
Storage Fodder
Testing Fruits/seeds
Records Extractives
Nursery technology Conversion technologies
Container size/type Wood, fibre and forage properties
Soil mixture Sawing, planing
Season of sowing Reconstituted boards
Fertilization Pulp and paper
Shading Chemical extractives
Irrigation Stove design
Protection Charcoal/fluid fuels
Records Ergonomics
Establishment Work study
Direct sowing Tools and machinery
Safety
Seed pretreatment Financial and economic analysis
Soil pretreatment
Season of sowing Basic or facilitating research
Planting Soil hydrology
Stock type Soil microbiology
Ground preparation Nutrient cycling
Planting method Nitrogen fixation
Irrigation Tree physiology and biochemistry
Fertilization Taxonomy and cytogenetics
Spacing Pathology and entomology
17
Leucaena: a multipurpose tree genus

for tropical agroforestry
James L. Brewbaker
President, Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association
Professor, Department of Horticulture, University of Hawaii
3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
Contents
Introduction
Botany and genetics
Ecology and soils
Symbionts, diseases and insects
Establishment and management
Use as animal feed
Soil improvement
Tree and wood use
Food and other uses
Why do people plant Leucaena?
References
Introduction
The genus Leucaena has been popularized widely in the past decade. It has been the subject
of an excellent book by Pound and Martinez Cairo (1983), of major international
conferences co-sponsored by the Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association (NFTA) and the
International Development Research Centre (IDRC (IDRC, 1982) and by NFTA
{Leucaena Research Reports 7(2)), and of several national and international conferences
(Kaul et al, 1981; PCARR, 1978; Indonesia, 1982).
Research on the genus is represented in over 3,000 publications, most of them included
in the comprehensive three-volume bibliography of Oakes (1982-4), in the book by Pound
and Martinez Cairo, and in reviews or bibliographies by Arellano (1979), Brewbaker and
Hutton(1979),Halos(1980),Olvera et al. (1985) and Schroder (1986). Two excellent guides

to production were co-authored by leucaena experts (NFTA, 1985a, 1985b); others include
those of Banco de Mexico (1980), FAO (1983, 1985) and Proverbs (1985). The present
review will focus on the past decade, primarily since the review paper of Brewbaker and
Hutton (1979), and will seek to identify the people and institutions closely linked to
leucaena's expanded use, and ask "Why do people plant leucaena?" Many references will
be made to LRR, the Leucaena Research Reports, an annual publication of NFT A.
Historical perspective
Leucaena has often been regarded as a kind of "miracle tree", an appellation that makes
sincere scientists wince. However, such names as subabul in India, lamtoro gung in
Indonesia and giant ipil-ipil in the Philippines reflect the genuine affection that farmers,
housewives, ranchers and scientists themselves have come to hold for the arboreal
leucaenas.
Leucaena is not new to scientists, and certainly not to growers. It was a significant "alley
crop" hedge in Asia, far from its native Americas, more than a century ago. It clearly was a
common food and soil-restoration tree of early American Indian civilizations. In the first
millenium AD, the Maya of the Yucatan peninsula may have relied heavily on leucaena as a
green manure and possibly as a food crop (Brewbaker, 1979). Zarate (1984) considers the
genus a significant source of leguminous pods long prior to Columbus. A major species, L.
esculenta (Moc. and Sesse) Benth., got its name in recognition of its importance as food for
highland Mexican Indians. The Mexican state of Oaxaca is a centre of great diversity of the
genus, and owes its name to huaxin or Leucaena spp. (LRR 7(2):6).
Leucaena crossed the Pacific Ocean in Spanish galleons in the early 1600s, and by
mid-1800 was pantropical and used in a variety of ways — food, fodder, shade, soil
restoration. Superb early research on its soil-restorative properties occurred in Indonesia
prior to 1910, as evidenced by Dijkman's early review (1950) encouraging use of leucaena
for soil-erosion control. Takahashi and Ripperton (1949) published extensive studies of
fodder management and improvement of koa haole (leucaena) in Hawaii. E. Mark Hutton
and his colleagues developed an intensive leucaena improvement programme in northern
Australia in the 1950s. Review papers that cover quite thoroughly the information on this
early research and development include those of Brewbaker and Hutton (1979), Oakes
(1968), Pound and Martinez Cairo (1983) and the U.S. National Research Council (1984).
New prominence
Leucaena has moved ahead of other leguminous trees in the past decade in both public
image and farmer adoption. Three factors that have propelled it into new prominence are:
1. Improved varieties of exceptional yielding ability;
2. Improved communication about leucaena;
3. Expanded demonstrations of leucaena's utility.
The new varieties were discovered through systematic surveys of leucaena germplasm
collected from native habitats in the Americas and grown in Hawaii and Queensland, as
described later in this paper. All leucaena are easily grown; they flower within two years,
and are a delight to study and breed.
The improved communication began with a superb publication in 1977 on leucaena
(NRC, 1984) which followed the first international conference on leucaena in the
LEUCAENA: A MULTIPURPOSE TREE GENUS FOR TROPICAL AGROFORESTRY 291
Figure 1 Solid blocks and contour strips of leucaena serve for hill stabilization and soil restoration
in the Philippines (Photo courtesy of Napoleon Vergara).
Philippines in 1976 (PCARR, 1978). This was followed in 1980 by the founding of the
Leucaena Research Reports, an annual publication, at the University of Hawaii, with costs
underwritten by the Council of Agriculture of Taiwan, Repubhc of China. Publication of
LRR and related literature was assumed in 1982 by the Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association
(NFTA), a non-profit organization presently composed of 1,200 associates. LRR has
averaged 55 articles annually from more than 34 countries.
Expanded demonstrations of leucaena's growth and versatility in management and use
have been the key to farmer acceptance (Figure 1). Alley-farming methods have been
skilfully designed and farm-tested in Africa (Kang et al., 1984; Kang and Wilson, this
volume); Indonesia (FAO, 1983) and India (Kaul et al., 1981).
New challenges
The role of leucaena as an agroforestry species is currently confronted with a new type of
challenge — a psyllid insect pest, which has been reviewed thoroughly in LRR (7(2)).
Apathy was leucaena's primary challenge prior to the 1970s, a decade that brought high oil
prices and accelerated demands on tropical forests and the world's ecological health. The
new challenge to leucaena is primarily sociopolitical. "Why plant leucaena — for what
purpose?", will now be replaced by "Why plant leucaena — if it is not perfect?", since most
laymen expect that somehow agroforestry trees must be "miracles" that have no need for
lesearch.
The test for leucaena, as the psyllid advances pantropically, will be primarily a test for
policy makers asked to fund R & D on a non-food genus of major interest to the rural poor.
The psyllid problem is soluble both by genetic and biological control (LRR 7(2)). It is not a
significant problem in the Americas, where the psyllids are under adequate parasitization
(Proverbs, 1985). Increasing commitment of funds and talents in long-range programmes
on non-food crops like leucaena is essential if the constantly evolving biological challenges,
such as the diseases and insects in tropical forest, are to be met.
Botany and genetics

Systematics and species collections
The genus Leucaena has over 50 names ascribed to it, most of them viewed as synonyms.
Ten species were widely recognized as valid a decade ago (Brewbaker et ai, 1972), to which
two have since been added (LRR 6:78). The 12 species have been described recently in some
detail from our collection of about 1,000 accessions and numerous artificial hybrids we
have grown in Hawaii (LRR 7(2):7-20). It is unlikely that many species will be added to this
list (Table 1), although several other populations are considered incipient species (LRR
7:110). The 12 species are easily differentiated by flower colour, leaflet size (Figure 2),
growth habit, ecology, distribution and other traits (LRR 7(2):7). Chromosome counts
have been made on the 12 species (Table 1). None of the species or populations tested have
2n = 26 or 2n = 28, counts that characterize most mimosoids. The importance of polyploidy
is thus implicit in the high base number of the genus.
Several major expeditions to collect leucaena germplasm have been made in the past
decade by our teams (1978,1985) with support from the University of Hawaii, USD A and
IBPGR, by Bob Reid for CSIRO in 1980-1982, and recently by Colin Hughes for the
Oxford Forestry Institute. Hawaii's collection of 905 accessions (80 percent indigenous) can
be ascribed to the 12 species of Table 1 with rare exceptions. The Australian collection
includes at least 700 accessions (Bray et ai, 1984). Unique accessions include those ascribed
to the taxon L. cuspidata, a highland shrub of N.E. Mexico similar to L. pallida. Another
unique accession identified by C. Hughes (LRR 7: 110) was a large tree that otherwise
resembled the shrubby L. shannoni.
The important commercial species, L. leucocephala (2n = 104) has long been recognized
as a polyploid, and our repeated efforts to identify segregating monogenes (e.g., isozymes)
in this species have met with failure. Earlier references to simple genetic segregations in this
Table 1 Species of the genus Leucaena
Leaflet
Chromo- Tree length
Leucaena species Date Locale* some no. Sit ht (m) (mm)
leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit 1783 C. America (L) 104 SF 18 10

diversifolia (Schlecht.) Benth. 1842 Vera Cruz (H) 52 SI 15 5
104 SF 18 6
pulverulenta (Schlecht.) Benth. 1842 Vera Cruz (S) 56 SI 15 5
trichodes (Jacq.) Benth. 1842 S. America (L) 52 SI 12 30
macrophylla Benth. 1844 Guerro (M) 52 SI 10 35
retusa Benth. 1852 Texas (S) 56 SI- 5 25
esculenta (Moc. & Sesse) Benth. 1875 Mexico (H) 52 SI 15 5
lanceolata Watson 1886 Chihuahua (L) 52 SI 12 30
greggii Watson 1888 Nuevo Leon (S) 56 SI 5 10
shannoni Donn. Smith 1914 Salvador (L) 52 SI 10 20
collinsii Britton & Rose 1928 Chiapas (M) 52 SI 10 10
pallida Britton & Rose 1928 Jalisco (H) 104 SI 10 10
* L = lowland, M = midland, H = highland, S = subtropical

t SI = self-incompatible, SF= self-fertile, Sf = partially self-fertile
species are now viewed with suspicion. The species is presumed to be an amphidiploid,
which Sorensson (1987) suggests most logically to be built on the 2n=52 diploids L.
leucocephala and L. diversifolia. Pan (LRR 7(2):6) has shown that the 2n= 104 L. pallida
(taxon conserved over synonyms dugesiana, oaxacana and paniculata due to priority in
descriptive literature) is an amphiploid derived from the species L. diversifolia and L.
esculenta. An extensive set of traits confirms this origin, including distributional,
ecological, and morphological conditions. Pan (LRR 5:88) further identified 2n=52 and
2n= 104 races within L. diversifoUa, distinguished by their distribution and morphology
(Figure 2).
Figure 2 Morphological variation in Leucaena spp., with names abbreviated. Div. 2 and Div. 4
represent 2N and 4N races of L. diversifoUa, Lan and LanS represent shrubby and arboreal variants
of L lanceolata (Photo courtesy of Charles Sorensson).
Breeding systems
The common leucaena is self-seeding, a fact probably underlying its early use as a food.
This is both a blessing and a curse, permitting us rapid seed multiplication but also giving
the species an undesirable element of weediness. Most accessions are less seedy than the
common type, of which K29 and K.636 are outstanding in form, but they have not been used
widely due to difficulty in seed increase. The psyllid tolerance of K.636 may encourage its
wider use (LRR 7(2):29,84).
In contrast, nearly all other Leucaena species have proven self-incompatible and thus
completely outcrossing, with the exception of low self-fertility in L. retusa (LRR 7(2):6).
The tetraploid form of L. diversifoUa is self-compatible, in contrast to the uniformly
self-incompatible diploids in this species (LRR 5:88). The operation of "S" alleles of the
gametophytic type was confirmed, and a theory presented for derivation of self-
compatibility in the two tetraploid species (Bewbaker, 1983; LRR 7:114). Self-incompatible
forms of both species might be expected following hybridization of self-compatible parents.
S1 plants could be exploited in several ways, notably in production of hybrid seed and in
development of broad genetically based synthetics. They might be further desirable in
reducing seediness, quite probably to the advantage of wood yields.
Arboreal and shrubby varieties

Two decades ago, only Leucaena leucocephala was recognized to have merit in
agroforestry-type land use. It was the only species distributed pantropically, represented by
one variety — a seedy shrub with virtually no genetic variation. Improved strains have now
replaced the common type, most of them of the "giant" or arboreal type referred to as
"Salvador-type" (LRR 1:43). The first of these, K.8, was released by the author in 1967 in
Thailand and the Philippines, and it was described as the "Hawaiian Giant" (Brewbaker,
1975) largely because the common weedy type had been referred to as "Hawaiian" (which it
is not, having come from Mexico by way of the Philippines). A later Australian release of
M. Hutton, "Cunningham", resulted from crosses of the Salvador type and the more
branched Peru type, and proved to be an excellent fodder variety. Batson et al. (1984) have
collected Caribbean accessions, classifying over 90 percent as the common type.
The arboreal ("giant") and shrubby ("common") forms are now viewed as taxonomically
distinct: var. glabrata and var. leucocephala, respectively (LRR 7(2):6). The "giant" or
glabrata variety is arboreal, with glabrous branches and generally large vegetative and
floral parts, and is widely distributed by man in N.E. and N.W. Mexico. The "common"or
leucocephala variety is indigenous to a restricted area of S.E. Mexico. Hybrids are arboreal
but early to flower and seedy like the commons. Similar morphological variants (Figure 2)
occur in L. lanceolata, var. lanceolata (shrubby) and var. sousae (arboreal). Hughes (LRR
7:110) collected a variant of L. shannoni that makes impressive arboreal growth in Hawaii.
A Panamanian tree described as L. multicapitula also appears to be an arboreal variant of
the South American shrub, L. trichodes.
Genetic improvement
Genetic improvement has focused on L. leucocephala, a self-pollinated species whose
polyploidy must be stressed as a factor impeding rates of genetic gain (Brewbaker, 1983).
Improvement of biometrical traits requires large progenies and high selection indices. Most
released varieties have been derived directly from accessions in Latin America. These have
been marked by high uniformity of single-tree progenies. Two major breeding programmes
are those of Hutton (1983) and Brewbaker (1983), the former focusing on acid tolerance
and the latter on species hybridization and tolerance to cold (see later sections).
Pollination methods have been improved primarily through the work of the author's
colleagues Pan and Sorensson (Brewbaker, 1983). They stress the value of early-bird
activities, emasculating (as needed) at dawn and pollinating with fresh pollen taken at
anthesis. Prior-day emasculation (LRR 5:29) and various detergent dips have worked less
well. Dry pollen or stigmas can be moistened with glycerine to enhance results.
Many qualitative traits have been scored for their appearance in parents and hybrids of
leucaena, but relatively few carried through to genetic analysis. Dominance in Fl
characterizes arboreal over shrubby, early over late flowering, pink over white flowers,
yellow over white flowers, pubescent branches and leaves over glabrous, flower odour over
none and pendulous inflorescence over erect. A small list of gene loci has been developed
for leucaena due to the work on 2n=52 L diversifolia of Pan (1984), as follows:
Locus Alleles Description
S Multiple Gametophytic, personate self-incompatibility
Pub 2 Pubescent leaflets, dominant over glabrous
Pxl 2 Peroxidase, roots, co-dominant alleles
Px2 2 Peroxidase, roots, presence vs. absence
Px3 2 Peroxidase, roots, presence vs. absence
Px4 2 Peroxidase, roots, co-dominant alleles
An early report of monogenic segregations for the arboreal vs. shrubby trait of L.
leucocephala deserves verification. It is to be hoped that identification of genes and
mapping will be accelerated as the diploids and interspecific hydrids come under increased
study.
Species hybridization
One of the most exciting advances in our knowledge of leucaena has come through species
hybridization in the past decade. Leucaena leucocephala has been crossed successfully with
all other species except L. greggii (not tested). At least 51 species hybrids are now growing
and under study (LRR 7:13), and their psyllid tolerance is shown in Table 2, following
Sorensson and Brewbaker (LRR 7:13). With rare exceptions, the hybrids have been
partially or highly fertile, allowing further hybridization and backcrossing for gene transfer.
The entire genus is proposed to be an "effective gene pool" available for breeding
improvement. Species hybrids have been made largely in our arboreta (LRR 7(2):29) and in
those of Hutton and Bray (Bray et al., 1984; Hutton, 1983), and many are impressive.
The occurrence of unreduced gametes leading to polyploid progenies in leucaena has

been documented by Sorensson and is a probable source of both amphiploid and autoploid
populations. Large pollen grains are believed to represent such unreduced gametes, and
occur with measurable frequency in many species.
Plant chemistry and physiology

Major discussions of leucaena's fodder and wood chemistry occur in other sections of this
paper, notably of fodder quality, mimosine and gums. Pound and Martinez Cairo (1983)
provide an excellent review of the chemistry of leucaena. Allelopathy has been attributed to
leucaena leaves, based on inhibitions of seed germination with mimosine itself (LRR 3:65)
and with leaf extracts (LRR 3:57). The extracts contained several common phenolics of
toxic potential, e.g., ferulic and coumaric acids (LRR 3:57). Extrapolations to the field are
fraught with hazards, and there has been no clear documentation of leucaena-induced
allelopathy under field conditions. Leucaena suppresses nearby herbs largely through
competition for light and water.
Physiological research on leucaena has been relatively limited. Photosynthetic rates
increased linearly with light flux, and saturated at 40,000 lux at a rate of 25.8 mg C 0 2 dm- 2
hr-1 in Taiwan (LRR 2:45), and at least 40 mg in a study in India (LRR 6:42), generally
similar to other C3 plants. Leucaena has been described as a facultative shade plant that
made major adjustments in stomatal density and conductance, light-saturating photo-
synthetic rate, and leaf dimensions when grown under shade. Leaflet folding and stomatal
responses to avoid direct sunlight and drought stress were strongly related to effective
mycorrhizal associations (Huang et al, 1985). Transpiration rates were calculated in the
range of 0.25-0.57 ml c m 2 (LRR 2:45). Leaf yields as kg dry matter per hectare were
linearly related to solar radiation in Hawaii by the regression Y = -13 + 3.83X over the range
of 8-18 MJ tn'-2 day -1 (LRR 6:88), roughly tripling from summer to winter in Hawaii. It is
less clear how closely wood increments regress on intercepted irradiance. Early winter
short-day flowering occurs in L. esculenta and L. macrophylla in Mexico and Hawaii,
while other species appear day-length-neutral in flowering. L. esculenta has flowered
irregularly when planted near the University of Hawaii's Food Science building, perhaps in
response to ethylene stimulants.
E c o l o g y a n d soils
Agroforestry in the tropics is often viewed as a system of band-aids or palliatives for injuries
to the ecosystem. Deforested and poorly farmed tropical soils are spoken of as "degraded"
and agroforestry is expected to restore them miraculously. The genus Leucaena is one of
impressive adaptability in the tropics, but is thus being asked to grow luxuriantly on many
types of generally impoverished soils. Like most plants, it grows best on the best soils, but
has major problems with soils of low pH, low P, low Ca, high salinity, high aluminium
saturation and waterlogging.
Acid soils
The "cerrado" soils (Oxisols and Ultisols) of South America pose a challenge to leucaena,
and generally to most fodder legumes. These soils range from pH 5 down, with Ca
deficiency and Al toxicity (over 50 percent saturation), and deficiencies of N, P, K, S, Mg
and Zn (Hutton, LRR 3:9). Hutton (1983,1984) has concluded that leucaena has adequate
tolerance of aluminium in the soil solution, but is more sensitive to deficiencies of calcium.
While other major elements are translocated both to roots and shoots, Ca is mono-
directional and translocated only from roots and shoots. The Ca content is very low in the
Oxisols of Brazil, and the inefficient root absorption of Ca by leucaena is considered the
major deterrent to growth on these soils (LRR 3:9). Even with 11 ha-1 of dolomite or 0.81
ha' 1 of gypsum, leucaena died within four years, evidently due to Al inhibition of Ca
uptake (LRR 7:28). Gypsum was the preferred source of Ca and S to supplement rock
phosphate on these acid soils (Hutton, 1984). Liming of surface soils was adequate,
however, to permit good leucaena growth in low Al acid subsoils in Hawaii and in pot trials
(Olvera and Blue, 1985).
Acid-tolerant leucaena include L. diversifolia and L. shannoni, marked by superior
root absorption of Ca. This tolerance of acidity was transferred to their hybrids with L.
leucocephala (Hutton, 1984). Tolerance was tested to acid, Al-toxic soils using root growth
in culture by Oakes and Foy (1984), and a wide range of varietal responses noted, which did
not correlate directly to Al liberation. Great reduction in growth occurred with
concentrations over 4 ppm, and were little influenced by Ca concentrations (Chee and
Devendra, 1983).
Acid Oxisols restrict leucaena growth severely even when Al is not a major problem
(LRR 2:69; Chee and Devendra, 1983). Relative yield of leucaena increased linearly with
pH on two acid soils ameliorated with lime in a continuous-function design, from about 20
percent yield at pH 5 to 100 percent at pH 7 (Munns and Fox, 1977). Manganese solubility,
which is known to induce Fe deficiency, was high in the tested Oxisol, but could not be
invoked as a cause of lime response. Yields of 16-month-old leucaena K 29 correlated with
pH in trials near Taipei, Taiwan (Hu and Chen, LRR 2:48), ranging linearly from 3.21 h a 1
(dry weight) at pH 4.7 to 15.51 ha~J at pH 8. In contrast, no effect on one-year-old trees'
growth was shown for liming treatments up to 91 ha- 1 , that changed pH values from 4.6 to
8.4 in Indonesia, on a soil with adequate levels of Ca and P. It has been tempting to accuse
acidity of causing poor leucaena growth in soils later shown to be acutely P deficient (LRR
7:117).
Saline soils
Leucaena can often be found growing on coral outcroppings very near the ocean, but never
growing well on the sand dunes or on inland sodic soils, an apparent reflection of high Ca
demands and low Na tolerance. Trees stagnated on saline sodic soils of pH 9.5 in India that
showed salt concretions (LRR 7:66). Growth in pots was severely depressed by NaCl at 6 g
l-1 (LRR 5:77). Irrigation with saline water (2 mmhos) in Rajasthan, India, produced only
fair growth (2.5 m in one year, LRR 6:54), and 21 varieties showed small differences in
growth — none convincingly related to Na tolerance.
Cold tolerance
The genus Leucaena includes species that vary widely in cold tolerance, as evidenced by
their regions of origin (Table 1). L. leucocephala does not vary widely in cold-tolerance,
although selected varieties have survived well, regrowing from the crown after frosts at
Gainesville, Florida, USA (LRR 5:84). Outstanding tolerance of frost has been found
among hybrids of L. leucocephala and 4n L. diversifolia in Louisiana, USA (Brewbaker,
unpublished). L, return survives frost routinely in south Texas, when L. leucocephala and
L. pulverulenta are killed to the crown (LRR 5:76). Under severe frost, L. leucocephala was
killed while L. puherulenta regrew from coppice and L. retusa survived well (LRR 7:119).
Tolerance of low temperatures appears to differ genetically in leucaena from frost
tolerance, with species like L. leucocephala showing poor growth under low mean
temperatures. Under Hawaii's relatively low variation in temperature, L. diversifolia
completely outgrows L. leucocephala at temperatures below 22° C mean annual, or where
soils are acidic (Brewbaker, 1986a), and the hybrids perform as well as the L. diversifolia
parent (Figure 3). Near Brisbane, Australia (mean temperature 19°C), R. Bray also
Figure 3 L. diversifolia 4N in Xalapa VC, Mexico, a fast-growing cold-tolerant taxon

LEUCAENA: A MULTIPU RPOSE TREE GENUS FOR TROPICAL AGROFORESTRY 299
observed superior cold tolerance of the diversifolias, although many accessions were low in
fodder yield, while leucocephalas were nipped by frost but grew back vigorously (LRR 3:1;
5:3).
Drought and other factors

Tolerance of trees to drought and their yield response to water are subjects of much
speculation but few data. Leucaena probably maximizes its yields when under no moisture
stress.
Physiological studies reveal a high ability to tolerate drought, largely through
avoidance responses of leaflet folding and leaf drop. Irrigation in the dry season at the
Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF) in Maharashtra State, India, led to
continuous function responses to amount of water and tree density. At this institute,
Relwani and associates (LRR 4:38) calculated water use to be 3201 kg ' of wood for trees at
a 1 x 1 m spacing. They consider it a superior legume tree for reforesting the Deccan
Plateau.
Leucaena tolerates fast fires and can regrow from the crown after burning to the crown
by slower fires. Survival was superior to that of N-fixing trees such as Prosopis and
Casuarina spp. during fires following the El Nino related droughts of 1983-1985. As
agriculture increasingly overwhelms tropical forests, fire tolerance becomes a sine qua non
for survival.
Symbionts, diseases and insects

Rhizobia
Rhizobia of leucaena have the reputation of being rather uncommon, rather specific, and
predominantly fast-growing and acid-producing, the latter traits being linked inconclusively
to leucaena's intolerance of acid soils. None of these features could now be considered
inviolable (Bushby, 1982). Few studies seem to have contended fully with the fact that
Leucaena leucocephala is an amphiploid (2n= 104), doubtless based on amphiploid parents,
with great likelihood of highly reiterated gene sequences. Intragenotypic as well as
intraspecific genetic variability is to be expected for traits such as rhizobial strain specificity.
Leucaena seedlings nodulate in most tropical soils, although temperate soils and
relatively sterile tropical soils often lack appropriate bacteria. Several laboratories provide
inocula, and preference has been shown for strains such as NGR 8 (New Guinea), CB 81
(Australia) and TAL 1145 (Hawaii). Recent reviews of rhizobial research on leucaena
include those of Halliday and Somesagaran (1983) and Schroder (1986).
The rhizobia of leucaena are certainly no longer to be considered exceptionally
species specific (Trinick, 1980). Those derived from Leucaena leucocephala evidently
nodulate all other Leucaena species, with some exceptional reactions involving Leucaena
retusa (Thoma, 1983). They also nodulate a number of legumes, including Acacia albida,
A. nilotica, A. Senegal, A. raddiana, Calliandra calothyrsus, Desmanthus virgatus,
Gliricidia sepium, Macroptilium and Vigna sp. (Halliday and Somesagaran, 1983; Pound
and Martinez Cairo, 1983; Dommergues 1982; LRR 2:43). In turn, rhizobia from the
following species have been able to nodulate leucaena: Acacia farnesiana, A. mearnsii, A.
Senegal, Dalea sp., Mimosa invisa, M. pudica, M. scabrella, Neptunia sp., Piptadenia sp.,
Prosopis juliflora, Sabinea sp. and Sesbania grandiflora.
The rhizobial reactions of L. retusa are most unusual (Halliday and Somesagaran 1983;
Thoma, 1983). This yellow-flowered, frost-tolerant acacia-like shrub of Texas nodulates
well in Texas. It did not nodulate in Hawaii until recently, and nodulated ineffectively with
a strain derived from L. pulverulenta (Thoma, 1983), suggesting a more specific rhizobium
than for other leucaenas.
Leucaena rhizobia are now distinguished from the "cowpea miscellany" group as
Rhizobium loti, and are recognized to be quite diverse in type. Most of them have fast
growth (3-5 hr generation time) and acid reactions in culture similar to temperate legume
rhizobia. They are usually slightly acid or neutral in culture, but range widely in both acid
formation and rate of growth. The thesis that alkali-producing, slow-growing rhizobia are
necessary for acid-soil tolerance has been challenged by Halliday and Somesagaran (1983).
They found only fast-growing, acid-forming rhizobia in the acid soils, and none of the
isolates from alkaline soils survived in acid media (LRR 2:71). Despite inoculation with
acid-tolerant strains (e.g., TAL 1145), leucaenas did not thrive in acid soils (Chao et al,
1985). Nodule numbers dropped log-linearly with increasing free aluminium in acid soils
(LRR 4:54). Genetic variation of leucaena's rhizobia has been reported by many authors,
with wide ranges in growth rates and characteristics. Many strains have shown N-fixation
as good or better than common inoculants NGR 8 or CB 81 (LRR 2:71; 6:14).
Nodule number and seedling weight are highly correlated in leucaena (LRR2:19;4:18,
57). Nodules appear on seedlings within five weeks if inorganic N is withheld (LRR 2:25).
Transplant shock in leucaena results in loss of nodules and re-inoculation (LRR 3:91; 6:95).
Strains used in inocula are often recovered with difficulty from soil after a year's growth.
Rhizobial persistence is considered fairly high in soil or in compost and charcoal mixtures
at room temperature (LRR 5:68; 6:73).
Mycorrhiza
Mycorrhizal inoculation may be more important than rhizobial inoculation when leucaena
is transplanted into sterile soils (LRR 2:84; 6:97). Leucaena roots have poorly developed
root hairs, and appear to rely heavily on mycorrhiza for nutrient uptake, notably of
phosphate. Several species of Glomus and Gigaspora can infect leucaenas (LRR 7:61), and
strain differences are significant but variable (LRR 4:83; 7:61, 94). Impressive responses
occur for growth of shoot and root and of leaf area on sterilized soils inoculated with
mycorrhiza (LRR 4:86, 6:97). Huang et al. (1985; LRR 4:83, 86; 5:79) have conducted
extensive studies of leucaena mycorrhiza, finding Glomus fasciculatus best among their
isolates. They used single leaflets for phosphate analysis (LRR 5:79). Mycorrhizal plants
not only had improved uptake of minerals — notably P, K and Ca — but better stomatal
conductance and responses of leaflet folding and orientation (Huang et al., 1985).
Diseases
Although leucaenas have a reputation for high disease resistance, they are not without
problems (Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Three diseases have occurred with sufficient
severity to attract major research interest — leafspot, gummosis, and seedling rots.
Leafspot due to Camptomeris leucaenae (Stev. and Dalbey) Syd. has been known since
1919 and is periodically serious in Latin America. It was studied intensively by Lenne (LRR
1:8; 2:18) in Colombia, who found six Leucaena species to be completely resistant but not
L. leucocephala (Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Colletotrichum spp. also occur as
secondary leaf pathogens (LRR 3:58; 7:48).
Gummosis from stems has been reported from the Indian subcontinent, and attributed
to Fusarium spp., notably F. semitectum (Singh, 1981; Singh et at, 1983) and F.
acuminatum Ell. & Ev. The incidence was higher in common and Peru types, but rare in the
Salvador types (LRR 3:25,33; 7:48). The fungus may be a secondary pathogen, but is
probably systemic and associated with disease symptoms only under stress. Fungicide
application controlled the disease (LRR 6:38). Gum exudation of the acacia-type has also
been observed without evident pathogenesis, e.g., on the seedless hybrids of L. esculenta x
L. leucocephala in Hawaii. These gums may have great potential value, as discussed later in
this paper.
Seedling and plant damping-off occurs on leucaenas in nurseries and under poorly
drained conditions, involving several common Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium spp.
(LRR 1:28; 3:58; Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Fusariums were also associated with
leucaena stem and root rots in Taiwan (LRR 5:64) and Colombia (LRR 3:14), while
Ganoderma lucidum caused root rots on moist sites in India (LRR 4:35; 7:65).
Phytophthora drechsleri infections stimulated by storm damage led to cankers and some
tree death in Hawaii (LRR 1:56). A collar rot of young trees has been attributed to
Sclerotium rolfsii in Florida.
Many different fungi and bacteria (notably Pseudomonas fluorescein) can occur on
leucaena pods and seeds, notably following insect attack (LRR 1:8; 3:14; 4:70). None are
known to be seed transmissible.
Psyllids and other insects

Insect damage to leucaena is uncommon except to pods and seeds (Pound and Martinez
Cairo, 1983). Two insects have caused severe damage to leucaena trees over the past decade
— ants and psyllids (jumping plant lice).
Termites or harvester ants make it virtually impossible to establish leucaenas without
pesticide use in some areas such as East Africa. Ground-baiting with insecticide-treated
grass is one novel solution. In contrast, leucaenas are highly resistant to root-knot
nematodes (LRR 4:92; Vicente et ah, 1986), but may house species as yet unidentified (LRR
2:17).
Since 1980, the leucaena psyllid, Heteropsylla cubana Crawford, found its way out of its
native Latin America, via Florida to Hawaii and thence into the Pacific and S.E. Asia
(Figure 4). It has become the most severe pest of leucaena on record, despite the fact that it
has been virtually ignored in Latin America due to heavy predation and parasitization
(Proverbs, 1985). The psyllid was first described in 1914 and then observed attacking
leucaena in the Dominican Republic in 1980 (Martinez Cairo, personal communication), in
Florida in 1983 (LRR 5:86), in Hawaii in April 1984 (LRR 5:91), in the South Pacific in
1985 and in S.E. Asia and Australia in 1986 (LRR 7:6).
A section of Volume 7 of LRR was dedicated to invitational papers reviewing the status
of the psyllid. W.C. Mitchell and D.F. Waterhouse (LRR 7:6) traced the spread of the
psyllid. An international symposium was conducted by NFTA on "Biological and genetic
control strategies for the leucaena psyllid" in Hawaii in late 1986, and a special issue of LRR
was dedicated to the proceedings of this workshop (LRR 7(2): 109). Major review papers
included those by J. Beardsley on the psyllids (LRR 7:2,7(2): 1), by L. Nakahara et al. on the
predators (LRR 7(2):39; 7:9), and by Sorennson and Brewbaker (LRR 7:13; 7(2):29), Bray
(LRR 7(2):32) and Pan (LRR 7(2):35) on resistance. High psyllid resistance characterized
several leucaena species and their hybrids (Table 2).
The leucaena psyllid has caused a severe setback to fodder production in S.E. Asia, with
Figure 4 Psyllid-tolerant K636 (to right) and susceptible K8 (to left) under
severe epibiotics in Hawaii
less obvious but significant effects on wood production. Native predators and parasites
appeared to be rare or slow to find the insect. Only partial control was effected in Hawaii by
two predatory beetles, both introduced early this century to control other pests. A
Caribbean parasitoid, Psyllaephagus, however, shows specificity and excellent appetite for
H. cubana, and may prove to be the major biological control agent of that region (LRR
7:9). It was released in Hawaii in June 1987. Genetic control is expected to provide the only
viable option for some areas of the world, if predators cannot be introduced. Rapid seed
increase and deployment of psyllid-resistant germplasm has been advised (LRR 7(2):88).
Seed insects are common pests of leucaena, including the seed borer Araecerus
fasciculatus (LRR 4:70), Cathartus grain beetles and bruchids (Pound and Martinez Cairo,
1983). Other pests appear to be largely under biological control where earlier reported, such
as the black twig borer, mealy bugs of pods, and the pantropical moth It home lassula whose
larvae feed on the florets (LRR 2:11). Three scale insects caused damage on Taiwanese
leucaenas, of which Hemiberlesia implicata was the most serious, involving as many as 20
percent of trees sampled (LRR 3:55). Leaf feeding by the beetle, Apogonia rouca, was
reported in India (LRR 7:67). In Hawaii the rose beetle, Adoretus sinicus, may feed at night
on the large-leaflet Leucaena spp. (Figure 2). Several types of inchworms have also been
observed on leucaenas around the world, but none appear to be serious. The psyllid
problem, however, should put scientists on alert for insect pests and diseases that may move
pantropically and present new challenges in the future for leucaena production and
improvement.
Establishment and management

Establishment and fertilization
Establishment methods for leucaena have been refined and are often shown to be site-
specific. Direct seeding has been recommended where soil moisture conditions permit and
economic weed control can be maintained (LRR 4:78). The mature seeds have a water-
impermeable coat, carry 5-7 percent moisture, and store well at room temperature (LRR
2:59; 3:87; 4:67). Seed germination continues to be the subject of articles on methodology
despite the thorough coverage in early literature (NFTA, 1985a,b). Co-planting with a crop
like maize can produce excellent results (LRR 1: 19), and seeds have been successfully
mixed in the planter box of machine drills (LRR 7:26). We use alachlor as a preplant
herbicide for such mixed plantings. Hormonal treatments of seed or seedlings can
accelerate early growth slightly (LRR 1:53; 3:83). On the farm, leucaena is often much
easier to plant than to protect due to its attractiveness to grazing animals; thorn hedges and
wire enclosures can be used.
The use of bare-root ("stump", "bare-stem") cuttings from seedling beds has worked
variously well in Taiwan (LRR 3:45), Honduras (LRR 6:20), Thailand (LRR 4:78) and
Java, Indonesia (LRR 3:45). An important trick used in Taiwan is to roll the cuttings (10
cm below ground, 25 cm above) in mud, drying them before shipping to planting site.
Cuttings can be stored two weeks under wet burlap without loss (LRR 3:45).
Fertilization practices for leucaena are site-specific, but routinely involve recommenda-
tions of phosphate and lime applications to accelerate early growth. Significant responses
to both Ca and P have been reported on a wide array of tropical soils (Brewbaker and
Hutton 1979, Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Responses to Ca and pH have been
detailed in an earlier section. Responses to P are less predictable, and the effectiveness of
mycorrhizal associations must be involved. No responses to K have been reported. Sulphur

response can be great, and gypsum and rock phosphate are recommended for S-deficient
acid soils also low in Ca or P. In low-fertility soils generally, Hutton has recommended
application of 100-200 kg ha -1 superphosphate and 100-200 kg ha"1 dolomitic lime plus
supplemental Mo, Zn, Cu and Bo. Mineral deficiency symptoms occurred at about 50
percent of normal leaf concentration for K, Ca, Mg and S in leucaena, and at about 80
percent of normal for N and P (LRR 1:6).
Production and tissue culture

Vegetative propagation of leucaena has been successful in relatively few locations,
apparently reflecting critical environmental requirements or possibly systemic fungi. Hu
and colleagues have mastered most field management problems with leucaenas in Taiwan
(Hu, 1978; Hu and Kiang, 1983). Hu has directed replicated trials on every aspect of
leucaena management for pulpwood, providing careful cost analysis of each step (Hu and
Kiang 1983). Hu obtained excellent rooting of cuttings under mist spray in Taipei
greenhouses, using 15 cm leafy twigs having terminal shoots intact from one-year-old trees
(LRR 2:50). Leafless twigs from older trees failed to root; this has been the experience in
Hawaii also.
Tissue cultures of leucaena have gone through the traditional phases of development,
but cannot be considered field applicable. Callus growth was achieved from germinating
seeds (LRR 1:54), and hormonal treatments were perfected leading to shoot differentiation
and somatic embryoids (LRR 4:88). Seed-derived explants were carried without callus
formation through BA (benzyladenine) and NAA (naphthalene acetic acid) media to
vigorous shoots (LRR 3:81), and with added ascorbic acid to healthy plantlets (LRR 4:37).
Explants from mature tissues have not been carried through tissue culture. Nodal branch
cuttings will produce shoots on BA media, and rooting was obtained by subsequent
transfer to media with NAA (LRR 5:22) or with auxin treatments of shoot explants prior to
rooting in charcoal-supplemented media (LRR 5:37). Further refinements, including
embryoid and protoplast culture and adaptation to large-scale propagation, are in progress
LRR 6:32).
Grafting is a relatively simple and historic technique for leucaenas (Dijkman, 1950), but
has been refined in the lab of Versace (LRR 3:3). The best results involved cleft and whip
and tongue grafts, rather than bud or T-shield grafts, using four-month seedlings as stock
and taping with grafting tape. Several types of interspecific grafts were successful.
Nursery methods
The most effective nursery methods employ long narrow plastic tubes with 100-500 g of
medium. A potentially serious tapered open base on dibble tubes leads to aerial root-
pruning and excellent taproot growth when transplanted (LRR 1:57). Dibble tubes and
"root-trainers" are now extruded in several countries with ribbing to prevent coiling. A fine
layer of crushed stone or sand on top of the soil or soilless mix (1 part vermiculite to 1 part
peatmoss is common) prevents damping-off and weed growth. Growth is superior in larger
tubes, but nursery and transplanting costs increase accordingly. Yields increased with
increasing pot size (up to 40 kg per pot) in both sand and a black soil, with heights of
four-month-old seedlings ranging from 20 cm in 500 g pots to 2 m in 40 kg pots (LRR 6:12).
Foam rubber 3 cm cubes also worked well for leucaena seedlings (LRR 7:88).
Nursery fertilization regimes have been refined to optimize growth. Urea is minimized
to levels that maintain good growth but do not fully suppress nodulation (0.5 g per seedling,
LRR 7:38), and phosphate levels are critical (1 g superphosphate per seedling). Growth of
6-8 weeks under cover followed by 6-8 weeks without cover is commonplace. Full sunlight
creates seedlings that are stunted but tough.
Weed control
Weed control is the major expense in tropical tree establishment, even with fast-growing
leucaena at high density on good soil. Simultaneous planting for fodder with grasses such as
Brachiaria, guinea grass (Panicum maximum) or Paspalum spp. can give effective weed
control (Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Establishment of solid-stand forests requires
herbicides or weeding by hand or machine. Herbicide recommendations are imprecise for
leucaena, in part due to differing experiences with levels of toxicity and effectiveness of
weed suppression. Land preparation prior to planting is critical in reducing weed and
weed-seed populations. High-input methods prior to transplanting in Hawaii involve
disking, application of glyphosate (Roundup) to regrowth and use of pre-emergence
herbicides.
Pre-emergence herbicides that are recommended in the literature include alachlor,
bentazone, dalapon, metabenzthiazuron, monuron, nitrofen, phenoxalin, simazine and
trifluralin, to which leucaena is fairly or highly resistant. Especially effective treatments
have included oryzalin (Surflan) at 2.8 kg ha -1 (LRR 5:105), simazine at 5 kg h a 1 ,
phenoxalin at 3.5 kg ha"1 (Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983), nitrofen (Tok) at 4.5 kg ha -1
(LRR 1:50), and trifluralin (Treflan) at 1.5 kg ha"1 (LRR 1:50). Post-emergence grass
control with fluazifop (Fusilade) is effective at 2 kg ha"1 over the leucaena (LRR 6:1) and
bentazone (Basagran) at 2 kg ha-1. Fluazifop is currently the favoured post-plant herbicide
for many types of trees. Simazine, dalapon, diuron and oxyfluorofen have also been used
post-emergence for grass control (LRR 5:105).
Fodder and wood management

Fodder yields of leucaena from different varieties and different management systems are
discussed in a later section. Low hedge management with 2-4 month cutting intervals is
now about standard for leucaena, moisture permitting (Figure 5). Nutrient replacement
regimes have not been well defined for solid fodder plantings ("protein banks") of leucaena,
but must be devised to restore nutrients to the soil that are lost in harvest (Brewbaker and
Hutton, 1979). Notable are the losses in fodder harvest of soil P, K, Ca, Mg and selected
micronutrients. Alley farming with animal presence in the field ensures partial return of
such nutrients, as do any alley-cropping systems involving complete return of leucaena
foliage as green manure (although this rarely occurs).
Wood is harvested from leucaena in almost all ways known, on cycles ranging from 6
months to 10 years, and including use of roots and small branches, so that generalizations
are difficult. Wood yields maximize at high population densities of 10,000 ha"1 on 2-4 year
cycles that also minimize weed competition. Leucaenas coppice readily with rare loss of a
tree, and are cut for fodder or debranched in many ways. Coppicing studies are poorly
recorded in the literature. Pecson (personal communication) observed no significant
differences among methods of coppicing on different varieties and densities. Leucaenas had
a strong tendency to return to a fixed stand of co-dominant stems at any one site
irrespective of management and varietal variables. Under Hawaii conditions of 1,500 mm
rain per annum, the arboreal varieties stabilized around 15,000 co-dominant stems ha"1,
Figure 5 Leucaena hedge managed for fodder in Indonesia with Australian consultant Ross
Gutteridge.
and numbers of coppice shoots were directly correlated with stem diameter. One-year trees
coppiced at two sites in Thailand averaged about 5,000 stems ha ' at one site and 19,000
ha ' at a second (LRR 5:70). Branch wood is considered valuable as fuelwood in some
systems, and branch numbers varied from 30-80 per tree at 11 densities in India (LRR
6:23).
Use as animal feed

Almost half the published literature on leucaena deals with its use as animal fodder. The
increasing role of meat and animal products in tropical diets is clearly a cause, as is the
increasing market for leucaena leaf meal (LLM) in temperate countries. Tropical poultry
feeds have long used leucaena as a yolk-colouring device, and attempts are being made to
improve the digestibility and energy value of LLM as feed for all non-ruminant animals. A
primary interest in ruminant use has been in the toxic by-product of mimosine digestion,
dihydroxypyridine (DHP).
Fodder yields
Leucaena fodder yields vary greatly for different ecosystems but less so for different
management systems, and good summaries exist of the extensive early literature (Oakes
1968; Brewbaker and Hutton, 1979; Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Fresh herbage
yields exceed those of other shrubby tropical legumes (LRR 4:77; Brewbaker, 1985a,
1986b). Yields are comparable to the best herbaceous legumes, ranging from 40 to 801 ha-1
when moisture is not limiting (LRR 2:19; 3:39; 6:40; 7:19; Brewbaker et ah, 1972;
Brewbaker 1976; Hedge, personal communication; Hogberg and Kvarnstrom, 1982) and
from 20 to 501 ha-1 in seasonally dry tropics (LRR 3:31; 4:25, 31, 69, 77, 79; 5:3) and in
frost-affected subtropics (Othman et al, 1985). Much lower herbage yields usually reflect
serious constraints of soil fertility (Chee and Davendra, 1983).
Variety, harvest intervals, cutting heights and planting densities are major variables for
the hedge management considered here. Favoured varieties are the Salvador or Peru types
as they outyield common varieties by 20-100 percent (Brewbaker et al, 1972; Brewbaker,
1976; LRR 2:19; 3:39; 4:3). When cut to very low stubble heights, yields are reduced for all
varieties but the common types perform relatively well (Guevarra et al, 1978). L.
diversifolia produced competitive fodder yields in cooler climates with less than 20° C mean
temperature (LRR 3:1), and its hybrids with L. leucocephala and those of L. pulverulenta x
L. leucocephala (LRR 4:1) were excellent (Bray, personal communication).
Harvest intervals produce significant variations in fodder yield and quality. Some
varieties branch and flower rapidly and must be harvested earlier than the favoured
Salvador and Peru types. Percentage leaf in herbage dropped as cutting intervals increased
(from 67 percent at 30 days to 42 percent at 150 days) in Mauritius studies by Osman (LRR
2:33,35; 3:49; 7:91). Edibility by cattle, as measured by weighing uneaten fractions, was
reduced in proportion to leafiness from 100 percent at 30 days to 85 percent at 120 days
(LRR 7:91). Yields maximize at 70-90 day harvest intervals (LRR 3:31; 4:25; 7:91)
depending on temperature. Yields on a per-day basis were highly correlated with
temperature in Australia (LRR 5:3; Bray et al, 1984) and Hawaii (Brewbaker et al, 1972;
Hedge, personal communication).
Cutting or stubble heights have been evaluated at BAIF in India, and lead to a
consistent recommendation for maintaining hedges above 60 cm (LRR 4:25,41). Cutting
heights above 60 cm allow retention of some green foliage and vigorous lateral meristems.
The common shrubby leucaenas can be cut to 10 cm without appreciable yield loss
(Guevarra et al, 1978), but the more arboreal varieties should not be cut below 25 cm (LRR
4:3,41; 5:3; 7:91). Widely spaced high hedges can provide high-quality fodder (LRR 4:69) at
the expense of yield.
High plant densities are recommended for solid fodder plantings, 50-150 x 103 ha"1, if
moisture is not limiting. Yields maximize when the trees are coppiced to produce a highly
branched shrub that can grow quickly to intercept all light on the field after harvest. One
metre between rows and 0.1 m between plants is a standard for comparison (LRR 3:40).
Fodder quality
Leucaenas are among the highest quality fodder trees in the tropics (Brewbaker, 1985a).
Pound and Martinez Cairo (1983), Jones (1979) and Brewbaker and Hutton (1979)
summarized many publications on herbage, leaf meal and seed meal. Herbage taken at
peak quality has the following percentage values of dry matter: digestibility 55-70, crude
protein 20-25, ash 60-10, N-free extract 30-50 (fibre 25-35, NDF 20, ADF15, cellulose 10,
lignin 5), fat 6, mimosine 4.5, tannins 1.5-2.5, Ca 0.8-1.8, P 0.23-0.27, and silica < 1.
All leucaenas are known to be highly attractive to animals as browse and feed.
Introduction of cattle to the Americas probably decimated leucaena populations, although
deer damage can be great (buffaloes were north of the leucaenas). Removal of feral cattle
pressure can lead to explosive populations of the common seedy types. Extensive analyses
have been made of fodder components of L. diversifolia, L. lanceolata, L. pulverulenta, L.
sharmoni and L, trichodes at the Indian Grasslands and Fodder Research Institute (LRR
7:43) and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India (LRR 3:21), showing only minor
variations in fodder quality and mineral contents (LRR 2:53; 7:43), often related directly to
tissue maturity (LRR 4:24). Varietal differences in Leucaena leucocephala were also small
(LRR 5:14), and appeared to be related more to stage of growth than to genotype. High
digestibility and comparability of leucaena's amino-acid composition to that of alfalfa are
stressed in such studies (LRR 2:53). Proximate analysis of seeds and pods revealed values
comparable to foliage except for elevated fibre levels (LRR 3:21). Feed mills for the
processing of leucaena into pellets or meal are becoming common, and the pellets have an
international market (Manidool, 1983; PCARR 1978; FAO, 1985).
Dihydroxypyridine (DHP) and mimosine

Toxins are a cause celebre for this generation, and leucaena's mild toxin mimosine still
frightens many animal growers into ignoring this "alfalfa of the tropics" (Holmes, 1981).
Mimosine is an amino acid found in high concentrations in leucaena tissues (2-6 percent of
dry weight) whose toxicity has been covered thoroughly in the early literature. A series of
definitive experiments in ruminant nutrition by Raymond J. Jones and his colleagues
has clarified most doubts about mimosine and its DHP breakdown products. These studies
permit accurate prediction of ruminant nutritional problems and provide a ready cure.
DHP was known to be a product of mimosine catabolism. A key discovery by Jones
and colleagues was that DHP was goitrogenic (Hegarty et ah, 1979), its action marked by
elevated levels of serum thyroxine in urine (Jones and Bray, 1983). Secondly, it was shown
that further catabolism of DHP was not completed normally in ruminants of Australia,
Papua New Guinea and certain other regions in the world, its accumulation being marked
by loss of appetite, goitre and related toxic symptoms. It was shown that mimosine was
converted to 3,4 DHP by enzymes in the leaf (LRR 2:31) and during animal chewing
(Lowry, 1983), or in the rumen. A second isomer, 2,3 DHP, could also be formed in the
rumen from 3,4 DHP (LRR 5:2). Megarrity (1978) then isolated a strain of bacteria from
Hawaiian goats that degraded the DHP. They transferred the bacterium successfully to
unadapted ruminant animals and reversed leucaena's toxicity. International service was
provided by Jones to identify those regions of the world where DHP toxicity occurred, i.e.,
lacked the appropriate bacteria.
Fodder use is a significant feature of many, perhaps most, agroforestry species.
Knowledge of toxins and their detoxification, e.g., as in leucaena, may become of great
value to their deployment. The Jones' model should serve as a classic in the field of
ruminant toxicity of tropical trees, many of which contain alkaloids, tannins and
flavonoids at high levels as part of their defence mechanism against herbivores and tropical
insects. Ruminant bacterial degradation is expected to become an option for some of these
toxins, following identification and introduction of appropriate bacteria essential to
control toxicity.Lt is probable that genetic removal of an alkaloid like mimosine would lead
to unacceptable levels of insect susceptibility, but this has not been verified. Its
concentration could be halved by plant breeding (Gonzalez et al, 1967). Mimosine's
chemical properties and activities are subjects of extensive continuing research. Mimosine
is not carcinogenic or mutagenic, but inhibits many enzymes (LRR 3:67; 5:72) involving at
least three mechanisms — chelation of metals, interaction with pyridoxal-phosphate
enzymes, and inhibition of DNA synthesis (LRR 6:63). It does not act as a trypsin inhibitor.
It can act as a fungicide on pathogens such as Sclerotium rolfsii (LRR 5:73), but is better
known for its depilation of horses in the tropics.
Methods have been refined to quantify mimosine and DHP. The classical ferrous
sulphate colorimetric method for mimosine of Matsumoto and Sherman (as modified in
Hawaii, LRR 2:66) was automated by Megarrity (1978) and modified by Jones (LRR 1:3)
to collect samples directly into HCl to minimize loss of activity. Mimosine elutes with
isoleucine in amino-acid analysis, and performic acid treatments destroy the mimosine,
thus permitting its estimation by this method (LRR 3:78). DHP could also be estimated
through ascending paper chromatography (LRR 1:16), and ion-exchange chromatography
in Na citrate buffer gave an excellent estimation of mimosine and DHP (LRR 1:39). High
performance liquid chromatography for both compounds was performed at very low
concentration in the laboratories of Acamovic and D'Mello in Edinburgh (LRR 2:62; 6:75)
and Tangendjaja and Wills (1980) in Indonesia. The extraction of crystalline mimosine and
of DHP was also improved by resin column methods (LRR 5:50). Like other free amino
acids, mimosine values maximize in juvenile leaves on vigorously grown plants before the
dry weights stabilize (LRR 7:34).
The reduction of mimosine levels by pretreatments of feedstuffs has long been of
interest, but must now be offset by the interest created in DHP. Mimosine is converted to
DHP by an enzyme that is inactivated by heat or by drying in leaves (Lowry, 1983, LLR
7:77). Animal chewing thus initiates conversion that is stopped in the stomach of
monogastric animals. Simple leaching with standing or preferably running water lowers
mimosine dramatically. Sun drying under hot wet conditions leads to significant loss, and
can be accelerated by heat under pressure (LRR 4:62). Silage processing reduced mimosine
to 50 percent (LRR 1:17). The addition of sugars and organic acids accelerated this
degradation down to 10 percent (LRR 7:85). Dietary supplementation to reduce mimosine
toxicity is discussed in one of the later sections. Lowry (1983) stresses that conflicting
leucaena toxicity data in ruminant and non-ruminant animals clearly involve mimosine
and DHP.
Ruminant animals
A most thorough review of ruminant animal use of leucaena has been provided by Pound
and Martinez Cairo (1983), who stress the role of leucaena as a supplement to diet rather
than as its basis. A value of 30 percent of diet is adequate to fulfil its primary role as
supplemental protein, roughage and mineral source. In any location it must first be
determined that DHP is catabolized by ruminant animals (i.e., no elevated thyroxine level
in urine, no loss of appetite on leucaena) or appropriate action taken. Even when fed 100
percent leucaena plus salt supplement, mature animals able to detoxify DHP remain thrifty
and gain weight (LRR 7:26; Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983).
A major agroforestry system with leucaena involves discrete blocks of leucaena
("protein banks") and of grass, or leucaena plants or hedges in a grass pasture. Liveweight
gains often maximize on leucaena-supplemented pastures, with several studies reporting
gains of 0.6-0.8 kg per day, the range influenced by dietary energy levels (Jones and Jones,
1982). Milk production in the tropics is often based on pen-fed animals receiving diets of
low palatability, thus supplemental leucaena leads to increased milk yields (LRR 2:39,40;
3:21). Gains of suckling calves given supplemental leucaena and molasses/urea were
comparable to controls in Mexico, Mauritius and Dominican Republic trials, but at less
expense (Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Leucaena hay is widely used as a supplemental
feed to goats, fattening or milk cattle, and buffaloes with good response (LRR 3:99; 5:12;
7:99). Many short reports of the use of leucaena in tropical pastures or hay rations appear in
the journal Tropical Animal Production.
Non-ruminant animals
Leucaena leaf meal (LLM) and leucaena seed meal (LSM) are prepared by grinding leaves
and seeds as poultry and small-animal feeds. Both products have led to problems when fed
at high levels, problems now ascribed as much to tannins and low metabolizable energy
(ME) as to mimosine. Extensive early literature (D'Mello and Taplin 1978) records the
widespread use and problems of leucaena leaflets or leaf meal as a poultry-feed supplement.
Broiler gains and egg laying are reduced by levels in excess of 40 g kg -1 of feed (LRR
2:41, 2:47). At this low intake, xanthophyll contents are so high (750 mg kg -1) that egg
colouration is much better than with yellow maize (LRR 6:76), even though less than 50
percent of the xanthophyll is biologically available (Taplin et al. 1981; LRR 6:76,99). Use
of higher levels of LLM reduced weight gains and slowed maturity rates, with few other
toxic symptoms. Causes cited for these effects include mimosine, tannins, low metabolizable
energy and saponins.
Daily feeding of mimosine at a level equal to that of 200 g kg-1 of LLM did not delay
chick development, however (LRR 7:83). While other studies have indicated that ferric
sulphate reduces toxic effects of LLM, including mortality and weight loss (LRR 6:70;
2:60), this may not result from mimosine precipitation per se. D'Mellow and colleagues in
Edinburgh have conducted a series of LLM treatments to reduce nutritional toxicity.
Aluminium salts given to chicks on LLM led to full excretion of mimosine, less completely
so with Fe2 and Fe3 salts (LRR 1:38). Ferric sulphate reduced the depression in chick
growth by half (150 g kg"1 LLM), and added polyethleneglycol (PEG) reduced this further
by half (LRR 2:60).
Tannin levels of leucaena leaves are not high (1-1.5 percent), but are presumed to be
neutralized by PEG. Tannins in seeds (1.5 percent) were reduced 75 percent by 30 minutes
cooking in water, and over 85 percent by boiling in NaOH (LRR 7:77). The addition of
cholesterol to LLM chick diets led to normal chick growth (LRR 3:72), suggesting that
saponic toxicity was involved. However, LLM did not reduce plasma levels of cholesterol
in the studies of Tangedjaja and Lowry (LRR 3:57) as would be expected if saponins were a
problem. Trypsin inhibitors were invoked as a possible cause of the LLM toxicity, and were
eliminated by heat treatments of 30 minutes at 120° C (LRR 7:97). Heat treatments of LLM
under pressure are known to improve protein digestibility and weight gains of rats, also
eliminating mimosine (LRR 4:62). Heated and ferric-treated LLM had 50 percent
mimosine reduction (LRR 7:97). Rats showed reduced weight gains above 15 percent LLM
and above 20 percent if LLM was sun dried, but ferrous sulphate treatments had no effect
(LLR 4:59). Szyszka (LRR 5:5) calculated non-toxic average daily intake values (g kg-1) for
mimosine, based on LLM or LSM, for the non-ruminant animals — broilers 0.16, layers
0.35 and rabbits 0.30.
Metabolizable energy (ME) of LLM is very low, about 15 percent of the expected 20
MJ kg-1 dry matter (LRR 2:63). The causes again are elusive, and include gums, fibre,
tannin, mimosine and DHP. Fat or tallow is added normally to increase ME of LLM-
supplemented diets. Use of a hemicellulase to digest the gums did not affect ME (LRR
4:82).
Leucaena seed meals have been successfully fed to ducks (LRR 7:24) and chicks at
modest intake levels. Lowered mortality and improved growth on the heat-treated meal
(boiled one hour) occurred with chicks, but ferrous sulphate treatments were ineffective
(LRR 3:66).
Swine cannot be fed high levels of LLR unless mimosine levels are very low or iron is
fed, notably during gestation in gilts (Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Leucaena can be
fed up to 10 percent in fattening rations and provides a valuable source of vitamin A. Swine
intestines have been used in permeation studies in which mimosine permeability was
inhibited by ferric ions and also by low levels of lactic acid (LRR 7:86). When LLM was
heat-dehydrated and ground finely, mimosine levels averaged 1.5 percent and no
deleterious effects were observed in swine diets up to 16 percent LLM (LRR 2:46).
Digestibility coefficients were reduced about 20 percent for dry matter, protein and gross
energy on diets supplemented with 35 percent LLM (LRR 3:76). A maximum of 20 percent
LLM was suggested for weaner pigs, with slight improvements in gain noted upon addition
of 1.5 percent ferric sulphate or 3 percent polyethylene glycol or both (LRR 2:74).
Rabbits also tolerate low levels of LLM, which they accept readily, but feeding results
are variable. Liveweight gains dropped linearly as LLM levels were raised to 100 percent of
diet (Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Molasses supplementation showed that low
metabolizable energy was a major cause. Feeding studies with mimosine supplementation
showed unusually high tolerance (>0.24 mg kg-1 body weight per day) (LRR 5:7).
Leucaena compared favourably to alfalfa in digestibility of crude protein, fibre and
cell-wall constituents, but voluntary consumption was low and urine turned red-black
(LRR 2:73). It must be stressed that DHP has not been distinguished from mimosine in
non-ruminant nutritional studies, and may be the basis for conflicting results from LLM
and mimosine-feeding trials.
Soil improvement
Leucaena groene bemester (Dutch for "green manure") was the subject of many articles in
the early 1900s (Dijkman, 1950), and represents perhaps the most important of leucaena's
many uses in agroforestry systems. These articles referred to the use of leucaena and other
legumes as companion trees ("shade trees", "nurse trees") in coffee and other plantation-tree
crops. In recent times, use of leucaena in "alley farming" is also assuming great importance
as the tropics are progressively denuded (Kang et al, 1984; Kang and Wilson, this volume).
Alley farming
Alley farming is an agroforestry system of growing row crops between closely spaced
woody hedges (Kang et al, 1984). An historic practice in Indonesia and the Philippines
(Figure 6) involved maize planted between contour strips of leucaena (LRR 1:13, 20).
Dairies in Hawaii had an alley-farming system of pangolagrass {Digitaria decumbens)
between leucaena hedges before 1940, allowing animals free access to both grass and
legume (Takahashi and Ripperton, 1949). Agronomic research has led to management
systems that optimize total yields from these systems, with demonstration of their
effectiveness in a wide array of cropping systems (Kang et al, 1984). Maize and leucaena are
very compatible in such a system. Leucaena hedges are cut and the green manure ploughed
under prior to planting, then cut again in 6 weeks to eliminate competition for light and
provide added nutrient-rich green leaf manure to the maize. After maize harvest, the
leucaena can be cut for fodder and fuelwood, the hedge acting to reduce erosion and build
terraces. The system has been called lamtoronisasi in E. Indonesia, where Viator Parera has
guided demonstration and improvement of the practice (LRR 1:13). Stem-girdling of the
leucaena to induce litterfall and allow light penetration during the critical grain-fill period is
recommended by Parera (LRR 4:45; 5:51).
Trials at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria,
Figure 6 Alley farming by Harold Watson of grain legumes between leucaena hedgerows in the
Philippines.
have included several shrubs suitable for alley cropping; leucaena has generally been
superior. Alley widths have been varied and 4 m preferred, with intra-row spacing to create
a dense hedge. Pruning every 5-6 weeks is advised, with periodic low cutting to stimulate
branching. Tractor-pulled rotary mowers, tilted slightly, have been very effective where
available. The hedge is managed to maximize shade-control of weeds and minimize later
shading of the intercrop. Continuous alley cropping for six years showed that maize yields
could be kept at 2 t ha _I with leucaena prunings alone (Kang et al„ 1984). Summarizing
nitrogen yields of hedgerow fodder, Torres (LRR 4:50) calculated an average of 45 g N per
one metre of row, and suggested this was adequate for yield improvement only on marginal
farms. With an average tropical maize yield of only 1.2 t ha -1 , however, any procedure
increasing grain yields to 2 t ha- 1 under continuous rather than periodic cropping could
have a substantial impact on tropical maize production (Brewbaker, 1985b).
The Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute at Jhansi has also conducted a
series of leucaena alley-farming trials with crops such as maize, sorghum, buffel grass
(Cenchrus ciliaris), millet and napier grass (Pennisetumpurpureum) with generally salutary
results (LRR 3:29, 30; 4:20; 5:24; 6:36). Competition for moisture can reduce yields of the
row crop, so the total value of crop and hedge becomes a determinant in farmer acceptance
(LRR 2:30; IITA, 1986). Similar results were obtained with leucaena and sweet potato,
where light interception by the hedge reduced crop yields but crop plus fodder made a better
total cash return (LRR 3:52). Leucaena can be used with kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) as
alley crop (LRR 6:1) and with cassava, but was not effective combined with sugarcane
(LRR 6:35).
Hedge trimmings from leucaena can be carried as excellent green manure to row crops
like maize and rice (LRR 2:41,42). Leucaena leaves mature over a period of 2-4 weeks and
the leaflets, pinnae and midribs dehisce in 3-5 months. The litter is fragile and quickly
decomposed, with N half-life of 7 days if buried (Guevarra et al, 1978; Kang et al, 1984).
Soil-incorporated leaves completed N-release in three weeks in India, with somewhat
higher values under aerobic rather than anaerobic conditions (LRR 3:54). Maize grain
yields to leucaena green manure regressed linearly on application rates over a wide range
(C. Evensen, cited by Brewbaker, 1985b). One kg of N in leucaena mulch produced an
increase of 14.8 kg of grain, while one kg of N as incorporated green manure produced an
increase of 24.1 kg of grain. In other studies, excellent yield responses of maize to green
manure have been reported (LRR 1:13, 22; 4:33; 5:59; Kang et al, 1984).
Companion tree
Companion or "nurse" trees are planted for two major purposes with coffee, tea, cacao,
teak and other tree crops — to confer shade and wind protection in early growth, and to
provide nitrogen, mainly through N-fixation. Leucaena was a major coffee and cacao
shade tree prior to modern use of inorganic nitrogen. Successful companion planting
requires care in spacing and management. The Salvador leucaenas are generally too
vigorous as nurse trees unless boldly coppiced, while L. diversifolia (4N) and its hybrids
deserve wider appraisal. Examples are reported, not all successful, of leucaena as nurse tree
to teak (LRR 1:21), mahogany (LRR 1:5,21; 7:82,102) and coconut (LRR 5:62,7:72). Its
use for social forestry plantings along with eucalyptus would seem well advised.
Van Den Beldt assessed both litterfall and biomass development of L. leucocephala in
Hawaii under stand densities ranging from 10 x 103 to 40 x 103 ha _1 (LRR 3:95). Annual
litterfall averaged 8.54 t h a 1 (dry matter) with no significant effects of stand density.
Nutrient analysis of the litter showed that 100 kg N, 7 kg P, 16 kg K, 200 kg Ca and 12 kg S
were recycled annually per hectare through such litterfall.
Tree and wood use

Leucaena production for wood use expanded most prominently in the past decade in two
ways — for pulpwood in Taiwan (Hu, 1987; Tai et al, 1984) and for dendrothermal energy
in the Philippines (Denton, 1983). Although much less heralded, the use of leucaena in
village agroforestry systems for fuelwood, for poles (e.g., propping bananas) and for
housing and furniture wood has probably expanded more rapidly as a result of the spread
of the arboreal varieties (NRC, 1984; NFTA 1985b).
Wood yields
Wood yields of Leucaena leucocephala are greater than those of species with which it has
been compared in most short-duration (3-5 yr) trials. Height growth and mean annual
wood increments fall in the range of 3-4 m y r 1 and 20-60 m 3 yr _1 for many trials. Only the
Salvador types are now grown, with wood yields many times that of the common types
(LRR 6:49). Failures are almost entirely related to two factors — poor soil (acid, low Ca,
low P) and low temperatures. Fresh-weight data from 2-4-year-old trees illustrate the
limitations of L. leucocephala in comparison with an acid-tolerant acacia (Acacia
auriculiformis) (Table 3). In cooler climates the use is recommended of species such as L.
diversifolia whose hybrids with L. leucocephala greatly outyield both parents in the cooler
tropics (Brewbaker, 1986a). L. collinsii is a fast-growing species that deserves evaluation in
cooler tropics, while L. lanceolata var. sousae has promise for lowland tropical wood use.
Table 3 Wood yields (fresh) of Leucaena species and Acacia auriculiformis in diverse
environments
Yields*
Mean Soil
Location Age temp. pH Ca Leuc. Dive. Auri.
(yr) (C°) (KC1) (meq lOOg -1) (t ha-1yr-1 ')
Haleakala, Hawaii 2.0 19.4 4.3 2.5 2.7 18.4 14.8
Iole, Hawaii 2.5 20.1 5.1 23.0 2.8 24.9 12.1
Molokai, Hawaii 2.8 23.4 5.5 4.4 81.9 46.0 18.3
Waimanalo, Hawaii 3.0 23.9 5.2 15.5 44.4 26.6 20.1
Waipio, Hawaii 2.5 24.2 4.6 5.0 30.0 23.2 12.8
Davao, Philippines 2.0 28.1 4.9 7.5 97.6 89.9 38.1
Nakau, Indonesia 1.7 28.6 4.8 3.0 11.9 12.0 27.5
* Leuc. = Leucaena leucocephala Lam. de Wit

Dive. = L diversifolia (Schlecht) Benth.
Auri. = Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth.
The forte of leucaena in agroforestry systems is its ability to maintain high yields over a
wide range of harvest cycles, stand densities, and systems of management and mis-
management. Van Den Beldt and associates have conducted extensive collaborative trials
of arboreal varieties under diverse spacings (Hu and Kiang, 1983; Van Den Beldt, 1983;
LRR 1:29,53,55; 3:62,96; 4:93). Annual yields changed relatively little over a wide range of
densities and age at harvest, optimizing between 10 and 20 thousand per hectare. Optimal
spacing changed in relation to harvest age, with a drop in mean annual increments
occurring earlier at high densities. Increased densities did not affect height appreciably;
instead, the plant diameter, specific gravity and wood strengths were lower, and relative
moisture and amount of bark were higher at the high plant densities (Van Den Beldt, 1983;
Hu and Kiang, 1983; LRR 3:68).
Volumetric formulae for leucaena have been produced from many trials. Van Den
Beldt (LRR 4:93) compared these and concluded that few deviated significantly from the
formula of Kanazawa et al. (1983): tree volume=0.5 D2 H. In this formula, tree volume is in
m, D is diameter at breast height in m, and H is height in m. Leucaena trees at 1 x 2 m
spacing grow with D in cm roughly equal to H in m, and thus a 10 m tree is about 0.05m3
(about 50 kg wet weight) and a 5 m tree about 0.006 m3 (6 kg).
Hu (LRR 1:29) and Van Den Beldt (LRR 4:93) calculated form factors relating stem
volume to a cylinder with the same dimensions under varying conditions of tree age, density
and site. These factors were very similar except for very young trees ( 1.5 yr), and
generally fit well the Kanazawa equation.
Log transformation and corrections for intercept improved the fits only slightly. Our
data as t ha -1 yr -1 in Table 3 use equations that recognize Y axis intercepts when relating
yield in kg per tree (Y) with the formula: Y=0.5+46.5 D 2 H for LEU, and Y=0.72+46.5
D 2H for DIV where LEU and DIV refer to L. leucocephala and L diversifolia, respectively
(Brewbaker, 1986a). Hu (LRR 3:62) found the Kanazawa equation suitable for Taiwan
trials in which five different Salvador varieties were statistically similar in yield (mean 32 m3
ha"' yr '). Log transformations have also been used to compute total biomass dry matter a
bit more precisely: in one example: log wt. = -0.462 + 0.663 log (D 2 H) (LRR 7:53).
Wood yield data are now widely available for Salvador leucaenas in different sites all
over the world. They range up to 100 m3 ha_1 yr-1 (Table 3), and would average about 15
m3 ha-1' yr -1 . Some of the more extensive data involving varietal or spacing differences are
from Thailand (LRR 4:81), BAIF in India (LRR 4:38; 40,49, 50), Jammu in India (LRR
2:22; 3:27), the Philippines (LRR 1:27; 6:82), Taiwan (LRR 2:53; 3:59, 62), Costa Rica
(LRR 3:15), Jamaica (LRR 6:60), Hawaii (LRR 1:55; 4:93) and Florida (LRR 5:84), the
latter being impressive despite winter frosts that killed plants to the crown.
Fuelwood
Leucaena has become a popular fuelwood in Asia and less widely so in the rest of the tropics
(Figure 7). Fuelwood properties are widely respected and well documented in the literature
(NRC, 1984; NFTA 1985b; Pound and Martinez Cairo, 1983). Heating values on oven-dry
basis average about 19.4 MJ kg"' (4,640 kcal kg-1) and the wood burns steadily with little
smoke, few sparks, and less than 1 percent ash. Moisture at harvest depends on tree age,
ranging from about 55 percent at 1 year to 45 percent at 4 years and 35 percent at 7 years
(LRR 6:49). Specific gravities as dry matter/displacement volume average 0.5-0.6 for
4-year-old trees.
Economic conversion of wood to electrical energy remains an elusive target in the
tropics, but leucaenas and eucalyptus generally remain the favoured trees due to their rapid
growth and wide adaptability (Brewbaker, 1980, 1984). Only in the Philippines has an
extensive dendrothermal scheme based on leucaena been developed. Denton (1983) has
written in detail of this scheme, developed by the Philippine National Electrification
Administration. The ambitious plan involved many plantations of about 1,000 ha in size,
Figure 7 Typical fuelwood marketing of leucaena in 50-cm-long bundles of split wood in the
Philippines.
each including a woodfuel-burning power plant of 3-5 MW peak. At least two of these
became operational, but problems of plant construction and tree production have plagued
the scheme. The sites were on marginal, usually deforested lands. It is certain that none were
chosen because of their high site index for leucaena! Many had no leucaenas growing at all
in the area, and several had been abandoned by shifting agriculturalists as worthless.
Preliminary trials of species and provenances were generally bypassed, as were careful soil
analysis and assessment of nutritional demands. The demands of transplanting and
weeding were generally underestimated, coming as they did at the peak of annual farm
activities.
The success at one site, at Balinao, provides important lessons for others (Denton,
1983). It was located on calcareous hills in an area where shrubby leucaena thrives. Local
farmers were familiar with the tree, and management was excellent. Yield attained about 30
m3 ha-1 yr _l , as was predicted. Transportation to power plant has been a major cost factor,
with an ineffective overhead hauling system for the small trees (Figure 8). Harvesting with
machettes has led to accelerated cutting of small trees. The lack of a suitable tool for felling
small trees is a limitation on such schemes. Chainsaws are too expensive and costly to
maintain, heavy axes are like scythes (not designed for the steamy tropics!), and small bow
saws are unfamiliar.
Charcoal production from leucaena has made little advance in recent years except in the
Philippines (Guevarra in PCARR, 1978). The tree makes excellent charcoal, with heating
values of 29 MJ kg_I and good recovery values (25-30 percent). The Mabuhay Vinyl
Corporation of the Philippines is a major producer of leucaena charcoal, with several types
of improved kilns in operation. The addition of ground leucaena charcoal to fuel oil for
diesel engines was found to involve no harmful agents in the ash (LRR 2:76).
Pulpwood, poles and miscellaneous

Leucaena has been evaluated highly as pulpwood, and initial commercial production in
Taiwan was carefully planned and economically successful (Hu, 1987; Tai et al, 1983).
Pulping properties are suitable to both paper and rayon production. Compared with other
tropical hardwoods, leucaena was above average in cellulose and low in lignin, low in bark
(5 percent), had a medium-high specific gravity (>0.5) and a higher pulp yield, up to 75
percent under neutral sulphite semichemical processing (LRR 2:51). The wood pulp
strength was greater than most hardwoods, with almost 50 percent greater ring-crush
resistance. Fibre values are similar to other tropical hardwoods and produce papers with
good printability but low tearing and folding strengths. Pulping data are summarized by
Hu (1987) and include reports from Taiwan (LRR 2:57), the Philippines (Bawagan and
Semana, 1978), India (Relwani, 1983), and the USA (unpublished data).
Poles, mine props, furniture, parquet flooring and chips for particle board are among
increasingly popular uses of leucaena. Small furniture and craftwood items are strong and
light in weight, and the close-grained wood finishes well and darkens to a golden brown
with age (LRR 5:48.) Furniture has also been made from press-wood of glued-up 5 mm
strips, and had a specific gravity of 0.58 with good strength (LRR 3:63).
"Grow your own house" could be a motto for leucaena pole and mortar houses in India,
pictured in NFTA (1985b). The wood is termite-susceptible, but accepts preservatives.
Poles serve a wide array of agroforestry needs, from props for bananas (PCARR, 1978) to
crop-support posts for yams, pepper, and other vines.
Ornamental and shade uses of arboreal leucaenas are extensive despite seediness of
early varietal releases. All taller species (Table 1) make suitable ornamentals, and seed
production is lower on self-incompatible trees and on selected varieties and triploid species
hybrids. Isolated self-incompatible trees are seedless, as are certain species hybrids, e.g., L.
esculenta x L. leucocephala. The ability to achieve mature height in 3-5 years makes the
leucaenas attractive for shade, and loppings provide useful fodder and branch wood,
although juvenile growth is wind fragile (LRR 6:23). L. diversifolia 4N is an attractive shade
tree for subtropical climates with no seed problem (LRR 5:88). The leucaenas crown out
too widely to make good windbreaks, although they do not have offensive lateral root
development.
Erosion control is a concomitant of alley farming, much of which is on fragile uplands.
Contour strips of leucaena must be planted very densely, with small branches laid laterally
along the hedge to serve effectively in erosion control (LRR 1:13; 5:51; NRC, 1984).
Leucaena is not easily used on rice paddy bunds, due to problems with shading of rice and
tolerance by leucaena of waterlogged soils.
Food and other uses

Food
A broadened view of leucaena that embraces all species should bring renewed attention to
uses other than fodder, wood and soil amendment. The favoured species for food have
traditionally been L. esculenta {guaje rojo) and L. macrophylla (guaje verde). Both are
midland or highland Mexican diploids that flower heavily in short days. Pods are marketed
in winter at physiological maturity of the seeds. L. esculenta has very large beans with low
mimosine. Those of L. macrophylla are similar in size and mimosine content to L.
leucocephala, of which the "giant" varieties are also widely used for green pods, even in S.E.
Asia. Zarate (1984) considers food use of the leucaenas most important in interpreting
distributions of the species. The leucaena seeds are tasty and are often consumed fresh.
Nothing is known about human conversion of mimosine through DHP, and whether DHP
might be a human toxin of significance (Lowry 1983). Mimosine is lost on preparation
through diffusion (LRR 5:53) or following cooking or fermentation, and can be
precipitated and entirely removed in preparations involving ferrous ions, as in a rusty pot.
Other methods for reducing mimosine values were discussed earlier.
Food use of leucaena leaf tips is common in parts of S.E. Asia (Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia), normally served after brief stir-frying. They make a significant protein
contribution, and are often used with noodle dishes and generous portions of chilli sauce.
Leucaena seedlings ("sprouts", i.e., roots) of about three days are prepared as a food in
Java, Indonesia. They showed high protein and ascorbic- and amino-acid values with
lowered mimosine in studies of Dewi Slamet and associates (LRR 5:53). Tempeh is a
fermented food that is also prepared with considerable patience from leucaena seeds in
Indonesia (LRR 3:100). Phytic acid, a trypsin inhibitor, was found at a level of 7 mg g _1 in
leucaena seeds prepared for tempeh, and two-day fermentation sharply reduced these levels
by 70 percent (LRR 7:75). Tempeh samples prepared in our lab by nutritionist M.
Whiting were free of mimosine, but otherwise of rather controversial food acceptability.
Protein concentrates and gums

Proteins have been concentrated with difficulty from leucaena leaves, due primarily to
galactomannan gums in the leaves that require high dilution and other steps (LRR 2:81).
Precipitation of the gums caused by procyanadins or condensed tannins led to reduced
protein yields. However, protein processing removed mimosine entirely (LRR 3:93; 5:96).
The leaf protein concentrates were low in nutritional value to rats, and tannins were held
responsible (LRR 1:45).
Galactomannan gums of leucaena seeds are similar to those of gum arabic (Acacia
Senegal), guar {Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) and carob (Ceratonia siliqua). Gum contents of
the whole seeds are in the range of 25-30 percent (LRR 5:16). Pure seed galactomannan
was isolated readily by Leshniak and Liu (LRR 2:75), and found to be of high uniformity
with 1.3 mannosyl residues to 1 galactosyl. It had high haemagglutinating activity on
human and rat erythrocytes that was further increased by reducing the galactosyl residues
(LRR 2:77). The gum was believed to be a gelling agent comparable to algal carageenan.
Mimosine contaminating the gum was easily removed by dialysis, or could be avoided
through trichloracetic acid purification with dialysis of the galactomannan (LRR 2:79).
Gums arise from the leucaena stem ("gummosis") under ill-defined conditions of injury
and disease, but notably in India with Fusarium infections. Anderson et al. (1983) have
carefully analysed these and other mimosoid gums, and found leucaena to be of potential
commercial value and very similar to gum arabic. Amino-acid fractions of the protein in
leucaena and the acacia gums were very similar (LRR 7: 108).
Miscellaneous uses of leucaena include use of seeds for ornaments, and for practical
items like hot pads. The Leucaena species vary widely in attractiveness to bees, and provide
pollen but not nectar for honey production. Most of the self-sterile species are actively
bee-pollinated, and those with heavy scent — L. lanceolata, L. shannoni — seem
particularly attractive and might make distinctive honeys.
Why do people plant leucaena?

A good example of the spread and role of leucaena in rural development is given by the
work of Manibhai Desai, Director of the non-profit Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation
(BAIF) of Pune, India. He has inspired a generation of Indian scientists to dedicate their
efforts to improving the livelihood of the rural poor. Leucaena is a major tool in this
programme of revegetation, water management and animal improvement, a programme
that earned Desai the prestigious Magsaysay Award in 1985.
Often featured in their excellent publication, The BAIF Journal, leucaena is the subject
of extensive development and research activities at BAIF. The giant leucaenas were
carefully appraised in many types of management systems prior to large-scale seed increase
(to 40 tons by 1986, equivalent to 800 million seeds) and distribution among India's rural
community. Desai and his scientific staff have unquestionably inspired tree planting in the
past decade on a scale previously believed impossible for the small farmer.
Although fruit trees are planted by rural people of the tropics, the planting of trees for
fuel or fodder is an unfamiliar practice — such trees are to be hunted and gathered.
Backlash can develop, as with eucalyptus in India, when the tree planting appears to serve
the rich or to bring social benefits only to a select society. The fast-grown small legume trees
—leucaenas, gliricidias, calliandras, acacias — have a special attraction when they provide
both fodder and wood, and can be managed so as to optimize returns from either or both
(Brewbaker, 1984).
Why plant leucaena? Hedge (1985) of the BAIF staff lists the features that have made it
so effective in India:
— Fast growth, rapid generation time;
— Multiple uses, easily interplanted with field crops;
— Quick returns and high profit;
— N-fixation and soil improvement;
— Strong root system, drought and salt tolerance;
— Cheap to establish;
— Few diseases and pests.
Some of the successful schemes with leucaena pictured in the US National Academy of
Science publication on leucaena (NRC, 1984) illustrate Hedge's points. In the hilly islands
of Cebu, Philippines, and Flores, Indonesia, leucaena is widely alley cropped to stabilize
shifting agriculture and stop erosion. Markets help motivate the plantings — for pelleted
leaf meal on Cebu and fodder to support banteng cattle production on Flores. Markets for
woodfuel in pottery making or bakeries motivate leucaena production in central Thailand
and the Philippines. Many plantings of leucaena, however, are small and on small farms
with the immediate intention of feeding farm animals and serving as home fuel, postwood
and other uses.
Leucaena is self-advertising in at least three important ways that greatly simplify its
extension and demonstration:
— Animals relish the fodder;
— The rapid tree growth is astounding even to tropical farmers;
— Green manure effects are often plainly obvious.
Alley-cropping trials can show the improved colour and yield of crop plants near the
leucaena hedge sufficiently well to convince the most skeptical farmer of the power of green
manure. Overcoming the initial farmer reluctance to plant a non-food crop is a difficult
hurdle, and almost impossible if the tree is slow-growing and the market is uncertain.
In many sites, perhaps surprisingly, the giant leucaenas have had only to be planted to
tell their own story and gain wide grower acceptance. Nevertheless, the key is to inspire that
first tree planting. People like Manibhai Desai in India, Harold Watson in the Philippines
(also an awardee of the Magsaysay Foundation), Viator Parera in Indonesia (Parera,
1983), and B.T. Kang, G.F. Wilson and colleagues in Nigeria (Kang et al, 1984) are
providing that inspiration.
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Subject index
Subject index
Acacia albida monograph, 8

agroforestry system based on, 16, 58 plantation crops (see plantation crops)
dry zones of Africa, 99, 100 shade trees (see shade trees)
effect on soils, 212, 213 social forestry, 7
fallow species, 180 systems (also see agroforestry systems)
food production in Africa, 105 Acacia albida in traditional, 100
N-fixation potential, 258 African past, 100
N-fixing species, 246-247 India, 127
research in India, 133 research results in India, 132-133
traditional African systems, 92, 105 unirrigated semi-arid, 127
Acacia nilotica, 134 with khejri (Prosopis cineraria) (see
Acacia species Prosopis cineraria)
arid and semi-arid zones of Africa, taungya (see taungya)
145-146 Agroforestry (AF)
Indian subcontinent, 118 aims, 49
mixed systems, 265 and development banks, 54-67
N-fixing potential, 258 biotechnology, 115
N-fixing trees, 246-247 as a catalyst for change, 48, 49
species variability, 282 CATIE's role, 69-87
Actinorhizal plants Central America, 69-87
Casuarinaceae (see Casuarinaceae) challenges, 36-39, 113
Frankia in, 251-254, 256 constraints, 36-37,43, 113
Frankia inoculation, 256 biological, 36
Adansonia digitata, 93, 105 socio-economic, 36-37
African agriculture definition, 44-46, 70, 245
agroforestry, 104 development
food production, 104 and ICRAF in Africa, 113
subsistence nature, 104 bottlenecks, 113
trees and shrubs, 104 challenges, 113
Agricultural "food for AF", 19
by-products, 199 resource management for, 113
extension methods, 192, 197 development as a discipline, 48-49
Agrisilviculture dry zones of Africa, 89-116
acceptance, 6 ecological framework, 56
agricultural system, 10 ecological security, 25-31
agroforestry system (see agroforestry economic considerations in, 173-190
systems) benefits and costs of production, 174
alley cropping (see alley cropping) capital, 184-185
education, 10 development of new systems, 173
economic research, 187-188 various aspects, 81

farm strategy, 180 long-term experiments, 73
income generation, 185 biotechnology, 114
old systems, 173 developments, 43-51
production objective, 185 experiments, 17
risk management, 187 history, 3, 43
education and training, 18 India, 130-134
environmental protection, 7 interdisciplinary nature, 48
erosion control, 211 irrigated and semi-arid areas, 127
forest policy, 18 khejri (Prosopis cineraria) (see
history, 3,43 Prosopis cineraria)
Indian subcontinent, 117-136 Leucaena leucocephala (see L.
institutional aspects, 43-51 leucocephala)
interdisciplinary nature, 48,90 on-farm research, 201
limitations, 21 priorities, 8
literature, 82 proposals, 8
MPTs in (see MPTs) requirements, 19
on marginal soils, 206 soils research, 205
potential, 34-36,49 (also see soils)
African, 34-36 Agroforestry systems
high-resource areas, 35 Acacia albida-based, 58, 98-100
resource management, 34 Acacia senegal-based in Africa, 98
projects agrisilvicultural (see agrisilvicultural
economic returns, 55 systems)
investments, 56 agrosilvopastoral (see agrosilvopastoral
promise, 34-39 systems)
promotion packages, 37 Bangladesh, 135
R & D programmes, 43-44 Central America, 69-87
research (see under AF research) extension, 82
role in food production, 4 history, 69-72
role in food security, 25, 34-39 practices, 70
scientists, 19 quantification, 72
social aspects (see social aspects of research, 71-81
agroforestry) socio-economic aspects, 81
socio-economic and cultural training at CATIE, 71-82
factors, 19 classification, 15
soil conservation, 10 complexity, 17
soil physical properties, 211 development, 287
soil productivity and sustainability, dry zones of Africa, 89-116
205-223 evaluation of MPTs, 285
(also see soils) experimental designs, 16
systems (see AF systems) experiments, 17
training component, 202 homegardens (see homegardens)
tree cover, 29 Indian subcontinent, 121, 127-135
trees, 75 inventory, 15, 102
(also see indigenous trees and shrubs, output, 16
MPTs) Prosopis cineraria (khejri) based, 118,
Agroforestry research 123-125
Acacia albida (see Acacia albida) range, 15
agrisilviculture (see agrisilviculture) recent trends, 30-34
alley cropping (see alley cropping) resource management, 55
at CATIE, 71-81 silvopastoral (see silvopastoral
alley cropping, 76 systems)
SUBJECT INDEX 327
soil aspects (see soils) research at CATIE, 76

stability, 206 semi-arid regions, 31
traditional systems soil erosion, 235
Africa, 3,29,91-101 soil productivity, 218
arid and semi-arid regions, 33-34, Sri Lanka, 238
117-125 sustainable production, 233
Asia, 29, 135 the Philippines, 238
Indian subcontinent, 117-125 woody species, 238
Latin America, 29 world-wide evaluation, 236
Neolithic age, 29 Alley farming (see alley cropping)
Prosopis cineraria (khejri)-based, in Arid and semi-arid zones
India, 123-125 Acacia species, 145-146
the Philippines, 3 AF systems, 33
Agrosilvopastoral systems African, 145
Acacia albida, 99 browse productivity, 149
Acacia Senegal, 98 silvopastoral systems, 144-146
in African past, 97 woody species, 145
management, 97 Azadirachta indica
MPTs,30 role in AF, 37
multiple uses, 98 traditional African systems, 93
role and potential in Africa, 107
species, 97 Biomass, 190
structure, 97 Boundary planting, 110
Albiziafalcataria Eucalyptus, 129
in bank-supported AF, 59 Browse species
in mixed perennial systems, 266 Acacia, 149
N-fixation of, 246-288 plants, 146-150
Alley cropping (also see alley farming) productivity, 149
adoption, 238 silvopastoral systems of Africa,
advantages, 31,234,236,237 145-170
AF technology, 227-240 spatial distribution, 149
at ICRAF Field Station, Kenya, 31, the Sahel, 149, 150
238 Bushland, 139-140
concept, 233 By-products
crop yields, 31 agricultural, 199
definition, 236 tree, 30
description, 30
development, 227-240 Cacao (see coffee and cacao)
economic evaluation, 181 Calliandra calothyrsus, 248
effect on soils, 209 Carrying capacity of land, 26-28
Erythrina poeppigiana, 76 and population growth, 26
experimental yields of crops, 237 changes in the Himalayas, 26-27
extension and development, 236 in marginal areas, 28
Gliricidia septum, 76, 231, 249 Casuarina equisetifolia
homegardens, 231 as actinorhizal species, 252-254
leucaena leucocephala, 250, 305, 312, AF systems, 253
319 N-fixing potential, 260, 261, 263, 264
MPTs, 274 N-fixing species, 252-253
N-fixing trees, 246-251 nodules, 253
on-farm research, 239 phenotypes, 260
Nigeria, 235,238 vegetative propagation, 260-261
nutrient cycling, 235 Casuarinaceae, 252-254
potential in tropics, 233 AF systems in India, 118, 128
Coffee and cacao Developing countries (see tropics and

Costa Rica, 72-75, 216 subtropics)
production systems, 72-75, 206 Diagnosis and design (D & D)
Community farming system approach, 192
nursery, 196 agroforestry, 15
planning, 197 concept of, 192
woodlot, 274 ICRAF's COLLPRO, 15
Compound farms (see homegardens) Dry zones of Africa
Conservation, 197 Acacia albida in, 92
Cordia alliodora AF in, 89-116
pastures, 78 . boundary planting, 110
shade in coffee/cacao, 71-75 description, 90-91
sugarcane fields, 75 ecology, 90-91
taungya, 72 fuelwood supply, 108-109
windbreak, 70 hedge species, 110
Coriaria spp., 254, 259 livestock population, 106
Cupressus lusitanica multipurpose species, 110
windbreak, 71 traditional AF systems, 91
yields, 80
Cycle of technology development, 15 Ecological degradation
Africa, 152
Dalbergia sissoo fuelwood shortage, 108
effects on associated crops, 131, 134 implications, 152
intercropping with, 36, 134 livestock productivity, 152
MPT, 36 role of MPTs in arresting, 111
Deforestation the Sahel, 151-152
and climatic change, 29 Ecological security
effect on land productivity, 28 Africa, 35
rates, 28 agroforestry for, 25-41
shifting cultivation, 29 tree cover, 29
soil erosion, 28 Ecological zones, shift in, 34
Desert-zone species in Africa, 144-145 Economic appraisal of AF
(also see arid and semi-arid zone) criteria, 57
Development bank support for AF ecological sustainability, 58
AF investments, 56, 64 land tenure, 58
AF perspectives, 54-67 shelterbelts, 57
AF projects, problems of, 64-65 social aspects, 57
benefit to small fanners, 65 Economic considerations in AF, 173-190
cash-crop-tree farming, 60 Economic returns
conditions for, 66, 67 agroforestry projects, 55, 160
examples of success stories in AF, 61 forestry projects, 55
forestry extensions, 65 homegardens, 157, 161
incentive policies, 65 intercropping, 56
lending policies, 54 perception techniques, 56
lending to AF, 53 shelterbelts, 55
local community development, 60 smallholder, farming, 56
MPT breeding, 60 woodlots, 55
PICOP project, 61 Economic risk, 16
social forestry project in India, 62-63 Economic security
strengthening AF research, 60 ecological security, 26
Sudan project, 63 food security, 25, 29
to ICRAF, 60
SUBJECT INDEX
Energy the Philippines, 177

price trends, 185 Farmers' perception of trees, 58
(also see fuelwood) Farming-systems approach,, 193
requirements in Indian subcontinent, D & D, 193
127 Food production
Enterprise/marketing in AF, 198-199 African agriculture, 104
Environmental protection, 7,25-41 global progress, 26
Eucalyptus grain surpluses, 39
agroforestry candidate, 17, 127 population growth, 26
bank support, 59 Food security
boundary planting, 127 definition, 25
disadvantages, 59 role of AFin, 25, 34-39
in taungya, 72 Fodder requirements, 118, 129
on marginal lands, 118, 128, 134 Forest plantations, 7
research, 131 Forest policy, 5, 6, 143
species variability, 282 Forestry administration, 5
timber and pulpwood, 127 Forestry for rural development, 7
with N-fixing trees, 265 Frankia
woodlots host-plant inoculation, 256
Kenya, 56, 59 N-fixation, 251-254
the Philippines, 56 research needs, 259-262
rates of return, 56, 129 Fuelwood
Exotic tree species cause of degradation, 108
role in AF in Africa, 140 deficits in Indian subcontinent, 118
vs indigenous species, 140 demand in Africa, 29,34, 108
energy crisis in Africa, 108
Fallow (also see shifting cultivation) Gliricidia sepium, 86
chemical input to soil, 232 plantations in Africa, 108
management in humid tropics, prices, 185-186
230-231 repercussions of shortage, 127
planted, 229 role of AF in supply, 109
research on regeneration, 86 species, 109
role, 229-231 strategy in India, 29
soil fertility regeneration, 180
soil productivity restoration, 229-230 Gender/age issues in agroforestry,
species, 231 200-201
Acacia albida in the Sudan, 180 Germplasm of MPTs
rattan, 180 certification and supply, 282-283
Sesbania sesban in Kenya, 180 research needs, 282
sustainable crop production, 229-230 Gliricidia septum
traditional agriculture, 239 alley cropping, 76, 232, 249
traditional management, 86 as MPT, 36
Farm forestry effect on soils, 212
different countries, 33 forage yield, 80
economic aspects, 179 fuelwood yield, 80
Eucalyptus, 33 live-fence posts, 79
Farm woodlots, 177-180 N-fixing species, 248-249
Albizia falcataria, 177 pastures, 77
definition, 177 species variability, 282
economic considerations, 183 Grasslands, 139-140
holding size, 177 burning, 147
homegardens, 177-182 humid and subhumid zones, 146
income from, 179 species, 146
Green Revolution, 6 Homesteads (see homegardens)

Humid and sub-humid zones of Africa,
Hedges 146
species in dry zones of Africa, 109 livestock populations, 146
Highlands role of silvopastoral systems, 147
silvopastoral systems in Africa, 95 trees and shrubs, 146
Highland (montane) systems trypanotolerant stock breeds, 146
silvopastoral in Africa, 95, 147
trees and shrubs, 147 IARCs
Holding size of homegardens, 174-179 disciplinary focus, 47,49
and population intensity, 176-177 function, 20
Java, Indonesia, 174, 176 ICRAF
Kerala, India, 174 activities, 9
Nigeria, 176 AF development in Africa, 113
The Philippines, 177 AFRENA, 49
Homegardens challenges, 39
adaptability, 165 CATIE's work and, 70
advantages, 126, 166 COLLPRO, 15, 277
agroforestry sytems, 30, 157-168 conceptual work, 48
Albizia falcataria, 177 diagnostic methodology, 14
animals as components, 161 (ako see D&D)
Central America, 86 early work, 14
coconuts, 34, 125 establishment, 10, 14, 71, 89, 90
commercialization, 166 Field Station at Machakos, 31, 238
cultural influence on species functions, 20
composition, 160 milestone in the history, 18
definition, 177 rnultidisciplinary approach, 49
eastern Nigeria, 174 objectives, 9
economic considerations, 125, role, 10,49
160-162, 167, 183 training mandate, 18
farm woodlots, 177-182 World Bank support, 60
fruit trees, 177 Income generation, 188
functions, 161-163 Indian subcontinent
history, 157 acacias, 118
holding size, 174-179 agro-ecological characteristics, 118
India, 118,125, 126 agro-ecological zones, 118-119
improved technology, 165 agroforestry, 117-136
improvement potentials, 167 areas covered, 117
intensification of use, 175, 176 Indigenous trees and shrubs ("trubs")
intercropping, 177 Acacia albida, 92, 93, 99, 100
labour and capital allocation, 175, 177 Acacia Senegal, 98
Leucaena leucocephala, 125 Adansonia digitata in Africa, 93
MPTs, 177 AF systems in Africa, 91
nutritional source, 162 arid and semi-arid zones of Africa,
productivity, 161-162 145-146
social security, 200 Azadirachta indica in Africa, 93
socio-cultural functions, 163 benefits, 275-276
soil erosion, 33,163-165 browse plants in Africa, 148
species associations, 159, 167 common species and genera, 92-94,
structure and composition, 34, 141-143
158-161, 193 desert zones, 144-145
sustainability, 165 different land-use systems, 273-275
various geographical regions, 158
SUBJECT INDEX
East Africa, 144-145 dilemma, 47

exploitation, 92, 94 forestry, 44
fodder, 140 history, 45
food production in Africa, 104 inadequacies of existing, 46
highland systems, 147 structure, 45-50
humid and subhumid zones of Africa, Land-use patterns in India, 129
146 Leguminosae
in crop land, 274 in silvopastoral systems, 146-147
maintenance, 93 Leucaena leucocephala
major categories, 273-275 as an agroforestry species, 16, 30, 212,
management, 273 289-323
multipurpose resources, 140 alley cropping, 234-236, 238, 250-251
production, 275-276 botany and genetics, 292-295
reduction of cover of in Africa, 151 breeding systems, 293
role, 91, 92, 147-151 cold tolerance, 297-298
silvopastoral systems in Africa, diseases, 300-303
139-153 dihydroxypyridine (DHP)
species variation, 282 (see use as animal feed)
the Sahel, 145, 151 drought tolerance, 299
uses, 92 ecology and soils, 251, 296-299
vs exotic species, 140 Al tolerance, 216
Industrial plantations, 274 establishment and management,
Ingajinicuil, 249 303-306
Intercropping, 199 fodder and wood management,
advantages, 10 305-306
gaps in knowledge, 10 vegetative propagation, 304
with plantation crops, 10, 36 tissue culture, 305
(also see plantation crops) weed control, 305
Interdisciplinary approach in AF, 90 farmers' adoption, 309-320
Internal rate of return (IRR), 179 fire tolerance, 299
Intertropical Africa food and other uses, 317-318
climate, 143 Heteropsylla cubana (see psyllids)
silvopastoral systems, 143-147 historical perspectives, 290
insects (see psyllids)
Jhum (see shifting cultivation) intercropping, 132
international conference, 289
Labour availability in AF, 184 litterfall rates, 313
Land management mimosine (see use as animal feed)
in sub-Saharan Africa, 34 mixed perennial systems, 265, 313
soil erosion under, 28 mycorrhiza, 300
unscientific methods, 28 N-fixation, 250-251, 263, 264
Land reclamation by trees, 275 ornamental value, 317
Land-use disciplines, 44,45 plant chemistry and physiology, 296
dilemma, 46,47 psyllids and other insects, 36, 301-303
failures in Africa, 45 publications on, 289-290
limitations, 45 research on, 131
maximization nature, 46 rhizobia, 299-300
need for integration, 46 silvopastoral systems, 132
problems, 49 soil improvement, 132, 311-313
Land-use institutions, 44-50 (also see N-fixation)
agricultural, 44 symbionts and diseases, 299-303
development, 44,45 tree and wood use, 313-317
use as animal feed, 306-311 needs, 276-286

dihydroxypyridine (DHP), 308-309 role in ecological stability, 111
leucaena leaf meal (LLM), 310 screening, 17
leucaena seed meal (LSM), 310 Sesbania spp., 30
mimosine, 308-309 species and provenances research, 282
varieties, 282, 294 Mulch materials
wood yields, 313, 317 crops providing, 232
Linear planting of trees, 274 effect, 214
Live-fence posts (live fences) lignin/nitrogen ratio, 214
Erythrina poeppigiana, 80 soil protection, 214, 215
Gliricidia septum, 78 Multi-cropping, 10
research at CATIE, 78 benefits, 126
species, 78,109 Multidisciplinary approach
yields, 79 agroforestry, 49
Livestock (also see silvopastoral systems) ICRAF, 47-49
browse, 147 problem-solving potential, 48
ecological degradation by, 152 Multipurpose tree (see MPTs)
in Africa, 143, 146 Multistorey cropping, 32
in the Sahel, 106 evolution, 230-231
performance in Africa, 106, 107, 146 Kerala, India, 125
trypanotolerant breeds, 146 structure, 125
tsetse fly, 146
Nitrogen fixation
Market for wood products, 179 ANF (actual N-fixation), 260
Marketing in AF, 184 choice of species/provenances,
Miombo woodland, 146 254-258
Mixed perennial systems estimation, 262
Acacia, 265 fertilizers, 256
Eucalyptus, 265 field studies, 262
nitrogen fixation, 265-266 mycorrhizal infection, 256
nitrogen-fixing trees, 265 N-fixing trees
Montane system {see highland system) Acacia albida, 246-247
MPTs Acacia spp., 246-247
benefits, 275 Albizia spp., 246-248
criteria for classification, 17 Calliandra calothyrsus, 248
desirable characteristics, 75 Casuarina equisetifolia, 252
evaluation, 285 characteristics, 246-254, 259-260
exploitation of potential, 273-287 Erythrina spp., 248
for dry zones of Africa, 110 fertilizer use, 257
genetic variability, 277 Gliricidia sepium, 249
germplasm supplies and certification, improvement methods, 260-261
282-283 Inga jinicuil, 249
Gliricidia septum as, 30 leguminous, 246-251
importance of in alley farming, 274 Leucaena leucocephala, 250
in land rehabilitation and reclamation, Mimosa scabrella, 251
275 mycorrhizal fungi, 257
incorporation in land-use systems, 275 Prosopis, 263
in ICRAF's COLLPRO, 277 research needs, 259-260
Leucaena leucocephala, 30, 289-323 Sesbania spp., 251
production from, 275-276 species, 246-251
Prosopis spp., 30 with non-N-fixing species, 265
research mechanisms, 246
major steps in, 287 mixed perennial systems, 265
SUBJECT INDEX
NFP (N-fixing potential), 259 Rhizobium

research, 258-266 Bradyrhizobium, 246-251
role in agroforestry, 245-266 differences among strains, 259
soil acidity and, 258 host plant inoculation, 256
steps for optional use in AF, 266 nodules of N-fixing trees, 246-251
technology for exploiting, 254-258 potential role in AF, 258
transfer to intercrops, 264 research needs, 259-262
Nomadism, 94 soil inoculation, 255
Nutrients Risk, economic
accumulation by plants, 216 avoidance, 187
recycling, 216 management, 182, 187
species conserving, 219 reduction, 187
Runoff and erosion (also see soil
Off-farm employment, 184 erosion)
annual crops, 211
Plantation crops trees, 211-212
crop combinations, 32 Rural development in Africa
intercropping, 32 maximization, 89
multi-level strata, 32 traditional policies, 89
plant cover, 216
Plant cover (also see tree cover) Sahel
plantation crops, 216 availability of browse, 149
soil protection, 213 browse species, 145
Population growth degradation, 151-152
carrying capacity of land, 26 drought, 105, 151
consequences, 102 livestock, 106
effects in Africa, 101, 102 productivity of pastures, 106
food security, 25-26 rainfall, 106
global trends, 26 Savanna
Prosopis types in Africa, 146
as an MPT, 30, 213 wooded, 139-140
N-fixation, 263 Semi-arid species
P. cineraria (khejri) characteristics, 278-281
advantages, 124 distribution, 278-281
AF systems in India, 121, 124, 125 OFI international network, 278-281
crop combinations with, 125 uses, 281
fodder species, 125 Sequential cropping, 275
limitations, 124 Sesbania grandiflora
research in India, 124, 133 N-fixing species, 251
species variability, 282 Sri Lanka, 135
Protection forestry, 275 Shade trees
Provenances cacao fields, 72-1'4, 75
definition, 277 characteristics, 17
Psyllids (see Leucaena leucocephala) coffee fields, 72-74
Cordia alliodora, 73
Rangelands Erythrina spp., 73
degradation in Africa, 107 Grevillea robusta, 73
fuelwood species, 109 research, 72-81
Regional development in Africa, 101 species used, 73
Research and development (R & D) Shelterbelts
agroforestry, 44 Cassia siamea, 33
disciplinary efforts, 44 economic appraisal, 57
Resource availability, 184 economic benefits, 55
MPTs, 274 production, 151

reduction of soil erosion, 33 role of trees and shrubs, 147-151
Shifting cultivation Site index, 210
Central America, 80 Slash-and-burn agriculture, 227
deforestation, 29 {also see shifting cultivation)
economic considerations, 180 Smallholder systems
extent in the tropics, 3, 227 of coffee and cacao, 73
jhum in India, 112, 122 quantification, 73
degradation by, 122 Soil
economic returns, 122 acidity and N-fixation, 258
soil losses, 122 agroforestry hypothesis, 206-207
length of cycle, 29 changes under land clearing, 211
management for improvement, 122 constraints
production system, 227 in agroforestry, 212, 219
soil erosion, 29 in tropics, 210, 211
soil fertility regeneration, 180 cultivation factors in tropics, 233
taungya, 5 distribution of types in tropics, 229
transition to settled land use, 180 dynamics data sets, 207, 209
Shrubland, 139-140 effects of agroforestry, 210
Silvopastoral systems erosion
Africa, 139-153 and runoff, 211-212
area covered, 140, 142 deforestation, 28
intertropical, 143-147 in homegardens, 33, 163
livestock population, 143 magnitude, 118
responsible management, 153 measurement, 164
trees and shrubs, 139-153 reduction by shelterbelts, 33
types, 140-142 role of animals, 164
arid and semi-arid zones of Africa, splash erosion, 164
145-146 FCC (fertility capability classification),
Central America, 77 210
grazing under trees, 77 for Leucaena leucocephala {see L.
tree species, 77-78 leucocephala)
yield of grasses, 78 input levels in, 233
degradation, 151 low-activity clay (LAC), 228, 229
desert zones of Africa, 144-145 management in tropics, 228-229
dry zones of Africa, 94, 108 N-cycling in AF, 216-219
ecological spread in Africa, 95 N-fixation, 258 {also see N-fixation)
enviromental adaptation, 96 organic matter, 215-216
highlands of Africa, 95, 147 activity, 215
livestock husbandry, 94 and soil texture, 209
nomadism, 94 decomposer community, 215
rangelands of Africa, 96 decomposition rates, 214-215
recent changes in Africa, 96 effect on crop production, 215
traditional management, 95 maintenance, 215
types of stock, 96 turnover rates, 215
highlands of Africa, 147 physical properties
humid and sub-humid zones of effect of AF on, 206, 208
Africa, 146 effect of trees on, 207
India, 127, 130,131 productivity and sustainability in AF,
intertropical Africa, 143-147 205-223
Leguminosae, 146 productivity under fallows {see
Mediterranean Africa, 141 fallows)
SUBJECT INDEX 335
protection and tree cover, 211-213 ecological stability, 29

protection in agroforestry, 214, 215 soil protection, 211
research in AF, 205-223 maintenance, 29
taxonomy, 210 Tree establishment
types in tropics, 228-229 difficulties of, 57
World Map, 210 genetic improvement, 37
Sole cropping, 10 Tree growing
Sub-Saharan Africa as cash crop in Kenya, 179
deforestation, 34 factors influencing, 179
fuelwood demand, 34 Tree management
problems, 34 traditional techniques, 192, 194
Subsistence agriculture in Africa, 104 Trees
Subsistence farming, 45 and soil structure, 212
Sustainable agriculture economic returns, 127
role of alley cropping, 239-240 effect on soils, 206, 208
Swidden agriculture, 180 on bunds, 127
(also see shifting cultivation) Trees and shrubs in alley cropping, 232
(also see indigenous trees and shrubs)
Taungya (also see agrisilviculture) Tropical forestry
Africa, 30 research priorities, 8
Asia, 30 Tropical forests
Central America, 30, 71, 81 pressure on, 13
Eucalyptus, 72 problems of, 13
experience from forest lands, 48 Tropics and subtropics (see developing
Gmelina arborea, 72 countries)
India, 122 cropping systems in, 230-231
MPTs, 275 food production in, 25-27, 228, 331
origin, 430 traditional agricultural systems, 228
research, 6, 71-77 "Trubs" (see indigenous trees and
sequential cropping, 275, shrubs)
shifting cultivation, 5 TSBF programme, 215
Shorea robusta, 123
socio-economic aspects, 5, 81 Wastelands
soil conservation aspects, 5 development in India, 34
Tectona grandis, 123 reclamation by trees, 34, 275
Technology development Windbreaks
biotechnology and AF, 115 arid and semi-arid lands, 33
cycle, 15 Cordia alliodora, 71
impact in Africa, 101 Cupressus lusitanica, 70
Traditional agriculture social aspects, 198
cropping and fallow cycles, 231 Wood production in Africa, 109
humid zone of Africa, 228 Wooded savanna, 139-140
soil management problems, 228 Woodland, 139-140
Training and visit (T & V), 194 miombo, 146
Transhumant herders, 197 Woody perennials
Transhumant systems, 141 (see indigenous trees and shrubs)
Tree by-products, 30 World Bank (see development-bank
Tree cover (also see plant cover) support for AF)
agroforestry, 29, 211
Agroforestry: a decade of development
Howard A. Steppler and P.K. Ramachandran Nair (eds)
This book is being published in commemoration of the tenth

anniversary of the establishment of the International Council
for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF).
It is divided into five sections: an introduction; ecological,
institutional and developmental perspectives on agroforestry;
regional treatments of prominent agroforestry systems; impact
measurement and technology transfer; and research findings
and proposals for research activity.
The contributors to this volume are leaders in their fields and
active in the promotion of agroforestry research and
development. The issues they raise and the problems they
address point to one ineluctable conclusion: the need for inter-
institutional co-operation at all levels — national, regional and
international.
ISBN 929059 036 X

07 Agroforestry A Decade of Development

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Agroforestry

P.K. Ramachandran Nair

International Council for Research in Agroforestry

Copyright © International Council for Research in Agroforestry 1987

ISBN 92 9059 036 X

Design and typography. Justice G. Mogaki, P.O. Box 74611, Nairobi

enrichment, germplasm evaluation and tree-component improvement, all of which

The history of agroforestry

It is perhaps not unnatural that, on the appointment in 1974 of a new Assistant

countries and propose research leading to the optimization of land use;

This can best be accomplished by the creation of an internationally

Figure 1 The cycle of technology development

quarantine provision should be in place to facilitate the safe international movement of

offerings to include research methodologies and experimental techniques. The majority of

Table 1 Projected effects of unchecked soil erosion on productivity (1983-2000)

Africa South-west South-east South Central Global

Annual rates of deforestation (ha x 103) Annual Plantation:

Traditional systems of agroforestry

Homegarden, or homestead, is another common agroforestry system (Soemarwoto,

Yield by year (t/ha)

0 Removed - 1.0 0.5 0.6 0.3

* Maize crop seriously affected by drought during early growth.

Alley farming thus appears to be a low-cost, sustainable agricultural technology and an

Multi-level plantations and homegardens

Another form of multi-level associations is typified by the homesteads of Indonesia

Agroforestry in arid and semi-arid areas

Agroforestry in problem soils a n d wastelands

Potential: the African opportunity

Table 4 Measures of sustainability in seven African countries* by ecological zones, 1960

Agriculturally Actual tFood Fuelwood- Actual +Fuel

due to the availability of mutually reinforcing agricultural packages (Swaminathan, 1986).

Package of government policies

. 1982. Report of the fuelwood study committee. Planning Commission, Government of

nature and related to the rigid disciplinary compartmentalization which characterizes

America, where governments chose to adopt the industrialized countries' institutional

W h y are today's institutions inadequate?

The fundamental inadequacy of conventional-discipline-oriented institutions lies in the

Figure 1 Institutional dilemma of land development? Disciplinary institutions

published report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (the

Agroforestry as a catalyst for c h a n g e

This definition clearly underlines the integrated nature of the approach.

Land-use institutions tomorrow

Economic rates of return of agroforestry projects

No. of Range of economic

Industrial plantation forestry 15 10-15

Source: World Bank Annual Reports.

* Financial rate of return computed over 25 years = 22 percent.

Table 3 Appraisal of economic benefits of an agroforestry/ shelterbelt/ soil conservation

Criteria for bank appraisal of agroforestry projects

Purpose for tree IBB Region TAIZZ Region

Environmental (soil protection, 30 40

Ecological sustainability of the proposed agroforestry farming system

What are development bank funds used for?

In areas with favourable ecological conditions, the bank-supported agroforestry

Examples of successful agroforestry projects

The Philippines PICOP Pulpwood Project

India National Social Forestry Project