1 Adoption, Profitability, Impacts and Scaling-Up of Agroforestry ...

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6in the range of 70-100 kg/ha is generally accumulated and can be applied as greenmanure, resulting. Field trials show that maize yields obtained from such fertilizer treesystems consistently reaches two or more times the yields from farmers’ practice ofcontinuous maize production without application of external mineral fertilizer inputs.Further details of fertilizer tree systems are described elsewhere (Mafongoya et al., 2003;Phiri et al ., 2003)2.2 Biomass transferFarmers have been growing vegetables widely during the dry season in wetlands (knownlocally as dambos) but declining soil fertility has posed a major challenge. Biomasstransfer refers to cutting and carrying (“transferring”) nutrient-rich leaves of agroforestryspecies (usually planted in the upland) to fertilize fields for the production of high valuevegetable crops and an extra maize crop in the dambos during the dry season. Biomasstransfer offers smallholder farmers the opportunity to supplement their incomes bygrowing cash crops that fetch high prices in urban markets. In this system, nitrogenfixing trees or shrubs are planted on a separate plot and the leaves are regularly cut andused to fertilize neighbouring field plots in a cut-and-carry way, especially in the dambos.It simply involves transferring of leaves and twigs of fertilizer trees from one part of thefarm to another. Farmers harvest trees planted at the upland to fertilize vegetablescultivated in the dambos during the dry-season and use the coppices to fertilize theirmaize during the main season, thereby having two full crops in a year. In EasternZambia, Gliricidia sepium leaf mulches were used in combination with nitrogenfertilizers. In a given season, the responses to Gliricidia sepium leaf biomass wereconsistently higher than those of sole crop and mulch from other sources. It was
7estimated that yield of 3 t/ha of maize could be achieved either through application of 52kg/ha N or incorporation of 3.4 t/ha (dry weight) or 15 t/ha fresh weight of Gliricidiagreen manure.2.3 Indigenous fruit tree crop systemMany miombo indigenous fruit trees are important for food and nutritional security, aswell as being a source of income for rural communities in the Southern Africa, withwomen and children being the main beneficiaries (Akinnifesi et al, 2004; 2006). It hasbeen estimated that, wild fruit trees represent about 20% of total woodland resource useby rural households in Zimbabwe (Campbell et al, 1997). Until recently there has beenlittle effort to cultivate, improve or add value to these fruits. In complementing theearlier emphasis on soil fertility improvement, developing indigenous fruit and nut treesinto tree crop system continue to be an important strategy to reduce poverty and hungerand to create employment opportunities in rural areas (Akinnifesi et al, 2004, 2006).Domestication involves accelerated and human-induced evolution to bring species intowider cultivation through a farmer-driven and market-led process (ICRAF, 1997). Thetree domestication initiative aims at building on the desire of rural communities tocultivate indigenous fruits and nuts meet their livelihood needs, especially food andnutritional security, increase household income, create employment and diversify farmingsystems and the rural economy (Akinnifesi et al, 2006). The domesticating of indigenousfruit trees will increase their quality and productivity, and can also create opportunitiesfor marketing their products, so empowering smallholder farming communities toconserve and cultivate them. Tree crop development and commercialization ofindigenous fruit trees from the miombo woodlands in southern Africa requires a long-
Page 1 and 2: 1Adoption, Profitability, Impacts a
Page 3 and 4: 31.0 IntroductionDue to a mix of ag
Page 5: 52.1 “Fertilizer tree systems”T
Page 9 and 10: 92.5 Fodder banks:This involves the
Page 11 and 12: 11adoption of agroforestry; why do
Page 13 and 14: 13technologies from the perspective
Page 15 and 16: 15sesban fallow fields, an extra 1.
Page 17 and 18: 17National Agroforestry Steering Co
Page 19 and 20: 195.2 Number of farmers reached thr
Page 21 and 22: 21southern Africa has not been too
Page 23 and 24: 23development work on agroforestry
Page 25 and 26: 25to which farmers are able to sour
Page 27 and 28: 27take-off point, and have provided
Page 29 and 30: 29technologies, access to roads and
Page 31 and 32: 31comparisons of the results diffic
Page 33 and 34: 33Bekunda M.A., A. Bationo and H. S
Page 35 and 36: 35Kwesiga, F., Akinnifesi, F.K., Ma
Page 37: 37Thangata, P.H. and J.R.R. Alavala

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