scholarly journals Land Tenure and the Potential for the Adoption of Alley Farming in West Africa

1994 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lawry ◽  
D. Stienbarger ◽  
M. A. Jabbar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Leguminous Trees ◽  
Alley Farming ◽  
Trees And Shrubs

Alley farming was developed as a means of maintaining soil fertility in fields under permanent cultivation in Africa, as population pressure makes the traditional practice of slash-and-burn combined with fallowing unsustainable. It is an agroforestry system under which food crops are grown in alleys formed by hedgerows of leguminous trees and shrubs. Studies have shown that it works, but farmers are only taking it up very slowly. Recent work suggests that land tenure might be a factor in the spread of alley cropping.

scholarly journals Farmers’ Participation in Agroforestry System in Northwestern Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-265
Author(s):  
M. N. Danjuma ◽  
S. Mohammed ◽  
M. Z. Karkarna
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Home Garden ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Scattered Trees ◽  
The One

The aim of this study is to assess agroforestry practices in Northwestern Nigeria with a view to bringing to light some salient features of the system for maximising benefits and improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the study area. A total of one hundred and sixty six smallholder farmers were sampled using random technique from five hundred and fifty farmers’ listed by the contact forum in the study area. Questionnaire was administered to the one hundred and sixty six smallholder farmers with a view to examining the level of farmers’ participation in agroforestry in six villages namely Kabobi and Garki in Katsina State, Bulangu and Abonabo in Jigawa State, Bobo in Zamfara State and Gulma in Kebbi State. Interview was also conducted with ten farmers in Bulangu, Kabobi and Gulma to provide explanations on the limitation to acceptance of agroforestry innovations in the study area. Data collected with the questionnaire was analysed using simple percentage and frequency in order to measure dispersion among sampled farmers. Data collected from the interview was coded, transcribed and presented in textual form in the paper. Result of the study revealed that seven agroforestry systems (alley cropping, boarder line planting, scattered planting, woodlot, apiculture, orchard and home garden) were practiced in the area. Orchard and home garden were not practiced in Kabobi, the northern most of the villages. It also indicated farmers’ level of participation for the seven identified technologies as follows: Alley cropping (25.63%), boarder line planting (16.25%), scattered trees on farmland (36.25%), woodlot (1.25%), orchard (1.88%), apiculture (8.75%) and home gardens (10.00%). The key factors limiting acceptance of innovations include: l) lack of tree seedling (25.00%), land tenure issues (17.50%), long tree gestation period of indigenous species (50.63%) and insect attack (06.88%). This study recommended that farmers should be educated more on agroforestry technologies through mass media programmes and ICT.

Trees in Alley Cropping: Competitors or Soil Improvers?

1994 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy P. Haggar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Humid Tropics ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Soil Improvers ◽  
Improved Design

Agroforestry has a high potential to sustain agricultural production in the humid tropics. One specific type of agroforestry, alley cropping, has received much attention as a means of producing staple food crops within an agroforestry system. There is now substantial evidence that alley cropping maintains soil fertility above levels found in pure annual cropping systems. Nevertheless, competition between the trees and crops can significantly reduce yields by the crop. A model is presented of how the balance between the improved soil fertility in alley cropping and competition from the trees determines the final crop performance. Better understanding of the factors that determine crop yield will enable improved design and management of alley cropping systems, and may allow alley cropping to become a more reliable means of improving crop production.

scholarly journals Acacia Catechu Trees in Rice Fields: A Traditional Agroforestry System of Northern Bangladesh

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Md. Alamgir Kabir ◽  
K.M. Masum Billah ◽  
Md. Masud Parvez
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Rice Fields ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Crop Fields ◽  
Trees On Farms ◽  
Acacia Catechu ◽  
Traditional Agroforestry

Growing Acacia catechu trees on rice fields is one traditional crop-land Agroforestry system of Rajshahi region in Bangladesh. Farming system was explored with detailed information on farm operations and cropping calendar including system outputs. System dynamics was also evaluated. PRA exercises were conducted for a biophysical assessment. The information was collected on informant wise and cross-checked. Best growth of trees observed under rain-fed conditions. Higher density of trees found in un-irrigated fields. Trees were better managed in small plots. In general, density of khoir trees was found higher in small holdings (less than 2 ha) with secured land tenure. Trees on farms were of uneven age indicating the khoir + rice system biologically sustainable. The ease of establishment of Khoir seedlings, the low cost of its maintenance, and less vulnerability to any serious pest or disease, easy marketability of products rated high in the farmer’s preference for khoir. They appreciate the versatility of the wood for a variety of farm uses though its prime economic use to them is for production of lali for katha. They also get pitch khoir as by product of katha (red dyestuff for textiles and paper) production. The multiple products and services offered and the ease of managing the trees on crop fields without causing any immediate or long-term reduction in crop yield seemed to be the most important factors that encourage the farmers to continue this traditional practice. If farmers could be motivated to follow appropriately the silvicultural practices, production could further be increased.

scholarly journals Adapting Syntropic Permaculture for Renaturation of a Former Quarry Area in the Temperate Zone

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 603
Author(s):  
Moritz Cossel ◽  
Heike Ludwig ◽  
Jedrzej Cichocki ◽  
Sofia Fesani ◽  
Ronja Guenther ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Governmental Institutions ◽  
Trees And Shrubs ◽  
Southwest Germany

In Southwest Germany, the renaturation of quarry areas close to settlements is usually based on the planting of native species of trees and shrubs, which are then neither cultivated nor used. This study investigates whether a species-rich agroforestry system based on Ernst Goetsch’s syntropic agriculture approach would be suitable for both renaturation in the form of soil fertility improvement and diverse food crop production under temperate climate. The quarry syntropy project was launched in summer 2019. Two shallow stony sections of a spoil heap of the quarry in Ehningen, Southwest Germany were available for demonstration plots. An interdisciplinary project team was set up both to obtain the official permits from five governmental institutions and to begin the study. The demonstration plots were each divided into three broad strips, which differ in three vegetation types: trees, shrubs, and annual food crops. The tree and shrub areas are mainly used for biomass production for a continuous mulch supply on the entire cultivated area in order to rapidly increase soil fertility. The food crops and also partly the trees and shrubs were intended to provide organically produced food (vegetables, fruit, berries and herbs). Most of the trees (eleven species) were planted in November 2019. In March 2020, soil samples were taken (0–30 cm), and a solar-powered water storage system was installed. Currently, the shrub and annual food crop strips are under preparation (pre-renaturation phase). In this initial phase, the priority is fertility improvement of the topsoil through intensive mulching of the existing grassland stock dominated by top grasses and the legumes hybrid alfalfa (Medicago × varia Martyn) and common bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.). The food crop strip should then start in 2021 after one year of mulching. Depending on the success of growth, the tree strips should then also gain in importance for mulch application in the following years. The strategy is to gradually build up food crop cultivation under organic low-input agricultural practices while simultaneously enhancing the biophysical growth conditions guided by natural succession.

scholarly journals Farmers’ perceptions towards agroforestry systems in Babanosa Area, West Kordofan State

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Eldin Mohammed Fadl ◽  
Ali Elamin Abdallah Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Acacia Senegal ◽  
Farm Land ◽  
Field Crops ◽  
Sclerocarya Birrea ◽  
Collection Data

This study was conducted in Eltemada, Boli and Umghoghai villages at Babanosa area in El-salam locality, South Kordofan State during 2012 and 2013. The objectives were to (1) identify and assess the most important agroforestry systems, (2) to investigate the main factors that affecting the sustainability of the systems, (3) to determine the important field crops that cultivated with trees and (4) to evaluate the effect of the agroforestry systems on the yield of the traditional field crops. For accomplishment of these study 80 questioners was designed and distributed in the selected villages. After the data collection data was analyzed by using descriptive statistic. The results showed that the most important agroforestry systems in the study area are parkland cropping system (58%), boundary planting (26%), wind-breaks (13%) and alley cropping (3%).The most important forest trees in the study area are Acacia senegal (32%), Ziziphus spina- christia (28%), Balanites aegeyptiaca (26%), Sclerocary birrea and Guera senegalensis (3%). The main field crops in the study area are groundnut (44%), sorghum (35%) and roselle (21%). The results showed that yield of groundnut and sorghum is higher under agroforestry systems compared with the mono-cropping system. The results showed that the majority of respondents (70%) prefer to cultivate field crops in agroforestry system, while (30%) prefer to cultivate the field crops in a mono-cropping system. The cultivation methods used in the study area include shifting cultivation (52%), mono-cropping (36%) and intercropping (12%).The majority of respondents (94%) showed that trees improve soil fertility in their farm land. The benefits from trees in farm land include improvement of soil properties (36%), protecting the farm land from wind erosion (28%), improvement of micro-climate (24%) and source of income which was indicated by (12%) of the respondents. The study recommended that modern agroforestry system such as improved fallow system and alley cropping should be introduced in the study area and multi-purpose trees such as Acacia senegal, Fedherbia albida and Sclerocarya birrea that improve soil fertility and diversify farmers income should be maintained. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v4i2.12633 International Journal of Environment Vol.4(2) 2015: 136-146

Alley Farming with Leucaena: Effect of Short Grazed Fallows on Soil Fertility and Crop Yields

1990 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. Atta-Krah
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Continuous Cultivation ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Alley Farming ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Term Trial

SUMMARYA long-term trial with Leucaena leucocephala was initiated in 1982 to test the sustainability of Leucaena-based alley farming compared to a conventional cropping system without trees and with continuous cultivation of maize. It assessed the integration of short grazed fallows in rotation within Leucaena alleys and their effect on soil fertility and crop yields.The various treatments had no effect on soil pH during the four-year period of the trial. The organic carbon and total nitrogen contents of the soils under conventional cropping were lower by the end of the fourth year than those under alley cropping and alley grazing treatments, whereas soil phosphorus levels were lower in the alley cropping and grazing plots. Foliage dry matter production of Leucaena under alley cropping management ranged from 6.0 to 6.7 t ha−1 a−1 under continuous cropping and reached 8 t ha−1 when alley cropping was preceded by a grazed fallow. Crop yields were consistently higher with alley cropping than with conventional cropping. Alley cropping plots in rotation with two year grazed fallows gave significantly higher crop yields during cropping years than those under continuous cultivation.

scholarly journals Technical Inefficiency Determinants in Potato Production: The case of Potato Farmers in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Hailu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Land Fragmentation

The study identified the factors that cause variation in the level of efficiency in potato production. The study used household level cross sectional data collected in 2015/16 from 196 sample farmers selected by multistage sampling technique. For the data collection, a personally administered structured questionnaire was used. In the analyses, descriptive statistics, a stochastic frontier model (SFM) and a two-limit Tobit regression model were employed. Tobit model revealed that technical efficiency was positively and significantly affected by education, land tenure status, extension service, credit and soil fertility whereas variables such as sex of household head, age of household head, farm size and land fragmentation affected it negatively. Therefore the study suggested the need for policies to discourage land fragmentation and promote education, extension visits, access to credit and soil fertility for improvement in technical efficiency.

Study of Poplar and Bamboo based Agroforestry System

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-70
Author(s):  
Kapil Joshi ◽  
◽  
Vrushali Gade ◽  
Ashwini Apet ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Management ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The People ◽  
Agro Forestry

Food insecurity and poverty have been affecting the livelihood of the rural poor since ages. It is posing a major challenge to the sustainable development of a developing country like India. In such countries, land and soil degradation has emerged as an offshoot of excessive population pressure over the limited resources. Agricultural production in the developing countries has seldom matched the needs of the people. Agro forestry has the potential to arrest land degradation and improve site productivity through interaction with trees, soil, crops and livestock. Agro forestry is also a potential option for improving rural livelihood and enhancing integrated management of the natural resource base. Agro forestry systems can play an important role in carbon mitigation programmes through carbon sequestration and can reduce the pressure on existing natural forests by providing fuel, fodder, timber and wood products to the farmers. The current interest in agro forestry in India has transformed the land-use system in terms of economic sustainability. This article briefly reviews about the concept of Poplar and Bamboo based agro forestry systems as adopted extensively by the farmers on a commercial and environmental conservation scale. These systems play a significant role to meet the economic, social and environmental concerns of the villagers.

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