Falcataria moluccana (batai wood).

F. moluccana is one of the fastest growing multipurpose tree species and coupled with other positive attributes, it is a suitable species for plantation programmes and agroforestry applications in the humid tropics. It has many uses but it is commonly planted as an ornamental and shade tree. Other uses of the species being tested include alley farming, intercropping in forest plantations and reforestation.

MANAGING NATURAL PASTURE FOR SMALL RUMINANTS: THE CASE OF ALLEY FARMING IN IKWUANO AREA OF ABIA STATE

Natural pasture for small ruminants must be sustained, enhanced, and where it has been diminished or destroy, restored, if animal production must contribute meaningfully to national food security. In Eastern Nigeria, farming system, such as bush fallow, are generally based on shifting cultivation. Unfortunately, agricultural lands are relatively scarce, thereby resulting to shortened fallow periods and thus, widespread diminishing and destruction of natural pasture. The urgency of managing deficient and scarce natural pasture in this environment is widely recognized. Not only is this essential for small ruminants’ feeding, but a dynamic animal sector is a key to achieving food security. The paper argues therefore, that alley farming is the right approach to managing deficient and scarce natural pasture, since it is the most promising alternative to traditional slash-and-burn shifting cultivation. Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State was used as the study area. The results show that there is a pressing need for alley farming promotion. Small holders’ access to this technology would aid in revolutionizing animal production in Nigeria. This paper advocates for policies that will incorporate alley farming into production recommendations transferred to small farmers.

SMALL RUMINANT LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT AND ALLEY FARMING IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA: A Case Study of Some Selected Communities

The adoption potential of alley farming as an agro-intervention system capable of providing fodder to small ruminant livestock in southern parts of Nigeria is evaluated in this paper. Data were collected from a total of 240 respondents through the use of structured questionnaire in some selected communities of the south-western (SW) and south-eastern (SE) parts of Nigeria where the agro-intervention had been introduced in the past. Data analysis showed that ownership of small ruminants is more popular among households in savannah zone than forest zone, and among current and former alley farmers than non-alley farmers with browse being the most preferred feed given to the livestock. The management indicators showed that the care of the animals is generally the responsibility of all family members. The data suggest that the introduction of alley farming to produce supplemental feed for livestock may not gain quick adoption in areas with local sources of browse notably in the forest zone. The paper then concluded that the introduction of alley farming to produce supplemental fodder may be an innovation more suited to livestock owners' needs in the mid-term future, rather than immediately.

Nutrients content and nutritive values of the leaves of alley woody species used in alley farming in Umudike Southern Nigeria

Alley farming is an agroforestry system that utilizes trees for maintaining soil fertility and improving livestock production. This research assessed the nutrients and nutritive values of the leaves of four alley woody species: Cajanus cajan, Gliricidia sepium, Flamingia macrophylla and Leucaena leucocephala used at the agroforestry research farm of Department of Forestry and Environmental Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria. Umudike. The results obtained showed that the leaves of the alley woody species contained: N, P, K, Ca, Mg and heavy metals like: Fe, Pb, Zn, and Cd in significant quantity while Cr was trace amount. Ni content was not significant (P>0.05). They also contained high moisture, Crude fibre, Crude protein, Carbohydrate and vitamins. The four alley woody species could be an ideal combination in alley farming system in revitalizing poor agricultural soil through litterfall and nutrient cycling and as well provide forage for livestock production. Keywords: Alley farming, alley woody species, nutrient content, nutritive value

Relative impacts of key drivers on the response of the water table to a major alley farming experiment

Widespread clearing of native vegetation in Southwest Western Australia has led to land degradation associated with rising groundwater, secondary salinisation and waterlogging. Re-establishing deep-rooted perennial vegetation across parts of the landscape is one technique for managing land degradation. Alley farming is an agroforestry practice where multiple perennial tree belts are planted in alternation with traditional agricultural crops. To identify the best configuration (belt width versus alley width) for controlling rising groundwater levels and providing viable economic returns, a large scale experiment was established in 1995. The experiment contains seven different alley farming designs, each with transects of piezometers running across tree belts into adjacent alleys to monitor changes in the groundwater level. Two control piezometers were also installed in an adjacent paddock. Groundwater at the site is shallow (<3 m) and of poor quality (pH 3–5, Ec 2.1–45.9 mS cm−1) so root water uptake from the saturated zone is limited. Simple hydrograph analysis could not separate treatment effects on the water table response. Subsequent statistical analysis revealed that 20–30% of the variability in the water table data over the 12 year study period was attributable to the alley farming experiment. To futher investigate the effect of the experiment on groundwater response, additional hydrograph analysis was conducted to compare the trends in the control piezometers in relation to those located within the belts. A difference of 0.9 m was observed between the mean groundwater levels in the control piezometers and the mean levels in the perennial belt piezometers. For a mean specific yield of 0.03 m3 m−3 (standard deviation of 0.03 m3 m−3) this equates to an additional average annual water use of 27 mm yr−1 (standard deviation of 33 mm yr−1) by the perennial agroforestry system. It is concluded that declining annual rainfall is the principal control on hydrograph response at the site, whilst perennial biomass development has a lesser impact on water table depth.