AGROFORESTRY
BAG 2101 CAT 1
Edna Mueni Musau
BEDS/2019/46229
Mount Kenya University
Submitted to Dr. Simon Nyoro
Introduction
Agroforestry is a land management practice that involves growing trees or shrubs, crops, pasture, and keeping of livestock on the same land. This ensures that much land is put in to use to enhance food supply, increase income to farmers, and improve their socioeconomic status. This practice ensures that soil is protected from erosion by groundcover plants such as naturally growing grasses, contributes to the mitigation of climate change by removing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and releasing oxygen. Soil fertility is improved through nitrogen fixation, and there is the provision of raw materials to industries such as fruits, wood for the paper industry, etc. The assignment evaluates the AF activities in Masii Sub County in Machakos County. This assignment explores the biographic conditions (climate, topography, soils, and agro-ecological zones), Agricultural systems in place, and agroforestry systems in existence by explaining the integration of the AF components. Discuss the problems encountered by farmers and give recommendations (AF systems to be improved or initiated afresh, indicating what the farmers and the extension officers should do.
Biogeographic Conditions
These are factors affecting the distribution of trees, crops, and animals with similar characteristics in different zones or areas and they include;
Climate
Climatic condition is a key factor affecting AF systems and activities. Machakos lies at an altitude of 1620metres above sea level. The climate here is mild and generally warm and temperate. The summers here have a good deal of rainfall, while the winters have very little with an annual rainfall of about 830 mm. The temperature varies between 16.5 to 29°C throughout the year. During the high rainfall season, farmers grow more trees to obtain optimum benefits of agroforestry. They also grow crops that do so well and receive very high yields. During low rainfall season, farmers concentrate on livestock activities and growing of crops.
Topography
Land terrain is unevenly distributed, a phenomenon that supports the vast growth of trees and vegetation. The rugged terrain discourages settlement and hence more forest cover in some parts of Masii Sub County. The soils are well-drained, shallow loam soil that supports crop, tree, and livestock production. This region falls under semi-humid to the semi-arid agro-ecological zone.
Agricultural Systems
The agricultural systems practiced here mostly are for subsistence purposes. In this sub-county, farmers practice extensive farming systems, which entails the use of small inputs of labour, fertilizer, and capital relative to the farm area. Less labour per unit area is required to farm large areas since expensive alterations to land (terraces) are completely absent. Animal welfare is generally improved because animals are not kept in stifling conditions .animals are grazed on pastures native to the locality, which leads to less likely problems with exotic species. Rotational grazing is also commonly used to avoid the spread of animal pests and the destruction of pasture. Crops are commonly following a rotational program where legumes are alternated with monocotyledonous to improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. Commonly grown crops include maize, beans, pigeon peas, peas and fruits such as mangoes and oranges do very well in this area.
The agroforestry systems in place include agrosilvocultural, common in medium agriculture potential areas, or the sub-humid areas. The farmers practice Alley cropping, also referred to as hedgerow intercropping; it involves managing rows of closely planted woody plants with annual crops planted in between hedges. The woody plants are cut regularly, and leaves and twigs are used as mulch on the cropped alleys to reduce evaporation from the soil surface, suppress weeds and add nutrients and organic matter to the topsoil. Where nitrogen is required for crop production, nitrogen-fixing plants are the main components of the hedgerows. Commonly grown trees species include pine, Grevillea robusta, acacia, Mangifera indica, jacaranda, orange trees, etc. the farmer sets aside uncultivated land left for pasture where the livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats graze.
Despite the successive agricultural activities, farmers are faced with challenges such as soil erosion, where the topsoil is washed away. The cultivating areas are left bare, which leads to a reduction in production. Cutting down of trees for charcoal and firewood has greatly contributed to soil erosion. Overstocking has contributed too where the livestock trend over the vegetation and grass leaving the land bare. The rainfall received in this region is little and unreliable, which results in low yields or produce.
Besides, the area does not receive rainfall throughout the year, which is a huge set back to the farmers. This explains why some trees or vegetation doesn’t do well in the sub-county. Farm inputs such as fertilizer and improved seeds are either very expensive or not available, making it difficult for small scale farmers to acquire and replenish soil fertility improving the nutrients in the soil for plant growth. Due to this, most farmers receive very low yields. The outbreak of crop and livestock pests and diseases has also been a great challenge facing the farmers. Farmers lack information on how to control and prevent pests and diseases, which in return results in severe losses. Goats kept by farmers also pose a challenge to the trees, especially young due to their browsing nature; this reduces the growth of trees in the region.
The following are my recommendations:
The strategic objective of extension and advisory programs should be to promote the growth of a culture of continuous learning about agroforestry and related issues, to facilitate informed decision-making and successful adoption of agroforestry. In addition to engendering continuous learning among landholders and others involved in agroforestry, extension programs should themselves exemplify continuous learning in both their design and their delivery (Farrington, 1995). It is important to meet formal requirements for extension agencies to show that they are using their resources effectively and efficiently and facilitating on-going improvement in extension programs. Evaluative components should ideally be built into extension programs from the outset, rather than being an add-on. Making evaluation an intrinsic part of the extension program is likely to ensure that there is a careful definition of aims and that relevant data are gathered at appropriate times. Evaluation should deal with processes, outputs, and outcomes.
From the outset, extension programs for agroforestry should have in-built evaluative components relating to processes, outputs, and outcomes, to facilitate on-going improvement. These evaluative components should take account of the various levels of analysis identified by Bennett, a collaboration between researchers, extension agents, and landholders. Both technical and economic information is needed. Landholders would like more say regarding research priorities, and they wish to be heard and taken seriously rather than listened to in a token way (Farrington, 1995). Furthermore, the research’s conduct would be enhanced by drawing on the experience that agro foresters have been accumulating. Involving landholders and extension agents in the design and conduct of research would improve both the relevance of the research and the wider uptake of its results
To achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness, a whole-government approach should be developed in each State to design and implement publicly funded extension programs (Dart, Petheram, and Straw, 1998). This approach should also take account of the capacity of the private sector and non-government organizations such as Greening Australia to provide extension and advisory services. Some are early adopters, some have considered the possibility but have not yet adopted, some have not thought about the possibility, and others have specifically rejected it. Landholders also vary in characteristics such as age, formal educational attainments, size of landholding, length of ownership, level of equity in the land, types of agricultural enterprises, farming styles, attitudes towards risk, orientation towards conservation, and off-farm income.
Extension and advisory strategies should take into account the diverse capacities, experiences, resources, and needs of landholders and other people who are, or who could become involved in agroforestry (Molua, 2005). Extension program planners should specify the categories of people being targeted in each program and why.
Extension strategies for agroforestry should aim to strengthen the capacity of landholders to deal appropriately with risks; play an active part in research and development; engage in the regular exchange of information with fellow tree-growers and experimenters; recognize the link between farm forestry and farm viability; know the potential of their property thoroughly; develop appropriate links with government and industry; contribute to long-term community benefits.
Case studies providing objective analysis of the economic, environmental, and social impact of agroforestry at the whole farm level should be used to inform landholders and other stakeholders of its potential benefits. These case studies should include information on outcomes under various scenarios and on ways of managing risks.
Although a ‘best bet’ approach can provide one source of information relevant to agroforestry, a ‘diagnosis and design’ approach is likely to consider a wider array of options (Dart, Petheram, and Straw, 1998). The ‘diagnosis and design’ approach encourages landholder ownership of decisions and also contributes more effectively to the development of a culture of continuous learning about agroforestry.
Some agroforestry extension programs should be specifically targeted at potential investors, whether institutions, corporations or individuals; agricultural consultants, forestry consultants, and extension agents dealing with other farm enterprises; accountants and other financial advisers; local governments and other land use planning agencies; stock and station or real estate agents; tree nursery operators; equipment operators and contractors; suppliers of other inputs; other members of the rural community.
Extension and advisory strategies should include provision for each of the following, though these may not necessarily all emanate from the one agency: information access and technology transfer; one-to-one advice or information exchange; formal or structured education and training; group facilitation and empowerment (Dart, Petheram, and Straw, 1998).
Television, radio and the press should each be used to raise awareness of agroforestry. Information sheets and booklets Television, radio, and newspapers have very limited usefulness in dealing with the more detailed information required for successful agroforestry (Dart, Petheram, and Straw, 1998). A commonly used method of providing such information is through information sheets or booklets dealing with specific subjects such as species selection, planting configurations, site preparation, planting techniques, pruning, thinning, pest management, log specifications, harvesting, and marketing. If they are carefully prepared and well designed, such publications have the advantage that they can convey reliable information relatively inexpensively, and they can be consulted by the grower as occasion requires (Farrington, 1995). However, they need to be reviewed regularly to ensure that the information they contain is as up-to-date as possible.
References
Dart, J., Petheram, R., and Straw, W. (1998). Review of evaluation in agricultural extension. Canberra: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.
Farrington, J. (1995). The changing public role in agricultural extension. Food Policy 20: 537-544.
Molua, E. L. (2005). The economics of tropical agroforestry systems: the case of agroforestry farms in Cameroon. Forest policy and economics, 7(2), 199-211.
Kinyili, B. M., Ndunda, E., & Kitur, E. (2020). The trade-off between Agroforestry and Ecosystem Services among Smallholder Farmers in Machakos (Kenya). Africa Environmental Review Journal, 3(2), 145-155.
Mwalusepo, S., Massawe, E. S., Affognon, H. D., Okuku, G. O., Kingori, S., Mburu, D. M., … & Muli, E. (2015). Smallholder farmers’ perspectives on climatic variability and adaptation strategies in East Africa: The case of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Taita, and Machakos Hills in Kenya. Earth Science & Climatic Change, 6(10), 01-09.