Hi, welcome to this hall on the Agroforestry practices in Nigeria.
Table Of Contents
- Explain the meaning of agroforestry.
- Types of agroforestry practices in Nigeria.
- Discuss different agroforestry combinations.
- Enumerate different tree species for inclusion in agroforestry practice.
Meaning Of Agro-Forestry
Meaning: Agro-Forestry is a collective name for land use system where Woody perennial (trees and shrub and palms) are deliberately planted on the same land management units as agricultural crops and or animals in some form of spatial arrangement or temporary sequence. In other words, agroforestry is simply a form of land management system in which Forest management, food production and conservations form integrated components. Agroforestry is normally viewed in the context of food production, Forest production and environmental conservation.
TYPES OF AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES IN NIGERIA
Agro-Forestry combines Agricultural and forestry technologies to create more integrated, diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land use system. The different agroforestry combination are:
1. Taungya system: This is one of the types of agroforestry practices in Nigeria: Taungya system involves the planting of both food crops and forest trees on the same piece of land. In other words, it is a system which involves the integration of Agriculture with forestry. Some of the conditions necessary for the practice of Tuangya system include scarcity of land, overpopulation, unemployment, deliberate government policies.
2. Forestry production on Farm plots: forestry production on Farm plot is feasible only if there is demand for the forest products grown on the farm plots, otherwise there will be little incentive to the Farmers to plant trees. However, if the gains in soil fertility are clearly demonstrated, farmers may be willing to introduce and maintain trees. The tree species used in these effort must be fast growing to produce marketable products in a short time.
3. Food production within the Forest ecosystem: This types of agroforestry practices involves the deliberate production of crops in a typical Forest environment. However, the type of crops to be cultivated must be able to adapt to the forest environment. The forest canopy must be open up by killing and clearing the trees underneath so that sufficient light is available for the growth of the crops. This system is aimed at food production by increasing the intensity of clearance and by the use of shade tolerant food crops that do not endanger the tree species.
4. Production of Livestock: Animals can also be reared in a forest environment. This involves the planting of quality grasses and legumes with the forest belts which provide food for the grazing farm animals especially ruminants animals.
5. Production of Pasture: Animal grasses e.g, elephant grasses and some leguminous plants can be planted deliberately within a forest zones. The purpose of this is to produce nutritional feed for livestock such as cattle, sheep and goat.
IMPORTANCE OF AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES IN NIGERIA
The type of land and the combination of plants and animals that constitute an agroforestry system has the following importance to man and his environment.
- Production of food crops: One of the importance of agroforestry practices in Nigeria is the production of food crops, The combination of the growth of food crops within some forestry trees do help in the production of food for farmers.
- Production of trees: Economic trees which are of importance to man are deliberately planted to provide timber and other forest products like fuel, wood.
- Rearing of Animals: Certain agroforestry practices do help in the rearing of livestock animals by the deliberate planting of pasture plants.
- Production of Pasture: Also the practice of certain agroforestry do assist in the development of pasture where livestock animals can graze.
- Maintenance of soil fertility: The practice of agroforestry do assist in the maintenance of soil fertility through the growth of some nitrogen faxing plants.
- Provision of wind breaks: The practice of some agroforestry ensure that planting of certain trees that can serve as windbreak in a particular area.
- Soil and water conservation: Trees in agroforestry system do promote soil and water conservation through cover cropping and growth of leguminous crops.
- Provision of living fences: Some trees are deliberately planted along Farm boundaries to serve as living fences as a kind of protection.
Roles Of Trees In Agro-Forestry
Trees generally play important roles in agroforestry practice. Some of the roles of trees in agroforestry include:
1. Alley cropping: This is a system of agroforestry which involves the growing of food crop in spaces between edges rows of trees or shrubs, which must undergo regular pruning every five or six weeks.
2. Home gardens and other multi-story system: home gardens, mixed planting of annual and tree crops around dwellings are common types of multi-story agroforestry system. Multi-story means that there are at least two layers of plants growing to different heights in the system. In home gardens, the lowest level often consist of vegetables or root crops, the second level includes fast growing trees or crops such as banana, spices and cocoa, a third higher level consists of large trees that provide fruits, timber and shades. Home gardens also provide a pleasant she dead living area.
3. Living Fences: in many places, farmers plant multipurpose trees in rows along Farm boundaries as living fences in addition to provide folder and fuel wood, living fences provide privacy and protection from browsing animals.
4. Wind breaks: Trees also provide windbreak. Wind breaks are stripes of trees, shrubs, and vines planted closely together along the edges of crop land perpendicular to prevailing winds. Especially in dry area, wind breaks can provide protection to crops and soils from the detrimental effect of wind.
5. Improved fallow system: Trees play important role in agroforestry through the bush fallow system. In this system, blocks of fast growing trees, particularly species that can fix nitrogen in the soil, can help that soil recover as well as provide fuel, poles and fodder. Farmers can plant stump cuttings in the field at the same time as the harvest of the last annual crops before the fallow period. The cuttings do not shade other crops until after 4 to 6 months.
6. Trees and raising livestock: Farm systems that combine trees plantations with livestock that graze beneath them are found generally in dryer areas, where natural grassland and Farm size are larger. In such system, farmers graze sheep or cattle on forage grasses or in stands of trees.
Advantages of Interacting Tree growing with livestock production
- Increase in production of meat: The combination of tree growing and livestock production help to increase the production of meat protein without sacrificing large charts of agricultural land.
- Reduction of soil erosion: The system help in reducing soil erosion by preventing open grazing and reducing dependence on grasses.
- Addition of organic Manure: The use of animal manure to fertilize the soils and inter–crops, helps in reducing reliance on in organic fertilizer.
- Provision of income: The system also help to provide additional income to farmers through sale of livestock.
- Stabilization of stream banks and gullies: Trees can help to reduce soil erosion along streams and gullies. They should be planted at the medium to high level water mark. Their roots serves to hold the soil in place and reduce the impact of storm water.
Revision Questions
- What is the meaning of Agroforestry?
- State and explain 5 types of agroforestry practices.
- Outline six importance of Agroforestry practices.