1. Examples of successful adoption of forage legumes are reported from all continents, where they delivered profi tability and often provided multipurpose benefi ts to farmers. 2. Factors vital to successful adoption were: meeting the needs of farmers; building relevant partnerships; understanding the socioeconomic context and skills of farmers; partici patory involvement with rural communities; and long-term involvement of champions. 3. Organisation of seed supply, achieving scale-up and forming partnerships to implement adoption are key features. 4. Legumes remain an important but under-exploited resource for tropical farming systems. The alternative to legumes will be greater and more costly use of N-fertilisers and purchased protein concentrates. 5. The R&D organisations will need to provide longterm support and greater investment for legume technologies to deliver benefi ts to farmers. Support will be needed for training and education programs to overcome declining availability of forage legume expertise and lack of awareness of oppor tunity for use of tropical forage legumes.

https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:121030/Shelton_tropical.pdf

Adoption of tropical legume technology around the world: analysis of success

Most published books on agroforestry have focused on biophysical aspects. There has been a lack of scientifically rigorous information about the socioeconomic features of agroforestry, and the adoption of agroforestry practices by farmers. This book seeks to fill the gap by assessing the adoption of selected agroforestry practices developed with African farmers, describing methods, and drawing out of the implications for research, development, and policy. The volume includes five case studies of research conducted in Kenya and Zambia to evaluate the adoption potential of agroforestry. The cases illustrate methods of farm and village technology design, testing, and analysis that are applicable to a wide range of natural resource management practices.

Trees on the farm: assessing the adoption potential of agroforestry practices in Africa.

The effects of different planting densities (250,000, 500,000 and 750,000 plants ha−1) and cutting frequencies (45, 60 and 75 days) on the biomass production and chemical composition of Moringa oleifera was studied in a completely randomised split plot design with four blocks, in Managua, Nicaragua, located geographically at 12°08′15′′ N and 86°09′36′′ E. The 75 day cutting frequency produced the highest fresh matter yield, 100.7 and 57.4 Mg ha−1 year−1, and dry matter (DM) yield, 24.7 and 10.4 Mg ha−1 year−1, during the first and second year, respectively. All planting densities produced the highest DM yield at 75 day cutting frequency. In the first year, the density of 750,000 plants ha−1 produced the highest fresh matter yield, 88.0 Mg ha−1 and highest DM yield, 18.9 Mg ha−1, but in the second year the density of 500,000 plants ha−1 gave the highest yields, 46.2 Mg ha−1 and 8.1 Mg ha−1, respectively. During the first year, DM (22.8%), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (30.8%) and ash (9.14%) contents were highest and in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) (68.2%) was lowest in the longest cutting interval, while contents of crude protein (CP) (22.8%) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) (22.8%) were not affected significantly by cutting frequency. In the second year, DM and CP contents and IVDMD were not significantly affected by cutting frequency, whereas NDF, ADF and ash contents were lowest in the 60 day cutting frequency. Planting density had no significant effect on chemical composition or IVDMD. These data suggest that Moringa forage could be an interesting protein supplement for ruminants.

/pdf/biomass-production-and-chemical-composition-of-moringa-4l7xvrqypp.pdf

Biomass Production and Chemical Composition of Moringa oleifera under Different Management Regimes in Nicaragua

This paper presents a review of agroforestry in Africa from a gender perspective. It examines women’s participation relative to men and the challenges and successes they experience. Particular agroforestry practices examined include fodder production and utilization, soil fertility management, woodlots and indigenous fruit and vegetable production and processing. The review shows that agroforestry has the potential to offer substantial benefits to women; however, their participation is low in enterprises that are considered men’s domain, such as timber and high in enterprises that have little or no commercial value, such as collection of indigenous fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the degree of women’s involvement relative to men in technologies such as soil fertility management, fodder production and woodlots is fairly high in terms of proportion of female-headed households participating but is low as measured by the area they allocate to these activities and the number of trees they plant. Data on whether women are able to manage agroforestry practices as well as men are mixed, although it is clear that women do most of the work. In cases where they do not perform well, the reasons are mostly due to scarcity of resources. In marketing, women are confined to the lower end of the value chain (retailing), which limits their control over and returns from the productive process. In order to promote gender equity in agroforestry and to ensure that women benefit fully, the paper recommends various policy, technological and institutional interventions. These include (1) facilitating women to form and strengthen associations, (2) assisting women to improve productivity and marketing of products considered to be in womens’ domain and (3) improving women’s access to information by training more women extension staff, holding separate meetings for women farmers, and ensuring that women are fully represented in all activities.

/pdf/gender-and-agroforestry-in-africa-a-review-of-women-s-wn19id8ade.pdf

Gender and agroforestry in Africa: a review of women's participation

Fodder trees for improving livestock productivity and smallholder livelihoods in Africa

Although the biological advantages in terms of animal production and improved soil fertility of the use of herbaceous legumes have been well demonstrated in Kenya and elsewhere, adoption by small-scale farmers has often been disappointing. This has led to increased research into the use of both indigenous and exotic fodder trees. In common with conventional pasture legumes, tree fodders contain high levels of crude protein and minerals and many show high levels of digestibility. They are readily accepted by livestock and presumably because of their deep-root systems, they continue to produce well into the dry season. Antinutritive factors can be a problem, however, and polyphenolics, toxic amino acids, cyanogenic glycosides and alkaloids are found in many tree species. There are abundant niches on small farms where fodder trees can be grown without affecting crop production. Although detailed management recommendations are lacking, guidelines exist with regard to appropriate cutting heights and harvesting frequencies. In the Embu region, it has been estimated that three kg of fresh fodder of Calliandra calothyrsus has the same effect on milk production as one kg of commercial dairy meal. Up to about 500 trees (250 m of hedgerow) will produce enough fodder to supplement one dairy cow for a complete lactation. The tree fodder can either replace the concentrate without loss of yield, or it can complement it to produce more milk. It is being enthusiastically adopted by small-scale farmers, many of whom are starting to produce their own seed. Other tree species are now being studied in order to avoid over-reliance on a single fodder species.

A review of tree fodder production and utilization within smallholder agroforestry systems in Kenya

Fodder shrubs have great potential for increasing the income of smallholder dairy farmers. This paper documents their use in central Kenya and the efforts of a range of institutions to promote their adoption. The successful dissemination of new knowledge-intensive practices such as planting and use of fodder shrubs requires much more than the transfer of seed and knowledge; it involves building partnerships with a range of stakeholders, ensuring the appropriateness of the practice and farmers’ interest in it, assisting local communities to mobilise resources, and ensuring the effective participation of farmer groups in testing, disseminating, monitoring and evaluating the practice.

G.M. Karanja

Papers

A review of tree fodder production and utilization within smallholder agroforestry systems in Kenya

The adoption and scaling up of the use of fodder shrubs in central Kenya

Calliandra for livestock

Calliandra for livestock. Technical Bulletin No. 1. van Houten, H. (Eds.). KARI-KEFRI-ICRAF, Kenya.