Betserai I. Nyoka

Agroforestry Tree Seed Production and Supply Systems in Malawi

A sustainable agroforestry tree germplasm supply system is vital to resource-constrained smallholder farmers who depend on agroforestry to improve the productivity of their farm enterprises. Successful adoption of agroforestry hinges on the development of a sustainable agroforestry tree germplasm supply system. This paper reviews the agroforestry tree seed supply system in Malawi, with a view to determining its sustainability and quality. Currently, more than 90% of the documented agroforestry tree seed distributed to farmers is produced by smallholder farmers collected mainly from scattered farmland trees, the remainder being produced from seed orchards and seed stands owned or controlled by research organizations. Three organizations—namely the Land Resources Centre (LRC), National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC) of the Forestry Research Institute of Malawi (FRIM) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)—were identified as major procurers of agroforestry tree seed produced by smallholder farmers. Agroforestry germplasm is distributed to farmers by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government agricultural and forestry extension departments. The procurement and distribution of germplasm to farmers is in general effective. The major challenge to sustainability of agroforestry tree germplasm distribution in Malawi is dependence on donor funding. The agroforestry tree seed system is, to some extent, sustainable with regards to production, although the genetic quality of the germplasm is low. Germplasm storage facilities at national level are available and possibly adequate, but knowledge and information on effective low-cost tree germplasm storage systems at household level are limited. Sustainability could be enhanced by strengthening of grass-root organizations involved in tree seed production to institutionalize the distribution through farmer–farmer exchange. There is also a need to support the development, promotion and adoption of low-cost tree germplasm storage facilities by smallholder farmers.

Domestication and conservation of indigenous Miombo fruit trees for improving rural livelihoods in Southern Africa

Abstract The last two decades have witnessed increased interest in the conservation, domestication and commercialization of indigenous fruit trees (IFTs) in the tropics. This paper examines the experiences from research and development (R&D) initiatives involving IFTs of the Miombo eco-region. Significant progress has been made in domestication strategies, including species priority setting, provenance trials, participatory clonal selection and development of new cultivars, nursery propagation techniques and field management. New research has created opportunities for the development of IFTs as new crops and their management on-farm. Participatory domestication initiatives described in this paper provide a beneficial strategy aimed at reducing over-dependence and exploitation of wild populations, while at the same time helping farmers and researchers in the development of new tree crops to capture economic opportunities.

Tree Seed and Seedling Supply Systems: A Review of the Asia, Africa and Latin America Models

The paper reviews tree seed and seedling supply systems in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. Across these regions, the review found that some of the germplasm supply systems do not efficiently meet farmers’ demands and environmental expectations in terms of productivity, species and genetic diversity. In some countries, germplasm used is mostly sourced from undocumented sources and often untested. Germplasm quality control systems are only found in a few countries. Appreciation of the value of tree germplasm of high genetic quality is low. Non-government organisations (NGOs) in many African countries play a prominent role in the supply of germplasm which is usually given to farmers without charge. The practice of giving farmers free germplasm by NGOs in many African countries and also government participation in germplasm supply in some Asian countries has been blamed for crowding out private entrepreneurs, although this is not substantiated by any evidence to suggest that the smallholder farmers are willing and able to pay for the germplasm. In some Latin American countries, private companies, government and NGOs provide farmers tree germplasm in a partnership in which farmers provide land and labour in return. Overall, tree germplasm markets are large in Asia, due in part to large afforestation programs, intermediate in Latin America and small in Africa where smallholder farmers constitute the market. In countries where germplasm quality control is practiced, it is either through a legal framework or voluntary. A few countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have developed protocols for certification of tree seeds based on the OECD. Some germplasm suppliers use branding as a way of differentiating their germplasm as having superior quality. To enhance the use of high quality germplasm, there is a need to demonstrate the value of using such germplasm and raise awareness of germplasm quality among the farmers and policy-makers.

Certification of agroforestry tree germplasm in Southern Africa: opportunities and challenges

The lack of high quality agroforestry tree germplasm has long been recognized as one of the major challenges to widespread adoption of agroforestry in Southern Africa. Productivity levels realized in operational scale plantings are far less than those demonstrated in research and this has been partly blamed on the use of germplasm of unknown quality and low productivity potential. The lack of high quality germplasm is attributable to the absence of regulations to govern its production in the countries promoting agroforestry. Most of the agroforestry tree germplasm is sold or distributed without regard to its genetic, physiological and physical quality. Given these challenges, in this paper, we reviewed crop seed certification in general and tree germplasm certification in the USA, Europe, India, Southern Africa and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with a view to find potential similarities with agroforestry tree germplasm. Only three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, Madagascar and Rwanda) were found to have tree germplasm certification: the OECD Forest Seed and Plant certification scheme. From the review, it is possible to establish agroforestry tree germplasm quality control systems, more so in countries that already have tree seed centres and tree seed regulations. A simple agroforestry tree germplasm certification scheme, based on the FAOs Quality Declared Seed (QDS) with truth-in-labelling is recommended. Three germplasm categories (audit, select and genetically improved) are recommended as a start. Furthermore, countries will need to develop new or amend existing agricultural seed policies and regulations to include agroforestry tree germplasm certification under QDS. Finally, germplasm quality standards for the selected agroforestry trees species in the respective countries will need to be developed.

Towards sustainable management of soil biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in Africa

Abstract Soil biodiversity constitutes an important part of the terrestrial food web and plays a major role in sustainable agriculture. However, the wider benefits of soil biodiversity have been largely ignored by traditional and conventional agriculture in Africa. This work synthesizes the current state of knowledge and highlights the unique challenges to management of soil biodiversity in African agriculture. The role of soil biodiversity in integrated pest management (IPM), maintenance of soil fertility and rehabilitation of degraded land is demonstrated. The analysis provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that agricultural intensification negatively impacts on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Recognition of the role of soil biodiversity in agricultural and educational policies and adoption of multi-sectoral approaches could improve its sustainable management in Africa.

Quality of tree seedlings produced in nurseries in Malawi: an assessment of morphological attributes

Abstract Survival of planted trees in Malawi is very low and this is attributed to many factors including the use of poor quality tree seedlings. A survey was conducted to assess the quality of tree seedlings produced by various nurseries. The survey covered 55 nurseries in four districts in central Malawi comprising 18 private, 26 communal and 11 institutional nurseries. A total of 1,500 tree seedlings were assessed for morphological attributes i.e. root collar diameter (RCD), height, root and shoot weight, shoot-to-root ratio (S:R), sturdiness quotient, Dickson’s Quality Index (DQI) and root deformity. Differences between the three nursery types were significant (p < 0.05) for some of the parameters. Overall, 33%, 58% and 67% of assessed seedlings in communal, institutional and private nurseries, respectively, had the recommended S:R ratio of less than 2, while for sturdiness quotient, 8%, 67%, and 58%, respectively, of the seedlings had less than the recommended threshold value of 6. A similar pattern was observed for RCD and DQI. Prevalence of root deformities was highest in institutional nurseries (47.5%), followed by private (45.5%) and communal nurseries had the lowest (42.6%). Given that all three nursery types have apparent, but sometimes different seedling quality issues, building knowledge and technical capacity is needed across all the nursery operators.