An exploration of evergreen agriculture

approaches for scaling up in East Africa

Jonathan Muriuki ICRAF, Nairobi

Synopsis

The regional context

The evergreen agriculture idea

The project objectives

Results from capacity building objective in Machakos, Kenya

Conclusion

HUMID

HIGHLANDS

High Pop. Density

(Home to > 50 % of

region’s pop)

Supply > 50 % of

regions staple &

cash crops

Important water

towers

Rainfed & irrigated

agriculture

Major crops: Maize,

potato, banana,

wheat, coffee, tea,

arrow roots

DRYLANDS

81 % of total land

mass

Significant in

Kenya (75 %);

Tanzania &

Ethiopia (50 %)

Pastoralism / Agro-

pastoralism

Irrigated and

rainfed agriculture

Major crops:

Sorghum, millet &

cassava, cotton

Eastern Africa

Main features

2003 Crop Yields (MT/ha) – Africa, and Global

Crop AFRICA GLO

BAL

Maize 1.61 4.47

Rice 1.87 3.84

Sorghum 0.88 1.30

Millet 0.70 0.82

Sweet Potatoes 4.32 13.49

Cassava 8.83 10.76

Beans 0.62 0.70

Groundnuts 0.86 1.35

Bananas 6.59 15.25

4

(Source: Tittonell, 2013)

What is Evergreen Agriculture?

A form of more

intensive farming

that integrates trees

with annual crops,

maintaining a green

cover on the land

throughout the year.

Evergreen farming

systems are ‘double-

story’ systems that

feature both perennial

and annual species

(food crops and trees).

Project objectives

1. To identify the critical drivers of adoption of evergreen

agriculture technologies and practices in sub Saharan

Africa (baseline study)

2. To establish a robust infrastructure for the multiplication

and supply of improved tree seed/seedling system and its

integration with livestock production systems

3. Build the capacity of smallholder farmers in accessing

evergreen agriculture practises, and supporting services

(e.g technologies, credit and markets),

4. Generate, package and disseminate knowledge to various

categories of smallholder farmers, partners and institutions

Meru County, Kenya

Machakos County, Kenya

Mwanga District, TanzaniaMbarali District, Tanzania

Bugesera District,

Rwanda

Project sites

Lesotho – only baseline studies done in

two sites – north and south of the country

Build the capacity of smallholder farmers

in accessing evergreen agriculture

practises in Machakos

Establishment of demonstration plots at farmers training centre and in each of 40 farmer groups – three tree species tested with three alley spacings and maize-legume intercrop

Training of farmers through four different approaches – government extension, FFS through World Vision, Landcare – through KENDAT and Volunteer farmer trainers

Maize ATC Machakos SR2013

More moisture retention when CA practiced with shrubs

0

10

20

30

40

50

60C

all

at 1

.5

Ca

ll at 3

Ca

ll at 4

.5

No

tre

es

Glir

at 1

.5

Glir

at 3

Glir

at 4

.5

P.p

ea

s a

t 1

.5

P.p

ea

s a

t 3

P.p

ea

s a

t 4

.5

Treatment

CoASR13 LR14 SR14

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Ca

ll at 1

.5

Ca

ll at 3

Ca

ll at 4

.5

No

tre

es

Glir

at 1

.5

Glir

at 3

Glir

at 4

.5

P.p

ea

s a

t1.5

P.p

ea

s a

t 3

P.p

ea

s a

t4.5

Treatment

CA

SR13 LR14 SR14

Mois

ture

% v

ol-

Till

Mois

ture

% v

ol–

No t

ill

Tree growth and production LR2014

Farm tree diversity as proxy for extension

approach effectiveness for CAWT

Farmers under Landcare had more diversity of tree species and

farm enterprises

Conclusion

• CA with trees generated benefits of higher maize yields (no

difference in legume yields) and increased soil water storage hence

can narrow yield gaps especially useful for moisture stressed lands

• Very close spacing (below 3m) yielded high shrub biomass and

stored more moisture but depressed yields – while best performance

was by Calliandra calothyrsus spaced at 3m

• Tree biomass can serve as fodder and fuelwood and staking for high

value crops such as climbing beans, tomatoes etc

• Extension Approaches that build social capital in communities and

build farmers’ capacity to diagnose NRM issues such as Landcare

may be more appropriate in scaling up INRM

Thank you

for Listening

Creating an Evergreen Agriculture in Eastern Africa