Agroforestry

This is the system of farming in which farmers that have multiple uses together with crops and/or pasture on the same land

Importance of agroforestry

• Trees provide shades for animals.
• Legumes planted fix nitrogen in the soil.
• Trees area source of fodder to livestock.
• Some trees provide fruits that if food to man.
• They are source of firewood
• Provide materials for construction
• Leaves decomposed to form humus.

Reasons why there is limited adoption of agroforestry by farmers in Uganda

• Land fragmentation limits the size of land for agriculture.
• Inadequate training
• Lack of permanent land ownership.
• Inadequate supply of seed/seedling supply
• Poor infrastructure such as roads to distribute seedlings
• High costs of seedlings

Types of agroforestry practices commonly carried out by farmers.

• Agro-Aquaculture where the keeping of aquatic organism like fish in ponds surrounded by shrubs, trees and grass lawns.
• Agri-silviculture system where cultivated crops are intercropped with trees/shrubs for sustained production of food, fodder and wood.
• Agri-silvi-pastoral system where there is the integration of trees, crops, pasture and livestock on the same land for production of fodder, wood and pasture.
• Entomoforestry where the rearing of useful insects in association with trees, such as bee keeping (apiculture) and silkworm rearing (sericulture)
• Silvo-pastoral system where trees are planted with pasture to provide shade and forage for animals.

Characteristics of agroforestry

• They are quick maturing/grow fast
• They are deep rooted with few extensive lateral roots/have deep root system
• They have a narrow /less dense canopy
• They should grow straight with few or no branches
• They are easy to establish and quick to eradicate
• They withstand repeated pruning/are able to sprout easily and quickly grow
• They are nutritious and palatable to livestock/non-toxic
• They are resistant to pest and diseases
• They support growth of crops; some possess nitrogen fixing bacteria.

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Dr. Bbosa Science