Agroforestry Research in the Miombo Ecozone: Experiences of the Southern Africa

Abstract

The Southern Africa AFRENA embraces four SADC countries, namely Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe which are characterized by the miombo vegetation and a unimodal rainfall regime. The research programme has focused on technology development to address small holder fanner problems of declining soil fertility, shortage of fodder and fuel wood environment degradation through deforestation, overgrazing and soil erosion. After nearly a decade of research and capacity building. The network has developed several promising technologies. E.g. sesballla improved fallows, sesbanial maize relay cropping, and maize/gliricidia inter cropping fodder banks. Rotational wood lots for poles and fuel wood and indigenous fruits for human nutrition. Significant maize yield increases have been obtained following 2- to-3-year sesbania fallows or in relay cropping and gliricidial maize intercropping systems. These technologies have advanced to fanners’ fields and currently the network has over 1000 experimenting farmers most of whom are testing the sesbania improved fallows Fanner enthusiasm and e-expectations from these tec1mologies are high throughout the network. In addition, several MPTs have proven themselves in terms of biomass production for fodder and positive effect on live weight gains in goats further. The network has evaluated over 20 species of indigenous fruits several of them have easily been propagated and have given fruits within 18 - 24 months of transplanting. Priority indigenous fruits in the region are Uapaca klrkiana and Sclerocarrya birrea Uapaka has been collected from five southern African countries for evaluation and improvement before distribution of planting materials to fanners. Future thrusts will focus mainly on extension and refining of the best technologies as well as research on strategic issues such as nutrient dynamics in the systems being developed and implication on the sustainability of the systems under farm management.