Editors-in-Chief:  Weilun Yin, Beijing Forestry University, China Klaus v. Gadow, University of Göttingen, Germany
Neo C. MOKGOLODI, Moffat P. SETSHOGO, SHI Ling-ling, LIU Yu-jun, MA Chao. Achieving food and nutritional security through agroforestry: a case of Faidherbia albida in sub-Saharan Africa[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2011, 13(2): 123-131. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-011-0202-y
Citation: Neo C. MOKGOLODI, Moffat P. SETSHOGO, SHI Ling-ling, LIU Yu-jun, MA Chao. Achieving food and nutritional security through agroforestry: a case of Faidherbia albida in sub-Saharan Africa[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2011, 13(2): 123-131. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-011-0202-y

Achieving food and nutritional security through agroforestry: a case of Faidherbia albida in sub-Saharan Africa

More Information
  • Received Date: 31 October 2010
  • Rev Recd Date: 01 February 2011
  • Faidherbia albida
    is an ideal agroforestry tree commonly intercropped with annual crops like millet and groundnuts in the dry and densely populated areas of Africa. With its peculiar reverse phenology, it makes growth demands at a different time from that of crops. In addition, it deposits great amount of organic fertilizer on food crops. Leaves entering soils are comparable to fertilization of almost 50 t·ha-1
    ·year-1
    of manure in dense stands of 50 large trees per ha. These nutrients help maximize agricultural production and reduce the need for a fallow period on poorer soils. Research has shown that millet grown under F. albida
    yielded 2.5 and 3.4 fold increases in grain and protein, respectively. Animals eat pods which contain mean amounts of crude protein of 20.63% and carbohydrate of 40.1% in seeds. Moreover, the continued existence of F. albida
    in agroforestry parklands as in Ethiopia and Mali signifies the success of traditional conservation measures. Modern scientists have also developed much interest in the role of agroforestry in maintaining long-term biological balance between agriculture and livestock production systems. To ensure food security, which still remains a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, and concurrently minimize environmental degradation, promotion of agroforestry that specifically involves indigenous trees is crucial. We discuss the prospective role of F. albida
    in alleviating poverty while simultaneously protecting the environment from factors associated with, for example, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. The overall aim is to promote wide-scale adoption of F. albida
    as a valuable tree crop in farming systems, particularly in those areas where it remains unexploited.
  • Related Articles

    [1]J. A. SOAGA, V. O. KOLADE. The role of forests and forest products in poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st century[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2013, 15(4): 357-362. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-013-0412-6
    [2]Md. Salim AZAD, Samir MONDOL, Md. Abdul MATIN. Functional relationships of nodulation response and biomass production at nursery stages of two fast-growing, leguminous-multipurpose tree species in Bangladesh: Albizia saman and Leucaena leucocephala[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2013, 15(4): 274-285. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-013-0408-2
    [3]Jyotsana SHARMA, Sumeet GAIROLA, R. D. GAUR, R. M. PAINULI. Forest utilization patterns and socio-economic status of the Van Gujjar tribe in sub-Himalayan tracts of Uttarakhand, India[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2012, 14(1): 36-46. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-012-0102-9
    [4]Neo C. MOKGOLODI, HU Yan, SHI Ling-ling, LIU Yu-jun. Ziziphus mucronata: an underutilized traditional medicinal plant in Africa[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2011, 13(3): 163-172. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-011-0309-1
    [5]LI Yan, CAO Jin-zhen, JIN Xiao-juan. Deformation fixation, mechanical properties and chemical analysis of compressed Populus cathayana wood pretreated by glycerin[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2010, 12(4): 213-217. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-010-0411-9
    [6]Claudino DA VEIGA MENDONÇA. A comparison of the management models of protected areas between China and the southern Africa region[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2010, 12(3): 151-157. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-010-0308-7
    [7]Yang Ying, Janusz Zwolinski, Yin Wei-lun, Wang Hua-fang. Drought tolerance of Acacia karroo,a native tree species to South Africa,in Beijing[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2006, 8(4): 37-42. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-006-0034-3
    [8]Yang Ying, Janusz Zwolinski, Wang Hua-fang, Yin Wei-lun. Cold tolerance of Acacia karroo and A. nilotica, two tree species from South Africa, in Beijing[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2006, 8(4): 30-36. DOI: 10.1007/s11632-006-0033-4
    [9]Tang Xiaoshu, Zhao Guangjie, Nakao Tetsuya. Changes of Chemical Composition and Crystalline of Compressed Chinese Fir Wood in Heating Fixation[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2004, 6(4): 39-44.
    [10]Xiaoshu Tang, Zhao Guangjie, Nakao Tetsuya. Same Recovery Level of Compressed Chinese Fir Wood Can Be Obtained Through Different Heating Fixation Pathways[J]. Forest Ecosystems, 2003, 5(2): 47-51.

Catalog

    Article Metrics

    Article views (513) PDF downloads (2) Cited by()
    Related

    /

    DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
    Return
    Return