AGROFORESTRY (FFA 421)

DEDICATION

I dedicate this report to God Almighty for making this internship training a success.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My profound gratitude goes to my parents for their love and

financial

support on the internship training.

I also wish to acknowledge Dr. Okeke A. I. for laying a good

foundation for

this course which went a long way to make the internship

training an easy

and interesting one.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title page i

Dedication ii

Acknowledgement iii

Table of Content iv

Abstract vi

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Preamble 1

1.2 Objectives 1
1.3 Scope 2

1.4 Justification 2

1.5 Limitation 2

Chapter Two

2.0 Literature Review 3

2.1 A Brief History of Agroforestry 5

2.1.1 Background of Agroforestry Development in Nigeria 6

2.2 Benefits of Agroforestry 6

2.3 Main Challenges for Agroforestry 9

2.4 Design of Agroforestry Farms 11

2.5 Varieties of Agroforestry Practices in Nigeria 12

Chapter Three

3.0 Materials and Method 14

3.1 Study Area 14

3.2 Materials Used 14

3.3 Methodology 14

Chapter Four

4.0 Result and Discussion 16

4.1 Result 16

4.2 Discussion/Observation 17

Chapter Five

1. Conclusion and Recommendation 18

5.1 Conclusion 18

5.2 Recommendation 18

References
ABSTRACT

This report on agroforestry gives a brief introduction and the

objective of

carrying out this internship training. It discusses in details

Agroforestry

and its main types, brief history of agroforestry, the challenges

agroforestry faces, design of agroforestry farm and varieties of

agroforestry practices in Nigeria. this report stressed out the

materials

and methods used during the internship training. The

information gotten

during the practical was used to present a result and finally,

conclusion

and useful recommendations are made to improve the

internship training on

this course.
CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 PREAMBLE

In a natural ecosystem, example the natural vegetation ,all the resources are adjusted to one
another in perfect harmony such that energy, hydrological and nutritional cycles are in equilibrium
(ojanuga, 1985).However, in utility ecosystem, social processes are imposed on the perfect harmony to
alter the ecosystem and render it incapable of supporting the society at a reasonable level of living
conditions without impairing the natural resources. Thus, a perfect utility ecosystem is advocated to
enable man exploit the resources of his environment for agriculture, forestry, livestock production,
fishery and wildlife conservation as well as other industrial and infrastructural development. Such a
perfect utility ecosystem requires the judicious management of the natural resources of the
environment using an ideal multiple land use management like agroforestry.

Agroforestry in a simple way is the intentional act of combining agriculture and forestry to create
integrated and sustainable land-use systems. It is a land-use system that provides both economic and
environmental benefits simultaneously, these benefits which may include protection against loss of top
soil, regeneration of soil fertility, crop and livestock protection, markets, wildlife habitat enhancement,
water quality management, waste management, carbon sequestration and many others. Agroforestry is
an intentional, intensive and integrated system that takes advantage of the interactive benefits derived
from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock and has been proven to be successful in
many areas. In other words, agroforestry is an activity that combines the production of forest trees and
agricultural crops on the same plot of land. This is achieved either by planting trees on agricultural lands
by cropping (for example after thinning) on forested lands. It means putting the right plant in the right
place for the right purpose. The types of agroforestry systems applied by land owners or land managers
include Silvopastoral, alley cropping, taungya farming, home garden, aqua forestry, shelter belts, wind
breaks and many others.

1.2 OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the internship training on agroforestry include;

1. To expose students on the various procedures or methods in establishing an agroforestry farm

2. To impact on students the knowledge of different agroforestry systems

3. To expose the students on the principles of the design of agroforestry farms

4. To make the students understand the benefits of agroforestry and the various systems
5. To expose the students on the different crop combination, inputs, output and problems of the system

1.3 SCOPE

The internship training covers both theoretical and practical aspect on the course agroforestry, and was
carried out at the College of Natural Resources and Environmental Management.

1.4 JUSTIFICATION

The internship training carried out by the student on this course has created an opportunity for self-
dependence in the future. The experience and knowledge acquired during this training period has help
to restructure his mindset of the student. Without the practical knowledge on this course (Agroforestry),
the student would have been empty in this area of study especially the practicals like ; survey of
agroforestry systems in selected areas, design of agroforestry farms, crop combinations, inputs/outputs
and problems/challenges of the systems. The internship training on agroforestry is necessary as it
emphasizes on the positive interactions in order to obtain a higher total, a more diversified and
sustainable production from available resources.

1.5 LIMITATION

1. Limited time was spent carrying out this practical which led to the students not having a full
knowledge on the course.

2. Limitation in farming implements which made the work slow

3. Insufficient equipment like the ranging pole for a better and accurate alignment of the trees in the
site.

4. Few damages of the crops and tree were recorded as a result of pest, diseases and animals attack.
CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

Agroforestry is actually one of the oldest and most successful agricultural practices around the world. It
depends heavily on the farmer’s knowledge of the land and the plants and animals living it. According to
FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations), agroforestry is defined as a collective
name for land use systems and technologies where woody perennials such as trees, shrubs, palms etc
are deliberately used on the same land management units as agricultural crops and/or animals, in some
form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence. Agroforestry can also be defined as a dynamic,
ecologically based, natural resource management system that, through the integration of trees on farms
and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and
environmental benefits for land users at all levels. Agroforestry systems are multifunctional systems that
can provide a wide range of economic, socio-cultural and environmental benefits. Agroforestry, in the
most basic sense, means planting trees in agricultural or foraging areas. But in many parts of the world,
agroforestry is the traditional method of farming. However, traditional methods are being lost and
forgotten due to the push toward high production and continuous planting made possible with chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, but the land cannot sustain this kind of intense production and what makes
this dangerous is that farmers will be unable to return to traditional methods or at least incorporate
them because they no longer have the knowledge to do so.

There are three main types of agroforestry systems;

1. Agrosilvicultural system which combines the production of tree crops (forest, horticultural or
agricultural plantation) with herbaceous crops in space or time, to fulfill the productive or protective
roles within the land management systems. Examples can be hedgerow intercropping (alley cropping),
improved fallow species in shifting cultivation, multistory multipurpose crop combination, multipurpose
trees and shrubs on farmlands, shade tree for commercial plantation crops, agroforestry fuel wood
production systems, shelter belts, windbreaks and so on.

2. Silvopastoral system which integrates woody perennials with pasture and/or livestock. Example
include animal production systems in which multipurpose woody perennials provide the fodder (protein
bank) or function as living fences around grazing land or are retained as commercial shade/browse/fruit
trees in pasture lands.

3. Agrosilvopastoral systems, as the name implies, combine trees and herbaceous crops with animals
and/or pastures. The use of hedgerows for browse, mulch and green manures and for soil conservation,
the crop/tree/livestock mix around homestead etc., are good examples of this system. It is also a
common practice in some places to have sequential patterns of an agrosilvicultural phase followed by a
Silvopastoral phase so that initially trees and crops are established, and later on, the crops are replaced
with pasture, and animals are brought in.

2.1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF AGROFORESTRY

Agroforestry is a very old practice that likely grew out of necessity as primitive farmers carved crop land
out of forested areas. In

these earlier

times, the availability of wild foodstuffs, as well as wood for

fuel and

construction, was very important to the survival of individuals,

families

and entire cultures. The principles of agroforestry have been in

use for

centuries, most commonly in tropical and subtropical regions.

In early America, forests presented an obstacle to settlers’

safety,

traditional European farming techniques and westward

expansion. Due to

this, much native forest cover was lost to settlement from the

1600s to

1800s. In fact, the existing tracts of forest in eastern North

America

represent only a fraction of the original forested areas.

However, as settlers moved to the Midwest and great plains,

many brought

with them seeds of familiar landscape plants and fruits and

nut trees to

plant on their new homesteads. This was the beginning of

agroforestry.

In 1914, Russell Smith, an economic geographer at Columbia

University in

New York City, advocated the use of permanent tree-protected

areas to
maximize production on arable land. His ideas were opposed

until the Great

Depression and Dust Bowl fueled interest and research in this

area.

The post World War II economic and industrial boom lessened

interest in

agroforestry. However, new agricultural technologies and

innovative

approaches to agroforestry were developed in the 1960s and

1970s. This

coupled with increased interest in conservation and concern

for dwindling

natural resources, once again brought attention to

agroforestry.

Today, agroforestry is conducted by universities, government

agencies,

individual agricultural producers and other organizations.

Agroforestry is

practiced by private citizens and public institutions alike.

CLASSIFICATION OF AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

It is imperative to highlight the factors that are considered in the classification of agroforestry systems.
These factors include:

a. Component combination

b. The role of the components in the system.

c. The type of reaction among the components whether spatial or temporal.

d. The way and manner by which woody components are distributed in the agroforestry farm.

Besides the above factors, any sound agroforestry system should have the following features:
a. Presence of at least two leaving plant species, one of which should be woody perennial (the other
could be an annual/biennial, crop or livestock).

b. There should be interaction (biological/economic) among the components (agronomic/ annual crop,
forest tree/woody perennial, livestock, soil and water).

c. At least, the system should yield two products.

d. The system must have a cycle of more than one year

e. Application of the system to small or medium sized projects involving indigenous initiatives should be
easy.

Thus, agroforestry systems according to Nair (1989) could be classified into the following categories:

a. Agro-Silviculture (combination of agronomic and forest tree crops/woody perennial e.g. taungya
system, alley cropping, alternate row planting, random mix or scattered tree farm or parkland system,
live fencing and planting.,

b. Silvo-Pastoralism (involves trees and livestock).

c. Agro-Silvo-pastoralism (management of annual crops, woody perennial and livestock.

d. Api-Silviculture (bee keeping/honey production and tree/wood production).

e. Aqua-Silviculture (fish and production).

f. Multipurpose Wood lot (establishment of family and village wood lots (i.e. Community forestry).

2.2 VARIETY OF AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES (SYSTEM) IN NIGERIA

Taungya Farming

This is an agroforestry system whereby food crops are interpolated with trees in a unit area of land for 2
- 3 years. Food crops cease to exist on the land when the tree crops close canopy. The taungya system
was the main agroforestry method practiced in the forest reserves since 1950 to date. Most of the State
owned artificial plantations now being exploited were raised through the taungya system (Igugu and
Osemebo, 1995). In these plantations, maize, potatoes, yams or beans are inter-cropped between the
young plants for the first 1-2 years, to avoid competition from weeds. The chief problem with this
system is the need to plan a planting programme for long-cycle trees with three or four years of crops.

Integrated Taungya:

Under the integrated system, when tree canopy is closed, raising of agricultural crops is substituted by
livestock grazing. The integrated approach aims at invoking the idea of landuse practice whereby the
activities on the land are stretched all the year round (Rander, 1988). These include thinning, pruning
and other management schedules to the tree crop to reduce the intensity of overstorey shade and thus
allow cultivation of crops. The application of fertilizer and other soil management measures are to avoid
the deleterious effects commonly associated with the conventional taungya; and the social benefit to
farmers is their continued stay on site.
Improved Fallow in Shifting Cultivation:

The main problem in shifting cultivation is soil degradation through erosion and the drop in soil fertility.
The system of shifting cultivation worked effectively until quite recently when the rapid increase in
human and livestock populations could no longer allow such long fallow-crop cycles (FAO, Sahel,
sahelization of the savanna and savannization of the forests (Tolba, 1993).

Due to the shortening of the fallow period many farmers have adopted and intensified land use systems
that require the application of chemical fertilizers to compensate for the loss in soil fertility. Many
small-scale farmers in West African countries including Nigeria could not acquire chemical fertilizers
because of their unavailability and high cost. Continuous use of chemical fertilizers without addition of
organic materials can lead to a degraded soil matrix, invasion of noxious weeds, soil acidification and
subsequent decline in crop yield (Tarawali et al., 1999).

In an effort to minimize soil degradation associated with agriculture, the use of cover crop such as
mucuna has been encouraged. According to Lal and Cummings (1979), the adverse effects of land
overuse may be minimized if cover crops are sown on land after clearing. The role of this system is
mainly that of soil conservation and improvement. The soil amelioration as a result of the system leads
to increase in crop yield during the cropping period.

Alley-Cropping (hedge row intercropping)

This is a relatively new technique developed at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
and ICRAF. In this system arable crops are grown between hedge-rows of planted shrubs and trees,
preferably leguminous species which are periodically pruned to prevent shading of the companion crops
and the pruning applied as much for the crops. The trees provide nitrogen from atmospheric fixation,
recycle nutrients from the depth of soil, suppress weeds and increase organic matter content of the soil
(anonymous, 1988). However, recent studies indicate that alley cropping is most suitable for food
production in altisols and other high-base soils in the humid and sub-humid tropic (Ong, 1994). Alley
cropping has been accepted in southern Nigeria and the middle-belt on experimental basis in the
country. The tree species considered are those with deep rooting, light crown, ability to coppice,
nitrogen fixing and good for folder.

Alley- Farming:

This is an agroforestry system focusing on livestock production. In alley farming, trees, shrubs and other
perennials are planted with arable crops to supplement the woody plants in the rows. The alleys are
designed to suit local environment. Alley farming is designed mainly for sheep and goat grazing. The
advantages of alley farming are that crop residues control soil erosion through windbreak. The major
disadvantage of the two systems (alley cropping/farming) is the competition of hedgerows with crops
for soil water, which is often limiting in semi-arid tropics (Singh et al., 1987).

Shelterbelts:

This is an agroforestry system in which food crops are planted between rows of trees planted as shelter.
The shelterbelts are modified to suit the farmers. The trees and shrubs are planted in one or more rows
at right angles to the prevailing winds. The practice often increases crop yield because of their
beneficial effects on soil and microclimate. The effect on animals is to reduce stress from heat and
wind. Around houses, shade and wind protection are often combined with production of fruit, edible
leaves for human and animals and even fuel wood.

The main points to consider are placing of the trees in relation to each other and to the houses and
crops and ways of managing them in order to have sustained production of the desired benefits. The
multi-species shelter-belts protect crop land and at the same time check desertification. Tree cover
affects the microclimate of its immediate environment through temperature reduction due to tree
cover (Ujah and Adeoye, 1984; Onyewotu, 1989). Disadvantages of the system are that labour
involvement is enormous and species used as hedgerow crops are without edible products.

Home Garden:

This is an agroforestry system, which has a long tradition in many tropical countries. Tropical home
gardens consist of an assemblage of plants which may include trees, shrubs, vines and herbaceous
plants growing in or adjacent to a homestead or home compound (Baumer, 1990). Okafor and
Fernandes (1989) reported that in this system multipurpose tree and shrubs in multi-stories associated
with arable crops are raised with small livestock in homesteads. Home garden is not a formal practice of
agroforestry but a traditional farming system with an agroforestry focus. The system has been modified
in various ecosystems to suit local conditions. The whole crop-tree-animal unit is managed by family
labour. The system affords diversified production, improves the food production level and conserves
the soil and indigenous plant species (Igugu and Osemebeobo 1995).

Aqua Forestry:

This is an agroforestry system not popular but widely practiced by traditional farmers in inland water
courses where the farmers have full rights to the land. Aqua forestry is a practice that links trees with
aquaculture. Trees ae planted around fish ponds to provide fodder for herbivorous fish. The fuel wood
from the trees is used for fish processing while decomposed leaves are used for pond fertilizer. The
trees also serve as windbreak shelter and shade which create a desirable microclimate for the pond.

Apiculture (Api-silviculture)

Carefully chosen woody species grown for their nectar-producing flowers and pollen valued by bees can
boost wax and honey production particularly if flowering is staggered, allowing the bees to work as long
as there are flowers instead of only working for a few months in the year. This is probably the
production with the highest ratio of value of products harvested to plant biomass consumed (Baumer,
1990)

Protein Bank

In production systems that include animals, it is difficult to rely solely on annual plants to supply forage
during dry seasons or years of low rainfall. Woody perennial vegetation is judiciously used to help meet
this difficulty; not only does it provide green forage when the grass cover has withered but it can also
supply more protein than grass. The advantage of woody plants in dry season is therefore, both
quantitative and qualitative (Baumer, 1990)
APPLICATIONS/DESIGN OF AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

Agroforestry represents a wide diversity in application and in practice. One listing includes over 50
distinct uses. The 50 or so applications can be roughly classified under a few broad headings. There are
visual similarities between practices in different categories. This is expected as categorization is based
around the problems addressed (countering winds, high rainfall, harmful insects, etc.) and the overall
economic constraints and objectives (labor and other inputs costs, yield requirements, etc.). The
categories include:

Parklands

Shade systems

Crop-over-tree systems

Alley cropping

Strip cropping

Fauna-based systems

Boundary systems

Taungya

Physical support systems

Agroforests

Wind break and shelterbelt.

Parkland

Parklands are visually defined by the presence of trees widely scattered over a large agricultural plot or
pasture. The trees are usually of a single species with clear regional favorites. Among the beaks and
benefits, the trees offer shade to grazing animals, protect crops against strong wind bursts, provide tree
prunings for firewood, and are a roost for insect or rodent-eating birds.

There are other gains. Research with Faidherbia albida in Zambia showed that mature trees can sustain
maize yields of 4.1 tonnes per hectare compared to 1.3 tonnes per hectare without these trees. Unlike
other trees, Faidherbia sheds its nitrogen-rich leaves during the rainy crop growing season so it does not
compete with the crop for light, nutrients and water. The leaves then regrow during the dry season and
provide land cover and shade for crops.

Shade systems

With shade applications, crops are purposely raised under tree canopies and within the resulting shady
environment. For most uses, the understory crops are shade tolerant or the overstorey trees have fairly
open canopies. A conspicuous example is shade-grown coffee. This practice reduces weeding costs and
improves the quality and taste of the coffee.[7][8] Just because plants are grown under shade does not
necessarily translate into lost or reduced yields. This is because the efficiency of photosynthesis drops
off with increasing light intensity, and the rate of photosynthesis hardly increases once the light
intensity is over about one tenth that of direct overhead sun. This means that plants under trees can still
grow well even though they get less light. By having more than one level of vegetation, it is possible to
get more photosynthesis, and overall yields, than with a single canopy layer.

Crop-over-tree systems

Not commonly encountered, crop-over-tree systems employ woody perennials in the role of a cover
crop. For this, small shrubs or trees pruned to near ground level are utilized. The purpose, as with any
cover crop, is to increase in-soil nutrients and/or to reduce soil erosion.

Alley cropping

Alley cropping corn fields between rows of walnut trees. With alley cropping, crop strips alternate with
rows of closely spaced tree or hedge species. Normally, the trees are pruned before planting the crop.
The cut leafy material is spread over the crop area to provide nutrients for the crop. In addition to
nutrients, the hedges serve as windbreaks and eliminate soil erosion.

Alley cropping has been shown to be advantageous in Africa, particularly in relation to improving maize
yields in the sub-Saharan region. Use here relies upon the nitrogen fixing tree species Sesbania sesban,
Euphorbia tricalii, Tephrosia vogelii, Gliricidia sepium and Faidherbia albida. In one example, a ten-year
experiment in Malawi showed that, by using the fertilizer tree Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) on land on
which no mineral fertilizer was applied, maize yields averaged 3.3 tons per hectare as compared to one
tonne per hectare in plots without fertilizer trees nor mineral fertilizers.

In tropical areas of North and South America, various species of Inga such as Inga edulis and Inga
oerstediana have been used for alley cropping.

Strip cropping

Strip cropping is similar to alley cropping in that trees alternate with crops. The difference is that, with
alley cropping, the trees are in single row. With strip cropping, the trees or shrubs are planted in wide
strip. The purpose can be, as with alley cropping, to provide nutrients, in leaf form, to the crop. With
strip cropping, the trees can have a purely productive role, providing fruits, nuts, etc. while, at the same
time, protecting nearby crops from soil erosion and harmful winds.

Fauna-based systems

Silvopastoral over the years (Australia). There are situations where trees benefit fauna. The most
common examples are the Silvopastoral where cattle, goats, or sheep browse on grasses grown under
trees. In hot climates, the animals are less stressed and put on weight faster when grazing in a cooler,
shaded environment. Other variations have these animals directly eating the leaves of trees or shrubs.
There are similar systems for other types of fauna. Deer and hogs gain when living and feeding in a
forest ecosystem, especially when the tree forage suits their dietary needs. Another variation, aqua-
forestry, is where trees shade fish ponds. In many cases, the fish eat the leaves or fruit from the trees.

Boundary systems
A riparian buffer bordering a river in Iowa. There are a number of applications that fall under the
heading of a boundary system. These include the living fences, the riparian buffer, and windbreaks.

A living fence can be a thick hedge or fencing wire strung on living trees. In addition to restricting the
movement of people and animals, living fences offer habitat to insect-eating birds and, in the case of a
boundary hedge, slow soil erosion.

Riparian buffers are strips of permanent vegetation located along or near active watercourses or in
ditches where water runoff concentrates. The purpose is to keep nutrients and soil from contaminating
surface water.

Windbreaks reduce the velocity of the winds over and around crops. This increases yields through
reduced drying of the crop and/or by preventing the crop from toppling in strong wind gusts.

Taungya

Taungya is a vastly used system originating in Burma. In the initial stages of an orchard or tree
plantation, the trees are small and widely spaced. The free space between the newly planted trees can
accommodate a seasonal crop. Instead of costly weeding, the underutilized area provides an additional
output and income. More complex taungya use the between-tree space for a series of crops. The crops
become more shade resistant as the tree canopies grow and the amount of sunlight reaching the ground
declines. If a plantation is thinned in the latter stages, this opens further the between-tree cropping
opportunities.

Physical support systems

In the long history of agriculture, trellises are comparatively recent. Before this, grapes and other vine
crops were raised atop pruned trees. Variations of the physical support theme depend upon the type of
vine. The advantages come through greater in-field biodiversity. In many cases, the control of weeds,
diseases, and insect pests are primary motives.

Agroforests

These are widely found in the humid tropics and are referenced by different names (forest gardening,
forest farming, tropical home gardens and, where short-statured trees or shrubs dominate, shrub
gardens). Through a complex, diverse mix of trees, shrubs, vines, and seasonal crops, these systems
achieve the ecological dynamics of a forest ecosystem. Because of their internal ecology, they tend to be
less susceptible to harmful insects, plant diseases, drought, and wind damage.

Historical Use

Agroforestry similar methods were historically utilized by Native Americans. California Indians would
prescribe burn oak and other habitats to maintain a 'pyro-diversity collecting model'. This method
allowed for greater health of trees and the habitat in general.

Criteria of Good Agroforestry Design

A good agroforestry design should fulfill the following criteria:

i) Productivity: There are many different ways to improve productivity with agroforestry viz., increased
output of tree products, improved yields of associated crops, reduction of cropping system inputs,
increased labour efficiency, diversification of production, satisfaction of basic needs and other
measures of economic efficiency or achievement of biological potential.

ii) Sustainability: By seeking improvements in the sustainability of production systems, agroforestry can
achieve its conservation goals while appealing directly to the motivation of low income farmers , who
may not always be interested in conservation for its own sake

iii) Adoptability: No matter how technically elegant or environmentally sound an agroforestry design
may be, nothing practical is achieved unless it is adopted by its intended users. This means that the
technology has to fit the social as well as environmental characteristics of the land-use system for which
it is designed.

2.3 MAIN CHALLENGES FOR AGROFORESTRY

Although the advantages of agroforestry are gaining attention internationally and a growing body of
scientific literature provides evidence for them, it faces many challenges and obstacles which include;

Delayed Return on Investments

Despite the fact that trees become profitable as they produce positive net present values overtime, the
breakdown point for some agroforestry systems may occur only after a number of years.

Under-Developed Markets

Markets for tree products are both less efficient and less developed than for crop and livestock
commodities and value chains related to agroforestry systems receive little support.

Emphasis on Commercial Agriculture

Agricultural policies often offer incentives for agriculture that promote certain agricultural models, such
as monoculture systems, and tax exemptions are usually aimed at industrial agricultural production.
Agricultural price supports or favourable credit terms which are granted for certain agricultural activities
but hardly ever for trees, are also discouraging agroforestry adoption.

Limited Awareness of the Advantages of Agroforestry

Overdependence on conventional agricultural methods and inadequate knowledge of sustainable

approaches restrict the interested off policy-makers in agroforestry development. This in turn influences
negatively the amount of resources dedicated for research, dissemination, market information and
propagation of quality germ plasm, which are all crucial for wide adoption of agroforestry practices.

Unclear Status of Land and Tree Resources

Unsecured or ambiguous land tenure, common in developing countries, results in confusion about land
delineation and rights, which may discourage people from introducing or continuing agroforestry
practices. In many places, lack of long term rights to land inhibits long term investments such as
agroforestry. In other cases, forest regulations preclude tree growing on farms by restricting the
harvesting, cutting or selling of tree products.

Adverse Regulations

Frequently agricultural policies penalize practices needed to implement agroforestry, while supporting a
large-volume, large scale approach to agricultural, food and fuel products. The tax regime may also be
less advantageous for forests compared with agricultural lands. Even when a program or policy aims to
promote agroforestry, bureaucratic processes involved maybe complicated or not elaborated in a
manner specific to agroforestry and its potential users.

Lack of Coordination between Sectors

As an intervention affecting multiple sectors including agriculture, forestry, livestock, rural development,
environment, energy, health, water and commerce – agroforestry is often subject to policy conflicts and
omissions, creating gaps or adverse incentives that work against its development. Moreover, the various
organizational cultures and objectives within the different departments may not allow room for
agroforestry.

2.5 IMPORTANCE OF AGROFORESTRY

The importance of agroforestry will be discussed under the following major categories :biological roles,
environmental protection and conservation as well as socio-economic and cultural importance.

A. BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE

1.FOOD PRODUCTION

a) Livestock production : Under the right conditions, cattle, sheep and goats can be raised
simultaneously on the same piece of land with wood production. In the humid tropics of West Africa,
example in South eastern Nigeria ,small ruminant sheep and goat production is a common feature in the
compound farm agroforestry.

b) Honey production :Apiculture is practiced within some of south-eastern Nigeria. A large proportion of
honey produced in Nigeria comes from the trees example Pentaclethra macrophylla, Parkia biglobosa,
Acacia spp.Agroforestry systems involving honey production help center for the high demand for honey
and bees wax as food, export, industrial and pharmaceutical items.

c) Fruit production :Some agroforestry systems encourages fruit tree production. Within the compound
farm agroforestry system of the south eastern part of Nigeria ,important economically and nutritionally
important fruit trees exist. They include; Treculia africana (African bread fruit tree), Dacryodes edulis
(native pear, ube), Gambeya albida (African star apple “udara”).

d) Snail production :Some agroforestry systems involve snail production to further improve the nutrition
of the people. Snails, example Achatina achatina are raised in farms utilizing plantain leaves and tree
foliage as fodder /forage for the snails.

2.WOOD/FIBRE PRODUCTION
a) Timber production :Trees in agroforestry systems provide timber for construction materials.

b) Fuelwood production :The first resources of the humid and savanna regions in West Africa is the
main source of cooking energy (firewood). Wood gathering more often results in increased
deforestation and consequent soil and wind erosion as well as treeless landscape.

c) Pulp and paper production :pulp and paper products are important pre-requisites to the economic
development of any nation. The taungya and agro-silviculture can be used extensively for pulp and
paper production.

d) Pole production :Poles for transmission lines and constructional materials can be obtained in
agroforestry.

3.MEDICAL ROLES

a) Human medicine roles :Several plants used in agroforestry play important roles in traditional
medicine in the tropics, especially Nigeria. Several trees and shrubs found in bush fallow and compound
farm systems of agroforestry are useful for the treatment of several human ailments, example malaria,
piles, anaemia, sickle cell ,dysentery, hypertension etc. The leaves of Commiphora africana (Orji) and
Anthocleista dialonensis (Sapo -Yoruba) as well as the root of Gongronema latifolia (Utazi -Igbo) and
many others are chopped, grounded, sieved and mixed with water, alcohol, honey etc.

b) Veterinary medicine roles: Some trees are used to treat livestock diseases. Manniophyton fluvum is
used to treat and Microdersmis puberula to relieve stomach ache. Spondias mombin induces abortion in
small ruminant animals and it is used to expel placenta after birth in sheep and goats.

4.INCREASED BIODIVERSITY

Compound farms and home gardens are multi-stored, intensive agroforestry production system that is
characterized by very high order of species diversity. This diversity is a deliberate strategy aimed at
producing harvests throughout the year so that there is always some product of economic value
available for household use or cash sale. Agroforestry certainly introduces plant and animal diversity.

B. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION

1.AMELORATION OF CLIMATE

a) Conservation and sequestering of carbon /reduction of green house effect :Deforestation, fossil fuel
combustion and other human activities, example burning of forest /bush lead to emission of green
house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and other gases. The accumulation of these gases causes
changes in the global climate. Forest and agro ecosystems, example agroforestry, play a prominent role
in global carbon cycle. Some of the practices that cause such emissions are burning, gas flaring,
deforestation, frequent disturbance and tillage.

Agroforestry can sequester carbon dioxide or offset fossil fuel emissions by substituting sustainably
produced fuelwood and fodder resources that are currently harvested from the natural forests.

2.LOW COST WATER PURIFICATION

Some agroforestry tree species example Moringa stenopetala are used to purify turbid water. The seed
powder is very effective in removing turbidity in water at different pH levels. The optimum amount of
M. stenopetala to use for water purification depends on the turbidity of the water. If the water is less
turbid, a smaller amount of seed powder is required.

C. SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

1.SOCIO-CULTURAL ROLES

Some multipurpose trees (MPTS) are used to make musical instruments. For example, the shells of
Gambeya albida (udara -igbo) are worn by dancers as rattlers while the wooden strips of Ricinodendron
heudoleoti are used to make xylophone in South eastern Nigeria. The leaves of Lonchocarpus cyanensis
are used to make indigo dye used to decorate homes in part of south eastern Nigeria, Kolanuts are used
to offer prayers to God while palm wine usually heralds festivities.

Other social benefits include ;a) the improvement in nutrition and rural health which are due to
increased quantities of foodstuff and also done to improve quality and to a greater choice. b) improved
standards in rural living from increased employment opportunities, higher incomes, less distance to
collect firewood, etc.

2.JUDICIAL ROLES

Some multipurpose trees (MPTS )symbiotically represent mediators or decision makers while physically
they are used as boundary makers, example Newbouldia laevis (Ogirisi) that define property and provide
evidence of usury rights in judicial disputes.

3.EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND REVENUE GENERATION

Agroforestry provides self or paid employment to several people. Industrial agroforestry produce like
timber, pulp and paper, resins, dyes, etc. can be exported for foreign revenue generation. Agroforestry
helps to expand the revenue generation base of a country.
CHAPTER THREE

3.0 MATERIALS AND METHOD

3.1 STUDY AREA

The internship training carried out in this course (Agroforestry) was done in our tertiary institution;
Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture, Umudike , at the Wood technology unit beside Anyim Pius
Anyim auditorium or at the back of First Bank Plc. Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike,
is located geographically at latitude 5’280o – 330oN and longitude 7’320o – 360oE. It has an average
annual rainfall of about 3,220mm and average annual relative humidity is about 79%.

The vision of the university is to be the foremost institution for producing highly rated graduates in
Agriculture, Science and Technology and to be a vehicle for attainment of the primary goals of the
Nigerian Agricultural policy of self-sufficiency in food and fibre production. The mission of the university
is to provide high quality practical training to students to become professionally competent and
confident persons capable of self-employment to develop environment-friendly and people-sensitive
technologies, and to enhance the well-being of the people through extension and other interventions.
Its motto is “food, knowledge and security”.

3.2 MATERIALS USED

- Spade

- Matchet

- Hoe

- Seeds

- Cut trees

- Measuring tape

- Tractor

- Recording book

- Electric scale

- Newspaper and poly bags

S/N MATERIALS USES

1 Spade Used to dig the ground before transplanting
some forest food species.

2 Matchet Used to clear the area.

 3 Hoe Also used in cutting grasses making the ridges
straight.

4 Seeds For planting on the ridges made.

5 Cut trees Used for life fencing and pegs.

6 Measuring tape
7 Tractor
8 Recording book and pen
9 Electric scale
10 Newspapers and polybags
This is used to determine the spacing and
dimension of each ridge to the other in the area
and also the tree species to the other. It is also
used for getting an accurate alignment in the
absence of the Gunter’s chain.
Used for ploughing the farm, making ridges and
cross bars
Used for recording all the information obtained
from the field and in the field.
A device used to weigh the okra fruits, it is in
grammes.
Used to package and carry the fruits from the
farm to the weighing site which was the
laboratory.

3.3 METHODOLOGY

With knowledge of agroforestry I had in my 100 level and with the help of Mr Joshua, the student was
able to carry out this practical on Agroforestry successfully. Mr Joshua gave us instructions on what to
do in the farm and how to carry them. The methods used are listed below;

Land clearing & land preparation

Land clearing and preparation is one of the pre -planting methods that is very necessary and needs to be
done before any planting activities. We can not start planting when we have not cleared the farm we are
planting in first. The land allotted for the Agroforestry practices was properly cleared with the aid of a
Matchet, hoe and a stick that helped in raising the grasses in order to see clearly. After clearing the
place, the student gathered the grasses to the center of the farm where it was set on fire and the fire
was also monitored. The grasses were burnt because it was initially dominated by grasses like Mimosa
pudica or invisa , if we do not burn the rubbles, the weeds will grow back and destroy our crops and
trees by competing with the crops for sunlight, soil nutrients and water. This occur because the seeds or
pollen or roots of the weeds are deposited in the soil, thereby creating an opportunity for growth. This is
the reason why we introduced controlled bush burning, so that it will help destroy most of the weed’s
root, seeds or pollen still in the soil.

Making of ridges and cross bars

We employed the use of a mechanized implement in doing this. A tractor was used to plough the farm
first . The plough is a tool (or machine) used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for
sowing seed or planting. This was achieved by using a mounted disc plough to the tractor and as the
tractor moves in the farm, the disc plough works too by breaking the soil, mixing or turning the soil . The
primary purpose of ploughing is to turn over the upper layer of the soil, bringing fresh nutrients to the
surface, while burying weeds and the remains of previous crops and allowing them to break down. As
the plough is drawn through the soil it creates long trenches of fertile soil called furrows.

After ploughing the farm, we used another implement called mounted disc ridger to make the ridge. The
ridger is an implement used for gathering and heaping up the loose soil (prepare ridges) for planting
seeds in rows. It consists essentially of two mold-boards placed side by side, flaring slightly in front and
hinged to a wheel at the rear. The machine made fifty-two (52) ridges and six (6) cross bars. The cross
bars were used to demarcate the ridges into three (3),thereby having plots A, B AND C. The cross bar
was also used in check mating flooding or washing away of the ridges during rainy season. Each student
has four (4) ridges per plot.

Planting of seeds and transplanting of forest food trees

After clearing, ploughing and making of ridges, the next step was planting. The okra and maize were
planted on the 20th of April 2018. We planted different species of crops both leguminous and non-
timber leguminous crop. The names of the seeds and leaves we planted are Melon (Citrullus
lanatus,egwusi in Igbo ) seeds, Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas ) and
Maize (Zea mays) . Planting measurement are as follows

1. Potato stem cutting = 40 cm in length

Depth = 20 cm in length

Spacing = 40 cm in length

2. Okra seed = 20 cm within sweet potato (2 seeds)

3. Maize = 60 cm apart (2 seeds)

Depth = 4 cm

4. Melon = 20 inches (2 seeds) spacing

Plot A planted Okra , Sweet potato and Maize

Plot B planted only Maize and Okra while

Plot C planted Melon, Maize and Okra.

All the measurements written above was achieved with cut trees /sticks. This was done with the aid of a
measuring tape, since it was just one tape and everybody cannot wait for it we had to improvise by
using sticks. We measured out all the figures on each stick. We had sticks that served as tapes like 60
cm, 40 cm ,20 cm and inches. We used the tape to measure our fingers in order to get the depths for
some. We were then using the cut sticks to measure the length, inches before planting any of the seeds
or leaves instead of the measuring tape.
Plot B was used as the control between Plot A and Plot C,this was done in order to know the plot that
will do well (yield more) and the one that would not, then we are to state the reasons why each of the
plot did well and the other did not .The ridges were represented in Rows. We had Rows A, B, C, D and
each row has Stands.

The rule of the planting is that the sweet potato and Okra must be planted on the ridges while Melon
and Maize will be by the sides. Another thing is that no two leguminous crop must stay together to avoid
competition and death of the crops. The Maize seeds were planted at the right hand side of the ridge
and melon by the left and this continued till the last ridge.

Some forest food tree species were transplanted into the farm with the aid of a shovel, the student dug
a hole at the mapped out area and transplanted the Annona muricata (sour sop) that was brought from
the department of forestry and environmental management nursery. The Tree species were then
planted at the sides of the farm and in the middle.

The crops /seeds germinated after one week of planting and the student plot (B) did very well, the
results will be discussed in chapter four (4).

Okra germinated on the 25th of April while Maize germinated on the 26th of April 2018.

Taking measurements of the Plots

AGROFORESTRY LAYOUT

PLOT A PLOT B PLOT C

MAIZE MAIZE MAIZE

+ +

27.6m 27.6m
POTATO + OKRA

+ +

OKRA OKRA MELON

49m

The length of the agroforestry farm for both sides was 27.6m
The width was 49 m

The spacing for forest food species was 8m apart.

Care and maintenance of the farm (Weeding of the ridges )

Keeping our crop free of weeds is critical in good farm management. Farmers should plan their farm
activities well so that they do weeding at the right time and in the right way. Weeds use the nutrients
that the crop needs to grow. They may also harbour diseases and pests which destroy and weaken the
growing crops thus reducing the yield at the end of the season.

The student started with weed control at the ploughing and ridging stages. During ploughing some
weeds and their seeds surfaced at the top of her ridges, the student had to remove them with her hands
and pack them far away from the ridges . It is advisable to check for weeds every week and control them
by pulling them out by hand or by scrapping the soil surface with a hoe and the student did same to her
own ridge. The farm implements used for the removal of weeds were cutlass, hoe and stick.

The student did not water the farm because we planted during the rainy season and rain falls almost
every week, at times 3-4 times in a week.

Harvesting of the farm produce/Weighing of the fruits

This is the process of gathering the ripe fruits and crops from a farm or field. This marks the end of
growing cycle for a particular kind of crop . Our first harvest was Okra followed by Maize. We harvested
Okra on the 29th of June 2018 while maize was harvested on the 5th of July 2018.The student harvested
in the following ways;

She had four (4) ridges which was also known as row, that is Row A, Row B, Row C and Row D. In each
row the student recorded the number of stands and the number of fruits on each of the stands. She
used knife to do the harvesting, after that, packaged the fruits from each stand in a newspaper and also
recorded the number of the stand ,the row the fruit came from and the number of fruits on the
newspaper. After that, the student packed the fruits from Row A in a poly bag, the same process was
used for the remaining three (3) rows. It was done in this manner for easy identification. She left the
farm after this to the Forestry and environmental management Laboratory were the fruits was weighed
with an electric scale in grams while the maize was weighed with another scale which is in kilogram

This is illustrated below; note that this is just for only one person in Plot B which is mine. Others have
their own personal results on this and the collation of everything( both individually and groups) will be
discussed in chapter four (4).

OKRA

ROW A (PLOT B) (Okra)

STAND NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS (GRAMME)

NUMBER
1 3 106.29
2 0 0
3 2 59.34
4 2 20.93
5 0 0
6 2 18.53
7 0 0
8 2 33.93
9 0 0
10 4 118.86
11 5 154.45
12 3 108.33
13 0 0
14 0 0
Total number of fruits =23 Net weight = 620.66g

ROW B (PLOT B)

STAND NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS IN GRAMMES

NUMBER
1 3 108.25
2 0 0
3 3 83.48
4 0 0
5 3 58.68
6 0 0
7 3 87.90
8 2 65.52
9 2 10.84
10 3 132.10
11 0 0
12 2 10.13
13 0 0
14 5 179.05
Total number of fruits = 29. Net weight = 735.95g

ROW C (PLOT B)

STAND NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS IN GRAMMES

NUMBER

1 1 4.91
2 2 47.32
3 0 0
4 1 35.67
5 2 36.91
6 0 0
7 3 63.08
8 1 10.55
9 4 126.43
10 0 0
11 5 47.13
12 0 0
13 1 23.79
14 2 12.22
15 2 30.38
16 2 20.87
17 4 130.22
18 0 0
Total number of fruits = 30. Net weight = 589.48g

ROW D (PLOT B)

STAND
NUMBER NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS IN GRAMMES
1 0 0

2 1 19.93

3 0 0

4 2 54.94

5 1 32.93

6 0 0

7 1 41.66

8 4 106.88

9 2 28.69

10 0 0
 11 2 36.38

12 0 0

13 2 23.73

14 0 0

15 2 46.51

16 3 87.03

Total number of fruits = 20. Net weight = 478.68g

The total grand weight of fruits for Row A, B, C, and D is 2424.77g,while the total number of fruits for
Row,A,B,C,and D is equal to 102.The ones marked as zero (0) means stands that have not fruited to the
point of harvesting and some was as a result of tampering by humans who harvested before we came.
Some fruits were over matured because we did not start harvesting on time, this led to lots of losses.

MAIZE

ROW A (PLOT B)

STAND NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS KILOGRAMS

NUMBER
1 1 0.15
2 0 0.00
3 1 0.15
4 2 0.45
5 1 0.30
6 0 0.00
7 2 0.30
8 0 0.00
9 0 0.00
10 0 0.00
11 1 0.30
12 0 0.00
13 0 0.00
14 0 0.00
15 0 0.00
Total number of fruits =8 Net weight = 1.65kg

ROW B (PLOT B)
STAND NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS IN KILOGRAMS
NUMBER
1 0 0.00
2 2 0.20
3 2 0.20
4 3 0.45
5 1 0.05
6 0 0.00
7 2 0.15
8 0 0.00
9 2 0.25
10 0 0.00
11 0 0.00
12 1 0.10
13 0 0.00
14 1 0.05
15 0 0.00
16 1 0.10
17 0 0.00
18 1 0.05
19 2 0.25
20 2 0.25
21 1 0.15
Total number of fruits = 21 Net weight = 2.25kg

ROW C (PLOT B)

STAND NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS IN KILOGRAMS

NUMBER

1 2 0.21
2 2 0.20
3 0 0.00
4 2 0.35
5 2 0.35
6 2 0.30
7 2 0.20
8 2 0.35
9 0 0.00
10 1 0.20
11 1 0.10
12 1 0.10
13 2 0.25
14 1 0.21
15 1 0.10
16 2 0.40
17 1 0.25
18 0 0.00
19 1 0.21
20 1 0.10
Total number of fruits = 26 Net weight = 3.88kg

ROW D (PLOT B)

STAND
NUMBER NUMBER OF FRUITS WEIGHT OF FRUITS IN KILOGRAMS
1 2 0.25

2 3 0.36

3 1 0.20

4 2 0.35

5 2 0.40

6 2 0.40

7 0 0.00

8 2 0.30

9 2 0.36

10 2 0.30

11 1 0.20

12 1 0.20

13 2 0.35

14 1 0.15
 15 2 0.35

16 1 0.15

17 0 0.00

18 3 0.50

Total number of fruit =29 Net weight =4.82kg

The grand total of number of fruits for row A, B, C and D = 84

The grand total net weight of fruits for row A, B, C and D =12kg
CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 RESULT(OKRA AND MAIZE)

RESULTS ON HARVESTING OF OKRA

The table below shows the results of harvested and weighed Okra planted in different plots (A, B, C)
during the internship training practical.

TABLE 4.1.1 Showing the different results for number of fruits (Within Plots) collated after harvesting
Okra fruits from Plot A, B and C

PLOT A

Treatments Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
(T)
T1 18 12 19 8 57
T2 19 18 33 24 94
T3 32 40 24 24 120
T4 10 12 13 2 37
The total number of fruits from plot A =308

PLOT B

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
T1 23 29 30 20 102
T2 16 16 27 16 75
T3 56 35 24 20 135
T4 22 13 12 24 71
The total number of fruits from plot B =373

PLOT C

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
T1 12 10 24 11 57
T2 0 11 18 15 44
T3 24 12 13 2 51
T4 34 24 35 25 118
 The total number of fruits from plot C =270

Table 4.1.2 : Showing the number of fruit weight within Plots A, B, and C

PLOT A

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (g)
T1 346.79 184.46 314.74 165.46 1011.45
T2 425.51 178.76 615.65 230.26 1450.18
T3 327.97 506.96 205.18 369.84 1409.95
T4 50.29 110.35 149.08 45.70 355.42
The total number of fruit weight for plot A =3871.58g

PLOT B

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (g)
T1 620.66 735.95 589.48 478.68 2424.77
T2 439.95 239.11 880.88 333.39 1893.33
T3 989.48 595.26 573.79 427.16 2585.69
T4 477.62 254.11 466.63 573.53 1,294.27
The total number of fruit weight for plot B =8198.06g

PLOT C

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (g)
T1 269.03 94.05 503.46 248.00 1,114.54
T2 0 356.79 556.32 376.04 1,289.15
T3 461.37 233.76 361.95 48.72 1,105.80
T4 642.87 724.88 1055.28 1212.92 3,635.95
The total number of fruit weight for plot C =7145.44g

Table 4.1.3 :Showing the results for number of fruits between Plots A, B and C

Plots Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
A 57 94 120 37 308
B 102 75 135 71 373
C 57 44 51 118 270

Table 4.1.4 : Shows the fruit weight of Okra between Plots A, B,and C

Plots Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (g)
A 1011.45 1450.18 1409.95 355.42 3871.58
B 2424.77 1893.33 2585.69 1294.27 8198.06
C 1114.54 1289.15 1105.8 3635.65 7145.44
 RESULTS ON HARVESTING OF MAIZE

Tables below shows the data collected during the harvesting of maize for plots A, B, and C

Table 4.1.5 Is showing the different results for number of fruits (Within Plots) collated after harvesting
Maize fruits from Plot A, B and C .

PLOT A

Treatments Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
(T)
T1 19 25 21 20 85
T2 13 15 12 12 52
T3 9 17 4 7 37
T4 0 5 9 9 23

PLOT B

Treatments Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
(T)
T1 8 21 26 29 84
T2 14 10 12 24 60
T3 18 10 10 10 48
T4 25 18 13 22 78
Total =270

PLOT C

Treatments Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
(T)
T1 20 18 26 21 85
T2 12 5 15 12 44
T3 2 6 7 6 21
T4 12 12 13 12 49
Total =199

Table 4.1.6 Showing the number of fruit weight (within) Plots A, B, and C

PLOT A

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (Kg)
T1 0.69kg 2.93 2.71 2.93 9.26
T2 2.09 2.64 2.29 2.10 9.12
T3 1.47 2.2 0.70 1.1 4.47
T4 0 0.75 1 1 2.75
 The total number of fruit weight for plot A =

PLOT B

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (Kg)
T1 1.65 2.25 3.88 4.82 12.6
T2 2.28 2.40 1.30 2.29 8.27
T3 2.75 1.55 1.25 1.70 7.25
T4 3.67 3.77 2.93 3.86 14.23
The total number of fruit weight for plot B =42.35kg

PLOT C

Treatments
(T) Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (kg)
T1 3.35 2.35 4.65 3.15 13.5
T2 2.00 1.10 2.90 1.90 7.90
T3 0.25 1.10 1.40 1.05 3.80
T4 1.80 1.75 2.65 2.70 8.90
The total number of fruit weight for plot C =34.10kg

Table 4.1.7 Showing the results for number of fruits (between) Plots A, B and C

Plots Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total
A 85 52 37 23 197
B 84 60 48 78 270
C 85 44 21 49 199

Table 4.1.8 : Shows the fruit weight of Maize ( between) Plots A, B and C

Plots Rep 1 (Row A) Rep 2 (Row B) Rep 3 (Row C) Rep 4 (Row D) Total (kg)
A 9.26 9.12 4.47 2.75 25.60
B 12.6 8.27 7.25 14.23 42.35
C 13.5 7.90 3.80 8.90 34.10

4.2DISCUSSION

Discussion on the harvested Okra(Abelmoshus esculentus )data /results

The tables above shows the different number of fruits within the three plots (A, B, C), the weight of
fruits within the plots, the number of fruits between the plots and the weight of fruits between each
plots. The tables were divided into treatment (T) and Replicates (Rep). The treatment represents each
individual in the plots while the replicates represents the rows/ridges (A,B,C,and D). Each student in the
treatment collected data /results from their ridges and recorded.
Table 4.1.1 and Table 4.1.3 above shows the different results for number of fruits Within Plots and
Between plots collated after harvesting Okra fruits from Plot A, B and C .

Within plot A, treatment 3 has four rows /ridges with a total of One hundred and twenty (120)fruits
while treatment 4 has a total of thirty seven (37) fruits. Therefore in plot A, the treatment /individual
with the highest number of okra fruits is treatment 3 while treatment 4 has the lowest number of okra
fruits.

Within plot B, treatment 3 with four rows has a total number one hundred and thirty five (135)fruit and
treatment 4 having four rows with a total of seventy one (71) fruits. Therefore in plot B, the individual
with the lowest number of okra fruit is treatment 4 while treatment 3 has the highest number of okra
fruit.

Within plot C, treatment 4 has the highest number of okra fruits with a total of forty-four (44),while
treatment 2 having a total of one hundred and eighteen (118) has the lowest number of okra fruits.

Between Plot A, B and C, the plot with the highest number of okra fruits was plot B with a total of three
hundred and seventy -three (373) followed by plot A with a total of three hundred and eight(308) while
plot C has the lowest number of okra fruit with a total of two hundred and seventy (270). The reason
why Plot B had the highest yield in number of okra fruits was that plot B served as the control between
plot A and plot B. Another reason was that plot B planted only okra and maize thereby reducing
competition between one crop with another . The reason for the poor yield of plot A and plot C was due
to competition(which resulted from planting both melon, okra, maize, potatoes on the same piece of
land) and lack of some minerals like phosphorus, potassium which also resulted in stunted growth of
some crops.

Table 4.1.2 and Table 4.1.4 above shows the number of fruit weight Within and Between Plots A, B, and
C.

Within plot A, treatment 4 has the lowest number of fruit weight with a total of 355.42g while
treatment 2 has the highest number of fruit weight with a total of 1,450.18g.

Within plot B, treatment 3 has the highest number of fruit weight with a total of 2,585.69g and
treatment 4 has the lowest number of fruit weight with a total of 1,294.27g.

Within plot C, treatment 3 having a total of 1,105.80g has the lowest number of fruit weight while
treatment 4 has the highest number of fruit weight with 3,635.95g.

Between plots A, B and C ,the plot with the highest number of fruit weight was plot B with a total of
8,198.06g,plot C was the next in line with 7145.44g followed by plot A which is the lowest with a total of
3871.58g. Plots B and C were recorded to have high number of fruit weight because the okra fruits
obtained from these plots were matured and some over matured thereby having enough weight that
yielded their results. Plot A was the least because the fruits from there were few and small in size too.

After the whole exercise, the weight of over matured okra was weighed which gave 11,550g and this
was done with an electric scale. We converted the gram to kilogram by dividing the 11,550 over 1000
which gave 11.55kg .
Discussion on the harvested maize (Zea mays)

Table 4.1.5 and 4.1.7 above is showing the different results for number of fruits Within Plots and
between plots collated after harvesting Maize fruits from Plot A, B and C .

Within plot A, treatment T1 has the highest number of fruit with a total of 85 while T4 is the lowest with
a total of 23.

Within plot B, treatment 1 has the highest number of fruit with a total of eighty-four (84) while
treatment 3 has the lowest number of fruit with a total of forty-eight (48).

Within plot C, treatment 1 has a total of eighty-five (85) while treatment 3 a total of twenty one (21).
Therefore treatment 1 has the highest number of fruit within plot C, treatment 3 has the lowest.

Between Plot A, B and C, the plot with the highest number of maize fruits was plot B with a total of two
hundred and seventy (270) followed by plot C with a total of one hundred and ninety -nine (199) while
plot A has the lowest number of maize fruit with a total of one hundred and ninety -seven (197).

The reason why Plot B had the highest yield in number of maize fruits was that plot B served as the
control between plot A and plot C,this was possible because it had no crop to compete with except okra.
The reason for the poor yield of plot A and plot C was due to competition(which resulted from planting
both melon, okra, maize, potatoes on the same piece of land) and lack of some minerals like
phosphorus, potassium which also resulted in stunted growth of some crops.

Table 4.1.6 and Table 4.1.8 above shows the number of fruit weight Within and Between Plots A, B, and
C.

Within plot A, treatment 1 has the highest number of fruit weight within this plot with 9.26kg while
treatment 4 with 2.75kg has the lowest.

Within plot B, treatment 4 has the highest number of fruit weight with 14.23kg and treatment 3 the
lowest with a total of 7.25kg.

Within plot C, treatment 3 with a total of 3.80kg has the lowest number of fruit weight while treatment
1 with a total of 13.5kg got the highest number of fruit weight within plot C.

Between plots A, B and C,the plot with the highest number of fruit weight in maize is plot B weighing
42.35kg, followed by plot C with 34.10kg and the least was plot A weighing a total of 25.60kg.
The table above shows the different trees and food crops planted during the internship training on
Agroforestry, it was observed that any plant can be used in Agroforestry systems. The choice of plant in
designing such systems should be based on those crops produced in a particular region either for
feeding animals, for home consumption, for marketing or plants that have great promise for production.

OBSERVATION

1. The student observed that even after making the cross bars within the ridges, whenever it rains some
ridges also gets washed away with the water thereby destroying the crops or shifting it away from the
original ridge to the ground.

2. The student also observed that some farm pests damaged some crops like corn and the pest was a
village weaver bird, and some ants.

3. Some crops did not do well because of competition between one crop and another and with weeds
too.

4. The absence of the students during the period of plant growth also aid in affecting them from doing
well.
CHAPTER FIVE

1. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 CONCLUSION

Today, Agroforestry instead of being merely the handmaiden of forestry is being used more as an
agricultural system, particularly for small-scale farmers. The potential of Agroforestry for soil
improvement and conservation is generally accepted. Indeed, Agroforestry is becoming recognized as
a land use system which is capable of yielding both wood and food while at the same time conserving
and rehabilitating ecosystem.

The problem of too much pressure on land for the production of food and wood for the increasing
population have made it mandatory to look into the various ways of mixing the uses of agricultural land
in different parts of the world. Agroforestry practices help landowners diversify products, markets and
farm income; improve soil and water quality and reduce erosion and flood damage. The integrated
practices of agroforestry enhance land and aquatic habitats for fish and wildlife and improve biodiversity
while sustaining land resource for generation to come.

There is therefore the dire need for an aggressive agroforestry extension to convince farmers to adopt
this farming system, most of which is fast disappearing at the places it was earlier practiced.

5.2 RECOMMENDATION

- The students should be given enough time to participate effectively in establishing Agroforestry farms.

- The school management should fund the internship training to enable students visit more agroforestry
farms and observe more of the systems and models practiced.

- More equipments and materials should be made available in order to facilitate the internship training
on Agroforestry.

-Participation in agroforestry farming is still relatively low in the study area. Effort should be made to
encourage more farmers to adopt agroforestry farming by creating government guaranteed credit
schemes and bank loans for such activities.

-Government should motivate agricultural production with more emphasis on agroforestry practices
since agroforestry farming combines the production of food, fiber, livestock and protection of the
environment. Thus economic and social assistance should be provided to farmers to enhance adoption
of agroforestry practices.

REFERENCES

Patish, Daizy Rani, ed. (2008). Ecological basis of agroforestry. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4200-4321-3.

Adedire M.O (2004). Environmental protection; the agroforestry option. Nigeria journal of forestry 34
(1) 1-6.

Dr Okeke A.I (2014). Lecture note on Agroforestry unpublished.

FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) (1987) Tree growing by Rural people, Forestry Paper No. 64,
FAO Rome, Italy. 10-13

Javis, P. G. (eds) (1991). Agroforestry Principles and Practice. Elsevier Amsterdam. The Netherlands.
125-182.

Jose, S. (2009). Agroforestry for ecosystem services and environmental benefits: An overview.
Agroforestry Systems, 76(1), 1-10.

Nair, P.K.R(1993). Classification of Agroforestry system. Agroforestry system 3:97 – 128. 117A. alley
cropping, A stable alternative to shifting cultivation, International institute of Tropical Agriculture
Ibadan, Nigeria, Pp 25 Nigeria and the middle belt on experimental basis. The tree species considered
are those with deep rooting, light crown ability to coppice, nitrogen fixing and good for fodder.

Nair, P. K. R. (1993). An Introduction to Agroforestry. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Netherlands. 499 pp

Rander, H. S. (1988). Agroforestry in Nigeria. National Workshop on Agroforestry Ibadan, Nigeria.

August, 1988.

Tolba, M.K. (1993). The Earth and Africa Development. Lecture delivered at the 4th distinguished Africa
lecture series. IITA, Ibadan. , Nigeria.37-51

Tarawali, G., Manyong, V. M., Cassky, R. J., Vissoh, P. V., Osei-Bonsu, P. and Galiba, M., (1999). Adoption
of improved fallow in West Africa. Lessons from Mucuna and Slylo case studies. Agroforestry systems.
47.1-3.
APPENDIX