Assessment of farmers' management activities on scattered trees on crop fields at Gemechis district, West Hararge Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia
Keywords:
Pruning, Pollarding, Coppicing, Gemechis, Scattered trees/shrubs, HarargheAbstract
Purpose: This study was designed to assess farmers' management activities on scattered trees/shrubs on crop fields at Welargi and Hidha Dima kebeles in Gemechis district, West Hararghe Zone. Key informants and household interviews were used.
Methodology: Data collected from key informants and household interviews was analyzed using software SPSS version 20 (statistical package for social science). The analyzed data was summarized in narrative form and presented in descriptive manner
Result finding: The result showed that, farmers deliberately retained/planted and managed different tree/shrub species. Trees/shrubs scattered on crop fields were identified along their uses. The identified trees/shrubs were seventeen in number and their uses were for soil fertility improvement, animal feed, food, fuelwood, timber, construction and cash income. Management activities they used for managements of different trees/shrubs species were pruning, pollarding and coppicing. Tree-crop based farming system is the most widely distributed agroforestry practice in the study area. Under this practice, the most abundant retained tree species on crop fields by farmers is Croton macrostachyus, under which sorgum and maize were the most dominantly intercropped crops. This study demonstrated that pruning activities is the most dominant management activities for scattered on-farm trees/shrubs in the study area.
Recommendations: Farmers' management activities knowledge to be integrated with scientific knowledge to enrich their knowledge and techniques for practice, such as pruning and pollarding time, intensity etc., deserves attention. Study on litter quality (litter decomposition) and nutrient dynamics in the canopy tissues of this tree species should be conducted in order to determine when branches have to be pruned and pollarded for off-site uses or in situ soil conservation activities.
Downloads
References
Abebaw, Z.2006. Farmers' indigenous knowledge in managing agroforestry practices in Lay-Gayint district, south Gonder Zone, Ethiopia, MSc Thesis, Hawassa University, Wondogenet, pp.82.
Abebe Yadessa, Itanna F, Olso M .2001. Contribution of indigenous trees to soil properties: the case of scattered trees of Cordia africana Lam. in croplands of western Oromia. Ethiopian J Nat Resour 3(2):245-270
Atteh, D.O.1991. Indigenous local knowledge as a key to local level development: possibilities, constraints and planning issues. Studies in technology and social change No.20.Ames: low a state university, Technology and social change program.
Boogaard, B.K., Oosting, S.J. and Bock, B.B., 2006. Elements of societal perception of farm animal welfare: A quantitative study in the Netherlands.
Briggs, J,Pulford Id,Badric,M and Sheen As,1998. Indigenous and scientific knowledge: the choice and management of cultivation sites by Bedovin in Upper Egypt. Soil use and management
Chuma, E., Mombeshora, B. G., Murwira, H.K. and Chikuvire, J.2000. The dynamics of soil fertility management in communal areas of Zimbabwe IN: Nutrients on the move: Soil fertility dynamics in African farming system. Thea Hilhorst and Fred muchena (eds.). International Institute for Environment and Development London, UKpp45-64.
CSA (Central Statistical Agency), 2007. Summary and statistical report of the 2007 population and housing census: Population Size by Age and Sex.
Den Briggelaar, C.1996. Farmer experimentation and innovation: a case study of knowledge generation process in agroforestry systems in Rwanda. Nancy Hart (ed) community Forestry case study series 12, FAO, Rome.123pp.
Dhillion, S. S. and G. Gustad (2004). "Management practices influence the viability of the baobab (Adansonia digitata Linn.) in different land use types, Cinzana, Mali." Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 101(1): 85-103.
DOA (District Office of Agriculture), 2014. Reports of Gemechis district office agriculture, 2014.
Eyasu Elias 2000. Soil enrichment and depletion in southern Ethiopia In: nutrients on the move: soil fertility dynamics in African farming systems Thea Hilhorst and Fred Muchena (eds.). International Institute for environment and development London, Uk pp65-82.
FAO 1985. Tree growing by rural people food and agriculture of the United Nations No.64, Rome Italy pp130
Gindaba J, Olsson M, Itanna F (2004) Nutrient composition andshort-term release from Croton macrostachyus Del. and Millettiaferruginea (Hoechst.) Baker leaves. Biol Fertil Soils 40:393-397
Kindt, R. and Coe, R. 2005.Tree Diversity Analysis. A manual and software for some common statistical methods for biodiversity and ecological analysis. World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), Nairobi, 203pp.
Lakany, H. 2004. Improvement of Rural Livelihoods: The Role of Agroforestry. 22pp.
Nair, P.K.R.1993. An Introduction to Agroforestry: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 420pp.
Rao, M.R., P.K.R., Nair and C.K. Ong. 1998. Biophysical Interactions in Tropical Agroforestry Systems. Agroforestry Systems 38:
Reijntjes, C., Haverkort, B. & Water-Bayer, A. 1992. Farming for the future: an introduction to low-externalinput and sustainable agriculture. Macmillan press leusden The Netherlands pp250.
Rocheleaue, D., Weber, F. and field-June, A. 1988. Agroforestry in dryland Africa, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya.pp499
Soyebo, K.O., Farinde, A. J. and Dionco-Adetayo, E. 2005. "Constraints of oil palm production in Ife Central LGA of Osun State. Journal of Social Science-10 (1): 55-59.
Storck, H., Bezabih Emana, Berhanu Adnew, A.A. Borowiecki, and Shimelis W/Hawariat, 1991. Farming systems and farm management practices of small-holders in the Hararghe Highlands: Farming system and resource economics in the tropics. Wissenschafts Varlag Vauk Kiel KG, Germany.
Tesfaye Abebe 2005. Diversity in homegarden agroforestry systems of Southern Ethiopia. PhD Thesis Wageningen University and Research Centre. The Netherlands. pp 143.
Workneh Alemayhu 2002. Farmers' knowledge and attitude towards tree planting and farm forestry practices. A case of Awi zone of Ahmara region, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Msc in forestry programme. Thesis report No.2002:58pp74
Young, A. 1997. Agroforestry for Soil Management, Second Edition. CAB. International and ICRAF, New York.
Zebene Asfaw and Göran I. Ågren. 2007. Farmers' local knowledge and topsoil properties of agroforestry practices in sidama, southern Ethiopia. Agroforestry Systems 71: 35-48
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
