Developing cacao agroforestry systems for a sustainable ... · 4 Kola Cola nitida Obi Cashcrop Tree 5 Bush butter Dacryodis edulis Ube Food and cash Fruit tree 6 Orange Citrus sinensis

Developing cacao agroforestry

systems for a sustainable, diversified

production in Nigeria

Oloyede, A.A., Adedeji, A.R., Famaye,

A.O., Olaniyi, O.O. Akanbi, O.S.O and

Shittu, T.R.

Cocoa Research institute of Nigeria,

CRIN, PMB 5244, Idi-Ayunre, Ibadan

[email protected]

2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium

Introduction

• Cacao as a high-valued commodity crop

• origin in the Amazonian forest as an under-storey

plant.

• Attainment of a crop status made its cultivation

spread to many tropical regions of the world with

West Africa sub-region accounting about 70% of

global production.

• Traditionally monoculture cacao is not common in

Nigeria

• Arrays of timber, treecrops, fruit crops, and none-

timber forest products (NTFPs) are deliberately

retained or planted by farmers.


Importance of

intercropping

• sources of income,

• food,

• construction,

• medicine,

• nutrients,

• cultural needs

• Environmental services.

• Guide against crop failure


Arrangement on the

field

• These intercrops are

haphazardly included in cacao

plantations

• No scientific evaluation of the

systems.



Why agroforestry?

• land scarcity for new planting.

• Currently there is over 600,000ha of

cacao plantations in Nigeria

• Ages of plantation over 50 years

sustained by the overstorey of

timbers and tree crops

• Ensure crops and products

diversification


Need for prioritization

• Prioritizing the choice crops,

timber species and NFTPs in the

systems across cacao

ecologies in Nigeria becomes

imperative.


Earlier research efforts

in cacao diversification

• Cacao/oilpalm Intercropping

with varying geometry of

avenue and hollow square

• Cacao/kola intercropping

• Cacao/kola/citrus

• Cacao/foodcrops(cassava,yam,c

owpea,cocoyam,plantain)


Farmers practices

• Earlier survey by Asare(2005)

revealed some forest tree,

NTFPs inclusion in cacao

cropping systems in

Ghana,Nigeria, cote Divoire

Cameroon

• Survey by Oloyede et al

confirms agroforestry

practices.


A typical cacao agroforest

in Osun State Nigeria


Table 1:Some Identified forest trees

and none timber species in cocoa

plantation in Cross River State

S/N Species Common name Scientific name Local name Uses Type of species

1 Bush mango Irvingia

gabonensi

s

Ogbono/oro Condiment and

sale

Fruit

2 Sweet orange Citrus sinensis Orange Consumption and

sale

Fruit

3 Oilpalm Elaeis

guinensis

Palm tree Consumption and

sale

Palm

4 Bush pear Dacryodes

edulis

Ube Consumption and

sale

Fruit

5 Sand paper tree Ficus

exasperat

a

Okpi/Ipin Antitermite/firew

ood

Tree

6 Mango Mangifera

indica

Nsang Consumption and

sale

Fruit

7 Newboudia Newboudia

laeva

Efu-nfam/akoko Boundary

demarcation

and

chieftaincy

Tree

8 Coconut Cocos nucifera Mbang-

nkara/agbon

Consumption and

sale

9 Wonderful kola Hydrocotyle Obiawogbaarun Medicinal-local Tree2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium

Table 1 Contn…

10 Cotton tree Ceiba petandra Cotton tree Timber and

medicinal

Tree

11 Boundary tree Newbouldia

laevis

Etu, peregun in

yoruba

Life boundary

demarcation

Tree

12 Eti-nda Medicinal and

antitheft

Tree

13 Antiaris Antiaris

africana

Oro in yoruba Timber species

especially

for furniture

Tree

14 Iroko Milicia excelsa Nsan, Iroko Timber species Tree

15 African nutmeg Pycnanthus

angolensi

s (Welw.)

Warb.

akomu in

Yoruba.Mpan

tiin Ikom

Planted or

retained for

shade in

coffee and

cocoa

plantations,

Canoe

making and

medicinal

Tree

16 Guava Psidium

guajava

Fruit Fruit tree

17 Star apple Chrysophyllum

albidum

Agbalumo Timber and

medicine

Tree


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_language

Table 1 contn…

18 Kola Cola nitida - Cash and

traditional

Fruit

19 Black afara Terminalia

ivorensis

- Timber Tree

20 White afara Terminalia

superba

- Timber Tree

21 Walnut Pluckennetia

conophor

a

Nkat Climber Nut eaten and for

sale

22 Raffia palm Raffia hookeri Wine Tree

23 Cotton tree Ceiba petandra - Timber Tree

24 Ficus Ficus

exasperat

e

Okpi Firewood Tree

25 Pycnanthus Pycnanthus

angolensi

s

Npanti Plywood Tree

26 Eti-Nda Yet to be

identified

Eti-Nda For protection

against

pilfering on

farm

Tree


Table 1 contn…

27 Albizia Albizia Sp Atare Timber,Fuel

wood and

permanent

shade

Tree

28 Avocado Persia

americana

- Fruit Fruit tree

29 Black pepper Piper

guinensis

- Condiment

and for sale

Climber

30 Red acalypas - Marking

point of

transplanted

cacao

Horticultura

l plant

Source: Field Survey (2014)


Table 2: Some Identified forest trees

and none timber species in cocoa

plantation in Ondo State,Nigeria

S/N Species Common

name

Scientific name Local name Uses Type of species

1 Iroko Milicia excelsa Iroko Timber Tree

2 Ficus Ficus sp Ipin Fuelwood Tree

3 Celtis Celtis zenkeri Ita Timber Tree

4 Kola Cola nitida Obi Cashcrop Tree

5 Bush butter Dacryodis edulis Ube Food and cash Fruit tree

6 Orange Citrus sinensis Osan Food and cash Fruit tree

7 Wild cola Cola gigantia Ogbungbun Timber Tree

8 Palm tree Elaeis guineensis Ope Food and cash Palm

9 Albizia Albizia zigia Ayunre Timber,shade Tree

10 Black afara Terminalia

ivonrensis

Idigbo Timber,shade Tree


Table2 Contn…

11 White afara Gmelina

arborea

Igi isana Timber,Shade Tree

12 Gliricidia Gliricidia

sepium

Agunmaniy

e

Fertilizer,fuel,foreag

e

Tree

13 Obeche Triplochito

n

scleroxylon

Arere Timber,matches,leaf

as vegetable

Tree

14 False iroko Antiaris

africana

Oro Timber Tree

15 Newbouldi

a

Newbouldi

a laevis

Akoko Boundary

plant,timber

Tree

16 Mango Mangifera

indica

mangoro Fruit Tree

17 Avocado Persea

americana

Pear Food and cash Fruit

Tree

18 Guava Psium

guajava

Guava Fruit andcash Fruit tree

Source: Field survey (2014)


Factors to be considered in selecting

shade plants for cocoa

• provide good overhead shade within a

short time(50% light infiltration optimal

for cacao)

• should not compete with cacao for water

and soil nutrients

• should be easy to remove when no longer

needed

• should not serve as alternate hosts to

pests

• should be of commercial value

• The selection process should be

participatory


Agroforestry and cacao soils

• The presence of trees in the

ecosystem can influence the

nutrient content of the soil through

its influence on soil structure,

biological activities and nutrient

recycling.

• The deep root of the trees can tap

nutrients from the deep down the

soil profile where crop roots cannot

reach and are brought to the

surface for the use of the intercrops.


Some identified fertilizer plants

• Acacia albida;Acioa barteri;Albizia

sp;Alchornia cordifolia;Anthonotha

macrophilla;Cajanus

cajan;Calliandra Sp;Flemingia

congesta ;Gliricidia sepium;Grevillea

robusta;Leucaena

leucocephala;Sesbania

sesban;Tephrosia Sp among others

Hugues and Philippes(1998).


Need for better shade

• Some of these species have been

used in foodcrop production through

alley cropping.

• Now that survival of established

cacao is getting reduced due largely

to the inadequacy of recommended

plantain as shade crop as a result of

climate change, alternatives have to

be sort in some of the above listed

species for improved cacao

establishment.


• Are trees necessary in cacao plantations?

• Are the trees beneficial to the growth and yield of

cacao?

• What are the priority forest trees and NFTPs in

cacao plantations?

• Is monocropped cacao acceptable among cacao

farmers?

• Is phenomenon of alleplopathy noticeable in

cacao plantations?

• Is cacao agroforestry sustainable?

• Have we identified desirable and undesirable

trees in cacao plantations in Nigeria as

obtainable in some other West African countries

like Ghana?

Some vital research questions


Some vital research questions

• Should we expand cacao cultivation to the

remaining forest reserve to increase

production?

• Can we propagate these timber and none

timber species for inclusion in cacao

farming systems?

• At what densities should they be planted?

• Are there ready markets for the integrated

fruit trees in cacao agroforest?

• Can agroforestry improve farmers

livelihood?


Answers

• Are trees necessary in cacao plantations?Yes,by what we see in

Tables 1&2

• Are the trees beneficial to the growth and yield of cacao? Yes

and No in Nigeria as desirability and oherwise have not been

determined

• What are the priority forest trees and NFTPs in cacao

plantations? All species are useful one way or the other but

there is the need for prioritization

• Is monocropped cacao acceptable among cacao farmers in

Nigeria? No,as land is limiting and traditional farming system

does not believe in single crop.

• Is phenomenon of alleplopathy noticeable in cacao plantations?

• Is cacao agroforestry sustainable? Not yet verivied and research

urgently needed

• Have we identified desirable and undesirable trees in cacao

plantations in Nigeria as obtainable in some other West African

countries like Ghana? Partially but only in few locations


Answers contn…

• Should we expand cacao cultivation to the remaining

forest reserve to increase production? No, as the

available land can be maximized in view of global climate

change.

• Can we propagate these timber and none timber species

for inclusion in cacao farming systems? Yes by training

cacao farmers and establishment of community

nurseries

• At what densities should they be planted?Yet to be

determined

• Are there ready markets for the integrated fruit trees in

cacao agroforest? Yes but there are room for

improvement

• Can agroforestry improve farmers livelihood? Yes,

because of product diversification and consequently

income of farmers


Closing remarks

• Integration,diversification,propagati

on,planting densties are very

important in developing sustainable

cacao farming systems,the

stakeholder here present should

have identified cacao agroforestry to

improve livelihood as in the words of

Akoroda(2016) $0.68 on cocoa alone

cannot take the farmers home.


• Thanks for your rapt attention


Documents

Developing cacao agroforestry systems for a sustainable ... · 4 Kola Cola nitida Obi Cashcrop Tree 5 Bush butter Dacryodis edulis Ube Food and cash Fruit tree 6 Orange Citrus sinensis