Abstract

Almost 90% of the population of Malawi is rural, deriving their livelihood from farm holdings under 2.0 ha. Population density is one of the highest in Africa. The pressure on limited land resources has resulted in serious problems of soil erosion, reduced soil fertility, severe limitations to quality and available fodder, and acute shortages of wood for fuel and building materials. Appropriate agroforestry technologies based on the use of multipurpose woody perennials (trees and shrubs) can help to improve and sustain small-scale farm production without costly inputs. This project will seek to improve the crop, livestock, and tree production components of small-scale farming systems through the generation of suitable agroforestry technologies. Researchers will identify multipurpose tree/shrub species for alley cropping and mixed intercropping systems for the improvement of soil fertility; species for fodder, polewood, and fuelwood production for boundary plantings; and fruit tree species for sources of on-farm nutrition and cash. The project represents the country-specific project of the ICRAF Agroforestry Research Network for Africa (AFRENA).

Post-Project Summary

A complete post-project abstract could not be written because of insufficient project documentation.

Recipient Institution(s)