Farmer designed agroforestry trials: farmers' experiences in Western Kenya

In farmer-designed tree trials, farmers experiment on their own with new tree species, planting them where and how they wish on their farms. In western Kenya, 50 farmers (half female) planted and evaluated five different species: two overstorey species (Grevillea robusta and Casuarina junghuhniana), primarily for timber and pole production, and three shrub species (Leucaena leucocephala, L. diversifolia and Calliandra calothyrsus), mainly for improving soil fertility. Results revealed important criteria that farmers use in evaluating tree species. For example, Casuarina junghuhniana was widely appreciated for its ornamental value, despite its relatively poor ratings on survival and growth. The findings also highlighted the importance of testing new species under farmer conditions, as their ranking on growth was different than in on-station trials. Farmers appreciated the overstorey species but most did not find the shrub species to be effective in improving soil fertility. The trials also provided important information on farmers' management problems, preferred niches for tree planting, and intended uses of tree products.

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