Monitoring women's tree planting in Kabale district, Uganda: a study on farmers' preferences for tree species and planting niches

This paper presents the result of a survey, carried out in 1994 and 1995, on the monitoring and evaluation of farmers' tree planting in Kabale District, Uganda. The study focusses on three issues: (a) farmers' perception of agroforestry tree species; (b) farmers' preferences for tree planting niches, and (c) problems and constraints farmers met in planting the new species. More insight into these issues will increase the understanding of the adoption potential of agroforestry technologies in the district. The survey focuses on the four tree species that were introduced to farmers by the AFRENA project in Kabale. These species are: Calliandra calothyrsus, Casuarina equisetifolia, Grevillia robusta, and Alnus acuminata. The research findings mainly refer to the first three species: Alnus acuminata was planted by only a few farmers, and had to be left out in part of the analyses. The results show that farmers appreciate species that provide a range of uses and that can be grown on crop fields without a negative effect on the crop growth. Calliandra calothyrsus and Grevillea robusta were the most popular species among farmers. Calliandra is valued for its production of firewood and fodder, and its positive effect on the soil. Grevillea was preferred for timber and firewood, and its expected positive effects on the soil fertility. Casuarina was not very popular because of its negative effects on the growth of crops.