14. agroforestry research in kenya: an overview

14.4 KEFRI/KARI/ICRAF Maseno National Agroforestry Research Centre

The Maseno Research Centre was established in 1987 with KEFRI as the lead institution and in collaboration with KARI and ICRAF. Maseno is located in a high-potential area in western Kenya. The station is a part of the AFRENA network, and research is carried out in the food-crop-based land-use system which dominates the area. The activities at Maseno include species-screening trials, farmer surveys, selection and breeding research on high-priority species, breeding biology and vegetative propagation studies, and work on tree-root symbionts. Research under the AFRENA programme includes on-station and on-farm experimentation to develop and evaluate agroforestry technologies for soil-fertility maintenance and fodder production.

Examples of on-station trials are:

• Species screening

• Vegetative propagation trials

• Flowering and fruiting of selected tree species

• Provenance trials of Leucaena leucocephala, Sesbania sesban and Calliandra calothyrsus

• Fodder production potential of grass and shrub combinations on contour bunds

• The effect of cutting frequency on biomass production of Leucaena hedges

• The effect of Leucaena diversifolia hedge architecture on hedge biomass production and crop performance

• The effect of Calliandra cutting height on fodder production in combinations of Calliandra and Napier grass on contour bunds

• Selection of MPTs for alley cropping with maize

• The effect of Leucaena mulch with different rates of application of DAP/CAN fertilizer on maize and maize/bean combinations

• Decomposition and nutrient uptake of selected MPTs.

The on-farm programme started in 1990. Informal surveys have confirmed the findings of the Macro D & D (Minae and Akyeampong, 1988). A decline in soil fertility is a major problem in the land-use system and shortages of fuelwood and livestock feed were also of concern. The communities were approached through women's groups in these surveys.

So far, on-farm activities have included:

• Assessment of the impact of hedgerow intercropping on soil fertility and soil-erosion control with emphasis on farmers' socio-economic requirements and benefits

• Studies of the biological performance of hedges on different soil types

• Investigation of on-farm supply and demand for tree products and marketing opportunities

• Testing of rotational hedgerow intercropping, fodder banks and boundary planting

• Studies of patterns of household decision making with regard to the adoption of agroforestry

• Development of appropriate on-farm research methods.

A number of other studies have also been conducted, e.g.:

• A farmer-designed tree-planting trial

• Soil-fertility management on small farms

• Soil-fertility status of farmers' fields

• Evaluation of hedgerow intercropping.

In a trial where 50 farms were involved, farmers designed tree planting with Grevillea robusta, Casuarina cunninghamiana, Leucaena leucocephala, Leucaena diversifolia and Calliandra calothyrsus. Two out of three farmers planted shrubs in hedgerows, 50% of the farmers planted Grevillea on external boundaries, 36% on internal boundaries and 11% around the homestead.

Neighbouring the agroforestry research station at Maseno is the site of the KARI Small Ruminant Collaborative Research Support Programme. This project is trying a number of fodder trees and shrubs in hedgerows and for improved fallows.