8. SOME AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES IN KENYA                   

8.12 Fodderlots

Spatial arrangement

Areas where trees or shrubs are grown in a stand to produce fodder are known as fodderlots. Trees and shrubs may be intercropped with fodder grasses to maximize fodder production but sometimes the grasses compete so much with the shrubs that the production of protein-rich leaf fodder is severely reduced.

Areas where the practice is relevant

The practice is relevant in all areas where zero-grazing is practised. In semi-arid areas trees can also be grown primarily for production of protein-rich pods or for browsing, and in that case livestock may be let into the fodderlot.

Establishment and spacing

Fodderlots can be established in rows using seeds, seedlings or cuttings. The spacing can vary from 0.2 m within the row and 0.5 m between the rows for shrubs, to 0.5 m within the row and 1-2 m between the rows for trees. Fodderlots for browsing or for pod production should be established at a wider spacing. In ASAL, natural regeneration of indigenous trees can be utilized for fodderlots. Selective clearing will then be needed to promote the growth of the best species. If establishment is poor, the plants may need inoculation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

If fodder shrubs are grown together with Napier grass in high-potential areas, the fodder shrubs should be planted first and the grasses a season later. If they are planted simultaneously, the grasses will compete too much with the shrubs.

Management aspects

Cutting for fodder should be done frequently since young leaves are most nutritious. A fodderlot may need to be fertilized, especially with phosphates, in order to sustain its productivity. With intensive cutting or browsing, the shrubs may sometimes need to be given time to regrow. Leucaena, for example, should not be cut or browsed for more than 6 months in a year.

Benefits

The main benefit is improved supply of fodder. Fodderlots may also conserve soil on slopes, and if planted in strips along the contour they may serve as biological soil conservation measures. On the negative side is loss of land from crop production.

Examples of species

Species producing pods with a good fodder value are Leucaena leucocephala, Prosopis spp., Acacia tortilis and Tamarindus indica.