The small tree Tephrosia vogelii is changing the fortunes of farmers in the north of Malawi.

A story in Blantyre Newspapers explains how in Matemanga village in the district of Mzimba, farmers have been struggling to produce decent maize harvests due to a combination of sandy soils and barren hillsides. When the rain does come it filters too quickly through the sandy soils for the crops to benefit and the barren lands lead to erosion.

Through the Agroforestry Food Security Program, several farmers began planting Tephrosia (known locally as Mtetezga) for dual benefits. The plant’s deep roots enable it to establish in the sandy soils, providing a vegetation cover which halts runoff and keeps soils moist. The fallen leaves create mulch that retains water and improves soil fertility through adding nitrogen.

“When such a combination is not used, I harvest 8 50kg bags of maize from one acre of land. When used, I harvest a minimum of 20 50kg bags of maize from the same piece of land,” says Kenani Shonga.

Seeing the benefits, many more farmers in Matemanga have begun growing Tephrosia in their fields.

The tree has long been known to local people, but not for the purpose it is now being used.

“All we have known Mtetezga for is getting fish drunk when pounded leaves are used in rivers and this helps us to easily catch the fish,” says Shonga.

The World Agroforestry Centre began the Agroforestry Food Security Program in Malawi in 2007 to help boost production and work with farmers to introduce trees with multiple benefits, including for fodder, fruits, fertilizer and food.

Read the full story: Halting, reversing stocks of miserable harvests

Find out more about the Agroforestry Food Security Program in Malawi