The agronomic and economic performance of banana, bean and tree intercropping in the highlands of Burundi: an interim assessment

Akyeampong, E.; Hitimana, L.; Franzel, Steve; Munyemana, P. C.

doi:10.1007/bf00712073

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In a mixed species plantation study in Australia, Forrester et al (2004) found mean cumulative diameter growth in A. mearnsii to range from 10 to 16 cm at 11 years of age, with mean cumulative diameter of trees in this study falling within that range at 15 cm. In concurrence with this study, Akyeampong et al (1995) also found that in the highlands of Burundi, M. lutea was a very slow growing species, obtaining a DBH of only 3.1 cm, three and a half years after planting. The diameter growth rates of C. lusitanica in this study are lower than previously reported rates of 14.6 cm at age 7 by Luoga.…”

Section: Annual Growth Rates and Cumulative Growth Trajectoriessupporting

confidence: 90%

Dendrochronological Potential and Productivity of Tropical Tree Species in Western Kenya

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study focuses on tropical tree growth rates in Western Kenya. The dendrochronological potential of each study species was determined by visual examination of rings, and then cumulative growth trajectories for diameter were synthesized for species of sufficient sample size (n $ 3), based on ring-width chronologies. The 14 tree species considered were: Acacia mearnsii, Bridelia micrantha, Combretum molle, Croton macrostachyus, Cupressus lustianica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus saligna, Grevillea robusta, Mangifera indica, Markhamia lutea, Persia Americana, Syzygium cumini, and Trilepisium madagascariensis. The species with the highest dendrochronological potential included Acacia mearnsii, Cupressus lusitanica, the Eucalyptus spp. and Mangifera indica, which are all non-native species that successfully crossdated. The results also indicated that the species with highest dendrochronological potential had strong radial growth synchrony, which was reflected in high inter-tree correlation and (or) high growth variance explained by the first principal component axis. Furthermore, A. mearnsii and E. camaldulensis were sensitive to annual precipitation and moisture index. The species with the lowest dendrochronological potential were Grevillea robusta and Markhamia lutea. In terms of productivity, the three fastest growing species in the study, based on annual diameter increment, were Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus grandis, and Acacia mearnsii. This study also has great potential to extrapolate historical patterns of diameter growth to understanding annual aboveground biomass and carbon dynamics in Western Kenya.

show abstract

Section: Annual Growth Rates and Cumulative Growth Trajectoriessupporting

confidence: 90%

Dendrochronological Potential and Productivity of Tropical Tree Species in Western Kenya

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Boundary plantings involve trees on farm and field boundaries, soil conservation structures and terrace risers. Intercropping systems use widely spaced rows of trees (rather than hedgerows), and include fast-growing trees such as Populus deltoides in northern India , and upperstory trees such as cedrela or cedro (Cedrela odorata) and grevillea (Grevillea robusta) in banana and bean fields in East Africa (Akyeampong et al, 1995b). The role of trees in these systems is mainly to provide poles, timber, fuelwood and/or fodder.…”

Section: Trees In Cropland Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, the negative effect of trees because of competition for growth resources can be noted within a few years. The slow-growing trees such as faidherbia and acacia may not influence crop yields for many years after their establishment (Okorio and Maghembe, 1994), but the fast-growing trees such as poplars and eucalyptus reduce crop yields fairly quickly, within two to three years after their establishment (Ralhan et al, 1992;Akyeampong et al, 1995b).…”

Section: Crop Yieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biophysical interactions in tropical agroforestry systems

Rao¹,

Nair²,

Ong³

1998

Forestry Sciences

111

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The rate and extent to which biophysical resources are captured and utilized by the components of an agroforestry system are determined by the nature and intensity of interactions between the components. The net effect of these interactions is often determined by the influence of the tree component on the other component(s) and/or on the overall system, and is expressed in terms of such quantifiable responses as soil fertility changes, microclimate modification, resource (water, nutrients, and light) availability and utilization, pest and disease incidence, and allelopathy. The paper reviews such manifestations of biophysical interactions in major simultaneous (e.g., hedgerow intercropping and trees on croplands) and sequential (e.g., planted tree fallows) agroforestry systems.In hedgerow intercropping (HI), the hedge/crop interactions are dominated by soil fertility improvement and competition for growth resources. Higher crop yields in HI than in sole cropping are noted mostly in inherently fertile soils in humid and subhumid tropics, and are caused by large fertility improvement relative to the effects of competition. But, yield increases are rare in semiarid tropics and infertile acid soils because fertility improvement does not offset the large competitive effect of hedgerows with crops for water and/or nutrients. Whereas improved soil fertility and microclimate positively influence crop yields underneath the canopies of scattered trees in semiarid climates, intense shading caused by large, evergreen trees negatively affects the yields. Trees in boundary plantings compete with crops for above-and belowground resources, with belowground competition of trees often extending beyond their crown areas. The major biophysical interactions in improved planted fallows are improvement of soil nitrogen status and reduction of weeds in the fallow phase, and increased crop yields in the subsequent cropping phase. In such systems, the negative effects of competition and microclimate modification are avoided in the absence of direct tree-crop interactions.Future research on biophysical interactions should concentrate on (1) exploiting the diversity that exists within and between species of trees, (2) determining interactions between systems at different spatial (farm and landscape) and temporal scales, (3) improving understanding of belowground interactions, (4) assessing the environmental implications of agroforestry, particularly in the humid tropics, and (5) devising management schedules for agroforestry components in order to maximize benefits.

show abstract

“…Partial budgets were drawn up to assess the bene®ts and costs of planting trees in the banana±bean association, as described by Akyeampong et al (1995). Essentially, three years after planting, 31 men (comprising 15 charcoal makers, 10 carpenters and 6 farmers) estimated the price of G. robusta for poles or ®rewood at 167 Burundi francs (BIF) per tree (US$1 = BIF 240).…”

Section: Economic Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multistrata Agroforestry with Beans, Bananas and Grevillea robusta in the Highlands of Burundi

et al. 1999

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Some agronomic, economic and ecological aspects of an agroforestry system combining Grevillea robusta trees, bananas (Musa spp.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were studied in the subhumid highlands of Burundi. Three densities of G. robusta, 208, 313 and 625 trees ha 71 were interplanted in plots of bananas, beans and a banana±bean mixture. When G. robusta was interplanted with bananas, the tree had a positive eect on banana yield with maximum yield occurring at 300 trees ha 71 . In the presence of beans, banana yield was not in¯uenced by the densities of the tree. Under low fertility regimes, the yields of beans interplanted with G. robusta were equal to or greater than those of the no-tree plots. Maximum bean yields were observed at between 283 and 295 trees ha 71 , representing a 25±135% yield increase above the no-tree control. When soil fertility was raised by the application of fertilizers, bean yields declined with an increasing density of G. robusta. Three years after planting, the growth of G. robusta was not aected by tree density. Mean height and mean basal diameter were 7.1 m and 13.2 cm respectively. Below ground competition between beans on the one hand, and bananas or bananas and G. robusta on the other, was more important than competition for light. Compared with the crops alone treatments, cumulative net present values of tree plots improved from being negative in the ®rst year to being positive in the third year. Net present value was highest in two of three instances when the density of G. robusta was 625 trees ha 71 . A multistrata arrangement of bananas and beans with G. robusta is viable for the low input agriculture system of the highlands of Burundi.

show abstract

The agronomic and economic performance of banana, bean and tree intercropping in the highlands of Burundi: an interim assessment

Cited by 14 publications

References 4 publications

Dendrochronological Potential and Productivity of Tropical Tree Species in Western Kenya

Dendrochronological Potential and Productivity of Tropical Tree Species in Western Kenya

Biophysical interactions in tropical agroforestry systems

Multistrata Agroforestry with Beans, Bananas and Grevillea robusta in the Highlands of Burundi

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About