Browsing by Author "Sinclair, Fergus"
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Item Farmer-led approaches to increasing tree diversity in fields and farmed landscapes in Ethiopia(Springer Nature, 2021-10) Derero, Abayneh; Coe, Richard; Muthuri, Catherine; Hadgu, Kiros M.; Sinclair, FergusIncreasing tree cover and managing trees better on farms in Ethiopia supports livelihoods and the environment but most tree-planting schemes promote only a few species. This research aimed to understand farmers’ tree planting priorities in Oromia, Ethiopia and address challenges involved in meeting them. Tree species and planting niches were elicited through focus group discussions. Participatory trials compared 17 tree species across seven on-farm planting niches and seedling survival and growth patterns were evaluated. Farmers suggested a high diversity of tree species suitable for each niche with fruit species mainly selected for homesteads. The diversity of desired tree species is much higher than that typically available in nurseries or promoted by tree planting projects. Meeting planting demands was difficult because the existing seedling supply does not support diversity. Evaluation of tree survival showed striking differences among species, farms, agroecologies and planting niches. There was high variation in seedling survival amongst the tree species planted on 1893 farm/planting niche locations, indicating impact of local level risk factors attributable to management, biotic and abiotic causes. Growth differences of the six shared species common to both agroecologies across different niches, showed that the effects of species and niche were significant on growth. A farmer-led approach to increasing tree cover that couples understanding of species and planting niche preferences with appropriate seedling supply and management is proposed as a means to increase the diversity of trees in farmed landscapes.Item The utility of farmer ranking of tree attributes for selecting companion trees in coffee production systems(Springer Nature, 2019-08-15) Smith Dumont, Emilie; Gassner, Anja; Agaba, Genevieve; Nansamba, Ruth; Sinclair, FergusThere is increasing interest in the potential of agroforestry to improve the productivity and sustainability of coffee production, but designing management options is knowledge intensive. Tree-crop interactions and the biophysical and socio-economic factors influencing farmers’ decision-making about companion trees are complex and context-specific but fine scale data relating to them are rarely available. A novel method was used to analyse trees ranked by farmers for a range of attributes and evaluate the consistency of farmers’ knowledge underpinning decisions about tree management in coffee production systems in Rwanda. Farmers’ knowledge about tree planting was changing, in line with new shade management recommendations being promoted alongside a limited number of tree species, often freely distributed through eco-certification initiatives. Farmers had detailed knowledge about soil and water conservation processes associated with trees, but they traded these off against perceived competition for light, water and nutrients with coffee. The competitiveness of trees with coffee was influenced by combinations of attributes related to: crown architecture, foliage properties and growth patterns; as well as how trees responded to management, and, their utility. Farmers consistently ranked 20 tree species for 12 attributes (five related to ecology, four to management and three to utility). Given the paucity of data on tree attributes for many species, systematically acquired and consistent local knowledge complements global scientific information and can be useful in bridging knowledge gaps relating to the integration of tree diversity in coffee production systems, which is an increasingly important strategy for smallholder farmers adapting to climate change.