Evergreen agriculture integrates trees and annual crops to maintain green cover year-round. This project explored scaling up evergreen approaches in East Africa. It found that: 1) Conservation agriculture with trees in Machakos, Kenya generated higher maize yields and more soil moisture than without trees. 2) Close tree spacings stored more moisture but reduced yields, while Calliandra calothyrsus spaced at 3m performed best. 3) Tree biomass provided fodder, fuelwood and stakes. 4) Community-based extension like Landcare may be better for scaling integrated natural resource management than individual training.

1. An exploration of evergreen agriculture
approaches for scaling up in East Africa
Jonathan Muriuki ICRAF, Nairobi

2. Synopsis
The regional
context
The evergreen
agriculture idea
The project
objectives
Results from
capacity building
objective in
Machakos, Kenya
Conclusion

3. HUMID
HIGHLANDS
High Pop. Density
(Home to > 50 % of
region’s pop)
Supply > 50 % of
regions staple &
cash crops
Important water
towers
Rainfed & irrigated
agriculture
Major crops: Maize,
potato, banana,
wheat, coffee, tea,
arrow roots
DRYLANDS
81 % of total land
mass
Significant in
Kenya (75 %);
Tanzania &
Ethiopia (50 %)
Pastoralism / Agro-
pastoralism
Irrigated and
rainfed agriculture
Major crops:
Sorghum, millet &
cassava, cotton
Eastern Africa
Main features

4. 2003 Crop Yields (MT/ha) – Africa, and Global
Crop AFRICA GLO
BAL
Maize 1.61 4.47
Rice 1.87 3.84
Sorghum 0.88 1.30
Millet 0.70 0.82
Sweet Potatoes 4.32 13.49
Cassava 8.83 10.76
Beans 0.62 0.70
Groundnuts 0.86 1.35
Bananas 6.59 15.25
4
(Source: Tittonell, 2013)

5. What is Evergreen Agriculture?
A form of more
intensive farming
that integrates trees
with annual crops,
maintaining a green
cover on the land
throughout the year.
Evergreen farming
systems are ‘double-
story’ systems that
feature both perennial
and annual species
(food crops and trees).

6. Project objectives
1. To identify the critical drivers of adoption of evergreen
agriculture technologies and practices in sub Saharan
Africa (baseline study)
2. To establish a robust infrastructure for the multiplication
and supply of improved tree seed/seedling system and its
integration with livestock production systems
3. Build the capacity of smallholder farmers in accessing
evergreen agriculture practises, and supporting services
(e.g technologies, credit and markets),
4. Generate, package and disseminate knowledge to various
categories of smallholder farmers, partners and institutions

7. Meru County, Kenya
Machakos County, Kenya
Mwanga District, TanzaniaMbarali District, Tanzania
Bugesera District,
Rwanda
Project sites
Lesotho – only baseline studies done in
two sites – north and south of the country

8. Build the capacity of smallholder farmers
in accessing evergreen agriculture
practises in Machakos
 Establishment of demonstration
plots at farmers training centre and
in each of 40 farmer groups – three
tree species tested with three alley
spacings and maize-legume
intercrop
 Training of farmers through four
different approaches – government
extension, FFS through World
Vision, Landcare – through KENDAT
and Volunteer farmer trainers

9. Maize ATC Machakos SR2013

10. More moisture retention when CA practiced with shrubs
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Callat1.5
Callat3
Callat4.5
Notrees
Glirat1.5
Glirat3
Glirat4.5
P.peasat1.5
P.peasat3
P.peasat4.5
Treatment
CoA
SR13 LR14 SR14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Callat1.5
Callat3
Callat4.5
Notrees
Glirat1.5
Glirat3
Glirat4.5
P.peasat
1.5
P.peasat3
P.peasat
4.5
Treatment
CA
SR13 LR14 SR14
Moisture%vol-TillMoisture%vol–Notill

11. Tree growth and production LR2014

12. Farm tree diversity as proxy for extension
approach effectiveness for CAWT
Farmers under Landcare had more diversity of tree species and
farm enterprises

13. Conclusion
• CA with trees generated benefits of higher maize yields (no
difference in legume yields) and increased soil water storage hence
can narrow yield gaps especially useful for moisture stressed lands
• Very close spacing (below 3m) yielded high shrub biomass and
stored more moisture but depressed yields – while best performance
was by Calliandra calothyrsus spaced at 3m
• Tree biomass can serve as fodder and fuelwood and staking for high
value crops such as climbing beans, tomatoes etc
• Extension Approaches that build social capital in communities and
build farmers’ capacity to diagnose NRM issues such as Landcare
may be more appropriate in scaling up INRM

14. Thank you
for Listening
Creating an Evergreen Agriculture in Eastern Africa