African Journal of Food Science Research Vol. 2 (9), pp. 139-141, September, 2014. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals Review Agroforestry Concepts and practices in Maintainable land use systems in Nigeria Bello Ibrahim and Mohammed Dave Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Accepted 23 August, 2014 Agroforestry has been defined as a dynamic ecologically based natural resources management system that through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels. This paper highlighted Agroforestry practices and concepts in sustainable land use systems. The benefit derivable from the interface between forest trees and agricultural crops are enormous. They include the optimal use of land for both agricultural and forestry production on a sustainable basis including the improvement of the quality of soil. This is in addition to the socio-economic benefits that are accruable from agroforestry. Indeed the advantage of agroforestry is all encompassing and germane to a sustainable production system and livelihood. Key words: Agroforestry, practices, concepts, sustainable, land use systems. INTRODUCTION Agroforestry practices offer practical ways of applying various specialized knowledge and skills to the development of sustainable rural production systems. Agro-forestry is recognized as a land use option in which trees provide both products and environmental services. In agroforestry systems, the trees grown on different farmlands in the same locality when aggregated can bring about improved wooded situation thereby enhancing environmental protection (Otegbeye, 2002). In most agroforestry systems, the trees grown do not have the usual silivicultural recommendations in terms of spacing (Owonubi, 2002). Given the reality of awareness among the farmers of multiple land use management, the need to improve on the existing agroforestry practices becomes necessary in the face of increasing population and limited nature of land. Rural people have been discovered to have a wealth of indigenous knowledge and have incorporated trees in production systems in areas where they lived for a very long period of time (Evans and Alexander, 2004). Agroforestry has both protective and social-economic benefit. Kang (1993) reported that besides direct agricultural benefit, trees exhibit social - economic values. The benefit of the tree components derived by farmers from agroforestry was evaluated from a social-economic and ecological perspective (Anderson and Sinclair, 1993). The social - economic benefits of agroforestry can be evaluated in terms of productivity, stability and sustainability. The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance and concepts of Agroforestry as a veritable tool in sustainable land use systems. *Corresponding author. E-mail: ib_bello@yahoo.co.uk http://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/ Ibrahim and Mohammed 139 Table 1. Agroforestry practices among farmers in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Types of agroforestry practices Lafia North Lafia South Lafia West Lafia East Respondents Percentage Row/hedges 11 8 6 5 30 25 Trees on farm land 2 4 6 7 19 15.8 Scattered trees on farmland 13 10 16 14 53 44.2 Wind break 4 8 2 4 18 15 Total 30 30 30 30 120 100 Source. Alao and Shuaibu (2011). TYPES OF AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS There are various types of agroforestry systems, some of which are listed as follows: 1. Trees on farmland: The farmers plant or retain trees on their farmland, both for food, income, soil improvement and environmental amelioration and for shade during the harsh weather period. 2. Parkland also known as scattered trees: Parklands are characterized by well grown scattered trees on cultivated and recently fallowed land (CTA, 2003). These parklands develop when crop cultivation on a piece of land becomes more permanent. The trees are scattered far apart so that they do not compete with their neighbours. Parklands consist of indigenous trees like Parkia biglobosa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Tamarindus indica, Azadirachta indica, etc. Parkland trees have the following characteristics:They are deep rooting, preferably reaching ground water table. They have capacity to fix nitrogen Produce litter that decomposes well and add as much as possible to soil organic matter. 3. Alley cropping as described by (CTA, 2003) is a system in which strips of annual crops are grown between rows of trees or shrubs. Lining up the woody plants in hedges should ensure that there is little interference with cultivation of the field. The extension of alley cropping to include animal husbandry by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has led to the concept of alley farming (Okali and Submerge, 1985). 4. Wind breakers and shelter belts. Their major purpose is primarily to control wind erosion. The species used include, Azadirachta indica, Anacardium occidentale, Mangifera indica, Musa species, Khaya senegalenses, etc. Alao and Shuaibu (2011) have shown that these practices are commonly practiced by farmers as shown in Table 1. based natural resources management system that through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels (Leakey, 1996). Agroforestry, generally refers to land used system or farming system in which trees or shrubs are grown in association with agricultural crops, pastures or livestock and in which there is ecological and economic interaction between the trees and other components. Agroforestry practice is a distinctive arrangement of components in space and time. It is a specific local example of a practice, e.g Taungya. It is characterized by environment, plant species, and arrangement, management, social and economic functions. RANGE AND CLASSIFICATION OF AGROFORESTRY The range and classification of agroforestry practices are the following. Agro silvicultural Agrosilviculture was aptly regarded as a variant of taungya to be practiced outside of forest reserve (Nwoboshi, 1982). It envisages multiple land use involving arable and tree crops, but the emphasis here is shifted to the agricultural crops which are of dominant interest. Indeed, agrosilviculture could be likened to shifting cultivation (Nwoboshi, 1982) except that the fallow vegetation is planted with economic trees whose gestation period is equivalent to the fallow period. Silvo – pastoral These are mostly trees with pastures and livestock. It is essentially the practice of animal production along with trees and pastures. CONCEPTS OF AGROFORESTRY Shifting cultivation Agroforestry has been defined as a dynamic, ecologically Shifting cultivation was the farming system widely Table 2. Uses and Importance of Agroforestry to farmers in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Uses of trees Respondents Percentage Additional income 23 19.2 Human nutrition 8 6.7 Reduce weeding 6 5 Fuel, stakes and timber 34 28.3 Shade for livestock 9 7.5 Medicinal herbs 4 3.3 Wind break 9 7.5 Soil improvement 27 22.5 Total 120 100 Source. Alao and Shuaibu, 2011. embraced by peasants in the tropics in the past (Greenland, 1974). This form of farming is no longer common, because rapid population growth has increased food demand tremendously to the level that fallow periods had to be reduced and the forestry sector had to give way gradually to agricultural needs. This has led to un- precedented deforestation, lowering of soil productivity, loss of biodiversity, increased soil erosion and weed infestation, and consequently lowered crop yield (Okigbo, 1984a). Unfortunately, the continued relying on expanding cultivated areas has not been able to contribute substantially to resolving the food crisis, because not all the available land is equally productive (Okigbo, 1984b). It is not even economical on the long run. Utilization levels of land and water resources are close to maximum potentials and future growth will be possible only through better management of a fixed resource base (Banuri and Holmberg, 1992). Intensive rather than extensive use would be the way out of the log jam (Fagbemi, 1997). In order to achieve the twin goal of satisfying increasing demands for food as well as retain the biologically beneficial effects of shifting cultivation, many workers have in the last two decades advocated the development of land use systems based on age-old practices of intentionally mixing trees in crop animal production fields (Nwoboshi, 1980). Mixed farming Mixed farming system practiced by majority of the farming communities indicated the existence of traditional agroforestry system common in the semi-arid zones of Nigeria (Oboho, 1989). Integration of trees into farming system and subsequent modification of the system could be easy with earlier understanding of the importance of trees in the farming system. Similarly, the practice of animal production could make the intensification of fodder bank system an easily acceptable agroforestry model. With soil fertility, maintenance as the major problem of 140 Afr. J. Food Sci. Res. the farming system, adoption of appropriate agroforestry system will be easy. Hayashi et al. (1995) opined that since trees have traditional value and importance among the farmers in the agro-ecological zone the modification of their integration within the farming system could be readily adapted and accepted by the farmers. Fruits, fodder and fire wood species are common on the farmlands. Improvement on these species will make it readily acceptable. ADVANTAGES OF AGROFORESTRY It should be noted that the attempts being made under agroforestry are to optimize the use of land for agricultural production on a sustainable basis at the same time meeting other needs from forestry (Fagbemi, 2002). Nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing trees thrive adequately in agroforestry with annual crops, presents a farming system in which arable crop yields can be enhanced. The tree rooting system brings about stability that can lead to soil conservation. What is needed would be mutual interaction and proper management techniques that would reduce the adverse effects that may result when trees are integrated into agro-ecosystem (Connor, 1983). Various authors (Kang et al., 1990; Young, 1986; Rocheleau and Dianne, 1987) were of the view that successful agroforestry practices benefits the farmers in the following ways: a. Consistent restoration of the fertility status of the soil through the recycled litter deposition and nitrogen fixing mechanism of trees. b. A variety of products, firewood, poles, woodcraft, fodder, medicinal herbs and food for livestock and man respectively. c. Prevention of wind and water erosion by trees acting as wind break and intercepting the raindrop impact on the soil respectively. d. Improving the micro-climate effect of the immediate and adjourning environment. e. Restoration of water table to an absorbable level for crops use. f. Increased income opportunities. g. Increased economic stability h. 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