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Introduction

So far this topic has dealt largely with the role of trees in land
use, farming systems and their agroforestry potential and the ways in
which trees and crops interact. In this lecture, the way trees are
arranged on the land where they grow is the main criterion for the
identification of a number of different agroforestry practices.

Once again, I hope that this topic will add up to the readers and
adopter’s knowledge about agroforestry systems. This is largely a
Kenyan experienced.

We shall discuss the following factors:
 Spatial arrangement
 Areas where each practice may be most relevant
 Establishment and spacing
 Management aspects
 Benefits and risks
 Examples of species.

It must be stressed that the recommendations made in this chapter
are to be regarded as suggestions that will require further discussion
with farmers during extension visits. Conditions vary from place to
place and prescriptions must not be made without the full
involvement and agreement of the farmers concerned. The content of
this chapter should be regarded as a basis for consultations with
farmers, not as providing hard and fast rules. The technical
recommendations have deliberately been left imprecise; the local
people must be partners in narrowing down the recommendations so
that they become precise enough for application to a particular farm
or area.

Another general recommendation is that farmers who want to plant
more trees should be encouraged to do so gradually. Continuous
planting of a few new trees every year for 5-10 years is a better option
than planting a large number all at once. If many trees are planted at
once, most of them will become mature at the same time and the
management of the trees will require a lot of work in certain years and
almost no work in others. A more even labor demand is achieved if
trees are planted gradually.