Tree Planting In Farmlands

By Esther Mwanthi

Why is it important for farmers to plant trees in their farmlands? Trees play a central role in our restoration efforts because of the many benefits they provide.

• They capture carbon from the atmosphere thus purifying the air we breath and reduce the effects of sun rays.
• They regulate water, prevent soil erosion and provide crucial habitats for wildlife.
• They provide shade, act as windbreaks, provide timber for construction, poles and fuelwood. All these and others are good
  benefits provided by trees and hence give a reason why trees should form a component of the farmers’ farmland.

A farmer can ensure a maximum utilization of his plot while planting trees and other crops. The mixing of trees and crops is known as agroforestry. Several ways of mixing of trees and crops are as follows;

1. A farmer can plant crops in between rows of trees. The farmer will continue harvesting the crops while the trees grow to maturity for harvest as well.
2. Boundary planting -trees can be planted along the boundary. They act as windbreaks and provide maximum benefit to the
   farmer.
3. Compound planting- a farmer can plant trees in his compound. They give a scenic value (beauty) and also provide shade.
4. Silvo pasture- trees can be planted in the same area where grazing is taking place in a pasture land – the trees provide shelter for livestock while providing timber, fruits, and fodder to the farmer.
5. Random planting- trees can be planted randomly within the farmland in a way they will not affect the crops growing in the
   farm and the farmer will continue benefiting from the trees.
6. Woodlot – a farmer can set aside a small land section within his farm, different from where he is growing crops and plant trees only.

What to consider while planting trees
The farmer should ensure to plant the right tree species in the right sites. The only trees to be planted in farmlands are only the agroforestry species (those that have no effect on crops). These tree species are nitrogen fixers in the soil they do not compete with the crops for nutrients and are deep-rooted. Examples are grevillea robusta, caliandra collothysus, sesbania sesban, Leucaena leucocephala, etc.These trees have light canopy and can allow some sunlight through.
Some tree species do not allow anything to grow beneath them so these ones should not be planted in cropland. Examples are eucalyptus and casuarina, but these are good for woodlot, where the farmer has set aside a land with no crops, these trees can be planted for woodlot. The leaves of these tree species are poisonous and where they fall nothing grows. These tree species should not be planted as boundary planting.

Tree management
Many tree establishment efforts focus on the planting process and fail to consider the years of time and effort needed to care for the planted trees and manage their growth. Trees planted on farms require management and the management can be time consuming. A farmer can grow trees in his farmland and at some point, tree crowns overgrow to shadow off the crops. In such cases, the crop yield will reduce hence there is need to manage the trees by pruning the tree branches to reduce overshadowing of the crops by the trees. There are several ways a farmer can do tree management as below.

1. Pruning – Prune trees at the right time of the year and use proper techniques to promote healthy growth and prevent damage. Note; over pruning can permanently damage or shorten a tree’s life.
2. Thinning– This is the removal of trees that are diseased, deformed, dry, etc., to give way for those that are in good form.
3. Coppicing -Cut a tree to encourage enhanced growth. This can rejuvenate a tree and help it to last longer. Also, when the tree coppices, removal of some coppices is done to leave only the best coppices for better growth.
4. Lopping– This involves cutting entire branches from a tree to reduce its size. This then removes all the branches of the tree
   and thus minimizes the over shading effect of the branches.
5. Pollarding– This method involves cutting off the top part of a tree, hence reducing shading effect of the branches.

These management practices are very key for a farmer to continue enjoying the benefits of the trees and maximize on products. How a farmer can ensure tree planting is successful in farmlands.

Tree management, refers to all the activities that take place right from when the tree is planted until harvest time. A farmer has to be ready and plan well for a tree planting activity and the planning should be understood as below;

Tree planting

• Seedlings to plant must be available (borrow, buy, etc.)
• Prepare where to plant- Dig holes good enough to accommodate water for the tree establishment (11/2×11/2×11/2 ft )(drylands)).Dig the right spacing.
• Plant the trees/seedlings – Plant the right species, plant the right way and tend the tree well.
• Holes to plant should be done during the dry season and if possible manure (animal) added. Then plant the trees when the rains commence.

Tree tending
The planted trees have to be tended, weeded, watered during the dry season until that tree is well established. A sign of a tree establishment is when it starts sprouting (new leaves start coming up).Do not stop watering until the next rain season.

When the tree matures and is planted in a farmland where crops are grown, then remove the tree branches in a manner as has been explained above in tree management topic to ensure the underneath is receiving enough sunlight.