Fertilizer tree

Fertilizer trees are used in agroforestry to improve the condition of soils used for farming. They capture nitrogen from the air and put it in the soil through their roots and falling leaves.^[1] They can also bring nutrients from deeper in the soil up to the surface for crops with roots that can't reach that depth.^[2] Fertilizer trees are further useful for preventing fertilizer erosion, and improving water usage for crops.^[1] Sesbania, Gliricidia, Tephrosia, and Faidherbia albida are known as fertilizer trees.

Use in Africa

Use of a fertilizer tree call the Faidherbia albida in Malawi and Zambia has resulted in a doubling or tripling of maize yields.^[3] As part of evergreen agriculture, use of fertilizer trees are proposed as a means to improve food security for Africa. Niger has more than 4.8 million hectares of predominantly Faidherbia agroforests, while Zambia has 300,000 hectares.^[3]

In Zambia and Malawi, where Faidherbia trees are most widely used, farmers plant the trees in a checkerboard pattern every 30 feet throughout the field.^[4]

Fertilizer trees are used to prevent the expansion of desert, and keep agriculture viable in arid lands in many African countries.^[5]

See also

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Langford, Kate (October 14, 2011). "New Study Finds 400,000 Farmers in Southern Africa Using ‘Fertilizer Trees’ to Dramatically Improve Food Security". World Agroforestry Centre. Retrieved August 29, 2012. 
2. ↑ http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/a-13-2007-05-22-voa72.html
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.worldagroforestry.org/evergreen_agriculture
4. ↑ Marshall, Jessica (August 8, 2012). "African tree acts as 'fertilizer factory' for crops". MSNBC. Retrieved August 29, 2012. 
5. ↑ Langford, Kate (August 31, 2011). "Surviving drought through agroforestry". World Agroforestry Centre. Retrieved August 29, 2012.