155
13.2 Production and Mitigation Benefits of Agroforestry
and Intercropping Practices in Dodoma
In arid and semiarid areas of Tanzania, food crops and fuelwood are both the product of agricultural landscapes. Thus, issues of food, fuel and climate are inherently
linked and may be best addressed together. Agroforestry—specifically, shelterbelt,
G.sepium intercropping, and border plantings of fuelwood and food crops—has
been promoted to address these concerns simultaneously. In theory, this technology
may be climate-smart. Growing trees and crops together has been shown to have
positive, negative and no effect on crop productivity (Coe et al. 2016). For instance,
intercropping maize with ‘fertiliser trees’ such as G. sepium and/or pigeonpea
(Cajanus cajan) improves land productivity, soil fertility and enhances the ability of
the land to capture and store rainfall, creating resilient cropping systems (Sileshi
et al. 2011; Kimaro et al. 2016). Lastly, production of fuelwood reduces collection
from natural areas as well as deforestation and degradation (Ramadhani et al. 2002).
The mitigation benefits may be further enhanced when coupled with improved cook
stove (ICS) technologies that increase the efficiency of fuelwood use. Thus, assessing the synergies of on-farm wood production using agroforestry along with ICS
technology increases our understanding of the multidimensional impacts of CSA;
yet the impacts of these technologies have often been evaluated separately. We conducted studies to evaluate the CSA benefits of on-farm wood supply and its efficient
use by ICS as well as crop yields under agroforestry and maize–pigeonpea intercropping in Kongwa and Chamwino districts, Dodoma, Tanzania.
The first study assessed wood supply from agroforestry technologies (shelterbelts, boundary tree planting, contours planting, and Gliricidia sepium intercropping), established on nearly 110 farmers’ fields, to evaluate the climate-smartness of
these technologies in Chamwino (Ilolo village) and Kongwa (Molet, Mlali Laikala
and Chitego villages) districts. Fuelwood yield was determined using speciesspecific biomass equations (Sererya et al. 2017) and household wood consumption
was assessed using the kitchen performance test (Uckert et al. 2017). While it has
been found that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduced through the use of the
ICS (Sererya 2016), the offset of carbon dioxide emissions by using fuelwood produced on-farm was used to assess the mitigation impacts of ICS and agroforestry
technologies. Crops production in alleys between shelterbelts was determined
through the systematic sampling of small plots.
We found evidence that agroforestry met some components of CSA. Maize grain
yield in the alleyways between shelterbelt strips ranged from 2.3 to 3.2 tons per
hectare (t ha
−1
). Crop yields declined slightly in shelterbelt areas under the influence
of trees, but were similar in yield to that obtained in maize monoculture in Dodoma
(Kimaro et al. 2009). Wood biomass production in shelterbelt, farm boundaries,
intercropping and on contour bounds ranged from 0.5 to 8 t ha
−1
, depending on the
species and spacing adopted (Table 13.1). This amount of wood can sustain a fivemember family for 4–6 years when using the traditional three-stone firewood (TSF)
stove and ICS, respectively (Table 13.1). Relative to the TSF, households using ICS
13 Understanding the Multidimensionality of Climate-Smartness: Examples…
13.2 Production and Mitigation Benefits of Agroforestry
and Intercropping Practices in Dodoma
In arid and semiarid areas of Tanzania, food crops and fuelwood are both the product of agricultural landscapes. Thus, issues of food, fuel and climate are inherently
linked and may be best addressed together. Agroforestry—specifically, shelterbelt,
G.sepium intercropping, and border plantings of fuelwood and food crops—has
been promoted to address these concerns simultaneously. In theory, this technology
may be climate-smart. Growing trees and crops together has been shown to have
positive, negative and no effect on crop productivity (Coe et al. 2016). For instance,
intercropping maize with ‘fertiliser trees’ such as G. sepium and/or pigeonpea
(Cajanus cajan) improves land productivity, soil fertility and enhances the ability of
the land to capture and store rainfall, creating resilient cropping systems (Sileshi
et al. 2011; Kimaro et al. 2016). Lastly, production of fuelwood reduces collection
from natural areas as well as deforestation and degradation (Ramadhani et al. 2002).
The mitigation benefits may be further enhanced when coupled with improved cook
stove (ICS) technologies that increase the efficiency of fuelwood use. Thus, assessing the synergies of on-farm wood production using agroforestry along with ICS
technology increases our understanding of the multidimensional impacts of CSA;
yet the impacts of these technologies have often been evaluated separately. We conducted studies to evaluate the CSA benefits of on-farm wood supply and its efficient
use by ICS as well as crop yields under agroforestry and maize–pigeonpea intercropping in Kongwa and Chamwino districts, Dodoma, Tanzania.
The first study assessed wood supply from agroforestry technologies (shelterbelts, boundary tree planting, contours planting, and Gliricidia sepium intercropping), established on nearly 110 farmers’ fields, to evaluate the climate-smartness of
these technologies in Chamwino (Ilolo village) and Kongwa (Molet, Mlali Laikala
and Chitego villages) districts. Fuelwood yield was determined using speciesspecific biomass equations (Sererya et al. 2017) and household wood consumption
was assessed using the kitchen performance test (Uckert et al. 2017). While it has
been found that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduced through the use of the
ICS (Sererya 2016), the offset of carbon dioxide emissions by using fuelwood produced on-farm was used to assess the mitigation impacts of ICS and agroforestry
technologies. Crops production in alleys between shelterbelts was determined
through the systematic sampling of small plots.
We found evidence that agroforestry met some components of CSA. Maize grain
yield in the alleyways between shelterbelt strips ranged from 2.3 to 3.2 tons per
hectare (t ha
−1
). Crop yields declined slightly in shelterbelt areas under the influence
of trees, but were similar in yield to that obtained in maize monoculture in Dodoma
(Kimaro et al. 2009). Wood biomass production in shelterbelt, farm boundaries,
intercropping and on contour bounds ranged from 0.5 to 8 t ha
−1
, depending on the
species and spacing adopted (Table 13.1). This amount of wood can sustain a fivemember family for 4–6 years when using the traditional three-stone firewood (TSF)
stove and ICS, respectively (Table 13.1). Relative to the TSF, households using ICS
13 Understanding the Multidimensionality of Climate-Smartness: Examples…