NO. 35 z DECEMBER 2009 z ISSN 0859-9742 · traditional agroforestry systems in India. Read more...

NO. 35 DECEMBER 2009 ISSN 0859-9742

Featuring

December 2009 Asia-Pacific Agroforestry Newsletter No. 352

DISCLAIMER. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression ofany opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO and SEANAFE concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of itsauthorities, or concerning the delineation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication are those of thecontributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the editor(s) of FAO and SEANAFE.

OUR ADDRESS. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand;Website: http://www.fao.org and http://www.fao.or.th; E-mail [email protected]; SEANAFE c/o World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)-Southeast Asia Regional office, PO Box 61, Bogor 16001, Indonesia; Website: http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/networks/Seanafe/Index.asp; E-mail [email protected]

PRODUCTION. Patrick B. Durst, Michael Pescott, Lutgarda L. Tolentino (Editorial Consultants); Rowena D. Cabahug (Editor); andPerseveranda G. Tubig and Reinelen M. Reyes (Production Assistants)

COVER PHOTOS. (Main photo) Patrick Barkri, a farmer in Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea, stands beside an “Indoyar,” local namefor Casuarina junghuhniana, a tree indigenous to Indonesia, but is being monitored as highly suitable for firewood and charcoal.“Indoyar” grows well in Papua New Guinea exceeding that of upland and coastal “Yar” or Casuarina equisitfolia (see story onp.11). (Left photo) Exotic poplar (Populus deltoides) is successfuly integrated with sugarcane in northern India resulting inmaximum returns in terms of profit and environmental benefits (see story on p. 3). (Top photo) The F1 hybrids of Jatropha curcasand Jatropha integerrima exhibiting various fruit colors (see story on p. 7). (Right photo). Turmeric is integrated with Poplar todetermine the effects of tree canopy closure on understorey crops (see story on p. 5).

PRINTER. Thammada Press Co. Ltd., 86 Soi 501/1 Charansanitwong Road, Bangplad, Bangkok 10700 Thailand

Dear readers2009 was an interesting year in thefield of agroforestry. We witnessed andexperienced the Second WorldCongress on Agroforestry in Nairobi,Kenya, which successfully provided thevenue for participants to share newfindings, lessons, experiences, andideas on ‘Agroforestry—the future ofland use.’ The outcomes andinspirations arising from suchinternational events continue tomotivate researchers and practitionersaround the world to continueundertaking initiatives on agroforestryresearch, promotion and development,education and training, and awarenessraising and advocacy work.

We thus continue to bring you updateson these particular areas of agroforestryin the 35th issue of APANews. Thisissue features contributions from India,and Papua New Guinea—presentingresults of studies on various integratedagroforestry systems, tree canopyclosure on understorey crops, hybridproduction, fuelwood productionsystems, and the use of indigenous treespecies for multiple benefits.

An article from Northern India investi-gates the returns from using exoticpopular trees in agroforestry systems.This system is shown to be valuableespecially when popular are grown tolarger diameters.

Similarly, another article from North-ern India discusses the effects ofgrowing popular on the performance ofturmeric, especially photosynthesis,stomatal conductance, transpiration,yield and resource competition.

Another article from India explores thecarbon sequestration in popular-wheat-based integrated cropping; showing itto store more carbon in above andbelow ground biomass than sole cropcultivation.

An interesting article discusses theproduction of Jatropha hybrids.Jatropha curcas L. has been identifiedas a potential source of biofuel. Findout the problems in producing andestablishing Jatropha plantations, theprocess and outcomes of producingJatropha hybrids, the differentvariations in the F1 generation, the useof hybrid clones, how the clones canbe replicated, and ways of promotingthe clones.

In Papua New Guinea, fuelwood is acritical part of the country’s economy.Read more on how people use andgain access to fuelwood, and thecorresponding challenges they face.Find out how a project, jointlyimplemented by a government researchagency, and local and internationalNGOs, is exploring the possibility ofgrowing fuelwood for sale, including itas part of the farmers’ current farming

practices, and exploring ways to widenadoption. The article also discusseshow the project assesses otherindigenous species that could bedeveloped as fuelwood.

Celtis australis is discussed in anotherarticle as a multipurpose andindigenous tree crop, usually grown intraditional agroforestry systems inIndia. Read more about this crop’svarious uses, flowering and fruitingbehavior, means of propagation, andnutritive content.

As always, we continue to bring youthe latest information sources andreferences for your agroforestry researchand development projects, includinguseful websites.

We also feature the last issue ofSEANAFE News on print. In this issue,SEANAFE is formally declared as aninternational nongovernmentalorganization. Find out how this newstatus will guide SEANAFE’s operationsin 2010. Read more SEANAFE updatesfrom www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/networks/Seanafe/ and theirupcoming e-newsletter.

We appreciate your continued supportto APANews. Thank you to all thecontributors and we hope to receivemore articles from you for upcomingissues of APANews! – The Editors

Asia-Pacific Agroforestry Newsletter No. 35 December 2009 3

AGROFORESTRY RESEARCH

Using exotic poplar inNorthern India for higherreturns in agroforestryKulvir S. Bangarwa ([email protected]) and G. von Wuehlisch

Continued on page 4

Table 1. Demand and supply of wood (million m3).

Particulars 1985 1996 2001 2006 2010 2020

Wood demand for domestic, furniture, agriculture, industries

50 64 73 82 95 153

Output from forests 24 12 12 12 12 12

Output from plantations, (social and farm forestry)

41 47 53 58.5 88.7

Deficit 26 11 14 17 25.7 52.3

The natural and plantation forests ofIndia are 678 333 km2 and 99 896 km2,respectively and represent 23.68percent of its total geographic area(NFC 2006). The total growing stock ofwood in the country was estimated at6 098 million m3, which includes4 782 million m3 inside the forest area,and 1 632 million m3 outside the forestarea (NFC 2006). Per capita forest andtree cover in the country is 0.08 ha/person, and the average stock volumeper hectare within the recorded forestarea measured61.72 m3 /ha.

Forest-based industries in India showsignificant deficits between woodrequirements and supply (Table 1).The rapid loss of natural forests in thecountry implies insufficient supply offorest resources to meet future needs.As a result, timber plantations,agroforestry and wood imports aresupplementing India’s demand forforest raw materials (Table 1).

The potential of agroforestry

Large-scale farm forestry/agroforestryplantations are being promoted in Indiathrough social forestry. The NationalCommission on Agriculture,Government of India, first used theterm ‘social forestry’ in 1976. It wasthen that India embarked upon a socialforestry project to take the pressure offthe forests and make use of all unusedand fallow land. Government forestareas that are close to humansettlements and have been degradedover the years due to human activitiesneeded to be afforested. Trees were tobe planted in and around agriculturalfields. Plantating of trees along railwaylines and roadsides, and river and canalbanks was carried out. They wereplanted in village common lands,

government wastelands and Panchayatlands.

Large-scale farm forestry/agroforestryplantations have been promoted inIndia since 1988 after theimplementation of the National ForestPolicy (1988). But it was the buy-backarrangement of the Farm ForestryProject, which was implemented by theWestern India Match Company Ltd.(WIMCO) from 1984 to 1990 thatpromoted the poplar agroforestryplantations.

In this project, WIMCO used to enterinto a buy-back agreement with thefarmers to purchase the harvest ofpoplars with girths above 90 cm atbreast height. The company alsosupplied quality planting stocks ofpoplar and provided technical know-how at a reasonable cost. In thisagreement, the company providedfarmers with the option to sell theirproduce in the open market. At thattime, the majority of the farmers soldtheir produce in the open marketbecause of the high price of wood. Butthe agreement was used only to buildfarmers’ confidence during plantation

establishment.

This buy-back agreement was approvedby the National Bank for Agriculturaland Rural Development(NABARD).Because of this agreementand the trees’ multiple uses, farmers innorthern India maintained theplantations of exotic poplar (Populusdeltoides).

At present, agroforestry is beingpromoted by the government’s forestand agriculture departments, NGOsand wood-based industries. Theseagencies provide quality planting stockand technical know-how, but not interms of the buy-back agreement doneby WIMCO.

Integrating exotic poplarin agroforestry

The poplar tree, native to the USA,was introduced in India in the 1950s.Poplar is widely grown in northernIndia on a rotation of 6-8 years. Itthrives in well-drained, irrigated, deepand fertile soils (Chandra 1986).

Transplanting one-year-old bare rootedpoplar saplings, measuring 4-5 m inheight, during the months of January toFebruary with spacing of 8 × 3 m, 7× 3.5 m, 6 × 4 m, and 5 × 4 m is acommon practice. Plantation rows areusually aligned to provide maximumsunlight to agricultural crops. Potentialclones viz., G3, G48, L34, S7C15, Udayand Kranti of Populus deltoides are

(Source: NFC 2006)



Using exotic poplar...

Fig. 2. Highest price of wood with varying girth (Personal Survey 2008).

Continued from page 3

available for agroforestry plantations.Besides, WIMCO Seedlings Ltd.,Rudrapur (Uttranchal) registered sixnew clones of Populus deltoids (vizWSL-22, WSL-27, WSL-32, WSL-39,WSL-A26 and WSL-A49) with theInternational Poplar Commission ofFAO (Anon 2004). The clones werereleased for commercial plantingduring 2002. All these clones weregiven greater volume than G48.

Poplar plantations at commercial scalehave been expanding since WIMCOsponsored the Farm Forestry Project in1984. Maximum production potentialof poplar plantations was set at 65 m3/ha per year, while average productionof poplar wood was 35-40 m3/ha peryear in northern India. The deciduousnature of poplar allows the growth of

agricultural crops underneath with lessadverse effects on yield.

In the first two years of the study,maximum returns were obtained fromsugarcane + poplar plantations (Figure1). From the third year onwards, shade-loving crops like turmeric weresuccessfully integrated into theplantation. Wheat was integrated in theplantation during winter, while foddercrops were planted during summer.

In the 1990s, poplar replacedeucalyptus because of the latter’sdecline in market price. Poplar waspreferred because of its: faster biomass growth; high compatibility with

agricultural crops; faster leaf decomposition which

maintains soil fertility; high market price; and

ability to easily propagate.

Marketing of poplar

Poplar is harvested when it attains adiameter of approximately 1 m atbreast height. Poplar wood is used forpeeling by making wood piecesmeasured at 1-2 m. Poplar woodpieces, measuring 60 cm and are freefrom any knots, usually fetch a higherprice. The price of poplar wooddecreases as girth decreases. Figure 2shows the prices of wood for 2009 atdifferent diameters.

Figure 2 clearly indicates the larger thegirth/diameter, the greter the price perkilogram. This relates to the point ofharvest. Trees at 1 m girth at breastheight should thus be harvested notonly to yield more wood, but also tofetch higher prices, usually at Rs. 850(US$19) per 100 kg. Figure 3 shows theprice fluctuations of poplar wood from1980 to 2007.

Poplar-based agroforestry has been veryprofitable. About 10 million trees havebeen planted every year since 1980until 2000. In total, 0.02 million ha(20 000 ha) of polar plantations wereestablished with an average density of400-500 trees per hectare.

In 2003-2004, poplar was not aswidespread as expected due to the lowwood price. Farmers resorted to sellingtheir produce at Rs70 (US$1.5) andRs155 (US$3.3) as compared to Rs350-550 (US$7.5-11.8) per 100 kilo during1980-1998. Farmers were thuscompelled to cut their young poplartrees to earn income. Six to eight-yearold poplar trees, with girths measuring1 m, were priced at Rs500-600(US$10.7-12.9) each in 2004 (Personalmarket survey in Yamuna Nagar(Haryana) in Northern India 2008).

Current market prices

Fig. 1. Sugarcane withpoplar.



Fig. 3. Price per kilogram of poplar wood with varying girth measurements (1980-2007).

Physiology and yield of turmericunder poplar canopyW.S. Dhillon, Sanjeev K. Chauhan ([email protected]) and Navtej Singh

Populus deltoides (Poplar) has emergedas one of the promising species inagroforestry plantations in thenorthwestern states of India. Despiteits advantages, poplar attains crownclosure within three to four years,which causes severe competition withcrops for resource sharing. It has beenshown that crop productivity isdrastically reduced from the third yearonwards.

Describing effects oftree canopy closure

The poplar tree canopy modifies themicroclimate and influences thephysiological processes of understoreycrops. As the tree canopy becomeswider, the Photosynthetic ActiveRadiations (PAR) and temperaturesdecrease while humidity under thecanopy increases. PAR under thecanopy is crucial in producing grains.

However, some rhizomatous crops maybe more suitable. One such crop isturmeric (Curcuma domestica).Turmeric is grown widely in India as aspice crop. A study was conducted toexplore the performance of turmericunder three- and four-year old poplarcanopy.

Measuring leaf area index

To record the canopy closure of poplarat 6 x6 m2, leaf area index (LAI) wasmeasured from March to Novemberusing a digital canopy imager. LAIincreased from March to June anddecreased thereafter. Maximum LAI of0.52 and 0.44 was observed under thethree- and four-year-old poplar trees,respectively. Trees that were regularlypruned to provide sufficient light forthe crops resulted in a lower LAI.

Poplar and turmeric intercropping.Continued on page 6

Seven-year old poplar trees, with girthsmeasuring 1 m at breast height(1.37 m), fetch an average of Rs2 000(US$43.0) per 100kg (Personal marketsurvey in Yamuna Nagar (Haryana),Northern India 2008).

Kulvir S. Bangarwa can be contacted at theDepartment of Forestry, CCS HaryanaAgricultural University, Hisar-125 004,India. G. von Wuehlisch can be contacted atthe Federal Research Institute for RuralAreas, Forestry, and Fisheries , Institute forForest Genetics, Sieker Landstrasse 2, D-22927 Grosshansdorf, Germany.

References: 1) Anon. 2004. 2) Anonymous.2006. Report of the National ForestCommission (NFC) of India. Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests, New Delhi 421pp;3) Chandra, J. P. 1986. Poplar as cash cropfor north India Farmers. Indian Forester112:698-709; 4) Economic analysis ofindustrial agroforestry: poplar (Populusdeltoides) in Uttar Pradesh (India), Journalof Agroforestry Systems, Volume 49, number

3/august 2000, Springer, Netherlands; 5)Personal Survey of Market in Yamuna Nagar(Haryana) in Northern India, 2008.



Determining photosynthesis rate

Photosynthesis is a physiologicalprocess affected by environmentalfactors particularly light. Using theUSA-made portable photosynthesissystem, photosynthesis, transpirationand stomatal conductance werestudied.

In turmeric, the rate of photosynthesisunder poplar canopy was maximum atnoon, whereas, the rate ofphotosynthesis in the open areasreached maximum at 9:00 am. Underthe canopy, photosynthesis rate wasproportional to available PAR(Table 1).

Physiology and yield... The same was not observed in openareas—photosynthesis and stomatalconductance was at a minimum atnoon. This indicates thatphotosynthesis occurs more duringnoon than morning and evening.

Net photosynthesis, stomatalconductance, and transpiration inturmeric were higher in open areas thanin shaded areas. However, the yield ofturmeric under the canopy, thoughreduced, was not drastic. Yield was 16and 24 percent under three- and four-year poplar plantations, respectively,which was proportionately related tomicro-environmental changes in light,temperature and humidity undercanopy (Table 2).

PAR (µmolm-2s-1) Photosynthesis rate (µmolm-2s-1)2

Transpiration rate (µmolm-2s-1)

Stomatal conductance (µmolm-2s-1)

Temp. air (0C)

Temp. leaf (0C)

Internal CO2

(ppm)

9AM 240.27 3.30 0.91 112.92 31.10 32.00 373.23

12 Noon 487.06 5.20 2.71 239.16 33.20 35.17 321.27

4PM 119.40 2.02 1.54 149.48 32.27 33.00 404.77

9AM 11.19 1.19 154.21 36.42 39.76 264.90

12 Noon 3.69 3.69 220.25 34.70 39.40 313.67

4PM 1.61 1.69 27.71 38.57 44.60 372.13

Turmeric under canopy

Turmeric without canopy

To minimize resource competition andimprove physiological processes ofcrops, such as turmeric, canopymanagement is essential to ensurebetter yield under poplar-basedagrisilvicutural system. While it hasbeen shown that the yield of manycereals, pulses and other crops issubstantially reduced under canopy, itis necessary to explore other suitablecrops under canopy such as turmeric toachieve improved profits.

The authors can be contacted at theDepartment of Horticulture and Departmentof Forestry and Natural Resources, PunjabAgricultural University, Ludhiana- 141 004(India).

Table 1. Diurnal variation in eco-physiological parameters of turmeric crop.

Canopy PAR (µmolm-2s-1) Photosynthesis rate(µmolm-2s-1)

Air Temp. (0C)

Relative humidity (%)

Yield (q/ha)

4th year poplar plantation 497.88 2.31 32.19 81.99 129.72

3rd year poplar plantation 654.07 3.50 33.15 72.25 143.55

Open/without canopy 875.59 5.50 36.56 69.88 171.27

Table 2. Physiological parameters and yield of turmeric in open and under poplar canopy.




Jatropha hybrids: a promisingdevelopment in biofuel researchK.T. Parthiban ([email protected]), R. Senthil Kumar,P. Thiyagarajan, V.Subbulakshmi, M.Sujatha, and M. Govinda Rao

F1 hybrids with variation in fruit colors.

Jatropha curcas L., commonly calledRatanjyot in Hindi, and Kattamanakkuin Tamil, is a shrub with multipleuses, including the potential forbiofuel. Jatropha is found throughoutthe tropics, and is known by nearly 200different names. It adapts well to semi-arid marginal to fertile lands. All partsof the jatropha shrub are used astraditional medicines, and rawmaterials for pharmaceutical andcosmetic products.

The biofuel potential of jatropha curcashas been widely recognized recentlybecause of the global energy crisis.Large-scale cultivation of jatropha onwastelands was done in the hope ofproviding regular employment andquick income, and improving the livingconditions of the local communities.

The potential of jatropha as a bio-diesel product is seen in the way localpeople use it to operate engines andsmall machinery, and generateelectricity. However, the availability ofelite genotypes, quality plantingmaterials and precise silviculturaltechnologies are seen as majorconstraints in the successful promotionof jatropha. Hence, studies werecarried out to develop new varietiesthrough intensive hybridizationprograms and methods for massmultiplication of the elite genotypes.

Problems of Jatropha curcas

Plantations of the jatropha hybridswere established at the Forest Collegeand Research Institute, Mettupalayam,Tamil Nadu, India. The site has anaverage annual rainfall of 800 mm andthe soil type is red laterite. The site isdegraded and thus suitable for theestablishment of jatropha plantations.

The jatropha plantations exhibitedvarying degrees of success. In mostcases, however, low yields wereachieved, often between 0.5 and 1.2tonne per hectare, even underintensively managed conditions. Theselow yields might be due to the lack ofquality genetic materials, coupled withlack of site-specific managementsystems.

A limited understanding of thereproductive biology of Jatropha curcas,coupled with the lack of quality geneticmaterial, may also have contributed tothe poor yield. The flowering behaviorof Jatropha curcas is also complex. Thefemale to male ratio ranged between1:16 and 1:160. Hence, attempts weremade to develop new varieties throughan intensive hybridization program. Theprogram used identified superiorgenetic resources from the germplasmbank established at the Institute(11o19’N, 76o56’E).

Development of a jatropha hybrid

Inter- and intra-specific hybridizationtechniques were initiated between andwithin Jatropha curcas clones andrelated jatropha species.

The cultivated species of Jatrophacurcas was used as the female parent,and the wild species of J. integerrima,J. podagrica, J. villosa, J. tanjorensis, J.gossypifolia, J. glandulifera, J.multifeda, and J. maheshwarii wereused as pollen donors. Pollen grains ofthe identified jatropha species werecollected at the time of anthesis anddusted on the stigmatic surface of thefemale flowers of the Jatropha curcasclones.

Among the crosses that wereattempted, the cross between Jatrophacurcas and Jatropha integerrimaproduced hyrbrids that exhibitedfavorable fruit characters and seedyield.

However, the cross between Jatrophacurcas and the other Jatropha specieswas either partly successful or faileddue to the presence of pre- and post-zygotic barriers. Success was measuredin terms of fertilization and seedproduction. Partial success or total

Continued on page 8



failure resulted in poor seed productionor absence of seed set in other crosses.

The pre-zygotic barriers are caused bythe abnormal behavior of the pollentube prior to reaching the ovary. Thepost-zygotic embryo behavior might bedue to the dormancy existing in thecrossed seeds. The F1 seeds of the crosswere raised in the field and analyzedfor yield characters.

Variations in the F1 generation

The F1 plants exhibited widervariations in terms of stem characters(semi hardwood stems), flower color(pink, white, and yellow) and fruit size(small and round). The size of theseeds and the yield exhibited the poortraits of Jatropha integerrima. However,this hybrid exhibited robust growth,particularly in terms of stem characters.

The promising F1 plants were thenback crossed with Jatropha curcasclones to increase seed size. TheBC1F1 progenies were raised in thesecond generation field, and screenedfor flowering and fruiting characters.This BC1F1 plants exhibited differentresults in terms of morphologicalfeatures, fruit characteristics, seed size,and oil content. Among the backcrosses derivatives, 27 distinct cloneswere identified for their superiority interms of growth, distinctness, seedsize, and oil yield.

Significance of thejatropha hybrid clones

All the identified hybrid clonesexhibited distinct morphologicalfeatures and high seed yields (700 g to1.4 kg per plant) in less than a year.The oil content of the hybrid clonesranged between 17.95- 48.5 percent.Except for a few hybrid clones, theother clones exhibited oil content ofmore than 25 percent.

The fruiting behavior of some cloneswas unique as they produced fruitswith different sizes, shapes and color.Five hybrid clones viz., FCRI HC 2, 11,

Jatropha hybrids...Continued from page 7

All hybrid clones exhibited earlyflowering and fruiting three months afterplanting.

21, 32 and 33 exhibited distinctvariations such as oblong-shaped seedsand colored fruit coats.

Hybrid clone 21 exhibited oblong-shaped seeds and fruited continuouslyfrom the base to the top of the plant.In each branch, two to three bunchesof fruits were seen from the base to thetop. In each bunch, a minimum of 15fruits was observed.

Meanwhile, three hybrid clones viz.,FCRI HC 20, 21 and 22 recorded anaverage yield of 1.4 kg of seeds per treeduring two fruiting seasons. This yieldis 300 percent higher than the yield oflocal jatropha plants of the same age.

Multiplication of hybrid clones

The new jatropha hybrid clones couldbe multiplied through vegetativecuttings. A separate clonalmultiplication area (CMA) wasestablished for the identified clones.

From the CMA, cuttings fromindividual clones were collected anddirectly rooted on polythene containersthat contained soil, sand and farmyardmanure (3:1:1). Rooting started withinthree weeks after planting 90-120 day-old cuttings (ramets). Since jatropha isa cross-pollinating species,propagation, through clonalmultiplication, could help exploitmaximum genetic gains.

Evaluation and promotionof hybrid clones

Systematic testing trials wereestablished, and all the hybrid clonesexhibited early flowering and fruitingwithin three months after planting.Within five months, three hybridclones viz., FCRI HC 20, 21 and 22recorded excellent growth, includingfruiting characteristics and seed yield.Such yield improvement in jatropha,through hybrid development, iscurrently not available for utilization.These hybrids exhibited promisingpotentials when integrated inagroforestry programs. However, thesehybrids are limited to the use of clonesfor multiplication. This ensures clonalfidelity for commercial deployment.

Summary

This is a pioneering study which aimsto introduce the potential andprospects of using jatropha hybridclones to all agencies involved inbiofuel initiatives. The new hybridclones developed in this study willindeed inspire biofuel promoters andfarmers across the world.

However, further studies are needed totest the performance of the jatrophahybrid clones at different locations,and screen and promote potential highyielders in the farm and agroforestrysystems.

Acknowledgments: Department ofBiotechnology Government of India andDirectorate of Oil seed Research (DOR),Hyderabad.

The authors can be contacted at the ForestCollege and Research Institute, Tamil NaduAgricultural University, Mettupalayam 641301, I.



Exploring carbon sequestration in poplar-wheat-based integrated cropping systemSanjeev K. Chauhan ([email protected])and Rajni Chauhan ([email protected])

The world’s climate is changing andwill continue to change in thecoming years at rates projected to beunprecedented in human history dueto the greenhouse gases emitted fromhuman activities. The exact effects ofclimate change are unclear, howeverit is predicted that evaporation andprecipitation will increase in someregions, whereas other regions willbecome drier by the end of thepresent century (Innes 2005).

Climate change predictions are notcertain with respect to sites/locations. However, it is predictedthat rainfall patterns will vary and beunpredictable. Some sites willreceive more rain whereas others mayexperience lack of it.

Carbon dioxide accumulationin the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the largestsingle greenhouse gas in theatmosphere. It is currently trappingabout half of the total heat thatcontributes to global warming.Removing atmospheric carbon andstoring it in the terrestrial biosphere,such as through planting trees, hasbeen one of the methods stated underthe Kyoto Protocol for countries tomeet their national carbon reductiontargets.

Agroforestry farmsas carbon sinks

The practice of agroforestry is analternative way of addressing poverty,hunger, malnutrition, anddeterioration of the environment inareas bypassed by the GreenRevolution. The emerging carbonmarket may provide a newagroforestry option for land ownersprovided that carbon prices are highenough to make growing trees a moreworthwhile investment than existing Poplar-wheat-based agrisilvicultural system.

land uses.

Several studies have shown thatintegrating trees in agricultural landsoften improves productivity of thesystems and provides opportunities tocreate carbon sinks. However, data isinsufficient, and an understanding ofplant/climate relationships isessential in guiding future policies.A study was thus conducted toexplore the carbon sequestrationpotential of agroforestry systemsspecifically poplar-wheat-basedsystem.

Poplar-wheat-based agroforestryas carbon sinks

To quantify carbon storage indifferent pools in poplar-wheat-basedagroforestry systems, the carboncontent of the different tree-cropcomponents (above- and below-ground) was estimated. For poplar,

carbon content was obtained from thestem, branch, bark, leaves and roots.The straw, grain, and roots of wheatwere also measured for carboncontent.

Total carbon storage was computedfrom the carbon content values of therespective component, andmultiplying the same with the drybiomass of each component. Thetotal carbon storage was thenmultiplied with the CO2 factor of3.67 to convert carbon stored intoCO2.

Carbon content in the stems,branches, roots, leaves, and bark ofpoplar was estimated at 45.67,46.56, 47.82, 44.08 and 46.93percent, respectively. Mean carboncontent (%) was very close to 50percent, which was often used toestimate carbon storage from drybiomass. The contribution of timber

Continued on page 10



was nearly 72 percent, whilebranches + small wood (those thatwere not used by the industry fordurable products and used as fuel)was at 10 percent, androots + leaves + bark at 18 percent.The accumulation of carbon increasedwith the age of plantation.

After seven years, the timber carboncontent was estimated at 23.57 t/ha,whereas the carbon content of theroots, leaves, and bark was at 23.9 t/ha, and branches at 15.01 t/ha.Hence, the total biomass carbonstorage after seven years wasequivalent to 62.48 t/ha (8.92 t/ha/year).

In wheat, the carbon contribution ofstraw and grain components wasfound to be substantially higher(97.3%) than the roots, whichcontributed only 2.67 percent of thetotal carbon.

Exploring carbon...Continued from page 9

Fig. 1. Total CO2 assimilation (t ha-1) by poplar-wheat (above- and below-groundbiomass) in agroforestry system and sole wheat cultivation.

Carbon contributionof poplar and wheat

The combined contribution of poplarand wheat was substantially highwithin the intercropping system. Thismay be due to the additional carbonpool in the trees and the increasedsoil carbon pool as a result oflitterfall and fine root turnover. Thehigh carbon storage may also be dueto the increased growth andassimilation rates of intercroppedcomponents as compared tomonocropping systems. Moreover,poplar timber locks up carbon in itswood products for long periods,thereby making it the major carbonassimilator of this type of agroforestrysystem. The poplar-wheat-basedagroforestry system thus fared betterthan traditional agricultural systems,providing the best land-use option forincreased carbon sequestration.

Total CO2 assimilation by thebiomass in the poplar-wheat-basedagroforestry system andmonocropping of poplar and wheatwas estimated at 28.6, 17.2 and17.8 t/ha/yr, respectively (Figure 1).Therefore, even when only theaccumulation of biomass carbon isconsidered, an agrisilviculturalsystem is very efficient in terms of

carbon sequestration. However, thesefigures hold true if harvested productsare transformed into durableproducts. Litter (leaves, branches andbark) and roots are added andallowed to decompose in the soil tobetter sequester carbon. This,however, requires furtherinvestigation.

Carbon sequestration payments willencourage landholders to adopt lessintensive practices. However, theprice of carbon must be high enoughto encourage farmers to invest ingrowing trees than continuepracticing traditional land use. Atpresent, poplar-based agroforestrysystems are becoming very popularamongst farmers due to substantiallyhigher economic returns than thetraditional crop rotation of rice andwheat.

This study demonstrated thatagroforestry in irrigated agro-ecosystems, such as the poplar-wheatintegrated cropping system, storemore carbon in above- and below-ground biomass than sole cropcultivation.

The authors can be contacted at theDepartment of Forestry and NaturalResources, Punjab Agricultural University,Ludhiana 141 004, India.

December 2009

IndonesiaInstitut Pertanian BogorUniversitas Brawijaya, MalangUniversitas Gadjah Mada, YogyakartaInstitut Pertanian ‘Stiper’, YogyakartaUniversitas Jember, JemberUniversitas Hasanuddin, MakasarUniversitas Lambung Mangkurat, BanjarmasinUniversitas Lampung, LampungInstitut Pertanian Malang, MalangUniversitas Mataram, MataramUniversitas Muhammadiah, MalangUniversitas Mulawarman, SamarindaUniversitas Tadulako, PaluUniversitas Tribhuwana Tunggadewi, MalangUniversitas Udayana, DenpasarUniversitas Papua, ManokwariUniversitas Pembangunan National, SurabayaUniversitas Wangsa Manggala, JogyayartaUniversitas Padjadjaran, BandungUniversitas Winaya Mukti, Sumedang

Lao PDRDongkhamxang School of Agriculture and ForestryMuang Mai School of Agriculture and ForestryNational University of Laos, Faculty of ForestryNational University of Laos, Faculty of AgricultureXieng Ngeun School of Agriculture and ForestryPakse School of AgriculturePakse UniversitySepone Southern Agroforestry Training CentreSuphanuvong University

PhilippinesAbra State Institute of Science and TechnologyAgusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and TechnologyAklan State UniversityBenguet State UniversityBicol University College of Agriculture and ForestryCamarines Norte State CollegeCamarines Sur State Agricultural CollegeCagayan State UniversityCatanduanes State CollegesCentral Mindanao UniversityCentral Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and TechnologyDon Mariano Marcos Memorial State UniversityIloilo State College of Fisheries-Dingle CampusIfugao State College of Agriculture and ForestryIsabela State UniversityKalinga State CollegeVisayas State UniversityMariano Marcos State UniversityMindanao State UniversityMindoro State College of Agriculture and TechnologyMisamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and TechnologyMountain Province State Polytechnic CollegeNegros State College of AgricultureNorthern Mindanao State Institute of Science and TechnologyNueva Vizcaya State UniversityOccidental Mindoro National CollegePampanga Agricultural CollegePROCESS-LuzonQuirino State CollegeSouthern Philippines Agribusiness, Marine and Aquatic School of TechnologySurigao del Norte College of Agriculture and TechnologyUniversity of Rizal SystemUniversity of the Philippines Los BañosWesleyan University-PhilippinesWest Visayas College of Science and Technology-Leon CampusWestern Mindanao State University-Tampilisan Campus

ThailandChiang Mai University (CMU)Kasetsart University (KU)Khon Kaen UniversityKing Mongkut Institute of Technology LadkragangMaejo UniversityNaresuan UniversityPrince of Songkhla UniversityRajamangala Institute of TechnologySukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU)Ubon Rachathani University

VietnamForestry University of VietnamForestry Vocational School No. 1Hue University of Agriculture and ForestryLamdong Extension Center at Dalat CityNong Lam University Hochiminh CityTay Nguyen UniversityThai Nguyen University of Agriculture and ForestryVietnam Agricultural Science Institute (VASI)West Highland Forestry Technical School in Pleiku

Members

S o u t h e a s t A s i a n N e t w o r k f o r A g r o f o r e s t r y E d u c a t i o n

SEANAFE starts operationsas international NGO in 2010

Continued on page 2

Registering as an international nongovernmental organization

The Southeast Asian Network for Agroforestry Education (SEANAFE) wasofficially registered as a non-stock, non-profit international nongovernmentalorganization (INGO) at the Securities and Exchange Commission of thePhilippines on 22 September 2009. With its legal personality, SEANAFE canenter into various institutional collaborations, partnerships, and fundingarrangements, at both the regional and country levels. This will also helpsustain Network operations after financial support from the SwedishInternational Cooperation Agency (Sida) ends in December 2009.

The Philippine Agroforestry Education and Research Network (PAFERN),through the Institute of Agroforestry (IAF) of the University of the PhilippinesLos Baños (UPLB), will host the SEANAFE Secretariat when it starts its fulloperation as an INGO in January 2010.

Preparing for 2010

In its 18th Board meeting, held 7-9 September 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand,Board members recognized the support of the Swedish InternationalDevelopment Cooperation Agency (Sida) to SEANAFE from April 1999 untilDecember 2009. Board members also agreed on the following transitionstrategies:

a. Institutionalization of schemes to expand membership and improvecollection of fees;

b. Formal expression of commitment from heads of member-institutions tosupport country network operations;

c. Regular mapping of institutional linkages for resource mobilization;d. Expansion of subject matter coverage and strengthening of inter-country

network collaborations;e. Offering of fee-based training courses;f. Development of proposals for Phase 3 operation for submission to

donors;g. Designation of a member-institution as SEANAFE’s Secretariat from

ICRAF; andh. Establishment of a virtual Board to sustain policy and decision-making

processes.

Considering these strategies, the Board members decided to:a. Designate the Philippine Agroforestry Education and Research Network

(PAFERN), particularly IAF, as temporary Secretariat of SEANAFE fromsix months to one year, starting January 2010;

b. List the necessary amendments to the SEANAFE Charter to conform tothe network’s new status as an INGO;

SEANAFE News2

SEANAFE starts operations...

c. Firm up basic requirements andformulate guidelines, including anorganizational structure, to enableSEANAFE to operate as an INGO;

d. Develop implementing guidelines tooperationalize the transition strategies;

e. Identify areas of concern for inter-country network collaboration togenerate funding; and

f. Submit a proposal to Sida to use thebudget balance to operate as an INGOin 2010.

Board members likewise agreed that furtherdiscussions are needed on the transitionstrategies.

Jesus C. Fernandez/[email protected]


5. “The PIIP project innovation system approach for reinforcing agroforestryresearch at the University of Niamey in Niger” (Aissetou Drame Yaye,ICRAF);

6. “Opportunities and challenges of mainstreaming climate change intoagriculture and natural resource education in Africa” (James Kung’u,Kenya); and

7. “Introducing agroforestry higher education programs in Iran” (RahimMirzaei Mola Ahmad, Iran).

Discussions focused on the need for learning institutions to be innovative intheir approaches in promoting agroforestry education programs that are morerelevant to current global concerns and stakeholders.


Ms. Penny Pujowati from the Institut Pertanian Bogor, Indonesia; Ms. ShierelVallesteros from the University of the Philippines Los Baños; and Ms. TruongThi Pinh from Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, Vietnamcompleted their MS degrees in agriculture and forestry.

Ms. Pujowati completed her research on “Agroforestry landscapemanagement plan for Karang Mumus River Basin, the downstream ofMahakam watershed, East Kalimantan” in August 2009. Ms. Vallesteroscompleted her research on the” Development of oil ideotypes in selectedprovenances of Jatropha curcas” in September 2009, while Ms. Thi Pinhcompleted her research on “Assessment of fixed carbon dioxide capability ofsome protection afforestation types in the upstream region of Bo River inThua Thien, Hue Province, Vietnam” in September 2009.

They are three of six students who were granted with SEANAFE MS ResearchFellowship. The other grantees are expected to complete their degrees byOctober 2009. Jesus C. Fernandez/[email protected]

Three MS research fellowscomplete degrees

SEANAFE and the African Network forAgriculture, Forestry and Natural ResourcesEducation (ANAFE), sponsored a technicalsession on “Integrating Disciplines throughAgroforestry Education” during the SecondWorld Congress of Agroforestry held inAugust 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya. Thefollowing seven papers were presentedduring the session:1. “Case study approach to curriculum and

teaching materials development inagroforestry education in SoutheastAsia” (Jess Fernandez, SEANAFE);

2. “Encouraging students’ competencies inagroforestry entrepreneurship”(Richmund Palma, Philippines);

3. “Enhancing integrated approaches inagricultural learning systems” (PerRudebjer and August Temu, ICRAF);

4. “Implementing peri-urban agroforestryin South Africa: a case study of howupscaling agroforestry impacts on policyand curricula” (Michael Underwood,South Africa);

SEANAFE andANAFE sponsortechnical sessionin 2nd WorldCongress onAgroforestry

Sixteen lecturers and extension personnel from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Thailand, and Vietnam participated in the pilot offering ofSEANAFE’s “Regional training course on sustainable upland development”from 28 September to 8 October 2009. The course was developed to equipupland development workers with specialized knowledge and skills innatural and social sciences to better understand interdependent problemsaffecting upland areas; and highlight the roles of agroforestry science andpractice in upland development in the region.The participants were able to:

1. share and learn how to effectively promote sustainable uplanddevelopment;

2. explain the concepts and principles of sustainable upland development;

SEANAFE pilots regionaltraining on sustainableupland development

December 2009 3

Dr. Latsamy Boupa and Mr. Phongxion Wangneng of the Faculty of Forestry,National University of Laos completed the translation of SEANAFE’s“Teacher’s Guide on Markets for Agroforestry Tree Products” into Lao inAugust 2009. This initiative is part of SEANAFE’s objective to improve theteaching of agroforestry marketing among its member-institutions.Request for e-copies may be sent to [email protected].


MAFTP teacher’s guidenow available in Lao

The Indonesian Network for Agroforestry Education (INAFE) published acompendium of agroforestry researches implemented by its member-institutions and partners from 2006 to 2009. The compendium consists of 22research papers focusing on various agroforestry systems practiced inIndonesia, and roles of agroforestry in addressing environmental degradationand climate change, among others.

Written in Bahasa Indonesia, the papers were contributed by the Forestry ofResearch and Development Agency (FORDA) and Gajah Mada University(UGM) from Yogyakarta province; Bogor Agriculture University (IPB) fromWest Java province, Lampung University (UniLa) from Lampung province,University of Tanjungpura (UnTan) from West Kalimantan Province,University of Mulawarman (UnLam) from East Kalimantan province, andUniversity of Putra Malaysia (UPM).

Aside from helping to disseminate agroforestry researches within and outsideINAFE, the compendium is also intended as a reference material for teachingand input for policy decisions. The Swedish International DevelopmentCooperation (Sida) funded the project through SEANAFE. Request for e-copies may be sent to [email protected].


INAFE produces agroforestryresearch compendium

3. discuss and analyze recent issues, challenges, and prospects ofsustainable upland development and at the same time acquire a moreregional perspective;

4. acquire skills in applying appropriate tools, approaches, and strategies inmobilizing communities and other institutions towards sustainableupland development; and

5. prepare individual action plans towards sustainable uplanddevelopment.

The pilot offering of this course is also intended to improve the design anddevelopment of a Master’s degree on sustainable upland development.

SEANAFE implemented the course in collaboration with the PhilippineAgroforestry Education and Research Network (PAFERN) and the Institute ofAgroforestry (IAF) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB),funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency(Sida). Jesus C. Fernandez/[email protected] With the theme “Agroforestry promotion for

climate change mitigation and adaptation:building lessons from the field,” the 4th

Philippine Agroforestry Congress, held 18-20 November 2009 in Cagayan de Oro City,Misamis Oriental, Philippines, allowedstakeholders to share experiences inagroforestry technology development,promotion and adoption.

More than 150 participants attended theevent, representing local government units,nongovernmental organizations, students,farming communities, people’sorganizations, academic institutions, foreignand international organizations, andnational government agencies. The congressincluded: a) five plenary paper presentationson recent climate change research, and theroles of agroforestry in climate changemitigation and adaptation; b) 15 concurrentpaper presentations on recognizing themultifunctionality of agroforestry;promoting enterprise development throughagroforestry; and innovative approaches inagroforestry development and promotion; c)16 poster paper presentations; d)agroforestry road shows; and e) a farmers’forum. Congress delegates also signed the CongressDeclaration for Agroforestry Promotion tosupport and express their commitment topromote agroforestry as a climate changeadaptation strategy, and also work towardsinstitutionalizing agroforestry as adevelopment strategy in the Philippines. The Philippine Agroforestry Education andResearch Network, UPLB Institute ofAgroforestry, and the Misamis Oriental StateCollege of Agriculture and Technology co-organized the event. The congress is

Philippinecongresshighlightsagroforestry’s rolein climate changemitigation

Continued on page 4

SEANAFE News4

Absorbed CO2 in the Litsea glutinosa -cassava agroforestry model varied from25 to 84 tons per hectare, and provides profit to small farmers, ranging fromUS$487-1 624 (VND 9 to 30 million) per hectare, representing 20 percent ofthe total product value of Litsea and Cassava. This was the major finding ofthe recently completed research project of the Vietnam Network forAgroforestry Education (VNAFE) on “CO2 sequestration estimation for theLitsea-Cassava agroforestry model in Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province inthe Central Highlands of Vietnam.”

The research constructed a Litsea-cassava agroforestry model to estimate thebiomass and CO2 sequestration potential of Litsea glutinosa, and defined theamount of absorbed CO2 and environmental values of the Litsea–cassavaagroforestry model. Litsea is an indigenous, multipurpose, broadleavedspecies found mostly in the semi-deciduous forests of Central Highlands ofVietnam. Most of its biomass (stem, bark, leaves, and branches) can be usedor sold to produce different products. Litsea is usually planted in agroforestrymodels together with annual crops such as cassava, rice, and coffee.

The research found that:

1. Litsea should be harvested after 10 years, instead of the usual practice of4-6 years, to obtain the highest productivity;

2. Strong growth occurred when Litsea were 4-6 years old;3. Stored carbon and CO2 sequestration potential of the Litsea-cassava

agroforestry model could be estimated by calculating the:a. Rate (%) of stored carbon compared to the dry biomass of

the four components of the tree— leaves (48.7%), stem(47.7%), branches (47.6%), and bark (45.4%)—with carbonper hectare calculated based on tree density;

Increased income andabsorbed carbon found inLitsea glutinosa-cassavaagroforestry model

A research by VNAFE estimates the Litsea glutinosa-cassava agroforestrymodel’s potential in sequestering and absorbing CO2 and determines itsother environmental values.

INAFE member-institutionsformalizecommitmentto SEANAFEand INAFERepresentatives of member-institutions ofthe Indonesian Network for AgroforestryEducation (INAFE) signed a Memorandumof Agreement formalizing their institutionalcommitments to SEANFAE and INAFEduring the 3rd INAFE General Meeting on 5-6 May 2009 in Lampung University, BandarLampung. Participants also agreed to:

Invite five universities as newmembers—Sumatra Utara University,Nonmensen University, JambiUniversity, Sebelas Maret University,and Tanjungpura University;Approve the INAFE Charter;Amend the membership policy toaccept applications from education andresearch institutions; national and localgovernment agencies; nongovernmentalorganizations; business/private sector;and community organizations;Approve the annual membership feecollection schedule; andApprove plans for 2009-2011.

During the meeting, Dr. ChristineWulandari was elected as INAFE Chair from2009 to 2011, succeeding Dr. Suhardi.


sponsored by the SEANAFE, DevelopmentBank of the Philippines, Asia-PacificNetwork for Global Change Research, andthe World Agroforestry Centre - Philippines.

Leila D. Landicho/[email protected]

Philippine congress highlights...Continued from page 3

December 2009 5

b. Carbon stored in the mean tree: C/tree = f(Dg), withcarbon per hectare calculated based on tree density; and

c. Carbon stored per hectare: C/ha = f(No of shoots/stump,N/ha, Dg).

4. Two to three Litsea shoots must be left per stump in the second andthird periods of the Litsea-cassava agroforestry model to produce thehighest amount of biomass and optimal CO2 absorption at 3-84 t whichincreases as the model becomes older.

Results also showed that calculations based on rate of stored carbon areaccurate yet expensive; and those based on carbon stored in the mean treehave a relative error of 3.2 percent. Calculations based on carbon stored perhectare gave a relative error of 2.7 percent.

The research was conducted by a team of faculty members and students fromthe Tay Nguyen University (TNU), in partnership with the staff of thePeople’s Committee and Department of Agricultural and Rural Developmentof Mang Yang District. The team was led by Dr. Bao Huy, Head of TNU’sDepartment of Forest Resources and Environment Management and VNAFEChair. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)through SEANAFE-funded the project. For more details of the research results,visit http://www.socialforestry.org.vn. Bao Huy/[email protected]

Sampling of Litsea bark (left) and stem (right) to analyzecarbon pools.

Determining the weight of fresh biomass of Litsea glutinosafrom its bark (left), leaves (middle), and branches (right).

Transporting Litsea tree components (leaves, stem,and bark) in Mang Yang district, Gia lai province,Vietnam.

Conducting stem analysis and gettingsamples from Litsea glutinosa trees tomeasure fresh biomass and carbon pools.

SEANAFE News6

PAFERN expandsagroforestrymodeldocumentationand assessmentprojectIn 2008, the Philippine AgroforestryEducation and Research Network (PAFERN)implemented the “Characterization andassessment of different agroforestry modelsin the Philippines,” project with fundingsupport from the Southeast Asian Networkfor Agroforestry Education (SEANAFE).Results of the six-month study revealed thevarying agroforestry systems being practicedin Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Theseincluded the fruit tree-based and cutflower-based agroforestry systems in Nagcarlan,Laguna; the alley cropping system in Argao,Cebu; and the integrated or complexagroforestry system in Compostella Valleyin Mindanao.

Project findings validate earlier studies thatagroforestry plays a multifunctional role inaddressing the socioeconomic needs offarmers, and helping to improve theenvironmental or ecological conditions ofthe farm and farming community.

Expansion of the special project

Recognizing the relevance of the project findings and its contribution to thestudy of agroforestry, PAFERN Board Members expressed the need to explorethe potentials of other agroforestry systems that were not covered in theproject. SEANAFE expressed its commitment to support the expansion of theproject until 2009.

The expanded project, titled “Building institutional capacities ondocumentation and assessment of different agroforestry models in thePhilippines,” involved 15 PAFERN member-institutions. The project aimedat:

a. convening the faculty members/researchers of selected PAFERN member-institutions and training them on methodologies that can document andassess different agroforestry models in their respective areas;

b. discussing the documentation and assessment tool; andc. documenting agroforestry models representing different land tenure

schemes in the country (e.g. Community-Based Forest ManagementAgreement, Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claims, Protected AreasCommunity-Based Resource Management Agreement, and privateownership of farms).

Capacity building initiative

An initial activity of the project was the “Training-workshop ondocumentation and assessment of different agroforestry models in thePhilippines” held 14-15 May 2009 at the University of the Philippines LosBaños. The training-workshop enabled participants to share the experiencesof the Institute of Agroforestry in the initial project; review and improve thedata gathering guide; enhance knowledge and skills in conductingbiodiversity assessment, and carbon stock assessment; and identify otherpotential agroforestry models that could be documented.

Representatives from 15 PAFERN member-institutions participated in thetraining-workshop. They also served as the project’s collaboratinginstitutions—Benguet State University (BSU), Kalinga Apayao State College

“Building institutional capacities on documentation andassessment of different agroforestry models in the Philippines”aims to document agroforestry models representing different landtenure schemes in the country.

Participants in the “Training-workshop ondocumentation and assessment of differentagroforestry models in the Philippines”shareexperiences in data gathering, conductingbiodiversity and carbon stock assessments, andidentifying agroforestry models for potentialdocumentation.

December 2009 7

(KASC); Abra State Institute of Science and Technology (ASIST); MountainProvince State Polytechnic College (MPSPC); Don Mariano MarcosMemorial State University (DMMMSU); Isabela State University (ISU);Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC); Mindoro State College of Agricultureand Technology (MinSCAT); Camarines Sur State Agricultural College(CSSAC); Aklan State University (ASU); Visayas State University (VSU);Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT);Central Mindanao University (CMU); Southern Philippines Agribusiness,Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST); and Surigao delNorte College of Agriculture and Technology (SNCAT).

Commitment and knowledge sharing

Participants committed to supporting the outputs of the training-workshop,especially the documentation and assessment of different agroforestrymodels. Leila D. Landicho/[email protected]

The Indonesian Network for Agroforestry Education (INAFE) facilitated thepresentation of 28 papers during the “National seminar on agroforestry as thefuture sustainable land use” held 7 May 2009 in Lampung University,Bandar Lampung.

The seminar shared research results that provide evidences on the benefitsand potentials of agroforestry as the future sustainable land use in the world.The papers focused on: (a) agroforestry market opportunities and drivers ofagroforestry land use; (b) agroforestry’s contribution to agriculturalproductivity and environmental sustainability; (c) tree-based rehabilitation ofdegraded lands and watersheds; and (d) policy options and institutionalinnovations for agroforestry land use.

The seminar was attended by 62 participants from INAFE member-institutions, government research agencies, nongovernmental organizations,and students. Discussions attest to the role of knowledge sharing infacilitating informed decision-making to widen the application ofagroforestry on livelihood, food security, poverty, and natural resourcemanagement in Indonesia. Jesus C. Fernandez/[email protected]

INAFE’s national seminarhighlights agroforestry as thefuture sustainable land use

The Philippine Agroforestry Education and Research Network (PAFERN)elected its new Board Members last 18 November 2009 during its 5th GeneralAssembly. They are Dr. Orlando P. Almoite, Chancellor of the Don MarianoMarcos Memorial State University and Dr. Honorio M. Soriano Jr., Presidentof Pampanga Agricultural College for PAFERN-Luzon; Dr. Ma. Eugenita C.Capciete, Campus Administrator of Western Visayas College of Science andTechnology and Dr. Elpidio T. Magante, President of Bohol Island StateUniversity for PAFERN-Visayas; and Dr. Joanna Cuenca, President ofNorthern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology and

PAFERN welcomesnew board members

Dr. Muslim, President of Mindanao StateUniversity for PAFERN-Mindanao. TheBoard Members will serve their term from2010 to 2011. Representatives of thePAFERN member-institutions re-elected Dr.Lutgarda L. Tolentino, Director of the UPLBInstitute of Agroforestry, as PAFERN Chairuntil 2011. Leila D. Landicho/[email protected]

SEANAFE welcomes Dr. AnoulomVilayphone as new chair of Lao Network forAgroforestry Education (LaoNAFE) andmember of SEANAFE Board. He succeedsDr. Latsamy Boupha in an election heldduring LaoNAFE’s General Meeting on 30July 2009 at the National University of Laos(NUoL) in Vientiane.

Dr. Anoulom is currently serving asLecturer-cum-trainer and In-charge of thePost-Graduate Program of the Faculty ofForestry of NUoL. He obtained his PhDdegree in Forest Ecology from KyotoUniversity, Japan. Among his currentresearch involvements include an impactstudy of logging in Laos with the Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO); non-timberforest products study under the Lao-GermanPromotion of Forestry Education Program;and resource tenure and rural developmentstudy with the International DevelopmentResearch Centre (IDRC).

Before becoming LaoNAFE chair,Dr. Anoulom already served as LaoNAFEBoard member since 30 July 2009. He alsoserved as one of LaoNAFE’s country teammembers for SEANAFE’s enhancing forestpolicy education project.

Among his immediate plans as LaoNAFEchair include evaluating LaoNAFE activitiestowards improving its operations andrelevance.


LaoNAFEwelcomesnew chair

SEANAFE News8

SEANAFE News is a newsletter of the Southeast Asian Network for Agroforestry Education (SEANAFE). SEANAFE aims toimprove the quality, availability and accessibility of agroforestry education in Southeast Asia.

This issue of SEANAFE News has been produced in collaboration with the United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganization Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, through the support of the Swedish International DevelopmentCooperation Agency (Sida).

Contact SEANAFE World Agroforestry CentreICRAF - Southeast Asia - Regional OfficePO Box 161, Bogor 16001, IndonesiaTel: +62 251 625415, Fax: +62 251 625416Email: j.c. [email protected], [email protected]: http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/networks/Seanafe/Index.asp

The Asia-Pacific Network (APN) agreed tosupport the proposed project of thePhilippine Agroforestry Education andResearch Network (PAFERN), titled“Scaling-up agroforestry promotion towards

Asia-PacificNetwork supportsPAFERN’sagroforestry andclimate changemitigationresearch

climate change mitigation in Southeast Asia.” The one-year project focuseson capacity-building, exchange/sharing of knowledge and technical expertise,and implementation of public awareness programs aimed at disseminatingthe potentials of agroforestry in mitigating climate change. The project is aregional collaboration of five country networks—PAFERN, IndonesianNetwork for Agroforestry Education (INAFE), Lao Network for AgroforestryEducation (LaoNAFE), Vietnam Network for Agroforestry Education (VNAFE),and Thailand Network for Agroforestry Education (ThaiNAFE).

Components include: a) the conduct of organizational meetings among theProject Facilitating Team (PFT)/country network coordinators to facilitateoverall project implementation; b) formation of multisectoral task forces toserve as conduits for agroforestry promotion and institutionalization in fiveparticipating countries; c) packaging of instructional and informationmaterials on agroforestry for public awareness programs; d) implementationof agroforestry road shows to strategically promote agroforestry in the fiveparticipating countries; and e) formulation of a policy brief on the potentialsof agroforestry in climate change mitigation.

The project is being spearheaded by PAFERN, with Dr. Orlando P. Almoiteof the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU),Philippines as the Project Leader. It is being implemented from June 2009until June 2010. Leila D. Landicho/[email protected]


AGROFORESTRY PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT

Fuelwood is a crucial, butundeveloped, component of PapuaNew Guinea’s (PNG) domesticeconomy. Very little is known abouthow much fuelwood is used, or themarket flows of wood from forest toconsumer. It is known, however, thatmost consumers in the more densely-populated regions of PNG haveexperienced difficulty in finding andbuying fuelwood because of decreasingsupply and high prices.

Use of and access to fuelwood

About 97 percent of the PNG landmassis under customary land ownership. Formany people living outside traditionalareas, access to fuelwood resources islimited and often leads to conflict. Thealternatives of ‘climbing the energyladder’ — i.e. switching to charcoal,kerosene, gas, and electricity—arelimited due to their availability and/orcost. Fuelwood will remain in thiscountry’s domestic energy market forsome time yet. Even industrialfuelwood users (e.g. plantationfactories) seem set to continue usingfuelwood.

Growing fuelwood for sale

There have been several conventionalforestry efforts to establish fuelwoodplantations in PNG but they have notsuccessfully addressed the problemsencountered by domestic fuelwoodgrowers due to long rotations and alack of access to trees which are undergovernment management. While thereis a healthy culture of tree plantingamong PNG landowners, planting treesfor commercial fuelwood production isnot practiced.

A four-year project is beingimplemented to encourage landownersto grow fuelwood for sale, and even

Promoting diverse fuelwoodproduction systems inPapua New GuineaIan Nuberg ([email protected]) and Brian Gunn ([email protected])

add value by converting it to charcoal.The project involves: surveying the fuelwood market; developing short-rotation,

coppicing (SRC) fuelwoodproduction systems that could beeasily established and maintainedas part of the landowners’ currentfarming systems; determining the best way of

establishing extension networks forthe wider adoption and long-termdevelopment of fuelwoodproduction.

The project is being implemented bythe PNG Forest Research Institute, Lae,together with two local NGOs: PeoplesAction for Rural Development (PARD)and HOPE Worldwide, that workdirectly with participating landowners.A third NGO, Foundation for Peopleand Community Development (FPCD),is also involved in carrying out thefuelwood survey. The project, whichbegan in early 2008, is being funded bythe Australian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Development (ACIAR).

Areas of fuelwood stress

Fuelwood stress areas in PNG aremostly located around major urbancenters such as Port Moresby and Lae,as well as several highland provinces –e.g. Western Highlands, EasternHighlands and Simbu. These areas haverelatively high population densities. Sixsites were established around MtHagen, Western Highlands, two siteswere established near Kerowagi inSimbu Province, and three sites wereestablished around Port Moresby.

Experiment details

The project involves both densely-planted woodlots (1.5 m x 1.0 m and

1.5 m x 2.0 m) and contour-hedgerowagroforestry systems (double-rowhedgerows with 0.5 m along the rowsand 0.6 m between rows, distancebetween hedgerows varies between 5-10 m depending on slope). Theexperiment aims to monitor andunderstand how the trees grow andhow landholders can use this gainedknowledge to improve tree growingmethods.

Currently, landowners plant trees asindividuals, small clumps, or alongpaths and boundaries. Farmers growingsweet potato and other subsistencecrops on slopes make extensive use ofdrains. In some cases, farmers userudimentary and temporary contour-barricades to control soil erosion.

The project hopes to demonstratecontour hedgerows as a commerciallyproductive alternative to incorporateinto their farming systems. Thesenitrogen-fixing species also providefodder to goats and to a lesser extent,pigs. The project is also trainingparticipating farmers in makingcharcoal for sale. The project also aimsto produce poles from woodlotsystems. Project implementers arelooking forward to see which productsthe farmers choose to harvest.

Monitoring species performance

The project is monitoring the speciesindicated in Table 1. The species werechosen for their fast growth, provenvalue as firewood or charcoal, andability to coppice. The project aims toimplement as many short rotations aspossible, and not just consider thesecrops as ‘one-time-[planting] only.’

One of each of the highland andcoastal sites has woodlots which areplanted as replicated trials to evaluatethe relative growth rates under twoplanting densities. Simpler systems areestablished in all the other sites. Thesesystems will be more amenable to thelandholders’ needs. This matchbetween the systems and the needs ofthe landholders addresses the project’saim of evaluating landholders’responses to the systems in the same




Table 1. Species established as short rotation coppicing fuelwood systems in PNG.

Fig. 2. The project encourages farmers togrow intercrops in the woodlot. In thisparticular farm, a local vegetable, crussago (or choko vine), has just beenplanted.

SRC Woodlots Contour hedgerows and contour tree lines

Highland sites Casuarina junghuhniana Calliandra calothyrsus(6 in Western Highlands Province, 2 in Simbu province)

Casuarina oligodon* Casuarina junghuhniana

Eucalyptus grandis* Leucaena diversifoliaEucalyptus pellitaEucalyptus robusta

Coastal sites Azadirachta indica Not yet established(3 sites around Port Moresby) Casuarina equisitfolia

Casuarina junghuhnianaCalliandra calothyrsus

Eucalyptus alba

Eucalyptus pellita

Eucalyptus tereticornis

*both local and introduced provenances

way that the tree species’ responses tothe environment are also assessed.

Farmers’ choice of species

The ‘species of choice’ for highlandersis the local Casuarina oligodon, knownas Yar. Yar is an excellent firewoodwhich can be burnt very soon afterharvest. Unfortunately, it does notcoppice.

As an alternative, the project ismonitoring Casuarina junghuhniana,which is indigenous to Indonesia. It ishighly suitable for firewood andcharcoal, and has reportedly highcoppicing ability. However, it is notfound in PNG. Farmers have respondedwell to the nickname of ‘Indoyar’ forthis tree. They are also very pleasedwith its early growth which has farexceeded both the upland and coastalYar (C. equistifolia) (Figure 1).

Calliandra calothyrsus prefers relativelylow altitudes. Planting it in theuplands at altitudes of up to 2 000 mmay be considered by some to be‘heroic.’ But the project hoped thatthis species will still perform wellgiven the relatively favorable rainfall(annual average ~ 2 600mm) andtemperature (average range 12 – 29 ºC)of this region.

Exploring indigenous species

We sought to include indigenous high-altitude (>1500 m) species that couldbe developed as SRC firewood crops.Farmers around Mt. Hagen suggestedKumbuk (Thyllanthus flaviflorus).Kumbuk grows well and fast fromcuttings in a farmer’s field. However,project experiments failed to produceplants from this species.

Eucalyptus is also being evaluated. Theproject is considering eucalyptusspecies that were already evaluated ininternational trials and for whichgenetically improved seeds were used(E. pellita, E. camaldulensis), E. grandisand E. robusta have a track record inPNG as well as the local eucalyptusfound around Port Moresby, E. alba.These will probably best be used inwoodlot systems rather than hedgerowsystems because of their knowncompetitiveness with agriculturalcrops.

Initial results and future activities

Overall, the establishment and earlygrowth rates of the species on most ofthe project sites have yielded resultsbeyond expectations. Projectimplementers are looking forward tofurther reporting progress of tree

growth, farmers’ responses, fuelwoodsurveys and extension activities.

Project implementers are also exploringtechnical assistance with otheragroforestry researchers or practitionerswho have experiences on the use ofthese species and implementation ofsimilar systems.

Ian Nuberg is the Deputy Head (Learningand Teaching) of School of Agriculture, Foodand Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB 1Glen Osmond South Australia 5064. BrianGunn is a Forest Research Scientist at theCSIRO Plant Industry (CPI), PO Box E4008,Kingston, ACT, 2604, Australia.

Promoting diverse fuelwood...Continued from page 11

Fig. 1. Oneof theparticipatingfarmersnear Mt.Hagen,PatrickBarkri, withan ‘Indoyar’that is twicethe heightof local Yar.




Celtis australis: a multipurposetree crop in IndiaBhupendra Singh and B.P. Bhatt ([email protected])

Celtis australis Linn. (local names –Kharik, Khrik, Roku, Batkar, Brimiji,and common Nettle) family Ulmaceaeis an indigenous species of the WesternHimalaya. It has a fairly wide range ofdistribution that extends eastward toNepal, and is commonly cultivated inJammu and Kashmir, HimachalPradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of theNorth East Hill region. It grows well at500-2 500 m asl (Gaur, 1999). InUttarakhand, C. australis is usuallygrown in traditional agroforestrysystems and is a common associate ofFicus spp. Bauhinia spp.; Albizia sp.Cedrus deodara, Picea smithiana, Abiespindrow, Pinus wallichiana, Quercusspp., Betula spp., Acer spp., Aesculusindica, Rhododendron arboreum, etc.

Characteristics

Celtis australis is a moderate-sizeddeciduous tree that can reach 25 mhigh and 50 cm in diameter, underfavorable conditions. It grows wellalong stream banks, on slopinghillsides, and on clay loam soil withsufficient moisture (Luna 1996).

Celtis has good coppicing ability. Thecoppiced shoots grow fast. However,the shoots need protection against thegrazing and browsing of animals,especially in the first few years(Singh 1982).

Uses

Fodder. The Celtis tree is mainlygrown for fodder. It is lopped duringlean periods and provides ample supplyof highly palatable, nutritious, andtannin-free fodder during peak periods(Singh, 1982; Subba et al., 1996).

Timber. The timber quality of C.australis is excellent. It is used inmaking tools and whip handles, cups,spoons, churners, sports goods, oars,canoes, sticks and agricultural

implements. It can also be carved, usedto construct carriages, and as a generalbuilding material (Bhatt andVerma 2002). Its wood is also used asfuelwood. It contains 16.81 KJ/gcalorific value, 0.54 g/cc density,3.4 percent ash, 57.53 percentmoisture, 0.40 percent nitrogen, with aFuelwood Value Index of 464 (Purohitand Nautiyal 1987). The timber ofCeltis is also reportedly a good sourceof paper and pulp (Pearson and Brown1932; Trotter 1944).

Medicinal uses. The fruits are used asremedies for amenorrhoea and colic.The stems and leaves are crushed, andgiven to those afflicted with leprosy bythe Bhil tribe of Madhya Pradesh(Maheshwari, et al. 1986). The tribes ofthe Western Himalayas boil the rootsand use them as remedies for colic andother stomach troubles (Karnick andPathak 1982). The bark is also madeinto paste and applied on bones,pimples, contusions, sprains and jointpains (Gaur 1999).

Flowering and fruiting

Sprouting of new shoots, flowering, andfruiting vary considerably withelevation. They may also vary from yearto year in some localities because ofclimatic differences.

The leaves are shed in December-January, while the young shoots appearfrom March to April. The smallgreenish flowers appear with the newleaves.

The trees at the foothills start floweringin early March. Those located at higherelevations usually flower late in April(Anon, 1992; Singh, 1982; Luna, 1996).

The fruits are formed rapidly afterflowering, and reach full-size by June-July (Troup, 1921). The drupes remaingreen until September-October, and

thereafter turn yellow. The fruits ripenby October–November as their colorturns black. The sweet drupes are eatenby birds, squirrels, monkeys androdents. These animals thus helpdisperse the seeds, and furtherpropagate Celtis in other areas.

Meanwhile, the fruits that fall to theground during winter germinate inMarch-April. However, in dry and lowareas, germination is delayed untilJuly,i.e. at the onset of the monsoonseason. The mortality of seedlingsduring summer is fairly high,particularly in the lower, dry areas.High mortality of seedlings is also dueto the browsing and trampling of cattleand other grazing animals(Singh 1982).

The seeds and vegetative parts of theplant are used to propagate Celtis. Inthis research, propagation throughseeds and branch cuttings wasexplored.

Propagation through seeds

Seeds were collected in December-January 2000, from 13 differentgeographically isolated areas. Thelength, breath and weight of the seedswere measured.

The seeds were germinated in alaboratory at different temperaturesprior to being sown in nursery beds.The periodic growths of the seedlingswere then measured for a year.

To observe the seasonal variations inthe nutritive value of Celtis, the leaveswere collected from January toDecember from four different sites.

Results showed that seed dimensions,including length, breadth and weight,varied according to source. Significant(p< 0.05) differences were alsoobserved in seed traits. Significant (p<0.01) positive correlations were foundbetween seed source elevation andboth seed morphologicalcharacteristics and seed weight (Singhet al. 2006).Moreover, seed germination was



Celtis australis...Continued from page 13

strongly dependent on temperature. At25 oC constant temperature, optimumseed germination reached 42.62percent, irrespective of seed source.These results imply that seedgermination of Celtis in nurseries startsonly after the temperature rises, whichusually happens in February-March(Singh et al. 2004).

Propagation through branch cuttings

Significant differences were alsoobserved in the rooting of branchcuttings using different hormonalconcentrations. The 500 ppm IBAtreatment gave the highest rootingpercentage, and the highest number ofroots per cutting. Furthermore,sprouting percentage and root lengthwere also higher. IBA not onlyenhanced root formation but alsoimproved the quality of the root systemof Celtis (Butola and Uniyal 2005).

Seed storage

The seeds of Celtis were successfullystored at ambient room temperature ascompared to storing them at lowertemperatures. Germinating the seeds innurseries produced poor resultscompared to germinating them inlaboratories.

Seedling growth

In nurseries, Celtis gained maximumshoot and root growth at 61.05 cm and30.47 cm, respectively, regardless ofvariations in seed source. However,Gairola et al. (1990) reported thatCeltis seedlings attained maximum(129 cm) height after a year.

Findings also showed a significant (p<0.01) positive correlation between thegrowth of seedlings and altitude of theseed source. On average, 55.98 leavesper plant were obtained after one year.The average value of the seedlings’collar diameter was recorded at5.85 mm after being raised in thenursery for one year.

Seedling weight

Seedling weight exhibited an averagevalue of 10.02±3.28 g after one yearof growth. A strong (p< 0.01) positivecorrelation between seed and seedlingweight of Celtis was recorded. Saleemet al. (1994) obtained variations in theseed weight of Celtis. According tothem, heavier seeds grew better thanlighter seeds.

Among the various seed and seedlingtraits, seed weight, and shoot lengthwere found to be strongly influencedby genes. Among the various seed andseedling parameters, seed weight,shoot length, shoot weight, number ofbranches and seedling weightexhibited high heritability and geneticgain. These characteristics must thusbe considered in selecting plants thatare most suitable as planting stock(Singh 2004; Singh et al. 2006).

Nutritive content of foliage

Significant (p<0.05) seasonalvariations were observed for thechemical composition of Celtisfoliage. Between seasons, resultsshowed 91.7-169.7 mg/g, crudeprotein, 0.77-1.63 mg/g, phosphorus,2.84-7.57 mg/g potassium, 139.3-198.0 mg/g crude fiber, 11.12-18.29 mg/g sugar, and 47.90-65.26 mg/g starch.

Altitude also significantly influencedthe nutritive contents of Celtis foliage.Between populations, phosphorusranged from 1.04 to 1.10 mg/g,potassium from 4.23 to 5.01 mg/g,crude protein from 126.6 to 140.2 mg/g, crude fiber from 160.8 to 171.1 mg/g, sugar from 14.45 to 16.65 mg/g,and starch from 47.08 to 63.11 mg/g.

Altitude had a significant positivecorrelation with potassium, calcium,crude protein, and starch content. Drymatter content, phosphorus, andsoluble sugars showed a significantinverse correlation with altitude.Irrespective of altitudinal variation, drymatter, ash content, crude protein,phenolic contents, and crude fiberexhibited the maximum values duringMarch-April (Spring season).

Season and altitudes significantly

influenced the nutritive value of theCeltis foliage. On average, foliagecollected from high altitudes exhibitedhigher nutrient levels as compared tothose located at the lower areas.

Conclusions

The results showed that Celtis seedsshould be collected from higher altitudeareas if they are meant for masspropagation and plantation in rainfedagricultural lands, degraded lands, andwastelands. The seeds collected fromthese areas would more likely producenutritious fodder which could beharvested twice in a year (Singh 2004).

Seed weight and shoot growth shouldbe the characteristics considered forraising quality planting stock of C.australis.

The results also imply that C. australisis a promising tree for integrating inagroforestry systems. This tree not onlyprovides nutritious fodder to thelivestock in Central Himalaya,particularly during peak periods, butalso fuelwood and small timber for thepoor farmers, among other uses.

Bhupendra Singh can be contacted at theDepartment of Forestry, Post Box-59, HNBGarhwal University Srinagar Garhwal-246174, Uttarakhand, India. B. P. Bhatt canbe contacted at the ICAR Research Complexfor NEH Region, Nagaland Centre,Medziphema, 797 106 Nagaland India.

References: 1) Anonymous, 1992. Wealth ofIndia, Raw Material. C.S.I.R. Publication,New Delhi, pp. 648.; 2) Bhatt, B. P. and N. D.Verma. 2002. Some Multipurpose TreeSpecies for Agroforestry Systems. Publishedby ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region,Umiam, Meghalaya, pp.148.; 3) BhupendraSingh, A. K., B. Uniyal, P. Bhatt and P. Prasad(2006). Altitudinal variation in seedcharacteristics of Celtis australis L. Forests,Trees & Livelihoods, 16: 289-293; 4)Bhupendra Singh, B., P. Bhatt and P. Prasad(2006). Variation in seed and seedling traitsof Celtis australis, a multipurpose tree, inCentral Himalaya, India AgroforestrySystems, 67: 115-122; 5) Bhupendra Singh,B., P. Bhatt and P. Prasad. (2004). Effect ofseed source and temperature on seedgermination of Celtis australis L.: apromising agroforestry tree-crop of CentralHimalaya, India, Forests, Trees andLivelihoods, 14: 53-60; 6) Butola, B. S. and


AGROFORESTRY INFORMATION RESOURCES

A. K. Uniyal. 2005. Rooting response ofbranch cutting of Celtis australis L. tohormonal application. Forests, Trees andLivelihoods, 15: 305-308; 7) Gairola, M., U.Rana and A. R. Nautiyal. 1990. Biomassproduction potential of some mountain treespecies under high-density plantations. J.Tree Sci., 9 (2): 75.77; 8) Gaur, R. D. 1999.Flora of the District Garhwal NorthwestHimalaya with Ethnobotanical Notes.Transmedia Publication Center, SrinagarGarhwal, Uttaranchal, India, pp. 811; 9)Karnick, C. R. and N. N. Pathak. 1982.Newer observations of folklore medicinalplants of Shiv-Khori forest area of theWestern Himalayas. Nagarjun, 25(7): 159—162; 10) Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation Trees.International Book Distributors, Dehradun,pp. 975; 11) Maheshwari, J. K., B. S.Kalakoti and Lal Brij 1986. Ethnomedicineof Bhil tribe of Jhabua District. AncientScience of Life, 5: 255—261; 12) Pearson, R.S. and H. P. Brown. 1932. CommercialTimbers of India. Central GovernmentPublication Branch, Calcutta, India; 13)Powell, A. A. 1988. Seed vigour and fieldestablishment. Adv. Res. & Technol. Seeds,11: 29-80; 14) Purohit, A. N. and A. R.Nautiyal. 1987. Fuelwood Value Index ofIndian mountain tree species. Internat. TreeCrops J., 4: 177-182; 15) Saleem, M., S. D.Bhardwaj and A. N. Kaushal. 1994. Effect ofseed weight, nitrogen source and splitapplication on growth of Celtis australis L.Ind. For., 120 (3): 109-118; 16) Singh, R. V.1982. Fodder Trees of India. Oxford andIBH Publication company, New Delhi, pp.663; 17) Subba, D. B., H. B. Gurung and B.B. Tamang. 1996. Seasonality of polyphenaliccompounds in nine important tree fodder inthe eastern hills of Nepal. Veterinary Review,11(1): 8-10; 18) Trotter, M. 1994. TheCommon Commercial Timber. GovernmentPress, New Delhi; 19) Troup, R. S. 1921. TheSilviculture of Indian Trees. ClarendonPress, Oxford, Vol. III, pp. 336.

The following publications are newreleases from the United Nations Foodand Agriculture Organization, AsianDevelopment Bank, InternationalDevelopment Research Center, CABIPublishing; and Earth Print:

Bees and their role inforest livelihoods

This publication provides basicinformation on managing wild beesand the use of their products. Itidentifies and describes major beespecies and their importance for natureconservation and sustaining livelihoodsof rural people. Bee products areconsidered at both subsistence andcommercial levels. The book focuseson the potential of managing wild beespecies in developing countries. Therole of bees in pollinating crops andthe impact of managing bees onforestry and farming are also presented.Wild bee-keeping techniques, honeyproduction and marketing, and theinternational trade in bee products aredescribed with further references andsources of additional informationgiven. For more information, visithttp://www.fao.org/.

Biofuels: production, applicationand development

Written by A. Scragg, this textbookexplores the production of biofuels asalternatives to fossil fuels, focusing onthe technological issues that need tobe addressed for any new fuel source.Each type of biofuel currently inproduction is considered in detail,covering the benefits and problemswith production and use and thepotential for biological material toprovide sufficient energy for theworld’s population - the principles onwhich future fuel development arebased. For more information, visithttp://wiserearth.org/.

Climate change and impacts onagriculture in Asia and the Pacific

This study recommends cost-effectiveadaptation responses that could build

New information sourcesgreater climate resilience into theagriculture sector in Asia and thePacific. Information was sourced fromthe ADB-sponsored agriculture sectorstudy, carried out by the InternationalFood Policy Research Institute (IFPRI),which used predictions of globalclimate models to develop scenarios upto 2050 for Asia and deriveimplications for food security. Formore information, visit http://www.adb.org/.

Conservation for a new era

Written by Jeffrey McNeely and SusanMainka, this book outlines the criticalissues facing us in the 21st century,developed from the results of the WorldConservation Congress in Barcelona inOctober 2008. The landmarkpublication takes on the pressing issuesof today and highlights the solutions tobe found through investing in nature. Itprovides a snapshot of the currentsituation, split into 21 easy-to-readsections, as well as a roadmap for thefuture. For more information, visithttp://www.wiserearth.org.

Forestry and climate change

Edited by P. H. Freer-Smith and M. S. J.Broadmeadow, this book explores howforests will interact with the physicaland natural world, and with humansociety as the climate changes. Alsoconsidered is how the world’s forestscan be managed to contribute to themitigation of climate change and tomaximize the full range of economicand non-market benefits. For moreinformation, visit http://wiserearth.org/.

Greening growth in Asia and thePacific: follow-up to the WorldSummit on Sustainable Development

The book explains three basicprinciples of Greening growth—qualityof economic growth, eco-efficiency ofeconomic growth, and environmentalsustainability vis-a-vis environmentalperformance—and four pillars of Greengrowth—eco-tax reform, sustainable




New information sources...Continued from page 17

infrastructure, and the greening ofbusiness and sustainable consumption.It explores these principles and pillarsas potentials for policy options andapproaches for sustainabledevelopment and improved welfare,and gives fresh and practicalperspectives from regional governmentsand experts. For more information,visit http://www.fao.org/.

In focus: fighting poverty with facts—community-based monitoring systems

Written by Celia Reyes and Evan Due,this book presents the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS),which recognizes the involvement ofthe poor in planning public programsaffecting their well-being. It furtherrecognizes that, to be effective,development programs must betargeted and informed by relevant,current, accurate disaggregated data. Toaccomplish this, CBMS brings togethercommunities and local authorities togather and monitor locally obtained,verifiable information about actualliving conditions, and to use thisinformation for planning and policy-making.

Drawing from the CBMS experience inAfrica and Asia, the authors presentrecommendations for policy makers,donor agencies, and researchers. Theyalso present guidelines for developingand implementing poverty monitoringsystems in other regions of the world.For more information, visitwww.idrc.ca/in_focus_poverty andhttp://www.idrc.ca/en/.

Integrated crop and resourcemanagement in the rice-wheat systemof South Asia

Edited by J.K. Ladha, Yadvinder-Singh,O. Erenstein, and B. Hardy, this bookcovers the history of the Rice-WheatConsortium and explains theimportance of resource-conservationtechnologies developed for this system,such as laser land leveling, zero-tilland reduced-till drill-seeded wheat,direct seeding of rice, and a leaf color

chart for nitrogen management. This395-page book presents the outputs ofthe Asian Development Bank projecttitled “Enhancing Farmers’ Income andLivelihood through Integrated Crop andResource Management in the Rice-Wheat System in South Asia.” Theproject aimed at producing more foodat less cost by improving yield per unitarea, and improving water productivity.The book explains how this system canhelp feed an additional 20 millionpeople per year in South Asia.

IWMI-FAO obtained the findings usinga computer model called WATERSIM,which helps examine difficult tradeoffsbetween food security and theenvironment, specifically in relation towater supplies. The collaborationbetween IWMI and FAO was madepossible through the Asia-Pacific WaterForum’s Knowledge Hubs network.IWMI is the knowledge hub onIrrigation Service Reform. This bookwas developed as the hub’s firstknowledge product and providesguidelines for revitalizing Asia’sirrigation sector. For more information,visit http://www.adb.org/.

Nature and nurture: poverty andenvironment in Asia and the Pacific

This publication provides an overviewof poverty-environment interactionsand presents some case studies thatshow how poor communities in Asiaand the Pacific have sought to breakout of poverty through local actionsthat improved their environment ormade them less vulnerable toenvironmental stress. For moreinformation, visit http://www.adb.org/.

Operational plan for sustainable foodsecurity in Asia and the Pacific

This report identifies the role andcontributions of the AsianDevelopment Bank in addressing thebarriers to achieving the goal of foodsecurity by focusing on three areas ofinfluence-productivity, connectivity,and resilience. The plan notes thatmany of ADB’s operations in the coreand other areas as specified in Strategy2020 have significant positive impactsin addressing these food security

concerns. The plan aims to increase theimpacts of ADB’s multisectoroperations on food security,particularly for the poor anddisadvantaged, through greater synergyand value addition. For moreinformation, visit http://www.adb.org.

Plant breeding andfarmer participation

Edited by S. Ceccarelli, E. P.Guimarães, and E. Weltzien, this bookcomplements the traditional approachto plant breeding by addressing anumber of issues specifically related tothe participation of farmers in a plantbreeding programme, and provides acomprehensive description andassessment of the use of participatoryplant breeding in developing countries.It is aimed at plant breeders, socialscientists, students and practitionersinterested in learning more about itsuse, with the hope that they all willfind a common ground to discuss waysin which plant breeding can bebeneficial to all and can contribute toalleviate poverty. For moreinformation, visit http://www.fao.org/.

Planted forests: uses, impactsand sustainability

Edited by J. Evans, this book examinesthe significance of this rapidlyemerging world resource. The chaptersconsider the strengths and weaknessesof planted forests, managementobjectives for their use and aspects ofownership and policy. Data from keyproduction countries are used toevaluate the implications andsustainability of planted forests as asource of forest products as well associal and ecological issues. For moreinformation, visit http://www.fao.org/.

Poverty in the Philippines: causes,constraints and opportunities

This report comprehensively analyzesthe causes of poverty and recommendsways to accelerate poverty reductionand achieve more inclusive growth. Itprovides an overview of currentgovernment responses, strategies, andachievements in the fight againstpoverty and identifies and prioritizes



future needs and interventions. Theanalysis is based on current literatureand the latest available data, includingthe 2006 Family Income andExpenditure Survey. For moreinformation, visit http:///www.adb.org.

Revitalizing Asia’s irrigation: tosustainably meet tomorrow’sfood needs

Based on a comprehensive new studyof irrigation in Asia carried out by theInternational Water ManagementInstitute (IWMI) and United NationsFood and Agriculture Organization(FAO) along with researchers frompartner organizations, with fundingfrom the Asian Development Bank,this report presents past and emergingtrends in irrigation in Asia, and itsdrivers; forecasts future food needs andwater demands; and outlines strategiesand options for revitalizing irrigation tomeet the future food needs of Asia’spopulation.

Review of the literature on thelinks between biodiversityand climate change

This report reviews the literature sincethe Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change 4th Assessment Report(AR4). It draws on recent research tosummarise advances in ourunderstanding of the impacts ofclimate change on biodiversity. Theevidence for the impacts onbiodiversity comes from three principalsources. First, from direct observationof changes in components ofbiodiversity in nature that can beclearly related to changes in climaticvariables. Second, experimental studiesusing manipulations to eluciadateresponses to climate change. Finally,and most widely, from modellingstudies where our currentunderstanding of the requirements andconstraints on the distribution ofspecies and ecosystems are combinedwith modelled changes in climaticvariables to project the impacts ofclimate change and predict futuredistributions and changes inpopulations. For more information,visit http://www.wiserearth.com/.

Soil ecology and management

Written by J. K. Whalen and L.Sampedro, this book describes theorganisms inhabiting the soil, theirfunctions and interactions and thedimensions of human impact on theactivity of soil organisms and soilecological function. The chaptersdiscuss basic soil characteristics andbiogeochemical cycling, key soil floraand fauna as well as community-leveldynamics (soil food webs). Unlike othersoil biology and ecology textbooks, thisbook also conveys a betterunderstanding of how human activitiesimpact upon soil ecology in a sectionon ecosystem management and itseffects on soil biota. The authorsprovide a unique perspective on theutility of soil organisms by exploringthe biodiversity of soil food webs, howthey are impacted by human activitiesand intervention and their management.For more information, visit http://www.cabi.org.

State of food insecurityin the world 2009

This flagship publication of the UnitedNations Food and AgricultureOrganization presents the lateststatistics on global undernourishmentand concludes that structural problemsof uderinvestment have impededprogress toward the World FoodSummit goal and the first MillenniumDevelopment Goal hunger reductiontarget. The situation has beenexacerbated by the food crisis and theglobal economic crisis that haveincreased the number of undernourishedpeople in the world to more that onebillion. This crisis is affecting theentire world simultaneously. In thecontext of the enormous financialpressures faced by governments, thetwin-track approach remains aneffective way to address growing levelsof hunger in the world. Investments inthe agriculture sector, especially forpublic goods, will be critical if hungeris to be eradicated. For moreinformation, visit http://www.fao.org/.

State of the world’s forests 2009

The 2009 edition of this biennialpublication looks forward, with thetheme “Society, forests and forestry:adapting for the future.” Part 1summarizes the outlook for forests andforestry in each region, based onFAO’s periodic regional forest-sectoroutlook studies. Past trends andprojected demographic, economic,institutional and technological changesare examined to outline the scenariofor 2030. Part 2 considers how forestrywill have to adapt to the future,focusing on the global outlook forwood products demand; mechanismsto meet the demand for environmentalservices of forests; changes in forest-sector institutions; and developmentsin science and technology. For moreinformation, visit http://www.fao.org/.

The environmental food crisis: theenvironment’s role in averting futurefood crises

This report provides the first summaryof the United Nations on how climatechange, water stress, invasive pests,and land degradation may impactworld food prices and life on theplanet. It also discusses howincreasing population may be fed in amore sustainable manner. For moreinformation, visit http://www.fao.org/.

Towards sustainable production anduse of resources: assessing biofuels

This report was produced by theWorking Group on biofuels of theInternational Panel for SustainableResource Management. It provides anoverview of the key problems andperspectives toward sustainableproduction and use of biofuels. It isbased on an extensive literature study,taking into account recent majorreviews. The focus is on so-called firstgeneration biofuels while consideringfurther lines of development. For moreinformation, visit http://www.earthprint.com/.


WEBSITES

Useful websites

Greenworldhttp://www.greennewworld.org/

Green New Worldundertakes research,education, andimplementation ofenvironmentally friendlysolutions that empowerindividuals andcommunities to takeactions that lead tochanges in their lives.Some of their projectsinclude the establishmentof a research and educationcenter, and awarenessraising and advocacycampaigns on sustainabletechnologies,biodegradable soaps anddetergents, organicfertilizers, and use ofbiodegradable plastics.

Global Ecovillage Networkhttp://gen.ecovillage.org/

Ecovillages are urban or ruralcommunities of people, whostrive to integrate a supportivesocial environment with alow-impact way of life. TheGlobal Ecovillage Network isa global confederation ofpeople and communities thatmeet and share their ideas,exchange technologies,develop cultural andeducational exchanges,directories and newsletters,and are dedicated to restoringthe land and livingsustainably.


WEBSITES

Heifer Internationalhttp://www.heifer.org/

Heifer International’s mission is tohelp end world hunger and povertywhile caring for the earth. Its projectsinclude agroecology, animalmanagement, disaster rehabilitation,gender equity, HIV-AIDS, andmicroenterprise.

International Institute forSustainable Developmenthttp://www.iisd.org/

IISD is a policy research institutededicated to promoting changetowards sustainable developmentby engaging decision-makers ingovernment, business, NGOs andother sectors in developing andimplementing policies that aresimultaneously beneficial to theglobal economy, the globalenvironment,and to social well-being.

Call forcontributionsWe are inviting contributions for the36th and 37th issues of the Asia-PacificAgroforestry Newsletter (APANews) onor before 31 January and 31 May 2010,respectively.

Contributions may focus on activitiesthat highlight agroforestry research,promotion and development, andeducation and training.

Topics of particular interest are onagroforestry and:

poverty alleviation;livelihood;farmers’ income;mining area rehabilitation;climate change;biodiversity conservation;desertification; andother key development issues.

Announcements on new informationmaterials, online resources, and usefulwebsites are also welcome.

Interested contributors must adopt thesimple, straightforward and popularstyle in writing the articles instead ofthat used in journals. This way, yourarticles can help farmers, developmentagents, researchers, and practitioners incoping with the challenges ofpromoting and developing agroforestryin their respective countries.

Limit your contributions to 1 000 to1 500 words. Include good-qualityphotographs (scanned at 300 dpi) thatare properly labeled and referred to inthe text. Indicate your completecontact details, especially your E-mailaddress in the article, for readers tocontact you should they have furtherinquiries about your article.

Send your contributions throughE-mail to the UPLB Institute ofAgroforestry, 2/F Tamesis Hall, Collegeof Forestry and Natural Resources, UPLos Baños, PO Box 35023, College,4031 Laguna, Philippines; Fax +63 495363809; [email protected],[email protected],[email protected].

Useful websites...Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Changehttp://www.ipcc.ch/

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assesses scientific,technical and socioeconomic information relevant to the understanding of climatechange, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.The reports by the three IPCC Working Groups provide a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the current state of knowledge on climate change.The Synthesis Report integrates the information around six topic areas.

Sustainable Development Networkhttp://www.kabissa.org/civiorg/285

Sustainable Development Network Limited (SDN) is a UK-based nongovernmentalorganization that promotes sustainable development at the grassroots level inthird world countries. Their programs address sustainable development issues,including ethics, environmental education, waste management, sustainableagricultural development, sustainable use of natural resources, and sociallyresponsible entrepreneurship.

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