Restoration 
Plantations and tree crop commodities 
Enhanced nutrition and food security 
Biodiversity, safeguarding and conservation 
Nationally determined contributions 
Bioenergy and biomaterials 
Blue carbon and peatlands 
Climate change adaptation 
Landscape governance 
Gender 
Silvopastoral systems 
Market-based agroforestry-forestry 
Farm-forest policy interface 
Agroecology 
Livelihood trajectory modelling and assessment 
Inclusive finance and business models 
Innovating finance for sustainable landscapes 
Public and private commitments to zero deforestation 
Orphan tree crops 
Effectiveness of approaches to sustainable supply 
Quality of FTA research for development 
Sentinel landscapes 
Foresight 
Seeds and seedlings delivery systems 
Smallholder tree-crop commodities 
A sustainable agroforestry tree germplasm supply system is vital to resource-constrained smallholder farmers who depend on agroforestry to improve the productivity of their farm enterprises. Successful adoption of agroforestry hinges on the development of a sustainable agroforestry tree germplasm supply system. This paper reviews the agroforestry tree seed supply system in Malawi, with a view to determining its sustainability and quality. Currently, more than 90% of the documented agroforestry tree seed distributed to farmers is produced by smallholder farmers collected mainly from scattered farmland trees, the remainder being produced from seed orchards and seed stands owned or controlled by research organizations. Three organizations—namely the Land Resources Centre (LRC), National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC) of the Forestry Research Institute of Malawi (FRIM) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)—were identified as major procurers of agroforestry tree seed produced by smallholder farmers. Agroforestry germplasm is distributed to farmers by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government agricultural and forestry extension departments. The procurement and distribution of germplasm to farmers is in general effective. The major challenge to sustainability of agroforestry tree germplasm distribution in Malawi is dependence on donor funding. The agroforestry tree seed system is, to some extent, sustainable with regards to production, although the genetic quality of the germplasm is low. Germplasm storage facilities at national level are available and possibly adequate, but knowledge and information on effective low-cost tree germplasm storage systems at household level are limited. Sustainability could be enhanced by strengthening of grass-root organizations involved in tree seed production to institutionalize the distribution through farmer–farmer exchange. There is also a need to support the development, promotion and adoption of low-cost tree germplasm storage facilities by smallholder farmers.
Authors:
Nyoka, B.I.; Mngomba, S.A.; Akinnifesi, F.K.; Ajayi, O.C.; Sileshi, G.; Jamnadass, R.
Subjects:
germplasm, agroforestry systems, sustainability, seed storage, agricultural land
Publication type:
ISI, Journal Article, Publication
Year:
2011
ISSN:
1873-7617
