Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Traditional cropping systems
Cropping systems identified in the zone are crop rotation, mixed cropping, sole
cropping, and intercropping.
An important feature of the cropping systems in the Guinea savanna zone is
the prevalence of compound farms and bush farms. The compound farm type
operates around human settlements and typifies communities in which cropland
is scarce. Bush farms are rather distant farms normally located two to three
kilometres away from the homestead. This practice operates in areas where land
is relatively abundant.
The zone features the maize/cattle and sorghum-based systems, with diverse
subsystems that involve crops such as yam, maize, sorghum, millet, rice, cowpea,
groundnut, and vegetables in different combinations.
Traditional agroforestry systems
The Guinea savanna has a distinct traditional agroforestry system that integrates
annual crops, tree crops, and livestock. The system can be delineated into two
main practices. These are dispersed trees on croplands and dispersed trees on
rangelands. Minor practices identified in the zone include boundary planting, live
fencing, and home gardens.
Rationale for leaving trees
in situ
on farms
Table 13.3 lists the names of tree species that are left
in situ
on farms in this zone.
Most of them provide fruits and nuts that are either sold or consumed in the
household. This is the case especially with the
dawadawa
and shea butter trees.
Additionally, farmers use some of the trees for construction of homesteads, farm
implements, and local bridges. Medicinal as well as spiritual values are also asso-
ciated with some of the trees.
Management practices
The
dawadawa
, shea butter, and albizia trees are often associated with crops. It is
alleged that some farmers influence the spatial distribution of such trees in order to
reduce the shading effects of the trees on the associated crops. Uprooting young
saplings of such trees to achieve not only a desired tree population but also an
acceptable spatial arrangement does this. In the case of mature trees on croplands,
lopping, removal of dead branches, and pruning are some of the tree management
practices.
