Papers by Fergus Sinclair
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Forest Ecology and Management, 1998
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Field Crops Research, 2022
While agroforestry is a well-established approach for agroecological intensification, rice is les... more While agroforestry is a well-established approach for agroecological intensification, rice is less often integrated with trees than other annual staple crops. The benefits and risks from rice agroforestry practices have not been systematically explored. Considering the need for strategies that may address low fertility and high degradation of arable soils and contribute to smallholder farm productivity, livelihoods and climate resilience, such exploration would both be timely and relevant. This study, therefore, reviews the published literature on integrating trees in rice production worldwide and provides perspectives for future research, with special attention to Africa, where the potential for sustainable productivity enhancement is deemed highest. Worldwide, six improved rice agroforestry practices are distinguished: hedgerow alley-cropping, short-term (0.5-4 years) improved fallows, pre-rice green manuring, biomass transfer, systematically arranged ricetree intercropping and irregularly dispersed trees in fields. The rice agroforestry practices in the 87 publications reviewed were associated with 204 woody perennial species worldwide. Rice agroforestry practices provide a range of products and services to farmers but rice yield is the only quantitative performance indicator reported widely enough to enable metaanalysis. Frequently reported comparative or additional effects of fertilizer application, made it possible to include this aspect in the analyses. Across all types of agroforestry practices enumerated, the average effect of adding trees compared to a no-fertilizer and no-tree control is + 38%. The most beneficial practices in terms of enhancing rice yield were biomass transfer, pre-rice green manuring (100% of data points showing positive responses for both practices) and hedgerow alley-cropping (21% positive cases overall but 64% where fertilizer was not applied). Yield reductions occurred with fertilized intercropping compared to a fertilized mono-crop (in 95% of cases) and with the unfertilized short fallow practice (50% of data points showed yield reduction due to competition in the relay intercropping stage). Tree species that combined rice yield enhancements (alongside other products and services) with wide environmental adaptability across the African continent, include Sesbania rostrata, Aeschynomene afraspera, Acacia auriculiformis, Gliricidia sepium and Gmelia arborea. Yield benefits and risks from integrating trees with smallholder rice cropping depend on the type of agroforestry practice used and how each practice interacts with fertilizer application. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of different ways of integrating trees with rice cropping on wider environmental, social and economic sustainability aspects, that are driving increasing interest in rice agroforestry.
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1. The tool aims at promoting tree diversity on farm and in landscapes, including useful exotic t... more 1. The tool aims at promoting tree diversity on farm and in landscapes, including useful exotic tree species that the existing vegetation maps do not capture. The tool currently consists of 115 (54 native and 61 exotic) tree species in Rwanda, disaggregated according to agro-ecological zone suitability. The database enables the user to easily access information either based on tree species, their agro-ecological zone suitability, products, environmental services, origin (native or exotic) and niche. The tool also provides specific details on the trees’ biophysical growth conditions and management requirements as well as links to other agroforestry databases. 2. The tool contains rich information from knowledge-intensive and detailed tree diversity studies: The tool is a composite of different studies and surveys done by working with different stakeholders such as researchers, farmers, extension workers and local partner organizations. These include: o Tree diversity studies- shows t...
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Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 2020
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Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2020
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Sustainability, 2018
Communities in northern Morocco are vulnerable to increasing water scarcity and food insecurity. ... more Communities in northern Morocco are vulnerable to increasing water scarcity and food insecurity. Context specific adaptation options thus need to be identified to sustain livelihoods and agroecosystems in this region, and increase the resilience of vulnerable smallholders, and their farming systems, to undesired effects of social-ecological change. This study took a knowledge-based systems approach to explore whether and how tree-based (i.e., agroforestry) options could contribute to meeting these adaptation needs. We analysed local agroecological knowledge of smallholders from the Mèknes–Tafilalet region, to (i) characterise existing farming systems at local landscape scale; (ii) identify possible niches for farm-trees within these systems; and (iii) explore locally perceived barriers to tree-based diversification. An iterative cycle of qualitative interviews, with a purposefully selected sample of 32 farmers, revealed that socio-economic constraints and agroecological conditions i...
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Journal of Horticulture and Forestry, May 31, 2015
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Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 2015
Community-based approaches to natural resource management, including forest co-management, form p... more Community-based approaches to natural resource management, including forest co-management, form part of a wider trend of decentralization of governance. In terms of process change and the level of power and responsibility transferred, decentralization takes many forms including deconcentration, delegation and devolution. It is expected that forest co-management should take the form of devolution as it should involve transfer of both decision-making powers and responsibilities to local institutions. However, few examples of successful devolution exist in forest management literature, as governments often transfer only responsibilities and not decision-making powers. We adapted the decentralization framework developed by Agrawal and Ribot to determine whether Malawi’s forest co-management programme has achieved devolution. One hundred thirty-four community and 21 committee members were interviewed about their perceptions of how powers and management rights are devolved, to whom and how those with power are accountable. We found that while co-management has established elected local institutions, they are not empowered to actively participate in decision-making. We also found a lack of downward accountability among leaders, which has limited the devolution process. We recommend the introduction of public hearings and public audit sessions to enhance accountability in decision-making and benefit-sharing processes.
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Land Use Policy, 2016
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African journal of microbiology research
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) help to facilitate mobilization of nutrients from soil to plan... more Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) help to facilitate mobilization of nutrients from soil to plant. The study was carried out in humid Rubavu and semi-arid Bugesera districts in Rwanda. We hypothesized that the presence of tree species in farming systems enhances mycorrhizal fungal density. The occurrence and abundance of AMF in the soil around main agroforestry tree species in these regions was studied. Tree species in Rubavu included Alnus acuminata, Markhamia lutea, Grevillea robusta and Eucalyptus sp. and in Bugesera Acacia polyacantha, Senna spectabilis, Grevillea robusta and Eucalyptus sp. AMF spores were isolated from soil samples collected under and outside the trees canopies. Results show significant differences in spore density between species. The density of AMF spores was highest under A. acuminata and A. polyacantha and lowest in Eucalyptus sp. and G. robusta in Rubavu and Bugesera, respectively. Generally, the mean spore abundance (spores/g of soil) was significantly h...
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Advances in Agroecology, 1998
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Food Security, 2013
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Silvopastoralism and sustainable land management. Proceedings of an international congress on silvopastoralism and sustainable management held in Lugo, Spain, April 2004
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Journal of Arid Environments, 2012
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Ecological Applications, 2006
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Papers by Fergus Sinclair