Prosopis juliflora, image credit (https://greenthingsaz.com/)
Researchers from the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI), and the University of Nairobi (Kenya), in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International Archives (CABI), have made strides in eradicating the invasive tree species, Prosopis juliflora.
Scientists report that Prosopis juliflora was introduced to East Africa from Latin America in the 1970s to combat dust storms and provide fodder and wood for livestock. However, the tree has spread aggressively, forming dense, impenetrable thickets that displace grazing and arable land, devastate local ecosystems, and undermine agriculture and livestock-based livelihoods.
Dr. Charles Kilawe, a researcher at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, emphasized the importance of communal meetings in promoting sustainable land management practices aimed at uprooting the invasive tree.
