FBA 603: Woody Perennials Selection and Evaluation

Course Learning Outcome

Upon completion of courses students should be able to:

  1. Determine the socio-economic needs of the local community and prevailing edaphic and climatic environmental conditions;
  2. Select the most suitable tree and shrub species for the specified agroforestry intervention based on various criteria that include performance level and market for tree/shrub based products; and
  3. Appraise their performance and system’s impact.

Course contents

Selection of appropriate woody perennials (i.e. trees and shrubs) for integration in the agroforestry resources management system based on the various criteria that include their capacity to effectively meet the socio-economic, socio-environmental and service needs of the associated communities, possession of the desirable biological characteristics and attributes to permit safe and complementary interactions with associating components while ameliorating the edaphic and climatic environments. Selection includes, when required, screening trials for most suitable species and provenances. Monitoring of the performance and impacts of the individual woody perennials; interacting system especially in relation to the biological, ecological, economic, socio-economic and environmental parameters of agroforestry management systems.

Required Readings

     1.   R. Reid and P. Stephen (2001) The Farmer’s Forest–Multipurpose Forestry for  

            Australian Farmers. RIRCD Publication No. R01/33. ISBN: 0-642-58352-8. Australian

           Master TreeGrower Program, Department of Forestry, The Institute of Land & Food

           Resources, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.

      2. R. Hart (1991). Forest Gardening. Green Books, Devon, UK ISBN: 1-870098-44-7.

           Describes the design of predominately temperate multistory garden plantings which

             incorporate fruit and nut trees.


Recommended Readings

     1. P. Huxley and H. van Houten (1997). Glossary for Agroforestry CTA and ICRAF,

           Nairobi, Kenya ISBN: 92-9059-124-2.

       2. C.R. Elevitch and K.M. Wilkinson (2000).Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands:

           Multipurpose Trees for Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands. Permanent Agriculture

             Resources, Holualoa, Hawaii Series, p22-50