Agronomic and socio-economic aspects of windbreaks in Southwest-Niger

The integration of socio-economic and cultural survey into agroforestry experiments and development projects already in the planning stage can assist in the choice of tree species and the planting system. In 1992, an on-station windbreak/millet experiment in Niger was combined with a survey of farmers and their wives from an adjacent village in order to evaluate local knowledge, perception and the attributed value of trees and shrubs. Millet yield were reduced by Acacia holosericea and Acacia nilotica up to a 2 and 8 m distance from the hedge, respectively, while Faidherbia albida showed no competition to millet. The survey showed that farmers appreciation of tree species was strongly related to agricultural issues; they considered F. albida as the most preferred tree because of its soil enrichment. Their wives, however, concentrated on household needs and ranked Combretum glutinosum first. Farmers were aware of wind erosion and crop competition effects of different species. This study provided evidence that long term studies on the technical aspects of windbreaks and agroforestry systems could gain substantially from the indigenous knowledge of rural people.