Agroforestry System Design and Management for Improved Productivity in North West Nigeria

This study examines the design principles and management practices of productive agroforestry systems in North West Nigeria, assessing their contribution to crop productivity, soil conservation, and household income. Agroforestry, which integrates trees with crop and livestock systems, offers multiple ecosystem service benefits in the degraded Sahelian landscapes of Kano, Sokoto, and Kebbi States. Farmer-managed natural regeneration and deliberate agroforestry establishment are expanding in the zone, but agronomic management guidance for optimising system design is limited. This study uses a comparative field assessment of 15 existing agroforestry systems in three states, measuring canopy cover, woody species composition, crop yield under and outside canopy influence zones, soil organic carbon, and household income contributions from tree and crop products. Farm interviews with 45 system managers document management interventions. Findings reveal that Faidherbia albida parkland systems produce significantly higher millet yields within canopy zones than outside canopy areas, with yield advantages of 28 to 45 percent, attributable to nitrogen contributions and microclimate moderation. Jujube and moringa tree integration generates household income supplements averaging 45,000 naira per tree per year. Farmer-managed natural regeneration at optimal tree densities of 20 to 40 trees per hectare achieves soil organic carbon 34 percent higher than treeless fields. The study concludes that agroforestry system optimisation can significantly improve productivity and income in North West Nigeria. It recommends density-optimised Faidherbia parkland as the priority agroforestry design for extension promotion.

Keywords: agroforestry, Faidherbia albida, North West Nigeria, soil organic carbon, farmer-managed regeneration.