1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Scaling-up SLM practices by smallholder farmers (IFAD)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Uganda Landcare Network (ULN) - Uganda

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

09/05/2017

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Improved fruit tree nursery is a technology comprising of grafted mangoes, grafted citrus, eucalyptus and pines, established with the aim of improving household income and promotion of agro-forestry farming systems within surrounding communities to achieve environmental conservation.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Tree nurseries are places where tree seedlings are propagated, managed, and grown to a transportable size. They are essential for producing quality seedlings in high quantities for rapid afforestation and sustainable land management.
In response to promoting this technology among farmers in Uganda, the Government of Uganda, through its initiatives such as Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), is promoting the growing of high value crops such as fruit trees to improve farmers’ incomes and food security. The technology is established on a gently sloping land lying on a plot of 1725 square meters, some 300 m away from a wetland used as a source of water for the nursery during the dry season. The soils here, on observation, have high clay content and are relatively deep.

The activities for establishing the nursery involved three stages:
1. clearing the bush on site, destroying all the termite mounds, ploughing the area, and levelling the mother beds established on flat or gentle rolling area to avoid water logging during the rainy season
2. preparation of the potting area and the potting medium which was done by mixing black soil with sand and manure in a ratio of 3-1-1 respectively. These activities took 2 person days to finish, followed by potting in 5cm × 12cm potting bags, taking 10 person days. The pots were then laid in a series of 1×10m long beds with paths of 0.75m between them. This activity took 2 persons days. Seeds were planted, watered and pots were covered with grass until germination after 14 days. After germination the seedlings are left for 4 months to mature until they are ready for grafting
3. grafting the then ready root stock with desired scion. The process involves cutting the root stock and scion at an angle and fitting the two together and holding them tightly with a wide plastic thread, the grafted seedlings are then placed in beds and placed in a closed housing unit with enough humidity only to be removed after 21 days. The seedlings are now placed again in rows where they are managed until ready for transportation

Maintenance activities included spraying fortnightly with pesticides and fungicides, watering with clean water twice every week, weeding and regular sorting of the seedlings to encourage proper growth. If any shade was put it is removed when the seedlings are well established to acclimatize them to open environmental conditions before they are transplanted or sold.
The tree varieties planted include improved mangoes, citrus, clonal eucalyptus and pines. Currently the nursery has over 10,000 citrus seedlings and 15,000 mango seedlings and a few seedlings of both pine and eucalyptus.
Tree nurseries are preferred by farmers because they use small land sizes, generate a lot of income, seedlings, when planted protect the environment and help in rapid production of genetically improved fruit trees in addition to offering employment to a wide spectrum of people including unskilled and skilled persons. There are notwithstanding, challenges such as lack of reliable water source and lack of skilled labor for grafting and high nursery establishment costs.
Limited market opportunities continue to be limiting factors to the tree nursery initiatives with the government being the only big buyer of tree seedlings in North Uganda.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

2002

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

This practice was lean't from a fellow farmer in Mukono District, but technical support is provided by the Amuru local government.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

3.3 Further information about land use

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• mixed rainfed-irrigated

Comments:

The land user constructed a water reservoir close to a wetland to act as a water source especially during the dry season

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 1

Specify:

The trees are planted once a year

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• tree nursery

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Specify the spread of the Technology:

• evenly spread over an area

If the Technology is evenly spread over an area, indicate approximate area covered:

• < 0.1 km2 (10 ha)

Comments:

The nursery is established on 69m2 × 25m2 of land

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation

Comments:

The nursery was established to improve production of the fruit trees and provide economic benefits to the landuser

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

The nursery is located on a 69m X 25 m (1725 m2) plot size
The nursery beds are a 1m x 10m, with a 75cm pathway between the beds
The beds contain 10,000 citrus seedlings 15,000 mango seedlings and a few clonal eucalyptus and pine trees
The pots used for growing mangoes are 5in x 7in, whereas citrus , eucalyptus and clonal are 4in X 7in
The rivets used to construct the shades are between 2m and1.5cm high. grass is used to shield the young seedlings from direct sunshine

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

UGX

Indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (if relevant): 1 USD =:

3818.0

4.4 Establishment activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing
1.	Determine water source	Management	June and July
2.	Mix soils with manure	Agronomic	June and July
3.	Buy planting material (seeds and potting bags) and poles for constructing shelter shelter	Management	June and July
4.	Potting and planting seeds	Agronomic	June and July
5.	Cover pots with grass	Agronomic	June and July
6.	Put under shade	Management	June and July

4.5 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Potting and Planting	People	4.0	12000.0	48000.0	100.0
Labour	Arranging pots	People	1.0	50000.0	50000.0	100.0
Labour	Preparing mango seeds	people	4.0	10000.0	40000.0	100.0
Labour						100.0
Equipment	Water pump	Piece	1.0	1000000.0	1000000.0	100.0
Equipment	Wheel barrow	Piece	2.0	80000.0	160000.0	100.0
Equipment	Watering can	Piece	9.0	7500.0	67500.0	100.0
Equipment	Potting bags	Roll	12.0	6000.0	72000.0	100.0
Equipment	Water storage drum	Piece	1.0	70000.0	70000.0	100.0
Plant material	Seeds (Eucalyptus)	Kg	5.0	30000.0	150000.0	100.0
Plant material	Seeds (Pine)	Kg	10.0	10000.0	100000.0	100.0
Plant material	Seeds (citrus)	Kg	4.0	60000.0	240000.0	100.0
Plant material	Seeds (mangoes)	Bag	50.0	15000.0	750000.0	100.0
Plant material	Cyons (mangoes)	Piece	15000.0	100.0	1500000.0	100.0
Plant material	Cyons (citrus)	Piece	10000.0	20.0	200000.0	100.0
Plant material	Soil	Truck	2.0	50000.0	100000.0	100.0
Plant material	Sand	Truck	1.0	50000.0	50000.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	DAP	Kg	5.0	3500.0	17500.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Liquid fertilisers	Litre	1.0	18000.0	18000.0	100.0
Construction material	Construction poles	piece	50.0	3000.0	150000.0	100.0
Construction material	Grass	piece	50.0	2500.0	125000.0	100.0
Construction material	Nails	kg	3.0	1000.0	3000.0	100.0
Construction material	Polythene bags (6inch)	kg	100.0	6500.0	650000.0	100.0
Construction material	Polythene bags	kg	120.0	6500.0	780000.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					6341000.0

Comments:

The land user takes this as a major source of income

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Watering	Agronomic	2/week
2.	Pesticides application	Agronomic	2/season
3.	Sorting of seedlings	Agronomic	2/season
4.	Construction of shades	Structural	1/season

Comments:

Sorting of seedlings happens continuously every season

4.7 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Watering	People	5.0	3000.0	15000.0	100.0
Labour	Weeding	People	5.0	15000.0	75000.0	100.0
Labour	Sorting	People	5.0	1000.0	5000.0	100.0
Labour	Strings	People	2.0	8000.0	16000.0	100.0
Construction material	Poles	Piece	50.0	1500.0	75000.0	100.0
Construction material	Grass	Bundle	25.0	2500.0	62500.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					248500.0

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Accessibility to quality seed, transportation of materials, drought

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

The nursery borders with a wetland therefore, water availability is not a challenge

5.5 Biodiversity

Comments and further specifications on biodiversity:

Only a few tree species planted

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

The nursery owner also operates a small maize mill

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• communal/ village

Land use rights:

• communal (organized)

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Income and costs

Ecological impacts

Soil

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	Type of climatic change/ extreme	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	well
annual rainfall		decrease	well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Comments:

Tree nurseries are very expensive to establish and take close to a year for the seedlings to be sold. Therefore, establishment costs surpass benefits in the short run, however when the trees are sold they fetch a lot of income. Maintenance costs, both in the short and long term are positve.

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 1-10%

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 90-100%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Optimal space utilisation
Maintenance costs are low
Nurseries generate high value crops

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Nurseries rehabilitate degraded land
Environmental improvements
They are used for aesthetic benefits

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Establishment costs are high	Bulk purchases of inputs
Grafting needs technical skills	Hire skilled labour
Markets are inaccessible	Register company with the district and sub-county

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Labour intensive
Markets are highly seasonal	Sourcing from other buyers for examples NGOs promoting agro- forestry
Trees do not grow at the same rate	Application of fertilizers

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Improving Sustainable Productivity in Farming systems and Enhanced livelihoods through Adoption of Evergreen Agriculture in Eastern Africa. Joy Buyinza and Vicent I Opolot

Available from where? Costs?

https://www.cgiar.org/research/publication/improving-sustainable-productivity-in-farming-systems-and-enhanced-livelihoods-through-adoption-of-evergreen-agriculture-in-eastern-africa-shortened-as-trees-for-food-security-project/

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

Improving Sustainable Productivity in Farming systems and Enhanced livelihoods through Adoption of evergreen Agriculture in Eastern Africa

URL:

https://www.worldagroforestry.org