Source: Fernandes, E.C.M., A. Oktingati, and J. Maghembe. 1984. The Chagga homegardens: a multistoried agroforestry cropping system on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Agroforestry Systems 2:73-86.

The intensive cropping system of the Chagga integrates multipurpose trees and shrubs with food crops, cash crops, and livestock on the same unit of land. Their homegardens allow farmers to obtain a sustained production with a minimum of external inputs. The objective of this study was to identify the major components of the Chagga homegardens and to describe their interaction and management aspects. An evaluation of the system's ecological stability, productivity, and sustainability was also presented so that this model of land use may be extrapolated to places with similar ecological and socio-economic characteristics. While evaluating the homegardens, the authors analyzed the local ecosystem, and the structure, function, and dynamics of the system. Data was collected in order to classify the geography, soil, climate, and vegetation of the ecosystem. The food and cash crop species were documented, and the zones of the canopy in which they grow were recorded. The lowest zone (0-1m) includes taro, beans, and fodder grasses. The next zone (1-2.5m) consists mainly of coffee with the banana canopy (2.5-5m) above it. Above the banana layer are many valuable timber trees. The interactions of these components are direct, cyclic or competitive. The system functions on an average land area of 0.68ha and provides an average of 125 kg beans, 280 kg coffee, and 275 bunches of bananas annually, while supplying sufficient fodder for livestock. The system dynamics have remained sustainable for over a century, mainly because of the continuous ground cover and high degree of nutrient cycling. The Chagga homegardens represent a sustainable land use system whose practices can be extrapolated to other areas with similar ecosystems. Intimate multi-species, multi-story associations offer advantages such as soil conservation, nutrient cycling and efficiency, microclimate enhancement, labor efficiency and continuous production. The authors conclude by suggesting further areas of research that need to be pursued in order to increase productivity while retaining the stability of Chagga homegardens.

Abstract author: Devon J. Bradley, 11 November 1998.

SUSAG Abstracts: Go back to the SUSAG Abstracts search page.