Seed
Banks
Farmers
can
also
collect
seeds
from
these
live
fences
that
can
serve
as
functional
seed
banks.
For
example,
in
Cameroon,
where
an
increasing
number
of
farmers
are
becoming
interested
in
experimenting
with
agroforestry,
non-governmental
organizations
are
buying
seeds
of
Calliandra
calothyrsus
from
farmers
at
a
cost
of
4,000
CFA
(US
$8.00)
per
kilogram
for
distribution
to
other
farmers.
Seeds
of
Tephrosia
vogelii,
a
bi-annual,
leguminous
shrub
used
for
shorter-term
live
fences
and
improved
fallows,
can
be
bought
in
the
market
during
most
of
the
year
within
the
region
of
the
Kom
ethnic
group
in
the
northwest
province
(Cherry,
unpublished
data).
Protection
of
Farmland
In
the
river
valleys
of
eastern
Sonora,
Mexico,
flood
plain
farming
is
dependent
upon
living
fences.
Propagated
fencerows
of
willow
and
cottonwood
maintain,
extend
and
enhance
flood
plain
fields.
These
ecological
filters
also
protect
fields
from
cattle,
harbor
agents
of
biological
control
of
pests,
and
provide
renewable
supplies
of
wood
(Nabhan,
1977).
Farmers
often
allow
live
fences
to
grow
tall
and
serve
as
wind
breaks
to
protect
cropland.
Leaves,
branches
and
twigs
pruned
from
livefences
and
live
fence
posts
provide
farmers
with
an
on
farm
source
of
fodder
and
fuelwood.
Pruning
intervals
of
2
to
3
months
yield
more
leafy
material
than
pruning
intervals
of
4
to
8
months
which
result
in
more
woody
material
(Duguma
et
al.,
1988).
The
example
on
the
left
shows
a
Cupressus
lusitanica
live
fence
in
the
highlands
of
Kenya,
being
managed
for
pole
and
firewood
production.
Farmers
choose
species
and
management
strategies
according
to
their
priorities
for
products
and/or
services.
A
study
in
Embu,
Kenya
found
that
fresh
foliage
of
Calliandra
calothyrsus
increased
butterfat
content
of
milk
by
about
10%
when
fed
to
lactating
cows
(Franzel
et.
al.,
1996).
Live
fences
around
the
perimeter
of
the
farm
can
act
as
nutrient
traps,
preventing
loss
of
nutrients
that
could
normally
be
lost
through
leaching
or
surface
runoff.
Introduction
|
Live
Fence
Posts
|
Examples
of
Live
Fences
I
Products
and
Services
|
Conclusions
|
Literature
Cited
BACK
Funded
by
a
grant
from
the
Cornell
Agroforestry
Working
Group
(CAWG)
and
the
Distance
Learning
Program
of
the
Cornell
International
Institute
for
Food,
Agriculture
and
Development
(CIIFAD).
