This Appendix provides a descriptive summary of ICRAF's six regional programmes, five global programmes, the two Systemwide ecoregional programmes coordinated by ICRAF (Alternatives to Slash and Burn and the African Highlands Initiative) and the support units attached to the Research and Development Divisions.
SIX REGIONAL PROGRAMMES
HUMID LOWLANDS OF WEST AFRICA (HULWA) REGIONAL PROGRAMME
Context: In 1986, ICRAF and the Institut de la recherche agronomique (IRA) made a decision to undertake collaborative agroforestry research in Cameroon in order to develop alternatives to the traditional practice of shifting cultivation in the humid lowlands of West Africa. The programme was designed to focus on the reduction of deforestation and the alleviation of poverty through promotion of high-value agroforestry. It built upon agroforestry-related research and development activities, mainly related to alley cropping (started by ICRAF in Cameroon), undertaken by IITA in the 1970s. The original strategy was to seek partnerships with national and international research organizations so as to pursue an integrated, holistic approach.
In March 1987, the IRA/ICRAF Collaborative Agroforestry Project was established, thus creating the nucleus of the Humid Lowlands of West Africa (HULWA) network. Cameroon was included in the global ASB programme with three benchmark sites (at Yaounde, Ebolowa and M'Balmayo), with the intention of subsequently expanding to other countries within the West Africa region. The Project's mission was: (a) to mitigate deforestation and the loss of bio-diversity and contribute to poverty alleviation; and (b) to strengthen NARS capability in natural resource management research and development.
Since the beginning of the regional programme, ICRAF staff have been based at IRA (now IRAD). At present, the Regional Coordinator is stationed at the HULWA office, together with one other international staff member, one seconded scientist, and ICRAF support staff. They share facilities with IRAD collaborating staff.
Planning: HULWA has strong programmatic links with ICRAF's Programmes 2 and 4. IRAD leads and coordinates research planning and implementation. An internal inter-programme review in 1993 identified five priority areas of research, four of which have been maintained: improved fallow systems; tree domestication; diversification, comprising assessment of natural resource management options and resource policy development; and capacity building. Closer collaboration with IITA and ILCA was also recommended.
Since 1993, IRAD and the national research system in Cameroon have become stronger. The Ecoregional Programme for the Humid and Sub-humid Tropics of Sub-Saharan Africa (EPHTA) was launched in 1996 as a CGIAR ecoregional initiative to support partnerships among forestry and agricultural research institutions of the humid and sub-humid regions of Africa. At the ICRAF regional meeting in 1996, major research results were reviewed, and activities and strategies for further collaboration were identified.
Links: HULWA was created to cover one of the four AFRENA regions. The original idea of expanding the programme within the West Africa region and establishing collaboration with a number of ARIs, NARS and NGOs has not been pursued. Although IRAD became the main partner organization, and some interactions were initiated through IITA with several NARS (e.g., in Nigeria and Ghana), the anticipated close collaboration with IITA has not materialized, and links with ILCA (now ILRI) were not established. As recommended in the 1993 EPMR, however, the activities in technology transfer are lead by local NGOs.
Programme 2 activities in this region are carried out in collaboration with Kew, the Scottish Crop Research Institute, the Oxford Forestry Institute, WWF and Cameroon's Ministry of the Environment and Forests. A joint proposal on livestock management was prepared with ILRI in 1996, to be implemented under EPHTA. Research collaboration has focused on partnerships with IRAD, IITA and the Office National de Développement des Forets (ONADEF) for field trials on improved multi-strata agroforestry systems. This, together with the research on improved fallows, constitutes a direct contribution to ASB and EPHTA, the two Systemwide initiatives through which HULWA is linked to NARS and IARCs.
However, HULWA's research and development activities have remained limited; activities relevant to the agendas of Programmes 1, 3, 4 and 5 has been accomplished mainly by IRAD, IITA and TSBF. Since IITA has been the regional lead agency within the global ASB since its inception, and since ICRAF will contribute to the ASB largely through Programme 2, there are no plans to expand HULWA's present activities outside Cameroon.
Accordingly, funding is being reduced; it now totals US$0.5 m for all themes (of this, more than 50% is from core funds). The decision by ICRAF to concentrate on tree domestication is thus a logical step, based on its comparative advantage and the fact that this will represent a major new contribution to ASB.
Management: By the end of 1998, the Regional Coordinator will be stationed at Nairobi, leaving two ICRAF staff, who may be posted at IRAD in 1999; the seconded scientist will likely leave ICRAF at the end of that year. In short, only one ICRAF international staff member will remain with HULWA to be responsible for the management and research activities of Programme 2 in the region. Although the MTP for 1998-2000 includes an additional position for a policy economist for 1999, this recruitment is frozen for the time being.
Output: Significant results have been achieved in the on-station and on-farm trials for improved fallows. The first on-station trials were established in 1988 and have been successively refined in design and implementation. The results from these long-term trials show clearly that the crop-improved fallow rotation system will result in higher maize production. Multi-strata agroforestry systems have shown encouraging results as well and are well received by both scientists and farmers as alternatives to slash and burn agriculture. Promising tree species for domestication have been identified for further investigation. In particular, Calliandra provenances have been successfully integrated on farmlands, and Prunus africana is one of the target species.
Capacity building has been done through in-service training of one to three months for individual scientists and staff from national organizations and NGOs as well as through degree-related training. Over 100 technicians have participated in courses organized through this programme. Opportunities for field study have been provided to 35 BSc, five MSc and three PhD students.
Future: ICRAF management has decided that HULWA will be discontinued as a regional programme but will become an activity within Programme 2, contributing to ASB and EPHTA. Emphasis will be given to the diversification and intensification of sustainable land use through domestication of agroforestry trees. This will help focus the research on an area of distinct comparative advantage in an important Systemwide initiative and ecoregional programme. Strengthened collaboration with IITA will further enhance the quality and impact of the overall development effort and will provide the basis for continuing activities of Programme 2, thus facilitating ICRAF's research and development activities in the region.
SEMI-ARID LOWLANDS OF WEST AFRICA (SALWA) REGIONAL PROGRAMME
The SALWA programme (the AFRENA for the Sahel) covers four countries in West Africa: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal.
Context: The mission of the programme is to develop sustainable natural resource management options that will help alleviate poverty, decrease desertification and ensure food and nutritional security in the Sahelian region. The objectives are to develop agroforestry technologies and systems that are effective and efficient for local farmers, given both water and nutrient requirements and limitations in the region. In the process of addressing this overall objective, the programme aims to influence agroforestry-related policy in the region and help strengthen the capacity of local partners.
The programme's mission and objectives are being implemented through four agroforestry themes:
· rehabilitation and sustainable management of parkland systems through tree domestication, soil water conservation and nutrient replenishment;1· intensification and diversification of agricultural production through live hedges;
· fodder production and utilization; and
· capacity building and institution strengthening.
1Traditionally, farmers preserved useful tree species on their farmland to provide them with some of their daily nutritional needs and cash income. This system is what is commonly referred to as "parklands." This is the dominant agricultural system in the region.
The programme evolved in 1994 by consolidating all ICRAF staff posted individually in the member countries at one site in Samanko, near Bamako, Mali.
Planning: Within the past couple of years, there has been a consolidation of activities and a narrowing of focus to concentrate on the most relevant issues and agroforestry systems in the region. The programme is evolving and changing and will increasingly do so in the future, now that an expanded funding base appears likely. A draft strategy document for the region is being prepared. Prioritization of activities takes place through input and feedback from regional planning and evaluation workshops. Input from these sources is considered in the context of ICRAF's MTP and its mission and objectives, and the annual and medium-term plans develop accordingly, subject, of course, to funding availability.
Funding prospects for the programme appear to be good, and management foresees a programme with funding in the US$1 to 2 million per year range. However, past funding constraints have meant that the staffing of the regional team has been incomplete, for example, in the areas of soil fertility replenishment and tree domestication, now that the Regional Coordinator post is full time. It is anticipated that these constraints will be overcome in the near future as a more solid funding base is put in place.
Links: Initially, the programme had collaborative arrangements mainly with the traditional NARS. Recently, however, the partnership base has broadened to include educational institutions and NGOs. A number of country institutions in the region have signed MOUs with the programme.
The SALWA programme represents ICRAF's contribution to implementation of the International Convention to Combat Desertification. It also represents ICRAF's participation in the CGIAR Systemwide Desert Margins Initiative (DMI), led by ICRISAT. Other centers involved in the DMI include ILRI, the Institut du Sahel of CILSS, the SAFGRAD programme of the Organization of African Unity and CORAF. It should be noted, however, that so far no significant funding has materialized to support the DMI.
Management: The programme is managed by the Regional Coordinator, located in Samanko, near Bamako, Mali. Headquarters' staff from global Programmes 1, 2, 4 and 5 make inputs into this regional programme. Programme 4 has a staff member in the region, as does Programme 1. The Economist from the latter Programme is being replaced shortly. Links with (ANAFE) are maintained through Programme 5. The programme has eleven field sites: one in Burkina Faso, three in Niger, two in Senegal, and five in Mali. There are ICRAF paid support staff at all sites.
Outputs: The programme has had a few direct research outputs despite the intractability of the problems in this region. However, at the same time, ICRAF's technical backstopping and advice in the region have contributed to a number of solid research results and outputs from partners, with ICRAF input as detailed, for example, in ICRAF's most recent annual report. The outputs relate to work with Pterocarpus erinaceus, Faidherbia albida, Parkia biglobosa and a number of other species as well as work on understanding the dynamics of social changes in the region. Section 2.4 of the Panel's report covers the main achievements of the programme over the past five years.
Training and capacity strengthening also have been major areas of focus. Thus some 216 persons working in agroforestry and related areas had received training as of July 1997.
Additionally, some 15 professionals have received support and assistance at the university and postgraduate levels.
Future: Eventually, once solid funding and research bases have been established in the existing four countries, the programme will explore whether there is potential to expand into most or all of the SILS countries. In the meantime, it is intended that work will continue on the earlier discussed themes related to parklands management, fodder production and utilization, live hedges and capacity and institution strengthening.
EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA (ECA) REGIONAL PROGRAMME
Context: The programme was initiated in 1987 and currently focuses on the highlands of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, representing about 23% of the land area of the region. The initially high agricultural potential has been depleted in much of the region by high population densities, resulting in land fragmentation and continuous cropping in the two rainy seasons with virtually no fertilizer use. Fodder and fuelwood are scarce.
ICRAF's agroforestry interventions in ECA are aimed at enhancing soil fertility and productivity, diversifying land use (including growing fodder tree legumes for small holder dairy production) and integrating high value trees into the landscape. Policy research focuses on development of spatial decision support systems and modeling of integrated nutrient management. Pilot research and development projects in Kenya are based at Embu and Maseno (collaborating with KARI and KEFRI). Short-duration improved fallows and biomass transfers are being tested as the means to improve soil fertility. Shrub and herbaceous legumes and nutrient-rich plants such as Tithonia diversifolia are being compared for their efficacy in capturing nutrients from the deep soil. Different forms of phosphorus are being compared for their role as fertilizers for nutrient replenishment, along with the development of a farming system involving legume shrubs that enrich the pool of nitrogen in the soil available to the plant. The main themes of the programme are poverty alleviation and natural resource management.
In 1997, ICRAF's research activity in the semi-arid tropics of the region, mainly based at Machakos in Kenya, was terminated (except for the completion of some postgraduate studies). The main thrust of the programme in Uganda and Rwanda is on soil conservation and terrace management through agroforestry interventions. There are five internationally-recruited staff (IRS) posted in the region and a Regional Coordinator based at headquarters. Since 1998, one IRS member has been posted in both Rwanda and Uganda, one in Embu and two in Maseno, Kenya, and much additional support is provided from Programme staff at ICRAF headquarters.
Planning: The ECA-AFRENA steering committee meets annually to plan regional activities but does not deal with bilateral project funding. Much of the ECA programme activity contributes to the ASARECA African Highlands Initiative (AHI), which is also coordinated by ICRAF.
Links: The programme has close links with NARS on a formal basis, mainly through the research stations. The links to other CGIAR Centres are mainly through the AHI framework, but ILRI's programmes in the region also complement part of ICRAF's agenda. The pilot project at Maseno is a collaboration with KEFRI, but it also works with KARI, the national agricultural extension system, several NGOs (mainly CARE and the Organic Matter Management Network) and TSBF. There are about 70 staff at the Maseno station, including eight scientists from KEFRI and KARI and seven from ICRAF.
Management: Operational funds for the KEFRI and KARI components of the pilot projects come directly to these organizations. Funds to build the station at Maseno, where ICRAF staff are also housed, were obtained jointly with KEFRI. ICRAF's activities in the pilot projects are funded from both unrestricted and restricted core funds, including funds from KARI. The detailed work plans for the Maseno pilot project, which operates at three districts in Western Kenya, are developed by staff of various ICRAF Programmes in collaboration with KEFRI and KARI staff. The level of input from NARS partners into the on-the-ground activity varies with the project. Some components operating from Maseno (e.g., the soil microbiological characterization and some of the soil analyses) are overseen by KEFRI, but the financial support for these can be a limiting factor.
The Embu and Maseno stations have both attracted seconded staff from donor countries and postgraduate students. Operational funding for these scientists often comes from unrestricted core (particularly in Programme 3) and at times has been insufficient.
Outputs: The work at Maseno has concentrated on the management of nutrients, and a good understanding of the factors affecting soil fertility and ways to ameliorate this has been obtained. Ways to manage erosion using agroforestry approaches have also been demonstrated. In a trial conducted over seven seasons, improved fallows with Sesbania sesban produced an increase in on-farm yields of maize cf. continuous maize, but adding P fertilizer greatly, and economically, increased this benefit. On-farm testing of these technologies and their dissemination is now a major thrust of the pilot project, with more than 1,500 farmers involved in 17 villages. The ways to use fertilizer, particularly different forms of P (including rock phosphate available in the region), to build up the productivity of the farming system is an ongoing area of concentration. Screening germplasm for root knot nematode resistance has identified some lines of S. sesban, Crotalaria and Tephrosia that are tolerant or resistant.
At Embu more emphasis has been placed on fodder in smallholder dairies and control of erosion by boundary plantings and contour hedges of Calliandra calothyrsus. Over 200 NARS scientists have been trained since 1993, and 20 postgraduate traineeships have been awarded.
Future: The key issues relating to the sustainability of the farming systems that still need to be addressed by ICRAF are the variation in the soil nutrient depletions and their status in the ECA Region, the testing of technologies developed and the willingness of farmers to adopt them when there is less intensive project support. The capacity of farmers with different levels of financial and other resources (including ownership status) to adopt new technologies will also be monitored. Transfer of the responsibility for these more development-oriented aspects to the NARS is a priority issue. ICRAF will be using a systems analysis approach to both document and model the change in status of soil fertility depletions and land productivity over time as agroforestry interventions are adopted. The effects of land use changes on the patterning of activities in the landscape and the effects these changes have on watershed-scale events will be assessed. The capacity building aspects of ICRAF's activities in the region, through collaboration and postgraduate student and scientist training, will be another important area for future impact.
SOUTHERN AFRICA (SA) REGIONAL PROGRAMME
Context: ICRAF's activities in Southern Africa began in 1985, initially with advice to NARS in the Zambesi Basin following diagnosis of the problems facing agricultural production in the region. This focussed on the role of agroforestry in overcoming these constraints, particularly in the area of integration of the maize and livestock production systems, low soil fertility status and scarcity of fuelwood. The region has a mean annual rainfall ranging from 800 to 1200 mm and altitude from 600 to 1200 m. Population growth exceeds 3% and threatens food security with the need for maize imports increasing rapidly. Research has focussed on improved fallows and intercrops based on shrub legumes; fodder for rural and peri-urban dairy systems, fuelwood from fallows or rotational woodlots and domestication of indigenous fruit trees. On-station experiments began in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi in 1987, leading to on-farm research and tests of best-bet technologies from 1992. The on-farm activities have increased rapidly since 1997 developing the participatory approach to technology transfer through facilitating the formation of farmer groups. The present international scientist staffing is one from Programme 3 at Chipata, Zambia; one from Programme 4 at Shinyanga, Tanzania servicing also the Tabora region; one each from Programmes 2 and 5 at Makoka, Malawi with one from Programme 1 to be stationed in Zimbabwe in September 1998. These staff are supported by six national professionals, twelve scientists seconded by governments and two from donor countries, a regional total of 26.
Planning: Research, extension and capacity building activities are reviewed and planned through regional workshops, the 11th one held in 1997 at Chipata with over 70 participants from partner institutions, four regional universities, NGOs and ICRAF. The proceedings are published by ICRAF under the auspices of the Zambesi Basin Agroforestry Project. National AFRENA steering committees establish detailed research plans and fund allocations and review progress. The production constraints researched vary among countries. ICRAF country programmes have produced detailed annual reports and outlines of the programme activity on Miombo indigenous fruit research and on regional dissemination and development. A very comprehensive Regional Progress Report to March 1998 outlines ICRAF staff activities, constraints, outcomes and plans. The closest links are currently with headquarters Programmes 2, 3 and 4 but the posting of an economist from Programme 1 in Zimbabwe during 1998 will broaden this and strengthen the policy research. The IPG outcomes of the regional programme relate to the maintenance of biodiversity and carbon storage as a component of climate change through reduction of the logging and the conversion of the Miombo woodlands to farmlands. Across the region there has been an evolution from predominantly on-station research to a more on-farm, participatory research and development orientation.
Links: The Regional Coordinator was originally stationed in Lilongwe, Malawi, but has now relocated to the Makoka Research Station near Zomba in Southern in Malawi. In Malawi, ICRAF collaborates principally with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Departments of Agricultural Research and Technical Services and of Extension Services, the Forestry Research Institute, the University of Malawi Bunda College of Agriculture, the Chancellor College Departments of Chemistry and Food Science and Technology, PROSCAP and the Rockefeller Foundation. The ICRAF offices have recently been built on the Makoka Agricultural Research Station. In Zambia, ICRAF has built offices and a laboratory on the Msekera Research Station of the Soils and Crops Research Branch of the Department of Research and Specialist Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Msekera is near Chipata in the Eastern Province. There is collaboration with the Soil Conservation and Agroforestry Extension Project, the Lutheran World Federation, World Vision International, many other NGO's and the Forestry Department. In central Tanzania, ICRAF operates from the Hifadhi Ardhi Shinyanga (HASHI) in Shinyanga and supports the Agricultural Research and Training Institute, Tumbi, serving the Tabora regions. It supports the natural resource management project, collaborates in training students from the Sokoine University of Agriculture and the University of Dar-es-Salaam, with the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, World Vision International and the Moravian Church. In Zimbabwe, ICRAF operates from the Headquarters in Harare of the Department of Research and Specialist Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, with field work at Domboshawa and Makoholi. There is some collaboration with the University of Zimbabwe, CIMMYT and ICRISAT. The links with the CIFOR office in the University of Zimbabwe will be strengthened by the posting of the ICRAF policy economist to Zimbabwe in September, 1998.
Management: Links with headquarters in Nairobi are maintained by visits from Programmes 1, 2, 3 and 4 scientists to assist in planning research and establishing appropriate methodologies. These may not have been frequent enough in the past to evaluate critically and advise on the country experimental progammes, particularly from Programme 2, but this is currently less of an issue. There is good support with laboratory analyses and statistical advice, including site visits. Unrestricted core funds have been used to support seed collections, e.g., of Tephrosia spp. The regional management operates through the regular steering committee meetings and visits by the Coordinator, but the national steering committees have met less frequently. This is now being addressed. Financial control systems are being put in place following the devolution of the management of funds to the regions. Although the overheads for the Zambesi Basin Project arc set at 10%, the time spent by headquarters staff in the region and travel costs are charged to the respective project. The Regional Coordinator will in future be undertaking increased responsibility for relations with donors.
Outputs: A major output has been the confirmation that farmer planting of improved fallows of Sesbania sesban in the impoverished soils of the region can result in greatly increased yields of several subsequent maize crops. This produces a much improved economic return to the farmers for their labour than for continuous maize, with or without the input of costly fertilizers. Use of the stems for fuel is an ancillary benefit. The increase in prices of fertilizer following structural adjustment programs has much increased the impact of the improved fallow technology on rural poverty and food security. The demonstration of the potential to use Gliricidia sepium for soil fertility enhancement is also important, although the systems aspects of this are still being developed. Adoption of the rotational woodlot system using the Australian species, Acacia crassicarpa, A. leptocarpa and A. julifera, will do much to reduce the destruction of the Miombo woodland for fuel, particularly for curing tobacco in Tanzania.
The potential wood yield from these Australian acacias is 112t/ha in three years, whereas the Miombo woodland produces about 60t/ha in 30 years. Newly introduced species such as psyllid tolerant Leucaena spp and Acacia angustissima have also shown promise for fodder production.
Over 7,000 farmers have now planted the improved fallows or fuelwood species in the region.
Germplasm collections have been made of the promising indigenous fruit trees Uapaca kirkiana and Sclerocarya birrea. Evaluations have shown that several Miombo fruit trees are easy to propagate and bear fruit within two years of planting.
The region has been active in recording the results of work done with 57 journal articles, 30 conference papers and numerous other reports and notes since 1992.
Future: Once an extension methodology is "proven" on a pilot scale, then the strategy is that other, more development-oriented, agencies will undertake more widespread dissemination. Such a pilot testing of improved fallows is being developed with World Vision International for southern Zambia. The policy research to be conducted by ICRAF from Zimbabwe will provide an important strengthening of the priority setting and rationalization for ICRAF's regional activity.
LATIN AMERICA (LA) REGIONAL PROGRAMME
Context: ICRAF's activities in Latin America are located in the selva of Peru (Pucallpa and Yurimaguas), the state of Quintana Roo in Southern Mexico and the western Amazonian states of Rondonia and Acre in Brazil - all representative of the lowland tropical forest agroecosystem. Pucallpa serves as the consolidated regional headquarters, with staff located at INIA's CENFOR station. This ecoregional centre has just been refurbished with Spanish funds and inaugurated; it houses under one roof staff from ICRAF, CIFOR, CIAT, CODESU and Winrock International. Three international staff are posted there, working with approximately eighteen national professional and support staff, including several in Yurimaguas. One additional international staff, two consultants and five national staff are located at Chetumal in southern Mexico.
The regional office is fairly new, having been established in 1993, when Peru and Brazil were selected as ASB benchmark sites. Originally, one ICRAF scientist was posted in Brazil to work with EMBRAPA and one in Peru to work with INIA, but staff had to be withdrawn from Brazil due to the shortage of funds in 1995. Nonetheless, the experiments initiated there are still being supported and monitored.
Almost all of the research conducted in the Latin American Region is concerned with identifying best-bet alternatives to slash and burn agriculture. Specifically, staff work to:
· improve understanding of the land- and resource-use dynamics;· increase and diversify sustainable production systems at the farm scale;
· through use of farmer participatory methods, develop improved agroforestry production systems for soil fertility maintenance and replenishment (short-term fallows in rotation with annual crops);
· reduce the degradation of secondary and residual forests (long-term enrichment fallows);
· increase the sustainability of livestock production systems (silvopastoral systems); and
· diversify the farmers' production capacity (multi-strata systems).
The work by ICRAF staff in Latin America builds on research initiated in Yurimaguas almost two decades ago by North Carolina State University and is closely integrated with the goals and workplans of Programmes 2, 3 and 4.
For 1998, the region's themes are:
· domestication of agroforestry trees for community development;
· improved land-use management for environmental and economic benefit; and
· capacity building.
Planning: When funds permit, an annual regional planning meeting is held with collaborators, but informal consultation takes place regularly in various settings. Despite pressure to focus on local issues, the region has maintained its focus on broader questions. Its participation in ASB research, its effort to identify economically viable substitutes for coca production and its role in reforestation programs are all in response to major region-wide problems and contribute to the global ASB knowledge base. Staff collaborate especially closely with headquarters' Programmes 2 and 3 in tree domestication and soil nutrient replenishment. Those stationed in Peru focus more on research than development, but the opposite is true in Mexico, where staff are more intensely involved in participatory research and extension through highly organized local communities.
Links: ICRAF works in Latin America with a number of partners, including CIAT and CIFOR, TSBF, CATIE; INIA, regional organizations and the Ministry of Agriculture in Peru; EMBRAPA in Brazil, INIFAP in Mexico, and a number of NGOs, universities, farmer organizations and individual farmers. In Pucallpa, it is a member of CODESU, a consortium of organizations concerned with development of the Peruvian State of Ucayali. Working relationships appear collegial and effective; at least two of the international staff have longstanding collaborative ties to major partners. The region was recently visited by the DGs of ICRAF, CIAT and CIFOR to develop a consolidated workplan.
Management: The regional programme is managed from Pucallpa, with backstopping from Lima, where CIP provides office space as well as a variety of valuable administrative and financial services. Commendably, CIP does so without charge to ICRAF. No significant management issues were raised with the Panel, but regional staff are concerned with the time spent in financial management. They look forward to a more streamlined and simplified financial management system.
Outputs: In addition to achievements listed in Section 3.3 staff in the Latin American region highlighted their work in:
· developing a process for participatory tree domestication, working with farmers for the sustainable use and conservation of valuable tree genetic resources;· conjoint analysis of farmers' preferences for agroforestry systems, including a methodology to relate those preferences to the farmers' socioeconomic characteristics and natural resource endowment;
· establishing seed orchards on farms and laying plans for a seed certification system;
· identifying, among best-bet alternatives to slash and burn agriculture, effective means to introduce into farmers' fields the peach palm that has high commercial potential;
· establishing a data base derived from long-term experiments with five different land use systems enhancing sustainability and nutrient management; and
· conducting a well-received training programme in experimental design.
Work on these issues has appeared in refereed journals, bulletins, monographs, book chapters and conference proceedings. Some of the best-bet alternatives have also been adopted by the participating farmers and are being closely observed by their neighbors.
Future: The staff have prepared detailed research plans for the next four years. As part of the ASB Systemwide Programme, they also help implement the research agenda established by the ASB Steering Committee. Currently, however, they have neither senior staff nor partnership arrangements to provide the socioeconomic input needed to brings these plans to full fruition although CIAT has recently stationed a post doctoral natural resource economist in Pucallpa.
SOUTHEAST ASIA (SEA) REGIONAL PROGRAMME
Context: ICRAF established the programme in 1992 with the appointment of a Regional Coordinator, plus a policy economist and a soil ecologist in 1994 and 1993 respectively. Much of the current activity has developed from considerable previous work in Indonesia by ORSTOM, CIRAD and the Harvard Institute for International Development; in the Philippines by IRRI and the SANREM Project; in Thailand by the Ford Foundation. ICRAF now provides an umbrella under which this earlier research can be integrated and the agroforestry aspects of the earlier projects' outputs developed. The offices were originally located in the Indonesian Forest and Nature Conservation Research and Development Centre in Bogor but in 1998 moved to a building in the new CIFOR headquarters outside Bogor. There are currently three ICRAF IRS, three senior scientists seconded from ORSTOM, two from CIRAD, one from WINROCK, one from DGIS, one from IDRC, one from SIDA, one from CASER and one associate officer each from VVOB, JIRCAS and UNESCO. The Thailand component started in 1995 with one IRS, and is now augmented by a seconded IRS from WREI, a global NGO. Much of the programme activity in Indonesia and Thailand operates under the auspices of the Systemwide ASB ecoregional programme that ICRAF coordinates for SE Asia. There are also seven nationally recruited scientists and associates in Indonesia, one in Thailand and one in the Philippines along with a senior fellow.
The programme has five themes: policy evolution to enhance sustainable land use, agroforestry alternatives to slash and burn for forest margins, agroforestry options for imperata grasslands, agroforestry options for sloping farmlands and capacity building of national institutions and scientists. An integration of these issues is currently being developed through examination of the effect of diversity at the landscape level on the functioning of critical watersheds. The activity has been very problem driven, with close integration of the ICRAF Programmes.
Planning: The ASB activity in Indonesia has been underpinned by a considerable and very effective input in the area of policy. This has set the framework for the process research. Much of the programme's strategic planning has been undertaken in the context of the ASB. A major future emphasis in natural resource management will be at the landscape and watershed level. A sound basis for understanding plant production processes, soil nutrient/water interactions and soil organic matter status has been developed from systems modeling. This generic research on policy and modeling has a considerable IPG aspect, especially the ability to predict the effect of land management on carbon sequestration. The regional staffing pattern covers all five ICRAF global Programmes with scientific support from some of the headquarters scientists in Nairobi [note: programme 1 in particular has provided many inputs into the regional agenda]. The activity in Programme 2 is recent and started with an evaluation of the farmers' needs, resulting in a current emphasis on developing mechanisms for dissemination of already identified, useful germplasm to farmers rather than identifying new, high value species to develop. The policy research in Indonesia and Thailand and the systems research in the Philippines has led to a strong development component to the programme, where farmer groups have been given the capacity to take up new agroforestry-related technologies or to further develop existing practices under a more assured tenure situation. The ICRAF work in this area has provided the basis for further developments at a national level by government agencies and NGOs in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Much of the ASB project planning is undertaken during site field visits by the ICRAF and NARS collaborators. This has a strong capacity building element and is an excellent way to develop a common vision of the problem.
In Thailand there are three themes for the ASB for Mountainous Mainlands of South East Asia programme: assessing the agroforestry advantage from both a biophysical perspective and that of the economics of land use options; land-use tenure and institutional and national policy involvement in watershed management; and linkages on policy research with neighbouring countries.
Links: The links to national programmes in Indonesia, through the ASB network, have involved the FNCRDC, AARD, CRIFC (the national coordinating agency), four major universities and NGOs. The ASB benchmark site in northern Lampung was developed by Brawijaya University during a long period of collaboration with ARIs in Europe. This gave the ASB research on the biological management of soil fertility that started in 1994 a sound basis from which to develop. The collaboration of scientists from ARIs has been an outstanding feature of the SE Asia ASB activities. There is potential to develop links with CIFOR and IBSRAM in future work on watershed management. The Thailand programme is quintessentially one of setting a framework for collaboration among the NARS, international institutes and NGOs in an ASB context, both in the area of policy and biophysical research.
The links with CIFOR in the areas of socioeconomic policy on the use of forest margins, biodiversity evaluation and modeling the role of people in the diversity of land uses and of trees at a landscape level have been very productive and complementary.
Management: Links with headquarters have largely been through scientists in Programmes 1, and 3, and more recently Programme 2. The devolution of much of the financial management will make a great deal of difference to the efficiency of the regional operation. Management of the regional programme has been extremely effective in creating a team approach and a very conducive atmosphere for innovative and across discipline interaction. Future funding seems to be secure except for Programme 2 activities. There is potential funding for future activity in Vietnam and Laos.
Outputs: The research on NTFPs such as improved rubber production and damar (a resin produced by the dipterocarp Shorea javanica) at the forest margins in Indonesia is aimed at poverty alleviation. The policy research has led to a change in the Indonesian Government policy on management of the Krui region forest margins that could provide a model for similar agreements on very large areas of forest margins in other parts of Indonesia. Similarly the approach to community involvement in land care of watersheds in Mindanao in the Philippines, developed with ICRAF input, has been taken up by the Government as a national model. The uptake by farmer groups of natural vegetation strips as a way to control erosion and to use trees in the landscape is expanding rapidly. ICRAF research has shown how rubber production in Indonesia by smallholders on the forest margin, collectively the sector with the largest production, can be improved while maintaining the biodiversity.
Because of the policy work done on management of the forest margins, ICRAF was able to make a significant contribution to the understanding at both a national and international level of the causes for the recent, extensive forest fires in Kalimantan and thereby the policy approaches that may reduce the likelihood of their reoccurrence on that scale.
Future: The model for capacity building activity with NARS using ICRAF resources to leverage personnel support from other agencies that has developed so successfully in Indonesia and Thailand, and that is developing in the Philippines, will continue with the NARS increasingly taking more of the operational activity in a genuinely collaborative manner. The development of ICRAF activity in other countries of the region such a Vietnam and Laos will use this model
FIVE GLOBAL PROGRAMMES
PROGRAMME 1 - NATURAL RESOURCES STRATEGIES AND POLICY
Context: This is the newest programme in the Research Division. It was created in 1993 when two previous programmes (Environmental Characterization and Policy, Adoption and Impact) were merged. The Programme has had a substantial staff turnover during its initial growth stage. In 1993 it had six senior social scientists, one senior biophysical scientist and two postdoctoral fellows (one social scientist, one biophysical scientist). In 1998 it still has six internationally recruited senior social scientists, only two of whom were at ICRAF in 1993, and three senior biophysical scientists.
The staff turnover reflects a shift in priorities and emphasis within the Programme as well as the institutionalization of more social science positions in the IRS of ICRAF. This shift involved the development and implementation of a natural resource management approach to agroforestry research. In early 1993, qualitative diagnosis work and on-farm testing constituted the principal activities. Impact assessment existed as a project, but it was not staffed and had no budget. After 1993, quantitative approaches to characterization, diagnosis and adoption were emphasized (a small GIS/remote sensing laboratory was created in 1994), and so was policy research. ICRAF's in-house policy work began in mid-1994 in Indonesia, in mid-1995 in Thailand and in late 1997 in the Philippines, all as integral components of ASB. A senior position for policy research in Eastern and Central Africa Regional Programme was added in mid-1997, and a similar position has been created in Southern Africa Regional Programme in 1998.
The four projects in the Programme are:
· 1.1 - Land-use and agroecosystem dynamics
· 1.2 - Integrated assessment of natural resource management options
· 1.3 - Natural resource policy development
· 1.4 - Ecological, social and economic impact assessment.
Management: The Programme has been directed during recent times by an acting Programme Leader (located in Bogor with the SE Asia Regional Programme) due to the hiring, through an international search, of the previous Programme Leader as Director of Research in August, 1997. This individual also is the lead scientist on Project 1.3. A permanent head of Programme 1 was hired recently. Of the global programmes at ICRAF, Programme 1 is the most reliant on seconded senior scientists from other institutions. While this has certain financial and outside linkage advantages for ICRAF, it also could potentially create some institutional disadvantages related to continuity and cohesiveness of the overall research, if the situation is not carefully monitored and controlled by senior management. So far, such disadvantages do not appear to have surfaced in the case of Programme 1.
Outputs: The main outputs of the Programme, as detailed in Section 2.4 of the report, include contributions in the areas of: methodology development; linked case studies of key policy issues and solutions; software for spatial characterization for use by ICRAF and its collaborators in Africa and Latin America; studies of land degradation processes and potential solutions; adoption and adaptation studies; farm-scale ecological-economic simulation models; impact assessment; geo-referenced databases for most characterization parameters for all ASB and AHI sites and for southern Africa; workshops at the international, national, and local levels; analysis of adoption and sustainability of different agroforestry practices that have guided priorities for ICRAF's other research and development programmes; advice to government agencies based on ICRAF policy and other research; and methodological inputs to workshops organized by the World Bank and USAID on land quality indicators and indicators for use in impact assessment.
Planning: Adoption of ideas from the Programme by partners and by other agroforestry research and development groups indicates relevance of the work done by Programme 1, e.g., the policy-related research and outreach work utilized by the Government of Indonesia in its social forestry legislation. Work from Programme 1 scientists is cited regularly by outside researchers.
Links2: Programme 1 scientists appear to have good linkages to researchers in ARIs and NARS, and the Programme has over the past few years diversified its national collaborators (including NGOs), in particular in the policy arena. Significant changes in collaboration and partnerships occurred as a consequence of the above-mentioned evolution of Programme 1 and its activities. The Programme collaborates with a very wide range of IARCs through its work within the ASB and the AHI Systemwide programmes. In addition to linkages within the Systemwide programmes, links with other IARCs are concentrated on work with IFPRI and CIFOR (a variety of informal linkages among scientists).
2
Linkages among programs are covered elsewhere, and particularly in Section 3.5
Future: Programme 1 intends to become more involved in impact assessment work and in the development of linkages with policy makers in partner countries. In addition, case studies will become part of the output of the Programme. When the new Programme Leader joins ICRAF, he will develop a new strategic plan for the programme, to update the current one developed in 1996. Work will include analysis of appropriate methods for characterization and diagnosis at multiple scales. The Programme will develop new methods and build new partnerships, especially with IARCs and ARIs that have relevant skills in modeling regional, watershed biophysical and economic dynamics, as well as economy-wide policy issues.
ICRAF formerly had few links with national policy makers outside forestry and agriculture. Since policies outside these sectors have powerful influences on agroforestry, ICRAF will continue to expand its working relationships with this new set of clients. If funds permit, Programme 1 intends to place a senior scientist in Latin America.
Within ICRAF, the work undertaken by Programme 1 has led to a number of changes: a) widespread realization that agroforestry research is a specific case of natural resources management research; b) realization of the need to work at a number of different spatial scales; and c) realization of the need to adopt a systems approach to agroforestry. These changes will be further pursued in the future.
PROGRAMME 2 - DOMESTICATION OF AGROFORESTRY TREES
Context: The programme on domestication of agroforestry trees has evolved since 1993 from the previous Programme 2 "Improvement of Multipurpose trees". Tree domestication is a relatively new concept and involves accelerating the process of tree selection/improvement by making it more of a farmer-driven and market-led process. This innovative approach is being explained through developing strategies for priority tree species and using these as case studies to carry out the process.
The focus on tree domestication is a more direct approach compared to the previous MPT improvement programme that largely involved screening trials for exotic agroforestry species such as Leucaena leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium and conventional plus tree evaluation for Markhamia lutea. Although there has been a demand by farmers for indigenous tree species with well known uses such as food, fodder, and medicine, they have been largely overlooked in the previous programme. Agroforestry practices that integrate trees into landuse systems are expected to make the system more stable ecologically, while maintaining wide biological diversity. The expectation is that by this enhanced development process the traditionally important "Cinderella" trees will simultaneously provide sufficient environmental services and economically valuable non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to the farmers. Therefore, the domestication of agroforestry trees has been identified as one of the key pillars of ICRAF's research agenda.
The aim of the Programme is to develop a framework for the identification, production, management and adoption of improved agroforestry trees, and subsequently to promote the use of quality tree germplasm. Specifically, the objectives are:
· To further develop methods for identifying and improving agroforestry trees· To initiate and transfer tree improvement research for selected agroforestry trees to NARS;
· to explore, collect, characterize, document and conserve germplasm of priority species and facilitate the supply and exchange of research quantities of germplasm to collaborating institutions;
· to collect, document and disseminate information on agroforestry tree species through the development and regular publication of databases on agroforestry trees and the supply of germplasm;
· to promote timely and sufficient multiplication of superior germplasm of agroforestry trees;
· To investigate the most appropriate propagation systems for agroforestry trees;
· To optimise the propagation techniques (sexual and vegetative) for priority species;
· To investigate the physiological processes and morphological variation inmature tissues to enhance the rooting potential of high-value trees;
· To evaluate in the field a wide range of priority agroforestry tree species and provenances;
· To assess species, provenance and clonal interactions with tree management practices for priority species;
The Programme is organized under four research projects:
· 2.1 - Genetic improvement strategies for agroforestry trees
· 2.2 - Genetic resources of agroforestry trees
· 2.3 - Propagation systems for agroforestry trees
· 2.4 - Field testing of agroforestry trees.
The Programme has activities in Africa, Latin America and the Southeast Asian region, although they are at different degrees of development. The tree domestication process is more advanced in Africa and Latin America than in Southeast Asia, where priority setting and selection of partner institutions are presently taking place.
The staff include three internationally-recruited personnel posted at headquarters (and two seconded junior scientists), with one scientist each at Malawi, Cameroon and Peru. In the absence of any permanent staff in Southeast Asia, a Winrock scientist gives approximately 30% of his time. National professional staff consists of one scientist in Peru and three in Kenya. In addition, support staff attached to this programme are highly committed and show commendable professionalism.
Planning: The activities under this Programme have direct relevance to ICRAF, as it deals exclusively with trees for the development of sustainable agroforestry systems. Farmers in different ecoregions have much interest in selecting high value trees for agroforestry systems, and the cooperation of international institutions has been forthcoming for this Programme.
The staff at headquarters and in the regions and NARS are involved in planning, priority setting, identifying, collecting, propagating and field evaluation of high value tree species for filling specific niches in the land use systems to benefit the farmers to increase and stabilize their incomes. The criteria for selection include emphasis on known indigenous species wanted by the farmers, over-exploited or nearly extinct and promising high value trees for integration into the landscape ecosystem.
The staff of the Programme work in close collaboration with Programmes 1 and 4 in the African and Programme 3 in the Latin American regions, as well as at headquarters. In Southeast Asia, which is in its initial stages of development, inter-programme linkages are envisaged.
Links: Tree domestication covers a wide range of geographical areas, and collaborative linkages have been developed with several partners. Many of the partnerships have been facilitated by the presence of ICRAF staff in the regional programmes. The major collaborators are NARS in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Malawi, Niger, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Peru, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Some universities in the above countries also collaborate in tree domestication activities through staff and postgraduate research students. The Programme collaborates closely with two CGIAR Centres, CIFOR and IPGRI, and also with CABI, 14 advanced research institutes and several universities around the world.
Management: The Programme is managed by the Programme Leader based at the headquarters. Planning and management are well executed at all operational levels. Programmes 3 and 5 also collaborate with the activities of this programme, although at a modest level.
Outputs: Achievements and impacts are listed under Section 2.4 and include selections of promising tree species, collection of germplasm, development of seed documentation databases, identification of germplasm demand and supply and delivery pathways, production of nursery manuals and a seed suppliers directory and 74 research publications. The integration of high value trees is crucial for increasing farmer incomes and thus poverty alleviation. Hence this activity could have considerable global impact.
Future: The proposed cross-programme and global/regional (ASB, AHI) activities will broaden the scope and effectiveness of the Programme. The establishment and maintenance of living gene banks-cum-multiplication blocks of high-value, but over exploited, species, and clonal propagation will accelerate the distribution of high-value germplasm. Additional advantages will include trees that are early-bearing, small in size to fit into specific niches in the agroforestry system and production of uniform products for enhanced marketability.
The safe movement of germplasm of high value trees (quarantine and biosafety) among countries is an important issue, as stated in ICRAF's Policy Guideline Series No. 10. Recognition of the need for equitable access and benefit sharing of valuable tree genetic resources guides the philosophy of interaction with farmers, NARS and national governments. An international advisory committee comprising expert representation from developed and developing countries helps guide the genetic resource work.
The availability of sufficient and timely quantities of germplasm of high value trees has a direct bearing on the impact of tree domestication. The development of easy and simple sexual and vegetative propagation methods, nursery management and training in nursery techniques are being planned.
The commercialization of high value species, such as Bactris gasipaes (Peach palm) or Prunus africana for its medicinal value, into large-scale plantations by private entrepreneurs may override ICRAF's basic efforts to alleviate poverty among the inhabitants of rural communities. ICRAF has anticipated this eventuality and seeks to minimise its effect by preferentially providing small-scale farmers with germplasm and information. Risks to individual farmers are being addressed by promoting diversification of trees species under cultivation.
PROGRAMME 3 - ECOSYSTEMS REHABILITATION
Context: Programme 3 began as Component Interactions in 1992, building on the largely theoretical analyses of the tree crop interface at the individual plant level developed by the Council. The research agenda has evolved from an initial emphasis on understanding how the components of agroforestry systems interact in various mixed cropping scenarios from a crop physiology perspective to be now mainly concerned with natural resource management. Particular emphasis is being given to agroforestry interventions that improve the nutrient supply to crops and reduce erosion and its off-site effects. It has four IRS and one seconded ORSTOM scientist based at Headquarters, one in the ECA region, one in Latin America, one in Southern Africa, and one plus an ORSTOM seconded scientist in SE Asia. Regional staff, appropriately, undertake a broader agenda. ICRAF headquarters has initiated investigations of the dynamic interaction of soil biology, soil organic matter, nutrient availability and soil structural stability and the effect of agroforestry interventions on these soil quality parameters with the joining of the ORSTOM seconded senior scientist.
Declining soil fertility has been identified as a major limitation to crop production in agroforestry systems in much of semi-arid and sub-humid Africa, brought about by continuous cropping without nutrient replenishment. Soils in the highlands of east and central Africa have good physical structure and were originally very fertile. In southern Africa and the Sahel, the reduction in the length of the "bush fallow" has led to declining yields (a long time ago; the more important issue is continuous cultivation without nutrient returns). Structural adjustment programmes have made fertilizer too expensive for use by most small farmers. Hence the program's change in emphasis to ecosystem rehabilitation through nutrient replenishment and management, as well as the management of water use from both the plant and now the watershed perspective. In the forest margins, the research is concentrating on ways to rehabilitate imperata grasslands in Southeast Asia and understand the component interactions and global environmental benefits of multistrata systems. In Latin America the emphasis now is on C sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions in best-bet AF systems.
The Programme manages its work in three projects as follows:
· 3.1 - Water use management
· 3.2 - Nutrition replenishment and management
· 3.3 - Productivity and environmental benefits of complex agroforests
Outputs: The programme review of the alley-cropping trials conducted at the AFRENA sites and detailed research at the Machakos Research Station indicated that the competition for water use by fast growing legume shrubs often was the major yield determinant for the associated crop, overriding any immediate benefit from the soil fertility enhancement of the shrub prunings. This has important implications for this agroforestry practice where rainfall or soil water availability is limited. It has led ICRAF to re-examine its strategy for handling crop mixtures for soil fertility improvement and to vigorously explore in east, central and southern Africa, and in Latin America. ICRAF called attention in the world literature to the limited situations were alley cropping could be beneficial. Sequential rather than simultaneous systems were recognized as better options including planted legume fallow for subsequent maize crops and of biomass transfers derived from intercropped shrubs, hedgerows or field borders. The Programme is documenting the ways in which the soil fertility is enhanced in these systems, particularly through the nitrogen supply from fixation, deep nutrient capture, nutrient cycling and organic matter transformation. It is also looking at the water use in these more intensively managed rainfed systems.
There are major losses in the semi-arid tropics from run-off and deep drainage on sloping lands, and the Programme showed that contour plantings of trees could reduce this considerably. Prunings from these trees could be managed similarly to alley or companion cropping systems and lead to less erosion as well as enhanced water use but is more profitable to feed them to cattle if this is an option available. In much of the Kenyan highlands, Grevillea robusta is common in cropped fields. ICRAF research showed that the tree obtains most of its water below the rooting depth of the crops and hence was minimally competitive with the crop. Selection of tree germplasm with different root architecture for use in agroforestry systems is a promising new area of research.
The water management research has made good use of collaborations with research institutes in the UK and Australia and with the University of Nairobi. Models have been used to analyze water use in a range of soil types and environments. The challenge is to use this basic information on the functioning of trees and crops to design better agroforestry systems. A major ICRAF publication on "Tree-Crop Interactions: A Physiological Approach" collated current knowledge.
Research on soil fertility constraints to production in agroforestry systems has focused on the impact of trees on organic matter quality and quantity, and nutrient recycling, and on the efficiency of use of nutrient inputs, especially of different forms of P. By early 1997, the research at Machakos in the semi-arid tropics was phased out and research efforts transferred to the sub-humid highlands of western Kenya at Maseno where new station buildings and an analytical laboratory were being established with KEFRI. Trials conducted on farmers' fields helped to ensure relevance and the transfer of knowledge gained to farmer groups during field days. The research showed that nitrate had accumulated in the subsoil at a depth below the crop rooting zone, that young trees rapidly developed deep roots capable of extracting the nitrate and that P deficiency was severe. Research on organic matter inputs showed that some plants such as the wild sunflower, Tithonia diversifolia contained a large concentration of N, P and K and that crop responses could be obtained when cuttings were applied at the rate of 1 tonne dry matter per ha. On small areas the use of high value crops would be more rewarding than on cereal crops, and several farmers have made this shift with tithonia biomass transfers.
Collaborative research started at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Research Station at Msekera near Chipata in Zambia in 1994, measuring the substantial beneficial effect of tree fallows, particularly of Sesbania sesban, on subsequent maize crop yields and the dynamics of soil nitrogen and organic matter fractions in long-term experiments. From 1995, soil properties were also monitored in experiments on mixed intercropping, improved fallows and relay cropping of shrub legumes at the Makoka Research Station, Zambia.
A small effort in weed and pest management strategies for use in agroforestry systems has been developed in collaboration with ICIPE and CABI-IIBC based in Kenya. Sesbania in fallows often becomes infected with root-knot nematodes in sandy soils, and this can affect both fallow performance and growth of subsequent sensitive crops such as tobacco. Tests of sesbania germplasm and other species have identified lines that are tolerant of nematodes. Sesbania can also become infested with Mesoplatys beetles, and IPM methods are being investigated. Some Leucaena spp and their hybrids were found to be tolerant of psyllid attack. Sesbania fallows can dramatically reduce Striga infestation of subsequent maize, and the reasons for this are under study. Shading from agroforestry trees can control weeds such as Imperata cylindrica in Southeast Asia, but the effect on the weed seed bank under improved fallows in Africa is yet to be explored.
Since 1993 the Programme has been very active in publishing its results in more than 70 papers in refereed journals, 28 conference papers, and 13 book chapters, and has edited five books or proceedings. It has also trained 28 MSc and 13 PhD students from 21 universities in seven countries. In 1997 Programme 3 edited the book "Replenishing soil fertility in Africa", co-published with the Soil Science Society of America.
Planning: There has been an increasing emphasis on soil fertility and soil-plant water relations research that has given an understanding of the biophysical aspects of the agroforestry systems being promoted under the AFRENAs. Sustainability and site specificity issues are likely to become more important as the concept of improved fallows is extended to new regions. Programme 3 will be involved in developing methods to model the responses to agroforestry technologies in these new environments to aid in the selection of appropriate technologies.
The Programme is also playing a role in generating understanding of the role of agroforestry in carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions that has global IPG significance ICRAF commissioned an external review of Programme 3 in March 1998. Comments on this CCER are made in Section 3.3.
Links: Links to the NARS research and to other CGIAR Centres operate through AFRENA, AHI and ASB Programmes. These are a crucial part of ICRAF's capacity building role. As a major contribution to capacity building, Programme 3 has been involved since 1993 in training more than 26 post-graduate students, mostly from the NARS.
TSBF is on the steering committee of both the AHI and ASB which ICRAF coordinates and also collaborates closely on the Maseno pilot project and in ASB sites throughout the humid tropics. TSBF provides research support in the areas of soil organic matter and soil biology that is complementary to ICRAF's expertise base, and this will be further strengthened by undertaking laboratory work in this area at ICRAF headquarters.
Work in Eastern and Southern Africa on soil nutrient management through TSBF, CIMMYT, universities and the NARS also complements ICRAF's capacity building activity.
As part of the Systemwide Initiative on Water Management, ICRAF is leading the project on Improved Water Utilization in a Watershed Perspective and proposes to undertake this research in three key watersheds in Mindanao, northern Thailand and Sumatra, analyzing the effect of on-farm tree distribution on soil loss and the quality and quantity of water leaving the watershed. Support with the hydrological aspects of this project will come from collaborating institutions. The biophysical research will support policy research from Programme 1 on watershed management. Watershed-scale research demands a great deal of resources if the results are to be useful with inputs from several disciplines, careful planning and coordination and a long-term commitment. Programme 3 is positioning itself to play a leading role in coordinating such studies.
Future: There is much interest from the World Bank in the concept of nutrient replenishment through an improvement in soil fertility following a major addition of large amounts of P fertilizer, probably as rock phosphate. The process is being thought of in terms of a large scale capitalization of the land. Such a programme relies on an appropriate farming system using nitrogen fixing legumes, probably agroforestry trees or shrubs, to build up the available nitrogen status of the soils and to recycle nutrients including the fertilizer P. As well as biophysical research on the processes and farming systems, there is a need for policy research on the ways in which this "capitalization" fertilizer is to be distributed (which areas, which farms and by which means) and how the communities and individual farmers' responsibilities in the process are to be defined and their commitments and involvement maintained. ICRAF is poised to play a lead role in the research necessary to take this concept into practice with funding from KARI for such an initiative in the pilot project at Maseno. Such a collaboration with NARS in research as an aspect of development projects is likely to play an important role in the future funding of Programme 3's work.
If the funding base for AHI and ASB becomes more assured, this will be another major source of funds for Programme 3, reducing its present reliance on unrestricted core funds.
Much of the research in Programme 3 has been conducted by post-graduate scholars, and this is an important aspect of ICRAF's institutional strengthening role. Co-supervision of such students especially in collaboration with local universities or NARS, will continue to add value to Programme 3's staff output. The mix of graduate students and well-designed and managed, representative field sites has resulted in a very productive outcome. National programme scientists want to undertake their postgraduate training in some way linked to ICRAF. This activity provides ICRAF with an excellent means to extend the network of scientists skilled in agroforestry research and at the same time strengthen the NARS capacity.
PROGRAMME 4 - SYSTEMS EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION
Context: In 1993, the principal aim of the Systems Evaluation and Dissemination Programme was "to undertake monitoring and evaluation of the long-term biophysical, ecological and economic impact of agroforestry technologies to be used as alternatives to current systems." The output of this work was stated as "the production of recommendations for technologies to be tested on-farm in collaboration with scientists in ICRAF's Project 1.2, Technology Testing".
The five years since the last EPMR have seen major and deliberate changes in the Programme's goals, project structure and expected outputs. There have been three main reasons for these changes:
· the need for far greater involvement of the farmer and extension and NGO personnel in the processes of priority setting, design, evaluation, adaptation and experimentation with innovative agroforestry systems;· the need to play a facilitating role in the wider dissemination of agroforestry solutions;
· the need to involve a greater spectrum of partners in the development, evaluation and dissemination of improved agroforestry systems.
The required change in emphasis was greatly facilitated by the addition of a principal agricultural economist to the Programme in November 1995 (as recommended by the last EPMR).
The Programme has identified seven new principal aims, namely to: a) undertake both researcher-controlled trials and participatory evaluation with farmers of promising agroforestry systems; b) to find optimal system component combinations and define their biophysical and socioeconomic limits; c) to assess the adoption potential of different system management options, that is their feasibility, profitability and acceptability under different biophysical and socioeconomic conditions; d) to promote the wider dissemination of proven agroforestry systems through pilot development projects by working in close collaboration with teams comprised of members from governments, extension services, NGOs, farmer groups and development projects; e) to monitor and document farmer adaptation, adoption and subsequent impact at the field, farm and community level, and assess how these vary by gender, wealth status and other key socioeconomic variables; f) to provide feedback to ICRAF's Research and Development Divisions and to collaborators on lessons learned and issues requiring further research; g) to make available to a wide range of audiences guidelines, approaches and methods for effective systems development, evaluation and dissemination research.
The activities designed to meet these aims are now structured within three new projects that reflect key activities in systems evaluation and dissemination. The projects are:
· 4.1 - Developing choices with farmers
· 4.2 - Assessing farmers responses
· 4.3 - Facilitating adoption and impact.
The context for this Programme in ICRAF's new Development Division is still evolving, and finalization of its strategy and mode of operation await the arrival in Nairobi of the new Division Director. However, the Programme already is well on its way to establishing a productive set of activities, strategies and development hypotheses, which are intended to become the central focus of the Programme's work.
The main mode of operation will be research and dissemination combined through an iterative process involving: a) development of methods and techniques for development research related to agroforestry; and b) three types of applied field trials that attempt to incorporate the more upstream, strategic research of ICRAF and others into practice in the farmers fields and provide feedback to those programmes. The three types of on-farm research are: Type I - Researcher designed/researcher implemented trials; Type II - Researcher designed/farmer implemented trials; and Type III - Farmer designed/farmer implemented trials.
Outputs: Programme 4 has made solid progress in moving its focus towards a more farmer participatory approach in the development and improvement of agroforestry systems. This has been achieved both by the development of guidelines and approaches for participatory on-farm research and through the activities of regionally based Programme 4 staff working with adaptive research and dissemination teams in ICRAF's six ecoregions. Guidelines have been produced for a variety of tasks related to on-farm research and trials within the three types used by ICRAF.
On the ground, in the six ecoregions where ICRAF works, the Programme's collaborative research teams have greatly expanded their participatory on-farm research. Specific details of the achievements and impact of this work are given in the regional programme annexes and in Section 2.4.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of on-farm trials and farmers involved in the technology development process. The majority of farm trials and farmers involved are in the Southern and Eastern Africa regions. This increase in farmer involvement has occurred largely in farmer designed and managed trials.
Programme 4, together with other Programmes and Collaborators, has completed 37 participatory assessments of the adoption potential of agroforestry techniques, including improved fallows, boundary planting, fodder trees, hedgerow intercropping, woodlots, biomass transfer, live fences, mixed intercropping, relay cropping and alternative tree establishment methods. Twenty-eight of these assessments examine the feasibility of a technique at a particular site from the farmers' perspective. Twenty-three also include an assessment of profitability, and 24 include an assessment of their acceptability and uptake by farmers. Nineteen of the assessments are from six sites in eastern Africa, eleven are from six sites in southern Africa, two are from HULWA and five from the Sahel.
In almost all the benchmark locations and pilot areas, ICRAF has acted as a facilitator in the development and coordination of formal and informal adaptive research and dissemination teams of researchers, extension personnel, NGOs and farmer groups. These teams conduct participatory on-farm research and facilitate the wider dissemination of successful agroforestry solutions.
In S. Africa, the Programme has hired international and national professional dissemination scientists to facilitate the wider dissemination of proven agroforestry innovations and plans to increase its capacity in this field in other regions.
In 1995 the Programme co-organized an international symposium on "Agroforestry alternatives in imperata grass lands", in Banjarmasin, Indonesia which was published as a special issues of Agroforestry Systems. The follow-up on the findings led the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry to request ICRAF's help in developing tenure rights for agroforesters in government land. In 1997, the Programme played the lead role in organizing an international symposium entitled "The science and practice of short-term improved fallows," held in Malawi and attended by over 100 participants from the research and development arena. Participants came from 23 countries of the humid and sub-humid tropics. A book emerging from the symposium (currently in preparation) will provide an up-to-date synthesis of this most promising suite of technologies.
Planning: ICRAF's intention is that Programme 4 will be a major link between research and application of the results of that research in development. ICRAF's designated "Pillar" for the programme is "accelerating impact." Programme 4 draws on the thinking and outputs of the three research Programmes as well as the ideas of collaborators and the farmers with whom they work These become key elements in Programme 4's participatory research. In turn, during the process of trying new and adapted technologies, there is a clear and deliberate set of feedback loops, where results from Programme 4 trials are fed back to Programmes 1, 2, and 3 for consideration in the iterative process of improving the focus of the strategic research. Figure 4.1 indicates the planned and intended links. Elsewhere the Panel comments on the relative effectiveness of these linkages in ICRAF.
Moving up towards the development end of the spectrum, a filtering process takes place where information learned from observation of biophysical responses and farmer responses is used to assess the applicability, feasibility and profitability of technologies being introduced. Towards the development end of the spectrum, a set of options that have proven applicable, feasible and profitable under the conditions being investigated are extended, mainly through NARS and other local development partners, to large numbers of farmers for the final test of acceptability. (see Figure 4.2).
During the process of filtering technologies and feedback on biophysical and farmer response, the development hypotheses of the Programme 4 and other Programmes will be tested for more general dissemination and use across field sites and conditions encountered. Also methods and approaches are being developed and disseminated across regions and to other research groups. These activities constitute the main IPG contributions of the research and a key justification for ICRAF (international) involvement in the field-level activities undertaken at specific sites.
It appears that leaders of Programme 4 in headquarters are fully aware of the IPG aspects and importance of the research programme. However, field staff need to become more aware of the needs and potentials of the IPG concept in moving ICRAF research beyond the local level.
Links: This Programme links widely to NARS, NGOs and other IARCs through, for example, the Adaptive Research and Dissemination Teams that, with farmers, establish development choices, provide the guidance and input for the activities related to assessment of farmers' responses and facilitate adoption and impact.
Future: This Programme, in particular, is a key one in terms of the increased focus of ICRAF on expanding actual impacts in farmers' fields. Its main strategy for the future is basically to continue as in the past, following the basic process of moving from research to application in farmers' fields and on to the synthesis work that results in an IPG contribution, as in the steps laid out in Section 3.3 of this Report.
PROGRAMME 5 - CAPACITY AND INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING
Context: Capacity and Institutional Strengthening (CIS) has been a major activity of ICRAF during the last two decades, identified as a responsibility of the former Training and Information Division. In 1998, Programme 5 evolved with the merger of Training and Agroforestry Education on the recommendation of the First EMPR. ICRAF has recognized the importance of capacity building by incorporating most of the recent advances of agroforestry research and development into its training and education activities. The objectives of the Programme are:
· to enhance the skills of researchers, educators/trainers, technicians, policy makers, development workers and NGOs through group and individual training and the development of teaching materials;· to incorporate a multidisciplinary systems approach to land management in curricula in tertiary education institutions, at the postgraduate, undergraduate and certificate levels;
· to develop the capacity of national programmes to access and manage relevant up-to-date information; and
· to continue the development of a global information base on the science and practice of agroforestry through several mechanisms.
The Programme comprises five projects:
· 5.1 - Group training in agroforestry
· 5.2 - Individual training in agroforestry
· 5.3 - Agroforestry training materials
· 5.4 - Strengthening agroforestry tertiary education
· 5.5 - Information for agroforestry research and development.
The staff include two international and one national scientist at headquarters, one consultant and a volunteer in Southeast Asia and one post-doctoral fellow in the Sahel region.
Planning: CIS is a major component of ICRAF's activities and is crucial to the development of agroforestry through strengthening of the national capacities at all levels from universities to the development workers. Both headquarters staff and those in the regional programmes are involved in the planning and execution of various training and education activities and collaborate closely with other ICRAF's Programmes. ICRAF's planning process is part of ICRAF's strategy, aimed at achieving its main goals through a participatory process involving headquarters staff, Regional Coordinators, NARS scientists, university academics and NGOs. The priority areas of training are identified at the regional meetings, finalized at the headquarters level and implemented based on the availability of funds. The relevance of this Programme is closely reflected in the increasing demand by diverse client groups. However, a mechanism for follow-up has not yet been developed.
Management: The Programme is under the Development Division and managed from the headquarters. The training and educational activities are specifically selected and focused to meet the needs of client groups or individuals. In the case of individual training, the decisions are often made by the sponsors, and the Programme assists only in the placement of trainees according to the projects selected, as long as their work plans fit comfortably into our Medium-term plans. A procedure for selection of trainees by the NARS has not yet been elaborated. From 1998, a policy for the devolution of various training courses has been planned. This will enable ICRAF to conduct more training courses that will be managed by the countries in the regions. The strategy is to mobilize the capacity already built in the collaborating NARS and universities, which will be highly cost effective.
Links: Due to the nature of the activities undertaken by CIS, a multitude of partners in various countries involved in agroforestry participate in training and education programmes. ICRAF collaborates with NARS, universities and NGOs in Southeast Asia and different regional groupings in Latin America. In Africa, collaboration is best developed through AFRENAs and universities in the four ecoregions on the continent. Training covers participants not only of the ICRAF mandated countries, but many from other parts of the world. Several universities have collaborated with CIS in the development of curricula and course materials. The trainees of NARS are also invited to conduct courses at ICRAF.
Outputs: The Programme has conducted training for both groups and individuals and has assisted universities to develop agroforestry curricula. Training materials, manuals and databases have been developed and distributed to collaborating institutions. (For details see Section 2.4)
Future: Five years from now, ICRAF plans that the majority of its partners will have established a sizeable capacity to develop and manage agroforestry research and training. To achieve this vision, CIS will develop and impart state-of-the-art courses in agroforestry and apply modern information technology to their delivery. ICRAF also plans:
· to increase the presence of agroforestry capacity building activity in Latin America and Southeast Asia;· to catalyze the emergence of agroforestry training in the regional agenda;
· to inject more policy and socioeconomic aspects into agroforestry courses;
· to catalyze the development of teaching materials by national institutions; and
· to provide a global analysis of agroforestry training and education and monitor services.
SYSTEMWIDE ECOREGIONAL PROGRAMMES
ALTERNATIVES TO SLASH AND BURN (ASB) SYSTEMWIDE PROGRAMME
Context: The ASB programme had its origins in 1990 with an inquiry by the UNDP whether it would be possible to develop an approach to finding alternatives to slash and burn agriculture. The interest was both in halting the rapid rate of deforestation and in making better lives for the farmers and settlers living at the forest margins. The programme focuses on the global environmental effects of slash and burn agriculture and on technological and policy options to alleviate those effects.
The original Centres that responded to the UNDP challenge were ICRAF, IITA, CIAT and IRRI, together with TSBF and IFDC. ICRAF was chosen as the convening Centre for this global cross-ecoregional initiative (within the context of the CGIAR Systemwide ecoregional activities) in 1991 due to the close links between sustainable agroforestry options and alternatives to unsustainable slash and burn practices.
The objectives of the ASB programme are to:
· identify and refine promising land use options ("best-bets") to slash and burn practices;· remove policy distortions that encourage forest conversion or discourage adoption of improved practices; and
· strengthen local institutional capacity to ensure that ASB issues can be addressed by stakeholders in the region.
Planning: The ASB programme was planned in three phases:
· I: selection of benchmark sites and establishment of multidisciplinary teams that characterized the sites;· II: identification of farmer derived "best-bet" practices; quantification of biophysical processes, household and institutional factors;
· III: consolidation of research at the landscape scale, development and implementation of national action plans and policies; scaling up.
Phase I is now completed, and the programme is well into phase II. The eight benchmark sites currently in the programme are in Brazil, Indonesia, Cameroon (the original three) and Peru, Thailand, the Philippines, Mexico and Vietnam.
The work has great relevance both in terms of helping to reduce or prevent poverty for many millions of forest fringe farmers and in terms of ameliorating negative global change (including climate change and biodiversity loss) associated with slash and burn agricultural practices and deforestation in general.
Planning and implementation of the programme have been hampered by uneven funding. Partly this is due to the fact that initially it was funded by one donor only and that funding has been provided on a rather short-term basis. For example, in 1995-96, there was a serious funding gap, and research activities were interrupted during that time. The programme is now back on track, however, and has a good donor support group and a funding strategy to the year 2000.
Management and Links: ICRAF convened and coordinates the ASB programme. However, decisions concerning the direction and content of the programme involve an elaborate but logical set of steps and interactions to ensure participation of the all the partners in the ASB consortium. The consortium consists of the following:
· CGIAR Centres: ICRAF (convenor and coordinator), CIAT, CIFOR, IFPRI, IITA.· National agencies from Indonesia, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Cameroon, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
· National universities and NGOs.
· CIRAD, ORSTOM, Cornell University, TSBF and IFDC
Governance of the ASB programme is provided by the global steering group, which comprises AARD (Indonesia), CIFOR, Cornell University (USA), EMBRAPA (Brazil), ICRAF, IFPRI, IITA, INIA (Peru), IRAD (Cameroon), the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand and TSBF. The Global Steering Group is responsible for executive decisions such as annual budget allocations, consortium membership, workplans for consortium members and appointment of regional and global coordinators. The DG of ICRAF serves as Chair of the Global Steering Group.
To give a perspective on the relative distribution of funds among the various partners, in 1996, 14% went to the coordination office, 34% to ICRAF research and 52% to other consortium members. By 1998, 18% went to the coordination office, only 23% to ICRAF research and some 59% to other consortium members.
Outputs: The output of the ASB programme involves a wealth of data from the benchmark sites, some of it unique, time series data on the global impacts of land use change. The results also include identification of a number of "best-bet" alternatives in complex agroforests, simple agroforests, improved pastures, improved fallows and community managed forests. Currently, results are forthcoming from the evaluation of these "best-bets" under a variety of environmental and human welfare criteria and conditions.
So far, the concrete impacts in terms of changed land uses and improved wellbeing of local forest fringe communities are minimal, as would be expected, given the short time during which the programme has been operating and the fact that the initial years were spent in characterization, establishment of baseline profiles and development of alternatives to evaluate for implementation. However, concrete impact has been achieved through the policy work in Indonesia (mentioned above under Programme 1 and Southeast Asia), and there are indications that the impacts in terms of the research development of consortium member countries have been positive. For example, the Governments of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Peru and Brazil have identified research and development activities on ASB as a national priority.
Future: The ASB will be entering Phase III of the programme over the next five years. (Phase III will involve a consolidation of the research from Phase II with development of national action plans based on the selection of alternatives identified in Phase II and on an integrated landscape management approach, and it will involve the design and implementation of appropriate policies to underpin the action plans).
AFRICAN HIGHLANDS INITIATIVE (AHI)
Context: The AHI programme is a CGIAR initiative to develop an ecoregional, collaborative research programme with the goal of improving natural resource management (NRM), and thereby the sustainability of land productivity, in the highlands of east and central Africa under the umbrella of the ASARECA. It forms one of the three components of the CGIAR Global Mountain Development Programme. ICRAF was given the role of coordinating the development of the AHI in 1992, which effectively started in 1995. ASARECA comprises ten countries, five of whose NARIs (Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Madagascar) are in AHI. The AHI concept was to coordinate the NRM activities of the CGIAR Centres in the region, and partners also include ICRAF, ILRI, CIAT, CIMMYT, IITA, CIP, IFPRI and IPGRI, as well as TSBF, regional universities and ARIs and NGOs. There are also links to the regional commodity networks: ECABREN (beans), PRAPACE (potatoes) and BARNESA (bananas) and to AFRENA, an agroforestry network coordinated by ICRAF. The highlands occupy 23% of the land area of the region but contain more than 50% of the population with large projected increases. The area has been subject to extensive land subdivision, a decline in soil fertility and crop production, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, the inability to maintain livestock and an increase in crop pests associated with soil fertility decline. Phase I (1995-1997) was involved in developing a framework for ecoregional research and in initiating some research activity through small grants, research fellowships and consultancies that reviewed the status of knowledge in key aspects of NRM. Five themes were addressed by scientists in technical advisory panels:
· maintenance and improvement of soil productivity;
· integrated pest management for four pest and disease complexes linked to low soil fertility;
· characterization and diagnosis;
· information and documentation; and
· training.
The objectives were to develop the ecoregional research network, institutionalize NRM concerns into agricultural research and production systems and build the capacity of NARS and their partners to conduct NRM research. Soil fertility and land use are at the nub of issues addressed. The project is concerned with cultivating a collaborative research culture based on problem focussed activity at benchmark sites and maintaining an applied focus through on-farm experiments with farmer participation. Team building was an important part of the process in Phase 1. This involved identifying scientists with specific expertise and institutes with particular capacity to bring to bear on the collectively identified problems in a systems framework. This aimed to optimize use of the human resource capability in the region and reduce duplication of activity. This cross-organizational approach to researching problems would also reduce the need for each NARS or other research organization to establish a comprehensive discipline base. It also aimed to facilitate cooperation between the CGIAR Centres in the region in NRM.
Planning: AHI has operated in two phases - an initial planning phase (1995-1997) in which institutes and scientists were brought together to identify problems and approaches to solving them, identify the eight benchmark sites and develop ways to work in teams and fund multi-institutional and multidisciplinary work. A start was made on identifying the methods that would be used. Ongoing research at the benchmark sites at Embu, Maseno and Kakamega in Kenya and at Kabale in Uganda was incorporated into the AHI framework. This led to a very comprehensive Work Plan and Budget for Phase II, 1998-2000. The present funding level is about half of the amount detailed in the Phase II Work Plan and Budget.
National coordinators have been appointed along with benchmark site coordinators from the host NARIs. Technical Advisory Panels were established in Phase I with representatives from the NARIs and CGIAR Centres, but this has evolved in Phase II to Technical Support Groups in the areas of soils, livestock, socioeconomics, integrated pest management and policy whose membership is based on the expertise available in the region. They establish methodologies to be used and develop detailed plans for the experiments to be conducted and mechanisms for coordination. A database of the projects being conducted on NRM in the region is being developed.
Management: ICRAF coordinates the AHI programme as one of the 15 ASARECA networks. AHI NRM agenda cuts across several of the other networks. The AHI has a comprehensive Management Steering Committee (MSC) that includes the national coordinators representing the host NARS, representatives from the CGIAR Centres involved and other regional projects. Originally chaired by ICRAF's DDG, the governing body is now chaired by a senior KARI manager. A Coordinator is employed by ICRAF but works closely with the ASARECA secretariat in Entebbe, Uganda. ICRAF and ASARECA jointly seek funding. ASARECA provides regional policy and management advice, and its Executive Secretary is an ex-officio member of the MSC. The AHI has set up a system to plan, initiate and fund research activities. Mechanisms are still evolving for coordinating activities at the benchmark sites through site steering committees.
ASARECA commissioned a comprehensive review of AHI's activities in 1996. Recommendations have been responded to, but the issue raised of the limited time available by some partners to devote to AHI is being resolved as existing commitments to non-AHI activities are phased out.
ICRAF provides technical support for the projects and contributes through its existing project inputs to the three AHI benchmark sites that are currently operational. It will work with the NARIs to develop spatial decision support using GIS to help diagnose NRM problems and to extrapolate from the existing knowledge base.
Outputs: The setting up of the structure and mechanism by which AHI will operate has been a major achievement from Phase I, as it has involved the integration of institutes with very different cultures into new partnership arrangements at both the regional and benchmark site level. This process is ongoing. Six comprehensive, technical reports on the current status of NRM issues in the AHI region have been completed. Regional research fellows were employed to conduct specific research and diagnostic studies. Research needs for the region have been identified and research plans formulated. Characterization of some of the benchmark sites has been undertaken. Small grants were provided for 73 activities in the areas of the maintenance and improvement of soil fertility and integrated pest management. A major achievement has been the provision of a database on NRM as well as e-mail to AHI partners with telephone communications. Training needs have been assessed, and some training has been started on characterization and diagnosis, participatory rural appraisal and IPM.
Future: AHI will incorporate into the network other ongoing activities in NRM in the region, particularly those involving the CGIAR Centres. It will undertake more detailed characterization of the newly identified benchmark sites. Participatory on-farm research based on farmer community groups will be the focus of much of the research, which will be undertaken in a systems framework.
SUPPORT UNITS RESEARCH SUPPORT UNIT
The research support unit functions under the Research Division. This unit provides support to the ICRAF staff at headquarters and in the regions, other NARS collaborators and students attached to the various programmes. The unit is organized under three specialized units: Biometrics, Plant and Soil Laboratories and Electronics and Instrumentation. The major objective of these service units is to provide specialized support services to the scientists to enhance the quality and standard of research.
Biometrics Unit
Context: This unit is involved with the design of field and laboratory experiments, field surveys and sampling procedures, assistance in data collection, and management, use of software, data interpretation and presentation, protocol, report and manuscript reviews and training in statistical procedures. The staffing is one international and a junior scientist, one temporary associate and two national scientists.
Links: The unit has direct links with NARS in Africa and to a lesser extent in Southeast Asia and Latin America. It also collaborate with African and British universities and CGIAR Centres such as CIP, ILRI, IITA, ICRISAT, and IRRI.
Outputs: The unit works closely with all programmes of ICRAF attending to routine, specific and generic problems to increase the awareness and use of appropriate research methods. It has conducted training programmes for capacity building in the African and South American NARS. The training course on Design of Agroforestry Experiments has been conducted 5 times from 1993-97 in three languages, and that on Data Management and Analysis twice. The quality of the services provided by this unit appears satisfactory.
Future: The unit will continue to service the researchers of ICRAF and other collaborators. It will also review the biometrical information already available in publications for practical application in agroforestry research. The present staff should be strengthened by recruiting a lower grade staff to assist the Biometrician.
Plant and Soil Laboratories
Context: These laboratories provide analytical services and advice to researchers, support laboratories funded by ICRAF in the region and training of staff, post-graduate students, technicians and NARS scientists. It is also involved in development of analytical methods. The unit has one international staff (50%) in the soil analytical laboratory, and two international, one national and seven support staff attached to Programme 3.
Links: The unit works closely with scientists of KEFRI, KARI and TSBF, universities in Africa, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom, Netherlands and GCIAR Centres: CIP, ICRISAT, ILRI, CYMMIT, and CIAT. Several student attachments to Programme 3 have been realized through these collaborative arrangements.
Outputs: A major output of the unit has been the quantification of soil P deficiencies in Kenya, developing rapid and reliable methods for testing soil P deficiency in low-external input systems, contribution of trees to soil P and the role of trees in influencing N availability and soil organic matter pools. The unit also assists postgraduate research, individual training of laboratory technicians both at laboratory and field level to upgrade their skills.
Future: This unit will continue to provide services to the ICRAF scientists and collaborators. However, ICRAF should reconsider the present charges for analytical services provided, and make them affordable to NARS collaboration. It has also proposed regional soil and plant laboratories in East, Southern and West Africa to focus on issues of soil and natural resource management of regional importance which are not handled adequately by the national laboratories.
Electronics and Instrumentation Unit
Context: This unit provides technical support on field and laboratory instruments and equipment, design low cost instruments for studying crop-tree interaction processes, repairs and maintains laboratory and field equipment and training of researchers and other collaborators in the proper use of these instruments. The staff is one international scientist and 1.5 technicians.
Links: The unit works closely with Programme 3 scientists at headquarters, regional centres and the African NARS; Universities in UK, Australia and Japan are the other partners of this unit.
Outputs: The unit has made substantial achievements in developing instruments for the better understanding of the tree-crop interactions in complex agroforestry systems. Method for studying root turn over by using a mini rhizotron and other root measuring devices, tipping bucket method for measuring surface water flow and soil erosion, heat balance instruments, and sap flow gauges, are the major contributions of this unit.
Future: The unit will continue assisting Programme 3 scientists and other collaborators, in the development of new instruments (e.g. automatic infiltration meter and rainfall simulator for soil biophysical studies), repair and maintain instruments at both headquarters and regional level and engage in training activities.
INFORMATION SUPPORT UNIT
Context: The Information Support Unit is under the Development Division. The basic objective of the Information Support Unit is to assist agroforestry research and development by providing up-to-date and timely information to ICRAF researchers and various other clients including networks and the Systemwide programmes coordinated by ICRAF.
The Unit undertakes three activities: publishing; library and documentation; and public awareness. The staff of the Unit also contributes directly to the activities of Programme 5 by providing information-related capacity building to NARS through information provision, training in information management and scientific writing. The Unit has three international, nine national professional and seven support staff.
Planning: The staff attend regional planning meetings, when possible, and also receive feed back from all ICRAF's Programmes to identify information and library documentation requirements. Advance planning is also made to publish upcoming proceedings of conferences and workshops. The unit undertakes regular reader and user surveys to determine the relevance of publications, library and other information services.
Management: The Unit holds regular weekly meetings to prioritize and monitor status of publications. The Library Committee screens the books and journals requested by scientists while the Publications Committee develops policies on publications and other service provided by the Unit. The management of the activities of this Unit appears to be satisfactory.
Links: The Unit targets ICRAF's scientists, NARS and IARC partners, university academics, students, development workers, policy makers and the general public though its publications, public awareness and library services. It has close links to Programme 5 in the preparation of training materials and organizing of information-related courses. Its CGIAR collaborators are ILRI, ISNAR, CIAT, IPGRI, CIFOR and WARDA. It also collaborates with CAB International, CATIE, CTA and others.
Outputs: The Information Support Unit is presently responsible for producing several publications, including ICRAF's magazine Agroforestry Today. Nowadays it publishes 4 issues per year and reaches over 4,000 subscribers. A reader survey conducted by ICRAF two years ago showed that the magazine is read by up to 25,000 people. Agroforestry Systems is also widely distributed, although it is only available through paid subscription from a commercial publisher. (Kleuwer in Europe). Due to the high demand and associated high cost of publishing Agroforestry Today, a rationalization of subscription has been implemented by charging US$ 40 per year for those subscribers in the developed countries while those in the developing countries receive it free of charge.
The Information Support Unit also publishes the ICRAF Annual Report, Conference Proceedings, Training Manuals, Directories, Brochures, Posters, ICRAF updates and many other miscellaneous publications. Co-publishing with other CGIAR Centres such as IPGRI and WARDA, and with FAO and CABI, Soil Science Society of America, advanced research institutes and NARS partners has strengthened the links, and by these publications ICRAF has been in the forefront taking leadership.
In-house translations have presently given way to working with other institutions and ICRAF co-publishes Agroforestry en las Americas in Spanish with CATIE.
ICRAF has also taken initiative in developing databases. Although in 1993 the Information Support Unit operated three databases, presently it operates only one, the bibliographic database on agroforestry (AFBIB) which has 40,000 records, mostly with abstracts. The MPTS database on multi-purpose trees and shrubs is presently expanded by Programme 2. These databases are used widely for database searches, Agroforestry updates, selected bibliographies and question and answers and photocopy services for ICRAF staff and others. ICRAF has been supporting with information services to NARS partners in those mandated countries and outside the region. ICRAF also has access to external databases such as the Tree CD, which is made available to researchers on request.
ICRAF has taken the initiative to reach their wide clientele through E-mail and Internet. During the past 5 years, electronic mail access has been made available to more than 200 NARS researchers and institutions in the Eastern and Central Africa through the AfricaLink Project.
The IVDN has also helped in data sharing quickly with ICRAF researchers and even sharing articles from other international research centers. This will reduce duplication of information among researchers, other CG centers and NARS scientists. Although there are limitations presently, especially with NARS partners of some countries, it is expected to change rapidly and they will soon be on the Internet. It is known that the majority of the NARS and universities are using the modern information technology and will have communication technology to access and utilize agroforestry information.
ICRAF has focused emphasis on publishing their work in referred journals in order to improve the quality of research output. This is a commendable decision which has paid dividends since the last EPMR. The number of referees publications has increased from 22 in 1993 to 109 in 1997, scientific citations of ICRAF staff in Science Citation Index has increased from zero in 1993 to 95 in 1997, while journal articles by senior staff has increased from 0.2 to 1.1 per year per scientist over the same period. These as quality research indicators have been assisted by the Information Support Unit through efficient internal peer reviews and co-publishing of special issues of journals. This trend should be maintained in the future.
The Unit also assists in the preparation of training materials and the Training Manual on Scientific Writing for Agricultural Research Scientists is a major contribution to the researchers of ICRAF and NARS.
The agroforestry video, Fields of Trees, BBC, CNN, TV and other broadcasting, programmes, and press releases have focussed on public awareness of agroforestry and the Centre's activities.
The Information Support Unit has been the major contributor to the dissemination of research technology resulting in the improvement of the quality of research, of scientists involved in agroforestry research and development in the developing countries.
Information on mature agroforestry technologies, which is disseminated through this unit has been useful for agroforesters, particularly with the field level extension workers and the NGOs. These publications and audio-visual materials have created an interest to focus on agroforestry development for sustainable management of natural resources of many developing countries.
The opportunity to publish and disseminate the work of ICRAF scientists has led to develop high quality research as expected by ICRAF. The output is clear evidence that the Unit has emerged as the leader of the publications related to agroforestry and a global-wide authority on the technological dissemination of information on agroforestry for the conservation and utilization of national resources.
Future: The future strategy of ICRAF is to increase emphasis on information delivery through electronic media such as the Internet and to facilitate this, a home page on the World Wide Web site has been established. Public awareness programmes are useful for partnership building with the public for creating awareness of ICRAF's activities on agroforestry for poverty alleviation and environmental resilience. These should be strengthened and targeted to specific groups including policy makers.
The major issue ICRAF has to face in the future is how it can meet the demand for agroforestry information as there is an ever increasing demand by the NARS partners and students in agroforestry. The trend for new information demand has also shifted from researchers to extension workers.
ICRAF has also limited ability to publish in French and Spanish which needs attention, hence collaboration with institutions having competence on hiring of expertise has to be considered.
ICRAF's role in the production and dissemination of agroforestry information has to be continued even more effectively than before. However, the cost of publishing with limited core funds has to be noted and a balance will have to be achieved taking into consideration the priorities for ICRAF researchers, NARS partners and other clients.
