Chapters 5.36

5.36 -Adopting Gliricidia sepium – A Dry Season Fodder Species to Combat Drought

Brooke-Lynn Morning, University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Morning,B. (2022) Adopting Gliricidia sepium – A Dry Season Fodder Species to Combat Drought , In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

History of climate change impact

Climate change has impacted different geographic regions in different ways but most commonly has produced drought and irregular water supply. This is thought to be from the extreme temperature changes and overall warming (Gan, 2015). These issues impact smallholder farmer's crops along with livestock.

Description of innovation and how it impacts climate change

There are two benefits from the drought-tolerant legume tree, Gliricidia sepium for smallholder farmers. It can help with agricultural yields by providing shade to other crops through intercropping (Smith, n.d.). Common understory crops would be coffee and cacao. Secondly, it can be a source of high protein feed for livestock (Wambugu, 2011). It also has also be used as fuelwood and green manure (Gutteridge, 1998).

Nutritional Value in Livestock

The plant is rich in protein and highly digestible by livestock (Rahim Foroughbakhch, 2012). Based on dry matter, the plant has a crude protein level between 7-15 percent depending on the season. The fiber content is approximately 15 percent. The plant has a high rate of digestibility of 60-65%. (Rahim Foroughbakhch, 2012). This means the plant is a good option for livestock feed especially for cattle, goats, lambs, and sheep as it is comparable to alfalfa (Gutteridge, 1998). In cases where Gliricidia sepium has been used as cattle feed, the cattle showed weight gain and increased milk production (Gutteridge, 1998).

Target crops and Geographical Zone

Gliricidia sepium is a fodder shrub species that can help with agriculture in drought areas of Africa, especially shown in East Africa (Wambugu, 2011). The plants can be grown in other zones as well but is the most successful in sub-humid zones or tropical areas during dry seasons (Smith, n.d.). Gliricidia sepium can withstand and survive different conditions such as fire, drought, brief flooding and windy conditions (Elevitch, 2006). How is the crop planted and grown? It can be planted through various methods with the most common being direct seeding or transplanting (Elevitch, 2006). Seeds from the plant will shed from the plant's pod with a dispersal area of 40 meters. Germination will follow with rates as high of 90%. (Arguello-Rangel, 2019). The plant will need to be cut when the dry season is over if the plant is to be used as feed (Arguello-Rangel, 2019). The plant can experience frequent cuttings and have normal regrowth (Gutteridge, 1998). The tree grows dramatically for the first 6-8 years, particularly the first year (Elevitch, 2006). They grow at a rate of 1-2 meters during this time period. After the first 6-8 years, the trees have reached maturity height and will only grow centimeters per year thereafter. It is able to flower after the first growing season and typically flowers during the dry season. Trees are expected to live approximately 50 years (Elevitch, 2006).

Growing Conditions

Gliricidia sepium grows best in warm dry climates (20-30°C) that receive an average amount of rainfall and can grow well during dry seasons with plenty of sun exposure (Gutteridge, 1998; Elevitch, 2006). The plant can grow at a maximum temperature of 42°C and a minimum of 8°C before damage to the plant occurs (Elevitch, 2006). The plant requires approximately 1500 mm annually (Elevitch, 2006), but can grow between 600-3500 mm (Gutteridge, 1998). It grows at elevations of 0-1200 m (Elevitch, 2006) in soils ranging from sandy to clay. The plant cannot grow in cool, wet, compacted and poorly aerated soils (Elevitch, 2006). It grows in soils with a pH between 4.2-9.0, optimally between 5.0-8.5 (Elevitch, 2006). Gliricidia sepium is a moderate nitrogen fixer for companion crops and increases overall crop productivity (Elevitch, 2006). The plant grows optimally in nitrogen and phosphorus-rich soils, there is no mention if additional fertilizers are needed (Gutteridge, 1998). Fertilizers will be needed if the soil quality does not match the requirements. It tolerates saline environments well (Elevitch, 2006).

Cost and accessibility

Farmers can buy them from nurseries but they will pay about 24% more for them than bare-rooted seeds. Potted seedlings will have higher success rates and are more tolerant of drought (Franzel, 2014). On average, retail websites such as Alibaba and IndiaMart sell seeds for approximately 40-100 US dollars per kilogram and can be shipped internationally including areas of East Africa depending on the supplier. The minimum seed order is 1 kilogram. The World Agroforestry Centre located in Kenya has a diverse seed bank. It is a source of seed requests through their website by filling out a form and through affiliate research locations in various countries.

Scale and supply

One can expect a yield of 2-10 tonnes per hectare annually (Smith, n.d.). It is optimal for the plant to be harvested every three months (Arguello-Rangel, 2019). Trees grow upwards of 12-14 meters, offering great shade and large amounts of flowers (Gutteridge, 1998).

Equipment and Labour

The plant itself does not require any special tools for planting. It can be planted easily through direct seeding at 5 mm underground (Elevitch, 2006). The planting does sometimes require stakes once the tree starts to grow to keep it properly aligned and this is an added cost or resource use (Smith, n.d.). Trimming is sometimes needed to maintain the shape of the tree to prevent uneven growth (Elevitch, 2006).

Storage issues

When used for shade, there is no need for storage. If used as a feed, there are no significant storage concerns as animals primarily eat the leaves off the plant directly; if not the leaves should be kept dry when removed from the plant as livestock will eat them wilted (Arguello-Rangel, 2019). Seeds are best if stored at a cool temperature and in an impermeable bag (Reis, 2012) which provides a higher germination rate, but room temperature storage is acceptable but with some loss of seed viability (Reis, 2012).

Safety issues

When consumed in excessive amounts by livestock, toxins such as tannins are present and can be dangerous (Smith, n.d.). Roots, seeds and bark can be poisonous when ingested by humans and livestock (Elevitch, 2006). Gliricidia sepium has a relatively low concentration of tannins compared to similar species, so toxicity is unlikely (Gutteridge, 1998). If seeds overheat during planting, they can become explosive (Elevitch, 2006).

Environmental and Sustainability issues

Poor growth issues with Gliricidia sepium can be linked to its root system since during droughts the roots may not be deep enough to gather water. This makes the plant fragile to wildlife and will attract new insect species which can be of concern (Gutteridge, 1998).

Critical analysis

problems with the crop, alternatives, inappropriate? The crop still needs water to grow, so in extreme droughts it will not survive. It cannot be the sole feed in livestock so other plants still need to be adapted to these environments. The new abundance of insects that come along with these plants can threaten other vegetation and crops. In general, the benefits greatly outweigh the negatives, and Gliricidia sepium is a good alternative crop for drought areas.

Resources to get started

Planting and growing(Video)-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Uu4W4QU34 Using as a feed- http://old.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/b14146.pdf Planting and Growing-https://greenharvest.com.au/SeedOrganic/FruitTrees/GliricidiaGrowingInformation.html Guide to growing Gliricidia sepium- https://www.winrock.org/factnet-a-lasting-impact/fact-sheets/growing-gliricidia/ FAO guide to trees- http://www.fao.org/ag/AGA/AGAP/FRG/Facts/bfs42/2a.htm Action sheet on Gliricidia sepium- https://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/programmes-de-sensibilisations/forets-protection/gliricidia_sepium_PACE.pdf

Seeds Available through IndiaMart- https://dir.indiamart.com/search.mp?ss=gliricidia+sepium+seeds&src=as-popular%3Akwd%3Dgliricidiasepium%3Apos%3D2%3Acat%3D-2%3Amcat%3D-2 Alibaba- https://www.alibaba.com/products/gliricidia_sepium_seed.html World Agroforestry Centre- http://old.worldagroforestry.org/products/grunew/index.php/seedgenebank

Helpful Links to Get Started

1. Argüello-Rangel, J. (2019). Fodder shrubs: relevance in cattle systems of Colombian low altitude lands. Mesoamerican Journal of Agronomy- Agriculture and Livestock. 30 (3) doi: 10.15517 / AM.V30I3.35136. Retrevied from https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/agromeso/article/view/35136#sec-0

2. Elevitch, C. R., & Francis, J. K. (2006). Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry- Gliricidia sepium. SARE. Retrieved November 3, 2019.fr. Retreived from http://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/Arbres-Bois-de-Rapport-Reforestation/FICHES_ARBRES/Arbres-non-classes/Gliricidia-gliricidia.pdf

3. Franzel, S., Carsan, S., Lukuyu, B., Sinja, J., & Wambugu, C. (2014). Fodder trees for improving livestock productivity and smallholder livelihoods in Africa. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 6, 98–103. doi: 10.1016/j.cosust.2013.11.008. Retreived from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877343513001565

4. Foroughbak, P. R., Parra, A. C., Estrada, A. R., Vazquez, M. A. A., & Avila, M. L. C. (2012). Nutrient Content and in vitro Dry Matter Digestibility of Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam. De Wit.). Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11(10), 1708–1712. doi: 10.3923/javaa.2012.1708.1712. Retreived from http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=DJ2012078463

5. Gan, T., Ito, M., Hülsmann, S., Qin, X., Lu, X., Liong, S., … Koivusalo, H. (2016). Possible climate change/variability and human impacts, vulnerability of drought-prone regions, water resources and capacity building for Africa. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 61(7) 1209-1226 1–18. doi: 10.1080/02626667.2015.1057143. Retreived from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02626667.2015.1057143

6. Gutteridge, R. C., & Shelton, H. M. (1998). Gliricidia sepium. In Forage Tree Legumes in Tropical Agriculture (pp. 30–48). CAB International, Queensland, Australia. Retrieved from https://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/Culture-fourrages/Forage%20Tree%20Legumes%20in%20Tropical%20Agriculture%20FAO.pdf

7. Maheshwari. A (2019) Personal communication through email buyershelp+enq@indiamart.com Date: Nov 7, 2019. A. Maheshwari is a sales worker for IndiaMart.com

8. Reis, R. C. R., Pelacani, C. R., Antunes, C. G. C., Dantas, B. F., & Castro, R. D. D. (2012). Physiological quality of Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud. (Leguminosae - Papilionoideae) seeds subjected to different storage conditions. Revista Árvore, 36(2), 229–235. doi: 10.1590/s0100-67622012000200004. Retreived from http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-67622012000200004

9. Rich Art and Craft. (2019). Personal communication through email richartandcraft@gmail.com Date: Nov 7, 2019. Rich Art and Craft is a supplier for Alibaba

10. Seed & Genebank. (n.d.). World Agroforesty Centre. Retrieved November 7, 2019. Retreived from http://old.worldagroforestry.org/products/grunew/index.php/seeds.

11. Smith, O. B. (n.d.). Fodder trees and shrubs in range and farming systems in tropical humid Africa. FAO, Rome. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/T0632E04.htm.

12. Wambugu, C., Place, F., & Franzel, S. (2011). Research, development and scaling-up the adoption of fodder shrub innovations in East Africa. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 9(1), 100–109. doi: 10.3763/ijas.2010.0562. Retreived from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/ijas.2010.0562