TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE AT NARO'S INSTITUTES

 

Technologies at FORRI

Technologies Available

1. Agroforestry

  1. Boundary planting: Trees are planted along field edges to demarcate either external or internal boundaries. The tree species chosen are compatible with adjacent crops and provide multiple products such as building poles, timber, firewood, fruits and play service roles such as being windbreakers. Trees commonly used in this practice include Grevillea robusta, Markhamia lutea, Maesopsis eminii, Casuarina spp, etc.
  2. Fodder banks: Fodder trees/shrubs are planted in a block on their own or mixed with fodder for cut-and-carry fodder production. The grass species commonly used in the practice include Panicum maximum, Pennisetum purpreum, Setaria splendida, etc, while the most commonly used trees/shrubs include Calliandra calothyrsus, Sesbania sesban, Cajanus cajan, Leucaena spp, Gliricidia sepium, etc.
  3. Scattered tree planting: Farmers deliberately scatter trees on croplands with little or no regard to tree spacing or planting pattern with trees either planted or retained from natural growth. The tree species suitable for this practice are; Albizia chinensis, Grevillea robusta, Ficus natalensis, Maesopsis eminii, Markhamia lutea, etc.
  4. Improved fallows: It involves the enhancement of natural fallow vegetation by planting shrubs such as Tephrosia vogelii and Sesbania sesban in degraded farmland for one or two seasons. Crop yields will be enhanced due to the improved conditions of the soil resulting from decomposed leaf biomass incorporated into soil and from tree roots.
  5. Contour planting: Contour hedges consist of trees planted along contour bunds, with or without grass strips to reduce the speed of water and soil movement. Food crops, tree crops and animal production can be integrated. The most commonly used species are Calliandra and Leuceana. The prunnings can be used as fodder, green manure or staking material.
  6. Leucaena Crop Combination Technology:Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de wit can be used as organic fertilizer and/or eaten by livestock. Interplanting L. leucocephalla with sorghum or maize lowers damage from the leucaena psyllid.

2. Plantation Management

  1. Tree species for timber plantation development: These are: Pinus patula, P.oorcapa, P.caribaea, Cupressus lusitanica and Araucaria spp. Pinus .oorcapa and P.caribaea are suitable in lowland areas (<1,200 masl) while Pinus patula and Cupressus lusitanica perform best in humid highland areas(>1,200). Araucaria spp.(A. Cunninghamii and A.hunstenii) are suitable in cleared natural forest sites in the lakeshore region and in Kibale forest. Other species which have shown good performance include: Pinus kesiya, P.strobus, P.douglasiana, P.leiophylla, Measopsis eminii, Terminalia superba, T.ivolensis, Grevillea robusta, Melicia . excelsa and Agathis robusta.
  2. Poles and fuel wood: In humid high lands, Eucalyptus grandis gives the best yields while in the drier areas, E. tereticornis, E. camaldulensis and E .citriodora are suitable. Other species which have shown promising results include, Markhamia lutea, Cordia oriodora, Terminalia species, Senna, Simea and S.spectabilis.
  3. Nursery and plantation establishment techniques for major plantation tree species.
  4. Thinning, pruning and management regimes for production of desired forest crops have been produced.

3. Protection Technologies

  1. Biological control of conifer aphids such as cypress aphid Cinara cupressi Buckton (Homoptera:Aphididae:Lachninae) that attackes and causes massive damage to the cypress trees. To control the cypress aphid, Pauesia juniperorum was imported and the parasitoid has established and monitoring for the impact of the parasitoid is continuing with good results.
  2. Pine woolly aphid control technology: The Pine woolly aphid, P.boerneri (Homoptera:Adelgidae) mainly attacks Pinus patula and P.oocarpa. Biological control agents Tetrapheps raoi have established well and have suppressed the Pine woolly aphid population.
  3. Sawdust-solar kiln technology: Solar power is harnessed to supplement raw heat generated by burning saw dust and other combustible residues. This new technique is cheap and more efficient than any of the previous wood seasoning technologies.
  4. Wood Protection Technology: The damage on wood from insects and fungi can be minimized by treating the timber with preservatives such as low cost solvent oils creosote and wood tar preservatives. Water borne preservatives are prepared by dissolving the toxic chemicals such as Arsenate, Tanalith, celcure, Rentekil and Dragnet FT in water.

    Contact us at:
    Forestry Resources Research Institute (FORRI)
    P.O BOX 1752, KAMPALA, UGANDA
    Tel: 256-41-255163/4
    Fax: 256-41-255165
    E-mail:     foridir@infocom.co.ug