Integrated Fruit Trees-Cereals- Vegetables Systems

1. Integrated Fruit Trees-Cereals- Vegetables Systems

2. Fruit and vegetables can add value to irrigated agriculture production systems resulting in intensification of irrigated agriculture • Intercropping is a common practice in agriculture systems of the developing world • Incorporation of fruit trees and vegetables into irrigated mono-culture systems such as rice is an entry point for largescale adoption of the high value crops

3. This proposal is based on a farmers’ innovation initiative at the Gaya region of Niger • A local farm cooperative developed over a period of 20 years an intricate production system based on year round integrated cultivation of trees, rice and vegetables • Rows of fruit trees mainly citrus and mangoes are planted at wide spacing sometimes on elevated ridges • In the rainy season trees are intercropped with rice. In the dry season rice is replaced by vegetables

4. Fruit trees intercropped with onions

5. Fruit trees with rice

6. The principal role of cereals is to suppress soil born diseases and weeds thus allowing production of vegetables such as onions over a long period of time • This system guarantees optimal conditions for fruit trees production since the fruit trees benefit from the ample water and fertilizers given to the vegetables and rice

7. Each farmer cultivates an area of 2,500m² • Preliminary study of the system shows • that this system is very profitable

8. This system can replace low-profit rice monoculture schemes such as the Office du Niger project in Mali (40,000 hectares) or used to intensify small scale irrigation • It can also be used to further intensify current vegetables production systems such as the onion-sorghum system in Niger

9. Research needs • Identification of best cereal varieties (short duration, high yield) and management practices • Study the effect of the cereal on soil health • Study the performance of fruit trees (species, rootstocks and varieties) in the system • Develop optimal management practices for fruit trees (spacing, pruning, ridge planting etc) • Identify best mix of vegetable species for various scenarios • Devise optimal management practices for vegetables

10. Study water and land productivity aspects • Devise appropriate irrigation and water technologies • Creation of partnerships with private sector for processing of fruit and vegetables (especially for large irrigation schemes in regions distant from markets) • Study constrains to upscaling • Feasibility studies under various scenarios for the new integrated systems

11. Critical Needs for Collaborative Research • The integrated fruit-cereal-vegetables approach can be applied in all eco-climatic regions of the developing world (tropics, semi arid tropics and dry subtropics). Species and varieties composition as well as system design will vary from region to region • Study and development of the systems requires tight collaboration among institutes engaged in irrigation, vegetables and fruit research, cereal research and economics

12. Thank You