A Survey of Tree Planting Practices in the Smallholder Farming Sector of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Group meetings and individual farm visits were used to establish current tree planting practices in the smallholder farming sector of Zimbabwe. The number of tree species planted in each of the eight districts studied ranged from nine to 27 with 17 species occurring in at least half of the districts. Twelve and five of the 17 species were fruit and non-fruit trees respectively and four were indigenous. Paw paw, mulberry, lemon and orange trees were planted in all districts while naartjie, cockwood (Commiphora mollis) and lucky bean tree (Erythina abyssinica) were cultivated in four districts only. With respect to prevalence, paw paw, mangoes, eucalypts, mulberry, lemon, rubber hedge (Euphorbia tirucali) and peach were the most frequent while marula (Sclerocarya birrea), naartjie, cockwood and lucky bean tree were the least frequent. Viewed within a natural region context, tree cultivation was more prevalent in the higher than in the lower rainfall districts. The provision of fruits, poles, fuelwood and live fence were major uses of cultivated trees with fruit provision being a major use for 12 of the 17 species. Fourteen of the species were easy to establish and were propagated from seedlings, grafts, truncheons or cuttings. Nine of the 17 tree species were said to have high growth rates but only one indigenous species fell into this category. Areas around the homestead, the garden and the field boundary were popular sites for tree cultivation. Ways of improving upon and strengthening current tree cultivation practices through research, extension, institutional adjustments and policy changes are proposed.