The demand for agroforestry seeds in developing countries over the years has increased. This is reflecting the growing acceptance of agroforestry as a valuable practice to restore farmland productivity of poor smallholder farmers and the need to protect dwindling natural resources.
In order to reduce dependence on seed shipments from abroad and generate local seed production, the New Forests Project initiated in 2009 a program to promote the establishment of tree stands or seed orchards that are managed to maximize the production of seeds. To achieve this, New Forests Project developed a guide called “Tree Stands for Seed Production” that explains how to establish see-producing tree stands, how to best manage them and how to collect and store the seeds. For a copy of this guide, click on the link below:
Tree Stands for Seed Production (PDF)
The New Forests Project has partnered with the Forestry and Environmental Conservation Society to implement the first tree stands for seed production and a first tree seed orchard (larger in size than a tree stand). The first five tree stands were planted by FOECONS in 2010 and are expected to produce seeds by mid 2011. Simultaneously, the first seed orchard will be implemented during 2011.
Click here to read a letter received from FOECONS about this program.
For more information on the program contact info-newforests@theintlcenter.org