Multipurpose tree

Multipurpose trees or multifunctional trees are trees that are deliberately grown and managed for more than one output. They may supply food in the form of fruit, nuts, or leaves that can be used as a vegetable; while at the same time supplying firewood, adding nitrogen to the soil, or supplying some other combination of multiple outputs. "Multipurpose tree" is a term common to agroforestry, particularly when speaking of tropical agroforestry where the tree owner is a subsistence farmer.

Coconut palm, a common multipurpose tree

Multipurpose trees and shrubs refer to perennial woody plants deliberately cultivated to offer multiple valuable contributions to the overall functions of the land-use system in which they are planted, such as providing shelter, shade, and enhancing land sustainability.[1] Multipurpose trees and shrubs are described as woody perennial plants intentionally cultivated to deliver more than one substantial contribution to the production and service functions of a land-use system.[2]

Perennial woody trees and shrubs play a role beyond their primary functions, extending to their acceptance and impact on local farmers and communities.[1] A multipurpose tree is a vital element within agroforestry or other versatile land use systems.[3] Regardless of the quantity of its potential or realized applications, a multipurpose tree must possess the capability to make a significant and noticeable contribution within its specific role(s) within the system.[3] This contribution should enhance the sustainability of yields, increase outputs, decrease inputs, and contribute to the ecological stability of the overall system.[3]

Characteristics of trees and shrubs that hold particular significance for many local communities encompass factors like the smoke produced when using them as fuelwood, the distinct odors and flavors imparted by their wood or charcoal, and any thorniness they may exhibit (as seen in species like Acacia, Prosopis, Ebanopsis ebano, and Helietta, for instance).[1] Additionally, agroforestry systems offer several advantages over conventional agricultural and forestry practices, including enhanced productivity, economic gains, social benefits, and the ecological services they provide.[1]

This term is typically employed when a species is intentionally cultivated in a specific location and timeframe to yield multiple products or advantages.[3] These products may encompass timber, fuel, medicinal resources, human sustenance, and animal forage, as well as the provision of flowers for pollinators and leaves for silkworms.[3] Furthermore, the concept extends to species that can be grown for diverse objectives across various locations.[3]

Multipurpose trees have a more substantial influence on the welfare of farmers compared to exotic species.[4] This is because they meet at least one essential traditional or cultural human requirement, such as serving as living fences, windbreaks, or being utilized in alley cropping systems for purposes like fodder production or soil fertility restoration.[4]

While all trees can be said to serve several purposes, such as providing habitat, shade, or soil improvement; multipurpose trees have a greater impact on a farmer's well-being because they fulfill more than one basic human need. In most cases multipurpose trees have a primary role; such as being part of a living fence, or a windbreak, or used in an ally cropping system. In addition to this they will have one or more secondary roles, most often supplying a family with food or firewood, or both.

When a multipurpose tree is planted, a number of needs and functions can be fulfilled at once. They may be used as a windbreak, while also supplying a staple food for the owner. They may be used as fencepost in a living fence, while also being the main source of firewood for the owner. They may be intercropped into existing fields, to supply nitrogen to the soil, and at the same time serve as a source of both food and firewood.

Common multipurpose trees of the tropics
  • Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) – the most common tree used for living fences in Central America, firewood, fodder, fixing nitrogen into the soil.
  • Moringa (Moringa oleifera) – edible leaves, pods and beans, commonly used for animal forage and shade (it does not fix nitrogen as is commonly believed[5])
  • Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) – used for food, purified water (juice from inside the coconut), roof thatching, firewood, shade.
  • Neem (Azadirachta indica) – limited use as insect repellent, antibiotic, adding nitrogen to the soil, windbreaks, biomass production for use as mulch, firewood.
  • Acacia nilotica - This resilient tree can thrive in challenging environmental conditions, enduring extremes of temperature and moisture, making it well-suited for planting on marginal lands and capable of withstanding both drought and flooded areas.

Ideally most trees found on tropical farms should be multipurpose, and provide more to the farmer than simply shade and firewood. In most cases they should be nitrogen fixing legumes, or trees that greatly increase the farmer's food security.

Benefits of Multi-Purpose Trees
  1. MPTS as source of food and medicine: Trees and forests contribute to dietary diversity by supplying essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins.[3] Edible food items such as leaves, fruits, nuts, gums, roots, and mushrooms are gathered from both naturally occurring forests and cultivated farmlands.[3] Additionally, trees provide habitats for numerous indigenous wildlife, livestock, and aquatic life.[3] Forest tree products, such as nuts and fruits, serve as year-round snacks, and they are notably rich in vitamins A and C. Tropical thorn forests yield a range of fruits, including Zizyphus mauritiana, Capparis decidua, Salvadora oleoides, and Date palm.[3]
  2. Timber and construction wood:
  3. Fast-growing nitrogen-fixing trees (NFTs) represent a specific subgroup within the broader category of multipurpose trees and shrubs (MPTS).[3] These NFTs possess the ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that would otherwise be inaccessible to plants, soil, and animals.[3]

Need for Exploring MPTS Germplasm to Strengthen Agroforestry

Agroforestry systems typically incorporate multipurpose trees, but it's essential to note that not all Multi Purpose Trees contribute to agroforestry systems.[2] For instance, pure stands of MPTS may not be linked to crop or livestock activities. Acacia nilotica, commonly known as Babul, is a genuinely versatile leguminous tree with nitrogen-fixing properties. This tree holds significant value for rural communities due to its multipurpose nature.[6] Its timber is highly prized, and its leaves and pods are utilized as animal fodder, while its gum finds various applications.[6]

Acacia nilotica is an ideal choice for both agroforestry and urban forestry, offering an array of benefits, including fruits, timber, fodder, gum production, as well as other services like providing shade, enhancing aesthetics, and improving soil quality. Moreover, it contributes to climate change mitigation.[6] While MPTS hold considerable economic and social value, they may not single-handedly address the scarcity of fuelwood, timber, fodder, and other tree-based products and services, a common issue in many tropical regions.[2] Therefore, relying solely on the "multipurpose" potential of MPTS may not fulfill all needs; agroforestry is not a universal solution.[2]

Furthermore, there is limited knowledge about these trees, particularly regarding their behavior, management, and breeding.[2]

See also

References
  1. Foroughbakhch, P.R; Hernández, P.J; Alvarado, V.M.A; Cárdenas, A.M.L (2009). Use of Multipurpose Trees and Shrubs in Forestry and Agroforestry Systems in Northeastern Mexico. Nova Science Publishers Inc. pp. 325–344. ISBN 978-1-60876-359-7.
  2. Dr. Denis Depommier (1998) Agroforestry: Concepts And Methodologies For Research-Development. https://agritrop.cirad.fr/300507/1/ID300507.pdf
  3. Baig, M.B; Ahmad, S; Khan, N; Khurshid, M (2008). "Germplasm Conservation of Multipurpose Trees and their Role in Agroforestry for Sustainable Agricultural Production in Pakistan". International Journal of Agriculture and Biology. 10 (3): 341–348.
  4. Lelamo, Latamo Lameso (2021). "A review on the indigenous multipurpose agroforestry tree species in Ethiopia: management, their productive and service roles and constraints". Heliyon. 7 (9): e07874. Bibcode:2021Heliy...707874L. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07874. ISSN 2405-8440. PMC 8417343. PMID 34504969.
  5. "Does Moringa fix nitrogen?". The International Moringa Germplasm Collection. 2014-02-11.
  6. Shalini, Toppo (2020). "Acacia nilotica: A Multipurpose Tree Species for Climate Resilience" (PDF). International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences: 1865–1869.


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