Farmer participatory evaluation of agroforestry trees in eastern Zambia

The use of participatory research methods in evaluating tree legumes has received little attention among researchers because of the widely-held assumption that data generated in this way are qualitative and not amenable to statistical testing. Using a participatory tool called a bao game, 112 farmers in eastern Zambia rated 11 agroforestry trees for soil fertility improvement, source of fuel wood, light construction materials, poles and fodder. Leucaena collinsii (provenance 45/85) was rated highest for provision of all the above benefits. Gliricidia sepium, Acacia angustissima and Calliandra calothyrsus (provenance ex Embu) had high scores for soil fertility improvement, while Senna siamea, Leucaena esculenta (provenance 52/87) and Leucaena pallida were rated highly for fuel wood and pole production. These later species, with the exception of Senna siamea, were also rated highly for light construction materials. A. angustissima and C. calothyrsus were rated highly for fodder production. L. diversifolia (provenance 35/88), L. diversifolia (provenance 53/88), S. spectabilis and L. esculenta (provenance ex Machakos) were rated low for all the above benefits. This work shows that the data generated using the bao game can be quantitatively analyzed in a statistically rigorous manner.