Multipurpose tree species
Multipurpose tree species are those species which gives multiple products such as fruit, fodder, fuel wood, timber and medicines. These species are as follows:
- Chiuri (Bassia butyracea)–gives fruit, fodder, fuel wood and timber, and herbal soap are produced from Chiuri ghee.
- Badahar (Artocarpus lakoocha)– gives fruit, fodder, fuel wood and timber
- Ipil Ipil (Leucaena species)- gives fruit for livestock, fodder, fuel wood and light timber and fix nitrogen
- Kimbu (Morus alba)- gives fruit, fodder, fuel wood and feed to silk worm.
Characteristics or criteria for the selection of multipurpose species in an agroforestry system
- Easy to propagate.
- Easy and cheap to plantation establishment, care and management.
- It should give multiple products fruits/food, fuel wood, fodder/leaf litter, timber and medicines.
- Legume tree species to improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and to improve feeding value of fodder because legume species contain high protein.
- Tree should have light crown cover to permit sunlight.
- It should re-sprout rapidly after pruning, coppicing, pollarding and lopping operations.
- It should have deep root system with few lateral roots near the surface so as not to compete with crop roots.
- It should have shallow lateral roots that are easily pruned by ploughing along the hedge rows without serious damage to plants.
- It should have leaf litter which could be easily decomposed to add nutrients into the soil.
- It should grow well under specific limitation sites such as acidic soil, alkaline soil, drought, degraded soil, floods and heavy windy areas.
- It should be suitable in local condition.
- It should resistant to insects, pests and diseases.
- It should be fast growing.
- It should have high demand and better value for the produce.