Trees provide much of the water that runs Uganda’s agriculture. In the tropics like in the Amazon, trees also provide shelter, food and medicine for the indigenous people.
Trees have helped man live a better life, but increasing demand for wood has led to deforestation, which is affecting rain patterns, hindering agricultural productivity.
Tree cover
Trees such as mutuba and musizi, which have large leaves, when intercropped with bananas provide shade that prevent the sun from reaching the ground. This helps bananas to store moisture.
Trees with long roots are able to absorb nutrients in the soil and give these nutrients to crops through rotting leaves.
Banana intercropped with mutuba trees are soft when cooked because they are not stressed.
Usually, these nutrients are deep in the ground, where most crops cannot reach.
Trees such as calliandra, act as hedgerows, protecting soil from erosion. The washing away of top soils.
Apart from acting as hedgerow, calliandra is also a high protein tree for cows and is usually ready in six months.
Trees like muzimbandegeya are multi-purpose with several functions, including nitrogen fixation, food for livestock and shade for crops.
Other tress
Mugavu has a long tap root, and also provides shade as well.
Acacia and katazamititrees, found in semi-arid of Mubende, are medicinal and important for livestock.
Muloko, a medicinal and rodent repellant.
