Paraiso (Melia azedarach var. “Gigante”) woodlots: an agroforestry alternative for the small farmer in Paraguay

Abstract

This paper describes the salient aspects and analyses the potential of the ‘Paraiso Woodlot’ System, which is becoming popular as an agroforestry alternative to land use in the degraded acid sandy soils of the humid sub-tropical Guayaybi area of Paraguay. The system consists of a combination of paraiso (Melia azedarach var ‘gigante’) with other trees, especially Leucaena leucocephala, and annual crops.

The fast growth habit, deep root system, addition of large quantities of organic matter through leaf and litter fall, compatibility with agricultural crops, high value of the sawlogs and production of substantial quantities of poles and firewood make paraiso an excellent species for agroforestry combination. Preliminary results of the trials indicate that the ‘woodlots’ are successful and with increasing efforts of the extension agencies, they are being accepted as a viable alternative to traditional agricultural systems.

Besides discussing the potential of these ‘woodlots’ based on initial results, the paper identifies the constraints of the system and highlights the priority research areas.