In all IFS farms I visited, I consider the madre de cacao (Gliricidia sepium) as the centerpiece of it all. A farm, specifically upland farms with contours, must have hedgerows to prevent soil erosion to take place. In past years, farmers (specifically in Dulhogan) usually make riff-raff like hedgerows, but with the madre de cacao, they no longer needed to do this.
These are the reasons that in the IFS technology, the madre de cacao is the prime choice for hedgerows:
- It is a nitrogen fixing plant in itself. Thus, it helps other plants surrounding it to get nutrients for their optimal growth, nitrogen that this tree fixed itself.
- It has high growth rate, and it is also perfect for trapping in/holding soil.
- It also has a high coppicing rate (dali siya manilinsing), especially when you cut off its branches. And with its hard-quality wood, farmers can cut off its branches for firewood AND help it coppice.
See what a miracle plant this is?
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