Why you must grow Prunus Africana

Prunus Africana is a mountain forest tree which grows well in fertile soils and it belongs to the Rosaceae family

It has various local names such as Ntasesa (Luganda), Kiburraburra (Swahili), African cherry and its global trade name is Red stinkwood.

Experts believe due to growing demand of the tree which is known to have medicinal value in treating prostate cancer in men is at the verge of getting extinct therefore the need for farmers do adopt its growth.

Andrew Ndawula, a former journalist turned into a farmer growing assorted medicinal trees including bamboo, takes Seeds of Gold through the agronomy of growing Prunus Africana tree.

Nursery management

It is raised from either seed or cuttings with the main practices in the nursery being sowing seeds in pots or planting young seedlings in pots.

The seeds and seedlings are allowed to grow for three months before transferring to the farm for planting.

While in the nursery, farmers are expected to monitor fungal disease and pest infections and uproot affected seedlings.

Planting

The seedlings should be planted in a hole that is around 30 cm wide and 30 cm deep.

The topsoil should be mixed with compost to fill back the hole and transplanting into the field is best undertaken at the beginning of the rainy season.

Trees should be planted at a spacing of 5 m by 5 m for pure stands and around 10 m by 10 m when establishing with crops for the best growing conditions.

The tree species grows well in elevation of above 800m above sea level and in well drained, fertile soils.

Prunus can be planted in annual and perennial cropping systems as a plantation, a woodlot, mixed with crops such as bananas, maize, coco yams, cassava and coffee.

Farmers can apply 50 g of NPK to soil around the tree a month after planting to stimulate growth.

Pruning of lower branches should be carried out to create a space and reduce competition with other crops and weeds.

Where does Prunus grow in Uganda?

It grows naturally everywhere in Uganda. Its highest concentrations are found in the highland and medium altitude forests especially in the western, south western, and Mt. Elgon regions.

If well managed it is a tree crop which can provide income to smallholder farmers at the same time improve their health and health of the general public.

Growing the tree on-farm reduces pressure on the natural sources, thus promoting biodiversity conservation.

How Prunus is harvested?

Usually farmers collect the bar only from quarters on opposite sides of trees, from about 35 cm above the ground level to the height of the 1st branch.

The bark can be harvested sustainably every 4-5 years since the mean bark yield per tree is 55 kilogrammes, ranging from 34 to 74 kilogrammes.

Framers are advised to avoid over harvesting of bark from the tree as it leads to death and mortality.

Do not harvest trees in dry season in lower altitude as it increases susceptibility to pest and disease attack

The harvesting method that can be practiced for planted trees is to fell and completely strip them.

Bark, leaves and twigs all contain the active ingredients and all are or could be used in pharmaceutical production.

The wood can also then be sold for timber and other purposes. Since this approach kills the tree, it should only be used as part of a continual