What a pleasure to celebrate with Natascha, Thaís, Tiago and Faisal the presentation of their “When Forests Meet Finance” case study to the Executive MBA (IMD EMBA) management of the ‘Institut for Management Development in Lausanne! All four of them are following this very demanding management course and have become passionate about arboRise’s activities in recent months.
Karl Schmedders, Professor of Finance at IMD, was interested in the situation of arboRise, which is fascinating from an economic point of view. How can an NGO active in reforestation be made profitable? What are the stakes in the carbon markets? How to reconcile the interests of investors and those of the Guinean families who make their land available for reforestation?
Convinced of the pedagogical potential of this case study, Karl proposed to our four students to make it the subject of their Strategic Consulting Project. This is an in-depth analysis of the context of a client – arboRise – to recommend one or more strategic options to ensure its future success.
The exchange with Natascha, Thaís, Tiago and Faisal was fascinating. None of them knew anything about reforestation, the rules of the carbon markets, let alone the situation of Guinean farmers. They learned a lot and applied IMD’s methods to modelize arboRise economic situation. From arboRise’s point of view, their questions and suggestions also contributed greatly to our understanding of the subject.
In the end, their recommendations are in line with our intention to finance our reforestation efforts on the carbon markets, either by offering carbon credits directly to companies or through a reseller. We also agree that these revenues should mainly benefit Guinean families who decide to reforest some of their plots.
It seems that this analysis even has the potential to become a real case study, taught at IMD.
Thanks to Natascha, Thaís, Tiago and Faisal for their great commitment and our friendly exchange (and good luck with their IMD EMBA!) and thanks to Karl Schmedders and IMD for this great opportunity to make the challenges of arboRise visible!
As a reminder (see publications of 15 August and 15 September), our scientific experiment, funded by the Research Challenge of ETH for Development, aimed to measure the impact of seed coating on the germination rate. What were our findings?
Out of 40 selected forest species, seeds of 26 species could be harvested. The remaining 14 species could not be identified in time. A first shoot count took place in mid-July. This was followed by a second verification count in mid-August. These counts were made difficult by the abundance of weeds present in the field. This explains certain inconsistencies, indicated in red in the table below:
Of the 26 species in the experiment, 17 (65%) had already germinated two months, respectively three months, after sowing. The correlation between the maximum germination rate per species obtained in the experiment and the theoretical germination rate according to scientific sources is 68%. On average the maximum germination rate per species in the experiment reaches 54%, while their theoretical germination rate is 69%.
Before analysing the impact of the seedballs technique we wanted to understand why eight species have a germination rate at least 30% lower than the theoretical rate. What could be the reasons for this?
Parkia biglobosa (68% vs 99%): the physical dormancy of its seeds is important and it is possible that our pre-treatment was not sufficient to lift this dormancy or that germination is simply slower for this species.
Carapa procera (35% vs. 80%): the seeds of this species are recalcitrant. It is likely that some have dried out before sowing and thus lost their germination capacity.
Syzygium guinéense spp (0% vs. 80%): The seeds, also recalcitrant, should be sown immediately after harvesting the fruit according to Prota4U, as they may spoil within 24 hours of storage. In this case too, the seeds may have waited too long before being sown.
Prosopis africana (0% vs. 70%): “The results show a high production of seeds, most of which are either attacked or rotten. Despite the existence of integumentary dormancy, Prosopis africana seeds are able to germinate in situ in the absence of fire and livestock, but with a fairly long lag time”[1]. To avoid seed rotting under the seed tree, harvesting on tarpaulin might have been necessary.
Pterocarpus erinaceus (0% vs. 50%): Physiological dormancy is low and it is surprising that the treatment was not sufficient to lift it, especially as germination should start 6-10 days after sowing according to Prota4U. Perhaps the seed quality was poor?
Tectona grandis (0% vs 30%): According to Prota4U: “The teak ‘seed’ is actually a fruit that can contain up to four true seeds. […] Generally, there are one to two viable seeds per fruit, but sometimes the fruits are sterile. Germination of the same batch of seeds can start after about ten days and end after several years; the optimum germination time is about 35-45 days. Dormancy is difficult to lift and no really reliable technique has been developed. [To promote germination, the seeds should not be completely buried and should not be shaded. It is possible that the seeds were sown too deep in the soil and that the pelleting impaired germination.
Vitex doniana (0% vs. 34%): According to Prota4U, untreated fruit can take a long time to germinate and it is possible that fire accelerates germination. Indeed, physiological dormancy is important and the intensity of treatment we applied was probably not sufficient.
Terminalia Glaucescens (0% vs. 30%): It is possible that the seeds of this species are recalcitrant. In addition its physiological dormancy is important.
This short analysis allows two conclusions:
The seedball manufacturing process, which requires a period of seed storage, has a negative impact on the germination rate of the recalcitrant species: of the 6 recalcitrant species among the 26, 3 species (50%) have a significantly lower germination rate than normal, in our experiment.
On the other hand, dormancy has little influence on the germination rate when using the seedball method: of the 12 species that require an intense treatment to lift dormancy, 7 species germinated normally. Of the 14 species that require only a moderate treatment to break dormancy, 3 species germinated poorly.
Contrary to the hypothesis that anemochorous, barochorous and autochorous species should be better adapted to direct-seeding and seedball protection, the results show no significant relationship between seed propagation type and germination in direct seeding:
6 out of 8 anemochorous species germinated (75%)
10 out of 15 zoochorous species germinated (66%)
1 out of 3 barochore species germinated (33%)
Regarding the treatments applied, the no treatment (group C) and the T1 treatment (soaking) produced the best results on average, for both counts.
For eight of the 17 species that germinated, no treatment produced the best results in both counts. For six other species no treatment was superior in one of the two counts. Only 3 species preferred treatments, but in 2 cases it was soaking (which is anyway provided at the rainy season). Only one species, Lophira lanceolata, benefited from coating, in one of the two counts.
Hence it seems possible to conclude that, under the climatic and ecosystemic conditions of Linko, for the above species except for Lophira lanceolata, Vitellaria paradoxa and Afzelia africana, the absence of treatment leads to a better germination rate. Contrary to our main hypothesis, seed coating (seedball method) has a lesser or even counterproductive impact on germination rate. Burying the seeds untreated in small holes seems to be sufficient to protect them from birds, rodents and pests.
This is a major learning for the arboRise project: giving up seed coating will significantly simplify the planting process. In addition, the resources allocated to pelleting can be used to double the quantity of seeds harvested and thus reach a density of 10,000 seeds per hectare, or 1 seed per m2.
The survival rate on the experimental plot will be measured one year after sowing, in May 2023. Afterwards, the plants that have survived on the experimental plot will be used to collect cuttings, which will be useful for enriching the fields reforested by arboRise.
[1] Niang Diop F., Sambou B., Lykke A. M. : Contraintes de régénération naturelle de Prosopis africana : facteurs affectant la germination des graines, International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2010, p. 1693-1705. file:///C:/Users/phili/Downloads/65578-Article%20Text-130554-1-10-20110415%20(1).pdf
Is planting trees in direct sowing possible in Switzerland? This is what we wanted to find out in the context of the “anything is possible” operation that we initiated in December 2021. Remember: as in Guinea, we were looking for several “field families” interested in making a plot of land available for reforestation, and several “seed families” ready to collect forest seeds to spread them on these plots.
After the formation of the groups and numerous exchanges throughout the year, to study the plots of land made available, to take into account the expectations of their owners, and to establish a procedure for the harvesting of seeds, the harvests could start in September. Each “seed family” was responsible for collecting the seeds of the tree species chosen for a specific plot.
And we all got together on Saturday 29 October to scatter all the seeds on the Herbolaria field in La Rippe!
Marking the reforested area was our first step, to prevent the young plants from being inadvertently cut down during agricultural work. We visualised the outer boundary of the reforested area with a light barrier for 80 metres. The aim was to create a protective forest hedge about one metre wide on the northern part of the land.
Then the actual sowing could begin: everyone took one or more species of seeds and a small scraper. To avoid predation by birds, each seed was sown in a small hole and then covered with soil. Fortunately, the soil had been freshly ploughed, which greatly facilitated the swarming! We had about 600 Byzantine hazelnut trees, 300 holly seeds, 200 elder seeds, 150 chestnuts, 50 walnuts, 400 acorns, 200 maple samaras, and a mixture of 400 peach and apricot pits. So about 2300 seeds to be distributed in 4 parallel lines along the 80 metre long northern edge of the field. Quite a job! Fortunately, the weather was very pleasant and the atmosphere friendly.
After planting trees it was great to regain our strengths over a succulent pumpkin soup!
Many thanks to Odile, Anne, Garance, Chantal and Philippe for your energy and stamina during this memorable day. See you in spring 2023 to admire the first shoots and measure the impact of the semi-direct!
ArboRise wins 3rd place at the “Prix Diaspora” of the Fedevaco !
The Diaspora and Development Prize is an initiative of the Federation of Cooperation of the Canton de Vaud, which aims to promote the involvement of the canton’s diasporas in the development of their countries of origin. Through this award, which takes place every two years, Fedevaco aims to increase the impact of diasporas in their home and host countries and to strengthen their position as actors of cooperation and sustainable development.
Since our vice-president, Mariame Camara, is originally from Guinea, it seemed relevant to us that arboRise submitted her application, which was accepted by Fedevaco (see the publication of 20 October 2021). We were thus able to follow the seven high-quality training modules and develop our development project in parallel, of which the following is a summary (the document is available on request):
In sub-Saharan Africa most urban families use charcoal for cooking. The nuisance for them is high and the recurring costs are high as well. On a global level, turning trees into charcoal is a major deforestation factor and increases global warming.
As an alternative, we recommend biogas, which works like a cow’s stomach: vegetable waste is introduced into a sealed tank – the biodigester – which converts it into methane, which is used for cooking instead of coal. The liquid that remains – the digestate – is an excellent fertiliser, also useful for fish farming. A few kilos of waste per day make a family self-sufficient. This saves them the cost of buying bags of charcoal, which represent about 10% of their annual expenses.
Our project aims to develop a small domestic biodigester production unit in Conakry with a technician trained in Burkina Faso, to sell this equipment to families on the outskirts of the city, who cook in an open yard and have access to vegetable waste. The production of a biodigester costs CHF 125/piece and will be totally made in Guinea.
A demonstrator will present the advantages of our solution at meetings of women’s associations in each neighbourhood. After two weeks of testing, each interested housewife will be able to purchase the biodigester with a system of staggered payments. In 18 months she will be the owner and will then save the cost of buying coal.
In addition to recycling vegetable waste (offcuts from market gardening), our technique will also provide organic fertiliser to farmers on the outskirts of Conakry, while reducing deforestation.
We are starting this year with a pilot phase to check the feasibility and feel the reaction of the market. We need CHF 6’000 to pre-finance the first 50 biodigesters.
This distinction honours us and we warmly thank Fedevaco for the organisation of this Prize. In addition to the lessons learnt from the training course, it also allowed us to meet some really great people. The passion and commitment of all 14 project leaders must be acknowledged here. Congratulations also to the other 3 winners!
Organising the harvest of forest seeds requires knowledge of the fruiting periods of each species. We recommend establishing a harvesting schedule according to the model in the table below, which is the result of our field surveys, combined with online resources [1]. The ideal harvest periods are shown in green (orange: possible start and end of harvest). They correspond to the ecosystem and climatic conditions in the Linko sub-prefecture. This overview of maturity periods allowed us to form three groups of species, to increase harvesting efficiency.
To optimise the germination rate with the method of direct seeding of seedballs, we then analysed four characteristics of our 40 species: seed dormancy and dormancy-breaking pre-treatments[2], seed propagation mode, seed weight and desiccation tolerance.
As dormancy can have an impact on the germination rate, we identified the type of dormancy [3] of each species according to the scientific literature [4]. Then, to determine the type of pre-treatment to be administered to each species to lift the dormancy, we consulted the practical recommendations of the Centre National de Semences Forestières de Ouagadougou, which is an authority on the topic in West Africa. One may note the little congruence between the scientific source and the experience of practitioners.
In the graph below, which represents the 40 species sorted by seed maturity period and the level of pre-treatment intensity recommended by practitioners, it can be seen (red dotted line) that species maturing in the dry season (November-April, on the left of the graph) need pre-treatment to lift their dormancy more often than those maturing before the rains arrive. The 17 dry season species have a pre-treatment intensity of 4.8, while the 23 wet season species have an intensity of 2.9. This seems logical since dry season germination would result in a high mortality rate for the seeds of these early species, which is why they more frequently have dormancy mechanisms.
In our experiment, we applied the required pre-treatments to test groups 1 and 3 to measure the impact of dormancy and of its lifting on germination rates. Our hypothesis was that coating could inhibit dormancy breakage (for physically dormant species) or delay it (for physiologically dormant species).
The seed propagation mode, in the table below, confirms our observation that species adopt different reproductive strategies, depending on whether they mature in the dry season or in the rainy season: in the group of 17 dry season species 7 species are anemochorous and 6 species are zoochorous, while the proportion of zoochorous is significantly higher among species that mature in the wet season:
Anemochorous
Zoochorous
Barochorous
Autochorous
Maturity in dry season
41%
35%
18%
6%
Maturity in the rainy season
22%
61%
9%
8%
It seems that dry season species rely more on natural elements (wind, gravity) for their dissemination. By contrast, rainy season species tend to use animals, perhaps because the latter, protected by the vegetation cover of the wet season, travel greater distances at this time of year. This zoochorous propagation of half of the 40 species selected by arboRise could, in the long term, naturally strengthen arboRise’s reforestation action (especially as the arboRise project aims, in the long term, to establish a forest corridor favouring the movement of fauna between the Haut-Niger national park in Guinea and the Comoé national park in Côte d’Ivoire).
The number of seeds per kilo, and therefore the average weight per seed, is not surprising: seeds spread by wind (anemochores) and self-propelled by explosion (autochores) are the lightest, whereas seeds spread by fauna (zoochores) or gravity (barochores) are the heaviest on average:
The weight per seed also matters in terms of the process of making seedballs, since heavy seeds are easier to handle.
More fundamentally, these observations raise several subsidiary questions:
Which types of seeds are most suitable for direct sowing? It could be hypothesised (2) that anemochorous, barochorous and autochorous species, which are naturally propagated by wind, gravity or explosion, are better suited to the semi-direct, than zoochorous species which sometimes require passage through the intestinal transit of the animal carrying them.
Which type of seed benefits most from being coated in clay and charcoal pellets? Here we can hypothesise (3) that coating is detrimental to physically dormant zoochorous species, which are intended to be swallowed and excreted, whereas other species are most often consumed and would benefit more from the protection of a pellet.
Our publication of 30 October will answer these questions and present all the final results of the experiment !
Reforestation is one of the main ways to fight global warming. To be sustainable, reforestation projects must meet the needs of local communities and work with – not against – nature. And to be cost-effective, they must use local resources – especially seeds – and minimise the complexity of the reforestation process. Direct seeding with seed pellets is a solution that meets both these requirements. How big is the germination rate with seedballs? We were curious to understand this question.
For tropical species, the average germination rate under direct seeding is 38% and the establishment rate is 17% [1]. Establishment performance can be improved by protecting the seeds from natural predators. This is done with the seedball technique [2]. Coating seeds with a natural mixture of clay and charcoal can prevent up to 30% of losses to rodents, birds and pests. Seedballs are currently used in reforestation in Kenya and Ivory Coast [3], but the performance of the seed ball technique has never been scientifically measured for African tree species. Most scientific experiments [4] involving seedballs target crops such as wheat, etc., and not trees. With the support of the Research Challenge of ETH for Development, we wanted to fill this scientific gap by comparing the germination rate with and without the seedball technique. Indeed, according to our statutes, arboRise’s mission is “to experiment with natural reforestation methods that enhance biodiversity and to share the results of these experiments“.
Experimentation method
The objective is to verify the validity of hypothesis (1), according to which the seedball method [5] has a positive impact on the germination rate of 40 tropical forest species in the Linko region of Guinea. The impact of a pre-treatment to lift dormancy will also be evaluated.
The field experiment was conducted by our local partner, the NGO GUIDRE (Guinée Développement Rural et Environnement) in Faranah. Mr Pépé Philippe Kpogomou, an agricultural engineer and Prefectural Director of the Environment, Water and Forests in Kérouané and then in Faranah, supervised all the work and implementation.
The experiment was structured as follows:
An experimental area of about 1 hectare was identified in Linko, cleared, and then surrounded by a 220m fence to prevent livestock from grazing on the shoots
At the end of the harvest in each group of villages, 800 seeds of each species were collected. The seeds from the first and second groups were stored in sealed plastic bags until the seeds from the third group were harvested. Then all seeds were brought to Linko for pre-treatment.
To compare the germination rate, from 11 to 13 May 2022, the 800 seeds per species were treated as follows:
Control group: 200 seeds of each of the 40 species, without any pre-treatment or coating (“naked” seeds)
Test Group 1: 200 seeds of each of the 40 species, with pre-treatment to break dormancy [6]
Test Group 2: 200 seeds of each of the 40 species, without any pre-treatment but with a clay/charcoal coating
Test Group 3: 200 seeds of each of the 40 species, with pre-treatment to break dormancy and with a clay/charcoal coating
Then, on 14 May 2022, the groups of 200 seeds were sown with a line and a row spacing of 25cm between each seed and 50cm between each row. Each block of one species is separated from the block of the next species by 50cm. Each block is identified by a separate sign.
The germination rate of each line was measured (shoots were counted) once on 18-19 July 2022 and again on 15-16 August 2022.
The results of the experiment are currently being analysed and will be published shortly. Thanks to ETH4D for its financial support and to the entire GUIDRE team for its ability to meet the challenges of the field!
arboRise presents the film “Kamsé’s Perimeter” to fuel the discussion about reforestation projects.
In the context of climate change, the news is often depressing and there are many preconceived ideas:
…about reforestation: it would not be sustainable, it would be greenwashing, it would harm local populations, etc.
…about Africa as well: belief in the impossibility of setting up projects, negative prejudices about the African mentality, idealization of the African peasant, etc.
It is all the more important to talk about projects that work, to correct prejudices. This is why arboRise wanted to share “le périmètre de Kamsé“, a film by Olivier Zuchuat, a Swiss director from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, with the audience of La Ferme des Tilleul. This documentary film shows an image that is quite close to the reality that we also observe in Guinea. We see a form of popular uprising for reforestation, and at arboRISE the uprising speaks to us.
At the end of the evening, with an audience transported into the Sahelian reality, we can retain that there are reforestation projects that work in Africa, each adapted to its context. There is no need for immense means to finance the initial impulse and create a virtuous circle. This is what arboRise has demonstrated since 2021.
Since the implementation of our project in the Linko region is going well, we are considering extending our project to the neighbouring Beyla Prefecture. We are therefore starting a two-day prospection to check that the social and environmental conditions are similar to those in the Linko sub-prefecture and that our method can be applied there in the same way.
Our exploration will take us to the capital of the sub-prefecture of Karala. On this map, we can see the Ivorian border to the north-east, but even without obstacles, we can easily triple the time indicated by Google Maps:
But our route is full of pitfalls, starting with a tree trunk across the road, following the violent storm of the previous night:
Then we cross the Dion river, a tributary of the Niger river.
Then, just before nightfall, our vehicle refuses to continue, and this in the middle of the bush! A mechanic and an electrician have to be brought in from Samana (35 km away) to find the cause of the breakdown. These two gentlemen are not only examples of customer orientation but also true repair artists!
…Just after leaving, this is what we find 20 km from our destination:
..fortunately, it was possible to ford the river, and we arrive in Karala at about 11 pm.
Hospitality is not an empty word in Guinea as the Mayor, whom we probably woke up, immediately opens the town’s Maison d’Accueil for us for the night, where rooms, which can be described as luxurious, await us.
The next morning we explained our approach and the arboRise method to the Sub-Prefect, the Mayor and the head of Water and Forests of the Karala sub-prefecture, who undertook to provide us with a list of potentially interested villages.
The return from the borders of Guinea (Karala is 50km from the Ivorian border) went well and confirmed the suitability of this region for our project (same types of trees, same development conditions, etc.). We can now plan a more detailed concept.
Just before Linko, a shock absorber breaks and the women farmers who were ploughing the next field come to shake our hands, long live the Guinean kindness!
It is on this fraternal image that our prospection mission ends.
To be more efficient, this activity is done in groups: everyone stands on one side of the field to be planted, in two lines with a space of two metres between each person. The people in the first line each make a small hole in front of them with the hoe, then take two large steps forward and repeat the operation. The people in the back line then place a seedball in each hole and take two large steps forward to the next hole. And so on to the other end of the field.
In this way a density of 5000 diverse seedballs per hectare is achieved, of which about 60% will germinate during the rainy season. Spot seeding eliminates weeds around the sapling and facilitates root penetration into the soil. It also prevents the pellet from rolling off the field when a heavy rainfall falls.
Direct seeding makes it easy for the whole population to participate and creates a collective enthusiasm that motivates everyone.
Today, we visited 7 plots sown last year to measure the germination and survival rate. Suspense! Will the seedlings survive the drought, herbivores, fire and competition from other species?
The observations are very interesting and motivating!
Firstly, at this time of year, the abundant vegetation makes it difficult to identify “our” shoots. So there is no need to use aerial images with our drone, it is green on green. On one of the plots of land, the shoots exceed human size:
The second observation is that natural regeneration also takes care of our fields: many seeds present in the soil or brought by animals have also germinated and it takes the trained eye of our partner Guidre to count the “good” shoots. Fortunately having sown in line helps to spot our plants 🌱🪴
Thirdly there are huge differences between plots, caused mainly by fire and also the nature of the terrain. If the plot has been hit by a bushfire, the seedlings with too short roots die while the others sprout and can survive. This is why we started this year to make “poquets” (small holes in the soil) before placing the seed pellet, which favours the depth of the roots. Of the seven plots visited, two had a survival rate of practically zero, while the other five had a survival rate of between 60% and 80% (not counting natural regeneration!!!).
Fourth observation: it is mainly certain pioneer species that have germinated. The seeds of other species will wait for the right moment, sometimes for several years.
Fifthly: some owners have decided of their own free will to enrich the plantation with other species (alas, often with cashew).
If we count the number of stems from all origins (arboRise direct seeding and natural regeneration), we get roughly 10,000 stems per hectare, or 1 plant per square metre (which is much higher than the 5,000 seed pellets we sow on each hectare). This density will decrease over the next few years, due to natural competition between the trees, until it reaches about 1000 trees per hectare in twenty years.
Beyond the germination rate, it is also the biodiversity to which arboRise contributes, since we facilitate the dispersion of our mix of 40 species on the land we sow.
