Management and control of prosopis species: experiences from South Africa; trip report to South Africa.

Abstract

South Africa has one of the biggest problems with alien plant invasions than any other country in the World. It is also one of the earliest countries in Africa where Prosopis was first introduced in the late 1800s; hence considerable experiences in management and control of the species exist. It is for this reason that the Government of Kenya, in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization for the United Nations (FAO) under the TCPlKEN/3002 (A), organized a study tour of two officers (in AprillMay 2005) to document these methods for possible adoption in Kenya. Management and control of invasive species (including Prosopis spp.) is one of the most successful flagship programmes in South Africa carried out under the Working for Water (WfW) Programme. It has receiv~d generous support from the government's special poverty relief fund as well as re-construction and development fund, a budget of about US$ 70 million per year, making it the largest environmental programme on the African continent. The working of this programme has been described, and forms an ideal model for possible adoption in Kenya to address the problem of invasive plants exemplified by Prosopis species. From the time of introduction, Prosopis is considered as one of the worst aggressive invaders, and has now covered over 1.8 million hectares in South Africa. A combination of mechanical (clearing), chemical and biological control methods have been adopted and the results are very encouraging. These methods have been well documented, and are highly recommended for use in Kenya. Appropriate recommendations for adoption of each of the methods are provided for consideration by the Government of Kenya.