BenefitsThe tree’s Latin name means "rat-killer" because its leaves contain poison which kills rats, moles, mice and other rodents as well as non-ruminants like pigs, donkeys and horses. AdvertisementThe tree is also used for firewood, charcoal, poles, fodder (leaves, pods, seeds and shoots), bee forage, shade, mulch, soil conservation, windbreak and live fence. One of its most important benefits is its ability to improve soil, being both a nitrogen-fixer and recycler of nutrients. It is deep-rooted with limited lateral root growth, which lessens competition for water and nutrients with food crops. Gliricidia is a good source of bee forage for honey production and controls striga, the parasitic weed that affects cereal crops like maize, sorghum and millet.

Source: Daily Nation June 12, 2020 19:52 UTC