Abstract
An agricultural production function is used to examine the yield impacts of contour hedgerows constructed using double rows of the N2-fixing species Desmodium rensonii and Flemengia macrophylla. The analysis uses data from a sample of upland Philippine maize farms and controls for input use and plot characteristics. Results support a hypothesis that the long-run impact of hedgerows on maize yields is positive. However, results suggest that in the short run, hedgerows not only reduce area available for cultivation on a plot, but also reduce the performance of corn in the remaining alleys. For newly established hedgerows an increase in hedgerow area is associated with a reduction in maize yield. The time required for hedgerows to compensate for the area they occupy is found to be approximately eight years.
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