Agroforestry potential of Acacia pennata (syn. Senegalia pennata) as a multipurpose tree species in Mizoram and comparable Southeast Asian contexts: A review

Abstract

Acacia pennata (L.) Willd. (syn. Senegalia pennata (L.) Maslin) is a native woody legume of South and Southeast Asia that functions as a culturally valued wild vegetable, medicinal resource and biomass-producing hedge or small tree. In Mizoram, where it is widely known as khanghu and used as a common edible shoot, the species is increasingly visible in land-use mosaics shaped by shifting cultivation, homegardens and emerging conservation agriculture approaches. This review synthesizes evidence focused on Northeast India, especially Mizoram and closely comparable Southeast Asian production and use systems, to evaluate its suitability as a multipurpose tree species (MPT) for agroforestry. Available studies indicate strong promise in three domains: (i) livelihood and nutrition through dependable supply of edible shoots and marketable greens in local food systems (ii) ecological services via perennial cover, hedgerow architecture, coppicing and potential biological nitrogen fixation typical of acacias and (iii) integration potential in slope-stabilizing contour hedgerows, improved fallows and homegarden agroforestry where the species is already preferred by farmers. However, key constraints remain under-documented including propagation bottlenecks, genotype-environment responses across elevations, pruning regimes for sustained shoot quality and formal value-chain development. We propose a Mizoram-centered research agenda and practical integration pathways aligned with MiSALT-style hedgerow management and homegarden intensification.