A study was conducted in Zomba,southern Malawi, to evaluate the on-farm contribution of agroforestry to soil fertility replenishment in maize-based cropping systems. in this study two agroforesty species (Gliricidiasepium and susbania susban) were established on 38 farmers fields that were participating in the researcher designed and farmer managed (Type 2)and 50 farmers fields the in-farmer designed and farmer managed (Type3) trials. Afield survey was undertaken to guage farmers inovations and perceptions of mixed intercropping with with Gliricidia and relay cropping with Sesbania. The results have indicated a significant increment in maize yiels after2 or 3 years of tree establishment .In the third year of tree establishment, the application of tree biomas significantly increased maize grain yield (P=<0.001). Gliricidia gave the highest yield compared with all other treatments. Both species yielded between 1 and 1.3 t ha more maize than the farmers practice. The findings from the type 3 trial showed that 52%of the farmers have land holding sizes of <1ha and most of the household have high potential of labour supply. It is further indicated that 92% of the farmers, mostly women, had pruned their trees. Seventy eight percent78% of the farmers confirmed that they have benefited from the technologies. Only 30% have expanded the original plots and most of these women are farmers 65% .The type 2 trial gave a similar trend of results on household characteristics, except for land holding sizes.Forty-six percent 46% of the farmers expanded their plots. On tree preferences ,>90% of the respondents indicated having high interest in Gliricidia and 54% of sesbania. This shows that these two technologies have high potential for adoption, with Gliricidia having the highest potential.Our experience revealed that farmers preference also depends on the position of farm land on the soil catena.