agro-forestry- tree farming

 Agro-forestry

 Agro-forestry may be defined as an integrated self

sustained land management system, which involves deliberate

introduction/retention of woody components with agricultural

crops including pasture/livestock, simultaneously or

sequential on the same unit of land, meeting the ecological

and socio-economic needs of people. An Agro-forestry

system is more acceptable than tree farming alone, since the

intercropped annuals regulate income when the tress are too

young to yield beneficial produce. On the other hand, mature

trees bring about more stability in the system because of their

innate ability to withstand destructive aberrations in rainfall.

Their perennial character helps make use of the non-seasonal

rains. In addition an agro-forestry system provides to varied

needs of the farmer – food, fuel, fodder and employment.

Some Agro-forestry systems (agri-horticulture) enhance

employment opportunities by spreading labour needs which

otherwise are concentrated in the cropping season. Important

agro-forestry systems relevant to farming systems approach

are discussed below.

Agrisilviculture – In this system agricultural crops are

intercropped with tree crops in the interspaces available

between trees. Tree component gives fodder, fuel and timber

including green leaf manure. It is ideal for Class IV soils of

dry lands with annual rainfall around 750 mm. The positive

associative effect of Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania

aegyptica has been found in crops like hybrid Napier,

Lucerne, oat and several other cereal forages.

 Silvi-pastoral system – The system is primarily meant

for augmenting the scarce food supply. It integrates pasture

and/or animals with tress.  In Marginal lands (Class IV

onwards), this system promotes sustainability via resource

conservation and its efficient use, improvement in soil quality

and by linking agriculture with cattle.

 Agri-silvipastoral system – The system integrates

crop and /or animal with trees. Woody perennials preferably

of fodder value are introduced deliberately. Such systems can

be used for food production and soil conservation besides

providing fodder and fuel. It may be tree-livestock crop mix

around homestead, wood-hedge rows for browsing, green-leaf

manure and soil conservation or for an integrated production

of pasture, crops animals and wood.

 Agri-horticultural system – It is one form of agroforestry

in

which tree component

is fruit

tree. It is also called as

food-cum-fruit

system. In which short duration arable

crops

are raised in the interspaces

of fruit trees. Some

of the

fruit

trees that can be considered

are guava, pomegranate,

custard

apple, sapota and mango.

Pulses are the important

arable

crops for this system.

However, depending upon the

requirements,

others like sorghum

and pearl millet

can be

grown

in the interspaces of fruit

trees. Reasons for this system

not

being widely adopted   are:

• Economic position of farmers may not permit awaiting

income for 5-6 years

• Watering of fruit trees, till their establishment is a problem

in summer period

• Marketing problems for perishable horticultural produce

 (a) . Horti/silvipastoral system- Class IV and above

soils, uneconomical for arable crop production are termed as

non-arable lands. Horti-Pastoral system is an agro-forestry

system involving integration of fruit trees with pasture. When

a top feed tree replaces fruit tree, it is called horti-pastoral

system. Guava, custard apple and ber suits well in an hortipastoral

system

with grasses like Cenchrus

ciliaris (“anjan”),

C.setigerus

(birdfoot),

Panicum

antidotale

(blue

panic),

Dicanthium

annulatum

(marvel) and Chloris gayana

(Rhodes),

and legumes like Stylosanthes

hamata, S. scabra

(stylo)

and Macroptilum atropurpurium (siratro).

 (b)  Top-feed trees ideal for Silvi-pastoral system are:

Acacia nilotica(babul) , Acacia senagel(gum Arabica) ,

Bauhinea purpurea(khairwal) , Dalbergia sissoo(shisham) ,

Gmelina arborea(gummadi teak) , Hardwickia binata(yepi),

Leucaena leucocephala(subabul), Sesbania

grandiflora(avise). Grasses and legumes indicated under

horti-passtoral system are also suitable for silvi-pastoral

system.

 Alley cropping

    Food crops are grown in alleys formed by hedgerows of

trees or shrubs in arable lands. It is also known as “hedgerow”

intercropping”. Hedgerows are cut back at about one meter

height at planting and kept pruned during cropping to prevent

shading and to reduce competition with food crops. It is

recommended for humid tropics, primarily as an alternative to

shifting cultivation. In semi-arid regions of India, alley

cropping provides fodder during dry period since mulching

the crop with hedgerow pruning does not usually contribute to

increased crop production. Advantages of this system are :

• Provision of green fodder during lean period of the

year.

• Higher total biomass production per unit area than

arable crops alone.

• Efficient use of off season precipitation in the absence

of a crop.

• Additional employment during off-season.

• It serves as a barrier to surface runoff leading to soil

and water conservation.

   Based on the objectives , three types of alley

cropping are recognized

(i)Forage alley cropping

(ii)Forage-cum-mulching alley system and

(iii)Forage-cum-pole system.                                                   

In all the three systems, crops are grown in alleys and

forage obtained from the lopping of hedgerows.

However, gross returns are higher in all the alley

cropping systems than the sole crop system.

 Tree farming

 Trees can flourish and yield abundantly where

arable crops are not profitable. Farmers of dry lands are

inclined to tree farming because of labour scarcity at

peak periods of farm operations and frequent crop

failure due to drought. A number of multipurpose tree

systems (MPTS) have been tested for their suitability

and profitability under different situations

 List of multipurpose trees for different

rainfall conditions

Annual rainfall

< 500 mm

Annual rainfall

 500 mm to 750 mm

Acacia nilotica Acacia nilotica

Acacia aneura Acacia ferruginea

Acacia tortilis Albizia lebbeck

Acacia albida Azadirachta indica

Prosopis cineraria Casuarina equisetifolia

Prosopis juliflora Cassia sturti

Pithecalobium dulce Dalbergia sissoo

 Leucaena leucocephala

 Tamarindus indica

 Role of trees in farming system

• Improve land productivity

• Provides 3 Fs viz.fuel used, fodder and fruit

• Service functions like shade for the cattle,

workers, conservation of soil fertility, fencing

and water conservation

• Increase income earning oppurtunities

• Strengthen risk management through

diversification