Soil Productivity Aspects Of Agroforestry

Land-use systems related to agroforestry; The role trees in soil productivity and conservation; Research results fron some field examples ofagroforestry; Soil productivity and soil management in agroforestry: postulations and suggested research approaches.

Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems examines the environmental and social conditions that affect the roles and performance of trees in field- and forest-based agricultural production systems. Various types of ecological settings for agroforestry are analyzed within temperate and tropical regions. The roles of soil, water, light, nutrient and pest management in mixed, annual, woody perennial and livestock systems are discussed. Important new case studies from around the world offer innovative strategies that have been used successfully in raising forests and tree products on a sustainable basis for commercial harvesting and for providing other environmental services in land conservation and watershed management.

Annotation. Successful agroforestry requires an understanding of the complex relationship between trees, crops and soils. This book provides a review of both economic and biophysical aspects of soil use and research in agroforestry, with an emphasis on nutrient-poor forest and savanna soils. Key topics covered include the economics of soil fertility management, cycling of water, nutrients and organic matter, soil structure, and soil biological processes. The book combines synthetic overviews of research results and a review of methods used in research.From the foreword: 2The book is written within a particular context - soil fertility development under agroforestry. At first this may seem very specific and thus limited in appeal and application. But over the last decade or so agroforestry research has been one of the most influential in developing new insights into soil biology and fertility and thus provides a very suitable framework for review of progress. Furthermore the influence of trees on soil is profound and of significance beyond agroforestry systems, so the book is likely to be of interest in the wider spheres of agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences.3 Mike Swift, TSBF, Nairobi, Kenya.

Agroforestry is now recommended as a core subject in the curriculum of undergraduate courses of forestry, horticulture and agriculture. Keeping the needs of the students in mind this book has been written. Besides fulfilling curriculum requirements of the students, it will also help them to prepare for various competitive examinations. The plant lovers may also find this book worth reading. This book has been divided into twenty chapters covering all aspects of agroforestry including concepts, systems classifications, soil productivity, tree-crop interaction, watershed and wasteland management through agroforestry, climate change adaptation and mitigation, carbon sequestration, urban agroforestry, agroforestry design & diagnosis, economics and extension of agroforestry.

The history of agroforestry. Definition and concepts of agroforestry: community forestry, farm forestry, and social forestry. Agroforestry systems and practices. Agroforestry species. Soil productivity and protection. Design and evaluation of agroforestry systems. Agroforestry in the temperate zone.

This book presents various aspects of agroforestry research and development, as well as the latest trends in degraded landscape management. Over the last four decades, agroforestry research (particularly on degraded landscapes) has evolved into an essential problem-solving science, e.g. in terms of sustaining agricultural productivity, improving soil health and biodiversity, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. This book examines temperate and tropical agroforestry systems around the world, focusing on traditional and modern practices and technologies used to rehabilitate degraded lands. It covers the latest research advances, trends and challenges in the utilization and reclamation of degraded lands, e.g. urban and peri-urban agroforestry, reclamation of degraded landscapes, tree-based multi-enterprise agriculture, domestication of high-value halophytes, afforestation of coastal areas, preserving mangroves and much more. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable asset for a broad range of stakeholders including farmers, scientists, researchers, educators, students, development/extension agents, environmentalists, policy/decision makers, and government and non-government organizations.

Agroforestry is an age old practice throughout the world, but its recognition as a science is nearly three decades old. The scientific and systematic research on tree-crop interactions, in India, started in late 1970's and got major support and impetus with the establishment of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Agroforestry in 1983 by ICAR. Today AICRP on Agroforestry has its network through out the country. Under AICRP and through the individual efforts of State Agricultural Universities, location specific agroforestry systems has been recommended to suit agro-climatic zones, landholdings and economic status of the region. Though extensive research had been done till date, but it is not available to scientific world, farming communities (who are the backbone of Indian rural development), students and inquisitive readers in one manuscript. This prompted the authors to club the information on agroforestry systems and practices prevailing in India in form of book. For the sake of convenience, agroforestry systems prevailing in India have been divided into four broad sections i) Agroforestry in India ii) Agroforestry system and practices in North, West and Central India iii) Agroforestry systems and practices in East, North-East and Southern India iv) Allied topics related to Agroforestry. Section one cover topics covering agroforestry experiences, research and extension efforts done in the last 25 years in India. Section two includes 13 chapters and section three covers 14 chapters wherein agroforestry research vis-à-vis agroclimatic zones of different states of India have been discussed. The last section comprising of 8 chapters includes topics related to role of agroforestry in soil conservation, women development; management of agroforestry; modeling; rehabilitation of mine spoils and breeding of agroforestry tree species.