AGRO FORESTRY IS SURVIVAL OF THE COMMUNITY AND A

STEP TOWARDS POVERTY REDUCTION

BYALLAH DADF KLHAN

Objectives of Agro forestry

1. Enhanced nutrient cycling amongst trees, animals and crops.

2. Managing tree-soil interactions by matching species to sites and systems.

3. Acquisition, assessment and integration of local knowledge with science to develop improved agroforestry management principles, communication and negotiation.

4. Promotion of on-farm tree species diversity.5. Coping mechanisms for climate-induced rainfall variability.6. Adoption, promotion and impact of agroforestry and

natural resource management technologies.

Environmental perspective

1. Improvement to the development of natural resources:. 2. Better control of cultivated areas of land.3. Creation of original landscapes that are attractive, open and favour

recreational activities. 4. Counteract the greenhouse effect: constitution of an effective system for

carbon sequestration, by combining the maintenance of the stock of organic material in the soil

5. Protection of soil and water, in particular in sensitive areas.6. Improvement of biodiversity, especially by the abundance of "edge

effects". 7. These favorable characteristics are as coherent with the many objectives

of the laws guiding agriculture and forestry, as they are with the directing principles of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Concepts of Agro forestry 1. Productivity: Most, if not all, agroforestry systems aim to maintain or increase

production (of preferred commodities) as well as productivity (of the land). Agroforestry can improve productivity in many different ways. These include: increased output of tree products, improved yields of associated crops, reduction of cropping system inputs, and increased labor efficiency.

2. Sustainability: By conserving the production potential of the resource base, mainly through the beneficial effects of woody perennials on soils (see Section IV of this book), agroforestry can achieve and indefinitely maintain conservation and fertility goals.

3. Adoptability: The word "adopt" here means "accept," and it may be distinguished from another commonly-used word adapt, which implies "modify" or "change." The fact that agroforestry is a relatively new word for an old set of practices means that, in some cases, agroforestry has already been accepted by the farming community. However, the implication here is that improved or new agroforestry technologies that are introduced into new areas should also conform to local farming practices.

Benefits of Agroforestry

1. Control run off and erosion.2. Maintain soil organic matter.3. Maintain soil physical properties.4. Lead to more closed Nutrient cycling.5.Reduce soil toxicities.6. Utilize solar energy efficiently.7. Can reduce insect pests 8. Reclaim eroded and degraded land

Benefits of Agro forestry contd

9. Create a healthy environment.10.Moderate microclimates.11.Augment soil water availability 12. Increase nitrogen in soil through leguminous

plants.13. Increase nutrient inputs.14. Maintain soil fertility.15. Stimulate whole rural economy.

Benefits of Agro forestry contd

16. protect livestock from wind chill in winter and provide shade in the summer.

17. muffle noise from traffic and other machine18.In the case of dairy cows protecting barns,

feeding pens and milking parlour with trees can lead to increased milk production

19.Help relieve pressure on natural forest stocks.20.Provide local income and resource for

subsistence.

Benefits of Agro forestry contd

21.Agroforestry produces, mushroom, essential oil, drugs , shampoos , biopesticides ,

Disadvantages of domestication can include:

increased species susceptibility to pests and diseases (particularly in monoculture plantations), often leading to dependence on potentially harmful pesticides; loss of some of the ecological functions played by the forest when plantations replace natural forests; heavy dependence on regular infusion of seed from wild sources, for better yield and resistance to diseases and pests; concentration of income-generating potential in larger corporate entities, often far from the forest and the communities, and causing further disadvantages for poor households and minority grou

Components of agro forestry systems

• Trees• Shrubs • Crops • Pastures • Animals (insects, livestock, fish and other

aquatic organisms) • Environmental factors (soil, land form, climate)

Agroforestry as a practical management land management option

1. Type of land : the range of practices allow agroforestry to be applied over a wide variety of environmental conditions, e.g. wetlands, dry lands, rocky, slopy lands

2. Extent of land : most agroforestry practices are not land intensive.

3. Supply of inputs : agroforestry does not require inputs that are costly or in short supply. It is a relatively inexpensive form of land development.

4. Technology ; the technology employed is generally known and familiar to farmers. Agroforestry is therefore widely applicable as a practical land management option.

Adverse effects of trees on soil

1. Loss of organic matter and nutrients in tree harvest.

2. Nutrient competition between trees and crops.

3. Moisture competition between trees and crops.

4. Production of substances which inhibit germination or growth (allelochemicals).

5. Acidification of soil by some tree species.