Agroforestry Program in South Asia

V.P. Singh, Regional Coordinator for South Asia

New Delhi, India

South Asia Program contextAgroforestry is:• A specialized way of farming practiced on

the farm (outside forests)• Revolves around high value low volume

systems, value addition, employment and income generation opportunities

• South Asia Program focuses on enhancing native systems, on innovating approaches and systems and their applications

• All projects are of intra-regional and inter-regional importance

ICRAF- SOUTH ASIA

Concentrates on challenges of:Poverty (low and unstable income)Hunger, poor nutrition and healthSocial disparity & inequality; gender, social classesLand degradation, climate change, ecosystem services

Develops protocols for integrating trees in the farming system and for value addition and market linkages for productsImplements projects through partners

South Asia operates through

• Multiple partnerships• National agriculture / forestry R&D systems• Ecology/ commodity / product based

coordinated projects and networks• Focusing on national capacity building• Accessing national capacity strengths• Resource and credit sharing

NetworkEcology

Hilly and Mountainous areas

Indo-Gangetic Plains

Semi Arid and Arid Regions

Costal Humid Zones

Timber/ Other Wood Products

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka

Bangladesh, India, NepalPakistan,

Afghanistan, India, Pakistan

Bangladesh, India, Maldives

Climate Change

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan

Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan

Afghanistan, India, Pakistan

Bangladesh,India, Sri Lanka, Maldives

Medicinal Products

Bangladesh Bhutan, India, Nepal

Bangladesh,India, Nepal, Pakistan

India, Pakistan India,Sri Lanka, Maldives

Fruits& nuts Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka

Bangladesh, India , Nepal, Pakistan

India, Pakistan Bangladesh,India, Maldives

Fuel

&

Fodder

South Asia Priorities and Focus• Improved germplasm and high quality

planting material supply systems

• Agroforestry intensification and diversification

• Agroforestry product demand, market and value chain analysis

• Impact assessment and value tagging of major agroforestry systems

South Asia priorities and focus---

• Land degradation assessment and rehabilitation of degraded lands

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation, carbon finance

• Bioenergy / bio-fuels policy, technical advancements and practical solutions

• Inter-regional partnerships

Sustainable tree seed and seedling supply systems---

• Established networking for regional tree domestication

• Carried out planting material production and supply inventory, need and gap analysis in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

• Assessed the public and private planting material supply systems in India and Bangladesh

Sustainable tree seed and Seedling supply systems---

• Initiated programs for improving the supply in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka

• Included planting material supply aspects in the agroforestry curricula

• Drafted planting material production guidelines

Improved on-farm productivity of trees and agroforestry systems• Constraint to AF adoption

analysed (north-western vs. eastern India) and generic extension material for accelerating adoption developed

• Integration of fruit, tuber and spices in timber systems studied in-terms of nutrient and water balance

• Substitution of poplars and eucalypt with other sp. being explored

Improved on-farm productivity of trees and agroforestry systems

• High density plantation of fruits

a) total uprooting or selective thinning and replanting (expensive, time consuming and legally cumbersome option)

b) rejuvenating trees through differential pruning / heading back and proper management (a preferred option).

MethodologyIdentified old, non-responsive, lowly productive but apparently healthy looking trees in the orchardPhysically inspected and noted each tree canopy and light passing through it for deciding the level of canopy opening: total, partial, central or peripheral canopy openingPruned the selected trees, and provided them adequate nutrients and water in the tree basin and protection from pests by applying paint on the pruned surfacesManaged orchard weeds and insect pests and mulched the inter- tree spaces .

PrecautionsPrune / head back in suitable weather conditions or with good irrigation facilities Practice slant cut using sharp edge tools Apply copper oxychloride paint on the cut surface immediately after heading back

Rejuvenating Old Mango Trees through Heading Rejuvenating Old Mango Trees through Heading back and Management Techniquesback and Management Techniques

A.K. Singh*,IARI; V.P. Singh** & Devashree Nayak**, ICRAF, New Delhi, India

ObjectivesReinvigorate orchard productivity through economical and time saving means

Reduce initial investment and enhance farm income

Prolong tree life and enhance productivity

ResultsHarvested timber value equivalent to 4 - 5 fruit crops; valued at Indian Rs 2400-7500 per tree depending on the level of canopy opening1st year: Emergence of new shoots only, no fruits2nd year: A good canopy and mature buds; fruiting in some branches3rd year onwards a bumper mango crop; 8-12 ton / ha against average 6 ton / ha of productive orchardTree life extended atleast for another 20 years.

ConclusionThe techniques have been proven successful in mango, guava, chikoo (sapota) and amla (Indian gooseberry)Possibility of intercropping cereals, low canopy fruit trees, timber species and rhizomatous & tuber crops Visiting farmers are successfully adopting the techniques

IntroductionAged trees, 45 years and older ones are susceptible to disease and insect pests, less responsive to inputs and management, and as a result have very low productivity, and limit inter cropping because of closed canopy. Options for increasing orchard productivity are:

For further information: * aksingh36@yahoo.com; ** v.p.singh@cgiar.org; d.nayak@cgiar.org

Canopy opening

Emergence of shoots

Rejuvenated trees

Flowering & Fruiting in rejuvenated trees

Impact assessment of major agroforestry systems

• Ongoing in the following areas:-- Timber based (poplar and eucalypt) in north-

western India -- Fruit based systems:• Mango in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and

Karnataka, • Guava in Uttar Pradesh,• Pomegranate in Maharashtra, and • Custard apple in Rajasthan

Mapping of trees outside the forests:Dominant Species (country level analysis)

Species (% trees)Mangifera indica 8.91Azadirachta indica 4.36Cocos nucifera 4.29Acacia arabica 3.87Prosopis cineraria 3.26Borassus flabelliformis 1.79Phebalium columi 1.20Bassia (Madhuca) latifolia 1.09Ficus sp. 0.66Tamarindus indica 0.62

Mapping of trees at Village (Micro) Level in Lucknow District, UP, India

Boundary Plantation

Block Plantation

Improving tree product marketing for small holders

Two main studies being conducted in this area:Value chain analysis and new product development for custard apple, aonla, bael, and some MADP plants,A study of leaf meal feed and fodder market in India

Reducing land health risk and rehabilitation of degraded lands through agroforestry

• Extent of eroded (Rajasthan), surface mined (UP), mine tailing (Orissa) and sand deposits (Assam) monitored,

• Soils analyzed and calibrated with the spectral signatures for large scale soil loss assessment,

• Public and private rehabilitation efforts of degraded lands through agroforestry being compiled,

• Rehabilitation of degraded lands through agroforestry being studied

Regenerating degraded lands through agroforestry

Before

After

Agroforestry systems for climate change adaptation and mitigation

• Held an international workshop for mainstreaming climate change research in agriculture,

• Identified and described farmers coping and adaptation strategies to climate variability,

• Organized a network for developing adaptation mechanisms to extreme events

• Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in temperate and tropical soils under different in-situ temp. regimes is being studied

.

Benefiting small holders through carbon sequestration and finance

• Assembled a tool box for carbon accounting,

• Orientated NARS on carbon assessment and finance mechanisms,

• Network project operating at four sites

• Convergence sought with MNREGA, IFFDC, IFAD, GIZ,DONONE, Ambuja Cements and other programs

.

Maharana Pratap University of

Agriculture and Technology,

Udaipur, Rajasthan

OUTREACH, Bangalore, Karnataka

Central Research Institute for

Dryland Agriculture,

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Orissa University of Agriculture

and Technology, Bhubaneswar,

Orissa

Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi

Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora,

Uttarakhand

World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF),

Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi

Consortium Leader

Bioenergy / bio-fuels policy, technical advancements and practical solutions

• Conducted a complete life cycle analysis of producing bio- diesel from jatropha and compared it with other sources,

• Published a number of journal papers and a booklet, and guided one Ph. D and two M S students,

• Prepared a national level bio-fuel policy document through lead economists, and plan to organize a national / regional debate on this issue

Developing policies and incentives for agroforestry

Agroforestry Policy:--- State Agroforestry Policy for Chhatishgarh, India

drafted and the National Agroforestry Policy for Sri Lanka being done,

--- Contributing to the development of an International Agroforestry Policy,

Modification of state legislature:---Tree felling, transit and selling regulations,

Chhatishgarh, India--- State Agroforestry Authority established in

Chhatishgarh, India

Staffing• Four full time new staff: Dr. C. Ravikumar

(carbon finance), Dr. Kabita Bhardwaj (fruits), Dr. Babita Bohra (fodder); one position is being arranged for interviews

• Two part time staff: Dr. Giashuddin Miah (Liaison for Bangladesh), Dr. Buddhi Marambe (home gardens mgt, Sri Lanka)

• Two consultants: Dr. Dinesh Marothia (impact assessment), Dr. S.S. Baghel (planting materials production and certification protocols and guidelines)

Recently realized and New opportunities:

Realized:• Core support from ICAR, $150 K• US $ 1.5 m on Livelihoods and carbon finance, NAIP/ World

Bank, India• Bangladesh Taka 16 m on Climate change and livelihoods,

NATP / World Bank, Bangladesh• Sri Lankan Rupees 1.6 m on Bio-fuels, Science FoundationIn Principle approved projects:• Euros 300 k on Sand Dune Stabilization, GIZ, India• Can $ 1.2 m on Alleviation of poverty and malnutrition in

agro-biodiversity hot spots with MSSRF and Uni. Alberta from IDRC / CIDA

• US $ 2.0 on Water Augmentation with MSSRF and Uni. Nebraska from Indo-USA S&T Forum

Realized and New opportunities----New projects and programs:

• Climate Resilient Agri., Climate Change Fund, India, $1.5-2.0 (CN submitted)

• Climate change and carbon sequestration, India, $1.9 m, World Bank, India (CN approved, first draft being developed)

• Bio-energy, IFAD, $ 1.5- 3.0 (has been submitted)• Negotiations in progress with DANONE, Ambuja Cements and

J.K. Industries for buying carbon credits under their CSR

• Established program in Bangladesh, August, 2010• New MoU signed with Sri Lanka, March, 2011• Launching of the Asian Network on Evergreen Agriculture

scheduled on 14 May, 2011.

Recently realized and New opportunities:● Africa- India bridge started:

44 Scholarships for MS and Ph. D in 2010; 125 for 2011100 post- doc fellowships in 2010; 17 in Agri.Six soil & tissue analysis lab. Germplasm exchange got movingTraining and skills enhancement of ICRAF staff to be sponsored by ICAR

• Hosting arrangements for the next World Agroforestry Congress (Feb. 2014) started

● South-East Asia bridge approved, and potential areas, including agroforestry, climate change and watershed management tentatively identified with ICAR

Thank you