Free report_ April

The word agroforestry is derived from the combination of two words that is agro, meaning "agriculture crops," and forestry, meaning "forest trees”, and therefore, agroforestry is a method of farming that allows trees and shrubs to grow along with agriculture crops and/or livestock, that means blending agriculture and forestry in the same production system.

Agroforestry is a branch of forestry science, which has been practiced in Nepal for meeting the human needs of forestry, agriculture and livestock. This practice differs in socio-economic condition of the farmers and ecological zone of the country. Based on ecological zones, Nepal can be divided into three parts: the high Himalayas in the north covering 24% of the total area; the lower hills, siwalik and mountain slopes in the centre consisted 56%; and Terai and inner Terai in the south at an elevation below 300 m from the sea level covered 20% of the total lands.

Agroforestry is a system which is not only ecologically rational but also economically sound. In recent years, agroforestry is developed as a science for improving the productivity, profitability and sustainability of production of available lands, and soil conservation. Taungya practice if agroforestry was first started in Nepal in 1972 in Tamagadhi of Bara district, where forest areas encroached by the hill migrants were planted and given to encroachers to grow agriculture. The main aim of this practice was to protect remaining forests from encroachment. 

2. Principles of agroforestry 

· Productive- Agroforestry systems have capacity to produce food crops, fruits, leaf litter, timber, fuel wood, and fodder for livestock.

· Protective- Agroforestry helps to minimize the degradation of the farm lands and other natural resource by working as shelterbelt.

· Ameliorative- Agroforestry systems with legume trees and crops help to maintain or improve the productivity of the land.

·         Livelihood improvement- Income can be generated from the sale of forest and agriculture products.

 3. Objectives of agroforestry 

·   To maximize the over all production of food/fruits, woody crops and fooder and forage including livestock per unit area.

·   To provide support for the conservation of soil, water and other resources including soil productivity.

·    To improve local environment.

·    To enhance the socio-economic condition of the farmers.

·  Finally, to improve the livelihoods of the farmers. 

4.  Advantages or benefits or importance of agroforestry 

Agroforestry has direct beneficial effect on socio-economic condition of the farmers and their surrounding environment. The main benefits of agroforestry are as follows:

 4.1. Economic benefits

 ·  Produce multiple products to meet growing demand of increasing human population and livestock. These products are food/vegetables/fruits, fodder and forage needed for livestock, fuel wood, timber, leaf litter needed for organic manure production and other NTFPs.

·  Agroforestry practice is needed to minimize total crop failure when farm is attacked by insects, pests and diseases.

·  Improve and sustain the crop productivity which increases the level of income of the farmers.

·   Improve the nutritive value of animal and human diet.

· Agroforestry is the best practice for soil nutrient recycling, which also helps to reduce chemical fertilizer purchase. 

4.2. Social benefit

 · Improving the living standard the farmers through sustained agroforestry yield, income and employment.

· Access of health, education, and other social services of the farmers could be improved due to the regular income and employment opportunities.

· Majority of the Nepalese farmers have less than 1 ha farmland and increasing population requires more food, fuel wood, fodder and forage, and timber. To meet these demands, agroforestry is the only one option for our country.

·  Agroforestry farmer groups could be formed easily involving farmers practicing agroforestry practices, and their capacity can be built up easily.

·  This is a traditional practice in Nepal. Therefore, farmers can be motivated and empowered easily. 

4.3. Environmental benefit 

· Agroforestry practice helps to stabilize shifting cultivation which leads the protection of the remaining forests.

·  Improve the farm site ecology by reducing surface run off, soil erosion and nutrient loss, gully formation, landslides, and river bank erosion.

· Improve the local micro-climate and enhance the productive capacity of the farm.

·   Reduce pressure of community forests and other natural forests for fodder, fuel wood and timber.

·  Agroforestry helps for the beautification of the surrounding areas.

·  Agroforestry works as carbon sequesters, which helps to reduce the effects of climate change. 

5. Disadvantages of agroforestry 

· Increase tree and agriculture crop competition for light, nutrient and space.

· Plant nutrient deficiency due to the over absorption.

· Amount of plant nutrient needed for crop produced increased due to the tree crop competition.

· Nutrient availability in under storey crops reduced due to the tree shade.

· Habitat to wild animals

· Damage to trees and crops from wild animals.

· Allelopathy effects.

· Damage to trees and crops from cultivation and tree harvest.

·   There is huge possibility for soil erosion during tree harvesting in sloppy lands.

·   Habitat or alternative hosts for insects, pests and diseases.

 

5.1. Socio-economic disadvantages or limitation 

· Require more labour inputs.

·  Crop yield reduced due to the tree crop competition.

· Longer period may be required for trees to grow and mature.

·  High possibilities for replacing food crops by trees.

· Complexity for practicing agroforestry systems to farmers compared with mono-cropping.

·   More financial resource needed to follow agroforestry practice properly. 

5.2. Strategy to overcome limitation 

· Select legume trees with light crown covers to reduce tree crop competition.

· Select deep rooted trees.

· Trees should be planted in wider space.

· Select appropriate under storey crops such as turmeric and ginger in heavy trees shade, cardamom under Uttis trees etc.

· Manage trees adopting following practices:

*  Singling, pruning and thinning for timber species

* Lopping, pollarding and coppicing for fodder species.