Page 142 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

practices such as weeding, fertilization, crop density regulation, runoff control etc are also in vogue in the
various parts of the tropics (Yirefu et al. 2019). There has been renewed interest on tree husbandry in view of
their economic stability and market demands. Especially the recent trends suggest tree based cash crops such
as rubber and nutmeg deliberately managed in homegardens. Coconut is the most popular among the trees
followed by arecanut and spices in high rainfall coastal regions like Kerala and the intensive management
practices that include fertilization, use of plant protection chemicals, systematic weeding and management
of interspaces in between the palms for intercropping etc are limited to such economically important crops
only (Peyre et al, 2006). Levels of management are again strongly influenced by the land size and socio-
economic adaptability. A clear gradient in management intensity exist among homegardens in Kerala (Peyre
et al, 2006). For example, the small sized gardens are characterized by low to medium management with
a concentration on internal inputs and with random arrangement of trees while the medium to big sized
homegarden are subject to a more intensive management with use of both internal and external inputs such as
chemical fertilizers, insecticides and purchased seedlings (Peyre et al, 2006).

The type and intensity of management again may vary with objectives. The coffee-banana dominated
Chagga homegardens in Tanzania follow time bound management practices for productivity enhancement.
Various operations include opening up the canopy to ensure better fruiting of the coffee, spacing out the
banana stools, and manuring the different crops (Fernandes et al, 1985). As evident from the homegardens in
Kerala, the management capabilities and preferences of the owner decide the number of banana clumps and
coffee bushes in the Chagga gardens. Fernandes et al. (1985) reported that the range of banana clumps per
homegarden varies from 200 to 800 (330 to 1,200 per ha) and coffee trees from 300 to 1,000 (500 to 1,400
per ha). The management strategies followed in Javanese homegardens also vary with the system followed.
The popular Javanese Pekarangan system is a mixture of annual crops, perennial crops, and animals on the
land surrounding a house where as Kebun-Talun system is more production oriented and permits clearing
the trees to cultivate field crops on a rotational basis. The Kebun phase confines to the crop cultivation with
high economic value gradually merge with kebun-campuran phase where annuals are mixed with half grown
perennials, period of low economic but high ecological value. The final phase (Talun) after the harvesting of
the annuals is dominated by perennials of commercial value. The Kebun-talun will be converted to Pekarangan
system when the house is developed upon it (Christanty et al, 1985).

Shifting trends in Homegarden practice
Despite the manifold virtues as a promising land use system with potential to support livelihood security
of millions of people in the tropics, homegardens are undergoing massive transformation that wear down
their intrinsic characteristics. Fast changing agriculture scenario and the high market-orientation do exert
considerable pressures on homegardens (Galhena et al. 2013; Kumar and Nair, 2004). Urbanization and
associated socioeconomic polarization has influenced the homegardens considerably. Commercialization
has resulted in drastic reduction in the structure and functions of homegardens world over. Indonesian
‘pekarangan’ and Kerala homesteads (Kumar and Nair, 2004) are some of the examples for this. Population
pressure on the land and associated fragmentation, high cost of land, alternative options of land use are
potential threats to retaining homegardens in the tropics. Homegardens are assumed to be the last refuge of

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development 123