Page 54 - 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”

INTEGRATING LIVESTOCK IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING
LIVELIHOOD OF RESOURCE POOR FARMERS

M. Murugan
Dean (Retd.)
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai.

Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among
crops or pasture land. About twenty common agroforestry systems are being practised in different agro-
ecological regions of India ( Dhyani et al.2005) .
Animal agroforestry refers to the system of land use which consists of livestock rearing and cultivation
of crops within woody plants. The animal agroforestry system carries various advantages. Adoption of
agroforestry practices in livestock production results in increased income to farmers due to enhanced crop
production, reduced labour for rearing of cattle and improved soil fertility through application of manure from
livestock rearing.

Suitability of Animal species for agroforestry
Cattle and sheep are well suited to incorporation into most silvo pastoral systems. Both species are
essentially grazers and usually will consume the under storey herbaceous plants in preference to browsing
trees and shrubs unless herbage is dominated by unpalatable species.

One advantage of grazing cattle in tree plantations is weed and grass control. It was estimated that the
grazing of sheep in rubber plantations resulted in a saving of approximately 30% of the costs of chemical
weed control as well as reduced chemical hazard .

Incompatibility between trees and animals is based on unacceptable damage to either component or
interference in the management of the tree crop (Stor and Shelton.,1991).Goats are essentially browsers and
are less suited to agroforestry systems involving direct grazing of forages in the presence of trees.

Goats have more interest on consumption of trees and shrubs while sheep showed more interest on
consumption of herbaceous plants. Usually goats showed a typical behaviour of opportunistic feeder, since in
winter and summer they consume a greater quantity of ligneous species than herbaceous, while in spring they
select more herbaceous species due to their high quality. In contrast, sheep have non- preferential behaviour
and consume more herbaceous species irrespective of season. Some tree species like Sesbania grandifiora are
particularly susceptible to browsing by goats(Kochapakdee 1991).

Goats can be included in agroforestry systems if they are tethered or housed. However, bark damage
sometimes occurs with species other than goats. Rams in particular cause damage when sharpening their
horns. This doubled the incidence of decay fungi entering the lower trunks of the trees (Shelton et al. 1987).

Cattle are incompatible in rubber plantations as they disturb the tapping cups . There are also some
negative effects of tree crops on the grazing animal. Sheep in oil palms suffer from an abnormally high
proportion of cuts due to the sharp spines on the petioles of fallen fronds . Non ruminants are not used widely
in agroforestry systems. Pigs are regarded as too destructive to be included in systems incorporating trees.

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development 35