Page 29 - Agroforestry system - book inner (web) - 9-3-21_Neat

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

Agroforestry Research Institute (CAFRI) now. These efforts resulted in collection and evaluation of germplasm
of multipurpose tree species and development of location specific agroforestry technology for different agro-
climatic zones of the country such as Grewia optiva and Morus alba based system for Himalayan zone; Poplar
based for Indo-gangetic; Hardwickia binata and Ailanthus excelsa based system for arid and semi-arid zones;
Acacia mangium and Gmelina arborea based for humid and sub-humid zone and Tectona grandis based
system for tropical zone (Dhyani and Handa, 2013).
Agroforestry for cold desert

About 10 million ha in the states of J & K and Himachal Pradesh are a cold desert which is an unstable
and ecologically fragile region. The biotic pressures on the desert vegetation for fuel, fodder and grazing has
led to serious ecological degradation. Mid to high altitude zones of J&K has suffered due to faulty landuse
practices such as cultivation on steep slopes, over grazing, exploitation of natural tree cover which has
threatened the sustainability of the ecosystem. A number of agroforestry species found suitable for this area
are: Grewia optiva, Morus serrata, Celtis australis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Ulmus wallichiana, Quercus
spp., Bauhinia variegata etc. Erosion prone areas can be managed by silvipastoral land use. Fodder trees are
preferred as they can be lopped during lean periods and roughages supplemented with palatable and nutritious
leaves for livestock feeding. Hippophae rhamnoides, an important indigenous multipurpose shrub of the
region, is used as fuel and fodder by the local inhabitants. A study conducted in Spiti Valley of Himachal
Pradesh revealed that one ha plantation of this shrub can meet the fuelwood needs of about 20 families
(ICFRE, 1993). Recently, some Eucalyptus and Poplar clones have been introduced as agroforestry species
for re-vegetation of cold desert areas in Kashmir Valley.

Eastern-Himalayas

Among several shade tree species in large plantation areas of eastern Himalayas, alder (Alnus nepalensis)
is most abundant and preferred tree, which is a non-leguminous nitrogen fixing tree. Besides large cardamom,
many food crops like maize, millet, potato, barley, chillies and colocasia are grown with alder. The tree not
only provides shade to arable crops, timber and fuelwood but also ameliorates the soil and protects it from
erosion on hilly slopes. A yield of 400-500 kg ha of cardamom has been reported in a year under shade trees.
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If a village with 100 families could set aside about 120 ha of land to grow alder trees, all families would be
able to get sufficient fuelwood every year and at the same time raise crops under the alder in about 30 ha
area every year. Cultivation of coffee, ginger, cardamom, turmeric and medicinal plants under the shade of
naturally growing trees in Meghalaya is one of the best examples of successful combination of trees with
annual crops. Department of Agriculture in Mizoram has developed its own contour trench-farming for jhum
areas on hills where top portion is of undisturbed forest, middle portion is with horticultural crops and down
the hill, terraced rice is cultivated with pineapple and grasses on contours. Many species of bamboo, palms
(coconut, arecanut and species of Licuala, Phoenix, Wallichia, Corypha, Caryota) and rattans (Calamus spp.)
are cultivated widely in north-eastern areas as mixed or boundary plantations. Pasture in forests is also a
common practice. In Sikkim on hilly areas, Nevaro (Ficus auriculata) based silvipastoral systems have shown
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production potential of 15.6-51.6 t ha annually and goats could be reared successfully.

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