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10 - 14 February 2014
Delhi, India
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A successful Approach on Farmer’s field
In India, vast areas of forested land have turned bare as a result of indiscriminate felling and exploitation. The problem has arisen when demand far exceeded the capacity of forest to supply wood without damage to the natural balance. A growing rural population with limited income opportunities and the related widespread rural poverty due to shrinking resource base have led to encroachment of forestlands.
Diversion of forestland to non-forest uses (of the order of 150,000 ha. annually) has also led to large-scale destruction of forests. It is estimated that out of the 130 million ha of barren land in the country, 70 – 80 million ha. is under private ownership.
Such lands when developed carefully with various site-specific tree species for fodder, firewood, pulpwood and timber for various industries will return the green cover and can help change the picture completely in a few years. The increasing demands of humans for food, fruit, vegetables and fuel necessitates the cultivation under marginal, degraded as well as under the shrubs and trees plantation.
The condition of the Indian farmers in the rural society is neglected due to less holding (02 ha) and resource poor. The income generated from such holding either through plantation or arable cropping alone is not sufficient to sustain the farm families while the mono-cropping system is not sure under the risk prune environment.
Agroforestry has not only benefit farmers but it also supplies raw material to wood industry and generate employment of various kinds thus benefiting millions in related economic activities like transportation, wholesale and retailing etc. Agroforestry also plays an important role in environmental improvement and pollution control etc. It can be initiated at farmers’ holdings in villages and nearer to urban conglomerations. It is a win-win situation for all.
Hence, to utilize time and space as well as natural resources in addition to inputs applied artificially through agronomic manipulation and management practice is the need of the time. Change in cropping pattern from mono cropping to intercropping up to some extent improves the stability of yield and income by way of spreading the risk of crop failure. The need for the better understanding of agricultural crops and tree has prompted the author to study the growth and production of associated crops under eucalyptus plantation.
Experimental site
Village – Mushkara , Block- Sihora , Distt- Jabalpur (M.P.)- India
Agro-climatic zone- Kymore Plateau and Satpura Hills
Location : 22°49’ to 2408’ North Latitude and 78021’ to 80058’ East Longitude
Year of experiment: July 2009 to March 2012
Other Experimental Details
Soil Type – Medium black & Clay Loam
Soil Depth – 8 to 10 feet
Soil PH - 7.2
Planting material used – Clone No. 413
Spacing – 8 m x 1.5 m (paired rows)
(Wider spacing in East to West direction)
No. of Plants/ha. – 2000
Planting month & Year – July , 2009
Irrigation potential – Rainfed condition
N,P & K Status – 205 , 15.6 , 376 kg/ha
Recommended Package of practices were followed for trees and crops both.
Major Findings
- Net return of Rs. 1,47,380/- ha was recorded when soybean was grown with eucalyptus plantation as compared to farmers practices i.e sole cropping of soybean or no use of space between the plantation. The crop was harvested at 105-110 days.
- The net return of Rs. 1,50,930/- ha was recorded when wheat was grown with eucalyptus plantation as compared to farmers practices i.e sole cropping of wheat or no use of space between the plantation. The crop was harvested at 125-130 days.
- Although there is a reduction of 9% in soybean yield and 14% in wheat yield under eucalyptus plantation.
- The assessed technology is found suitable for rainfed area and managed the problem of unutilized space between the plantations and also the low income per unit area from sole crop only.
- The income generated by the plantation has minimized the losses and gave extra income.
- Thus, the productivity and profitability per unit area was increased in eucalyptus based agrisilviculture system in the region.
- Farmers realized that the intercropping of soybean and wheat under plantation gave extra income at sustainable basis.
Photo: View of soybean crop with eucalyptus
Blogpost and photo by Naveen Patle, S.B.Agrawal, D.P.Sharma, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (Jabalpur, India) – Submitted by naveen_patle2002(at)rediffmail.com
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29 People have left comments on this post
It is the need of hour to include tree crop with agriculture systems in the present era of climate change. It is well proven that agroforestry is the single most easiest and simplest to adapt and mitigate climate change. I hearty congratulate the authors to come with such a interesting cum informative blog
it is so good it looks beautiful
it is intersting
It is very informative and will help to boost the economyics of the farmers.
well done Dr. Naveen and Co.
This system is very beneficial for farmers and should be promoted at a large scale .
This is very beneficial to farmers, very good work by KVK Jabalpur Team
due to increasing population day by day agricultural area is decreasing, so agroforestry is best system for more food and fodder production.
india farming is based on rainfall so in drylands and less rainfall areas agroforestry is best system for production of food,fodder and fuelwood…
agroforestry is the best method to take out double output on same land at same time more profitable………….
Hi Naveen, Thanks for suggesting very simple and easy to follow approach to farmers about the benefits of intercropping.Small land holding, lack of awareness and little or no support from govenment is also respnsible for such a sorry state of affairs of farmers from all over India. There is a great scope for promoting agrioforestry in state like M.P if
sincre efforts are made by all who are resposible for this job.
It is very good system of agroforestry specially for the farmer’s community who want returns in a very short time. This system is not only provide the returns regularly but also insurance against failure of crops.
Soybean eucalyptus based agroforestry practice is more remunerative because both crops are paying specially in semi arid area. Hence, in my opinion , farmers should adopt this system for higher returns in short time.
Agroforestry is the best option for increasing per capita income from small and marginal farmers field in india and agroforestry system based on eucalyptus with higher market demand and easy selling option is a boon to farmers. Good work by Naveen Patle and KVK team
Agroforestry is the best option for increasing per capita income from small and marginal farmers field in india and agroforestry system based on eucalyptus with higher market demand and easy selling option is a boon to farmers.
This is the way to go to conserve forests and to multiply returns from land.Great work by JNKVV team.I am going on the same track..Congrats Dr Naveen and Team.
This is a clear example of increase livelihood security by agroforestry besides environment benefits. Agroforestry will be surely a most crucial step for achieving millennium development goals.
In India major part of agriculture is rainfed, extending to over 97 mha and constituting nearly 68% of the net cultivated area.Soyabean Wheat and Clonal plantation of Eucalyptus agroforestry crop combination improves food (Soyabean, Wheat) and fibre (Pulp) and fuel wood needs in rainfed/dryland. Hence, it may be considered one of the suitable agroforestry model for rainfed area.
Good Analysis…
Agri-silvi system is more dynamic and suitable system for marginal farmers. that pictures show, how can be used interspaces of plantation fields of farmers and increase the mitigation of carbon through carbon sequestration in terms plant biomass. So that clonal eucalyptus plantation is more beneficial with agricultural crops.
Paired rows of Clonal Eucalyptus with Soybean and Wheat as inter crop, a lucrative Agroforestry model; provides food , poles, fuel wood and pulp wood. I am sure this model became popular among farmers. Sincere effort by Dr. Navin and team. Congrats.
Agroforestry system fulfill all the need of increasing population through out the earth. One of the example done by Dr. N.K. Patle. congrates sir
congratulation sir for promoting such effort at farmer’s field.
best work for fulfilling the needs of beneficiaries. congrats sir
congrats sir for successful work
Agroforestry=more income+ sound health + sustained and improved ecosystem+ reduce presure on forest + soil and water conservation/improvement+…… it was good work sir’ congrats
I am surprised to see agri plants under eucalyptus trees, because of two reasons. One it takes lot of water and soil becomes dry, soyabean planting in right season.
Second eucalyptus dead leafs doesn’t facilitate other plants growth like bamboo,
Diversified farming is the need of the hour.
The modified double-cropping pattern can provide farmers a valuable tool to continue to remain competitive in today’s marketplace. This study has shown that the modified double-cropping pattern can produce higher net returns to land, labor, and management when compared to classical cropping patterns.
Good Work Done – Keep it up !
Navin