Agroforestry systems for soil and water conservation and sustainable production from foothill areas of north India

Abstract

Some conservation based agroforestry systems (AFS) were developed for possible adoption in place of high risk rainfed farming on land capability classes Ito IV of a typical topo-sequence of foothill north India. The agri-silvi-horticulture system integrating leucaena, lemon, papaya and turmeric on class I irrigated land provided sustainable mean net returns of Rs. 17066 against Rs. 7852 ha.⁻¹ yr.⁻¹ from double cropped agricultural system. The intercropping of cluster beans with leucaena gave the highest net returns of Rs. 3540 ha.⁻¹ yr.⁻¹ in the agri-silvicultural system adopted on class II land. Eucalyptus terettcornis (Smith) in top and Bhabbar grass (Eulaliopsis binata Retz) in the understorey on a sandy loam class III land gave four years (1985–1988) mean air dry grass yield of 4.2 (used for paper pulp) from October and 1.19 t. ha⁻¹ yr.⁻¹ (used for fodder) from June cut. The net returns from grass alone were Rs. 4672 against Rs. 1679 ha.⁻¹ yr.⁻¹ from rainfed field crops raised on an adjoining plot. The returns from trees would be additional. Bhabbar grass raised under Acacia species on a 25 to 30% sloping gravelly class IV land provided yield varying from 2.18 to 4.31 from October cut and 0.50 to 1.1 t. ha.⁻¹ yr.⁻¹ from June cut with 6 years mean of 3.9 t. ha.⁻¹ yr.⁻¹ which at 1988 prices provided net returns of Rs. 2402 ha⁻¹. These AFS proved superior to traditional farming on each land capability class.