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Agroforestry Systems for Improving Nutrient Recycling and Soil Fertility on Degraded Lands

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Agroforestry for Degraded Landscapes

Abstract

Land degradation affects about 30% of the total global land area, posing unprecedented social, economic and environmental problems. In total, over 3 billion people reside in areas with some form of land degradation. Many of these are small landholder farmers, who are also at the forefront of land degradation and its consequences. Globally, an estimated 2.2 billion ha of degraded land is potentially available for restoration. Agroforestry, defined as the growing of perennials (trees, shrubs, bamboos and palms) with annual crops and/or livestock on the same piece of land, is believed to reverse land degradation, restore carbon and nutrient stocks and improve soil fertility. However, our knowledge of nutrient cycling in many agroforestry systems on degraded land is still evolving. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide a synthesis of nutrient cycling and soil fertility improvement through agroforestry practices with a focus on restoring the productivity of degraded lands. The review provided substantial evidence for amelioration of land degradation and creating a more closed nutrient cycling via deep nutrient capture, increased supply via N fixation, litter production and decomposition and increased soil biological activity in agroforestry than in annual cropping systems. Deep capture of nutrients by tree roots can also recycle nutrients leached from inorganic fertilizers applied to crops, thus improving nutrient use efficiency and potentially reducing negative environmental consequences. However, agroforestry will not eliminate the need for phosphorus (P) inputs on P-deficient soils. Initial tree establishment on degraded land may be challenging due to soil P deficiencies and water stress. The literature reviewed provides evidence that inoculating tree seedlings with appropriate N-fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, and application of phosphorus fertilizer ensures better tree establishment. Therefore, we strongly recommend the routine application of these inputs during tree planting in drylands to maximize nutrient cycling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    G. W. Sileshi

  2. School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

    G. W. Sileshi & P. L. Mafongoya

  3. Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India

    Arun Jyoti Nath

Authors
  1. G. W. Sileshi
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  2. P. L. Mafongoya
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  3. Arun Jyoti Nath
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Resource Management Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India

    Jagdish Chander Dagar

  2. Department of Botany, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

    Sharda Rani Gupta

  3. Department of Range and Forest Resources, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), Gaborone, Botswana

    Demel Teketay

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Sileshi, G.W., Mafongoya, P.L., Nath, A.J. (2020). Agroforestry Systems for Improving Nutrient Recycling and Soil Fertility on Degraded Lands. In: Dagar, J.C., Gupta, S.R., Teketay, D. (eds) Agroforestry for Degraded Landscapes. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4136-0_8

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